From Alderson
To Swaziland
rn Lehrke (pronounced
does not fit the mold of
missionary. In fact,
go far beyond the spe-
she was hired for.
Lehrke has been in Alder-
May at the home of her
Harold and Crystal Lehrke,
of her nine-month furlough
y work. She serves
of the Nazarene as a
Instructor in Swaziland, a
bordering South Af-
my assignment is to teach
students at our training col-
there are many other
I've had the privilege of
she says. "It's been a fun
me to be able to put other
and hobbies to work."
amateur photographer, Miss
uses a colorful display of
she has taken as part of her
in churches she
in during her furlough. Her
also comes in handy in
slide presentations for her
and identification badges for
working in the adjacent
Fitkin Memorial Hospital in
have the opportunity to
woodworking skills," she
~"1 make incubators, splints,
made shelves and cabi-
remodeling our emergency
then I have started an
our church there, in ad-
helping with Bible studies
ministries."
talents take on a special
for the 47-year-old mis-
"All that we make available
to the Lord He will use," she says.
"No skills go to waste when given to
Him. It's both challenqinq and fun
working ~n this capacity--not dull at
all."
Miss Lehrke grew up in
Jamestown, North Dakota. After her
nurse's training in Illinois, she
worked as a registered nurse in Illi-
nois, Nebraska, and Louisiana. In
1985 she was assigned to teach
one year in the denomination's
Nazarene Nursing College in
Manzini, Swaziland, as part of a vol-
unteer program. She was then given
a formal four-year paid assignment
by the church's World Missions Divi-
sion.
The nursing college, which now
has 107 students, is an affiliate of
the University of Swaziland and an
extension of the church's 300-bed
hospital. Officials plan to phase out
missionary help at the school within
the next two to three years, Miss
Lehrke says, in order to have a to-
tally indigenous staff of Swazis.
Living and working in a foreign
country has required some adjust-
ments for Miss Lehrke. "One of the
way's I've had to adapt has to do
Irst Place Winner
Winner, Civic Division at Union's Farmers' Day Celebration
Greenbrler Saltpeter Cave. Stephen Broyles is the driver.
y Per Cent Vacancy
On November Ballot
f twenty per c6nt of the 248
on the federal and state-
of the general election
vacant after the May 8
Secretary of State
announced today. "Ex-
)s can make 48
by September 4 for the
Mr Hechler said.
of the openings are in
Party. The remain-
Party vacan-
nominees Bob
U. S. House of
..... 8A
............ 7A
...... 3A
..... 7B
................ 3A
..SA
........... 6A
&Ccent ................... 4B
Late Night Radio .. 5B
..... 9A
..... 4A
........... 2B
...... 1B
Representatives and Mario Palumbo
for Attorney General are currently
unopposed. Seven Republican va-
cancies exist in as many senatorial
districts around the state, as well as
35 vacancies for House of Dele-
gates in 22 of the 40 delegate dis-
tricts.
"A full ballot generates voter par-
ticipation and helps citizens focus
on the issues," Mr Hechler said. "1
hope for the day when every Demo-
cratic and Republican nomination is
made in the primary election from
among candidates who filed for the
office. If we want to solve our prob-
lems as a state, more people need
to take the risk and the opportunity
to enter public service."
Candidates to fill these vacancies
must be appointed by the appropri-
ate party executive committee. They
will be certified for the ballot if a cer-
tificate of appointment, a
candidate's certificate of announce-
ment and the proper filing fee are
filed by September 4. When a com-
mittee fails to agree on a nominee,
the chair may appoint by September
7. Candidates on the ballot in only.
one county file with the local circuit
clerk, while candidates in multi-
county and statewide races file with
the secretary of state.
See "Vacancy", Pg. 2-#,
with familiar tastes of products not
available in that part of the world,"
she says. "They are really silly
things, though, like Hershey's
chocolate bars---certainly unessen-
tial to living---but because you can't
get them over there it's a bit frustrat-
ing at times. There are a lot of little
things like that."
The Alderson Church of the
Nazarene, which Miss Lehrke's par-
ents attend, has helped with the ad-
justments. "One of the nicest things
that has happened to help me is the
support I've had from the missionary
society at the Alderson church," she
says. "About every three months
they send a box to me, usually con-
taining favorite foodstuffs--cakes,
Jell-o, and other items. These are
things we can usually get there, but
they're not the same as our own
brands. They've also sent sham-
poDS and soaps I like. These are not
necessities, of course, but simple
expressions of concern."
