The News and Observer from Raleigh, North Carolina • 49

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 14 2003 FRIDAY FEBR THE NEWS OBSERVER -Iron r''''114 dee I Exes and to walk away? Advice Check it Out Comics puzzles Movie listings Television wwwnewsobservercomilite 1 Exes and chili to walk awayi Advice Check it Out Comics puzzle Movie listings Television wwwnewsobsc 1 fait 1 1 Exes and to walk away? Advice Check it Out I Comics puzzles Movie listings 1 Television i 4 I 1 wwwnewsobservercomilite 1 1 I 1 1 0 Weekend Gourmet: Fred Thompson on chocolate PAGE 2E ip Weekend Gourmet: Fred Thompson on chocolate PAGE 2E il COMING SATURDAY Winners of the messy closet contest HOME COMING SATURDAY Winners of the messy clo5 WB22 cuts news staff WB22 news children: Is it time 6E 2E 10E What's Up 9E Religious and moral issues news and personalities every Friday Find more inside starting on page 3E t4222'j4 ii 4t 4 VOft i fi I i'40 t4S' l'''' ii tsr-i i of space and faith: Columbia's crew and religion PAGE 4E children: Is it time I 6E 1 of space and faith: Columbia's crew and religion PAGE 4E 2E i 0 10E What's Up 9E It 1 A I es4 1 Religious and moral issues news and personalities every Friday Find more inside starting on page 3E H117-1 7'7 twor 0 i I i i 4 I i I 4 1 I i I A 1 I A 4114011 ft 0 40- 1 By ADRIENNE JOHNSON MARTIN STAFF WRITER The pink slips have been handed out at WLFL as the company gets ready to institute its "News Central" broadcast Joe DeFeo corporate news director said that eight people about a third of the news operation staff were told Monday that they would be let go Of the on-air talent sports director Rick Sullivan chief meteorologist Bill Reh weekend sports anchorreporter Jenny Dunn and sports photographerreporter Carlos McCormick lost their jobs Kristin Emery the station's weekend TV NOTES meteorologist will stay on as a reporter The other people let go were news production workers and an assignment manager Sullivan an 18-year veteran of Triangle airwaves said that the news that he might be fired was broken gradually over the last few months so it wasn't a shock But he said that finally getting the word might improve things at the station "Although! was one of the unlucky ones the ones left behind will have new equipment and! think theirjobs are secure" he said "It was horrible in the last months knowing cuts were coming but not knowing who was being cut" The NewsCentral format mixes local news segments with a national news feed that originates from Hunt Valley Md Weather too comes from the Hunt Valley studios WB22 has already begun airing the NewsCentral weather reports on weekends WB22's new format officially launches March 17 Bob Vernon will anchor the locally produced portion of the news Monday through Friday Tamara Gibbs will serve as anchor on weekends cast Joe Dew cor that eight peopl news operation day that they wl air talent sport chief meteorolc sports anchor1i sports photogra Cormick lost th TV NOTES go were news pi assignment man Sullivan an airwaves said tl be fired was broi few months so said that finally improve things was one of the behind will hai think their jobs a horrible in the I were coming but ing The NewsCel news segments that originates Weather too cc studios WB22 NewsCentral ends WB22's ne March 17 Bob cally produced I day through Fr serve as anchor By ADRIENNE JOHNSON STAFF WRITER he pink slips have bee at WLFL as the compa to institute its "NewsC cast Joe DeFeo corporate news that eight people about news operation staff we day that they would be let air talent sports director 1 chief meteorologist Bill sports anchorreporter Jen sports photographerreport: Cormick lost their jobs Ki the stati: TV NOTES meteor( stay on The oth go were news production assignment manager Sullivan an 18-year veten airwaves said that the news be fired was broken grraduall few months so it wasn't a said that finally getting th( improve things at the statiol was one of the unlucky ones SEE TV NOTES PAGE 12E SEE TV' POP CULTURE POP CULT Phrased out 131 Anita Robinson-Christmas with her granddaughters Kamesha 8 and Nika 11 shop for Valentines Day cards in Raleigh PHOTOS BYJULIE GRABER FOR THE NEWS OBSERVER by love tra I isfor BY ICELLY STARLING-LYONS SIP'' STAFF WRITER RALEIGH Anita Robinson-Christ- mas dipped pork chops in flour and set them sizzling in a cast-iron skillet At the plastic-covered dining room table her girls finished their homework Across from them her 3-year-old boy glee- A fully scribbled red marker in a Harris Teeter coloring book and slurped apple Juicy Juice 4 Her own children have been 7i grown for years but 54-yearold Robinson-Christmas is a Nika mama again Along with raising three granddaughters in her East Raleigh home she tends to a foster son who she hopes will