pathetic

 Strasburg Town Council denies Unity Resolution   

"Council members thanked Rush for their (?) courage to come forward and before voting (?), Boies said she wanted to remind residents that the town is a safe space despite how the vote went (?)."

so, what will people think? what do you think?

• some people will think that trespassing and vandalism of Paul Rush's home TWICE were despicable acts. some people won't.
• people will know that some people in strasburg are decent people--particularly those who helped Paul Rush remove the hateful LGBTQ slurs from his house--TWICE.
• people will know that no one(s) has been arrested for trespassing and vandalizing Paul Rush's home.
• people will know that the town council drafted a "unity resolution" and then debated it for weeks.
• people will know that the resolution didn't pass.

will people believe that the council is thankful that Paul Rush had the courage to come forward? maybe some will.

will people believe that strasburg is a safe place? maybe some will (as long as you're not different).

no one has to be "reminded" whether strasburg is a safe place or not. each person decides that for themselves. 

Strasburg Town Council Rejects Unity Resolution | News | dnronline.com 

"Ricard was first to speak on Tuesday in opposition of the resolution, saying it focused too heavily on Rush’s incidents when there have been other events."

"...there have been other events ... I just think it should be totally inclusive". so, don't pass a resolution that condemns bigotry? yeah, OK. barnyard logic.

“Human nature is something that is taught and learned, you can not change it by a piece of paper,” Cherrix said. “Us saying saying everybody be friends, hold hands, kumbaya, that’s all fine and dandy, but you can’t enforce that on everybody ... being inclusive more of one particular group than every group that we have in this town, will [divide] this town even more.”

Cherrix, Massoud, Monahan, Nicholson--more barnyard logic.

all of the bs doesn't change the facts--actions speak louder than words.

strasburg, are you satisfied with some of your "leaders"? (I'm not.)

vote them out.

PS it's small wonder that the town doesn't communicate more with its citizens. What town would want meetings like strasburg's broadcast?

water bills mystery

 Strasburg residents continue to see unusually high water bills  

I guess that I just don't understand.

I can understand consistent water bills when there's nothing unusual going on. I can understand a jump in the water bill if you're replanting your lawn. but what I don't understand is when water bills make huge jumps when nothing unusual is happening on the customer side. fluctuating water bills have been going on with some customers for years? blaming highly fluctuating water bills on customer leaks just doesn't make sense to me. if customer leaks were causing the problems, then water bills would remain high until the leaks are fixed.

Kim Painter makes an excellent point. 12,000 gallons one month to 32,000 gallons another after enrollment at St. Paul Lutheran Church and Child Care Center went from 70 children to 11. other residents also complain about "high monthly fluctuations". these fluctuations don't sound like water leaks to me. it just doesn't make sense. 

maybe the town should focus more on themselves and answer some obvious questions first:

• how often are water meters read? 
• are they being read correctly?
• has the town checked the suspect water meters? 
• are they operating correctly? 
• is the water line that connects the public water main to the house, business or other private customer leaking?

rather than insisting that customer leaks are the cause, maybe the town should think the problems through. blaming longstanding "dramatic increases and monthly fluctuations" on customer leaks just doesn't make sense. it's not rocket science. it doesn't take years to find out what's causing the water bill anomalies and to fix what needs fixing.

citizens of the town of strasburg,

what's wrong with this picture? (I'm not just talking about water bills.)

I started this "strasburg underground" blog nearly two years ago because of my frustration with the town's lack of communication with its citizens, misinformation and failures to address obvious problems. you know the story--that things were messed up at town hall with the previous administration shouldn't be a surprise to anyone.

I encourage you to browse through this blog's posts from the beginning. are things still messed up at town hall? you bet they are!

Tell your friends and neighbors about "strasburg underground". the only way that things in strasburg will get unmessed up is if the citizens of this town demand from the mayor and town council that town hall gets unmessed up. 

I'm not running for office. I'm retired. I'm in the fourth quarter of my life. before I retired I spent many hours in meetings that accomplished little or nothing. I have no desire to do so now. 

there's a BIG difference between politics and life. politics is a game where both sides throw rocks at each other, both sides lie and there's no accountability. life is not a game. truth matters. disease, poverty, crime, greed, incompetence, injustice, etc. are real and people get hurt. no one person or group of people has all of the answers. in life actions speak louder than words. 

this is our town. I encourage those who want to tackle fixing town hall to do so. we will all be grateful for your service.

God bless you, the USA and the citizens of the town of strasburg.

