Dear Editor

When it was clear that the U.S. and its allies were going to win War World II, the Polish generals and the leaders of the resistance in Hungary and Czechoslovakia, prior to the disaster at Yalta, met with Franklin Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, seeking financial assistance to rebuild from Nazi occupation, but more importantly, wanting assurances that they would not be betrayed and turned over to the Russians. FDR and Churchill smiled and said “Don’t worry! Your future is very bright!” Then months later, without notice and not receiving any financial assistance, the Russian tanks showed up in the Warsaw and Budapest, a stunning act of betrayal that caused those countries’ enslavement for 45 years.

In early 2008, several Barnesville officials, township trustees and fine people of Barnesville went to our county commissioners seeking financial assistance in constructing a large 800 acre industrial park near Barnesville to spur economic development in Barnesville, Belmont, Bethesda and Morristown.

A sweetheart deal was entered into with a cooperating coal company relating to the property. An agency secured $750,000 to begin the project and the county commissioners blocked $715,000 in county infrastructures funds for the Barnesville project. Then in mid-October, 2009, there was a grand opening at this park with Commissioners Favede and Coffland telling Barnesville officials, township trustees and the people of Barnesville “Don’t worry now! Your future is very bright! This is the future of Belmont County” with these two commissioners throwing dirt in the air in a big media event.

BUT ALAS IT IS NOT TO BE!

Two weeks ago Commissioners Favede and Coffland, over the objection of Commissioner Probst, virtually overnight and without giving the people of Barnesville an opportunity to be heard, transferred the Barnesville $715,000 to the retail mall interchange project in St. Clairsville to appease the corporate giants who own that saturated fast food mecca in the faint hope that the trend towards riverfront dollars being spent at the Highlands, Wheeling Lowe’s and Moundsville could be reversed.

This wrongful speculative transfer of $715,000 promised to the people of Barnesville was based on some “verbal promise” made by some distant congressman who represents only two townships in Belmont County that the interchange may (as in maybe not) see commencement of work in five or six years.

Nothing in writing mind you. It’s a possibility. There is no greater political football than a highway or interchange project. Ask our people in Bellaire. We were promised Route 7 for 45 years and only to be met with changes in representatives, priorities and outright lies. The truth of the matter is that no congressman can commit in writing to Commissioners Favede and Coffland on the usage of federal transportation funds. It’s all of the IF COME.

The sad part of the scenario is that both well-intended projects could go forward together.

If the owners of the plaza and mall need this interchange so bad to increase their property values then let them enter into a contract with the Transportation Improvement District (T.I.D) of which Commissioners Favede and Coffland are members, let the mall owners front the money into the project and let the commissioners repay this investment at a reasonable amount each year.

This way the St. Clairsville earmark is protected and not rescinded and money will not be removed from this vital western anchor for economic development where there is already a roadway development and infrastructure set to begin.

But as presently constructed, the Barnesville project is dead on arrival.

The people of Barnesville, Bethesda,?Belmont and Morristown need to contact their elected officials and contact Commissioners Favede and Coffland and tell them “Keep your promise. Don’t put the dirt back at Barnesville.” Stand up to stunning, terrible act of betrayal of the fine people of Barnesville.

Geary?Battistelli

Martins Ferry