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By Matt Vines, Journal Sports

The Red River coaching staff consistently tells its senior class to “do something that people will remember.”

The Bulldogs (4-4, 3-0 District 3-2A) have that chance Friday in their final regular-season home game Friday against Winnfield (4-4, 1-1).

With a win, Red River would etch its name on the first district title since 2005.

“We stress the importance of what we are doing,” said head coach Byron Keller. “We tell the senior class to do something that people will remember, something that will have a lasting impact on the program.
“We do not want to share the title. We want it outright.”

For many of the years since that 2005 title, Red River has usually been in a district with state powers like Calvary Baptist or Many, the latter of which ascended in a more than a decade-long run under coach Jess Curtis, who left before the 2023 season.

Red River climbed the Many mountain this past week as the Bulldogs scored 42 straight points in a 48-8 win.

Many had won its last 10 district titles (although the Tigers have jumped in and out of Red River’s district during that run).

Winnfield has had its share of success on the state level in the late 1990s and 2000s as well.

There was a point in time where the Winnfield ‘W’ on the helmet had a similar effect as the Many ‘M.’

Keller said his players settled in this past week against Many after trailing 8-6 after the first quarter.
“We had energy (after taking the lead in the second quarter),” Keller said. “Our kids finally saw and believed that they could beat Many.”

Red River has won six of the last seven matchups with Winnfield, including a 26-6 decision this past year. So current players won’t place the same aura around Winnfield as they did with Many, who had won every meeting with Red River dating back to 2007.

This is a more than capable Winnfield bunch who logged big wins against Rosepine (33-7) and Many (48-0) before falling in a close loss to Mansfield (20-14) this past week.

The Tigers have district title thoughts of their own if they manage to beat Red River.

Winnfield would earn a share with victories against Red River and Lakeside in its final two games.

Early Voting has ended in Louisiana and the numbers are clear. More people are voting early in each election. 1508 people voted early in Red River Parish. That is more than 27% of the 5579 registered voters in Red River Parish.

Statistics on the early voters also tell a story. There were 1257 votes cast at the new Registrar of Voters office.  241 votes were absentee.  899 of the voters were female and 609 were male.

Other statistics are:
White   956
Black    534
Other     18
Dem.    647     25% of the 2591 registered
Rep.     694     37% of the 1890 registered
Other   167     15% of the 1098 registered

The total votes cast by District are as follows:
District One      195
District Two      228
District Three   229
District Four     171
District Five      213
District Six        176
District Seven   296

Matt Vines

EAST POINT – Health.

When asked the biggest contributing factor to a win or loss this season for Riverdale Academy, health has been at the center for a small roster that’s been without key players for critical stretches.

But the No. 7 seed Rebels (4-5) are feeling good and good about themselves heading into a first-round home game against Union Christian Academy (3-6) on Friday in the MidSouth Association of Independent Schools’ Class 1A playoff bracket.

Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

A fully healthy Riverdale bunch pitched its first shutout of the season in a 50-0 win against Tensas Academy, and that win helped secure a second-place finish in District 3-1A and a first-round game.

Coach Nathan Edie said the Tensas performance was the defense’s best of the season for a unit that has allowed five teams to score 40 points or more.

“It’s a big confidence booster for them I hope,” Edie said. “To shut out a team, any team, is always difficult.
“I think the boys understand the effort it took to do it and what they must do going forward.”

A healthy roster is something that’s largely escaped Riverdale this season, but the Rebels were at their healthiest against Tensas coming off a bye week, and the proof was in the pudding.

Senior Brayden Pearah manned a cornerback position, which allowed Tanner Carlisle to move back to his more natural linebacker position with Ashton Almond. Carlisle returned an interception for a touchdown against Tensas.

“We were able to give a full-team effort because we were healthy,” Edie said. “Brayden stepped up in a big way at cornerback, which gives us the option to move Tanner down to linebacker, where he’s more comfortable playing.”

