WE WELCOME YOUR EMAIL: info@ceredowv.gov CHECK US OUT ON THE WEB: www.CeredoWV.govVOLUME 31, NUMBER 4 April/May 2020

Town of Ceredo Town Council Regular Session March 2nd, 2020 at the Ceredo City HallThe Town of Ceredo Town Council met in regular session on Monday, March 2nd, 2020at the Ceredo City Hall. The Mayor, Paul A. Billups, called the meeting to order at 6:30p.m.

Those present included the Mayor, Paul A. Billups; the Recorder, Stanley E. Fink; andCouncilmen Dennis Adkins, Oscar Adkins, Steve Diamond, Robert Leslie and Joe Rat-cliff.

Reading of the MinutesThe Mayor asked if Council had any additions or corrections to the minutes ofthe February 3rd, 2020 regular session. None being heard and on a motion byDennis Adkins and a second by Steve Diamond, Council voted to wave the reading ofthe minutes of the February 3rd, 2020 regular session and accept the minutes as present-ed. All were in favor, motion carried.

Treasurer’s ReportTreasurer Robert Leslie presented Council with the balance of each account and theexpenditures as of February 29th, 2020. The Mayor asked for questions on the report.None being heard, the Mayor requested the report be made part of the minutes.

On a motion by Robert Leslie and a second by Dennis Adkins, Council voted toapprove the Treasurer’s Report as presented. All were in favor, motion carried.

Annual Audit UpdateThe Mayor reported the annual audit had been completed on Friday, February 29th. Healso reported on the findings of the audit and actions that were being taken toaddress the needed changes.

I-64/Broad Hollow Bridge ProjectThe Mayor advised Council the six million dollar ($6,000,000) I-64/Broad Hollow bridgedeck replacement project should begin March 16th, 2020 and be completed around theend of October 2020 with the Town seeing approximately $120,000 in B&O Taxes.

2020-2021 BudgetThe Mayor advised he was in the process of completing the budget for fiscal year 2020-2021 and that a statutory meeting would be held around March 16th to approve theproposed budget.

Police Department ReportThe Mayor discussed the activities of the police department for February 2020.

Ramsdell House MeetingThe Mayor reported on the excellent turnout for the Celebration of Unity/Black His-tory Month event held Saturday, February 22nd, 2020 and the interesting speakers whoparticipated.

Maintenance Superintendent ReportMaintenance Superintendent, Ronnie Jarrell, updated Council on the problems with thegrinder sewer pumps at 855 Main Street and 1181 Goodwill Road and the upcomingsewer project at the Tri-State Airport.

Mr. Jarrell advised Council the Town crew was working on the storm sewer cleanout andthat both garbage trucks had been put to use picking up the trash, which helped withthe manpower for the other jobs being done the rest of the week in the Town. He alsoreported on the Little League Scoreboard project.

Sewer Department Truck TransferThe Mayor discussed the need to transfer the 2015 Ford F250 truck, used by the sewerdepartment, to the floodwall department.

On a motion by Steve Diamond and a second by Joe Ratcliff, Council voted to trans-fer the 2015 Ford F250 truck to the floodwall department. All were in favor, motioncarried.

2020 Audit PreparationsThe Mayor presented the bill from Lisa Thornburg, CPA in the amount of $3,500 andadvised Ms. Thornburg provided the service of preparing the Town for the audit.

On a motion by Steve Diamond and a second by Robert Leslie, Council voted to pay LisaThornburg, CPA $3,500 for preparing the Town for the audit. All were in favor, motioncarried.

Stormwater Manager/Administrative Assistant ReportMr. Dustin Long, Stormwater Manager/Administrative Assistant, reported on the clean-ing of the catch basins for the stormwater runoff. He also discussed the problems beingencountered with people getting into the pickleball courts and leaving trash on the play-ing surface.

Mr. Long advised Council on the progress being made in updating the Town’s website,helping the Cemetery Board prepare a website and locating the software for the pro-grams. He also reported on the passing of Ed Layman, Past President of the C-K Autum-nFest, Inc. Board of Directors.

AdjournmentNo further business was brought before the Council. The meeting was adjournedat 7:30 p.m.

Town of Ceredo Town Council Statutory Session March 16th, 2020The Town of Ceredo, Town Council, met in Statutory Session on Monday, March 16th,2020 at the Ceredo City Hall. The Mayor, Paul A. Billups, called the meeting to orderat 6:30 p.m. Those present included the Mayor, Paul A. Billups; the Recorder, Stanley E.Fink; and Councilmen, Dennis Adkins, Oscar Adkins, Steve Diamond and Bob Leslie.Joe Ratcliff was absent.

The meeting had been called to hear and consider any objections or revisions and finalapproval of the 2020-2021 Budget and Tax Levy.

Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Budget and Tax LevyThe Mayor presented Council with the 2020-2021 Budget and Tax Levy, which had beenapproved by the State Auditor’s Office.

After discussion and on a motion by Bob Leslie and a second by Steve Diamond, Councilvoted to approve the 2020-2021 Budget and Tax Levy as presented. All were in favor, mo-tion carried.

