Rutherford Weekly - Shelby NC
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1498495
Thursday, May 4-May 10, 2023 www.rutherfordweekly.com 828-248-1408 Rutherford Weekly - Page 9 Email: Email: events@rutherfordweekly.com events@rutherfordweekly.com Mail or Drop-Off: Mail or Drop-Off: 157 W Main St, • Forest City, NC 28043 157 W Main St, • Forest City, NC 28043 *Publisher has fi nal decision of which photos appear in print, per available space. We Want Your Kids Sports Photos! •Basketball •Baseball •Softball •Soccer •Archery •Equestrian •Etc! We Want Your Outdoor Photos! We Want Your Outdoor Photos! Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Hunting, Fishing, Playing Ball, Etc. Sportsman's Corner Sportsman's Corner Email: events@rutherfordweekly.com Mail: 157 W Main St., Forest City, NC 28043 Phone: 828-248-1408 *Publisher has the fi nal decision of which photos appear in print, per available space. Within a few days of each other, two gobblers are down. An Eastern and a Rio. Since us guys only like our pictures taken if there are animals involved, there I am sitting behind each tom – feathers fanned and me as proud as a peacock. The pictures look nearly identical. The stories, completely different. One took about fi fteen minutes after fi rst light. The other after a long morning of nothing. One involved a quick sit, wait, and call. The other, a long silent run and ambush. One alone. The other with a friend. One an easy distance for a shot. The other pushing the limits. But the pictures look pretty much the same. But the pictures never tell the story. And if I were to show you the pictures without telling you the real story, you would conjure up one on your own according to what you see. I get the extreme privilege of being around men – some of whom I have never met, and some of whom I have only met briefl y. Most of the time these occasions are around an extended weekend that involves anything outdoors. What I fi nd is that If I just look at each one of them, I am tempted to think their story is different than mine. I am tempted to think many of them do not know the same hurts, habits, and hangups that I do. I am tempted to think their story is without struggles. But when I engage with them, I realize we are really all the same, and none of us have been handed an easy hunt. While the details may be different, they all involve a pain that no one sees. Their picture may cause me to conjure up an easy story, but their real story is one of diffi culty and lingering burdens. They are just like me – and everyone else – even if their life involves a deep and valued faith. Many people are tempted to look at those who gather on Sunday mornings or other times during the week with other Christians, as people who have it all together. We see someone singing or with a Bible open and we take a quick snapshot. We then begin to build a story around what we see. Our temptation is to tell their story without any hardship. After all, only good people attend such gatherings, we think. After all, their good jobs or businesses, or affl uence, has eliminated them from pain, we think. And then we hear their real story. And then we understand they are no different than we are. And then we see the reason they lean so heavily on their faith is the same reason we all do. It is because there is nothing else in their life that gives them the hope, encouragement, and forgiveness that Jesus does. Remember, the picture never tells the story. By By Gary Miller Gary Miller Aiming Outdoorsmen Toward Christ Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 20 years. He also speaks at wild-game dinners and men's events for churches and associations. gary@outdoortruths.org GARY MILLER 2400 Oakland Rd, Forest City 828-429-3129 Monday-Friday 8am-5pm NON CLIMATE CONTROL AVAILABLE WELL WELL LIGHTED LIGHTED with with 24/7 24/7 SECURITY SECURITY OFFERING OFFERING BOAT BOAT & CAMPER CAMPER Storage Storage Amya Boykins, 6, is a member of the Rutherfordton Little League's Tball team. The daughter of Jessica Watson and TJ Boykins. Amya holds the family stuffed sloth Samuel. Amya recently received the game ball from her coach for playing well. SPORTS CORNER SPORTS CORNER The North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission (NCWRC) and the N.C. Department of Transportation (NCDOT) recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding demonstrating their commitment to work together to improve the infrastructure and safety for both wildlife and the traveling public on North Carolina roads. Both agencies share common goals to make highways less hazardous for wildlife and reduce the impact highways have on important habitats. The partnership aims to develop effective and effi cient passages for various species of wildlife to reduce highway hazards for motorists and wildlife, while minimizing habitat fragmentation. NCWRC and NCDOT have collaborated for decades during project planning to address these road safety impacts related to wildlife, resulting in 26 wildlife crossing structures across the state successfully providing wildlife passage. These wildlife crossing structures can include overpasses, underpasses, and fencing along roads and highways. Examples include a passage corridor along Cold Springs Creek and Harmon Den Road under Interstate 40 in Haywood County as well as three underpasses on Interstate 140 south of Wilmington in Brunswick County. NCDOT and NCWRC are currently collaborating on 11 additional projects in various stages of planning, with several awaiting construction while others are still in the design phase. "NCDOT is committed to work with our partners to improve North Carolina's roads for both the safety of the traveling public and wildlife," NCDOT Chief Engineer Chris Peoples said. "We will continue to work with our partners to examine wildlife vehicle mortality data, monitor crossing structures, and identify new crossings and mitigation strategies in North Carolina." According to NCDOT, 20,331 wildlife-vehicle collisions were reported across the state in 2019, and 18,607 such collisions were reported in 2020 — a decrease the NCDOT largely attributes to reduced travel during the COVID-19 pandemic. A 2021 release from the department estimated that 7 percent of all reported vehicle crashes in the state involve animal strikes, with almost half occurring in the twilight hours or at night, between October and December. Both agencies recognize the need for a collaborative relationship to accommodate the ongoing and projected population increase and consequent demand for movement of goods, services and people in the state as well as the impacts highways have on North Carolina's wildlife and environment. "As more and more people move to North Carolina, the landscape changes with additional development, new roads, additional road lanes, and overall, more vehicles on the highways," said NCWRC Chief Deputy Director Kyle Briggs. "Unfortunately, the effect on wildlife from those actions often results in habitat loss, habitat fragmentation, and increased wildlife-vehicle collisions." This partnership will also improve data collection for wildlife vehicle mortality, continued monitoring of wildlife crossing structures, and identifi cation of new crossings and wildlife mitigation strategies. As part of continued collaboration during NCDOT's project planning processes, NCWRC will develop a "Wildlife Passage Guidance" document that will aide in the familiarity and incorporation of standard prescriptions for highway projects. For the fi rst time ever, Congress made a major investment in wildlife crossings in the recent Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, allocating $350 million for a Wildlife Crossings Pilot Program that will help fund projects in all 50 states. The North Carolina General Assembly is considering allocating resources to wildlife passages that could be leveraged to match the available federal funding within the pilot program. Wildlife Commission and Department of Transportation Renew Focus on Wildlife Passages to Reduce Wildlife-Vehicle Collisions Article by: ncwildlife.org.