June 2010
June 30 a After 36 hours of typing,
mis typing, and effort, The Communicator is now available to the world.
What's the plan to correct out wittle Top Badge's potty mouth? And, what
did Gene King have to say about the wrath of 50 old fat ladies? YOu got
to pay the 70 cents!
June 30 a As the depression continues
.... Polly Samples has operated small convenience stores for ages. Her
efforts have employed Clayonians from all walks of life. Samples
Market in Ivydale closes today. At Big Otter, right beside
I-79, where the traffic count is very high, Ric Tanner has operated a restaurant
and antique store. That operation also is shutting down today.
June 30 a Very sad.
June 30 a CHIT heads met today
at 1:30pm in Amanda Moore's office, upstairs, at the Courthouse. The meeting
is to organize the build, design, paint and installation of 5 outdoor
4 by 8 tourism panels around the county. Want to help? Be there. Also,
the CHIT group is looking for 5 (or more) building owners willing to allow
the new decorations to be installed on their building. Email if you're
interested.
June 30 a Have a bunch of digital pictures?
Maybe important documents stored on your puter? You never know when your
puter will get zapped. The way you're suppose to do it is, have a
back up copy of everything stored on an external hard drive.
June 30 a Even external hard drives
go bad or die. The ace cub reporter's Seagate external
went south. The thing was at least three years old. Fortunately for him,
another set of copies was on a third hard drive.
June 30 a Here's our story...
A free 800 number call to Seagate took about 5 minutes (an American sounding
voice was on the other end too) and netted a brand new replacement. Turns
out Seagate offers a big long warranty. In five days the new unit arrived
and is in service.
June 30 a If you're thinking of
purchasing an external hard drive, we highly recommend the Seagate brand.
June 28 p Rabies clinic schedule
now posted over on the ADVISORY page
June 28 p Since the next election isn't
until 2012, Smokin Joe will appoint a replacement to fill the U S Senate
seat. Who's your guess? Gasten Caperton? Himself? His wife? Email response
June 28 p No updates until we get the
Communicator out the door sometime Tuesday afternoon.
June 28 a Time marches on. We know
it. But, the loss of Robert
C Byrd, there can be no replacement. The entire state mourns.
June 27 p Now ending the month
of June, Clayberry is adjusting to the hot hot temps of Summer. During
this last week, we experienced the heat commonly seen in July and August
months. This maybe an indication of the hottest summer on record coming
our way.
June 27 p We saw the changing
of the guard Thursday night over at the Pentagon. The new folks will be
facing some serious issues like increased insurance rates, fewer teachers
entering the profession while retirements increase, and infrastructure
problems like the drainage pipes rusting away at CCHS.
June 27 p From that meeting, an inticement....
Full write up on Gene King's comments on "50 old fat ladies".. Yelp and
it costs just 70 cents. 70 cents for us and Gene will be int he doghouse
for weeks!
June 27 p The state paid their
web hosting bill and the jail web site came back to life midweek.
June 27 p Campaign promises oft
fall by the wayside. When the Sheriff campaigned, he said he would knock
down the meth problem in the county. He hasn't
June 27 p Commissioner Slinky came
to power he do so on the platform of bringing gazillions in grant
dollars to the county. That ain't happened either.
June 27 p Our lead story in the next
Communicator deals with a $75,000 request for a new ambulance. The request
was denied by the CCC while they sit on over a $1m in coal severance dollars.
June 27 p Word came Friday that Robert
C is back in the hospital in serious condition. When the Senator leaves
us, the state will be in even worse shape. Best of get well wishes extended
to the senior Senator.
June 27 p We suffered this week with
temps in the upper 90s and humidity even higher. Great for the tomatoes
and beans but boy it's tough on everything else.
June 26 p Floyd Sargent,
88, of Clay, see OBITUARY page
June 26 p Fietta Magdaline DeMoss,
74, of Procious, see OBITUARY page
June 25 a After several days of temps
in the high 90s and humidity capable of wilting even the strongest, happy
Friday morning. Hope your air conditioner is working well.
June 25 a Everything from basketball
and softball games to yard sales & family reunions fill the weekend.
Marlyn Starcher is hosting a big time auction at his place Saturday. Check
out the latest Communicator for a complete run down on Marlyn's auction.
June 25 a The radio station is holding
Bingo games tonight at the Senior Center at Two Run. Doors open at 6 and
fun starts at 6:30pm. Bingo is a fundraiser for non profit 101.7FM.
Their plan was to use bingo proceeds to grow their operation budget.
June 25 a With Commissioner Linky planning
to evict the group from the Fas Chek parking lot, those Bingo proceeds
may have to be used to cover moving expenses. Come out and support something
few other communities can be proud of, a local, independent FM station.
