Mitch Sneed at Large - StarExponent.com

The lean times make us stronger

2008-08-25T20:43:01-05:00

We’ve all had times when we have struggled to keep our heads above water as we were trying to get established in the world.
There was a summer when my wife and two young daughters seemingly survived on ramen noodles, tomato sandwiches made with day-old bread and my Dad’s tomatoes and weekend trips to our parents to eat a good meal. I was a sports writer making $190 a week before taxes.
We rolled pennies for gas money more times than I can count, but somehow we made it.
My Mom always said lean times make you stronger.
But I had to share a story about my daughter Sydney.
She’s a tremendous athlete who got a softball scholarship and played her way through college, earning a degree in education from the University of West Alabama.
She hooked a temporary job last spring as a long-term sub in Montgomery, Alabama, but when the school year ended, so did the paychecks.
She took a job working retail for the summer, while she tried to get a permanent teaching gig. Unfortunately the bills didn’t stop coming. With help from family and friends and working all the hours she could, she managed to keep at least the tip of her nose above water.
After three hectic months, 111 e-mails, 57 resume packets and seven interviews, she finally landed a job at a Montgomery elementary school.
That’s the good news.
The bad news is that educators get paid once a month and even though she started a job in late July, her first paycheck wouldn’t come until the end of September.
Since I moved away I make sure both of my girls have one of my checks for emergencies. It finally got to the point where the gas tank was empty and so were the cupboards, so she called me.
“Dad I may need to use that check,” she said. “I need groceries and I put the last $4 I had in the tank today. I don’t know if I have enough gas to get home. I don’t get paid from the cloth store until Tuesday. I don’t know what else to do.”
I told her to go to the grocery store and get all the groceries she would need for a month. Then get permission to write the check for over the amount and then she could get gas.
You heard the relief in her voice.
Not even an hour later she called back in tears.
“Dad I did what you said and I even asked if I could do it before,” Sydney said. “But when I wrote the check, they saw it wasn’t my check and it was from out of state, they said they couldn’t do it. Now I’ve used the check, don’t have groceries or gas.”
I told her to go home and I would have her sister drive down later and loan her some cash. She seemed to be relieved a bit and said she would try to make it home.
Ten minutes later, the phone rang again. It was Sydney calling on the cell phone that I pay for.
“Dad, I’m on the expressway and I’m out of gas,” she said. “What now?”
We talked a minute and as we always taught her she had a gas can in the back of her truck. It was empty, but after scrounging in her seats, purse, ash tray and under the floor mats she came up with .97 cents.
“Do you see a gas station in sight?” I asked.
She said the exit was less than a mile ahead and she saw a BP sign. I told her to stay on the phone as she walked.
She made it to the station, got her quart of gas and then hoofed back to the truck. She poured it in the tank and the truck fired up. She held her breath as she drove the three miles home, but with help from angels, she made it.
A friend loaned her a little cash to get her through the first week of school.
Her grandmother came through and loaned her enough for a month’s rent and my sister sent her an early birthday check.
The next day she got a second part-time job at Blockbuster and started working every night from 5 p.m. to close. She still works at the cloth store on Saturdays and gets paid every week there. That has kept gas in the tank.
Last week she worked a total of 86 hours between the three jobs.
She said he was a little low on groceries, but had eggs, tortillas and spaghetti sauce, so this weekend it was a steady diet of Italian breakfast burritos.
She said they weren’t half as bad as that sounds. Ahhhhh …..to be young again.
There is light at the end of the tunnel. It’s only 33 days until that first real check comes.
Like my Mom said, Sydney is getting stronger by the day.

Never say never because it happens to us all

2008-08-15T15:04:00-05:00

Here are some signs that the end is near…

I never thought I’d see a day when I’d pay more for water than a Coca-Cola, or as we called any soft drink in Georgia,—a Coke. I paid $1.49 for a bottle of water yesterday. A can of Coke was $.99.
I called a minivan cool last night.
I drank a beer and realized my pinkie was sticking out.
I actually purchased a pair of plaid Bermuda shorts. They were from a thrift store, but still, I’m just saying…
I know the first names of four U.S. gymnasts.
I know the words to a jingle used in a Pepto Bismol commercial.
I’ve had more conversations this week about the weather than I have about football.
I actually watched the Weather Channel for two hours and there was no hurricane slamming to coast.
I have a reminder set on my television that the new episode of Meerkat Manor comes on at 8:30 p.m. Friday nights.
I saw a pretty young girl leaving the 7-11 and thought to myself, “Where were those girls when I was young?” I then realized, they weren’t even born yet.
I have had to search for my keys three times in the last week. I have a jar on my dresser that has as many nuts, bolts and screws in it as it does change.
I now own a device called a Manshaver, to mow off hair in places that it really isn’t supposed to grow.
I thought today as I was getting ready for work that I would like to be either a truck driver, a roadie for a country music band or a street vendor selling hot dogs and hamburgers in a park in Atlanta.
I thought to myself why there don’t have two-story mobile homes for people who have money.
I figured out while watching women’s basketball in the Olympics that the team with the moist makeup on always loses.
I saw an article about drugs in horseracing and how they were going to do more testing. Who holds the cup for a horse’s drug test? Talk about a dirty job.
I looked at my dog Savannah and thought, “It would be cool to be a dog.”
I’d rather go fishing than go to a bar.
I like stewed tomatoes and cornbread more than I like nuclear hot wings these days.
A baseball hat is better than brushing your hair on Saturday morning.
I thought that it would be better to buy a couple of goats than have to cut the grass every week.
I started to go to the store last night after realizing we needed a few things. I’d already gotten in the P.E. shorts and T-shirt and though I’d throw on some tennis shoes and go. I realized I almost left the house wearing black socks and shorts. I realized it and changed, but I was that close…
The end is near indeed.

Gas theft is a sign of the times

2008-08-12T16:16:00-05:00

I know gas prices have gone down a little, but just before the most recent drop I went out to jump into my 1984 Chevy Caprice for a weekly ride and smell gas fumes.
I didn’t think much about it.
The car had sit in the same spot for a week. I had filled it up on Friday, drove it home and now on the following weekend I was going for a Saturday morning yard sale tour.
As I got up the road, I noticed that the gauge showed I only had three-quarters of a tank.
I hadn’t even drive five miles since I filled up. The Gray Ghost drinks a lot of gas, but that was a little much.
When I got home I noticed there was a little puddle where gas has spilled on the driveway.
It appeared as though someone had siphoned gas out of the car. It has a rear gas tank, with the cap behind the license plat. With the rear end parked downhill, it made for an easy target.
By my guestimate, they got a little more than five gallons of gas.
That’s pretty bold if you ask me. Taking gas in front of someone’s house, where anyone who drove by would have seen it.
Maybe they needed it to get to work. Glad I could help out someone in need I guess.

SAD NEWS: You know you are getting older when you hear the age of people who passed away and think they are so you. With the untimely passing of Bernie Mac over the weekend at the age of 50, the first thing I said was, “Man, he was so young.”
Three years younger than me.
He was a regular guy who had made it by just being himself. You have to admire that. He said what we all thought. He made us laugh. He was too young to go.

MORE SADNESS: Speaking on people passing, I hated to hear about Isaac Hayes. Who of my generation didn’t have a vinyl copy of “Black Moses?” He had the shaved head and gold chains before Mr. T even thought about climbing into the ring with Sylvester Stallone. He was so cool and those long talking versions of the classics, that was rap before rap had a name. He will be missed.

THIS JUST IN: I just saw this from AP.
“GATLINBURG, Tenn. — Officials at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park say a black bear mauled an 8-year-old Florida boy and the boy’s father was injured while defending him.
Park rangers later killed a bear matching the description of the one in the attack.”
My question, wouldn’t every black bear have about the same description?
They don’t have tattoos, different color hair or blue eyes. They shot the first bear they saw if you ask me.

