I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. Now, we look forward to a Happy New Year. It is hard to believe it has been four years since I first decided to run for Mayor of Marlinton. All citizens of the town should be aware that 2019 is an election year for Mayor, Recorder and Council seats. If you have ever considered serving your community for a term, this could be your year. The filing period for all interested candidates is January 14 through February 4. If filing by mail, applications must be postmarked no later than midnight January 26. On another note, Marlinton has its share of water problems. But, for your information, it could be much worse. According to a December 9 article in the Charleston Gazette-Mail, several McDowell County communities have on-going water issues, with no plans for correction. Keystone has been on a boil-water advisory since January 2012, and worse yet, O’Toole, a small community south of Gary, has been under a continuous boil-water advisory since May of 2002 – more than 16 years. At least nine other water systems in West Virginia have been under boil-water advisories for more than five years. Also, think of the stress that water plant operators work under, with little or no recognition. They are the ones tasked with keeping the water clean and flowing, regardless of the age and type of systems.
