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December 14, 2018 www.pcpatriot.com

WEEKEND WEATHERSATURDAY SUNDAY

Rain likely before 8am, thenshowers likely, mainly between8am and noon. Mostly cloudy,with a high near 52. Saturday Night - A chance ofshowers. Mostly cloudy, with alow around 39. Chance of pre-cipitation is 50%.

A chance of showers before1pm. Mostly cloudy, with ahigh near 48. Chance of precip-itation is 50%.

Sunday Night - Mostly cloudy,with a low around 36.

Middle school traffic signalapproval comes with stringsBy MIKE WILLIAMSThe Patriot

Residents of Pulaski County have gotten whatthey were asking for concerning a traffic light nearthe new middle school. But VDOT's approvalcomes with strings.

Trevor Kimzey of the Gay and Neel civil engi-neering design firm, which has been working on thetraffic light issue, provided an update on the situa-tion Tuesday night to the Pulaski County SchoolBoard.

In his presentation, Kimzey said VDOT hadgiven its approval for the traffic light, but only ifHatcher Road is realigned to form a four-way inter-section at Route 11 and Thornspring Road in thearea of Cougar Express.

The approval comes after months of traffic sur-veys and analysis between VDOT, Gay and Neeland RRMM Architects, the design firm for themiddle school project.

The process was made more difficult when

VDOT imposed new rules on granting approval fortraffic signals just before voters went to the pollsand overwhelmingly approved a bond referendumwhich paved the way for construction of the newconsolidated middle school.

Kimzey said the new approval process was com-plicated and involved multiple reviews and analysisdue to multiple property owners in the area of theintersection being impacted. There are also existingnon-conforming intersection issues.

As time studying the traffic signal issue wore on,RRMM recently made the decision to move for-ward on the school project using a design that

See SIGNAL, page A2

Over 500 attend 6thWreath Laying CeremonyBy DANIELLE REIDThe Patriot

More than 500 guests attended the 6th AnnualWreath Laying Ceremony at the Southwest VirginiaVeterans Cemetery on Saturday, December 8th.Despite the afternoon chill, all ages, faiths, and eth-nic groups stood together to honor the Veteransinterred in this sacred place; and to let the remainingfamily members know their loved one's servicewould not be forgotten.

The respectful and meaningful ceremony reflectedthe motto of Wreaths Across America: Remember(our fallen U.S. Veterans). Honor (those who serve).Teach (your children the value of freedom).

While the guests arrived, they were serenaded bythe 29th Division Virginia Army National GuardBand. Later, as the United Auto Workers Ride forFreedom Truck and UAW Local 2069 MotorcycleEscort circled the 80-acre cemetery, BagpiperAndrew Shields Meeks opened the formal portion ofthe ceremony.

The main ceremony took place at the Wall ofHonor which displays the insignia of each branch ofthe U.S. Military and where individual wreaths wereplaced by members of the Military OfficersAssociation, Southwest Virginia Chapter.

Master of Ceremonies, Col. Rick Littleton (Ret.),U.S. Air Force, ensured the significance and deco-rum of the heartfelt ceremony.

After the Presentation of the Colors by Virginia

See WREATHS, page A10

Danielle Reid photo

Special wreaths were placed in memory ofVeterans from each branch of the military at theWall of Honor. Lt. Col. Arthur Sommers (Ret.)was given the honor of placing the wreath infront of the medallion of the U.S. Army.

Page A2 - The Patriot - Friday, December 14, 2018

SignalContinued from page A1

includes the main entrance to the schoolbeing located off Route 11 near themidway point of the property.

Early grading work at the school site,however, was done in a way that -should the traffic light finally become areality - the primary entrance to theschool could still be changed to the pre-ferred entrance near the traffic lightlater in the project.

The idea of realigning Hatcher Roadfirst came up in public during a publicmeeting on the middle school projectlast February when CountyAdministrator Jonathan Sweet andSupervisors Chairman Andy McCreadymentioned the possibility.

At that time it was suggested that onepossible way for the county to fund arealignment of Hatcher Road might bethrough a revenue sharing agreementwith VDOT.

In his presentation Tuesday, Kimzeysaid the just concluded TIA (TrafficImpact Analysis) had "laid the founda-tion for future Hatcher Road realign-ment and school access from that road."

It also, he said, "opens the door forimproved development opportunitiesalong Hatcher."

As for funding, Kimzey's presenta-tion suggested a revenue sharing appli-cation with VDOT being submitted in2019 and funding possibly coming in2020.

Graphic shows the twoentrance scenarios forthe new Pulaski CountyMiddle School. Bothhave gained VDOTapproval.

Gay and Neel, RRMM

Architects

Community Foundationawards grants to 45 projects

Last month the CommunityFoundation of the New RiverValley (CFNRV) awarded $138,134 in grants to 45 projectsthroughout the region through itsResponsive Grant Program.

The CFNRV manages over$10 million in assets in 185endowed funds created by NRVindividuals, families, and busi-nesses to award grants to charita-ble organizations and scholar-ships to students. TheResponsive Grant Programawards up to $3,000 in operatingsupport to charitable organiza-

tions and up to $5,000 to specificprograms focused on issues likepoverty, natural resource conser-vation, education, the arts, andhousing. The CFNRV receivednearly one hundred applications,and staff and volunteers then vet-ted the applications and madegrant awards from dozens ofendowed funds managed at thefoundation.

Grant recipients and donorsgathered in Floyd to celebrate theawards. During the celebration,executive director Jessica Wirgaushared the foundation's gratitude

for the work each grantee organ-ization does for the community,"You solidify for me the centralmessage we share with all of ourdonors, that each grant we giveand each gift they make is aninvestment in our community.This audience knows that grantsare not handouts, nor simply nicegestures. They are investments inthe good work your organiza-tions do, in each of you as pro-fessionals, and most importantly,in improving the quality of lifefor all NRV residents now andfor generations."

A complete list of grant recip-ients is below. The 2019Responsive Grant Program willopen online in May 2019 with adeadline in late July. Anyoneinterested in starting an endowedfund to support charitable workin the New River Valley shouldcontact the CFNRV at 540-381-8999 or [email protected].

American Red Cross: $1,480 fromthe 4-17 Fund and the Giles Fund foroperating support.

Big Brothers Big Sisters ofSouthwest Virginia: $1,000 from theAnn and H.W. Huff, Jr. Family Fundfor thePulaski County School BasedMentoring Program.

Blacksburg Refugee Partnership:$5,000 from the Loving Care Fund,the Luba Fabrycky MemorialEndowment Fund, and the Litschert

See GRANTS, page A3

The Patriot - Friday, December 14, 2018 - Page A3

Family Fund for an Intensive EnglishCourse for College-Bound Refugees.

Blue Mountain School: $1,500from the Floyd Fund for operatingsupport.

Brain Injury Services of SWVA:$1,300 from the Ghia Borg MemorialHealth Care Fund for CLiC ForwardYoga in the NRV.

CERC aka Floyd CommunityEducational Association: $5,000 froman Angel Grantor for Heart of theChild Music Program for At-RiskFloyd County Preschoolers.

Children's Museum of Blacksburg:$5,000 from the Loving Care Fund,the Childrens' Shelter HomeEndowment, the Beatrice Kalka Fund,the Mary P. Risacher Fund and theVirle and Al Payne Fund for the CMB:Sensory Space.

Children's Trust: $3,000 from theChildrens Shelter Home Endowment,the David and Lillian FrancisCharitable Fund, and the NorthFamily Fund for the Children'sAdvocacy Center of the New RiverValley.

Christiansburg High School BlackStudent Awareness: $1,145 from theNew Mountain Climbers Fund fortheChristiansburg High School BlackStudent Awareness Club Activities2018-2019.

College Mentors for Kids: $3,780from the Luba Fabrycky MemorialEndowment Fund and the Stoop Fundfor theCollege Mentors for KidsMentor Program at Virginia Tech andRadford University.

Free Clinic of Pulaski County:$5,000 from the Ann and H.W. Huff,Jr. Family Fund for the Pulaski FreeClinic Bridge Program.

Giles Animal Rescue, Inc: $2,000from the Giles Fund for operating sup-port.

Giles County Shelter, Inc.: $3,000from the Giles Fund and the Homer T.and Beverly A. Hurst Family Fund foroperating support.

Giles Health and Family Center:$1,700 from the Giles Fund for oper-ating support.

Giles Health and Family Center:$5,000 from the Ghia Borg MemorialHealth Care Fund and the Giles Fundfor Non-Emergency MedicalTransport.

Humane Society of Pulaski County:$3,000 from the Ann and H.W. Huff,Jr. Family Fund for operating support.

June Bug Center: $3,000 from theJJ Fund, the Youth Awareness Fund,and the Arts Alliance Fund for After-School Programs.

Justice and Peace Committee, HolyFamily Catholic Church: $2,000 fromthe Giles Fund for Infant CareSupplies, Formula, Diapers, AndWipes For The Needy Of GilesCounty.

Literacy Volunteers of the NewRiver Valley: $5,000 from the Annand H.W. Huff, Jr. Family Fund, theGiles Fund, the Virle and Al PayneFund, and the Shuler Reading Fundfor Skill UP NRV.

Lyric Council, Inc.: $3,000 fromthe Rosina and Dean Carter Fund forthe Visual Arts, the Virgil SpeaksFund, and the Arts Alliance Fund foroperating support.

Macy Backpack Ministries: $1,164

from the Giles Fund for the MacyBackpack Ministry.

Macy McClaugherty ElementaryMiddle School: $505 from the GilesFund for the Macy Library STEAMOutreach Program.

McHarg Elementary School:$2,250 from the Nicholson FamilyFund, the Hazelton Family Fund, andthe Litschert Family Fund forMcHarg's One School, One BookProgram.

Montgomery County ChristmasStore: $1,000 from the Talbot FamilyFund for the Underwear for low-income senior and disabled men.

Mountain View Humane: $2,060from the Paws and Claws Fund andthe Litschert Family Fund for operat-ing support.

New River Community Action:$3,000 from the Ann and H.W. Huff,Jr. Family Fund, the Giles Fund, theLitschert Family Fund, the Jackson S.Copenhaver Fund, and the Virle andAl Payne Fund for the EmergencyAssistance Program.

New River Community Action,Head Start: $5,000 from the Childrens'Shelter Home Endowment, the EarlyChildhood Education Teachers Fund,and the Newcomb Parenting SkillsFund for Trauma Informed Trainingand Care.

New River Community College:$5,000 from the Ann and H.W. Huff,Jr. Family Fund for the GreatExpectations Program.

New River Family Shelter: $3,000from the David and Lillian Francis

Charitable Fund, the Homer T. andBeverly A. Hurst Family Fund, andthe Litschert Family Fund for operat-ing support.

New River Valley Agency onAging: $5,000 from the Bell FamilyFund, the Ghia Borg Memorial HealthCare Fund, the Giles Fund, the Silver

Community Foundation photo

Ed Lawhorn, President of the CFNRV Board of Directors, presents a grant check to Allison Hunterand Janet Johnson to support the Calfee Community Center Planning Project in Pulaski.

Grants Continued from page A2

Care Fund, the Jacobs Family Fund,and the Litschert Family Fund for theRespite Care Program.

New River Valley Home: $5,000from the Ghia Borg Memorial Fund,the Margaret and Samuel TollisonFamily Fund, the Hulannie Jenkinsand Kimberly Atherton-Jenkins Fund,and the General Endowment for theTool-Lending Library.

Partnership for Floyd Inc: $5,000from the Ghia Borg Memorial Fundand the Susan Garrison Fund forthePioneer Trail.

Plenty!: $5,000 from the FloydFund, the Homer T. and Beverly A.Hurst Family Fund, Joann and JBSutphin Fund, the GeneralEndowment, and the Nelle OakeyRyan Gardner Fund for Building OnTradition ~ Establishing a FirmFoundation.

Radford-Fairlawn Daily Bread:$3,000 from the Ann and H.W. Huff,Jr. Family Fund for operating support.

