Sad to announce it, but it appears as though it has come to this. Thinking and looking back, it may even be coming just a tad too late.
Regardless of what most may think, the recent decision on the part of Mooresville Recreation Department officials to cancel plans of youth tournament competition within its various basketball leagues proved to be more of an inconvenience on their part. Brackets had already been shaped, and game assignments on the part of timers, scorekeepers and officials had already been made.
In short, it was more of a hassle to go ahead and terminate the play than it would have been to have it take place as scheduled. The number of incidents though surrounding the games made the decision, as tough as it was, the right one.
Perhaps because of that, yet another idea that may be in its prime is also making a serious stand at the MRD.
Hopefully to be put into effect as soon as the fast-approaching youth baseball and softball seasons, the rec. dept. is presently hashing around the thought of incorporating a program of field marshals to be on site throughout all of the games taking place.
The MRD is now looking to secure the services of those wishing to fill these marshalling vacancies. Initially, the idea is to create a group of volunteers working in conjunction with other game officials at the various sites that would assure and help secure the fact that the number of unsporting behavior from all in attendance will be limited during the upcoming seasons. All wishing to do so are urged to contact the MRD as soon as possible.
The project will find all of the field marshals donning official MRD uniforms and have full capacity, should they need it, to maintain a safe environment during all of the youth games. They will be present for every pitch during every game, filling out a schedule the same as game statisticians and officials. They have full authority to nip any and all possible unruly situations in the bud, even to the point that would require removal from the premises if it were being called for.
Too much has already been made of the too many similar situations that erupted during the course of the just passed basketball season. Plans call for the same type of presence to be put into place alongside all courts when that season rolls around next year as well.
Presently, one of the stumbling blocks towards organizing the marshal program is whether or not the MRD can allot some of its budget to pay for such services rendered. It has asked for constant police assistance, but even those patrolling officers can’t be at each one of the facilities all the time.
In a way, it’s sad to know it has come to this. In another, though, it’s probably a good thing that it’s coming now.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
'Granny' can now finish her stories
It wasn’t until I was a parent myself when I found out whether or not Hansel and Gretel managed to escape from the wicked witch’s hold, whether Little Red Riding Hood ever found her grandmother, and which of the Three Little Pigs built the house the Big Bad Wolf couldn’t huff and pull and blow away.
I had heard the beginnings of all those childhood bedtime stories, but I never got to the end. Dear grandmother Mildred E. Brooks, “Granny” to her only three grandsons, would start reading them aloud to us on a near nightly basis when we, as kids, cuddled up all around her in her cozy Bath home’s back bedroom queen-sized bed.
She would always get to some of the most interesting parts before, instead of reading us to sleep, she would doze off. We were the ones kissing her good night.
We gave our Granny, beloved Mrs. Brooks to all her “churn” – the way she referred to a generation of children she taught as elementary students – a final goodnight kiss in the mid-morning of Feb. 6. At age 93, a full life lived, Granny gave her body one last heavy breath before it could take it no more. She passed away peacefully of natural causes after a lengthy illness followed by two long days of struggle.
We shed a tear for our loss, naturally, but also for the flood of memories that always come rushing to the forefront at times like this.
It wasn’t until she turned 50 that our grandmother completed her goal of earning a teaching degree from East Carolina University. She was born to teach, and this meant she was finally able to fill that void. As a kindergarten and elementary school teacher in the small district of Bath, known to most as the oldest established town in North Carolina, she became a mother to all her students. She loved them all, and they seemed to return the emotion. She stayed in touch with them as their education and life process continued to grow.
Granny became an ardent sports fan, a fact that took her three grandsons somewhat by surprise. We never saw that side of her until watching her at games. The one who could work magic in the kitchen, spitting out her “Granny biscuits” with perfection each and every time, was quite a spirit in the bleachers.
She always made granddaddy buy her a soda in a cup at every sporting event. She would finish the drink as fast as she could, chew on the crushed ice and then cut out the bottom of the cup to turn it into a make-shift megaphone. This way, all her cheering could be heard even better. She had a favorite front row seat at all Bath school games, and Granny developed into the area’s version of EveryFan. The players, most of them former students, appreciated her presence.
We did, too. We’ll miss her greatly, as will our own mother, Granny’s only child. She will remain with us always in spirit, and we can only pray that where she is now she is able to finally finish all those stories in peace. She’s still cheering for us, too. We’ll always hear that as well.
I had heard the beginnings of all those childhood bedtime stories, but I never got to the end. Dear grandmother Mildred E. Brooks, “Granny” to her only three grandsons, would start reading them aloud to us on a near nightly basis when we, as kids, cuddled up all around her in her cozy Bath home’s back bedroom queen-sized bed.
She would always get to some of the most interesting parts before, instead of reading us to sleep, she would doze off. We were the ones kissing her good night.
We gave our Granny, beloved Mrs. Brooks to all her “churn” – the way she referred to a generation of children she taught as elementary students – a final goodnight kiss in the mid-morning of Feb. 6. At age 93, a full life lived, Granny gave her body one last heavy breath before it could take it no more. She passed away peacefully of natural causes after a lengthy illness followed by two long days of struggle.
