Dear Editor:
Beginning with the end of March black bears with their cubs will be leaving their dens and wandering around. Often the sow will leave the den before one or more of her cubs can keep up with her. These cubs may be abandoned. Especially in large litters the size difference between the cubs can be huge. Also cubs may just be weak.
In addition dogs, coyotes and other bears may separate the cubs from their mothers such that they are unable to find each other or the mother may even be killed. And then, of course, the highway will kill bears trying to cross the road and leave cubs as orphans.
So, my request is, if anyone finds such a cub please pick it up and give me a call. By doing so, you will be my “agent” and not subject to any penalties from the State.
Thanks for caring.
Joel Rosenthal
Hillsboro
304-653-4766
Dear Editor:
This is a copy of a letter sent:
Are there plans for 1+ Gbps internet? Or are there no plans, which will keep Pocahontas County, West Virginia, far behind other areas?
Your response is kindly requested.
Diane Schou
Green Bank
Copies to: Frontier CEO Maggie Wilderotter. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, Senator Rockefeller, Senator Manchin, U.S. Representative Rahall, West Virginia State of-Public Service Commission, West Virginia Broadband Deployment Council, Pocahontas County Commission, Pocahontas Chamber of Commerce, WV Congress Representatives: Helmick, Campbell, Barnes, Tucker, The Pocahontas Times and The National Radio Astronomy Observatory
Frontier’s response
Dear Ms. Schou:
We at Frontier are aware of the concerns citizens in your area have over the Internet speeds they are experiencing, and we are working to improve broadband service there. In fact, The Pocahontas Times published an article this week about local upgrades.
Pocahontas County was one of the first areas in which Frontier provided Internet services. That was more than 15 years ago. When Frontier acquired Verizon’s facilities in West Virginia, part of the transaction required Frontier to provide at least 85 percent of its customers access to broadband by 2014. Because of that obligation, Frontier has focused its energy on expanding service in areas that had no Internet service at all. At the same time, the company was to construct fiber to connect community facilities identified by the state as part of the Broadband Technology Opportunity Program.
When the company has the resources to do so, we go back and upgrade areas that have first-generation technology like that found in Pocahontas County. As the newspaper article mentions, Frontier has enhanced broadband service to the Snowshoe area of Pocahontas County, providing both residential and business customers there with enhanced speeds.
Using Round Two of the Connect America Funds distributed by the Federal Communications Commission, Frontier has been approved for 13 projects that will benefit customers in Pocahontas County in the areas of Denmar, Droop, Droop Mountain, Caesar Mountain, Browns Creek, Laurel Run, Dunmore, Green Bank, Arbovale, Brush Run, Bartow, Durbin, Frank, Cass and Sunset Mountain. All of these projects have been approved to proceed, and we will work on these upgrades throughout 2014. Unfortunately, these projects do not cover the entire county, but they are a tangible step toward improving services in the county.
In addition, I think it is important for you to know that all six schools and the county school board already have fiber-optic connections and high-speed Ethernet services. All of these connections are capable of providing as much as 1 Gigabit of bandwidth. Each school determines how much speed it needs, and the school board decides the budget allocation for each school.
I want to assure you that Frontier is aware of the issues you raise, and we are working diligently toward improving speeds in Pocahontas County.
Thank you for contacting me.
Sincerely,
Dana Waldo
Frontier Senior Vice President and General Manager for West Virginia
Charleston