Become an official — stay connected to high school sports

January 25, 2018 By Leave a Comment

By Bob Gardner, Executive Director of the National Federation of State High School Associations and Craig Anderson, Executive Director of the Illinois High School Association.

These individuals are so important that, in fact, there would be no organized competitive sports at the high school level without the men and women who officiate these contests every day across the country. Subtract the dedicated men and women who officiate high school sports and competitive sports would no longer be organized; they would be chaotic.

In some areas, high school officials are retiring faster than new licenses are being issued. And junior varsity, freshmen and middle school games are being postponed – or even cancelled – because there are not enough men and women to officiate them.

Anyone looking for a unique way to contribute to the local community should consider becoming a licensed high school official. For individuals who played sports in high school, officiating is a great way to stay close to the sport after their playing days have ended. Officiating helps people stay in shape, expands their social and professional network and offers part-time work that is flexible, yet pays. In fact, officiating is a form of community service, but with compensation.

Another benefit of officiating is that individuals become role models so that teenagers in the community can learn the life lessons that high school sports teach. Students learn to respect their opponents and the rules of the game and the importance of practicing good sportsmanship thanks, in part, to those men and women who officiate. And the objectivity and integrity that high school officials display is an example that every young person needs to observe firsthand. In short, communities around the country will be stronger because of the life lessons that high school officials help teach the next generation.

Officiating is a great way to stay connected to sports and to give back to the local high school and community. We need dedicated men and women to become involved so that high school sports can continue to prosper for years to come.

Individuals interested in learning more about becoming a high school official, and even begin the application process, can do so at www.HighSchoolOfficials.com.

Filed Under: Columns, Featured, Opinion

The pundits swoon over Oprah for 2020 – but running for president is brutal

January 9, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Oprah Winfrey suddenly has the best of all worlds—a flood of gushing praise about the possibility of running for president without actually having to do it.

Business Insider photo.

And if she does do it, well, she’ll quickly learn that being an entertainment icon is far easier than taking positions on tough issues and dealing with a tsunami of political attacks.

What, for instance, is Oprah’s position on trade with China? Chain migration? Arming Syrian rebels? Financing infrastructure projects? It’s one thing to be a hugely successful talk show host and a pal of Barack Obama, and another to take on the world’s problems in a hyper-polarized atmosphere.

Please click on the link for the full story and video from Howard Kurtz of Fox News.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2018/01/09/pundits-swoon-over-oprah-for-2020-but-running-for-president-is-brutal.html

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Breaking News, Columns, Editorials, National News, Opinion

Steve’s Ramblings: Sears Holding company did not “Roll with the Changes”

January 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment

By Steve Dunford 

By April, you will have to go to Paducah, Fairview Heights. Evansville, or Cape Girardeau to buy Kenmore Appliances or Craftsman tools.

As I am writing this I am thinking about the REO Speedwagon song “Roll with the Changes.”

Before my time, you could buy anything at Sears and Roebuck.  Before the days of indoor plumbing, the catalog was used as toilet paper.

Sears like Kenmore appliances, had things manufactured under their name. Here is a page from the 1979 wish book, with their version of clone Mattell hand held games. (8bit.com)

I did not grow up as a Toys-R-Us kid, but I remember the days the Sears catalog at the Wish Book dreaming what I wanted Christmas.   I was a Toys-R-Us parent, buying things for my son at Christmas and birthdays though.

Most of us little boys grew up in Toughskin Jeans.  I think they were made out of some type of denim-canvas.  My mom would dress me in green or brown ones to cut down on the grass stains.

My go-kart as a kid came from Sears out of the catalog.  It came in a crate about the size of the leg lamp one.

For you young whippersnappers, there were Sears catalog stores in most small towns across America.  These were franchise businesses owned by independent operators.  The Sears store in Franklin County was in the building that houses First Financial Bank in West Frankfort now.

There was one in DuQuoin until the last few years.  I do not know if they replaced the one in Mt. Vernon, that opened after the retail store closed several years ago.  There was a catalog store still in Harrisburg, and I am unsure if it is still in operation.  Most of the recent ones specialized in lawn equipment and appliances.