June 25 a Whether you're passing
thru and spending the weekend at the campground, it's a great time to come
visit Clayberry.
June 25 a What started as a passing
idea is starting to take root. Last week this site mentioned a need for
colorful 4 by 8 signs handsomely painted to enhance the county and provide
much needed hype for tourists. Emails came offering labor and financial
support. A name was decided upon, Citizens Helping to Improve Tourism
(CHIT).
June 25 a Earlier this week new Eco
Dev Director Amanda Moore agreed to assist the project volunteers. CHIT
Heads include a financier, two artists, and a guy willing to attach
the signs to buildings. The goal is to have five signs designed, painted
and installed by mid July.
June 25 a CHIT Head needs: We're looking
for five building owners around town, county, that would allow the new
signs to be erected on their property. Email this site if you're interested.
June 25 a The School Board met
last night. With the Superintendent and Bus Czar retiring and two Boardsters
unelected from office, there were many war stories of old and smiles as
they were being told. Gene King turned on the alligator tears as he recalled
times when there wasn't enough money to make ends meet..
June 25 a Although the new Super doesn't
take charge until next week, there was change too
June 25 a The meeting was held down
the hall in larger, cleaner feeling digs. The new place is more techy,
properly wired for laptop based video usage. The agenda was properly posted.
Nice changes so far.
June 25 a Enjoy a sun filled weekend.
June 24 p Bonnie Mae Wilkinson,
83, see OBITUARY page
June 24 p Hot and very humid
is the talk of the county this week. Those without A/C are suffering
June 24 Tonight the School Board meets
in rescheduled session complete with a legal and posted agenda. Location
is the Standard Bryant Annex on Gump Street. This will be the last meeting
for Boardsters Ric Tanner and Jim Dawson who lost during their election
attempt. These are the last few days in power for the Somber Super
who retires June 30th.
June 24 p Responsible parents
know the worth of teaching their snot lickers to swim. Swimming classes
begin Monday over at the Public Pool. See ADVISORY page for details.
June 24 p The Auction House
Restaurant at Two Run just added a six day a week breakfast menu.
The morning stuff will be served daily, 8 to 8pm.
June 24 p There was a dandy County
Commission meeting held Wed. Lasted over two hours! Full details in the
Communicator but for now....
June 24 p CCC appoints volunteers
to the various govt committees. Yesterday all the reappointments went quick
and without discussion 'cept one, Michael Boggs who serves on the BDA.
According to Slinky poo, several of the BDA members vow to resign if Boggs
is reappointed .Big long discussion insued. In the end, Commissioners voted
to reappoint Mike Boggs for 30 days instead of the normal 3 year term.
During that 30 days, talks will be held away from the public.
June 24 p Complicating the matter,
Boggs also sits on the secretive Clay Economic Coalition which hired and
oversees the new Eco Dev Director. If off the BDA, would Boggs also be
off that secret group.
June 24 p Secret? Well, they
have never posted a meeting agenda nor have they even made public when
the group meets.
June 24 p Also from the CCC meeting,
Ambulance Director Bev King wants $75,000 from CCC funds to purchase a
new ambulance. Her request met resistance. Stuff like, you don't have a
dollar in your checking account and you don't make enough money to
pay for a vehicle loan.
June 24 p In May less than 90
ambulance runs were made. June looks worse with around 60 runs to date.
That's a good indication of the future financial picture.
June 24 p Here's a cutey. During the
lively discussion to purchase a new unit, Linky suggested that Bev King
make a strong effort to reduce cost in the future.
June 24 p At discussion end and with
a new unit off the table, CCC OK'd spending $27,000 in insurance
$$$$ (settlement for a burned out ambulance last Spring) to purchase a
used unit.
June 24 p And finally from the Wed
morning engagement a glimpse into back room Courthouse stuff. In
a nutshell, sounds like our wittle Sheriff wants an old 911 repeater (owned
by the CCC) to be installed for law enforcement use. 911 Director Beets
said he could do that but when the new digital system comes on line this
fall, the repeater will not work.
June 24 p What wasn't said: Sounded
like our Top Badge wants to have his own repeater so he can start his own
dispatch service out of his Courthouse office. Can you imagine the problems
that would come with that set up... not to mention the liability there!
June 24 p For scanner listeners, once
that new digital radio system is up and running, your old scanner (analog)
will no longer pick up the conversations. A quick online check revealed,
new digital scanners run upwards of $400 each. Yikes!
June 23 a West Virginians have been
told for decades how good coal is for the state. There is now a new
report made public showing a completely different picture. The June
22nd Downstream Strategies report adds in all the true costs of mining
and comes up with the millions it really costs our state annually.
