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W1LLIAM P. MCNEEL, Editor • PAMELA E. PRITT, Managing Editor
JANE PRICE SHARP, Editor Emerita
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2003
March Weather
by Jason Bauserman
March was full of surprises. It
came in like a lamb and out like a
lion. Temperatures were up and pre-
cipitation was down.
The first 29 days were warmer
than normal and then the lion
showed up just in time to finish the
month. For the last two days. mm-
peratures dropped 40 ° and a foot of
snow dropped to the ground.
The average high was a very
welcomed 52.1 ° , the average low
was 27.6 ° . The mean of 39.9 ° was
3.1 ° above normal. That breaks a
four-month streak of below average
temperatures.
The highest temperature was 71 o
on March 25 and the lowest was
14 ° on March I 1.
With the disappearance of El
Nine, precipitation seems to be
heading back to old habits. The
25.8" of precipitation was 1.52"
below normal.
Total snowfall for the month
was 14,8". Total snowfall for the
winter .'tow stands at 101.19" at
Bartow. the third time 100" has
been broken in the past 10 years.
Peep frogs were first heard on
March 23 and that is about normal.
Last year, they were first heard
March 13.
Marlinton Water
Plant Report for March
by Dale McKenn 0
High temperature: 68 ° on
March 26, with average of 52.5 °.
Low temperature: 12 ° on March
4 & 5, with average of 25.3 °.
Rain: 1.97". Snow: 7", Clear
Female pris-
oner dies in
county jail
A female prisoner was found dead
in the Pocahontas County Jail
Thursday morning.
Gina Marie Jack, of Marlinton,
was found at approximately 7:30
a.m., according to a press release
from the West Virginia State Po-
lice.
The release said the cause of
death is undetermined, pending a re-
port from the State Medical Exam-
iner's Office.
The 32-year-old Jack was in jail
because her bond had been revoked.
She was awaiting sentencing on
forgery and conspiracy charges and
was scheduled to go to Pruntytown
for a 60-day evaluation.
The last death in the Pocahontas
County Jail occtaxed nearly a decade
ago and was determined a suicide.
Set. J. P. Barlow is investigat-
ing Jack, s death.
Pledge Forms
Pledge forms are available at The
River Place for anyone wanting to
make a pledge to purchase a drug
dog for our county sheriff's depart-
ment.
Paving Contract
The Division of Highways has
given West Virginia Paving, Inc.,
of Dunbar, a $348,515 contract to
days: 8, Snow days: 4, Rainy days: pave 1.9 miles of Rt. 219 between
9, Cloudy days: 10 ........... MillPoint and HiUsbrn:'-W
March 2002 Report: ing and new guardrails are also in-
High temperature: 71 ° with
average of 49.8 ° .
Low temperature: 5 ° with aver-
age of 22.6 ° .
Rain: 4.45", Snow: 2".
Fire Calls
Marlinton Volunteer Fire
Department on March 25 was called
to Stillwell to a fire at the mobile
home of Roy Hammons and then
was called back a second time.
Total damage was estimated at
$2,000.
Also on the 25th the Depart-
ment went to help Hillsboro Fire
Department fight a brush rue at the
old town of Watoga. 10 to 15 acres.
On Saturday. the 29th, a call
came to go to Hunmrsville in the
old bridge area to the trailer of Me-
lissa Galford. The trailer was
totally damaged.
cluded in the contract.
Green Box Sites
Due to Daylight Savings Time,
the'Green Box Sims will be open
on Wednesdays and Saturdays from
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. beginning Wed-
nesday, April 9.
Snowshoe Institute Receives
Grant "
The West Virginia Humanities
Council has announced the award of
ten new major grants in the amount
of $94,258.
Among the grants was $10,000
to the Snowshoe Institute 2003.
The Institute will be held July 30 -
August at Snowshoe Mountain for
the second year.
Grand Jury indicts 13 men Tuesday
The Pocahontas County Grand Jury indicted 13 men Tuesday, mostly
on burglary and breaking and entering charges, according to Prosecuting
Attorney Walt Weiford. An indictment is not a determination of guilL
but rather a finding of probable cause that enough evidence exists to hold
a trial. All indictments are felonies xmless otherwise noted.
Alan Michael Arbogast. age unknown, of Loveland, Colorado.
Failure to meet obligations to support minor child.
Raymond J. Cochran, Jr., 32, of Verona, Virginia. Conspiracy to
deliver a controlled substance (methamphetamines), delivery of a
controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to
deliver.
Wayne E. Garber, 29, of Verona, Virginia. conspiracy to deliver a
controlled substance (methamphetamines), delivery of a controlled
substance.