PE retired

WTH

on 11/24 we mailed the second installment for our 2021 taxes to the town. 

on 12/6 we got the check back in the mail. 

we checked with the bank and even checked our credit card account. as we suspected, both confirmed that we had not paid the second installment for our 2021 town taxes--which was now overdue. 

we called the town. they said that they'd look into it and call us back. 

it turns out that, due to a clerical error, someone else's tax payment was credited to our account. 

the people that we talked to at the town were very nice. we were told to mail our check back to the town and we wouldn't be charged the late fee. 

alas, it seems to happen a lot--nice people--but, WTH. 

questions

it's been only a few months since the contractor completed the east king street improvements project. the top of the new freestanding post, that contains the pedestrian crossing activation button(s) (located at the northeast corner of east king street and massunutten street), is busted. the top of the post hangs precariously by a figurative thread. 

1. what happened? (it appears that maybe a vehicle with an oversized load, or a vehicle towing a trailer with an oversized load, or a tractor-trailer truck failing to stay in the roadway while making the right turn, may have hit it.)
2. why was the new pedestrian crossing post located unprotected at the curb?
3. why are there three different types of pedestrian crossing button post/poles at the ends of the two contiguous crosswalks?
4. how much will the repair/replacement cost?
5. who pays? (I suspect that the answer is "we will".)
6. how many more times will this newest of the three pedestrian crossing post/poles be struck and damaged? (especially considering the fact that it's already been hit after being in place for only a few months.)
7. who pays each time a post/pole is struck? (see question number 5) 
8. is anybody home at town hall? (it seems like nobody is.)

gerrymandering

Shenandoah County to adjust district boundaries following release of census data | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com  

Reduce political polarization and extremism by establishing independent redistricting commissions.

To maintain equal representation, states are legally and constitutionally required to redraw their congressional and state legislative districts every 10 years, accounting for population changes documented by the decennial census. In most states, the boundaries are set by state legislatures, leaving the process vulnerable to manipulation by the party that holds a legislative majority—a practice commonly known as partisan gerrymandering. The artificial creation of “safe” seats for a given party, where candidates can—and are sometimes incentivized to—take extreme positions to win intraparty primary contests without fear of meaningful competition in the general elections, is a key driver of polarization and dysfunction in US politics. It can also create large gaps between a party’s share of the overall popular vote and its share of seats after elections, which leave voters feeling disenfranchised. Partisan gerrymandering is essentially an inversion of democracy, with politicians choosing their voters rather than voters choosing their representatives. Polling has shown that an overwhelming majority of Americans (more than 70 percent) support removing partisanship from the drawing of legislative boundaries. To address this problem, all 50 states should establish independent redistricting commissions, designing them carefully to ensure impartiality, inclusivity, and transparency.  

From Crisis to Reform: A Call to Strengthen America’s Battered Democracy | Freedom House 

thank you, strasburg police and code red

for protecting our town.

farewell to a voice of reason

 Strasburg councilman resigning to return to farming | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com  

Godspeed, Paul Weaver. 

and good luck wrestling with those sheep. as you said, it's gotta be better than wrestling with cows. 

errata

Town of Strasburg closes street due to sinkhole 

there's a BIG difference between a sinkhole and a water main break. 

a sinkhole is a geologic occurrence. What is a sinkhole? it occurs naturally. 

the hole caused by a water main break is not a natural occurrence. it's a failure of a man-made road caused by the failure of a man-made and installed pipe. 

city folk misuse the term "sinkhole" all of the time when referring to water main breaks, potholes, etc. 

we here in limestone country ought to get it right. don't call the hole caused by a water main break a sinkhole. 

 

"actions speak louder than words"

Strasburg house vandalized with hateful words twice in two months 

I can't remember exactly when I first heard "actions speak louder than words", but I was very young--probably preschool.

For those who have never heard this expression: What Does Actions Speak Louder than Words Mean? - Writing Explained 

the best action that can be taken now is for law enforcement/justice system (police, FBI, court, etc.) to investigate these crimes, identify and arrest the perpetrator(s), charge them and try and sentence them. 

it's good to say that strasburg is outraged by these crimes. it's better to SHOW and PROVE that strasburg is outraged by these crimes.

creative commons

public servant?

the town has posted "HALLOWEEN NEWS". It begins:

"It is almost Halloween! Before all of the Halloween questions start, we would like to clarify some things!
Halloween is October 31st. To clarify further... While the Town of Strasburg does not have an ordinance that addresses Halloween or days and times of trick or treating... (blah, blah, blah) ..."

so, let me get this straight. "... we would like to clarify some things!..." ("we" being town government) "While the Town of Strasburg does not have an ordinance that addresses halloween or days and times of trick or treating", town government is going to tell its citizens who, when and how they should celebrate, and not celebrate, halloween. 

