Christmas at HMT

Christmastime is always a very busy and special time at the Hatfield-McCoy Regional Recreation Authority.
It's a time of merriment and good cheer, but it is also a time of hard work and contemplation. Trail management has to assess how good of a year we have had work-wise from maintaining and building new trails to which merchandise sells well and which needs to be phased out. There are annaul employee assessments as well as an annual employee Christmas party and the chance for all of HMT's far-flung employees to get together in one place and enjoy each other's company.
The Hatfield-McCoy Trails had another good year, according to
Executive Director Jeff Lusk, who shared the good news with HMRRA
employees at their annual Christmas party.
This year, in addition to what amounted to a day off with pay, the folks who work at the various trails and trailheads also recieved a bonus, a new jacket and more at the party where many old friends got together and shared in one of the most basic Christmas traditions- Fellowship.
We also got to hear some good news from management.
“For eleven years we have had continued growth in permit sales,” Jeff Lusk
said at the meeting, where employees got their holiday bonuses. “For
six years we have had continued growth in our merchandise sales. That
says a lot when you consider that the national economy has been in a
slump.”
Lusk thanked Hatfield-McCoys employees for their hard work and
dedication, noting that often when a problem arose, such as one
employee being off sick, other employees stepped forward and met those
challenges.
“That is no easy task, when you consider that we are operating six
trailheads in five counties,” Lusk added. “I told somebody this
morning, you really don’t realize how many employees we have except
for when we all get together like this and you see that parking lot
and it is filled.”
Lusk said he felt Hatfield-McCoy was a great place to work because of
the people who work there creating a friendly environment.
Deputy Director John Fekete and Marketing Director Mike Pinkerton
thanked their coworkers and Lusk for their role in helping the
Hatfield-McCoy Trails maintain the success it has seen over the past
11 years.