26 FEB 07: SOUND THE ALARM
"Who is Richard Burkard, and what is his plan?" That's what someone wrote on a message board the other day. Let's get these rumors settled right now. I am NOT a write-in candidate for Mayor of Columbus in 2010. For one thing, what if Bert Coker decides to do it again?
This question actually was posted at a message board of the Concerned Citizens for Responsible Government in Talbot County. And it was the result of a warning message from, of all people, Russell County Constable R.J. Schweiger. Attack me from both the west AND the east, and soon I might be surrounded and surrender.
Even though R.J. Schweiger has been true to his word and kept his distance from me in the last week, we still can have a "Hurtsboro Monday." That's because the Constable posted a thread called "Misery loves company" at the C.C.R.G. message board. If our blog can build bridges like this, maybe we can solve that water-sharing mess.
Here's what the Russell County Constable posted at the message board of Talbot County activists:
"HI!"
I,m Constable R.J. Schweiger. I noticed on Richard Burkhard's BLOG that Talbot County and "Hurt'sboro are basicly in the same boat.
I've contacted Susan Horton and warned her about the maneuvers you can expect from Burkhard - I've been there and done that!
I intend to further my cause (Better Government) through the legitimate media. If you would like to share - I will send a copy of everything I submit to Micheal Owen (L/E Opinion page) and the Phenix Citizen to your site. Let me know if you are interested.
Best of Luck
Constable R.J. Schweiger....
Maneuvers - from me?! If I had to do something besides a salsa on "Dancing With the Stars," I'd be in big trouble....
R.J. Schweiger's original message board posting has brought several responses in recent days. One wrote: "As if Talbot County wasn't already fighting off a sludge farm...." Don't worry - I'm not planning to show up with even a sack of garbage.
The Constable wrote a follow-up message, when someone asked about me and my alleged "plan." In part he explained:
He recently put some things on his BLOG that weren't complimentary to CCRG. It's his habit! He did it to me and does it to anyone that falls into his clutches!
First of all, I have no one in my "clutches." Ask any woman I've tried to romance in the last 15 years or so....
Review all our entries of the last few weeks about Talbot County, and you should find we've had a mix of comments about the C.C.R.G. Someone sent e-mail criticizing it. Someone sent e-mail defending it. If allowing freedom of speech is a "habit," put me behind bars with Benjamin Franklin.
A check of the message board indicates R.J. Schweiger has been invited to the next C.C.R.G. meeting on March 31. The Constable writes he'll "do my best to make it." Who knows -- maybe he'll find a place with even more "anarchy" than Hurtsboro, and come to appreciate the town's mayor after all.
By the way, we've called the Alabama Governor's office to ask about the petition drive we mentioned last Monday -- the Constable's request for executive intervention in Hurtsboro. As of Friday afternoon, our calls had NOT been returned. So for all we know, the staff could be looking for the petitions in a white-paper recycle bin.
E-MAIL UPDATE: Speaking of "misery loves company," Sunday's message about chewed sunglasses brought this:
I bought a soda in the cooler at the cash register at Fred's Dept.Store..When I got in the car I discovered it had been opened and a gulp taken...yuk...The cashier was very polite in offering me another..Can you image drinking after someone who would do that then put the lid back on and replace it in the cooler? I never thought of that happening,now I'm alert as I open bottled sodas..
The lesson here seems very clear -- twist with your wrist, 'cause it might have been kissed.
But in the post-September 11 era, a discovery like this might raise serious questions. What's to stop a terrorist from poisoning a few soda bottles at a checkout line, to make people sick? After all, if some of us have enough time to browse through a couple of tabloids....
BLOG SPECIAL EVENT: We're looking for suggestions to name the Aflac duck - and the latest one comes from the woman we profiled here Sunday:
I think the duck's name shooooould be........
Dinkles. Dinkles the Duck. This is also the same nickname given to weekend meteorologist Derek Kinkade (I don't know why, even though I made it up). I believe the duck should be named after him!!!
Amanda
For a duck, "Dinkles" is doable -- but for a meteorologist?! Wouldn't "Sprinkles" be more appropriate for him?
Your nominations are still welcome, so e-mail us with your ideas. Now a look at some news items from a springlike Sunday:
+ The first group of about 50 Third Brigade soldiers left Fort Benning for Iraq. This is called the "torch party," because it "lights the way" for the rest of the Third Brigade. Some of us wish they'd use a real torch - that "ray gun" demonstrated in South Georgia awhile back, to knock people senseless.
+ Auburn University concluded its second annual summit on fighting world hunger. So which person got to take home the Wendy's Bacon Mushroom Melt "trophy burger?"
+ The Leadoff Classic Softball tournament ended, with only the championship round canceled due to an overnight storm. That meant several brackets had co-champions - and why they didn't have a poll of sportswriters to break the tie, I have no idea.
+ Instant Message to anyone who was annoyed by "An Inconvenient Truth" winning two Oscars: The Columbus Public Library plans to show the graphics from that movie in mid-March. But Albert Gore is NOT coming - so please write your protest signs accordingly.
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