Blog

In 1963, Edward Pola and George Wyle wrote a song titled, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” The song highlighted all of the song writers’ favorite things about Christmas and is played in what seems to be every shopping mall across the country throughout the month of December.  My own memory of this song, from my childhood, was that my Dad would jokingly, or possibly seriously, sing this song to me when I was upset that I had to go back to school in the fall.  Personally, while I do love Christmas, it is tough to beat the middle of March.  Over the past several weeks, our cold and cloudy days have disappeared and have been replaced with warmer weather and a little bit of sunshine.  The leaves are slowly starting to come back on the trees and flowers will soon be blooming again. In addition to the weather changes, as an avid basketball fan, the NCAA tournament is my favorite sporting event of the year.  While in undergrad, I was blessed to be able to participate in a similar tournament at the Division II level and have many great memories with my teammates, friends and family.  There is something special about the intensity and passion in this tournament, as the vast majority of the players will not be playing professionally and know this will be their last time representing their school and playing at such a high level.  Additionally, the bracket challenges that take place across the country make the tournament interesting to even a casual basketball fan, as people want to see the teams they picked advance. Another aspect that should make this year exciting is the impact this region has and will have on the tournament.  In Pittsburgh, CONSOL Energy Center hosted first and second round games, which featured my alma mater, the University of Notre Dame, advancing to the Sweet 16.  In Columbus, the West Virginia Mountaineers beat the University of Buffalo and University of Maryland and, in the next round, matchup with the undefeated and number one ranked Kentucky Wildcats.  Personally, I think the Mountaineers’ aggressive full court press combined with their depth, size and athleticism will give Kentucky one of their most difficult challenges of the season.  Furthermore, Ohio has been represented well in this tournament.  Ohio State, Cincinnati and Dayton all advanced to the round of 32 before losing.  Moreover, Xavier has yet to lose and will play Arizona in their next game. Every time of year has something that makes it different and special and, for the next several weeks, I plan on getting outside, enjoying the beautiful weather and watching some of the NCAA tournament.

OMG! My son is turning 40. Wait, isn't that how old I am? When did this happen? It doesn't seem so long ago that he weighed in at 9 pounds, 11 ounces and could get his legs over the side of the incubator in the newborn nursery. I knew then that he was going to be mighty, but nothing could have prepared me for all that he would be. Sure, there were signs. Like when I walked into the nursery and saw a football in his crib, a premonition I guess, that he would play and coach. That he would have the opportunity not only to teach young men to play football, but to teach them the important things in life. That someday he would have a mini Jamie, a boy called Jay, trailing after him with a football in his hands. I should have had a clue that the kid who learned to read by poring over every column of the sports section of the newspaper would one day be the sports editor for the yearbook at a university that is synonymous with good football. I should have known when I saw him lying on the floor of our office reading depositions as a 9-year-old that there was a lawyer in the making. I should have known that the kid who wanted to spend his summers earning spending money at Bordas and Bordas was going to want to run the place someday. Even after I fired him one year for fighting with his brother during office hours, he showed up the next summer. Even after I refused to hire him one year so he could find out what it was like to work somewhere else, he kept coming back. Why didn't I know that after seven years at Notre Dame he would come back to Wheeling and find that the girl of his dreams was someone he had known since the day she was born? Why didn't I know that the boy who majored in business and had a knack for marketing would want to start an ad agency someday? Why didn't I know that the same boy who gave his favorite watch to Justin Kiger and his favorite ring to Jason Koegler for graduation would grow up to give so generously to so many people in need. All the signs were there of the man the boy would become. I could have figured out some of it. Most of it shouldn't have surprised me. Some of it still does. I never figured him for the guy that would be having a fifth child this year. Who does that these days? I wouldn't have pictured him doing the weekly grocery shopping. I wasn't sure he had even been in a grocery store since the times as a kid when he would run into my heels when he insisted on pushing the shopping cart. I couldn't have known that he would continue to call me every night before he went to bed. Sometimes surprises are the best gift a mother can get. Happy Birthday Jamie!