June 23 a Although good, eye awakening
anyway, they forgot to mention stuff like medical bills and loss of life
in their presentation.
June 22 late p Amos Paul O’Dell,
79, see OBITUARY page
June 22 p From the email bag: LOST
on Widen Ridge Road or on the 4-wheeler trail from Dundon to Swandale,
a black Nikon camera. If you find this camera there is a reward,
please contact me at 587-6060.
June 22 p There's a lot of us that
regularly frequent the WV Jail web site.
Some of us check it a couple times a day. That site has been down for two
days now. There is a little message on the "place holder" which reads "
wvrja.com expired on 06/14/2010 and is pending renewal or deletion".
June 22 p As of 2 pm today, the site
is still off line for Clayberry. Sounds like the state didn't pay it's
bill on time.
June 22 p Men there's a new scam out
in the cruel world. Here's what happens: Two nice-looking, college-aged
girls will come over to your car or truck as you are packing your purchases
into your vehicle. They both start wiping your windshield with a rag and
Windex, with their breasts almost falling out of their skimpy T-shirts.
(It's impossible not to look).
When you thank them
and offer them a tip, they say 'No' but instead ask for a ride to McDonald's.
You agree and they climb into the vehicle. On the way, they start undressing.
Then one of them starts crawling all over you, while the other one steals
your wallet.
I had my wallet stolen
May. 4th, 9th, 10th, twice on the 15th, 17th, and the 20th plus on June
1st & 4th, twice on the 8th, 16th, and 20th. Tell your friends to be
careful. What a horrible way to take advantage of us older men. Warn your
friends to be vigilant.
June 22 p Ever want an embroidered
shirt or cap? Adam Tanner from Nebo has opened "EmbroidMe" in the Kanawha
Mall in Charleston. Open till 6pm M thru F, his number is 304 925-2202.
June 22 p County Commission meets Wed
morning at 10am. Big long agenda too.
June 21 a For Courthouse workers around
the state, today is a holiday.
June 21 a Low and behold, you're not
going to believe this next item clickers. Sit down.
June 21 a After years of absolute shunning
open meeting law requirements, the School Board posted their
meeting agenda in a timely manner. What a nice change. Hope the practice
of informing the public continues when new leadership takes the helm July
1st.
June 21 a Be sure to check out the
agenda for the winner of who gets to be the Principals of CCHS and Clay
Elem.
June 21 a The norm is for the Sc. Board
to meet the first and third Monday of each month. That ain't happening
this time around. Instead, the Board will convene Thursday evening at 6:15
in the Standard Bryant Annex building on Gump Street.
June 21 a Last week we started a campaign
to cheaply and quickly dress up downtown Clay with colorful signs mounted
on buildings around the hamlet.
June 21 a There was a time in Clay
when Saturday's were packed with shoppers. Saturday nights were also packed
with those seeking social enhancement via the bar scene.
June 21 a Last Saturday was a good
indication of how important something has to be done to attract people
into Clay. Main Street was dead. Parking spaces were empty as were
the few remaining stores.
June 21 a The quicker the sooner
for those new signs, and then flowers, benches, and attractive store fronts.
June 20 a Shirley Elizabeth Woody,
94, of Wallback, see OBITUARY page
June 20 a Happy Father's Day Dad's
everywhere
June 20 a No wrap-up this week but
a couple notes.
June 20 a A little after 1am Saturday
morning Clay County's 
Jamie Morris, 
John
Amos Morris, and 
Richard
Crites were arrested. As of 3pm Sunday, they're still lodged in Central
Regional Jail.
June 20 a Those up that late noticed
several Badge mobiles gathered at the old Valley Fork School sometime around
1am Saturday morning. Another guy saw blue lights galore at, near, Bullard's
Exxon at Maysel shortly thereafter. Our guess is, another drug bust.
June 20 a For Jamie, a guy that was
born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth, this bust comes on
top of several others including one just a month or so back, down
in Nitro.
June 20 a John Amos Moris is one of
those "H of a nice guy" types that appears to be on the wrong road of life.
Real sad for John Amos.
June 20 a Both Morris' are charged
with Felonies and the Crites guy with a misdemeanor
June 20 a Our second post comes from
the WV Supreme Court web site where Tommy Young Jr tried to appeal (#100416)
a sentencing order after being convicted of grand larceny and serving
a youthful offender program. The Big Robes under the Gold Dome decided,
5 - 0, wrong -o Jr, the lower courts decided just fine thank you. Appeal
denied.
June 17 a Allen “Lacy” Fitzwater,
65, of Maysel, see OBITUARY page
June 17 a Lets talk dumb. Yesterday
morning a shirtless guy robbed Go Mart. His target, a 24 pack of beer.
