Jeffrey Goff, an English teacher at James Monroe High School in Monroe County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for September 2023, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.
Jeffrey Goff, an English teacher at James Monroe High School in Monroe County, earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for September 2023, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.
During an assembly, Goff was presented the award by WVPB’s Education Director Maggie Holley. Goff received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass blue apple paperweight. The West Virginia State Treasurers’ Office sponsors the award, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program in the Mountain State.
Goff has a clear passion for literature in the classroom, which shows in his work. He makes literary texts that high school students may deem daunting or advanced more approachable and meaningful. For example, to help bring Dante’s Inferno to life, he has students design their version and create it in either mixed media art or video form. For Shakespeare, Goff will take the students to the American Shakespeare Center in Virginia for shows and interactions with the actors.
Goff’s classroom neighbor stated, “Rather than merely reading and commenting on theater works, I hear enthusiastic student productions of various works of Shakespeare, Death of a Salesman, and Of Mice and Men through the wall.”
Goff is especially praised for his connections with students. Graduating seniors often said Goff made a profound, positive impact on them during their time at school. In addition, they described Goff as the teacher who had most prepared them for college and a career.
One current eleventh grader, Gavin French, said, “Mr. Goff is just a really wonderful teacher overall; without him, a lot of these students wouldn’t have the passion for English that they do, including myself, and I think he is absolutely deserving of this award.”
Goff’s nominator and teaching colleague stated, “With a mixture of tact, humor, and patience, he has been my sounding board and coach, all on an informal, selfless basis. Jeff is usually one of the first teachers to arrive and last to leave in the evening and always has time for conversations with parents, students, and peers. Jeff leads by example and consistently goes the extra mile for his students.”
Each month, WVPB has an esteemed panel of judges that select one deserving teacher who goes above and beyond for the students in West Virginia. If you know of a deserving teacher who goes “Above and Beyond,” please click here to nominate them.
Master Sgt. Mike Wiley, a JROTC instructor at Monroe County Technical Center, has earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for March, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.
Master Sgt. Mike Wiley, a JROTC instructor at Monroe County Technical Center, has earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for March, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.
Wiley was presented the award by WVPB’s Education Specialist Autumn Meadows during an annual flag retiring ceremony, a service-learning project organized by JROTC at the Monroe County Board of Education. This event partnered with the American Legion and the Vietnam Veterans of America and is a prime example of how Wiley is involved in his community.
Wiley received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass blue apple paperweight. The award is sponsored by the West Virginia State Treasurers’ Office, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program in the Mountain State.
Flag retiring ceremony.
Credit: Autumn Meadows/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Cadets during the flag retiring ceremony.
Credit Autumn Meadows/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Wiley has a vast range of military experience and specialties in his 29 years of service. He joined the West Virginia Army National Guard immediately after graduating high school and retired in 2011. Prior to retiring, Wiley was a recruiter for James Monroe High School and Monroe County Technical Center for nine years. This led to him continuing his work with high school students he was familiar with and building the school’s JROTC program alongside Scott Womack.
As Wiley prepares to retire next year, there are many accomplishments and memories to reflect on, such as the trips the program took, not only in the United States but across the Atlantic. It started as local day trips to places such as Droop Mountain Battlefield, but then the group was invited to march in the D-Day Memorial Parade in St. Mere Eglise, Normandy. This trip was taken twice, the second being the 75th anniversary of D-Day, with an estimated 500,000 people in attendance. This was a once in a lifetime opportunity for most of these students, many of whom had never left West Virginia or flown in a plane. As far as he knows, they are the only JROTC program in West Virginia to make that trip.
Wiley states, “One of the most memorable events for my cadets occurred during that massive parade, when, as we were rounding one of the final turns in the parade route, with our color guard proudly carrying the United States and the West Virginia flags, the crowd spontaneously erupted into a chorus of ‘Take Me Home, Country Roads.’ The cadets talked about that for months after we came home.”
Not only have the students been to Normandy, but they also led the Parade of Heroes on Veterans Day in Washington D.C., traveled to Jamestown, Yorktown, Williamsburg and Wilmington, North Carolina.
When asked why JROTC is important, Wiley said, “Many people believe JROTC is strictly designed to be an enlistment tool. Nothing is farther from the truth. JROTC is a citizenship and leadership program.”
He said the goals of the program is to prepare students for life after high school, whether it be college, trade school, entering the workforce, or joining the military. Enlistment is not required, nor pushed upon the cadets. They teach the students subjects like history, first aid, leadership, citizenship, geography, land navigation, survival skills, basic financial planning, and life skills. Students who may have started the program quiet or reluctant to interact with others would be standing in the front of the class teaching by their senior year.
Mike Wiley with his family.
Credit: Autumn Meadows/West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Wiley enjoys the impact he has on the lives of his students and being able to give them a place where they get to compete against other schools, take on leadership roles and responsibilities, travel to educational places and experience things that they would not have been able to experience without the program. “I get to create a bond with these students and serve as not only an educator, but as a mentor, counselor and sometimes even as a father figure,” Wiley said.
