To The Editor:
With sincere appreciation, the committees for the L.C. and Hazel Ross Foundation would like to thank all for making our event a joyful and another successful one.
By giving your time, effort, attendance and participation, we will be able to reward several deserving young students with the L.C. and Hazel Ross scholarship.
Special thanks to our banquet committee, T. Atkins, Diane and Taylor Berry, Joanne Hinton, Pat Smith, M. Jordan, Joanne Anderson, Bruce Pierce, K. Carey, Barbara Lark and T. Ross. Thanks goes out to Clint Culp (our camera man), live entertainment by Mr. Tracy Dawn Band (awesome performers and musicians). Thank you to our “silent auction” donors, Mr. Dermontti Dawson, Mr. Willie Roaf and Ms. Cherie Johnson.
Thanks to Lions Park Golf staffers for the red carpet treatment and the use of their greens and services. Thanks Rance, Regina and Raquel for preparing and serving of the food at the golf tournament. And thanks to all the players who participated in this year’s golf event.
Thanks Booya, Rudy and T.J. for letting your young ballers showcase their skills on the court. The Hoyas and Allstars gave us a glimpse of future Wildcat and Razorback stars. Keep up the superb work and effort that you have always demonstrated with young people.
Thanks go out to the Co Ed 3 Point participants. Some great competition from all teams. Thanks. Team Greer (I. Greer/B. Ward – winners of contest); Team Jack (Darry/Gabby Jackson – runners up); Tea, Lake Show (R. Reynolds/Chasity Henry); Team Hoyas (T. Chambers/B. Thomas); Team Sims Inc. (Robert/Natashia Henderson); Team Elite (J. Wilbourne/Sophia) and Team Show Time (D. Brown/Mailman). Promise next year will be better with different outcome.
Thanks Rod, Isaac for helping pull the 3-point contest off and to our ball runners T. Chambers, B. Ward, B. Thomas, Jalen and Sekari.
We want to thank B. Berry and K. Spivey as well as the other Flawless Ballers, J. Wilbourne and Team Elite. These young ladies prove that B-ball is not just a man’s game by taking the game to a higher level. Thanks for your presence Ms. Whitney Frazier (The sky is your limit – wish you nothing but success). Shouts out to you, Gabby, Chasity and all the young ladies who participated.
Thanks go out to our men’s basketball show casers. The Survivors and South West Flight players put on NBA highlights and thrills! For handling the referee chores, our thanks are never enough for Carlos Caver and Mike Parker. Thanks to the clock and scorekeeper for doing a great job (B. Thomas and Russell “Mr. Lifesaver” Jackson). We are grateful to our gate keeper (Sharon, San and Faye.) Thanks concession workers (Ross, Angela, Mary, Jerome, Chiquatia, Ronnie, Caldri, Eugenia, Tina, Glenda, Vanita, Kabria, Bryant and Debra). Great job to camera man (Clint Culp) and gratitude to Reginald (Mr. Music Man) Holly for the sound and keeping it live.
For providing entertainment during halftime of games, we can’t forget the Junior Elks Herd No. 743. You young men keep it up! Thanks Larry Woods and Jerome for allowing us to witness young men being positive examples for a positive cause. Got to mention the other show stoppers, the Southern Belle Dance Company sponsored by Jason and Justin Robertson. The Baby Belles stole a lot of hearts with their performance. The night got better with the repeat National Anthem performer! She was Fantasia, Beyonce and Mary J. all in one. Thanks Ms. Zacara Douglas (Lady Z). You rocked the house for us last year with your voice, but the crowd is still talking. “What a voice!”
We give special thanks to El Dorado News-Times for promoting our event with great coverage. Thanks Noalmark Broadcast and Carter for giving us air time on your stations. Thanks to El Dorado School Superintendent Jim Tucker, AD Director Phillip Lansdell, and coach D. Rodgers and Coach Simmons for their support and use of their facility.
They say to always save the best for last! Super thanks to our fans, players, parents and to all that supported our event in any way and for truly making it a wonderful success. Thank you so much from our hearts.
See you next year, and be ready for the return of Ole Timers Game (by popular demand) and other new attractions.
Golf Committee: Joe Berry, Verge Jackson
Basketball Committee: Joe Berry, Wanda James, B. Peterson
Banquet Committee: Wanda James, Tony Ross, K. Carey
Joe Berry
Ross Foundation
El Dorado
To the Editor:
If I may just take a moment to clarify a few things about our language that have begun to bother me. I have heard no less than four, maybe five, TV commentators pronounce “reprise” with a long “i.” That pronunciation applies to an archaism. The correct pronunciation is with the long “e” sound—“ree preeze.”
Another common mistake people make is to use “an” before the word “historic.” This practice comes from the habit of British cockney speakers truncating the aspirated h in “historic” resulting in “an ‘istoric” and making the usage nonstandard. You wouldn’t say “an hitched team” or “an hideous performance.”
In addition, members of society sound a bit précieuse when they get this one wrong: The comparatives “than” and “as” can both be either a conjunction or a preposition. When one says, “Tom is a better painter than I,” one usually assumes “than” is a conjunction and the verb “am” is understood and thus uses the nominative form of the pronoun. However, one cannot drop the verb from a clause or it ceases to be a clause, and it becomes a prepositional phrase requiring the objective case of the pronoun, “me” – “better than me.” Or else, use the verb – “better than I am.”
And there is one other thing: The English language has a perfectly good neuter pronoun, “it.” Why don’t we use “it” instead of “he/she” and the possessive “its” instead of “his/her?” I was around when we made the transition from the masculine catch-all pronouns “he” and “his” to the politically correct “he/she” and “his/her” versions that we use today. It seems to me using “it” as a neutral personal pronoun would catch on much quicker – for instance, “Each worker should punch its own time card” almost sounds natural already. Maybe the information in this article will waft its way into the national consciousness. One can only hope.
Michael Lee Cauley
El Dorado