Benton had the competitor catalog store, Montgomery Ward, a company that is now a distant memory.   The store was on East Main, around where Jack Russell Fish Company is now.

An add for a Sears and Roebuck house in the 1920’s (searsarchives.com)

There was a time that you could order complete houses from Sears.  In fact some of these still dot the countryside. They would be shipped to the nearest train depot.

Some houses that I can give you an example of is the Ernie Duckworth place on Route 34 between Thompsonville and Benton.  Another is the Organ Farms Pumpkin Patch on Route 14 between McLeansboro and Carmi.

Sears began to lose their hold on the market when Sam Walton had a new way of doing business.  He started in Arkansas right after Ben Franklin pulled his franchise.  The liquidation stock he rented a building and put Wal Mart on the front of it.  As Paul Harvey said, now you know the rest of the story.

The chain began to grow regionally.  Each store has a number.  It grew to Southern Illinois after buying out a local discount chain, Mohr Value.   Slowly every county seat had a Wal-Mart.  The store number in Benton-West City is 262, the sequence the store was built.  Now they are in five digits worldwide.

I was sitting in Econ 101 at Rend Lake College as a Freshman.  The instructor brought the latest copy of Forbes and a cut out article from the Wall Street Journal.  It said that Wal-Mart was going to roll out a business model called the Hypermart.  The major change was the stores would sell groceries and gasoline.   He said it was going to be the death of the growing retailer.

I don’t think I need to explain the Hypermart model to you.  It is basically every Walmart now.

In 1997 Walmart passed Sears as the world’s largest retailer.  I thought they replaced Sears as a blue chip stock, but Walmart replaced Woolworth, which is in existence as Foot Locker today.

Some accounts when Sears lost blue chip status, they were replaced by Microsoft, which tech companies were mainly traded on NASDAQ.  Some accounts said Home Depot.

On a record setting day the stock market hit a record high of over 25,000, Sears Holding’s was trading over three dollars a share.

There was a time that K-mart was the discount king in the 1970’s.  The stores had full service restaurants, and the “Blue Light Specials.”  Reflecting on things, a K-mart store has changed little in my lifetime.

At one time a mall was the hip place to go.   It was the hangout for the “preppy” teenagers.  (Preppy might be a word from the past.)  They are now a dying breed.

Malls are now dying.  The last time I was at St. Louis Mills was three years ago.  I loved the place.  Cabella’s helped me wanting to be there.  Bass Pro Shop down the next exit “enhanced” my shopping experience.  The Nike store was one of my favorites.

I remember as a college student walking in Illinois Center Mall.  I was thinking this place is is Marion.  It was at one time the showcase of Southern Illinois.

I have not been in it in a couple years, but it looks like skid row.  The trees in the middle were overgrown.  There was more vacant storefronts than open one.  I know it is worse now.  A place that was once bustling, is dying.  Sears closing might be the last nail in the coffin.

In my head when the Post Dispatch ran a story how empty the place was, I was saying to myself wow.

Walmart “rolled with the changes” with walmart.com.  I can sit at home, still be in my jammies, and by anything with a click of a mouse and debit card in hand.

Sears and Roebuck as well as K-Mart did not “roll with the changes.  With the force of the two companies behind them, they could have competed with Amazon and Wal-Mart.

Instead K-Mart was stuck in the 1970’s, Sears was in the 1980’s.  Soon, they will be part of history.

The majority of you know, that I have not driven in over three years because I suffer from non epileptic seizures from residuals of a stroke.  On days that I feel good, I will make the mile and a half stroll across the interstate.  It is good for me physically and mentally.

The last few times going to K-Mart here in West Frankfort, I could see the writing on the wall.  The stock was low.  If I had wheels, barring if there was not a wreck, I could hop on 57 and be at Walmart in five minutes.

Yes I will miss it.  However, I will not be deprived of anything with the closure of the store.  My heart breaks for the employees losing their jobs.

Dollar Tree, Dollar General and Kroger gets the most of my money.  There is always a trip into McDonalds to get some tea, and a hamburger on my day “adventures.”  I was going into K-Mart less and less.  They were out pricing themselves, and always out of stock on sale items.