AdjournmentNo further business was brought before the Council. The Statutory Meeting was ad-journed at 7:00 p.m. All were in favor, motion carried

Message FroM The MayorPaul BilluPs, Mayor

With acknowledgementto American patriot ThomasPaine, these are the times thattry men’s souls. The corona-virus pandemic is a once in alifetime crisis for most of us,and it is affecting every oneof us in different ways. I won’ttry here to add anything towhat we are seeing daily ontelevision, other than to saythat we are trying to maintaintown services as best as ispossible while protecting ouremployees from risk. Pleasedo your part. This is a mostserious situation, both medi-cally and economically.

As we move toward sum-mer, albeit slowly, our main-tenance department hopes to

initiate work on two majorprojects. Contracts should beawarded in April for pav-ing on B Street between 2ndStreet East and 4th Street East,along with a section betweenMain Street and the west alley.A second contract is expectedto be awarded for installationof new street lights on Main,B, 1st Street West, Fairwood,and Greenwood Drive.

Annual pothole patchingshould be underway, weatherpermitting, by mid-April. Inconjunction with this project,the flood gate on Route 60will be “test installed” by or-der of the Corps of Engineers.Erecting the flood gate willbe completed over two days,

and will likely cause trafficslowdowns until the area canbe re-paved when the projectis completed.

The Beautification Com-mittee will be overseeing ourhanging flower baskets andflower gardens, in addition tore-landscaping the front of theformer elementary school. Iurge everyone that attendedCeredo Graded to contribute$25 to the school project, withproceeds used to purchasenew trees, plants, and flow-ers. As we move forward withnew community uses for thebuilding and grounds, wemust maintain the street ap-pearance of the property thatserved as school grounds for

over 100 years.Congratulations are in

order for Ramsdell Housevolunteer intern Isabella Car-pintero. A student at More-head State University, Isabellahas spent several monthscataloguing several hundredbooks that were found in theRamsdell attic. This processentails searching each bookfor items possibly left betweenpages, and Isabella recentlyfound a hidden gem in theform of a letter dated June27, 1862, written by then-Lieutenant and later Presi-dent William McKinley andaddressed to Captain Z.D.Ramsdell of the 5th VirginiaVolunteer Infantry.

The letter found by Isabellahas been inspected by theWilliam McKinley Presi-dential Museum staff anddetermined to have likelybeen written in McKinley’shand rather than dictated to ascribe. Archeology Magazinehas made note of the findwith a piece in its recent issue.When the Ramsdell Housereopens after our currentshutdown, the letter will beplaced on public display.

I close by acknowledgingour town employees thathave maintained essentialservices for us under thesetrying conditions. Our staff ismaking every attempt to workalone or with proper social

distancing, and has so far notmissed a beat in keeping ourtown safe and clean. I wouldalso recognize the severalbusinesses and individualsthat have stepped forward tovolunteer services during thiscrisis. Ceredo was foundedby a group of people workingtogether for a common cause,and that spirit remains today.

Please follow the guidelinesissued by our various govern-mental agencies and health-care experts, and remainhealthy to enjoy another greatyear in Ceredo.

Beautification Project UnderwayThe Ceredo Beautifica-

tion Committee, the old-est such organization inthe state, has announceda new project that will beundertaken this Spring.In conjunction with theTown’s refurbishment ef-forts at the former CeredoElementary School, theBeautification Committeewill undertake to redesignand install new landscap-

ing in front of the schoolproperty.

The project, known asCelebrate Ceredo GradedSchool, will include thepurchase and plantingto flowers, shrubbery,and trees; installation oflandscape lighting; someexterior painting; andlawn maintenance. Ren-derings of the completedproject will be featured on

the Beautification Com-mittee’s summer postcardseries.

The project design hasbeen donated by GeorgeKotalic of Kotalic Land-scaping. Work will beperformed by members ofthe Beautification Com-mittee, members of theCeredo Indoor PickleballClub, and other commu-nity volunteers.

To help defray expensesin completing this project,the Committee is askingfor donations of $25 untilMay, 2020. In addition tothe donation, the Com-mittee is asking that do-nors include a paragraphof “favorite school memo-ries” that will be includedin a bound volume at theCeredo Museum. All do-nors will be recognized on

a plaque displayed on theschool property. This is amost worthy project thatwill help beautify Ceredoand help maintain a prop-erty that has touched mostof our lives in some way.

Please help by send-ing your donation of $25along with any memoriesof the school to “SchoolBeautification Project”,P.O. Box 691, Ceredo,

WV 25507, or drop themoff Town Clerk’s office.Current members of theBeautification Committeeare Kathy Billups, DebbieAdkins, Brenda Francis,Kelly Adkins, and CathyJarrell.

2 — The Ceredo Crescent — April/May 2020

Ceredo Police Blotter

Ceredo Quarantine

Parks RemainClosed

Spears’ Confectionary

The Coronavirus pan-demic is certainly new tothose of us now living inCeredo, but an epidemicis not new to the Town. In1902-03, Ceredo sufferedthrough the smallpoxepidemic, a deadly virusthat caused enforcementof measures even morestrict than those imposedby the current COVID-19pandemic.