Springhouse Community School:$1,500 from the Floyd Fund for theNew River Valley Parent EducationProgram.

St. Mary's Catholic - NRV GleanTeam: $3,000 from the Homer T. andBeverly A. Hurst Family Fund and theGerus Blieszner Fund for operatingsupport.

SustainFloyd: $2,000 from theCabell and Shirley Brand and SEEDSMini-Grant Fund and the Susan

Garrison Fund for the The PersonalClimate Pledge Video Project.

To Our House: $3,000 from theDiana, Princess of Wales Fund, theTodd Family Fund, the CommunityService Fund, and the Giles Fundfor operating support.

Town of Floyd: $3,964 fromRobert and Emily Stuart GrassrootsLeadership Fund,the Warren LloydHoltzman Merit Grant Fund, andthe Ghia Borg Memorial Fund forthe Leadership Floyd Program.

Warm Hearth Foundation:$2,386.21 from the Ghia BorgMemorial Fund for the CommoditySupplemental Food Program.

Warm Hearth Foundation:$3,900 from the Benjamin EissMemorial Fund, the Homer T. andBeverly A. Hurst Family Fund, theCommunity Services Fund, theHighlands Fund, the WellnessFund, and the Miller FamilyFundfor S.K.I.P. (Seniors & Kidsin Play).

Women's Resource Center of theNew River Valley, Inc.: $3,000from the David and Lillian FrancisCharitable Fund, the Giles Fund,and the Homer T. and Beverly A.Hurst Family Fund for operatingsupport.

YMCA of Pulaski County:$5,000 from the Ann and H.W.Huff, Jr. Family Fund for the CalfeeCommunity Center PlanningProject.


PEGGY SAYERSPeggy Sayers, 77, of Draper,

VA died Sunday, December 9,2018 at her home She was bornin Wythe County on May 6, 1941and was the daughter of the latePorter Dunford and MattieMoore Dunford. She was preced-ed in death by her husband,James Thomas Sayers; sisters,Brenda Moore, Geneva Jonasand Gertie Archer; brothers,Eugene Dunford and DougDunford. Mrs. Sayers was ahomemaker and a member of theDraper's Valley PentecostalHoliness Church.

Surviving are:Daughter - Tonya BrooksBrothers - Perry Dunford and

wife Brenda DunfordClark Dunford and wife

Maxine DunfordSister in law - Joann LyttonBrother in law - Kermit Sayers

and wife Mary SayersGrandchildren - Dylan HurtJustin HurtSeveral special nieces and

nephewsFuneral services will be held

Friday, December 14, 2018 at7:00 PM from the Draper'sValley Pentecostal HolinessChurch with Rev. Mike Ingo offi-ciating. Visitation will be at thechurch where the family willreceive friends from 5:00 untilthe service hour. Burial serviceswill be postponed at this time dueto weather.

Arrangements by StevensFuneral Home, Pulaski, VA.

NANCY FAULKNER PARKSNancy Faulkner Parks, age 79,

of Pulaski, VA went to be withthe Lord on December 7, 2018 ather home and surrounded by herfamily. Born on November 16,1939, she was the daughter of thelate Luther C. Faulkner and ClaraC. Faulkner of Bland, VA. She issurvived by her beloved husbandRichard P. Parks and her threechildren; Sandra P. Fletcher and

h u s b a n d ,Cynthia P.G o l d m a nand husband,and MichaelB. Parks andwife; brotherC . L .Faulkner ofBland, VA,sisters MaryTrump of

Christiansburg, VA, and MarthaParker of Pulaski, VA; six grand-children and many nieces andnephews.

Nancy was a loving and caringwife, mother, and friend to manypeople. Being a nurse gave herthe skills to be that special personwho always made you feel lovedand important. Throughout herlife and career it was all aboutgiving, which she instilled in herfamily. Heaven gained an angeland her spirit will forever remain

with those she loved.A memorial service will be

held on Friday, December 14,2018 at 7:00 PM from theStevens Funeral Home Chapel,Pulaski. The family will receivefriends at the funeral home from5:00 until the service hour.

Arrangements by StevensFuneral Home, Pulaski, VA.

LINDA DARLENE NELSONWALL

Linda Darlene Nelson Wall,age 71 of Wytheville and former-ly Pulaski passed away Saturday,December 8, 2018 at her home.

Born February 7, 1948 inWythe County she was thedaughter of the late JamesNelson & Celia Spencer Nelson.

Her husband, Roy RandolphWall, Sr., sisters, CatherineVictoria Nelson Sands, Dora BellNelson Spurling and brother,James Wiley Nelson, Jr. also pre-ceded her in death.

She is survived by herSonRoy R. "Randy" Wall & wife,

Teresa - DublinCalvin Wall and Kayla

Edwards - DublinDaughterTeresa Gayle Murray - PulaskiGrandchildrenCody Wall, Phillip Murray,

Devin Roy Thurman, JessicaCollins, Stephanie McKinney,Cameron Wall, Adrian Wall andConnor Evans

SisterCarlie Inez Arnold -

WythevilleMany Nieces and NephewsFuneral services were held

Thursday, December 13, 2018 atthe Bower Funeral Home-Chapel, Pulaski with Rev. DeanSimpkins officiating. Intermentfollowed at the Fisher'sCemetery, Wythe County.

To sign the online guestbook,please visit www.bowerfuneral-home.com

Bower Funeral Homes-Pulaskiis handling the arrangements forthe Wall Family.

RICHARD BRUCECAUTHEN

Richard Bruce Cauthen, 67, ofRadford, passed away Thursday,December 6, 2018. He was a truerenaissance man, an artist, car-penter and perfectionist. He was

a member ofthe FirstC h r i s t i a nChurch inP u l a s k i .Bruce waspreceded indeath by hisp a r e n t s ,Grover C.and EmmaM. Gunn

Cauthen; and his aunt, MableMcLeod.

Survivors include his wife of31 years, Sandra D. Cauthen;brother, Robert Jackson Cauthen

of Boulder Colo.; nephew, ChrisCauthen of Las Vegas, Nev.;mother-in-law, Vera Dalton ofDublin; and many other relativesand friends.

The family received friendsfrom on Thursday, December 13,2018 at the Mullins FuneralHome in Radford. Memorialservices followed with Rev. Dr.John Dunstan officiating.

In lieu of flowers, the familyrequests that contributions bemade to the First ChristianChurch, 524 Jefferson Ave N,Pulaski, VA 24301.

The Cauthen family is in thecare of Mullins Funeral Home &Crematory in Radford, Virginia.www.mullinsfuneralhome.com

MARY EUGENIA DALTONMary Eugenia Dalton, age 51

of Pulaski passed away Tuesday,December 04, 2018 at her home.Born November 28, 1967 inRadford she was the daughter ofRobert Lee Wright and the lateDella Rita Edwards Wright. Herbrother, William Edwards, Jr.also preceded her in death.

She is survived by her FatherRobert Lee Wright - PulaskiSon & fiancéeRobert Ray Dalton & Taylor

French - PulaskiSistersRegina Hetherington and hus-

band, Jimmy - DublinElizabeth Melton - PulaskiSeveral Nieces and NephewsHarley Hetherington, Malena

Horton, Savannah Horton,Hannah Newberry and JamesNewberry

Special PetHunny BeaMemorial services will be held

2:00 P.M. Saturday, December15, 2018 Brush Arbor WorshipCenter,410 Newbern Road,Pulaski with Rev. CarsonLinkous officiating.

The family will receive friendsSaturday from 1:00 p.m. untilservice time at the church.

To sign the online guestbook,please visit www.bowerfuneral-honme.com

Bower Funeral Home, Pulaskiis handling arrangements for thefamily.

RICHARD DOUGLASBLEVINS

Richard Douglas Blevins ofPulaski, was accepted into theloving embrace of Christ onDecember 5, 2018. Richard wasborn on March 21, 1929 inLogan, West Virginia to EverettBlevins and Ova Curry Blevins.He will be remembered as a per-son who loved life, a family man,and an individual viewed bymany to be humorous, fun-lov-ing, intelligent, industrious, cre-ative, kind, andgenerous.Richard left Logan atage 17 for service in the Navyand returned several years laterto his West Virginia roots. He

married Ella Rose Garrett, thelove of his life and his wife ofnearly 70 years. Ella Rose washis anchor, creating the home andfamily life that fueled Richard’scareer and numerouspursuits.Richard, or simply“R.D.”, had a 41-year career withAppalachian Power in Logan,WV and in Pulaski, VA. He start-ed as a meter reader and, througheducation and hard work, hebecame an electrical engineer. Heheld his colleagues in high regardand had great respect for the linecrew that he supervised the latterpart of his career with the powercompany. A lifelong student, heearned his engineering degreewhile working a full-time jobwith the power company.

Richard wasa respectedleader inn u m e r o u so r g a n i z a -tions such asthe BoyScouts, LittleL e a g u e ,a m a t e u rradio associ-

ations, square-dancing clubs, andhis church.Richard moved thefamily to Virginia, accepting atransfer with Appalachian Power.He found some ideal property tobuild a house that he designed,creating a home and yard whichremains “a little piece of heav-en”. Richard built a life with EllaRose in Pulaski, creating a fami-ly homeplace for his 2 sons anddaughters-in-law and his 5grandchildren.Richard was awonderful father and grandfa-ther, and a good neighbor. Hewas not one to sit idle, and wouldmuch rather be designing, build-ing, creating, or trying somethingnew. His interests were bound-less. Some of Richard’s outdoorinterests and projects were obvi-ous, such as his big red barn, hishorses, the vegetable garden andhis radio tower, built for his hamradio pursuits. However, Richardalso enjoyed working with woodand tried his hand at canvaspainting, stained glass creations,playing a ukulele, singing songs,creating sound effects, wigglinghis ears, and dancing a jig withthe grandkids. In the last fewyears, he enjoyed listening tocountry music and saddle songs,regaling the life of his morevibrant youth. He never stoppedwhistling to the music on theradio and was often heard spon-taneously whistling the songs ofhis youth. Richard’s larger-than-life presence will be missed byall of us. However, the memoryof his words, deeds, wisdom, andcommitment to family will con-tinue to live through the lives thathe has touched.Richard is sur-vived by his loving wife of 69years, Ella Rose, his brotherAlvin (Baxter) Blevins, and hissons and daughters-in-law: DougBlevins and Susan, and Jack

Blevins and Carolyn.Grandchildren include Valerie[recently deceased], Alaina,Drew and his wife Cara,Christina and her husband Zach,and Claire. Family visitation willbe 5-7 pm on Saturday,December 15 at Stevens FuneralHome in Pulaski. A celebrationof Richard’s life will be at FirstUnited Methodist Church inPulaski, Virginia, on SundayDecember 16 at 2:30 pm, with agraveside burial at OakwoodCemetery in Pulaski. Followingthe burial, friends and family areinvited to gather at the church toshare food and fellowship. In lieuof flowers, the family encouragesdonations to one’s own church orto the charity of one’schoice.Arrangements by StevensFuneral Home, Pulaski, VA.

Parks

Blevins

Cauthen

The Emergency Needs TaskForce (ENTF) of Pulaski Countywill be collecting toys and non-perishable food items to helpthose in need this holiday season.

Tis the season of giving andwe invite you to join us in oureffort to help ensure a joyousholiday season for all by drop-ping off donations at the TrinityBaptist Church (4008 RobinsonTract Road) in Pulaski onSaturday, Dec. 15 between thehours of 9 a.m.-3 p.m.

Most needed items for theFood Pantry include: cannedmeats (chicken, beef,tuna/salmon), oatmeal, boxedpasta meals, hearty soups, instantpotatoes, canned fruit, cannedvegetables, dry cereal and snacksfor school lunches. To fillENTF's Toy Box we are askingfor donations of new unwrappedtoys for boys and girls ages 1 -10 years old.

