2015 Pride Section IV by Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Pride IV 1

Four Seasons

Images of

Snapshot Community Pride 2015

A showcase of some of the most iconic community events across the region

Staff photo by Eric DiNovo

In Princeton...

Staff photo by Eric DiNovo

Make lemonade...

Thousands of attendees pack Mercer Street for the Celebrate Princeton festival

Memorial Elementary students walk in the annual lemonade parade during the Lemonade Festival in Bluefield.

Staff photo by Eric DiNovo

At the fair... BJ and Blake Brinkley enjoy the afternoon at the Bluefield Street Fair. Young and old alike can always find something to do during the many celebrations held throughout the area.

Staff photo by Eric DiNovo

Hotrods... Participants take a good look at the many vintage cars on display during the Mercer County Fly In held at the Mercer County Airport recently.

Street celebrations deliver fun for all By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph LUEFIELD — Fairs and festivals celebrating heritage and offering opportunities for family fun are all part of Bluefield’s year-round agenda. The very first event of the year is the New Year’s Eve celebration in downtown Bluefield featuring the “Lemon Drop.” Instead of lowering a lighted sphere to mark the end of the old year and the beginning of the New Year, a lighted lemon is low-

❏❏❏ The ve ry first event of the year is the New Year’s Eve celebration in downtown Bluefield fe a t u ring the “Lemon Drop.” Instead of lowe ring a lighted sphere to mark the end of the old year and the beginning of the New Year, a lighted lemon is lowered. ered. To many Bluefield residents, the significance of the lemon is clear. For years, the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce has served free lemonade in Bluefield and neighboring Bluefield, Va. whenever the official temper-

ature posted by the National Weather Service hits 90 degrees or more. The promotion, which has earned national attention, is part of Bluefield being described as Nature’s Air Conditioned City.” After the Lemon Drop sig-

nals the start of a new year, there is a party in downtown Bluefield. Work is underway to restore the Granada Theater on Commerce Street so it can become a venue for events like New Year’s Eve. Commerce Street is getting a new look, which will make it

a venue for outdoor events, too. Nearby Chicory Square is also the scene of many public entertainments and celebrations. Each summer, the Bluefield Daily Telegraph presents the Chicory Concert Series. Every Friday until the beginning of September, local musicians and other performers come to the Chicory Square stage and give the public free entertainment. Sponsors provide door prizes and concessions are available. For many people living and working in downtown Bluefield, the concert series

is a welcome afternoon diversion. In August 2015, Chicory Square was also the setting of the annual Bluefield Street Fair. The CASE WV Country Kickers and the Randy Lamb Dancers performed on the stage to the delight of their families and the public. This show was followed by the Little Miss Downtown Bluefield Pageant and a pet show. Entertainment continued when downtown church choirs sang until late in the evening.

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Native American heritage celebrated BASTION, Va. — Centuries ago, cities like Bland and Wytheville didn’t exist, but that does not mean Southwest Virginia and southern West Virginia were uninhabited. Well before Christopher Columbus and other explorers revealed North America to the rest of the world, people who came to the continent thousands of years earlier called the region home. This bygone era comes alive when the Wolf Creek Indian Village hosts events such as the Native American Powwow and Family Day. Artisans show visitors the crafts and skills Native American tribes used for survival and day to day living in the wilderness. Places like the Wolf Creek Indian Village and Museum in Bland County, Va. offer visitors an opportunity to learn about life in the country before Europeans arrived on the continent. Besides being open for daily visits, the museum also hosts events such as Family Day, which presents Native American dance, traditions and crafts to the public. As guests leave the museum and walk down wooded paths toward the recreated village, the sights and sounds of the 21st Century fade away gradually. When an event such as the annual Powwow or Family Day is underway, sounds of passing traffic are replaced by rhythmic drums and song. When they reach the village, they are greeted by the sight of Native Americans dancing in their full ceremonial regale. Visitors soon learn about the traditions and skills that allowed Native Americans to live and flourish in the wilderness. Demonstrators present native skills such as flint napping, which is the art of making arrow heads, spear points and knife blades from flint and other minerals. One artisan, Jeff Payne of Bristol,Va. showed visitors some flint knapping during the 2014 Family Day. He cautioned one little boy who picked up a rock; it was very sharp. Besides flint, arrow heads and knifes can be knapped

Staff photo by Eric DiNovo

History lessons... Visitors learn Native American history during their visit to the Wolf Creek Indian Village. from beer bottle glass and even the porcelain from toilets. As a joke, artists dub this material “thunder chert” or “John stone.” Native Americans who didn’t have access to flint often turned to glass for their arrowheads. A person doesn’t simply pick up a piece of flint, hammer it and expect perfect arrow heads and knifes to form. Knapping is an art that demands the right touch and patience. Payne also showed visitors the Southeast Indian River cane blowgun. Small children used these blowguns to protect their families’ cornfields. As an added bonus, the rabbits and squirrels they shot with blowgun darts were added to dinner menus. Unlike the blowguns used in South America, these blowgun darts were not tipped with poisons. In June 2015, Wolf Creek’s staff finished a project that helps the village site tell the story of the First Nations people who lived at the village circa 1480-1520, approximately the same time Christopher Columbus and other European explorers started arriving on North American shores. For several years, the museum’s staff and volunteers have carefully restored the village’s dwellings, poles and the palisades. Staff members returned to the original drawings of the village that

