Arley E. Black, 68, of Fraziers Bottom, passed away March 25, 2016 on his farm.

He was born the only child of Woodrow W. "Wick" and Ethel L. Legg Black on May 1, 1947 on the family farm. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by an infant son, David Lewis Black.

Arley was retired from Riedel Wilks Construction Co., Huntington, as a heavy equipment operator and locally known as the Pumpkin/Vegetable/Flower Man, where he raised them on his family farm.

He is survived by his wife of 46 years, Brenda C. Jeffrey Black; daughters, Luanne Runyon and her son, Gabe, both of Fraziers Bottom and Malisa and Steve Deweese and her daughter, Tori and Brian Stitely and Arley's great-granddaughter, Peyton, all of Scott Depot.

The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Chapman Funeral Home, Hurricane. A graveside service will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 31, at Black Family Cemetery, on the family farm in Fraziers Bottom, with the Rev. Dr. Melissa Pratt officiating.

Anyone wishing to leave an online condolence or memory may do so at www.chapmanfuneralhomes.com.

Chapman Funeral Home, 3941 Teays Valley Road, Hurricane, is honored to handle Arley's arrangements.

Virginia M. Beckner, 94, of Sissonville, passed away peacefully on Sunday, March 27, 2016 at her home surrounded by her loving family.

Born Feb. 21, 1922 in Sissonville, she was the daughter of the late Oley Delbert Dawson and Hazel Miller Dawson. Virginia was a devoted Christian and was an active member of Victory P.A.C. Church. She enjoyed spending time in her garden and tending to her flowers.

Virginia will be missed by her children, Kenneth Beckner, Bonnie Higginbotham, Glen Beckner, Delbert Beckner, Joe Beckner, Raymond Beckner and Timothy Beckner; a sister, Eliza Grubb; brothers, Kenvil Dawson, Bill Dawson, Freeman Crowder and Lewis Crowder; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Arley "Dick" Beckner; children, Edgar Beckner, Anna Harris, Jack Beckner and Larry Beckner; and brothers, Charles Dawson, Paul Dawson and Clyde Dawson.

A special thank you to daughters-in-law, Alisia and Valerie Beckner, for taking excellent care of Virgina.

Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at Long & Fisher Funeral Home, Sissonville.

Funeral service will be held at noon Wednesday, March 30, at Long & Fisher Funeral Home with Pastor Roger Hammons officiating. Interment will immediately follow at Beckner Family Cemetery, Sissonville.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to HospiceCare, 1606 Kanawha Blvd. W., Charleston, WV 25387.

Online condolences can be left by visiting www.longfisherfuneralhome.com.

Bird — Cyrus, Ida

Bragg, Alonzo L. — 7 p.m., Matics Funeral Home, Clendenin.

Burns, Nora — 1 p.m., John H. Taylor Funeral Home, Spencer.

Felker, Joyce E. — 7 p.m., Handley Funeral Home, Danville.

Ferrell, Doris — 1 p.m., Toney

Gandee, Glen — 2 p.m., Reamer Gospel Tabernacle, Clendenin.

Garvin, Lorene — 2 p.m., Dodd and Reed Funeral Home, Webster Springs.

Hatten, Michelle — 2 p.m., Henson and Kitchen MOrtuary, Barboursville.

Hickman, John — 6 p.m., Sissonville Maranatha Baptist Church, Sissonville.

Holstein, Dona M. — 11 a.m., Allen Funeral Home, Hurricane.

Markins, Brantley E. — 11 a.m., Mid

Moore, Donna — Noon, Fathers House Missionary Baptist Church, Charleston.

Parsons, Louis H. — Noon, Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar.

Paugh, Lloyal — 2 p.m., Olive Branch Baptist Church, Nettie.

Pringle, Terry — 7 p.m., Twin

Ridenour, Sylvia — 1 p.m., Good Shepherd UM Church, Flatrock.

Tabit, Amanda — 1 p.m., Oakland Church of God, Smithers.

Boone needs people who will vote for Democrats

Editor:

I recommend that the people of Boone County vote for these candidates: Jennings P. Miller for sheriff; Craig Bratcher for county commissioner; Gary Williams for county clerk; Susan Baisden for assessor; Rodney A. Miller for House of Delegates.

They are the best for the job and will represent the people of Boone County.

