Alva Review-Courier -

Sunday, May 1, my brother Jeff is officially retired from BJCC (Bill Johnson Correctional Facility). He started at JCCC (James Crabtree Correctional Center) in Helena and transferred to Alva in just a little bit. What I remember most was when he had the gardens at the prison. They furnished vegetables for not only themselves, but to other places. I don't remember how many years it ran, but the brains somewhere thought it was not cost effective, so the program was killed. Perish the thought that it gave men with low esteem a sense of pride. Congratulations brother. I will call next week with my list of things you can help me with.

Monday, May 2, at 11:30 a.m. is the grand opening of Scribner Mercantile at the corner of 7th and Flynn in Alva. He has lots of cool things, not just clothes. You all come, Ya hear?

A large local store is guilty of a scam of sorts. At the milk display one side says $4 and right beside it is the same milk for $4.14. The first time I got charged the higher price for my milk, I asked the checker, and she did not know. I asked someone back at the cooler, and he said it was the higher price, even when it said 14 cents cheaper beside it. If it is not fixed by my next milk run, I will be getting $4 milk even if the manager has to come to the checkout and correct it. On a related subject, it would behoove all grocery shoppers to either add up as purchased or look at the ticket before leaving. The mistakes abound, and it is usually not the cashier's fault.

The new apartments across from Taco Village are ready for renters. The managers put the prices and restrictions on Facebook and started a firestorm. People were really stirred up about the prices. The first thing is the owners know how much they need to get for a return on their investment. I don't think these apartments were ever planned to be low-income housing.

Occasionally, someone will ask a price of metals I buy after having checked on up the food chain for what they can get 100 miles away. I know what I need to make to maintain a profit, and stay in business, so I just tell them go where the big money is and no hard feelings. Every once in a while, someone will tell me about how the quoted price was not what they got and wished they had sold locally. Live and learn. I digress, sorry.

While I agree the prices seem high for Alva if you are working for wages, someone with an "educated job" paycheck will be able to afford the rent. As to college students, I don't know what dorm costs are, but if I had a child going to NWOSU that was going to live off campus, a new apartment complex, two blocks from the campus, walking distance of downtown Alva, and several eating joints would make the price less serious. Also, if you get the three-bedroom apartment and share with two friends, the rent is $550 a month each. The people making the rules for the apartments must be part of the "Morality Police." They only allow one person per bedroom. So much for the wife moving with me.

I now know Cleo's favorite allergy song: "Blowin’ in the Wind," by Peter, Pollen, and Mary.

I found another really important reason to buckle up. It makes it harder for the aliens to suck you out of your car.

Let's all be safe out there, pray for rain, and God bless.