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HINTON NEWS"
Home of 00th00e° °V a 00W00ater °
, , West:val
i i F J I I
Volume I01 No. 13 Hinton, West Virginia Tuesday, July 8, 2003
The Mayor's Report
State of the. City Bridge Beginning to Take Shape
By Mayor Cleo Mathews
FINANCES
The financial reports are not yet
complete for the year July 1, 2002
to June 30, 2003, but it appears that
the City of Hinten has ended the
fiscal year in the black with
revenues exceeding expenses by
more than $100,000. Our invoices
are paid up to date.
Most employees have been given
a raise and we are working on a raise
for those whose wages have not been
increased, It takes quite a bit of
thought and computation because a
one dollar an hour raise means
$2,080 per employee, plus 10.5
percent for retirement and social
security on top of that. This quickly
adds up.
We do owe vacation pay to two
previous City employees. We sent
them checks in January for what we
felt was due them for unused
vacation, but they disagreed with
the amount offered and returned the
checks. The difference amounted te
several thousand d.ollars.
We will give you a more detailed
report on revenues and spending in
a later report.
THE TECHNOLOGY CENTER
Many, many thanks to Senator
Robert C. Byrd, Congressman Nick
Rahall, and Governor Bob Wise for
putting the finances for this project
After an entity receives
notifiication of a grant award, the
grant receiving entity must enter
into an agreement with the funding
body to spend the money as stated
in the grant proposal. The U.S.
Department of Commerce sent us an
agreement to Sign relating to the
$1.1 million grant that completes
the funding for the building early
last week. We signed it and returned
it by certified mail.
Next steps include tearing down
the house on the building site as
soon as we receive the asbestos
report, some additional drilling on
the property, final design and
bidding.
The $6.5 million building is
critical to Hinton's future
development. We can actively be
part of the 1-64 Technology Corridor
with this state-of-the-art facility.
Jobs will be created and lower Third
Avenue of our downtown •will be
transformed as workers begin
occupying the building. There will
be opportunities for shop owners to
serve the needs of these new
employees. Jobs begat jobs.
THE DEPOT
The agreement between the City
of Hinton and the Department of
Highways for the $147,000 Hinton
Depot Phase II Grant has been
signed and project manager Ed
Mason tells us the notification to
proceed should be here by next week.
Next steps are advertising for and
selecting an architect, design, and
bid. We would like to see Phase II
completed by Railroad Days.
THE NEW RIVER PARKWAY
The Federal Highways
Administration should sign the final
environmental impact statement
this week. Hopefully the National
Park Service will sign the
Memorandum of agreement
between the NPS, Culture and
History, and the Department of
Highways within a week, also. We
will need your expression of support
one more time as. this project reaches
the record of decision stage.
This eighteen-year-old project is
as close to fruition as it ever has
been. This project, too, is important
to the ftlture of Hinton. Help us by
expressing your support later this
summer.
M CONVENTION
VISITOR'S BUREAU
The search committee began the
selection process for this position
Monday, July 7. This position is an
example of the City and the
Summers County Commission
working together to move our
community forward. This represents
an unprecedented level of
collaboration between City and
County.
Hopefully, within a month the
position will be filled. We then can
move forward with our tourism plan
and begin getting a bigger share of
the tourism pie. We ha#e a great
deal to offer tourists and are in the
process of developing even more
attractions for visitors and local
folks, too.
Summers County has several
outstanding artisans. We hope to
start featuring the work of local
artisans in the window of the
Summers County Visitor's and
I II i ill i i i i i
Committed to •
Byrd
Hinton's Growth
In an announcement yesterday
U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, (D-
WVa) voiced his commitment to
Summers County and the hi-tech
computer industry developing in
the county with the announcement
that Hinton will soon receive $1.1
million to aid in the construction
of a high-tech office center.
This center will help to attract
new employers and jobs to Hinton.
Through this facility, the City of
Hinton will continue to be a
• magnet for new opportunities for
many years to come," Byrd
explained.
The $I.i million in funding flm
the federal Economic Development
Administration will supplement
$3.6 million that Byrd has added
to appropriations bills in recent
years for the high-tech business
incubator. The State of West
Virgim.'a also has contributed $1.8
million for this initiative. With
this final increment of funding in
place, construction is expected to
begin in the fall of 2003 and will
likely be completed within one
year after that time.
' "Incubator facilities help to
interest new businesses in an area
while also encouraging existing
employers to expand their
operations. Facilities like the
Hinton high-tech center have been
particularly effective in spurring
the growth of start-up companies
in the burgeoning information
technology industry, Byrd said.
ml I • l
For example, Byrd has been
supportive of companies like
Computer Sciences Corporation
(CSC) and ManTech, which have
ecided to locate operations at the
Hinton facility because of its good
workforce, quality of life, and
access to a modern infrastructure.
The new high-toch center will help
to cement those business
relationships while serving as a
draw for new ones.
Since establishing a presence in
Hinton in 2000, CSC has
continued to grow. By September
2003, its Hinton employment is
expected to rise to 50 men and
women. Similarly, ManTech
started operations in Hinton in
1998. By the end of this year, the
company expects to house 75
employees at its Summers County
facility.
"These companies have
demonstrated that a high-tech
firm does not need to be located in
Silicon Valley to be successful.
They can just as easily be located
among the hills and valleys of Vv'sst
Virginia," Byrd stated.
