Ask Billie

Last Sunday morning I walked into the parlor of First United Methodist Church where my Sunday school class meets. I was startled to see that there was only a small space left for the class, on the end of this very large room. In an instant I remembered this was the place where the Christmas Angel Tree gifts were being assembled for several hundred children.

What a joy it was to walk among all the packages stacked on chairs and literally covering the floor. It not only meant that children would have Christmas gifts to open, but it meant that the spirit of giving is alive and well in Wharton.

The generosity of all of you never ceases to amaze me. Whether the cause is large or small you come through. Of course we grumble some when the mail and the calls come, but would we have it any other way? This is part of our responsibility and joy of living in a community and a country where we have so much.

Too often we find it easier to give money rather than our time. Sharing our minutes and hours is also part of caring. SHARE, in particular, has a people crisis. The main crisis is manpower, people to be at the facility on Mondays and Thursdays to work in the food pantry, others to talk with the clients who are there because they have needs.

We were told last week that the frozen meat chests were empty. There are a lot of hunters in Wharton County; the need is here. There is also always a need for non-perishable foods.

In past years, my Sunday school class has exchanged gifts. This year the gifts will be bags of food for SHARE. Most of us have more "stuff" than we really need. What if every party in Wharton, every class, every get-together during the holidays was one where every person brought a few cans of food? The food pantries would be full and overflowing. In addition, it would be more fun because we would be doing something for someone else, the real spirit of Christmas.

Often a question comes to this column that takes some reading or making a few telephone calls. Often citizens concerns with various issues in the city simply have to wait. Then there are questions that "I do not have a clue" is the only honest answer, which is the one today.

The question is being asked "why name the new elementary school Wharton Elementary?" I do not know and if the Board of Trustees of WISD has an answer I have not seen it in print. I do feel that when the public is asked for input, the name coming in first should be considered.

My biggest concern with the name comes from the years at the Chamber of Commerce. That office is the community phone directory, especially calls from a distance. There are many calls needing the telephone numbers of our various schools. Imagine the confusion when someone wants to know the name of the new school and you tell them Wharton. The caller will probably say "yes, I know this is Wharton, but what is the name of the new school?" Maybe there are some better answers and as we grow and need another elementary school will there be more confusion?