The Snoop 2.23.2017
The following story was brought to us by Jan Sparnicht, an employee of the local Walmart store. She asked that the story be shared, and we are happy to do so.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF STORY
Written by Jan Sparnicht
It seems like all we see or hear about lately is sad, bad, negative and / or depressing. Well, today I would like to share with you a different and special kind of story.
The other day one of my customers came into the store and told me about a recent experience she had while working with the Red Cross in Georgia during the recent tornado that had hit that state.
A couple of rescue workers had returned from an area that had been hit really hard and were talking about their experiences with one of their rescues.
They had come upon a house, or what was left of it and started going through the rubble. Unfortunately they found a man and woman on the ground under some of the wreckage who were deceased. All of a sudden they hear a child crying They continued searching trying to find out where the crying was coming from. They came across a huge armoire that had fallen over. And low and behold the crying was coming from what sounded like underneath. They picked up the piece of furniture but nothing was under it. The crying was coming from inside the armoire. One of the men pulled open the large drawer and inside was a little boy about 5 or 6 years old.
The men removed the boy and one of them asked him how he got inside of the drawer. The little boy looked at him and in all the innocence of a child simply stated ” The old man with the wings picked me up and put me inside the drawer”
I wanted to share this just to let you all know there is always hope and even though there is tragedy, disaster and unsettlement in this world of ours, there is something and some one that is greater than all of it.
Jan goes on to say, “My one wish is the news media would print more news like this – we all need to hear more of this kind of news story.”
* * *
Basketball season has now ended for this year at Ava High School with both the boys’ and girls’ teams losing in the first round of districts. The losses were not unexpected, since both teams were seeded sixth in a very strong tournament.
Although neither team had a winning record this year we saw lots of positive things happen, and much credit goes to Nathan Houk and Mike Mallow who stepped in and took control of our girls’ and boys’ teams, respectively. Coaches Houk and Mallow restored dignity and a positive attitude in a troubled basketball program. Thanks, fellows.
Now, I’m going to go out on a limb and do something I’ve never done before, and only time will tell if it will be done again. I don’t have any official season stats to look at to back up my opinions and I have not discussed this with any of the coaches, parents or players. But I’m going to name my selections as Most Valuable Player for the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams.
My MVP from the girls’ team is a shoo-in and goes to the only senior, Emily Guengerich. This little gal is a sparkplug wherever she is, and always has a smile on her face, regardless. As the team’s point guard, she was a team leader and a positive influence playing with a team of underclassmen. Her selection as Hoopcoming Queen a few weeks ago supports my position.
My MVP selection from the boys’ team may surprise some people, but I believe this recognition should go to senior Colton Skyles.
Colton has been Mr. Consistency this year, playing hard in every game, and taking on whatever role he needed to play to make the team the best it could be. Skyles and his big senior classmate Anthony Rosas were a compliment to one another, and when the defense keyed on 6’6″ Rosas, Colton would back up and pop a trey.
Colton’s role multiplied when Rosas went down with a season-ending injury three weeks ago, and his determination only grew stronger. And, he kept his cool … most of the time.
Sorry, guys, there is no trophy or medal or statue – not even a Happy Meal to go with this. In fact, this announcement carries absolutely no weight at all. It’s just something I wanted to do.
This recognition would not be complete without acknowledging seniors Zimran Lawrence and Devin Elliott who were also a key part of the 2016-17 Bears basketball team. All of you, Bears and Lady Bears, made the hometown fans proud this year. Scanning the roster and looking at the names of all the underclassmen who are a part of our basketball program, we can only look forward.
Now, let’s play baseball (or golf, or track & field).