Go Mart is covered with cameras making a clean get away nearly impossible.
If that ain't dumb enough, the guy managed to wreck his vehicle during
the get away.
June 17 a Dumb Dumber.... Turns
out the guy had an outstanding felony warrant against him from 2001 and
that too is now hanging over his head.
June 17 a Meet Christopher Hayes 
June 17 a The weekend is here. Tonight
WYAP is hosting a healthy change from couch potato to athlete. Tonight
is a cornhole challenge at 7pm followed by a Drive In Movie featuring "Dante
Peak". No charge for nothin and held in the WYAP parking lot.
June 17 a Don't forget the pool is
open for business.
June 17 a Last night we came up with
an idea for a self grown initiative to make the place look better and to
grow tourism. The idea is to artfully paint 4 x 8 panels and hang them
on various buildings in and around the Town of Clay. Read Thursday's post
for details.
June 17 a Seems there is quite an interest
in the CHIT notion. So far volunteers include one guy willing to finance
at least part of the cost, two others willing to do the painting of the
signs, another willing to work to get the signs on buildings, and host
of others thinking it's a good idea.
June 17 a How about you? Willing to
pitch in? Just email to get the ball started.
June 16 late p Dennis F.
Winemiller, 54, of Maysel, see OBITUARY page
June 16 late p Get well wishes extended
to Brian Adkins.
June 16 late p Interested in hosting
a foreign exchange student? Details over on the ADVISORY page
June 16 late p The lead story
in the Communicator covers Commissioner Linky's back room plan to evict
the local radio station from the Fas Chek parking. The paper's only been
out 24 hours but already we're receiving comments. Like this one:
the County Commission is on to something here. They really do need
the Fas Chek parking lot, and it's all about economic development.
If I may, just picture this. More convenient available parking means
our one TRUE natural resource here, that being litigation, can flourish
naturally. More highly-paid lawyers from Charleston and elsewhere,
happy with their short walk from the courthouse, will see fit to dine in
our restaurants, peruse the wares in our yard sales, and grab a cold drink
on the way back out of town to subdivisions in Teays Valley, Southridge,
and elsewhere. The Commission could even refer to it as "litigational
tourism" in a brochure. The trickle-down economic windfalls for this
county could be immense. Forget radio stations, rivers, and railroads......our
next golden era lies here.
June 16 late p A couple days
back we posted a picture of a nicely painted 4 x 8 sheet of plywood that
was attached to the side of a building in Elkins. The idea is to add some
color to an otherwise not so pretty spot. Our thought was some kind of
pretty artwork to highlight places like Lake Sampson, the Elk, maybe dirt
track racing, maybe the swining bridge, and beautiful vistas. There are
plenty of places around the Town, County for that matter, that would be
suitable for the improvement.
June 16 late p Since that posting,
we've received some very encouraging emails. Like...
June 16 late p A couple people have
volunteered to do the painting if the project takes off.
June 16 late p Another guy came up
and said, don't wait on the BDA, CAEZ, or some govt agency to do something,
do it yourself.
June 16 late p With that in mind. How
about a new volunteer group, Citizens Helping to Increase Tourism. Otherwise
known as the CHIT group. People are already talking about it. Often you
hear, "There ain't CHIT in Clay!" Has a certain ring
to it don't you think?.
June 16 late p Seriously, anyone interested?
Email
June 16 a The Communicator made it
to distributors in four counties yesterday afternoon. Lead story covers
Commissioner Link's plans to root out the local radio station from its
Main St Clay location as well as serious problems with 911 dispatch services.
Good reading from cover to cover as one old gentleman told us.
June 16 a After 28 hours of typing,
formatting, distribution and then a long night's rest, we're getting back
to good.
June 16 a 97 degrees was seen in Clayberry
Tuesday and Summer doesn't even officially begin for another week. Temps
like that make the Clay Swimming pool look even better.
June 16 a The answer for Monday's online
picture detective question... That's a picture of the leaf springs under
the Tygart Flyer locomotive which operates in the Elkins area.
June 16 a USDA: 18% of all farmers
and about 50% of all dairy producers are uninsured. Medical costs
have soared 130% in the last 8 years
June 16 a USDA Small farms account
for 91% of all US farms ( small farms earn less than $250,000 per year).
60% of those earn less than $10,000 per year.
June 16 a There were 800,000 small
commercial farms in the USA in 2007.
June 16 a O A Battista: A neighbor
is a person that can get to your house in less than a minute and takes
two hours to go back home.
