HUNTINGTON – Bill Schwartz wanted to find a way to help during this Coronavirus pandemic, but he wasn’t exactly sure how.
Then, the Charleston attorney and state Supreme Court candidate saw a news story about seamstresses in New York making reusable cloth masks for health care workers.
He has friends in the health care industry who said such help would be greatly appreciated.
Schwartz
“My friend told me they’re not getting supplies they desperately need,” Schwartz said. “I thought donating these masks was a great idea. So, I tried to order them. I couldn’t find them online.
“But, I then remembered I have used a local seamstress before to alter suits. It’s called Gabby’s Sewing and More.”
Schwartz visited Gabby’s and asked if they could make these masks. She said she was familiar with them because she has been making them for her daughter. She had the pattern. They loved the idea.”
On April 6, Schwartz picked up the first 50 masks the seamstresses had made and drove them to St. Mary’s Medical Center in Huntington.
“They followed the pattern perfectly,” he said. “It has a slot where you can insert filters, so they’re reusable. That can help prolong the use of the N95 masks.”
Schwartz said he chose St. Mary’s because his son goes to Marshall and lives down the street from the hospital. He said his son has friends who are nurses at St. Mary’s.
“The administrator of supplies actually came out to greet me and thank me,” Schwartz said. “He was very appreciative. I showed him the specs of the masks, and he said it was exactly what they needed. He said they’d be put to good use.”
Schwartz said he plans to keep paying Gabby’s to make masks and to keep donating them to different health care providers around the state.
“I want to try to help places like Logan, maybe Parkersburg,” he said. “I want to find hospitals that really want and need these cloth masks.”
Because of the pandemic and social distancing rules, Schwartz’ Supreme Court campaign travel has stopped. His campaigning consists of online ads, social media and billboards. But, he said it was nice to take the drive to Huntington.
“It was a way to do some good, and it makes me feel good to be able to do that,” he said. “But, yeah, it also was just nice to get out. I’m going to keep doing it. I want to help.”
All three of the Supreme Court races are non-partisan. The Division 1 and 2 races are for regular 12-year terms on the Supreme Court. The Division 3 race is to fill the seat formerly held by Allen Loughry. Gov. Jim Justice appointed John Hutchison to fill that seat in December 2018. The term for the Division 3 seat will end in 2024
For the Division 1 seat, incumbent Justice Tim Armstead is being challenged by former Justice Richard Neely and northern panhandle Circuit Judge David Hummel.
Running for the Division 2 seat currently occupied by Justice Margaret Workman are Putnam County Assistant Prosecutor Kris Raynes, Kanawha Circuit Judge Joanna Tabit, Kanawha Family Court Judge Jim Douglas and former legislator and Supreme Court candidate Bill Wooton. Workman is not seeking re-election.
Hutchison is seeking re-election for the Division 3 seat. He was appointed after former Justice Allen Loughry resigned. The term is to finish the rest of Loughry's term and will end in 2024. Schwartz and Fifth Circuit Judge Lora Dyer also are running for the seat.
In 2018, Tabit finished third in a special election for two seats on the Supreme Court left by the retirements of Robin Jean Davis and Menis Ketchum. Armstead and Justice Evan Jenkins, both of whom had been appointed by Justice to temporarily fill those seats, won those elections. Douglas, Wooton and Schwartz all ran in the 2018 election as well.
The non-partisan court election is part of West Virginia's primary election, which has been rescheduled for June 9 because of the Coronavirus pandemic.