About our Softball Senior Night 🌙 and The Loop…

For those folks that actually know me, they realize that I’m a little sensitive about being recognized for how many times that I have or have not driven my car to Alleghany and back. There’s a long list of things that I am extremely proud of that Linda and I have managed to accomplish over the past four years. But going back and forth to the Highlands just isn’t one of them.

I will happily discuss how are dedicated parents jump in their automobiles and make that loop on a regular basis. One year with the Softball team we actually presented each set of Parents a participation trophy 🏆 for completing the James River – Alleghany double dip inside of 72 hours.

Now I will offer up a different fun fact that will have folks questioning my sanity.

This is my 16th season working with West Virginia Tech University Baseball ⚾️ and we qualified for the River States Conference Championship tournament up in Chillicothe, Ohio the week before last.

The fact that I passed on traveling up with the team on that Wednesday so that I could announce the Girls 👧 Soccer ⚽️ game isn’t the bigger part of the story.

That part took place on Friday morning after we won our 9:00 am contest versus Rio Grande. After the final pitch was thrown I jumped back into my car 🚗 and drove non-stop back to Carroll County, arriving just before it was time to begin the ceremonies.

Darrin Mathews was doing the honors 🎖 of tossing out the First Pitch and Coach Nester cleverly placed Principal Thompson behind home plate to catch the toss.

Then it was time to read the messages from Katherine Lindamood and Emma Leath. Both of these young Ladies did their families proud with their thoughts and I did my best to be their messenger.

We then played a game against Floyd County, our first game following our bump in the road at James River.

We won the game comfortably and when it was over I jumped back into my car 🚗 and returned to Chillicothe. Arrived back at 12:35 am. 13 hours and just under 600 miles in total.

Back at the ballpark just after 7am and then wrote the CCHS game story once we started our contest versus Shawnee State.

So, why would someone want to do that to themselves ? Caring ❤ is both a joy and a burden. I had a hunch that Emma Leath was going to take the time to pen 🖊 a letter about her four years and I wanted to be there to read it for her and Katherine as well.

As far as heading out 8 hours later on Wednesday, that is just because of Ben Tickle and the Battling Ben Tickles !

Pillars in our Community ! This dynamic duo combine to keep things moving all day, every day.

We live in a place where the pace is so much faster than one might could ever imagine and the search for some of the folks that make sure the train 🚆 stays on the tracks is on-going.

There is little doubt that I was fortunate enough to spend 45 minutes on Thursday morning 🌄 with a pair of those people, Stephen Puckett and Tammy Quesenberry.

The desire to use one’s writing ✍ skills for good is an effort into itself. The speed at which things happen around here in Carroll County is quick and when thats the case you need people on the job that are at it earlier than most and stay at it later than people can imagine.

Now that its Friday at 5:30 am, I am sure this pair is already hard at it. The ease that they move from one project to the next is quite possibly the most impressive thing about their interactions. The give and take is priceless and its much needed when you are living in the Fast Lane (Eagles reference).

The hardest thing to do in Life, in my opinion, is to find people that CARE about the betterment of a group or community instead of just what’s right in front of them. Life is nonstop and its a challenge to get to the end of the day more often than not so the system survives when we have some folks that try to make our lives easier as a whole.

My search for folks that Care is important enough that the word itself is in the name – OneofUs.Care and when I happen across people that display that trait day in and day out it makes me want to take the time to take a photo 📷 and say Thank You!!

If your path today or next week crosses with either one of these two please 🙏 offer them some encouragement. We need more people like Stephen Puckett and Tammy Quesenberry around because their existence makes life so much easier for the rest of us.

Milestones are always Fun !

It has been 15+ years since the decision was made to create a site where the sole purpose was to spread kindness and joy to the community that was home 🏡 at the time.

The road has been filled with amazing people and stories. This has led to many a time that I could step back and smile, feeling that the effort was producing results.

Crossing the 100,000 berrier gives one hope that it all matters !

Late night 🌙 for the Middle School 🏫 Track 👣 and Field but Coach Montgomery still sends in the results!

District Champions

Matthew Bissonette. Triple Jump. 30’ 5”

Wayne Dawson Discus 92’ 0”

Others competing

Boys Triple Jump

Wayne Dawson.  2nd  27’ 5”

Attempted: Lucas Konberg

Boys Discus

Lucas Konberg. 8th. 49’ 9”

Hunter Lineberry. 9th 42’ 11”

Girls Long Jump

Makenzie Lundy. 5th. 9’ 5.5”

Boys Long Jump

Matthew Bissonnette 6th. 15’ 6”

Wayne Dawson. 8th.   13’ 10”

Ashton Collins. 10th. 12’ 0”

Lucas Konberg. 11th. 10’ 9”

Boys Shot Put

Lucas Konberg 9th. 16’ 4.75”

Hunter Lineberry.  10th. 13’ 7”

Girls High Jump

Autumn Ashton. 4th. 4’ 0”

Attempted:  Emma Viars

Boys High Jump

Matthew Bissonette 4th. 4’ 6”

Tyler Botdeaux. 5th.  4’ 4”

Wayne Dawson. 6th.   4’ 4”

Attempted: Ethen Gallimore, Will Dalton

Girls 100 Hurdles

Paige Ogle. 4th. 21.28

Raylin Watson. 5th. 21.57

Alea Quesinberry. 8th. 22.07

Girls 100

Autumn Ashton. 9th. 16.61

Makenzie Lundy 10th. 16.73

Emma Viars. 12th.   18.39

Audrey Carico. 13th. 19.00

Myleigh Bobbitt 14th. 19.02

Ruby Whitney. 15th. 20.70

Boys 100

Matthew Bissonette. 8th. 13.71

Tyler Bordeaux. 13th. 14.75

Ashton Collins 17th. 15.86

Draden Spangler. 18th. 15.95

Boys 1600

Austin Morin 9th. 6:53.75

Wyatt Burian. 11th. 7:03.33

Cameron Helton 12th. 7:09.52

William Dalton. 13th. 7:23.77

Girls 4 x 100 relay. 2nd. 1:02.00

(Raylin Watson, Rhea Quesinberry, Autumn Ashton, Paige Ogle)

Boys 4 x 100 relay. 2nd 57.68

(Ashton Collins, Wayne Dawson, Tyler Bordeaux, Matthew Bissonette)

Girls 400

Bibiana Batista 5th. 1:21.13

Aubrey Hanshaw. 8th. 1:24.98

Zoe Richardson. 10th. 1:49.36

Alivia Gregory. 11th. 1:52.07

Boys 400

Wayne Dawson 9th. 1:10.76

Carter Richardson 14th. 1:21.92

Hunter Lineberry 15th. 1:29.95

Girls 800

Bibiana Batista. 10th. 3:24.70

Aubrey Hanshaw 11th. 3:25.22

Boys 800

Brandon Lowry 10th. 3:18.03

Tucker Corgill 11th. 3:22.58

Girls 200

Paige Ogle. 6th. 32.83

Makenzie Lundy 7th. 35.78

Autumn Ashton 8th. 35.80

Emma Viars. 11th. 39.43

Myleigh Bobbitt 12th. 42.46

Audrey Carico. 13th. 44.67

Zoie Young. 14th. 44.98

Boys 200

Matthew Bissonette 7th. 30.28

Ashton Collins. 14th. 32.99

Draden Spangker. 15th. 34.21

Thank You Coach !