The smallpox virus wascommon in the UnitedStates around the turn ofthe Twentieth Century,but thanks in large part totravel being far less than itis today the virus did notspread rapidly across thecountry. Rather, the virusmoved slowly between cit-ies, but when it landed in acity or town it spread withhaste and was deadly.

By the best accountsavailable, the smallpoxvirus found its way toCeredo in early 1902 by amost unfortunate series of

circumstances. It appearsthat a railroad employeeonce stationed in Ceredowas transferred to St.Louis. Some months laterthe smallpox virus becamerampant in St. Louis, andwas soon contracted bythe former N&W Ceredoemployee. The poor chapin St. Louis, wanting tolet his friends in Ceredoknow of his fate, sent aletter to a Ceredo N&Wemployee. Shortly afteropening the letter, theCeredo employee wasdiagnosed with the town’sfirst case of smallpox, andtwo members of the man’sfamily were also laterstricken.

Exact numbers arenot known, but variousnewspaper accounts statethat at least fifty residentsof Ceredo were infected atone time and that at leasttwelve residents died fromthe disease. The situationin Ceredo was of such

magnitude that the HealthDepartment ordered a“pestilence house” to beestablished in Brownstown(the current Walker’sBranch Road section ofCeredo), and that all per-sons infected with small-pox be moved to the “pesthouse” to be quarantinedfrom the general popula-tion. It is hard to compre-hend in today’s world, butapparently once a personwas infected, they wereforcibly moved there torecover or not.

An interesting side noteto the “pest house” is thatguards were hired to keeppersons from enteringor leaving. During theroughly one-year that the“pest house” was in exis-tence, two of the guardswere killed by trains pass-ing on the railroad tracksjust behind the house.According to CeredoAdvance newspaper ac-counts, in each instance

the guards were thought tohave been sleeping on therail line and were run overby trains. One could sur-mise that perhaps alcoholplayed some part.

By February 20, 1902,the city councils of bothCeredo and Kenova de-cided to enforce a strictpolicy that every schoolchild must be vaccinatedfor the virus, and by theend of the day 412 chil-dren had felt the needle.Area physicians sited dogsand cats as prime carriersof the disease, and Mar-shal Jim Marcum was or-dered to “kill all dogs aandcats running about thestreets.” By one o’clock inthe afternoon the streets ofCeredo and Kenova werelittered with the carcassesof “more than forty dogsand nearly one hundredcats.” The Ceredo Advancewent on to report “It washoped that the strenu-ous measures resorted to

would put an end to theterrifying epidemic.”

A number of those thatperished during the small-pox epidemic were laid torest in the Ross Cemetery,now part of the CrescentHill Cemetery in Ceredo.Many of the smallpoxgraves were located in thearea that was disturbed in1963 by the constructionof I-64, and locals at thattime warned the commu-nity to stay away when thebodies were exhumed forfear of the smallpox virusstill being alive some sixtyyears later. No new caseswere reported, but thosedoing the exhumations didwear protective clothing asa precautionary measure.

As difficult as life hasbecome during the cur-rent pandemic, it clearlywas worse in 1902. Thegoverning bodies of Hun-tington and Catlettsburgissued a quarantine orderprohibiting residents of

Ceredo and Kenova fromentering the neighboringcities, claiming that “un-sanitary and unhealthy liv-ing conditions” in Ceredoand Kenova presented adanger to others. Forgetthe Mexican border wall,think for a minute aboutarmed guards at the BigSandy Bridge keeping lo-cal residents from crossinginto Kentucky.

We will survive theCoronavirus pandemicby using common senseand following the adviceof our medical experts.Fortunately, we won’t facethe possibility of a “pesthouse”, dead animalson our streets, or beingcited for unsanitary livingconditions. While this isa once in a lifetime ex-perience for those of usnow residing in Ceredo,remember that it was onceworse.

Pursuant to the Order of Governor Justice, mostparks and recreation areas within Ceredo remain closed.The exception to this mandate is the walking track locat-ed in Paul T. Billups Park, which remains open with theadvisory that walkers maintain proper social distancing.

The A Street Playground, indoor pickleball facility,outdoor pickleball and basketball courts, softball field,and the Mitch Stadium complex remain closed.

With warm weather arriving it is tempting for most ofus to get outside, but to curtail the spread of coronavirusthese steps are necessary. Residents are urged to walk,jog, or ride bikes with proper precaution until furthernotice.

The only problem area so far has been with the basket-ball court, where several young lads devised a methodof entering beneath the fence to avoid locked gates. Wedeeply regret to tell enterprising young boys that theycan’t play basketball, or to deny field use to small groupsof anxious softball players, but if we allow four at a time,the next day there will be eight or ten wanting to play. Itis a sacrifice we don’t want to make, but must.

Please find alternative ways to exercise. As quickly asthe ban is lifted we will get our parks open

It is said that in retail business, location is everything.Roscoe Spears had the location. From the early 1950’sthrough around 1970, Roscoe operated Spears’ Confection-ary in a small wood-frame building located directly on thenorth side of Ceredo Graded School. For over twenty years,nearly every child that attended the elementary schoolvisited “Mr. Spears.”

