Newsless and Peaceful

After the last city council meeting I spoke briefly with Matt Gregory about the upcoming special council meeting that will focus on law enforcement issues. I told Matt that I didn't have an opportunity to read about the recent open meeting between police and community members. As I understand, that meeting led to Matt's request for a special council meeting.

Working out of town all week puts a different priority on my week end time at home and for the past several weeks I have been repairing broken sewer lines, hot water heaters, tractors etc. I have not read a newspaper in many weeks. Matt said I may have been fortunate by not having to rehash the details in newsprint of the current police issues.

Matt has asked council to respond to 5 areas in our special council meeting scheduled for December 1st, 7:00 pm at City Hall. These include: addressing the appropriate staffing level for our police force, discussions on the timing of the completion of the Safety Complex, review of the number of grants our law enforcement offers participate in, consideration of merging city and county services and lastly, physical fitness criteria for our officers. If you have an opinion on any of these issues please add your comments to this blog

I have had continuing conversations with members of the police force and the community since March of last year and am ready to share my opinion during the special meeting. I invite all concerned and interested citizens to attend the special council meeting.

Thanksgiving

With the official day of Thanksgiving now in the past and my waistline is still expanded I thought I'd share a thought I recently heard. The thought is simply that Thanksgiving is not a day or a holiday or a week off from school, it is a life style.

I like that and have practiced that for the last several months. One of my co-workers gives thanks every day for what ever comes her way. Recently her husband and son were involved in an auto accident. Both are physically fine but the family vehicle is totaled and there are other extenuating circumstances. I know that through that families whole mess, my friend Kelly will find a way to give thanks.

Being thankful for family, friends, shelter and food are easy. Giving thanks for the curve balls we experience are often challenging. I have found my entire attitude toward each day is so much better when I start the day with thanks and give thanks for the curve balls as well.

Old Electronics

We live in a disposable and throw away society. In some respects it's remarkable that we can continue to produce new more advanced products that make our current items obsolete in short order. With a preponderance of used cell phones, printers, computers and the like that are frequently replaced, the problem of where to dispose these items is a point to consider.


There are several organizations that request these used products so they can either refurbish or recycle the electronics. Beginning in January the state has mandated that electronics must be separated from regular refuse so they don't wind up in landfills. Our waste department will no longer pick up these items at curb side and ask that citizens bring these items to the transfer station. There will be a small charge to process the electronics at the transfer station. If you want to hold onto your old electronics until the spring, the city will hold a no charge collection period for electronics.


Recycling is just a small way we can help protect our environment. For more information you can call 472-1651.

Example from Across the Pond

Several of us on council have commented that the budget review process that begins each year will be challenging and the budget process will encompass more than just the 12 months ahead. A significatly large part of the city budget is fixed costs with a suprisingly small portion directed toward discretionary spending. Fixed costs will increase significantly as the state will require local municipalites to contribute more into the employee pension system. The challenge for council is how to manage both fixed and discretionary costs and provide funds for city projects that promote growth in our town.

Several weeks ago the ruling party in the UK Parliment made historic budget cuts stating that the country could no longer operate under the current level of spending. Everything from the Queen's budget to the military was cut inculding 490,000 government jobs. That's extreme but the action was both painful and necessary.

FIRE PREVENTION MONTH REVISITED

LAST MONTH WAS FIRE PROTECTION MONTH AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CALENDAR WAS FILLED WITH VISITS FROM AND TO MANY SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS. IT'S A TIME OF YEAR WE LOOK FORWARD TO AS WE CAN SHOWCASE OUR PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT. WE ARE ALSO VERY GLAD WHEN THE MONTH IS OVER AND OUR ROUTINE RETURNS TO NORMAL.

ONE OF THE SPECIAL ACTIVITIES PLANNED THIS YEAR WAS AN EVENING FOR FAMILIES AND ADULTS ON OCTOBER 20TH. IT WAS A TIME WHEN DEPARTMENT PERSONNEL WOULD SHARE SPECIFIC INFORMATION FOR HOME FIRE SAFETY. IT WAS ALSO A TIME FOR THE COMMUNITY TO MEET THE PAID FIRE STAFF AND MANY OF THE VOLUNTEERS.

SADLY NO ONE ATTENDED. PERHAPS IT WAS NOT ADVERTISED IN THE MEDIA ENOUGH OF FOLKS WERE JUST TOO BUSY. WHILE THE DEPARTMENT WAS DISAPPOINTED IN THE TURN OUT, WE NONE THE LESS WILL, AT ANY TIME, BE GLAD TO SPEAK WITH FAMILIES OR GROUPS ON FIRE SAFETY. JUST CALL THE STATION AT 305-472-2868 AND SPEAK WITH THE FIRE FIGHTER ON DUTY TO SCHEDULE A TIME TO VISIT.

Neighbors and Noise

Back to the conventional style of writing. No more all caps for my blogs. It's hard to read.

I received a call from a citizen asking about the noise ordinance that is currently being drafted by city attorney Dave McCauley. The citizen asked if the noise ordinance would cover noisy neighbors and I explained that the ordinance under consideration would focus on the use of engine (Jake) brakes on large trucks. Noise ordinances that reference a level of noise are almost impossible to enforce as there must be a clear method to monitor and record the offending noise level.

The citizen explained that a long standing noise issue exists with a neighbor who happens to enjoy a noisy hobby. While I empathized with the citizen that noise can be very irritating, the only actions a member of council or the Buckhannon police can take is request the neighbor with the noisy hobby to be considerate to those around and limit the noise to certain times. At this time we cannot legislate what hobbies are acceptable nor should we.

Sometimes getting along just requires us to be more neighborly and that's often difficult as our individual wants might take second place over what is truly the right course of action. In the case of the noisy neighbor issue, I hope they can find a common ground to resolve their differences.

DEFENSE IS NOT ALWAYS THE BEST OFFENSE

RECENTLY THE CITY COUNCIL ACTED TO RECONSTITUTE THE CVB BOARD OF DIRECTORS AS ORIGINALLY SET IN PRIOR TO APRIL OF 2009. THIS WAS LONG OVER DUE AS THE CHANGES TO THE CVB BOARD IN APRIL 2009 MAY NOT HAVE BEEN IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CVB CHARTER NOR STATE REQUIREMENTS.

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? TO ME IT SAYS THAT THIS COUNCIL WILL NOT SIT IDLY BY AND BE SUBJECT TO THE ACTIONS OF THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR COMMUNITY IN MIND. SADLY OUR RECENT ACTIONS WILL NOT MAKE THE LITIGATIVE PROCEEDINGS DISAPPEAR BUT WILL PUT US IN A POSITION TO BE PROACTIVE TO LEGAL MANEUVERING. THE CVB DEBACLE WILL REMAIN ON THE TABLE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS TO COME.

THE POWER OF VOLUNTEERING

THERE IS AN ACTIVE GROUP OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS WORKING ON DEVELOPMENT CONCEPTS FOR JAW BONE PARK, THE FARMERS MARKET, THE LATHAM HOUSE AND AREAS AROUND SPRING STREET. THE GROUP HAS FORMED ACTION PLANS AND IS GENUINELY INTERESTED IN DEVELOPING A DESIGN THAT WILL COMPLEMENT OUR CITY.

THERE IS MUCH TO BE DONE IN OUR COMMUNITY AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECT ARE PLENTIFUL. IT ONLY TAKES A FEW INDIVIDUALS WITH A VISION TO MAKE NEW THINGS HAPPEN. IF YOU HAVE A VISION, BE BOLD AND PUT IT INTO ACTION WITH OTHER LIKE MINDED FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS. YOU'LL BE SURPRISE WHAT CAN HAPPEN. THE CITY OF BUCKHANNON CANNOT DO EVERYTHING THAT IS NEEDED WITHOUT THE INVOLVEMENT OF VOLUNTEER CITIZENS

SLIDERS

WHEN YOU WORK OUT OF TOWN ON A WEEKLY BASIS, THERE ARE SOME BASIC SERVICES THAT CAN BE PROVIDED ON THE ROAD. OIL CHANGES, CAR INSPECTIONS, DENTISTS AND HAIRCUTS TO NAME A FEW.

