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Newspaper Archive of
The Hinton News
Hinton, West Virginia
December 16, 2003     The Hinton News
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December 16, 2003
 
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6 - Hinton News Tues. Dec. 16, 2003 Comment A Wandering Jew By Brian D. Boyle it is said that a person can better be judged by their deeds than by their words. In other words someone. can have a big mouth that may irritate the jam out of you but if you look at them closely and they consistently treat their fellow human with respect and if they do good things it does become easy to overlook the minor faults• Such is the case for a town like Hinton. It can often be judged by its deeds as well. A few weeks ago during open jam at Froggys Restaurant someone tugged at my arm and said that there was something of an emergency downstairs and they asked ifI could come down and help. It turned out that a citizen of Hinton had come across a man who by very unusual circumstances had found his way into Hinton. He was not all that clear in describing the circumstances of how he had come to be in here. He was from Los Angeles we learned. I am not going to mention any names in this article because no one who became involved in this story did so because they wanted recognition. Instead everyone concerned got involved because they simply wanted to help. It turns out that one of the first things we learned was that this man' was a devout person of the Jewish Faith. He had been with some other people who had come east because they were roller coaster enthusiasts and they had come east to ride some of the big ones we have on the east coast. He had been to Bush Gardens. Shortly thereafter, for reasons that are complicated to explain, the people he was supposed to return to LA with apparently abandoned him. He was left east of Richmond, Va. He did not have enough money to take public transportation. So he set out walking west following Interstate 64 more or less. The small amount of money he had ran out pretty quickly and he became increasingly hungry. He said that he didn't get many rides and basically walked from Richmond Va. to W. Va. To complicate things he told us he was diabetic and the lack of food was having an effect on his reasoning. It whose answering machines contained the garbled messages I had left came walking in the door. Suddenly we had Christians and Jews and some folks that had just met each other all working together to help this man on his journey. He obviously needed shelter as well as food. We also were trying to get him to a Temple because they could best accommodate him with respect to the precepts of his faith. We all thought of the irony of a wandering Jew landing in Hinton looking for a Temple where none existed. Furthermore he hadn't even made his way to any of the churches but had landed in a restaurant which became the base of operation to help this man. It was truly an unusual occurrence. But one thing was absolutely clear• There was a group of folks who were all working together to help this man. Soon contact was made with folks from the Temple in Beckley who agreed to put him up at one of the Hinton Motels. On this night when he came to our town he found shelter, food and a group of compassionate peoplel He was even reluctant to trust any of us. This was understandable given his circumstances. I believe his lack of eating and the fact that some folks may have wronged him along the way in his travels made him suspect some of us. The next day another local person took him to Charleston to a synagogue and then they helped him on his journey west by sending him on to Chicago I think. In some ways when this man landed in our town he apparently got some real help on speeding up his journey west. In a way he was lucky to have come here. If all of us citizens of Hinton took the time to be more compassionate and helpful to our close neighbors here the same way this group of folks bonded and worked together to help this man Hinton would become an even better place to be. This was a late fall story but it is the essence of the Holiday season. Respect for all faiths and lending a helping hand to those with troubles is what the holidays are all about. The next time you set out to do Pastor Appreciation Day at Friendship Baptist Church Shown above is Rev. Joe Spencer, Pastor of Friendship Baptist Church, Forest Hill, WV. By Mrs. Becky Spencer On Sunday morning the congregation of Friendship Baptist Church honored their pastor with Pastor Appreciation Day Mr. Jody Spencer opened the services by introducing his father and mother, Pastor and Mrs. Joe Spencer. They were seated and Pastor Spencer was presented with a boutonniere of a white rose and Mrs. Spencer was presented with a corsage of white roses• Under the direction of Mrs. Stephanie Spencer, the Youth Choir sang "Jesus Wants Me For a Sunbeam." Miss Taylor Garcia played "Jesus