Readers' Hotline 5/9/12

Case status
Inquiring minds want to know and who better to ask than The Gazette Inquirer? These minds want to know what is happening with the Rooftop thing. Haven’t heard anything in a while. Is the state investigation over? Has there been a trial? And better and most interesting, has anyone found out who the anonymous sources are?
Editor’s note: Grayson County Circuit Court is scheduled to set a court date for Sharon Nichols and Chris Bedsaul, the two accused of embezzling at Rooftop of Virginia, on July 13. This was also slated to be done in February, then again in April; however, the scheduling of the court date has been postponed to July.

Where to go?
I was just wondering where the trucks went that were over at the shopping center that accepted aluminum. Did they quit? If so, where do we take our aluminum now?

Truth will be told
The good book says, “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.” Well, I believe that the people that are trying to accuse Josh Hendrick need to go back and read that part again. I do believe when the dust settles it is going to be clear that Josh has done nothing wrong, but the people who are trying to persecute him have a lot to hide.
Editor’s note: Rural Development has suspended funding for construction inspections on the Fancy Gap utilities project due to a report of a conflict of interest. Carroll Public Service Authority officials have asked the Carroll commonwealth’s attorney’s office for an opinion whether it’s a conflict of interest for county Supervisor Joshua Hendrick to hold his elected position. He is an employee of Nehemiah Engineering, the firm providing construction inspections for the utilities project. The firm has had the inspection contract since 2009.

Resisting change
As a former teacher and colleague at Carroll County High, I have a unique perspective on that situation. I feel there are many good teachers there and a few great teachers and also there are some incompetent teachers. The problem is, they distrust change. They distrust innovations. They distrust new methodologies. Anything to improve instruction. Then you bring on board a new principal who sees their shortcomings and the needs of the high school. He promotes innovation. He promotes research. He promotes new teaching techniques. Immediately he is met with resistance, insubordination, stonewalling. Enter a new school board who ran on change like Obama did. Yet, they immediately side with the faculty against change and force out a principal who is innovative, professional and student oriented. I’m sure they will bring in a principal who will not shake up things. Once again proving the Peter principle that incompetence and mediocrity will rise to the top. It always seems that way in education, doesn’t it?
Editor’ note: The Gazette has confirmed that the latest personnel report calls for a transfer that’s to be announced for the current principal at the Carroll County High School.

Heartless
I’d like to put something in the paper that might make people think before they drop off a cat. Down in Fries, there is a boat dock and a grey cat came out of the weeds there. It was starved to death. It couldn’t even meow it was so weak and I picked it up. It was skin and bone. Whoever didn’t have a heart at all and dumped that grey cat about half grown, I hope someday you rot. Some people are heartless. I never realized how heartless until I brought that kitten home. I still haven’t got it back to normal but I am trying every day. That’s the least you all – whoever dumped it – could have done for that poor cat.

Be thankful
I’m calling about the letters in the paper about choosing the teachers. I come from the time when you got whatever teacher was there. You didn’t get teachers to choose from. There was one teacher per grade and we had to pay for our textbooks. People who are so worried about not having money for their schools and not having this and that, remember textbooks are free now and you don’t have to pay a fee to go to school. I remember when you had to pay so much to be enrolled in school and had to pay so much per book and if you destroyed the book at all, you had to buy the book. We could and should go back to that system. It would save a lot of jobs and the taxpayers’ money. So, be glad your child can get a free education.

Road to nowhere
Concerning [the Hotline call] “where’s the progress,” I guess Carroll County can’t put footers in Wildwood Commercial Park until they build their road to nowhere. Here we go again. VDOT says they are just going to improve 620, but it’s funny that VDOT still wants to take 60 foot of my yard. Carroll County Supervisors said this road plan wouldn’t affect me. Yeah, right.

Taking away land
Where is the progress? It seems to me that in order to sell the mostly privately owned Wildwood property, people’s land is still being considered taken away to upgrade 620. Isn’t anybody going to use the other three directions to get in to Wildwood?

Fix it up
Galax got all that money left over from the Glendale Road project. Why don’t they fix the streets and sidewalks going up to the school?

Golden opportunity
People in Fries, you won’t need to worry anymore because I snuck up to the old mill sight last night and planted a few magic beans. I expect any morning now that we all get up and see a new mill sitting there to take care of the town.

Not helping
I see in the newspaper that the Town of Hillsville is now interested in tourism. When AAA declares the Town of Hillsville a speed trap, wonder how that will help tourism?

Taking it all
To the senior citizen thinking Obama will hurt us on fixed incomes, I am a senior citizen on fixed income also. He will not hurt us. What will hurt us if they elect a president that is Republican, they are going to take all of our rights away. They are going to reduce Social Security, take away Medicare, Medicaid. Everything is going to be destroyed and you are on your own. It says, “if you need any help, ask your neighbor or go to your church.” Well, I don’t think your neighbor or your church would have anything either if all that happened.

Comments ‘sickening’
Seems like someone is still scratching a sore spot by calling in about the sheriff’s department. Synthetic marijuana and other synthetic drugs are killing teenagers. Driving disoriented and incoherent also kills people. Be glad these teenagers were not killed or killed somebody. Your complaints are sickening.

Proud of sheriff
I just wanted to say how much I appreciate Sheriff Richard Vaughan and all the good work he is doing for Grayson County. We received letters about our children going to prom and for their safety and tips on how to be careful and be safe. I thought that was great he has our children’s interests at heart. I think he is a good Christian man and I am very glad he is our sheriff.

You’ll be glad
Why worry about how many police cars there are behind that Hillsville station? If you needed one of those police cars to come by your house to help you out of a situation, you wouldn’t care how many cop cars there are behind the Hillsville police station.

Closing early
I’m calling about certain Galax businesses. I’ve gone to the same business two days in a row and they have closed before the hours on their sign on the door. If you are going to be in business, you need to stay open past the time on your sign or at least to the time on your sign.