Letters to the editor

from The Mechanicsville Local – 05/27/2020

Incident Reports

Love certainly makes adapting easier From the managing editor

hen Mom put her house on the market, sold most of the furnishings, and packed to move here in 2009, my sister and I were so proud of her as she took charge of the next chapter in her life.

Leaving wasn’t easy -- she had lived in the same area for almost 79 years. And the house she sold within a year of leaving it had been the first and only home she and Dad owned. They bought it in July 1961, just days before my 5th birthday.

Mom still has a lot of sentimentality about that neighborhood and the friends she made during all those years. It was the same neighborhood her parents settled in after leaving the farming life in eastern Kentucky for Grandpa’s 40-year career in the coal mines.

As I’ve said before, I arrived in Winchester, Virginia, in the spring of 2005 because I knew I By Melody Kinser

Managing Editor W

needed to get closer to my sister, whose health was rapidly declining. The goal was to find employment in Richmond.

I do appreciate the opportunity the Byrd family gave me by opening the door to Virginia with a copy editor’s job at The Winchester Star. But the focus remained on getting to Richmond.

Fortunately, the editor’s job opened at The Mechanicsville Local and I was blessed to start there in July 2008. Mom made the move here in September 2009.

Sometimes I forget that leaving Logan, West Virginia, was a lifetime of change for my mother. Despite being very well traveled, that was home. And, to her, it still is.

She enjoys life in Mechanicsville and all that living in the Greater Richmond area provides. But she maintains that the small city in a valley between hills and a river is her home.

When I moved out on my own in 1976, I was like “free at last.” Young and carefree best described many years of my life.

In 1991, I started moving with my career -- never thinking that Dad would suddenly die a year later. Mom retired when they had planned and was content in their house.

We almost lost my sister in July 2004, that’s when I knew I had to move to Virginia. I was confident that if I got here Mom would soon follow. She did spend at least a month every summer and most of the winter with me in Winchester. We both knew I wasn’t staying there though, so her moving wasn’t an issue then.

We recently celebrated our 8th anniversary in a lovely house in a wonderful retirement community. Our neighbors are kind and caring.

I often forget what Mom gave me to join her daughters, but I know she’d do it again. That’s the thing about love: it supercedes all other aspects of life.

She is a blessing and I thank God every day when I hear her say, “Good morning.”

Memorial Day message is not quarantined

By Jim Ridolphi

Contributing Columnist

As a child, we celebrated Memorial Day in much the same way we recognized other summer holidays — by decorating our bikes and staging a parade.

I guess anyone from that generation will recall the importance of bicycles in our daily existence. A pile of bicycles hastily parked beside a playground was a regular sight in our neighborhood.

Our bikes became a mystical vehicle that could take us anywhere. If you were playing Cowboys and Indians, the horse below us had two wheels and spokes. On other occasions, the bikes became ships on open water preparing to do battle.

And when Memorial Day rolled around, these same bikes became our floats for a neighborhood organized parade. It would be the finale in a day of cookouts, badminton games and runs though the sprinkler.

Any backyard would do serving as a prep area, filled with colorful streamers and homemade signs hung

see MESSAGE, pg. 8

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LETTERS | Reader Views

Pandemic’s ‘freedom protestors’

Look, I’ll begin with a short background to set y’all “freedom protesters” on the correct and “truthful” path.

I was in the USNR (United States Navy Reserve) for 28 months in the first year of the 1980s. When I graduated with a degree, I thought “with being a reservist and a mechanic with a degree” maybe I could get a commission in the USN (United States Navy).” I was wrong. Not good enough.

So I went to the U.S. Army (apparently they’ll commission anyone with a pulse). I spent 22 years there with an active duty slot at the end. Got shown the door (as I was walking into my lieutenant colonel job) because I pissed off the wrong little jerk (done that a few times in my life ... I regret this now). You know what they say in Texas ... “oil well.” You cannot change yesterday, just today. You can only hope (and plan for tomorrow).

