 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
An informational meeting on the proposed new EPA rules that gives the agency control over almost all the land in the nation will be held Thursday, May 29 at the Judge Black annex to the Wood County Court House at 7 P. M. Those who own land, have a lawn, garden farm, timber, work in the oil fields or just own a patch of woods should go to the meeting to learn how to perhaps stop the land grab by the faceless Washington bureaucracy.
Rev. Keith Belt filled his regular appointment at the Burning Springs M. E. Church. There will be a revival at the Burning Springs church June 2 & 3 with Rev. Lee Williams bringing the message on Monday and Rev. Verlin Camp preaching on Tuesday. The meetings start at 7 P. M. and all are welcome.
Danny Carpenter has a big timber job going on Goose Nest.
One of the few remaining stores in Elizabeth is to close soon, a casualty, in part, of the Big Eared One's demand for an increase in the minimum wage. Elections & actions do actually have consequences.
Lots of folks were in for the Decoration Day weekend and many visited the graveyards and put flowers on the graves of their loved ones. The peonies were at their prime this year so large bouquets in water were left on several graves. Others spent the weekend camping, four wheeling, fishing, etc.
Mr. & Mrs. Chris Hall and family spent a week camping and fishing in the mountains, thinning the trout and visiting the Cranberry Glades.
There was a big gathering at the Creston Space Dock as family from Ohio, the deep south, Owl Hill and elsewhere gathered.
It has been ideal haymaking weather and several have taken advantage of the moment resulting in some fine first cutting being cut, raked and baled. Orchard grass is in head and red clover is in bloom.
New fawns have been seen and some bucks are in the velvet. One woman noted that she had seen several young foxes. Lots of squirrels have been seen on and along the highways.
Charles Russell was calling on Mr. & Mrs. Parris Parsons, Ray Gumm and brother Euell at the Miletree Center in Spencer. Euell asked that flowers be placed on his parents and brother Bob's graves so some geraniums were planted.
The Wirt road crew filled most of the potholes with stone on the road to the Snyder/McCray cemetery.
The folks at Mountain V have been checking out oil & gas opportunities in the Owl Hill section.
Missy Ferrell, friend Angel and daughter Asia were visiting Mr. & Mrs. Carl Ferrell & family.
Common Core, the federal takeover of children's education continues to be a topic of discussion. Now even the folks at Harvard are concerned but those who want to gather all the information there is to be had on every child [and their family members] & are hostile to anyone questioning their motives, etc. It has been pointed out that the new program continues the dumbing down of education. Those who learned their multiplication tables, basic arithmetic, reading, etc. can manage without a computer or calculator and have the depth to know If the answer shown on the calculator is even in the right range. Of course the ruling elites do not want an educated populace.
With the approaching drilling of the Marcellus, Utica and other new oil & gas pay zones, local folks have been approached by slicksters to sell their minerals. These folks know the score and offer "big money" which is usually pennies on the dollar. One outfit offered up to $12,000/acre but at a recent Gilmer tax sale Spencer oil baron Junior Hildreth paid $35,000/acre for a small share in a 20 acre tract.
There will be an auction Saturday June 7 at the Creston Community Building.
A number of local folks got to read their names in the delinquent tax list. One would do well to get the paper and read the list to make sure you and your friends, family, etc. didn't get listed.
The Big Eared One and his toadies in the press talk about the unfairness that "one percent" make most of the money and others come up short. Of course with the "quantitative easing" and other federal programs the "super rich" & those in Hollywierd who backed him have done well, that is to say that paying $38,000 for a meal was worthwhile. One can only conclude that all this was intentional. The Wall Street folks who backed him are, of course, happy with Madame Hillary and some said that if little Jebbie Bush gets the GOP nod then they will win either way as there is no difference between them. Ordinary folks are left out in the cold, just as they are by the ruling oligarchy down at the Mouth of the Elk.
The Calhoun road crew patching team made it out to the Creston Flats with their repairs.
It was pointed out that if one is signing a document with one of the oil & gas companies that is not going to be recorded, one must obtain a signed original with the signature of a responsible person from the firm. Otherwise one has no proof of what the agreement was or with whom.
It was learned that a bunch of solar panels were installed on the White House to "fight global warming" but then it was learned that they array whose cost was kept out of the public eye would generate enough power for 22 light bulbs. As a "rule of thumb" May 10 was always the last killing frost but Jacques Frost came afterwards this year, once again putting the lie to the climate change zealots. Now they are complaining about methane being "leaked" from newly developed oil & gas fields. One might wonder why they say nothing at all about vast amounts of natural gas that is flared in Nigeria and other places. Does all that go directly to the moon, Venus or somewhere?
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude rose to $103.85 with Appalachian light sweet (drip) fetching $80.02, Marcellus & Utica light $95.14 and medium $102.84/bbl. The price of gasoline continues to climb with high test now over $4/gallon. When gas prices went up under the previous president, it was told all around that Bush & Cheney were getting all the money and putting it in their private bank accounts and many uninformed folks believed the tale. One might wonder why it isn't told now that Barry & Joe aren't cashing in on much higher prices?
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hur Herald.
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