Ridgeview News Coverage Canceled for Two Government Meetings

I go through days where I want to get in my car and investigate or cover every story and event in Calhoun County that’s been reported to me. I love working the news. And then reality snaps into gear and I realize that time constraints, responsibilities of Momma and a few other factors make covering everything impossible. So I have to choose. And then there’s the frustration that some things don’t deserve coverage.

I may take some heat for that statement, but that’s okay.

Two highly sought local meetings have been determined as no longer necessary of coverage.

• The Town of Grantsville
• The Board of Education

I will no longer cover the Town of Grantsville due to their lack of professionalism, provision of false information, and dramatic behaviors meant to produce anxiety in the public, as well as the embarrassment it creates for a Community that has fought hard for the Economic Successes we have accomplished that the Town desires to destroy. When a professional council is elected or appointed, the State of West Virginia takes over, or Metro Government is formed by the State, Ridgeview will return to cover their meetings. I will however, cover their antics that affect us and those who refuse to help us.

Likely the most controversial and misunderstood decision in this article is the Calhoun County Board of Education. This decision was made after a very long anguishing time of thought.

By far, the most influential establishment in the County is our Public School System. But month after month I would receive their agenda, attend their meetings and wonder what purpose it served.

At the beginning of the meeting, people can speak about their concerns but receive no response from the Board members other than, “we are not permitted to respond.”

I will disagree with that.

You’re not allowed to take action, but you can most assuredly respond. You can respond with sympathy, empathy, shock, disgust, any known emotion and even the use of words to console, comfort and assure parents, grandparents etc. that you care. Or, you can sit there like the stoic officials you are that do not appear to believe they work for the Community.

Following the delegations speaking will typically be the recognition of sometimes dozens of students. Some appear, some do not. They receive their certificates, and then they, and their parents promptly leave. It’s very unceremonious. That is not so much a complaint but rather the concern that these students are not honored in front of their peers. I don’t mean to belittle the significance of the Board, but I have to wonder if the kids would not rather their friends see them honored, perhaps at the school in an assembly? And would that not serve to encourage the friends to try and achieve honors next time? But the school has all but stopped holding any kind of honor events, banquets, etc. that allow bragging rights.

Horst Motz reports on the Calhoun Gilmer Career Center and always proves that he has great interest in their accomplishments. There is an occasional accolade of an event or staff accomplishment but little else.

Once the actual agenda of decisions are addressed, it is then painfully obvious that every decision on that agenda is a done deal before the meeting ever begins. Items A through Z receive an affirmative vote without so much as a question or concern. Is that because there is none? I don’t know. But I know that if I felt like I was going to held accountable by the community for the hiring of a future idiot or criminal I would ask a few questions.

Matters that I deem extremely important have been brought to the school board and Superintendents attention such as the treatment, destruction and disrespect of school facilities and equipment but never seemingly addressed and certainly not behaviorally changed. Example: A gym floor that costs thousands of dollars to refinish is allowed to be used and abused and should anyone question why it’s permitted, that person is looked upon as a trouble maker. Equipment purchased by volunteer school agencies can be abused and damaged, and the replacement costs will fall to the same people who worked their tails off on their own time to pay for it the first time.

Call me crazy, but when we were being schooled in the current 1982 building, I recall serious repercussions for such behavior. And our stuff wasn’t nearly as nice.

The fact that nobody ran for school board this election concerns me terribly and affirms to me that the community has lost hope in change with the school system. The constant decline in the number of students is said to be done by “quick acting, disgruntled parents.”

I would be hard pressed to believe that. But I do know of occasions when it was done because the school wouldn’t take action. Perhaps they learned that behavior from the School Board.

Disagree? You are certainly within your freedoms. But as Ridgeview News, these two government entities have not proven time worthy. Now, with that being said. Any parent, volunteer, coach or teacher who wants to send me news about the kids of Calhoun, or a great faculty members actions, I would love it. I have all but begged all county schools to send me information about the students. The elementary schools do. And for that I am grateful. But Calhoun County Schools and the Calhoun Middle High School tell me every time to pick it up off of social media, because they don’t have time. I have not done that because often times it’s nothing more than a picture and a few very non descriptive words. It’s not a story. It’s photo caption… if that. It would be nice if those who are in the know of what these amazing kids do would let the rest of us know. It would be good if kids were honored in a way that made them feel like a big deal. Because they are.

I am not a sports writer. But if you’re a coach and you have some stats that somebody besides me understands… and somebody took the time to write them down, please send them. If you’re a band parent, or instructor and your kids were awarded something for their efforts, I’d love to know.

Details are good. We tell kids we want them to read, and yet nobody takes the time to help write their story.

Yes I’m frustrated. Because my time is limited and I want to make the most of it. The cost of it being available would be the loss of my Mother. So let that sink in. We all have responsibilities. I don’t like to “half” do anything, but sometimes it happens. The difference right now is, I’m not being paid by any of you to do the news. Nor have I ask. But these elected and hired people are paid. Accountability is not just for students.

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