This brings me to the subject of this letter.

These “freedom rallies” are disguised. They’re very well disguised as “practice drills” for a race war. Why, for instance, is there a Republican legislator in Michigan’s legislature with a battle-flag mask on their face (during session)? Why are there Nazi flags present at these rallies? Why are there little punks with long rifles in the capital building? Why are there Gadsden flags being perverted at these rallies?

Why did Trump first say, “I alone will decide when to reopen the states?” Then walk it back.

By the way, leaders make tactical decisions then stand by these decisions because they’re leaders and that’s what leaders do.

By the way, walking back (everything) isn’t a leader’s behavior. It is

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from wagons that would be pulled by the little ones who hadn’t crossed the line to twowheelers.

We unwound rolls of red, white and blue crepe paper, and entwined it meticulously in the spokes of our wheels.

A clothespin and playing card strategically attached to a fender support provided the roar of a real engine.

We placed colorful streamers in the ends of our handlebars, and attached pinwheels to our forks.

In a simple truth that becomes apparent to all as years pass, the real fun of the parade was the preparation. The rewards of sharing a common goal with friends, working together and seeing a project through from start to finish are what I remember most about those days.

The parade was somewhat anticlimactic, and, by the next day, the bikes had returned to their utilitarian origins, complete with torn seats and rusty fenders.

As we prepare to honor those who served on this Memorial Day, an absence of parades is just one of the things that will seem decidedly different from past years.

The coronavirus has taken a tremendous toll on aging veterans, and any consideration of large gatherings for this highrisk group was quickly deemed not possible.

But, even in this unusual year of unprecedented challenges, the meaning of Memorial Day remains, and the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for their country are no less appreciated and honored.

Perhaps this crisis intensifies our focus and appreciation of those unselfish enough to risk life and limb on unknown soil to preserve our way of life.

This virus has caused our nation unimaginable harm and forced us to re-examine things we once took for granted. Making sacrifices has become a daily routine as we struggle to return to some time of normalcy.

But, it does not affect our ability to remember and honor those who made sacrifice a way of life in defense of their nation.

Do not allow our compassion and respect for our national heroes to be quarantined.

We should remember that never have so few sacrificed so much for so many, and unforeseen circumstances shouldn’t dampen our commitment to their memory.

Continued from pg. 6

LETTERS

a behavior of one who isn’t consistent in leadership. It’s a symptom of cowardice (as dodging the draft five times). All truth!

Apparently someone told him he should allow the governors to take individual charge over their individual states (remember “States’ Rights”).

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So he “proclaimed” (as practicing dictators do) he’d “allow” the governors to decide for themselves.

Then ...

He and Steve Bannon, and Steven Miller, and Jared/ Ivanka, and Richard Spencer, et al. would get certain “organizers” to organize these “freedom rallies” in each state with a strategic manner. These rallies are flowing along perfectly now. Mission accomplished! However, these rallies are not meant to gain “freedoms.”

These rallies (again for clarity) are meant to “stir the bucket.” These rallies are meant to incite. These rallies are meant to further divide this nation I defended for 28 years (if you count the four years as a cop).

Divide our nation. Us. We the People.

Their mission: divide. This kills three birds with one stone. 1). Deflect attention away from Trump’s many shortcomings. 2). Divide the masses over the same reoccurring nightmare: “racism.” 3). Protect Trump’s re-election chances.

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Remember what Jesus said in Mark 3:25 that Abe Lincoln borrowed in his Gettysburg Address (y’all have gotta look it up).

Donald John Trump has divided and back-stabbed for five decades. His dark and cowardly and divisive history is too long for me to make this into a long letter.

I know plenty of decent folks in New York City (I was forward liaison officer on 9/11 while on active duty). I made friends while there. I’ve heard dozens of other people at other times since 2017 tell me how evil Trump is (no, I do not suffer from TDS – Trump Derangement Syndrome).