Roscoe’s merchandise was geared toward elementary agechildren. Kool-Aid frozen in Dixie cups, peanuts in papertubes with a coin hidden inside, wax lips, stick pretzels, andshelves of penny and nickel candy. A visit to “Mr. Spears”with a dime in your pocket presented decisions harder thanthose students faced on a Josephine Brown math test.

From time-to-time, usually once a year, parents wouldcomplain about children spending lunch money at Spears’Confectionary, or sneaking to the store during recess.When this occurred the school Principal, Martha Rowe,would announce that visiting the store during school hourswas prohibited. The school children would fret a few days,and within a few weeks business returned to normal.

Roscoe lived across Main Street from his store, and wasalways pleasant with the many children that crowded thesmall isle each day. The store operated until Roscoe’s healthprevented him from continuing, and the building wasdemolished soon thereafter. The structure and Roscoe arelong gone, but the memories of every child that visited thewonderland of candy will remain forever.

Roscoe Spears

The Ceredo Crescent — April/May 2020 — 3

In All The World There IsOnly One Evaroni’s

US RT. 60 914 Oak Street, Kenova, WV

HONOR ROLLEleanor Terry 10/20Jim and Pat Billups 02/21John C. Hall 05/20Paul and Kathy Billups 10/21Jack and Ann Riggs 05/21Mike Watts 09/20Leigh Ann Johnson 04/22Connie & Mark Beford 10/20Dinah and Dale Ledbetter 10/20In Memory of Herb & Helen Stephens 08/20In Memory of Coach Dale Craycraft 08/20In Memory of J. J. & Roma Gail Billups 08/20Rhonda & Barry Scragg 04/20In Memory of Robert (Pete) & Carolyn Sullivan 04/20In Memory of Alberta “Dossie” & Sherman Medley 04/21Tim Wilson 05/20Dr. Ron & Lucinda Akers 06/20In Memory of Clarence & Dotty Clarkson 07/20Marlene Simmons 07/20Herm Matney 08/20In Memory of Anagene Wooten Gibbs 08/20In Memory of Kathleen Wooren Marcum 08/20In Memory of Larry Cole 08/20In Memory of Charles & Dorothy Watts 09/20Jeanette & Roger Barker 03/21Karin & Mike Dawson 02/21American Legion 01/21Ceredo-Kenova Community Center 01/21Evaronis 01/21CUMC 12/20R.J. and C.A. Mitchell 03/21Jennifer Ferguson 04/21Oscar, Bonnie, Michelle Booth 04/21

The New Crescent Honor Roll is intended to be a way we give special rec-ognition to those persons who donate at least $50.00 during the year to sup-port our publication. Since the Honor Roll is a twelve-month feature, you willneed to renew your contribution every twelve months to remain on the Roll.Your name not appearing indicates your year had expired. A very special“Thank You!” to all of you who have helped us to continue the paper withyour gifts. With your help, we have been able to publish and deliver The NewCrescent to every home in Ceredo since February 1990!

Preferred Home Health705C Street • Ceredo, WV

(304) 453-35901-800-995-2151 or 1-800-496-6944

Providing in home health care for Wayne,Cabell, Lincoln, Boone and Wyoming

Counties in West Virginia

Medicare Certified and Joint Commission Accredited.

Supporting Our CommunityCeredo United Methodist Church

Thrift StoreClothing, Shoes, Housewares, Books, Collectibles For everyone in the family

Hours: Tuesday thru Friday 10:00am-4:30pm • Saturday 10am-2pmAll Donations Greatly Appreciated

Location: 218 Main Street, Ceredo

GIBSON’S BARBER SHOPComplete Tonsorial Services

Beautiful DowntownCatlettsburg, Kentucky

Gary Gibson, ProprietorBig Jim, Number 1 Barber

Brent - Middle ChairOld Fashioned Barbering • Open Wednesday - Saturday

Ceredo Figures

Census underway – Be Counted

Much publicity has recentlybeen given, and deservedlyso, to the three African-American female math-ematicians that worked forNASA during America’sspace race. The movie,“Hidden Figures,” depictsthe story of the outstand-ing contributions of thesewomen as our countrystarted the exploration ofouter space. As great asthese women were, Ceredohad one of our own thatwas capable of the samecontributions had she beencalled to do so.

Betty Perdue didn’thave an advanced formaleducation, no Ph.D. inmathematics, and no yearswhere she could spend longhours honing her mathskills. Betty spent most ofher life as a housewife, livedon the southside of Ceredoand raised her five childrenwhile caring for her hus-band, Jack Perdue. Most ofus had no idea of her spe-

cial skills until well after herchildren were raised andBetty took a job as UtilityClerk for the town.

In the early 1970’s, Cere-do provided water and sew-er service to slightly over900 households, meaningeach month slightly over900 water and sewer billshad to be calculated, put ininvoice form, and mailed.An equal number of pay-ments were received eachmonth, meaning that manyentries had to be made anddeposited. In today’s worldthis is a full-time job, withthe aid of adding machines,computers, and copyingmachines. In Betty’s day,she was aided only by apencil.