Riverdale does own a win against Union Christian this season, a 54-20 road victory in which Kaidyn Williams manned the quarterback position for an injured Almond.

Williams led an offense that gobbled up more than 400 rushing yards in the win as Riverdale distanced itself in the second half.

Williams mostly ran the ball in his time under center, but Almond’s return allows Riverdale to be more versatile in its attack. Almond, who was injured in the opener, returned to action full-time in early October only to miss most of the Wilkinson County Christian game with another injury.

But he, and the offense, were at full strength in the regular-season finale against Tensas and will have all of their weapons for the playoffs.

Edie said an aggressive offensive line played a large role in Riverdale’s success, and he anticipates that will continue through the playoffs.

Union Christian has lost its last five games on the field (River Oaks forfeited wins against Union Christian and Riverdale) and scored just one touchdown combined in those five games.

Union Christian’s 20 points against Riverdale is its second-most of the season.

Riverdale is looking for its first playoff win since 2022 after a nine-win squad in 2023 earned a first-round bye but fell in the second round to Briarfield Academy.

Coushatta native, Zin’Tavious “Tre” Smith was selected as Athlete of the Week at Centenary College for October 28-November 3. He is in his junior year and is the starting quarterback for Gents football.

Smith transferred to Centenary this year after attending Army West Point and Robert Morris University.

He had a stellar offensive performance for the Gents in their 41-21 Homecoming win over Austin College on Saturday as he rolled up 238 yards of total offense – 149 passing and 89 rushing and had four rushing touchdowns.

He completed 19-28 passes and carried the ball 16 times for an average of 5.6 yards and a long of 37.

Smith scored on runs of 3, 1, 8, and 7 yards and scored on a 2-point conversion after his final TD.

The Gents (4-4, 4-2 SCAC) completed a season sweep of the ‘Roos (1-7, 1-5 SCAC) after defeating them 36-17 in Sherman, Texas last month.

Centenary finished with 411 yards of total offense – its second-most in a game behind only its 443 against Lyon College on Oct. 5. The Gents passed for 200 or more yards for the fourth game in a row and fifth time this season and they topped 200 yards rushing for the third time.

He has also been named SCAC Football Offensive Player of the Week for games twice this season. 

Source: Centenary Athletics Facebook page

The second annual Breast Cancer Awareness Ball closed out Red River Parish’s awareness month. Held at the Red River Event Center on October 26th, attendees, dressed in their pink finest, were greeted by their hosts, The Pink Diamond Divas, Nikki Mims, and Tangela Maxwell.

The theme for the evening was “Let’s Talk About the C-Word”. Guest Speakers were Arlene Franklin and Daphne Willis. Dancing, Door Prizes, Special presentations, photo booths, portraits, and Dinner were the order of the day. The approximately 100 guests all smiled as the night drew to a close.

SHREVEPORT –William Shakespeare fans will want to circle Nov. 4 on their calendars as the Texas Shakespeare Festival returns to LSUS to perform some of the Bard’s best material at the University Center Theater.

The day begins at 11 a.m. with “Hamlet” and the evening action starts at 6 p.m. with Shakespeare’s Greatest Hits, a selection of scenes from Shakespeare’s most popular plays.

All performances are free and open to the public thanks to sponsorship by the LSUS Office of Academic Affairs and The Noel Memorial Library.

Texas Shakespeare Festival’s Road Show, which brings high-caliber theatrical experiences to the region, returns to LSUS as part of their roadshow.

“Shakespeare’s themes of love, ambition, betrayal, and corruption stand the test of time,” said Brian Sherman, Dean of the of Noel Memorial Library at LSUS. “His plays are rollercoasters of drama and intensity that still resonate with modern audiences.

“The language of Hamlet is interesting because of its witty repertoire. It’s full of puns and turns of phrase. There are a number of expressions in the play that are still very familiar today. We’re lucky to have the Texas Shakespeare Festival back to bring these words to life on stage.”

