November 8, 2012
STORM PICTURES INSIDE
HONORING OUR VETERANS PAGES 9-12
Free admission for veterans and military at Clay Center CHARLESTON – In celebration of Veteran’s Day, all active, reserve and retired military personnel will receive free museum, film and planetarium show admission at the Clay Center on Sunday, Nov. 11. While at the Center, have fun with physics and learn about Newton’s Laws of Motion in “Roll Drop Bounce,” the latest traveling exhibit in the Mylan Explore-atory. Then, explore one of the earth’s most undiscovered territories in the brand new giant screen film “Shackleton’s Antarctic Adventure.” Plus, find out about the stories of constellations in the fall sky in the “Harvest Skies” planetarium show. Please present military ID or proof of service to redeem. For more information on Clay Center programs and exhibits, visit www.theclaycenter.org or call 304-561-3570. Clay Center museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.
HOW TO REACH US PHONE: (304) 743-6731 FAX: (304) 562-6214
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Volunteers Breathe Life into Fading Cemetery rusty fence gates and re-setting century-old tombstones at this aging cemetery off Roosevelt Blvd. Throughout October and November, Austin Redd, along with family and friends from the Midway Meridian 4-H Club, revived the Eleanor resting place. “I know the families here would respect this,” the 16-yearold Buffalo Junior said. “I believe those who are buried here deserve a nice place to be.” Family and friends joined Redd in his effort to improve the community. People young and old have pitched in to help, he said. “It feels good to have my family here to help and support me through all of this,” said Redd.
By Justin Waybright justin@theputnamstandard.com
ELEANOR - For years, grey clouds rested above a forgotten town cemetery. The resting place is more than a century-old, and it is aging rapidly. Rusty fence posts barely stand in the cold fall air. Headstones lay crooked and weathered by time. But a small group of people breathe life into this fading cemetery. On a recent Saturday in November, a few people walked onto the wet grass of Woody2/Hudson Cemetery with shovels, wire brushes and concrete in their hands. By 10:30 a.m., a boy scout and 25 others were digging holes, sanding
Volunteers shovel dirt to improve the grave sites at the town’s cemetery. Photo by Justin Waybright.
SEE CEMETERY ON PAGE 7
Tennant Warns Citizens of Fraudulent Charities following Hurricane Sandy Tennant Warns Citizens of Fraudulent Charities following Hurricane Sandy CHARLESTON – Secretary of State Natalie E. Tennant warned West Virginia citizens today of fraudulent charities who may try to solicit donations following Hurricane Sandy. While there have been no reports of charity scams in West Virginia following the storm, Secretary Tennant said citizens need to know how to protect themselves. Charities licensed to solicit donations from West Virginians are listed on a searchable database maintained by the Secretary of State’s Office. Secretary Tennant urged citizens to ask questions if contacted by
phone – questions like if the charity is licensed to solicit donations by the Secretary of State’s Office and how their donation is going to be used. “There are so many citizens watching news coverage of Hurricane Sandy and wondering how they can help,” Secretary Tennant said. “We are very caring people, and unfortunately there are people out there who prey on that. If you are contacted by someone over the phone who pressures you into giving or makes you feel guilty if you don’t want to donate, or if they don’t answer the questions you ask, it’s a red flag that they may not be legitimate.” The database to search for
charities can be found here: http://apps.sos.wv.gov/business/charities/index.aspx. The Secretary of State’s Guide to Charitable Giving has several tips to help citizens protect themselves from fraudulent charities: Know your charity: Never give to a charity that you know nothing about and who refuses to answer questions about where your money will go. Don’t yield to pressure: Don’t feel as though you must donate immediately. Demand identification: Ask for identification from both the solicitor and the charity. If the solicitor refuses, hang up immediately. Beware the name game:
Be wary of crooked charities that have a name similar to a well-respected charity. Be prudent when giving your credit card number: Write a check and use the charity’s full name. That way you have a record of the contribution and exactly where your money went. When in doubt, do research: Check the Secretary of State’s searchable database. Not all charities are found on the Secretary of State’s database. The Red Cross, for example, is monitored on the federal level. The Salvation Army is not listed on the charities database because as a religious organization, it is exempt and not required to be registered.
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