There’s nothing like a newspaper

2008-07-30T12:56:00-05:00

From the time I first saw my name on top of a story in the Clayton News Daily in Jonesboro, Ga. I knew that journalism was for me.
I loved sports, but knew I wasn’t good enough at any of those to make a living playing. So I found the next best thing.
Being a sports writer I was able to be around sports and pay the bills too.
I guess I’ve moved up in the publishing world and left sports behind, but there is still nothing that replaces the thrill of chasing a big story.
That’s why these times are so tough right now for us ink-in-the-veins newspaper guys.
There’s no question newspapers are going through some challenging times.
The Internet has cut into the amount of money being spent on classified ads that were once newspaper staples. High fuel prices and the rising cost of newsprint make it more expensive to operate and print each day.
The real estate market is in decline and that has implications on everything we do.
More people are turning to the Internet, television, radio and other electronic delivery means for news.
Each day we hear about cuts at newspapers across the country and even in our own buildings.
I’ve heard it all and so have you. I’m staying away from sharp objects these days too.
But instead of being the purveyor of gloom and doom, now is the time when we should look at all the things that we do well and concentrate on the very things that lured us to this business in the first place.
I tell people all the time that if they want to know about every incident that happens in Iraq, they need to look somewhere else. But if they want to know what is happening in Culpeper, they have to read the Culpeper Star-Exponent.
We have to remember that there are things that we do that no one can do as well.
We take a daily snapshot of our community through the work of editors, reporters and photographers, package it with ads that help area businesses and then use a crew of skilled craftsmen to print a beautiful newspaper. It is then delivered to our readers’ doorsteps while they sleep. That’s something special.
Newspapers publish stories and photos about the accomplishments of kids. Those stories and photos hang on the refrigerator and fill scrapbooks, marking the milestones in the lives of our community.
We tell people what the weather will be so they dress right each day. We tell them who passed away, how out tax dollars are spent and what the score of the high school ball game was last night.
We are read on break, in the bathroom and on the bus. We are educational, informative and relevant.
We don’t turn the same nut and bolt on an assembly line every day. We are one of the only businesses that make a brand new product every day.
We are a product that people invite into their homes every day. We share breakfast with them and we are enjoyed with their coffee.
We inform people, we make them laugh, we make them cry and we help them pass time.
We make them angry sometimes and sometimes we make them proud.
But most of all newspapers make people think and help make the communities we serve a better place.
Not bad for .50 cents a day I’d say.
The reports of our demise have been greatly exaggerated. We just have to remember our mission and rededicate ourselves to making our readers’ lives better. If we do that, we’ll be just fine.

Pay phones are an endangered species

2008-07-21T13:41:00-05:00

Is your cell phone dead and you need to let the family know you will be late? No problem, just pull in and use the pay phone, right?
Not so fast, my friend. Finding a pay phone these days is not that easy.
The number of coin-operated phones has seen a steady decline worldwide, with evidence of the impact of cost-effective cellular phones especially evident in Virginia and the Culpeper area.
According to Jim Mullenaux of the Commonwealth of Virginia State Corporation Commission, there are only an estimated 96 pay phones left in Culpeper County. But that number is a bit misleading. Those 96 phones are stationed at just 57 locations, making finding a phone tough.
The 96 local phones are down from the estimated 391 that were in Culpeper County in 1988, representing a 75 percent decline in just two decades.
“You may have a place like a grocery store or hospital that has three or four phones,” Mullenaux said. “So what we are seeing everywhere is businesses, except those that have a high pedestrian traffic, opting not to have pay phones.”
In Virginia, there were 36,240 pay phones in 2004. Just a year later, the number had fallen by 2,402 to just 33,838. In 2006, there were just 29,749 pay phones in Virginia and last year the number dwindled to 26,226, according to State Corporation Commission numbers.
The number of payphones in America dropped by more than a million in just a decade, according to the Federal Communications Commission, falling from 2,086,540 in 1997 to just 1,006,802 at the start of 2007.
Why the steady decline? Two words – cell phones.
In 1984, there were 92,000 cellular service subscribers nationally, according to the FCC and 2007 started with more than 217 million cell service users.
Cellular phones were once reserved for the wealthy, but today you can buy a cell phone anywhere for next to nothing, even in the same convenience stores pay phones once called home.
“Cell phones have almost made pay phones practically obsolete,” said Margaret Weakley, who is a manager at the Main Street 7-Eleven in Culpeper. “We don’t have one here anymore and they had really become more trouble than they were worth. Between the damage and the people hanging around, we just didn’t see the need. Almost everyone has a cell phone these days anyway.”
As an illustration as to how seldom used these phones are today, over a two-hour period Wednesday at the Food Lion on James Madison Highway in Culpeper, not a single user dropped a coin to make a call.
The decline of the pay phone is the latest development for a device that was part of Americana.
According to the American Public Communications Council, William Gray invented the first “unattended” pay phone in 1891 and the first three-coin slot pay phone was introduced in 1913. The look of pay phones remained essentially the same until 1965 when the three-coin booth phones began to give way to the standalone single-coin models that are still used today. Phones went from rotary to push button in the late 70s and early 80s, according to APCC information.
The price went from a nickel in the 1950s and early 60s to a dime until it was almost universally made 20 cents in the early 1980s. In 1984, the move to the one-coin quarter calls was universal before yielding to 50 cents in 2001.
From kids seeing how many people they could fit into a phone booth, to checking the coin return for change, to country music songs that give the musical message “here’s a quarter, call someone who cares,” pay phones have been part of our lives. But for how much longer?
In 2007, phone company giant AT&T announced that it would divest itself of the last 60,000 phones it owned in this country. Most experts predict more of the same, but believe the devices will never be totally extinct.
The FCC estimates that there 14 million Americans who have no home phone service, and 134 million who do not own cell phones.
“They fill a need,” APCC President Randy Nichols said. “But for some companies it comes down to profits and that’s why you see a decline. But for some people, it’s all they have.”

Do you grow Big ol’ tomatoes?

2008-07-15T13:37:00-05:00

Do you have the secret to monster-sized tomatoes? Have your tomatoes been mistaken for pumpkins because they are so big?
If so, the Culpeper Star-Exponent wants to see your horticultural handiwork.
Today we start Big Ol’ Tomato 2008, a contest to see who has grown the heaviest tomato in the area.
Why? I figured This area turns out some of the best tomatoes anywhere. It’s not just something that local farmers do either. Almost everyone has tried their hand at growing tomatoes. It may be in a bucket in your back deck, but almost everyone has tried. We thought this contest would be a great way to see what is out there and let folks show off their accomplishments at the same time.
To enter is simple. Entrants can bring their tomato by the business office of the Culpeper Star-Exponent at 471 James Madison Highway in Culpeper. The building is just behind Advance Auto Parts. The offices are on the second floor of the building.
The tomato will be weighed and photographed along with its grower. Each weekly winner will have their photo published in the paper and awarded a prize.
The person who has produced the largest tomato as of Sept. 15 will take home the Big Ol’ Tomato trophy and be featured in a story in the Culpeper Star-Exponent.
For more information contact me at 540-825-0771 ext. 102
No sterioided tomaties please.

Culpeper’s celebration was near perfect for me

2008-07-06T15:37:00-05:00

Culpeper did July 4th right, and I’m so glad that the paper got to play a very small part.
From more than 200 people running in the road race, to shiny cars and trucks lining Davis Street, to the Minutemen marching down Davis to read the Declaration of Independence to the parade, fun in the park and the fireworks – it was incredible.
The Culpeper Festival Committee should be proud.
There were some rain showers, lightning and anxious moments, but we got it all in.
My whole family spent most of the week here, and now they know why I fell in love with my new home.
It was such a great day.
It was the first year we did the Culpeper Olympics, but it won’t be the last.
At one time they counted more than 300 people gathered around the Star-Exponent tent, all waiting to compete in events from the Hula hoop to the egg run.
To see parents cheering for their kids and kids pushing their parents to show what they could do was so special.
Then there were sights like the two winners of the team water balloon toss, jumping into each other’s arms as they saw their last competitors get all wet as their balloon splattered.
Then there was the little girl who won the football throw for her age group, with her lips still blue from a sno-cone she had just finished. How about the boy who found the platinum peanut and knew he would have $20?
“I’m getting a funnel cake, ice cream and a sno-cone,” he said. “Yes!”
There were grown men diving across the finish line trying to win a sack race. It was a blast. Women in white pants, pearls and heels competed in the egg run next to those in cutoffs and tee shirts.
I even saw a boy at Food Lion the day after proudly wearing his medal.
The early lightning and the threat of rain may have made the greased pig chase impossible, but it was so much fun. Just having so many kids and parents coming up and thanking us for giving them something fun to do was worth it.
That’s what it’s all about.
There were also the sights that made the Olympics special for me personally.
For me seeing my 79-year-old father competing in the football throw, made the day. He enjoyed the car show and watched the fireworks with the same amazement as a 4-year-old boy, pointing all the ones he like the most.
Then there was the chance to watch my daughter, who helped me run the games, out-throw everyone, even if she wasn’t eligible to win.
But most of all, just having virtually my entire family here, enjoying Culpeper’s celebration, ribs and barbecue and each other’s company was the icing on the cake.
It was a day none of us will soon forget.