Hamlet is a classic tale with powerful performances.

“On the heels of Halloween, it’s a chilling tale of madness and hauntings,” Sherman said. “Just like in the play, you never know what or who is lurking behind the curtains.”

Laughter is on the evening docket with some of Shakespeare’s lighter fare. Schools are encouraged to reach out to the library to make arrangements for bringing classes.

For more information, contact Brian Sherman at the Noel Memorial Library at (318) 798-4131 or library@LSUS.edu.

NATCHITOCHES – The Northwestern State University Jazz Orchestra will present a concert on Monday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. Admission is free and open to the public. A live stream of the concert will be available at nsula.edu/capa/capalivestream.

Associate Professor of Music Galindo Rodriguez will conduct the orchestra.

Trombonist John Fedchock will be the featured guest artist. Fedchock’s illustrious career in jazz has spanned over four decades. Since his emergence on the scene in 1980, Fedchock has established himself as a world-class trombone soloist, a heralded bandleader and a Grammy-nominated arranger. An in-demand performer and writer in New York City, his multifaceted talents have led him to become one of NYC’s premier jazz artists. His critically acclaimed John Fedchock New York Big Band has become a marquee group, showcasing Fedchock’s trombone and arranging as well as the band’s all-star soloists.

The band’s five CDs on the MAMA and Reservoir Music labels have all received high praise from critics and extraordinary success on national jazz radio charts. The early success of the band resulted in Fedchock’s name appearing in DOWNBEAT’s Readers Poll under the categories of Trombone, Arranger and Big Band, simultaneously for several consecutive years. In recognition of his formidable arranging skills, Fedchock is a two-time Grammy Award nominee for “Best Instrumental Arrangement.” The JFNYBB’s recordings have appeared in jazz radio’s Top Ten, and the New York Times has applauded the band’s “cheerful syncopation, served with spit-and-polish precision.” Small group projects with his quartet and NY Sextet showcase A-list sidemen along with Fedchock’s “incomparable trombone playing, which seems to have no limit, technically or musically,” according to JazzReview.com.

The Jazz Orchestra will play “Blue Cellophane” by Duke Ellington and transcribed by David Berger featuring Jessica Dubose on trombone, “Fascinating Rhythm” by George Gershwin and arranged by Ryan Fraley featuring Hayden Hirons on alto saxophone, Jarrett Thomisee on baritone saxophone, Juan Arrieta on trumpet and Tim Pursell on tenor saxophone, “Volando—Joropo” by Joe Gallardo featuring Wolfgang A. Otero on trumpet, Angel Maradiaga on congas and Rafael Melgar Caceres on drum set.

Fedchock will be featured on several of his compositions including “Skylight” with Fedchock on trombone and Daniel Scott on tenor saxophone, “Bossa Rio” with Fedchock on trombone and Candace Paul of piano, “Big Bruiser” with Fedchock on trombone, Arrieta on flugelhorn and Scott on tenor saxophone, “Brazilian Fantasy” with Fedchock on trombone and Colin Stevens on alto saxophone and “Ruby, My Dear” by Thelonious Monk and arranged by Fedchock and prepared for publication by Rob Duboff and Jeffrey Sultance with Fedchock on trombone.

Abraham Jr. was a theater critic for the Dublin Evening Mail in Dublin, Ireland during the 1870s.  At the time, theater critics were held in low esteem. Stars of the stage avoided reading reviews by other critics, but there was something different about Abraham’s reviews.  Even when being critical of a performance, Abraham wrote in such a way that made the performers feel at ease.  Abraham’s writing quickly gained him recognition, and he befriended several leading stage performers, one of which was Henry Irving. 

