The Shadow
Mr. Mayor of Covington, how about dropping the Drama Queen act and focusing on issues by honestly following the scriptures you post every day and the laws you swore to uphold? Like ensuring safe buildings and infrastructure. Providing safe water. Create safe environments for your constituents and protection for our children. Ensure fair representation for all of our community businesses.
Perhaps spending more time correcting and addressing these violations than hiding behind moral credentialing and retaliating against an imaginary figure would help us to move on?
The Mayor recently stated, “I need help I’m powerless over that idiot [Shadow] page and it makes my life unmanageable. I hope we can move on one day. This is destroying our community.”
He needs help with what? Squashing the facts and voices of his concerned citizens merely asking for him to do the job he was elected to do?
Destroying the community?
Seems the Mayor is more upset about the destruction of his reputation and his carefully concealed house of red herrings instead of addressing the major issues that are directly affecting your safety and welfare.
What The Shadow has truly laid bare are the deep-seated issues that have been festering out of sight for a long time. It has illuminated how the City building department has been violating VA law for years, operating without any certified building officials, and blatantly ignoring protocols and laws designed to keep workers and the community safe. 410 Main Street project was a classic example of the apparent favoritism and “looking the other way.” Or things like potentially exposing thousands of people to hazardous and toxic chemicals by allowing old buildings to be demolished without any proper asbestos containment, then disposing of the material at a nearby farm and burning it in the open. What happened with the legal obligation to follow clear Federal law requiring proper hazardous waste remediation?
The Shadow has also brought to light that our water plant is in breach of stringent VA and Federal regulations, which the Mayor has also confirmed. Moreover, The Shadow has uncovered instances of favoritism, such as essential public advertisements being published in places scarcely visible to the Covington populace, and most recently, revelations that the small business department might be arbitrarily deciding competition winners without any transparent justification.
And with all the recent reports of issues around our schools, from vaping problems to alleged violent acts committed against students from teachers, to missing persons, drug problems and crime, where is the outrage and attention required to immediately address and solve these issues?
Seems the Mayor wants to spend most of his attention now on battling his own shadow that is making his life ‘unmanageable.’
Do you realize that when our Mayor of Covington retaliates against the Shadow, he is in fact, attacking his own citizens? The Shadow doesn’t make stuff up for sensationalism purposes. The Shadow only observes and reports facts coming directly from the concerns of his citizens.
It appears that the Mayor is primarily focused on polishing his image, emphasizing only his achievements. Indeed, it’s undeniable that the Mayor has made positive contributions to our community. However, what about the less savory aspects? The Shadow isn’t concerned with if mishaps occur within an administration—that’s a given in any governance.
For example, Clifton Forge Town Manager Unroe quickly acknowledged the issues in his own building departments and water plants and took immediate action by not only doing something about it, but being transparent and letting people know what he was doing to address and solve the issues. He didn’t attack the Shadow, instead he focused his energy on resolving the issues. Why? Because Unroe is concerned about the safety and welfare of the people he represents. That is true stewardship of one’s position.
The point is, it’s the “how” an official approaches and handles these challenges. How does he address and rectify these issues when they inevitably arise? Is it with emotional intelligence, wisdom and thoughtful action? Or bluster and blame?
One explanation is that our Mayor lives in a bubble and his righteousness is echoed and confirmed by his Vice Mayor.
As the Alleghany County Editor of the Recorder and formerly the General Manager of the Virginian Review, why hasn’t Mr. Crosier kept his citizens informed of these very concerning issues over the years? Why is it that once the Virginian Review was beyond Mr Crosier’s control did the real facts start rearing their ugly heads?
It seems if one doesn’t have a moral backbone built on prudence, self-policing, and reporting on unethical or illicit behavior, becomes…well sort of difficult to impossible. The Shadow has pointed out this direct conflict of interest many times; it is extremely difficult for a public official who also controls the media to do the right thing and tell the citizens of unethical and illicit acts they knowingly and willingly allow within their administration. Especially if they are directly involved.
One would think that if the Vice Mayor is true to his journalistic ethics in one hand, and the oath of office on the other, you’d think we’d get a double dose of good, honest behavior. However, without prudence, it’s very concerning he is apparently using the power of one to corrupt the other.
This is how fascism and dictatorships are born and thrive.
Let’s get right to the real question: how is it that our Mayor and Vice Mayor knew and withheld these facts, but it wasn’t until The Shadow started asking the questions from their citizens that they got caught?
Seems when there are awards and accolades to be given out, The Mayor and Vice Mayor love to be first in line. But when tough, unsavory events occur that could ruin reputations, the Mayor loves to point the finger directly to others in his administration. At least the City Manager can say that he’s got a new partner with The Shadow in the trench of blame.
It’s a pity the mayor has chosen to descend into promulgating civil unrest by pitting citizens against citizens without even attempting to address the issues that need desperate attention. Hopefully the Mayor and Vice Mayor will eventually see above their egos and fulfill the shoes they took an oath to faithfully fulfill.
In other updates, seems the Cork and Pork Festival is not running this year. It had a successful 10-year run with last year being touted as the best one yet. And how convenient that 410 now has a BBQ competition scheduled. Sources complain that the city has taken over the OTC and using it for its own means.
The Guantlet program was busy last week rearranging how the local competitions will proceed. Seems the right thing is being done.
In crime and news, two officers seem to be on the wrong side of the law. VSP Officer Wright’s case is proceeding along, and we’ll have more information on that after May 3. Alleghany County Deputy Sheriff Wickline crashed his vehicle on I-64 on April 14 and apparently forgot to tell the VSP about the incident. He’s been charged with 2 misdemeanors and has resigned from the force. Seems there’s more to the story.
I’m out of time and out of coffee, but always hopeful that the efforts to divide the community will come to an end and we can move on from the bluster and blame and solve the community’s problems with grace.