Howard A. MacCord made a fter the site was discovered in May of 1970. MacCord, who was then the state archaeologist, led a team in relocating the village so Wolf Creek could be moved for the construction of Interstate 77. MacCord and his colleagues found 14 graves. The remains were sent to the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., where they are now being kept. MacCord developed meticulous drawings of the burial sites as well as other features of the village. Visitors can learn about each burial site, which includes information about each person buried at the village. One grave containing the remains of a young woman contained some sea shells. Two graves found outside the village– nobody is certain why the graves are there – contained the remains of an adult man and a wolf. “The story that you tell is not scripted,” Dave Charles, a long time Wolf Creek Indian Village staff member said. “You don’t have to say the same thing every time you take a group on a tour.” Jim Wilson, pow wow coordinator for the Drums of Painted Mountain Pow Wow hosted at Southwest Virginia Community College in Tazewell County, said the t e rm “pow wow” is the white spelling of a Native American

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Staff photo by Eric DiNovo

Tradition... Representing the Navajo Nation, Emerson Begay performs a song on a traditional flute during the annual family day at Wolf Creek Indian Village.

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Pride IV 3

‘Hey, we’re part of the crooked road...’

Staff photo by Eric DiNovo

On display... When a Back of the Dragon get together is underway, motorcycle enthusiasts can see a big variety of cycles. Everything from customized rides and vintage classics to bikes straight out of dealerships are on display.

Back of the Dragon promotes tourism in Tazewell County By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph TAZEWELL, Va. — For six years, motorcycles have ru mbled through Tazewell County and promoted worthy causes while traveling the Back of the Dragon. Since its inception, the motorcycle rally has promoted causes ranging from safety to veterans’ rights while bringing more activity to the county’s tourism economy. The Back of the Dragon goes 32 miles along Virginia Route 16. The two lane highway takes motorcycle enthusiasts over three scenic mountains between Tazewell and Marion,Va. Riders from across the country have come to ride the Back of the Dragon. The unique regional ride’s three mountain climbs represent the humps along a dragon’s back, thus the name the Back of the Dragon was born. When a Back of the Dragon get together is underway, motorcycle enthusiasts can see big variety of cycles. Everything from customized rides and vintage classics to bikes straight out of dealerships are on display. Riders at past events say that motorcycle riders see, hear, and even smell much more of the surrounding countryside than anybody in a car. Riders also have to be more alert. Most motorcycle crashes occur because a motorist in a car or truck

Staff photos by Eric DiNovo

On the road... Left, the Back of the Dragon goes 32 miles along Virginia Route 16. The two-lane highway takes motorcycle enthusiasts over three scenic mountains between Tazewell and Marion,Va. Above, riders from across the country come to ride the Back of the Dragon. failed to see the cycle. In November 2013, the Tazewell County Board of Supervisors made the Back of the Dragon route through Thompson Valley. The motorcycle route had been used by between 6,000 to 8,000 visitors to Tazewell County that previous year, and those numbers have continued to grow. La rry Davidson of Drag-aKnee, Inc. developed the Back of the Dragon concept in late 2011. He presented the idea to the county board of superv isors, who, in turn, agreed to adopt the regional Back of the Dragon designation. In January, the Back of the Dragon was promoted nationally along with Tazewell County’s new Original

Pocahontas ATV Trail, Tazewell County’s branch of the Spearhead Trail ATV system. Tazewell County Tourism Coordinator David Woodard said then that the Back of the Dragon was seeing an average of 500 motorcycles a week during the summer months. Motorcycle riders spend, on average, more money per week than other adventure tourists; they usually spend approximately $1,500 a week wherever they go. Woodard said the county was marketing itself as a “long stay” destination where visitors to find museums, fine dining, unique shopping boutiques, scenic

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Staff photo by Jon Bolt

Living history... Reenactors ignite a passion for history in the crowd at a recreation of the Skirmish at Jeffersonville at the Historic Crab Orchard Museum. West Virginians and Virginians alike take pride in their Civil War heritage. When they study their families’ genealogy, they discover ancestors who fought for either the North or the South. Sometimes they even learn which battles their ancestors fought in and the places they visited. This leads to a passionate desire to learn about their ancestors’ day-to-day lives while fighting in the Civil War.