Tin foil and Styrofoam have ruined America

2008-06-25T20:57:00-05:00

I had the pleasure of knowing a legendary high school football coach in Georgia named Max Bass.
Max coached at Newnan High School for 29 years and never held his tongue. If it was on his mind, it came out his mouth. As a sports writer, you loved it. He was a quote machine.
In those quotes were some nuggets of wisdom that I have carried to this day.
He once told me that “Styrofoam and aluminum foil are inventions that have destroyed the American family.”
What?
“That’s right,” Bass said. “They made tin foil and they put TV dinners in them and you can eat in front of the TV. They made Styrofoam and they stick Big Macs in them and you kids eat in the car instead of at the dinner table.
“I always said you work all your troubles out around the dinner table. When we stop doing that, the troubles families see have gotten worse.”
He may be right. When you had to sit in front of you father at dinner, you knew there was no avoiding a tough question. It was dealt with.
I don’t know why that popped into my head today. But it got me to thinking about other inventions that have damaged the country.
Here’s my list. Send me yours.
Air conditioning: Before air conditioning, people sat on the front porch and you knew your neighbors. I live on a street with 40 houses and I know the names of only the people who live in three houses right around me. It’s not supposed to be that way.
Stretch waistbands: That way you can gain weight and pretend like you aren’t.
Cell phones: I used to be able to take a trip and never make a call. I can’t go to the restroom now without mine ringing.
Cable: Used to you had one television, one antennae and that meant the family had to get together in front of the television.
Paid radio: Radio is supposed to be free. What would Wolfman Jack be worth today?
Bottled water: I drank out of the garden hose my whole life, but recently when I did it while I was planting flowers, my neighbor looked at me like I was crazy. I still can’t believe a bottle of water costs more than a can of Coke.
Electric windows: Is rolling down a car window really so tough that we can’t do it?
Frozen and canned biscuits: Back in the day, I hate that phrase, people learned to cook by watching their mother do it. I still hear my mother in my head talking me through making a dish. Will the next generation have that luxury?
Medical specialists: Remember when you went to the family doctor when you were sick and he gave you a shot for whatever it was and you got better? Try that now. You get a referral to a specialist, who will do a battery of tests and then you still don’t get the shot that makes you better.
E-mail: Remember when people used to write letters. Not anymore.
Calculators: People used to be able to do math. The register was down at a store I go to and making change, you would have thought we were asking the clerk to solve world hunger.
I better stop. My blood pressure is up. Let me know what you think.

A drink for my brothers

2008-06-17T18:18:00-05:00

I just got a great joke sent to me by a friend. I had to share.
A cowboy, who is visiting Wyoming from Texas, walks into a bar and orders three mugs of Bud. He sits in the back of the room, drinking a sip out of each one in turn. When he finishes them, he comes back to the bar and orders three more.
The bartender approaches and tells the cowboy, “You know, a mug goes flat after I draw it. It would taste better if you bought one at a time.”
The cowboy replies, “Well, you see, I have two brothers. One is in Arizona, the other is in Colorado. When we all left our home in Texas, we promised that we’d drink this way to remember the days when we drank together. So I’m drinking one beer for each of my brothers and one for myself.” The bartender admits that this is a nice custom, and leaves it there.
The cowboy becomes a regular in the bar, and always drinks the same way. He orders three mugs and drinks them in turn.
One day, he comes in and only orders two mugs. All the regulars take notice and fall silent. When he comes back to the bar for the second round, the bartender says, “I don’t want to intrude on your grief, but I wanted to offer my condolences on your loss.”
The cowboy looks quite puzzled for a moment, then a light dawns in his eyes and he laughs.
“Oh, no, everybody’s just fine,” he explains, “It’s just that my wife and I joined the Baptist Church and I had to quit drinking. That hasn’t affected my brothers though.”

SPEAKING OF DRINKING: We’ve all heard the story of country music legend George Jones who was once so drunk and desperate that he took a riding lawnmower to get more booze when his wife hid his keys.
It seems the Possum, got busted for DUI on the mower. Well, not to be outdone, a teenager in England had the same idea. Check this out.

http://www.lep.co.uk/news/Teenager-takes-tractor-to-buy.4192113.jp

SIGNS OF THE TIMES: I go into other offices all the time. It’s amazing to see what some people print and stick on the wall.
Here are a couple I spotted around Culpeper in recent days.
“Due to the recent budget cuts and the rising cost of electricity, the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off. We apologize for the inconvenience.”
“A Memo from management: The daily beatings will continue until morale improves.”

Naked man may have had best gas protest idea of all time

2008-06-10T20:26:00-05:00

Are you angry about these high gas prices and want to make a bold statement?
Perhaps that’s what this guy in my hometown was thinking.
According to WSB television in Atlanta, “A naked man slammed a car into the pumps at a Clayton County gas station Tuesday morning starting a fire.
Police used a Taser to subdue the man and arrest him after he ran from the scene.
The suspect pulled up to the Race Trac at 7721 Tara Blvd. about 5:30 a.m. and began dancing naked on top of his car, witnesses said.
The naked man then climbed back into the car and rammed it into one of the pumps, sparking a fire, according to police. The suspect ran from the scene.
U.S. Marshals who were in the area on an unrelated matter arrested the man after using a Taser on him.
Firefighters doused the fire before it spread to the other gas pumps.”
And yes, there is PG rated video here.

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/16558419/detail.html

How hot is it? The last four days have been brutal no doubt.
You’ve probably heard them all before, but here are some of my all-time favorite ways to describe the oppressive heat.
Hot as a two-dollar pistol.
It’s put your underwear in the freezer hot
Hotter than Georgia asphalt.
Hot as an Alabama armpit.
Hotter than Marilyn Monroe on date night.
So hot the hens are laying boiled eggs.
So hot the corn is popping in the fields.
Hotter than Hell on Sunday.
It’s hotter than a possum makin’ love in a wool sock.
Hotter than a hooker on payday.
It’s so hit that my outdoor thermometer was banging on the door to come inside.
It is so hot that I saw a dog chasing a cat and they were both walking.
It’s so hot my brains are fried.
It’s so hot I saw a fire hydrant fighting over two dogs
It’s so hot that cows are giving evaporated milk.
It’s so hot the retirement home is having a wet t-shirt contest.
Hotter than Fish Grease.
That’s just a random sampling. Send us your best way to describe the heat.

Marquee ministry provides miles of smiles

2008-06-04T14:22:00-05:00

I love to drive. The freedom of being behind the wheel and being able top take in what is out there is a great way to clear the head and spirit.
One thing you can count on in your travels is what I call marquee ministry. That’s where churches use the two lines of space they have on their roadside sign to come up with something clever to attract people to their congregation.
In driving around Culpeper in recent week’s I’ve found some pretty good ones.
Here’s a sampling of what I’ve found.
Got Jesus? It’s Hell without him.
Wal-Mart isn’t the only savings place. Our service starts at 10 a.m.
It’s had to stumble when you are down on your knees.
CH CH. What’s missing? UR
“What part of ‘THOU SHALT NOT’ don’t you understand?”
Hell! I thought I had gotten away with it.
Under the same management for more than 2000 years.
Prevent truth decay: Brush up on your Bible.
God answers knee mail. Send one today.
Never give the devil a ride. He’ll always want to drive
Can’t sleep? Try counting your blessings
Forbidden fruit creates many jams.
You have to like it. If it makes you smile, makes you think or makes you shake your head, they marquees have done the job intended.
Which leads me to the second part of my mindstream – Tatum O’Neal. Perhaps she could use some of this roadside religion to help her do some research.
If you haven’t heard she was arrested trying to buy crack near her New York home. First she claimed she was doing research. Then she said she had been troubled since the death of her dog and had a weak moment.
Then she came out and thanked police for keeping her from falling off the wagon.
Crack is as forbidden a fruit as there is and Tatum can attest that trying to buy it has gotten her into a jam.
See, if she had only read the signs.

Savannah: The fishing dog

2008-05-28T01:35:01-05:00

I had a great weekend. There is something about being near the water that just recharges the batteries.
Saturday morning I took my dog Savannah to Lake Pelham fishing and the bream and crappie were biting as soon as the night crawler hit the water, but I have to admit that I didn’t catch the first fish. The dog did.
Savannah loves the water. She waded out about belly deep in the water while I was rigging up and walked back and forth on the little boat ramp, her nose in the water watching as finger-long minnows swam all about.
Every now and then she would dive under, trying to grab one. She must have done it for half an hour. Waterlogged and cold, she curled up on the grass and dried out. But 10 minutes later she went back to trolling and about five dives in she caught one. Right there in her mouth was a 6-inch perch in her mouth, with her tail wagging proudly.
She walked out of the water and laid the fish on the ramp and started to bark. She pawed the fish and barked, making sure I saw.
I told her what a good girl she was and rubbed her belly. She got a scratch behind the ears and took the fish and put it in the bucket to save it from being a chew toy. Happy that she had accomplished her mission, she found a grassy spot in the sun and curled up for a nap.
I wouldn’t have believed it if I hadn’t seen it. She’s just a little Havanese pound pooch, but when she sets her mind to something, she won’t stop until she accomplishes her mission.
My mission for the weekend was to relax. From fishing, to laying by the pool, washing cars, planting flowers, cutting the grass, hitting the yard sales and cooking, I’d say I got ‘er done.
UPTOWN CONVENIENCE COFFEE: It appears that 7-Eleven has gone all hoity toity when it comes to coffee cups.
Ever since I remember, the good ol’ styrofoam cups have been a staple at my favorite mooning caffeine stop. But this morning I stopped by one of the four 7-Eleven’s on Business 29 in Culpeper and of the counter were new cups.
The paper cups are the ones like Starbucks and the store even had the little paper sleeves that protect your hands from the heat. They even tell you that the contents may be hot.
I would have never known.

