As they say in baseball – ‘round the horn – meaning in column-writing terms, a series of short opinions.

Beware of the bumps

Working in Ahoskie means traveling on the streets of the Roanoke-Chowan area’s largest town. Covering the town’s municipal government meetings also gives me some insight on how the local leaders address certain issues.

At their July meeting, Town Manager Tony Hammond gave a report regarding the condition of the city streets. Those of us who travel these roads on a regular basis will be the first to attest to their deteriorating condition.

Hammond and the town’s leaders are aware of that fact, but pointed out those repairs are costly. Hammond said if the town chose to fix all the streets at one time, it would come with a $1.84 million price tag.

I, along with most everyone, am fairly sure that the town cannot afford that “fix all” scenario. Rather, they should start with the worst streets and worked their way down a list. And this effort should not be a patch, but rather making a significant investment to fix the problem areas to last for at least 10 years.

Please start with Hayes Street….especially those couple of blocks at and near the railroad crossing. Honestly, the farm path behind my house is in better shape than Hayes Street.

Compassionate plea

My hat is off, and my heart goes out, to Shelia Moses and Lola Robinson. They wake up each and every morning to the thought of perhaps this will be the day their loved ones will be found.

I attended the prayer vigil for Daniel McCoy Moses (Shelia’s brother) and Shawn Cornelius Alston (Robinson’s son) on Saturday in Jackson. Nobody has seen Daniel since June 16, 2011; Shawn vanished on Oct. 18, 2012.

I can’t imagine what it would be like if a member of my family disappeared into thin air. Are they still alive; who is responsible for their disappearance; what is law enforcement doing to bring closure to this case….they are the questions that families of the missing deal with each and every day. You can’t get on with your life without having answers to these questions.

These two local cases prompt another question….has local law enforcement sought out other resources to help find Daniel and Shawn? I’m not talking about using the SBI or the FBI, but rather tapping into individuals and groups that specialize in locating the missing. Some employ the use of highly-trained dogs that can locate cadavers or even pick-up old blood trails.

And what about getting the national media involved. It seems that night-after-night on TV there’s a program dealing with a missing person, showing the resources used to find them. If nothing else, at least the photos of Daniel and Shawn will be posted for all to see….perhaps somebody will come forward with information after seeing their faces.

The 4-wheeler man

That’s the nickname Paul Nowell stuck on Chris Buffaloe when he first saw the then 12-year-old answering emergency calls in Conway while operating an ATV.

Fourteen years later, the kid on the 4-wheeler is one of the most respected men in NorthamptonCounty, not to mention within the statewide circles of emergency response.

Last week, Buffaloe was awarded the William F. “Bill” Osborne Outstanding Chief Award. That honor is bestowed annually by the North Carolina Association of Rescue and Emergency Medical Services, an organization that includes Nowell (Northampton’s EMS Supervisor) on its Board of Directors.

While Chris definitely deserves the statewide honor for the compassion he shows to those in need, I believe the effort he put in to saving the Conway-Severn Rescue Squad is of more importance. It was just a few years ago that this organization, which serves my neck of the woods in Northampton County, had one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel. Chris, with his youthful vigor, took over that squad and gave it new life. We’re all better off for his efforts.

Thanks, Chris, for your dedication. Bigger and better things are coming your way.

Cal Bryant is Editor of Roanoke-Chowan Publications. He can be contacted at cal.bryant@r-cnews.com or 252-332-7207.