Moving to north-central WV with kids--suggestions? advice? (Morgantown, Elkins: construction, high school)

[harborlady]

Gawd DK, maybe someone should have shown them pictures of Atlantic city before it was sold on that premise. One shanty after another, then celebrity lighting skyline. ACK!
Oceanfront property doesn't mean a thing if people are too afraid to walk on a boardwalk at night.

[tbailey1138]

I refer to that new bridge as the Manchin-Mollohan Arch. You could tell from the beginning that there were motivations other than the good will of Fairmont and it's people for doing that project. It didn't make sense to build a new downtown exit 1/4 of a mile from the old exit that required tearing out a mountain and building such a big bridge. That usually means someone with connections either owns the land it was built on or owns/will own something that it goes to. WV politcs at its finest! Manchin acts like he's for all the people of this state in all of his photo op moments, but he's just been WV politics as usual. In it for himself only and usually at the expense of the state and it's people. Let's see if they find those funds that they are reallocating when the time comes to finish those other projects. There's been very little mention of this reallocation and even less mention of which projects they are taking the money from. Don't want to anger any potential voters.

[LilyLaLa]

Originally Posted by GottaHerdOn

The last I heard RCB was having some problems but still going strong. He met the last surviving veteran of World War I the other day for breakfast. The last surviving vet happens to live in the eastern panhandle of WV and is 107 years old.

Thanks GHO for the roads update! For me, your estimated timing of the finished highway is "somewhere between retirement and death".... but at least my kids will be able to drive fast when I'm gone!

You scared me, by the way---Frank Buckles is the last surviving AMERICAN WWI vet! I checked bbc archives for news of Henry Allingham in Britain, who just made news when he celebrated his 112th birthday a week or two ago, and was glad to see no news of a funeral. (Apparently the last surviving British WWI veteran will get a huge state funeral, so we'll be sure to know when it happens.) There's a few vets left in Australia and Italy too I think. Of course, at their age, a few days can make all the difference. But I'm glad to hear Senator Byrd is out and about.

[LilyLaLa]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

No city in West Virginia deserves this...not even Farimont...

Poor Fairmont! Looking for houses, I have to admit its location and prices are tempting; but everything I hear about it, from a variety of sources says "back away slowly...." from investing there.

Other cities--bigger and more troubled cities-- have been turned around, however. Is there an answer for Fairmont? Anything the citizenry can do? Would an honest and Fairmont-loving politician stand a chance running for local office on the now-trendy 'change' ticket?

[David Kennedy]

Fairmont is scheduled to have one more interstate exit...south of the present interchange at White Hall. It really will be needed, as several thousand workers will have jobs at the High Tech Park and Industral Park.
That will give Fairmont 6 exits. Morgantown has a total of 5...
They have a legitimate gripe...population of 80,000, sports activities with the university, shopping centers on every hill.

I'm not being critical, but Morgantown has a point...as this development money is squandered away, time is fleeing too...future costs are always more expensive.

If the Morgantown city fathers wanted to see a town with overhead highways, which is the answer to cost and Space...there exists in America, several cities who use this technology...Portland, Ore which is a river town and even Miami, Fla to get the roads up out of the swamps and show the via-duct..both are beautiful.

I'm on Morgantown's side with this issue and hope that they can field a QUALIFIED candidate the people will trust and elect...the old family's are not trusted...will not name any of their names here...

Mr. Moneyhand could be beaten in this election cycle..in the next cycle I doubt if he will be elligible...

[tbailey1138]

Neither Morgantown (pop. 28,654) nor Fairmont (pop. 19,145) need another interstate exit. Rather, both cities should work on the infrastructure of the roads once you get off of the exit. It doesn't matter how many exits you have if the roads can't handle the traffic once you get off. Money waisted on anymore exits is money that could be spent toward work on that infrastructure(especially if an exit is going to cost $130 million). Huntington (pop. 49,007) has 4 interstate exits but has such a good network of other roads and city infrastructure that traffic moves very well once you are off of the interstate. There are so many ways to get to a single place that if traffic is heavy, you simply take another road.

[David Kennedy]

With all due respect...our state with its 11 billion dollar budget has very little money for roads...if they did the asphalt would be thicker than 1 inch...

The interstate system is Federall funded and can get a dollar or two from Sen. Byrd and he has been religious in his efforts to pump money into the system...

Those interstate projects have high visibility due to the drive-by traffic...everyone swears at them and sees some road work is being done...

Wv has the bill for all of that highway costs because of an out dated county system of maintenence...cronies can get a dollar or two because no oversite or authorities monitor the projects or funds...

Morgantown will not be able to build 1.4 billion dollars of roads inside the city by themselves...and the state is reluctant to give help...priorities are to the gambling casinos...I cite the eastern panhandle highway completed this spring...

Casino's mean cash in the back pocket of everyone involved...Now we are on the fast track to the Fairmont Floating Casino and whatever else..(the MoJowater Park and Conference Center.)
As a conference center and tourist shill,these are eligible for state and matching Federal Funds...Mr. Moneyhand will help!

It's a game...use the public money for your project and own the Deed for the land...I swear they have copied these ideas from the Russians...

Fairmont/Whitehall/ Pleasant Valley/Millersville serving a meager 26,000.
Morgantown/Sabraton/Cheat Lake/Westover/Brookhaven/Uffington serving an area of 80,000.

What Morgantown needs is a new congressional rep from their city...

[tbailey1138]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

What Morgantown needs is a new congressional rep from their city...

Wouldn't everybody like to have one of those.

[LilyLaLa]

Originally Posted by tbailey1138

Wouldn't everybody like to have one of those.

Have one, sure...
would anyone want to BE one?

What does it take to become a congressional representative, and what's that job like?

Why aren't more educated, motivated, insightful folks (like you all here ) on the political scene, making changes? Do the 'fat boys' in office have THAT much of a stranglehold on power?

[Threerun]

They just diverted around 20MM (if I recall) from the Rt. 9 expansion in the eastern panhandle to the exit/interchange work in Fairmont.

I don't know.. Residents in Fairmont also shot down an excess levy that would have modernized and improved some schools. My boss, who owns a small farm outside Fairmont, voted no on the matter without even thinking about it. He said "my kids are grown"...

I can understand no one wants increased taxes, but when you stamp down projects like this without thought, it really makes you wonder about the future.

Berkeley County ALWAYS voted yes for the levy's. Always. Totally different mindset. I've never seen a more pro-kids / pro-schools community anywhere. Manny Arvon (the super for Berkeley) does a pretty damned good job even with one hand tied behind his back. The local developers are also supportive of the schools, donating land or bidding reasonably on building projects...

Unfortunately Berkeley can fund all the facilities it wants, but if the state won't pay teachers based on locality, those great facilities won't be filled with the best teachers.