Tag: Strictly Observing

2025 “Strictly Observing” Person of the Year- Hody Viars

December 11, 2025December 11, 2025 Zach Cooley No Comments

After spending many childhood moments together at the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office, with both of our dads serving as Chief Deputy, my lifelong friend Hody Viars was named for that position within days of my father’s passing one day after his 83rd birthday on October 26, 2025. As Hody and Dad shared the same birthday, I could not help but feel he had a hand in making him Chief Deputy from above, keeping the familial atmosphere of the Wythe County Sheriff’s Office alive. Hody brings with him more than a decade of specialized training and will prove to be a legend of local law enforcement in his own right.

Zach's At It Again

Celebrating 20 years of “Strictly Observing”

July 4, 2025 Zach Cooley No Comments

It is staggering to think I have been writing this column for 20 years. I am overwhelmed by the readership and support I have received. I share my deepest personal gratitude with you all. Let’s have a look at some of the focus who have had the greatest impact on “Strictly Observing” over the last decade. As a Wytheville native who studied sports journalism in Greensboro, Woody Wilder left home to become a successful producer in Los Angeles, CA for the NFL Network. In my field of work, he epitomizes success. As much of a hero as Woody is to me professionally, he is even more so as a fellow human being. Rooted in a deep religious faith and an incredibly alluring personality, the kindness he expresses to me as a friend is invaluable to me. He carries with him the fundamental values Wytheville has given him and blended them with his resilient perseverance, which has given him limitless opportunities for success, making us proud to call him one of our own. A lifelong friend, Jared “J.T.” King, was the first person I came to when I launched EmBell Publishing. I knew he was the best undiscovered writer in our area, and I wanted to bask in the glory of having made such a revelation in the writing world. With his unprecedented writing ability and incredible insight and wisdom into the business, he now has his ever-growing fan base captivated by such gripping works as his Michael Black adventure novel The Gray Man and the horror short Building 1935. I am at the top of that list. As both a writer and a friend, J.T. King is unbeatable. Trent Crewe served as mayor of my hometown of Wytheville, VA for 28 years. When he announced his retirement in early 2018, he gave me first crack at printing his story in local news. It was the biggest story of my career, reaching over 10,000 people online. However, Trent Crewe has been more to the citizens of Wytheville than a leader. He has been a constant friend to the town and everyone in it when approached. During the most difficult periods of my life, he offered a personal hand and legal support, which my wife and I shall never forget. He is the rare sort of politician who has a heart to match his winning smile, and his brilliance has contributed irreplaceable effort in making Wytheville the best place to call home. To me, he will always be “Mayor.” Jackie King has been the first woman in a leadership role in several aspects for Wytheville, including her current position as Vice Mayor, which she held 