Civil War re-enactors bring history to life By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph TAZEWELL, Va. — More than 150 years ago, southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia were the front lines of the biggest war ever fought on the North American continent. Much of the South had seceded from the United States and declared itself the new Confederate States of America. Virginia was torn asunder by secession and battling loyalties. Many northwestern counties chose to remain with the Union while the rest of Virginia became Confederate. A Confederate force led by soon to be famous General Robert E. Lee attempted to retake the land destined to become West Virginia, but everything from incessantly rainy weather to bickering subordinates thwarted his efforts. Some military historians argue that the West Virginia campaign was where Lee learned how to lead – and not to lead – an arm y. However, the divisions among the region’s populace were not clear cut. The Civil War tore apart communities and families, and not all the counties in what would become West Virginia were strongly for the Union. Many Mercer County residents chose to support the Confederacy. Princeton was b u rned during the war and various other battles were fought throughout the land where the Virginias meet. The region was far – by 19th Century standards – from

more famous battlefields like Gettysburg or Chancellorsville, but its people experienced the war and all the loss and hardship that went with it. Today West Virginians and Virginians alike take pride in their Civil War heritage. When they study their families’ genealogy, they discover ancestors who fought for either the North or the South. Sometimes they even learn which battles their ancestors fought in and the places they visited. This leads to a passionate desire to learn about their ancestors’ day-to-day lives while fighting in the Civil War. Many take this passion a step further and actually live the lives of their Civil War ancestors. They take up the hobby of Civil War reenacting. Re-enacters, Confederate and Union, procure the same types of woolen uniforms worn during the war. The uniforms can be itchy and uncomfortable, especially during hot summer weather, but the reenactors accept the discomfort because it brings them closer to what their ancestors experienced. When a battlefield reenactment takes them into woods full of briars and ticks, diehard re-enactors revel in the fact they are withstanding the same annoyances and hardships their great-great grandfathers could have faced. Civil War re-enactors make sure their uniforms, weapons and equipment are all historically accurate. Sometimes they even have both

Confederate and Union unif o rms. These re-enactors, called galvanizers, help ensure that sides look equal during a battle. Re-enactors even learn to act quite a bit. They might get “hit” during a battle and be carried from the field. Once out of the public’s view, they make a miraculous r e c o v e ry and return to the battle. Each year, visitors to the Historic Crab Orchard Museum near Tazewell, Va. can witness a recreation of the 1864 Skirmish at Jeffersonville, which took place in the area of Wittens Mill Road. Jeffersonville was the former name of Tazewell. The skirmish was the closest Civil War engagement in the county, but there was also fighting in Saltsville and Wytheville. Audiences hear and see the roar and flash of black powder muskets and cannons. Visitors also see the camps where Civil War soldiers spent much of their time. Relying on campfires for nighttime light and for cooking, they had to make do without all the mode rn conveniences the world’s armies use today. The cutlery, clothing, lanterns and other items of camp life are on display, but not in museum cases. These item are actually being used. S k i rmish attendees can get a sense of how Civil War doctors treated the wounded; in a age before antiseptics and anesthesia, treating battlefield injuries was a gruesome business. Amputation was often the way doctors treated devas-

tating bullet wounds. The lead Minie ball fired by both sides could expand upon impact into lead mushrooms that shattered bones and tore flesh. The Historic Crab Orchard Museum currently hosts Civil War Days, Executive Director Charlotte Whitted said. Hosted in the spring, this day brings school groups to the museum where re-enactors who volunteer there tell them about life during the war. Students can see and hear cannon fire and experience other aspects of Civil War life as they go from station to station. “The Civil War is always going to be part of our mission at the museum, but it will be one component,” Whitted said. “We do a lot of things from different eras: Pioneer, colonial and Native American.” Civil War re-enactors work hard to keep their uniforms, weapons and equipment as

authentic as possible. In Hollywood movies such as “Gettysburg,” movie makers often turn to re-enactors to make sure the costumes and settings accurately reflect the Civil War. Keeping history alive is one of the reasons why re-enactors devote time and energy to the memory of the Civil War. They often get into the hobby when they discover ancestors who fought for either the

Union or the Confederacy, and in some cases, families had members on both sides of the devastating conflict. The Civil War is an important part of America’s history. Whenever battles are presented for 21st Century audiences, there is an opportunity to step briefly back into time and learn about the hardships their ancestors faced for what they believed was right.

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Staff photo by Eric DiNovo

On stage... Matt Deal performs during the weekly Chicory Square Concert Series in downtown Bluefield recently.

Music brings area’s residents together By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph BLUEFIELD — Music is a big part of life in America, and southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia are no exception. When summer arrives, outdoor concerts become part of the local atmosphere. In Bluefield, the annual Chicory Square Concert Series kicked off its 27th year in 2015. From May until late August, music and other performances fill the square in downtown Bluefield. Local musicians, dancers, and other performers come to the square and provide lunchtime entertainment. The concert series is sponsored by the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. “They’re very popular, every effective, and it’s a break in the day for people who like to attend them,” Art Riley of the Bluefield Downtown Merchants Association said. “It showcases our downtown and our city, and people can sit and have great entertainment every Friday at noon.” The Chicory Square Concert Series brings audiences of up to 125 people or more to the downtown district, Mead said. Some performances generate even larger audiences because they bring more families downtown. For instance, the recent show present by dancers at the Randy Lamb Dance Studio brought grandmothers, grandfathers, parents, aunts, uncles and sib-

