March 23, 1978

When is an egg not an egg? When it’s a work of art created by Rappahannock’s egg lady, Gertrude Polling of Amissville.

Ten years ago, Gertie’s aunt gave her a decorated cut-out egg and that started her “disease.” She calls it “eggitis.” Symptoms include an almost overwhelming urge to decorate egg shells.

“It’s fascinating just making them,” she saId. “The more you do, the more ideas just keep coming.”

Gertie declares that she’s never had any lessons in egg art but with her talent, she could give classes herself.

Egguery is not new. Throughout history, eggs have represented the new life that returns to nature in the spring. The tradition of giving eggs began in ancient times and varies from country to country. In China, parents distributed red colored eggs as birth announcements in much the same way as a proud American poppa passes out cigars.

Gertie’s latest project is designing an egg for each month of the year. As an example, the egg for October is dyed orange and has a Halloween scene inside.

The year-old controversy over mileage reimbursement between the Rappahannock Sheri ’s Department and Commonwealth Attorney George Davis appears to have jumped from the back burner all the way o the stove.

The Virginia General Assembly voted in the last session to allow mileage payment from the State Compensation Board for patrolling “performed at the direction of the sheri .”

In February, 1977, Davis warned the county Supervisors against approving mileage claims submitted by Sheri W. A. Buntin to the Compensation Board. Davis contended that state policy disallowed payment unless the mileage was accumulated in patrolling or policing residences and businesses in response to a specific complaint.

Rappahannock’s Commonwealth Attorney argued that patrolling was the province of the Virginia State Police. If the county wanted to assume this job, he contended that the county would also have to assume responsibility for the total mileage bill instead of just one-third.