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Board of Education Meetings
The Clay County Board of Education has met twice for regular meetings since the last edition of this newspaper. Both meetings moved swiftly but a lot of business was conducted. Board members Gene King, Scott Legg, David Pierson, Fran King, and Board President R. B. Legg, Jr. were present at both, along with most of the central office staff.
The May 19 meeting was conducted at Clay County High School (CCHS), in the library, prior to the National Honor Society dinner and induction ceremony. The Board approved the following: increased receipts of $33,978.00, about all grant money according to Superintendent Jerry Linkinogger; the school calendar for 2003-2004, which had been tabled at their previous meeting. Pierson and Fran King had questioned the employees’choice of calendar (they were offered three variations), #3, as it had teachers coming back to school for one day after the New Year, on Friday, January 2. Both said they felt attendance that day would be poor. After a short discussion at the board table (some of which couldn’ be heard due to background noise), Board opted for calendar #2; employed Michelle Samples, who previously taught at CCHS before taking a job at Glenville, as Social Studies/English teacher at CCHS (Mike Mullins’former position); employed teachers for summer school at Clay Middle School (CMS) pending enrollment: Vincent Young – Social Studies, Mike Smith – Science, David Ellison – Math, Nada Waddell – Reading, Beth Butler – English, and Steve Stanley – Math, all successful bids; employed teachers for summer school at CCHS pending enrollment: Greg Knopp – Driver Education, Frank Kleman – Social Studies, Joanne Exline – English, and Lewesla Linden – Math, all successful bids; employed teachers for summer school at Clay Elementary pending enrollment: Paul Adkins, J.B. Butcher, Marjorie Mullins, Patricia Underwood, and Vicky Walker, all successful bids; employed personnel for Camp Mustang at CMS June 13-19: Nada Waddell - camp director, Dawn Mullins, Rhonda Barber, Joyce Legg, and Joyce White as counselors, Tasha Pennington, Mike Smith, Joan Haynie, Carl Holcomb, Brian Collins, Evelyn Ellison, Mitzi Stephenson, Bev Nichols, and Doug Wayne as teachers, Linda Lambey – parent coordinator, Katie Walker, Corey Douglas, Jessica Ramsey, and Justin Holcomb as student counselors, Austin Mitchell- Jr. camp counselor; employed summer bus drivers and painters: summer school - Paul Edwards, Jim Mollahan, William Schoolcraft, Ronald Tanner, trip drivers - Clinton Nichols, Earl Tanner, painters - Tony Salisbury and Earl Tanner, activity buses – Jim Mollahan, William Schoolcraft, Ronald Tanner, and Mike Taylor, substitutes – Mike Taylor, Clinton Nichols, Ronald Tanner, Paul Edwards, Earl Tanner, Richard Talbot, Jerry Cunningham, Tony Salisbury, Delno Coen, Goldie Woods, Pat Legg, Mike Evans, Mary Kincaid, Randy Holcomb, David Belt, Brenda Griffin, Caroline Taylor, and Wyona Ramsey, all successful bids; employed summer cooks: Debbie Cantrell at CCHS, Dorothy Childers at Clay Elementary, Linda Workman at Clay Elementary ½ time pending enrollment, Ann Triplett – Camp Mustang, Frances White ½ time Camp Mustang pending enrollment, Frances White and Loretta Triplett at 4-H camp, Dorothy Childers at band camp, Debbie Cantrell and June Holcomb at CCHS football camp, and substitutes June Holcomb, Frances White, Robin Belt, Loretta Triplett, and Mildred Bullard, all successful bids; employed Shirley Barker, Mary Beth Dorsey, Edna Legg, Stacey Murphy, Cathy Shuler, Angela Taylor, Cynthia Varney, and Donna Williams all as substitute teacher aides; employed April Kearns as cheerleading coach at CCHS for 2003-2004, successful bid; approved transfers for April Kearns from 1st grade to 4th grade teacher at H.E. White Elementary (position paid through the Class Size Reduction grant), Erica Samples from gifted coordinator to 1st grade teacher at H.E. White for 2003-2004, Cary Salisbury driver from bus #9 Widen route to bus #44 Leatherwood route (Gary Rogers’former position), and Brenda Griffin driver from bus #41 Falling Rock Road to bus #33 Groves Creek route (Tim Butcher’ former position), all successful bids; approved a student transfer from Clay County to Nicholas County Schools; and approved for buses to transport 4-H campers to the Spencer pool during camp. All motions passed unanimously.
