January 31, 2012 Volume 4, Edition 31
The Good News and Every Day News
From Central West Virginia
Today is the 21st Day of the Legislative Session
By Delegate Peggy Donaldson Smith
This is the 21th day of the 60 day 2012 West Virginia Legislative Session.
Bills are working their way through the various committees to which they have been assigned. Committee and subcommittee work is extensive and time-consuming as bills are thoroughly reviewed. Experts in the field that the bills address (such as law enforcement, school superintendents, or directors of state agencies) attend the committee meetings, provide background information, and answer questions about the bill. If a bill is approved in a committee, it is either sent to another committee for further review or it is sent to the whole House for a vote.
One of the bills that I sponsor, House Bill 4055, passed through the Education Committee last week and has been sent to the House Finance Committee. The purpose of the bill is to create a separate category of the Underwood-Smith teacher scholarship program for students pursuing certification in high demand teaching fields. It also provides assistance with federal Stafford student loan repayment for teacher education graduates who teach in high demand teaching fields in the state.
This is the 21th day of the 60 day 2012 West Virginia Legislative Session.
Bills are working their way through the various committees to which they have been assigned. Committee and subcommittee work is extensive and time-consuming as bills are thoroughly reviewed. Experts in the field that the bills address (such as law enforcement, school superintendents, or directors of state agencies) attend the committee meetings, provide background information, and answer questions about the bill. If a bill is approved in a committee, it is either sent to another committee for further review or it is sent to the whole House for a vote.
One of the bills that I sponsor, House Bill 4055, passed through the Education Committee last week and has been sent to the House Finance Committee. The purpose of the bill is to create a separate category of the Underwood-Smith teacher scholarship program for students pursuing certification in high demand teaching fields. It also provides assistance with federal Stafford student loan repayment for teacher education graduates who teach in high demand teaching fields in the state.
Performing Arts Scholarship Auditions Set for February and March
High school seniors interested in the performing arts have an opportunity to audition for West Virginia Wesleyan’s Performing Arts Scholarships on February 25-26 and March 17-18. Scholarships are available in the areas of instrumental music, vocal music, theatre, musical theatre, dance and technical theatre.
The music auditions will take place February 25 and March 17, and theatre/dance auditions will be held on February 26 and March 18 in the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan.
Awards may be combined with some of Wesleyan’s other scholarships, including Academic Scholarships which range from $11,500 to $16,000.
Interested students may register for an audition at www.wvwc.edu or call Wesleyan’s admission office at (800) 722-9933.
The music auditions will take place February 25 and March 17, and theatre/dance auditions will be held on February 26 and March 18 in the Virginia Thomas Law Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of West Virginia Wesleyan.
Awards may be combined with some of Wesleyan’s other scholarships, including Academic Scholarships which range from $11,500 to $16,000.
Interested students may register for an audition at www.wvwc.edu or call Wesleyan’s admission office at (800) 722-9933.
Elk Conservation District Scholarships Available
The purpose for the Elk Conservation District Scholarship Program is to assist students from the District’s area to go to college to pursue a career in an Agriculture, Conservation or Forestry field.
Complete scholarship applications, including letter of recommendation from Guidance Counselor, must be received in the District office by April 15, 2012. Scholarship certificates will be awarded at the student’s high school graduation or awards ceremony.
Scholarship funds will consist of two checks in the amount of $250.00, one to be sent in August the other in January.
Eligibility:
1. Must be a graduating High School Senior.
2. Must be a resident of Braxton, Clay, Nicholas or Webster counties.
3. Must have a High School GPA of at least 2.75.
4. Priority will be given to students who have a genuine need for a scholarship.
5. Scholarship is null and void if student does not enter college.
6. Student must send verification of enrollment and class schedule to receive the first check and verification of enrollment and grade report to receive the second check.
7. Student must be planning to attend a College or University in West Virginia fulltime.
8. Priority will be given to a student with a strong interest in Agriculture, Conservation or Forestry.
Please contact your school counselor or the Elk CD office at 304-364-5105 to obtain an application. If you live in another county, check with your school counselor for your onservation disitrict's information.
Complete scholarship applications, including letter of recommendation from Guidance Counselor, must be received in the District office by April 15, 2012. Scholarship certificates will be awarded at the student’s high school graduation or awards ceremony.
Scholarship funds will consist of two checks in the amount of $250.00, one to be sent in August the other in January.
