4A The Mounts~ Messenger, Thursday, December 20, 1990
J
• !
Here are some of the things you might find under your
Christmas tree this season if these were but my gifts to give;
--- To the elderly I would give the gift of clear remem-
brance of all the happiest times past. Just as a yesterday, I
would give you the memory of your first happiness.
I would wrap perfect recall of the joy and warmth you felt
when• as a child, your parents caressed you, rocked you in
their arms, and assured you of their love.
To you I would also give the strength and vitality of your
youth so that you might tell those of us who shall be
tomorrow•s elders the paths not to tread.
I would love to give you the gift to teach us of our history
so that we might know the future.
In a golden package would rest your halcyon days to be
removed one by one and admired like the facets of a prism of
crystal which would fill your days with rays of colored light.
In another gaily wrapped package you would find the abil-
ity to comprehend your place on earth and in all time. I
would give you thegfft to know that your life is everlasting.
If these were but my gifts to give:
--- To the young parents of today I would give the present
of perfect understanding of your importance to your children
and to our world. I would wrap up the tiny gift of knowledge
that, Just as your parents are today, so you will be.
In another package would be the gift of joy and pride in
growing each day with your family; the gift of teaching your
child his place in an ever more complex world.
You would have the gift of knowing each of your child's
small accomplishments and the assurance that these small
childish efforts are the foundations upon which your child
becomes an aduIL
Among your gifts would be the lamp of wisdom which
would shine brightly about you so that others might see,
You would also receive the gift of patience with your children
and a sure knowledge that they hold the world's future
within their souls.
If these were but my gilts to give:
To the children I would give unending days of carefree
sunshine in order that you might play your children's
games. I would wrap up all nature in a package so that you
could slowly, and in your own time, learn of all her wonders,
I would lay carefully under the Christmas tree the gift of
love and understanding of all peoples, i would tie up a
packet of humility with a ribbon of trust. I would bake
cheerlhl little cookies and sprinkle them with sympathy,
charity and lorgiveness.
You would have books of mysteries uncornprehendible; of
fantasies indescribable; of hope eternal.
Your presents would include a parchment upon which
would be inscribed, in words indelible, a guarantee that we
adults know full well we hold the world for you in trust and
we endeavor every day to preserve your heritage.
If these were my gifts tO give... I could give no more,
--Chas A. Goddard
The Mountain Messenger
STAFF
Chas. A. Goddard. Editor
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To the point
By Jonathan Wright
If one thing is clear about the
Biblical Christmas story, it's that
God doesn't do things haphaz-
ardly. From start to finish the
story shows how deliberately He
acts.
The Creator deliberated chose
to come to earth not as a con-
quering military leader who
would topple kings and create
instant, radical changes in the
civilized world--but rather as a
helpless baby. With the soft and
gentle touch of an infant's tiny
hand He showed us how much
he cares for us--and how atLx-
ious He is for us to approach
Him in love.
You'd think He would have
chosen someone more important
than an unknown teenage girl to
be born of--~someone who could
give Him more of the comlbrts in
life. Bul apparently He doesn't
look at notoriety or material
goods as of great importance.
If it had been left to me, I
would have had the birth an-
nounced to the movers and
shakers of the religious world
the scribes, rabbis, chief priests,
Pharisees, and Sadducees
those who had been looking for
their Messiah for so many years.
They would have spread the
news far and wide among their
people: celebrations would have
broken out like wildfire as be-
lievers rejoiced in the final fulfill-
men, of their long-awaited Sav-
ior,
To whom, though, did God
deliberately choose to send His
angels to herald the birth? Lowly
shepherds, a despised class of
men who spent solitary hours
out under the stars well away
from the mainstream of everyday
life and the throngs of people.
And the birthplace--a dirty.
crowded stall! Of all places for a
King to be bornt But God often
doesn't do things the way we
would. He saw the importance of
identifying with every one of us--
especially the common, the dis-
couraged, the poor. and the sin-
sick. People like you and me.
I'm glad God did it the way He
did. Merry Christmas.
