Latest news with #MarionCountyCommission
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
Community input needed on new playgrounds in Marion County
FAIRMONT — Marion County Commissioner Bobby DeVaul asked his fellow commissioners Wednesday to earmark money for three or four new playgrounds around the county and present that information at a future commission meeting. 'I like to earmark the money so the community knows, it's not just us blowing smoke,' DeVaul said. 'The money's earmarked, and that's where hopefully you guys can help us get a story out there, get some responses and see if anybody actually wants it. And if it's earmarked on the next agenda, then we can go from there.' The county recently installed a new playground at the Marion County Soccer Complex so far on US 250 North. DeVaul said the community response to the addition has been great. The playground was added to give kids who accompany soccer players something to do while they wait for the player to finish their game. Although there was initial skepticism the playground would interfere with the games, it is a welcomed addition to the complex. Now, DeVaul wants to replicate that success at other locations throughout the county. He hopes earmarking the money will show the community he's serious about building the playgrounds, and generate community engagement for the project. Another source of inspiration was the recent work the City of Fairmont has done to improve the city's playgrounds and parks. DeVaul isn't prepared to receive responses from the community just yet. More information will be released after commissioners successfully earmark an amount. Commissioners will finalize the details before placing the item on the next meeting's agenda. DeVaul said sometimes the county forgets the outlying areas and he thought it'd be nice to be able to give something back. 'I hope to keep kids active out in the playgrounds,' he said. 'Give something for families to go do when it's nice out. I was at Merrickville Baseball Field. There's nothing for kids to do while games are going on. It'd be great if they had a playground there for the same kind of thing.' Jon Dodds, board member of the West Virginia Three Rivers Festival gave commissioners a report about this year's festival. He said, although the weather was a challenge and some groups didn't show up, the festival was still a success. Dodds, who shoots video using a drone, said his video of the festival has received 10,000 views on Facebook. Commissioner Linda Longstreth complimented him for making the festival available virtually. Wesley Dobbs, interim president of the Dunbar School Foundation, attended the meeting in an attempt to rebuild trust with the Marion County Commission. Foundation Board Secretary Howard Brooks attended last month to let the commission know the foundation was working to get Dunbar School back on track. He also requested funds for a refurbishment project. The Foundation has been navigating the fallout from an alleged misuse of COVID-19 pandemic funds, which led to the federal government seeking answers from a former employee. Dobbs told the commission the foundation wants to turn the annex building of the Dunbar School into a place that can provide technical education classes. Dobbs said Fairmont's Black community wants to do its part, and to do that requires providing new graduates out of high school a place to learn trade skills and keep them out of problems. Dobbs said refurbishing the building will require a new roof. He also said the foundation will continue to be a nonprofit. Brooks also attended to follow up on the the funding request. After figuring out there was a breakdown in communication over some necessary paperwork, Commission President Ernie VanGilder said the commission would get the paperwork over to the foundation. There's still work to be done to repair the damage done to the foundation's reputation. 'We're just trying to come out from that stigma and do something good for the community,' Dobbs said.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Former community center returns with Easter egg hunt
FAIRMONT — After years in disrepair, a community center will resurrect for an Easter egg hunt with the help of a group of community youth organizers. The Fairmont Community Development Center hopes the Howard Center, as the building is known, will be a home for Fairmont's youth. Brad Merrifield, who sits on the organization's board of directors, hopes children who are outcast or bullied will find a place to belong at the Howard Center. "We can't resolve all the problems of the world," Merrifield said. "But if we can reach one child that is struggling with anything, and give them a place they can come find somebody to talk to and learn things, see kids grow and smile, we hope we can make a difference." The building is still under renovation but the 1st floor, where the hunt will take place, is finished. Jessica Shaffer, fellow board member, came up with the idea of the Easter egg hunt to show