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October 25, 1990
From the Greenbrier
Valley of West Virginia
WSS Shows Off
New City Hall
1,300 lndividu-
eight-county area,
age or older, keep
a senior citizens'
by Humana
Ireenbrier Valley of
Seniors Associa-
here in 1988
exercise and social
Humana Senior's Aerobics
e
Nicholas, Greenbrier, Fayette,
Raleigh, Summers, and Monroe
counties to take advantage of
the varied activities of the group.
Among Its exercise-related pro-
grams are one-hour walking ses-
sions at the Greenbrier Valley
Mall in Fairlea three times
weekly, water aerobics twice a
week at the West Virginia School
following retire- of Osteopathic Medicine
associations' advisor (WVSOM) pool, and the newest
said participants
Pocahontas, Webster,
said. "We're here to program: 45-minute aerobics
and wellness," sessions at the Greenbrier
main focus is on Health Club In Lewisburg each
of exercise and Monday and Wednesday morn-
ing.
"We started the aeorbics to
school after 15
been easy for
Of Alderson, but the
has no regrets.
~rlce has strengthened
a new ou tlook.
92
\
"--4"
(left) and
Rogers
~y shy and with- "Quitting high
make me dig in
and I
lee."
changed. Mrs
Adult Basic
of the Green-
School system in
completed her
in June. "I
It was a big
take. and I also
my daughter the
an education--it
I good about your-
among 13 stu-
as "Outstanding
of the Year" by
Adult Literacy
dinner
Her
accompanied
her Adult Basic
Lizabeth Ro-
Page 2A
worked with senior citizens [in'-
aerobics], and it's been really
fun--they're always laughing
and cutting up. They're a great
bunch to work with."
About 20 members of the
Humana group participate in the
aerobics program, most from the
local area. Exercises are planned
carefully to allow for the varying
health conditions of partici-
pants.
Margaret Smith of Fairlea
said she finds the exercise valu-
able: "It's great--it helps you re-
lax and makes you feel you're
doing something worthwhile for
your body."
add even more variety to our Margie Reytiolds of Lewisburg
program," Ms Harris said. commented, "I think it's a won-
"WVSOM co-sponsors it with us.
and the Greenbrier Health Club
donates the use of the facility.
WeX'e had good turnouts since
we started it a couple of weeks
ago."
Fitness aerobics instructor
Christi O'Neil-Lynch leads the
sessions and said she enjoys
them. "This is the first time I've
derful opportunity. It's a great
opportunity to get more exerclse
and tone the body. The fellow-
ship is good, too."
Hank Hauser of Harts Run
said, "When you arrive at our
age level, everything helps!
There's no comparison to 20
years of army calisthentics,
See "UHS," Page 2A
Greenbrier Valley National Bank
Renovating Rainelle Offices
Phil McLaughlin, president of
Greenbrier Valley National Bank,
said renovation plans for the
bank's Rainelle offices points to
an optimistic view of the area's
economy. "Our project is a sig-
nificant commitment to western
Greenbrler County," he said. "We
obviously believe it has a bright
future, or else we wouldn't be
committing to this."
The Lewisburg-based bank
purchased the former Western
Greenbrier National Bank in late
1989 and started a major
$500,000 renovation of the Main
Street building three weeks ago.
Construction crews will convert
storage space to work areas and
will add five private lending of-
rices. The layout of praclically all
the interior will be changed. Mr
McLaughlin said.
The rear drive-up lanes will be
remodeled. The addition of an
automatic teller machine in one
of them will take the place of a
regular drive-up lane.
Mr McLaughlin said, "There
will be a marked difference in
the building--both inside and
out." The bank also is making
plans to move its central supply
storage facilities to Rainelle after
the renovation is completed,
which is expected to be in mid-
January.
Western Greenbrler County
National Bank began operations
in Quinwood in 1921, later mov-
Ing to Rainelle. J. B. Dobbins
was president of the Institution
for many years. "Our Intentions
are to continue in the tradition
of safely and soundness he dem-
onstrated over the years," Mr
Mckaughlin said.
Contractor for the project is
Pray Construction Company of
Charleston. "We hope our cus-
tomers will bear with it while
construction ts going on," Mr
McLaughlin said. "We believe it
will be worth any Inconvenience
they might encounter. We wel-
come suggestions from anyone,
too. as the work progresses."
Caldwell Bridge
to Remain Open
The Greenbrler River Bridge
at Caldwell, a 60-year-old span
carrying U. S. Highway 60. will
remain open, according to De-
partment of Highways (DOH)
District Engineer W. O. Bums.
DOH crews performed an annual
inspection of the structure re-
cently, and computer data on its
condition are such that officials
chose to keep It open.
in the meantime, however.
work will soon begin on reinforc-
ing the east end of the bridge,
Mr Burns said. The work should
take about one week. Mr Burns
said the Caldwell bridge shows
signs of weakening, but plans
are to maintain the current
three-ton limit and slngle-lane
traffic. It will remain open to
both truck and small-vehlcle
traffic.
The bridge has been the focus
of attention during the past year
as plans for a replacement struc-
ture have developed. Conflicts
with placing the new bridge sev-
e'ral feet to the south have arisen
with local and state historical
interests concerned with
Elmhurst. a 166-year-old house
near the eastern end of the
bridge. DOH officials now say
the new span will likely be con-
structed to the north of the pres-
ent bridge, but the time involved
in developing new architectural
plans will result in a construc-
tion delay of at least one year.
