Vol. VI No. 1
March 13, 1990
From the Greenbrier
Valley of West Virginia
nla
teachers at Greenbrier East High School
/i!¸~~i13/!i/:
Locally...
ght
~ue sight of teachers
public schools be-
;ingly commonplace
early this week as a
of educators pro-
' State Legislature's cur-
ion.
linia Education Associa-
affiliates in Monroe and
COunties voted last week
"extended work
in the closing of
and the ernst-
of those schools
open.
for better sala-
funding, insurance,
verything im-
as teachers, including
said Beverly Ar-
secretary for the
Education Asso-
Mrs Arbuckle is a
librarian at Greenbrier East High
School.
All seven Monroe County schools
remained open March 7, but educa-
tion association members voted late
that day to join the strike. Gap Mills
Elementary/Junior High was the only
school open March 8; all Monroe
County schools were closed March
9.
Pocahontas County was one of
onty a handful of counties whose
teachers voted not to strike. Sixty-
four voted against an "extended
work stoppage," and 23 voted in fa-
vor of it. All Pocahontas schools re-
mained opened and experienced no
unusual absenteeism last week, ac-
cording to Superintendent Dan
Curry.
GCEA members voted March 6
to begin their strike the morning of
March 7. Six of Greenbrier County's
See "Strike" pg. 3-A
Empty playground at Ronceverte Elementary School
Editorial
West Virginia educators took an historic step when they went out on
strike last week. Ostensibly the unprecedented strike came about when
teachers were unable to obtain a guaranteed across-the-board wage hike
from the powers that be in Charleston.
Who knows what exactly transpired between the West Virginia Educa-
tion Association and the politicos? Who knows who was the first to be-
come intractable? What is known is that the strike action has brought
about the most serious crisis to face our beloved state since its very
inception.
Families are pitted against one another as they have not been since
the Civil War. Friends are experiencing enmity unlike anything they have
ever experienced before.
And out of it all comes a wondrous commonality --- a deep concern for
our educational heritage and an awareness of the vital importance which
must be placed upon education if we are to survive as a free and demo-
cratic state.
Should our teachers be paid more? Very simply -- they should be paid
as much as we can afford to pay them, no more and no less.
Because of the teacher's strike West Virginia has been turned into a
classroom without walls. We are all students once again. Let us hope we
learn our lesson well and that we use this experience to grow in knowl-
edge, in understanding, and in compassion.
--Charles A. Goddard
know that an in-
circus has its
in Rupert. Hallnson
and clowns, tra-
lion trainers, side-
and snake charmers
in Rupert -- and
stay in Swisher
I cigar boxes!
is a unique 3/4
scale model circus
Hall who was c nce
The Clown.
and jolly bearded
than 52 hand-
an figures, dozens
circus wagons,
hand-sewn tents to
~circus. He has taken
to the Green-
in Fairlea ,where it
h18.
1ally-Toured
Side Show! Twenty-
Featuring Zorena
You will be Edu-
Amazed. You wil
, the tiny scale ban-
circus model is
nearly an acre of
~s presenting only
in Fairlea this
back to the Malt
bigger and better
said.
6-A
........ 6-A
7' ..... . .............. 2-A
7-B
"" ...... • ......... :..2-A
.4-B
,.2-B
7-A
..... 4-A
"~ ............ 2-B
i"'"'", ............. 1 -B
Top Comes
Jocko, his daughter, wife, and son -- under the minature canvas.
Circuses have been an ~mportant
part of Mr Hall's life since he was
five or six year old and saw the
Hagenbeck and Wallace Circus in
Parkersburg about 1933. "My father
was working at American Viscose
Corporation then. He bought re-
served seat tickets which must have
cost him a great deal. He and I went
down to watch the circus unload at 5
a.m. When the show opened that
night I saw them drive a Chevy over
top of a man, I saw Clyde Beatty --
the famous lion trainer (you don't
'tame' them, you 1rain' them). I still
have a program from that perform-
ance."
Show biz is old hat for David Hall.
He began his career when he was in
the second grade at Dunbar. "1
stood up on the stage and recited a
poem 'Needles and pins. Needles
and pins. When a man mames his
trouble begin.' I brought down the
house!" Later in life, Mr Hall was an
announcer at Beckley Radio Station
WJLS, WMON in Montgomery, and
WKNA in Charleston. He worked in
the display department at the old
Diamond Department Store...and
then he joined the circus.
