Hattiesburg American from Hattiesburg, Mississippi • 6

nemo: Thursday, March 28, 1996 6 A Neighbors Desk: Robyn Jackson 584-31 17 3 Ellzey and Leigh Jackson, third. Behavioral and Social Sciences IV: Candice Clark, first; Amanda McPhail, second; and Jessica Reynolds, third. Behavioral and Social Sciences Jeremy Powell, first; Heather Patterson, second; and Stephen Johnson, third. WAYNE JEFF DAVIS jjoRBEsti I 7 MARION BKM PERRY PfARL GEORGE RIVtR Davis does Internship COLLINS Catina Davis of Collins, a senior social work major at Rust College in Holly Springs, is completing an internship in social work at the Institute for Community Services Headstart. The internship is a requirement for graduation.

She plans to attend graduate school in the spring. i Rawls is a native of Columbia and has been greatly inspired by her parents, Samuel and the late Inez Porter, and other family members. She first began singing and playing in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church Choir. She recently produced a demo tape and has performed at gospel events in Houston, Ypsilanti, and New Orleans and Slidell as well as local churches. Donations will be accepted at the door.

The public is invited to attend. Miss Hospitality named COLUMBIA Kate Rogers has been named Marion County's Miss Hospitality. The Cultural Committee of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce made the announcement. Jenrw ButtsHattiesburo American TRUE LOVE: O.M. and Mary Edna Russell, who now reside at the Hattiesburg Convalescent Center, celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary last week.

They met in 1927, when both worked at the New Corner Drug Store in downtown Hattiesburg. Couple celebrates 69 years together Judging team places 2nd ELLISVILLE The Jones Junior College Livestock Judging Team placed second at the Mississippi State Fair. Jenifer Pender of Pachuta placed first in the overall individual competition. At the Louisiana State Fair, competing against 25 other colleges and universities, Jones placed third in sheep, sixth in swine and seventh in beef cattle judging. Jones also participated in the Western Livestock Show in Denver last month.

Members of the Jones Livestock Judging Team are Melanie Smith of Purvis, Cathy Magee of Oakvale, Jenifer Pender of Pachuta, E.W. Goodman of Quitman, Jason Ellzey of Ellisville," Johnny Mills of Bassfield, Trent Tolar of Columbia, Gerald Jones of Collins, Kevin Hollingsworth of Taylorsville, Jason Miller of Quitman, Drew Nagy of Hattiesburg, Brian Beasley of Collins, Jacob Crout of Magee, Barry of Richton and Michael Holifield of Laurel. Tim Ishee is agriculture instructor. Story hour is Friday SUMRALL The monthly pre-school story hour sponsored by the Sumrall Elementary Parent Center will be held at 1 p.m. Friday.

This month's theme will be Easter. The children will make a craft, view a video and be served Easter treats. All pre-schoolers between the ages of three and five are invited to attend and must be accompanied by an adult. These are also games available in the Parent Center for checking out to assist pre-schoolers at home with early learning skills. For more information, call Joan Terrell, Parent Center coordinator, at 758-4289.

Center enrolling students HATTIESBURG The Wonders of Wisdom Children's Learning Center is accepting applications for enrollment from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today through Saturday at the new location, just off U.S. 98 West behind Southern Interior. The center offers music, art and physical education with optional dance, gymnastics and Computer Tots, and accepts ages six weeks to 12 years.

Registration fee is $40. For more information, call 268-0799. Rawls plans concert COLUMBIA Gospel recording artist Deloris Porter Rawls will present a spring concert at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Jackie Dole Sherrill Community Center in Hattiesburg. Moss named finalist HATTIESBURG Rachel Moss, a senior at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science, has been named as a finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Program.

Conducted by the non-profit, non-government funded National Merit Scholarship Corporation, finalists are selected based on their abilities, skills and accomplishments. Approximately 14,000 students from across the country have been named as finalists, some 6,900 of which will receive scholarships. Moss formerly attended Hat-tiesburg High School and is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ira Moss of Hattiesburg.

HOSA team competes EATONVILLE Seven members of the HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America) team at North Forrest High School competed in the Souther District competition at Biloxi High School recently. The following students competed: HOSA Bowl: Michelle Poole, Yakima Ducksworth, Felicia McKenzie, Tamara Brady. Nursing Assisting: Yakima Ducksworth, Skye Tilghman. Medical Math: Felicia McKenzie. Medical Terminology: Tamara Brady.