With the present economy of ever rising utility bills, gasoline prices (remember when we could fill our tanks for less than $20?), groceries, just the general cost of living and stagnant wages, everybody has had to cut back and trim their budgets. I know I have had to adjust and re-adjust my budget several times throughout the past three years and do without a lot of pleasurable pursuits and, sadly, a few necessities that I once took for granted.  For those of us who pay a portion or all of our health insurance premiums, we have seen that figure increase astronomically yearly since 2006.  And although the initial hope and promise of The Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) signed into law on March 23, 2010, was to make things better for all of us and ease the burden, the debates over the pros and cons have been loaded with so many downright lies and misinformation it has created so much confusion over what the new law will actually do to our healthcare and insurance premiums. Many of us who pushed for its passage in the beginning are now filled with dread and uncertainty that our health insurance premiums are going to sky rocket even more and our healthcare is going to deteriorate. There are many blogs out there to give you some tips on how to save and stretch those precious earned dollars throughout the month replete with pie charts, graphs and spreadsheets. However, this is not one of them! I haven’t met anyone who hasn’t done this, at least once.  It begins by you needing a particular item or two at the store. Maybe a loaf of bread and a pound of lunchmeat for the bag lunch you have decided to take to work to help save money.  After work, before going home to eat supper, you decide to drive to one of the have-everything-department stores at the Highlands to get the lunchmeat instead of stopping at the local convenient store because the lunchmeat at the Highlands store is on sale.  As you walk through the door and point yourself in the direction of the lunchmeat and bread, a display catches your eye.   The body wash that you use is on sale, two for the price of one. That sounds economical so you pick it up.  A penny saved is a penny earned! Then you remember your toothpaste is getting low and you go back to check out the prices on your brand.  Not on sale, but you decide you better get it while you’re there.  A new mouthwash happens to catch your eye in that aisle, proclaiming that it will not only stop that nasty plaque, but it will whiten your teeth in just two weeks!  This might save you some expensive trips to the dentist!  You grab a bottle of that to try.  By this time, you realize that your arms are full so you go back and get a cart.  You walk back to the front of the store where the carts are lined up, place your items in one, turn back into the store and absently begin walking in the opposite direction of the items that you originally came into the store for!  As you try to remember just what you came into the store for in the first place, you nonchalantly browse the shelves.  After walking up and down four aisles grabbing this and that, you notice that your nearly empty cart of moments before is now a third full and you still haven’t gotten the items that you came in for, whatever they were.  You gaze around trying to remember.  Oh, yes, bread and lunchmeat!  You turn the cart back into that direction which, of course, places you right smack in the middle of the deli section!  The scent of freshly baked pastries caresses your senses.  It seems to whisper your name seductively as you steer over to the lunchmeat case.  Some yummy caramel sticky buns stop you dead in your tracks. Freshly made at the store that morning. As your willpower begins a battle with your cravings, you pick a package up and make a silent pledge to your willpower that you will allow yourself only “half of one a day” until the six are gone.  Guiltily, you place the package in your cart looking at them longingly.  Well, maybe a whole one a day.  You are finally in front of the lunchmeats and before the clerk waits on you, you notice that the Baby Swiss cheese you like is on sale.  The clerk arrives. Yes, give me a pound of that. Your eyes move from item to item trying to decide whether to get the turkey breast that is on sale or the more expensive kind that you really prefer…the clerk hands you the cheese…Oh, what the heck.  You work hard for your money, you deserve to splurge a bit on the lunchmeat.  After all, you are not going out to lunch anymore. Yes, a pound of that smoked turkey breast. More waiting, more gazing at other items… wonder what that olive loaf taste like...the clerk hands you your turkey breast… Anything else?... should you try that olive loaf? Willpower finally wins!!!  Reluctantly you move away from the counter. No thanks, that’s all. Now you need to get the bread.  You walk past more display cases to get to the bread section and by the time you make it to the bread section you note that your cart is now three-fourths full.  