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Highlands Today

Where There's Smoke There's …

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By Norm Cukras | Highlands Today

Published: February 2, 2008

Just because the smoke has cleared here in Highlands County doesn't mean that competitive barbecuing has come to an end in the area. In fact there is one going on in Wauchula today.

And last week by far the largest Florida state contest was held up in Lakeland. At our 12 Hours of BBQ contest there were a total of 42 teams. In Lakeland they had almost 60 professional teams, 80 backyard teams and around 20 kiddie teams. That's a lot of smokin' going on, and a lot of barbecue enthusiasts.

And, of course, during this time of our political cycle where there's a crowd of more than three people there is a candidate trying to garner just one more vote. Last Saturday in Lakeland was no exception. Presidential candidate Mike Huckabee siezed the opportunity to shake a few hands.

Through the sea of people attending the cook-off I saw some TV cameras and boom mikes and went to see what was going on. It was Huckabee who was the focus of their attention. Since there weren't any more than maybe 20 non-media people around him I elbowed my way to the front of the group. I got to shake his hand and exchange a few pleasantries. What I didn't share with him however was the fact that I had already taken advantage of Joe Campbell's convenient offer to beat the rush and voted early at the county building.

Even though Huckabee came in a distant fourth here in Florida it was fun for me to shake his hand and chat a bit. Sadly the tape of my historic encounter never made it on the 6 p.m. news. In fact I didn't even see it mentioned in the papers that he was in Lakeland let alone that he had spoken with this columnist.

Oh Say Can You Sea

The guys over at the Sea Services Museum on Kenilworth Boulevard have a monthly Sunday lunch for 30 or 40 people. The revenue helps pay the water bill and other expenses. This month, as an added attraction to the meal, museum president Howard Fleetwood invited Petty Officer Emily Klinefelter to speak to the group.

Emily is currently assigned to the Defense Department's outreach program "Why We Serve," which is designed to connect members of the military with civilians. The Iraqi Operation decorated sailor, 29, who has been in the Navy for 9 years included in her presentation her first hand experiences of being a wife and a mother who is serving her country.

"If we cry," she summed up the experiences of some service people, "it is not because we are weak it's because we are human."

She was also very complementary of today's youth in the military. They rise above any dependence on cellphones, iPods and computers, she said.

In Times Past

A few years back before the most recent devastating hurricanes, we made a few trips to Biloxi, Miss. to bolster the economy of the casinos there. During those trips we always made it a point to stop and admire the battleship USS Alabama moored in Mobile Bay. To me there is something mesmerizing about the ship even though I served in the Air Force.

Anyway, at last week's Sea Museum mess I got to chat with "Ace" Henderson who up until the last few years was the iron will behind the Golf Hammock men's golf club. While I've known Ace for years I just found out that he served 2½ war years aboard the ship.

One of the antidotes he related was about his assignment as a marine to guard the occupants of the "brig". On one occasion they were transporting a half-dozen or so Japanese POWs back to Pearl Harbor.

The prisoners didn't believe the destination because their officers had told them that not only had Japan captured the Hawaiian Islands but that they had landed troops in California.

Ah, the power of propaganda.

Overheard

Overheard at the checkout counter: The way TV shows are going the term "boob tube" is taking on a whole new meaning.

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