Exit ramp conditions awful — roads, too
Exit 7 is a heavily traveled exit off Interstate 68 and the surface of the ramp is deplorable. Potholes and patches on top of patches. Who is responsible for the maintenance? The I-68 crew or the local maintenance crew? It is evident that neither will accept responsibility.
Gov. Jim Justice and the political leaders were adamant about fixing the roads in 2019, but attention has waned considerably in 2020. I would wager that they will blame their dereliction on the virus.
Do the supervisors actually do inspections on the roads — especially the back country roads? Just cross into Maryland and see what a road should look like. Some of the roads paved in 2019 are beginning to deteriorate and there is no indication the holes will be patched. In most cases, the thickness was no more than a mere inch, just more waste. Evidently, the engineers from the state mandate the specifications for the contractors. Why do the contractors assign their name to an inferior project? Money.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of vehicles travel through Exit 7 daily. I would think the taxes generated would be sufficient to repair the roads properly instead of being wasted doing sloppy patch work that doesn’t last through the winter.
What will be the source for taxes to repair the roads when there are no more fossil fuels for gasoline or asphalt? A current solution by some states is a VMT, vehicle-miles-tax for electric vehicles. An engineer, Toby McCartney, has recommended plastic waste pellets to replace petroleum products in asphalt, which will last longer and be less prone to potholes — just what West Virginia needs.
The new design and pavement on W.Va. 7 in Sabraton is a tremendous improvement for that area.
Gene Lemley
Bruceton Mills
WVU numbers must be included in Mon County
I am disappointed in Gov. Jim Justice’s back-to-school plan.
It appears Gov. Justice’s primary focus is high school sports, not student safety and a quality education. I understand the desire to have sports; however, our communities are nowhere near flattening the curve of COVID-19. Justice constantly refers to himself as a “coach” for the state of West Virginia, but it is evident he only fights for the athletes and not the rest of the students. What about the students who do not have the opportunity to play sports? What about the students raised by a single parent working two jobs to make ends meet? What about the students and families without access to reliable internet?
Our state government has had since March to formulate a safe and accessible back-to-school plan. With schools opening this week for most counties, this will be an uphill battle. Justice constantly pushed for students to go back physically into the classrooms, but at what cost? It only takes one infected person for an outbreak to occur in a school, causing a ripple effect as it tears through families and communities. Schools are a place students should feel safe. Putting them in an environment where they could be exposed to a disease, whose long-term effects we do not understand, will cause an increase in stress and anxiety, leading to poorer academic performances.
With Monongalia County experiencing a substantial increase in cases and moving into the “red” category of Justice’s school color coding system, remote education is essential, as is ensuring our community’s safety. The push to eliminate WVU’s COVID-19 numbers from Mon County’s reports is unwise and will create a misrepresentation about the virus’ presence in our community.
WVU is an integral part of the Mon County community and students live in our neighborhoods and work at our businesses. We need an accurate count of all cases to track and curb future outbreaks. If our communities reopen based on misinformation, COVID-19 will inevitably continue to spread. What does that leave for the future of our state?
C. Carlson Shamberger
Morgantown
Taxes shouldn’t be used to pay for BLM crosswalk
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”
It’s time. Time for citizens (like myself) who have silently waited for some indication that our elected city council members govern with sanity, common sense and good stewardship to realize that those valued commodities do not currently exist in the Morgantown City Council.
The recent announcement that a crosswalk will be painted and dedicated to the BLM movement is the last straw. Taxpayer money to fund a political statement? Really? What other groups can apply for a crosswalk to give our fair city a clear conscience in presenting “diversity”?
There is no argument — Black lives DO matter, but so do any other color combination of pigmentation that God might create for his human race. ALL lives matter. Those little lives that are snuffed out by abortion in the sanitary sanctums called hospitals or clinics. They matter. Those innocent lives caught in the crossfire of “protests.” They matter as well. Can the city of Morgantown afford to paint a crosswalk in honor of all of them?