lings ready with camera and camcorders to Bluefield. Riley estimated 400 people were at Chicory Square on July 31. “It seems that everybody enjoys it,” he said. “It’s also the kick-off for our street fair, and it went really well. We had one of the better fairs we’ve had.” Downtown merchants often provide door prizes. Regular drawings are a big part of the concert series. “The downtown merchants are proud to be a part of it,” Riley stated. The series’ annual Fourth of July All-A m e r i c a n Celebration is another one of the concert season’s big moments in Chicory Square. Sponsored by Cole Chevrolet, the celebration features free American flags and free hot dogs are served. Baseball players with the Bluefield Jays were on hand to visit with the public and sign autographs. Patriotic rubber ducks offered to children and veterans alike were a part of the festivities. Bill Archer of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph and fellow musician Karl Miller performed for the All-American Celebration. One of the most impressive features was a huge American flag the Bluefield Fire Department hoisted skyward on a ladder truck. Concerts like the ones in Chicory Square help bring communities closer together while bringing new life to

downtown districts. In Princeton, the annual Music in the Square Concert Series brings local musicians and other performers to the Dick Copeland Town Square on Mercer Street. The weekly series is sponsored every summer by the Princeton Times. “I think they really bring a sense of community downtown,” Princeton Times Editor Tammy Toler said. “They give neighbors a chance to catch up with each other, and they keep generations of neighborhoods connected. We do get a lot of great musicians who donate their time, so we would always like to have bigger crowds and more people to show their appreciation.” The Dick Copeland Town Square was once called “the ugly spot.” The land was the site of a theater and a business known as the King’s G a l l e ry until fire destroyed both entities. Neither business ever reopened, and the debris remained there for years. This situation changed in 1990 when several Princeton leaders decided it was time to transform the ugly spot. Members of the Bluefield Daily Telegraph’s Princeton bureau, managed by the late Barbara Hawkins, pledged to recruit the performers needed for a summer concert series if local businesses would help beautify the area. A stage is now a town square feature, but the first

concerts were performed on the back of a flat-bed truck. Hawkins said the shows were well attended. The square was later named the Princeton Town Square. Later, Mick Compton and the Compton Construction Company joined the project and helped clean up the property. The Princeton Elks Lodge helped with a sizable financial contribution. The

Princeton Sanitary Board donated topsoil. John Stafford and architect Todd Boggess designed the park and its landscaping. Princeton resident Dick Copeland adopted the town square as a project and often sent his maintenance and landscaping crews from Sherwood Apartments to help maintain its fence, tables, trees, benches, and other fea-

tures. Mercer Street business person Elizabeth Osborne was another major contributor as well as Ed Ball of The Music Exchange. On Aug. 29, 2012, Dick Copeland Day was hosted in the city of Princeton, and a bright new banner welcomed citizens and guests to Dick Copeland Town Square.

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Classic American events

Staff photos by Eric DiNovo and Jon Bolt

A fair time... Mercer, McDowell, Tazewell, Bland and other counties throughout the region host county fairs each year to showcase their agricultural products. Livestock, fruits, vegetables and other products of farm life are displayed and judged for their quality. However, the county fairs are not only for showing off crops and livestock. They are also events where families and friends can get together and enjoy the summer season.

County fairs feature rides, food and fun for the whole family By GREG JORDAN Bluefield Daily Telegraph PRINCETON — When summer arrives and the time of harvest approaches, volunteers across southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia come together and organize a classic American event known as the county fair. Mercer County, McDowell County, and other counties throughout the southern section of West Virginia host county fairs each year to showcase their agricultural products. Livestock, fruits, vegetables and other products of farm life are displayed and judged for their quality. However, the county fairs are not only for showing off crops and livestock. They are also events where families and friends can get together and enjoy the summer season. For instance, the 2015 Mercer County Fair at PikeView High School featured carnival rides and other attractions. Tickets to the fair included free admission to the 4PALS Productions play “The Throw Away Family” at the PikeView High School Auditorium. There was also a free movie matinee sponsored by New River Community and Technical College. Movies included classics featuring the Three Stooges, Popeye, Laura and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and others well known entertainers from America’s cinematic history. People who wanted entertainment outdoors instead of in a theater could enjoy a rodeo, professional wrestling matches, a tractor pull, dog show, a robotics show by Bluefield State College, a car show, a petting zoo and a Boy Scouts camp. Local musicians performed for the visitors. Local county fairs often present new attractions each

year. The 2015 Mercer County Fair had the first annual Archery Fun Shoot sponsored by the West Virginia Bowhunters Association. The event was created to draw the hunter enthusiasts,” Jim Ferguson, one of the fair’s organizers, said. “Many random activities will be in place for the family to enjoy such as horseshoes, volley ball and corn toss. That’s not all as the carnival will be at the Mercer County Fair offering many exciting rides,” he stated before the fair opened. Across the state line that same day in Virginia, the Tazewell County Fair opened its gates at the Tazewell County Fairgrounds. The annual festivities opened that evening with a music festival featuring local gospel and country artists, Fair Coordinator Everett Cox said that day. Other events presented that following day reflected the county’s agricultural heritage by showcasing vehicles its residents use almost every day. First there was an antique tractor pull, and shows featuring antique cars, trucks, tractors and motorcycles were on the following day’s agenda. There were also lawnmower races and horse pulls. Tazewell County’s farm culture was highlighted by county fair events such as a youth horse show, too. Civic organizations often use county fairs as a venue for fundraising. One example occurred at the 2015 Tazewell County Fair when the BACA motorcycle club hosted a charity ride that departed from the fairgrounds to help the Shriner’s Hospital. Like other county fairs, the Tazewell County Fair offered a variety of musical shows for its visitors with musical tastes ranging from country to gospel. And visitors wanting to see automobiles racing were not disappointed, either.

