Glenville State College Associate Professor of Mathematics Paul Peck has been selected as the 2009 College Mathematics Teacher of the Year by the West Virginia Council of Teachers of Mathematics (WVCTM).
Peck was recognized during the WVCTM annual meeting held at the Days Inn in Flatwoods, West Virginia March 19-20, 2009.
The WVCTM is a statewide organization that advocates the best practices in mathematics instruction for students of West Virginia. The council is devoted to encouraging an active interest in mathematics and to improve the teaching of mathematics at all levels: elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and the teacher training program in colleges. WVCTM is an affiliate of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.
Members of WVCTM are leaders in the field of mathematics education including teachers and administrators from pre-kindergarten through college as well as college students studying to join the education profession.
Each year, WVCTM recognizes a Mathematics Teacher of the Year for each level of education: Elementary, Middle/Jr. High, High School, and College/University.
“I was quite surprised and honored to receive the Mathematics Teacher of the Year Award. I appreciate the fact that several of my Glenville State College colleagues came to see me receive this award,” said Paul Peck.
Professor Peck earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education from Glenville State College in 1970. He was awarded a Masters Degree in Mathematics from West Virginia University in 1981. Peck has been a member of the GSC faculty for the past twenty-six years. He has received the Outstanding Faculty Award for his teaching excellence at GSC in addition to serving as President of the Faculty Senate and taking a leadership role with the Wesley Foundation. Peck is advisor of the Alpha Iota Chapter of Chi Beta Phi and was lead writer of the GSC math folio for NCATE accreditation. During his career at Glenville State College, Peck has taught Trigonometry, Calculus, Euclidian Geometry, Modern Geometry, Abstract Algebra, Discrete Math, Statistics, and Math for Elementary Teachers. He is currently the Acting Chair of the Department of Science and Mathematics.
“We congratulate Professor Peck on being honored as the WVCTM Teacher of the Year. Since joining the GSC faculty in 1982, he has been instrumental in educating many of West Virginia’s public school math teachers. He is an outstanding mathematician and teacher. All of us at Glenville State College are very proud of him and his accomplishments,” said Dr. Kathy Butler, GSC Provost and Senior Vice President.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 30, 2009
For more information:
Bob Edwards
Public Relations Department Assistant
Glenville State College
Glenville, West Virginia
304.462.7361x7610
Gilmer County High School senior basketball player, James Farley who led the Titans to the South Division title and a berth in the NOC with a 12.4 points per game average and 71 assists, has been named in Little Kanawha Conference Honors.
Conficker.
It’s the name of the latest doomsday computer attack that, according to the hype, is supposed to wreak havoc on computers Wednesday.
Computer experts say the Conficker infection -actually a computer “worm” that can copy itself to computers that aren’t protected - is designed to start receiving new instructions from its designers on April Fool’s Day, but experts say there are no signs yet that it will take down the Internet as we know it.
Conficker might be hidden in fake patches, which would make it easier for the worm to spread. (We had warned in earlier Tech Notes)
The best speculation is that that the worm is capable of recording your computer keystrokes, including your passwords. Criminals might use this information to try to steal money from bank accounts.
Some experts say this is why they don’t expect a major computer shutdown April 1.
If computers aren’t working, the worm can’t spread and can’t capture passwords.
In case you are wondering whether you are infected or not: If you have kept up with Microsoft Windows patches, you were probably protected before the worm had a chance to sneak onto your computer.
Make sure you go manually to Microsoft by using Windows Updates to get the patches. DO NOT FALL FOR TEASERS!!! (Read our earlier Warnings under Technology|Computer|Science categories)
Microsoft notes that if you’re already infected with Conficker, the worm actually might prevent you from downloading security patches that would remove it. In fact, the latest version of the worm released earlier in March was designed to stop those patches from updating.
WV Toddler Shot in Struggle for Gun While Great-Grandfather Fell Sleep
A three-year-old boy was shot in both feet as he and his five-year-old brother struggled over a .357 Magnum revolver they found inside a home in Blacksville.
WV State Police Senior Trooper T.W. Morris said the injured boy was treated at Ruby Memorial Hospital on Saturday night after a bullet grazed his left foot and pierced his right foot.
A man who had been working on the house said he had stashed the revolver under a bed set up in the living room because he had been receiving threats.