Hulk’s son needs to man up and grow up

2008-05-23T13:31:00-05:00

We have all heard the stories of spoiled celebs going to the big house and complaining about how bad things are.
We heard about Martha Stewart complaining about the food and how Paris Hilton couldn’t stand it for even one full day.
But you have to read the story that Media General’s Stephen Thompson of the Tampa Tribune penned in today’s edition about Hulk Hogan’s son Nick who is now doing time for an Aug. 26 high-speed crash that left a friend with brain damage.

By STEPHEN THOMPSON
MEDIA GENERAL NEWS SERVICE
CLEARWATER—Shortly after he was put in a cell at Pinellas County Jail, Nick Bollea started complaining about the accommodations to his parents in telephone conversations, often breaking into tears, according to copies of the conversations made by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
“I have to get out of here,” the 17-year-old tells his mother, Linda Bollea. “I can’t deal with this for eight months.”
The call was made in the early evening, on the same day Bollea pleaded no contest to a charge of reckless driving involving serious injury. On Aug. 26, he crashed a car into a tree in Clearwater, leaving his sole passenger, Iraq war veteran John Graziano, with brain damage.
Bollea was placed in a cell by himself, one roughly 8 1/2 feet wide by 16 1/2 feet long. That kind of arrangement is made for all juveniles who are sentenced as adults to spend time in the jail or are awaiting trial to face felony charges.
Bollea says his cell is half the size of his bathroom at home, and he repeatedly complains about there being no windows.
“They put me in a crazy ward,” he says.
He takes a few shots at his attorney, Kevin Hayslett, saying that if knew he was going to be in a windowless cell by himself, he would rather have gone to trial. His charge carried a potential sentence of up to five years.
Bollea said Hayslett gave him the impression that he would be in minimum security and able to play cards. His mother counters that if he were put in with the general population, maybe people would beat him up because he is a celebrity.
“Don’t’ cry, Baby,” says Linda Bollea, who sometimes swears and wonders aloud whether what they say to one another will be on the local cable television station “like … everything else around here.”
Inmates repeatedly are warned that their calls may be recorded.
“It’s so much worse than you could ever imagine,” Nick Bollea says. “This is like a state prison. I’m all by myself.”
When his father, Terry Bollea, also known as Hulk Hogan, takes the receiver, he at one point tells his boy to “man up.”
Reporter Stephen Thompson can be reached at (727) 451-2336 or spthompson@tampatrib.com.

Incredible story. I have to see if those tapes are on the Web. It will be required listening for my daily giggles.
This whining comes from a kid who has never had a job and has lived a celebrity lifestyle because he is on a reality show made possible because his father was a professional wrestler.
This is a kid who had four tickets in the first year he had his license, three times having been clocked at speeds in excess of 100 mph.
Man up?
How about grow up. Jail isn’t a vacation. Be happy you are alone. Otherwise, you may need your Daddy to watch your back from Bruno and the boys.

Hicks to go from ‘Idol’ to ‘Angel’

2008-05-20T19:14:00-05:00

Are you psyched for the finale of “American Idol?”
It’s required viewing at my house, but I have to say that the David Cook vs. David Archuleta matchup isn’t as exciting to me as some of the past years.
When I was in Opelika, Ala. The year that Taylor Hicks won it all was a big deal for us. Hicks had gone to Auburn and played in area clubs all the time. He was friends with our ad director Wynn Christian so it was like we had a vested interest.
I have to admit that I even voted that year, just to keep the story alive. We sold more papers of days when Idol was on the front page that year.
It was a lot of fun.
What has happened to Hicks anyway?
It looks like he’s headed to Broadway.
He will begin playing his role of Teen Angel in “Grease” June 6 and is working on his second CD. From “Idol” to “Angel.”
Check out this story on Hicks on cnn.com.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/05/16/people.taylorhicks.ap/index.html

When Bill Clinton stopped in Culpeper earlier this spring, it was great to see him interact with people on the street.
The former president lives a rock star’s life, without the endless sound checks and responsibilities that he shouldered when he was in the White House. He talked to everyone who approached him and looked them all in the eye and seemed to hand on every word. He still draws a crowd in a hurry.
I read a great story about Bill’s visit to a small Kentucky town. You have to read Kenn Johnson’s first-hand account of Bill’s visit to his house – and to Johnson’s basement toilet. He wrote it for the Lexington Herald Leader. It’s classic.

http://www.kentucky.com/254/story/410060.html

Free chicken sandwiches draw crowd to Mickey D’s

2008-05-15T20:08:00-05:00

The things we will do for something free.
Call it a sign of the economic times, but an offer of free food drew a crowd to McDonald’s in Culpeper Thursday.
McDonald’s Store Manager Melissa Knight said that the store gave away 540 Southern-style chicken biscuit before 10:30 a.m. and had given out about 650 chicken sandwiches as of 3:30 p.m.
The giveaway was part of a national promotion where customers buying a large or medium drink were eligible for the free sandwich.
“It has been crazy all day,” Knight said. “There has been a line in the drive through all day and we’ve been slammed inside too.”
During the lunch rush alone, from noon to 1 p.m., Knight said 202 customers came through the doors for their free sandwich. That’s almost two customers a minute for an entire hour.
“You don’t get anything for free these days,” John Prather of Culpeper said. “For less than a buck and half I got a sandwich and a drink. That’s cheap dinner. Now I may buy some gas with what I had left over.”
According to its corporate Web site, the company anticipated giving away 8 million sandwiches and biscuits in the nationwide sampling event.
Giving something away is a great way to draw a crowd.
Chick-fil-A offers the first 10 people in line when a store opens a free meal a week for one year. That always draws people camping in the parking lot.
Here is Culpeper it drew a crowd last July. When I lived in Alabama, they had college kids sitting in the parking lot for a week.
I’ve done it myself.
I camped for Ted Nugent tickets in 1977. There was no doubt when Teddy whipped it out.
I slept in the parking lot of a Turtles Record Store, to get tickets to see Lynyrd Skynyrd. Yep, there’s a little redneck in me I guess.
Part of it is the event and the circus atmosphere.
Back in 1991 when the Atlanta Braves were making their first playoff run and Atlanta radio station brought in drums for fans to pound for the tomahawk chop.
As the playoffs neared, they said whoever banged the drums the longest would get playoff tickets. The girls got all excited and said they could do it forever.
I loaded them up and headed to the stadium. They lasted about four hours before they were ready to go home.
They still talk about that.
Enjoy the chicken, we don’t get much for free anymore.

