“The Skinny on Boys High School Hoops”

Last week I wrote about the ladies high school hoops scene so this week it is the boy’s turn. This is quickly shaping up to be another outstanding season for high school boys in the county as several are off to excellent starts and the rest are also off to good starts. At the writing of this column all five teams have winning records.

The top of the heap, at least at this point, has to go to the Marianna Bulldogs and the Malone Tigers. The Bulldogs are off to an 9-1 start and look like they can make another run towards Lakeland. They’ve got three big guys like Kruize Pinkins, Kendall Leeks and Tommy Stephens that can control the game down low. And with outside players like R.J. Bowers, Tre Long and Tre Jackson the Bulldogs are solid.

Malone, off to a 10-2 start returns T.J. Smith as one of the top scorers around the Big Bend. And he’s got a supporting cast that makes these Tigers dangerous. Ladarius McElroy, Marcus Leonard, Chai and Ty Baker are just a few of the cast members that make this another classic Tiger team. They’re cat quick, love to shoot the long ball and play pressure D.

Right behind these two squads come the Sneads Pirates and the Cottondale Hornets.

The Pirates are off to a 7-4 start and seem to be coming together just fine. They don’t have the one go to guy like some squads, but they have several players that on any given night that can take the helm. Terrence Green, Jamar White and Jeff Bell have been leading the squad in scoring. But players like Will Holmes, Jeff Davis and Josh Rogers can score as well.

Cottondale, like Malone and Graceville, has a prolific scorer that can light up the scoreboard. Marcus Humose is averaging over 20 points a game and can score from anywhere on the floor. He has a solid group around him as well as big men Drew Bellamy and Cody Saye patrol the lane. The Hornets, 6-4 on the season, have a bevy of talent on the perimeter in Dominique Webb, Juwon Johnson, Tristin White, Darien and Darius Pollock.

The Graceville Tigers are last but certainly not least. They are off to a 4-3 start but don’t let that fool you. They’ve got a kid that can score as well as anybody in North Florida. Cameron Dozier can fog it from the outside or take it to the hoop. He can square up, shoot off balance or weave his way to the basket. He’s had three straight games of 30 plus points. The cast around him is young and inexperienced. But Craig Myrick and Jamal Miller can score as well and Leander Ford is the big man inside.

Simply Put, buckle up it’s time for Jackson County Basketball.



From the front porch: Coach said average is as close to the bottom as it is the top.

“The Skinny on Girls High School Hoops”

Each year about this time I write a column or two about the local high school hoops scene. You might call it the “State of the County Hoops Address.” Being a gentlemen, I’ll let the ladies go first.

Of the five varsity girl’s teams in the county, one stands head and shoulders above the others. That one would be the Graceville Lady Tigers. As of this past Monday the Lady Tigers are 10-0 under Head Coach John Haboli and look like they picked up right where they left off last year (making it all the way to the Regional Finals before falling to FAMU High). Mychea Williams seems to be the lead scorer but Wynterra Pittman, Tiara Sorey, and Jessica McClendon can all score as well. Brittany Flournoy drives the machine as the primary ball handler.

Not far behind Graceville would have to be the Marianna Lady Bulldogs. Head Coach Chuck Brown has resurrected the Lady Bulldogs program and led the team to the Regional Finals last year. This year’s squad is led in scoring by Sharae Williams. Several other key Lady Bulldogs include Shamiqua Davies, Christina, Tia Bass, Ravin Borders and Temperance Wooden.

Without question the most improved team on the year would have to be the Sneads Lady Pirates. First year Head Coach Tyrone Livingston has infused a new enthusiasm in the program and it shows both on and off the court. It doesn’t hurt either that Sneads has got some ladies that can shoot the hoops. They are led by the trio of LaTilya Baker, Shan Gillette and Jonie Bonine. Down low Meagan Smith patrols the lane and out front Bridgett Dawson runs the floor show.

That leaves two schools and both of them also have new coaches. The Malone Lady Tigers have Kendall and Marcy Murdock as their new coaches, both of whom played for the Lady Tigers. Malone has some good ball players but they are also very young. Vanessa Olds, Venisha Hearns, Shakira Smith and Autumn Speigner have been doing most of the scoring. Tessa Shack has played well and Malone has arguably the best young player in the county in 8th grader Courteanna “Mee Maw” Brelove.

The Cottondale Lady Hornets have a new coach, but a familiar face. Randi Scurlock was a standout athlete at Cottondale a couple of years ago and has returned to her alma mater. Cottondale has been one of the top programs around for the past few years, including several trips to Lakeland for the Final Four. But this would be labeled as a rebuilding year as they have a freshman and sophomore in their starting lineup. They have some experience though in Jakia Grimsley who can score from anywhere. Khadejah Ward and Kieysha Paul handle the ball and can score as well. Syrinna Pope plays down low under the boards.

Simply Put, it should be another fun year of girls high school hoops.

From the front porch: Coach said humbleness is not thinking less of yourself but rather is thinking of yourself less.

“Advice For Retirement”

Dear Clint: I didn’t think Dear Abby would understand so I am hoping as a sports man you can help me out. After 34 years of pouring my heart and soul into my job, my supervisors basically offered me an early retirement plan. I was hoping to hang on for another year and feel like after all I’ve done in my job (coaching 34 years at one college) that I deserved to retire on my own terms, not on someone else’s terms. Fortunately I have my faith and my family to rely on, but I must confess I am struggling with how this all ended. Got any advice? Signed “Put Out To Pasture Too Early” in Tallahassee

Dear “Put Out to Pasture Too Early in Tallahassee” - Rest assured that you are not the first person, nor will you be the last person, to be nudged out the door before you feel you are ready. There are many other long time employees, in a variety of professions, who feel like they were shown the door while they were still capable of contributing. You mentioned your faith so here is my advice (gathered from the good book.

Do not be bitter or filled with resentment (Ephesians 4:31). Too often folks who feel they’ve been nudged out the door too early, or at least in their opinion too early, become bitter. They are resentful towards their former employer, who they perceive having wronged them. They spend their remaining years complaining to everyone they encounter about how they were done wrong. So rise above the temptation to sling mud at others. Remember that bitterness and true faith can not dwell in the same house.

Be thankful (1st Chronicles 16:34). You’ve had a long and successful career so don’t sit around having a poor pitiful me party. Not many coaches can say they coached at one place for 34 years, climbed the mountains you climbed, had the relationships that you had and the impact you had on thousands of folks.

Be humble and gracious (Matthew 23:12). There is nothing more appealing than humbleness and nothing more appalling than arrogance.

Be active and serve (Psalms 100:2). You’ve been quoted as saying there is only one big event after retirement (death) and you’re not looking forward to that. Don’t sit around waiting to die. Remember that we never retire from our faith. Use your God given gifts to do things you enjoy while at the same time serving God and others.

Remember your purpose in life (Isaiah 43:7). Our faith teaches us that God created us for his glory. There is no glory in bitterness or feeling sorry for yourself. But by being thankful, humble, gracious and serving God you will fulfill your purpose in life and Simply Put, what more could a man want.



From the front porch: Uncle Bob took the Florida State loss to Florida like a man, he blamed it on his wife.

“The End of An Era”

Unless you’ve been hibernating in a cave you’ve heard by now that FSU Head Football Coach Bobby Bowden has announced his retirement. I wrote a column a few weeks back about the subject, saying in essence that he should be allowed to coach another year if he wants to, but that I was not convinced that it would be the best thing for the program.

Supposedly Bowden was recently offered two choices for next year, (1) remain in an “ambassador type” role or (2) retire. I suspect he viewed option one as an insult so he choose option two. I also suspect that this whole situation did not play out like Bowden wanted it to, that is going out on top or at least after a real good year so that he could feel like the program was back to where it used to be. He probably wanted to be like his counterpart Joe Paterno at Penn State and prove that he could right the ship. He kept hoping for that one good last run, but it never came.

He has won 388 games, second most in the history of college football. He has won two national championships and will have coached in 28 straight bowl games. For 14 straight seasons, 1987 – 2000, they finished in the AP Top Five and won 10 or more games each year. They only lost 19 games in all 14 years.

It’s been said that the only thing more difficult than getting to the top is staying at the top. In the last nine years they have won 10 games once. They’ve lost five or more games five out of those nine years. In the last four seasons they’ve had 6 losses three times and lost a total of 22 games. Last year things seemed to improve (9-4) and the Seminole nation, including Bowden, felt like we were on the verge of righting the ship. But they finished this regular season 6-6 and need a bowl game victory to avoid a losing season.

Nobody in the Seminole Nation wanted it to end this way. Everyone would have loved it if Bowden could have gone out on top or with the program on the rebound. If anybody ever deserved to go out on top it would be Bowden. And not for just what he has done on the field, but what he has done off the field as well. But life doesn’t always work out that way. We all know, painfully, sometimes life just isn’t fair.

So after 34 years of having Bobby Bowden as our Head Coach he is retiring. Simply Put, it’s been my privilege and honor as a fan to be a part of the Bobby Bowden era, from beginning to end. We likely will never see another era like this again in college football. Tune in next week as I’ll give Bowden some unsolicited advice on his departure.
From the front porch: Coach said life is what it is, not what it was.

“Holidays Can Be Hard”

This edition of the Times will come out on turkey day, i.e. Thanksgiving Day. That also means that Christmas is not too far away either. So like most families, our family will be gathering to celebrate the holidays.

This past Sunday night our pastor shared with us that one of our members had asked him to keep her in his prayers during the holidays. You see this Thanksgiving would be her first without her husband who has past away. Our pastor encourgaged us to do two things. One, keep folks like this lady, and many others that have lost loved ones, in our prayers.

