AND THEN AGAIN… BY TAMARA PETTIT

….No, the post office is not to blame for your newspaper being a day late last week. We delayed delivery of the paper from the printers until Wednesday afternoon due to the heavy coat of ice on my driveway. I have a healthy respect for the ice and a stark realization that even the most sure-footed can fall, so I did not venture out until the ice was cleared.
….Tim Hines called to tell me he chanced upon an old milk bottle from Herron Dairy in New Cumberland at an antique store in Steubenville. As soon as the weather clears I am on my way to bring it home. Yes, there was a Herron Dairy and it was located over on what is now Rolling Rock Road. My Dad, his sister Eleanor (Weltner), brothers Dean and Lynn, all grew up on the farm. My Dad, however, went a different direction finding politics more to his liking. His sister, Eleanor, married Albert Weltner and Green Valley Dairy continues operation in the Weltne family today. Green Valley Country Store is their latest venture and if you haven’t visited it, make a point to do so. The farm was sold when my Grandparents, Marshall and Rose (Barton) Herron moved to Ohio. Glad to see a part of my family’s past exists.
…..If I’m not watching snow fly, I’m watching icy rain blanket the driveway. As we thaw out a bit, I admit to being obsessed with two things: the icicles on my gutters and their progress as they melt and an HGTV show called HOMETOWN. I’ll admit it was the name that got me hooked, but now I’m intrigued by the homes in a small town that the couple renovate. One thing I’m sure about however is that what’s new today will someday be regarded with great disdain. Wallpaper was once considered trendy and I obliged by wallpapering bedrooms, baths and kitchens in two of my homes only to arrive at my current abode and strip it off as I, too, made derisive comments about my Mom’s love of wallpaper. It was a family joke that this house would be two feet bigger if you strip all the wallpaper off. And, now? Wallpaper is back.
…..The Legislature passed the Open Meeting’s Act for a reason. (Yes, I was there for that vote and voted in favor of it.) We recognized the need for greater transparency in governmental meetings. Thus, the requirement to publish meeting agendas three full business days prior to the meeting. The Hancock County School Board does a good job and anyone wishing to see what’s going to be discussed at an upcoming meeting can do so. I totally agree with Board President Dan Kaser’s assessment that the “Good of the Order” portion at the conclusion of the meeting is for comments or observations. Kaser is right to quickly clarify the issue with a special meeting set for Monday with the Board’s legal counsel.
…….Board member Chris Gillette is posing questions on the amounts spent on the ball fields at Oak Glen and Weir High from the Special Bond Levy. By posing those questions at the end of the meeting under “Good of the Order” he is not giving citizens an advance “heads-up” so that they too can weigh in on the issue. Sad to see a Board member make funding a “north-south” issue. But, if funding is going to be addressed in that manner, the new elementary school that Weirton badly needed was included in the levy funding.
…..In my opinion, while commissioners and board of education members may be elected from a designated area, they are elected by the entire county. That means their constituency is the entire county, not just the district in which they reside.
…..I can think of no other way to describe the Dept. of Highways ultimatum to the City of New Cumberland on the Alternative Route through the town than – acting like a bully. Yes, the same State agency who did not communicate with local government…who set deadlines to let us know what route would be chosen and never met them…and who has never let us know where the money is that we were promised in the Governor’s Road to Prosperity bond levy, now shows up at a Council meeting to give Council a month to make up its mind on which route. It is, quite frankly, a lose/lose situation for our County. And, for the DOH it’s a black mark on their reputation.
…..While the Legislative Session used to get off to a slow start, that’s certainly not the case this year. Legislation is moving through rapidly and while the work ethic of the legislators is to be commended, I worry that in the rush to get the work done not enough time is being spent in dissecting and discussing the bills.
….. A bill is quickly moving through the Legislature for County Commissioners to approve ordinances passed by the Health Department. This bill raised its head during past sessions most especially when exempting casinos from the smoking ban was an issue. The Commissioners appoint the Board of Health who then pass ordinances such as the Clean Indoor Air Act. To have every ordinance approved by the Commissioners is micro-managing.
…..The Health Department, CHANGE and other volunteers like Davis Bros. Pharmacy have done an outstanding job with the vaccination clinics. Clearly, the Health Boards are a little too busy right now to object to this bill. Let’s hope clearer heads prevail in the Legislature.
…..The addition of private schools and home schooling into the Educational Saving’s legislation may result in the bill’s demise. The fiscal note on the bill soared when the private schools and home schoolers were made eligible for the funds. I wonder if this is what we referred to as “loving a bill to death” or amending so much into it that the costs are so burdensome it kills the bill.
…..A bill to change the licensure requirement for racetrack workers to a simple registration has been introduced. Legislation changing the requirement that ATMs not be located on the gaming floor has also been introduced. Having served on the WV Problem Gambler’s Commission, I would contend that having to walk a few feet more to access an ATM might allow a compulsive gambler to think about what he/she is doing.
……If March is next week, can April be far? Yes, Easter is approaching and yes, “Roberta Bunny” will be making a return trip to my column and the bunny hutch this year. What a turbulent and eventful year she has had and I can’t wait to hear all about it.