Newspaper Page Text
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2008
THE BANKS COUNTY NEWS
PAGE 5B
Down the Stretch
Preach on, Brother Pearson, preach on
REGION
EVENT
Gabrielle
Foster com
petes in the
long jump
last Friday for
Banks County
High School
at the Region
8-AA meet.
The region
competition
was hosted by
East Jackson
High School.
Photo by
Brandon Reed
High School Track
Lady Leopards compete at
BCHS boys set for 8-AA
event Friday, Monday
BY CHRIS BRIDGES
A season of improvement culmi
nated at the Region 8-AA for the
Banks County High School Lady
Leopard track team.
The BCHS girls, competing at East
Jackson High School Friday and
Monday, improved in several areas
from the previous season’s region
meet, coach Rob Moffett said.
Jessica Newell made the finals in
the 300-meter hurdles and finished
sixth overall.
Vanessa Hurtado was also sixth in
the 3,200-meter run.
Charledra Jennings made the
finals in both the shot put and discus
finishing seventh in both events.
Jennings had personal best throws
of 89-6 in the discus and 29-0 in the
shot put. Other top finishers for the
BCHS girls at region included:
•Kim Pass, ninth, 400-meter dash,
personal best time of 1:08.
•Dee Dee Cannon, ninth, 100-meter
dash and 200-meter dash.
•Tiffany Sims, ninth, 800-meter
run, personal best time of 2:50.
RUNNING SPECIALIST
Chris Parks is expected to do
well in the distance events for
BCHS at the upcoming Region
8-AA meet.
Photo by Chris Bridges
•Jessica Newell, ninth, 100-meter
hurdles.
•Jayda Richey, ninth, 300-meter
hurdles and 10th, 100-meter hur
dles.
region meet
“The girls had a very good region
meet and we only have one senior
on the team so we should continue
to improve,” Moffett said.
The BCHS boys will begin region
Friday with field events and con
tinue Monday afternoon with the
running events.
Moffett said several BCHS ath
letes should have opportunities to
qualify for the finals including:
•Lyn Hester, shot put and discus.
•Justin Beasley, long jump,
100-meter dash and 200-meter
dash.
•Jamail Jennings, long jump,
200-meter dash and 400-meter
dash.
•Adam Garcia, hurdles.
•4x100-meter relay team.
a 4x400-meter relay team.
Moffett also expects Chris Parks to
do well in the 1,600-meter run and
the 3,200-meter run as well as Jorge
Diaz in the 1,600-meter and Ivan
Diaz in the 3,200-meter.
“We are looking for a good show
ing in all events and we are excited
in the progress the boys have made
this year. We only have three seniors
on the boys team so their future is
also bright.”
I t was about time somebody
of real stature stood up and
said exactly what millions of
others have been thinking about
the current NASCAR scene.
The moment occurred dur
ing what was supposed to be a
grand PR opportunity to tie “old
school” NASCAR to the “Car of
Tomorrow” racers at Darlington
Raceway.
Darlington’s all-time winner,
David Pearson, who picked up
10 victories and 12 poles at the
track that’s been called “Too
Tough To Tame,” brought one
of his winning #21 racers out of
Darlington’s Joe Weatherly muse
um to take laps around the track
alongside current NASCAR star
Carl Edwards.
The two chatted amiably about
the differences between the two
cars, and took laps around the
venerable old speedway while
photographers snapped several
promotional photos.
Towards the end of the day,
Pearson and Edwards were slated
to make an appearance on ESPN’s
“NASCAR Now” program.
During the segment, the host
asked Pearson what he thought of
the direction NASCAR has taken
in the last 40 years.
The three-time Cup champion,
wearing an open collared shirt
and chewing on gum, looked
away from the camera for a min
ute, then stared right into the
camera and spoke to millions of
people watching.
“I don’t like it,” he said gestur
ing at Carl Edwards. “But he
might.”
Doubtless, several NASCAR
officials watching had the same
reaction Carl Edwards had.