28 years. She was also the first female president of the Wytheville-Wythe-Bland Chamber of Commerce. When she received the “Citizen of the Year” award from the Chamber of Commerce, among other honors, it was my blessing to cover her legendary life and career. I am fortunate enough to know that people like Jackie King only come along once in a lifetime. I am abundantly blessed that she has been a significant part of mine. Jackie, 84, died on August 30, 2020 of ovarian cancer. Robert Fallon went through more in his brief life than most people who have lived four times as long. With his kidneys functioning at less than a half-percent, his then-fiancé Krystal Sparks started a painted rock campaign that attracted global attention. Robert found his donor, survived the transplant, and continued to share his story, promoting the importance of organ donation, inspiring me to become a donor. It was an honor to cover his incredible story, but most of all, to become his friend. His presence in my life was a divine gift. Robert died on August 5, 2022, of renal failure. He was 24. Not only one of the greatest local musicians our area has ever seen as a member of the band 3 Shades of Grey, Max Meadows resident Michael Clinch is a true American hero. His volunteer efforts in New York City saved countless people whose names he will never know on September 11, 2001, when the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center collapsed at the hands of terrorists hijacking airplanes. The retired police chief of Hyde Park, New York granted me the most stirring interview I had ever done, and I barely had to speak a word. His kindness and friendship are among my greatest blessings. A local legend who is still sadly unknown to many locals in his native Smyth County, Jack “Jarata” Taylor’s surrealist art, which is displayed, sold, and admired around the globe. “Rainy Night Blues” and “Blue Moon,” a painting inspired by conversations with Billy Joel and a meeting with Dr. John, are among his most renowned creations. Hearing of his brushes with Disney animation, President Gerald Ford, Bonnie Raitt, and Elvis Presley, made for some of my greatest-ever interviews. Meeting gubernatorial Chief of Staff William H. “Bill” Leighty led to my biggest career honor to date, when he invited me to the Library of Virginia in Richmond to host a presentation on his bestselling memoir, Capitol Secrets. His exceedingly generous friendship has become one of the most treasured of my life and I am eternally grateful for our interviews, which included subjects ranging from planning Queen Elizabeth II’s 2007 visit to Virginia to his outstanding leadership abilities that gracefully guided our state through its darkest hours including the Virginia Tech tragedy in 2007. Another local and statewide treasure, mutual dear friend Linda DiYorio, introduced me to Bill. I have admired Cory Parker and his amazing talent as a photographer for the last quarter-century. We have always been friends, but the last year has made us close friends. With his self-established MountainCap Media, Cory has brought some of the best and brightest photography Wythe County has ever seen. Personally, Cory has offered me the thrill of flying a photography drone and has a concert featuring my wife at the Millwald Theatre. As a friend and professional partner, Cory…

