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Rumblings from the White House

Columnists

Certainly, some strange rumblings are coming out of the White House. President Donald Trump seems obsessed with both the petty and the grandiose. He renames lakes, ruminates over his buildings and innumerable projects. The White House and the country eagerly await, apparently, his ballroom. It is too bad that he seems to have little time to spend trying to figure out how to end the Iranian imbroglio and fix the economy. The inattention to the immediate business at hand seems to confuse his cabinet. Howard Lutnick practically explained his building plans as therapy for the ...

Don't point a finger; hold out your hand

Columnists

Instead of pointing a finger, hold out your hand. This statement combines two familiar “hand” metaphors. The first is that when we have one finger pointing out at someone else, three others are pointing back at us. The second is a reference to reaching out to another person to be of help. It is usually better to open the hand. It is easy to point a finger at what is wrong, who is at fault, what could be better, and so on. At times, pointing can be helpful. It may be that we’re pointing out danger, a person who needs recognition, or a place someone needs to go. The key is in how ...

County fairs signal end of summer

Editorials

As we enter September, we are in the twilight of our area's annual county fairs schedule. Each year, local residents can enjoy, in successive weeks, the Randolph County Fair, the Tucker County Fair and the Barbour County Fair. Even with the rain that often pelted our area this summer, a lot of good times were had at our local county fairs. Youngsters had their moment in the spotlight with the talent shows, 4-H demonstrations and livestock shows, and each of the fairs offered live music entertainment, carnival rides and, of course, that tempting county fair food. Dozens of ...

Walk to raise awareness of disease

Letters to the Editor

I am very excited to announce our fifth annual Huntington’s Disease Walk, taking place at The Barbour County Fairgrounds in Belington on Sept. 13. Registration begins at 1 p.m. Many people may wonder, “What is Huntington’s Disease?” In short, Huntington’s Disease is a genetic disorder that causes a progressive breakdown of the brain, affecting a person’s physical and mental abilities. It is often described as having ALS, Parkinson’s Disease, and Alzheimer’s Disease simultaneously. Unfortunately, this devastating disease is a reality for our family and many others in ...

Three Elkins History Talks planned

Columnists

Three Elkins History Talks will be given at Kump Education Center for the fall lecture series beginning next Wednesday, September 9 at 7pm in the Optimum Learning Lab beside the Kump house garage. On Sept. 9 Dr. Jim Van Gundy will speak on “Elkins Geology” and help us understand why this swampy location was suitable for the center of the West Virginia Central and Pittsburg Railroad 130 years ago. Dr. Van Gundy taught geology and other science courses at Davis and Elkins College for many years. Since he retired, he has traveled and served as a guide on ocean cruises in other ...

Lessons from the Wetland Ecology

Columnists

Last week my column was focused on education, and the week before that, the topic was city water challenges. This week these two topics flowed together when I heard Elizabeth Byers explaining the significance of the Kump Education Center Wetland. I n her introduction to the Kump Center Wetland for Master Gardners last Monday, Elizabeth acknowledged that we live in a time when Global Warming threatens the natural ecology that supports human life on Earth. Many species are becoming extinct because they have lost their natural habitat, and our species could be next. However, Elizabeth ...