Miss Lehrke also mentions the
Swazi church services. "1 don't think
Swazis would be too comfortable in
our American services," she says.
"Most expect to spend at least four
hours at church. This is partly be-
cause rural people travel so.Lar to
go to church--many of them by
foot--anywhere from one to ten kilo-
meters. It's not only a time to wor-
ship, but also a social time. So why
would they walk up to ten kilometers
for only a one-hour service?"
The Church of the Nazarene has
101 churches and .69 missionaries
in Swaziland. Miss Lehrke returned
to the country May 31 for another
four years.
uick Wants
Itemized Bill
"1 don't mind loosing the election.
I don't mind paying the bill. I just
want to know the results are accu-
rate and I want to know what I'm
paying for."
Mike Quick, unsuccessful candi-
date for the Greenbrier County
Board of Education looks at bill for
$274.83 from Eugene Spence,
Greenbrier County Clerk rendered
May 23. The bill is for the costs of a
recount Mr Quick asked for when he
lost the election by only 24 votes. '1
want to know what this $208.58 for
labor is actually for.
Simple arithmetic tells me this
represents $10 an hour for each of
six people --- the three commission-
ers and three county employees --
more than $21,000 a year for each
one of them! I know the commis-
sioners make $14,000 a year!
Where's the rest going?" Mr Quick
asked. "
"All I want is an itemized state-
ment. I've had to go to my attorney
to get him to write the county a letter
in order to see if I'll get one or not,"
Mr Quick said. "1 don't mind paying
the bill at all, I just want to know
where my money is going."
Alexander Zaitsev (left), Alexander Tihonov, Igor Nozeov,
and Oleg Gaitchovk
'Stranded' In Pocahontas
By Jonathan Wright
One hundred thirty-two stranded
circus performers from the Soviet
Union are staying at Silver Creek
Mountain Resort in Pocahontas
County this week after an invitation
was extended by the resort's offi-
cials.
"The Troupe Bondarev" arrived in
the United States in April for a two-
year peace and goodwill tour
throughout the country. The group
drew national media attention when
they lost financial backing from the
son of a Kuwaiti oil producer in early
May. As a result, they were stranded
at a large motel in Marietta, Georgia,
near Atlanta. Few of them speak
English.
Silver Creek Group Sales Man-
ager Jo Debra Galford invited the
performers to the Pocahontas
County resort, and 35 arrived by bus
June 1. The remaining 97 members
arrived June 7.
"We were amazed nobody else
responded to help these PeOple,,
Silver Creek Marketing Director
Steve Drumheller said. "We checked
out the facts to be sure they were
really in need, as the media re-
ported, and we were more than glad
to honor them with accommodations
here,"
"It was just the right thing to do,"
Silver Creek General Manager Btaii
Taylor said. "These folks were in our
country promoting good will and
sharing their talent, and they got into
a bad situation. We're happy to help
them. From what we're told, it's
been very therapeutic for them just
to be here. In Atlanta it was hot, with
a lot of traffic and small motel rooms
at the place they were staying. Here
at Silver Creek we have much more
room, lots of recreation--they are
really enjoying it."
Jon Stallion, from Long Beach,
California, is traveling with the per-
formers and serving as their pro-
moter in the United States. "These
are the 'cr~me de la cr~me' of all
circus groups," he said. "Everyone
you see here became a part of the
group by invitation. You can't just
audition to get into it---you have to
be invited. It's the dream of many a
Russian to be a member of the
troupe. It's one of the largest such
groups in the world today." Mr Stal-
lion said the Moscow-based group
draws members from throughout the
Soviet Union.
Ben Silva, a native of
Toullerouse, France, is touring with
the performers as their artistic direc-
tor. According to Mr Silva, the group
travels with 18 semi-trucks of circus
animals, 13 trucks of sound, lighting,
and other equipment, and is also
accompanied by a 16-piece orches-
tra.