To the amazement ofeveryone at Town Hall,Betty had the very uniqueability to do math “in herhead.” With only her penciland almost never requir-ing the eraser, Betty couldtransfer water meter read-

ings to invoice cards whilecalculating the water rate inher head, using her pencilonly to enter the final rateinformation on the invoiceand to write the customer’saddress on the card. It wasmore than amazing towatch Betty work, hardlyever did she make a mis-take in calculation, and onthe rare instances when shedid make a mistake, shecaught the error herself.

Clearly, if Betty Perdue’slife led to a place where herskills were recognized byNASA or any other orga-nization that relied uponpersons with a uniqueability with numbers, Bettywould have qualified. Neverone to boast about herabilities, Betty went abouther work as if what she didwas ordinary, but her skillsfar exceeded the norm.

In today’s world theextraordinary skills of BettyPerdue might never havebeen recognized, what with

most tasks being performedby a computer program andeven addresses automati-cally printed on each card,

but during her twenty-oddyears as Ceredo’s utilityclerk we were fortunate tohave had a lady with her

unique ability to perform ajob so well.

The 2020 federal censusis underway. For manyyears local individuals wentdoor-to-door each tenyears to collect informationfor the census, and morerecently the Census Bureauutilized the Postal Serviceand mailed forms to eachfamily to be completed andreturned to the Bureau.This year, those of us resid-

ing in Ceredo and othersmall burgs will have a dif-ferent census approach.

For those people liv-ing within Ceredo buton a postal Rural Route,you should be receiving apacket in the mail. Due toCOVID-19 restrictions,the Census Bureau hassuspended field operations,meaning it is unlikely that a

census-taker will be comingto your door. If you havereceived a census form,please complete it andplace it in the mail. If youhave not received a censusform, it is most importantthat you either completethe census form online orcontact the Census Bureauby telephone to provide therequested information.

It is very important thateach of us completes thecensus information. Fed-eral funding is in manyways based on population;thus, every person mustbe counted if we are toreceive our share of federalprogram revenues. Addi-tionally, the census guidesapportionment for repre-sentation in Congress and

the state Legislature. Yourparticipation in the censuswill have a direct impact onthe voice our area has withfederal and state decisionmaking.

Please watch for a packetleft at your door and com-plete the form as quicklyas possible. If you do notreceive a census packet inthe next few days, please

go to the Census Bureauwebsite (www.2020census.gov) and complete the shortform to ensure that you andyour family members arecounted. The census onlyoccurs once every ten years,please do your part.

CEREDO TOWN STATSPOPULATION.......................... 1,412MALE......................................42.6%FEMALE ................................. 57.4%ELEVATION ............................... 552AREA ........................... 2.26 SQ. MI.

LAND............................ 1.53 SQ. MI.WATER ............................73 SQ. MI.MEDIAN AGE ...........................48.9HOUSING UNITS ...................... 718

Betty Perdue

4 — The Ceredo Crescent — April/May 2020

AROUND TOWNAs we follow precautionary

measures to combat the CO-VID-19 virus there are manymore residents using handywipes, baby wipes, CloroxWipes, and other sanitizingmaterials. It is importantto keep in mind that thesematerials, despite advertisingclaims, ARE NOT sewer-friendly. Please do not flushany products other than toiletpaper. Paper towels and wipesclog sewer lines and with our200 grinder pump units theseitems clop the impellers andburn the pump. Your coop-eration is greatly appreciated.*****

During the first week ofthe “stay home” and “non-essential business closures” inCeredo, the following busi-nesses have been temporarilyclosed: House of Hair; VividSalon; Pam’s Video Poker;State Farm, Matthew Rowsey;State Farm, Patty Edwards;Natural Wellness Massage;Becca Lynn’s Video Poker;L. Harrison Salon; PolishedNails and Spa; Java Joe’s; Fi-esta Hair Fashions; MountainState Piano; Hair & Beyond;Austin’s Ice Cream, and Mar-zella and Associates.

As we move back towardnormalcy, hopefully soon,

please support these business-es. Local restaurants, includ-ing Rocco’s, Subway, PizzaHut, and Holy Smokes BBQremain open for take-outand delivery orders. Pleasesupport these businesses, asthe loss of “sit-down” diningrevenue will be harsh.*****

Special thanks to theGolden Girls Group Homeand the Rose Tree Boutiquefor sewing protective masksfor our first responders inCeredo. Both organizationsstepped forward and volun-teered to produce masks atno cost for the rescue squad,fire department, and policedepartment. Voluntary actssuch as this make us all proudto live in Ceredo and thank-ful for our businesses thatare willing to sacrifice for thesafety of others.*****

A funeral procession wastraveling on Route 60 throughCeredo a few weeks ago, andoncoming traffic pulled to theside of the road and stoppedas the procession passed. Thiswas a meaningful gesture,carried out by people likelyunknown to the deceased, toshow respect for the processand those mourning the loss.

