JUNE 2018
Page 3
PET OF THE MONTH
REVELATIONS OF A BABY BOOMER
So every day for the next few weeks,
I reported to the offices of the Evening
Capital, and I swept floors, inserted
papers, walked the publisher’s dog and
washed the publisher’s wife’s car. And
every day, I served my paper route with
the help of Jack’s employees. Pretty
soon, we collected and paid the bill. I
even made a little profit.
The best thing that ever happened to
me, though, was that Jack took a liking
to me, and those few weeks turned into
seven years. Because of that, the rest of
my life was in the newspaper business.
Pat Cavanaugh
Chief Advisor
program.
Each
FLIPPING GOOD TIME month during REMINISCING ABOUT
This month, we are highlighting
a pair of therapy dogs: Simba and the school year, elementary students LIFE’S TURNING POINTS
Zuri. Simba has received the gold
award, the highest honor offered by
Therapy Dogs International. He is
a Disaster Stress Relief dog. Zuri is
close to reaching her 150 visit mark.
These Rhodesian Ridgebacks
are the stars of Conyers-Rockdale
Library’s Paws for Reading
PARKS AND REC
continued from pg 1
If you need somewhere to take the
little kids for some water and fun in
the sun, you can check out the splash
pad at Milstead Park in Conyers. This
park is a part of a big project to revive
the Milstead community. There is a
playground on the site as well.
Recently, Costley Mill Park in
Conyers opened up to the public. This
park is spread out across 77 acres
of beautiful landscapes. The park
includes a waterfall, a lake beach area
for swimming, and playgrounds. This
park has rich history!
In Newton County, just across from
the Porterdale Mill Lofts, there is an
appealing park alongside the Yellow
River. If you follow the trail through
the woods, you will find an open field
with a disc golf course. In the distance
you will see the Mill tower. The town
of Porterdale has a lot interesting
history. At one point in time, the
Porterdale Mill was the largest twine
mill in the world. The Yellow River is
great for kayaking during the summer.
If you want to take your family
hiking, you can go to Arabia Mountain
Park in Lithonia. Arabia Mountain is
considered one of the few monadnocks
in Georgia, which is a mountain that
stands on a predominately flat plain.
This park features miles of beautiful
hiking trails. One will lead you to the
Monastery of the Holy Spirit, which is
a peaceful place to stop and reflect on
COMICS
gather to read to Simba and Zuri.
Visit www.conyersrockdalelibrary.
org to find out about their next
visit and meet their handlers: Chris
and Nancy Ritchey. Curious about
therapy dogs? Visit www.tdi-dog.
org to learn more.
life. This park also features a lake in
which fishing is permitted. The park
is open from dawn until dusk. The
best part is that all of this is FREE!
There is no charge for trail usage or
parking. The park also features bike
trails which are a part of the PATH
Foundation, and you can ride your
bicycle from Arabia Mountain to
Panola Mountain which is about 24
miles.
In Sandy Springs, there is Morgan
Falls Park. On the property is High
Country Outfitters’ Paddle Shack.
There you can rent kayaks, canoes
and stand-up paddle-boards for an
hour or more. The park is alluring
with its green fields and sparkling
lake water.
Another great find is Swift-Cantrell
Park in Kennesaw. There is a skate
park, wellness center, splash pad,
a dog park and a picnic area. The
admission for the splash pad is only
$2 per person and kids 2 and under
are free!
Of course, there are many parks
to choose from in the Metro Atlanta
area, but these are some of our
favorites. If you would like, you can
check out the website for Georgia
Department of Natural Resources
(https://gastateparks.org/parks). So,
pack up the kids,all your fun in the
sun gear, and find adventure this
summer! Remember, it’s actually the
healthy thing to do.
A
I was afraid of Jack in a respectful way.
Every day I worked for him, he taught
me the value of loyalty and honesty. He
believed in people, and he always gave
them several chances. He got the best
out of everybody who worked for him.
I pulled so many mischievous pranks
while I worked for him, but he always
forgave me.
s I’ve gotten older, I’ve started
When I was first married, I had no
to experience flashbacks. Vivid
money
for a honeymoon, so he gave me
memories, some good and some
his
credit
card and told me to do anything
not so good, come to mind.
I wanted with it. He was disappointed
Last week, I had one, and it took me because I was too embarrassed to put
back 55 years. I was a 14-year-old much on it.
newspaper carrier for the Evening Capital
I had often wondered how he always
in Annapolis, Maryland. I have to admit
now I wasn’t a particularly skilled carrier. caught me on my schemes to avoid work
My route was about 8 miles altogether, and to get out of town with my friends.
and I served about 100 papers six days Later, I found out that he had daily
conversations with my grandmother.
a week.
Between the two of them, they conspired
Part of my job required that I collect to keep me straight, and most of the time,
payments from my customers. Problem they did. I worked with Jack until I was
was, they were never home or didn’t have 21, at which time I had decided to finally
the money when I came to collect. As a go to college.
result, my parents began getting calls
I didn’t want to leave, so I did everything
about my overdue newspaper bill.
I could to make him mad and fire me,
One day, after it had gotten to the point as he had many times before (probably
where my parents were truly alarmed, about 20!). This tim e, he fell into my
they invited the circulation manager to trap. I had pushed him to the point that he
the house to work out some deal to save fired me for the last time, and that is how
me. I’m sure my parents thought their I left the Evening Capital and Jack Cullen
son might be the first family member to with my righteousness intact.
end up in some correctional facility and a
I swore I would not work in newspapers
surefire shame upon the family.
again. Obviously, I didn’t swear good
The manager, Jack Cullen, although enough. I never, to this day, stop thinking
initially appearing very gruff, turned out of Jack Cullen. I read that he died a few
to be one of my finest mentors. Cullen years back, and I called his son and told
had been in the newspaper business all him how much his dad had meant to me.
of his life, and there wasn’t anything He said he was glad I called. When I
he didn’t know about distribution. As I hung up, I cried like a baby.
found out later, he also had a heart that
Thanks, Jack Cullen. When I’m down
was bigger than Mount Rushmore.
and frustrated, I still think of you, and I
Anyhow, Jack promised our family smile, and when I write things like this
that, in fact, I wouldn’t be going off to column, I still cry like a baby.
juvenile hall and that he would have me
work off the bill.
Fathers and sons
continued from pg 1
“It has been years since my Father passed
away but, often a fleeting thought can bring
to mind stories and memories in vivid detail.
In one vignette he is helping me grip a golf
club correctly, or in another, he is showing
me how to clean my shotgun after a hunting
trip. I can hear the sound of country music
drifting across Center Hill Lake, while my
whole family is camped out on the river
bank nearby. He was in every scene, not just
watching from a distance. He was hands-on,
a teacher and a storyteller using his influ-
ence as a father to show me how to be a
man. I think my thought for today is to work
as hard as I can to be the influence for good
and create moments for good in the lives of
my children.”
-Tom Hudgens