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TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 • WWW.TIMESWV.COM

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Richard DeMary of Rivesville could be considered a skilled craftsman. And he’s one-of-akind in the Marion County area.

What does he do?

He colors the large icicles that form on U.S. 19. He colors them with food coloring, and if it’s cold enough, they will stay up perhaps as long as a week. “But if it warms up, it only lasts for two or three days,” he said.

— Page 4

Adding color

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

For her entire life, DeEtta Hayes has called Barrackville home.

Hayes said the small, comfortable town full of friends and family has made for a community that she is proud to hail from.

“I feel so connected,” she said.

Hayes’ connection goes beyond simply living within town limits. For years, Hayes has given back to the community she holds closely to her heart in numerous ways.

— Page 5

Lucy Fletcher opens wide for a taste of her mother Daisyʼs frozen lemonade during the Fourth of July celebration at Palatine Park in Fairmont.

Twice a year, the people of Monongah look forward to two special events put on by two special brothers, Warren and Dave Sloan.

There’s Family Fish Day, held each April, and the Christmas Toy Giveaway. The Sloan brothers help when and how they can.

The Sloan family lived for a while in Norway and then moved to Rivesville, Warren Sloan said.

— Page 9

A player, representing Germanyʼs national team, tries to fight off Holland players during Valley Soccer Academyʼs Summer Community Camp at the For the Kids Soccer Complex last summer.

Busy volunteer

Still serving

There are many people who donate time, materials and money to those in need and don’t get recognized for their generosity.

One of those people is Don White of Mannington. White is the president of D&G Machine Co. Inc., located on Water Street in Mannington. Rana Taylor, executive director of Mannington Main Street, said White does a lot for the community when needed.

— Page 20

Giving back

Everyday people making impact in NCWV

BY MISTY POE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Sometimes names don’t ring a bell.

How often in everyday conversations are we asked whether we know so-andso? Just the simple use of a name may not be enough for instant recall. But you’d know him if you saw him, right?

Well, it could be because there are millions of Bobs out there and plenty more Janes. But each person, every single one of us on a planet coming close to 7 billion citizens, has one unique trait — the face. Even twins, who share identical genetic makeup, may look alike, but to those who know them well, there are obvious differences in facial features.

And you could travel the world, never finding the same face twice.

In Marion County, according to the most recent U.S. Census data, we’ve got 56,586 different faces making up the place we call our home. And though you may know many, many people in your circles of work, school, church and other activities, it would take a lifetime to get to know each and every individual you share this county with, and then you’d have to start all over again as the next generation of names and faces rises.

That’s what we’ve tried to celebrate in our Annual Report 2013 — the thou-

Jesse Galford (left) and Justin Vance serve hot dogs to guests at the Pleasant Valley Celebration.

The celebration began in 1996, the year after Pleasant Valley obtained its charter, as an appreciation for the citizens.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

PHOTO BY MISTY POE

sands and thousands of faces that make up Marion County and, to some extent, the greater North Central West Virginia area. Each one has her own unique story, her own unique experiences, her own unique contribution to the place we call home.

And many of these faces may be unfamiliar to you, but you may be surprised in the end that you “know” them after all.

For example, have you ever driven down U.S. 19 in the winter to look up and see a rainbow of icicles along the path just outside Rivesville? It’s a moment of bright, vivid color in an otherwise gray winter’s day.

Did you know it’s the handiwork of businessman Richard DeMary? It’s something he thought about doing when he was a kid, growing up in Rivesville and watching the ice formations in what residents call “Icicle Turn.”

It’s simple food coloring, and for the past eight years, he’s experimented with the best and most effective way to color the ice. These days, he’s figured out the best way is to take 16-ounce cups and just throw food color on the icicles, which range in size from 10 to 15 feet high.

“The folks around here look forward to it being done,” said Roxanne Smith, a Rivesville resident. “I’ve had people

SEE OUR TOWN, PAGE 2

PAGE 2

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER Maya Mathia (from left) and Gabi Mascaro of Fairmont Senior High School cheer from the shoulders of Matt Klenk (left) and Wes Ashcraft during the Mannington District Fair Queen Shelby King gets food from Jim Cummings at the Plum Run United Methodist Menʼs Club booth during Manningtonʼs annual Octoberfest.

92nd East-West football game in November.

Our Town

ask me if I know when he will be coloring them. I think it adds a bright spot to what otherwise is sometimes a long and drab winter.”

And though many don’t know the face behind the artistic display, all seem to enjoy it, whether they’re from Rivesville or not.

“Once an AP (Associated Press) photographer took a picture of it and it was published in newspapers around the country,” DeMary said. “I’ve gotten letters from people in North Carolina and Colorado and other places who saw it. People from out of town see it and they don’t know what to think of it.”

You may recognize DeMary’s work but not his name. And you may even recognize his face, as he is the owner of his family’s business, DeMary’s Market.

But you may never recognize Patti Connor if you passed her on the street or stood behind her in the grocery store line. But she’s touched thousands of lives, and not just through her 24 years teaching in the school system.

Through the Beverly CEOS Club, she helps dress stuffed bears and

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

gather stockings to be given to children through the Salvation Army’s Christmas program. She also prepares goodies and collects lap robes and quilts for the veterans at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg.

But that’s just the beginning of her outreach projects, which touch so many lives in North Central West Virginia.

With just a handful of residents in the Town of White Hall, Connor certainly stands out from among the faces in the crowd.

“If you have a dozen like her, would that be enough? Or two dozen?” said Charlie Mason, recorder for the Town of White Hall. “We could use a lot of people like her.”

But she’s modest about the impact she has on the people touched by all her community service projects. “It gives you a good feeling to know you’re helping someone else,” she said.

“That’s why I get involved. I don’t like to sit around and do nothing.”

Each March, the Times West Virginian brings you our Annual Report — a status of where we

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

John “Cutty” McCullough shakes hands with UMW president Cecil Roberts during the 17th annual Labor Day Picnic in September cosponsored by the Marion County AFL-CIO, the Marion County Democrat Party and the United Mine Workers of America.

are in North Central West Virginia, how various industries are faring, and an overall snapshot of our community and state as it is today and where we hope to be in the coming days.

For seven days, as we bring

you special editions on a wide range of topics — from the gas wells to the classrooms, from a high-tech lab to the church pew — we try to cover the areas of high interest within our county and beyond.

But there’s one important change this year.

“We recognize that there’s only one thing that makes North Central West Virginia great, no matter the industry, no matter the project,” said Chuck Jessup, publisher of the Times West Virginian.

“People. Very simply put, it is the people of this area that make it succeed, that make the economy work, that make our health-care industry top notch.”

So the Times West Virginian is highlighting people in the 2013 Annual Report. Everyday people.

The people you may not even know, but who have had a profound impact on their communities and have worked hard to make Marion County and North Central West Virginia a great place to live, play and work.

It’s called “Faces.”

The Annual Report launches with “Faces of Our Town” today.

This edition takes a person from each one of our communities and tells his story. These are people who are behind the scenes, but are contributing greatly to their community and giving their all to make it better.

The Monday edition is called “Faces of Energy and Industry.”

Instead of stuffy explanations of natural gas, coal and energy transmission, we are profiling people within that industry — a lineman for Mon Power who is also a city councilman, a driller for an independently owned natural gas company who had the chance to return to his Appalachian roots.

Each day of the Annual Report is presented in a similar way — High Technology, Education and Workforce Development, Quality of Life and culminating with “Who’s Who,” the thousands of faces that make up the councils, boards and committees that make North Central West Virginia a better place to live, raise a family, buy a home and more.

“We decided to feature ‘Faces’ of people in our community in the context of all of the things happening here because there is just one thing that ties all industries and aspects together,” Jessup said.

“It’s the people who make it happen.”

Email Misty Poe at mpoe@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @MistyPoeTWV.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Peggy Reynolds prepares bags for shoppers during the annual Christmas Toy Shop, which is held on Black Friday every year for parents of underprivileged children to shop for new toys to give as Christmas gifts.

“TOGETHER WE CAN GROW OUR COMMUNITY”

www.marionchamber.com

304.363.044 Photography by James Beeler

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Farmington

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 PAGE 3

LuRita Jenkins someone you can ‘bank’ on to lend a hand From Easter eggs to motorcycles to financial assistance, Jenkins volunteers for hometown

BY JESSICA BORDERS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FARMINGTON — LuRita Jenkins thinks there’s something special about the way the citizens of Farmington work together as a community and as a family.

“You know everyone, and you try to assist them if somebody’s in need,” she said. “You try to support your local businesses and people that are in the town.”

Jenkins, a longtime resident of the town, strongly believes in the importance of getting involved in the community.

Mayor Donna Costello said Jenkins is always willing to help if an activity is going on in Farmington, and is a great contributor to the town. Jenkins doesn’t want recognition, but just does what she can to lend a hand.

“She never tells me no,” Costello said. “She never turns me down.”

If anything is happening in the community — including parades, car shows, craft fairs and everything in between — Jenkins said she tries to show up, participate and be supportive.

During Farmington’s Easter egg hunt, she assists with hiding the eggs for the different age groups of kids and serves cupcakes. Around Christmastime, she has judged the town’s cookie contests.

Every year, Farmington awards a scholarship to a North Marion High School student, and Jenkins sits on the committee that interviews the students and selects the recipient. She has also helped register bikers and give out items during the town’s annual poker run to benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

In addition, as part of the “Make Marion County Shine” project last April, she and other community members started in Idamay and picked up trash along U.S. 250 in the town limits.

Costello commented that Jenkins not only represents the

“You just try to help the community as much as you can.”

— LURITA JENKINS

PHOTO BY JESSICA BORDERS

LuRita Jenkins, a Farmington resident and BB&T branch manager, is constantly working to support and contribute to her town in whatever ways she can.

community in a positive way, but she is also a great representative of BB&T, the hometown, community bank that Farmington fought to keep open.

In January 2012, Costello received a letter from BB&T stating that the company felt it would be better able to meet customers’ financial needs through the closing and consolidation of the Farmington branch. BB&T announced that March 30 would be the last day of operation for the office, located on U.S. 250.

Farmington residents were worried about the revenue that would be lost in town and the local businesses that would be hurt if BB&T left, as well as the drive that people would have to make for banking services.

Costello contacted BB&T officials, and the town started a petition that was available at different businesses throughout Farmington and also created an online petition at change.org.

Thanks to the community outreach, BB&T was given a different perspective and saw how important the bank was to Farmington.

In February of last year, BB&T officially made the decision to stay in Farmington.

“It’s so important to the people because we draw clients from several remote areas, and it’s just convenient because we’re so easily accessible to the road,” said Jenkins, who has been the branch manager of BB&T in Farmington for three years.

She said the branch’s four staff members, who are all longtime employees, really show attention to the clients.

The citizens of Farmington were very happy and thankful

that the branch, which opened in the early ’80s, stayed and that they would still be able to see all the familiar faces there.

During her 25 years with the company, Jenkins has seen the

bank go through several mergers and different names. During her banking career, she has served as a relationship banker, assistant branch manager and in other positions.

She said she enjoys “being able to help the clients to achieve their financial goals in life and to be able to help them with their needs to success.”

Jenkins, originally from Metz, graduated from Mannington High School and also took some classes at Fairmont State. In 1982, she relocated to Farmington, where her husband Ron is originally from. After moving away for a few years, they returned to the town and have lived there ever since.

Jenkins said she likes Farmington’s centralized location, which makes it easy to get to a number of nearby towns, and the friendly people there.

She and Ron enjoy camping near the Tygart River Dam in Grafton, as well as boating.

Ron has a 1966 Chevelle, and they spend time going to car shows and car cruises.

Ron, who works at Consol Energy’s Loveridge mine, has different pieces of equipment and always tries to provide assistance during water line breaks or other times of need in Farmington.

“You just try to help the community as much as you can,” Jenkins said.

Email Jessica Borders at jborders@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @JBordersTWV.

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PAGE 4

Rivesville

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

Richard DeMary adds (a lot of) color to long winters

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

A car passes by colored icicles along U.S. Route 19, a project Richard DeMary has taken on for the past eight years.

Residents and visitors wait each year for the colorful display at Icicle Turn

BY JOHN VEASEY TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Richard DeMary of Rivesville could be considered a skilled craftsman.

And he’s one-of-a-kind in the Marion County area.

What does he do?

He colors the large icicles that form on U.S. 19. He colors them with food coloring, and if it’s cold enough, they will stay up perhaps as long as a week.

“But if it warms up, it only lasts for two or three days,” he said.

DeMary said “about a week is the record.”

“There’s a steady, natural stream that flows above the area,” he explained. “When the temperatures stay real low for four or five days, that’s when I can freeze the area.”

He said there are some winters when the weather has never been cold enough and he hasn’t been able to do it.

The icicles are 10 to 15 feet in length and are easy to see.

Two days after DeMary was interviewed, the weather turned cold enough and DeMary was able to take his supplies and go out to what has become commonly known as Icicle Turn.

Some people know it as Glacier Curve.

Icicle Turn is about a quarter of a mile toward Morgantown.

People coming from Fairmont will go through Rivesville and it’s a quarter of a mile down the road.

And his supplies?

“Food coloring,” he said. “It doesn’t cause any problems.”

He said he was looking for a food coloring that was biodegradable and environmentally safe.

He said it takes a lot of food coloring to complete the task.

“Usually I just do it myself, although sometimes I take a friend up there with me,” he said.

“And sometimes it gets a little expensive.”

DeMary said he has tried different methods over the years, but food coloring seems to work the

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Richard DeMary prepares the colored ice for the “ice festival.”

“Once an AP (Associated Press) photographer took a picture of it and it was published in newspapers around the country. I’ve gotten letters from people in North Carolina and Colorado and other places who saw it. People from out of town see it and they don’t know what to think of it.

And the people here are always anxious to see it. The kids wait for it.”

— RICHARD DEMARY

best to ensure a colorful display.

“I’ve tried a garden spray. I’ve tried a Super Soakers squirt gun.

Now I use 16-ounce cups and just throw it up there,” he said.

“But it just has to be cold.

“I’ve been doing it for about

eight years now,” he continued.

“Once an AP (Associated Press) photographer took a picture of it and it was published in newspapers around the country. I’ve gotten letters from people in North Carolina and Colorado and other places who saw it. People from out of town see it and they don’t know what to think of it.

“And the people here are always anxious to see it. The kids wait for it.”

Roxanne Smith of Rivesville knows DeMary has been “doing the icicles” for quite a while. She thinks they add beauty to the PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER area.

Richard DeMary throws food coloring onto the ice.

“The folks around here look forward to it being done. I’ve had people ask me if I know when he will be coloring them. I think it adds a bright spot to what otherwise is sometimes a long and drab winter.”

She said she’s appreciative of people like DeMary for taking time to “make a bright spot in the world.”

DeMary originally got the idea of freezing the large icicles “years ago,” he said. “When I was little, I thought it would be something that would be nice to do.

“I was probably thinking outside the box a little bit.”

DeMary is now the owner of DeMary’s Market, which has been in Rivesville since 1938.

“My grandfather started it in 1938,” he said. “Then my father bought it. I started right out of high school in 1980. I worked Roses my way up from stock boy to meat cutter.

Azaleas “My mother helps me a lot and my father does, too.”

Shrubs He said his father, Fred DeMary, turned 90 recently.

Visitors like the icicles as well.

Blackberry Janice Cosco, a Rivesville native who now lives in Blueberry Fairmont, said she had only seen the colored icicles a couple of Strawberry times. But she liked them.

“They were really nice and Rhododendrons colorful,” she said. “And they attracted a lot of attention.”

Fruit Trees & Vegetable Plants Email John Veasey at jcveasey@timeswv.com.

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Barrackville

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 PAGE 5

Hayes highlights best of ‘Our Town’ in Barrackville “It has been enjoyable. It really has been. I have not regretted one thing, and I really don’t see retirement in my future at all.”

— DEETTA HAYES

Brainchild of town’s Christmas celebration stays busy and active all year

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — For her entire life, DeEtta Hayes has called Barrackville home.

Hayes said the small, comfortable town full of friends and family has made for a community that she is proud to hail from.

“I feel so connected,” she said.

Hayes’ connection goes beyond simply living within town limits. For years, Hayes has given back to the community she holds closely to her heart in numerous ways.

A member of the Barrackville Lions Club, Hayes participates in dinners, fundraisers and other events put on by the organization.

“DeEtta has been a Lion for several years,” Jackie Fitch, president of the Barrackville Lions Club, said. “We have different functions and fundraisers and she helps with all of that.”

Fitch said she has known Hayes for about 45 years, and that she has been an integral part of the community for as long as she can remember.

“She is well known in Barrackville, she has a lot of friends and she’s a kind person,” Fitch said. “She has a way of getting things to work and I always enjoy working with DeEtta.”

Hayes said one project she is proud to work on with fellow members of the Lions Club is the distribution of Christmas fruit baskets.

“We take them around to people who are older, who are alone, who are not feeling well, who are in the hospital or who are having some personal problems,” Hayes said.

Perhaps her proudest accomplishment, however, has been the development and organization of Barrackville’s Christmas In Our Town celebration.

“I could say I was the brainchild of it,” Hayes said.

“However, believe me, you can’t do anything like that alone.”

With the help of the Lions Club and the community, Hayes has successfully organized the celebration for 11 years. Hayes said the town council, mayor, school, churches, police department and city workers all have a hand in making sure the celebration goes off without a hitch.

“Christmas In Our Town is when she really goes all out and works very hard,” Fitch said.

“Many hours are spent on that.

She gets us all together and gives us our chores. She has it down to a science.”

The one-day celebration is complete with a craft show, concessions, a parade led by Mary, Joseph and an angel, appearances by Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, horse and buggy rides, trolly car rides around the town to view Christmas decorations, activities for kids, a memorial Christmas tree lit in honor of those who have passed away and a fireworks show.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Nancy Kocsis, Anna Rannenburg, DeEtta Hayes and Barbara Ellison are pictured during the 55th class reunion of the Barrackville High School Class of 1957. Hayes and her late husband Fred frequently held class reunion and Barrackville Jubilee parties in their home.

Hayes said she noticed other High School alumni events and a reunion for any graduates of with the Relay for Life, Main towns putting on Christmas cel- serves on the Barrackville Barrackville High School.

Street Fairmont, the Boys and ebrations and wanted to bring a Jubilee committee that puts on Hayes has also been involved Girls Club and is currently the similar energy to Barrackville.

“I love creativity and I love to be involved,” Hayes said. “It was about bringing something back to Barrackville, and it worked.”

In addition to the Christmas In Our Town celebration, Hayes has been instrumental in several other community projects within Barrackville and Marion County.

Hayes was employed by the Marion County Board of Education as a teacher at Miller Junior High School as well as North Marion High School.

During her time as a teacher, Hayes was a student council adviser, organized proms and homecomings, and worked with majorettes and cheerleaders, among other things.

Hayes continues to work in the education field as a parttime instructor at the Adult Learning Center in Fairmont.

Hayes started out at the Adult Learning Center as a substitute.

“While I was substituting there I was informed about a job that was being sponsored by the DHHR teaching a job readiness class,” Hayes said. “I applied and got it, and I’ve been there for 10 years.”

Hayes said she thoroughly enjoys teaching at the center.

“We do have students there that we see we have helped,” Hayes said. “They have gone on to school or they have received their GED or they have been employed. You feel like you’re making a difference.”

In addition to her contributions to the Lions Club where she held the position of secretary for eight years, Hayes has been a Girl Scout leader, a Bible school teacher and has helped organize Barrackville

PHOTO BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER

DeEtta Hayes, a lifelong resident of Barrackville, has contributed to several community projects over the years and is an active member of the Barrackville Lions Club.

director of the Marion County Y Teens program.

“It’s a girls’ organization that is connected with the YWCA that empowers women to be leaders in their school,” Hayes said.

Hayes said her desire to be a part of so many organizations within the community stemmed from her high school experience.

“It was a small school, so everyone had to be involved in everything in order for anything to happen,” Hayes said. “We all found ourselves involved in everything that took place so that’s where my interest started.”

Hayes said she enjoys being involved and appreciates the opportunity it presents to meet new people and learn new things.

“I am a people person,” she said. “I have fun at it.”

Hayes said she plans to continue her community involvement for as long as she can.

“It has been enjoyable. It really has been,” she said. “I have not regretted one thing, and I really don’t see retirement in my future at all.”

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

PAGE 6

Worthington

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Smith gives from heart and pocket to honor vets

On-again, off-again mayor of small town has never stopped being invested

BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

WORTHINGTON — “He was just a common, ordinary community kid who went to war ... and ended up in that community.”

Tracy Smith was talking about Woody Williams, an old neighbor from growing up in Quiet Dell, but he was also basically giving his life story.

Smith, a longtime member of the Worthington community, has committed his retirement to remembering Marion County’s heroes and making his town a nicer place.

Smith jokingly called himself a “misfit” in Worthington, since he was actually born in and grew up in the Quiet Dell community in Marion County. In 1959, he moved to Worthington, his future wife’s hometown.

“I was in the Army from ’6063,” he said, a tour of duty that has in many ways shaped his whole life. “I was in Berlin when they built the wall,” he said.

In 1963, he got married and settled into small-town life even though, as he put it, “I had really no intentions of staying here.”

It wasn’t long before he got more involved with the town.

“When I came to town, this town was the cleanest, neatest little town in the state of West Virginia as far as I’m concerned.”

In 1974, he ran for mayor for the first time to set out to make it better. Over the next 20 years, off and on, he worked with his adopted home.

“We got a new water system put in,” he said, which current mayor Sandy Hulsey said is vital for much of southern Marion County.

“Even though we’re so small,” she said, “we take care of a huge part of Marion County with the water and the sewer system.”

Idamay, Carolina, Four States and Hutchison all run on Worthington’s system, she said.

In 1991, Smith said the town got a letter saying it had to install a new, up-to-date sewage system. He set out on the task of getting loans and grants, buying property, setting up contracts and all the necessary steps to put in the system.

After all those years in city government, Smith has retired.

He says it’s time for others to step up and do the right thing in Worthington. But just because he’s no longer in city government doesn’t mean he doesn’t stay busy.

“Even when he is not officially a part of the town (council),” Hulsey said, “he does things. He uses his own paint and his own time,” she said, to beautify some of the rundown buildings nearby.

Further from home, Smith campaigned to identify Marion County’s Quiet Dell as the home of Woody Williams.

“There’s two different Quiet Dells,” he said, one in Marion

“When I came to town, this town was the cleanest, neatest little town in the state of West Virginia as far as I’m concerned.”

— TRACY SMITH

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Tracy Smith stands in front of the Worthington Veterans Bridge. He maintains flags for each branch of the military and even pays for the lights illuminating the poles.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Tracy Smith, longtime Worthington resident, shows off one of the antique plows he collects. Smith works diligently to preserve the heritage of the community around him.

and one in Harrison County.

So after seeing some confusion over his old neighbor, he called Delegate Mike Caputo and made sure Quiet Dell had signs installed reminding people of the birthplace of the Medal of Honor recipient.

“If you see something in front of you and are looking at it,” he said, “you can say he came from this community.”

Making sure the past isn’t forgotten is one of his priorities.

It’s most manifest in the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge in

Worthington, which was dedicated last year at a ceremony with the Marion County delegates. For years, Smith has put up flags along the bridge, one for each branch of the Armed Forces, and maintained the Honor Roll of local veterans.

He even pays for the lights that keep the flags lit, Hulsey said.

“I wanted to get that bridge (named),” he said, “because there’s so many of us guys that we run into every day and see every day, we don’t really look

and know where they come from, but they served.”

Another group of people Smith works to see feels remembered and respected is the retired miners of the area.

“Every quarter, I hold a breakfast for my pensioneers of Local 1501,” he said. “These guys worked at Robinson Run.” Since 2007, they’ve been getting together every three months.

“It was something on my mind, so I decided, ‘Well, I don’t get to see these guys anymore,’” so he set up an opportunity to allow these men to preserve their relationships and remember the old days.

In a lot of ways, that’s what Worthington is about. Hulsey said the town has seen busier days, but she hopes it will remain a good place for people to live and raise families.

“We are doing things as a community again,” she said.

Remembering the veterans, she said, is really the least the town can do.

“I don’t think we can ever give them enough respect or honor,” she said. “We’ve had a lot of patriotism here.”

As a hobby, Smith collects and restores old horse-drawn plows.

“When I was a boy, we had horse-drawn plows,” he said, “and these things are going to the wayside.”

It’s just one more small way he’s working to preserve the heritage he sees around him.

Email Jonathan Williams at jwilliams@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @JWilliamsTWV.

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Join us on April 4th to meet local loca experts who will answer questions, offer advice and help move your retirement planning to the next level. Our invited professionals include an antique appraiser & tag sale expert, a redesign re & home staging specialist, a relocation consultant, a moving company representativ representative, estate lawyers and a Realtor ®.

Goodwill will also provide a truck tru to accept donations. Bring a box or two of unwanted or with you, and jump-start your own plan for rightsizing. under-used items wi This will be a fun, casual event, with delicious luncheon hors d’oeuvres provided by the culinary staff at The Village. Come meet and mingle, make contacts and get answers. lage at The Vil ge Point Herita

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One Heritage Point • Morgantown, WV 26505

Fairs and festivals are where to see the ‘faces’ SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 PAGE 7

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Nothing displays the fabric of a community more than its fairs and festivals, and Marion County features a diverse group of events sure to please the whole family.

Special music, fabulous food, handmade crafts, Appalachian culture and fascinating history are just a few of the areas our numerous festivals highlight. We love to have a good time, and we know you will, too.

WHAT: West Virginia Three Rivers Festival, three days of fun-filled activities for the whole family. There will be live entertainment, carnival, parade, fantastic food and a gigantic fireworks display to finish it all off.

WHERE: Palatine Park, Fairmont, WV 26554 (www.wvthreeriversfestival.org) PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER 304-363-2625 Where else can you see all the faces of Marion County but the fairs and festivals held each WHEN: May 22-25, 2013 year? From town celebrations to music festivals to genuine fairs, faces are everywhere, WHAT: July Fourth Celebration, held at Palatine Park with live music, food, fun and fireworks.

WHERE: Palatine Park, Fairmont, WV 26554 (www.mainstreetfairmont.org) 304-366-0468 WHEN: July 4, 2013 WHAT: Fairview July Fourth Celebration, which offers up real, old-fashioned family summer fun with a parade, a community band concert, nonpartisan patriotic speeches, a cakewalk, games and contests for the kids, musical entertainment and a fireworks show.

enjoying rides, strolling the midway or enjoying a snack, like cotton candy, at the annual Mannington District Fair held the first week of August each year.

WHERE: Fairview (www.fairview4th.org) 304-4491458 WHEN: July 4, 2013

Blues and Jazz Festival, an annual blues and jazz festival featuring top-name entertainment with great food and family fun.

WHERE: P.O. Box 1737, Fairmont, WV (www.johnniejohnsonbluesandjazz.com) 304-363-5377 WHEN: July 2013

WHAT: Heston Arts & Music Festival, features the region’s most talented artists and musicians displaying their art and performing throughout the day.

WHERE: Heston Farm, 1602 Tulip Lane, Fairmont, WV WHAT: Paw Paw District 26554 304-363-5169 Fair, held Tuesday through WHEN: July 13, 2013; 11 Saturday the third week in July. a.m. to 10 p.m.

Features fun for the entire family, including children’s activiWHAT: Johnnie Johnson ties, entertainment, music, rides,

L OCAL OCAL USINESSES B USINESSES IN W HITEHALL HITEHALL

commercial vendors selling their wares, a wide variety of food and attractions.

WHERE: Rivesville 304278-7042 WHEN: July 23, 2013

WHAT: Mannington District Fair, held the first full week in August of each year. “Where the Fun Begins and Never Ends.”

While visiting the fair, take some time to meet old friends and make new ones and visit the wonderful city.

WHERE: Hough Park, Mannington, WV 26582

(www.manningtondistrictfair.org (www.celebrationoflightswv.co ) 304-986-2155 m) 304-366-4550 WHEN: Aug. 5-10th, 2013 WHEN: 5-9 p.m. every Friday, Saturday and Sunday WHAT: Harvest Festival, a night in December; subject to fall weekend that focuses on weather conditions.

18th-century foods including demonstrations and displays WHAT: 18th Century about wild game, food produc- Christmas Market, a unique tion, harvest, preservation, cook- shopping experience in a hising, customs and manners. toric environment. Artisans will Regular admission is required demonstrate and feature works for the historic attractions and for sale in the fort’s Visitors festival.

Center. The market area is open WHERE: Pricketts Fort State free of charge and live music Park, Fairmont, WV 26554 will be featured daily. The fort (www.prickettsfort.org) 304- buildings and Job Prickett 363-3030 House will be decorated for the WHEN: Oct. 12-13, 2013; 10 season and costumed intera.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, 1-4 p.m. preters will give tours. Tours Sunday require a ticket. Food will be available.

WHAT: Annual Holiday WHERE: Pricketts Fort State Historic Homes Tour, a favorite Park, Fairmont, WV 26554 event in Fairmont celebrating its (www.prickettsfort.org) 30420th year. Nearly a dozen sites 363-3030 are open for your entertainment WHEN: Dec. 6-8, 2013; 10 and enjoyment. Most will be a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and decorated for the upcoming holi- Saturday, 1-4 p.m. Sunday days, some will have live entertainment and many will have WHAT: Feast of the Seven tasty tidbits to offer.

Fishes, held each year to celeWHERE: Fairmont brate the Italian Christmas Eve (www.marionhistorical.org) tradition. It’s a one-day event 304-367-5398 with food, shopping, music, WHEN: Nov. 30, 2013 cooking demos, fish and a street market.

WHAT: Celebration of WHERE: Monroe and Lights, which kicks off just after Washington streets, Fairmont, Thanksgiving. The annual holi- WV, 26554 (www.mainstreetday program takes place at fairmont.org) 304-366-0468 Morris Park just off Pleasant WHEN: Dec. 7, 2013 Valley Road and is 1.3 miles of animated Christmas displays.

(Information from the WHERE: Morris Park, Convention & Visitors Bureau of Pleasant Valley, WV 26554 Marion County.)

LLOCAL OCAL B BUSINESSES USINESSES

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Monongah

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 PAGE 9

Sloans give back to town through fish and toys Former town police chief has never stopped serving the town he now calls home

BY DEBRA MINOR WILSON TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Twice a year, the people of Monongah look forward to two special events put on by two special brothers, Warren and Dave Sloan.

There’s Family Fish Day, held each April, and the Christmas Toy Giveaway.

The Sloan brothers help when and how they can.

The Sloan family lived for a while in Norway and then moved to Rivesville, Warren Sloan said.

There were six siblings: brothers Bob, a Green Beret who served in Vietnam and has since passed away; Warren; Dave; Chuck and Claude, who have also passed away; and sister Florence.

It all started with what Warren called The Robin Hood Program.

“We collected food from stores and put it in boxes and sacks, and left it on porches along with a note that said ‘Robin Hood was here.’

“Back then, a lot of older people didn’t have anything and they didn’t want anything given to them.”

He remembers one elderly couple in particular.

“I was pushing snow in my fourwheel drive plow. There was this couple in their 80s. I pushed snow through the alley where they lived. She asked me if I wanted a cup of coffee. I said yes. She wanted to know if I wanted another. I said yes, just a little bit.”

Her husband wanted some more coffee, too.

“I’m sorry. There is no more until we get a check,” she told him.

That troubled Sloan.

“I told her I would give her enough to buy some coffee and she started crying. But she would not take my money.

Old people have their pride. They don’t want help. They’d rather do without.”

So he went out and bought some coffee and other items, and put them in a box, which he left on their porch along with that note.

“It’s hard to explain how you feel when you see somebody in need like that,” he said. “You get this fulfillment helping them.”

He and his brother did that for years, he said. He served as chief of police in Monongah in the 1960s and ’70s, and then moved to Rivesville, where he was chief for another 10 years. He retired and then worked in security for Sears and Roebuck out of the Hatfield, Pa., office. He did that for a while and then started a used car lot.

But he never gave up helping his community.

He was active in Teens Against Drugs, a “just say no to drugs” program in which he’d go into schools with antidrug lessons for students.

“I had chapters in Monongah, Rivesville, Plum Run and Mannington,” he said.

The Sloans don’t forget about the kids at Christmas, either.

Their Toy Giveaway is an offshoot of the old Robin Hood Program.

They get toys from donors for kids 13 and under.

“Nothing for older kids, no computers or things like that,” Sloan said.

“We had a large turnout this year.

The Town of Monongah donated Town Hall for three days. The Cook brothers donated garages to put stuff in.”

The giveaway isn’t just for Monongah kids, he said.

“It’s for anybody in the county. But if somebody (from outside the county) comes and doesn’t have anything, we take care of them.”

That’s the point: taking care of children in need.

He and his siblings know what it’s like to go without as a child.

“I was born in 1938, during the Depression. It was a bad time. The first Santa Claus I ever saw was on the church step of the Salvation Army. The first Christmas I ever had was at that Salvation Army church.”

His gift was a box of animal cookies, haystack and hardtack candy, an orange or apple, and a popcorn ball.

“That was my Christmas,” he said.

“My dad had five kids and he was drafted when he was 29. So our mom raised us while he was at the war.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Brothers Dave (left) and Warren Sloan have long helped their community of Monongah with activities like the Christmas toy giveaway. “Having anything would have been great for us, you know,” Warren Sloan said. “I would never allow a kid to go without food or without a Christmas.”

“It’s a way for us to pay back. We never had anything when we were kids, and we see kids who have nothing. There’s a whole lot of other people doing the same thing we’re doing. We’re not taking anything from anybody.”

— WARREN SLOAN

PHOTO BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER

Volunteers Nancy Sloan, Dave Sloan, Sheila Mills, Randy Carpenter, Warren Sloan and Charlotte Carpenter stand with a table of stuffed animals at a toy giveaway at the Monongah Town Hall Community Building last year. The Sloan brothers organize the event each December as a way to give back.

“Having anything would have been great for us, you know. This is what it is. I would never allow a kid to go without food or without a Christmas.”

The second Saturday of every April, they stock Booth’s Creek in Monongah with rainbow trout for families to catch.

“Dads and moms gotta have kids,” Warren said. “Kids have to have parents or grandparents. This is a family day.”

There’s nothing like fishing to keep a child out of trouble, he believes.

Every spring, he and Dave stock Booth’s Creek with rainbow trout, at first paying $500 out of their own pockets to stock the creek.

“Now, we have good sponsors like Cook Brothers Contractors and DeFazio Oil Co.,” he said. “It doesn’t cost us a thing.

“When Dave and I started this program, we were both retired and wanted to do something extra for the community. We both live in Monongah. We searched around.

“We found that older people have a lot ... VFW, Moose, Elks, senior centers. High school kids had band and sports. We probably had 250 kids in sports and band (at Monongah High).

“But when the schools in these small towns consolidated, only three or four kids from each school got to play football. It was the same with band.

“You can’t have everybody from Monongah in the band. There’s only so many seats open, you know. It was hard to find a good playground. We had nothing for the kids.”

They wanted to get the kids off the streets, so they started Kids Day, for anyone under age 14.

“You could come fishing and win prizes for the biggest fish, the smallest fish. Almost everybody wins a trophy.”

At first, the brothers fronted the money for fish and prizes themselves.

And at first, they ran into some resistance from some state agencies.

“They said the water wasn’t good.

But we had it tested and it was good

water,” Sloan said. “They still didn’t want anything to do with it.

“So we put up $500 and bought the fish. And when people found out it was for the kids, it was like we lit a fire.

“Everybody wanted to see rainbow trout. Then, to catch rainbow trout, you had to go to Franklin or Elkins. Here, you can catch your limit in a little bit and get back home.

“I know for a fact that today kids end up with their grandparents on the weekends, and there’s nothing for the kids to do. It’s hard on them.

“Now, all Grandpa has to say is, ‘Come on, kids. Get a pole and let’s go fishing.’

“And once you put a fishing pole in a kid’s hand and they catch their first fish, they’re hooked.”

Want to hear something funny?

“My brother Dave and I don’t fish,” he said, laughing. “No, we go there and make fish sandwiches and hot dogs.”

His niece makes the hot dog sauce (“the best in the world,” he said) and

the beverages are donated by local suppliers.

They used to give the food away but found families coming in and getting a dozen or more hot dogs at a time.

Family Fish Day couldn’t afford to do this.

“So we started putting a price on it.”

It’s a sweet deal: hot dog, chips and pop for $1.25. But he knows sometimes you just don’t have that kind of money.

“If I know a kid doesn’t have the money, I’ll give it to them.”

It used to be called Kids’ Day, he said.

“Now it’s Family Day. If you bring a kid under 15 — neighbor girl or boy, or kids of your own — with a fishing pole and they fish, you are allowed to catch four fish. And you’re getting rainbow trout.”

And they’re not small fish, either, he said. They’re raised in a hatchery near Clarksburg.

These events take a lot of planning.

“We work four months out of the year to put the Fish Day together and another four to put the Christmas thing together.”

They appreciate all their supporters and donors.

Family Fish Day started out “for the unfortunate,” Sloan said.

“But now it’s about families. It’s people walking down the hill, going to the creek and fishing. It’s about families having a big get-together.”

“It’s a great thing to have people from the community reach out to others,” said Monongah mayor Don Harris.

“It brings people closer together. It shows we’re a family-oriented town and we care about family.

“I wish we had more people to get involved,” he said.

“In this day and age, people do not get together. They stay inside, on the computer, whatnot. It used to be you’d go out visiting neighbors, getting to know people.

“These programs help people get out and meet their neighbors.

“And they’re good for children. They let children know adults care and want to get involved in their lives.

“They reach out to people from outside the community, too.”

Toy Giveaway and Family Fish Day serve one purpose, Sloan said.

“It’s a way for us to pay back.

“We never had anything when we were kids, and we see kids who have nothing. There’s a whole lot of other people doing the same thing we’re doing. We’re not taking anything from anybody.”

Email Debra Minor Wilson at dwilson@timeswv.com.

PAGE 10

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

"Z-kiiyM-.

JlOB Plaque marks incredible career of 'Hurry Up' Yost "We have the sign. We have intentions of putting it up at the field. This kind of surprised us. We wanted to do something, but we weren't prepared for all he did."

I

— RON HAUGHT

Ron Haught and others honor the Fairview legend BYJOHNVEASEY TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT- Ron Haught is quite familiar with the Fairview Fourth of July festivities.

He's been in charge of them for about 40 years.

And through the years, he has heard a lot about Fielding "Hurry Up" Yost and his University of Michigan football team, where he coached for 25 years.

Haught wanted to do something at the Fairview field to honor Yost, so he and several others on the committee purchased a plaque that describes some of the things this great coach did.

"My dad told me about Mr. Yost after he got back from service," Haught said. "I was 5 years old, and he took me to my first basketball game, and I've been a sports nut ever since.

"Our interest was spurred when George Woodrow Yost (a descendant of the coach) had an exhibit made. It was at the library, our Fourth of July Celebration and is now at Fairmont State University.

"We have the sign. We have intentions of putting it up at the field. This kind of surprised us.

We wanted to do something, but we weren't prepared for all he did."

The plaque was prepared to honor Yost.

It says: "Fielding Harris 'Hurry Up'Yost (1871-1946) was born and raised in Fairview, WV. Yost achieved national fame as a legendary football coach and visionary athletic director at the University of Michigan during his tenure spanning four decades."

Yost was named athletic director at Michigan in 1921, and he retired as head coach after an undefeated season in 1923.

When the Wolverines committed the unspeakable sin of losing two games in the 1924 season, he was back at the helm in 1925.

That year Michigan defeated everyone but Northwestern (to whom they lost, 3-2; those were the only points the Wolverines gave up all season), shutting out even the Illinois team led by Red Grange.

Yost regarded that 1925 team as his greatest and retired again in 1926, but for several years, the head coach's position would be "questionable," with Yost always ready to step back in.

Haught said there was no high school in Fairview in Yost's youth, "so we haven't figured out where he went to high school."

He was born in Fairview on April 30, 1871 and spent his formative years in Fairview. He lived there until 1889, when he left to attend Ohio Normal School. He returned two years later and taught school in Fairview. He began his legendary coaching career in 1897.

M r

PHOTO BY JOHN VEASEY

Ron Haught holds the sign the committee has made for the late Fielding Harris "Hurry Up" Yost, who gained fame as a legendary coach and athletic director at the University of Michigan.

Yost's coaching career developed early. After earning a law degree from either Lafayette or West Virginia University (historians are not certain which school holds the honor), Yost began coaching college football teams.

In the next four years, he won four championships with four different schools — Ohio Wesleyan, Nebraska-Lincoln, Kansas and Stanford.

By the time he reached California, a single coaching job during the football season was simply not enough for his restless nature.

So, in 1900, he guided the Stanford varsity, the Stanford

freshman team and the Lowell High School team, and he assisted at San Jose College.

All four teams won championships, but by the close of the season, Yost apparently grew bored with the pace of life in California. So he took three of his top collegians with him and

moved to the University of Michigan in 1901, where he established one of the great dynasties in the history of Big Ten football.

Yost's Wolverines responded immediately, all but destroying their opponents, ending the season with a crushing victory

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over Stanford on New Year's Day 1902 in what was the very first Rose Bowl game.

Yost's teams were called "point-a-minute teams."

"Horrible Nightmare" screamed a West Virginia newspaper headline after Yost's Michigan team destroyed West Virginia by a devastating score of 130-0 at a game played in Ann Arbor in 1904.

Unabashed even in this most lopsided of games, Yost was quick to point out that 40 or more players had participated in this one-sided rout.

He is the coach who built the "Big House," Michigan's huge stadium that seated some 87,000 people back in the 1920s. Current construction at the "Big House" may raise the seating capacity to 120,000.

But he wasn't just a football coach. Yost also constructed the only golf course on a college campus at that time.

He died at the age of 75 in 1946.

"We more or less dedicated this at our Fourth of July celebration," Haught said. "Now we have the sign and we want it to be close to the main entrance. It probably will be on the stone wall that encircles the Fairview Field.

"Every one of our committee had a hand in this. These included Peter Ray, a pastor at Washington Street Church of Christ. His wife Amantha is employed at Fairmont State."

(Editor's note: This story was originally published Sept.

1,2012.)

Email John Veasey at jcveasey @ timeswv.com.

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TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Pleasant Valley

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 PAGE 11

John Conaway: A pleasant neighbor in the valley

Former educator says to make friends, you have to be a friend

BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PLEASANT VALLEY — There’s a lot to be said for modern conveniences. A lot has changed in the past 40 years or so.

But there’s plenty to be said about the benefits of old-fashioned neighborly contact now and then.

Ask John Conaway, who’s lived in Pleasant Valley since the summer of 1971 and considers it one of the best communities in Marion County.

“We’re surrounded with good neighbors,” Conaway said. “We’ve never, here, had what I would call a bad neighbor.”

Conaway grew up in Fairview. He was involved in sports as a young man and went on to attend Fairmont State College, now a university.

He went into education, teaching math at East Fairmont High School for several years, years he described very fondly.

“I love that profession,” he said. “I’m old enough now that my kids are old that I had in school. I’ve got doctors and school teachers and all kinds of stuff, and some of them say I influenced them.

“It’s a thankless job when you’re doing it, but then the rewards are down the road.”

After about six years of teaching, he went on to work as an assistant principal at St. Marys High School in Pleasants County, but found the job bad for his health. “(The

doctor) said, ‘John, you know what your problem is,’” Conaway recalled. “And I said, ‘No, that’s what I came to you for!’”

The doctor told him it was the stress from his job, so when he got a call from Fairmont State, he jumped at the chance.

“Changed my life,” he said.

By the end of his 30 1/2 years at the college, Conaway was serving as Director of Admissions. He said he really enjoyed “helping the students and making a difference in someone’s life.”

Watching them grow up, he said, from a freshman into a professional was deeply satisfying. “The kids — well, students. I shouldn’t say kids — the students think you did a big thing for them when all you did was guide them. They did it all.

“All you were was the instrument that was able to guide them to be successful.”

Since his retirement in 2001, Conaway has stayed active.

He’s involved in the Union Mission and has served in a number of capacities throughout the years. He also functions as a lay minister, preaching when asked and visiting people when they need some comfort.

He’s also worked with the Pleasant Valley Planning Commission, helping shape the city’s future.

Mayor Barbara Metcalfe said she’s known Conaway for a long time.

“We went to adjoining high schools,” she said, he to Fairview and she to Barrackville. Later they had

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

John Conaway works on a project in his workshop.

Conaway spends a lot of time working on things for friends and neighbors.

“We’re all making a living or trying to make a living.

Someone needs help, you help them.

If someone over there’s got a problem in the yard, you run over there and help them, or vice-versa.

That’s important to me.”

— JOHN CONAWAY

John Conaway sets out for a stroll toward Morris Park, a favorite destination.

kids in school together and families were really interested on being a neighborly town, worked together in the City of in the community as well as the she said, and Conaway exemPleasant Valley. school system,” she said. plifies that in a lot of ways.

“I think his family and our Pleasant Valley prides itself “He seems to have adopted being a neighbor in a large area,” she said.

When the snow piled up in February, she said, he shoveled snow off the sidewalks for several elderly people on his street, and in the summer he keeps the grass mowed in several yards.

“That’s what you’re here for, to help people out,” Conaway said.

Metcalfe thinks that attitude is what makes Pleasant Valley a great place to live.

“Everyone enjoys socializing with other people,” she said.

“You don’t find that in a lot of communities.

“They try to know their neighbors; they try to help their neighbors,” she said. “I guess it’s just everybody trying to help others when they’re in need.”

Conaway used the story of a girl he remembers from teaching at East Fairmont to illustrate one of his life mottos.

“She was a sophomore, and her family moved up to around Wheeling,” he said.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

“It just broke her heart. And I told her, ‘When you go there, if you want friends, you have to be a friend.’”

Five or six years later, he said, he saw her again and she asked him if he remembered what he told her.

“She went up there and did well,” he said.

“What’s around you is how you are. When you’re around friendly people you have to be friendly yourself.”

He’s been doing his own “little bit” to make his community a friendlier, more comfortable, neighborly place to live.

“I think that’s important,” Metcalfe said, “that people stay connected.”

For Conaway, it’s just a way of life.

“We’re all making a living or trying to make a living,” he said.

“Someone needs help, you help them. If someone over there’s got a problem in the yard, you run over there and help them, or vice-versa. That’s important to me.”

Email Jonathan Williams at jwilliams@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @JWilliamsTWV.

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EVEN PAGE 12

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

ODD

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

PAGE 13

Friendly faces of our communities

TWV FILE PHOTO

West Virginia Secretary of State Natalie Tennant buys lemonade from students at Barrackville Elementary School during an annual event at the school.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Bill Hunter (left) and Bob George finish packing a box for a client at the Mannington Food Pantry. The pantry provides diverse services, from large boxes of food to clothes and more.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Students at the Fairmont State-Charleston men’s basketball game show their school spirit in January. Fans were encouraged to “Jam the Joe” Retton Arena to support their team.

TWV FILE PHOTO

Cancer survivors hold up a banner as part of a Survivor Walk at the second Mannington Relay for Life last May. The event raised more than $30,000 for the American Cancer Society, honoring those who are surviving cancer and remembering those who have passed on.

Gary Wilfong, owner of the White Hall Convenience Store, recently donated $1,000 to the White Hall Police Department to purchase two bulletproof vests for officers.

Pictured (from left) are White Hall Mayor Jesse Corley, assistant manager Andy Bean, White Hall Police Chief Geno Guerrieri and officer Caleb Krepps.

TWV FILE PHOTO

Larissa Whitecotton of Rivesville Elementary proudly displays the American flag.

The Monongah Volunteer Fire Department includes: Capt.

Jim Birdsell, Sean Bourne, Brett Schrader, Kenneth Decker, Sean Flint, Tim Curry, Chief Harless McCombs, Richard Little, Ronnie Martin, Mike Joy, Marty Richards, Assistant Chief William McCombs, Capt. Josh Slagle, Lt. Ross Peek, Rob Richards, Mike Stewart, Angela Birdsell, Joe Richards, Aaron Richards, Robert Blair, Mark Tenney, Shawn Parker, Frank Vandetta, Kevin Abbott, Zack Brown, Jerry Cokely, Jason Beafore, Jerry Walter, Joseph Debarr and Stephan Vandetta.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Addison Megna and Trenton Reed watch the Fairview Christmas parade in awe.

Fairmont State University students Deewa Adhikari, from Nepal, and Shiho Shimada, from Japan, try on traditional Japanese clothing during an International Exhibit as part of International Education Week.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Vickie Kisner and Myra Pettis look at Red Hinesʼ rare 1979 Honda CBX at the after party of the 10th annual Town of Farmington Poker Run in August. The run hosted more than 380 bikes and riders from as far away as Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Virginia, and benefited the volunteer fire department and Muscular Dystrophy Association.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Rilynn Payton, 3, gives Santa Claus a big hug at the 11th annual Christmas in Our Town in Barrackville in December. Despite the cool weather and rain, people lined the streets to see the parade and later fireworks.

PHOTO BY JESSICA BORDERS

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

PHOTO BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER

TWV FILE PHOTO

Fairview student Allison Moore reads to McKenna Boone. Last spring, the eighth-grade class at Fairview Middle School presented and read individualized stories about each pre-kindergarten student.

PHOTO BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER

Gavin Erhard, Amelia Messenger, Kaelee Spevock, Will Sarsfield and Lainey Barnes, along with the rest of their classmates in Chris Johnson’s third-grade class at Pleasant Valley Elementary, collected food items for a Christmas basket donation to the Union Mission in lieu of a classroom gift exchange.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Summer Kennen, a 5-year-old Monongahfest visitor, gets ready to dunk Monongah volunteer firefighter Frankie Vandetta in the Grant Town EMS dunk tank at last summerʼs Monongahfest.

PAGE 14

White Hall

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Connor reaches out to others through many avenues “If you have a dozen like her, would that be enough? Or two dozen? We could use a lot of people like her.�

Retired teacher stays active by volunteering for many causes — CHARLIE MASON

BY NICOLE FIELDS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

WHITE HALL — There’s a certain twinkle in Patti Connor’s eyes when she talks about the various groups she volunteers with.

As a member of the Beverly CEOS Club, she helps dress stuffed bears and gather stockings to be given to children through the Salvation Army’s Christmas program.

She and her fellow club members also prepare bags full of candy and other goodies for veterans at the Louis A. Johnson VA Medical Center in Clarksburg — a project she enjoys because it’s a great way to “help the veterans� — and she donates money and supplies to local shelters as well as rounds up lap robes and quilts for nursing homes.

She’s active in her church, Eldora United Methodist, where she is involved with the United Methodist Women’s group and helps with dinners and programs the church hosts, and where she began teaching Sunday school and Vacation Bible School when she was a teenager.

She also loves to bake, and over the years she’s baked countless apple, rhubarb and other types of pies for church sales and fundraisers.

And there’s 4-H, where Connor was PHOTO BY NICOLE FIELDS recognized for 25 years of leadership as Patti Connor holds a framed picture of her family. As an active volunteer in her community, Connor loves hav- a leader of the Eldora 4-H Club after serving as a 4-H counselor in Marion ing opportunities to give back, but she loves her family even more.

County for many years.

Giving back comes naturally for Connor, who said it’s good to “reach out to others.� “It gives you a good feeling to know you’re helping someone else,� she said, noting that money from some of the events she helps organize goes to help people in need. “That’s why I get involved. I don’t like to sit around and do nothing.�

But even though she likes to stay busy, don’t ask her to pick her favorite activity. “Each one is my favorite in its own way,� she said, that twinkle shining through again.

Connor, who taught at White Hall Elementary School for 14 years, retired from a 24-year teaching career in 1995.

That’s when she traded her chalk and books — she taught fourth grade, and loved helping her students become better readers because “I like to read, and I think kids that are exposed to reading learn to enjoy it, too� — for CEOS meetings and more church projects.

Over the years, those church projects have included handling the publicity and entertainment for the United Methodist Women’s Celebration of Mission Events, which are hosted by each district in the West Virginia conference of United Methodist churches.

The local district includes the areas SEE CONNOR, PAGE 15

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SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 PAGE 15

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Connor

Dressing bears to be given to children at Christmastime through the Salvation Armyʼs program is just one community project in which Patti Connor (right) participates. From left, she is pictured with Annalee Cain, Grace Winter and Shirley Prahl.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 14

surrounding Fairmont, Morgantown, Grafton and Barbour County, and this year, Connor has taken on a smaller role, helping coordinate the live auction that will take place April 27 at the Middletown Mall. But a smaller role doesn’t mean there’s no work involved — she’ll be contacting nearly 60 people to see how they can help with this year’s auction.

With the CEOS club, she’s made scrapbooks and documented club activities, as well as picked up books from the Bookmobile at the Middletown Mall, another way to further develop her love of reading while sharing her hobby with members of the club.

And even though she admits she has been devoting more time lately to her husband, Pat, who’s been a resident of the St. Barbara’s Nursing Home in Monongah for the past three years, she said she still looks forward to projects like making valentines for the veterans each year as a way to continue giving back.

Those efforts are appreciated by people in her community, and towns everywhere would be fortunate to have people like Connor, said Charlie Mason, recorder for the Town of White Hall.

He described Connor as a “fine, fine member of the community,” and praised her dedication to serving others.

“If you have a dozen like her, would that be enough? Or two dozen?” Mason said. “We could use a lot of people like her.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Pat and Patti Connor celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2011. Although Patti Connor says she loves to help out in her community, her family means even more.

Of course, a desire to give back is usually something that is passed from generation to generation, and that twinkle in Connor’s eyes returns when she talks about her family. She said she and her sister, Joan Nixon, also a White Hall resident, worked together on projects and church activities in the community.

And as much as Connor enjoys giving back to her community, she said she loves her family even more.

That includes her husband

Pat, with whom she celebrated 50 years of marriage in 2011, and daughters Mary Pat Reese, Betty Leigh Bargeloh and Cindy Drummond. Add five grandchildren to the mix, and it’s easy to see why Connor enjoys sharing stories about her family so much.

“Family is No. 1 on my list,” she said with a smile. “I’m very proud of my family.”

Email Nicole Fields at nfields@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @NicoleFieldsTWV.

TWV FILE PHOTO

Norman Malson, chairman of Shepherd’s Love Food Pantry, prepares to pack some emergency food orders. Shepherd’s Love Food Pantry is located in Rivesville.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Members of the Fair-Barr-Mann-Ongah Band entertain the crowds at the Farmington Christmas Parade.

PAGE 16

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

PUBLIC MEETINGS IN OUR TOWNS

FIRST MONDAY FIRST THURSDAY • Colfax PSD: 7 p.m. Home of Carl • Grant Town Council: 6 p.m. Grant • PSD Improvement Committee: 7 Sayres. 366-5400.

Town town hall. p.m. Marion County Commission • Mannington City Council: 7 p.m. Chambers, Room 403A, J. Harper SECOND WEDNESDAY Mannington City Hall.

Meredith Building. 363-2626.

• Marion County Commission: 10 a.m. Marion County Commission FIRST TUESDAY SECOND MONDAY Chambers, Room 403A, J. Harper • Barrackville Town Council: 7 p.m.

• Kingmill Valley Public Service Meredith Building.

Council chambers, 716 Pike St., District: 3:30 p.m., 1707 Pleasant Barrackville.

Valley Road.

THIRD MONDAY • Downs, Ices Run and Monumental • Monongah Town Council: 6:30 • Fairview Water Extension Public Service Districts: 7 p.m. 862 p.m. Monongah Town Hall.

Committee: 7 p.m. Fairview Town Hall.

Husky Highway at the Floyd • Fairview Town Council: 7 p.m.

• Mannington City Council: 7 p.m.

Construction building near the Fairview Town Hall.

Mannington Town Hall.

Barrackville intersection. 304-363-1700.

• Montana Improvement • Farmington City Council: 6:30 p.m.

• Pleasant Valley Planning Association: 7 p.m., community Farmington Town Hall.

Commission: 7 p.m., Pleasant Valley Building.

Municipal Building.

• White Hall Town Council: 7 p.m.

THIRD TUESDAY • Rivesville Town Council: 7 p.m. 2903 Timrod Drive, White Hall. 367• Greater Paw Paw Sanitary Board: Rivesville Town Hall. Public may attend. 1687.

11:30 a.m. Rivesville Town Hall. 2785301.

FIRST WEDNESDAY SECOND TUESDAY • Barrackville Sewer Board: 6 p.m., • Marion County Commission: 10 a.m.

• Fairmont City Council: 7 p.m. municipal building.

Marion County Commission Chambers, Council chambers, Public Safety Room 403A, J. Harper Meredith Building. Building.

THIRD WEDNESDAY

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

• Marion County Commission: 10 a.m. Marion County Commission Chambers, Room 403A, J. Harper Meredith Building.

• Pleasant Valley City Council: 7 p.m. Pleasant Valley Municipal Building.

THIRD THURSDAY • Coonʼs Run Public Service District: 7 p.m. Shinnston City Building.

• Marion County Planning and Zoning Commission: 7 p.m. Room 104, J. Harper Meredith Building.

• White Hall PSD: 10 a.m., district office, Rte. 250 South.

p.m. Monongah Town Hall.

• Fairview Town Council: 7 p.m.

Fairview Town Hall.

• White Hall Town Council: 7 p.m.

2903 Timrod Drive, White Hall. 3671687.

FOURTH TUESDAY • Sanitary Sewer Board of City of Fairmont: 10 a.m. Conference room, Wastewater Treatment Plant, Fairmont. 366-0540.

• Fairmont City Council: 7 p.m.

Council chambers, Public Safety Building.

FOURTH WEDNESDAY THIRD SATURDAY • Marion County Commission: 10 • Great Paw Paw Sanitary District: a.m. Marion County Commission 10 a.m. Rivesville Town Hall.

Chambers, Room 403A, J. Harper • Greater Marion PSD: 9 a.m., Meredith Building.

Greater Marion PSD Office.

FOURTH THURSDAY FOURTH MONDAY • Mannington PSD: 7 p.m.

• Monongah Town Council: 6:30 Homewood Fire Station.

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Fairmont

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 PAGE 17

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Over the past seven years, Sandra Scaffidi Pitman has served as a volunteer, the assistant director and a member SUBMITTED PHOTO of the board of directors for Main Street Fairmont, an organiKate Greene, executive director of Main Street Fairmont; John and Sandra Pitman, Main Street Fairmont volunteers; and zation that promotes economic development through historic preservation.

Main Street Fairmont board president Cliff Jackson are pictured during the Feast of the Seven Fishes Festival.

Pitman works to preserve concept of Main Street, U.S.A. As volunteer for Fairmont, work being done toward preservation

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Main Street Fairmont is an organization that focuses on finding a way to make downtown Fairmont thrive.

Sandra Scaffidi Pitman is one of the faces behind the organization that ensures projects are planned and goals are met.

“She’s part of every success story,” Kate Greene, executive director of Main Street Fairmont, said. “Every business owner and volunteer has something great to say about her dedication. Sandra helps to steer this organization.

Development is multifaceted and it’s easy to get distracted — Sandra makes sure that we’re always in line with our mission.”

Pitman has been involved with Main Street Fairmont for seven years, first as a volunteer.

“After two years of volunteering, I decided to become an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer and devote myself full time to the revitalization of downtown Fairmont,” she said.

She then went on to serve as

the assistant director of Main Street Fairmont from 2009 to 2011, and she is currently on the organization’s board of directors.

“I hope Main Street Fairmont can help our citizens to be proud of our city,” Pitman said.