Henry Irving was an English classical actor and manager.  Unlike most actors of the Victorian era who only acted in performances, Henry took full responsibility for all aspects of the stages on which he performed including the supervision of sets, props, lighting, directing, and casting.  Theater managers continued to control the business side of the theaters.  In 1874, Henry starred in Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” at the Lyceum Theatre in London’s famed West End.  The play ran for an unheard of 200 performances and was Henry’s greatest triumph.  In 1878, a row between Henry and the manager of the Lyceum grew so heated that the manager quit and began managing another theater.  The strain of managing the stage as well as the business affairs of the Lyceum quickly grew to be more than Henry could handle.  He needed help.

Abraham had just married a celebrated beauty named Florence Balcombe when he got a job offer from Henry.  Henry wanted Abraham to move to London to be the business manager of the Lyceum and, to ease his burden even more, to be Henry’s personal assistant.  It was an offer Abraham could not refuse.  Abraham and his new bride quickly moved to London where he worked in this capacity until Henry Irving died in 1905.  During those 27 years, Abraham traveled the world as Henry’s assistant.  In 1894, Abraham, Florence, and their son Irving Noel, named in honor of Henry Irving, took a much-needed break at the Kilmarnock Arms Hotel on the northeastern coast of Scotland.  Abraham and his family took the half mile walk to the cliffs overlooking the North Sea to see the remains of Slains Castle.  While walking through the ruins of the castle’s many rooms including the octagonal hall, Abraham got the idea for a new play which would naturally feature Henry as the lead character.  Back at the hotel, Abraham jotted down some of his ideas before he returned to London.  He continued to work on the play during his limited free time. 

Two years later, Abraham and Florence took another break and stayed in a guesthouse overlooking the North Sea in Whitby, England.  He walked to the shoreline and back up the 199 steps to the graveyard of St. Mary’s Church and visited the ruins of Whitby Abbey.  This visit stirred Abraham’s imagination, and he rushed back to the guesthouse and began writing.  Before leaving Whitby, Abraham visited the public library and accidentally came across a word in a book which he misinterpreted.  It was the perfect name for the lead character in his play, but by this time Abraham had decided to publish it as a play and a novel.  Unfortunately, for reasons that remain unclear, Henry never played the lead character that Abraham had created for him.  Abraham’s book is still popular today, but no one knows the author as Abraham.  Abraham Jr. went by another name to differentiate him from his father.  Family, friends, and eventually the whole world knew Abraham Jr. as Bram Stoker.  The word he misinterpreted as meaning “Devil” was Dracula.

Sources:

1.     Hull Daily Mail, October 25, 1897, p.2.

2.     The Daily Telegraph, April 22, 1912, p.6.

3.     Walsall Observer, April 27, 1912, p.6.

4.     Dacre Stoker and J.D. Barker, “Bram Stoker Claimed That Parts of Dracula Were Real. Here’s What We Know About the Story Behind the Novel,” October 3, 2018, accessed October 25, 2024, https://time.com/5411826/bram-stoker-dracula-history/.

Don’t forget Daylight Saving Time ends this Sunday, November 3 at 2am, we fall back and get an hour of sleep back too.

Red River High School will take on the Winnfield Tigers tonight. With a win, the Bulldogs will be District Champs for the first time since 2005. Kickoff is at 7pm. It is also Senior Night. Football Seniors will be recognized at 6pm while Young Marines, Blue Essence Dance Team and Band members will be recognized at halftime. Go Dawgs!

Social Springs Baptist Church, 5455 Hwy 371 Ringgold, will host a Fall Festival Friday, November 1 from 6-9pm. Admission is FREE. Activities include food, games, a hay ride, prizes, a cake walk and much more. 

Mighty Moms will meet Friday, November 8 at 6pm at First Baptist Church of Robeline. Christi Ray will the guest speaker. A meal will be provided. 

Woman Church will be held November 12 at 6pm at Grand Bayou Resort Event Center. D’McCoy, from Living Word Minden, will be the guest speaker. Worship leader is Becky Kniffin. Thanksgiving dinner will be provided. Bring your Bible and a friend. 

