Iwould like to wish you all a prosperous and happy Labor Day.

When I think of Labor Day, I envision the machines manufactured by workers that freed us from a totally agricultural-based society.

This advancement in machines enabled us to develop electricity, lighting, and, above all, refrigeration. The latter allowed us finally to conquer every corner of the world.

Above all, Labor Day honors men and women who have been the backbone of our workforce, whether in the field or the factory.

A great part of that honorable group included the men and women who filled the Ohio River valley in West Virginia with steel mills in the Northern Panhandle and great chemical plants in the Kanawha Valley.

Those plants and their energy sources were brought to life by West Virginia coal miners who made t

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