The Emergency Needs TaskForce (ENTF) of Pulaski Countyis an incorporated, non-profitorganization whose sole purposeis to provide emergency assis-tance to lower-income residentswho are unable to meet emer-gency needs for fuel, shelter,utilities and food. The ENTF isgoverned by a Board of Directorsand the daily business is handledby the staff of New RiverCommunity Action in Pulaski.

For more information, contactNew River Community Actionstaff at: 412 North JeffersonAvenue, Pulaski, VA, 24301.Contact them by telephone at540-980-5525 or [email protected]

EmergencyNeeds TaskForce collectingtoys, food


Happiness is ... GivingHundreds of studies have substantiated that the

act of giving, leads to happiness. It's not just thewarm, fuzzy feeling that it gives a person. It's actu-ally been shown that the three areas of the brain(namely the ventral striatum (which controls happi-ness), the temporoparietaljunction, (which processesgenerosity) and theorbitofrontal cortex (whichregulates the decision-makingprocess) interacts moreintensely during acts of gen-erosity. Furthermore, just thethought of giving, for exam-ple, making a pledge, willincrease happiness, whichincreases even stronger when the money is actuallygiven.

And what better time to talk about giving, than atChristmas!

Many people look forward to Black Friday. Imyself celebrate the Friday after Thanksgiving asRed and Green Friday. All year long I have boughtChristmas books and recorded Christmas movies.Then on Red and Green Friday, I jump out of bedas early as I wake up and rush downstairs to beginreading books and watching movies.

I even have aspecial area inmy writing roomthat is myC h r i s t m a sCorner. In it Ikeep my Yuletidebooks, includingmy 140 year oldeditions ofCharles Dicken'sChristmas tales,

and 80 year old edition of The Night BeforeChristmas. There, in my overstuffed chair, in frontof my gas-log fireplace, and by the illumination ofmy Christmas Story Leg Lamp, I read for hours.

In 2011 I read Jason Wright's book "TheChristmas Jars". For those who have not read it, Istrongly urge you to do so. The story tells of peo-ple eating in a café saving their change throughoutthe year and placing it in a Christmas Jar. Then,during Christmas, God would always bring to thecafé someone in need. The Christmas Jar would be

given to them.This story gave me the idea of doing my own

Christmas Jar project. Throughout the year I place ten dimes on the left

side of my desk. . Throughout the day, I prayand/or offer praise for others orfor myself. I then move a dimefrom the left side to the rightside. Once I go through all tendimes, I put them in myChristmas Jar. Once I havegone through 50 dimes, I placea 5 dollar bill into the jar, andtake out the dimes, and startover. Then, when Red andGreen Friday arrives, Judy and

I buy $10 gift cards. Whenever we find someone inneed (for example that single mother at the check-out), we give them a card that has a label that reads,Jesus loves you, and so do we. This has becomemy favorite part of the Christmas holiday.

There are many ways you can give during thistime of year, even if you don't have the financialmeans. Daily Bread can always use extra hands,especially around the holidays. Brother Charlie canalways use volunteers for his Taking it to the StreetMinistry.

If you do have the financial resources, take aname from an Angel Tree, fill a Christmas ShoeBox, or find a needy family on your own. Findsomeone that needs to have an electric, or heatingbill paid. Find someone that will be spendingChristmas alone, especially if they've just lost aloved one, and take them some Christmas treats.Send cards to those that may not receive any, or bet-ter yet, drop a card off to them.

Or just do a good deed for someone (like myneighbor who had his tractor out and pushed thesnow off my driveway.). Carry a pocket full ofcandy canes, or Christmas candy to hand out. I liketo meet the inmates on the Thursday beforeChristmas when they pick up my trash so I can givethem cups of hot chocolate and cookies.

I hope each and every one of you will think ofspecial ways you can observe the true spirit ofChristmas this season. Drop me an email and sharewith me how you did so.

Jerry L. Haynes invites you to read his otherblogs on www.BringingHopeAndHappiness.comYou can contact him [email protected]

Jerry

Haynes

BringingHope AndHappiness

808-3949

NRCC’s NurseAide programapproved by state

New River CommunityCollege's Nurse Aide Programrecently was granted continuedapproval by the Virginia Boardof Nursing.

The Virginia Board ofNursing, an accrediting agencyof the Commonwealth ofVirginia's Department of HealthProfessions, recently conductedan on-site visit, and NRCC wasnotified in November of the suc-cessful review.

"The college is helping to ful-fill a need in our community bypreparing individuals to work asnurse aides. Certified nurse aidesare in great demand in theregion," said Dr. Lorrie Coe-Meade, NRCC director of nurs-ing programs. "Their skills areneeded to help meet the healthcare needs of our citizens.According to the Bureau ofLabor statistics, job opportuni-ties for nurse aides will increase20.7 percent in Virginia between2016 and 2026. For those aspir-ing to become an LPN or RN,working as a CNA can be a goodway to gain experience in healthcare prior to beginning a nursingprogram."

NRCC's Nurse Aide Programis part of the college's Office ofWorkforce Development divi-sion under the instruction ofMichele Keesling, who holds amaster's degree in nursing andhas been a nurse for 13 years.Keesling is currently an adultand gerontology nurse practi-tioner who works with hematol-ogy and oncology patients.

Nurse aide is an in-demandcareer that provide hands-on careto patients in medical settingsincluding assisting with bathing,dressing, and the basic everydayactivities. Daily activities anurse aide might encounterinclude taking patients' tempera-ture, blood pressure, and othervital signs. Nurse aide profes-sionals also assist with patients'or clients' needs under the super-vision of a Registered Nurse or a

Licensed Practical Nurse. Uponcompletion of the program, stu-dents are eligible to apply to takethe National Nurse AideAssessment Program (NNAAP)exam to become a CertifiedNurse Aide.

The next Nurse Aide course atNRCC begins January 15, 2019,and financial assistance is avail-able for those who qualify. Formore information about NRCC'sNurse Aide Program, visithttps://www.nr.edu/workforce/credentials.php#career or contactNRCC's Office of WorkforceDevelopment at (540)674-3631or email [email protected].

The Patriot808-3949

www.pcpatriot.com

Page A6 • The Patriot - Friday, December 14, 2018

Mitch McConnell just did our con-stitutional order an enormous favor byburying the so-called Robert Muellerprotection bill, hopefully never to riseagain.

There's been much harumphingabout how Republicans are in the tankfor President Donald Trump by notgetting on board the bipartisan bill, butit is a singularly misbegotten piece oflegislation.

Plan A, i.e., passing the thing, wouldhave been hard enough. But its sup-porters apparently didn't think througha need for a Plan B or C: Trump wouldhave vetoed the bill if it passedCongress, and if it somehow passedCongress with a veto-proof majority,the Supreme Court likely would havestruck it down.

The push for the bill again showshow, to this point, Trump's main threatto our constitutional system has beencatalyzing a hysterical opposition. Thatopposition is willing to throw over-board legal and constitutional nicetiesto thwart Trump.

Hence, much of the #resistancejudging regarding Trump measures.And hence the astonishing spectacle ofU.S. senators, sworn to uphold theConstitution, advancing a blatantlyunconstitutional bill.

The president is the chief executive,and like it or not, Trump is president."I conceive that if any power whatso-ever is in its nature executive," James

Madison declared, "it is the power ofappointing, overseeing and controllingthose who execute the laws."

If the president can fire the attorneygeneral (the ill-used Jeff Sessionsattests that he can), he certainly canfire Mueller. The attorney general is amuch more important position.

In compelling Senate testimony,Yale law professor Akhil Amarexplained the constitutional problemswith the Mueller protection bill. One isthat to be constitutional, the specialcounsel must be an inferior officer.Otherwise, he has to be confirmed bythe Senate, which Mueller wasn't. Andif he's an inferior officer, he can befired.

The problem with the protection billin terms of constitutional architecturealso gets at the problem with the spe-cial counsel.

Yes, there's lots of criminal action inthe Mueller probe -- the Paul Manaforttrial, the various plea deals -- but cur-rent Justice Department guidance says

that the president himself can't beindicted. That means that all Muellercan do regarding the president directlyis produce a report that may well insti-gate congressional action, up to andincluding an impeachment probe. Thispreliminary investigative work shouldbe the work of Congress alone, with-out the help of someone nominallyworking for the president he's target-ing.

Indeed, if you want investigations ofthe president that the president can'tstop or have influence over, you haveto run them out of Congress. With theDemocratic takeover of the House,such congressional probes are on theirway.

Trump has huffed and puffed aboutMueller, yet cooperated -- in someinstances, quite fulsomely -- with hisinvestigation. That could change at anytime. But firing Mueller would lead todire political consequences, and nowfail to achieve its end of truly shuttinghim down. If cashiered, Mueller wouldpresumably show up in January as thefirst witness before Rep. Jerry Nadler'sJudiciary Committee and spill all heknows.

That's probably all the protectionMueller needs, and certainly all theprotection he can legitimately beafforded.

Rich Lowry is editor of theNational Review.

Sorry, You Can’t Protect Mueller

Help for sexual assaultvictims

Before the 115th Congress concludes, the Houseof Representatives will take up an important bill Icosponsored with Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX), the MeganRondini Sexual Assault Victims Protection Act.

The namesake of the bill was a student at theUniversity of Alabama. One night, Megan wasraped by a man from a prominent local family. Shewent to the local hospital and reported the incidentto the police, but the hospital did not have the prop-er resources to deal with sexual assault, and thepolice soon focused on infractions they believed she

had committed.The district

attorney did notpursue a caseagainst Megan'sattacker, and heremotional andmental statedeclined. Shetransferred univer-

sities, but still, the rape and its aftermath hauntedher, and ultimately, she took her own life.

Megan's story shows that we have to do better forsexual assault victims. The bill introduced in hername will help.

Under the provisions of the Megan RondiniSexual Assault Victims Protection Act, theSecretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)would set up a task force to identify the barriersthat block access to sexual assault forensic examin-ers, sexual assault nurse examiners, and otherforensic medical examiners. The task force wouldhelp states improve their ability to gather evidence.

When this bill becomes law, by July 1, 2019, theHHS website would include resources and bestpractices developed by stakeholders for respondingto sexual assault, and an annual summit would beconvened by the Secretary to address gaps in healthcare regarding sexual assault.

Improving responses to sexual assault cases willalso be the subject of an upcoming hearing by theHouse Energy and Commerce CommitteeSubcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, ofwhich I am Vice Chairman. We will examine theavailability of Sexual Assault Forensic Exams(SAFE kits) and sexual assault nurse examiners(SANEs) in hospitals.

By improving access to proper resources and pro-fessionals trained in responding to sexual assault,we can help support the victims of these heinouscrimes.

The Greatest GenerationThe nation paused for several days to say good-

bye to George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41stPresident of the United States, who died onNovember 30.

In one sense, his passing was a rare event. Hewas one of only 44 people who have held the officeof president since the Constitution went into effectin 1789, and the last president to pass away wasGerald Ford in 2006. Further, he was only the sec-ond president to also be the father of a president,following John Adams and his son, John Quincy.

But in another sense, this event was all too com-mon. President Bush was one more of the WorldWar II veterans who are rapidly slipping away fromus. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs pro-jected in November that only 496,777 World War IIveterans remained alive, and 348 of them pass awayeach day.

President Bush's service in World War II wouldhave been noteworthy even if he did not subse-quently have the illustrious life he led. He enlistedin the Navy on his 18th birthday and become one ofthe youngest aviators in the Navy. While flying in amission over Chi Chi Jima in 1944, his plane washit by Imperial Japanese antiaircraft fire. The planecompleted its mission before Bush had to bail out;while the other crew members were killed, he para-chuted into the Pacific Ocean and was rescued by aU.S. submarine after several hours on a raft.

The death of President Bush came only days afterRay Chavez, the oldest living survivor of PearlHarbor, passed away at the age of 106. When askedby CNN about how much he thought of the eventsof December 7, 1941, and his service, he said,"Every day. And not hysterical or mean thoughtsabout it -- it was great. But it never goes away. Allof what you see and learned."