The 3rd commemorative Battle of Arcadia Crossroads will be at the Bonnie & Clyde Trade Days in Arcadia Nov 15-17. There will be two battles, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. There will also be morning skirmishes as the Louisiana Bushwhackers take on Yankee Guerillas and Red Legs. 

The Red River Parish Library will host the monthly Ancestor Hunters Genealogy meeting Wednesday, Nov, 20 from 10am-12pm. Classes are FREE. Bring your own laptop or you can use one at the library. The workshop will focus on using Ancestry.com which is available through the library’s website. The meeting will be led by Red River Parish native, Dr. Virginia Webb.

The Coushatta Chute Chapter DAR and Springville Cemetery will hold a Wreaths Across America Day on December 14, 2024, at 11am. Wreaths will be placed on the more than 250 graves of Veterans identified in the Springville Cemetery. Members of the community and families of veterans who would like to sponsor a wreath are encouraged to order online at wreathsacrossamerica.org/la0106p.

Bobby G Myers
February 12, 1951 – October 26, 2024
A Celebration of Life will be held Sunday, November 10, 2024 at 2pm at Castor Community Center in Castor

District 6 School Board member, Valerie Cox, has announced that she will resign her position on the School Board effective December 31, 2024.  

The timing of the announcement requires the board to conduct a special election for the position.  The election will be held March 29, 2025.  Cox’s resignation leaves two years of the present term open for a new board member.  

Pictured is the letter of resignation submitted to RRPJ by Cox.  

Congratulations are in order to picker winner Taylor Lee for winning Week Eight of the Football Pick’Em Contest in the Red River Parish Journal.

To enter this week’s contest, CLICK HERE!  https://tinyurl.com/RRPJPickem
(Games played on November 1, 2024)

The Red River Parish Journal and American Bank are proud to bring you the 2024 High School Football Pick’em Contest presented by American Bank.

Anyone is eligible to participate for FREE and each week’s winner will go home with a $100.00 cash prize.  Each week the winner will be the participant with the best record out of 10 selected high school football games (ties will be broken by two separate tiebreakers consisting of guessing the total points scored in two of our weekly contests).

The American Bank & Tyler Insurance Agency High School Football Pick’em Contest will be conducted over the 10 regular season weeks of the High School season starting with Week 1 games (Sept. 6) and running through the end of November.

There is no entry fee, just like there is no cost to subscribe to the Red River Parish Journal.

All contest decisions by Red River Parish Journal (RRPJ) management are final. Weekly winners will be notified on Monday and will be requested to take a photo that will run that week in the RRPJ.

Every participant will receive a FREE subscription to the RRPJ, if you’re not already signed up for the easily-navigated, convenient 6:55 a.m. Monday-Wednesday-Friday e-mail. Enjoy it all, for FREE, and enter each week’s contest. You could collect $100.00 each week!

________________________

The Red River Parish Journal wants to thank American Bank & Tyler Insurance Agency for their title and presenting sponsorships of this year’s High School pick’em contest.

We also want to thank Better Finance and C&K BBQ for their Pick’em Partnerships within the contest.

Week 1: Pam Williams
Week 2: Debbie Bamburg
Week 3: Ty Birdsong
Week 4: Taylor Lee
Week 5: Venessa Birdsong
Week 6: Venessa Birdsong
Week 7: Ben Ledbetter
Week 8: Taylor Lee

Early Voting in Louisiana ended Tuesday, October 29, at 6:00 p.m. The turnout reached a milestone for the new location. Hykeem Lewis, pictured above, early voted on Monday afternoon and was greeted as the 1,000th voter. By Monday afternoon, 1312 people had voted.

Debra Jones, Registrar of Voters, has been encouraged by the number of voters who have turned out to vote early and the efficiency of the new office.

