Life in a Small Town, part 3

[Blackhawk]

Those of you from Gone Gold may remember this series of mine about living in this small rural farming community, which is officially both the redneck and meth capital of Indiana. It is the town in which the local highschool has an official 'bring your tractor to school' day, and in which trucks and dogs outnumber humans 5-1.

Well, here in SULLIVAN, they decided to show some community pride by having a fountain built on the busiest intersection in town. It is a small, triangular affair with a water spout in the center and three frogs spitting water on the corners. The town name, SULLIVAN is carved into the side. The idea was, of course, to show the passerby the true quality of the community.

I think they succeeded.

[Mr. Fed]

Uh...it's meant to be ironic! Irony is very big in the rural midwest right now.

[The Meal]

~Neal

[Freezer-TPF-]

It's a subtle ploy to get more funding for public skools. Very clever, Sullivan!

[The Meal]

~Neal

[The Meal]

~Neal

[The Meal]

~Neal

[Mr. Fed]

~Neal

That's not a mistake. That's the day they vivisect cats and diagnose brain injuries based on hearing Bill O'Reilly describe the patient.

[Ralph-Wiggum]

Does this guy live in Sullivan?

[Eightball]

Tax money well spent!!!

[Bob]

That whole fountain sucks, but the backwards 'N' clinches it.

[Kraken]

Next time maybe your town council will hire one of those high-powered college boys to design the durned thing. Not that there's ever likely to be a next time.

[mori]

It is the town in which the local highschool has an official 'bring your tractor to school' day, and in which trucks and dogs outnumber humans 5-1.

You say that like it is a bad thing.

[Blackhawk]

I've written a few of these making fun of small town silliness, but there are upsides to small towns as well.

Last Friday a police officer from nearby Terre Haute got [ULR=http://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana-news ... 1160282395]killed[/URL] in the line of duty. The officer was from Sullivan, where I live, about 25 miles south of Terre Haute. The services were in Terre Haute, the funeral is here. The procession went down the main street in town, right in front of my house, then turned down the road to the cemetery, past the other side of my house.

Locals had gone out to pay their respects to a local. The road was lined with people all the way down the 3-4 mile length. This is a town that is two square miles and has less than 4,000 people. That is a huge, huge portion of the population, probably at least a third of the town. To me, that's pretty impressive.

Also impressive (but less on-topic) was the 600-car procession, the vast majority of which, probably 3/4, were law enforcement vehicles, and other than his own department, I didn't see more than two cars from the same department. They must have had a car from every city in the state, and quite a few from other states.

[Rip]

Yea, I was raised in a very much like that town.

Connersville about 160 miles to the east.

Close knit communities.


Hey, Mr. Fed posted in this thread. It should be made a community landmark!

[Blackhawk]

I've been to Connersville a number of times. I have family (in-laws, sort of) from there.

[Rip]

I've been to Connersville a number of times. I have family (in-laws, sort of) from there.

It is a good place to be from.

[Daehawk]

Im from a small town too. In many ways it sucks...nothing to do, everyone knows everyone, everyone knows your business hehe. But in times of hardship they can come together like none other.

[Isgrimnur]

When I was in Colorado, I stood out for the funeral procession of Colorado Springs Officer Matthew Tyner. I recorded video, but unfortunately, it was vertical. I know better, now.

Police Officer Matt Tyner was killed in a motorcycle crash while pursuing a speeding motorcycle on Austin Bluffs Parkway, at Silver Drive, shortly after 2:30 pm.

The motorcycle he was pursuing was traveling more than 120 mph in a 45 mph zone. Officer Tyner's motorcycle was traveling at approximately 100 mph when it collided with another vehicle that made a left turn in front of him.

[Rip]

https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/15/us/son-s ... index.html

Dakota Pitts really didn't want to show up to school alone.

It was his first day back to class since his police officer dad was killed in the line of duty.

So, Dakota asked his mom whether one of his dad's fellow police officers could escort him to Sullivan Elementary School in western Indiana.
He's unlikely to forget what he saw as he walked up to the school building Monday.

Some 70 police officers showed up, standing in support as he walked in -- wearing a yellow backpack and his dad's police badge around the neck.
The officers weren't just from Terre Haute, where Dakota's dad Rob Pitts was an officer.

They came from other departments as well.

"Welcome back to school, bud," one of them greeted him.

[Blackhawk]

As much as I despise that school, that's pretty awesome.

[Blackhawk]

Been a while since I've done one of these. I went to the town's regular grocery store today.

Spoiler:

Sigh.

[Paingod]

That's not even a speeling error. That's stepping back and saying "Autocorrect take the wheel"

[Blackhawk]

I had a Spanish smoothie last night.

[hepcat]

Was that a euphemism?

[Blackhawk]

I just bought what they were selling.

[Paingod]

I just bought what they were selling.

[Isgrimnur]

That movie was so horrible.