Mayor Baber announces a letter writing campaign opposing the proposed consolidation of schools in Nicholas County, West Virginia as the "cruelest and most senseless" plan in American history. Over 8,500 letters were sent to elected officials condemning the proposal to use $130 million in FEMA funds intended to restore Richwood after flooding to instead build a new consolidated school complex far from Richwood. Residents have lost confidence in local leaders and believe the plan will destroy Richwood's ability to recover from the flood.

1. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 4/9/2017
Richwood Mayor Baber Announces a secret grass roots Public Letter Campaign which
Denounces the Cruelest (and most senseless) Consolidation Proposed in American History
Will hold Press Conference on South Facing Capitol Steps @ 11 AM (Monday)
Within the past week over 8,500 individually mailed letters were sent to President
Trump, Education Secretary DeVos, Senators Manchin and Capito, Congressperson
Jenkins, Governor Justice, the Head of FEMA and many more, including Tom Campbell
at the State Board of Education. The heartfelt letters are meant to inform, and condemn,
the proposed misuse of significant FEMA funds which are meant primarily to restore the
impacted community of Richwood, WV which suffered A Thousand Year Flood. They
further outline multiple, legal, ethical, moral, civil, and human rights issues and violations.
To President Trump and Secretary DeVos we simply say: You have pointed out that in
some cases (particularly in poverty stricken areas) the Public School system has failed its
students; We need for you to know that the worst failure of the American Public School
system in the United States TODAY---is transpiring in Nicholas County WV, and it’s being
proposed to be funded with Federal (FEMA) disaster recovery money! President Trump
and Secretary DeVos, we respectfully ask for your immediate investigation & intervention.
Furthermore, we believe that mismanagement, improprieties and possibly illegal
actions involving BOE members, County community leaders, business persons and entities,
politicians, and government officials have possibly transpired. Proper intervention can
prevent potential furtherance of misdeeds, fraud and collusion. Intervention would restore
faith in the integrity of the flood relief recovery effort, sanity, common sense and common
decency to this FEMA process and could curtail future State and FBI investigations.
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Background & Issues
On June 23 Richwood suffered A Thousand Year Flood. Fortunately, 95 nursing home
residents were rescued by staff, citizen volunteers, and EMS personnel. No deaths resulted, in
Richwood. But the damage was massive including the permanent loss of 130 jobs at the facility
and the scattering of those residents statewide. Still, two days after the flood the 130 member
Richwood “Lumberjack Express Band” fished their ¼ million dollars’ worth of uniforms out of
the mud, and just 5 weeks later marched up the street to the tears of joy of residents, volunteers,
West Virginians, and fellow Americans. Some wonder about the heart of our Country—we can
assure you, it is alive and beating well…in Richwood, West Virginia.
But now a death by a thousand flood cuts IS being proposed for the Lumberjack
Express and Richwood High School and Richwood Middle School. A proposed countywide
schools consolidation would rip out the very heart of a town striving (and succeeding) in
putting itself back together. This is cruel and unusual punishment for a city that had the
misfortunate of being flooded and was already experiencing PTSD before this now human-

2. led quadrupled “consolidation” carnage was visited upon it. Shockingly, the Nicholas
County Board of Education (NCBOE) has by their own admission used the excuse of the flood
to change the 10 year plan (post flood) to include a countywide schools consolidation for the
first time in history and to “seize” Richwood’s schools and move them 25 dangerous, long, and
wintry mountain miles away from families, activities, and loving home-town teachers to the
prosperous County seat.
Thus, residents of eastern Nicholas County undertook the letter writing campaign because
they have lost confidence in the local leadership and doubt that bureaucrats/elected officials at
the NCBOE, some members of the State Legislature, some appointed State Officials, and
State/Federal FEMA employees are acting in the best interest of the community that they are
required by federal statute to help restore and represent. Their actions are not just failing
Richwood, they are failing the people of the State of West Virginia specifically and the
American taxpayers at large.
The County seat of Summersville proudly wears the identity of being the more prosperous
community in the county by far. Indeed, Nicholas County truly is a tale of two cities.
Summersville has a poverty rate of just 19% compared to Richwood’s rate of 45% (pre-flood.)
Moving the schools from Richwood to Summersville is an injustice of giant proportions. It is the
people’s opinion that this is a violation of not only Environmental Justice but also a violation of
our civil rights as an impoverished community. Taking these schools from Richwood and
spending the associated FEMA funds in another community that is far away is wrong in every
way. It cancels out FEMA funds rebuilding Richwood’s infrastructure, by using FEMA
funds to put Richwood’s future at grave risk. This proposed consolidation flies in the face of
the intent of the Stafford Act—restore the impacted community
Beating a struggling coal town trying to pull itself from the raging waters of a Thousand
Year Flood back into the muck would be wrong. The consolidation proposal launched by FEMA
and embraced by the NCBOE cannot be allowed to stand. Destroying Richwood’s schools is a
travesty worthy of national exposure. It is un-American, indecent, obscene, shocking and
shameful.
*********
On the following pages multiple concerns are articulated in far greater detail.
We are concerned that FEMA and Government officials in Washington, DC are not aware that
our local School Superintendent, elected representatives, and local FEMA representatives have
stated that they intend to use $130 million of tax payer funded FEMA dollars, and the super high
risk 428 grant program, to replace five school buildings, including two buildings that did not
sustain any damage, and build a new school complex that is unnecessary and that will destroy the
impacted community.
FEMA funds are mandated to restore damaged communities to their pre-disaster
condition. Richwood has endured approximately 80% of the damage in the County—the
vast majority of which is in RH/RM schools. Yet despite nearly a 50% poverty rate
(before the flood) Richwood High is ranked as the #1 Single A school in WV and has an