Phillip C. Dean, Jr., 30, of Marlinton, burglary and sexual assault in
the second degree
Joseph Eugene Howard, 41, of Soperton, Georgia, burglary and grand
larceny
Keith O. Pondexter, 42. of Marlinton, delivery of a controlled
substance, two counts
Knits J. Ryan, 33, of Dunmore, conspiracy to manufacture a
controlled substance (marijuana), manufacture of a controlled substance,
possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver
James P. Shipp, 37, of Dunmore. conspiracy to manufacture a
controlled substance (marijuana). manufacture of a controlled substance,
possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver.
Greg Charles Sharp, 18, of Cass, conspiracy to commit breaking and
entering, two counts, breaking and entering, two counts, unlawful taki'ng
of vehicle, two misdemeanor counts
Tommy C. Vandevender, 64, of Bartow, malicious assaulL wanton
endangerment involving a firearm
Anthony Allen Woody, 22, of Marlinton, conspiracy to commit
breaking and entering, two counts, breaking and entering, two counts,
grand larceny, two counts, conspiracy to commit burglary, burglary,
unlawful taking of vehicle, a misdemeanor
Stephen Lee Bennett, 23, of Marlinton, conspiracy to commit
breaking arm entering, breaking and entering, two counts, grand larceny,
unlawful taking of vehicle, two counts
Vincent Aaron Malcomb, 20, of Buckeye, conspiracy to commit
burglary, burglaryand grand larceny.
Tim grand jury returned one no true bill, Weiftxl said.
Arraignments will be held Thursday in front of Circuit Judge James
Rowe and Frida],, in front of Chief Jud[te Frank Jolliffe.
SBA grant received for PCHS
Friel & Vance back on
BOE; Friel re-elected
president; staff cuts made
The Board of Education was back
to five members with the appoint-
ment of Kermit Friel and Kenneth
Vance to their former positions on
the Board at its meeting on Mon-
day. The two men had been re-
moved from their positions by a
panel of three circuit judges in a
ruling issued two weeks ago.
Their removal was sought in a
lawsuit filed last year by Norman
Alderman alleging Mr. Friel and
Mr. Vance were in violation of
state law that prohibits BeE mem-
bers from holding other "public of-
rices." The suit alleged that Mr.
Friel's membership on the county
Board of Health and Public Service
District and Mr. Vance's employ-
ment in the Assessor's office made
them ineligible to be on the BeE.
The judges agreed with Mr. Al-
derman in the case of Mr. Friel and
Mr. Vance, but did not go along
with his request to also remove
Ruth Taylor from the Board and
School Superintendent James
Phares from his position.
However, last week Mr. Friei and
Mr. Vance resigned from the posi-
tions cited by the court in the re-
moval order. The County Com-
mission accepted the resignations in
a meeting on Thursday. Dr. Phares
gave the Board a letter from the
Commission documenting its ac-
tion. He also had letters from the
two men requesting appointment to
the BeE.
Without hesitation the appoint-
ments of Mr. Friel and Mr. Vance
to their former positions were ap-
proved.
Howard O'Cull, Executive Direc-
tor of the West Virginia School
Boards Association, was at the
meeting to answer any questions
about their unique situation. He
said due their break in service, they
will have to attend the next orienta-
tion session for new BOE mem-
bers. However, they will not lose
the credit for the training sessions
they have attended this year.
Mr. O'Cull also reported that the
Legislature in its last session did
begin to address some of the issues
raised in Mr'.> Aide'S SUit and
other counties, It made some clar-
ification in the meaning of "public
office" and provided a way for pros-
pective BeE members to seek a
ruling from the state Ethics Com-
mission on possible conflicts.
Following the appointments,
Bernard King, who was elected BeE
president after Mr. Friel's removal,
resigned from this position. Dr.
Phares temporarily chaired the
meeting for the election of a new
president. Mr. Friel was re-elected
as Board president. After he took
back the chair. Mr. Vance was re-
elected as Board vice-president.
Ms. Taylor expressed apprecia-
tion for Mr. Kings's willingness
take on the president's duties.
Dr. Phares had two items of good
news from the state School Build-
ing Authority. He reported that the
SBA met on Monday and approved
the county's request for a $1.9 mil- '
lion grant for additional renovations
at Pocahontas County High
School. The money will be used to
renovate the school's science labs;
improve the fire and security alarm
system, in-school communication
t
system; and do electrical upgrades.
This is the fourth year in succes-
sion the county has received fund-
ing for projects at the high school.
Dr. Phares also reported that the
SBA agreed to provide the needed
money to fully fund the new heat-
ing and air conditioning system for
the high school. Work on this pro-
ject is already underway at the
school.
His report on the auditorium pro-
ject was not as positive, however.
He said the Penn National Insurance
Company, the surety for the pro-
ject's contractor, B&L Construc-
tion, has filed suit in federal court
for the Northern District to be re-
lieved of its bond obligations for
the project. The insurance compa-
ny claims the paper work on bond
was not properly handled.