CCHS Ag Science teacher Bob Morris gave a brief presentation on the results of the national competition some of his students participated in while in Oklahoma in May, noting that they had, “rought back a lot of hardware.” CCHS French teacher Dr. Mann asked for permission to start planning and raising funds for another trip to France for CCHS students in November 2004. Mann has organized four successful trips to France during the past ten years, the last in 2002. He received positive comments from the Board, but the request will have to be made an action item at a future meeting. Linkinogger reminded the Board he was still working on trying to get state Budget Digest money to help pay the increased salaries to teachers that took the grant funded Masters Program at H.E. White, noting that it would be awfully close this year on funds, and answering the Board, “es, it may get a little red,”referring to the school budget. Linkinogger also announced that test scores were back, received the previous Thursday, and said they were very good. He pointed out that this was the second consecutive year that Lizemore Elementary had been off probation, and no Clay County School is on either state or federal probation. He told the Board they would get a presentation on the scores in the future, but overall scores were two-thirds of one percentage point of last year’ scores.
CCHS Principal Cindy Willis, speaking for the CCHS Local School Improvement Council, presented the Board with a list of requests for the school. They were: move the office reception area and add more inside and outside cameras, due to security reasons; put restrooms at the end of the auditorium; update radios; put up an auxiliary gymnasium, maybe a metal building, to provide more practice area, and increase participation; update other bathrooms. Scott Legg suggested that they add placing lights over the steps leading to the auditorium stage to their list.
Meeting adjourned around 6:30PM, and the Board went on to attend the National Honor Society induction ceremony and dinner.
Board met again, Monday, June 2, at their administrative office in Clay. With little discussion the Board approved: previous meeting minutes and payment of current bills; employed technology model specialists (paid through the technology grant) Amanda Grose – Ivydale Elementary, Donna Abel – Lizemore, Garland Tenney – Valley Fork Elementary, and April Kearns – H.E. White, all successful bids; employed student tutors (paid through the 21st Century Grant) Melissa Koch, Ashley Legg, Lindsay Legg, Julie Linkinogger, Leslie Pierson, Kristen Sirk, Kelly Tanner, Kacie Taylor, and Trever Wayne for summer school at Clay Elementary (only 9 applications were received for the 12 positions open); employed Dallas Hanshaw as bus driver for the bus #9 Widen route (Cary Salisbury’ former position), effective immediately, successful bid; employed Norman Ramsey as bus driver for the bus # 41 Falling Rock/Camp Creek route (Brenda Griffin’ former position), effective immediately, successful bid; employed as substitute cooks, effective upon successfully completing training, Janelle Boggs, Betty Frazier, Julie Horrocks, Tamera Jones, Robin Mullins, and Shelia Stone; employed Dallas Hanshaw and Norman Ramsey as summer substitute bus drivers; approved transfers for Megan Paxton from teacher at Lizemore and Ivydale to pre-school teacher at Clay Elementary (Karen Knopp’ former position), and driver Paul Edwards from bus #23 Bell Creek/Bentree route to bus #10 Adonijah/Lizemore route for 2003-2004, both successful bids; accepted the resignation of CMS cheerleading coach Lucy Cruickshanks effective immediately; and approved a student transfer from Clay County to Kanawha County for 2003-2004. All motions passed unanimously.
Business Manager/Treasurer Loretta Gray gave a very brief financial update for May. Fran King and Pierson had some questions on mileage reimbursement payments made to a parent transporting their child back and forth from home to alternative school.
Linkinogger wants the Board to adopt a cell phone policy for students, and told them he’ soon have several policies used by other school systems for them to look at.
Administrative assistant Kenneth Tanner asked the board members to complete a survey he provided to assist the Hall of Fame musical department in selecting music for the annual Hall of Fame Ceremony.
Meeting was adjourned by 6:30PM. Next meeting of the board will be Monday, June 16, at the administrative office in Clay. TK
BOB CLARKE Curmudgeon’ Corner
“hy of course the people don’ want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally, the common people don’ want war…But after all it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship…Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked (and) denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger.” The origin of this rather lengthy passage will be revealed somewhere near the conclusion of this column. Cynical readers (if there any left to pour over the bi-monthly drivel that emanates from this source) may dismiss this approach as a cheap rhetorical trick to force the reader to plow through the entire essay. It (the above) may be considered an example of what journalists are fond of calling realpolitik, the sort of statement people in power might make behind closed doors to their cronies, but never in a press conference or a campaign speech.
