Bailey's Community Center, Bailey's Crossroads, VA news will be reported on a special dedicated website.

In the future, news pertaining to the Bailey's Community Center and the Bailey's Crossroads community will be reported on a dedicated website for community news.  This website is made possible, in part, by a special community grant.
See my latest post, with pictures,  at the Website listed below. It may surprise you.

The website is, http://www.bxrcc.blogspot.com/

Baby Due: Child born one minute before midnight on December 31, 2015 can make a difference of $5,000 in tax refund

Article 12 Volume 1                                       Updated and re-published: December 31, 2015

The Baby is Almost Here!

A father's plea:  Doc can our baby be delivered at 11:59 p.m. on December 3l, 2015 instead of 12:01 a. m. on January 1, 2016?  You may ask what difference does it makes? Well, if the baby is born in 2016 you may get the baby and your picture in the local newspaper.  The baby may be recognized as the first born in the region for the new year and the parents receive a bouquet of flowers.

However, this is the flip side, if the baby is born in 2015, before midnight, and the parent or married couple income is at a certain level, the family may qualify for the following: (1) an additional dependent (2) $1,000 child tax credit ( credit is cash, not a deduction), and (3) possibly an additional $3,000 in earned income credit (real money).  Then, when the State taxes savings are factored in, the parent(s) could possibly be receiving even more in tax savings.

(This report continues below in Article III, Volume 1 or google, baby due soon.All in All.grady bryant ) Do not use .com

Last year several parents from all over the country were happy to receive this news before their child was born.

Santa Clause Did a Flyover of my House on Christmas Eve. I Almost Cried a Tear

Article XI, Volume 1

Santa Flew Over My House

I'm going to share a  story about my experience, many years ago, with Santa Claus.

 Every year at Christmastime, several of my friends and myself would go downtown to a local department store and tell Santa what we wanted for Christmas.  He would give us a big laugh and promise to deliver on Christmas Eve. 

On the night before Christmas, me and my four Siblings would stay awake - virtually all night - waiting for Santa to come.We would jump up if we heard a car passing by or an airplane flying overhead.  My brother Jeff jumped up one freezing cold Christmas Eve night, about 2 a.m. and ran outdoors barefooted , because he thought he glanced Santa landing in the yard.  It turned out to be a deer, walking through the yard.  So, we all went back to bed. About an hour later, my sister, Shirley ran on the porch because she heard a noise. We looked in the sky and saw a helicopter flying over our yard.  We assumed it was Santa and he was using the helicopter because he had too many toys for his sled.

So, all of us went back to bed, feeling assured that Santa was in the neighborhood, and shortly, he would be stopping at our house. We made sure the fire was out in the fireplace.

Before we went to sleep, we heard the sound of an airplane flying over - we did not get up this time - because we felt that Santa was in the neighborhood and on his way. I surmised, the noise was his backup sled or helicopter because he had a lot of toys to deliver.

When 7 a.m. came, we all jumped out of  bed (from separate rooms) and ran to the Christmas tree to get our presents.  Sure enough there was a gift for all of us, but the gifts were a far cry from what Santa had promised to bring.

My youngest sister, Audrey, had been anxiously awaiting two years for Santa to bring her a colored barbie doll. (This was before they started making black dolls readily available). She got a doll but it was a far cry from a barbie doll.  She was disappointed.

I got my usual, single shot, cap pistol, an apple, orange, nuts and candy.  All of us got something, but that something was not what Santa had promised to bring.

I stepped outside, and saw one of my friends,-who was an only child in his family - coming toward me, dressed in a full cowboy outfit, with two automatic six shooter cap guns and holsters. He was really decked out.  My friend invited me to his house.  His front room was loaded with toys.  All I could say was, "Wow, Santa left you more than he delivered for me and my four siblings combined!"

(Continued at http://www.esh60.blogspot.com/.

Copyright 2011 Grady E. Bryant, Sr. All Rights Reserved

BCS National Championship Game 2012 Cannot Be a Real Championship Game

Article X, Vol 1
  
 BCS Football National Champion Selection process is flawed and open to corruption

The forthcoming BCS game between Louisana State University (LSU)  and Alabama should not be called a national championship game.  There is no logical trend  that can elevate this game to championship status. To me, it is a mean less game, that will not prove anything if Alabama wins.
Let's look at the facts. LSU has already beaten Alabama (Tide) in the division when it really counted. So, if bama wins, they will be tied at one game each.  Therefore, to determine which team is better than the other, you would need a third game. A third game would determine which team is better between the two, but it would not decide which team is the best in the land.
If they played a third game and LSU won, they would have a one game loss, like four other teams. If bama wins, they will still have a one loss season just like all the other one loss teams.
Plus, how can you call bama National Champions when they did not win their division or conference championship?
If a team that finished second in the division of a conference can be crowned national champion, then why even bother to have all these conference championships labeled as a potential step to the championship game?
The BCS selection system is messed up so much, in my opinion, possibly corrupt,and filled with the opportunity for voters to vote in a manner that will bring millions of dollars to their conference.
For example, why would a coach in the SEC cast a vote for Oklahoma State over Alabama if it has the potential to cost his conference millions of dollars in bowl money?
This year the voting was so close, it probably only took two coaches to vote bama as number two (2) to secure assurance that the SEC would get the two top teams in the ranking.  Thus, the SEC will receive the first and second place money.
In conclusion, regardless of how you look at it, there is no logical way the BCS Championship game 2012 can be a real championship game. They can call it whatever they want to, but they cannot make it a reality.
I'll consider the Oklahoma State game against their opponent as the BCS Championship Game for 2012.  After all, since there is no real playoff system, isn't the truth in the mind of the beholder?

