Ruth E. Ferrell, 84, of Nitro, passed away Sunday, May 1, 2016 at home after a short illness. Cooke Funeral Home & Crematorium, Nitro, is serving the Ferrell family.

Joseph Edwin Anderson, 87, of Cross Lanes, formerly of Dunbar, went home to be with the Lord on Thurs. April 28, 2016, surrounded by his daughters.

Joe was born on August 21, 1928, to the late Howard and Irene Anderson.

He graduated from Dunbar High School in 1947.

Joe was a faithful member of the Cross Lanes United Methodist along with his family since 1975. He was part of the Wednesday Work Group and thoroughly enjoyed his time being involved at the church.

He was a wood worker and enjoyed making clocks, trinkets and participated in several Arts and Crafts Fairs. He made the wooden hanging cross in the Fellowship Hall, the quilt frames and many other projects at the church.

He loved to spend time with his family, enjoyed camping and his ham radio operations.

His call sign was K8BCH. He first obtained his radio license in 1956. He participated in many Ham Fests, assisting with the Red Cross in disasters and helped many military personnel contact their families many years ahead of cell phones and social media. He assisted in patching calls from the USS Eisenhower while it was located in the Mediterranean. He once talked to the Pope John Paul II.

He was a 50 year plus member of the Dunbar Masonic Lodge #159, a member of the Beni Kedem Shriners and the Scottish Rite in Charleston, WV.

Joe was a dedicated husband, father and grandfather making sure his family and friends came first.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife of 65 years, Thelma (Gibson) Anderson; his sisters, Rosalie Adams and Emma Ruth Osborn; and his brother, James (Jimmy) Anderson.

Joe is survived by his two daughters, Beth (Dan) Kimble of Nitro, Barbara (Chris) Conner of Cross Lanes; his three grandchildren, Sarah Elizabeth Kimble of Lexington, Ky., Seth Joseph Conner and Mia Paige Conner of Cross Lanes; sister-in-law, Anne Anderson of Dunbar; and many nieces and nephews.

The family wishes to express their gratitude to CLUMC for their love, prayers, hugs, support, cards, phone calls, meals and many visits by members of the church. In addition to the church, the family wishes to express their appreciation to Hubbard Hospice House medical staff and to his caregivers that were part of his family over the past three years.

Philippians 4:13 – "I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

A celebration of life with family and friends will be held 11 a.m. Mon. May 2, at Cross Lanes United Methodist Church with Rev. Dr. Gary Nelson officiating. Burial will follow in Grandview Memorial Park, Dunbar. Visitation with family and friends will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sun. May 1, at Cross Lanes United Methodist Church and one hour prior to the service on Mon. May 2.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations in his memory to be made to the American Heart Association 162 Court St., Charleston, WV 25301; American Lung Association-Mid-Atlantic, 2102 Kanawha Blvd E., Charleston, WV 25311; Cross Lanes United Methodist Church, 5320 Frontier Drive, Cross Lanes, WV 25313; or Hubbard Hospice House West, 4605 MacCorkle Ave SW, South Charleston, WV 25309.

Arrangements are in the care of Keller Funeral Home, Dunbar.

Adkins, Brian — 1 p.m., Koontz Funeral Home, Hamlin.

Anderson, Joseph — 11 a.m., Cross Lanes United Methodist Church, Charleston.

Argento, Katherine — 1 p.m., St. Anthony's Shrine Catholic Church, Boomer.

Bosen, Jimmy J. — 1 p.m., Horsepen Southern Baptist Church, Horsepen.

Brown, Samuel Sr. — 1 p.m., Mt. Zion Baptist Church, Beckley.

Burns, Victoria — 1 p.m., Stevens and Grass Funeral Home, Malden.

Chase, Elmie — 11 a.m., Chapman Funeral Home, Hurricane.

Crago, Phyllis — 3 p.m., Gatens

Giacomo, William — 2 p.m., Carbondale Baptist Church, Smithers.

Harriston, Emery — 1 p.m., Cunningham

Jividen, Betty — 2 p.m., Raynes Funeral Home Chapel, Eleanor.

Lovelace, Dorothy — 1 p.m., Dunmore United Methodist Church, Dunmore.

Pomeroy, Kathy L. — 1 p.m., Cooke Funeral Home Chapel, Cedar Grove.

Smith, Kenneth — 1 p.m., Memorial United Methodist Church, Spencer.