June 15 p From the email bag: LOST:
small male bluetick beagle, 8 mth pup, Hansford fork, Wallback, Valley
Fork area, possibly Spread Park area. call 587 7998
June 15 5:30 am Raining like mad in
Clayberry with strong thunder rumbling the shutters.
June 15 5:30 a Go back to bed!
No updates until we get the Communicator all done up.
June 14 11:30am It's humid, gray,
sticky hot, and every once in a while, a little wet stuff sprinkles down.
It feels like the sky is ready to open up on Clayberry. Be careful out
there.
June 14 a From the National Weather
Service: Recent rainfall has saturated soils across the area. With ample
moisture in the atmosphere... and multiple disturbances passing through
the region... scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue
through Wednesday evening... some with very heavy rain. These conditions
pose a threat for flash flooding through Wednesday evening. Strong
thunderstorms will be capable of producing rainfall of 1 to 2 inches per
hour.
June 14 a Be careful Clayberry, we're
listed on the watch list as well as all surrounding counties.
June 14 a Delegate Dave Walker provided
a Legislative Update column now posted over on the ADVISORY page.
June 14 a From Phil Kabler in Sunday's
Gazette: 1/5th of Marshall University tuition dollars go to the sports
program. 1/5 works out to about $900 per student each year.
June 14 a After five full summers of
being committed each Saturday, the ace cub reporter retired from those
outdoor music shows and is taking some time off. No weekend wrap up this
time around but some info from his weekend travels.
June 14 a With a restored train station,
tourist trains, weekend music shows, and a downtown area complete with
trees, benches, flowers and removed overhead power lines, Elkins is seeing
an increase in the tourism business. The changes began 10 years ago when
CSX offered their old train yard and rundown train station to the town
for $1.
June 14 a Get this. Elkins Town Council
refused the offer. Does that leadership sound familiar to anybody
else?
June 14 a Instead of local leadership
running with the ball, an economic development group came in, bought the
asset, and is developing the place into an artsy fartsy, well groomed,
three day destination spot for travelers. Last
weekend , in Elkins, license plates from five states were seen as well
as tour buses from Minnesota and Idaho. New money
flowed.
June 14 a Lets see now... we have the
potential for a train ride... a campground that could look good .... music
shows chocked full of West Virginia talent ...dirt track racing .. Lake
Sampson .. the Elk River .... and a four block downtown area complete with
a historic building.
June 14 a And yet, leaders fight ,
refuse to work together, and grow Clayberry as a draw for weekend travelers.
June 14 a We're working on the Communicator.
No updates until we get it to bed sometime Tuesday morning.
June 12 a from Valedz survivor Rikki
Ott: While President Obama insists that the federal government is
firmly in control of the response to BP's spill in the Gulf, people in
coastal communities where I visited last week in Louisiana and Alabama
know an inconvenient truth: BP -- not our president -- controls the response.
In fact, people on the ground say things are out of control in the gulf.
June 12 a Corporate
Big Brother is here.
June 12 a Check our Events page for
things to do in Clayberry.
June 12 a Your web guru is taking the
weekend off while heading to Pocahantas and Randolph Counties.
June 12 a Hope your weekend goes well.
But no matter what, get off your duff and have some fun. It's Summer Time!!
June 11 p In addition to doo doo Link's
antics....
June 11 p Clay County Park at Maysel
is a taxpayer funded recreation center for the county. the off the beaten
track place has a ball field, running track, concession stand, and large
multi purpose building. Since opening, complaints have come in. One of
the biggest is the ball field being locked down 24 hours a day making Dad's
practicing pitching with their kids, impossible.
June 11 p Even when such came before
the commission, nothing changed. It might now.
June 11 p Petitions are being
circulated around the county demanding a children's playground at the park.
Currently County Clay has no public playgrounds. Not a swing set, slide,
horseshoe court, merry go round, teeter totter.... none.
June 11 p Interested in such a petition
seeking a playground? They're available in the County Clerk's office.
June 11 p While alerting the world
to Clayberry head scratchers, how about a Top Badge update.
June 11 p State code reads that
a West Virginia Sheriff is considered a full time elected official once
their fifth Deputy is hired. In this county we have Deputies Rider,
Slack, Belt, Paxton, Legg.
June 11 p The law of the land also
says, no full time Top Badge can have any other employment.
June 11 p The latest Communicator lists
the salaries of all school system employees. That list includes employment
of our Sheriff as a bus driver.
June 11 p Hmmmmmmmmm......
June 11 a Tonight's corn hole challenge
in the WYAP parking lot begins at 7pm. For those wanting something not
so strenuous, there's Basket Bingo at the Lion's Club . Both on Main Street
June 11 Saturday brings the Consignment
Auction action over in Two Run. They've got a new auctioneer over there.
Marlyn Starcher is the newbee. Deals start at 7pm.
