June, 2003
How would you like a story on a water service provider misplacing their checkbook? How about one where a government agency’s financials were found in a duffle bag? Oh, oh… how about an article where most ALL the financials disappeared for the previous two years? Does a County Commission decision not to save $1000s on insurance arouse your curiosity? How about a shouting match at a public meeting?
Here it is folks, all that wrapped up in one big long compilation. A compilation on the County Commission and the Clay Roane PSD meeting action June 26, 2003. Don’t try reading this on the way home. Much too juicy readers! Go home, close your door, turn off the TV, take off your shoes, and tell the kids to go play in traffic. This is one worth taking the time to digest. Did we mention the 911 radios don’t work in many areas of the county leaving police and emergency service workers without back up support? As they say on TV, It’s In There!
June 26th, County Commission room, lots of folks in the peanut gallery. Matthew Bragg drags in late. After Jimmy Sams’ opening prayer and pledge, action started.
At issue is the annual vote on insurance coverage at the courthouse. Last time around the CCC told area fire department leaders they would no longer be covered by the county policy, but instead the Commission decided to grant each department some money so the departments could get their own coverage. During those discussions, a fellow named J.W. Hughes presented quotes from Assure America Insurance Co. Since that last meeting, Lizemore and Big Otter Fire Departments have purchased coverage through Hughes at lower rates. During this meeting, Mr. Hughes presented a bid for our ambulance service insurance policy. According to Hughes, You get twice the insurance for half the price.. Sams, Maybe next year.. Got your Rolaids readers? Hughes, [You’re] throwing it away for poor coverage… the Board of Risk is going up AGAIN! Go ahead and take that Rolaid. Hughes went over all the fine print, lower deductibles, higher limits, windshield coverage for the ambulances, etc., etc., Zoooom. Right over their heads! After hearing the State Board of Risk insurance price tag ($70,267) and St. Paul’s quote of $63,599.00, our elected ones voted unanimously, to go with the Board of Risk provider. Hughes was livid. It was as if the ‘three blind mice’ never heard a word he said.
There was one bright spot. Veronica Butcher reported a new Child Advocacy Center would be opening in late July to serve the needs of the county. The facility will be housed at the State Police office near Maysel. According to Butcher, with a full service, 24 hour per day center in the county, child abuse conviction rates should increase. In 1998 there were 64,000 cases of child abuse in WV.
Here comes our 99 year old Sheriff. Fields told the CCC that 911 radio coverage in the county was poor or nonexistent. That in several portions of the county, his force cannot maintain radio contact resulting in potentially dangerous situations. Chiming in, employees from the ambulance service, At least they have guns, all we have are maglights! Laughter. Fields, We’re taking people’s money [it’s] suppose to serve the people….. there are dead areas in the county…..In some areas there is no coverage, THIS DONT GET IT!…. Those dollars are not for a savings account…It’s time to do something. Fields was referring to the nearly $200,000 amassed in the 911, $2.00 a month fee collected by area telephone companies. Those in the peanut gallery commented that a tower was needed in the Big Otter area of the county for better communications. Fields said he would donate an acre of his land for such a tower. Fields, People are paying money, give them what they’re paying for!
Paramedic Mary Hanshaw added that their radio system was less than adequate noting that on many occasions, in many areas, exchanges with med base were not possible. In attendance, 911 Director Dave King informed the CCC that 911 dollars could NOT be used for new radio equipment for med base. Lots of strong discussion with Commissioner Sams giving Sheriff Fields authority to explore costs for a new tower and repeater station equipment.
Of course, long time readers of this paper will remember when tax dollars were spent on the new high dollar radio system and many locals and one radio expert raised real concerns over poor coverage with just one tower serving the entire county. Those citizen’s concerns are now a reality.
Next up came Clay Roane PSD Chairwoman Melissa Postelwait. Postelwait provided the gang with the water service provider’s new policy and procedure manual and a signed resolution with USDA bringing the Pumpkin Ridge water line extension project one step closer to reality. But then, but then, came the questions over PSD actions and miss-actions. In response to the mismanagement of the PSD questioning, Postelwait, I would suggest you get better Board qualified Board members.. KA-CHING!! Remember if you are reading this article, so are those board members.
Questioning continued on recent Clay Roane PSD actions to purchase $8500 in computer software without WV Public Service Commission approval, without formal bidding, and against the wishes of the CCC. One lady asked if the CCC couldn’t make them {the PSD} straighten up. Sams replied, I can’t even drive their truck!.. Laughter came. Sams was referring to an incident last winter when he wanted to use the PSD truck to help find a water leak in the Newton area and Postelwait refused the request.
The Chair said that they couldn’t wait on the PSC to OK the purchase of the software since their old computer software was not working correctly and they needed to get monthly bills mailed. She went on to say they had reduced the debt load from $40,000.00 to $12,000.00 in three months. Continued on page 4
Commissioner Triplett asked about outrageous employee reimbursements ($926 in May) for using their own vehicles on the job while the company truck sat idle. Postelwait, I am doing the best I can.. After intense questioning by Triplett, some new insight came. According to Ms Postelwait, their system is now pumping 19 to 20 hours per day to keep up with demand. Of course she also said the system had a 40% water loss. 40% readers! Keep in mind, when a PSD pumps over 16 hours a day, there is a serious chance the WV PSC may step in and issue a water moratorium for the county. Remember those days? No new hook ups, no filling of swimming pools, no car washing and such?
After doing some number crunching, Triplett figured out, the customers in the Queen Shoals area are paying much less than needed to cover the water leakage problem. Postelwait, Well, it’s a pretty good leak... Sams told Postelwait to get the workers off their butts and start walking the service lines and find the leak! NOTE: During the discussions, Commissioner Bragg never made a comment.
And then the bombshell readers. County Commission was told there are problems with record keeping within the PSD. That in fact, many of the financial records from the 2002 year are missing, the checkbook is gone, the 2002 records found were found in a duffle bag and no audit has been performed because their isn’t enough records for the CPA to perform the state mandated annual audit… From the back came, Things are getting better! Again laughter. Postelwait, They need the 2002 records and we ain’t got them… The checkbooks are gone, they’re gone...
