 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
The big Creston ATV poker run is scheduled for Saturday, April 25 at the Creston Community Building. Breakfast will be served and riders can leave between 9 A. M. and noon. For those who are new, this isn't a race it is a ride through scenic country where one can look at rock cliffs, drive through water and mud holes, observe wild flowers, game, amphibians, see scenic vistas from high ridges. observe state road non-maintenance and just have a lot of fun with the family, grandchildren, friends, co-workers, date etc. There will be a 50/50, door prizes and all sorts of goodies to eat. Those under 16 must wear helmets and comply with state law. The community doesn't want anyone to get hurt so use common sense, etc. If there are last minute toad strangler rains, the route may get changed at the last minute as no one wants to see four wheelers floating down the stream.
Rick Williams brought the message at the Burning Springs M. E. Church as Rev. Belt was at the Course of Study at the Methodist Camp on the former Lucy Goff/ John Boggs farm on Spring Creek.
David Tenbarge, age 71, of Burning Springs passed away after coming down with a cancer. Duane O'Dell had taken him out to Indiana to see his children before he died.
Johnna Heater of 3666 Seacrest Road, Apt. D-4, Wooster Ohio 44691 is scheduled for cancer surgery on Monday and would appreciate cards from friends and well wishers. She needs encouragement from those who will.
Cap'n Spock was on the sick list. Those calling at the Space Dock included A. C. & J. P. Marks. A. C. & the Cap'n were calling on Mr. & Mrs. Frank Simmons & Zach.
A big crowd was on hand for the Creston auction Saturday. Folks were carrying away bargains in all directions. Another auction is scheduled for May.
Damon Sampson has been remodeling his kitchen.
Private ownership of property is always under attack when Marxists are running the show as, to them, all belongs to the collective and they can control the peasants. The federal government presently is trying to seize $700,000 worth of raisins from a California grower under a 1937 New Deal law to take food out of circulation to raise the price. This is the same program that had local farmers kill their pigs [to raise the price of hogs] and then, next year the local residents had no meat to eat. "I'm from the government & I'm here to help you!"
Speaking of things out in the land of fruits & nuts, Sheriff Bubba had the backhoe man dig without calling Miss Utility and he hit a 12" gas line that injured 14 but didn't kill anyone. Passersby got to record some spectacular fire photographs on their camera devices.
The redbud is at the height of its glory and dogwoods are starting to open. Sarvis has already bloomed. Folks have been digging ramps but morel mushroom hunters report a less than bountiful crop this time around. The exotic pest garlic mustard is starting to bloom and should be pulled up by the roots. The plant puts toxins in the soil that stunt or kill native plants.
At the national prayer breakfast the Big Eared One spoke harshly about Christians who "used harsh terms" against others. It seems Dear Leader was upset that religious leaders who have the audacity to quote a book written 2000 years & more ago but divinely inspired Jewish men who spoke about family matters. The Big Eared One & his group had been stating that "black lives matter" but apparently such isn't the case when 148 black Kenyan Christians are killed by 4 moslem (Islamic) terrorists. Now we learn that ISIS has camps in Mexico and all sorts of unsavory sorts cross the border with impunity just waiting for the sign to unleash terror in America.
Thomas Jefferson High School for Science & Technology in Fairfax County Virginia is a facility that admits students on merits not quotas and the freshman class will be 70% Asian, 22% white with the remainder being Latinos & Blacks. Some of the race hustlers say this is unfair but somewhere there need to be places where the intelligent can learn without being burdened down with slugs that don't intend to do anything. For years in the west there have been quotas to keep the percentage of Asians at a low share in colleges so that "there can be diversity". The nation is in a mess and now it is clear that the educrats do not want the citizens educated thus disasters like common core and whatever.
Some local residents were approached by employees of Percheron asking for permission to go on land to survey for a pipeline for Columbia Gas Mountaineer Xpress. The agents would answer no questions as to size of the line, direction, etc. but it was determined that the line would be in Roberts Run near Mt. Solon and in downtown Reedy. The Reedy landowner said the man got upset when he said "until you tell me what this is about I'm not going to sign your paper". When folks wouldn't let the surveyors on land for EQT's big 42" pipeline they ran to the federal judge for help even though they have no authority to force themselves on the lands of others without specific condemnation orders which presently do not exist.
One of the bones of contention in the forced pooling bill that the big out of state companies wanted the legislature to pass for them was a requirement that plugged and abandoned wells did not have to be listed on the plat showing the unit. At the time it was pointed out that this was an effort to keep the big boys from being liable should "things go wrong" as the locals would have to, as best they could, look up the abandoned wells should hydrocarbons get into freshwater aquifers, etc. Recently it was learned that Noble has drilled a Marcellus well near Hebron that isn't in the line. Nearby are a number of Devonian shale wells that were drilled 30 or so years ago by a company known better as a timber company up in the mountains. A local fellow tends these wells and he discovered that the pressure on the wells was going up and now is in the range of Marcellus wells. When asked, "Was anyone hurt with having low pressure fittings on these wells?" the answer was we had to replace all the plumbing with the wells wide open as the highest rated fitting was a 600 lb. ball valve. We were lucky and no one was hurt. Now the wells are producing loads of condensate and the master meter is "singing". One well was disconnected from the line and was used only as a "home use" well. When asked if the farmhouse blew up the reply was, "No, it had a big Joe on it." Now it is back in the line too.
The State of Pennsylvania is wrapping up an investigation of cheating by Chesapeake and others that started taking deductions out of royalties under leases that were written to avoid the requirements of the Tawney lawsuit. One elderly woman in Bradford County received a bill for over $100,000 for expenses instead of her royalty check. Similar situations exist in West Virginia and a real oil and gas bill would address these problems. Perhaps there are some in the legislature that have spine and won't mind offending the thieves and their paid shills who are to be seen around the well under the golden dome.
Natural gas again sold for just over $1/dekatherm while local Pennsylvania grade crude oil stabilized at $54.74 with condensate (drip) fetching $30.74, Marcellus & Utica light $48.74 and medium $54.74/bbl.
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Hur Herald. | 