So often folks get so busy with the holidays, with all the cooking and running around, that it is easy to forget that there are many around us that are hurting during these times. When you turn on the TV, pick up the newspaper or turn on the radio you are bombarded with images, sounds and stories of folks gathering around their families, eating, laughing and having a good time.

But those of us that have lost close loved ones know that after that loss the holidays are never quite the same. The first holiday season after we’ve lost that loved one is downright dreadful. It brings back to the surface all the grief that we have tried to move past. After that first holiday season the next few are only a little better. The emotions are still pretty close to the surface. Hopefully as times goes by you no longer dread the holidays but can actually enjoy them with your remaining loved ones. But again, the holiday season will never quite be the same for you.

The second thing our pastor encouraged us to do during the holidays was make sure that we tell those folks about our loved one that is not with us anymore. In doing so, we can keep their memory alive and ease the pain just a little bit.

This will be the 28th holiday season without my father being present. It will be the 23rd holiday season without my brother in-law. Our families are well past the grieving phase so it’s not so much that it is painful or dreadful anymore. We can and do enjoy the holiday season. It’s just that each time we gather there remains a void that can never be filled.

Over the years, especially during the holidays, I have tried diligently to tell my kids about their grandfather and uncle, both of which they never knew. So I encourage everyone to follow our pastor’s advice for this holiday season. Simply Put, keep those folks that are hurting in your prayers and tell someone about your loved one (s) that have passed away.



From the front porch: Coach said change is difficult but often essential to survival.

“It just Ain’t Right”

Last Saturday the Sneads Lady Pirates volleyball squad was ousted from the FHSAA Regional Finals for the second straight year by Maclay. After the match Sneads Head Coach Shelia Roberts voiced her frustration with public schools having to play private schools in the playoffs. (See related article on this page).
I’ve used this column previously to express my agreement with Coach Robert’s opinion. It is an opinion that is greatly shared by numerous public school coaches and administrators. My previous columns about this matter have laid out some of the advantages that private schools have over public schools so I won’t take up space repeating those advantages. Instead I’ll lay out some numbers that will demonstrate the stranglehold the private schools have on the lower classification playoffs (there are no large classification private schools) and how it directly impacts our Jackson County high schools.

For the 2009 volleyball playoffs in classes 1A, 2A & 3A Sneads was the only public school out of 24 teams in the Final 8 teams for all three respective classifications. The 2008 volleyball playoffs were exactly the same. All three State Champions for both years were from private schools. Think volleyball is unique? Wrong.

In the 2008 football playoffs for class 1B 15 out of all 16 teams making the playoffs were private schools. Graceville was the only public school. In classes 1A, 2B & 2A 7 out of 12 of the final four teams were private schools. All state champions for the four lower classifications were private schools.

In the 2008 boy’s basketball playoffs 10 out of final 12 teams in classes 1A, 2A, & 3A were private schools. Marianna was one of only two public schools to make it to Lakeland. All three state champs were from private schools. The numbers are exactly the same for the girls. Cottondale was only one of two public schools to make it to Lakeland and again all three state champs were from private schools.

Think baseball and softball are any better? Wrong again. Malone was the last remaining public school in the final 8 teams of the Class 1A 2008 baseball playoffs. Class 2A actually had two public schools make it to the final four but Class 3A was all private. All three state champs came from private schools. In softball Graceville was the last remaining public school team in the final 8 in Class 1A. In the lower three classes only 5 out of 24 teams were from public schools and the private schools claimed all three state championships.

So out of 19 2008 state championships in the above sports and classifications, there was not a single state champion that came from a public school. A check of the years prior to 2008 reveals very similar numbers. Like Coach Roberts said, Simply Put, that’s not right and it ought to be fixed.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob’s son in law said that if he just had some humility he’d be perfect.

“Ole Roy Gets a FACELIFT”

Last Thursday night several hundred folks gathered in Malone for the ribbon cutting ceremony and grand opening of the renovations made to the Roy B. Beall Sr. Gymnasium. (See related article “ Malone Gym Undergoes Renovation” on page 3 of sports)

It’s no great secret that I am not from Malone but that I am from Marianna. Those two schools have been arch rivals on the basketball court since the two schools began playing in the 1920s. If the walls of the Roy B. Beall Sr. Gym could talk they could tell us some exciting tales about great games in Malone between the two schools.

Malone’s gym has been legendary in regards to being a tough place to play. Most Malone fans don’t care for the nickname given to the gym by other schools. But “The Cracker Box” is notorious for being a place to play that opposing teams dread. That has been even truer in the later years when the 3 point line came into effect. The opposing teams knew that if Malone got hot from the outside you could hang it up. And get hot they often did. No doubt that the Roy B. Beall Sr. Gym played a part in Malone’s tradition and winning 13 boys state championships (second most in the state) as well as the girls run to a state title and being state runner-up five times.

Malone’s current gym was built in 1949 and named after Mr. Beall in 1976. Many of the other county schools also had gyms built in the late 40’s and early 50’s. Over the years however those other schools in the county began to replace their gyms. First there was Graceville when they built a new school in the late 70’s. Next was Sneads who built a new gym after a fire at the school forced some major renovations. The next new gym came at Grand Ridge. About five years ago Marianna got a new ‘Dog House when the new school was built out on the Caverns Highway.

That left only Cottondale and Malone with the older gyms. Cottondale’s gym underwent renovations a couple of years ago similar to that of Malone’s recent renovations. In addition to cosmetic renovations, both gyms have now been brought into the 21st century with the installation of heating and cooling systems.

I know that some folks had hoped Cottondale and Malone would get new gyms. But I for one am glad to see the renovations rather than new buildings. The old gyms have so many memories and so much more character. I just hate to see the old gyms, like the old ‘Dog House, put out to pasture. And from all appearances last Thursday night the fans, former players and coaches all enjoyed seeing the facelift for the “house that Roy built.” Simply Put, I think Ole Roy would have been proud.

From the front porch: Coach said that he’s noticed a turtle only makes progress when it sticks out its neck.

“Fascination ”

“ This past Saturday evening I took in a couple of the festivals put on by two local churches as alternatives to traditional Halloween festivities. Both festivals were well attended and once again reminded me that the volunteer spirit is alive and well in our local community. These events don’t just accidently happen. A ton of planning and preparation goes into putting on a successful event.

For all the enjoyment that everyone seemed to derive from these events, two moments stood out in my mind. At First Baptist Church’s Hallow Him Festival a big crowd was on hand and enjoyed entertainment, numerous activities, boiled peanuts, hot dogs, popcorn and cotton candy. Also there was a life flight helicopter from Sacred Heart Hospital. Visitors were invited to see the helicopter up close and learn more about the mission of the life flight helicopters.

The main attraction seemed to have occurred though when the helicopter made its departure. Most of the other activities came to a stop and hundreds of folks gathered to watch the helicopter take off. It began with the slow revving up of the chopper blades. As the blades gradually increased in speed, the wind likewise began to pick up. It culminated when the pilots went to full throttle for lift off. Folks had to hang on to their hats and everything else to keep them from blowing away. As the helicopter lifted off the ground it made a full rotation so that all could get a glimpse of the pilots in action. The crowd, young and old a like, gave a round of applause to express their delight. And then the chopper went up, up and away, kind of like Superman.

After leaving First Baptist I journeyed to Citizen’s Lodge Park where Evangel Worship Center was hosting a Halleluiah Festival. A large crowd was on hand for this festival as well, and likewise were treated to a host of activities, food, fun and entertainment. The evening culminated with a fireworks show over the pond at the park.

Like the helicopter’s departure, the fireworks show had young and old alike watching with delight. Folks gazed into the cool clear fall evening to watch round after round of fireworks light up the sky. And as usual there was a thundering finale that had the crowd cheering. And when the last firework was gone, the crowd gave a round of applause to express their enjoyment.

This certainly was not the first time I had watched a helicopter take off or watch a fireworks show. But as I watched the crowds that evening it struck me that no matter our age, most of us are still fascinated by flight and by fireworks. Fascination is one of the little pleasures in life and Simply Put, I hope we never lose that fascination.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said it is a fine line between being warmed up and worn out.

“The Rivalry Thrives”

The Marianna vs Chipley football rivalry added another log to the fire (reference last week’s Simply Put) this past Friday night as the Tigers pulled off an exciting 49-42 victory over the Bulldogs. The game didn’t say much for either teams defense but the offensive fireworks made this a game that will be remembered along with the many great games in this long time rivalry.

As I noted last week a check of the record book reveals that the only team that Marianna has played more than Chipley is Walton. By the way I compiled that record book after realizing years ago that there is not one central record book that contains all the records for the past Bulldog football squads. That record book was compiled from old yearbooks and old newspaper articles that I painstakingly researched on microfilm. It should also be noted that my “record book” is missing most records from 1926-1936 because I have been unable to locate much or any information about those years. All that said, here is what we do know. Marianna played Walton and Chipley during the Bulldog’s first season in 1925. The Bulldogs tied Walton 6-6 and beat Chipley 13-0. And so the rivalries were born. Counting 1925 and since 1936 Marianna has played Walton 73 times, winning 43 and losing 25. There have been three ties (back before the tie breaker system was implemented) and there are two games (1937 & 1938) in which I know they played but do not know the outcome. Since 1936 there has only been five season (1980, 81, 82, 95, 96) in which Marianna did not play Walton.

Counting 1925 and since 1936 the Bulldogs have now squared off against Chipley 67 times. Since 1936 there has only been seven season (1937, 42, 43, 69, 75, 76, 79) in which we did not play Chipley. If you think the Chipley rivalry has been close you would be right on target. Going into this past Friday nights game both teams had won 31 apiece and there had been four ties. So after this past Friday night Chipley now has a 32-31 edge on the Bulldogs.

