Ever since last week’s news that a man (Patrick Larnerd) was arrested in a meth lab bust in South Huntsville, SHCA has received quite a bit of interest about the drug activity in our community. Are our neighborhoods still safe? Is the Huntsville Housing Authority to blame? 

It’s hard to answer these questions with a simple “yes” or “no,” but we can at least shed some light on the matter. For starters, if you have not heard, Tuesday (Sept. 22), the Madison-Morgan County Strategic Counterdrug Team (STAC) raided an apartment at 9017 Mahogany Row. It’s been reported that agents were responding to an anonymous tip made on the STAC website. When they checked the neighborhood, STAC agents found materials used to make meth in a neighboring dumpster. That led to the discovery of seven (7) active meth stations at the Mahogany Row apartment and the arrest of 33-year-old Larnerd with a bail of $1.5 million.

After hearing of the bust Tuesday night and doing a little digging, SHCA was finally able to answer one particular question our members had… “Was this an HHA-owned property?”  The answer is no. HHA does not own the building in which the meth labs were found; but it is, obviously, in the same neighborhood. So is HHA to blame for a potential upsurge in drug activity? Although we might be tempted to point our fingers that way, we really cannot say that’s the case. Afterall, there have been two other meaningful drug busts in the last couple of months in other neighborhoods.

One occurred this summer in the parking lot of the Hampton Cove Wal-mart – in broad daylight! Again, STAC agents worked that bust. The second drug bust, handled by the Madison County Sherrif’s office, was on Jean Rd. In that case, neighbors had long complained to Huntsville Police about suspicious activity. When the Sherrif’s department finally took action (whether or not this was in response to complaints we cannot confirm), it turned out that a lawn care business was being “run” as a cover for a rather healthy drug business in this otherwise quiet South Huntsville neighborhood.

Unfortunately, these are just a few examples of drug activity in our community. There’s probably a good bit more happening than we know. And, the activity is not centered around public housing but rather throughout South Huntsville.  That said, one drive through Mahogany Row will confirm that the entire area is a disgrace. Owners of the apartments in this little neighborhood have apparently been content to let their properties deteriorate and they certainly don’t seem to care who rents from them. With or without the HHA, this neighborhood needs to be cleaned up – otherwise, there is a good chance that we will continue to see more criminal activity surface in this area.

That leads to our other question. Is our South Huntsville community still safe? For the moment, yes. Comparatively speaking, as we look at police reports from our area and compare it to other places across Huntsville, the South part of town has a relatively low crime rate (seemingly). The real question is what are we, as a community, going to do to make sure it stays that way?

Staying informed and aware is a big part of keeping a community safe. Reporting suspicious activity is also a must – even if police don’t always respond, immediately. If you suspect drug activity, you can make anonymous tips on the STAT website, as well as report problems  directly to the South Huntsville Police Precinct. 

These are some of the things we will be discussing in more detail at the fall SHCA meeting, Tuesday, Sept. 29. Crime and safety will be the topic at the 7:00 meeting held at Grissom. In fact, Huntsville Police Chief, Henry Reyes will discuss our local criminal activity and help us understand how residents can better work with police to thwart problems.

Again, there is no easy answer to our concerns about increased crimes in our area, but taking a stand and getting involved is the first step to pushing back and trying to keep these types of problems from finding a permanent home in our neighborhoods.  We hope to see you Tuesday night!

Peter drove me to the Promenade last week.

It was a strange feeling.

No, we didn’t use my car. He’s a little too big for it, if you know what I mean. And the whole “cute” thing doesn’t fit his personality. Not that he’s not cute, please don’t misunderstand.

We remind him frequently that he’ll make more money when he can drive. The way Quo Vadis operates, it’s always helpful to have a bright, personable, technican who can easily do onsite work and have personal interaction with clients. Despite the incentive, he doesn’t have overwhelming enthusiasm to get out there and practice… but that could just be his laid back, easygoing nature. I don’t know.

He did pretty well, all things considered. There was one moment when I said casually, “slow down…” and he answered indignantly, “I’m going the speed limit!” …and then we almost hit the car in front of us, which had come to a somewhat sudden stop to make  a left turn off Stallings Road.