Now keep in mind a couple of things, this is not the first time records have come up missing nor is it the first time questions have come up on the financial dealings of the PSD. Back about three years ago, a Public Service Commission Judge said the actions of one board member appeared to be criminal-like in nature and ordered Clay Roane to secure their records under lock and key. Appears now, the PSD paid little attention to Judge’s orders.
Lets see now readers, let’s say you produce widgets, say 100 a day. At the end of each day, 40 of your widgets are stolen. Is there anyway you can stay in business?
After a 20 minute break, action continued. This one is important, so pay attention. Bragg said he had been in contact with WV American Water. Bragg told the assembled that WV American Water Company, the big boys in Charleston, would be glad to sit down and talk to the Commission on the needs of this county. Bragg said that water lines are going in many places in neighboring counties. With fellow Commissioners nodding in agreement, it appears that our gang of elected ones are finally thinking that there may be another way of providing water service to the county other than building high dollar water plants here and there! WV American Water will be invited to a July CCC meeting to discuss the options available to the county. Consensus after years of local mismanagement and foot dragging: We’re ready to talk!
Remember last meeting when the CCC voted to delay the vote on consolidating the PSDs in the county into one great big regional public service district? They did it again this time. After hearing the Clay Roane PSD was no where near having their annual audit completed or even started and after deciding to listen to WV American Water Company’s ideas in the near future, County Commission voted to delay consolidation again.
As for the Clay High Dance Team getting a $1000 grant to send a kid to Florida... Nope. Sams, I don’t think we can hardly do it.. The auditor said we couldn’t do it, it was illegal the way we were doing it. Sams was referring to the old practice of doling out tax dollars to every Scout group and ball team to grace their doorway.
As for Prosecutor Grindo getting a pay raise for his office secretary? In a letter to the Commission, Grindo referred to her as a legal assistant and asked that her salary be increased from $12,000 to $15,000.00 Questions came over statements made by Mr. Grindo during his appointment to office in December 2002. Even Matthew Bragg perked up. Bragg reminded his fellow Commissioners, Grindo said he didn’t need a legal assistant just 5 months earlier, and that Grindo promised to move into the county if appointed to the Jeff Davis vacated post. From the peanut gallery came comments. Paige Willis was loudest, That was before he opened an office in Braxton! Laughter came again. Of course, Willis’ comment was referring to Grindo opening a law office in Braxton County taking time away from official duties here in Clayberry. Unanimously, the big three said no to a $3000 pay increase. As for the promises made by Grindo, Bragg, Did he just flat out lie to us?
County Commission adjourned after 3 hours and 40 minutes of entertainment. Don’t stop reading yet. There’s more. Just three hours after the CCC gathering, the always entertaining Clay Roane PSD met in regular session. Go get a cup of coffee, head to the bathroom or whatever you have to do….. Ready? Here goes the second installment to this interesting day in Clayberry public meeting history.
Clay Roane PSD met in regular session at the CDC Senior Center on main Street June 26th , just a few hours after the County Commission met. In attendance were the regulars in the peanut gallery plus Commissioner Peter Triplett & Roane County Commissioner Rodney Cox and Boardsters Melissa Postelwait, Dave Salisbury and Gary Whaling. Boardster Glenn Sutton was asleep at home and Larry White was vacationing.
Mention was made of a Special PSD meeting held last week with reps from the USDA where a resolution was passed agreeing to funding requirements for the Punkin Ridge water line extension. One step closer and just $100,000 additional funding needed before construction can begin.
Bill paying didn’t take too long. With just money enough to cover employee wages and benefits, Postelwait, That’s all the money we have right now..
How much does it cost for Clay Roane to produce 1000 gallons of water? Still no answer. With the WV PSC figuring the cost at $4.60 per 1000 gallons, the dispute continues on. Chair Postelwait figured $3.36 per 1000 gallons for employee wages and benefits only. At issue is whether it would be cheaper for the PSD to purchase water from the Town of Clay instead of running their own water plant 20 hours per day. The Town currently charges $2.61 per 1000 gallons of water purchased through e wholesale agreement mandated by the WV PSC. The PSC also mandated in that same contract, that the Town provide up to 5 million gallons of water per month to Clay Roane. That’s 166,000 gallons per day.
According to office manager Crystal Geiger, Clay Roane bought just 1.36 million gallons in Jan 2003; 1.035 million gallons in Feb; 460,000 gallons in March; 322,000 gallons in April and 290,536 gallons in May 2003. During the discussion, Chief water operator Bobby Burdette contended that they could produce water cheaper than Clay’s wholesale price. Postelwait asked for a motion to buy all the water they could from the Town plant in Clay. Didn’t work. At first Boardster Whaling was in favor of the increased purchases.
Whaling made those comments after County Commissioner Triplett reminded them of the dangers of pumping nearly 20 hours per day. According to Triplett, such pump times could result in the whole system being put on a system wide moratorium which would shut down all plans for water line extensions. Operator Jennifer Traub recalled a similar conversation with PSC official confirming the Triplett concerns. As recently as last week, funders raised the troubling issue as well. After hearing all this, Whaling insisted that more study be given the issue before moving to purchase additional water from the Town. Things are getting better!
As for the newly created Policy and Procedures Manual, the part time employees refuse to sign their names to the booklet.
And then for the first time in public, the Board heard about misplaced 2002 bank statements and accounting records. About many of the records being stored in a duffle bag. And about no records from the 2000 2001 fiscal years. Neither Saulsgiver nor Whaling’s eyebrows went up. They sat. Not a peep out of them. It appeared they knew what was being said before being said. As if, one more little secret was out in the open. The misplaced records had been stored in the old Newton Fire Dept building which is owned by Clay Roane PSD. Postelwait confirmed that the checkbook and savings books were gone. Under further scrutiny, Postelwait confirmed to the Board , the 37% water loss leak in the Queen Shoals system. Is the leak something new? Nope according to operator Burdette, It’s been there a while. From the peanut gallery came questions on a Judge ordering them to secure records after similar records disappeared four years ago. Postelwait assured all that the current records are locked up as are the remaining reports from 2002. Things are getting better!