For the first time since the attack, this year'sremembrance ceremony at Pearl Harbor included nosurvivors of the USS Arizona, the battleship mostdevastated by the air raid. Five survivors remainalive, but none could return to commemorate the"date which will live in infamy."

Journalist Tom Brokaw famously labelled them"The Greatest Generation," and their accomplish-ments were incredible - not only the heroism oftheir wartime service, but their contributions uponcoming home. As we honor President Bush, let usalso honor all the members of his generation whogave so much on behalf of our country.

Morgan

Griffith

9th DistrictRepresentativ

Planning to PlanThere are so many quotes and

clichés out there about plan-ning…Where do I begin?

We know that some of the bright-est minds and most inspirationalleaders in the world have referencedthe power of planning or the conse-quences for the lack thereof. Someof my favorites quotes are:"Planning is bringing the future intothe present so that you can dosomething about it now." - AllenLakein and "Good fortune is whathappens when opportunity meetswith planning." - Thomas Edison.

It goes without saying that plan-ning is critical, whether you findyourself on a battlefield, embarkingon a trip across the country or sim-ply looking to tackle that extensiveto do list at home. (I am sure bynow you all are wondering where Iam going with this.)

Well it just so happens thePulaski County PlanningCommission is gearing up to under-take the development of PulaskiCounty's Comprehensive Plan. TheComp Plan is a guiding documentthat outlines the County's long-term

policies and goals, and assists lead-ership with managing and prioritiz-ing a wide spectrum of communityneeds.

The purpose behind assembling aComp Plan is to incorporate collec-tively the community's values, iden-tity and character into a clear visionfor the future. This is accomplishedby engaging our residents duringthe development process and incor-porating their input, recommenda-tions and feedback into the fabric ofthe document. This public input iswhere local initiatives will emerge,funding priorities will be elucidatedand opportunities for smart growthtranspire. As Dr. John Maxwellwould put it, "Without a plan, youare growing nowhere." (This is

where all of you come in.) ThePlanning Commission intends toconduct a series of public input ses-sions starting in February 2019, toinclude a community-wide survey,public meetings, focus groups, draftreviews at open houses around thecounty and public hearings. TheComp Plan will only be as good aswhat we as a community puts into itand I personally encourage our citi-zens to take part in helping shapePulaski County's future.

I fervently believe that PulaskiCounty has the biggest upsidepotential out of any County inSouthwestern Virginia, but it willtake good planning and sound exe-cution to realize it. So please keepan eye out for notifications on theCounty's website and in our localmedia outlets for your opportunityto contribute to this important plan-ning process. With your assistance,Pulaski County will grow, prosperand reach its full potential.

Pulaski Countyis…Comprehensively Planning.

www.pcpatriot.com

Patriot’s

Post

Jonathan SweetPulaski CountyAdministrator

LIFESTYLESThe Patriot - Friday, December 14, 2018 - Page A7www.pcpatriot.com

Draper HomecomingHow often do you get to meet your Great-Great-Great Aunt? Emma Jo Rigney Schaefer of Streetsboro,OH.returned to her hometown of Draper on November 24th to visit with her nieces and nephews(the Rigneycousins). During her visit she met her great-great-great nieces, Mia and Hailey, and great-great-greatnephew Dustin Lowery who live in Greensboro, NC. Left to right above are Mia, Dustin, Emma Jo andHailey.

Seniorsraisinggrandkids

A show of hands, please --how many of us are suddenlyraising our grandchildren justwhen we were about to retire?Or maybe after we've alreadyretired and have fewerresources and income? Thereare 2 1/2 million of us doingjust that.

It wasn't that long ago that wewere on our own if a family sit-uation fell apart and it becamenecessary for us to take in ourgrandchildren and raise them.Now we might be able to getsome help. A new law wasenacted this summer -- TheSupporting GrandparentsRaising Grandchildren Act --after being supported by 40 dif-ferent advocacy organizations.

The new law will create anadvisory council working underthe Department of Health andHuman Services to figure outwhat's needed to help the chil-dren when it comes to health,nutrition and education, as wellas help with our own mentaland physical health. The coun-cil is supposed to research howto raise children, locateresources and so on, with anemphasis on children affectedby drug addiction. The councilwas given six months to gettheir ducks in a row. That sixmonths is now up.

If you're hooked up withSocial Services, give them acall and ask what help you cannow get from this new law.We're supposed to get a one-stop source for contacts andinformation.

Meanwhile, there are otherplaces to seek help. Start withG r a n d f a m i l i e s . o r g[www.grandfami l i e s .o rg ] ,which has information and sup-port for those who are raisingtheir grandchildren. Look forthe state fact sheets to see whatis available in your state. Lookat the Search Laws section tomake sure you know the locallaws. Also go to aarp.org anddo a search for "grandparentsraising grandchildren."

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DEAR PAW'S: My local shel-ter has started holding "free"adoption days twice a year. Itdrops the $100 fee to adopt a pet(although people still need topay a $10 processing fee, andthey get a collar and ID tag withthat). Taking care of pets can beexpensive, and I think thesekinds of promotions attractowners who aren't going toinvest in their new pet and keepthem healthy. What do youthink about low-cost shelteradoptions? -- Colin H., viaemail

DEAR COLIN: If a loweradoption fee helps shelters findhomes for pets, and reducesshelter populations, I'm in favorof it. However, I understandyour reservations. In someways, it's a gamble that the shel-ter takes on each new person tocome through its door. Will this

person be the forever family fora traumatized dog? Can a fami-ly with kids care for a cat withspecial needs?

Some shelters vet potentialowners before allowing them toadopt, while others follow themore familiar "open adoption"practice, where the criteria arenot so strict.

Pet adoption fees are notabout gatekeeping. These feescover the cost of caring for ani-mals at the shelter: their foodand health care, as well asadministration. In return, new

owners often receive a voucheror coupon for a free vet visit andsteeply discounted services likevaccination and deworming.And the fee is far lower than thecost of buying a pet through abreeder or at a pet store.

Whether a lower-cost promo-tion is in place or not, potentialnew owners should always visittheir nearest shelter first as theysearch for their new pet.

Send your questions, com-ments or tips [email protected].

Should animal shelterslower the cost of adoption?

New RiverTrail to host First DayHike Jan. 1

New River Trail State Parkwill offer a first day hike onJanuary 1st 2019 from 10 a.m.to 1 p.m. at the HooverMountain Bike Area inHiwassee, VA.

Start 2019 at New River TrailState Park for our First DayHike and First Day Bike Ride.We will kick-off the New Yearat New River Trail's HooverMountain Bike Area. Hikerswill take a leisurely 1.1 milehike along the Miner's LoopTrail with park rangers (trail rat-ing is moderate), while bikerswill be able to explore the 3.2miles of mountain bike trails.

What better way to begin anew year then taking in the freshair and natural beauty the parkhas to offer. Please dress accord-ingly for the weather forecast.For more information pleasecall the park office at (276) 699-6778.

Parking access is approxi-mately a half mile from theHoover Mountain Bike Area atthe Allisonia boat ramp. Parkingfees are waived for the day. Thefirst 100 visitors will receive aFirst Day Hikes bumper sticker.Find out about our contests athttps://vasp.fun/2019firstday-hikes - top prize is a $500 giftcertificate for both contests.

[email protected]


Move Not God’s BoundariesProverbs 23: 10 & 11 "Remove

not the old landmark; and enterNOT into the fields of the father-less: For their Redeemer ismighty; he shall plead their causewith thee."

Sometimes neighbors fall outwith one another about wheretheir lot lines are. As a RealEstate Broker, I've had surveysdone and in just a day or two, Iwould come back to the propertyand the survey stakes had beenpulled up and moved by a neigh-bor. Which by the way, is againstthe law.

If there is a boundary line dis-pute, it needs to be settled in acivil manner. There's a true storyabout a man who bought a Farmand closed out the deal. After theclosing he went to the propertyand a fuming mad neighborshowed up. Saying, Well I guessyou know that you've boughtyourself a lawsuit. He said,"What do you mean? And theenraged neighbor said, that Fenceover there, and he pointed to it, ison my land and the man who soldit to you knew it and refused tomove it. And the new ownerasked him. Well where do youthink the fence should be. And heshowed him. So the new ownersaid to him, Let's you and I meethere on Saturday morning at 9AM and we'll move that fenceover to where you say it ought tobe. And the neighbor said, Youmean you'd do that? And he said

back, Yes I will, because I wantto be a good neighbor. The sur-prised neighbor studied about itfor a few moments and then hesaid, Oh just forget about it. Let'sjust leave that fence where it is,and it'll be alright.

You know most disputes can besettled peaceably if someone hasenough of God in their life toshow understanding and reasonenough to do the right thing.

Our scripture teaches, do notmove the established landmarksand in this case, it is referring tomoving landmarks in order totake some of the land thatbelongs to orphans. Do not movethe landmarks when a neighbordies and wrongly claim part ofthe land that belongs to thedeceased father's children. Takingland or anything else that doesn'tbelong to us is stealing. AndGod's word plainly says, "Thoushalt not steal."

Verse 11 says, For theirRedeemer is mighty; he shallplead their cause with thee." Thismeans, in my view that God willdefend those who can't defend

themselves. That God will placea curse on those who take unfairadvantage of defenseless orphans.Deut. 27:17. "Cursed be he thatremoveth his neighbour's land-mark."

The Redeemer/Avenger calledthe Goel, was a Relative whowould champion the rights of thedefenseless; but if there was nohuman Goel then God woulddefend their cause.

It's foolish for anyone to dosomething that will stir up thewrath of God against them.Because God is all powerful andHe has the power to make themwish that they had never beenborn. Those are very foolish whomakes an enemy of God. For Hecan punish them both here, and inthe afterlife as well.

James Weldon Johnson said,"Young man, young man, yourarms too short to box with God."

Romans 1:18 says, "For thewrath of God is revealed fromheaven against all ungodlinessand unrighteousness of men, whohold the truth in unrighteous-ness;"

Our scriptures speak of thefields of the fatherless. Back inthe early days of Israel, land-marks or boundaries were estab-lished by ancient ancestors andwere not to be moved under anycircumstance.

Sometimes a landmark was arock or a tree. And it was a seri-

Teach Me

Your Word

O Lord

TerryMcCraw

See MCCRAW, page A9

From the writings of Rev. Billy Graham

Q: After decades of legal-ized abortion, it is still ahuge topic of discussion inour society. It often head-lines the news. This pro-lifeand pro-choice dramaintensifies. I had an abor-tion some years ago and feltno guilt at the moment. Butsince that time the anxietyfrom my decision growswithin and I hate myself.How can God forgive mewhen I can't forgivemyself? -- A.A.

A: God's forgiveness for usis not conditional on our for-giving ourselves. The Biblesays "that while we were stillsinners, Christ died for us"(Romans 5:8). This meansthat even before we wereinterested in repenting andasking God to forgive us ofour sins, God had alreadytaken the initiative.

God's desire is to forgiveus, but we must repent andadmit our sin before theLord. He knows you betterthan you know yourself. Wemust trust Him to turn usfrom despair and guilt. Hewants to show us how we canbe witnesses for Him by

encouraging others to consid-er the love and forgiveness ofthe Lord Jesus. He is patient-ly waiting to welcome soulsinto His tender and lovingcare.

Think for a moment howwonderful it would be to goto bed every night and knowbeyond doubt that God hasforgiven every sin you hadever committed. This can beyour experience because Godloves you and is ready to for-give and receive you. He hasalready done everything nec-essary to bring you to com-plete forgiveness. Flee fromSatan, who wants to keepyou wallowing in your inde-cision, and trust Christ togive you peace in your heart.

(This column is based onthe words and writings of thelate Rev. Billy Graham.)

God Yearns To Forgive

My

Answer

Billy Graham

Draper United Methodist Church

3080 Greenbriar RoadDraper, VA 24324

Pastor: Ruth Anne HenleyPrimary Service Times:Sunday School, 10 a.m.