Christians are being demeaned and asked to apologize for their faith in God and the Bible. In some towns, business owners are being blackmailed because they do not want a BLM sign in their window. Police officers are harassed and injured by “protesters.” Others are being pushed aside, told not to speak and commanded to observe the “PC” language of the BLM political movement. How about a crosswalk for them? After all, diversity is diversity. Let’s include all who feel demeaned, downgraded, different.
The BLM movement is a political extension of a well-known party (and it isn’t the Republican Party). Our city council should under no circumstances be making decisions to spend taxpayer money granting favors to political groups. I challenge anyone who thinks that I am being unfair to the BLM movement to find and read their stated objectives.
It’s time to object to this lunacy; perhaps it may even be past time.
Linda J. Cooley
Morgantown
If Mon County can’t have sports, why can WVU?
According to Mr. Tom Bloom, our population in Monongalia County is 106,000. My question is: Are the WVU students included in our counts or are they just adding their (WVU) cases in our counts? I think they should be able to show us both: With our counts and population, WVU counts and population and WVU added to our counts plus added into our population.
Our county sports teams have been practicing all summer, and they deserve the right to play. Our football teams (high and middle), as well as soccer, volleyball and others, have been very careful all summer as to avoid COVID-19. WVU comes back to town and they’re done. This is not fair to these kids.
Does anyone think about all of our county seniors who have worked their butts off to fight for the scholarships plus the recognition they deserve?
If our kids can’t play, then why does WVU?
I know we don’t bring in the revenue, but that right now should not matter.
Under the COVID guidelines, you might see 500 people depending on the color as opposed to 10,000-25,000 for WVU. Our fans do not tailgate. They don’t drink nor do they party in the streets. So please tell me if our kids are following all the guidelines, why these kids cannot play ball? Also if our county is red, why is WVU practicing? We can’t.
Anna McDonald
Morgantown
In support of Patrick Morrisey for AG
As a gun-owning West Virginian, Attorney General Patrick Morrisey is the only person I trust with our Second Amendment rights.
Morrisey has been the strongest supporter of our Second Amendment right to own and carry a concealed firearm in decades.
Morrisey has received an A+ score from the West Virginia Citizens Defense League for his actions as attorney general. His office has consistently received A+ scores in the past from both the WVCDL and the NRA since he took office in 2012.
Recently, Morrisey sent a letter to all 55 West Virginia sheriffs, advising them of a new state law that allows honorably discharged veterans to get concealed handgun licenses without being subject to fees. Then in a recent press release from his office, Morrisey said, “We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to veterans as their selfless sacrifice protects the freedoms we hold dear, including those found in the Second Amendment.”
Morrisey believes in the Second Amendment and is strongly opposed to his opponent’s radical left party and the effort to strip us Americans of our constitutional right to bear arms. We, as West Virginians, must reelect Morrisey so he can continue fighting for our constitutional rights and promote good conservative values.
Chris Arnold
Morgantown
Reassure instead of shaming WVU students
Looks are deceiving. Unfortunately, it depends where one looks. Look on campus and WVU students are wearing masks and taking precautions. Look at social media or drive down Willey Street and students are at crowded parties.
Back-to-school time is causing anxiety, and many are asking for COVID statistics to be tracked and reported differently. Early on in the pandemic, the cumulative number of cases in West Virginia and its counties told a story of the progression of the pandemic. Now, appropriately, the number of new cases a day is a better way to gauge risk.
But the biggest problem is how to count the WVU cases. Are they counted in our county if the student goes home? And will it affect sports and school for K-12?
Concurrently, there is a message of shame and blame coming from the WVU administration on the students who are the biggest facilitators of parties and who flout social distancing rules.
These observations are connected. Messages of shame try to solve a problem without doing something about it. What needs to be done, to continue to be done, is test and isolate WVU students who are exposed. We are now finishing month six of the pandemic, and quarantine fatigue is setting in. The message should be to hang in there for the students; that, yes, you must wear masks and social distance, but that if you follow your social instincts, there is a safety net. Quarantine, being sent home, being isolated, etc., may not be pleasant, but we all have to hang in there.
If this is done, there is reason to believe that community spread among K-12 and the elderly in Morgantown can be minimized, and things will become more normal for all of us.
Steven Knudsen
Morgantown
