Hope that the guys had a great Father's Day? Spent some time thinking not only of my Dad, but of my Paternal Grandfather too. They were like night and day as I was given to understand. Think my Dad was in the middle or near the end of the string of ankle biters?
He passed at 58 of congestive heart disease. Only one in that side to have heart problems. I think to this day it was because he was a chain smoker? Grandfather is said to have died of Black Lung. He was a coal miner in Wales and I believe emigrated here via Canada because of that in the early 1920s. I am pretty confident on that as my Dad was born in Canada as they were coming to the U.S.
One was a proud hard working man; the other a renegade to authority. Quite a comparative and no one really won.
Was thinking on the second day of the Family Fun Weekend for Vienna. Was said turn out was light and I would suspect some of that was Ms. Kerns being determined to compete and maybe even out do the Multi Cultural Festival? Why do schedule two events like that seemed counter productive?
And the family that had reserved and paid for a Birthday party for the 17th and were told a few weeks earlier that they had to reschedule as something had come up so they could not use the Park. Seems had a lot of non local people scheduled to come in to move them on a couple of weeks notice? I can only smell ego and Governmental arrogance in kicking them out. They were from Ohio so maybe their Tax dollars did not have as much value to Mr. Rapp and crew? This is type of crap that gives Vienna a bad name in other local places and States. Here is the comment from the Arpin's on 17 May 2016:
1 · I reserved Spencer Park for my sons birthday on July 9th months ago. Today I got a called that someone came in after me to reserve it for the same time as me for some family event thing and they gave my time ...spot to them. Apparently it doesn't matter if you reserve a spot because if someone else wants it they get it. I am very unhappy with this place and I will NEVER reserve anything from them again. This is ridiculous and now I have to let all of our friends and family know. Some of them are from out of town and already scheduled days off work and such. See More
Kacie Arpin
1 · Resevered spencer park 4 months ahead maybe further and got told a month to go that now we have to bump our time cause they have a family thing now planned. We were first to reserve a long time ahead and now we get bumped. This is crap we have sent and made invites and jow have to contact everyone. Thanks city of vienna for be dumbasses
Chris Arpin
City of Vienna, WV Please stop by and speak with someone at the City Building in person to work towards a resolution for your issue. It may have simply been an oversight on our part. May 17 at 2:35pm
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Chris Arpin I have talked to them on the phone there is a family event sponsored by the city. Im all for those events but if its rented the family evemt should have had to adjust not the resident who rented it
May 17 at 2:40pm
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Rick Uhl Chris, this is just some of the Favoritism, Cronyism and Nepotism, that goes on in the City. June 6th at 5:44 P.M.
And a final comment on this debacle:
Kacie Arpin I went in. And told me I could still have it that day but it would have to be different time. I had already let friends and family from out of state know dates time and location. Some of them wasn't able to take off work that day and had to be in work at 2 for their normal schedule. I was gonna try to make it work with the 1 to whatever they stuck me with because of their mess up but when I went in there the lady acted like I was wasting her time and being a pain in her butt. So i decide to go ahead and cancel my reservation for July and September and get my money back. Now all of our family will be able to be there because we changed locations and got to keep our time of noon to 2 May 22 at 10:58am
This is what happens when a Government Entity cannot properly do its responsibilities to the Public it is supposed to represent. We need to honor our agreements with the Public and when there is an issue with someone, it is more the need for the City to accommodate the INITIAL requestor. To have the above folks reserve months in advance and then get short shifted on the deal does nothing but put the City in a very poor light. I would think that Mr. Rapp needs to start understanding the day to day activities of the City far OUTWEIGH the constant and never ending Photo Ops and Microphone exhibitions that are put on at every available chance.
Ms. Kerns at the least screwed the thing up big time and is remiss in not contacting you which I totally disbelieve based on his management style or have you again shown why this fine City deserves so much better. We apparently lost three days at the Park for usage and income? But most importantly, also the reputation of the CITY of Vienna?
Is or was there any REAL resolution for them besides a refund if that? Would think that Mr. Arpins initial comment for being........................... would be more appropriate to individuals than the City?
Ms. Kerns, City Administrative Assistant stated "We have to start somewhere and we will develop this". Followed by " I never give up". But was most humorous was her comment "Everyone knows it is the second Friday in June". Ms. Kerns, allow me this the 17th is the THIRD Friday in June this year.
As for the improvements to the Park, one should ask who live around the Park and are going crazy with the noise? One couple is so fortunate they inherited a farm below P'burg and spend most of their time there now. Another poor old gentleman is besides himself with the noise.
Had someone; anyone, used some common sense here it would be SO OBVIOUS TO MOVE this event down to the Park by the river if it ever gets remediated (cleaned up)? It was noted to me that one should check to see how many of the homes around the Park have been or are up for sale in the past year or two? Suspect a lot of those properties will go from owner occupied to rentals in time. That usually lowers overall property values as a lot of folks are not happy living by a rental property. The Renters don't seem to take as good a care as an owner?
Have heard rumors that the City is trying to buy up some of the properties on 29th by the Fire Station and the Park. Some have resisted so far. Lived in those homes for a long time. City did get the house by the Senior Center and are turning it into a parking lot. Isn't progress wonderful? Are budgeting about $25K to pave that area. Seems like a lot of bucks? But as the City noted in another instance, it won't cost the Public anything to do; in this case, the Government will also pay for it via CDBG fund use manipulations.
Will say that the main show this weekend should have been the Multi Cultural Festival. We are in such a small and ever shrinking World, that it is now more imperative than ever that the kids get to see some of the many other Cultures and their mores compared to our own.