When the younger boy found the gun, his brother chased him outside to try to take it away from him. Morris said the gun fired when the older boy got a grip on it.
The brothers were being watched by a great-grandfather, who had fallen asleep.
An attempt to extend a West Virginia anti-harassment law to the Internet may have some long-reaching consequences.
Senator Mike Green of Raleigh County sponsored the bill last week.
The measure would make it a crime to send harassing or abusive e-mails or other computer-based communications.
But the Senate Judiciary Committee amended the bill to include statements posted on Web pages or online forums.
Such statements must be untrue and designed to encourage others to spread the falsehood, or ridicule the person they target.
Civil liberties advocates question whether that goes too far.
The bill would make such statements a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of up to $500, up to six months in jail, or both. Repeat offenders would see those penalties double.
Photo Contest Will Award College Money to Grandchildren
Grandparents in West Virginia could turn some of their favorite family photos into cash.
The state’s SMART529 college savings program, in conjunction with the state chapter of the AARP and the West Virginia Association of Retired School Employees, is sponsoring a contest to find the best photo of a grandparent enriching the life of their grandchild.
Grandmothers and grandfathers are encouraged to submit a photograph featuring them teaching their grandchild a life-enriching skill, such as reading, cooking, drawing, fishing, etc.
Five regional winners, selected by a panel of judges, will each receive a $500 SMART529 college savings account for the grandchild featured in the photo.
Visitors to the SMART529 Web site, www.smart529.com, then will get the chance to vote for a grand-prize winner.
That winner will be announced at a special ceremony in Charleston and will receive an additional $4,500 SMART529 college savings account for his or her grandchild and $500 cash.
Interested grandparents or grandchildren can find the entry form at www.smart529.com or by clicking H E R E.
The form can be submitted by e-mail to ‘SMART529.Team@hartfordlife.com’.
or by mail to: Grandparents are Great Teachers, PO Box 1228, Charleston, WV 25324-1228.
Photos will not be returned.
The contest is open to West Virginia grandparents and grandchildren. The grandchild must be between 3 and 12 years of age as of Friday, April 3, 2009.
Entries must be submitted by 11:59PM Friday, April 3, 2009.
We had a posting on 3/25/09 that officials for the Civil War Trails program were planning to install new signs and markers in Gilmer County to tell the stories of battles and identify the home and burial grounds.
We noticed one of these signs on campus of Glenville State College.
If you have seen them in other places in the area, please sent us information and possibly pictures so we can share them with everyone.
April is designated as “Arbor Month” in West Virginia, by WV Governor and he is encouraging communities, organizations and schools throughout the Mountain State to recognize the important roles trees play in daily life.
Governor encourages people throughout the state to actively participate in tree-planting projects, such as Mountaineer Treeways, a program that solicits volunteers to plant tree seedlings on public property.
West Virginia’s Arbor Day is set for April 10 this year, but Arbor Day celebrations and tree plantings are scheduled throughout the month in communities across the state.
National Arbor Day is the last Friday of April (April 24, this year). Many states observe Arbor Day on different dates according to the best tree-planting times.
For more information about Arbor Day, Arbor Month and the Mountaineer Treeways program, contact Urban and Community Forestry Program Coordinator Bob Hannah at 304.825.6983 or visit the Division of Forestry’s Web site, www.wvforestry.com.
Date: Wednesday, April 1, 2009 Time: 11:00AM-1:00PM Event: Go Green Place: Molohan Campus Community Center, Main Lobby Contact: Kipp Colvin at 304.462.7361x7412
As we have seen in the reports, WVDNR has been busy stocking the waters in WV.
Biologists say the biggest problem has been low flows from a lack of rainfall. The mountains where the bulk of the trout streams are located were running very low after the long dry spell of last fall and the rain in 2008 is below average.
Some have criticized the trout stocking schedule by the DNR. Critics say most can’t make it to their favorite stream until the weekend, normally several days after a stocking. There is a belief that most of the fish are caught by then, however Mike Shingleton who heads up the Coldwater Fisheries Program for DNR says they have proven conclusively that’s not the case.
“If we stock on a Tuesday or Wednesday and somebody gets there Saturday the stream has had a lot of pressure on it,” admits Shingleton. “We just finished up three years of tagging trout and watching the catch rates. Every water we tagged trout in showed at least half the fish were still there a week to ten days after we stocked.“
Shingleton says what anglers are finding is not that the fish have been fished out, but they have become acclimated to their new wild environment and have taken more instinctive feeding and movement patterns.
