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In a state of flux

Columnists

You have to hand it to him, Donald Trump is a master at keeping matters in a state of flux. The short but sweet "agreement" amounted to an understanding to negotiate between the United States and Iran. Nothing was fully decided except perhaps the opening of the Straits of Hormuz. As with everything regarding Trump, it has to have an asterisk attached. Trump continues to fake and fire. Despite the understanding that this was an agreement that failed to address the original goals, which were regime change in Tehran, a definitive statement on nuclear arms and ballistic missiles being ...

Kump House Pie Auction offers sweet surprises

Columnists

Every year when the Kump Education Center Pie Auction planning starts, I am surprised by the endless creativity of our Board of Directors and local volunteers. The pies themselves are hidden treasures. That is what I like best about pies. Each one is a baker’s present offering something special wrapped inside a tasty pastry. They all make pies for the preservation of the historic Kump House. Once again, this year our resourceful and creative pie collector is Laura Santmyer, and she tells me she is planning on having 40 pies. Laura has a host of helpful friends who bake wonderful pies ...

Huge changes in a short time

Columnists

American politics continues to be determined by social media, whose tone remains reliably shrill. Republicans peddle philosophies that are not particularly conservative. Everything has been reduced to sentimentality, and core complaints are rooted in notions that are considered good because they are old. Conservatism at its best is based on ideas backed by reason and supported by science. Democrats may have their spells of ultra-sweet puerile thoughts, but on the whole, they want to move clumsily into the future. For both parties, Donald Trump remains a conundrum. Issues like abortion ...

Rotary Club shows gratitude

Letters to the Editor

On behalf of the Rotary Club of Elkins, we offer our heartfelt thanks to all who supported our International Festival, allowing us to award $13,238.98 in grants to many of our local schools and libraries: Elkins High School, Elkins Middle School, the Elkins-Randolph County Public Library, Pickens High School, Pioneer Memorial Library, Randolph Technical Center, Russell Memorial Library, Third Ward Elementary School, Tygarts Valley Middle/High School and Valley Head Library. The Randolph County Commission sponsored the event and Davis Trust Company sponsored the day’s entertainment. ...

Fox Forest foray set for Sunday

Columnists

Join us for a Fox Forest foray starting at 1 p.m. this Sunday afternoon near the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) boat dock landing on Scotts Ford Road. This hike was organized by the Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area (AFNHA) as part of a “Community Trail Talks” series. Hikers will walk through several sections of Fox Forest Wildlife Management Area on the improved trails. We will see the Tygart Valley River from the Overlook Trail and view Scott Hill homeplace from the High Overlook. Most of the land on the Overlook Trail was once owned by Cyrus H. ...

Slow down on residential streets

Letters to the Editor

I have thought about writing this letter for the last couple of years. I live in downtown Elkins. The speed limit on most of the streets where families, retired neighbors, children and pets live is 25 mph . Some areas are 15 mph, others 35 mph. But mostly 25 mph .   I have lived downtown for more than 15 years. My road is certainly a road drivers use as a short cut. They are typically in a hurry to get home or get to work. They often, without thinking about their speed, drive faster than 25 mph . During lunch, I was accosted by a man driving his black SUV down my road. He was angry ...