off the building and reintroduce the Howard Center to the community. With spring right around the corner as well as Easter, the timing to open partially to the community came together perfectly. The hunt will also be a good way to make that important first contact with the community while taking place outside, she said. Shaffer said the goal of the Youth Center will be to teach life skills to youth all over the county and be a bridge between childhood and adulthood. Shaffer envisions kids learning skills in banking and gardening, etiquette, electrical safety, energy efficiency and other skills. "Sometimes young folks may not have someone in their life that can teach them these skills maybe because their friends or family members aren't familiar with these types of things," Shaffer said. "So it just gives the youth an opportunity to learn things from a wide range of people that they might not have access to in school or in their home life." Nancy Bickerstaff, who oversaw the renovation of Woodlawn Cemetery and other historic homes in Fairmont, was crucial in restoring the building. The house itself is of some prominence. A renowned doctor who was responsible for delivering many of the children of the region used to own the house before it became a community center. However, in 2014 the building was abandoned. In 2021, the Fairmont Youth Development Center took over and set to work reviving the old community center. Bickerstaff said floors, plumbing, furnaces, electric and other work had to be done to restore the building to its former stature. The first two floors stand completed, and work continues on the third floor. Bickerstaff was responsible for securing grants for the project. One of the funds she said she obtained was some of the County's opioid settlement money last year from the Marion County Commission. She said drugs don't respect family or status. "Our goal is to prevent drug addiction, is what we're going to work on," she said. Shafer said they plan to hold drug prevention classes, the form of which is currently being discussed. While there are plans for traditional drug prevention classes, some other ideas are classes designed around showing kids other ways to have fun. The Easter egg hunt will take place from 12-2 p.m. on Saturday, April 12. Parking at the location is limited, but Mount Zion Baptist Church at 135 Maple Ave. has agreed to allow people to park there. The Easter egg hunt is for ages 7 and under. Shaffer said the center doesn't have a large yard and there aren't very many hiding spots, so it won't be as fun for older kids. However, if parents with older children with special needs want to bring their child, Shaffer encouraged them to do so, as the center will their best to accommodate them. Merrifield hopes to have the center fully open in a couple of months. "If one child finds their way by either having activities or learning experiences or just a place to go," Merrifield said. "To me that's success."
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Marion County Commission allocates opioid funds for mindfulness program targeting teens
FAIRMONT — In a world filled with smartphones, gadgets and devices, the Marion County Family Resource and Support Network wants to get kids to touch grass. 'Until they're five years old, they're allowed to play video games, do whatever, and then they have to sit quietly in school,' Jan Smith, Family Support Center director, said. 'We're setting them up for failure.' Smith showed up to Wednesday's Marion County Commission meeting with a $25,000 request from the county's opioid funds. The money will be used to develop a program that will allow the FRSN to go into local schools and teach young people as an alternative to vaping or drugs. Smith sees electronic devices as responsible for having created an overwhelming demand for mental stimulation among young people. A review of studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health found that most studies found an association between screen time and attention spans in children, with excessive exposure linked to attention problems. An article published on the American Psychology Association's website found there was a correlation among 8-11 year-olds who exceeded screen time recommendations and lower scores on cognitive assessments. Larry Rosen, a professor at California State University, found that heavy smartphone users experience anxiety after 10 minutes of not having access to a smartphone. Smith's own experience with her grandchildren bear this out. She said anytime their phones are taken away, it's comes off as the worst punishment in the world. Smith believes the smartphone induced need for inflated mental stimulation opens a gateway to risky, but stimulating behaviors, such as vaping or drug seeking. 'Very young kids say vaping relaxes me, and it's like, no — you need natural things to relax,' Smith said. 