Last week, I mentioned the sole-source purchase request for 45 custom leather chairs for the governor's press conference room, to be embossed alternately with either the state seal or the seal of the governor's office.
Last week, I mentioned the sole-source purchase request for 45 custom leather chairs for the governor's press conference room, to be embossed alternately with either the state seal or the seal of the governor's office.
However, that appears to be just the tip of the iceberg for what will be a complete makeover of the room, including new carpet, draperies, sound system, electrical and heating-and-cooling upgrades and other improvements.
A person close to the project noted that the chairs are modeled after chairs in the Virginia governor's office (and apparently come from the same manufacturer) - and those chairs cost in excess of $1,000 a piece.
Department of Administration spokeswoman Diane Holley confirmed the connection with the Virginia governor's office, but said she had no price figures for the chairs or for any other aspect of the redesign.
She said the plan is to modernize the room, which up until the late 1980s actually had been used for gubernatorial news conferences.
(However, every governor since Gaston Caperton has instead used the governor's reception room for press conferences, bill signings and announcements.)
In addition to the makeover, plans are to add wireless Internet, audio/video conferencing and other high-tech equipment, so the room - which actually is adjacent to the secretary of state's offices - can serve multiple functions.
Holley said that would include press conferences, staff and constituent meetings, and in the event of state or national emergencies, to function as a "war room"/information center for agencies statewide.
(Funny, I seem to recall that one of the justifications for the multiple flat-panel TV'ed "media center" on the third floor of the Governor's Mansion was that it could function as the state information center in the event of state emergencies.)
Let's hope this latest makeover doesn't turn into a mansion renovation part II.
Holley, meanwhile, said General Services is making great strides in the rodent infestation problem in the Davis Square building downtown, working with an exterminator and sealing water and sewer lines into the building that were not finished properly.
Also, employees in the building - which houses the state Office of Technology and some DHHR offices - are being advised not to leave food in their work areas.
I've had several inquiries about the status of fired Archives and History Director Fred Armstrong's personnel grievance, so here goes:
On Friday, attorneys for the state and Armstrong's attorney, Jim Lees, took depositions from Armstrong, Secretary of Education and the Arts Kay Goodwin and Culture and History Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith.
Last week, I mentioned the sole-source purchase request for 45 custom leather chairs for the governor's press conference room, to be embossed alternately with either the state seal or the seal of the governor's office.
However, that appears to be just the tip of the iceberg for what will be a complete makeover of the room, including new carpet, draperies, sound system, electrical and heating-and-cooling upgrades and other improvements.
A person close to the project noted that the chairs are modeled after chairs in the Virginia governor's office (and apparently come from the same manufacturer) - and those chairs cost in excess of $1,000 a piece.
Department of Administration spokeswoman Diane Holley confirmed the connection with the Virginia governor's office, but said she had no price figures for the chairs or for any other aspect of the redesign.
She said the plan is to modernize the room, which up until the late 1980s actually had been used for gubernatorial news conferences.
(However, every governor since Gaston Caperton has instead used the governor's reception room for press conferences, bill signings and announcements.)
In addition to the makeover, plans are to add wireless Internet, audio/video conferencing and other high-tech equipment, so the room - which actually is adjacent to the secretary of state's offices - can serve multiple functions.
Holley said that would include press conferences, staff and constituent meetings, and in the event of state or national emergencies, to function as a "war room"/information center for agencies statewide.
(Funny, I seem to recall that one of the justifications for the multiple flat-panel TV'ed "media center" on the third floor of the Governor's Mansion was that it could function as the state information center in the event of state emergencies.)
Let's hope this latest makeover doesn't turn into a mansion renovation part II.
Holley, meanwhile, said General Services is making great strides in the rodent infestation problem in the Davis Square building downtown, working with an exterminator and sealing water and sewer lines into the building that were not finished properly.
Also, employees in the building - which houses the state Office of Technology and some DHHR offices - are being advised not to leave food in their work areas.
I've had several inquiries about the status of fired Archives and History Director Fred Armstrong's personnel grievance, so here goes:
On Friday, attorneys for the state and Armstrong's attorney, Jim Lees, took depositions from Armstrong, Secretary of Education and the Arts Kay Goodwin and Culture and History Commissioner Randall Reid-Smith.
According to Lees, Reid-Smith's reasons for firing Armstrong included that Armstrong was "not a team player," and that he had "disrespected" Reid-Smith.
Stay tuned.
A couple of mea culpas: First, I could blame it on end-of-session exhaustion, but my usually uncanny sense of humor failed me with last week's comments on the West Virginia Coal Association's Bill Raney - as several readers pointed out in no uncertain terms.
Anyone who knows Bill knows that he wouldn't try to elicit sympathy from anyone for any reason, and certainly not because of a physical ailment.
Second, Tim Fittro, executive director of Men and Women Against Discrimination and a House of Delegates candidate, informs me that, while he was served with a warrant for delinquent child support at the Capitol during the final week of the session, the warrant had been issued erroneously.
He said that, prior to the warrant being issued, he had received a letter indicating that he had past-due child support payments, and in the interim had talked to the family law judge in Wood County to verify that any dispute over arrearages had been resolved. In fact, he said he has been making payments in excess of the monthly obligation.
After he was detained by Protective Services officers, Fittro said he had the family court judge fax over a document stating that the arrest warrant was not valid, and was released.
Finally, I have no idea how to play Caribbean Stud poker, but it might be a good time to learn, based on the Lottery Commission's February table games report.
In February, Caribbean Stud was the only game where the house lost money for the month, with Wheeling Island reporting a loss of $22,638.
Otherwise, Wheeling Island and Mountaineer Racetrack and Casino took in a total of $5.78 million from table games.
Blackjack is the big game at both casinos, accounting for nearly one-third of all table game revenues for the month at each location.
Blackjack brought in $1.26 million at Mountaineer, and $812,994 at Wheeling Island.
To contact staff writer Phil Kabler, call 348-1220 or e-mail ph...@wvgazette.com.
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