Dear Editor:
The Presbytery of West Vir-
ginia, meting December 1• at
First Presbyterian Church of
Parkersburg, called upon Pres-
byterians and other persons of
faith to pray for a just and
peaceful resolution of the crisis
in the Middle East.
In response to the growing
prospect of war In the Persian
Gulf area. the Reverend Charles
Logan Landrum. Jr.. pastor of
the Davis Memorial Presbyterian
Church of Elklns. and Ralph
Booth. elder of the same church.
proposed a resolution whereby
Presbytery would ask members
of Its churches to pray daily for
justice without war. With minor
changes Presbytery approved the
resolution, which a!.so urges
people of churches and faiths to
join in prayer for justice and
peace.
Presbytery also received a re-
port from its Shalorri, Work
Group, encouraging congrega-
tions to observe December 16 as
a Day of Prayer for peace in the
Middle East.
The Presbytery of West Vir-
ginia consists of 156 congrega-
tions throughout most of the
state of West Virginia. except for
the eastern and northern pan-
handle counties which are In
other presbyteries. Voting mem-
bet-s for a meeting of the Presby-
tery are elder (lay) commission-
ers from the congregations as
well as ministers.
The text of the Resolution for
Peace and Justice Is:
WHEREAS• There is d serious
problem ofjusUce at stake in the
Middle East in regard to Iraq's
occupation of Kuwait;
WHEREAS. There appears to
be a grave and growing danger of
war breaking out;
WHEREAS. God's intentions
for the world are for peace, right-
and all other people of prayer to
join us in our prayers for justice
without war: 3. That the Presby-
tery of West Virginia. through its
Shalom Work Group give public-
ity to our concerns for justice
withoul war. 4, That the sub-
stance of this resolution be com-
municated to the Office of the
General Assembly by the Stated
Clerk of the Presbytery of West
Vlrgl nla.
John R. Goodman
Associate Executive
& Stated Clerk
Dear Editor:
Greetings from the deployed
members of the West Virginia Air
National Guard in Operation
Desert Shield. The outpouring of
community support has been
remarkable and appreciated
more than you can imagine, it
means a lot to the people here to
experience such loyalty and
dedication. Please keep the
cards and letters coming.
The tremendous community
spirit as evidenced by 'the sup-
port we have received for our
family Christmas celebration has
been heart warming for those of
us here. I'm confident that with
such community support to sus-
tain the families back home. the
holiday season 1990 will long be
remembered by our loved ones
and unit members as well.
All of the deployed members
of the 130th "lAG are PrOViding
outstanding service and support
to the operation. They are true
professionals and dedicated to
their jobs as they have always
been. All West Vlrglnians can be
proud of their Air National
Guard.
God Bless,
Colonel William L Fleshman
1630 TAWP, Desert Shield
Saudi Arabia
things know about the problem.
The drainage from the land fill
runs into the Greenbrier River
right above where the intake for
the drinking water is. With all
fairness to the landfill, it was
there before the intake pipe was
put in. The reason for this mess
was that a large natural hole of
water was available. Ninety-nine
per cent of the problem could
have been avoided if the intake
had been placed a mile or so
above the present place. Some
blasting would have had to be
done.
Hlnton has the same problem,
The old land fill. closed now. was
placed right over the brow of the
mountain, at Upland. Right next
to the old Ross Allen farm. The
filth flows down the hollow to Big
Creek. then on to the Greenbrier
River. It empties right in the
river above where the intake for
the Hinton water supply is.
Merry Christmas to all who
care.
Paul R. Lilly
Lewisburg
Dear Editor:
During the last few months
the concerned citizens of Alder-
son Glen Ray have been watch-
ing and recording the changes
taking place on the Woodguard
site. Overbllt. Inc. (owned by
Richard Moore and J. P.
Linkous) has set up operations
to de-bark logs and treat them
with their secret chemical lor-
mula. We have asked our state
agency, the West Virginia De-
partment of Natural Resources
to reveal the potential health
hazards of this formula. They
have not answered our Freedom
of Information Act requests on
this vital question. We found out
it was toxic from the Wimmer/
Davis letter [see below].