Oh, there’s whole wheat bagels…grab a package of those…grab a loaf of whole wheat bread, then notice it is on sale two for $5 so you grab another loaf…moving on you realize you must be getting hungry because those potato chips look really good…so you grab a bag of those; then you remember you need something to wash them down with.   Not even being fazed by the irony of the choice, you place a 12 pack of diet soda in the cart.  You suddenly realize that you are tired, hungry and want to get home so you head for the cash registers.  As you move out of the food section you have to pass the women’s clothing section and notice a nice top that’s on sale!  Find your size and color, grab one and throw it in the cart deciding to try it on at home.  Finally, you make it to the cash register section and try to find one without a long line but typically, three out of 10 registers are open.  You take your place at the end of a line with six other people with overstuffed carts. You sigh, look down at your own exploding cart and gaze longingly at the 12 items or less register with only one person in line. If you had only gotten the two items that you originally came into the store for you would have been on your way home now instead of standing in line to check out. The upside to this story is that you won’t have to go grocery shopping again for a whole month.  The downside is you won’t be able to afford to go grocery shopping for a whole month.  You’ve just blown your whole grocery budget buying a loaf of bread and a pound of lunch meat!

For me, having a birthday on a holiday is an extra special feeling particularly on the holiday I decided to make my entrance – ST. PATRICK’S DAY!! It was March 17, 1969 at 4:36 a.m. and there I was. I decided to let Wheeling know I arrived. I was the first baby born at the old Wheeling Hospital in North Wheeling on that day, so my mother and I managed to make the front page of the newspaper.  Mom still hates that picture because she didn’t even have time to do her hair!  So, out of respect for her feelings on that matter, I will not post that particular photo. And, yes, my parents picked my name before they knew I would come in to the world on St. Patrick’s Day. Throughout my childhood, every birthday party I ever had was adorned with green wrapping paper, decorations and party favors.  I always wore green and had a collection of Shamrocks that should have made me the luckiest person in the world. Green cake, green shakes, green punch, every year, green, green, green, green, green. So many times friends, relatives, and even strangers, when they found out it was my birthday, would shout “Erin Go Bragh.”  To me, growing up, that was their way of saying Happy Birthday.  The best part of this holiday/birthday gig was I shared this birthday with my maternal Grandmother.  How lucky is that?  I must have had some good timing and we both must have been lucky. When I hit the age of 17, I worked part-time afterschool for the Wheeling News Register and they decided to pull out my birth picture that had appeared on the front page in 1969 and do another photo shoot for me turning 17 on the 17 th.  Once again, I managed to make the front page of the newspaper, sporting my green.  Good times! As I aged, I finally admitted, I really don’t care much for the color green.  In fact, you would rarely see me wear it or own anything in that color.  I do not like green shakes.  I do not like green beer.  There is only one kind of green I am quite fond of as I think we all are and that’s the kind you spend.  Is all this kissing for good luck and pinching to ward off the little sprites necessary? When my son was very little he understood that my birthday was always celebrated on St. Patrick’s Day and one day in his little voice he asked if we were part Leprechaun. I laughed so hard, I cried.  I mean we are a mischievous bunch, but much taller than that! Sharing this day with my Grandmother made me feel extra special over the years and never has been the same since she passed two years ago now, but it will forever remain a great birthday because there’s no feeling like the world is celebrating with you. There are some very special people born in March.  Some, right here, that I am lucky enough to get to see every day. To all my co-workers and friends, here at Bordas & Bordas with March Birthdays, Michele Rejonis, March 3 rd, Jay Stoneking, March 8 th, Corey Pietranton, March 14 th, Jamie Bordas, March 21 st, and Billy Teufel, March 26 th – HAPPY BIRTHDAY! And, to each and every one of you: HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY and May the Luck O’ the Irish be with you