Eligibility:
1. Must be a graduating High School Senior.
2. Must be a resident of Braxton, Clay, Nicholas or Webster counties.
3. Must have a High School GPA of at least 2.75.
4. Priority will be given to students who have a genuine need for a scholarship.
5. Scholarship is null and void if student does not enter college.
6. Student must send verification of enrollment and class schedule to receive the first check and verification of enrollment and grade report to receive the second check.
7. Student must be planning to attend a College or University in West Virginia fulltime.
8. Priority will be given to a student with a strong interest in Agriculture, Conservation or Forestry.
Please contact your school counselor or the Elk CD office at 304-364-5105 to obtain an application. If you live in another county, check with your school counselor for your onservation disitrict's information.
Spring flowers are making their appearance already.
Spring is Not Far Away
By Terry Mathews
It doesn’t seem like we’ve had much Winter Weather this year, and here comes Groundhog Day already. Almost everyone knows that Groundhog Day is a holiday we celebrate on February 2 in both the United States and Canada.
According to folklore and legend, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter-like weather will soon end. Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where people gather in the early morning hours to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow. If it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks. The holiday was brought to the United States by early German and Dutch immigrants who settled in the State of Pennsylvania.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, there are Groundhog Lodges (Grundsow Lodges) that celebrate the holiday with festivals and social events in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment. The Pennsylvania Dutch dialect is the only language that is spoken at the event, and those who speak English pay a penalty, usually in the form of a nickel, dime or quarter, per word spoken, put into a bowl in the center of the table. The largest and most famous Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where as many as 40,000 people turn out to get a glimpse of a weather prognosticating Groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil. There are many other similar celebrations held outside of Pennsylvania, among the Amish populations of over twenty states including the Frederick and Hagerstown areas of Maryland, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Woodstock, Illinois, Lilburn, Georgia, and at Wiarton, Ontario, and Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, in Canada. The University of Dallas in Irving, Texas, has taken Groundhog Day as its official university holiday and organizes a large-scale celebration every year in honor of the Groundhog.
West Virginia has it’s own version of a weather predicting Groundhog called French Creek Freddie who lives at the French Creek *Game Farm and Wildlife Center located about 1/2 hour south of Buckhannon, West Virginia on State Route 20. Celebrating Groundhog Day at the Wildlife Center has become a popular event where people gather to watch Center staff awaken the grumpy rodent and bring him out of his winter hibernation hole to allow him to look for his shadow and predict the severity of the remaining six weeks of winter. Everyone is invited to join in the fun and afterward take a walking tour of the nearly 30 species of native wildlife on display.
The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources will have refreshments in the Gift Shop. Admission is free of charge. For more information and times when the celebration begins at French Creek Phone: 304-924-6211 or visit the Wildlife Center website at
http://www.wvdnr.gov/.
For many, many years The Wildlife Center was called the Game Farm- that’s how I and many Central West Virginians remember and refer to it.
It doesn’t seem like we’ve had much Winter Weather this year, and here comes Groundhog Day already. Almost everyone knows that Groundhog Day is a holiday we celebrate on February 2 in both the United States and Canada.
According to folklore and legend, if it is cloudy when a groundhog emerges from its burrow on this day, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter-like weather will soon end. Modern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where people gather in the early morning hours to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow. If it is sunny, the groundhog will supposedly see its shadow and retreat back into its burrow, and the winter weather will continue for six more weeks. The holiday was brought to the United States by early German and Dutch immigrants who settled in the State of Pennsylvania.
In southeastern Pennsylvania, there are Groundhog Lodges (Grundsow Lodges) that celebrate the holiday with festivals and social events in which food is served, speeches are made, and one or more g'spiel (plays or skits) are performed for entertainment. The Pennsylvania Dutch dialect is the only language that is spoken at the event, and those who speak English pay a penalty, usually in the form of a nickel, dime or quarter, per word spoken, put into a bowl in the center of the table. The largest and most famous Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where as many as 40,000 people turn out to get a glimpse of a weather prognosticating Groundhog named Punxsutawney Phil. There are many other similar celebrations held outside of Pennsylvania, among the Amish populations of over twenty states including the Frederick and Hagerstown areas of Maryland, the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, Woodstock, Illinois, Lilburn, Georgia, and at Wiarton, Ontario, and Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia, in Canada. The University of Dallas in Irving, Texas, has taken Groundhog Day as its official university holiday and organizes a large-scale celebration every year in honor of the Groundhog.
