Fog of morning
Cooling temperatures and increased moisture in the air brought dense fog to many areas of Floyd County this morning. If the weather forecast is correct, April will leave us with showers with thunderstorms on the horizon.
Candidates emerge for open Supervisors seat
At least two candidates have taken out paperwork for the seat of outgoing Courthouse Supervisor Jerry W. Boothe and more may emerge.
Former Floyd Town Manager Mike Maslaney sought signatures for his petition on the streets of Floyd during the Friday Night Jamboree last week. Protocol Automotive owner Joey Kaylor took out paperwork as well. Neither has formally announced.
Maslaney is also an investor in town redevelopment projects like The Village Green (where Blue Ridge Muse is located) and directed the management group for the downtown redevelopment program.
Kaylor recently relocated and expanded Protocol to a new location on U.S. 221 North.
For the time being, don’t ‘burn baby, burn’
The National Weather Service this morning issued the following weather statement for Floyd County:
Above seasonal temperatures and dry conditions will continue for one more day. Until the area receives rainfall… Fire danger will remain high.
Temperatures today are expected to be 15 to 18 degrees above normal. These very warm temperatures… In combination with low afternoon relative humidity… Will result in the dry woodland fuels… Such as leaves and brush. Fire can spread quickly under these conditions.
A reminder… Open air burning in virginia and west virginia is not permitted before 4:00 pm. Even after 4:00 pm… Be very careful with fire… And make sure your fire is not close to an area where it can escape into the woods or a wild land area. Make sure you have water on-hand… And use proper tools… Such as fire rakes and shovels to slow the progression of the fire and to keep it contained within a safe area. Check with your local authorities if you plan to burn. Some areas require burning permits.
Campfires should not be left unattended. When you leave your campsite… Make sure the fire is out and the ground is cold to touch… Using water to extinguish the fire.
In 1995, I photographed the Smokejumpers forest firefighting crew out of Missoula, Montana and saw first hand what a fire can do to woodlands and those who live in the region.
It’s not something we want to see here.
Presents
They show up every morning as I attempt to put on boots or shoes: Tokens of appreciation from one or more of the six feline creatures that allow us to share their home.
This morning, my toes encountered bottle caps and twist ties as I tried to slip on my motorcycle riding boots. Yesterday it was twist ties, a sock and a dead mouse.
Cats have their own way of showing love and such outpourings require careful inspection of footwear on a daily basis.
An incredible weekend ahead…get out there!
The sun is peeking through the trees of our back yard this morning and the sounds of birds stream through the open windows.
If the weather forecast is right (and that is always a big "if") we are heading into an incredible weekend with clear skies and temperatures in the 80s throughout. It will, I hope, be a weekend to get my Harley out and enjoy the beauty of the area where we live.
Southwestern Virginia offers so many reasons to enjoy life and, sometimes, we get so caught up in the isses and folly that surrounds us that we forget to just take time to just…well..live.
Sometimes it helps to just hit the open road and leave worries about the economy or festering local issues behind.
Musicians will be on the street in Floyd tonight, spilling out of the Friday Night Jamboree at the Country Store. At FCHS today, the girls varsity softball team faces Auburn after a questionable call at home plate cost them the previous match with the traditional rival. A multi-school track meet is scheduled as well.
It’s going to be a beautiful day and a great weekend. Get out there.
The Klan and racism live on, but there is hope
Some say the Ku Klux Klan is a relic of the past but the Klan still holds rallies in nearby Franklin County and still tries to march in parades in Carroll County. The photos at the left are not from old issues of Life Magazine but a new photo essay on the Life.Com web site.
Some say racism is no longer a problem in this nation but recent studies show racism is actually on the rise since the election of America’s first African-American President. Earlier this year, ABC News filmed an experiment to see if racism still runs in our society. What they found was shocking:
It was 6:30 a.m. on a Friday in downtown Linden, N.J., when two Hispanic day laborers were struggling with their English as they tried to order a coffee and a sandwich at a deli.
