In a county where a city council is trying to refinancetheater debt, we are more concerned about the color of trash cans.
In a county where a city is trying to map its future growth, we fall for unfounded rumors of an agreement that would disallow anything other than a sit-down restaurant to go across from the Julian R. Allsbrook Highway Burger King.
In a county where we hoodwink and bamboozle ourselves into not thinking we can progress, we fail as citizens to make things better.
I go out on frequent photo trips on the weekends and sometimes on the weekdays when things are slow.
If you haven't looked around lately, there's a lot of beauty in Halifax County and I try to find these places to block out the outdated thinking that we are stuck where we are and can't enter the 21st Century without backbiting and criticizing every little thing and taking it as a conspiracy.
Go to Chantilly Road in Weldon one evening and watch the sunset and look for trains. Go to River Falls Park in Weldon and watch the sunrise over the Roanoke River.
There is a small church that has been converted into a colorful art studio where Halifax County comes to a near-abrupt end in Norfleet, where grapes grow in a vineyard and nearby cows wade in a pond in a bucolic setting.
I go on these trips to remain positive when I seem to be surrounded by negativity, nitpicking and general unhappiness of a population that seems at best lukewarm and even more apathetic to what's going on around them, unless it's bare hands on doughnuts or the vivid color of a new trash can.
Walk into the Roanoke Canal Museum and learn some history, go to city hall and look at the freshly painted murals and bask in the artistic talents we have here.
Have lunch at Jermonico's in Weldon and marvel at the huge rockfish that passengers on the trains get to see on destinations unknown.
At the 1020 Restaurant and Pub there are historic photos of Roanoke Avenue the way it used to be and if Ed is there he'll be happy to take you on a tour and explain them to you.
Go to Becker Village Mall and check out the many tributes, photos and artifacts of those who served their country at the Roanoke Valley Veterans Museum. Tell the mall owners the things you'd like to see come to the mall to help revive it.
This week I had the pleasure of covering an honest heartfelt tribute to the events of 9-11 right in Centennial Park. There are people doing things to make this city and county better and it isn't fair to make fun of them for trying. Your comments on this website and its accompanying Facebook page don't mean anything if you don't try to get involved and tell folks what's on your mind.
Despite the naysayers and ridiculers, there really is a lot to be proud of living here and you have to realize in a county where there's a lot going on, the only way it will change is to let your opinions be known. When you do that then you have the right to complain about the color of trash cans or bask in the conspiracy theories that abound on Hamburger Alley — Lance Martin
