HIGH POINTS FROM EL CAMINO REAL
CHRIS DAVIS
You couldn't have picked a nicer weekend for the opening day of youth baseball than the one folks along El Camino Real were blessed with on Saturday. If you weren't outside doing something this weekend then you missed a good chance to catch up after all the rain. We are a long way ahead, weather wise, than we were last year about this time. I couldn't even get my peas to sprout this time last year and this year they are up and looking great. If I'll quit rambling on about my garden, you'll have four bits' worth of news to read.

elcaminoreal@consolidated.net

The youth group from the Weeping Mary Baptist Church were busy on Saturday morning working a bake sale and car wash on the corner by the red light. I stopped by early and had my pick of the great looking pies and cakes they had on the tables. I finally settled on a potato pie and a 7-Up Cake. I made some good choices because they both disappeared fast after I got home. Those young people always work hard for their church. The opening day ceremonies at the baseball fields was a big success. Jimmy Selman led the singing of "Take Me out to the Ballgame." This has become a regular tradition on opening day. Most of the kids faces were either covered in pure excitement or stained with snow cones. You could hardly find a parking place, so many people came out to enjoy the games. People were coming out of the Dollar Store with brand new lawn chairs heading to the games. My youngest son, Creager, has been practicing hard for the big opening day game, but a stomach virus knocked him out of play about four o'clock Saturday morning. He was pretty disappointed, but there are a lot more games to be played this year. I hope you have a chance to come out and cheer for the kids and have a snow cone or two.

Kevin Pierce l bought a winning raffle ticket for a gift basket loaded with goodies from Alto downtown businesses. Proceeds benefit the Alto Herald Museum.

Bonnie Magruder called me on Saturday to draw the winning ticket for the beautiful gift basket that area merchants and friends of the Alto Herald Museum Project donated for the raffle. There was a box full of tickets, so I'm hoping the Alto Chamber had great success with this drawing. The box was shaken, rolled and rattled before I stuck my hand under the lid. When I pulled the ticket out, Commissioner Kevin Pierce was the big winner whose name appeared on the ticket. Members of the Alto Chamber of Commerce are still seeking donations to help put a new roof on the old Alto Herald Building, so it can be made into a museum. The Alto Herald Building offers a rare look into printing of the past with its linotype machines still set up right where they were when the newspaper was merged with the Cherokeean. The group plans to have more fundraisers in the future, so keep them in mind when you hear about one.

The nice day we were blessed with on Sunday had some folks heading out to the Central High Homecoming, eager to do some visiting over a good meal. I heard that there was a really good crowd. The beautiful quilt that the ladies raffle off each year was waiting for someone to win it. This year the winner of the quilt was Royce and Edna Pyle's daughter, Debra Palla. I can't remember how many years I've been buying chances on the Central High quilts, and this year I smooth forgot to buy a chance. I'll have to double up on tickets next year.

We've celebrated Mother's Day for as long s I can remember, but I never gave much thought as to when it was made a holiday. I decided that I needed to do a little research on this subject and let you know what I found out. In 1915, President Woodrow Wilson declared the second Sunday in May as a national holiday honoring mothers. The country was right in the middle of fighting World War I, and at the same time the suffragists were marching on the White House demanding the right to vote for women. The country was in an uproar, and many believed that the women protesters were committing treason for protesting during a war. It was thought that Wilson's praise of mothers might have been used as a distraction to calm women down. I thought that was a very cold and insensitive history of Mother's Day.

Mother's Day as we know it is a time to honor a very special person in our lives. A time to remember who tucked us in our beds, gave us tender kisses on bumps and bruises, warm hugs and good memories. I don't know what Woodrow Wilson was thinking, but it must have worked, because on Saturday women can vote and on Sunday be honored with their own day. Sounds like a deal to me. "Mother" is a pretty hefty title to carry around with all the responsibilities that go with it. Just the mention of the name warms your heart. Add five letters to it (i-n-la w), and that warm heart chills to a block of ice. I just don't understand. We love you mothers on your special day and everyday.

I killed two snakes in the yard on Saturday. I wouldn't have killed them, but I was afraid that if I let them go they would crawl to my mother-in-law's house and she'd move in with us. We skinned the big one because my middle boy Grant wanted a hatband. I'm afraid that he has more head than we had snake, so I don't know how that will turn out. Robert Jenkins was working at Ray Penn's house and I thought about giving the other snake to him - whether he wanted it or not. Since he had a chainsaw I decided against it. Maybe I'll catch another one for him later. Folks say I have a giving heart.

If you want me to put some of your news in the paper, just jot down what you have and I'll fill in the blank spots with whatever pops in my head. I'll see ya next week! And remember, Almost anything is easier to get into than to get out of.