The newly-planted pansies on The Square are so nice and during the Christmas holidays made The Square look elegant with all the Christmas lights and other decorations. They will lend us their beauty all the way into June even if we have severely cold weather, and it doesn't look like that's going to happen any time soon. . . . The pansy plants were donated by Tim Miller at Post Oak Farms and were planted by City of Washington workers assisted by some of the young men at the Wilkes County Pre-Release Center. . . . Councilman Pam Eaton says more plantings are to come from Post Oak.

ƒ

First place winners in the Night of Lights home decorating contest last week were Deb deShazo in the historical-traditional category; Nettie Meriwether, in the whimsical WOW category; and Tommy and Debbie Wells, in the modern category.

ƒ

The United States Census Bureau is taking applications for workers to assist with the 2010 census. The job will require up to 40 hours per week in a temporary parttime job, with good pay, flexible hours, mileage reimbursement, and a chance to serve the community. Application testing dates in Wilkes County are set for Thursday, January 8, 10 a.m., at the Mary Willis Library; and Wednesday, January 21, at 2 p.m., at the library. You can read all about it in a related article in this issue of The News-Reporter.

ƒ

Petal Pushers (not the Christmas shop) and The Antiques Orphanage on The Square will be combined into one business soon in the current Petal Pushers building. A two-day

consolidation sale for the two businesses has been set for Friday and Saturday, January 2-3. A new business will be opening in the present Antiques Orphanage building. Henry and Shay Harris are owners of Petal Pushers and Jane Bundy, Katherine Sanders, and Henry are partners in the Antiques Orphanage. Check out their advertisement in this week's News-Reporter.

ƒ

Sonny Johnson near Tyrone says he recorded almost a half of an inch of rain (.480) from Christmas Day until Monday, December 29. His total for the month of December is 5.066; and the total for the year is 47.608 inches. He has recorded an average of 44.795 per year since 1984, and thinks this month's total will bring the average up. . . . Norris

Ware recorded .4 of an inch since Christmas Day and a total of 4.85 for December. His total for the year is 37.05 inches. Norris also keeps up with rain in the Tignall-Sandtown area and says that they got .8 of an inch last week with a total of 6.45 for December; and 45.15 inches for the year. All are better than last year.

ƒ

"Baby Jesus" got lost last week, but he didn't know he was lost. Kay Robinson has given a beautiful Nativity Set to First Baptist Church in honor of her husband, Jerry. The office staff suggested to Louise McClearen, another member of the staff, that she go and see the Set since she was the only one who had not seen it. She came back and asked where Baby Jesus was, saying that the manger was there but no baby. Everybody panicked and started looking, but no Baby Jesus was found. A church member went to get a haircut at Kermit's and mentioned it to him. Kermit's reply was, "Oh, I have Baby Jesus. He needed a small repair and I brought him home to fix it." Instant relief in the church office!!

ƒ

Ed Franklin and Robert Geiger's house on Liberty Street was on the Christmas Tour this month. Ed went up on the roof to do some minor job about an hour before guests were due for the tour. As he started down, the ladder began to fall. He clung to the roof and pulled himself up and thought he would just have to wait until somebody came to the tour and rescued him. But he remembered a branch of a tree that hung near the roof at the rear of the house, so he made his way across the roof to the back of the house. But wouldn't you know! As he grabbed the branch, it broke and he went tumbling to the ground. Thinking he was a sure goner, he just stayed on the ground, hoping nothing was broken, until he could get his breath and begin to get up. Still shaky, he made it inside in time for the tour.

ƒ

Arborist Bob Haughey brought me a copy of the International Society of Arboriculture's Southern Chapter News magazine which he receives as a member. In it was an article titled "A Sampling of Historic Georgia Trees" by W. Jim Cortese. The article was about historic trees in Washington-Wilkes. He featured three trees. Unfortunately only one of the three is still standing. The three trees were the Presbyterian Poplar on Poplar Drive; the old Robert Toombs Oak in front of the Robert Toombs House on East Robert Toombs Avenue; and the

Thomas Holley Chivers holly tree which still stands in the front yard at the home of Julia Nell Poss at the corner of Chapman Street and South Alexander Avenue. Dr. Chivers was born in 1809 and lived much of his life in Washington. He was a reluctant friend of Edgar Allan Poe and died here in 1858. He supposedly planted the holly tree at his home on South Alexander Avenue around 1852, and in the late 1960s the tree was said to be of an unusual height for a holly tree. . . . The Presbyterian Poplar stood on land of the Alexanders, Gilberts, and later Wrights. It was a very large tulip poplar. Under its branches on July 22, 1790, the ordination of Rev. John Springer, the first Presbyterian minister ordained on Georgia soil, occurred. . . . The Toombs oak stood on a small grassy space between the sidewalk and street. The sidewalk curved around it in a semi-circle. Both trees succumbed to old age. Union soldiers during the Civil War hoped to hang the fiery Civil War General Robert Toombs from its branches.