Before coming to West Virginia, Pitman was part of a Main Street organization in Pennsylvania.

“I became convinced that this was a great organization for ordinary people to enact change in their downtowns,” Pitman said.

Pitman also brings a background in the preservation of historic structures to Main Street Fairmont.

“I want Fairmont’s citizens to recognize the value we have in our historic buildings and not lose one more to neglect or demolition,” she said.

Pitman works full time with the Mills Group, an architecture firm in Morgantown. She is a historian who works with the preservation of historic structures throughout the state, surveying historic buildings and developing preservation plans

and historic rehabilitation tax credit applications.

“I am fortunate because the Mills Group is very supportive of historic preservation and the Main Street community,” Pitman said.

Though Pitman, who is originally from New York, works in Morgantown, she and her husband John, a Fairmont native who is also active in Main Street, chose to live in Fairmont.

“We purposefully purchased a home in Fairmont because we wanted to live in a community where we felt welcome, safe and happy,” she said. “We chose our home because we are within walking distance to downtown and FSU in a dog-friendly neighborhood with sidewalks and trees. You cannot ask for a better community to live in.”

Pitman hopes Main Street Fairmont can make the downtown area a place enjoyable for all the city’s residents.

“I want to see downtown Fairmont populated with numerous restaurants and shops,” Pitman said. “I hope that Main Street will help the community to celebrate Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community & Technical College and in return have a

“I want Fairmont’s citizens to recognize the value we have in our historic buildings and not lose one more to neglect or demolition.”

— SANDRA SCAFFIDI PITMAN

strong downtown student presence. I want to see the organization help Fairmont have great downtown residences and have numerous ways to celebrate the arts.”

With many plans, ideas and hopes for the city, Pitman acknowledged it will require collaborative efforts.

“We have so much potential in this town and so many people are working toward creating this wonderful environment,” she said.

Pitman said that to date, an accomplishment she is particularly proud of is the Preserve America designation, which allowed the city to be recognized by former first lady Laura Bush as a community dedicated to preserving its history. As part of that designation, the organization received a $20,000 grant to create oral history podcasts to

record some of Fairmont’s lesser-known stories.

“Although there are many stories left to tell, this was a small step in recording the history of Fairmont,” Pitman said.

According to Pitman, the podcasts can be viewed on YouTube or Main Street Fairmont’s website.

In addition to that project, Pitman has devoted her time to writing countless grant applications, redesigning the organization’s website and planning events.

“Beyond offering constant encouragement, Sandra is invaluable in her technical contributions,” Greene said. “She is a successful grant writer. She is extremely well-versed in state funding mechanisms and has secured hundreds of thousands of dollars for development in our community.”

Main Street Fairmont is working closely with Kathy Wyrosdick and Mark Miller from the city’s planning department to focus on economic development.

“The Main Street program is an incremental process which promotes economic development through historic preservation,” Pitman said. “While the organization has developed great events, the program is now headed in a different direction of hands-on economic development.”

Pitman said the future is bright, and now is the time for people to get on board with the organization’s mission.

“We have a place for everyone,” she said. “We have a dynamic new director in Kate Greene who brings a fresh perspective to downtown Fairmont.”

According to Greene, Pitman brings a wealth of knowledge to Main Street Fairmont and is instrumental in the organization’s mission to revive the city so that it can reach its potential.

“A thriving, sustainable community is only as healthy as its core,” Greene said.

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

PHOTO BY EMILY GALLAGHER

Members of the East Fairmont High School Busy Bee Band & Honeybees stand at Veteransʼ Jackie Fitch (left), organizer of the “Make Marion County Shine” event, gives her daughter Madison Square in November during the Veterans Day observance. The band played the national a vest and gloves for cleaning safety. The event was held in April with a great deal of success. anthem and service songs during the event.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS

TWV FILE PHOTO

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Watson Elementary students dance outside during the “Let’s Move! West Virginia” initiative Nicky (left) and Nate (right) Scott pet Jingles and Jangles the dogs, who are being fostered by in May. Several schools in Marion County and throughout the state participated.

Brandie Starr (center) during the Feast of the Seven Fishes in downtown Fairmont last December.

PAGE 18

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PHOTO BY EMILY GALLAGHER

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER Dan Manka, dressed as a Civil War Union colonel, holds a U.S. Cavalry guidon flag with 35 stars. Manka marched in the Jeannie Hennen (from left), Zella Sigley, Carrol Hatfield and Pam OʼDell fill plates to be delivered from the Union Mission to homebound seniors on Thanksgiving Day. Veterans Day Parade in Fairmont in November.

TWV FILE PHOTO

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Fairview Middle students show off their chain of links in honor of their successful fundraising project for Relay for Life last April. Tyrone Hodges gives a big “thumbs up” during Fairmont State Universityʼs graduation last May. Already exceeding their goal of $1,500, the school reported $2,126 was raised from all their efforts during the school year.

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Grant Town

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 PAGE 19

Merico remembers the once-mining community of youth Much has changed for Grant Town since booming coal days

BY JOHN VEASEY TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Larry “LaLa” Merico has seen Grant Town go from a booming little town to a burned-out coal camp.

He has seen most of his friends pass away.

He realizes there is not much going on in Grant Town these days.

“I feel like a million dollars,” the 84-year-old resident tells people when asked. “I don’t feel bad at all. But our town is just a burned-out coal camp. Most of my friends have died.

“There are only two guys older than me in town,” he added. “Steve Oleskovich, he’s 94. He and his wife are good and healthy people. There’s Ed ‘Stig’ Jones. He’s the last of the World War II veterans and I’m the last of the Korean War veterans.

“You just hate to see all the old-timers passing away.”

LaLa — that’s what everyone PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER calls him — has an interesting LaLa Merico stands on his old porch, where he has carved the names of some of the old-timers on a bench — old-timers who have passed away. Names resume.

“I worked in the coal mines included are those of Gunzie Lopez, Chunky Selan, Tony Merico and Tom Krevosky. He says that at 84, heʼs the third oldest man in Grant Town these days. for 23 years in the Grant Merico played baseball and Sammy. Ronnie wasn’t old “The coal company had a Italians cut a hole in the wine Town mines. I worked for “People were touched by for Fairview High School enough then. The Mericos were whistle. ... Whenever there was barrel. They wrapped the gun the State Road an accident, the whistle blew in an oil cloth and put the gun Commission. I was a those columns. People still and later for the Grant Jesse, Joe and LaLa.” The lifelong Grant Town res- and blew and blew. ... You in the barrel.” deputy sheriff for eight remember my columns and Town Cubs, a sandlot team. ident estimates the population never knew who was killed and He said that 40 years later, years.” ask me about them.”

“We talked baseball. of his town as being around everyone ran down to the por- they got the gun out.

He said the mining We ate and slept baseball. 500 people. tal and waited for them to bring “It still fired!” he said. companies are going after — LALA MERICO We dreamed baseball.

He remembers some mine the deceased miner out of the Merico was one of 14 chilminers’ benefits.

Baseball was our life,” he accidents from his days under- mine. That’s how you found dren. He had six brothers and “It’s going to have a whiskey in his boots.

That’s said.

“Now there are only two ground. out who was killed.” seven sisters. That’s why the definite effect,” he said. “After “I remember a young man Back before his days in the grocery store prospered, he said. all these years fighting for some where the term ‘bootlegger’ of us left from the Grant Town Pirates — Manuel Garcia and who was just 18 and a rock mines, a coal miner was killed Now there are just five left. benefits, now we’re going to comes from.”

Merico said the Yellow Dogs me.” dust car ran over him,” he said. by a mine guard.

Marie, his oldest sister, is 95. lose them. That’s what a union is would not only take your He said later on, his brother “I was the dispatcher. There “He’s buried at the Ballah The Mericos had three chilall about. If there are no benewhiskey, they would take your Joe had a softball team. was another man who was Cemetery in Grant Town. dren — two daughters, Rose fits, you don’t need a union. boots also.

“But that was after baseball. crushed by a coal car.

That’s That’s what the union used as a and Teresa, and a son, Tommy, “Patriot Coal — I don’t “The Yellow Dogs were the One year our team was all the way it was at the mines. gathering place,” Merico said. who was taken from them by know where they come from. mine guards. They had a Mericos and Rettons. If I’m “We had 1,200 miners here.

“The miner was killed with a cancer when he was 8 years They are eliminating all of our German shepherd dog. And lying, I’m dying. ... We only had one shaft. The 32 owl-head pistol. They had to old. benefits.

“The Rettons were Hack, town was covered with coal hide that gun so they passed it Email John Veasey at “I remember the old picket they were all yellow.

“But they wear nice boots.

Sneezy, Dickie, Jo-Jo, Romy dust back in those days. down through the men.

The jcveasey@timeswv.com. lines. And our first vacation pay. It was $20. We all praised Back then we didn’t have the John L. Lewis. They’re taking kind of pumps to pump the pension, health care and our water out of the mine. You had life insurance. It was hell to get to have boots.”

He stressed that these stories these things. There were many all came from his late father. strikes. I don’t know what I’d Dr. Peter Alasky, IV “There’s a steel box on top do without that insurance.

681-342-3500 of the company store,” he said.

“They have the ammunition.

They have the highfalutin “There are flood lights on the lawyers. Now we’re fighting top of the box. If they would catch anyone near the company for our lives.”

Merico remembers the old property, they would take a Dr. Russell Biundo company store owned by the shot at them.”

Merico, along with a young 681-342-3500 coal company.

“You bought your hard hat, correspondent, used to write steel-toed shoes, your belt, “LaLa’s Porch.”

“People were touched by your bucket, a pair of coveralls. those columns,” he said.

You would get everything at the company store. They would “People still remember my Dr. Christopher Courtney take your check number. At the columns and ask me about 681-342-3500 them.” end of the month, they would t 4IPVMEFS 4VSHFSZ Merico noted that large famideduct from your paycheck lies no longer exist in Grant what you spent at the store,” he t "EVMU )JQ BOE ,OFF Town. said.

Orthopaedic Specialists at UHC are board certified physicians who excel in “You don’t have big families 3FQMBDFNFOUT “But we got used to that kind shoulder, hip and knee surgery as well as primary care sports medicine: of living. ... If the old coal min- anymore. There were 13 in my Dr. William Doukas who completed fellowships at the Cleveland Clinic, t 4QPSUT .FEJDJOF ers would come back to life family ... just two brothers are 681-342-3500 Duke University and Ohio State; now, they would faint if they left out of six.”

He named some of his t &YQFSUJTF JO &MCPX saw how things have become. who served in leadership roles at Walter Reed Army Medical Center; “I never thought I would live town’s outstanding citizens 8SJTU )BOE 'PPU who promote the use of minimally invasive techniques – small to see what’s going on in this over the years. and Ankle incisions, less pain, faster recovery.

“There was Chunky Selan, country — greed. And who would ever have thought ... all Walter Kolvek, Buggsey Dr. Gerald Farber And they chose UHC. t 1IZTJDBM .FEJDJOF 681-342-3500 the fighting and hard work and Lopez, Bobby Joe Domico, Joe This level of care has never been this close to home. and Rehabilitation you lose your pension? You Merico — my brother who ran work all those years and then a grocery store — JoJo Retton, Dick and Sammy Retton, and you lose your pension.

“Us old-timers still have a two sisters, Mary and Theresa.”

Merico then went back to his union meeting,” he said. “I Dr. Joseph Fazalare don’t know why that coal com- younger days when baseball 681-342-3500 pany is worried about us. I sent was about all he thought about.

“When I was young, I played thousands of tons of coal to the big mine corporations as a a lot of baseball,” he said. “I mine dispatcher. And now didn’t even have a mask and I they’re gonna take our pen- was a catcher. We couldn’t afford a mask.” sions.”

Dr. David Waxman He reflected back to some of The town was named after 304-848-0555 Sandy Grant, who was superin- the touring Negro League stars tendent of the mine in the early who played at Grant Town.

“Josh Gibson played here 1900s.

Merico changed the subject with the Homestead Greys. He to an unusual one. and Buck Leonard. He was a “I may be the only bootleg- first baseman ... Satchel Paige, ger left in Marion County. We Roy Campanella — they all all were ... here in Grant Town. played here. I caught them all. I Liquor was hard to come by. caught batting practice for the When I was a kid, the old man Grant Town Pirates and worked would put a half pint of in a coal mine.”

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PAGE 20

Mannington

SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

White likes small-town atmosphere of Mannington Business owner gives back to the community through time, donations and sports

BY EMILY GALLAGHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

MANNINGTON — There are many people who donate time, materials and money to those in need and don’t get recognized for their generosity.

One of those people is Don White of Mannington.

White is the president of D&G Machine Co. Inc., located on Water Street in Mannington.

Rana Taylor, executive director of Mannington Main Street, said White does a lot for the community when needed.

“He gives a lot back to the community,” Taylor said. “He never asks for anything back.”

Taylor recalled several times the water pump at the Hough Park swimming pool needed to be fixed. She said White donated materials and sent employees to repair it.

“He sends people down right away and doesn’t ask for anything in return,” she said.

Another donation White has made is the building that will house the new food pantry on Main Street.

“It was his business and he gave it to them,” Taylor said.

When there are problems with equipment during the Mannington District Fair, White has been there to help.

“They’ve had to go down to D&G and Donnie just sends guys out and does it free of charge,” Taylor said.

White said giving back is just something he does.

“I’ve been very fortunate over the years and have had a lot of people help me along the way,” White said. “I try to give back as much as possible.”

In 1971, White moved to Mannington from Weirton and was raised by his grandparents.

He realized after working for someone that he wanted to start his own business, and in 1985 he started his business in his basement.

D&G offers many services, from machine work and fabrication to water pump repair and sales. White was working in the same line of work before he decided he wanted his own business.

“I worked for another company,” he said. “We had an agreement that I thought they needed a machine shop. I had to show them it could be profitable, and I did.

“Then we had an agreement that they would buy my investment out.”

The company he was working for went out of business and that’s when White went into business by himself.

“I always wanted to build a business that everybody would

PHOTO BY EMILY GALLAGHER

Don White (left) stands with employees Bill Michaels (middle) and Rick White in the machine shop at D&G Machine. White started the company in his basement in 1985.

“I’ve been very fortunate over the years and have had a lot of people help me along the way. I try to give back as much as possible.”

— DON WHITE

enjoy working at,” White said.

“I’ve been fortunate to be around some good people that have taught me a lot of good things.”

Things started to go well for White and he hired another employee, Rick White, who has been with him ever since. In 1987, the company moved into its current location with four employees at the time.

“We have 36 employees now,” White said. “We’ve come a long way since then — a lot of hard work.”

When White was young, he didn’t think he would be where he is today.

“I was one of those guys that didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he said. “I had a lot of people steer me in the right direction.”

Even though his son Greg White and daughter Mary Rinehart work there, Don White thinks of all the people who

work at D&G as family rather than employees.

“I enjoy working with them,” he said. “Everybody gets along really well. We have a good time and that’s the main thing, I think.”

When White isn’t working, he enjoys spending time with his family, his wife Dianna, and his three children, Greg, Mary and her husband Scott Rinehart, and his youngest daughter Melissa and her husband Jim Moran.

Melissa works at Fairmont General Hospital as a radiology tech.

White also enjoys spending time with his three grandchildren, Jace, Tyler and Oceanna.

He donates to youth sports teams in the area while 10-yearold Jace keeps him busy with football, baseball and wrestling.

“I try to help as much as I can,” White said. “I’d like to do more sometimes, but you can only do so much.”

Wrestling is something White really enjoys. He coached at North Marion from 1992-2002 and continues to attend wrestling matches and tournaments. Playing golf, hunting and fishing are other activities White likes to do in his free time.

White likes what he does for a living and will continue to work until retirement. Then he plans to spend time playing golf, hunting, fishing and being with his family.

Mannington means a lot to White because it’s where he raised his children and where his family is from.

“My grandmother’s parents were from here,” he said. “My grandfather was from up on the other side of Hundred.”

He likes the fact that it’s a small town.

“I like the small-town atmosphere,” he said. “Pretty much everybody knows everybody.

When we raised our three kids here it was nice because everybody in town kind of watches out for your kids.”

Email Emily Gallagher at PHOTO BY EMILY GALLAGHER egallagher@timeswv.com or fol- Don White, president of D&G Machine, stands in his office. low her on Twitter White has helped repair equipment problems during the @EGallagherTWV. Mannington District Fair, expecting nothing in return.

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SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 2013 PAGE 21

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

West Virginia Three Rivers Festival held its annual queen PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER and teen pageant at East Fairmont High School earlier this World War II veteran and Medal of Honor recipient Hershel month. From the 17 queen and 18 teen contestants, the PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER “Woody” Williams said last fallʼs ceremony dedicating the judges chose Charisse Haislop (left) of Parkersburg as the Baby sitters Karissa Baker (left) and Brianna Walker take 2Fairmont Armed Forces Reserve Center to him was an emo- 2013 West Virginia Three Rivers queen and Ciera Fields of year-old Wyatt Galford for a stroll in Morris Park on an early Nettie as the 2013 West Virginia Three Rivers teen. tional experience, and he was grateful. spring afternoon last year.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Veterans Carlos Martinez (from left), Tracy Smith, Calvin Hulsey and Roger Shumate join with West Virginia state Sen. Bob Beach, Marion County Delegates Tim Manchin and Linda Longstreth, Worthington Mayor Sandra Hulsey and Delegate Mike Caputo in the dedication TWV FILE PHOTO of the Worthington Veterans Bridge last fall. The project, started in 2011, was to rename the Veterans Dick Bentel, Brad Newbraugh and Bill Wilson discuss some veteran issues before former Worthington Bridge to honor the many veterans living in the town and county. last yearʼs Memorial Day ceremonies in downtown Fairmont.

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Our Town

Energy & Industry High Technology Health Care

Education & Workforce Living Here

Whoʼs Who

INSIDE

Booming sectors

West Virginia power. West Virginia coal. West Virginia people. Those are themes you’ll constantly hear at the FirstEnergy Harrison Power Station.

A proud member of the team numbering in the hundreds is Julie Ford, who serves as Harrison’s environmental coordinator. She has worked at the location just over nine years. It’s a challenging position the Morgantown resident enjoys, and she took an interesting path to get there.

— Page 4

Environmental energy

Being a United Mine Workers of America (UMW) representative is a position with a lot of tradition. For Jack Frazier, Federal No. 2 coal miner and recording secretary of the UMW, being part of the union is an honor.

“It’s a big, strong tradition,” he said. “Our goal is to keep the UMW going and we want to keep the workers in a safe environment.” Safety is one of the most important things about mining for Frazier. Along with being the secretary of the union, he is on the safety committee.

— Page 6

Looking out for miners

PHOTO COURTESY OF PIERPONT COMMUNITY & TECHNICAL COLLEGE

Students get hands-on experience working on a rig during one of Pierpont Community & Technical College’s oil and gas training programs.

It’s the people behind the scenes of energy and industry that make the area thrive

BY MISTY POE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

In the week leading up to the day the powerful derecho swept through West Virginia last summer, Mon Power lineman Rob Garcia had been working on the company’s first response truck, meaning he’d been on call for customers who ran into problems after regular business hours.

He’d just finished his shift at 3 p.m. When the storm hit around 6 p.m. that Friday, bringing with it devastating winds that reached 80 mph.

— Page 9

Keeping lights on

FAIRMONT — How many people actually know what “fracking” means?

Sure, we all know that natural gas is bringing a lot of workers, business and commerce to our state. We share the roads with large trucks filled with fracking liquids. We know the courthouse’s records room is flooded with researchers investigating deeds and mineral rights. We know about the drilling sites.

We know about the millions the natural gas industry is pumping into West Virginia’s economy.

But that very complicated-to-collect gas from depths we didn’t believe pos-

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signs key mine safety legislation into law last March as a response to the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster. Industry representatives and legislators say that although laws have come a long way, there is a long way to go.

sible through traditional wells is still a mystery to many of us.

But it’s not a mystery to Dave Lovett, who works for Stone Energy Corp. as a completion engineer. For the independent natural gas company, Lovett designs and oversees fracking stimulation jobs.

Fracking is a process used to drill deep below the earth and extract natuFILE PHOTO

Contractor Bob Riffle is helping customers reduce their carbon footprint and make a difference. He owns Premier Construction Services LLC, which is based out of his home office in Fairmont. His business is a full-service general contractor and a sustainable builder.

“We don’t build your average house,” he said.

A native of West Virginia, Riffle graduated from Flemington High School.

— Page 13

Building for better world

United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil Roberts (left) and U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis talk to reporters in August 2009 following a tour and roundtable discussion at Patriot Coal Corp.’s Federal No. 2 mine near Fairview.

ral gas that was previously believed to be uncollectable. It’s a very technical and precise science, but it starts with extensive surveying to figure out exactly where and how to lay out the wells, followed by the application of a massive drill.

First they drill down, then horizontally, out about 5,000 feet, and a steel casing is placed in the well and then holes are created throughout the casing. After that, workers begin pumping water at a very high pressure down into the casing. That’s how the rocks are “fractured.” And once the rocks are broken, the natural gas trapped by the shale is able to escape.

We can boil it down in words to make the very technical process simplified, but it’s just reassuring to know that when we turn on the gas stove to boil water, that blue flame is there for us. And it’s people like Lovett who are making that happen.

SEE ENERGY & INDUSTRY, PAGE 2

PAGE 2

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Buzz Tabone (right), vice president of sales for Zoresco Equipment Co., shows Gov. Earl TWV FILE PHOTO Ray Tomblin some of the features of a compressed natural gas vehicle last summer at the Dr. Doreen Larson (left), president of Pierpont Community & Technical College, and James West Virginia Division of Highways District No. 4 headquarters in Bridgeport. Tomblin Haney, former president of West Virginia Operations for FirstEnergy Corp., sign a partner- signed an executive order in 2012 creating the Natural Gas Vehicle Task Force to look into transitioning the state’s vehicle fleet to run on natural gas. ship agreement in 2012 to develop an electric utility program in Fairmont.

Energy & Industry

But as much press and discussion as the Marcellus shale drilling operations get, natural gas is not the only energy source that we produce in West Virginia. It’s not even the largest of operations. Coal is still king in the Mountain State. But battles are still being fought on that front.

And fighting the good fight are people like Jack Frazier, Federal No. 2 coal miner and recording secretary of the local United Mine Workers of America.

First and foremost, his concerns are safety, being a representative of the union and a member of the safety committee.

“I’m all about safety,” Frazier said. “Being on the safety committee, we try to get the company to follow the safety rules.

Sometimes that’s a bit of an effort, but we do our best.”

But lately, an awful lot of his attention has been focused on

the benefits that miners and retirees have worked for and earned, but seem to be in imminent danger.

When Patriot Coal announced bankruptcy in the summer of 2012, many workers had questions about their jobs. But now, the questions loom about whether the health care provisions miners were promised will remain intact.

“We’re able to represent them at the meetings, then translate that to the workers and help them understand what’s going on,” he explained. “That’s taken up a lot of our time and efforts.

We’re getting that information back to our people and finding out what’s going on there and keeping up on it.”

Within the energy and industry sectors, there’s a movement toward energy conservation.

After all, we only have one Earth, and we’ve got to leave it in good shape for future generations.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

TWV FILE PHOTO

Scott Rotruck (left), vice president of corporate development and state government relations for Chesapeake Energy Corp., gives his thoughts on shale gas development in West Virginia during a field hearing of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center in Fairmont last spring.

In fact, that’s the industry that Bob Riffle specializes in. He builds houses, but not your average house.

He owns Premier Construction Services LLC, and

is a full-service general contractor and a sustainable builder.

About six years ago, Riffle decided he wanted to be part of a movement that would lessen the carbon footprint each person

makes, focusing on green initiatives wile building homes and commercial properties.

“I saw a big swing in a lot of the builder attitudes on what had been done and what should be done,” he said. “So I made it a goal to be part of that movement and try to make a difference.

What it’s all about is doing the right thing for both the client, the planet. We only have one planet to live on, and we’ve abused it over the years. It’s time to give a little bit back.”

It took a lot of training, certification and hard work, but Riffle is making a difference for the environment with each project completed.

“We’re on the forefront of the building community in this state as far as what we’re doing for our customers and trying to make a difference,” he said.

“There’s guys out there that just will build a house that is considered built to code or less, and we build well above the local

building codes. Our clients get so much more for the dollar than what they would with a code-built house.”

There are so many buzz words flying around when it comes to energy and industry — green, substantiality, environmental impact, stewardship. We forget sometimes about the people who make up those sectors.

The people. like Lovett, Frazier and Riffle and others featured in the Times West Virginian’s Annual Report 2013, are the ones who have rolled up their sleeves and are working each day to make these sectors thrive.

And that’s what we’ve tried to bring you in this section and in the days that follow — the people who are behind the scenes working to make sure that North Central West Virginia keeps moving forward.

Email Misty Poe at mpoe@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @MistyPoeTWV.

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Energy Speaks is composed of nearly 2,500 members and 34 supporting partners in industry and business dedicated to being a source of factual information and communication for West Virginia’s present and future energy supply.

We know that by working together we can reinvigorate our local economies and share the benefits of a growing natural gas industry to strengthen the future for our state.

In order to provide the public with facts, clarify false information and offer an in-depth look into the natural gas industry, Energy Speaks has launched several outreach initiatives: • • • •

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For more information about these and other Energy Speaks programs visit our website or email us at info@EnergySpeaksWV.com.

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Safety a key part of Bleigh’s job with Novelis MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013 PAGE 3

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Marion County native has worked up through ranks during 16-year career

BY JOHN VEASEY TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

requirement is you have to have your internal auditors. We have 13 plants in North FAIRMONT — Brian Bleigh America.” really enjoys his job.

Bleigh said Novelis has a He serves as the Human pool of internal auditors.

Resources and Environmental “We work together as a Health and Safety coordinator team,” he said. “You check the at Novelis, which has also been environmental side, the safety known as Fairmont Aluminum side, their quality.” and Alcan over the years.

He said the auditors “go Bleigh has through and been with the check all their “We’ve given company for records and veri(families) tours, just over 16 fy that they are picnics. We’ve years. doing what they done it five or six are supposed to He’s a Fairmont native. be doing.” times since I’ve He graduated “You go out been here. It is from East on their plant Fairmont High nice to be able to floor. ... If they School and bring your kids and say, ‘This is the Fairmont State. your spouse through way we do this Then he earned job,’ you go out his master’s the building and on the plant degree at West say, ‘This is where floor and verify Vi r g i n i a that they are I work.’”

University. actually followHe says ing their own — BRIAN BLEIGH Novelis has 187 procedures — employees. that they have it written cor“My basic job is helping rectly.” employees with medical beneBleigh said when he is in his fits, payroll for non-exempt own plant, “with the job I have employees,” he said. “I also right now, 75 percent of the help the hourly folks. I conduct time I’m in human resources safety audits. I’m an internal and 25 percent of the time I’m auditor.” on the safety side.”

Sometimes Bleigh is called “We go down on the floor upon to visit the company’s and verify their records ... other plants. There are certain check for safety issues and see things he checks out when if they meet Novelis stanthere. He recently visited the dards.”

Novelis plant in Oswego, N.Y., Bleigh said Novelis sponsors a town located off Lake several open houses for Ontario and known for its employees and families. frigid winter days.

“We’ve given them tours, “You have to have certain picnics. We’ve done it five or certification in order to supply six times since I’ve been here,” them,” he said. “Part of that he said. “It is nice to be able to

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Brian Bleigh spends 75 percent of his time in human resources and 25 percent on the safety side at Novelis.

bring your kids and your spouse through the building and say, ‘This is where I work.’”

Safety is also a focus.

“We’re pretty good safetywise. We’ve had some times with lost-time injuries. But if we go a year without a losttime injury, we have a big steak dinner for all the employees.

Usually I’m one of the guys who grabs these steaks off the tray and go out and serve the people.”

He said Novelis employees maintain an access card system

for security.

“The employees have to scan in and scan out of the plant,” he said.

When it comes to safety, “I’ll be figuring out all the man hours worked in the plant and the maintaining of our charts and things related to safety.

Paul Canussi and I work together. He does the man hours and we have to report to corporate certain things I do on my end.”

What’s a normal day like for Bleigh?

“On a normal day, I start

about 5:45 a.m. and work until about 3 in the afternoon. By working these hours I’m available for all three shifts.

“The entire day shift and about an hour with the midnight shift and our afternoon shift — I’m there for about 15 minutes. (Human Resources manager Dana Hulne) is there after I leave and she helps the employees.”

Bleigh has been in his current job for about 14 months.

“I actually started on the plant floor when I began here in 1996. So I have a good

knowledge of the hourly people.

“I do like my job. My day goes by very quickly,” he said.

“There is always something to be done, whether you are updating personnel accounts, working with retirees. We have about 90-some retirees that are still living.

“In a nutshell that’s the basis of the job. You deal with a lot of insurance issues, payroll issues, any other issues that someone may come up with.”

Email John Veasey at jcveasey@timeswv.com.

PAGE 4

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Julie Ford: Call center to environmental coordinator "This is a great place to live. We all live here. Our families all live here. Our children all live here. We have more of a stake here than just being employees.

This is part of our livelihood and our lives."

BY CLIFF NICHOLS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

HAYWOOD - West Virginia power. West Virginia coal. West Virginia people.

Those are themes you'll constantly hear at the FirstEnergy Harrison Power Station.

A proud member of the team numbering in the hundreds is Julie Ford, who serves as Harrison's environmental coordinator. She has worked at the location just over nine years.

It's a challenging position the Morgantown resident enjoys, and she took an interesting path to get there.

"I started with the company in '96 in their call center in Fairmont," she said. "I went from there to their chemistry laboratory in Greensburg (Pa.) and worked there for a little over three years and came here in the fall of 2003."

Initially, Ford went to college to be a petroleum engineer. After dropping out, she went back to West Virginia University to study to be a veterinarian, earning a degree in animal and veterinary science.

Her entry into the company at the call center was a move into "a stable job that had good benefits. Then I just progressed to the job I currently have."

While at WVU, she worked for a nutritional biochemistry professor "and had a lot of laboratory experience. That helped me get in at the chemistry laboratory. I worked there doing analytical stuff for a little over three years. Then the opening came up here, and I came to Harrison as a chemical technician. It really was the same title. It was just a lateral move to come here."

She was eager to move to a power station even as she got her start with the company in Fairmont.

"Actually, on my initial application, I said I wanted to be a chemical technician at a power station," she recalled. "That's the position I started at here."

No day is the same when Ford reports for work, and she enjoys that aspect of her job.

"The daily challenge of everything changing" is what she likes most.

"It's never the same job," she explained. "You come in and deal with different scenarios, different people every day. It's never boring."

She is now overseeing "the implementation of all the corporate initiatives for the environmental part" as she transitions from the chemical technician position she held until last July.

— JULIE FORD

PHOTO BY CLIFF NICHOLS

Julie Ford, environmental coordinator at the Harrison Power Station, makes a stop in the facility's turbine room.

While at Harrison, she has had such responsibilities as running the sewage plant, doing coal sampling analysis and handling hands-on paperwork for the Department of Environmental Protection when it came on site.

The environmental coordinator position requires continuous learning.

"The environmental aspects of the job are always changing," Ford said. "There are always new rulings, new regulations, new limitations. It's a challenge.

We have great support from corporate, and we have a great support team here. There have been many management teams here, and I would say currently the management team that is here at Harrison is the most focused on environmental. They know themselves. It's not like one person has to know everything.

Everyone knows their part and does their piece."

Jim Graf, director of the Harrison Power Station, appreciates Ford's efforts.

"Julie is one of our top employees, mostly because the

environmental role is so important to us at the station, both as people and as a company," he said. "Julie has an unquestionable ethic when it comes to taking care of our environmental compliance and our environmental needs.

"By having her in that job, the rest of us get to work with the confidence that that part of our business is well taken care of. That's very important."

Like Ford, Graf stressed the total commitment of the Harrison team.

"We have a whole plant full of good people," he said. "We have a good team. We had folks here from the West Virginia Public Service Commission the other day, and the way I explained it to them about our environmental and safety commitment is that Julie is responsible for our environmental commitment, but her duty to it is no greater than mine or anybody that we passed in the hall today.

We all have an equal stake in the environmental performance of this station.

"That teamwork is essential,

and she makes a great head to that team."

Harrison is a huge provider of power, with the ability to supply more than 1 million homes.

"Harrison is the second-largest station in West Virginia, and it's the largest FirstEnergy station in West Virginia," Graf explained.

"It has an outstanding track record. It has been on line since 1972. It has basically been an outstanding neighbor in the state of West Virginia. We burn primarily West Virginia coal. We shop local. We do all we can locally.

F -

"This is a great place to live.

We all live here. Our families all live here. Our children all live here. We have more of a stake here than just being employees. This is part of our livelihood and our lives."

Ford, who lives in the country near Morgantown's Cheat Lake with her husband and child, enjoys reading and crocheting when she gets a break from the long hours her job entails. She enjoys traveling and hopes to do more of that in future years.

"You know what I would love to do is have a house on wheels, whatever that might be at the time, and live in every one of the states for a few weeks throughout the year," she said. "I really would like to live on a beach during the winter."

That dream, though, doesn't diminish her love for North Central West Virginia — home for her and her family.

"I like the mountains. I like the green," she said.

That ties her personal and professional lives together.

"I try to do my part being green," she said. "I recycle things like Walmart bags, and part of my crochet involves recycling."

On the job, she's at a site that, according to FirstEnergy, has invested nearly $1 billion in its environmental-control system.

All three units have scrubber modules located between the boilers and chimney that remove 98 percent of the sulphur dioxide emissions. They have been part of the plant since 1995.

It's difficult to predict what challenges lie in the future.

"We will come in every day and do what we have to do to make it work," Graf said.

Ford remains eager to do her part in an industry that "has been a big part of West Virginia life forever."

Email Cliff Nichols at cnichols@timeswv.com.

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Harrison Power Station is located on 110 acres of a 1,400-acre site in Haywood, near Shinnston along the West Fork River.

STA"W PA»»S

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'here People and^fature MIGRATION CELEBRATION* May 11 - Little Beaver State Park WINGS OF WONDER SERIES 2 0 1 3 * May 3 - Tygart Lake -7 p.m.

June 8 - Pipestem - 8 p.m.

June 15 - Beech Fork - 7 p.m.

Check for other times online.

BIRD BANDING AT TYGART LAKE May 3-5 | 304-265-6144 Details and packages—tygartlake.com COME TO BLENNERHASSETT ISLAND May - October!

Visit the museum year-round. blennerhassettislandstatepark.com

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THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF CORNSTALK'S CAMPAIGN* Learn the history of western Virginia Euro-American settlements in the Trans-Allegheny region.

May 4 - Kanawha State Forest June 1 -Tu-Endie-Wei State Park Sept. 7 - Hawks Nest State Park School and tour groups welcome. ^"Programs open to the public without charge.

Find these events and others online.

K ^stVuginiaUniversity.

• • * —

BENJAMIN M. STATLER COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING AND MINERAL RESOURCES

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013 PAGE 5

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

“I think our goal right now is twofold. One is to measure and monitor the creek to protect things right now. In the future, I think we’d like to see some more involvement. We need to get more people educated and get some of the younger generation involved because they’re going to inherit it.”

Cassell keeping eye on creek for future generations — DAVE CASSELL

Volunteers monitor water quality of White Day Creek

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — White Day Creek is locally recognized as a popular trout stream known for its clean and clear waters.

For years, residents of the community have protected their stream from threats such as strip mining to maintain its pristine state.

“There were a lot of efforts by the people in the community to keep it clean,” Dave Cassell, the White Day Creek Watershed Association’s water monitor coordinator, said.

“They’re proud of its heritage and the people that live there don’t want to see anything happen to it.”

Like others in the community, Cassell has a personal investment in the creek.

Cassell grew up in Meadowdale and spent a lot of time in or around the creek participating in activities such as fishing, hiking and swimming.

So when wet gas drilling came to the area, Cassell felt inclined to become involved in making sure the quality of the creek was not at stake.

“I got interested and concerned about how it might affect the environment,” Cassell said.

Cassell, who retired as a quality engineer from Alcan Aluminum (now Novelis), began working closely with West Virginia University’s Glenn Waldron and Paul Ziemkiewicz in 2010 on what is known as the Three Rivers Quality Useful Environmental Study Teams (QUEST) project.

The project uses biweekly water quality sampling and analysis to collect water quality data and information. With the help of volunteers, the project is able to include samplings from several tributaries in the area.

Cassell and the rest of his team provide valuable information related to White Day Creek to Waldron and Ziemkiewicz to add to a comprehensive database.

The Three Rivers QUEST project began in 2008 when a high level of total dissolved

solids was detected in the Monongahela River. The project served as an effort to monitor the presence of total dissolved solids and sulfate in the water, which must be at or under specific levels in order to meet standards under the Safe Drinking Water Act. “It means that those are the standards municipal authorities have to meet before they ship water out to customers, so when those systems have to shut down, that’s a serious inconvenience, to say the least,” Ziemkiewicz said.

According to Ziemkiewicz, there is a lot of conjecture as to what the cause of the increase of total dissolved solids may be, with some people believing it’s always been there, others placing the responsibility on coal mining development and still others who say Marcellus shale development is at the root.

Ziemkiewicz, who is the director of the West Virginia Water Research Institute, a program within the National Research Center for Coal & Energy located at West Virginia University, said that when the program first got up and running in 2009, White Day Creek was not one of the tributaries they were monitoring as part of the project.

“We picked out the main tributaries where we thought we would find lots of dissolved solids either from coal mining operations or anything else,” Ziemkiewicz said. “White Day was one that we ignored just because there was not a lot going on out there.”

That all changed in 2010 when it came to Ziemkiewicz’s attention that Marcellus shale would be installing wells in the area.

“I thought to myself, ‘This is an opportunity to put in a reference site to see what happens before, during and after the installation of a bunch of Marcellus wells,’” Ziemkiewicz said.

So with the help of Waldron, the Three Rivers QUEST project coordinator, Cassell and his crew became familiar with the instrumentation and measure-

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Collecting water samples from White Day Creek to gather data on conductivity, pH and water temperatures is a weekly task for the White Day Creek Watershed Associationʼs water monitor coordinator, Dave Cassell.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Dave Cassell, White Day Creek Watershed Associationʼs water monitor coordinator, works as a volunteer for the West Virginia Water Research Instituteʼs Three Rivers QUEST project, which collects water quality data and information for the Monongahela, Allegheny and upper Ohio rivers.

ments that were necessary to building the project’s database, and White Day Creek was put on the map.

The project now has 3 1/2 years worth of data.

So far, Cassell said there has been little concern over the activity that is going on at White Day Creek in particular.

When drilling first began, there was a spill, Cassell said, but no serious damage resulted.

“They put a lot of effort in place to contain it and spent a lot of time and money cleaning it up,” Cassell said. “We started doing multiple samples and it turned out it didn’t hurt anything.”

Still, Cassell’s motto may very well be “better safe than sorry,” as he claims proactive measures are the surest way to keep things under control before it’s too late.

“Prevention. That’s what it’s all about,” Cassell said. “You want to make a correction before there’s a huge problem.”

Melissa O’Neal, program manager for the Three Rivers QUEST project, said Cassell is active in the role he plays within the program.

“Dave has been one of our most active watershed persons in terms of getting in touch with us and really wanting to know that he’s following a solid stan-

dard operating procedure,” O’Neal said.

The care that Cassell and members of the community have put into White Day Creek is what has allowed it to be in such good condition.

“People look at our sample numbers and say, ‘Wow, if we had something like that, we would never be worried,’” Cassell said.

Cassell said he plans to be involved with the monitoring of White Day Creek and the Three Rivers QUEST project for as long as he can, but that getting others involved is a priority as well.

“I think our goal right now is

twofold,” Cassell said. “One is to measure and monitor the creek to protect things right now. In the future, I think we’d like to see some more involvement.”

According to Cassell, engaging younger members of the community in the monitoring of the creek is essential to its health in the future.

“We need to get more people educated and get some of the younger generation involved because they’re going to inherit it,” Cassell said.

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter@KChristopherTWV.

Frazier looks out for the best interests of miners PAGE 6

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013

UMW worker’s time devoted to Patriot bankruptcy

BY EMILY GALLAGHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Being a United Mine Workers of America (UMW) representative is a position with a lot of tradition.

For Jack Frazier, Federal No. 2 coal miner and recording secretary of the UMW, being part of the union is an honor.

“It’s a big, strong tradition,” he said. “Our goal is to keep the UMW going and we want to keep the workers in a safe environment.”

Safety is one of the most important things about mining for Frazier. Along with being the secretary of the union, he is on the safety committee.

“I’m all about safety,” he said. “Being on the safety committee, we try to get the company to follow the safety rules.

Sometimes that’s a bit of an effort, but we do our best.”

Being on the committee, Frazier gets to travel through parts of mines that not a lot of people get to see.

“It gives me the opportunity to see a bigger part of the mine,” he said.

Frazier said as long as the UMW has been around, mine safety has improved and will continue to improve.

“The mines that the UMWA work in are generally the safest and most productive mines in the U.S.,” he said. “We have good leadership. We have good people working for us and they’re always looking out for the workers’ health and safety.”

Frazier, a Fairmont resident, went to work in the coal mine 17 years ago after he graduated from Fairmont State with a

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Jack Frazier works as a coal miner at the Federal No. 2 mine. He is also a representative for the United Mine Workers of America.

“I’m all about safety. Being on the safety committee, we try to get the company to follow the safety rules.

Sometimes that’s a bit of an effort, but we do our best.”

— JACK FRAZIER

degree in engineering technology.

After working with Patriot Coal Co. for several years, Frazier decided to get into the union side of the field.

One of his main jobs of being a union representative is communicating between the workers and those who run the company.

“We negotiate decent wages for the workers,” Frazier said.

When Patriot Coal announced bankruptcy in the summer of 2012, many workers had questions about their jobs. That’s where Frazier and

the UMW come in to help.

“We’re able to represent them at the meetings, then translate that to the workers and help them understand what’s going on,” he explained.

Frazier has done all he can as a union representative to help workers during the bankruptcy.

He and other union representatives traveled to St. Louis, Mo., to get involved in rallies and fighting to save coal miners’ jobs.

The bankruptcy announcement has the UMW busy with hearings and Frazier is doing the best he can to communicate what’s going on back to the workers.

In January, 10 UMW members were arrested during a protest in St. Louis.

“That’s taken up a lot of our time and efforts,” he said.

“We’re getting that information back to our people and finding out what’s going on there and keeping up on it.”

Ultimately, Frazier wants to continue to represent his fellow workers and fight for their safety.

“We want them to get home at night to their families,” he said. “Later in life they’ve got to have good retirement and health benefits to take them through their retirement years.”

He said the UMW gives workers a peace of mind about their job, and he’s proud to be part of the coal industry.

Frazier said being a union representative does have its benefits, including helping to get decent health and retirement benefits for workers.

“We also have seniority rights for job-bidding purposes,” he said.

Another benefit is getting a lot of time off, but during that time Frazier is usually involved in a meeting or some other arrangement with the UMW. “We have a meeting with the company on a regular basis,” he said.

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Jack Frazier (center) stands with other coal miners John Palmer (right) and Scott Lepaa.

Frazier is on several committees in the UMW but is mostly interested in the safety side of the industry.

Frazier is on a third committee, the organizing committee.

That committee helps organize anything between the union and the workers.

“We also stay in touch with the international people,” he said.

Frazier plans to work with the company and the UMW

until he retires and hopes that everything will work out with Patriot Coal.

“Things right now aren’t looking good for any Patriot or Peabody employee,” he said.

“It isn’t looking real good for some coal miners in the area.”

With the bankruptcy, Frazier hopes to fight for workers’

health and retirement benefits.

“Patriot is trying to do away with health benefits for the retirees,” he said. “We’re not even sure they’re going to be there as far in the future.”

Email Emily Gallagher at egallagher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @EGallagherTWV.

Industry gave Lovett a chance to come home

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013 PAGE 7

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Engineer enjoys the challenges of work on the gas drill sites

BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

JACKSONBURG — The natural gas industry has been at the center of a lot of controversy in West Virginia and throughout the region for a long time.

For some, natural gas extraction represents a new lease for the energy industry and a catalyzing agent for business and economic growth in the state.

Others see “fracking” as an environmental and health hazard, a potential pollutant in water and explosive agent.

For Dave Lovett, it was a chance to come home.

Lovett works for Stone Energy Corp. as a completion engineer, meaning he designs and oversees fracking stimulation jobs. The field has changed a little bit since he started, but at its core he’s still doing the same work.

“I’ve been in the business since 1995,” he said, and he’s worked all over the United States. “The development of these unconventional plays has kinda changed things a bit — the scope and scale is a little bigger — but it’s still the same basic principles.”

Lovett attended Pennsylvania State University and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering.

“I knew I wanted to be an engineer, so it really came down to which discipline,” he said.

“And really what attracted me to petroleum was it was a smaller (major).”

PHOTO BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Dave Lovett, a completion engineer for Stone Energy Corp., monitors equipment from a safe distance during a fracking job in Jacksonburg. Safety is one of Stone Energyʼs top concerns, he said.

The more people in your field, the more people you had to compete with to find jobs once you graduated, he figured, and the smaller, more intimate class sizes and specialized focus were big bonuses as well.

“It was interesting to me because it’s something I didn’t really know a lot about, honestly.”

As a completion engineer, Lovett is intimately involved with the fracking process.

Fracking is short for hydraulic fracturing, which is a process used to drill deep below the earth and extract natural gas that was previously believed to be uncollectable.

The science gets a little technical, but basically what Stone does at an extraction site starts extensive surveying to figure out exactly where and how to lay out the wells, followed by the application of a mighty big drill.

First they drill down, then horizontally, out about 5,000 PHOTO BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS feet, said Rick Toothman, Dave Lovett works on-site at a Stone Energy drilling site in Appalachia vice president. They Jacksonburg. Modern telemetry allows him to access most place a steel casing in the well fracking data from his office in Morgantown, but he comes out and then, “to connect it to the to the field regularly to keep tabs on how the process is going. rock, you have to have holes in

“It’s one of these jobs where you kind of have to take the bull by the horns and go. Sometimes things look impossible, but you manage to get your way through them, and for me, I thrive on that.”

— DAVE LOVETT

that casing,” Toothman said. “So the first stage is basically, in simple terms, lowering a rifle down in and shooting holes through steel casing.”

That’s where the fracking part comes in. Workers begin pumping water at a very high pressure down into the casing.

“When that pressure, which is in the range of 8,000-9,000 pounds exceeds the pressure of the rock, it fractures the rock.”

They continue to pump water and a proppant, typically sand, down in to keep the cracks in the rock open, allowing the natural gas trapped by the shale to escape.

It’s very precise work, and Lovett said they try to be as environmentally conscious as possible while they do it. For instance, he pointed out, the machinery on the “pads” Stone is working are surrounded by

what look like shiny silver kiddy pools.

“If you go into the Walmart parking lot, you’re always going to see the drips where everybody parks their cars,” he said. “We’d rather catch it.”

It’s not an environmental requirement, but it is key to leaving the site basically the way they found it. They also use what they call “flowback” to get as much of the fracking water out of the well as possible and recycle it for later use.

One of the complaints many people had about the natural gas industry moving into West Virginia was the heavy traffic from trucks from Texas, Oklahoma and other out-ofstate places.

“The biggest problem we faced up front was a lack of the qualified personnel,” Lovett said.

“It’s not that they didn’t want to hire. It’s just that people didn’t have the skillsets ... initially.”

Oil and gas people are used to traveling. He said one of his favorite parts of his job, especially as a younger man, was moving from place to place and site to site.

“I’ve been able to travel around the country,” he said.

“That’s been one of the better things.”

Now, though, “the kids are a little older,” Lovett said. “We want to stay in one spot, settle down a little bit.”

The Marcellus shale boom gave them the opportunity to return to Appalachia once again.

The other, more important reason for staying with the industry is the job satisfaction.

“It’s one of these jobs where you kind of have to take the bull by the horns and go,” he said.

“Sometimes things look impossible, but you manage to get your way through them, and for me, I thrive on that.”

Email Jonathan Williams at jwilliams@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @JWilliamsTWV.

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TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Energy & Industry

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013 PAGE 9

Faces of

Rodosta’s on mission for clean, affordable energy

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Traci Rodosta, carbon storage technology manager at the National Energy Technology One of Traci Rodostaʼs passions is cyclo-cross racing. The first time she tried it, “I crashed Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown, said the end goal of the carbon capturing and storage hard. But I laughed about it and got back on. I knew I was going to be a lifer.” program is lower electricity costs for consumers and a cleaner environment.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

NETL scientist works in carbon capture and storage development

BY DEBRA MINOR WILSON TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — If you’ve traveled east on Interstate 68, you’ve probably marveled at the beauty of the cut at Sideling Hill Curve in Maryland.

So has Traci Rodosta, carbon storage technology manager at the National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) in Morgantown.

“It’s one of my favorites,” she said. “It’s gorgeous. Being in the Department of Energy, I drive back and forth to D.C. a lot.

That is one of my favorite things. I never get tired of seeing it. It reminds me of Arkansas and the outcrops. You wonder, ‘How did they do that? What can possibly cause that? I need to know that.’”

But while she admires its splendor, she also appreciates the scientific aspect of its geological structure.

NETL is owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Energy and is part of that

agency’s national laboratory system. NETL supports DOE’s mission to advance the national, economic and energy security of the United States.

NETL implements a broad spectrum of energy and environmental research and development (R&D) programs that will return benefits for generations to come.

It enables domestic coal, natural gas and oil to economically power the nation’s homes, industries, businesses and transportation while protecting the environment and enhancing the nation’s energy independence.

NETL has expertise in coal, natural gas and oil technologies, contract and project management, analysis of energy systems and international energy issues.

In addition to research conducted onsite, NETL’s project portfolio includes Research and Development conducted through partnerships, cooperative research and development agreements, financial assistance, and contractual arrangements with universities and the private sector.

Worldwide anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions have increased significantly in the past two centuries to more than 33 billion tons today. NETL is developing technologies to cap-

“This was my cup of tea. I love my job. To me, it’s really exciting. I’m looking at the new technologies and innovations, things necessary to solve our current and future energy issues.”

ture, purify and store carbon dioxide in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions without negatively affecting energy use or hampering economic growth of the world. NETL’s carbon sequestration research and development objectives are lowering the cost and energy penalty associated with carbon dioxide capture from large point sources and improving the understanding of factors affecting carbon dioxide storage permanence, capacity and safety in geologic formations and terrestrial ecosystems.

Rodosta is the former director of the Sequestration Division, and Regional Carbon Sequestration Partnership (RCSP) coordinator. Prior to NETL, she worked for Texaco and Chevron Oil companies as both a development and exploration geoscientist on domestic and international assets.

— TRACI RODOSTA

She is currently a professional geoscientist and received a B.S. degree from Louisiana State University in geology and geophysics, and an M.S. from the University of New Orleans in geology with a focus in structural geology.

Carbon capture and storage, also known as CCS or carbon sequestration, describes a family of technologies designed to tackle global warming by capturing CO2 — at power stations, industrial sites or even directly from the air — and permanently storing it underground.

The aim is to prevent the release of large quantities of CO2 into the atmosphere (from fossil fuel use in power generation and other industries). It is a potential means of mitigating the contribution of fossil fuel emissions to global warming and ocean acidification. Although CO2 has been injected into geo-

logical formations for several decades for various purposes, including enhanced oil recovery, the long-term storage of CO2 is a relatively new concept.

“The goal is to keep coal in the mix and portfolios in energy alternatives,” she said.

“We try to take emissions out of the air so you have reduction of greenhouse gases and lower costs of electricity.

“The big picture is to keep the energy portfolios open,” she said.

“In depleted oil and gas fields, CO2 is used to enhance oil recovery options,” she said. “It is injected into the oil fields.

“The end game is a lower cost of electricity for the average consumer,” she said.

“We focus on monitoring and verification of CO2 to make certain we have permanent storage.

It’s not just injecting CO2 into the ground and forgetting about it. It’s advanced monitoring.”

Born in Little Rock, she’s moved “all over the country,” she said. She grew up in Florida, attended New Orleans to Denver to Houston and now to Morgantown.

She heard about the DOE job in Morgantown and was intrigued.

“I thought it would be interesting to migrate into,” she said.

So she did the only logical thing to do when facing such a big decision.

She did some research.

She researched the DOE and NETL. She liked what she read.

Then she researched Morgantown. She really liked what she read.

“It is very similar to Little Rock,” she said. “It is a nice fit.

“I always liked math and science. Growing up in Arkansas, I had a lot of opportunities to see outcrops on the road cuts. I was always interested in looking at them.”

She thought about going into premed, but her mother wisely had her volunteer in the local hospital. That summer she volunteered as a phlebotomist on the oncology floor.

“One of the patients I took blood from passed away. That was the point I decided I should go into some other science. I couldn’t emotionally handle that.”

She took a geology class “and fell in love with it,” she said.

“It reminded me of looking at those outcroppings. That drew me to it.”

Her master’s in structural geology focused on fault movement, “how the processes

Garcia helps keep the lights on at home and beyond Mon Power lineman enjoys the outdoors and physical aspects of his job

BY NICOLE FIELDS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

WHITE HALL — In the week leading up to the day the powerful derecho swept through West Virginia last summer, Mon Power lineman Rob Garcia had been working on the company’s first response truck, meaning he’d been on call for customers who ran into problems after regular business hours.

He’d just finished his shift at 3 p.m. When the storm hit around 6 p.m. that Friday, bringing with it devastating winds that reached 80 mph and sent tree limbs and power lines crashing to the ground, Garcia was dispatched to report to work at 6 a.m. the following day.

He worked 16-hour shifts for the following 18 days — a total of 24 days in a row when added to the on-call week he’d finished right before the storm hit — to help restore power to the more than 13,000 customers in Marion County whose electricity had been cut by the storm.

That’s just part of the job, Garcia said.

And it’s a job he loves.

Garcia, who also serves as a Fairmont city councilman and in October will mark his 24th year

PHOTO BY NICOLE FIELDS

Rob Garcia, who works as a lineman for Mon Power, stands next to his truck at the companyʼs White Hall Service Center.

Garcia has worked for the company for nearly 24 years.

“When you can restore electric to a customer (whose power has) been off for several days, you’re like their hero. Really, you’re just doing your job. But to them, you’re a hero for that day.”

— ROB GARCIA

with Mon Power, said his job as a lineman is basically to get the lights turned back on as safely and quickly as possible when there’s a power outage.

Extreme weather conditions like last June’s derecho can’t slow that down, and the derecho wasn’t the first time Garcia had worked in extreme weather.

He was part of a team of workers who went to Watertown,

N.Y., in 1998 following a devastating ice storm in that area. He recalled working in temperatures that fell to 27 degrees below zero with the wind chill, in addition to 5 inches of ice that had fallen before being covered by rain and eventually a blanket of nearly a foot of snow.

He said traveling to other hard-hit areas is part of a mutual assistance agreement set up

PHOTO BY NICOLE FIELDS

Mon Power lineman Rob Garcia demonstrates work on a low-side riser at the companyʼs service center in White Hall.

among utility companies across the nation, and one West Virginia benefited from after the derecho.

Numerous crews from other areas came to the Mountain State to help restore customers’ power as quickly as possible after the initial storm destroyed dozens of transmission lines in North Central West Virginia and subsequent storms caused outages for people who didn’t lose power the

first time or who had gotten back on the grid.

Customers who had to wait the longest to get their power restored were especially grateful when Garcia and his fellow linemen showed up.

“When you can restore electric to a customer (whose power has) been off for several days, you’re like their hero,” Garcia said. “Really, you’re just doing

SEE RODOSTA, PAGE 14

your job. But to them, you’re a hero for that day.”

And while most people tend to link utility linemen only with periods of severe storms and power outages, Garcia said his job includes more than that.

Sure, he responds to customers’ service calls, hooks up and disconnects electric, and installs and maintains street lights.

But linemen are also among the first responders to incidents that involve their utilities. That means when there’s a vehicle accident that involves a utility pole, employees like Garcia have to make sure any downed wires aren’t energized. They also respond to scenes of structure fires to make sure the facilities are safe and utilities have been de-energized before firefighters enter the buildings.

With such a range of responsibilities, Garcia said safety is a top priority.

Training is essential for Mon Power linemen, and workers attend safety meetings in addition to job briefings with crew members each morning to ensure they’re being mindful of proper procedures and techniques. They discuss potential hazards — anything from ice on the road to a dog in a customer’s yard — and they practice driving and vehicle safety.

Safety is also reflected in the SEE GARCIA, PAGE 14

New miner overcomes fears after Red Hat training PAGE 10

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Kerri Thorne finds guidance, advice from female co-worker

“Since I became a coal miner I know of four different women in my community that went and took the Red Hat class. They were like, ‘If Kerri can do it, so can we.’”

— KERRI THORNE

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — As she stepped onto the elevator that was about to take her 1,200 feet underground, Kerri Thorne was overcome with a sense of fear.

“I was a nervous wreck — scared to death,” Thorne said.

“When I was going down that elevator I was just about sick.”

Luckily, Thorne had received training from Richard Moats, the instructor of the Red Hat program at Pierpont Community & Technical College, and she was more than prepared for what was about to come. Within about a week, Thorne felt comfortable in her new position at Consol’s Loveridge mine, in part thanks to a fellow female who was a guiding light for her.

“I was fortunate to have another female there to walk me through,” Thorne said.

In an industry where female employees aren’t common, Cindy Pratt was able to give Thorne practical advice while she adjusted to the demands of being a coal miner.

“She (Cindy) started mining when she was 19,” Thorne said.

“She just basically told me just focus on the job, not everything around you and keep your head clear.”

Thorne was able to do just that.

According to Thorne, the instruction Moats provided was also essential in her preparation for the job.

“He made it really easy for us to learn about mining,” Thorne said. “Then once I got in the mines it was like that ‘aha’ moment, so that’s what he was talking about.”

Thorne, 35, had previously

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Upon completing the Red Hat program at Pierpont Community & Technical College, Kerri Thorne (right) adjusted to employment at Consol’s Loveridge mine with the help of her mentor, Cindy Pratt.

worked in home health care, but four years ago her husband, who has severe vascular artery disease, became ill and was unable to work.

“I took the chance because my husband was sick and I needed to provide for him and my kids,” Thorne, a mother of two, said. And she hasn’t looked back. Thorne said her co-work-

ers have become family and that she is “just one of the guys.”

When her husband’s sickness was at its worst, her co-workers were there providing support.

“They would do anything in the world for you,” Thorne said.

“I can’t tell you how many people wanted to help me out. There were these big, burly guys giving me hugs telling me it’s going

Arnold enjoys engineer work away from a desk Chesapeake employee says gas industry has a place for everyone

BY EMILY GALLAGHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Petroleum engineering took Zack Arnold across the country but eventually brought him home to the East Coast.

Arnold now works for Chesapeake Energy as an operations manager. He oversees completion and production activity in northern West Virginia and southwest Pennsylvania.

“I enjoy the details surrounding my job,” he said. “When you work in the industry, you understand what intricate details and planning it takes to complete these projects.”

He likes knowing the process of using natural gas to heat homes, cook food or generate electricity.

“A lot goes into getting it out of the ground and to the end user,” he said.

Working at Chesapeake, Arnold likes that he has the ability to help grow the company that helps supply a domestic, cleanburning energy source. He also likes that the people he works with are local and have diverse backgrounds.

“We have increased in head count by nearly 400 percent in the last few years,” Arnold said.

Arnold said the company contributes to the community in several ways.

