Congratulations Beth Deaton!

What’s Up in Local Sports

Sun Drop / Times Turnaround / What’s Up Tailgate Party

By Calvin Hastings

Chances are sometime this football season, there will be a tailgate party coming to your local high school.   The What’s Up Shopper, Sundrop and Times Turnaround have teamed up to have a little fun before the High School Football Game of the Week.   The activities will start around 5:30 pm and continue till kick-off.   There will be a “live” webcast on www.whatsupshopper.com, www.sundrop.com, www.realcountry1390.com along with several other sponsor links.   We’ll have additional live coverage also on WGNC-1450 AM in Gastonia and WADA-1390 AM in Shelby.   We’ll have interviews with players, coaches, cheerleaders and fans.  Plus a look at the night’s upcoming contests and a check of the local standings.   The show will be hosted by Calvin Hastings and Tim Peeler and produced by Kevin Hastings.   There will be give-aways and “cornhole” tournaments.   Plus music will be pumping too.   So be sure to check our Tailgate page each week to see where we’ll be.  We’ll be opening up on August 14th at North Gaston High School during the Gaston County Football Jamboree.

At press time, Shelby Post 82 has advanced to the final day of the American Legion State Baseball Tournament in Greenville, N.C.   Shelby Post 82 lost their first game of the tournament and has reeled off three straight wins including a big one over Cherryville Post 100 by a 10-3 score on Monday night.   On Tuesday, Sheby Post 82 downed Mooresville by a  10-5 score to advance to the final day against either Rowan County or Wilmington.  We wish Shelby Post 82 the best of luck and maybe a state championship title.

Hats off to the West Lincoln Dixie Darlings.   The coach pitch softball team won the Dixie State Tournament in Wilmington July 10th-15th.   They will now represent North Carolina in the Dixie Softball World Series in Sumter, South Carolina July 31st-August 5th.

Four Forestview Jaguars have advanced to the North Carolina USA Track and Field state championships.  They include Catherine Crawford who ran a leg in the girls 400 meter relay team.   Destinie Sykes took second in the girls 100 meter hurdles and placed third in the girls 200 meter hurdles.   Jalen Marlowe placed second in the boys discus throw and Lindsay Cooper placed fourth in the girls 800 meters.    The Junior Nationals are set for July 28th-August 2nd.

Gaston County has a new athletic director.   North Gaston assistant principal Dennis Noble will replace Butch Adams who is retiring after 10 years.   Noble’s duties will be to oversee the county’s middle school and high school athletic directors.   The 2009-2010 county athletic budget has been cut by five percent.

West Lincoln has a new head volleyball coach.  The school has announced that Lea Powell will be takng over the head coaching position at her alma mater.   In addition, Tammy Leatherman has been named the JV coach at the school.  The Lady Rebels were 9-10 last season.

Taylor Hendrick of Forestview and Turner Almond of Shelby helped the West to a 4-1 win over the East in last week’s East/West All Star Soccer Game.   Almond started at left back and Hendrick came into the game as a defender.   Hendrcik was the 2008 Big South Conference Player Of The Year and plans to attend Clemson.   Almond was the Southwestern 2A/3A Conference Player Of The Year and will be headed to Wofford.

East Lincoln’s Keith Rendleman and Shelby’s Eric Mayo helped lead the West to a 124-92 win over the East last week in the East/West All Star Basketball Game.   Rendleman scored 14 points Mayo added eight.  Both players started for the West.   In the girls contest the West downed the East 87-77.  Ali Ford of Freedom was named the girls MVP with 20 points.  The West team was coached by Forestview’s Ken Beaty.

Shelby’s Elliott Grayson won the 12 and under AAU National Golf Tournament last week.   The tournament was held at Cattails at Meadowview Golf Resort in Kingsport, Tennessee.  Grayson won his division by firing a 77-71 and won by four strokes over Alex Velasco of Waynesville, Ohio.   Grayson will now compete in the U.S. Kids Teen World Championships to be held this week at Pinehurst Number Six.