Youth sports are supposed to be fun, not business

2008-05-13T15:02:00-05:00

I’m a sports nut. I spent better than 15 years writing sports for newspapers in the South and I sleep with ESPN on the television, just hoping that some knowledge soaks in.
I guess I may be better served playing financial news all night and maybe my checkbook wouldn’t be such a joke.
But this weekend I saw the story about University of Southern California basketball player O.J. Mayo, where ESPN reported that Mayo associates have been getting paid to get Mayo signed with a sports agent and supposedly funneling some of the funds to the kid. This dates back to the time he was in eighth grade, according to the report.
People have reacted with shock over the reports about what lengths people will go to get a kid to play for them. It’s all about the money and winning games. They shouldn’t be surprised. It happens even in youth leagues.
I saw it firsthand.
I coached softball at a very competitive level. I had teams that won two World Series and played for two more championships. I recruited kids from as far as 50 miles away to play on teams, but I drew the line at picking up the tab.
The way I looked at it, is that if a player wanted top play on a traveling team, the parents would pay or we would find fund-raising opportunities, sponsors or some way to make it happen.
But not everyone was that way.
My oldest daughter was a good softball player. If I didn’t want to sound like a boastful father, I’d call her a great player. I’m a bit partial.
When she was as young as 12 years old she would get recruited to play on traveling softball teams that would play all around the country.
She could hit the ball a long way and nothing got by her at third. So she was a commodity.
Coaches would often call to see if she would play for them. There was even a private school that offered her a scholarship after she banged one off their school building as a freshman.
When we moved to Wisconsin, she was recruited by a team in Illinois and ended up playing down there one summer. The following summer she went all the way back to Georgia to play with a team making a run at a title. The coach picked up the tab for all of her tournament fees and uniforms.
To him, it was worth it to have a chance to get over the hump.
There was a team out of Michigan sponsored by a big oil company that recruited players for all over the Midwest. They would load the kids on a bus the day that school was out and they would travel the country all summer long playing in tournaments to get the kids and the oil company exposure. The team picked up the tab.
We’re not talking about big money collegiate football or basketball. We’re not even talking about a sport where a kid can get a big payday and play pro ball. We are talking about girls fast-pitch softball.
So should we be shocked at the reports of all this money going to young players like Mayo? No way.
It happens. If not this time, it is happening somewhere. Did you see the report that Kentucky had offered an eighth-grader a basketball scholarship? That’s nuts in my book.
I must have spent a small fortune on softball over the years. It paid off for my oldest, she signed a scholarship and played college softball with the school paying for a good chunk of her education.
But for every story that has a happy ending, there’s a story like my youngest daughter. She played more than 100 games a summer for the team I coached when she was 9, 10, and 11 and then said she didn’t want to play anymore.
I asked her why and she looked me in the eye with a huge smile.
“Dad, I’m burned out,” Jessica said. “Plus, my coach is a jerk.”

Mothers have the world’s most important job

2008-05-11T17:53:01-05:00

Happy Mother’s Day.
It’s a bittersweet time for me. My Mom died nine years ago and even that length of time doesn’t make it easier.
There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t think about her, pick up the phone to call her or wish that I could tell her news, get a hug or just ask for her advice.
I know everyone says that their Mom is the greatest. My Mom was the kind that gave you unconditional love and would do anything for her kids.
She would sit up all night and make costumes for school plays and dress up days at school. She would make them from stuff she had saved, often sewing them by hand. Then she would make us breakfast, pack our lunches, get Dad off to work and if she ever slept, I never saw it.
One time I had a teacher that said she would give us extra credit is we strung six feet of popcorn for our class Christmas tree. She popped the corn and I strung it all and I really wanted it to look cool and asked if we could dye it. She mixed up food coloring and we gave it a try.
When we put the corn in the liquid, it fell apart.
It was already late and she just told me not to worry about it and to go to bed. I woke up three hours later to the smell of popcorn as she popped more and strung six more feet herself. That’s the way she was.
In first grade I made her a clay dish that was supposed to be an ashtray for Mother’s Day. It was the ugliest thing I have ever seen , looking back at it now. But she kept that thing by her bed until the day she died, using it to hold change, jewelry that she had gathered throughout the day.
We had five kids and money was often short. She’d roll change so I would have money for field strips and extras. Sh e would sell extra boxes of candy to help pay for the registration for baseball leagues and extra things. She always put us first.
That’s what mothers do. That’s why we love them so and always will, long after they are gone.
I saw the coolest thing today at the Target in Culpeper. There was a man with four kids walking into the store. They looked to be dressed for church and when they passed a young woman holder her daughter’s hand leaving the store, the man said, “Happy Mother’s Day.”
I guess it made me realize that it isn’t only a time to thank our own mother, it’s a time to recognize all the women who do the world’s most important job.
So today I do celebrate. I celebrate my Mom’s memory and the gift of my children that were given to me by a wonderful lady. My youngest daughter Jessica turns 21 today. It seems like yesterday that she was born. Talk about the ultimate Mother’s Day duty.
Giving birth was just that. I guess it’s appropriate that we celebrate a birthday and Mother’s Day at the same time.

This isn’t your father’s newspaper

2008-05-08T19:26:00-05:00

What’s the most important quality in the newspaper business these days? It has to be versatility.
We no longer just print a newspaper, we supply information in many different forms. We publish news, advertising and multimedia on the Web. We provide radio and television with news.
So the jobs titles and descriptions we once had might not fit today. So the challenge is to take the talents our people have and make them fit where they can do the most good.
The key is being able to do many things and adapting as the industry changes.
We have several examples here in Culpeper.
Kim Smith is a circulation assistant who has a keen interest in fashion and television work. She approached managers and we found a way to take advantage of her interest and talent. She now writes a column on fashion in our “In and Around” section and has done some video work.
Our editor Rob Humphreys spends more time some days approving reader reaction posts than he does reading copy. That’s a task listed nowhere in his job description, but reader reaction is a vital part of the new direction of our business. So Rob and others in the newsroom have adapted and found a way to get the job done.
Photographer Vince Vala now shoots video as well as stills and edits them. Our reporters also shoot their own photos and video, edit them and see to it that they get on line quickly. They call in quick reports from the scene of a story so that they can be posted to the Web. It’s so much more now for reporters than just writing a story.
People who once did paste up, now design ads and post things to the Web.
We ask our circulation district managers and carriers to report news tips, acting as our eyes and ears on the streets.
Billy Rooper and Paul Marshall in production oversee the mailroom, the press, help keep the building maintained and much, much more.
Inserters who once hand inserted are now feeding machinery that makes production faster. They also help out by giving news tips and help by giving us sources when we are looking for subjects familiar with issues.
And then there’s Jack Griffin. He oversees the production in Culpeper and Northern Virginia, but he’s also an IT guy. Talk about wearing many hats. I’d hate to think what we would be up against without him here.
Even in advertising and the business office, we have people cross training to help with all the new tasks that Mactive has brought us.
I have written sports and news, edited video, sold ads, worked on the copy desk, been an editor, worked on the press crew, ran a paper route and even as late as last week on a visit back to Opelika, Ala. I helped insert in the mailroom. I write a blog and three years ago I didn’t even know what that was. There are days here when I fill in as a receptionist, just to get a feel for what’s happening. It keeps the day fresh and fun.
The one thing that has impressed me about the people here in Culpeper and in all of Media General is that they have a team approach and do what it takes to get the job done. That’s more important now than ever.
I had a high school football coach who used to tell us, “You have to be agile, mobile and hostile.” In today’s newspaper world perhaps flexible, mobile and versatile would be better tools.
If we use those qualities, maybe newspapers can stay reliable and viable.

Election Day in Culpeper is special

2008-05-06T15:37:00-05:00

If politics in a small town is a religion, then Culpeper could very well be the Holy land.
Tuesday was Election Day here, with four council seats up for grabs, and 11 candidates hoping to get a chance to represent our town.
Yard signs have been clustered along street corners for months. Candidates have shaken so many hands that they will be checked tomorrow for carpal tunnel syndrome.
People like the bereted Jerry Beckett were spotted Monday evening knocking on doors in the massive Lakeview community. I bet he didn’t have to hit the Powell Wellness Center after that workout Monday night.
Chris Snider sent out a mass e-mail to friends reminding them to vote. Others worked the phones, visited diners and walked the town streets hoping to meet a new voter and introduce themselves.
In a day when the 30-decond sound byte and billion-dollar presidential campaigns are saturating our lives, this type of election makes you understand what our founding fathers had in mind when they wrote the Constitution and formed our great country.
At the polls Tuesday morning candidates gathered outside the polls in law chairs and matching shirts, hoping to become visible to voters waiting to make up their mind as they entered to vote.
Those who knew your face said hello, others made a point to introduce themselves and politely ask for your vote.
It was like driving onto a car lot on a slow sales month; every salesman wanted to give you a card and make you a deal. They were circling waiting for you to slow down.
Some may see it as much ado about nothing, but it shows me how much these people want to serve. If elected they won’t make much money for the countless hours and rubber chicken dinners they will be asked to endure. You have to want to do this and to campaign with so much energy renews my faith in the system.
Sappy? I suppose I am.
But voting is the best way to inject yourself into the future of your community. So I will wear my “I Voted” sticker with pride as I munch on the chocolate chip cookie that Chip Coleman’s campaign handed out as I left the polls. Is that a great idea, or what?
I say it every election: If you don’t vote, you can’t gripe when things don’t get done.
I voted. So I have the right…

