Editor,

I am writing this letter to thank the State of West Virginia and all those who helped restore power to southern counties and to most of our country community for all the help they gave us all.

This winter storm hit our state for eight days. It took three days for the state road to come up this valley. That was after the neighbors plowed the snow off with their four wheelers. Thank you neighbors.

I was more prepared than most people I know. Luck for me, I had installed a wood burning stove to heat my home — with plenty of wood and coal to keep warm.

Most people had other sources of heat, like gas furnaces, which don’t work with power outages, or they may have propane for a back up system to heat their home or to cook. That is if you had enough to last sevearl days because all stores were sold out if you need fuel to keep warm or to cook a hot meal.

I was lucky for I had four oil lamps full for a lighting source. That was gone after four days and then came the old standbys ... candle power.

And if you ran out of lamp oil or candles, again you were out of luck for the stores were all sold out of that too!

And if you relied on electric for heating your house, again you were out of luck.

I did have about $500 worth of frozen food in my freezer which I had stored up for the winter, frozen food from the garden, two hams, two turkeys, and one deer that I had killed recently. All gone after eight days!

The power company is “not” responsible for it was a winter storm. Again, out of luck.

Even if you went to buy a generator for power ... you guessed it ... all sold out!

In The Logan Banner, they said they had shelters put up in Man, Logan and the old Chapmanville High School. So I went the following Monday morning, Dec. 21, hoping for at least a hot plate of food or a hot shower. Out of luck again, for there were no beds set up, no Red Cross handing out blankets or fuel like propane or candles or no Salvation Army to be seen. Asked a secretary at the school and she knew nothing about it. All that wasted space for shelter was not used. No hot shower and no hot food to eat. Thank yu Governor and County Commission for all your help to survive this winter storm.

I am 66 years old and a divorced man and almost every year it’s the same old help we get when we need it — none!

I am thankful for all those crew men who came from other states to help restore power and I am glad they were given a place to stay and a hot meal to eat. That is more than a lot of us had.

Ask me what I had for Christmas dinner. A big pot of chili cooked on my wood burning stove. I am one of the lucky ones, I’m sure. There were some out there that has a Christmas story to tell.

Ask me how I took a shower. A sponge bath with water heated on my wood burning stove of course. And I am thankful for that too!

Yes, it is a good thing that most people do know how to survive. If you are waiting for your local county government or the state to send in aid, forget it! Again you are out of luck all you elderly, stranded, disabled or poor people in those back rural areas.

The snow storm hit the county right before Christmas. Most folks had already spent all they had for Christmas dinner or for gifts to give out.

I am writing this letter by candle light since I have used up all my lamp oil and can’t buy anymore. Sold out! Today is Christmas day and since I can’t cook, I made myself and my son a big pot of chili for Christmas dinner and I thank God for it. This is the life my grandfather and great-grandfather lived. No electric... no TV... no phone... using lamps for lighting and no radio to listen to. And this was my Christmas story to tell.

How about your mom or dad, your aunts or uncles ... did you check on them during the snow emergency? And how about all these church buildings I see. Are we not your brothers too? How about opening up your closed doors and provide help to those who may be in need, no matter if they believe in another faith? Where is the “Love thy neighbor” or is your neighbors only those that attend your church group? How many churches have opened up their doors to those in need or even to go by to check upon the poor, disabled or handicapped people in their neighborhood? I for one saw no one!

Being without electric is a good lesson for all of us to be prepared for such emergencies. A lesson for me, our community leaders, state and government to the need of others. Don’t give to foreign nations when there are those in need at home.

Phone doesn’t work with out power so I couldn’t have called out for help if I did need it. I’m sure there were some people out there with out power for lights or nothing to cook with and maybe no food at home to eat. Seeing as it is Christmas time and people have already bought their gifts and are without money to stock up supplies with. Whose fault is it then? Theirs ... especially at Christmas time and end of the month money and the cupboard is bare. No money left and no one cares about your problems.

Well, for the record, I do.

Fred Maynard

Chapmanville

P.S. Most of this would have been prevented if the electric company had done some preventative measures like cutting the trees which overhang the power lines. Go look at them from Henlawson Bridge to Peach Creek, all the way to Logan and much more so in all these hollows. I haven’t seen a work crew cutting tree limbs for years and it does show when you drive around and not with a blind eye.

Editor,

I would like to thank each and every one of the workers that worked through the storm and holidays like AEP workers, line crews, tree trimmers, everyone and anyone that was out there weathering the storm to get our power back on.

Our power was off for only two days and we were blessed to be able to go to my parents that had heat and power. Our little boy had just got out of the hospital after having a respiratory infection called adenovirus that requires him to use oxygen and suction.

Our good neighbor Taylor Tomblin wasn’t working our area, but did everything to get the crews working in the area to get our lights on and they did. Thanks guys for getting our lights back on. We appreciate your hard work.

Sincerely,

Melissa Spry

Whitman