When Stanley C. Stewart was named to fill the two-year unexpired term of Brian Schambach as a Marshall County Commissioner this past week, he joined another long-time educator Scott G. Varner, who was elected by the voters in November, and holdover member Robert Miller Jr., in carrying out duties as set forth by the state of West Virginia.

Stewart and Varner have a combined 68 years as educators, and although Stewart is retired from the education field, Varner is still employed by the Marshall County Board of Education as director of career technology and adult education.

Stewart was employed by the district for 38 years while Varner’s 30 years in education have been in Wetzel County for 14 years and Marshall County for 16 years.

While speaking of educators, David Wood, who spent 33 years as an educator, assumed the office of mayor of the city of Moundsville this past Thursday.

As to Stewart, he has been a resident of Marshall County since 1966 when he accepted an industrial arts teacher position at Union High School. When John Marshall High School opened its doors in 1968, Stewart he became a member of the faculty. Two years later he would become a guidance counselor at Moundsville Junior High School. In 1972 Stewart was named as principal at Cameron High School where he served for five years.

His next position came in 1977 when he became the Marshall County Schools director of vocational studies and served in that capacity until 1988 when he was named as assistant superintendent of Marshall County Schools, serving until 1992.

He was then named executive director of RESA-6, the second person to hold this position.

After nine years in heading up the RESA office, Stewart became superintendent of Bellaire City Schools, serving in that capacity for three years.

After 38 years in the education field he decided it was time to seek public office, but in the meantime he did continue working as a realtor.

In a newspaper questionnaire in 2004 when he first sought public office Stewart listed the issue of jobs as being critical to all citizens. At that time he said, ”We must take a pro active position in expanding our efforts in economic development through the organization of a promotional package that goes beyond county lines. New funding sources must be aggressively pursued, and we must allocate more from our annual budget and become aggressively competitive. New grant sources must be sought.”

On the question of ”How would you make this office more responsive to the public?” Stewart answered, “I will listen to the concerns of our citizens and work to meet their expectations. I will not dwell on the negatives, I will focus on solutions. Together we can expand the horizons for every citizen in Marshall County.”

Stewart is a past president of the Marshall County Chamber of Commerce, a past president of the Marshall County Historical Society, having worked as part of the team who wrote and published the last ”History of Marshall County 1984.” He is also a past president of the Moundsville Lions Club.

As to Varner, he served in the state legislature for 20 years, during which time he served on several key committees, including House of Delegates Majority Whip. the House Rules Committee, the Committee on Finance, the Committee on Government Organization and the Committee on Constitutional Revision.

At this past Tuesday’s Marshall County Commission meeting Miller brought up the Interstate 68 extension. Varner co-sponsored legislation establishing the West Virginia Route 2 and Interstate 68 Authority. The group is charged with the upgrade and construction of these highways as well as the promotion of economic and community development along W.Va. 2 between Parkersburg and Chester, and the extension of Interstate 68 between Moundsville and Morgantown.

Speaking of the I-68 extension, I happen to have in my files a notification of public meetings to take place on July 1, 1986 in both Moundsville and Morgantown.

The flyer reads: “The extension of U.S. Route 48 from Easton, near Morgantown, to the new 4-lane bridge over the Ohio River at Moundsville is the most important transportation and economic development proposal for Northern West Virginia in many years. The Harley O. Staggers National Transportation Center is releasing its report on the economic feasibility of this proposal. Community leaders, representatives of government and interested citizens from the impacted areas of West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Maryland are invited to attend. Other transportation organizations scheduled to participate are the Ohio Rout 7 Committee, the Ohio U.S. Route 250 Committee and the National Freeway Coordinating Committee of Maryland. Regional planning and development councils will like wise be in attendance. Your attendance and participation are welcomed. Your support will promote the most significant economic enhancement of Northern West Virginia and the region in recent times.”

The flyer was signed by the Committee for the Extension of U.S. Route 48, the Monongalia County Development Authority and the Region VI Planning and Development Council.

Varner this past week said he was excited about taking office as a county commissioner, and is looking forward to working on behalf of additional growth in the county.

It was in 1999 that Varner helped spur economic growth in this area by co-sponsoring and securing passage of a proposal to the development of a National Corrections and Law Enforcement Training and Technology Center at the former West Virginia Penitentiary in Moundsville. Since the passage of this proposal, law enforcement personnel and others have trained there and thus have contributed significantly to the local economy. In addition, the facility has become a tourist attraction for the area.

—

Claudia Callahan, the Limestone resident who has been chosen to be a member of the five member American Dance Team which will be performing at the International Dance competition in June in Spain, took part in training during last weekend in Las Vegas, Nev.

Callahan, the daughter of Tim and Julianna Callahan, was chosen for the team in July in National Dance USA competition, which took place in Sandusky, Ohio.

Callahan, an eighth grade student at Sherrard Middle School, has been dancing nearly all her life. She has been taking lessons in acrobatic, jazz and ballet. She is currently a student at Take-A-Bow in Moundsville.

As to the international competition, it is held yearly in Spain and Italy. Since being chosen for the American Dance Team, Callahan and her family have been holding bake sales, car washes, T-shirt sales and other events to raise money for the trip.

—

Information pertaining to a proposed Virginia Oaks Estates Subdivision was presented recently to members of the Marshall County Planning Commission, which in turn has arranged for a public hearing on the matter.

The public hearing will be held at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 in the Circuit Courtroom of the Marshall County Courthouse, Moundsville.

According to representatives of Triad Engineering Inc. of Morgantown, the subdivision would include 50 townhome units and 70 single family lots. The subdivision would be developed on a tract of land owned by Chaplin Real Estate Co.

Since the proposal was presented to the planning commission, members John Hart, Jim Ali, Joe Blair, Lloyd Walker and Howard Coffield, visited the proposed site accompanied by Douglas W.

Timbell from Triad Engineering, and Virginia Oaks residents Randy Whitlatch and Jeff Palmer.

The subdivision would be built on land accessible from Roberts Ridge Road via Rodriguez Lane. Rodriguez Lane is 1 1/2 miles from W.Va. 2.

Timbrell said the new subdivision would be an addition to the current Virginia Oaks Estates. The site consists of ridge tops that would be leveled for use for roads and home building sites.

Utilities would be provided to each single family lot and townhome unit. The project is within Public Service District No. 2.

Public water facilities are to be developed throughout the subdivision and connected to the existing water lines within the right of way of Virginia Oaks Drive and Brian Drive.

A sanitary sewer collection system containing manholes and three lift stations would be developed within the area to serve all of the lots.

The proposed sewer system would connect to the gravity seer line within the right-of-way of Virginia Oaks Drive which flows to the existing sewer treatment plant that serves the existing Virginia Oaks Estates subdivision.

It is anticipated that the sewage treatment plant would need to be expanded due to the increased flow volume. The expansion of the sewerage treatment plant plan would coincide with the development of the proposed subdivision.

The project would contain five proposed roads for access to the proposed lots.

As to the current layout of the area, Rodriguez Lane extends approximately one mile and at that point becomes Virginia Oaks.