A Great Day for Patrick County

Once on the verge of ceasing operations and closing ts doors, Patrick County's beleagured hospital has new managment and renewed hope. "It's a great day for Patrick County," declared Del. Ward Armstrong Tuesday during a ribbon-cutting ceremony and public reception celebrating the start of operations of the local hospital (officially March 1, 2009), now known as Pioneer Community Hospital of Patrick County, under the management of Pioneer Medical Services, a Mississippi-based company that specializes in the operations of critical access hospitals.

This truly is 'great' news for a community that has endured many years of economic hardship, in general, and financial struggles by the hospital, in particular. The local hospital is vital to the continued growth and vitality of our county, in terms of, not only health care services but, economic development, community stability, and quality of life . The fact that the would-be tragedy of its closing was averted is attributable to the widespread community support the hosptial enjoys as well as the collaboration of officials at the local, state, and federal levels of government. The community is "sincere about the hospital," said Pioneer executive Steve Fontaine, applauding its public backing. He said that sincerity was a major factor in the decision by Pioneer Health Services to enter into a 5-year lease areement to manage and operate the hospital with plans to expand its services and, hopefully, recall laid off workers. The resuce of the medical facility by Pioneer marks the start of a new era for the hospital which has been an indispensable community resource for 47 years having been opened in 1962.

I commend County Administrator Jay Scudder for his tireless work in pursuing a solution to the hospital's dilemma over many months. "Perseverence" was the key, said Scudder. Also to be commended are members of the Patrick County Board of Supervisors, Assistant County Adminitrator and Economic Development Director Tom Rose, State Sen. Roscoe Reynolds, Del. Armstrong, U.S. Representative Rick Boucher, Governor Tim Kaine and other state officials, and many other community leaders who worked behind the scenes to make Tuesday "a great day for Patrick County."

Now, its up to the community to use the hospital and to support its revitalization in order for the local hospital to become financially viable. Our continued community support will ensure that Tuesay, Mar. 3, 2009 truly was a "great day" in the history of Patrick County.

Taking pride in Patrick,
Richard

Lady Cougars Are Roaring!

As their remarkable season rolls on into March, the month of basketball "madness", the maddening roar of the Patrick County High School girls' varsity basketball team is beginning to be heard around the state. The Piedmont District regular season champion Lady Cougars claimed another prestigious title Friday night when PCHS conquered Graham High School with a 51-49 victory at Graham Middle School in the Region IV, Division 3 championship game. The Lady Cougars thus earned their first regional title in almost two decades. Patrick County High last won a regional championship in 1990.

"When you get to this point, it comes down to who wants it more," head coach Glenn Burnett, the Piedmont District Coach of the Year, was quoted as saying in a published report. The hungry, determined Lady Cougars...who have given our economically-devastated community something to cheer about in these often depressing times...now set their sights on the next level of competition.

The Piedmont District and Region IV, Division 3 champion PCHS Lady Cougars have advanced to the state tournament this weekend in the Salem Civic Center. Patrick County will play in the state quarterfinal round on Friday or Saturday against an opponent to be annouced later.

Let's ask God to help the Lady Cougars to prepare for this daunting challenge both physically and mentally and to give them the strength and determination they will need to continue to play at their very best...which to this point has truly been championship form. Keep on roarin,' Lady Cougars! The whole community is behind you. Patrick Countians are proud of our team no matter what happens in Salem. This week, let's all show that Lady Cougar pride by wearing the PCHS green and gold! GO LADY COUGARS as your roar reverberates around the Old Dominion!!!

With great PCHS pride,
Richard

Cougar Pride, Lady-like

Occasionally the play of an athletic team transcends the boundaries of its sport and profoundly impact the larger culture. I think this is true for this year's Patrick County High School girls' varsity basketball team. At a time when many people are suffering economic hardships in our community and the news is often depressing, the play of the Lady Cougars this season has inspired many of us and reminded us that we can all overcome adversity if we persevere or, as the Apostle Paul, put it "press toward the mark".

