Well, May 21st has come and gone, and we’re still here. The Rapture didn’t occur, and the earth didn’t turn into a giant tiki torch. It’s a good thing too, ‘cause I’ve still got a lot of shit to do. Hope none of y’all maxed out your credit cards figuring you wouldn’t be around to have to pay them. (Bubba… You and Earle need to take that 52” big screen back to the WalMart.)
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T-Shirt of the Week
Face withheld at owner's request
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This Woman is Evil
Miss Mattie
This is Miss Mattie, one of the vendors at the Farmers Market whose specialty is home-baked goodies. She is evil. Her treats are so good that they are positively sinful. Sure she’s sweet natured and a church-going lady, but a woman who bakes as good as Miss Mattie does has to be in league with the devil. [Miss Mattie is not to be confused with Mrs. Matty, (below right) Matty Holder, who gets my vote for the coolest thang since sliced bread. She's so cool, she don't sweat.]
Matty Holder
Every week I try and sneak past Miss Mattie’s table, and every week it’s the same thing. The dulcet tones of this lovely lady’s honeyed voice trap me with a, “Mornin’, how are you today?” No matter how determined I am, my feet refuse to move. She’ll offer me a taste of a little sumpin’ sumpin’, and I’m a goner. My plan to cut back this week just flies away. This lady could sell manure to a cattle farmer. I was going to show you a close-up of the Apricot Almond Bars we purchased this week, but they were gone the minute we got home. You’ll just have to settle for the picture of part of her table of delites I took opening day:
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The Elegant Stinkhorn
My Friend John gifted me with a new fungi for my woodland garden this week. It is Mutinus elegans, the Elegant Stinkhorn, a mushroom so foul smelling and nasty looking, you’ll probably smell a patch long before you stumble upon one. It is nicknamed the “Devil’s Dipstick.” It’s supposed to ward off critters. Mine was starting to dry when I took the picture, but the spores should have another pushing up before too long. The things are edible, but I don’t recommend it.
When fresh, the Elegant Stinkhorn looks like a baby penis with its tip covered in pooh
Miss Mattie rocks! Her goodies are not only delicious, but are also lovely to look at. Her brownies last week, with a dollop of whipped cream and a little cherry on top, looked like something from a gourmet magazine!
OOHHHHH, The County Budget…..
It was came out this week, you are remiss to think they’re takin’ care of us! County employees, & I’m not addressing police or the schools, all received “bonuses” last year , including the $30,000 “fringe benefit” in the admistration dept. So, nobody should be BOO Hoooing! We have a county who has failed at balancing the books for several yrs. according to the audits & at this writing they haven’t done so yet this yr either. So WHY reward the Constitutional Officers w a raise? According to the budget, medical & retirement & everything else has risen significantly, & employees DO NOT pay anything towards them. FAIR IS FAIR:you either pay up to 5% of your medical benefits or get a 3% raise. A Secure job & a major benefits pkg should be enough.
The line item”telecommunications” has skyrocked also-no explanation. We have manned offices & land lines-do we need cell phones & more?
Also noted we have a “refuse collection” dept. BUT we subcontract trash out for over 1.2 million dollars, so why do we need a major salary line etc. for over 50 grand. Could our overburdened admistrators absorb that duty & save us alittle?
The Joint IDA sent in April 3 pages of a budget summery, which blatantly included dental,IRA payment,”hosting” & $28,000 in “Dues”. The county budget reduced that to 11 lines, almost the same tally but no summary, so I guess he got dental, IRA, $6,00 for mileage & 3 grand for “Industryappreciation”? This dept is asking for over 7 million dollars.
Considering what just happened in Joplin & Pulaski, the state of the economy & the real threats to our liberty, it is time for Wythe County to honker down & be very fiscally cautious. We need to take care of our own & Dalton & the BOS seems to only be taking care of THEIR own.
It is time for an independent budget committee to oversee & make recommendations-not one run by Dalton who is only going thru the moves until he gets the BOS to rubber stamp.
Remember the $700,000 that went to the Joint IDA in March, well, it’s not posted in the budget-conveniently lost. What else is lost?
The budget public hearing is Tuesday, 5/31 @ 7PM, let’s makem’ crazy & show up,bring your neighbor & ask a ? or two. It’s your bucks they’re givin’ away!
There is a Candidates nite on Thursday, 6/2 @ 7PM in the County Courthouse on 4th Street, Wytheville. All candidates running for offices in November are invited to address the public and field ?’s from them.
This is a chance to meet & greet-bring a friend.
Alert!!!!! BOS hanging the rescue,ambluance & fire companies out to dry. NO increases in their allocations in the new budget. Funny how they can throw $7,000,000 ,yes that 7million into the Progress Pk money pit for Mr. Hawthorne & turn their backs on community services. Don’t forget the $20,000 to the historic society for their proposed county historic inventory. If you need an ambulance you’d be hard pressed to find a finer group of volunteers that in that & fire & rescue services too1 Tell the BOS you’re watchin’em/budget public hearing Tues 31 @7. Bring a friend.
Budget Public Hearing:
It lasted about 40 minutes with Sam Crocket, Sheriff, School Chief,PTO chairperson all asking for support & thanking them. Mrs. Cassell, Commissioner of Revenue, was the only one who told them she was trying to get salary info from Dalton & he wouldn’t give it to her. That was very odd! A Rep from the airport asked them to pay their bill in a timely fashion & said the new building was progressing well. Mr. Black from RR said the budget DOES NOT show what is actually spent anywhere,very true. He also asked about dues paid by depts. Lee Harrell lambasted me about raises, said I had a political agenda & myoptic vision about the raises. That’s OK, everyones’ entitled. But nobody said they DIDN’T get that bonus last year or paid towards their medical,past or intend to.
The BOS sat there with that”lost” look that they have prefected & now we wait to see how we’re ignored.
The continuation of the budget meeting was Wed. @9:30 AM. I, Jerry Maybe & Ms. Cassell were the only persons there. Mrs. Cassell went to bat for her dept & got her raises AND although one of her employees did not get “reclassified” he did get a huge bump up in his salary(because he’s taken up slack & doing a great job & he has a degree & 4 yrs experience), it is a 17% increase=$4,626. Also the BOS went thru ?’s that were asked the nite before & did nothing-they think they’re doing a great job & WE need to spend over $50,000 on “dues” because these organizations are “lobbying” for them. The raises are justified & the increases in medical insurances are ok because years ago they all went to the same plan & saved money. They don’t have a problem giving “donations” to certain groups because they are GOOD groups & SO WHAT if it’s your tax $ going to WHERE they want it too. They also love the Industrial Authority & the IRA,hosting dental etc. & the $7million all stand. Please be advised that they’re also not denying themselves anything & are not giving ANYTHING MORE to the ambulance corp, rescue or FD. They said they’re billing people anyway so that should surfice.
So……same ole, same ole….we’re doin what ever we like! It’s tooo bad they even had to inconvenience themselves with a public hearing.