Westover ordinance change helps the bees
The City of Westover has hopefully started a long overdue trend and made a difference in Monongalia County.
I have been a beekeeper since 2019 and live in Westover. I have three hives and was told in September my hives were prohibited and needed to be removed within 20 days. I was heartbroken and decided to reach out to anyone I could think of for help.
These bees have become part of my everyday routine. I love watching the activity at the entrance of the hives and seeing them up close when they drink from the birdbath, and the honey is always delicious.
Attention has been brought in recent years to the decline of honeybee populations. This could have grave effects on all of us, as our food requires pollinators. I was advised to petition the city to change the ordinance prohibiting beekeeping and hope my call to action would get attention.
I attended my first City Council meeting in September and presented my petition. After the meeting, I was approached by a council member who was willing to assist me in making this change because of the importance of the honeybee. He submitted required paperwork to the Zoning Committee and went through the proper channels.
On Dec. 6 the first reading of the ordinance changes were voted on and approved. The second reading and adoption of the new ordinance allowing provisional use of land within Westover for apiaries is set for Dec. 20. West Virginia Beekeepers have reached out to say they are proud of me for getting this done, and it can serve as a template for other cities to make similar changes that benefit the very important honeybee.
Thank you, City of Westover, for listening and I’m glad we could make this change!
Shawna Cross
Westover
Why advertise Tanios’ defense fundraiser?
Really? So now The Dominion Post is running personal ads for people? It appears the paper is supporting those people who want to overthrow our government. It was initially hard to believe, but right there in inch-high lettering was “Sandwich University owner raising money.” Under the guise of local “news,” and the legitimizing wording of it being a “Christian crowd funding site,” was a personal ad supporting a man who wants to overthrow the United States government.
I don’t know exactly why he went to D.C., but the reported goal of the march was to keep the U.S. Senate from formally accepting the results of November’s national election. Supporting someone who wants to block the government from doing its job is a far cry from a good ol’ American citizen who has fallen on hard times.
The article tries to give the audience the impression a poor local man has only raised $60,000 to defend his alleged role in the Jan. 6 riot. It may be “alleged” in technicality, but on the national news two weeks ago was a video of the defendant. He was there. He supported their cause and also allegedly injured one of the capital police officers. You can call the article in the newspaper “news” if you want. I’ll call it an advertisement meant to solicit money and support for him.
There are some people who support him, sympathize with him and his point of view and think very differently about this matter than I do. Call me an old-fashioned patriot — give me life, liberty and pursuit of the democratic way of life. Someone who wants to overturn the results of the last election by not allowing the U.S. Senate to validate the results is not someone I support, want to validate or give money.
Let’s be clear about one thing: People who want to overthrow our government are not modern day Robin Hoods. Putting a Christian spin on their involvement in the insurrectional events of Jan. 6 does not legitimize them one bit more.
Tom Talerico
Morgantown