I WAS IN NEED OF A HAIRCUT AND HAPPENED UPON SLIDERS SANITARY BARBER SHOP AT THE CORNER OF NORTH AND MAIN STREET JUST A FEW BLOCKS FOR THE COURT HOUSE WHERE I WORK. IT TURNS OUT YOU NEED TO ARRIVE EARLY IF YOU WANT THE FIRST SITTING IN THE CHAIR. ON MY FIRST ATTEMPT I ARRIVED 10 MINUTES BEFORE THE OPENING TIME OF 8AM. TWO CUSTOMERS WERE ALREADY WAITING. MR. NORVEL SLIDER ARRIVED AT 8AM SHARP AND WENT STRAIGHT TO WORK. NORMALLY A HAIRCUT TAKES ABOUT 15 MINUTES AS MEASURED BY BUCKHANNON'S LOCAL EXPERT BARBER JIM GREGORY. HOPING THAT WAS THE CASE I SETTLED IN TO WAIT ONLY TO FIND OUT THE FIRST CUSTOMER LEFT THE CHAIR AT 8:30. I GAVE UP MY QUEST AND THOUGHT I WOULD GET THERE EVEN EARLY THE NEXT MORNING.

THE NEXT DAY I WAS INDEED THE FIRST CUSTOMER AND ENJOYED A 30 MINUTE HAIRCUT 95% OF WHICH WAS DONE WITH CLIPPERS. MR. SLIDER IT TURNS OUT HAS BEEN CUTTING HAIR AT THAT SAME LOCATION FOR 51 YEARS AND HAD AN ADDITIONAL 6 YEARS EXPERIENCE BEFORE MOVING TO THAT LOCATION. HE TOLD STORIES ABOUT FLOODS THAT PLAGUED NEW MARTINSVILLE AND OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT BORDERS THE OHIO RIVER. HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIS BROTHER WHO IS A PURVEYOR OF WILD HERBS AND ROOTS AND THAT THE GOING PRICE FOR YELLOW ROOT IS $800 PER POUND. AN ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE.

JUST THOUGHT I'D SHARE MY HAIRCUT EXPERIENCE AS AN ENCOURAGEMENT TO TRY NEW THINGS IN NEW LOCATIONS. OH BY THE WAY THE HAIR CUT COSTS $5!!!!

RETENTION CHALLENGE

LAST FRIDAY WAS THE LAST DAY ADAM GISSY WAS EMPLOYED BY THE CITY OF BUCKHANON. ADAM WAS SEASONED OFFICE IN THE BUCKHANNON POLICE DEPARTMENT WITH ABOUT SIX YEARS OF SERVICE. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNEW ADAM, HE WAS AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF A PROFESSIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER WHO TOOK GREAT PRIDE IN HIS WORK AND DEPARTMENT. HE DEMONSTRATED A UNIQUE COMBINATION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENTS AND HUMAN COMPASSION.

ONE OF THE REASONS ADAM SHARED FOR LEAVING THE BUCKHANNON POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS THE LACK OF A CAREER PATH THAT MET HIS PERSONAL GOALS. IN A SMALL DEPARTMENT CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPTIONS ARE LIMITED. I WISH ADAM WELL AS HE PURSUES A NEW CAREER.

RETAINING GOOD PEOPLE IS ALWAYS A CHALLENGE IN SMALL ORGANIZATIONS. WHETHER IT IS THE POLICE OR FIRE DEPARTMENT WHICH ARE BOTH UNDER CIVIL SERVICE GUIDELINES OR OFFICE STAFF OR ANY OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENT STAFF POSITIONS, FINDING WAYS TO KEEP THE QUALIFIED AND DEDICATED STAFF IS THE MARK OF A SUCCESSFUL ORGANIZATION.

AS A MEMBER OF COUNCIL I WILL WORK TO HELP DEPARTMENT HEADS BRAINSTORM CREATIVE WAYS TO RETAIN EMPLOYEES WHO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. OUR CITY IS FACED WITH A TIGHT BUDGET WHICH WILL BECOME MORE CHALLENGING IN YEARS TO COME AS MUNICIPALITIES WILL HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE TOWARD EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT.

BLOGS FROM THE ROAD AGAIN

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN 8 WEEKS SINCE MY LAST BLOG. I HAVE BEEN PROCRASTINATING USING THE EXCUSE I AM TOO EXHAUSTED AT THE END OF THE DAY TO CONJURE UP BLOG THOUGHTS. PART OF THAT IS TRUE BUT I DO MISS THE EXCHANGE AND SHARING MY THOUGHTS ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN SUNNY BUCK.



I'M WRITING IN ALL CAPS AS THAT IS THE FORMAT I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO USE FOR MY TITLE REPORTS. IT TAKES SOME GETTING USED TO AS I WAS ALWAYS TAUGHT ALL THE CAPITALIZATION RULES ETC. I STILL HIT THE SHIFT KEY FREQUENTLY AT THE BEGINNING OF A SENTENCE AND ALL IT DOES IN MAKE THE CAPS LOWER CASE.



MY NEW CAREER OPPORTUNITY IS PROGRESSING WELL. I AM STILL IN TRAINING SO TO SPEAK BUT AM RUNNING MY OWN TITLES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF AN INCREDIBLY TALENTED ABSTARCTOR. WHEN I RUN INTO A BLANK IN MY TITLE SEARCH, LORI SEEMS TO COME UP WITH A MAGICAL SUGGESTION TO FIND THE MISSING LINK.



I MISS MY OLD ROUTINE IN BUCKHANNON OF HAVING REASONABLE FREE TIME TO DEVOTE TO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, CITY BUSINESS, PROJECTS AT HOME AND IN THE STUDIO. I ALSO MISS BEING HOME EVERY NIGHT. RENEE AND I HAVE FOUND THAT OUR WEEKENDS AND OCCASIONAL WEEK DAYS TOGETHER ARE VERY SPECIAL AND WE DON'T LET THE LITTLE THINGS BOTHER US. WE STAY IN CONTACT WITH EACH OTHER BY PHONE AND SKYPE AND TREAT THE WEEKENDS LIKE A DATE.

I HOPE TO HAVE REGULAR BLOG POSTINGS FOR THIS DAY FORWARD. I AM PLEASED TO HAVE THOSE READING THIS BLOG TAKE AN INTEREST IN ISSUES IMPACTING BUCKHANNON AND ME. THANKS FOR YOU PATIENCE.

Urban Deer Hunting In Buckhannon

The city has received many complaints from citizens regarding the deer population in and around our city. The complaints range from deer feces, destruction of ornamental bushes, trees and flowers and traffic hazards. I share to some extent the frustrations of my neighbors as the deer have eaten most of our flowers, many of our shrubs and leave deer droppings all over the yard. Deer bed down in our front yard most evenings and last week we watched three bucks and four doe graze just outside our back window.

The research information I have reviewed suggests that urban areas with wooded boundaries are excellent deer habitats. So human population growth and urban sprawl will not stem the growth of local deer populations. Relocation and infertility programs have been investigated and used and were found to be ineffective and very costly. What seems to help in thinning urban and problematic farm deer populations is harvesting by special hunting programs. Several West Virginia cities have enacted urban hunting programs and our neighbors to the north in Bridgeport conducted their firs hunt last year.

City council is considering an urban deer bow hunting program and I'd like to know what my blog readers think. If enacted, the Buckhannon program would not take place until 2011 season and would be regulated. Additionally a public education program would make efforts to inform and educate all citizens often and early.

What do you think?

When The Lights Go Out

I am working in Middlebourne, WV this week but travel to New Martinsville each evening to overnight in a local hotel. Middlebourne has no lodging unless you consider a cardboard box under the overhand of the Dollar Store lodging.


After arriving in New Martinsville for my evening, I began my routine by exercising at a local gym where you can obtain day passes, followed by some reading outdoors at Lewis Wetzel Park. There is a large pond with hundreds of ducks and geese. Once the water fowl realize I don't have food, they leave me alone for some reading time. Then back to the Travelers Inn for dinner, PT exercises, Skyping Renee, some TV time and sleep.


Last evening I had a surprise shortly after returning from Wetzel Park; the lights went out. Not just in the Travelers Inn but the whole region. I know this because I drove around trying to identify the extent of the power outage and it was endless. Even the cell towers which have blinking red lights at their tops were coal black against the night sky. An strange feeling to say the least. Traffic was horrid as every one was driving around and the roads looked like Morgantown on a football Saturday. I safely returned to my darkened hotel room, brushed my teeth with the light from my cell phone and then to an early bed in absolute silence and darkness.

