Now to the likes of Mr. Rapp, he was a walking, talking Photo op and a chance to show off some of the City Employees. So far the media has failed to use all the photos they took, but I am sure that with the usual three days of Media Christmas for Mr. Rapp, they will surface.
What to people like Mr Rapp who is not able to understand Duty, Honor and Country; we had the opportunity to see one who does; Major Watts. And to him as it was then and still is to me, it was not so much. He was summoned to Duty; then showed his Honor and Obedience to his Country by doing its bidding. It is what so many millions of men and women have done for hundreds of years.
I as I am sure he has, has known men who rushed to go to battle. Of course almost without exception were young, invincible and roaring to meet and destroy the enemy; whomever and where ever. Most such as he, I would expect was not eager to leave hearth and home to rush to war; but loyal to a fault to serve if bidden to go. So all the uproar was to me just what he had raised his hand in HIS Oath to do and did so, albeit with the heavy heart of the true Soldier. Go if he must; serve as he shall; but rush home to his family when he could. It is the story of our warriors forever in time and shall remain so.
To me, watching as he stood by Ms. Bond and Mr. Rapp, I saw so much of what is right with Vienna and sadly so much that was wrong. Courage to do the right thing versus the cowardice of being able to pursue the wrong road through misused power. He made me feel good and proud of his Service and the same I was allowed to do in a different time and without the earned recognition he received.
I had the pleasure of speaking to him outside after the meeting Thursday night and we spoke for a few minutes on things that would probably not have meant much to many. But to US, it was the sad Truth on some Truths of our time. His comments to me are to remain confidential as they are the Song of the Warrior and the Country they protect. Again, I thank you Major Watts. I would salute you, but I only do that these days for those Warriors who have departed when I attend their last Rites.
Mr. Azinger the Elder was speaking with the Pastor who started the ceremony, and at the end as we were all going our ways, Mr. Azinger the Elder again said he had done nothing in his two years of Military Service. I again told him as I made the same comment to Major Watts: it did not matter if he did nothing but peeled potatoes, he at least served. Major Watts agreed with that completely; we both knew it was the Serving that was important; not what one did.
The part that was the most sad in the meeting was the dog and pony show surrounding what FINALLY came out into the open on the extension to the Senior Center. It is NOT for the Seniors as much as a "Gymnasium" to quote the ever effervescent Ms. Kerns. For some time, the Seniors of course being allowed to use it was the small kernel of Truth that permeates every scheme that Mr. Rapp foists on the Community. Even had the required group of Seniors present to applaud as needed with some of the expected "Pickle Ball" players when that is finally established. As is the habit, the new building was sold on doing everything from soup to nuts. Just like the rational to build the new sports building at Jackson Middle School- something for everybody. Police Exercise to wrestling.
I had strolled in there on Thursday morning to get a better feel for the attendance at the exercise class- chair yoga. There were 17 counting Ms. Kerns. Someone made a point that only about half had showed up as Ms. Kerns was supposed to be elsewhere. Should scheduling for a regular event not be broken without a replacement by the regular leader of the group? But in any case it matched so closely with what I had been told earlier and supported my suspicions that the extension was not what was being advertised. I just did not know then the Truth versus the Lie of what was going on till the meeting that night?
The ladies were by and large so nice upstairs. They tried very hard to get me onto a chair. It was the same as usual down stairs. Some nice, others like I was going to steal their Geritol drinks. Years ago, I did drink some and it did not taste too bad. It was later on that I rued my adventuresome nature. When the class completed, some came up to me to see if I remembered them from where ever. I at no time have a problem remembering kind and courteous behavior such as theirs. Nor do I when people behave like equine (horse's), buttocks.
Then the Executive Session right behind the big announcement. It was as is so often the case on a Real Estate matter. That always costs us money, that one does. It would be only logical to question but what it had to do with the complete lack of parking that will be in play once the new Gym is built or even the debacle going on to fix some of the water/ street problems? It is now sometimes very packed along the street when a large crowd shows up at the Senior Center. Is there a move afoot to buy yet another of the homes on the street for a parking lot? The City has been after all the homes on 29th from the Senior Center to the Police Station. So far the owner's have not went along with selling; but how much racket sometimes will people put up with? There are and have been in the past couple of years several of the homes on 28th and 8th that have gone up for sale.
My posting of the 11th must have hit some nerves. Possibly even the 12th? I got the usual ugly faces from the usual suspects. The one thing that I noted was that Ms. Stoltz did NOT sit next to Ms. Rapp. If having the Rapp children between them was to show not joined at the hip, it did not work. Now there is absolutely NOTHING wrong with them being friends. The appearance of being "connected" due to any City business such as an Election can be?
And then Ms. Stoltz as is the case got her Atta Boy from Mr. Stephens commenting on her twenty five (25) years as the Civil Service Commission head for Vienna. Out of the blue one might say? I say it was what happens many times when I note some potential or probable action that shows the corruption among the City Council/ Staff and those people who are strongly connected to it? One can NOT do any long period of time with any Governmental Entity without the probability of being more "them" than the community one is supposed to be serving. I have watched it for 22 years in Federal Service and another 13 years as I attended City Council meetings in my Community in Washington State as I do here. "Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely." - Lord Acton
And what is most amusing is that those who feel threatened/ insulted can not understand they have done what they are doing for so long that they cannot see how disadvantaged the majority of the City Residents really are? They cannot as it goes "See the Forest for the Tree". 'nuff said'.
I am asking for your Vote. "Change is in the Air".
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J. Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).