"Southern West Virginia
• traditionally has been limited in
its job expansion potential because
of the topography. But the new
high-tech marketplace is able to
get around our mountains. By
investing in these high-tech
facilities, we can clear the way for
new job opportunities in Southern
West Virginia counties," Byrd said.
II
Convention Bureau. This will offer
our local artisans support, give
additional exposure to them, and
will offer additional attractions to
visitors as well.
Another goal is to attract more
artisans to our area.
PARKING
The meter patrol is working.
There are parking places available
for visitor's in the downtown area.
Workers are finding unmetered
parking nearby making available
spaces for downtown shoppers.
Some drivers continue to park
against the flow of traffic. The
situation seems to be worse in just
one section of town. This is an
interesting study in human behavior
because usually there ar e parking
places available with the flow of
traffic right across the street. Fines
for parking against the flow oftraffc
will be increasing soon.
THANK YOU, POLICE
OFFICERS
Your visibility in the downtown
area is working. Perceived drug
activity seems to be decreasing. A
woman stopped in WV Gourmet
store Thursday afternoon and was
elated that there was no appearance
of drunkenness or drug activity as
she crossed Third Avenue on her way
to the Library.
I dve by nird and Temple at
:4@'p.m)on July 4 -rid nvt a
eatre was stirring" as the poem
goes.
However, after two years as
Mayor and spending everyday
downtown, I have concluded our
biggest problem in Hinton is drugs.
The problem has become worse
instead of better and must be
addressed on a day-to-day basis. An
occasional drug bust is ineffective.
The in-between period gives the
offenders ample time to re-group.
This community will not prosper
if we do not all stand up and say
enough. We must push drug activity
out of our community. We will not
be attractive to retirees or tourists
or businesses until we take a strong
stand on drugs. Our youth will not
reach their potential.
The City of Hinton is advertising
for a Chief of Police. The successful
candidate will have a plan to
decrease drug activity in the City of
Hinton. This is a priority for the
Police Department.
Call 911 if you suspect drug
activity. State, County, and City
police can be alerted to perceived
drug activity.
Workers with Ahern
Construction are
shown above
installing steel
support beams for the
new Avis Bridge.
Eight beams have
been installed on the
Avis side from the
butterfly shaped wall
to the first pylon that
crosses over the
tracks, shown in the
photo on the right.
The last of the five
pylons is presently
under construction
and will also cross
over the tracks while.
on the opposite side of
the butterfly wall dirt
and rock is being
deposited and packed
for the new road.
Work is presently
progressing rapidly
with an estimated
completion time in
November. The $5.5
million bridge project
was spearheaded by
former State Senator
Leonard Anderson.
Construction started
in March 2002.
Photos by Everett
Craw ford
Summer00 County Library
Rea&'ng Program Receive00 Check
At the recently held Annual Grants Reception of the Hinton
Area Foundation in the Catholic Church Fellowship Hall,
Mike Tabor, a member of the Board of Directors of the
Foundation, presented a check for $2,000 to Myra Ziegler,
Librarian at the Summers County Public Library. The grant
will be used to operate the summer reading program. Each
summer, the Library runs a month long summer reading
Ucontest" aimed at increasing reading skills and fostering a
love of reading in children ages 3 years old through fifth
grade.
c°-entThis and That
By Fred Long
It's a pleasure to see our City
Police officers getting out of their
vehicles, going on the streets and
talking to people, becoming a part
of the community. It's nice to see
them drive by and throw up their
hand with a friendly smile. But
more important, it's nice o see them
doing the job we taxpayers pay them
to do. The parking problems in
downtown Hinton that has existed
for years is disappearing. People
that liked parking at a meter and
staying all day aren't doing it
anymore, because the police are
giving•tickets. And all those people
that parked against the flow of
traffic and created real serious
danger-- now is becoming a thing
of the past. We want to send a much
deserved thank you to our officers:
Sergeant Greg Adkins, Patrolman
Jackie Adkins, Patrolman Thomas
Peal, Patrolman Jamie Holstein,
Patrolman Steven Gray and
Patrolman Charles Cook. Now if the
police can get people to stop parking
in front of the Fire Department, a
state and city violation, we will all
be happy.
-- ->,' ,- " ,- - ".- - "t:"
We understand the county's
Judicial Annex will be ready for
occupancy next month. I'm really
excited about having the Sheriff's
Department and the Magistrate's
Office next door to me. It's going to
be nice to just walk across the alley
to see if the Sheriffis in and not walk
to the jail to learn he is out on a call,
which is where he is most of the
time. Maybe the County
Commission will move its meetings
from the cramped quarters on the
second floor of the Court House to
this building. It sure made a
difference in citizen participation
when Mayor Cleo Mathews moved
the City Council meetings from the
cramped room at City Hall to the
large room at City Sidetrack Park.
Something to think about.
-- --->--$." -
The City seems to be moving in a
positive direction, with revenue
exceeding expenditures, but it would
be nice to see a financial report on
the Sanitary Board. It is a publicly
owned utility.
- -$: -. -- -.- -$ -$ --
The Division of Highways has
awarded a $43,994 bid to West
Virginia Paving, Inc. to pave 0.82
mile of Deeds Road.
Debbie Sizemore has been hired
as a Health Promotions Specialist at
the W.Va. School of Osteopathic
Medicine, Lewisburg. She will cover
a 7 county area that includes
Summers-- working to establish and
support local health departments in
assessing health needs and issues,