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Opinion

Who is really responsible for development?

Columnists

I write more on personal and professional development than any other topic. In my book The Busy Leader’s Handbook: How to Lead People and Places That Thrive, the first chapter sets the foundation for a person’s development. The two main components are self-awareness and coachability. Willingness is key to both: willingness to hold up the mirror to oneself and willingness to seek out coaches and coaching. Please think of the coach’s work in its broadest sense. A coach is someone or something we can learn from. As I was preparing to facilitate a workshop, it was apparent that ...

Randolph County Schools' demographic realities

Columnists

Last week my column about city water problems ended hurriedly with these two sentences: "As frustrating as these problems may be, they cannot all be blamed on government. Every generation must work together and learn from history to solve problems using kindness (civility) and intelligence." This week after watching school children get on a yellow bus for their first day of school, I plan to start with the above suggestions for solving our public-school problems. When I see new leaders being loudly blamed for problems they did not create, I realize that George Washington was right ...

New citizens display love for U.S.

Editorials

Some people complain that newspapers don't publish enough happy news, but this week we reported on an event that was absolutely joyous to 20 groups of family and friends. Twenty individuals from 12 countries became new United States citizens during the annual Naturalization Ceremony in Elkins. The new citizens hailed from Brazil, Ecuador, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam. This is an annual event that we at The Inter-Mountain love to cover, because of the big smiles and tears of joy that the new citizens — and ...

Trump's taste for gold

Columnists

During the height of the Gilded Age in the late 19th century, the wealthy celebrated conspicuous consumption and immense power. Every Christmas, on Park Avenue, the well-heeled saw it as an act of kindness to treat their poor neighbors by opening their drapes and giving them a peek at what they were missing. They meant it as a kind gesture, but also displayed how out of touch they were with the vast majority of Americans. Bugs Bunny, in a 1940's cartoon, displayed this social cluelessness by remarking, while basking in the sun on a beach, "I wonder what the poor rabbits are doing this ...

Homestead Center asking for help

Letters to the Editor

As a board member and volunteer of the Homestead Community & Event Center (the former Homestead Elementary School), I am writing to the community to help support this endeavor. When the school closed and the center was turned over to the Tygart Valley Homestead Association, the board had a vision of continuing to provide this space as a resource hub for the valley. With hundreds of youth in football, cheer, basketball and soccer we have enabled the kids of the valley a place within their home area to participate in sports. Our grounds, playground, and walking track are available ...

Events to highlight history of Elkins

Columnists

Kump Education Center is planning a fall series of lectures about the history of Elkins. The first speech on the geological history of Elkins by Dr. Jim VanGundy will be held on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. in the Learning Lab at Kump Education Center. Dr. VanGundy was a professor of geology on the Davis & Elkins College faculty. Since he retired, Dr. VanGundy has been traveling and writing about scenic West Virginia. The second ddition of his book, "The Nature and Scenery of the West Virginia Highlands: With a Motorist’s Guide" is available now. His talk will help citizens understand the ...