The New Era - All about Sweet Home since 1929

Richard Ritchey, the Reptile Man, paid a visit to Oak Heights third-graders, as seen in the first photo, on Thursday, Jan. 12. In the second photo, he speaks as a lizard sits comfortably on Piper Cook's head. In the third photo, Eziraya Hoagland checks out a snake that's wrapped around her shoulders as Ritchey talks.

The visit was funded by a grant from the Sweet Home Elks' Back to School Program. Teacher Cheryl Johnson said that when asked, students' "No. 1 item on our class wish list" was a visit from the Reptile Man.