Dear Editor:
Before 2014, the Pocahontas County 911 Center was contacted by persons unknown and the upper part of Thornwood Road was changed to Waybright Road.
The road was originally named in 1937, when the road was built, by the West Virginia Department of Highways. Soon after the Waybright Road signs were put up, I started a petition of the Thornwood residents to get the road changed back to the original name of Thornwood Road. This petition was signed by 95 percent of the people that live in the town of Thornwood and along the road. I then sent the petition and a letter of request to Mr. Rossi of the Elkins office of the WV Department of Highways.
Mr. Rossi never responded to that request or any others after that. While doing research in the Pocahontas County Courthouse, I was talking with some of the county clerks and they told me how I could get this taken care of. I then spoke with some of the employees of the Pocahontas County 911 Center. Mr. O’Brien called me back and let me know what his records were, and we worked it out with the Department of Highways people to be able to have proof for the Pocahontas County Commission meeting. I prepared a presentation for the meeting and the presentation was approved to go forward with the change.
On July 25, 2018, the Pocahontas County Commission had their lawyer, Robert P. Martin, prepare and send a letter to James Rossi, District Engineer at the WV Department of Highways in Elkins, with copies to Mr. O’Brien and me.
On Monday, January 14, 2019, I inquired with Mr. John Monk in the Elkins Sign Department and Ms. Patty Crane in the Marlinton Office, if our signs had come in to be installed or if anything was happening. I was informed by Mr. Monk that the town sign had been installed back on September 12, 2018 and that he had never received anything to get the others ordered. I took pictures of the location where the town sign was supposed to be and emailed them to Mr. Monk and Ms. Crane to let them know the sign was not there.
Mr. Monk had it investigated and found that the sign was found in the vicinity and the pole was missing. The sign was reinstalled January 17, 2019. I took a picture of it as proof of this.
Mr. Monk also let me know the road signs had been ordered and as soon as they are received from the Charleston sign department they will be installed.
JoAnn Gilardi
Bartow
Dear Editor:
Sharing an open letter to all residents of Marlinton:
It is time for those raising families in Marlinton to seriously consider running for Town Council. This Town needs younger faces, those with a vested interest (their children) to work for and strive to do what’s best for Marlinton – to move Marlinton forward. Forward in positive ways. Ways that citizens can afford, ways that clean up this community. Ways that increase the value of our town. We all need to think about the next generation and what we are doing to help them. The old way of doing things needs to be improved. We really have a great town, it just got lost. It’s time to find it again. Run for Town Council, come to meetings, vote, take an interest in what is happening because the decisions being made today will affect you for the next 10 years and beyond!
Be a part of something.
Registration is open now till February 4. Applications are available at the Town Hall window.
Jamie Strauss
Marlinton