eal

toRy
THE
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S
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a weekly publication Volume 1 Issue 29 realstorypublishing.com August 22, 2012
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Dr. Liddell: In Her Own Words
Page 2
Dr. Liddell: In Her Own Words
Page 2
MSU Football Preview -
Defense - Page 25
Dr. Martha Liddell sits con-
fdently in her ofce and displays
the demeanor that all good leaders
possess: the ability to stay calm under
pressure. Afer a summer of uncer-
tainty in her position, she is com-
fortable in the fact that she is now
the person truly accountable for the
Columbus Municipal School District.
With good spirit and great enthusi-
asm, Dr. Liddell talked to Te Real
Story about her goals and desires for
the upcoming school year.
She discussed the budget, taxes,
dropout rates and the future of the
CMSD. What follows is Dr. Liddell
in her own words. It is a feature Te
Real Story will run from time to time
to give our community leaders a
chance to talk to the public without
interruption or interpretation. Just
the individual talking to you, the
reader.
So without further fanfare, here
are Dr. Liddells beliefs and projec-
tions for the upcoming school years:
Tree simple words
describe my focus as superinten-
dent of education for Columbus
School District for the 2012-
2013 school year. Tey are posi-
tive, proactive and purposeful. I
am positive about the future of
Columbus Schools. Te districts
budget is in good shape, and we
received $85,000 more in tax
collections than expected. When
I think about how far we came in
a year with our budget, I count it
a victory for our school system.
I also believe it is very im-
portant this school year for me
to continue to be proactive. Co-
lumbus budget problems didnt
magically get solved. It took a lot
of hard work and sacrifce. I de-
scribe this past year as the year
my life changed for the better,
and giving up on the children of
Columbus was not something I
was willing to do.
When youre trying to do
whats right because its the right
thing to do, people wont always
understand it, but they will re-
spect a person who is willing to
stand on principles and convic-
tion. Im not looking back, Im
looking forward. I forgive freely,
and Im not holding any grudges
against anyone for any reason. I
appreciate the Columbus School
Board for giving me this oppor-
tunity, and I am truly blessed to
have been named superinten-
dent of education. I plan to rep-
resent all the students, staf and
families of Columbus Schools
well and unselfshly.
I am so happy our school
district is out of the doom-
and-gloom phase that budget
problems cause. I am focused on
the future success of the 4,700
students who come to Colum-
bus schools every day wanting a
quality education.
In conclusion, my leader-
ship is purposeful. My purpose
is putting students frst. My
mission as Superintendent of
Columbus Schools is to tackle
the citys dropout problem with
community support through
Project 2020. I ask for concerned
citizens help with a problem
thats getting worse by the day.
To learn more about Project
2020, visit the districts website
and click on Project 2020 (www.
columbuscityschools.org).
To be very honest, as a
school system we dont need to
raise taxes on citizens who are
already over-taxed to educate the
children of Columbus. We can-
not tax our way out of a bigger
problem. We have to admit we
have a problem, and ultimately
its every taxpayers problem.
We already have what
we need to succeed, and thats
people who care about children
and our community. We cannot
allow 30% of Columbus students
to drop out of school and then
expect a prosperous community.
Education (or the lack of it) has
a direct impact on the economy.
Many educators in the state
will tell you we cannot do any-
thing about the huge number of
students dropping out of school
each school year, but what they
are really saying is that they are
not willing to do anything about
it. Columbus Schools receive
$5,500 in state dollars per year
to educate a child, yet accord-
ing to the MS Department of
Corrections it took $98 per day
to incarcerate one maximum
security prison inmate in 2009,
which is approximately $36,000
per year. Whats wrong with this
picture? (www.peer.state.ms.us/
reports/rpt532).
Tis matters because 70%
of prison inmates are high
school dropouts. Kids who at
least graduate from high school
are much more likely to hold a
job, and youth dropping out of
school drains the economy in
more ways than one. Instead of
beating up on the public school
system, its in every taxpayers
best interest to support educa-
tion for all.
Te bigger problem, in
my opinion, is the intentional
perpetuation of a racial and eco-
nomic divide in our community,
because good people stand idly
by while corrupt people teach us
to mistrust one another.
Since I was named superin-
tendent, I am reminded that our
community is making progress,
but it still has a long way to go
in order to not judge people by
the color of their skin but by the
content of their character. I face
challenges every day that are
not academic in nature but are
purely a refection of the bigger
problem.
Te good news is, though,
that Im not going to be deterred
from helping children, respect-
ing taxpayers and helping as
many kids as I can stay in school
or return to the educational
setting in some way, by giving
dropouts and potential dropouts
more options to earn a high
school diploma. I cannot do all
of this alone. I need the help of
good people. I admit it wont be
easy, but fghting for freedom
never is. Tere is a bridge out
here, folks, which we all need to
cross together as citizens united
to save Columbus.
Success and failure comes
down to the choices we make. I
choose to believe that the chil-
dren and economy of Columbus,
Miss., are worth the efort.
Sincerely,
Martha
2

editorsnote
by Joseph B. St. John
Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Liddell: In Her Own Words
contributors
Joseph B. St. John is the Editor-in-Chief
and Publisher. You can reach him at
jbstjohn@realstorypublishing.com. He is
a man who understands that everything
that appears bad is not bad and every-
thing that appears good is not good.
Melinda Dufe is a certifed personal
trainer, with additional expertise in
nutrition counseling and life coaching as
well as a bachelors degree in business.
E-mail reaches her at mvpft@yahoo.com
Meagan M. ONan is a trained and ex-
perienced life coach, award-winning au-
thor of the book, Creating Your Heaven
on Earth, blogger, poet and supporter
of the underdog. She has a life coaching
practice in Columbus. Meaganonan.org
Clare Mallory,L.Ac.,M.Ac.,holds a
masters degree in Acupuncture and
Oriental Medicine. She is the owner of
North Mississippi Acupuncture in Co-
lumbus. Visit her website at
www.claremallory.com
Paige Canida-Greene is a senior com-
munication major (theatre minor) at
Mississippi University for Women and
lives in Columbus.
Brenda Minor is the Sales Manager at
Te Real Story. Please contact her for
more information on ad rates and sales.
brenda@realstorypublishing.com A
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contents
26
Tyson Lee Defeated All e
Odds
4
Mayor And City Council Ad-
dress Projected $1.6 Million
Budget Decit
13
Possum Town Triathlon
18
Portrait Of e Artist: Shane
Tubbs
regular features
2 .................. Editors Note
4 ............................ Politics
6 ................... Ask Meagan
7 . Points For Your Health
10 ........... Financial Focus
11 ................. Community
16 ................. Perspectives
18 ... Portrait of the Artist
19 .... Culturally Speaking
20 ......................... Recipes
24 .................... Crossword
27 .................... Classieds
About the Cover
real story reader
\r(-)l str- r-dr\
noun
1. intelligent
2. educated
3. community oriented
Dr. Martha Liddell: In Her Own
Words (Page 2)
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4
politics
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
JOSEPH B. ST. JOHN
stjohnjb@realstorypublishing.com
SPORTS WRITER
JEREMIAH SHORT
jshort@realstorypublishing.com
FEATURE COLUMNISTS
RON PARLATO
rparlato@realstorypublishing.com
KATE SPENCER
kate@realstorypublishing.com
MEAGAN M. ONAN
meagan@realstorypublishing.com
EMILY GAITHER SMITH
emilygsmith@gmail.com
CLARE MALLORY
clare@realstorypublishing.com
MELINDA DUFFIE
melinda@realstorypublishing.com
WRITERS
WHIT HARRINGTON
PAIGE CANIDA-GREENE
ABIGAIL HATHORN
RYAN MUNSON
ABBY MALMSTROM
GUEST FEATURE WRITER
DICK MAHONEY
dmahoney@realstorypublishing.com
ART & PRODUCTION
ART/LAYOUT DIRECTOR
RENEE REEDY
renee@realstorypublishing.com
PHOTOGRAPHERS
MARTIN HOWARD
RICK MANNING
RENEE REEDY
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER
BRENDA MINOR
brenda@realstorypublishing.com
662.251.1839
DISTRIBUTION & CUSTOMER SERVICE
Amelia McPherson
amelia@realstorypublishing.com
PUBLISHER
JOSEPH B. ST. JOHN
CONTACT US:
ads@realstorypublishing.com
info@realstorypublishing.com
letters@realstorypublishing.com
classieds@realstorypublishing.com
subscriptions@realstorypublishing.com
THE REAL STORY
P. O. Box 403
Columbus, MS 39703
Editorial 662.497.2914
Advertising 662.251.1839
Check for daily updates online:
http://realstorypublishing.com
Facebook.com/rspublishing
__________
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SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
$19.95 for 6 Months
$34.95 for 12 Months
Dont Miss An Issue...
Subscribe Online!
Or send your payment and
address information to:
P.O. Box 403
Columbus, MS 39703
Mayor And City Council Address Projected
$1.6 Million Budget Decit
The Real Story Staff Report
Columbus Mayor Robert Smith,
city councilmen and various depart-
ment heads met for more than six
hours over a two-day period in an
attempt to close a projected $1.6 Mil-
lion budget gap.
e Mayor opened the rst day
of discussions on Wednesday, Aug.
15, by asking Chief Financial Of-
cer Mike Bernsen to elaborate on
the cause of the anticipated shortfall.
e reason for the decit is in sev-
eral dierent areas. Appropriations
are up $282,000, exactly as requested
for scal year 2012; money spent on
equipment went over at $335,000;
debt servicing is up $338,000 due to
the nancing for the equipment. e
big boy is personnel services, which is
up to $1,220,511.21, (making) up half
of the total increase, said Bernsen.
Much of the remainder of
Wednesdays session was devoted to
reviewing the proposed 2012-2013
scal year budget.
However, there were some hints
at what was to come the next day.
Bernsen, who had the unfortu-
nate task of being the bearer of bad
news, cited another couple of culprits
for the budget woes. e re depart-
ments spending on overtime is up
$100,000 in the current year. is
apparently stems, at least in part,
from what many people will no doubt
see as an incredibly wasteful policy.
According to Fire Chief Ken Moore,
recruits are hired and undergo basic
training but are not allowed to enter a
burning building until they undergo
the state re commissions certica-
tion process. ere is sometimes a
months-long period between the
hiring of these new reghters and
the time when they can be certied.
So, not only are they being carried
on the payroll while not being able
to enter burning buildings, but other
full-edged remen are pressed into
service, many of whom must be
paid overtime wages. Most taxpay-
ers would see this as a wasteful way
of handling sta ng within the re
department, and rightfully so.
Still, the entire budget shortfall
cannot be attributed to poor planning
such as is evident in the re depart-
ment. Another sore spot is the fact
that retirement spending increased by
more than 14 percent in the past year.
ursdays marathon budget
session opened with a variety of
community organizations appearing
before the council to appeal for funds.
Most, if not all, of these requests were
legitimate and worthwhile. Unfortu-
nately, some of these groups are likely
to be disappoint-
ed, come decision
time.
e lions
share of urs-
days discussion
was spent on
a department-
by-department
review of budget
requests, most of
which experienced
drastic cuts.
Mayor Smith, for his part, at-
tempted to persuade the councilmen
of the need for various line items. He
pointed out that much of the equip-
ment in use by the various depart-
ments, especially Public Works,
is horribly outdated. For
example, some of the vehicles
currently in use date to 1990.
However, the mayors pleas
fell on deaf ears.
Further complicat-
ing matters, it is clear that
the council, at this point, is
refusing to even consider
the possibility of increas-
ing taxes. Bernsen brought
the delicate issue up by oering his
opinion that the only way to close the
gap it to raise taxes, with which Chief
Operations O cer David Armstrong
agreed. Councilman Kabir Karriem
said, regarding a tax increase, Its not
going to happen this year. Council-
man Bill Gavin stated, Im not saying
that personnel and equipment arent
important, but we cant raise taxes.
e councils aversion to raising taxes
likely stems, at least in part, from the
fact that next year is an election year,
and they fear incurring the voters
wrath if they vote for a tax increase.
At the end of the day ursday,
and despite some fairly draconian
cuts in the scal year 2013 budget, the
council was only able to whittle the
decit down to $835,638. e mayor
and council will be meeting again to
continue their eorts, but where they
will nd another $800,000 in cuts is
anybodys guess.
A
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politics
EDITORIAL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
JOSEPH B. ST. JOHN
stjohnjb@realstorypublishing.com
SPORTS WRITER
JEREMIAH SHORT
jshort@realstorypublishing.com
FEATURE COLUMNISTS
RON PARLATO
rparlato@realstorypublishing.com
KATE SPENCER
kate@realstorypublishing.com
MEAGAN M. ONAN
meagan@realstorypublishing.com
EMILY GAITHER SMITH
emilygsmith@gmail.com
CLARE MALLORY
clare@realstorypublishing.com
MELINDA DUFFIE
melinda@realstorypublishing.com
WRITERS
WHIT HARRINGTON
PAIGE CANIDA-GREENE
ABIGAIL HATHORN
RYAN MUNSON
ABBY MALMSTROM
GUEST FEATURE WRITER
DICK MAHONEY
dmahoney@realstorypublishing.com
ART & PRODUCTION
ART/LAYOUT DIRECTOR
RENEE REEDY
renee@realstorypublishing.com
PHOTOGRAPHERS
MARTIN HOWARD
RICK MANNING
RENEE REEDY
ADVERTISING
SALES MANAGER
BRENDA MINOR
brenda@realstorypublishing.com
662.251.1839
DISTRIBUTION & CUSTOMER SERVICE
Amelia McPherson
amelia@realstorypublishing.com
PUBLISHER
JOSEPH B. ST. JOHN
CONTACT US:
ads@realstorypublishing.com
info@realstorypublishing.com
letters@realstorypublishing.com
classieds@realstorypublishing.com
subscriptions@realstorypublishing.com
THE REAL STORY
P. O. Box 403
Columbus, MS 39703
Editorial 662.497.2914
Advertising 662.251.1839
Check for daily updates online:
http://realstorypublishing.com
Facebook.com/rspublishing
__________
Dont miss an issue!
SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
$19.95 for 6 Months
$34.95 for 12 Months
Dont Miss An Issue...
Subscribe Online!
Or send your payment and
address information to:
P.O. Box 403
Columbus, MS 39703
Mayor And City Council Address Projected
$1.6 Million Budget Decit
The Real Story Staff Report
Columbus Mayor Robert Smith,
city councilmen and various depart-
ment heads met for more than six
hours over a two-day period in an
attempt to close a projected $1.6 Mil-
lion budget gap.
e Mayor opened the rst day
of discussions on Wednesday, Aug.
15, by asking Chief Financial Of-
cer Mike Bernsen to elaborate on
the cause of the anticipated shortfall.
e reason for the decit is in sev-
eral dierent areas. Appropriations
are up $282,000, exactly as requested
for scal year 2012; money spent on
equipment went over at $335,000;
debt servicing is up $338,000 due to
the nancing for the equipment. e
big boy is personnel services, which is
up to $1,220,511.21, (making) up half
of the total increase, said Bernsen.
Much of the remainder of
Wednesdays session was devoted to
reviewing the proposed 2012-2013
scal year budget.
However, there were some hints
at what was to come the next day.
Bernsen, who had the unfortu-
nate task of being the bearer of bad
news, cited another couple of culprits
for the budget woes. e re depart-
ments spending on overtime is up
$100,000 in the current year. is
apparently stems, at least in part,
from what many people will no doubt
see as an incredibly wasteful policy.
According to Fire Chief Ken Moore,
recruits are hired and undergo basic
training but are not allowed to enter a
burning building until they undergo
the state re commissions certica-
tion process. ere is sometimes a
months-long period between the
hiring of these new reghters and
the time when they can be certied.
So, not only are they being carried
on the payroll while not being able
to enter burning buildings, but other
full-edged remen are pressed into
service, many of whom must be
paid overtime wages. Most taxpay-
ers would see this as a wasteful way
of handling sta ng within the re
department, and rightfully so.
Still, the entire budget shortfall
cannot be attributed to poor planning
such as is evident in the re depart-
ment. Another sore spot is the fact
that retirement spending increased by
more than 14 percent in the past year.
ursdays marathon budget
session opened with a variety of
community organizations appearing
before the council to appeal for funds.
Most, if not all, of these requests were
legitimate and worthwhile. Unfortu-
nately, some of these groups are likely
to be disappoint-
ed, come decision
time.
e lions
share of urs-
days discussion
was spent on
a department-
by-department
review of budget
requests, most of
which experienced
drastic cuts.
Mayor Smith, for his part, at-
tempted to persuade the councilmen
of the need for various line items. He
pointed out that much of the equip-
ment in use by the various depart-
ments, especially Public Works,
is horribly outdated. For
example, some of the vehicles
currently in use date to 1990.
However, the mayors pleas
fell on deaf ears.
Further complicat-
ing matters, it is clear that
the council, at this point, is
refusing to even consider
the possibility of increas-
ing taxes. Bernsen brought
the delicate issue up by oering his
opinion that the only way to close the
gap it to raise taxes, with which Chief
Operations O cer David Armstrong
agreed. Councilman Kabir Karriem
said, regarding a tax increase, Its not
going to happen this year. Council-
man Bill Gavin stated, Im not saying
that personnel and equipment arent
important, but we cant raise taxes.
e councils aversion to raising taxes
likely stems, at least in part, from the
fact that next year is an election year,
and they fear incurring the voters
wrath if they vote for a tax increase.
At the end of the day ursday,
and despite some fairly draconian
cuts in the scal year 2013 budget, the
council was only able to whittle the
decit down to $835,638. e mayor
and council will be meeting again to
continue their eorts, but where they
will nd another $800,000 in cuts is
anybodys guess.
A
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Controversy Reigns At West Point Board of Selectmen Meeting
Te issue of redistricting was
on the agenda at the Aug. 14, 2012,
meeting of the West Point Board of
Selectmen, and it quickly became the
source of a great deal of claims, coun-
ter-claims and generally harsh words.
Although Mayor Scott Ross and Ward
3 Selectman Charles Collins were the
primary participants in this war of
words, this sense of discord eventu-
ally spread to the other selectmen and
lingered well afer a motion on the
subject was passed.
In an attempt to explain
where the city stood in regards to
redistricting, Ross explained, Te
board, not too long ago, hired Golden
Triangle Planning and Development.
Te plans were presented to us last
Tursday. But nothing is fnal, and
there will be a public hearing where
the people can voice their opinion.
None of the fve wards are overpopu-
lated or underpopulated.
Collins quickly ofered his
opinion. I requested a map from
[the year] 2000 as well as the census
report from 2010 to use as a model
for us. Golden Triangle Planning and
Development did not provide the
information I requested. I talked on
the phone to Mr. McBrayer [Ward 4
Selectman] and Mr. Bobo [Ward 1
Selectman]. Tey agreed that we have
not been provided any information
by G.T.P.D.
Just prior to the start of the
meeting, Collins apparently learned
that a group called Southern Echo
had ofered to submit a plan, free
of charge, as opposed to the $4,200
being charged by G.T.P.D. With this
new information in hand, Collins
attempted to persuade the board to
drop G.T.P.D. from the redistrict-
ing project. Tis is an opportunity
to involve the community. We dont
know where we stand with all of our
accounts, so I move that we terminate
the contract with Golden Triangle
Planning and Development, stated
Collins, who was interrupted im-
mediately by Ross. Im not going to
recognize that motion - no sir, said
Ross. Its nonsensical what you just
said. Te community, by law, is going
to be involved. Tats what the public
hearing is for. When you go around
screwing around with the process,
you run the risk of costing the city
another election. Youve already been
advised of this plan a year ago. You
[we, the board] try to fnd somebody
with no political agenda, unlike
Southern Echo, said Ross, imply-
ing a bias on the part of Southern
Echo. When asked if he remembered
agreeing that something needed to
be changed, McBrayer commented,
During our conversation, all I told
you was that I had not seen the
revised numbers. As the back-and-
forth between Collins and McBrayer
continued, Ross attempted to move
the proceedings forward.
In all fairness, there was only
one map that was approved by the
Justice Department. It is the map that
we went by in 2009, 2005 and 2001.
It has not been changed an inch since
the 2000 census. Its [Collins propos-
al] ridiculous. We had three diferent
groups submit their proposals, Ross
said, implying the lack of a written
submission from Southern Echo. We
cant just pull things out of thin air
and use that as a basis. Tey took the
numbers from the 2010 census and
transferred them to the map. For you
to say that information was not pro-
vided, I dont understand said Ross.
Well let me help you, Collins
snidely retorted. He didnt allow us
to move anything on the map. He did
that in his ofce and refused to give
me the information I requested.
I think that is a very unfair
characterization, said Ross.
Might be, replied Collins.
You sat here in this room, and
I saw you with the very same map
that we operate under today. You
moved this block and that block and
were changing numbers, Ross com-
mented, in an attempt to reiterate that
nothing needs to be changed due to
the even population of all fve wards.
Im not wrong, commented
Collins.
I believe you are, replied Ross,
as the discussion devolved even
further.
Te purpose of redistricting
is so the voters can be equally rep-
resented. We dont do the numbers,
the census bureau does. Like them or
dont, said Ross. Although its not on
the agenda, Ill recognize the motion
in spite of its high irregularity.
Te selectmen continued to ex-
press their opinions, trudging slowly
toward passing a motion. Eventually,
a motion to terminate the relation-
ship with G.T.P.D. passed by a 4-1
vote, much to Ross dismay. Despite
the severing of the contract with
G.T.P.D, the likelihood exists that the
city will have to compensate G.T.P.D
in some amount for their eforts.
Te contentious debate con-
tinued for several minutes afer the
motion was passed, as Ross tried to
restore some semblance of order to
the proceedings.
By Whit Harrington
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Owner/Therapist, LMT 1037
413 4th Ave. S., Suite #16
Columbus, MS 39701
Call for an appointment. 662-574-1139
Hours By Appointment Only
1st Year Anniversary Special
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* Does not include Ashiatsu Oriental Bar Therapy
6