CPRFirst Aid: Renee Broome and Beverly Sims. McKenzie placed 4th in Medical Math and Ducksworth placed 3rd in Nursing Assisting. They will compete in April at the HOSA State Competition in Jackson. Also competing at state will be: Reggie Ellis and Beverly Sims, Sports Medicine; and Autumn Giddens, National Health Care Exam. Kiwanis governor visits HATTIESBURG Kenneth Kinney, Kiwanis District Governor for the MississippiLouisiana West Tennessee District, will meet with area Kiwanis members in Hattiesburg Friday during an official visit to the organization's Division Three.

Kinney will urge local Kiwanis clubs to expand their participation in Kiwanis International's major service focus called "Young Children: Priority One." Through this continuing service focus, Kiwanis clubs develop local projects that serve the special needs of young children from prenatal development to age five. Kinney will also promote local club involvement in Kiwanis In-terional'8 first worldwide service project. Kiwanis clubs have joined with the United Nation's Band auditions Saturday POPLARVILLE Pearl River Community College color guard and drum major auditions will be held Saturday in the PRCC band hall. Drum major auditions are set for 9 a.m. Those interested in flags and rifles will meet at 10 a.m.

Full tuition scholarships are available for individuals selected to be part of the 1996 PRCC band. For more information, call the Pearl River Fine Arts Department at 795-1180. Band events planned RICHTON The Richton Band Parents will sponsor a double-elimination men's and women's Softball tournament from 8 a.m. until Saturday at the Richton baseball fields. Entry fee is $100 per team.

For more information, call Ron Henderson at 788-9705. The organization will also be serving funnel cakes, hamburgers, soft drinks, candy, popcorn, chips and barbecue chicken plates. There will also be an arts and crafts festival across the highway at the Perry County Multi- Purpose Arena. Booth space is $20 outside and $30 inside. For more information, call Margie Stinson at 989-2290, Karen Wells at 788-5650 or Deanne McLaurin at 788-9347, All proceeds will be used to purchase new band equipment and a trailer for transporting instruments to contests and football games.

April earns designation WIGGINS April has been designated "Child Abuse Prevention Month." In an effort to heighten community awareness, the Family Child Center for the Prevention of Child Abuse is sponsoring a blue ribbon campaign signifying support for the prevention of child abuse. To volunteer or for more information, call 545-6680 or 545-6681. Children's Fund to eliminate iodine deficiency disorders throughout the world by the year 2000. Students make dioramas PETAL Students in Mrs. Woodman's and Mrs.

Lewis' classes at W.L. Smith Elementary made dioramas from the book "The Borrowers." The dioramas were displayed in the library for the week. In Mrs. Woodman's class, the following students won: John Branson, first; Heather Thompson, second; and Eric McGregor, third. In Mrs.

Lewis' class, the folr lowing students won: Marcus Woods, first; Tiffany Weathersby, second; and Matt Rainey, third. Mrs. Woodman's class was also chosen to learn mime from the Missoula Children's Theater. Each year, one fifth grade class is selected for the classroom demonstration. Army promotes Carter LUCEDALE Mitchell E.

Carter has been promoted in the U.S. Army to the rank of sergeant. The sergeant is an automated telecommunications computer op-eratormaintainer at Camp Red Cloud, South Korea. Carter is the son of Charles B. and Glenda F.

Carter of Lu-cedale. He is a 1990 graduate of East Central High School in Hurley. McLeod gets scholarship SAND HILL Jackie McLeod, an education major at William Carey College, was awarded one of eight $500 scholarships from the Mississippi Professional Educators during the 17th annual convention in Jackson recently. McLeod was nominated by a committee of professors at WCC, where she maintains a 4.0 grade point average. She has also received the Phi Theta Kappa and William Winter scholarships at WCC.

She previously attended Jones Junior College. She is married to Danny McLeod and they have two children, Hollianna and Sawyer. They are members of First Baptist Church of Sand Hill. Science winners named PRENTISS Winners of the Prentiss Christian School science fair include: Behavioral and Social Sciences III: Michelle Griffith, first; Kristi Langston, second; Tabitha It's OK to I went to the park to eat my lunch today and while I was there I noticed a young father with his two children. The youngest, a little boy that looked about two or three at most, kept soliciting the daddy's help.

