Mary
Cattie
Harris
01' Bob Laid To Rest
It was three years ago about this time that we laid 01' Bob to rest.
With just eight years to his credit, the Australian Blue Heeler which
was our family pet and also my husband's cattle dog had lived hard
ly long enough even by the canine calendar to command such esteem.
In fact, I rather believe it has been only since his death that we have
come to call the dog more fondly 01' Bob and not just Bob.
It is not too surprising, for even as a young thing Bob looked old.
When the six-week-old pup first came to live with us, his small
frame wore even then in a thick coat of salt-and-pepper gray. And
he grew into a creature of wolfish countenance which itself invited
respect.
Besides the markings of a breed which gave the dog a venerable
air, Bob's aging process was hastened by what seemed an early ad
mission to the university of hard knocks. Within one week after his
adoption by our family, he lay stretched out on a vet's table undergo
ing surgery for a fractured hip. He had sustained the injury while
riding atop a toolbox on the back of my husband's pickup, when he
failed to round a certain curve with the toolbox.
With twice-a-day medication for several weeks and goodly doses
of attention from a doting family, the injury healed but it left Bob
with a limp which he carried the remainder of his days. The same
hip took a second blow months later when he tarried too close to the
wheels of a vehicle traveling along the highway in our neighborhood.
With the second injury came another round of nursing and doting.
Continuing in the line of misfortunes was the evening I came home
from choir practice and found my entire family on the floor in a cir
cle hovering over a thrice wounded Bob. This time the culprit had
been a copperhead waiting undercover as the dog went for his even
ing meal. Again, lots of tender loving care and an agent called turpen
tine got Bob back on his feet where he stayed until one day at the
farm when he nosed his way into rations intended for rats. (I sup
pose it was his appetite for food and highway which made Bob's life
so mishap-laden.
It seemed by this time there was not one calamity which Bob did
not intend to taste and each one served to strengthen his endearment
to our family. He possessed those traits of loyalty and faithfulness
and alertness which often identify his species as man's best friend.
My husband and I recently were telling a friend about 01' Bob and
his hard but good life. I was having nothing but the warmest of
thoughts for the faithful creature When my husband reminded me of
Bob's worst vice, well-known to those who frequented our home. "But
that dog was death on a tire:" he exclaimed.
How could I have forgotten, I wondered, as I recalled the embar
rassment and anger and near delirium that dog had caused me with
his enchantment with the moving tires on automobiles which entered
and departed from our driveway. As a matter of fact, I remember
now that it became such a problem that I begged my husband to take
the dog to live at the farm where he would no longer be able to sink
his teeth into those tires belonging to our company at home.
As our reminiscing continued, I became thoroughly amused with
myself, for I had realized long ago that's the way it is when people?
and I suppose more lowly animals, too?pass on from this life. The
memories which linger are almost always better than true life and
the eulogies we deliver are seldom anything less than complimentary.
So with brief attention to the less desirable traits of that dog which
was ours for eight years, I'll go on fondly remembering 01' Bob and
I'll wager that long before the next three years pass, his worst habit
will again have slipped into oblivion.
Letters To Editor
Appropriate
To The Editor:
The ice storm which destroyed
most of the awn'Pgs on Warren
ton's Main Street may be a bless
ing in disguise!
In driving the length of the
town Sunday, March 8, after
church with little traffic to
distract our eyes, we realized
how really handsome the old
store fronts are! If awnings must
be put back, please consider can
vas. It is much more appropriate
for the age of the town.
SARAH KEARNEY WATKINS
NANCY WILLIAMS
Warrenton
Column Ends
To The Editor:
It was a little over a year ago
when you began running my
"North Carolina Literary Notes"
column in your newspaper. I
have enjoyed dealing with you
and hope that your readers in
Warren County have derived
some degree of entertainment
and benefit from reading the ar
ticles that I sent you.
Unfortunately, I find now that
it is going to be necessary for me
to discontinue "North Carolina
Literary Notes," which I began in
September 1985 in The Pilot of
Southern Pines. The demands of
my time are such that I am now
unable to keep up with the
reading and research needed to
be able to write it every week. I
regret having to make this deci
sion, but it appears unavoidable.
I have given some thought to col
lecting the best of the columns in
to a book. If this materializes, I
will try to advertise it in Warren
ton and the other towns in which
the column ran.
One of the most pleasant things
about producing and distributing
this column has been my associ
ations?even if only at long
distance?with the various
editors. I hope to meet you in per
son someday. I continue to work,
of course, for the N. C. Division
of Archives and History in
Raleigh, where I am an editor in
the Colonial Records Branch of
the Historical Publications Sec
tion. Back in November, the Divi
sion published a book entitled
"Literary North Carolina," writ
ten by Professor Richard Walser
and me, which I hope you will see
some time.
Again, I have appreciated your
business and wish you the very
best as you carry on The Warren
Record.
E.T. MALONE.JR.