Peggy Neumann Sell of Gastonia is mighty proud of her nine year old grandson Andrew Neumann.   Neumann, playing his first round of golf scored a hole in one at the Little Course in Franklin, Tennessee.  Andrew’s ace came on a 163 yard par three.   Neumann used a five wood for the ace.   His father, Lee Neumann is a 1982 graduate of Ashbrook High School and has never had a hole in one in 25 years of playing golf.

Bessemer City’s Aaron Rainey led the West in rushing with 40 yards in the annual East/West All Star Football Game last week in Greensboro.  The East held on for a 6-0 win.   Lincolnton head coach Scott Cloninger coached the West team with a triple option offense.   Forestview’s Jarkeevus Alexander led the West in receiving with four catches for 86 yards.

Former Bessemer City and Cherryville Post 100 star Chris Mason is now a New York Met after being released early last week from Tampa Bay.   Mason was a second round pick in the 2005 Major League Baseball Draft and received a $630,000 signing bonus from the Tampa Bay Rays.   In 2007 for Montgomery Mason posted a 15-4 record with a 2.56 earned run average in 28 starts.   Since then his number declined.  In 2008 Mason was 3-10 with 6.21 earned run average and this year Mason was 3-5 with a 6.24 earned run average before being released.   Mason is this area’s highest drafted baseball player in history.  Mason signed a one year contract with the Mets and will pitch for the Class A Florida State League Team St. Lucie.

Former Hunter Huss basketball star and Belmont Abbey star Nicole Woods has landed an assistant coaching position at Southern Illinois University.   Woods was a two time MVP at Hunter Huss and was a two time all conference player for Belmont Abbey where she averaged 18.5 points per game.

Gaston Day basketball star Corey Raley-Ross is transferring to Harding for his senior season.   Ross averaged 23.3 points per game and 4.8 rebounds per game last year for the Spartans who finished 22-10 on the season.   Raley-Ross has attended Gaston Day since the eighth grade commuting from Charlotte each day.   Raley-Ross was named first team All Gazette last season.

The Gaston County Football Jamboree will be held on two nights this year!   On Friday night, August 14th the event will be held at North Gaston starting at 6:00 pm with Cherryville taking on Kennedy Charter.  At 7:00 pm East Gaston will face Weddington.  At 8:00 pm Bessemer City will meet Garinger and at 9:00 pm North Gaston will face West Lincoln.  On Saturday night the event will be moved to Hunter Huss.   At 6:00 pm Forestview will open play with still an undetermined opponent.  At 7:00 pm South Point will meet East Meck.   At 8:00 pm Ashbrook takes on Mallard Creek and at 9:00 pm Hunter Huss meets West Charlotte.

Former Crest Charger Brandon Spikes has been named to the All-SEC pre-season defensive first team by the league’s coaches.   Spikes is one of 16 Florida players on the team.   Spikes was team captain for the Gators last season and a consensus first team All American and a finalist for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy and a semifinalist for the Lombardi and Chuck Bednarik Awards.   Spikes led the Gators last year with 93 tackles.

Tough luck for the Shelby Junior Tar Heel League baseball all stars as they lost in the championship game of the state tournament.   The 13/14 year olds lost to Wendell by a 10-5 score to end the season for the Shelby team.

Belmont Abbey College will play a men’s exhibition game at NCAA defending champion North Carolina at Chapel Hill.   The game is set for November 6th at the Dean Smith Center and will start at 7:30 pm.

Belmont Abbey’s top hitter has announced that he will be transferring.   First baseman Daniel Kassouf says he plans to transfer to Appalachian State after leading Division II with 29 home runs last season.   Two months ago the Abbey lost their head baseball coach, Kermit Smith who took over the same position at Lander University in Greenwood, South Carolina.   Last season Kassouf hit.370 with 23 doubles, 29 home runs and 90 RBIS for the Abbey.

What’s Up with Howard Black

By The Grace Of God And Constitutionally Guaranteed,

Howard Black Pokes Fun At The Realities Of Life, Politics And Human Insanity

I believe that most people agree that we need to do something about health care.  The problem is that what needs to be done is the argument that this country may never agree upon.  Until we change the mind-set that healthcare is NOT a right, then this situation will never be corrected.

But, in my opinion President Obama and the Democrats in Congress have their priorities out of line.  Shouldn’t our first priority be getting the economy jumpstarted and people back to work?