I have never owned a retail business, but you have to find your niche.  One retailer that has is Dollar General, with small towns and neighborhood stores.  Benton has two, and soon there will be a second in West Frankfort, that will personally be handy for me.

Growing up in Thompsonville, I would never have dreamed a major retail chain would locate there.

Approaching fifty, this world leaves me more behind everyday.  The changes that are taking place makes my head spin.  I have learned to keep up the best you can and “roll with them.”

Sears and K-Mart will be leaving Southern Illinois in April.  They reason why, they did not “Roll with the Changes.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Breaking News, Columns, Opinion

Oregon’s Freak-Out Over Pumping Your Own Gas Shows Why Many Dumb Regulations Still Exist

January 4, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Oregon and New Jersey are the only two states that ban self-service gas stations. But thanks to a new law that went into effect on January 1, customers can now pump their own gas in Oregon, though only at stand-alone gas stations in counties with fewer than 40,000 residents. Elsewhere, the ban still holds.

But even this tiny increase in freedom was apparently too much for some Oregonians. In a Facebook post that’s now gone viral, local news station KTVL polled their fans for their thoughts about the new law. Some did not take the news well.

Please click on the link below to read the full story from Nick Sibilla of Forbes Magazine.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/instituteforjustice/2018/01/03/oregons-freak-out-over-pumping-your-own-gas-shows-why-many-dumb-regulations-still-exist/#68a508ac600e

 

Filed Under: Breaking News, Columns, Opinion

Steve’s Ramblings: One of the greatest, hidden rivalries in Southern Illinois

January 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment

By Steve Dunford 

THOMPSONVILLE –  When you hear of rivalries in Southern Illinois, you think of teams such as Pinckneyville-DuQouin, Herrin-Marion, Carbondale-Murphysboro.  Here in Franklin County, Benton-West Frankfort tops the list.  Then probably Christopher/Sesser-Valier.

The hidden rivalry unless you have experienced it is Thompsonville-Galatia.  I will refer to we as Thompsonville.  I can not help it.

Jack Bullock was there covering the game.  I told him I would link his story to the website, and I was going to sit back, sit on the Thompsonville side, and be a fan last night.

The only reason WEBQ was not there, because there is a weak cell phone signal coming out of the steel structure gym.  The Harrisburg station always would broadcast the game, if there was not a conflict with the Bulldogs.  A lot of times it was on the FM Frequency that was Rock 100 (Which now is owned by River Radio and is Z-100 now.)

When both teams were in the Conrad Allen Holiday Tournament when Mike Mitchell was voice of the Benton Rangers, he would broadcast from Wayne City on Q-106 if there was not a schedule confict.

This is a rivalry where the record books are thrown out.  During the days the Tigers were independents, or in the Mid South they still had a home and home against each other every year.  The teams have eleven miles of State highway 34 separating them.

Since Thompsonville joined the GEC about ten years ago, it means much more is on the line since it was a conference game last night.  It would take me a while to explain the quirky setup of the Greater Egyptian Conference, but when they face each other in February at Galatia, it will not count in the conference standings.

Some still disagree with the move the Tigers and NCOE made to go to the GEC.  It did not cause the now defunct Mid-South Conference to crumble.  I will tell you my side of the story from a T’ville perspective form a one-on-one basis.

I will say this, along with Galatia, the rivalry between Crab Orchard and Thompsonville has been heated over the years.  It is ten miles to Galatia, and 15 miles to Crab Orchard and Carrier Mills.  Along with less travel, this alumnus loves having the two top rivals in the same conference.

In the Mid South days, the closest conference school was Webber Township if you took back roads, and if you took all highways, Waltonville, which is about 30 miles.  The long trips to Pope County and Hardin County are negated by the long haul to Grayville.

On a night when the temperature was six degrees at tip-off, there was a full house.  If it was not so cold, there would have been standing room only.  Because of the close proximity of the schools, the game is played on a Tuesday night.

I usually sit behind the scorers table.  I did not hold court as much as I usually do, because I was into the game so much.  As I was sitting on the front row at the center line, official David Hill, Sr., told me to behave myself.  I think I only barked one time at the officials.