If you have read more than a few of my blog submissions, you are undoubtedly aware of the very high regard in which I hold teachers, school administrators and school service personnel. I believe very strongly that the folks who are charged with the duty of educating and caring for our young people have the most important job there is.  It is their responsibility to prepare our children for the challenges of adulthood, and no job could possibly be more significant. They are often asked to deal with difficult children, disrespectful parents and a public who has little knowledge or appreciation of the challenges inherent in what they do.  All of this while receiving a salary that is modest at best.  For those reasons, I always do my best to make sure our local school personnel get the recognition they deserve. Schools in West Virginia are periodically evaluated based upon a set of standards developed by the West Virginia Office of Education Performance Audits (OEPA).  OEPA sends teams of teachers into every single school in West Virginia, and the teams rate each school according to certain standards which have been adopted state-wide.  With respect to each standard, schools are rated as Distinguished (4 pts), Accomplished (3 pts), Emerging (2 pts) or Unsatisfactory (1 pt).  A report is then generated and provided to the Superintendent of Schools, detailing the ratings received in each school for each standard.  All of the ratings for the county in each category are then totaled and broken down into percentages. This morning, I learned that the schools in Marshall County were rated higher than any other school system in the Northern Panhandle of West Virginia.  Our schools were rated as “Distinguished” on 16 percent of the applicable rating standards, and as “Accomplished” on 82 percent of the standards.  None of the other school systems in the panhandle received ratings that equaled or exceeded the percentage of Distinguished and Accomplished ratings achieved here in Marshall County.  A complete chart of the ratings appears below. In a nutshell, this evaluation demonstrates that not only are our teachers, administrators and service personnel doing the best job of any school system in the Northern Panhandle, but that we are among the best school systems in the entire state!  I have known Marshall County Schools Superintendent Michael Hince for nearly 30 years, and I don’t know that I have ever seen him quite as excited as he was this morning when he reported the results of this study.  In his typical fashion, Mr. Hince gave all of the credit for this tremendous accomplishment to everyone else in the school system.  I suspect he may have had more than a little bit to do with this success story as well.  He is just too modest to talk about it. We all know how important a top-flight education system is to the economic development of any area.  The current oil and gas boom has given us all hope that Marshall County may soon see a return to the economic prosperity of 40-50 years ago.  This report brings that hope closer to reality.  Congratulations to Mr. Hince and all of the teachers, administrators and service personnel in the Marshall County Schools!  Keep up the good work! ><xml><o:DocumentProperties><o:Revision>0</o:Revision><o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime><o:Pages>1</o:Pages><o:Words>50</o:Words><o:Characters>287</o:Characters><o:Company>Wheelhouse Creative</o:Company><o:Lines>2</o:Lines><o:Paragraphs>1</o:Paragraphs><o:CharactersWithSpaces>336</o:CharactersWithSpaces><o:Version>14.0</o:Version></o:DocumentProperties></xml><! ><xml><w:WordDocument><w:View>Normal</w:View><w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom><w:TrackMoves /><w:TrackFormatting /><w:PunctuationKerning /><w:ValidateAgainstSchemas /><w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid><w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent><w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText><w:DoNotPromoteQF /><w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther><w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian><w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript><w:Compatibility><w:BreakWrappedTables /><w:SnapToGridInCell /><w:WrapTextWithPunct /><w:UseAsianBreakRules /><w:DontGrowAutofit /><w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark /><w:EnableOpenTypeKerning /><w:DontFlipMirrorIndents /><w:OverrideTableStyleHps /></w:Compatibility><m:mathPr><m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math" /><m:brkBin m:val="before" /><m:brkBinSub m:val="--" /><m:smallFrac m:val="off" /><m:dispDef /><m:lMargin m:val="0" /><m:rMargin m:val="0" /><m:defJc m:val="centerGroup" /><m:wrapIndent m:val="1440" /><m:intLim m:val="subSup" /><m:naryLim m:val="undOvr" /></m:mathPr></w:WordDocument></xml><! ><xml><w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="276"><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography" /><w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading" /></w:LatentStyles></xml><! ><! StartFragment %Distinguished                                     %Accomplished                                   %Emerging           %Unsatisfactory Marshall Co.                         16%                                             82%                                          2%                                 0% Ohio Co.                                   13%                                             80%                                          7%                                 0% Brooke Co.                               6%                                              79%                                         15%             0% EndFragment Hancock Co.2%67%30% 0%

