Newspaper Page Text
(7Tf | Houston Homr 1
(Mf t Joimuu
H ~ ~
lane Winston
The Left Rail
JWlNSl939@aol.com
Biion
giorno
a tutti!
The movie Under the
Tuscan Sun brought
much attention to
the Italian region known as
Tuscany. There is no town
of Tuscan, but there is the
wonderful picturesque hill
top town of Cortona, and
it is there the movie was
filmed and there I would
like to return and stay
for a month or more. Not
only was the small town
beautiful, there were such
fun things happening, and
American tourists weren’t
permeating every nook and
cranny.
The falconry show going
on in the town square was
incredible. I saw some of
the largest most beautiful
falcons that were trained
to fly far away into the
Tuscan countryside and
then return for their treat
of uncooked meat found in
the gloved hand of their
owner/trainer. (Haven’t we
all studied B. F. Skinner’s
conditioned response?) And
there was this gigormous
(that’s “grandkidese” com
bining gigantic and enor
mous) owl. She must have
weighed 25 pounds, and her
four babies were the teeni
est, tiniest balls of fluff.
And of course, I saw the
300-year old house Frances
purchased and fixed up, and
I strolled the very streets
she did. And I know I saw
the same old man Frances
saw daily changing the flow
ers in the shrine outside her
bedroom window. What a
wonderful love story.
After leaving Cortona
we toured an interesting
winery, strolled through
the vineyards and closed
the lazy, lovely afternoon
tasting delicious wines and
then napping in the bus
as we headed back to Villa
Veronica and our final night
there. Early the "next day
we piled in the bus for our
long trip to the village of
Stresa which is nestled on
the shores of beautiful Lago
Maggiore in the Lombardy
region, the most northern
region we visited. Enroute
we passed the famous
marble quarries of Carrara
where it is rumored that
Michael D’angelo got the
marble he used in his sculpt
ing to include the Statue of
David.
About our bus driver:
John Baptiste hauled us
everywhere. He was a mas
ter with that huge bus on
the narrow, twisty roads
of Italy He was born and
reared in Northeast Italy in
a small town that manufac
tures the Beretta weapons.
He didn’t want to remain
there and work in the facto
ry, so he left and has been a
bus driver most of his adult
life. Of course he and Erika
communicated well in their
native language of Italian,
but the rest of us just smiled
and pointed in our efforts
to communicate. About the
fourth day, someone, some
how discovered John spoke
Spanish. From then we
See RAIL, page 3C
SATURDAY,
July 1,2006
Best Bets !-- i
Compiled by Charlotte
Perkins and Kristy Warren
BIG»BANG» BOOM
The big fireworks show
is tonight at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds in
Perry.
Gates open at 6 p.m., with
fireworks starting at 9:30
p.m.
The* Big* Bang* Boom
draws thousands, so plan to
get your viewing spot early.
Country and Southern
Rock band Jana Gentry’s
Platinum Pony will perform
on the WDEN stage at 7:30
p.m.
The fireworks show will
begin at 9:30 p.m. and is pre
sented by the “First Family
of Fireworks,” Zambelli
Fireworks Internationale.”
Admission for the event
is free and the gates open
at 6 p.m. The fireworks
show can also be seen from
locations along Courtney
Hodges Blvd. and U.S. 41
South. Expect traffic delays
when the show is over.
Those arriving at the fair
grounds early can bring pic
nic food or eat fair food pro
vide by Concessions by Cox
. Blankets and lawn chairs
are a good idea. Alcohol,
glass containers, pets, and
firearms are prohibited.
DIXIE REINING
HORSES
Sunday at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds in
the Reaves Arena, Covered
Horse Arena and Horse
Barn. Opens at 8 a.m.
BARREL RACE
The Southern States
Triple Crown NBHA
Super Show Barrel Race
exhibition will be from
Thursday through Sunday,
at the Georgia National
Fairgrounds. Thursday and
Friday exhibitions begin at
noon, continue until 7 p.m.;
July 8 exhibition at 9 a.m.
COMEDY AND
DRAMA
Warner Robins Little
Theatre will present “The
Contrite Spirit” a com
edy/drama by Denis J.
Harrington,directed by
Everyone have a happy Independence Day
I have a friend who
doesn’t like for anyone
to call Independence
Day “the Fourth of July”
because he says every nation
has a fourth of July. It’s
the independence part that
gives the date meaning. He
is so adamant about it that
I now catch myself correct
ing myself if I say “Fourth
of July.”
I tend to agree with him,
though. It is all about the
independence part. I have
been thinking a lot about
the freedoms we enjoy -
and take for granted - as
Americans. Perhaps it’s
because I just read a novel
that took its characters
through the Sept. 11 ter
rorist attacks. It was pretty
intense, reading and reliv
ing those days.
