Editor;
Last month, while the weather was yet warm, I drove the Scenic Highway and saw a skateboarder. An idea for the Convention and Visitors Bureau – organize an Outlaw Skateboarders Festival on some of our mile-long hills.
Now to business.
Marlinton is not pedestrian-friendly. As Cara Rose so ably pointed out in The Pocahontas Times interview, tourism is vital in our local economy. Here in town, places visitors want to go, or places business owners want them to go, are spread along the main drag or up and down side streets.
I mailed suggestions to our Mayor about possible improvements. Surprise, surprise, he mischaracterized my note in his weekly column.
The suggestions… No right turn on red at the Second and Third Avenue traffic lights. And luridly and glaringly mark the crosswalks at all intersections.
A few too many drivers crowd the intersection waiting for the light to change, and too many try to turn right on red even when the sightline is obscured. No tourist will take home a warm and friendly memory of leaping back to avoid being some yahoo’s hood ornament.
My lifelong drawback is a short temper and a big mouth, so I don’t deal well with officialdom.
I’m hoping other folks will get behind this problem. I’m looking forward to the campaign for the upcoming town election.
Wolf Knight
Marlinton
Dear Editor,
I read with amusement your article “Federal Mine Safety Laboratory coming to Pocahontas County.” (March 20, 2023 edition). From the article one would assume that this experimental mine is something new. In fact, when it was first announced a couple of years ago the entire community was against it.
I don’t need to tell the people who live here and the thousands of people who own property at Snowshoe resort and the surrounding area what great recreation areas this part of Pocahontas and Randolph counties are.
Why the Federal Government and Joe Manchin want to risk endangering this pristine area, makes no sense. I understand why Joe Manchin would do it i.e., is there some Federal money coming to the state which might garner a few extra votes, after all he sold the people of the state down the river with the so called “Inflation Reduction Act.” How’s your grocery bill? Have you been out to eat lately? How’s your gasoline bill? I digress!
The entire community was against this project from the beginning. The people spoke out against it at all public hearings. Snowshoe Resort’s COO, Patti Duncan wrote a letter in opposition to the project. The Pocahontas County Prosecuting Attorney wrote a letter stating the Pocahontas County Commission was against it. The noise and pollution created by the explosions and chemicals used run the risk of polluting the wells and springs used by local residents. Oh, I know they threw a bone to some locals by extending some water supply lines in the area. However, this only helps a few when the water supply becomes polluted. Question? If there is not a risk of polluting local water supplies, why did they need to extend the current system?
By the way this project is also at the headwaters of the Elk and Tygart Rivers. Hello Elkins and every other community who gets their water supply from the Elk or Tygart Rivers. As I recall from high school science, water flows downhill. This project may not pollute these two rivers, and I hope it doesn’t, but if it does – catastrophe! Oh, but we have 12 permanent federal jobs. -Whoopee!
The sad part about this entire project is that it could have been stopped by a few people. The real estate company could have chosen not to market the property to the federal government for this project. Also, the owners could have refused to sell or lease the property to the federal government. Instead, they chose to endanger the local community with noise and chemical pollution – for a few bucks. Not surprising since I’m sure you know what happened twenty-three hundred years ago for 30 pieces of silver. Lastly, I will say the Federal government owes to its citizens an obligation to make responsible decisions—this location for this project is a bad decision. The statement that this is the only suitable location in the entire United States is beyond belief. If the Federal government thinks we are that gullible why not say the entire world. How many abandoned mines exist in West Virginia?
I hope this project comes off without incident and we locals become happy with the noise pollution, chemical pollution, dust pollution, loss in property values, loss of income with less development, loss of tourists, water pollution, killing wildlife, killing trees and other vegetation. What a deal! Also, I hope the Judases who sold out their community enjoy their 30 pieces of silver.
Thanks Joe!
Fred Adkins
Mingo, WV
Randolph County
