Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 31, 1992 TAG: 9203310144
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-2 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: Greg Edwards
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
I was anxious because the editors of this highly esteemed publication had been expecting my efforts on Thursday. Nothing like busting a deadline by three days to energize the aging guilt glands.
Now, I heard that self-righteous snickering a while ago when I mentioned I was creating this masterwork from a semi-prone position in the old oak bedstead. But consider that Mark Twain, a.k.a. Samuel Clemens, did some of his best mind work propped up in bed in his Hartford, Conn., home. Old Sam lay with his head at the foot of his European bed so he could admire the ornate carving on the head board.
Well, in hopes that Mr. Twain's technique might work for me and slightly woozy from the growing anxiety attack, I took to my bed. Despite the fact that I had elevated my feet with a pillow, the ideas did not flow to my noggin as I had hoped.
I gave the briefest of thought to writing about the high drama of the Montgomery County budget battle, featuring two of the county's favorite tag teams: the School Board and the Board of Supervisors with School Superintendent Harold Dodge in the role of the Masked Marvel. I quickly gave up on that idea as being overdone.
Growing desperate, I thought 9th District politics might be the ticket (pun intended). I would write about the three Republicans, Gary, George and Lew, eye-gouging and face-slapping their way to a nominating convention in Wytheville. That's while Rick (what is it about politicians and nicknames) watches from the perspective of Fantasyland on the Potomac with maybe less concern for the three GOP amigos than is prudent.
But why write about politics when more interesting topics, like the federal tax code, are waiting to be dissected.
By now anxiety was turning to panic. The night was wearing on and the topic for this Reporter's Notebook was still as slippery as a spring lizard on the first day of trout season.
But just as all seemed lost and the thought of facing the editors empty-handed Monday morning was turning my stomach into an unbalanced washing machine on the spin cycle, an old friend stepped in to save the day.
It was public radio, whispering on the bedside table. Weekend host Jon Ratner of WVTF-FM was chatting up folksinger Elizabeth McCommon. "Ah ha," I thought, "here's something I want to write about."
I listen to "Morning Edition" when I commute between Roanoke and Christiansburg in the mornings and "All Things Considered" on my way home at night. And at night when I don't have to worry about deadlines I sometimes tune in for jazz.
The station is having another one of its semi-annual fund drives, an episode of public begging that I'm sure each of the station's professionals must hate. But because the Virginia Tech Foundation's station carries no advertising, it depends on listener contributions to stay on the air, and with declining state and federal support listener money is more important than ever.
Sunday night's broadcast reminded me that I've not made a contribution yet this spring. But I'll be calling the station soon with my pledge, modest though it may be. And, if you are a WVTF fan, I hope you'll be calling soon, too.
Greg Edwards covers Montgomery County schools and government for the New River Valley bureau.
by CNB