Because of their perseverence, the PCHS girls basketball team won the Piedmont District regular season championship for the first time in a decade and finished the regular season undefeated at 8-0 including 2 wins over arch-rival Bassett High School. It is difficult to beat a team of the quality of Bassett three times in one season, and unfortunately Patrick County fell just short of accomplishing that feat when it lost to Bassett in the district tournament final Friday night, Feb. 20, in a hard-fought battle of champions. However, the Lady Cougars have every right to hold their heads high as they prepare for action in the Region IV tournament this week. We are the Champions!

The fact that the Lady Cougars are champions goes far beyond their play on the basketball court. The PCHS girls basketball team has not only rekindled our pride as Patrick Countians but the team has also given us an emotional boost that is much needed during these tought times. I commend the team for its spirit, courage, and determination, which are very admirable qualities that we can all reach down deep inside and draw upon as we positively strive to better our community and ourselves despite personal and community problems that sometimes seem insurmountable. Thanks to the Lady Cougars for this lesson on life...and good luck to the team in the regionals.

I would personally like to congratulate the Patrick County High School Lady Cougars as a team that truly works together and gives its best at all times! Individually, my congratulations go to Kylene Culler and Whitney Bowers who have been named to the All-Piedmont District First Team, to Casey Bradshaw (All-District Second Team), and to PCHS girls' basketball coach Glenn Burnett, who has been voted the Piedmont District Coach of the Year. Way to go Cougars! You have touched our lives in a special way both on and off the basketball court.

Taking pride in our community,
Richard

A Creation of God!

It seems that more and more our nation is turning away from its trust in God, the bedrock upon which our country was founded. The fact that today we find ourselves facing the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression and a daunting set of problems at home and abroad is a result of the corruption, greed, and other ungodliness that has gripped humanity in general and our country in particular.

An article that I read recently serves as a prime example of the moral decay that has enshrouded our country and the world threatening our very existence. The Associated Press reported this week that more than 970 churches in the United States are observing Evolution Weekend revisiting the queston of whether man evolved from lower order species or, as I believe, was created by a higher being, the Lord God Almighty! The AP story added that these churches...thankfully, mine is not among them....are participating in this observace through sermons, Sunday school lessons, and even evolution dances as the world marks the 200th anniversary of evolution theorist Charles Darwin. The 974 churches across the country that are taking part in Evolution Weekend has more than doubled since the event began in 2006, the article stated.

Even though organizers of this observance said they're not abandoning the Bible's story of Adam and Eve, rather blending theories in a way that helps today's faithful reconcile the modern world with Biblical teachings, I find the Evolution Weekend idea shocking! Although I am not the smartest person around, I do have a college degree and I pride myself in trying to be open-minded to a variety of viewpoints. However, I have been taught that the Holy Bible is the Word of God, and that it is an infallable guide to the way in which we should live our earthly lives to prepare us for the eternity beyond. The Bible clearly teaches that God created mankind, the world, and the vast universe around us. That is what I believe and will continue to place my faith and trust in despite the fact that some scientists try to tell us that evolution is fact. Evolution is not fact; it is only theory. Masterfully crafted by our Creator, I believe that if humans and other animals have evolved over time, it has been under the guidance of a Supreme Being!

It is obvious to me that the complexity of life and the orderliness of the universe are the result of an intelligent design. We are the handiwork of God, not the result of billions of years of evolution that began with a so-called "Big Bang" eons ago. I am a creation of God! I know this is fact because God's Word tells me it is the truth. "In the beginning, God created...", begins the Bible. That is what I believe. Faith tells me it is so! Considering that where I'll spend iternity...in the paradise of Heaven or in the inferno of Hell...is on the line, I can not afford to believe anything else!

