Tending The Flowers; DOJ Prostitution Report; Up And Down; Veterans Center And More...
RidgeRunner |
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March 27, 2015 -
As you travel down Clifton Forge's Ridgeway Street, it wouldn't be an unusual scene to notice a local woman seated in a bed of mulch, digging out weeds, planting new plants and in general, tidying up the place.
Let me allow you know a secret: it's Debbie Strot, just doing her more than a bit of public good. Debbie is responsible for keeping the triangular section of ground at the corner of Ridgeway and Roxbury Street in tip top shape, despite the rude few folks who regularly dump trash nearby. That's OK, it doesn't take that long to get that cleaned up.
As I rode in the downtown area the other day, however, I also noticed that Debbie was working on several other plots that make the town look nice. She's just the kind of person you'd like to stop to compliment and then who'd look up with pieces of mulch on her clothes to smile. She needs to be feted in some manner or rewarded with a nice lunch as a thanks for so much good work, done so often...
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There is a new Veterans Center at DSLCC now, one being billed as a place where veterans may get assistance in furthering their educational goals. It's located at the nearby Armory. Apparently, it's a "one-stop place for veterans seeking academic support with individualized enrollment and referral services. The Department of Veterans Affairs apparently responded to a request for Joy Broyles, Assistant Director of Student Services and received funding for two part-time student workers to staff the center. Great work!
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It's very likely that you were not one of those in attendance at the Richard Bidlack lecture at W&L on March 18. His topic was the World War II Leningrad Blockade, which many Americans are not well-informed about. But it wasn't just his description of that horrible aspect of that war which was most interesting. It was the connection he made to Russia's current leadership that surprised many in attendance. Vladamir Putin, Russia's current leader, hails from St. Petersburg (the former Leningrad) and lessons learned there, along with the many fiends he had there, are now big components of the Russian administration and attitude of today. Here's the link to three videos of that lecture, just in case you have the time to learn about a key aspect of one of the world's most serious conflicts. (Bidlack Lecture Video Link).
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By the way, if you like to hear well-informed individuals speak on neat topics, ranging from economics, the environment, race relations, or current trends, attending some of W&L's FREE lectures can provide you with very entertaining and informative afternoons and evenings. I highly recommend you watch our website for additional announcements of new speakers and topics!
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I don't know how long Dr. Emily Graham has been in practice here as a vet, but her work certainly has been well-received. It wasn't that long ago that she did a wonderful job saving a favorite kitty of mine from a bad case of dehydration. Cats and dogs often need multiple sources of water and some folks forget this. They can be particular vulnerable when the weather is cold too. I'm glad Dr. Emily's practice seems to be soaring at her Selma location. It's yet another good example of a relative new local business doing well.
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What goes up always comes down. Yup, that's the way of temperatures in Western Virginia during the Springtime. On Thursday, the high was nearly 70 degrees, but overnight fell about 30 degrees. There were even predictions for a bit of snow, but we luckily avoided that. Local gardeners are getting their potatoes and onions in the ground, and the best of them have started their tomato plants from seed, keeping them inside prior to the normal mid-May formal planting. I don't know about you, but winter tomatoes are tasteless. I can't wait for the first crop to come in. It wasn't that long ago when during one summer eating sessions, I got a big sore in my mouth from eating way too many in far too short of time. I shared 7-8 with big salt and pepper shakers nearby. We ate them all. Hey, the acid sore quickly went away...just in time for another bit of consumption the following week. I mix eating them with green bell peppers and Bush's beans and raw onions. I don't know much else for a great lunch if I'm lucky to get all these components together in a single place!
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Local contractor Corky Wallace is now sporting a nice, "new" Caterpillar 420 backhoe/endloader 4x4. I see him riding up and down local streets with a big smile on his face and for good reason: there's not much in the way of excavating, one can't do with a machine like this. Extend-ahoe equipped, AC/ Am-Fm radio, clamshell front 3 yard bucket, etc, etc., Corky's ready to rock and roll. I'm jealous. I just hope he leaves the keys in it and goes off for a week's vacation soon. I've got some jobs I'd like to do...
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Oh, one more DSLCC note: for those of you with motorcycle riding aspirations, check out the dates for future safety courses available at Motorcycle Safety Courses Set.
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Nobody doubts that there is plenty of prostitution going on...hey, it's the oldest "profession," I'm told. But check out what the Department of Justice's Office of Inspector General just reported on this subject: on multiple occasions, key federal government agency employees got serviced by whores, in some cases, paid for by drug cartel organizations. Don't take my word for it! Here's the link to that report: The Handling of Sexual Harassment and Misconduct Allegations by the Department's Law Enforcement Components.
Sheesh!
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Finally, it looks like a local company has teamed up with the Alleghany County Sheriff's Office to come up with a phone app to help report local crime or other serious problems. Here is the WDBJ TV story on this subject which features efforts by local App IStudio representative Doug Houtz. Local Crime, Emergency App Noted
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See ya right here again next week! | | | | | |
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