So much to say…so little space in which to do so.

With all that’s going on in our little neck of the woods, I’ve got a lot on my mind this week. So, if you will indulge this crusty old reporter, here goes my version of hot news topics.

For starters, let me be among the first to congratulate the Hertford County High School Marching Bears for their second-place showing at this past weekend’s 59th annual Fish Bowl Classic in Portsmouth, Va.

Performing against a field of 12, extremely talented Virginia-based high school bands, HCHS topped them all with the exception of the host school n Norcom High.

This type of effort instills pride, not only among the band members, but the entire student body at HCHS.

In light of all negativism the Hertford County Public School system has faced recently n threats by a state judge to close HCHS due to poor leadership and equally pathetic academic performance and the swirl of controversy surrounding the departure of former superintendent Dennis Deloatch – the school system needs a big boost in morale.

The HCHS Band gave the beleaguered system a shot in the arm with last weekend’s effort. Good job by all involved!

While on the subject of boosting morale within the HCPS system, I had a recent conversation with Joan McCullough, the Lady Bears varsity girls basketball coach. Joan informed me she was spearheading an effort to have more school news published in the News-Herald, not just athletic events, but class trips, special projects, guest speakers at the schools, etc.

We welcome each and every bit of school news, not only from Hertford County, but from the entire Roanoke-Chowan area. Send your stories and photos to cal.bryant@r-cnews.com and I’ll make sure they are seen each and every week by the 25,000-plus readers of this newspaper.

I’ve got another congratulatory remark to pass along n this one reserved for Terry Williams at Southern Health and Wellness Center in Murfreesboro.

Terry is a former standout athlete at Northampton-East and I well remember his exploits on the football and baseball fields. He brings the same enthusiasm to his new business venture in Murfreesboro by offering physical therapy, stress management, personal training and nutrition classes.

Stop by and see Terry and his staff at their new digs across Main Street from Ace Hardware.

Good luck buddy in your new business.

Keeping an eye on the weather, I’ve got my fingers and toes crossed in hopes that the rain holds off for all the activities planned for this week in Ahoskie.

If you’re looking for something to do, then Ahoskie is the place to be over the next three days with the Atlantic District Fair in town, the annual Indian Summer Days Show and Sale and Ahoskie Heritage Day.

The Fair features the only harness racing in the state of North Carolina; Indian Summer Days has added an appraisal fair (dig through the attic for your family heirlooms and haul ‘em down to the old Ahoskie High gym to have their value assessed) and Heritage Day has expanded from two days to three.

It promises to be a non-stop blur of activities in Ahoskie from Thursday through Saturday. Don’t narrow your list to just one or two events, plan to attend all three. There will be plenty to do for all ages n the thrill of breathtaking rides at the Fair; a wide array of unique crafts at Indian Summer Days (plus some of the best homemade soup known to mankind) and Heritage Day activities that range from a gospel fest, to a top-40 band, to a parade, plus a dog show, art show, yard sales, horse pulling, antique farm equipment and plenty of great food.

One more thing and I’m outta here for this week’s ramblings.

Congratulations to Bertie County officials – the Board of Commissioners, County Manager Zee Lamb and Bertie County Recreation Director Donna Mizelle n for having the forethought, dedication and desire to expand recreational opportunities for its citizens.

On Monday, I attended the formal dedication of the Bertie County Recreation Complex. There, years of hard work were evident with a facility that rivals those found in metropolitan areas.

Phase one of the project n a regulation baseball field and an all-purpose field that can be used for football and soccer n plus a parking lot is completed. The fields are lighted and each has a scoreboard.

Phase two, for which the county recently received a $500,000 state grant, will add two more fields, a concession/restroom area, walking track, a picnic shelter and outdoor basketball courts.

Bertie County has it “going on” at the present moment with this facility, construction of a new middle school and plans to build a new DSS office. Not bad for a poor rural county. It just goes to show you what great leadership can do when they pull their collective minds together.