Published: May 02, 2008 05:20 pm         

Thumbs - Saturday, May 3, 2008

Thumbs up ... to the Beckley chapter of the Pajama Program, which has collected 218 pairs of new pajamas and about 100 books that will be distributed through Burlington United Methodist Family Services in Prosperity to children in need.



Thumbs up ... to Woodrow Wilson High School graduate and Marshall University lineman Doug Legursky, who recently signed as a free agent with the Pittsburgh Steelers.



Thumbs up ... to Darlene Porreca, winner of a new car from Beckley Auto Mall as part of a fundraiser for the United Way of Southern West Virginia.



Thumbs down ... to copper thieves who struck a cell phone tower twice in three days. About 800 feet of copper wire was stolen from a Verizon cell tower in Bolt between Monday and Wednesday.



Thumbs up ... to Meadow Bridge High School, named winner among six area high schools in the Battle of the Belts High School Seatbelt Challenge that encourages seatbelt use.



Thumbs up ... to the Rev. Ronald Martin and his wife, Tijuana, who have taken on the daunting task of renovating the former Piney Oaks School and turning it into a community center.



Thumbs up ... to Betty Gilbert of Glade Springs, the winner of a drawing for a wall hanging that served as a fundraiser for the Beckley Art Group. A money match by Modern Woodmen of America saw a total gift of $2,000 for construction of the group’s art gallery.



Thumbs up ... to Mamie Thompson of Harvey, who celebrated her 96th birthday recently with family and friends.



Thumbs up ... to the Crimson Jewels of the Red Hat for making plans for a We Care fundraising concert for the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life. The May 31 event will be held the old Shady Spring High School football field at Beaver.



Thumbs up ... to Meadow Bridge Elementary School, one of 50 schools nationwide to receive a $10,000 grant through the Goody’s Good Deeds for Schools program. The school will acquire a plasma TV, laptop computers and Smart Boards to help prepare students for the 21st century.



Thumbs up ... to the Fayette-Nicholas chapter of the American Red Cross, named a Higher Performing Chapter during the ARC’s recent national convention.



Thumbs up ... to a push encouraging tourists to visit West Virginia by putting highly stylized travel inserts promoting the state into newspapers in key visitor markets across the East Coast.



Thumbs up ... to a $5 million Federal Aviation Administration grant to Greenbrier Valley Airport. The money will be used to make runway improvements and upgrade its existing radar system. A Wyoming County airport will receive nearly $200,000 for apron lights.



Thumbs up ... to Jane Trail, RN, recently honored at the Beckley Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center as the 2007 Federal Woman of the Year.



Thumbs up ... to Richard Farnsworth of Mount Hope, who will have two songs released on an upcoming 15-song CD titled “Proud To Be An American.” The songs, “A Day, A Very Sad Day” and “Heroes Like You,” are about 9/11 and the explosion in Ghent last year.