“When I have a former or current student, or the parents of a student thank me for something that I have done to help that student be successful in life, that just affirms that I am doing what I was intended to do.”
Each month, WVPB has an esteemed panel of judges that select one deserving teacher who goes above and beyond for the students in West Virginia. If you know of a deserving teacher that goes “Above and Beyond,” please click here to nominate them.
Ashley Mann, a gifted and special education teacher in Monroe County, has earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting's Above and Beyond Award for September 2022, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.
Ashley Mann, a gifted and special education teacher in Monroe County, has earned West Virginia Public Broadcasting’s Above and Beyond Award for September 2022, which recognizes excellence and creativity of Mountain State teachers.
Mann was presented the award during a surprise assembly by WVPB’s Education Director Maggie Holley. She received a monetary award and a signature Blenko Glass blue apple paperweight. The award is sponsored by the West Virginia State Treasurers Office, presenter of the SMART529 college savings program in the Mountain State.
Mann had just returned from a Model United Nations (UN) debate in Georgia the previous night with her students. One of those students, Braydie Carr, volunteered to speak about the positive impact Mann has had on his life and those of his peers since he’d known her since 7th grade. Carr, now a senior, gave a special thanks to Mann for motivating him when he needed it most because it would help him with his future.
Autumn Meadows
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Monroe County teacher Ashley Mann was presented the September 2022 Above and Beyond Award during a surprise assembly.
Carr will be joining the other Model UN James Monroe students in January 2023 to attend Harvard’s Model United Nations conference for the third time. One of Mann’s most proud opportunities is to take her students to this event and join more than 4,000 other students from around the world. James Monroe is said to be the only West Virginia high school to be selected for this esteemed event since it began in the 1950s.
Ashley Mann goes above and beyond when providing a wide variety of experiences in fields as diverse as literature, civics, history and STEM. Not only has Mann been involved in Model UN, but she also helped form a Youth Leadership Association chapter at James Monroe High School in 2013, that has grown from one student to over 70 today.
She helps prepare the students and take them to other events such as the History Bowl and Spelling Bee competitions, as well as West Virginia Youth Government and Youth in Government conferences in Charleston. Other experiences include travel to the American Shakespeare Center for plays and theater workshops and participation in the Rocket Boys Festival. She especially appreciates the History Bowl, because it is the first event of the academic year that “starts the foundation and builds relationships for the rest of the year.”
Mann spoke very highly of her students and her passion for teaching is evident.
“You guys make it all worthwhile and easier to be away from family even when it’s hard at times,” Mann said. “I can’t wait to see what you all will do with your future, and I know it’ll be great things. I am so proud of you all and will always be in your corner.”
Each month WVPB has an esteemed panel of judges that select one deserving teacher who goes above and beyond for the students in West Virginia.
If you know of a deserving teacher that goes “Above and Beyond,” please click here to nominate them.
The Autumn Harvest Festival in Monroe County is a yearly tradition. Agriculture and community has been celebrated at this event for over three decades. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the festival returned on Sept. 24 to Willow Bend Road, near Union, West Virginia. But for some, the return was bittersweet.
The Autumn Harvest Festival in Monroe County is a yearly tradition. Agriculture and community has been celebrated at this event for over three decades. After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the festival returned on Sept. 24 to Willow Bend Road, near Union, West Virginia. But for some, the return was bittersweet.
Anna Lusk has been working at the festival since 1985. Lusk has seen the event grow from fewer than 100 attendees to thousands of visitors. This year was additionally special with the organizers honoring the founder of the festival, Bill Clark.
“He was an extension agent here in Monroe County for many years,” Lusk recalled. “Sometime in the early 1980s, nobody’s quite sure when, he got the idea to have a homegrown festival that would showcase Monroe County and our history and our agrarian way of life. We want to pay honor to Bill because if it hadn’t been for Bill’s dream, this never would have happened.”
In addition to Clark, Lusk and other festival volunteers, Shane Clarkson manages the farm as an employee of WVU Davis College. Clarkson and Jason Kleinfelder are concerned with what the future holds for them. If WVU decides to sell the farm, it’s not clear what the future holds for his job.
Brian Allen
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Visitors of the festival make their way to the activities.
“Job hunting. That’s the only thing I know,” Clarkson said. “They [WVU Davis College] said they can place us in other locations but it was just kind of up in the air. Kind of looking for hope and maybe they can save them but it doesn’t look like it so far. Just had to kind of wait and see.”
While job placement might be an option, Jason Kleinfelter said he has a special connection to the farm in Monroe County. Kleinfelter also works at the farm.
“I love working here. I got a degree in animal science and I love this farm,” Kleinfelter said. “I love the way it looks. I love taking care of these animals. But we’ll see. Who knows what tomorrow brings but something will be available.”
The sale of the property isn’t a done deal. Residents and county commissioners are working various avenues to keep the farm open and available for future public use. Some of those options include the Monroe County Commission leasing the farm or convincing WVU that the property is viable and relevant for continued agricultural research.