The treasury department has announced that the deficit has risen to an all-time high of $1-trillion.  For every tax-paying citizen that is $3,500.  By this fall the deficit will increase to more than $6,000 per person.  Add to this a national debt of $11.5-trillion dollars, and YOU will be responsible for paying your portion of…$37,600.

But, that isn’t the worst news.  The total un-funded liabilities for the United States is approximately $60.6-trillion, which exceeds the total net worth of the country.  In other words, everything made and sold in the United States wouldn’t generate enough taxes to pay the bill for what we owe!

At this point, you will have to owe the governments of the United States and China $196,000.00.  There aren’t any exceptions, you will be expected pay your part.  Call it socialism, fascism, Marxism or whatever; we’re all going to pay the price for this extravagant spending spree.

Now think about this.  All the bad news I just gave you is BEFORE health care price tag is added to what you owe.  Are you starting to get the picture?

Now, do you want to know why Obama is pushing these stimulus and health care packages?

Obama has admitted, that if Congress doesn’t pass health care reform by the mid-term elections in 2012, he will never get another chance to ram it down the throat of the American taxpayer.  He understands that after 2012 that the Democrats will probably lose the majority and the votes to pass any legislation.

Do you wonder why he has pushed Congress to bring health care to a vote before summer recess?  He knows that the chances of getting it passed are decreased if our elected pandering politicians are allowed to return to their home districts.  Obama is playing Dirty Politics 101 by trying to silence the voters, and make his promised left-wing agenda becomes reality.

But, what really angers me about this entire ordeal is the lack of concern of taxpayers.  That’s right, I’m talking about you.  The taxpayers of this country should be ashamed for not caring more about what their politicians are recklessly doing to this country.  The common thought of people that I talk with is, “What can I do about it?  I’m only one person.”

Let me tell you what every taxpayer should be doing.  They should be writing, calling, texting, using smoke signals or sending courier pigeons with messages to their elected officials.  YOU need to be protesting this insane lack of common sense.

Ask your elected officials, (1) Why is healthcare being ramrodded through Congress when we are fiscally unable to pay our current debts?  (2) Why are illegal aliens being covered under the proposed plans?  (3) Why are members of Congress and employees of the government exempt from all of the proposals presented?  If it’s good enough for us, why isn’t it good enough for them?

I pity this country, because common sense is on a one-way trip to crazy town.

Call Your Representatives and Let Them Know How You Feel:

Kay Hagan (202) 224-6342

Richard Burr (202) 224-3154

Patrick McHenry (202) 225-2576

Sue Myrick (704) 867-2445

What’s Up In NASCAR

By:  Clint Spencer

Jimmie Johnson picked up his third win of the season Sunday by winning the Allstate 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This was Johnson’s third trip to the famous victory lane at The Brickyard and the win also marked the first time a NASCAR driver has posted back to back wins at the 2.5 mile quad oval.

Juan Pablo Montoya, driver of the #42 Target Impala, took the lead early on lap 5 from Mark Martin, the pole sitter, and never looked back.  Montoya led a total of 116 laps until 35 to go.  This is when Montoya went to pit road for a normal stop and was caught speeding off pit road not once but twice.  Montoya, who had dominated all day, had these words for NASCAR as he came onto pit road for his penalty, “Thank you NASCAR for screwing my day.”  Johnson would go on to take the lead on lap 137 and led the remainder of the race as he picked up his 43rd career win.  Mark Martin finished second followed by two-time Brickyard winner Tony Stewart in third.  Greg Biffle finished in fourth while Brian Vickers rounded out the top five.

Spencer’s Power Poll

#1 Tony Stewart - The clean shaven, Stewart picked up another top five as he increased his points lead to 192 over second place.

#2 Jimmie Johnson - Johnson climbs one spot as he knocks his mentor, Jeff Gordon, back to third.   It is about this time every year that the #48 team kicks it into high gear.  You know it and I know it, Johnson is hungry for his fourth championship.

#3 Jeff Gordon - The four time Brickyard 400 winner managed to hold onto a top ten finish as he keeps himself inside the top three.  Needs a win or two before the chase to pick up some extra bonus points.