“They hang in there and they start moving a little bit, especially rainbows,“ said Shingleton. “If a fisherman shows up on a Saturday he shouldn’t concentrate just on where we stocked and his techniques may be a little bit different.“
Many wonder exactly where the fish are stocked. The points in the stream where the fish are deposited are easily identified if you pay attention to the points where the road and stream are in closest proximity.
“Bridges are good access and then wherever the access road gets close to the stream,” said Shingleton. “We carry trout, but we can’t carry them very far.“ ~~ WVMN - WVDNR ~~
West Virginians could soon cast early votes at other sites besides their county courthouses.
The House of Delegates voted 72-25 to send the Senate a proposal that would allow county commissions to decide whether and where to allow other early voting locations.
Supporters say the measure recognizes the growing popularity of pre-election voting. Nearly 155,000 voters cast early ballots in the 2008 general election.
Advocates also tout it as an aid to voters in larger counties who face a long drive to the courthouse.
Critics also question whether commissions would allow additional locations when it’s opposed by the clerk, the county’s elections chief.
“You could have the county commission and the county clerk at odds, and I don’t think that’s good for the state,“ said Delegate from Roane County.
Charleston Gazette State Baseball Rankings—March 30
Class A
1. Moorefield
2. Wheeling Central
3. Buffalo
4. Pendleton County
5. Notre Dame
6. Matewan
7. Williamstown
8. Gilmer County
9. Charleston Catholic
10. St. Marys
They are there on day one to bring us into the world. In our most vulnerable moments, they are who we turn to for care. They are our physicians. Today is National Doctor’s Day, a little-known observation for a profession relevant to us all. Call your Doctor and thank him on his day.
Chocolate lovers will descend on Ripley, West Virginia on Saturday, April 4, 2009 for the Second Annual West Virginia Chocolate Festival, sponsored by the City of Ripley.
From 10 AM to 4PM vendors will offer a wide variety of chocolate laced treats, from ice cream to donuts to truffles to dipped fruit for sale and sampling.
In addition to inside vendors, a chocolate factory, hand making chocolate, will be situated outside the Conference Center. There will be a parade at 11AM which will end at the festival site, McCoy’s Conference Center.
Admission and parking are free.
There will be entertainment from local groups and a visit from the Easter Bunny is expected at this family event. Ripley is accessible from I 77, Exit 138 or US highway 33, and WV highway 62..
For additional information you may contact the City of Ripley at 304.372.3482
Based on The US Treasury Department data, here is the list of banks in WV and their federal bailout fund status:
JPMorgan Chase - $25 billion
SunTrust - $3.5 billion
Fifth-Third Bank - $3.45 billion
BB&T - $3.1 billion
Huntington Banks - $1.4 billion
WesBanco - $75 million
First Community Bank - $41.5 million
Peoples Bank - $39 million
Centra Bank - $15 million
United Bank – Refused to accept any
Calhoun Banks - None
Goody’s Fast Pain Relief 500 - Martinsville - 2009
Winner:
Jimmie Johnson - Chevrolet - Lowe’s
He made a daring pass on Denny Hamlin then pulled away in the final laps to win at Martinsville for the fifth time in the past six races.
Top 10:
01 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet Lowe’s 190/5
02 11 Denny Hamlin Toyota FedEx Freight 180/10
03 14 Tony Stewart Chevrolet Old Spice / Office Depot 165/0
04 24 Jeff Gordon Chevrolet DuPont 165/5
05 33 Clint Bowyer Chevrolet BB&T 155/0
06 39 Ryan Newman Chevrolet U.S. Army 150/0
07 05 Mark Martin Chevrolet Kellogg’s / Carquest 146/0
08 88 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet Amp Energy / National Guard 142/0
09 44 A.J. Allmendinger Dodge Charter Comm. 138/0
10 26 Jamie McMurray Ford Irwin Industrial Tools 134/0
Standings as of Martinsville:
01 Jeff Gordon
02 Clint Bowyer
03 Kurt Busch
04 Jimmie Johnson
05 Denny Hamlin
06 Kyle Busch
07 Tony Stewart
08 Carl Edwards
09 Kasey Kahne
10 Kevin Harvick
At least eight states, including West Virginia, are actively considering making drug tests mandatory for food stamps, welfare, or unemployment recipients . I really think this is a good idea.