thewholeperson
Dear Meagan,
My mom was just diagnosed
with breast cancer and is going to be
going through chemo very soon. Since
my dad passed away, and I am an only
child, I am going to have to be in the
role of caretaker for a while. Mom and
I have a history of butting heads and
arguing a lot, so I am really unsure of
how all of this is going to go. Do you
have any tips to help me through this
tough time?
Sincerely,
Frazzled Daughter
Dear Frazzled Daughter,
In order to be successful at being
a loving and patient caretaker (if that
is what you want to be), you must
frst do what you have to do to take
care of you. With a lot of weight on
your shoulders now, it is important to
fnd what you need to do in order to
lighten the load. Tis process might be
trial-and-error for a while, and maybe
even a little bit rocky, but you can fnd
a balance that makes you feel good
about yourself and prepares you to be
the best caretaker you can be for your
mom.
Te time to start balancing your
life is now. Dont wait for the chemo
treatments to begin for your mom.
Start making a plan of what you can
do on a daily basis that will put you in
a space of love and not in a space of
fear or frustration. Everyone is difer-
entyou may fnd that meditating for
30 minutes on a daily basis works to
get your day started and then realize
that you need a good workout when
you get frustrated. Te idea is to start
paying attention to what works for
you at what times (when you want
to feel love or when you want to feel
patience) and begin to make a list of
tools that you can use when you need
them. You can make a list of tools that
goes something like this:
I realize that having quiet time
for 30 minutes a day puts me at ease
and allows me to go with the fow of
life.
I know that writing in my
journal in order to share my thoughts
and feelings will help me let go of any
arguments I have with my mom.
I realize that walking two to
three times a week helps me feel
better, and it gets my positive energy
moving.
I know now that it benefts me to
get up and walk away from anything
that begins to frustrate me, and that
doing deep breathing exercises helps
calm my emotions.
My life is a journey, and I am
willing to learn and grow.
I am my top priority making
time for myself allows me to be ev-
erything I want to be (insert who you
want to be here).
You can alter these tools in ways
that work for you. Remember what is
most important to you. When you go
through something like taking your
mom through chemo, it can get to
be very emotional and very stressful
because you are scared of the outcome
or afraid of losing your mom. Fear
ofen exposes itself as frustration, and
that is why putting yourself in a place
of faith and possibility each day is so
important.
Figure out what is most valu-
able for you to walk away with once
this experience is over. Will it be that
you enjoyed the time you spent with
your mom? Will it be that you were
able to care for your mom in a loving
and compassionate manner? It doesnt
matter what you want out of this
experience, what does matter is that
you know what your purpose is and
are willing to do whatever you need
to do to have that experience. I know
you will do great and that everything
is going to be okay.
Meagan ONan
Do you have questions about your
life, career or relationships? Ask Mea-
gan! E-mail reaches her at meagan@
realstorypublishing.com. Personal
information, such as your name, will
NOT be divulged.
Topic: Caretaking Parents
Meagan ONan
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No pain, no gain has long been
a motto of many people who exercise.
Even people who dont exercise regu-
larly are afected by this because of
injuries and improper body position
while performing tasks. Pain is not
necessarily just a physical result, it
also exists in the brain. Tis translates
into injuries, exhaustion and burnout.
Muscle fatigue is one thing, but pain
is a sign that something is wrong.
Tere are two types of pain:
acute and chronic. Acute pain is
usually indicative of an injury. Tere
is an exact place on the body that
you can point to that hurts, such as
experiencing a sudden twinge in your
back during squats or hitting your
leg on the corner of a table. If tissue
is damaged, there could be swelling,
bruising, infammation and possible
scarring.
Chronic pain is ongoing, such
as a backache or a hip hurting over a
long period of time, and the level of
severity can come and go or subside
altogether for a time. Chronic pain
can be produced by performing
repetitive motions over the years. In
this process of movement, over time
you develop discomfort, which causes
you to move in other ways and com-
pensate with your body diferently.
Ten you just wake up with it. Tis
cycle can come and go. Your body
was letting you know along the way
that it didnt like what you were do-
ing, but you werent paying attention.
Infammation may also be present
in this situation as well, even though
you are not aware of it.
Pain-free movement can be a
way to increase healing and get rid of
pain in both acute and chronic forms.
Te most common ways people deal
with pain are to work through it or
stop moving until it goes away. Tis is
wrong on both counts. Keep mov-
ing unless life threatening, but never
move into pain.
If you experience a muscle
cramp or a twinge while you are
working out, dont ignore it until it
becomes a scream. Address it as soon
as it happens by doing the following:
1. Stop what you are doing.
2. Check your form and see if
there is still pain.
3. Reduce your speed if there is
still any pain.
4. Reduce the weight and re-
check for pain.
5. Reduce range of motion and
recheck for pain.
6. If there is still pain, do some
other movement where there is no
pain.
Do not stop moving - just fnd
a way to move that is not painful.
Movement plays an important role
in how well you are doing. Your
body will adapt to whether you
use it or lose it. If you dont move
something for a while, your body
will adjust to support idle move-
ment. Bone disappears and muscles
atrophy.
Tese same principles hold true
for day-to-day activities and work
situations. For instance, you have a
computer job, so you sit for most of
the time. Your back hurts, hips are
stif and shoulders are up in your
ears, and you get up, trying to work
it out. You begin to walk and do
things diferently to compensate, or
maybe do less moving around than
usual. You lean to one side, shoulders
rounded to the front instead of relax-
ing back and down, and you walk
heavier on one leg than the other.
Ten you begin to develop chronic
pain because of it. Over time, your
body tries to tell you that it doesnt
like that.
Te solution is to fnd the source
of the issue, what started the problem.
Make sure your chair is supportive
so you dont lean and sit incorrectly.
Tis will also help you to be aware
of slouching so you can correct your
posture. Make sure that your key-
board is in an ergonomic position.
You may also need to take this even
one step further and check your mat-
tress. Does your back hurt or hips or
shoulders ache? Many people sufer
from unknown pain as a result of a
mattress that is not supportive. As
you can see, there are many reasons
why you hurt, so exploring multiple
causes may be prudent.
Te most important things to
remember about experiencing pain,
whether you are exercising or per-
forming daily tasks, are:
Pain is a signal to stop and re-
evaluate.
Be smart with how you work
out always perform each exercise in
proper form and at reasonable speed.
Go hard or go home is a
recipe for pain.
Eliminate infammation so the
body can heal itself.
Lack of movement can create a
continuous cycle of pain.
Compensating for one painful
movement produces other restricted
movements.
Melinda Duffe
No Pain, No Gain?
Body
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Ive been treating a lot of people
for scars lately - not for looks (al-
though we do that, too), but for pain
so bad that sometimes it doesnt even
respond to morphine.
Sometimes the pain is directly
related geographically to the scar; at
other times it is in a place that would
seem, on the surface, to have nothing
at all to do with the scar (in acupunc-
ture theory, the body contains endless
mirror images of itself, and so a scar
on someones right ankle can be the
cause of restricted movement in their
lef shoulder). And the pain doesnt
have to be just muscular; scar tissue
can cause numerous other symptoms,
from digestive disorders to nerve
problems to headaches, depending on
where they are located on the body.
One patient of mine with IBS (irri-
table bowel syndrome), for example,
had a dramatic reduction in her di-
gestive symptoms following treatment
of an old scar on her abdomen.
Scar tissue is actually the bodys
attempt to heal itself. Whenever we
have a wound, whether its from an
accident or surgery, as that wound
heals, scar tissue develops under-
neath the scar itself. Basically, the scar
tissue is formed from fbrous tissue
that the body lays down in the area
of injury to strengthen that area. Tis
is a healing mechanism employed by
the body. Over time, however, that
fbrous tissue can cause other prob-
lems: Due to a lack of blood supply
to this tissue, it has limited function,
circulation and range of motion. Scar
tissue can also decrease the fexibility,
strength and power of muscle, ofen
leading to further injury down the
road. And if scar tissue is causing that
much disruption of physical tissue,
the same thing is happening energeti-
cally too, blocking whatever channels
the scar happens to be sitting on and
causing symptoms elsewhere in the
body.
Unfortunately, there doesnt
seem to be much that takes care of
old scar tissue beyond massage (lim-
ited efect) and surgery to remove the
scar tissue (yes, thats right; the sur-
gery will itself cause new scar tissue
to be laid down), and long-term or
chronic conditions and pain are ofen
the result of old scar tissue.
Fortunately, acupuncture is ex-
tremely efective at increasing move-
ment in scar tissue. I have treated
many people for chronic pain that is
traceable back to a scar somewhere
on their body. Te results of these
treatments ofen border on what
seems like the miraculous. Its very
rewarding to see patients of chronic
narcotics and opioids as a result
of something as simple as creating
movement under an old scar.
Te sad part about this, how-
ever, is that a lot of this is avoidable:
Treating scars in their early stages of
healing will go a long way to prevent
long-term pain in many people.
Because of the inevitable laying
down of scar tissue and its long-term
efects, it is good practice to take
care of a newly healed scar - which is
why, afer surgery, a person is usually
prescribed physical therapy of one
form or another (movement helps the
healing process). Tere are other ways
to take care of a newly healing scar,
including gentle circular massage;
moisturizing with vitamin E, aloe or
lavender oil; and taking extra vitamin
C and E. Beyond helping the scar heal
without too much keloid formation
(the unsightly raised growth of a scar
that ofen happens), taking care of
a new scar also helps keep circula-
tion going in the underlying tissues
that are forming. Acupuncture, too,
helps, not just with the healing of the
new scar itself but with the bodys
recuperative process as well. And, of
course, a massage therapist trained
in scar tissue massage (please in-
quire about their experience) can be
extremely valuable during this early
period of healing.
So next time you get a cut or tear
or undergo surgery, keep all of this
in mind. And if you have ongoing
pain that no-ones found a reason for,
it may be worthwhile to take a quick
inventory of your scars and check in
for some acupuncture or massage.
Remember: Taking charge of your
health now will save you a ton of
time, money and misery in the long
run!
Whats in a Scar?
By Clare Mallory