There was a figure-eight derby in which competitors ran the chance of crashing into one another, and a demolition derby where drivers crashed into each other deliberately for the enjoyment of the crowd. Carnival rides for young and old were part of the county fair’s 2015 line up. County fairs in McDowell County and over the state line in Bland County, Va. offer a variety of activities ranging from concerts to carnival rides. One year the Bland County Fair had bull riding. Youngsters could ride calves and sheep to give them a taste for bull riding if they wanted to try it years later. In Southwest Virginia and southern West Vi r g i n i a , county fairs are an annual celebration of what makes a community a good place to live. Local visitors and people who are coming home to see family and friends know that county fairs are a good venue for reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. Children form lifetime memories while boarding carnival rides, meeting animals in a petting zoo or trying cotton candy for the first time. Young people climb aboard a bull or behind the wheel of a demolition derby car and test their skill. Farmers and backyard gardeners display the vegetables and fruits they produced that year. Musicians and actors take to the stage and artisans display the results of their skills. The tradition of the county fair will continue as new organizers learn from the ones who honed their skills after years of experience. New attractions will develop as America’s culture evolves and new technologies make new sights and sounds possible. Children who visit today’s county fairs will grow to be the people who keep the tradition alive.

Thursday, September 24, 2015 Pride IV 7

The biggest game in the coalfields Gary Coaldiggers and the Welch Maroon Wave have long history By BOB REDD for the Daily Telegraph GARY — The cities of Gary and Welch are separated by six miles on state route 102. Today only memories linger of the Gary Coaldiggers and the Welch Maroon Wave. But from 1922 until 1977 those two schools played in one of the area’s fiercest and most competitive football rivalries. It was the biggest game in the coalfields. Few, if any during its time attracted bigger crowds, though some gained more attention. This battle between McDowell County schools was competitive throughout the years, attracted thousands of spectators to Gary Memorial Stadium, Blakely Field and later Maroon Wave Stadium, and neither team dominated the series. The schools first met in 1922, a year in which they played two games and Welch won by a combined score of 72-0. A year later the teams played twice again and Gary won 25-0 and 12-6, but the Coaldiggers were forced to f o rfeit both contests due to the use of an ineligible player or players. The teams tied in 1924 before a tradition began in 1925 that lasted until 1947. Beginning in the 1925 season the two teams played on Thanksgiving Day. The first Turkey Day match on Nov. 22 at Welch’s Blakely Field saw the Maroon Wave claim a 130 victory. The Coaldiggers won their first game against their rival in 1932, 13-12. There were already three ties in the series before Gary won its first game. The game continued on Thanksgiving Day and in 1939 a prize was introduced, a wooden beer barrel. “The Barrel” would go to the game’s winner. It would be painted in the winning school’s colors and housed with the victor until the next game. In the event of a tie the last winner would retain the

Contributed photo

The stadium... In 1966 an integrated Gary High team won the first football championship by a McDowell County school, claiming the Class AA title. However, in the big game that year the Coaldiggers blanked the Maroon Wave 13-0 at Gary Memorial Stadium, shown above. Gary won another Class AA championship in 1970 and it would prove to be the Coaldiggers’ last win in the series.

C o n t ri buted photos

Undefeated... Top, the 1963 Welch High School Maroon Wave under the guidance of coach Tony Colobro finished the season with a perfect 10-0 record. Next, the 1977 Gary football team gathers for a team photo. unique trophy. Welch, under coach Vernon Callaway won the first three barrels and in 1947 the teams played to a 0-0 tie. That year marked the game moving to Veterans’ Day, where it remained for the next 30 years, a capstone to the annual Veterans’ Day Parade in Welch. Gary went on a roll and rolled out the barrel for nine consecutive years beginning in 1948. It was the longest win streak by either school in the series. In 1950 the Coaldiggers were the first

McDowell County team to play for a state championship when they took on Beckley Woodrow Wilson and lost 260. The Barrel did not travel on the hill to Welch High School again until 1957. The most lop-sided game in the series took place in 1963 when the Maroon Wave, led by Kennedy Award winner Jim Smithberger, who later played on Notre Dame’s 1966 National Championship team, led Welch to a 64-8 win. It capped an undefeated season for Welch, but the

Maroon Wave was not invited to play in the state championship game, which did not take place in Class AAA that season. Integration officially came to McDowell County schools in the fall of 1965 ending another McDowell County rivalry between the two towns and their schools. Gary District High School which served black students in the Gary area and Kimball High School, which served blacks in the Welch area were consolidated into Gary and Welch High Schools. The