But in a classic demonstration of how America has always had one drug law for the rich and one for the poor, no one has suggested drug testing recipients of billions in bailout cash.
We could probably save a lot of money by testing Wall Street financiers for pot or cocaine.
Both are using the tax payers’ money! Don’t you agree?
Kanawha County state Senator Erik Wells took on the state’s two teacher unions last week, accusing them of being more interested in pay than students’ education.
“We have to change,“ an emotional Senator said during a Senate Finance Committee meeting Thursday. “I get tired of the WVEA and the AFT always talking about pay and not about kids.“
Senator Wells made the comments as he pushed for legislation that would allow for the creation of charter schools.
Senator Wells and other supporters say charter schools would clear out much of the typical public education bureaucracy, allowing innovation and great accountability.
WV is one of just eight states that do not permit charter schools.
WVEA says that charter schools would amount to cherry picking the best students at the expense of others by “taking public money away from every child in West Virginia and telling a select few students that they will have a better chance.“
Senator Wells accused WVEA and others of “fear mongering” to keep charter schools from working. “I’m just looking for some change in the way we educate our students,“ he said.
Senator Wells was relentless on the unions, accusing them of not having the best interest of students in mind. “I would hope your organizations would not be a roadblock,“ he chastised the unions.
The unions prevailed, however, because the committee decided to just study the bill rather than act on it. Senator Wells agreed to study the resolution, but added that he’ll bring the bill up next year. “I’ll be dammed if I’m just going to stand there and let it go by,“ he said.
The legislation would have permitted a charter school if 60 percent of the parents and teachers wanted it.
Statement From Governor Manchin About Meeting With White House Environmental Officials
Governor Joe Manchin released this statement on 03/25/09, after meeting with officials from the White House Council on Environmental Quality and the Environmental Protection Agency:
“Late this morning, I met with senior White House environmental officials to discuss mountaintop mining and the letters sent yesterday by the EPA about mining permits. We had a very productive meeting during which I shared our concerns about the potential impact of those letters. They explained that they are evaluating a number of permits, but want to look more closely at the two mining permits in question. I told them we are looking for a balance between the environment and the economy, and they assured me that they will work with us to find that balance.
“As a result of our discussions this morning, our state Department of Environmental Protection is bringing together the mining companies that have permits in question and EPA officials. We will expedite this meeting so we can work together to resolve the concerns on these issues and build a dialogue for the future.
“With a new administration comes new policies and they will have to evaluate past policies to determine where they can make improvements. We need to give them the opportunity to sit at the table with us and find common ground.”
A film arriving to stores this week is “Burning the Future: Coal in America,” a look at the conflict between the coal industry and residents of West Virginia who face environmental degradation and “a government that recklessly appeases the demands of the local coal companies at the expense of the community’s safety.”
New York Times writes: West Virginia provides coal to produce electricity for half the nation. Ironically, while preserving jobs, coal mining disfigures mountainsides, destroys plant and animal species and spreads toxic groundwater. Yet so effective is the coal industry’s public relations campaign promoting “clean coal” that these long-term environmental disasters remain largely unreported. In response, documentary filmmaker David Novak provides an impassioned, harsh exposé of big coal. “As upsetting as it is informative”.
The movie can also be seen on the Sundance Channel in May!
WV Jail officials are saying, there is not enough room in West Virginia’s jails and prisons for its inmates, and the overpopulation issue is expected to get worse in the coming years.
West Virginia Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety and the West Virginia Division of Corrections reports that the population in regional jails and prisons in WV as of 12/31/2008 was 6,059.
The current prison capacity in the state is 5,300.
In the report at the end of 2008, the top five crimes committed by DOC inmates for fiscal 2008 were: —- Robbery - 547 inmates —- Drugs - 597 inmates —- Burglary/Breaking and Entering - 704 inmates —- Forcible Sex Offense - 840 inmates —- Homicide - 841 inmates.
Currently 85% of jail and prison inmates are being held for non-violent crimes.
WV DOC FY 07-08 Annual Report and a daily inmate count, among other sources, also report that the total prison commitments for calendar year 2008 were 3,273, while the total number of prisoners released - including paroles, discharges, escapees, those who died while incarcerated, court-ordered releases, pardons, medical respite and diagnostic releases - was 2,698.
