The world celebrated the 40th anniversary of the moon landing June 20, but Rotarians in the Rotary Club of Decatur had a celebration of another kind. Sue Baker Roan, license commissioner of Morgan County, was celebrating her 79th birthday. She was serenaded by piano player Dr. Dan Gifford and song leader Ed Nichols, along with more than 100 fellow Rotarians to the tune of “Let me call you Sweetheart.” Ed requested she come up front to celebrate her special day because she always sits in the back. After some pleading and coercion, Sue found herself in front of the assembly swaying to the music with Ed, Rotarian Patti Fowler reported.

Train man volunteers

He loves to tell the stories, but Charles Patton doesn’t spend all of his time reminiscing about his work on trains out of Chicago as a railway post office clerk, Ronnie Thomas reports.

Amy Pollick You Don't Say

During 2005, he raised more than $2,000 for the agency with yard sales at his home.

Charles also picks up discarded clothing at the Outreach, cuts them into rags and sells them to farmers for wipers for their machines. He has about one-half million buttons, or 175 pounds of buttons, he removed from old shirts and pants.

“I might put them on e-Bay,” he said.

Taj Mahal park

The Decatur-Morgan County Convention and Visitors Bureau announced more rave reviews for the Jack Allen Soccer Complex.

The recent edition of Sports Destination Management Magazine called Jack Allen the “Taj Mahal” of soccer complexes. The magazine also favorably compared the 27-acre complex and its 11 laser-graded fields with the Disney Wide World of Sports Complex “for its forward thinking technology — computerized irrigation, sub drainage, wireless public address system and wireless scoreboard.”

A hop, Skippy and jump

The Associated Press reported Christina Cooper, of Folsom, La., has been wearing a kangaroo lately — a foundling named Skippy, who was rejected by his mother at a wildlife park in eastern Louisiana.

Inside a canvas carryall over Cooper’s shoulder is an artificial kangaroo pouch for the 6-month-old red kangaroo.

It’s demanding duty — Skippy must be bottle fed every four hours, though he’s starting to eat grass and other green stuff.

She wore Skippy and extra clothes for two days, sitting in an armchair to sleep. Arrival of an incubator let her return to a single shirt, but she still had to feed Skippy every two hours.

Now weighing about 3 pounds, he took his first wobbly steps June 30, and his first hops July 4. In about two or three months, he’ll be at the age when red kangaroos leave the pouch for good.

“We’re really at a stage where he’s growing by leaps and bounds,” said Cooper. Send items to You Don’t Say to news@decaturdaily.com or by calling 340-2433.