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Letters to the Editor

Organizer saddened by tournament move

Dear Elkins-area residents, I was greatly saddened to hear that the Hillbilly Hardball Classic had been taken from Elkins and the surrounding area and relocated to Morgantown. The annual event had been a large boost to the area economy since 1989. When I took over as manager of Elkins Post 29 American Legion Baseball in 1989, I wanted to expand the program and give our local youth an opportunity to play teams from other areas. In the summer of 1988, Elkins lost a local baseball legend in Rick Phillips. Rick was a close personal friend and his untimely death hit me hard. There ...

Looking back on the legislative session

Now that a couple of weeks have passed, I thought it might be appropriate to look at what did and didn’t happen (thank goodness) in this year’s iteration of the West Virginia Legislature. The Republican super-majority decided it was in the best interest of West Virginia residents to focus on jailing librarians and museum employees, further marginalizing transgender individuals all under the guise of the so-called “Women’s Bill of Rights (more accurately titled “Women’s Bill of Wrongs”), and to continue anti-diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts. Of course, we had ...

Comparing plans for economic growth

In my letter to the editor two weeks ago, I outlined the difference between Elkins and the county’s reasons for and against annexation.  This week, I will highlight the differences between each governmental entity and their plans. Progress is not free or cheap. But if we want the benefits of progress, it must be paid in some form.  Mayor Marco personally reached out to 22nd Century Technologies Inc. to come to Randolph County, as they are located outside city limits. In the company’s press release, they said Mayor Marco “has been instrumental in positioning West Virginia ...

Looking at alternate Corridor H route

In a recent op-ed piece in The Inter-Mountain, Corridor H Authority Chairman Robbie Morris assures us that WVDOH has resolved the problem of “splitting the towns,” by sinking the ROPA under Route 32, rather than over it.  But let’s be clear: Whether a massive four-lane freeway goes over or under Route 32, it won’t matter. Either way the R-ROPA, along with its sidekick the Truck Route, will devastate our mountaintop with not one, but two highway projects. The landscape on top of the mountain will never be the same.  It’s only a precious little bit of land we have here ...

Dogwalker disgusted by filth left behind

One of the highlights of my retirement has been a daily walk with my neighbor’s dog, Nevaeh. The walks started well over a decade ago and I quickly learned to carry small plastic bags to collect her “tootsie rolls” so as not to leave them in someone’s yard. Our walks stopped over the Christmas and New Year holidays but they resumed recently for a couple of days, which brings me to the point of this letter. I went to her house, checked the plastic bags, hooked her up and proceeded to let her choose her route for the day. She started walking me up Silvester toward Robin Hood ...

Reader reacting to annexation discussion

Recently I read the article in the paper on Feb. 7 about the City of Elkins and Randolph County sparring over annexation. After carefully reading the article and doing my own research, the annexation of the stores along the Beverly Five-Lane is in the best interest of the county as a whole.  It is unfortunate that sound bites and divisive rhetoric are being thrown around so cavalierly over the betterment of our community. According to Mr. Kesling’s own words, there are two reasons for Walmart not to be annexed. First, there will be a 1% sales tax not benefiting everyone who ...