| By Alvin Engelke
 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Donald and Mia Rhodes are the proud parents of a little baby girl, Sue Ann. There will be a baby shower Saturday, October 8 at 7 P. M. at the Creston Church.
Dorine Parsons went to Parkersburg with Gary Ferrell. Betty Myers was visiting with Dorine.
Mr. & Mrs. James A. "Stymie" Plummer and family were among those calling on Mr. & Mrs. Carl Ferrell and family.
Maywood C. Pursley, Jr. was attending to business in Creston.
Marjorie Webster fell Friday night and broke her femur. She is a patient at St. Joseph's hospital.
Anna Engelke was attending to business in Holland, Frankenmuth and Mackinaw City Michigan. Holland is noted for a tulip festival and a pickle factory while The Straits of Mackinac, which separate Upper from Lower Michigan, is a scenic area with a centuries long tradition of fur trading and lake commerce. Anna was informed that that area needed rain badly. She also spent some time on Mackinac Island.
Four wheeler enthusiasts should keep in mind that the Creston fall poker run will be Saturday, October 22 at the Creston Community Building.
A former local resident who is now in (or near) Kurdistan noted that sometimes it is good to be able to speak in and understand parables.
Those who follow the national news noted that the pictures shown of the men who lined up to get jobs cleaning up and rebuilding in and around New Orleans were 97% Hispanic and 2% white. As they say, the saga continues. Of course those on SSI do not have to seek employment.
Mr. & Mrs. Junior Brown and son Beelzebubba were attending to business in Grantsville.
Ronald E. & Dwight Kirby and Tylor Coplin shot and killed a young coyote Saturday back near Lost Run. The varmint weighted about 20 lb and was a fine, healthy looking specimen. It was learned that there are two packs of coyotes in the area and it seems that the pests who were spared from eradication by an animal rights person on Sen. Byrd's staff are busy cleaning out small game from the neighborhood.
It was also reported that chronic wasting disease was found on one of the DNR's venison in Upshur County. Earlier the disease was discovered in the eastern panhandle.
Rev. Paul Williams filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church.
Local residents started noticing charges they could not validate on their Verizon (the local baby bell) bills. It seems that billings, sometimes in the hundreds of dollars, appear from companies that have nothing to do with Verizon and these bills and charges were not authorized by the customers. One has to check very carefully and then call the telephone company and insist that the charges be removed.
While other sections are dry the Creston area had a hard rain, along with wind, the other morning. As a result, there was no electric service for a few hours.
The price of local Penn grade crude oil rose to $63.25 while the wholesale price of propane was $1.094/gal, n-butane $1.274/gal., and natural gasoline (mountain high test) $1.55/gal. The September "Inside FERC Index" price for natural gas was $11.29.
It was noted that a few folks have been getting out firewood but apparently many have yet to feel the need to live with economy and heat with driftwood. Not so long back a huge pile of logs and firewood was burned by a Department of Highways contractor and no doubt the taxpayers paid while the crew watched the wood burn.
It was reported that an out of area contractor is bringing out 3 and 4 foot logs over on the Munday road. Many thought that all the trees that big had already been cut but someone found some hidden in a deep hollow. One would hope that the rightful owners were well paid. One fellow said that the full length logs that North Fork hauled away from the Creston area "were junk". One of Gress Equipment's log skidders was moved down to downtown Creston over the weekend.
Kenton Meadows is building a new bridge to replace the Goff Farm bridge on Spring Creek on the road from Creston to Spencer. Of course there will be a sharp turn in the road to get on the new span. Of course some were not too shocked when the DOH had to close the Three Bridges bridge on W. Va. 14 between Palestine & Reedy. Thick paint had been smeared over the rust and, of course, inspectors are not allowed to make reprobate contractors do the right thing - that would offend someone, especially if they had clout, as do most of the shoddy operators. (They went to the same school as did the New Orleans grafters, grifters and politicos.)
The Draconian new rules promulgated by the anti-tobacco zealots at the health department are now in force. Although Wirt is a tobacco producing county one of Wirt County's reps voted against tobacco and the other fellow was absent. Perhaps the various county commissions should name new members to the board who might fight illegal drugs rather than work to harm the local legal economy. Local tobacco farmers are working to get their crop harvested. Increased tobacco imports encouraged by Hill and Bill and their friends have lowered the price local producers receive.
Some have suggested that area growers get together, plant some Turkish tobacco, as well as burley, and then trade for some flue cured (bright) and then start up a local cigarette manufacturing plant. A new firm would not have to pay the lawyers who received billions in the rip-off lawsuits a few years back. This would stimulate both agriculture and manufacturing in the area.
It should be noted that the new smoking rules have caused problems at a number of workplaces but, of course, the rule promulgators couldn't care less.
Speaking of jobs, Simonton Windows is still hiring as is a new place in Mineral Wells. The jobs even have benefits.
There was a birthday celebration cookout at the residence of Mr. & Mrs. Ira. J. Lynch, Sr. Those present included Tim Lynch, Mr. & Mrs. Ira. J. Lynch, Jr. Leslie, Luke and Levi, Mr. & Mrs. Denver McFarland, Gladson Grim, Mary Adams, Stephen Settle, Ashley McDonald, Jayson (Hoss), Tara (The Comely Redhead), Dakota, Brittani and Jacob Donley. Denver and Tammy also celebrated their second anniversary on Sept. 29. Ira J. Sr. was also attending to business in Elizabeth.
| 
