Katie Has A Baby: Introducing Abe Zinc

Just a couple of hours ago, Mary Lea and I visited Louis and Katie Zinc at River Oaks Hospital in Flowood.  Katie has helped to manage my office since Labor Day, 2009.  Mary Lea commented that it certainly was good to go to a hospital for a positive reason.  She was so right.

Just this afternoon at 3:51 PM, Katie gave birth to a beautiful and healthy baby boy, Abraham Louis Zinc.  Weighing in at 6 lbs, 7 oz and 19 inches long, young Abe Zinc is a fine looking fellow.  I remember when my first child was born back in 1989.  There was a certain pride and thankfulness about the whole event.  Having a beautiful, healthy baby is a such a blessing.

Both times, when my children were born, I remember going to the hospital chapel while Mary Lea was recovering and turning to Matthew 6: 25-34.  Reading it gave me great relief as a new parent.  The following are  the verses from Matthew as preached by Jesus which basically says, "don't worry, trust in God":


²⁵ “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? ²⁶ Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷ Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life^[e]?

²⁸ “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹ Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰ If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? ³¹ So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’³² For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ³⁴ Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. 

Louis and Katie don't have a single day of on the job training as parents.  They really don't know what they are doing and yet, they will do well.  They will trust in God and work hard towards learning what it takes to be good parents.  They will learn by trail and error and in a couple of years, some of what they have been taught by medical professionals will change but their faith and love for God, each other and little Abe will carry them through.  After all, that is really all they need.

Abe Zinc is in good hands and a mighty good looking baby.

Home Training

When the schools integrated in 1970, I first heard the term, "home training".  I remember in one of my classes that year, an African American teacher shouted out at a student who was misbehaving, "Boy, act right!  Act like you got some home training!"

Hinds County Supervisor, Kenneth Stokes

Recently, Hinds County Supervisor, Kenneth Stokes made a fool of himself with his behavior.  At a recent Supervisor's meeting, while an attorney was speaking in opposition of a solid waste landfill near the city limits of Clinton, Stokes simply couldn't control himself. He shouted out to attorney, Mindy McKay Morton, "Can you guarantee (employees) won't lose their jobs?"  Morton replied that she couldn't.  In response, Stokes responded: "Well I don't want to hear it then.  What about the poor people?  I heard this bullshit all day, and I'm tired of it."

Board President Robert Graham immediately responded, "Hold on a second, (that's) completely out of order."

Stokes response was no better than his initial profane outburst, saying to Graham: "You called Kenneth Stokes name, I'm going to respond.  I don't give a damn who you are."

Most of the shocked crowd, filled with supporters against the landfill began to murmur loudly.  Stokes locked eyes with one of them and blurted out, "Yo Momma!"

What was especially sad was that Stokes had a chance to apologize on multiple occasions.  Instead of doing so, he remained defiant.  In an interview with WLBT, he stated: "The other alternative would be for me to get up out of my seat and go to a person in the audience who should not be making any comments and slap the bad word out of them.  Now, would you rather I had done that?"

It appears that Kenneth Stokes is lacking in home training and the ability to interact in a civil manner.  In less than three years, Stokes will run for re-election.  Hopefully a young, successful minority candidate will step forward to run against him.  A candidate that is for promoting Hinds County and not for self promotion.  If and when that candidate steps forward, we need to be willing to pull out our wallets and support this candidate.  Kenneth Stokes needs to be sent home.  He needs some home training!

A Good Thing

Last night I had the opportunity to go to Arrow Field in Clinton, MS to watch the Clinton Junior High Arrows take on the Warren Central JH Vikings for the Little Six Championship.  Both teams were undefeated but Clinton JH devastated Warren Central JH by a score of 44-6 to win the championship.  Meanwhile over in Vicksburg, Clinton's 9th grade school, Sumner Hill Jr. High, was taking on Warren Central.  Sumner Hill won a hard fought battle winning by a score of 16-8 giving Clinton it's second Little Six Championship of the night.

As good as it felt last night, it felt mighty good tonight when myself, George Dale and Gordie Harkins took our RA's from Northside Baptist Church to the athletic field house at Clinton HS to hear six members of the 3-5, Clinton HS football team talk to the elementary school aged boys about football, school and God.   

A lot is made of public schools and their lack of ability to say anything about God.  A lot is also made of the "dumb jock".  That was not what I experienced tonight.  Cale Luke, Clinton HS's quarterback, who has a 4.0 GPA and a 28 on his ACT told of playing football, play calling and the importance of having a relationship with God.  

Offensive lineman, Roosevelt Hawkins, all 6 foot 3 inches and 360 lbs of him, told about being an offensive lineman and his responsibilities.  Roosevelt, a 3.6 GPA student told the young RA's that school is what is most important and that football comes after school.

Running back, Demarcus Harried, told the boys how he prioritizes.  Quite frankly, he told them, "God first, school second and football third."

What was very impressive is that it was only students/players that talked to us, no coaches.

I really would love for the Clinton HS Arrows to be 8-0 right now, but I have to be honest, I can be satisfied with being 3-5 knowing that Clinton HS has smart young men who have their priorities in order.  These young men will do well in life beyond the game of football. 

