Town Council candidate lists ideas for improving Buchanan
My name is Daniel Bratcher. I am excited and proud to be running for Buchanan Town Council this November. I love the friendliness of the town, the recreational opportunities the area offers and the festivals the town sponsors throughout the year.
Since making my home in Buchanan over three years ago, I’ve volunteered in the Buchanan Carnival and Reggae by the River Festival yearly, am a member of the Buchanan Lions Club and Town Improvement Society, been a Buchanan Triathlon volunteer, chair of the Buchanan Trail Committee and served on the Steering Committee for Recreational Economy for Rural Communities (RERC). I volunteer for my church and community whenever possible. I firmly believe in positively supporting my community.
My wife, Susan, and I also have a small local business located within the local antique store.
There is so much to love about living in Buchanan – kind-hearted, good people, beautiful countryside, relaxing atmosphere, wonderful mountain landscapes, the James River, abundant trails to hike and ample outdoor opportunities. I am blessed to live in in such a wonderful community!
I am running a positive campaign that displays integrity, honesty and respect in all my interactions.
If elected to Town Council, I want to place our community first through the following:
- Listen openly to the concerns of our community members
- Preserve the character of our town
- Protect local property rights and values through existing zoning enforcement
- Promote tourism as an economic resource for town prosperity
- Increase visibility in Town Hall and provide greater service to residents
- Work with vacant commercial property owners to attract businesses
- Work to create a complete town; farmers market, full-service grocery, pharmacy, etc.
- Improve quality of life by creating new parks, trails and recreation options
It will be a privilege to serve my community as a member of the Buchanan Town Council. I hope the people of Buchanan will find value in my ideas and vote for me in November so that we can work together to make Buchanan a better place to live, work and play!
Daniel Bratcher
Buchanan
In defense of books Sen. Head wants removed from library
At the August meeting of the Botetourt County Board of Supervisors, State Senator Chris Head challenged two books in our county library, saying they should be removed (The Roanoke Times, 8/27/24). His staff later told me the two books in question were “You Know, Sex” by Silverberg and Smyth, and “Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World” by Prager. Prompted by Senator Head’s challenge, I’ve read both books in their entirety, and I feel compelled to respond.
He claimed one book (presumably “You Know, Sex”) showed a cartoon assortment of boys and girls, all in the nude, while discussing menstruation. The closest I could find was a group of females, all clothed, having such a discussion. Furthermore, he is reported to have claimed the same book advises children to watch pornography to learn about their sexuality.
While the book acknowledges that pornography exists, the book, if anything, is steering youth away from pornography, based on these quotes from pages 360-364: “Porn is made for adults…as a fantasy.” “Porn is not meant to teach us anything. What we learn can be inaccurate and confusing.” “It’s not made for young people and not made to teach…it doesn’t help us think through our confusion.” Also in the same section, the authors even warn of possible addiction.
Head called the other book “blatant revisionist history.” In this book, the author has descriptions of 23 individuals, and for each the author cites something about the person that highlights their contribution to the world, in addition to providing information which indicates or substantiates that the person was also in the LGBTQ community. The author does not appear to have just created speculation about the 23, as she included multiple source references regarding each person. I suggest this is not so much revisionist history, as it is an expansion of history.
We have youth in our community for whom such books are critical. It might be an individual lacking a trusted adult to ask questions about sex, or it might be one fighting the stigma and loneliness of being gay and needing some examples to live up to. It is for such reasons that the Botetourt County Library provides its services to accommodate ALL the county’s residents, and not just a minority who are vocal.
Michael Parish
Troutville