It seems fitting, at this dramatic point, to turn to a truly global topic – sweatshirts. Three of the world’ most prestigious universities: Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard, are mind-numbingly rich. However, (and there is always a ‘owever’ similar to the corporatists who are currently running this country, enough is never enough. “hat does this have to do with sweatshirts,”I heard you query. Relief is at hand. The three universities named earlier offer summer school courses, as do most other institutions of higher learning. The usual high standards for entrance are suspended. All that is required is the money, but the rewards are significant, even if you have only studied advanced basket weaving or the philosophy of Frisbee. The point is that now you will be technically entitled to wear a sweatshirt advertising that you are a product of one of these majestic institutions. The summer school experience provides the added opportunity of remarking casually, for the rest of your life: “hen I studied at Oxford,”etc. This will give you lasting pleasure when you impress and occasionally bore your friends. And, as old Polonius observes: “t follows as the night the day,”you must have a sticker on your car (discreetly small) announcing your educational achievements. Be the first on your block or in your neighborhood. In the interest of fairness, it must be mentioned that there may be a certain amount of danger in this approach. The day may come when other think: “f he mentions Harvard one more time, I’l: 1. Throw up 2. Kill him.”
There is a parallel here which may be labored, but is irresistible: the triumphal landing of G.W. Bush on the deck of the U.S.S. Abraham Lincoln with his usual subtlety he reminded us that he is the commander in chief by having it printed on a tag adorning his flight jacket. To give the impression that the ship was engaged in standard flight operations the ship was turned so that the open sea provided the background for our First Warrior’ landing as well as deleting the coast of San Diego. Senator Byrd, who is struggling with the heavy task of getting the country to understand, follow, perhaps even to read the U.S. Constitution, drew considerable flak by calling Bush a “esk bound warrior” It was a moment of show business hyperbole that not even the Hollywood P.R. types could match. With an eye firmly fixed on the ’4 election, Dubya, and Karl Rove, the political guru knew exactly what they were doing. A photo op is, after all, a photo op, and we can look forward with joyous anticipation to seeing endless repetitions of this event in the coming campaign.
What boggles the mind in the face of this grotesque hypocrisy is the actual story of Bush’ military record. Lest we forget, his family and political connections enabled him to avoid Vietnam by being pushed to the head of a list of 10,000 applicants for the National Guard. He qualified for his wings by training in a jet fighter that was obsolete, not fit for contemporary combat. Generally known, but widely ignored is that Bush was absent from his Air National Guard duties for at least a year. This dereliction, for an ordinary military person, is designated as AWOL. In time of war such an action can draw the charge of treason. Bush was merely grounded, and ultimately received a general discharge. There was a time when such a document could seriously hamper one’ future job prospects, not, we assume, if one aspires to become “ommander in Chief” a title, we are told, over “r. President”
Once again the question arises: “here is the outrage?” Where are the WWII, Korean and Vietnam veterans who have earned the honor and the right to wear that uniform? How can a man who has risen or rather suspiciously been appointed to the nation’ highest office engage in an act so tasteless and ignorant given his personal history? Various sources have reported that not a single American president since George Washington, many of them military heroes, have worn any type of military uniform while occupying the presidency. An interesting and ironic corollary to Bush’ showboating is the “ush Doctrine”is busy making sharp cuts in veterans’benefits, illustrating a callous attitude resulting, according to retired Colonel David Hackworth, a man who has combat service in three wars, in withdrawing medical support from 180,000 Gulf War I veterans who are sick or dying from toxic exposure in that adventure. Such, it seems, is the ultimate fate of the veterans when they are no longer needed. The bands will play, trumpets will blow, and drums will beat when Johnny and Jane come marching home, but they will be of no practical use when the crisis is past. Look what happened to triple amputee and former Senator Max Cleland. The right-wingers decided he was unpatriotic.
The passage beginning this essay is from former Reich Marshall Herman Goering, head of the Luftwaffe, and number two below Adolph Hitler. He made this statement during the war trials at Nuremberg in 1946. It sometimes appears that in life, and especially in politics, there is nothing new under the sun.
Seditiously yours, Cur
Note: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini and Saddam Hussein loved to appear in uniform.