Filmmaker Storm Taylor doesn’t expect everyone to be glad that somebody else is doing a documentary about Jesco White and his family. The star of “The Dancing Outlaw” has an international cult following, both for his mountain dancing and for his often bizarre antics.
Taylor says he’s heard many times, “You’re going to make West Virginia look bad.“
“He believes people who think in those terms shouldn’t turn their heads. It’s really part of the problem. “It’s not ‘Hillbillies Gone Wild,’” he said. “A lot of people want to think that’s what we’re doing. The Whites are what they are. There’s no faking it.”
For the past year, Taylor and his film crew have visited Boone County. They’ve filmed White, his family and the people surrounding them for a documentary titled “The Wild and Wonderful Whites.” The documentary is bankrolled by Johnny Knoxville, Spike Jonze and Jeff!
Tremaine, the creators of the wildly popular MTV series “Jackass,” which featured Knoxville and his friends performing dangerous, self-destructive and crude pranks and stunts.
Taylor says he understands rural people are sensitive to how they’re portrayed in the media. He comes from Maryville, Tenn., a small town just outside of Knoxville, where he spends most of his time working in real estate to support his part-time interest in filmmaking.
“I met Johnny (Knoxville) at a pool hall in south Knoxville,” Taylor said. “I came outside and there was a guy sitting in my car listening to my Johnny Cash cassette.”The two hit it off. After Knoxville went to California and became a television and film star, Taylor worked on several productions with him and others connected with “Jackass.”
He says he could work full-time in film and television if he wanted, but has little interest in making commercials. For a while, he filmed a regional travel show for Turner Broadcasting, which gave him the opportunity to explore one of his main interests.
“I love small-town culture,” he said. “Any chance I get to see something small-town, a fair or folk art, I grab it.”
The travel show had a limited run and was only available in 13 states, but it did give him the chance to meet White. Taylor says he was a fan, but they became friends.
“It all took on a bigger aspect than I thought,” he said.
Seeing how White lived, Taylor got involved with the dancer. He and his crew stripped out old insulation and underpinned White’s trailer. They built a front porch for him and worked on some of the electrical problems in the building. Taylor visited from time to time and hung out with White.
A chance meeting between Julien Nitzburg, one of the producers of the original “Dancing Outlaw” video, and Knoxville sparked a conversation about doing another documentary. Knoxville suggested Taylor would be the right man to do it.
“My key concern was that it be done correctly,” Taylor said. “This is not a ‘Dancing Outlaw Part 3,’ but a reintroduction to Jesco and the entire family. They’re fascinating people and I think many people are surprised they’re amazingly likeable.”
But he’s not pulling his punches. Taylor’s film crew spent a year following the family. Some of Taylor’s footage includes filming people in jail or getting out of jail, people in rehab and even people getting kicked out of rehab.
“But we also talked to the sheriff,” he said. “We talked to the attorneys. We interviewed some of the pastors from the community. We tried to keep it well-rounded and true.”
Taylor says part of White’s issues come from the intense poverty the family has endured over the years. A culture of entitlement has developed around them. A belief the family is owed money has caused rifts between people who could and would help them.
He says White is surrounded by more than enough “great friends,” who don’t care so much for the man, but would rather see the crazy character.
“They want to take him out drinking,” he said. “They’re the ones killing the guy.”
Taylor isn’t saying he hasn’t been guilty of the same thing. Back when he first started coming to visit White at his trailer, he was one of those people who showed up on his doorstep with a jar of moonshine ready to party. Over the past year, as he’s had the chance to see the value of those kinds of friends, he’s changed his approach.
“These days, I call ahead and make sure he’s got something to eat,” Taylor said. “He doesn’t eat right. He doesn’t take care of himself.”
Taylor says the film is almost finished. With another month of editing, “The Wild and Wonderful Whites” will be ready for film festivals.
“We have 500 hours of footage,” he said. “This ought to be a six-part series instead of just an hour-and-a-half film.”
Although he hopes “The Wild and Wonderful Whites” will be picked up for distribution at movie houses, he’s realistic. Only a spare handful of documentaries get picked up for national distribution. A few end up as art house films. But he expects “The Wild and Wonderful Whites” will probably find its audience on DVD. ~~ by BILL LYNCH / AP ~~
WV Legislature is facing an uphill battle for a bill that forces the high schools in WV to hire a full-time athletic director and set standards for them.
