This from the developers of the new store: “Larry and Pam French would like to announce that the Bridgewater Family Dollar store will open on August 12th. This 9,180 square foot store will be operated by Family Dollar and is located at 602 North Main Street beside the Martin Center. Family Dollar is a publicly-traded company that started in 1959. Family Dollar has over 6,700 stores in the United States.” The building contractor was Parkway Contractors from Chuckey, Tennessee.

With football training camps set to open, it’s time for the annual Bridgewater Buzz football poll. Vote at the upper right of Bridgewater Buzz’s main page. The question is which of our favorite football teams will have the highest winning percentage (Washington Redskins, Virginia Tech Hokies, Virginia Cavaliers, JMU Dukes or Bridgewater College Eagles). Last year’s poll favorite was the Hokies, receiving 46 percent of Buzz respondents’ votes. The actual winner on the field was also the Hokies, with 77 percent victories (10-3 record). Here’s how the other teams fared:

• Bridgewater College Eagles: 70 percent victories (7-3 record), 19 percent in Buzz poll
• JMU Dukes: 55 percent victories (6-5 record), 33 percent in Buzz poll
• Washington Redskins: 50 percent victories (8-8 record), 2 percent in Buzz poll
• Virginia Cavaliers: 25 percent victories (3-9 record), 0 percent in Buzz poll

Let’s say you’re in traffic signaling a left turn. A friendly driver who has the right of way waves you through. If you take the wave-through but there’s some miscommunication and a property damage accident results, you will be charged with failure to yield the right of way. The local judge may be sympathetic but the charges will not be dropped. The best you can hope for is a reduced charge of “improper driving,” and that will mean a fine and court costs and, depending on your age and driving record, increased insurance costs. This did not happen to me but I have it on good authority. At the risk of seeming unfriendly, it seems best simply to refuse the wave-through.

so great seeing everyone at lawn party and getting an annual fix of funnel cake. is that a new machine that pours the funnel cake mix. tastes just as good as ever.

Anybody out there hot? What are you doing about it?

Time for a fun poll at www.bridgewaterva.com/newbuzz. What do you like best about the Bridgewater Lawn Party? Is it the food, the rides, seeing friends, the Firefighters’ Parade or something else? Cast your vote and post a comment if you like. That poll again is at the upper right, at www.bridgewaterva.com/newbuzz

While we’re at it with the hot dogs and fireworks, I hope we’ll all stop and consider this: Our nation was founded on the idea that the people are sovereign. We may delegate that sovereignty to the government to do things on our behalf. If we ever fully buy into this idea that the government is our master and not our servant, we are doomed. How do we show government who’s boss? By voting for people who will serve the people, and voting them out if they don’t.

That young Strasburg can really pitch. It’s great to see, if only to silence those who say that great minor league pitchers need several years to become acceptable pitchers in the bigs. Makes me want to check into Nationals tickets. Anybody know how much they cost? Are the Nationals selling out games when Strasburg is set to start?

At Bridgewater Buzz, we’ve had a good discussion of the amount of advertising Rockingham Memorial Hospital does. Now that the hospital has moved to its new facility, what do you think in general about RMH’s level of advertising? Vote in the poll at the right-hand side of the page (http://www.bridgewaterva.com/newbuzz) and we’ll find out what the Bridgewater Buzz crowd thinks.

just wanted to pass along best wishes to all those involved in the big move of patients and staff to the new hospital. i know it has been a long time coming. and i am impressed with the new hospital. will be great for patients and staff and family. and i understand how there were some things that just could not be done by renovating the old hospital. my only reservation is this. as big and good a deal as this is for our community. is it possible the publicity campaign about the move was a bit too much. just asking.