Sovine, Regina — 2 p.m., Chapman Funeral Home, Hurricane.

Whapels, Lottie — 11 a.m., Casdorph and Curry Funeral Home, St. Albans.

Booth Goodwin would be the best governor

Editor:

It is shocking that the UMWA would endorse a tax-delinquent, MSHA fine-dodging coal operator over an honest lawman who secured the first-ever conviction of a high-profile coal company CEO for conspiring to violate mine safety laws.

Two-Gun Sid and Mary Harris Jones are surely rolling in their graves.

Booth Goodwin is a lifelong West Virginian, dedicated public servant, father, friend to many, and is decent to his core. If elected, he would dispatch his gubernatorial responsibilities free from untoward influence and always in a manner that serves all of West Virginians' near and future interests.

A vote for Booth is a vote for West Virginia's future -a future where Mountaineers may one day truly be free.

Jason Eskwith Huber

Charlotte, N.C.

No election is complete without some amount of mudslinging. Negative ads, false accusations and the like often serve only to detract from a candidate's message and accomplishments.

No one running for elected office is safe from negativity, especially incumbents who serve in leadership.

Ads airing in and around Jackson County rake Senate Majority Leader Mitch Carmichael over the coals for testifying in court on behalf of a sex offender. According to the Gazette-Mail's Eric Eyre, a union-backed political group called West Virginia Family Values has spent $77,000 on mailers and radio ads in an attempt to defeat the incumbent.

But the group's accusations against Carmichael aren't so cut and dried. In July 2013, Carmichael was called to testify at a sentencing hearing for a man in his district who pleaded guilty to three counts of sexual abuse. Carmichael's lawyer on Monday told Eyre the legislator was asked to tell the judge how he knew the man, Cecil Hinzman.

Hinzman had worked some odd jobs for Carmichael and his mother. Carmichael said Hinzman always showed up on time, did what he was asked and was "extremely ... trustworthy, reliable and dependable," according to court transcripts. Carmichael said he knew Hinzman through political circles.

Carmichael was honest. He was asked how he knew Hinzman and his knowledge of Hinzman's character, nothing more. Carmichael wasn't asked to and didn't defend Hinzman's actions as a sex offender, and to paint his testimony in that light is, at best, dishonest.

Carmichael isn't the only incumbent legislator facing false accusations. A mailer purporting to be from House Speaker Tim Armstead's re-election campaign claims the House passed a balanced budget, although the Legislature has yet to agree to a spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

But Armstead claims the mailer didn't come from his campaign. "I want to make clear that every mailing I and my campaign have sent out clearly say 'Paid for by Armstead for House.' If you receive a mailing that does not say that, it did not come from me or my campaign," Armstead posted on his campaign Facebook page. He blames the Democratic Party for the false mailer.

As the primary election gets closer, expect to see more political mudslinging. Much is at stake in this election on all levels, and voters must be careful to not believe everything they read or see about a candidate.

Voters, do your research. Vote for who you think is best for West Virginia by relying on your own credible research, not from false accusations.

If you need more evidence of West Virginia's shifting political paradigm, look at the mixed crowd that turned out for Bill Clinton's appearance in Logan County Sunday and Hillary Clinton's stop in Williamson Monday.

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and Sen. Joe Manchin heard boos and derogatory chants mixed in with the cheers as they campaigned with the former president in Logan.

When Hillary Clinton campaigned in Williamson Monday, angry protesters were on hand, booing and chanting "go home!"

That would have been unthinkable a few short years ago. Bill Clinton beat George H.W. Bush nearly two-to-one in Logan County in 1992, and Bob Dole by almost four-to-one in 1996. Tomblin got 79 percent of the vote in his home county in 2012, while Manchin had the support of 75 percent of the voters.

But since then the coal industry has been decimated by plummeting prices, slack global demand, increased competition from natural gas and punitive regulation from the Obama administration's EPA. The subsequent layoffs at the coal mines, and the trickle-down impact on the rest of the southern West Virginia economy, have folks there reeling and seething.

Of course they are angry. Even Bill Clinton, the master of political empathy, struggled to soothe the wounded voters and re-direct the conversation toward how a Hillary Clinton presidency would make their lives better.

Manchin and Tomblin are caught in a kind of political netherworld that comes with being a prominent Democrat in West Virginia at a time when the national Democratic Party has pivoted sharply to the left on environmental issues.

