Down by the river

President Barack Obama and Governor Tim Kaine called on us to honor the memories of the precious lives lost on September 11 by participating in service to our communities. There were many great opportunities to volunteer and to make a positive difference for our neighbors, the environment, school kids, and the entire community.

I joined a group of about 50 folks working to clean up South River from Waynesboro to Port Republic. Organized by the Department of Game and Inland Fisheries the cleanup included participants from the Department of Environmental Quality, Trout Unlimited, JMU, Riverfest, and others who enjoy fishing and canoeing on Shenandoah Valley rivers.

It all got started in Waynesboro about 9:00 AM with coffee, juice, ham rolls, donuts, and fruit. Teams had been preassigned, maps were distributed, safety was discussed, and groups set out to clean up their own stretch of the river. Some worked on foot, walking the banks in the city. Others headed out to unload canoes, set up shuttles, and get their paddles wet.

Late summer water levels are low and we all knew we'd have to do a good bit of walking. Still, there were some riffles that added a little fun to the experience and, after a cool wet week, the weather fully cooperated with sunny skies and temps in the low 70s - couldn't have been better.

My group worked a three mile section of the river with a couple canoes, a nice size inflatable, and a kayak. Good thing we had all the flotation because, as you can see in the pictures, we hauled out a lot of stuff that has absolutely no business in any river. In addition to several huge trash bags of bottles, cans, and other consumer items carelessly tossed out by *#@^%&! idiots, we retrieved about a half dozen tires, lawn furniture, barrels, tanks, pipes, and other debris.

Larger items that will be recycled or reused.

Our team looks over bags of trash, tires, and several heavy items that made it necessary to pull canoes through shallow sections.

Thanks to everyone who organized the South River cleanup, thanks to the Riverfest folks who provided nourishment as we embarked, and thanks to the trash haulers who picked up the mountains of junk at designated points and took it to the Augusta County landfill (which forgave tipping fees for the event).

So, South River is much cleaner than it was just 24 hours ago. On to North River, Middle River, the South Fork of the Shenandoah - how many miles of rivers flow through the Shenandoah Valley? Next time you are floating along a river, fishing from a bank, or even walking along a road, take a small trash bag with you and pick up the evidence of some careless and uncaring person who passed by before you. If everyone picked up just a little....

UPDATE: The dump truck tipped the landfill scales a 1.75 tons not counting 117 tires that were pulled from the river!!! Also retrieved were 15 shopping carts, four car batteries, a computer monitor, and a toilet. The good news is that South River is so much cleaner. The bad news is there are people out there who are still trashing our beautiful valley.

How sweet it is!

With some of the sweetest news of these sour economic times, the Hershey Plant in Stuarts Draft announced it is hiring! Unemployment in nearby Waynesboro is above the national average and things not much better in the region, so Hershey's kiss is a needed shot in the arm of the local economy. Just how big a shot isn't known as Hershey hasn't said how many positions they'll be filling. But, it certainly won't be enough for all the people who are seeking a job. At their hiring fair at the Waynesboro Best Western they accepted almost 1,000 applications yesterday and expect at least that many more before their Friday deadline. More on WHSV.

There's been other good economic news for Virginia over the past few days. Hilton Hotel will move its headquarters from California to Fairfax County, investing some $17 million and creating over 300 jobs. Other recent announcements include LASCO Bathware locating in Halifax County thereby creating 50 jobs and a new Harris Teeter distribution center being built in King George County with an investment of $100 million and the potential of over 335 new jobs! Of course, each of these projects will also boost construction and other trades. 

Grist shortage

Virginia's newspapers are filled with stories about too little grist in the mills of government. Tight times for families and tight times for state and local government, too. I thought some stimulus might prod us out of the Bush recession... depression? I heard the comedian Rush Limbaugh blaming it on Obama... Limbaugh is right in time for the holidays, a big dumb turkey.

Back to the main point. I guess only the feds can write the checks that might stimulate the economy enough to hopefully at least get it in a holding pattern rather than the downward spiral we've been witnessing this fall. 

