Huntington has lost three stalwarts who contributed mightily to the community, both in public and private ways.
While many were saddened by the recent deaths of attorney John E. "Jack" Jenkins, Dr. Jose Ricard and businessman and philanthropist William R. "Bill" Ritter, the community should feel blessed that they called Huntington home and touched so many lives in a positive manner.
Jenkins, 83, had a distinguished legal and business career, for which he received numerous accolades. And colleagues noted that the Huntington native was inspirational in terms of teaching others in the law practice that each client should be treated with respect.
Just as notable was Jenkins' work in a host of local charitable organizations. While his involvement with those groups was by no means a secret, he also did much of his work to benefit others behind the scenes.
Ricard, who came to West Virginia in 1963 after fleeing communist Cuba, was responsible for starting Marshall University's sports medicine program and was team physician for the Thundering Herd since 1981. He was a key component to the rise of Marshall athletics. And as a family physician, he kept families healthy through his family practice.
The man known for his infectious smile also helped establish the Marshall University Medical Center and the MU Sports Medicine Hall of Fame.
Ritter, whose professional career in Huntington began in 1960 when he became manager of The Hotel Prichard, had various business ventures. Among them were the C.C. Ritter Lumber Co., Big Sandy Coal Co., Eagle Coal Co. and the Warfork Land Co. Colleagues and friends note that he had established business connections from his father and grandfather, but he worked hard to further them and the quality of life in Huntington.
They noted that he did much for the community, such as ensuring that the needs of the city park bearing his family's name continued to be met, and he did it without fanfare.
The void left by the passing of these personalities is felt emotionally by many family members and friends. May they be comforted by knowing that the three men's many good works will continue to benefit people in the area for a long time to come.
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West Virginia's Division of Natural Resources wants to lower the allowable blood-alcohol content for boaters so that it is in line with the legal limit for motorists, a move that only makes sense.
The proposal would make a blood-alcohol content higher than .08 a violation of state law, the same as it is for motorists. Current law sets the limit at .10 for boaters.
A continuing discrepancy in the two limits isn't logical. Operators of both types of vehicles -- whether on land or on water -- can make deadly mistakes if their operating abilities are impaired. In 2007, alcohol was a factor in 21 percent of all boating deaths nationwide, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. That's 145 people who were killed, and at least hundreds of others were injured in accidents that involved alcohol.
So any step to encourage boaters to be more responsible while on the waters is welcome.
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The West Virginia University Board of Governors, which has come under heavy fire over the past year, seems to have made a step in the right direction.
The board appointed veteran educator C. Peter McGrath as interim president to lead the university after current president Mike Garrison steps down as president later this summer.
McGrath, a former president of three universities and a national higher education group, will be charged with the task of leading WVU out of the damage it has suffered from the master's degree scandal involving Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter. Unlike Garrison, whose appointment last year was criticized as political cronyism, McGrath has the academic credentials to make his appointment a credible move by the university.
One of McGrath's chief tasks will be to help the board develop a process to find a permanent replacement for Garrison. Let's all hope that process yields a credible leader so WVU can continue repairing the harm it has suffered.
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