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By Alvin Engelke
There will be a sing Saturday, March 8, starting at 7 P. M. at the Creston Community Building. All singers, musicians & the public are invited. For details contact Donna Sue at 275-3202.
The weather has returned to more normal ranges in the Creston area. The water went down, most of the snow has melted and most roadways have been cleared of down trees although the ground is very soft and many roads are the muddiest they have been in years.
In some sections one just has to look to grasp the damage that the ice storm wrought. Mature oaks, pines and other trees were turned out by the roots and the tops were snapped out of locust, pine, oak, poplar, hickory, cherry, walnut and other types of trees. In the areas of heaviest damage, only snags stand with the signs of the broken limbs and tops.
While most of the electric and telephone service has been restored, one can still find down electric lines, snapped telephone poles, loose wires and telephone cables with trees on them. The FEMA folks have been around as have representatives of the Red Cross, including Lloyd "Homer" Wright.
While local residents have been gathering in the readily available firewood and others have been gathering up the pine posts and pulp wood, elsewhere it is said, "No one wants the wood!" In other counties the debris has been piled up and burned, hauled to the dump, etc. In one county it was reported that a timber contractor was hauling away the brush for the state and hauling away the logs belonging to the property owners [without them being so advised].
Donald Thomas of St. Albans was out on Ground Hog looking at his land there and was amazed at the number of downed trees on his property and elsewhere.
Local oil field hands have not been pumping much oil as they have been busy cutting trees off the pump jacks and opening up roads (and paths). Some oil reported in December has not yet been shipped. Now the roads to the tanks are blocked.
Meanwhile, down at the Mouth of the Elk River, the poor, out of state coal companies, have been busy and now, it seems, they can haul their super loads of coal on the roads funded by the residents who pay taxes. It seems a lot of the coal is hauled to the Big Kanawha where it is sprayed with diesel fuel and then marketed under "an energy saving deal" that generates big tax credits. Maybe the increase in the cigarette tax will help fund the repairs to the highways. One can light up a smoke to help Mr. Peabody and Mr. Rockefeller get their coal to market.
Rev. S. E. Cooper, Jr. fell and broke his hip. He is in a Parkersburg hospital.
While the price of local crude oil went up, it fell about $2 reflecting a decrease in the world price. The price on Saturday was $32.50/bbl. The spot price of natural gas rose to $18.75/mmbtu at one time but has stayed in the $8/mmbtu range. Locally produced natural gas has been selling from 20 cents to about the $4 range.
Area residents and folks elsewhere have been looking all around hunting for hay. One fellow said he had spent $60 on long distance calls and hadn't located a bale. Another man reported that his cows ate twice as much as usual this winter. One Spencer resident noted that he wouldn't need as much hay as one of his horses was hit by falling trees during the ice storm and didn't survive.
Ray Cunningham received a good report when he visited his doctor. Nancy Hall is scheduled for a visit Wednesday and she is hoping for a good report too. She is also scheduled for a treatment to kill nasty cells.
Juanita Bell is back in circulation after her eye surgery. She reported that she was glad to be back out and about.
Ohio Oil Gathering announced that they have shut down their oil pipeline north of the Brooksville Station leading to Eureka on the Ohio River. Apparently some very corrosive material went into the line and caused pitting and other damage. The line is to be repaired.
Allegheny Energy, the local natural gas and electricity provided announced that they were looking for more local natural gas to purchase. The company has been on the verge of bankruptcy but, apparently obtained recent interim financing to stay operating.
Columbia Natural Resources had to leave a string of tools in the hole on their well on Canoe and drill around the steel. At last report they were drilling at a depth (or perhaps a length) beyond the Trenton/Black River with only light shows of natural gas. It was noted that they were drilling on fluid. One resident over in that section noted that, "Ever since they drilled the Parker well, they have been off the trend. I have studied and studied the maps and I am sure that they are off."
Folks at the Creston auction commented on how nice the kitchen looked with its new paint, trim and decorations. A new collage of pictures showing the work on the building in on the bulletin board, complements of the fixer of fine bulletin boards was displayed and many spent time looking at the photographs. On Sunday, Fred & Betty Bish installed the Creston Community Building sign on W. Va. 5 where one turns off for Creston.
Emzy Ashby was attending to business in Creston Saturday evening.
Jane Phillips was visiting in Creston over the weekend.
Wirt County High School after Prom, after Graduation committee sponsored a Prom, Pageant style show Sunday afternoon in the activities room at West Virginia University at Parkersburg. Elizabeth Michaels of Parkersburg, owned by Jane Engelke, furnished the gowns, suits, swim suits and after five wear for the show. A $500.00 prom gift basket was won by a lucky Becky Stark Many people spent lots of time to make this event the success it was. A big thank you goes out to all who participated.
It isn't too early to begin thinking about the Wirt County Fair Queen competition. Elizabeth Michaels is sponsoring a pageant workshop on Sunday, April 13 with Kim Parrish. Kim is a former Miss West Virginia and is currently a television host on OVC. Kim will help participants with interview, on-stage competition, clothing choices and other essentials of pageant competition. Pre-registration is required as space is limited to 15 young ladies. The cost is $50.00. Contact Jane Engelke at 483-0281 for further information.
A number of local residents have family members in the scenic Persian Gulf or on the way there to deal with the nasties that would destroy us if given a chance. A good blow was struck in Pakistan when Osama's chief planner was nabbed and sent back here. He has a buddy doing life plus 240 years in a supermax prison. From what one reads some of the British "human shields" finally determined that bombs, rockets, etc. would be hurled their way and they decided that "it was dangerous" and went home. Apparently the term "useful idiot" sunk in.
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