And that is what makes great rivalries, close games and each side winning their fair share. If you’ve ever noticed, it’s not much of a rivalry if your team wins all the time. Some will recall that a few Chipley folks were downplaying the rivalry during the late 80’s and early 90’s. That’s because Chipley won 9 straight games before the Bulldogs broke the drought with a 29-20 win in 1995. After four straight Bulldog wins from 1997-2000 it was once again a big game to the Tiger fans.

So this past Friday night’s was another great game in this age old rivalry. And even though the ‘Dogs were on the losing side, the game was one for the record books. Simply Put, the rivalry is alive and well.

From the front porch: Coach said to learn from yesterday, live for today and hope for tomorrow.

“Put Another Log on the Fire”

This Friday night the Marianna Bulldogs play host to the Chipley Tigers. This game has always been Marianna’s biggest rivalry on the grid iron. In fact the two squads hooked up in 1925 in Marianna’s first football season and have played almost every year since. A check in the record book reveals the only team that Marianna has played more is Walton County.

Throw into this year’s game that it’s homecoming, and Chipley is now in Marianna’s district again. A win by the Bulldogs puts them into the playoffs. And oh yeah there is one more twist that will make this year’s game even more interesting. Chipley’s current Head Football Coach was Marianna’s Head Football Coach for the last two seasons.

Rob Armstrong came to Marianna for the 2007 football season. For two years he put a solid team out on the field that made the playoffs as the district runner up. Last year’s squad won 8 regular season games, the most by a Bulldog squad since the 2000 season. But after two seasons he departed this past summer and took the job at Chipley.

Another check of the record books reveals no previous Marianna Head Football coach that left to take the same job at Chipley. In fact I don’t know of any Marianna Head Football Coach that has ever been a Head Football Coach at Chipley. So Armstrong’s departure to Chipley, and return to Marianna this Friday night, is history in the making.

I’ll be the first to admit that I was not close enough to the situation to know exactly why Armstrong left Marianna for Chipley. I do know that he was close to Marianna’s Principal Randy Ward, who hired Armstrong in 2007. The two had coached together at Graceville years ago and both liked each other. With a new superintendent of schools there were some shuffling of principals and Ward was one of those principals. He was transferred to Grand Ridge.

Like most folks I suspect I have heard some of the other reasons he might of left. But I don’t know what is factual or not. I’ve never asked Armstrong and don’t plan to, ‘cause I figure it ain’t any of my business.

What I do know is that it is going to be very interesting this Friday night. As far as I know, both Armstrong and the current Bulldog coaches and players have nothing but mutual admiration for each other. But while neither side would publically admit it, rest assured both want to beat the other awfully bad. Not out of disrespect or dislike, but rather out of respect. So an already intense rivalry, Simply Put, just got another log put on the fire.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob says he is not a brick shy of a load, as some have claimed. He does admit however that the load has shifted a bit.

“Head Coach In Waiting, Part II”

I continue this week with more thoughts on the situation at Florida State with Head Coach Bobby Bowden and Head Coach in waiting Jimbo Fisher. As I said last week I didn’t like the Head Coach in waiting idea in 2007 when Bowden, Fisher and FSU all agreed to the concept. And I don’t like it any better these days.

Bowden has made two statements recently that are dead on the money. Last week he said that winning would take care of everything. Before Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech Bowden told the players that it is not about him but it is about the team. I agree with him 100%.

The problem is they lost again and are off to their worst start (2-4) since Bowden’s first year at FSU (1976). They are 0-3 in ACC for the first time since joining the conference. Clearly something is not working. The team or program doesn’t appear to be heading in the right direction.

After some public officials said Bowden should call it quits after this season, FSU has reiterated that Bowden can coach through 2010 if he so chooses. However they are also rewording Fisher’s contract at the end of this season to give him sole authority for hiring and firing assistant coaches. While winning will take care of everything, losing doesn’t take care of anything. Rumors of coaches not getting along and dividing into factions are swirling. While none of us know for sure just how accurate these rumors are, it would be no surprise if there is some truth to the rumors. Finger pointing is not uncommon when you are 2-4 and 0-3 in conference play.

So what is going to happen at the end of the season? Bowden will decide if he wants to coach another year. And Fisher will begin assembling the assistant coaches for next season, which includes replacing out going longtime defensive coordinator Mickey Andrews.

I am a big time admirer of Bowden, both on and off the field. He ranks in the top three all time college football coaches in my book. He has certainly earned the right to coach another year if he so chooses. But I would hope that Bowden would truly be honest with himself in answering two questions. Will his staying for one more year make FSU a better football team and better football program? And will it help in the transition from the Bowden era to the Fisher era. Because, as Bobby said it so well, this should not be about what is best for Bobby Bowden, but rather what is best for the FSU football team and program. And as much as it pains me to say it, I am not convinced his staying will make them a better team or help in the coaching transition. If he decides to stay I hope I am wrong. But either way, Simply Put, Go ‘Noles.

From the front porch: Coach said that we are motivated by our goals and paralyzed by our fears.

“Head Coach In Waiting”

Over the past three years in writing this column I have written several times regarding the Florida State Seminoles football team and coach. In fact I just wrote one a couple of weeks ago titled “It Ain’t Hard To Be Humble” when you’re a Seminole fan. The following week the Noles soundly beat BYU and appeared to be righting the ship. Well the last two weeks have been a return to the land of the humble.
In fact things have digressed to the point that some public officials associated with the school are now calling for Bobby Bowden to announce that he will retire at the end of the season. And if he chooses not to retire, the call is for the school to make the change themselves. Let the feeding frenzy begin.

I’ve been reading some of the blogs related to the story and there appears to be a consensus among the bloggers. Most say that they are huge Bobby Bowden fans and appreciate all that he has done for FSU football. But most are also saying that the time has come to end the Bowden era. Bowden for his part has said that he will not respond to the comments made by these public officials. In the video footage I saw he appears defiant, and even uncharacteristically disrespectful to a female reporter when he commented “that sounds just like a female.”

But there is another sentiment that is voiced by many of the bloggers in which I whole heartedly agree. It should not have come to this, i.e. folks publically calling for Bowden to call it quits. Surely there could and should have been a better way for all this to unfold. And I don’t think the worst has yet to come. If FSU can’t start playing better on the field, which is very possible, the calls for his ouster will only intensify. This thing could get really ugly.

Two years ago some were calling for his ouster and the promoting of Jimbo Fisher to head coach. I wrote that I felt Bowden should have more time to right the ship. I wanted to believe that he could turn things around. He had done it before. Then FSU did this “head coach in waiting” deal with Jimbo Fisher. I didn’t like it then and I don’t like it now. And I don’t think it has worked. There must be one head coach, and it should have been either Bowden or Fisher. As the old saying goes, you can only serve one master. Well a football team can only serve one head coach, not two. Simply Put, this “head coach in waiting” is for the birds.

So what to do now? Tune in next week for my idea on what should be done.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said the peak years of mental activity are between the ages of 4 & 18. At 4 they know all the questions and at 18 they know all the answers.

“Finally, A reprieve”

I don’t know about you folks, but I for one am glad to see some cooler weather arrive. The past couple of days have been a welcomed relief for the heat and humidity that seems to have gripped us for the past month. I know that we had some hot days this past summer but the humidity in the past couple of weeks has been almost unbearable.
This past weekend appeared to be the apex of humidity. At Friday night’s football game at Marianna (vs. Walton County) I saw more players cramping than I have in a long time. The heat itself wasn’t so bad but the humidity left both teams, especially the defenses, out of gas by the second half. Basically neither team’s defense could stop the other team’s offense. And to adding insult to injury, the game went into overtime (at least Marianna won).

I took in the festivities both Friday and Saturday at the Marianna Day Festival. The poor folks wearing all the uniforms and other garments from the 1860’s era had to be downright miserable. Just imagine wearing wool uniforms or petticoats and southern belle dresses on a hot muggy September afternoon. And while the overall festival appeared to go really well and had a good turnout for the first year, the heat and humidity didn’t make for a relaxing outdoor experience.

I got home Saturday night and caught the weather report and low and behold I heard those magic words. Cooler and dryer air is on the way. I began to take notice of the change as early as Sunday night and by Tuesday and Wednesday the fall weather was in full force. And I know that this won’t last, as warmer weather is already on its way back. But maybe at least we’ve seen the last of the heavy duty humidity for another year.

I was talking with Stephanie Parker’s folks on Saturday at the festival. They are down from Illinois for a visit. When I asked how they were enjoying the visit they replied that they were having a great time and were even getting used to the humidity. I chuckled when I replied that I have lived here all my life and I’ve never gotten used to the humidity. But Simply Put, we finally have gotten a reprieve. Here’s to hoping we’ve bid farewell to the humidity until next summer.

From the front porch: Coach said there is no dollar sign for peace of mind

“Marianna Day”

“This weekend brings the first edition of Marianna Day, a weekend of fun and festivities for the whole family. For a full run down of what will be taking place and when, see the ad on page B4.

The entire festival is centered around the Battle of Marianna, the historic event that took place during the War Between The States (or Civil War as most call it) on September 27, 1864. I learned to call the war “The War Between The States” from longtime history teacher at Marianna High School, William Grant. I know that I am not alone when I say that Mr. Grant, who is now deceased, single handly instilled in me, like he did so many students over his lengthy teaching career, a life long love of our local history. And that certainly includes the Battle of Marianna.

When the festival, along with the parades and battle re-enactments were first announced, the reaction was mixed if you read some of the blogs on the local media outlets. Some folks welcomed the idea and concept. Others didn’t. Some said it would be good for tourism, others liked the history aspect with a re-enactment on the actual battle site (first time ever). Others, like myself, were thrilled that it would all culminate with a bluegrass festival at Citizen’s Lodge Park. But there are some in our community that have not really warmed up to the festival. Based on some blogs that I have read, some folks don’t share the enthusiasm for all the festivities. I take from their blogs that they see nothing honorable about fighting and dying for the cause of slavery and they feel that festivals of this nature do just that. And the site of all those Confederate Battle Flags is a bit much for them.