and, "Before all of the Halloween questions start..." well, EXCUUUUUSE me! (and those citizens of the town who would have the AUDACITY to ask the town a question). it sounds like the person who wrote "HALLOWEEN NEWS" needs an attitude adjustment. a "public servant" is a person who is employed by government to serve the public--not the other way around. most of the town's citizens aren't employed by the town to serve town government. 

but then, no harm, no foul. other than a few groupies, hardly anyone pays any attention to what the town says anyway. 

gadsden flag 

public domain

remember, you heard it first on strasburg underground

The Town of Strasburg will receive a $107,000 grant and $520,000 loan to make improvements to the town's wastewater collection system. Improvements include the removal and replacement of approximately 1,640 linear feet of gravity sewer pipe and concrete manholes; slip-lining approximately 140 linear feet of pipe; cleaning approximately 260 linear feet of sewer main; and other related items as necessary. This project will ensure the town's system is compliant with the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality regulations. It is estimated that this project will benefit approximately 6,800 people.

The USDA's Water and Waste Disposal Loan and Grant program provides funding for clean and reliable drinking water systems, sanitary sewage disposal, sanitary solid waste disposal, and storm water drainage to households and businesses in eligible rural areas.

Mark R. Warner (via Public) / Warner, Kaine Announce more than $8.6 Million in Federal Funding for Water Improvement Projects in Virginia 

FYI

for those who may think that I'm one of "those hated foreigners" who came to strasburg from northern virginia and who have no "roots" in this area, you're both right and wrong. 

I was born in Georgetown hospital in DC and grew up in Arlington. I lived in northern virginia for most of my life.

the Koenigs, however, first came to frederick county 100 years ago.

Memorials in Sacred Heart Cemetery - Find A Grave 

Sacred Heart Cemetery - Google Maps 

PS  Mom and Pop Koenig had 7 children, not 4. in addition to those listed are Francis, Therese and Ysabel. When I was growing up, we (my mom and dad, my brother and my 4 sisters) went to the farm on canterburg rd. several times a year. During summers I'd spend a week there with my grandmother, cousin Bonnie and aunt Therese. 

 

tractor-trailer trucks and the troublesome intersection at massanutten st. (US route 11) and king st. (US route 55)

the intersection at massanutten st. (US route 11) and king street (US route 55) is arguably the most troublesome intersection in town. tractor-trailer trucks turning left from southbound route 11/55 to eastbound route 55 and the reverse movement are the most troublesome aspects of this troublesome intersection. occasionally a tractor-trailer truck gets stuck in the intersection and causes a traffic jam that can take a relatively long time to untangle. tractor-trailers making the right turn from east king st. on to northbound massanutten st. routinely block the through lane to make the turn.

one way to eliminate these troublesome movements is to prohibit them. southbound tractor-trailers on route 11/55 wishing to go east on route 55 would continue south and turn left on to east queen st. The intersection at massanutten and queen streets may need to be improved and additional rights-of-way may be needed. 

a new connector road between the current inactive railroad crossing on east king street and east of the milk processing plant to east queen st. could be built. tractor-trailer trucks would not be allowed (except by special permit) on east king street between connector road and massanutten street. 

westbound tractor-trailers on route 55 wishing to go north on route 11, or continue west on route 55, would turn left onto queen st. near town park and follow east queen street to massanutten st., turn right, and continue straight to route 11 northbound or route 55 westbound. 

has the town ever asked vdot to take a look at this troublesome intersection? 

my guess is that the answer to this question is "no".

an ugly incident

Strasburg Police investigating a hate crime after a house was vandalized   

thank you, WHSV, for your factual report. we don't get many of those here in strasburg. 

despite politicians and others who may wish to put a lid on ugly incidents, and if unsuccessful, attempt to put lipstick on the pig, the fact remains that it's still a pig. 

I'm puzzled by the statement from town police that "they will continue to investigate leads". does this mean that the police are relying on leads from the public to investigate trespassing and vandalism in this case? or are the police investigating these crimes independent of whether or not they get leads from the public? 

other questions:

• will law enforcement vigorously investigate this crime? or will it be "handled" with "a wink and a nod"?
• will the perpetrator(s) be identified and charged? 
• will they be tried? 
• will they be sentenced? 
• if so, will the sentence be "a slap on the wrist"?

answer: time will tell.

are racists, bigots, homophobes and white supremacists good people? trump would have you believe that they are by the remarks that he made concerning the unite the right rally in charlottesville on august 12, 2017 during which Heather Heyer was killed. trump said that there were "fine people on both sides". the facts are that there were racists, white supremacists, a murderer and other violent people on one side. these aren't "fine people". 