While I enjoyed briefly my time of quiet and solitude, I also found it disconcerting. As a culture we are tuned in to constant access, connectivity, creature comforts, back ground noise, etc. I think we come to identify with all the electrons that govern our lives. I admit I am hooked to some of the creature comforts and electronic connectivity. I wonder if we would be less stressed if we had regular days of no electronics in our lives? Probably not but it is something to think about.

I did find my quiet time meaningful, but was ready for routine electronic life to continue shortly thereafter.

Council - Manager Form Of Government

The council/manager form is the system of local government that combines the strong political leadership of elected officials in the form of a governing body, with strong managerial experience of an appointed local government manager. The council/manager form establishes a representative system where all power is concentrated in the elected council and where the council hires a professionally trained manager to oversee the delivery of public services.

In council/manager government, the mayor and council members are the leaders and policy makers elected to represent the community and to concentrate on policy issues that are responsive to to citizens' needs and wishes. The manager is appointed by the governing body to carry out policy and ensure that the entire community is being served. If the manager is not responsive to the governing body's wishes, the governing body has the authority to terminate the manager at any time. In that sense, a manager's responsiveness is tested daily.

The manager is hired to serve the council and the community and to bring to the local government the benefits of training and experience in administering local government projects and programs on behalf of the governing body. The manager prepares the budget for the council's consideration; recruits, hires and supervises staff; serves as the council's chief advisor; and carries out the council's policies. Council members and citizens count on the manager to provide complete and objective information, the pros and cons of alternatives, and long term consequences.

Local governments have found that overall costs actually have been reduced with competent management. Savings come in the form of reduced operating costs, increased efficiency, improved revenue collection or effective use of technology.

The above comments were taken from FAQ's about council/manager government and provided by the ICMA (International City/County Management Association). I encourage all my blog readers to visit their website http://www.icma.org/ for additional information on council/manager forms of government. I believe we can benefit by adopting this form of government and it will be a continuing topic among council members. Please let us know what you think.

Taking Action

If you have followed the city council meetings you may have pieced together the fact that council is moving forward on some long over due issues. Recorder and Zoning Officer, Rich Clemens has taken action to start enforcing with teeth our ordinances regarding property condition etc. City attorney Dave McCauley has been tasked by council to develop an ordinance that deals with abandon cars. It was noted sadly, that there are cars that have not moved in 20 years. These actions are about making our city livable for all.

Also on last Thursday Dave Thomas and Skeeter Queen inquired about councils long standing request for a noise ordinance specifically addressing the truck noise on Kanawha Street that is a result of using engine exhaust brakes. During my campaign for council I committed to support the development of a noise ordinance and on Saturday I sent all my research including sample ordinances to city attorney, Dave McCauley.

Council is currently working on staffing issues and a computer/software policy guideline to compliment the new computer system. Prior to each council meeting each council member approves the invoices that have accumulated since the last council meeting. During that review we frequently question invoice for need, cost and local purchase. We are constantly looking for ways to save money. Our costs will rise significantly in the next few years and saving now will help later.

September 2nd City Council CVB Vote

I wanted to share my thoughts and reasons regarding my affirmative vote to begin the defunding process of the current CVB. Since March of this year I have studied hundreds of pages of documents generated by the legal system involving the CVB, City of Buckhannon and 11 plaintiffs, newspaper articles going back several years and the proposals submitted by both CVB's to council on August 13th. I was unable to attend the special council meeting held on August 30th but did listen to the complete proceedings thanks to Rich Clemens. At the end of the special meeting Mayor Davidson said the topic of CVB funding should not be taken lightly and council members should consider carefully, the entire matter.

I should note that the current CVB has serverd this community for over 20 years and has over that period of time grown in scope. As many in our community, I have been involved in several CVB endeavors including the wedding give-a-way and photography of Upshur County, Holly River State Park, Fiddlers Mill and Pringle Tree, all of which was donated for the benefit of our community.

However the highly publicized legal events of the last two years cannot be overlooked as those events have given cause to examine the current CVB more closely. There are concerns with performance issues as cited by council members and my observations that include the lack of promotional material for Buckhannon in travel stops between Pittsburgh and Buckhannon, ineffective regional networking, singular focus on event promotion, questionable business practices and poor Internet presence to name a few.

While my personal review of the issues has provided a foundation for my vote, my conversations with the citizens of Buckhannon have provided a clear mandate that change is needed. I frequent local restaurants, auctions, neighborhood gatherings, dinner parties, church functions and almost every time I am asked "What are we going to do about this CVB mess?" It is universal, that our community is demanding change. These are the people that elected me to office and I share their concern.

Now the bigger question is have we gone from the frying pan into the fire? Will the new CVB be any better in performance than the old CVB? I believe Buckhannon is ready for a new chapter in our history and I hope it is one of reconciliation, working together, moving forward and most importantly, healing.

Working On The Road

I remember years ago when I worked in the offshore oil industry, travel itineraries would have me away from home for generally less than two weeks duration. Those trips were often overseas and were more adventures than work. I knew that for the most part, I would be home 80% of the time.

As I venture into a new career which requires frequent and regular out of town assignments, I'm finding it both rewarding as I learn new skills and taxing as I adjust to weekly life alone. I have settled into a routine of exercise at a local gym for $5 a day, reading, some what healthy eating and my favorite, Skyping Renee every evening. Without the Internet communication would not be as pleasant. My co-workers have been on the road for years and have adjusted as necessary. Sometimes they leave work early on a particular day to see one of their children play football or soccer. I will be leaving tomorrow to make the drive to Sunny Buck in time for the city council meeting. Sadly I will make the 2.5 hour trip back to Wetzel County on Friday morning.

I have been blogless for a few days and miss the routine of regular writing. I hope to post more often and share my thoughts, views and musings about the towns in which I work and about my favorite town, Buckhannon. I miss the fire department, the Boss sandwich at the Daily Grind, the flowers around town and the friendly greetings when out and about.

Give It A Rest

I picked up my mail at city hall this morning and I received a letter from I. M. Kuncerned, a citizen who wants to hide behind anonymity and doesn't truly understand the changes that are in place regarding our police department.

Regardless of what you think, we have a police administration open to suggestion and proactive in affecting change. Behavioral change is not radical and takes place over time.

Give it a rest and wait six months and see how this year compares with previous years. I am confident you will see differences.

As for DUI check points, they are mostly a display of police presence and their locations are publicized by law. I have no problem with DUI check points and I wish they didn't have to publicize locations. I want every DUI driver off the road and would never give them three opportunities to kill someone before they are arrested and sent to jail for a longer time than 24 hours. There are no or very few DUI incidents in Japan and Norway because the penalties are severe. We should follow their example.

Back To School

This week our local schools started back for the 2010-2011 school year. I recall this Monday morning as I left our neighborhood about the time the school buses were due to arrive. Each street corner was crowded with children with new back packs and clothing. You could just tell there was excitment within each group of school children.

And I was excited too, as I started a training program as an oil and gas title abstractor. The last two weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and opportunity. Renee's son Logan left for school last Wednesday morning and I was offered a position on the same day. I can sympathize with children entering a new school for the first time. They are anxious about all the unknowns and I was as well. The more I learn, the more I realize I don't know. My training moves to New Martinsville next week and I will be out of town most weeks thereafter.

I shared my new career path with members of council after last Thursday's meeting and I explained that I would work my schedule around regular council meetings. Sadly the upcoming special CVB council meeting is scheduled for the first night I will be out of town. I will share, via my blog, my views of the two proposals presented to council last meeting by both CVB's. I am not sure if council will vote on CVB funding at the next meeting or just have a special meeting so that all the CVB issues can be discussed thoroughly. My guess and hope is the latter.

Surprise From Charleston

I spoke with my friend, JB Kimble Saturday morning and he gave me an update of Friday night's SCOTT Firefighter Combat Challenge results. JB, along with Dion Wamsley, Joey Baxa, and Ben Tacy competed in the individual events. Ben and Joey placed in the upper third of contestants and JB and Dion were happy to finish the course. JB indicated it was the hardest he had ever worked himself. Bear in mind that our fire fighters have been training regularly for almost six months. It turns out the top contestants train every day all year round.

I received a call Saturday evening from fire chief Mitch Tacy who was in Charleston to cheer on the team and his son Ben. Mitch said that our five man team, which now includes fire fighter Brian 'Boomerang' Carr, did well enough to be invited to the National SCOTT Combat Challenge in Myrtle Beach this November.

