4 DEC 05: TENT PITCH

"Would you like to help our Christian school?" The request came Saturday evening, even before I could turn off my car engine in a parking lot. Maybe these charities need to install drive-through lanes.

Two girls holding plastic containers walked to my car as I parked at the Starmount shopping center on Buena Vista Road. I was there to buy milk and cleaning supplies - not be taken TO the cleaners by someone....

I shut off the engine, interrupted my focus on the Southeastern Conference championship game and rolled down my car window halfway. "Which Christian school?"

"Bible Way Christian Academy."

"Where's that?"

"Talladega, Alabama." They traveled about 130 miles to ask for money?! Do THAT many Alabama cities have tough panhandling laws?

The obvious question was why youngsters from Talladega would come all the way to Columbus to seek donations. The girls offered several answers. For instance: "People are nicer here." The Chamber of Commerce will thank you for that - and ask why you don't move the entire school.

(Are people around Talladega THAT surly when it comes to Christian schools? Maybe they're only happy twice a year, when the NASCAR drivers show up.)

The girls eventually explained Bible Way Christian Academy students travel over a wide area. Some of them even have been to California - which must mean they collect a lot of money, to go on field trips that far away....

So what REALLY brings the girls from Bible Way Christian Academy to Columbus? If I understood them correctly, they're with a Talladega church that's here for a "tent revival." I didn't ask where the tent was -- of if they succeeded in reviving it.

The girls were not working Buena Vista Road on their own. I asked where their supervisors were. "One's at McDonald's; the other's at Wal-Mart." I had just come from McDonald's, and no one approached me there -- but I ate dinner in my car, and maybe the adults were asking INSIDE there.

I'd put spare change in the plastic jar in Albany a week before [27 Nov], but this simply struck me as strange. If I want to help a Christian school, why can't I donate to one here in Columbus? Are the children in Talladega bigger sinners - and they're being punished by going on these long road trips?

"I already tithe to the church I attend now," I told the girls, "so I'm more likely to give there." That seemed to satisfy them - assuming their school teaches what a tithe is. Their teachers might call it "dividing by ten" instead.

The girls went on to other cars, and I went inside Rainbow Foods at the Starmount shopping center. But I wound up buying nothing, because milk was selling for $2.49 a half-gallon. Thankfully, I didn't have to drive to Talladega for a better deal....

E-MAIL UPDATE: Our weekend InBox has a couple of leftover issues. It appears we're not the only ones to notice that billboard on Victory Drive:

Richard,

How are things in your part of the world? I hope this note finds you well.

As I read your blog this morning, I came across your mention of the Georgia Equality billboard on Victory Drive. WRBL actually covered that story a few weeks ago, on Veterans Day. As you might imagine, reaction was mixed to the billboard. A GA Equality spokesman told me via telephone, the group's main goal with the billboard was to get people talking… start a dialogue… etc.

While I was out there covering that story, we stumbled onto a crew from WXIA in Atlanta doing the same story. I believe their version of the story is still available online at www.wxia.com .

Again, I hope things are going well for you… I'm sure I'll see you around again. Have a great weekend!

-Blaine

Thank you, Blaine Stewart. I didn't see WRBL's report because it apparently aired at 6:00 p.m. on that Friday night, November 11 - and I turn off the TV set Friday night at sunset. It's the start of the Sabbath for me. Or as I tell unknowing friends: "I turn into a pumpkin."

It's curious that the NBC affiliate from Atlanta came to Columbus to check on the Georgia Equality billboard. WLTZ "NBC-38" wouldn't dare show it - because Al Fleming would insult the management in his commentaries for days.

Our next e-mail goes back to Thanksgiving dinner:

Ran across your blog while doing a google search. I wanted to add to the Callaway Gardens discussion [25 Nov]. I took my Mom, Dad, and girlfriend there for Thanksgiving. After waiting half an hour to be seated for the Thanksgiving buffet (at 3 PM in the afternoon) we found the buffet line to be very intimidating. Why? you might ask . . . they had run out of turkey and everyone was just standing there waiting to bring a few more morsels out. RIDICULOUS! I will never go back.

Robert

I can understand your frustration, Robert -- and I hope as you left, you didn't give the Callaway staff a (ahem) different sort of bird.

If Robert's family had to wait 30 minutes for a seat, it appears Callaway Gardens had a large Thanksgiving Day crowd. And if the staff ran out of turkey, there should have been a good alternative close to.... no wait. That's not why the "Birds of Prey" show is there.

(If you thought Robert's message was harsh, keep one thing in mind. He could have declared the Callaway Gardens staff the REAL Thanksgiving turkeys.)

Perhaps Callaway Gardens will do better with the upcoming holidays. A news release issued Friday says dinner in the Plantation Room will be offered December 24 and 25 for $24.95 per person. The big question there may be how much egg nog to have on hand.

Then there's December 31 -- and Callaway Gardens is offering holiday packages which START at $215 per person. Are they flying in organic black-eyed peas for good luck from South America or something?

The allegedly low-priced "Gold New Year's Eve Package" (there IS a more expensive one) includes one night's stay at Callaway Gardens, a dance, champagne, Sunday brunch AND free use of "the Callaway Fitness Center." As if strolling around the grounds for a couple of hours won't make you physically fit....

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, and stop to consider other items from the weekend:

+ Peachtree Mall hosted the annual "Diamond Dig" to benefit the Children's Miracle Network. One of these days, they'll finally hold this event at a more fitting location -- Golden Park.

+ Auburn held a Habitat for Humanity fund-raising "Cookie Walk." Was this a "politically incorrect" event for Girl Scouts to attend?

+ The Georgia Governor's office issued a news release announcing the lighting of the Governor's "Holiday Tree." Then 30 minutes came a corrected release, saying it was a "Christmas Tree." So did the complaints come from right-wing Christians - or from Jews, pointing out Hanukkah is marked with a menorah?

+ Mayor Bob Poydasheff declared it "Charles Flowers Day" in Columbus, as the Shaw High School coach moves to the new position of Muscogee County Athletic Director. I can't help wondering if the mayor asked school officials how they found room in THEIR budget for a new job like this.

+ Georgia lashed Louisiana State 34-14 to win the Southeastern Conference football title. This game became so lopsided that I turned to GPTV, where a rout by Lowndes County meant the clock ran continuously in the fourth quarter. Noncommercial stations have no problem with that....

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