Tomblin has a historically strong relationship with the coal industry and business leaders, but they expressed their dismay with the governor's endorsement of Hillary.

"Gov. Tomblin calls West Virginia's coalfields home, and his endorsement of Hillary Clinton for president means our governor officially is turning his back on the plight of thousands of West Virginians and their families who are struggling because of the Obama administrations' war on Appalachian Coal," railed West Virginia Business and Industry Council President Chris Hamilton.

However, I've heard more than once from Tomblin and Manchin supporters that assuming Clinton is going to be president, it's better to establish a working relationship now for the potential future benefits.

For example, Tomblin and Manchin were able to take Bill Clinton past the 12,000-acre Hobet mountaintop removal mine site in Boone and Lincoln counties where state leaders have been trying to attract development.

So perhaps it can be argued that Manchin and Tomblin are taking the practical approach. But that's a tough political sell, especially after Hillary Clinton said she was going to put a lot of coal miners and coal companies out of business - a statement she later retracted and again apologized for Monday - and she has pledged to continue down the path of the Obama administration, which has been hostile toward coal through the actions of the EPA.

Hillary Clinton may still win the Democratic primary here - we'll know more Friday when our MetroNews West Virginia Poll is released - but a general election victory here is highly unlikely. The last Democratic presidential candidate to carry the state was her husband, and as he found out Sunday, many in the normally hospitable Mountain State have watched as their communities have crumbled.

They're not in a welcoming mood.

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.

Twenty years ago in February when the Charleston Daily Mail first appeared on the World Wide Web, no one in the newspaper's publishing office had to ask permission of any government agency.

The same was true when the Wall Street Journal first established its Internet site two months later, writes L. Gordon Crovitz in Monday's Wall Street Journal. "Consumers decided if access was worth the original $49 a year."

Now with regulations initiated by the Obama administration, "this era of permissionless innovation has slammed to a halt," writes Crovitz.

"President Obama insisted last year that the Internet be regulated as an old-fashion utility, with bureaucrats setting rates, suppressing innovation and discouraging investment." Crovitz said AOL founder Steve Case's new book, "The Third Wave," warns what could happen next.

America Online accounted for half of Internet traffic early on. "AOL was, for its time, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Spotify, YouTube and Instagram combined," Case wrote in his book.

Case described how that first wave of Internet innovation was followed by a second wave of rapid creation of websites and services. Google, Facebook and thousands of other companies launched products and services into the open, unregulated Internet.

"If today's Internet regulations had been in place, AOL would have been stymied," Crovitz writes.

"The new Internet rules put access to selected content through mobile subscriptions at risk. The Federal Communications Commission is considering a ban on inexpensive plans, including selected Web access, offered by T-Mobile, AT&T and Verizon to millions of Americans," writes Crovitz.

"Mr. Case warns," says Crovitz, "that the third wave of innovation will require entrepreneurs to persevere through heavy regulation. Regulators, he writes, need to "change their focus from keeping bad things from happening to allowing good things to happen."

Crovitz points out that innovation in drones and driverless cars has progressed much more rapidly in countries where governments regulate less. He believes America is transitioning from being a leader in technology to trying to catch up.

Why Democratic administrations feel the need to stymie new innovation and control everything is anyone's guess.

It's not the Internet that needs regulating. It's the Democrats. How about it, voters?

WASHINGTON - Countries usually don't knowingly commit economic suicide, but in Britain millions seem ready to give it a try.

On June 23, the United Kingdom will vote to decide whether to quit the European Union, the 28-nation economic bloc with a population of 508 million and a gross domestic product of almost $17 trillion. Let's not be coy: Leaving the EU would be an act of national insanity.

It would weaken the UK economy, one of Europe's strongest. The EU absorbs 44 percent of Britain's exports; these might suffer because trade barriers, now virtually nonexistent between the UK and other EU members, would probably rise.

Meanwhile, Britain would become less attractive as a production platform for the rest of Europe, so that new foreign direct investment in the UK - now $1.5 trillion - would fall.

Also threatened would be London's status as Europe's major financial center, home (for example) to 78 percent of EU foreign exchange trading. With the UK out of the EU, some banking activities might move to Frankfurt or other cities. This would be a big blow.

