Martinsville Bulletin, Inc.
P. O. Box 3711
204 Broad Street
Martinsville, Virginia 24115
276-638-8801
Toll Free: 800-234-6575
The Stroller
Monday, July 16, 2012
SUNDAY’S WORDS were silly season (SIL-ee-SEE-zun). It means a period (often late summer) when the mass media often focus on trivial or frivolous matters for lack of major news stories; a period marked by frivolous, outlandish or illogical activity or behavior. “As a news junkie, Christa is always annoyed when the silly season settles on the newsroom of the local paper, and the front page is dominated by pictures of dogs and soft stories about summer apparel.” (Source: Merriam-Webster)
MONDAY’S WORD is convoke (kun-VOHK). “As announced at the end of the week, an extraordinary general shareholder meeting will be convoked on the initiative of the company’s board on 24 May 2012 …. ” — From an article by Ukio Bankas in Emerging Markets Brokers Reports, May 8, 2012.
Area residents can help Gateway Streetscape Foundation and Lowe’s Heroes plant 56 uptown pots with dwarf trees and perennial flowers at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday. Participants will meet at the Big Chair on Church Street. A planting demonstration will be held in front of the former Globman’s building. Children are welcome, and the first 120 children will receive free gardening gloves and a “how-to-plant” guide. Water and snacks will be provided. Call Gateway at 634-4674 to sign up or get more information.
In response to frequently asked questions to Appalachian Power Co. about service, a release was sent out by APCo with the following information:
Q: How does Appalachian Power decide which customers to restore first?
A: “Appalachian Power works to restore power using the swiftest and most humane schedule possible. As a result, efforts are staged so that power will initially be restored to hospitals, emergency response agencies, other public utilities and public shelters. With critical infrastructure restored, the company then targets its efforts toward the largest outages.”
Q: Why can’t I talk directly with a customer service representative?
A: “During major outages, it is unlikely that you will speak directly with a customer service representative, due to the high volume of calls associated with a major outage. However, telephone technology will allow you to leave information about your outage. In addition, communications systems give priority to outage calls dealing with safety concerns — such as downed power lines so that they receive service as quickly as possible.”
Q: Why would Appalachian power trucks pass by my house without repairing anything?
A: “This can happen because work needs to be done at a nearby location before (your) service can be restored.”
Q: Why can’t an agent tell me when my power will be restored?
A: “It is impossible to accurately predict restoration of specific circuits serving particular residences because of the many challenges that restoration workers face. Appalachian Power provides updates approximately twice a day on AppalachianPower.com and to local news media so that they can report the status of the overall restoration effort.”
The humorous stories/jokes in the Stroller are enjoyed by many for the same reason Steven M. Sultanoff, Ph.D., cited in an article in AARP magazine. He said: “My belief is that we are going to eventually discover that the most dramatic health benefits of humor are not in laughter, but in the cognitive and emotional management that humorous experiences provide. The experience of humor relieves emotional distress and assists in changing negative thinking patterns.”
Remember to include a phone number with your letter to the editor. No letter will be published until it is verified.
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