But rather than getting served, they got a string of insults hurled at them from the clerk behind the counter. Their broken-English request for food was met with a barrage of racist remarks, including, "Get back in your pickup truck with the rest of your family."
This scene wasn’t real. It was all part of a "What Would You Do?" experiment designed to find out what action, if any, bystanders would take after watching the men’s exchange with the clerk.
Seth Perlman, the manager of All Aboard Bagel and Deli, agreed to ABC News’ using his business to test people’s reactions to bigotry. The racist cashier standing next to him was an actor hired by ABC News, as were his victims.
Here in this working-class neighborhood 15 miles west of New York City, people have a reputation for tolerance. But, sometimes, the reactions were far less open-minded than one would expect.
In the face of blatant discrimination, many people seemed immobilized, some too stunned to react. After being turned away by the cashier, one of the day laborers asked a nearby customer for help. She suggested that he try another store down the street. Many other customers had a similar reaction, quietly walking away after being solicited to help.
Although some customers seemed indifferent, others were quite willing to let everyone know exactly how they felt.
Upon hearing the cashier’s racist attacks on the day laborers, customer Darick Maxis, a black man, seemed to take the side of the clerk.
"If you want me to make you leave, I’ll make you leave," he told the Hispanics. "So leave. That’s all I gotta say. Leave!"
When ABC News’ John Quinones approached the scene and let him know the exchange was a television experiment, Maxis continued his rant.
"You know what I think?" he asked. "I think they’re taking our jobs because we ain’t got no jobs."
Racism is not limited to whites against blacks. It is white against latin and black against latin. The fear and hatred that some feel against blacks is also aimed at other ethnic groups.
But they may be hope. Writes columnist David Squires at the Hampton Roads Daily Press:
They are tired.
They are fed up.
They are not going to take it anymore!
The black man’s new ally is actually a very old friend: white people.
All the celebration and euphoria about a black family in the White House has nearly overlooked the keys to the historic November victory and the only realistic path toward equality.
In the most recent election, 47 percent of white voters cast their ballots for Barack Obama. Still not a majority, you say? Well, it was 17 points higher than the number of whites who voted for the previous Democrat chap who was up for president.
More and more, white people are growing sick and tired of this country being taken away from everyday working folks, and more and more, they are rearing their heads and raising their voices.
One of the strongest voices, and one of the most widely circulated on the Internet, comes from Andrew M. Manis, an associate professor of history at Macon State College in Georgia.
Writing in December for one of my former employers, the Macon Telegraph, Manis bellowed:
"For much of the last 40 years, ever since America ‘fixed’ its race problem in the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts, we white people have been impatient with African Americans who continued to blame race for their difficulties. Often we have heard whites ask, ‘When are African Americans finally going to get over it?’ Now I want to ask: ‘When are we White Americans going to get over our ridiculous obsession with skin color?’"
Manis goes on to decry the hundreds of threats and race crimes spurred by the election of a black president and said these occurrences "should frighten and infuriate every one of us."
Then he went on to ask: "How long before we white people realize we can’t make our nation, much less the whole world, look like us? How long until we white people can — once and for all — get over this hell-conceived preoccupation with skin color? How long until we white people get over the demonic conviction that white skin makes us superior?"
Terry Arbogast responds…sort of
Floyd County School Superintendent Terry Arbogast doesn’t like to talk to us but he at least responded to The Roanoke Times when they followed up today on our investigation into speeding and running of stop signs by some Floyd County school bus drivers.
Arbogast claims he has not received any direct complaints about county school bus drivers. Some Floyd County parents say he’s not telling the truth, adding they have complained often in the past but nothing was done.
Clearly a case of "he said, they said," but Arbogast’s comments to The Times about our video that shows three buses running the stop sign at Barberry Road and East Main Street raises questions about his eyesight or his willingness to admit the truth:
After seeing the video, Arbogast said, "We talked directly with individuals who might have been part of that."
He said he recognized that at least one driver was "more pausing instead of stopping," but he said he didn’t see it as a widespread problem.
He pointed to an "extraordinary" driving record of Floyd’s bus drivers, who haul about 1,900 students on 46 buses each day.