We need people who will vote for Democrats.

Jimbo Shivelier

Seth

Delegate Fast's blatant pandering saddening

Editor:

I do not live in Delegate Tom Fast's district; however, I have been keenly saddened at his blatant display of political pandering and utter nonsense.

First, there was the ridiculous religious freedom bill. He must understand the signal of bigotry and discrimination this bill presented. Many people would gladly use such a law as a wedge to throw open the door to every petty prejudice there is, including racism, sexism and others. This bill would be a huge target for anti-discrimination lawsuits, ending up in the courts and costing the state time and money.

This would not be Delegate Fast's time and money. Would it be only the time and money of Fayette County? No! It would be the time and money of all West Virginians, the vast majority of whom neither voted for him nor can vote him out.

As the House and the Senate debated this bill, they were not doing the work West Virginians desperately need then to do. We are bleeding jobs; our schools are laughably out of date; our roads and infrastructure are crumbling to dust. Yet, Delegate Fast and his fellow delegates seem to feel it more important to deal with religion. I hate to break this to him but, as a political scientist, historian and criminologist, I can assure him the people did not elect him to be Jesus-in-chief.

They all need to stop arguing what color to paint the house while it is burning down.

Next, Delegate Fast's comment that he believes President Obama is secretly a Muslim is just plain stupid. Surely, he is not this dumb and is only again pandering.

I would suggest, after the legislative session, he take some time to read, particularly books on government and Islam. I would be happy to send him a list or even some of the books I have.

I know he is thinking, "Well, I can believe whatever I want," and, technically, that is indeed true. But when you hold a position of public trust, then being wrong or wrongheaded or merely pandering to your base becomes harmful to the health, wealth and prosperity of the people of West Virginia.

Russell Stover

Elkins

Back in the day when WVU engaged in vigorous sports rivalries with Pitt and Penn State, Mountaineer fans faced a quandary when the Panthers and the Nittany Lions played each other: which team to root against?

Recent polls show Americans are facing a similar conundrum when it comes to the presidential election; which candidate would you prefer to see lose?

Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton are clearly ahead of the competition in their party’s nominating contests, so you would think by now that voters would be warming to them. They are not. There are still plenty of vacant seats on the bandwagons.

A recent Fox News poll found 58 percent of voters have a negative opinion of Clinton, while only 39 percent view her favorably. Those are terrible numbers, but they are not as bad as Trump’s.

Sixty-five percent of voters view him unfavorably, while only 31 percent have a favorable opinion. That negative number is six points higher than it was last September.

Our negativity is not confined to the frontrunners.

The Fox poll says Ted Cruz’s unfavorables have risen from 42 percent last September to 53 percent now. Forty-nine percent view Bernie Sanders unfavorably. John Kasich’s unfavorables are at a manageable 33 percent, but only 40 percent view him positively.

Those numbers are similar to the findings of a CBS News/New York Times poll. It had Trump’s unfavorables at 57 percent and Clinton’s at 52 percent.

This level of animosity toward the leading candidates is new territory. The Trump and Clinton unfavorables are the highest of leading presidential candidates at this point in the race since CBS and the Times began asking the question in 1984.

Why is this? The candidates themselves bear some responsibility, along with the increasing coarseness of the rhetoric. After all, when one of the topics at a presidential debate is a jejune reference to one’s private parts we know we’re plumbing new lows.

But as Wall Street Journal columnist Peggy Noonan opined recently, our disregard for the leading candidates to be the next president also “goes hand in hand with the general decline of America’s faith in institutions. We feel less respect for almost all of them — the church, the professionals, the presidency, the Supreme Court.”

None of this bodes well for the country. Elections are supposed to be a kind of democratic recalibration for the country, where we either set a new course or decide to continue along one already chosen. The success of either is dependent upon the electorate’s faith in the process and willingness to accept the outcome of the election.

It doesn’t feel like that’s going to happen this time. In fact, if the polls are right, America has already decided it’s unhappy with the outcome even before it has occurred.

Kercheval is host of Talkline, broadcast statewide by the MetroNews Radio Network from 10 a.m. to noon weekdays. Listen locally on WCHS 580 AM.

If there is one thing that is bipartisan in Washington, it is brazen hypocrisy.

Currently there is much indignation being expressed by Democrats because the Republican-controlled Senate refuses to hold confirmation hearings on President Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Justice Antonin Scalia.