What a great achievement for our first time team competing against teams with many years of competitive experience. Congratulations!!!!!!!!! Check out some photos at the following link http://www.firefighter-challenge.com/

Taking Pride

This morning I went down to the fire station for a cup of coffee and to return the walker I borrowed from one of the fire fighters. One of the members present pointed out a man walking down south Floria Street with a plastic bag in his hand and said, "Watch him. He goes down South Florida Street and around Jawbone Park picking up trash. He does that every morning and I think he lives on the Island."

What a great example of taking pride in our city. It is so easy to say "Why doesn't the city clean up the trash?" It takes someone really committed to making our city great, to pick up trash on their own. Thank you!!!!!!

By example, just think of the impact on our city if every citizen picked up just one item of trash each time they were out and about. There are trash receptacles along Main Street and in all the city parks. Pay it forward, lead by example and take pride in our city.

Empty Nest

I spent the last two days of hip surgery recuperation helping Logan get ready to move to Troy, Ohio where he will be attending the Hobart Welding Institute. The washer and dryer have literally not stopped and I am amazed at how many T-shirts, jeans, shorts, socks etc he has accumulated. Literally a three and a half week supply before any laundry is necessary and that includes multiple changes each day. Like I said, it was a mountain of laundry and my hips is sore. I haven't had any pain meds in several days but today may be the exception.

Lots of parents will be faced with the empty nest syndrome in the very next few days. Some will throw parties, and some will curl up in a pile of folded clothes and just cry. I will miss Renee's son Logan. He is an excellent helper and has a great sense of humor.

As Logan departs for Ohio, Renee and I can only hope he will make good choices, take his hat off in restaurants and say please and thank you. Hope and prayer will get us through. Our prayers are with him, all those who are departing from home and for the parents left behind.

No End In Sight

It was with great sadness that I read Friday's Record Delta article about the continuing saga of the CVB. Mr. Bailey, the attorney for the CVB, makes grand statements about not backing down, will not pay a dime required by Judge Henning, and will likely sue the city. While Mr. Bailey's rantings remind me of a bandy rooster strutting around the chicken coup, he is not acting without direction from the current CVB.

The current CVB has lost sight of the fact that their mission is to act as stewards of public funds for the benefit of the public. I believe it is time for the current CVB leadership to do everything in their power to put an end to the legal bickering. Now is the time to move forward. Anything less will only result in more clucking, cock-a-doddle-do'ng and chicken s*%t.

Emergency Access

During my recovery I've enjoyed extra time to read. One of the books I enjoyed was The Last Man Down, a fire fighter's story of survival and escape from the World Trade Center. An interesting fact I learned from reading the book was the practice within the FDNY for a common key for emergency access. A barrel shaped '1620' key is issued to firefighters and that opens every elevator in NYC and every fire house in NYC. A great way to reduce confusion and increase efficiency in access.

Our local fire department has been encouraging local businesses to adopt a similar emergency access program using Knox Boxes. The Knox Box is similar to the key lock boxes used by realtor's. Access keys or swipe cards are stored inside the Knox Box and access to the Knox Box is limited to emergency responders and the business owners. I would support a proposal for the city adopt or modify our building codes to make Knox Boxes mandatory for all new commercial construction. The cost of a Knox Box is about $100. Seems to me a very small investment for a huge potential in savings.

Getting Back In The Saddle

I have been blogless for almost a week. I missed the routine of regular writing and several of my blog followers wanted to know if I fell off the planet. I thought I would have the mental energy to resume my blog immediately after surgery but that didn't pan out. I've been home since last Saturday and it has taken since then to find a recovery normal routine.

My routine is a challenge because I'm supposed to remain active but not over do it. When I had my first hip replacement, I was doing laundry, cooking, running the vacuum, changing the sheets etc almost immediately after surgery. This time I have promised Renee to follow my doctor's orders and not over do. I walk around the house several times a day, do physical therapy 2x a day and if I have been a good patient, Renee allows me to attend outside low activity functions. I attended the special city council meeting on Tuesday night.

I reported earlier that the culprit for the latest round of surgery was a loose implant in my femur. I didn't realize how much pain I had been living with until the doctor said it was so loose you could spin the implant 360 degrees in the bone. The implant is akin to a Reese trailer hitch ball on an eight inch shaft. I am looking forward to a full recovery and to regular blogging.

Surgery plus 36 Hours

Wednesday was a day of following hospital protocol and making lemonade out of lemons. We arrived for check in at 7:30am even though my surgery wasn't scheduled until 1:00pm. For three hours we waited in waiting room style chairs. Not good for a chronically sore right hip. We were finally escorted to the pre-op suite about 10:30 am. After connecting the various tubes and wires we patiently waited for another two hours before being taken to the OR suite.

I am a spiritual man and took a few minutes to offer whisper prayers for all the technicians and doctors in the room. After that, I don't remember anything until waking up in the recovery room at 4:30pm, feeling rested and still without pain. Due to a communications error, my post surgery pain meds took more time than necessary to hook up. Sometimes I'm patient with unforeseen delays and yesterday I was. It made the whole process bearable.

The great news is the doctors quickly identified the problem with my right hip. The original ball and shaft that was placed in the center of my femur had come loose. Loose as a goose according to Dr. Hamlin. The shaft could rotate 360 degrees!!!!!! I know now why I had so much pain. My doctor is confident that I will have significant improvement. I am thankful for God's presence in the OR and the fact that I didn't let small things cloud my day.

I am writing this blog Thursday afternoon. My epidural has been removed and the lack of pain I enjoyed up to about two hours ago has been replaced with pain of 8+ on a 10 scale. Thank goodness for chemistry.

Making The Right Decision

This past weekend, Renee's son Logan had an opportunity to stop by a party to see some friends. The party was held at a campsite not far off Route 33. Attended by some of Logan's friends, the group was a mix of gender and ages. Logan shared that he stayed about 10 minutes, long enough to check things out, then decided to leave.

As Logan was about to turn onto Route 33, the all too familiar blue lights came on out of nowhere. The trooper asked Logan if he had been drinking? Logan replied no, do you want to smell my breath? Logan said it was okay to breathalyze him, but that did not occur. After looking around Logan's truck, with Logan's permission, the trooper asked what was going on back there - meaning the party? Logan didn't want to lie, so he truthfully said there's a bunch of drinking and smoking going on. Logan recounted the whole story with flourish when he got home just before midnight. He said his heart was pounding all the while he was stopped.

This is just a small example of one young man making the right decision at the right time. As a parent and step parent one can only hope that their children make wise and correct decisions. Peer pressure is no higher than it is today for our teens and young adults. I was told that in certain settings, teens in high school, especially boys, purposely under perform so they are not singled out as a smarty or a geek. How sad it is that peer pressure has come to doing poorly in school.

Hats off the all the young men and women who have made the right decision at the right time. If you are a parent reading this blog and have a teen or young adult who recently made a good decision, celebrate it with your child and make a big deal of it. Reinforce the benefits of making hard and correct decisions. The rewards will benefit all.

Revision Day

Today I will be having revision surgery on my right hip at Ruby. Basically a redo. I am required to be at the hospital about 2 hours before surgery. Since I am writing this on Sunday, I don't know my exact times but I'm led to believe I have to be at Ruby by 11:00am. The surgery is scheduled to take between 2-3 hours.

My surgeon actually called me Sunday for two reasons: he wanted me to hear from him that he is leaving Ruby in September and wanted to answer any surgery questions I might have. Dr. Hamlin is the area's leading specialist in revision surgery and so as long as he will do the actual surgery, I am comfortable with not having him available for followups. I can actually travel to Pittsburgh if I feel the need to continue with Dr. Hamlin. I am grateful that he called because his assurances made me feel a bit better about the surgery prognosis.

I have been living with leg pain for four years. My previous experience with hip and knee replacement is at best mixed. Neither my previous hip nor knee replacements have relieved the chronic pain in my right leg. One of promises to myself is to do everything my physician requires for post op recovery. I am very active and tend to push myself. My first hip surgery I pushed to be out of the hospital in 52 hours, was in the bucket of the ladder truck three days later photographing the new football field and was the hardest working patient at physical therapy.

I will follow my physicians instructions to the letter and not push it. I will however try to defend my title of hardest working PT patient. I would covet your thoughts and prayers while I recover and plan to keep up the blog through my recovery. Renee probably needs prayer as well as I'm told I am not a marshmallow patient!!

Corridor H

The greater Buckhannon-Upshur is positioned for growth. The land adjacent to Wal-Mart and Lowe's is no longer on the market according to UCDA director Steve Foster and expansion along Corridor is the next step. Traffic on Corridor H is over the growth threshold point of 12-14,000 vehicles per day.

