The Office Cat

Debbie Jackson and Sandra Brown (sisters), owners of

Tena's Jewelry and Gifts in Washington-Wilkes and Elberton, have returned from a fabulous trip to Antwerp, Belgium. They went with a group of 47 members of the Independent Jewelers Organization to learn about diamonds and to purchase some for their customers here in the United States. Debbie says she has never seen so many diamonds. The two ladies spent three full days working with diamonds and saw them "in the rough" and then watched in a plant while they were polished and cut. Debbie and Sandra said that it was a chance of a lifetime and they were just overwhelmed by the beauty of the diamonds and bought some to bring home to their stores. They were able to share ideas and learn from other diamond dealers and this was a real plus. They had a sightseeing trip one day to see the beautiful city and countryside, and also took a day trip to Paris where they found it hard to believe all the beautiful architecture they were seeing.

Sarah Lynn Hyatt, granddaughter of Rosalyn Adams of Washington Wilkes, has made a remarkable recovery from her June 23 accident. Doctors thought her spine was severed and gave her a one percent chance of ever walking again. Last week she was named homecoming queen at her Henderson High School in North Carolina and was able to stand (with her braces) while she was being crowned. Sarah has a lot of determination and a competitive spirit and has learned to do many things on her own. She has begun to take a few steps and says she will walk across the stage to receive her graduation diploma in May. She is the daughter of Charlotte and Jim Hyatt.

United States Marine Lance Cpl. Phil Scarborough will be honored at a memorial service in front of the courthouse on Friday, November 10. Phil lost his life in Iraq on October 30, 2004, and this memorial service will honor him for his supreme sacrifice on the founding date of the United States Marine Corps. The service will be conducted by Michael Horgan and Blake Thompson. A blue granite

marker will be placed along with other memorials on the courthouse lawn. The marker will include a poem written by Dr. David Kirk at the time of Phil's death. Phil was the son of Mike and Phyllis Scarborough of Washington-Wilkes.

A young man from Athens left a Mini-DV Camcorder in a plastic grocery bag on The Square in Downtown Washington Sunday, October 29. If by any chance you found it, call him at 1-706-613- 7187, or call The News-Reporter and we will get in touch with him.

That rainy Friday we had last week brought us 1.85 inches of much-needed rain. Norris says the total for October was 2.5 inches.

The I'd Rather Be In Tignall Fall Festival will be ready for visitors at nine o'clock Saturday morning, November 4, on the campus of the old Tignall School. Carolyn and Nobie, our Tignall newswriters, say that every self-respecting citizen of Tignall will be there. They're hoping that many, many other Wilkes County citizens will also be there, along with lots of visitors to the area.

Charlie Burke is a student at Georgia Southern University. He has a Press Pass and is a recognized photographer. He received an invitation to a reception on the college campus for Max Burns, who is a candidate for U.S. Representative. The speaker was to be none other than President George W. Bush himself! Charlie thought that since he had an invitation he would not have any trouble getting in and so he didn't go early to get in line. When he did get there, he was amazed. There were people and lines all over the place, trying to get to see the President, and Charlie never made it inside. He is Kip and Margie's son.

Probate Judge Jim Burton, who is also elections superintendent for the county, reminds citizens who usually vote at the Pope Center that because of renovations at the center, they will again be voting at the Farm Service Center which is adjacent to the Pope Center.

Edwards Loan and Tax Service, on the corner of East Robert Toombs Avenue and North Jefferson Street in Downtown Washington, is sporting a new coat of paint and it looks good.

"The mountains" are not the only place to see beautiful leaves. Right here in Wilkes County we have some of the most beautiful foliage to be found. Check out the maple trees at the Mary Willis Library and First Baptist Church. Inez Moore's beautiful gingko tree on Spring Street is at its peak today (Tuesday) and there are many more beauty spots.

It's not too early to be thinking about the Christmas Tour of Homes which is scheduled for December 8 and 9. The hotels, motels, and bed and breakfast accommodations are filling up fast, so if you have out-of-town friends and relatives who plan to come, maybe they should be reminded. Several new features have been added this year, making for an interesting weekend in Washington-Wilkes.

The Tigers will be playing Greene County in Greensboro Friday night. If this old baseball fan is understanding a little bit of football, if the Tigers win this one, we will have playoffs here in Washington- Wilkes. If they lose, we'll be on the road. Get your stadium seat and blanket and get ready to head for

Tiger Stadium on November 10 for the first round of playoffs!!

Trunks of Treats sponsored by First Baptist Church on The Square Sunday night was a success with about 200 children receiving treats and many adults and teenagers accompanying them in attendance for the evening. . . . First Methodist had a successful festival at the church prior to the festivities on The Square and shared their leftover balloons with the Baptists.

There's another busy weekend coming up in Washington-Wilkes. In addition to the Tignall festival, the annual Washington Connections Premier Art Show and Sale will be held on The Square and in the Downtown area on Saturday. Local, regional, national and interna tional artists have accepted invitations to be present for the show and sale. . . . The annual Washington- Wilkes Chamber of Commerce will have its annual awards dinner Thursday, November 2, with Federal Judge Richard W. Story as the guest speaker. The dinner will be catered by Cornelia Davis and her Home Café staff.