My column is not long enough to articulate all my thoughts about the War Between the States. But I’ll say this about the Battle Flag. It is a part of our history and as such should be displayed in a historical context. The problem is that there have been many of my own race that have used the flag as a symbol of hatred and violence. And I think if the brave men who fought to save this town from destruction saw how some folks, like the skin heads, Neo-Nazis and the KKK have used the battle flag, they would turn over in their graves.

So the battle is part of our history and I hope folks will turn out to enjoy a couple of days of good history lessons. I suspect that the Mr. Grant would have thoroughly enjoyed it. And besides all that, the festival concludes with a bluegrass festival on Saturday. Simply Put, for me it don’t get no better than good history and good pickin’ and grinnin’. See y’all at the festival.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said a lot of trouble in the world is caused by combining a narrow mind and a wide mouth.

"It Aint’ Hard To Be Humble"

In writing this column I’ve never tried to hide the fact that I am a FSU football fan. I was raised as a Seminole football fan and plan to be one until my time on earth is done. I must admit that I’ve gone through times in my life when I was more than just a fan. You might say I was a bit overzealous about Seminole football. I credit that overzealous passion to arising from the days when they weren’t very good, in fact they were downright bad, and for $5 you could sit anywhere in the stadium you wanted.
But then came Bobby Bowden and the program began moving in the right direction. The program went from a nobody to a somebody. With each passing year of progress, my zealousness for Seminole football grew. Throw in a few good rivalries with Florida and Miami and you had the makings of some intense passion for Seminole football.
Then came "Wide Right", the infamous failed field goal attempt in 1991 that cost us a win against Miami and possibly a national championship. I was at that game and must confess the loss was too much to bear. I went into a state of despair after the loss and did not come out for three days. When I finally emerged from my tailspin, it occurred to me that I might be taking this football stuff a little too seriously. So I tried to back off the throttle so to speak and not get so worked up.
During the past few seasons it has been easier not to get so worked up about Seminole football. The Seminoles just have not been the same team they used to be. Last year was better, but still not like the good ole days. Each year I’ve hoped for a return to the glory days, only to be disappointed. But by not getting my hopes up too high, it softened the fall.
So there I found myself Labor Day evening, watching another classic Miami vs FSU game. It reminded me of the old days and both teams seemed to be playing like they used to play. It went right down to the final seconds, all the while I’m telling myself to not get my hopes up to high. You know, it softens my fall if my hopes aren’t too high. I wasn’t doing real well with that though and sure enough, FSU came out on the short end of the stick. I didn’t figure to rest well so I grabbed a book, read a few minutes and drifted off to sleep. But before I went to sleep I thought, oh well, it least it wasn’t wide right. And my final thought that night was, Simply Put, it ain’t hard to be humble when you’re a Seminole.
From the front porch: Coach said freedom is not worth having if it does not include the freedom to make mistakes.

“Clemente”

Several weeks ago I wrote a column about a book I had read about one of my child hood heroes, Pistol Pete Maravich. As soon as I finished that book I picked up another book about another sport hero from that same era. At the risk of turning my column into a book review, I have to write about the book that I just finished titled Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero by David Maraniss. The book caught my eye in the book store because I was a young boy during his heyday with the Pittsburh Pirates. Clemente also had a connection with Nicaragua, the homeland of my wife, and we had just traveled there back in the spring (yes I know that I wrote about that too).
For those that might not remember him or know who he was, Clemente was arguably the best right fielder to ever play the game of Major League Baseball. He won 12 straight Golden Glove Awards, four National League batting titles, was a 10 time selection to the All Star team, was National League MVP in 1966 and World Series MVP in 1971.
I can’t say that I idolized Clemente as a childhood hero. He played baseball and to be honest most of my sports heroes were football and basketball players. I followed the game of baseball though, as an Atlanta Braves fan (Rico Carty, Felipe Alou and Hank Aaron) and knew enough to realize that Clemente was a special athlete.
The book, which is well written, highlights some aspects of Clemente’s life that I was unfamiliar with. Aspects such as his temper, his disdain for most sportswriters who he felt portrayed him as a hypochondriac, his overwhelming pride in his homeland of Puerto Rico and his battle to end unfair treatment of minorities in pro baseball. Clemente was a black Puerto Rican, so in his mind he got a double dose of discrimination.
But the book also details his humanitarian efforts and his kindness to many a child who looked up to him. That humanitarian side of him is what eventually led to his death. He had coached the Puerto Rican All Star teams in the International leagues several times when they journey to Nicaragua. He developed a fondness for the people of that country and in 1972 was dismayed at the devastation caused by the massive earthquake in the capital city of Managua. He organized plane loads of relief for the country and was tragically killed in a plane crash en route to Nicaragua on New Year’s Eve, 1972.
Clemente had a saying, “if you have a chance to make a difference in someone’s life and you don’t, you’ve wasted your time on earth”. Simply Put, he didn’t waste his time and we shouldn’t either.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, you can bet their water bill is higher.

“Tough Times For JV Football”

I wrote a column two years ago about this time of year regarding the Cottondale Hornet’s football program not having a middle school football team that season. The good news is that the Hornet’s middle school football program returned last year and once again they will field a team this season.
The bad news for football programs in the county though is that three of the four football programs in the county will not put a junior varsity team on the field this season. Cottondale has not had a JV football team for several years now, and that is one of the things I lamented on two years ago with the cancellation of the middle school team for that season. It meant that for some kids they would not begin organized football in a school setting until the 9th grade. And then that organized football in a school setting would be as a 9th grader on the varsity.
Joining Cottondale this year with no junior varsity teams are Graceville and Sneads. In talking with all three Head Coaches at these schools, they are the first ones to tell you that they would much prefer to be able to field a JV football team. And they would be the first ones to sell you on the importance of a JV team to their overall football program.
So what is the problem? It’s a numbers game. Or to put it another way, they do not have enough players to adequately field a team. And that’s a shame. Ninth and tenth grade kids at Cottondale, Sneads and Graceville now must play at the varsity level. And while you might occasionally have a ninth or tenth grader ready to play at the varsity level, by and large most are not.
For those that are not ready for play at that level, it can’t be much fun. Just imagine, you get beat up all week long in practice by the older players and then for the most part are a benchwarmer on Friday nights. Unless they have a tremendous desire to play football, it won’t take long for some of those young players to hang up their cleats and call it quits. And even if they stick with it, they are not getting playing time like they would at the JV level. So their skills and talents are not being developed as they should.
The end result is that this can not be good for football in our county. Hopefully things will make a turn for the better next year. Until then, Simply Put, these are tough times for JV football.
From the front porch: Coach said if you don’t know where your going it doesn’t matter which road you take.

“Not Quite The End”

I had originally titled this column “The End”. It was to be the column that brought our summertime feature “Rollin’ Down The River” to an end as I had planned for this week’s feature to be about the end of the Chipola River. But mother nature and the Chipola River had other ideas, as I had gotten the cart before the horse so to speak.
I thought that where “The Cut” and the Chipola River meet (see Rollin’ Down The River) was the end of the Chipola River. It seemed to me that the Big River was overtaking the Little River and anything south would be considered either part of The Apalachicola River or possibly a new river, like Brothers River as I had heard. But as I paddled the area this past Saturday I conversed with a few of the locals, most of whom were enlightening their thoughts with their favorite malt beverages.
“Nope, that there is the Little River (local slang for Chipola River),” they replied when I asked if the river south of the cut was considered part of the Apalachicola or Brothers Rivers. Brothers River comes in further south and the 18 mile stretch from The Cut to The Big River (local slang for Apalachicola River) is considered to be the Chipola River.
Not that I didn’t trust their information, but I went back and watched the Dick Hinson video about his trip in 1986 with Sonny Anderson down the Chipola. The video has served as a trusted resource for my journeys down the river. Somehow I had not paid close attention to the final portion of the video because the locals were right on the money. The video confirmed that the Chipola indeed runs on south of The Cut before eventually meeting up with the Apalachicola.
What’s all this mean for Rollin’ Down The River? We are not through yet. We still have another section to paddle to complete the entire river, from start to finish. But I had mapped out my trips this summer to wrap up this week, as the onslaught of high school football and volleyball will fill our sports pages.
So I’ve made an executive decision. The “final run” is “on hold” until cooler weather. I’ll also give my buddy Chris Matthews a call to see if he’s up to a fall or winter overnight excursion. I suspect we’d have to do a little camping along the way and right now the heat and gnats are just too much to take. So Simply Put, we are not quite to the end. But stay tuned ‘cause we’re going to make it, just you wait and see.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he is getting to the point where he can’t stand people who are intolerant.