Between the third and fourth quarter he told me that I am getting to old for this.  I have quit for years, but I am back at it again.

The two coaches that are opposing each other were Rod Wallace, who is on his second tour at Galatia is coaching because the love of the game.

Before the game, I don’t talk to coaches unless I am spoken to.  I will give them a handshake that is it.  If they want to talk, I will talk.  Since I was a fan, I was going to talk to him after the game.  There was a little grand-daughter that was holding his hand.  Being a “paw-paw” is a lot more important than talking to me.

As a coach, I think I would work the officials like he does.  I think I even barked to “T” him up.

On the other bench,  have Pete Gordon, who is seeing the rebuilding process through.  He is starting to reap the benefits now.  The Tigers only had one conference win last year.  They are in the thick of things in the GEC, with a 3-1 record in the conference and 8-6 overall.

There were some times last night things got a little chippy.  Even though Galatia has a 5-10 record, they are a good ball club.  They gave Christopher all they wanted in the Bearcats vs. Bearcats, first round game of the Sesser-Valier Holiday tournament. They played in the very tough Vienna Classic to start the year.

At the game last night, I began to reflect on some of the old tales that was told about the rivalry that happened way before my time.

Tales get stretched over time in cafes, barber shops, and years ago “fillin stations.” Some of the real old timers used to say there was a special train that used to run when the two met in basketball.  They would say there would be the teams waiting at the depot when they would exit the train, ready to fist fight.

I know the rivalry at one time was to the point the two did not schedule games against each other.  Some claimed the IHSA stepped in.  My gut feeling it was self imposed.  I think the IHSA at the time had too many schools to worry about, than two district schools in the Southeastern part of the state, in the one class system days.

There was a fist fight that took place on the stage between Doug Creel and a member of the Galatia coaching staff while playing at Galatia.   It was at halftime.  They went down to our locker room mouthing off to one of our players.   Creel chased him up the steps.  There was a skirmish on the stage.   There was no blows between blue and red thrown.

Someone pulled the curtain, I am not narking on who, but I got the blame for it.  The Galatia Cheerleaders were doing their pom pom routine.  Both bleachers emptied, just to watch the show.

Earlier that year there was a Galatia ban placed on us by Coach Creel.  We lost by one on a last second shot from the back divided half line in the old Thompsonville gym that was waved off.

We got over it pretty quick after we got dressed.  There was a convoy of cars that went and ate pizza at Bondo’a with a lot of the Galatia players.   We all passed the bus on the way down there.

I was holding court being entertaining to some “mixed company” of Tigers and Bearcats, around the front table that seats about 15.  (For those who have been there)  There was some good nature teasing and some heated pong games that took place.

We were enemies for 32 minutes.  During that time, we hated each others guts from the tip to the horn.  As soon as we changed into street clothes we were buddies.

The next Monday at practice we were banned from going to Galatia unless we were with our parents.   It was not a very fun practice to say the least. We were told how the Beers’ boys were laughing at us.  (They were jokingly.)

Last night I witnessed the same.  When that ball was tipped up, on the court or end the stands, there were enemies across from each other.  After the game, there were people crossing the way, as friends, carrying on a conversation.

There are families that are intertwined.   There was a lady last night, well into her 80’s that lived in Thompsonville most of her life, had a great-grandson playing for Galatia.  She was all over the referees and “getting into the rivalry.”  I can think of four or five similar cases last night.

At half-time there was a “Parting of the Red Sea” moment.  The Galatia-Thompsonville Lady Cats (standing for Bearcats and Tigers)  had a varsity only contest at Galatia.  At halftime, ones who were team mates when they left Galatia, were sitting in opposite bleachers rooting their respective teams on.

Today I was thinking how many coaches over the year got their start at Galatia or Thompsonville.  In fact Congressman Glenn Poshard. coached at both schools in his younger days.

Long time coach Ed Belva, who spent the majority of his career at Waltonville, started at Galatia.  Long time coach and administrator at Sesser-Valier, Nick Laur started there.