I also like to read nov
els about World War 11. I
have learned more about
Lifestyle
[ V\ i Jjf M \
"♦to*
’ r WO r 0000 ' iMm
L % '
in,. v jjEiSiHH
Cathy Collins, with the
opening performance at 8
p.m. July 7. A Green Room
reception catered by Chef
Audrey will follow the per
formance.
Further play dates will be
July 8, 13, 14, 15, 20, 21 and
22 at 8 p.m. matinee perfor
mances will be at 3:30 p.m.
on July 9 and 16.
The cast includes Ryan
McCarty, Terry Minyard,
Billie Pritchard, Buddy
Sherri Martin
The Front Porch
Evans Newspapers
the history of our country
through novels I have read
and veterans I have inter
viewed than I ever learned
in school. I think that had
more to do with my teenage
lack of interest than with
my teachers, though.
My thoughts were wan
dering the other day - they
tend to do that when I’m
knee deep in the pea patch. I
was thinking how the Great
Depression served to prepare
the Greatest Generation for
for July
Elliott, DeWayne Collins
and Will Huskey.
Warner Robins Little
Theatre is located at 502
South Pleasant Hill Road,
Warner Robins. Reservation
lines, at 929-4579, are open
each Monday through
Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5
p.m. beginning July 3, and
continuing for the run of
the show.
Tickets are sl2 adults,
Seniors $8 (Sundays only),
wT^
M
Lv 1
1 1
i|
the sacrifices they had to
make during WWII. Then
I was wondering if my gen
eration - and those coming
along behind me - would
ever be able to make the
sacrifices they made. Are
we too soft? Are the privi
leges, the conveniences, and
the me-first mentality we
live with today too much to
overcome? I know that we
have many soldiers, sailors,
Marines and airmen and
women who are making the
Students SB.
THE ATLANTA
SYMPHONY
ORCHESTRA
Thanks to the efforts of
the Houston Arts Alliance,
the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra is coming back.
Conducted by Laura
Jackson, the orchestra will
perform on Friday in the
sacrifices each day while I
complain about having to
load my dishwasher.
I wonder if we as a whole
nation would be willing to
make the huge sacrifices
necessary to win a war the
scale of World War 11. It
seems sometimes there are
many people who would
just as soon protest the war
on terrorism as eat and
breathe. However, I think
most of us would be star
tled, even terrified, if we
realized how large scale the
war on terrorism really is.
Has the memory of the
Twin Towers falling served
to strengthen our resolve
as Americans, as voices of
freedom to the world? Or
have we too quickly forgot
ten those days of fear and
frustration? And the days
that followed when every
one put out their flags and
gave blood?
PAGE 1C
Miller-Murphy-Howard
Building at the Georgia
National Fairgrounds &
Agricenter. This year’s pro
gram, according to Bobbe
Nelson, one of the organiz
ers of the event, will include
music for every taste, from
Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance
op. 46, No. 8, to J. Williams’
theme music from “E.T.”,
“Raiders of the Lost Ark,”
“Superman” and the Harry
Potter movie. A high point
for many will be the ASO’s
rendering of Strauss’ “Blue
Danube.” The program will
also include music by Liszt
and Glinka.
The performance
will be in the Miller-
Murphy-Howard Exhibit
Hall, Georgia National
Fairgrounds At 6:30 p.m.
the Houston County Honor
Band will play. At 7:30 p.m.
the Atlanta Symphony
Orchestra will begin its con
cert. The cost for individual
seats is $lO for adults, $5
for students. Reserved seat
ing: S3OO Patron table, SSOO
Grand Patron Table, SI,OOO
Sponsor Table
CANOE THE
OCMULGEE
July 8, 2 p.m. Macon
Museum of Arts & Sciences,
4182 Forsyth Rd., Macon.
The first couple of trips
planned by the museum
were so popular, they’ve
scheduled more! Enjoy a
three-hour guided canoe
tour of the river from the
Old Water Works to the
Heritage Trail. No experi
ence is needed and a box
lunch is provided. S3O for
Museum members; $35 for
non-members; advanced
registration required. 478-
477-3232; www.masmacon.
com
LAST CHANCE FOR
CASSATT
July 9: “Mary Cassatt:
American Impressionist”
Video Screening
2 p.m. Macon Museum
of Arts & Sciences, 4182
Forsyth Rd., Macon.
Hear the story of how a
visit by Cassatt’s family led
to her friendship with artist
Edgar Degas. This is the
See BEST, page 3C
Or have we become too
much of a society of victims
- ready to sue and get what’s
in it for us - to care about
the future of America and
the world for our children
and children’s children?
Perhaps this train of
thought came about when I
heard a quote about George
Washington. The speaker on
a History Channel documen
tary said that Washington
had more to lose from the
American Revolution than
many others.
He had much to lose, but
more to gain as he became
the father of a great nation,
as did all of those who
signed their names on the
Declaration of Independence
on our first. Fourth of July.
Would that we would all
be willing today, if called
upon, to step up, sign our
name, and take a stand for
liberty and justice for all.