Newspaper Page Text
PAGE 6C
November 23, 2016
Pastor’s
Corner
Focus on
thanking
God this
holiday
BY REV. SCOTT
HARRELL
his week we
enter into full
Holiday Mode.
It is interesting
that over time
holi
days
tend to
dete
riorate
into
some
thing
that is
often
very
dif
ferent Rev. Scott Harrell
than
their
original intention.
Just think of a few of our
more popular holidays.
Independence Day is now
associated with fireworks;
Christmas is associated
with Santa Claus or gifts,
and Thanksgiving is associ
ated with turkey. Each of
those are quite a bit less
than their original, intend
ed purposes.
The word holiday’ is actu
ally derived from the term
holy day’. Even the name
has lost much of its origi
nal meaning. I think we
should work at making the
holidays more of what they
were originally intended to
be.
Our independence should
not be crowded out on
the Fourth of July. As
Christmas approaches we
need to work to make sure
the focus is not just on gifts
or a man in a red suit.
Then there is
Thanksgiving. How are you
celebrating it this year?
Is it only focused around
a turkey dinner and fam
ily plans? It takes effort
to remember the intended
purpose of Thanksgiving.
Giving thanks to God for
all he has given us.
Let me help you out with
this year’s celebration. I
suggest an exercise for your
family that will help you
remember to be thankful.
Here it is: Write the name
of each family member on a
slip of paper and place it in
a hat. Have each member
of the family draw a name
(making sure it’s not their
own name). Then have
each person write a thank
you note to God about that
individual.
In the note include specif
ic traits and qualities of the
person for whom they are
thankful. Then as a family
take turns reading those
prayers aloud to God.
Take up this challenge
and create a special sense
of gratitude in your family.
Then to complement this
activity read from Psalms.
There are many psalms
that focus on praise to
God. Let me suggest a few;
Psalms 95, 96, 98, 100, 104,
and 105. These are easy
ones to read aloud. Each
allows us to experience
thankfulness to God for all
of His goodness.
Remember this Holiday
is a Holy Day. My prayer
is that your Thanksgiving
will open your eyes and
those of your family to see
God’s many blessings. God
has been and will continue
to be good to His children.
Have a Happy
Thanksgiving!
Scott Harrell is the pas
tor of Rocky Creek Baptist
Church, 225 Rocky Creek
Road, Forsyth. The Pastor’s
Corner is sponsored by the
Monroe County Ministerial
Association, which meets
on the second Thursday of
each month at Ann’s Deli at
8 a.m.
^Reporter
Dingier vaults to Stephen Austin
Carson Dingier signs with Stephen A. Austin University as her parents, Kip and Judy Dingier, and
Brandon West, Dingler’s trainer. (Photo/Richard Dumas)
BY RICHARD DUMAS
forsyth@mymcr. net
Monroe County track stand
out Carson Dingier signed a
scholarship offer on Thursday
at the Mary Persons media
center to compete as a pole
vaulter at Stephen F. Austin
State University.
Dingier, a senior at Mary
Persons, transferred to MP
from FPD at the beginning of
the school year. Having already
won three straight GHSA A
pole vaulting titles for FPD,
Dingier will compete for MP’s
girls track team in the spring
before moving on to her college
career in the fall of 2017.
Dingier, who was offered a
scholarship by virtually all
the major track programs in
the U.S., said she selected
little-known Stephen F. Austin
because of her close relation
ship with Lumberjacks’ assis
tant track coach Jeff Erickson.
Dingler’s father Kip said
Erickson, who also owns the
Altius pole manufacturing com
pany, made his daughter her
first custom-made pole when
she was six or seven years
old. Kip Dingier said
Erickson, whose father
Carl was a track coach
at Baylor for many
years, has an indoor practice
facility where his daughter can
practice.
Kip Dingier said: “They just
really get along great. Jeffs a
nice guy. . . And they’re just
good people. They really con
nected well.”