Losses could be considerable. A study from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), after making assumptions about UK trade and investment, concluded that "Brexit" - shorthand for Britain's "exit" from the EU - could "shave off" $3,200 from average British household income by 2020. No one really knows, but other studies reach similar conclusions.

Indeed, the adverse effects may be undercounted, argues OECD Secretary-General Angel Gurria. Noting that UK economic growth in the first quarter of 2016 was the slowest since 2012, he says that uncertainty over Britain's future is already causing businesses to delay hiring and investment decisions.

What would Britain get from all this? Good question.

There are three main complaints against the EU, says Nile Gardiner, who was once an aide to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and now works at the conservative Heritage Foundation.

First, the outpouring of regulations from Brussels - the seat of the EU - has compromised Britain's sovereignty. On some issues, the European Court of Justice can overrule British courts.

Second, the EU's liberal migration rules may expose Britain to terrorists or overburden its welfare system. (Once people become EU citizens, they are allowed to live or work anywhere in the bloc.)

Finally, the EU imposes costs on Britain - an annual contribution to the EU budget plus the costs of regulations.

The EU certainly isn't immune to criticism. It is often an elitist institution that has centralized too much power in Brussels for a continent characterized by huge differences of national history and culture.

It has also committed massive errors, the adoption of the euro probably being the largest. (One currency didn't work well for all countries. Britain wisely decided not to join.)

Still, most complaints seem exaggerated. The UK's net annual contribution to the EU budget is about 0.5 percent of Britain's GDP. That's hardly crushing. Some EU regulations may be overkill, but Britain's labor and product markets are among the least regulated of advanced counties, according to studies.

As for immigrants, studies "show that these workers pay more in taxes than they receive in benefits," says Frances Burwell of the Atlantic Council. "They've come to work."

What this debate is really about is Britain's place in the world and its self-identity. Britain has long been of Europe but also apart from it.

The British Empire was once the world's largest. To be simply another member of a continental confederation, albeit an important member, offends this heritage. The nostalgic yearning is understandable, but it is not a policy.

Ironically, leaving the EU would confirm the UK's reduced status. The UK would have to renegotiate its trading agreements with the EU and dozens of other countries. A deal with the EU is essential.

For the UK, the best outcome would be to retain much of its preferential access, which - as a practical matter - would mean continuing contributions to the EU budget and abiding by most EU regulations. The status quo would survive, except that the UK would have no influence over EU policies. Anything less than this would have the EU putting its own members at a competitive disadvantage.

Viewed this way, Brexit is an absurdity. But it is a potentially destructive absurdity. It creates more uncertainty in a world awash in uncertainty. This would weaken an already sputtering global economy by giving firms and consumers another reason to pull back on spending.

It would be better for the UK to stay in the EU. It would also be better for the EU, because Britain provides political and intellectual balance.

Finally, it would be better for the United States, which doesn't need a major ally - Britain - to go delusional.

Express your opinion on any subject you wish. Not all comments are published. Call 304-348-1775 or email readersvent@wvgazettemail.com.

The water company just got a rate increase approval from the Public Service Commission and now they're putting in for another. I think they need to stop doing this so that people who are retired can afford to pay their water bill.

I wonder why the police don't do something about the abandoned SUV that's along Railroad Avenue, just west of Watts Street. It's been sitting there since January. Someone should move it because it looks terrible.

Bill Cole is simply saying that he is going to fight Obama's policies that will be continued if Hillary Clinton gets into office.

I do not think that Hillary Clinton would make a good president. She is too old and we do not need her as president.

There's probably more hate and animosity in this country now than there was during the Civil War.

The reason West Virginia is 50th in everything is because they are redecorating offices with new carpet and other decorative things bought from out-of-state stores. Schools, roads and health care are enduring budget cuts. It's no wonder we're attracting no new businesses. Disgusting.

Until the United States follows the rest of the world and forbids the prescribing of opioids outside of a clinical setting the epidemic and needless deaths will continue. Drug companies care only about profits and supporting those politicians who make sure the profits continue to flow while the bodies pile up.

Congratulations to Pat Quinlan on his election to the St. Albans council. He says he is interested in helping to keep St. Albans clean. I hope he will address the long ignored issue of high grass and run down/falling down structures on many properties in the city.

First and foremost, I am not a Hillary Clinton supporter. Having said that, just because certain networks (FOX) report untruths about her over and over doesn't make them true. If you don't like her, don't vote for her.