Loves Me" on the piano• She was accompanied by her brother Vic Garcia. Pastor Spencer was all smiles as he listened to these beautiful children sing praises to the Lord. Mr. Jody Spencer, one of the deacons of Friendship Baptist Church, then came and read from the Bible the many responsibihties of a pastor. Speaking for himself and the members of the church he thanked his father for his faithfulness and his dedication• Mr. John Waltman gave a reading entitled "Out Pastor" and presented Pastor Spencer with a plaque from the church. After the presentation, Mrs. Kendra Ratliff sang "A Wall of Prayer." Mr. Jody Spencer read scriptures on the responsibilities of the pastor's wife and thanked his mother, Mrs. contributed to making him confused d paranoid. He Was becoming rustful of others." | Now being of the Jewish Faith he tried to adhere to its customs with respect to eating kosher foods and various other teachings and rules• This was.;complicated for him because many of the places he had been had small populations of his faith. Hinton has a small Jewish population as an example. Someone had given him a ride to Alderson and then it was not entirely clear how he came to be outside a store on our By-Pass when a caring person from Hinton noticed him and took the time not to be indifferent. In my book indifference to our common humans when they have troubles is one of the worst characteristics of a human. It is always easier to walk away then Go become involved when someone else is in need• Even more remarkable is the first person from Hinton who decided to help this wanderer was a woman who might naturally have had a reason to fear a strange man. But help she did. She had brought him from the By-Pass into town to see if he could get some help at one of the churches when she apparently noticed all the folks who were around to hear the music going on in Froggys that Monday night• She stopped and came in to the restaurant. He was extremely hungry and the proprietors immediately fed him. They tried to accommodate him with respect to the things his faith allowed him to eat. He was in search of a synagogue where he might get help from other folks of his own religious faith• But face it-- he was in a Christian town. I was a minor player in this small human drama although I am sure that his troubles were not small to him. I was asked if I knew any people of the Jewish Faith who might be able to point him in the direction of a synagogue that might help him. Some of you might not know that a synagogue is a place of worship for the people of the Jewish Faith. I knew many of the small Jewish folks around our county and many are my friends. So I started to place some calls to some of them and getting quite a few answering machines-- it was frustrating me. To further complicate things, because he was so disoriented, my appeal for help was somewhat disoriented as well since I was unable to exactly explain his troubles and how he came to be in our town. There is a word called providence. I think of it as being a little different than fate although similar. It just so happens that some of the people something that hurts someone else Becky Spencer, for the support she take a moment and pictureyoursetf gives to her ' husband and th as a wanderer in search ofote 0.ncournffi sl.  the church help That person you dt:'h '' " ''r  • ' ' :' ' ' Mrs:!a a cia'read a poeni : might be the person who could help entitled, "To Our Pastor's Wife." Also you. Think about it. We all need help sometimes. Just the same I still look forward to those holiday meals. 2004 GARDEN CALENDARS AVAILABLE The WVU Summers County Extension Service is pleased to announce the arrival of the 2004 Garden Calendars. Quantities are limited so feel free to stop by our office and pick one up. Normal business hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Mon. - Fri. Ballengee Farm Club Members can pick up their calendars at Dillon's in Talcott. KLINKENSCHNELL Klinkenschnell The Christmas Bell presented by the youth at Countryside Baptist Church on Saturday, December 20th. at 3:00 p.m. and Sunday, December 21st. at 6:00p.m. All are welcome to come and enjoy a refreshing musical remembering the true meaning of Christmas! MIHOW PROGRAM IN NEED The MIHOW Program is in need of Maternity clothes. If you have anything to donate please call 466- 2226 and ask for Peggy or Pain. Mrs. Kendra Ratliff read 'The Pastor's Wife," and Mrs. Wanda Moten read "Our Pastor's Wife•" Mrs. Joyce Waltman presented a lovely silk flower arrangement from the church to Mrs. Spencer• Mrs. Wanda Moten then sang a beautiful solo "He Didn't Throw The Clay Away•" Mr. Wayne Bradley made a presentation of a Love Gift from the church to Pastor Spencer• Mr. Victor Garcia gave a reading entitled "A" Pastor's Heart." At the closing of the service, Mr. Russell Gil, a deacon of Friendship Baptist Church, came and prayed for the Lord to continue to bless Pastor Spencer and guide him as he leads our