"Daddy help me up, Daddy help me After a while, the little guy went up the steps to the slide all alone, then down he went unaware that an early morning storm had deposited a small pond in the area where thousands of small xfeet and sometimes hands and heads had wallowed out the sand at the Vis if The By JENNY BUTTS Special to the AMERICAN HATTIESBURG After 69 years of marriage, Hattiesburg resident O.M. Russell still remembers that the first word he ever spoke to his wife, Mary Edna, was "Honey." The couple celebrated their 69th wedding anniversary last week surrounded by family and friends at the Hattiesburg Convalescent Center. Russell said he and his wife have been fortunate to spend these last 69 years together because they have entrusted their lives to the Lord. The high-spirited 91-year-old has heart trouble, and his wife Mary Edna, 94, has Alzheimer's disease. They have been residents at the center for almost one year Russell, however, is admired by the' nursing home's staff for his liveliness.

One staff member commented that Russell is "really on the ball," and still has control of the couple's bank account. Russell added that he makes sure all of their bills are brought directly to him for payment. "We've always had a good time, all our married life. Whatever I've done, she's done. We just love one another," Russell said.

Russell met Mary Edna, in 1927 when she was a waitress at the New Corner Drug Store at West Pine and Main Street. Russell was a soda jerk at the counter. The two were married one month later on March 18, 1927. "We worked that night, a Friday night, until 10:30. Then we came down to the First Baptist Church on South Main Street, and the preacher married us at 20 minutes to 11 o'clock," Russell said.

The couple eventually bought a grocery store on First Avenue in Laurel, where they remained for unknown. It's hard to pray that well be wrong; that they'll sidestep the puddles and land in the clear. If they dofl't land clear, how hard it is to say, "It's OK, move on to the next challenge and learn from your mistake." Too often, parents almost glorify in reminding their kids just how right they were, how all the mess could have been avoided if the kids had only listened. They point out and elaborate on how muddy the kids are, how stupid their choice was. All the kids learn is that their parents aren't lf L.J I 1 t.

I V.J atti Incorporated in 1884 population: 22 years, returning to Hattiesburg in 1976.. Russell also spent eight years working for the City of Laurel, and retired at 69. "We owned three homes in Ellisville, and lived there 17 years; Our son was born to us there we were married 11 years before we had a boy, and that's the only one we did get. He's the most precious thing we've ever had on this earth," Russell said. The Russells' son is now 58, an' off-shore engineer in Baton Rouge, La.

He visits his parents in Hattiesburg whenever he can, Russell said. The Russells also; have two granddaughters. Russell has seen the world change drastically over the past six decades, remarking that oxen! were used as work animals when he was a child. "I was born in 1904 I got here before the horse did. The horse finally came, and then later we saw a car come down the road.

I couldn't tell you what it looked like, because I ran it scared me to death," Russell said. Russell's advice to young married couples nowadays? "Stay with the Lord. Obey God. That's exactly what pulled us through, and nothing else," Russell said. He is an active member of the Heritage Methodist Church of Hattiesburg.

"The Lord is still with my wife and me. I get up every morning thanking the Lord for the night that I just spent, and for the breath that I breathe. And I tell Him I'm going to keep this day holy for Him all day." the people to turn to when thej need comforting and encouraging, It's the wrong slide to go on. son. The one on the other side brings you out on firmer ground But if you must choose your owr way, I'll be there at the bottorr to cheer for you if you leap ovei the puddle, or dry you off if yoi land in the mud.

Either way youll eventually get out of th park victoriously, because you'rt made of good stuff. Phyllis Carter Is a freelanci creative writer and reporter Write to her at P.O. Box 178 Sumrall, MS 39482. make mistakes if you learn from them PHYLLIS CARTER The Neighbors Page is designed to publish news oc- curring in the neighboring com- munities in South Mississippi. Items should be printed clearly, mailed or delivered in person to the Neighbors Desk.

Our mailing address is Neighbors, co Hattiesburg American, P.O. Box 1111, Hattiesburg, MS 39401. Our fax is 583-8244. Please include a daytime phone number. For more information, call Robyn Jackson at 584-31 17.

Sometimes our children make decisions that we can see could land them in a mire. It is hard to watch them mount the steps anyway, preparing to slide into the end of the slide. I watched as he struggled out of the muddy water, then stared down at himself making small noises of dismay at the wetness and mess his slide had resulted in. Daddy looked him over acknowledging that he was indeed a mess, then said, "It was awful, wasn't it? It's OK You couldn't have done any better." His son now comforted, the father suggested they move on to another area and off they went to tackle the next challenge, the damp and mud just a fading reminder of a bad choice. EBBW 0 HVY mo No More Tricky Sales Just Low Prices Everyday! i i i 3 t.

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