Governor Joe Manchin gave more than a few cautious glances to his right as he welcomed students from Romney Middle School to his office in Charleston Thursday. It isn’t often the governor addresses guests with a three-foot rattlesnake eyeballing him from four feet away.
However, the snake was safely secured in a glass aquarium and seemed disinterested in being the guest of honor as Manchin signed the bill proclaiming the timber rattler West Virginia’s official state reptile.
"When kids come into the office I ask them all of the questions, the state animal, the state fish, and the state bird. This will become the newest question and only those who are in attendance today will know the answer,” said Manchin.
The resolution was the idea of students at Romney Middle School in Hampshire Count. Teacher Ron Wolford said part of the curriculum called for the class to produce a piece of mock legislation.
"We just decided to go ahead and make a real bill," said Wolford.
Delegate Ruth Rowan helped the students shepherd their bill through the process, learning last year that it isn’t always easy. The bill failed a year ago for a lack of traction, but students reintroduced the measure and sought more support–and got it.
"I learned that anybody can do anything,” said 8th Grader David Feedler.
As for the selection of the timber rattler, nobody had any real answers.
"I’m at a total loss," said Wolford. "I was thinking the box turtle would have been better, but the kids came up with the timber rattlesnake so I deferred to their wisdom. It was their thing."
Today, it’s everybody’s thing–the timber rattler is the official West Virginia reptile.