Something happened next. Burdette, who recently switched from the hoot owl shift to day shift to assume the Chief Operator’s position told the Board he wanted the night shift back, Night time operator Jennifer Traub was peeeeeeed big time. Traub reminded Burdette, that he was the one that wanted the day shift and she was not interested, in any way, going back to daytime shift. Traub, I HEARD YOU SAY YOU WANTED THE DAY SHIFT!! Traub was firm, Did we say firm? She appeared ready to scratch his eyes out over even the mention of such a change. Traub told the Board she had kids at home and after switching to night shift, she had let her babysitter go. Here’s clincher, after hearing that the Chief Operator , that’s Burdette, sets work schedules, Traub knew Burdette, away from the public’s view, would move her to day shift. Traub, ARE YOU GOING TO SWITCH SHIFTS???? Burdette asked about him working one week at night followed by a day shift. Now fully in battle gear, it was all Traub could muster, to not pinch the little head off Burdette.
Things are getting better now.
Next came talk for the need to drug test all employees of the operation. The recently passed Policy manual does not mention the practice of such testing. No decision made on the issue but watch this one to surface again and soon. And then the fight.
Long time part time maintenance man Dale Deems spoke on the Punkin Ridge extension project and gave a heated history lesson on how Punkineers, he’s one of them, were promised water service in 1983 only to see those funds diverted to more affluent areas of the district. Deems asked about the high cost ($650,000.00) for the planned Punkin extension. Stated, Punkin has done without water long enough…THERES A BUNCH OF LIARS IN THE SYSTEM!! Taking that statement as a direct jab, Postelwait fired it right back at Deems with fingers pointing! Somewhere in there a short fat guy reminded all, an additional $100,000 was added on the Punkin project to cover a $50,000 loan that was suppose to be used for new meters and such four years ago. The fat guy said in addition to NOT buying the meters with the $50,000, another $50,000.00 had been added to the Punkin project to finally buy the already suppose to bought and installed meters plus more Punkin money was set aside for the PSD to buy a new truck. Oh Boy. None of that went over well.
Deems reloaded, sat on the edge of his seat, and loudly said it all over again. This time Postelwait threatened to throw Deems out of the meeting and called for an immediate adjournment. With adjournment in hand, a meek, timid peanut gallery viewer, Ms Summers, commented that she didn’t think getting thrown out of a meeting was right and he ( Deems) should be allowed to speak his peace. None the less, the meeting was over shortly after Deems stormed out the meeting room and with Chair Postelwait’s blood pressure at about 250. —AW
??? DID YOU KNOW ???
| | 1. The impossible takes a little longer.
- Aurabindo
2. More than 40 million people in the United States suffer chronic and disabling headaches.
3. It’s now estimated that the rat population of France has surpassed the human population of nearly 60 million.
4. The U.S. produces 19 percent of the world’s trash. The annual contribution includes 20 billion disposable diapers, two billion razors and 1.7 billion ink pens.
5. The average life span of an American dollar bill is 18 months.
6. According to the Environmental Working Group, there are at least 120,000 more billboards today than there were in 1965.
7. Black Lung, which is caused by exposure to excessive levels of coal dust, kills about 1000 people annually.
8. A study by the British Medical Journal says women who are pregnant with boys eat more calories a day than those pregnant with girls but don’t gain more weight.
9. Since 1982, 194 West Virginians have been killed in ATV accidents.
10. About three in every ten Americans will be involved in an alcohol related vehicle accident during their lifetime according to a 2002 study conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
11. Doctors say the more education you have the less likely you are to exhibit Alzheimer’s symptoms of dementia.
12. About 9,500 people nationwide were treated in a hospital emergency room for fireworks related injuries in 2001.
13. Last year the average consumer drank 21 gallons of bottled water, about 11 percent more than in 2001.
14. The number of students calling the state’s toll free hot line to report bullying and threats of school violence has more than tripled in it’s second year of operation.
15. Of all the earths water, only 1% is suitable for drinking.
16. The Mountain State has 201,685 people living in rural counties who receive Medicare benefits.
17. In North Carolina, methadone deaths rose 800 percent between 1997 and 2001.
18. The average person ate less than 139 pounds of flour last year, the first time in nine years that figure fell below 140 pounds.
19. The average American eats 195 pounds of red meat, poultry or fish each year.
20. Nearly 30 percent of all 911 calls are from cell phones. LMM
|
SCANNER LISTENING AND MORE
Small town America, mid evening, June 13th 2003, some sitting on the porch, others trying to finish gardening chores, still others preparing for a big Friday night out. Across the scanner came reports of a body found on Hansford Fork. Telephones started to ring. Who did they find? Was it a gun shot? Was it that girl from Roane County missing since last August? Was the person somehow related to the meth lab raid and bust two days prior? Here’s what we saw and heard readers.
Friday, June 13th was a dry evening and warm. Out on Hansford Fork, at the top of the hill, there is a left turn, a paved road. About 2 mailboxes down that road, on the right, is an old cemetery. After the first call came in, around 8:10 or so, that ace cub reporter went to the area. We didn’t see squat. After waiting around a bit near the turn off to the cemetery, around dusk thirty, a Clay Ambulance driven by Tony Long was spotted. The ambulance was in route to the scene and approaching without sirens or lights, of course that’s a bad sign.
Following Long was a gold/tan SUV driven by the Braxton County Coroner. Note: Clayberry doesn’t have a certified coroner. Long was doing the escorting services. Shortly thereafter and coming a little quicker was the new, black, unmarked, Sheriff’s 4WHD, most likely driven by Unit 2, Jeff Rider. Shortly thereafter came the mid size Sheriff cruiser, it too was without lights or siren. As we headed back from the scene, we waved, of course.