The Democrats complain, and the media echo their complaint, that it is the Senate’s duty to provide “advice and consent” on the President’s appointment of various federal officials.

Therefore, according to this claim, the Senate is neglecting its Constitutional duty by refusing even to hold hearings to determine whether the nominee is qualified, and then vote accordingly.

First of all, the “advice and consent” provision of the Constitution is a restriction on the President’s power, not an imposition of a duty on the Senate. It says nothing about the Senate’s having a duty to hold hearings, or vote, on any Presidential nominee, whether for the Supreme Court or for any other federal institution. The power to consent is the power to refuse to consent, and for many years no hearings were held, whether the Senate consented or did not consent.

Nor have Democrats hesitated, when they controlled the Senate, to refuse to hold hearings or to vote when a lame-duck President nominated someone for some position requiring Senate confirmation during a Presidential election year.

When the shoe was on the other foot, the Republicans made the same arguments as the Democrats are making today, and the Democrats made the same arguments as the Republicans are now making.

The obvious reason, in both cases, is that the party controlling the Senate wants to save the appointment for their own candidate for the Presidency to make after winning the upcoming election. The rest is political hypocrisy on both sides.

None of this is new. It was already well-known 40 years ago, when President Gerald Ford nominated me to become one of the commissioners of the Federal Trade Commission during the 1976 Presidential election year.

After months passed without any hearings being held, I went to see the chief legislative aide of the committee that was responsible for confirming or denying. When the two of us were alone, he said to me, quite frankly, “We’ve gone over your record with a fine tooth comb and can find nothing to object to. So we are simply not going to hold hearings at all.”

“If this were not an election year,” he said, “your nomination would have sailed right through. But we think our man is going to win the Presidential election this year, and we want him to nominate someone in tune with our thinking.”

Various Democrats who are currently denouncing the Republican Senate, including Vice President Biden, have used very similar arguments against letting lame-duck Republican Presidents appoint Supreme Court justices.

Last week, the New York Times ran a front-page “news” story about something Chief Justice John Roberts had said, more than a month ago, prior to the death of Justice Scalia, under the headline “Stern Rebuke For Senators.”

Since Justice Scalia was still alive then, and there was no Supreme Court vacancy to fill at the time, Chief Justice Roberts’ remarks had nothing to do with the current controversy. Nor were these remarks news after such a long lapse of time. But this was part of a pattern of the New York Times’ disguising editorials as front-page news stories.

In short, the political hypocrisy was matched by journalistic hypocrisy. Indeed, there was more than a little judicial hypocrisy in Chief Justice Roberts’ complaint that Senate confirmation hearings on Supreme Court nominees do not confine themselves to the nominees’ judicial qualifications, rather than their conservative or liberal orientations.

If judges confined themselves to acting like judges, instead of legislating from the bench, creating new “rights” out of thin air that are nowhere to be found in the Constitution, maybe Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominees would not be such bitter and ugly ideological battles.

Chief Justice Roberts himself practically repealed the 10th Amendment’s limitation on federal power when he wrote the decision that the government could order us all to buy ObamaCare insurance policies.

When judges act like whores, they can hardly expect to be treated like nuns.

Politicians, journalists and judges should all spare us pious hypocrisy.

Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. His website is www.tsowell.com.

Is Kanawha County's drug crisis contributing to a rise in other crimes? If numbers recently released by the Charleston Police Department are any indication, it certainly seems that way.

On Monday, Charleston police released the number of incidents reported in several crime categories between 2009 and 2015, the Gazette-Mail's Erin Beck reported.

"Police released figures for murder, rape, robbery, malicious wounding, burglary/breaking and entering, larceny, breaking and entering into an automobile and motor vehicle theft. Of those, robbery, malicious wounding, burglary/breaking and entering, breaking and entering into an automobile and motor vehicle theft were the highest in 2015 of any year during the seven-year time span," Beck wrote.

Police say the growing heroin problem may be to blame for some of the rise in crime.

"We're seeing more people get hit over the head by people who appear to be looking for a quick way to get a hold of heroin," said Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives, adding that in most cases victims aren't chosen at random, but instead are known to suspects. "Along with the heroin epidemic, we've seen what comes across as desperation, which seems to be leading to a rise in robbery and theft."

