The B.E.S.T. program

On Thursday, I visited Gardner-Webb for the conclusion of the B.E.S.T. (Bringing Executives and Students Together) program.

There I got to meet some fine folks and honor some deserving students. More than 130 student participated in this program that pairs business owners and leaders with local high school students.

My boss, Publisher Skip Foster, talked to the group on Monday and challenged them to design a Star front page in a contest. I judged the entries on Thursday and presented the winners with certificates and prizes. In addition to a year's subscription, the first-place winner will shadow newsroom personnel at The Star for a day.

The students absolutely rocked the auditorium when the first-place winner Davis Phanthalack was announced. The second-place winner was Travis Strong and the third-place winner was Victoria Easter. But there were so many worthy entries I gave three strong honorable mentions: Eli Hamrick, Sunset Appleton and (I'm having trouble reading the handwriting) Chimetta or Chinnetta McDowel. They all did a great job. Most of the entries could have won in any given year.

We'll publish these mock front pages online in some fashion.

The Star also supplied the group with a blog on our Web site, which was filled daily with photos and stories. They did a great job with this as well: http://bestgardnerwebb.blogspot.com/2007_08_03_archive.html

This program showcased a lot of dedicated people and the Gardner-Webb folks should be proud of what they pulled off here.

Meeting Richard Petty

I got to meet seven-time NASCAR Winston Cup champ Richard Petty Thursday night.
He was named North Carolinian of the Year by the N.C. Press Association. Past winners include Earl Scruggs, Billy Graham and Dean Smith.

According to the Associated Press, Petty, 70, won a record 200 NASCAR Winston Cup races and seven Daytona 500 races. Only the late Dale Earnhardt matched Petty's seven NASCAR championships.

Petty picked up his award at a dinner during the group's annual meeting. The dinner was appropriately held at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord. I had never been there before.

What struck me about Petty was what a genuinely nice guy he was.

Patton Oaks block party

I got to meet a lot of my new Shelby neighbors at the Patton Oaks block party Tuesday night. They served hot dogs, hamburgers, deviled eggs, fresh fruit, homemade desserts and everything in between.
It was a great opportunity to meet some fine folks.

A warm welcome

I've been working at The Star now for four months. But I just moved to Shelby about a month ago. Before coming here I had heard that Shelby's hospitality was legendary. I got a first-hand example of it the day I moved in. The movers and I had spent the day getting everything loaded up in Gastonia and unloaded in Shelby. I was exhausted and hadn't eaten anything all day. Out of the blue, a woman pulls her car over and gives me two cheeseburgers and a cold drink. She told me she lived down the street and could see I was tired and she just wanted to do something to help. To me that was an extraordinary act of kindness and one I'll never forget. I've never had something like that happen to me when moving somewhere. I can only say the good people of Shelby make it the friendly place that people talk about.

'Halo 3' finally in sight

“Halo 3,” probably the most anticipated video game of the year, makes its way to stores for the Xbox 360 in late September (provided it isn’t delayed, which often happens). Many, many kids – and adults – are going to want a copy.
This is, after all, the first next-generation version of the game in this series that cemented the Xbox brand name. Parents should remember this game will sport an M rating, meaning it’s intended for folks 17 and older. These “Halo” games aren’t as offensive as some other M-rated games on the market, but it’s the parent’s call as to whether or not this game is appropriate.
I know my nephew will end up with a copy. He’s only 15. But he’ll wear down his parents by September.
I’m personally excited about this game, but my Xbox 360 was the only thing that didn’t survive the move to Shelby. Thank goodness I had an extended warranty. It should be up and running again shortly.

The whole rabies story

I got a lot of questions after I posted a blog item on getting rabies shots. I decided to write this column that appeared in The Star this week. For what it's worth, here it is:

These rabies cases cropping up in Cleveland County are awakening some ghosts for me.

A number of years ago on a peaceful Saturday morning, while I still resided in Gaston County, I took my dogs outside in the serenity of my privacy-fenced yard so they could do what dogs generally do when they go outside.

Instead of taking care of business, one of my dogs makes a beeline for the stairs to my porch, where three feral cats had sought refuge from the rain. Instead of finding refuge, one of the cats gets attacked by my overprotective dog, Rocky, now a proud new Cleveland County resident himself.

I don’t really like cats, but I wasn’t about to watch Rocky attempt to eat one for breakfast. So I pry the cat from Rocky’s jaws. Newly rescued, the cat then shows his (or her) appreciation by attacking me. Then his two friends join the vicious attack. I end up with a mauled arm, but I manage to get the cats safely away.

Since we had a rabies problem in Gaston at that time, I sought medical treatment. Before I know it, the doctors are calling the police department, which is calling animal control, which is calling the health department.

And almost as fast, I’m taking antibiotics and animal control moves in to set up traps in my yard to catch one of the cats and check it for rabies. It’s the only way I’m going to avoid getting numerous doses of rabies shots. The traps come up empty and the health department orders (or strongly suggests) that I undergo that horrible series of rabies shots.Rabies is fatal. If you get it, you’re toast.

I reluctantly agree and the shots start within days. They don’t seem so bad at first, even though the first series is a real whopper.

They inject you with a lot of stuff. As I have to keep going back for more shots, the pain gets worse and it lasts long after the needle stings. I’ve heard the shots have gotten much better since.

The dogs, even Rocky, get off relatively easy. They just get a booster shot since they were current on their rabies vaccinations. Without those vaccinations, the dogs would have been euthanized or quarantined for six months at my expense. I don’t like the term “put to sleep” for “euthanized,” since I’m unaware of any dog put to sleep ever waking up again.

Meanwhile, one of the cats turns up dead a few houses down from mine. I think this is my salvation from more shots as animal control dutifully collects the cat and sends it off to Raleigh for a rabies test. But the results come back inconclusive and my shots continue.

My story is a good reminder that keeping your pets updated on their rabies shots can save their lives. As for their owners …

'Practice' makes perfect

I'm really trying to stay away from pop culture on this thing, but it's worth noting that one of the most under-appreciated shows on TV, "The Practice," has finally made its way to DVD. This show explores the ethical dilemmas of the justice system better than any TV program before it. The FX network on cable now shows this now-canceled show in syndication, but the entire first season is now available on DVD to both people who might be interested in it.

This show is like a Lay's potato chip. After one or two, you're hooked. It's worth noting this once-great show morphed into the abysmal "Boston Legal."