SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 66

(By Senators Boso, Maynard, and Plymale)

[Introduced March 9, 2018]

Requesting the Division of Highways name bridge number 42-25-21.84 (42SS028), locally known as Hart Chapel Bridge, carrying County Route 25 over the Laurel Fork in Randolph County, the “Robert ‘Glen’ Schoonover Memorial Bridge”.

Whereas, Glen Schoonover was born and raised at the head of Chenoweth Creek Road in Elkins, West Virginia, in Randolph County; and

Whereas, He and his wife Arbutus “Sis” Schoonover were married 70 years on January 5, 2017. They were the parents of six children who they raised on Chenoweth Creek Road; and

Whereas, Glen Schoonover worked at various jobs over the years, but spent the longest time working for and retired from the West Virginia Division of Highways bridge crew as a foreman. During his time with the bridge crew, he worked in many of the counties surrounding Randolph County. At times, Glen Schoonover would travel to work in areas such as Burlington, Webster Springs, and Marlinton; and

Whereas, Glen Schoonover was employed during the Great Flood of 1985, which either damaged or destroyed many of the bridges in his district, requiring him to put in six- and seven-day work weeks to declare bridges safe or to get bridges back to safe status for use; and

Whereas, Over the years Glen Schoonover would place a penny in the completed bridge project that showed what year the bridge was done. It became the “trademark” of Glen Schoonover and his crews. During 2017, one of the two bridges near his home was being redone and his son Clif drove him down to where the crew was working on it to see if the penny was there. They found the penny and shared the story with the crew; and

Whereas, The bridge mentioned above is less than a mile from the Schoonover home where his 89-year-old wife still resides and where his children, grandchildren, close relatives, and friends pass over frequently. What an honor to his memory it would be to name this small blue bridge after him and his work on the bridges in our great state; therefore, be it

Resolved by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to name bridge number 42-25-21.84 (42SS028), locally known as Hart Chapel Bridge, carrying County Route 25 over the Laurel Fork in Randolph County, the “Robert ‘Glen’ Schoonover Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Division of Highways is hereby requested to have made and be placed signs identifying the bridge as the “Robert ‘Glen’ Schoonover Memorial Bridge”; and, be it

Further Resolved, That the Clerk of the Senate is hereby directed to forward a copy of this resolution to the Commissioner of the Division of Highways.