Bulldogs of Gary District and Terrors of Kimball were also fierce rivals. In 1966 an integrated Gary High team won the first football championship by a McDowell County school, claiming the Class AA title. However, in the big game that year the Coaldiggers blanked the Maroon Wave 130 at Gary Memorial Stadium. Gary won another Class AA championship in 1970 and it would prove to be the Coaldiggers’ last win in the series. After ties in 1971 and ‘72 Welch won the last five games before the schools closed their respective doors and become one at Mount View High School. On Veterans Day 1977 Welch beat Gary 31-6. Reggie Jones scored Gary’s last touchdown, hauling in a pass from Jeff Joyce and the final point put on the scoreboard for Welch was an extra point by Jeff Pike. Nine months later Jones, Joyce and Pike were teammates for the Mount Vi e w Golden Knights and it was Pike who kicked a field goal against Logan in Mount Vi e w’s first game to give the

new school its first and only points in a 3-0 win against Logan. The final tally of the WelchGary series stood at Welch 30, Gary 20, Ties 8. The Barrell lives. It was resurrected in the fall of 2014 and during a cermony at Mount View High School it was “rolled out” one final time at Vic Nystrom Stadium, formerly Maroon Wave Stadium, before going to its final resting place, a rotating trophy case in the lobby of Mount View High School. One side is painted red and black and shows the Gary Coaldiggers logo. The other side is maroon and white and sports the Welch Maroon Wave moniker. It has been nearly 40 years since the final gun sounded on the Gary-Welch football rivalry, but the legacy and memories carry on. This past July graduates of both schools competed in the inaugural Barrel Bowl Golf Tournament at the Princeton Elks Club. Turnout was excellent and volunteers are in the process of organizing next year’s event.

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Annual rite of spring

Staff photos by Eric DiNovo

On the diamond... For the past 42 years high school baseball players have converged on Bowen Field to square off in what has become an annual rite of spring, the Allen D. Coppinger Invitational Baseball Tournament. Left, Grundy takes on Princeton during the 2015 Coppinger Tournament. Right, Graham meets Greater Beckley Christian during the 2015 tournament.

Prep baseball players showcase their skills during Allen D. Coppinger Invitational Baseball Tournament By BOB REDD Bluefield Daily Telegraph BLUEFIELD — For the past 42 years high school baseball players have converged on Bowen Field to square off in what has become an annual rite of spring, the Allen D. Coppinger Invitational Baseball Tournament. It all started under the watchful eye and coordination of the late John Chmara as the Bluefield Invitational Tournament. On Friday, April 12, 1974 eight teams took to the turf at Bowen Field in the first round of games. In the first ever contest of what is now the Coppinger, the Princeton Tigers beat the Graham G-Men 11-5. In the second game that morning the East Bank Pioneers downed the Oak Hill Red Devils 10-3. The evening session saw the Gary Coaldiggers nip the Bluefield

Beavers 3-2 and the Greenbrier East Spartans shut out the Athens Trojans 10-0. In Saturday’s semifinals Princeton topped Gary 2-1 and East Bank beat Greenbrier East 3-2 setting up a Princeton-East Bank final on Monday, April 15. In that championship game East Bank slid by Princeton 7-6 to win the first championship in what has become the premier in-season baseball tournament in the state of West Vi r g i n i a . Rick Reynolds of East Bank was named tournament MVP and others on the initial alltournament team included Tyrone Hairston of Gary, Jeff Boyles and Morgan Campbell of Princeton, Buster Large of Graham, Rick Bourne and Jerry Neal of Bluefield and Danny Glover of Greenbrier East. Boyles is presently the

director of the tournament and the late Campbell coached many Graham teams in the field. Large is the present basketball coach at Bluefield High School. The tournament continued to grow and by 1981 it was called by its current name, the Allen D. Coppinger Jr. Invitational Baseball Tournament, or just simply The Coppinger. The ‘81 field included 20 teams - Woodrow Wilson, Richlands, Oak Hill, Northfork, Oakvale, Graham, Pineville, Big Creek, Princeton, Athens, Iaeger, Bluefield, Union, Tazewell, Liberty Raleigh, Peterstown, Fayetteville, Independence, Shady Spring and Mount View who captured its second tournament championship under coach Nick Shaffron. The Golden Knights won in 1979 in the school’s first year of existence. As would be seen in years to

come, inclement weather played a role in the 1981 tournament. Snow and rain forced the entire event to be pushed back and Mount Vi e w did not receive its championship trophy until May 9, the latest a Coppinger Tournament has concluded. The Tazewell Bulldogs have won The Coppinger more than any other school and the Dogs first title came in 1986. It took a quarter of a century for Princeton to win the tournament, but the Tigers won it for the first time in 1999 and have added four more since their initial crown. Twenty-two different schools have won Coppinger championships. Between 1985-93 two champs were crowned each year as the field was split into AAA and AA/A divisions. In 1989 cochampions were crowned in each division due to the

