Valeria Construction: Dig We Must

This pictorial post is targeted for my readers at Valeria, the home of Dickerson Pond. I had a chance this afternoon to walk around the property where our developer, AVR Home Builders, has started some actual construction supporting their approved plans to add one hundred and forty-seven additional homes to the existing eighty now located on the Valeria property. I am adding some editorial comment to the photos but have not done as much homework that I should to support all of my narrative. Please feel free to make comments to clarify or correct some of my assumptions used in this posting.

My first photo captures a rare breed of prospective buyers on safari in the first new construction area just east of the existing Sales Office. This photo was taken with a powerful lens at a great distance in order not to frighten away this rare breed of post market crash home buyer from the site.
Later on I took a picture of the site of proposed Building 15 just after the potential buyers passed the spot.

Building 15 overlooks the new catch basin/pond that is being constructed. This area was a habitat area for box turtles. These turtles were relocated to a fenced in area on the opposite side of Furnace Dock Road. The site was maintained by two certified vegetarian goats now living in retirement on a farm in Vermont.


The large mound of dirt created by these modern day behemoths will be trucked across to the existing "ash pit" off the west side of Sniffen Mountain Road.

I believe this area was a dumping area for the Valeria Home since the 1920's and deposits included ash from coal fired boilers. Here are some pictures of the ash pit area being prepared to be capped to seal the contents. I found evidence of bottles and broken pottery in the area. It appears it was a general garbage dump for the hotel.

This is a picture overlooking the fenced in relocated habitat for the migrant turtles.

This is roadside trash thrown from Furnace Dock Road into the area between the turtle habitat and the Valeria waste water treatment area.
Many Valeria residents have never visited the waste water treatment area. Here are some photos of this facility that has served the area since the 1920's. The big sandy areas are leech fields are the last stop for waste water before it flows into a tributary of Furnace Brook. The water coming out of the drain pipe looks very clean and the flow is fairly small.
These shots show the work being done to create our new garbage collection area which will be directly adjacent to the existing waste water treatment plant. The land will be leveled and a large fenced in concrete pad will be constructed that meets a new improved entrance road to the treatment plant and garbage collection area.

While walking back from this photo tour, I crossed the golf course. There in the middle the course was a coyote. Unfortunately I could get no closer than this.

Political Pornography

Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

pornography

1857, "description of prostitutes," from Fr. pornographie, from Gk. pornographos "(one) writing of prostitutes," from porne "prostitute," originally "bought, purchased" (with an original notion, probably of "female slave sold for prostitution;" related to pernanai "to sell," from PIE root per- "to traffic in, to sell," cf. L. pretium "price") + graphein "to write." Originally used of classical art and writing; application to modern examples began 1880s. Main modern meaning "salacious writing or pictures" represents a slight shift from the etymology, though classical depictions of prostitution usually had this quality. Pornographer is earliest form of the word, attested from 1850. Pornocracy (1860) is "the dominating influence of harlots," used specifically of the government of Rome during the first half of the 10th century by Theodora and her daughters.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

Although I can admit to being a subscriber and daily reader of the New York Times, I consider myself fortunate to have avoided an addiction to political pornography. Just as sexual pornographers use the underbelly of human sexuality with all of its innuendoes to flame the basest instincts that dwell within us for arousal and profit, so do the political pornographers reach for our phobias, prejudices and low self esteem for partisan aggrandizement and profit.

The workplace or playground for America's political pornographers is talk radio and cable news networks. Political pornographers have legal and widespread access to every nook and cranny of our country. They travel in our cars, talk to us while we eat our dinners, and they can reach us at work or school on our computers. They are the celebrities of the new millennium. Some earn over $40,000,000 per year and have been on the cover of the New York Time Magazine. The most noted political pornographers include: Bill O'Reilly, Al Franken, Sean Hannity, Alan Colmes, Jack Cafferty, Rush Limbaugh, Keith Olbermann, Laura Ingraham, Mark Levin, and Chris Matthews. They are liberals, conservatives, Democrats, and Republicans.

They command similar recognition and loyalty as did faith healers like AA Allen and Peter Popoff or snake oil salesmen. They tell their listeners and viewers what they want to hear. They are not bound by editorial review and story enhancement is fair game and part of the appeal in their message. Unverified stories are immediately aired and, if later found to be not true, a clarification may or may not follow at a later date. Some of their stories or diatribes make political attack ads seem as tame as Dr. Seuss stories.

Why isn't there a twelve step program targeted to help those who cannot stop listening or watching political pornography? Having talked to people about these shows I hear comments like:

"I can stop anytime."

"I only listen in my car when I cannot find any good music on the radio."

"I find it entertaining."

"I don't let these shows influence my political views."

"They are no different than the [New York Times] [The Post]."

These sound like cries for help to me.

Let me paraphrase the leading etymology quote for "pornography" and modify it for "political pornography".

Pondit Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source - Share This

political pornography

1857, "description of political prostitutes," from Fr. pornographie, from Gk. pornographos "(one) writing of prostitutes," from porne "prostitute," originally "bought, purchased" (with an original notion, probably of "partisan political opinions sold for prostitution;" related to pernanai "to sell," from PIE root per- "to traffic in, to sell," cf. L. pretium "price") + graphein "to write." Originally used of classical art and writing; application to modern broadcasting examples began 1980s. Main modern meaning "salacious writing or pictures" represents a slight shift from the etymology, though classical depictions of political prostitution usually had this quality. Pornographer is earliest form of the word, attested from 1850. Political pornocracy (1860) is "the dominating influence of political harlots," used specifically of the government of Rome during the first half of the 10th century by Theodora and her daughters. Modern examples are found on 77 Talk Radio and MSNBC.

Pondit Etymology Dictionary (apologies to Online Etymology Dictionary)