Along with Creel, current Southeastern Illinois College coach Mark Motsinger, got his start at Thompsonville. Gallatin County Coach Doug Miller started his coaching career at T’ville.  Russ Hobbs, who has coached at the junior high level for around 40 years at Christopher. was the head coach of the Tigers at the start of his coaching

When these two schools hook up, over time they traditionally split with each other, with the home team coming out on top.  There is something that will happen until the Lord comes back, each team will leave the gym blaming the loss on the referees.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Columns, Opinion, Sports, Thompsonville High School Sports

Steve’s Ramblings: The most important piece I have written

December 16, 2017 By Leave a Comment

GET OFF YOUR CELL PHONE WHILE DRIVING 

By Steve Dunford 

I about went home to be with the Lord tonight or I would have been seriously injured.  If I would have been killed, I know where my soul would spend eternity. It was a result of someone being on their cell phone.

I had my best day physically in a long time.  I had a minor bump in the road around 4:30 p.m.  I prayed Lord I want to be at Max Morris Gym tonight.  I want to be there bad.  The Lord granted my request.

The Odyssey Online image.

I was walking to Max Morris gym feeling great.  I might be weird but it creeps me out to walk by the DQ at night, sine it has been closed.

I was singing Christmas songs walking down there.  I get to Madison street.  There was an older Mercury with one headlight, that had to cross the highway without paying attention, doing about 40.

I could have opened the passenger side door it was so close.  I had to jump back to avoid my feet from getting crushed.

What came out of my mouth after that, I had to ask for repentance.  I received a coaster form Jodi Croslin (the teachers at FIS would understand) it was more than “a little.”

God reminded me of something.  I made a way for you to go cover the game tonight.  His word is true.  He is faithful.  He keeps his promises.

One thing that I will not be accused of in life is being an introvert.  No mater where I am at, I visit during the JV game.

Before the National Anthem, there was a moment of remembrance for Redbird Greg Smith, who was tragically killed in the University of Evansville basketball team plane crash in 1977.

I looked around, and half of the crowd knew me.  I began to think, what if Jim Johnson at the end of the game announced that I was tragically killed? What if Adam Rosoho announced at Christopher after a nice Sesser-Valier win that something would have happened to me?

Word spreads at a rapid pace on social media.  I could not help to think, what if my son was at the Christopher/S-V game tonight and heard it in the stands.

I also thought of someone that is very close to me.

This was a wake-up call.  I have been in a terrible funk over the last couple of weeks.  It was God’s way of showing me how many friends I have and there are a lot of people in this world who love me.

One of the things that got me, there was someone that I needed to make amends with at the game tonight.  That will happen soon.

Tonight I was so close to the vehicle to tell the individual was on Facebook Messenger. This is the fourth close call I’ve had walking.  Each time the person was texting or posting on social media.

I beg you please do not text and drive.  There is not one issue in your life that you can not pull over and have your conversation.

I did not about post this.  I felt there were too many I’s in it.

I hope the driver had a wakeup call as well.  For those who read this, I hope this made you think.

The book of James says like is like a vapor and it vanishes away.  This taught me, and I hope it makes you to consider live everyday to the fullest, to bring honor and glory to God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Columns, Featured, Opinion

Hide those presents good … kids (and old guys) are nosy!

December 4, 2017 By Leave a Comment

In the holiday classic “A Christmas Story” the main focus of the movie is the desire and outright obsession of young Ralphie to convince his parents, Santa Claus or anybody else that would listen that he desperately needs a Red Rider BB gun for Christmas.

As you will remember, at every turn Ralphie is met with the comment: ‘You’ll shoot your eye out.’

Substitute a gold Schwinn stingray bicycle for that Red Ryder BB gun and during the weeks leading up to Christmas in 1963 I could have very well been Ralphie (minus the horn-rimmed glasses).

About two months before Christmas that year I was with my dad at a West Frankfort business where he was getting tires put on an old truck that he used to haul coal. Along with tires the store sold a variety of items including bicycles.

As I sauntered around the story that day I spotted a bicycle that was unlike any I’d ever seen. It was a Schwinn stingray, metallic gold and it had what was called butterfly handle bars and a banana seat. The front tire was a little smaller than the knobby tire on the back. It had chrome all over it and a price tag of $39.95. In order to appreciate that price you have to think in 1963 dollars. The price tag on the bike amounted to more than my dad made in two days as a coal miner.