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Charlottesville_%22Unite_the_Right%22_Rally_(35780274914).jpg

Anthony Crider, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

The same is true of january 6 when violent criminals stormed the US capitol destroying property, threatening lawmakers and assaulting, injuring and murdering police. these violent criminals are not good people.

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tear_Gas_outside_United_States_Capitol_20210106.jpg
Tyler Merbler from USA, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

the facts are that as long as racism, bigotry, homophobia, white supremacy, violence and murder are not roundly condemned publicly, then people in the USA and around the world will think that the USA tolerates racism, bigotry, homophobia, white supremacy, violence and murder. 

citizens have the responsibility to speak the truth publicly.

e. king st.--under reconstruction for 2 years, done for a month and sections of curb and gutter removed and replaced

today I noticed that several sections of new curb and gutter had been removed from the recently completed e. king street reconstruction project. I got a close look at a section on the north side of e. king street at the right turn lane to massanutten st. the exposed edge of the sidewalk appeared to be about two inches thick. there was nothing below the bottom of the sidewalk to support it. 

the next day the removed sections of curb and gutter had been replaced. 

can you believe it?!? 

what happened? 

answer: we'll probably never know.

why not?

answer: because the town has a history of not communicating with its citizens.

what was done to fill the void below the bottom of the thin sidewalk?

answer: unless someone witnessed the replacement, then we'll never know that either.

shoddy construction.

red herring

Strasburg Town Council faces deadlines on Borden Mowery Drive project | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com  

the town created the business park with only a single access point to a public road (john marshall highway/rte. 55). two access points are required. failure to obtain the necessary agreements from adjacent property owners to provide the second access point to and from the business park has delayed the project for years.

now the town is looking for a loan. 

questions: pray tell, where will the funds to provide the second access point and to pay the loan back come from? from the town's citizens? 

answer: GOOD GUESS!!!

the 6 Ps:

Prior Planning Prevents Piss Poor Performance 

Strasburg to borrow $3.55 million for Borden Mowery extension | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com 

on a different note: "Also on Tuesday, the council passed a resolution recognizing a recent state law that moved municipal elections from May to November. This means that three council terms previously set to expire in June 2022 will run through December 2022. Vice Mayor Ken Cherrix asked if the council could stop this change, and Town Attorney Nathan Miller replied that not complying with the date change would be illegal. 

Council members have said moving the elections to November will make the races more political." 

more political??? WHAT A HOOT!!! what can be more political than electing a bunch of politicians?!? 

Thank you, NVD, for your excellent reporting. 

 

bravo!

it's good to know that town and county officials have pledged to collaboratively attempt to attract businesses to the north shenandoah business park. the net negative trend of businesses leaving strasburg must be reversed. 

strasburg citizens can benefit from quality commercial and residential development. the tax base will increase allowing improvements to be made to the town's infrastructure. these improvements are necessary if strasburg is to become a dynamic, competitive and thriving 21st century community. 

talk is cheap. lets hold our town and county officials accountable for their pledge to attract businesses. let's demand positive results.

huh?

did anyone else read the attachment to this month's water bill? about the revised trash pickup schedule for labor day week? does it make any sense to you? 

what about trash pickup for those whose regularly scheduled trash pickup is on Wednesday? did anyone at the town check this announcement before it was sent out? how can one screw up a one day shift?

 

street lights in east king street

I've never seen anything like it--street lights in east king street! 

I've seen utility poles in the sidewalk before. unfortunately there are many of these in strasburg--including east king street. but, I've never before seen street light poles located in the street. amazing!

why didn't they narrow east king street down to 22 ft. wide (or less) and put the street lights and utility poles behind the curbs as is customary? I know that east king street is narrow, but the speed limit is 25 mph and 10 or 11 ft. lanes may have even helped to calm traffic. because the traffic signal at the intersection with massanutten street is a separate phase for each movement, the separate right turn lane from east king to north massanutten could have been eliminated. 

so, what's the mission of the town? to accommodate large tractor-trailer trucks through old town? or to preserve a historic district that is attractive to strasburg residents, strasburg businesses and tourists? 

the sprawling intersection at king and massanutten doesn't handle tractor-trailer trucks well now. one solution would be to return the intersection to a conventional old town configuration--one lane in each direction for each of its four legs with NO separate turn lanes--with sidewalks, and street lights and utility poles located behind the sidewalks, as is customary. 

it's a matter of choice. what does the town prefer? a sprawling intersection that doesn't work well now? or an intersection that's more consistent with the character of a historic district? there are multiple solutions--one may be that the companies that service factories and businesses in strasburg with tractor-trailer trucks may need to use smaller trucks. 

in any event, 10 or 11 ft. wide lanes without obstructions is better than putting street light poles in the street.

condolences

Strasburg Town Council member concerned for family member’s safety in Afghanistan 

our condolences to councilman John Massoud and his family. the events in afghanistan that are playing out on our tv screens are tragic. we pray that your cousin and other americans trapped in afghanistan will be allowed to leave the country safely. 