“The contributions that Chesapeake makes to communities range from job creation to philanthropy to royalties and severance taxes,” he said.

Arnold is most proud that his job helps provide other jobs in the area. He lives in Bridgeport now after being born in Parkersburg and growing up in Marietta, Ohio.

He attended Marietta College and got a degree in petroleum engineering. Arnold was drawn to the energy industry because of its combination of applied engineering and practical reasoning.

“This industry has something

“This industry has something for everyone, from the most tech-savvy mathematician to folks skilled at rebuilding diesel engines, and everyone in between.”

for everyone, from the most tech-savvy mathematician to folks skilled at rebuilding diesel engines, and everyone in between,” he said.

Getting into the energy field was a decision Arnold made when he was going to college.

His cousin was in the same field — petroleum engineering — and told Arnold about the benefits as well as the drawbacks.

Arnold liked that the field allowed him to do engineering work without being stuck behind a desk, but disliked that he would have to move away from his home.

“When I graduated, I moved to Bakersfield, Calif., to work for Chevron,” Arnold said.

Arnold and his wife Krista were happy living in California, but after having their first child, Christian, who is now 7, they decided they wanted to be closer to home.

“Thanks to the developments that were under way here at the time, I was able to find a position quickly,” Arnold said.

Chesapeake has given Arnold an opportunity to move home, and he’s been with the company for the past seven years. Over the years, Arnold has been impressed with the company’s passion for its employees and their communities.

When Arnold isn’t working for Chesapeake he enjoys spending time with his family. He and Krista have been married for eight years and have three children, Christian, 3-year-old Caroline and 1-year-old Juliana.

“We have been blessed with a wonderful family,” Arnold said.

Arnold said his son Christian was excited to hear his father was an engineer.

“That excitement faded a bit when he realized that I didn’t

— ZACK ARNOLD

drive a train,” he said. “He now enjoys telling his friends that I dig holes in the ground so they can stay warm.”

Arnold is active with his family and helps coach his son’s basketball team and soccer team.

“When I’m not spending time with them, I like to run and play golf,” he said.

Arnold and his wife also run a nonprofit organization called The Elle Foundation. The foundation funds research and treatment for children with congenital heart defects.

According to the foundation’s website, www.theellefoundation.org, the two started the foundation after their daughter, Elisabeth “Elle” Kate Arnold, was born with a rare and serious congenital heart defect (CHD) known as hypoplastic left heart (HLH). Elle passed away unexpectedly on Oct. 3, 2008, five weeks after she was born.

The foundation’s mission is to create hope for children with CHD, with funds going to research, supporting improved treatment and promoting awareness of CHD. Looking into the future of Arnold’s work, he finds it exciting as technology continues to improve.

“We have only begun to tap the world-class resource below our feet,” he said. “We will be able to drill more economic wells and tap areas that were out of reach before.”

Arnold is motivated to move forward in the industry.

“There is absolutely no reason America cannot be energy independent within a few years if we set our mind to it,” he said.

Email Emily Gallagher at egallagher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @EGallagherTWV.

to be OK.” Thorne said that working six days a week for 10 hours a day can sometimes take a toll on her, but all in all, it’s a sacrifice worth making.

“It’s the best job I’ve ever had,” Thorne said.

Thorne’s children have embraced their mother’s job as well.

“At first my daughter didn’t like it,” Thorne said. “But once she started telling her friends, ‘My mom’s a coal miner,’ she just thinks it’s the coolest thing now because she knows not very many women do it, so she’s very proud of me.”

In fact, Thorne’s daughter even made a recommendation that she switch vehicles so that she could more aptly fit her role.

“My daughter always says, ‘You’re a coal miner now, Mommy. You need a truck,’” Thorne said.

Thorne admits that danger is a concern that comes along with her job, but Moats emphasized the importance of safety during his 80-hour program.

“Richard takes so much pride in the fact that he is providing training to keep people safe and give them hope for the future,” Bo Sellers, director of Workforce Solutions Continuing Education, said.

Accidents do happen, though, and during Thorne’s first week on the job, an accident resulted in the loss of an employee.

“That was scary coming into the mines the first week,” Thorne said. “I hadn’t even been underground yet and I think Richard looked at me and said, ‘Are you going to be OK? Are you going to turn around and run?’” She didn’t. Instead, Thorne’s role in the mine focused on preventing similar accidents from occurring in the future.

“Consol came up with a plan to put bolts in the rib, so that’s what I do now,” Thorne said.

“We do that so that they don’t blow out and hurt somebody else.” Moats couldn’t be prouder.

“That’s a good job,” Moats

said. “I’m very proud of her and all of my students.”

Sellers said he is grateful to have Thorne representing the college.

“Kerri really is an ambassador for coal mining and for Pierpont,” he said. “We don’t think about why when we flip that switch the light comes on, but it’s because of these people.”

Both Thorne and Moats agreed that people find lasting friendships among coal miners, and that the camaraderie within a coal-mining team is second to none.

According to Thorne, who is known for frequently wearing pink (including her mining hat), it’s common for coal miners to give each other nicknames that are used on a regular basis.

“At first they started off calling me Pinky because Richard did,” Thorne said. “But to the guys I work with daily, I’m Blondie to them.”

Since Thorne completed her classes and found work in the industry, she has served as an inspiration to other women who are considering finding their place in the coal mines.

“Since I became a coal miner I know of four different women in my community that went and took the Red Hat class,” Thorne said. “They were like, ‘If Kerri can do it, so can we.’” As for Thorne, she believes she has found her lifelong career.

“I’d like to retire from there,” she said.

(Editor’s note: This story originally appeared in the Dec. 6 edition of the Times West Virginian.)

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

Elser helps cities kickstart redevelopment MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013 PAGE 11

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Work to rebuild communities from old industrial sites is gratifying

BY JESSICA BORDERS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Luke Elser said it’s very gratifying to help towns realize their dreams and to work with communities that rise to the challenges before them.

Elser has been working as project manager for the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center for three years. The center, located on the Evansdale Campus of West Virginia University, is a program of the West Virginia Water Research Institute, which is housed within the National Research Center for Coal & Energy.

The Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center generally works with communities, local governments, business and property owners, or anyone interested in redeveloping a brownfield property, he said. A brownfield property is any piece of land that could be put to beneficial use but has environmental concerns, such as a gas station, factory or other post-industrial property.

Elser runs the center’s FOCUS West Virginia grant program, which provides minigrants of $5,000 and $12,000 to nonprofits, community groups and local governments to basically kickstart new brownfields projects. He works with organizations that need help finding out what steps to take to give an abandoned, underutilized site a new purpose.

Elser said he provides technical and project assistance and answers environmental questions. He travels pretty frequently for his job.

The Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center has been working with the City

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Luke Elser (far right), project manager for the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center, presents a $5,000 stage 1 FOCUS West Virginia grant to the City of Fairmont SUBMITTED PHOTO and the Fairmont Community Development Partnership in John Brown (left), executive director of the Brooke-Hancock Regional Planning and January 2011. Also pictured are (from left) Fairmont City Development Council, and Luke Elser, project manager for the Northern West Virginia Planner Kathy Wyrosdick; Bob Gribben, executive director Brownfields Assistance Center, give a short project pitch of the Brooke Glass revitalization of the FCDP and member of the cityĘźs urban renewal authoriproject at the 2012 West Virginia State Brownfields Conference. ty; former Mayor Bill Burdick; and City Manager Jay Rogers.

of Fairmont on revitalizing the former Masonic Temple building, and funded the project over the course of two years, Elser said.

A $5,000 stage 1 FOCUS West Virginia grant, which the city’s urban renewal authority (URA) shared with the Fairmont Community Development Partnership (FCDP), was used for the investigation of hazardous materials, such as asbestos and lead-based paint, at the Masonic Temple. Then the URA received a $12,000 stage 2 grant geared toward redevelopment efforts and community engagement, including an architecture competition, said Fairmont City Planner Kathy Wyrosdick.

The design competition, hosted by the URA and Fairmont State University, focused on the redevelopment of the Masonic Temple and the area surrounding it. Nine students in a senior-level architecture class at FSU competed for a $1,000 first-place award, a $500 second-place award and a $250 community choice award.

related to sustainable communi“What I really like is working with people who are extremely excited about what they’re doing.� ty and workforce development.

Elser is a trainer for the institute’s Sustainability 101 work— LUKE ELSER shop, which is provided free of The stage 2 grant also helped decision enhancer tool, a pro- charge across the state. He has cover the cost of floor area maps gram that can help an organiza- been involved in several recent of the Masonic, which were cre- tion make redevelopment deci- trainings in Fairmont and North ated by the Mills Group. The sions based on the information it Central West Virginia. remaining funding will be used provides, for the Masonic, she This workshop gets particifor some other redevelopment said. pants to think about how susoptions, Wyrosdick said.

The center’s funding of the tainability impacts them, the “They have provided some FCDP allowed the organization operations of their place of busitechnical assistance as we’re to create revitalization plans for ness, and their town and what going through the building,� she the YMCA facility, also known they can do to create immediate said of the help that the Northern as the Moose building, and hire change. Elser reviews everyWest Virginia Brownfields an environmental firm to do thing from energy efficiency to Assistance Center has provided. some environmental testing, larger community concepts. “It’s certainly a nice partnership Elser said. It’s important to figElser graduated from the State that we have with them. They’re ure out the answers to any envi- University of New York at easy to work with because ronmental questions in order to Geneseo with degrees in psythey’re locally funded.� attract an investor to a property, chology and philosophy. After Wyrosdick said the center has and also to create a vision for finishing college, he decided he served as a great resource for reuse. wanted to go somewhere he didquestions like how to dispose of On his own time, Elser has n’t know much about, which cans of household paint, and has worked with the Bridgemont was West Virginia, and do someput the city in touch with experts Sustainability Institute at thing he didn’t know much in the field. In addition, the cen- Bridgemont Community & about, which was community ter is good about letting Technical College for the past volunteering.

Fairmont know of any available two years. The institute provides He came to West Virginia opportunities for funding. sustainability awareness training about five years ago to be an The city also used the center’s as well as funding for projects AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer in

Beckley working on watersheds, water conservation and clean water. Elser spent two years volunteering. He grew to love West Virginia and has stayed in the state ever since, living in Fayetteville, Charleston and now Westover.

Elser said the opportunity with the Northern West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Center was a natural fit for him, as he had collaborated with different individuals in the state on community and environmental issues. “What I really like is working with people who are extremely excited about what they’re doing,� he said.

When a community looks at an old abandoned factory, for example, people may disagree about the exact future of the site but everybody wants something better to happen there, Elser said. “It’s that type of work that’s fantastic,� he said.

Email Jessica Borders at jborders@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @JBordersTWV.

STTAND AND A OUT FROM FROM TH THE HEE CR ROWD OWD CONSIDER R GRADUATE GRADUA ATTE STUDIES AT FFAIRMONT AIRM AIRMONT ONT ST STATE TATTE AT Our O ur affordable, affordable, dable, convenient, high quality academic pr programs ogram ms ar are e accessible to o working adults.

Fact Sheet for American Bituminous Power Partners, L.P. Grant Town Power Plant •!Consumes approximately 600,000 tons per year of waste coal converting it to clean electrical energy using Circulating Fluidized Bed technology for waste coal combustion • Replaces waste coal removed from active and inactive mine sites with an environmentally beneficial by-product that is alkaline in nature and provides an excellent treatment option for acid mine drainage issues

s -ASTER OF %DUCATION % - %D s -ASTER OF !RTS IN 4 4EACHING EACHING - ! 4 E - ! 4

s -ASTER OF 3CIENCE #RIMINAL *USTICE s -ASTE -ASTER ER OF "USINESS !DM !DMINISTRATION INISTRATION -"! /UR HA HANDS ON NDS ON APPROACH PREPARES PREPARES GRADUATE STUDENTS STUDENTTS FOR THEIR NEXT CAREER CARREER OR CHALLENGE

• Located in northern Marion County, generates 80 MW of electrical energy • Circulating Fluidized Bed Boiler (CFB) design inherently capable of low emissions while burning a wide range of fuels with varying qualities • CFB technology provides low SO2 and NOx emissions, baghouse collection systems captures 99.5% of particulates generated • Operates under a myriad of permits issued by various departments of the West Virginia Division of Environmental Protection • Office of Air Quality Title V Permit • Six Office on Mining & Reclamation Surface Mine Permits or Reclamation Contracts covering 4 sites • Five Office of Water Resources National Pollution Discharge Elimination System permits regulating water discharges for 4 mining sites and 1 industrial site • Operates as a Qualifying Facility for Independent Power Production under the PURPA regulations.

CONTACT Dr. Jack Kirby at jack.kirby@fairmontstate.edu or (304) 367-4101 www.fairmontstate.edu/twvreport

Lifelong love of outdoors a career path for Wildman PAGE 12

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013

As forester, he’s battled blazes and moved up through administration

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

“I love the mountains. I really enjoy it here. So I stayed.”

— JUERGEN A. WILDMAN

BY MARY WADE BURNSIDE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — An interest in the outdoors and not his name was the primary reason Juergen A. Wildman ended up working for the West Virginia Division of Forestry.

“A lot of people have said that,” he said of his last name, which he only knows started way back in England with his father’s family.

Of course, at least in these parts, his first name also is unique. Born in Munich, Germany, to an American father and a German mother who dubbed him Juergen (the “J” is pronounced like a “Y”), Wildman was raised on Long Island and eventually landed at West Virginia University.

“Yes, Mom won,” he said of his German name.

During his childhood growing up in a beach community, he also visited his outdoorsman grandfather in Germany.

“I spent a lot of time with him,” Wildman said. “That’s where I learned to enjoy the woods.”

When he first enrolled in college, Wildman majored in biology and geography at the State University of New York at Oswego. But he soon realized he wanted to be outside, not looking at cells under a microscope.

“So I gravitated more toward botany and things like that,” he said. “Eventually, I went into forestry.”

He landed in Morgantown to get a master’s degree at the West Virginia University School of Forestry. And for the most part, he has been in the area ever since.

“I loved it,” he said. “I love the mountains. I really enjoy it here.

So I stayed.”

His master’s degree took about four years to complete. He did not have an assistantship until his second year because he had to take some undergraduate forestry classes to catch up.

During his second and third years, he performed research for a professor in which he attempted to get an Aspen tree to grow on a strip mine using direct seeding methods.

“It didn’t work, but it was a project I spent two years doing,” Wildman said.

He ended up writing his thesis on the project and in his fourth year, defended it.

Then it came time to look for work. He liked West Virginia, “But of course, I was going to go wherever the jobs took me.”

That meant a tree nursery in Ohio until a job opened up in the West Virginia Division of Forestry.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Juergen A. Wildman started out in the Division of Forestry fighting wildfires, but now he has a job he likes better, helping private landowners conserve their timber and with other issues they might have.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Juergen A. Wildman, a landowner assistance specialist with the West Virginia Division of Forestry, has been registering a lot of miles as someone who does his job in a five-county area and also covers an additional 15 counties in the divisionʼs Region 1.

Currently, Wildman serves as a landowner assistance specialist in the Farmington office of the division. But his first job — one he has spent a good part of his career on — was fighting forest fires.

“I started out with fire control responsibility south of Charleston, stationed in Kanawha County,” he said. “My main responsibilities were in Cabin Creek and Paint Creek, which at that time were bad for forest fire.

You learned to put out fires pretty quick.”

Early on in his career, in 1987, Kanawha County experienced a bad fire season that had smoke drifting to New York City and Washington, D.C. “All the Appalachians were on fire then,” he said. “West Virginia was the worst and it drew national attention. There were news crews everywhere. We couldn’t contain them and we couldn’t slow them down.

U.S. mining, energy sectors face workforce shortage

BY VICKI SMITH ASSOCIATED PRESS

MORGANTOWN — The United States isn’t producing enough qualified workers to meet the future needs of the mining and energy sectors, from coal digging and gas drilling to solar and wind power, a new report says.

The report released Thursday by the National Research Council urges new partnerships to tackle the problem of retiring Baby Boomers who cannot readily be replaced. That includes a retooling of higher education to produce more young people competent in science, technology, engineering and math.

The report predicts a “bright present and future” for energy and mining jobs, with continuing demand for workers and good pay for those who are hired. But it says some industries already face labor shortages and others soon will because the nation’s colleges and universities aren’t cranking out graduates with the skills that growing companies need.

Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration data, for example, show 46 percent of the workforce will be eligible to retire within five years, but there

“Unless this is corrected, the nation risks losing its capacity to provide new science and engineering professionals for the workforce.”

— NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL REPORT

are too few younger workers in the pipeline to replace them.

The oil and gas industry, meanwhile, has a workforce that’s currently concentrated at both the older and younger ends of the spectrum, the report says, “creating a gap in experience and maturity” in between and making it difficult to replace retiring leadership.

The report recommends several wide-ranging solutions, including outreach efforts to improve both the public’s understanding and perception of energy-producing industries such as oil and gas.

Negative perception driven by concern over pollution, environmental damage and health issues, it notes, “dissuades some from pursuing careers.”

It also notes that universities are seeing a faculty shortage that

could affect oil and gas, mining and geothermal employers.

“Unless this is corrected,” the report says, “the nation risks losing its capacity to provide new science and engineering professionals for the workforce.”

The independent, nonprofit National Research Council is the main operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences.

The nearly 400-page document was authored by 14 experts from universities, government and the private sector.

It warns the higher education community that the traditional routes to degrees “do not adequately align” with industries’ needs and notes “they are increasingly not affordable and accessible” for prospective students.

Community colleges are proving to be the best vehicle for delivering the technician-level, skillsbased education the energy and mining industries need, the report says, offering programs ranging from one-year certifications to two-year associate’s degrees.

Schools and employers should form more partnerships like those, the report said, and federal agencies should consider more research funding to schools to help drive technological innovation and develop faculty.

“It was a character-building event. You learned you could do about anything.”

Combating forest fires is a whole different ball game from fighting house or structure fires, Wildman noted.

“When we first started in Cabin Creek and Paint Creek, we didn’t use water,” he said. “We tried to create a barrier.”

In West Virginia, spring and fall are the worst times for forest fires, although fall brings on unique problems. By fall, the creeks are not high like in the spring, so that water cannot be used to fight fires. And when the leaves come off the trees in the fall, it can create fuel for the fires.

Then fires going uphill burn much faster than downhill.

“Going uphill, it’s going into the fuel,” he said. “It kind of creates its own wind and preheats the fuel in front of it.”

Backburning — “fighting fire with fire” — is one method of fighting forest fires, by burning the items that can be used as fuel.

In 1989, Wildman returned to North Central West Virginia and landed in the Farmington office.

Fighting fires here is easier, he said.

“In the northern counties, fires don’t get very big,” he said. “Fire departments can get fire trucks and water to some of the places.

In some parts of West Virginia, you can’t do that.”

Of course, wildfires out West

can be completely different from anything in all of West Virginia.

Wildman has had the opportunity to volunteer to fight some of them.

“The way it works is, if fires burn out there for a prolonged period of time, Western crews get fatigued, and they have to rotate.

So the U.S. Forest Service worked out a deal with Eastern states to supplement crews, mainly with volunteers. usually with local forestry divisions.”

West Virginia agreed to join forces with the U.S. Forest Service out of the Monongahela National Forest to form a 20-man crew.

“We’d get volunteers who would want to go and they would be allowed to take time off and we’d make money,” Wildman said. “Plus, we got good publicity.”

From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, he helped fight fires in Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington state.

“In 1996, I went to Oregon, and that was it,” he said. “That’s when I decided I had enough.”

Eventually, Wildman also decided he had enough of fighting forest fires in West Virginia as his regular job, too. Another duty of the West Virginia Division of Forestry is to help private landowners with timber management.

“I enjoyed working with landowners and helping them

conserve their timber,” Wildman said. “And I got to use my forestry education more.”

In addition to fighting forest fires and assisting private landowners with timber management, the West Virginia Division of Forestry is charged with enforcing logging regulations.

About seven or eight years ago, the Division of Forestry was reorganized and the foresters were allowed to specialize instead of working as “jack-ofall-trades,” Wildman said. At the same time, they were given a larger territory to cover.

“I chose landowner assistance,” he said. “The older guys got to pick and the younger guys got stuck with what was left. A lot of people don’t like logging regulations. It’s law enforcement stuff.”

Now, Wildman oversees landowner assistance in five counties — Marion, Harrison, Taylor, Barbour and Tucker — and also serves as a supervisor for foresters in an additional 15 counties that make up Region 1 of the Division of Forestry, roughly the northern third of the state.

“I like concentrating on what I like to do,” Wildman said. “Of course, it’s more intense. I have to do a lot more driving because there is a lot more room to cover.”

Email Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.

Lifelong love of outdoors a career path for Wildman PAGE 12

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013

As forester, he’s battled blazes and moved up through administration

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

“I love the mountains. I really enjoy it here. So I stayed.”

— JUERGEN A. WILDMAN

BY MARY WADE BURNSIDE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — An interest in the outdoors and not his name was the primary reason Juergen A. Wildman ended up working for the West Virginia Division of Forestry.

“A lot of people have said that,” he said of his last name, which he only knows started way back in England with his father’s family.

Of course, at least in these parts, his first name also is unique. Born in Munich, Germany, to an American father and a German mother who dubbed him Juergen (the “J” is pronounced like a “Y”), Wildman was raised on Long Island and eventually landed at West Virginia University.

“Yes, Mom won,” he said of his German name.

During his childhood growing up in a beach community, he also visited his outdoorsman grandfather in Germany.

“I spent a lot of time with him,” Wildman said. “That’s where I learned to enjoy the woods.”

When he first enrolled in college, Wildman majored in biology and geography at the State University of New York at Oswego. But he soon realized he wanted to be outside, not looking at cells under a microscope.

“So I gravitated more toward botany and things like that,” he said. “Eventually, I went into forestry.”

He landed in Morgantown to get a master’s degree at the West Virginia University School of Forestry. And for the most part, he has been in the area ever since.

“I loved it,” he said. “I love the mountains. I really enjoy it here.

So I stayed.”

His master’s degree took about four years to complete. He did not have an assistantship until his second year because he had to take some undergraduate forestry classes to catch up.

During his second and third years, he performed research for a professor in which he attempted to get an Aspen tree to grow on a strip mine using direct seeding methods.

“It didn’t work, but it was a project I spent two years doing,” Wildman said.

He ended up writing his thesis on the project and in his fourth year, defended it.

Then it came time to look for work. He liked West Virginia, “But of course, I was going to go wherever the jobs took me.”

That meant a tree nursery in Ohio until a job opened up in the West Virginia Division of Forestry.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Juergen A. Wildman started out in the Division of Forestry fighting wildfires, but now he has a job he likes better, helping private landowners conserve their timber and with other issues they might have.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Juergen A. Wildman, a landowner assistance specialist with the West Virginia Division of Forestry, has been registering a lot of miles as someone who does his job in a five-county area and also covers an additional 15 counties in the divisionʼs Region 1.

Currently, Wildman serves as a landowner assistance specialist in the Farmington office of the division. But his first job — one he has spent a good part of his career on — was fighting forest fires.

“I started out with fire control responsibility south of Charleston, stationed in Kanawha County,” he said. “My main responsibilities were in Cabin Creek and Paint Creek, which at that time were bad for forest fire.

You learned to put out fires pretty quick.”

Early on in his career, in 1987, Kanawha County experienced a bad fire season that had smoke drifting to New York City and Washington, D.C. “All the Appalachians were on fire then,” he said. “West Virginia was the worst and it drew national attention. There were news crews everywhere. We couldn’t contain them and we couldn’t slow them down.

U.S. mining, energy sectors face workforce shortage

BY VICKI SMITH ASSOCIATED PRESS

MORGANTOWN — The United States isn’t producing enough qualified workers to meet the future needs of the mining and energy sectors, from coal digging and gas drilling to solar and wind power, a new report says.

The report released Thursday by the National Research Council urges new partnerships to tackle the problem of retiring Baby Boomers who cannot readily be replaced. That includes a retooling of higher education to produce more young people competent in science, technology, engineering and math.

The report predicts a “bright present and future” for energy and mining jobs, with continuing demand for workers and good pay for those who are hired. But it says some industries already face labor shortages and others soon will because the nation’s colleges and universities aren’t cranking out graduates with the skills that growing companies need.

Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration data, for example, show 46 percent of the workforce will be eligible to retire within five years, but there

“Unless this is corrected, the nation risks losing its capacity to provide new science and engineering professionals for the workforce.”

— NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL REPORT

are too few younger workers in the pipeline to replace them.

The oil and gas industry, meanwhile, has a workforce that’s currently concentrated at both the older and younger ends of the spectrum, the report says, “creating a gap in experience and maturity” in between and making it difficult to replace retiring leadership.

The report recommends several wide-ranging solutions, including outreach efforts to improve both the public’s understanding and perception of energy-producing industries such as oil and gas.

Negative perception driven by concern over pollution, environmental damage and health issues, it notes, “dissuades some from pursuing careers.”

It also notes that universities are seeing a faculty shortage that

could affect oil and gas, mining and geothermal employers.

“Unless this is corrected,” the report says, “the nation risks losing its capacity to provide new science and engineering professionals for the workforce.”

The independent, nonprofit National Research Council is the main operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences.

The nearly 400-page document was authored by 14 experts from universities, government and the private sector.

It warns the higher education community that the traditional routes to degrees “do not adequately align” with industries’ needs and notes “they are increasingly not affordable and accessible” for prospective students.

Community colleges are proving to be the best vehicle for delivering the technician-level, skillsbased education the energy and mining industries need, the report says, offering programs ranging from one-year certifications to two-year associate’s degrees.

Schools and employers should form more partnerships like those, the report said, and federal agencies should consider more research funding to schools to help drive technological innovation and develop faculty.

“It was a character-building event. You learned you could do about anything.”

Combating forest fires is a whole different ball game from fighting house or structure fires, Wildman noted.

“When we first started in Cabin Creek and Paint Creek, we didn’t use water,” he said. “We tried to create a barrier.”

In West Virginia, spring and fall are the worst times for forest fires, although fall brings on unique problems. By fall, the creeks are not high like in the spring, so that water cannot be used to fight fires. And when the leaves come off the trees in the fall, it can create fuel for the fires.

Then fires going uphill burn much faster than downhill.

“Going uphill, it’s going into the fuel,” he said. “It kind of creates its own wind and preheats the fuel in front of it.”

Backburning — “fighting fire with fire” — is one method of fighting forest fires, by burning the items that can be used as fuel.

In 1989, Wildman returned to North Central West Virginia and landed in the Farmington office.

Fighting fires here is easier, he said.

“In the northern counties, fires don’t get very big,” he said. “Fire departments can get fire trucks and water to some of the places.

In some parts of West Virginia, you can’t do that.”

Of course, wildfires out West

can be completely different from anything in all of West Virginia.

Wildman has had the opportunity to volunteer to fight some of them.

“The way it works is, if fires burn out there for a prolonged period of time, Western crews get fatigued, and they have to rotate.

So the U.S. Forest Service worked out a deal with Eastern states to supplement crews, mainly with volunteers. usually with local forestry divisions.”

West Virginia agreed to join forces with the U.S. Forest Service out of the Monongahela National Forest to form a 20-man crew.

“We’d get volunteers who would want to go and they would be allowed to take time off and we’d make money,” Wildman said. “Plus, we got good publicity.”

From the late 1980s to the mid-1990s, he helped fight fires in Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington state.

“In 1996, I went to Oregon, and that was it,” he said. “That’s when I decided I had enough.”

Eventually, Wildman also decided he had enough of fighting forest fires in West Virginia as his regular job, too. Another duty of the West Virginia Division of Forestry is to help private landowners with timber management.

“I enjoyed working with landowners and helping them

conserve their timber,” Wildman said. “And I got to use my forestry education more.”

In addition to fighting forest fires and assisting private landowners with timber management, the West Virginia Division of Forestry is charged with enforcing logging regulations.

About seven or eight years ago, the Division of Forestry was reorganized and the foresters were allowed to specialize instead of working as “jack-ofall-trades,” Wildman said. At the same time, they were given a larger territory to cover.

“I chose landowner assistance,” he said. “The older guys got to pick and the younger guys got stuck with what was left. A lot of people don’t like logging regulations. It’s law enforcement stuff.”

Now, Wildman oversees landowner assistance in five counties — Marion, Harrison, Taylor, Barbour and Tucker — and also serves as a supervisor for foresters in an additional 15 counties that make up Region 1 of the Division of Forestry, roughly the northern third of the state.

“I like concentrating on what I like to do,” Wildman said. “Of course, it’s more intense. I have to do a lot more driving because there is a lot more room to cover.”

Email Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.

Bob Riffle is building for a better world MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013 PAGE 13

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Contractor focuses on green construction to lessen environmental impact

BY JESSICA BORDERS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Contractor Bob Riffle is helping customers reduce their carbon footprint and make a difference.

He owns Premier Construction Services LLC, which is based out of his home office in Fairmont.

His business is a full-service general contractor and a sustainable builder.

“We don’t build your average house,” he said.

A native of West Virginia, Riffle graduated from Flemington High School. He attended Potomac State College, where he obtained an associate’s degree in business administration, and went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in business administration from West Virginia University.

He moved back to the state in mid-2011 after spending about 13 years in North Carolina. His wife Sherry works for WVU Hospitals.

Riffle said he learned how to use all kinds of tools from his dad and would help him build and fix a lot of things around the house.

Doing construction work as a career was a natural progression for him, and he has been a licensed general contractor for more than 25 years now.

Around 2007, Riffle became interested in focusing on building in a sustainable way.

“I saw a big swing in a lot of the builder attitudes on what had been done and what should be done,” he said. “So I made it a goal to be part of that movement and try to make a difference.

What it’s all about is doing the right thing for both the client, the planet. We only have one planet to live on and we’ve abused it over the years. It’s time to give a little bit back.”

He obtained the Certified Green Professional credential through the National Association of Home Builders, and is the only Master Certified Green Professional — NAHB’s elite level — in West Virginia. For less than a year, he has been serving on the board of directors for the

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Keith Johnson and Karen Mallam pose in front of the solar panels that are part of their green home in North Carolina, which Bob Riffle of Premier Construction Services LLC built in 2010. The house received the National Association of Home Buildersʼ Emerald rating.

West Virginia Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Through the council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Program, the state chapter works with upand-coming professionals who want to be in sustainable fields as well as architects and designers.

Riffle explained that LEED and NAHB have a different set of criteria for how they score projects and certify buildings, but various standards cross over between them and both organizations strive for the same goals.

Riffle’s business has taken the pledge through the NAHB Research Center to only build green projects. Consumers have to hire someone else if they just want a regular house, he said.

When Riffle started Premier Construction Services, his main focus was on residential work, but now the business is trying to branch out into the commercial sector.

The company has also done some remodeling projects in the past. He said homes that are retrofitted can still obtain a green certification, but must follow a different set of rules.

Premier Construction Services

BA RN ES & BRA S S ELEC TRIC

“What it’s all about is doing the right thing for both the client, the planet. We only have one planet to live on and we’ve abused it over the years. It’s time to give a little bit back.”

— BOB RIFFLE

does work anywhere in the state of West Virginia, but will also travel and has certifications on homes in New York and North Carolina.

Customers tend to find Riffle’s company through the NAHB or other sustainable websites, or by word of mouth. He said his business goes where customers want the products that it offers.

“There’s not a lot of people out there who do what we do,” Riffle said.

About a year and a half ago, he bought property in the Hawthorne Village subdivision in Morgantown and has proposed a house to go on it that would be West Virginia’s first green-certified house through the NAHB Research Center.

“People think that it costs so much more to do a sustainable build,” Riffle said. “Well, it does cost some additional money, but it is very small in the sense of the return that you get on what it

costs to operate your house once you move into it.”

Riffle said his business focuses on several areas when constructing sustainable buildings.

For example, orienting a house so that it is facing south will allow it to take advantage of the sun provided by Mother Nature.

Premier Construction Services also concentrates on indoor air quality, because many people have asthma and allergies and their homes and office buildings can make them sick, he said.

Riffle also examines what he can do with the resources in the house, such as adding solar hot water systems and photovoltaic systems to generate electricity. He strives to get the products and materials for the house as local as possible, and uses items with low or no volatile organic content, or VOC. In the past 10 years, the Internet has allowed consumers to

become more educated on sustainable building, but the biggest challenge for people is to find someone who believes in those practices and can deliver, Riffle said.

“We’re on the forefront of the building community in this state as far as what we’re doing for our customers and trying to make a difference,” he said of his business.

Riffle said the state building codes in West Virginia are further behind many other states where he has done construction projects, which can be a detriment sometimes. However, his company always strives to exceed the requirements.

“There’s guys out there that just will build a house that is considered built to code or less, and we build well above the local building codes,” he said. “Our clients get so much more for the dollar than what they would with a code built house.”

Many customers have waited a long time to get what they want in terms of a green home, and Riffle likes seeing their reaction to the finished product.

He is able to give them the product they want within their

budget, and they know their carbon footprint has dropped dramatically compared to their neighbors. Also, their green home will far outlast their neighbors’ homes, Riffle said.

“The little things really add up on the sustainable side,” he said.

Riffle said he spends a lot of time teaching consumers and vendors about sustainable practices. During The Building Conference & Expo in Morgantown earlier this year, he was part of a panel discussion titled “What Master Builders Know.” He said the conference was a great success and attracted people from different walks of the building profession.

“I went from being a builder a long time ago to being an educator,” Riffle said.

Madeline Fortin’s home in Cincinnatus, N.Y., in Cortland County, was built by Riffle and received NAHB’s Gold rating.

Fortin moved into her new house in September 2011.

She said she had difficulty finding someone in her area to build the house, which is shaped like an octagon and isn’t conventional. She found Riffle through Topsider Homes, where she bought her kit home, and it ended up being cheaper to have him come from out of town to build the house to her specifications.

“I wanted a house that was comfortable and that didn’t need a lot of maintenance,” Fortin said.

She explained that her home features solar panels, a backup generator, propane stove, propane hot water heater, propane refrigerator and wood stove for heat.

“The house is really well insulated,” she said.

Fortin said her home also has a well and septic tank. In addition, the house’s gutters lead to underground pipes that go to a rain garden. She’s pleased with the work Riffle and his team did.

“It’s easy to heat,” Fortin said of her home. “It’s cool in the summer. You get good air flow through the house.”

Email Jessica Borders at jborders@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @JBordersTWV.

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Rodosta PAGE 14

MONDAY, MARCH 25, 2013

behaved, how we get mountains and stress faults.”

“This was my cup of tea,” she said.

“I love my job. To me, it’s really exciting. I’m looking at the new technologies and innovations, things necessary to solve our current and future energy issues.

“I like feeling I can make a difference with the program and always continuing to push forward. I have plans to implement to get the technology to where it needs to be. When it’s time for commercial deployment for carbon capture and storage, we need to be ready.”

“Safe and permanent storage” are vital, she added.

“In high-risk research and development, we can walk away, find the next problem and get those technologies ready for commercial deployment so that when industry takes over, they will have what they need to do carbon capture and storage safely and permanently.

“We want to make certain when we put CO2 into the ground, we can track where it goes. If there are any issues, we’ll

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

be able to mitigate problems or potential leakages, if they occur.

“CO2, natural gas, oil have all been in the subsurface for millions of years,” she said.

“We produce the fossil fuels, oil and natural gas. You have to separate a certain percentage of CO2 in natural gas. An operator separates it and puts the natural gas into the market.

“We want to find a way to put the CO2 back into the ground.

“One of our prime missions is to advance energy options for the future.

“My contribution for carbon storage is we are continuing to allow, take emissions off the plants and inject them back into the subsurface, and continue to have coal in the energy mix.

“If you can use the CO2 that you have captured and injected into the oil and gas reservoirs, you can produce more energy security in the United States.

“Taking the CO2 out of the atmosphere allows us to go back to the whole portfolios of the future of having coal in that energy portfolio,” she said.

Morgantown is where she wants to be.

“I really do cherish living in Morgantown,” she said.

“There’s a balance between my work, which I enjoy, and my racing.”

It’s also a great place for her to pursue her second love: cyclo-cross racing.

Cyclo-cross is similar to mountain biking, she said.

“It originated in Europe. The bikes are similar to road bikes but there’s a different braking system to allow for mud, and the tires are wider with treads.”

This is a sport for fall and winter, “when the conditions are wet, sloppy and muddy,” she said. Not exactly prime biking weather.

“You go over a short course, a couple of kilometers, up hills and down, over barricades.”

When you reach one of those barricades, you dismount, carry your bike over it and get back on, she added.

The sport is growing rapidly in the United States. She and Gary, her husband of 17 years, returned from the UCI Masters Cyclo-cross World Championships in Louisville recently.

“It was a good time,” she said.

“It was pretty muddy, wet and cold. We were right on the Ohio River. But it was a lot of fun. We got to race on Thursday and then watched the elite cyclists over the weekend.”

She got involved around 1995 when she met Gary.

“I was never a bike rider when I was younger,” she said.

“But I tried it. I borrowed his sister’s mountain bike. That first hill I went down, I crashed hard.

But I laughed about it and got back on. I knew I was going to be a lifer.”

She doesn’t worry about her future.

“It’s funny. I just got in this position. I’m trying to develop my role in this position as tech manager. I would like to, in a general sense, continue to help these energy issues in whatever capacity I can.

“It’s important that everyone has the opportunity to have clean energy and affordable energy. Anything I can do to help — that is where I want to be.”

Email Debra Minor Wilson at dwilson@timeswv.com.

Garcia

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

type of protective gear Garcia wears. The flame-retardant clothing is a heavy fabric that doesn’t “breathe,” which he said means it feels hotter in summer months and colder in winter months. Add on protective rubber sleeves and gloves, and a warm summer day can quickly become a blistering work shift.

But that’s where more safety comes in.

Garcia said they make sure to take plenty of breaks and have a steady supply of water handy to help avoid heat exhaustion or other weather-related ailments during times of extreme heat.

That focus on safety has carried over into Garcia’s personal life as well, and he said it’s become second nature for him and his family, including his wife Michelle and children Jenna and Joel.

“I’m very fortunate to have a job with a company that focuses so much on safety because it carries on throughout my whole life — at home, with my children, when I do my yardwork, things of that nature.

“The concept of safety goes beyond quitting time,” he added.

Beyond the focus on safety and other work responsibilities, Garcia said he’s grateful to have a job like his because it lets him be outdoors. An added bonus?

He said the physical labor of the job helps him stay in shape, plus the community partnerships Mon Power has established with various agencies give him plenty of chances to meet new people.

But ultimately, Garcia said he’s working to make sure people have the electric they need to power their busy lives. It’s a rewarding experience, he said, but not one without an occasional sacrifice.

“Because of the conditions and the times that we’re out and everything we have to deal with, there’s times when nobody in the world would want my job.

It’s miserable,” Garcia said, again noting the derecho and other extreme weather conditions. “But then there are days when it’s perfect conditions ... and everybody in the world wants my job.”

Email Nicole Fields at nfields@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @NicoleFieldsTWV.

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TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

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Our Town

Energy & Industry

High Technology Health Care

Education & Workforce Living Here

Whoʼs Who

INSIDE

‘This is utopia’

Be glad there are guys like Kevin Reid. He and others are working hard at the National Crime Information Center, Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, to make sure this is a safer world for all of us. Reid is the Next Generation Identification (NGI) program manager at the FBI CJIS Division in Clarksburg, bringing 25 years of experience successfully managing and deploying major programs.

— Page 4

Helping fight crime

PHOTO COURTESY OF NASA IV&V

Aug. 5, 2011, is a day Wesley Deadrick will remember for many years.

That was the day Juno launched into space, beginning its five-year journey to Jupiter. When it finally reaches Jupiter, the spacecraft, which is the fastest-traveling object ever built by humans, will examine the planet from its innermost core to the outer reaches of its magnetic force field.

Deadrick was at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., to witness the launch.

— Page 5

To Jupiter and beyond

Joshua and Jeremy Day, 34, are as alike as twins can be. Both share a love of electronics, which was “always there,” Josh said. As they grew up, they found math and science came easily to them, maybe because their father Joe was an engineer in the coal mines. Now both put their skills, talents and interests into their work at Azimuth, Jeremy working on a diver monitoring system and Josh on redesigning the guts of the PRT in Morgantown.

— Page 7

Double the Days

Craig Molina’s fascination with technology began with a TRS-80 computer from RadioShack, a product that was first launched in the late 1970s to early 1980s. And although the gadget couldn’t keep up with the fast pace with which technology has advanced, it had a hand in directing Molina down the path to developing and refining the newer and more enhanced forms of technology that we see today.

— Page 10

Taking pride in security

Participants in the 2011 Real World Design Challenge Camp sponsored by NASA IV&V Educator Resource Center: (from left) Tyler Hampton, Dylan Kulka and Andrea Hensley from Spring Valley High School and their coach, Aleksander L. Marthinussen.

Childhood dreams lead to high-tech careers

BY MISTY POE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — If you ask Craig Molina what he does at Ultra Electronics Prologic, the answer is more than likely a little complicated.

Within the high-technology industry, software engineers, programmers, designers and more focus on the very small details that end up having a very big impact. But even in laymen’s terms our understanding of the advancement of technology that is happening in North Central West Virginia is pretty limited.

But Molina had a TRS-80 computer from RadioShack. And we know all about that ... the black screen with the flashing green cursor. It was a day when disks were floppy and graphics were rudimentary on that black screen.

That computer started Molina on a path toward his current position, chief engineer for Ultra Electronics Prologic, where he oversees projects that end with products for domestic and international clients with the mission to “plan, collect, protect and share.”

And maybe we don’t quite understand exactly what that entails, though it has practical applications for our everyday life. Consider one of the company’s newest additions — Ultra Social. Molina said the product is an add-on to Twitter that encrypts tweets so that only those people who are added to a specified group can read them. To anybody outside of that group, Molina said the characters in the tweet look like “jibberish.”

“We’re protecting people’s information in social networking so that people have a little more privacy against some of the data mining while still being able to get their message out,” Molina said.

And though we don’t understand the software and the programming and the development of such a product, we certainly understand the end result and exactly why it’s important in day-today life.

TWV FILE PHOTO

The I-79 Technology Park offers highly innovative scientific research and development. A delegation of West Virginia officials visited the complex last spring to discuss funding with Jim Estep, president and chief executive officer of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation.

From left are Delegate Mike Caputo, Delegate Linda Longstreth, Speaker of the West Virginia House of Delegates Richard Thompson, Estep, Delegate Tim Manchin and Michael Green, WVHTCF board member.

Molina isn’t alone with childhood dreams that led to a career in high technology.

Wesley Deadrick, project manager for the Independent Verification & Validation program for NASA in Fairmont, had stars in his eyes as a young boy.

He visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum at a young age — “That was really what drove it home that (working for NASA) would be a dream come true” — and he frequently watched movies and TV shows about the space program.

“As a kid I remember going to the (National Air and Space Museum) and thinking, ‘Man, this is incredible.’ Who goes there and, from an engineer’s perspective, doesn’t think, ‘This is utopia.

This is the most amazing stuff to work on’? And every day I’m reminded of that.”

He’s still living and working in that utopia each day at the I-79 Technology Park. In August 2011, he got to witness as Juno launched into space, beginning its five-year journey to Jupiter. When it finally reaches Jupiter, the spacecraft,

which is the fastest-traveling object ever built by humans, will examine the planet from its innermost core to the outer reaches of its magnetic force field.

His work, along with many other NASA employees and contractors, made the mission possible through verifying and validating the system software required to make sure Juno can complete its mission successfully.

“I love what I do, and it’s very rare that you’re able to go to school, study something for many years and then be able to do either exactly what you wanted to do or maybe more than you expected,” he said. “In my case, it’s something more than I actually expected.”

Today we bring you Molina’s and Deadrick’s stories, along with a host of many more, about the people behind the scenes of high technology making the world a safer more secure place to be as the Times West Virginian presents its Annual Report 2013: The Faces of High Technology.

Email Misty Poe at mpoe@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @MistyPoeTWV.

INNOVA helps fuel company branch out PAGE 2

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Pa.-based AFSP getting support for expansion to Morgantown

BY EMILY GALLAGHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Alternative Fuel Solutions of Pennsylvania (AFSP) was looking to branch out.

And that’s when the INNOVA Commercialization Group stepped in.

AFSP offers EPA-certified CNG Systems, custom-compressed natural gas conversion kits and propane conversions.

James O’Donnell, cofounder of AFSP, said the company has a bigger customer base because INNOVA helped them branch out into West Virginia.

“After INNOVA got to know my group and the core individuals a part of it, they believed that us working together would be a good fit,” O’Donnell said.

O’Donnell said from there, INNOVA helped them start Alternative Fuel Solutions of West Virginia based out of Morgantown.

“They provided the local support that we needed to move into Morgantown,” he said. “They came to us with an opportunity and we moved forward.”

INNOVA brought to AFSP’s attention the demand that was needed in West Virginia for their services.

O’Donnell said the company is a family business. His brother and cousin started the company, but a little bit into it his cousin fell ill.

“When my cousin got sick, I stepped in,” O’Donnell said. “I bought them out so he could retire, and then my brother and I moved forward.”

O’Donnell said the company

James O’Donnell

“They provided the local support that we needed to move into Morgantown.

They came to us with an opportunity and we moved forward.”

— JAMES O’DONNELL

SUBMITTED PHOTO

James OʼDonnell and Travis Buggey work with Alternative Fuel Solutions of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. The company works to fix vehicles with engines that run on natural gas, letting smaller businesses save money.

has been very successful and helping small businesses is something that’s important to the company.

“We actually get to provide small businesses with domestic fuel freedom,” he said.

One of the first businesses AFSP worked with has expanded its customer base by 20 percent because AFSP fit its vehicles with CNG conversions.

“Now they’re able to do free deliveries,” O’Donnell said.

“They can now have customers in a larger area and they became more profitable.”

O’Donnell wears many hats in the company; he works in marketing, sales and business development management.

“I put myself in those roles to move forward,” he said. “I

go to all the events and draw up new business and make relationships with groups like INNOVA.” With his job comes safety because in this field O’Donnell needs to pay attention to the small details.

“The little details in the beginning turn out to be the most important on some of the large-scale projects,” he said.

Some of those details include making sure the right equipment is being used and the right technicians for the job because every job is different.

O’Donnell never gave much thought to a career in this field.

Before he took over AFSP he lived in Florida running Verizon retail stores.

“If someone told me four

years ago that I would be filling my car with natural gas, I’d tell them they were crazy,” he said.

His brother had gone to school for alternative fuel conversions but that was the most he had heard about the subject.

“I never understood the whole thing,” he said. “It was foreign to me.”

The company continues to be on the move. The branch in West Virginia hasn’t opened yet but they hope to get it up and running soon.

Helping with the move to Morgantown was partner Travis Buggey. He had been working closely with the company and was glad to hear they were branching out to Morgantown.

“Moving to Morgantown seemed like a logical incen-

tive,” he said. “It was attractive to convert vehicles to natural gas and propane there.”

Buggey likes the fact that the West Virginia branch will involve local people.

“It’s exciting to use local fuels and local labors to utilize those assets to convert vehicles,” he said.

Unlike O’Donnell, Buggey has always been interested in alternative fuels.

“I’ve always been a car and racing guru,” Buggey said.

“This is the perfect application of that knowledge, which is my passion.”

Buggey said the company has contributed to the technology field by decreasing car emissions in the air.

“That part is really exciting,”

Travis Buggey

he said. “We want to promote these fuel solutions because it will help everybody in society with production costs.”

Buggey has faith in the alternative fuels and the environmental benefits that come along with what the company is promoting.

Both O’Donnell and Buggey said that without the help of INNOVA coming to them with this opportunity, they wouldn’t have branched out into West Virginia.

“We had a brand that became attractive to INNOVA,” O’Donnell said. “They’re a great group.”

Email Emily Gallagher at egallagher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @EGallagherTWV.

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TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PAGE

Lybarger helping local police through NW3C training Free services help law enforcement fight crime on limited budgets

BY JESSICA BORDERS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

School and went to Fairmont State to play baseball. He studied criminal justice there and FAIRMONT - In his job landed an internship with with the National White Collar NW3C during his senior year.

After graduating with his Crime Center, Jeff Lybarger plays a part in giving law bachelor's degree in criminal enforcement the tools they need justice, Lybarger was hired as a research assistant with NW3C, to take criminals off the street.

Lybarger is the supervisor of and then became an Internet NW3C, a nonprofit organization fraud analyst. For about 10 that provides investigative sup- years, he worked in NW3C's training section, port, research where he spent a and training for "All of our lot of time on the state and local road teaching law training, all of law enforcement across the coun- our investigative e n f o r c e m e n t across the United try through a support that we States how to grant from the provide is a free investigate finanBureau of Justice Assistance. He service to state cial crime, such as identity theft, has spent 13 and local law and about intelliyears working enforcement." gence analysis. with NW3C in Lybarger, who Fairmont.

— JEFF LYBARGER lives in Jane Lew NW3C origiwith his family, nated in 1978 as the Leviticus Project, with the is currently working on his masgoal of combating fraud in the ter's degree in legal studies at coal fields. The program West Virginia University.

Another side of NW3C travexpanded to include providing "a nationwide support system els across the country to for law enforcement and regula- instruct law enforcement on tory agencies involved in the how to investigate computer prevention, investigation and crime, he said. The center offers prosecution of economic and classes like the Apple iDevice high-tech crime," and officially Forensic Course, which focuses became NW3C on Nov. 30, on how to forensically examine any Apple product and be able 1992. to extract information, and the NW3C has offices in the 1-79 Technology Park in Fairmont Cell Phone Interrogation and also in Richmond, Va. The Course, which shows how to Fairmont location focuses on find information on these training, research and the devices.

Internet Crime Complaint "All of our training, all of our Center project, and the site in investigative support that we Richmond deals with the admin- provide is a free service to state istrative side as well as finance, and local law enforcement," communication and investiga- Lybarger said.

He said state and local law tive support. NW3C has about 100 employees between the two enforcement don't have a lot of money to spend on training offices.

Lybarger, who has lived in because of budget cuts, but the West Virginia for 25 years, grad- Bureau of Justice Assistance uated from Lewis County High provides funding for NW3C to

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Jeff Lybarger has been working for the National White Collar Crime Center, which provides investigative support, research and training for state and local law enforcement across the country, for 13 years and is currently the supervisor. offer these services. NW3C works to keep law enforcement up to speed so they have the proper tools and skills to investigate the financial and computer crimes that are common today, especially with the changes in technology.

Lybarger also serves as the supervisor of the Internet Crime Complaint Center, which is a partnership between NW3C and the FBI and has been operational since May 2000.

IC3 receives complaints from individuals throughout the nation who have been victimized on the Internet, he said.

NW3C and the FBI put together cases to send to law enforcement agencies that have jurisdiction to investigate. NW3C focuses on the state and local law enforcement, and the FBI deals with the federal aspect.

Lybarger oversees six

and tries to provide the best services possible to law enforcement who are working on these cases on a daily basis, Lybarger said.

Jason Webber is a sergeant detective for the Clarksburg Police Department, where he has been working for nearly 13 years. He also came on board with NW3C in January of this year as a trainer and facilitator for the Intellectual Property Crime Class.

"NW3C provides a valuable service to local, state and federal agencies," he said. "We rely on the free training to learn how to investigate."

Webber, who has attended many of these classes, said NW3C focuses on whatever crimes seem to be affecting people the most today. It provides computer-related training that deals with Internet crimes

Internet crime analysts who work on the data that comes in from IC3 and look for trends and patterns.

"We try to help put all that information together and then send it out to these agencies so they have a better understanding of the big picture," he said.

Lybarger said his job is very rewarding. He likes knowing he's helping state and local law enforcement with their investigations and showing them how to get the information they need to make arrests.

When he was a training instructor, he would sometimes get phone calls from investigators a couple weeks later saying they were able to arrest someone who was scamming people because of the tips they learned in class.

NW3C is very fortunate to have the resources that it does,

against children, the forensic side of investigations, cellphones, intellectual property, mortgage fraud and more.

"A lot of work goes into the research and building the curriculum to be able to put on these classes," he said. "It's top-notch. It's very informative and hands-on."

Through these free trainings, police gain access to resources that they can reach out to for assistance in investigations and build rapport with other agencies. Financial crime cases can be overwhelming when trying to chase down all the pieces to successfully build a case and prosecute, but NW3C provides support, Webber said.

"Their training is just invaluable," he said.

Email Jessica Borders atjborders@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @JBordersTWV.

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Reading palms isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t about fortune telling for Reid PAGE 4

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FBI CJIS program manager part of group about to launch groundbreaking identification technology

BY DEBRA MINOR WILSON TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Be glad there are guys like Kevin Reid.

He and others are working hard at the National Crime Information Center, Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division, to make sure this is a safer world for all of us.

Reid is the Next Generation Identification (NGI) program manager at the FBI CJIS Division in Clarksburg, bringing 25 years of experience successfully managing and deploying major programs.

Next Generation is a multistep update of the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System, or IAFIS. IAFIS, a national fingerprint and criminal history system, responds to requests 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to help local, state and federal partners â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and FBI investigators â&#x20AC;&#x201D; solve and prevent crime and catch criminals and terrorists.

IAFIS provides automated fingerprint search capabilities, latent search capability, electronic image storage, and electronic exchange of fingerprints and responses.

Before it was launched in July 1999, processing a 10-print fingerprint submission was a manual, labor-intensive procedure that could take months.

Thanks to IAFIS, the average response time for an electronic criminal fingerprint submission is about 27 minutes, while electronic civil submissions are processed within an hour and 12 minutes. IAFIS processed more than 61 million 10-print submissions during Fiscal Year 2010.

IAFIS is the largest biometric database in the world, housing the fingerprints and criminal histories for more than 70 million subjects in the criminal master file, along with more than 34 million civil prints. Included in the criminal database are fingerprints from 73,000 known and suspected terrorists processed by the U.S. or by international law enforcement agencies who work with the nation.

As impressive as it is, IAFIS is also aging and must be replaced. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s where NGI and folks like Reid come in.

NGI will further advance the FBIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biometric identification services, providing an incremental replacement of current IAFIS technical capabilities, while introducing new functionality.

Over several years and in increments, NGI will offer stateof-the-art biometric identification services and provide a flexible framework of core capabilities that will serve as a platform for multimodal functionality.

A full and open competition was used to award the NGI contract to Lockheed Martin Transportation and Security Solutions. This multi-milliondollar contract will consist of a base year and the potential for up to nine option years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;NGI places all the matching fingerprint capabilities here at CJIS,â&#x20AC;? Reid said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It also brings in other biometrics and increases the accuracy in performance and capacity for fingerprint matching at the FBI.â&#x20AC;?

Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responsible for bringing the program in cost and on schedule within the scope of national requirement, he said.

At $1.2 billion, this is the largest IT program in the FBI â&#x20AC;&#x153;ever,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If it doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t happen, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s my responsibility,â&#x20AC;? he said with a laugh. â&#x20AC;&#x153;By summer 2014, development of all the capacities will be done.â&#x20AC;?

The program is broken into seven increments. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One is to provide a better fingerprint matching algorithm.

The capabilities provided back to our users match against most automated systems with increased accuracy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Within the first five days of operation, NGI made 910 matches not made otherwise.â&#x20AC;?

Since it was deployed in February 2011, the system has done 145 million submissions or transactions, he said.

NGI is being introduced in seven increments, he said. Some have already been implemented; others are waiting in the wings. â&#x20AC;˘ 0. Advanced technology workstations: replacing obsolete

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Repository of Individuals of Special Concern (RISC) is a handheld device that can be used to identify people in special categories (wanted persons, sex offender registry subjects, and known or appropriately suspected terrorists). A fingerprint is analyzed. If it comes up red, itĘźs a match; yellow, a probable match; or green, no match. RISC is part of the Next Generation Identification program.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Increment 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the revolutionary accuracy of latent fingerprint matching â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is probably the most golly-gee-whiz. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re adding palms, which are typically found at a lot of crime scenes. Truthfully, it will probably solve a lot of crimes going forward.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; KEVIN REID

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Kevin Reid, Next Generation Identification (NGI) program manager at the FBI CJIS Division in Clarksburg, brings 25 years of experience successfully managing and deploying major programs.

hardware and providing high resolution of biometrics. This increment is complete. â&#x20AC;˘ 1. Initial Operational Capability. Identification fingerprint search capability, more accurate searches and better support for rolled/flat processing. â&#x20AC;˘ 2. RISC and initial NGI infrastructure. Repository for Individuals of Special Concern (RISC), rapid mobile searches and RISC Web services. â&#x20AC;˘ 3. Palms and latents.

Investigative palm print search capabilities, national palm print repository, latent enhancements, unsolved latent file cascaded searches, rapid DHS CMP response. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Increment 3 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the revolutionary accuracy of latent fingerprint matching â&#x20AC;&#x201D; is probably the most golly-gee-whiz,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re adding palms, which are typically found at a lot of crime scenes. Truthfully, it will probably solve a lot of crimes going forward. â&#x20AC;&#x153;From the technical perspective, with facial recognition and law enforcement, this will probably take off like gangbusters.â&#x20AC;?

Increment 3 will be delivered in the next few months, he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This will create a National Palm System. Palm prints will be collected all across the country in a national database, as well as increasing latent fingerprints. There will be an increased algorithm capacity, for a four-time increase of accuracy. â&#x20AC;&#x153;If a fingerprint is in the system, it will be found,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This should make you feel safer. Just the fact that criminal identification can be made, the person caught is more likely to be the right person.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;˘ 4. Rap back, facial, photo/SMT search capabilities.

Increased response time, facial and SMT searches, IAFIS functionality replaced, verification. â&#x20AC;˘ 5. Iris. Conduct iris pilot based on trade study results. â&#x20AC;˘ 6. Full operational capability. Technology refreshment.

RISC supports rapid mobile identification searches using a minimum of two or maximum of 10 fingerprint images (flat or rolled) against a population, which includes wanted individuals, sex offender registry subjects, known or appropriately suspected terrorists and other persons of special interest.

Within seconds, search results are sent using a red/yellow/green response format: red, for highly probable

candidate; yellow, possible; and green, no candidate in the files. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is deployed in 11 states and continues to grow all the time,â&#x20AC;? Reid said.

A response takes five to seven seconds â&#x20AC;&#x153;from the front door to the time it goes out,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That is significantly cool.â&#x20AC;?

That wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t so cool for the man pulled over in Florida. The officer smelled marijuana and ran the license and prints through the system.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was nothing in Florida,â&#x20AC;? Reid said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But in the national system, the guy was wanted for murder eight years ago in Georgia. He had a valid South Carolina driverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s license and had been eluding police for eight years. As long as he stayed out of Georgia, he could have remained free for a long time. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is just one example why a national system is so important ,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Reid, a Harrison County native, graduated from Liberty High School in 1978 and West Virginia University in 1984 with a bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s degree in electrical engineering.

He obtained a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in business administration from Marymount University in

Arlington, Va., and a masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in software engineering from Central Michigan University.

After graduating from WVU, he moved to Washington, D.C., to work for the Department of Defense in Naval Air Systems Command. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is where I launched my career in developing systems,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I developed specific software and aviatic systems for fighter aircraft for the Navy.â&#x20AC;?

In 1995, he had a chance to work for the FBI. His agency was moving out of D.C. into southern Maryland. In 1999, the circle was complete when he transferred to CJIS. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The best part about my job is dealing with our law enforcement community, providing

products that are used nationally to make a difference.â&#x20AC;?

He serves as the acting section chief of the Biometric Services Section (BSS), located at the FBI CJIS Division.

