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Opinion

Free Tree Talks start third year

Columnists

Thanks to the Elkins Tree Board and City Councilwoman Nanci Bross-Fregonara, we will offer another series of three free Tree Talks at Kump Education Center. These lectures have been sponsored by Appalachian Forest National Heritage grants, and our local, nature-loving audience is always enthusiastic.  Learning about natural science is one of the educational purposes of Kump Center. On March 4, Appalachian Biologist, Lacy Rucker presented the first 2026 Tree Talk at Kump Center.   She explained why the Appalachian Mountains are such a “Hot Spot” for biodiversity, and she ...

Best ways for leaders to gather feedback

Columnists

Feedback. It’s something all people say they value. However, some ways of collecting it are more effective than others.  I attend many meetings and presentations in which the leader asks if there are any questions, and very few, if any, hands go up.  It is no surprise that people tend to be cautious about speaking up in this situation. After a pause or someone’s finally asking a very non-threatening question, the session comes to an end. There are some typical ways to get feedback via surveys. They can happen after a session or conference, and there are the ...

Former mayor says ‘socialism’ isn’t scary

Letters to the Editor

Do not be afraid of the word socialism. The multinational corporations and billionaires have used such fear as a means to stifle small businesses and local communities and keep people divided.  Elkins has a socialized water generation and distribution system. It has a socialized sewer system. It has a socialized garbage collection system. It has socialized parks and recreation. It has a socialized police department. It has a socialized fire department. It has a socialized street department.                 These were all put in place democratically to help the people — all ...

Urgent Issue

Editorials

When the governor declared this Teen Mental Health Awareness Week in West Virginia, he expanded on the events of World Teen Mental Wellness Day — March 2, which was meant to increase awareness about the emotional and mental wellbeing of our state’s young people. Teenagers are facing assaults on their mental health earlier generations may have a difficult time understanding. (They may also have a difficult time recognizing what some of those same challenges are doing to them). Julie Gomez, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness in West Virginia, said “Teen ...

D&E’s ‘mom’

Columnists

Being a mom to several hundred students is a tremendous responsibility, and a profound blessing. So many Davis & Elkins College staff members form deep and meaningful relationships with students, but Lisa Senic may be number one on that list. Though she does not have biological children, year after year she experiences that special parental bond. Born and raised in Glady, about an hour from Elkins, Lisa came to D&E in 1988 to pursue an associate degree in business. Fifteen years later she earned her Bachelor of Science in business. Just three years after completing her initial degree, ...

Fire Safety

Editorials

When we skip ahead an hour at 2 a.m. Sunday, that spring forward on the clocks will not be the only reminder we are moving toward brighter, warmer (Soon? We hope? Please?) weather. Forestry officials across our region are reminding us we have also entered the spring fire ban season. From March 1 through May 31 in both West Virginia and Ohio, there are prohibitions on outdoor burning. In West Virginia, the restriction is between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. No, not even in a proper burn barrel. There are other rules to follow, even once the ban is lifted each day. In Ohio, fires must be more ...