Sunday, May 31, 2009
Ernie Wade for president
New River Forum
I have never met Christiansburg Town Councilman Ernie Wade, but after reading the May 21 article about the town budget ("Council OKs budget, new bus service"), I came away with the impression that he is a responsible, sensible, realistic representative. He's not just "No, no we can't afford that; no new taxes!" but has a position grounded in knowledge and realism.
Wondering who this guy is, I found his page on the official Christiansburg Web site, read his bio and clearly understood why he made sense. With his background and experience, he clearly can make valued decisions with the greater good firmly grounded therein.
Agree or disagree, but folks like Wade could actually change the face of politics.
Thank you, sir, for being willing to take the heat, time and effort to lead, especially in this critical time.
Would you like to be president?
Don't just compost broccoli stems
The article in the May 24 Current about Virginia Tech's green efforts ("More & less") had a photo of tubs of broccoli stems at Southgate Food Center that are headed for the compost heap. Compost is just fine, but maybe it would be worthwhile to point out that broccoli stems are sold in a local major grocer's produce section mixed with carrot slivers. It's ready to use to make salad, cleaned, sliced, bagged and labeled "Broccoli Slaw" and priced at about $3 for 10 ounces.
Broccoli stems are sweet, delicious and nutritious. They are used in many types of cooking, including local Chinese restaurants' fare.
The Internet is a great source for information and recipes for broccoli stems.
Maybe Virginia Tech's greener future could include slightly altering old dietary habits, thereby reducing costly food waste. It seems possibly a little silly to ship broccoli from California (or wherever) and then to compost a large percentage of it.
