 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
There will be an auction Saturday, April 18 starting at 10 A. M. at the Creston Community Building. Come and look for bargains, etc.
The Creston ATV Poker run will be Saturday April 25 at the Creston Community Building. Come and see the spring ephemerals, see the fat squirrels (that gorged on acorns all winter long) sleek wild turkeys, amphibians and whatever else.
Both Pat & Mary Shaw's magnolia trees are in bloom, chickweed is blooming and seed pods are developing on the hairy bittercress. Also the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture's) multiflora rose is growing. Some years back the government men introduced the pest as a "living fence that wouldn't spread" when they knew full well that when birds or animals ate the seeds they would germinate, grow and prosper. Such is an example of the disastrous results of government programs from the man who says, "I'm from the government & I'm here to help you!"
There were 40 youngsters at the Creston Easter party last week and there were just 40 packages of goodies. Several local residents attended Easter sunrise services.
Geneva Groves, age 70, passed away. A former Creston resident she was the daughter of the late Holly Miller who lived on Sugar Camp before moving the Creston.
Denny "Hopsing" Rhodes, age 44, of Ivydale passed away. The son of the late Toney Rhodes, his ashes will be interred later at Ground Hog.
Highway problems continue to vex folks. The message boards and the slow speed limit continues for I-77 where the shoddy paving & poor patching are the norm. Some have noted that it is a disgrace and others pointed out that Broadway Joe's micromanaging of the state road system would come to a bad end especially since the inspectors had no authority to require quality work from the connected contractors. The legislative audit of the DOH is currently underway and hard questions are being asked. It is likely that some of the biggies will be squirming, to say the least. In addition to potholes and decayed payment a big hole came in the road at a culvert next to the home of the Roane County Super on the Barr Cut road, the way Crestonites go to Spencer.
The Big Eared One's EPA is shutting down two local coal fired power plants, one in Beverly Ohio (oftimes the source of excellent road cinders many of which were used in Wirt County back when) and the Sporn plant in Mason County. This is part of the war on coal that is the chic thing for the elites in Washington who think that their power comes from pixie dust or some such. One fellow who has experience in such matters noted that these plants were "obsolete" when built but federal requirements said "this is how it is done!"
Carl Ferrell was consulting his physician and received a good report. He was also "thoroughly" examined.
Charles Russell was calling on brother Euell, Ray Gumm & Mr. & Mrs. Paris Parsons at Miletree. Clarence "Tink" Boggs was calling on his brother Harvey at the facility.
MVP (Mountain Valley Pipeline) announced that they were tired of being nice and asking permission and brought suit in federal court to make 103 different state residents let their surveyors on their land to survey for the big 42" gas pipeline that goes into Virginia. Their agents were turned away from farms, golf courses, coal company lands and housing subdivisions. Even though no one can obtain gas from the line they are claiming "utility" status. EQT is part of the firm and not so long back federal judge Joe Bob Goodwin beat back a class action lawsuit against his client. The Goodwin family is part of the state's ruling oligarchy and they take care of "their friends". Someone one said that if the federales want the line so bad it should be built in the median of the interstate until one hit national forest land and then on the government property to the state line.
The forced pooling bill continues to be a hot topic of discussion and the big boys are very unhappy that their 46 lobbyists couldn't get it through the W. Va. legislature which, in the past, often did as it was bidden by the powers that be. Of course some of the legislators realized that the citizens would be shafted by the "compromise" bill written by company lawyers.
Corky deMarco the head honcho of the WVONGA (the big boy oil & gas group) spoke March 24 at Bridgeport in support of the Rockefeller family (Mother Hope or Dominion) 42" gas pipeline (ACP or Atlantic Coast Pipeline) that would take gas from Lighburn Station north of Jane Lew over through the mountains to Virginia. Apparently some folks weren't too happy about having a big pipe on their land, something likely about ruining good crop land, etc. and Corky replied, "God didn't want us to be farmers, or this place would look like Kansas. God put us here in these mountains that are 450 million years old with the best coal in the world and the most natural gas in the world. And we have a responsibility, and I think companies line Dominion and others have seized on the opportunities that the mountains have provided and will continue to do this." Apparently Corky finally told the truth which is that they have contempt for those who farm and in admitting that this is the best gas field in the world shows that the leases they big boys would have us sign are a disgrace and against public policy and the forced pooling law that talks about a 1/8th royalty is beyond the pale. In a former life, Corky was a grand poobah in Cecil's administration. It might be noted that the biggies pay 50% royalties to those gentlemen who have rags tied around their heads that the Big Eared One bows to.
Easter is a painful reminder of what can happen to Christians. In America they are mocked, sued and hassled for standing firm on Bible based belief and in Kenya 150 were killed by Islamic terrorists. ISIS intends to purge all the Christians from the middle east where they have been since the time of Jesus and no one is saying a word as, apparently, it open season and genocide is now permitted. After all, we must have "peace in our time".
The price of local Pennsylvania grade crude dropped to $48.14 with drip fetching $24.14 and Marcellus & Utica light $43.14 and medium $48.14/bbl.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hur Herald. | 