The price tag for this bill is set at $6 million, which has to be paid by either the state’s 55 county school systems or individual high schools.
Unfortunately, the bill that would require the hiring of athletic directors does nothing to fund it.
Gilmer County High School Principal Nasia Butcher told Charleston Daily-Mail that her school could use a full-time employee to handle athletics but the county already is strapped for funds.
“If they gave us the funding, it would be great,“ she said. “I would be in favor of that. That would make all of our lives easier.
“But passing it without the funding? It’s difficult now as it is.“
Butcher said the county’s current athletic director is also an elementary school teacher. The person is paid about $5,000 a year for the athletics work, which includes many duties.
The Gilmer athletic director is responsible for sporting events for six grades (7-12) and has to hire referees, meet with coaches, go over rules and regulations, and schedule every game and make- up game, manage transportation issues and make sure teams have the right equipment. The athletic director also attends as many games as possible, including all away football games.
Blue-Hippo is such a cute name for a computer finance company.
But the thousands of unfortunate people who have been robbed of their hard-earned money by this outfit must think of it more like the hippopotamus of the wild — vicious and unpredictable.
Here is an example of a lady who wanted a computer but couldn’t pay cash for it, and financing was not possible.
A little more than a year ago she saw a television ad about how easily anyone with poor credit could get a computer by simply making a few payments up front to prove they are worthy of financing.
She signed up to make bi-monthly payments that would add up to $1,918.
In return she would receive a basic Dell desktop computer that today one could purchase for less than $500.
After paying $853.85 with a $99 down payment and 17 installments, she still didn’t get her computer. She was late on making a couple of payments, but she had already paid up front more than the computer was worth.
She called the company numerous times but kept getting the runaround. She repeatedly was put on hold for up to an hour. She was told that supervisors were unavailable. Then she was told her computer was in the warehouse. Finally she was told she could use the money she paid to buy other electronic toys Blue-Hippo sells — at prices far higher than typical retail.
“I just want my money back,“ she said. “The funny thing about all this is that now I actually have enough to buy a PC if only I could get my money back.“
It took a few tries, but I finally got through to an attorney for Maryland-based Blue-Hippo, who promised to make things right for her by refunding her money.
As the result of a complaint brought by the Federal Trade Commission, Blue-Hippo’s two finance companies agreed three years ago to pay up to $5 million to customers whose money was taken but who received nothing in return.
That settlement did not seem to have much of an effect on Blue-Hippo. Consumer complaints continued to flood the Better Business Bureau and attorneys general around the country, according to the BBB.
Two years ago, West Virginia’s attorney general filed a suit against Blue-Hippo, charging that it failed to honor its promise to return payments to customers in that state who got smart and wanted their money back.
According to the Better Business Bureau, Blue-Hippo failed even to respond to more than 1,000 written complaints in the past couple of years.
But enough is enough. This company has shown by its actions that its prime motivation is to steal from the poor.
How can a company justify its existence by conning people with bad credit to send them as much as $2,000 and in return they might or might not send them a computer worth $500?
Apparently the company felt comfortable doing what they did as it seemed to be the national policy. Capitalism at work! Get rich at the expense of the poor, and get away with it. Now, it is time for the FTC and attorneys generals to take this company out.
A former Union Carbide building in Charleston, West Virginia is imploded to make way for new construction at the University of Charleston. (Saturday, March 28, 2009)
There can be no question Tashua you read GFP. Tashua, can you further explain what is happening? You owe those of us who have supported you, a better explanation. We trusted you.
People. Voters. This is your fault!
You elect an young, immature person to office what do you expect!?
You elect Kennedy, Ramsey and Chapman!?
You all know them. You got exactly what you voted for!?
Don’t claim “surprise” !?
We know the County treasury is empty!?
Is the town treasury empty too!?
By you get the government you deserve on 05.23.2013
Mayor Allman must have influenced the college to keep all the flowerbeds on campus, once pretty, trashy looking and full of weeds as well. Just go and take a look. what do you say Tommy and Tim?
The city council is also at fault for letting the mayor be more interested in her secret affairs of throwing sex toys parties rather than taking care of the city.