Strictly Observing

Rhea brings laughter to Wytheville

June 15, 2025 Zach Cooley No Comments

Saturday, June 14, was a wild night in Wytheville, Virginia, as stand-up comedian Caroline Rhea took the stage at the historic Millwald Theatre for an evening filled with raucous laughter—and a touch of culture shock. The Canadian-born star, best known for her role as Aunt Hilda on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, now lives in Los Angeles. She admitted she’s never been more frequently corrected on the pronunciation of a town’s name. “Wytheville” quickly became a running gag during her 77-minute set. Though her onstage persona couldn’t be further from the family-friendly character she’s famous for, a few determined teenagers managed to slip into the mostly 21+ crowd to see their favorite TV star. Rhea acknowledged the jarring contrast. “It’s a little like finding out your kindergarten teacher is a stripper,” she quipped. In addition to finally learning how to pronounce Wytheville, Rhea took delight in the surrounding towns’ unusual names—like Ivanhoe and Galax. The latter particularly tickled her. “Why that name hasn’t been used for an enema, I’ll never know,” she said with a grin. As always, Rhea’s humor blended self-deprecation with observational wit. “I’m very codependent, and I worry about the world,” she confessed. “When my friends laugh really hard, I pee in their pants.” Honestly, I wish she could have done that for me. The laughter took over my disabled, slightly incontinent body—a mess my wife had to help clean up when I got home, unfortunately. The presence of such a seasoned comedy and television veteran should have made for an instant sellout at the Millwald. That it didn’t was disappointing—both for our town and the comedian herself. “I’m not quite sure why the whole town didn’t show up tonight,” she said shortly after walking on stage. “I spent the day exploring, and from what I saw, it’s not like there are many other entertainment options around here.” A longtime lover of garage sales, Rhea found one local business particularly intriguing. “After the show, we’re all breaking into JoJo’s Attic so I can grab those antiques I saw and couldn’t buy,” she joked. “I’m running low on picture frames. I only have 2,000.” Her comedic style thrives on audience interaction. She playfully asked several attendees their zodiac signs. As fellow Aries, she and I apparently have a lot in common: namely, a tendency to start ten different stories and finish none. It made for an erratic, but highly entertaining, performance. Like me, she’s the parent of a single daughter—one she lives to please, but who often finds her embarrassing. “It’s really not our fault,” she explained. “It’s nothing personal against us. It’s just the way our children see us.” Her obsession with astrology was a recurring theme throughout the show. “I had an emergency C-section because I was at high risk of giving birth to a Scorpio,” she said. “I didn’t want to raise a daughter who was that good at sex and that unwilling to forgive.” The 61-year-old comedian also shared candid—and hilarious—tales from her dating life after 50. “I went on a blind date with a guy who had a lazy eye,” she told us. “We broke up soon after because he was seeing someone else on the side.” She paused, then added, “That joke would be even funnier if it weren’t a true story.” She also recalled a moment involving her health-conscious diet and an innocent-looking spoonful of peanut butter she found on her sister’s kitchen table. Thinking it was a healthy 12 grams of protein, she helped herself. Moments later, her sister returned. “I know I left a spoonful of peanut butter here,” her sister said. “I put the dog’s medicine in it and everything.” “At that point, I became a full-fledged dog in five minutes,” Rhea recalled. “I was scooting my butt in circles across the rug and peeing on her bedroom floor for months.” “I feel sick,” she told her sister. “Well, at least you’re not going to get ringworm,” her sister replied. Rhea’s opening act was 30-year-old CJ Marer, a struggling actor and comedian currently living in the Los Angeles area. Originally from a small town in Rhode Island, Marer quickly established his underdog charm with the audience. He recounted his only audition for a Hallmark movie. “I auditioned for the male lead, which basically meant I had to stay shirtless and do all the handyman work throughout the film,” he explained. “When I took off my shirt, the directors winced.” He mimicked the casting conversation: “Did you expect him to really be that pale?” one director asked the other. “How can he be skinny and fat at the same time?” Marer joked that most of the roles he plays. “I usually show up at the beginning of the movie to ask who the guy is she’s talking to,” he said. “By the end, I’m either dumped or dead. That’s the extent of my acting career.” He described one particularly rough patch when his apartment was broken into—but nothing of his was stolen. Instead, the burglars left behind a note and a watch they’d apparently taken from somewhere else. The note read: ‘We realize times are hard for you right now. Take care of yourself. If you ever want to join us, we’re looking for other guys to help us with jobs.’ “My roommates were mad,” he said, “but I had a new watch and a job interview—two things I didn’t have before the robbery.” Marer was a particular hit with the female members of the audience, earning more than a few catcalls and whistles during his time on stage. All in all, it was a thoroughly entertaining night—and a relatively historic one in Wytheville’s entertainment history. For me personally, it was a true honor to meet both comedians and to interview Caroline Rhea for my podcast. She couldn’t have been more gracious and generous with her time. It was, without question, a career pinnacle. To listen to the full interview, follow this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg5-9Yveqrw