I’ll stop now by begging folks to stay home during this pandemic and listen to the doctors/nurses/scientists. This is not a conspiracy set in motion by scientists to take down the king. This is not a conspiracy set up by doctors and nurses because they don’t like the emperor.

So, even minus the parades and memorial services, all of us can take a moment to honor men and women who placed service above personal safety and left their blood on foreign soils across the globe.

And, honestly, the message of Memorial Day is expressed in many ways.

Marching bands with fancy floats and marching soldiers are certainly appropriate methods to show our appreciation, and we’ll await their return when better days return.

But, thinking back, that dog riding in a wagon decorated with an American flag pulled by a kid with a homemade patriotic hat delivered the same message.

“Thank You” to those who served and sacrificed.

Trump is scared he’s going to lose the election in November so he is pitting us against each other to benefit himself. That’s all (that’s enough).

It’s not just the flu, the annual flu that killed 80,000 people last year. It’s a “novel virusm” which has killed 85,000 people in less than three months.

Truth. Truth!

When Jesus began many of His parables as He was giving His sermons in-person, He would usually begin His statements with, “I tell you the truth ...”

I’m powerless as I watch this draft-dodging coward (five times) destroy our nation. His first uttering that gave me pause was the insults he hurled at Capt. (Sen.) John McCain, USN in July 2015 when he said, “I don’t think people who were captured should be labeled as a “hero” (in the same war of these five deferments).

That’s what did it for me. That was all it took. Dr. Richard Ryder

Mechanicsville

SJMS principal receives R.E.B. award for region

PLUMBING, HEATING & COOLING

Photo submitted by Jean Reed

Ray and Jean Reed will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Saturday, May 30, 2020. The couple was married in Enon United Methodist Church in Studley in 1970. Ray and Jean have two daughters, Mary (Steve) and Robin (Julia), and fi ve grandchildren: Matthew, Josh, Aaron, Darcy and Louisa. The pandemic has delayed a trip or gathering, but the time we have spent together makes us feel blessed and loved.

Continued from pg. 4

CARTER

Senior Connections provides a range of home and community services to assist older adults and caregivers. Her extensive experience includes service as a former Commissioner of Aging for the Commonwealth of Virginia. She served as executive director field services for the Committee on Social Security and Medicare, Washing-ton, D.C., from 1997 to 2002. She received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from Virginia State University, a graduate degree in Gerontology from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and Doctorate in Public Policy and Administration also from VCU. She has pre-viously served on the Covenant Woods Board of Directors. Currently, she is president of the Board for the Virginia Association of Area Agencies on Aging (VAAAA) and is a member of the Capital Region Workforce Development Board.

About Covenant Woods

Covenant Woods is a Life Plan retirement community located in Mechanicsville. The community has 188 apartments and 43 cottages, as well as assisted living and skilled nursing care centers.

RICHMOND – The principal of Stonewall Jackson Middle School in Mechanicsville recently was named the recipient of the 2020 R.E.B. Award from among all Richmond and TriCities area principals.

Dr. Quentin Ballard was honored by the Community Foundation in March.

“The R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership recognizes principals who go beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment. Four principals will be publicly recognized, one each from local school districts in Chesterfield, Hanover, Henrico and City of Richmond.

For over 30 years, the R.E.B. Foundation and the Community Foundation have worked in partnership to promote excellence in public education.

Through awards programs for public school teachers and principals, the foundations honor those individuals who work tirelessly to ensure that youth have the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in school and in life.

Dr. Ballard was recognized for: Launching a Student of the Month Initiative that recognizes at least two students from each team in each grade level monthly for academic, behavioral, and/or character excellence. He has recognized over 600 students since inception during the 2016-2017 school year. Started the SJMS Mentoring Program, which is designed to support the academic, behavioral, and socio-emotional needs and growth of students. Started the SJMS Good News Card Initiative where the school is see SJMS, pg. 11

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