Chapel Hill
Education Board
(Continued from page 1)
group to meet with the board
about the proposed transfer.
"Parents want an increase
rather than a decrease," he
concluded.
Two parents, Dr. Nannette
Henderson and Mrs. Bernadine
Ballance, reacted to the per
ceived lack of adequate parental
representation on the proposed
committees to study weighted
grade point averages and report
cards. The composition of the
proposed committee to study
weighted grade point averages
was two students, two lay per
sons, five staff members (in
cluding chairman) and six
teachers. "Since decisions reach
ed will affect our children," Mrs.
Ballance said, "parents should be
in the majority. We can add
beneficial personal experiences."
Dr. Nannette Henderson ex
pressed similar concerns about
the composition of the proposed
committee to study grading and
reporting to parents, but added
that representation from all
school levels should be present.
"More parents should be in
volved," she said. The original
composition of the committee
was three parents, three prin
cipals, three staff members (in
cluding chairman) and six
teachers.
Board Chairman Henry T.
Pitchford, Jr. responded to the
requests by appointing Dr. Hen
derson, Mrs. Ballance and board
member Yarborough Williams to
the committees.
Committee membership is as
follows:
?Weighted Grade Point Sys
tem: Melissa Draffin and Rodney
French (students); Mrs. Ber
nadine Ballance, Ms. Thurletta
Wilson StSing, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robin StSing of Macon, displays
the model ship which earned him his second first-place award in as
many years at competition at Heck's in South Hill, Va., sponsored
by the Sonthside Virginia Community College. The freighter model
bears the name, U.S.S. New Jersey. The competition was held on
Saturday, Feb. 28. (Staff Photo by Howard Jones)
Fish Day
It's Time For Stocking
CHANNEL CATFISH, HYBRID BLUE GILL, Fathead minnows,
Large Mouth Bass, Black Crappie. The Hybrid Blue Gill will
reach a weight ol 2 Vi to 3 pounds.
Delivery Will Be:
FRIDAY, MARCH 20
At The Following Location:
Southern States Warrenton Co-op
warrafiiuu. m o
(919)257 2410
Time: 8:00-9:00 A.M.
Call your local atora lo place your order or call
TOLL FREE 1-800-643-8439
Fish Wagon, Inc.
r C Mar'ishuri) /
The Silo Restaurant of Henderson was the site of
a celebration Thursday night in honor of employees
with years of service to Cochrane Furniture Com
pany. Among those employees recognized were five
individuals with 15 years of service to the organiza
tion. Shown are, left to right, Millard Richardson,
Dot Bobbitt, Fred Harris, Louise Langston and
John Russell.
Six employees with 10 years of service each to
Cochrane were among those feted at the Thursday
evening banquet held at the Silo in Henderson.
Shown are, left to right, Floyd Shaw, Lillian
Richardson, Joe Richardson, Jerry Jones, Ida
Hargrove and Alphonso Alexander.
Employees with five years of service were
among those honored Hiursday night at the awards
program held at the Silo by Cochrane Furniture
Company, Inc. Shown, left to right, are Terry
Davis, Elizabeth Myrick, Sarah Cole, Frances
Terry, Timothy Maynard, Mary Ann Hunt, Linda
Ellington, Mary L. Davis and Evelyn Scott.
(Staff Photos by Howard Jones)
M. Brown, Mrs. Karen White and
Yarborough Williams (parents
and lay persons); A. M. Ward,
Dr. Elton Jenkins, Mrs. Junell
Blaylock, Ms. Priscilla Johnson
and James Wilkerson (staff);
Ms. Sandra Russell, Bob Marlin,
Mrs. Janis Meek, Mrs. Gladys
Short, Ms. Ann Laonipon and
Mrs. Lois Williams (teachers).
?Grading and Reporting to
Parents: Rufus Terry, Mrs. Nor
ma Retzlaff, Mrs. Sarah Shearin
and Dr. Nannette Henderson
(parents); Mrs. Shirley White,
Clint Hege and James Wilkerson
(principals); Ms. Rosalind
Gilliam, Mrs. Jennie Franklin
and Dr. Elton Jenkins (staff))
and Mrs. Danylu Hundley, Ms.
Dawn Sweeney, William Fuller,
Ms. Carol Boone, Oney Venable
and Bob Lynch (teachers). One
additional parent will be ap
pointed to the committee.
Economic damage from hail
in the United States, primarily
through destruction of crops, ex
ceeds that caused by tornadoes,
says National Geographic.
Stocks? Bonds
and
Investments
A Course Offered By
Vance Granville Community
College
At:
John Graham Library
March 18-April 22
7:30 P.M.
Instructor
Anthony W. Adams
Partner?Edward D. Jones & Co.
Call Today To Register
Mary Hunter
257-3184
SENIOR CITIZENS HOME
Serving the elderly in the
Henderson and surrounding
areas since 1969.
-LPN Supervision 24 Hours A Day
?Private and Semi-Private rooms
Ruin Creek Road-Hen