I’m pretty cool with the whole learning-to-drive thing. My dad tends to get a little …emphatic with his instructions, while my mother brings knitting along to distract her from other vehicles zipping by as the new driver races recklessly along the road. But as I see it, isn’t getting home alive the most important part of driving? That’s pretty much undisputed. So why not have fun along the way, giving someone a chance to make those first-time faux pas… turns that are a little too sharp, struggling to fit into a parking spot, weaving back and forth on the road, getting lost in your own neighborhood…

It was the first really hot day in a long time… approaching 80 degrees in the bright sun. The work day was going quite well. All my tasks getting checked off my do-list… and then the call came in. I was on a conference call so Peter answered. The dreaded flat tire.

As a Father you hope and pray that you’ve prepared your children for the hard knocks of life… like flat tires and muggings. <sigh> Turns out my two eldest daughters are stranded on the side of I-485 with a flat tire. Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dum can’t find the spare tire! Oy!

There goes the opportunity to finish work early… Time to go through the options in my head.

·         Call a tow truck. You’re such a loser. Are you made of money?

·         Send my wife and son. Now you’re a pathetic loser. Send someone else??

·         I can go. <sigh>

I remembered the last time I had a flat tire. Same kind of weather. No money – and no one to call. Man that was a hot day… Well, the good L-rd brings things like this into my life to be a loser – or prove I’m learning. You’ve got to hope and pray my age that I’ve learned something. I read once that when my kids do something – right or wrong – it’s an opportunity for me to turn it into a teachable moment, or a moment of torture. I’ve got the torture thing down cold… <sigh>

Sweetie, don’t get your purse. My work is almost finished. Peter and I will go. “Really?” she asked. “That would be so wonderful!” That earned me three master-class husband points. We’re doin’ OK so far.

“We need to put a little care package together for the girls. It’s hot out there – and they’ve been stranded. Maybe some nuts or something and some cold water.” She was shocked… and surprised, but she helped me quickly get a little bundle together. Peter got a little cooler and it was time to MOTOR. You don’t drive a MINI… you MOTOR. I grabbed my MINI MOTORING hat and into the Cooper we went.

When you’re in a MINI Cooper, it just doesn’t take any time to get anywhere. We were barely through the first few songs of the Holiday Spirit album from Straight No Chaser when we saw the little yellow bug on the side of the road. We got a great reception from the girls, but they were really surprised when Peter gave them the soft cooler… Bing. Two master-class Dad of the Year points.

Now what’s the most frustrating thing that can happen when changing a tire? Besides not having a spare; getting run over by a milk truck or getting hit in the mouth by the lug wrench… I’ll tell you what’s the most frustrating thing that can happen when changing a tire. Yep. You work your butt off in the hot sun jacking that bad boy up; take the flat off; put the spare on and work that jack again… only to find that the spare is flat. <heavy sigh> Maybe if I yell and scream and throw the lug wrench into the woods I’ll fell better… Nah, I did that when I had the flat tire 30 years ago. Took a ½ hour to find the stupid wrench. Besides… I’ve got three of the neatest people in the world watching me. No pressure.

Let me get this thing jacked back up so we can get that spare off and into my brand new, untarnished, very clean MINI… <grrrrr> so we can fill it with air at the gas station.

Now I’m walking the straight and narrow pretty well so far. No cussin’ and I haven’t even busted my knuckles on a wrench or the pavement yet either. Truth be told Peter’s been doing the heavy lifting anyway… And wouldn’t you know it. The girls were almost to the highway exit, so after we get the air, we’ve got to drive 5 miles away from them and then 5 miles back. I’m gettin’ old.

Well, I had forgotten that we were in a MINI. <grin> There and back… the girls barely had time to miss us. It did make my heart swell a bit when we passed them on the other side of the highway… I honked my cute (but masculine) MINI horn a few times, but evidently so many guys had been honking that they really couldn’t distinguish between passer’s by and Dad passin’ by. But they looked so perfect. Sitting in the grass like perfect ladies. You know, that side sitting, gorgeous look. Big smiles, laughing and talking with one another, sipping on the cool water. They looked great. I was proud.

I had concluded on the lightning fast trip to save them that I could have had them change the tire – and call me if they needed help or had questions. But that would remove one more thing I could teach them – and my great Son… They DID have someone to call. They DID have a protector – a provider… and I didn’t need to ask who it was. It’s me. I hope Peter understood that – so when he’s a husband, he won’t hesitate. I’m sure the girls understood.