 

bad idea

 bad ideas: 

• not wearing a mask before the vaccines were developed
• not getting the vaccine--including medical workers, teachers, state governors, etc. 
• denying that the climate is changing NASA: Climate Change and Global Warming
• yard crawl

common sense is supposed to tell us when an idea is bad. 

common sense isn't so common anymore.

the first time that I saw it, I knew that yard crawl is a bad idea. common sense told me so. Route 11 Yard Crawl makes its return this weekend 

Rt 11 Yard Crawl (notice that VDOT is conspicuously absent in the sponsors list.)

route 11 is a US route. roads with this designation are primary roads--backbones in a state's roadway network. 

in many locations route 11 is one lane in each direction with no shoulders. the speed limit is 55 mph. during yard crawl people set up tables within a couple of feet of the pavement. I witnessed people walk onto the pavement without looking. I've even seen people stand on the pavement chatting without any regard to the fact that they're standing in a primary road with a 55 mph speed limit that barely holds one vehicle in each direction.

yard crawl is an accident-waiting-to-happen. 

was there "arm-twisting" involved in obtaining approval for this accident-waiting-to-happen? 

in the sad event that a fatal accident does occur (I sincerely hope that it doesn't), then I hope that the names of the arm-twisters and those who approved yard crawl are made public. 

yard crawl is a really bad idea.

VDH EXPANDS HARMFUL ALGAE BLOOM ADVISORY FOR NORTH FORK OF THE SHENANDOAH RIVER FROM DEER RAPIDS TO RIVERTON – PUBLIC ADVISED TO AVOID WATER CONTACT WITHIN LOCATIONS OF THE RIVER IN SHENANDOAH AND WARREN COUNTIES

August 10, 2021

VDH Expands Harmful Algae Bloom Advisory for North Fork of the Shenandoah River from Deer Rapids to Riverton – Public Advised to Avoid Water Contact within Locations of the River in Shenandoah and Warren Counties  – Newsroom 

Algal Bloom Surveillance Map – Waterborne Hazards Control (zoom in, +) 

the affected length of the north fork of the shenandoah river includes willow grove, woodstock, mauertown and strasburg in shenandoah county to the riverton boat ramp near the confluence with the south fork of the shenandoah river in warren county. The total affected length is approximately 52.5 miles long. 

CRISIS IN THE SHENANDOAH – HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS PUT RIVER AT RISK

August 9, 2021

Potomac Riverkeeper Network and Shenandoah Riverkeeper called on the Department of Environmental Quality and Virginia Department of Health to expand water testing in the Shenandoah River and to develop enforceable standards for deadly cyanotoxins found in blue-green algae in the river, in response to the state’s issuance of its first ever public health advisory for the Shenandoah. Harmful algal blooms containing dangerous cyanobacteria led the state to warn people not to come in contact with a ten mile stretch of the river.

The health advisory, warning river users to avoid contact, and the data collected by state scientists supporting it, clearly show that the Shenandoah River’s health is at great risk, and now the public’s is as well. In fact, toxic cyanobacteria has been discovered; the danger of it cannot be overestimated. State regulators and lawmakers need the political will to take strong action before it’s too late and the river is permanently degraded. "We cannot allow that to happen, for the sake of this beautiful river and the valley communities it runs through," said Mark Frondorf, Shenandoah Riverkeeper.

... Potomac Riverkeeper Network also calls on lawmakers in Richmond to increase funding to DEQ and other agencies, to enact enforceable standards for toxic algae, hire staff to monitor water quality, assist farmers to adopt better practices and take action against polluters. Other stakeholder communities relying upon a clean, healthy river – such as outfitters, restaurants, campgrounds and lodging – should enjoy the same level of support for their business interests as farmers.

CRISIS IN THE SHENANDOAH – HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS PUT RIVER AT RISK - Potomac Riverkeeper Network 

the "...ten mile stretch of the river..." referred to includes where the town's water intake for our drinking water is located. needless to say, residents of the town of strasburg are "stakeholders". 

stakeholders, what do you know of the mayor's and town council's  efforts to protect our drinking water? nada? (that's me. as usual, I've heard nothing from the town on the town's efforts to protect our drinking water.)

stakeholders, are you OK with this? are you OK with being "left in the dark" about what your elected town representatives are doing about this and other important issues that affect you? I'm not. 

food lyin'

five times a week food lyin' takes deliveries at its strasburg store. it must be near the end of the line for the nc chain. no one seems to know what's going to be in the delivery truck--not even the store manager. just because they had strawberries, creamer, paper towels, gatorade, etc. last week doesn't mean that they'll have them this week. "why?" you ask. "because they weren't on the truck" is the standard answer. 