'You teach them to go into nature and sit quietly. Young people don't sit quietly. There's no meditation. There's no mindfulness about what they're doing. They're just scattered running from one place to the other.' Smith said the goal of the new initiative is to introduce students to meditation and mindfulness techniques that will reduce the need to seek stimulation through vaping or drug seeking. The whole idea is prevention, she said. Commissioners approved the funding request. Smith hopes to have the program ready to launch in the 2025-26 school year. Commissioners also awarded a $31,000 contract for work to Carpet One for a project replacing the carpets of the second floor of the J. Harper Meredith Building. County Administrator Kris Cinalli said it's been at least 25 years since those carpets have been replaced. Commissioner Ernie VanGilder opened competing bids at the public meeting, assigning the award to the lowest bid according to West Virginia State Code. The next competing bid came in at roughly $34,000. Finally, commissioners also approved a cost reimbursement subaward for the Appalachian Regional Energy Hub initiative. Marion Regional Development Corp. Executive Director Bruce McDaniel said Brian Redmond, principal owner of Hog Lick Aggregates and also the regional hydrogen organization, applied for a grant to help develop hydrogen infrastructure in Marion County. 'Basically, they've hired a consultant that's going to coordinate a training aspect for hydrogen vehicles, how to work on them, how to service them, how to drive them,' McDaniel said. 'The whole thing is going to be a collaboration between WVU and Pierpont, and the County Commission has passed the necessary resolutions to make that go forward.' The next commission meeting is scheduled for March 19.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Town of Monongah asks for county funds for preventive work on its water system
FAIRMONT — By moving a water line underground, the Town of Monongah hopes to avoid damage to its current water system in the event of a flood. 'By boring under the creek bed, we can ensure that it stays intact, which is crucial because whenever there's flooding the line tends to get pulled apart,' Monongah Mayor John Palmer said. Monongah received funding approval for the project at Wednesday's Marion County Commission meeting. Palmer said residents who live on the hill currently face significant water issues during floods, with residents having to wait until floodwaters recede for water service to return. It's happened a few times since Palmer's been mayor, with the latest incident caused by ice chunks that damaged the line. Palmer said boring under the creek is the best solution to the problem. It will also prevent crews from having to wade into water to repair the broken line. The invoice for the project was roughly $28,000, but County Administrator Kris Cinalli said he expected the final cost to be closer to $26,000 since Cinalli expected the town is tax exempt. Commissioners voted to approve the full amount. Commissioners also heard outside agency requests from two organizations. Margie Suder, STEAM teacher from East Fairmont Middle School, said her school will host a districtwide science, technology, engineering, arts and math festival in March, focused on career and technical education. She asked commissioners for funding. 'We have 36 agencies that will be coming out and what our goal is to get our younger kids motivated to study STEM,' Suder said. 'And, to get our high school students a career, a CTE opportunity to meet with industries and all kinds of nonprofits, so they can begin to look at internships and where they want to go to college.' Vendors from NASA, the FBI, Agile5 and others will be at the event. The money would go toward purchasing an embroidery machine and an energy bike that would show kids how much work it takes to generate a small amount of power. Suder hopes the fair can become a yearly thing. Suder said the school district expects up to 3,000 guests at the fair. Rebecca Burton from the Seth Burton Memorial Fairmont Flyers Disc Golf Club also made a request. The nonprofit wanted support from the County Commission to continue growing the sport in Fairmont. They asked for a $10,000 title sponsorship of this year's disc golf tournament, adding that the sport helps tourism grow in the county. Cinalli said so far the county has approved $222,840 in outside agency requests. About $21,000 of that amount came from the Opioid Settlement Fund, making the county's contribution closer to $200,000, about average for the county Cinalli said. He added the request amount is a small portion of the overall budget, but before anything can be approved the final numbers related to expenditures and revenue need to come in. Cinalli said the county is about a week away from compiling that type information. 'We're not anticipating any major fluctuations in the budget but things change daily anymore,' Cinalli said. 'Just yesterday, the West Virginia House of Delegates floated the idea of abolishing PEIA. As long as nothing like that happens, we should be in good shape.'
