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Column
By
Drew Brantley
The Banks County News
September 6, 2000
Morris good example
for field's visitors
One time I was riding in the car with
my parents to the farm where my father grew up. In one of the
main fields leading up to house, rows and rows of corn were standing
waiting to be picked.
"Did Granddaddy plant all that corn?" I asked.
"It sure didn't get there by itself," was my dad's
reply.
It is easy to overlook what is existing without wondering what
it took to get there. Banks County paused to recognize one of
its own Friday night by naming the field after former coach and
teacher Bobby Morris, who died at the end of the previous school
year.
It was an act I don't think Morris would never have expected.
And certainly never have asked for.
It is easy to look at Banks County High School today without
looking at what it took to reach that point.
Looking back at BCHS over the past 20 years, markers of what
Morris did are not labeled.
But that would not be because he wasn't busy making BCHS a better
place. While teaching and coaching, Morris touched thousands
of students and co-workers.
Helping to maintain programs as well as the facilities at BCHS,
it is good that he is getting the attention now that he would
have shied away from.
A seemingly perpetual smiling face was noticeable on Morris'
face.
That is just one more reason that naming the football field after
Morris makes sense. Fans, players and cheerleaders will get a
chance to have fun on field that Morris once helped maintained.
All of us now have a chance to visit and leave the field and
remember his dedication to work, while we are all having fun.
RECORDS TIME FORGOT
While we are talking about tradition, I would like to ask for
some help.
I am interested in finding out about some of Banks County's sports
records from days gone by.
If anyone has any kind of information about individual statistics
or team numbers, I would love to see them.
I would like to be able to compare what some players have done
recently with what the best Banks County has ever done.
Please call 367-2527 if you have any information. You can reach
us online at news@mainstreetnews.com if that is easier.
You can also drop off any information at The Banks County News
office in downtown Homer.
I would appreciate any help and be glad to give anyone credit
who kept up with the records.
Drew Brantley is the sports editor for The Commerce News and
The Banks County News.
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Column
By Shar
Porier
The Banks County News
September 6, 2000
Heart to heart
Before heading for the Homer office last
Friday, I had to lay in some supplies for the long day. So, I
stopped at my Kangaroo on 365. I had a craving for a cheese danish
and they're the only place I have found that carries this one
brand that I cannot resist. Mmmmm - gooood! (It's all your fault,
Frank. You got me talking about cheese danish and cheesecakes
the other day).
I went in, grabbed my danish, a diet soft drink, a Sobe and a
cup of coffee. Arms full, I went to the check-out and, as I was
setting my stuff on the counter, I heard the clerk ask the gentleman
next to me his birth date. He was getting a six-pack and smiled
at the clerk and said "Don't I look old enough to buy this
beer?" She told him she had to put everyone's birth date
in the computer. "Dang!" he said.
"Well, I was born October 22, 19 and 32." (I always
smile when I hear the way older folks say the year, 19 and...)
But what really made me smile was that we had the same birthday.
I looked over at him and told him that was my day, too, and that
I had never met anyone with the same birthdate. He smiled and
said, "Me neither."
We ended up walking out of the store together and I asked how
old he was going to be. (Hey, it was still early and my brain
wasn't ready for a math quiz.) He said, "Sixty-eight."
"What about you?" he asked. I said, "Fifty-one.
But, I've decided that I'm going backwards now, so I'll be 49."
We laughed, and he told me how his wife has been 39 for many
years now.
As he put his six-pack in the cooler in the bed of his truck,
he suddenly got very quiet. He laid his arms on the truck rail
and looked at me. Tears were welling in his eyes, and he said,
very softly, "I can't get her out of the house anymore.
We used to do everything together. We'd go everywhere together.
Now, she just sits at home and stares at the walls." It
didn't seem appropriate to question him about her condition,
he was so sad. I didn't want to make it worse.
Gently, I reached out and touched his shoulder. "I'm so
sorry," I whispered.
"I miss her so," he said, his voice shaking.
He opened his door and got in his truck. "Why don't you
just go home and lay a big one on her, like you used to do. Somewhere
deep inside of her, she'll know how much you still love her."
He smiled through his tears and said he would give it a try.
I raised my coffee cup and said "Cheers! Happy Birthday!"
with the biggest smile I could muster. He grabbed his cup from
the truck, smiled back and wished me a happy birthday, too.
As he drove away, I thought about how hard his life (and others
in the same situation) must be. To love someone so much and not
have them see it or know it or remember it.
Maybe all of us should grab hold of the one we love and be thankful
that we get hugged back. You never know what the future will
bring.
Shar Porier is a reporter for The Banks County News.
Editorial
The Banks County News
September 6, 2000
Check out festival
this weekend in Homer
The 28th annual Banks County Festival
will be held Saturday and Sunday on the historic courthouse lawn
in Homer and it will offer plenty to do for children and adults
alike.
Members of the Banks County Chamber of Commerce and volunteers
have been working for some time to make sure this is the best
festival ever. Plans include a parade, arts and crafts booths,
contests, prize giveaways and a wide variety of food offerings.
For your entertainment this weekend, make plans to stay in Banks
County and enjoy the festivities.
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