In addition to the drug crisis, other contributing factors may explain a rise in crime reports. As Beck wrote, police have been urging victims to report instances of crime, even when nothing valuable is stolen. The department's numbers don't necessarily mean a rise in crime, but perhaps a rise in the reporting of crime.

Although theft-related crimes have seen an increase in reporting, violent crimes like murder and rape have remained steady. That's a testament to the department's efforts to increase officers' presence in high-crime areas and build relationships with community members.

But while violent crimes can be curbed, crimes related to drug use may not be so easy to thwart.

It's often said that everyone in the state is affected by drug abuse. The department's numbers show that even if someone isn't battling addiction, the likelihood of becoming the victim of a drug-related crime is growing.

Keeping these crimes down and residents safe is not an easy task, but one the police take seriously.

Drug abuse brings out a bevy of problems that are difficult to solve. Drug-related issues affect not only the person battling addiction, but also the entire community.

Credit to the Charleston Police Department and other law enforcement agencies for working tirelessly to rid our communities of drugs and the problems they bring. Their hard work and the community's vigilance hopefully can make our neighborhoods better, safer places to live.

So, you are madder than hell at the federal government and all the politicians in it- especially President Obama.

Like so many politicians, the president is glib and calculating. You like presidential candidate Donald Trump for his "in-your-face" style and for having the gall to say what really needs to be said, political correctness be damned.

Consider: "Donald Trump is Barack Obama squared," writes Wall Street Journal deputy editorial page editor Bret Stephens.

Leaving small differences aside, Stephens writes: "The president and The Donald are two epic narcissists who see themselves as singularly suited to redeem an America that is not only imperfect but fundamentally broken. Both men revel in their disdain for the political system and the rules governing it. Both men see themselves not as politicians but as movement leaders. Both are prone to telling fairy tales about their lives and careers."

And Stephens continues: "And both believe they are better than everyone else."

"'I think I'm a better speech writer than my speech writers,' Mr. Obama told an aide in 2008. 'I know more about policies on any particular issue than my policy directors. And I'll tell you right now that I'm ... a better political director than my director.'

Not to be outdone, Trump earlier this month said on MSNBC that on foreign policy, 'My primary consultant is myself.'"

Sheesh.

Both men, Stephens writes, are "cult-of-personality" candidates. Their admirers project on them whatever they want to see. For Obama, that's a vision of a passionate liberal, a pragmatist and a cool cat. "No evidence could disprove his rightness," Stephens writes.

Trump inspires similar fancies among his supporters. Either he's the Great Negotiator, or the immovable man of principle.

Both interpretations can't be true, "But it's in the nature of cult personalities that followers rarely ask hard questions because they are seeking leaders who square circles," Stephens writes.

Another common thread of the two men, according to Stephens: "They both bend reality to suit their conveniences, and their conceits."

Let's hope the nation's voters eventually see reality and decide to elect people with true leadership - not narcissistic - qualities.

It was a windy day in late February and the smell of fresh brisket smoking in an outdoor meat smoker filled the air as Brian Fridley headed out to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things.

The owner of Appalachia Barbecue was only gone 45 minutes on that Feb. 20. But in that short time, a strong gust of wind blew through his property on Cherry Lawn Road just off U.S. Route 60 East near Barboursville. He returned home to find his barbecue shack engulfed in flames.

"I had about 50 pounds of brisket in the smoker at the time. The grease from the brisket in the drip pans, I guess when it fell over, caught fire," he said. "When the smoker landed on the building it sloshed on the building and started a grease fire."

The building burned and the fire also destroyed the smoker, knocking out Fridley's sole source of income and a business he has been running for 3 1/2 years.

It was a devastating blow and Fridley is racing to reopen at an adjacent property.

"I've got special needs children - three of them - so it's kind of hard for me to get a second job on top of that to be able to put this back on the ground," he said.

Fridley has mounted a GoFundMe campaign (at gofundme.com/57u6q83m or type in the company's name at gofundme.com) with a target of $60,000 to get the business back on track.

"Its not a matter of 'if.' It's 'have to,'" Fridley said of his situation.

He also operates a red Appalachia Barbecue food truck. But he is not able to tide himself over with food truck sales until he can reopen his barbecue shack kitchen.