West Virginia has it’s own version of a weather predicting Groundhog called French Creek Freddie who lives at the French Creek *Game Farm and Wildlife Center located about 1/2 hour south of Buckhannon, West Virginia on State Route 20. Celebrating Groundhog Day at the Wildlife Center has become a popular event where people gather to watch Center staff awaken the grumpy rodent and bring him out of his winter hibernation hole to allow him to look for his shadow and predict the severity of the remaining six weeks of winter. Everyone is invited to join in the fun and afterward take a walking tour of the nearly 30 species of native wildlife on display.
The West Virginia Department of Natural Resources will have refreshments in the Gift Shop. Admission is free of charge. For more information and times when the celebration begins at French Creek Phone: 304-924-6211 or visit the Wildlife Center website at
http://www.wvdnr.gov/.
For many, many years The Wildlife Center was called the Game Farm- that’s how I and many Central West Virginians remember and refer to it.
Winter Fire Safety is a Top Priority
A wide range of natural disasters occurs within the United States every year. Natural disasters can have a devastating effect on you and your home. The U.S. Fire Administration encourages you to use the following safety tips to help protect yourself, your family and your home from the potential threat of fire during or after a winter storm. You can greatly reduce your chances of becoming a fire casualty by being able to identify potential hazards and following the outlined safety tips.
Some Types of Fire Related Hazards Present During and After a Winter Storm
Some Types of Fire Related Hazards Present During and After a Winter Storm
- Alternative heating devices used incorrectly create fire hazards.
- Damaged or downed utility lines can present a fire and life safety hazard.
- Water damaged appliances and utilities can be electrically charged.
- Frozen water pipes can burst and cause safety hazards.
- Leaking gas lines, damaged or leaking gas propane containers, and leaking vehicle gas tanks may explode or ignite.
- Generators are often used during power outages. Generators that are not properly used and maintained can be very hazardous.
- Look for combustible liquids like gasoline, lighter fluid, and paint thinner that may have spilled. Thoroughly clean the spill and place containers in a well-ventilated area.
- Keep combustible liquids away from heat sources.
- If your home has sustained flood or water damage, and you can safely get to the main breaker or fuse box, turn off the power.
- Assume all wires on the ground are electrically charged. This includes cable TV feeds.
- Look for and replace frayed or cracked extension and appliance cords, loose prongs, and plugs.
- Exposed outlets and wiring could present a fire and life safety hazard.
- Appliances that emit smoke or sparks should be repaired or replaced.
- Have a licensed electrician check your home for damage.
- Smell and listen for leaky gas connections. If you believe there is a gas leak, immediately leave the house and leave the door(s) open.
- Never strike a match. Any size flame can spark an explosion.
- Before turning the gas back on, have the gas system checked by a professional.
- Follow the manufacturer's instructions and guidelines when using generators.
- Use a generator or other fuel-powered machines outside the home. CO fumes are odorless and can quickly overwhelm you indoors.
- Use the appropriate sized and type power cords to carry the electric load. Overloaded cords can overheat and cause fires.
- Never run cords under rugs or carpets where heat might build up or damage to a cord may go unnoticed.
- Never connect generators to another power source such as power lines. The reverse flow of electricity or 'backfeed' can electrocute an unsuspecting utility worker.
- Kerosene heaters may not be legal in your area and should only be used where approved by authorities.
- Do not use the kitchen oven range to heat your home. In addition to being a fire hazard, it can be a source of toxic fumes.
- Alternative heaters need their space. Keep anything combustible at least 3 feet away.
- Make sure your alternative heaters have 'tip switches.' These 'tip switches' are designed to automatically turn off the heater in the event they tip over.
- Only use the type of fuel recommended by the manufacturer and follow suggested guidelines.
- Never refill a space heater while it is operating or still hot.
- Refuel heaters only outdoors.
- Make sure wood stoves are properly installed, and at least 3 feet away from combustible materials. Ensure they have the proper floor support and adequate ventilation.
- Use a glass or metal screen in front of your fireplace to prevent sparks from igniting nearby carpets, furniture or other combustible items.
- Always use a flashlight - not a candle - for emergency lighting.
- Some smoke alarms may be dependent on your home's electrical service and could be inoperative during a power outage. Check to see if your smoke alarm uses a back-up battery and install a new battery at least once a year.
- Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home and inside and outside of sleeping areas.
- All smoke alarms should be tested monthly. All batteries should be replaced with new ones at least once a year.
- If there is a fire hydrant near your home, keep it clear of debris for easy access by the fire department.
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