Reid provides oversight and executive management to the BSS, the largest operational section, with more than 1,000 employees strategically staffed and providing national and international fingerprint and criminal history services to law enforcement customers.

He managed the fingerprint operations exceeding previously unimagined volumes and is the executive manager for the NGI Program. He fosters and improves interagency coordination and information sharing in support of NGIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s multimodal developments in biometrics that will improve and extend existing operational capabilities and support law enforcement in anti-terrorism.

Reid served as the Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N-DEx) program manager and successfully managed the deployment of a national information sharing system through concept, development and implementation. As a result of his efforts, law enforcement national information sharing strategy, policies and standards have been implemented with the N-DEx program being deployed under cost and on schedule.

He has also served as unit chief for Engineering and the technical program manager for Law Enforcement Online, NDEx and the Next Generation IAFIS. Reid has 12 years of experience with the Department of Navy, Navy Air Systems command, where he served as the F14 Senior Avionics System Engineer and Supervisor for the Navy Fighter Aircraft Avionics System Engineering Unit. He has successfully managed and implemented multiple major projects ensuring the Navyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission and war fighter capabilities.

Reid is Department of Defense DIWAI-certified for Program and Technical Management (1992), as well as Program Management Professional (PMP) (2005) and FAI FAC P/PM (2009) certified.

Email Debra Minor Wilson at dwilson@timeswv.com.

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Wesley Deadrick: To Jupiter and beyond with NASA TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 PAGE 5

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

NASA IV&V is a dream-come-true job for boy who grew up with stars in his eyes

“What project I’ll be working on two years from now, five years from now, I have no clue.

But I have no doubts that the agency will continue to have exciting, innovative projects, and there will continue to be many more challenges and projects for me to work on.”

BY NICOLE FIELDS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Aug. 5, 2011, is a day Wesley Deadrick will remember for many years.

That was the day Juno launched into space, beginning its five-year journey to Jupiter.

When it finally reaches Jupiter, the spacecraft, which is the fastest-traveling object ever built by humans, will examine the planet from its innermost core to the outer reaches of its magnetic force field.

Deadrick was at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Cape Canaveral, Fla., to witness the launch.

As project manager for the Independent Verification & Validation program for NASA in Fairmont, he said it was the culmination of more than four years of complex IV&V support on the system software required to make sure Juno can complete its mission successfully.

It was also just one more reminder that Deadrick has the chance every day to work on some of “the most amazing stuff” the industry has to offer.

“I love what I do, and it’s very rare that you’re able to go to school, study something for many years and then be able to do either exactly what you wanted to do or maybe more than you expected,” he said. “In my case, it’s something more than I actually expected.”

Deadrick’s work as a project manager helps make projects like Juno possible, and he’s working on four others now: OSIRIS-REx, which is set to be launched to an asteroid in September 2016, and is the first U.S. mission to carry samples from an asteroid back to Earth;

— WESLEY DEADRICK

PHOTO BY NICOLE FIELDS

Wesley Deadrick serves as a project manager for the Independent Verification & Validation program for NASA in Fairmont.

“I love what I do, and itʼs very rare that youʼre able to go to school, study something for many years and then be able to do either exactly what you wanted to do or maybe more than you expected,” he said.

JPSS, which is described as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s “next generation of polar-orbiting environmental satellites”; MAVEN, set to launch later this year, which will explore Mars’ upper atmosphere as well as interactions with the sun and solar wind; and InSight, which is a NASA Discovery Program mission that will place a lander on Mars to study the planet’s deep interior.

Deadrick’s job at the NASA IV&V Facility is a critical component of the missions, and it includes making sure the software on the spacecraft the IV&V program provides support for is the right software and that it’s developed correctly. That includes making sure the soft-

ware is built correctly — source code is written correctly, it fulfills and implements the requirements, and it is adequately tested and deployed to the spacecraft.

He also oversees the analysis that’s performed on each project.

That includes everything from planning out how the work is performed, what tasks will be performed and how the team will perform those tasks to negotiating schedules with internal and external customers and making sure no software failure results in the failure of a mission or loss of mission objectives.

As a project manager, Deadrick also helps determine what the IV&V support will be for a project. He considers the objectives of each mission and

what the spacecraft must do to fulfill those objectives, and then focuses on the parts of the spacecraft or the instruments that are most critical or have the highest risk of failing due to their complexity or newness.

Each day is different, but Deadrick said that’s one of the best parts about his job. He’s worked at the IV&V Facility for 11 years and said he likes not knowing exactly what each day will hold.

“What project I’ll be working on two years from now, five years from now, I have no clue.

But I have no doubts that the agency will continue to have exciting, innovative projects, and there will continue to be many more challenges and projects for me to work on,” he said.

That helps keep the job fun, and it’s the continuation of an interest in engineering and NASA that Deadrick said began early.

He visited the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum at a young age — “That was really what drove it home that (working for NASA) would be a dream come true” — and he frequently watched movies and TV shows about the space program.

“As a kid I remember going to the (National Air and Space Museum) and thinking, ‘Man, this is incredible.’ Who goes there and, from an engineer’s perspective, doesn’t think, ‘This is utopia. This is the most amazing stuff to work on’? And every day I’m reminded of that.”

He said he also had an engineering mindset when he was a kid, always tinkering with things, and he put his imagination to good use growing up in a small town in Grant County.

Going down a path that allowed him to exercise that engineering mindset “only made sense,” and he said it’s a blessing to have a job with NASA while still living in his native state.

It’s also a chance others can have, especially if they concentrate on the important STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

He said there have been “astonishing feats of engineering” in the past, and the sky is the limit.

“We have incredible capabilities. This is what we can do if we make the right decisions, if we invest the time where we need to — parents encouraging their kids to get into the science and engineering fields — and to focus on those,” he said. “The opportunities are there if we position ourselves ... if we position our kids (for these jobs).

“It worked out for me,” he added with a smile.

Email Nicole Fields at nfields@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @NicoleFieldsTWV.

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High Technology

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 PAGE 7

Faces of

Embracing technology is key for teacher Murray

The way children learn evolves as new programs and hardware do

“The students are so used to technology and it’s changing so fast. They aren’t used to the oldfashioned paper and pencil method anymore.”

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — In her 30 years as an educator, fourthgrade teacher Nan Murray has seen what used to be traditional classroom methods evolve.

“The students are so used to technology and it’s changing so fast,” Murray said. “They aren’t used to the old-fashioned paper and pencil method anymore.”

Murray, who worked at several schools throughout the county before teaching at Jayenne Elementary for the past three years, said that as technology advances, learning styles change and educators must make efforts to adapt.

“Most of my children have so much more of a technology base than children 10 or 20 years ago did,” Murray said.

Jayenne principal Scott Morris said using technology is second nature to the majority of today’s students.

“Our students are digital natives,” Morris said. “A lot of the teachers and myself, we’re kind of immigrants. We’ve adapted to technology while these kids have grown up with it.”

So in an effort to avoid getting left behind, teachers and administrators have been making major technological strides.

Morris, who has worked with the Marion County Board of Education for 15 years, has seen drastic changes occur.

“When I first started, there were roughly four computers in

— NAN MURRAY

PHOTO BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER

Jayenne Elementary School principal Scott Morris and fourth-grade teacher Nan Murray think that placing an emphasis on the use of technology in the classroom creates a more engaging and productive learning environment for students.

each elementary classroom,” he said.

Now schools are equipped with mobile computer labs and iPads.

Murray said her students are exposed to multiple forms of technology every day, regardless of the subject being taught.

“A traditional lesson is boring without integrating technology, PowerPoints and pictures,” Murray said. “It doesn’t motivate them and it doesn’t keep their attention.”

Morris said that by adapting to the interest students have in technology, their learning is likely to be enhanced.

“If they’re so interested in technology, we might as well use technology for their education,” he said.

One piece of equipment Morris said especially engages

the students is a “responder.”

Each student who uses a responder can answer a question with the press of a button. The answers are projected on a screen and after each student has made his selection, the breakdown of how students in the classroom answered is available for everyone to see.

In addition, Murray said students routinely use social media, e-books, email and blogs.

“A lot of my kids communicate with me through email and Facebook,” she said. “It’s a good way to stay in contact with my kids all the time.”

Not only that, but technology has enabled teachers to maintain continuous contact with parents and guardians.

“I communicate weekly with parents through Edline,” Murray said.

Edline has replaced old-fashioned grade books and parents and students are set up with an Edline account.

The technological advancements that are being made are being reflected in statewide expectations as well. Standards set by the West Virginia Department of Education require elementary school students to complete tasks such as the creation of their own PowerPoint presentations and Excel spreadsheets.

Murray said that sometimes the technology-related material she teaches can be difficult, but that it also fosters a teamwork environment.

“I’ll train two or three children and then those children can train the others,” Murray said. “They learn so much faster from each other.”

One of the biggest challenges to incorporating technology in the classroom, however, is making sure equipment is constantly being upgraded.

“Everything is bigger and better three months from now,” Morris said. “Then there are things like viruses and upkeep.

There’s nothing better than technology when it’s working and there’s nothing worse than when it’s not.”

Murray has been instrumental in Jayenne’s efforts to receive funding for new equipment.

“It’s a very large focus here to stay on top of technology and to write grants to make sure that we have the best and the newest equipment that we can,” Murray said.

Each teacher at Jayenne has access to an iPad that can be used for educational purposes,

but grants are being written so the school can purchase a mobile iPad lab for students that can be shared between classrooms.

“That’s our next technological goal,” Morris said.

Although students at Jayenne do have access to responders, a mobile computer lab and a permanent computer lab, Morris said they are always looking for opportunities to upgrade.

“We’re lucky,” Morris said.

“But we always have our eyes open for money through grants and donations.”

In addition to finding funding for equipment, Murray said another key component to using technology in the classroom is teacher training.

“We’re constantly doing training,” she said. “We go to different workshops three or four times a year.”

And according to Murray, improving her own technological skills is essential to the future success of her students.

“We just need our students to be proficient when it comes to the technology of tomorrow because the jobs that they are ultimately going to be searching for are going to focus on technology,” she said.

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

Double the Days in engineering at Azimuth Twins Joshua and Jeremy working with diver technology and fixing the PRT’s system

BY DEBRA MINOR WILSON TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Joshua and Jeremy Day, 34, are as alike as twins can be.

Both share a love of electronics, which was “always there,” Josh said.

As they grew up, they found math and science came easily to them, maybe because their father Joe was an engineer in the coal mines.

“We were always interested,” said Jeremy, who is older by two minutes. “We burned our fingers on a lot of wires. But there was never anything in our lives that was a triggering point.”

“Math came easily to us,” Josh said. “Chemistry was more for us. Doing equations was fun. It was what we were good at. It explains our career path.”

Both had dual majors in college: computer and electrical engineering.

Now both put their skills, talents and interests into their work at Azimuth, Jeremy working on a diver monitoring system and Josh on redesigning the guts of the PRT in Morgantown.

Azimuth is a leading electronic and software engineering firm for the Department of Defense (DOD), and other federal agencies and federally funded projects.

Dedicated to quality, innovation and performance, it is a founding member of the West Virginia High Technology Consortium.

“I always wanted to stay in West Virginia, but could I do actual design engineering-type work here or was I going to be one of those electrical engineers who doesn’t really do engineering anymore?” Josh wondered about his future.

PHOTO BY DEBBIE WILSON

PHOTO BY DEBBIE WILSON

Jeremy Day is working on a new project called Diver DACAD Josh Day is helping update the almost 40-year-old computer system — Diver Data Acquisition Communication and system that makes WVUʼs PRT a reliable mode to get from Display. This underwater communication device relays infor- campus to campus in Morgantown. mation topside about the diverʼs depth, tank pressure, bearing and range.

“It seems like you’re always learning something. There’s always a new challenge. It’s the whole problem-solving part. That’s what drives an engineer.”

“I enjoy that whole design and build aspect, seeing what I did from start to finish. Azimuth provided me that opportunity to be at a place where I can actually design and build.”

— JEREMY DAY

— JOSHUA DAY

“I enjoy that whole design and build aspect, seeing what I did from start to finish.

“Azimuth provided me that opportunity to be at a place where I can actually design and build.”

Josh has been working at Azimuth since August 2004.

Jeremy came on board in January 2005.

Jeremy had been working at NIOSH but wasn’t really into the health aspect of his job.

“I worked there for several years on the same project at the same time, trying to discover new things with it.

“Since I’ve been here, I don’t have enough fingers to count the number of projects I’ve been involved with. There’s always something new, a new challenge.

That makes it exciting.”

Both worked on the BomBot project.

“We assembled the first group and got the kinks out,” Josh said.

Jeremy is working on a new project called Diver DACAD system — Diver Data Acquisition Communication and Display. This underwater communication device relays information topside about the diver’s depth, tank pressure, bearing and range, he said.

It is integrated with the diver’s equipment and is able to monitor several divers at one time. Air supplied to each diver can be either surface supply with bail out, or single/twin SCUBA with or without bail out, or a combination of divers using either type of air supply.

“You can tell divers when they need to come up because they’re

running low on air, for example,” he said.

It’s a new project for him, just one of many he’s worked on since joining the Azimuth team.

It has a “whole range of uses, for anybody inspecting ships,” from port police, military, commercial, and search and rescue.

“Any place you have divers where there could be some sort of danger and you need to know where your guys are,” he said.

“Even ‘Ax Men’?” Josh asked jokingly. “Do you watch that show?”

“Yes, I do, but I don’t think we’re going that way,” Jeremy replied with a laugh.

“The first prototypes had a lot of debugging, trial and error,” he said. “Now Azimuth is in the process of being the manufacturer. MonTech out of New Zealand

does some of the pieces in cooperation with another company that makes the actual acoustic communication part. We do the short transmissions between the two pieces and the diver.

“It’s getting close to being a real product. There’s nothing out there that’s comparable.”

People have a love-hate relationship with the PRT in Morgantown.

You love it because it can whisk you from campus to campus, avoiding the dreaded WVU traffic jams.

You hate it when it breaks down — even if you’re not in one of the unmovable cars.

Fortunately, the PRT has become more reliable than when it opened in 1975.

Josh is part of a team working to bump the 98 percent reliable

rate even higher by replacing the almost 40-year-old innards of the control system with new, up-todate Vehicle Control Communication Subsystem.

What was state-of-the-art in the 1970s is woefully out of date today.

“This controls every aspect of the vehicle ... stops, deceleration, acceleration ... all controlled by the unit we’re installing,” he said.

The original system comprised 45 vehicles, 5.2 miles of guideway, three stations and a maintenance/control facility. The computer system was upgraded in 1999.

“The PRT people came to us in 2004 with proof of concept prototypes. They had 71 vehicles in their fleet, but they were down to 40 because they were dropping off,” he said.

“The electronics were so old, they needed something to replace them. We took that 1970s written specifications and had to redesign a system using today’s technology that would be interchangeable and interoperational with the current system.”

And that wasn’t easy, he said.

“You’ve got all these other pieces that you didn’t design that you have to figure out how they work so you can get your system to work with that.

“It was old analog technology, not new digital. We worked on it quite a while, got a proof of concept (like a first draft), made design changes and developed 10 units to start with.”

This system was verified and validated by an independent group of transportation experts “from start to finish, to make sure we met every specification, that it was safe and did what it was supposed to do,” Josh said.

Now they are working on 61 units, for a total of 71.

“They will have 100 percent spare circuit boards. Basically we’re giving them 71 fully functional units. If something breaks SEE DAY, PAGE 11

PAGE 8

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Swisher brings the local element to GST Montana Mine native helps track performance, costs for contracts BYJOHNVEASEY TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT - One of the reasons Kevin Swisher is so valuable to his company, Global Science and Technology Inc., is because he brings the local element to the company. He brings local representation as well.

Swisher has been with GST since October 1999.

He grew up just outside of Fairmont at Montana Mines, next to Pricketts Fort. He went to East Fairmont High School and Fairmont State, where he earned a degree in math.

He came to TMC, as it was originally called, from One Valley Bank.

"I started with City National Bank and then One Valley Bank," he said. "Then I was hired by TMC Technologies,

which was purchased by Global Science and Technology Inc." Swisher's title is Earned Value Management System manager.

"We have three people in our group" he said.

"Basically, we help project management create a performance baseline for the project for the current contract year. This involves creating a schedule of tasks and assigning resources to complete those tasks for the coming year."

This is the performance baseline, he said.

"It provides a timeline and the estimated costs necessary to complete the work on the contract for that year. We then measure performance against that baseline, and track the actual costs used to perform the work.

"That gives the management team an idea of how we are performing on the contract so they can determine whether we need to take any corrective actions in order to finish the work."

Swisher pointed out that "an example of one of the tasks that we may track would be a soft-

's*

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Kevin Swisher enjoys his job at Global Science and Technology.

"It fills up our time ... the things we do.

We stay pretty busy."

— KEVIN SWISHER

ware release. For example, we may estimate at the beginning of the year that a software release will take six months and it may require 20 people to complete this release. That information would be part of the baseline."

"Each month we would measure the progress of the software

release against the baseline," he said. "We also calculate the cost of creating that software release.

We then compare that performance and cost information against our baseline estimate, and that information gets relayed to management and they can see how we're doing against

our baseline.

"One of the other things we do is provide reports to the government," he continued.

"We send them a standard report each month on our estimated budget and our progress and our costs. We also send other various reports when the government requests additional information.

Some months we may get two or three requests and some months we might not get any. When the government needs information, we send it.

"It fills up our time ... the things we do. We stay pretty busy."

Swisher said there are approximately 60 people working in the class project and probably 20 others in the West Virginia office.

"Some of the non-class employees include a group that works with the county's assessor's offices," he says. "There's another group that is part of the innovation lab. Others include the accounting department, human resources and management."

In his spare time, Swisher enjoys watching the Mountaineers and the Steelers.

He also likes to hunt, fish and bowl.

Norm Gundersen, vice president/general manager of GST, gave Swisher high praise on his performance.

"The bottom line is he is a local guy. He kind of brings that element to our company," Gundersen said. "He brings a local element to our company.

He's been in the community for a long time.

"He is one of those guys we go to for the local West Virginia element," he said.

"That's very important to us.

We're a company that has a lot of local representation. He brings a local representation to our company."

Gundersen said Swisher also brings "the earned value system to our company and to his project in particular. He uses the earned value technique to control the budget and finances of the project."

"And besides that," the GST officer said, "he's just a general good guy."

Email John Veasey at jcveasey@timeswv.com.

Yellampalle hooked on lasers and their practical use Latest project has goal to detect explosives without physical contact

BY MARY WADE BURNSJDE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT - Growing up in southern India, Balakishore Yellampalle enjoyed solving physics problems.

But once he learned about lasers, he was hooked, and the light-emitting devices sent him around the world, first to the University of Colorado in Boulder for a master's degree and Ph.D. in electrical engineering in physics, then to the Los Alamos National Lab in New Mexico for post-doctoral research, and now to Fairmont, where he works as a principal scientist at the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation's Advanced Technologies Group.

His current project at the WVHTC Foundation's Advanced Technologies Group involves experimenting with devices that can find explosives using lasers.

"The goal of our project is to detect explosives from a distance of few meters to tens of meters without any physical contact," Yellampalle said.

In an effort to do that, Yellampalle and his team are trying to build an instrument that sends deep ultraviolet laser beams to a target and then analyzes the return light for explosive materials using a spectrometer, an instrument used to measure properties of light over a specific portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

"The majority of the return light is from elastic scattering and is of the same wavelength as the incident light," Yellampalle said. "This light does not contain information about the chemical makeup of the target. However, a very small fraction of the return light arises from inelastic scattering, called Raman scattering, and contains characteristic information about the scattering molecules."

0

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manufactured by somebody.

All those decisions will be made at the end of the project.

"At the end of four years, we will hand them the device and they will tell us what we will do with it."

Yellampalle received his undergraduate degree in engineering and physics at the India Institute of Technology in Mumbai in 1996 before coming to the United States to complete his school at the University of Colorado in Boulder, where he received his PhD. in 2004.

While he was pursuing his undergraduate degree, he became interested in lasers and optics, topics he further explored in Colorado.

Living in Colorado, and then

"Once we complete this device, the government agency will evaluate it and figure out how useful it is for them. Then we will start a transition process where the actual end user of that government agency will start giving us feedback, and at that time, we will figure out who will be making the instruments."

-

BALAKISHORE YELLAMPALLE

in Los Alamos, N.M., also gave Yellampalle the opportunity to get accustomed to snow and winter. He also lived in Blacksburg, Va. — where he worked at Luna Innovations — for a short time before moving to North Central West Virginia.

"I got kind of used to it," he said. "I don't like snow and cold

weather that much, but I think I'm kind of used to it."

He also enjoys the other three seasons of the year, and he likes to hike.

"It's really gorgeous in the spring and summer and fall," he said. "I enjoy it."

Email Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside @ timeswv.com.

i PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Kishore Yellampalle, a principal scientist with the Advanced Technologies Group at the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation, works on a laser project he hopes will be able to detect explosives from a safe distance.

Raman scattering is named for Sir Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, who won the 1930 Nobel Prize for Physics for his discovery that when light traverses a transparent material, some of the light that is deflected changes in wavelength.

This project actually evolved from another one, headed up by Brian Lemoff, about the time Yellampalle started working at the WVHTC Foundation.

"Approximately at that time, there was a project measuring the signal strength of various explosives — Raman signal strength."

Keying off that, Yellampalle came up with the idea to take information from that project, and "figure out a way to build an instrument for field use."

"In our instrument, Raman scattered light is registered in a spectrometer and analyzed by a computer program to determine the presence and type of explosives," Yellampalle said. "A unique feature of our approach is the use of two deep ultraviolet lasers to reduce false positive rates. As part of this work we are developing novel technologies for compact deep ultravio-

let lasers and spectrometer."

Currently, the project is in the first phase of a four-year timeline.

"By the end of the project we expect the instrument to be hand portable," Yellampalle added.

The Advanced Technologies Group at the WVHTC Foundation is a group of multidisciplinary scientists from fields such as physics, electrical engineering and computer science who work at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center in Fairmont.

Customers traditionally are governmental and industries.

The $2.8 million project being developed by Yellampalle and his colleagues is for a government entity but he declined to name which one.

"Once we complete this device, the government agency will evaluate it and figure out how useful it is for them," Yellampalle said. "Then we will start a transition process where the actual end user of that government agency will start giving us feedback, and at that time, we will figure out who will be making the instruments — whether it will be

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Pyka: Technology like you’ve only seen on TV TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013 PAGE 9

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Work with Lockheed Martin is always challenging for software engineer

“I’ve always been around computers.

I remember sitting on my dad’s lap, playing video games on his Commodore 64.

I’ve always loved

BY DEBRA MINOR WILSON TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN them. I knew that’s where my career FAIRMONT — Imagine would lead me.” identifying somebody instantly through palm prints and iris — JOHN PYKA recognition.

Sounds like something from playing video games on his Commodore 64.

TV, doesn’t it?

“I’ve always loved them. I In fact, it is fact and it’s comknew that’s where my career ing to life in Marion County.

John Pyka plays a big part in would lead me.”

That path eventually led to that as a software engineer at Lockheed Martin Corp., IS&GS Lockheed Martin, where he worked while pursuing his masCivil, in Fairmont.

The 35-year-old Miami ter’s.

“After that, I tried different native moved here in 2002.

He’s lived in Washington, D.C., career paths with different comand North Carolina. He gradu- panies, but software engineerated from Virginia Tech in 2000 ing is what I love doing.”

So he returned to Lockheed with a bachelor’s in computer engineering and from West Martin.

He has provided maintenance Virginia University with a master’s in software engineering in on the National Instant Criminal Background Check 2005.

“I’ve always been around System (NICS), a point-of-sale computers,” he said. “I remem- system for determining eligibilber sitting on my dad’s lap, ity to purchase a firearm in the

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Lockheed Martin Information Systems & Global Solutions comprises 30,000 professionals bringing together the full range of the corporationʼs information competencies in information technology solutions, management services and advanced technology expertise.

U.S. Federal Firearms License (FFL) holders are generally required by law to use the NICS to determine if it is legal to sell a firearm to a prospective purchaser. Mandated by the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 and launched by the FBI on Nov. 30, 1998, NICS determines if the buyer is prohibited from buying a firearm under the Gun Control Act of 1968. It is linked to the National Crime Information Center and the Interstate Identification Index among other databases maintained by the FBI. “In short, it determines the eligibility of applicants for firearms purchases,” Pyka said.

The national scope of these projects appeals to him.

“They provide the go-to authorization and authentication of people. This is one of the best companies to work for in a cutting-edge industry.

“We’re also doing fingerprints and palm prints, and also starting on iris scanning, so we can get to the point with DNA or other aspects that the person is who we believe to be instantly.”

Sounds like something straight from TV. The main difference is this is real life.

“We actually do get to work on those projects to identify people. It’s amazing,” he said.

“Very rewarding.”

The applications of his career are “unending,” he said.

“We want to get to a collaborative, collective control center.

I’m working on that tecnology.

We want to bring all the divisions, not just those at CJIS, but everyone under one global umbrella and information sharing to provide information in real time to all consumers and provide a national cutting-edge defense system.”

Lockheed Martin has had a long-term presence in West Virginia supporting the FBI’s CJIS division. It was part of the team that built the original

®

IBM Academic Initiative: Training the next generation Bridging the gap between higher education and industry, the IBM Academic Initiative matches graduates’ information technology skills with workforce needs. Fairmont State is the only college or university in the state participating and is already experiencing successful outcomes. FSU’s School of Business and College of Science and Technology receive guidance in how to best utilize IBM technology in the classroom and to prepare students to be leaders in the industry. FSU student Nicolette A. Rueger, pictured here, accepted an opportunity to join IBM’s Sales and Distribution Summit Internship program in the role of Information Technology Specialist.

She worked in the Technical Exploration Center (TEC) at IBM’s prestigious Research Triangle Park site in Durham, N.C. FSU graduates are being called upon to utilize their combined business knowledge and technical expertise to embrace unlimited challenges and endless possibilities.

www.fairmontstate.edu/twvreport (304) 367-4892

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

John Pyka, software engineer at Lockheed Martin Corp., IS&GS Civil in Fairmont, plays a big part in the support Lockheed Martin provides the FBIʼs CJIS programs. He has provided maintenance on the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), a point-ofsale system for determining eligibility to purchase a firearm in the U.S.

Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS), which went live in 1999.

Lockheed Martin is the prime contractor on the FBI’s Next Generation Identification (NGI) — a program that is replacing and enhancing IAFIS. NGI has already delivered two increments into operations (fingerprint matching algorithms and the Repository for Individuals of Special Concern).

Future increments will support latent fingerprints, palm prints and face modality. NGI has employees in Fairmont and CJIS. Lockheed Martin has also worked side-by-side with its FBI partners in other endeavors to continuously enhance and improve their systems, support their IT infrastructure, and provide hardware and software maintenance for more than 10 years.

One of those endeavors is called the System of Services Refreshment Program (SoSRP), which Pyka supports. Lockheed

Martin performs technology enhancements and technical analyses to refresh or expand the FBI law enforcement systems. Lockheed Martin has been performing this type of work (under SoSRP predecessor contracts) for more than 10 years at the FBI CJIS Division in Clarksburg.

Some examples of work performed or being performed include enhancements to the NICS that is used by gun dealers or FFL to determine eligibility of applicants to purchase a firearm; and enhancements to the Law Enforcement National Data Exchange (N-DEx), a secure, online investigative tool for criminal justice agencies to share data enhancements or recommendations for FBI CJIS IT architecture infrastructure, including network consolidation and enterprise infrastructure services implementation.

“Technology has changed so much in the last 20 years,” Pyka said. “It’s changing every day. It’s getting better and better to instantly identify people.

We can apply that technology to court cases, DNA, cyber security. The applications are endless.

“I love coming to work. Not a lot of people can say that.

Lockheed Martin gives me lots of opportunities to thrive in this software arena. I get to work on cyber security, a project that is really cutting-edge. I really enjoy it.

“Think of all the possibilities people can use software. This is a canvas. I have the freedom to be creative and think of all the possibilities. This provides new challenges every day.

“I’m always challenged. I’m never bored. I recommend this career path to anyone who would like to get involved with high technology. You won’t be bored, for sure.

“I like the hometown feel of West Virginia. I like the family environment Lockheed Martin provides. West Virginia couldn’t be a more perfect place to house all this.”

Email Debra Minor Wilson at dwilson@timeswv.com.

Molina’s mission to plan, collect, protect and share PAGE 10

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Employees of Ultra Electronics Prologic take pride in security work

“We have some very intelligent and sought-after folks at this company, and being able to work with them on a daily basis is very rewarding.”

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Craig Molina’s fascination with technology began with a TRS-80 computer from RadioShack, a product that was first launched in the late 1970s to early 1980s.

“Any cellphone today has a hundred times more power than this computer did,” Molina said.

And although the gadget couldn’t keep up with the fast pace with which technology has advanced, it had a hand in directing Molina down the path to developing and refining the newer and more enhanced forms of technology that we see today.

After graduating from high school, Molina went on to earn his degree in computer science at West Virginia University.

“I pretty much knew in high school that when I went to college it would be to be a software developer,” Molina said.

Now the chief engineer for Ultra Electronics Prologic, Molina did make a stint as a developer, and he also held several other positions at the company along the way.

“I have been able to do a multitude of different things with some really great people without jumping jobs,” Molina said.

Molina first joined the company, which was founded in 1995, in 1998, but it wasn’t until last August that he became the company’s chief engineer.

“I have oversight of both our hardware and software for just about everything that we do,” he said.

And the company does quite a bit. According to Molina, Ultra Electronics Prologic sells products to domestic and international clients with the mission to “plan, collect, protect and share.”

One thing the company spe-

— CRAIG MOLINA

PHOTO BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER

Craig Molina, the chief engineer for Ultra Electronics Prologic in Fairmont, oversees the development of hardware and software for the companyʼs many products. Molina said the companyʼs mission is to “plan, collect, protect and share” information.

cializes in is the management of cryptographic programs for the U.S. government, which is done both on site and remotely.

“One thing about remote key management is that it’s something only a few companies in the country are allowed to do, and we do that,” Molina said.

Providing that kind of security is something Molina and his coworkers take pride in.

“We keep things safe for our national and our international customers,” he said.

One of the company’s newest additions is a product called Ultra Social. Molina said the product is an add-on to Twitter that encrypts tweets so that only those people who are added to a specified group can read them. To anybody outside of that group, Molina said the characters in the tweet look like “jibberish.”

“We’re protecting people’s information in social networking so that people have a little more privacy against some of the data mining while still being able to get

PHOTO BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER

Ultra Electronics Prologic chief engineer Craig Molina discusses a product known as Ultra Social with chief software engineer Jeremy Loomis, senior software engineer Andrew Grondalski and software engineer J.P. Hinkle. Ultra Social is an add-on to Twitter that encrypts tweets for security purposes.

their message out,” Molina said.

In addition, Molina said the company produces things such as the software for in-flight entertainment on corporate jets. For Molina, the wide-scale range of responsibilities and duties that his job presents is what keeps him on his toes.

“If any project that we have has a problem, I’m there to help,” he said. “Since we do everything from hardware to software to a cryptography program, I’m never quite sure what’s going to be on the other end of the phone when it rings.”

Molina appreciates that chal-

lenge about his career though, and said it is that very aspect that makes his job worthwhile.

“You realize you’re in power to make a difference and make a change,” he said.

Molina said that while the company is creating products that make tasks more efficient, some challenges are faced along the way.

“We are building more products, which is good, but as we build we need to be more efficient and streamline our production,” Molina said.

Meeting the demands of customers while enhancing their product line is what employees of Ultra Electronics Prologic strive to do.

“We’re finding ways to make us faster and better and improve our products at the same time,” Molina said.

Furthermore, Molina said he couldn’t ask for better company in the workplace.

“We have some very intelligent and sought-after folks at this com-

pany, and being able to work with them on a daily basis is very rewarding,” he said.

Chief software engineer Jeremy Loomis said that, in addition to other responsibilities, he helps oversee the technology development for the company’s ongoing projects while looking out for future technologies on the horizon. Loomis said Molina is instrumental in helping to make sure that work gets done.

“We work together directly to make sure that we can execute our business,” Loomis said.

According to Loomis, in addition to being in the business of information safety and security on the national and international levels, Ultra Electronics Prologic has a local impact.

“Our local footprint is more on an employee basis,” he said.

“We’re bringing in professionals from around the country to come here and stimulate the economy by moving here and investing in the community.”

And as those professionals work together to develop more cutting-edge technology, Molina said the company will only continue to grow.

“We want to develop more of the innovative technologies that we’ve developed so far because when you’re innovating, you’re attracting really good talent,” he said. “And when you’re challenged when you come to work, you enjoy coming to work because you know you’re working with some of the best people in the field.”

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

352652

Molina’s mission to plan, collect, protect and share PAGE 10

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Employees of Ultra Electronics Prologic take pride in security work

“We have some very intelligent and sought-after folks at this company, and being able to work with them on a daily basis is very rewarding.”

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Craig Molina’s fascination with technology began with a TRS-80 computer from RadioShack, a product that was first launched in the late 1970s to early 1980s.

“Any cellphone today has a hundred times more power than this computer did,” Molina said.

And although the gadget couldn’t keep up with the fast pace with which technology has advanced, it had a hand in directing Molina down the path to developing and refining the newer and more enhanced forms of technology that we see today.

After graduating from high school, Molina went on to earn his degree in computer science at West Virginia University.

“I pretty much knew in high school that when I went to college it would be to be a software developer,” Molina said.

Now the chief engineer for Ultra Electronics Prologic, Molina did make a stint as a developer, and he also held several other positions at the company along the way.

“I have been able to do a multitude of different things with some really great people without jumping jobs,” Molina said.

Molina first joined the company, which was founded in 1995, in 1998, but it wasn’t until last August that he became the company’s chief engineer.

“I have oversight of both our hardware and software for just about everything that we do,” he said.

And the company does quite a bit. According to Molina, Ultra Electronics Prologic sells products to domestic and international clients with the mission to “plan, collect, protect and share.”

One thing the company spe-

— CRAIG MOLINA

PHOTO BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER

Craig Molina, the chief engineer for Ultra Electronics Prologic in Fairmont, oversees the development of hardware and software for the companyʼs many products. Molina said the companyʼs mission is to “plan, collect, protect and share” information.

cializes in is the management of cryptographic programs for the U.S. government, which is done both on site and remotely.

“One thing about remote key management is that it’s something only a few companies in the country are allowed to do, and we do that,” Molina said.

Providing that kind of security is something Molina and his coworkers take pride in.

“We keep things safe for our national and our international customers,” he said.

One of the company’s newest additions is a product called Ultra Social. Molina said the product is an add-on to Twitter that encrypts tweets so that only those people who are added to a specified group can read them. To anybody outside of that group, Molina said the characters in the tweet look like “jibberish.”

“We’re protecting people’s information in social networking so that people have a little more privacy against some of the data mining while still being able to get

PHOTO BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER

Ultra Electronics Prologic chief engineer Craig Molina discusses a product known as Ultra Social with chief software engineer Jeremy Loomis, senior software engineer Andrew Grondalski and software engineer J.P. Hinkle. Ultra Social is an add-on to Twitter that encrypts tweets for security purposes.

their message out,” Molina said.

In addition, Molina said the company produces things such as the software for in-flight entertainment on corporate jets. For Molina, the wide-scale range of responsibilities and duties that his job presents is what keeps him on his toes.

“If any project that we have has a problem, I’m there to help,” he said. “Since we do everything from hardware to software to a cryptography program, I’m never quite sure what’s going to be on the other end of the phone when it rings.”

Molina appreciates that chal-

lenge about his career though, and said it is that very aspect that makes his job worthwhile.

“You realize you’re in power to make a difference and make a change,” he said.

Molina said that while the company is creating products that make tasks more efficient, some challenges are faced along the way.

“We are building more products, which is good, but as we build we need to be more efficient and streamline our production,” Molina said.

Meeting the demands of customers while enhancing their product line is what employees of Ultra Electronics Prologic strive to do.

“We’re finding ways to make us faster and better and improve our products at the same time,” Molina said.

Furthermore, Molina said he couldn’t ask for better company in the workplace.

“We have some very intelligent and sought-after folks at this com-

pany, and being able to work with them on a daily basis is very rewarding,” he said.

Chief software engineer Jeremy Loomis said that, in addition to other responsibilities, he helps oversee the technology development for the company’s ongoing projects while looking out for future technologies on the horizon. Loomis said Molina is instrumental in helping to make sure that work gets done.

“We work together directly to make sure that we can execute our business,” Loomis said.

According to Loomis, in addition to being in the business of information safety and security on the national and international levels, Ultra Electronics Prologic has a local impact.

“Our local footprint is more on an employee basis,” he said.

“We’re bringing in professionals from around the country to come here and stimulate the economy by moving here and investing in the community.”

And as those professionals work together to develop more cutting-edge technology, Molina said the company will only continue to grow.

“We want to develop more of the innovative technologies that we’ve developed so far because when you’re innovating, you’re attracting really good talent,” he said. “And when you’re challenged when you come to work, you enjoy coming to work because you know you’re working with some of the best people in the field.”

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

352652

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013

PAGE 11

Williams' work is on its way to Pluto TMC Technologies IV&V specialist works with spacecraft software for NASA

• •'_

/

BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT - Very few people have had the chance to go into space. No one has ever taken flight in a mission to Pluto.

But Christopher Williams, who works at TMC Technologies as an independent verification and validation (IV&V) contractor for NASA, worked on the New Horizons spacecraft traveling its way across the solar system on a mission to the dwarf planet and comes to work every day to do something he's interested in.

Williams is the leader of a SWAT team at TMC That's not a law enforcement designation; it stands for Software Assurance Tools.

The SWAT team contracts with NASA analysts to review the software that goes onboard their various projects.

"We have analysts here who basically independently confirm that they're doing the right things in designing the systems, implementing them and making sure they're building the right products when it's all said and done," Williams said.

To quickly walk through the process, engineers at NASA design hardware and software that become spacecraft or life support systems or other essential parts of their mission. When designing such critical systems, they have to be positive that everything works the way it's supposed to.

That's where contractors like TMC come in with their software assurance tools.

"Our charter as a team is to really enable our analysts here," Williams said.

That means testing and retesting the software to make sure it

if O

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Christopher Williams, a TMC employee contracting with the NASA IV&V Facility in Fairmont, poses near a window displaying a model rocket outside. Williams and his team help test NASA software to make sure mission-critical components have no room for error.

all checks out and even sometimes collaborating with analysts directly to create software and tools.

Strong testing can help prevent accidents like the 1999 Mars orbiter disaster, when two teams used metric and English units of measurement without reconciling the two, causing the orbiter to enter orbit at the wrong speed and shoot back out toward the sun.

Williams didn't start out on this path.

"I started off in college with just basic engineering," he said.

"My dad was an aerospace engineer ... and I wasn't sure yet what I wanted to do."

A Youngstown State student, he switched over to business for a time — "and frankly, I wasn't too thrilled with that" — before settling into computer science, which had fascinated him for years.

After graduating, he ended up in the area working as an analyst for the NASA IV&V department for several years, during which time he worked on the New Horizons spacecraft, a scientific

mission to analyze Pluto's atmosphere and collect new data.

"Spacecraft autonomy," he said, is vital for these kind of missions. "If something breaks on our Windows operating system, we can sit here and fix it."

If something breaks and the craft is halfway to Pluto, there's no way to establish enough of a connection to repair it from Earth; it has to be able to repair itself.

After working at NASA, he's worked at various software development opportunities, including the Department of Energy, before coming back to Fairmont to work at TMC, now as a contractor for NASA rather than a direct employee.

"It felt like a good fit for me and my career," he said. "There's a variety of NASA missions and some pretty interesting science involved, and while we aren't personally the scientists or anything, it gives us a little exposure into those areas."

Carlos Martinez, vice president and wearer of many hats at TMC, said the company has projects with the Criminal Justice

Information Services (CJIS) division of the FBI, the Army and Pierpont Community & Technical A' College among others, each offering different ways to put skills to use while pursuing interests.

"At a very high level," he said, "the things we do protect people.

And that's not just here — it's everywhere."

For instance, Martinez said TMC is working with the FBI in building a new version of the firearm background check system, which ensures that people PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER with criminal backgrounds or mental health issues are unable to Christopher Williams works at his computer in a meeting at purchase firearms. They also the NASA IV&V Facility. A software engineer for TMC work with the Army in develop- Technologies, Williams said he's always been interested in ing and testing biometric systems, science, and TMC allows him to be involved with that while which is "protecting our military contracting with government agencies like NASA. wherever they're deployed."

"If you like interesting technology and new At a more local level, he said, challenges on a daily basis, that's pretty they're providing high-quality high-tech jobs for the area. much what our team gets to be involved in."

"We have people going to Fairmont State, West Virginia — CHRISTOPHER WILLIAMS University, getting computer science degrees," Martinez said.

"It used to be the old 'brain CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7 drain,' that people had to go to other states to work in their fields.

What's happened now is that peo- inside them, they'll have 71 part: This is how I want it to ple can work in those high-tech times as much stuff to put back in work. Then there's design. them. The idea is to keep that "The day everything comes fields right here at home." together and works the way you Martinez and Williams agreed part of the system running."

It's obvious they both enjoy designed it to work ... those are that it seems like people aren't the days that will make your always aware of the tech jobs in their jobs.

"It seems like you're always week. the region.

"The worst days are when you "(The late) Sen. Byrd and (for- learning something," Jeremy mer) Congressman Mollohan for said. "There's always a new chal- tried everything and can't figure many years did an awful lot of lenge. It's the whole problem- out the problem. But that's part work in Washington to bring fed- solving part. That's what drives of the challenge. You will finally figure it out, fix it and make it eral agencies here," Martinez an engineer.

"If I came to work and was work the way you want it to. said, creating a sort of "silicon valley" in the hills of North told that at certain times of the "It's getting to that point of day I had to do this, that or the something you designed, seeing it Central West Virginia.

Williams said that every now other, I think I would go insane," actually doing something, whether it's making coils talk to each other and then he'll chat with locals he said with a laugh.

"There's always something or seeing the PRT move." who can't believe he works on spacecraft software in Fairmont. new. With this technology, I Jeremy and his wife Rebecca But it's real, and he says it's a learned to make new little com- have three children, Maria, 5, and munication devices. I didn't twins Matthew and Lucas, 3. great job.

"If you like interesting technol- know I could put little coils and "Twins run in the family," he ogy and new challenges on a put them four feet apart and said. daily basis, that's pretty much make them talk.

Josh and his wife Jamie have "It's things like that. The new- two daughters, Lily, 3, and Allie, 2. what our team gets to be involved ness of it." in."

"I'm afraid the next will be "Most engineers are driven doubles," he said, laughing.

Email Jonathan Williams at that way," Josh said. "That's the jwilliams@timeswv.com or follow Email Debra Minor Wilson at him on Twitter @JWilliamsTWV.biggest thing. I like the theory dwilson @ timeswv.com.

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TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 • WWW.TIMESWV.COM

Our Town

Energy & Industry High Technology

Health Care

Education & Workforce Living Here

Whoʼs Who

INSIDE

Quality care

In many ways, Jensen Kinsey’s first birthday party was nothing out of the ordinary. The celebration was complete with decorations and gifts and many loved ones were in attendance.

But there was one detail that set the celebration apart from that of most 1-year-olds — it was held at the WVU Children’s Hospital.

— Page 4

A close-to-home miracle

As the medical director of the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the West Virginia University Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, Dr. Manish Monga has seen firsthand the positive effects that clinical trials can have on cancer patients.

Not that he’s ever doubted their benefits.

Monga is a cancer survivor himself, diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 15, and his parents enrolled him in a research trial for treatment at New York’s Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center.

— Page 7

Cancer survivor helps others

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Erin Ferrell did not want to develop diabetes like her grandmother did. So she changed the way she eats and works out several times a week for an hour to an hour and a half at a time.

Health-care industry strong because of professional dedication to the patient

BY MISTY POE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

A native of Staunton, Va., Jackie Norris graduated from the University of Virginia in 2003 with a BS in nursing. She then moved to Fairmont and went to work at Fairmont General as a staff nurse on 3B, medical, surgical and oncology.

After working with oncology patients, she became certified in oncology care and moved up to her present position as nurse manager, medsurgical oncology, at Fairmont General in 2008.

— Page 9

Patient care top priority

For 24-year-old Sammy Belcastro, being an athletic trainer isn’t a way for him to push his clients. It’s a way to make them feel better about themselves.

“I love the feeling of helping people and helping them feel better about themselves,” Belcastro said. Belcastro, a newcomer in the profession, has a long history when it comes to knowing how to train and knowing how it feels to be trained.

— Page 16

Feeling better about yourself

FAIRMONT — Why do people keep going back to their family doctor?

It’s all about relationships.

It’s the friendly voice you hear on the other end of the line when you need to make an appointment or have a health concern.

It’s the office staff who knows you and greets you when you arrive, maybe on a tough day because of an illness.

It’s the nurse who smiles and chats as she checks your blood pressure and takes your temperature.

And it’s the doctor — the one who has seen you through the good times and the bad, in sickness and in health — who walks through the door, chart in hand but doesn’t even have to look at it to remember your name and medical past. It’s the familiar face you trust, the one you’ve trusted for years to either have the answer or to run tests and labs until the answer is found.

“I like working with the people,” Dr. Lisa Flower said. “What really keeps me coming to work is just to see a smile on somebody’s face.”

And it’s the face of Dr. Flower and her partner, Dr. Judy Bonfili, that keep patients and their family members coming back for regular check-ups and health issues at the practice she established in her hometown eight years ago. She attributes that continued growth to the attitude at the office.

Flower and Bonfili and their seven staff members strive to be friendly and welcoming to patients. It’s why she sees

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Nino Mancino (from left) shows Carlene Jarvis, Patricia Racut, Rosalie Dayton and Arletta Lemasters, the last four members of the Ladies Auxiliary Veterans of World War I, a poster for the Potomac Highlands Wounded Warrior Outreach program last spring.

many generations of the same family and why patients keep recommending the practice to friends and family members.

Those who join the medical and health-care industry are the ones who care about their patients and clients. It takes someone with the passion to help others to keep coming back to the office each day.

That’s why Andy Barrish enjoys his career as a sports medicine specialist at Mountain State Physical Therapy.

“Helping people is what keeps all of us coming back day in and day out,”

Barrish said. “Seeing the satisfaction of someone who comes in on a walker or on crutches and is depressed is the reason we’re here to help. Within a threeday period they’re saying, ‘Wow, I think I can go back and be ready to play.’ That’s very rewarding.

“Having people say, ‘Hey, I can climb up the stairs of my home; I can go back to work; or I can walk without pain’ — those type of things are rewarding,” Barrish said. “You like to see everyone do better.”

SEE HEALTH CARE, PAGE 2

PAGE 2

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

TWV FILE PHOTO

Pam Hamilton, a professor in food service management at Pierpont Community & Technical College and president of the West Virginia Dietetic Association, emphasizes when shopping to stick to the outer edges of the grocery store, where fresh foods such as dairy, meats and breads can be found.

Health Care

TWV FILE PHOTO

Dr. David Tingler, a cardiologist with the WVU Heart Institute based in Fairmont, monitors the heartbeat of a patient.

Barrish was impacted by those who helped him early in life when he was an athlete.

The three-time Academic AllAmerican for Waynesburg suffered an ankle injury and his No. 1 goal was to be on the field — as a personal goal and because he didn’t want to let his team down.

“When I saw that I sprained my ankle, I was able to get back on the field quicker because of our personal trainers and our sports medicine specialists,” Barrish said.

So it clicked with him — this was his future career. He was going to go on to help other athletes who wanted to give their all on the field.

He was going to be the face people turned to when they were in pain to take those gradual steps toward recovery and going about their daily lives as they are accustomed to.

And even during the toughest times a person and a family can endure, there are faces like the one that belongs to Dr. Paul Brager. Sometimes hearing the “C” word can be devastating, and Dr. Brager is there to see patients through the diagnosis of cancer and treatment options.

“Many of his patients say his calm and patient demeanor helped them through their toughest times with questions or anxiety or fears, and I think his approach is very comforting to people,” said United Hospital Center’s Director of Oncology Linda Carte.

He decided to take that path

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

TWV FILE PHOTO

A student in Bill Earhart’s TRX class at the YMCA performs a challenging move. Designed by a former Navy SEAL, Randy Hetrick, TRX uses bands suspended from the ceiling to facilitate resistance exercises that work out the entire body.

during his years of professional training.

“I think back in residency when I was training ... I could see a great need in oncology for dealing with people with very serious illnesses and being able to communicate in a compassionate way with their diagnosis and treatment,” Brager said. “I felt like I could make an impact with that.”

And the impact has been made, especially in the Cecil B. Highland Jr. & Barbara B. Highland Cancer Center, which has been designed for the comfort, care and convenience of the patients seen at UHC. In the new hospital facility, the oncology staff went outside the hospital to consult with hospitals to ask them what works and what doesn’t. They also consulted with patients, asking them what they wanted in a cancer care facility.

The new center meets all the major health-care expectations, having been designated a Comprehensive Community Cancer Program by the Commission on Cancer and given an Outstanding Achievement Award for the treatment it provides.

In the end, it is all about the care given and the care received that makes our healthcare industry so strong in North Central West Virginia. Today we bring you Flower’s, Barrish’s and Brager’s stories, along with many more about the people behind the scenes of health care making our state a healthier place one patient at a time as the Times West Virginian presents its Annual Report 2013: The Faces of Health Care.

Email Misty Poe at mpoe@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @MistyPoeTWV.

Carla S. Knapp LHIS, RN, BSN Franchisee

352841

Dr. Linton-Frazier: Patient satisfaction ‘best reward’ WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 PAGE 3

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

“I’ve always loved medicine. I’ve always been attracted to the sciences. Growing up, when you’re in high school you can take either path — a scientific route or a business route or one of those liberal arts routes. I’ve always been attracted to the sciences, so medicine was it for me.”

— DR. LATOYA LINTON-FRAZIER

Cardiologist’s career path was formed at an early age in Jamaica

BY CLIFF NICHOLS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

MORGANTOWN — As a young girl growing up in Kingston, Jamaica, Dr. LaToya Linton-Frazier saw the need for quality health care.

Now a cardiac electrophysiologist practicing at Monongalia General Hospital, she gets her biggest reward from seeing patients she treats enjoy a higher quality of life.

“I’m what most people would call an electrician,” she said. “I specialize in heartrhythm disorders, implanting pacemakers and defibrillators, and doing simple and complex ablations (a surgical or nonsurgical procedure used to treat abnormal heart rhythms),” she said. “What makes it rewarding is the end result.

“After the fact a patient says, ‘You know, I feel great. Thank you. I’ve been living with these palpitations or what have you for so long, and finally I can get some relief.’ Or, ‘Thanks for putting in a life-saving device.’ Not very frequently, but sometimes, some of our patients end up using the defibrillator such that they get lifesaving therapy.

“It’s the patient’s appreciation and satisfaction that gives me my satisfaction. That’s the ultimate best reward.”

With the rewards come challenges for Linton-Frazier, who, at age 38, was named one of the “20 Under 40” notables in North Central West Virginia by Corridor Magazine.

“People will come and they’re like, ‘You’re too young to be a doctor,’” she said.

“Sometimes there’s some skepticism, and it’s the hurdle to get over the factor that yes, I’ve had the appropriate training, and yes, I’m qualified to do the things that I’m telling you that I’m going to do.

“That’s a little bit of a challenge, but not to the fact that it’s prohibiting me from doing what I can do to the best of my abilities. We have a fantastic staff. We have the appropriate equipment. That makes our job much easier.”

Linton-Frazier was nearly 17 when her family came to the United States, first settling in Florida and then New Jersey.

She did her cardiology and electrophysiology training at Penn State, and since finishing there a couple of years ago, has seen significant improvements in technology and is excited about up-and-coming treatments being available at Mon General.

Linton-Frazier made the decision to begin her path toward a health-care career at a young age.

“I’ve always loved medicine,” she said. “I’ve always been attracted to the sciences.

Growing up, when you’re in high school you can take either path — a scientific route or a business route or one of those liberal arts routes. I’ve always been attracted to the sciences, so medicine was it for me.”

After spending a couple of years at a community college in Florida, she ended up at Rutgers University after her family moved to New Jersey.

There, she got her bachelor’s degree in biology with a minor in psychology and a master’s degree in behavioral neuroscience.

At Penn State, she made the decision to specialize in cardiac electrophysiology. Afterward, she did her internship and residency at Case Western Reserve University Hospital in Cleveland before heading back to Penn State Hershey Medical

Center in Hershey, Pa., to complete a cardiology fellowship and then a subspecialty in electrophysiology.

“It wasn’t that I changed around majors and tried to decide what I wanted to do,” Linton-Frazier said. “The fact that I saw there was a need — especially growing up in Jamaica, there was a need for adequate health care. That certainly was a driving impetus saying this is what I want to do.”

Above all, the doctor cherishes the opportunity to serve her patients.

“At the end of the day, you want to go to bed sleeping soundly, not having regrets, and saying, ‘You know what? I helped someone today, even if it’s not immediately realized’” she said.

“Sometimes with our job, you don’t see an immediate realization. It’s months and years later that the patients actually manifest the healing or the things that you’ve done.”

Cardiology is not something “you practice in a vacuum,” Linton-Frazier stressed.

“As cardiologists, we’re also trained in internal medicine,” she explained. “That encompasses the entire body system.

If I’m seeing someone who was sent to me for atrial fibrillation, then I have to look and see what their risk factors were — hypertension, or do they have valvular problems? There may be diabetes, obesity, lifestyle. We have to think about the entire body system as a whole as opposed to saying, ‘I’m just going to focus on your atrial fibrillation.’ These things just don’t happen in a vacuum.

“We have to be internists, foremost, because that is what we were trained to do. Then you go on to your subspecialty and your little niche.”

Linton-Frazier is part of the Morgantown Internal Medicine Group. Her partner, Dr. John Lobban, has been with the practice for many years.

“Everyone knows John, and he’s very talented, very gifted, and he is quite busy,” LintonFrazier said. “Because of his talent, he gets all of these referrals. I ride on his coattails with all the patients who are coming in because of Mon General, and not just John. My other partners are well, well respected in their fields, too.”

Linton-Frazier makes time to enjoy life away from the office and hospital.

“Relax. What’s that?” she said with a laugh.

She and her husband, Dale Frazier, and their daughter, Sydney, 7, now live close to his hometown of Pittsburgh.

“My priority is and will always be the family,” she said.

Sydney does tap dance and gymnastics, and Linton-Frazier enjoys accompanying her.

“You’re a physician, but you still have to be a wife, mom, friend, daughter, all the different hats,” she said.

Linton-Frazier said she’s getting “a little more efficient” and taking less paperwork home than she did a year ago.

In her free time she enjoys dancing, including Zumba, and appreciates a good novel.

She loves living in Morgantown.

“I was telling someone who asked me the other day, it’s like a little gem that’s not discovered yet, which is fine,” Linton-Frazier said. “We’d sort of like to keep it that way, selfishly.

“It’s so much different compared to an urban city with the traffic and crime. Yeah, the traffic is a little bit more when the college kids are in town, but that still makes it lively.

You get a feel that it’s a college town, and, wow, game day is something here.”

That’s coming from a former Penn State student.

Dr. LaToya Linton-Frazier, a cardiac electrophysiologist practicing at Monongalia General Hospital, says she gets her biggest reward from seeing patients she treats enjoy a higher quality of life.

PHOTO BY CLIFF NICHOLS

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Dr. LaToya Linton-Frazier is pictured with her husband, Dale Frazier, and their daughter, Sydney, who recently turned 6.

“We’re a little tickled here, ics, appropriately so. Even Penn State games, but the ones especially football,” she said. going to Penn State, I didn’t I did make it to of course it’s “I find that the fans are fanat- make it to too many of the blue and white and everybody

is excited, but I’ve never seen such fanaticism as here.”

How does the doctor see her future?

“I do want to keep doing what I’m doing now,” she said.

“I still have a whole lot of years ahead of me. I certainly would like to sort of jockey Mon Gen to be on the cutting edge as new technologies arise and we get to be part of groundbreaking studies and use new technologies. I would like to jockey the hospital to sort of being on the forefront of that.

Call it a legacy.

“I haven’t given it that much thought to say, ‘OK, 20 years from now am I still going to be doing this?’ I probably will be doing this. I don’t have the mind of an administrator per se, ‘OK, I want to go run a hospital.’

“Who knows? I’m not counting that out, but in the immediate future that’s not there.”

It’s all about directly serving patients.

“As long as there is patient satisfaction and I’m still getting personal satisfaction by touching lives, that’s good enough for me,” Linton-Frazier said.

Email Cliff Nichols at cnichols@timeswv.com.

Some of the Nation’s

Top Oncology Specialists Chose UHC...

Shouldn’t You? UHC oncology specialists diagnose and treat all forms of cancer in adults. These cancers include lung, breast, prostate, colon, bladder and lymphoma; as well as the many unique forms of the disease; they have studied at the Albert Einstein Medical Center, Indiana University School of Medicine, King Edward Medical College, Mayo Clinic, Medical College of Pennsylvania, University of Chicago and Yale University, they provide specialized radiation treatments using the most advanced IMRT techniques, they provide nationally recognized chemo therapy and bio therapy treatments, And they chose UHC. This level of care has never been this close to home.

For information call the UHC Physician Referral Line 800-607-8888

UHC recently received the Outstanding Achievement Award from the Commission on Cancer (CoC) of the American College of Surgeons (ACoS) for excellence in all areas.

The Center provides the region’s only Breast Cancer Navigator, a specialized individual to help women and men with breast cancer navigate through the diagnosis, treatments, as well as support and resources.

Paul M. Brager, MD

Yaser Homsi, MD

Salman Osman, MD

Michael A. Stewart, MD

PAGE 4

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Although 20-month-old Jensen Kinsey may be on a ventilator, he gets plenty of opportunities to enjoy a day out. “He does get many of those,” his mother, Cheryl Kinsey, said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Kinsey family — Cheryl, Jeb, Maddie and Jensen — has grown closer since Jensen, who was born prematurely and diagnosed with chronic lung disease, spent the first 15 months of his life in the WVU Childrenʼs Hospital. Jensen now receives home health care at his home in Pleasant Valley from four of the neonatal intensive care unit nurses who have been with him from the beginning.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Kinsey family thanks God for WVU Children’s Hospital Only one of six hospitals in country that could care for premature son

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — In many ways, Jensen Kinsey’s first birthday party was nothing out of the ordinary. The celebration was complete with decorations and gifts and many loved ones were in attendance.

But there was one detail that set the celebration apart from that of most 1-year-olds — it was held at the WVU Children’s Hospital.

“There was a big celebration,” Cheryl Kinsey, Jensen’s mother, said. “It was really nice because we had the nurses and some of the doctors there buying him things, helping with decorations and putting it all together.”

Up until that point, Jensen, who was born prematurely at almost 28 weeks, had spent his entire life at the Children’s Hospital.

During her pregnancy with Jensen, Cheryl’s water initially broke at just 19 weeks, but the doctors told her nothing could be done until she reached 24 weeks.

Once those weeks elapsed, she went to stay in the maternity ward at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown. Then, on May 9, 2011, Jensen entered the world.

He weighed just two pounds and three ounces.

As a result of his premature birth and Cheryl’s water breaking so early into the pregnancy, Jensen’s lungs were not able to develop properly. He was diagnosed with a condition known as chronic lung disease, and had to be placed on a ventilator.