As I stared at the bike I learned an early lesson in life – there is such a thing as love at first sight.

Before we left I coaxed my dad over to the bicycle to show him. He casually glanced at it, obviously not nearly as impressed as I was and then quickly burst my bubble.

“That’s too much money for a bicycle,” he said matter-of-factly, and then turned and walked away.

Did his uncaring, detached attitude faze me? Of course not, in fact it spurred me on to scheme and plot my strategy.  In the following days I concocted every reason imaginable why I should have that bike and brought it up on a daily basis. And for every good reason I had my dad gave me the same stern answer.

“That’s too much money to pay for a bicycle,” and then he promptly changed the subject.

And the harder I would persist the more short and abrupt were his answers. I was in a gloomy mood two days before Christmas when I gathered with a group of fellow heathens to play basketball.  The house where we were playing was about four blocks from where I lived, but was located directly across the street from my Aunt Thelma. Shortly after I arrived at the game one of my friends told me that he had seen my parents at my aunt’s house earlier in the day.

“I couldn’t see exactly what they were doing but they were putting something in her garage,” he said.

Realizing even at that young age that curiosity killed the cat I still couldn’t stand it and had to do a little investigating. Shortly before dark that night I walked down the alley and with the help of a milk crate looked in the window of the garage.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear, but that gold Schwinn stingray bike. I was elated, excited, joyous … and scared to death. You see, I’ve never been able to lie about anything in my life without my eyes giving me away, so I had to pretend like the events of that afternoon never happened and then turn in an Academy Award acting performance on Christmas morning.

I’m certain I had a little extra spring in my step in the final days leading up to Christmas morning but I managed to contain my enthusiasm and keep my mouth shut (which was no small task for me even back in those days).

On Christmas morning I bounded out of bed and turned in an acting performance that was simply superb. I hooted and hollered, yelled and screamed and within a matter of minutes and still in my pajamas I was riding that spectacular bicycle down the street with the cold December air hitting me in the face. More than 50 years later I can still recall what a wonderful feeling that was and what a wonderful Christmas I had that year.

Of course, during that unforgettable Christmas in 1963 I also learned an important lesson that I filed away for future reference with my own children. Parents should never, ever hide Christmas presents in a building with a window because you can never tell when some nosy kid is lurking in the shadows.

From my little corner of the world to yours … Merry Christmas!

 

 

 

Filed Under: Columns, Editorials, Featured, Opinion

Franklin County Farm Bureau News

November 29, 2017 By Leave a Comment

 Gay Bowlin, Manager

Monday evening, November 27 was our 98th Annual Meeting – there were over 175 in attendance. The meeting began with the FFA students from Sesser, West Frankfort, Benton and Thompsonville at the front of the room and Derek Sample from Sesser and Acelyn Nugent from Thompsonville together reciting the FFA Creed. This was followed by the entire FFA attendees leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

We are always proud when we are able to incorporate the participation of our county FFA students and Advisors in anything that we do and appreciate that they take their time to attend our various meetings.

President Leon McClerren presented a plaque to Debbie Fisher for her 12 years of service on the Farm Bureau Board of Directors, he presented a plaque to COUNTRY Financial Rep Krista Menckowski from Sesser who signed the most Farm Bureau members in the county.

Leon also presented a plaque to the Rosalee Jones family. Rosalee recently passed away and she and her husband Henry had been Farm Bureau members for well over 60 years. Until the last two years were her health was failing Rosalee had attended at least 60 County Annual Meetings – now this is something to shoot for folks.

“Elvis” was in the building last night and made the evening very entertaining. There were a lot of comments that everyone enjoyed the entertainment.

I would like to welcome Joe Heard to our Board of Directors. Joe will be taking the At-Large seated previously held by Larry Miller.

It is getting closer and closer to Christmas and we have some farmers that would like to get their Christmas Presents early and get their crops out of the fields. Most are finished but there are still a few who are harvesting as I write this with the hopes of being finished before December starts. We such a late harvest for most all farmers they will be a very short reprieve before it all starts over again.