The City of White Sulphur
Springs showed off its new
$125,000 City Hall during an
open house at the facility Octo-
ber 19. Area residents, officials,
politicians, and business leaders
came to inspect the new offices,
which occupy the Main Street
building initially occupied by the
White Sulphur Pharmacy.
The sale of revenue bonds to
the Farmers Home Administra-
tion funded the building project.
The new quarters contain 2,500
square feet on the first floor, in-
cluding offices, a computer
room. employee lounge, file
room. administrative chambers,
and council chambers. The po-
lice department occupies the
basement floor, which contains
1,000 square feet.
"This is the first time City Hall
has had adequate office space,"
Mr Bowling said, "and it's also
the first time the police depart-
ment has had adequate quar-
ters."
The building was constructed
in the early 1960s to house the
offices of Dr Harvey Martin, who
still conducts his practice in his
portion of the building. The
building was remodeled in 1972,
when White Sulphur Pharmacy
was added. The major portion of
the structure was most recently
occupied by Rite-Aid, drug-store
chain.
City offices were formerly lo-
cated In a 1,200-square-foot
building formerly occupied by
the Bank of White Sulphur
Springs, which still owns it. It is
located at Dry Creek Road and
Main Street.
Wilson and Goff of St. Albans
was the architectural finn for the
project, Lewis Construction
Company of White Sulphur
Springs was the contractor.
Peggy Fox and Tom Davis
From the humble beginnings
of collecting donations at an
intersection in 1980 to today's
position as the largest lifesaving
force in western Greenbrier
County--Quinwood Ambulance
Service has come a long way.
A fleet of eight ambulances
and 19 staff members makes tip
the ten-year-old service, which
does approximately 90 per cent
of the ambulance service in the
area. according to president Tom
Davis. "We're committed to pro-
viding people with the best-pos-
sible type of service. We're
pleased with how far we've come
since we began."
Mr Davis said soon after he
moved back to the area from
Michigan in 1980, Holly HeUems
and Underwood Adkins ap-
proached him with a proposal--
eleven Quinwood citizens were
already working for the West
End Ainbulance Set~,lce, based
in Rainelle, and they wanted to
start such a service in Quin-
wood. "We really got interested
in the possibility. We got a peti-
tion started [180 persons signed
it], and it was clear there was
interest in it. There was certainly
a need lbr an ambulance service
here. Often, when someone here
needed an ambulance, it could
take as long as 45 minutes for
one to come from Rainelle, espe-
cially if it was not staffed by
someone familiar with our area.
We have a lot of coal miners here
who have heart and respiratory
problems."
A number of Interested resi-
dents soon conducted organiza-
tional meetings, and later that
summer the group collected
some of its first operating funds,
$1,600, by stopping drivers at
an intersection in town for dona-
tions. A newly formed board of
directors elected Mr Davis as
president, the group was char-
See "Quinwood," Page 2A
Union High School newspaper staff members examine materials: Donna Spencer (left), Dawn Diehl, Ann
Bradley, Kevin Miller, Eric Smith, Kristi Hoke, Shannon Smith, and Angel Dunbar.
By Jonathan Wright
After almost ten years, Union
High School's official newspaper.
~I'he Flaming Press," has been
revived--and response has been
positive.
Inside Today
About Herbs ..................... 7B
Agriculture ....................... 8A
Briefly ............................... 5A
Carnegie Column ............ 8B
Classified ....................... 11 B
For the Record ................ 3A
From the Mayor's Desk ...7B
Funny Page .................... 10B
Horoscopes ..................... 5B
Joy of Farming ................ 8A
Obituaries ...................... 10A
Opinion .................. : ......... 4A
Roberta ............................ 5A
Saints ............................... 3B
Sports ............................... 1B
Teen Notes ....................... 8B
"it's a big challenge to publish
a newspaper." student editor
Angei Dunbar said, "because
you're always pushing for the
time to do it. But it's worthwhile.
We're glad we can provide a bet-
ter means of publicizing school
activities."
English teacher and football
coach Marvin Dixon is the fac-
ulty advisor for the twelve-mem-
ber staff, which is comprised of
members of his senior English
class, Mr Dixon was one of the
last to work on The Flaming
Press as a Union High School
{UHS) sludenl before its dem|se
ten years ago. "it's been success-
ful," he said, "Kids around
school were really arLxious to see
the first paper, and I'm happy
with the response we've re-
ceived."
Harry Mohler and John t[o-
naker of The Monroe Watchman
have provided assistance m get-
ting the paper off the ground. Mr
Honaker inet with the students
to demonstrate layout methods
as the first paper, published Oc-
tober 12. was being planned. "He
has done an outstanding job
helping us," Mr Dixon said.
The high school pays for the
printing costs of the paper,
which is distributed to the 250
students free of charge. Included
in the paper are sports stories, a
calendar of events, guest editori-
als. letters to the editor, and
other items. No commercial ad-
vertisements are included.
One of lhe most popular writ-
ing topics so far has been tile
proposed consolidation of Union
and Peterstown high schools,
"Our paper takes a moderate
stancl on issues," Mr Dixon said.
"We're not oflk:lMly pro- or anti-
consolidation, We just print
what the students wm~t to print,
Of course, it's lot information,
too, and we hope it will be used
to inlbrm parents as to what's
going on at school."
Assistant editor Shannon
Smith commented, "We've gotten
See "Seniors," Page 2A
Happy H
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