Unlike food trucks where the food is prepared on cooking facilities inside the truck, his truck is considered "a holding cabinet," he said. "Basically, I don't cook any raw products. I prepare everything in my restaurant and bring it to the truck and prepare it for sale."

So his truck needs the barbecue shack kitchen to reopen, and his barbecue shack needs the truck for the income it brings to his bottom line to tide him over while he rebuilds.

The rest of his equipment was salvageable. Fridley is in the midst of creating a temporary kitchen inside a former rental property on his site.

His initial plan is to start cooking again within three to four weeks. The plan is to start selling food out of the food truck at a rotating series of locales in the area, Monday through Saturday, including Cabell-Huntington Hospital, the Nickel Plant, the Cabell County Courthouse and at area events, festivals and food truck gatherings.

His ultimate goal is to rebuild a larger barbecue shack at the spot that burned down, at 5309 1/2 Cherry Lawn Rd. The old site could only seat six people - four at the bar and two at a table. His plans for the new Appalachia Barbecue would accommodate about 25 people.

Judging by the calls he gets for catering and the people who seek him out regularly through food apps like Yelp, his customers are waiting for the return of Appalachia Barbecue.

"I'm getting hit up every day for catering and I see people drive by the other store. I get into Yelp and see all the people. I just know I'm missing my clientele," he said.

Among the things those customers are likely missing is his popular charred sliced brisket.

"It's that fattier part of the meat and you char it up a little more so the fat gets a lot of smoke and flavoring to it."

He also features pulled pork, barbecued smoked chicken, smoked salmon and St. Louis-style ribs, which are spare ribs cut and trimmed into a rectangular shape, so they resemble baby back ribs.

His side orders include baked beans, cole slaw, purple slaw, potato and pasta salads, a macaroni and cheese and an item he says you can't find anywhere else in town.

"We're the only barbecue shop in town that does fresh pork rinds," said Fridley.

Before the fire occurred, he was about ready to add another menu item not easily found in the area.

"I was getting ready to add a pork belly caramel corn before this happened - bacon-flavored caramel corn. It's really good."

Fridley has received some essential financial support from his father, Wayne Fridley, in getting as far as he has toward reopening, but said he has a long way to go. He is realistic about his GoFundMe campaign's ambitious target goal ("I'm not holding my breath," he noted) and the campaign has yet to cross the $1,000 mark.

But every little bit helps as he seeks not only financial support but the donation of hickory wood, wild cherrywood or apple wood for use in smoking meats, since all of the business's wood supplies were lost in the fire.

He has taken a down-home, folksy tone in appealing for help on the site:

"Please help us get our BBQ business back on the road so we can continue serving y'all some of the BEST BBQ IN TOWN!! We're working on piecing a facility back together to operate out of, so we can get our BBQ Truck back out to serve our product. Items are needed to reconstruct and reopen a facility, and a smoker is a very much needed item to continue producing our quality smoked products. ... Y'all have helped us before by helping us initially get our BBQ Truck out on the road. We're hoping we can do this again together by y'all helping us get back up and operating."

Fridley previously used GoFundMe to help get the food truck on the road, raising about $1,100, he said.

People know about his business or keep finding it when they search for local barbecue through food apps and web searches.

"Oh, yeah," said Fridley. "I put my dues in with it and the word has definitely spread. I get calls every day: 'Where can they find me at?' I have to tell them I'm not functional right now because of the fire."

Contact Douglas Imbrogno at douglas@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3017, or follow @douglaseye on Twitter.

I've been writing about the local food scene for going on 20 years now, yet I'm amazed by the number of people who still call, write or stop me in the store to chat about each week's column. People clearly love to talk about food.

But despite all that love, I still sometimes wonder if my specific restaurant recommendations are actually taken to heart - or if they're just given a polite, "Oh, that sounds nice," and soon forgotten.

Last week's review of the new Olive Tree Café in South Charleston may have given me my answer. Social media quickly lit up with fans who also love the place, and then there was this:

"You are THE MAN!!!" co-owner Michael Jarrouj wrote the day after my glowing critique ran in last Wednesday's paper. "We sold out of EVERYTHING today! People are definitely reading your column! We closed an hour and a half early because we didn't want to keep apologizing. Sold out of Amoroso buns 12-inch and 7-inch. Went through five whole ribeyes. All the Italian sausage. Kept chopping and blanching fries - eight buckets full - the list goes on. Can't thank you enough."

