| By Alvin Engelke
 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Rev. Juanita Lockhart filled her regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church.
Nancy Hall was consulting her physician.
Robert "Bob" Law was attending to business in Grantsville and while there ran onto some old friends who introduced him to the lovely Dorine.
Speaking of Dorine, she said that this feller was real upset that his name was in the paper with hers and now he won't come and see her any more. She said she felt real bad as well as real lonesome.
Opal Wise Vandale and friend Jean Yancey were calling in Creston Saturday evening. Opal talked about when she and her family lived out on Ground Hog and in and around Creston many years ago. She has been having some health problems.
Nancy Engelke attended the Sweetheart Pageant at Grantsville Sunday. Little Adrianne K. Shimer won the Mini Miss contest while Samantha Yoak of Brooksville was second runner up in the Junior Miss Sweetheart. The famous baker of yummy brownies, the lovely Samantha Wilson was first runner-up in the Miss Teen Sweetheart contest (her brownies always come in first). Rebecca Bowman of Creston was second runner-up in her age group while Katie Jo Walker was first runner-up in her group. For certain Calhoun County has plenty of pulchritude.
A flock of robins were seen in Tammy McFarland's lawn the other day which is, of course, a good sign. The deer have been getting reckless again and several have come in contact with vehicles on W. Va. 5 in the Creston area.
A local feller who is old enuf to know better got into the persimmon nectar the other evening and missed the driveway from his buddy's house and ended up in the ditch. In view of the circumstances no one would extricate him so he had to leave his chariot until strong coffee, buttermilk and tomato juice had done their work on a following day.
Bessie Arthur has been having truck troubles.
In a recent discussion with the DNR about deer damage and such mountain lions were mentioned. Curtis Taylor, a DNR spokesperson said [the agency] "wouldn't dream" of reintroducing mountain lions. Of course the feller told the truth. Since they have already turned them loose they do not have to dream about the possibility.
According to press reports a number of large companies avoided paying income taxes in West Virginia although it would seem that they were going profitable concerns. Branch Banking & Trust Co., the outfit that got the contract for the welfare cards avoided tax as did NISOURCE the parent company of Columbia Gas Transmission. No doubt they have good bookkeepers as many of their expenses in West Virginia were frozen at 1950 prices and their property taxes are subject to negotiation and thus are, based on historical trends, far less than ordinary taxpayers. Also the amount of property tax is based on the profitability and since that was shown to be low the taxes will go even lower.
All this does not sit well when local residents and folks all over the state get letters from the State Tax Commissioner advising that property taxes are going up and up, in some instances doubling and tripling. Taxpayers are told to contact the state indicating that the local county commissions, via the boards of equalization and review have been removed from the equation.
Speaking of county commissions the fine folks down at the mouth of the Elk River have introduced legislation to do away with counties as we know them. Obviously the regional jail boss Steve Canterberry is in cahoots with them as even Cabell and Kanawha Counties are having trouble with their jail bills. Kanawha County Commission president Kent Carper was in a conference call with local commissioners concerning the mess the regional jail folks, their financier friends and the lily livered judges who said that county jails had to go have got the state into.
"Hoss" Donley and the Comely Red Head were among those who were at the St. Valentine's Day dance in Creston. The DJ proved to be rather inept and the dance did not last too long. There were fine cakes, cookies, brownies and punch for the occasion. The schoolhouse was beautifully decorated for the event.
Jeff Westfall has accepted employment with Gas Search. He has been cutting timber off new proposed locations reflecting the amount of new oil and gas drilling that is happening pretty much all over the state. Wirt County, no doubt reflecting past problems and disappointments, is running behind other areas although some outfit called Texas Keystone has talked to a few people. According to the Secretary of State's web page, it is run by the Kozel family in Pittsburgh. One should read and understand any document before one signs on the dotted line. All too many are having to deal daily with mistakes that relatives made a century ago when they signed without understanding what they had done or given away to needy families like the Rockefellers.
Triad, the Ohio based outfit that operates the Richardsonville flood unit and other units and leases in the area, drilled a number of new wells in Roane County last year and is now in the process of getting them into the line. Several more have been scheduled for 2005.
It was reported that another fellow, a big burly young gent, was in his third day in the oil patch and they were pulling rods on a well. Down near the bottom there was paraffin on the rods. The would be roustabout looked at the paraffin (which is harmless) and stated that he was not going to get "that stuff" on him so he quit.
The price of local Penn grade crude was $43.75 although it had been lower earlier last week. Recent prices for natural gas ranged from $8.15 to $8.71/MCF.
It was understood that the signup for water at Burning Springs will start on February 14 and will continue for a time. Poor drilling practices ruined or drained drinking water in at least part of the Burning Springs area.
There are lots of new calves in the area. The mild weather has been good for such. With the problems facing cattlemen in Canada, they will likely be quite valuable although Chester Bush said that at the stock sale the other day cattle were down while hogs were high.
It was learned that young at heart Glenn W. Campbell, a former Creston resident, is going to move into the Masonic Home in Vienna.
Alvin Engelke was calling on the Amish folks on Right Reedy.
The Wirt County Farm Bureau will hold its regular monthly meeting Tuesday, February 22 at 7 P. M. at the road garage in Elizabeth.
| 