Jensen remained at the Children’s Hospital until he reached 15 months old.

“They took very good care of him,” Cheryl said.

According to Cheryl, there are only about six hospitals in the country that could provide the services that Jensen’s condition required. Cheryl and her husband Jeb, who live in Pleasant Valley, felt fortunate that one of those hospitals was so close by, allowing them to make frequent visits to check on their son.

“She was there constantly,” Jeb said of his wife. “She dealt with the rigors of everything.”

Cheryl said she made it a priority to incorporate visiting Jensen into her daily routine.

Between taking her 9-year-old daughter, Maddie, to school in the mornings, visiting Jensen

and going to work, Cheryl’s days were full.

Meanwhile, Jeb, a union carpenter, was working night shift and making a one hour and 45 minute commute (one way) to work.

“It was tough,” he said.

A team of doctors, respiratory therapists and nurses worked together to provide Jensen with the care he needed. In addition to the medical services, the hospital provided emotional support to the family.

“Anytime Cheryl had someone she needed to talk to, she could,” Jeb said.

“Anytime Cheryl had someone she needed to talk to, she could.”

— JEB KINSEY

In addition, Cheryl said she formed a deep connection with some of the other families whose children were in the hospital.

“We had all been through it,” she said. “Whether you’ve been there two weeks, two months or 15 months, you still go through the same thing. It’s still hard.”

Meetings were also held every Friday with the doctors, therapists and nurses to keep everyone on the same page as to what the next step in Jensen’s journey would be.

While the first 15 months of Jensen’s life were difficult for the Kinseys, Cheryl said she and her family tried to focus on the present.

“We just took it day by day,” she said.

And on day number 365, his first birthday, a light at the end of the tunnel seemed to appear.

“When he reached 1, it was like we could finally see kind of an end and that he was going to be coming home,” Cheryl said.

Three months later, Jensen was finally on his way home from Morgantown to Pleasant Valley.

“We waited for that day for so long,” Cheryl said.

But reaching that point wasn’t easy. The process was delayed because the home health care company that the Kinseys tried to work through did not have enough nurses to provide services to Jensen. The Kinseys then tried to work through another company, Maxim Healthcare Services, out of Charleston, but it, too, lacked the staff necessary to meet their needs.

That’s when four of the neonatal intensive care unit nurses from the WVU Children’s Hospital stepped up to the plate.

Determined to give Jensen the home care he needed, Carol

Evans, Alison Farrell, Tammi Clutter and Devon McMillion, who had all worked with Jensen from the time he was born, volunteered to get trained for home health care through Maxim.

“They’re the reason he came home,” Jeb said. “We could still be at the hospital.”

Evans said she and her fellow nurses had developed a strong relationship with the Kinseys.

“They are such a good family and they were always at the hospital doing stuff with him, so it was heartbreaking to us to think he would have to stay there longer,” she said.

Just two months after Jensen was able to be sent home on the ventilator and the NICU nurses began making home visits to provide care, it was decided that babies who were on ventilators were no longer allowed to be sent home. Now, they must remain in the hospital until they have been completely weaned off the ventilator.

“We were lucky,” Jeb said.

According to Jeb, being able to bring Jensen home to his family environment has been essential to the progress he has made.

“I don’t think he would have developed as much in the hospital,” Jeb said. “He wouldn’t have room to crawl and walk and we wouldn’t want him on the floor. Here, he’s always on the floor playing.”

Evans agreed.

“You see a big difference in a baby from the hospital to home,” she said. “Everybody in the hospital loved him and took care of him, but there’s nothing like having a family that loves you and takes care of you.”

While Jeb admitted that bringing Jensen home made him nervous at first, he and the rest of his family have adjusted.

“Bringing him home was pure joy, but it was very scary as well.

We didn’t have any idea what we were getting into as far as the medical side of it was concerned,” he said. “The first few days were tough to even sleep, but it’s just like normalcy now.”

Jeb and Cheryl said that even though Jensen may have some medical issues, they don’t treat him any differently.

“We’ll throw him up in the air, toss him around and he wrestles around with our daughter,” Cheryl said. “He’s tough.”

And with the help of their inhome nurses as well as assistance from Birth to Three, the Kinseys are able to give Jensen all the care he needs. Evans said they rotate shifts while still working their full-time jobs in Morgantown. The nurses assist with Jensen’s breathing treatments, administering his medi-

cine, keeping him on his feeding schedule and more.

Jensen is now a friendly 20month-old who crawls, walks, blows kisses and even knows some sign language.

“He’s very intelligent,” Evans said. “He knows his colors, he knows animal sounds

and he knows his body parts. It is a big accomplishment from a nursing perspective because it’s very rare that you see this good of an outcome.”

It could be another year or so before Jensen is totally weaned off the ventilator, but the Kinseys are more than grateful for the

care Jensen has received and the opportunity to raise him in their own home.

“Thank God for the WVU Children’s Hospital,” Jeb said.

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

Health can start with what you eat

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 PAGE 5

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

“We take a long time researching socio-economically responsible brands. We want customers to come in and have confidence that they are buying something ‘Fair Trade.’ We do a lot of personal research to make sure they are responsible.”

— ASHLEY KEANE

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Ashley Keane, general manager at the Mountain Peopleʼs Co-Op, notes that the store has organic produce year-round.

Mountain People’s Co-Op serving diet needs for 38 years in Morgantown

BY MARY WADE BURNSIDE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Recently, a customer came into the Mountain People’s Co-Op with a bill of perfect health from his doctor except high blood pressure, which he could not explain.

“He told me he had been working on the house and walking the dog and he kept having shoulder pain,” said Ashley Keane, the general manager of the co-op.

Keane sent him home with Arnica, a homeopathic medicine that would help with inflammation.

“I told him he was probably inflamed from his body trying to fight off the pain,” Keane said. “I said, ‘Take this. It doesn’t interact with other drugs. It will start healing and give you pain relief.’”

Morgantown-area residents have been relying on Mountain People’s Co-Op for their health and diet needs for 38 years now, since the co-op was established in 1975, two years after the storefront evolved from a food-buying club.

As a co-op, nobody owns Mountain’s People. Instead, anybody can become a member for the price of $30 a year for a household and $20 for students.

Currently, the co-op has between 350 and 500 members. A board of directors makes decisions for the co-op.

But anyone can shop there, although membership provides benefits.

“Our members receive a 5 percent discount on their in-store purchases every Wednesday,” Keane said. “That’s the member discount day.”

They also can special order products without placing a deposit, as non-members are required to do.

The Mountain People’s Co-Op differs from typical stores in other ways, especially in the types of products available.

“We take a long time researching socio-economically responsible brands,” Keane said. “We want customers to come in and have confidence that they are buying something ‘Fair Trade.’ We do a lot of personal research to make sure they are responsible.”

By “Fair Trade,” Keane means that some companies might not be paying the farmers who grow their products a fair wage. A coffee conglomerate might pay their farmers one-fifth of what the company charges for a cup of coffee.

“They are getting nothing,” Keane said. “Our prices on coffee are more expensive, but we make sure those farmers are making a living wage. They are equally paying them for their product.”

Workers at the co-op do Internet research, Keane said.

Also, as a member of a cooperative network, the Mountain People’s Co-Op has access to a national database of information.

“There are a lot of certifications out there, like Fair Trade and Equal Exchange and Certified Humane,” Keane said.

“Last year, we did a theme of Fair Trade Christmas. We only got specific items that were Fair Trade.”

But customers at the Mountain People’s Co-Op can get all types of products there, from grocery goods to boutique items such as incense and locally made jewelry.

As for grocery items, “We pretty much have everything you find in a grocery store. People who come in know we have high-quality products and our prices are pretty comparable, especially in produce and bulk.”

However, at the Mountain People’s Co-Op, produce will be organic and meat has been supplied locally and grass-fed and not injected with hormones or antibiotics.

Bulk items include the No. 1 item, rolled oats, as well as granola, beans, spices, grains, dried fruits, locally milled flour, and bulk oils such as olive oil and tamari.

“Our organic spices are very popular and the prices can’t be beat,” Keane said. “You can buy as little or as much as you want if you just need a little bit for a recipe.”

The co-op also gets honey in 60-pound buckets; bulk nut butters keep customers coming back and filling their jars with the nosalt, no-sugar peanut butter.

“It makes the costs much slimmer,” Keane said. “You really are paying for packaging in the grocery store.”

In fact, customers are charged for containers the store provides in an effort to prompt them to bring in their own method of transporting their groceries and other items home.

“That charge is to discourage you from using our bags and to get them to bring back mason jars and refill spice containers.

We get people to bring as much of their own stuff back and use it.”

About five years ago, after nearly a quarter of a century as the building at the corner of University and Fayette that was painted purple for a long time but now is a bright shade of green, the Mountain People’s Co-Op almost declared bankruptcy. A long-term manager had left and a succession of replacements did not do well, Keane said.

Now, the debt has been paid off. “We’ve come out of that and we are doing quite well,” said Keane, who has been general manager since November 2011.

And now the store has doubled the inventory of bulk foods and offers produce year-round. The popularity of the green movement has spurred a new type of customer to come in.

“A lot of people are getting aware of what is in food and what they need to avoid,” Keane said. “We’ve greatly increased our student membership and we’ve gained a lot of younger families. For a while, it was more older, established families that had been shopping here.”

The co-op also has partnered with the Mountaineer Country Farmers Market (www.mountaineercountryfarmersmarket.co m), an online, year-round farmers’ market, which delivers to the co-op, the Mountaineer Mall and Mon General Hospital, Keane said.

“And if you are in the radius, you can get it home-delivered,” she added.

Then there are the customers who come in with health ailments and are looking for a more natural way to cope with them.

People with diabetes, for instance, can learn a new way of eating.

“If someone comes in asking for weight loss, we try and get

them to change their lifestyle,” Keane said. “Instead of looking for a quick and easy fix, we’ll pair a diabetic with a lowglycemic sugar alternative as well as a starch neutralizer to help absorption if they want to have pasta for dinner so they don’t spike their blood sugar.”

Another popular line of items are gluten-free, to help customers cope with celiac disease.

In fact, a baker, who works out of the now-defunct Mountain People’s Kitchen, produces just about as many gluten-free options as those with wheat.

“If the bakery makes really good cookies, we’ll make that in gluten-free, too. In fact, for Valentine’s Day, we had heartshaped cookies, and he made more gluten-free than glutenous.

They sold really well.”

Email Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.

Bulk items at the Mountain Peopleʼs Co-Op allow customers to measure out as little or as much as they want of any item. “Our organic spices are very popular and the prices canʼt be beat,” general manager Ashley Keane said. “You can buy as little or as much as you want if you just need a little bit for a recipe.”

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WINGS OF WONDER SERIES 2013* May 3 – Tygart Lake – 7 p.m.

June 8 – Pipestem – 8 p.m.

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Visit the museum year-round. blennerhassettislandstatepark.com

THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF CORNSTALK’S CAMPAIGN* Learn the history of western Virginia Euro-American settlements in the Trans-Allegheny region.

May 4 – Kanawha State Forest June 1 – Tu-Endie-Wei State Park Sept. 7 – Hawks Nest State Park School and tour groups welcome. *Programs open to the public without charge.

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Health Care

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 PAGE 7

Faces of

Monga stresses the benefits of clinical trials

PHOTO BY NICOLE FIELDS

Dr. Manish Monga serves as the medical director of the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the WVU Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. A cancer survivor himself, Monga said clinical trials can help answer future questions about cancer care.

A cancer survivor himself, doctor’s experiences help him relate to patients

BY NICOLE FIELDS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

MORGANTOWN — As the medical director of the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the West Virginia University Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, Dr. Manish Monga has seen firsthand the positive effects that clinical trials can have on cancer patients.

Not that he’s ever doubted their benefits.

Monga is a cancer survivor himself, diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at the age of 15, and his parents enrolled him in a research trial for treatment at New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, which Monga said was a pioneer in childhood cancer treatments at that time.

That diagnosis helped spark an interest in medicine and ultimately led to his decision to become a physician.

Following medical school in his native country of India, a residency in internal medicine at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, a fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Md., and a 10-year stint at the Schiffler Cancer Center at Wheeling Hospital, Monga began working at WVU. He splits his time among duties, seeing patients three days each week and devoting two days to his responsibilities as medical director of the Clinical Trials Research Unit (CTRU).

His diagnosis also helps him relate to patients, he said, and he believes the CTRU offers a teamwork approach to patient care that ultimately helps when it comes to the research being done.

Monga said progress in cancer care comes from research, and that research depends on patient participation in clinical trials.

“If we have treatments for some cancers that give you 95 or

100 percent results, that’s fine.

But we don’t have, for the majority of cancers, treatments that are that successful,” he said.

“We have to improve on what our treatment results are for any kind of cancer in terms of outcome, quality of life and side effects. That’s why we have to do research.”

Monga said nearly 600 patients participated in research studies at WVU in 2012 — whether in “therapeutic” trials, which consist of treatment via a new type of drug or a new way of administering the drug, or “non-therapeutic” trials, which consist of collecting data and information — and while participation is voluntary, he said the hospital has an 11 percent participation rate among new patients.

Nationally, that rate is 3 percent.

Of course, Monga would like to see the CTRU’s number even higher. The benefit? As Monga explained, more people partici-

“If we have treatments for some cancers that give you 95 or 100 percent results, that’s fine.

But we don’t have, for the majority of cancers, treatments that are that successful. We have to improve on what our treatment results are for any kind of cancer in terms of outcome, quality of life and side effects. That’s why we have to do research.”

— DR. MANISH MONGA

PHOTO BY NICOLE FIELDS

Dr. Manish Monga, medical director of the Clinical Trials Research Unit at the WVU Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, and Shannon Filburn, manager of oncology clinical services at the CTRU, examine a patientʼs scan.

pating in the trials will lead to improved treatments and outcomes for patients.

“If we don’t know for 15 years which (treatment) is better, then we can’t ask the next question (regarding treatment),” he added. “We want more adults to participate in clinical research. If we can get our number above 20

percent, that would be great.

Higher is better. There should be no ceiling to it.”

Current clinical trials at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center range from melanoma and lung cancer to leukemia and multiple myeloma, and Monga said there are various ways a patient can participate.

One of those patients is Norman A. Brown II, 57, who was diagnosed with melanoma a year ago.

Brown, who lives in Nettie in Nicholas County, said he was diagnosed after he noticed a black spot on his arm that had cracked open and was oozing blood. His doctor sent him to a surgeon, who removed the spot and sent it for tests before it came back with the positive diagnosis of melanoma.

Soon after the diagnosis, Brown began treatment at the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, which is where he met Monga.

The decision to participate in a clinical trial was an easy one, Brown said.

“There’s nothing foolproof (in cancer treatments), but I’m sure if there’s something out there they can do, they’ll do it,” he said. “I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be to go through something like this.

“This clinical trial ... will save a lot of lives, and I’m glad to be a part of it.”

Yorty: Service to country and then community After 21 years in the Navy, dentist is training next generation at WVU

BY MARY WADE BURNSIDE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — As a dentist in the Navy, Dr. Jack Yorty traveled all over the country — and to Iceland and Scotland — in order to provide tooth care to United States sailors.

Now his students at the West Virginia University School of Dentistry travel throughout West Virginia doing the same thing.

But of course, the school also offers in-house services to patients, including an urgentcare clinic as well as dental services to those who want low-cost treatment.

Yorty, the clinical dean of the School of Dentistry and a native of Centerville, Pa., in Washington County, decided he wanted to be a dentist in high school. He majored in pre-dentistry at WVU and then attended the college’s School of Dentistry, graduating in 1976.

For his last two years of dental school, Yorty’s way had been paid through a Navy scholarship.

“So I owed them two years,” he said. “I decided to stay in for 21.”

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Dr. Jack Yorty, the clinical dean of the WVU School of Dentistry, spent 21 years in the Navy as a dentist and got to live all over the country and in Iceland and Scotland.

He spent his first two years in Portsmouth, Va., first at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard and then at the Naval Medical Center in Portsmouth.

Then it was off to Naval Air Station Keflavik in Iceland for two years before he returned to the Washington, D.C., area, working first in the Washington Navy Yard and then in Arlington.

“Then I did two years of gen-

eral dentistry residency at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda,” Yorty said.

One might think that he would have done the residency first thing after graduation, but not in the Navy.

“You had to show that you were career-oriented,” Yorty said. “You had to put in five years before they would consider you for the residency pro-

gram. They wanted to get their money’s worth.”

He then spent two years on the USS Hunley, a submarine tender — one that supplies subs with necessary items — in Holy Loch, Scotland.

“After that, I came back and spent three years at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis,” he said.

He finished out his military

SEE MONGA, PAGE 11

career in California, working as first come, first served.

“I’d say 90 percent of those a dental officer on the USS Missouri in Long Beach, Calif., folks have teeth extracted,” he for two years before moving to said. “That’s why they are comthe Naval Air Station Point ing here.

“The other 10 percent might go Magu in Ventura County, and then back to Long Beach for on to have a root canal started to another two years before finally try and save a tooth. But the winding up at Marine Corps majority that come in to urgent Station El Toro in Orange care are there to have a tooth County, Calif., where he served extracted and many of them are on the state medas a company comical card promander for two “Our school gram.” years. does a lot for For patients Yorty returned to civilian life in 1997 the community. who do not have a medical card, We’re always as a faculty member at the WVU looking for new those visits cost School of patients, more $75 and would include an exam, Dentistry, where he remained for four people we can X-rays, diagnosis years before going take care of.” and the extraction.

A root canal or into private practice for four years — DR. JACK YORTY filling would cost extra, Yorty said. in Waynesburg, Pa. “I would say 30 to 40 people a In 2007, he returned to the School of Dentistry, and “I’ve day use the urgent clinic,” he added. been here ever since.”

For non-emergencies, patients In 2010, he became not only the clinical dean of the school, but can make appointments for a also the associate dean for clinical preliminary exam to be seen by students and/or faculty. education and patient care.

“We create a list of things they That’s an important title and one that helps reflect the role of need,” Yorty said. “They are the School of Dentistry, which not looking at us and we’re looking only educates the state’s future at them and deciding if they are dentists but also treats community suitable for student clinics.

“What we’re trying to do is members.

“We have a variety of different give them comprehensive care,” services,” he said. “We have an he said. “We work up a plan to urgent-care clinic where we can restore them to as good dental take walk-in patients that are hav- health as possible.” ing difficulties.”

The clinic is open to the public, SEE YORTY, PAGE 11

PAGE 8

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

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Norris: Patient care remains top priority WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 PAGE 9

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Nursing field is always changing with technology

BY DEBRA MINOR WILSON TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — A native of Staunton, Va., Jackie Norris graduated from the University of Virginia in 2003 with a BS in nursing. She then moved to Fairmont and went to work at Fairmont General as a staff nurse on 3B, medical, surgical and oncology.

“I worked there for five years,” she said. “I enjoyed that.

I learned a lot.”

After working with oncology patients, she became certified in oncology care and moved up to her present position as nurse manager, med-surgical oncology, at Fairmont General in 2008.

An RN, she holds BSN (Bachelor of Science in Nursing) and OCN (Oncology Certified Nurse) degrees.

“Becoming certified involves taking a special exam. It means you have extra knowledge about oncology and how to take care of oncology patients.

“I like to have all the knowledge I can,” she said. “It wasn’t something that was required. I did it on my own.”

As nurse manager, she works with about 45 RNs, LPNs, PCAs and CNAs, performing “a wide range of duties,” she said.

Patients admitted to the medical/surgical units (3B and 4A) at Fairmont General Hospital are generally patients who have had surgery or been diagnosed with acute conditions such as pneumonia, appendicitis, abdominal pain, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or any medical problem/condition. The unit also serves as the oncology unit, in which cancer patients are admitted for care.

Specialized chemotherapy training is required for all nurses on the medical/surgical units, allowing them to administer chemotherapy to cancer patients.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Jackie Norris, nurse manager of medical, surgical and oncology at Fairmont General Hospital, says cancer patients are “a really special population. They become part of your family. Their care involves their whole families. They are very dependent on your care. Itʼs a very personal experience for them.”

The nursing staff includes registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, certified nurse aides and other health care professionals.

“I provide guidance for the staff so they can care for their patients. I schedule payrolls and staffing. I help implement policy changes and troubleshoot issues that come up.

“I don’t take patients unless it’s necessary, but I am in patients’ rooms and take care of patient care.”

She remembers her first oncology patient.

“I didn’t know a lot about (oncology),” she said. “But the more I did, the more I grew to love oncology patients.

“They’re a really special population. They become part of your family. Their care involves their whole families. They are very dependent on your care. It’s a very personal experience for them.

“A lot of times they have different needs, more needs than other patients,” she said. “They might be at the end of their lives and need palliative care. Their

treatment goals might be different. The doctor might not be trying to cure them.”

It’s hard to remain detached, she said.

“I definitely get emotionally attached. I think that is a good thing because your patients and their families want a nurse who is invested in their care. This lets them know you do care and want what’s best for them.

“It’s tough to see pediatric oncology patients. But we don’t take care of them here. We do see young adult oncology

patients. That’s very tough, increase in cancer patients since especially if you know they have I’ve been here,” she said. young children, something like “There’s more head and neck that. cancer. There will always be a “This is something you take lot of lung and colon cancer.” home and think about. That’s A good nurse is invaluable to one reason why this job is so patient care. important. We’re trying to take “A good nurse lets the doctor care of these patients, trying to know about changes in a provide quality care for them. patient’s condition. The nurses “We become a member of are at the bedside with the their family. We learn their patients. names. You are a part of their “A good nurse is very attenfamily. They remember you and tive to the needs of the patients that they and focuses on “A good nurse received good patient service. care at your is very attentive to A good nurse is hospital. That compassionate, the needs of the makes you feel intelligent, and patients and focuses keeps up with good.”

A nurse is on patient service. changes in always learning technology and A good nurse is , she said. health care. The compassionate, “I go to as nurse also intelligent, and many conferneeds to be ences as I can keeps up with flexible, too. to make sure “We’re very, changes in my staff is up to very busy up technology and date with nurshere on the health care. The ing and oncolonursing unit. gy care,” she nurse also needs to It’s hard to be said. “I read as very structured be flexible, too.” many articles in your day online as I can.

— JACKIE NORRIS because things “Health care can happen at is changing and we definitely any time. You need to be able to want to make sure we’re up to handle changes.” date with everything that’s going She enjoys her profession. on in health care.”

“I feel like I’m making a difThat includes technological ference in the lives of my patients and their families. It’s advances.

“Health care is more based in something I have a passion for.”

Nursing wasn’t always her technology now,” she said. “We do barcode scannings with meds dream profession, she said.

“It’s not something I always for patient safety. It’s a big focus on national patient safety goals. wanted to do. But in my second “Health care has changed a lot year of college, I took some since I started. For me, the classes and it was something I biggest change is the focus on thought I would be good at.

“Once I started taking those outcomes for patients and outcomes based on quality meas- classes, I decided I might like to try it. ures. It’s very important.

“And once I got into nursing “We can have up to 25 patients on the unit. It depends school, I knew I’d made the on the treatment how many right decision.

“I’m not sure what the future there might be. We usually have holds. I’d like to continue learnfive to 10 at a time.

“In the winter we have more ing and growing, and be in my patients (in med-surgical) and current position for as long as I more oncology patients. In the can.”

Email Debra Minor Wilson at summer we see fewer.

“I’ve definitely seen an dwilson@timeswv.com.

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Watson: Making a difference, one patient at a time PAGE 10

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

“I get to meet people from all over the state.

I get to hear very interesting stories, not just about their headaches but about their lives, and I really like that.”

— DR. DAVID WATSON

Interaction with patients is best part of the job, neurologist says

BY EMILY GALLAGHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

MORGANTOWN — For Dr. David Watson, working in neurology means he gets to make a difference in people’s lives even if it is one patient at a time.

Watson is an associate professor of neurology and the director of the West Virginia University Headache Center at Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown and tries his best to help those suffering from mild headaches to severe migraines.

“I have some goals as far as making a bigger difference,” he said. “But I think right now I make an individual difference for a number of people.”

Watson sees patients from teenagers to the elderly and enjoys helping them with their problems. His favorite part of his job is interacting with people.

“I get to meet people from all over the state,” Watson said. “I get to hear very interesting stories, not just about their headaches but about their lives, and I really like that.”

Getting to know his patients on a personal level instead of just getting the facts is something Watson likes about his job.

“It allows me the flexibility to

take that little bit of extra time to interact with people more on a personal level,” he said.

When a patient comes to see Watson it’s usually because of a headache complaint, and he tries to figure out why they have headaches and how it can be fixed. But when Watson was in medical school, neurology wasn’t what he wanted to go into.

“I initially planned to be a family doctor,” he said.

During his first year in medical school, Watson took a neurobiology course and found it interesting. He did reasonably well in the course and enjoyed learning about different disorders.

Originally he wanted to work with epilepsy patients and wanted to avoid working with headache patients. When he went to do his residency work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he was active in the headache center and enjoyed it more.

“I realized this was a group of patients who really had a great potential for improvement,” Watson said. “I could make a difference and I enjoyed it, so I changed my mind and pursued it as a career.”

After his residency and fellowship at UNC, Watson, a WVU fan, moved to Pittsburgh

SUBMITTED PHOTO

David Watson (center) and his family are huge WVU fans and try to attend as many football and basketball games as possible. When Watson is not working, he likes spending time with his four children, Levi (left), Luke, Julia and Emma.

to work for the University of Pittsburgh. He knew in the back of his mind that he wanted to come back to WVU. “I spent four unfortunate years working for Pitt,” the Mountaineer fan joked. “Then I came back to WVU to start the Headache Center here.”

Watson grew up in Martinsville and got his undergraduate degree in chemistry with a minor in biology at West Virginia Wesleyan, then came to medical school at WVU. He left Morgantown and did an internship in Roanoke, Va., and on to his residency and fellowship at UNC. Watson wanted to travel away from home to see what

somewhere else was like, but always knew he wanted to come home.

“All my family still lives around here,” he said. “There was just a draw to come back.”

Watson said he enjoys working at WVU because it’s big enough to provide almost any service the state needs for health care but small enough at the same time to still have a relationship with his bosses and other people in different departments.

“This is not like one of those huge academic medical centers where you don’t know anybody outside your department,” he said.

Watson also grew up a WVU fan and takes pride in getting to

work at the university. He sees what potential the hospital has in the medical field.

“I think that we provide great service to the state,” he said. “I think we surprise people when they come from outside at what we have here.”

Watson looks forward to the future and hopefully making a bigger impact in the field.

Another goal is to expand the Headache Center at WVU. “It’s a field that really is undervalued and underserved, which means I really have the opportunity to make a difference,” he said.

His main focus is improving the care of headache patients in the state.

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“I can do that one patient at a time, but also work on ways to try and do that on a bigger scale,” Watson said.

When Watson isn’t helping patients with their headaches, he can be found spending time with his family.

“My life at this point revolves around family activities,” he said. “We like to be outside and just play together outside and travel a bit.”

As a Mountaineer fan he enjoys attending WVU football and basketball games when he gets the chance.

Email Emily Gallagher at egallagher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @EGallagherTWV.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 PAGE 11

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Brown said the treatment offered through the clinical trial is aggressive, but as his wife Belinda explained, “Even with standard chemo treatments, nothing’s guaranteed.”

“You’re shooting for the best outcome possible, and like Dr. Monga said, melanoma is very aggressive. We’ve got to treat it aggressively,” she added.

The couple acknowledged the team approach Monga speaks so passionately about, and said that in addition to being seen by Dr. Monga, Norman receives care from Carla Ross, a clinical nurse

Yorty

who Belinda said answers any questions and concerns the couple has.

It’s that individualized attention Belinda appreciates for her husband’s care.

“Norman is not the only patient,” she said. “Carla is diligent and gets on top of anything I’ve called her about. She gets right back with me. They don’t waste time.”

Both Norman and Belinda added that the team checks in with Norman every three months, and if there’s a problem in the meantime, a simple phone

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

The dental school offers three levels of care: faculty practice, graduate students and predoctoral.

“They would have an option of going through any of those three levels,” Yorty said.

Patients pay a different rate, however, depending on who sees them. Every year, a private organization takes a survey of dentists’ fees in Monongalia County and comes up with a list of average fees.

“We start off at the 95th percentile with the faculty practice,” Yorty said. “If there is a filling and it is X amount, we would start off with the faculty practice dentists at 95 percent of that.”

Graduate students would be

about 75 percent and predoctoral students, 50 percent, Yorty added.

“So we offer the reduced rates,” he said. “It takes longer and they need supervision and they have things checked along the way. But graduate students are dentists. It’s just that they are dentists and they are specializing in something.”

The School of Dentistry offers more services than that, however.

A pediatric program goes into the schools offering care to children who do not have a family dentist.

Most of these students have the Medicare CHIPS program, the West Virginia Children’s Health Insurance.

“If they don’t have a dentist of

call is all they have to make.

Brown said he would recommend clinical trials to any patient facing a similar diagnosis.

“Anybody with cancer, I feel that they would be very well taken care of at Morgantown,” Brown said. “I was blessed that I got through (the diagnosis) as good as I did. Thank God I’m cancer free right at the moment.

(The CTRU) was just really a good atmosphere — good people, good doctors, good nurses.

“I put my life in Dr. Monga’s hands. He’s done a tremendous job,” he added.

their own, we provide transportation and get them to our school,” Yorty said. “We’ll present a plan based on what their needs are and their parents have to approve.”

Representatives from the school also attend health fairs as well as the February Go Red For Women screening event at the WVU Heart Institute, an especially important topic now that a link between bad dental health and potential heart problems has been found.

The school also gives care to patients at the Milan Puskar Health Right clinic in Morgantown and holds a clinic for children during National Children’s Dental Health Month, which is in February.

Brown’s experience is just one of several success stories, although Monga said success is measured not necessarily by each patient’s progress, but by what is being learned throughout the treatment process.

It’s a process he thoroughly enjoys being part of.

“I don’t even consider it as a job,” Monga said. “If you like what you’re doing and you’re passionate about it, then it’s not a job.”

Despite the participation rate at WVU, Monga said there is a certain stigma faced by clinical

But while the numbers of patients who travel to the Robert C. Byrd Health Sciences Center in Morgantown are impressive — in 2012, the school registered 29,388 student clinic visits and 47,742 procedures performed — the number of those reached by students going out into the state also are impressive, with 3,902 patients and 7,492 procedures.

“The uncompensated care for them doing this was roughly $4,122,750,” he said.

“Our school does a lot for the community,” Yorty added.

“We’re always looking for new patients, more people we can take care of.”

Email Mary Wade Burnside at mwburnside@timeswv.com.

trials. But he said patients weighing whether to participate in a clinical trial should never feel like a “guinea pig,” and he pointed out that the research being done is extremely well regulated with tight oversight by officials on a federal level.

“Almost everybody’s life is touched by cancer — personally or family member or friend,” Monga said. “If you get cancer, I would encourage people to educate themselves about their cancer and specifically try to under-

stand the benefit of clinical trials.

“Clinical trials participation may help the patient, but may help the next patient or family member or friend who might have cancer down the road because it will answer a scientific question that will help us progress cancer care,” he added.

“People should not fear participation in clinical trials.”

Email Nicole Fields at nfields@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @NicoleFieldsTWV.

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TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Health Care

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 PAGE 13

Faces of

Brager: Major strides made in cancer patient care From comfort to clinical advancement, much has changed in oncology

conducted his residency at the University of Pittsburgh, with fellowship training at Ohio State University.

It takes a lot of years of education and training to enter the medical field.

Brager said after he finished his training, he felt “attracted” to the mountains.

BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS “There was a great need 25 years TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN ago for more oncologists in the comBRIDGEPORT — A long hospital munity,” he said, “so I kind of gravitatstay is always trying for a family, but ed here.”

More than 26 years later, he’s still some ailments are more dreaded than others. A cancer diagnosis can change working for UHC. The hospital has changed a lot since your life in the blink of an eye, and a supportive shoulder can be crucial in he started. For one thing, it’s in an entirely new building with this difficult time. an entirely redesigned canUnited Hospital cer center, and Brager and Center, located just “It’s difficult off the Jerry Dove enough to have Carte took the opportunity to design the best facility Drive exit in cancer and be they could.

Bridgeport, has built “When I started here 16 going through its entire oncology years ago, there was already department around this, but the a developed cancer prosupporting cancer little things gram, but much like differpatients in all the litreally help out ent parts of health care, it tle things, to say nothing of the big with your care.” has to change with the needs of the patient,” Carte said. ones.

“Cancer care is changing all And Dr. Paul — DR. PAUL BRAGER of the time.”

Brager, lead oncoloShe’s been devoted to gist in the Cecil B. Highland Jr. & Barbara B. Highland finding a better way to care for Cancer Center, models a calm, caring patients with cancer since shortly after bedside manner that exemplifies the she started her nursing career. In those days, she said, “the doctor basically center’s goals. came into the room, gave the treat“I think back in residency when I was training ... I could see a great need ment and left.”

The nurses were left to “try to figin oncology for dealing with people with very serious illnesses and being ure out what was going to happen to able to communicate in a compassion- the patient,” she said, as that was not a ate way with their diagnosis and treat- major concern for health care ment,” Brager said. “I felt like I could providers at the time. “A week or so later, their hair would fall out, or make an impact with that.”

As he’s not one to brag about him- they’d be throwing up that evening self, UHC Director of Oncology Linda and none of us knew what was hapCarte said he’s made good on his goals. pening to the patient ... or how we “Many of his patients say his calm could be helpful so that the patient and patient demeanor helped them could be as comfortable as possible.

“I think it was in my first five years through their toughest times with questions or anxiety or fears, and I think his of being a nurse that I said there has approach is very comforting to peo- got to be a better way to care for these patients that have such unique needs.” ple,” she said.

Together, she and Brager went outOriginally from Philadelphia, Brager has the credentials to go just about side the hospital to consult with hospianywhere in the country. He studied tals to ask them what works and what medicine at Yale Medical School and doesn’t. They also consulted with

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Dr. Paul Brager, an oncology and hematology specialist at UHC in Bridgeport, checks patient information at a computer terminal. Brager has worked at the hospital for more than 25 years and patients note his calm demeanor and excellent treatment as one of the hospitalʼs high points.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Linda Carte (right), director of oncology at UHC, stages a consultation with Linda Radcliff in the hospitalʼs infusion center. Like many aspects of UHC, the infusion center has been designed first and foremost from the perspective of providing maximum comfort to the patient.

patients, asking them what they wanted in a cancer care facility.

The new center meets all the major health care expectations, having been designated a Comprehensive

Community Cancer Program by the “little” things that add up to make a Commission on Cancer and given an big difference in care. In the infusion Outstanding Achievement Award for center, for instance, the chairs patients the treatment it provides.

But it also provides for a lot of the SEE BRAGER, PAGE 14

Flower: Truly a family practice doctor

County native establishes practice that serves generations of families

BY JESSICA BORDERS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Dr. Lisa Flower loves helping her patients feel better and improving their lives in some way.

Flower has been practicing medicine for 10 years and is employed through Fairmont General Hospital. She works in the Department of Family Medicine at the HealthPlus in Fairmont with Dr. Judy Bonfili.

Flower, who grew up in the Fairmont area and graduated from North Marion High School, comes from a medical family. Her father is a veterinarian and her mother is a nurse.

After high school, she went to West Virginia University for her undergraduate degree, medical school and residency. She moved away for a period of time, living and working in Charleston, and then returned home to Marion County eight years ago.

Flower lives outside of Barrackville with her husband Brandon and their three children, 10-year-old Sophia, 8-year-old Nate and 5-year-old Samuel.

Her practice was originally PHOTO BY JESSICA BORDERS located off Route 73, but she Dr. Lisa Flower, who works for Fairmont General Hospital, provides care for men, women relocated to the HealthPlus faciland children at her family practice at the HealthPlus in Fairmont.

“I like working with the people.

What really keeps me coming to work is just to see a smile on somebody’s face.”

— DR. LISA FLOWER

ity when it opened in 2008 under the name of HealthPlex.

Focusing on family practice, Flower sees patients of all ages, from babies to the elderly.

“That’s what I like about family care — it’s always different, keeps you on your toes,” she said.

While most of her clients are from Marion County, she also helps some people from Morgantown, Clarksburg and other surrounding areas.

“I like working with the people,” Flower said. “What really keeps me coming to work is just to see a smile on somebody’s face.”

Flower said she sees several generations of some families, from the grandparents to their children and grandchildren.

Family dynamics and stressors and other factors can play a role in health.

“I like to take care of families as a whole,” she said. “It helps you to understand the whole family when you know a little bit of the background.”

Flower said a lot of new patients come to the practice because of positive recommendations from family and friends.

“People want to bring their family back to see us,” she said.

“That’s your best referral source when people tell their friends and family to come.”

Bonfili joined the practice at the HealthPlus when Flower was pregnant with her youngest child, and they have been working together ever since.

At that point, the practice was growing and Flower needed someone else to help provide care to patients, especially while she was on maternity leave. She knew Bonfili, who had been working in the Eastern Panhandle, from residency at WVU. Flower said they make a good team.

The practice has continued to expand since then.

“We’ve sustained steady growth through the years,” Flower said.

She attributed that continued SEE FLOWER, PAGE 14

PAGE 14

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

Brager

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

may spend hours in hooked up to chemotherapy are comfortable and lift to gently place them on their feet rather than force them to lift themselves out of their seat.

Another thing patients requested, when designing the new center, was to keep services centralized so they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to travel back and forth

Flower

across the hospital. Today, the majority of treatment is kept within one floor, and just about all cancer-related treatment is in the same wing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s difficult enough to have cancer and be going through this,â&#x20AC;? Brager said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;but the little things really help out with your care.â&#x20AC;?

He said the hospital has

always encouraged the cancer center in providing care, and he enjoys working with the staff to make a difference in countless lives. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s certain illnesses ... that we can make a huge impact and cure patients that previously were incurable 3540 years ago,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Though theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve made a lot

of ground, Brager said theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re nowhere near finished. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s always more to go,â&#x20AC;? he said, both in terms of treatment and patient comfort.

After all, the patient comes first.

Email Jonathan Williams at jwilliams@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @JWilliamsTWV.

PHOTO BY JESSICA BORDERS

At her office, Dr. Lisa Flower often sees several generations of families and enjoys the variety that her job brings every day.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

growth to the attitude at the office. Flower and Bonfili and their seven staff members strive to be friendly and welcoming to patients.

In terms of changes, they are hoping to move to electronic medical records this year, which Flower said will be a lot of work but will provide benefits in the end. The transition should start taking place over the summer.

As for other plans, Flower said she would love to go on another mission trip in the future.

Last year, she went on a medical mission trip for the first time to Peru. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was incredible,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Flower had the opportunity to be part of a mission trip the previous year, but she declined because she didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to leave her family. However, that invitation planted the seed in her mind, and she thought about the idea until the chance was offered to her again last year. At that time, she was ready.

She traveled with missionary Matt Cook and his family and met up with a group of doctors in Cusco. They spent a week running a clinic, where they provided free care and medication. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was scary to go down there, but it was a wonderful experience,â&#x20AC;? Flower said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It makes you appreciate what we do have here. Even though our health care system, we all think

itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of broken â&#x20AC;&#x201D; when you have a complete lack down there, it makes you appreciate that you do have something.â&#x20AC;?

Fairmont resident Patti Rogers, who has lived in Marion County all her life, has been a patient of Flower for several years. In fact, Rogersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; whole family, including her husband, son, daughter, son-in-law and other loved ones, all see Flower for their health care needs. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She is so easy to talk to,â&#x20AC;?

Rogers said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She listens. She doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t rush you, and she pays attention and she is so passionate.â&#x20AC;?

Rogers said Flower doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make her patients feel like they have to get out of the office as quick as possible. Instead, she takes the time to find out if thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s anything else she can do for her patients and tells them to contact her if they have any questions or concerns.

When Rogers had the stomach flu, Flower called her to see how she was. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just think the world of her,â&#x20AC;? Rogers said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really special. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Her whole staff is just so helpful and wonderful. You donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to wait. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just 100 percent satisfied with her. I wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t trade her.â&#x20AC;?

Email Jessica Borders at jborders@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @JBordersTWV.

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PAGE 16

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PHOTOS BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Sammy Belcastro (left), a trainer at Fairmont General HospitalĘźs HealthPlus, shows an exercise to one of his clients earlier this year.

Belcastro making an impact on fitness early Personal trainer enjoys helping people feel better about themselves

BY JARROD HARRIS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; For 24-yearold Sammy Belcastro, being an athletic trainer isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a way for him to push his clients.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a way to make them feel better about themselves. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I love the feeling of helping people and helping them feel better about themselves,â&#x20AC;?

Belcastro said.

Belcastro, a newcomer in the profession, has a long history when it comes to knowing how to train and knowing how it feels to be trained.

It all began when he was a child.

Belcastro and his father set goals, and Belcastro strived for excellence. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My father pushed me to exercise when I was 7 and 8

years old,â&#x20AC;? Belcastro make their workout â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reflecting back to when I was younger, it put me in the said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I remember regiment based upon shoes of my clients that I have coming in and havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t doing push-ups in my the needs of my living room. I could client.â&#x20AC;? worked out in a while. We put our heart and soul into remember how much The interesting them and push them to sometimes extreme limits.â&#x20AC;? it took for me to grasp thing about how hard I needed to Belcastroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s workouts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; SAMMY BELCASTRO work. is the fact that he â&#x20AC;&#x153;Reflecting back to when I es. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just incredible when you Belcastro said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re seeing doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do the same workout was younger, it put me in the see results. It makes you feel results, theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re losing weight twice. He tries to create a variety shoes of my clients that I have that much better, whether it falls and looking good, while feeling of workouts so they become coming in and havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t worked under athletics or just your own good both mentally and physi- enjoyable for the client. cally.â&#x20AC;? out in a while. We put our heart personal life.â&#x20AC;?

As for cardio, most trainers Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the main reason Since people who come enjoy short-burst drills and placand soul into them and push them to sometimes extreme lim- Belcastro followed the path he is through the doors at the ing their clients on treadmills; now on.

HealthPlus donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have the same Belcastro wants the individuals its.â&#x20AC;?

The journey began at abilities in terms of being able to he is training to get the most Because Belcastroâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s father had such a positive influence on Bridgeport High School and achieve a high level of training, bang for their buck. him, it allowed Belcastro to feel ended at Fairmont State, where Belcastro and the rest of the staff Meaning? like working out was a part of he received his bachelorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s accommodate the needs of the He wants to do workouts they degree in exercise science. customers. him. canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do on their own.

That opened many doors. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I try to use information and Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like putting your shoes on â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to do stuff that they He paired up with the techniques that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve learned canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get on their own â&#x20AC;&#x201D; and I every day or even brushing your teeth when you get up in the Fairmont General HealthPlus, through education and athlet- know they can come in and do morning. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a necessity,â&#x20AC;? he managed by Pro Performance, a ics,â&#x20AC;? Belcastro said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I like to cardio on their own,â&#x20AC;? Belcastro little more than seven months focus on the core. I do a lot of said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When we do work on said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It got to the point as to when ago. Since then, heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been able core exercises. cardio, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do a lot of interval â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do a lot of upper body training ... Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have some I got older, I loved it so much,â&#x20AC;? to develop a bond with clients and a lot of lower body. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll clients come in and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll do an Belcastro said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I liked the extra who walk through the door. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Seeing the results with my mix it up â&#x20AC;&#x201D; mix and match. I interval or two minutes of a push and I got to the point where I was going to the gym four to clients that Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m working with â&#x20AC;&#x201D; just get a feel for my clients. So fast-paced walk and then two five days a week on my own. I just to see the smile on their I ask them for a specific goal. I minutes of a nice pace jog. was trying to learn new exercis- faces â&#x20AC;&#x201D; makes me feel good,â&#x20AC;? try to take it from there. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll That keeps them at a good

M VA FA I R M O N T C L I N I C

range of speed where they feel comfortable while trying to accomplish it. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t make them go out of their range if they are uncomfortable. We usually do that for 20-30 minutes. Then weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll go in and finish a workout with some legs or core.â&#x20AC;?

Even though his career has just begun, Belcastro wants to lend advice for someone looking to pursue a college degree or even become a personal trainer like him. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Whatever you love, or whatever your passion is, if personal training is something you want to do, go do it,â&#x20AC;? Belcastro said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great field to get into â&#x20AC;&#x201D; work hard and put your heart into something you want to do.

Manage your time wisely and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let the other distractions in the world bring you down.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t let those take your life.

Just stay on a straight and narrow path. Stay close to the Lord and pray to the Lord. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll give you guidance.â&#x20AC;?

Email Jarrod Harris at jharris@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @JarrodHarrisTWV.

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Barrish making an impact in sports medicine WEDNESDAY, MARCH 27, 2013 PAGE 15

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Helping people recover keeps therapist coming back every day

“The science behind what we do has grown.

Folks that suffered the same injury 20 years ago, they didn’t start therapy for six months.

Now we see them the next day. So the rehab science that we do, along with the surgery behind the injury, is significantly better.

Movement has started a lot sooner.”

BY JARROD HARRIS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Since his high school days, Mountain State Physical Therapy’s Andy Barrish has been determined to help people in need.

“Sports medicine started in high school as a high school athlete and then turned to a college athlete,” Barrish said. “In high school, I saw the benefits of having a trainer and a sports medicine person affiliated with the team.”

The three-time Academic AllAmerican for Waynesburg suffered an ankle injury and his No. 1 goal was to be on the field. It wasn’t just for his pleasure — being on the field would give his team a better shot at winning since he was a star offensive lineman.

“When I saw that I sprained my ankle, I was able to get back on the field quicker because of our personal trainers and our sports medicine specialists,” Barrish said. “So I thought personally, ‘What do I want to do?

Do I want to be an accountant or teach?’ and then I thought about being a sports medicine specialist. I thought to myself, ‘This is cool and I love athletics and I like sports.’ Then I decided that doing this would be beneficial and interesting. I liked biology and I liked science, so sports medicine would be a nice fit for me.”

That’s when Barrish decided to pursue a degree in sports medicine. He received a bachelor’s degree from Waynesburg University.

“Through that program, I was able to pass the National Athletic Trainers Exam, and by my junior year I realized that I could even do more if I pursued physical therapy.”

Barrish then headed to the

— ANDY BARRISH

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Mountain State Physical Therapyʼs sports medicine specialist Andy Barrish shows the proper arm-training technique to his patient, Ronnie Mills, in a training session earlier this year.

University of Pittsburgh, earning his master’s degree in 1994.

That’s when he decided to proceed into the clinical practice of sports medicine.

“It will be 19 years in May since I first went into this profession,” Barrish said.

From a rehabilitation standpoint, Barrish has noticed a significant change since 1994 when he graduated.

“The science behind what we do has grown,” Barrish said.

“Folks that suffered the same injury 20 years ago, they didn’t start therapy for six months.

Now we see them the next day.

So the rehab science that we do, along with the surgery behind the injury, is significantly better.

Movement has started a lot sooner.”

A prime example of someone recovering from injury fast is North Marion’s Audia Bartlett, who helped lead her team into the state tournament in girls’ basketball. She tore her ACL a year ago.

“When I first started, you wouldn’t think of someone coming back from an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tear until the following year or even longer,” Barrish said. “Now, six months, you can be back.

“You look and see what the medical profession is doing

from the orthopedics and the surgeries. You have to stay upto-date and know what to do surgically in order of having an idea of how to rehab them.”

Although an ACL tear is a difficult transition into rehabilitation, there is something even more complex than the knee joint — shoulder injuries.

“There isn’t one particular injury that’s worse than others, but I would say in general, the throwing shoulder is probably the hardest rehab scenario,” Barrish said. “Typically when someone tears their rotator cuff or they have a labral tear, the potential for them to get better quicker is going to be based on where they were when they first started.

“You see folks who have had chronic shoulder problems for a long time. They’ve lost strength and coordination of the shoulder and the rotator cuff muscles.”

He said the shoulder is not designed like a hip that has a lot of articular support. Basically, your shoulder is a golf ball sitting on a tee upside down. It relies on the ligament structure and the musculotendinous units in order to get the timing of that shoulder joint.

“That’s a main reason as to why it’s difficult with shoulders ,” Barrish said. “So I think the

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throwing shoulder is probably the hardest rehab, especially when someone isn’t an athlete, that has had a chronic problem for some time. Their shoulder had been neglected and then they go in and have their surgery with literally what strength they had — they lost it after the immobilization period. Then you’re truly showing them how to start over completely.”

Even though shoulders are

difficult to rehab, they are usually the culprit of other main problems in the upper torso region.

“The hand extremity is connected to other main parts of the body,” Barrish said. “So I see folks who have neck problems and it’s really shoulder issues.

Then I see folks who have bad shoulders and then it’s a neck issue.

“When you look at these individuals, whether they are an athlete or not, you have to look at the whole unit and see how it works together in order to specifically find the problem.

I’ve seen people who have elbow pain that we didn’t even treat their elbow. We worked on rotator cuff and shoulder exercises and then their elbow pain went away.”

Barrish’s job is to determine the

problem and attack the main source.

He said being able to help individuals creates fulfillment as a sports medicine specialist.

“Helping people is what keeps all of us coming back day in and day out,” Barrish said. “Seeing the satisfaction of someone who comes in on a walker or on crutches and is depressed is the reason we’re here to help.

Within a three-day period they’re saying, ‘Wow, I think I can go back and be ready to play.’ That’s very rewarding.

Having people say, ‘Hey, I can climb up the stairs of my home; I can go back to work; or I can walk without pain’ — those type of things are rewarding. You like to see everyone do better.”

Email Jarrod Harris at jharris@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @JarrodHarrisTWV.

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Education & Workforce Development

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 PAGE 7

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Faces of

Online classes ideal for FSU grad student Clay Digital landscape provides material for her to use with her own teaching

BY DEBRA MINOR WILSON TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — When she was growing up, Vanessa Clay wanted to be the next great filmmaker.

“It’s a crazy thing, but somehow I got into education ... by way of that, in fact,” she said.

The Cleveland native used that love of film by studying communications at Antioch College in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

She’s now pursuing an online Master in Education degree in digital media at Fairmont State.

After graduating from Antioch in 2001, she got a job with Appalshop at Appalachia Media Center in Kentucky, teaching young people how to make video documentaries about their communities.

“That’s when I realized I was really good at teaching,” she said.

She taught there for a couple of years, then took some time off to raise her children, now 8 and 4.

In 2010 she came to Pocahontas County with AmeriCorps.

As an instructor with the High Rocks Academy leadership program, she taught “a mixture of girls” video and photography classes.

High Rocks helps teen girls ages 13-18, she said.

“It’s girls with potential.

They’re high-risk, from nice families, from not-so-good families.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Vanessa Clay and husband James like to go hiking with their children, Mazie and Avery. This is the group on a recent hiking trip (from left, Mazie, Vanessa, Avery and James Clay).

We mix them up to expand their experiences.”

Found in Pocahontas, Nicholas and Greenbrier counties, High Rocks mentors teen girls on such skills as college readiness.

She worked there full time for a year and returns to teach at summer camps. Now she’s involved in adult basic education, teaching computer literacy, life skills, workplace and academic skills, and GED and college prep. She also teaches resume and cover letter skills, interviews, time management and customer service.

“It’s for anybody, but mostly they’re in job transition and are referred by the DHHR,” she said.

“We also cover problem solving, professionalism, your rights

at work, how to search for a job, job readiness and using the computer as an online job source.

“You might have to hone your workplace skills to become a better candidate to get a job. Some students don’t have their GED. We also get people off the street.

“I really enjoy it.”

She teaches a diverse group of students, she said.

“There is a particular need in Pocahontas County for all these life skills. This makes it a better place. The best thing about my job is every day I see students who don’t have a job, don’t have a resume, and I teach them to do an interview, get a job, reach their goal.

“It’s pretty cool.”

Pocahontas County is a remote, rural county deep in the Appalachian Mountains.

“It’s pretty isolated. You have to go up and over the mountain to find jobs. Snowshoe is a big employer, but it’s service, temporary or part-time work.

“You won’t find the kind of jobs that you need to keep for years unless you have the education to back it up.

“I’m trying to get people thinking about what’s next.

Going back to school is a big thing.”

She’s been in her job full time since September.

“I’m still trying to figure out how to make it work,” she said.

“I’d like to do some entrepre-

neurial workshops to help grow “It’s important that this is businesses for those people who taught in school, just as we teach want to stay here. them how to read. I’m not sure “If you want to stay and build students are learning that any something here, you are going to other place. have to do something.”

“I like doing what my (online) She’s working on her master’s professors are doing: training in digital media literacy and teachers to use digital literacy in learning at Fairmont State, tak- the classroom. Whether it’s with a ing classes online.

Ph.D. and teaching at a university, “This is how to take technolo- who knows? gy and change the way we teach, “Ultimately what I want to do using technology not is teach teachers not just to make students to be afraid of digital aware of the impor- “I’m trying to technology, educate get people tance of digital literathem how to use it. If cy but also just learn- thinking about it’s used properly, it ing how to read inforcan really be transformation brought to us what’s next. mative in the classin ways that are non- Going back to room.” print — TV, radio, school is a big Online classes the Internet. Where agree with her. thing.” this information “I’m more excited comes from, the — VANESSA CLAY about teaching. I feel things you do when like every week I reading a book. learn something new “My program is about teach- to take back and try in my classing teachers how to use new dig- room. My professors are good at ital literacies and transform the challenging us ... not to just supway they’re teaching.” plement what we’re already She enjoys Fairmont State’s teaching but to change the way online program. we’re teaching.

“I wasn’t sure if I wanted to “Digital technology is the take it or not at first. I express way of the future. It’s not going myself better in writing. away. Media and all its different “Books are not on their way forms is here to stay for sure. out, but new technologies are on It’s all about teaching people their way in. You don’t need to how to interpret that media and stop teaching people to read and teaching teachers how to teach interpret books. kids about the importance of “Most kids these days get most interpreting it.” of their information not via books She was always kind of shy in or text unless they’re in school. high school, she said.

Outside — with your friends, at “I never spoke up in class. I the workplace, watching that real- was uncomfortable. It’s ironic ity show on TV — you need to how now I stand in front of the know how to interpret that infor- class and teach.” mation the same as if you were Email Debra Minor Wilson at reading it. dwilson@timeswv.com.

All-star athlete gets total WVU experience “To be in this gym and be able to do a sport that I absolutely love and do that alongside of getting an education is just really exciting and so much fun. It makes being in college just that much better.”

— HOPE SLOANHOFFER

From gymnastics to classes to activities, Hope Sloanhoffer goes for the gold

BY CLIFF NICHOLS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

MORGANTOWN — It’s appropriate that Hope Sloanhoffer competes as an allaround gymnast for West Virginia University.

She counts her blessings every day.

Sure, being able to compete in a sport she loves as a leader of a nationally ranked Mountaineer team is on her list.

After all, she has been involved in the sport since the age of 3.

Sloanhoffer’s life, though, involves so much more than gymnastics.

“It’s such an honor and a blessing to be able to come and have an opportunity to get a college education, which is something that I know there are so many people in our country and other countries that would die for that opportunity,” the Cornwall, N.Y., native said.

“That’s really exciting, and to be in this gym and be able to do a sport that I absolutely love and do that alongside of getting an education is just really exciting and so much fun. It makes being in college just that much better.

“Getting to meet so many amazing people through gymnastics and school and places like BCM (Baptist Campus Ministries) is really exciting.

“I definitely don’t want to take that for granted ever, because I do know that there are so many people who would give a lot to be in the position that I am in.”

The 2012 East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) Gymnast of the Year won the

all-around, vault and uneven parallel bars championships at last season’s league meet. She entered her junior season as a two-time WVU Most Valuable Gymnast.

“I knew immediately when we were recruiting her that once she signs on for a cause, she will march through any wall that you put up in front of her,” WVU coach Jason Butts said.

“You can’t ask for a better athlete than that. She loves this team. She loves West Virginia.

She completely bought into it.

She wants to see us get back to the national stage. It’s never about Hope. It’s always about the team.”

Sloanhoffer competed in club events at Gymnastics Revolution in Connecticut under Brian Bakalar and Dawn Arigo from eighth grade until her senior year of high school.

During that period, she overcame a knee injury her sophomore year.

“Then I had surgery the summer before my senior year,” Sloanhoffer said. “Throughout the summer I got healed and rehabbed, and was ready to go my senior year of high school.”

She finished seventh out of 56 competitors in all-around at the 2010 Level 10 national championships; she also placed seventh in vault and floor exercise.

This season Sloanhoffer is nationally ranked in all-around and has reached regional rankings in all-around, vault, floor exercise and bars.

“It has been a really awesome year so far,” she said. “We, as a team, have been doing some incredible gymnastics. Every

week we’ve just been surgery or pediatric surgetting better and better.” gery.

She competed in vault, “I definitely love balance beam and floor working with kids,” she exercise as a freshman said. “They are so spebefore adding bars and cial to me. I’ve always competing in the allworked with them since around last season.

I was in club, helping “Just being able to with classes and birthcontribute on every event day parties, things like is really exciting,” that.

Sloanhoffer said.

“Being able to work Her favorite event is with kids for the rest of floor exercise. my life would be really “It’s just so much fun,” exciting. We’ll see what she said. “Having a group happens. I have a lot of of girls that I truly look at time, which is good.” as my second family on Baptist Campus the sidelines and getting Ministries is her “family to enjoy it with them away from home.” especially at home when With gymnastics and we have our home school, Sloanhoffer has crowd, it’s just a blast, little free time, so she honestly.” enjoys the opportunity “She’s a floor worker,” to “hang out” with Butts said. “I think the friends. At least three to crowd really looks forfive members attend all ward to her floor routine. of WVU’s home meets Our team looks forward supporting her. to it.

“They are so amaz“It says a lot about a ing,” she sad. “I’ve been floor routine when the extremely blessed to be people standing on the able to meet all of them sidelines watching have there. If I’m not here (in just as much involvement the gym), I’m usually as the person who is with them.” going on floor. That’s She is also a member what she has. She’s a of the Student-Athlete crowd favorite.”

Advisory Committee.

Sloanhoffer said the “We are just trying to fun she finds in gymnasget the student body to tics is important. come together and do “Being able to just SUBMITTED PHOTO things together as a have fun while you do Hope Sloanhofferʼs favorite event is floor exercise. “Having a group of cohesive group,” gymnastics is the best girls that I truly look at as my second family on the sidelines and getting Sloanhoffer said. thing,” she said. “There is to enjoy it with them especially at home when we have our home crowd, Relay for Life is the no point in doing some- itʼs just a blast, honestly,” she said. group’s “big thing” durthing if you don’t like it.” ing the spring. has and put up the points that Her top memory at WVU moment for me here.”

“We focus on making sure Butts said consistency and she has put up. That’s really that our station is going to be involves the team.

“Last year, winning EAGL hard work are Sloanhoffer’s where her strength lies. ready and we’re going to have “Also her presentation and students that are going to come conference as a team, that was strengths.

“Every day she’s in here at just her performance and her and walk through the whole absolutely amazing,” she said.

“We knew it was going to be practice working just as hard as coolness and confidence under night. It’s a really exciting kind of close, and it came down anybody else in here,” the pressure.” time.” coach said. “Then there’s conOn the academic side, to the last couple routines.

It’s just another part of the Sloanhoffer is pursuing an total university experience “We were finishing on beam, sistency in competition.

“If you look at her track undergraduate degree in exer- Sloanhoffer sincerely appreciand when Beth Deal, our sixth person on beam, nailed her dis- record over the course of three cise physiology. Her goal is to ates. mount, I just remember our years right now, knock on become a doctor.

