Blood drive for Christopher is Friday
The Office Cat
Maria Burgess Walker writes from Dallas, Texas, that she and husband Joel were excited to see Washington- Wilkes mentioned in a recent Sunday edition of the Dallas Morning News. The article was a review of the recent book about the lineage of the Callaway family and mentioned the presence of the Callaways in Wilkes County. "It was so nice to experience a little touch of home on a Sunday morning before church," Marie writes. "You never know when and where you will be taken back to Washington once you leave Wilkes County." Maria and Joel have a baby daughter whose name is Scout. They are children and granddaughter of Martin and Janet Burgess.

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Jeanne Davis Blair, proprietor of Southern Elegance Tea Room and Bed and Breakfast, reports a big turnout for her Pre-Election Tea and Desserts Sunday afternoon. Close to 100 people, including several candidates in the Tuesday city election, attended the affair which was open to the public. Margaret Norris was winner of the raffle for one night in the Venetian Suite of Southern Elegance. "I was very proud of my newly-chosen city and its citizens," Jean says.

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Carolyn Gammon reports that the "I'd Rather Be In Tignall" Fall Festival was the best ever. The weather was beautiful (a little cold in the early morning), the people came from everywhere, and there were plenty of things to do and good food all day. . . . Henrilyn Carlton Cleveland of Sylvania, formerly of Tignall, was the winner of the beautiful state birds and flowers quilt made by members of the Tignall Homemakers Club.

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The November issue of Georgia Magazine has a six-page, full color article on the Washington Farmers Market. Title of the article is "A Specialty World: Georgia's Unique Products." The article features six of the Farmers Market vendors: Tink's Grass-Fed Beef, FunHouse Design, Chinaberry Foods, Shady Brook Farm, Yang's Flower Farm, and The Point of Art Gallery.

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We all know that we have not had any rain for a long, long, time -- and none is predicted. Norris Ware says that we had .45 of an inch in October on Hill Street, but I don't think we had that much on Lexington Avenue. He says that we are 13.16 inches short for the year. We surely will not make that up before the end of the year. It would be nice to have the fringes of a hurricane come sit right over us for a whole week. But I don't want anybody to have to endure a hurricane. . . . In spite of the lack of rain, there are still some beauty spots in the county. One is the huge Tea Olive tree in full bloom in Bernie Pope's yard on Liberty Street, and another is the beautiful maple tree in front of the First Baptist Church.

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By now I feel sure that everybody knows that 18-year-old Christopher Charping has been diagnosed with acute leukemia and is in the Medical College of Georgia Hospital, probably for about 30 days. During this time he will need to have about 100 units of blood. Ann Harrison at Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School where Christopher is a student, and EMS Director Blake Thompson have arranged for Shepeard Community Blood Center to come to the school this Friday, November 9, from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. in the school gymnasium. All units donated will be designated for Christopher. Everybody is encouraged to go to the school and give blood. . . . I have known Christopher and his family: Thomas and Donna, his parents; and Amanda, his sister, since he was about six years old and came to work with his dad when he was renovating a house for us. Christopher runs cross country at school and is a very pleasant young man. . . . The Agape Sunday School Class at Ebenezer Baptist Church is sponsoring a spaghetti supper to benefit the family on November 17. The supper will be held at the Lions Club building on Spring Street. Tickets are available from church members, or at Bee Southern and the Farmers and Merchants Bank.

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By the time you read this, the city election and SPLOST will be all over, and we can turn our thoughts to the many fall and holiday activities we always enjoy. The Optimist Club Auction, Barbecue and Raffle is coming up Thursday, November 15. . . . Ann Rule will be signing books at the Mary Willis Library Friday, November 9. . . .Tuesday, November 20, is the night for the always-popular Downtown Candlelight Shopping when the stores will be open from 6 to 9 o'clock with all kinds of nice things happening. . . .

Thanksgiving Day comes a little early this year -- on November 22. . . . The Washington Community Chorus, sponsored by the Washington Foundation for the Arts, will be presenting Handel's Messiah on Sunday evening, November 25, at the First Baptist Church. . . . Then it's time for the Christmas Tour of Homes on December 7-8.

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You may have noticed that we had some leftover Halloween goblins to get into The News-Reporter last week. Please overlook our mistakes and we will do better.

The News-Reporter and Radio Shack will be closed on Monday, November 12, in observance of Veterans Day. Consequently, our deadlines for news and advertisements are a little earlier than usual. All classified and legal advertisements and social news is due on Friday, November 9, 5 p.m. Community Correspondents, please bring your news and slide it under the door at your usual time on Monday, November 12. All other news and retail advertising is due by 12 noon on Tuesday, November 13.

. Please call me with "people" items for this column. I had much rather write about people and what they are doing than events. The number is still 706-678-2636.

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