Did anyone go out on “Black Friday” shopping? I must admit that my daughter and I did go out for a while, just not too early. Although we were not looking for anything in particular we did find several bargains and we met a few people while waiting to pay that made the long lines much more bearable. I hope that if you went out that you too were able to find some good deals and took the time to talk to and be kind to others.

Remember we are farmers working together. If we can help let us know.

 

Filed Under: Columns, Editorials, Franklin Co. News, Opinion

Steve’s Ramblings: My experience in retail on Black Friday

November 24, 2017 By Leave a Comment

By Steve Dunford 

I have stood in very few long lines to make the retail score on Black Friday.  Yes, I have went to pick up a lot of things cheap from time to time.  I only had one guy get nasty.  He thought I was trying to steal stuff out of his cart, when I was

I am going to share the other side of the coin, working on Black Friday.

I worked at Walmart in Mount Vernon for five years.  You might think I am crazy, but this was my favorite day of the year to work.

The majority of the time I spent as a cashier.  The 4:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. shift was always the quickest nine hours I spent in my life.  We were well fed that day.  By the time people would get to the front of the store, they were in a good mood.   The fighting was over.  I would always here about everyone’s shopping scores.

The biggest struggle was getting from the time clock to the front of the store.

One of the most memorable conversations that I had with a customer.  He was a doctor that was in Mt. Vernon visiting relatives.  He was telling his nurses and office staff, please don’t tell your patients or even, but I am doing some research on how he feels that digital cameras can be harmful to your health.  Please don’t buy one.

Digital cameras were in their inception then.  This was about ten years ago.  The reason he was telling his staff this?  He was going to buy each of them one for Christmas.  They were around two hundred bucks each,   The tab was between $5k and $6k.  He paid cash.  I remember I wanted the cash out of my drawer.

I could tell story after story but I am going to tell a few.  There was this lady that came to the front of the store to check out.  Putting it mildly, she was either an airhead, sleep deprived, or drank several Red Bulls.

She was talking 1,000 mph. talking about her scores.  She slaps four or five of the latest Barbie’s on the belt.  She told me that she had boys at home and all nephews. She said she wanted to just beat that and a few expletives about some woman who gave her a dirty look.

I was thinking to myself this chick is either really dingy, has a serious hoarding problem, has more money than sense, or she was going to sell these for triple and her conscience was bothering her.

To get a place to park, you had to get there at by 3:30 a.m.  One year Jack Bullock was sitting in the truck with me.  He was a fellow “checkout girl” with me.  There would be times that some employees would make fun of me for being one.  I would tell them I make two bucks more an hour than you do.  They would shut up immediately.

For those of you that don’t know, Jack has a website called A Baseline View, which covers high school basketball from Springfield to Cairo.

With the opening of the season that week, I think you could guess what the conversation was about.

Overnight, we we received an inch or two of snow.  We were cracking up of everyone coming in the store in matching wind-suits or pajama pants.  We were calling them their “shopping outfits.”

ABV Jack and I, were talking about how the fundamentals of basketball has slipped.  I was on a tirade about missed free throws and players not boxing out.

There was this gang of women that had on their solid white wind suits.  As I call them, “buggies” were getting scarce.  The woman with the biggest back side of them, “boxed out” a woman to get the last one.

She was in a near sprint toward the store.    She slipped on the ice.  Jack and I were jumping out of my truck to see if she was OK.  When she was, well the gal she shoved out of the way stole her cart.  When that happened, I had me a good laugh.  Icing on the cake was the one who swiped the cart, was wearing slush and salt on her pearl white “shopping suit.”  I do not like the word karma, but poetic justice was served.

Black Friday was fun to work.  I hated to work the Saturday before Christmas.  I despised working on Christmas Eve.  People were very grouchy on both days.

I am going to share one story on the Saturday before Christmas.  There was one lady that came through my line, and had some toys in her cart.  I rang it up and it was around $70.00 I believe.  She pulls out a coffee can and dumps a mound of change that consists of pennies, dimes, and nickels.

I began to choke up.  I cry way to easy for a guy.  I have a very soft heart.  I feel like people look at me and say turn in your man card.   I was thinking this was some little grandma that saved up all year to buy her kids Christmas.