"quality" is a myth at food lyin'--scrawny, over-ripe or under-ripe produce, poor selection, fluctuating prices, etc. 

on the bright side, there's always a WIDE selection of beer and pork rinds at food lyin'. YIPPEE!!! 

don't get me wrong--the people who work at food lyin' are friendly and nice. it's just that they, along with other strasburgians, deserve better.

(BTW, food lyin's piped-in music REALLY sucks!) 

explosion and ammonia leak at the milk plant

we were awakened at 3:30 AM this morning by an explosion and a loss of electricity for approximately 15 seconds (long enough to require resetting our clocks and rebooting our TV). About 3 or 4 minutes later the volunteer fire department siren sounded. we live approximately one half mile from the milk plant.

No injuries reported at Strasburg milk plant

the blast blew a large hole in the building and scattered debris on Acton Place. the photo was taken on Acton Place between east queen st. and east king st. looking north towards east king st. (US route 55). 

an aerial view of the site before the explosion: Blue Ridge Hospice Strasburg Thrift Shop - Google Maps (zoom out for a wider view.)

street view from east king st. before the explosion looking south at Acton Place:  400 E King St - Google Maps

the news report doesn't explain the brief interruption in electrical service.

a longtime strasburg resident told me that there was a similar explosion at the milk plant in 1976 where a worker was killed.

Anhydrous Ammonia Refrigeration Manual 

one has to wonder if the explosion had occurred during the day. Acton Place is a public street. 

... and, the wisdom of having a large, hazardous industrial site located adjacent to a US highway in an area populated with residences, businesses, tourist attractions, etc. 

Melissa Schleig revisited

On 1/29/2020 the Northern Virginia Daily ran an article entitled “Town park accessibility a challenge for officials”. The article describes comments that Melissa Schleig, a resident of Madison Heights, made at a meeting of the town’s Recreation, Parks and Trails Committee. Ms. Schleig stated that her children don’t have a safe way to walk or bike from their home in Madison Heights to Town Park. 

Pedestrians and bicyclists from Madison Heights and the other nearby neighborhoods must cross East King Street (US Route 55) to get to Town Park. East King Street at this location is wide. Speeding cars and trucks make it particularly hazardous to cross for both children and adults, especially those who are elderly and handicapped. 

so what's been done in the year and a half since Ms. Schleig made her comments to the town's recreation, parks and trails committee?

answer: nothing to my knowledge. it appears that the committee blew her off.

so, let's pretend that you're a parent in madison heights and your child wants to go to the pool. you work--you can't drive your child to the pool. what are you going to tell your child?

are you going to let your child walk or ride a bicycle on route 55?

answer: no way! no parent in their right mind would allow their child to walk or ride a bike on rte. 55 from madison heights to town park (and vice versa). there are no sidewalks or shoulders in some places. where there are shoulders, they're narrow. the roadway is narrow. large trucks in both directions. speeders frequently exceed the 35 mph speed limit. there are no crosswalks except for the one all the way back at the route 55/route 11 intersection. 

what other alternatives are there for your child to walk or ride their bike to the pool?

answer: the good news is (or may be) that there may be one. if the shenandoah valley rail-to-trail initiative for a 48.5 miles trail becomes a reality, then a rte. 55 crossing at the old NS railroad tracks at the museum (near funk st.) will provide a relatively safe way for children, elderly and handicapped to cross rte. 55. the bad news is that it may take years--if it happens at all--for the trail through strasburg to be built. other than this, currently there is no safe way for pedestrians, bicyclists, children, elderly and handicapped persons to get from the madison heights side of rte. 55 to town park (and vice versa).

what good is town government that doesn't address the concerns of its citizens in a timely manner?

answer: at the very least, the town could have asked vdot to look into this matter. at the very least, the speed limit on east king street could have been lowered from 35 mph to 25 mph and crosswalks (with advance warning signs that pedestrians and cyclists have the right of way) could have been provided.

people who live and work in strasburg aren't here to serve the town. it should be the other way around. one and a half years ago Melissa Schleig voiced her very valid concerns at a meeting of the town's recreation, parks and trails committee. the town has done nothing. the town should be ashamed.

what you don't know CAN hurt you

 

blame the town if you don't know about this: 

Harmful algae bloom advisory issued for North Fork of the Shenandoah River  

more: Harmful algae bloom advisory for Shenandoah River branch | News/Talk 960-AM & FM-107.3 WFIR

progressive town governments, e.g. tiny stephens city, have two-way messaging to notify their citizens of important information in a timely manner. 

not the town of strasburg. 

shame on them!

where's the beef?

