I'd be remiss not to acknowledge today the great sigh of relief that passed over Clifton Forge last Tuesday night. Our community voted, with a solid majority, to turn this city toward town status. The action has set us on a path toward new cooperation and growth potential. As the streets buzzed Wednesday morning with both celebration and a sense of some regret for the change, smiles carried the day. I could almost convince myself not to read about the school shootings, but the pull of the print got to me on Thursday.
Children aiming at and shooting children makes no sense at any time.
So, I volunteer, with others here in the Alleghany Highlands, at Alleghany High School. Fridays are my day. I usually spend the morning helping out in the office, relaying messages around the school, and greeting kids as they change classes. In over a year of being an AHS community volunteer, I've witnessed only one tense morning and it fizzled without incident. This past Friday I expected the same normal pace as I drove down Mountaineer Drive to Alleghany High School.