weather which prevented the playing of the final games. Tazewell leads in tournament championships with nine. Mount View and Princeton have five apiece and Richlands has won four. Bluefield is the only team to participate in each of the 42 previous tournaments. Athletes in the Coppinger have gone on to play professionally in many sports. Pineville High’s Curt Warner went on play in the NFL with the Seattle Seahawks and Tazewell’s Billy Wagner is among the career saves leaders in Major League Baseball. Oak Hill’s Tim McMillan was a draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the early ‘80s while Tazewell’s Zak Wasilewski and Trey Lambert along with PikeView’s Joey Church are currently playing in the minor leagues. Tazewell’s Omar Reed is presently a

professional basketball player in Japan. Numerous others have gone on to play baseball and other sports at the collegiate level. Over the years the number of teams and format has changed. From a beginning of eight teams in 1974, there has been as many as 32 schools involved. The most recent tournament fielded 10 teams. There has been pool play and in recent years a return to the single-elimination format. Other sites have also come into play as first round games have been held at Princeton’s Hunnicutt Field and Tazewell’s Lou Peery Field. Next April the Coppinger will celebrate its 43rd birthday as teams from throughout West Virginia and Virginia converge on Bowen Field and compete in one of the area’s greatest traditions.

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Music... Continued from 5 Tammy Toler was presented a key to the city for helping keep the concert series going. Toler helps organize the annual concert series to this day.

Dragon... Continued from 3 views and other attractions. One misconception is that Back of the Dragon is a festival or series of festivals, La rry Davidson, a vice president of D r a g -A-Knee Inc. in Tazewell,Va. said. It is actually an all-year activity. “Back of the Dragon is every day during the riding season whether it’s sports cars or motorcycles,” he said, adding the route is now well known nationally. There are events such as The Dragon Roars and The Dragon Wakens, but motoring and cycling hobbyists across the country come every day.

Heritage... Continued from 2 t e rm. The real word refers to a gathering for family and friends or to worship the creator. Wilson emphasized that a pow wow is not a religious ceremony. Such ceremonies

Street... Continued from 1 Downtown Bluefield became the stage for a car show as the festival continued. Visitors had the opportunity to gaze at vintage automobiles and customized vehicles. A charity auction with 100 items was hosted; the proceeds benefited Second Chance for Cats, Art Riley of the Bluefield Downtown Merchants Association said. The city was even the scene for racing during the street fair. The Great American Downhill Derby on Raleigh Street gave kids the chance to test their downhill racing skills. “We furnish the cars, the e n t ry’s free, and all the kids

Across the state line in Bluefield, Va., the town hosts the annual Evening Shade Concert Series in the downtown. Local musicians perform for residents who often bring their own chairs so they can sit back and enjoy the shows. During bad weather, the

concerts are presented in the spacious council members chamber at Bluefield,Va. Town Hall. There are plenty of seats for music lovers as well as resident who want to follow the business of their municipal government. For many people, the concerts at the downtown’s gaze-

bo harkens back to decades past, and the days before television and the Internet, when families would gather downtown for fellowship and entertainment. They gather when the weather cools with the evening, listen to the music and visit with friends and family.

“I think they like it,” Council member Jimmy Jones said. “It’s like the old-time music we had back in the day. People would gather in the town and listen to music or see parades.” Music is an integral part of life in southern West Virginia and Southwest Virginia, and

the concerts in Bluefield, Princeton and Bluefield,Va. help keep that part of the region alive and thriving. As the summer concert season draws to a close, organizers are already recruiting musicians and lining up sponsors for the summer concerts of 2016.

“The key to all this is the publicity in national magaz i n e s. Yes, it’s a festival – The Dragon Wakens, The Dragon Sleeps, The Dragon Roars – but that’s just icing on the cake. We’ve got to survive the other 365 days of the year. If you just have an event once a year, that’s not really what Back of the Dragon is about.” The events just let you know it’s time to clean up your sports car or motorcycle and get them ready for the road, he said. “Hey, we’re part of the crooked road. We’ve worked hard for tourism and development, and it is an economic boost to our area. Right now tourism and development, since there’s a war on coal, is

one of the biggest untapped natural resources we have.” Ridership figures generated along different parts of the Back of the Dragon route show that its appeal is growing. “On the last big weekend we had, the Fourth of July, I was talking to officials in Marion. They estimated there were 5,000 motorcycles that weekend,” Davidson said. “VDOT did a five-day survey in May, the last weekend in May before the June event, and there were over 3,500 vehicles the came over Back of the Dragon for one week, and 70 percent of those were motorcycles. And if you go back 10 years, there wouldn’t have been 3,500 over Back of the

