| By Alvin Engelke
 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
The Christmas play will be held Friday, December 23 at 7 P. M. at the Burning Springs Methodist church. All are invited to see the community youth present a story from long ago that has as much meaning today as it did 2000 years ago.
The Creston Community Christmas party was a big success Saturday evening. Rev. S. E. Cooper was able to be there and offered the blessing on the copious amount of food. Folks ate, talked, visited and then a special visitor from the polar region arrived much to the delight of several of the younger set that were present. One fellow came all the way from Barberton Ohio just to join in the fellowship associated with the Christmas season. One gal came dressed in bunny clothes with a sign saying, "I can explain." Two comely young ladies said they were looking for a baby sitter but neither of them have youngins. A prominent Elizabeth grandpa was under consideration.
Someone mistakenly took Amy Ferrell's CD player from the Creston Community Building. There is a CD in the machine that has her name on it. She hopes it will be returned.
While Christmas is being celebrated on the local scene such is not always the case elsewhere. It was learned that it is now grounds for immediate firing if an employee of Wendy's says "Merry Christmas" to anyone while at the workplace.
Roxie Monroe, age 93, passed away at her daughter's home in Newark. She was preceded in death by her first husband Jesse Greathouse in 1945, and her second husband Alfred J. Monroe in 1998. She was active in farming and Farm Bureau circles for decades and was well known too for her culinary skills.
Howard Collins of the Spring Creek section passed. Not so long back the DNR's bears that were turned loose destroyed his beehives.
One feller is now being chauffeured around by the missus who made it clear that "she ain't none too happy". Now he said the test score was because of his "blood pressure medicine".
Hazel Wix Hoffman celebrated her 100th birthday on December 16. She is the daughter of George "Doc" Wix who was an engineer on Little Kanawha River boats. Last summer she provided pictures showing construction of the Creston school, now the community building. Folks who know her should give her a ring and wish her a happy century.
Susan Meyers was visiting Nancy Engelke.
Local residents who had occasion to travel to other parts of the state were surprised to find ashtrays in government buildings. To hear from the local health department enforcers one was made to believe that such were banned everywhere by their edicts that are beyond question or judicial review.
Columbia Natural Resources' assignee Chesapeake Appalachia, LLC received $17.57/MCF for natural gas produced in October while royalties paid on most of the gas sold was only around $7/MCF or less. Meanwhile the suit against Columbia and friends continues with a number of items being sent directly to the Supremes down at the Mouth of the Elk since there is no applicable case law, etc.
The price of local crude fell over the weekend to $56/bbl.
Charles & Euell Russell were attending to business in Spencer.
Tim Lynch attended the company Christmas party in Parkersburg. He works at the plastics facility beside Ashley's Recycling at Mineral Wells.
Rev. Paul Williams filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church.
Andrea and Brandon Ferrell were among those calling on Mr. & Mrs. Carl Ferrell & family.
The Post office department announced that postage and other fees will be going up, apparently, just so they can say they are with the times although certain fees did not change, providing one does one's postal business on the internet.
Even though the W. Va. Turnpike bonds were paid off years ago the authority announced that tolls on their favorite stretch of roadway are about to take a major jump. Probably those fellows who were boar hunting in Kentucky while on the payroll need to have better walkie talkies so they "can be on the job with our radios on". The turnpike folks also have their favorite money consuming projects that employ lots more who will vote "the right way" to maintain political dynasties down in that part of the world.
The Great Pifu received a special designer pair of red suspenders at the Christmas party held at the road garage at Mt. Zion Friday. In addition to the local crew those present included Mr. & Mrs. E. Mart Francis, Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Ball, Marvin Murphy, Brian Radabaugh, Lee Thorn, George Shinsky, "Rusty" Roten, Ken Patrick, Two Gun Miles, The Big Dog, Little Ping, the Sassy Storekeeper, Rose Pursley and the "Old Furniture Salesman" who is sporting a special modified shoe, etc. He had a big story about how he fell and broke his leg but "Dusty" Wolverton, who knows him well, had questions.
Anna Engelke went on a four day Christmas trip to Virginia Beach, Fredericksburg, Williamsburg, Jamestown & Yorktown, Virginia with five of her fellow employees. The trip was a present from the firm to the employees.
Some of the bleeding heart lefties are upset that the government listened in on 30 phone calls from the U. S. to international terrorists which, of course, resulted in some of their plans being foiled. While some say such is awful that the government would spy, several local residents have had their telephones tapped on various occasions by unknown parties for who knows what reason. Sometimes the occasion was business competitors. When local folks tried to get something done the result was always a brick wall. It is clear that some feel that terrorists that would kill us all are "entitled" to more rights than tax paying citizens who live around Creston.
G. McKown was calling on Mr. & Mrs. Jack Nutter.
There will be an auction Saturday January 7 at the Creston Community Building. Mark the calendar. | 