As Championship Week begins and Selection Sunday and the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament approaches, I can’t help but think back to my time as a WVU Cheerleader during postseason action in March. In 2006, being only a freshman, I didn’t have the opportunity to travel to any of the postseason tournaments, but I definitely remember them.   At our first game in the Big East tournament, we suffered an always heartbreaking loss to the University of Pittsburgh in the quarterfinals ending our run at the Big East Title. We went on to be the #6 seed in the Atlanta Regional and defeated Southern Illinois and Northwestern State to advance to the Sweet Sixteen to face the #2 seed Texas Longhorns.   I remember a group of my friends cramming into a small dorm room in Summit Hall to watch the game.  We were at the edge of our seats as we watched Kevin Pittsnogle sink a 3-point shot to tie the game 71-71 with six seconds left in regulation but the Longhorns made an impressive 3-point shot at the buzzer to win the game 74-71. The following season was thought to be a rebuilding year after losing Mountaineer favorites like Kevin Pittsnogle and Mike Gansey, to name a few.  However, we managed to pull off a 19-6 regular season record.   After losing in the second round of the Big East Tournament in double overtime to Louisville, I remember the disappointment when the Mountaineers failed to be selected for the NCAA Tournament and we would settle for the #1 seed in the NIT.  After defeating Delaware State, UMass and NC State, we would be making the trip to NYC for the NIT semifinals, and I was going!  To say I was excited to cheer on the Mountaineers at Madison Square Garden would be an understatement.  Darris Nichols kept the Mountaineers alive as he hit a game winning 3 point shot against Mississippi State which would lead us to the NIT Championship game vs Clemson.    We went on to beat Clemson 78-72 and were crowned the NIT Champions for the second time in school history. As the 2007-2008 season rolled around, I was excited to see what was in store for the Mountaineers as Coach Bob Huggins took over as head coach.   The regular season came and went and we were back at Madison Square Garden for the always exciting Big East Tourney.  We posted a 58-53 victory over Providence and in the second round upset #15 ranked Connecticut Huskies 78-72. Unfortunately, we suffered a big loss to the Georgetown Hoyas in the semifinals and we made the long drive back to Morgantown.  We were selected as the #7 seed in the West Region in the NCAA Tournament and in the first game defeated the Arizona Wildcats.  The second round game is one that I will never forget.  We were playing the #2 seed, the Duke Blue Devils.  The Verizon Center in Washington, DC was packed with Mountaineer and Blue Devil fans and I was on the sidelines watching one of the most exciting games I have ever been a part of as the Mountaineers upset the Blue Devils 73-67.  This advanced the Mountaineers to the Sweet Sixteen in Phoenix, AZ against #3 seed Xavier.  This game ended our postseason play as we were defeated in OT 79-75. The 2008-2009 season would be the last time I cheered on the Mountaineers from the sidelines.  The regular season seemed to fly by and before I knew it we were traveling to NYC for the tournament.  Our first game would be against the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame.  We defeated the Irish and then went on to beat our rival, the Pittsburgh Panthers, in a huge upset.  We ended up losing in OT in the semi-finals to Syracuse.   Following the tournament we were selected the #6 seed in the Midwest Region and made the trip to Minneapolis, MN to take on the Dayton Flyers.  We were upset by the flyers in crushing 68-60 season ending loss. Since then, the Mountaineers have gone on to win their first Big East Championship, have advanced to the Final Four, have joined the Big 12 Conference and Coach Huggins has been named the Big 12 Coach of the Year. The #18 Mountaineers recently finished their regular season with a win over Oklahoma State this past Saturday.  They will now face Baylor in the Big 12 Men’s Championship quarterfinal this Thursday at 12:30 p.m.  I am looking forward to what I know will be an exciting March as we enter the NCAA Men’s Basketball postseason. Happy March Madness and Let’s Go Mountaineers!