#4 Kurt Busch - Not a good day for the Elder Busch as he finishes the race back in the 27th position.  Holds onto the fourth spot for another week.  However, the driver of the #99 is only a quack away.

#5 Carl Edwards-Moves up one spot in the standings.  Picked up the Nationwide win in ORP the night before but has still to win in the Cup Series.

#6 Denny Hamlin - A bad day early on for Hamlin.  On lap 33 he had to head to the garage for a broken drive shaft.  His 34th place finish caused him to drop one spot in the points.

#7 Ryan Newman - A 15th place finish was good enough to keep Newman in the seventh spot for another week.  I am still looking for his return to victory lane.

#8 Kasey Kahne - The driver of the #9, had a solid run Sunday and finished in seventh.  Look for Kahne to improve in the points as NASCAR heads to Pocono, one of his best tracks.

#9 Mark Martin - With two laps to go on Sunday it looked as if the driver of the #5, had a chance to pick up his first Brickyard win.  However, we know how the story ended.  His second place finish moved him up two positions in the standings.

#10 Juan Pablo Montoya - I bet he will never speed again.  Montoya’s car was dialed in perfectly on Sunday and if it weren’t for his penalty, he would have won.  Had to settle for 11th and a drop in the points.

#11 Greg Biffle - Did a great job of stepping up his game at Indy.  His fourth place finish put him back into the chase.

#12 Matt Kenseth - Finds himself hugging the line for another week.  His top ten finish keeps him alive for another week.  Not only Kenseth but all drivers need to turn up the heat as only six races remain before the chase.

Did you notice who is no longer in the chase?  That’s right, Kyle Busch.  He hit the wall on lap 58 and sustained major damage to his car.  He finished the race in 38th position and fell back four spots to14th.  Also, for all Junior fans, it is too late for him to make the chase.  After a great start at Indy, Junior would end his day in the garage and finish 36th.  He fell another spot in the standings and currently sits 22nd.  There is no hope this year.

Prediction for the Sunoco Red Cross Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway:  Carl Edwards makes a triumph return to winner’s circle as he picks up his first win of the season in a race that he won last year.  Look for Carl Edwards in victory lane.

What’s Up with Being Rusty

By Rusty Stroupe

www.rustystroupe.blogspot.com

I’m back from the Dominican Republic. As you may remember, a group of twelve of us from my church journeyed to visit my friend/brother Alex and his church. And let me tell you, my little green notebook is full, so be prepared to read about our trip for a few weeks.

I’ve chosen to revisit the lighter side of my trip experience with this week’s edition. And let me first say, especially to my friends in the Dominican who read my column, that I love the D.R. and nothing I poke fun at in this column is meant to be derogatory or disrespectful. The people are awesome and the country is fascinating. That being said, I learned a few things while I was there:

A clothes hanger can serve as a makeshift plunger. This revelation evolved from necessity the first night we were there. There is very little water pressure in the Dominican. You can guess the rest.

Two water bottles meant for drinking will cause a toilet to partially flush. Again, I’ll leave the majority of this to the imagination, but a scene eerily similar to the “inability to flush incident” from the movie Dumb and Dumber occurred after an outdoor toilet visit where there was no water pressure and a line of patrons outside at the door. The team member in question used the two full water bottles in his possession to coax a partial flush. (One guess as to which team member it was.)

I was never as high during a church service as I was in the Dominican. The Holy Spirit was alive that night at our service, but what with the necessity of keeping the windows open due to the lack of air conditioning, we were exposed to everything around us- in addition to the various species of insects inside the church and the sound of the generator which provided us power after the town electricity failed. In the city where we were, the happenings outside included partying, loud music, motorcycles buzzing around, and yes, the intense odor of marijuana wafting through the sanctuary one night. (Fortunately the Spirit was stronger.)

Obey a higher calling at all times. Believe it or not, the pastor’s cellphone rang while he was speaking at one of the church services. Believe it or not part two- he answered it. Believe it or not part three- it was for me. We walked outside and both talked to the voice on the other end for a few minutes while the ladies of the church sang a hymn to fill the void.

Some things are funny in any language. Our host pastor kept calling my wife- and some of the other ladies in our group- jefa, which means “boss” in Spanish. However, it sounded a lot like “heifer” in English, which led to numerous humorous references to our wives apparently being, in actuality, cows.

