Facebook

Due to time constraints I'm only going to be able to keep up with a few of my sites. I'm moving his one to face book. You can find me by searching Brookneal Bloogger ( yes there are two o's)

Police department

Why is there a petition going around to asking if we need to keep the police department?
Is the council going to disband it?

It would be stupid and irresponsible to remove our local police protection. It takes the county a long time to get down here and with the cuts that they are facing they aren't going to have the man-power.

Is this an employee issue, like last time, or is it really a budget problem?

Christmas season starting!

The parade was nice tonight, first time since I've been here that it hasn't either rained or been threatening to rain. The girls were excited and we had to follow them down to the community building and then back up the street. Of course the candy being thrown was making it harder to keep track of them. I'm not sure if any of the photos that I took will come out, but if they do I'll post them later.


Drove through town the other day and saw the remains of the old mill. So sad that it's gone. I never went in there, but it was a neat reminder of the history of the town. I hope it can be rebuilt.

Summer is over

Looks like summer has already headed south. It's very cold in the mornings and the days are getting shorter fast. Doesn't look like much has changed since we got a new town manager. I don't expect miracles, but I did expect to see some work done on the derelict buildings owned by council members, and it's still easy to spot a town employee using the town equipment to work on his own property.

In personal news: My family has undergone some changes. I'm officially a husband now after getting married at my wife's grandparents' farm in northern Virginia. We're also in the process of adopting her two nieces, who have been living with us for the past year. Life is changing and getting better.

Sorry for the absence

I've been dealing with some family medical issues and haven't had time to post. I've been reading the papers and I'm glad to see that we do have a new town manager. Let's hope he has the back bone to stand up to the council and not get the town into another lawsuit.

Budget woes?

Looks like the Brookneal Budget has some issues.
The mayor calls it a gamble.
A council member explains the surpluses and the fact we've been lied too about not being able to afford a new town manager. The vice mayor had someone write a letter for him to put in the Union Star, in which he shows how little is understood about the budget. And a local accountant explains the bigger problems of having a budget that is top heavy with administrative costs. Uhhh isn't this what got the big car dealers in trouble? Shouldn't the administrative positions cost the town less than the positions that actually keep the town going?

When is our new town manager going to be hired so this insane waste of money will stop?

Goodbye to a great community supporter

Mrs. Carolyn Lusardi has passed away. She was a stalwart member of the community and her family has done a lot for Brookneal. Her obituary can be found here:

Lusardi Obituary


I met Mrs. Lusardi at Red Hill shortly after I moved here. She was gracious in explaining the history of Patrick Henry's home, and the surrounding area, to me. Her outfit was quaint and she informed me that it, and the others worn by the re-enactors, were custom sewn.
My condolences to her family and friends for their loss. My sympathies to the Brookneal community for losing one of the great supporters of the area.