KILLER SENTENCED
March 29th was a day that Vince Golosow will remember the rest of his natural days. Judge Evans sentenced convicted killer “attoo Vince”to spend the rest of his natural life in the custody of the WV Dept. of Corrections for the murder of Judd Reid in October 2002. Here’ the way it went that morning.
It’ 9 am. The courtroom is packed. The Roane County Spring Grand Jury had just finished its work and many of the indicted were present for the first round of hearings. Young people with babies, old folks with toddlers, those with lawyers and those without, in the hallway the same thing. People everywhere. This morning was different from the trial held last month. This morning, other than a token deputy beside the judge, and a uniform near the double entrance doors, law enforcement was all but nonexistent. No metal detectors to go through and no badges to be seen in the hallways, court room, down stairs nor outside.
After hearing from several of the indicted, those sitting out in the peanut gallery pews, Tattoo Vince was brought into the courtroom in chains around his wrists and shackles at his feet. Three brown-shirted Correctional Officers stayed near as two others rattled in as well. Instead of cleaned up and in a long sleeved shirt, Vince wore an orange jump suit, short sleeved, which exposed his tattoos from his wrists to above his collar line. Now bearded and with longer hair, Vince was starting to look the look neighbors and Newton area residents had known for years. Beside Golosow was a thin young man in orange with shaven head, sort of looked like a cross between Gandhi and Charlie Manson without the hair.
Also different were his actions. During the April trial, Golosow looked sedated. His actions were slow. When a noise was heard in the court room, slowly, ever so slowly, Vince would turn his head for a look. Not so now. On the 29th, Vince’ eyes blinked rapidly as he peered out from his pew. Twice he talked with Gandhi and smiled broadly.
The no nonsense judge kept the action quick. He sat in his high back tan leather swivel chair without expression ready to handle the duties before him, the duty of locking a killer up for life. The others in orange went first.
Boom-Boom-Boom went the caseload.
One young lady stood before the Judge charged with killing her young baby.
At 10 am Vince came before the Judge with attorney Drew Patton at his side. Vince whispered to Patton. The defense team went to work. As they said during previous court action, they motioned for a new trial. The question was over the way evidence had been admitted into the trial and the way it was handled by police, and issues over the search warrants used to procure the items. Evans listened and asked questions. Responses came. Back and forth came the details. Judge Thomas Evans didn’ buy it, Evans, “ will deny the motion.” Looking squarely at Golosow, the robed one read the charges of first degree murder and the findings of the jury. He asked Golosow if he wanted to speak. Vince did indeed. “ just want to say that I was convicted before I came to Court….”He went on to say, “nly my friend Judd Reid and I know that I am not guilty.”One request was made by Mr. Golosow. Now it was a little muffled, but it sounded like he asked the court to move him to another prison. Not sure readers, but that’ what it sounded like.
Here’ a cute note, readers. During the trial last month and as the jury was deliberating that Friday night, Vince was seen reading a copy of the Communicator. Right there at the courthouse! Now, back to the sentencing.
After hearing from the convicted one, Evans made it clear that nothing was a foregone conclusion. That the jury was properly selected. They were carefully questioned and some of the questioning was even done in private to assure the utmost candid responses. Evans, “ou were judged by jurors … the evidence is plain….[there’] no preconceived notions of guilt…” Without personal comment or expression, Judge Evans sentenced Alex Vince Golosow to spend his natural life behind bars without any chance for parole. The only thing missing was the banging of a gavel.
He went on to explain the appeal process and time limits for such to the shackled Vince. Evans, “Do you intend to appeal?” Without hesitation, without waiting one nanosecond and in a firm tone, Golosow, “es, your honor.”Immediately all the orange clad were escorted out of the room and away from the public. Total time for the sentencing: 10 minutes. But don’ stop reading, there’ more.
The way the Roane County Courthouse is laid out prisoners are held in a back room with a glass entrance door. A crowd gathered out back to see a last glimpse. Outside were three Correctional Officers (CO’) carrying 12 gauge shotguns with a no non sense expression on their faces. Three gray vans with tinted windows pulled close. Two more CO’ came into view. Outside in the alleyway a dozen people waited. One lady had her very young child in a stroller as she puffed on a cigarette. Two other 20-something woman chatted with the mother. Russell Davis, a fellow who had testified against Vince, stood in the alley. He stood tall, thin, and dark headed with a ball cap on top.
We waited and waited. As we stood in the alley Vince could be seen through the glass doors. An officer put on latex gloves and checked each prisoner.
