8B The Mountain Messenger, Thursday, August 9, 1990
Free Play At
My mother doesn't like ani-
mals. She considers them great
nuisances, and so I didn't have
pets growing up. Now 1 have
two dogs, a black mutt and a
chocolate retriever who is preg-
nant, and four cats. The dogs are
great pals -- they romp and
greet each other every morning
as though they were reuniting
after a long absence. They som-
ersault down the hill, they chase
each other's tails, they bound
over and through the flower
beds. The cats are quieter. They
lounge in my container pots and
play hide and seek on the patio.
Needless to say, my plants get
smashed with all these animals
roaming around. 1 refuse to give
up either plants or animals, but I
spend my summer coming to
terms with having my cake and
eating it too.
Last week, mr example, 1
planted impatiens in the gaps in
the hosta under the maple tree.
They are tender little plants with
fragile blooms and stems, l spent
an hour under the tree planting
them in a satisfying color
arrangement of pale pinks,
oranges, and reds. 1 envisioned
them a month later when they
would be full and bushy instead
of scraggly little seedlings.
When 1 came back out to check
on them later that afternoon,
Hershey, my labrador, had
made the hosta bed her sand-
pile. She had pawed a huge hole
in the middle of the bed. The
dirt was splattered over the
patio and most of my impatiens
lay in a wilted mess on their
sides. Flershey grinned up at me
with enthusiasm.
Earlier in the late spring my
cat Cleo used the patio as the
training ground for her brood,
She brought them out Of the
garage onto the patio for boot
camp. The calico, striped, and
spotted kittens enjoyed the
porch furniture and terracotta
pots as command posts to
launch their surprise attacks.
They lurched, bounded, and
wrestled their way all across the
patio. As a result, my newly pot-
ted flowers were mashed and
torn.
My older mutt Chuck takes
his afternoon nap in the bee
balm. 1 had this wonderfully
huge drift of red tx,K" balm in the
bed by the garage. Three feet
high and citrus-smelling 1 con-
sidered it my piece de resistance.
The center of the clump now
caves in because of all the naps.
Chuck sleeps there curled into a
ball while the bees and hum-
mingbirds buzz around his
head, unable to resist the
fragrance.
There are, of course, compen-
sating factors to having both ani-
mals and a garden. The cats kill
the moles that kill my tulip
bulbs. The dogs warn me if there
is a snake nearby. But the rnam
reason I wouldn't part with my
animals is that they are my com-
panions m the garden, along
with the daisies and delphini-
ums. When 1 weed, sweaty and
down on my knees, Chuck is
there by my side to give me an
encouraging lick. When 1 ri,~ to
stretch, ready for a break, my
eyes are taken with the happy
tableaux of kittens jumping from
[x)t to pot. When I'm drinking
my iced tea alone and blue on
the patio, Hershey will bring me
her rex1 rubber ball to throw.
Sometimes it all works to-
gether. The plants, the animals,
and 1 can be found peaceful and
happy on a summer's after'noon.
1 can be found swinging in the
hammock, dogs snoring by my
side, gazing out at my blooming
beds that are thriving despite
my beasts.
A public performance of "The
Belle Of Amherst" by William
Luce, a play that celebrates the
life of American poet, Emily
Dickinson, will be given at The
Gesundheit Institute on Locust
Creek Road near Hillsboro Au-
gust 17 featuring actress Emma
Palzere. Free admission.
The Gesundheit Institute is
currently being constructed on
3 t 0 acres. "The Gesu nd heit phi-
losophy states humor and the
arts are important ingredients in
healing. 'The Belle Of Amherst'
is a perfect example of the heal-
ing effects of the arts," according
to James John~m, a spokesman
for the institute.
"The one-woman show is also
a perfect vehicle for Palzere to
bring to life the words and
works of Emily Dickinson as
dramatized by playwright Wil-
liam Luce. The play opened on
Broadway in 1975 and won a
Best Actress Tony for Julie Har-
ris. The play is directed by Mi-
chael LaPolla, currently em-
ployed with the soap opera,
'Loving,'" Mr ]ohnson said.
"Palzere and LaPolla are
graduates of Emerson College,
Boston. Patzere interned at Hart-
ford State Company, Connecti-
cut and has also performed at
American Stage Festival, New
Hampshire; Berkshire Public
Theatre, Massachu~tts; Indiana
Repertory Theatre in lndianapo-
lis;.Centennial Theater Festival,
Connecticut. l'alzere lives in
New York City and appears
through the courtesy of Actors'
Equity Association," Mr Johnson
added.
The performance will be at 8
p.m. For further information,
call 653-4338.
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RED OAKS SHOPPING CENTER- FAIRLEA, WV
SALE IN EFFECT THURSDAY, AUG. 9 thru TUES. AUG. 14
•b
• ~•i~!:¸ i¸ . iii !