thewholeperson
points for
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community
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Its A Great Day To Be A Falcon! Page 1
August 13, 2012
The State of the District Message
From the Superintendent of Education, Columbus School District
Welcome to our best year yet!
My team and I are 100% focused on improving student achievement and
community involvement in Columbus School District.
As Superintendent of Education for Columbus Schools, I have begun in July 2012 the
implementation plan for the new Believe and Achieve Strategic Improvement Goals and
Objectives for the 2012-2013 school year utilizing a research-based teaching and learning
initiative designed that prepares students to meet the requirements of the Common Core State
Standards and Annual Growth Targets/Expectations set by the MS Department of Education.
In my opinion, Columbus Schools has the best Management Team, principals, teachers and
support staff in Mississippi who are working "together" as a team to improve student learning
outcomes. My core value as an educational leader is the belief that we must have a "Master
Teacher" in every classroom.
Teachers and Principals who care about every student enough to believe they can and will
achieve regardless of the color of their skin color, their socioeconomic background, the
neighborhood they live in or what has happened in their past. We have these kinds of
"champions" in Columbus Schools classrooms and where we are falling short; we are standing
shoulder to shoulder this school year to work on school improvement together.
How? By Leading a System-wide Educational Reform Effort that Includes
Every School, Every Teacher, Every Principal, Every Student and Every
Management Team in the District.
Improvement Step 1: I've implemented and begun on-going professional development to
effectively implement The Columbus Schools Believe and Achieve Systemic Learning
Initiative that is based on a researched-based improvement designed called the Essential
Practices of Instruction (EPI). My Management Team and I along with consultants with JBHM
Education Group consultants have begun a yearlong systematic student achievement
improvement effort with teachers that place resources, attention, support and collaboration at the
classroom level.
Its A Great Day To Be A Falcon! Page 2
All of the district's principals, curriculum coordinators, lead teachers, Management Team and
school board members participated this summer in the first phase of professional development
during the Columbus Schools Summer Leadership Academy on July 18-20, 2012.
Columbus Schools Fall Leadership Institute: Scheduled for August 17
th

The Fall Leadership Institute follow up training is scheduled for Friday, August 17, 2012, at
10:00 am at central office/Parent Center. The Board of Trustees and the public are invited to
attend and to be an integral part of improving public education in Columbus.
Improvement Step 2: The second new initiative that is underway actively involves the
community and earnestly seeks stakeholders' input, suggestions and feedback from educators and
citizens from all walks of life in the Columbus community have been invited them to come
together to help educators and I improve public education in Columbus, Mississippi.
The Board of Trustees and the community is invited to the inaugural meeting of the Columbus
Schools Educational Leadership Council on Saturday, August 25, 2012, from 8:30 - 12:30 p.m.
in the central office board room.
First Meeting of the Columbus Schools Educational Leadership Council:
Scheduled for August 25
th

My Management Team and I along with special guests and our strategic planning workshop
facilitators, Dr. Tom Burnham, former State Superintendent of Education, Dr. Susan Rucker,
Director of Leadership and Workforce Development at the University of Mississippi and Julie
Jordan, Director of the Research and Curriculum Unit at Mississippi State University. Yes, I'm
bringing "bulldogs and bears" together for a fun and purposeful day. Besides I want to prove that
Bully and Black Bear can pull together for a good cause.
To learn more about the council and the specific goals the council will undertake this year, click
here: www.columbuscityschools.org
I am very pleased about the level of participation of citizens who were very eager and willing to
become more involved in joining with Columbus Management Team, principals, teachers and
parents to improve schools for all students; because we cherish and respect all children and all
people.
My Believe and Achieve strategic planning goals and objectives are now IN ACTION for
Columbus Schools thanks to the teamwork, vision and purpose of our instructional leadership
team and support staff.
I believe in each and every one of our teachers and administrators. You have what it takes. The
way each of you are working daily to successfully implement the "Essential Practices of
Instruction" tell me that you believe students deserve more than just our best intentions in order
to make the leap from Good to Great.
Its A Great Day To Be A Falcon! Page 3
Making the Leap from Good to Great: Why SomeMake the Leap
and Others Dont
The author of the book I referenced above, Jim Collins, says in no uncertain terms that before
any organization can be Great, it must first face the "brutal facts." The brutal facts for Columbus
Schools are that nearly 45% of our students overall are achieving "below proficient" level and
nearly 30% of our students are dropping out of school.
It's time for these "brutal facts" to change and they won't change unless with a business as usual
mentality. We must work more strategically and collaboratively to improve student learning
outcomes as we are doing with Columbus Schools "Believe and Achieve" Systemic Learning
Initiative. Teachers, administrators and support staff, you can make a difference.
Oh Yes, It's a Great Day to be Falcon!
When I first wrote the phrase, It's a Great Day to be a Falcon in 2009 on behalf of Columbus
School District to submit as part of a grant proposal I was submitting to US Department of
Education, I wasn't sure if the phrase would resonate with the grant reviewers.
It did, but more importantly it resonated in Columbus Schools and now has become who we are
as a school district; because it captures the winning spirit we have as educators and the hope we
connections of hope we have as stakeholders for the success of the district and students.
Talking a Good Game is Good; Winning the Game is Better
Let's Win Together!
My Management Team and I will be schools and classrooms more this school year than ever
before. Each Management Team member has been assigned a specific school in the district
where they will serve as that site's Achievement Coach." Teachers need to know that from the
top down they are cared about and the work that must be done is so important that "everyone" is
expected to contribute to educating students well in Columbus Schools.
Teachers, students and parents need to see district and school administrators in classrooms on a
weekly basis observing the learning environment to give teachers specific support and feedback
to help them become master teachers.
Practice What We Preach
I can think of no better way to show teachers, students and parents that we really mean it than by
practicing what we preach.
We are in this together and teamwork makes us stronger than any individual or I will ever be
alone. We are the heroes we seek and it's time we start leaping over tall buildings in a single
bound and marvel (no pun intended) over what we can accomplish as a team. When we educate
for student success, we have super powers and I call this super power "teamwork!"
Its A Great Day To Be A Falcon! Page 4
As Superintendent, I will never have a monument, tower, holiday or building named after me and
I wouldn't want one or be arrogant enough to believe Ive earned one. What I do want, though, is
for students in Columbus School District to receive the BEST education possible and have the
skills and confidence they need to graduate from high school better prepared for the future that
waits them. Thats the only monument Ill ever needlike the starfish scorching in the hot
summer sun that was tossed back into the sea by someone who took the time to save that one.
The legacy we can have together as educators and as a community is building human potential
through the kind of innovation that occurs when we strengthen the American spirit by equipping
our youngest and most vulnerable citizens with the education they need to compete nationally
and internationally.
As an educational community, to be CHAMPIONS we must "put students first." If you can do
that and if we do it "together", this will be our BEST YEAR YET. Have a great school year
everyone.
Dr. Martha Liddell
Superintendent of Education
Mother of Ben, First Grader at Stokes-Beard Elementary School, Mrs. Bates Class
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9

community
Town and Tower Club Breakfast
Special To The Real Story
Te Mississippi Main Street As-
sociation held its frst board meeting
of the new fscal year and formally
welcomed new ofcers andmembers
to the state board of directors.
Te following are new ofcers of
the MMSA board for 2012-2014:
President Barry PlunkettofB.
Plunkett & Associates, Inc. in Jack-
son; President-elect Joey Hudnall
ofNeel-Schafer inJackson; Trea-
surer Mark Loughman of Mississippi
Power inGulfport; and Chairman
Randy Burchfeld of Bancorp South
inTupelo.
Te following were elected as
new members of the board:
Allison Beasley, planning
director of the Southern Mississippi
Planning and Development District
in Hattiesburg; Robert E. Smith,
Sr., mayor of the City of Columbus;
Sheila Varnado, executive director
of R3SM, Inc. in Hattiesburg; Wyatt
Waters, artist and gallery owner in
Clinton; and Beth Williams, general
manager of Te Alluvian Hotel and
Spa in Greenwood.
Brent Christensen, executive
director of the Mississippi Develop-
ment Authority, became an ex-ofcio
member of the board. MDA is the
organizations largest public investor
and partner.
Te ofcers and new members
were nominated and elected unani-
mously at the MMSA Annual Awards
meeting on June 21 and formally
welcomed at the board meeting on
August 9.
Te MMSA board of directors
meets every other month in Jackson
or other Main Street cities across the
state. In the last fscal year, the board
met in Pascagoula and Starkville and
was given tours of the downtown
areas and overviewsof the progress
of the local Main Street programsby
Main Street managers.
Te other members of the cur-
rent MMSA board include:
-Steve Kelly, Entergy in Jackson
-Hibbett Neel, Neel-Shafer in Jack-
son
-Bill Scruggs, St. Dominic Health
Services, Inc. in Jackson
-Suzanne Smith, Renasant Bank in
Tupelo
-Lise Foy, Canton Chamber Main
Street Association (Managers Repre-
sentative)
-Mickey Howley, Water Valley Main
Street Association (Managers Repre-
sentative)
-H.T. Holmes, Mississippi Depart-
ment of Archives and History (Per-
manent Member)
-Leland Speed, East Group/Parkway
Properties (Permanent Member)
- Jim West, MSU College of Archi-
tecture, Art and Design (Permanent
Member)
-Ken PPool, Mississippi Department
of Archives and History (Designated
Representative)
-John Poros, Te MSU Carl Small
Town Center(Designated Represen-
tative)
-Joy Foy,Mississippi Development
Authority(Designated Representa-
tive)
-Alex Tomas,Mississippi Develop-
ment Authority (Ex Ofcio)
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Edwina Williams, also known as
Mother Goose, makes her way to her
seat at the Aug. 14 Town and Tower
Club breakfast.
Mississippi University for Women Pres-
ident Dr. James Borsig speaks about the
economic impact that MUW has on the
community.
Mississippi Main Street Association Announces New Ofcers And Board Members
New members, from lef to right:
Mayor Robert Smith; Sheila Varnado;
Allison Beasley; Beth Williams; and
Wyatt Waters.
Pictured at the Roast and Boast Silent Auction on Tursday, August 16 are (l-r)
Fay Dexter, Dodie Colvin,Jane Lee, Melinda Dufe,Mike Law, Paul Clardy,
Butch Crouse
Roast and Boast Silent Auction
Bill Kane, a Real Story reader in New Zealand, celebrates his birthday.
Happy Birthday
Dr. Julia Mortyakova has been
selected to chair Mississippi Univer-
sity for Womens music department.
Previously employed as as-
sistant professor of music at Alcorn
State University, Mortyakova brings
a wealth of teaching experience from
the Mandelstam Teater in Miami,
the University of Miami, the New
York University Steinhardt School of
Education and the Vanderbilt Uni-
versity Blair School of Music. She
has numerous recitals, recordings,
appearances and presentations to her
credit.
Te position combines her dual
passion for leadership and academia,
she explained.
Prior to working as a profes-
sor at Alcorn, I served as president of
numerous organizations, including
the National Association of Graduate-
Professional Students.During my
tenure at NAGPS, I worked to give
the organization a stronger identity
and presence through fundraising,
lobbying Congress, membership re-
cruitment, partnership development
and conference planning.
I hope to utilize my experi-
ences in my duties at MUW. As a new
department, we can draw on our rich
musical history to establish a pre-
mier musical program with a strong
reputation. As a chair, I hope to con-
tinue fulflling Weenona Poindexters
dream, Mortyakova said.
Te Natchez resident was drawn
to MUW because of the strong musi-
cal impact it has had on the state of
Mississippi.
She said, Troughout my
involvement in the state music orga-
nizations, I have met many alumni
who are exceptional musicians and
teachers. Tis made me very interest-
ed in learning more about the institu-
tion.As someone who specializes in
women composers, I am honored to
be working at an institution that his-
torically pioneered public education
for women.
As the new chair, Mortyakova
looks forward to strengthening com-
munity engagement and outreach,
expanding the student body and
establishing Poindexter Hall as an
epicenter for musical and intellectual
activities in the area.
My goal is to educate and pre-
pare our students for the competitive
global job market. I plan to bring the
music department into the national
spotlight with a high level of musi-
cal activities we host featuring our
students, faculty and guest artists.
She added that MUW is her
dream place to work. Te moment
I stepped onto the MUW campus,
I felt at home. I was touched by the
warmth of the faculty, students and
administrators and fell in love with
the beautiful campus.
Mortyakova earned her doc-
tor of musical arts degree in piano
performance from the University of
Miami and her master of arts in mu-
sic performance from New York Uni-
versity. She has a bachelors degree in
music with a double major in philos-
ophy from Vanderbilt University.
New Music Chair Looks To Establish
Premier Program At MUW
Special To The Real Story
10
If youre somewhat familiar
with investing, you may know that
the Roth IRA is a great retirement-
savings vehicle. But are you aware
that some of its benefts can also pay
of for the next generation of your
family?
To understand why this is so, its
necessary to be familiar with a Roth
IRAs features. For starters, when you
contribute to a Roth IRA, your earn-
ings have the potential to grow tax
free, provided you dont start taking
withdrawals until youre 59 and
youve had your account at least fve
years. Te amounts you contributed
arent taxed when withdrawn because
youve already paid taxes on the
money you put in. And the potential
for tax-free earnings can continue
even when your benefciaries inherit
your Roth IRA, though youll need to
consult with your tax advisor on this
issue.
A Roth IRA also ofers other
features that can help you build re-
sources for retirement while possibly
helping your surviving family mem-
bers. For one thing, you can contrib-
ute to your Roth IRA for as long as
you have some earned income, up to
the contribution limits, and as long as
you meet certain income limitations.
Even if youve ofcially retired, you
might do some consulting or part-
time work. So you could put some of
your earnings into your Roth IRA.
Tis ability to keep funding your
Roth IRA virtually indefnitely can
give you more fexibility in manag-
ing your retirement income- and,
depending on how you do manage
that income and what your other ob-
jectives may be, you may also end up
with more money that could be lef to
your benefciaries.
Also, unlike a traditional IRA
or a 401(k), a Roth IRA does not
require you to start taking minimum
distributions at age 70. In fact,
you areneverrequired to withdraw
money from your Roth IRA. And
by leaving your account intact for as
long as possible, youll potentially
have more money available for a va-
riety of options one of which may
involve leaving sums to your benef-
ciaries. Your non-spouse benefciaries
must take annual required minimum
distributions, but they have the op-
tion to take the distributions over
their lifetime.
Keep in mind, though, that your
Roth IRA is part of your estate for
purposes of federal estate taxes. In
2012, your estate would be subject to
these taxes if it were worth more than
$5.12 million (or less, if you made
certain gifs). In 2013, however, this
amount is scheduled to drop to $1
million unless Congress acts on this
issue. (Some states also have estate
taxes that apply at amounts less than
the federal amount.) In any case, if
you have a sizable estate, you should
consult with your tax and legal advi-
sors.
When you invest in a Roth IRA,
your goal, frst and foremost, is to
help fund your retirement. In fact,
basically all your decisions regard-
ing your Roth IRA how much to
contribute, where to invest the money
and when to begin taking withdraw-
als should be based on your own
retirement goals. However, as a side
beneft to investing in a Roth IRA,
you may fnd that you could help out
the next generation, or two, of your
family.
Tis article was written for use by your
local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
For questions, please contact Ryan Mun-
son at ryan.munson@edwardjones.com
Roth IRA: For Your Retirement And Beyond