reunite with his mother one day Wake County Human Services and several area churches launched a special Black History Month push Sunday to promote foster care and adoption But for Robinson-Christmas who was recognized with roses at Celebration United Methodist Church for her dedication 4 RELATIONSHIPS A Raleigh woman finds her gift for raising children changes their lives and hers BY MA'rr EHLERS STAFF WRITER Some search for love their whole lives and never find it Ruth Hall met Love and never let him go Gory Love was a strapping hunk of football player on college scholarship in Georgia Hall was a fetching young woman in Macon with an eye on a certain gridiron star They met They courted They eloped in 1939 "After a year I had become pregnant and we had to announce it" said Ruth between bits of laughter She's 82 and lives in Durham They had seven kids 26 grandkids "and I think a dozen great-grrandkids at the last count" Gory The never did like it and we all called him Bud" died in 1997 He left Ruth with nearly six decades of memories along with a name that people remember wherever she goes L-02V-E "It's better than Schwarzenagel or whatever Nika who has two sisters and a foster brother plays with bubbles in her grandmother's kitchen giving herself to kids is nothing new Over the years she has welcomed a dozen foster children into her home It is a gift she said that has enriched her life Through loving and taking care of children she has more patience appreciation for the little things the A's a child makes on a spelling test or the sucker attached to a Valentine he wants to give to every friend People remark at Questions of Faith Black saints in the Catholic Church PAGE 3E A name to embrace Mese folks proudly carry their Love handles everywhere she said Looking for a little love on Valentine's Day? Check out the white pages where there are 58 listings in the Raleigh phone book alone These people live Love everyday "What does Johnson mean? What does Williams mean? But Love? Oh man If you've got that you've got the whole thing" said Orville Wright Love of Raleigh Orville 69 spent a lot of years driving a Trailways bus A lifelong bachelor he doesn't hesitate to use his name when he thinks it might help "I think it's an advantage big time" he said 'Tve had girls ask me 'Are you as good as your I say 'Try me out' He enjoys every minute of it "I've got the SEE LOVE PAGE 12E ed how she beams when she's around children Those are the changes people can see but there's more Robinson-Christmas says she has been changed by an overwhelming love that swells inside her when she nur- tures a child "I can't explain it" she said ''14 "I feel like spiritually I've "'Iv grown When they walk in I Ajust feel something instantly" Growing up in Raleigh Robinson-Christmas saw how taking care of others gave you a closeness a feeling of corn-plays Imlay She watched the way I her grandmother and great-aunt welcomed neighborhood kids into their home looking after and feeding any child who came by Teachers visited students' houses if they acted up in school she said Neighbors yanked children in line if they did something wrong Tending to others made them happy Robinson-Christmas did the same SEE TRANSFORMED PAGE 4E I '70 4 lit: A i flP 40 4 11 i '4 t-c 74- Ji i A I 'f I' if Anita Robinson-Christmas with her granddaughters Kamesha 8 and Nika11 shop for Valentine's Day cards in Raleigh PHOTOS BYALIE GRABER FOR THE NEWS OBSERVER love I -Ira sfor I 1 ed A Raleigh woman finds her gift for raising children changes their lives and hers BY ICELLY STARLING-LYONS I 71- how she beams when she's STAFF WRITER '-Auy --it I i aroimd duldren Those are the RALEIGH i 1 changes people can see but A nita Robinson-Christ- there's more Robinson-Christ- mas dipped pork chops 4 1 mas says she has been changed in flour and set them 4 by an overwhehning love that sizzling in a cast-iron skillet At 'If 1 Cr' vr swells inside her when she nur- the plastic-covered dining- I i 6 -N 1 tures a child i room table her girls finished I can't explain she said their homework Across from 1 fr '11411 feel like spiritually I've them her 3-year-old boy glee- i' i140 0 171s grown When they walk in I fully scribbled red marker in a 1-- 'Ilkk I just feel something instantly" Harris Teeter coloring book "Igo Growing up in Raleigh and slurped apple Juicy Juice A i Robinson-Christmas saw how Her own children have been 7 7ho- -----c taldng care of others gave you grown for years but 54-year- a closeness a feeling of comold Robinson-Christmas is a Nika who has two sisters and a foster brother plays munity She watched the way mania again Along with rais- with bubbles in her grandmother's kitchen her grandmother and greating three granddaughters in aunt welcomed neighborhood her East