During last Thursday's joint city/county meeting, the idea of planning the development of Corridor H in Upshur Countywas discussed at length with emphasis on signage, access roads and master planning.

Some of the discussion suggested that uniform signage is more pleasing than a smorgasbord of sign types and sizes. Eye appeal is important when attracting permanent businesses and tourists to our area. I think it is a good idea to consider what our area could look like with and without a development master plan.

The idea of planning access roads is also important. Easy access is important for development. An example of poor planning is Emily Drive in Bridgeport as access to East Pointe Plaza is either congested or inconvenient. Properly planned access is critical for EMS, fire and police responses.

The 'A' word, annexation, and the 'Z' word, zoning, were briefly discussed as options but the outcome of the discussion was the directive by commission president Tenney to have a separate meeting to discuss these issues. This is planning 101 and can only lead to adding value to our area. If we don't plan, we wind up with a hodge podge of development.

At a minimum, I would guess and hope that representatives from the city, county, state and the development authority would be part of the planning process and discussions of the first meetings. The state DOH has existing signage and access road regulations.

Hang On To Your Remote

Last week I had the opportunity to sit in on a meeting of the TV/Cable Board. Several board members, concerned citizens and representatives from Suddenlink were in attendance. The entire exchange was informative and positive.

The meeting started with a review of the responses to the TV/Cable survey that was posted on the city's website. While the survey was unscientific in design, the results were none the less helpful in determining the community view of Suddenlink's services. Based on the analysis of all the responses, and if you were grading on a traditional letter grade scale, Suddenlink received a solid B and in some cases a B+. Mike Kelemen and Peter Brown from Suddenlink said that while a B grade sounds good, they wanted to be at an A grade. Basically I believe the survey results indicate a general satisfaction with the channel selection and technical support Suddenlink offers.

For information, the city has the right to grant franchises local for cable service. Based on Federal deregulation, the city does not have a strong position to dictate policy or programing of the franchisee, in this case Suddenlink. At best we can influence and suggest. I liken it to a lion without claws. To date the relationship between Suddenlink and the city has been positive. The latest 5 year franchise agreement with Suddenlink was renewed in January of this year.

During our meeting the subject of the removal of channel 26 and Pittsburgh channel 4 was discussed at length. Channel 26 will not be reinstalled on the expanded tier and because of very complicated contract language which deals with network priority, the ABC Pittsburgh channel 4 will not be back.

Suddenlink continues to expand technology and services although not necessarily in the obvious area of new channels. A big push is expanding the availability of broad band Internet services throughout our area. This is a key driver for many communities and our ability to attract new development is linked to availability of broad band services. Our franchise agreement requires the addition of 3-4 new services by the end of 2010. While not specifically identified, Suddenlink confirmed new services will be added by years end.

The business of telecommunication is incredible complex. Technology advances at an exponential rate, government regulations are printed in volumes and the contract negotiations between a multitude of parties further complicate the industry. Given all that, I still enjoy holding my remote.

Should We Be Concerned?

I was a listener to conversations the other day about the condition of West Virginia's educational system. One statistic that was raised was alarming. The speaker said there are states that require 200 instructional days per year for each student compared to West Virginia's 180 instructional day requirement. If that is the case, a West Virginia student will attend school one month less than a student in a state requiring 200 days of instruction each year. Applying very simple math, a West Virginia student would loose out on one full year of instruction compared to a student in a state requiring 200 instructional days annually over the course of their secondary education.

School reform became top priority for Gov. Manchin after the conclusion of the legislature's regular session in March. Citing figures that show WV students were lagging behind their peers in certain areas, he asked the state Board of Education to come up with a series of school reforms to bring before lawmakers, which they did.

But in the end, only a handful of minor reforms passed. Advocates of school choice didn't get any language opening the way for charter schools or giving school administrators more flexibility to replace bad teachers. School employee unions didn't get laws helping to reduce class size or raise the starting wages of teachers, which are the lowest in the nation.

Gov. Manchin struck a conciliatory tone immediately following the conclusion of the special session July 21st. That tone was largely gone nearly a week later, with the governor saying the session's outcome was "very disappointing".

"The bottom line is - we have not reformed,' he said. "...The taxpayers in West Virginia have come forth: They have always been at the top of the national average in paying to educate their children. The system and all of us in the system have failed them."

Should we be concerned?

The Boss

Not the musician Bruce Springsteen, but a sandwich. That's right, a sandwich. Renee had lunch at The Daily Grind yesterday and I asked her to bring back something for me. Normally I eat in on left overs or some kind of quasi healthy frozen concoction. I like Steamers and Kashi frozen selections. But yesterday I decided I wanted to have something different and splurge for a freshly prepared lunch. As Renee was leaving to go out to lunch I just said surprise me.

Soon Renee was back and she placed the all too familiar square white Styrofoam container on the table in the studio kitchen. Her instructions were "Don't look at the sandwich, just taste it". I closed my eyes and took a modest bite out of the center of the sandwich and all of a sudden my taste buds exploded to a new sensation. Wow, what a great mix of flavors!!!

On examination the sandwich was prepared on a multi grain wheat bread which by itself was delicious. The internal ingredients included bacon, banana peppers, tomatoes, grilled chicken breast, lettuce, onion, sun dried tomato mayonnaise and the secret ingredient, a thin layer of peanut butter. Can you imagine that!!!! I love sandwiches and I consider myself a connoisseur of the unusual when it come to what can be placed between two pieces of bread. The sandwich is called The Boss and I highly recommend it. The Boss comes with your choice of a side and a crisp pickle. Enjoy.

Information For The Asking

A recent comment about one of my blogs inspired today's blogment. I'm very pleased that citizens are taking an interest in city government and seeking more information. It will take us all a little time to get used to the information that is currently available.

A commenter asked if additional, officer specific, report statistics were available and why council didn't ask the chief (Gregory) for that kind of detail. Actually, Chief Gregory's report to council did include officer specific activity statistics, it just wasn't discussed during the last meeting. One good way to see department report information, statistics, financials, etc., is to review the paperwork submitted to council members as backup information for our regular meetings. All the documents can be viewed by visiting the city's website www.buckhannonwv.org and click on the Announcements tab.

Chief Gregory, or any department head for that matter, will be happy to answer any question or field a concern from a resident. Give them a call or send an email. Contact information is also available by visiting the city's website under the Services tab. If you are uncomfortable contacting a department head directly, contact one of the council members. Our emails and phone numbers are listed on the city website under the Council tab.

Operational Audit

One of my council colleagues brought up the idea of an operational audit for the city. As we explore new ways to move forward an operational audit might be just what we need. An operational audit looks at many facets of city operations.

City council would be examined on performance and adherence to budgets, policies and procedures. The city as a whole would be analysed including appraisal of structure, controls, procedures and processes. The objective is to appraise the effectiveness and efficiency of each function of the city and see if it is meeting the cities' goals and objectives. Recommendations to improve performance are also made. The primary user of an operational audit is city council and the department heads.

If our city is going to progress and flourish we need to operate in a more business like manor. An operational audit would help us identify areas where improvement is needed and also identify areas where we are performing well. I would support conducting an operational audit and I would further support funding and identifying an outside expert to conduct the audit.

Rural Water Movement

In the not too distant past, fire departments relied on natural flowing creeks and streams, stock ponds and/or swimming pools the supplement the water carried on a fire engine. Today however, there is a significant portion of Upshur County that has water service and most fire departments with the exception of Station 1, have water tankers with drop tanks.

21 firefighters from Stations 1, 2 and 6 conducted a training exercise Thursday night at the Buckhannon Public Safety Complex. The focus of the training was the use of drop tanks and portable pumps. At a working fire, large amounts of water are required and the use of a fire hydrant may not always be the best source of water. If the water supply line from the fire hydrant to the engine crosses the road, that road then becomes impassable unless the water supply is turned off. Not good, especially for any firefighters conducting an interior fire attack. The use of drop tanks and water tankers is frequently used to provide an adequate source of water while at the same time allowing roads to remain open.

In our training exercise we used a two drop tank deployment with a large diameter hose siphon between the tanks. This dual drop tank configuration was used at the Key Energy fire earlier this year and effectively provided a 4000 gallon water source for fire control. Participants also used a variety of portable pumps that can be used in firefighting or more routinely in public service details such as pumping out a flooded basement.