community
By Ryan Munson
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Mississippi University for
Womens Eugenia Summer Gallery
kicks of the 2012-2013 season with
selections from the Permanent Col-
lection.
Te show, which opened on
Tuesday, Aug. 14, is unique because
it focuses on Collections Within the
Collection.
We are using this theme be-
cause it allows the gallery to highlight
some works that will be new to both
our students and our regular visi-
tors as well as allowing us to put a
focus on some more familiar works
that have not been shown recently,
said Alex Stelioes-Wills, the gallerys
director.
Te collections that are being
displayed include Ukiyo-e prints
(Hiroshige and a Hokusai); Works
Progress Administration prints (Basil
Hawkins, Hugh Botts and Maybel W.
Jack); a selection of works represent-
ing MUWs history in the arts (Ralph
Hudson; Eugenia Summer; Dr.
Evelyn Stringer; Larry Feeney; and
Tomas Nawrocki); a selection of the
screen print collection, Cityscapes; a
selection of the Copeland collection
(Walter Anderson and the Anderson
family); and a selection of big names
(includingKthe Kollwitz, Pierre
Bonnard and Alberto Giacometti).
Stelioes-Wills said, Te high-
lighting of the Copeland collection
and the selection of works from past
MUW faculty and students contrib-
utes to this efort of building and
strengthening ties with the people
and communities who have support-
ed the Department of Art and Design
for 40 years.
He added that the exhibition is a
preview of the primary theme of the
upcoming spring season outreach
- which will include the Community
College Faculty Show; the Congres-
sional High School Competition; the
Alumni Juried Show; and the Kappa
Pi exhibition.
We start every gallery season
with an exhibition of works from the
Permanent Collection because it is
part of our service to our students,
the campus and the community,
Stelioes-Wills said.Te Permanent
Collection is an important teaching
tool for the Department of Art and
Design. Faculty members bring their
classes to the exhibition to discuss the
works. For the campus and for the
community, this is a chance, once a
year, for people to see a real Matisse
or a real Chagall or a real Marie Hull.
Very few small public univer-
sities have art collections of such
breadth, he added.
Te Eugenia Summer Gallery
maintains the MUW Permanent Col-
lection, a collection of nearly 1,000
works of art. Te gallery director and
student assistants are responsible
for storing, organizing, cataloguing,
restoring, presenting and exhibit-
ing works in the permanent collec-
tion. MUWs Department of Art and
Design started collecting artwork in
the 1940s.
Stelioes-Wills will highlight
some of the works in the collection
at a gallery talk on Monday, Aug. 20,
12:10-12:50 p.m. Punch and chips
will be provided. Guests are encour-
aged to bring their own lunch. Col-
lections Within the Collection ends
Tursday, Sept. 6.
Te Eugenia Summer Gallery
is located on the southwest corner of
the MUW campus, directly east of the
Stark Recreation Center. Te gallery
is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday
through Friday.
MUW Permanent Collection Show
Features Collections Within the Collection
Special to The Real Story
~la, ..l, &~.~ ~ :.!
A Quaint Cozy Restaurant and Market
513 MAIN STREET
Looking for a relaxing atmosphere, delicious cuisine, a sophisticated are with attractive prices, CONTINENTAL MARKET & BISTRO offers that and so much more.
Continental Market & Bistro is your place for social lunches, business meetings, Garden Club meetings, girls night out, bunko, bridal showers & luncheons,
private wine and cheese tasting parties.
.t.~:l .l~ a v.
.t.~:l .l~ a v.
A few of the house originals:
Danas French Onion, Tomato Basil & Roasted
Garlic Potato Soups Caprese Salmon & Dill,
Shrimp & Asparagus Quiches Butterkase Baby,
The Marilyn & The Duke Grilled Cheeses
Summer & Holiday Chicken Salads
Gorgonapple Salad ShrimpACodo Salad
Handmade Chocolates - Two Bites of Heaven
One of a kind desserts
The Market offers gourmet
food items, wine accessories,
candles, comeback sauce, brie
condiments & bakers, creme
brulee mixes, lots of great
cookbooks and much, much
more.
MARKET HOURS BISTRO HOURS
TUESDAY - FRIDAY 10 AM-3PM 11AM-2-PM
SATURDAY 8 AM-3PM 8 AM-2PM
CONTINENTAL MARKET & BISTRO 513 MAIN STREET COLUMBUS MS 662-328-2021
Studio arts major Kourtney Riley, a
senior at Mississippi University for
Women, and Alex Stelioes-Wills, Eu-
genia Summer Gallery director, hang
selections from MUWs Permanent
Collection, which will be on display
Aug. 14 through Sept. 6. Tis print/
etching by Kthe Kollwitz is titled
Death and the Maiden and was
done in 1910. (Photo by Chris Jenkins/
MUW Ofce of Public Afairs.)
Baptist Memorial Hospital-
Golden Triangle has achieved gold
certication from the Mississippi
Cancer Registry based on the hospi-
tals submission of timely, complete
and high-quality data.
Baptist Golden Triangle submit-
ted at least 95 percent of its expected
volume of cancer cases diagnosed
and/or receiving the rst course of
treatment at the hospital, and of
those, less than 2 percent was missing
crucial information such as age, sex
or city of residence.
e purpose of the award is to
recognize hospitals for submitting
information so that the Mississippi
Cancer Registry can eectively moni-
tor the amount of cancer cases in the
state.
We are proud of our Baptist
Centers for Cancer Care sta for
achieving this national standard, said
Paul Cade, administrator and CEO of
Baptist Golden Triangle. Maintain-
ing up-to-date data is crucial to the
health of Mississippi.
is years certication is based
on data from 2010.

11
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Baptist Golden Triangle Achieves Highest
Certication For Cancer Care Data
Special To The Real Story
e Gordy Honors College
Forum series opens ursday, Aug.
23, at 6 p.m. at Nissan Auditorium
in Parkinson Hall on the campus of
Mississippi University for Women.
e Forum Series continues through
November, presenting lectures, lm
and undergraduate research.
Dr. omas G. Velek, director of
the Gordy Honors College, is pleased
that the Forum Series continues to
be one of the premier lecture series
in the state. e series strives to oer
dynamic and stimulating presenta-
tions for the MUW campus and the
Columbus community as a whole.
e series opens on Aug. 23
with a discussion of the importance
of overseas study and an exploration
of potential opportunities. e recent
trip by MUW to Belgium will be a
focus, as will upcoming study-abroad
opportunities.
On Sept. 6, Dr. Ronald Cossman
from Mississippi State University will
present e Burning Man Festival
- A City of Front Porches (and re,
dust, re, music, re, structures on
re and mutant vehicles). Cossman
explores the geography and demog-
raphy of Burning Man, a temporary
city of 50,000 situated on a dry lake
bed in Nevada. On the one hand, it is
a temporary space that seeks to elude
formal structures of control. Yet over
its 26-year-run, principles have de-
veloped to provide order to this city.
is presentation examines front
porches, participatory art and some
really bizarre-looking vehicles.
On Sept. 20, Dr. Paul Mack of
MUW will present Biological Arms
Races: What You Dont Know Can
Still Kill You. Mack explains that
the term arms race originated as a
human construct over a century ago
but has been adopted by biologists to
refer to a wide range of co-evolution-
ary interactions. ese interactions
range from such classics as predator/
prey standos to less direct conicts
between competitors for the same
food source. All that is really needed
is a basic antagonism a feature that
is easily provided in a world where
environments are variable and there
are never enough resources to go
around.
e series continues on Oct. 4,
when Sen. (R) Sally Burcheld Doty
presents Campaigns and Common
Sense; How to Keep Your Sanity in
the Crazy World of Politics. Sen.
Doty represents Lincoln, Lawrence
and portions of Simpson Counties in
the Mississippi Senate. In the Senate,
her committee assignments include
drug policy and economic develop-
ment. She serves as the committee
chair for Governor Bryants Teen
Pregnancy Prevention Task Force. On
Nov. 1, continuing the pre-election
theme, attorney Elizabeth Crowell of
Jackson will present It Is Your Vote
and It Still Matters. Crowell is a rep-
resentative of the American Associa-
tion of University Women.
e Forum Series will conclude
on Nov. 8 and 29 with the Honors
Colleges Fall Research Symposiums.
e event will showcase the under-
graduate research of MUW seniors
who are working on honors research
projects. A poster session will be pre-
sented by students midway through
projects, and nal research presenta-
tions will be made.
Velek said that this semester
there are so many students doing
honors research that the symposium
had to be spread across two eve-
nings. It is exciting that we have so
many students doing undergraduate
research and that the quality of the
work done at MUW is so high.
All presentations will be at 6
p.m. in Nissan Auditorium and will
be free and open to the public. Speak-
ers will be available aer their presen-
tation to meet and greet members of
the audience. For further information
or to reserve group seating, contact
Dr. omas G. Velek attvelek@
as.muw.eduor (662) 241-6850, or
visithttp://web2.muw.edu/index.php/
en/main-honors/.
MUWs Gordy Honors College Forum
Series Announces Fall Schedule
Special To The Real Story
12

community
Assumptions. People make them
all of the time. Oen, they prove to be
inaccurate. Such was the case when I
entered Rings & Strings on Highway
45 North recently.
I must confess that I had not
been inside this incredible business
before last week. As a result, I only
had my imagination to draw upon in
terms of what the store was all about.
Wow, was I surprised! I may
have been exposed to too much reality
TV, but I wasnt prepared for all of the
wonders that I was about to behold!
e rst thing that I noticed was
the gleaming display case at the back
of the store. I guess that it is natural
for visitors to look straight ahead.
Upon broadening my eld
of vision, I noticed, to my right, a
bountiful array of electronic equip-
ment. ere were amps, speakers,
microphones and so much more. All
of it was neatly arranged and carefully
displayed. On my le was a gorgeous
display of guitars with a large vari-
ety of styles and colors. ere must
have been 30 of them, all lined up on
stands just waiting for someone to
pick them up and rock out. And I am
told that this is not the sum total of
the guitar inventory. ere are more
in the back, waiting on their turn
in the spotlight. Now, dont get me
wrong there is a lot of stu in this
store, but the items are neatly orga-
nized so that there is plenty of room
for moving about and browsing.
ey dont just sell guitars and
sound equipment, either. ey have
a large selection of accessories, such
as guitar strings, drum sticks, micro-
phones, cables and much more.
With all of this musical gear
comes the distinction of being the
largest full-line music store in the
Golden Triangle. In addition, they
are proud to have been the exclusive
dealer for Peavey products since 1991.
Now, on to the rst thing that
grabbed my attention: the jewelry in
the case. is is what makes Rings &
Strings so unusual: the fact that there
is a jewelry store inside of a music
store. ey have an incredible collec-
tion of rings, bracelets, necklaces and
watches. And make no mistake about
it this is quality merchandise. ey
oer vintage and estate jewelry in ad-
dition to new items.
Rings & Strings also has another
interesting element: ey oer pawn
services. is means that they will
accept certain items such as jewelry,
music and sound equipment as col-
lateral for a short-term loan, or they
sometimes buy the items outright.
Owner Denise Reid is very par-
ticular when it comes to this aspect
of her business. She is very selective
about what she will accept and goes
above and beyond state regulatory
requirements to conrm the owner-
ship of the items that she purchases.
It is that attention to detail that has
earned her the sterling reputation that
she enjoys today, and which keeps
customers returning year aer year.
As a matter of fact, Reid stated that
she rarely advertises the pawn portion
of her business, relying upon word of
mouth a strategy that has obviously
served her well.
Reid is one smart entrepreneur.
She understands that to remain suc-
cessful, her business must be con-
stantly evolving. It is a philosophy that
she has embraced since the business
was founded in 1987.
Many locals will remember that
the business started out as Truloves
and was located in the old Shirleys
Minute Mart building. Some time
later, Reid bought out her partners
and renamed the business American
Eagle. During this period, they were
exclusively a pawn shop. In 2000,
they moved to their current location.
en, in 2006, they decided that the
stores name needed to more accu-
rately reect the shi towards music
and sound equipment and jewelry,
so they held a contest throughout the
community to re-name their business.
ats how the name Rings & Strings
was born.
Reid describes the business as
a family and states that they treat
their customers fairly and that they
believe in oering the best possible
value on the items that they sell. We
treat our customers the way that we
would want to be treated, comment-
ed Reid. Its also why her employees
stay on for so long. As evidence of this
fact, she pointed to one of her sta, a
neatly dressed gentleman with stylish
glasses, and proudly proclaimed, Hes
been with me for 18 years.
She also expressed how blessed
she feels that they have been in busi-
ness for so long, especially when you
see so many other businesses failing.
Denise Reid has put it all togeth-
er at Rings & Strings. Drop by and
experience it for yourself!
Rings & Strings is located at 2116
Highway 45 North in Columbus. ey
can be reached by phone at (662) 329-
0190. e can also be found on the
web at www.ringsstrings.com.
Rings & Strings: An Eclectic Wonderland
The Real Story Staff Report
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advertisement
13

