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State Roads’ actions make no sense

By Staff | Oct 2, 2015

My wife and I have lived on Shepherd Grade Road for 17 years. The first few years we lived here mowing the sides of the roadway seemed to okay. After several years, the growth from taller trees began growing out into Shepherd Grade Road blocking the vision from Terrapin Road for traffic trying to enter Shepherd Grade Road and turning toward Shepherdstown.

After seveal calls to the WV State Roads Department, from folks who live on Terrapin Neck Raod and others in adjoining areas, requesting the Roads Department use one of those “long arm” brush hogs to cut some of the high limbs, all these calls were unanswered and limbs continued to grow out into the road.

Finally with the help from some of my Terrapin Neck resident friends, we cleaned out most of the high and low brush so once again it becomes easy for the state to mow and with that, they did mow Sept. 1.

Our personal signs we had in front of our own property seem to be in the way one of two was mowed over and completely mutilated; however a much smaller sign adjacent to our personal sing was left standing. Why? I did leave a note on the stae mower (which was parked on private property across from us) asking why they mowed over our sign, so the answer was on Sept. 8 a white pick up truck with blue and gold stripes came by and picked up the existing personal sign and just hauled it away.

I guess the Roads Department, after seven days, decided that sign was in the way, also.

On Sept. 9, I drove the total length of Shepherd Grade Road looking for signs displayed on state property which were not mowed over and this is where they were: South Hills Drive and Shepherd Grade Road; Meadow Ridge and Shepherd Grade Road; Willowdale and Shepherd Grade Road; North Hills and Shepherd Grade Road; Howard Farm Road and Shepherd Grade Road; Scrabble Road and Shepherd Grade Road; Steamboat Run and Shepherd Grade Road; Chandler Drive and Shepherd Grade Road; front of 2932 Shepherd Grade Road; front of 2935 Shepherd Grade Road; and at the other end of Shepherd Grade Road where it intersects with Scrabble from Silver Spring Road to Scrabble, there are four more signs standing.

So, I would surmise the moral of the state operation is, we, the state employees, can destroy your personal property if we wish, but when we, the state employees, leave state property such as mowers, road graders, backhoes, etc., setting on your personal property, you, the landowner, should not bother that equipment even if it is in your way.

Ron Sowers

Shepherdstown