St. Mary and Franklin Banner-Tribune from Franklin, Louisiana • 5

IV iy, fviiruary 1. I9H0, St. Marv A Franklin Bannw-Trlbun. PAGE At Astroworld in Houston River rapi to open this spring ds ride expected AT man-made Whitewater river designed for shooting the rapids in the middle of the city. The project-a river rapids ride opening to the public in Spring 1980-is the brainchild of AstroWorld, the Houston-based Six Flags theme park.

Aptly named Thunder Texas, the state with a whopping reputation for being bigger, bolder, and brighter, is muscling itself into the nation's limelight again. Texas sported the first indoor ballpark where games never rain out, helped put the first man on the moon, and now is building the world's only announced its acquisition of AstroWorld in 1975-to install a major multi-million dollar attraction in the Houston-based theme park every other year. In 1976 the Texas Cyclone roller coaster was built and the entire Coney Island section was introduced featuring the Showcase Theater and a games arcade. Since its opening, the "Cyclone." a reproduction of the famous New York Coney Island Cyclone, has been rated the world's Number One roller coaster. Greezed Ligtnin', a revolutionary loop coaster also designed by the Swiss firm Intamin, gave park guests in 1978 something new to flip over with its elliptical loop and tenstory high fling into the Texan ky.

Other improvements throughout the park are constantly being made-new shops restaurants, ahowi, landscaping, and a attractions. Thunder River is a first; and with its grand opening at AstroWorld in Spring I960, a new trend in family recreation will be In-troduced-simulating the zest and wholesomeness of challenging nature one-on one. V. Mi The Eternal Thursday, January 31 Kingdom pumps with enough force to create 25 mph rupids. Two 350 horsepower pumps at the head of the river thrust 144,000 gallons of water into the channel per minute, and a system of 10 special effects pumps placed throughout the river control water direction and flow.

Guests are secure in two-ton boats that float according to the whim of the river rather than being confined to tracks or channels. Therefore, each trip is unique and passengers are exposed to the same sense of adventure, suspense, and scenery as on a real rafting excursion. Complete with sound effects and landscapping, each ride lasts for an average of six minutes. Thunder River gives a family the feeling of great adventure-whitewatering white knuckle-style, the thrill of being in full swing with the great outdoors in a safe and convenient environment. The idea for a Whitewater ride first started making waves at AstroWorld in 1976 when the park's General Manager Bill Crandall envisioned a water ride that would be unique, exhilarating, and appealing to every member of the family.

The concept for Thunder River was born as he watched.the 1972 Munich Olympics kayac races on a man-made river. "I knew that was it," said Crandall. "A ride such as that would meet the priorities I had set and offer and bonus as well-that of making the white water experience for the whole family affordable." Cradnall turned the project over to Intamin, a River, the ride simulates the actual thrill of rafting down an unruly river and encoutering swelling rapids and the magnetism of Whitewater. Running rivers as a sport is steadily growing in popularity in America. Its main appeal is that it puts man in touch with nature and also with his own sense of adventure; riding the rapids puts him both in union with and in a contests against nature.

The new Thunder River will roll through ten acres of land themed to create a rugged pioneer spirit. It has taken expert design and engineering to literally carve this realistic river into the Southeast Texas flatland. The ride will be oval shaped, concrete channel lined with gunite canyons. It will have five rapids areasandfour lakes. A fourteen foot drop from start to finish creates a gravity system similar to that of a natural river.

Boats shoQt into the river channel, fly through bottleneck canyons, confront rippling lagoons, bulging boulders, and stairstep rapids that whirl the boats at an estimated 254 mph towards a majestic waterfall, then finally glide into a clam, clear lake. Realistic water action is achieved with a series of mechanical devices incorporated into the channel design. Ridges intricately shaped into the riverbed cause discontinuities in the water, while underwater jets force the boats aways from the rocks and waterfalls, while the water is churned by wave making machines and swirled by whirlpool makers. The river' is filled with one million gallons of water which is pushed by massive 9 1 WHITEWATER WHITE-KNUCKLE STYLE! The world's only river rapids ride will roar into Houston late Spring 1980 bringing the thrill of the great outdoors to the city. (An artist's rendition).

nay guide and instructor, the majority of the public dos not have the ability, money, or time to take river excursions that sometimes last for weeks and require and endurance. Therefore, AstroWorld's i real-as life ride will give. those cf all Pges the chance to feel the excitement of ridint? free-spirited rivers, usually a irt reserved for trie tale and hearty. Building Thunder Kiver helps fulfill a commitment Crandall made to Houston's tourist and business community when Six Flags Incorporated Friday, February 1 25c Drinks 8-12 a.m. Saturday, February 2 50' Drinks 8-10 p.m.

