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Volume 97 No. 21
The
HINTON NEWS
(Continuing the Hlnton Dally News & The Weekend Leader)
Home of the W. Va. Water Festival
Hinton, West Virginia Tuesday Sept. 7, 1999
40 Cents,
Community Center Celebrates
rand
By Fred Long
After over two years of hard,
dedicated, work by a small group of
community minded Summers
County residents, the Hinton Area
Community Center officially opened
its doors in a grand opening
ceremony held Friday morning.
State Senator Leonard Anderson
(D-Summers), a strong supporter of
the Community Center and its goals,
cut the ribbon for the official
opening. "I'm glad," he told the
audience that had gathered around
the front of the former Elks building
on Second Ave., "that we have people
in the community with the initiative
and drive to do this."
Anderson commented that he was
glad to see a place open in the
community for young people, where
they could play games and relax in
a safe environment, and urged the
audience to applaud Gov. Cecil
Undervood for his support.
=Gov. Underwood supports the
work that is being done here to make
this community a better place to live
in, and we should not forget the help
he is giving us," Anderson said.
. Underwood sent $7,000 in two
. theHinton Area
Community ers Bard of
Directors open the facility. The
money is being used to purchase
furniture, games and equipment.
The grand opening ceremony was
from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm and
attended by a number of area
dignitaries: Delegates Ron
Thompson and Sally Susman,,27th
Delegate District (Raleigh &
Summers); Lonnie Mullins,
President of the Summers County
Commission; 31st Circuit Judge
Robert Irons; Hinton City
Councilman Larry Meador;
Circuit Clerk Mattie Jean Cooper;
Hinton Chief of Police Tim Adkins;
Tummy Lilly, District supervisor for
the Welfare-to-Work program; and,
Pete Peterson, County Democratic
Executive Committee (Bluestone
District).
The Hinton Area Community
Center was first envisioned in April
1997 by members of a Hinton Task
Force that had been organized by
Hinton businessman A1 Stone to
assist city government tighten city
laws, particularly laws that were not
recognized as state offenses, such as
child curfew and loitering laws.
Stone suggested opening a family
community center in the downtown
area that would reach out to the
young people that have no place to
go and nothing to do.
Today that center is open. It is a
drug free, alcohol free, tobacco free
environment where cursing is not
tolerated. The center actually
opened its doors on July 19, Monday
through Friday between the hours
of 5:00 and 9:00 pro. According to
AI Stone the center has had an
average daily attendance, of 31.
Most of them have been young
people. Grand opening day, which
included a "Summers' End dance
that night from 8:00 to 11:00, saw
the largest number of people using
the center-- 93.
"We are pleased with the response
we have received from the people,
and the words of encouragement,
that we are doing the right thing,
said Stone. "We believe as time goes
on more and more people will be
using the center for meeting space,
family reunions, school functions
and any number of other family
activities. If people want to come
here just to play a game of rummy,
we went them to feel comfortable
doing just that."
The meeting hall area is in the
former Radio Shack building.
Presently Weight Watchers meet in
that room and later this month
REACHH will also use the room for
its after school program. Afour week
Welfare-to-Work school to help train
People for job interviews will also
begin in that room later this month.
On Thursday night the center
ms
pentng
New River Parkway
Meeting Thursday
Preferred alternative 2A/2D for
proposed construction of the New
River Parkway from Interstate 64 to
Hinton will be the subject of an
informational public meeting by the
Division of Highways Thursday,
September 9, in the auditorium of
the Summers County Memorial
Building in Hinton.
Scheduled in a workshop format
from 4 to 7 p. m., the meeting will
allow participants to ask questions
and state their opinions on the
alternative, presented in 1998 public
meetings and hearings, to build a
two-lane scenic parkway with
integral recreational facilities along
the New River.
Highways personnel will be on
hand to present information and
receive public input on the proposal,
which includes scenic easements
and other property necessary for
recreational sites.
Copies of a preferred alternative
report can be reviewed at the offices
of the Division of Highways in
Charleston, District Nine in
Lewisburg and District Ten in
Princeton, the New River Parkway
Authority in Hinton, the mayor and
post office in Hinton, the county
clerks of Raleigh and Summers
counties and the Region One
Planning and Development Councils
in Princeton.
The document may also be
obtained by writing to Jim Sothen,
P. E., Director, Engineering Division,
Division of Highways, Capitol
Complex Building 5, 1900 Kanawha
Boulevard East, Charleston, West
Virginia 25305-0430.
Written comments should be sent
to Sothen at the same address on or
before October 11, 1999.
Athletic Field Named for
"Coach" Garten
STATE SENATOR LEONARD ANDERSON CUT THE RIBBON, Friday, for the grand opening
cerm. fthoe.a o aiy...v.at e.r,_ .Tbg¢ nt er,.oaS.e¢ond Av 9fr gsafe .... Garten Stadium, .....
environment for young people and adults where drug, alcohol, smoktig and cursing is
banned. Shown with Anderson, from left, are Tony Sferlazza, President of the Hinton Area
Community Center's Board of Directors; Lonnie Mullins, President of the Summers County
Commission; Tammy Lilly, district supervisor for the Welfare.to-Work program; Delegate
Ron Thompson; and 31st Circuit Judge Robert Irons. Below we find Community Center
founder, A1 Stone, serving refreshments amid those that turned out for the celebration.
of the Community Center's Board of what has happened inside this old
Directors. "I think they will be building, is surprised. We hope they
pleased, they may be surprised. I will want to become involved in what
think most people, when they see we are trying to do too.