Now glued to the scanner… A call came in for Town Cop Buckshot Butcher to come and baby sit three prisoners at the old Courthouse. The arrests were relating to the meth-lab bust reported in the last edition of this paper. See Magistrate Report this edition. About then, ten-ish, came a call for the state crime investigation scene. 10:36 pm Trooper Bailey (sounded like him anyway) asked law enforcement to block off the area from us rubber-neckers. 11:03 pm Officer Buckshot asked if Bailey wanted him to transport the three in shackles to regional jail. Response, ‘No, sit tight.’
11:17 911 Dispatch calls for law enforcement, domestic in progress, three miles past Golden Delicious Sign at Bomont. Woman fired warning shot. Irate man violating restraining order.
11:25 pm Law enforcement trying to get a generator set up and a four wheeler running at the cemetery on Hansford Fork.
Police respond to domestic
11:36 pm Trooper Bailey and DNR unit 444 now at the old Courthouse
11:37 pm Sheriff Fields, Any need to keep the road blocked? Rider, Just use your own judgment..
Midnight:30 Trooper Bailey and DNR Unit 444 Transporting two males and one female to Central Regional Jail..
On Saturday afternoon, the 14th, two nice, new, shiny, Dodge State Police trucks with even more shiny chrome tool boxes everywhere were seen trying to drive off Hansford Fork into a man’s field. If they thought they were on location where the body was found…. Well, they weren’t. Even looked like the second 4WHD was stuck up.
People were glued to their scanners. By now most in the county know the body found was that of Linda Summers Woods Lane. Unofficial word has it, no bullets, no nothing like that, just a sad end to a 45 year olds life. An unfortunate end, after being missing for two days, in a cemetery.
For those of us in the outback, scanner chatter makes up for lack of movies, gulf courses, and other recreational venues.
My name is Eric Greenleaf and I have been placed at Clay FM and with Delta Communications ( The Communicator) through HRDF. I’m 17 years old, live in Ivydale, and have just attended my first Clay County Commission meeting June 26, 2003. Through out almost the whole conference I was in a state of confusion, by not really knowing what was going on and why some of the people around me were getting upset over what seemed to me to be simple motions.
Later on I got some background information on some of the heated debates between the County Commission and participants of the meeting. Now, having the knowledge of what I was told about some of the issues, I was able to form my own opinion on the contested matter at hand. Finding out the information about Clay first hand is a lot better than hearing about it from the local gossip-mongers because I know exact figures and how people feel about the issues at hand, for example:
Over in Queen Shoals there is a major water leak that is consuming around 37% of the treated water that is being pumped to the tower. I stopped and ask myself: How could 37%, almost half, of a community’s water supply be lost without any concern for it? I thought, if I had a business and I was loosing 37% of my product, the first thing that I would do is try to find where my product was coming up missing and stop it at the source.
Another thing that happened that I was kind of dumb founded on was ambulance service insurance. J.W. Hughes, working for Assure America Insurance Co., brought up statistics on the current insurance policy and then he presented his proposal. His proposal was better coverage at around $8,000 dollars cheaper for the county than their current one, and the Commissioners turned it down. Why would they turn down a policy that would be cheaper for the county and better for the ambulance service? The world may never know.
Another major concern during the meeting was 911 radios for the emergency services around the county. There is a problem throughout the county radio service coverage areas. With all areas of emergency services, much of the time when they are on call, they don’t have radio communications! They don’t have time to go chase down a spot where they can call for back up or other needed services. With them not being able to get hold of the right person a life could be lost due to the sluggish actions of the county leadership. Instead, they have been saving up the taxpayers money in an account. I think Sheriff Fields said it best when he said, "I truly believe it’s time to do something." According to Mr. Fields, at times, officers have to go into dangerous situations and its just them and God, no communications, period.
Attending this meeting helped me understand the seriousness of some of the problems of Clay County. Over the next few weeks, watch for more reports from this 17 year old, new to the public meeting world.
Eric Greenleaf
Doing What Politicians Do By Jim Chafin
In the long and dismal history of politicians in this region, one could hardly raise an issue that so glaringly depicts the lack of concern for the people in this state as the failure of the system to adequately nurture and protect its impressionable young citizens – our school children. County after county in freedom loving West Virginia have knuckled under to the misguided edicts of a less than informed political organization at the state level. Doing what politicians do, i.e., playing follow the leader, our local Board of Education would rather inconvenience the local folks than make waves for the state political apparatus. Why is that? One would wonder.
Did I say inconvenience? The changes being touted by the state, and being echoed by local boards, are nothing less than catastrophic. Not merely in terms of the lengthy bus rides for the children, which are onerous to say the least, but has anyone ever sat down and considered the actual costs of busing as opposed to maintaining the present system as it now is? Making changes for the sake of efficiency as must be made. Transportation, as a line item in the current budget, surely must be one of the top money-eaters in the budget of any school district. Rolling stock has a depreciation factor much higher than do buildings with metal and concrete – that is to say that a fleet of buses that serve a given building will have to be replaced many times over the life expectancy of the building itself. Motor vehicles do not come cheap, as any simpleton knows. And insurance, well, the howls of pain by those who must fork over those premiums have reached a feverish pitch. How much in increased liability exposure will the school district be forced to ante up due to the increased mileage and risk factors for our antiquated highway system? Even if the school district is so-called self insured, their costs for property damage and injury will most certainly be much higher. To my knowledge, no one has ever offered any definitive studies that have dealt with this very troubling aspect of what appears to be a foregone conclusion.