“Absolutely,” she said. “I am “I’m planning on pursuing so totally honored and blessed entire team just went crazy. wood, she only has a couple of When Jason told us it was offi- falls. That’s amazing for some- medical school, and I’m really to be able to be here.” cial and that we had won EAGL, body who has competed as hoping to stay here,” she said.

Email Cliff Nichols at cniHer interests are orthopedic chols@timeswv.com.

I think that has been the best many times in all-around as she

Riffee tending to his ‘garden’ at FSU PAGE 8

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Nontraditional student pairs passion for plants with learning

“I wanted to do something for other students and for the university itself.

Because as a nontraditional student, and being away from school for five years, coming back I had a different perspective on my academic career.”

BY JARROD HARRIS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Brad Riffee, a 27year-old nontraditional student at Fairmont State University, has fulfilled a dream that could benefit the campus for many years to come.

Over the past two years, Riffee has implemented the use of hydroponic gardening through greenhouses at FSU. “I sat down with Dr. (Robert) Baker and asked him why they didn’t have gardens on the roof,” Riffee said. “He said, ‘Well, Brad, that’s a wonderful idea.’ He then put me on the path and gave me the support that I needed to bring my vision to fruition. He told me to apply for the Sure Fellowship grant.

So I applied for the grant and I received it. I conducted research and grew vegetables hydroponically. I proved that it’s cost-efficient and it can grow certain progress.”

According to Amy Jeanroy’s column on About.com, “Hydroponics is the term used to describe growing without soil. It is also known as soil-less gardening. This includes the basic plant in a container of water, or a more intricate form of hydroponics, growing in a non-soil medium like gravel, sand, vermiculite, crushed rock bricks or even Styrofoam.”

Although those types of greenhouses haven’t been introduced to the main campus of Fairmont State, Riffee hopes that by the time he graduates, FSU can join the likes of other institutions that produce their own goods and services of fruits and vegetables through hydroponically grown items.

But how did Riffee come up with this idea?

“During my first semester at Fairmont State University, I had a world literature class with Dr. Baker, and we read Voltaire’s ‘Candide and Optimism,’” Riffee said. “At the end of ‘Candide,’ Candide states, ‘We must cultivate our garden.’”

Being an English major at FSU and

— BRAD RIFFEE

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Fairmont State University nontraditional student Brad Riffee showcases his lettuce plants that were grown hydroponically this past summer.

having a love for gardening, that’s when Riffee started conducting research.

“I just paired my passion for literature with my passion for gardening,” Riffee said. “I’m an outdoorsman. I like to garden, hike, fish — I just have a passion for the outdoors.

“I wanted to do something for other students and for the university itself.

Because as a nontraditional student, and being away from school for five years, coming back I had a different perspective on my academic career. It wasn’t selfish anymore. I thought to myself that I had an obligation to do anything that I could for my peers and my university. My goal was to unify multiple departments — biology, chemistry, language arts, architectural design and more.”

Riffee wants to have a hands-on

approach with the garden. He doesn’t want to feel as though he’s the person facilitating the entire idea.

“My main goal is to expand and increase a learning environment for the students,” Riffee said. “I want to allow them to do things that they can’t do right now at FSU. At the same time, jump on the becoming green idea. This is a great way to become green.”

Not only is Riffee implementing hydroponics into the institution at Fairmont State, but he is taking on another roll in the institution.

This year, Riffee serves as editor-inchief for The Columns newspaper. He was promoted from the marketing manager position to the editor-in-chief position because he is quick on his feet and organized. He also has good ideas.

His role in the organization is to lead by example and publish a newspaper

that accommodates the needs of both the students and the community.

“At The Columns, we’re trying to not only attract student readers and appeal to their interests more, but at the same time, address interests that are relevant to the community that surrounds us,” Riffee said. “Being subjective to different perspectives — I think that truly is a part of reaching out to people. I just think it’s a great learning experience.

Being able to work with my staff, work with my supervisors — there’s just a lot of support there.”

The support and guidance from his professors and newspaper staff has allowed Riffee to feel that he’s getting a top-notch college education.

When Riffee first went to college 10 years ago, he went to Eastern Michigan University. But something wasn’t clicking. With 250-300 people in his lecture

classroom, he wanted to change his career and attend a college that could accommodate his needs.

That’s when he decided to become a Falcon.

He moved to Fairmont from his Woodhaven, Mich., home, and he’s not looking back.

“I love West Virginia,” Riffee said. “I had family here in Fairmont, and I would tell myself that I wanted to move here and stay for life. So I decided that I would pursue my life objective and move to Fairmont. What a great decision I made.

“The atmosphere is more intimate at Fairmont State University. It’s more hands-on and more personal. You go from a classroom of 40-50 students — that’s just your normal classroom, not your lecture classes — and then you come to Fairmont State. You have a smaller classroom. You have a smaller class size. So on that level, I didn’t expect that. I didn’t expect the learning environment to be so intimate. You’re right there and the professors know your name. You’re not just a number.”

Even though Riffee’s journey is going to end at Fairmont State in 2014, he plans to stay in the area.

During the spring and summer, he’s taking his hydroponic idea to the farmers market in Morgantown.

“This spring and summer, I’ll be growing fresh-cut flowers and selling them at the farmers market in Morgantown,” Riffee said. “We have around 6,000 flowers that we’re going to plant.

“I just thank Fairmont State for letting my dreams come true.”

Email Jarrod Harris at jharris@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @JarrodHarrisTWV.

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Pierpont class helps Fritsch further business THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 PAGE 9

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Course helped tech company owner understand federal contracts

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Lisa Fritsch, president and CEO of Agile5 Technologies located in the West Virginia High Tech Consortium Foundation incubator in Fairmont, first incorporated her company in December 2011.

The company is a systems architecture and software development firm that specializes in enterprise software systems for government agencies and commercial interests.

“This was a new arena for me,” Fritsch said. “The company was formed with a specific goal in mind, but I didn’t have a background in federal acquisitions.”

That’s why she turned to a Federal Acquisitions Management course offered through Pierpont Community & Technical College.

The course, which is also made possible by the West Virginia Small Business Development Center and the U.S. Small Business Administration, is a sixmonth course consisting of six two-day seminars that focus on the acquisition and management of federal contracts.

“I took the course to get a better idea of what the expectations were from the federal government,” Fritsch said.

Barbara Weaver, the designer and facilitator of the program who also works for the Small Business Administration, said the program was created to help inexperienced businesses in the market from making mistakes and suffering consequences.

“It is designed specifically for small businesses doing work in the federal arena,” Weaver said.

“There is a specific set of laws applicable to federal contracting and this class covers that entire regulation.”

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Lisa Fritsch, the president and CEO of Agile5 Technologies in Fairmont, graduated from Pierpont Community & Technical Collegeʼs Federal Acquisitions Management program last December.

“This class has helped me form a basis of knowledge from which to grow my own understanding of federal regulations.

I don’t have a lot of time while running a company to take classes, but this class was worth the time commitment.”

— LISA FRITSCH

Weaver began facilitating the class six years ago and has seen 167 students complete the program.

Fritsch became one of those graduates last December, but said she noticed results after just the first couple of classes.

“It really helped me with reviewing contracts,” Fritsch said. “When I’m reviewing contracts and reading things applicable to the industry I have an idea of what I’m talking about now. I didn’t have that before. I’d read over it but it didn’t mean anything to me. Now, when I read things I know what it means and if I don’t know, I know where to go to find out.”

According to Fritsch, Weaver’s experience and knowledge prove beneficial to anyone who is looking to do work with the federal

government and enrolls in the course.

“She knows her stuff,” Fritsch said. “You are going to learn everything you need to know because she is a fabulous resource.”

Juggling the course while still trying to operate a company posed its challenges and required some planning, Fritsch said, but it turned out to be worth it in the end.

“This class has helped me form a basis of knowledge from which to grow my own understanding of federal regulations,” Fritsch said. “I don’t have a lot of time while running a company to take classes, but this class was worth the time commitment.”

Fritsch, who earned her undergraduate degree in chemistry at West Virginia University and her

Master of Business Administration at Waynesburg University in Pennsylvania, is the business lead for the company, but she works closely with her partners Peter Fritsch (also her husband), Adam Leach and Chet Tobrey.

“They’ve been instrumental in driving things forward in terms of having ambition for what we’re going to pursue technically for the company,” Fritsch said.

With the knowledge she gained from the FAM program now under her belt, Fritsch’s company is able to move confidently in the direction of its goals.

“We’re hoping we can grow our base of business,” Fritsch said. “Right now we have subcontracting arrangements with some large companies and our goal is to bring in some more individuals.”

Providing employment opportunities is also a priority for Fritsch and her partners who are all West Virginia natives.

“Our main focus is to try to stay in West Virginia and to employ other software engineers who want to stay in the area,” she said.

Agile5 Technologies also does work with application development. The company’s latest product is an iPhone and iPad app for the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Marion County. The app is a free download that provides information on things to do, places to stay and restaurants to visit in the area.

“It’s a good resource for people who are trying to find things to do in Marion County,” Fritsch said.

According to Weaver, Fritsch has been able to incorporate the things she learned in the program into ways to more effectively and successfully operate her business.

“She was already involved in the federal arena, but she’s been able to more meaningfully deal with her federal customers,” Weaver said. “I think the whole market is getting better for her because of that.”

And Fritsch said that course has proven to be a useful tool as

SUBMITTED PHOTO

An iPhone and iPad application for the Convention & Visitors Bureau of Marion County developed by Agile5 Technologies, a systems architecture and software development firm in Fairmont, is one of the companyʼs latest products. The companyʼs CEO, Lisa Fritsch, recently completed a Federal Acquisitions Management course offered through Pierpont Community & Technical College, which has expanded her knowledge and ability to meet customer needs.

she and her partners at Agile5 Technologies continue to work toward their goals.

“I’m just really glad this class was offered because it would’ve honestly been a lot more difficult figuring out what I needed to

know if it wasn’t out there for companies like mine to use,” she said.

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

Representing the West Virginia oil and natural gas industry since 1915 P.O. Box 3231 Charleston, WV 25332 Toll Free: 866.343.1609 Phone: 304.343.1609 Fax: 304.343.5610 wvonga.com

Spellman: Turning negatives into positives PAGE 10

THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

At WorkForce W.Va., office manager helps unemployed and under-employed

BY JESSICA BORDERS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — At Fairmont WorkForce West Virginia, Mary Spellman helps people look at the big picture and turn their situations from negative to positive.

Spellman is the office manager for Fairmont WorkForce West Virginia, a federally funded state agency located at 320 Adams St., Suite 107, of Veterans’Square.

“Our main purpose is to assist individuals who are in need of work and looking for services for work and/or unemployment services,” she said.

Thirteen federal government programs are operated out of the office, including services related to unemployment, work training, migrant seasonal farmworkers, Work Opportunity Tax Credit and more. The staff has outreach efforts for veterans, and gives these individuals preference for priority of service, Spellman said.

The office focuses on serving Marion and Taylor counties, but also assists individuals from surrounding areas.

“We will serve any customer who walks through the door,” she said.

Fairmont WorkForce West Virginia is a One-Stop Center, which means people who are seeking services across the community can go there to get referrals and meet their needs, she said. The staff can give people enough information to take the next step.

For instance, someone who has been laid off can visit this location to get connected with unemployment and find out about job opportunities, and to be referred to partner agencies if they have a disability and the Department of Health and Human Resources for food stamps for their children, Spellman said.

PHOTO BY JESSICA BORDERS

Mary Spellman serves as the office manager for Fairmont WorkForce West Virginia, which is located at 320 Adams St., Suite 107, of Veteransʼ Square.

“An individual who comes in will discuss what needs they have with a regular staff member,” she said.

Spellman said Fairmont WorkForce West Virginia can help if a person expresses a desire for training or if there is a gap in their education or certifications versus the work they’re interested in. The agency can provide assistance in making the individual more marketable.

The office refers clients to a couple websites to do further exploration on their own, she said.

For example, www.mynextmove.org is a site that connects people to real job openings in West Virginia and provides information on what it means to hold a certain job.

The website also allows people to plug in their rent and utilities and find out how much money they need to make to cover those costs. An individual who has a GED but is struggling to pay the bills, for instance, may need to look at additional training, Spellman said.

She said Fairmont WorkForce

West Virginia refers people to its certified employment counselor, Raianna Gardner, who can discuss a lot of issues and options with them and ensure that their interest will be successful for them. They do research assignments to learn about their interest and make sure they’re doing something valuable with their dollars.

To potentially receive funding, people must go through the Workforce Investment Act process, Spellman said. Anyone who is funded must be pursuing a growth occupation or have a prehire letter, which proves that they will have employment if they go through their training.

Spellman explained that training dollars are available for adults based on their family size, income and other qualifiers, and funding is also available for dislocated workers based on their layoff status. The youth program can help young people who are in and out of school accomplish their goals.

Funding is limited and is designated for programs that can be

completed within two calendar years, she said. If a program is not on the large list of service providers, WorkForce West Virginia can work with the individual and the school to try to get it approved through the local and statewide process.

“This program is designed for those who are looking to improve their skills,” she said. “We are required to do the pre-employment, the career exploration. If a person is already enrolled in classes, this program is not for them.”

The Fairmont office also does what it can to help people brush up on their math, computer and other skills so they can be successful in their training, Spellman said.

In addition to administering WorkForce West Virginia’s programs and determining the eligibility of services, Spellman speaks to the public and individuals at facilities where workers are being laid off about what services the office provides. She also assists with counseling when needed.

Spellman, originally from when people need it, Spellman Oakton, Va., in Fairfax County, said. received her bachelor’s degree in She said her work can be overreligious studies from Hiram whelming at times, but it can College in Ohio. She met her also be really fun. Spellman’s husband Silas, who is originally favorite part of her job is interfrom Doddridge County, in col- acting with the customers and lege and moved to West Virginia seeing their success. with him. Spellman has also It’s a great feeling when a custaken classes at West Virginia tomer stops by to tell her they University for public administra- got a job, and knowing that they tion. were able to work through the She worked with youth with bind they were previously in, she disabilities as a volunteer for said.

AmeriCorps Vista, and that got Mark Babich, an interviewer her interested in social services. at Fairmont WorkForce West She said she was very lucky to Virginia, said the office is a great become involved in the Welfare- resource for job services. If to-Work Program, where she someone has lost their job or provided individual service to been laid off, there’s a possibility people referred by DHHR who the agency could help them find were in need of employment in work.

“I have so enjoyed their field.

Spellman got Employers list my work for this started with their jobs with WorkForce West agency and working WorkForce West Virginia as an in this field. I do feel Virginia, which e m p l o y m e n t social service is a updates its datacounselor in the base every day, field that takes a Morgantown he said. office in January special individual.

When people 2001. In July sign up with the I’m able to assist 2007, she was office and with referrals to promoted and include all their work and getting transferred to the job history, Fairmont office. people to a position WorkForce West She now lives in where that income Virginia is able Fairmont. to do cross is coming in.”

“I have so matching enjoyed my work through its sys— MARY SPELLMAN for this agency tem to see if and working in their qualificathis field,” she said. “I do feel tions match the job orders. That social service is a field that takes analysis is done every day or two a special individual. I’m able to with everyone who is registered, assist with referrals to work and Babich said. getting people to a position WorkForce West Virginia also where that income is coming in.” provides Full Circle workshops People who come into the three days a week from 9 a.m. to office are typically having a noon, he said. These classes, tough time, either because which rotate every month, they’re unemployed, have lost include topics like knowing your their job or need to find a better computer, exploring the Internet, job, Spellman said. They often interview skills, resume developdon’t know how to handle the ment, various aspects of job situation they’re in, have had a searching, and Microsoft Word, negative experience and are Excel and PowerPoint. looking for resources.

The priority is to find someone “This is our tax dollars at a job, Babich said. work,” she said.

Email Jessica Borders at jborTaxpayers have paid for this ders@timeswv.com or follow her system so it will be available on Twitter @JBordersTWV.

Contraski: ‘It just seemed so possible’ THURSDAY, MARCH 28, 2013 PAGE 11

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

MCACEC helped him get a GED and start path to new career

BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — What do construction and fine dining have in common?

Not a whole lot, but for Ryan Contraski, they represent very different parts of his life.

“The best way I could say it is it was like a crossroads in life,” he said.

Thanks to the Marion County Adult and Community Education Center, Contraski is enrolled at Pierpont Community & Technical College in its Culinary Arts Program and has received a lot of recognition for his talent.

After dropping out of high school, Contraski worked a variety of jobs in the construction field and accumulated a number of skills, including chain saw sculpting. But a few years ago, at 36 years old, he came to a crossroads — whether to stay in the same work or move on to something new.

“I worked more with my physical muscles than my brain muscles,” Contraski said. “I got to a point where I had to decide which way I wanted to go ... I could go and keep pursuing the construction and manual labor end or I could try to work a different muscle.

“I had started considering going back to school,” he said, “because I started making changes in my life.” Looking around at different options, he said, “I pretty soon realized I was going to have to have a GED.” A pamphlet spotted at the library led him to the MCACEC, and the experience has been transformative.

“It was great,” he said. “They were really willing to help, and Kay (Pitrolo) was right there helping the whole way,” he said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Ryan Contraski wears his chef uniform for the Pierpont Community & Technical College Culinary Arts program.

Contraski decided to go back to college and got the help he needed at the Marion County Adult and Community Education Center.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Kay Pitrolo (from left), Marion County Adult and Community Education Center teacher; Ryan Contraski, former MCACEC student; and Donna Metz, MCACEC principal, reunite at the school two years after Contraskiʼs graduation. The school is home to many success stories.

“It was a good environment.”

Contraski had always thought getting his GED certificate would be “this big, drawn-out process,” but his teachers gave him the resources to work at his own pace and get the job done.

“He was very goal-oriented,” Pitrolo, a teacher and liaison to Pierpont, said. “When he came, he had his mind made up that he was going to do something.”

MCACEC principal Donna Metz said the amount of time

and help it takes to earn a GED certification varies from student to student.

“We have students that maybe withdrew from high school as a freshman, for example, and we have students who maybe with-

drew as a junior or senior. You pursuing another field similar to see all different academic lev- what he’d been doing. But something about the Culinary Arts els.”

Sometimes students come to program appealed to him.

Metz said the school is looking the school knowing they need to earn their GED, she said, but at ways to help its students disthey may not know why or what cover their dream career, which can be a powerful motivator they’re going to do with it.

“They’re just not sure, and toward achieving a GED certifithere’s so many outside factors cate and possibly a college that affect them completing their degree.

“If they don’t come in knoweducation here,” Metz said.

“Sometimes life just gets in the ing what they want, that’s one of way,” she said, and teachers have the things we’re working to work very hard to help stu- toward,” she said. “It’s not just dents through those difficult life about getting a GED, but looking at what career situations or, in pathway they some cases, be “I worked more want to go into.” understanding with my physical At Pierpont, for those who muscles than my Contraski has drop out and come back. brain muscles. I got flourished. He’s “All of a sud- to a point where I participated in American den you’ll see had to decide C u l i n a r y them back again and they have which way I wanted Federation comthis different atti- to go ... I could go petitions with multiple silver tude,” Pitrolo said.

“They and keep pursuing medals earned in the construction his first year in develop, they grow, they and manual labor the program.

He was also mature, and they end or I could try to elected to student know that they work a different government, want to come in serving as student muscle.” and do it now.” representative for Contraski, for — RYAN CONTRASKI the faculty his part, finished assembly. the program in “It really all started here just six months, which is pretty short for a student who’s been though,” he said of the MCACEC. “I don’t know if I out of school for a long time.

“It just seemed so possible could have done it without the recognition here, being able to here,” he said.

“It made a future possible,” he graduate.

“I don’t know if I could have said. “It seemed like it opened so many doors and made so many just taken on college.”

Pitrolo works two days a week different possibilities.”

One possibility opened up by on the Pierpont and Fairmont Contraski’s performance was a State University combined camscholarship for promising GED pus to help students make the students — and another from the adjustment into college life.

“Kay does a wonderful job of state.

“I wouldn’t have known any- helping students with the transithing about that other than tion from the GED program to (MCACEC staff) helping me either a two- or four-year prowith that and helping me through gram,” Metz said.

Email Jonathan Williams at it,” he said.

When he started at Pierpont, jwilliams@timeswv.com or folContraski was thinking about low him on Twitter getting a contractor’s license or @JWilliamsTWV.

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 • WWW.TIMESWV.COM

Our Town

Energy & Industry High Technology Health Care

Education & Workforce

Quality of Life Our Community

INSIDE

Quality life in county

For two Fairmont State University professors, the outdoors gives them a chance to give their students more than just an average college experience.

Gwen Jones and Matt Schmuck, education professors at FSU, not only teach education but also take their students outside for opportunities of a lifetime.

— Page 3

Outdoor enthusiasm

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Early musical memories for Dennis McClung of the Dennis McClung Blues Band are flooded with the voice of 1950s rhythm and blues singer Fats Domino.

McClung recalled not having many entertainment options while staying at his mother’s apartment on the weekends when he was young, but the discovery of her record collection sparked an interest that would last a lifetime.

— Page 6

Singing the blues

For Melanie Gooch, love brought her into a sport she now enjoys — hunting. She was not involved with hunting until she started dating her now-husband Brandon at age 17.

“We started hunting that winter,” recalled Melanie, like her husband a North Marion High School graduate. “I really didn’t get anything until I turned 18. My first deer was actually a 10-point.

I got it with a rifle. First shot, down, everything was fine.”

— Page 9

Sharing time in woods

Lacrosse is considered the fastest growing sport in the United States. And in Marion County, the game has made major inroads during recent years as well.

At the high school level, Fairmont Senior’s girls’ lacrosse program has put together a run of dominance that the rest of West Virginia is envious of, as the Polar Bears have won the past five WVSLA state titles. The boys also captured a state crown in 2009 and are competitive year in and year out.

— Page 17

Laying the foundation

Neighbors, including Sandy Sago, Dave Sago, Doug Woods, Rose Mary Oliver and Paul Oliver, take in the sights of the Tygart Valley River from a pontoon boat. Living by the river has given them the opportunity to go boating regularly after work and on weekends.

So many amenities makes Marion County a great place to live

BY MISTY POE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — “Quality of life” is such an expansive phrase.

We like to boil it down to this question — what amenities in a community make it worth living there?

Is it proximity to recreational opportunities like hiking, biking, water and parks?

Check.

Is it family activities, like youth sports, playgrounds, state parks and scenic areas?

Check.

Is it the opportunity to give back to the community, through social service groups and clubs or church-based ministries?

Check.

How about low-crime rates, knowing the names of your neighbors and feeling like you’ve come “home” to the mountains from big-city life?

Check, check and check.

Marion County has it all and more.

But it takes a monumental effort to coordinate and maintain all those activities, teams, events and green spaces.

And that’s where people like Tony Stingo come in. Stingo listened to parents talk about needing a feeder system for lacrosse in Marion County — considering the success the sport has had on the high school level — and he, with the help of local parents and a $16,000 equipment grant from U.S. Lacrosse, introduced the Fairmont Freeze in early 2011. The area’s middle school boys’ program is still growing, with 35 athletes participating this year.

“I grew up a football guy and a basketball guy and I still love those sports, but this sport is really cool because with those two sports you can be an exceptional athlete and excel, and this sport doesn’t require that you’re the best athlete,” Stingo said. “If you are, that’s obviously a leg up, but it is all

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

A little one enjoys the sights and sounds of the season during the Farmington Christmas Parade.

about the time you put in. You really reap the benefits of your hard work in this sport way more than any other sport. That’s why you see these big gains from the beginning of the season to the end, because it’s really all about developing skill.

“If you put time into it, you will be good. That’s just how it is.”

Only in its third season, Stingo says some former players have moved on to play lacrosse on the high school level at Fairmont Senior High School with the ultimate goal of expanding the sport to other schools.

“I would love to have a ton of kids

from the North Marion area and a ton from the East Side, just to maybe put some pressure on those communities to field a high school team,” Stingo said.

“I hear it every year, and I hear rumblings about other schools around the state, and the interest is there.

“There’s tons of interest. The whole thing stopping it is getting the administration and the coaching staffs from those schools interested in it as well. I think once you’re exposed to the game and see the type of kids that it draws and it builds, it’s really a no-brainer.”

SEE QUALITY OF LIFE, PAGE 2

PAGE 2

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Fairmont-Marion County Food Pantry Director Bruce Roberts and his granddaughter Ella PHOTO BY MISTY POE Members of the Holland European Cup Team take a snack break during the Valley Soccer Academy Price pack a box of food at their location next to the Union Mission in Fairmont. Roberts said that the pantry’s motto is “not to judge, only to serve.”

Community Summer Camp in July at the For the Kids Soccer Complex off U.S. Route 250.

Quality of Life

And while Stingo is helping to build a new program, Calvin Todd is helping to maintain the facilities Marion County already has.

Luck brought Todd to the area — the Iowa resident made friends from Morgantown and came here to work. He put in an application to work for Marion County Parks and Recreation

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Commission and after two years in maintenance, Todd got his dream job — MCPARC’s sports management director.

“I enjoy being around athletics. I love all sports. I’m really passionate about sports,” Todd said. “I bounced around all different sports. It’s nice to get up in the morning and know your whole day will be involved in

athletics.”

And that’s pretty vast in Marion County, considering all that falls under the umbrella of MCPARC. From managing leagues to getting fields ready to mowing grass to assisting coaches with scheduling to coordinating large events, Todd has his hands full almost all year.

But perhaps it isn’t athletics or the great outdoors that helps you define a quality life — maybe it’s something you find inside the doors of a church and inside the hearts of its congregation.

Something pretty special happens when people gather together for fellowship, Pastor Charlie Chipps said.

“Our different cultures and ethnic backgrounds that give us the opportunity to see different needs that people have. The way they were raised. What they value.

“We are a melting pot. All these cultures and religions and backgrounds coming together strengthen Marion County and TWV FILE PHOTO West Virginia in general. This You can look at any of the local playgrounds and see children engaging in a variety of play that benefits both their gives us an understanding and physical health and their developmental and sociological knowledge of parts of the world we’ll never be able to visit. skills.

“It’s neat to sit down and talk to people of different cultures, and learn what they believe and have been taught.

“If we do that, we might find out we’re not so different.”

The diversity between faiths makes a community rich, Greg Roth, pastor at First Baptist in Mannington, agrees.

“I’ve lived in a lot of places with diversity, different denomi-

nations and faith communities.

That makes this place so special.

“Sometimes each of our different faith communities may take a little different slant or view or emphasize something from one story in the Bible or part of our faith than another. But when they come together, that’s a richness.”

One thing that we know is that Marion County steps up, gives back and helps fill needs —

whether it’s building a soccer complex for children or feeding the hungry. You can see that in the stories of Stingo, Todd and the many others featured within these pages as the Times West Virginian presents its Annual Report 2013: The Faces of Quality of Life.

Email Misty Poe at mpoe@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @MistyPoeTWV.

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The outdoors are adventure for Jones and Schmuck FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 3

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Duo working to create field of study for outdoor leadership

in the city of New Haven, Conn.

“I had never spent a night outdoors. I grew up in the city,” she said.

The Robert Frost Trail in Massachusetts and the Long

BY EMILY GALLAGHER Trail in Vermont were the first TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN two hiking adventures Jones FAIRMONT — For two discovered. From there, the rest Fairmont State University pro- is history.

“I remember the first night fessors, the outdoors gives them a chance to give their stu- very vividly and the first drink dents more than just an average of water I took from a stream,” she said. “It changed my life college experience.

Gwen Jones and Matt forever.”

There are two things about Schmuck, education professors at FSU, not only teach educa- hiking and being outside that tion but also take their students Jones enjoys the most — the outside for opportunities of a solitude and the open space. lifetime.

“The air usually The two work has moisture in it “We take together in the and it’s fresh and Outdoor Adventure them to these moving,” she said.

Club at FSU to “It gives me an stunningly organize adventure opportunity to be beautiful trips for their stuwith myself and places that dents, taking them my own to national parks are throughout thoughts.” across the state and Jones hopes to the U.S. nation. share her passion “We take them to It gets them for the outdoors these stunningly interested in with her students, beautiful places the outdoors and with the help that are throughout from Schmuck and being the U.S.,” Jones students can expeoutside.” said. “It gets them rience a new interested in the lifestyle.

— GWEN JONES outdoors and being Schmuck, outside.” another outdoor For Jones, being outside is a enthusiast, is working to develtime for her to be by herself. op a major for students in West With Coopers Rock State Virginia to get a degree in outForest close to home, her pas- door leadership. sion for hiking can be satisfied.

“Nowhere in West Virginia “I probably spend five days a can you get the training, certifiweek, if I can, at that forest cation or the degree that makes running the trails,” she said. you a professional in the field “It’s my love.” of outdoor leadership,” he said.

Because Jones spends so Schmuck said with the state much of her free time at the being such a great place for park, she got involved with the recreation, there’s a lot of Cooper’s Rock Foundation and potential in someone making a became the president. career in outdoor leadership.

“I have been the president He said getting it to be a major for three years,” she said. “I is going to take some time. lead that group and it’s a lot of “I’m slowly trying to confun.” vince people in the area, Jones has had a passion for administration, students and the outdoors since she was in economic developers that it is a college and was introduced to viable scientific field of study,” outdoor recreation after living he said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Matt Schmuck (left) and Gwen Jones take a break during a 10-day hiking trip with students at the Grand Canyon. The two organize many trips for students throughout the year to get them interested in the outdoors.

Schmuck was born in Fairmont and at first wasn’t really interested in outdoor recreation. But like Jones, he was introduced to adventure sports when he was in college.

“I never went rock climbing, backpacking or any of those things,” he said.

Growing up in West Virginia, Schmuck said he didn’t have any opportunities as a youth to experience outdoor recreation. With the Outdoor Adventure Club, he wants to give students the opportunity he missed out on.

The club allows students to take classes in outdoor recreation even if it’s not in their major.

“It really provides an opportunity for students who either don’t have the money or the scheduling time to take a class that doesn’t fit their major,” Schmuck said.

Both Schmuck and Jones hope residents of West Virginia will take advantage of what the state has to offer in outdoor recreation.

“West Virginia is a beautiful place,” Jones said. “The shame of it is that our recreational areas are not being used by our residents.”

Email Emily Gallagher at egallagher@timeswv.com or folSUBMITTED PHOTO low her on Twitter Matt Schmuck (left) and Gwen Jones hike toward Judy @EGallagherTWV. Springs at Spruce Knob during a trip with students.

Bray: Keeping history alive as artisan PAGE 4

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Up to 90,000 visitors come through Pricketts Fort each year

BY JESSICA BORDERS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Pricketts Fort State Park in Fairmont is “a place for everybody to learn,” said executive director Greg Bray.

He first got involved in Pricketts Fort in 1984 as a volunteer. Then in 1994, he became an employee, starting out as a blacksmith.

Bray went to school to learn the trade, going through the Augusta Heritage program, and began working at Pricketts Fort when the blacksmith there retired. He served as a historic preservationist, assistant director and interim director twice before becoming the executive director in July 2012.

PHOTO BY JESSICA BORDERS “It’s a good place to work,” he Greg Bray, executive director of Pricketts Fort State Park, stands in front of the reconstruction of the 1774 fort that was built on the land of Capt. Jacob said. “It’s relatively stress-free.”

In addition to being a black- Prickett to protect local settlers against Native American attacks. smith, a craft Bray has The fort stood done for almost 20 through the years, he is a knife “It’s a way to convey that history Revolutionary War, maker. He got into to other people and try to teach but historians don’t making knives in 1990 them why we’re here and why the known what hapand operates his own pened to the structure business called Bray’s country evolved the way it has. afterward — whether I get to try to bring that across Knifeworks, which it just fell apart or also includes building to people, especially kids. people dismantled it. custom rifles.

The Pricketts Fort This will take you a little more Bray is a juried artiMemorial Foundation in-depth than what your school san at Tamarack in finished the reconhistory class will.”

Beckley and struction of the fort in MountainMade in 1976.

— GREG BRAY Thomas. Through A restored 19th Fairmont State century house built University, he teaches hands-on inal Pricketts Fort was built in by Jacob Prickett’s greatclasses like blacksmithing, log 1774, during Lord Dunmore’s grandson, Job Prickett, also construction and rifle building to War and right before the sits on the site. The new Revolutionary War, to protect Pricketts Fort visitors center is students.

He lives just outside local settlers against Native about eight years old, and the Farmington and is a Fairmont American attacks. It was con- new blacksmith shop was finnative. He and his wife Cindy structed on the land of Capt. ished a year later, Bray said.

Throughout the summer, have been married since 1985 Jacob Prickett, an early explorer and settler in the and have three children.

Bray explained that the orig- Pricketts Creek area.

SEE BRAY, PAGE 5

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FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 5

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

Pricketts Fort runs a living history program for school tours as well as other visitors, he said.

People can watch and learn about the art of blacksmiths, spinners and weavers and also see craftsmen making powder horns and weapons. Bray is also trying to expand the fort’s Native American program.

“It’s a way to convey that history to other people and try to teach them why we’re here and why the country evolved the way it has,” he said. “I get to try to bring that across to people, especially kids. This will take you a little more in-depth than what your school history class will.”

Every year, approximately 75,000 to 90,000 people visit the park, Bray said. The visitors include a lot of locals, who often bring their family and friends with them.

“Our membership is fairly substantial,” he said. “We’re always looking for new members.”

The park also sees many travelers from the northern part of the state and Pennsylvania.

Pricketts Fort recently received a grant through the Tourism Matching Advertising Partnership Program (MAPP) that will go toward the cost of a billboard to be placed in southern West Virginia. The billboard should help attract people from the southern part of the state as well as drivers from Virginia and Kentucky, Bray said.

Pricketts Fort holds different historic arts workshops during four weekends of the year, and Bray is working to grow those offerings to provide a more diverse set of classes.

Workshops include spinning, basket making, tatting, blacksmithing, engraving metal, leather working and wood carving, as well as interpreter train-

ing seminars.

Besides the history aspects, Pricketts Fort offers a wide array of recreational opportunities.

Bray said the park features a ramp for fishing and boating, a nature trail, and the rails to trails. Bike rentals are available for the rails to trails. The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources organizes bird watching events in May, and bass fishing tournaments take place on site as well.

“We have a lot of free programming to allow people to come out here and enjoy the park,” he said.

Fairmont State University also performs plays at the Pricketts Fort amphitheater in the summer.

In addition, the park has a couple fundraisers going on this year. Pricketts Fort is sponsoring and hosting a three-day, two-night bus tour to Williamsburg, Va., from Oct. 13. Tickets are for sale, and 30 people need to sign up for the trip to take place.

Master Gardeners, which does a lot of work with the gardens at the fort, will also have a wreath workshop in November, with all the proceeds going to the group.

Monika Koon, office assistant at Pricketts Fort, said descendants of the Prickett family can appreciate this site in Marion County and other people can also relate what they see there to their own family history.

During her 13 years working at Pricketts Fort, she has seen a variety of different individuals stop by this Fairmont attraction, from family and school groups to international visitors.

“We get a really broad spectrum of visitation here,” said Koon, who lives in Fairmont.

A lot of people take advan-

PHOTO BY JESSICA BORDERS

Executive director Greg Bray looks at a model of Pricketts Fort that is displayed in the visitors center on the property. The fort teaches history to people of all ages.

tage of the plays, concerts and workshops that take place on site, as well as the trails and water, she said.

Koon said she especially enjoys seeing the working blacksmith shop and watching the weaver work on the antique loom inside the fort.

She encouraged people to come to Pricketts Fort “to get a living history aspect of what it was like back in the 1700s, early 1800s and to compare it to how things are today.”

Email Jessica Borders at jborders@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @JBordersTWV.

Mike Ross, Inc. Producer & Supporter of Natural Resources Mike Ross, Inc. Coalton, WV 26257

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McClung: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The blues is the medicineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; PAGE 6

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Dennis McClung of the Dennis McClung Blues Band, out of Fairmont, performs at venues and festivals across the country. Locally, McClungĘźs tunes can be heard at Heston Farm in Pleasant Valley.

Getting the chance to play local venue is great change of pace for band FAIRMONT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Early musical memories for Dennis McClung of the Dennis McClung Blues Band are flooded with the voice of 1950s rhythm and blues singer Fats Domino.

McClung recalled not having many entertainment

options while staying at his motherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s apartment on the weekends when he was young, but the discovery of her record collection sparked an interest that would last a lifetime. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She had a little 45 record player with lots of Fats Domino records,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I developed an interest in music from that point on.â&#x20AC;?

It was during his teenage

years that McClung found himself totally immersed in the world and culture of music. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because of the passion in it, the ability to communicate and the form of self expression,â&#x20AC;? McClung said.

Now largely known for his contribution to the blues, McClung said he has a background in a variety of music,

from country to rock â&#x20AC;&#x2122;nâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; roll to polka. After years of experimenting with other genres of music, however, McClung decided he wanted to form his own blues band. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At first, I got a lot of resistance,â&#x20AC;? McClung said.

According to McClung, the resistance stemmed from a misunderstanding of what the blues is really about. Many

were of the opinion that blues music is depressing, but McClung made it his mission to change that perspective. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Expressing events of your life through music is therapeutic,â&#x20AC;? McClung said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a way of getting it out and putting it to rest.â&#x20AC;?

John Provins, sales and entertainment manager at Heston Farm, has had the

opportunity to work with McClung and his band on several occasions. Provins said McClung once told him â&#x20AC;&#x153;the blues is the medicine that gets you over being blue.â&#x20AC;?

And for McClung, creating music that others can relate to is part of what makes it so special.

SEE MCCLUNG, PAGE 7

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“You can always make up some kind of fictitious story, but the best songs come from real-life experiences,” McClung said. “One of the most interesting aspects of it is that it’s about the truth, and that makes it sort of everlasting.”

Since 2001, McClung and his six-piece band have performed their melodies at a variety of venues, local and distant. They have graced stages up and down the East Coast and played at some of the largest blues festivals in the country.

But one place McClung and his band members are sure to make appearances at is Heston Farm.

“I usually don’t play in the Fairmont area,” McClung said. “But this venue has given me the opportunity to play local.”

In addition to local music lovers, McClung and his band attract fans from as far across the country as Seattle.

Part of the reason for McClung’s large fan base, according to Provins, is that McClung brings an unparalleled sense of maturity to the stage.

“He’s one of the best blues musicians in the country,” Provins said. “There are quite a few great musicians to come out of these hills of West Virginia, and it’s cool to be able to hire guys of this caliber without having to bring them out of Memphis, Chicago or New Orleans.”

No matter how large or small the venue or the audience, though, McClung said he still finds himself coming down with a case of nerves before performing.

“I’m scared to death until after the first minute or so, then it’s a fun time,” McClung said. “It could be in front of 10,000 people or it

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

cultivate new, ognized by the “Expressing events of your life through young musiBlues Hall of cians that music is therapeutic. It’s a way of getting Fame, which might not othdeclared him it out and putting it to rest.” erwise get a as the Blues — DENNIS MCCLUNG place to play,” Hall of Fame he said.

Ambassador And Provins said exposure begun recording music in his to the State of West Virginia. to talents like that of new home studio while he Not only does McClung’s McClung only add to the works to produce two new talent bring enjoyment and aspirations of up-and-coming CDs, which adds to his learn- entertainment to those who ing curve as a musician. musicians. witness it, however, it also “I’m working as hard and benefits the community in a “People who are new to music get some time in front as fast as I can to absorb it variety of ways. McClung has of the lights and a chance to all,” McClung said. “When been instrumental in putting watch people like Dennis you release music, you together and performing for a play,” he said. “Some of these release it to the world perma- number of charitable events, people started here playing a nently. You want to release many of which have been song or two on Tuesday night something that no matter hosted at Heston. and have progressed to the where in the world they listen “Heston Farm has been point where I’m booking to it, it’s going to be enjoy- instrumental in bringing highable and respected.” them for a Saturday night.” quality entertainment to the And people from all over area while benefiting the And while McClung is inspiring others to experiment the world are listening to community,” McClung said. with and tweak their musical McClung’s music. Provins The Dennis McClung Blues abilities, he continues to do said he manages a YouTube Band’s next local performchannel that can track who is ance will be at the second the same.

“It’s just about trying to get viewing the site and McClung annual Heston Arts and better,” he said. “The idea is has viewers from across Musical Festival, scheduled to keep putting out better and Europe and Australia.

July 13-14.

“It amazes me,” Provins better music and becoming Email Kaylyn Christopher SUBMITTED PHOTO said. recognized by the industry for at kchristopher@timeswv.com Over the years, Dennis McClung of the Dennis McClung McClung’s contributions to or follow her on Twitter Blues Band has become widely known for his contributions quality.”

McClung has recently the genre have even been rec- @KChristopherTWV. to blues music. In 2007, the Blues Hall of Fame recognized McClung as the Blues Hall of Fame Ambassador to the State of West Virginia.

could be 25 — it doesn’t matter.”

While McClung admits there is a certain thrill that goes along with playing in front of a packed crowd, smaller crowds sometimes have just as much to offer.

“Sometimes I prefer intimate performances,” McClung said. “I like when there are people sitting 10 feet away from me and I can communicate with them.”

Provins said that, at Heston, Dennis McClung and his band are a crowd favorite.

“One Saturday night they were out in the courtyard and it was fun watching because the audience just couldn’t sit still,” Provins said. “The

music takes over you after a while.”

McClung said he and his fellow band members, Randy Franklin, Jason Corder, Joe Sabatino, Pat Sutton and Matt Jordan, all derive joy and passion from the music they create.

“You can see when we show up after a long day, as soon as we start playing you look over and everyone’s smiling,” McClung said.

“When you see that, you know you’re having fun.”

In addition to participating in live performances across the country, McClung attends Tuesday Open Mic Nights at Heston from time to time.

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Quality of Life

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 9

Faces of

She followed beau to woods and picked up a bow “Then, finally, when this 10-point came through, he said, ‘There’s something big coming.’ I woke up, of course.

I was all excited. I don’t really get buck fever like most guys do. I don’t really get it. Yes, it was exciting, but I wasn’t shaking or anything.”

Melanie Gooch has been successful in hunting after starting the sport at age 17.

She got this 10-point deer with a bow.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Gooch barely ate meat before she married an avid hunter

BY CLIFF NICHOLS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — For Melanie Gooch, love brought her into a sport she now enjoys — hunting.

She was not involved with hunting until she started dating her now-husband Brandon at age 17.

“We started hunting that winter,” recalled Melanie, like her husband a North Marion High School graduate. “I really didn’t get anything until I turned 18.

My first deer was actually a 10point. I got it with a rifle. First shot, down, everything was fine.”

It was on her first day in the woods as a hunter.

“Of course, that’s the big thing we have in the family,” Brandon said. “We couldn’t believe Melanie did that her first time ever being in the woods.”

She got a doe later that season. Then, a year ago, she got a 10-point with a bow.

“Long story short, 10point buck her first time ever bow hunting,” Brandon said.

“I’ve only killed one 10 in my life. I’ve been deer hunting for probably 20 years now. She’s already killed two, and she’s only been with me five years.

“She’s very competitive. She wants to kill anything bigger than me, anything that weighs more than mine. That’s good. I hope she keeps doing it.”

Melanie remembers well that first deer.

“I fell asleep,” she said with a grin. “He kind of elbowed me and said, ‘Hey, wake up.

There’s something coming.’

I’d just fall back to sleep.

“Then, finally, when this 10point came through, he said, ‘There’s something big coming.’ I woke up, of course. I was all excited. I don’t really get buck fever like most guys do. I don’t really get it. Yes, it was exciting, but I wasn’t shaking or anything.”

She moved close to a heater, and “my arm started smoking,” she said.

“I said, ‘Brandon, I’m going to catch on fire,’” Melanie said.

“He was like, ‘No you’re not.

You shoot that deer. We’ll put your arm out later.’”

Brandon was honest with Melanie about his love for the sport from the days when they first started dating.

“I told her, ‘You’re not going to get to see me much during deer season,’” he said. “She didn’t know what to think about that, because she never really had anything to do with anything like that. She found out the first fall what I meant, because she didn’t get to see me hardly any at all. I had different things going on. From October until the first of December, I did the best I could to not put her second on my list.

“She did get to see what all was involved the first year we were dating. I told her, ‘I have to get you involved in this.’ She

— MELANIE GOOCH

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Brandon and Melanie Gooch have experienced success hunting turkeys. Melanie had never hunted until she started dating her now-husband. “Itʼs just something that once he kind of got me started in, itʼs kind of hard to put down.”

started to get grouchy. She said, ‘Am I ever going to get to see you?’ I said, ‘Well, I warned you that this was going to happen.’”

Brandon bought Melanie some hunting clothes, and they began to shoot at ranges. Before too long, she was hunting.

Melanie, who will turn 23

next month, actually surprised herself with how she took to the sport.

“I really enjoy it,” she said.

“It’s not really something I would have really gotten into if I wouldn’t have dated him.

Before I dated him, I really didn’t even eat meat. I was not into that thing at all. It’s just some-

thing that once he kind of got me started in, it’s kind of hard to put down.”

It was not difficult to convince Melanie to take up a sport she was not really involved with growing up in her family.

Layman: Area youth soccer truly ‘for the kids’ Year-round sport keeps players engaged, active and competitive

“It’s actually fantastic exercise to get them active at a young age.

The other thing they really don’t realize is they are learning (the game) at the same time. Soccer is a player’s game. There are no timeouts. There are no play calls.

There’s nothing like that. From the first whistle to the end, it’s their physical activity and mental ability to adjust to everything.”

BY NICK CAMMUSO TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

BARRACKVILLE — It was just another Saturday morning in March for most, but the crew of five at the Barrackville soccer complex was hard at work.

Marion County Soccer Association president Jim Cox was trying to secure the net into the ground for next month’s season opener, while Charles Layman lent a helping hand. Another helper got out a tape measure to make sure things were just right, and someone else began adding the ever-important white lines to the sprawling local field.

All for the love of a game some of these men didn’t have available as youths, and all for the legions of Marion County children per year who embrace soccer as their sport.

“This has been going on so long that we can still find old markers and everything to put it.

Over the years, we kind of know where everything goes now,” Layman, an area soccer parent, coach and organizer, said of the hours of prep work before this year’s tentative April 6 spring opener.

And for nearly every one of the workers, coaches and parents involved in Marion County youth soccer, it is all done free of charge.

“Everybody here is a volunteer,”

SEE GOOCH, PAGE 15

— CHARLES LAYMAN

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Marion County Youth Soccer Association president Jim Cox (from left) and coach/volunteer Charles Layman secure the goal at the “For The Kids” soccer complex in Barrackville in advance of the organizationʼs season opener on April 6.

Layman said. “Everybody on the board is a volunteer. Our referees are the only paid members.”

Clearly, many of the coaches and volunteers with the Marion County Youth Soccer Association or the growing club team, Marion Futbol Club, have children who help make up part of the more than 600 participants who will play for the organization this year.

But however people get involved — whether as a coach, volunteer, parent watching soccer match after soccer match that takes up a normal Saturday until 5 p.m. in Barrackville — they often quickly get attached.

Take Layman, who wasn’t weaned on soccer as a kid but has grown to greatly enjoy the sport.

“I love it,” he said with a smile.

“As a kid, I never really played — it wasn’t around then — but as my daughter got into it and started playing, I just really fell in love with the game.”

Now he’s a soccer guy through and through. Layman, whose 11year-old daughter Katie plays, coaches a county rec team and manages a U12 girls’ team for Marion Futbol Club.

And since first becoming involved around seven years ago, he’s taken it upon himself to learn the basics of the game — and then some.

“There are courses you can take that are offered and start out statewide at a G level and you can stick with it and go all the way to an international level coach,” he said. “Right now I’m at D, so I’ve

got a long way to go, but since I didn’t know the game, I wanted to.”

Now the goal is to get others excited about soccer, and the results locally have been promising in recent years.

The youth program, rec-wise, has swelled to an average of 550 players each fall and spring. And local club play has really taken off as part of Marion Youth Soccer/Marion Futbol with about 80 members and climbing.

Put all together, that’s more than 600 youth athletes in Marion County enjoying the sport one way or another. And many of the same youth are developing skills they will use down the road, since the MCYSA serves as a true feeder program for the county’s three high schools.

SEE LAYMAN, PAGE 15

Brumage stays active through retirement PAGE 10

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

â&#x20AC;&#x153;At one point, eyeglasses were the biggest thing. Now there are so many state programs that people can go to for glasses. ... Now we average about 10 pairs a month. You would be surprised. There are people out there who cannot even afford to get their eyes checked.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x201D; JACOB BRUMAGE

Raising funds and finding new members for groups keeps him busy

BY JOHN VEASEY TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Jacob Brumage has always had a â&#x20AC;&#x153;thingâ&#x20AC;? about his name.

When he was a boy, he said everyone called him Jakey. He had a cousin who, upon the occasion of her 100th birthday party recently, called him Jakey when he arrived at the party. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At 100 years old,â&#x20AC;? he said, â&#x20AC;&#x153;if she wanted to call me Jakey, that was fine.â&#x20AC;?

He thought of another occasion that came after one of his daughters graduated from high school. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She looked at me and said, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Dad, your name is not Jake. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jacob.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;?

Brumage said he had four daughters. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Margaret is my second wife.

She had two daughters and a son. They were grown when we got married. Her daughters think they are more my daughters than hers,â&#x20AC;? he said, partly in jest. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We spent too much time in

Florida last year ... we stayed from December until the middle of March. We had some rental property that needed some special care.â&#x20AC;?

Brumage said he had Brumage Heating for years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Then I went to Florida and started out working for a homebuilder. I was manager for him for one of his branch offices.

The last 15 years there I was employed by a security company.â&#x20AC;?

He said he did a lot of traveling for them. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Wherever there was a problem, there I was,â&#x20AC;? he added.

Here in Fairmont, he has been involved with the Fairmont Lions Club. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll become president again in June. I was also president two years ago,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was zone chairman three years ago. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They tell me Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m pretty good at recruiting new members,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I received a pin a while back for recruiting 15 new members.â&#x20AC;?

He explained that the Lions have changed their logo a little bit in recent years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;At one point, eyeglasses were the biggest thing,â&#x20AC;? he explained. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Now there are so many state programs that people can go to for glasses. ... Now we average about 10 pairs a month.

You would be surprised. There

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Jake Brumage (right), president of the Democrat MenĘźs Club, presents a $1,000 check from the MenĘźs and WomenĘźs Club to the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gift of Loveâ&#x20AC;? food drive at the Times West Virginian.

Also pictured are Barbara Dorsey and County Commissioner Butch Tennant.

are people out there who cannot even afford to get their eyes checked.â&#x20AC;?

The club also donates food to the Marion County Humane Society. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And when these storms go through, we were able to kick some $20,000 or $30,000,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s through the International Lions Club. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Any money we fundraised from the public has to be money raised from the members,â&#x20AC;? he pointed out.

He said he and his wife also attempt to collect food for the Soup Opera. â&#x20AC;&#x153;And we help out with the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gift of Love,â&#x20AC;&#x2122;â&#x20AC;? he said, referring to the Times West Virginianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual food drive to feed the hungry in Marion County.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I work with the Democratic Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Club,â&#x20AC;? he added. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Junior Slaughter was president when he died. I was vice president. We gave $1,000 to the â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Gift of Loveâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; for the last three years.

We also give to the Christmas Toy Shop. The Democratic Men and Women join together for that. â&#x20AC;&#x153;They also think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a good fund-raiser. I help them with that as well. I think I was the first one raising money at the Labor Day Picnic. Usually a couple of the unions and the Democrat Men join together to do that.â&#x20AC;?

He also keeps up with the Marion County Commission. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just interested in whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going on in Marion County,â&#x20AC;? he said.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER Email John Veasey at Jake Brumage brings food in for the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gift of Loveâ&#x20AC;? campaign, jcveasey@timeswv.com. an annual food drive sponsored by the Times West Virginian.

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Harmon making a difference in small town

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 11

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Officer gets a chance to build relationships with kids, community

BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

RIVESVILLE — Since he was a kid, Isaiah Harmon knew he wanted to work in law enforcement. It’s become the family tradition.

At 20 years old, Harmon is serving as a part-time police officer for the town of Rivesville, and if the town could afford it he’d be full time. Though Rivesville isn’t plagued with a lot of major crime, he believes he’s able to help people and really make a difference in his community.

“My dad and uncle are both state troopers,” he said, members of the West Virginia State Police. “They put a big influence on me,” he said, telling him stories about what they did to help people on a daily basis.

Helping people really appealed to him even as a young kid.

“I used to be bullied in high school and middle school,” Harmon said, and it left him with a desire to keep others safe.

“I just look at myself as a protector,” he said.

After graduating from Fairmont Senior High School, he went to Fairmont State University, majoring in criminal justice. He studied for two years before job duties got in the way.

In June 2012, Harmon entered “The Academy,” a program offered by the State Police for, among other things, basic police training. It ended in September, which cuts into the school year, forcing him to quit school for the time being.

“It did interest me a lot and I hope to continue,” he said.

Today, he works as a fullfledged officer for Rivesville and Farmington.

“It’s nice and quiet out here,” he said. “You don’t get overrun with too much stuff.”

An average night on the job involves responding to drunk drivers, speeders, other trafficrelated issues and the occasional domestic disturbance or drug-related incident.

It hasn’t always been that way, said Chief Mike Daff.

“We buttoned it up,” he said, after he came on as chief.

That “zero tolerance policy” has made an impact, he said, and the town sees a lot fewer major crimes now.

“I usually pull over for headlights, license plate lights, definitely if they’re speeding or anything,” Harmon said, but particularly for those “defective equipment” stops he’ll let them off with a warning. “I’m usually out there to try and find drugs and everything.”

Thanks to a major crackdown on drugs in Rivesville, he said arrests have been dwindling down.

One of the best things about working in a small community, he said, is knowing the people.

“Whenever somebody’s in trouble, they know who you are,” he said, which can make the initial contact easier.

It can also have a downside, especially if you’ve grown up in the town.

“It’s very difficult because you get to know people,” said Daff, who came to the force from outside Rivesville.

Harmon said there have been instances where he’s had to pull over someone he knows and they’ve tried to trade on their relationship to get out of a ticket or worse.

“You can’t show favoritism, because if you show favoritism to one person, you have to do it to another, so we all have to treat them the same,” he said.

“I used to be bullied in high school and middle school. I just look at myself as a protector.”

— ISAIAH HARMON

PHOTO BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Officer Isaiah Harmon pulls out of the station in his police cruiser. Harmon says he went into police work to protect people.

PHOTO BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS

Officer Isaiah Harmon types a report at the Rivesville Police Department. As a small-town officer, Harmon watches for speeders and drug abuse.

Daff said you can’t play favorites, even in a small town.

“Even if they’re good people 99 percent of the time,” he said, you have to do your job and make the citation or arrest if it’s warranted.

“I took an oath as an officer to uphold the law,” he said. “If you’re breaking it, I’m going to do my duty.”

Part of being a small-town officer is just making your presence known, and Daff said he and Harmon do their best to be proactive and seen without the flashing lights. For instance, he said, with the “30 on 30” program (where officers spend 30 minutes in the mornings and evenings at local schools for security reasons), they try to spend 45 minutes to an hour.

“We make sure we stop in every classroom and say hi to the kids,” he said.

The same goes for local gettogethers and gatherings, just to let people know the police are a part of the community.

Harmon said one of the things he’s been surprised by is how people respond to the police.

“At first I thought there’d be a lot of respect,” he said. “I think what society has built up ... is cops being dirty and discrete and secretive, out to get somebody ... and abuse their powers.”

While there are some bad officers, he said, “most of the other officers I work with” are good people.

“I’ve learned a lot from them,” he said.

Daff said Rivesville is a wonderful town to work in.

“The people for the most part are really nice here,” and he’s able to do his job with minimal interference.

The same goes for Harmon.

In the future, Harmon hopes to move to a federal level, pursuing a career with the Drug Enforcement Agency or U.S. Marshals.

“I’ve always been interested in doing the dangerous stuff,” he laughed.

In the meantime, however, he’s glad to be making a difference in his community.

Email Jonathan Williams at jwilliams@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @JWilliamsTWV.

FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

GRACE LUTHERAN CHURCH

110 CLARKSBURG STREET MANNINGTON, WV (304) 986-2957

300 Gaston Avenue Fairmont, West Virginia

“A passion for God...

And compassion for others”

Phone: 366-4667 Rev. Matt Holbert

Sunday Worship 9:30am

Community Easter Sunrise Service. . . . .7:00 AM Easter Breakfast....................................7:45 AM Sunday School (All Ages).....................9:30 AM Sunday Morning Worship..................10:30 AM Wednesday Bible Study........................6:30 PM Youth, Mens & Womens Ministries H.I.S. Food Ministries

Sunday School all ages 10:45am August - May www.grace4u2.com Handicapped Accessible

Pastor, Greg Roth

First Presbyterian Church 301 Jackson Street, Fairmont, WV 304-366-2628 March 24 - Palm Sunday: 10:30 Service WV Brass Quintet & Cambridge Handbell Choir March 28 - Maundy Thursday 6:00pm - Pot Luck Dinner 7:00pm - Worship Service March 29 - Good Friday - 7:00pm Cantata, “Return to Me”, based on the Stations of the Cross and Scripture readings.

Featuring the Chancel Choir, piano & guest cellist, Mary Ellen Morrison John Morrison, Director of Music March 31 - Easter Sunday - 10:30am Service Choir & Cambridge Handbell Choir Childcare provided for all services www.fairmontfirst.net

MANNINGTON CHURCH OF CHRIST 706 East Main Street • Phone 986-2924 Evangelist, Mike Reese SERVICES: Sunday Morning Bible Study....................9:00 a.m.

Sunday Morning Worship........................10:00 a.m.

Sunday Evening Children’s Bible Time......6:00 p.m.

Sunday Evening Worship...........................6:00 p.m.

Wednesday Evening Bible Study..............7:00 p.m.

Live Internet Streaming of All Services at www.manningtoncoc.com

Easter at LIFE United Methodist Church 1564 Mary Lou Retton Drive Fairmont, WV 26554

Sunday, March 24: 8:15 & 9:30 Palm Sunday - Choir Contata • 11:00 Praise Worship Thursday, March 28: 6:30pm Maundy Thursday Seder Meal • RSVP appreciated Friday, March 29: 7:00pm Good Friday Worship Saturday, March 30 6:30pm Family Community Easter Egg Hunt • 6:30pm Saturday Easter Worship Sunday, March 31: 6:45am Easter Sunrise Worship followed by breakfast 8:15 Traditional Worship • 9:30 & 11:00 Praise Worship

EASTER SUNDAY

9:30 Sunday School for Children • 11:00 NO Children’s Church NOTE: A live stream of the worship going on will be shown on a screen in the Hospitality Center. Some may choose to worship in this relaxed setting.

www.LIFEUMC.org

(304) 363-2104

352735

PAGE 12

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

SUBMITTED PHOTOS

Hobby combines Roark’s passions for art and ministry Justin Roark uses many of his paintings to spread a message. He paints on various items such as saw blades and skateboards, but also uses traditional canvases at times.

Artist enjoys when his pieces spark a conversation

“I never could sing. I never could preach.

This is just a fun way for me to (get the message across). There’s no better way to do that than to slap it on a canvas.”

— JUSTIN ROARK

BY NICOLE FIELDS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — The images speak for themselves.

There’s a painting of Jesus, a broad image splashed across a 30-inch canvas that took nearly seven hours to complete.