Tales from the road

2008-05-04T16:18:00-05:00

I love to drive. I always have.
I guess it goes back to being that 5-year-old sitting in my Dad’s lap holding the wheel of that baby blue 1966 Chevy pickup while we headed down the road. I know today it would land him in jail, but it sure did make me feel like king of the road.
My baby girl moved out of the house we had called home in Alabama into an apartment, so Daddy had to come help with muscles and wallet. I’m afraid I’m equipped with more of the latter these days.
I jumped into my Chevy Caprice, the 1984 beast that had almost a half-million miles, that I call the Gray Ghost and headed south. It’s a 10-hour drive, but you can’t help loving the trip. There is always so much to see and road stories are plentiful.
I took a recorder to make notes along the way. Here’s my journal from the road….
*State Police love to hide under bridges, so why not just slow down when you get close to a bride, or better yet, why not just do the speed limit?
*I never thought I’d see the day when I’d get excited about $3.29 gas, but South Carolina has the best prices I’ve seen. Too bad the Ghost drinks premium. Still $3.49 is cheaper than the regular in Culpeper.
*Why don’t McDonald’s hamburgers taste the same at every location? Some have more onions. Some have more mustard or ketchup. There should be a law.
*I saw a sign of the times just outside Greensboro. There was a Hummer H2 for sale on the side of the road. On the windshield written in white shoe polish hit the nail on the head. “Must sell. Great Deal. Can’t afford the gas. Will trade for new compact car.”
*Wireless internet is one of the greatest inventions of all time. I was able to pull into a Hampton Inn and access a wireless server from the parking lot, check my e-mail, approve reports and head on down the road. Is this a great world or what?
*The best coffee is always at truck stops, but there are more juices and energy drinks in c-store coolers these days than there are regular soft drinks.
*Did you know that eating sunflower seeds will help you stay awake? If works. Try it sometime.
*There are very few good AM radio stations anymore. Most of them either run church services or syndicated talk shows. I miss them.
*They really need to complete I-85. It would make the trip faster. But if they did that think of all the scenery we would miss.
*I’m not as young as I used to be. I used to drive 16 hours straight, stopping only to get drinks and hit the restroom. I couldn’t make it all the way back without stopping for the night.
* I’m getting old.

Anne Josephine Chelf made a great life

2008-04-29T14:24:00-05:00

One of the best parts of being a journalist is the people you meet. You get to meet the famous, the inspiring and run of the mill people with incredible stories.
Unfortunately, you often get to know people after they have left this earth.
Such was the case Monday, when we got a call from Culpeper County Commonwealth Attorney Gary Close, who told us of the passing of Anne Josephine Chelf.
Chelf was old-time Culpeper, the daughter of the town’s country doctor Dr. Hugh Tucker Chelf Sr. As a child she and her brother would often tag along to house calls. Everyone in town knew her and admired her zest for life.
Anne’s niece Mary Jo Outland shared some wonderful stories about her 88-year-old aunt who served in the Navy for more than 25 years and nursed soldiers from World War II, Korea and Vietnam.
“I guess she showed at an early age that she had a lust for travel,” Outland shared. “She always considered herself a tomboy and would rather play with the boys than the girls. When she was very young, about 7 years old I think it was, her and her friend Sammy Fray decided that they wanted to run away and see the world. So they jumped into an open rail car and away they went. They found them a good ways away. That’s the way she was. She always had a sense of adventure.”
Chelf was never married and had no kids of her own, but she loved animals. Her German Shepherd that was by her side for many years was probably the town’s best known canine. Even as her health was declining, her car Tiger was by her side as well.
Kathi Walker said that her kids spent so much time with their next-door neighbor that she was like a second grandmother to them.
She was a retired United States Navy Commander, a caring nurse, a community activist and a great person.
I wish I could have met her sooner, in person. Winston Churchill said “We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.”
Anne Josephine Chelf made a great life.

Limo is the way to go on Prom Night

2008-04-27T03:03:00-05:00

Everywhere you looked Saturday, it was obvious it was Prom Day in Culpeper.
Note to self: Don’t go to get a haircut on prom day. I dropped in Fantastic Sams to get a clip and it was wall to wall with girls getting prom dos. They were good enough to work me in quickly, but it was so cool to see them and hear them talk about their plans.
I saw limos drop off wedding cake perfect couple at downtown restaurants and it brought back memories.
I should have taken a limo to the prom, too.
I had a wreck on the way to my prom.
Yep, it happened.
Dressed in a white tux that made me look like the Good Humor man, I started through an intersection on Peachtree Street in Atlanta with my date Amy Parrish in the passenger seat. A guy ran the light and hit my 1967 Buick in the fender.
Have you ever tried to survey accident damage in a tux? Not the ideal attire.
No blood, and no bad damage. They don’t make cars like that anymore. I didn’t even get grease on my monkey suit.
We made it through the night, had a great meal and got our picture taken. Isn’t that what it’s all about?
Memories….
MEAL DEAL: You find some of the best deals at yard sales and Saturday I found proof of that again.
After hitting four or five sales Saturday morning, I stopped in at an indoor sale on Sperryville Pike.
There were the yard sale usuals—computer gear, exercise equipment, nicknacks and clothes.
But there was something more. As good as the bargains were, Joyce Manning’s food was better.
Manning was cooking up fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, meat balls, green beans, potato salad and all kinds of cases, pies and cookies. For a few dollars, she dished up a dinner plate of a meat and two vegetables that would make your mouth water.
The chicken was moist and tender and the outside was crispy and made you want more. You can’t beat yard sales for unexpected treasures.

Time Machine will rock Third Thursday

2008-04-24T19:47:00-05:00

One of the highlights of my first year in Culpeper was the Third Thursday Summer Concert Series, sponsored by Culpeper Renaissance, Inc.
This year CRI has expanded the series to a fourth session, with the first coming May 15. Judging from the band that will kick it all off, it should be a blast.
Time Machine, a Washington-area 10-piece band that plays everything from beach music to Motown will be back again. In the past the group has stole the show and had people dancing all night.
Check out a Video Clip of the band
Joining Time machine on opening night will be the Eli Cook with the blues. He looks more like he a refugee from Tony Hawke’s skateboard tour, but when he plays it’s nothing but the blues.
It all happens down by the Depot in Culpeper from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and $5 advance tickets are available at the Culpeper Renaissance office at 233 East Davis Street Suite 100, Chateau du Reaux at 219 East Davis Street Suite 130, the Museum of Culpeper History at 803 South Main Street, and Randy’s Flowers at 211 West Evans Street. Tickets may also be purchased at the gate on the day of the event for $7 for those and older; those under 21 receive free admission.
ALMOST GONE: Ever feel lucky to be alive? There have been many times that I knew that there was a higher power looking out for me.
But I guess I never realized that was just lucky to be here in the first place.
I saw this headline on CNN today: Humans nearly wiped out 70,000 years ago, study says.
Check out the full story here:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/04/24/close.call.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview

New Coke: Flop or brilliant marketing?

2008-04-23T21:14:00-05:00

On a hot day like this, who couldn’t use a cool drink?
Growing up in Georgia, every soft drink was a Coke. There wasn’t a Sprite, a Pepsi or Fanta Orange. “Do you want a Coke,” is what you were asked when you placed an order.
I saw a line in our “Today in History” feature today that brought back memories.
It was 23 years ago today that the fine folks at the Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta introduced New Coke. Don’t remember? It didn’t last long.
It was a sugary Pepsi-taste-alike that was pitched as a new and improved taste for the classic Coke flavor.
The uproar was incredible.
You can mess with some things, but don’t mess with a Coke in Georgia. It was criminal.
I remember my mother-in-law driving 40 miles to Decatur, Ga. to load up her Cadillac with a dozen cases of the old recipe that a Korean grocery had bought before the change.
She had to have her Coke.
When the switch came, he had no idea how valuable his stock had become.
The switch lasted only about two months before Coke Classic made a return.
Some say it was one of the biggest corporate flops ever, but others say it was great PR. Think about all the buzz it created. The story I heard is that the idea was all along to have both on the shelves – one a Coke Pepsi and the real thing, so to speak.
Who knows. We’re still talking about it 23 years later. I call it genius.

WHO HAS THE DRUNKEST DRIVERS: I saw this AP story and as a person who spent time in Wisconsin, I have to agree.
I had to share.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The upper Midwest has the worst drunken driving rates in the country, according to a government report that says 15 percent of adult drivers nationally report driving under the influence of alcohol in the previous year.
Wisconsin leads the way. The federal government estimates more than a quarter of the state’s adult drivers had driven under the influence. Rounding out the worst five are North Dakota, Minnesota, Nebraska and South Dakota.
Utah had the lowest incidence of drunken driving. It was the only state where fewer than 10 percent of adult motorists reported driving under the influence. Following closely behind were a slew of Southern states that often fare poorly when it comes to government health statistics. This time, however, they’re serving as models. West Virginia, Arkansas, Kentucky and North Carolina all had drunken driving rates for the prior year of less than 11 percent.

Culpeper farmers Market makes its return

2008-04-22T20:27:00-05:00

Last summer was my first one in Culpeper and one of my favorite things each week was a trip to the Culpeper Downtown Farmers Market.