Wow. That's awesome, Michael, and you're welcome. Always happy to shine a light on great local businesses. I just hope I didn't cause you too much extra stress for sending all those new customers your way!

nnn

Have a basketful of leftover Easter eggs in desperate need of a dish that will dazzle?

Well, have I got a recipe for you, thanks to this reminder sent in by reader Ann Balkey.

"Steven, a few years ago you shared your wife's egg salad recipe to the readers of your column," she wrote. "Thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing so. It is the best egg salad that I have ever eaten - and when I share it with others, they say the same thing."

She thought some of you might enjoy the recipe as well, so she asked if I'd share it again. My pleasure!

I've included it this week, although Ann notes she does omit the extra salt because she thinks the Dijon mustard is salty enough.

nnn

If you love delicious, locally sourced food served in rustically elegant surroundings, J.Q. Dickinson Salt-Works has announced this year's seasonal dinner series at their facility in Malden. A great lineup of talented chefs will entice your taste buds this spring, summer and fall.

This year's schedule:

n May 16: Chef Tom Grant and the Pro-Start Culinary Students from Carver Career Center, Rand;

n June 8: Chef Tim Urbanic from Café Cimino Country Inn, Sutton;

n July 19: Chef Dale Hawkins from Fish Hawk Acres, Rock Cave;

n Aug. 16: Chef Geoff Kraus from Thyme Bistro, Weston;

n Sept. 21: Chef Joy Marr from Gourmet on the Gorge, Fayetteville;

n Oct. 10 (tentative): Chef Richard Arbaugh from South Hills Market and Café, Charleston;

Tickets for each dinner are $85 per person, with a portion of all proceeds given to a healthy food or lifestyle initiative in West Virginia. Tickets go on sale three weeks prior to each event. Dinners are B.Y.O.B. and do not include gratuity. 

For more information, email paige@jqdsalt.com.

nnn

If you can't wait until mid-May to attend a multi-course gourmet dinner for a good cause, HospiceCare's 11th annual Tidewater Dinner Gala is scheduled for 6 p.m. April 12 at Charleston Town Center's Tidewater Grill.

Over the past 10 years, more than 1,500 guests have raised nearly $150,000 for HospiceCare while enjoying an evening of fine food, spirits and fun. Based on this year's menu, you can probably expect more of the same.

Here are this year's offerings, all created by new Tidewater chef Josh Lowthian:

n Appetizer: Lump crabmeat and lobster cakes with roasted red pepper coulis and Dijon mustard sauce;

n Salad: Mixed baby greens with bleu chesses crumbles, red onion, candied pecans and strawberries tossed in a white balsamic vinaigrette;

n Entrée: Salmon Oscar with jumbo lump crab meat and hollandaise sauce, paired with a bacon-wrapped filet with brown sugar crust and herb-infused butter, potatoes au gratin and asparagus with squash and red pepper;

n Dessert: Chocolate brandy mousse in chocolate cups with whipped topping.

Select wines and beers have been donated by local distributors and a cash bar will be available.

The cost is $125 per person, plus gratuity, with $75 of that going to benefit HospiceCare. (Guests pay at the table that evening.) For reservations, call 304-345-2620.

Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Charleston Gazette-Mail and an occasional food blog at http://blogs.wvgazettemail.com/foodguy/. He can be reached at 304-380-6096 or by e-mail at wvfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook as "WV Food Guy" and on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest as "WVFoodGuy."

6 hard-cooked eggs

½ cup mayonnaise

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

1 Tbsp. minced chives or green onions

2 tsp. sweet pickle relish

Salt and pepper, to taste

Celery salt, if desired

Peel eggs and smash up in a mixing bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and mix well.

Carol Crow, a column follower, had a mystery to solve. As she noted in a recent email, "I was wondering if any readers recall the 'Almost Heaven' sandwich that was served at Ray's Deli in Kanawha City years ago and would remember the ingredients?"

She said she wished she had paid attention when eating it. It was delicious and unlike any other she had ever enjoyed and she'd like to make it, if possible.

Wonder no more, Carol. I found two Internet sources for your sandwich. One was a 1975 article in The Charleston Daily Mail featuring Ray Max, deli owner, his family and his delectable deli fare.