3. astounding graduation rate of 96%--at a cost of only $7,000 a student. The schools are
not only successfully educating our children but are also the social and economic
lifeblood of this low-income community. RHS shouldn’t be on the block to be
demolished—it should be held up as a national model for how to educate students in a
poverty stricken rural or inner city community. However, the BOE is ignoring these
amazing accomplishments, and is instead treating our children as mere human flood
debris.
Rebuilding the schools in Richwood is an eligible FEMA funded activity and
there is no need to consolidate. Closing two undamaged school buildings along with
three damaged schools for the purpose of building a $130 million school complex
located up to an hour away from the damaged area is not the intended use of FEMA
funds or a proper use of taxpayer dollars. One of the Richwood students likened the
consolidation plan to looting a flood damaged neighborhood.
Additionally, the most recent rationale that the NCBOE has given for consolidation is
based on four gross misrepresentations and/or outright fabrications: Two of them are
that the new facility would have great fields and amenities and superior student safety.
The existing facilities already had those, and so would three new unconsolidated
schools! A third justification is truly vile. It is that the new facility would be best for
handicapped students. This rationale, too, is based on the inference that current
facilities were substandard (they weren’t) and that only a consolidated school would
rectify the (non-existent) deficiency. The NCBOE has stooped to a new low and is now
trying to ride on the back of wheelchairs to justify their forced relocation of two
schools. Truth is, the busing of handicapped students from eastern Nicholas County
and from small school TLC would be the worst disservice to that population possible.
Exchanges with FEMA officials in Washington, DC have reinforced our concerns
about the irregularities of the local process, the estimated dollar value of committed
FEMA funds, and eligible program activities. FEMA officials from Washington DC
have not made a firm financial obligation of which we are aware and do not appear to
know how superintendent of Nicholas County Board of Education, Donna Burge-Tetrick,
arrived at this dollar amount. An e-mail mistakenly sent to a resident by local FEMA
representatives’ shows that Ms. Tetrick and James Gianato, the WV Director of
Homeland Security and Emergency Management, are reviewing and approving FEMA’s
responses to inquiries from Richwood residents. A copy of this e-mail and the
unsuccessful attempt to retract it can be provided upon request.
1. We believe the school consolidation is based on a scheme by and for the officials in
power to personally profit from flood damage in Richwood and we fear FEMA has
had a hand in launching the process and/or is becoming complicit in this plan.
Specific concerns regarding the site selection process and the potential financial conflicts
of interest of our elected officials are described in more detail below.
• Donna Burge-Tetrick, Nicholas County School Superintendent

4. Ms. Tetrick initially promised to rebuild schools in Richwood then reversed herself and
stated in closure documents that the School Board was going to “seize the day” and use
the FEMA flood money to take the schools out of Richwood while touting the benefit of
a new Career and Technical facility. It was then discovered that Burge-Tetrick has
ownership interest in Linco Institute, LLC, a consulting firm that provides vocational
education consulting services. She never disclosed this conflict upon being hired, just
weeks before the flood, or as part of the consolidation process until it was revealed at a
school closure hearing by a local resident. A news story published on March 4, 2017
outlining this conflict of interest can be found at www.register-herald.com/news/boe-
head-questionsed-on conflict-of-interest/article
Furthermore, after just over six months on the job the BOE voted to give rooky
superintendent Tetrick, a raise of $4,000 a year and a 4 year extension. This has been
unheard of in previous years even with far more experienced superintendents. Her reward
for dividing a hitherto united County has been job security for four more years and what
amounts to $40,000 in additional income. Meanwhile, teachers are currently being cut
from the staff.
• The Glade Creek Industrial Park, Future Site of the Consolidated School Complex
This industrial park was developed by the New River Gorge Regional Development
Authority to attract businesses to the region and financed in part by a government bond
issue with a goal of creating jobs. Financial practices during the development of the site
have been questioned and it has had little success attracting businesses. The highly
questionable site was selected behind closed doors without any public impute
whatsoever.
Shortly after the flood and after initially meeting with FEMA the NCBOE made public
promises to our community that they were going to rebuild new, state-of-the-art schools
in Richwood. However, things changed when FEMA presented them with the option to
utilize the highly risky 428 pilot program. As FEMA employee John "Scott" Carr stated
in an e-mail to the NCBOE superintendent, "After long internal discussion we have
identified an opportunity for Nicholas County Schools to excel. Light years from the
other school and the state."
FEMA having helped launch the pirate ship of consolidation last summer, Regional
Director of Philadelphia Mary Ann Tierney recently stated to Mayor Baber that FEMA
is “agnostic” in this consolidation and that it is a local and state issue. One, that’s easy
to say, now, and two, no, its FEMA’s mission to restore the impacted community—
Richwood. To Mary Ann Tierney and FEMA Mayor Baber says this, “You need to get
back down here to West Virginia and get some good old time religion—the kind that
has you rolling up your sleeves when your neighbors are in need. There will be no
fence riding or rubber necking in this time of crisis—especially when you (FEMA) are
now contributing to the disaster,”