Another painting features two doves emerging from a sea of red and orange, with the doves painted to represent the Holy Spirit and the colors depicting the heart as a temple purified by fire.

Most of the paintings are on unique canvases such as saw blades and skateboards or antique ironing boards. Some are florals. Others have more texture and layers. A few are whimsical.

But each sends a message.

It’s a message Justin Roark is working hard to spread, and it combines two of his loves: art and ministry.

“I never could sing. I never could preach. This is just a fun way for me to (get the message across),” the 26-year-old Fairmont resident said.

“There’s no better way to do that than to slap it on a canvas.”

Roark graduated from Fairmont State University in 2010. He said he’s always liked to paint and draw, and even though he works full time as a training specialist at Mylan Pharmaceuticals Inc. in Morgantown, he tries to devote at least 10 hours a week to his hobby of artistic expression.

“If I could do it 40 hours a week and (make a living), I’d do it in a heartbeat,” he said.

“If you’re doing what you love, you find a way for it to work. For me, that’s to have a 9-to-5 job throughout the

PHOTO BY NICOLE FIELDS

Justin Roark displays one of his paintings of Valley Falls. The 26-year-old spends 10 hours a week painting, and hopes to eventually make it a full-time career.

week ... and find time to make time for (painting).”

He’s shown his paintings in gallery and art shows in Fairmont, Morgantown and Grafton in addition to his native Jackson County, and recently started attending craft shows as a way to branch out and meet more artists like himself. He’s completed 170 paintings since 2008, and his work ranges from landscapes that showcase his Appalachian heritage to religious themes and floral designs and even sidewalk chalk drawings.

Roark said there’s a different process for each painting.

For example, if he’s paint- there’s a lot of flowers that ing a landscape, he likes to represent different things: The visit the area he’s painting and rose represents the passion, a take photographs there.

Sometimes he even hikes or rides through the park so he can illustrate his own experience, which is part of what he described as “the journey” that accompanies each piece.

He said he often works religious tones into his art because it’s something people recognize and it gets a conversation started.

“I’ve been doing portraits of Jesus and different representations of doves,” he said.

“Even with the floral stuff,

white lily is chastity — typically of Mary — and the dogwood with the crucifixion.

You can work some of those things in there that a lot of older people in the Bible Belt can recognize from old hymns.

“It’s just neat to do something subtle that someone has to ask about,” he added.

“When someone asks about it, you’ve got a conversation.

You’ve got outreach.”

Roark said each painting reflects a personal experience, and is one he is happy to share.

“What you create is a part of you. It comes from you,” he said. “There’s no better offering than that.”

Ultimately, he’d like to use his talent to get involved with local school systems and positively influence young students.

He recalled working with a group of students at Fairmont’s Youth Academy, which helps at-risk children and families, and doing an art project with them. He said they covered their hands with paint and then collaborated on a 2-foot by 3-foot painting to be displayed in one of the rooms there.

Roark said the students responded positively to the project.

“For that second, they didn’t have to worry about their troubles,” he added.

Roark said getting kids — and people of all ages — involved in an active art community is important.

“It can help bring some happiness to the area,” he said. “If it makes you happy and it’s a positive outlet, you’ve got a hold of something special.”

It also ties back to his own childhood, and is part of the reason he paints on canvases like skateboards.

He said he realized at a young age that the bottoms of skateboards — which typically feature some sort of screen-printed graphics — could be used to relay a positive message. So he painted biblical illustrations and spiritual pictures on the bottoms of skateboards to be used as wall art.

It’s just one more way for Roark to get his true message out there, and it’s something he hopes to do for years to come.

“I live in color,” he said with a laugh. “I’d like to always have a paintbrush in my hand.”

Email Nicole Fields at nfields@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @NicoleFieldsTWV.

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN MARCH 30 HISTORIC INTERPRETER TRAINING — An intense day of training teaches staff and volunteers how to present history to a diverse audience, Pricketts Fort State Park, Fairmont. Members $36, non-members $40, students 20, free for current Pricketts Fort staff and volunteers. Call (304) 363-3030 or www.prickettsfortstatepark.com.

APRIL 1 “ELVIS LIVES” — This live, multimedia musical journey takes the audience through the career stages of the life of Elvis Presley, at 7:30 p.m. at the WVU Creative Arts Center, Morgantown. Tickets $58, $53, $49, $44. Call (304) 293-SHOW or www.events.wvu.edu.

APRIL 9 DIANA KRALL — BNY Mellon Jazz presents the jazz singerʼs appearance as part of her 2013 Glad Rag Doll Tour, at 7:30 p.m. at Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh. Call (412) 392-4900.

APRIL 19 BARRY MANILOW — The singer/songwriter/pianist, known for such hits as “Mandy” and “Copacabana,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh. Call (800) 745-3000 or www.consolenergycenter.com.

APRIL 26 FLEETWOOD MAC — The band, known for such hits as “Donʼt Stop,” “Go Your Own Way” and “Dreams,” will perform at 8 p.m. at the Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh. Call (800) 745-3000 or www.consolenergycenter.com.

APRIL 1 “ELVIS LIVES” — This live, multimedia musical journey takes the audience through the career stages of the life of Elvis Presley, at 7:30 p.m. at the WVU Creative Arts Center, Morgantown. Tickets $58, $53, $49, $44. Call (304) 293-SHOW or www.events.wvu.edu.

APRIL 4 “FIDDLER ON THE ROOF” — The musical known for such songs as “Tradition,” “Matchmaker, Matchmaker,” “If I Were a Rich Man” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, Charleston. Call (304) 561-3570 or www.theclaycenter.org.

APRIL 4-7 SCHOOL OF THE LONGHUNTER — An intense weekend of instruction exploring the role of early frontiersmen on the American frontier, with speakers focusing on frontier skills, Pricketts Fort State Park, Fairmont. Call (800) 225-5982 or www.prickettsfort-.org.

APRIL 5-6 MURDER MYSTERY DINNER THEATER — Find out whodunnit and have a meal too, at North Bend State Park, Cairo. Call (304) 6432931 or www.northbendsp.com.

APRIL 5-7 RAMP DIGGING WEEKEND — Learn about ramps, both in the classroom and in the field, with an experience that includes a mule-driven wagon taking you to the Cranberry backcountry to dig ramps, as well as meals and a social gathering with a bluegrass band, Cowen. Call (304) 588-5200.

APRIL 6 CHOCOLATE LOVERSʼ DAY — The 12th annual Chocolate Loversʼ Day allows the public to indulge themselves in an array of chocolate creations at participating businesses, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with registration at the Monongalia Art Center at 107 High St. and at Arts Monongahela at 201 High St. Tickets $5. Call (304) 292-0168 or www.downtownmorgantown.com.

ERIC CLAPTON — The legendary guitarist and singer-songwriter, known for songs such as “Layla,” “Wonderful Tonight,” “I Canʼt Stand It” and “Forever Man,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh. Call (800) 745-3000 or www.consolenergycenter.com.

DARIN & BROOKE ALDRIDGE — Dubbed “The Sweethearts of Bluegrass” by Tom T. and Dixie Hall, Darin and Brooke Aldridge, also nominated in 2011 for Emerging Artist of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association and for gospel group, album and song of the year by the Society for the Preservation of Bluegrass Music, will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Pocahontas County Opera House, Marlinton. Call (304) 799-6645 or www.pocahontasoperahouse.org.

JONATHAN EDWARDS — Known for his 1971 hit “Sunshine,” the singer-songwriter will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, Charleston. Call (304) 561-3570 or www.theclaycenter.org.

APRIL 7 “MOUNTAIN STAGE” — The West Virginia Public Radio Show presents Bela Fleck & Abigail Washburn, The SteelDrivers, the Stray Birds and more, 7 p.m. at the West Virginia Wesleyan College Virginia Thomas Law Center, for the Performing Arts, Buckhannon.

Tickets $30. Call (800) 594-TIXX or www.mountainstage.org.

CAPITOL STEPS — The Capitol Steps comedy troupe known for satirizing politics performs in the capitol ... of West Virginia, at 7:30 p.m. at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, Charleston. Call (304) 561-3570 or www.theclaycenter.org.

APRIL 9 DIANA KRALL — BNY Mellon Jazz presents the jazz singerʼs appearance as part of her 2013 Glad Rag Doll Tour, at 7:30 p.m. at Heinz

Hall, Pittsburgh. Call (412) 392-4900.

APRIL 19 BARRY MANILOW — The singer/songwriter/pianist, known for such hits as “Mandy” and “Copacabana,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh. Call (800) 745-3000 or www.consolenergycenter.com.

JACK HANNA — Americaʼs favorite zookeeper, director emeritus of the Columbus (Ohio) Zoo and Aquarium, presents “Into the Wild Live,” featuring some of his favorite animal friends plus stories and footage of his travels around the world, 8 p.m. at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, Charleston. Call (304) 5613570 or www.theclaycenter.org.

APRIL 19-21 NEW RIVER GORGE WILDFLOWER WEEKEND — Celebrate the glories of an Appalachian spring at the New River Gorge National River, Hawks Nest, Babcock and Pipestem State parks with rangers and naturalists explaining the wildflowers that are blooming, Canyon Rim Visitor Center, Lansing. Call (304) 574-2115 or www.nps.gov/neri APRIL 20 WILD WARRIOR CHALLENGE — This exciting 5K obstacle race features a course that includes a 100foot water slide, roped pond crossing, 500-foot mud bog, a human gauntlet, the tube crawl, bedrock crossing, a mud pit and a military 100-foot crawl, plus a variety of climbing and crawling obstacles along the course, Mylan Park, Morgantown. Call (304) 292-5081 or www.wildwarriorchallenge.com.

FEAST OF THE RANSOM — The 75th annual Feast of the Ransom celebration features a ramp dinner, a craft show, ramp recipe contest and entertainment, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Richwood High and Middle School gyms, Richwood. Call (304) 846-6790 or www.richwoodchamberofcommerce.org.

OSBRA EYE MEMORIAL WALK — Choose from a variety of led wildflower walks on trails throughout the forest, registration from 8:30 to 9 a.m. in the pool area of Kanawha State Forest, Charleston. Call (304) 558-3500 or www.kanawhastateforest.com.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN LIVING HISTORY — Fritz Klein presents a living history program as the 16th president to commemorate the 150th anniversary of Lincolnʼs issuing of the West Virginia statehood proclamation on April 20, 1863, called “A New Star in the Union: Abraham Lincoln and West Virginia Statehood,” at 2 p.m. at the West Virginia Independence Hall, 1528 Market St., Wheeling. Call (304) 2381300.

APRIL 20, 27, MAY 4 SPRING BIRD WALK — Staff from the West Virginia Department of Natural Resources lead the public on this annual rite of passage beginning at 8 a.m. at Pricketts Fort State Park, Fairmont. Wear sturdy walking shoes and bring binoculars if you have them. Free and open to the public.

Call (800) 225-5982 or www.prickettsfortsorg.

APRIL 21 “MOUNTAIN STAGE” — The West Virginia Public Radio Show presents Billy Bragg, The Flatliners, Joe Pug and more, 7 p.m., WVU Creative Arts Center, Morgantown.

Advance $18, at the door $23. Call (304) 293-SHOW or www.mountainstage.org.

DOYLE LAWSON & QUICKSILVER — The bluegrass group performs at concert at 3:30 p.m. at the American Mountain Theater, Elkins.

Call (888) 793-4379 or www.americanmountaintheater.com.

APRIL 23 “RAIN” — From “The Ed Sullivan Show” to Abbey Road, this show covers the Fab Four from their beginnings through the psychedelic late 1960s and their long-haired hippie, hard-rocking days, featuring songs such as “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” “Come Together” and “Canʼt Buy Me Love,” 7:30 pm. at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, Charleston. Call (304) 5613570 or www.theclaycenter.org.

APRIL 26 FLEETWOOD MAC — The band, known for such hits as “Donʼt Stop,” “Go Your Own Way” and “Dreams,” will perform at 8 p.m. at the Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh. Call (800) 745-3000 or www.consolenergycenter.com.

APRIL 27 LUNAR CYCLE — The park will be open extended hours from 9 p.m. to midnight to allow mountain bikers the opportunity to ride the park trails at night, with participants parking at the activity building and having appropriate lighting gear, Watters Smith Memorial State Park, Lost Creek. Call (304) 745-3081 or www.wvmba.com/ridewv/ LONE RAVEN — This Celtic/World music band, featuring 20 instruments on stage and soaring through everything from fiery reels to gypsy fiddle, will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Pocahontas County Opera House, Marlinton. Call (304) 7996645 or www.pocahontasoperahouse.org.

RAMPS AND RAIL FEST — The annual Ramps and Rails Festival includes a wide variety of foods, including many ramp dishes, plus arts and crafts and more than five hours of music, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Elkins Town Square. Call (304) 6357803.

APRIL 29-MAY 4 WEST VIRGINIA BIRDING FESTIVAL — This event includes guests

AREA ENTERTAINMENT

speakers as well as the opportunity to go bird watching in the New River Gorge region, 310 Oyler Ave., Oak Hill. Call (304) 465-5617 or www.birding-wv.com.

APRIL 30 THE BLACK KEYS — The rock duo, known for their hit “Tighten Up,” will perform at 8 p.m. at the Consol Energy Center, Pittsburgh. Call (800) 745-3000 or www.consolenergycenter.com.

MAY 3-5 SCOTTISH FESTIVAL & CELTIC GATHERING — This festival features piping, dancing, heavy athletic competitions, animal exhibits and demonstrations, childrenʼs activities, massed bagpipe bands, various workshops, Scottish clan activities and entertainment, including a Friday night Ceilidh from 7:30 to 11 p.m., the games, vendors and other activities from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and the Kirkin of the Tartans church service at 10:30 a.m., in a variety of locations around Clarksburg and Bridgeport.

Call (304) 534-3737 or www.scotswestvirginia.org.

BIRD BANDING — Licensed bird bander Joey Herron leads the weekend of birding and banding, which can be attended by the experienced, novice or back yard birders, Tygart Lake State Park, Grafton. Call (304) 265-6144.

MAY 4 ENGINES AND WHEELS FESTIVAL — The 9th annual Engines and Wheels Festival features old-fashioned engines and turn-of-thecentury industrial, oil field and farm machinery, with live demonstrations, craft vendors food and more, North Bend State Park, Cairo. Call (304) 628-3396 or www.northbendsp.com.

IRISH ROAD BOWLING — The West Virginia Irish Road Bowling Association sponsors this event at 12:30 p.m. at Kanawha State Forest, Charleston. Call (304) 558-3500 or www.kanawhastateforest.com.

MAY 7 “ROCK OF AGES” — The musical tells the story of a smalltown girl who meets a big city rocker on Sunset Strip in 1987, featuring the music of Journey, Night Ranger, Styx, REO Speedwagon, Pat Benatar, Twisted Sister, Poison, Asia and Whitesnake, at 7:30 p.m. at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, Charleston. Call (304) 561-3570 or www.theclaycenter.org.

MAY 8 CARRIE UNDERWOOD — The country singer and “American Idol” winner brings her Blown Away Tour with special guest Hunter Hayes to the area with a concert at 7:30 p.m. at the Charleston Civic Center, Charleston. Tickets $63.50, $53.50 and $43.50. Call (304) 344-5075 or www.charlestonwv.com.

MAY 8-11 RENDEZVOUS ON THE RIVER — Muzzleloader and mountain men gather for the spring rendezvous with authentic campsites, demonstrations of camp life and period dress, Blennerhassett Island State Park, Parkersburg. Call (304) 420-4800 or www.blennerhassettstatepark.com.

MAY 10-11 BLUEGRASS FESTIVAL — Two days of bluegrass music featuring a variety of bands, plus craft vendors, North Bend State Park, Cairo. Call (304) 643-2931 or www.northbendsp.com.

MAY 11

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 13

SPRING BIRD WALK — Learn basic birding skills and search for migratory birds, and bring binoculars and wear sturdy hiking shoes, beginning at 8 a.m. at the activity building, Watters Smith Memorial State Park, Lost Creek. Call (304) 745-3081 or www.watterssmithstatepark.com.

PETER YARROW — The “Peter” of Peter, Paul and Mary and co-writing of their hit song, “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” will perform at 7:30 p.m. at the Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences of West Virginia, Charleston. Call (304) 561-3570 or www.theclaycenter.org.

MAY 11-19 STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL — The 72-year-old festival features parades, arts and crafts, live music, a horse and carriage parade, strawberry shortcake, a carnival and more, Buckhannon. Call (304) 472-9036 or www.wvstrawberryfestival.com.

MAY 16-19 GREENBRIER RIVER BIKE TREK — This annual, three-day, 100-mile bike ride on the Greenbrier River Trail winds its way through the spectacular scenery of the Greenbrier Valley along the river, with cyclists of varying levels of experi-

ence invited and all meals, lodging, transportation, sag service, medics and mechanics provided, Marlinton.

Call (304) 799-7416 or www.lunginfo.org/trek.

MAY 17-18 CHARLIE WEST BLUES FEST — The West Virginia Blues Society presents the sixth annual fest featuring Ana Popavic, Davina & the Vagabonds, Bryan Lee & the Blues Power Band, Kristine Jackson, Lil Malcolm & The House Rockers, Kim Wilson & the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Magic Slim & the Teardrops, Southern Hospitality, Tinsley Ellis, Mud Morganfield and Mojo Theory, Haddad Riverfront Park, Charleston.

Call (304) 389-1439 or www.charliewestbluesfest.com.

MAY 18 DIRTY DAWG 15K TRAIL RUN — The West Virginia Mountain Trail Runners sponsors this 15K race in which runners can bring their dogs, shelter No. 6, Kanawha State Forest, Charleston. Call (304) 558-3500 or www.kanawhastateforest.com.

MAY 24-25 SHEEP TO SHAWL — Watch sheep being sheared and see the various processes involved in

preparing wool including carding, spinning and weaving, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pricketts Fort State Park, Fairmont. Call (800) 225-5982 or www.prickettsfort.org.

HALF MARATHON — The Ogden Newspapers Half Marathon Classic also includes a 5K, a 1-mile race and a kidsʼ race, at 14th and Main streets, Wheeling. Call (800) 828-3097 or www.ogdenhalfmarathonclassic.com.

MAY 24-27 WV MEMORIAL DAY FESTIVAL — Festivities include a historic lantern tour of Grafton National Cemetery, music, car show, fireworks, vendors, animal show, 145th annual Memorial Day parade, community picnic and more, Grafton. Call (304) 265-1412 ext. 16 or www.graftonwv.org.

MAY 25-26 “WHISPERS IN THE WIND” — Hear the voices of those who lived and died on the frontier through a historically-based performance written by Fairmont State students under the direction of Dr. Fran Kirk, at 7 p.m. at Pricketts Fort State Park, Fairmont. Call (800) 225-5982 or www.prickettsfort.org.

STATE PARKS

W hereP eople andN atureM eet.

MIGRATION CELEBRATION*

THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF CORNSTALK’S CAMPAIGN*

May 11 – Little Beaver State Park

WINGS OF WONDER SERIES 2013* May 3 – Tygart Lake – 7 p.m.

June 8 – Pipestem – 8 p.m.

June 15 – Beech Fork – 7 p.m.

Check for other times online.

BIRD BANDING AT TYGART LAKE May 3-5 | 304-265-6144 Details and packages—tygartlake.com

COME TO BLENNERHASSETT ISLAND May – October!

Visit the museum year-round. blennerhassettislandstatepark.com

Learn the history of western Virginia Euro-American settlements in the Trans-Allegheny region.

May 4 – Kanawha State Forest June 1 – Tu-Endie-Wei State Park Sept. 7 – Hawks Nest State Park School and tour groups welcome. *Programs open to the public without charge.

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Motown Strutters group reunites senior dancers PAGE 14

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — One of the oldest forms of expression is the art of dance.

From the first dance between a bride and groom at a wedding to a football player’s celebration dance in the end zone after a touchdown, dance can take place in a variety of environments.

What’s more, dance isn’t restricted by gender, skill or even age.

Just ask the Motown Strutters, a tap dancing group in Morgantown.

The Motown Strutters Senior Tap Troupe is a group of 12 women with varying backgrounds who came together about a year ago to share their passion — tap dancing.

Debbie West, who participates in the group and choreographs the dance routines, started recruiting friends and former contacts at every chance she got.

“When I was a young kid, I danced with Virginia Dance School and Debbie was my instructor,” group member Debbie Clever said.

Forty-four years later, a run-in at the grocery store landed Clever a spot on the Motown Strutters.

“I ran into her at Walmart and she said she was putting a dance group together and asked if I

wanted to join,” Clever said.

West had a similar experience with fellow dancer Sharon Hilleary. According to Hilleary, West was persistent when it came to inviting her to attend a practice session.

“She kept calling and calling and I told my husband, ‘If I don’t at least go to a practice, she’s going to keep calling me,’” Hilleary said.

Hilleary gave in, but said her initial intentions were to watch and kindly decline. The next thing she knew, she was buying a pair of tap shoes.

And so the Motown Strutters were complete, with members ranging in age from 52 to 83 years old. Many of the members went to school and danced together in their younger years.

“Most of us are born and raised Morgantown girls,” Hilleary said.

Though their time on the dance floor took a hiatus as they went on to become teachers, nurses, insurance agents, engineers and other types of professionals, their love of tap dancing brought them back together.

After a few months of practicing together, the group was invited to its first performance in April at the Metropolitan Theatre.

“I danced at the Met for the first time when I was 5 and I’m back there now,” group member Judy Henry said. “I hope the last time I dance there I’m 105.”

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Members of the Motown Strutters, a senior tap dancing troupe in Morgantown, provide entertainment throughout the community by performing a variety of tap dancing routines.

Members agree the performance was an emotional one for the group, as many of them had graced the stage several years before.

Since that first performance, West said she has noticed vast improvement in the group’s ability. The Motown Strutters practice twice a week at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and at Morgantown Dance Studio where West is an instructor.

West emphasized that although they take their routines seriously, she recognizes the need for other priorities.

“It’s only tap,” West said.

“Family comes first.”

That relaxed environment is

what many of the members find so enjoyable and comforting about being part of the group.

But if there’s one gripe about performing, it’s the costume changes. Members said whether it’s forgetting essential items, getting clothing mixed up, making adjustments when West announces at the last minute that she “wants sequins on that” or simply running out of time to change between routines, it can be a stressful experience.

“You have to do it really quickly,” group member Kathy Lopez said. “You have to take your shoes off to get other things on and then buckle your shoes again.”

But even in the most stressful of moments, Lopez can’t deny the joy she receives from being a member of the group.

“It makes me so happy,” she said. “I’ll go home at night and put my shoes on and tap dance and I feel great.”

Dancing is only one part of their lives that the Motown Strutters share with one another.

The dancers often get together for events like Christmas and pool parties and volunteer activities.

“You can’t meet a nicer bunch of people. We’re just here to have fun,” member Debbie Copen said.

Copen has been unable to participate in practices and performance in recent months due to illness, but said she still takes every opportunity to support her fellow dancers.

The Motown Strutters most recently performed at the 2012 Fall Women’s Extravaganza at Mylan Park. They also perform at retirement facilities, fairs, pageants and reunions.

“That’s how we give back to the community,” West said. “We like to share our talent.”

According to West, their audiences often become involved in the performances. The Motown Strutters have witnessed everything from tears to sing-alongs.

Perhaps the most anticipated part of their show, they said, is their signature kick line at the

conclusion of the performance.

Nearing the closing of a performance at a class reunion, one audience member shouted, “Here it comes!” just as the dancers were about to begin their signature move.

In addition to tap dancing, member Dorothy Moore provides some comedic relief between routines. Moore is the oldest member of the group at 83, and is featured in a new routine, “Ain’t She Sweet.” As her fellow group members dance behind her, Moore struts along the front of the stage twirling her string of pearls and blowing kisses to admirers in the audience.

And while they may spend several hours a week perfecting their routines and tweaking their skills, the Motown Strutters are adamant that, in the end, it’s all about fun.

“We are not the Rockettes and we do not have tryouts,” West said. “We are a bunch of girls who love to tap dance. The exercise is fabulous and if you make a mistake it’s not the end of the world. You just smile.”

To book the Motown Strutters, call 304-594-3418, 304-685-2192 or email lovintap123@gmail.com. There is no fee, but donations are accepted.

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

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Gooch

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Marion County Youth Soccer Associationʼs Charles Layman has served many roles in his years with the organization. While not a soccer guy growing up, he is the field volunteer at the “For The Kids” complex in Barrackville and an area rec coach.

Layman

“Our club level, we used to beg and plead to find games and now we’ve grown enough to where we are part of Pa West and that’s really helped us establish a consistent schedule,” Layman said of the current club schedule, which includes opponents from West Virginia, Pennsylvania and even the upper reaches of the Keystone State as far north as Erie. “It’s really grown to a good point.”

The interest has grown so much since Jim DeNardi and Rick Maxwell started the MCYSA in the early 1990s that there is a waiting list and new teams have to be cobbled together every year.

“We’ve grown to where we have so many kids now,” Layman said of the 60-plus club and rec teams, “and everybody gets a chance until where registration is closed and then we do a waiting list. There’s enough kids to where each roster is full and we had to create new ones.”

But for all the growth, the organization has still found a way to make playing youth soccer in Marion County affordable.

“There is cost involved but we’re still one of the lowest-cost

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

associations in this entire area as far as our rec and club programs,” Layman said.

As if the price wasn’t right enough, there are numerous other benefits — like fun, friendships and fitness, to name a few.

“It’s actually fantastic exercise to get them active at a young age,” Layman said. “The other thing they really don’t realize is they are learning (the game) at the same time. Soccer is a player’s game. There are no timeouts. There are no play calls.

There’s nothing like that. From the first whistle to the end, it’s their physical activity and mental ability to adjust to everything.”

And now, there’s every chance for a local soccer player to succeed and build a lifelong love of the game.

“It’s soccer year-round.

There’s so many opportunities for these kids to also participate in winter sessions. It keeps them up off the couch,” Cox said.

“This is exercise, but quite often the kids don’t realize it is exercise. Running is no longer a punishment when it’s soccer.”

Email Nick Cammuso at ncammuso@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @NickCammusoTWV.

4O

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 15

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 9

“He thought that I would feel bad,” she said. “Here I am. I’ve barely eaten meat and not having hunted ever. It wasn’t very difficult for him to get me started just because I knew he thought that about me. I wanted to say, ‘No. I can do it. I might be small and short, but I can shoot a deer, and I can get it in one shot.’”

Brandon, who lives with his wife in Four States, displays passion for hunting.

“He’s really, really passionate about it,” Melanie said. “He wanted to show me one of his hobbies because he loves it so much, and he brings someone he loves into it. I’m just a very, very competitive person. If someone says I can’t do something, I’m going to show them I can.

“It started out with just target shooting. Every single time I’d get better than him. Then the deer. I would kind of always oneup him a little bit. We love each other, but it’s just a little competition thing. We’re both pretty competitive.”

During rifle season, Brandon and Melanie usually hunt together.

“I like it. We can spend that time together and kind of share something we both enjoy and still be a little bit competitive,” Melanie said.

During bow season, they go together but are in separate locations.

“I just like the silence of it,” Melanie said. “You’re up there and just kind of away from everything.”

Bow hunting is Melanie’s preference.

“I love archery,” she said.

“I’ve done archery shoots before.

It’s probably just, again, the competitiveness. I just enjoy that.”

Brandon and Melanie take their responsibilities with wildlife seriously.

Brandon, by choice, is involved with wildlife throughout the year, managing family farm land near Metz along the line between Marion and Wetzel counties.

“I run trail cameras yearround,” he said. “We don’t shoot

TH TH

anything small. We let everything grow. We manage it with protein feed, minerals, food year-round.

All kinds of things year-round.

We monitor the deer on the farm, and we watch them grow.”

There is a monetary cost.

“It’s like having a bunch of kids, but it’s enjoyable,” Brandon said.

This past year, they didn’t kill a single deer.

“Not because we couldn’t, but because of the management practice that we have,” Brandon explained. “We didn’t see anything that was worth shooting.

We could have killed a couple does, but we’ve got a bad coyote population. Our coyotes are killing our young fawns when they’re being dropped in spring.

Our doe population is going down.

“By what we’re seeing on our cameras and what we’re seeing hunting, we decided not to take any does.”

Melanie has the same attitude.

“I know a lot of people are against hunting,” she said. “They don’t see that if we don’t take out something like that, it can grow into a problem like the overpopulation, and they can fall into dis-

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Melanie Gooch got her first deer at the age of 18 — this 10point with a gun.

ease and stuff like that.

“Not only are we feeding ourselves. We have people at church (Oakhurst Church of Christ in Farmington) we give the meat to also, who can only eat the lean meat because of their heart. Not only are we using it, but we’re kind of helping that population kind of stay in control.”

Melanie, a West Virginia University graduate who got her degree last May, is a medical technologist at Fairmont General Hospital after initially working for LabCorps.

Brandon is a foreman at Consol’s Loveridge No. 22 mine, Metz portal. His normal schedule is working 22 out of 28 days, 1214 hours a day.

When they have free time, they enjoy spending it together.

“I don’t care if I kill another deer or if she gets to kill every one of them,” Brandon said.

“The joy I get from her being out there with me and harvesting the deer and just being there, that means everything to me.”

Email Cliff Nichols at cnichols@timeswv.com.

YEAR E A R O F S ERVICE E R V I C E T O M ARION ARION CO.

Traveling T raveling oover ver 6600,000 00,000 m miles iles a yyear!!! ear!!!

I have worked for the Transit Authority since December 2002.

I would like to thank the citizens of Marion County for their support. This year we are celebrating 40 years of service. We truly try to get people where they need to go, whenever possible, so when you need a ride give us a call and Hop-a-Bus. GEORGE LEVILSKY, CCTM

Remembering

NINA MOORE

Memories Of Our Lives, Of Our Works And Our Deeds Will Continue In Others.

JEFF MULLENAX

On February 18, 2013 the Fairmont- Marion County Transit Authority remembered Nina Moore as a faithful Board Member from January 1997 until her death on January 25, 2013. Nina was also a delightful and informative passenger for many years.

My name is Jeff Mullenax. I have worked for the Fairmont-Marion County Transit Authority since November 1993. I enjoy what I do and the people I work with. I have seen many changes over the years from the passengers to the employees to equipment and our facilities. Transportation in Marion County has gotten better, safer and more convenient. I’m thankful for the citizens of Marion Couty that have always supported our levy. I reside in Barrackville with my wife, Michelle, and my son, Dominick.

T Taking aking p people eople ttoo sschool, chool, ttoo w work, ork, ttoo d doctors octors appointments, appointments, shopping shopping & more! more!

Quality of Life

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 17

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Faces of

Stingo laying foundation for growing sport “At the middle school level, it is really nice because the kids come in with no idea how to play — that means they haven’t developed any bad habits. Most of them don’t even have any preconceived notions on what they’re supposed to do, so it actually works out to our advantage. We can teach them and make sure they’re fundamentally sound.”

— TONY STINGO

Coach, parents keep lacrosse growing in area

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Fairmont Freeze middle school boysʼ lacrosse program debuted in 2011 and now serves as a feeder team for Fairmont Senior High Schoolʼs lacrosse squad.

BY NICK CAMMUSO TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Lacrosse is considered the fastest growing sport in the United States.

And in Marion County, the game has made major inroads during recent years as well.

At the high school level, Fairmont Senior’s girls’ lacrosse program has put together a run of dominance that the rest of West Virginia is envious of, as the Polar Bears have won the past five WVSLA state titles. The boys also captured a state crown in 2009 and are competitive year in and year out.

And now the Fairmont Freeze, the area’s middle school boys’ program, is looking to emulate that success right from the get-go.

The team is approaching the start of its third season, and director Tony Stingo likes how things have evolved in such a short time and where they’re headed in the future.

“We had a good group of kids to begin with and we’ve sent a bunch of those kids to the high school,” Stingo, a Marion County native, said. “This year, our numbers aren’t down — we have about 35 kids, so we’re average (compared to) where we began — but there’s a lot of brand new kids and we’re kind of starting from scratch with them this season.”

Starting from scratch is nothing new to Stingo.

A self-proclaimed “football and basketball guy” growing up, he grew to love the sport while playing box lacrosse during the summer. And after two years of hearing from parents and people in the area about the need for a feeder system, he, with the help of local

SUBMITTED PHOTO

The Fairmont Freeze middle school boysʼ lacrosse program teaches players, most of whom have never picked up a lacrosse stick before joining the team, the basics of the game.

parents and a $16,000 equipment grant from U.S. Lacrosse, introduced the upstart Freeze in early 2011.

But starting fresh also applies to nearly every area middle school lacrosse player, boy or girl, the overwhelming majority of whom have never picked up

a stick before joining a team.

Tough as it might seem to coach athletes who are completely new to basic rules, fundamentals or even the right way to put on equipment, it’s actually more of a blessing than curse for Stingo and his coaches.

“At the middle school level, it is really nice because the kids come in with no idea how to play — that means they haven’t developed any bad habits,” he said. “Most of them don’t even have any preconceived notions on what they’re supposed to do, so it actually

works out to our advantage. We can teach them and make sure they’re fundamentally sound.”

And the teaching part is easier, too, as players lean on coaches to direct them on the finer points and often most basic details of the sport.

“They trust their coaches, and that really makes it easy. Where the sport is in West Virginia makes it very difficult to coach and very easy at the same time,” Stingo said. “It’s difficult because, in all honesty with the exception of a handful of people, there’s not a ton of knowledge even among the coaching ranks.

“But there’s none among the kids, so they come in and they really trust their coaches. It really is the best situation you could have — they’re learning because they’re not going home to a parent who is telling them you should be doing it this way or that way because the parents don’t know either, and it really helps and makes it easier to coach.”

That level of attention required from the start is part of what makes the sport unique. But also interesting is what a young lacrosse player can do with a little bit of knowledge and hard work.

In many cases, Marion County allstate lacrosse players aren’t the type who were weaned on the sport from birth but rather kids who started with the Freeze or even in high school and picked up the game at a rapid pace.

“I grew up a football guy and a basketball guy and I still love those sports, but this sport is really cool because with those two sports you can be an exceptional athlete and excel, and this sport doesn’t require that you’re the best athlete,” Stingo said. “If you are, that’s obviously a leg up, but it is all about the time you put in. You really reap the benefits of your hard work in this sport way more than any other sport. That’s why you see these big gains from the beginning of the season to the end, because it’s really all about developing skill.

Interest in family roots leads to love of history Members of West Augusta Historical Society enjoy sharing with others

“I started looking into my family genealogy when I was 13 years old. History just followed with it.”

— NORMA WILCOX

BY EMILY GALLAGHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

MANNINGTON — History is more than just something Norma Wilcox and Esther Strum learned in school.

It’s part of their lives.

The two are members of the West Augusta Historical Society in Mannington and enjoy teaching others about the rich history of the city.

Wilcox was first interested in genealogy, which led to her interest in history.

“I started looking into my family genealogy when I was 13 years old,” she said. “History just followed with it.”

Wilcox didn’t enjoy history at first, but after learning about her family background, history became part of her life. She started connecting relatives together and found it interesting that her family had a farm in the early 1900s.

SEE STINGO, PAGE 22

PHOTO BY EMILY GALLAGHER

Norma Wilcox holds a collapsible lunchbox children took to Esther Strum adjusts a dress on a mannequin at the West school when they went to the public school in Mannington.

Augusta Historical Museum. The display shows the types of Wilcox finds the changes in schools to be the most interestclothes children wore when public school was open. ing thing about history.

PHOTO BY EMILY GALLAGHER

“I would like to talk to my great-grandfather and ask him about his way of life in the 1900s,” Wilcox said.

When she was first learning about history, Wilcox had trouble remembering dates because

there were so many to learn, but when she was in school her history teacher made it easy for her.

“He had a way for making up rhymes and it was a lot easier to remember,” she said.

One thing about history that

Wilcox remembers is school and how classrooms have changed over the years. With the historical society’s museum being in the old Mannington Public School, she sees the differences every day.

“It’s interesting to look through the rules the teachers had to abide to,” Wilcox said. “They’ve changed tremendously.”

Growing up, Wilcox remembers her teachers having to dress a certain way and that they

could not be married.

“It’s a lot different today with what teachers can do,” she said.

“It’s just interesting to see how times have changed.”

Even though times have changed, Wilcox said a lot of people from across the country visit the museum because their relatives went to that school or were from Mannington.

Wilcox is glad to see her grandchildren getting involved at the West Augusta Historical Society Museum.

“They help with everything down here,” she said.

Strum has always enjoyed the more detailed side of history.

“I was always interested in how history affected people, not just the main events that happened,” she said.

Strum also is interested in her family history and how the details SEE HISTORY, PAGE 22

PAGE 18

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Teaching fundamentals of baseball at young age paying off FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 19

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

“It’s pretty exciting to see the kids when they make their first good throw and catch the ball for the first time. That’s probably the most exciting part — when you see the kid make the first catch. It excites them and it excites us. It just makes it fun to see the kids enjoy the game.”

— RUSSELL CRAIG

BY JARROD HARRIS TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — For those involved with Fairview Little League, baseball isn’t just about learning the ropes of the sport.

It’s about learning the ropes of life.

“As a coach, you get to teach the players about the game,” Fairview vice chairman Russell Craig said. “You not only get to teach baseball, but also discipline.

“It’s pretty exciting to see the kids when they make their first good throw and catch the ball for the first time,” Craig said.

“That’s probably the most exciting part — when you see the kid make the first catch. It excites them and it excites us. It just makes it fun to see the kids enjoy the game.

“I think it’s important that the youngsters get to build a relationship with their friends. It also allows them to learn a sport and allows them to be around coaches that love the game.”

Positive role models have allowed the Indians to be known as one of the top Little League teams in Marion County.

For head chairman Jim Hlusko, the kids of Fairview are the reason he decided to become such a big part of the Little League program.

Craig: Life lessons learned on ballfield

Fairviewʼs Trent Hlusko looks on from second while head coach Jim Hlusko anticipates a base hit.

“When my boy started playing, that’s when I started coaching,” Hlusko said. “You work with them at home and then you work with them there. I have two sons (Trent and Easton) playing in the Fairview Little League system and they are 10 and 6.”

Since he’s been coaching baseball, he’s noticed the transi-

tion of talent from season to season.

Because of his high demand for work ethic and being professional on the baseball diamond, the teams strive for excellence each year.

“We have a lot of talent and the reason as to why the high schools have talent is because of the Little League,” Hlusko said.

SUBMITTED PHOTO

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Fairview Little Leagueʼs Hunter Morris heads up to bat in a game last year.

“Our goal is to create players and to move forward to North Marion and pursue the game of baseball.”

There are more Little League teams that are feeder schools for local high schools. Craig said teams such as Farmington, Barrackville, Mannington, Fairmont and a few others all produce talent.

“Baseball varies from town to town,” Craig said. “There is talent in this whole area.

Barrackville usually has a talented team — they have great coaches. Farmington has always been good. It’s pretty fair baseball every single game because teams have good talent.”

But this year, there is a switch.

Instead of girls having to play on the Little League baseball teams, there is a separate league for girls, who can now hone their skills on the softball diamond.

“We actually have a girls’ softball team, too. It’s actually taken off the past few years,” Craig said. “Some of the communities are getting together and trying to get more softball Little League teams.

“Now we’re at 9 through 12 years old. It’s really taken off in especially Farmington and Fairview. We have to have some of the teams play farther away.

But communities are getting together and recognizing that softball is going to stay and happen. So with this, it’s allowing the girls a chance to play and improve before they get to high school.”

For the boys’ teams, 4-6 are enrolled to play T-ball; 6-8 are in C-ball; and 9-12 would be considered both A- and B-ball.

Each year, the teams and players’ talents improve. This showcases success for the coaches and athletes. For the coaches, it shows that their hard work teaching baseball fundamentals is paying off, and for the athletes, it shows that hard work pays off.

“I’ve noticed a change in the athletes’ baseball improvements from just last year to this year,” Craig said. “We take it real slow with them at first. At the beginning of the year, I liked to use tennis balls because you have a bunch of children out there who are still learning the game. You don’t want anyone to get hurt, so that’s why we used tennis balls early in the season ... before we get the techniques down.”

Practices begin the first week of April. The season will run through the second week of June.

“I really enjoy helping out and watching the kids improve from season to season,” Hlusko said. “It definitely will be a fun season this year.”

Email Jarrod Harris at jharris@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @JarrodHarrisTWV.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Morgantown, WV

The staff of the Ronald McDonald House in Morgantown, WV do more than prepare rooms and answer phones—they go above and beyond to make families staying at the House as comfortable as possible. Their tasks are simple, but their impact is much larger.

RMHC Guest Relations employees get rooms cleaned and prepared for the next family to have a place to rest their heads at night, process referrals, clean the house, and offer a listening ear to the families who just need someone to talk to. They are the individuals behind the scenes who work hard to keep the organization running every single day.

“Helping the families get adjusted is important to us,” said Kate Hines, “They’re going through a difficult enough time as it is, and we are here to ease the burden as best as we can.”

They often become close with families using the Ronald McDonald House and carry on relationships with them long after the families have left. The Ronald McDonald House receives mail from families who used the house in years past just saying hello or giving an update of how they are doing.

“It’s amazing to see how the employees connect with the familiies,” said Steve De Jesus, Executive Director & CEO. “They really form a close bond and support these families when they need it most. They are really some incredible human beings.”

Improving the quality of life for those using the Ronald McDonald House is something the staff takes to heart.

Above all, they work diligently to make a difference. Though they are behind the scenes, they should be acknowledged as every day heroes for the work they do.

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PAGE 20

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Volunteers for The Mountain Instituteʼs Mountain Trail Monitors program will have the opportunity to repair trails in the Monongahela National Forest while enjoying the outdoors, developing problem-solving skills and participating in team-building activities.

‘Mountain Trail Monitors’ giving students chance to work in forest

BY KAYLYN CHRISTOPHER TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Beginning in June, interested students will have an opportunity to live and work in the Monongahela National Forest with The Mountain Institute.

Thanks to a $45,000 grant from the Secure Rural Schools Act, the United States Forest Service will partner with TMI to host a “Mountain Trail Monitors” program in which volunteers will work to monitor and repair trails throughout the forest.

Melinda Brooks, a course director at TMI, said that while the nonprofit organization has a history of preserving and protecting mountain communities, this is the first year for this particular program.

Brooks said the program is set to run throughout the summer and will continue to be held for the next few years. Each week, a group of 12 to 15 volunteers between the ages of 13 and 17 will begin their five-day, fivenight excursion at Spruce Knob, the highest mountain in West Virginia, by gearing up and heading into the woods.

“They will embark on a backpacking trip right after they get here,” Brooks said. “They will meet the group and the instructors and go over what they need to know.”

Monday through Thursday, the

volunteers will focus on daily trail maintenance and brush removal. They will also create trail markers and construct small water bars to control erosion.

Evening activities will provide opportunities for volunteers to socialize and have fun, Brooks said.

“There will be camping under the night sky, astronomy, campfires and swimming,” she said.

“It’s not just about work on the trails and that’s it. There’s a fun component to it, too.”

In addition, Brooks said the volunteers and instructors will discuss things such as stream health monitoring, map skills, geology and more.

Volunteers will return to the Spruce Knob Mountain Center on Thursday evening where they will have time to relax with a home-cooked meal and reflect on their experiences. Before returning home Friday morning, volunteers will have the chance to hike to the top of Spruce Knob.

Although the program focuses on trail improvement in Pocahontas and Randolph counties, Brooks said volunteers from any location are welcome to participate. All food, equipment and instruction are provided by The Mountain Institute.

In addition, Brooks said the program is worth a minimum of 40 community service hours.

As a result of recent storms throughout the area, Brooks said

the forest’s trails are in a state of need.

“So many of the trails have been torn apart by the storms lately,” she said. “With the freeze and thaw patterns, fallen trees and rocks moving, there is a big need for trail maintenance in the Monongahela National Forest right now.”

Volunteers won’t only be providing a service that is greatly needed. Brooks said they will also have a chance to appreciate what the outdoors has to offer.

“There’s an inherent value in getting outside and exploring the natural world,” she said. “It’s a rewarding experience for them to get out in the woods and appreciate their natural resources.”

Brooks said that through the program, volunteers will develop problem-solving skills and work as a team for the betterment of their environment.

“The Monongahela National Forest is public land owned by all of us,” Brooks said. “There’s a huge lesson to learn, but you need to experience it to care about it.”

Interested individuals, groups and organizations can register by visiting www.mountain.org/mtm or by contacting Brooks at 304567-2632 or mbrooks@mountain.org.

Email Kaylyn Christopher at kchristopher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @KChristopherTWV.

Pastors: Diversity in faith makes us stronger

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 21

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

C/ D N RC AR P PA C C HI N GR SH M MLYY FFIIS II L D

FA

BY DEBRA MINOR WILSON TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Don’t have a faith? Don’t worry. People of faith still have your back — and soul.

And in Marion County, that includes a whole melting pot of faiths, beliefs and cultures.

That creates a stronger and richer place in which to live.

Pastor Charlie Chipps of New Life Ministries, Manley Chapel Road, said the diversity of cultures helps make this a better place to live.

“Our different cultures and ethnic backgrounds that give us the opportunity to see different needs that people have. The way they were raised. What they value.

“We are a melting pot. All these cultures and religions and backgrounds coming together strengthen Marion County and West Virginia in general. This gives us an understanding and knowledge of parts of the world we’ll never be able to visit.

“It’s neat to sit down and talk to people of different cultures, and learn what they believe and have been taught.

“If we do that, we might find out we’re not so different.”

Greg Roth, pastor at First Baptist in Mannington, agreed.

“I’ve lived in a lot of places with diversity, different denominations and faith communities.

That makes this place so special.

“Sometimes each of our different faith communities may take a little different slant or view or emphasize something from one story in the Bible or part of our faith than another. But when they come together, that’s a richness.

“Each group holds a piece of the story. Not one of our groups has the whole story only unto themselves, even if we sometimes want to think we do. We all share part of that story.

“Within a congregation, the richness there is each person has his or her own personality. If you subtract that personality from the congregation, it’s missing that.

“The more people you add, the more diverse it becomes and creates a richness. We are all unique.

“If there are 100 people in the church, you will have at least 100 different ways of looking at things. Denominations come about because of that very reason: We serve the same God, but we have our own personalities that we bring.

“We come together and work together, more like a group or family than a single child.”

This creates what he calls Marion County’s “moral underpinnings.”

“This is what people with faith operate out of. All faiths have some kind of moral compass.

They are the basis for which you help the least, the lost and the last of each society. They bring a semblance of understanding and order.”

Even people without faith play a vital part, he said.

“They have a place. They help each of us with faith to question our faith and look at the way we communicate and interact with those who don’t hold those same moral underpinnings.

“How we learn to interact with them helps us in being better citizens. It is important to engage our faith, rather than hide it behind the doors. The important thing is that a faith community can teach you how to address the issues, the difficult issues.”

You know what they say: Never talk to anybody about religion or politics.

“I say if I can’t talk politics or religion with you, what can I talk to you beyond the weather? And even the weather is becoming political. I posit that every issue of life has either political or religious implications. I don’t care if it’s sports or whatever.”

Faith communities make for healthier people, too, he said.

“There’s an interesting study from the Research Institute of Minneapolis back in the 1990s

— PASTOR CHARLIE CHIPPS

M M

AY

Each person in community, congregation brings something unique

“It’s neat to sit down and talk to people of different cultures, and learn what they believe and have been taught.

If we do that, we might find out we’re not so different.”

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Songs of faith and belief are shared during the annual National Day of Prayer held the first Thursday of May. Local faith communities participate as a way to share their beliefs with their fellow Marion Countians.

that looked at all the things important for a child to grow up healthy. They came up with close to 20 items.”

Topping the list was the local church, he said.

“The local church ... the faith community ... had more of the things needed for a healthy, growing child. It was the most intergenerational community in our society. The richness of that is if you want to learn how to cross generational borders and deal with difficult issues, you go to the church for that intergenerational interaction, people from birth to basically shut-ins.

“The faith community adds richness. And when you add different denominations and groups, there is even greater richness.

“We have a Sunday School class with a wonderful card ministry. They send out cards every week to people, not just people in our church. Someone will ask us to pray for someone. Time and again, we have people thanking us for sending a card, for praying for them. It meant so much, helped them through a tough time.

“This goes for people of no faith, too. Just because someone does not have a church or belief in God doesn’t mean we won’t pray or send a card saying we’re thinking of you.

“This puts a smile on your face. It’s amusing to see people who profess no faith say thank you for praying for them or to ask us to continue praying, to just keep passing along the positive energy on to them.

“To me, that sounds more like they’re agnostic than atheist.”

Sometimes people just don’t realize the power of prayer, he said.

“They don’t believe the input or involvement the church has.

People go through rough times ... storms, floods, whatever ... and a large number of churches outside government entities will touch people who are hurting.

“These are the local communities of faith. Many of us band together. While you may go to a different church on Sunday, when there’s a problem, we come together to help those in need.”

An example is how the Mannington community has rallied around Gabbi Cook, a little girl with hepatoblastoma, a rare tumor that originates in cells in the liver. She underwent a liver transplant in November and is receiving chemotherapy.

“I don’t know of a church in this area that isn’t praying for her.

The community as a whole has come behind her. Schools are adopting her, but long before that, the community of faith was there, praying for her almost from day one.

“That’s the thing. Whether we go to different churches, we are happy to pray for other folks

regardless of their situation.

They need not go to our church ... or any church ... or not believe. That doesn’t mean we don’t care and pray.

“Quite the opposite.”

Email Debra Minor Wilson at dwilson@timeswv.com.

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Stingo

PAGE 22

FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

“If you put time into it, you will be good. That’s just how it is.”

A perfect example of this might be another Stingo, Tony’s nephew Dakota.

Never the biggest athlete, Dakota was looking for a sport to play in his middle school years and was leaning toward baseball, despite relative inexperience for someone his age.

“There’s a lot of kids who are going to be left out, kids who never had experience,” Tony Stingo said of the Marion County baseball program, which boasts numerous Little League teams but only three high schools to serve as a future landing spot.

“Well, my nephew had never played baseball, ever, so we talked about what sports he could do. I said what about lacrosse?”

Turns out, he’s a natural.

Dakota Stingo was named honorable mention all-state last season and has taken his play to another level so far in 2013, his senior year. He scored 13 goals in the Polar Bears’ season opener to set a new school single-game mark.

“He’s playing very well and it’s funny because he is just a little kid — he’s not very big,” Tony Stingo said. “He really takes a pounding but he just keeps putting the ball in the net, and that’s all you can ask of him.”

Today, what Stingo is asking for is as many kids as possible willing to give this new and exciting sport a shot.

History

“The biggest goal with the middle school program is to get as many kids on the field as I can get,” he said.

Of the players who have joined this season, Stingo said the bulk come from West Fairmont Middle School, along with a few at Fairmont Catholic and another from outside the city limits in Idamay.

The goal in the future is to expand throughout the entire county and form high school teams at both North Marion and East Fairmont high schools.

There have been rumblings that each are moving in that direction, but a decision either way is not imminent.

“I would love to have a ton of kids from the North Marion area and a ton from the East Side, just to maybe put some pressure on those communities to field a high school team,” Stingo said. “I hear it every year, and I hear rumblings about other schools around the state, and the interest is there.

“There’s tons of interest. The whole thing stopping it is getting the administration and the coaching staffs from those schools interested in it as well. I think once you’re exposed to the game and see the type of kids that it draws and it builds, it’s really a no-brainer. I think the cumulative GPA on my middle school team last year was 3.85.”

The other far-reaching goal for local high school lacrosse is to eventually become a sanctioned

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17

for main events affected her family, which affected her life today.

“What my great-grandparents did affected my grandparents and so on to me,” she said.

Born in the 1930s, Strum finds her favorite era of history is the 1940s because it was the happiest time of her life.

“It was after the Depression and we were in a war, but somehow none of that touched me,” she said.

She remembered as a child having to turn out all the lights

in her house in case enemy planes were flying above.

“I knew all that was going on but I had no fear,” Strum said.

“For me, it was a very calm and peaceful time.”

Another part of history Strum likes is the history of the radio.

When she was growing up she could remember listening to 15minute soap operas on the radio.

“My grandmother lived with us and she would listen to them,” Strum said. “I just got used to it and enjoyed it.”

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

entity within the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission.

Though a hard-fast baseline for lacrosse has not been made clear according to Stingo — “one year, we’ll need 12 teams to be sanctioned and the next year it changes to 16 and now I think it is 32,” he said — in-state boys’ programs appear to be moving in a positive direction with 16 schools fielding teams this spring.

On the girls’ side, the growth has not been near as steady, as just seven schools boast teams in the 2013 season. And while the Polar Bear girls have created a lacrosse dynasty with five consecutive titles, they had only five other West Virginia schools to contend with last season.

“It’s kind of always just out of reach for us, but the ultimate goal would be to get it sanctioned,” Stingo said.

Until that happens, Stingo, his coaches, parents and the Fairmont Freeze will keep plugging away and build on the strong foundation that’s been laid over the past few years.

“We kind of are the standard bearers,” he said. “The University and Morgantown teams are up and down sometimes, but we rank among the top every year at the high school level. And that’s what we are working on at the middle school level, too.”

Email Nick Cammuso at ncammuso@timeswv.com or follow him on Twitter @NickCammusoTWV.

With the change in technology, values, transportation and other major breakthroughs, both Wilcox and Strum still enjoy learning about history and teaching it to those who visit the museum.

“History is all around us and it’s one of the most interesting things a person can learn about,” Wilcox said.

Email Emily Gallagher at egallagher@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @EGallagherTWV.

Art Professor Enjoys Helping Students Develop Creativity

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Jeff Greenham’s parents first noticed his interest in art at age 3 when they found him captivated with artworks produced by a kindergarten class. “The students had glued dried macaroni on paper to create various designs. I was found picking the macaroni off and eating it.

As I became older, the arts became a passion which feeds my soul rather than my appetite--a passion which I am honored to share with my students,” says Greenham, Assistant Professor of Art. Throughout his career in ceramics, Jeff has worked as a production potter, doing business as Greenham/Works in Clay. His artistic works are included in numerous private and corporate collections and have been exhibited widely. Fairmont State University’s smaller class sizes allow him to provide more individualized support for his students. “Students of this art form are first faced with the challenges of learning the nuances of the physical and chemical properties of clay and glazes; through the transferable skills of practice, patience and research they can unlock that most powerful tool, creativity,” Greenham says. “I enjoy helping students make their creative dreams a reality.”

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Working with sports every day dream job for Todd FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 2013 PAGE 23

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

When it comes to sporting events and activities, MCPARC involved

BY JOHN VEASEY TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Calvin Todd is doing just what he likes to do.

He worked in the maintenance department of the Marion County Parks and Recreation Commission (MCPARC) for two years. Now he’s coming up on completing his first year as sports management director.

“I’m originally from Iowa,” he said. “I majored in parks and rec in college. I had to do a field study in the Pocono Mountains. I was a general athletics instructor.

I met some people from Morgantown that I became friends with. I came to Morgantown and ended up working at Mount Zion Nursery.

“I enjoy being around athletics. I love all sports. I’m really passionate about sports. I bounced around all different sports. It’s nice to get up in the morning and know your whole day will be involved in athletics.”

— CALVIN TODD

“Then I put in an application at MCPARC and I got on with the ‘what I enjoy mosts.’

I enjoy being around athletics. I love all sports. I’m real-

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

In getting ready for the spring and summer sports seasons, Calvin Todd must refill the concession stands. He is pictured with some of the popular concession items.

ly passionate about sports. I bounced around all different sports. It’s nice to get up in the morning and know your whole day will be involved in athletics.

“I even enjoy the snow,” he said. “I enjoy skiing. We would go to Colorado when I was growing up. So I had plenty of skiing in Colorado.”

Todd discussed the various athletic programs MCPARC offers.

“We have basketball. It goes to the first weekend of March. ... Then we have a lacrosse tournament for both boys and girls. The boys are at East-West Stadium and the girls are at Duvall/Rosier Field. It does slow down in September and October, but we pretty much have things going on all the time.”

Todd said as director, he oversees all the programs and athletics.

“I help coaches out, whether it’s finding a field for them to use, getting the field ready for practice, mowing the grass, whatever is needed. For Little League, I sit in on the board meetings.

“MCPARC sponsors the second- and third-grade basketball leagues. We have more than 300 kids playing basketball,” he said. “There is a kindergarten and first-grade league and a second- and third-grade league. Last year we put new hoops and banking boards in at the Barnes gymnasium. We put in glass banking boards and rims. It looks like an NBA gym now.”

Todd said MCPARC doesn’t run the soccer league but it does take care of the facilities.

“We are developing a new field out at Mary Lou Retton Park,” he continued. “We have

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

Calvin Todd enjoys the non-winter months when he can work outdoors with various sports.

He is shown with some of his sports equipment.

those four ratty tennis courts, but we’re going to turn them into an all-purpose practice field. It can be rented out for whatever sport you want. It will be all fenced in and be one of the nicest practice fields around here.”

Last summer MCPARC initiated a yoga program.

“We called it Yoga in the Park. A woman named Terry DeFazio runs that program.

She started it last summer.

There were probably around 10 or 12 people that showed up as we got a late start on it.”

Todd said Little League baseball and youth soccer draw the same number of kids.

“They all have different age groups,” he added. “The youth soccer league runs the soccer complex. It goes from smaller kids to the bigger kids at the For The Kids field.

“The last two summers, we had a lacrosse league for kids wanting to play. It started with just high school kids. This year we’re going to have third-, fourth- and fifth-grade lacrosse.

The sport is growing around here. More kids are starting to play it. If you get enough kids interested in it, maybe we’ll start a summer league. We need to get more kids interested in the game.”

Todd said he didn’t know

how many youngsters are in MCPARC’s many programs.

“With all the programs we have, and with our day camp programs, the number would be pretty high,” he surmises.

“I don’t do all this on my own,” he was quick to say.

“This is my first year being in management. Tony Michalski helps out a lot. The kids are signing up for different playground programs. Cathy Hall, Sharon Scarcella, Linda Swisher — they help me out a lot with the forms and office work, the paperwork and filing and things like that.”

Email John Veasey at jcveasey@timeswv.com.

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TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 • WWW.TIMESWV.COM

Our Town

Energy & Industry High Technology Health Care

Education & Workforce Living Here

Our Community

Volunteers and officials work to make county stronger

Members of councils, boards and commissions give their time freely

BY MISTY POE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — We live in a democracy.

But that statement is better clarified by saying that we live in a representative democracy. That means our government, from the highest to the lowest form, was founded on the principle of elected people representing a group of people.

Simply stated, we don’t get to make our own rules and laws. But we have the power to elect those people who do have the power.

If you want to look at that government model locally, look no further than the Marion County Commission, which is responsible for governing the county as a whole and unincorporated areas.

By state code, the three members of the commission are elected by the voting population of Marion County, and each seat represents a magisterial district within the county — Palatine, West Augusta and Middletown. The term is for each seat is six years, staggered so that one commission seat up for election every two years.

While each commissioner must live within a specific district, they truly represent the entire county, not just the interests of part of it. And if the voters are unhappy with the performance of the commissioner selected, they have the power of the ballot and can vote for a replacement.

The same model can be seen in the town and city councils throughout the county, though the duration of the term is typically four years as opposed to six.

And like a sitting president who chooses Supreme Court justices, the county commission and city and town councils have extended power by having the ability to choose volunteer members of boards and commissions that govern specific areas — like quality of life, infrastructure and planning and building.