I think these over 900 misguided churches that are participating in Evolution Weekend are an example of what has been happening in the ministry in recent years. Too many churches, it seems, are getting away from a strict teaching of the Bible and giving in to the worldliness that has drawn us away from our God and the spiritual realm. We need to get back to the Bible and to pray that our nation will return to the moral principals upon which it was founded and became great. Only then will the greateness of the United States of America be restored! That is my belief. I would like to know what you think. Please click on "comments" and let me know. Thank you for your input to this blog. May the God who created us all bless you with a "great day"!

Richard

Accentuating the Positive!

Despite these tough economic times, it is a comfort that the Patrick County business community is blessed with positive leadership that is being provided by the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce. Just a few short years ago, the Chamber was on the verge of having to cease operations. Today, however, thanks to the leadership of Executive Director Tom Bishop and a highly competent Board of Directors, the Chamber is flourishing and is busier than ever before promoting our county to tourists and prospective new businesses and residents and serving its more than 300 members. Although our economy is critically ill, it is encouraging to note that the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce is quite healthy as it works diligently to facilitate prosperity here!

The health and well-being of the local Chamber of Commerce was never more evident than it was Friday night, Jan. 23rd, when it conducted its annual banquet at Rotary Field in Stuart. Perhaps the largest crowd in the history of the event, nearly 150 people, turned out for a wonderfully informative evening of fellowship. Bishop reported that currently the Chamber enjoys a growing membership in the neighborhood of 325. Bishop, in his annual report, highlighted many positive developments that have occured in our community this past year including...the construction of a "multi million dollar" lodge facility now underway at Primland Resort, the start of the $24-million Patrick County Public School renovation and expansion project, the opening a new manufacturing plant by Ariel Machine at Ararat, the openings of several new businesses (Wal-Mart, Advance Auto, etc.), visitation to the county by tourists from at least 40 states and several foreign countries, the increasing popularity of a wide variety of local festivals and fars, to name a few of the economically positive things that are going on in our county. Bishop said the chamber is proud of these and many other signs of community growth despite the economic downturn.

In her remarks to the banquet audience, incoming Chamber President Carol Beasley expressed hope that citizens will continue to work together for the betterment of our community. Mrs. Beasley used the word "Joy" to illustrate how our priorities should be ordered: "J" for Jesus, first..."O" for Others, next...and finally "Y" for You.

I commend Tom Bishop and other chamber officials on the great job that they are doing to promote the county and accentuate the positive at a time when we are all struggling through many negative economic circumstances. Tom is one of the hardest working people that I know (and one of the most underpaid). The business community loves him because he is genuinely concerned with their well-being and our county at large. As our Chamber Executive Director, Tom tirelessly promotes tourism which is a major sector of the local economy with unlimited room for growth. It would be a shame if the Patrick County Board of Supervisors takes away the meager sum of $60,000 (as one supervisor has suggested) that it has budgeted for the promotion of tourism by the Patrick County Tourism Advisory Board and the Chamber. This to me is money well spent.

I personally want to thank Tom Bishop and the members of the Chamber of Commerce Board for their leadership and the light that this organization brings in these dark economic times. The Chamber Executive Board is comprised of Carol Beasley, President...Lisa Martin, Vice President...Janie Lankford, Treasurer. Members include" Rod Barfield, Vicki Hutchens-Bennett, Patricia Crissman, Tim Dix, Kathy Gravely, Kelly Ratcliff, Leslie Shelor, Denise Stirewalt, and Terry Tilley. New board members are Angie Brown, Chris Michalec, and Rick Ward. Tom Bishop is ably assisted in the chamber office by Administrative Assistant Patricia Thomas. If you want to hear about the positive things that are happening in Patrick County, just talk to one of these folks. Not only can they talk the talk in promoting our county, but they are walking the walk in making our community a better place to live, to do businesss, to raise a family and, as thousands of tourists to the county each year learn, a wonderful place to visit! To the Patrick County Chamber of Commerce team I say with pride, "Keep up the great work"! Together, we will work our way through the economic gloom to a brighter, more prosperous future.

