Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Roasting nets $1,000 for seniors

A Rotarian sponsored fund raiser, for the Gurdon Senior Adult Center, allowed 125 onlookers to take verbal potshots Monday evening at Anita Cabe, an area businesswoman and community supporter.

Most of her accusers followed their stinging remarks with praise for one thing or another the Cabe Foundation has done over the years to promote and improve Gurdon.

Cabe said more than $1,000 in profits were collected at the Monday night character assassination  July 18 at the Gurdon Senior Adult Center.

Committee member Linda Bittle, of Gurdon State Bank, said the money was collected by way of charging $10 a ticket for the show and meal, plus the crowd put $432 in a donation bucket.

Tambra Childres, also on the Anita Cabe Roasting Committee, said there may be a few more mail-in donations, but as of this Thursday writing "it looks like after expenses we can say at least $1,000 will be donated to the Senior Adult Center."

Cabe said the donation is tentatively scheduled to be made on Thursday, July 28, during the next noon Rotary meeting at the center.

As to the roasting, the event lasted approximately two hours and included much laughter and apparently harmless fun. Childres said Rotarians are considering the roasting of Anita Cabe as an annual fund raiser for the Gurdon Rotary Club.

"I feel like this went well, and was kept in good taste," Childres said. "If we make it general fund raiser for Rotary, then the money can go to help a host of good causes in the future."

The emcee on Monday was Ann Clingan. In addition to Bittle and Childres, Steven Orsburn, First State Bank, was on the roasting committee.

The committee thanks the Hamburger Barn of Arkadelphia for catering the meal. The flowers and centerpiece was courtesy of the Forget Me Knot Shop of Gurdon.

Mayor Clayton Franklin gave the welcome. Roasters and toasters were: Bobby Smithson, Winnie Clark, Dr. Charles Dunn (president of Henderson State University in Arkadelphia), Jacquie Garland, Allen Wimberly and Anita Cabe's twin sister, Annette D'Arcy.

Anita tried to keep track of a bell to stop the harassment if it got "too hot to handle." However, no bell sounding occurred.

Gurdon Superintendent Bobby Smithson started the roasting by informing the crowd, "I heard Anita, who is a member of the Rev. Rusty Jones' Methodist Church, was considering becoming Baptist. It is rumored when Jones heard this he told Anita he would go with her.

"We have also heard the Cabes are in the process of a political switching. Charles is trying to get rid of his elephant collection and looking for donkeys."

Smithson said the President Bill Clinton Library was in process of expanding and Anita Cabe was chair on the fund-raising committee.

"Where would Gurdon be without Anita Cabe?" Smithson asked. "She fits the definition of a true friend; one who shakes your hand but touches your heart."

Clark, a local singer and former school secretary, has been compared to Patsy Cline.

She said of Cabe, "She has called on to entertain at many fund raisers, knowing I perform for pleasure instead of money.

"Consequently, I have done many free singings at Anita's fund raisers. She said I am always good for nothing."

Henderson's President Dunn followed Cline's remarks by saying, "I have known Anita Cabe since 1986. She is a Republican committed to Henderson and Gurdon, and is a member of the Henderson State University Board of Trustees.

"Anita Cabe is known as she who must be obeyed, and the lady who runs Gurdon."

Gurdon High School Band Director Allen Wimberly picked up the pace on the roasting by poking fun at Cabe's singing voice.

He announced that he told her she could sing as loud as she liked in the Methodist choir "as long as she does it out in the congregation."

"I have heard when Anita was in high school she attempted to sing with the choir and the band director back then made a deal to start the drum solo at the same time Anita was to break into song."

Wimberly then admitted Cabe is a big supporter of GHS band and thanked her for all of her help.

The harshest roasting came from Anita's twin sister, Annette D'Arcy, who came to the roasting from Atlanta, Ga.

"I will say that many times growing up Anita ate my food," she said. "And once, in our younger days, she took my corsage and ended up with two while my date got embarrassed because he thought it was lost somehow."

D'Arcy said it was hard living apart from Anita because the twins always do everything together while around each other."

Emcee Clingan said Anita Cabe could be the next pope if she wanted to be "and she is not ever Catholic."

"I would recommend you bow when you see her," Clingan added.

"In all seriousness Anita, you have the power, but we have the love for you."

Anita Cabe had the last word at the roast and began by saying life is a team, as far as she and her husband Charles are concerned.

"They say laughter is good for sleeping, so all of you here should get a good night's sleep," she said. "Gurdon has been a fabulous place for me. I have been able to get up in front of many different groups and try to be a help here."

Of the 125 in attendance at the roasting, she thanked the local folk and the out of town guests for their support of the Senior Adult Center and this Rotarian fund raising effort to help it.

"Our Rotary club meets here every Thursday and we appreciate the efforts of director Royce Ann Barbaree so much," Cabe said.

Of the schools, which have received numerous grants and donations from the Cabe Foundation for several years, Cabe said, "I have been here long enough, and involved with the school system, to where I think I am a Go-Devil by now."

Of the overall effort and turnout, Cabe said she was pleased and glad she survived the taunts without having to ring the bell for help.

"I had them put the bell up there just in case I needed to have someone removed from the podium that was getting out of hand," she said.

Her sister, Annette, started her roasting by grabbing the bell.