We shed a tear for our loss, naturally, but also for the flood of memories that always come rushing to the forefront at times like this.
It wasn’t until she turned 50 that our grandmother completed her goal of earning a teaching degree from East Carolina University. She was born to teach, and this meant she was finally able to fill that void. As a kindergarten and elementary school teacher in the small district of Bath, known to most as the oldest established town in North Carolina, she became a mother to all her students. She loved them all, and they seemed to return the emotion. She stayed in touch with them as their education and life process continued to grow.
Granny became an ardent sports fan, a fact that took her three grandsons somewhat by surprise. We never saw that side of her until watching her at games. The one who could work magic in the kitchen, spitting out her “Granny biscuits” with perfection each and every time, was quite a spirit in the bleachers.
She always made granddaddy buy her a soda in a cup at every sporting event. She would finish the drink as fast as she could, chew on the crushed ice and then cut out the bottom of the cup to turn it into a make-shift megaphone. This way, all her cheering could be heard even better. She had a favorite front row seat at all Bath school games, and Granny developed into the area’s version of EveryFan. The players, most of them former students, appreciated her presence.
We did, too. We’ll miss her greatly, as will our own mother, Granny’s only child. She will remain with us always in spirit, and we can only pray that where she is now she is able to finally finish all those stories in peace. She’s still cheering for us, too. We’ll always hear that as well.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
As toads are croaking, I'm listening
Shhhh! Be very quiet. I’m listening to frogs. And toads. There’s a difference, don’t you know.
What? You think I’m kidding? Oh no! This is serious stuff.
It sounded like way too much of a good thing to be true. So I checked it out. Yep. It’s real alright. And it serves a major purpose.
The notice was sent out by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission that the organization was in need of volunteers to help monitor frog and toad populations across the state by driving designated routes on at least three separate occasions and listening to their respective calls. I really thought it was a hoax. I was wrong again.
It’s the real program being conducted by the North Carolina Calling Amphibian Survey Program, or CASP, as it is called for short. It is a volunteer-based – after all who could really insist on being paid for such a service? – monitoring program organized through the NCWRC.
CASP consists of three non-random routes and 176 routes randomly placed throughout the state. Each route has 10 listening stops at least a half-mile apart in amphibian breeding areas such as wetlands, ponds and streams. Volunteers are asked to accept a route and drive it at least once during each sampling period. During the trek, the frog whisperers listen for and record the calls of breeding frogs and toads.
Sounds exciting and a little bit like eavesdropping to me.
At each stop, those listening spend around five minutes documenting the various sounds and record on data sheets provided the species of the frogs and toads heard. That data then contributes to information on the distribution and relative abundance of the frogs and toads in the state over an allotted time frame.
That information will then be shared with that of other states in order to consider regional and even national trends in the species’ distribution and population. The bottom line is to be able to use the details to protect critical habitats for the frog and toad population.
The great thing about this opportunity is that anyone can participate. All it takes is a willingness to learn the various calls and run a minimum of three surveys a year along the designated routes during the specified times. As it turns out, from now through Feb. 28 is the first of the three six-week-long windows being used to conduct the listening. Others are set for the early spring and early summer seasons.
All material is provided to the volunteer listeners. All that is needed is the time and patience to be a good listener. After all, the CASP information sheet asks: ‘What could be more fun than listening to frogs and toads making whoopee in the night?’
I’m there.
What? You think I’m kidding? Oh no! This is serious stuff.
It sounded like way too much of a good thing to be true. So I checked it out. Yep. It’s real alright. And it serves a major purpose.
The notice was sent out by the N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission that the organization was in need of volunteers to help monitor frog and toad populations across the state by driving designated routes on at least three separate occasions and listening to their respective calls. I really thought it was a hoax. I was wrong again.
It’s the real program being conducted by the North Carolina Calling Amphibian Survey Program, or CASP, as it is called for short. It is a volunteer-based – after all who could really insist on being paid for such a service? – monitoring program organized through the NCWRC.
CASP consists of three non-random routes and 176 routes randomly placed throughout the state. Each route has 10 listening stops at least a half-mile apart in amphibian breeding areas such as wetlands, ponds and streams. Volunteers are asked to accept a route and drive it at least once during each sampling period. During the trek, the frog whisperers listen for and record the calls of breeding frogs and toads.
Sounds exciting and a little bit like eavesdropping to me.
At each stop, those listening spend around five minutes documenting the various sounds and record on data sheets provided the species of the frogs and toads heard. That data then contributes to information on the distribution and relative abundance of the frogs and toads in the state over an allotted time frame.
That information will then be shared with that of other states in order to consider regional and even national trends in the species’ distribution and population. The bottom line is to be able to use the details to protect critical habitats for the frog and toad population.
The great thing about this opportunity is that anyone can participate. All it takes is a willingness to learn the various calls and run a minimum of three surveys a year along the designated routes during the specified times. As it turns out, from now through Feb. 28 is the first of the three six-week-long windows being used to conduct the listening. Others are set for the early spring and early summer seasons.
All material is provided to the volunteer listeners. All that is needed is the time and patience to be a good listener. After all, the CASP information sheet asks: ‘What could be more fun than listening to frogs and toads making whoopee in the night?’
I’m there.
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