 By Alvin Engelke
alvinengelke@hotmail.com
Albert Gore, Jr. must have been out talking about "global warming" again because Creston was hit with
another winter storm. Up on Ground Hog there was almost a foot with about half that amount along the
West Fork. Several area residents lost electricity service (again). The Creston auction and church at
Burning Springs were among events that were cancelled.
Out of area contractors for the power companies noted last time that the lack of routine maintenance would
have obvious consequences including, in some cases, disasters as in the case in southern W. Va. Where an
entire five mile line went down.
The local road garage had all sorts of problems with equipment during the last storm. A road scraper, big
trucks and small trucks alike went on the down list. As one local worker noted, "Micromanaging by the
Big Boss just doesn't work."
Eva G. Pennington, age 59, of Burning Springs passed away after a valiant fight with cancer. She had been
to church the week before her passing.
Underwood Construction, a/k/a Heavy Maintenance with a little help from Sponaugle's repair crew fixed
the road at the box culvert on Annamoriah Creek on W. Va. 5. Now a drilling contractor is, for the second
time, drilling for piling at Burning Springs.
In spite of cold weather Mother Hope (Dominion) shut down Cornwell station in Clay County for three
weeks. Some natural gas from Calhoun and Wirt Counties takes that route to market.
Gas production from the entire Appalachian area is 2.2 billion cubic feet/day and the REX pipeline which
brings natural gas from the northern Rocky Mountain region is now putting 1 billion/day in to the area. It
is generally felt that local production and prices will be impacted negatively.
Junior Hildreth, a/k/a Megan, Kimco, Krakrow, Little Creek Production, RHI, etc. applied to the PSC for a
rate increase of 218.06% for their residential customers. Wholesale prices of natural gas now is about one
third of what was formerly paid.
Peck Jones, Freddie Bush & Joe Ferrell have a big timbering job in process over at Industry. The
Mississippi pulpwood contractors have been working around the bad weather spells.
The price of local Penn grade rose to $64.75/bbl.
It has been duly reported that Charles White is the man to have when butchering hogs...Of course details
are available.
Hope Starcher has been on the sick list. | 