I began to reach for my wallet.  The CSM Trish Ferarro (who was found dead in her apartment a few months ago in what they thought was a heart attack, I loved her dearly) said “don’t you even dare.”  I was going put my tithe money toward the toys.

Well she was about $10 short.  She pulls a wad of $100 bills out her bra, and says can you break a hundred?  The long line behind her came unglued,  I was afraid I was going to have to go get stitches in my tongue, and Trish started the conversation with this lady saying,  “there is no kids in earshot so”, and gave her a good cussing.

Trish then told me in her words “that old hag pulls that stunt every year”.  She always gets the next person in line pick up her tab.

The second was on Christmas Eve.  It was the first year Walmart was open until 8:00 p.m.  It was dead as a door nail.  There was a guy that came in right at 7:55 p.m. griping the donuts were not fresh.

He then asked if we were open in the morning.  I said no.  He just moved to Mt. Vernon and said it was his tradition to serve fresh pastries on Christmas morning.

I took him to the freezer, and I said the Rich’s frozen donuts came from the same company we get ours.  I also told him that Grand’s cinnamon rolls were very good.

When I walking back to the register to check him out, he was grumbling,  saying  “I did not realize Illinois was in the Bible Belt”

There were several that used to ask whether we were open tomorrow.  It used to annoy me because I would think, Can you get this today?  Now, I realize the people were lonely, and needed a place to hide their pain.

Today is the kickoff, of a special time of year.  It is the time of year to commemorate the son of man becoming flesh, being born in a manger.  Thirty three years later, he went to a cruel rugged cross to die for all of our sins.

Keep in mind when things are out of stock, it is not the employees fault.  Most are struggling to by Christmas for their families.  Yes, I like the lights, tinsel, trees, and some of the greatest joys in my life was being Santa Claus for kids.  Seeing their eyes light up and telling me what they wanted for Christmas, was just precious moments.

As we enter into this season, from me you will not hear Happy Holidays.  You will hear me tell a lot of people over this next month Merry Christmas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Columns, Editorials, Opinion

Why not celebrate Thanksgiving every day?

November 23, 2017 By Leave a Comment

By Jim Muir 

I was still in bed this morning when this question crossed my mind.

I love the fourth Thursday in November as much as anybody, the turkey and dressing and all the trimmings, pumpkin pie and getting together with family. I love the four-day weekend and leftovers and the feel of autumn in the air. While I thought about the question I used for my daily offering, I couldn’t help but think of the fact that we choose one day a year to give thanks, or we do a 30-day countdown in the month of November. But, what about the other days on the calendar? Where is our thankful-meter at on those days? And let me point out that I’m asking that question and challenging myself as much as I am anybody else.

There’s a quote that I’ve used in the past that says: ‘What if you woke up today with only the things that you thanked God for yesterday?’ That’s a question that should cause all of us to do some soul-searching. And of course that’s a question that we should ask ourselves every single day, especially in all the months that don’t start with an ‘N.’

Perhaps the best way to know the answer to that question is to give thanks to God every day for all things – make every day thanksgiving. I recently read a story that pointed out that a grateful and thankful heart is one that finds the countless blessings in the seemingly mundane, everyday life – not just in November but in the other 11 months also.

In my morning ramblings I post a lot of quotes and write about the importance of ‘attitude.’ I have often pointed out that our attitude is the one thing we are in control of every single day. I’m convinced that an attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life-changing we can acquire. I should point out that an attitude of gratitude does not change the scenery, it merely cleans the glass you look through daily so you can see the bright colors you’ve been missing.

In all things, give thanks … every day … even on days when you don’t have pumpkin pie with whipped cream! And by doing that, we will all know the answer to the question today’s quote asks! Certainly, every day should be Thanksgiving Day! ‘
God’s blessings to you on this day! Have a wonderful Thursday and a blessed (and thankful) day! And from my little corner of the world to yours … Happy Thanksgiving!

Filed Under: Columns, Editorials, Opinion
« Previous Page
Next Page »
Benton, West Frankfort, Illinois News | Franklin County News