Richard

Our Diversity is Our Strength

The observance of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States this week provide the perfect time to reflect upon where our country is and where we want the nation to go as a new era in American politics begins. With regard to race relations and civil rights, our country has traveled light years from that day in 1955 when an African-American civil rights activist named Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a Montgomery, Alamama, bus to make way for a white passenger, a prelude to the civil rights struggles of the 1960s that thrust Dr. King to the forefront of the Civil Rights movement.

The inauguration of Mr. Obama as the nation's first African-American is, in large part, a fulfillment of Dr. King's vision for our country when he declared during the March on Washington that "I Have a Dream." Although the election of a black man as president of these great United States is an advance that many African-African Americans and members of other racial groups never thought they would see, much work needs to be done to continue the progress that has been made for Dr. King's "dream" to be fully realized.

To me, we are all children of God, each a unique creation unlike anyone else who has been graced with the breath of life. By realizing that our Lord created us all in His image and likeness, we can begin to understand that every human being, no matter what the color of his skin, his socio-economic status, his religious affiliation, or his political persuasion, is precious in God's sight and created to use the special skills and talents with which we have all been blessed to fulfill God;s purpose for our lives as an integral part of His Master Plan. Despite the many differences that God has given us as individuals and as a humanity, in our hearts we are all the same. We are all closer to each other than we think.

As a new American presidential administration takes office, let's pray that God will guide and direct our leaders in tackling the economic crisis and the myriad of other problems burdening our country today. I pray too that we will set an example for the world and return America to the God in whom our Founding Fathers professed and placed their trust in establishing this great nation. Only when we will give God His rightful place as our first priority both as individuals and as a country will we be able to truly address the challenges that our country faces, move our country forward in race relations, and fully bring to reality the American Dream.

As Martin Luther King, Jr. once said "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear."

As we ponder the meaning of those words, let's all strive to lovingly help each other bear our burdens and work together, ever seeking God's direction, to lift our country from moral, economic, social, and political despair into which it has sunk.

God bless American...and you, my friends!

Richard

It Sure is Monday!

Hi everybody. I hope you all got the new week off to a better start than I did this morning. For me, this Monday is living up to its melancholy reputation. If you called me a "knucklehead" right now, I'd probably agree with you. This morning, when leaving home around 5:00 to come to sign the radio station on the air, I accidentally backed into my garage door. ZAP! BOOM!! POW!!! You see, I have a two-car garage and unfortunately when I hit the remote control button to raise the door, I pushed the wrong one, raising the door on the other side of the garage instead of the one directly behind the vehicle I was driving. I learned that grim reality when I heard a CRUNCH when I hit reverse and started to back out of the garage. The door is kind of crumpled to say the least. In addition to having to repair or replace the garage door, my tuck will require a little cosmetic touch-up. I scuffed up the tailgate of my little red Chevy S-10 pick-up (which I had just washed and shined up on Sunday). Yeah, as the classic country songs goes, "It sure is Monday!"

I almost added insult to injury. When I finally got away from my home, somewhat shaken after the garage door drama, and headed along Handy Road on my way to work, I narrowly missed slamming into a speedy deer that dashed in front of my already scarred truck narrowly missing his calling to that great hunting ground in the sky. Wheeewww! A close encounter for sure... but thankfully my little red truck, which has come into contact with more than a few deer over the years as I travel to work in the pre-dawn hours, won't need repairs to the front end (just the rear). I was thankful that, by a hair, I missed the deer but I knew right then and there that this was probably going to be a tougher than usual Monday. One caller to my radio show this morning tried to put a positive spin on the situation, saying that if I had not been delayed by my rendezvous with the garage door, I would probably have hit the deer. Maybe so! I suppose I feel somewhat consoled but I still wish I had my garage door and my tailgate back the way they were! Oh well, mistakes happen (especially for me)...so I'll swallow my pride, put on a smile, and go on with the thought that this day can only get better!

Have a great one!

God is good and, despite the early hardships of this day, I still have many blessings to count!

Richard