A few months ago, my daughter, Emily, came home from school with a Josten’s graduation packet. We went through the catalogue and picked out her cap and gown, her ornament for her tassel, graduation invitations, etc.—no biggie. Then, a few weeks later, we started preparing for her senior pictures (what outfits she wanted to wear, how she wanted her hair fixed, props she wanted to use, etc.)—again, no biggie.  A couple weekends ago, I took her shopping for her prom dress.  We gathered a few dresses she picked out and headed to the dressing room.  THEN, as she stepped out of the dressing room, it hit me!  She has grown into a beautiful young woman. It seemed like only yesterday I was holding this tiny little baby in my arms.  As a young mother, I remember feeling nervous and a somewhat overwhelmed with such a huge responsibility that was placed upon me.  God had blessed me with this little human being—a clean slate—and I was holding the chalk.  I was responsible for raising her to become a compassionate, caring, self-confident, responsible lady.    There were many nights I would lay in bed and question my parenting—am I doing it right.  However, I look at her now and those questions have been answered.  I did a pretty good job!!  I am so very proud of who she is and who she is becoming. Am I ready for her to graduate?  Yes and no.  I look forward to watching her decide what career path she will take and whether she will choose to move away or stay close to home.  I, however, am not looking forward to the empty chair at the dining room table or the loneliness that will surely loom over our home without her in it. “A daughter is the happy memories of the past, the joyful moments of the present, and the hope and promise of the future. –Author Unknown

Get Ready Ohio Valley. It’s Pothole Season Again. With the ice and snow melting, the potholes now love to eat our cars. Recently, as I traveled to my destination, without the ice and snow to fill in the potholes, I came to the conclusion that it is downright dangerous on our roads.  On one section of Interstate 70 in Pennsylvania, you only had a small window of time to change lanes without losing your car to a pothole. The center of the road was just one continuous, giant pothole. You had to make a choice either stay in one lane or risk your life to get into the other lane. In addition, I had to worry about “The Boys” (Barley and Guinness) being bounced around in the back seat when I couldn’t avoid hitting a giant pothole.  Having a sick dog in the car is never any fun. We will be doing the “pothole dance” with our cars to avoid hitting the giant craters, but we all need to remember that we have vehicles all around us doing the same dance and this is when accidents may occur. Soon we will be shouting at ODOT, WVDOT and PennDOT workers to have our roads fixed, but then we will be complaining about the delays that the repairs cause. Let’s face the facts people. There is no pothole fixer fairy that does this overnight.  I know, I know. Some of you are in shock that this fairy doesn’t exist. Orange barrels are going to start popping up, so please be kind to our road workers out there who will be doing their best to fix these huge holes in the pavement. Let’s all try to get ourselves mentally prepared for this time of year.  One good thing is that when the roads are all fixed and drivable again, it will be time for the snow and ice to make new potholes that will need fixed this time next year. Drive safely out there, Ohio Valley, and get your Spring on. Rock on, people, rock on!

