Newspaper Page Text
DECEMBER 19, 2002
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Jackie Cooper
Columnist
jkershawcooper@aol.com
Can you believe Christmas is
here again? It was just a few
months ago that we were cele
brating it, or so it seems. This
year I just wasn’t ready for it
to get here. There were sup
posed to be lots of shopping
days between Thanksgiving
and now. Where did they go?
This is going to be one of the
best Christmases ever. The
reason is that my granddaugh
ter Genna is almost three and
I will get to see Christmas
through her eyes. She is
already talking about what
Santa is going to bring her and
her brother Walker. Being able
to see her face when she actu
ally gets her presents, well
that will be worth everything.
I think too that seeing
Christmas through her eyes
reminds me that the holiday
isn’t just about presents. It is
about the wonder and the awe
of the Day. There is a spirit of
love and fellowship that comes
into our lives during this spe
cial time of the year that
should be there year round but
isn’t.
Christmas is a time for mir
acles. Even if you don’t believe
in them 364 other days, you
must believe in them on
Christmas Day. And boy do we
need them now. With the
world on the brink of war and
enmities accelerating, can’t we
use a miracle to calm things
down? Wouldn’t it be nice to
get just a small measure of
security in our lives. I think at
this time of the year it can
happen. So I pray for miracles.
I also want miracles for all
the people who are suffering
from horrendous illnesses. I
want them to be cured, and if
not cured then at least given
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peace of mind and soul. It
seems this year I have heard
about more of my friends hav
ing terrible sicknesses than at
any other time in my life.
Maybe it is my age and the fact
my friends are getting older,
but some of the bad things are
happening to really young
friends of mine. So I pray for
miracles.
Some of my friends are fac
ing career challenges. It might
be that they want to change
careers, or maybe their careers
have left them. Jobs have been
lost, and money depleted. I
always think it can’t happen to
me or mine but it can. It has
happened to those who are
close to me. The security of a
job and a paycheck are there
one day and gone the next. So
I pray for miracles.
My church is my refuge. The
place where I restore my faith
and renew my commitment. It
is God’s place and is there to
serve Him. But ordinary peo
ple worship there, and try to
run it for Him. Sometimes
they make mistakes and some
times they forget why they are
there. I don’t like harsh words
in my church. I don’t like
threats and bitterness. I think
people should always remem
ber they are there for God and
to serve His will. But human
beings lead imperfect lives and
words can be said that hurt. It
happens. It shouldn’t but it
does. So I pray for miracles.
Christmas is when people
should be at their best. They
should be at their most loving
and caring. They should be full
of good cheer and good will.
They should put aside their
pettiness and their meanness
and do good things.
So if you are entering the
Christmas season with hard
feelings or ill will towards
someone, shouldn’t you
remember what time of year it
is and change? That majtes
sense to me. I hope it doei fo
you. After all it is the seasqn of
miracles. And if we can
become better, so can the
world.
Merry Christmas!
ptoustott pfome
A collector of sorts
I am a collector of sorts. Not that
I have an outstanding collection of
anything, but I do have collections
of several things. I believe that I
have had the inclination to collect
all of my life. If you will recall, I
wrote a few weeks ago about our
Science Club which, when I was a
child, met under the big fig tree in
our back yard. We collected bugs
and insects of all kinds and I dis
tinctly remember thinking that we
had some pretty neat things in our
Mason jars with holes punched in
the metal tops. Also, I was inspired
by my first cousin, James Maddox,
who is a near genius, if not a genius,
and his outstanding collections
even when a child of stamps and
coins. I wonder whatever happened
to his collections?
Well, I have collections of model
cars and trucks - not very many -
and baseballs - about 15, or so, with
one signed by Greg Maddox, Tom
Glavine, John Smoltz and Steve
Avery, and one given to me by my
friend, Billy Bledsoe, signed by all of
the 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers.
Unfortunately, apparently ball
point pens were just first being used
and the signatures of Walter Alston,
Preacher Roe, Roy Campanella,
Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Pee
Wee Reese, Carl Erskine, Gil
Hodges, Joe Balck, Clem Labine,
Billy Loes, etc., are somewhat
faded. Still, I am very proud of this
ball.
Smith receives
service award
Dr. J.C. Smith of Warner Robins was recently awarded the 2002
Chairman’s Award from the American Chiropractic Association for
“Outstanding Service to the Chiropractic Community.”
Dr. Daryl Wills, the ACA President, made the presentation at the
recent Georgia Chiropractic Association’s convention in Atlanta.
Dr. Smith is a renowned writer and journalist in the chiropractic
profession, having written four books, over 40 published articles,
and he publishes a weekly political commentary online that is sent
to hundreds of leaders within the chiropractic community.
He operates the Smith Spinal Care Center in Warner Robins,
and his wife Megan is the president of the Chamber of Commerce
in Perry.