The group has seen an outpour-
ing of support and concern from per-
sons throughout Pocahontas County
and the state. Among activities
members of the group have taken
part in are fishing with members of
the Board of Education, touring
Cass Scenic Railroad State Park
and the National Radio Astronomy
Observatory, giving performances
for all Pocahontas County schools,
attending a meeting of the Rotary
Club in Marlinton, visiting Russian
language students at Pocahontas
County High School, mountain bik-
ing, and attending church services
at Cummings Creek Victory Chapel
near Huntersville,
Mr Taylor said food has been
donated from such places as the
Red Fox Inn at Snowshoe, the Sal-
vation Army, and the Wheeling Civic
Center, where the group trained be-
fore beginning their tour. Financial
donations have come in from a num-
ber of businesses and individuals,
also.
Mr Silva said he was impressed
with West Virginia's people. "Your li-
cense plates ought to read, 'The
friendliest place in the U. S.' West
Virginia reached out its hand to help
us when the bottom fell out. Last
week we saw a troupe in ultimate
despair. There was extreme ten-
sion--members of the group were
wondering where their next meal
was coming from, where they were
going to stay, and what was going to
happen to them as a group. Despite
all this, they were determined to stay
in the United States and go on with
their tour if at all possible. They had
come here for peace and goodwill,
and they are willing to fight to see it
through. We are overwhelmed by all
See "Russians", Pg. 2-A
Local 'Quiz Kids', of 19?
Who Are They? Where Are They Now?
Bennle Gee, at the Greenbrler County Board of Education, found this old photograph and wonders "Whose
class Is it?" One of the boys has on a "Quiz Kids" (a popular radio show in the 1940s and 1950s) shirt; the
picture to the left, above the door, is General MacArthur. If you know who any of the students are, please
write Mountain Messenger.
Private Prison
For HiUsboro?
A 2,280-bed minimum-security
prison has been proposed for the
Hitlsboro area in response to a letter
of inquiry by Pocahontas County
Commissioner Norman Alderman.
Private Prisons of America, a pri-
vate management company based
in Midland, Texas, responded fa-
vorably to Mr Alderman's letter by
proposing a facility which would
employ more than 600. "We are
looking to construct and manage
prisons in states which permit pri-
vate management," the firm's presi-
dent Frank Powell said from his of-
fice in Midland. "West Virginia is
such a state."
Preliminary plans call for the fa-
cility to be located near Hillsboro.
Construction would be in three
phases, the first including 500 beds,
the second containing 780 beds,
and the final phase adding 1,000
beds. Civilian workers would be
used in Phase One. Both civilian
and supervised, compensated in-
mate employees would be used for
Phase Two and Three construction.
Phase One could be operational
within ten months, according to Mr
Powell. The entire complex could be
constructed and at full capacity
within three-and-a-half years, he
said.
Total cost of the facility would be
$60 million. According Mr Alderman,
"Certificates of Participation," invest-
ments made by large corporations,
would be sold to finance the ven-
ture. "The county pledges no credit
and is not liable should the project
fail," Mr Alderman stated in a press
release. "No tax dollars are utilized.
See "Prison", Pg. 2-A
Pet Show Set
For June 10
Tanyia Montie, president of the
Greenbrier County Humar~e Society,
has announced that plans are com-
plete for Pet-Tacular 1990, a just-
for-fun pet show. This event is
scheduled to take place at the West
Virginia School of Osteopathic Medi-
cine Athletic Field Sunday, June 10,
2p.m
Medals, trophies, and ribbons
purchased by local merchants and
individuals, will be awarded for vari-
ous categories including the special
Best Dressed category and the
Crowd Pleaser Award. Non-pet-
owners are invited to enter their cut-
est stuffed animal in the Stuffed
Pets category.
Entry fees for live pets are $2 per
pet and for stuffed animals, $1 per
pet. Registration begins at 1 p.m. at
the Athletic Field. Guest of Honor
will be Wendy Igo and her collie
"Sunny," Grand Champion of Pet-
Tacular '89.
Pet owners may wish to take a
container of water for their pets,
along with a leash, crate, or cage for
their pet's safety.
All pets are welcome . . . from
ants to zebras. Spectators are urged
to attend and show their support for
the Humane Society and their favor-
ite participant. There will be no ad-
mission charge.
Proceeds from Pet-Tacular 1990
will go to the Greenbrier County
Humane Society.
tt • •
®
Fun at