Dragon in a month. The traffic wasn’t there.” Families would bring in their trucks from Pennsylvania, Ohio, and other nearby states come to experience Back of the Dragon. Tourism organizations outside the region such as Groovy Touring out of Tennessee have prompted the route, and the Southern California Motorcycle Association has listed it as one of the 15 roads in the United States to ride. “The chairman got to ride it, and he was so excited. People in route to Florida go through the Back of the Dragon,” Davidson said. “We’ve got people from Indiana, Illinois, and Georgia coming. I think a

lot of people, because they live here, don’t really pay attention to what’s going on.” A motorcycle tourist often spends between $700 to $1,200 while staying in Tazewell County. When multiplied by thousands of people, the local tax base also increases, Davidson said. A 15 percent growth in the county’s bed and food can be attributed to tourism. The Back of the Dragon route’s curves can be attributed to road construction done by the Civilian Conservation Corps during the 1920s and 1930s. Works didn’t have the construction equipment used today to cut straight lines for roadways, so the route’s curves are much

tighter than those engineers would design today. Motorists are advised to go through some curves as slow as 15 mph. Improving the Back of the Dragon experience is a work in progress. “We’re in the process right now of looking at a Back of the Dragon Center,” Davidson said. “If anybody is interested in looking at what we’re doing as far as development and looking to see how they can be part of Back of the Dragon can call 276-988-5726. We want to invest in our area and make this the hub for the sport car and motorcycle community within Southwestern Virginia and the Eastern United States.”

are usually only for Native Americans and by invitation only. “It’s not that we hide from the public. A ceremony is sacred to us, and half the time they (visitors) wouldn’t understand what was happening anyway,” Wilson said. A pow wow is open to the public, and it is an opportuni-

ty to learn about Native American culture, Wilson said. Movies and television often present misconceptions about that way of life. For instance, some pow wows have a children’s night for teaching actual Native American lore. One time a child said he thought Native Americans ran around in

buckskins and scalped people. Wilson laughed. “I said no. We stopped doing that about 10 years ago,” he recalled. Other education days are geared toward adults. Native American tribes also help Boy Scouts earn their Indian Lore merit badges. The Boy Scouts of American and

Native Americans have worked together since 1910, he said. Pow wows are held at Southwest Vi r g i n i a Community College, Wolf Creek Indian Village in Bastian, Va. and Ke a rneysville, N.C. Movies and television often offer distorted images of

Native American culture that do not convey accurate facts about those cultures’ existence before or after the arrival of Europeans. Attending a pow wow is an opportunity to learn more about people whose society and culture are important contributions to the culture of the United States of America.

have to do is show up,” Riley said before the event. “They can bring their own cars if they want to, but we have eight cars contributed by the merchants, and it’s for ages 6 to 12.” Later that summer, the Bluefield Pr e s e rvation Society presented its third annual Lemonade Festival on Saturday on Raleigh Street in the Depot District of historic downtown Bluefield. Debrah Ammar, Preservation Society president, said the festival was continuing to grow year after year. “We have added the TouchA-Truck event this year, featuring a helicopter, that will allow children to experience the bells and whistles of several large pieces of equipment and vehicles,” Ammar

said before the 2015 festival got underway. There was only a $5 charge for that event, and the activities in the June O. Shott Family Fun Park were free to the community’s youth. Ammar stated that there was something for people of all ages happening throughout the day. Raleigh Street was open to the public that Saturday m o rning at 9 a.m., after a parade, and live music was p e rf o rmed Chicory Square starting with a concert featuring Regal Roses from Princeton. The day’s second musical presentation was the West Virginia Gospel Quartet followed by musician Matt Deal performing. In keeping with the festivals lemonade theme, there was a Lemon Hunt with clues provided by the Greater

Bluefield Chamber of Commerce lemonade stand and a Lemon Pie Eating Contest. This 2015 festival also featured the inaugural Lemonade Festival Criterium Bike Race. Ammar said the inaugural event was a nationally sanctioned race that will draw cyclists from several states. “I’m really excited about adding this event to our festival. It’s a race you don’t want to miss watching at least a part of,” she said before the race began. One of the biggest events on Bluefield’s calendar is the Cole Chevy Mountain Festival. Sponsored by Cole Chevrolet, the festival is often regarded locally as the official start of the summer vacation season. It is a proud local tradition that goes back

more than 32 years. Like many of Bluefield’s events, the Cole Chevy Mountain Festival started with a concert in Chicory Square. The performance of the Bluefield Middle School Band, under the direction of Dr. Mary Woodbury kickedoff the year’s summer season of music in downtown Bluefield. It was also the first concert of the year sponsored by the Bluefield Daily Telegraph. The vast parking lot between Mitchell Stadium and Bowen Field along Stadium Drive was soon transformed into a summertime midway hosting the James H. Drew Exposition and a big variety of other attractions. The popular Eudora Fa rms opened in the grassy area below the mid-

way with more than 60 exotic animals. Animal lovers could also watch the Marvelous Mutts performance and a perf o rming horse show. Sports fans could watch West Virginia Championship Wrestling matches. The Ridge Runner miniature train in nearby Lo t i t o Park offered rides to the public, plus there was a car show, concerts, concessions, and a fireworks show. Bluefield’s festivals and concerts showcase the city’s quality of life by presenting family fun events all year. The festivals not only entertain local residents, but help attract visitors who help boost the economy with their holiday spending. Festivals are, and will continue to be, an important part of the local social fabric.

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