 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Ira J. Lynch, Sr. is home after undergoing bypass surgery and is doing well. He had been having problems for some time and his doctor told him, "Nothing wrong, just old age, nothing to worry about!" When he finally saw a real doctor he was rushed to the hospital and is now on the mend.
Former Creston resident Roger Godfrey, age 64, passed away.
Ground Hog Day in Creston was bright and sunny and old Mr. Whistlepig would have had to seen his shadow unless he was blind. Just a few days later one local resident had to stop while a big ground hog crossed Route 5 near the mouth of Stocking Run. It must be Joe Cain's pet whistlepig.
Cap'n Spock has a new dog, Ralphie. Also there has been a stray dog in the area which seems to be lost; not the sort that would have been set out for others to deal with.
A couple of Creston residents spent a week in Cancun and reported having a great time.
Burt Marks continues to improve and he wants to go back to driving his chariot although he 'has a ways to go' before he really should.
Rev. Keith Belt filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. Church & served Holy Communion. His mother, Mary (Jenny) Belt had vascular surgery on her other leg and she is much improved.
Wirt County Commissioner Robert Lowe, his comely daughter Logan, Mr. & Mrs. Robert Lowe, Sr., Lacy Proctor, Alice Cottrell, Casper Shuman, Nikki Gould, Peal Bollinger, Joe Yoak, Warren Kirby, Eugene & Doug Ritchie, Allen Thomas, Cleveland & Cindy Starcher were all attending to business in Creston. To put matters another way, there was a big crowd on hand for the Creston auction. The next one is scheduled for March 3.
Carl Ferrell went on the fast weight loss program over the weekend. Prior to that he, Donna and Alvie Ferrell were calling on Euell Russell & Ray Gumm at Miletree. Alvie was attending to business in Spencer.
W. Harrison Schenerlein IV & his little sister Rea went on a trip to Amish country while their parents met up with their Aunt Anna for a skiing trip up in the mountains.
Orders & Haynes has been busy working on the new Annamoriah bridge; the one that will have a curve in the middle of a straight stretch.
The Calhoun road crew has been working up the Richardsonville road and the Wirt crew put some stone on the road going to the McCray (Snyder) graveyard which was a great improvement. The Wirt crew also added more berm material where the remote sensors are to be installed on the dePue straight.
R. W. Arthur, J. M. Bingman and Jim Bush have all been moving hay recently. With the open winter the critters have not eaten as much hay as usual for this time. Charles Russell has hairy bittercress in bloom in his yard.
In an unprecedented move the Catholic church read a letter in all churches citing the attack on religious freedom by Obamacare that mandates that all must provide birth control, abortion, etc. It was noted that to get "single payer health care" the church and charity hospitals must be eliminated and of course Marxists by nature oppose religion which Karl Marx described as "the opiate of the people." In America first they came for the Catholics, then . . . . . . . The Susan Komen Foundation that works to cure breast cancer decided to defund Planned Parenthood, the nation's biggest operator of abortion parlours, but pressure was applied and the organization recanted -- makes one think of when Galileo had to say that he really believed the sun went around the earth to avoid being burned at the stake for "heresy". Of course some folks are done buying girl scout cookies since that organization has linked up with the big abortion provider also. After abortion is set in stone then it will be euthanasia, the disposing of those who can no longer produce and do as directed by the government or those the government decides are "unfit". That sort of makes the idea of the "FEMA camps" a very scary thought.
Some Wirt County folks have been attending to business in Washington Dee Cee and while there were staying in a hotel across the street from the "Occupy Wall Street" site, which is, of course, part of the reelection effort. They noted that some of the occupiers spend the nights in the hotel and then "occupy" during the day.
A vehicle was seen driving around Creston late at night without any lights. Neighborhood Watch is watching.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg who is one of the supremes in Washington Dee Cee told the Egyptians that they should have a constitution but that they should use the one like the one from South Africa that espouses "social justice" and an "open society" and that the American constitution was old & outmoted. Apparently she forgot the swore to uphold the Constitution or maybe her word isn't worth very much.
W. Harrison Schenerlein IV was calling on Charles Russell & Fritzina.
On February 14 it will be Ag & Forestry Day down at the Mouth of the Elk where the legislature is in session. Local farm bureau members, along with timbermen and farmers from all over the state will/should go down and meet at 10 P. M. at the well under the capitol dome to register and then go to the sessions, meet with local legislators. etc. At 5 P. M. at the Ramada Inn Charleston House (on the boulevard) there will be a legislative update with FB leaders and legislators and at 6 P.M. will be the "Taste of West Virginia" reception for legislators, farmers, foresters and guests. The meal which is free is worth the trip to the big city and one can talk with legislators about problems, concerns, etc. One also gets to see which legislators have concerns about rural people and agriculture. As a point of information there is free parking at the U. of Charleston stadium along the interstate where one exits on Greenbrier Street with a free shuttle from there to the Capitol Building.
A meeting concerning oil and gas leasing and leases is scheduled for later this month in Elizabeth. A number of property owners decided that more information needed to be shared so that local folks wouldn't get robbed by those coming to lease. A well placed source (who shall remain unnamed) made it clear that the Utica covers a far greater amount of territory than is generally acknowledged and is very likely a bigger gas reservoir than the Marcellus which is either the largest or second largest gas field in the world. In the past (and that includes the past few months) many have leased to brokers without knowing who was actually obtaining the leases and without knowing what the leasing rights were worth and how much royalty one should receive.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude fell to $95.46/bbl and the price for Appalachian light sweet dropped to $81.86
| 
