 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Rick Williams brought the message at the Burning Springs M. E. church as, apparently,
Rev. Belt is still off on vacation.
It was learned that there are some of the nasty invasive black vultures up on Burning Springs Run. No doubt there are those in the neighborhood who can quickly resolve the problem. Among other things they are feasting on robins.
It was learned that Sen. Mike Ross has purchased a number of wells and leases on the head of the West Fork that were drilled some years back by Stonestreets. Recently they had been operated by Danny Simms. Included is a pipeline that goes under I-79 in Clay County. Some feel that this means that deep drilling for that area is not far away.
Some folks that "were selling books to help your children in school" were making their rounds in the Creston area. Residents became suspicious and called the law. One resident had to tell the salesman to leave her house and the sheriff did catch up with the folks in Burning Springs.
Asplunth has been spraying herbicide on power line rights-of-way between Burning Springs and Creston.
The Roane road crew mowed the berm down in Beaver Dam, along Tom's Run, etc. and apparently made a special effort to destroy the peach tree located near where the Beaver Dam school was situate. They have yet to fill the potholes.
Area residents have been feasting on fresh tomatoes from their gardens. They have real taste unlike ones purchased in stores which seem to resemble cardboard.
White Pine oilman David E. Barr was attending to business in Creston and met with Rick Mason who works as a landman for a Colorado based firm. Mason noted he had trouble "finding Creston".
Cabot announced that they plan to drill a horizontal Marcellus on Lynn Camp in Wirt County. When one has wells on Cabot one must pay 25% gross but their leases call for a royalty of 1/8th (12.5%) of the net, after expenses, of 85% of the inside FERC price. The firm noted that they had done so well drilling the dry Marcellus in Pennsylvania as they were able to keep royalty expense low.
Alvin & Nancy Engelke motored to Williston North Dakota, the center of the Bakken shale field which is said to be as big as the state of W. Va. but presently there are 10,000 producing wells within a 50 mile or less radius. Even though there are oil and gas pipelines in the area the gas is being flared [burned off] with many wells likely making more than some producers sell from a field. The wells are pumped by electric and, it seems, no one heats with anything but electric -- no wood [not much there to burn], coal or natural gas. The newspapers are full of help wanted ads with menial jobs, McDonalds, etc. starting at $15/hour. Economic growth is the way one raises the "minimum wage" not by bloviating windbags down in the swamps of the lower Potomac. The sign says, "Welcome to boom town USA" and new hotels, motels, apartment buildings, houses, etc. are being built everywhere. On Sunday afternoon the super Walmart parking lot was completely full. The night differential for drivers of oil trucks is $3.00/hour & like the Marcellus there is brine produced with the oil and gas.
The Burlington Northern Rail Road is laying more track as much of the oil is hauled by train since the Keystone pipeline is being held up by the Big Eared One. His buddy and sugar daddy Warren Buffett [Berkshire Hathaway] owns the railroad so he is "being taken care of". One sees oil trains going everywhere. The Big Eared One, who formerly 'worked' as a community organizer is now a millionaire several time over and the Clintons are multimillionaires after starting off as the $30,000/year governor of Arkansas. While Hillary was Secretary of State Bill toured the globe and brought in $42 million in 'speaking fees' which could be translated to payments for access. Benito and Adolph also worked with 'crony capitalists' in their nations and even the USSR which opposed capitalism worked with Dr. Armand Hammer who owned Occidental Petroleum, Missouri Beef Packers, etc. Hammer made the Gore family a fixture in national politics and often bragged that he had both Sr. & Jr. bought and paid for in his hip pocket.
Cap'n Spock and Charles Russell were attending to business in Brooksville and the Moth Man was making a social call in Creston one day last week on the way to run his trap line.
While driving through the former burley section of Kentucky one sees several old tobacco barns but little crop. When the Clintons were in power they took care of their buddies/donors in Brazil and wiped out the domestic tobacco business. Meantimes usage of other drugs have been encouraged.
It was reported that Mountain V is working on their location on Owl Hill.
Charles Russell was calling on Mr. & Mrs. Parris Parsons, Ray Gumm and brother Euell at the Miletree Center. Euell noted that they were going to have a tent revival there next week.
The Wirt County Fair starts August 6 and runs through Saturday night.
There will be a flea market at Creston, Saturday August 9 starting at 8 A. M. At prior flea markets in Creston there have been good crowds.
Brandon Ferrell & friend Tucker spent the weekend visiting the Carl Ferrell family in Creston.
The Creston Area Neighborhood Watch did a litter pickup Saturday morning and gathered seven (7) bags of trash including a baby pacifier. They also feasted on some of the cooking from some of the area's better cooks.
The crows have been busy harvesting local apples and Bambi apparently broke down a peach tree to get the still green peaches, eventually getting every one.
Freddie Bush brought out some more logs from the Bingman place. Danny Carpenter hauled some more fine logs down from Greg Arthur's timber job on Goose Nest.
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude oil dipped to $96.88/bbl. with drip [Appalachian light sweet] fetching $75.38, Marcellus & Utica light $90.88 and medium $96.88/bbl.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hur Herald. | 