There was a time when thiswas common, even whenother travelers would stop andstand beside their vehicles asa funeral procession passed.It was good to see that suchacts of respect still occur inCeredo, and all that show thisrespect should be applauded.*****

During the course of theCOVID-19 restrictions ontravel and in an effort toease concerns of our seniorcitizens or disabled residents,the Town will provide groceryor essential items pick-upat no cost. This service isprovided in conjunction withRight At Home Health Care,Austin’s Ice Cream, and otherCeredo businesses volunteer-ing to help residents duringthis crisis. Persons needingassistance should contact theCeredo Social Service office at304-453-4675.*****

South Ceredo residentBarry Mosser is again main-taining the High Street TwelvePole Bridge. Barry does agreat job in controlling veg-etation and road debris thatcollects on the bridge, and hasperformed this volunteer dutyfor several years. His assis-tance is greatly appreciated.

*****CVFD medical personnel

have continued their greatwork during the pandemic.Emergency personnel arecalled several times every dayto enter situations that mostof us are sheltered from, andthe men and women have un-flinchingly carried out theirduty. As the pandemic movestoward its peak our personnelwill undoubtedly be put inharm’s way. Please keep thesepeople in your thoughts andif the situation presents itselfgive them your thanks.*****

Opening of the CeredoFarmer’s Market is uncertaindue to the coronavirus restric-tions now in place. Hopefully,we will be past the currentrestrictions by June, and themarket can open as usual forits fourth season. Our localfarmers are hard at work withSpring plantings and shouldbe ready when restrictions arelifted.*****

Long-time Ceredo main-tenance employee TommyWorkman remains away fromwork due to medical issues.In addition to his “day job” intown, Tommy also workedas the caretaker of Crescent

Hill Cemetery for manyyears. Tom did outstandingwork at the cemetery. For thetime being, members of themaintenance staff will per-form perpetual care work atthe cemetery, with hopes thatTommy will someday be ableto return to work.*****

We continue to have troublewith large household itemsbeing placed with normalhousehold garbage for townpick-up. This problem isespecially acute around ourseveral apartment buildings,where it appears that peopleare moving out and simplyleaving any unwanted furni-ture and appliances with thehousehold garbage.

We have long pridedourselves in Ceredo withproviding twice-weekly trashpick-up at a very minimalcost to our homeowners. Un-fortunately, large householditems present an additionalexpense to the town whenwe take them to the landfill.We don’t mind providing theservice, but we can’t incurlandfill charges in excess ofour monthly billing.

Going forward, the prop-erty owner will be charged anextra fee for non-household

garbage pick-up. If we finda mattress and televisionoutside an apartment build-ing, the owner of the buildingwill receive an extra chargeon the monthly invoice. Thisis the only fair way to handlelarge items without forcing anacross the board increase.*****

The Wayside Golf AlumniClub has proposed the con-struction of a three-hole, parthree golf set-up on rehabili-tated property that was oncethe town dump. The groupproposes to construct oiled-sand greens, similar to thosethat were used on the originalWayside layout.

Alumni Club memberDavid Pennington, a formercaddy master at Wayside, saysthe proposed greens wouldutilize vegetable oil instead ofmotor oil to stabilize the sand,thus making the greens eco-friendly. The layout would beconstructed with volunteerlabor, and would providelocal golfers a nearby and funplace to practice as well as achance to experience a part ofCeredo’s history.

SUN TUES WED THUR5PM to 10PM

FRI SAT 5PM to 10:30 PM

252 MAIN ST CEREDO453-3000

•Lasagna•Spaghetti•Rigatoni•Ravioli•Fettucini•Fresh Veal•Seafood

•Manicotti•Sausage•Cacciatore•Linguinewith Clam Sauce(Red & White)

“Fine Foods with a Personal Touch”

Commader - Tom HayesAdjutant - Thomas WalkerSecretary - Becky Millne

The Ceredo Crescent Hill Cemetery Board of Directorsis pleased to announce the creation of a Crescent HillCemetery website. Through the cooperative efforts ofthe Board and webmasters Dustin Long and Jake Skeens,the new site provides viewers with complete informationabout the cemetery, including pricing, rules and regula-tions, and a complete listing of all persons interred atCrescent Hill.

In addition to the alphabetical listing of interredpersons, the site contains a cemetery map, by sections,that will hopefully help those searching for a loved one’sresting place to locate the same. Work is in progress toinclude the birth and death dates of each person.

Members of the Board – Stan Fink, Charles Clarkson,Ric Griffith, Kevin Moore, and David Amos – are avail-

able to answer inquiries about plot availability or gravelocations by telephone at 304-453-4675, or by email atinfo@ceredowv.gov.

To view the new website go to www.ceredowv.gov, clickthe “Around Town” link, then click on the “Crescent HillCemetery” link. Crescent Hill is a perpetual care cem-etery, owned and maintained by the Town.*****

The Cemetery Board, in conjunction with the GoldStar Mothers, Daughters of the Revolution, American Le-gion Post 93, and the Town is now collecting informationconcerning all military veterans interred at Crescent Hill.The purpose of this information is two-fold: first, this in-formation will be added to the Cemetery’s roll of interredpersons, and second, the Cemetery will participate in the

annual “Wreaths For Veterans” program.At a cost of $10 per wreath, wreaths will be placed on

all veteran’s graves annually. Additionally, a flag will beplaced on each veteran’s grave on respective holidays.To assist in this effort, persons having a veteran rela-tive buried at Crescent Hill are asked to contact TownHall, either by telephone (304) 453-4675, or email info@ceredowv.gov. Please provide the veteran’s name, militarybranch, years of service, theater of service (if know), andlocation within the cemetery (if known).