5. During public hearings, there were about 30 individuals who spoke in support of consolidation
and over 150 speakers who spoke against the plan. Despite the public outcry the Board voted on
March 7, 2017 to approve the consolidation plan to take FEMA funds meant for Richwood's
schools and use them in another community. This has become a disaster far worse than the
1,000 Year Flood and will halt Richwood's ability to recover. Much has been lost to the flood in
the recent past, but this proposed consolidation is a theft of Richwood’s future, plain and simple.
• Greg Boso, West Virginia State Senator
Mr. Boso is the owner of G.L. Boso & Associates Inc. and was awarded the contract to
oversee the demolition of all three damaged school buildings in Nicholas County. Due to
the lack of openness of the consolidation process, the City of Richwood suspended
demolitions. Local citizens also filed a law suit and were awarded discovery on March 9,
2017. Shortly afterwards Senator Boso used his position to introduce Senate Bill 621,
which intended to render certain state rules inapplicable after a county board of education
notifies the state board of possible closing or consolidation. The bill would have
effectively ensured school consolidation and given his firm, which is already in line to
bid the consolidation construction work, and even greater chance of reaping enormous
profit. Boso has already secured overseeing the demolition work for his firm. A news
story broadcast on March 28, 2017 questioning this potential conflict of interest can be
found at:
http://www.tristateupdate.com/clip/13208372/nicholas-community-questions-senator-
bosos-boe-bill
Also, another more recent newspaper article on the issue can be found at:
http://www.wvgazettemail.com/article/20170331/GZ0114/170339925
((AND YET ANOTHER???))
_______________
The following letter was submitted to FEMA in anticipation of the so-called “remediation” of
the demolition of Richwood High School held on March 24, 2017 and boycotted by the City of
Richwood. It was prefaced with a phone call in which it was stated by Baber, “We learned
from the Native American experience in Manhattan and we’re NOT going to accept $24 in
tokens and beads in lieu of our schools”
From Mayor Bob Henry Baber to FEMA:
In regard to the Invitation to Participate in the Development of a Memorandum of Agreement
under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act for the Demolition of Richwood
High School, 1 Valley Ave, Richwood, WV, a representative from the City of Richwood, WV
regretfully will not be able to attend the initial meeting. Due to prior commitments and not being

6. available to attend, the City of Richwood, WV is submitting this letter to be included in its
entirety in the public record of this meeting.
The City of Richwood, WV adamantly opposes the demolition of Richwood High School for
numerous reasons listed below and furthermore requests any further action on the demolition
stopped until all conditions are resolved.
• We are proceeding with taking steps to have the site further reviewed by Department of
Interior for possible inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places, and with
FEMA and State Historians agreeing to historic criteria being met we feel it is only due
diligence to have it further evaluated
• After review of recent findings and recent activities and considering the potential school
board member conflict of interests with the relocation of the schools, the City believes
possible unethical actions or decisions may exist and that due diligence of the entire
school closure process has not been followed and therefore any discussion to demolish
this building is premature
• The City has rescinded the notice of substantial damage, and after reviewing damage
assessment reports, we do not agree with the figures presented on valuation of repair vs
replacement cost, and the findings of cost effectiveness/cost prohibitive
• There is no federal requirement that the building has to be demolished in the Stafford Act
or FEMA Public Assistance Guides
• There have been possible conflicts of interest identified from elected state officials, and
possible misrepresentation from FEMA field employees as to the relocation and
consolidation plans and funding sources and amounts
• City of Richwood has grave concerns regarding the impartiality of the Superintendent
Donna Tetrick as she owns a for profit consulting business providing services for
Vocational and Technical Education and Related programs, the creation of a large
vocational and technical center has been a hallmark of the large consolidation efforts
championed by her. The City questions the ethics and legality of this matter. The plans
of which call for the demolition of the Richwood High School and relocation and
consolidation into a comprehensive educational and vocational/technical high school
facility.
At this time, we respectfully request a Stay on any further meetings until these issues have
been addressed, pending litigation has been seen through the courts and further evaluations
have been completed.
Dr. Bob Henry Baber, Mayor of Richwood
For more information contact: Bob Henry Baber @ 304-904-2440
bobhenrybaber@gmail.com
Cara Baber Perkins 304 406-2096 richwoodassistant@gmail.com