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Rehab president worried necktie party was in
the offing
By Bill Whitaker
When Jim Pethis showed up for the December meeting of Abilene
Clean and Proud, he half-expected a rope to be waiting - one stretched
from a high tree.
To fellow members of the Abilene Clean & Proud board, it
was bad enough Jim, engaging president and CEO of the West Texas
Rehabilitation Center, was still a danged Yankee, occasionally
given to mispronouncing the names of surrounding towns.
But for him to promptly hire away high-spirted Abilene Clean
& Proud executive director Donna Albus was almost unforgiveable
- especially since he did so while serving on their board.
When Abilene Clean & Proud board president Kay Spiva assured
Jim all was forgiven, that he would not have to resign his board
seat or fear for his life while serving out the remainder of his
term, fellow board member Linda Neal concurred. "Of course,"
Linda added, cordially but with an edge in her voice, "you're
<I>still<I> a dirty, rotten dog!"
Donna, who for several years now has been almost as well-known
for her never-ending array of fashionable hats as her devotion
to sprucing up Abilene, begins 1998 as part of Rehab Center efforts
to build stronger, lasting ties with rural West Texas.
When the Rehab head honcho began a term on the Abilene Clean
& Proud board and saw Donna's exuberance and knowledge of
the area - she hails from the tiny Knox County community of Rhineland
- he decided she was right for a Rehab job utilizing those skills.
"And I've had guilt trips laid on me all over town about
it," Donna said of her decision to accept.
Jim admitted many folks have asked if Donna will be permitted
to don her colorful, beloved and often out-of-place headwear while
venturing into area towns and communities on behalf of the Rehab
Center.
"Well, I can say this," Jim quipped. "If it
isn't so already, we're definitely going to redo our dress code
to include hats!"
POSE, CLOWN!
Clowns are making a comeback.
Only last week famed rodeo clown Quail Dobbs, possibly wearying
of climbing into metal barrels and letting ill-tempered livestock
knock him all over coliseums nationwide, filed to run for justice
of the piece over in Howard County.
Then the other day, low-key, ever-dignified art professor J.
Robert Miller reminded his students at McMurry University that
he, too, has been clowning around for many a moon.
Born and raised in the shadow of McMurry and part of its faculty
for 36 years, Dr. Miller showed up for the last session of his
portrait class this semester, except he was dressed as "Zee
Zee," a happy hobo clown.
Students, who subsequently painted Zee Zee in all his greasepaint
glory, learned the professor has been a clown for quite a spell.
"I've been a clown for the Shriners for 28 years,"
Dr. Miller said. "Now, there are those who have said I was
a clown long before I was a Shriner. But among the good people
I've met through the years was a Shriner clown. And, well, it
looked like a lot of fun and indeed it was."
For the record, Dr. Miller says his clown's name (though, we
presume, not his appearance) comes from the professor's great-great-grandfather,
Zebenese Zachariah Miller, a one-time plantation owner.
Student reaction?
"Total surprise," Dr. Miller said. "A lot of
them didn't know I was a clown. For several years, I greeted people
at the West Texas Fair & Rodeo gate that way. Students would
come in and I'd say something personal to them and they'd look
at me in total disbelief."
Which is at least better than some student turning to "Zee
Zee" and saying nonchalantly, "Oh, yeah, hi, professor."
PAGING PARTY PEOPLE
Did you miss last night's party at Abilene Christian University?
Frankly, this is one party you couldn't "miss," at
least if you're a book-lover.
Invites went out to Friends of the ACU Library this season,
inviting one and all to the "1st Annual Christmas Stay at
Home and Read a Book Ball." It was slated to be held yesterday,
7 p.m. sharp.
Furthermore, the invite read:
DON'T get dressed up and stay out late. DON'T hire a babysitter
for the evening.
DON'T go to the ACU campus.
Everyone will NOT be here!
You must NOT come!
DO stay home.
DO read a book.
Book-lovers were and are also invited to make a fully tax-deductible
donation to Friends of the ACU Library, ACU Box 29208, Abilene
79601.
Incidentally, a Friends of the ACU Library member confirmed
that, at this rate, she'll be partying all month long.
Bill Whitaker, who wonders what Friends of the ACU Library
will do for New Year's Eve, can be reached at 676-6732. E-mail:
WTWARN@aol.com.
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Copyright ©1996 or
1997, Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps. Publications
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