Words from the Chamber

Do you recall the story of the little boy who cried “wolf”? He thought it great fun to warn of a wolf approaching and cry for help and laugh at the people that scurried to his aid. He did this so often that everyone began to ignore his warnings until one day a wolf actually appeared and no one came to his rescue when he cried for help.

Combining the warm, spring-like conditions of the past few days with the tendency of our local news media to exaggerate and sensationalize every potential weather event over the past few years, I felt quite comfortable in ignoring warnings of Monday’s snow storm, much like the people who ignored the boy’s cry of “wolf.” I rationalized that, if we did get a bit of snow, it would not adhere to the roads and likely disappear quickly from the ground because of its residually elevated temperature.

As I sit in my easy chair composing this column, I think of the things that I should have done to be prepared, especially since my electricity service ceased at 9 a.m.

In the news of the past week were reports to the town and county from Robin Snyder on the status of the Appomattox National Historical Park, where she is superintendent. The existence of the NHP is a treasure to our community and the direction of it being in the hands of an Appomattox native greatly enhances its value to us.

Although I am certain that over the years some other superintendents have been similarly community oriented, I know that some have not. The park is of value to us as a draw for tourists, a recreational facility and an educational resource. Kudos to Ms. Snyder for efforts in these direction and more.

In the information made public, I was pleasantly surprised to learn that attendance at the NHP for the fiscal year of 2021 had exceeded the pre-pandemic numbers of 2019, reaching almost 70,000. On recent excursions in that direction, I frequently took note of cars parked in their lot but assumed that, like everything else during these pandemic months, attendance was down. On second thought, the ability to drive to such a location and visit while maintaining social distancing probably held an allure equal or better than many other venues. Additionally, the development and promotion of several hiking trails attracted visitors that may not have been interested previously.

The involvement of the NHP in our community’s educational effort is also of great value to all of us. Education is always important. To the individual student, internships and other knowledge gained can be of value in career pursuits.

On a broader scale, each individual carrying a familiarity of what our NHP has to offer and its significance in our society extends the potential to promote it to others. Each one of us can be ambassadors for our community.

By the way, have you visited our NHP or one of our museums recently to become familiar with what they offer?

If you want more content like this, support local journalism by purchasing the Times Virginian newspaper at a local newsstand or subscribing at www.timesvirginian.com/subscriber_services to receive the print edition and/or e-edition version.