Donations of $10 toward this most worthy project maybe mailed to Town Hall, Military Veteran’s Project, P.O.Box 691, Ceredo, WV 25507.

Crescent Hill Cemetery Webpage

1977 STREET MAINTENANCEGROuP PHOTO

From left to right: Charley Watts, Foreman;Jack Bowen, Tom Peterman, James McFann, Jr.,Michael Stevenson, Robert Adkins,Kenneth Blankenship. Absent when the picturewas taken was William Carver, Jr.

The Ceredo Crescent — April/May 2020 — 5

• Tranquil Setting Overlooking The Ohio Valley

• Inside The Ceredo City Limits

• Most Affordable Burial Plots In The Tri-State Area$550 per Standard Burial Plot$175 per Cremation Burial Plot

• Price Includes Perpetual Care

CEREDO CRESCENT HILL CEMETERYPROVIDING REST CLOSE TO HOME

For more Information visit www.ceredowv.gov and click onthe Cemetery page or Contact Stanley Fink at (304) 453-5622

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the Crescent Kitchen

Pistachio Orange Cakeby Natalie HemannTo say the past month for everyone has beenstressful is an understatement. I do not thinkthat any of us have lived during a pandemicin our country. We all need to stay calm andmake the best of the situation. We also needto treat ourselves a little during this time. Thiscake looks like a “happy” cake to me, if a cakecan look happy! I think this may be an old-fashioned recipe, but I thought it was a goodtime to share a recipe that may bring backhappy memories for some of you.Stay healthy and wash your hands!

Ingredients:1 cup butter2½ cups white sugar3 eggs1½ teaspoons vanilla extract2½ cups buttermilk3¾ cups all-purpose flour2¼ teaspoons baking powder

2½ teaspoons baking soda

Topping:1 – 8 oz. Truwhip or Cool Whip1 cup milk1 – 3.4 oz. Box Pistachio Pudding1 – 8 oz. Can Crushed Pineapple (well drained)1 – 8 oz. Can Mandarin Oranges (well drained)

Directions:Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flourtwo 9x13 inch pans. Sift together the flour, bakingpowder and baking soda. Set aside. In a largebowl, cream together the butter and sugar untillight and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time,then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixturealternately with the buttermilk, mixing just untilincorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes,or until a toothpick inserted into the center ofthe cake comes out clean. Allow to cool. MixTru-Whip, milk, and pudding together; addpineapple. Frost with topping and decorate withmandarin oranges. Refrigerate until serving.

Local restaurants in the Ceredo Plazaoffering Curbside Service.

6 — The Ceredo Crescent — April/May 2020

2020 Budget ApprovedThe Ceredo Town Council has approved the General Fund bud-

get for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2020. The total GeneralFund revenue budgeted for next year is $1,326,133. In addition tothe General Fund, the Town is expected to receive approximately$86,000 from the Excess Levy that is earmarked for certain proj-ects. The water and sewer utilities that are required by the PublicService Commission to operate as stand-alone entities will eachhave slightly in excess of $300,000 in revenue, bringing the totalfunds passing through the Town to be in the neighborhood of TwoMillion Dollars.

General Fund revenues come primarily from Business and Oc-cupation Tax ($502,000), property taxes ($178,233), Utilities ExciseTax ($60,000), Franchise Fees and Federal Fuel Fees ($95,000),Floodwall and Stormwater Fees ($83,000), and Refuse Collectionrevenues ($58,000).

Anticipated spending next year includes $350,000 for general ex-penditures (utilities, insurance, salaries other than police), $387,000for the Police Department and Communications, $207,000 for theStreet Department and Garage, $59,500 for the Garbage Depart-ment, and $40,500 for Parks, Museums, renovation of the formerelementary school, and recreation programs. A total of $12,500 hasbeen budgeted for beautification programs, and $2,500 for cemeteryimprovements.

A major change between the 2019 and 2020 budgets is in insur-ance costs. During the last year the town paid a total of $264,834for insurance, including health insurance, life insurance, worker’scompensation, and general liability insurance that covers the fleet,buildings, and professional liability. It is anticipated that 2020 insur-ance costs will decrease by approximately $94,000, in large part dueto safety programs implemented and obtaining group health cover-age. This is very important because the savings will work to offsetanticipated B&O tax decreases as the coal industry finds a new level.

To our benefit in 2020, the Interstate 64 bridge over Broad HollowRoad will be replaced. This construction project will yield a one-time B&O tax influx of approximately $150,000, but it is importantto keep in mind that this is “one-off” revenue that will not be inour 2021-2022 budget. It is anticipated that the majority of theseconstruction taxes will be used to complete one-time projects suchas street and sidewalk improvements, floodwall repairs, and dilapi-dated house removals.

