Pam Dudding-Burch
Contributing writer
This photo was taken by a visitor to the County who was pausing with his friends on Monday afternoon on a ride through Craig’s beautiful countryside.1
How many people have driven to the ‘Overlook’ on Route 42 to scan the vast beauty of Craig County during any season? Some have even captured pictures that almost seemed fake due to how stunning the scenery is!
To add to its natural beauty, the Craig Beautification Committee started enhancing it by paying someone to clean off all of the graffiti. They then cleaned up all the trash and added a trash can on site. “The trash can does get used,” committee member Erica Jones shared.
Sadly, however, someone recently stole two of the three new juniper bushes that were planted in May. (Before that, Jones had planted five junipers in the ‘circle’, but some died and one was victim to someone not making the turn and driving over it.)
“I planted three and mulched them as the previous gravel did not keep them moist,” Jones added. The Maywood Garden Club paid Jones for the original junipers.
“Erica, who does much to make the county look better, had recently planted the junipers and they were stolen almost immediately,” Martha Dillard shared. “Last year, someone stole plants from the Maywood Triangle Garden that the Maywood Garden Club members tended to and paid for.”
Now, only one remains. “When I went by shortly after I planted them… poof!… two were gone!” Jones exclaimed. “They must have only needed two, not three.” Jones reported it to the local sheriff’s department. “It seems that the citizens of the County should be aware of it,” Dillard said.
“The overlook was possibly built by the CCC but the County Administrator’s office claims no one knows who built it,” Jones said. This information would be nice to know if anyone in the community has this information.
Most in Craig County agree that the stonework is intricately beautiful. Jones said she thought it was repaired about ten years ago as a driver knocked some rocks loose. The island is ringed in carefully selected matching fitted red rocks. Also, a Boy Scout designed and built the wooden sign for one of his scout projects.
Jones has been paying to have the area mowed, as the County does not have the funding available. “It gets used a LOT!” Jones exclaimed. “About fifty percent of the time when I drive by, there is another car or motorcycle there.”
Most tourists will agree that the view is worth the stop. “You can see town of New Castle, the Sand plant, and the rows of mountains beyond, which are named on the wood sign,” Jones explained.
Jones got courageous and has already replaced the two junipers as of two weeks ago. “I hope whoever has the two spreading junipers remembers to water them all summer,” she said with a little smile.