Councilman John Massoud's story in the northern virginia daily is an interesting one. it's a story of past failures, scandals, party politics and partisanship. it's also a feel good story about the new mayor, putting aside partisanship, working together and passing a juneteenth proclamation. 

all that's needed now are substantive changes that address strasburg's longstanding problems--e.g., communicating important information with its citizens in a timely manner, improving the business environment, improving the living environment for residents, encouraging citizen participation in town government and then acting on it, etc. 

citizens of strasburg: how did you hear about this IMPORTANT information?

Lord Fairfax Health District issues safety advisory for North Fork Shenandoah River Testing

you haven't heard? (I just happened on it.) 

wouldn't you think that the town would notify its citizens of this IMPORTANT information? 

not the town of strasburg. even though towns smaller than strasburg (e.g. stephens city) have messaging systems to inform their citizens, the town of strasburg relies on the "grapevine"--if and when you find out, then spread the word to your neighbors. 

unacceptable.

welcome J. Waverly Coggsdale

New town manager in Strasburg to take office in August  

WELCOME J. Waverly Coggsdale! we look forward to BIG things from you! 

Stephens City, with its two-way messaging system for its residents, and New Market with its podcasts--towns with populations around 2K--are smaller than Altavista and WAY smaller than the town of strasburg. maybe you can bring the town of strasburg into the 21st century. 

GOOD LUCK! 

3 things that I like about strasburg

1. fourth of july fireworks show 
2. fourth of july fireworks show 
3. fourth of july fireworks show 

we also like the beautiful views of the mountains and valley from our stony pointe neighborhood and quiet (most of the time--except for occasional noise--e.g. LOUD motorcycles on rte. 55 with LOUD music blaring, loud trucks, loud cars, lawn maintenance (especially loud riding mowers, trimmers and blowers), construction noise, factory noise, gunshots, etc.). 

yes, the fourth of july fireworks show is loud--and BEAUTIFUL! we'll take loud with BEAUTIFUL any time! 

EXCELLENT SHOW!!!

unimpressed with W/M

today marks the second time that W/M failed to empty our trash can completely. We follow all of the rules:

1. all trash bagged.
2. all bags tied shut.
3. all bags in the trash can.
4. lid closed with plenty of room to spare.
5. back wheels of the trash can firmly against the curb.
6. no cars or obstructions near the trash can. 

W/M failed to empty the trash can again. the old trash service never missed taking all of the trash.

we're so unimpressed with W/M.

note to town: I'm sure that we're not the only ones in town who expect all of our trash to be collected each week. after all, that's the service that we're paying you to provide. 

is our drinking water safe?

why would I ask this question? 

1. stomach viruses. Drinking Water Safety – Drinking Water
2. the town's recent advertisement for a water plant operator. Licensure Information – Drinking Water
3. the town's history of a lack of forthright communication with its residents.
4. town misinformation, e.g. when the town posted on its facebook page that the town's trash was being converted into energy. there isn't a resource recovery plant within 90 miles of strasburg. https://www.theidioms.com/pull-the-wool-over-eyes/
5. does the town's drinking water meet all testing requirements?  Drinking Water – To promote and protect the health of all Virginians 
6. are drinking water test results verified by an independent third party?

pitiful

Town of New Market broadens its outreach efforts with podcast series (NVD) 

what about the Town of Strasburg's outreach efforts? 

answer: nada 

population (2019):

Town of New Market = 2,180

Town of Strasburg = 6,609

pitiful.

town of strasburg: you snooze, you lose.

50-Mile Northern Shenandoah Rail Trail in the Works | Chesapeake Bay Magazine 

town government

no problem with communication when the town is looking for your $$$--taxes, water and sewer fees, trash fee, etc.

but, when it comes to keeping their citizens informed:

Paul Revere did a better job letting citizens know when the British were coming. 

even tiny little Stephen's City has an online messaging system for its citizens.

what the heck! put your trash out on the designated trash day--they'll pick it up eventually. pretty soon people will be leaving their trash cans at the curb permanently. blame it on the pathetic town government.

what's next?

Strasburg man arrested for firing gun outside a bar | Winchester Star | nvdaily.com 

crabby maggie's seafood restaurant

a REAL family restaurant. Jenny and I can't thank Maggie, her husband, her daughter and her son enough for helping us through this pandemic. for the past year plus we've looked forward to our weekly dinner from Maggie's at our kitchen table. 

on May 5 Maggie's reopens their inside dining. congratulations, Maggie's, on your reopening! congratulations to you for helping us and many others through the pandemic with your excellent takeout food! you are a credit to Strasburg and to wonderful people everywhere.