But speaking of volunteering, there are boards and commissions that do some pretty important work in the county outside of governing bodies. These volunteer boards help the needy, make a social impact, and give their time and

PHOTO BY DEBBIE WILSON

Cecelia Donato (left) and Donna Bowles of the Marion County Clerk’s Office invite you to enter the courthouse through its newly reopened lower Adams Street entrance. It had been locked for several months for security reasons.

PHOTO BY EMILY GALLAGHER

Joseph Klimavicz (from left), chief information officer and director for highperformance computing and communications for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Dr. Louis Uccellini, director of the National Weather Service; and Sen. Jay Rockefeller address members of the media during a recent press conference announcing that Fairmont will provide backup capabilities and other weather prediction services for NOAA.

labor to make this county a better place to live.

All it takes is a passion to serve the community.

PHOTO BY MISTY POE

U.S. Rep. David McKinley, R-W.Va., discusses key issues happening in Washington, D.C., with members of the Marion County Chamber of Commerce during a Coffee with Congress event at the I-79 Technology Park.

Within these pages, you’ll find the faces of the people who make our community strong by volunteering their time for little or no compensation, the people

who step up when few will, the ones who ask voters for their support because they believe they can make a difference in their town, city, council, state or nation.

For the past six days, as the Times West Virginian has brought you its annual report, we’ve highlighted people working behind the scenes to make out communities great. We’ve given attention to those within the energy, hightechnology, health care and education industries. We’ve focused on the people who make living here a great thing.

Today we bring you hundreds and hundreds of faces, many of them very familiar, some not as much. These faces make up the boards and commissions that govern our towns and cities, that make decisions about education or health care, that promote the arts and entertainment and parks. These are The Faces of our Community.

Email Misty Poe at mpoe@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @MistyPoeTWV.

PHOTO BY TAMMY SHRIVER

U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin makes a point during the “Coffee and Common Sense” lunch-hour event held last month. After discussing topics like the economy, health care and the military, he fielded questions from the audience on drug abuse, school safety and Social Security.

PAGE 2

Our Leadership

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Faces of

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin (DW.Va.) was sworn into the United States Senate on November 15, 2010 to fill the seat left vacant by the late Senator Robert C. Byrd. For Senator Manchin, serving as West Virginia’s Senator is truly an honor and a privilege.

Born and raised in the small coal mining town of Farmington, W.Va., Sen. Manchin grew up learning the values that all West Virginians share – family, common sense, fairness and hard work. As a small businessman, he learned firsthand from his grandfather, Papa Joe, who was an Italian immigrant and the town grocer, the importance of serving the public. As a young man, his beloved grandmother, Mama Kay, inspired Senator Manchin’s belief in public servSenator Jay Rockefeller has proudly served the people of West Virginia for over 40 years.

Rockefeller first came to West Virginia in 1964 as a 27-year-old VISTA volunteer serving in the small mining community of Emmons. Many of the lessons that Rockefeller learned in Emmons have shaped his public service career and led to his lifelong commitment to improving the lives of West Virginians and all Americans.

Senator Rockefeller with West Virginia workers As a long-time advocate of accessible and quality healthcare, Rockefeller is recognized as one of the strongest champions for health care reform. He has an extensive and distinguished career of fighting to reduce the

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin III

ice through her unflagging compassion and desire to help those less fortunate. More than anything, it is his family and the values he learned growing up among the hardworking men and women of West Virginia that define who Senator Manchin is and the public servant he strives to be.

From his days as a state legislator to his six years as Governor to his current role, Senator

Manchin has always been committed to his philosophy of “retail government”— in other words, connecting with all of his constituents and making service to them his top priority.

Throughout his public life, he has never let politics or ideology stand in the way of commonsense solutions. Instead, he believes that only by putting politics aside and working hard to bring people together can we do what is right for West Virginia and the nation. He began his tenure as West Virginia’s 34th governor in January 2005. ThenGovernor Manchin approved millions of dollars in tax relief for West Virginia’s citizens and businesses, fixed the state’s workers’ compensation system, established the first comprehensive teacher pay package in more

than 15 years and dramatically decreased the state’s debt. In six years, more than $13 billion in business investments were made, and West Virginia was often cited nationally for its strong fiscal management. During his term as Governor, he worked closely with Republicans and Democrats to cut taxes, reduce regulations, attract record investments, create new jobs and expand vital social services for seniors and the poor, all while leaving the state with budget surpluses every year.

As a Senator, Joe Manchin is committed to bringing this same spirit of bipartisanship to Washington. As he has done throughout his entire life, he remains committed to working with Republicans and Democrats to find commonsense solutions

to the problems our country faces and is working hard to usher in a new bipartisan spirit in the Senate and Congress.

Legislatively, job creation is Senator Manchin’s top priority, and he believes that government should act as a partner, not an adversary, in helping to create the environment that produces good American jobs. Senator Manchin also firmly believes that our nation can and must do what he did in West Virginia put our fiscal house in order. He believes we must find commonsense ways to cut spending while keeping our promises to our seniors and veterans by protecting Social Security and Medicare.

Senator Manchin is strongly committed to developing a national energy plan that utilizes

all of our resources and that finally ends our dependence on Middle East oil. He believes that a balanced, commonsense approach that considers the needs of our environment and the demands of our economy, can and must be developed if we are to achieve energy independence within this generation.

Senator Manchin currently serves on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging three critical committees that tackle the important work of addressing our nation’s energy needs, standing up for the members of the military and keeping our promises to seniors.

— FROM WWW.MANCHIN.SENATE.GOV

number of uninsured children and working families, protecting and improving seniors’ and veterans’ health care, and fighting for the promised health benefits of retired coal miners and steelworkers.

To diversify and expand economic opportunities, Rockefeller has played an instrumental role in attracting new investment and jobs to West Virginia. In addition

to bringing a Toyota manufacturing plant to Buffalo, Rockefeller has recruited numerous national and international companies to the Mountain State, resulting in thousands of new jobs. At the same time, Rockefeller maintains a strong focus on strengthening core industries such as steel, coal and chemicals by fighting for fair trade policies and targeted tax relief. He is also working on policies that will allow for energy independence by drawing on West Virginia’s natural resources to produce clean and reliable fuels.

Photo of Senator Rockefeller reading As part of Senator Rockefeller’s effort to strengthen the lives of children and families, he has coauthored legisla-

tion to improve educational opportunities for students, promote stability through adoptions and foster care, increase minimum wage for employees, reduce violence and obscenity on television, and help every school and library connect to the Internet. He has also supported numerous targeted tax cuts for working families such as the child tax credit and the earned-income tax credit, and he supported eliminating the marriage penalty.

Rockefeller is also known for his strong national security credentials, support for our nation’s soldiers and veterans, and oversight of the country’s intelligence programs. He has been critical of the nation’s mismanagement of the Iraq war, and continues to

press the United States to refocus its mission and resources on al Qaida and global terrorism.

Senator Rockefeller is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. He is also the Chairman of the Health Care Subcommittee on Finance; and a member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. He also serves on the Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.

Photo of the Rockefeller family Rockefeller graduated from Harvard University in 1961 with a B.A. in Far Eastern Languages and History. In 1964, he came to Emmons, West Virginia, where he began his public service career serving the people of West

Virginia. In 1966, he was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates and to the office of West Virginia Secretary of State in 1968. He served as President of West Virginia Wesleyan College from 1973 to 1976. In 1976, Rockefeller was elected Governor of West Virginia, and was re-elected in 1980. In 1984, he was elected to the United States Senate, and re-elected in 1990, 1996, 2002 and 2008.

Since 1967, Rockefeller has been married to Sharon Percy Rockefeller with whom he has four children: John, Valerie, Charles, and Justin. Jay and Sharon are also the proud grandparents of four granddaughters and two grandsons.

— FROM WWW.ROCKEFELLER.SENATE.GOV

has been recognized twice by West Virginia Executive Magazine as one of the 50 most influential people in West Virginia.

From 1981 through 1994, he represented the Third Delegate District in the West Virginia Legislature, serving primarily on the Finance Committee as well as the Banking and Insurance and Roads and Transportation Committees among others. His voting record reflects the interests of his constituents. In 1990, David was elected as Chairman of the West Virginia Republican Party Executive Committee and was one of three representing West Virginia on the Republican National Committee in Washington, D.C. As a Legislator and as State Chairman of the Party, David advocated conservative principles of smaller, less intrusive government and lower taxes. In 1994, he was recognized by the Charleston Gazette for working cooperatively with Democrats in the legislature

and achieving the highest percentage of bills passed into law: demonstrating effective leadership and an ability to gain crucial bipartisan support on issues.

During his tenure in the West Virginia Legislature he was also recognized by the Business and Industry Council for having one of the most conservative, pro employment voting records. In his various elections, he was consistently endorsed by the NRA, West Virginians for Life, newspapers across the state, and other conservative groups.

As an individual with significant hearing impairment and a grandfather to a child with special needs, David McKinley is no stranger to overcoming the obstacles of disabilities. He also helped to direct the care for his 89 year old mother who suffered from dementia and recognizes the challenges of long term home care for our elderly. While in the state legislature, David authored the West Virginia law which prohibited insurance companies from cancelling insurance to individuals diagnosed with HIV. David is married to the former Mary Gerkin from New Martinsville, West Virginia and is a proud father of four children and six grandchildren. David is a seventh generation resident of Wheeling and West Virginia.

— FROM WWW.MCKINLEY.HOUSE.GOV

U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller

Representative David McKinley

David McKinley has been a strong advocate for common sense, market driven reforms to help government operate more efficiently for many years. He also recognizes that the coal industry is the backbone of West Virginia’s economy and the attacks on coal from Washington must be stopped. This is why David B. McKinley is proud to represent the 1st District of West Virginia in our nation’s Capitol.

Born in Wheeling in 1947, David attended public schools and worked his way through college graduating from Purdue University with a degree in Civil Engineering. After college he spent the next 12 years in the construction industry and taught night classes in local technical colleges.

He then established McKinley and Associates – an architectural and engineering company that has grown to include offices in Wheeling and Charleston, WV and Washington, PA. During his career as a Professional Engineer, David has been on the Board of Directors of the state engineering society and on the Board of the National Society of Professional Engineers representing the interests of West Virginia.

As a successful former small businessman, David has created hundreds of jobs and understands the vital role of small businesses in creating private sector jobs and strengthening the economy. He

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Governor Earl Ray Tomblin

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 PAGE 3

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Governor Earl Ray Tomblin serves as the 35th governor of the Mountain State. A Logan County native, Governor Tomblin received his undergraduate degree from West Virginia University, and an MBA from Marshall University.

A self-employed businessman and former school teacher, Governor Tomblin was elected to the West Virginia House of Delegates in 1974 at the age of 22 and served in the house until he was elected to the West Virginia Senate in 1980. Governor Tomblin was the longest serving Senate President and was named the state’s first Lieutenant Governor in

2000. Throughout his years in public service Governor Tomblin has remained dedicated to creating a better West Virginia. Since becoming governor, Tomblin put more West Virginians back to work and reduced the tax burden on our families and business.

Governor Tomblin made it a crime to text while driving and signed landmark mine safety legislation that will save coal miners' lives.

Governor Tomblin has helped crack down on West Virginia's growing plague of drug abuse with new legislation, and he took bold action this year to prevent teenage suicide by adopting new policies within the school system.

Governor Tomblin has been married for 32 years to First Lady Joanne Jaeger Tomblin and they have one son, Brent who is working towards his undergraduate degree from Marshall University.

— FROM WWW.GOVERNOR.WV.GOV

knowledge of how the city works from the top to the bottom.

“The whole program is designed with the intention of educating citizens,” Rogers said.

The city staff developed the idea from a highly successful project in Decatur, Ga., which has a similar population to Fairmont.

“What they found in Decatur was that graduates of the program were more likely to become volunteers, they’ve seen more people run for city council, and they’ve seen the number of calls about little things just drop,” Rogers explained. “People now know where to go. People now know what to do.”

When he brought the idea from Decatur to Fairmont, Rogers said city council members and department heads were excited about the idea.

“You want to get the information out there and you want to get people involved,” he explained.

Class size is limited for the program, which will meet the third Thursday of the month starting April 18. There will be two sessions to choose from — a morning session from 10 a.m. to noon and an evening session from 6-8 p.m. And unless the session topic calls for an alternate

location, most classes will meet in council’s chamber at the Fairmont Public Safety Building.

The eight weeks will cover the following topics: history and orientation; planning, community and economic development; budget and finance; public safety; utilities; public works; building inspection, code enforcement and rental registration; and quality of life.

Classes are open to all residents or business owners, but Rogers said the size will be limited. He even suggested that high school students or Scouts who need such experiences for citizen badges might benefit from the program. The cost of Fairmont 101 is $20, which covers teaching and graduation materials.

Application packets are available at the customer service department of the city on the third floor of the J. Harper Meredith Building, at the Marion County Chamber of Commerce, by calling 304366-6211, ext. 310, or online at www.fairmontwv.gov.

(Editor’s Note: This story originally ran in the Times West Virginian on March 12.)

Email Misty Poe at mpoe@timeswv.com or follow her on Twitter @MistyPoeTWV.

‘Fairmont 101’ classes to be launched in April Program designed to educate citizens about roles, responsibilities of city government

BY MISTY POE TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FAIRMONT — Do you have more than just a passing interest in the inner workings of city government?

Are you interested in the history of the City of Fairmont and how each of its departments functions?

Do you want to know about law enforcement, building codes, utilities and the budget process?

The City of Fairmont is looking for a few good men and women to enlist in its new educational program, Fairmont 101.

City Manager Jay Rogers explained that Fairmont 101 are classes designed to educate the residents of Fairmont about the roles and responsibilities of local government. Through a series of eight monthly classes — with groups meeting either in the morning or the evening — a graduate of the program will have more than just a working

Fairmont State-Pierpont Foundation

Bennett

Schmidt

Miller

Wade

Armistead

Hawkins

Hill

Holmes

Larson

LeDonne

Montgomery

Moore

Pellillo

Phillips

Reynolds

Riggleman

Rogers

Rose

Skidmore

Thomas

The Fairmont State-Pierpont Foundation is an independent, not-for-profit corporation organized for the purpose of stimulating major, voluntary, financial support from alumni, parent, friends, corporations, foundations and others for the benefit of Fairmont State University and Pierpont Community & Toothman Wadsworth Walker Technical College.

President Gary K. Bennett Dr. Jamie Moore The foundation can be Vice president Gerard Kim Pellillo reached at 304-534-8786, 301 Schmidt Rebecca Phillips Adams St., Suite 501, Secretary Tracy Miller Donald Reynolds Fairmont, WV 26554.

Treasurer Jennifer Wade David Riggleman The full board is required by William B. Armistead Kevin W. Rogers the bylaws to meet two times a Aaron Hawkins Dr. Maria Rose year and the executive comSherald Hill C. Brent Skidmore mittee meets monthly at the William Holmes Mary Jo Thomas Foundation Office.

Dr. Doreen Larson Richard L. Toothman Jr. The bylaws of the organizaGary LeDonne Cannon Wadsworth tion direct appointment proceBlair Montgomery Craig Walker dures and terms of service.

Ronald McDonald House Charities Morgantown, WV

S te ve D e Je s u s

(304) 598-0050

CEO Of RMHC Steve De Jesus grew up in a quiet neighborhood on the northwest side of Chicago, Illinois. From an early age he knew he was meant to work in a career of helping people. He started off as a Chicago Police officer fighting crime and has progressed to the Executive Director and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities fighting for families of ill children.

Steve, being a father of four himself, has really been able to relate to the families staying at the Ronald McDonald House. This has helped him to meet the needs of them. “I couldn’t imagine having my children and family go through what these families do,”said Steve. “My goal is to do whatever I can to ease the stress and burden on them during their stay with us.”

Since taking the position Steve has worked hard to continue fulfilling RMHC’s mission of “providing a home-away-from-home for families of ill children”. The Ronald McDonald House is full 99.7% of the time, and something had to be done so they can help even more families.

“We discussed expanding the house, which is very costly,” said Steve. “I proposed the idea of a Family Room to the board members, and they were thrilled.”

A Family Room is a scaled down version of the Ronald McDonald House that is placed inside a medical facility. RMHC of Morgantown has begun construction on the Family Room at West Virginia University Children’s Hospital, and is scheduled to open spring 2013.

“Building the Family Room made the most sense,” said Steve. “It was the most cost-effective way for us to continue providing help to families when they need it most—and that is what is most important to me.”

PAGE 4

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Fairview Town Council

Farmington Town Council

Costello

V. Sanders

Roach

B. Sanders

The Farmington Town Council is For more information, call 304in charge of governing business with- 825-6442. in the Town of Farmington. This includes such duties as creating ordiDonna J. Costello, mayor nances and collecting taxes and fees. * Cathy Brown, recorder Members are voted into office Valerie Sanders, councilwoman every two years by the citizens of Isabelle Roach, councilwoman Farmington. The group meets at 6:30 Barrie Sanders, councilman p.m. the third Monday of each month Jon Sanders, councilman Stephanie Cummons, councilwoman in the town hall.

J. Sanders

The Fairview Town Council is in charge of governing within the town of Fairview.

This includes such duties as creating ordinances to collecting taxes and fees.

Members are voted on by the citizens of Fairview.

The group meets at 7 p.m. on the second and fourth Monday of each month at the town hall and can be contacted at 304-449-1642.

Tuttle

Mercer

Heather Tuttle, recorder * Jim Ammons, councilman Dave Mercer, councilman

Arley L. Simmons, mayor

Knotts

* Ted Tuttle, councilman * David Tuttle, councilman Johnny Knotts, councilman

Grant Town Council

Cummons

Monongah Town Council Riggs

Harris

McCombs

The Monongah Town Council is in charge of governing business within the town of Monongah. This includes such duties as creating ordinances to collecting taxes and fees.

Members are voted into

Davis

office every two years by the citizens of Monongah. The group meets at 6:30 p.m. the second and fourth Monday of each month in the town hall.

For further information, call 304-534-3365.

Parker

Carr

Don Harris, mayor Patty McCombs, recorder * Bill Davis, councilman David Olson, councilcman Harry Rogers, councilman Charlie Parker, councilman Sandford Carr, councilman

Fairmont State University Athletic Association

The mission of the Fairmont State University Athletic Association is to raise scholarship money for student athletes at Fairmont State University.

Boards are elected by the members through nomination.

Typically, the association meets once a month at the Alumni Center. The full board meeting is held twice a year.

Chair Geno Guerrieri Co-Chair Dave Koren Mary Jo Thomas

Mike Arcure Gary K. Bennett Stan Cameon Mark K. Clark Kenny Dean Nick L. Fantasia Jay Ford W. Jarrod Furgason Craig Jennings Joe Merendino Bobbi Mohrman Steve Moore Charlie Reese Budd Sapp

Eddie Snider Franc Stern Michael Stern Buck Thompson Terri Washenitz Will Armistead Ray Bonnett Rusty Elliott Dr. Fred Fidura Mark Pallotta Dr. Maria Rose Robert Mild* Gary Cox Lois Laughlin

The Grant Town Council is in charge of governing business within the Town of Grant Town. This includes such duties as creating ordinances and collecting taxes and fees.

Members are voted into office every two years by the

Jordan

C. Rosic

citizens of Grant Town. The group meets at 6 p.m. the first and third Tuesday of each month in the town hall.

For more information, call 304-278-7381.

Robert Riggs, Jr., mayor

Selan

Michael Jordan, Jr., councilman Charles Rosic, councilman * Melissa Rosic, councilwoman Robert Selan, councilman * Doug Gower, councilman * Kristen Craig, recorder

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SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 PAGE 5

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

FSU Alumni Association

Fantasia

Thomas

Fazalare

Phillips

Feltz

Gabor

Jones

McAteer

Pulice

Sapp

Snyder

Yost

The Fairmont State Alumni Association, founded in 1873, is the official organization representing graduates of Fairmont State University.

The association is led by an elected, unpaid volunteer board consisting of graduates of Fairmont State. The purpose of the Fairmont State Alumni Association is to unite its members in an effective organization dedicated to the advancement of Fairmont State.

The alumni association board of directors meets monthly and can be contacted through the Director of Alumni

Resources Emily Swain at 304-367-4015.

President Nick Fantasia Vice President Mary Jo Thomas Secretary Amie Fazalare Treasurer Delbert “Butch” Phillips Terrence Boyd* Dede Feltz Frank Gabor John Jones Jennifer Knight* F. Tiff Lauzau* Cheryl Maxwell* Tim McAteer

Leighanne Michael* Frank Pulice Chad Riley* Dr. G.H. Budd Sapp Ellen Snyder F. Porter Stiles* George Yost

Worthington Council

The Worthington Town Council is in charge of governing business within the Town of Worthington. This includes such duties as creating ordinances and collecting taxes and fees.

Members are voted into office every two years by the citizens of Worthington. The Hulsey Demus Basnett group meets at 7 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month in the Sandra Hulsey, mayor * Gerald Pulice, councilman town hall.

Nick Demus, councilman * Roger Shumate, councilman For more information, call Doris Basnett, council* Cathy Perry, councilwoman 304-287-2238. woman * Deborah Shumate, recorder

Rivesville Town Council

Hershman

Beatty

The Rivesville Town Council is in charge of governing business within the Town of Rivesville. This includes such duties as creating ordinances and collecting taxes and fees.

Members are voted into

Waters

office every two years by the citizens of Rivesville. The group meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month in the town hall.

For more information, call 304-278-5301.

Harmon

Edwards

Mayor Jim Hershman Recorder Barbara Beatty Trevor Waters Lauronza Harmon * Mark Dorsey * Bill Newhouse Donnie Edwards

Marion County Board of Education

Simms

Crescenzi

A county vote determines the members of the Marion County Board of Education.

Their purpose is to serve the schools in Marion County.

They meet on the first and third Monday of the month at 6

Murray

Pellegrin

Saunders

p.m. at one of the following essary. locations: their main office at 200 Gaston Ave., the Barnes Dr. Babette Simms Learning Center or East Janet Crescenzi Fairmont High School. Special Mary “Sis” Murray sessions are sometimes held on Richard Pellegrin different days and times if necThe Rev. James Saunders

PAGE 6

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

WVU Board of Governors

FSU Board of Governors

Payne

Dailey

Flaherty

Redding

Lewis

Cappellanti

Cottrell

Rogers

Martinelli

Lane

Vest

Griffith

Nutting

Wilmoth

Robinson

The West Virginia University Board of Governors is responsible for the control, supervision and management of the financial, business and education policies and affairs of West Virginia University.

Regular meetings of the West Virginia University Board of Governors will be held at least six times per year at the Erickson Alumni Center in Morgantown.

Nine members of the board are appointed by the governor and three members are elected by constituency groups they represent (faculty, classified staff and students).

The board of governors can be reached by writing to: Special Assistant to the Board of Governors, West Virginia University Office of the President P.O. Box 6201, Morgantown, WV 26506.

Yann

Mild

Courtney

Foley

Jacques

Myers

Pallotta

Stanton

Towns

Washenitz

White

This group is responsible for 222 Hardway Hall or the approval of the financial, edu- calling 304-367-4151. cational and business policies of Fairmont State University.

Chairman Ron Tucker Regular meetings will be Vice chair Dixie Yann held at least six times a year, Secretary Robert Mild with board committees prior to Chris Courtney the board meeting. Meetings Bryan Foley are held in the third floor conMatthew Jacques ference room of the Falcon John Myers Center and will begin at 2 p.m.

Mark Pallotta Contact the board by visiting Shirley Stanton the Office of the President at Bryan Towns

Frank Washenitz Jack Robert “Bob” White

Pierpont Board of Governors

Alvarez

Chairman Andrew A. “Drew” Payne III Vice chairman James W. Dailey II Secretary Thomas Flaherty Student representative Zach Redding Diane Lewis Ellen Cappellanti Dr. Lesley Cottrell

President’s Leadership Council

Tucker

The President’s Leadership the institution.

Council is comprised of a The group meets annually. group of volunteers who The contact person for this understand and know the mis- council is Frederick G. Fidura sion, purpose and goals of at 304-367-4009.

Fairmont State University. The programs are designed to teach Jim Ashton participants about Fairmont Donna J. Brand State and its programs and to Gregory Brand encourage volunteers to shaire Frank Gabor their expertise and opinions on Jane Gabor PLC matters as appropriate.

Leyna Gabriele Further, it is the goal of the Aaron Hawkins PLC to advise Fairmont State Thomas Hoffman leadership as requested and to James Kettering Jr. act as an advocate on behalf of Maria Rose

Clark

J. Robert “JR” Rogers Dixie Martinelli Raymond Lane Dr. Charles Vest Dr. Robert Griffith William Nutting William Wilmoth Edward Robinson David Alvarez Dr. Thomas Clark

Doreen Larson Gary LeDonne Gayle Manchin Blair Montgomery Jerry Moore Kevin Niewoehner Deborah Phelps John Raley Haddon Joseph Rhodes Charles Roberts Anthony Sansalone E. Robert Smith Lou Spatafore Raymond Stamps Marvin Stewart Ralph Stewart

McConnell

Hamilton

Jones

Hendrey

Stose

Aman

Griffin

Pruitte

Shaffer

Tucker

The objective of the Pierpont Community & Technical College Chairman Earl McConnell board is to determine, control, superVice Chairman Kyle Hamilton vise and manage the financial, busiSecretary Beverly Jones ness and educational policies and Student representative Barbara affairs of the institution.

Hendrey Meetings are held on the first and Faculty representative Tom Stose third Tuesday of the month at various Linda Aman times (either 2 p.m. or 11:30 a.m.)

James Griffin Appointed members are elected by Rick Pruitte faculty and staff for a two-year term.

Sharon Shaffer Chairman, vice chairman and secreJeff Tucker tary are elected by student governEugene Weaver ment each year.

Weaver

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 PAGE 7

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Mannington Historic Landmarks Commission

The Mannington Historic Landmarks Commission works to preserve and promote the town’s historic homes and districts. It has plans to develop additional historic districts around Mannington to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The commission meets quarterly at town hall.

Becky Williams Jim Stewart Cara Starsick * Tim Toothman

Williams

Stewart

Starsick

Marion County Rescue Squad

Pleasant Valley City Council

Metcalfe

The Pleasant Valley Council is in charge of governing business within the City of Pleasant Valley. This includes such duties as creating ordinances and collecting taxes and fees.

Members are voted into

Ledsome

Nuzum

Boyles

office every two years by the Mayor Barbara Metcalfe citiznes of Pleasant Valley. The Deputy Mayor Chuck group meets at 7 p.m. the third Ledsome Wednesday of each month in Recorder Becky Tate* the municipal building.

Chad Nuzum For more information, call Jeff Boyles* 304-363-2400.

Keith Holt* Gary Boyles

Mannington Board of Zoning Appeals

Mainella

Misenhelder

Crouch

One member is appointTom Mainella, president ed by the City of Fairmont, Dr. Jason Misenhelder, one by the county, one by vice president Fairmont General Hospital.

Scott Crouch, secretary Remaining six are elected.

Lloyd R. White, treasThe MCRS meets at urer 5:30 p.m. the last Thursday * Michael Angelucci, of the month at 400 administrator Virginia Ave., Fairmont Barry Bledsoe Contact: web. mcr* Charlie Maxwell swv.com; Glen Satterfield mcrs@mcrswv.com; 304Deborah Seifrit 363-6246 * Joshua Shuttlesworth

White

Bledsoe

Starsick

The Mannington Historic Landmarks Commission works to preserve and promote the town’s historic homes and districts. It has plans to develop additional historic districts

Sterling

Duane Shutler Lora Michael* Diana Hayes* Ron Powell Jr.*

Shutler

Satterfield

Seifrit

Mannington Historic Landmarks Commission

Gorbey

The Mannington Board of Zoning Appeals hears matters of appeal dealing specifically with the city’s zoning ordinance.

For more information, call the town’s recorder, Michele Fluharty, at the town hall at 304-986-2700.

Stewart

around Mannington to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The commission meets quarterly at town hall.

Williams

Sally Gorbey Cara Starsick Orie Ellen Sterling Jim Stewart Becky Williams

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SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 PAGE 9

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Faces of

Marion County Democratic Executive Committee

Marion County Republican Executive Committee

Biafore

Swisher

Core

Pearse

Webb

Sabak

Mullett

P. Reed

Nuzum

C. Reed

Angelino

Feltz

Garcia

J. Oliver

Shields

Ezelle

Bledsoe

Sipes

Hawkinberry

Hamilton

Sears

Corley

Cosco

Wolfe

Urich

Drennen

Ice

Snodgrass

Williams

Starn

Kovach

Heston

Elliott

Stafford

Costello

The Marion County Republican Executive Committee has 17 members and five officers. The committee meets monthly, except in December.

For more information, call Andrew Sabak at 304-612-4520.

Chairman Andrew Sabak Vice-chair Chuck Mullett Treasurer Phil Reed Secretary Kandice Nuzum Parliamentarian Chuck Reed Nadine Williams Ezelle Barry Bledsoe Larry Sipes

Andrea Rittenhouse* Sharon Layne* Kim Hawkinberry Carolynn Hamilton Will Drennen Giulia Ice Tom Snodgrass Daniel Salai* Robin Salai* Rebecca Polis* JoAnn Williams Rick Starn Dianne Welch* Cindy Frich

Frich

Fairmont Parks Commission

Basnett

Leonard

The Marion County Democratic Executive Committee has 27 members and four oficiers.

The committee meets monthly except in December.

For more information, call chairwoman Belinda Biafore at 304-366-1042.

Chairwoman Belinda Biafore Vice-chair Vern Swisher Secretary Barbara Core Treasurer Ron Pearse Mike Webb Rose Angelino Patty Feltz Rick Garcia Carol Oliver Jack Oliver Kathryn Shields

B. Gribben

K. Gribben

Sturm

Smith

Cianfrocca

Scott Sears Jesse Corley Janice Cosco Chris Wolfe Doris Urich Joe Kovach Shirley Heston Randy Elliott Julia Stafford * Mike Angelucci I

Cain

Rankin

Donna Costello Doris Basnett Donnie Leonard Bob Gribben Karen Gribben Dave Sturm Meg Cianfrocca Dave Cain * Cynthia Ray Mark Rankin

Seifrit

The Fairmont Parks Commission is a nonprofit group that provides custody, supervision, control, administration, operation, maintenance and management of the parks within the City of Fairmont.

The commission consists of seven members, not more than three members of council.

The group tentatively meets the third Thursday of

Blosser

Sears

Manchin

Uram

Burton

Watson

Liller

Ice

Mullenax

each month in the city manager’s conference room. Members are appointed by city council.

For more information, call 304-366-6211.

Robin Smith Debbie Seifrit Travis Blosser Scott Sears Joe Manchin IV Michael Uram Phillip Burton

Mannington Park Board

Fairmont City Council

Gribben

Blosser

Seifrit

Burdick

Warner

The Mannington Park Board oversees the operation and maintenance of the town’s parks.

The group meets the second Thursday of each month in the town hall.

Christina Dunigan, President Randy Watson, Vice President * Melissa Cutrone, Secretary/Treasurer Betty Liller * Rudy Cutrone

Dunigan

Barrackville Town Council

Weber

Garcia

The Fairmont City Council is the governing authority of the city and employs a city manager, who executes laws and administers the government for city council.

They are voted on by the citizens of Fairmont every four years. They meet the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Fairmont Public Safety Building.

For more information, call 304366-6211.

Smith

Straight

Robert Gribben – District 1 Travis Blosser – District 2 Deborah Seifrit – District 3 William (Bill) Burdick – District 4 Deputy Mayor Chuck Warner – District 5 Daniel Weber – District 6 Robert Garcia – District 7 Robin Smith – District 8 Mayor Ronald J. (Ron) Straight – District 9 City Manager Jay Rogers City Clerk Janet Keller

Rogers Meeks

Keller

Hall

The Barrackville Town Council is in charge of governing business within the Town of Barrackville.

This includes such duties as creating ordinances and collecting taxes and fees.

Members are voted into office every two years by the civizens of Barrackville. The group meets at 7 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month

Hollandsworth

in the town hall.

For more information, call 304366-9372.

Mayor Roy Meeks III Recorder Donna Hall Robert Hollandsworth Douglas Ice Jeff Mullenax David Tonkin

Tonkin

PAGE 10

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 PAGE 11

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Marion County Parks and Recreation Commission

Cimaglia

Walton

Hackett

Shaw

Michalski

Brookover

Burton

Ford

Garcia

Hines

MCPARC is committed to providing quality park and recreation areas for all leisure activities. MCPARC offers yearround programming for all ages: basketball leagues, communityed classes, 10K runs, youth sports, occupational therapy, dance lessons, monthly bus trips, playground programs and much more. MCPARC is also active in many areas of the community and helps many organizations with special events and projects.

MCPARC also offers community grants to help municipalities and non-profit groups increase recreational opportunities throughout the county.

MCPARC has 10 outdoor pavilions at various parks that can be reserved for seasonal use. MCPARC also offers an indoor facility at East Marion Park with restrooms and kitchen

that is available year round and ideal for birthday parties, family reunions and meetings.

The purpose of MCPARC is be to administer a system of public parks and recreation in Marion County; promote public interest in Stafford White recreation and support, foster, and promote recreational FUN@aol.com, 304-363-7037 Mike Cimaglia, president activities; cooperate with, and Richard Walton, secretary encourage the participation of Richard Hackett, treasure other agencies, both public and Dave Shaw, vice president private, in the accomplishment Tony Michalski, executive of the above endeavors. director Members are nominated by Robert Brookover current board members.

Philip Burton MCPARC meets at 6 p.m.

Jay Ford every third Monday at the Robert Garcia MCPARC office, 100 Cole St., Frank Hines Suite B, Pleasant Valley.

Contact: web.

Lenny Stafford www.mcparc.com, MCPARCCraig White

Local Emergency Planning Commission

McIntire

Carpenter

Emerick

George

Hinerman

Marion County 911 Board

McIntire

Bledsoe

Ledsome

Carpenter

Moran

The Marion County 911 Center was established in 1977 under the name of Marion County Fire Rescue. The dispatch center was located in the basement of the Marion County Rescue Squad. The Center dispatched for Fire and EMS. The Communication Center was moved in 1987 to 903 State Street on the East Side of Fairmont and the name changed to Marion County Central Communications. Then in 2009, Marion County Central Communications moved to its new home at 50 Centerview Drive.

Marion County 911 currently dispatches 14 fire companies, 6 EMS stations, and 9 police agencies, including Marion County Sheriff’s Department, Fairmont Police Department, and West Virginia Department of Natural Resources. Marion County 911 is currently staffed with 25 full-time employees and 2 parttime employees.

Cinalli

Pesko

Emerick

White

One board member is appointed by the Marion County Commission from every agency dispatched, for staggered three- or four-year terms.

It meets at 1 p.m. the third Thursday in February, May, August and November at the center, 50 Centerview Drive Fairmont.

Contact: web. www.marioncountywv.com/ departments/marion_county_911/; cledsome@marioncountywv.com; 304-367-0915 Board members: Chris McIntire, president Barry Bledsoe, Volunteer Fire Association Joe Carpenter, Marion County Sheriff Kris Cinalli, Marion County Commission Jim Emerick, City of Fairmont Fire Chief Carolyn Ledsome, director of 911 Center Kelley Moran, Fairmont City Police Chief Geoffrey Pesko, West Virginia State Police Lloyd White, Marion County EMS

Marion County Commission The Marion County Commission is the governing body of Marion County.

The commission is made up of three officials, elected to six-year rotating terms. Each commissioner must reside in a different magisterial district (Palatine, Middletown, West Augusta).

The Marion County Commission Elliott Tennant VanGilder meets Wednesdays at 10 a.m. at comtywv.com, evangilder@marioncountywv.com, mission chambers, Room 403, J. Harper Meredith Building, 200 Jackson St., Fairmont. btennant@marioncountywv.com; 304-367-5400 Quarterly evening meetings for 2013 are held Randy Elliott, president March 27, June 26, Sept. 25 and Dec. 11 at 7 p.m.

Burley “Butch” Tennant Contact: www.marioncountywv.com/departErnie VanGilder ments/county_commission; relliott@marioncoun-

Region VI Workforce Investment Board

Hodges

Kosik

The mission of the Marion County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (MDHSEM) is to help organizations in Marion County prepare and cope with disasters and other emergencies.

MDHSEM has a comprehensive plan to guide emergency personnel through the process of dealing with disasters and other emergencies in Marion County.

The LEPC is in the process of updating the county's emergency response plan due to the ever-changing needs of Marion County.

Marion County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management offers several services to the citizens of Marion County.

Ca. Ledsome Ch. Ledsome

Moran

This agency starts by organizing the Local Emergency Planning Committee. This allows emergency providers to get the necessary information to plan for disasters, drill and other emergencies. The office operates out of the Sparks White Central Chris McIntire. OES direcCommunications Center. tor The LEPC meets at 2 p.m.

Joe Carpenter every third Thursday at the Jim Emerick Marion County Central Diana George Communications Building, 50 Susie Hinerman Centerview Drive, Fairmont.

J.T. Hodges Contact: www.marioncounJamie Kosik tywv.com/departments/homeCarolyn Ledsome land_security/; Chuck Ledsome cmcintire@marioncounty Kelley Moran wv.com ; cledsome@marionEd Sparks countywv.com; 304-366-0196 Lloyd White Board members:

The Region VI Workforce Barbara DeMary, executive Investment Board Full Board director was established to plan and Donald C. Black implement a system to coordiMichael E. Bombard nate the skills local job-seekers Penny Brown are obtaining with the skills Michael K. Callen that local employers want for Connie Carpenter their businesses.

Jan Derry The board consists of 13 Steve Foster county commissioners and the Claudia George mayors from Marion, Harrison Leroy Hunter and Monongalia counties, and Doreen Larson those elected officials desigPhil Leinbach nate the other members.

Michael N. Manypenny Contact Region VI at 304George Marshall 368-9530.

Fairmont Parking Authority

Snider

The Fairmont Parking Authority maintains, operates, manages and controls all paid public parking areas and their facilities within the city. The authority also has the power to

Fairmont Arts and Humanities Commission

William McDonnell Robert H. Mollohan Dave Morris Diane C. Parker Kimberly Pitzer-Shaffer Judy R. Pratt P. Michael Reed Cheri Satterfield Peter Silitch Lori Turner Hollis C. Vance Katherine Wagner Janie Lou White Allen B. Wilson

Warner

Gribben

Cinalli

lease parking spaces to companies and businesses.

Members are appointed by city council.

For more information, call 304-366-6211.

Eddie Snider Chuck Warner Karen Gribben Nick Cinalli

Fairmont Board of Zoning Appeals Turchin

Steele

Sanford

Bowyer

Haley

Byers

Meade

Montgomery

Reed

Dunn

Manchin

The Fairmont Arts and and to foster public interest and Humanities Commission is support for arts in the city. responsible for advising the city manager and council on steps to Linda Turchin stimulate and encourage the Amanda “Mandy” Steele study and presentation of the Rhonda Sanford performing and creative arts Faith M. Bowyer

Susan Haley Judy Byers Charlotte Meade Sue Montgomery Mary L. Reed Kathy Dunn Jack Hussey

The Fairmont Board of Zoning Appeals only hears matters of appeal. The group deals specifically with the zoning ordinance. It can authorize exceptions to the rules and, since the city changed the zoning code to add conditional

Wood

McClung

uses, the group can hear and decide whether conditional uses are permitted or not.

Members meet the first Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. at the Public Safety Building. Members are appointed by city council.

Six

For more information, call 304-366-6211. * Ray Friend Joseph Manchin Rich Wood Kevin McClung John Six

PAGE 12

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Business B usiness H Honor onor R Roll oll These area business leaders have shown a steadfast commitment to the community by offering their products and services year after year. They are proud of this achievement and look forward to serving this community for more years to come.

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 PAGE 13

Business B usiness H Honor onor R Roll oll

PAGE 14

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Fairmont Planning Commission

Nichols

Foy

By West Virginia code, a planning commission is intended to promote the orderly development of a cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jurisdiction.

The planning commission serves in an advisory capacity to the city that created it and has certain land planning.

Members are appointed by city manager and confirmed by city council.

For more information, call the

Straight

Fairmont Planning and Building Department at 304-366-6211.

Fairmont Historic Preservation Review Commission

Parker

Pitman

James Nichols Michael Foy Ron Straight Paul â&#x20AC;&#x153;Eddieâ&#x20AC;? Parker John Pitman * Aron Majic Oliver Weber William Oliver Staff Representative Ron Council Representative Dan Miller Weber

Montgomery

The Marion County Library Board is in charge of making sure the library is financially solvent. Fiduciary agents of the library board, hire staff and carry out the libraryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mission.

The board is a quasi-governmental agency. Members are appointed by West Virginia State

Conaway

McLain

Phillips

Code. Appointing authorities are Fairmont. Contact: www. the Marion County Commission, mcpls.org, fairmont@mcpls the City of Fairmont and the .org, 304-366-1210 Marion County Board of Board members: Education. Members are appointDixie Yann, president ed to staggered five-year terms.

Blair Montgomery, treasurer The board meets at 3 p.m.

Luella Conaway, secretary every third Thursday at the Frank McLain Main Library, 321 Monroe St., Becky Phillips

Chrislip

The Fairmont Historic members are appointed Preservation Review to three-year terms.

Commission is made up of nine members Bill Grubb appointed by council.

Pieter Blood After their initial terms, Ron Chrislip

Scaffidi

Sprowls

* Alex Haill George Sprowls * Patricia Pagen Sandra Scaffidi * Sandra Vaughan Kevin McClung

McClung

Fairmont Police Civil Service Commission

Chapman

Nutting

The Vandalia Heritage Foundation is a nonprofit organization that works to provide the following areas of expertise to communities throughout northern West Virginia: historic preservation; planning and design; restoration, renovation and adaptive reuse; project management and

Burum

Kuhns

Rooney

administration; community out Vandaliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coverage area. and economic development; Contact Vandalia at 304public/private partnerships; 368-1555. planning and redevelopment; and strategic real estate servicDr. Emory Kemp es.

Betty Woods â&#x20AC;&#x153;Snookieâ&#x20AC;?

The board of directors, elect- Nutting ed every year at the annual Jeffrey S. Burum meeting, meets regulary at varLaura Kurtz Kuhns ious project locations throughTom Rooney

SORRELL

Phil Hart Teresa Frame Bernie Fazzini Jim Manilla Ron Straight Tony Veltri Mike Rosenau Ernie VanGilder Patsy Trecost II

Riffle

Vandalia Heritage Foundation

Kemp

Region VI Local Elected Official Board

Contact Region VI at 304The Region VI Local Elected Official Board assists in the plan- 368-9530. ning and oversight of all programs Eldon Callen and services funded through the Mike Taylor Workforce Investment Act (WIA) Craig Jennings of 1998, One-Stop Centers, or Brian S. Kennedy other grants.

The board consists of electJerald E. Evans ed officials in the region.

Thomas Fealy

Blood

The Fairmont Police and members are appointCivil Service Commission ed by council. conducts testing for For more information, entrance exams, gives pro- call 304-366-6211. motion exams within the department and acts as the Susan Riffle administrative board for * Shaun Petracca hearings and grievances.

Donald C. Chapman They meet as necessary,

Marion County Library Board

Yann

Grubb

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TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Vandalia Redevelopment Corporation Vandalia Heritage Foundation works in conjunction with its sister organization Vandalia Redevelopment Corp.

With its commitment to “Economic Revitalization through Redevelopment,” Vandalia Redevelopment Corp. complements Vandalia Heritage Foundation’s mission of “Economic Revitalization through Historic Preservation.”

Vandalia Heritage Foundation and Vandalia Redevelopment Corp. are partnering on a significant neighborhood stabilization project and other redevelopment efforts in Wheeling.

Burum

Kuhns

The foundation board appoints the board of the Vandalia Redevelopment Corp., which meets regularly at various project locations throughout its coverage area.

Fairmont Sanitary Sewer Board

Rooney

Contact Vandalia at 304368-1555.

Jeffrey S. Burum Laura Kurtz Kuhns Tom Rooney

The Fairmont Sanitary Sewer Board oversees public infrastructure within city limits dealing with sanitary sewer. The city manager serves as one of the board members and the other two are appointed by the board itself.

The group meets the fourth Thursday of each month at 10 a.m. at the Fairmont Water Filtration Plant.

J. Peale Davidson Tom Mainella Jay Rogers

Davidson

Mainella

Rogesr

West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation

Fairmont International Code Council Board of Appeals

The Fairmont International Code Council Board of Appeals’ role is to interpret the code and modify it if necessary, and give the person who violated the code an opportunity for a right to appeal.

Members are nominated by city manager and

confirmed by city council.

For more information, call 304-366-6211.

Daniel Baldwin * John Sanford Rebecca Key * James Webb Alternates: * Roger Wilson * Ed Simmons

Haney

Baldwin

The West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation’s Board of Directors is charged with endorsing the organization’s operational and financial strategies, developing directional policy and appointing, supervising and remunerat-

Key

Fairmont-Marion County Transit Authority

Levitsky

Morgan

The Fairmont-Marion County Transit Authority board determines the organization’s mission and purpose.

The members select the general manager, support the general manager and review his performance, focus on organizational planning, oversee and monitor resources, enhance the organization’s programs and services through advocacy, and serve as a court of appeals if appropriate.

The board members are appointed by the city or county and serve threeyear terms. The board generally

Carpenter

Hatfield

meets the third Monday of each month at the authority’s office at 400 Quincy St. in Fairmont.

The Transit Authority will celebrate its 40th anniversary on June 7.

Contact the authority at 304-3668177.

George Levitsky, general manager Raymond Morgan Jeff Carpenter Carrol Hatfield Chris Smith Jesse Corley

Blake

Green

Estep

ing senior executives and ensur- Technology Park. ing the accountability of the Contact the WVHTC organization.

Foundation at 304-366-2577 or The board identifies and 304-363-5482. elects its own members and James R. Haney meets quarterly, generally in Dr. Frank W. Blake the Alan B. Mollohan Michael I. Green Innovation Center in the I-79 James L. Estep

Smith

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Corley

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SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 PAGE 17

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Faces of

Marion County Chamber of Commerce

Marion County Development Authority

Reese

Elliott

Tennant

VanGilder

Cosco

Shaw

Bonafield

Branch

Dahlia

DeMary

Fantasia

Thompson

Staggers

Phillips

Shaw

Fantasia

Ford

Jessup

Larson

Levitsky

Moore

Costello

Skidmore

Rosic

Mason

Madia

Marquardt

McVicker

Metz

Nuzum

Osborne

Parr

Roets

J. Rogers

K. Rogers

Rose

Skidmore

Spatafore

Staggers

Thompson

The Development Authority 304-367-5400. is the lead economic development agency in the county.

Charles Reese, director The authority provides small Randy Elliott business loans and will be Burley “Butch” Tennant Jr. developing property and Ernest T. VanGilder doing some larger developJanice Cosco ments in 2013.

Nick Fantasia The membership is selected Robert H. Thompson so that each municipality has a Allen Staggers representative, and business Delbert “Butch” Phillips and labor positions are chosen * Mark Morris at large from those sectors. The Tina Shaw county commission and county Allen K. Moore clerk are also part of the board.

Donna Costello Contact the authority at Brent Skidmore

Gribben

Charles Rosic Charles Mason Karen Gribben * Melissa Marko

Marion County Chamber of Commerce Executive Committee

Dahlia

Fantasia

Spatafore

Levitsky

Thompson

Osborne

Wade

The members of the Marion once per month.

County Chamber of Commerce Contact the chamber at 304Executive Committee are 363-0442. selected from the full board by John Dahlia the chairman of the board. The Nick Fantasia executive committee meets George Levitsky

Rogers

Weist

Butch Osborne Jay Rogers Lou Spatafore Melanie Thompson Jennifer Wade Jennifer Weist

The Marion County Chamber of Commerce is a volunteer organization that focuses on the economic wellbeing and quality of life in Marion County and North Central West Virginia. The chamber is dedicated to businesses in Marion County, helping new ones get started and growing the existing ones.

The nomination committee receives the names of individuals who are interested in joining the board of directors, and the membership votes. The board meets bimonthly.

Contact the chamber at 304363-0442.

Vanalsburg

Barbara DeMary Nick Fantasia Ryan Ford Chuck Jessup Doreen Larson George Levitsky Joey Madia Robert Marquardt Nathan McVicker Donna Metz Doug Nuzum Butch Osborne

Tina Shaw, president Cynthia Bonafield Chuck Branch John Dahlia

Wade

Weist

Chris Parr Shirly Roets Jay Rogers Kevin Rogers Maria Rose Brent Skidmore Lou Spatafore Allen Staggers Melanie Thompson Chip Vanalsburg Jennifer Wade Jennifer Weist

Fairmont Community Development Partnership

The Fairmont-Morgantown Housing Authority The FairmontMorgantown Housing Authority meets the third Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. at the offices of the Fairmont-Morgantown Housing Authority, 103 12th Street, Fairmont, WV 26554.

Commissioners serve fiveyear terms and are appointed by the Fairmont and Morgantown City Council.

As Commissioners they are public officers and oversee the mission and goals of the housing authority.

The commissioners are:

George Johnston, chairperson * Kimberly Mosby, vice chairperson * Frank Scafella Marcella Yaremchuk

Johnston

Gribben

Bridges

Rogers

Evans

Skidmore

Swisher

Luthy

Riffle

Schreffler

Cinalli

Yaremchuk

Fairmont Historic Landmark Commission

Matthews

The Fairmont Historic Landmark Commission consists of five members appointed by council. Initial appoint-

Grubb

Long

ments consist of one year, two years and three years and after that a term of three years.

James Matthews

Lough

* Creed Holden Bill Grubb Donna Long JoAnn Lough

The Fairmont Community Development Partnership is involved in the community and development and partners with different organizations. A major interest of this nonprofit organization is neighborhood revitalization, which takes the form of both affordable and market-rate housing and commercial development.

The board is elected by the membership at the annual

meeting as vacancies occur.

Individuals can be nominated Bob Gribben, executive by the board itself or independ- director ently nominated.

Neshia Bridges The board meets the third Jay Rogers Tuesday of each month at 5 Tracy Evans p.m. at the partnership’s office Brent Skidmore at 109 Fairmont Ave., Suite 2, Debbie Swisher in Fairmont. The executive Ned Luthy board meets on an as-needed Susan Riffle basis.

Paul Schreffler Contact the partnership at Kris Cinalli 304-366-7600.

PAGE 18

SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

United Way of Marion County

Thompson

Larson

Ford

Salvation Army

Bradley

Morgan

Rose

Shaw

Thomas

Balenger

Farley

Sapp

Veasey

The board meets at the Firehouse Café in downtown Fairmont normally the third Friday of the month. The board serves as an advisory council for the Marion County Salvation Army and the board participates in volunteer activities such as Christmas bell ringing, Christmas stockings, Christmas Toy Distribution, Food Pantry and Thrift Store

Walker

donations, fundraising, networking with the community for project support, etc.

Dr. Budd Sapp * Rock Manchin John Veasey Diane Walker Marcella Yaremchuk Thomas Board * Jenifer Barbe Dale Dzielski Lewis Boyce

Yaremchuk

Board

Dzielski

Boyce

Fairmont Building Commission

Ricer

Nuzum-Wise

Gittings

Heston

Osborne

Reynolds

Jessup

It is the duty of the board of directors to manage the affairs of the corporations, to adopt policies and procedures for the government of the corporations, to secure the appointment of committees as it deems desirable for carrying out the object of the corporations, to establish the goal for the annual campaign, to arrange for the raising of the funds and to control the distribution of the funds collected, to submit to the membership a complete report of activities, to enforce the contractual agreements entered into, to supervise and direct the general work and administration of the

Kauffman

Brennman

corporation, approve and order payment of all bills and expenses, and order the disbursement of funds to member agencies.

The board is elected by the membership of the United Way. The elections take place at the annual membership meeting held in January.

The board of directors meetings are held on the third Tuesday of each month at 8 a.m. at the Marion County Chamber of Commerce Conference Room, 112 Adams St. The board of directors can be reached by calling the United Way of Marion County office at (304) 366-4550.

Phillips

Melanie Thompson Ryan Ford Dale Bradley Tina Shaw Mary Jo Thomas Doreen M Larson Ruth Ann Morgan Dr. Maria Rose Toni Balenger Nancy Farley Toni Ricer Blaire Nuzum-Wise Valerie Gittings Emily Heston Butch Osborne Chuck Jessup Holly Kauffman Jeannie Brennman Rosemary Phillips

The Convention & Visitors Bureau of Marion County

Elliott

Blaniar

Blosser

Bray

Cinalli

Corley

Daniel

Metcalfe

Pellegrin

Provins

The Convention & Visitors Bureau of Marion County promotes the area as a group tour, meeting and vacation destination.

The chairman of the board appoints a nominating committee that seeks candidates from the hospitality and tourism industry, and the four motel taxing authorities select one member each to fill positions on the Board of Directors, and the slate of candidates is presented and elected by majority vote.

The board meets the first

Wednesday of each month at 3 p.m. at the visitor center, located at 1000 Cole St., Suite A, Pleasant Valley.

Contact the CVB at 304368-1123.

Leisha Elliott, executive director JR Blaniar Travis Blosser Greg Bray Kris Cinalli Jesse Corley Phil Daniel Barbara Metcalfe

The role of the Fairmont Building Commission is to act as a borrowing agent for the City of Fairmont. Governing agencies form building commissions because state law pre-

Wise

Martin

vents them from going into debt that exceeds their fiscal year.

Members are appointed by city council.

For more information, call 304-366-6211.

Retton

Rob Reynolds Jeff Wise * Glenn Harman James R. “Dick” Martin Allen D. Retton

Fairmont Fireman’s Civil Service Commission The Fairmont Fireman’s Civil Service Commission conducts testing for entrance exams, gives promotion exams within the department and acts as the administrative board for hearings and grievances.

Members are appointed by city council and meet as necessary. For more information, call 304-366-6211.

William Harris * Don Moroose Scott Robertson

Moroose

Robertson

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Yoho

* Tracy Jenkins Amy Pellegrin John Provins Eva Yoho

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SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 PAGE 19

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

White Hall Council

J. Corley

Mason

White Hall council oversees the government of the Town of White Hall.

Council members are elected officals by the citizens of White Hall.

The council works together to pass ordinances, policies, and oversee city funds.

Marion County Health Department

Wilson

Jesse Corley, mayor Charles Mason, recorder Gary Wilson, councilman George Abel, councilman Beverly Owens, councilwoman Arley Hayhurst, councilman Chad Corley, councilman

Abel

Owens

Hayhurst

C. Corley

Stafford

Fitch

The Fairview Water through applications.

Extension Committee is a For more information, seven-member group tasked call 304-449-2307. to patch public water service to a group of residents Chair Kathy Ice on the outskirts of the town.

Tim Darrah The group meets monthKatherine Fitch ly at the Fairview Town Jill Moore Hall. The group was Rick Ice formed by the town council Kenny Moore and appoints members Gary Moore

Conaway

Biafore

Shaw

Decker

According to state code, the Board is Department, located at 300 Second St., charged with and is responsible for the Fairmont. directing, supervision, and carrying out matters relating to public health in Marion Chairman Lenny Stafford County. That code and section are Chapter Randy Elliott 16, Article 2.

Brad Newbraugh The board meets six times a year, about every John Conaway two months, at the Marion County Health Shannon Biafore

The Fairmont Water Board oversees public infrastructure within city limits dealing with water. The city manager serves as one of the board members and the other two are appointed by council.

Jay Rogers David Shaw James Decker

Darrah

Newbraugh

Fairmont Water Board

Fairview Water Extension Committee

K. Ice

Elliott

J. Moore

R. Ice

K. Moore

G. Moore

Rogers

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Williams

Rigsby

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Mannington Main Street is a nonContact Main Street at 304-986profit, volunteer-driven organization 2037. dedicated to economic development and historic preservation in Rana Taylor, executive director Mannington.

Becky Williams The members head the organizaJim Rigsby tionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s four main committees, and Carol Haught anyone who is interested in Main * Carol Martin Street can be a part of it. The board Jim Taylor meets the third Tuesday of the month Robert Garcia at 6 p.m. at City Hall.

Warner

The mission of the Fairmont Renaissance Authority, the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban renewal authority, is to look at places within the scope of the city limits that have become disinvested, rundown neighborhoods, under-utilized businesses and property areas.

The private-public partnership could then repackage failing urban areas to attract new development.

Members are appointed by Fairmont City Council. The URA meets quarterly at the J. Harper

Wood

Gribben

Meredith Building.

For more information, call Fairmont City Planner Kathy Wyrosdick at 304-366-6211, ext.

318.

Pete Higinbotham Fran Warner Richard Wood Bob Gribben * Mark Pallotta Blair Montgomery Gina Fantasia

Garcia

Montgomery

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SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

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SATURDAY, MARCH 30, 2013 PAGE 21

TIMES WEST VIRGINIAN

Marion County Development Authority

Elliott

Thompson

Tennant

Cosco

Phillips

Fantasia

Powell

Shaw

Mannington Council

Reese

Moore

Garcia

Starsick

The Mannington City Council is in charge of governing business within the City of Mannington.

This includes such duties as creating ordinances to collecting taxes and fees.

Members are voted on every two years by the citizens of Mannington.

The group meets at 7 p.m. on the first and third Monday of each month in the city hall and can be

Williams

contacted at 304-986-2700.

Robert Garcia, mayor Terry Starsick, councilman Becky Williams, councilwoman Larry Smith, councilman Christina Dunigan, councilwoman Rana Taylor, council at large Michele Fluharty, city clerk

Smith

Dunigan

Taylor

Fluharty

Main Street Fairmont

Costello

Skidmore

The Marion County Development Authority offers small business loans and works to attract business to the county.

The membership is selected so that each municipality has a representative, and business and labor positions are chosen at large from those sectors. The county commission and county

Rosic

Shaffer

clerk are also part of the board.

The authority usually meets every two to three months in the commission chambers.

Contact the authority at 304367-5400.

Randy Elliott Burley “Butch” Tennant Jr. Janice Cosco Nick Fantasia

Mason

Charles Reese Robert H. Thompson Delbert “Butch” Phillips Gene Powell Tina Shaw Allan K. Moore Donna Costello Brent Skidmore Charles Rosic Sharon Jones Shaffer Charles Mason

Greene

Jackson

Bajus

Pellegrin

Berardi

Swearingen

Burdick

Scaffidi

Murphy

Boyce

Fairmont General Hospital

Martin

Nesselrotte

Daristotle

The Fairmont General Hospital board of directors meets in the Hamilton Conference Center on the fourth Monday of every month, except in 2013 they will meet on the third Monday in the months of May and

Fox

Bonasso

Panza

Elliott

Dobbs

Smith

December because of holidays. retary The members of the board Randy Elliott, treasurer of directors are: The Rev. Wesley Dobbs Joedy Daristotle, M.D. J. Michael Martin, chairman David Fox Toni Nesselrotte, R.N., J.D., John Panza vice chair Robin Smith, D.C. Dr. Patrick C. Bonasso, sec-

Each local Main Street program establishes a broad-based governing board that includes a variety of representatives from the community. The board guides policy, funding and planning for Main Street.

People are recommended to the board who might have an interest

in preserving/revitalizing downtown Fairmont, and the nominating committee/ selection committee then brings forth the slate of candidates to be approved.

Contact Main Street at 304366-0468.

Kate Greene, executive director

Cliff Jackson Cindy Bajus Amy Pellegrin Heather Berardi Sharon Swearingen Bill Burdick Sandra Scaffidi Kim Murphy Lewis Boyce

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