community
Possum Town Triathlon
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events@realstorypublishing.com
sevendays
coming soon. . .
your guide to
entertainment in the
Golden Triangle
When a consumer needs
insurance, furniture,
clothes, a restaurant, or
an attorney, do they come
to your business?
GOOD ADVERTISING IS
ABOUT
CONSISTENCY AND
SIMPLICITY
To learn more, please call
Brenda Minor
662-251-1839
Email Brenda@realstorypublishing.com
Te Golden Triangle Running and Cycling Club hosted its frst annual Pos-
sum Town Triathlon on Saturday, Aug. 18 at Columbus Lake at the Columbus
Lock and Dam, of of Wilkins Wise Road. Each athlete participated in a 600-
yard swim, a 17-mile bicycle ride and a 5K run.
MSUBulldog Pep Rally
Presented by CARL HOGAN TOYOTA
WHEN: August 27, 2012 Monday Night
TIME: 6:00 pm - till
WHERE: Leadership Plaza - Downtown Columbus
(Corner of College Street & 5th Street South)
SCHEDULE: 6:00pm - 6:15pm - Meet and Greet
6:15pm - till - High School
Cheerleaders
MSU Cheerleaders
BULLY Mascot
Champ Live Bulldog Mascot
Bo Hemphill
Senior Associate A.D./Development
Megan Mullen
Wife of Head Coach Dan Mullen
Autograph & Photo Session
T-Shirts - $5.00/each
Proceeds to MSU Cheerleaders Travel Fund
CONTACTS:
Bill Gavin 662-574-0295
Harvey Myrick 662-251-6850
15 14
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The world out there
is bigger than what we can see
And what we can only
feel within
as we listen to silence
To fnd our dreams residing, untouched,
clinging to our innocence as if they never be-
trayed our faith,
by foating away into the wind of uncertainty
Waiting to be set
free
by our broken
perception
of our invented
existence
Of what is actually beyond our reach
when we let go of what we think we know
When who we really are is
humility runneth over, into the cup we
sculpted
in the beginning,
that holds us and shows us
that we are everything
everyone.
To discover that
freedom was just a
breath away,
appearing as
someone else, as if
they can
only possess heaven
out there
humility
written by Meagan ONan
photography by Katie Dyck,
Ladybug Photography
I AM YOU
15 14
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g
.
c
o
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The world out there
is bigger than what we can see
And what we can only
feel within
as we listen to silence
To fnd our dreams residing, untouched,
clinging to our innocence as if they never be-
trayed our faith,
by foating away into the wind of uncertainty
Waiting to be set
free
by our broken
perception
of our invented
existence
Of what is actually beyond our reach
when we let go of what we think we know
When who we really are is
humility runneth over, into the cup we
sculpted
in the beginning,
that holds us and shows us
that we are everything
everyone.
To discover that
freedom was just a
breath away,
appearing as
someone else, as if
they can
only possess heaven
out there
humility
written by Meagan ONan
photography by Katie Dyck,
Ladybug Photography
I AM YOU
16

perspectives
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I have been following a number
of Facebook exchangeson the evils of
Walmart how thecompanydestroys
small-scale enterprise, destroys the
environment,mistreats its workers
anddamages the carefully woven
fabric of the community. Walmart has
become the super-demon of the Lef,
an icon of Big Moneyand ashibbo-
lethto the Occupy movement.
Te name Walmart may also
stick in the craw of the Marthas Vine-
yard elite who see its big-box stores
as crass, materialistic and invasive,
but it is the go-to place for people
who want quality products at low
prices.Tey may rightly claim that
the United States is awash in things,
and that commercialism is eroding
traditional values, but they should not
complainabout the purveyor of these
products. Walmart has discovered,
exploited and expanded a successful
business model which generates prof-
its and serves the needs of consumers.
It has been the anchor and focal point
for new commercial development
around it.
Te issue is not whether
Walmart is a good thing or a bad
thing, but what the balance sheet
shows.Does the fact that Walmart
provides low-cost, quality goods to
inner-city communities which have
been underserved before outweigh
a relatively small loss of jobs and a
changed urban landscape? Does their
policy of low wages and benefts harm
those new immigrants for whom a
few dollars over minimum wage is a
hundred times what they would earn
back in El Salvador? Does a decision
to build a store on a formerly unde-
veloped plot of land and to fnally
open commercial access to remote
rural areas trump an unobstructed
sightline to the Cascades?
Tere have been com-
plaintsfrom the same liberal quar-
tersabout fracking and how destruc-
tive, dangerous and threatening to the
environment it is.However, because
it involves extracting gas from
sources hundreds, if not thousands,
of feet below the water table, the risks
are minimal while the benefts are
substantial. Since the major energy
producers havebacked away from
the felds of Nigeria and Chad, where
the security required to pump oil was
as costly as that for a small sovereign
state, and turned to domestic produc-
tion, the United States is not only on
the way to energy self-sufciency but
to being an energy exporter.
Te yelping over the proposed
(and partially constructed) pipeline
from the Canadian Keystone XL oil
sand felds ignores the issues of both
political sovereignty and energy self-
sufciency and the minimal risk of
pollution.
Once again, the issue is not
whether fracking or oil sands pipe-
lines are good or bad, but whether
the benefts outweigh the risks - or,
put another way, whether the benefts
exceed or are commensurate with
the costs.From the most recent data
available, it appears that the environ-
mental risks of both enterprises are
small and the benefts large.Tere
is no such thing as a risk-free enter-
prise, and decisions can be made only
afer assessing risk.
Nuclear energy falls into the
same category. Tere is no doubt that
there is a risk, and a serious one, but
how great is it?Does the risk of leak-
age froma modern, triple-fail-safe
backup nuclear plant outweigh the
benefts? And even if there is a leak,
what is the damage it will likely cause,
and what will be the cost of remedia-
tion relative to the benefts ofered
by the power?Should France, which
relies heavily on nuclear power, start
dismantling its plants and grid be-
cause of Fukushima?
Risk is an inevitable and ines-
capable fact of human life, and yet
judgments are made on emotional
or at best partial analysis. Modern
medicine is nothing but calculated
risk. Gone are the days when a fam-
ily doctor made allthe decisions.
Physicians will now counsel in terms
of risks and probability and ask the
patient to decide. Choosing a driving
route entails risk, and the calculation
includes costs and benefts.Adopting
an abstemious diet may reduce your
risks of cancer but by so small a risk
that it may not be worth giving up
the foods you love.Living in a city
exposes your organism to a variety
of dangers and pollutants, but the
energizing, exciting and stimulating
life there may be well worth it.
As society becomes more com-
plex, clear choices become fewer and
fewer, and decisions must be made
on the basis of assessing risk and
probability.Yet we are not prepared
to do so.Risk assessment and cost-
beneft analysis can and should be
taught from a very early age. Even the
youngest children can be presented
with a desirable goal and asked to
determine whether attaining it will
cost more than the benefts it pro-
vides, or whether the costs outweigh
the benefts.Tis type of analysis is
important for all adult decisions, for
it forces an absolute objectivity and
a clear, dispassionate analysis of the
facts.
It is a sorry fact that conspiracy
theories continue to abound in the
United States, but that is understand-
able, since people tend to make a
priori judgments based on subjective
preference or emotion.Was Obama
born in the United States or wasnt
he? is a simple question which can
be evaluated and determined eas-
ily.Tere is always the chance of
error, and there will always be the
most minute chance that he was not,
but should anyone base judgment on
such minutiae?
Te credo ofthe Cato Insti-
tuteand libertarians in general is
Show me the evidence. Demon-
strate that an EPA regulation is cost
benefcial, and that,on fnal account-
ing, the degree of improvement in
the environment outweighs the cost
of achieving it in terms of jobs, tax
liability and regulatory constraints.
Government is not by nature bad,
but its role should be limited to what
only it can do in a way that is more
cost-benefcial than the private or
voluntary sectors.
We live in a complex world
more defned by probability than
certainty, and yet we are ill equipped
to navigate its strange and mysteri-
ous waters. A structural change
is required in education to enable
children from the earliest possibleage
to look at the world in aprobabilistic
way through the lens of risk and
cost-beneft and independent, objec-
tive analysis.In that way, blood will
be saved from the hearts of idealists
who dont look before they leap.
Risk Assessment Look Before You Leap
By Ron Parlato
When my father told me that
I was going to spend a month in
Columbus, Miss., he added: Its the
Deep South of the United States of
America. Youll see! It is going to be a
cultural shock. And he was so right.
Everything looks exactly like it has
just come straight out of a movie,
from the yellow school bus to all the
houses with the American fag fying
proudly in front of them and the
rocking chairs on their porches.
Tis is America! Ive been told
that several times. But is it really true?
Isnt Columbus more a city typical
of the South, this region of live oaks
and magnolias? Far away from the
monstrously large metropolises of the
United States, this city where nature
and human society live side by side
clearly refects the relaxed climate of
the state of Mississippi. I can easily
understand those people who choose
to live their entire lifetime on this
island isolated in the middle of an
ocean of lush vegetation.
When you search Columbus,
Miss. in the well-known on-line en-
cyclopedia named Wikipedia, it will
tell you that the city of Columbus was
founded only in 1821. Nevertheless,
the inhabitants, with their eternal
pride, cling to their tradition and
history just as if they had been here
for thousands of years. Ive met many
people here who are descendants
of families that have been living in
Columbus forever. Apparently, even
a large number of those who leave
Columbus eventually come back to
their roots.
Te South is known to have been
the cradle of slavery and a hot spot of
segregation and racism until the Civil
Rights movement occurred in the
1960s and started the slow evolution
towards equality between black and
white people. But is this transition
period entirely over? In Columbus,
the two communities live side by side
and, at frst sight, in harmony. You
just have to drive down the hill from
the neighborhood where the wealthy
(and mostly white) citizens live, cross
Military Road, and you will enter the
black (and mostly poor) neighbor-
hood. Afer living in the town for two
weeks, I felt that the stereotypes were
ever-present in the minds of people
here. Dont go through the bad
neighborhood at night! and Dont
go through the black neighborhood
at night! I had been warned. So,
because human nature is very contra-
dictory, my curiosity was aroused by
those warnings. Why is it dangerous
for me? Are they going to assault me?
Perhaps murder me? I dont believe
so. All Ive seen, when Ive passed
through this neighborhood, is that
it is the only side of the town where
people are actually outside walking in
the streets. All that I felt was warm
hospitality.
Maybe you would say that I have
no right to judge the local culture
since Ive only been here for a few
weeks, but I want to understand why
such segregation still persists here,
in one of the states where African-
Americans sufered the most from
racism in the past.
And I also want to understand
the obvious fact that many people
seek to avoid: If racism against black
people may be nearly over, why has
the general hatred now turned against
Muslims? Tere is as large a difer-
ence between Muslims and Islamist
extremists as there is between Chris-
tians and members of the Ku Klux
Klan. It may be difcult to under-
stand this because there isnt even a
mosque in Columbus. Muslims are
not visibly present, which makes
them remote strangers. Te stranger
is an easy target to be dehumanized
by those who are trying to make
their wars more humane. In that way,
people become an abstract idea and
violence becomes more acceptable.
But we must be careful not to make
again the same mistakes that have
darkened the history of Mississippi in
the past. Every one of us can beneft
from peace in the valley (of the
Tombigbee River) and beyond.
Aude Massiot is a student of Jour-
nalism at the Sorbonne University in
Paris, France.
A French Girl Visits Columbus, Miss.
By Aude Massiot
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Te question still remains, Can
we trust the Bible? Or are we going
to listen to the scholars who try to
discredit this wonderfully designed
book? Some may ask, How can we
trust a book that was compiled within
a span of 1,000 years by approxi-
mately 40 diferent authors? Little
do people know that the question just
asked is one the strongest evidences
for divine inspiration, and we will
discuss it more in a later article. To
answer the above question, this writer
would like to ask, how is it that you
trust any other piece of literature?
How do you know that William
Shakespeare really wrote Romeo
and Juliet? How do you know that
William Shakespeare even existed?
Tere must have been some investiga-
tion put forth in order to prove the
legitimacy of the statements, and the
same investigation must be applied to
the Bible.
Te frst thing to notice is that
within its own pages the Bible claims
to be inspired. Paul told Timothy in 2
Timothy 3:14-17, But continue thou
in the things which thou hast learned
and hast been assured of, knowing
of whom thou hast learned them;
And that from a child thou hast
known the holy scriptures, which are
able to make thee wise unto salva-
tion through faith which is in Christ
Jesus; All scripture is given by in-
spiration of God, and is proftable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness; and
Tat the man of God may be perfect,
thoroughly furnished unto all good
works (KJV). Timothy could have
assurance or confdence in what
he had learned or studied, com-
prehended, understood (v.14). What
had he learned? Verse 15 records
that he had learned the holy scrip-
tures, which was the Septuagint, a
Greek translation of the Hebrew Old
Testament, translated in Alexandria,
Egypt, around 300-200 B.C. So here
we have the Apostle Paul telling
Timothy to have confdence in this
translation that he had been studying!
Tis is incredibly vital because in fn-
ishing the same verse, Timothy is told
that those scriptures were to make
him wise unto salvation. Friends, to
say that we cannot trust in the Scrip-
tures we hold today also means that
we cannot have confdence if we are
really saved or not! We know this is
the case because the verse states that
salvation and the scriptures are con-
nected. Friends, to discredit the Bible
is to remove all hope of salvation!
Probably the strongest argu-
ment for the divine inspiration of the
Bible is in verse 16, with Paul writing
that it is by inspiration of God. Our
English word inspired comes from
the Latin word inspirare, which
means to breathe into. In Greek, the
phrase, is given by the inspiration of
God is one word, theopneustos -
literally translated breathed by God
or God breathed. What does this
mean? It means that Paul is confrm-
ing to Timothy and to us today that
the things written in this book were
not the thoughts or ideas of man
but that they came directly from the
mouth of God. God told these men
by the Holy Spirit what he wanted
them to write (John 14:17, 26), and
they were not allowed to insert their
own beliefs without His authoriza-
tion (1 Peter 1:20). Brethren and
friends, let us now follow a piece of
reasoning. If the authors were not
allowed to insert their own beliefs in
their writing of the Scriptures then
that should inform us that we are not
to insert our own beliefs in read-
ing the Scriptures. If we do this then
we would be polluting that which
came directly from God. Tis type of
inspiration is referred to as verbal
plenary inspiration; that is to say that
God inspired every single piece of the
Bible because man was not allowed
to insert his own thoughts. Jeremiah
records this thought for us in the very
frst chapter of his book, Ten the
Lord put forth his hand, and touched
my mouth. And the Lord said unto
me, Behold, I have put my words in
thy mouth (Jeremiah 1:9). Jeremiah
could have confdence in what he
was teaching because the words came
directly from God.
Friends and brethren, we can
have confdence in this book and the
messages from it because they came
directly from God, and nothing was
lef out that we needed in order to
have proper faith for salvation (John
20:30-31; Acts 20:27). May God bless!
Micah Robertson is pastor of
Magnolia Church of Christ in Colum-
bus.
The True Story Of Christianity:
Can We Trust the Bible? (Part I)
By Micah Robertson
As everyone knows, not all
Christians understand Scripture in
the same way. Leaving aside for a mo-
ment whether or not the Bible is the
literal word of God, what we can say
for certain is that the Bible is the sto-
ry, in many parts, of the faith journey
of Gods people. Its a faith journey
over many thousands of years.
Taken as a whole, as the Word
of God, the Bible is Gods communi-
cation to us through the faith of those
who wrote it, and thats why we call it
holy. It is written by us and inspired
by God, like an idea or inspiration
which we may know before putting
it in words. Words are the vessels for
truth; hence, in Scripture, we have
words used in many diferent ways:
as parables, fables and myths, and as
narrative historical accounts, each of
them conveying some truth.
Similarly, the parables Jesus
used in his teaching are not meant to
be taken literally, with camels going
through eyes of needles or mountains
leaping into the sea. Tose wonderful
parables are meant to teach us a truth
- but if we remember only the words
and miss the truth, we have missed
the point of his teaching.
In many churches, we end our
readings with Te Word of the Lord
- or at the very least, we all refer
to the Bible as such. But have you
ever wondered why we dont say the
words of the Lord? Tere is a great
diference between those two state-
ments. We do not say, the words of
the Lord because, perhaps, Scrip-
ture is not the literal words of God.
Taken as a whole, Scripture is the
Word of God, meaning the truth
of God. Tere is nothing in the Bible
to indicate that God dictated it word
by word or line by line. If your Bible
has red letters in the New Testament,
supposedly the red indicates the exact
words of Jesus. In reality, those words
in red are only someones (scholars)
best guess at what Jesus might have
said, and there is virtually no way of
knowing those were the exact words
Jesus spoke (although it may sell
Bibles).
And what about the many dif-
ferent books of the Bible? How did
all these many books come about?
God didnt literally select those either;
the books of the Bible were decided
upon by humans, thousands of years
ago, and the decisions of which books
to include were sometimes highly
political and biased. Archaeologists
and biblical scholars have since found
many other writings - books, from
the New Testament period which, for
one reason or another, didnt make
it into the Bible. I dont intend to get
side-tracked into a discussion of how
the composition of the Bible took
place but simply to make the point
that the Bible that we know today was
agreed upon by the councils and deci-
sions of men.
Te Bible, being inspired by
God but written by man, refects the
fallibility of man. It is a story of us, so
there are parts that are far from holy
and in no way edifying. And there
are many parts we simply do not
understand and at best have to agree
to disagree on. It is only when we
do not agree to disagree that trouble
begins, and down through history
violent wars have ensued - all over
our holy book! Any teaching about
Holy Scripture needs to include some
mention of this phenomenon, which
is what happens when we fanatically
hold to a few truths of our own, to
the exclusion of all others.
Te Bible is flled with violence
and warfare against whoever was not
of the Hebrew tribe, treachery and
betrayal against those who were, and
family battles to the death, as with
Saul and David - a literal representa-
tion of what we do when we cling too
rigidly to our own beliefs and expect
others to conform to them. Fight-
ing and conquest is such a constant
theme through the Old Testament
that it is sometimes difcult to dis-
cern the faith journey of anybody,
theyre so busy killing each other.
Consider, for instance, the story of
King Davids infdelity and subse-
quent killing of the betrayed husband:
It is hard for me to fnd any inspira-
tion in that violent story. Maybe oth-
ers fnd the reading inspiring.
Some claim that certain biblical
passages speak for themselves and
dont need interpretation - that they
mean exactly what they say; others
hold that all biblical passages need
to be understood in a wider histori-
cal context and with justice, mercy
and love. Personal interpretations
of the Bible can ofen be misleading
and wrong. In all Scriptural under-
standing, we need to be asking, How
does the whole body of the faithful
understand this passage? What is the
real truth behind this passage? Where
is the compassion and acceptance
of God in the difcult passages we
might otherwise cling to in our nar-
row prejudices?
I once lived under a brutal
regime that turned to their church
leaders and demanded they fashion
a theology to justify violent, hateful
racism. And a few weak Christian
leaders misused the Bible and did so.
Hitler made the same demand; and
again, a few cowering Christians mis-
used Holy Writ and did his bidding.
Today, misusing both religion and
the Bible, the same thing is repeating
itself in parts of our troubled world
and country, and the Bible is used to
justify hatred and rejection of oth-
ers on the basis of Scripture. Surely,
God didnt intend for this to happen.
May God deliver us all - and may we
take care of how we interpret and use
the Word of God.
The Bible: The Word Or The Words Of God?
By an Episcopal Bishop
Te Bible, being in-
spired by God but
written by man,
refects the fallibility
of man. It is a story of
us, so there are parts
that are far from holy
and in no way
edifying.
18