Folks, this issue has been bandied about for a decade or more, and each time it is brought up the debate takes on the air of a political campaign that has, seemingly, little or nothing to do with reality except that as defined by an entity whose goals seem directly counter to those of the local community who are required to foot the bills. Government bodies can, and often do, take on a life of their own, meaning: moving large amounts of money around becomes their reason for existing regardless of whether or not their constituents agree with it or not. For the citizens’ part, think about what the board’s current plans portend for the county and the state. Here we have buildings already constructed to house current students, and the board wants to abandon all those buildings, leave them for vandals to destroy, and then spend large sums of hard to come by cash to build another very expensive complex. Reminds me of the biblical rich farmer who would tear down all his barns because they were full and build bigger ones. Only in this case, the State of West Virginia and the individual counties are not rich – both entities are struggling to pay their bills. Meanwhile, the bureaucrats spend their time dreaming up more and bigger grandiose projects by which to fritter away taxpayer money. Further, this kind of fuzzy thinking seems to dispel any notion that this region will ever find its way out of the deep morass into which it has fallen, thereby taking away hope from the hapless.
A few years back, Mingo County was visited by a committee from the Supreme Court of West Virginia, ostensibly for the noteworthy reason of determining the security needs of the county, specifically the Mingo County Court House. Well, surprise, surprise, not long after construction on a new security system began. Never mind that no one, ever, in the history of this county has been injured in the line of duty in this place. Time honored tradition would prevail – the money was there so it must be spent. Back before 9/11, Osama, before Iraq and those WMDs (?), duct tape and plastic wrap. Simply put, the system conjures up its own emergencies of its own volition.
The leaders cause this people to err…
MAGISTRATE REPORT
Felony
06/12/03: Bailey – Mark A. Stone, warrant issued for breaking and entering, arrested 06/13, ROB 06/22, preliminary hearing set; Bailey – Dencil Pritt, warrant issued for breaking and entering; Bailey – Vincent E. Samples, warrants issued for breaking and entering X 3, arrested 06/18; Bailey – Russell G. Moore Jr., warrant issued for breaking and entering.
06/13/03: Bailey – Allen G. McClain, warrant issued for possess, manufacture, deliver methamphetamine, arrested, ROB 06/19, trial set; Bailey – Lori A. McClain, warrant issued for manufacture, possess, deliver methamphetamine, arrested, ROB 06/19, hearing set.
06/16/03: Elswick – Russell G. Moore Jr., warrant issued for transferring stolen property.
06/17/03: Bailey – Christopher J. Samples, appeared on warrant for manufacture of marijuana, ROB, preliminary hearing set.
06/22/03: Belt – Johnny R. Neff, driving under the influence-3rd offense, arrested, ROB.
06/23/03: Elswick – Vincent Edward Samples, warrant issued for breaking and entering; Elswick – Dencil Ray Pritt, warrant issued for breaking and entering.
Misdemeanor
06/13/03: Clay County Middle School – Gwendolyn M. Coles, warrant issued for worthless check complaint, pre-trial dismissal: paid WC and cost of notice; case d/m; Hartland Superette – Samantha Johnson, warrant issued for worthless check complaint.
06/16/03: Elswick – Russell G. Moore Jr., warrant issued for concealing stolen property.
06/19/03: IGA – Margaret A. Oxley, warrant issued for worthless check complaint; Big Otter Food Mart – Alicia Schindler, warrant issued for worthless check complaint; IGA – Judith A. Myers, warrants issued for worthless check complaints X 3, appeared 06/23, ROB, defendant agrees to pay checks and costs by date specified on two, pre-trial dismissal on third: Def. paid check and costs, case d/m.
06/23/03: Elswick – Dencil Ray Pritt, warrant issued for petit larceny; Simms – Tonya Renee Salisbury, unlawful disposal of litter, arrested, ROB; Workman – Jason Dancy, warrants issued for assault and destruction of property; Workman – Eric Justin Hamrick, warrant issued for assault.
06/24/03: Dimple Rogers – Gilbert Wilson Jr., warrant issued for worthless check complaint; Mitchel H. King – Julie C. Hudson, warrant issued for worthless check complaint; Clay County High School – Sherry Jo Mullins, warrant issued for worthless check complaint; Cunningham Motors, Inc. – Joseph L. Mollohan and Christopher Samples, warrants issued for worthless check complaints.
Civil
06/16/03: James Dawson – Amy Brown, wrongful occupation, subpoena.
06/19/03: Chilton H. Nichols – Shonda L. Tanner, money due, and Steve R. Mosley, money due, subpoenas; Gregory and Jessica Manchester – Jerry Smith and Jamie Smith, money due.
06/23/03: Meadowbrook Inventions Inc. – Lea Burnside, money due, subpoena.
Worthless Checks
Notices issued –
06/11/03: Mitchel H. King – Julie C. Hudson, misdemeanor file opened 06/24.
06/12/03: Carte’s Quick Stop – Ronald Chris Griffin X 2 (paid 06/19).
06/13/03: Clay County High School – Sherry Jo Mullins, misdemeanor file opened 06/24; Cunningham Motors Inc. – Joseph L. Mollohan, misdemeanor file opened 06/24; Cunningham Motors Inc.- Karen S. Tanner (paid 06/23), Linda Walker (paid 06/17), Travis Cook (paid 06/23), Jennifer Grose X 4 (paid 06/23), Christopher Samples, misdemeanor file opened 06/24.
06/16/03: Nicole Fitzwater – Sandra Eagle; Connie Brown – Mark A. Prince.
06/17/03: April L.Dennis – Alice C. Pierson (paid 06/23).
06/23/03: Big Otter Clinic – Jennifer D. Grose; Clay Primary Health Care – Samuel N. Boggs.
06/24/03: Ryco Equipment, Inc. – Sally Legg; Clay County Middle School – Marilou Legg, Nancy A. Brown, Tresea Truman.
Citation Register
06/05/03: State Police – Rickey M. Barker, no POI.
06/06/03: State Police – Angela Grose, speeding.
06/07/03: State Police – Mark Griffin, speeding and MVI.
06/09/03: Sheriff’s Dept. – Dustin Von Stone, speeding; Municipal Police – Sandra L. Adkins, shoplifting.