June 11 a Campground for
overnight stays, the mighty Elk, Lake Sampson, Dirt Track racing at O'Brion,
auction fun, Friday night Cornhole and a drive in movie. Don't get any
better than that clickers! Include Clayberry in your summer vacation
plans.
June 11 a We've been giving County
Commissioner Jerry Slinkinooooger double H for his tax payer funded backdoor
approach of eliminating the local radio station from Main Street Clay.
Many emails have already came thru. Thanks
June 11 a For those that think having
a source for summer time events, outdoor music celebrations, and a place
for locals to raise $$$, a favor.
June 11 a How about calling up the
Linkster and tell him how important a local station is to the community
and economy. His home number is 304-548-5786 or on his cell 304 651-4656.
Thanks in advance.
June 11 a From the email bag: Where
is the parents at these days while thier kids are out destorying other
peoples mailboxes?Your kid goes out the road with ball bats not going to
play any ball games or no ball in thier hands.Wouldnt u wonder where thiy're
taking them?Most concerned parents would but these parents are not watching
thier kids ,They have taken mail out of some boxes and tore some up and
bent several mail box flags on Twistabout Rd and Left Fork Rd? Well the
law needs to get involed and if the parents cannot watch thier kids no
better than that they need to go somewhere where they can be watched,This
is a serious crime that shouldnt be ignored or slapped on the wrist for.Those
kids get away with this serious crime what will they do next?Something
to think about!!!! Tee Crimm
June 10 p Forgot to mention in the
morning post, Clay Roane PSD meets tonight at 7pm at the Procious Water
Plant. Agenda is posted on the ADVISORY page
June 10 a Car look like a mud ball?
CCHS kids are hosting a car wash in the Rite Aid parking lot today beginning
at 10 am. Good cause and a shiny new ride to boot.
June 10 a For those that are , were
, involved with Boy Scouts over the years, something big is coming this
weekend. Up at Buckskin Scout Camp near Marlinton in Pocahantas County,
there is a 50 year reunion of the camp. Everyone is invited to a meet and
greet weekend with the old timers. A chance to remember and expand stories
of old. Should be fun. For details, the BSA office (Charleston) number
is 304 340 3663.
June 10 a The Communicator comes out
Tuesday afternoon. Deadline for email submissions is Sunday afternoon.
June 10 a Clayberry has a non profit
community radio station located in the old Fas Chek parking lot. On May
26th, County Commission voted to lease (for $3000) that lot to meet the
pipe dream needs for additional Courthouse parking. Even before the official
vote last month, word on the street had it that CCC Prez Link was behind
the lease and doing so for one reason.
June 10 a That reason? Not for parking
but as a political vendetta against the ace cub reporter who volunteers
at 101.7 FM. It ain't a rumor no more.
June 10 a During Wed morning's CCC
meeting, a rep from WYAP asked questions on the future of the station after
the CCC signs the now being prepared lease. Linky did not dispute the rumor.
June 10 a Head honcho Slinky said he
felt the Courthouse needed the entire parking lot to meet their needs.
As for being evicted, he wouldn't provide an answer in spite of repeated
questioning. As for the non profit group staying on the lot until next
summer when a proposed grant funded farmer's market is set up, Link said
that wasn't a real possibility.
June 10 a YAP radio warm
weather events bring in 100s of people to the town. It adds $1000s
to the economy. It's also the only summer time "draw" in downtown Clay.
June 10 a How sad one tiny little
politician is working to destroy the family fun offering and further reduce
the economic base in the county's only town. Link's personal vendetta
is another sad example of what's wrong in Clayberry.
June 9 p Jeraldine Lynn “Jerri”
Summers, 53, of Clay, see OBITUARY page
June 9 a This Wed morning there is
a real chance of heavy rainfall and strong gusts of winds affecting our
county. Check out the full report by clicking the weather button to the
left of this page.
June 9 a County Commission meets this
morning at 10 am. It's been a while since Larry Darryl and Darryl raised
any controversy. They are ripe to do something dumb.
June 9 a High fructose corn syrup
replaced natural sugar in most of our foods back in the 80s. Reason being,
it's much cheaper to use. Since then obesity and diabetes rates have skyrocketed.
June 9 a You may have noticed
new mentions on many products, "this product now contains real sugar".
Ever wonder why?
June 9 a One Princeton
University report reveals what happens when high fructose corn syrup
is used in our foods.
June 9 a By the way, back in the 80's
when Coke and Pepsi switched to the cheaper sweetener ... there was no
price reduction in their product. The CEO's just got richer and richer.
June 8 a Education ended weeks ago.
Books are put away. Grades are all marked. Bulletin boards are taken down.
