Ray Moore Jr. (who lives on Pembroke Drive in Washington) has returned from his seventh mission trip to Cange, Haiti. Ray is an anesthetist at the Anderson Medical Complex in Anderson, S.C., and is part of a team sponsored and supported by the Episcopal Diocese of Upstate, South Carolina, in making the medical mission trips. There were just four who went this time: a urologist, an internist, a nurse, and Ray. The urologists went back to Haiti to follow-up on some children with urology problems they had treated on a previous trip. The Diocese receives help from all over the world in ministering to these people in Haiti, and Ray really loves what he does. He says that they have a devotional period to start the day and then they do surgical procedures from dawn to dusk. I admire him for his service in Haiti and for his dedication to the people he serves.

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We all know we had a super wet Monday and Tuesday last week. Reports of rainfall vary all over the county. A couple of times on television I noticed that Washington-Wilkes had more rain than any other area in the CSRA. . . . Norris recorded a big 4.2 inches of rain for the week with most of that falling in a 48 hour period. . . . At Tyrone Sonny reports 3.9 inches for the week with a total of 63.6 inches for the year. Wherever you live in Wilkes County, there was lots of rain Monday and Tuesday.

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Next week we have the first of two early deadlines for printing The News-Reporter before Christmas. The Thanksgiving issue for November 26 will be printed and distributed on Tuesday, November 24, and will be in your mailbox and on the street on Wednesday, November 25. It will be an especially heavy issue because we have six inserts for that week. Retro-Cinema has a compact booklet advertising all the books and other services which they have and

Dana (Kibbey), the owner, says that if the book you want is not in stock, they can get one-day delivery on orders.

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For that week, our deadline for all classified ads, legal ads, and society news is 5 p.m. on Friday, November 20. The deadline for all other news and retail advertising is Monday, November 23, 12 noon. Community correspondents, please have your news in by 9:30 a.m. Monday.

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The big event we've all been looking forward to for several months finally arrives Tuesday, November 24. That's when we will have snow on The Square during the annual Downtown Candlelight Shopping from 6 to 9 p.m. The snow will get its first run that night and then be an hourly event every Friday and Saturday night until Christmas. . . . Santa Claus will be on The Square and there will be surprises all around. . . The Wills Memorial Hospital Auxiliary Tree of Love will have the lighting of the tree in front of the Courthouse. Donations are $5.00 each for a light in memory or in honor of friends and loved ones.

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The Washington Little Theater Co. will be presenting a special program titled "Tidings of Great Joy" free to the public on Sunday afternoon, December 6. Duo Intermezzo: Ruth Berry, cello, and Kevin Pollock, piano, will perform at the Bolton Lunceford Playhouse at three o'clock. . . . Also on that Sunday will be the Tignall Christmas Parade. . . . The Washington- Wilkes Christmas Parade will be Sunday afternoon, December 13, at three o'clock.

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The Christmas Tour of Homes and Colonial Dinner sponsored by the Washington-Wilkes Historical Society will be Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12. In conjunction with the Tour, there will be an exhibit of locally produced gingerbread houses in the old Petal Pushers storefront near the Fitzpatrick. Anyone interested is encouraged to create a gingerbread house.

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The Tiger Marching Band participated in the Old South Classic for bands last weekend in Newnan. The colorguard, percussion, drum major, and overall band all received ratings of Excellent and the band placed third in its division at the competition. "It was a great way to end the competitive season," says

Jeff Thomas, Washington-Wilkes Director of Bands.

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Gloria Rhodes tells me that she has purchased "everything" that was in a closet in the Tupper-Barnett House, and I can hardly wait to go to Gloria's house and see all the treasures. She says she was mostly interested in the vintage magazines, but has enjoyed all the items included. The magazines had some great covers and included Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, JFK, and others. . . . I'll tell you about them after I get to enjoy them.

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There are many opportunities during this Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season to help those in Washington-Wilkes who don't have as much at this time as some of us do. You can read about them elsewhere in this paper and last week's paper. . . . One that especially attracted my attention is the gathering of outerwear winter clothing by God's Marketplace, Bi-Lo, and the Salvation Army. I don't like to be cold and I don't want anybody else to be cold -- especially children. I'm going to see if I can get together some sweaters, coats, hats, gloves and other items of warm clothing for the project. Donations will be accepted at Bi-Lo and the First United Methodist Church through Thursday, November 19. Distribution will be on Friday, November 20, 9 a.m. until 12:00 noon.

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Saturday evening at Retro Cinema is the time for the screening of the movie, "A Cross Burning in Willacoochee," by Roy Kirkland, a former resident of Washington- Wilkes. The movie is directed by

Doug Sebastian, also a former resident. Both men will be present for the screening. The movie received an award at the New York International Independent Film and Video Festival and was an official selection at the 2009 Atlanta Out On Film Festival. Roy lived here a few years ago when he was owner of the Tupper-Barnett House.

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Margaret Sloan, adviser for the National Honor Society (NHS) at Washington-Wilkes Comprehensive High School, reminds readers that the deadline for sending contact information for their loved ones who are in military service is November 25. NHS is working on Christmas greetings to be sent to W-WCHS alumni in military service. Call the high school at 706-678-2426 to give the information.

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We're getting close to Christmas and that means it's time to ring bells for the Salvation Army kettle collections. Many bellringers are needed to man the kettles from now until Christmas. Call Dot Harris at 706-678-2818 to volunteer and to set up a time for ringing.

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