Jenny and I look forward to many more delicious dinners at Maggie's--both at your place and ours. Thank you so very much. 

relic

 a relic is defined as an object surviving from an earlier time.

that's strasburg. 

the world has left strasburg behind. in the rest of the world: 

• people open water and sewer accounts online--they don't have to physically go to town hall to open a water and sewer account.
• there's real-time communication between local government and its citizens. they get timely messages from their local government on their smartphones--like when trash won't be collected on the regularly scheduled day.
• streets, sidewalks and other infrastructure are maintained in good working order.
• parks are maintained and are safe. laws requiring dogs to be leashed and owners to clean up after their dogs are enforced.
• in the civilized world firing a shotgun from a boat in the river next to town park would never be allowed.
• forget about gun control, light control (Lighting | International Dark-Sky Association), noise control and enforcement, etc. "we didn't have gun control, light control, noise control, etc. 100 years ago. we don't need it today."
• progressive local governments engage their citizens. they promote transparency. they recognize that their citizens have other concerns than local government. they make it easy for them to participate with timely, open communications between local government and its citizens. when a citizen asks a question or makes a comment, local government follows through. good citizens understand that not all of their suggestions will be implemented, but they expect thoughtful and truthful answers from local government to their questions and comments.
• progressive local governments thrive in a competitive environment. they attract quality businesses as well as quality residential development.  

if you like living or operating a business in a relic, then you'll love strasburg.

if tiny stephen's city has a messaging system for their citizens, then why doesn't MUCH larger strasburg?

Stephens City launches two text messaging systems for residents | Winchester Star | winchesterstar.com 

congratulations, Stephen's City town officials!

here in the town of strasburg when the trash isn't going to be picked up on the regularly scheduled day, our citizens are told to figure it out on their own--as if we're mindreaders. then we're directed to call town hall or look on the town's pathetic website, if we think that the trash might not be picked up.

it must be nice to have town officials who care enough about their citizens to provide a two-way messaging system for them.

***************************** UPDATE ***************************

it's now been one month since we learned that Stephen's City has two text messaging systems for residents. what's happening in strasburg?

1. water and trash assessments are going up. 
2. king st. between massanutten st. and the railroad tracks continues to be torn up and is barely passable. 
3. grills in strasburg park will be banned. but, firing a shotgun from a boat in the river next to the park is permitted. 
4. presumably the security, unleashed dogs and dog waste problems on riverwalk trail haven't been addressed.
5. presumably Melissa Schleig's concern about access to town park that she expressed at a meeting of the town's parks, recreation and trails committee over a year ago hasn't been addressed--buried deep within the town's culture of producing buffalo chips and of not responding to its citizens' concerns.   Strasburg VA underground: town park accessibility  and   Strasburg VA underground: facts of life
6. the town manager has resigned.
7. the town still doesn't have an acceptable way of communicating with its residents (e.g. notifying them in advance when trash won't be picked up as scheduled).

maybe stephen's city's town manager would be interested in the strasburg job. one can only hope. 

what we've got here is failure to communicate

snow plows have cleared the streets.

neighbors have cleared their driveways and gone to work.

sidewalks are clear.

police are on the job.

firefighters are on the job.

USPS is delivering the mail. 

trash is out.

where is trash giant W/M?

nowhere to be found.

and, as usual, no notification from the town.

what we've got here is failure to communicate-- AGAIN!

some things NEVER change. 

so, what's wrong with this picture?

the town says: "when bad weather strikes, please check the town's website, facebook or call the town office to see if there is a change in collection days." like we work for the town. in most of the rest of the world when schools close because of snow, parents get an email or a message on their smart phone that schools are closed. the problem with the town is that they're operating in the last century. Paul Revere did a better job letting folks know that the british were coming than the town does letting it's citizens know that the trash won't be picked up as scheduled. can you imagine Paul Revere saying "if you think that the british might be coming, then contact us and we'll let you know."

so, town, let's get this straight: 

1. why would we think that the trash won't be picked up? (read again from the top.)
2. most of us have better things to do than to "check the town's website, facebook or call the town office" to find out if W/M is going to pick up the trash on the regularly scheduled day. can you imagine a business where employees are told by the owner to "check with our website, facebook or call the office" to find out if you need to come to work today?
3. town, we pay taxes to YOU to have the trash picked up.
4. that makes us the customers and YOU  the vendor.
5. YOU outsource the job to W/M.
6. it's up to the town or the town's contractor to notify the town's customers when the trash won't be picked up as scheduled.
7. figure it out.