The Primary Election will be on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. All voting locations will be open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Final statistics for early voting will be presented in Friday’s edition of RRPJ.

The Fun Run for Lydia, benefiting Cure Sanfilippo Foundation, is Saturday, November 23 from 10am-1pm at Northwestern State University. Register by Nov. 1 to guarantee a tshirt.

 All ages are invited to walk, jog, or dance through showers of safe color powder. Participation helps fund research to find a treatment or cure for children with Sanfilippo Syndrome like Natchitoches-native Lydia Rachal and her family.

The Rachal family and their supporters have been relentlessly fundraising to advance critical research for a cure since Lydia was diagnosed earlier this year. All proceeds benefit the Cure Sanfilippo Foundation.

Sanfilippo Syndrome is a terminal, neurodegenerative disease that causes children to lose all the skills they’ve gained. These children suffer seizures and movement disorders, experience pain and suffering, and then die in their teens. Currently, there is no FDA-approved treatment or cure.

After the run, enjoy bounce houses, delicious gumbo, and music from the DJ. With lawn games and activities for the whole family, there’s something for everyone.

Registration includes entry in the color fun run, gumbo, and event t-shirt.

I went to a workshop recently. I filled out a survey at the end of the workshop to give feedback. The survey asked about my level of satisfaction with the workshop. Can one say they were really satisfied with a workshop that was six of the most boring hours I have ever spent in my life? How would one express satisfaction with a required workshop? What was my level of satisfaction? The material was helpful the presentation was painful. What was my level of satisfaction?

It dawned on me that perhaps my friend David was insightful. He wrote:

“We all tend to share in a big, bad personal problem. It’s one that doesn’t get much press or pulpit time. Yet this problem is a huge interrupter of our personal spiritual journey. If you have this problem, you won’t be concerned that you have this problem precisely because you have the problem. The problem is personal spiritual self-satisfaction.

We’re all too satisfied with who we are, where we are, and what we’re doing. We’re satisfied with a little bit of biblical literacy. We’re satisfied with occasional moments of ministry. We’re satisfied with manageable debt that allows us to put a few coins in the plate. We’re satisfied with a bit of a grasp on the theology of Scripture. We’re satisfied with faithful attendance at the weekend services of our churches. We’re satisfied with quick morning devotions. We’re satisfied with a little ministry experience. We’re satisfied that we don’t act out most of our lust and we don’t communicate most of our envy. We’re satisfied that in our disappointment with God, we don’t walk away. We’re satisfied that we can harness a good bit of our fear of man. We’re satisfied to use most of our material resources to make and keep ourselves comfortable. We’re satisfied to be mere consumers of the work of the church ran than committed participants in it. We’re satisfied with hearts that occasionally wander and with thoughts that contradict what the Bible says is good and true. We’re satisfied with the amount of conflict we have in our lives. We’re satisfied.

None of us is yet a grace graduate, but we are satisfied. We give evidence that we still need to grow but we’re satisfied. And because we are satisfied, we are resistant to the grace that is our only hope.

Here is what you and I need to remember: we serve a dissatisfied Redeemer. He knows we still need the transforming work of His powerful grace.”

What is YOUR level of satisfaction?

Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office
October 28, 2024

Red River Parish Sheriff Glen Edwards would like to congratulate the twenty-four participants who recently completed the Louisiana Hunter’s Education Course. Great job!

According to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the goal of the course is to prevent hunting incidents as well as ensure the future of hunting by teaching hunters about their responsibilities and roles in conservation.

Following two days of classroom instruction, on October 27, 2024 the students put their new-found knowledge into practice by finishing with a field day. All activities were held at the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office (RRPSO) Firing Range near Coushatta.

Leading the course was RRPSO deputy and hunter’s education instructor Marshall Guin. He was assisted by RRPSO Captain James Moseley and civilian volunteer Lee Guin.