Carson Dingier, who said
her other finalists were Baylor
and Oklahoma, agreed that
Erickson’s influence was the
key to her recruitment decision.
“All of the colleges I was look
ing at were good colleges to
begin with,” Dingier said. “So
the coach was definitely the
deciding factor.”
Dingier, who said she loves
the Texas heat, said she’s
visited Stephen F. Austin on
recruiting trips too many times
to count. Although his daugh
ter’s college of choice is 12
hours from her Forsyth home,
Kip Dingier, who competed as
a pole vaulter for Florida, said
his daughter made an excellent
choice.
“It was all on her,” Kip
Dingier said. “As a parent, I
guess you can promote or push
in a certain direction. But then
if she’d gone to Florida and
not liked it, that’s something I
didn’t want to be responsible
for. I’m just letting her make
her own decisions. And she
made a good one I think. I
think she’s going to do well.”
Kip Dingier was his daugh
ter’s first pole vaulting coach,
and his influence was particu
larly important in her career
because there are few coaches
available who are experts
in pole-vaulting technique.
Carson Dingier said the biggest
thing her father taught her
was never to quit.
“No matter how hard you try,
try harder no matter what,”
Dingier said of her father’s big
gest piece of advice. “You can
always be better.”
However, Kip Dingier said his
daughter was a quick study in
that regard.
“She’s just got a work ethic
like no other,” Kip Dingier said.
“She really puts in the time
and effort into it to get it done.”
Although Dingier has yet
to compete for Mary Persons,
MP principal Jim Finch said it
was important that the school
honor her college scholarship
achievement.
“We want to congratulate
you,” Finch said to Dingier.
“And we’re proud of you and
wish you good luck. We’re look
ing for some good things this
spring as well.”
Dingler’s future school,
Stephen F. Austin, is located
in East Texas in the town
of Nacogdoches. The college,
whose namesake was the
founder of Texas, competes in
the Southland Conference of
Division 1. Perhaps the
university’s best-known
alums include: Eagles
lead singer/drummer Don
Henley, late Houston
Oilers head coach Bum Phillips
and late chemist Joseph W.
Kennedy, who was a co-discov-
erer of plutonium.
Among’s Dingler’s myriad
track achievements was a fifth-
place finish in the under-20 age
division of the World Junior
Championships in Poland in
July with a personal record
vault of 13 feet, 11.25 inches.
Dingier hopes to compete at the
2020 Summer Olympic Games
in Tokyo.
The coach was definitely the deciding factor.’ - Carson Dingier
John
Berry
to open
Fine Arts
Center
The Backlot
Players present pop
ular hit-maker, sing
er and guitarist John
Berry in a special
acoustic concert on
Friday, Feb. 3 at the
new Monroe County
Fine Arts Center
in Forsyth. This
concert will benefit
the Backlot Players’
300 Roses Capital
Campaign. The con
cert will be one of the
first events held at
the brand new 1,188-
seat Monroe County
Fine Arts Center.
Connie Copelan,
300 Roses Campaign
Chair, said, ‘We are
excited that John
Berry will be doing
the inaugural concert
at the new Fine Arts
Center which opens
in December 2016
for school and com
munity events. John
has a great following
of fans in Middle
Georgia and we could
not think of anyone
better to help launch
the community’s new
venue and assist the
Backlot Players in
raising money for our
ongoing 300 Roses
Capital Campaign.”
Copelan indicated
that concert tickets
are available online
by using the follow
ing link: https://www.
ticketaltemative.
com/event/an-eve-
ning-with-john-berry
Ticket prices are
$48 and $43 depend
ing on location. “An
Evening with John
Berry” begins at 7:30
p.m. on Feb. 3. The
Monroe County Fine
Arts Center is locat
ed at 27 Brooklyn
Avenue, Forsyth.
The Backlot
Players Guild is a
not-for-profit 501-C-3
organization dedi
cated to presenting
live theater to the
community.
Dunkin manager charged in theft
A Forsyth Dunkin Donuts
manager faces felony charges of
theft by taking after she alleg
edly stole money from the store.