It was Hoxie-Tucker Circus out of
Hugo, Oklahoma that Mr Hall joined
and where Jocko the Clown was
born "1 must have a little Gypsy in
my blood. Every once inawhile I get
the urge to hit the road --- to be un-
dei" the canvas." Jocko's tattered
suit, his huge feet, his battered hat
all may be in an old trunk some
place in Mr Hall's home, 'Tin not
sure where his things are now. I re-
tired Jocko about 1959."
During Jocko's time, David Hall
met and married his wife Barbara.
They are the parents of two children
-- David Junior and Melissa. Mrs
Hall, a native of Rupert, and the two
children also became clown charac-
ters and often "hit the road" with
Jocko.
Today, in a circus-filled two-
storeyed house on Rupert's main
street, David Hall works hours on on
his tiny figures. He also finds time to
write a regular column for a national
publication directed to builders of
circus scale models.
David Hall recently retired from
his position as a history teacher at
Greenbrier West High School. "1
now devote all my time to my circus
work. I use jeweler's drills to create
many of the figures," he says as he
carefully opens a cigar box and
takes a perfectly-modeled figure of
an acrobat out of its wrappings. "If
you were to go back in time, say to
the 1920s or 1930s, on a circus lot,
what would you expect to see? This
is it, well at least part of it," Mr Hall
says as he carefully, proudly and
lovingly holds the tiny acrobat in his
hand for all to admire.
\
Picketing teachers at Rainelle Elementary/Junior High School
Redctions...
Amy Ingram
Gresnbrler College Trainee
The teacher's strike caused com-
plications and some interruption of
classes at area schools Wednesday,
March 7. A few schools had to close
completely or dismiss students early
because of picketers or teacher ab-
sences. The Mountain Messenger
interviewed some area students by
telephone to find out their views on
the situation.
Judy VanMetre, a senior at
Greenbrier East High School, said,
"They (teachers) do deserve a
raise." She also felt teachers should
be allowed to strike. When asked~;'
why she thought the teachers were
on strike "she replied, "They are on
strike to try to get a five per cent
raise without getting an insurance
cut." Judy also expressed concern
about effects the strike might have
on her pending graduation.
The Mountain Messenger also
interviewed two sophomores at
Greenbrier East, Michael McMitlion
and Karen VanMetre. Karen stated,
"1 think they should strike. I think
they have a right to strike." She said
the "teaChers were striking, "To get
more money." Michael said, "if it will
cause progress it's fine. If it seems
hopeless they should give it up.
They want to receive more money
because their last raise was five per
cent and with inflation at six per cent
it was nearly nothing." He added
teachers should be allowed to strike,
but the situation should make a dif-
ference.
Dale McClung who is a junior at
Greenbrier West High School also
supported the striking teachers. '1
feel it's necessary. They ought to
stick with it to get what they want."
Dale, however, expressed concern
See "Reactions" pg. 3-A
Painted rock on River Road, Ronceverte
Saint Patrick's Day takes on a bit of added significance in extreme
southern Greenbrter County. The Irish Corner Tax District, between
Ronceverte and Organ Cave south of the Greenbrler River, was
named for the large number of of Scotch-Irish settlers who came to
the area after the Revolutionary War, according to local historians.
Since April 19, 1988, a now-familiar landmark has reminded River
Road travelers where they are. A large shamrock and the name "Irish
Corner" was painted on a rock outcrop on a mountainside near the
Jiffy Foam Company plant by the late Gerard "Chick" Regimbal.
Mr Regtmbal was a diamond-bit gold driller who was born in Burling-
ton, Ontario, Canada. He married Roxanne Dunbar of Second Creek
in 1982. After the couple married he continued to travel around the
world gold prospecting. He had just returned to Ronceverte from a
job in Geralton, Ontario, when he decided to paint the inscription on
the rock near their home.
"He was French-Irish and was very proud of his heritage," Mrs Reg-
imbai said. "When he found out he was living in the Irish Corner Dis-
trict, he was so thrilled--he said, Tm home at last! i think I'll just put
my stamp of approval on It'"
Mr Regimbal died in a drowning accident on the Greenbrler River
April 20, the day after he painted the rock. He was 50.
ADDITIONAL TEACHERS' STRIKE NEWS
~- Greenbrier County teachers who participated in the Strike held two
weekend meetings at Lewisburg's Carnegie Hall. On March 10 the group
voted in favor of a West Virginia Education Association (WVEA) proposal
to go back to work if the governor would call a special session of the Leg-
islature and agree there would be no lost pay or reprisals against striking
teachers. Talks between the WVEA and the governor broke down Satur-
day night, and Sunday the Greenbrier County Education Association
voted to resume the strike Monday.
T
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