We hear privately that they
operations and this has been de-
termined to be a wood dying
process.
And once again Glen Ray and
the communities down river are
faced with toxins in the flood
plain. Along one of our I0 most
endangered rivers in the United
States.
It's time West Virginians
spoke up for laws that will pro-
tect us.
For the concerned citizens of
Alderson Glen Ray
Mark Blumenstein
Alderson
By Jane Ashworth
It's that time again. At the
beauty shop, at garden club, and
standing in line at the grocery
store, women grab my arm and,
with crazed eyes, tell me what
they are making for Christmas
gifts. Like squirrels hoarding
nuts for the winter, they scurry
off to craft shops for beads• se-
quins, embroidery hoops, and
patterns for pillows shaped like
pigs and cows. They buy ply-
wood to make wooden forms
they can paint, pierce, and
painstakingly render into angelic
angels and darling ducks. They
will drill holes and make red
string hangers. Then they will
give these wondrous creations to
their friends for Christmas.
1, no doubt, will receive simi-
lar homespun marvels from my
friends. They will expect me to
admire their creativity, to ex-
claim happily, and to hang their
plywood ornaments amidst the
crystal balls and velvet bows on
my Christmas tree.
Yes. yes. I know their hearts
are in the right place. And they
are so pleased at their own inge-
nuity that 1 dare not show my
dismay. When I give them my
store-bought gifts, they will look
at me with Ill-disguised pity.
Store-bought gifts lndeed[
No one will ever ooh and aah
over my creative talents---my
dexterity with a needle, my skill
in studding styrofoam balls with
hatpins and cloves. For I am a
non-craft person, and l am fed
up with feeling guilty about it. I
would rather watch "I Love Lucy"
reruns any day than glue se-
quins on felt. Is this a crime?
It is true that for a time I did
succumb to craft mania, l went
to every craft fair within two
hundred miles, meandered down
long aisles of tables laden with
patchwork quilts, stuffed ani-
mals, and milking stools painted
oh-so-cleverly with stencils of
pineapples. I admired pink cro-
cheted ladies straddling rolls of
felt toilet
bells.
1 even tried my own hand at
crafts, l took a tole painting
class (no artistic talent required).
1 dutifully paid the fee. bought
round and flat brushes, shellac,
wooden plaques, tin buckets.
flour scoops. Eighty-five dollars
later. I had a rather unusual
purple poppy on a slab of wood.
I hung it in my kitchen. No one
admired it. It rests face down on
my stove now, its backside a
cutting board.
Some time later I went mad.
absolutely mad. over the
wooden watermelon slices I
in fashionable decorating
zincs. They adorned chic
cocktail tables and
the tops of pine cupboards.
I could certainly
melons. I would d
home with them. What's
would give them to my
Perhaps even sell them! I
be known as the
lady of my town. You knoW,
woman who paints those
able wooden melons.
I scurried off to the
yard to buy long boards. For
hefty fee. a carpenter c~
wooden crescents of
sizes, all with a cute little
missing. I bought painl
green, black and white. I
my kitchen into an
operation. I hummed to
Surely this was craft heaVeta.
last I would be one of the
clique gals. After all.
couldn't paint wooden
slices?
I couldn't. That's who.
can run, lines can
seeds can look suspiciously
roaches. Dejected, I
melon slices to the local
White Elephant sale.
have had an easier time
white elephant.
Even in the kitchen I
out, My kids had always
the chocolate chip cookies
school. But one year I
myself delivering eel
wrapped baskets of
confections to all my
They would ooh and
praise my gourmet abilities.
donned an apron, gathered
batch of recipes, and
mestic.
I tried. I really tried.
pepper jelly (in baby
course) didn't gel, my
sembled index boxes
concrete, my cream ples
my cakes collapsed,
Never-Fail Chocolate Fudge
to be cracked with
screw-drlver. Why do
mean something from
Tell me.
