| By Alvin Engelke
There will be a benefit auction Saturday, January 31 starting at 6 P. M. at the Creston Community Building. Weather permitting there should be all sorts of good things. Proceeds go to maintain the community building.
Rev. Juanita Lockhart filled here regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church. She reported that Rev. Gladson Grim, who had been helping with the message on Wednesday evenings, had a successful operation on his toe.
Georgia Scott is making her home at the Scites residence at Burning Springs. She is a retired registered nurse who is also Pat's aunt.
Sue Farnsworth was consulting with her eye doctor. She is still having problems with her vision.
Zelda Headley, age 82, passed away in the rest home section of Minnie Hamilton Health Care center. The widow of the late Jewell Headley, she had not been well for an extended time.
The Creston area received some snow and sleet Sunday. It would appear that were would be a few inches of accumulation. Other sections had been receiving snow but all the local area seemed to have been getting was flurries.
Gerald Campbell who lives in Vienna had two dogs die and several other critters were found in his back yard. Recently he found a dead rabbit and when he had it analyzed it was diagnosed as having tularemia or rabbit fever. Some years back a Gilmer County resident contacted rabbit fever and almost died. It is also one of the diseases that have been modified by the Russians, Iraq, Cuba and other rogue states for biological warfare purposes. The consolidated health department has a whole bunch of employees who work on such matters now.
Alvin, Nancy and Jane Engelke participated in two fundraisers over the weekend. A pancake breakfast was held in Marietta, OH to raise money for the Miss Ohio Valley America Queen, Julie Imboden. Miss Ohio America, Janna Coats was also present and both young ladies entertained the crown with songs. The second event was a fundraiser for the Big Reds Wrestling team. A reverse raffle and dinner was held at the Eagles Club in Parkersburg. The Engelke's were eliminated from the prize money early in the game but there was good conversation and fun.
One of Sleepy Mills' former legal employers noted that he had not heard from Sleepy for some time and allowed as how the fast life on Flatbush Avenue was overwhelming him. Sleepy's likely favorite presidential candidate, Dr. Dean, was poked fun at on National Public Radio over the weekend.
Mr. Dexterity was starting to feel bad as he was having to work night shift and not one of his fan club of lovely ladies stopped in to bring him pie, sweet nothings or whatever. Surely he has not lost his magic touch.
The Creston area tomcats have been busy calling on the female felines in the area. It would be safe to assume that there will soon be an increase in the population.
It was reported that Martin Twist went back in his deep well in Jackson County and drilled off in a different direction and hit a gas pay. Earlier the well was reported as a duster.
Dave Freshwater didn't get hardly a smell when he drilled down one of Junior Hildreth's wells on Hollywood in Roane County but then he went to Clay County and hit a big pay of both oil and gas at 1470 feet. They logged the pay and cemented it off on the way down to 4500 feet but they plan to produce the zone, one way or another.
The oil truck has been busy in the Creston area lately hauling the local Pennsylvania grade crude away to make high dollar end products. The price of local crude is still $31.75/bbl.
Area cattlemen have continued to follow the news on cattle prices and infections. A western state recently tested positive for Bang (brucellosis) which likely spread from infected buffalo (Bison) that the animal rights people do not want made disease free.
Local residents are reminded that this is the last week to file for public office. Some offices will be open on Saturday while elsewhere one must have paperwork on file by Friday. There are lots of positions open for those who want to make a difference for otherwise, West Virginia will continue to wallow at the bottom of the pile.
From what one reads, it is business as usual down at the Mouth of the Elk River. The elite put on a show for the rubes and continue, "care for the needy". Last year they finally decided to make someone who had never paid gasoline tax before pay but the name was kept out of the news. For sure someone had an additional 43-cent/gallon profit margin on gasoline for many years. Were that an ordinary person had done such a thing back taxes would have been mandatory. The additional tax was $10 million/year.
Sean McKillop and Anna Engelke motored to the Georgetown section of DC to attend a 70th birthday year concert by Jazz trombonist Curtis Fuller. Fuller began his public jazz career in the late 40's and recorded his first album in 1955. Anna said it was a good concert even though she really isn't crazy about the jazz genre.
Auction Saturday, January 31 at 6 P. M. at the Creston Community Building. Cheese, pepperoni, knick-knacks, all sorts of goodies. For details contact Donna Sue at 275-3202, Bobby Ray Starcher 890-04. | 