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Okay, I might as well get this
on the record, now: Shane Tubbs is a
renaissance man. How else would you
describe a guy who can sing and play
the guitar and is a skateboard whiz, a
top-notch actor and a self-described
oil changer extraordinaire?
Unlike many of the musicians
who have been profled in this col-
umn, Tubbs only started playing mu-
sic relatively recently. About 11 years
ago, his wife afer tiring of some
not-so-subtle hinting on Shanes part
bought him a purple Washburn
electric guitar for his birthday.
Tubbs also diers from many
musicians in that he neither took
formal lessons nor learned from ob-
serving other musicians. He learned
by following a book that his wife, Me-
lissa, bought for him. Although Tubbs
took a dierent route to honing his
craf, you cant argue
with the results this
self-eacing musician
can play with the best of
them. Any of his many
fans will attest to that.
In addition to
being talented with a
guitar, Tubbs has an
incredible voice. Te
best way to describe
it coming from the
perspective of a fan and
not a music expert is
of a cross between Johnny Cash and
Merle Haggard.
Dont let that description cause
you to pigeon-hole Tubbs in your
own mind, as he is profcient in a
number of musical genres, including
rock, gospel, blues, blues (he said to
list it twice because its his favorite),
bluegrass and country.
Of the broad spectrum of musi-
cal styles that Tubbs plays, he says, I
enjoy playing anything that is cleverly
written or meaningful, citing the
Jerry Reed song Amos Moses as a
prime example.
Tubbs stated recently that, de-
spite his talent for playing the guitar,
his frst love is singing. Ive always
loved singing. I grew up singing
everything from gospel to hard-core
rap. Te singing is the main reason
that I got into guitar.
Although the purple Washburn
is his favorite guitar, he also has three
acoustic guitars in his collection. All
three were gifs from members of
the church that he attends, Murrahs
Chapel. Te frst one that he received
and the one that he plays the most
is an Alvarez that fellow church mem-
ber Stephanie Basson gave him. As
a matter of fact, the church is where
he sharpened his skills. Although he
had always been involved in sing-
ing at the church, a situation arose
that thrust him into the role of music
director there. Tis stint, although
brief, aorded him the opportunity to
play the guitar for a forgiving audi-
ence. Tubbs said, I couldnt have
done it without the patience, love and
understanding of members of the
congregation.
Tubbs has performed locally
with both Rufus Mason and
Nash Creek and at Waverly
Marina, Caf Aromas, the
Rosenzweig Arts Center
and open mic nights at
Tampico Bay Restaurant.
His most far-fung gig to
date has been in Greens-
boro, Ala.
As was mentioned
earlier, music is not Tubbs
only talent - he is also a
fne actor. His frst role
was in the independently
produced short flm Te Flight of
Calvin Waters, produced by Genesis
Media. In addition, for the past two
years he has appeared in the signa-
ture productions of the Tennessee
Williams Tribute, playing the role
of Tom Jr. in the 2010 production of
Sweet Bird of Youth and that of Rev.
T.L. Shannon in 2011s Night of the
Iguana. He has also been cast in the
role of Jack Hunter in Te Rose Tat-
too, the production that is included
in this years Tribute and scheduled
to run Sept. 4-8 (no performance on
Sept. 6).
So, those individuals who want
to witness Tubbs bountiful talents in
person can either see him on stage as
an actor during the Tennessee Wil-
liams tribute, or as a musician at the
Aug. 24 open mic night at Tampico
Bay (1515 College Street) or Waverly
Marina on Sept. 30.
I would say do all three!
Shane Tubbs can be contacted
via his Facebook page, https://www.
facebook.com/shane.tubbs.9, or via
e-mail at shanetubbs@yahoo.com.
Portrait Of The Artist: Shane Tubbs
The Real Story Staff Report
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Roast -n- Boast: Culture That You
Can Taste
The Real Story Staff Report
Speaking Speaking
So ofen the word culture is as-
sociated with snooty aristocrats look-
ing down their noses at common
folk. It evokes images of Victorian tea
parties, and ballroom dancing in un-
comfortable clothes. Nothing could
be further from the truth.
One of the defnitions of cul-
ture is shared beliefs and values of a
group: the beliefs, customs, practices,
and social behavior of a particular na-
tion or people. Tose shared beliefs
can be anything from a love of ethnic
music and dance, to dating mores,
to customs of worship. Most of the
things that we identify with culture
are the arts, both visual and perform-
ing, and literature. But, that is only
part of a complex whole.
When Garth Brooks sang, Im
not big on social graces, Tink Ill
slip on down to the oasis. Oh, Ive got
friends in low places, he was talking
about culture his culture and that of
his social group.
So many elements go into the
wonderful mixture that makes up
a peoples culture. One of the most
enduring, and important elements is
the cooking style of a those of similar
heritage. It gives them a favor that
is unique from others.
Recipes evolve from the avail-
able and abundant foods of an area.
Seafood gumbo comes from the Gulf
Coast of Louisiana. People in Califor-
nia probably eat more avocados than
any other state. Rice is a major crop
in China, so their dishes ofen include
this starch.
Of course, in India, the cow is
sacred, and is not eaten. Here, in the
Golden Triangle, you might also say
that the cow is sacred...but in a very
diferent way. We love beef!
Te passion for this meat is
almost universal in our area. We
will devour hamburgers, steaks, and
stews. When we cook dishes from
other countries, we add beef. Locals
serve beef tacos, meat sauce or meat-
balls over spaghetti, and lasagna with
beef in the layers. But, one of our all
time favorites is beef - barbequed or
grilled.
Tis weekend (August 24 and
25), the annual Roast-n-Boast barbe-
cue cooking state championship will
be held at the Columbus Fairgrounds
on Highway 69.
Over 40 teams of master cookers
will compete in some delicious cat-
egories - pork; chicken; beef brisket;
and ribs. Te teams will be compet-
ing not only for cash prizes in excess
of $10,000 but also for titles and the
ever-important ability to trash talk
for the coming year.
Teams will be grilling all night
on Friday, Aug. 24, in preparation
for the next days judging. One big
change this year is that the judg-
ing will be on a blind basis, where
samples will be brought to the judges
area by event staf. In past years,
judges visited the tents of the teams
and tasted the masterpieces there.
Dont think that the judges will
have all of the fun, though! On Sat-
urday, Aug. 25, visitors will be able to
enjoy many diferent samples for a fat
fee of only $5 at the peoples Choice
Tasting Tent. Guests can also vote
for their favorites. Tis tent will be
operated by volunteers and staf from
United Way of Lowndes County, with
all proceeds from the samplings going
to that fne organization.
As if the food were not enough,
there will be live music as well as
other family friendly activities such as
infatables, games, craf vendors and
more.
Te music, which will take place
Friday night, will feature Hartle Road
at 6 p.m. and Deacon Jones and the
Late Night at 9 p.m.
Admission into the event is $5
per person on Friday Night and FREE
on Saturday.
Garth Brooks sang Blame it all
on my roots, I showed up in boots.
And ruined your black tie afair. But,
it sounds like his roots are a lot like
ours: discriminating taste and a love
of fun. If this is a part of your culture,
you wont want to miss the Roast
-n- Boast, this week. Wear you comfy
clothes because this is culture that
everyone can enjoy!
BUSH HOGGING
662.574.1570
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lifestyles
When youve been married
a certain number of years - Id say
more than two - people begin to ask,
When are you going to have chil-
dren? When youve been married
nearly six years, as I have, people
begin to: a) assume you have kids
and just ask you how old they are; b)
think something must be medically
wrong with you; or c) categorize you
as those people who dont want to
have children.
First of all, when pressed about
it, I have to fght the urge to ask an
equally inappropriate reciprocal
question like, When are you going
to lose 50 pounds? or Im sorry -
have you been divorced two or three
times? I keep forgetting. It is really
no-ones business, other than imme-
diate family (and even then, youre
pushing it) when you decide to have
children.
I waited until I was 29 to get
married because I wanted to make
sure that I never looked back and
regretted not doing something
before I settled down with a partner.
Of course, you can still do many
wonderful things with a partner, but
I couldnt exactly move to Pennsyl-
vania on a whim or rent an apart-
ment from swingers or take any job I
felt like, whether it was in Houston,
Miss., or Houston, Texas. I didnt
want to be a married person still
going to happy hour every week-
day or not doing it and resenting my
spouse or children.
Plus, I have enough friends to
know that having children is hard.
All of them would say its reward-
ing and worth the efort, and none
of them would wish they hadnt had
kids, but the majority of them tell me
that waiting is the best possible thing
that I can do. I turned 35 last week,
so its not like I can wait too terribly
long, but my mother was 37 when
she had me, and that was in the 70s.
I also would like to point out that
by doing basic math, you can fgure
out how old my mother is, and there
may be a hit taken out on me afer
this publishes....just in case some-
thing happens to me.
My 10-year-old niece even
asked me the other day if I was going
to adopt a baby or grow one out of
my belly. I allow a little more latitude
with her since thats actually pretty
funny, but I told her I didnt know.
We do want children, but we want
to make sure that we are absolutely
ready, and adoption isnt completely
out of the question. A lot of children
need good homes, so maybe theyll
settle for us. Tey could do worse, I
think. In the meantime, think about
the most inappropriate thing youve
ever been asked, and then imagine
thats how childless married people
feel on a regular basis. However, I
suppose I should be grateful that no
one has ever looked at my stomach
and asked me when I was due. Ouch.
Posing As
An Adult
Posing As
An Adult
When Are We Gonna See The Baby?
By Emily Gaither Smith
Recipes from
Good Housekeeping
Nectarine and Cherry Crisp
Te topping is actually oatmeal cookie dough! You can prepare it up to a day
ahead and store it in the refrigerator.
1/2 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 pounds (about 10 medium) ripe nectarines, each cut into 6 wedges
1 1/2 pounds dark, sweet cherries, pitted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, cold, cut into small pieces
Oatmeal Cookie-Crisp Topping (below)
1. Preheat oven to 375 F. In small bowl, with wire whisk or fork, mix sugar and
cornstarch.
2. In large bowl, toss nectarines, cherries, lemon juice and sugar mixture until
fruit is evenly coated.
3. Spoon fruit mixture into 13-by-9-inch glass baking dish; dot with margarine
or butter. Cover with foil and bake 40 to 50 minutes until mixture is gently bub-
bling.
4. Meanwhile, prepare Oatmeal Cookie-Crisp Topping. Cover and refrigerate
until ready to use.
5. Drop topping by scant 1/4 cups over hot fruit. Bake, uncovered, 20 to 25
minutes until topping is browned. Cool slightly on wire rack to serve warm. Or,
cool completely to serve later. Reheat if desired.
OATMEAL COOKIE-CRISP TOPPING:
In large bowl, with mixer at medium-high speed, beat 2/3 cup packed light
brown sugar and 6 tablespoons margarine or butter (3/4 stick), sofened, until
smooth. Add 1 large egg and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract; beat until light and
fufy. With spoon, stir in 1 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats, uncooked, 3/4 cup all-
purpose four, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon baking soda. Serves 12.
? Each serving: About 400 calories, 11g total fat (2g saturated), 18mg choles-
terol, 185mg sodium, 63g carbohydrate, 6g protein.
Grilled Tuna and Cucumber Salad
In this light dish, savory teriyaki-marinated tuna steak is grilled lightly and then
paired with a refreshing cucumber salad.
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
2/3 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon olive oil
Salt
Pepper
2 (8 ounces each) fresh tuna steaks
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced, optional
1. In a glass pie plate or bowl, combine teriyaki sauce, lemon juice, parsley, 2/3
cup oil and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Add tuna steaks, making sure fsh is
completely covered by marinade. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
2. In bowl, combine cucumbers, vinegar, cilantro, 1 teaspoon oil, 1/4 teaspoon
each salt and pepper, and onion if using. Cover; refrigerate at least 1 hour or
overnight.
3. Remove tuna from marinade; discard marinade. Preheat ridged grill pan or
prepare outdoor grill for covered direct grilling on medium-high. Cook tuna
4 to 6 minutes or until browned on both sides but still pink in center, turning
once.
4. Drain cucumber salad. Break tuna into chunks and add to salad. Serves 2.
For thousands of triple-tested recipes, visit our website at www.goodhousekeep-
ing.com/recipefnder/.
(c) 2012 Hearst Communications, Inc.
All rights reserved

