Mendacious Happenings in the Mouse Hole
Life here in greater downtown Criglersville (pop. 27 humans, 49 dogs, 3 cats, 75 cows, and numerous unreported feral fauna), is distinctly different from other places I have holed up. Downright placid. Mountain stream right out the front door, "alps" in the background, green pastures up front, and ne'er an unkind word (at least, none heard, since the nearest neighbor is down the road a piece). The mailbox is a quarter mile away, the nearest road with a name or number 300 yards, and Wal-Mart a whole county distant.
Still, propane costs about the same as everywhere -- too much -- and electricity only a shade less. We don't have a local TV or radio station, and the internet comes to us at a slow trot. My neighbor, right over Gaar Mountain, was just elected to the County Board (after three tries) and he swears he's gonna do something about getting high-speed internet into every home in the county. Every chance I get, I tell him to forget the internet stuff, but him being a PC-freak, I guess he's the one wants it, so we're pretty much assured of getting it, whether we want it or not.
That's Criglersville economics in 200 words or less. A thriving community, hid away in the open.
Let me tell you about that election. My friend -- call him Bob (cause that's his name) -- had been soundly thrashed the two other times he ran, but this time, he managed to squeak to victory when the Chairman of the Board (himself!) was voted out. Seems that last May, while the county budget was being discussed (in closed session, wouldn't you know it), the lone black man on the board questioned the large raise that was being recommended for the County Administrator, something like 35%. That worthy lost his cool, stormed out of the meeting shouting aloud that no n____r (the "N" word) was going to beat him out of his raise. Okay. We've all lost it and said stupid things, but that wasn't what got the Chairman voted out. What did him in was the "cover-up." The news of this incident didn't get out to the public until late August, and only then because one of the clerks who heard the ill-advised comment (not a board member, not even the black guy that was insulted) reported it to some influential black ministers. One of them -- a small town version of Al Sharpton, with similar ambitions -- organized a big protest . . . and the rest is history. The Administrator finally resigned (on full pension) and the Chairman of the Board, who was blamed for the cover-up, was voted out. So . . . high-speed internet is on the way.
Mendacious Mouse, signing out from lovely downtown Criglersville.
[Incidentally, I lied about the internet stuff. But then what would you expect from a mendacious mouse.]
Still, propane costs about the same as everywhere -- too much -- and electricity only a shade less. We don't have a local TV or radio station, and the internet comes to us at a slow trot. My neighbor, right over Gaar Mountain, was just elected to the County Board (after three tries) and he swears he's gonna do something about getting high-speed internet into every home in the county. Every chance I get, I tell him to forget the internet stuff, but him being a PC-freak, I guess he's the one wants it, so we're pretty much assured of getting it, whether we want it or not.
That's Criglersville economics in 200 words or less. A thriving community, hid away in the open.
Let me tell you about that election. My friend -- call him Bob (cause that's his name) -- had been soundly thrashed the two other times he ran, but this time, he managed to squeak to victory when the Chairman of the Board (himself!) was voted out. Seems that last May, while the county budget was being discussed (in closed session, wouldn't you know it), the lone black man on the board questioned the large raise that was being recommended for the County Administrator, something like 35%. That worthy lost his cool, stormed out of the meeting shouting aloud that no n____r (the "N" word) was going to beat him out of his raise. Okay. We've all lost it and said stupid things, but that wasn't what got the Chairman voted out. What did him in was the "cover-up." The news of this incident didn't get out to the public until late August, and only then because one of the clerks who heard the ill-advised comment (not a board member, not even the black guy that was insulted) reported it to some influential black ministers. One of them -- a small town version of Al Sharpton, with similar ambitions -- organized a big protest . . . and the rest is history. The Administrator finally resigned (on full pension) and the Chairman of the Board, who was blamed for the cover-up, was voted out. So . . . high-speed internet is on the way.
Mendacious Mouse, signing out from lovely downtown Criglersville.
[Incidentally, I lied about the internet stuff. But then what would you expect from a mendacious mouse.]
posted by Benedict S. at 10:35 AM
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