Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, September 18, 1995                   TAG: 9509180101
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

DON'T WORRY, HARRY'S HOME

After two newspaper stories and a batch of donations to the family that adopted the stray collie, Barbara Wilson gave him to a woman in Old Southwest Roanoke.

"I tell you, he was totally making my life miserable," Wilson said. "Every time I moved, he followed me. I mean, he'd follow me to the bathroom. I'd trip over him all the time. He needed someone who was his best friend."

That's what his new owner is to Harry, Wilson said. The woman feeds him bacon and eggs, pork chops and pizza. "This dog is really living the life of Riley."

Wilson tried to give him away when he showed up in her yard months ago. But Harry would run away and travel miles to return to the Wilsons, especially to Barbara Wilson's oldest child, Freddie. Harry's devotion to the boy touched readers, and they donated food and money for the dog's care. That's when Wilson gave in and kept the dog.

But she has three children and two other dogs, and she keeps other children at her small home. Harry needed more attention than she could give. "He was a great dog, but we just didn't have the time."

Harry would pace the floor at night, keeping Wilson awake. The big dog knocked people down to get into the house, broke a chain when she tried to keep him in the yard and nipped a little boy in the face.

Wilson said she's no longer getting donations for Harry. She said she was on the last bag of donated chow when she gave him away. She said Freddie has accepted her decision, and they still see Harry.

She's sorry it worked out this way.

"A friend of mine said in two years he'll be placid." But, Wilson thought, "in two years, I'll be insane."

So, what's SAT all about?

Roanoke County students consistently score above the national average on standardized tests in math, reading, science and other subjects.

They also do well on the state's Literacy Passport for sixth-graders. This year, 74 percent of the county's sixth-graders passed all three parts of the passport test - making the county 15th best in the state.

Yet, Roanoke County students' scores on the SAT are not nearly as high as those on other standardized tests.

This year, the county's average scores on both the verbal and math parts of the Scholastic Assessment Test were below the state and national averages.

The county's average score was 427 on the verbal, 467 on math. The state average was 428 on verbal, 468 on math. The national average was 428 verbal, 482 math.

Superintendent Deanna Gordon said school officials have examined student profiles, reviewed the curriculum and looked at other variables to determine if there is a reason why SAT scores are below the national average.

So far, the county hasn't figured it out, she said.