The Shadow
Welcome back, Shadowers! So far, almost 2,000 people have seen the Virginian Review’s election debate held last Thursday at the Historic Masonic Theatre. Some candidates were “In-it-to-win-it.” Others found their voice, while some candidates disappeared altogether. And then there were those who apparently stayed at home hiding under their bed because they couldn’t face the “Reality and Accountability” boogeyman.
In the ’In-it-to-win-it’ category were the Clifton Forge candidates. Jeff Irvine, Carl “Shorty” Wolfe, and Michael Foster all made very impressive showings and proved to be up to the leadership tasks at hand. One thing that stood out was Irvine’s very dedicated and long-running track record of always ‘showing up.’ This is an extremely difficult thing to do when you hold a full-time job and yet still be attentive to your mayoral duties. Both Shorty Wolfe and Michael Foster were equally impressive, both coming across as smart, level-headed, critical thinkers and problem solvers. The hard part now for the Clifton Forge voters to decide is, which two of the three candidates will fill the seats.
Shadow’s Scoreboard: “Very difficult toss-up.”
In the “found their voice” category, Covington City Council candidates Susan Crowder, and Susan Wolfe were asked very blunt questions about their positions on issues like reverting Covington to a town, budgetary issues, and their position on conflicts of interest. Up to this debate, they’ve seemed somewhat reserved, overwhelmed, and unsure. Not this time. They both came out strong with respectable answers to tough questions. Lee Roe was a natural, handling all his questions smartly and efficiently. Sibold, Crosier, and Hunter all delivered performances so quiet that you could hear the crickets in the audience objecting to the competition. I would also like to note that it was very refreshing to hear strong female voices, especially since we’ve had a completely dominated male council for quite some time. We need more of this.
Shadow’s Scoreboard: Roe was the clear winner of District 3. Wolfe and Crowder won with their strong performances. This undoubtedly cemented more votes for them in District 4 and 5 races.
In the complete AWOL category were the Iron Gate Candidates. In many ways, I can understand this, as the town is going through some very difficult times right now with the recent setbacks involving a lawsuit loss and the resignation of their Town Attorney.
Shadow’s Scoreboard: Iron Gate needs our help and support. They’re going through a rough patch, which seems all the more reason to get the right candidates to help transition the town back to a good place.
Also in the “In-it-to-win-it” category were AHPS School Board candidates Robert “Bob” Umstead and Jay Woodson. Wright was a no-show. Umstead and Woodson offered very impressive and articulate responses to every question. Toward the end, they joined forces and showed solidarity on why the duo can be counted on to lead our school system efficiently and effectively.
Shadow’s Take: Umstead and Woodson were the clear winners.
In the “hiding under the bed” category, it seems the art of debate has taken on a whole new meaning in the Highlands—one where some incumbents refuse to show up. In what can only be described as the political equivalent of fearing a boogeyman hiding in the closet, a few of our brave incumbents, in words echoing from the streets, apparently decided, to ‘boycott’ the debates altogether.
Tom Sibold, David Crosier, Raymond Hunter, incumbents for the City of Covington, and Jacob Wright for Alleghany Highlands Public School board allegedly boycotted, err… refused… chickened out… were out chasing lost hogs… whatever you want to call it. After the debate, sources say one spouse went into melt-down mode in a chat group when folks asked the honest question of where these incumbents were. The Spouse replied, “Oh you poor, pitiful anonymous creature… None of those men owe you or anyone else an explanation for not being there. Have a nice life behind your anonymity, COWARD.”
Wow, nothing says “confidence in leadership” more than having your better half tag-team your political battles. Maybe next election, they’ll just put the spouses on the ballot and cut out the middleman.
One Shadower stated, “Truly, no need for Tom Sibold Jr., Hunter, Wright and Crosier to attend this. Their work has been on display every day of the week.”
Another Shadower weighed in, “My opinion is that the ones who showed up last night should be elected. They are all honorable people and why the others didn’t show up was like a message that they don’t need anyone’s opinion but their own.”
So why didn’t they show up?
