"Sanders Family Christmas" opens at the Bolton Lunceford Playhouse on North Alexander Avenue, tonight (Thursday, December 4,) at 8. If you haven't already made your reservation, it probably would be a good idea to do so. I've heard of many out-of-town people (as far as Ludowici, Ga.,) who have already made reservations because they had seen the first production of a Sanders Family production several years ago. The reservations number is in the telephone directory. It will also run December 5 and 6 at 8; and on Sunday afternoon at 2:00 p.m.

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Sunday, December 7, is Pearl Harbor Day. Anyone 60 years old or older remembers exactly what he or she was doing on that day in 1941 when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and World War II got underway. I was nine years old and I still remember the old Philco radio that we gathered around all day with parents, siblings, and grandparents to hear the latest news. It was a dark and disturbing day for both children and adults.

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Old Jack Frost came through Washington-Wilkes Wednesday morning and left us a generous portion of his specialty.

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Henry Harris says the Downtown merchants had such a good time at the Candlelight Shopping November 25 that they have decided to do it again. Stores will be open from 6 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, December 9, to accommodate all the many shoppers doing their last-minute shopping in Washington-Wilkes.

ƒ While traveling from St. Simons Island to Washington the other day,

Laura Toburen stopped at the Mc- Donald's in Glennville for a cup of coffee. The young clerk behind the counter recognized her and asked her if she was from Wilkes County. As they continued their conversation, the clerk told her that she (Laura) had been his principal at the Washington-Wilkes Primary School many years ago. He introduced himself as Marcus Bufford. He is working in the Ft. Stewart area while his fiancee is stationed there. He was very polite and well mannered. Laura says that she was once again proud of the Wilkes County young people conduct themselves. She is convinced that Marcus' family from Tignall is also proud of this courteous young man.

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W.C. and Cheryl Bentley were among the 30+ Wilkes Countians who went on a Caribbean cruise last week. They didn't go ashore at every stop the ship made but did go at Roitan Island in Honduras. Cheryl bought a Nativity scene on the island and when they got back to the ship they noticed that the set was wrapped in a Radio Shack circular. This reminded him of Radio Shack at home so he brought the circular for me to see. The Radio Shack logo was the same, but everything else was in Spanish and was a foreign language for me. Another Wilkes Countian now living elsewhere was on the cruise but not with the group. He was Wendy Cofer, son of the late Brantley and Rhetta Cofer of Washington. His wife was with him but I didn't get her name.

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Rodney Shedd will not be selling gas at the Pure Oil Station, but will have his other services available there on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, including tuneups, brake work, oil changes, and tires.

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As soon as The News-Reporter was off to the press last week, I remembered two things that I had not listed in my "I'm Thankful For. . . ." column. I'm thankful every week for

Peggy Barnett and her writing the book reviews EVERY week. That's a lot of reading and writing. . . . And I'm thankful for members of the

Washington Police Department who are almost always patrolling the streets of our town when I (and others) are doing our early morning walking.

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We had lots of good rain Friday and Saturday, and a little on Sunday. Hill Street reported 2.8 inches for the period; and Tyrone had 3.2 inches.

Norris says that he recorded 4.85 inches for November for a total of 32.2 inches for the year. That leaves us 32 inches short for the year, and that's the same as for 2007. . . . Burl (Sonny) says that he recorded 5.9 inches for November and 42.5 for the year.

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Most of you ladies, both young and old, probably have a piece of

Emily Ray jewelry in your jewelry box. Today (Thursday) you can meet Emily Ray herself. She will be at

Tena's Gifts and Jewelry for a trunk show of her jewelry.

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Remember the old house that burned last year on the northwest corner of Liberty Street and South Alexander Avenue? It has been bulldozed down and hauled away.

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Bill Gillispie, a relative newcomer to Washington-Wilkes, won the Lions Club raffle of a cedar chest made by Bobby West. Bill and his wife Jackie recently bought the house and lot formerly owned by the late Grace Hendry near Washington Manor. He bought the winning ticket from Mary Hubbard Saturday when she was ringing bells for the Salvation Army at Bi-Lo and told Mary that he had never won anything in his life. Now he has.

ƒ Pinky Young, who used to live here, sends an email that says, "I read about the tomatoes in the Office Cat and just wanted to let you know that up here in Hickory, N.C., I pulled up my tomatoes a couple of weeks ago, but I still had 45 tomatoes on the vines. They are slowly turning red and we are still eating fresh tomatoes on November 30."

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Kelly Clayton Rambo, daughter of Joan and Dr. Randy Clayton, was the keynote speaker for the Fairfield County Veterans Day Program in Winnsboro, S.C., on November 11. Joan and Randy were there to hear her. Kelly is a 1984 graduate of Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School. Following her graduation she joined the United States Army in January 1986. She trained as a dental assistant and was stationed in Berlin, Germany, for a while. In 1991, while stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., her parachute drifted into high voltage power lines and the contact resulted in the loss of part of one arm below the elbow, and a hand at the wrist on the other. Kelly didn't let that stop her. She learned to do without her hands. After months of surgeries and rehabilitation she was honorably discharged as a disabled American veteran. She and her husband of 17 years, Peter Rambo, and their four children, Peter Jr. (12); Jeremiah

9); Joseph (8); and Silas (6), live in Winnsboro. . . . The program on Veterans Day was impressive with a parade, an ROTC Color Guard, an Honor Guard Detachment of the SC State Guard; the high school band and several choruses.