I grew up with fresh vegetables on the table at every meal. Tomatoes, radishes, green onions and whatever was in season were only supplemented by what the meat of the day happened to be. With four brothers and sisters, we ate what we grew first and shopped as a last resort.

Well, it’s back.

This Saturday April 26, the Culpeper Downtown Farmers Market will open for the season. Vendors will be there each Saturday through October from 7:30 a.m. until noon at the East Davis Street parking lot.

There will be locally grown produce, plants and flowers, baked goods, big ol’ eggs, and whatever is in season.

Don’t miss this chance to eat fresh and support local farmers.

WHETHER YOU LIKE US: Pardon the Nature Boy Ric Flair reference, but a release came across my desk today that World Wrestling Entertainment will invade the Verizon Center for its Raw show on July 28.

Triple H, John Cena, Randy Orton and Chris Jericho are listed as some of the combatants scheduled to perform. Notice I didn’t say wrestle or compete.

It’s theatre at its finest.

Don’t tell me you’ve never watched.

Faced with the decision to whether to watch Shawn Michaels fight or Jason Taylor dance on “Dancing With The Stars,” that you did hit the USA Network. If you did say you’ve never watched, please send you man card to Vince McMahon in Stamford, Ct.

BUSH BASH: I loved David Letterman’s Top 10 List last night.

The list hit the Top 10 indications that President George W. Bush may have too much time on his hands. Check out the list at the link below. I especially like No. 10, Spends most of the day looking for friends on Facebook.

http://www.cbs.com/latenight/lateshow/video_player/index/php/952077.phtml

It’s gas prices, dummy

2008-04-21T16:45:00-05:00

I managed to make it through almost an hour of last week’s Democratic Presidential Debate before I gave up in favor of reality television.
I care more about politics than most people I know and I really want to know what candidates think. But I think we spent way too much time eating the salad before we got to the meat.
I don’t care what someone’s preacher said in a sermon. I don’t care what someone’s husband did 10 years ago. I don’t care if you tripped over words in a speech and I don’t care if you think the other guy can beat John McCain or not.
The war in Iraq is important. Too many people are dying for the wrong reason over there.
I’m tired of politics and politicians. I want a problem solver.
I’m to the point that I just don’t think there is a politician alive that knows how to answer a question directly or knows what is really important to the people they hope to represent.
I want to know which one of these candidates is going to make my life better. Right now, that starts at the gas pump.
I paid $3.61 for a gallon of premium unleaded this weekend. When you have a 20 gallon tank like I do in the old Gray Ghost. When you are running on fumes, that means $72.20 to fill the beast up. Less than a year ago I was paying less than $2 a gallon.
You can budget for that kind of jump.
I’m lucky. I’ve been able to keep my head above water. But there are people out there who simply can’t afford to drive to work. They try to car pool, they do what they can, but you only have so much money.
I talked with a lady at 7-11 over the weekend who said she was getting $10 worth of gas, She said that would do her one day back and forth to work in Woodbridge. When you use more than $50 a week just to get to work, it hits the paycheck pretty hard.
I don’t want to hear about alternative energy. I don’t want to hear about electric cars. I want to know how a candidate plans to keep big oil from reaping record profits while the average person’s salary isn’t seeing the same kind of jump.
I’ll take a blood pressure pill and get off the soapbox now.
I just wish someone would fix this.

Enjoy every day like it could be your last

2008-04-20T00:38:00-05:00

Death is inevitable and we will all face it one day. But this week I was saddened to hear that two men that I had known only briefly, but men who touched me with their love for life, had died.
I reported on the tragic the tragic death of Emory Wood. The man who owned and operated the Barter Post here in Culpeper for years had just retired last summer to spend more time with his family.
He had taken up flying as a hobby, and on a chamber of commerce perfect day he went to the Warrenton Air Park to take to the sky. Tragically, his plan malfunction on takeoff and sent his craft crashing to the ground, ending the life a man who cared for others and always had a kind word for those he met.
To show you the kind of guy he was, when we moved to Culpeper we had found some lamps in his store that were perfect for a spare bedroom. Since the movers didn’t come for a month, a deposit was left and then it was back to Alabama to prepare for the move.
Shortly after the movers were done, Wood called the office and offered to deliver the lamps. I told him I would come by and he said it was no trouble, that he wanted to welcome me proper.
A few hours later he showed up at the office, the lamps packed carefully in bubble wrap all set for the bedroom.
He talked about his retirement and the excitement about the future was in every word.
Then this news came. It gets to you.
I spent time in Wisconsin, working for the Kenosha News. My daughter Jessica had an assignment to meet a World War II veteran and interview them. I asked around the office and they told me about George Pollard.
Pollard had served in the South Pacific and was at Iwo Jima, but while in the service his commanding officer heard he was an artist. With Eleanor Roosevelt coming to visit the troops, Pollard was asked to paint a portrait of the first lady.
He did and she so admired his work that she got him started on a career that had him paint portraits of presidents, movie stars, athletes and people like Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa.
Pollard invited us to his home, spent two hours talking with my young daughter, who was spellbound by his art and hung on every word of his war stories.
Pollard died in his sleep at age 88 Wednesday night. He lived life with a zest that was inspiring. He found something he loved to do and made a living with it. That’s something we should all strive to achieve.
We will all pass. I know it, but you rock along and get so busy with the day to day that you almost forget that we are mortal.
Then someone who touched our lives is gone. It makes you realize how short life is and that none of us are guaranteed tomorrow.
Hug those you love, laugh often, do what you enjoy and live every day like it is your last. We are all reminded from time to time that it could well be.

Remembrance Days should be a blast

2008-04-18T18:52:00-05:00

What a great day.
It’s 75 degrees, the sky is blue and the grass needs to be cut. Spring is here for sure.
One of the greatest things about Culpeper is it’s rare when a weekend passes without some type of event being held in the area.
Spring is prime time for festivals and this weekend is no exception. I can’t wait to get out and see what’s happening including Remembrance Days.
Our Jeff Say reports that there will be plenty to do associated with Remembrance Days this weekend. Here’s a piece from his story in the paper this week…
“Saturday, the Echoes of Glory 5K Race kicks off the day at the Brandy Station fairgrounds. After the race, join the Brandy Station Volunteer Fire Department for an All-You-Can-Eat brunch and history display at the new Fire Hall.
Throughout the weekend, enjoy aviation history by the National Capitol Squadron at the Culpeper Regional Airport in Brandy Station.
Also on Saturday, youngsters ages 8-17 can enjoy free flights at the Airport provided by the Young Eagles Program. Civil War buffs can enjoy living history at the Graffiti House or join a driving tour of the Battle of Brandy Station.
Civil War and Revolutionary War history can also be enjoyed firsthand at the Museum of Culpeper History with living history demonstrations that will delight kids of all ages.
Join a house tour in downtown of the Civil War-era James G. Field home.
At the Depot in Culpeper, two distinguished authors, Civil War-era novelist Kim Murphy and local author James D. Russell will delight fans at an Authors Meet-and-Greet and Book Signing.
Visitors will also enjoy a look at Culpeper history through displays of vintage Culpeper postcards and quilts at the Depot.
On Saturday afternoon, the Culpeper community will dedicate the new Wine Street Memorial Park to honor World War II and Korean veterans, with a keynote address by former Secretary of the Army John O. “Jack” Marsh.
Sunday, the history continues at the Museum of Culpeper History, the Graffiti House and the National Capitol Squadron at Culpeper Airport.
Quilters will enjoy the continuing display at the Depot. Enjoy a piece of old Culpeper history with the unveiling of a new interpretive marker at Spilman Park in northern Culpeper County. Later in the afternoon, the weekend concludes with a reception and historical display at historic St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church followed by a special, free Remembrance Days concert by the Blue Ridge Chorale.
Free event maps are available at the Depot or by calling 727-0611. The Culpeper Trolley has added a stop at the Museum of Culpeper History for Saturday only – so take the trolley from the Depot. For details, information and driving directions for all the Remembrance Days events, visit visitculpeperva.com and click on Remembrance Days.”

Redneck power windows makes junkers attractive

2008-04-17T17:04:00-05:00

I have an attraction to old, junky cars.
In my life I’ve owned a discarded newspaper van that I bought for $5, a pickup truck that someone paid me to take off their property and a 1977 Plymouth Fury police car that I bought at an auction.
I’ve managed to get them all running and get good service out of them. When you go cheap, sometimes you have to forego some of the luxury items buying from the showroom floor affords.
Power windows are often optional.
But this You Tube video has shown me that there are ways to get around the lack of luxury items on your ride.
Check it out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bd876iqGdT4

I currently own a 1984 Chevy Caprice with 464,418 miles. That’s not a typo, it’s still rolling.
I’m still trying to replace my Ford Festiva that was totaled when a college student changing the stations on the radio and talking on the cell rear-ended me.
If you know where I can find one cheap, let me know.