Worship, 11 a.m.Phone: 540-392-8016


ous sin, punishable by death, tomove one of these landmarks andclaim land and crops thatbelonged to someone else.

Children of the fatherless ororphans, are at the very center ofthe heart of God. God wants tobless them, and usually He doesit though us, who are of theChristian community.

As Fathers we have some seri-ous responsibilities. First of all,we are to bring up our children toknow the ways of God and thewill of God for their lives. Thiswill help them more in life thananything else we can ever possi-bly do for them.

Now, as for Discipline, wemust make sure that we don'tever mistreat our children or pun-ish them excessively. Any disci-pline that we administer shouldbe done with love.

God, our Heavenly Father, has

set up spiritual landmarks orboundaries, for us to observe.But these good foundations arebeing eroded in America everyday by secular society. Societyhas moved, and are moving, thespiritual boundaries set up by ourHeavenly Father. Pastor DavonHuss said, Denominations andgroups have moved and are mov-ing the landmarks of Christianity.Many in some mainline denomi-nations no longer believe in theold landmarks of Christianity.Many no longer believe in thefoundational truths of the bible.And that is what is wrong inAmerica today. Society hasmoved many of the boundaries

set by God in the Bible. Americaneeds desperately to get back toobserving the spiritual landmarksand boundaries of the Bible.

Moral Law has changed.Society has changed. People havechanged. Some Churches havechanged. But the word of Godnever changes. The grass withers,the flower fades, but the word ofour God will stand forever.

The final word in this messageis for us to live our lives withinthe boundaries set up by God inthe Bible. If we do we shall havea wonderful, abundant life that isblessed by God. If we don't, wewon't.

McCrawContinued from page A8

The Patriot - www.pcpatriot.com

Dec. 15 Saturday Christmas Program

The Draper United Methodist Church will present its Christmas pro-gram "A Service of Gifts to the Christ Child" in the sanctuary of theDraper UMC located at 3080 Greenbriar Rd. in Draper on December15 starting at 6 p.m. After the service refreshments including hotchocolate and cookies will be served in the fellowship hall. Everyoneis invited to this special evening at the church and to view our insidedecorations and the outside silhouette nativity scene that was made byour members.


WreathsContinued from page A1

State Police Color Guard, theRoanoke Battalion USN SeaCadet Corps led the Pledge ofAllegiance. Next, the VeryReverend Robert Brodie, InterimRector of St. Paul's EpiscopalChurch in Salem gave theInvocation, giving thanks for allthose who served and especiallythose who sacrificed.

Dublin Mayor Benny Skeenswelcomed the audience, explain-ing "These are not just Christmaswreaths, they are the 10 BalsamBouquets symbolizing 10 specialqualities that our veteransembody: faith in God, love foreach other, strength, honesty,humility, ambition, optimism forAmerica, concern for the future,pride in duty, and hopes anddreams - no regrets."

Additionally, the evergreen inthe wreaths symbolizes longevityand endurance; the red bow sym-bolizes great sacrifice; the forestscent symbolizes purity and sim-plicity; and the circular shapesymbolizes eternity.

Guest Speaker Capt. GaryPowers (Ret). U.S. Navybrought some levity as hequipped, "I've been told to keepmy remarks short. It's cold andthe Army-Navy game starts at2:00pm."

But immediately Powersreminded the crowd "No wordscan adequately convey our grati-tude to our selfless heros…thisplace holds the treasures of ournation."

As Powers led the SpecialMilitary Wreath Placements atthe Wall of Honor, he stated, "Aswe lay these wreaths, instead ofseeing stone monuments we seethe faces of those who served."He encouraged participants topause, run their fingertips overthe monuments and rememberthat these were loved ones, fami-ly members, classmates andfriends.

Laying of the Military wreathsand honoring the branches of theU.S. Military were: Lt. Col.Arthur Sommers; Col. ThomasDalzall (Ret.); Capt. GaryPowers (Ret.); Col. Mark Clark(Ret.); CWO3 David Dillon(Ret.); and for POW/MIA,Lt.Col. James Flynn (Ret.)

Mary Lou Summers, Chair ofthe Southwest Virginia VeteransCemetary Volunteers, gave direc-tions and the sequence for layingclose to 1,000 wreaths on the vet-erans graves. "We are here tohonor our veterans and their fam-ilies…to be sure they are not for-gotten. These wreaths are a sym-bol of eternal life…they (veter-ans) will live in our memory."

Summers added to her closingremarks with an appropriatequote from Adli Stevenson (for-mer Ambassador to the UnitedNations) "…And now in theserenity and quiet of this lovelyplace, touch the depths of truth,feel the hem of Heaven as you goaway with old, good friends.And don't forget when you leavewhy you came."

While the crowd dispersed toget and place their wreaths, theMontgomery County Sheriff'sDepartment Rifle Team fired a 21gun salute; followed by Tapsplayed by the 29th DivisionVirginia Army National GuardBand. Bagpiper Andrew ShieldsMeeks closed the ceremony atthe Wall of Honor with the well-known hymn, Amazing Grace.

Veterans' family, friends andloved ones received their wreathsfrom volunteers and placed themat the grave site markers. Somelingered in silence, some in tears,some making sure no veteranwas forgotten and no grave wasleft without a wreath.

For information or to volunteerwith the Southwest VirginiaVeterans Cemetery Volunteers,please visit:www.SWVAVCV.org

To learn more about WreathsAcross America and WorcesterWreath, visit their website atwreathsacrossamerica.org

Danielle Reid photos

Brothers Tyler and Grayson Pearce help place wreaths on veterans' graves during the AnnualWreath Laying Ceremony at the Southwest Virgnia Veterans Ceremony in Dublin on Saturday. Theboys are members of the Ft. Chiswell Society of Children of the American Revolution, an organiza-tion associated with DAR. Grayson said they were "here to support the fallen veterans because theydied for our country and deserve as much respect as they can get."

Virginia State Police Color Guard present the colors during the 6th Annual Wreath LayingCeremony at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin.

Chair of the SouthwestVirginia Veterans CemeteryVolunteers, Mary LouSummers, addresses the largecrowd gathered during the 6thAnnual Wreath LayingCememony in Dublin. Despitethe cold weather, approxi-mately 500 individuals attend-ed the event to place wreathson veterans' graves.

The members of the Roanoke Battalion U.S. Navy Sea Cadet Corps lead the crowdof approximately 500 in the Pledge of Allegiance at Saturday's Annual WreathLaying Ceremony at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery.

Capt. Gary Powers (Ret.) U.S.Navy was the keynote speakerat Saturday's 6th AnnualWreath Laying Ceremony atthe Southwest VirginiaVeterans Cemetery in Dublin.Powers reminded the approxi-mately 500 guests that "Nowords can adequately conveyour gratitude to these selflessheros…this place holds thetreasures of our nation."

Mike Dickerson, member of the Christian Motorcycle Associationof the NRV, Faith Ryders assist in handing out wreaths to beplaced on the graves of veterans during the Annual WreathLaying Ceremony at the Southwest Virginia Veterans Cemeteryin Dublin. Below, members of UAW Local 2069 Motor CycleEscort and Christian Motorcycle Association of NRV FaithRyders arrive. The motorcyclists circled the cemetary two times,preceding the truck carrying the Wreaths to be placed on veter-ans grave markers.

Master of Ceremonies, Col. RickLittleton, U.S. Navy (Ret.) officiatedat the 6th Annual Wreath LayingCeremony at the Southwest VirginiaVeterans Cemetery in Dublin onSaturday.

Two women respectfully place wreaths at the Vietnam VeteransWall during the 6th Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at theSouthwest Virginia Veterans Cemetery in Dublin.

Photos byDanielle ReidThe Patriot

SPORTSwww.pcpatriot.com The Patriot • Friday, December 14, 2018 • Page B1

Locker

Room

DanCallahan

I'm a week late with this. TheArmy-Navy game was lastSaturday. I watched it. I alwaysdo. It's a great spectacle. The"Long Gray Line'' won for thethird year in a row. The Navyhad won 14 straight until that.That's not the major issue. Theissue is what the game standsfor. It stands for much more thanany other college football game,and I mean "any'' other collegefootball game.

Devout enemies for a day, butmembers of a brotherhood for alifetime. No, the best talent inthe country is not on the field.That doesn't mean anything asfar as the spirit of competition isconcerned. If talent is all thatmatters to you than maybe thisgame is not for you. Becausethis is not about the best players.This game is a game betweenthe best people. It's about honor,commitment. It's about some-thing bigger than yourself. It'snot about juvenile displays ofindividualism following usuallyvery ordinary plays. This is agame between "young men.''

This game is not about "lookat me.'' It's about team. It's aboutthe pride of the Army, the prideof the Navy. It's about militarypeople all over the world. It'sabout teammates, family, tradi-tion, how you feel about yourcountry and how you feel aboutyourself, about life. It's a gamebetween men that are willing togive their own life so that youmay live in safety and comfort.There is little that means morethan that.

It can be for a conference title,a big bowl win, or the nationalchampionship, but it's not asimportant as Army vs. Navy, andthere aren't as many peoplewatching either. It is the mostwatched college football gameof the year............ever year. It'sabout a lot of things that's impor-tant to your life. It's not just afootball game. It's far more thanthat. It exhibits the greatest char-acter on the field of athleticcompetition on a single day inany year. It is truly "The Game''every football season.

Heisman:The Heisman Trophy frankly

bores me. Media starts talkingabout it before the first game hasbeen played. I believe the wholething is lot about media hype.What really is the HeismanTrophy? It's nothing more than aquarterback trophy. It's gottenalmost exclusively to that. Sowhy not call it what it is, a quar-terback award.

And by the way, do youalways automatically believethat a quarterback is the verybest football player in the landevery season? I very much doubtthat's true. Is it not possible thata linebacker or defensive line-man could actually be the bestplayer? And how do you quanti-fy the value of an offensive line-man? I know this, if you don'thave good linemen you don'thave a very good football team,so who's the most valuable?

How many times have youseen football teams win gamesbecause of a great offensivefront? I have a bunch of times.How many times have you seena quarterback win a game byhimself when the offensive linedidn't block well? Think about it.The Heisman Trophy should notbe billed as the best player in thenation. It's just a quarterback

See CALLAHAN, page B2

Army vs.Navy: Theabsolutebest game

Racing back on track at Motor MileBy J.W. MARTINMotor Mile Speedway

Things - race cars, specifically - will be back ontrack at Motor Mile Speedway in 2019.

Motor Mile Speedway's 2019 schedule releaseheralds the anticipated return of a racing program.Pending NASCAR approval, the New RiverValley short track will be embarking on its 31stNASCAR-sanctioned season, with the NASCARWHELEN All-American Series Late Model divi-sion competing alongside four points-paying sup-port classes that include Limited Sportsman,MOD-4, Super Street and UCAR.

Motor Mile Speedway hosted a slate of suc-cessful special events in 2018. The facility oper-ated without NASCAR racing for the first timesince becoming NASCAR-sanctioned in 1988.

"We're ready to go racing again. The entire rac-ing community has been very supportive; they'rethe reason we're reviving our racing program,"says Motor Mile Speedway & Dragway GeneralManager Michelle Vaught. "Everyone is veryexcited, and we're optimistic that 2019 will be avery special season for our teams, sponsors andfans."

Motor Mile Speedway's 2019 schedule is com-prised of ten race dates. The NASCAR WHELENAll-American Series will compete in a total of 18races; eight 50-lap twinbill events will be supple-mented by two 100-lap contests. All support divi-sions will be featured in at least 10 races in 2019.

Additionally, Motor Mile Speedway will show-case a trio of special events in 2019. Headlined bythe annual Independence Holiday Monster TruckShow, events include the acclaimed Knights ofDestruction's Tour of Destruction and the long-awaited return of the CARS Response EnergyTour.

