IN SADNESS …

From Westbrook Funeral Home’s web site ….

Julia Ann "Judy" Yates 1937 - 2006

Julia Ann “Judy” Yates, age 69, of Little Rock, Arkansas, was born January 13, 1937, at Beebe, to Eugene and Mary Priest Rice, and she died December 27, 2006. She was a Thirtyniner Choir member and active church member. Her main interests were her sons and friends and neighbors on Westwood Lane where she had lived since 1962. Judy was a loving wife, caring mother, devoted daughter and loyal friend. She was a 1954 graduate of Searcy High School and attended Arkansas State Teachers College in Conway.

She was preceded in death by her husband of twenty-eight years, Robert P. Yates, Sr. and her parents. She is survived by two sons, Robert P. Yates, Jr. and Terry Yates, both of Little Rock; three sisters-in-law, Kathryn Yates of Ocala, Florida; Dorothy Williams of Little Rock and Mary Weeks, of North Little Rock; five nieces and two nephews.

Family will receive friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Friday at Westbrook Funeral Home, Beebe. Funeral will be 10:00 a.m. Saturday, December 30, 2006, at South Highland Baptist Church, 10200 W. 36th, Little Rock, with burial in Pinecrest Memorial Park, Alexander.

Anita Hart Fuller

Judy was my best friend all through school: grade school to high school. She played french horn in the band - but she probably didn't blow a note save for the tuning note. She was NOT musical and why she chose that very difficult instrument to play I'll never know.

She was my Maid of Honor in our wedding. She has two boys: one is Robert Yates, who writes all the high school football stuff and the racing stuff from Oaklawn - for the Dem-Gaz. He graduated from LRU and began working for the DOG and has only worked for them throughout
his career.

Judy died suddenly a couple of days ago, just dropped dead - which is a wonderful way to go.

Thanks to Don Thompson via Anita, a photo. -tlp-

BUMPER STICKERS

Since we retired and gave up our 120-mile-a-day drive to-and-from work, we’ve fallen ‘way behind on our bumper sticker collecting, Fortunately, our dear and good friend, Dandy Don, has been tracking them for us, and sends the following list:

* That's OK, I Wasn't Using My Civil Liberties Anyway

* Bush. Like a Rock. Only Dumber

* You Can't Be Pro-War and Pro-Life At The Same Time

* Of Course It Hurts: You're Getting Screwed by an Elephant

* America: One Nation, Under Surveillance

* Bush: God's Way of Proving Intelligent Design is Full of Crap

* Bad president! No Banana!

* We Need a President Who's Fluent In At Least One Language (This is my wife’s favorite).

* We're Making Enemies Faster Than We Can Kill Them

* Where Are We Going? And Why Are We In This Handbasket?

* Dubya, Your Dad Shoulda Pulled Out, Too

* The Republican Party: Our Bridge to the 11th Century

Don adds this somewhat cynical note:

The Supreme Court has ruled that there cannot be a Nativity Scene in Washington, DC this Christmas season. This isn't for any religious reason, they simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the Nation's capitol. There was no problem, however, finding enough asses to fill the stable.

Would this work on politicians, too?

HALL OF FAME FOR CHRISTMAS

The Searcy Schools Hall of Fame Foundation has named its nominees for the Hall. Among them are: film producer Calvin Skaggs (Class of 54), Larry Crain (Class of 59) and Elmer Dale Yancey (Class of 56). Also named, posthumously, was Dorothy Dellinger, who used to teach English at SHS.

To tide you over Christmas, here’s a shot I took last night on Ella Street, the street that runs from Beebe-Capps to the high school.

May you have a Merry, Merry Christmas!

FIRING UP INTEREST

Tom Pry

Editor Emeritus

I was sssoooooo disappointed …. !

My editor told me to hustle down to the Courthouse and catch them lighting up luminaries. Well, I headed right out the door, pictures of losing politicians burning at the stake dancing in my head … only to discover that luminaries are paper sacks with candles in them.

Hummppphhh.

The local CARTI (Central Arkansas Radiation Therapy Institute) auxiliary sell these as their one and only fund-raiser for the year. They are $10 apiece and contain your name, plus the name of someone to whom you wish to dedicate it as a “Memory of ..”.

Not only did I photograph it, I bought one.

What are YOU doing for Christmas?