Virginia government is tightening its belt to reduce what looks to be about $2.5 billion in red ink. The cuts are trickling down to local governments and showing up in hiring freezes and cuts in services. Some examples:

• School divisions in the Valley are already cutting back on such things as field trips and instructional supplies. With about 80% of school spending going toward personnel, finding deeper cuts are tough during a school year. Short term, i.e inadequate, fixes could be reducing sports travel, use of facilities after hours, energy savings, etc. If the downturn continues into the spring when the 09-10 school budgets are being crafted, with schools facing 10% or greater cuts from the state, expect no raises for staff, more health insurance cost passed on to the employee, and growing class sizes. Local governments will provide little or no relief and some could cut local funding to boot!
• Local governments will face shortfalls. Across the state, Virginia Beach is struggling to close a $22 million gap. Other than public safety, the city is putting everything on the chopping block. Closer to home, it was reported on TV that Waynesboro has an across-the-board hiring freeze that does impact the police department. The chief noted that, like most small cities, there are already vacancies and it takes months to get a new hire trained on on the streets.
• Speaking of public safety, the Virginia State Police Academy has been postponed twice due to lack of money. The General Assembly has authorized over 2000 troopers but has failed to fund 108 of those positions. And that may get worse. The State Police say they need about 600 new troopers for "new crimes" like identity theft, terrorism, and a variety of internet crimes. To meet that need they are diverting officers from traditional duties on highways. Response times have already gone up. Did the speed limit on I-81 just go up?
• VDOT and many localities say they are "ready" for winter weather, but don't expect the service you've become accustomed to. The cost of chemicals has gone up sharply. Plus, a lot of plowing is done by staff working long hours, i.e. overtime pay. VDOT and cities will cut back on both! Smaller snowfalls will be left to melt on their own. Subdivisions won't get plowed. The biggest changes may be in NOVA which apparently has been getting "enhanced service" that will sharply reduced. The Farmer's Almanac is predicting a cold, snowy winter in Virginia!
• Our state colleges and universities are looking at sharp cuts that may require internal restructuring down to eliminating many basic office expenses and travel. At Virginia Tech they are anticipating cutting programs and people. They've already planned for budget cuts of 3% to 5% but fear those numbers are just a start. It will be the same at JMU, UVA, and others.

So, across the board it looks like the grinch has stolen the extra grist we thought we put up for the winter. There are rays of sunshine in an otherwise gloomy forecast: Governor Kaine just announced Virginia will have $90 million more (total of $128 million) to help low income families heat their homes. The deadline for applying for assistance has been extended to Dec. 1.

The other ray of hope - 01.20.09.

Peckin' for votes in Waynesboro

Former Mississippi Governor, Ray Mabus, is making a small town tour telling voters "yes, we will" elect Barack Obama. After earlier Thursday stops in Danville and Martinsville, Mabus talked to some 50 Democrats who packed themselves in a classroom at Waynesboro's Rosenwald Community Center.

Using humor and specifics on issues ranging from heath care to veterans, to the economy, Governor Mabus made a compelling case for Barack Obama's election. His personal style seemed to connect with folks, few of whom have been involved in the campaign before Thursday. I predict many left with a new sense of urgency about getting personally involved and spreading the word to friends and neighbors.

Mabus, who knows Bill Clinton well and served as his ambassador to Saudi Arabia, confided to a small group afterwards that President Clinton was a "bit miffed" when he became one of Obama's early supporters and began drumming up support among southern Democrats. But, Mabus noted that Clinton is fully on board with Barack Obama.

If you get a chance to hear Governor Mabus, do it. He is funny, informative, and inspiring. For complete coverage on his visit to Waynesboro, check out the Augusta Free Press.

Also, congressional candidate Sam Rasoul was present and met many new voters before Mabus arrived. He seemed to get a good reception. One newspaper reporter related to a small group that while Rasoul was very accessible, Bob Goodlatte seemed to be dodging the press and canceling interviews. 

Photo: Augusta Free Press

H/T: Cobalt6