For those four years the City got to pay a higher salary for Mayor and went from a part time to a full time secretarial position. The City doesn’t own the Park where we’re not allowed to sit and eat lunch on a bench. City taxpayers got a bill to remodel the Mayor’s office, We still have crumbling sidewalks, no street paving, collapsing water, sewer and drain lines, a failing treatment plant that badly needs an upgrade along with higher water and sewer bills. We paid the highest tax rate in the county for a couple of parties and 2 dogs to feed and vet. No infrastructure improvements and absolutely no maintenance. We did learn the Mayor likes to party.
According to three Council members and the main office it’s all true. Knowing all this it’s real easy to believe they got rid of one more that won’t play ball for the politicos at the High School.
By Is This Really the Gilmer County Way on 05.22.2013
If I had a dollar for every person that said they don’t vote anymore because “it doesn’t matter what you vote for, they do what they want anyway”, my cruise to Greece would be paid for.
Wish no bad on the ex-Mayor but given how business is done around here it’s too much of a coincidence.
Last election was what, 15 or 16 votes all together?
No doubt the family will be all that votes this time.
Audits, reports, meetings, waivers, programs, and LOTS of money.
This is the ingredient list for the failed West Virginia Department of Failed Education.
Thank you for the professional way you informed your town council of your actions.
Always nice to learn of a ‘resignation’ or a cop-out on the internet.
By don't let the GC door hit you in the bass on 05.21.2013
Common Core rather promotes a socialist, communist program. Check the names who claim authorship. Texas dropped Common Core all ready, went on to C-Scope and now are dropping that as well.
This is a great example of two broken and failed systems working in unison.
~Seventy pages of ‘regulation’ from our failed educational system.
~Over a year before a ‘charged’ person gets their day in court.
Anonymous
You say that my Internal Evidence is “one of the lamest pieces of sophistry I have ever seen.“ One of the oldest ploys in debate is ridicule. When you cannot deal with the argument, make light of it.
You agree that blood is the evidence, and scientific knowledge is the proof, but you do not say how you get that scientific knowledge. Is it not through testing the blood itself? And we are in agreement as to the white granular substance, the proof is in the lab test.
That’s the point I was making with regard to the inspiration of The Bible. The Bible is evidence. Examining the scriptures is the proof…..if you want to draw a distinction betweeen the two. In my dictionary, proof is listed as a synonym for evidence, and evidence is listed as a synonym for proof.
You say that men have been testing The Bible through higher criticism for a century and a half, and it does not pass the tests. You fail to mention just who these higher critics are, their background and belief, and what tests The Bible has failed. It’s easy to make charges. Can you back them up with proof?
Do we not accept the testimony of eye-witnesses in a court of law, unless there is reason to believe they are not trustworthy? Should we not accept the testimony of these holy men of God who claimed they were speaking the word of God, unless we have reason to believe they were not being truthful? If you do not accept their testimony, then it is up to you to prove they were lying. What ever happened to “innocent until proven guilty”?
If you will take the time to honestly search the scriptures, you will be impressed with their Unity and Harmony, their Beauty and Influence, the Fulfillment of Prophecy, and the Scientific Foreknowledge, all of which we will examine in future articles.
What normally happens when organizations fail is a leadership change. One is needed now for Gilmer County, particularly for the high school. There is no evidence that citizens are getting value for their money over there with the disregardful performance scores our students are getting. Then too for the past few years there has been perpetual chaos with all types of problems, but nothing has been done by Ron Blankenship to effectively deal with issues. We have heard allegations about wild parties involving faculty and students, chronic down time with computer systems, low faculty and staff morale caused by fear, bullying, sex between faculty and students, grade changing and other forms of preferential treatment of students from rich and powerful families, wasteful spending, failure to solve the rash of bomb threats, and much more. Blankenship was the wrong person for the job because of his ties to the Butchers who helped achieve the State’s take over of our schools, getting him installed, and keeping him in the County. He needs to be replaced. While at it, why can’t another job be found for the principal so we can get a better one to lead with getting the new Common Core Standards started? Mr. Charles Heinlein, Dr. Phares, and Dr. Linger do you hear us or is it true that none of you care?
Many will concur with “I Agree”. Was it Einstein who gave us his definition of insanity? ‘Repeating the same thing over and over and expecting different results.‘
That was long before we had a Dee-Cee Department of Education.
He would likely apply his definition now to the American education system pretty much in the same fashion.
We have had that Department of Education how long now? and they still can’t get it right?