Did these no-show incumbents not attend because they felt that the event was a partisan, “mud-slinging” setup against them? Was it because they couldn’t control the narrative or the questions? We’ve already heard the incumbents in the past boast proudly that they can take the heat from constituents, so isn’t this one of those times you’d definitely want to show up and set the record straight?
Or what might be closer to the truth is that perhaps since they’ve allegedly been caught doing a bunch of unethical or illicit acts, a credible defense for their behaviors just isn’t to be found within their moral fibers?
Wouldn’t you want to explain clearly to your voters why two City departments knowingly and blatantly violated State Laws, or why our local social services is embroiled in a $5M lawsuit? Or explain the fine example one sets for students through a long history of public intoxication arrests and recent accusations of public intoxication and harassment by a former student? These are all questions the citizens of the area want and need to know clear answers to.
Performances involving crickets and hiding under the bed are probably not a good way to prove to voters who are counting on an unwavering commitment to honesty, integrity, and moral fortitude in their leaders.
The Virginian Review went to great pains to ensure that the debate was honest, fair, and non-partisan. Yes, they did “set up” the debate, but then turned the mic over completely to the community to let them run the show. Every question came directly from the general public. Covington native Chief AJ Panebianco, who didn’t have a dog in the fight, moderated the show. The panel was made up of local, highly intelligent, and thoughtful citizens from all walks of life. The Virginian even left the incumbents’ chairs on stage to give them the opportunity to show up all the way to the very last minute. Their questions were read to the audience, and in traditional debate style, the challengers were given opportunities to respond.
Perhaps it really says, “I can’t handle the heat, and I’m sure as heck not answering to the people who elected me!” I’m guessing at this point, voters aren’t just losing trust in these incumbents; they’re losing patience. Because if you can’t face the music during a debate, how can anyone expect you to face the real challenges that come with running a city or managing a school district?
Shadow Scoreboard: The biggest losers of the debate: Sibold, Crosier, Hunter and Wright. The audience wasn’t fooled. In fact, many found the boycott downright disrespectful, and as one incumbent’s spouse projected, just downright cowardly. When the citizens you’re supposed to represent send in tough, honest questions about your conduct and you respond by not even bothering to show up reveals a lot about the core of your character.
You can find the complete video, and transcript of the debate, including the questions and the candidate’s responses on the Virginian Review website.
In the “missing person’s department”, The Alleghany Sheriff’s Department put out another call last week for assistance in finding Donnie Kelly, Ben Baker. Kelly has been missing since March 2022, and Baker since January 25, 2024. What a horrible situation for their families and friends. However, the press release from the Sheriff’s dept was sort of an out-of-the-blue release and felt a little… forced. But then it made perfect sense after seeing the post from Baker’s sister: “People are so cruel. And, the ones who should care, don’t think twice about you. Their flippant attitudes make me so angry. I will make sure that the people who were supposed to help protect you realize that this is not okay. None of this is okay.”
Was Baker’s sister calling out the Alleghany County Sheriff’s cruel and flippant attitude, or the Alleghany-Covington Department of Social Services and their Adult Protective Services unit for failing to protect him?
Wait, it can’t possibly be the local DSS, her husband is the Chairman of the board. Isn’t this the same local DSS that is facing a $5M lawsuit for allegedly thinking it was a good idea to ask untrained employees to tackle tasks reserved for certified Adult Protective Services workers?
I’m out of time, out of coffee, but I want to leave you with the words of District Judge Matthew Barrett that could also apply here locally. Last week, former Mesa County, Colorado Clerk Peters was sentenced 9 years for seven felony accounts involving election tampering. During the sentencing, Judge Barrett stated to Peters, “Our system of government can’t function when people in government think that somehow, someway, the power they’ve been given is absolute in all respects. And that’s where you fell. You have no respect for the checks and balances of government. You have no respect for this court. You have no respect for law enforcement. At the end of the day, you cared about the jets, the podcast and the people fawning over you. You abdicated your position as a servant to the Constitution and you chose you over all else. Yes, you are a charlatan and you cannot help but lie as easy as it is for you to breathe.”