Pigskin Go Team Ready!
Can you feel it? Te spirit is in
the air! Pep rallies and tailgating-
crowds cheering and cowbells ringing
- oh, my goodness! I am so pumped
to get dolled up in school colors and
attend the frst game of the season.
Te VIP will be sporting sheer tops,
wide-leg trousers, firty dresses, cute
cardigans and team-colored acces-
sories this football season. Please join
me, my sports-loving, team-support-
ing fashionistas, on this school-spirit
fashion adventure, as I demonstrate
how to dress comfortable and GO
TEAM adorable!
Putting together a savvy, team-
spirited outft can be tricky unless
you are one of those guys who paints
your chest with various team colors
and letters - then dressing for the
game is rather simple and no doubt
messy. However, I am no expert on
body painting, and it may be rather
complicated and time consuming.
Dont you just get a chuckle when you
see those guys standing in the wrong
order, all the letters out-of-sorts? But
I digress.
For all the red, white and blue
teams out there, I have put together
an outft dedicated to you! Te tricky
thing about red, white and blue is not
looking too patriotic or American-
faggish. An easy way to maneuver
past this is wearing wide-leg blue
trousers and a sheer white blouse
with a red spaghetti tank underneath.
Dont forget the accessories! Red high
heels and a red beaded
statement necklace will add
a little bit of spice and not
July Fourth to this outft!
Maroon and White
fans, I have a little some-
thing special for you. Te
trick to carrying of ma-
roon and white or crimson
and white is embracing a
solid and punching it up
with the right accessories.
I chose to add spirit to a
short-in-the-front, long-
in-the-back maroon dress
by piling on a mix of black
and pearl necklaces and
adding a charming bracelet
in those same colors. Dont
forget the importance of
a darling pair of shoes!
White patent wedges are
the perfect choice to car-
rying this cowbell-ringing
outft from pep rally to a
5th Quarter party!
Te VIP Spirit Tips:
For football fans
who want to dress fabu-
lously while cheering on
your favorite team, these
VIP spirit tips are just
the ticket for you. Take
a look at these ideas to
see how you can wear
team colors with some
fashionista VIP fare!
Go Sheer!: Sheer tops
are super easy to spice up by
simply adding a team-colored
tank top underneath for a
peek-a-boo efect that screams
GO TEAM!
Go Patterns!:
Mix those patterns,
my fashionista fans!
Combine a two-
toned striped cardi-
gan with a polka-dot
dress for a VIP outft
that will surely win
the day! GO, GO
PATTERNS, GO!
Go Solids!: Lets hear
it for solids! Solids are the
quarterback of football
season fashion. Paired with
the right accessories, your
superstar solid will lead
you to a fabulous fashion
touchdown.
Go Accessories!: Ac-
cessories are the cheerlead-
ers of every fashionistas
game-time wardrobe. Tey
add the right spunk and
glam to everything from
a cute dress to jeans and a
plain white t-shirt. ACCES-
SORIES ARE RED HOT,
ACCESSORIES ARE RED
HOT, ACCESSORIES ARE R-E-D,
RED, H-O-T, HOT, RED HOT FAB
THAT CANT BE STOPPED!
Go Guys with Body Paint!: I
have no advicebecause, well, as
stated earlier, I am no expert on spirit
body painting. GO GUYS WITH
BODY PAINT!
War Eagle; Hail State; Hotty
Toddy; Roll Tide; Geaux Tigers; Go
Patriots; DEFENSE; Go Dawgs; fght,
fght, fght; V-I-C-T-O-R-Y; two bits,
four bits, six bits a dollar; all for VIP,
stand up and holler! Oh, there I go
again.
Anyway, my game-ready ladies
and gents, grab your cowbells, pom
poms, heels or body paint, and sup-
port your favorite team this year
while looking VIP FABULOUS!
Love the VIP? Ten follow me
on Twitter (@Abbysauce_) and Ins-
tagram (@VintagePassionista)! You
can also like my page on Facebook
(www.facebook.com/VintageIn-
spiredPassionista) for exclusive sneak
peeks and VIP news you cannot fnd
anywhere else!
You can read more about the
VIP and my fun adventures at my
blog website, www.vintageinspired-
passionista.com!
Stay Fabulous!
21
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lifestyles
The
Adventures
of the
V.I.P.
Abby
Hathorn
Most of us have friends on the
other side. As we get older, we begin
to lose our dear ones more frequently.
And unless you believe that death is
the ultimate end, there is always the
promise that we will someday see
them again.
Of course, it may be a very long
time before we make our transi-
tion. Te loneliness and loss can be
overwhelming. But it does not have to
be so very defnite. Te veil between
the living and those in spirit may
sometimes be transparent and easily
passed through.
Te people who loved us - our
parents, grandparents, friends, even
our beloved pets - sometimes stop by
for a visit. Te trick is to recognize
the signs.
Most of the time, the messages
are subtle. Ofen, people report the
surprise of fnding pennies minted in
the year of a loved ones birth. Tey
might smell their mothers perfume
or their fathers pipe tobacco. Perhaps
they hear a song on the radio that
reminds them of someone special.
Actual spoken messages are
more common that you may imagine.
One widow reported hearing her de-
ceased husband say, Sell the property
on the north shore of the lake. Even
afer death, he was still running the
family fnances.
Another woman was consider-
ing converting her recently departed
husbands in-home ofce into a sew-
ing room. She felt a bit guilty and for
many months did nothing. One day,
while mentioning her idea to a friend,
things in the ofce began jumping
of the walls. She interpreted this as a
sign that he wanted her to go forward
with her plans. Te objects coming
of the walls were his way of starting
the project for her.
Of course, the most dramatic
messages are visual. Very ofen, the
camera captures images that the na-
ked eye has missed.
One young mother took her new
baby to be baptized. Her father had
only been dead a short while, mak-
ing the event bittersweet. When the
photos were developed, there was a
very clear picture of her fathers face
hovering over the child.
Te mother was so stunned that
she wondered if her grief had played
a trick on her sight. She showed the
picture to her brother without giving
him any explanation. What do you
see? she asked.
Tats really cool! he said.
How did you get Dads picture in
there?
It is also common to dream of
dear friends in heaven. Usually, they
look beautiful, younger and healthier
than when they died. Gone are the
ravages of illness or accident. Tis is
because they are not really dreams.
Tese are visits, quick messages to tell
you that they are well and happy and
will see you again.
So take comfort in small signs.
Tey are like love letters written with
sweet words and scented with faint
whifs of heavenly perfumes.
Spirit Visits
The Real Story Staff Report

petcorner
By Sam
Mazzotta
Paws
Corner
Paws
Corner
DEAR PAWS CORNER:
I recently read an advertise-
ment by a pet hospital that is ofering
acupuncture for pets. Does this even
work for pets? Im skeptical.
-- Janice T., Orlando, Fla.
DEAR JANICE:
I cant say for sure, but the idea
of providing acupuncture treatment
for pets is intriguing. Acupuncture
has been shown to have positive
results for humans trying to manage
pain, and some anecdotal reports
indicate that acupuncture might help
reduce pain in animals, as well.
Wadsworth Animal Hospital
in Lakewood, Colo., for example,
recently reported that as many as 75
percent of the pets in its care treated
with acupuncture experienced a
signifcant or major improvement, al-
though some symptoms may remain.
Te hospital used acupuncture
to treat pets sufering from arthritis,
hip dysplasia, nerve damage or other
chronic health conditions.
Pet acupuncture sounds pretty
odd, and its really a new type of treat-
ment for pets, coming into vogue just
in the past few decades. But its not
the only holistic pet treatment out
there that looks to help improve pets
health without the use of drugs or
surgery. And its growing in popu-
larity: some 800 pet acupuncturists
are registered with the American
Academy of Veterinary Acupuncture
(http://www.aava.org), the Washing-
ton Post reports, an increase of 600
since 2002.
So, how do you fnd a quali-
fed acupuncturist for your pet? Te
AAVA has a listing on its site, but
be sure to ask questions of the pet
acupuncturist you fnd locally. He or
she should be certifed to practice vet-
erinary medicine as well as veterinary
acupuncture.
Send your questions or comments to
ask@pawscorner.com, or write to Paws
Corner, c/o King Features Weekly
Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL
32853-6475. For more pet care-related
advice and information, visit www.
pawscorner.com.
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
For The Birds
The Real Story Staff Report
Pet lovers, like their children,
come in many species. For those
with fights of fancy, birds are a logi-
cal choice. Tese angels can come in
all sizes, from a tiny Finch to a huge
Parrot. Finding the right one is a de-
cision that should be taken seriously.
Although it is easy to fall for the
beauty of an exotic bird, do remem-
ber that they will need a specifc diet.
No bird lives by seeds alone. Tey
must have fruit - and other treats.
Do investigate dietary requirements
before choosing a feathered friend.
Te size of the bird should also be a
determining factor: Te larger the
bird, the longer they will live. Some
actually live to be 100 years old!
If you have your heart set on
a larger bird, keep in mind that, al-
though they are marvelous compan-
ions, they can be messy and demand-
ing. Birds actually need exercise and
interaction. In this sense, fowl play
is important. People with at least two
hours a day to take their bird out of
the cage and socialize them will reap
many benefts from the relationship.
However, if this does not appeal to
you, please consider a smaller bird.
An African Grey is a charm-
ing pet. It is reported that they have
the intelligence of a 3-year-old child.
Tey are wonderful mimics. Tese
birds can reproduce voices, music
and sounds such as doorbells and
sirens. But, like a child, they demand
their parents attention.
A bigger bird requires a bigger
cage as well. Tese can be quite costly.
If you decide on a large bird, please
consider their feelings. No one wants
to live in a space so small that they
cannot spread their wings.
For those looking for a great
conversationalist, check out not only
the African Greys but also Quaker
Parrots, Indian Ringneck Parakeets
and Cockatiels. Tey all require
some training. Be careful what you
say, however; they might just repeat
something embarrassing!
For the novice bird owner, it
may be a good idea to start small. Ca-
naries have a sweet song and require
little maintenance. Tey are social
and would love to share the cage with
another canary. Tey come in bright
colors, from a sunny yellow to greens,
oranges, peaches and even black and
white.
Although some bird lovers just
do not have the time, or perhaps the
space, to devote to these sweethearts,
they can still enjoy the wild birds. In
this area, we have lovely Blue Jays,
brilliant Cardinals and many Chicka-
dees and Robins. A bird feeder in the
yard will attract a wide variety willing
to share the treats. Te birds become
accustomed to visiting the same
feeders, so please keep them flled,
especially in the winter months.
We also have the tiny and beau-
tiful hummingbirds. Tey are drawn
to red fower-shaped feeders with
sweet nectar inside. If you keep it
fresh and clean, they will return every
year to enjoy your gif.
Whether you are ready to com-
mit to an exotic Parrot or a bird-feed-
ing station in your yard, never forget
that the birds and the bees are crucial
for life on earth.
22
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Animal
Antics
Acupuncture for Pets?
Upper Lef: Joe the camel poses for his
close-up. Upper Right: Bandit, the black
miniature horse, and a friend pose for the
cameras. Lower Lef: Jacob, the four-
horned Jacob sheep, promises that he wont
bite. All of these wonderful animals are
from Heather McIntyres animal rescue fa-
cility. Tey were out at Tractor Supply, this
past Saturday, along with the Columbus
Lowndes Humane Society, Back 40 Petting
Zoo, and Shaw Pit Bull Rescue.
Amelia McPherson
Cosmetologi st/Color Speci ali st
662.329.8887
1 09 5th Street South
Columbus
Fi ns Bobby Pi ns
Hai r Salon
23
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For the Week of August 27, 2012
Salomes Stars
ARIES (March 21 to April 19) Tis
week could ofer more opportuni-
ties for ambitious Lambs eager to get
ahead. But dont rush into making
decisions until youve checked for
possible hidden problems.
TAURUS (April 20 to May 20) Some
light begins to shine on professional
and/or personal situations that have
long eluded explanation. Best advice:
Dont rush things. All will be made
clear in time.
GEMINI (May 21 to June 20) Al-
though you might want to protest
what seems to be an unfair situation,
its best to keep your tongue and tem-
per in check for now. Te full story
hasnt yet come out.
CANCER (June 21 to July 22) Work
prospects are back on track. But
watch what you say. A thoughtless
comment to the wrong person -- even
if its said in jest -- could delay or
even derail your progress.
LEO (July 23 to August 22) A col-
league might try to goad you into
saying or doing the wrong thing. Its
best to ignore the troublemaker, even
if he or she riles your royal self. Your
supporters stand with you.
VIRGO (August 23 to September
22) Be careful not to let your on-the-
job zealousness create resentment
with co-workers who might feel you
shut them out. Prove them wrong by
including them in your project.
LIBRA (September 23 to October
22) Although its not quite what you
hoped for, use your good business
sense to make the most of what youre
being ofered at this time. Tings will
improve down the line.
SCORPIO (October 23 to November
21) A more positive picture of what
lies ahead is beginning to take shape.
But there are still too many gaps that
need to be flled in before you make
defnitive plans.
SAGITTARIUS (November 22 to
December 21) Continue to keep a
tight hold on the reins so that you
dont charge willy-nilly into a situa-
tion that might appear attractive on
the surface but lack substance.
CAPRICORN (December 22 to
January 19) You still need to demand
those answers to your questions. Re-
member, your wise counseling earns
you respect, but its your search for
truth that gives you wisdom.
AQUARIUS (January 20 to February
18) Youll fnd that people are happy
to help you deal with some difcult
situations. And, of course, knowing
you, youll be happy to return those
favors anytime. Wont you?
PISCES (February 19 to March 20)
Give that special someone in your
personal life a large, loving dollop of
reassurance. Tat will go a long way
toward restoring the well-being of
your ailing relationship.
BORN THIS WEEK: You are a de-
lightful paradox. You like things neat
and tidy. But youre also a wonderful
host who can throw a really great
party.
(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.
Answers to August 15, 2012 puzzles

comicsandpuzzles
1. What famous heavyweight boxing champion
had the nickname The Boston Strong Boy?