Sheriff Edwards and the RRPSO wish everyone a safe, enjoyable, and successful hunting season!

Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office
October 29, 2024

As Halloween quickly approaches, Sheriff Edwards would like to offer several trick-or-treating tips to help keep your family safe while you are enjoying the fun and festivities.

~ Always trick-or-treat with an adult
~ Wear bright colors and stay in well-lit areas
~ Dispose of any unwrapped candy
~ Look both ways before crossing the street
~ Always take your time and be safe
~ Put electronic devices away and walk, don’t run
~ Only visit homes that have porch lights on
~ Don’t eat candy until an adult has inspected it
~ Don’t enter the house or car of a stranger
~ Don’t wear costumes that restrict your vision
~ Don’t go anywhere that you do not feel safe
~ Drivers, slow down and be alert for children in the area
~ Be cautious around animals

Have a Fun & Safe Halloween!

I early voted this past Thursday in Shreveport. It went smoothly as I was ushered in, through and out.

I thought about how such a simple but powerful act is a mere reflection of so much more. The right to vote—to determine the laws we live under and the kind of country we live in—has been afforded to us, guaranteed to us throughout America’s history only by the great sacrifice, that “last full measure of devotion”—of more than 1.1 million Americans who were killed in combat throughout our history, and millions more who were grievously wounded, defending the freedoms we often take for granted.

I thought of Thomas Jefferson’s brilliant Declaration of Independence and the timeless moral truths it laid down in a governing blueprint for the ages.

I thought of the resolve and bravery of General George Washington who overcame numerous seemingly insurmountable obstacles and, by the force of his personality and regal bearing, held together a rag tag army many of whom had neither shoes in that freezing weather nor a weapon, to defeat the British army and secure America’s independence.

I thought of the Founding Fathers as they sat in the miserable heat of that Philadelphia convention hall from May to September 1787 with no cooling breeze of any kind because they had to keep the doors and windows closed and curtains drawn so as not to have it discovered that they were writing a constitution rather than doing what they were supposed to be doing—revising the Articles of Confederation.

It is inexplicable except by the hand of God how those men from such diverse backgrounds, often with no prior relationship with each other, came together, built trust and by the hardest framed a document that, along with the nation it gave rise to, is the envy of the world.

I think again of George Washington who, always lamenting his “want of qualifications,” reluctantly served as president of the convention and said almost nothing over the 4 months of the Convention. Yet, his mere presence in the room—sitting silently on the raised dais—conveyed a moral authority and dignity to the gathering that did nothing less than hold the often volatile and heated proceedings together.

I think of the venerable Benjamin Franklin also, who, after weeks of sitting quietly in the convention hall, realized that the delegates were making only “small progress” and uttered the remarks for which he is probably best known as he implored the men to begin praying each morning before they began their deliberations:

Franklin rose, unsteady on his feet in his late eighties and with a weak voice; he would have immediately received the full attention of the delegates. We can almost hear in Franklin’s voice his age, fatigue, and wisdom. “I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live the more convincing proofs I see of this truth—that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, it is likely an empire can rise without His aid?” The delegates began praying after that and they begin to make progress.

I also think of Benjamin Franklin’s great quote at the conclusion of the Convention when he was asked by a woman in the street “Dr. Franklin, what have you wrought?” and he replied famously “a Republic, madam, if you can keep it.”

To say we must cherish our right to vote is not enough. We must cling to it as a rare treasure because the right to vote and the necessity to have all legal votes count equally with that of every other voter is not only one of our fundamental constitutional rights but is also the right that is preservative of all our other rights.

The Framers handed down to us a sacred gift. The very least we can do in honor of their memory and sacrifice is to guarantee—by virtue of our vote—that we preserve that gift for ourselves and the Americans who will follow us, who will hopefully also ‘pledge their lives, their fortune and their sacred honor,’ to ensure that America continues to defend and protect the essential values imbedded in our Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Doing so will guarantee that America maintains a “Government by the Consent of Governed”, and that a “Government of the people, by the people, for the people” does not perish from the earth.