Strictly Observing

Why ”Millie’s Big Dream” is my best work yet

May 5, 2025 Zach Cooley No Comments

My latest book, Millie’s Big Dream, is also my dream come true. It says all the things I have tried to say in previous books about my relationship with Emily in ways I could never sufficiently express before. Relayed in a novel that combines romance with hardship, I relay the narrative in an honest, but lighthearted way. I use humor inspired by my lifelong fandom of I Love Lucy, while maintaining the authenticity of a real-life inter-abled couple. I wanted it to be romantic to inspire other disabled people who long to give and receive love, that it can happen for them, too. Of course, it is important to show the everyday difficulties that accompany your wife being your caregiver. It is a 200% effort every moment of every day. Oftentimes, however, happy endings do not accompany real life. Therefore, I took extra care to incorporate these unpleasant themes with a carefree tone. I didn’t think I could ever achieve it. I have made many unsuccessful attempts as a self-published author in the last thirteen years, but I believe Millie’s Big Dream has finally reached the mark. It has also helped me reach another milestone in my career, which is to become a bonafide novelist. The pandemic years were particularly difficult for our family, to the point where I thought we might lose Emily. If anything ever happened to this angel on Earth, it would destroy our entire family. As a result, I never expected my head to be clear enough to write another book of any kind, let alone in the world of fiction, where the entire workings of the world are dependent on your own creativity. However, not writing at all is stifling for a creative person. After a read-letter year of blessings in 2024, the current year dawned with the tapping into a well of creativity I have never experienced. My first and only novel up to that point, Face Value, took five years to write. On March 25, 2025, I released Open Secret, which only took three months. I had not planned to write Millie’s Big Dream on the heels of another brand-new book, but it just came flooding out of me. The book I have tried to write for fifteen years finally became a reality. I completed the initial first draft in twenty-five days. Now, I am ready to show it to you. Although this book is a dream come true for me, you’ll notice my name is not in the title. “Millie” is the character inspired by my wife. She chose the name because “Millie” sounded similar to “Emily.” Our surname is “Shanklin” and my character’s name is “Robert,” after two very dear friends of mine, Chase Shanklin and Robert Fallon, who were younger than me when they left the world way too early. I know their guiding spirits helped bring the book to life. At any rate, it is my wife’s dream of becoming the next queen of rock and roll that takes center stage in this story. Anyone who has heard a note escape her golden throat knows she possesses an otherworldly talent only God could sanction. The book follows her dream to rock and roll stardom with comedic mishaps and a blithe look at the real-life struggles of a person unafraid to think outside the box. Of course, no comedy is complete without the perfect supporting cast. Sarah Taylor has been “Ethel” to me for the last fifteen years, as best friend to both Emily and me. She acts our freelance publicist, agent, editor, chief advisor, and all-around lifesaver. Her character of Leitha, the closest name I could derive when I spelled “Ethel” backwards. She is every bit the flamboyant wealth of knowledge embodied by her character. Her husband, Chucky, the character named requested by Sarah’s actual husband Greg Taylor, is a composite of him and several of my other dearest friends including Jacob Sharitz and Jeremy Miller. Their surname of “Gardner” represents a departed friend of Sarah’s, Beavertown, Pennsylvania mayor Bill Wagoner. Take a look at the official description: “Meet Millie Shanklin, a voluptuous blonde with a heart of gold and a voice that can light up a room—if only she could fill a stadium. A talented nightclub singer with big dreams of stardom, Millie is convinced that bigger is better, and she’s determined to make both herself and her husband, Robert, the biggest fish in the pond. Robert, her wheelchair-bound husband, is a journalist and book writer who finds comfort in the smaller, quieter aspects of life. With cerebral palsy and a penchant for order, Robert’s steady career as a local columnist is everything he wants—though Millie has other ideas. Their contrasting personalities and devotion to one another make for some hilarious misadventures. Enter Leitha, Robert and Millie’s incredibly smart and relentlessly charismatic agent, whose advice is always well-intentioned but rarely taken seriously, and her husband, Chucky, who can be counted on for two things: a love of golf and an endless supply of sarcasm. Together, these four friends are inseparable and fiercely loyal, despite their wildly different personalities. In this quirky comedy of dreams, misunderstandings, and unlikely alliances, Millie’s Big Dream is a laugh-out-loud romp that proves that friendship, love, and chasing your big break are never as simple as they seem—but they are always worth the ride. If you love witty banter, lovable oddballs, and a comedy that’s as heartwarming as it is hilarious, Millie’s Big Dream will have you laughing all the way to the stadium… or at least to the nearest golf course.” This book is so special to me that I am offering it in a pre-order special only. I will only be signing the first 100 copies. I am making them available to my readers prior to its official July 10th release date. To place your prepaid order of $20 per book, which will be autographed and numbered, visit https://zachcooley.us/millies-big-dream-local-pickup/, send money to paypal.me/ZacharyGCooley or www.facebook.com/zachcooley. You can also send or deliver…

