Strawberry Greeting at Courthouse

STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL – MAYOR GREETINGS AT COURTHOUSE
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2018

Good afternoon & greetings from City Hall. On behalf of our entire City Council and our 85 fulltime employees, I’m honored as always to welcome everyone to our 77th Strawberry Festival.

This is that week where our local nimrod politicians get to don their most garish strawberry ties. Not me, those other local nimrod politicians!

Our City is pleased to partner with the Festival Association to create a spectacular week of fun for our residents & visitors alike. And- our City goes along with ceremonial events as well. At 3:00 p.m. today at our public safety complex- we’ll honor retired Police Lieutenant, Keith Rowan, as our second annual Wilbert “Webb” Grubb honoree. Webb Grubb was our only City police officer to die in the line of duty. But on Strawberry Festival Sunday, May 18, 2003, Keith Rowan took multiple bullets on Factory Street just four blocks from where we’re standing. On Friday morning, we will honor our 11th Stockert Service to Youth Champion. On Friday at 3:00 at the public safety complex, Friendly Way Day will see our Fire Department recognize their 12th Friendly Way Day honoree.

I said this last year, but I think it bears repeating, when you think of Buckhannon, I believe the first three things that come to most people’s minds are- our beautiful downtown, West Virginia Wesleyan College- and ta-dah- our Strawberry Festival! Where would our town be without our beloved, annual Festival? Please remember to thank those who volunteer their time so liberally & lovingly to make sure we realize another fantastic Festival. I’ll look forward to seeing you all during the parades. I’ll be in an old blue convertible with delinquent grandchildren pelting spectators with suckers & bubble gum. I don’t think the Festival folks want us doing that candy thing actually so we’ll keep that our little secret, right? Feel free to drop your loose change in our buckets during the parades as we try to realize funding for the construction of our new gymnasium at our Stockert Youth & Community Center just down the street. May the weather gods be kind to us, & enjoy a terrific Festival week in Buckhannon everyone! I also come bearing gifts- first, our teen queen, Cayton Carder. Next, our Strawberry King, Joseph Robinson. And finally, our beautiful 2018 Queen, Charlotte Bellotte. Congratulations to all of you!

-Mayor David McCauley