“Pistol”

A little while back I noticed a book on Judy Riley’s desk at The Times’ office. The book was about a sports hero of mine. Judy told me that it was an excellent book and that she would let me read it when she was through.
I got the book, “Pistol – The Life of Pete Maravich” by Mark Kriegel a few weeks ago. As I began to read the book I realized Judy was right when she said it’s the kind of book that when you start reading you don’t want to put it down. I think it would be great reading for anyone, but for those of us who grew up pretending to be “Pistol Pete” in our backyards it is even better reading.
I can remember watching Pistol Pete play on TV during his college days at LSU. The things he could do with a basketball inspired us kids to want to be like him. All of a sudden we were trying behind the back and between the leg passes to our buddies. When the passes occasionally happened to work, we would hoot and holler call ourselves Pistol Pete.
As the book details, his professional career was hampered by bad teams and bad knees. But he was still Pistol Pete, and he could still make all the fancy moves and shoot the lights out. But the book spends much more time detailing his relationship with his father.
In some respects, Pistol Pete and I had something in common. His dad, like my dad, played college basketball, went on to become a high school basketball coach and wore a flat top haircut. The similarities ended there though. Pete’s dad had an obsession with the game of basketball and passed that on to his son. My dad had a passion for the game of basketball and passed that on to his sons. Make no mistake, there is a big difference between an obsession and a passion.
But that obsession is what drove Pete’s dad. And it drove Pistol Pete to become one of the greatest to ever play the game. But by his own admission, Pistol Pete was never really satisfied with his performance. He had a hard time enjoying the game because his obsession always drove him to think he could have done better.
Some might say his sudden death at age 46 was tragic. But I think the final few chapters of the book, and his life, however brings everything into real focus. After never being satisfied with his performance and after trying everything under the sun to find happiness, Pistol Pete accepted Jesus as his Lord and savior. He finally found true happiness. He found purpose. He found a passion and not an obsession. And he spent his final days on this earth fulfilling that purpose and living out that passion. Simply Put, what a wonderful ending to the fantastic book and life of Pistol Pete.
From the front porch: Coach said laughter is the closet distance between two people.

“Southern Hospitality”

In this week’s Rollin’ Down The River feature I profile a recent kayak trip on the Chipola from the Highway 20 Bridge to Scott’s Ferry. Chris Matthews and I made this journey two weekends ago and as usual had talked several times during the week about the plans and details of the trip. One of my jobs was to bring Saturday night’s supper entrée. Now while I love to cook at the house, especially on the backporch grill, cooking on camp outs is usually stream line to the basics. So the Saturday night entrée was going to be hot dogs, the great American staple food for camp outs.
Well the hot dogs somehow got left in my refrigerator, along with the jelly for my peanut butter and jelly sandwhiches, the other great great American staple food for camp outs. But Chris had a back up plan as we would be roughing it at a cabin at Scott’s Ferry and there is a little store at the Ferry. The store has frozen pizza that they can bake up right there. So it appeared our supper plans were in order.
After we had arrived at Scott’s Ferry and unloaded all our gear in the cabin we saw a large crowd gathering at the large pavilion. One of our sources leaked some information to us that there was going to be a fish fry taking place at the pavilion. As Chris and I made our way up to the store to pay for the cabin, we concocted a plan to use our social skills to see if we might garner an invite to the fish fry. When walking by the pavilion we spoke to the “chief fish fryer”. There was some small talk about us being on a kayak trip down the Chipola and he did not bat an eye before he uttered the magical words “Want y’all come eat some fish with us tonight,” he said. It turns out the family was gathering to celebrate the 65th birthday of “Nanna.”
If that was not good enough fortune, when we got back to the cabin we struck up a conversation with our neighbor. He had been frog giggin’ the night before and had down right nicely. When asked where he was from he replied from Cottondale. Of course we advised him we were from Marianna and started trading names to see who we all knew. It came out that his wife worked at Jackson Hospital, which is where Chris’s wife Debra works. Turns out that they actually work together in the same department at the hospital. Our neighbors, Gary and Robbie Finch, had also gotten an invite to the Birthday celebration.
So that night, instead of hot dogs or frozen pizza, we dine on fried mullet, fried scallops, french fires, hushpuppies and baked beans. I ate so much fish and scallops that I could not eat any of the 7 layer chocolate cake for desert. When it was all done we wished Nanna happy birthday and thanked the head chef. Simply Put, there is nothing like living in the south and that good ole Southern Hospitality.
From the front porch: Coach said laughter is the closet distance between two people.

“Strike It While the Iron is Hot”

The Times has been running a Yesteryear feature for the past three weeks dealing with Catgut Canyon. And this week’s Yesteryear is also on Catgut Canyon, so that is four weeks in a row about this mystical place in Marianna. In the 1 ½ years we’ve been doing our Yesteryear features, none have stretched into a four week run. And while some of our readers may have wished we’d moved on from the canyon by now, there have been a lot of readers that have expressed their enjoyment in recalling this former childhood playground.
So many folks, in fact, have called, e-mailed or talked to me that I felt we should run another story again this week. Clearly these articles have brought back a lot of fond memories. And I am proud that our paper could be a part in so many trips down memory lane.
It’s not a great secret that my job as Sports Editor at The Times is just one of three jobs that I hold down. I have a full time job, two part time jobs and a family. And to be honest there are days and times when all the work begins to pile up and I wonder if I can continue to juggle three jobs and a family.
But along comes a story like Catgut Canyon. Even though I have basically lived in Marianna most of my life, I had never even heard of this place until a month ago. But Al Padgett called with the idea and the rest as they say is history. So even though juggling this job at The Times can be tough, when I can be a part of something that brings so much enjoyment to our community, it reminds me why I do this job. Sure the extra money helps, but the main reason that I’ve continued to persevere is that it allows me the privilege and chance to bring enjoyment to the community in which I was born, raised and now live and raise my family. Thanks you to all those folks that have expressed their enjoyment to me.
If you’ve watched football you know that sometimes the offense runs an off tackle play for big yardage. So the offense runs the play again, then again and yet again, figuring we’ll run the play until the defense stops us. Well Catgut Canyon is kind of like that. Folks have been enjoying it so much that I just figured we’d keep running it until the readers stop us.
So this may be the last week or it may not. You, the readers, will decide. If anyone else has anymore Catgut Canyon stories, let me know. Simply Put, we’ll strike it while the iron (Catgut Canyon) is hot.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said the man who complains about the way the ball bounces is probably the one who dropped it.

“Great Job Marianna”

For the past two weeks the City of Marianna has played host to three different state baseball tournaments at the MERE Complex / Optimist Park. These tournaments include the Dixie Youth Ozone (11 & 12 year olds), Dixie Jr. Boys (13 year olds) and Dixie Boys (14 year olds) state tournaments. Over the course of the past two weeks a total of 36 teams, comprised of 12 players on each team, from all over the state have made their way to our little corner of the world.

The economic impact this has on our little corner of the world can not be understated. I recognize that not all 36 teams stayed in Marianna as 6 teams were from Jackson County and several others were within easy driving distance. I would say though that ¾ of the teams did stay for at least a portion or all of their respective 5 day tournament. That’s staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, buying gasoline, site seeing and of course making the mandatory shopping trips to Wal-Mart to get the things that they forgot to bring. And even the teams that drove in from out of the county spent some of their hard earned cash eating at our restaurants and buying gasoline.

Last year the City of Marianna played host to the Dixie Girls World Series and I wrote a column about how well the event was organized and run. So I know I’ve said some of this before, but folks the reason that we can have these types of events in our small town, and reap the economic benefits, is because of the hard work of many local folks.

Chief among the locals is the City of Marianna Recreation Department. Clay Wells is the City Recreation Director and in my book has and is doing an outstanding job. The MERE / Optimist Park, as well as the other city parks, look great. His two trusty assistants are Jeff Faircloth and Jehron Clemmons. There may be others that I don’t know, but I do know that these three guys deserve a lot of credit. When you see them out and about, give them a pat on the back.

But the other thing that makes these tournaments so successful is the countless numbers of volunteers that have spent nearly two full weeks helping run these tournaments. Keeping scorebooks, pitching logs, doing public address, taking up tickets, running the hospitality room and working the concession stands are just a few of the things that non-paid volunteers do to keep the wheels of the tournaments running smoothly.

So to Clay Wells, the gang at the City Recreation Department and all the volunteers that have worked so hard these past two weeks, Simply Put, job well done. Now go kick back and relax somewhere. You’ve earned it.

From the Front Porch: Uncle Bob said it is true that all men are born free and equal, but some of them get married.

“rollindowntheriver.blogspot.com”

As we’ve been running our Rollin’ Down The River feature again this summer I continue to get a lot of positive comments from our readers about how much this featured is enjoyed. When I got to the office the other day there was a message to call one of our readers who thoroughly enjoys this feature and wanted to talk about it with me. I’m honored that you folks enjoy reading this feature as much as I enjoy doing the feature.
As I talk with folks about Rollin’ Down The River I am often asked if there is anywhere that the feature has been consolidated or compiled into one publication. My goal is to eventually put a DVD and maybe even a book with all the information and pictures. But in the meantime there has not been a central place to access all the articles and pictures that have been compiled so far.
Well, thanks to Stephanie Parker, Editor at the Jackson County Times, that has changed. Stephanie has put all her talent and skills into building a Rollin’ Down The River site on the internet. I got my first glance at it this week and I’m so excited about what she has put together for our readers and for that matter, anyone else who has an interest in the Chipola River.
So how do you access this site on the internet? There are two simple routes. One way is to type in rollindowntheriver.blogspot.com. The second way is to go to the newspaper’s website, jacksoncountytimesonline.com, and go to the sports section. There you will see a link title Rollin’ Down The River. Just click on that link and you will be in business.
The site has all the articles that have been written as well as a selection of pictures associated with the articles. So for those that have been waiting, the site is up and running. I must confess, I don’t know much about blogging. But I plan to brush up on it and I hope that you folks will tour the site. Once you’ve toured the site, blog me (which I think means give me your comments, suggestions, request, etc). There is a place on the site to do that and I would really enjoy reading your comments.
We plan to keep the site updated and I’ve even talked to Stephanie about having some sound effects (such as rippling waters or maybe a little background music, bluegrass of course, to add to your viewing and listening pleasure). So, Simply Put, fire up your computer and go Rollin’ Down The River.

From the front porch: Coach said most lessons are caught rather than taught.