Last Friday was a normal typical work day for me, until I got in my car to go to work. My car started right up but would not budge.  That is when I noticed that my car tires were imbedded in approximately three to four inches of ice in my garage.  We have always gotten a little water in our garage from the hillside but nothing like this.  I was not sure what to do next. My husband had already left for work and my son was still sleeping since school was canceled for the day.  I went in and took my good work clothes off and called my husband.  He was an hour away and told me I had two choices – start chiseling away the ice or sit on the couch and wait for him to come home tonight and do it.  I thought real hard about just sitting down and not worrying about it, but then decided I should at least try. First, I had to text my boss and let him know what was going on.  I am pretty sure I started the text out saying, “I bet you haven’t heard this one before…..”  It was a little comical to say the least.  Next, I headed outside to see what the best way to tackle this ice was.  My garage is very narrow and leaves just enough room for me to squeeze out when I park inside, so trying to shovel the ice was going to be difficult.  I started chiseling away and after 20 minutes of barely staying upright on the ice, decided I better go wake up my son to at least try to help me.  He, of course, thought I was joking about the whole situation until he came outside to see for himself.  We determined that the best way to try to win out over the ice was to throw boiling water around my tires and chisel them out. I have two very large stock pots that I filled up with hot water and continued heating them up on the stove until they were almost boiling.  We had a chain set up, I would take a pot of water out and throw under a tire and my son would start to break up the ice.  After about 30 minutes the car still wouldn’t budge.  We switched spots and I started to try to break up the ice without ruining my tires in the process.  My knuckles were bleeding from scraping them on the block garage walls. We were both soaked from carrying and dumping the water and both exhausted. Throughout this whole process, I was keeping a few of my co-workers up to date on my odd Friday morning situation.  At one point, someone told me to “just give up, call it quits”, but it had been two hours and it was a matter of pride now.  I was going to get my car out of that garage if it was the last thing I did that day. Finally after about three hours (there were a few breaks in that time) and 20 pots of boiling water, we were able to get my car out of the garage.  My son threw down the spade shovel in the yard and said “I am starving, let’s go eat!!”

Bliss. Huh, my husband would not describe the last 36 years as that and I probably wouldn’t either, but there you have it.  Now, you have to know Tom.  He’s just not going to say anything is bliss.  Even a cold beer on a 90 degree day in mid-summer.  It’s just a beer.  As is 31 years of marriage. I was 17 in 1978 when Tom and I started dating in September of that year and we were married in October 1983.  We had known of each other since I was in the 7 th grade.  He was a friend of my brother’s.  They went to school and played sports together.  His favorite story that he likes to tell is one day he saw me walking, probably to school, and he stopped to ask if I needed a ride.  He had others in the car and since I was pretty shy, I told him no thanks and kept on walking.  We were at the same school together for one year—I was a sophomore cheerleader and he was a senior sports hero. My words—not his. After I graduated high school, we saw each other at the Tin Pan Alley in downtown Wheeling and that is where it all began. Fast forward 36 years later, two sons, two dogs, several hamsters and fish, and here we are.  Our son, Ryan, just graduated in the fall from WVU and Casey is a freshman at WVU.  We have our beloved dog, Max.  Tom is retired but, again, with college-aged kids, we both work.   But there is something to be said about working at something and it does take work.  He puts up with my hoarding and I put up with—well, I put up with a lot.  But we do have a system at home.  I wash dishes and he unloads the dishwasher.  I wash, dry and lay the clean clothes out and he folds and puts them away.  I take care of the inside of the house and he takes care of the outside.  We both work together when we are having a get together at our house.  I make suggestions and he goes along with them.   We have pretty much been agreeable when it comes to rearing our children.  He says I spoil them and he gets to blame me when they misbehave. Not my children!! Anyway, here’s to many more years of sheer bliss!!