Dr. Phares said a suit against the
contractor and bonding company is
being prepared on behalf of the
Board. He also reported that a letter
had been sent to terminate the con-
tract with B&L, based the compa-
ny's abandonment of the project,
non-payment of contractors, and
failure to provide a bond.
It was not all bad news on the
auditorium project, however. Mr.
Phares said the SBA will move to
get a general contractor to complete
the partially constructed facility
while the lawsuits make their way,
probably slow, through the court
system. The building should be
completed by the start of the new
school year, Dr. Phares stated.
Most of the Board meeting was
spent on consideration of the super-
intendent's personnel recommenda-
tions for the coming school year.
As the recommendations include a
number of employee layoffs, Board
members took their time in decid-
ing on some of them, with several
split votes.
Balancing the desire not to lay off
employees was the blunt financial
data provided by Board Treasurer
Alice Irvine. She noted that the
county is losing $267,574 in state
funds for the coming year due to a
drop in enrollment.
Ms. Irvine's report said projected
revenue for 2003-04 is $9,402,364. "
With the recommended staff cuts,
the projected expenditures are ' il
$10,151,896. With no staff cuts,
projected expenditures are
$10,616,829. "
The projected expenditures do not I,J
include anything for long-term
maintenance projects, custodial
equipment, for summer custodial
help, she told the Board.
To help make up the difference is
$195,000 as the Pocahontas Coun-
ty share of a special appropriation
by the Legislature for this county
and Pendleton County, the two
counties with fewest students per
square mile; $110,000 from a Class
Size Reduction Grant; and $68,000
in Step 7 money.
However, there is still a
$376,532 shortfall if all cuts are
made and a $841,465 shortage if no
cuts are approved. Ms. Irvine said
the first amount is "doable" with
carry-over and other funds that may
become available. She made no
such commitment for the larger rig-
ure but said she and Dr. Phares will
make whatever decisions are made
by the Board to work.
The Board was also facing an
April 1 deadline for staff cuts; em-
ployees can be rehired at any time.
The first disagreement with the
recommendations was to fill a long-
term substitute position for teach-
ing alternative education. Board
members felt it would be better to
wait until later to fill this position.
A proposal t'amove Michael
Knisely from from a part-time (0.4)
position at Green Bank teaching
science to a full-time position at
PCHS was not approved.
Dr. Phares recommended that the
0.4 time be used at the high school
be used to teach basic skills and re-
medial skills science, but Board
members felt the possible negative
impact on Green Bank would be
greater than the positive impact at '
PCHS. (Mr. Knisely presently
teaches physical education/health at
the high school.)
Moving Kristi Walton from a 0.5
physical education position at
Hillsboro to a 0.5 art position at
Marlinton Elementary was approved
on a 3-2 vote. with Tom VanReen-
en and Mr. Vance voting no. (Ms.
Walton other 0.5 time is art teacher
at Marlinton Middle.)
The Board also rejected the rec-
ommendations to cut two-'positions
at. Green Bank, a half-time social
studies teacher and a third grade
teacher. The former was defeated on
a 2-3 vote (Friel and King voting
yes) and the latter on a 1-4 vote
(only Friel supporting tl. rcom-
mendation).
In discussing the elementary po-
sition, Board members were con-
cerned with keeping classes small at
this level, which has been a priority
of the Board for a number of years.
During the discussion Mr. Friel
and Mr. King both commented that
the superintendent is hired to man-
ON SATURDAY OVER 150 people gathered at tl!
Marlinton with flags and posters in support of t
Iraq. Yellow ribbon was in plent'ful supply and
filled with items for the service men and
lected, photos by Cynthia
SOME SNOW! March came in like the proverbiJl
went out like a lion with snow measuring fro
inches Sunday and Morning. "i'he snow came
and exceeded the predictions. Snow covered trees
terpieces of beautl. Power outages occurred in
part of the county. Temperatures went down to
Monday morning but in the 60s by Tuesday
most of the snow gone.
age the system and wondered to
what extent the Board should mi-
cromanage.
(Had the recommendations been
approved, Karen Murphy was to be
transferred to Hillsboro and Mall
Minter not re-hired.)
Another proposal that was defeat-
ed was to abolish one of the two
reading specialist positions at Mr-
linton Elementary and create one at
Marlinton Middle, with the transfer
of Lisa Sharp.
This position is
Title I funds.
the Board that there
Title 1 money to
ing specialist positiot*
data shows Marlinton
the greatest need in this
Mr. VanReenen
ilag MMS now will
problems in the
dents getting less
Continued to
Announcing $2500
to be awarded in
Education Scholarships
Pick up an application at
Pocahontas County High School
or Citizens National Bank
t, larlinton and Snowstme
