| By Alvin Engelke
 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Rev. Paul Williams filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. church.
As a result of the untimely death of Earldine Starcher, age 66 of Hur, the Creston auction was cancelled. She was a sister of Bobby Ray Starcher, the auctioneer and the wife of Holly Starcher.
Esta Jones, age 90, passed away after a long illness. Her husband, Williard Jones, formerly played fine music at Creston. She had many area friends.
The frogs came out to "celebrate spring" but then the wind blew and the area was, once again, white with snow and stuff froze.
Joe Ferrell was driving Larry Ferrell's truck out the Umstead when he powered out near the sand gap and rolled backward down the road and then down over the very steep hill. As there were injuries the various agencies were called and the ambulance made it in 18 minutes to care for a passenger who had bumps and, among other things, bad color. However, the state police was in Pleasants County and it took him over one hour to get to Creston. He noted he put both himself and all others on the road at risk to get to Creston that quickly. However, the Big Boss is saving money with a "much more efficient state police with no one stationed locally." Of course there are those who do not believe that all the smart folks reside at the Mouth of the Elk River.
Jeff McFee was in a wreck on W. Va. 16 and ended up with a broken leg, among other injuries. He was in the intensive care unit but is now doing better.
Mr. & Mrs. Rick Starcher have purchased the former Rev. S. E. Cooper, Jr. residence and are in the process of moving.
Prominent Calhoun timber man "Peck" Jones has been timbering in the Creston area. He has been harvesting some fine walnut & oak veneer logs - top dollar trees.
Mr. & Mrs. Jack Nutter and daughter were shopping for groceries & goodies at Millers Bulk Foods (the Amish place) on Right Reedy.
A group of pageant hopefuls from Calhoun County led by Miss Hannah Law visited Jane Engelke, owner of Elizabeth Michaels this past Saturday.
The girls had fun trying on gowns, suits & shoes. Jane recently dressed the Queen, first & second runners up for the State Fairs & Festivals pageant. She also had winners in Miss America & USA and national teen winners & placers. One can check her website at www.elizabethmichaels.net and click on pageant. Also calling were Darlene Harris & family and famed Crummies Creek fiddler Noah Cottrell's daughter-in-law & family and two families from Gilmer County.
It seems that Ansel Payne has taken umbrage with statements in this column concerning the international scam called "global warming" or "climate change" even though meteorologists routinely show the fraud and hype in the pseudo-science of the politicos. It was discovered that Albert Gore, jr. who is now a movie star has a mansion that uses more than 20 times the gas and electric that an ordinary home uses but he says he buys carbon credits so it is OK. The company he "buys credits from" is his company and it does not sell credits to anyone else and the money he puts in buys stock in companies all over the world, somewhat like the Clinton Family Charity Fund. Just like in medieval Germany, when indulgences for sin were sold to the rich, the new fat cats can "pay" to fly their private jets, sail their yachts and live without restrictions in their palaces while the "little people" walk and shiver in the dark because even ox carts would have to be banned because of a failure of bovine methane recovery. While some plan on properly placed balloons for cattle others refer to this a pure Barbara Striesand.
Steve Sandifer of Mineral Wells recently had a concise letter in the
Parkersburg paper pointing out the various myths that are being spread about
including the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) report. It
should be noted that certain of the statements in the reports were added
late in the preparation thereof 'at the request of a few governments'.
Charley Reese laid out the view of the "pointy headed inteyleckshuals" and other elitists who follow the new craze when he said, " Global warming is taking on the aspect of a religious belief rather than science. Like the Darwinians, the global-warming folks treat dissenters as if they were evil heretics."
If given a chance they might make the Spanish Inquisition look like child's play for there is a possibility of big bucks for now the solution is "a tax on carbon by the United Nations" or a one world government run by "those who know best" the socialists. The scary thing is that this nonsense is being foisted on our children in public schools.
The local columnist has, within the past few months, heard a number of scientists speak on the weather and, using real science, show the fallacy of the claims, etc. While Creston may be filled with heretics to the new version of the new age religion espoused by Mrs. Pelosi, Junior Gore & the United Nations, this writer once worked in a research lab and wrote peer reviewed scientific papers. Real science is not published in popular magazines and in the mass media and group think never caused any real advancements. A good example was Galileo who had to recant after he said the earth went around the sun, etc. It also might be noted that when the local fellow was an instructor at a Big Ten university the majority of the students there did not believe in evolution.
Alexander Pope's statement written long ago obviously still has value. "A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep or taste not the Peirian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again."
The price of local Penn grade crude fell Saturday to $57.25/bbl with higher prices paid in Ohio, Pennsylvania & New York. Gasolene prices locally have gone up, apparently reflecting what folks with connections know about the plans of Mohammedan & other terrorist groups and the antics of international traders. George Soros who started MoveOn and spent tens of millions to oust President Bush and Dick Cheney recently purchased $62 million worth of Halliburton stock.
Chesapeake, the folks that claimed to be pulling up stakes in West Virginia & going back to Oklahoma has brought in landmen from Texas, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Michigan, etc. to obtain ten year leases in hot areas. They have been in a panic trying to find the man who owns the minerals where [their men said] a deep well location is planned. As of Sunday evening he remained unfound (by them). The Oklahoma City based company recently filed scores of new leases in Roane County and residents report getting certified letters advising that new drilling permits are being requested on the notified person's property.
The folks down at the Mouth of the Elk in the legislature decided that additional taxes wouldn't stop drunk & stoned folks from doing dumb things on four wheelers so (for once) they acted wisely and did nothing. On the other hand with all the floating green around the "well greased" gambling bill seems to be sailing through. Even some local legislators sided with the out of state folks who tell us how wonderful roulette, black jack, etc are and how much this will help the state, improve the moral fiber of our politicians, strengthen families, diminish crime, etc. | 