When someone says that they misspoke what they really mean is that they lied and told people what they wanted to hear. Right Obama and Hillary? There is no such thing as misspeaking.

Don't get too excited Joe. Hilary's not going to pick some junior hick politician from West Virginia as a running mate. And I doubt you get re-elected here. You'd make a great barista, right ladies?

What was the outcome on the traffic citation issued to Jim Justice by the Lewisburg Police Department? Did he pay a fine, did he request a hearing, did he appeal the ticket, or did he "pressure" someone to make it disappear?

Goodwin is not a politician; he has never run for office. Why does the GOP denounce him for being a professional politician? The GOP are idiots.

I would have voted for the wrong person if I hadn't listened to them on the radio. Kessler was the only one who knew what he was talking about - and his passion for the people, and willingness to face difficult realities, was impressive.

In looking over Hillary's long record the only thing it appears she has been a success at is avoiding prosecution.

Sure, Darrell McGraw is so well connected that he couldn't keep the Manchins from firing his wife. The GOP's got this all wrong too. I hope McGraw gets the Supreme Court so he can keep an eye on Morrisey.

After what he's done to West Virginia this year we definitely need a War On Cole.

I do so wish the Religious Right would quit complaining about resistance to RFRA legislation as political correctness run amok. It is more about rejection of their mean-spirited effort to slap some lipstick on a pig, the lipstick being their non-contextual interpretation of cherry-picked Bible verses, and the pig being prejudice. The majority is neither fooled nor sympathetic.

The protesters in the coalfields are not trying to tell the Clintons we need help with drugs, we have had our lives changed and our future because of policies made by them on coal.

Just as on St. Patrick's Day, when everyone certainly feels Irish no matter what, so on Cinco de Mayo, we all become just a tiny bit Mexican.

We may not be of that descent, but it still calls for a grand party. Strangely, it's said that Cinco de Mayo is celebrated more here in America than it is in Mexico.

It might seem a tight squeeze to fit in a grocery stop today with May 5 staring us in the face, but you may want the festivities to take place within your home field advantage and not at an outside establishment.

Each recipe here is simple enough to shop for the ingredients now for cooking and serving tomorrow.

For the fajita peppers and onions, it doesn't take long to cut the fresh into strips. But read-to-stir-fry peppers and onions can be purchased from the produce section or grocery salad bar. They can also be found bagged in the freezer section.

There is an extra flavor choice to the recipe if you double the amount of marinade and marinate the peppers and onions as well as the chicken. That can be done the night before or early the morning of.

If you decide to marinate the vegetables, do it in a container separate from the chicken. That's to be on the safe side. I can't be certain how long you should cook the peppers and onions after being marinated with raw chicken.

If Mexican seasoning isn't to be found for the chicken, just use chili powder and cumin to taste.

And corners can be cut by purchasing the bag of seasoned, refrigerated cooked fajita chicken strips, tossing them in at the last moment to heat through.

In that event you have the choice of marinating the vegetables alone, the chicken is already flavored and cooked.

The baked corn isn't mind-boggling, with only four ingredients to its name. With heavy cream and cheese, what could be a better rich blanket for corn?

You could go a little spicier with the corn, or a whole lot, by thinking of adding a minced jalapeño or two and a little more color with a 2-ounce jar of drained diced pimento.

You need a merry beverage to round out the meal. Somehow apple cider seems to carry an old-fashioned, even winter-y image.

But what if it's bumped up to a sangria? Perhaps that will win your vote to provide effervescence and spirit to your dining event.

However, non-alcohol sparkling cider or sparkling grape juice would be just as much a sensational liquid refreshment.

You can make either the sparkling cider or grape juice sangria-like by pouring them into a pitcher and adding fruit and berries of your choice, not forgetting to let apples be part of the fruit for the cider and grapes for the grape juice.

Cinco de Mayo came about as the result of a battle won. In the fight for tasty mealtime delivery, this menu could become a winner.

Reach Judy Grigoraci at jg@suddenlink.net.

Makes 6 servings

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons rice vinegar or any white vinegar

2 teaspoons McCormick reduced-sodium Montreal Chicken seasoning

1 teaspoon McCormick Perfect Pinch Mexican seasoning

1 ½ to 2 pounds chicken breast tenderloins

1 medium onion, peeled, quartered, thinly sliced

1 bell pepper - any color - cut into strips

1 tablespoon olive oil

Flour fajita tortillas

Toppings: salsa; sour cream; shredded cheese; guacamole, diced avocado, diced tomatoes; chopped green onion

WHISK oil and seasonings in bowl or heavy resealable plastic bag. Cut chicken into strips as for stir-fry, discarding the white membrane. Add to marinade.

