The Shadow
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DEAR AUNT MARY,
I read with interest Mr. Friel’s letter in the Friday edition of the Virginian Review concerning operation of one school division to serve both Covington and Alleghany County.
He thinks this would be a saving grace for the Highlands to reverse the declines we have seen over the past 30 years.
What do you think?
WORRIED
DEAR WORRIED,
I have made it a policy over the years not to take sides on area political matters in my column. I leave those matters to letters to the editor with a name of the writer attached.
However, I will point out the following:
There is no question the Highlands is on a downhill slide. Those who have been around for awhile will recall when we had in Covington and Clifton Forge two daily newspapers, two Virginia Power offices, two Columbia Gas offices, two Clifton Forge Waynesboro Tele-phone Company offices, two hospitals, two chambers of commerce, two Kiwanis clubs, two Lions clubs, three school systems, two Kroger stores, Grand Piano, Aides, Halmode, Pantasote, MDM, Lear, AET, Hercules, Roses, UPS, C&O Shops, Jane Colby, many retail stores, and the list goes on and on.
Today we have one semiweekly paper, no electrical or natural gas offices, one telephone office, one hospital, one chamber, one Kiwanis club, one Lions club, two school systems, one Kroger store, no Grand Piano, no Aides, and no Halmode, Pantasote, MDM, Lear, AET, Hercules, Roses, UPS, C&O Shops, Jane Colby and only a handful of retail businesses.
This is by no means a complete list of business and industries we have lost over the years. The population has diminished and the national and state governments are sending less and less money to the localities at a time when the local tax base is eroding.
I am not going to say I believe one school system is part of the solution. I do have my own thoughts which I shall keep to myself but this decision is up to the residents to decide.
That being said, I will leave you with the following:
“We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.” Rick Warren in “The Purpose Driven Life: What on Earth am I Here For?”
And:
“Study the past if you would define the future.” Confucius.
AUNT MARY