The other happened to be in a March, 2007 Charleston Gazette column by popular Saturday Gazette-Mail columnist Alyce Faye Bragg. Who knew Alyce would hold the key to the secret sandwich?

But before I went online to discover those nuggets of information, I turned to someone who was as close as I knew - Ray's brother Steve Max, attorney and administrative law judge for the Worker's Compensation Office of Judges, now retired.

Steve was to speak to Ray about the sandwich and get back to me. Before he could, I found the answer.

According to the Daily Mail, Ray was quite a sandwich inventor with most of his concoctions ending up on the deli menu.

The "Heaven" came about when a customer entered the deli saying: "Make me something different!"

Ray set about considering the bread, concentrating on the fillings, hand-picking the garnishes, finishing it all off on the grill.

The yet unnamed sandwich became a super-sandwich when a second person, eyeing the newest trial-on-a-plate asked for the same thing. A flood of requests followed.

The sandwich was destined to remain untitled, except for calling it "the new sandwich" until the day a diner, in the throes of excitement and enjoyment of the turkey-salami-onion wonder, breathed life into the naming. Gushing with delight, he said: "You know, this is almost heaven!" Bingo!

The rest became history, because the sandwich went on to be the all-time top seller. Unstoppable, Ray developed a second sandwich as a foil to the "Heaven." It was "The Devil," a spicy kosher frank, pastrami, Swiss and onion fantasy.

Several responses in Bragg's column said the sandwich was carried on in Murad's 35th Street location after Ray's Deli closed. Sadly, Murad's is now closed as well.

But there is no cause for despair, because the sandwich construction is indeed within swooning reach.

For, as it turns out, Bragg had also received direct communication from the highest authority, Ray and Gloria Max in Ormond Beach, Florida. It couldn't get any better than that - plus they were happy to share their how-to.

As Gloria remarked back then, "We still make this sandwich for ourselves, and yes, it is 'Almost Heaven.'"

I'm happy Crow became interested in recapturing some of yesterday's taste and that I found the "recipe," because my appetite was growing with each search and conversation about the treat.

Warm up your grill pan, Carol, and be prepared to savor every bite. And maybe share?

Reach Judy Grigoraci at jg@suddenlink.net.

As recounted by Gloria Max in 2007: "Start with 2 large slices of Grecian bread; layer bottom piece with one slice of Swiss cheese, sweet yellow pepper slices, sliced turkey breast, salami, two slices of tomato, and fresh onion slices. Sprinkle with pepper and top it with the other slice of Grecian bread. Brush the top of the bread with melted butter; put it on a hot grill butter side down; butter top bread; flip when bottom bread is browned and brown second side, turning once. When the bread is browned and cheese is melted, eat and enjoy."

So far, 10 states have legalized medical marijuana to treat war veterans suffering PTSD, and several other states are studying the step, a March 23 news report said.

America slowly wipes out former taboos, and legalization of marijuana nationwide could be next.

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder declared in a new PBS "Frontline" interview that pot should be "rescheduled" to lower status under federal law, marked down to a less-harmful category.

"You know, we treat marijuana in the same way that we treat heroin now," Holder said, "and that clearly is not appropriate. So, at a minimum, I think Congress needs to do that."

He added: "The whole question of, should marijuana be decriminalized. I mean, that's a conversation we should engage in."

Already, 23 states have legalized pot in some manner. Four of them - Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska, plus the District of Columbia - allow it for recreational puffing. The rest authorize it for medical relief of pain and suffering.

Various other states and cities have downgraded the mild drug to misdemeanor status, drawing little more punishment than a parking ticket. And legalization efforts are afoot in a dozen more states in this year's elections.

Gradually, America is coming to regard cannabis as no more harmful than alcohol - and less harmful than tobacco. Polls find ever-greater public acceptance. The tide is flowing toward decriminalization, coast to coast.

If alcohol and tobacco are legal, it's absurd to criminalize marijuana. It is also absurd to disrupt lives and families by jailing petty pot offenders.

A more rational regulation of marijuana might be the next milestone in the nation's progress.

Terry Lee Elswick, 60, of Gauley Bridge, formerly of Glasgow, passed away Sunday, March 27, 2016 at CAMC Memorial Hospital, Charleston, after a long illness.

Terry was preceded in death by his parents, Freddie and Ruby (Platt) Elswick, and son, Terry Joseph Elswick.