Blowing your horn is socially acceptable and expected. Nobody honks out of anger. They do it because there are hundreds of intersections and no stop lights. The few stop signs and road markings that exist are mere suggestions and are rarely noticed, much less obeyed.

There you have it. Now you are ready to survive in the Dominican Republic. Just remember, for various reasons, to take along some bottled waters.

What’s Up with The Right Slant

By Anthony W. Hager

Alexis, NC 28006

Email: tony_hager@therightslant.com

www.therightslant.com

Blog: http://anthonywhager.blogspot.com

Children can benefit from emulating the positive qualities found not only in their parents but in public role models. I had such boyhood heroes, too, one for each season.

During the winter months I idolized Tarheel point guard Phil Ford. Yes, I’m telling my age. But growing older beats the grave, so here goes.

Ford was the consummate floor general and a ball handler extraordinaire. I can still see him splitting the zone and dishing a quick backdoor pass to a cutting Walter Davis. I so wanted to be Phil Ford . . . until spring.

Beginning in April and throughout the summer months I wanted to be Yankees catcher Thurman Munson. Not only did Munson play for my favorite team, he was also the captain. He helped resurrect the Yankee mystique, which had been dormant during my childhood.

Munson led the Yankees to three American League pennants and two World Series championships. His name sounded cool and his moustache is the reason mine has been shaved only twice in 30 years.

When the summer surrendered to autumn baseball gave way to football. My hero worship turned to Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler. I thought “Snake” was as cool as they come. He had a scruffy beard and hair that curled from beneath a sinister silver helmet.

On the field Stabler was unflappable and appeared unconcerned with his surroundings. A blitzing linebacker? Hah! He’d stand defiantly in his face. A charging tackle? He never appeared to notice they were there. At the last possible instant Snake’s left hand would strike, delivering a perfectly placed pass to Fred Biletnikoff.

He would get hammered for his nonchalance. If the hits fazed Snake he never let on. In fact, He seemed to thrive on the punishment and the defender’s exasperation.

Those three athletes were at the top of their respective games and they provided me with memories that remain fresh even today. But they’re no longer my heroes.

Ford has battled some personal issues and I just don’t like basketball like I once did. Stabler was just too much of a partier. What else can you say about a guy who John Madden kept in line by making him responsible for keeping John Matuszak in line?

And Thurman Munson, God rest his soul. It’s not easy for a 14-year-old to learn that his favorite ballplayer has died in a plane crash. Thirty years have passed and it seems like yesterday.

It’s also plain that–at age 44–I’ll never be the athlete those men were or that millions of young boys dream of becoming. But I had another childhood hero, and I still look up to him. That hero is Uncle Jed.

Yes, that Uncle Jed; Jed Clampett. I know he was a fictional character, and my reasons for admiring him have changed over the years. For example, I know I can’t shoot flies on the wing or skeet with a rifle. It’s unimportant that Jed was a multi-millionaire, and I certainly don’t admire Jed because he “moved to Beverly.” Jed Clampett is my hero because of the type of character he was.

Despite his good fortune–somehow a man who could shoot flies missed a gopher–Jed never changed. Glitz, glamour and status didn’t interest Uncle Jed. He wasn’t afraid to be himself.

He wasn’t an educated man, but he possessed common sense, logic and wisdom that far-exceeded his wealth. He was honest, capable and dependable. Those virtues are in short supply these days.

Jed was the epitome of self-reliance and charitable to a fault. He sought peace whenever possible–no easy task with Granny for a mother-in-law–but never shied from a necessary confrontation.

Living up to Jed Clampett’s example is a tall order. However, it’s worthy of a man’s best effort. In fact, our world would benefit if more people wanted to be like Uncle Jed.

What’s Up with Thinkin’ Bout It

By Dr. Vincent Hefner, Pastor

First Baptist Church, Cherryville, NC

Americans love the idea of a “winner.” It doesn’t matter if someone wins awards in sports, music, acting, writing, etc… we want to be around them to be associated with their success. I have won a few things over the years in a number of different areas.

