Have you found one of the painted rocks hidden around Van Etten or Spencer? I haven’t yet, but I keep looking! If you find one, turn it over and see where the painter wants you to post it.
Most rock painters are members of a rock Facebook page near their home. They look forward to seeing who finds their rock and where it may be hidden next. This is a nationwide pastime, painting and hiding rocks, so if you want to get in on the fun, start walking and looking down for a colorful rock. Kids particularly like to find them and post pictures of themselves with their rock. Go to the Tioga County Rocks Facebook page to see some great examples of rocks and happy finders.
I first learned of this rock-painting activity when I sat next to a family waiting for the Spencer Picnic parade to begin. I noticed a large group of colorful rocks in the back of the car and asked them about it. The kids had been hard at work all summer painting and hiding rocks. This latest supply was soon going to be hidden, too.
I’ve been looking ever since, to no avail, but from what I’ve heard, lots of other people have found painted rocks, including several at the Spencer Library in the planter outside the entrance door.
If you’d like to join in, it’s easy. Just paint a rock (acrylic paints work best, according to “how to paint a rock” websites), join a rock Facebook page, write the name of your Facebook page on the back of the rock, then hide it. If someone finds it, the etiquette is to take a picture, post it to the Facebook page, and then hide it again. If it’s so special you want to keep it, then you’re supposed to paint another rock to hide in its place. If you are taking the rock to a new location, many rock-finders note that, too, when they post. Some rocks have migrated over many states.
If you’re not sure how to paint a rock, clear directions are online and you do not need great talent. All ages are painting rocks, so yours does not have to be a work of art. The Spencer-Van Etten High School students all painted rocks one day during a 20-minute advisory period. These are currently not hiddenbut on full display outside the auditorium entrance to the high school. They make a bright and colorful welcome to the building.
Reed town hall
I made myself get up and go to U.S. Rep. Tom Reed’s town hall meeting in Candor on Saturday. I was hesitant, because the last one close by was a shouting match, from all reports. I was not going to stay if the loudest, angriest ones shouted down those they disagreed with.
I will say I was very pleased that there was very little shouting and a great deal of respect shown. Nonetheless, there was also a fair amount of passion expressed over the issues of health care, tax reform, nuclear weaponsand gun control.
I learned something surprising about New York city salaries. Around here, a $250,000 salary is considered quite well off and way above the average or the mean salary in Mr. Reed’s district. I knew that $100,000 was what someone in New York City needs to be able to live a fairly middle class life, given the cost of living there. What I didn’t know is that $250,000 is what a teacher or firefighter in New York City makes, according to Reed. He referred several times to them as the “hardworking, ordinary” people he believes tax reform needs to protect. No wonder we fight about what the upper limit of tax breaks for the middle class should be. What’s rich to us is middle class to those downstate. Does that make most of us up here not middle class anymore? I wonder.
Near the end, a woman identified herself as a psychologist and urged Mr. Reed to invest more money in mental health services as a part of deterring gun violence. She also stressed two other things: People with mental health problems are much more likely to be the victim of gun violence than the perpetrator,andthe very tiny percentage of persons who are mass shooters do not respond to preventive mental health treatment.
A special-education teacher strongly urged more spending on social workers in schools. She explained that children who are dysfunctional and acting out are not always “sick.” Instead, they are responding rationally to the irrational “abuse, violence, sexualization and isolation” in our culture and in their particular family. All in all, it was an interesting hour.
S-VEgrad at Vegas shooting
S-VE can be proud of one of its 2005 graduates, Adam Whitmarsh. Adam was one of the off-duty troopers at the Las Vegas Jason Aldean concert on Oct. 1.
This video shows him talking about his active response when the shooting started:lasvegasnow.com/news/video/offduty-troopers-speak-about-plan-to-save-lives_20171010011553/831603264
Coming up
- The Van Etten Library is painting pumpkins on Wednesdays in October. From 3:15 to 4:15 p.m. Wednesday, Lego Builders Challenge Club will have its first meeting. A light after-school snack will be provided. Tablet Talk resumes from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. next Monday.
- Community Fire and Rescue will teach a free CPR class from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 28 at Inspire.Spaces are limited, so call 607-589-7688 or email info@inspiresve.org to reserve your spot.
- The Halsey Valley Fire Department will have its annual fall pancake supper from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Nov. 4.This is one of the best around. It’s all you can eat with sausage, eggs, beverages and homemade doughnuts — for a goodwill donation.
The monarch butterflies have joined the dozens of bees enjoying the nectar of my pink mums. They’re fun to watch. The leaves around my house continue to look drab.
Spencer-Van Etten Town Talk appears every Tuesday. Submit items to Sally Marx at P.O. Box 723, Spencer, NY 14883, 589-6311, or SMarx25@htva.net.
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