Don't Count Your Chickens Before They Hatch

I have enjoyed writing a regular blog about Buckhannon and some of my personal insights. There are times when I look ahead at all that can be accomplished for our city and see myself as an effective councilman. There is a danger in becoming too familiar with the vision for the future and where I may or may not fit in. I first have to be elected before I can help facilitate change. I hope the readers of this blog will support my candidacy.

So before I get too confident in my blogging and choice of words and phrases, I must be elected. If I have sounded too confident, I am not. There are four council candidates for two positions and each candidate brings unique qualifications. I am hopeful for a positive outcome on June 8th but I'm not counting any chickens before they hatch.

All Ahead 1/3

I love old movies and I'm always a sucker for movies with a navy theme. Last night for instance on the Deadliest Catch, the fishing fleet was leaving the docks for opilio crab season and they were casting off lines and moving ahead easy. Before moving to Buckhannon I worked in the oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico and was responsible for designing, building and installing deep water oil platforms. I recall my largest project when it was finally loaded and ready to sail, took a very long time for the tug boats (5 of them) to get the barge moving. At that time, the oil platform was the second largest bottom founded platform in the world and according to my son, who still works in the industry, that record still holds. Needless to say it took considerable horse power to start the load moving as the barge had to over come it's own mass, water drag and the wind load blowing against the super structure.

Why all this nautical talk? I think our city is just like that large load on the barge and requires a lot of horse power to get it moving again. The exciting thing is I do see it moving forward. Not fast, as it is still building momentum, but forward none the less. Let's look at the positive things that are starting the slow move forward:

1. Council is working on the 2015 Plan
2. BuckhannonPolice.com, a user friendly website, was launched two weeks ago
3. The CVB mess, while still a mess, has glimmers of resolution
4. Three new faces will be on council in July
5. Several private sector initiatives have started to spotlight B-U areas of celebration
6. Our downtown looks beautiful and has a charm of it's own
7. Citizens are stepping out and willing to be part of change

These are just a few of the positive items that are beginning to move us forward. At times our forward progress may seem like a 12 volt trolling motor trying to move an ocean liner, but we are still going forward. And the more positive inputs we have, the faster our forward progress will be. For the time being I'm happy with "All ahead 1/3".

Brakes on Jake Brakes

I received a call from a Buckhannon citizen who lives on Kanawha Street. He voiced concern over the noise large truck jake brakes make especially in the wee hours of the morning. The noise wakes his family.

A jake brake works in conjunction with the trucks compressed air system and slows the truck by venting high pressure air through the cylinder heads which dissipates engine energy thus slowing the truck. The venting of high pressure air through the exhaust system causes the increased noise level. Add this to the fact that large coal trucks and some logging trucks operate in the early morning hours to get a start on the day when traffic is the lightest. That's the cause of the early morning noise problem.

How to solve the noise problem from jake brakes may be more difficult to solve. Here's what might work. The city passes a jake brake ordinance if it does not already have one. Then post signs on Route 20 at the city limits advising no jake brake use. Advertise in the papers that jake brake enforcement will begin on a definite date. Rigorously enforce the ordinance for a short period of time and my guess is the trucking community will get the message loud and clear.

I don't think it would be a wise use of police officers to to focus solely on noise abatement. Periodic noise blitzes would be better.

Steps In The Right Direction

Our city police department has a new website www.BuckhannonPolice.com. Well done Matt. The site is informative with information on each officer and upcoming events.

The most interesting aspect of the website is a contact page that goes directly to the chief. You can use this to offer your suggestions, praises and complaints. Chief Gregory may contact you for additional information in the event a complaint needs more follow up.

It is vital to offer feedback so change can take place. This is an excellent vehicle to let Matt know how his officers are performing. It's easy to identify areas that need improvement in any organization. It is equally important to identify areas were performance is excellent. Organizations thrive were there is a balance of praise and feedback.

I would like to see a user friendly website for other city departments. How efficient it would be to report a water break or street in need of repair. How about the ability to pay bills on line. I hope we get there sooner than later.

What the $%#*&%@@

The use of profanity in every day speech has continued to grow in use in casual and professional settings. I admit that I have occasionally let a few colorful words fly (see blog of April 8th) but I also work hard to express myself in an appropriate manner in most situations.

During the Strawberry Festival I reported several positive observations about our city professionals including our police bike patrols and the work of the city waste department's miraculous transformation of a littered Saturday night Main Street to a clean street on Sunday morning. Today's blog looks at the other side or lack of professional conduct.

The first incident involves a police office patrolling on foot during the festival. The officer observes a motorcycle traveling too fast for the conditions and yells for it to slow down. The officer added an unnecessary adjective to the phrase by saying slow the #$&*%* down. Now if this happened on an isolated street in the middle of nowhere no one would take offense. Sadly it happened in earshot of several citizens and the story was relayed to me.

