Features

It’s 11:40 p.m. and I have just remembered it is Sunday and I must write the column. It has seemed like Sunday for the last four days. Specials and football games on TV have completely thrown me off. I’m not always the brightest bulb in the lamp when things go routinely, but throw in a four-day holiday and I am lost. Audrey pointed out to me in church this morning that I had left the “ine” off of Ernestine’s name last week I blamed it on the editor. I said my column was so long he had to cut somewhere. Sorry.

Doug Schwartzman had put a lot of miles on his old bike.

He had been living in Florida for several months, making a humble living playing the guitar and hustling pool when he decided to go home to Pontiac, Mich.

Schwartman, 51, gathered up his few possessions, bought a bus ticket and made plans to head home.

But his plans suddenly changed.

He missed his bus.

Instead of catching the next one, Schwartzman said he decided to hit the highway under his own power. He loaded up his bicycle and headed out.

I played bridge last week and got home about 5 p.m., just in time to get the car into the garage and close the garage door before the lights went out.

The electricity flicked on and off several times before giving up the ghost and going off completely. I scrounged around in cabinets and closets and found all the candles and placed them strategically around the house in case the power didn’t come back till after dark. I have a gas range, so heating soup for supper was no problem.

Owen County Schools is pleased to announce that Queena Gross has been selected volunteer of the month for September. This is Gross’ first year volunteering in Owen County. She is working in the primary school with the pre-school classes.

“I wanted to volunteer to help out the teachers and to help the children learn routines to get them ready for kindergarten,” Gross said.

Gross floats in three different preschool classes throughout the week, performing various tasks such as helping with reading groups, snack time, and rubbing backs during nap time.

A musical Phoenix is hoping his career will take flight starting with a Friday night gig at Pit Stop in Sparta.

Owenton resident Clayton Phoenix Smith has been honing his musical attributes for years, and his long road has led him back to a community where his grandfather grew up.

The journey started in Smith’s hometown of South Philadelphia, where he worked in small venues while developing his talent. His father also cut some records while living in Philadelphia.

I hope everyone had a great Halloween. Seems like people are really getting into decorating for Halloween these days. In fact, I believe it to be Lori’s favorite holiday.

The Branch is as dry as I have seen it in the 33 years we’ve lived here. We did have a hard freeze one day last week but there was nothing to kill. The weeds, grass, and leaves have all dried up and turned to dust. John went to the woods on Thursday and cut the big tree that had been hit by lightning about three years ago. He cut it into burn lengths and we split it Saturday. It was a beautiful day to be out but it was so dry and dusty that we were both barely able to talk from the dust and sawdust in our throats. I hope the hunters are very careful.

A young college student asked his father the definition of a traitor in politics. The father answered, “Any person who leaves our party and goes over to the other party is a traitor.”

The son then asked, “Well, what about a man who leaves the other party and comes over to ours?”

“He’d be a convert, son,” replied the father, “a real and very smart convert.”

Even before Owen County was formed, people of the area were serious about their politics.

Theresa recently called to tell me Florence has been undergoing some tests lately. Seems a few weeks ago they had to admit her into the Owenton hospital because she had some fluid around her heart. Her doctor had scheduled her for a heart catheter but she postponed it because she, Sheila, Vickie (their cousin) and Nancy Ballinger had planned a girls’ antiquing trip. Upon returning from this trip, Theresa and Sheila took Florence to Central Baptist to have the heart catheter done. They ended up keeping her overnight where they had to put in a couple of stints.