Motor Mile Speedway ownership recentlyannounced sweeping policy improvements aimedat enhancing the fan experience in 2019. Soft-sided, six-pack-sized coolers will be permittedduring regular race events, and smoking will berestricted to one designated smoking area. Minormodifications to the track's racing program alsowill be implemented in an effort to elevate on-track excitement.

Rules packages and racing program announce-ments forthcoming.

Hunting camp shenanigansMany hunters of the past and

today as well gather together ata hunting camp with a smallhunting cabin located on aprime area known for the biggame, notably deer, turkey andbear. When hunting seasoncomes in, most guys havearrived say a day or two inadvance to get settled in andperhaps check out the areasthey have scouted, picking anarea and setting up their treestands where perhaps they havespotted a ten-point buck. Theyhave looked forward to thistime to get away from the job,if still working, and even therest of the family look forward

to this time as well. If thehunter is a younger person withsay two to three kids at home,it also gives the wife somerelief. She can get the kids offto school and keep the housetidied up without too mucheffort and do her own thing bywatching TV, reading a booketc.

The members of the camp areall up and about the morningbefore opening day the nextday. They awake this morningto the smell of bacon frying onthe camp stove. There is asharp coolness in the air thislatter part of November and theground is covered in white

from a visit with Jack Frostduring the night. After break-fast, they spend the day check-ing out their guns, sharpeningknives and checking out otherhunting paraphernalia. Theymay sit around and rehashother hunts, rib each on oneanother and several may beaccusing another that morningof the boots that had their toesstuffed with say paper towelsor even an old smelly sock.They work together to desig-nate who does the cooking,washes the dishes, keeps thetrash collected etc. This may

done on a rotation basis type ofarrangement.

There is always a chance of aguy that is a little on the lazyside. He may be fifty poundsoverweight and after a coupledays of hunting without anysuccess on the third day sleepsin and stays in camp to nothunt or even help tidy up thecamp as he should. Let's callhim "Lazy Bones Jones" andthe other guys decide to pullone on him. Lazy Bone awakesafter the others have gone outto hunt and he finds that he hasno clothes left to put on. Herushes to the door and looksout and espies something hang-ing high above in the tree thathas two deer hanging that werekilled the day before. It is hisfavorite orange trimmed hunt-ing jacket with no doubt hisother clothes bundled up with

Woods,

Water &

Wildlife

W.A. “Doc”Davis

See DAVIS, page B2

Page B2 - The Patriot - Friday, December 14, 2018

award.

VT's Real Streak:To each his own on this bowl

stuff, but frankly going to a bowlgame is not what it once was. Itused to be an honor, but thingshave gotten watered down like alot of other stuff over the years.In some ways, college is moreabout participation these days aswell. Otherwise why wouldteams without winning records beplaying in a bowl game? And ifthat's the case, then really howimportant is it?

Truth is it's hard not to go to abowl game these days. I thinkVirginia Tech's bowl streak, andmost others as well is blown outof proportion. But I will tell youa streak that's in the balance thatis really important to the Hokiesand surprisingly I've heard littlecomment about it. Virginia Techhas not had a losing record infootball for 25 years. Twice bowlgames have bailed the Hokies outto finish 7-6, and that's what musthappen again. The bowl streak is

not the big deal at all, it's the 25straight seasons with a winningrecord streak that should meanthe most by far.

Some Old, Some New:The high school football sea-

son has ended in Virginia. We'lltake a final look at PulaskiCounty between now and thenew year. But this year HighlandSprings won the Class 5 champi-onship for the fourth consecutiveseason. The Springers were oneof four schools trying to pull off afour-year streak, but it was theonly one that could. Truly a ter-rific accomplishment.

In Class 1 Riverheads won forthe third straight year and fourthtime in five years. That programis appropriately called the"Gladiators.'' Riverheads is arural school located off I-81 inthe Greenville area, south ofStaunton. One day I want to meetthe "Big Red's'' coach. He'sRobert Casto, a West Virginia fel-low. Coached all 26 of his yearsat Riverheads. He says his pro-gram doesn't have the best talent,the biggest people or any of thatstuff, but he has good kids, goodfamilies, a supportive school andcommunity and that's plenty goodenough. His quotes are like poet-ry to me.

"It's hard to play football atRiverheads,'' says Casto. "We'revery demanding, we push veryhard. We don't trick people. Weline up and come to you. Youdon't have to look around to findus. We live in a now and me soci-ety these days. But we don't atRiverheads. A lot of people aren'twilling to pay the price, put in thetime, and wait their turn. You doat Riverheads or you don't playfootball for Riverheads. I'mproud of our kids and familiesbecause I know how hard it isand the sacrifice involved, but ifit wasn't hard we probablywouldn't win like we do. It'sabout the team first and it's aboutthe team last. At Riverheads wedon't play basketball on grass. Weplay the game like it was playedin the 50s, like the game is sup-posed to be played. When westop playing that way, that willmean I have retired,'' said Casto.

In Class 2 Graham was domi-nant on its way to the title, win-ning in blowout fashion andnever being tested. In Class 3Heritage of Lynchburg won itslast 14 straight. In Class 4Woodgrove was likely a bit sur-prising to many. But a look backat the season and that team lostonly to a Class 5 powerhouse(Tuscarora), and Class 6 statetitle team (Stone Bridge). Thatspeaks for itself. In the semi-finalagainst Blacksburg theWolverines used a crunchingground game. In the title gameagainst Lake Taylor they passedfor 343 yards. That also speaksfor itself.

In Class 6 Manchester got itsfirst title. Quarterback BrandonClark, headed for Notre Dame,was dynamic as a passer and run-ner, and Manchester was dynam-ic as a team on the way to a 15-0record. Manchester outscored itsopposition during the regular sea-son, 819-70. The team averaged63 points a game during the regu-lar season. Freedom ofWoodbridge scored first in thetitle game for a 7-0 lead. Thatwas the only time Manchestertrailed in a game all year, and thatdidn't last long. In sevenManchester games this season,the continuous clock (35-pointlead) was put in effect beforehalftime. I would call that domi-nant.

CallahanContinued from page B1

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the jacket. He only has on a teeshirt and skivvies with nosocks on and the fire has goneout in the stove. The only woodis that which is at the edge ofthe forest cut the day beforeand a hundred feet from thecabin. The temperature is twen-ty above with a wind chill often above.

I recall a time when I was thebutt of a prank played on me.We were camping over the topof Big Walker on the GilesCounty side at the base of themountain. This was bow seasonand we were not seeing anydeer. We had expected morebecause at the time there weremore deer in Giles thanPulaski. We had the campingbus that was used by the unclesof one of our group who wentto Bath and Highland to hunt. Iworked at the Celanese plantduring the day and hunted inthe evening. We were standingaround one evening and a deer

was passing by at a brisk passabout a hundred feet away. Itwas ready to pass over theridge and I said to myself,"What the heck?" and drewback and fired away, butmissed of course. "Hey, youhave just lost your shirt tail",the other three of our groupyelled in unison. I tried toexplain that it was just a shotwith no hope of hitting the deerand nobody was cutting myshirt tail off. But I had to eatcrow for the next day, a prettysweet sixteen old sister of oneof the guys, had come by for avisit and been convinced bythem to cut off the shirt tail ofone that I had in the bus.

We got no deer after huntingfor about a week. I know that Ienjoyed the time to enjoy thebeautiful Indian summer daysand to take in the beauty of theGood Lord's glorious handi-work and this more than madeup for the shirt tail that I lost.

Not many deer being killedthis season, here's hoping allyou guys and gays can be suc-cessful come doe day.

Best

DavisContinued from page B1

PCHS SportsScheduleTuesday 12/18/18Boys Basketball: Hidden Valley@ Pulaski Co. JV @ 5:30, Varsityto FollowGirls Basketball: Pulaski Co. @Hidden Valley JV @ 5:30, Varsityto Follow

Wednesday 12/19/18Swim: @ Christiansburg AquaticCenter 6:30 pmWinter Sports Pictures:Gymnasium 3:30

Thursday 12/20/18Boys Basketball: Pulaski Co. @Blacksburg JV @ 5:30, Varsity toFollowGirls Basketball: Blacksburg @Pulaski Co. JV @ 5:30, Varsity toFollow

Friday 12/21/18Indoor Track: @ LibertyUniversity 12 pm

Saturday 12/22/18Boys Basketball: Pulaski Co. @Radford JV @ 5:30, Varsity toFollow

The Patriot - Friday, December 14, 2018 - Page B3

RU photo

Redshirt sophomore guard Carlik Jones scores two of his 16 points against Ohio.

Radfordathletics.com

ATHENS, Ohio - The Radfordmen's basketball team never let upin its comeback effort, but couldn'tovercome an early deficit and con-tinuous foul trouble in a 78-69defeat against Ohio at TheConvocation Center on Saturdayafternoon.

In a game that felt like theHighlanders were playing againstmore than just the other team,Radford was whistled for 21 foulscompared to just 13 for theBobcats. As a result, Ohio went20-for-25 from the free throw linewhile Radford finished 7-for-12.

Senior guard Caleb Tannerwent off for 16 points, going 5-for-6 from deep, and junior guardTravis Fields Jr. was nearly asgood, going 4-for-6 on 3-pointersto match his career high and finishwith 14 points. Playing in hishome state, redshirt sophomoreguard Carlik Jones made just oneof his first six shots before going5-for-7 over the final 12 minutesand scoring 16 points.

With the loss, Radford movesto 6-3 on the season while Ohioimproves to 6-3. It's the first timethe Highlanders have droppedback-to-back games sinceFebruary of last season, snappinga 19-game streak without twostraight losses.

You'd be hard pressed to see aslower start from the Highlanders,who trailed by as many as 15points in the first half. Neitherteam could find the bottom of thenet early, but the Bobcats struckfirst with a layup at the 17:41mark. They would go ahead, 8-0,before a Fields Jr. jumper stoppedthe bleeding at 14:43.

With under eight minutes to go

in the period, Radford was just 4-for-18 (22%) from the floor andtrailing by a large margin. That'swhen junior guard DevinHutchinson drilled a three fromthe wing to begin a 7-0 run that gotthe Highlanders right back in it.

Tanner, who had just five 3-pointers over his last five games,picked up where Hutchinson leftoff and connected on three straightshots from beyond the arc to pullRadford within three at 29-26 untilone final Ohio basket made it 32-26 heading into halftime.

The offensive momentum car-ried over into the second half asthe Highlanders posted 43 pointsover the final 20 minutes, but anyprogress made was eventuallyerased by Ohio's free throw shoot-ing.

At the midway point of the sec-ond half, Radford had battled backand pulled within three once againat 48-45. It was as close asRadford would get for the rest ofthe game as the Bobcats proceed-ed to hit five straight free throwsto stay out in front. Ohio knockeddown 17 free throws over the final9:34 to protect its lead and eventu-ally earn the victory.

Jason Carter led the Bobcatswith 19 points and six reboundswhile Teyvion Kirk (17 points, sixrebounds) and Ben Vander Plas(14 points, five rebounds) joinedhim in double figures. DougTaylor made the biggest impact onthe game, pulling down 16rebounds, including five on theoffensive end, to help Ohio earn a39-31 advantage in rebounding.

BATTLE IN THE PAINTShooting just 27.3-percent on 3-

pointers coming into Saturdaynight's game, everyone knew that

Ohio would have to score near thebasket. Despite Radford's bestefforts, the Bobcats dominateddown low and earned a 46-22advantage on points in the paintwhile hitting just four shots fromlong range.

POLITE CLIMBS CAREERSTEALS LIST

After entering Radford's all-time career steals list last week,senior forward Ed Polite Jr. hasmoved into a tie for eighth afternabbing two more against Ohio.Now at 167 career steals, he haspassed R.J. Price (2011-15), whohad 166, and is tied with ChrisHawkins (1989-92).