Delta Freight featuring Tamara 11-3 a.m. (Continued from page 4 freely respond to until our negativity kills our receptivity. All this would be simpler if I stuck to the biblical story but these words are given not to limit our thought but to inspire use) to explore beyond that which our words can express. The Spirit that gives us words can expand and deepen them by his own superior reality. If we do not let our words be open windows they become idloatrous stumbling blocks.

The Spiritual challenges us to a maturity we dare not clicm in our earthly light that always has its shadows yet to be enlightened. The flesh through which we can see also hinders our seeing so that the final illumination is yet to come to us. This is the light that came in Jesus Christ who left us in the care of the Spirit that is ours through faith. This is the kind of world in which the human family is rooted and grounded. Man in his family relations is in the image of God.

The prime thing which Jesus adds to this is the Son inwhomGoc poured out his never yielding love. This Son through his suffering brings the gospel of Love that forgives and reconciles the lost members of the human family which he claims as his own. This reconciliation of lost mortal man with his spiritual origin leads to the glory of that hevenly Swiss design firm who has established itself as the largest "thrill builder" in the world. The result was a feasible design that has become the world's prototype for simulated white water rafting. Shooting the rapids is fast becoming a major sport for "bravados" across the nation.

Today over 150 professional Whitewater experts quide excursions down the North American rivers. Also thousands of enthusiasts challenge and master tlie rapids yearly. However, according to Don Greene, professional Whitewater IK Co pa 1103 Weber wholeness which can finally include all who will say yes to the gift of his Son as our way to eternal fellowship through him. The family in its spiritual dimention is the new redeeming feature in the disturbances of the modern world. Our natural (amily ties are but a pointed to the heaven-centered relationship I have no natural family ties in Louisiana because they all found their callings and stations in the Carolinas.

But by spiritual extension I have found fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters and even children as Jesus promised in the providence of the common Father of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Jesus preached the Kingdom that is the reign of the Father of us all as the fountain sping of all the love that unites us. Last October I spent hourse with my native brother and sisters in South Carolina. This is bow treasured as my last visit with my medical doctor Brother David Brainerd Gregg who at the age of 69 died January 17 and is now with my elder sister who at the age of 70 joined the heavenly branch in January 1973. Families are great especially when they belong to the eternal fellowship whose heritage lends richness to our ongoing journey.

Corporation In several regions of the South Pacific, where mineral deposits are found on the ocean floor, these pellets range in size from that of a marble to that of a basketball. ii Effective January 31, 1920 through February 6, The One (Continued from page 4 boy or girl may be childishly innocent of knowing the world as it is, and ourselves as we are. For example, at a political rally in 1917 when the United States was at war against Germany, the speaker before a large crowd at Rockville, In- diana, said, "God will never allow a nation that uses submarines iniquitously like Germany to win this war. America is fighting for idealistic goals, and in the future America will both propose and States has come out of its provincialism and im- maturity that were com- mon in ii7. wo orator today could be so naive as the 1917 orator, and no audience so gullible.

We no longer are a folk set apart and in our imagination somehow superior to other a.m. 828-9169 1980 Earn CITY 384-2539 similar human beings is a necessary prelude to a community of men and, nations. 0ne more- There are imponderables at. work a8e of history; to nre importance is to be fatallv one-sided. If Iorees wun0Ul strength is one- even more military might without moral power.

Many nations military supremacy have fallen, lacking moral y113'1- Jew indeed ve Penshed over stressing morality and -i swor1- The late Justice Brandeis once observed that "the inevitable is often only the lack of resistance. Resisted evil is not inevitable is often only the lack of resistance." Resisted evil is not inevitably to previal if there is a balance between both material and spiritual strength. Almost Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sugar Markets Send now for our latest situation report. ATCHAFALAYA SAVINGS MONEY MARKET CERTIF CATES peoples. We can no longer be self-righteous as once we were, or self-pitying as some of us now seem to be.

To be objective and con- scious of both our merits and demerits in a world of Commonwealth Commodities 327S.LaSalle Suite 924 Chicago 1L 6O604 (M0)U1'2371 Name. i i i I Address I I Six-Month, $10,000 MINIMUM PLUS Monthly Dividend Checks Monthly Credit to Passbook Savings Account No Service Charges or Brokerage Fees to by a Federal Agency ON 800 It TWu ftirnii ICityj, State Zip I Bus. phone Home phone I Fleetwood Biuuyham --i jj j'j I I ewWkrttt i tin it (W tti'wl ritt Itr i tm ill Mftto. Tim rat tmtint Iw twtmMil PfMt Ml) ari it Mtjtct tt ekt it Mhrit. rtfftrtw pnm th tl Irtwwt tH WwttnultM newt hnH lr wrt tKHrml, BUY YOUR FIRST CADILLAC ar i awi tii ATCIIMLAYA SAVINGS A NO LOAN ASSOCIATION VICTOh ii BOULEVARD MORGAN FROM GUM ijCU-tfrUuHUH.