“A Trip To Remember”

Two weeks ago I embarked on a two night / two day Chipola River canoe and camping adventure. I had hooked up with Chris Matthews, who is an avid paddler and outdoorsman. He, like many of us, have a passion for spending time on the Ole Chipola. I had hooked up with Chris because I haven’t traveled on the Chipola River much south of Johnny Boy’s Landing. So he served as my tour guide, and did an excellent job.
The adventure began with a Friday night rendezvous at Chris’s river property at Turtle Bend. After unloading our canoes and gear we spent the evening watching the river roll by on his riverside dock. We shared some good fellowship with Mike Hale, Greg and Madison Lambe, who came down for a few hours. A grilled steak and baked potato where on the menu and they were mighty fine. After supper, and with a big day ahead of us, our visitors departed and it was lights out at 9 pm.
Rising early the next morning, we dine on deer sausage and bacon before shoving off on our journey. The day was first warm, and then hot. But the Ole Chipola’s cool waters were the perfect remedy for chasing away the heat. Lunch was had at Tater Hill and we then continued our long day of paddling. We paddled 18 miles that first day and made camp at Lamb Eddy boat landing. A gentle breeze blew up our way, running off most of the mosquitoes and making for a nice evening of tent camping along the riverbank. The only little hitch in the night came at about 2 am when the party crowd showed up at the boat landing. They weren’t too considerate of the tent campers with the loud music and all, but they finally left and we were able to get back to sleep.
The next morning we got a visit from Newell Cheesborough, who we had seen on the river the day before. Newell, a Marianna native, retired a couple of years ago from Birmingham and now lives down on the river near Lamb Eddy with his wife. We had an enjoyable visit with him and then it was back on the river. Seven miles later we made it to our take out point at the Highway 20 Bridge. Chris’s wife Debra met us and we loaded up the canoes and gear and headed home.
Over the next few weeks I’ll be writing about some of the sites we visited and explored. But I’ll tell you now that the Ole Chipola was absolutely beautiful. We canoed, swam, explored, camped and had some great fellowship all along the way. Simply Put, it was a trip to remember.

From the front porch: Coach said every problem is an opportunity in disguise.

“Reflections on Spring Creek”

We have a little jewel in our small corner of the world, and that little jewel is called Spring Creek. Featured in this week’s Rollin’ Down The River segment, there is no place around like Spring Creek. Similar to my recollections last week about the Mill Pond, I have an abundance of fond memories about Spring Creek. It has long been a favorite swimming and recreation spot for local folks. Sites like Turner’s Landing, with its shallow clear spring waters are an open invitation to come and cool off with your kids.

I can’t recall the first time that I went swimming in Spring Creek, I just know that I have been swimming in it most of my life. Like the Mill Pond, many a hot summer night during my teenage years concluded with a trip down to Turner’s Landing to cool off. Long before folks outside Jackson County discovered the creek, me and my buddies organized many a flotilla that made its way down the creek. In addition to floating down the creek, I recall numerous camp outs down where the creek meets up with the river.

Spring Creek is right at the top of my list for places that I enjoy fishing. I don’t claim to be a big time fisherman, or to be very good at it either. But spending a day wading the creek and catching stump knockers is just about as good as it gets with me.

So all these fond memories about this precious little jewel in our community makes what’s happening to the creek these days even more painful. Much has been written about the trashing of Spring Creek. As the popularity of floating down the creek spread to cities like Tallahassee, Dothan, Panama City, the traffic on the creek during the summer weekends has exploded. I don’t think I am overestimating when I would speculate that as many as 1,500 – 2,000 folks are floating down the creek on a normal weekend.

While I’d like to think that most of these folks don’t trash our little jewel, even if 25-30% do, you’re talking 250-300 people trashing the place up every weekend. I know law enforcement has made some efforts to police the put in points and the take out points. But they’re not making a dent in the amount of trash left on the creek and river.

I applaud our local government and tourist development council’s effort to promote eco-tourism of local attractions like Spring Creek. But we need those same groups, or some civic organization, to take the lead and formulate a comprehensive strategy to help keep our little jewel clean for current and future generations to enjoy. Simply Put, if we don’t there will come a day when there won’t be anything to promote and our little jewel will be lost for good.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he is about to the point where listening to music is tougher than facing it.

"Reflections on the Mill Pond"

You’ve all heard the saying "The ole gray mare just ain’t what she used to be." This week’s Rollin’ Down The River feature is about Merritt’s Mill Pond and that saying could well be said about the Mill Pond. It just ain’t what it used to be.
When spending time on the Mill Pond now, with all the hydrilla and algae, I find myself sounding old and a little cynical when I think that it just isn’t as pretty as it used to be. I think back to the many fond memories I have about the ole gray mare. My family briefly owned a house on the Mill Pond and I recall first swimming there when I was five or six years old. In my teenage years we used to spend time out there swimming, fishing and just kickin’ around. On some nights, especially when the moon was full, we would head to the Mill Pond after summer football or basketball practices for a moonlight swim.
In 1978 my parents bought me a 14 foot aluminum Jon boat with a 9 horse Montgomery Ward motor for my high school graduation. It wasn’t anything fancy and I’m pretty sure the motor was older than I was. You could sneeze wrong and the motor would shear a pin. You had to take the top cover off the motor half the time to rewrap the cord to get it to crank. But it was mine and I was captain of the ship. Many a carefree day was spent in my late teens and early 20’s serving as captain of the ship on that boat at the Mill Pond.
I remember the day that I was cooling off in a tube by the boat. My then girlfriend and now wife commented that there was a big snake in a tree not far away. Being the outdoorsman that I am, I kicked back in the tube and told her it was no problem. She then screamed as the snake made its way towards our boat. After scrambling to get aboard, I realized the anchor line was tied to the front boat handle, which was right at the water line and right where the snake was headed. I fought off the snake with a paddle and finally managed to get the anchor pulled up and we motored away.
The memories are too numerous to print. But the older I get the more of them I seem to recall. And I am still making memories on the Mill Pond as it is still one of my favorite places to spend time. And I find that my sons are making there own memories on the Mill Pond as the cool clear waters beckon them as well to come and enjoy the Mill Pond. So while the ole gray mare just ain’t what she used to be, Simply Put, the Mill Pond is still a treasure to be enjoyed by all.
From the front porch: Coach said there are no shortcuts to anyplace worth going.

“The Value of a College Education ”

There’s an old country song that has the chorus of “it’s too hot to fish, too hot for golf and too cold at home.” Well I don’t know about it being too cold at home but it is certainly too hot to fish, golf or do much else outdoors unless it involves cooling off in a pool, river, lake or spring. The scary thing about this current heat wave is that we are just in the middle of June.

As I write this column on Tuesday night we’ve had temperatures in the upper 90’s for the last week. A check of the 10 day forecast calls for 10 more days of the same. Well there is one day in there that we’ll get a cool snap as they are predicting a high of only 92.

Some folks say that the first real heat wave in June is always the worst, theorizing that our bodies just haven’t adjusted to the heat yet. They go on to say that the same type of heat wave experienced in July or August is just as hot, but our bodies are more acclimated to the heat. Others would theorize that this much of a heat wave early in the summer is proof of global warming.

Of course I have my own theories about the heat and I’ve expressed them before in this column. As a whole, most of us just aren’t able to handle the heat like we used to, you know, the so called good ole days. We’ve gone soft. And being a middle aged, overweight and out of shape fellow like myself doesn’t help with the heat. I readily confess that I purposely spend as much time as I can in doors under the air conditioning during these heat waves. But I find myself embarrassed when some of us bellyache about the heat on the way from the parking lot to our air conditioned offices.

When I catch me or my co-workers complaining about the heat on the way to our offices I always remind myself out loud, “It could be worse. I could be roofing for a living on a day like today.” In the summer of 1979 I helped put on a new roof in the middle of July. Simply put, that sold me on the value of a good college education.

If it weren’t so hot I’d take my hat is off to all the folks that have to make a living outdoors this time of the year. But I’ll keep my hat on for the time being to keep my head cool. So drink up folks, water that is, and stay as cool as possible ‘cause it’s going to be a long hot summer.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said be careful not to argue with an idiot because somebody might be watching and not be able to tell the difference.

“Rollin’ Down The River”

It’s back by popular demand and not a minute to soon. I’ve had several folks asking me when we are going again, with our summertime feature Rollin’ Down The River. For those unfamiliar with the feature, last summer I would paddle a section of the Chipola River, take a few photos and write an article about my trip. The general idea was to give our readers the feel of a summertime journey down the Ole Chipola. We also included a few articles and stories by our readers about trips they’ve taken on the river. The feature was extremely popular and folks are ready to get it going again.

Our final stop last summer was Peacock’s Bridge in southern Jackson County. We’ll pick back up there in a few weeks but first we’ll start the summer and paddle at least one of the main tributaries of the Chipola. This week we are featuring Blue Springs and later in the month we’ll feature Merritt’s Mill Pond and Spring Creek. While there are many folks that are familiar with Blue Springs, the Mill Pond and the Spring Creek, I thought it would be good to chronicle these sites since they have a direct connection with the Chipola. And after that I might even try to throw in a feature on Dry Creek, which I have never paddled before.

Next week we’ll have a “Rollin’ Down The River” for a good cause as we’ll have an article and photos from this past weekend’s Canoeing For Cancer Fundraiser. I wasn’t able to attend due to having weekend duty at my real job but Shelia Hayes and the gang did another fine job of raising money for the fight against cancer. And all the while they spent a beautiful day on Spring Creek and the river.

Once we get those tributaries chronicled, the plan calls for picking back up at Peacock’s Bridge. From Peacock’s Bridge we’ll quickly depart Jackson County and paddle into Calhoun County. Notable stops on this leg will include several springs, Hayes Landing and Johnny Boy’s Landing. South of Johnny Boy’s Landing, which is west of Altha, we’ll encounter Big Lookin’ Tremble.

