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Looking forward to 104
About 200 people came to pay tribute to Ernie Harwell, baseball broadcaster extraordinaire and native of Washington, at Ernie Harwell Day last Friday. Just meeting and spending an hour with Ernie Harwell had such an impact on me that I findit hard to describe. Sparky and Ernie's friend and lawyer Gary Spicer accompanied Ernie to The News-Reporter about 8:15 Friday morning and that was the first time I had ever seen him. I had heard about him, but had never heard him "call" a baseball game even though I am a big baseball fan (forget other sports). I immediately felt that here was a gentle soul, so genuine, that it was as if the love of God was radiating from him. As the four of us talked and looked at pictures it was as if I had known him all my life. . . . And then during the program at the Pope Center, it was just an amazing thing to see 90-year-old Ernie literally skip up the fivesteps to the stage and microphone, not once but several times. If I live to be a hundred, I'll never forget those few hours that I spent observing this remarkable man. . . . Some have said that Ernie Harwell Day is a bold move towards getting ready for a dramatic new future for Washington-Wilkes. I hope so. Those responsible for planning the day are Sparky Newsome, Peggy Anderson, Loran Smith, Bob Haughey, Ashley Barnett, Andy Anderson, Debbie Wells, Jim Roberts and Skeet Willingham. They had lots of help. Thanks to all of them for a great day in Washington-Wilkes. . Have you seen the new electronic display sign at the Pope Center for announcing events that are taking place in the Center? It was used for the first time to announce the arrival of Ernie Harwell Friday. Jack Thurmond and his helpers have been diligently working on it for several days. . E-mail from Johnny Burgess asks for help in locating old pictures of Burgess Store on Highway 378 (Lincolnton Road) in Wilkes County. His sister, who now lives out of the state, is interested in having an artist paint a picture of the store so that she can include it with other items from the area which she has in her home. If you have such a picture, call me at 706-678-2636. . Avola Callaway told me this week that her dad also liked to get up and out in the early morning as I do. She said that he always told his family that if they got up early they could watch everything else wake up and get out. That's very true. . . . Thursday morning as I was in the vicinity of the Mary Willis Library on Liberty Street I heard what I thought was an owl, as I often do on Alexander Avenue. But as I approached a magnolia tree, two doves flewout of it not six feet from my face. They scared me at first, but then when I realized what they were, I watched their graceful flight over to another tree. You don't see that in the middle of the day. . The rain we had Sunday night was recorded as 1.1 of an inch by Norris on Hill Street. Even though the lightning and thunder got a little boisterous at times, it was just good to know that all that good rain was falling. Total rain thus far for February is 2.75 inches. . With this mild weather that we're having this winter, I've heard that the exterminating companies are predicting a heavy onslaught of fleas and roaches for the summer months. I'm sorry to hear that. . Mary Wright Blue celebrated her 103rd birthday February 15. She was honored at a luncheon with close friends and family at the home of Jo and Buzzy Randall Friday, and with lots of visitors with birthday wishes. Mary Wright appreciates all the things that Washington- Wilkes people do for her and is very grateful for all the cards, flowers and well-wishes. She's already looking forward to her 104th. She lives at Washington Manor and gets out often, thanks to family and friends, to see what's going on in her beloved Washington-Wilkes. . . . Her friend Avola Callaway had been allowed by Gene and Bonnie Allison to cut camellias from Mary Wright's homeplace and that helped make the day special . The roof of the old NAPA building across from First Baptist collapsed last week and the west wall has large cracks in it. That's why the yellow tape is around the building. . Several newcomers to Washington Wilkes have asked me about "Grandview" which I mention every now and then. I thought I would put something in this column about Grandview because there may also be some of our younger people who don't know about it. Grandview is in the area of South Jefferson Street, probably from Spring Street, through Jefferson, to South Alexander Avenue. It is the place selected from all the nation in 1900 by scientists, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University to view a total eclipse of the sun. The charts and diagrams of the professors revealed that the "small village of Washington" was the spot from which the eclipse could best be viewed. So they sent a delegation to check out the location which was likely a cotton field, and the hotels. Washington Postmaster George A. Poche was instrumental in helping the scientists find the right spots to get their instruments set up. "Every soul within hundreds of miles wanted to look through the telescopes so a separate area was set up to satisfy the horde of visitors," reported the late Janet H. Standard in her Wilkes County Scrapbook. One of the professors said, "Twenty minutes before totality, the uncanny darkness of the sky began to be felt. At 10 minutes before totality there was a chill in the air which crept into the bones." Maybe that's why I findunusual things in Grandview when I'm walking through. . . . "This may not have been a moon-trip countdown but in 1900 it was just as thrilling," Mrs. Standard commented.
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