The second incident involves workers in the street department. It seems while installing new road signs the installation crew was unhappy with the task and expressed their displeasure with an onslaught of #$%#&^ and %*&@. Again their expressions of displeasure were in ear shot of citizens who cared not to hear the colorful use of our language.

If elected I will speak with the supervisors involved and ask that measures be taken to eliminate the use of $$#%&^@@ language in the work place. In my previous employment in the oil industry, such language could be the grounds for termination. Strong action by supervisors is the most effective way to reduce such unbecoming language.

Reader Response

Several days ago, a reader asked my opinion on the three remaining studies needed to complete the 2015 plan. I responded saying I didn't have enough information to offer an opinion but would find out more details and report back.

I learned there are three areas needing additional studies: Housing, Traffic and Land usage. There are no clear cut guidelines that direct the content of each study. Some cities have responded with just a brief paragraph and others have completed in depth studies.

I know that several traffic studies have been completed in Buckhannon over the last several years. A study considering widening Route 20 through Tennerton, diverting traffic via a Brushy Fork cutoff and splitting traffic from Main St. have yielded a wide variety of suggestions, solutions and discussion topics. These studies could provide an adequate basis for the traffic studies with some additional explanatory verbiage.

The land use study seems rather direct. We have designated areas within the city limits for residential, commercial and industrial development. A land use map can be readily produced to identify these areas. What is lacking is a broader county view of land use and not necessarily a requirement of the 2015 plan. The broader county view of land use is called zoning. I have been lead to believe that anyone mentioning zoning at a county level is skating on thin ice. I think this may be a conversation for the future.

The housing study needed to complete the 2015 plan may require some review of our existing city housing standards and needs. Our population is greying and more and more people may need housing assistance. This is more my gut feel of the issue rather than having any hard facts.

I hope this response is helpful to the reader who asked for my opinion on these issues.

A Story That Needs To Have A Happy Ending

I believe the following story to be true. It was told to me by the father of the child involved and it goes something like this.

A young child is enjoying outdoor playtime and was riding their scooter on the sidewalk in a residential section of Buckhannon. The scooter was not motorized and you propelled it by pushing ahead with one foot.

While on routine patrol, one of Buckhannon's police officers noticed the child riding on the sidewalk. The officer stopped and informed the child that riding on the sidewalks of Buckhannon was not allowed. The officer advised the child that riding in the street was permitted or at the skate park adjacent to Jawbone park. And lastly the child was told that the officer had the authority to confiscate the child's scooter. One of the child's parents has discussed the incident with Chief Gregory.


To have a happy ending I think our city ordinance for sidewalk use needs to be examined. I have not researched the ordinance but I would make this a priority if elected to council. I know that there is a "no bicycle, no skate board" restriction for Main Street and I think this is appropriate as there is substantial pedestrian traffic. But I have to think it's okay for our children to ride and play on sidewalks in residential areas. It may be that our sidewalk ordinance allows bicycle riding in residential areas. Time will tell.


Another happy ending to this story would see a change in our policing policies and procedures. This story should never have happened. I don't see a community minded police approach in this incident and the idea that our officers are community ambassadors is lost on strict enforcement.


I relay this story fully realizing I have received information from only one side of the equation and I may be too quick to jump into uncharted waters but I feel compelled to share this unfortunate incident.

Early Voting StartsToday

Early voting starts today and I know many take advantage of this convenient way to cast your ballots. Early voting takes place at city hall week days before the election and the two Saturdays prior to the June 8th election.

Today I mailed my campaign literature to all who voted in the 2008 election. I hand addressed each envelop and now have writers cramp. I hope this years election will see an increase in voter turn out. Only you can make a difference.

Friday Firemans Parade

This is my favorite day of Strawberry Festival. I am a fireman and I love to see all the trucks and most of all the camaraderie of the day. I usually take the whole day off and to help prepare for the day's events. The Buckhannon fire department hosts the parade for all the visiting fire departments. We have a variety of awards for the best equipment in several classes and awards for the oldest apparatus still in service and the department that traveled the furthest to participate in the parade.

When the parade finishes we feed all the visiting firefighters at out station and I enjoy sharing the cooking detail. We serve Wendling's hot dogs, with all the fixings. I mention Wendling's hot dogs by name because they are delicious. They have developed their own blend of meats and spices that is mosty tasty!!! Enjoy the parade.

Election Elves

Have you seen the election elves? They have helped place my door hangers in the north Buckhannon area. Thank you elves. It is a wonderful blessing to have volunteer election elves. I was concerned about being able to walk the entire city by the June 8th election, but the election elves are taking a huge weight off my leg and hip (literally and figuratively).

After the Strawberry Festival the elves and I will be out to cover the city. It should be an exciting time and good exercise. Thanks again to my election elves.

Election Results

Congratulations to all those who participated in yesterdays primary elections. You are all winners regardless of the vote count. Each person running for office invested some funds, exerted a lot of energy and subjected themselves to all kinds of verbal banter. It takes a lot of fortitude to run for office and all should be proud of their efforts.