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Marion County Commission turns into shouting match in wake of Cinalli 'firing' incident
Feb. 6—FAIRMONT — Marion County Commission President Ernie VanGilder tried to distract from his botched dismissal of County Administrator Kris Cinalli by going on the offensive at Wednesday's County Commission meeting. However, former commissioner Randy Elliott did not let VanGilder forget why VanGilder was in hot water to begin with. "I'm here today in support and defense of County Administrator Kris Cinalli," Elliott said. "Against a ridiculous, unauthorized, and I might add, unsuccessful attempt by Commissioner VanGilder to fire Kris, which happened after the last County Commission meeting two weeks ago." Elliott accused VanGilder of acting outside his authority, with no legal cause or the required vote to remove Cinalli from his position. Elliott added VanGilder demonstrated his personal animosity toward Cinalli by calling the County Deputy's office and requesting them to escort Cinalli out of the building. "Sheriff Roger Cunningham, Chief Deputy Jeff Carpenter, showed up and found out what was going on," Elliott said. "They did not escort him out of the building. Kris left of his own accord, with a box of his belongings from his office and totally embarrassed and humiliated by Ernie's actions." VanGilder declined to comment on Cinalli's firing in the past, citing policy regarding privacy of personnel issues. However, that did not stop one of his colleagues from revealing what happened the day VanGilder tried to dismiss Cinalli without authorization. VanGilder's unilateral action caused discomfort to the Commission. In an email obtained through a records request, Commissioner Bobby DeVaul strenuously emphasized that commissioners' actions should be legal and ethical. "I will not participate in any decisions or actions that fail to meet those standards," DeVaul wrote. One accusation VanGilder tried to engage in unilateral action led to other accusations of unilateral action from at least one of his colleagues. Elliott echoed those concerns in his remarks to the Commission. VanGilder went on the offensive as soon as the meeting opened. Before starting the commission's agenda, he furiously criticized coverage by the Times West Virginian, calling articles featuring him smears and attacks on his personal character. However, VanGilder could be seen visibly pressing into his seat as Elliott held his attention for VanGilder's unauthorized attempt to fire Cinalli. VanGilder offered corrections to the original story. He pointed out it was Commissioner DeVaul who nominated VanGilder for the role of commission president. The minutes of the meeting where that took place bear him out. He also disputed attempting to build a Hydrogen Hub in Marion County, calling it a pure fiction. "We have the Hydrogen Hub, we have to get that project finished and developed," he said in an article from Oct. 22, 2024, bringing up the Hydrogen Hub as one of the projects he wanted to see finished if he won reelection. "It will bring not just jobs in the hydrogen industry but also develop the proposed industrial park there on the south end of Fairmont, closest to the interstate." VanGilder also objected to a claim which stated County Attorney Chuck Shields found no conflict of interest with his ownership of a property that was under scrutiny due to the potential of it being developed as part of a project to create an access road leading to the proposed site of the Hydrogen Hub. Shields clarified what VanGilder said, stating that his opinion was he agreed with a finding of the West Virginia Ethics Commission that there was no conflict of interest. VanGilder defended his record on the County Commission. "The pay isn't very good to start with," he said. "I do it because I enjoy the job and I feel like I'm giving something back to the community. Until a few years ago, we made a lot of decisions in this room. I worked with two democrats — sitting right there — many years. Did not have all this contention and did not have a press continually try to create chaos in this county and keeping this county from advancing in any way or form." On the issue of VanGilder not ceding the commission's presidency to Longstreth according to what VanGilder disputes is an unwritten tradition, he said he spoke to Longstreth on the phone where she asked him if he would want to serve another term. What VanGilder didn't discuss during the eight minutes he lashed out, was the injury he inflicted on himself when he tried to fire Cinalli without authorization. His choice to do so provided the inciting incident which led to the chain of events VanGilder had to defend himself against on Wednesday. After Elliott shared his opinion, VanGilder called Elliott's comments unfactual. Elliott asked VanGilder to tell him which portions were unfactual. VanGilder told Elliott the remarks about Elliott attacking him over the years was unfactual and refused to elaborate further. Elliott and VanGilder butted heads in 2022, when Elliott accused VanGilder of letting his business interest and animosity against the City of Fairmont get in the way of his work as a commissioner. Elliott pressed forward, attempting to get VanGilder to clarify what exactly was unfactual about Elliott's remarks. "I told you, I'm not making any comment because that's exactly what you want me to do," VanGilder said. "Please, take a seat. You've had your five minutes of fame. You're done. Next item." Commissioner Longstreth gave her remarks at the end of the meeting. She said traditionally, Marion County Commissioners have always worked together in a collaborative manner. She said observers should not take the articles published as an indication of how the commission is being run. Instead, they highlight the need for commissioners to recognize that the residents of Marion County have entrusted them to make decisions to maintain and improve their community and quality of life. She recharacterized what she felt articles was describing the current situation at County Commission as a rift. She said her hope was the commission would get its house in order and return to making decisions together for the county. "It is a disagreement only effective communication and following correct procedures should have prevented," Longstreth said. "As Commissioners, we are here to serve the people. We must discuss and deliberate on issues of all levels of importance based on what we were elected to do regardless of personal agendas or political affiliations. People depend on us and frankly it's our job to meet those expectations." Reach Esteban at efernandez@