South of Big Lookin’ Trembel we head to…, well, I don’t know where we’ll head to south of Big Lookin’ Tremble. You see I’ll be in uncharted waters, at least for me, once we get south of Big Lookin’ Tremble. So I’ve hooked up with Chris Matthews to help me chronicle the lower portions of the Chipola River. Chris is a veteran at canoeing the river and knows his way around this neck of the river. I hope everyone will enjoy their summer and our upcoming “Rollin’ Down The River” features.

So, Simply Put, saddle up. It’s time to go paddling.

From the front porch: Coach said our attitude toward life determines life’s attitude toward us.

"It’s Been a Good Ride For Heiar and The Indians ”

Last week the news came that many of us local sports fans have been expecting for some time now. Greg Heiar, Chipola’s Head Basketball Coach for the past five seasons, announced that he was leaving to become an assistant coach at Southern Mississippi.
The five year ride with Heiar at the helm has been phenomenal and we’ve known that he would eventually leave to pursue his goal of being a division one head coach. His record at Chipola was 165-15 and the Indians captured four out of the last five State Championships. In making four trips to the National Tournament, the Indians made it to the final four three out of the four times.
Having been one of the basketball announcers for Indian basketball during Heiar’s tenure at Chipola, I’ve had the opportunity to watch him at work. There are several attributes that serve Heiar well. Obviously he’s got a good head for the game. You don’t win 165 games in five years, which is a winning percentage of just over .900, without knowing the X’s and O’s of the game.
But Heiar has two other coaching skills that sometimes went unnotice. First there is the recruiting. He could arguably be considered the best JUCO recruiter in the nation during the past five years. The level of talent that he brought into Chipola the last five years was just amazing. And each year he seemed to outdo himself from the previous year.
He was able to convince some of the nation’s top basketball players to come to a rural area like Jackson County. He did so by promoting Chipola’s great basketball tradition and Chipola’s approach to treating their athletes like family. For many of these young men, who may have come from difficult backgrounds, that family like environment and a packed house at the Milton H. Johnson Health Center were just the right combo. They could come to Chipola, be treated like family, get on track academically, fine tune their basketball skills and be on a nationally recognized team.
To me though, his greatest skill came in molding 12 young men into a cohesive unit each year. Remember most of these 12 players were the star players on their respective high school teams. Only five can play at one time and managing all those egos and attitudes is no easy task. But Heiar had that ability to get the team to pull together. Oh I’m sure there were arguments and heated discussions that most of us fans never saw. But when they hit the floor the Indians played as a team.
So as Coach Heiar departs from our little corner of the world, we all wish him the best. He has set a high water mark that will be hard to follow for new interim Head Coach Jake Headrick. Simply Put, it’s been a good ride for Coach Heiar and the Indian Nation.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that when sailors are trying to navigate through high seas, there are a lot of wise men ashore.

“Another School Year has Come and Gone ”

They say time flies when you are having fun. It is hard to believe but another school year has come and gone. It seems like yesterday that we printed the Grid Iron Gazette, our preseason high school football publication that serves to kick off a new school year of high school sports. But that was over 9 months ago and the 2008-09 school year comes to a close this week.

Looking back on this school year one has to say it has been another banner year for Jackson County High School sports. In the fall two of the county’s football teams (Marianna and Graceville) made the playoffs. Only one of the county schools (Sneads) had a losing record. On the girl’s side both Marianna and Sneads made the volleyball playoffs. Sneads advanced all the way to the Regional Finals before falling to Maclay. That was a school first for the Lady Pirates.

Moving on into the winter sports we all know that basketball is near and dear to us Jackson County folks. This year our county school did their best to uphold that Jackson County tradition by sending five of the ten programs all the way to the Regional Finals. In girls basketball the county had three of the five varsity programs (Marianna, Graceville and Cottondale) make it all the way to the Regional Finals. Cottondale won their Regional Final and made the Lakeland trip for the State Semi-Finals. Marianna made it to the Regional Final for the first time in ten years. Graceville finished the season with a 25-3 record after falling to a solid FAMU team in the Regional Finals.

The Boys didn’t do too bad either. Four out of the five varsity programs in the county made the playoffs (Malone, Graceville, Cottondale and Marianna). Graceville, Cottondale and Marianna all made it to the Regional Finals. And the Bulldogs made another trip to Lakeland for the Semi-Finals. That’s back to back Lakeland trips for the Bulldogs and the only other time that has occurred at Marianna was 1977 & 1978.

Springtime brought baseball and softball and the county had four baseball teams make the playoffs (Malone, Graceville, Sneads and Marianna). Malone made it all the way to the Regional Finals where they fell to an outstanding Eagles View team. The Tigers were the last public school standing in the Class 1A playoffs. In softball three of the county’s five teams made the playoffs (Graceville, Sneads and Cottondale). The Lady Hornets made it all the way to the Regional Finals. And not to leave the track folks out. Cottondale, Graceville, Sneads and Marianna all did well in their respective Regional meets and several county track athletes made it to the State.

So it has been another great year of high school sports. Simply Put, it was another year of what we’ve come to expect in Jackson County sports.

From the front porch: Coach said change is inevitably but progress is optional.

"Spring Practice "

I spent the last few weeks railing about some things that just don’t seem right (Sidewalk to Nowhere and Weight Rooms While We Lay Off Teachers). But in order to dispel the speculation that Sid Riley is rubbing off on me, it’s time to relax a bit and return to some sports news.
If you catch my article on page two of sports you’ll notice that spring football practice is wrapping up this week. But you’ll also notice that one school, Sneads, did not have spring practice at all this year. Another school, Graceville, cut their spring practice short and are not playing in their scheduled jamboree. A third school, Cottondale, had their Head Coach on limited duty early on due to being involved with the Lady Hornet’s softball squad in the playoffs.
The good news for most of these schools was that their baseball, softball and track teams did really well this year and made the playoffs. The bad news, especially for the three smaller schools, is this meant that many of the football team’s players and /or coaches were unavailable or limited in the abilities to participate in spring football.
Some football gurus are fretting over this fact. But most of the coaches really don’t seem to be that concerned. Sneads and Graceville could have mustered up a semblance of full spring practice but the thought seems to be, why bother. With players and coaches likely to miss the first portion of the spring session, it really is not worth the time and effort to get all the equipment out. At best they’d only have a few days to get some work in.
Even under the best of circumstances some would say spring practice is not really that benefical anymore. Spring practice has been reduced to three weeks, beginning May 1st. The first week is without pads, just helmets and shorts. The last week usually includes a spring game or jamboree on Thursday. So teams will spend at least a couple of days getting ready for that game. Do the math and that really only gives a squad about 8 days in full pads. Some would say that is just enough time to get a few folks hurt. At the very least it is not enough time to get much done.
The larger schools are not in quite the same shape as the smaller schools. They’ll likely have enough players at least to practice. But they usually will be missing a few of their better athletes that are still involved in baseball or track.
So to the football gurus worried that their favorite squad might be lagging behind. Simply Put, take a chill pill. The coaches will have the guys working all summer long and come fall they’ll get geared up and will be ready to go.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he agreed with Albert Einstein, who said "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results".

"Weight Room and Teacher Layoffs ”

Last week I wrote about the "sidewalk to nowhere", the planned project to build a sidewalk from Citizen’s Lodge Park on the Caverns Highway all the way to Marianna High School. I’ve had several folks echo my sentiments that this seems to be a poor use of stimulus money for our area. Another recent announcement that has got some folks upset is the construction of a new weight room facility by the practice field at Marianna High School.
Now don’t get me wrong. I’ve said it before that my family and I bleed purple and gold. And I am all for the sports program having the best possible facilities. And that includes a weight room for the athletic programs at my alma mater. When they built the new school several years ago, it did not include a weight room. The plans called for the construction of a weight room facility several years later.
The stated reason for needing a weight room and the location of the new facility all make sense. They have been making do with the weights in a room for about five years now. But that room was not designed as a weight room and a better location is needed.
In addition, the practice field, located just east of the school, has no bathroom facilities or dressing rooms. The practice field is used by a variety of teams including varsity and junior varsity football, soccer and track. The band also uses this same field to practice as well. So the practice field gets a lot of use and students needing to use the bathroom or change clothes must go all the way back inside the school.
So an argument can certainly be made that they are in need of a weight room facility. The problem is that coinciding with the beginning of this project is the news that Jackson County must lay off teaching and support staff due to shortfalls in the budget. But apparently the money for the weight room had already been allocated and comes from budget entities other than teacher’s salary money. I have worked for 26 ½ years in state government and I understand just enough about state budgets to be dangerous. I understand that there are times when money from one entity can’t be spend in other entities.
But you tell me, does it make any sense to build an $800,000 weight facility when we are also announcing layoffs of teachers and support staff. Surely the bean counters could figure out a way to wave their magic wands and fix this problem.
My last two columns have probably got some folks speculating that I’ve been working around Sid Riley too long. But with the "sidewalk to nowhere" and the new weight room while we lay off teachers, Simply Put, we ain’t getting it right.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said a happy marriage is a matter of give and take. The husband gives and the wife takes.