I Saw A Saw Today

As a member of the water board, I was asked to view a demonstration of a hydraulic bar saw today at the water plant. Why a new saw? Picture yourself in a one car garage with no windows. Close the garage door and just for illustration purposes, imagine the roof removed. Now start a gasoline powered heavy duty chain saw and run it wide open for 8 minutes. The noise is deafening and the fumes are overwhelming. That's close to the conditions our utility workers must deal with when a service pipe needs cutting in a deep trench. Add to that a hot summer day and the conditions are miserable.

The saw demonstrated today is not gasoline powered but runs on hydraulics. As a result there are no toxic fumes in the excavated hole. Additionally the operating noise of the hydraulic saw is significantly less than a gasoline powered engine. In my opinion, the single most important factor in considering the purchase of the hydraulic saw is safety. The reduction of toxic fumes and noise are key reasons to add this tool to our arsenal of utility equipment.

Scout's Motto

As a young boy growing up in rural upstate New York, I found myself deeply rooted in scouting. I achieved all the ranks in cub scouts and started as a tenderfoot boy scout. Before too long scouting was replaced by summer jobs, sports and girls (not necessarily in that order). The biggest impact scouting had on me was instilling the principle of 'Be Prepared'. It has, and continues to serve me well.

In a recent addition of the Record Delta, a walking trail user used the 'Speak Out' column to comment that the pet waste bag dispenser had been empty the last several times she walked her dogs and asked that the dispenser be filled.

Let me first say thanks to that trail user for making the effort to keep the walking trail clean. I use the walking trail for photography and I am amazed a how many pets do not have responsible owners. City provided pet waste bags are a small dollar item that adds value to our parks system. Now the be prepared part. When I walk my dog I always bring not one but two 'white plastic bags with blue letters'. I would not be surprised that my fall and winter coats still have spare bags in the pockets just hanging in the closet.

I would hope that the 'Speak Out' dog walker does not give up on using the walking trails but also has a spare 'white bag with blue letters' just to be prepared for the occasional shortage. Better yet, use the spare bag and give it to a pet owner you might observe not scooping their own pets poop.

Obtuse Angles

I remember geometry from high school and really enjoyed the class. I recall isosceles triangles, theorems by Pythagoras and the mother of all angles, the obtuse. The obtuse angle is greater than 90 degrees and less than 180 degrees and there is not much in regular life that relates to the obtuse angle. In carpentry, it is difficult to measure an obtuse angle and have the final cut come out correct. I speak from experience.

The crews working at Jawbone Park have been working with obtuse angles since starting the storm sewer project several weeks ago. The angles necessary for the various sewer tie ins are indeed obtuse and the work crews have done an impressive job accomplishing the most difficult tie-ins with accuracy and safety. For those readers who think progress has been slow, check out the attached image that illustrates the spider web of large diameter pipes in a confluence of obtuse angles. Work has gone well and concrete will be poured tomorrow around the intersecting pipe collars.

Splitting Hairs

The last two issues of the Record Delta have provided blog fodder. I have already commented on Senator McCabe's "rural by design" comments made during the Upshur County Development Authority's annual meeting in yesterday's blog. Future blogs might include observations about the new CVB, availability of dogie clean up bags at the River Walk, and/or the flood insurance program and how it relates to one of our new ordinances which had it's first reading during last night's council meeting.

Today's blogment (new word combining blog and comment) focuses on the last few paragraphs of the article about the new CVB. One in paragraph in particular reads as follows:

"It is not taxpayer money," she said Thursday. "It is the money coming from the people that stay in the hotels and motels. It is so untruthful to continuously refer to it as 'taxpayer' money".

The section of State Code that addresses this issue is found in Section 7 Article 18. In the official hard bound version of the State Code, Article 18, Hotel Occupancy Tax, begins about 1/3 down page 794 and continues through page 805. The word tax appears 27 times on just pages 794 and 795. When my family, my in-laws and my friends stayed in local hotels and motels, they paid a tax. To suggest anything otherwise is to me, is purely word smithing.

Probably the best and correct way to phrase the answer to reporter Katie Kuba's question regarding CVB legal fees should be, 'Revenues from the hotel occupancy tax were used to cover legal fees.'

What is the approximate amount of Hotel Occupancy Tax revenues spent by the CVB to date on legal fees?

A)$97,500
B)$127,450
C)$147,790
D)$217,400

As John Boy and Billie would say, "The answer is always C".

Rural By Design

I was invited to attend the annual meeting of the Upshur County Development Authority and was present for the lunch and guest speaker, West Virginia Senator Brooks McCabe. I sure many speakers have canned presentations where only the date, name of the venue and honored guests are changed. Senator McCabe's remarks however, were purposely focused on Buckhannon and Upshur County.

Senator McCabe believes we are in the early stages of significant growth and we need to have a plan. His vision for our region is not a mega commercial expansion but growth in all sectors with an emphasis on keeping our area rural by design. What is it that draws people to areas like Ashville, NC and Charlottesville, VA? The rural component. The challenge for our area is to grow business and amenities in logical ways especially along Corridor H. If unplanned development occurs, traffic flow and infrastructure can suffer. The character of our area needs to be preserved in conjunction with planned growth. Farmlands cannot totally vanish.

How we entice new knowledge workers and businesses to our area is key to successful rural by design planning. Senator McCabe believes we need to become more urban, offering desired amenities while at the same time maintaining our rural character. Senator McCabe also believes we are uniquely qualified to move forward in a long range rural by design plan because there are only two governing entities; the city and the county.

Speculating on what a unified city/county government might look like, Senator McCabe suggested areas of relatively easy commingling that include administration and law enforcement functions. He inferred that a serious attempt to become more streamlined would be looked upon favorable at the state level and some funding opportunities might be available. In any combination of systems there would be start up costs for learning new systems and training. Senator McCabe believe this can be accomplished without mentioning the 'Z' word zoning and taxation should only reflect the services received. A very interesting idea and one that I can see in the distant future. Ultimately is all comes down to people getting along with each other.

Sharp Looking Streets

Have you seen the Nat Geo TV series Life After People? The series shows what our planet would look like if no humans existed in a variety of future times. Shortly after the absence of humans mother nature takes hold quickly and streets and walkways are soon overrun with grass, weeds and brush.

If you have noticed, our city street crews have been removing the overgrowth of grass and weeds from the street curbs in preparation for repainting those areas requiring curb painting. The streets that have been completed really look good. I asked if there was a tool that made the removal easy aside from elbow grease and brute strength. The answer was no tool existed but the young summer helpers will have strong arms by the end of the summer. One street that looks particularly good is Franklin. The cleaned curbs really enhance the look of the street.

If you happen to see the crews working, stop and tell them you can see a positive difference.

Sewer Rate Increase

By now most readers will have heard that the sewer rates will be increased by ordinance. The process of a rate increase will take place over the next 45 or so days. This assumes of course that the Public Service Commission formally approves the rate increase.

I attended a meeting last Friday afternoon at city hall where members of the Waste and Wastewater Staff of the Public Service Commission presented a report to the sanitary board members. The report provides the technical and statistical information supporting the proposed rate increases. The report findings were based on audits of the sanitary board of not only the financial condition of the utilit,y but also audits of the performance of the plant with respect to maintenance, capital improvements and personnel. Our waste water facility received positive recommendations and comments in the report findings. Hats off the Sam Ludlow and his staff.

I learned during the presentation, that our facility does have a contingency fund in case of an emergency repair. I believe I'm correct in saying emergencies are handles out of the approved operating budget. I also learned that a financially healthy utility systems enhance our city's ability to attract new business and receive favorable ratings from financial institutions.

In order to work toward developing a contingency fund and maintaining a sound financial foundation, future rate adjustments will be necessary. Waste and wastewater management is a basic service that needs adequate funding with a fair rate structure. From what I've seen, our city is doing a job with respect to basic utilities.

Summer Drought Arrives Early

The grass in my back yard sounds like I'm walking on corn flakes and the more I think about it, it sort of has the color of corn flakes. We are very dry and the usual dry season that comes in August has arrived early. You know for sure the dry season is upon us when the dam on the Buckhannon River behind West Virginian Split Rail no longer has water going over the spillway.

Our drinking water supply comes from the Buckhannon River and when the water stops going over the spillway, the Buckhannon River watershed has approximately 70 days of water reserve. If we are faced with an extended period without adequate rainfall, the drinking water supply could reach extremely low reserves.