Stacy Munsey (left), Sharon Campbell, and Paula Kohen
Monroe Day Care
and Stressful'
By Jonathan Wright
Sharon Campbell's two-and-
one-half years as director of
Monroe Day Care Center have
been both rewarding and stress-
ful. Rewarding because of the
opportunity to train children ea-
ger for learning - stressful be-
cause of finances which have
made bill-paying a continuous
challenge.
"Because of decreases in gov-
ernment support, there have
been some times when we've
just barely been able to pay our
expenses, " she ~tid. "In addi-
tion to that, we've been in this
building for 13 years now, and
very little has been replaced."
The building is on Shanklin
Street near downtown Union.
"We have the same appliances
we had in 1977," Ms Campbell
said. "Only two eves of our
stove work now, and we have to
tape the refrigerator door shut to
keep it closed."
The aging facilities result in
unexpected repair expenses at
times when excess funds are
scarce, according to Ms
Campbell. Additionally, loss of
so me go vern men t-su bsid ized
personnel has put a strain on fi-
nances. The center must take on
added salary expenses when
funding for required positions is
removed.
"State licensing will not allow
for volunteer help," she added.
"Everybody is paid. I really wish
we could pay our staff people
better, but our finances just
won't allow it -- and we cer-
tainly can't afford to hire any
additional workers,"
The recent hike of the federal
minimum wage has put an
added strain on the center's
budget, forcing an increase in
the per-day charge for each child
from $8 to $10 per day, full-time.
Parents of children who attend
part-time (fewer than three days
per week) are charged $10.50 per
day.
Ms Campbell said although
funds are a problem, the staff is
committed to providing children
nutritious meals. Breakfast and
lunch are served, m addition to
an afternoon smack. The federal
government subsidizes food ex-
penses.
Elimination of the surplus
food program to day care cen-
ters by the United States Depart-
m~nt of Agriculture has made
things tougher for the meals
program at the center, Ms
Campbell said. "We could get
honey, rice, flour, cornmeal,
butter, and cheese -- all at 15
per cent of cost. We were really
able to operate well under that
program. Now we don't get any-
thing from it."
Ms Campbell added, how-
ever, that the Cheese and More
Store of Gap Mills has helped
take up the slack somewhat by
offering its cheese at cost.
"They've really been nice to us,"
she said.
"Also, Bostic Feed and Sup-
ply here in Union sells us flour
at their cost. It's people like
these who make a difference."
For the past two years Atlan-
tic Financial, a banking institu-
tion, has donated $1,000 to the
center, and once when a local
businessman heard it was hav-
ing financial trouble, he donated
$3O0.
Despite these contributions,
though, community support has
been low in recent years, accord-
ing to Ms Campbell. "1 really
don't know the reason, either,"
she said. "Many people in the
area don't even know where we
are located."
The staff and parents do what
they can to help. During the past
year they participated in
Campbell Soups' label program.
"We collected 2,500 labels, "Ms
Campbell said. "We received
two playground balls and two
art books from them. That
wasn't much, of course, but we
do what we can.
"At one point last winter
when our heat pump broke, we
needed $150, and we just didn't
have it. The idea of selling
doughnuts to raise the money
was brought up, and some of
our parents and staff members
cringed. Many of them are faced
with that a lot in their work with
the public schools and did not
want to have to go out and sell
more. Our Board of
later came up with
Help has been sou
foundations, but so far
ter has not qualified
their funds. "There
seems to be some
requirement we don't
Campbell said. "We
slip through the 1oo
where."
During the school
staff includes two
substitute, a cook, a
manager, and Ms Cai
Only the business
Ms Campbell are em
the summer, along wit
workers hired throUi
Governor's Summer
gram.
An average of 15
from two to ten years
tend the center in the~
The number
20 during the school
children up to kindel
attend.
"I feel we do a good
ring our kids ready
garten," Ms Cam:
recently heard from a
who said our kids are
pared when they get
- both socially and
The Monroe center
only a few non-profit
centers in'the state,
Forsberg, Day Care
the Department of
Human Resources in
said, "'1 don't know
care centers can get
little as the state
They get $7 per day
child who attends at
days per month.
the going rate earned I~
agers who babysit."
Monroe Day Care
governed by its 1
Board of Directors, the
Early Childhood
Members of the board
nated from the
other board members.
The non-profit status
the center from
all but payroll
ing to Ms Campbell.
Stop by the
on your way to the Fair!
164, Exit 156 US 60 West 1 Mile
Crawley, W.Va. (304) 392-6500
l
NOW ACCEPTING REGISTRATION
CLASSES STARTING FIRST WEEK
IN SEPTEMBER
Call 645-7962 or 645-4218
t~
r~B~MI~ iiimll BIBII m m Illll IIIBI m I1~1 Blmll IIIBIB m m m m m I~11 Imml IBI1
I ADDRESS I
I
GRADE AGE PHONE
Mail to: 222 S. LAFAYETTE ST. LEWlSBURG, WV 24901 |
CALL TODAY!
The
in town - now
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for only .....
($2.25
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($3.00
DEADLINE: 9 AM
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