County Clay's School Board met in regular session Feb 24th, at the Pentagon, beginning at 6pm. Dave Mullins, just home from the hospital, particpated via a cell phone. Dave Pierson conducted the meeting. The 18 minute public gathering provided some interesting info.
  Denese Murphy Elliot was selected to be the Big Otter Elem office secretary.
  Angela Nichols was employed to be the Clay High Asst Softball coach
  Morton Excavating got the nod to relocate a water line as the Pentagon gets ready to build a new gym for the Middle School. Cost of the wawa relocation? $8,500.00. New gym? Read on.
  Dave Pierson brought up a Legislative bill (Senate Bill 661) that would change the way a school day is counted. The new bill would change from so many minutes of instruction per day to just requiring 5 hours a day of instruction.. Superintendent Joe Paxton felt that proposed bill had been shot down
 

    Each year, leadership from the County's only public Library goes around to various govt agencies seeking financial support for another yar of operation. For the upcoming year, Karen Nicholas, above right; and, Library Manager Sheila Thorne, were on hand to make the ask. Last year, the Pentagon provided $11,337.00 to keep the Library open to the public.
  Both Library reps explained the good thangs goin on at the Main Street facility, the hiring of one full time employee, and how they cut every corner possible to keep costs low. Also, after years of wait, it looks like their flood damaged building foundation will be replaced (repaired) this year via an FEMA grant.
   Their presentation was listed as a discussion item and could not be voted on during the Feb 24th meeting. Acting Chair Dave Pierson felt that a like amount of Library support will be coming there way during an upcoming  meeting.

   What gym did you ask?  We asked that same question near the end of the meeting. Joe Paxton made it sound like, a Gosh, where you been? and everybody knows about it.  Other than a brief mention last Spring where something about a muli purposecommunity building came up, we've not heard jack squat during a  public Board meeting.
  From the Gospel of Joe: the new gym will be 80 feet wide and 125 feet long, will be a metal shell, pre fab, structure; much of the funding came from a WVU Alumni donation; and , Paxton, "It's much needed. I'm excited!"
  As for inside meeting rooms, HVAC, showers and restrooms, it didn't sound like all that stuff has been funded yet.   AW