IDOL TALK: Are you a fan of “American Idol?” I must confess that I am.
While I wasn’t surprised that Kristy Lee Cook got the boot Wednesday night, I didn’t think this was the week she should have gone. She should have gotten the gong three weeks ago when she butchered “Eight Days A Week.”
When I heard her sing “Amazing Grace” during auditions, I said then that she would have a chance to win it all.
So we are now down to six. Who do you like?
We have Carly Smithson, Ayesha Mercado, David Cook, David Archuleta, Brooke White and Jason Castro left. Is it just a coincidence that the four contestants who played instruments are still alive. Cook and Archuletta, Jason Casto and and Brooke all played.
The only “playa” to get the axe was Chikezie Eze who busted out a harmonica on one of the early shows this season.
Is a harmonica really an instrument?

Youthful trauma touches off fashion phobia

2008-04-16T20:01:00-05:00

A mannequin coming to life scare this little boy to death.

Our circulation assistant Kim Smith has started writing about fashion and hit two fashion shows last Sunday. It was great to hear her enthusiasm about what she had seen at Pepperberries and Pepper’s Grille.

As she was filling me in about what happened at these Culpeper businesses, I had a horrible flashback to a traumatic youthful event.

My mother used to take me shopping at in downtown Atlanta, with her friend Dot Henderson. We’d make a day of it, with us taking the Atlanta Transit System bus to the shopping center.

Mom would pack sandwiches in her purse for the bus ride and we’d eat at the grill at the Woolworth’s store for lunch.

It was an event.

But one year this experience turned very wrong, and to this day, I think it’s the single reason I hate to shop and have fashion show phobia.

Shopping is rough on a kid when they aren’t in a toy store.

We must have gone to a dozen stores, but as the shopping spree continued at what back then was one of Atlanta’s largest department stores called Rich’s, they got to looking at undergarments and that was the last place I wanted to be.

I got a bit tired and decided to sit on a pedestal in the women’s clothing section. I leaned back against a mannequin modeling the latest fashions.

Bored to tears, I began running my hands up and down the hose-covered legs on the mannequin. I guess the nylons just felt good against my hands.

But then the leg came to life. The leg began to kick me and the mannequin called me names I had never heard before. I yelped like a whipped pup and cried like a teething baby.

I had wandered into a fashion show that had live mannequins standing on low stages all over the store. I became hysterical. Luckily my mother was in sight and I ran to her and jumped into her arms, the woman I had accosted chasing after me.

As I buried my crying eyes into her secure arms, I had to ask: “Mom, what’s a pervert? I’m not one of those am I?” I haven’t been the same since. The next year I didn’t make the trip. I started school and tried to forget about the lady with the long smooth, firm legs. It seems like yesterday, but I digress
I still hate shopping. Can you blame me?

Powell is an all-inclusive wellness resort

2008-04-15T17:47:00-05:00

If you haven’t been to the Powell Wellness Center you are missing out.
I had been on tours of Culpeper Regional Hospital’s state-of-the-art all-inclusive health resort near the Culpeper Country Club, but you can’t fully appreciate what we have here until you go there and work out.
I joined Powell last Saturday and wasted little time jumping right in. No matter what you are into, this place has it all. Every kind of cardio machine you can imagine is there, from treadmills, bikes and stair machines to contraptions that allow you to work your heart even if you are rehabbing or suffer from joint or muscle pain.
There are free weights, and machines for lifters that allow you to work out muscles you forgot you had.
There’s a walking track so that you can get in a walk even when it’s training outside.
Then there’s the pool. The TURTLE Aquatic Center allows you to walk against the current of the water, plus there’s a pool for laps, water exercise classes and a cool water pool. And yes, there is a hot tub. Why do I think of Eddie Murphy’s James Brown impression when I say hot tub?
Then you can hit the steam room and the sauna to sweat and help those muscles relax after the routine is complete.
They have complete locker room facilities for you can clean up and don’t have to go home smelly.
You don’t even have to bring soap, shampoo or a hair dryer They have it all there.
They even have a machine that spin dries your swimsuit so you don’t have to drip your way home.
Man, do I sound like a redneck ort what?
They even have a coffee bar, with light breakfast and lunch items so you can grab it and go and still get back to work on time.
I guess the point of my rambling is that you have to check this place out. The folks at the hospital have a winner here and we are blessed to have it.
QUICK CASH: Could you use $1,000?
In these economic times, who couldn’t put cash to good use. We here at the Culpeper Star-Exponent are planning a Culpeper Treasure Hunt that will take place over 13 days. The person who can decipher the clues the best, they could find the booty—a $1,000.
Watch the paper every day for details and if you need more information, on the contest or how your business can get in on the action call me at 540-825-0771 ext. 102.
WHAT’S IN A NAME: I had the chance to see one see a band with one of the best bar band names I’ve ever heard of. Friday night at the East Davis Street Tavern a four-man band named Free Beer and Wine played a solid mix of Country and Southern Rock to an enthusiastic crowd.
You put that band name on a marquee and people will come, guaranteed.

Mitch Sneed is the publisher of the Culpeper Star-Exponent. A Georgia native, Sneed has been working for newspapers in the South since he was 15 years old. Culpeper is Sneed’s first publisher’s job, coming to the area from Opelika, Alabama where he served as editor of Media General’s Opelika-Auburn News. To share a story or just to tell him you think he’s crazy, Sneed can be reached at msneed@star-exponent.com

Here we go…

2008-04-12T14:06:00-05:00

For years I worked in news and writing has always been my first love.

There’s nothing like telling a good story, or writing that item that hangs proudly on the door of the fridge.

When I got the chance to come to Culpeper and become the publisher here at the Culpeper Star-Exponent, I went from worrying about the letters that appear in the paper to worrying about the numbers that appear on the bottom line.

Did I mention that I really miss writing?

One of the biggest issues that I always found in running a small, community newspaper was there just wasn’t enough space to get everything in.

Some people wanted more local news, while others wondered why we didn’t have more national and world headlines. What I hated was that we didn’t have enough of what I call “Hey Martha” stuff.

What’s that? You know, items that make you say “Hey Martha, did you see this in the paper.”

Welcome to the Internet, where space is unlimited and I can fill Martha will all sorts of the stuff that floats around in my congested mind.

I plan to post here about every day. If it’s on my mind, it will fly from my fingers into my blog. I hope you enjoy Mitch Sneed at Large.

Here we go….

IT OUGHT TO BE ILLEGAL: Is there anything in the world better than the smell that comes from Knakal’s bakery? I can’t think of anything in this town.

I have developed a Saturday morning ritual where I drag myself out of bed, find the cleanest pair of jeans I can find, grab a ball cap and head to 7-11 for coffee. With a full cup in hand I hit yard sales, go to Full Circle Thrift or look elsewhere for bargains. By 10 a.m. it’s time for breakfast and if you are downtown, the smell gets you.

Ahhhhhhh. Knakal’s.

The smell of fried dough, baked pastries and just that sugary sweet smell wafting down Davis street gets me every time. It ought to be illegal.

I wonder if there are any calories in the smell alone? Who can stop with just a smell? I have a rule. If you eat it standing up you can subtract half the calories. I’m sure I read that some place.

Does it get you too? Is there another smell in town that has the same impact? Let me know.

LUCKY SEVEN: If there was ever any doubt that seven was a lucky number, look no further than the Tennessee lottery.

The first week in April, the same combination of numbers paid off big in the Cash 3 drawing for three straight days.

According to the Nashville Tennessean, Thursday April 3, the winning Cash 3 number at midday was 0-7-7. On Friday April 4, the winning midday number was 7-0-7. And on April 5’s Saturday evening drawing, the winning number was 0-7-7 again.

The odds of that happening are less than 1 in 10,000 or the exact equivalent of the odds of me being a contestant on “Dancing with the Stars.”

HEAR THIS ONE: Did you hear they have given Sen. John McCain’s campaign tour a new name? The Antique Road Show.

I wish I could take credit for that one. Late night talk show host Jay Leno took a shot at the 71-year-old Republican presidential-nominee-to-be earlier this week.

If elected and he lasts a full term, McCain would be the oldest man to serve in the White House.

Barrack Obama won the Alabama Democratic primary earlier this year and speculation is that he did so for one reason only. When his last name appeared on the ballot many residents thought they had just left of the ‘G’ on GOBAMA.

It makes you think.

Have you hear a good one? Post it here.