2. What was the name of the bear that lived with
Pogo in The Okefenokee Swamp?

3. What was the name of the long-barreled pis-
tol used by Wyatt Earp?

4. What product was advertised by the use of
sequential road signs along the highway from
1925-1963?

5. What was the nickname of the favorite putter
used by the legendary golfer Bobby Jones?
Answers on Page 25
Glenns
24
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comicsandpuzzles
25
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sports
2012 MSU Football Preview: Is This The Year? - Part 2
By Jeremiah Short
Trivia Answers
1. John L. Sullivan.2. Bridgeport. 3. Buntline special.4. Burma Shave5. Calamity Jane
Mississippi State Defense
2011 Points Per Game Allowed:
19.7 (19th nationally)
2011 Total Yards Per Game Al-
lowed: 350.6 (35th nationally)
2011 Passing Yards Per Game
Allowed: 197.2 (27th nationally)
2011 Rushing Yards Per Game
Allowed: 153.5 (61st nationally)
Defensive Breakdown: Te
Bulldogs defense didnt seem to skip
a beat in 2011, afer many expected
a drop-of due to former Defensive
Coordinator Manny Diaz leaving to
take the same position at the Univer-
sity of Texas. Well, thats what most
thought. I feel the defense lost a bit of
punch as they struggled against the
high-powered ofenses of Auburn and
Arkansas. But let me be clear - the
defense was pretty good last season,
coming up big in several games.
Although this years defense
wont have the services of Fletcher
Cox, who was selected 12th overall
in the 2012 NFL Draf, they still have
the potential to be top notch. Josh
Boyd should anchor the front four,
and Cam Lawrence will captain the
unit. Johnthan Banks, my number
one star of the show, could emerge as
one of the best players in the country.
Tis defense could seriously rival
some of the great Bulldog defenses of
the past.
Tree Defensive Players To Watch
P.J. Jones (63, 280 pounds; Sr.)
Defensive End
2011 Stats: 9 tackles
Jones got a chance to play as a
true freshman and developed well.
He has shown fashes of real poten-
tial and is a true three-technique
that likely will fank Boyd by the end
of the season. I feel he could be an
All-SEC performer by the end of his
career if he plays up to his talent level.
Chris Hughes (60, 230 pounds; Jr.)
Outside Linebacker
2011 Stats: 1 Tackle and 1 Fumble
Recovery
Hughes is a player that I look
at as a defensive assassin. He didnt
receive much playing time last season
due to of-the-feld problems and a
groin injury sufered in fall camp. Not
only is he aggressive but he is also
good in pass coverage. If you see a
bone-jarring hit in 2012, Hughes may
be the culprit.
Darius Slay (61, 190 pounds; Sr.)
Cornerback
2011 Stats: 23 Tkls. /4 Pass Brk. /1
Int.
What can I say about Darius
Slay? Ive been high on him since he
signed with Mississippi State com-
ing out of high school, before he was
re-routed to Itawamba Community
College. He re-signed in 2011 but
didnt arrive until August. Afer
initially being used sparingly and
on special teams, Slay entered the
cornerback rotation at mid-season -
fashing lockdown skills. He is poised
to become the star I always thought
he could be in 2012.
Tree Defensive Keys
1. Increased Edge Rushing:
Mississippi State hasnt had any edge
rushing since Titus Brown gradu-
ated afer the 2007 season. Tis could
change in 2012 with the addition of
Denico Autry and Torrey Bell (an in-
coming freshman) and the proverbial
light coming on for Shane McCardell.
It would be a huge boost to a defense
that already has several things work-
ing in its favor.
2. Young Pups In Te Middle:
Te Bulldogs have to replace two
middle linebackers, Brandon Wilson
and Brandon Maye, with redshirt
sophomore Ferlando Bohanna and
redshirt freshman Bernardrick McK-
inney. Bohanna has the ability to get
sideline to sideline, and McKinney
has drawn comparisons to former
Bulldog K.J. Wright. Teir develop-
ment in the middle will be key in
determining whether the Bulldog
defense is great or just very good.
3. Developing Depth At Safety:
As Ive stated several times before,
the safety position is the eyesore of
the 2012 Bulldog defense. Nickoe
Whitley is the only proven return-
ing player. Afer Whitley, Dee Ar-
rington is slated to be the next best
guy. Te depth at the position starts
to get sketchy at that point. Quadry
Antoine, whom I talked about as a
key newcomer, should fll out one
spot on the depth chart. Tere are still
two other spots in a normal fve-man
safety rotation.
With
Kivon Co-
man, a talented
safety signee
now headed to
Hargrave Mili-
tary Academy,
the coaching
staf may have
to get creative
to fll out the
fnal two spots
on the depth
chart, as Jay
Hughes, Ken-
drick Market,
Zach Jackson
and Louis Watson are just special
teams talents. Some may fnd that
statement harsh, but its the truth. Te
stellar Bulldog cornerbacks, which
may be among some of the best in the
nation, will likely have to make up for
the lack of talent at safety.
Mississippi State Special
Teams
Special Teams Breakdown:
When discussing the Bulldog special
teams in 2012, it begins and ends
with the kicker position. Brian Egan
was the frst-team kicker coming
out of the spring, but I think he
gives Mullen and the Bulldog fan
base nightmares thinking about him
handling the feld goal duties. Luck-
ily for the fans psyches, Mullen has
several walk-on kickers coming in
to challenge Egan. Evan Sobiesk, an
incoming true freshman kicker, is
considered the front-runner to beat
out Egan.
Te punter position is solidly in
the grasp of Columbus, Miss., native
Baker Swedenburg, who put 19 punts
inside the 20 in 2011. True freshman
punter Devon Bell will serve as the
kickof specialist, as he waits in the
wings behind Swedenburg. Bell could
get a shot at kicker if the other candi-
dates are inefective.
I couldnt discuss the special
teams without mentioning the return
game, which was sub-par last season
even with a few nice punt returns
from Johnthan Banks. Te return unit
could get a facelif this season with
key newcomer Brandon Holloway
expected to enter the mix. Jameon
Lewis, who returned kickofs last sea-
son, should be a factor in the return
game as well.
Final Outlook: I know afer
reading part one of this preview, ev-
eryone has been chomping at the bit,
wondering what my prediction for
the 2012 Bulldog team will be.
I gave a lot of thought to this
prediction and considered a lot of
factors, including stability at the
quarterback position, solid returning
experience and a potentially domi-
nant defense. Ultimately, I decided
that the Bulldogs will go 9-3 in 2012.
I know some will say, Tat is a bit
optimistic, but the Bulldogs easy
early season slate and natural pro-
gression of college programs leads me
to this conclusion.
It just may be the Te Year.
My Prediction: 9-3
How do you feel the Bulldogs will do
this season?
2012 Football Schedule
JACKSON STATE
AUBURN
at Troy
SOUTH ALABAMA
at Kentucky
TENNESSEE
MIDDLE TENNESSEE
at Alabama
TEXAS A&M
at LSU
ARKANSAS
at Ole Miss
Sept. 1
Sept. 8
Sept. 15
Sept. 22
Oct. 6
Oct. 13
Oct. 20
Oct. 27
Nov. 3
Nov. 10
Nov. 17
Nov. 24
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26

sports
Lee Defeated All The Odds
By Jeremiah Short
Everyone talks about what it
means to be an SEC quarterback,
but most have no idea what it really
takes to be one. Columbus native
Tyson Lee, a former Mississippi State
quarterback (2008-2009), got to live
that dream. He was never expected,
though, to ever be in that position.
Afer leading the Columbus
High School Falcons to the second
round of the playofs in 2005, Lee was
hoping for some Division I ofers, but
they never came - mainly because
he only stands 5-foot-9 (and that
may be a generous listing). It was
toughwanting to play college ball at
that next level; obviously, every high
school player wants to play Division
I football. I wasnt getting an oppor-
tunity; I wasnt getting ofers, and I
wasnt getting looked at, says Lee.
Lee decided to accept a schol-
arship ofer from a junior college
program: Itawamba. He became the
frst player in Itawamba history to be
named an Academic All-American
and First-Team All-American on the
feld. While the junior college stand-
out threw for 4,432 yards and led his
team to a division championship,
Division II ofers were the only ones
that came his way. In November of
Lees sophomore season, he decided
to take a leap of faith and walk-on to
Mississippi State.
Te move seemed a bit risky, as
many felt that Lee couldnt play quar-
terback in the SEC. His confdence
never wavered, feeling that he could
compete for the starting job at Mis-
sissippi State even though the odds
were stacked against him. When
I lef there, I enrolled in January; I
knew in my mind and in my heart, I
knew I could be the starting quarter-
back. So that was kind of my mindset.
I worked out, and I practiced as if I
was going to be the starter in the near
future, says Lee.
Lee knew something that the
critics didnt know that he could
play the sport of football. Te dimin-
utive quarterback had a stellar spring,
and there was talk that he could sup-
plant the starting quarterback, Wes
Carroll, who had just led the Bulldogs
to a Liberty Bowl victory. When the
season came around, Coach Sylvester
Croom decided to give Lee his shot
- by rotating him with Carroll in the
frst game versus Louisiana Tech. Te
move was controversial at the time,
but Lee was excited about the oppor-
tunity. It was an incredible moment,
Lee said. I remem-
ber talking to Coach
Croom before I
came. He was like,
I cant promise you
anything, Tyson,
but I can give you a
chance, and thats all
I wanted.
He played
well in the match-
up, completing 66
percent of his passes
and throwing for 85
yards. Croom settled back on Car-
roll for the next two games, includ-
ing infamously sinking or swim-
ming with Carroll in the Auburn
game. Te Bulldogs lost the game
3-2, and everyone at the time knew
a change was about to come. Croom
replaced Carroll with Lee before the
LSU game. Te quarterback who got
overlooked by everyone coming out
of high school and junior college was
now a starting SEC quarterback. I
dont think I could describe it. Its still
surreal, even now, on so many levels,
says Lee, who fnished out the season
as the starter and managed to throw
for 1,519 yards and seven touch-
downs. To me, it was very exciting,
honestly. More than anything, it was
like the time had come.
I got to Death Valley and
walked out in front of the stadium. It
will be something that I wont forget
until the day that I die.
Sylvester Croom, the man who
gave Lee the opportunity, resigned
afer the season. Te Mississippi State
administration hired Dan Mullen
as the new head coach. Coaching
changes are always a tough transition,
but Lee feels this one went smoothly
- in part due to Mullens resume. Any
time there is a transition, there is
going to be uncertainty in that - and
thats how it was. I think we adapted
and adjusted real well when Mullen
came in. When you have one coach-
ing staf leave and another one come
in, you have diferent personalities,
diferent philosophies, diferent
schemes, Lee said.
During his fnal season, Lee was
a part of one of the most famous last
plays in Mississippi State history. Te
Bulldogs were one yard away from
defeating national power LSU Tigers
and pulling a huge upset. Te coach-
ing staf called an option on the fnal
play. Lee, instead of pitching the ball
to star running back Anthony Dixon,
kept the ball and came up short. It
wasnt the easiest pill to swallow. You
feel hurt, feel that you let the team
down, feel like you let the Mississippi
State fans down. I think as a quarter-
back you take responsibility, said Lee
on coming up short.
At the end of the day, I wanted
to keep my head held high. To me, I
had to remember that it had no eter-
nal value. Even until this day, when
I think about that play, I could have
pitched the ball, and I chose not to do
it. I guess its like anything in life: You
have a split-second to make a deci-
sion. Its something you have to live
with and hopefully learn from.
Lee, obviously, went through
the fre as a quarterback in the SEC.
He wouldnt change any of it, as most
would give anything to be the trigger-
man of an SEC program. I think its
an incredible experience, an incred-
ible opportunity. Being a quarterback,
everyone knows who you are and
gives you a platform to reach out to
kids. Tere is a lot of responsibility
that comes with it, said Lee.
Anyone that played quarterback
will tell you, you know that going in.
We know the role that is being taken
and responsibility that is being put on
our backs. I dont think we can avoid
that, and its part of the position. I
think every quarterback enjoys (it),
and its part of the job.
Afer getting his undergraduate
degree from Mississippi State, Lee
stayed at the school to get his masters
degree in sports administration. He
worked in the athletic administration
the next two years - working with
the F.C.A. (Fellowship of Christian
Athletes) the second year.
It seemed natural that Lee
would stay near the family-like
atmosphere of college football afer
receiving his masters degree, but he
was ofered a job with a professional
organization - the St.Louis Rams - as
a scouting assistant. He will help the
team prepare for the 2013 draf by
scouting all the potential drafees and
helping the team work out potential
free agents.
Lee turned himself from an un-
heralded prep standout to a starting
SEC quarterback and a success of the
feld. He credits his faith in God for
being able to reach this point.
Tat is the only thing I have
to rely on. Im a sinner like everyone
else, and I have been saved by grace,
thankfully. One of my favorite verses
is 2 Timothy 2-13: It says Christ is
faithful even when were not faithful.
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