2006 Blog Archives

Posted for Saturday August 26th................

I woke up Friday morning and learned that the events in Essex Thursday did hit home here in Fairfax. John Workman's sister was the teacher who died at the school. Apparently she worked here at BFA in the 70's. When I got to school Friday morning, I went into the vault and started going through yearbooks. The only faculty listed is the High School and Alicia Shanks is not listed.

I remember when they first mentioned her name at the press conference, I thought-I've heard or read that name before. I wasn't sure where. Maybe there was an article about her in the Free Press.

Then to find out that the ex-girlfriend's mother was a teacher in St. Albans. Really puts a set of bookends around the town of Fairfax.

The sunrise the last couple of mornings have made Georgia Hill look like it's in full foliage. Odd.

Took a picture of the new tile floor at school. Both main hallways in the high school look like that, as do over two-thirds of the classrooms in the '73 wing. This was the result in the asbestos removal project.

Major changes in the Guidance office. New paint job and new reception counter when you walk in. Looks nice.

Posted for Friday August 25th...............

It just goes to show ya.......you never know.

Who would have thought what happened in Essex Thursday afternoon would happen?

Things are happening that only happened in far away places and you watch them happen on the cable news. Now they are happening closer and closer to home. And it's on the local news.

More people are moving into the area. And they're not all hometown hero types. Not everyone is a happy person with a happy life.

Sometimes they are having difficulties in life, and unfortunately those difficulties accidently involve people in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or people in the right place, but the wrong person has entered the picture.

I watch the television as students ran for their lives out of a school in Colorado a few years ago. Today I watched tape of teachers doing the same thing 12 miles away.

I used to get nervous over big things that were going to happen at school when I was young. Like having to ride the bus up to the Parish Center in 3rd and 4th grades.

I cannot imagine the wreck I would have been back then if this had happened over here.

I can only imagine the horror of some young child watching the news and seeing their teacher running from the school.

Or what the parent of that child must be going through. It was an isolated incident. My child will be OK. The school IS AND WILL BE a safe place. I have to convince the child of that.

Question is...............Can I convince myself?

Crap happens. Didn't used to. Not this close to home.

Times change.

Whether we want them to or not.

Posted for Thursday August 24th..............

Wednesday evening, Rex and I went down to the Maple Street entrance of the rec path so I could take a picture of the new gate. Carol Lizotte and the rec path committee were there checking things out. I congratulated them on all the work they've done getting the path put in. As I walk it each day, and especially after they take the black plastic fence down, the path is looking more and more like it's been there all along.

We've been trying to figure out what the red bumpy thing at the start of the path is for. It's not a drain. It looks like something you would wipe your feet on, but why would you do that?

I asked the committee and got the answer.

Say a blind person is walking the path with a cane and is coming towards Maple Street. As they sweep the cane back and forth, and suddenly they sweep it over the bumps, that lets the blind person know that they have reached an intersection with a road. This keeps them from walking out in front of a car.

File this one under "What'll they think of next?".

The center post had a lock on the bottom and can be removed in case the Rescue Squad or Fire Dept. need to get down there.

The first person to walk the length of the path just after they finished paving back on August 5th, was Doug Stewart. He went from Maple Street to the end below the senior housing. Apparently some people were walking on it as they were paving, but I believe Doug was the first one after they were done and had left.

Posted for Wednesday August 23rd.............

Margie gave me a video game called Crazy Taxi for Christmas this last year, and we have been taking turns playing it lately. You are supposed to go around, pick up customers, and get them to their destinations as fast as you can. Fortunately, your car never wrecks, so it becomes a free-for-all to get the job done. No cops around to pull you over for speeding, or causing accidents. Like I said, it becomes a free-for-all.

This game is a good way to use up some pent-up energy, or even a chance to unwind. You can either be a real weapon on wheels, or take a drive around the city. Tuesday night, I did both. I actually just drove around, not picking up anyone. The message would flash on the screen-"Stop and pick up a customer!". Instead, I was aiming for phone booths, park benches, sidewalks. The people always scream and run out of the way. If you could actually hit them, and had them flying over the hood of the car, the rating on the box would probably be different.

The goal has been to get over $5,000 in a 10 minute period. It's hard to do.

I always know I overdid, when the next day, my thumbs are sore.

Posted for Tuesday August 22nd..........

No, it's not Anthony's.

Jim McCaffrey is selling his 360 sprint. $5,000 for the motor. $9, 000 for the whole thing, car and motor.

http://www.jimmccaffrey.8m.com

Jim has been running in the Capital Region Sprintcar Alliance (CRSA), which is a club that runs a 305 cubic inch motor, compared to ESS and their 360 ci motor.

The CSRA runs tracks around the Albany, NY area. Jim lives down that way.

If you are a racer that wants a taste of the wildlife, sprints are the way to go. There is a bumper sticker that says "Support Wildlife. Attend a sprintcar race in your area.".

They took the orange fence down Monday. Rec path is looking like it's always been there. Of course, when you walk it everyday like I do, you get used to it pretty quickly.

Posted for Monday August 21st..................

Yet another movie that if I catch at the right time, I stay through the end is "Titanic". Sunday, I came in just after they hit the iceberg. So, I watched until the ship went down, then had to get ready for the Historical Society meeting. I remember when it was scheduled for release in theaters, it kept getting pushed back because of production delays. All the rumor mills had the movie being such a flop. Wrong.

Thanks to the six people who came to the meeting/picnic at the museum Sunday. We did discuss a few things and everyone was very interested with all the new items that have been donated.

1.6 inches of rain in the raingauge so far for the weekend.