church• After the service the congregation came and greeted Pastor Spencer and thanked him for his ministry to the church. The service was filled with surprises, smiles and tears. It was a day Pastor and Mrs. Spencer said they would always remember and cherish. Pastor Spencer was certainly surprised by his congregation on Sunday but he was also surprised by special treats that came to his home everyday the following week. On Monday, he received a large tZhe "00tace" 206 2nd Ave., Hinton Ph: 466-3151 Give that someone a special gift from The Hair Place Gift Certificates Available Matrix Amplify Shampoos & Conditioner Duo (Reg. $20.90 for $11.oo) Matrix Color X Duo - Reg. $20.90 for Sn.oo Matrix Biolace Reg. $19.90 for $11.oo 150 - Multiplicity Shine with free Make-Up Case Reg. $30.00 Now $27.00 ISO Multiplicity Volume With FREE Make:Up Case Reg. $39.00 Now $27.00 ISO Multiplicity Shine Trio Reg. $30.00 Now $15.oo ISO Multiplicity Volume Trio Reg. $36.00 Now $15.oo • Merry Christmas! • breakfast basket filled with homemade bread, jams, coffee, coffee mugs, candy and candles. Tuesday he received homemade cards from the children's Sunday School Classes. Wednesday the Ladies Friendship Circle presented him with a gift certificate from Ryan's. Thursday night the men of the church gave him a Love Gift. Friday the ladies of the church prepared lunch and brought it to the pastor's home. On Saturday evening about 25 people from Friendship Baptist Church came to sing several of Pastor Spencer's favorite old hymns. After singing, everyone was served hot chocolate. All during the week there were cards of appreciation and telephone calls from members of his congregation. Pastor Spencer said this was a week in his life he would always remember and he thanked his congregation for their love and support. Congratulations to those celebrating Birthdays: Wanda Moten, Stephanie Spencer, Pastor Joe Spencer and Veronica Brunty. Congratulations to those celebrating Anniversaries: Mr. and Mrs. Harold Richmond and Mr. and Mrs. Dwain Friend. Loaves and Fishes Campaign Off To Great Start Loaves and Fishes had received $1,740 in donations during the first two weeks of its 2003-2004 fund raising appeal. Its goal is $6,000• Director Ron Neely reported that as of December 11, 2003 14 donors had made contributions. Fund raising coordinator Jane Duffield commented that this year's donations are on par with past campaigns: It makes me hopeful that we'll soon surpass our goal. "It's heartening to know that even during tough times people remember their neighbors in need." The annual fund raising appeal helps Loaves and Fishes provide an array of services in Summers County. They include a summer camp, emergency food and utility assistance, the Lost 'N Found thrift store, the SHARE food buying cooperative and a home gardening project• All funds are fully tax- deductible and are restricted to helping persons in need in Summers County• All donors giving $50 or more receive a 2004 Wolf Creek calendar• Those wishing to make contributions may send them to Loaves and Fishes, P.O. Box 56, Hinton, WV 25951 or bring them by the 127 Ballengee Street storefront during regular office hours (Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.). Corner of 2nd Ave. and Ballengee St. (Basement of HRDE McCreery Center) Hinton Ruritan Club Mon., Tue., Thurs., Fri. 5 to ?? in the HINTON AREA COMMUNITY CENTER The members of the Hinto Ruritan Club are in the process of wrapping and taggging gifts in order to be ready for Santa to give these gifts to the boys and girls enrollea in the Christmas Toy Fund gift program. These gifts will be giveb to the recipients Saturda:, December 20th. Many groups and individuals wi meet with the members of the Hinton Ruritan Club this week to help wrap and tag all gifts. This week is the culmination of all the many weeks of preparation for th event. Many children will haw sponsors for their Christmas. May children do not have sponsors. F these children, the members of th' Hinton Ruritan Club have bed trying to raise the money to finan the gifts. When wrapped and tagge these gifts along with the others wffi be given to the children for Christmas. Additional contributions will be needed in order for the Hinton Ruritan Club to pay for these gift§ :Donations may be mailed toi Howard Creed, Chairman; Summers County Toy Fund, Hinton Ruritan Club, Box 477, Hinton, W. VA. 25951. Success is simply a matter of luck. Ask any failure. , --Earl Wilson "Thank you Hinton and 00urrounding area for making Southern Redb a 00ucce0000. We couldn't have done it without yoM" Tailgate - or Family Special Dec. 18, 2003 - Jan. 31, 2004 1 Full Slab of Ribs 1 Pound Pulled Pork BBQ 1 Whole Smoked Chicken 2 Quarts of any Sides 6 Rolls, or an 8 pack of Buns Only $29.05!!!+tax Call 466-2233 to Reserve Your Order and Guarantee Product Availability Or Come visit us Thurs. - Sat. 10:30 a.m.- 7:00 p.m. We look forward to serving you in 2004 "Southern Red's BBQ"