The Buckhannon River water shed can be impacted by a number of factors. One factor is the number of fallen trees in the waterway. Fallen trees cause a reduction in the flow of water and when water slows it deposits silt. The more silt that is deposited, the less water can be retained behind the dam. Removing fallen trees would decrease the rate of bottom silting. Removing all the fallen trees in the water ways would decrease cover and fish populations might decrease. As always there are a variety of issues to consider before any actions are taken. To my knowledge, there are no immediate plans to remove trees from the Buckhannon River.

Another factor impacting our water shed is removal of water upstream of the dam. I was told that water is removed from the river to support gas well drilling operations. I do not know if this is true but for discussion purposes lets say it is. We use about 1.6 million gallons of water per day. If an equivalent amount is removed for drilling on a daily basis, the 70 day water reserve could be drastically reduced.

I mention the early drought, the 70 day reserves and the water shed issues only to raise awareness that our water is not an infinite resource. Water rationing is not in the immediate future but good water conservation habits should be routine for all.

If you think you have a water leak, the city water department can assist in leak detection and can be reached by calling 304.472.1651.

Blogless

My grandson, Anderson, left for Houston on Friday. It was a sad day but a day I knew was coming. I enjoyed being a grandfather and story telling with my son and his wife late each evening. Anderson arrived home safely and both families are getting back into a more normal routine.

My attention has been focused for the last several days on family and not thoughts, views and musings about Buckhannon. My routine blogs will return in short order as the new week begins.

In the mean time I will relish the memories of Anderson's visit. I keep finding little Anderson surprises in the house. A lost ball, a wooden pot banging spoon and his swimming pool were all reminders of his visit.

Firsts

Firsts are exciting. First place in a competitive event is always thrilling. I remember my first kiss, my first car, my first job and a lot of other firsts are in my data banks. This week my grandson, Anderson had his first visited from Texas. I'm quite sure my son Kyle and his wife Robin brought all the hot weather with them!!!

Anderson is 9 months old and he experienced several firsts during his visit. You've already heard about Anderson's first visit to Audra State Park, first watermelon and river swimming in yesterdays blog. Since then Anderson had his first experience with new foods. Eggs did not go so well as the headlines could have very easily read: Grandfather Poison's Grandson. Anderson had an allergic reaction to eggs at breakfast. His head turned red and grew two sizes larger due to swelling. Fortunately the reaction was short lived and Benedryl helped. By the evening meal Anderson was ready for another new adventure with spaghetti. Stripped down to nothing but a diaper, he polished off an adult portion of pasta with marinara sauce and two meatballs with great success. Today Anderson was the star of his own photo session, another first with Grandpa. Firsts are indeed exciting.

Our city is just like Anderson when it comes to firsts. Some firsts will be smashing successes and others will end up like the eggs. The important thing is to enjoy the process of firsts by learning from those that are not successful and building on those that are.

Promoting The Beauty Of Our Area

Right in our own backyard is Audra State Park. Over the years I have photographed brides, high school seniors, families and a harp player on the rocks along the river. The park is beautiful regardless of the time of year. Fall is especially beautiful but the snow and ice covered rocks provide an equally stunning view. The rhododendrons of spring are beautiful and I've used the spring greenery during photography classes at the park.

My favorite season though is summer time. Renee and I were at the park yesterday and remarked that we don't visit as frequently as we should. Even though the parking areas were almost full we still managed to find a parking spot close to our favorite area. Lots of families and park visitors were enjoying the cool water and friendly atmosphere. I photographed a family visiting the park from Texas with their 9 month old baby, Anderson, who experienced several firsts in his young life. First visit to Audra State Park, first swim in a river and first taste of watermelon. Doesn't his face just exude happiness? And just in case you are wondering, I don't need a model release. Anderson is my grandson pictured with his mom, Robin.

Noise On Kanawha Street

During my campaign for city council, several citizens approached me about the truck noise on Kanawha Street. Street noise was a topic of one of my earlier blogs. Since my election to council I have been contacted by several others also concerned with truck noise.

In order to fully represent your desires, I want to know if more community residents have an opinion about truck traffic and noise on our streets. Please contact me at my new council email scott.preston@buckhannonwv.org. I will make sure I share this information with other council members.

I have done some internet reseach on the topic of truck noise reduction and as you would expect there is no simple solution. The attached link, http://knowledge.fhwa.dot.gov/cops/OpsPublic.nsf/discussionDisplay?Open&id=4F26938368BB0B7F852571690076A9FB&Group=signs&tab=DISCUSSION , contains a variety of responses on the subject of truck noise reduction. You might find it interesting reading.

What's Behind Door Number 3?

The hook most game shows have is keeping secret all the goodies behind the numbered door or the secret square. Audiences were glued to their TV's waiting and hoping to see the secrets unveiled. City council may have seemed like that in previous meetings especially for those who viewed council meetings on delayed broadcast.

To aide council members in the flow of the meeting agenda, backup information (sometimes measured in inches) is attached in the order that items will be discussed. It is a very helpful means to assist understanding the issues at hand. Home viewers and some in attendance didn't have access to the backup information nor the agenda.

In the spirit of transparency, recorder Rich Clemens, is now posting the city agenda and backup information on the city website and in most cases the information will be online before council meetings. Check out it out at http://www.buckhannonwv.org/Announcements.html.

Coming soon, will hopefully be a city website function that will allow playback of the council meetings on your computer. This way you will be able to view the proceedings at your leisure. Thanks to Rich Clemens for adding these informative features. No longer will you have to wait to see what's behind door number 3!

Community Homework

One of the topics of last nights council meeting was the cable franchise agreement with Suddenlink. The franchise agreement is regularly renewed and during the renewal process the city and Suddenlink negotiate services etc. Having not been through the process before, believe the preceding sentence is by and large correct.

Discussions will soon be scheduled and it would be helpful to know what you, the citizens of Buckhannon, would like to see included, excluded or added to the current service. Without your input council, will be adding their favorites which include the woodworking channel, all about fire engine channel, nothing but pottery and Mayor Davidson's favorite channel, polka, polka, polka. Seriously, let us know your interests regarding cable service. Please let me know your thoughts via email at scott.preston.01@gmail.com.

Another community homework assignment is to help council get a pulse of the community. In 2008 a community survey was completed which provided data for some portions of the 2015 plan. Now, two years later, it is important to get a sense check. Are the views of the community different? Have we improved? We have grown in acreage but our population has decreased. Why? We are asking community members to complete the same survey issued in 2008. Now, the cool part, the survey will be on line soon. Please take time to visit the city website and fill out the survey http://www.buckhannonwv.org/Welcome.html. Due to the holiday schedule, the survey will not be posted until next week.

Code

Many things come to mind when I hear the word 'code'. Law enforcement and fire units still use remnants of the 10 code system. 10-4 okay, 10-22 cancel your response, etc. From my college days, I remember writing computer code. My engineering class was the last graduating class that took their exams on a slide rule. A TI 99 (Texas Instruments) calculator that could only add, subtract, multiple and divide sold for a bargain price of $99.95 in 1972. Computer code was punched in IBM type cards and sent to the computing department. If you were lucky, your results came back the following morning, only if each card was properly punched and in the correct order. Department stores and hospitals use codes for spills in isles, shop lifters and medical emergencies. There are professional codes of conduct, building codes, performance codes, construction codes and the list goes on.

In preparation for tonight's city council meeting, my first, I have spent some time reading several of the relevant West Virginia state codes governing municipalities and county commissioners and officers. By no means do I claim any proficiency in state code but I do have a good starting understanding of some of the most relevant codes. I believe it is fundamental to base city council decisions on relevant code and have checks, balances and audits that provide a score card on how well we are doing. Too often decisions are made based on emotions and not fact. I am not immune to making emotional decisions and usually the end result is "Honey , I'm sorry I opened my mouth."

I am hopeful that the 2010-2011 city council will park our emotions, biases and sometimes friendships at the door, to conduct the business of city government.

WV State Fire Academy

Monday I had the opportunity to volunteer at the state fire academy at Jackson's Mill. I attended the afternoon session with Buckhannon's fire chief Mitch Tacy and our main function was to refill the student's breathing air bottles at the conclusion of student activities. Before the afternoon session, we were treated to lunch at the Jackson's Mill dining hall and we shared the hall not only with the 100+ fire academy students and instructors, but an equal number of 4 H'rs. It was a walk down memory lane of the various youth camps I attended growing up in upstate New York. The Jackson's Mill dining hall was renovated several years ago and it is a beautiful facility.