Millie's Big Dream, Strictly Observing

Traci Baker

April 15, 2025 Sarah T No Comments

Traci Baker and I have never met. However, we share a bond through the music of Phil Collins, our all-time favorite musician. While I refuse to concede that she is the bigger fan, she certainly has more resources than I do. She has flown all over the world to see Phil’s solo concerts and many Genesis shows, placing first in the international VIP Genesis trivia contest held at the O2 Arena in London just before the band’s last-ever concert on March 26, 2022. Perhaps most importantly, Traci is the head of the official Facebook campaign to induct the multi-talented legend into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an honor denied him again this year. She leads the campaign in memory of her late husband Rodney, who passed away from cancer on April 28, 2021, at the age of 58. Now, Traci has reached another triumph in tribute to our favorite artist. It has taken nearly two years to bring her incredible film Phil Collins at Live Aid: A Complete Look Back to the virtual world. Because of the lack of rights to copyrighted music, media outlets like YouTube continuously rejected the film, a fact that devastated the Arizona resident, who spent months perfecting it. Finally, on July 13, 2024 — the 39th anniversary of the historic concert benefiting third-world hunger—Traci could release the 107-minute documentary with a flourish on the Patreon website. She also included 27 minutes of bonus footage. “A first of its kind, this 2-hour-8-minute special takes a look back at Phil Collins’ history-making day, July 13, 1985, at Live Aid,” she writes in promotion of the film. “Through interviews, rare backstage video footage, and photos, we will start at the beginning of Phil’s day in England and stay with him to the end, eighteen hours later, in New York, after being in Philadelphia. On two continents, on two stages—one mega superstar wows the world.” For Traci, this was a labor of undying love for Phil Collins. “I hope you will enjoy this complete look back,” she told fellow fans of the English drum virtuoso. “This movie is something I poured my heart into. It combines two things I love so much: Live Aid and Phil Collins’s music and career.” Of course, her primary cause—getting the Genesis frontman elected to an organization that has ignored his contributions for decades—remains her biggest concern. “I hope this movie, which recognizes Phil’s history-making contribution to a now legendary event, will further expose the #getphilvotedin campaign and that members of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Nominating Committee and Voting Body—and members of the media—might see this and support the effort to #getphilvotedin,” she said. Live Aid was a 16-hour charity concert that took place in London and Philadelphia on July 13, 1985. The goal of the concerts was to raise money for the starving population of Ethiopia. Phil Collins’s Live Aid appearance was historic because he performed at both the London and Philadelphia shows on the same day. He was the only artist to perform at both concerts. Although some regard Collins’s Live Aid performance as one of the most iconic of his career, the artist himself had a contrasting opinion. On a blisteringly white-hot stage, Collins’s sweaty finger slipped off the piano key, causing an audible error during Against All Odds. He was so distraught by the mistake that, after his Philadelphia set, he never played the song on the piano again, now claiming to have forgotten how. The Led Zeppelin set, which featured Collins on drums, went awry because of lack of rehearsal time and technical difficulties. The band was terribly out of sync, and Plant’s vocals were off. Jimmy Page blamed Collins for the fiasco, but Collins asserts he knew his stuff. Plant had confessed to Collins backstage before the performance about Page’s belligerence. Initially, Phil was not the only person scheduled to perform at both locations. Robert Palmer-fronted band Power Station was among other performers who planned to grace both stages, but after they all reneged, Collins made history as the only artist to do so. His reasoning was simply that his friends Robert Plant, Eric Clapton, and Sting invited him to drum during their sets besides performing his own solo hits “In the Air Tonight” and “Against All Odds” at both locations. The entire time Phil Collins spent on stage in both locations that day was enough to fill an entire concert set list on its own. As well as his own set at both venues, he also played drums for Sting in London, then for Eric Clapton, and played with the reuniting surviving members of Led Zeppelin at JFK. On the Concorde flight, Collins encountered actress and singer Cher, who was unaware of the concerts. Upon reaching the U.S., she attended the Philadelphia concert and performed as part of the concert’s “We Are the World” finale, in which Collins was originally to have sung. By that time, an exhausted Collins was in a hotel room before making his way home the following morning. Traci’s film takes you through the breakneck pace of those eighteen hours in a brilliant and fast-paced 128 minutes. The viewer feels pity for the artist who exerted all efforts for an unpaid charitable event, only to be criticized for the rest of his life. Critics would forever view his philanthropy as arrogant ubiquity, and die-hard Zeppelin fans never let up on blaming him for their downfall after that disastrous 1985 performance. Phil Collins’s contribution to rock and roll is as endless as his repertoire and talent. Traci Baker’s documentary sheds light on this as much as any footage I have ever seen. Collins fans and music buffs alike can appreciate Phil Collins at Live Aid: A Complete Look Back for its unprecedented glimpse into this historic day in rock history. Watch it for free here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/documentary-phil-108043096.

Strictly Observing