 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
The Starcher Creston auction will be Saturday, May 3, starting at 6 P. M. at the Creston Community Building. Everyone is welcome, get some double yolk eggs, tasty cheese and other goodies.
There were 318 riders on the Creston ATV poker run which went up over Mount Beulah, down "Hippie Hollow" [Little Rowell], over the Connolly Hill to Richardsonville, out the Husk Ridge to the suburbs of Hur. out Egypt Ridge, up Plum Run, out Craig Ridge with its big mudholes, down the hill to Little Spring Creek, out Mulberry, down in Lower Barnes Run, then to Beaver Dam and Rock Camp. Some got 'thrills' on the two waterfalls and some ended up in mudholes. There were lots of wildflowers with dogwoods being at their best. Riders noted having a good time playing in the mud, water and viewing the scenery and game. The Creston Community would like to thank all those who came & rode, the merchants and others who donated door prizes and other items, those who set up the route, put up & took down the signs, those who worked in the kitchen and elsewhere in the building before, during and after the event & those who fixed the food. Jerry Campbell brought his special pineapple upside down cake which was superb. Stephanie Sprigg of Belpre won the 50/50 [she was elated] and David Hughes came in first with John Morgan second and Jennifer Gendenning taking third.
Jennie Belt is back in the hospital in Cleveland and Rev. Keith Belt had to take an emergency trip to be with her. Gay Park brought the lesson at the Burning Springs M. E. Church aided by music and song from Pauline Brumfield.
On May 10, Col. Dobbins will have an auction at the Creston Community Building, starting at 6 P. M.
Ted Grimm was in for the poker run and brought some of Debbie's tasty potato salad and a yummy dessert, along with real hot dogs. Ted also called on Charles Russell.
It was reported that there have been problems with bedbugs in rental complexes down at & near the mouth of Tucker's Creek.
Ralph Cunningham was attending to business in Creston one day last week.
Hastings Station, Mother Hope's big gas fractionation facility at Pine Grove in Wetzel County is down this week for maintenance. Almost all natural gas produced in Wirt & Calhoun Counties is sent there for removal of the goodies [the gas liquids] from the natural gas stream. Local wells are to be shut in.
Trucks from Ergon, EnLenk & Oil Haulers were keeping W. Va. 5 hot one day last week. Oil was being hauled to & from the EnLenk(formerly Crosstex/W. Va. OIl Gathering) & Oil Haulers facilities at Brooksville.
The recent arrest of the father and two sons of the Crabtree or Hammer family for sex charges relating to an underage daughter/sister is a damning indictment of the local school system for refusing to see to it that the children in that unfortunate family had some sort of educational experience. While one can do well without a social security number (this writer graduated from both high school & college without one), not being literate in today's world is bad, at the very least. Apparently the educrats had better things to do than see to it that county residents received an education.
Signs have been put up all around promoting "Sunday Hunting " as an example of property rights. In many areas the only time it is safe to go into the woods to check on animals, fences, wells, pipelines and other items is on days when the "less desirable" hunters are not out shooting at anything that moves. The folks down at the Mouth of the Elk want Sunday Hunting as they think the "One Percenters" that everyone is told to hate will come to W. Va. and spend big bucks at the Greenbrier and other "big" resorts & solve the DNR's financial woes.
However, the real property rights fight is again down in the swamps of the Lower Potomac. On April 21 the EPA posted on the federal register proposed new rules [without any new laws] giving the agency control of all waters in the nation. The proposed new rules would cover puddles and ponding in a lawn or golf course after a rain, all ditches, drains, swales, potholes and intermittent streams like where water runs off the hill after a rain or from a spring. It is under stood that farm ponds will be considered as "impoundments" and will be subject the rules and inspections that such entail. While this is said to not be a "land grab" [like in Nevada] the impact is the same. If one wants to build a fence on land "where water runs or stands" one must either comply with national NRCS standards or apply for a permit which may or may not be approved. Violators will be subject to fines of up to $37,500/day. As he said, "I have a pen and a phone." Hopefully, nest week there will be guidelines for those who wish to file opposing comments. The matter will be discussed at the April 22 Wirt County Farm Bureau meeting. The Big Eared One's Ag Sec. Vilsak has already issued guideline documents for USDA to follow the new rules that are not yet implemented.
Broadway Joe who, in addition to playing senator still calls the shots [as acting governor] as Earl Ray can only do 'as instructed' is now considering coming back and running for governor again, that is after resigning to go play senator. It would seem that Madame Hillary has decided that the Marion County wonder who has a multimillion dollar coal income is not a suitable choice for her vice president, contrary to all the stories he had told to influence the rubes in W. Va. After going down to the swamps he sold whatever soul he had to get on the national scene by turning against the Second Amendment and being in favor of baby killing, both requirements to be a "modern Democrat". Junior Gore and Slick both, in times past, had to change their "core values" to reflect 'new norms'.
Not so long back Aubrey McClendon who was fired from his position at Chesapeake formed a new company AEP or American Energy Partners and several top Chesapeake folks left then to go with him. Aubrey has a big position in the Utica play and bought nine (9) drilling rigs to punch holes. Now some of the "local" Chesapeake folks have 'jumped ship' and gone with
Aubrey's new firm.
It was reported that Triad Hunter's Utica well near Middlebourne in Tyler County contains wet gas. The maps had all shown that the Utica in that part of W. Va. was dry, but . . .
Bob Montgomery & friend stopped by Creston on their way to a big ramp feed in Leivasy.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude oil dropped to $100.10/bbl with drip fetching $78.24, Marcellus & Utica light $89.19 and medium $99.10/bbl.
Charles Russell was calling on Parris Parsons, Ray Gumm and brother Euell at the Miletree Center in Spencer. The excitement there are the ducklings that hatched out last week and are now doing well. Euell also went to a geriatric Olympics activity down at the Mouth of the Elk. He noted that we won a medal.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hur Herald. | 
