Published: January 25, 2008 09:14 pm      

Projects get $3.6 million

Byrd announces funds for Mercer County:

PRINCETON — U.S. Sen. Robert C. Byrd, D-W.Va., announced Friday a $3.6 million federal investment in two Mercer County projects.

In legislation recently signed into law, Byrd said he included $2.63 million for the Wood Education Resource Center in Princeton and $980,000 to repair and renovate the Princeton Memorial Building into an All-Wars Museum.

Byrd said the $980,000 investment will be used to finance needed renovations at the Princeton Memorial Building, including electrical wiring updates; exterior and interior wall repairs; foundation and roof repairs; window replacements; and other work required to bring the building into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

“Throughout history, West Virginians have paid a heavy price protecting the freedoms we all enjoy,” Byrd said. “The exhibits in the All-Wars Museum demonstrate, better than any words could, the price that West Virginia veterans have paid for our freedom,” Byrd said in a press release. “Visitors to the museum, including many young, learn about some of the most pivotal and challenging events in America’s history, and the brave men and woman who sacrificed so much for their country. I look forward to seeing the Memorial Building restored to its former glory.”

Bill Blankenship, secretary and treasurer of the Princeton Memorial Building, said members of the museum commission, including Tony Whitlow, have been working for several years to secure the federal funds.

“That is a great old building, and it needs to be maintained and to have maintenance done on it,” Blankenship said. “Veterans nowadays are more popular now since World War II. We want them to have a place they can come to that looks good and has the modern conveniences they are entitled to. For us, this is really good news for the veterans and the people like us who are over in the Memorial Building a lot.”

“The Memorial Building is a magnificent structure,” Whitlow said. “But unfortunately through the years, it has deteriorated to some point, and they have not been able to fund it properly to keep it updated. This is great news for me as well as the whole county. We look forward to stretching those funds as quickly as we can.”

The Princeton Memorial Building was built in 1928 as a tribute to World War I veterans, but has since expanded to honor veterans of all wars, Byrd said. The All-Wars Museum opened in the building in 1999, and currently holds more than a thousand relics that veterans and their family members have donated.

Byrd said the Wood Education Resource Center in Princeton is a USDA Forest Service facility with offices, training facilities and a rough mill. Byrd said the center’s mission is to facilitate interaction and information exchange with the forest products industry to enhance opportunities for sustained forest products production in the eastern hardwood forest region of the United States.

“The work of the Wood Education Resource Center helps to strengthen West Virginia’s hardwood industry,” Byrd said. “This investment will help to train workers who will keep this vital West Virginia industry competitive and strong for years to come.”

— Contact Charles Owens at cowens@bdtonline.com