Lee,Cindy,Gary and Family so sorry to hear of Ray’s passing…as time goes by I hope you find comfort and healing your hearts all need,Bless each of you…
Brad, Kristie,Olivia
Mark & Makahla
Hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars spent on boards and task forces, studies and reports (not to mention a Governor’s Audit). Given massive and repeated failure the money would have been better spent on text books and Teachers.
Consolidation was NOT the answer. It’s been going on longer than most can remember with no real savings or educational improvement to show for it.
A moratorium on any consequences related to new and unproven programs is the right thing to do. It’s not as though there’s a history of getting much right when it comes to education.
Congratulations to Hunter Ashley for getting a 2nd place in the Discus throw. He may be a Freshman, but he can definately out throw a lot of sophmores, Juniors and seniors. Way to go Hunter. Practice always pays off. Proud of you.
West Virginia “is a full-fledged participant in the Common Core Standards program” according to >WVDOE Watcher<.
West Virginia is also a nearly, full-fledged failure incomparison to most other states. We have the reports that prove it too.
This is so simple. Even the writers of articles are blind or don’t wish to see it.
The State Board of Ed…..IF…...they were doing their job, the Governor would NOT need to be writing executive orders.
Clean out the BOE and employ people who have the knowledge to do the job.
We have how many years now of political appointees that are incompetent, poor or no result in progress?
There is no “one size fits all” educational model that will ever work because all people are unique individuals who learn a variety of ways. For the US to be a leader in education, the students need to be motivated to learn - not pigeon holed into groups and treated like a herd of cattle!
Ideas like Common Core have been percolating in the country for many years. It wasn’t until 2009 when the National Governors Association’s Center on Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School Officers convinced their members to support an initiative to develop what they deemed to be voluntary, state-led standards, that it took root. The idea, however, that Common Core bubbled up from the states has shifted. A nonprofit group called “Achieve, Inc.“ stocked with federal standards advocates who’ve been around since many years, has been pointed to as designing the materials and the program’s progress has been spurred on by funding from, among others, the Gates Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education. For an undertaking that claims to be state-generated and largely free of federal involvement Common Core twisted, becoming a foot in the door for federal Race to the Top dollars.
Here is the header of a neat little report by the WV BOE you might want to google. The Machiavellian quote is so true. As long as this State BOE retains control and keeps remodeling more of the same we will see the same results. When will the Legislature do the research necessary to make something new happen? Global 21, 21st Century, Next Gen, Common Core,at least eight years documented as more of the same.
A Chronicle of West Virginia’s Global21 Initiative
(2004-2011)
“Whoever wishes to foresee the future must consult the past; for human events ever resemble those of preceding times. This arises from the fact that they are produced by men who ever have been, and ever shall be, animated by the same passions, and thus they necessarily have the same results.” Machiavelli
The boil advisory was lifted on Friday. Today, Sunday in Stouts Mills Area the water is brown and muddy! Is it safe to drink it? Should the advisory have been lifted so soon?
The writer’s “Internal Evidence” is one of the lamest pieces of sophistry I have ever seen.
To us the bible as proof of its own inspiration is, in logic, a classic example of circular reasoning. It is like saying “I’m right because I say I am”.
The writer confuses evidence with proof.
In the case of the blood, the blood is only the evidence; it is the scientific knowledge of blood that is the proof. The white granular substance is only the evidence; the lab test is the proof.
With regard to the bible, we have been testing the “thing itself’ through higher criticism for a century and a half and the “thing itself” does not pass the tests.
WV is a full-fledged participant in the new national Common Core Standards program. The confusion is caused by the State’s reference to the Next Generation program that is actually the Common Core Standards program for K-12 English learning arts and math. One advantage of joining the national program is that there will be on-line testing to determine how individual schools, and county school systems in WV compare with education outcomes, and the State’s overall performance can be compared to other states. The objective for Common Core is to strive to establish the USA as a world leader in education, something we lag badly with now.
Your government ‘sells’ this sort of stuff to make you feel good, when in actuality, its just more invasion into your life, causes bigger government, and in the end you have less input and they have more control?
Congratulations to Hunter Ashley for getting a 2nd place in the Discus throw. He may be a Freshman, but he can definately out throw a lot of sophmores, Juniors and seniors. Way to go Hunter. Practice always pays off. Proud of you.