Have had the good fortune, or maybe not, to have been in so many Asian Countries, I am a much more open minded person than if I had never left the U.S. West Coast. When I went on my first overseas trip to a Foreign land, it was to Hawaii in 1970 to 1973. Had been a State for just a few years, but was still a different place compared to where I had been before. Was so surprised at how racist the Japanese who lived there were. Another guy and I were asked to a home by a senior NCO but were not very comfortable with the invitation for some reason. We never went and one day the guy came up to us and said he never invited Haoles (Hawaiian slang for foreigners/ outsiders), and we should be proud of the invite. Really ticked us off to be called that by this guy. He had served 20 years in the Army. One year in Korea and the other 19 in Hawaii. That was how it worked in the day if one was connected to Personnel in D.C. Lot of Hawaiians got a year or so someplace; came back and never left again.
Then I really got into the swing of things and was as I said before Korea, Thailand, Macao, Singapore and the Philippines. We own a five bedroom, three bath home there. Upstairs is an American home and I even got what I think most men would love to have in their bathroom- a Urinal. Never another word on seat up/ down, wet- nothing. My dream...........................
Downstairs was all Filipino with the Great Room and two bedrooms with their own baths. I would get lost just wandering around the place. Six foot block fence with metal spikes and broken glass along the top of it. Had nine (9) dogs on the place. Almost never let them all out in same area at same time to insure no one could poison them all at one time. If all out, I would be setting on the steps going down to front area and they would pile all over me. Imagine nine damn dogs all over you licking and pushing for attention at one time? Took about three minutes and the one male would go after his dad and brother. That dog was vicious. Houseboy scared to death of him if a fight started. I would have to go into the mess and tuck my head down to protect my neck and pick the dog up behind his front legs and lift him off the ground up over my head to get them separated. Made for some interesting times.
But, I digress; the exposure to living with the "people" rather than in a guarded, gated Community was what I wanted so I could get that experience. Most people go to another Country and build/ buy into one of those upscale locations and never learn the real people. I just love to watch people do their things. People are the most interesting thing in the World; especially another land, believe it or not?
It is so important for you folks to give your kids all the exposure you safely can so they will be better able to deal with their future. Many of them when they leave College if fortunate to go are going to go elsewhere to work and live. Many of those Companies are going to be International and for those who wish to rise up and get the best jobs, may have to do some overseas assignments. It will I can assure you be most interesting if they try to get out some with the locals.
I will say Singapore is the best of the bunch. Not a bit of garbage in the streets or on sidewalks. No beggars/ homeless did I see. My wife's cousin has lived there for years and said it was the policy to police up the beggars/ homeless and ship them to a small Island away from Singapore and were never allowed to return? Seemed harsh to me, but try and walk down some of our larger City streets at night or even the daytime, and one will soon see the difference. A very interesting zoo there by the way.
Macao is a dirty, filthy gambling Casino to call it pure and simple. At nightfall, it seems the streets all roll up or just lead to a Casino. Not a gambler pretty much stopped my enjoyment there. In the daytime, enjoyed the local market in the area. My wife showed why we are the "ugly Americans"; she complained to me that no one spoke English. I laughed and told her "they do not have too; this is their homeland and we are the visitors". It was tough to communicate with most of them. One shop owner trotted out his daughter to help us talk. She was about 12 and taking English in School. How many kids here are learning any language in School at age 12; even English? That little girl will in all likelihood out do the ones here if they do not initiate learning languages for the kids futures. Sad but true folks; sad but true.
I just love Thailand because it has so many old ruins, temples and palaces. When I go there, I spend maybe three days at most in Bangkok because of the jet lag. Then I go North or Northwest to find a smaller town and a place I can stay such as a Bed and Board that are not common there. Or a cheap/ inexpensive hotel so I can wander the countryside. The old Temples are just unbelievable. Still being used but go back so far in time. Until you have walked up to an eighty foot long reclining Buddha, you have not experienced the "feeling" in those places. I never touched anything although it was normal for the locals and some of the Tourists thought hands all over was okay? Maybe in the Buddhist Faith, it is part of the process to lay hands on? I don't think it is appreciated and in some places the items are noted as "Do not touch". Thailand is touted for the beaches in the South, but I never went there to any of them. To me just "walking brothels by the seashore". Also was bad in Bangkok if one was out at night. Even in daytime in the Sukhumvit Road area there, it was a Tourist trap with the clubs openly running the gals through in shifts.
Probably the same as in the beach resorts, but since I never went there can't speak for sure on that? In recent years, there have been some problems with rapes and murders in those beach areas so would caution anyone planning a trip to Phuket or Pattaya as examples be very careful these days............
Will admit I love Chiang Mai in the North. Second largest City and much more civil. You can cross the streets with the light and have a good chance vehicles will not run the light(s) as you cross. In Bangkok, one had best be watching; very carefully.
There is an old Temple that I can not remember the name of, but when you walk to the one edge, you can see for miles to Chiang Mai. There are 324 steps up from the road level to the Temple area. A cable car is in place for those who do not want to climb the stairs. Coming down I found out there was only 322 steps; I missed two because I stumbled and missed them. Luckily for me a lady reached out and grabbed my arm. Did that twice and since I did the walk up, felt that I had achieved my intent. It is a exciting accomplishment to do those 324 steps. The Temple itself is fantastic and supposedly the oldest one in Thailand. Have hundreds of pictures and they are beautiful such as they are; but, I need to admit I am not a World class picture taker.
In any case, try to get your kids interested and involved in learning about the rest of the World. Will soon see that West Virginia is so much more like places like the Philippines than one may believe? At least in how its Government works versus a local one in the Philippines. 'nuff said'.
(Paid for by the Candidate- Lawrence J. Wilson for Mayor of Vienna).