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