"I think there’s just sometimes that we need to be reminded," he said.
"I don’t expect to hear about it again."
Say what? At least one driver "more pausing instead of stopping?" The video clearly shows two buses driving through the intersection without stopping and one other bus slowing but not coming to a complete stop.
Had Arbogast or anyone from his office asked, I could have provided a full-resolution copy of the video that shows the bus numbers of the drivers who ran the stop signs but I’ve heard nothing from anyone connected with the school system. That tells me that he is more interested in glossing over the situation up than in getting to the truth of which drivers might be putting school children at risk with reckless driving habits.
Arbogast’s comments to the Times leaves three options:
- The Times misquoted him;
- He needs a vision test;
- Or he’s deliberately refusing to admit the truth.
Interestingly, his comments to The Times provide more information than he gave to the county board of trustees last week when Indian Valley Supervisor Fred Gerald asked what had been done about reports of dangerous driving by school bus drivers.
Arbogast clearly got angry when the question was raised. He blustered a lot but said little. Some supervisors said later they were shocked by the tone of Arbogast’s response.
"He clearly was flustered," Courthouse Supervisor Jerry Boothe said.
Arbogast didn’t give the board any details, choosing to hide behind a law that protects employee privacy. However, that law does not prevent him from telling the board and the public statistics on what actions, if any, have been taken against bus drivers who break the law. He could provide stats on the number of drivers, if any, who have been disciplined, suspended or fired. Perhaps a formal request under Virginia’s Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) can open some of the closed doors at the Floyd County School system.
He’s wrong to think he won’t hear about this again. He failed to mention that the letter to drivers telling them to obey speed limits and stop signs went out more than a week before I videotaped the drivers still running stop signs at Barberry and Eastd Main. I’m still getting reports of drivers breaking the law and I’m not the only one out there with a video camera.
Some drivers obviously didn’t take school bus boss Mike Carr’s warnings seriously. Why should they? Three’s no record showing that anything has been done in the past. Instead of trying to smooth the situation over with bureaucratic doublespeak, the administration of Floyd County’s schools needs to prove to the public that they really do care about the safety of the children they transport. From what I’ve seen to date, I’m inclined to believe they really don’t give a damn. A school administrator or school board chairman with nothing to hide would get in my face and prove I was wrong. Sadly, it appears that only a tragedy will bring about real action and change.
Hail, hail the gangs are all here
According to agencies that keep track of such things, violent gangs have moved into Southwestern Virginia and control much of the serious drug trade.
The Virginia Gang Investigators Association surveyed law enforcement agencies in Virginia and gang activity is increasing throughout the Commonwealth. Says VGIA:
While all jurisdictions that responded to the survey in Virginia don’t agree to the extent of the gang problem in this state, most agreed that there is a problem. The number one reason for the escalation of gangs and gang violence appears to be tied to drugs, money and claim over ones territory. The biggest rise reported is that of Hispanic gangs, especially MS-13 with the major concentration being located in Northern Virginia. MS-13 was also reported in the Hampton Rhodes Area, the Richmond Metro Area, and the Shenandoah Valley.
Other well-known gangs such as the Latin kings, the Bloods, the Crips, the UBN, the Gangster Disciples, and the larger Asian gangs are also being recorded in Virginia. Well the organizational level of their brothers in Los Angeles does not appear to be here yet; they are being reported as off shoots or factions of their west coast counter parts. Most of the reporting Jurisdictions are acknowledging them but have them associated with the areas of Virginia they reside in.
Motorcycle gangs including: Hells Angels, Outlaws, Pagans, and Bandidos are also being reported as increasing in numbers in Virginia
Homegrown or ”neighborhood” gangs are also being reported in record numbers. The difference between the reporting jurisdictions is just whether they classify these homespun crews, sets, posses, clicks and mobs as gangs. They refer to them by specific names that reflect the area that they either live in or hang out in, but some areas refuse to call them gangs. By definition in Virginia, they are.
