Sparks girl, 7, makes generous sacrifice

Little 7-year-old Ellen Wilson of Sparks had her hair cut for the first time since birth to donate it to Locks of Love.

Both of sets of Ellen's grandparents live in Carson and her parents are both Carson High School graduates.

Maxine Butler, who lives across the street from Appeal editor emeritus Sue Morrow, said granddaughter Ellen is the youngest child of Dr. Dennis and Jamie Wilson.

Maxine and Bob Butler are 35-year residents who opened Butler Meats and ran it for a decade. They also operated the Hickory Hog, which is Glenn Eagles restaurant today.

Ellen's other set of grandparents are Allen and Carol Wilson, and her great-grandmother is Norma Jean Best, also of Carson City.

Locks of Love is an organization that gives hairpieces to children who have lost their hair while undergoing medical treatment. For information go to www.locksoflove.org.

The news that Christopher Fiegehen was captured in Indiana came flying across the room and hit me on the back of the head.

No really. F.T. Norton called me 11:30 a.m. Wednesday and was just getting ready to tell me about the capture when a pack of Post-its nailed me on the side of the head.

Written on the top Post-it was a note that read "Fiegehen captured in Indiana."

Features Editor Kelli Du Fresne, who occasionally plays softball during the season, winged the pack at me, eliciting a surprised yell.

No one can say I wouldn't know a news story if it hit me on the head.

Last weekend, Carson City resident Russ Morena was looking in the encyclopedia to answer a question posed by his 5-year-old son.

While thumbing through the 1961 scientific encyclopedia, he came across a list of dates for the zodiac that didn't jibe with those appearing in the newspaper.

A Virgo, Russ said he was shocked to learn that he really wasn't.

According to the Griffith Observatory Web site, the astrological signs appearing in the newspaper were set 2,600 years ago. Astrologers split the path of the sun into the 12 houses of the zodiac we are now familiar with.

Astronomers, on the other hand, noticed the houses of the astrological zodiac really don't match the constellations.

About 60 years ago, the International Astronomical Union worked out the boundaries of the actual constellations, adding one, Ophiuchus, the Serpent Bearer. In addition, because the Earth wobbles on its axis, none of the signs start where they used to.

For Sagittarians born between Nov. 30 and Dec. 17, the astronomical zodiac lists them as Ophiuchus.

Russell, 38, who under this system would be a Leo, points out that the zodiac provides a context for our view of ourselves.

"When you are taught something and told something and then feel that it may not be the absolute truth, you feel cheated," he said.

Tell me about it. Under the astronomical chart, I'm a Capricorn.

I was editing an item about new regional forester Jack Troyer when I read he grew up on a peach orchard in the Western Colorado town of Palisades.

My grandfather Carl Hildebrand owned a peach orchard at the base of the Grand Mesa, just across the Colorado River from the town where my grandmother worked for the drug store.

He wrote back and said he asked his mother and she knew my grandparents and he recognized the name.

I got a note from Guy Rocha on Jim Scripps' article about Les' Barber Shop. Guy points out that Carson City had 3,082 residents in the 1950 Census. By the 1960 Census the number was up to 5,163 people.

It was the Nevada Appeal that pointed out Oct. 30, 1963, that Carson was no longer the smallest state capital. An estimate from the Chamber of Commerce at the time placed the population at 10,500.

Kurt Hildebrand is managing editor at the Nevada Appeal. Reach him at Hildebrand@nevadaappeal.com or call 881-1215.