In the fourth grade I won “Class Cutest.” I know what you’re thinking, this was a wonderful award for an eleven year old boy to win. Well, it wasn’t. I was humiliated. Besides the embarrassment, I didn’t even get a plaque, a certificate, or even a trophy.

In the fifth grade I won third place in a writing competition for fire prevention. My mother (Mom wrote for the Ashville Citizen) helped me a little bit with my writing style and content. After I won one of my classmates mothers saw my mother at the grocery store and said, “I heard you and Vince took ‘third’ for the fire prevention paper!” I guess she was a sore loser. I was awarded $5.00 from the fire department for my efforts but I did not split the money with Mom. Now that I think about it, I may not have told her about the money. I guess it slipped my mind.

Just a personal note, that was the first and only time I have ever received money for writing. When I was a senior in high school I won a pizza dinner after my name was drawn from a group of students who had given a pint of blood to the Red Cross during school. I know it was just “dumb luck,” but “dumb luck” counts for something!

When my youngest son, Paul, was in the third grade, he won a bicycle and helmet in an art contest. However, Paul never told he won. The only way we found out is when his mother was going through his papers from school and found a note from his teacher to “please” pick up his bicycle at the local bank. When she asked him about it he denied any knowledge of winning anything. My wife called the bank where the bike was located and they told her that Paul’s rendition of a bike race had won first place and they wanted us to come and get the bike, because the contest was over and it was in their way. Even though Paul continued to deny he had “won” anything, I took him to the bank to pick up his prize.

When we walked in the bank I saw the bike in a corner and his drawing hung on the wall, with his name on it. Only then did he confess that the drawing was his and he had won the bike. As I carried the bike out of the bank and placed it in the van I was truly perplexed about my son. I asked him on the way home why he had denied drawing the winning picture of a bike race. He told me that he didn’t want the bike because it was bigger than his bike and he wasn’t sure he could ride it. Now the truth of the matter. Eventually Paul learned to ride his bike and eventually outgrew it to a bigger one.

Growing up and learning new things can be scary for a child. Come to think about it, learning new things can be scary for adults. However, what would happen if we never learned anything new, and we just stayed in our own little world? Proverbs 1:5 says, “A wise man will hear and increase in learning, and a man of understanding will acquire wise counsel.” (NAS) What are you doing to grow in your spiritual life with Jesus Christ? What are you learning about Jesus that you didn’t know before? Take time right now in prayer and tell the Lord that you want to learn more about is His will for your life. Then, read his Word, a good place would be in Proverbs, and watch your life change for the better as you walk closer to Him!  You may not win a shiny new bike, but you will be a “winner” with Jesus Christ leading your life. Remember, don’t give in to sin. Think about it!

Let’s Talk Bible - Since 1975

By W.C. “Dub” Dellinger - Age 90

Do we ever give thought to our God in letting us have life here on His planet earth?  Love has a lot to do with a person’s life, and numbered are the days that we can use this life.  A proverb says that the fear of the Lord prolonged days, but the days of the wicked shall be shortened.  Prov. 9-11 says “For by me thy days shall be multiplied and the years of thy life shall be increased.  I have covered a lot of this world.  SIX Continents!  And, I have got to admit that I have seen some that if they had any love in them at all, it just would not show.  One asked me to teach him something, and I started to until he said he wanted to know just enough to get their money.  No, I did not.  Prov. Says “My son forget not my law, but let thine heart keep thy commandments for length of days and long life and peace shall they add to thee.  At this writing, a city not too far off has had at least one killed every night for a long time so they say.  When we let our Lord have us, there is nothing any sweeter than life.  Brotherly love has been the answer for many years and will be if we will use our God given brains the right way.  First John 4:7, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God, and everyone that loveth is born of God and knoweth God.”  He that loveth not, knoweth not God, for God is Love, and the Bible has ways of you proving yourself to yourself and to God and to your fellow man.  First John 3:17 says “But who so hath this world is good, and seeth his brother have need and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in Him.”  We have all heard someone say that the devil made them do it.  When a person yields to his own fleshly desires, he or she has not learned how to stay away from their fleshly cravings.  You had better turn to a true and living Savior before it is too late, or old Satan will close in fast.  Call on your Savior from the heart, and He will answer your call.  And you can become the Lord’s saint with the right kind of prayer.

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