SCENEin Passing
Go back to beginner typing 101. You may recall the warm

up phrase, "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country." Were you there? Do you remember? Now that so much time has passed, might we shorten the phrase and settle for the first four words? "Now is the time..." But what is the time for, exactly? It seems that it has always been a good time for good men to come together in cooperation, with peace and understanding and love for all. A time to hear and act on, "Do unto others..." But I don't recall a time when the need for this was greater than today.

To soothe my troubled spirit I turn to thoughts of gratitude - for what was, what is and what is yet to be. A project which spurs many to give gratitude is the recently ended County Livestock Junior Livestock Show. More than 311 exhibitors participated in the cooperative effort, providing the vehicle for young people to display some of their skills and talents. These young people are aided by parents, teachers, leaders, all giving their best to the generation which follows.

It was a great, great show, blessed by just enough showers to settle the dust and discourage the flies. Each year the entries improve. These young people are learning what it means to learn from those who have gone on before. That's important if you're going to understand that you are the generation in charge of helping the next generation grow. We stand on each others' shoulders, learning as we go.

And when we see that generation just behind us, doing well, well, whose heart doesn't sing? Lewie Byers made my tired heart sing with an issue of the March 10 "Bankers Digest" last week. He wanted us to see the photo and news story of his son, Brent, who has been welcomed to the staff of the San Antonio National Bank. Brent is their new executive vice president and chief financial officer. He will manage the finance and accounting functions and the fixed income investment portfolio. He previously served at the Intercon Bank in San Antonio as their executive vice president and CCO. He had previously served at McMullen Bank in San Antonio and First City Financial Corporation in Waco. From that position he had been connected with another Ruskite, Jim Sartain.

FORD BENJAMIN FITZGERALD

Did somebody say, "Like father, like son?" It is great to see a son walking in his dad's footsteps professionally. But I forgot to ask if Brent can play basketball as his dad used to. I kind of, believe he can.

Fortunate indeed are the parents who slide into parenthood with little or no trauma. However, this picture is of a baby boy, whose parents have waited a very long time. They are Buster and Brandy Fitzgerald, formerly of Jacksonville. The young man was born Feb. 27 (same birthday as our newspaper), weighed seven pounds, one ounce and measured 19 inches. He has relatives all over Jacksonville including a grandparent, Jeanette Gillespie, and an aunt by marriage, friend Katie Gillespie. Her late spouse Frank was the great uncle of Brandy. It seems like we've been friends forever...just following the threads of the family. But it was my privilege to shop with Brandy back when she managed the Health Food Store located on U.S. 69 S. Was it her knowledge of good nutrition, natural supplements or was it her unwavering faith? Who can say for sure? Perhaps all of the foregoing. The main thing is that our Creator answered years of prayers with the arrival of Ford Benjamin Fitzgerald. Can't you just see his plated name on an office door someday? Yes, indeed.

The Cherokeean Herald owes the Rusk Volunteer Fire Dept. a big "thank you" for saving the day one week ago today. Our press time for this newspaper is in the middle of the night, and the papers are delivered to us by our friends at the Lufkin Daily News in the wee hours of the morning. Last week, their key to our office wouldn't work, and they carried the papers down to the fire station so they could proceed ahead with other deliveries.

Fireman expect to get calls in the middle of the night asking them to respond to emergencies. But accepting a delivery of newspapers was quite out of the ordinary for them. We understand they formed a "bucket line" and passed the newspapers from person to person to get them offloaded from the truck and safely stored in the fire station. Mike Murray, Rusk City manager, said, "This story makes me so glad that I live in a small town. Only in a place like Rusk can you deliver papers to the fire station in the middle of the night." Amen, Mike, and thank you, fire department friends, for helping us out of a jam last week.

Churches today frequently provide humor with a brief message on their outdoor signs. Pastor Michael Caldwell lightened the church newsletter this week with a column of witty thoughts. Here are a couple to help you move face muscles into a smile: "Come work for the Lord. The work is hard, the hours are long and the pay is low. But the retirement benefits are out of this world." And, one more: "Come in and pray today. Beat the Christmas rush."

Watch for a super presentation of stock show contestants in this issue. It is truly outstanding, like the event it covers. Keep smiling. mwhitehead@mediactr.com