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Newspaper Archive of
The Hinton News
Hinton, West Virginia
June 24, 2003     The Hinton News
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June 24, 2003
 
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o b | o b I n The HINTO1 ¢ NEWS (Continuing the Hinton Daily Hews & The Weekend Leader) Home of he W. V Water Festival Volume 101 No. 11 Hinton, West Virginia Tuesday, June 24, 2.003 50 Cents City has $85,00000 winfall By Fred Long An ATV ordinance banning all- terrain vehicles on public streets has become law, a dog ordinance prohibiting the possession of dangerous dogs within the city limits is on the books and the city has gained an $85,000 winfall because of unpaid business and ccupation taxes. " These were the highlights of the City Council meeting held June 17 at City Sidetrack Park. A settlement was reached early this month with City National Bank bver disputed business and bccupation taxes, Mayor Cleo Mathews announced at the outset of he meeting that was attended by all members of the Council. -Hinton joined in a civil suit gainst the banking firm throtlgh the state Municipal League shortly after Mathews took office in July 2001. EarIier several municipalities in the state had joined in the suit that began in Beckley. Mathews asked to be included when Beckley won its case in the Circuit Court and City National appealed to the Supreme Court. The high court ruled against the bank in March and a settlement was reached with bank officials this month, she said. The city's share, which may span 10=years, is $85,464.48 and was received on June 18. An ordinance banning all-terrai '-ve¢!es on public Sirees/alleys, sidewalks, parking lots, and any other city owned property was approved following its second reading. Some debate followed overthe use of the vehicles to clean snow from the sidewalks. "Several peopie use them to clean sidewalks," Councilman Larry Meador said. /es," said Councilman Al Stone, "and if it weren't for them, a lot of our sidewalks wouldn't be cleaned." Council agreed to draft an amendment that would permit ATV's to be used to remove snow, or other obstacles, under certain conditions. A motion had been placed on the floor by Councilman Bobby Wheeler and seconded by Meador to approved the ordinance, but Wheeler withdrew his motion saying he wanted to wait on the amendment before taking any action. "I'd like to move forward on this," Mathews said, "because we are into the summer and people are having problems with this right now." Stone immediately offered a : motion to approve the ordinance and Councilman Pat Jordan seconded. The motion passed by split vote, Wheeler abstaining "on the bases of what I said earlier," he explained• The first reading of an ordinance prohibiting dangerous dogs in the city limitswas approved following a motion by Wheeler and a second by Jordan. The ordinance defined "dangerous dogs" as "Rottweiler, Pit Bull, and any other breed of dog that is known to be dangerous and have violent tendencies•" Wheeler said he received a bad bite from a poodle once and Stone said he has also been bitten by a dog. "I believe," Stone said, "that people make dogs mean. It seems that Pit Bulls and Rottweilers get a bad rap." He believed no breed of dog should be singled out. "The way I read this," Jordan said, "we're not saying you can't have a Pit Bull, we're saying you can't have a vicious Pit Bull." Municipal Judge Curtis Shaver said "if you put the name in the definition then they are automatically vicious. That's what you are saying." Stone said he believed the people that would know a vicious dog are the "ones that are out picking it up, or the cops that are out knocking on someone's door and a dog comes out an attacks him without provocation• Or someone is walking down the street and is attacked without provocation. That, it would be safe to say, is a vicious dog. But to say all Pit Bulls and all Rottweilers are or clinically test employees for the presence of alcohol or drugs during or immediately before or after work hours." Personal long distance telephone calls are "permitted only in emergencies and only after approval from a supervisor," and that the use of city tools and equipment "will not be permitted unless prior approval from the Department Head has been received." It also states if an employee does not report for work for four consecutive days without prior approval or a doctor's excuse they "will be considered to have quit" and will lose all benefits and seniority• In other action the Council agreed, following a motion by Meador and a second by Stone, to apply for a development grant for the construction a "river walkway" along with access to the river for a boat launch and a city park in Avis. Chad Wykle, County Community Development Coordinator, said the property is presently in private ownership, however the owner "has expressed interest in selling the land to the city if they can get the grant." The land is presently occupied by Eades Laundry and owner Ricky Eades, following the meeting, said he is also interested in purchasing the property for a business• The grant would require a city match. .vici0w 0gs €lseem right," ,, Mtlaw&;.sakt .FEMA has, Uouncil agreed to mhke an "changed the11: mind to assist the ..... amendment in the language for the second reading and approved the first reading by unar/imous vote. Council also approved an "Employee Handbook" following