Says Roanoke-based community activist Jeff Artis:
Does Virginia have a gang problem? Yes, even in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Most of the communities in Virginia and in SW Virginia have admitted that gangs are a problem and are aggressively fighting against gangs and gang violence. Unfortunately, some communities in SW Virginia have decided to ignore the problem, especially in Roanoke, Va. What are their names? What are their colors? What territories do they control?
The Gangs of SW Virginia: (These gangs are both national gangs and homegrown gangs.) The Latin Kings, Sureno 13, The People Nation, The Texas Mexican Mafia, The Bloods, The Crips, The Skinheads, The Folk Nation, UBN, the Pegans OMG, MS-13, 18′th Street,, The Danville Kings, and The Country Boys, among others.
Gang-related "tags" (graffiti that defines territory) have appeared in Floyd County, mostly-related to the Mexican prison-born gang MS-13. A sheriff’s department investigator told me recently that they are aware of activity by MS-13.
The U.S. Department of Justice says Southwestern Virginia leads the rest of the Commonwealth in drug-related death and the drug of choice is crystal methamphetamine:
Most of the methamphetamine available in Virginia is produced by Mexican drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and criminal groups using the hydriodic acid/red phosphorus method in high volume laboratories in Mexico and California.
However, Virginia-based Caucasian criminal groups, outlaw motorcycle gangs, and local independent Caucasian dealers sometimes produce methamphetamine using the phenyl-2-propanone (P2P) and Birch reduction methods.
Mexican criminal groups are the primary transporters of most of the methamphetamine available in Virginia. These groups usually transport the drug from Mexico and southwestern states into Virginia using private automobiles, couriers aboard commercial airlines, and package delivery and express mail services.
Mexican criminal groups, some based in Virginia, are the primary wholesale distributors of methamphetamine in the state.
Never trust air you can’t see
As I battle my latest round with bronchitis, a light goes on: My increasing bouts with respiratory problems increased sharply after we left polluted urban environments and moved to the clean air of the mountains.
Since moving here in 2004, both Amy and I have encountered allergies we never knew we had.
Maybe it’s the clean air. Maybe after so many years living in toxic environments, our lungs can’t take fresh air.
Sounds ridiculous. Or maybe not.
Amy was born in East St. Louis, Illinois — hardly a shining example of clean air and green living. The Metro East area of St. Louis was a lung-contaminating hodgepodge of oil refineries, steel factories and ammunition plants.
I moved to Metro East in 1969 and lived there for nearly 12 years, breathing the air from the refineries in Hartford, Illinois, and the coal-fired electric plant in Portage Des Sioux, Missouri just acorss the Mississippi River.
We moved to the Washington, DC, area in 1981 and lived there for 23 years, breathing the exhaust fumes of cars in one of the most traffic-clogged regions of the country. My profession took me to some of the most toxic places on earth, ranging from the polluted air of East Germany and the Far East to arsenic-filled leach pit ponds of gold mines in the Western United States.
Neither of us had much problems with allergies or respiratory problems then. For both, problems set in after we moved to the mountains where the air is clear and the water clean (well, except for the iron sulphate).
Maybe our lungs are in full rebellion, revolting against air they can’t see.
Or maybe we’re just finally paying the price for breathing too much polluted air in too many other places on earth.
Real grassroots activity
Spent Sunday engaged in some real grassroots activity — mowing the three-and-a-half acres of front yard that we call the lower 40.
People always warn me that I will hurt myself someday on my motorcycle but I have been injured far more seriously in leaps from a John Deere riding lawn mower when it rolled on the hillside that slopes sharply downward at up to a 35-degree slope. The last rollever left me with bruised ribs and kidney.
So I fired up the Kubota Sunday, hoping the wide-stance four-wheel drive tractor with weights all around would allow me to tackle our yard for the year’s first cutting with a minimum of excitement.
It did, for a while, until the mowing deck threw a belt. With rain approaching I didn’t have time to tackle the belt replacement so I wheeling out the Deere and tackled the last two-things of the yard.
Finished up just as the rain started the fall. Will tackle the Kubota’s wayward belt later this week. With three days of rain coming, the grass will need cutting again by week’s end.