"Money and Athletics "

Recent headlines in some of our local papers, including the Jackson County Times, as well as papers in Tallahassee have announced that the Chipola College faculty union has complained about the amount of money being spent on athletics at Chipola. First let me say that I am not privy to the details of just how much is spent here and there in the athletic program. And is suspect, as with any organization, there are times when what is spent might be better used elsewhere.
That said, I am generally all for funding athletic programs to the fullest extent possible. That I feel that way is probably not a shock to most folks, given that I am the Sports Editor at the Times and have been broadcasting Chipola athletics for almost 10 years now. But my opinion is based on my belief that college athletics is good for the student athletes, the school and the community.
It is good for the students athletes in that they are able to get an education while benefiting from the side effects of participating in sports. Character traits such as self discipline, self confidence, teamwork, maintaining physical fitness, setting goals and working towards those goals are just a few of the well known benefits of participating in athletics. All the while they are getting an education. And some of those athletes would not get an education if it were not for athletics. My father was one of those athletes in the 1950’s. He was the only one of seven children to go to college and the only reason he was able to go was because of an athletic scholarship.
College athletics is good for the school. The Indians recent success on the basketball courts, softball and baseball fields have garnered the school national recognition. I think there is a direct correlation between successful athletic programs and increase enrollment. And allegiances to athletic programs are often passed down the family tree and that means generations attending a college, often because of that allegiance to the athletic programs.
And athletics is good for the community and the economy. As a community it can give us a sense of pride and camaraderie, in a day and time when it is far too easy to retreat inside our air conditioned homes and stare at the one eyed monster (TV). When I see the Milton H. Johnson Health Center routinely filled to capacity with close to 3,000 folks to watch an athletic event, that suggest to me that the community is in favor of these athletic programs and the money they bring in to our area.
I suspect the academic folks of the world have some valid concerns at times and these are some difficult days as far as state budgets go. But in my book, Simply Put, money spent funding athletic programs is generally money well spent.
From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that when you’re up to your rear end in alligators, it’s hard to remember you were sent there to drain the swamp.

"Beauty and The Beast" Part II

I continue my writings about our family’s trip to Nicaragua, the homeland of my wife to which she had not been back in 30 years. As I said last week, Nicaragua is a country of stark contrast, or what I called Beauty and The Beast. Last week I wrote about the beauty. This week it’s the beast.
The beast is in large part due to the country’s history of civil wars and natural disasters. Since the 1920’s the country has experienced at least four civil wars that were directed against either the right winged American back governments or the left wing communist governments backed by Cuba and the Soviet Union. At least two of their presidents and numerous political rivals have been assassinated in these revolutions.
Added to the political chaos have been several major natural disasters. In 1972 the capital city of Managua was rocked by a massive earthquake that killed 5,000 people, left the city in ruins and 60% of its inhabitants homeless. The aftermath of the earthquake also took the life of the Pittsburg Pirate’s Hall of Fame outfielder Roberto Clemente. He was killed in a plane crash on his way to help the victims of the earthquake. Hurricane Mitch and the resulting mudslides in 1998 killed 9,000 Nicaraguans and left 2 million homeless.
The end result is the second most impoverished country in the Western Hemisphere. Over 50% of the people are unemployed or underemployed. 80% of the people live on less than $2 a day. My mere words can not adequately convey the utter poverty that we observed. Nicaragua is the largest country in Central American and the vast majority of the people live in absolute poverty.
The cities are the worst in many respects. Managua has to be one of the most filthy cities in the world. Trash is everywhere and the stench of sewage can be smelled frequently. The rural areas often look like they probably did 100 years ago. Horse drawn buggies and tin shacks with dirt floors are common sites.
The most heartbreaking though is the children. Many are orphaned or working on the streets. They are begging or selling anything you can image (except of course hot water and air conditioning). It is no wonder that Nicaragua has become one of the top mission fields of evangelical churches from the United States.
For us the major discomforts were 8 days of no hot water and little to no air conditioning in 95 degree weather. The trip made me realize that we Americans are spoiled. Even our most impoverished folks live like kings compared to other parts of the world. And I have even less tolerance for all the Americans, both on the left and the right, that want to complain about the ills of our country. Sure, we’ve got our problems but, Simply Put, we’ve got it made in the shade compared to many of the folks around this world.
From the front porch: Coach said sorry looks back, worry looks around and faith looks up.

“Beauty and The Beast” Part I

I continue my writings about our families trip to Nicaragua, the homeland of my wife to which she had not been back in 30 years. The country of Nicaragua is a country of stark contrast, or what I’ll call over the next two weeks Beauty and The Beast. This week I’ll write about the beauty.

There were several locations that we journeyed to during our eight day visit that were very beautiful. The most beautiful to me is what they call Laguna De Apoyo (Apoyo Lagoon). Nicaragua has more volcanoes, some dormant and some active, than you can shake a stick at. The Apoyo Lagoon was created when one of these volcanoes erupted thousands of years ago. The lagoon is now surrounded by vast hills and the dormant volcano known as Mombacho. The water is crystal clear blue and is great for swimming. We rode horses down a mountain trail and after a 1 ½ hour horse ride, the swimming was fantastic. After a horse ride back up the mountain, we were treated to some breathtaking views from the hill tops (See photos on the right).

Another location that we enjoyed was the beaches of Las Penitas / Poleloya / Playa Roca. These beach areas are on the west coast of Nicaragua and feature the Pacific Ocean. Playa Roca (Rock Beach) features some very large rock formations on the beach that my wife’s grandfather would take all the grandchildren to many years ago. When the tide is just right, these rock formations create tidal pools that youngsters can enjoy, safe from the hard pounding waves of the Pacific. By the way, those hard pounding waves are a favorite of the surfer dudes, several of which came from the United States just for the surfing.

In the towns of Granada and Leon we also visited several of the Cathedrals that date back to the 1700’s. While I’m not much on architecture, even I could appreciate the craftsmanship that built these cathedrals 300 years ago. In Leon we toured one of the cathedrals (they have 18 in the city) and the artwork and interior were stunning. Our tour took us to the top of the cathedral for fantastic views of the city.

While not necessarily beautiful, one fascinating stop that we made was at the Volcuno Massaya National Park . This park features an active volcano (Massaya). You can drive to the top, park you car and then peer over the edges of the volcano. You can see the actual crater as well as see and smell the gases billowing from the volcano. That was quite a sight.

Next week I’ll write about “The Beast,” as there were plenty of aspects to the country that were not at all beautiful. But there are parts of the country that are certainly worth seeing and, Simply Put, I will treasure the opportunity to have seen them.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said he doesn’t mind the wrinkles on his face because wrinkles only go where a smiles has been.

Simply Put

"Home "
As I wrote in last week’s column my wife is from Nicaragua and had not been back to the country in 30 years. She had not been back for a variety of political, family and financial reasons. But we bit the bullet and made the trip last week. It was quite a trip, or maybe adventure would be a better description. I hope you won’t mind, but I plan to take the next few weeks to write about our trip.
This was not a typical vacation and I’ll be the first to say it sure was good to come home. You know, sleep in my own soft bed, recline in my own recliner, take a hot shower and things of that nature. But it was also good to come home to Marianna and Jackson County, the place of my birth, my child hood and teenage years. The place where I have chosen to reside as an adult and raise my family.
I have a newfound appreciation for being home. My new found appreciation for being home is because of watching my wife for the past week. As I said my wife had not been back to Nicaragua in 30 years. From the late seventies until the early 90’s the country was ruled by a communist government. That communist government, known as the Sandinistas, came to power in a revolution that resulted in the death of my wife’s father. He was a pilot in the Nicaraguan Air Force and was killed in the early stages of that revolution. So with the Sandinistas in power, traveling back to Nicaragua was not an option for my wife.
The Sandinista’s fell out of power in the early 90’s but the country was still in turmoil. Add to that that our children were small and medical services in the country are poor at best. We just did not feel it was safe to take small children into that situation. Before we knew it 15 years had gone by and we still had not made the trip. So this year my wife proclaimed we were going and we did.
This was an emotional trip for my wife. For 30 years she had not been to the country to which she was raised as a young child and spent her summers as a teenager . She had not been to the grave site of her father. She had not been to the grave site of her grandparents, both of whom died since she was last in the country.
It made me realize that those of us who live in the same area in which we grew up are fortunate. We have roots and those roots are right here with us. We can see and touch those roots on a daily basis.
Simply Put, we’re home.

From the front porch: Uncle Bob said that the same dog that brings a bone home will carry one away.

"Check Another One off The Bucket List "

Simply Put

Last month I wrote about my bucket list. I got the idea for a bucket list from a recent movie that I saw called "The Bucket List." The movie is about two older fellas that come up with a list of things they want to do before they kick the bucket.
Hopefully it will be awhile before I kick the bucket, but I came up with my own bucket list. Things that I want to do and places that I want to go while I’m still young enough to do them. As you read this column I’m on one of my bucket list trips as my family and I have traveled to the Central American country of Nicaragua. While some of the locations on my bucket list like Key West and the Grand Canyons are travel hot spots, Nicaragua is probably not at the top of a lot of folks preferred travel destinations.
So why Nicaragua? Well that is easy. My wife’s father was from Nicaragua and that is where she lived when she was a young child. You might wonder how a Jackson County boy marries a girl from Central America. It is an intriguing story complete with local flavor. My wife’s father was a pilot in the Nicaraguan Air Force and came to train at Graham Air Force base in Marianna back in the 50’s. While here he met a young local girl name Patricia Griffin. Her parent’s family had moved to Marianna some years earlier from the metropolitan area of Gap Pond in Washington County. Gap Pond is south of Wausau, home of the world famous Possum Festival.
So this young Nicaraguan Air Force pilot fell in love with this young Marianna girl. They got married in the Graham Air Base Chapel, which is still used as a Chapel for Sunland. They moved to Nicaragua and had four children, with my wife being the 2nd oldest.
If you know much at all about Nicaragua, you know that it is a country that has had its share of political turmoil, including civil wars and revolutions. My wife’s father was tragically killed in the early stages of a revolution that would ultimately result in a communist take over of the government in 1979.
My mother-in-law found herself widowed in a foreign country with four small children. She eventually returned to Marianna to live and raise her four children. The end result of that, at least for me, is that I met the young lady that I married in 1986.
We’ve always wanted to go to Nicaragua but for a variety of reasons (political, family and finances) we’ve never pulled the trip off. My wife has not been back since 1977 and has yearned to return to her homeland. So we made our minds up to go and have made the journey south of the border. So, Simply Put, check another one off the bucket list and Adios Amigos.

From the front porch: Coach said that a good sport has to lose to prove it.