Frank writes:
>No kidding, it sucks! Ask Pete Taran, he was stationed here. In a rating of
>the 300 largest cites in the country (for quality of life) Anniston is rated
>297th. We have the highest high school dropout rate in the state (46%). Last
>year the state instituted a rule that kids had to have at least a C in all
>subjects to be elgible to play sports. 69% of the Anniston kids were no longer
>elgible to play. The cherry on top is we are a chemical weopons storage
>center. Sounds great! Come on down! Why??, you may say,why does he stay down
>there!! Because I could not afford to move 40 years worth of Rust!
>Ok, I will shut up about Anniston.
I would concur with this analysis. In the one year that I lived there, I
wondered constantly why anyone would stay there that didn't have to. My
favorite Anniston experience was the verbal, unsolicited abuse that I got
at the local joint that passed as an antique mall. I was buying a forge
blower made up north in Lancaster, PA (home state). It was in great shape,
despite the fact that virtually all tools down there are covered with rust,
this one even had some of the original paint left.
So, I was wrestling this thing to the counter, when I heard one of the
locals sound off with, "Look at that damn Yankee with that blower, I bet he
doesn't know what it even is used for." I replied, with some snide remark
about how it would go great with my anvil, swage block, and the rest of my
blacksmithing stuff. He hurled some more abuse about how the South would
rise again, yada, yada. I think I parted with the final jab, one that
proved prophetic, that the "Damn Yankees" would be laughing when they
closed Ft McClellan, and 60% of the local economy went further South.
Too bad I didn't know Frank then, perhaps we could have got together and
talked tools. Apologies to those that make Anniston their home voluntarily.
Pete Taran
Just say, the guy who stole his PC probably shot out the monitor to use the
empty box for a bookshelf, etc.
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Pete Taran
2493 Foust Hill Road
Hughesville, PA 17737-8325
(717) 584-6440 Voice
(717) 584-6439 Fax
Proprietor of Independence Tool, maker of high quality backsaws for the
hobbyist and professional.
Check out our webpage at http://www.intool.com
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