Surviving are his daughter, Megan McQuinn Sullivan; sisters, Sally Bracken (Ernie), Sheri Moore and Mary Elliott (Doug); brother, Freddie Elswick II (Rena); and a host of other family members and friends.

Service will be 11 a.m. Friday, April 1, at Kanawha Valley Memorial Gardens Mausoleum Chapel, Glasgow, with close family friend, the Rev. Joyce Moore, officiating. Burial will follow the service in the cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Salvation Army, 301 Tennessee Ave., Charleston, WV 25302.

Cooke Funeral Home, Cedar Grove, is serving the Elswick family.

Juan Demiranda, 96, of Salem, Va., formerly of Camaguey, Cuba, passed away Friday, March 25, 2016.

He was a political refugee from Cuba.

Preceding him in death was his wife, Angela Elisa Font.

His surviving family includes his daughter, Georgina Demiranda and husband, Ed Cook; grandchildren, Yamilet Lopez and Mary Belle Lopez; and great-grandchildren, Brian Parrado and Daver Olivera.

The family expresses a sincere thanks to Carilion Hospice for their loving care.

A graveside service will be conducted at noon Wednesday, March 30, at East Hill Cemetery, Salem, Va.

Online condolences may be expressed at www.johnmoakey.com.

The Demiranda family is being served by John M. Oakey & Son Funeral Home, Salem, Va., 540-389-5441.

Ricky Todd Danbery, 51, of Cannelton, died March 28, 2016. O'Dell Funeral Home, Montgomery, is in charge of arrangements.

Roy Eugene Cool, 72, of Webster Springs, died March 23, 2016. Visitation will be 1 to 2 p.m. Wednesday, March 30, at Dodd & Reed Funeral Home, Webster Springs. Graveside service and burial will follow at Cool Mountain Cemetery.

Pamela Ann Combs, 57, of Leon, passed away Saturday, March 26, 2016. She was a 1976 graduate of Buffalo High School, and former Miss Buffalo High. She was a loving and caring person with a good sense of humor and enjoyed life. Pam was an avid music lover and liked to spend time in the outdoors. She loved nature and caring for the animals. She will be sadly missed by those whose lives she touched.

Born June 6, 1958 she was the daughter of Kennard C. "Nick" Hill and Eleanor Ann "Ellie" Craig Hill of Buffalo.

In addition to her parents, she is survived by lifelong friend and husband of nine years, Michael Combs; son, Nicholas Wilkinson of Buffalo; brother, Shawn Hill of Buffalo; two stepchildren; two grandchildren; as well as several aunts and uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and many friends.

Funeral service will be held at 3 p.m. Friday, April 1, at Raynes Funeral Home, Buffalo, with Pastor Mike Crago officiating. Private family burial will follow in Walker Chapel Cemetery, Robertsburg, at a later date.

The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service at the funeral home.

Online condolences may be sent to the Combs family and the online guestbook signed by visiting www.raynesfuneralhome.com.

Raynes Funeral Home, 20072 Charleston Road, Buffalo, is in charge of arrangements.

Anita Gale Chapman, 58, of Gallipolis Ferry, died March 29, 2016. Service will be 11 a.m. Friday, April 1, at Wilcoxen Funeral Home, Point Pleasant. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 31, at the funeral home.

Charles Edward Carrigan, 85, of Ocala, Fla., passed away March 26, 2016. He was born Feb. 5, 1931 in Huntington, W.Va., to Edward M. and Marie Meisenzahl Carrigan. A graduate of Virginia Tech, he was a plant manager and vice president in heavy equipment manufacturing.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and infant daughter, Jeanne Marie Carrigan.

He is survived by his beloved wife of 61 years, Gay Edens Carrigan; sons, Ed Carrigan (Amy) of Ottawa, Ill., and Michael Carrigan of DeKalb, Ill.; daughters, Terri Anderson (Bob) of Oakland, Calif., Anne McMillan (Michael) of Chicago, Ill., and Patty Marschalk (Tom) of Maple Grove, Minn.; brother, Phillip Carrigan; sisters, Mary Catherine Shea and Loretta Carrigan; 12 grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

A memorial Mass will be held at Blessed Trinity Catholic Church, Ocala, Fla.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hospice of Marion County, Ocala, Fla.