Sunday, June 22, 1997
Reporters Notebook
LORETTA FULTON, regional editor - Who needs Doppler
when you've got Charlie?
The Abilene Community Band is blessed with having its own resident
meteorologist, former TV weatherman Charlie Jordan, whose wife
Ann is a member of the clarinet section.
On Saturday, June 14, as lightning and storm clouds provided
an interesting background for the band's concert in Rose Park,
director Joe Stephens kept his ears tuned to the band and his
eyes turned to Jordan, who was in the audience.
With one glance at the sky, Jordan was able to tell exactly
where the storm was and when it would arrive at the park.
With an accuracy that would amaze Mr. Doppler, Jordan advised
ending the concert at 8, shortening it by 30 minutes.
Just how accurate was he?
"Raindrops starting falling just as I was rolling up the
windows in my car," Stephens said.
ROY A. JONES II, senior staff writer - You can't tell
by looking, but Lady Justice put on quite a few pounds during
the several weeks she was away from her perch atop the Jones County
Courthouse at Anson.
When she went to St. Louis for a makeover as part of the courthouse
renovation project, she weighed about 80 pounds and was silver
in color. When she returned a few weeks later she'd ballooned
to 255 pounds.
She hides it well, however, behind a new coat of brilliant
white aircraft paint. Most of the weight gain came from a new
overlay of copper. And she picked up a few pounds when conservators
patched a number of bullet holes.
Jones County officials have served notice that anyone caught
shooting at the statue will find out how swift and sure justice
can be.
JERRY REED, senior staff writer - Stanley Goldsmith
didn't need the kind of break he was offered for a moment in commissioners
court Tuesday morning.
Goldsmith's H&G Construction had just won the bid to construct
a new long-term lockup for Taylor County's juvenile offenders,
and was given 425 days to complete the job. The discussion then
turned to liquidated damages, the daily penalty the contractor
would incur for not finishing on time. Officials drafting the
construction contract had plugged in a $1,000-a-day figure found
in a previous jail construction project, but on second thought
concluded that figure was considerably high.
"A more reasonable amount that we would normally expect
to be in a project of this scope and size and type would have
been about 250 thousand dah - uh, 250 dollars a day," said
project architect Jack Harkins.
Goldsmith blanched just slightly before Harkins corrected himself.
"Instant heart flutter," observed Larry Bevill, administrative
assistant to commissioners court.
GLENN DROMGOOLE, editor - The Internet has made it possible
for funny news to travel fast. About once a week or so, someone
sends me a gem they've come across, usually a collection like
"How you can tell you're addicted to the Net" or "Best
country-western song titles."
The latest was sent to me by Doug Williamson, our senior editor
for business and technology, who received it from the Society
of Professional Journalists. It's entitled "When the end
of the world comes, how will the media report it?" Some examples:
USA Today: WE'RE DEAD
The Wall Street Journal: DOW JONES PLUMMETS AS WORLD ENDS
Victoria's Secret Catalog: OUR FINAL SALE
Ladies' Home Journal: LOSE 10 LBS BY JUDGEMENT DAY WITH OUR
NEW 'ARMAGEDDON' DIET!
America Online: SYSTEM TEMPORARILY DOWN. TRY CALLING BACK IN
15 MINUTES.
Sports Illustrated: GAME OVER
Playboy: GIRLS OF THE APOCALYPSE
Reader's Digest: 'BYE
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Copyright ©1997,
Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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