Kids can't sit still. Smiles are everywhere. Today is the last day of school
before summer break.
June 8 a Meeting wise, Library Board
meets tonight. County Commission convenes Wed morning at 10 am. Clay Roane
PSD holds their monthly gathering Thursday evening
June 8 a Lots of changes made during
last night's Sch Bd meeting
June 8 a Clay Elem Principal Danny
Brown moved to the Asst Superintendent position. CHS Principal Mike Mullins
moved up to the Bus Czar position in the Bd office.
June 8 a Asst Principal Erica Samples
left hat position and went back to the classroom.
June 8 Eric Cole became the Middle
School's basketball coach
June 8 a Greg Knopp replaced Jason
Nichol's as CMS Asst Football Coach
June 8 a Barry Payton moved to Asst
Girl's Basketball Coach position
June 8 a Run off from the highway in
front of CCHS is diverted thru an old metal culvert. That rusted out pipe
is allowing wa wa to run right into the mini auditorium. Last night a rep
from the local State Road group was present and provided: Folks, things
ain't like there were years ago. Now adays, it takes high up authority
to allow a fix to the culvert. Without that high class OK, the locals can't
do a thang.
June 8 a With the personnel changes
made last night, there's a bunch more shuffling in the works. Like, filling
the CHS Principal slot Clay Elem and Asst Clay Elem Principal positions.
Behind the scenes, the Pentagon is working overtime to get the changes
made before new Board members come to office in three weeks.
June 8 a Board meetings go without
discussion. About 99.9% of the time, the all vote in lock step.
June 8 a Last night before the vote
for the Bus Czar, Boardster Beth Cercone asked stuff like: How many applicants
were there, were they interviewed, and what determined Mike Mullins as
the best candidate?
June 8 a Details in the next Communicator.
June 7 p Collis Herman
“Sam” Goad, 85, of Wallback, see OBITUARY page
June 7 p On Mr Goad and not mentioned
in the obit, we understand there will be a wake held tonght, 6 to 8 pm
over at Wilson's.
June 6 late p Webster Clyde Sinnett,
see OBITUARY page
June 6 p No big news from the last
seven days but some interesting tidbits for your rainy Sunday afternoon
edification...
June 6 p Last weekend the local radio
station hosted their Small Town America Memorial Day weekend in downtown
Clay. Many people participated during the only draw for the Main St section
of the county. Colorful balloons, great music, corn hole challenges and
people having a good time.
June 6 p Hard to imagine what it would
be like without that volunteer group being the centerpiece for tourism
growth in the Town of Clay.
June 6 p Behind the scenes the wheels
in school system land are spinning in high gear. They have to get their
ducks in a row before the new Board is seated July 1st. With Kenneth
Tanner named as the new Superintendent, the job shuffle is underway. Here's
what the coffeehouse crowd has pegged. Clay Elementary Principal Danny
Brown will move to Asst Superintendent. Clay High VoAg Principal Michelle
Paxton will move to the Clay Elem slot.
June 6 p Bus Czar Larry Legg retired
with Clay High Principal Mike Mullins taking that perch. With a new Super
in place, Phil Dobbins will dust off his Principal suits and return to
that position.
June 6 p Years ago the Business Development
Authority had the chance to purchase the old state road garage for $1.
With infinite wisdom they chose not to mentioning there would be too many
headaches with owning the place. During last Thursday's BDA meeting, the
same offer may still be available and this time it looks like our appointed
folks are in favor it.
June 6 p Tommy Fitzwater was told to
stay away from BDA meetings a few years back. The reason? He asked too
many embarrassing questions and provided too many ideas for things to do.
June 6 p Since then, Fitz was appointed
to the group. On the 3rd he suggested that the group actually do
something. He suggestion was to hand out (pay for) vouchers to any resident
of the county so we could take our junk stuff to a legal landfill.
June 6 p Watch out clickers, they'll
probably tell him to stay home again!
June 6 p Another guy suggested that
the BDA pay for a high speed internet connection for the Widen Community
Center. They idea being, it may serve as a draw to get people into that
much under used building. The BDA wasn't too thrilled with the notion of
empowering the people.
June 6 p Friday morning a Bomont lady
lost her life when her truck flipped into the Elk River pinning her under
the water level. Real sad.
June 6 School is just about over
for another year. Just two more days on the official calendar. With just
field trips, movies, and games planned, many kids made Friday their last
day of school.
June 6 p Under a hot muggy sky
Saturday, some took naps. Others worked the gardens and did lawn work.
June 6 p Dribbles of rain on Sunday
made taking a nap much easier.
June 6 p Summer is just getting started
but the Apple folks are makiing plans for their Fall extravaganza. Details
for the Queen Pageants now posted on the Advisory page.