06/10/03: State Police – Karla Lynn Erickson, speeding; ?? – Mary Lee White, shoplifting 2; Sheriff’s Dept. – Christine Williams, no POI.
06/12/03: Sheriff’s Dept. – Jolene Ann Myers, defective equipment; Joe D. Woods, MVI; DNR – Jerry Allan Dobbins, littering.
06/14/03: State Police – Mary S. Dawson, sale of cigarettes to person under 18; Marie W. Morris, sale of cigarettes to person under 18; Sheriff’s Dept. – Eric Lee Myers, MVI.
06/16/03: Sheriff’s Dept. – Jason R. Stalnaker, registration violation and MVI.
06/17/03: Sheriff’s Dept. – Tommy E. Young, registration violation and no POI.
06/18/03: DNR – Billy R. Stewart, littering.
06/19/03: Municipal Police – David Brandon Brown, no POI; Sheriff’s Dept. – Denese L. Leatherman, speeding; Kenneth D. Sigman, speeding.
06/20/03: Sheriff’s Dept. – Thomas Roy Holcomb, registration violation; State Police – Larry G. Kelley Jr., operator’s and no POI.
06/22/03: Sheriff’s Dept. – Johnny R. Neff, driving under the influence-3rd offense.
BOB CLARKE Curmudgeon’s Corner
Voter apathy in this republic has reached proportions that are several dimensions beyond alarming. What passes all understanding is that the younger generations who, to quote the abominable Dick Cheney, when asked why he avoided military service during the Vietnam conflict, callously remarked that he had other priorities. With this current administration seemingly hell-bent to gut our increasingly anemic economy, it is a safe prediction that before too long, the youngsters, who are too self-involved or disinterested to become informed about or participate in the political process, will not know what hit them or know why. It may not be premature to bid a sad farewell to Social Security, Medicare, affordable health insurance and a myriad of public necessities in the foreseeable future. People who have already been awarded their legendary threescore years and ten or thereabouts, probably have less reason to fear the probable financial insecurity, possibly even devastation facing youth, as well as the baby boomers. Should this dark prophecy come to pass, those who are still living and breeding on this part of the planet can thank George W. Bush’s infamous leave no millionaire behind economic policy.
Someone, whose name is lost in the recesses of memory, wrote a book entitled The Uses of Adversity. That we learn, or should learn from our mistakes is a commonplace, but, as Shakespeare might have said: It is a custom more honored in the breech. As painful and grotesque it is to contemplate, Osama bin Laden may not only be alive, but flourishing. Oddly, when the horror of 9/11 was thrust upon this country, bin Laden denied that his organization was involved. It was somewhat later that he took credit for the attack. The analysis of motives is a complicated business, but the usual modus operandi of terrorist groups is to take credit for virtually all attacks. The IRA (Irish Republican Army) does it all the time – well, usually. In any event, what we could have learned from 9/11, regardless of the origin, is the utter futility and uselessness of the celebrated missile defense system, AKA Star Wars. The billions that have already been spent on this defense industry shell game stagger the imagination. Legions of reputable scientists, some of them Nobel Laureates, have insisted that the system won’t work. Having a missile shield over our heads to protect us from incoming projectiles is a peachy-keen concept, but a number of published sources have stated that all tests have failed, and the ones the government claimed success for were faked. Remember Colin Powell’s preposterous show-and-tell performance at the United Nations?
But I have promises to keep, Robert Frost’s poem says. In this case, what Osama bin Laden could have taught us is that, even if the missile shield worked, it would have provided no defense against terrorists. The French once erected a barrier against the anticipated attack by the Germans. The Maginot Line was impregnable. Instead of hitting the walls head-on the Germans, no dummies, went around them. Even the mentally-challenged wolf of Little Red Riding Hood fame must have learned that he couldn’t blow down a brick house. And the moral is…, as old Aesop used to say: if you can’t penetrate the roof, come in through the window or door. But the Star Wars boondoggle will continue. The guiding principle of the military industrial complex (Eisenhower’s term) is there is money in it.
There may be a time when even those of a gentle and peaceful nature think longingly about some of the old customs. In this case, what comes to mind is the delightful, old-timey sentence of being thrown into boiling oil. The prime candidate for this week’s bubbling vat is U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense, Paul Wolfowitz. Being limited merely to calling this man arrogant only illustrates the poverty of the English vocabulary. Wolfowitz, a name which should stand as an insult to wolves, is a product of that defense policy think tank which has been planning since the early 90s for the United States to conquer the world. Several weeks ago, the youngish hardliner lectured the Turks, saying that, since the Turkish legislature voted against aiding the U.S. effort against Iraq, the military forces should take over the government. In more rational times, this sort of idiocy would cause a minor government official to get the sack. Not, it seems with this gang, but there is more.
With the continuing discussion of weapons of mass destruction, (are you getting tired of that chorus?) Paul Wolfowitz remarked this week that WMD was chosen as a bureaucratic reason, Because the other possible reasons were too hard for Americans to understand. These are his very words. In the unlikely event that you have read this far, pause a moment to let Wolfowitz’s incredible political blunder sink in. Where is the outrage someone said in times past. This lout is one of the administration’s spokespeople. More than just implied here is the American people are gullible as well as stupid. It is easy to assume that the towering egos in the think tanks that spewed out such creatures as Wolfowitz and his boss, Don Rumsfeld – he of the superiority complex – think of us as the mindless rabble, the slobbering multitudes. Bring on the oil!
Potpourri
…We have asserted the purity of our purpose.
– Benjamin Disraeli
(On the British war in Abyssinia, 1868)
I’ll be frank – I don’t think the whole country of Iraq is worth one American life, and I don’t give a damn what kind of government Iraq will have. – Charley Reese
…An army of pompous phrases moving across the landscape in search of an idea. (Description of a typical political speech) - Anonymous
Loyalty to petrified opinion never yet broke a chain or freed a human soul.
