| By Alvin Engelke
 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Rev. Paul Williams filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church. There was fine food and singing Saturday evening at the church for a homecoming celebration. Some who had not been there for years came and had a wonderful time.
Juliet Newhouse was visiting Mr. & Mrs. Joe Pennington. Lots of people were in visiting over the fourth. There have been lots of four wheelers going up and down the roads as well as boats and boat trailers. The West Fork remained clear over the weekend while streams elsewhere were muddy.
Mr. & Mrs. R. W. Arthur and Euell Russell were among those calling on C. Glen Arthur. Glen said he wasn't feeling very well.
J. A. "Stymie" Plummer spent a few days visiting Dorene Parsons. "Stymie " has been hauling junk.
The FunChester group and Sophie went hiking on the Skyline Drive.
Ida Wager, Dexter & Stata Wager and 3 children, Justin & Raquel Wager and children, Nancy & Neil Densmore and family, Jonathan & Jerry Metz and family were vacationing in Nag's Head. Tyler Wager caught a nice spadefish whilst fishing on the pier and ended up having his picture with his trophy on the website surffishing.info.
Nancy Engelke was a judge at a pretty baby contest in Ripley.
A number of area residents attended the Wirt County VFD parade and ice cream social in Elizabeth. Charles Russell reported eating some fine food and ice cream. The annual affair is one of those places where one goes, in addition to supporting the fire department, to see and visit old friends as well as eat the pies made by Wirt County's best pie bakers.
One local fellow who had been having dizzy spells fell over whilst watching the parade. The local EMTs were right on the scene doing tests and getting him to the shade and a chair. When it was made clear that the parade was not to be stopped for such a minor incident [they were going to] the comely female EMTs kept wet towels around the fellow's neck whilst running their fingers through his hair which definitely would be good therapy for whatever that ailed one.
After the parade was over an ambulance trip was made to city hospital in Parkersburg where, after EKGs, blood tests, X-Rays and Cat scans, stroke tests, etc., it was determined that the problem was a high blood pressure medicine.
The patient would like to thank all those who assisted during the unscheduled incident.
Fat Pat the Oil Field Rat was calling in the Creston area. Fat Pat has in mind the production of crude oil and natural gas.
M. A. Copen and G. J. Westfall were vacationing up in the mountains and visited Blackwater Falls, Seneca Rocks and other attractions in that section. The heater core went kaput whilst going down a steep mountain which filled the chariot with steam & antifreeze and caused one of the vacationers to fear that a fire was about to start and that they would be stranded.
Local residents, like many nationwide, are very upset over the Washington Supremes deciding that local governments can take any property that the government wants to give to their political buddies which is, of course, in direct violation of the Constitution that the Supremes swore to uphold. Action must be taken both locally and nationally. This should help make it clear that it is past time to replace the senile old man who recently purchased a home in West Virginia.
The area had a nice rain which should help make the blackberries. Other areas received two rains and some localized flooding.
Euell H. Russell was consulting a Grantsville tonsorial parlour.
Steve Canterbury who was the regional jail boss who brought many West Virginia counties to financial ruin (including big counties like Cabell) has been named director of the West Virginia State Court system. Now he will have something else to foul up while getting situated so he can draw a cushy judicial pension and bleed the taxpayers yet again.
Reflecting the volatility of the world oil markets local crude rose $2.25/bbl on Saturday to $55/bbl which was less than the price a week earlier. High prices for oil and gas have stimulated the drilling business. Many new wells have been drilled in nearby counties and some have been spectacular. Some say the price of crude will go to $80/bbl.
Eastern American Energy Corp. which had wells tied into their lines shut in for some time is now back accepting natural gas. Of course, later this month Dominion will shut down Hastings Station for a spell.
Verizon, the local baby bell telephone company, had a whole crew and a number of big trucks working in the Creston area. The local system is so out of date that obtaining internet over the telephone lines is tedious at best.
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