Here it is just four days into the new year and the Washington Wilkes Chamber of Commerce is already getting calls about the date and time for the

July 4 celebration and fireworks. A woman who lives “north of Brevard, N.C.” called to inquire about the celebration and said that she and her family were here for last year’s event and it was the best they had ever been to and they didn’t want to miss this year’s. . . . In case you’re wondering, too, the July 4 celebration on The Square is scheduled for Friday, July 2.

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Sonny Johnson at Tyrone has supplied the following information on rainfall which he has recorded since 1985. In December 2009, he recorded 7.827 inches. From September of 2009 through the end of the year, he recorded 36.081 inches. His total for 2009 was 72.289 inches. This is the most he has recorded in a year. His average for all the years since 1985 is 47.811 inches; and his worst year was 1988 when he recorded just 35 inches. His best year before 2009 was 1994 when he posted 57.7 inches. . . . Lawrence Burton at Upton Mills east of Washington, says he collected 9.6 inches of rain during the month of December. There’s no doubt it was a wet month in Wilkes County.

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Parents or grandparents who had babies featured on our Wilkes County baby trees in The News-Reporter on Christmas Eve are reminded that they need to pick up their pictures from Mercer Harris Photography; and their complimentary News- Reporters at The News-Reporter office.

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The Christmas season of 2009 marked the tenth year that Dot Harris has coordinated the annual Salvation Army’s “kettle corps” and bellringers for collecting needed funds for needy people. Dot is always diligent in her efforts to enlist bellringers for the kettles located at Bi-Lo and Ingles. She’s also persistent and doesn’t give up until she has all of the ringing times covered. I haven’t seen a report on this year’s collection, but I have a feeling it is noteworthy.

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Ashley Barnett, Director of the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Director, told me about a young man (in his 20s) who came through Washington- Wilkes the first part of December. His name was Ryan Nance and he was from Lumberton, N.C. He was riding his bicycle cross-country to an unnamed destination and stopped off to see things in Washington- Wilkes. He was a friendly young man and quickly made friends with various ones. The Washington Fire Department allowed him to “pitch his tent” there and helped him in other ways. This week a note came to the Chamber from Ryan saying how much he enjoyed his stay in Washington-Wilkes and how he especially liked the snow on The Square, “the great food, and the kind hospitality at the Fire Department.” He had his laptop with him and recorded his visits along his journey.

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I'm quite old. (I don't feel old and don't think of myself as old. Nevertheless, I am.) I said all that to say this. In all my years, I don't ever remember knowing of so many deaths and tragedies as we have had in such a short time, since mid- December. Last week we had 13 obituaries reported and this week, there are 14. And by the time I come back to The News-Reporter in the morning, we’ll probably have more, because I already know of some that have not been reported. . . . (Tuesday morning: and we did have another one to report – making 15 all total.) Of course we were all shocked at the death of Kermit Hocutt who was so special to so many people and did so much for so many. But I can’t comment on that yet. Maybe next week.

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The January issue of the Georgia Electric Membership Corporation "Georgia Magazine," has several interesting articles about happenings in Washington-Wilkes. In Rayle Lines, the official newsletter of the Rayle Electric Membership Corporation, mention is made of the February 1 deadline for Rayle EMC scholarship applications which will be awarded to deserving students from each of the five Rayle EMC directorate districts. . . . Applications are also being accepted for the 2010 Washington (D.C.) Youth Tour which takes place next summer. . . . . Rayle EMC helped to raise funds for Relay for Life during the Downtown Washington Candlelight Shopping event on The Square on November 24. Shoppers could have their picture made with a dairy heifer with all the proceeds going to Relay for Life. . . . And there was a promotion for the Junior Commercial Dairy Heifer Show scheduled for January 30 at the McGill-Woodruff Ag Center in Washington. . . . In the “History Preserved” section of the magazine, the Robert Toombs House Historic Site was one of five homes featured. Curator Marcia Campbell gave information on the many artifacts in the house showing a turbulent life that spans the Civil War and the difficult years that followed.

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Carolyn Gammon ended her Tignall News column this week with this advice: “Since time flies, it’s up to you to be the navigator.”