QUOTABLE"Ohio is a really good team that

is very well coached so it's notgoing to be easy ever when youcome into this arena. Their offenseis difficult to defend against,they've got a lot of size and they'rephysical. We gave it everythingwe had to come back, but we hadjust enough little defensive break-downs to prevent us from gettingthe stops we needed to win thisgame." - Head Coach Mike Jones

UP NEXTThe Highlanders will have a

week to rest up before hitting theroad once again, this time to SouthCarolina where they will take onthe Clemson Tigers on Saturday,Dec. 15 at 3 p.m. in LittlejohnColiseum.

Radford’s comebackfalls short in loss to Ohio

Pulaski Yankees addCahilellis as Assistant GM

The Pulaski Yankees haveannounced the hiring of JamesCahilellis as the team's newAssistant General Manager.

Cahilellis joins the Yankeesafter working for the GreatLakes Loons, Class AAffiliate ofthe Los Angeles Dodgers, since

2012, mostrecently asDirector ofG a m e d a yExperiencea n dCommunityO u t r e a c h .C a h i l e l l i sserved asGroup Sales

Manager for the Loons from2015-2016 and Group SalesCoordinator in 2014, whileworking as official scorer for the2012 and 2013 seasons.

"We're very excited to wel-come James to our staff at CalfeePark," said Pulaski YankeesGeneral Manager Betsy Haugh."He has great experience inMinor League Baseball and astrong passion for this industry -both of which will be invaluable

in his new role with us. We lookforward to what he will con-tribute to our organization andthe Pulaski community."

A native of Queens, N.Y.,Cahilellis is a graduate of bothMott Community College andNorthwood University, havingearned five associates degreesand a Bachelor's in BusinessAdministration with a doublemajor in Entertainment, Sports,and Promotion/BusinessManagement.

"I want to thank Betsy Haughand the Pulaski Yankees for thisincredible opportunity," saidCahilellis. "I am thrilled to jointhe Yankees family and look for-ward to creating exciting memo-ries for our fans at the historicCalfee Park."

Cahilellis officially assumedhis new role at the BaseballWinter Meetings in Las Vegas,Nevada that began December 9.

Cahilellis

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Fly Tying for BeginnersA beginners fly tying class will be offered starting January 15,

2019 and run concurrently for six weeks at the Pulaski Train Station.Sponsored by Friends of Peak Creek, the class is being taught byexpert fly fishing tyers Lanse Dawson (proprietor of Haunted byWaters) and Bill Cox. The classes will run from 6 PM till 7:30 PMon Tuesdays through February 19. Instruction is free but a charge of$20 will be collected per student for supplies. Class space is limited.If you are interested in reserving a spot email [email protected]. Signup deadline is Jan. 4.

Bringing joy to children is a hallmark of the holiday season, so lawenforcement agencies in the New Valley joined together last Saturday(Dec. 8, 2018) for the "Cops and Kids" event to take children in needshopping for their Christmas gifts.

Law enforcement officers and their pint-sized partners met at theWalmart in Fairlawn, Virginia (Pulaski County) to shop. Each childwas provided $160 to buy gifts.

The event was sponsored by "Toys for Tots" and the Radford,Virginia Fraternal Order of Police. Participating agencies includedthe Virginia State Police, Giles County Sheriff's Office, PulaskiCounty Sheriff's Office, Montgomery County Sheriff's Office,Radford City Police Department, Radford City Sheriff's Office,Pearisburg Police Department, Virginia Department of Game andInland Fisheries and Virginia ABC Law Enforcement Division.

Area law enforcementofficers bring joy tokids during last week’s ‘Cops and Kids’ event

Snow Shoveling ScoutsEarlier this week the members of Troop 249 in Pulaski enjoyed a dayoff of school by working on their citizenship and community service.The boys were a bit wet, but enjoyed helping out around Pulaski andeven got some funds to attend camp this summer. There has beentalking about the jetski camp put on by the local council! The troopwelcomes all boys ages 11-16 to attend a troop meeting and experi-ence some fun and live by the Scout Oath and Scout law. Troop 249can be found on facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/Troop249.Pulaski.VA , on instagram:https://www.instagram.com/troop249_ofpulaski and their meetingsare on Thursday at 7:30 pm in the basement of the First PresbyterianChurch Preschool.

The Patriot • Friday, December 14, 2018 - Page B5

By MORGAN PAULETTEAssociate Extension Agent,Pulaski County

Do you ever wonder "Howgood is my hay?" It looks prettygood, smells pretty good, but howcan you be sure? Forage testing isstill a great tool to know exactlyhow good your hay really is. Youcan also test other feeds such ashaylage, stockpiled fescue, cornsilage, and supplemental feeds.

Forage quality is defined as thepotential of forage to produce adesired animal response. Itinvolves consumption, nutritionalvalue, and the performance of theanimal. Hay quality includespalatability, digestibility, intake,nutrient content, and anti-qualityfactors. The primary reason forlivestock producers to test theirhay is to increase their net profit.Not knowing the forage's nutrientcomposition can cause underesti-mates or overestimates in regardsto nutrient requirements and howto meet those most economically.

One concern that sometimes

comes up in conversation is "Evenif I find out my hay isn't as goodas I thought, I have no choice butto feed it!". While this is true,knowing the quality can help youdetermine if it's meeting yourcows needs at a particular stage ofproduction and make confidentdecisions on which hay to feed atcertain times and to which groupsof animals. It also may be benefi-cial determining if supplementa-tion may be needed for crude pro-tein or energy. One thing toremember is that for cool-seasongrasses and hays, energy is mostoften the limiting nutrient, notcrude protein.

In order to have an accurate for-age test it is important to have arepresentative sample. Samplingprocedures will vary based onfeed type.

When sampling hay, it is best touse a core sampler between 1-2feet in length. Take 10 to 20 coresamples from each hay lot thenmix together and take a sub-sam-ple for analysis. Small rectangularbales should be sampled by coringfrom the end. Large hay balesshould be sampled from the frontor back (not the sides) in order toget a cross section of the rolledhay.

When sampling silage fromstorage, take 3 to 4 handfuls at dif-ferent times, mix together, andtake a smaller sub-sample foranalysis. In both upright andbunker silos, there can be varia-tion from top to bottom or front toback so it's best to sample severaltimes during feedout.

Forage samples are perishable,so keep samples in airtight bags ina cool place and ship them as soonas possible. It is preferable to shipearly in the week to prevent bacte-rial decay that might alter theresults. Remember: the resultswill only be as good as the sampletaken.

There are a number of labsavailable for testing but I useCumberland Valley AnalyticalServices, www.foragelab.com. Anormal hay sample will cost $18.Turnaround time on samples isusually very quick, 2-3 days.

For assistance collecting foragesamples and/or understand resultsplease contact Morgan Paulette atthe Pulaski County ExtensionOffice at 540-980-7761.

Forage Testing: Stilland important tool

Merry ChristmasFrom Lars

Pulaski’s Gary Cox says:Gledelig jul fra Lars - That’sNorse / Norwegian for “MerryChristmas from Lars.” Gary’slatest creation, seen alongsideRandolph Avenue in Pulaski.

It’s A Two-Way Street'Tis the season, the time of year

when people show their apprecia-tion for each other. In the busi-ness world there are companyholiday parties, bonuses, and giftsof appreciation to the people thatmake the businesses a success.

Whether you're a supervisor,manager, or business owner, ifyou haven't recognized it yet,your employees are the mostvaluable asset in your company.Smart business leaders under-stand the importance of investingin human capital for retention andrecruitment. They get that intoday's world it is a two-waystreet. No longer is it a one-waydeal.

The people you have chosenhave chosen you as well. Themost successful businesses under-stand that there is a reciprocalrelationship between employeesand managers. Good leaders rec-ognize that if they treat theiremployees fairly, respect theirpersonal lives, and value theircontributions, in return theseemployees will give their bestefforts to the business eventhrough transitions and challeng-ing times.

Creating a team and work fam-ily goes far beyond the companywalls; their feelings are reflectedin social media, as well as pro-jected to friends, family andbeyond. Employees are key inpromoting the company. Theyreflect the core values and princi-ples of the company to the out-side. Ultimately, your employeesare a reflection of your company'ssuccess or failure.

With a workforce shortage, it'shard to believe that there are stillmanagers and business leadersoperating with an outdated men-tality toward their employees.Frequently they are letting talent-ed and loyal employees slip awayas a result of not recognizing thevalue of human capital. Evenfrom a bottom line perspective,mangers should be aware of thefinancial impact of not retainingemployees. Look at the dollars toretrain and replace an employeemaking an hourly wage of $8.00.According to the SashaCorporation, the replacement costis $5,505.80, and businessreplacement on a salaried

employee costs 6 to 9 months ofthat salary.

The financial impact aloneshould be enough for mangersand business leaders to adopt newmethods of management and cre-ate good work environments.Amazon is a forerunner in gettingrid of toxic managers and openlyembraces tactics to rid their envi-ronment of "toxic bosses". Thereis truth in Marcus Buckingham'sstatement, "People leave man-agers, not companies." He wenton to say, " Toxic bosses are thegreatest liability to an establish-ment and even worse than fraud!Employees leave bad bosses andthe companies that all the badboss to thrive. A bad boss canprevent a new generation ofdynamic and enterprisingemployees from emerging. Thereis nothing that kills dynamism,exterminates a 'new generation',and poisons change more than

does a bad boss." He continued, "When the environment is con-ducive, then growth, fulfillment,and productivity are almost auto-matic and even inevitable. Inrecent times, turn-over rates incompanies have become unprece-dentedly appalling. When youspend so much money andresources to train your employeesand the end result is their exit,then it is high time you reviewthe leaders and managers; theymight just be the reason for theunhealthy exodus!"

At one time or another duringour work careers we have allbeen faced with a toxic manager;however, to hear of it in this dayand age is concerning. I recentlyfound myself counseling some-one close to me who was facedwith a situation with a "toxicmanager". Often, in that situationthe best option might. be to leave.Eventually, the bottom line willdrive the manger out or the com-pany will cease to be profitable.

Remember, it's a two-waystreet. Finding the right workfamily takes time. Take time thisseason to make your work familyknow that you appreciate theirdedication.

Work hard, be productive, andabove all else stay positive.

Down To

Business

Peggy WhitePulaski County

Chamber ofCommerce

PolarBearCreationSerena Smith, 13of Veterans HillRoad in Pulaski,put last weekend’ssnow to good useand created herown version of theCoca Cola polarbear. She and herbear pose with aCoke in her frontyard.


FOR SALE:

Kane Brown concert tickets. Live Forever Tour. Berglund Coliseumin Roanoke, Thursday, Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. $40 for both. Call for moreinformation. 818-1939.

Craftsman wood lathe. Never out of box. Paid $400. Will take $350.Contractor's grade Craftsman table saw. $350. Call 980-0103. If noanswer, leave message.

Seasoned wood, $72, Hay 4x4 round bales of hay, $20-$30, call 639-0924.

FAIR HOUSING NOTICE:

We are pledged to the letter and spirit of Virginia's policy for achiev-ing equal housing opportunity throughout the Commonwealth.We encourage and support advertising and marketing programs inwhich there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race,color, religion, national origin, sex, elderliness, familial status orhandicap.

For more information or to file a housing complaint, call the VirginiaHousing Office at (804) 367-8530; toll-free call (888) 551-3247.For hearing-impaired, call (804) 367-9753. [email protected].

The Patriot - [email protected]

STATEWIDE CLASSIFIEDS

AUCTIONS

ATTN. AUCTIONEERS:Advertise your upcoming auc-tions statewide or in other states.Affordable Print and DigitalSolutions reaching your targetaudiences. Call this paper orLandon Clark at Virginia PressServices 804-521-7576, [email protected]

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AIRLINES ARE HIRING - GetFAA approved hands on Aviationtraining. Financial aid for quali-fied students - Career placementassistance. CALL AviationInstitute of Maintenance SCHEVcertified 877-204- 4130

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NEED CDL Drivers? Advertiseyour JOB OPENINGS statewideor in other states. AffordablePrint and Digital Solutions toreach truck drivers. Call LandonClark at Virginia Press Services804-521-7576, [email protected]

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ATTN. REALTORS: Advertiseyour listings regionally orstatewide. Print and DigitalSolutions that get results! Call

Landon Clark at Virginia PressServices 804-521-7576, [email protected]

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D I V O R C E - U n c o n t e s t e d ,$395+$86 court cost. No courtappearance. Estimated comple-tion time twenty-one days.Telephone inquiries welcome-noobligation. Hilton Oliver,Attorney (Facebook) 757-490-0126. Se Habla Español. BBBMember.

