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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Zwickelmania puts the taste buds to the test Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Mt. Ashland offers shuttle service Education Levy supporters kick off campaign Bowling for knowledge Sharing black culture It's alive! SOU students create thought-provoking art Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow GMO opponents can join Jackson County in defending ban Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Mt. Ashland Ski Area announces layoffs Business Ride & Drive: 2015 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Silvio Calabi: Range Rover Sport, the off-road GT Where do Ashland’s top chefs go to dine? Ride & Drive: The 2015 BMW M4 Silvio Calabi: Jeep’s Patriot earns respect Politics and elections Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Successor Kate Brown must run for election in 2016 Sadness, relief greet Kitzhaber resignation locally Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation State News Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Read Gov. John Kitzhaber's statement on his resignation Legislative leaders join in call for Kitzhaber resignation (updated) Oregon secretary of state: Meeting with governor 'strange' Oregon's second in command abruptly returns from capital Nation - World Obituaries Arlene M. (Ryan) Mills Michael Wayne South Claire G. Craft Theodore F. "Ted" Carter James Fredrick Shareable This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Raiders perfect on senior day Millers smother Grizz on senior night Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules High school Millers smother Grizz on senior night Crater girls, boys cruise to victory in Midwestern League blowouts Grizz boys' upset bid falls just short in loss to Churchill Layton picks Western Oregon Ashland girls go 6-1 in multi-team dual meet Southern Oregon University Raiders perfect on senior day Three questions facing the 2015 Oregon State baseball team Under SOU spotlight one last time Just following the rules Raiders sweep Hope Int., stay perfect Voices Latest Stories Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Workers need more power Landgren cartoon: Disneyland measles outbreak Matthew T. Mangino: The government has access to your emails Our View: Support schools — again Editorial Our View: Support schools — again Our View: Kitzhaber's Delilah? Our View: GMO ruling was correct Our View: The benefits are mutual Wolves in our woods Letters Letters to the Editor, Feb. 14 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 11 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 10 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 6 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 4 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Chris Honoré: Public schools: separate, still unequal Guest Opinion: Why so anxious to tax marijuana? Herb Rothschild Jr.: A good day for peace Guest Opinion: A message to my health care colleagues Columns Workers need more power Guest Opinion: Legal poisons in our waters Jeffrey Gillespie: Mr. Netanyahu goes to Washington Editor's Notes: More local content in the Tidings Council Corner: Transforming Ashland for the future Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Young poets need your help 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Brett Dennen plays the old Ashland Armory Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Theater 'Dames at Sea' opens at Oregon Cabaret Theatre Looking inside yourself and finding a character is magic Classics, premiers highlight 2015 season for OSF Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Music Victor D. Infante: Just in time for Valentine’s Day, some favorite breakup songs The Farr Side: Smith dominates, Beck surprises at Grammys Frisell brings fine-tuned act to Armory The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche A laid-back chat with Marilyn Manson Visual Art Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Movies Movie review: ‘Fifty Shades’ of boring Movie review: ‘Kingsman’ transcends spy-movie tribute status Listings for Varsity Theatre and Ashland Street Cinemas Cotillard embarks on a journey of hope in 'Two Days, One Night' Movie review: ‘Leviathan’ tells a whale of a human tale Food and Drink Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories David Murdock: Take a nice little walk Looking Up: The sky on Valentine's night Health Watch: The rise of wearable fitness tech Jimmy Smothers: Car trouble turns into a pleasant experience Marketta Gregory: We are loved Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business NEWS NOW Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Neighbors fight cell tower proposal near Ashland ... Ashland Calendar: Feb. 14 ... Workers need more power ... Jimmy Smothers: Car trouble turns into a pleasant experience Comment By Jimmy Smothers The Gadsden Times DailyTidings.com By Jimmy Smothers The Gadsden Times Posted Feb. 12, 2015 @ 1:43 pm By Jimmy Smothers The Gadsden Times Posted Feb. 12, 2015 @ 1:43 pm » Social News Going from bad to worse when something goes wrong isn’t always the case. Sometimes things do turn out more pleasantly than they might have. A good example is when a rainbow suddenly appears as dark clouds part, signaling the end of a rainstorm. I faced a situation the other day that seemed bleak, quickly started getting worse, then suddenly took an upward turn that replaced frowns of dismay with smiles of delight. No, I didn’t find