(Essay on A Nation Awash in Blind Nationalism)
The prison camp at Guantanamo Bay was built by a subsidiary of Haliburton, Dick Cheney’s once and future company. Cost: $9.7 – no competitive bids…
I have a horror of anonymity. – Gore Vidal
Propaganda is that branch of the art of lying which consists in very nearly deceiving your friends without quite deceiving your enemies. – F.M. Cornford
In one of his rare press conferences Bush cited 9/11 eight times, (the shield employed for all actions).
Yours, etc., Cur
DON GREENE WV Radical: SIGNS OF POVERTY EVERYWHERE
As I read the latest issue of the
Communicator, the signs of poverty struck me on almost every page. Page one features a lengthy article about the making of crystal meth. This is the poor man's cocaine. It has been sweeping poverty-stricken areas, like our two counties, in recent years and is finally arriving here with a bang. Also featured was the sentencing of a cold-blooded murderer, who will be back on the streets eventually, seeking his vengeance on his supposed enemies. It is my opinion that wasting our tax dollars on this sort of criminal is criminal in its self. Those dollars could be going to education, rebuilding our dilapidated infrastructure or hopefully establishing some sort of self-sufficient economy in this state.
Jumping over to page four there are nearly fifty examples of what comes with poverty listed in the Magistrate report. Things like bad checks, lack of registration and lack of insurance are purely the products of being too poor to keep up in this world. Oddly enough there were another dozen or so permits to carry concealed weapons. This goes on in every issue. Clay has to be the most well armed county in the state by now, with a half dozen to a dozen getting permits every two weeks. Is it out of fear of their neighbors or is there some other reason that so many Clay Countians feel the need to carry concealed weapons? Either way it's another sign of poverty of both body and soul.
On the next page much ado was made over the town election. I would suspect that it wouldn't surprise anyone involved in any level of politics that candidates cluster together in "slates". As far as the alleged "buying" of votes, put your money where your mouth is and file charges on the ones you suspect. Knowing that a crime is committed and doing nothing about it is not much less than doing it yourself. Crooked little elections or the allegations of them are yet another sign of desperate poverty.
Next page, so your handpicked Prosecutor doesn't seem to be living up to his word. As Gomer would say, "Well surprise, surprise!" First of all he's a lawyer and I'll leave that just as it is. We know what they are, they know what they are and that's enough on that. Duh! Wasn't he a Republican only months ago? Once again I don't think it takes an Einstein to figure that one out. Too bad for you because you're probably stuck with him unless Ms. Schamberger's suit bares fruit and the CCC is forced to actually follow the law. Sad that you had a perfectly fine attorney already employed but some sort of dealings, shady or otherwise had to jump the county line to get "their" fish. Such maneuvers, need I say, are again an indication of poverty all around.
I just have to take a shot at the tub-thumping about your "Empowerment Zone". So easy to blame their failure on Clinton isn't it? The truth is that the two I know of, your CAEZ and our PAZ, are both loaded to the gills with bankers, bureaucrats and other brands of self-servers and flunkies. These birds just ain't going to fly with the membership and leadership they have, so don't look for any more from them than you get from the various PSDs and the PSC. They were intended to be grassroots concepts but have been distorted into just another bunch of slimy-hands wheeling and dealing with the public's money and property. Lots of talking but not much walking from these guys, I refer you to the case of the windbag and the onion sack.
Somewhere in all the bad news was a mention of a development specialist. WV is crawling with these guys, like ants at a picnic. The sad thing is that they seldom do anything but talk and go on lots of trips. There's always a big prospect right around the corner, if they just had a little more time and a lot more money. Happy fishing on this one folks, there ain't no big ones coming our way unless they get the package that Toyota did and that's a whopper. These pie-in-the-sky, get-rich-quick, pyramid schemes are illegal in private and should be in the public sector too.
I promise, I'll be back on my usual tirades next outing but this time there was just so much jumping out at me I had to address it.
FROM THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE COUNTY By Rose Cantrell
Greetings from beautiful downtown Bomont! Not much news from this end these days, what with school out, all sports seasons over for awhile and everybody scattering to points unknown for vacation. Oh, ho hum. Clay County in the summer ain’t exactly a booming metropolis.
The Procious minor league baseball team wrapped up its UNDEFEATED baseball season. They were supposed to play a final game on Thursday against Clay, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Not just her normal, pain in the tush rain-out.. Oh, no. Not for the Mother Nature with the Severe Attitude Problem. One minute we were waiting for the T-ballers to finish up, the next we were in the midst of a raging monsoon falling from the sky. All in all, it was a great season for everybody.
With all the talk going ‘round and ‘round about water water water in this county, do you know that Clay County pays some of the highest water rates in the entire state?? Yep. For some interesting reading, check out the WV Infrastructure and Jobs Development Council’s website. The Infrastructure Council is the agency that combines all the available funding agencies for water and sewer projects in the state and makes the recommendations on where and how to get the cheapest loan dollars for projects. They also make the recommendations as to who gets grant dollars that never have to be repaid. That’s right - FREE MONEY that’s right there for the asking. You just have to ask the right people and jump through all their hoops. We’re talking millions of free dollars ... bring on the hoops!
Take a look at their website and see who’s getting all the money. While you’re at it, check out the Public Service Commission’s website at. Make sure you have a bucket by your side, because it will definitely make you sick when you realize that places like Berkeley County have borrowed over $40,000,000 and their average rates are less than $20 per month. Do you hear that, public water customers in Clay County?? Those rates are after rate increases put into place to help repay all those loans and they’re still expanding.
Some of us in Clay County are paying way more than that and there’s been no upgrade, we’re paying for Roane County to have the water that we can’t get, half the county isn’t even hooked up to a public water source, and those who are don’t have water half the time. To add insult to injury, there are even those of us who pay the nice Tyler Mountain Water man to deliver drinking water to our doors because honestly, who wants to drink that swill? There are people in this state who are paying as little as $10 per month for water! Start making those phone calls! Start writing those letters! Folks, it’s time we Clay Countians stopped griping about the water issues and did something about it. Attend the meetings. Make your voice be heard. Better yet, let’s all drink that swill that comes out of our faucets (sometimes), then when we get horrendously sick, we’ll sue the crap out of ... well, somebody ... and use the millions we receive to build our own personal water plants. Then we can expand our water lines wherever the heck we feel like and charge whatever we see fit. Oh, and hook up all our friends and family for free, of course. I think that’s the law.