So spare me Christmas
and painted chickens on a
Gild me no pinecones, and
give me ornaments made
old jewelry. I still admire
inventiveness, your
make bird feeders from
rex jugs. But don't add
decor with .painted w,
spoons in my kitchen.
turn up your noses at a
bought gift from a
son.
"He who wishes to secure the good of others has
secured his own."
-- Confucius (c. 551-479
Department of Biochemistry
West Virginia University
School of Medicine
Laidley Ell McCoy, Chief
Dlvlslon of Natural Resources, Water Resources
1201Greenbrier St.
Charleston, WV 25311
Dear Eli:
OcT
• ... "!.~ ., :.
!t,: Dtw,
We have looked over the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS)
which you sent us from Mr. Moore at the Woodguard site in Alderson.
We have treated the product proprietary, as requeeted. We have
the following comments:
I. The identity of two components of the product ere listed as
'proprietary," thus no specific chemlcal information about them is
given. The "common name" and "chemical name" for one item ere
listed in reverse. The chemical names provided are not true
chemical names referring to a specific compound, except via the CAS
# given for one component, again making them difficult to assess.
2. The MSDS indicates that the material is an irritant, by any
route of exposure, which would classify it as a toxlcant. There
are no safe exposure standards given, therefore we have no way of
knowing If.the public will be exposed to a hazardous amount. Such
a determination would require the exposure standard and the amount
o£ exposure occurring and/or anticipated.
3. The MSDS indicates that the material is not listed ae a
potential carcinogen; however, there is no indication that the
material has been tested for either carcinogeniclty or
mutageniclty, and actually found to be non-carclnogenlc or non-
mutagenic.
4. Because of the incompleteness of the MSDS, we cal, not ~ke a
recommendation from the information provided as to whether or not
the citizens should go to court to seek release of this MSDS.
We provide you with these comments as a third party, upon your
request, and are not prepared to testify in civil or crlmlnal
litigation with respect to this correspondence.
Dear Editor:
I am writing to you
most disgusting thing
read that was in your
13 -90.
I am talking about the
where someone threw a
fenseless dog out into
be killed. It upsets me to
someone could be that
such a thing. If they
pay to have it put to
could have explained it
anlmal shelter and I'm
would have understood
could have shot the dog
someone else do it for
We had to put dowrl
mal of our own once, it
but there was nothing
could do.
That picture
much of my
know if he ever
shape we will take hlna
or do It ourselves.
I would like to
Quick for being so
up the dog. AT
knew someone cared for
fore she died.
I hope they catch
this and fine them
Dear Editor: want us to take them to court so Sincerely,
We, as West Virglnians have a they would be forced to divulge ~ry~j. ~ ~ ~l~~
the world as the Prince of Peace bad hang-up -- our Indifference this information! By refusing to
and on behalf of justice; to pressing problems. The con- cooperate, by not supplying the M tremor, Ph.D. & S, Ph.D.
WHEREAS. We Presbyterians sensus of any problem is to sit health hazards of this toxic Associate Professor Associate Professor
are deeply committed to peace, on It. It will go away one of these chemical, the Department of Biochemistry Pha~macology/Toxicology
rlghteousness and justice: anddays. Natural Resources and the
WHEREAS, We hope that a I believe most of us will agree Caperton administration is once
wide spread movement for that we have the highest cancer again revealing its priorities to
rate and kidney failure rate of protect lndustry's interests and
u~tlJe,¢ltm. WV m
at welfare as it sacrifices those of
Resolved. 1. That the Presby- c0 Overbilt, it would appear, is I
inta of th Pres- m wa- its citizens.
(U.S.A.)I l ter. There is no way that this produc'.ng this product without
filth can be taken out of our wa- the benefit of liners to protect
ter or to make the water safe. A our ground water or the benefit
lot can be taken out but not all of state regulation. It seems the
of it. The ones in charge of these DNR regulates wood preserving
they can but I don't
would be enough. I hoPe
haunts them for the rest
life, that every time
dog that they'll
disgusting thing they
To The