Turns out I wasn’t “Dad the Failure” after all… Of course, time may prove that out differently… but right now, for the rest of the afternoon at least, I’m “Dad of the Year”. Hey! Wanna change a tire with me? <grin>

I just received an update from Financial Servces regarding tuition for this year:

“Dear Student,

To assist you with financial planning, your student account statement now reflects the outstanding balance for both your Fall and Winter courses. Normally, payment would be due on January 10; however, due to the strike, the tuition payment deadline for the Winter 2009 term will be determined once classes resume. Interest charges on outstanding balances will not accrue for the duration of the strike.

For your convenience, we will continue updating the Web site as new information becomes available.”

So if you haven’t noticed already, our accounts aren’t accumulating a ny interest, which is definitely a plus, and if you haven’t done so already, tuition payments will not be due yet- at least while the strike’s still on!

Cheers,

Prince

]]> http://beacononline.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/siliguri-glitches-make-traders-doubt-e-auction-success/ Tue, 16 Dec 2008 02:11:38 +0000 barunroy http://beacononline.wordpress.com/2008/12/16/siliguri-glitches-make-traders-doubt-e-auction-success/

FROM THE TELEGRAPH

Siliguri, Dec. 15: The online sale has not gone down well with buyers at the Siliguri Tea Auction Centre, who believe that the system is hardly user-friendly.

Many STAC members are also unwilling to buy the government claim that the software would become fully operational in Siliguri by January 31.

E-auction was launched at the centre on Saturday in the presence of Union minister of state for commerce, industries and power Jairam Ramesh and Tea Board of India chairman Basudeb Banerjee. The dignitaries said at the function that the new system would be implemented completely by January 31 and the existing manual trading would become obsolete.

But Day I itself was marked with hiccups and hitches. There are around 400 buyers registered with the centre and the majority of them could not participate in the auction on Saturday. “Only 26 people, who were given user IDs and passwords to log in to computers, could quote prices and as there were problems with connectivity, ultimately, 10-12 buyers could participate in the auction. Different varieties of tea had to be sold at lower prices as laptops did not work and higher rates could not be recorded,” said Ankit Lochan, a buyer.

The buyers also doubted the efficiency of new system. “Manually, 3.2 lots (assembly of 20-80 tea bags containing around 35 kg in each one) are put on bid per minute. But, in the e-auction, hardly two lots could be traded in one minute,” said Bajrang Sethia, a member of the STAC.

“The weekly auction at the centre is on Thursday and 7,000-8,000 lots are traded in one day. Given the pace at which the commodity was sold on Saturday, one has to assume that it will take four-five days to buy the brew online.”

“The tea board, we feel, should sit with us and seek our feedback, understand the problems and arrange for further training for buyers so that the switchover to the online auction is smooth,” said Lochan.

As the buyers encountered frequent problems in logging in and purchasing tea, Ramesh and Banerjee had to face embarrassing moments in the auction hall.

Some buyers rose from the seats and asked for user IDs and passwords. Others complained that they could not participate in the auction because of lack of infrastructure. The minister and the tea board chairman sought to pacify the buyers by telling them that “it was a token process”.

At one point of time, Ramesh had to shout at a couple of people and ask them to sit down.

One buyer said Ramesh and Banerjee had not said anything on the fate of 15-20 employees who would be rendered redundant once the online auction was put in place completely.

“It seems from the way it was projected that the employees will not have much work left to do. The minister had said the auction centres would no longer be needed as people would soon be able to sit at homes and buy and sell brew. He even said the STAC could be developed into a multiplex,” he said.

Shravan Choudhury, the director of City Gold Tea, however, sounded a bit soft.

“It is a new method and problems are bound to occur initially. But I feel that consistent training and solving the problems encountered on Saturday would make the e-auction popular. Ultimately, all of us will have to shift to the new system,” he said.

The dissatisfaction among the buyers has left the STAC worried. “We understand the problems and we are trying to solve them through discussions and meetings,” said Gangadhar Nakipuria, the STAC chairman. “But we cannot confirm right now if the e-auction will be fully operational here by January 27 as the minister had said.”

Ramesh, irritated over the commotion, termed the protest an attempt aimed at derailing the new system.

“It was a move to sabotage the launch of the e-auction. We are determined to implement the system. If anyone tries to create any confusion or stays away, he will find himself lagging behind others in the trade,” said the minister.