I started noticing many years ago that, at some point, not long after the holiday festivities had passed and I started to “hunker down” for the winter that, despite all the activities/blessings in my life, i.e., work, family, children, friends, etc., symptoms such as irritability, fatigue, loss of enjoyment of my daily activities, low energy level and a general sense of “the blues” started to set in and the symptoms became more severe as the winter season progressed. According to my doctor, mine was a case of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and I found out that the symptoms are not to simply be “brushed off” as a case of the "winter blues" or a seasonal funk… I needed to take steps to enhance my mood and motivation.  So, about eight years ago, after I felt my children could manage for a couple of hours without mom, I decided to join the gym.  I got a trainer, started a weight lifting routine and performed cardio workouts three to four times a week and I immediately noticed an elevation in my mood, an increase in my ability to concentrate, ability to ward off feelings of depression and a reduction in my stress levels. It was explained to me that when we exercise, our bodies’ release chemicals called endorphins. These endorphins interact with the receptors in our brains that reduce pain perception and also trigger a positive feeling in the body, accompanied by a positive and energizing outlook on life.  Not only was my mood much improved, but I was getting the added health benefits of  heart strengthening, lowering of my cholesterol, increased energy levels, improved muscle tone/strength and a reduction in body fat.  And there were social benefits as well…new friendships and a new venue for social interaction. Eight years later, I’m happy and thankful to report that working out continues to be an integral part of my life and a true passion of mine.

Like many of you, I have had enough of the cold and snow. But there are certain members of my family who can’t seem to get enough of it—my beautiful, sometimes stubborn and always energetic Siberian Huskies.  My love of this breed began 12 years ago when I found myself going through a sort of “empty nest” phase of my life. My two oldest children had grown up and left home, and I found that even though I still had a 10-year-old in the house, I had a lot more free time.  What better to do with that free time than go buy myself the dog I had always wanted, a Siberian Husky.  What started with one dog has now become 10 dogs and a wonderful hobby/business known as Howling Ridge Huskies.  Our “pack” consists of Buddy, Thor, Tundra, Boo Bear, Mystic, Zoey, Stormy, Marlee, Abby and Luna.  I have met many wonderful people, and made many lasting friendships, thanks to our dogs. Siberian Huskies are considered a medium sized breed, and can be any color from solid white to solid black.  They are, of course, known for their stunning blue eyes, but can also have brown eyes, green eyes or bi-eyes (for instance, one blue eye and one brown eye).  They have a thick fur undercoat and are able to withstand temperatures of -65 degrees, so the weather we are having right now is actually quite comfortable for them.  They are extremely intelligent, but can also be very stubborn and headstrong, which is why they are not always the breed for everyone.  They also do not make good watch dogs because they are seldom mean, tend to like everyone and, in fact, are known to be very loving and affectionate.  Legend has it that women of the Chukchi tribe in Siberia designated certain dogs to remain at camp with their families to act as companions and guardians for the small children, while the other dogs were trained by the men of the tribe to be sled dogs.  The AKC classifies them as a working breed, and they are extremely strong for their size, have a lot of endurance and love having a job to do. I bet you are wondering what do you do with 10 dogs.  Well…we do have a dog sled, but have not quite mastered the art of hooking all 10 of them up at once; however, we have been able to get a few of them harnessed at the same time to cooperate.  I do have a couple of them that think it would be more fun to ride on the sled instead of pulling it. We also enjoy visiting the Pre-K and Head Start programs at Cameron Elementary every winter when they study arctic animals, educating the school children and anyone else who will listen to us about this breed. We have also participated in pet shows.  For several years we were also members of the St. Clairsville, Ohio Kennel Club, and assisted with their annual dog show. One of the families we will forever have a lasting friendship with is the Dunn family of Kittanning, Penn.  Allen is an active, competitive musher, and I am very proud to say that three members of his team came from our kennel.  In 2012, Allen and his team competed in a 60-mile race at the prestigious Can-Am Crown International Sled Dog Race in Kent, Maine.  At that time, his team consisted of purebred Siberian Huskies.  Since that time, he has begun training with Alaskan Huskies, which are not purebred, but rather a mixed breed (usually a Siberian Husky mixed with anything else that can run fast, such as a Greyhound).  The Alaskan Huskies tend to be faster and perform better than the purebred Siberian Huskies.  The Can-Am Crown draws mushers and teams from all over the United States and Canada. So even though we have had enough of this weather, there are those out there who really enjoy it. Thankfully, however, Spring is just around the corner!