Latonya Dale Renaud, 27, of
Jackson, will be charged with
four counts of theft by taking
after her boss reported suspi
cious activity to Forsyth police.
According to the incident
report, at about 7 a.m. on Nov.
14, Officer David Asbell of the
Forsyth Police Department went
to the Dunkin Donuts on North
Lee Street where the district
manager, identified as Chelsea
Larkins, said the store manager,
identified as Renaud had not
deposited the previous four days’
deposits in the bank. Larkins
showed Asbell where paperwork
indicated the deposits had been
made, but United Bank had not
received them.
Larkins then showed Asbell
a surveillance video of Renaud
counting the deposits in the
morning and then leaving the
store with the deposits at about
7:30 a.m., an hour-and-a-half
before the deposits could be
made at United Bank. Larkins
told Asbell that Renaud should
only be going to the bank during
normal hours. The total sum of
the four missing deposits was
$3,481.90.
Larkins said Renaud did not
respond to her calls about the
matter.
Remember When
This look at what Monroe County residents were reading in the
Reporter 30, 20 and 10 years ago this week is brought to you by...
Monroe County
Memorial Chapel
We set the standards
that others follow'
Harley Ray "Spanky" Beck
86 West Main Street • Forsyth
478-994-4266
1986
Forsyth and Monroe County
churches will join together
for the annual Community
Thanksgiving service at Christ
United Methodist Church on
Wednesday night with Rev. Dan
Whitaker of First Baptist bring
ing the message.
Monroe County and Monroe
Academy students will have
a two-day break for the
Thanksgiving holiday.
Strong thunderstorms spawn a
tornado Thursday morning that
downs trees in the Bolingbroke
area and drops almost 3 inches
of rain.
Monroe County Grand Jury
recommends construction of new
jail because the existing one is
‘grossly overcrowded.’
Forsyth authorizes preliminary
work by attorney Robert Melton
on a re-districting plan for the
city.
Manchester Blue Devils defeat
Mary Persons, 7-3, in a semi
final playoff game.
Monroe Academy senior Gaylyn
Lawson signs to play basketball
for Georgia State.
1996
Food Giant buys Forsyth Piggly
Wiggly from Bruno’s; Mike Carr
will continue as store manager.
The Professional Practices
Commission is investigating
whether Monroe County Band
and Chorus director Micheldron
Eppinger will keep his certificate
after alleged sexual harassment
charges.
Former city council member
Steve Eller is elected mayor of
Culloden and David Pennamon
Jr., Janet Smith and Chuck
Boling are elected to council.
A 36-year-old Forsyth man and
his passenger are killed in an
accident on Hwy. 42 South at
5:15 a.m. following an abandoned
chase by a city patrolman.
Monroe County veterans are
honored at a program at Dillon’s
Funeral Home, including a
21-gun salute by the Marine
Corps Rifle Detail.
Holiday Inn Forsyth receives
the Holiday Inn Worldwide 1996
modernization award for an out
standing renovation program.
2006
Habitat for Humanity is raf
fling a 2007 Ford truck, valued
at $20,000. Only 500 tickets at
$100 each will be sold.
Monroe County voters give
incumbent Gov. Sonny Purdue
64.2 percent support in his
reelection. They support Lt. Gov.
Casey Cagle with 59 percent.
Commissioners hear comments
from citizens on the county line
dispute with Bibb County but
take no action.
The permitting and applica
tion process for the Walmart
Superstore continues despite a
lawsuit filed by local residents.
Commissioners react with dis
belief when told replacement and
repairs to the courthouse roof
will cost $800,000.
Forsyth-Monroe County
Chamber of Commerce holds
ribbon cutting for High Falls
Hideaway at 5047 High Falls
Road.
Mary Persons Fastpitch
Softball Team holds its annual
awards banquet at Camp
Kaleo. Seniors are Leslie Van
Kirk, Valerie Greenfield, Kori
McMillan and Laura Greenfield.