Raleigh home she giving herself to kids is nothing new kids into their home looking tends to a foster son who she hopes will Over the years she has welcomed a after and feeding any child who came by reunite with his mother one day dozen foster children into her home Teachers visited students' houses if they Wake County Human Services and It is a gift she said that has enriched acted up in school she said Neighbors several area churches launched a special her life Through loving and taking care yanked children in line if they did some- I Black History Month push Sunday to of children she has more patience ap- thing wrong Tending to others made promote foster care and adoption But preciation for the little things the A's them happy for Robinson-Christmas who was rec- a child makes on a spelling test or the ognized with roses at Celebration United sucker attached to a Valentine he wants Robinson-Christmas did the same Methodist Church for her dedication to give to every friend People remark at SEE TRANSFORMED PAGE 4E or'r At 1 441 it -1 Questions of Faith Black saints in the Catholic Church PAGE 3E L---1 RELATIONSHIPS 1 A name to embrace These folks proudly carry their Love handles everywhere whimsical BY MA'rr EHLERS she said 4 STAFF WRITER Looking for a little love on Valentine's Day? 11 ome search for love their whole lives and Check out the white pages where there are 58 I never find it Ruth Hall met Love and listings in the Raleigh phone book alone These I let him Love everyday 1))1 never im go people live ay ii Gory Love was a strapping hunk of football "What does Johnson mean? What does I player on college scholarship in Georgia Hall Williams mean? But Love? Oh man If i 4 i was a fetching young woman in Macon with an you've got that you've got the whole 0 i 1 eye on a certain gridiron star thing" said Orville Wright Love of They met They courted They eloped in 1939 Raleigh 1 'After a year I had become pregnant and we had Orville 69 spent a lot of years dri- i to announce it" said Ruth between bits of vinga Trailways bus A lifelong bach- sw--- laughter She's 82 and lives in Durham elor he doesn't hesitate to use his They had seven kids 26 grandkids "and I name when he thinks it might help think a dozen great-grrandkids at the last count" "I think it's an advantage big time' Gory The never did like it and we all called he said "I've had girls ask me 'Are you him Bud" died in 1997 He left Ruth with as good as your I say 'Try me nearly six decades of memories along with a out' name that people remember wherever she goes He enjoys every minute of it "I've got the L-0-V-E Liki "It's better than Schwarzenagel or whatever" SEE LOVE PAGE 12E 1 REIM 7 1 A 1 1 1 A i 0 lit: 1 'it i '4 I' 4 a --4-14 i 1 A university wants to send certain buzzwords to an undisclosed secret location A ttnivc certal4 undisch BY MAIM Mils CHICAGO TRIBUNE Aplea to the nation's leaders and news commentators from the word watchers at a small Michigan college: Give the buzzwords a rest starting with "weapons of mass destruction" "It's like someone jumping out of a closet and saying too' too many times" said John Shibley a spokesman for Lake Superior State University in Michigan's Upper Peninsula Shibley helped compile the university's 28th annual 4:0 A "List of Words Banished from For more information the Queen's about the banished word English for Mislist including an e-mail form Use Over-Use for nominating terms for and General next year's list go to Uselessness" wwwIssuedubanished released last month Despite the whimsical title the list addresses serious terms along with lighthearted ones especially since the terrorist attacks of Sept 11 "We run the risk of trivializing the horror of these things if we keep invoking the bogeyman over and over again" Shibley said of the drumbeat use of "weapons of mass destruction" "They could just say chemical weapons or biological weapons or nuclear weapons" "Overused and overwrought" echoed Michelle Gill of Chicago in nominating the term People from across the country and the world send e-mail messages faxes and letters to nominate the year's most irksome words and phrases The college fielded a record 3000 nominations in 2002 "Material breach" invoked again and BY CI Aplea to th comment ers at a sr the buzzword "weapons of mE "les like some and saying too' Shibley a spot State University sula Shibley helpe ft 14 For more info about the banisti list including an el for nominating next year's us wwwissueduThE title terms along wi cially since the 11 'We run the ror of these thi bogeyman ovei said of the dru mass destructi chemical weapo nuclear weapor "Overused al Michelle Gill of teillrieople from world and phrE congsenede-e ni tinersatitoonsnoinini2oonal: words "Material br SEE WORDS PAGE 12E SEE V1.