REFRIGERATE at least 6 hours up to overnight.

COOK onion and peppers on a hot griddle, skillet or wok. If you have marinated them, you probably won't need the 1 tablespoon oil, using the oil that clings to them from the marinade.

Otherwise, heat the oil and stir-fry the peppers and onions until desired tenderness; season with salt and pepper. Set aside out of pan.

REMOVE chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Cook chicken in the same pan, adding a tablespoon of oil if needed, sprinkling with additional Mexican seasoning, salt and pepper. May mix the cooked chicken and onion/pepper together or leave separate.

WARM tortillas as package directs; fill with chicken, onion, bell pepper and desired toppings.

Makes 8 servings

2 cups shredded taco-flavored Cheddar cheese blend

1 11-ounce can Mexicorn, drained

1 cup heavy cream

2 eggs

Optional - one ear corn, kernels cut from cob to add with the Mexicorn (it lends a freshness)

ARRANGE cheese in bottom of greased 2-quart baking dish. Spread Mexicorn evenly over cheese. In bowl, whisk cream and eggs until well blended; evenly pour over corn.

BAKE uncovered at 350 degrees about 30 minutes or until bubbly around the edges, center is set and top starting to lightly brown.

Makes about 4 servings

One small honeycrisp apple, quartered, cored, thinly sliced

One navel orange, peeled, sectioned

1 cup plain apple cider or apple juice

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 12-ounce bottles hard cider, chilled (tested with Crispin. For sweeter, suggested Redd's Apple Ale)*

*Drug Emporium sells single bottles of hard cider, convenient for purchasing a small amount.

COMbINE apple and orange slices with apple and lemon juices in pitcher. Refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving gently stir in hard cider.

Thanks to everyone who sent in messages of support, good-natured barbs and their own restaurant recommendations (wow!) to assist in my quest to find "West Virginia's Tastiest Town" over the next several weeks.

The search just kicked off three days ago, but folks already seem excited about our upcoming culinary travels. My favorite message so far:

"Steven, I've made a life-changing decision," wrote Randy Wallace, who lives near Lewisburg, one of the seven cities featured in our series.

"I will go on your next cities tour around West Virginia, you just let me know. Keep up the food fight, I love your work!"

The recap of my weekend dining around Charleston ran in this past Sunday's Gazette-Mail, which you can read here. You can also vote for your favorite Charleston restaurant there, and check out a video capturing the capital city's eclectic restaurant scene.

And be sure to check back each Sunday, when new cities will take over the page and restaurant poll: Shepherdstown (May 8), Lewisburg (May 15), Morgantown (May 22), Fayetteville (June 5), Huntington (June 12) and our ultimate winner (June 19).

Which city do you think will take it all?

nnn

I'm pretty stoked to have tickets to this Saturday's inaugural Foam at the Dome craft beer festival from 4 to 7 p.m. at Charleston's Laidley Field, with a special VIP area opening at 3 p.m.

Starting soon after the East End Yard Sale (the largest neighborhood sale east of the Mississippi, mind you) Foam at the Dome will feature more than 40 breweries, 150 different beers, 10 food vendors, 20 artisans and four live bands in a festive atmosphere inside the stadium.

On tap is a variety of frothy libations from West Virginia breweries in Charleston, Berkeley Springs, Elkins, Fayetteville, Greenbrier Valley, Morgantown, Thomas and elsewhere, along with regional and national powerhouses like Breckenridge, Country Boy, Flying Dog, Green Flash, Lagunitas, Leinenkugel, Magic Hat, New Belgium, Ommegang, Oskar Blues, Rogue, Saranac, Sierra Nevada, Southern Tier and more.

Wow, what a lineup!

And since you'll work up an appetite sampling all of those brews, restaurants like B&D Gastropub, Black Sheep Burritos, Bricks & Barrels, Bridge Road Bistro, Dem 2 Brothers, Mi Cocina de Amor, Paterno's and other caterers will serve up a host of good eats for purchase.