Outside the local bank president came over to watch. So did economic development specialist Mark Whitely. The CO’ kept looking up to roof top level. Their eyes darted back and forth. Russell Davis was overheard, “e got what he deserved…” After being introduced to Davis, and while we waited even longer, Davis spoke up. He explained, “ only met him for a minute…. [I] was just trying to help him out…”He went on call Golosow a punk.
Looking through the door, Vince was saying something to the crowd. His lips were moving as he looked at Davis, the women, and this reporter. We peered harder. One lady, “an’ you see what he’ saying? Watch! Look! There again…..” Davis, “hat is he saying?”Thin lady, “ee it? He said it again…. I’ going to eat that M.F.’r.” The banker went behind Whitely, who went behind the banker, who went behind Whitely, who stood behind Russell Davis. There was laughter. This reporter gained the corner position at the edge of the building, perfect for running, just in case.
Finally the glass door opened. Fingers went to the edge of the trigger guards. More quick turns with eyes looking at roof tops. Two in orange went to the lead van. One new guy in jeans and tee went into a van. With a blue-shirt badge on the sidewalk, two 12 gauge toting CO’ on the front and side of the new mini van, and two CO’ behind Vince, the convicted man came out. With leg irons in place, walking was slow. Vince made the three steps down to ground level, turned, and for a second, ever so slightly, slowed a little and gave an icy stare at the small crowd. His lips did not move and no gestures were seen. His stare was enough.
With Golosow inside, the three vans hurried away. Vince’ vehicle was the middle in the convoy. Once out of sight, all seemed to breathe easier. But who was that icy stare for and who was convicted murderer Vince Golosow wanting “to eat?” AW
I just thought you, the readers, would enjoy this true story. While reading this remember, don’ let anyone take our rights to keep and bear arms away. We are free, let’ keep it that way.
This true story was taken from “he Dillon Press”by John Marshall.
FISHERMAN’ HARDWARE
‘THE RIGHT AND THE GUTS...’ As regular readers of THE BLUE PRESS may recall, I recently wrote an article entitled “he Second Amendment IS Homeland Security.” In that article I related an anecdote in which a former WWII Japanese officer stated that it would have been foolish for his country to invade the U. S. after the Pearl Harbor sneak attack. He said, in essence, that the U. S. was in fact a nation in which the civilian population was well armed, and the Japanese high command recognized this. I have heard and read this story enough times to regard it as true, but I had not been able to pin down the exact circumstances of this statement.
Imagine my surprise recently when I received a phone call from the very man to whom this former Japanese officer had talked! He went on to explain that he had read my article, wanted to spell out the facts of that encounter, and that he would try to relate the exact words that were spoken at the time. The man who called identified himself as Harold Leonard, and gave me his contact information. Here is his story:
During the time of the Korean War (in either 1952 or 1953), Mr. Leonard was in the U. S. Navy, an enlisted Machinist’ Mate. His ship had pulled into Tokyo Bay for repairs, and in the process, he had occasion to speak with the leader of a Japanese work crew. This man told Leonard that he was a former Japanese naval officer and had been involved in the planning of the Peal Harbor attack. The two men then struck up a friendly conversation about the circumstances of the early part of the war in the Pacific. Leonard was curious about why the Japanese did not invade the west coast of the U. S. following the near-destruction of our Pacific Fleet, and he went on to tell the Japanese man that “hey had us on our knees”at that time.
The former Japanese officer related that he had gone to school in the U. S. prior to the war, and knew the makeup of the U. S. populace quite well. The reason the Japanese did not invade (and a direct quote as near as Mr. Leonard could recall) was because in the U.S., in the opinion of this officer: “veryone has a rusty gun behind the kitchen door, and they have the right and the guts to use it.”
This from the mouth of an officer of one of the most warlike enemy nations we have ever faced! They were deterred from attacking us because we were, all of us, armed and ready. We had the right and the guts to face down any enemy in our homeland with privately-owned firearms!
Today we face a similar threat. And let our enemies know that we are still armed, and that we still have the right and the guts to use
our arms to defeat them whenever found.
Thanks, Mr. Leonard, for your first-person story. It made my day. From me to you. Hope you enjoyed reading this true story.
Frank L. Kish, Jr.
Editor’ Note: Frank is interested in hearing any comments you might have, or questions. You may contact him at 304-548-4459, 140 Queen Road, Clendenin, WV 25045, or email deltacorporation@hotmail.com , and we’l get your message to him.
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