CRESTON NEWS

(09/10/2001)
By Alvin Engelke

Vera Jo and Harold Cunningham were calling on Gloria and Eddie Norman and they were all four wheeling on the Richardsonville Road.

Jim Bruce filled in for Rev. Bob Stanley at the Burning Springs M. E. church.

Dr. & Mrs. Bill Deel have been visiting Sarah Douglas at Cherry.

Jim Bush has been putting up hay in the Creston area. Jim has been consulting with his physician. A lot of second cutting has been light, in part reflecting minimal use of lime, fertilize and manure.

Ruby Skidmore and daughter Shelia & great grandson John, Ding Altizer, Cap'n & Mrs. Spock were among those calling on Uncle Pete and Aunt Verda this week.

P. R. Marks & J. B. Griffin were among those calling on Mr. and Mrs. C. Romeo Griffin, Jr., Kayla, Dalton & "Granny". They also called on Coy Eddy and his dog, Bart Simpson. J. B. reported that "Bartholomew J." was glad to see them.

Westvaco, the area's largest landowner has been in the news recently with Meade Paper Company. The new name will be Mead-Westvaco. The impact on the local level is not yet known.

Rodney Settles has a sawmill set up on the head of Island Run on Westvaco Property that is being clearcut to remove hardwoods so that pine may be planted. Part of the tract was "scalped" by the Runnions who slip over from Ohio from time to time to haul out but logs, etc.

There will be a lumber grading course October 15-19 at the hardwood technology center in Elkins and the sign up deadline is October 5. For details one can call 558-2788.

It was learned that Ardent Resources has started to put the bend in their deep well on Bull River so that the bottom of the hole will be somewhere else rather than where they started. Slant hole drilling has a long, and sometimes bad history, but now slanty hole drilling is routine in offshore, park, wildlife refuge areas, etc.

NISOURCE reported that the Parker discovery well in Roane County made 1,797,927 MCF of gas during 2000. In round numbers that would be one billion 798 million cubic feet. Leasehounds have been busy rounding up leases all over but many of the contracts contain items very harmful for local residents. Some now have no expiration date for the primary term, others give artificial price determinations and many allow gas storage without any real consideration, etc.

The Wirt County Farm Bureau will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, September 18 at 8 P. M. at the road garage in Elizabeth. Memberships and resolutions will be discussed. All are welcome.