Speaking of free, do you remember when water was free? Remember when air was, too? Remember the ‘Good Ol’ days when you could go to the service station instead of just the gas station and some nice young neighborhood boy would clean your windshield, pump your gas, check your oil, and put air in your tires? All while making polite conversation about how his mama was doing? If you’re from this era or even an earlier time and you’ve got stories to share, Clay FM, Clay’s very own radio station up Two Run way, is doing a series of documentaries about Clay County people and their tales. Wouldn’t it be cool to have you granddaughter in Florida be able to hear you on the radio, talking about when you were a kid? Or how about that hateful woman in Ohio who used to live across the road from you, listening to you finally get to tell everybody how nasty her biscuits were? Or maybe even the hateful woman who still lives across the road from you... Give Clay FM a call at 587-8353 and let them set up an interview.
Stay tuned
SHORT SHORTS
The Greater Kanawha Foundation recently handed out 29 grants in its second-quarter cycle of grants and Clay County benefited by receiving two of those.
Clay County 4-H gets $4,680 to provide scholarships to 43 Clay County 4-H campers this year. Drivers for Food will get $3,500 to buy school jackets and yearbooks for children in need at H.E. White Elementary in Bomont and to provide emergency assistance with food, utilities, and prescriptions for individuals and families in the area.
-
Superintendent Jerry Linkinogger broadly smiles when mention is made that Clay County has passed a school excess levy twice under his reign. A feat unattainable by earlier administrations. Over in Roane County, the boastfulness and attitude are quite different. Roane County is one of just 12 counties where voters refuse to give excess monies to schools. During the last try for a levy, voters shot it down decisively with less than 30% willing to pay the extra tax burden.
According to reports in Roane County’s The Times Record, under the stewardship of Superintendent Steve Goffreda, We’re comfortably lean….. There this year, the system will tighten the belts one more notch as administrative positions are reduced by two. Roane County has one of the highest administrator to student ratios according to WV Dept. of Education figures.
When budgets get tight, instead of complaining or trying over and over to force a new tax on voters, Superintendent Goffreda reduces from the top down. How refreshing.
Nothing is ever simple in Clayberry. Questions came up over who said they would be responsible for the removal and disposal of the roadway fill. Town leadership said they were NOT paying for the removal since they hadn’t agreed to the deal. Quotes five years ago estimated the cost of removal to be around $50,000.00 and made mention that removing the fill could also damage the decaying tracks resulting in even greater expenses.
In December 1999, then Mayor Joyce Gibson signed an agreement with Elk River Railroad for the Town to be responsible for all clean up costs. When the letter was made public during a Town Council meeting in the spring of 2000, and after the deal was already signed, some members of Council and Recorder Betty Murphy protested the document saying they had not agreed to such a deal nor did they even know about it prior to Mayor Gibson signing the same.
Here’s the anniversary part readers. According to the document, then Mayor Joyce Gibson told Elk River Railroad the offending fill would be removed by July 1, 2000. The agreement letter is printed in its entirety on this page.
Today, three years after the questionable deal was consummated, the debris and liability remain. With their new hats on, Mayor Jarrett, Recorder Dwana Murphy, and council persons Sally Legg, Frank Childers, Phil Morris, Billie Jane Zegeer and Betty Murphy will have to come up with funds to cover mistakes from the past. Costly mistakes. AW
br>
ANNIVERSARY DATE HERE AGAIN
All local governments are faced with serious day to day decisions and issues. Consuming for leaders is street and sidewalk maintenance, water and sewer plant operation and staffing, making ends meet, and working within the confines of the operating budget. Our new Town Leadership takes the reigns July 1 under the stewardship of returning to power Mayor “King” Arthur Jarrett. For our new and returning leaders, another issue , one left over from years ago, is clouding the horizon. The issue of debris removal from the railroad bed at Pisgah, debris left over from the construction of the sewer plant, the Johnny Woooofter Log Factory. The track and property is owned by Elk River Railroad located in Summersville.
To make access easier and safer for heavy construction equipment and supply delivery, the contractor needed a way into the construction site. The quickest way was to cover the railroad tracks with gravel forming a new roadway to the area. In the original agreement with Elk River Railroad and the contractor, the material allowed on the RR bed was to have been clean gravel not rock, mud, and yuck. Shortly after completion of the now 5 year in operation sewer plant, the RR labeled the fill “contaminants” and asked that the remains be removed immediately.
Nothing is ever simple in Clayberry. Questions came up over who said they would be responsible for the removal and disposal of the roadway fill. Town leadership said they were NOT paying for the removal since they hadn’t agreed to the deal. Quotes five years ago estimated the cost of removal to be around $50,000.00 and made mention that removing the fill could also damage the decaying tracks resulting in even greater expenses.
In December 1999, then Mayor Joyce Gibson signed an agreement with Elk River Railroad for the Town to be responsible for all clean up costs. When the letter was made public during a Town Council meeting in the spring of 2000, and after the deal was already signed, some members of Council and Recorder Betty Murphy protested the document saying they had not agreed to such a deal nor did they even know about it prior to Mayor Gibson signing the same.
Here’s the anniversary part readers. According to the document, then Mayor Joyce Gibson told Elk River Railroad the offending fill would be removed by July 1, 2000. The agreement letter is printed in its entirety on this page.
Today, three years after the questionable deal was consummated, the debris and liability remain. With their new hats on, Mayor Jarrett, Recorder Dwana Murphy, and council persons Sally Legg, Frank Childers, Phil Morris, Billie Jane Zegeer and Betty Murphy will have to come up with funds to cover mistakes from the past. Costly mistakes. AW