a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow; actually, I didn’t even see one. What I saw, however, quickly turned an anxious situation into a pleasant experience. What it was, was a large color portrait of the late Dale Earnhardt. There was his autograph in large script in the upper right-hand corner. Across the bottom of the frame were four of his collector’s cards and a black No. 3 Intimidator patch. I spotted the picture before seeing either of the two women behind the counter or a man in an office visible through a large window. “Who is the race fan? Let’s talk about my friend,” I said. Both women stepped forward and the man came out of his office. I knew immediately I was in friendly company and had come to the right place, and no one had yet mentioned the problem that had caused me to wind up there. It started when I returned to my car after lunch and it wouldn’t start. Dead battery? I phoned for road service and was told someone would be there to jump me off — or tow me in — in about four hours. I had settled down for the long wait when Lance Reaves, a nice young guy driving a pickup, spotted me and attempted a jump start. No luck. “It’s your starter, not your battery,” he said. “I know the people at a garage just down the road. I’ll phone them.” “No charge,” he said when I tried to pay him, and he drove off smiling. I went inside to arrange for repairs and immediately spotted the picture of Earnhardt. Finally, I was with someone familiar, if only in a picture. It was the beginning of a most pleasant experience. And when I spotted a large portrait of a guy wearing a houndstooth hat on the adjoining wall, it reminded me of that day long ago in Knoxville, Tennessee, when Coach Paul Bryant stepped out on Shields-Watkins Field, torrential rains suddenly stopped, the dark clouds parted and a ray of sunshine hit the man some called “Bear” like a spotlight from on high. “My sister, drew that picture of Coach Bryant when she was 16 years old,” Jenny Ramsey informed me. “She drew several others later and sold them.” The business was D&D Supercenter. A smiling Jenny said, “I run things,” although it was owned by her stepfather and mother, Dennis and Donna George. All three claimed to be both NASCAR and football fans. There was a souvenir football from Alabama’s 2012 national championship team on a desk behind the counter. It had the score, Alabama 42, Notre Dame 14, and it a lot of logos and stuff painted on it. Looked like a real football, until Dennis handed it to me. It was made of wood. “A convict in prison carved it from a piece of cedar, using a razor blade,” Dennis said. There were a couple of red and white deco mesh Crimson Tide wreaths that Jenny makes and sells to customers hanging on a wall next to a right-rear racing tire off Jeff Gordon’s car. Two of Gordon’s No. 24 miniature cars were on a shelf in the corner, among other items, including a No. 29 Goodwrench miniature with Kevin Harvick’s name on it. Dennis once sponsored a Pony car driven by Mike Overby at Green Valley Raceway some 25 years ago. Dennis had become a huge NASCAR fan after Alabama International Motor Speedway — now Talladega Superspeedway — opened, and wanted to get involved in racing locally. “I have a copy of the race program from the first race down there,” Dennis said. “I keep it locked up in my safe, with one of the limited Jebco Clocks from NASCAR’s 50th anniversary and a commemorative flip coin from Super Bowl XXXIV.” He liked a lot of the old drivers who became legends in NASCAR, but said, “I always thought Davey Allison was the most talented; he was my man.” Dennis never met Earnhardt, but was a big fan. He also has a picture of the driver imposed against the New York City night skyline from his seventh championship banquet in the Big Apple. Although they started out as race fans, today Dennis and Donna are more attuned to football, pulling for both Alabama and Auburn except when they play each other. Then they and their girls are all for Alabama. The décor isn’t limited to NASCAR and football. As I waited for my car to be repaired, time passed quickly as I noticed a copy of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and read copies of old posters, such as a Pepsi-Cola sign when the soft drink was a nickel and a 6-bottle carton was 25 cents. Another had a picture of Babe Ruth endorsing Red Rock Cola, saying, “It’s the finest cola drink I ever tasted.” It also sold for 5 cents a bottle. And still another: “When he wears ’em, Shoeless Joe Jackson wears Selz Shoes, (they) Make Your Feet Glad.” Before I knew it, an hour had passed, and Dennis or one of the women was telling me my car was parked just outside and I was ready to roll. The car started like new and I drove home, happy and with a smile on my face. I glanced at my watch, realizing I still could be sitting in the parking lot at the restaurant waiting for the repair truck to arrive. By then, whatever auto dealership they took it to would be closing for the day and I’d have been stuck all night without my car. Instead, things had rapidly switched from bad to good, and I met some nice people to boot. Guess my guardian angel was looking after me. Jimmy Smothers is sports editor emeritus at the Gadsden Times in Alabama. He has won numerous writing awards through the years, including the Sports Writer of the Year for 1999 by the Alabama Sports Writers Association. By Jimmy Smothers The Gadsden Times DailyTidings.com By Jimmy Smothers The Gadsden Times Posted Feb. 12, 2015 @ 1:43 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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