Published: October 02, 2009 05:27 pm      

Tazewell boards plan joint meeting

Tazewell County School Board member David Woodard mentioned that the board is currently working on a proposal to replace the windows at the Abbs Valley school. The Tazewell County School Board and the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors have a joint meeting scheduled for Oct. 19. Among the topics that will be discussed is the upcoming school budget. Organizers of the joint meeting hope to streamline and improve the budget process. The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. in the student center of the Tazewell County Career and Technical Center. The meeting date was chosen as an alternative to Columbus Day, a legal holiday. The school board will also be working on plans to spend approximately $1.4 million in stimulus money in the school system.



There have been several changes in the West Virginia Division of Highways recently. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Paul D. Turman left to return to the private sector and his own real estate development business. “I’m eager to spend more time with my family and to return to my business, however it has been an honor and a pleasure to work for the governor and people of West Virginia,” Turman said.

In the District 10 Office, Jennifer Belcher, P.E., has been appointed as the District Construction Engineer. Belcher is a graduate of Bluefield State College and worked for Anderson and Associates in Blacksburg, Va., before beginning her career with the WVDOH.

Several key people have recently retired from the DOH in District 10. Among those retiring were Kathy Harris, director of personnel; Earl Crigger, McDowell County Supervisor; and Eric Mutter, technician, Construction Division. According to sources, the Division of Highways has awarded and completed approximately $82 million in contract paving and roadway renovation work this year in District 10. Among the projects recently paved include portions of U.S. Route 52 in Mercer and McDowell Counties, Stony Ridge north of Bluefield State College and Coaldale Mountain.



Nicholas Preservati, son of Richard and Karen Preservati of Princeton, was a featured speaker at a seminar in Charleston for landmen, attorneys engineers and land surveyors. The seminar, entitled “Coal Industry Land Law,” covered surface rights, mineral ownership, easement rights, divided ownership and issues in mountaintop mining. Preservati, a member of Preservati Law offices LLC, specializes in natural resources law. He is a graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Preservati and Joseph Jenkins, an associate with Preservati Law Offices, presented the portion of the program that concerned coal bed methane rights and issues.

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From all indications, the APCO rate increase approved by the West Virginia Public Service Commission was a done deal. Most of us would have felt better about the increase if we had not been aware of the fabulous salaries some high ranking APCO officials have. While nearly every family in our area will have to tighten their belts some of these people will be loosening theirs. If we had seen any obvious efforts by APCO to improve service, cut unnecessary spending, and reduce costs, the increase may have been more palatable.

The West Virginia Public Service Commission is a three member commission appointed by the governor. The members are Michael A. Albert of Charleston an attorney; Jon W. McKinney also of Charleston, a chemical engineer who also holds a masters degree in business administration; and Edward H. Staats, a certified public accountant. Cheryl Ranson is the director of the public utilities section. It is sad that a three-member board is entrusted to make decisions that reach deeply into the pockets of all West Virginians. Somehow it seems that more people ought to have the vote. This is entirely too much power to be entrusted to too few.



There you have it, a few comments on items of interest to the area. I hope you are staying warm and that you have a blue sky above you all day long.

Wilson Butt, a resident of Bluefield, is a retired Department of Highways official.