The 2010 fire academy roster has 90 students and about half are out of state students. There is also a strong representation of young female fire fighters. The students on Monday afternoon had a rigorous schedule and completed rotations in knot tying, the proper use of hand held fire extinguishers with live fire, hazmat class A (spaceman) suits, hose advancement, interior rescue and rural water movement. The instructors kept the classes moving and I'm quite sure all students slept well Monday night.

The quality of training the students receive is excellent and the program is designed to familiarize students with with a smorgasbord of activities and experiences one would find in today's fire service. Both Mitch and I commented that students completing the academy curriculum have in many cases, more training than some of the old timers in today's fire service. As an observer, I also learned some new techniques for hose handling as well as being reminded of how much I had once known but had forgotten over time.

Finding and developing volunteers for local departments is challenging. Starting young and planting the seeds of volunteerism early is an excellent method. The sad thing is finding and encouraging youth volunteerism especially in the fire service. The Upshur County Fire Fighters Association offer scholarships for any youth interested in attending this years academy. Out of 8 county departments, only one youth expressed interest in attending but was unable to attend. Hopefully participation will increase in the years to come.

Add, Subtract, Multipy or Divide

Last Friday I spent part of the morning with Amby Jenkins the acting city treasurer for a tutorial on the 2010-2011 city budget. After just a few minutes I was reliving my grad school business accounting course. I am very thankful for the time I spent with Amby because it gives me a better understanding of the budget numbers as well as a list of questions to ask the department heads when the opportunity arises.

When the 2010-2011 budget was completed I heard comments about the police budget. Folks were analyzing the budget dividing the total monies by the number of officers, subtracting the number of square miles in Buckhannon and adding the square root of the sum of officer hat sizes. Without understanding the budget makeup, an uninformed person may not know the police budget number includes significant funds for the police safety complex construction.

The more time I spend at city hall, the more I learn. Thanks again to Amby for taking me to school.

Torch Training

Last Thursday night members of the Buckhannon fire department trained with a cutting torch in preparation for Saturday's area wide drill. The cutting torch unit is a seldom used but valuable tool in our arsenal of cutting devices. A guest trainer, Mr. Logan Lamb, was invited to instruct the fire fighters in the proper use of the cutting torch. Mr. Lamb discussed proper procedures for setting gas cylinder regulators before and after cutting, proper safety equipment and cutting techniques for various metals and shapes.

In the inserted image, Mr. Lamb observes and guides firefighter Joey Baxa cutting pipe. The purpose of this blog is many fold. The obvious purpose is to highlight ongoing training activities that add to the skills of your local firemen.

A second, less obvious but equally important purpose, to highlight some of our local education success stories. Our school system, similar to city council, has heard from time to time, the cry of 'improvement needed'. While there are always areas needing improvement, success stories often take a back seat to more pressing topics. The guest trainer, Logan Lamb, is a 2010 graduate of Buckhannon High School and the welding program at Fred Eberle Technical. Mr. Lamb was the gold medal winner in the local welding SkillsUSA competition and placed second at the state SkillsUSA competition with a silver medal. Mr. Lamb provided an interesting and entertaining hour of training and carried conversation like a seasoned professional. Every student brings their own personal drive to their educational experience. Hats off to the Eberle program for inspiring students like Mr. Lamb. Mr. Lamb will be attending the Hobart Welding Institute in August.

If its not obvious by now, the last purpose of this blog is bragging rights. Logan is my step son and I am very proud!!!

Rick Holley

Please keep the Holley's, Kay, Beau, Nikki, Adam and grand baby Adysin in your thoughts and prayers. We will miss Rick.

Letters to Santa

As a child I remember writing letters to Santa and most of the time the letters were answered in the positive. The tradition is still alive, although I think Santa may be receiving more texts than hand written letters. My reason for mentioning letters to Santa, is not the the days are now getting shorter, but a request Rich Clemens made on June 7th at the conclusion of his remarks to the Chamber of Commerce. He asked everyone present to write a letter to city council. He provided 6x8 lined cards and pens. Thirty six letters were written and Rich made copies of each for all council members.

Yesterday, John Waltz and I were the speakers at Chamber. I took the opportunity the share my analysis of the letters with the Chamber attendees and thought blog readers would be interested in the results as well. Thirteen themes emerged from the letters to council presented as follows in no particular order:

1) Cycling, parks, trails, beautification - 5 comments
2) Youth Activities - 2 comments
3) Working together - 15 comments
4) Parking - 3 comments
5) Police - 6 comments
6) Energy conservation - 1 comment
7) 2015 Plan - 10 comments
8) CVB - 7 comments
9) Streets & Sidewalks - 3 comments
10) Budget - 3 comments
11) More business to town - 3 comments
12) City manager concept - 1 comment
13) Improved schools - 3 comments

The common message after reading all the letters was 'we have a future'. Sprinkled among all the suggestions, gripes, complaints and comments was a generous dose of positive and hopeful anticipation of change. The most common theme was working together. That message was loud and clear. Success will be achieved only by working together. I want to close this blog by printing one of the letters in full. No additional comments will be necessary.

The major critical issue for the city of Buckhannon and the 2015 Plan is the necessity of being "generally" unified with all parties committed to working together for a common goal. I say "generally" as there are some groups and folks who will not participate at all. There seems to be some very good ideas out there in the 2015 Plan and being developed today but key is implementation and key to implementation is acceptance as the thing to do. Over my almost 40 years of working in various groups in Buckhannon, many intelligent, capable, hard working and meaning people have tried several things similar to this (2015 plan). Many of those people and organizations were committed to making a difference, but eventually became just like the other groups and just faded away. I believe a key reason for this was their tiring of "fighting" losing battles with others instead of committing to working with those who agree with them and even more, those who do not agree with them.

Homework

On Friday, John, Rich and I spent the morning meeting key staff at city hall, the sewer plant, transfer station and water plant. It was informative and interesting. We were also provided copies of the city charter circa 1934, city ordinances, parts of the West Virginia code, FAQ's of Roberts Rules, the city budget and about 1 1/2 inches of additional paper.

I started reading through the information and I'm beginning the slow learning process. Thanks to the mayor for taking time to make the transition into city government more efficient.

My View On The Farmers Market

The farmers market was a topic of conversation recently and it's current location will be disturbed by the construction in Jawbone Park scheduled to begin in July. I am told there are several options for the permanent location of the farmers market after completion of the Jawbone construction. Some of the options were designed by VanNostrand Architechs and others by the city engineering staff. I have not seen any of the proposed designs and am hopeful that the new council will ahve an opportunity to review all the designs. In any event some changes are in store for the farmers market.

I have talked with individuals who studied other area farmers markets and they offered the Bridgeport farmers market as an example of a well run market system. The Bridgeport market has set hours of operation. By setting specific hours, the public knows exactly when it will be open and the farmers have found they have more visitors and frequently sell out before the end of the scheduled hours. By establishing specific hours, the city of Bridgeport has use of the farmers market area for alternate functions during non market hours.

I have observed the Buckhannon farmers market with only one or two vendors per day and those vendors are there for most of the day. Seems to me, if I were a farmer, having a set time for sales would be a better use of my time. As a child I would go the market with Uncle Aust three days a week arriving before the sun rose and back on the farm about 8:30am for breakfast. Uncle Aust knew when and where to go to sell his produce. The Bridgeport market has a set of bylaws, and participants are required to register to sell at the market.

Whether the permanent home of the farmers market is near downtown or incorporated into Jawbone Park, an operating structure similar to Bridgeport makes sense to me. The farmers market is a unique feature of Buckhannon and should continue.

My View On Employee Handbook & Job Descriptions

Each July, the city council confirms appointees such as police and fire chiefs, city attorney and others. I asked my fellow council members how they assess the performance of the appointees. Are there job or position descriptions with measurable objectives? The indirect answer I took away from my conversations was, if the appointees didn't really screw up during the previous year, they got reappointed for the next year.

I was told there is an employees handbook in draft form waiting on a legal review. One of the action items I feel is fundamental to running the business of city government, is having a written employee handbook. Closely following adopting a city employee handbook, would be developing job descriptions and performance criteria with specific measurable objectives for city supervisors and appointees. And finally following the supervisory level, all employees should have a job description. with performance criteria.

A job description defines what and how a task is performed. Job descriptions and performance criteria should, in my opinion, also contain a measure of personal impact. Very simply "Do you play well with others?" including your peers, staff and the public.