Monroe County’s WVU extension agent Brian Wickline confirmed the sale could be the end of the Autumn Harvest Festival. As with many corporate and educational decisions, it comes down to money. The farm sits on more than 230 acres which could be costly.
“That would be a very large sum of money for a local organization to come up with to actually buy the farm,” Wickline said. “I think what that organization would be doing would be trying to do a long term lease with the university.”
The farm was donated to WVU in 1970.
Brian Allen
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
WVU Willowbend Research, Education and Outreach Center in Monroe County.
“We’ve had several folks within the community come up with some ideas,” Wickline said. “Our county commissioners have been very supportive of coming up with ideas and projects that the community could utilize the farm for.”
While the general mood is doubtful, Wickline is preparing a proposal for WVU, outlining the potential of the Demonstration Farm, how it serves the community and how it can be self-sustaining, and even profitable.
“We’ve looked at budgets prior to and we’ve looked at budgets afterwards,” Wickline said. “If they did have the opportunity to take the farm over, and, yes, we anticipate a budget that is profitable.”
West Virginia State Sen. Stephen Baldwin, D-Greenbrier, shared a more optimistic attitude at the Autumn Festival.
“We got wind that they were looking at selling. And so we reached out to them [WVU] to say, ‘Hold on a minute.’ This is a really important farm in our area. We feel like it’s never reached its full potential. We’ve got some ideas and plans as to how it could reach its full potential. I mean, because if you look at agriculture in this part of the state, it’s huge business. And we feel like it’s been a missed opportunity that it hasn’t been fully utilized. During the festival really is the time that it’s utilized most and we feel like it could be utilized year-round.”
Darryl Donohue, dean of WVU Davis college, shared the following statement via email:
“WVU, Davis College of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Design and Monroe County officials are working to come to an agreement regarding the future of the farm that will be beneficial to both parties,” Donohue wrote.
Meanwhile, Wickline hopes to have answers about the farm’s fate by the end of October. In the meantime, those involved with the demonstration farm and the Autumn Harvest Festival are doing their best to carry on and enjoy the possible last tradition.
Brian Allen
/
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
Attendees grill food at the Monroe County Autumn Festival, 2022.
“We’ve had a wonderful turnout and enthusiasm level is high, and weather is perfect,” Lusk said. “God has blessed us today. We could not be happier.”
Residents just hope it’s not too little, too late.
Reporting by Brian Allen, on behalf of West Virginia Public Broadcasting.
A historic springs resort in Monroe County is embroiled in a lease dispute, pitting a local investor against the state of West Virginia.
Founded in 1792, Sweet Springs was once a massive hotel and resort that could hold 300 people. Like the Greenbrier, Sweet Springs was a major destination for upper society tourists during the 19th century. It closed as a resort in the early 1900s, and though several attempts were made to keep it afloat, the property went into receivership in 1930.
Then, the property was used by the state Department of Health and Human Resources as a home for the elderly. The surrounding woods and farmland are still technically owned by the state of West Virginia.
In 2015, Sweet Springs was purchased by investor Ashby Berkley, who created a nonprofit, called the Sweet Springs Resort Park Foundation. Berkley has spent the past several years putting thousands of dollars and volunteer labor towards renovating the property. He had hoped to open it as a hotel by 2022.
But the lease on the 650-acre property surrounding the historic hotel is now being contested. The owner of this property, the state of West Virginia, says Berkley is not holding up his end of a lease agreement, signed in 2017.
Part of the agreement states that Berkeley would develop a viable agribusiness that would benefit the local community. The department hasn’t seen his plan.
This summer, the state Department of Agriculture issued a cancelation of the lease agreement. “I’m very confused about why the hostility is coming so hard from the Department of Agriculture,” Berkley said.
He added that he cannot continue the restoration project of Sweet Springs if he cannot use the property owned by the state.
In an emailed statement, communications manager for the State Department of Agriculture, Crescent Gallager, said his agency “is discussing a new set of terms with the current lease holders before exploring other options for the land.”
Berkley said he will comply with the state and do what officials are asking, but didn’t give any specifics for an agricultural business he envisions on the property. He said he’d like to build tennis courts and a golf course on this land, to serve the historic hotel. After he is able to reopen the Sweet Springs Hotel, Berkley said then he plans to devote time and energy towards developing agribusiness.
The state has given Berkley until the end of September to meet its requests.
On June 16, 1968, musician Henry Reed died in Glen Lyn, Virginia, at age 84. He was born and grew up in Monroe County, where he learned local tunes dating back generations.
One example is “Quince Dillion’s High-D Tune,” which Reed supposedly learned from a veteran of the Mexican War and Civil War.
Reed played the fiddle, banjo, and harmonica. His music ranged from old frontier songs, to songs of the late 19th century, to 20th-century country and bluegrass tunes. He never made commercial records but was recorded in the mid-‘60s by Duke University graduate student Alan Jabbour.
Thanks to Jabbour’s efforts, Henry Reed’s catalog of songs became popular during the old-time music revival of the late 20th century. One of his songs, “Over the Waterfall,” is now a fiddle standard.
Many of Henry Reed’s recordings are now available on the Library of Congress Web site.