For a complete menu and more information, check out the event website at www.foamcwv.com.

nnn

If you work in the food industry - or are just interested in how restaurant menus are created - WVfarm2U.org and the New River Gorge Regional Development Authority are teaming up to offer a workshop that might be right up your alley.

"Putting Local on Your Menu: A Menu Writing and Social Media Branding Workshop" will take place from 9 a.m. to noon next Wednesday, May 11, at The Hive in Beckley. At the event, attendees will learn how restaurants can take advantage of today's farm-to-table movement by featuring more locally grown foods on their menus.

More specifically, you can learn how to write up menus to be both informative and enticing through more descriptive phrasing, and learn how to tap into the power of social media to engage and connect with potential customers.

For more information or to register, contact Joy Marr at 304-574-0394 or joymarr@vc2.org.

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."

Freda Watkins Halstead, 59, of Seth, went to be with the Lord at home, surrounded by her loving family, on Tuesday, May 3, 2016 after a courageously fought battle.

Freda was a Christian. She loved playing Yahtzee, bingo and all types of card games. She loved Elvis and rooting on the Sherman Tide and the West Virginia Mountaineers.

She loved organizing family get-togethers at her fire pit.

She was preceded in death by father, Bill Watkins; mother, Lori McMillan; sisters, Shelvy Reed and Alberta Toney; brother, Jesse McMillan; grandmother, Clara Watkins; nieces, Laura, Cindy and Stephany; and nephews, Bill, Chris, Chris, Daniel and Mark.

Surviving are her husband and only true love, Harold; daughter, Becky (Eric) Edie of Prenter; sons, Brian Halstead of Seth and Nathaniel Halstead of Prenter; grandchildren, Caleb of Hawaii and Matthew, Eli and Shaun, all of Prenter; sisters, Patsy, Debbie, Robin, Joni, Norma and Janet; brothers, Hubert, Leslie, Harless, Johnny and Ted; and a host of other family and friends.

The family would like to extend special thanks to Sally and her co-workers at Kanawaha Hospice Care, and to all of her family and friends who helped Freda through her final days on earth, especially her sister, Debbie, who was with her through it all.

Funeral will be 1 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at Leonard Johnson Funeral Home, Marmet, with her brother-in-law, the Rev. Roger Halstead, officiating. Friends may call two hours prior to the service at the funeral home. Condolences may be sent to the family at leonardjohnsonfuneralhome.com.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Kanawha Hospice Care, 1606 Kanawha Blvd. W., Charleston, WV 25387.

Lindsay Elizabeth Gardner passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in her sleep, on May 1, 2016, in Manasota Beach, Florida, from complications arising from a long­standing physical illness. Lindsay enjoyed her last day on Earth spending time with loved ones at the beach. Lindsay was born September 21, 1984.

She was the beloved daughter of Margaret L. Workman of Charleston, WV and Edward T. (Liza) Gardner of Bradenton, Florida; the beloved sister of Edward E. Gardner, of Huntington, WV and Christopher W. Gardner (Mary); and the aunt of Lilly Gardner, of Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina. She also leaves behind her constant companion, her miniature Chihuahua, Coco Chanel. Lindsay was loved beyond words by her whole family.

She was a graduate of George Washington High School and the University of Charleston. In 2015, she joined Timberline Four Seasons Resort in Davis, WV, as a media liaison and crisis communication consultant, managing the company's local and national media communications during the most challenging season in the company's 30­year history. Prior to that time, she worked as the public relations manager for the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau. She was an incredible writer and a finalist in the National Hearst awards for feature writing.

Lindsay was a bright, shining star, not just because of her beauty, but by the sweetness, empathy, and warmth with which she treated all human beings and animals. She radiated kindness, dignity, and elegance to everyone she encountered. Although she had a quiet shyness, she also had a very vivacious and outgoing personality. As we were sharing memories of her this week, one of her brothers said "she could sweet­talk a dog off a meat truck."

She was a juried member of Allied Artists and her design talent permeated everything about her life, from her fashion sense, to her home decor, her artwork, and her creative culinary skills.

She was active in the community, lending her enthusiasm and skills to many worthy causes. In addition, Lindsay was the People's Choice in the local Dancing with the Stars Charleston Symphony benefit in 2013 and volunteered at Manna Meal throughout the years. Lindsay gave lots of heart and spirit to everything she did and will be grieved and remembered by those whose lives she touched so sweetly with a legacy of compassion in the community she loved.

