Storms, charity and Flag Day

The Thursday morning thunderstorm didn't so much as faze me. Advanced planning for The HCP's weekly press run left me in an unusually calm state – for a deadline morning.

(Those many newspaper journalists who've worked with me – never "for" me – over the past three calendar decades will understand. I'm not "calm" on deadline day.)

But I was this week.

The National Weather Service's severe thunderstorm warning notwithstanding, I was reasonably close enough to a state of nirvana that I completely missed the mid-morning storm.

Well, almost.

A co-worker brought me out of my momentary slumber by yelling something about John Hern's sidewalk sign shooting past 128 South High Street in what was now a Category 1 late-spring storm.

A few moments later, and in the midst of the storm, one of my favorite teachers (and bus drivers) from Whiteoak High School, Mr. Bob Blair, walked into the newspaper office.

Bob's grandson, Bright Elementary School second-grader (to be) Weston Blair, has raised approximately $500, mostly in pennies, as a way to help feed impoverished children in Haiti.

Bob thought the newspaper might be interested. We were.

Haiti ranks among the worst three countries in the world in daily caloric intake per person and 42 percent of Haitian children less than 5 years of age suffer from stunting of growth.

For a better understanding of Haiti, read "The Rainy Season," by Amy Wilentz; and, yes, Thursday's rainy morning brought "The Rainy Season" to mind. It's a good book.

While American tourists spend millions vacationing in the Dominican Republic, Haitian children are starving in its next-door neighbor. So what, eh?

Weston said his pennies will help buy milk and a "chicken leg a day" for many children in Haiti.

Weston brought the pennies – almost 35,000 total – to the Fifth Third Bank's coin-counting machine on Thursday morning. The pennies were in buckets, jugs, coffee cans and paper rolls. The coins and some cash donations brought the total amount raised to right at $500.

Weston's efforts will, no doubt, make a positive impact in Haiti.

For more on Haiti, go to the Mission of Hope Haiti website at: www.mohhaiti.org.

* * *

Later, Thursday, I had other, shall we say, less pleasant duties to attend.

As the owner of the only locally owned newspaper in Highland County, I can tell you this: Some days are less, er, "glamorous" than others.

True, we've had members of Congress use our humble restroom. We've had any number of good folks ask to use our restroom. Nothing wrong with that, whatsoever.

But someone is entrusted, week in and week out, to clean said restroom.

That "someone" is yours truly. (It's the only task for which no one ever criticizes me.)

Several years ago, in order to maintain local jobs, I opted to eliminate certain contractual services.

Among these services, were restroom cleanings and company vehicle oil changes for the former Brown Publishing Company. My efforts were duly recognized by Fred Gibson more than a decade ago when he presented a quart of Quaker State motor oil to me at a company banquet. I still have the photo with Clancy "I love money" Brown.

I used the motor oil.

But that was then.

My cost-saving measures over the years became habit-forming.

To this day, I still take out the trash and clean the toilets.

Which brings us to the relevant point of this observation.

• If you used ArmorAll to clean a toilet, might that make you a redneck?

At some point, we'll have to ask Jeff Foxworthy.

When I asked my wife, her first response was: "Wouldn't ArmorAll make a person slide right off the seat?"

Well, it might.

My task on this particular day was one of cleaning, not using.

Normally, we have any number of cleansers in our cabinet at the HCP. However, on this particular day, we had Windex and ArmorAll.

I chose ArmorAll.

And let me tell you, that stuff works.

Sure, Comet Cleanser and the TidyBowl stuff are great if you've got 'em in supply. If not, try a little ArmorAll. Just don't overdo it on the seat.

Accidents happen all by themselves. No need to aid and abet.

* * *

Lastly, lest we forget, today is Flag Day 2013.

Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the flag of the United States, dating back to 1777, a time when being an American actually meant something.

Today, sadly, it doesn't for far too many "Americans."

In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation that officially established June 14 as Flag Day.

Truth be told, that was the capstone of his administrative accomplishments.

Happy Flag Day, America.

Rory Ryan is publisher of The Highland County Press.