             Copyright 2011.Grady E. Bryant.All Rights Reserved

Bailey's Community Center:Don't Bother Them About Youths Participating in Basketball Leagues! They Don't Appear,in my Opinion, to Have the Will To Make It Happen.

Article 9, Volume 1
                                                             Youth Basketball

The powers that be at Bailey's Community Center (BCC)  in Bailey's Crossroads, Va are not, in my opinion, willing to put forth the necessary effort to ensure that children in the Bailey's Crossroads community have an opportunity to participate in the Fairfax County Youth Basketball League (FCYBL) or any other basketball leagues for youths. This situation is sad when you consider the FCYBL is funded, in part, by the county and more than 75,000 youths in the county and surrounding jurisdictions participate.

 Each year I receive about 40 to 50 calls from parents and students about youth basketball. If I refer them to the BCC there is nobody there who can give them an adequate answer. Oh, they may invite them to come in and sign up, but after they sign up, the follow-up action by BCC is unacceptable.

Also, once a child signs up for a team at Bailey's, he or she get the impression that Bailey's is going to have a team, so they don't pursue signing up with another organization. Then, when they find out that BCC is not going to have a team it is too late to join another club.

This year, the pattern continued, except no real effort was made to organize any teams. According to my calculation, and the sign-up sheet that was posted, at least 40 children signed up or expressed an interest in playing.  Again, this year I was told that they are not good enough to have teams.

The powers in place are willing to tease the children every year about organizing teams for the league, but then before the time for league registration they will come up with some lame excuse as to why it cannot be done.
Then the children are told that can sign up for house league because they do not think they are good enough to play in the county league.Chances are the children will not play in any league this season.
Four parents called and told me that they took their children to practice on two or three occasions and there was no coach present and the children was just clowning around.  In frustration they went back home.

                                                             Background

For 25 years BCC was one of the highest rated youth organizations in the region. We received several commendations for our efforts. I had 12 outstanding volunteers working with me in 2008-09. We had 70 children participating on 6 teams. Our girls team Division 1, went to the finals and barely lost. One of our boy's teams won a league championships. In fact, one of our teams won a championship every year for 10 straight years.

We were one of, if not the most diverse organizations in the area. Our players came from at least 22 different countries.

On November 24, 2008, I invited the center  director to our coaches meeting and he invited Pam Washington to accompany him.   Two weeks after the meeting , 6 citizens of the community, members of the Bailey's Crossroads Community Center, Inc., advisory board, came together and decided they were going to take over the basketball operation. They  agreed to call themselves the "Bailey's Community Center Advisory Board" collected all the money, opened a bank account, and essentially eliminated organized youth basketball teams at the center. These six, decided to eliminate usage of any reference to the official board that was in place.

Despite the distraction we had a successful season.

In September 2009 the board and center director had the children to sign up for FCYBL league play, and started practicing in October. After 8 weeks of hard practice, the children were told that they were not going to play in the county league.
I had one team organized and they played one game in the FCYBL. Then the league and the team was told that Bailey's team would not be participating.  I pleaded with the powers that be to let the children play since I had assumed all responsibilities and the schedule was set.

A meeting was called and 8th graders were informed that could not play in the FCYBL, instead they could play in the house league against 5th graders.  This was very disappointing. Several of the children cried openly when they were informed.

They participated in the house league and defeated teams by scores like 80-6. It was a total disgrace. The house league, in February 2010, rightfully, found a way  to disqualify the team before the season ended.

In September 2010, I told the director, at BCC that I had four teams that wanted to play. He told me that the unsanctioned advisory board was going to have teams, so it would not be right for me to try and organize any teams.

Again, they had the children sign up. Put an unprepared, coachless team in the league and only showed up for one game.

The situation was so pitiful, in January 2011, the FCYBL, rightfully, had to drop them from the league.

It turned out that Bailey's didn't have any coaches or organization for teams to be formed.

Who is the contact person?
                                          
I really don't know who to talk to anymore. I talked with Community Services director, Chris Leonard; area director, Chris Scales; area director, Bruce Patrick and BCC director, Chonn Lacey.

Who do I contact? I ask the BCC director, and he refers me to the appointed commissioner, Daryl Lucas, then he refers me back to Chonn. Then I'm referred to the board or back to the commissioner. Round and around I go, but end up getting no where.
 
They all gave me varying stories.

But the bottom line is, the children in this area are denied an opportunity to play.  Money is not a problem, in 1993, I was successful in getting the county to set aside $5,000 to use primarily for youth basketball at BCC and three other community centers. Since BCC does not have any teams, I cannot attest to how the they are spending or spent the money.

The contact person is Pam Washington. I don't believe any other board member is active in the decision making process.

Each year I have to pass up at least $15,000 in free camps, games and other freebies that are offered to county teams. Why? Because we do not have an organized program.

What Can We Do?

Organize. They are not going to pay me any attention. I need parents and citizens who have an interest in seeing youths participate basketball to come forth and join me in my efforts to restore the game and all the activities that go with it back to the Bailey's Crossroads community.

Youth basketball is not just about playing, it is also about scholarships, jobs, interacting with other children, using the gym for the community, strengthening local high school teams and many other benefits.
For example, our last 8th grade girls team sent 6 girls to varsity as freshmen in high school.

For more information on the status of BCC, and pictures that show, in part, the condition of the gym, visit our new dedicated Website, http://www.bxrcc.blogspot.com/

My email address is, gebryant411@gmail.com