The Shadow
Welcome back, Shadowers! The Alleghany Highlands made history over the weekend with the first graduating class from the consolidated Alleghany High School Cougars. How exciting to see such a fine group of promising young citizens ready to take on the world.
Speaking of education, it seems some of our public officials are utterly mystified by learned folks who can actually read city documents and Virginia law. Then when unethical or illicit activities are found within the records, these officials get out the megaphone and yell that their own documents are “all lies and rumors!” I guess that works to bamboozle some folks for a while, until a visit from State law enforcement ruins the charade and snaps everyone back into the realities of cold, hard facts.
Last week the Commonwealth Fire Marshal disagreed with those cries of “lies and rumors” and shut down the 410 Main St building for operating above the law. Joseph Bona, Deputy State Fire Marshal stated in his shutdown letter to the owners of 410 W Main St building, “Until a Certificate of Occupancy is issued the building shall remain unoccupied and all events canceled. If the State Fire Marshal’s Office receives communication that the building is occupied prior to a Certificate of Occupancy being issued we will respond, order the building to be vacated, and seek legal actions.”
Justice served is Justice deserved.
Seems the machines of Justice are just getting started on plowing up this field full of hidden activities. 410 on Main Corp is also apparently in breach of its Performance Agreement with the City.
Official records from the city show 410 on Main Corp’s alleged failure to submit the mandatory quarterly progress reports, failure to provide evidence they spent $250K in renovations, and now have opened and closed their operations in the course of six months. One critical condition of the agreement is that they remain open and operational for three years. If they don’t, they lose the building.
One attempt at an “opening day” event was in December 2023 with a church event. However, with the State Fire Marshal shuttering the building for running 13+ illegal and hazardous public events, they are all illegal false starts and most likely do not count towards the Agreement’s “Opening Day” requirement. So with a closed building, and reportedly out of cash to complete the renovations, I wonder if the owners feel like they are waiting for New Year’s Eve in a time zone that doesn’t exist.
According to various sources and statements from the city, co-owner Gray Lane has claimed he’s holding a $350K debt bag and a half-finished building that he can’t use. Public posts on 410’s Facebook page and website show he is publicly blaming the City for all his woes and troubles.
But wait, the City is apparently throwing him another $20K cash bone in addition to the $577K building they gifted to him?
Does anyone remember late-night host Johnny Carson’s “Carnac the Magnificent” who could psychically divine answers to unseen questions?
And the answer is… “410 on Main, Friendly Fork, and Barnwood Blessings!”
So how did Small Business Coordinator Terri McClung know the exact 2024 Gauntlet Program winners, in the exact order a week before the judges even saw the participants’ presentations? Perhaps Ms McClung should change her title to Small Clairvoyancy Coordinator the Magnificent.
Seriously though, what makes this situation concerning is, cash-based competitions are subject to state and federal requirements to ensure transparency in the judging process and accountability in the distribution of awards. Covington and the Advancement Foundation received a $50K Community Business Launch (CBL) grant from the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development to help with the program. It’s a fabulous program. Records show the City paid $21,428.52 directly to the Advancement Foundation for “admin services for CBL Contract.” Requests have been sent to the Advancement Foundation’s Director Kathy Deacon for clarification, though Ms Deacon has yet to respond with any statement to address the program’s transparency and the allegations of potential fraud and mismanagement.
Seeing the actual judges’ scoresheets would clear things up quickly don’t you think?
But here’s the kicker. $20K cash has been given to Gauntlet top winner Gray Lane for his award-winning 410 firetrap. And if I remember correctly, the ideas Lane has claimed as his, most likely belong to Krystal Onaitis and David Bostic from their original concept called “Project Sparkle” several years before Mr. Lane entered the scene.
So what in the Tarnation?! Let me see if I have this straight: The City and a highly reputable foundation are awarding an individual $27,949 (including $20K in cash), for presenting ideas that allegedly are not his, who has blatantly and repeatedly broken State Laws, has his building and operations shut down by the State Fire Marshal, and has apparently knowingly and willingly jeopardized the safety of thousands of innocent people’s lives with at least 13 illegal events? All to make a buck? Perhaps one explanation is that the City’s building department, which issued the permits to 410, was also shut down for illicit activities.
If there was such a thing, this story could be the opening paragraph in a book titled: “Birds of a Feather: how Tom-Foolery and Collusion Sing Together.”
In the “Water Water everywhere, but darned if we know how to blow bubbles” department, it appears the water balloon over at Covington City’s Parks and Recreation has spectacularly exploded with the recent resignation of Thomas Smals and Matt Smith on May 15. This cut the staff number by 50%, and added tremendous strain on the city as it heads into its busiest time of the year.
Adding to this Waterworld thriller, these resignations strip the city of any Certified Pool Operators. Smals himself confessed he doesn’t know of any certified operators within the city’s ranks. With the pool scheduled to open on June 8, the city may be headed for a tidal wave of disappointed and irate kids. If they do open, make sure you ask to see the onsite Operator’s certificates. They’re supposed to be there at all times while the pool is open to the public. Anything other than that is breaking Virginia Law and potentially opens the city to all kinds of legal trouble.
Over at the city’s Water Plant, they still seem to be grappling with not having a Class 1 Operator and are facing 13 Federal Drinking Water Violations. We’re now approaching a year of tolerating these violations — it has gone on long enough don’t you think? Put a call into the City Manager and let him know you demand action. If that doesn’t work, send an email to the Virginia Department of Health: Steve.Kvech@vdh.virginia.gov
In yet another City department facing water issues, the city a few years ago did some work on Stewart Ave and it is now apparently causing damage to people’s properties and homes. It seems water never stood under homes until the city did the work. One homeowner is so irate they have stated to the city that they are considering legal action similar to the successful lawsuit over in Iron Gate. The Iron Gate woman was awarded $40,000 in April 2023. The Town of Iron Gate has appealed the ruling.
In the Breaking News department, seems folks have had enough of the Mayor and Vice Mayor’s dog and pony show, and have backed two new candidates to run for those two council seats in November 2024. Fire up the popcorn machine, more details coming.
Finally, The Shadow was chatting with the Publisher of the Virginian Review the other day, and he told a story of the first couple of days after purchasing the Virginian Review. He was meeting an employee to discuss how they should move forward. The Publisher asked the employee, “What do you think the Virginian Review’s primary role is in the community?” Apparently the employee answered back without hesitation, “Be the community watchdog.”
That employee was David Crosier.
I’m out of time, out of coffee, but as one Shadower appropriately posted in our now 4,100+ strong Facebook group, “Fraud and Falsehood dread examination. Truth invites it.” Perhaps if the Covington City Manager would take poet Samuel Johnson’s advice, he wouldn’t continue to create substantial and unreasonable financial barriers in a brazen attempt to keep citizens from knowing the truth. So far, FOIA access to the truth has cost the Shadow $800. Maybe The Shadow should ask Clairvoyant McClung the Magnificent for the winning numbers to the Lottery.