June 4 p Lets see now, stuff
to do....
June 4p Tonight at 7 is a special
food auction over at the BDA Auction House.
June 4p Fola Baptist has a big Gospel
Sing at 7pm
June 4 p The radio station is offering
a corn hole challenge beginning at 7pm tonight. By the way they ain't doing
Saturday night outdoor music shows this summer, they couldn't find a volunteer
willing to commit to the heavy load. Instead, they've started healthy stuff
like Corn hole challenges each Friday night in June as well as basketball
rims at the station for pick up games .
June 4 p How about a free breakfast.
Big Otter FD is offering a fre pancake and sausage breakfat Saturday morning
beginning at 8am
June 4 p Inside yard sale over
at Clay Middle School Saturday morning.
June 4 p And. there's a big 3 D Archery
Shoot over at the archery shop there. See details over on the EVENTS page.
June 4 p Tomorrow is a big day for
the Editor of The Communicator and that tubby, ace cub reporter. Both celebrate
naval day, the day they got their belly buttons.
June 4 p Just got this
email: As a former resident of Clay Co., WV, I was appalled by what
I experienced and then later learned on Sunday, May 30th 2010. During one
of my many trips to Clay Co. each year, I visit many cousins and cemeteries
in the area and was disturbed to discover an extremely dangerous cave-in
on Horse Ridge just off Villanova. However when I later learned that, to
keep the children safe, the bus driver stops the bus, has the children
get off the bus, crosses the cave-in then has the children cross and re-board
the bus, I was shocked beyond belief! The driver should be not only commended
but heartily thanked for putting the children’s safety first but the county
should be ashamed! Why in the name of all that is important, can this dangerous
situation not be fixed? There is no excuse for the welfare of not only
the children and bus driver but for every individual who uses that road
to be put at risk because the “money is tight”! I feel certain in a situation
like this, it could be found. Please, find a way to keep the residents
of my home county safe and able to travel. Sincerely, Pearl Comer
Nutt
June 4 p The BDA met last night. In
the way of new ideas and getting something moving along, didn't happen.
But, we think the first shades of resistance to the new county wide
Economic Development Coordinator, Amanda Moore. No, no big fights
or tongue lashing, but still, most feel it's coming.
June 4 p One thing did happen.
After years of foot dragging, a BDA web
site is now viewable here. The BDA spent $100's two years ago for a
"pro" to set up their site but other than a place holder, they got nothing
for our taxpayer dollars.
June 3 a Storms left many without power
in the last couple days. Out Triplett Ridge a big tree knocked out service.
June 3 a The 12 member Clay County's
Business Development Authority meets tonight at 5:30pm in the CCC room
at the Courthouse. Big long agenda including voting in new by laws. Currently
two officers and one member of the group are enough to call, hold a meeting
and make decisions.
June 3 That part of the by laws was
added 8 years ago when BDA Big Cheeses got all bent out of shape and wanted
to do future decisions in secret. The new by laws are suppose to eliminate
such bogus foolishness.
June 3 a This edition of The Communicator
includes the school system salaries for 2009. For those with questioning
minds, those are the exact figures from the Board office itself.
June 3 a We still have some good people
left in Clayberry. Last night two senior citizens were stranded beside
the road near Lake Sampson and a guy stopped and replaced their flat tire.
June 3 a Thanks Frank Morris.
June 3 a CAEZ met Tuesday evening.
Other than finances, it was a ho hum meeting.
June 3 a based on comments during the
Finance committee meeting, it sounded like the group was transferring from
here and there to keep the doors open. That operations figure amounts to
around $6000 per month. Adding it all together, it sounds like there's
enough $$$ to stay afloat for about 6 months unless new dollars arrive.
June 3 a Their hope is, enough grant
"administrator" fees will arrive in the nick of time.
June 3 a Originally funded thru an
Al Gore notion, CAEZ's Federal Enterprise Community status expired 4 years
ago. Back then when money was real tight, we commented, last person out,
turn off the light bulb.
June 3 a We might be wrong again.
June 1 a Florene Nichols Fitzwater,
75, of Clay, see OBITUARY page
June 1 a The Communicator is now on
news stands. 24 pages of real news and views second to none. Nothing like
it anywhere!
June 1 a Drinking water at the correct
time maximizes its effectiveness on the Human body:
2 glasses of water after waking
up - helps activate internal organs 1 glass of
water 30 minutes before a meal - helps digestion
1 glass of water before taking a bath - helps lower blood pressure
1 glass of water before going to
bed - avoids stroke or heart attack
June 1 a The Hanshaw benefit has been
postponed a later date
June 1 a Update coming