| Small
Town in Heart Only |
| The Washington Post recently painted an idyllic,
unrealistic picture of Herndon, saying that despite traffic
and suburban sprawl, "Herndon retains some of its small-town
character." |
| The story forgot to mention Jonquil Lane, Townes at Herndon
Center, the subdivision of larger land parcels and the gathering
storm of even more development that will forever change the
face of Herndon. |
| After a trip to the grocery store last Friday night, my
wife, Betsy, and I decided to take a look at the new retail
center on Grant Street. The small strip center, better known
as the "Pepto Bismol" building because of its pink
brick exterior, is located a half-block off Elden Street across
Grant Street from Burger King. |
| Two or three new businesses now occupy some of the space
in the building. One of them, a store advertising in bright
neon lights (how did the town ever approve that one?) check
cashing, loans, phone cards, money orders and other services,
also warns customers in white lettering on the door: |
No
Smoking
|
No
Pets
|
No
Loaded Weapons
|
| So much for small-town character, unless you're talking
about a tumbleweed town in Texas or a dusty mining camp in
Colorado. Should weapons, empty or loaded, ever be allowed
in our stores? |
| Like Barney Fife of "Mayberry RFD" fame, keep
your bullet in your right pocket and your pistol in your left.
|
| The "no loaded weapons" admonition is a sign of
our times, albeit a sad and troubling one. When did we go
from "no apple stealing" to "no loaded weapons?"
From "no shoes, no shirt, no service," to "no
loaded weapons?" From "do not block the drive"
to "no loaded weapons?" From "drive slowly,
school zone" to "no loaded weapons?" |
| Herndon has changed its character over the last few years.
It has become the crossroads between Loudoun and Fairfax counties.
It has been swept up and away by the technology boom and bust
and by the layoffs of such giants as WorldCom, PsiNet, AOL,
and many dot-com companies. |
| There are no cows left in Herndon and the train doesn't
stop here to pick up the milk anymore. |
| Even Herndon Mayor Rick Thoesen, speaking at a downtown
gathering last week, said Herndon is the "front door
to Fairfax County," and we open that "front door"
to everyone who wants to enter. |
| It's a new world we live in--not necessarily a "Brave
New World"--and we have it all right here in the Town
of Herndon. That's the same town that the Post says still
"retains some of its small-town character." |
| What's left is going fast, but the character of any town
is based not on buildings, economy or roads, but rather on
the hearts and souls of the people who live there. |
| Herndon still has plenty of that. |
| Wanted:
WhitePlastic Mail Tubs |
| The U.S. Postal Service has issued an all-points bulletin
for its popular white, plastic postal mail tubs. It seems
most of them have been stolen. |
| The white tubs, which are used by the USPS and its customers
to transport large quantities of mail, including heavy and
odd-sized pieces such as magazines, newspapers and catalogs,
are so popular with the public that they are rarely returned
to the post office. |
| The long-lasting, lightweight, sturdy tubs end up being
used for storage bins in offices, garages, basements and kitchen
pantries. |
| But there's a problem: They belong to the USPS. The agency
reported in a press release this week that, "The USPS
is experiencing a nationwide shortage of these mail tubs,
which cost about $3.25 each. The tubs are in heavy demand
this time of year when holiday mailings increase." |
| The USPS said it purchased 20 million of the tubs in the
past two years, but the current inventory nationwide is less
than 20,000. |
| That means that 19,980,000 plastic postal mail tubs are
missing. Stolen. In your basement, perhaps? |
| The USPS is pleading with the public who are using the tubs
for non-postal purposes to return them (no questions asked)
to the post office, place them at their mail boxes or call
the USPS for pickup. |
| Could this be another revenue source for the financially
beleaguered USPS? Maybe it could sell the tubs for $5 each,
making a tidy profit of $1.75 each. |
| And that's Our Town this week. |
