Bob Henry Baber is an American writer, politician and college employee. He is an Appalachian poet who was the first member of the West Virginia Mountain Party to be elected to office when he became mayor of Richwood, West Virginia

Richwood, West Virginia

Richwood is a city in Nicholas County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 2,477 at the 2000 census. A former coal and lumber boom town, the city's population once flirted with 10,000 but the closure of many underground coal mines caused many of Richwood's residents to leave the state...

 in 2004. In 2011, Baber was unanimously nominated to be the WV Mountain Party's candidate for the special gubernatorial election in October 2011.

Career in politics

During his tenure he completed a major sidewalk project, remodeled the Richwood Depot, gave significant pay raises to city employees, repaired streets, purchased new computers for city workers, secured grants for two new police vehicles, and helped double the size of the nearby Cranberry Wilderness. His efforts to double the wilderness were universally voted against by both the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce. Baber's most significant contribution was securing a 3 million dollar grant from the State of West Virginia and the Federal government to clean up the toxic Cherry River. At the time Baber took office, 90% of the City's sewage was going directly into the river. Subsequent to the initially secured 4 million (the citizens voted to assess 1 million to be paid at 0% interest over 30 years), the city received nearly 2 million more from the Obama Administration as a "shovel ready' project. Now built, the new system has reduced the pollution of the Cherry by approximately 75%.

In May 2007, he and the mayor of Lewisburg, West Virginia

Lewisburg, West Virginia

Lewisburg is a city in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 3,830 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Greenbrier County.-Geography:Lewisburg is located at ....

, John Manchester, received the 2007 Environmental Hero Award of The Wilderness Society.

During his mayoral tenure, Baber pushed Richwood toward change. In response, a small group of individuals (including City Recorder, Myles Caldwell) began an investigation on ethics charges and election fraud. As part of the investigation, the WV State Police explored 1971 charges (where a Los Angeles "Love In" was categorized by LAPD as a "riot"). After extensive investigations, and at much cost both financially and spiritually to the City of Richwood and the State of West Virginia, all investigations were dropped and Dr. Baber was proved innocent. Caldwell and others pushed for impeachment but in August 2007, one week before these allegations were to be tried before a Nicholas County Court, Baber resigned. He identified the financial need to support two children in college in his decision to accept a position at Glenville State College

Glenville State College

Glenville State College is a public four-year college located in Glenville, a town in the rural north-central part of the U.S. state of West Virginia.-History:...

where he now serves as grant-writer and developer.

Publications

His publications include " A Bedtime Rhyme" for children. His work has appeared in many anthologies, including Pierced by a Ray of Sun: Poems About the Times We Feel Alone. He co-edited an anthology. Old wounds, New words : poems from the Appalachian poetry project and is the author of Swamper File.