July 03, 2008 03:56 pm
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People in area help her grandson
Colyn McDaniel is my grandson. I live at Worthington, where Colyn’s mom — Angie McCulley McDaniel — lived until she was married. She now lives in Plain City, Ohio. She got involved in the Cancer Relay at Dublin, Ohio, which raised $52,370.
About $1,500 came from people in this area, and I thank them for their donations.
Colyn was a healthy 4-year-old boy when his mother found a knot in the back of his throat. They did surgery and found out it was Rhabdomyosarma cancer, which only occurs in about 250 children a year. It is so rare that they don’t have much research on it. We need more research.
The cancer was wrapped around Colyn’s main artery in his neck. Treatment required strong radiation that burned his neck terribly. He has not eaten solid food since last November. He was diagnosed Oct. 6, 2007, and has a tube that feeds him. But he’s our super hero.
He asked if I would keep my Christmas tree up until he could come down to see it, so I still have it up for him. He turned 5 on May 29. That’s also the anniversary of his mom and dad. What a great gift they got.
In September, Make a Wish Foundation is sending him to Disney World, where he wants to be a Power Ranger. If all goes well, he is supposed to be done with his chemotherapy at end of this month. I go back and forth to help out and every time I do, he asks me to take him to Toys R Us. Of course, I do.
He has a Web site: www. caringbridge.org/visit/colynmcdaniel. We need prayers from everyone. You can also donate to the American Cancer Society in honor of Colyn McDaniel.
Nancy McCulley, Worthington
Festival of Trees seeks model trains
The Paramount Arts Center Festival of Trees and Trains is looking for donations of your model trains in the attic — or basement, or closet.
Last year we had so many requests for smaller model train working layouts for auction, we decided to play Santa and fulfill your wishes. This year the train club members will be refurbishing donated items into items for silent auction at the festival. Envision the guys and gals working like Santa’s elves to create one of a kind working and decorative model train items and layouts.
Many people in the community have remarked that they have their grandfather’s old sets and do not know what to do with them or even know if they are of any value. Well, the good news is our volunteers do know how much they are worth, and they are of value to the Paramount as a donation.
Please bring your trains, track, decorations, books and memorabilia to the Paramount Arts Center during box office hours, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays. Please have the items boxed. You will be given a receipt for the items.
Our train volunteers will value the donation and contact you with the value for tax purposes. If you have any questions, you may stop by the Paramount Arts Center for an information sheet.
I know that the community will love the addition of smaller working layouts for auction this year. I thank those of you who are able to donate your model trains, decorations, books and memorabilia to the Paramount Arts Center.
Christy Reaves, Co-chairperson, Festival of Trees
‘2-for-1’ no longer exists in baseball
My first trip to watch the Cincinnati Reds play was a doubleheader in June of 1971 at Riverfront Stadium. The New York Mets were the opposition. In game number one, the Reds won 7-2 with Gary Nolan taking the win and Nolan Ryan tagged as the losing pitcher.
In the second game, Jim McGlothlin started for the Reds and Jon Matlack made his major league debut for New York. The Mets had the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning. The Reds had runners on first and second with Tony Perez at the plate. Tom Seaver, who had started earlier in the series and was beaten, came on to pitch to Perez. The result was a three-run homer and a 5-3 Reds’ victory, which was Seaver’s second loss in the series.
Johnny Bench and Tommy Helms were injured and could not play in either game. Jimmy Stewart took Helms’ spot at second base and Pat Corrales caught both games in place of Bench.
For a long time, I would only attend Reds baseball dates that were doubleheaders. If I was going to spend three hours traveling each way, I was going to spend longer than three hours watching my team play.
Today, the Reds and most other major league teams don’t even schedule doubleheaders. If a game is rained out, it’s almost always made up as a day-night doubleheader. I realize the “almighty dollar” plays a role in the scheduling but I have also observed that in this fast-paced world, most people don’t have the patience to sit through two baseball games in one day.
This saddens me because another element of this great game has been virtually eliminated: “Two for the price of one” in baseball has now struck out.
Bryan Fleming, Ashland
Does U.S. trust God or power?
It was a monumental mistake for the United States to invade and occupy Iraq. For the U.S. or Israel to conduct a strike on Iran would only worsen the problems in the Middle East.
Why should the international community of nations allow America to possess thousands of nuclear weapons while Iran cannot even have one? The invention of the atomic bomb was an evil act, and it was wrong to drop atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The time is now for all nations possessing nuclear weapons to destroy them and strive for ways to promote peace without having to threaten other countries. Is America’s trust really in God, as our currency says it is, or is it in our mighty arsenal of nuclear weapons? Is God pleased when nations spend billions and billions of dollars on weapons while much of the world’s people are hungry and live in poverty?
We must choose this day whom we will serve, God, or money and military power. Why should God bless any nation that produces nuclear weapons?
Paul L. Whiteley Sr., Louisville
Veterans of ships planning reunions
U.S.. Navy ship veterans groups are planning reunions. They are:
-- Patrol Gunboat Association (Asheville and Tacoma Class PGs), Aug. 13-17 in Seattle. Write Terry W. McManuels, 1673 Kilt St., Virginia Beach, Va. 23464.
-- USS Benjamin Stoddert, Oct. 2-6, Henrdon, Va. Write Louis Turilli, 429 S. Roselle Road, Roselle, Ill. 60172.
-- USS Canberra, Oct. 8-12, San Diego. Write Ken Minick, P.O. Box 130, Belpre, Ohio 45714.
-- USS William V. Pratt, Aug. 21-25. Herndon, Va. Write Rodger Hall, 1286 Steakhouse Road, Knoxville, Tenn. 61448.
-- USS Richard B. Anderson Association, Sept. 3-7, Chicago. Write Rick Schindlbeck, 1711 SW 36th St., Lincoln, Neb. 68522.
-- USS L.Y. Spear, Oct. 16-20, Herndon, Va. Write Bill Barnard, 9638 Fox Hunt Circle North, Douglasville, Ga. 30135.
Terry W. McManuels, Virginia Beach, Va.
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