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FREON R12 WANTED: CER-TIFED BUYER will PAY CA$Hfor R12 cylinders or cases ofcans. (312) 291-9169;www.refrigerantfinders.com

Short Term PlanningDear Dave,My husband and I are com-

pletely debt-free, and we're sav-ing up for our first house. Wecurrently have about $90,000 insavings, and we'd like to buy ahome with cash in the next fewyears. Where should we put ourmoney, so it will work for uswhile we save more?

AimeeDear Aimee,It's a great feeling when you

don't have any debt hangingover your head, isn't it? Withthe path you're on now, justimagine how incredible it willbe in a few years to have a newhome and still be debt-free!

If I were in your shoes, andmaybe looking at a three- tofive-year window, I'd just parkthe cash in a good marketaccount. You won't make a lotoff it, but your money will besafe. Besides, all you're looking

for is a wise place to stash it fora little while.

When it comes to long-terminvesting I'm a big fan ofgrowth stock mutual funds. Theproblem with that in your situa-

tion would be the volatility ofthe market. By the time you'vesaved up more money, andspent time deciding on a house,the market may be down.

It sounds like you two aredoing a fantastic job with yourfinances. Congratulations!

-DaveDear Dave,One of my friends suggested

that I put my emergency fundmoney into bonds. What do youthink of this idea?

ReneeDear Renee,Never put your emergency

fund into things where volatilityand risk are a concern. An emer-gency fund isn't an investment;it's three to six months ofexpenses set aside to help pro-tect you from the unexpectedthings life will throw at you. Myadvice is to keep your emer-gency fund in something sim-ple-like a money marketaccount where there's no penal-ty for early withdrawal andcheck writing privileges foreasy access.

Bond values and prices godown when long-term interestrates rise. Right now, long-terminterest rates-a good examplewould be mortgage rates-areticking up. So, as this happens,the value of bonds goes down.

We're not looking to makemoney with an emergency fund,Renee. Think of it as a type ofinsurance. Just let it sit there,safe and sound, until it's need-ed!

-Dave* Dave Ramsey is CEO of

Ramsey Solutions. He hasauthored seven best-sellingbooks, including The TotalMoney Makeover. The DaveRamsey Show is heard bymore than 14 million listenerseach week on 600 radio sta-tions and multiple digital plat-forms. Follow Dave on theweb at daveramsey.com andon Twitter at @DaveRamsey.

Dave

Says

Dave Ramsey

Sponsored Each Week By

Dublin BaptistChurch

(Across From Hardee’s)

540-674-6061

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FYI

PSA CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYSCHEDULE

THE PSA OFFICE AND ALLTHREE DROP SITES WILL BE

CLOSED DECEMBER 24TH-25TH.

RE-OPEN ON 26TH. THEREWILL BE GARBAGE PICK UPON DECEMBER 24TH. THERE

WILL NOT BE ANYGARBAGE PICK UP ON

DECEMBER 25TH. GARBAGEWILL BE A DAY DELAYED

REST OF WEEK WITHTHURSDAY AND FRIDAYPICKED UP ON FRIDAY.

PSA NEW YEARS SCHEDULE

THE PSA OFFICE AND ALLTHREE DROP SITES WILL BE

CLOSED DECEMBER 31- JANUARY 1.RE-OPEN ON JANUARY 2ND.THERE WILL BE GARBAGE

PICKUP ON DECEMBER 31ST. THERE

WILL NOT BE ANYGARBAGE PICKUP

JANUARY 1ST. GARBAGEWILL BE A DAY DELAYED

REST OF WEEK WITHTHURSDAY AND FRIDAYPICKED UP ON FRIDAY.

Town of Dublin SchedulesDublin Town Offices will beclosed Monday, December 24thand Tuesday, December 25th.Garbage scheduled for pick-up onMonday, December 24th andTuesday, December 25th will bepicked up on Wednesday,December 26th along withWednesday's regular pick-up.

December 14

Hiwassee Church of theBrethren to present "ABluegrass Christmas"On Friday, December 14, 7 p.m.,The Hiwassee Church of theBrethren is having a Christmasprogram called "A BluegrassChristmas!" It will be held in thechurch at 4917 Little Irish Rd.Hiwassee, Va. 24347.Refreshments will be served afterthe program in the fellowship hall.

December 16Christmas CelebrationsChristmas celebration events atThornspring United MethodistChurch are planned for Dec. 16and 24. Sunday, Dec. 16 the choirwill present a Christmas Cantataduring the 11 a.m. worship servicewith a potluck fellowship mealafterwards. On Monday, Dec. 24 aspecial Christmas Eve Service willbe held at 5 p.m.

Craft SaleThere will be a Craft Sale on

Sunday, December 16, 11 a.m. to 6p.m. All handmade new and paint-ed crafts. One of a kind. The salewill take place at the Ruritan Club,Max Meadows.

December 17

Santa is Visiting Grove UMCSanta's Visit at Grove UnitedMethodist Church in Radford,Virginia (1020 Tyler Avenue) isnow for Monday, DECEMBER17TH FROM 4:30 PM TILL 7:30PM. There will be pizza, crafts andfun activities when you arrivebefore and after you see Santa.This is an experience like no otherwith Santa for your entire fami-ly!!! The event if free!!

December 22

Stonecroft Ministries & PCWCto hold monthly meetingStonecroft Ministries and PulaskiChristian Women's Connectioncordially invite you and yourfriends to attend their monthlyprogram and buffet dinnerDecember 22, 6:30 p.m. - 8:30p.m. at the Family Life Center3rd& Jefferson Ave., DowntownPulaski Va. The guest speaker willbe Anna Marie Melton fromWaxhaw, NC. She talk will bespeaking ongoing from " Chaos toSerenity". Christmas Music willbe provided by Ann Lambert andBecky Melton. It is guest night soyou can bring your husbands. CallKaren 994-9275 or Reba 980-2277 to make reservations or can-celations before December 9th.Cost $12.00 for meal.

December 23

Delton church to hold SpecialChristmas Service

A Special Christmas Service willbe held at Delton Church of Godof Prophecy, 4570 Boyd Rd,Draper, Sunday, December 23,2018 - 11 AM. Amazing andAnointed Evangelist DwightHaynes Chalk Art Ministry.Pending weather any cancellationswill be posted on WDBJ7 andWSLS channel 10. Everyone iswelcome where its aboutRelationship with Jesus Christ andnot a religion. For more informa-tion, contact Pastor Vickie L. Viarsat [email protected] or call276-620-3191.

On-going communitybased activities andneeds:

Volunteers NeededRatcliffe Transportation Museumis in need of volunteers Please call Ernie or Ron at 540-980-2307 for more information,please leave a message if no one

answers.

Group sets aside day eachmonth to pray for CountyA group of citizens of PulaskiCounty has set aside the 15th ofeach month to fast and pray for thecounty. The group asks that citi-zens who are of a like mind pleasejoin them in their effort.

Feeding AmericaDistribution of fresh produce andbaked goods at New Life Churchof the Nazarene each Saturdayfrom 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (nocharge) on a first-come-first-served basis. The church is located45 S. Jefferson Ave., Pulaski.

Adult Day Care and FallPrevention Center hosts BINGOAdult Day Service and FallPrevention Center hosts BINGOon the 4th Saturday of each monthfrom 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at theRuritan building on 4th andJefferson St in Pulaski. The build-ing is located near Seagles FuneralHome. Everyone welcome!

Pulaski Old Time JamboreeA Bluegrass Jam session for play-ers of all ages is held everyThursday evening 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.at the Pulaski Senior Center. Jointhe jam by playing an instrumentor singing or just come by andenjoy the music. Call Dee Dean at540-392-3555 for more informa-tion. The center is located acrossthe street from the post office.

Cowboy Church new ministryOn the third and fourth week ofeach month Cowboy Churchoffers food bags to the elderly andshut -ins. On these weeks, inter-ested participants may come bythe church at 12 noon for pick upif able. Delivery is available ifnecessary. Call Mike and PatThompson at 540-577-4923.Cowboy Church is located at 520E. Main St., Pulaski (across fromDowntown Exxon).

Pulaski Daily Bread volunteersDaily Bread is in need of serverson several different days, so if youcan spare a few hours a week youmay contact Debbi Harrell(Director) at 980-2131 betweenthe hours of 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.Monday through Friday.

Celebrate Recovery Supportgroup at VHMValley Harvest Ministries inDublin is now sponsoring a sup-port group for people who areworking through hurts, habits andhang- ups. The group meets eachThursday at 6:30 p.m.Food will be served at 6:30 p.m.

followed at 7 p.m. with a largegroup meeting and then everyonewill divide into smaller groups at 8p.m. The church is located at 1Harvest Place in Dublin.

Narcotics Anonymous The NA group HOW meets eachSunday 6 p.m. at the ChristEpiscopal Church located at 144Washington Ave., in Pulaski.

N.A. Principles beforePersonalities N.A. Principles beforePersonalities meets Thursday at 7p.m.; Friday and Saturday at 6p.m. at the First Presbyterian

Church Annex located at 4th andJefferson St., Pulaski, Va. Formore information, go towww.newrivervalleyna.org

AA:Alcoholics Anonymous meetMonday at 8 p.m. (closed meet-ing); Wednesday (noon); andThursday at 8 p.m. (open meet-ings) at Pulaski PresbyterianChurch of America. For moreinformation call 980-5233.

The Patriot808-3949

www.pcpatriot.com

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Joe Cruff photo

Pulaski VFW Members Visit VA Hospital

Members of the VFW Post 1184 and its Auxiliary last week visitedthe Salem VA Hospital and delivered 54 gift bags to patients and res-idents there. The bags included items such as T-shirts, socks, per-sonal hygiene items, toiletries, puzzle books, pens and stuffed ani-mals. During their visit they talked with the veterans and thankedthem for their service. VFW members participating were SueSherwood, Julie Shay, Tammy Cruff, Joe Cruff and Jim Ridpath.

Pulaski County Schools photo

School Employee of the MonthEmployee of the Month for Pulaski County Public Schools is Mr. Dana Bragg, Maintenance, from PulaskiCounty High School. Mr. Bragg just finished is 3rd year with Pulaski County Public Schools. Mr. Braggis always working diligently repairing and maintaining the high school. Any issue that may arise, Mr.Bragg responds quickly and with a smile. He always has a very encouraging and positive attitude. Heworks with efficiency as well has high quality. Every person who encounters him comments on how for-tunate PCHS is to have him. It is with great pride and honor that Pulaski County High School nominatesDana Bragg for Employee of the Month. The presentation was made at Tuesday’s meeting of the PulaskiCounty School Board.

VETERANS POSTBy Freddy Groves

If you're scheduled to leaveactive duty soon and know yourseparation date, start keeping acalendar of important dates, espe-cially if you're going to have a dis-ability claim. Veterans who havebetween 90 and 180 days left inactive-duty service can file for theBenefits Delivery at Dischargeprogram. The Department ofVeterans Affairs has made bigimprovements to the system, andmany who make disability claimsin the BDD program can receive a

decision within 30 days of gettingout.

In the first year, 53 percent ofveterans had a claims decisionwithin 30 days. As they'vesmoothed out the details, that per-centage has gone up. Claims cannow be reviewed at any regionaloffice, and they've improved thesoftware for records transfers andadded claims training for thosewho will do the work.

Still, it's important to get anyclaims filed in the 90-180 daywindow before you leave. Thatwill ensure your disability medicalexams go into your service treat-

ment record, and if the conditionworsens later, you'll have a start-ing date in your medical file.

File disability claims before leaving service

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