SCENE IN PASSING
MARIE WHITEHEAD herald@mediactr.com
Welcome to fall. It officially arrived Sunday. Calendar companies seem to prefer the use of "autumn" in announcing the change of seasons. Call it what you want, everyone is happy for the change. It brings the possibility of cooler weather, perhaps a bit of moisture? With hay makers, '06 will be remembered as a dry year. Now '07 has the opportunity for being called the wet year. The truth here is that time does go by. Winter, summer, spring or fall, time marches on. Would we have it any other way? Probably not.

Here is the photo of a young man who has Rusk roots. He is Dev (Devereaux) Gregg, son of the late Bob Gregg and grandson of the late E. R. Gregg. His picture was featured on the cover of the August issue of Charlotte Business Journal, a quarterly publication whose focus is commercial real estate. Inside the pages a headline reads, "What the doctor ordered." A story by Julie Bird reports that medical office development exploded south of Charlotte, N.C. about 10 years ago.

Our young man says this growth continues. "Medical care has really expanded and excelled just as much as the banks have," he says. Mr. Gregg is vice president of development at Cogdell Spencer Inc., a real estate investment trust specializing in medical buildings.

Dev Gregg

Now, with a title like that, can't you just imagine Dev's office? Plush carpet, mahogany paneled walls and his name etched in glass on the door. And with you, I smile, because it was my privilege to know several of his family, and I know how proud of Dev all of them are.

Meanwhile, back at the home front, reports continue to be good for most of our under-the-weather citizens. Neighbor Ike Daniel had a brief hospitalization followed by rehab, and now he's back home. All this followed a very short tumble on his back steps. It is amazing how much damage we can do to ourselves in a short space of time and distance. Another slip, trip and fall victim, Jim Turner, gave his family a good scare. It looks like he's going to escape the operating room. That's great news. Charles Davis has been back to Big D for a check-up and he's quite pleased, along with spouse Joni. Baby boy Cooper Stanaland continues to grow an ounce at a time. He was more than three pounds at the last report from grandparents Fay and Lester Hughes. The usual rule of thumb for preemies to leave the hospital is five pounds. And that suggests it could be soon. Some folks have tests slated and these include Rona Long, James P. Richards, and I get to have a dental check up soon. Sarah Summers continues to bounce around town to the delight of all her friends. She is an amazing bounceback from treatments.

A very compassionate young woman was in our office last week. She is Deborah Kai, whose husband is the executor of Don Pledger's estate. She is trying to locate a book which Don suggested would be at our office. Entitled "My Life," the work is the autobiography of his greatgrandfather John S. Elliott. Unfortunately none of us at Whitehead Enterprises recall the book, nor could we find it. If you have knowledge of this publication, let me know, or better yet, drop it off at Singletary Memorial Library on Sixth Street.

With gratitude to all of you who have survived so many years with your writer, and who now enjoy reading about the "way it used to be."

Take care and remember to stay well, be happy and keep smiling. Next week, we may have more of the "way we were."