Letters

Recently, I was a resident in the facility of Grayson Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Independence.
I had a terrible home accident that resulted in a broken knee and crushed ankle.
We chose the Grayson facility because it was close to my son’s job and he could visit after work. I was so happy my family and I chose Grayson. You always have a certain mindset when it comes to any nursing home.

A few years ago I spent four years and several thousand dollars to kill a bull elk in Montana with a bow and arrow.
Stupid me.
In Virginia, deer hunters can do it for nothing. Not one, but four.
We have four different deer seasons, with four deer tags on the table and you can buy extra tags. No other place on the planet can you take an elk for free.
Now, if you think this is a good thing, you should know that Virginia has in place an Elk restoration program.
I am reasonably sure a dead elk cannot reproduce. This is pure stupidity.

After the recent football state championship game I found myself strongly compelled to write my first ever letter to the editor.
Putting my thoughts to pen is a struggle for me. However, I must express my deep and sincere appreciation to the coaching staff and the team of Galax football.
As a proud parent of two sons on the team, Woody and Joseph, I greatly appreciate the attitude of Coach Dixon and his staff to approach the game of football as a means to an end and not an end in itself.

Betty Perkins of Fries wrote this poem several years ago, when both her sons and her son-in-law were law enforcement officers. She says she has "spent many Christmas Eves wondering if they were alright."
When Perkins lived in North Carolina, The Wilmington (N.C.) Star News published this poem on Christmas Eve for several years. This year, she is sharing it with The Gazette.

I feel the need to answer the Readers’ Hotline caller, headlined “out of sight.”
First, Christina Bedsaul is not my “child.” She is a grown woman with values. The most unselfish person you could meet, and, no, I did not go to work with her.
However, I know that some days she worked 10-plus hours. When I would call her to wish her a good day at 7:30 a.m. she answered her office phone. When I would call her at 5:30 or 5:45 to find out how much longer she was going to work, she answered her office phone.

Like many older people, I have seen much of the world, witnessed history in the making, observed many dramatic changes and events — some good, some bad, and many that are still undecided.
To my fellow seniors I point out that we can sit around and reminisce about “the good old days” and the things we used to do, see, hear, feel, and so forth, but we are, in a sense, walking libraries in possession of a tidy sum of unwritten history.
We have in our memories things that will be lost upon our passing.

I would like to personally thank everyone who supported me in my campaign for the Pipers Gap seat on the Carroll County Board of Supervisors, as well as [the incumbent] Dr. Littrell for a clean race.
Even though I lost by percentage, I did not lose by the number of votes I received, the relationships I established and the tremendous experience I gained from running for office.
Regardless of whether the candidates we supported won, we all need to hold responsible the decisions the upcoming boards will make in their attempts to move our county forward.

Kristy Pollard’s letter to the editor concerning "Lamb's Table" touched my heart and I would like to thank her for the kind words.
I would also like to expound on them. "Lamb’s Table" is more than one year old and has served more than 5,000 meals since its inception.
We offer a meal every Tuesday from 5 to 6 p.m. and everyone is invited to share a meal with us.
Meals are also delivered to those in the community who cannot come to the fellowship hall of Independence First United Methodist Church.

I would like to thank the residents of the Fifth House District for the opportunity to serve as your Delegate in the Virginia General Assembly.
I am honored, humbled and excited by the opportunity.
I firmly believe Southwest Virginia’s best days are still ahead, and I am committed to doing everything I can to make that a reality.
While I do not have all the answers or any quick fixes, I promise to work hard every day for you.