Has anyone noticed that the luminaires on the Easley Bridge and roadway between Bluefield State College and Highland Avenue are not working? Apparently the lights have not worked for several weeks. Originally installed by the West Virginia Division of Highways when the new bridge was constructed, the lights serve to illuminate both the walkway and the roadway, making the bridge much safer to travel upon. Pedestrians, including numerous students, use the walk to travel to and from the college. Now that the days are short and dark falls upon the area at 5:30 p.m., it is important that the luminaires become operative as soon as possible.
Whether the maintenance of the lighting is either the responsibility of the city of Bluefield or the Division of Highways, someone needs to do something as soon as possible.
Delaying the repairs, like the situation that happened for the restoration and repair work of the signal at the intersection of Cumberland Road and Bland Street last year, would be inexcusable. The luminaires also serve to provide roadway lighting at the intersection of Highland Avenue and Cherry Street when they are in working order.
444
While we are on the subject of Cherry Street, the letter to the editor that was recently published concerning the need for sidewalks from Highland Avenue along Cherry Street to Frederick Street makes a good point. The city of Princeton recently constructed walks along Stafford Drive and Ingleside road to serve the area near the Chuck Mathena Center. Those walks greatly improved the area by not only providing a proper and safer pathway for pedestrians but also improved the roadside esthetics. The area certainly has a more metropolitan appearance.
New walks along Cherry Street would help pedestrians. I have noted on more than one occasion that folks have difficulty trying to walk along the treacherous roadside.
If I recall correctly, the city of Princeton was able to secure grant funding for the walkway project along Stafford Drive and no matter how the project was funded, it was a beneficial improvement. Bluefield could use several new walks and could stand to repair some of the old ones, including several places on College Avenue.
444
Carol Morgan Hart, a former teacher at Graham High School in Tazewell County, has written a fine book. Her book, “Facing West — A Conrad Amberger Story,” is one of the best, if not the best work, by a local author that I have ever read. The story weaves between historical accounts, family lore and countless hours of period research. Amberger, a German immigrant, left his homeland in search of a better life. That better life came with a price — grief, suffering and tragedy. It was, however, a far better life than most of the people in the world were free to enjoy in the early 1700s.
What makes the account even more interesting is that it is about a branch of her husband Frank’s family. Carol Hart gives life to the people in the story. She and her husband, Frank, Dean of Engineering and Technology at Bluefield State College, live in Bluefield, Va. Carol Hart was also a dot.com columnist for the Roanoke Times writing weekly columns about Southwest Virginia for several years. If you like historical accounts and a good story, read the book. I recommend it.
444
Too often many do not know from whence they came. Knowing who your ancestors are, their names, where they came from, why they chose to settle in this area, how and where they lived, how they made a living, and how they may have served this country, gives one a great amount of satisfaction and bolsters one’s sense of belonging.
It gives a person a sense of worth and value. Understanding why our ancestors chose to come to this country and why they chose to live as free people is important. “Freedom” — the concept that compelled many to migrate to The New World and to America — is in jeopardy.
444
There you have it, a few comments on items of interest to the area. It’s cold outside, but I do hope that there is a patch of blue sky for you to enjoy today.
Wilson Butt, a resident of Bluefield, is a retired Department of Highways official.
Columns
December 4, 2009
Roadway lighting must be fixed
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