It’s was tough to break the news at the morning staff meeting about this year’s OneofUs.Care banquet, but while they didn’t have much to say, they’re still here ! #Dedicated

For the past four years, we have set aside both the time and the financial resources to host a banquet. We gathered 100+ folks to dinner 🍽 and celebrated the achievements of a number of people who made a significant contribution to our beliefs.

Years three and four, we added a gold watch ⌚️ ceremony in which we purchased the tackiest gold watch available online and presented 🎁 it to someone who was retiring. Athletic Director Darrin Mathews the first time, and Dr. Burnette last year.

While there is no extra $5,000.00 lying around to hold a fifth one, we still have enough of a thought process that we still have five people that need to be applauded.

Gold Watch – Allen Worrell and David Broyles. I’m not sure if the dynamic duo will have to have joint custody of one gaudy watch or if he can rustle up a pair of them. We need to pay homage for the years and years that Allen and his Plucky Sidekick served the residents of Carroll County ! Both young men played a role in our efforts here, and we shared a laugh or two along the way.

Person of the Year( Jon Culp Award) – Principal Chuck Thompson gets the nod here ! Maybe we can invite Mr Thompson out to The Crooked Oak early one morning for breakfast with Coach Rick Nester and I. The daily burden that this man operates under is cause enough to celebrate his career achievements.

We have a pair of folks who will fall under the lifetime achievement awards.

In the definition of lifetime, in this case, it involves the past five years in specific. The Jay Neal Lifetime Achievement Award.

Both Ron Cochran at Omega Office 🏬 and Supply & my wife, Linda Carter.

Maybe a slice of pizza 🍕 from Pizza Perfect will make the presentation easy enough, being Ron will only have to walk next door 🚪.

David Broyles , Allen Worrell, Linda Carter, Ron Cochran, and Principal Chuck Thompson are the honorees for the fifth and final banquet.

The next step is to order the crystal 🔮 and the watch(s).

Five people who made a difference !!!!!

Logan Stump is a shining example of what it means to wear the Golden Bears 🐻 Baseball jersey, and now the recent graduate 🎓 has a new uniform to wear !

Thank you to the folks at the Register – Herald for the coverage!

In the 18 years that Skipper Lawrence Nesselrodt and I have been trying to move the needle on West Virginia Tech University Baseball, many a student athlete have worn our uniform.

With that said, few, if any, have worn it better than Mr Logan Stump. Everything about the young man, on and off the Diamond 💎 was what you would want to have representing your program !

Knowing that Logan will treat his new uniform in the same manner that he treated ours makes me believe that Raleigh County is a better place to live today !

Wednesday, April 15th, is Tax Day ➕️ Middle School at the Big House Day ➕️ the deadline for signing up for the baseball camp Day !!!

Morning 🌄 Brew
Today is the deadline to sign up for Saturday evening !
Travis Osborne and his Bible Verse of the Day :

Colossians 3:2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Howard Mayo and his Motovational Nugget for the Day :
Sweeping the non-conference double header yesterday puts WVU-T at 11-10 on the year outside of the league !

Kevin Burress and I will try once again to make Coaches Nick and Deana feel welcome at Cavalier Park later today, and I’m sure that someone in Casey’s group will do the same down at Bill Worrell Field !

Have yourself a Blessed Day 🙌

Crossing paths with Linda’s son Joshua simply couldn’t have come at a better time ! One brief exchange can put another quarter into the horse 🐎

During the softball game tonight, I shared with my friend and press box partner, Kevin Burress, my analogy about every so often it would be nice for someone to put a quarter in the horse.

You have to remember that I have no official role in any part of the things I try to do all spring long. What is that exactly ? Attempting to show support for all 12 coaches and their student athletes through a combination of announcing events and creating stories for them and their parents.

It went way beyond a hobby and then past a full-time job. There are days when I have to remind myself where I’m going to be that day. The current streak is now at calling something somewhere 19 out of the past 21 days.

Tonight ( Wednesday ), it will be Cavalier Park for the Middle School Softball game, and then on Thursday, it will be what I call a split double header. Starting with Carroll County – Fort Chiswell Varsity Softball and then crossing the Boulevard to announce the Girls 👧 Soccer game versus Radford. I struggle with the fact that I will miss the Girls JV game, especially after they have had to sit out the last three times the varsity played.

Why might be a great question, and it’s an easy answer. When you are chasing equality for all, no game or match should go without sound. Thankfully, Casey Burcham has two options each night at Bill Worrell Field, but that is the exception, not the rule.

Joshua is someone who I have a boat 🚢 load of respect for, so when he took the time to acknowledge the effort, it meant something to me!

If you are going to help Rick Nester with his program, then you have to do the same for Terry Warf in my world 🌎 anyway. By extension, I have been trying hard to call one of the games for the Middle School Softball team all season, and we are set to that later today.

Shawn Montgomery and Jon Delp are easy to help for a number of reasons. First, they are incredibly likable, and second, they only compete at home once a year.

Lawrence Nesselrodt at West Virginia Tech University and Vickey Ritchie with the Special Olympics are both people that I happily help whenever possible.

That takes us to the four coaches trying hard to move the needle forward in regard to soccer. Adrienne Harris McGuire, Forrest Johnson, Brittany Kinney, and Jeremy Puckett give everything that they have to their sport, and three of the quartet have class rooms they are responsible for during the day.

There is nobody on the list above that I would want to say no to, but there are days when the combination of announcing and creating stories afterward can be a challenge. On those days, it truly helps when someone who actually works in the school system takes the time to say, “I see you and appreciate what you are trying to do for our students ( and parents ).

Linda Edmonds is a special lady, and she raised her ” little boy ” well ! Know that the students at St. Paul are in good hands 🙌 with Principal Edmonds.