The Office Cat

George Smith who lives on the Danburg Road told me a story that Lewis Hall told him about his dad, Mr. George Hall of the Metasville community, during the 1930s, 1940s, etc. Lewis said that Mr. George went out to his hog pen one morning and all his hogs were just stretched out as if they were sick or dying. He was alarmed, thinking that he had lost all of his pork for the whole winter. He called Dr. Clyde Smith, Wilkes County's popular veterinarian at that time, to come see about his hogs. Dr. Smith arrived on the scene, surveyed the situation and said, "George, they'll be all right as soon as they sober up." The hogs had been eating chinaberries which were very plentiful in those years and were known to cause drunkenness.

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The First United Methodist Church has been raising money to build a new fellowship hall on their grounds and it looks as if groundbreaking is imminent. Many church groups and organizations have come up with creative ways to raise money. The Chancel Choir, directed by Shay Harris, has decided to get into the fund-raising by having a concert on Sunday afternoon, April 15. The concert, featuring the choir's favorite anthems, is free and a love offering will be received following the presentation. Shay says that in addition to the anthems, there will be instrumental pieces from pianist Janet Pharr; organist Belle Guin; and banjo, Randy Strother. (Is a banjo player a banjoist?) Soloists will include Maggie Cravens, Bruce Holes, Vickie Wang, Darren Pharr, Darla Ward, and Tommy Wells. The men from the choir will sing a favorite of both choir and congregation - "He Never Failed Me Yet." Time is three o'clock.

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Every night last week, The Square was full of people who were attending The Masters in Augusta but found lodging in Washington- Wilkes. The Fitzpatrick Hotel was full, as were most of the Bed and Breakfast accommodations, and the hotel was open for dinner every night. The Jockey Club did a booming business and some stores were open for shopping. There were very few parking spaces on The Square and car tags indicated people from many states, including Michigan, Kentucky, Washington, Texas, Iowa, Illinois, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, and even the country of Argentina. Early the next morning - 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. - you could see folks getting in their cars to head for The Masters.

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Some of those visitors were seen enjoying a stroll around The Square eating an ice cream from Sophie's, newest business on The Square. It's owned by Guillaume and Sokun Slama (owners of the Lafayette Manor Inn), and currently has ice cream, drinks, tea, pastries, and some sandwiches. Sophie's is located between Wilkes Eye Center and Charles LeGette's office. An expanded menu is planned.

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Lawrence Hyde, former owner of the former Mike and Phyllis Scarborough home (the Hitt house) on Spring Street, recently sold the house and has moved to Savannah. He expresses his appreciation to the people of Washington Wilkes in a Letter to the Editor this week.

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Tena's Jewelry and Gifts in Elberton received the "Entrepreneur of the Year" award presented by the Elbert County Chamber of Commerce at the Chamber's recent banquet. The store is owned by the Reville Sisters of Washington- Wilkes - Debbie Jackson, Sandra Brown, and Jeana Worley.

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Meredith Attwood helped make her grandmother's dream come true a couple of weeks ago. Her grandmother,

Alberta Schoogl of Savannah, is a big fan of the television show, "The Price Is Right," and had always wanted to see a live production of the show. So the two of them flew to Los Angeles, camped out for

12 hours to get tickets, and enjoyed the show. Meredith says they were glad they did it. (In case you're wondering who Meredith is: she's an attorney in the law office of Kopecky and Roberts.)

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Janie Cravens, Maggie Cravens, Delaney Russell, and Jessica Watson are home from a fabulous trip to Italy during Spring break from school. . . . A group of seniors at Briarwood Academy and their families also enjoyed a trip to Italy during Spring break. Many in the group were from Wilkes County.

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The Tour is over. Easter has passed. I need your input to make this column interesting. Please call me with things you know about what your family is doing and what other families are doing, or anything interesting you know about. The number is 706-678-2636.

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Jonathan Chapman, son of Pastor Jimmy Chapman and his wife Beth, has been in Iraq for the past seven months, and it doesn't look like he will get home before 2008. He's stationed at Camp Taji which is 12 miles northwest of Baghdad, and is frequently in-and-out of Baghdad on missions.

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About 60 brave souls gathered behind First Baptist Church on Easter Sunday morning for the Sunrise Service at 7 a.m. It was the coldest it has been, maybe ever, at 28 degrees. The service was led by the church's young people.