Cedarville firehouse, Sat JULY 5th.

Starts at dark; everyone welcome!

GILMER COUNTY RESIDENTS

Due to recents flooding/mud-slides, you may be elegible for disaster aid.  Visit the Disaster Recovery Center (DRC) at:

Gilmer County High School

300 Pine St.  Glenville, WV    Hours are: Thursday, Friday and Saturday (June 26-28) 10 am - 7 pm.

                                                                         Then Monday through Saturday (next week) 10 am - 7 pm.

APPLY by PHONE: 1-800-621-3362      TTY: 1-800-462-7585      visit www.FEMA.gov

Happy 4th of July, Gilmer County!
For more details on the Cedarville 4th of July Celebration and Sen. Minard's "Salute" to the holiday, see the special community messages on page 16!

Federal Flood Assistance now available in Gilmer; GCHS is recovery center

President George W. Bush declared on June 30 that a major disaster exists in the state of West Virginia, and he ordered federal aid to supplement state and local recovery efforts in the areas struck by severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, mudslides, and landslides during the period of June 3-7, 2008.
The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals or businesses in the counties of Barbour, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Marion, Taylor, and Tyler.
Gilmer County Center
Gilmer County High School at 300 Pine Street in Glenville has been designated as the Federal Disaster Recovery Center for this county. Its hours of operation are Mon.-Sat., 10 a. m.-7 p. m.
If a Gilmer resident's home or business was damaged by the recent flood or related disasters, he or she may be eligible for disaster aid, according to a FEMA news release.
Types of assistance
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Federal funding is also available to state and eligible local governments and certain private non-profit organizations on a cost-sharing basis for emergency work and the repair or replacement of facilities damaged by the severe storms, tornadoes, flooding, mudslides, and landslides in the counties of Barbour, Clay, Doddridge, Gilmer, Harrison, Marion, and Taylor. 
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide. 
R. David Paulison, Administrator, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Department of Homeland Security, named Ed Smith as the Federal Coordinating Officer for federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
FEMA said additional designations may be made at a later date, if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
Contact information 
FEMA also said

Part 1: Folk Festival's Belles offer their counties many talents

Although the West Virginia State Folk Festival was formed in 1950, the practice of identifying outstanding ladies in their communities around the state didn't get started until 1957.
It was only appropriate that they be called "Belles," for that term means "beautiful," not only as related to physical beauty, but also -- primarily -- to describe their inner worth.
As is stressed in the helpful Belles Booklet, published by Judy and Jim Meads of the Folk Festival Committee, "The woman selected (as a Belle) must possess the pioneering, can-do spirit of our mountain ancestors and be, at least, 70 years old."
With women winning the right to vote in only the early 1920s, and with women's rights -- in general -- coming into play afterwards very slowly throughout this Nation, we editors suspect that many of our women ancestors, who excelled in their chosen professions, occupations, and in the home and community, were never given the proper credit for their long hours of hard work, creative thinking, nurturing of their children, sharing and caring of their families (including their elderly parents), and being true achievers both at work and/or in the at-home crafts. At the same time, they were among the major conveyors of those Pioneer Era values, crafts and stories to their youngsters -- keeping the Mountain State's traditions and folklore alive in the home.
Thus, by being named a Folk Festival Belle, they were, therefore, placed on a pedestal -- the high ground where they deserved to be for their years of service to their families, communities, and humankind.
Most significantly, even today, we, in Glenville, are proud to continue honoring these fine ladies each year, showing them the royal treatment at the Folk Festival as our state's Belles.

Area Briefs   June 26th,2008

Federal Flood Aid now available
As of press deadline-time on Tues. (late P.M.), June 24, the Federal Emergency Management Agency hadn't had the time to set up its regional office in Glenville.
At the same time, those wanting to know the procedures to follow to get federal relief from the June 5-6th's Flood damages can call 800-621-FEMA for assistance. See Del. Brent Boggs' column on page 3 for more information!
Buddy Griffin featured
A Glenville State College music professor will participate in a Clay Center tribute.
GSC's Buddy Griffin, a renowned string musician and longtime Nashville performer, will be playing on the big stage at Charleston's Clay Center auditorium in a special night of Tribute to Hank Williams. Also on stage at 7:30 p. m. on Sat., Dec. 27 will be John Lilly, a frequent Folk Festival performer, as well as Rob McNurlin and Don Helms, the latter being a steel guitarist and former member of Hank's original Drifting Cowboys Band.
For more information, call the Clay Center at 304-561-3570, or log-on at: www.theclaycenter.org