At Christiansburg council meetings, the final agenda item is typically the town manager's Progress Report. It is never clear what information will be provided as the topics are not included and so to some may seem to be off the cuff remarks.
During the Nov. 2 meeting, the manager was complimented for new updates being provided by him to council members. This may help address a perception that information council needs hasn't always been accurate, complete, timely or inclusive (with some hearing one thing, another being told something else and yet another kept entirely out of the communication loop).
The manager stated it was his goal to have all of these reports from department heads available in an electronic format in the near future, but was then asked "Where's this new Mt. Woody you're talking about?"
The manager explained he was making a reference to "a newspaper article published some time ago" about a large mound of topsoil. He said he was talking about a large new dirt pile which had appeared across the street from his office (besmirching the view), and the result of an active construction project for the new courthouse. Since council's meeting Nov. 2, the new mound disappeared, while the one behind the earlier brouhaha remains in place.
Readers can decide for themselves if this was simply the use of a colloquialism, a humorous means of conveying news, or perhaps a gentle stirring of the pot immediately before another election -- remembering what turned out to be a failed lawsuit had legal papers served to defendants immediately before the town's last elections, with several of those named supportive of a referendum to move the vote in Christiansburg (set to appear on the ballot the very next day). If anyone is a proponent of conspiracy theories, they might also possibly perceive this as a form of intimidation -- yet maybe it was just a tactless remark made off the cuff.