| CRESTON NEWS
By Alvin Engelke
 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Jacques Frost made a professional call in the Creston area. Leaves are turning and the scenery is beautiful.
Rev. Paul Williams filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church. There will be a homecoming at the church next Saturday, October 21 starting at noon. Bring a covered dish.
Mary Wolverton, age 88, of Purdy passed away after a long illness. She grew up on Annamoriah, the daughter of George & Sally Basnett. She is survived by two sons and a special granddaughter, Melinda, who read the Creston News to her each week after she was no longer able to read it herself. She was preceded in death by her husband, well known schoolteacher Cecil Wolverton and one son Bob. She was a sister of Harry, Jack (Denver), Dale, Hale & George Basnett. She loved to cook, bake and can goodies for the winter.
Golden (Bob) Holcomb, husband of Cora Jenkins Holcomb passed away at age 76. He was retired from Babcock & Wilcox. Burial was at Ground Hog.
Some young fellows were making a commotion the other evening and using very bad language, apparently to impress some damsels from Little Creek. After being visited by the Grimy Gulch Neighborhood Watch they toned matters down significantly.
It was reported that three young gents get around and about by riding on one four wheeler. The third guy rides on the handlebars with his feet sticking out. Some local residents fear driving into this trio, who, they suspect do not have insurance on the four-wheeler.
R. W. Arthur was calling on C. Glen Arthur.
Anna Engelke and the FunChester group went paint balling again this weekend.
Nancy & Alvin Engelke motored up to the Ohio Amish country to get squash, etc. The corn and Soya beans look good there. While there Alvin attended the special horse auction at the Mount Hope livestock auction. As a prominent upper West Fork resident said, "You've not been to a livestock auction til you go to one of those." The place was packed and the grounds were covered with vendors. There were rows & rows of Amish buggies as well as lots of FWD trucks, trailers, etc.
It was learned that some more coyotes have been killed locally. All of them were reported to be in fine shape. The DNR says they did not turn them loose.
It was learned that the non-native black buzzards picked the eyes out of a calf in Upshur County not so long back. It is hoped that they do not get established locally. They are not to be confused with the native turkey buzzards who clean up the dead venison & 'possums along the highways, etc.
A 50th anniversary celebration was held Saturday at the Creston Community Building for Frank and Florence Lockhart Sandy who now live in Spencer. The party was hosted by the couple's children. Frank was a veteran having served in military intelligence in Korea. Florence formerly helped Edd and Nellie Merrill at their home in Creston back when Edd, helper Walto Boggs and others ran the Creston ferry.
Amy Ferrell has been on the sick list missing both work and school.
Allegheny Power Company announced that they planned to raise local rates 15%. "As a cost cutting measure (obviously) one local resident received about 25 copies of the notice. Many years ago the company made some blunders but since they operated on cost plus they allowed as how it really didn't make any difference. However, competitive markets in other states put a squeeze on the firm. But, never fear, West Virginia consumers can bail them out. Allegheny also lost a bundle in the Enron debacle but since Enron was tight with the Arkansas grifters the firm is doing fine now under a new name and operates with impunity in West Virginia.
The price of local Penn grade crude was $54.50. An employee of a major company said that the big find by Rockefeller's Chevron in the Gulf of Mexico could produce one half of the crude oil used in America. At the same time folks are running about talking about using switch grass and other things to use to ferment to make alcohol for fuel. One fellow said Brazil used no crude but, just the same, they are listed in the significant world producers of oil. Maybe they ship it to Iran (Persia).
Because of laws passed to not cross Archer Daniels Midland a significant amount of corn is now being used to make motor fuel (formerly it was used "for medicinal purposes") and the price of corn is now above the threshold for government subsidies. Even so some are complaining and now it is understood since the various farm groups are fighting over "the pie" the militant environmentalists are going to have their way with the new farm bill. To put it another way it does make a difference who is U. S. Senator, Congress Member, etc. One sitting U. S. Senator "who is famous" abolished the coyote control program a few years back because an "animal rights" activist was on his staff.
As best local residents can determine there still will be a special lame duck session of the W. Va. Legislature down at the Mouth of the Elk just after the November election. Each day a different topic is said to be what the group is supposed to rubber stamp for the Big Boss. He has said land taxes in W. Va. are too low and, of course, there is the big plan to consolidate counties even though the recent pusher the Little Elf's big taxpayer funded project is again in default. Last time around the taxpayers had to bail out Stonewall Jackson resort to protect Sen. Brooks McCabe and his buddies.
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