She is also survived by her aunt, Deborah Workman Walker of Charleston and cousin, Amanda Walker of London, England; her aunts, Mimi (Bill) Gates of Seattle, WA and Janet Gardner of Rocky Hill, N.J. and cousins, Casey (Tracy) Neill of Portland, Oregon, and Karl (Tita) Debreczeny of New York.

A memorial service will be held Monday, May 9th, at St. John's Episcopal Church, at 3 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Manna Meal, 1105 Quarrier St., Chas., WV 25301, or the Kanawha-Charleston Humane Association, 1248 Greenbrier St., Chas., WV 25311.

"When she shall die,

Take her and cut her out in little stars,

And she will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night

And pay no worship to the garish sun."

- William Shakespeare

But there are no words to truly convey what a beautiful, shining light of love Lindsay was in this world, nor to describe how her passing has crushed our hearts and souls. May God grant those who loved her the strength to deal with her loss.

Gladys Mae Chapman, 88, of Culloden, died May 2, 2016. Service will be 11 a.m. Friday, May 6, at Allen Funeral Home, Hurricane. Visitation will be 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, May 5, at the funeral home.

Rosemary Lewis Bsharah, 93, passed from this earth to our Lord on Monday, May 2, 2016.

She was born April 26, 1923 in Charleston to George Lewis and Nazza Aide. She was the last remaining sibling of five.

Those who joined our Lord before her were husband, Dr. Norman Bsharah, and daughter, Catherine Ann Bsharah.

Surviving family members are son, Norman Andrew Bsharah; granddaughter, Maria Rose Dempsey and fiance, Dylan Lowe; and the love of her life great-granddaughter, Lilly Catherine Lowe; as well as in-laws and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was a registered nurse, a WAVE in the Navy during World War II and homemaker during her remaining years on this earth.

She was also a proud and faithful member of St. George Orthodox Cathedral, the Shums il Bir club and the Ladies Guild. The church and her faith were her second home.

God bless her and thank you to everyone who visited her and kept her in their thoughts and prayers. God bless you all.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to St. George Orthodox Cathedral.

Funeral service will be noon Thursday, May 5, at St. George Orthodox Cathedral, Charleston, with the Rev. Father Christopher Eid, Rev. Father Stephen De Young and The Very Rev. Father Olof Scott officiating. Burial will follow at Sunset Memorial Park, South Charleston.

Pallbearers will be family and friends.

Freeman Funeral Home, Chapmanville, is in charge of the arrangements.

Jewell Iris Browning, 93, of Midkiff, died May 2, 2016. Service will be 2 p.m. Friday, May 6, at McGhee-Handley Funeral Home, West Hamlin, with visitation one hour prior.

Iva Mae Beasley, 81, passed away May 1, 2016 at E.T. York Hospice Care Center, Gainesville, Florida. She was the loving wife of Thurmond Henry Chambers and Charles Royce Beasley.

Iva was born in Harts Creek, West Virginia. She was the daughter of Ezra and Della Pack. She was employed at JCPenney as a salesperson. Prior to that, she helped manage her family's hardware store, Pack Lumber and Supply, in Melrose, Florida.

She was a member of Chesapeake Methodist Church in Chesapeake, West Virginia. She enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and taking pictures.

She is survived by her son, Thurmond Chambers (Julie); her stepsons, Steve Beasley (Ellie), Larry Beasley, Dale Beasley (Carole); 10 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; her brothers and sisters-in-law, Janet Pack, Billy Pack (Sandy), George Pack (MaryBeth); numerous nieces and nephews; and her special friends, Ann Mitchem, Sherry Bosley and Faith Peal. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Thurmond Henry Chambers and Charles Royce Beasley; her parents, Ezra and Della Pack; her sister, Louise Pack; and her brother, Robert Pack.

Iva's special nephew, Larry Pack, will be officiating the memorial service. It will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 14, at Trinity Baptist Church, Keystone Heights, Florida. Visitation will be held from 10 a.m. until the time of service. A celebration will be held in West Virginia at a later date, to be announced.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to E.T. York Hospice Care Center, 4200 NW 90th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32606.

Helen Virgnia Bartley, 71, of Prattville, Ala., died Dec. 16, 2015. Memorial service will be 1 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at Mount Vernon Church, Glade Creek. Condolences may be shared at www.whitefuneralhomewv.com.