a motion by Stone and a second by Meador. City Manager Christopher Meadows prepared the long awaited handbook that outlines the city's policy concerning alcohol in the work place, overtime, travel time, the employees use of telephones, tools and equipment among other things. It specifically states that the city has the "right'to physically examine area damaged from the heavy snow and rain last winter. "I think, maybe, we're going to appeal that." Meador offered a motion to authorize the Dept. of Environment Protection .to investigate the city property occupied by Buncher Rail Car Service for an environmental study. The 12-acre tract extends along the railroad tracks behind Magic Mart and Kroger almost to the bridge. Buncher Rail Car has expressed an interest in purchasing the property. The next meeting is July 15. c°--This and That By Fred Long Insurance for non-profits took a beating this month with an unannounced increase, for some exceeding 114%. Insurance with the State Board of Risk and Insurance Management, which seems to be the only carrier in the State, increased its premiums for the week long Water Festival from $6,228 to $12,760. The Community Center saw its premium go from $1,564 to $3,348. We haven't heard from other organizations, but we expect the Wellness Center and John Henry Days took a similar beating. Although no reason was given for, we believe the shifting in insurance cost for medical malpractice coverage has something to do with it. Maybe the problem with Worker's Compensation too. Ralph Wilson, chairman of the Water Festival Committee, said the Water Festival will take place as planned but the insurance hike will have an impact next year. "What it means," he said, "is it will eat into our working capital," a modest reserve that was built from practically nothing. "We will have to find someway to regain what we are losing because of this. We can't just continue to eat into our savings." ., First Train Under New Avis Bridge The fir?sttrain to pass under the new Avis Bridge was captured in this photograph by Everett Crawford. The steel span above the train, a form for pouring the concrete and ultimate completion of the pylon that will support the bridge, had just been installed. i i City Celebrates State's Birthday • One of the largest crowds, Sat., helped celebrate the State's 140th birthday during the annual West Virginia Birthday Celebration held in downtown Hinton. Above the Sons of Dixie, a Jacksonville N. C. Christian music group, perform on the Post Office platform for the dance that was held that night. Behind them is a hand made, hand painted: red, white and blue, =' lJl backdrop ,e- their Iogo, painstskingly reproduced by Shirley Stone and her daughter Danette Vogel. The backdrop was installed shortly before the performance and, when the group mounted the stage, came as a complete surprise to them. At the right President - Lincoln, reenacted by Jim Rubin of Prosperity, assists Mayor Cleo Mathews cut the birthday cake while (from L to R) Mary Todd Lincoln, reenacted by Joyce Browning of Logan, Secretary of State Joe Manchin III and his wife, Gayle, look on. Bottom right Congressman Nick Joe Rahall listens to the Sons of Dixie perform during the parade Sat. afternoon. i Whittaker Buys ManCor By Fred Long Jackpot Powerball winner Jack Whittaker, last week, for an undisclosed amount, bought out Secretary of State Joe Manchin's share in ManCor, the developers for the hydro power facility on Bluestone Dam. "It was becoming a political thing," Manchin said in an exclusive interview with the Hinton News. Manchin was in Hinton Saturday, for the West Virginia Birthday Celebration, and Hinton News had a brief opportunity to speak with him following the cutting of the birthday cake in the Memorial Building before he had to leave for another engagement in Beckley. Manchin, who has already announced that he will be a candidate for Governor, said Whittaker approached him and he agreed to sell his share in the • company, 50 percent. "Bill [Mitchell, owner of the other 50 percent] is still very much involved," he said. ManCor Industries, Ltd, has been working on the hydro project since 191. "Mr. Whittaker is very interested in Hinton,  Manchin said. "He wants to see this project completed." Mayor Cleo Mathews said she was excited to learn that Whittaker had become a partner in the hydro project. "Yes! I'm excited. Mr. Whittaker is committed to this project and is very enthusiastic. He's already 1,eady to move forward. He said this is his top priority, second to his granddaughter. I'm real excited because we have a great opportunity here to decrease the time it could take to get hydro power on Bluestone Dam." Mathews said Whittaker will construct the facilities while Mitchell will do the design. If everything falls in place, she said during a meeting last week with Ralph Wilson, a member of the Tri- Cities Power Authority, it could be possible to have hydro power on Bluestone Dam in 30 months. Foundation Grant Presented At the recently held Annual Grants Reception of tlle Hinton Area Foundation. David Ziegler, a member of the Board of Directors of the Foundation, presented a check for $200 to Carol Jones, President of the New RiVer/Greenbrier Valley Chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), for the purpose of buying educational materials to enhance and support local NAMI group meetings. The local group is an affiliate of NAMI West Virginia.