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Or. Daryl Wills, left, presents Dr. J. C. Smith with his award
Trees for Life
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• Special Photo
Bert Rumble students are shown preparing to plant a tree for
life at the school. Virginia Pine saplings were donated by the
Georgia Forestry Commission. Friday, each student planted
their own sapling for the holiday season. The students signed
‘contracts’ saying they will be responsible for their tree.
Si . I
Larry Walker
Columnist
lwalker@whgbc.com
At one time, I had an outstanding
collection of shotguns. I acquired
this collection from my uncle, Jim
Maddox, but have sold most of the
guns. Still, I have a few nice shot
guns. Perhaps I can add to this col
lection in the future.
We have a few native American
artifacts (arrowheads, etc.) and a
rather nice collection of sea shells.
Some of the best shells came from
Marco Island in the Gulf of Mexico
just east of Miami.
I do have two collections of which
I am proud. One is a collection of
ticket stubs from events Janice and
I, and I, by myself; have attended
throughout the years. I have a stub
from the movie, Cleopatra, which I
attended in Dallas, Texas with
Jerry Wilson, Jerry Horton and
Bobby Jones in July of 1963.1 have
a 1936 ticket stub from a Cab
Calloway at the Cherokee Casino
concert that was given to me by
Tommy Champion. I have many
University of Georgia football game
stubs and many stubs from events
at the Ag Center. I have a stub from
the Grand Opera in Munich,
Germany and from the
“Philharmonisches Orcehester” in
Berlin, Germany. Also, stubs from
the U.S. Open, the Kentucky Derby,
the Winter Olympic Athletes at the
White House, Miss Saigon at
Broadway and 53rd Street in New
York, the Ambassador of Japan’s
home in Washington, D.C., the
Peabody Awards at the Waldorf-
Astoria in New York, etc., etc.
I also have a collection of letters
written to me over the years. There
are letters from many politicians -
former President Jimmy Carter,
Senator Richard Russell, Senator
Sam Nunn, Governor Joe Frank
Harris, Governor Zell Miller, etc. I
have a letter from Winston
Churchill’s grandson, Nicholas
Soames, at that time, a Member of
Parliament. I have letters from
family friends and legislative col
leagues. But, there are three letters
of which I am particularly proud.
One is dated June 20, 1949, and is
from my first grade teacher,
Frances Coney. Another is from my
mother, Hilda Walker, and was writ
ten to me asking that I vote against
the lottery - which, as you would
suspect, I did. And the third one
§£ette/ts SETo Qditoti
Editor.
Coach Eric E Staples, beloved former longtime basketball coach
at Perry High School, has been nominated for induction into the
National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts.
A nomination package, complete with coaching records and
newspaper articles has been submitted to the proper authorities by
Billy Powell.
Powell is currently a citizen of Fort Valley and formerly a Perry
resident and member of a Staples’ team.
“Fessor”, as Coach Staples is still affectionately remembered by
former Perry High students and fans, is already enshrined in the
Georgia Sports Hall of Fame and the Georgia Athletic Coaches
Hall of Fame.
“Fessor’s” loyal supporters believe he is worthy of this highest
honor of national recognition.
Truly outstanding is Coach Staples’ record of 924 wins against
only 198 losses, eight state championships, and twenty-five region
titles.
Competition at this national level, however, is very keen and
includes college players and coaches and big-name professionals -
with certainly more recent credentials than the Perry legend.
To gain attention of the selection committee, a ground swell of
support is needed from former players, students, friends and
admirers in the form of endorsement letters to the Hall of Fame.
The necessary information for such correspondence, which must
be received by the fifteenth of January 2003, follows:
National Basketball Hall of Fame
Attn: Robin Deuutsch, Director of Media Operations
1000 W. Columbus Ave.
‘ Springfield, Mass. 01105
Email address: Robin@hoophall.com
Jeanne Bledsoe
Mi
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was written to me by Mr. Aaron
Welsh, whom I met one time, when
he brought me a walking stick to
my office (incidentally, I have a few
walking sticks). This is so profound,
I would like to share it with you. It
reads as follows:
“Stick processed in Bonaire, GA,
Co. of Houston on Dec. 18 & 19 -
1998. This walking stick made for
the Honorable Larry Walker.
Dear Larry. It is my pleasure to
present to you this gift of respect.
I harvested this stick on my prop
erty, July 4, 1992. The sapling is of
the wood wild Hawthorn, related to
the one called May-haw.
This stick is not intended in any
way as a crutch, but as a thing of
pride for the receiver as well as the
giver.
I pray with you like this rod,
though it is not the rod of Aaron it
was in fact processed by Aaron,
Welsh that is, and its intent is
meant to be fillfilling.
May God guide you well.”
Aaron Welsh
Unfortunately, Mr. Welsh died
about a month after sending me
this letter.
When you read Mr. Welsh’s letter,
and if you could read Frances
Coney’s and Mother’s and many of
the others, I believe you would
understand why I have kept them
and why I am a collector of sorts.
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