Jobs You Hate To Do

Plumbing. I loathe plumbing. Water leaks and drain connections bamboozle me and there is never enough duck tape or caulking compound to fix the leaks (only kidding). I have a toilet that needs a new chain that connects the handle to the flapper. It should be an easy fix, but with my luck it will turn out to be an all day project.

Even though I loathe plumbing, I still tackle the projects that are necessary and call in expertise only when I am sure I can't handle the task at hand. I'm sure that if elected to city council I will be faced with tasks that I really don't like or want to do, but rest assured, I will still meet the challenges head on. And when I don't think I have the expertise, I will seek input from others who may have a better understanding of the issue.

Hope you voted today.

Vote on Tuesday

The primary elections are Tuesday and your vote is important. If you have not already done so, please vote. It is a right and privilege to be part of the decision making process that effects us all.

Logan will be voting for the first time Tuesday. Renee and I are doing our best to explain why it's important to vote. When you are just 18 voting doesn't make a lot of sense. Girls friends, graduation and fishing seem more pressing. Oh, to be 18 again, that's scary!!!!!

To Be Or Not To Be

I never thought there would be so many questions and decisions about running a campaign for city council. While I really want the opportunity to serve, I am overwhelmed with the choices available to get my desire to run and my message to the voters of Buckhannon. Do I use a phone service, mail post cards, do door hangers (yes to this one), purchase yard signs, have one big sign (yes to this one), attend every special meeting and forum, etc., etc.

Thanks to the Record Delta I have an oportunity to write out my responses to three questions:
1. What are your qualifications for running for office and why have you elected to do so?
2. What are three things that set you apart from the other candidates?
3. List three things you would like to see happen in the city by 2015 and how can city government play a role in making these occur?

All the candidate responses will be printed in the May 19th edition of the Record Delta. The candidates are askes to limit the responses to 350 words for each question. That's a total of 1050 words. You'll be able to read my responses quickly, they total only 919 words!!

Local Talent

Last Saturday I had the priviledge to be one of the judges for the Strawberry Festival photography contest. My fellow judge, Steve Cresswell and I spent 2 1/2 hours at the Senior Center critiquing 322 entries. If I remember correctly the categories included people, places and things, Buckhannon watershed, youth, flowers, wild West Virginia.

In each category there were awards for first through fourth place with several honorable mentions depending on the total entries in each category. All 322 images told a story or evoked emotion. The winners in each category demonstrated excellence in composition, creativity, technical quality, attention to theme and overall impact.

Congratulations to all participants. Our area has some very talented photographers and if you would like to see all the entries visit Bill Kelley Chevrolet during the Strawberry Festival. The photography exhibit opens May 12th at 5:30 pm. The Buckhannon Camera Club sponsors the exhibit. For more information about the photography exhibit and the Buckhannon Camera Club visit www.bucamera.com

Yard Sale Signs

Even on a lazy Sunday afternoon questions and suggestions about our town surface in the most unusually ways. After returning from a fire call, one of my fellow firefighters said he was bothered by yard sale signs that stay up long after the yard sale is over. He thought the yard sale home owner should be fined after two days. I posted the yard sale sign issue on face book earlier, and received several comments.

One comment hits home with me and it was posted by Sherry McDaniels. Sherry says if you notice an out of date yard sale sign just pick it up and throw it in the trash. It's the neighborly thing to do. I think there is a lot to be said about truly living as a neighbor. Our law enforcement officers have enough on their hands without policing out of date yard sale signs.

Run for the Roses

Friday night Renee and I donated our services to photograph all the guest couples and groups attending the 4th annual St. Joseph's Hospital-Wesleyan College Gala. We have done this each year as our way of supporting the hospital and college. This years theme was the Kentucky Derby and the dinner dress was quite festive. Many of the ladies had beautiful, bodacious hats that added a fashion flare to the evenings activities.

The annual gala is a fund raiser that benefits the hospital and college foundations. In addition to a tasty dinner, the gala has fun events, silent and live auctions and dancing to quality band music. If you haven't had an opportunity to attend the events, a call to either the hospital or college will get your name added to the mailing list.

We're All Tied Up

Members of Buckhannon and surrounding fire departments participated in training exercises designed to teach and practice fire scene utility knots. Most people know how to tie granny and square knots but these are not recommended for use on the fire ground. A granny knot may not hold under load and the configuration of a square knot reduces the strength of the rope.

Standard fire ground knots are the bowline, 8 on a bit, clove hitch, half hitch, butterfly and Becket's bend. Each knot or combination of knots have specific uses that include raising or lowering tools, chain saws, ladders and charged and uncharged hoses. Using proper knots assures the safety of the firefighters and protection of equipment and property.

Next time you see a firefighter, ask him or her if they know how to tie a Becket's bend?