The earmarked Special Excess Levy funds must be spent foritems listed at the time of the 2017 levy election. The approximately$86,000 is divided between Town building improvements, policeequipment, parks and beautification, street and sidewalk repairs,and the Volunteer Fire Department.

The budget was prepared and approved prior to the economicturndown occasioned by the coronavirus, thus changes may wellhave to be made if tax collections decrease. We will watch closelyand maintain contact with local businesses so that adjustments inspending may be timely made if required.

This budget fits well with the four-year plan implemented by thetown in 2017. During the first three years of the plan we have madenecessary capital expenditures for “large items” such as updating themaintenance and police fleets, modernizing the Town Hall comput-er system, changing landscaping in common areas, construction ofthe pickleball and basketball courts, and refurbishing the RamsdellHouse. The plan called for all capital projects to be completed priorto the final year, and with the exception of installing the new streetlights, the plan has been successfully completed. The fourth yearwas intended to be a “clean-up, re-group, and replenish” year, andwith the current budget that should be possible.

The Town of Ceredo is regulatedas a Phase II Small MS4 Pro-gram. MS4 stands for storm-water discharge from MunicipalSeparate Storm Sewer Systems.The stormwater sewer in Ceredois separate from our sanitarysewer. Sinks, toilets, and interiorfloor drains must be connectedto the sanitary sewer system. Thewastewater discharged to thesanitary sewer receives treatmentto remove pollutants prior torelease to creeks and rivers. Pol-lutants contained in stormwaterrunoff flow directly into localwaterways, without treatmentwhere they can be harmful tohumans and the environment.Oil and grease, food waste, paint,concrete-related wastewater,chemicals and even dirt mustbe prevented from entering thestorm drain system in order topreserve our local waterways.

Stormwater runoff is a fact oflife. How we deal with stormwater runoff requires everyone’sinvolvement.

Low Impact Development (LID)includes a variety of practices thatmimic or preserve natural drain-age processes to manage storm-water. LID practices typicallyretain rain water and encourageit to soak into the ground ratherthan allowing it to run off intoditches and storm drains whereit would otherwise contribute toflooding and pollution problems.LID strategies integrate greenspace, native landscaping, naturalhydrologic functions, and vari-ous other techniques to generateless runoff from developed land.LID is different from conven-tional engineering. While mostengineering plans pipes water tolow spots as quickly as possible,

LID uses micro-scale techniquesto manage precipitation as closeto where it hits the ground aspossible. This involves strategicplacement of linked lot-levelcontrols that are “customized” toaddress specific pollutant loadand storm water timing, flowrate, and volume issues. LID isoften less expensive than conven-tional storm water managementsystems because of fewer pipeand less below ground infrastruc-ture requirements.

A reduction in surface runoffleads to less pollution damageto our local waterways: JordanBranch, Twelvepole Creek, andthe Ohio River. The Ohio Riveris currently impaired by dioxinand PCBs. Twelvepole Creek iscurrently impaired by fecal coli-form and iron. Iron impairmentsare caused by excessive erosion

from stream banks. One strategyto decrease the iron content intoTwelvepole Creek is to increasethe vegetation along the streambank in order to decrease thevolume of water flowing anderoding the stream bank duringstorm events. Rain barrels areanother option to improve waterquality. Homeowners use rainbarrels to capture water fromroof gutters and store the waterfor watering lawns and plants. Bydecreasing the volume of waterthat enters the storm drains dur-ing a rain event, the downstreamerosion decreases. In addition,LID practices filter out pollutantssuch as oil, bacteria, sedimentand nutrients as the collected wa-ter seeps through vegetation andsoil. The water that eventuallyreaches groundwater and surfacewater is much cleaner.

LID techniques can be used innew development and redevel-opment throughout the Ceredoarea to find opportunities toreduce runoff and prevent pol-lution. By working to keep rain-water on site, slowly releasing it,and allowing for natural physical,chemical, and biological processto do their job, LID avoidsenvironmental impacts andexpensive treatment systems. Ex-amples include planning the leastamount of impervious surfacesnecessary to complete job (lesspavement or permeable pave-ment), adding storm water plant-ers to collect street runoff andincorporating landscaped curbextensions. Opportunities to ap-ply LID principles and practicesare infinite -- almost any featureof the landscape can be modifiedto control runoff (e.g., buildings,roads, walkways, yards, open

space). When integrated anddistributed throughout a devel-opment, watershed, or urbandrainage area like Ceredo, thesepractices substantially reduce theimpacts of development.

To learn more, please follow ourperiodic articles in this newspa-per on storm water and Ceredo’sMS4 program regarding waterquality, storm water manage-ment. As you read these articles,you will see that we all have theability to have an impact on ourmost precious natural resourceby promoting responsible meth-ods or making small changes inour everyday lives. In addi-tion, the Town of Ceredo’s MS4program is routinely discussed attown council meetings, and thepublic’s involvement is encour-aged.

LOW ImPACT DeveLOPmeNT