Thanks be for young men who represent themselves, Clinton High School and Clinton, MS  in a positive manner.

A Good Teacher and Friend: Bill Lytal

Back in the late 1970's, in the day of 55 MPH speed limits and CB radios, my professor, Bill Lytal and I loaded into his truck and made our way toward Dallas, TX.  I remember the slow journey as we crawled across Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.  Dr. Lytal would ride closely behind eighteen wheelers in hopes of catching their draft and improving our gas mileage while I just prayed that the truck didn't brake suddenly.  You learn a lot about a person when you drive 55 MPH to Dallas and back.

It has been just a few days over two years since the death of Bill Lytal, a professor and friend of mine.    I came to know him when I transferred from Hinds JC to Mississippi College.  Unsure of exactly what I wanted to major in, I chose business and communications and became an employee of the Learning Resources Center (LRC).  It was in the day prior to VHS when large video cassettes taped shows from PBS and they were catalogued and placed into the Learning Resources Library.  Dr. Lytal reigned over the LRC and staff employee, Richard Ritchie and librarian, Wanda Mosley helped to run a very interesting place to work during my last two years of college.

A day at the LRC could range from anything from working in the studio, building sets (he was a good carpenter) for an academic challenge or coaches playback show , running camera or switchboard or editing film or video tape or simply working the counter and checking out video tapes.  Sometimes we would go into the field and tape a commercial for Mississippi College or some event that was happening on campus.  Once we bounced around Mississippi, taping a couple of MC professors, the late Ed Akin and Ron Howard, in a Mississippi History series.

For as much as I learned from Bill Lytal, perhaps one of the most important conversations that I had with him was near the end of my junior year of college, several months after my father abandoned my family and left me, my mother and sixteen year old sister to fend for ourselves.  I told Dr. Lytal that I was thinking of dropping out of college and getting a job.  I told him that I would work for a few years and then come back and finish my degree.  I remember Lytal telling me to step into his office.  He closed the door behind me and gave me what was some of the best advice ever given a college student:

"Ricky, you're not going to drop out.  You're going to come back and finish your degree next year.  From this point on, your major is graduation.  I don't care what your diploma says, your major is graduation.  When you get that diploma, someone will hire you and train you to do whatever it is they want you to do, however they want you to do it... but you have to have that diploma."

Thank goodness for Dr. Lytal and the advice that he gave me that day.  I did major in "graduation" and my class ranking was less than stellar, but I got a diploma from MC and everything that Lytal told me was correct.  

Mississippi College was the right place for me at that time and Dr. Lytal was the professor, advisor and friend that I needed.  God bless the memory of Bill Lytal and may his family forever be blessed with the memory of such a great man.

Danny's Bad Season

It starts on Friday night around 7:00 PM.  The Clinton Arrows take the field and the football weekend is kicked off.  Danny C. Davis will be on the public address system at the stadium.  He has been the voice behind the microphone for the Arrows for decades.  He has also covered and written about Clinton Arrow sports for The Clinton News for just about as long.

For many of us, football is fairly important.  Each year, during the doldrums of mid-season Major League Baseball, we begin to think about how long it is before the football season begins.  Somewhere around May to early July, I commit to the purchase of six season tickets for the Clinton HS Arrows and two season tickets for Mississippi State in anticipation of successful football seasons for both.

My friend, Danny Davis (the same one that is on the public address system) supports the Clinton Arrows, Southern Miss and the New Orleans Saints.  In 2009, the Arrows finished their season at 11-2.  In 2010, the Saints won the Super Bowl and last year, Southern Miss went 12-2 and won the Conference USA championship.  The recent past has been kind.  It has held good and fun memories for Danny Davis and the teams that he supports.  At least that is until this season.  Going into the month of October, The combined record of Danny's teams are:  1-13 (Clinton 1-5, Southern Miss 0-4, NO Saints 0-4).  Weekend after weekend, Danny suffers through a defeat on Friday night, more humiliation on Saturday and then the Saints go retro on Sunday and lose like the Saints teams of years ago.

For a true football fan, this is misery.  Having gone to the Clinton games this year and watching us lose in the fourth quarter to Provine and Jim Hill, teams that are usually victories with a moderate amount of effort, it has been painful.  Probably, grown men shouldn't become frustrated with 16-19 year old kids playing a game.

A look at the schedules of Danny's teams show no major relief in the next few weeks and the suffering will probably continue.  But this past Tuesday, Clinton's 8th grade team beat Madison 44-20 while the 9th grade Arrows beat Madison 34-14.  For a football fan, hope is a great thing.  Already, Danny and I can't wait until next year, and the next!  Help is on the way!

UPDATE:  Finally the seasons came to an end for all of Danny's teams.  The Clinton Arrows righted their ship shortly after the above story was written.  They finished the season winning six in a row, finishing second in the district and hosting a first round playoff game against Southhaven whom they defeated.  The Arrows season would come to a close in the second round of the playoffs against eventual state champion South Panola.  The Arrows finished 7-6.   For Southern Miss, the story was not so good.  The Golden Eagles finished with a winless season at 0-12 and fired their coach after just one season.  The New Orleans Saints had moments when they looked good but with a weak defense, they finished 7-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time in four years.  Overall, Danny's teams finished 14-27.