Gov, Underwoqd Directs DHHR
To Assist In Drought Relief
in order to allow new water sources
to get up and running as quickly as
possible. Taylor said.
Many farmers around the state
are having to turn to drilling deeper
wells in order to reach a usable
aquifer. Typically, a permit for a new
well, costing $50, must be applied
for and approved before drilling
begins. There is also a $10
laboratory fee for testing well water.
"We've qualified for a USDA grant
which will provide significant
financial aid in drilling new wells,
creating and repairing ponds,
developing springs and building
agricultural waterlines,"
Underwood said. "We intend to move
forward with this new assistance
immediately.
Underwood referred to an
Emergency Conservation Program
(ECP) grant through the USDA that
covers some of the costs associated
with activating new water sources
during emergency situations. West
Virginia has qualified for a cost
sharing grant in which 64% of costs
are covered by the USDA, 26% by
the state and 10% by the farmer.
A surprise ceremony, Friday
night, caught former Hinton High
School coach Bill Garten off guard;
when the Summers County athletic
field was named in his honor--
uses the room for "Classic Movie
Night" where an actual 16 mm film,
obtained from the County Library,
is projected bigger than life on the
back wall.
"We still need to do some work to
complete this room, said Tony
Sferlazza, Board President of the
Community Center and the only
other member remaining from the
original Task Force group. Sferlazza
said they wanted to put carpet down,
which has been donated, and paint
the ceiling; which, for the most part,
will finish that room.
Most of the time, money and
effort, he explained, has gone into
the game room. In this room you
will find a lounge area where, on
many a night, people have talked
away the cares of the day. It has a
snack machine, a pop machine,
several beard games for people of all
ages, pin ball machines, video games
and pool tables. A jukebox and a
small dance floor is also housed in
that room.
Money to pay for the renovations
came from a number of various
activities sponsored by the Hinton
Area Community Center. These
include the West Virginia Birthday
Celebration, held in June, and the
Chili/Cornbread Cook Off that is
held in October. Memberships,
donations and dances have also been
a source for funding.
"We ivite people to stop in some
night and see just what we are
doing," said Stone, who is Secretary
"I feel very humble tonight,"
Garten said wiping tears form his
eyes while cheerleaders unveiled the
"Garten Stadium sign on the press
box. He thanked all his friends and
former players, giving them credit
for his success. "All I can say is I
must have done something right in
my lifetime because the good Lord
gave me this."
Garten coached football at Hinton
High School for 24 years, 22 years
head coach. His record is 140 wins,
lossm and,to ties, His 19o
team fi nd in the state
Class AA championship and in 1968
his Bobcats captured the state
championship. He retired in 1985.
The ceremony was the beginning
of a weekend honoring Garten for his
leadership and to raise money for
the W. L "Bill" Garten Scholarship.
Middle School Principal
Hired to Fill Vacancy
Dr. Sara Brown, principal at
Summers Middle School since it
opened in 1994, was hired by a
unanimous vote of the School Board
to fill the position created by the
resignation of James Irwin last
month.
Brown was the only applicant for
the position, curriculum/attendance
director, according to School
Superintendent "Richie" Redes.
While principal of Summers
Middle School, Brown developed a
program that resulted in the school
being selected as a model middle
school by the Southern Regional
Education Board. In 1997 she was
selected as one of 150 education in
35 states to receive the respectable
Milken Family Foundation National
Educator award.
Steve Jones, assistant middle
school principal, is serving in
Brown's absence until her vacancy
can be advertised and filled.
Irwin resigned to accept a
position as principal of the Davis-
Stuart school near Lewisburg.
Seeond New lglver
Drowning
had been fishing in the river near
the Interstate 64 bridge and was
wading across the river when he
stepped off a ledge and went under.
His body was recovered at 6:40
pro, an hour alter volunteer rescue
workers received notice of the alarm.
Park rangers urge fishermen to
wear life jackets. "That's one of our
campaigns now, said Lewis. When
in the river you should wear a life
jacket. It will increase your chances
of making it back home.
A Mingo County man, while
fishing in the New River at
Sandstone, drowned Friday,
becoming the second victim of the
New River within three weeks.
Timothy Brewer, 34, of Kermit,
drowned while fishing at Sandstone,
according to Lloyd Lewis, a National
Park Service ranger. He was not
wearing a life jacket.
A Kanawha County man, while
fishing, drowned near Sandstone
Falls on Aug. 14.
According to authorities, Brewer
In order to expeditc relief efforts
aimed at drought-strickcn farmers.
Gov Cecil H. Underwood today
directed the Department of Health
and Human Resources to waive
certain permitting fees and
procedures related to water well
drilling and testing.
"The ongoing drought has become
an emergency situation for many in
the agricultural industry in West
Virginia." Underwood said. "We're
continuing our efforts to address the
situation as swift as possible. The
people are more important than the
process. We can't allow red-tape to
hamper our efforts to get water to
those areas that need it."
The Commissioner of the DHHR's
Bureau for Public Health, Dr. Henry
Taylor, said that an emergency
provision within the bureau's Office
of Environmental Health Service
allows for wells to be drilled and
permitted later.
"We're directing the local health
departments around the state to
temporarily waive the permitting
fees for new wells and also waive the
laboratory fees for testing the water
Bobcat Player of the Week
Justin Tabor, running back for the Summers County Bobcats has
been selected, Player of the Week, sponsored by the Greenville
Bank Summers Brancl Justin sored three touchdowns in a win
over Oceans. Justin had three receptions for 84 yards and a
touchdown, a kickoff return of 86 yards for a touchdown, and an
interception of 92 yards for a touchdown.