Royal Alexander

Nothing says Halloween is just around the corner than a bowl full of candy corn. Celebrate this multicolored candy that resembles a corn kernel today, October 30, Candy Corn Day.

Made of sugar, corn syrup, and coloring, candy corn was invented in the 1880s by George Renninger of Wunderle Candy Company in Pennsylvania, United States. The candy was then mass produced under the name Chicken Feed by the Goelitz Confectionery Company during the early 1900s. The candy was sold in boxes that had a picture of a rooster on it and marketed under the tagline “Something worth crowing for” and was only available between March and November.

While the white, orange and yellow version of the candy is popular around Halloween, the triangular candy can be found in different colors, around other seasonal holidays. Some of these include: pastel colored bunny corn sold around Easter; red, white and pink candy called cupid corn available during Valentine’s Day; and the red, white and green reindeer corn that is sold around Christmas.

How to Celebrate:
   Get a bag of candy corn and share them with family, friends, and co-workers.
   Make a recipe using candy corn

Good chicken salad is like pornography. We can’t really define it, but we know it when we see it.

And taste it.

We live among a people bent on throwing wrenches into what should be the simplest things. Pee wee ball. Music awards shows. The high school prom.

And chicken salad.

Instead of just playing, singing, dancing, or eating, we end up injecting everything with steroids, putting it under strobe lights, and driving people crazy.

These are the people our parents warned us about, the kind of complicated folk who mess up one-car funerals. And it’s not because they’re stupid. It’s because they want to add seven more cars, two taxis and a tow truck — just because. Too much time on their hands.

Big problem.

Nowhere is the disease more rampant than in your foodstuffs. I offer, for your consideration and contemplation, chicken salad. So simple, yet so misunderstood. It falls into a troublesome category of food that can be either really good or really bad. Usually, it turns bad when people try to glorify it and lift it above its reason for being.

Think of a jacked-up VW with chrome and mud flaps. Some things just aren’t meant to be.

My friend Ma Parker came back from lunch this week lit up like a Christmas tree. The reason was music to my ears.

“I just had,” she said, “some really, really good chicken salad.”

Sweet. It’s hard to come by in these modern times, so hard that, when you find it, you have to seek out a friend and comment, spread the love.

Chicken salad need not be complicated. I am no pro but when I think chicken salad, I think chicken, a little mayo and hint of mustard, some ground pepper, a smidge of lemon juice, and you’re ready to roll.

Remember when you were little and you got sick and had to go to the doctor, and your mom always tried to do a little extra something special for you to get you over the hump?

Mine bought me a chicken salad sandwich at a pharmacy that had a grill in the same town that had a doctor. Spoiled me for life. David’s Pharmacy in Mullins, S.C. They had a sandwich press deal and it would toast the bread with your “chick sal” stuff already inside and it came out crisp and heavenly.

The word I’m looking for is succulent. So succulent. It was almost worth getting sick just to get one.

On the panini sandwich deal, they were 40 years ahead.

Forty YEARS.

So I had David’s when I got sick, and every other day I had my momma’s understated chick sal in a clear Tupperware bowl in the icebox at the house. You just snatched a bit, put it on a piece of white bread, fresh and lush, folded it over and went back to your bicycle.

Sweet.

But today … cranberries and grapes and nuts in chicken salad? Apples?

Seriously? Would you put pork butt roast in your jello mold?

No doubt there are different strokes for different folks. To each his own and to and fro and all of that
but …

I’m on a campaign to get celery, whose popularity defies logic, out of tuna fish sandwiches and chicken salad and I know my work is cut out for me there, but grapes? Nuts? Really? I love trail mix.

But not in chicken salad.

Where we error is when we think “adding stuff” makes things better. Not always.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu