congratulations Olivia Hilton!

Strasburg Museum to expand through partnership with town

Congratulations, Olivia! 

how about another grocery store? 

"We came to Mayfest here in Strasburg and we hear a lot of good input. The main thing that we heard from them was that they need another grocery store in town." 

Shenandoah County holds Strasburg tour as part of its Shenandoah 2045 project

and what about solid waste recycling? shenandoah county's trash recycling plan--if you choose to call it that--severely limits items that can be recycled and requires citizens to chauffeur their recycled trash in their POVs to remote "convenience sites" (see map-- Locations for Waste and Recycling Drop Off - Landfill & Recycling ).

does the county have a benefit/cost analysis (to its citizens and to the environment) for its so-called trash recycling plan? surely the town, working with the county, can do better.

Keep up the good work, Olivia!

failure to communicate

*** FLASH!!! *** 

January 19, 2024

The town STILL hasn't figured out how to notify EVERY citizen in the town (INCLUDING those who don't have a computer or smartphone, those who don't have Facebook, etc.) that trash won't be picked up as scheduled. 

C'MON, TOWN!!!

then we get this vague message:

"There will be NO trash pick-up on Friday, January 19. WasteManagement plans to be in town tomorrow, Saturday, January 20, to collect Thursday's trash. They will be dispatching a second truck later in the day on Saturday for Friday's collection but are not sure they will be able to get all pick-ups due to time limitations with landfill hours and DOT regulations. If your trash is not collected, it will be collected next week. We are sorry for the inconvenience but Mother Nature is at work again."

Where does that leave folks whose trash is regularly scheduled to be picked up on Friday? "...next week..."?!? on Friday??? with TWO weeks' worth of trash??? NOT stinking up our house. our trash can is at the curb--and that's where it will stay until the town and WM get their act together.

At least it's good to know that someone is working (Mother Nature).

**************************************************************

how do you get important public information where you live? email? message on your phone? how many places do you know of where the ONLY source of important public information is facebook?

Here's an example of how the town of strasburg doesn't communicate important public information with it's citizens:

"Town of Strasburg

December 14 at 3:01 PM

Due to the weather forecast for tomorrow, there will be NO TRASH SERVICE on Thursday, Dec. 15. Thursday's trash will be picked up on Friday, Dec. 16 and Friday's trash will be picked up on Saturday, Dec. 17. Please, place trash out the night before for early pick-up. Please, let your friends and neighbors know about this change."

Town of Strasburg | Strasburg VA | Facebook 

so, if you live in strasburg and want important public information, then you have to:

1. be clairvoyant and KNOW that there's important public information to be had.
2. log into the town's pitiful facebook page.
3. search for the important public information.
4. HOPE that you find it.
5. HOPE that you find the important public information in time BEFORE it's too late.

• never mind that most people aren't clairvoyant.
• never mind that some citizens aren't on facebook.
• never mind that some citizens don't have 24/7 access to a smartphone or a PC.
• never mind that those people who have facebook typically work for a living and have more important things to do than to hang around the town's pitiful facebook page waiting for important public information.
• never mind that it's not the job of citizens to inform other citizens of important public information ("Please, let your friends and neighbors know about this change.")

has it ever occurred to the people at town hall to conduct a survey of its citizens to find out how ineffective their facebook ONLY non-communication with citizens is?

answer: of course NOT 

so, if you want to live in a town with an unimaginative government that fails to provide important public information to its citizens in a timely manner, then strasburg is the town for you. 

cart before the horse?

**************

UPDATE!!!

**************

https://www.nvdaily.com/nvdaily/strasburg-still-plans-to-branch-out-into-former-bank-building/article_225b62c1-d2cb-55c8-b320-a19f606c2102.html 

"... hiccups ..."

what would town government be without "hiccups"?

one can only imagine.

*****************************************************

Strasburg Police Department hopeful for new headquarters building 

"there was an old woman who lived in a shoe. 

she had so many children, she didn't know what to do."

Cart before the horse - Wikipedia ???

public domain

attribution: wikimedia commons

so, what else would you expect from a town flush with $$$ from this year's gigantic increase in taxes? 

Strasburg VA underground: "figures don't lie, but liars figure."

(not that I'm unsympathetic with the deplorable condition of the (bloated?) police department's current town hall basement space.) 

https://pin.it/PFFR6og 

how safe is strasburg's drinking water?

it's a well known fact that one of the signs of contaminated drinking water is intestinal disorders.

"Drinking Water Quality

Surface waters and aquifers can be contaminated by various chemicals, microbes, and radionuclides. Disinfection of drinking water has dramatically reduced the prevalence of waterborne diseases (such as typhoid, cholera, and hepatitis) in the United States. Other processes may also be used to treat drinking water depending on the characteristics of and contaminants in the source water.

Common sources of drinking water contaminants include: 

• Industry and agriculture. Organic solvents, petroleum products, and heavy metals from disposal sites or storage facilities can migrate into aquifers. Pesticides and fertilizers can be carried into lakes and streams by rainfall runoff or snowmelt, or can percolate into aquifers.
• Human and animal waste. Human wastes from sewage and septic systems can carry harmful microbes into drinking water sources, as can wastes from animal feedlots and wildlife. Major contaminants include Giardia, Cryptosporidium, and E. coli.
• Treatment and distribution. While treatment can remove many contaminants, it can also leave behind byproducts (such as trihalomethanes) that may themselves be harmful. Water can also become contaminated after it enters the distribution system, from a breach in the piping system or from corrosion of plumbing materials made from lead or copper.
• Natural sources. Some ground water is unsuitable for drinking because the local underground conditions include high levels of certain contaminants. For example, as ground water travels through rock and soil, it can pick up naturally occurring arsenic, other heavy metals, or radionuclides.

Effects on Human Health

If drinking water contains unsafe levels of contaminants, it can cause health effects, such as gastrointestinal illnesses, nervous system or reproductive effects, and chronic diseases such as cancer. Factors that can influence whether a contaminant will lead to health effects include the type of contaminant, its concentration in the water, individual susceptibility, the amount of water consumed, and the duration of exposure.

• Health effects of chemical exposure. Chemical exposure through drinking water can lead to a variety of short- and long-term health effects. Exposure to high doses of chemicals can lead to skin discoloration or more severe problems such as nervous system or organ damage and developmental or reproductive effects. Exposure to lower doses over long periods of time can lead to chronic, longer-term conditions such as cancer. The effects of some drinking water contaminants are not yet well understood.
• Health effects of consuming water with disease-causing microbes. Most life-threatening waterborne diseases caused by microbes (such as typhoid fever or cholera) are rare in the United States today. The more common illnesses caused by viruses, bacteria, and parasites can result in stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, fever, and kidney failure. Infectious diseases such as hepatitis can also occur. Hepatitis may be severe in people with weakened immune systems (e.g., infants and the elderly) and sometimes fatal in people with severely compromised immune systems (e.g., cancer and AIDS patients)." 

source: Drinking Water | US EPA

it's a well known fact that the Virginia Department of Health has alerted the public multiple times over the past several years for harmful algae blooms in strasburg. 

source: Harmful Algae Bloom Advisory Issued for North Fork of the Shenandoah River – in Shenandoah County - Public Advised to Avoid Water Contact within Locations of the River - Virginia Department of Health

North Fork Shenandoah River at Strasburg Park public boat landing in Shenandoah County VA. E. coli levels on Wednesday June 22 versus Thursday June 23, 2022.

source:  FSSP NF Shenandoah River E. coli levels on Wednesday June 22 versus Thursday Jun 23 - FOSR - FOSR  816.4 CFUs per 100 ml !!!--one would expect E. coli levels like this in an open sewer!!!

how safe is our drinking water? It's also a well known fact that the town of strasburg has been searching for water treatment plant operators for a year or more. 

If strasburg residents were experiencing widespread intestinal disorders recently (we have) then how would you know? It's a well known fact that the town of strasburg's communication with its citizens is poor. 

perhaps the newly elected members of the town council can look into this as part of their obligation to look out for the health, safety and welfare of strasburg's citizens--including communicating their findings to strasburg's citizens. 

Shenandoah County Building Inspections Department

Yesterday I was in Mauertown. I don't want to use the name of the business for reasons that will become apparent. The business is located on route 11 3.4 miles (5 minutes) from the Shenandoah County Building Inspections Department in Woodstock.

what I saw shocked me. This business has a large canopy in front (it looked to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 200 square feet) that has obviously failed. the failure is easily visible from route 11. the center has sagged several inches below the corners. it's propped up by a tall, unbraced metal pipe that appears to be about two inches in diameter. 

according to its website:

"The mission of the Building Department is to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public by assuring that all buildings, structures and related equipment are constructed, installed and maintained in compliance with the standards contained within the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code."

Building Inspections Department - Building Inspection  

you've got to be kidding! it doesn't take a structural engineer to see that the Shenandoah County Building Inspections Department isn't "... protect(ing) the health, safety and welfare of the public by assuring that all buildings, structures and related equipment are constructed, installed and maintained in compliance with the standards contained within the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code." 

how many times over the years have personnel from the Shenandoah County Building Inspections Department driven by this large failed canopy--that is easily visible from route 11--and failed to investigate and followup? what good is a county building inspection department that ignores such obvious failures that threaten "the health, safety and welfare of the public"?

what about OSHA? I found the employees of this business to be competent, hardworking and friendly. what about them? They're clearly working in an unsafe situation. 

Shenandoah County Building Inspections Department and OSHA, do your jobs!!!

Where is the commonwealth of virginia? where is the federal government? where is the oversight? 

needless to say, this is not the only example of unsafe buildings in Shenandoah County. state and federal agencies charged with oversight of county building inspection departments should investigate inadequate building inspection in Shenandoah County and elsewhere in virginia. Public hearings should be held. The public has a right to know why unsafe buildings are not being investigated. 

Creative Commons — Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic — CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

power outages

for the second time in a week, all of the clocks in the house, including appliances, radio/cd players, etc., had to be rebooted because of a power interruption.

could this be because of comcast--the SURPRISE that nobody knew about until utility markings showed up on our property? Strasburg VA underground: SURPRISE! 

par for the course for the town of strasburg!!!

Oranda residents speak out against proposed property rezoning

Oranda residents speak out against proposed property rezoning 

"According to the developer’s engineer, there have been discussions with the town of Strasburg about extending its water connection to the property. The town gets its water from the North Fork of The Shenandoah River.

'What we’re throwing caution to is whether to over commit ourselves to water usage that we just don’t have the supplies for directly out of the river at this time,' said Brotman. 'If this new development draws too heavily on this common resource it will not only compromise that business but everything else we’ve built upon it including the town park, the town itself.

Brotman said he is concerned that the town is already overdrawing from the North Fork and with two new residential developments currently being developed in Strasburg connecting an industrial-zoned property could be a big problem.

'We have had several years of water restrictions come because of the flows of the North Fork being so low at times, particularly in the summer. We need to first see what are the potential impacts of these new developments before we commit ourselves to another withdrawal,' he said.

Brotman said adding a water connection to the property could put a great strain on the river and its fish population.

'Although Strasburg has the physical and legal capacities to draw more water from the river, we do not have a good current accounting of what the river can handle without straining either the overall public water capacities, the ecological systems of the river, or both,' he said.

'Congestion, traffic, the place is full of sinkholes and what it might do to our well water and environment, I just hope that politics and greed don’t get in the way of making the right decision,' said Gregory Holsinger, who lives in Oranda."

and just a week earlier: 

Strasburg Council discusses policy regarding extension of town utilities | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com 

"Councilwoman Christie Monahan expressed support for a policy, saying 'that way we are also not showing favoritism.'

'I’m certainly open to the possibility of extending utilities outside of town,' councilwoman Emily Reynolds said. 'I imagine this policy as a tool for staff mainly, but also for council to better understand what scenario is worth saying yes to.'

Whether or not an extension is granted by the town, Vice Mayor Ken Cherrix argued, developments will get utilities if they are determined to do so. He added that granting extensions is a way to economically benefit the town. 'It’s just an option to make a little bit of revenue off of it,' he said."

and, four days ago:

Planners recommend approval of Oranda property rezoning | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com

will the decision to extend water service to the Oranda property be based on facts, technically uninformed opinions, "politics and greed" or common sense? 

why would anyone in their right mind approve taking more water out of the river when "the town is already overdrawing from the North Fork" and has had "several years of water restrictions because of the flows of the North Fork being so low at times"?

Given the town's water supply problems, why isn't the town looking into wells to supplement or replace the water that it's taking from the river? could it be that makes too much sense?

approval for extending strasburg's inadequate water system is moving forward rapidly. will the water service extension decision be another "comcast"? 

FSSP NF Shenandoah River E. coli levels on Wednesday June 22 versus Thursday Jun 23 - FOSR - FOSR

If you live, work or visit Strasburg, then you should find these photos extremely disturbing. The E. coli level on Thursday 06.23.2022, 816.4 MPN CFUs per 100 mL at the NF Shenandoah River @ Strasburg Park Public Boat Landing, is more than 16 TIMES the previous day's reading (50.4). It's 3.5 TIMES the pre-October 2019 Virginia water quality standard for primary recreational use (235). 

The intake for Strasburg's water supply and the outfall for its water treatment plant are less than a half mile upstream from where these samples were taken. 

comcast

smack dab through the middle of the front yard! thanks strasburg! thanks comcast!

14 feet from the back of the sidewalk! you've GOT to be kidding me!

Strasburg VA underground: SURPRISE! 

Strasburg VA underground: election 

I will vote for H. Brad Stover for town council

Letter to the Editor: Stover running for Council | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com 

I'm voting for H. Brad Stover. 

why?

• because we need council members who aren't driven by national political party ideology. frankly, who cares which national political party that council members affiliate themselves with? when serving on the council, members should leave their national political party affiliation behind and focus only on what's best for strasburg and its citizens. 
• H. Brad Stover says "I have been a citizen of Strasburg my entire life. I have a business in town. I have a daughter in Strasburg schools. All of this leads me to want the very best for Strasburg and its citizens. I am asking for your vote on Nov. 8."

H. Brad Stover has my vote. what about yours? 

Candidates revealed for Shenandoah County general elections | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com

no incumbents (track record), no democrats or republicans (no party politics). 

that leaves H. Brad Stover, A. D. Carter IV, and Andrew C. Lowder (three new, independent candidates) who will receive my vote.

bad news, good news

Strasburg stabbing suspect in custody 

bad news: domestic violence, assault, malicious wounding, people who feel that violence or threats of violence are the answer.

good news: code red, strasburg police department,  VSP tactical team, Berkeley County, WV law enforcement, quick action in obtaining necessary search and arrest warrants, WHSV. 

an earlier WHSV report indicated that local law enforcement was working with Shenandoah County to get the suspect extradited from Berkeley County to Shenandoah County for prosecution. 

performance evaluation

Strasburg Town Council approves 2022 Work Plan | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com 

apparently there are some on the town council and in the town that believe that performance evaluations should be performed by employees rather than the employer--in this case the citizens of the town of strasburg. 

that's not the case. 

https://www.questionpro.com/blog/performance-evaluation/ 

perhaps the town council needs to acquaint themselves with a practice that has been used for many years by many private and public organizations.

Get with it, town council!

Talk about your need for performance evaluations!

PS does anyone else besides me think that it's odd that town council approved their 2022 work plan now? 2022 is three quarters in the book! 

a cautionary tale

while water treatment plants can be large or small, water treatment principles are the same. through several processes polluted water is treated chemically and otherwise to make it safe to drink and for other uses. Water treatment - Wikipedia 

The current water treatment crisis in Jackson, Mississippi is a cautionary tale for all water treatment systems, large and small. 

EXPLAINER: Mississippi capital's water woes are extensive 

the town of strasburg has been trying unsuccessfully to hire a water treatment plant operator for some time. reports of dangerous algae blooms in the north fork of the shenandoah river have occurred several times over the past few years. 

let's hope that strasburg doesn't become a miniature Jackson, Mississippi. if it does, then will we hear about it before it's too late?

survey

Shenandoah County holds Strasburg tour as part of its Shenandoah 2045 project 

I urge everyone in strasburg to complete the county's survey. tell the county how much that you appreciate the double-digit increases in county and town real estate and personal property taxes this year. ask them who is going to pay for their grandiose plans (even though you know that we are). 

unfortunate

another unfortunate incident: Shenandoah Co. high school football game canceled over social media comments 

less than a year ago Paul Rush's home was vandalized twice: Strasburg Police investigating a hate crime after a house was vandalized The perpetrator(s) was not apprehended. for months town council was unable to draft a resolution condemning the crime. 

how will the town deal with this current ugly incident that blights the town's image? let's hope that this ugly incident is handled better than the vandalizing of Paul Rush's home twice in the past year. 

this could be strasburg: Bend, Oregon shooting: Investigators are still working to determine the motive of the shooter who killed 2 people. Here's what we know - CNN 

questions: 

• if a CNN reporter can identify ethan miller's threatening online posts, then why isn't law enforcement doing the same for those who apply for gun permits--ESPECIALLY assault weapons? 
• why doesn't the public demand that law enforcement screen violent gun applicants BEFORE they're given a permit? 
• why has common sense become so uncommon?

if this happens in strasburg, then head for the employees only area in the back of the store--and, GOOD LUCK!

image

"An image is a picture or other representation of a person or thing, or it can be someone's public perception, like a rock star who tries to change his image by dressing like a professor and learning to play chess." 

Image - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com  

what's your image of strasburg? of shenandoah valley? a place of incredible natural beauty? or a place that is struggling with its own identity?

both strasburg and shenandoah county covet new development. they have employees whose job it is to bring new development here. chambers of commerce similarly promote new development.

there's nothing wrong with promoting quality new development. tax dollars brought by new development help to pay for needed improvements to services that government provides.

how does yard crawl contribute to shenandoah county's image?

Yard Sale Ahead: The Route 11 Yard Crawl - The Movie - YouTube 

besides the obvious dangers presented by setting up booths within a few feet of a US highway, with customers wandering aimlessly on the pavement, what kind of image does this seemingly endless display of junk create? (US 11 is mostly one lane in each direction where the posted speed limit is 55 mph for most of its length.)

is this the image of our home that we want promoted?

 

Copp Road shootings

 Strasburg Man Fatally Shot By Sheriff's Deputy | Shenandoah County | dnronline.com

Copp Road (Route 757) is outside town limits. it's located near Fishers Hill between Route 11 and I-81 about a mile west from town limits.

Officer-involved shooting in Shenandoah County leaves one man dead (7/26/22)

Shenandoah County man killed in Thursday night shooting identified (6/10/22)

two fatal shootings on the same road 46 days apart. 

a coincidence? 

or is there a connection? 

we may never know.

Happy 100th Birthday lifelong Strasburg resident and decorated WWII combat veteran Donald Keller

Strasburg Community Helps Celebrate Veteran's 100th Birthday | Shenandoah County | dnronline.com 

one would think that Sgt. Keller would be worthy of recognition by the town--a statue, a parade, a proclamation, etc. 

thank you Harrisonburg's Daily News-Record for your article honoring this gentleman from our community and thank you Donald Keller for your service to our country. 

public domain

 

election

on this blog I have encouraged citizens of the town of strasburg to vote in the november election that includes electing three representatives to the town council. I have also said in the past that I'm not interested in any elected position. why? there are several reasons. here are two:

1. I'm 75 years old. statistically speaking, I'm most likely in the last quarter of my life. the future of this town belongs to those who aren't in the fourth quarter. personally, I would like to see younger people, who have something to bring to the table, take on the challenge to make the town's government functional.
2. during my career I spent much of my time in meetings listening to others who had little to bring to the table go on and on. when I retired, I promised myself that I would never attend another meeting. I have neither the time, inclination or patience to break my promise. 

I was unable to find job descriptions for mayor and town council representative on the town's website, so I'll share my own vision. 

mayor:

1. represents the town.
2. is the town's chief cheerleader.
3. looks out for the town's citizens by assuring that each citizen is informed of proposed actions by the town that will impact them.
4. encourages citizens to participate by providing their input BEFORE an action is taken.
5. insures that each citizen who provides input receives a response from the town.

town council representative:

1. as the name suggests, town council representatives represent citizens of the town.
2. looks out for the citizens that they represent by assuring that each citizen is informed of proposed actions by the town that will impact them.
3. encourages citizens to participate by providing their input BEFORE an action is taken.
4. insures that every citizen who provides input receives a response.

as you can see, there's considerable overlap in the job descriptions. 

as far as the issues are concerned, one only has to look through this blog to see the many problems that need to be fixed. look at the facts--believe your eyes. a vote for an incumbent is a vote for the status quo. rebuilding town government to what it should be is long overdue.

it's not the town that makes the people, it's the people who make the town. I implore every citizen to vote in the november election. I further implore that those who have something to bring to the table to consider running for town council or mayor in the future.

Candidates revealed for Shenandoah County general elections | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com

no incumbents (track record), no democrats or republicans (no party politics).

that leaves H. Brad Stover, A. D. Carter IV, and Andrew C. Lowder (three new, independent candidates) who will receive my vote.

success story

Bakery Owners Take Over Crabby Maggie's Seafood Restaurant | Shenandoah County | dnronline.com 

Congratulations, Jim and Gina!

Congratulations, Maggie and Steve!

Congratulations, Daily News-Record!

We discovered Crabby Maggie's before the pandemic--EXCELLENT seafood! During the pandemic Crabby Maggie's was our oasis. Maggie manned the window and Steve prepared the seafood. We looked forward to our lobster bisque, crab cakes, fries, greens and lime tarts every Friday night. Congratulations on your retirement, Steve and Maggie! We'll miss you. Good luck in your well-deserved retirement!

Congratulations, Jim and Gina! We're with you. We're so glad that you're carrying Crabby Maggie's excellent tradition forward. You're off to a great start.

Congratulations, Daily News-Record, on your article. We don't get much news from the town--good or bad. You'd think that the town would trumpet this good news story. Instead, the town sends out HUGE increases for property and real estate taxes and warns citizens not to miss the due date in a week or they'll be charged late fees. typical. 

SURPRISE!

WHAT'S THIS?!? 

answer: utilities' locations painted throughout the neighborhood. 

SURPRISE! 

a few days later we get an email from our community association president "concerning the upcoming Comcast project of adding service to the entire Town of Strasburg, a project extending over three years. ... the purpose of this venture, other than upsetting homeowners, is to give Shentel some competition in the Town of Strasburg." 

SURPRISE!

which begs some questions: 

1. not that it's a bad idea to give shentel some competition, but why didn't we hear this FROM THE TOWN BEFORE it became a fait accompli? (perhaps the answer to this is that it's the town's SOP is to keep its citizens in the dark.)
2. had the town bothered to notify its citizens of this venture in the beginning--pre-contract with comcast--then we may have had some questions. for example:
3. WHAT makes the town think that the town's citizens approve of this venture?
4. WHO came up with this idea?
5. WHAT is their REAL motivation--political or otherwise?
6. WHY did the town contract with comcast? 
7. did the town investigate other providers?
8. WHY the secrecy?
9. was this a sole source procurement?
10. if so, has the town violated government contracting laws and regulations?
11. IF the town's citizens had been polled, and the majority thinks that it's a good idea, then WHY is comcast not putting their fiber in PUBLIC streets instead of on private property--under private driveways and through private lawns and landscaping?
12. did the town consider that those who aren't interested in contracting with comcast for their services may not want comcast and their subcontractors tearing up their private driveways, lawns and landscaping?

but then, isn't this the way that the town always does things? instead of informing its citizens of their ventures BEFOREHAND, the town operates in secrecy and then rams their ventures down their citizens' throats AFTER the fact. 

SHAME ON YOU, town of strasburg!

to be clear, the problem here is the audacity of a local government that would enter into an agreement of this magnitude--that impacts every citizen of the town--without first informing its citizens--and allowing them to comment on the public record BEFORE the contract is executed. 

citizens of the town of strasburg,

VOTE! in the november election. let the mayor, town council, town manager and others in town government know that you're dissatisfied with town government. 

***** update *****

1. from the town's website:  strasburgva.com/sites/default/files/fileattachments/town_council/meeting/19545/town_council_9-14-21.pdf  --bottom of page 6 (page 7 in the .pdf document) and top of page 7 (page 8 in the .pdf document).
2. it should be noted that the header in the minutes shows the date as "September 14th, 2020". 
3. so, "comcast approached the town a few months ago".  if "a few months ago" was before 9/14/21 then that would mean that town hall has known about the comcast proposal for about one year. if it was before 9/14/20, then town hall has known about the comcast proposal for TWO years.
4. from "town of strasburg" facebook page. see post dated 7/1/22. note the comments--particularly the one from Adam Wilson. 
5. an unsolicited proposal? no competition? who reviewed the contract? were there negotiations? (it appears that there were none.)
6. why weren't the citizens of the town notified of the impending contract with comcast a year (or two?) ago? why weren't they notified until 7/1/22, by facebook, after the contract was a fait accompli? 
7. why is it that the town fails to realize that not all of its citizens follow facebook? 
8. why is it that the town fails to realize that some of its citizens may not have and/or want either a new or another cable tv and/or internet service--that will disturb their driveway, lawn and landscaping?
9. why is it that the town fails to realize that most of its citizens have neither the time nor the inclination to dig deep into the town's website or its facebook page to find out about important news that affects them?
10. this is outrageous! 
11. do the town's citizens want town hall to be making these important decisions for them without their input? I hope that all of the town's citizens remember this on election day in November.

BTW, citizens of strasburg, check this out: 

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comcast#Criticism_and_controversy 

"all that glitters is not gold" 

spectacle in the early morning sky

https://earthsky.org/tonight/rare-planetary-lineup-morning-june-2022/ 

I hope that you can see it with all of the light pollution. 

Light Pollution - International Dark-Sky Association 

 

red flag

Generous tip: Caller helps cops nab restaurant assault suspect | Winchester Star | winchesterstar.com 

Buffalo shooter's prior threat, hospital stay face scrutiny | AP News 

it's ironic that tarbush was arrested within a day or so of the Tops massacre in buffalo ny.

the problem is clear. despite "red flag" laws people with guns who threaten others are not being "red flagged".

PS a month or so ago I believe that I saw tarbush walking east on 277 between route 11 and i-81 (towards the waffle house). she was carrying a grocery bag and a six pack of coca cola in plastic bottles. I thought it unusual to see a pedestrian walking across the 277 bridge over i-81 (especially with all of the 277 road construction that is underway). hamilton ct. is less than a mile from the bridge.

"figures don't lie, but liars figure."

Good afternoon, Strasburgians! If you're like me, then you got your shenandoah county real estate tax bill today. It reminds me of our town of strasburg water bills--funny numbers (and I don't mean haha). For example,

• our real estate tax bill went up a whopping 22%. Talk about inflation!
• the 2022 real estate tax rate (58%) is 11% less than the 2021 real estate tax rate (69%)

wow! how can this be? if the 2022 tax rate went down 11%, then how can the tax bill be 22% more than 2021's tax bill? answer:

• our total taxable assessed value increased a double-whopping 45%--in ONE year!

does anyone really believe that the cost of government (real estate tax rate) actually went DOWN from 69% in 2021 to 58% in 2022? if your really do believe this, then I've got a bridge in Brooklyn that I'd like to sell you.

there's an old joke. One man says to another, "what's 2 + 2?" the other man replied, "what do you want it to be?"

just like the town's water bills, where we're billed on a fictitious number of gallons instead of actual gallons used, the real estate tax bill reminds me of the old Mark Twain quote--"figures don't lie, but liars figure."

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mark_twain2.JPG

attribution: public domain via wikimedia commons

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Public_domain

the next town resolution?

Strasburg council passes unity resolution | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com  

"Mayor Boies says even though this resolution isn’t law, she hopes the resolution encourages residents facing discrimination to feel comfortable talking with their elected officials."

Strasburg Town Council passes Unity resolution

good luck with that.

perhaps sherando high school's government class can draft another resolution on the purpose, duties and responsibilities of town government? 

I'm sure that they could.

can town council approve it before the november election?

what do you think? 

WHSV: "The most talked-about project among the public was Route 55 which runs through Strasburg and Front Royal."

"It’s definitely helpful for the CTB (Commonwealth Transportation Board) to hear from the public and also from local leaders. A lot of times at these public meetings we have a member of the board of supervisors, a county administrator, a town council member, that sort of thing. Sometimes it’s good to hear from folks who have requested this money,” said Ken Slack, VDOT communications specialist.

VDOT holds public hearing on future projects 

• why is "the most talked-about project" conspicuously absent from vdot's list of proposed long term plans?
• who (names) represents strasburg with vdot? 
• specifically, how is the town working with vdot to get the horrendous route 55 intersection in strasburg addressed? 
• who (names) liaisons with strasburg's representative on the CTB?
• how often (dates) have they met?
• specifically, how often do they regularly meet to discuss strasburg's transportation needs?
• have strasburg representatives suggested to front royal representatives that a coalition be formed to push for improvements to "the most talked-about project"? if not, then why not?

citizens of strasburg want to know. 

thank you, WHSV, for your report. without your report we wouldn't know. the town doesn't inform its citizens with what's going on between the town and vdot. who knows? perhaps it's because nothing is going on between town representatives and vdot on a regular or a specific project basis.

good to know--thanks, WHSV!

Poisonous Hemlock plant spotted along Strasburg Riverwalk 

HemlockFig2-1ensli5.jpg (2085×1985)

to zoom in: click on the link, then click on the photo.

a good thing?

A brighter future for Strasburg | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com 

are brighter street lights a good idea?

not according to the International Dark-Sky Association.

"Less than 100 years ago, everyone could look up and see a spectacular starry night sky. Now, millions of children across the globe will never experience the Milky Way where they live. The increased and widespread use of artificial light at night is not only impairing our view of the universe, it is adversely affecting our environment, our safety, our energy consumption and our health." 

Light Pollution - International Dark-Sky Association 

Losing the Dark - Flat Screen Version - YouTube 

does town council favor brighter streetlights? or not? 

citizens of the town of strasburg (should) want to know.

public domain

sound familiar?

Chesterfield woman's water bill tops nearly $1,500: 'There's no way'  

this is what happens when one has to deal with an arrogant water works monopoly.

roll the dice!

public domain

PIDS

do you know what's wrong with government? for the answer you don't need to go further than George Washington, our first president, and see what he said about political parties. George Washington's Farewell Address Included Three Main Warnings - HISTORY  

Our first president was right. "When Americans voted according to party loyalty, rather than the common interest of the nation, Washington feared it would foster a 'spirit of revenge,' and enable the rise of 'cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men' who would 'usurp for themselves the reins of government.'" 

We see examples of the destructive influence of political parties at all levels of government: federal, state, district, county and town. Government has become a place where partisan political ideologues debate their party's ideology instead of doing the peoples' business. Governments become Political Ideology Debating Societies (PIDS). Nothing gets done--instead they play the blame game.

There's no better example of PIDS than right here in strasburg where town council failed to pass a unity resolution after Paul Rush's home was vandalized twice within the span of a few weeks. Strasburg Town Council Rejects Unity Resolution | News | dnronline.com 

therefore, I call upon the town's citizens to:

• reject those on town council who use their position to "climb the ladder" in their political party.
• prior to November's election, educate yourself. find out who's running for council and if they're a politician or someone who is truly interested in making the town better.
• consider running yourself, if your total motivation is to make strasburg better for it's current and future citizens.
• VOTE  

It's time to take our town back from the political ideologues and elect representatives who are laser focused on improving the town of strasburg for its citizens.

sweet deal

Former Strasburg mayor enters plea deal in DUI, food stamp case | Nvdaily | nvdaily.com  

are you surprised? 

score another failure in transparency. 

analogy

Imagine that you go to your friendly neighborhood gas station to get gas. You put your credit card in the pump, it's approved and you pump your gas. You press the button for a receipt and out it comes. it's for $862.45. You look at the quantity of gas and it's 198.35 gallons. What would you do?

if it was me, then I would go in and show the receipt to Joe, the manager. Suppose Joe looked at it and said: "You paid for 198.35 gallons, so you must have pumped 198.35 gallons." 

"But, Joe," you say "my car only has a 20 gallon capacity." 

Joe repeats "You paid for 198.35 gallons. You must have pumped 198.35 gallons."

What would you do? maybe call your credit card company and stop payment on the $862.45? that's probably what I'd do. 

so, how is that different from the St. Paul Lutheran Church and Child Care Center, which has received several water bills that are several times more than their normal monthly water bills? Each time the child care center tells the town that nothing changed (except for the fact that the number of children is less due to covid). Each time the town insists that the high water bills are caused by leaky toilets. Strasburg residents continue to see unusually high water bills 

months go by. the high water bills keep coming. the town continues to insist that it's leaky toilets that are causing the high water bills. Some in Strasburg continue to see high water bills, changes coming 

what would you do? if it was me, then, needless to say, I'd stop doing business with Joe. unfortunately, the child care center doesn't have a choice. the town has a monopoly on water--and, with the town's arrogance, it shows.