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.

Day in the Town and Striped Bass Festival

Day in the Town was a lot of fun. Didn't look like there was as many vendors as in the past, but the weather was a lot nicer than last year. The fishing seemed good too. We saw a huge catfish in the blue live tank that looked like it could have eaten a small dog.

My fiancee's girls (she adopted her nieces last year) enjoyed the blow up playhouses and the fried bread treats. We also bought them each a dog puppet and they had fun walking them up and down the street. We saw most of the council people, including Mrs. Meisenbach with a stroller full of ferrets. That was different, at first I thought she'd had a baby. Mr. Nowlin spoke to me and teased the girls a bit, I'm not sure if he knew who I am, but he was certainly pleasant. We bought some kabobs from Chief Cousin's booth and they were really good. I wish he'd open a diner. The man selling the t-shirts helped me restock my weekend wardrobe. We also had a buffalo burger is it was awesome!

Score one for Ice

The new police dog has only been on the job a few days and he's already been instrumental in the confiscation of some drugs and firearms. This is just what our town needs to help clean it up. Approving the grant to get this dog was one of the smartest things the town council has done.
I can only hope the drug pushers are on notice and choose to go somewhere else!

Brookneal at it's best

I've enjoyed working closer to home these past weeks. Spring has brightened the region, even though the evenings are very cool and rain clouds have shadowed us.
I got a call from a friend traveling down 81 on his way to western North Carolina and he was raving about the gorgeous purple trees and various flowering shrubs. Spring and fall make me realize that this region is one of the prettiest I've ever seen. I hope the people that have lived here their whole lives appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of the area. Other states simply pale in comparision to the natural beauty we find around here. We visited the Patrick Henry Memorial recently and I can see why he called it the garden spot of Virginia.