Nervous laughter, and some
stammering as he tried to think
of what to
say while
Pearson
continued
with his
thoughts.
“To
tell you
the truth,
NASCAR
ain’t doing
noth
ing I like
right now,” the winner of 105
NASCAR Cup events said matter
of factly. “I don’t like the rules
they’re doing. The least little old
thing...you can say something
wrong, or bump somebody, and
they want to fine you for it. It
seems to me that they’re going to
run you crazy.”
There stood poor Carl Edwards,
with nothing he could say.
Pearson realized this, and bailed
the young driver out.
“He can’t say nothing,” Pearson
said. “If he says anything, he’ll
get fined, or.. .he won’t get past
inspection on the next race. I
understand why he can’t say
nothing.”
Around the country, millions
of fans could be heard saying
“Hallelujah! Preach, Brother
Pearson, preach!”
Finally, somebody that the
NASCAR PR machine cannot
just blow off stood up and voiced
the concerns that millions of fans
have had for the last few years.
As a three time Cup champion,
and the driver second only to
Richard Petty on the all-time wins
list, there’s no way anybody can
say David Pearson doesn’t know
what he’s talking about when it
comes to racing.
His point of view is shared by
a lot of fans that feel NASCAR
has moved away from them. The
“core fans,” as some like to call
them, remember a time when you
could actually talk to most of the
competitors.
They would actually hang
around after a race, sign auto
graphs, and interact with their
fans.
The NASCAR of old was
always mindful of giving the fans
the best show, and making sure
their stars were accessible. Now
they seem to feel simply saying
“NASCAR” should make the
masses drool like Pavlov’s dog,
and that everyone will fall in line
to shell out big bucks for tickets,
or to spend most of a Sunday
afternoon watching a race wedged
in-between hours of pre and post
race coverage that plays more
like a rock concert than a sporting
event.
Few people on the scene really
seem to have the guts to stand up
and say what many were thinking,
which was simply “This is not the
NASCAR I grew up watching.”
Never let it be said David
Pearson doesn’t have guts.
Towards the end of the seg
ment, Pearson was asked how he
thought he would do in today’s
NASCAR.
“I really don’t know,” he said.
“Today, they make a whole lot
more money than we did, but they
don’t have any time to spend it.”
Pearson went on to say that rac
ers had a lot more fun in the old
days.
David, many of the fans had a
lot more fun back in the old days
too.
Brandon Reed is a reporter for
MainStreet Newspapers. E-mail
comments about this column to
brandon@mainstreetnews.com.
www.mainstreetnews.com
brandon
reed
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TOWN OF ALTO
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Town of Alto will be having a
public hearing prior to their regular
scheduled meeting in the Alto City Hall on
May 13, 2008 at 6:45 p.m. The Town of
Alto’s Police Department will be
discussing obtaining federal funds from
the United State Department of
Agriculture (USDA) for the purpose of
vehicle acquisition.
Banks County Commissioners
PUBLIC NOTICE
The Georgia EPD (GEPD) has required the Banks County
Commissioners to prepare a Corrective Action Plan Part-
A to investigate and/or clean up contamination at the
Banks County Candler St. Jail located at 226 Candler
Street, Homer, GA. This plan will be submitted to the
GEPD on or before May 15, 2008. If you want to examine
a copy of the plan, a public display copy is available for
review at the Banks County Library at Hwy. 51, Homer,
GA, or if you contact Banks County Commissioners Office
at (706) 677-6200, a copy will be mailed at a nominal fee.
Comments to the plan will be accepted until June 30,
2008 and should be directed to the GEPD at (404) 362
2687. Mailing address: GEPD USTMP, 4244 International
Parkway, Suite 104, Atlanta, GA 30354. Any questions for
Banks County Commissioners should be directed to
Environmental Monitoring LLC, in care of J. Britt Myers
at (706) 376-5000.
321 Pottery Factory Drive, Commerce ~ across from OUTBACK STEAK House