February 2021 GreeneScene by GreeneScene Community Magazine / Direct Results

FEBRUARY 2021

â&#x20AC;¢ GreeneScene Community Magazine

FEATURES 4

I LOVE THIS PLACE

GREENESCENE OF THE PAST

COUNTY CONVERSATIONS

SHINING THE LIGHT

PUBLIC SERVICE PROFILE

GREENE ARTIFACTS

GETTING BETTER IN GREENE

GOING GREENE

GOOD NEWS IN GREENE

MESSAGE BOARD

HOMETOWN HERITAGE

Greene County Airport

Greene County Airport Candy Drop

Redevelopment Authority of County of Greene Crosspoint - Carmichaels & Waynesburg Salvation Army

The Poorhouse Ledger

Internet improvements in Greene builds connections

Every life has potential. We’re dedicated to fulfilling it. Since 1964, PathWays has continually innovated opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Through cutting-edge programs, life long services, and individual attention, we empower people of all ages and abilities to reach their full potential. We offer child, adult, and community services in six Southwestern PA counties. Learn more about how to participate by visiting yourpathways.org.

A Hunt for History

Awards & acknowledgements within our community Community announcements and opportunities

Current and vintage local sports highlights

EXTRAS

COVID-19 VACCINES IN GREENE

SAVING GREENSBORO

STAYING STRONG: RESTAURANTS

GALENTINE’S DAY

BRAG MAG

Greene County plays supporting role

Documentary puts Greensboro in the spotlight Local restaurants adapt to the pandemic What is it?

The best shots from around Greene County

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

â&#x20AC;¢ GreeneScene Community Magazine

I Love this P l a ce

The club hopes to take this experimental plane to events like Touch A Truck.

t‘s another perfect day for flying at the Greene County Airport – sunny and cold. The air is denser when it’s cold, Greene County Flying Club member Dan Smith tells me. And on a sunny day like this, Leonardo DaVinci’s words sparkle: “For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been and there you long to return.” We’re standing on the tarmac of what was once George Worley’s farm, a mile from Waynesburg on State Route 21. The door of the newest hanger is open. Inside, the club’s handsome 1973 Piper Cherokee sits tethered, its prop framing the blue sky beyond the runway. It looks like it’s raring to go - ready to give a new pilot a taste of the sky. How to give new pilots that taste is the challenge this club has taken on – a mission to find that next generation of pilots here at home. It’s a challenge nearly 100 years in the making. Greene County Airport has been here since 1928, when the fever for passenger airlines first swept the nation and the world. The community pitched in to join the 20th century and by 1930, volunteers, including Company K had cleared away the weeds and painted a big white circle on the field that pilots could see to land. By 1936, Federal WPA funding helped finish the first runway and Greene County took to the sky. When World War II asked for pilots, civilian pilot training programs sprang up at small airports nationwide. Students from Waynesburg College could take training along with their other classes. Fast forward to a sunny winter morning in 2021 and prepare to fall in love with what the professional and amateur pilots of Greene County have done with Leonardo DiVinci’s dream. Dan Smith, one of the flying club’s founders, is giving me a tour of the fleet of aircraft that have been donated to the club to help with its mission “To provide access to safe and affordable flight and flight instruction to club members and to promote

A rare 1991, 119 horsepower Taylorcraft F22A is one of the club’s planes.

and support aviation in all forms including drones, electric aircraft, ultra-lights and alternative airborne vehicles.” What makes Greene County Flying Club unique is its mission to make flying affordable for families and especially for kids. As a nonprofit 501c3, the club can take planes as donations, thus saving members the shared cost of purchasing them. Flying Clubs are member-run organizations, with members sharing the cost of hanger rent, fuel, aircrafts, flight training and maintenance? Those costs can be pretty substantial. A young beginner might expect to pay $10,000 to obtain a private pilot certification. Getting those numbers down is a big part of the mission. Thanks to donated planes, private donations and government grants, the cost is coming down. Dan’s eyes sparkle when he tells me the club’s most ambitious cost saver plan yet – to retrofit a plane for electric power, retooling the engine and replacing fuel tanks with batteries. Low-lead fuel is more than five dollars a gallon and can add 50 dollars to the price of a lesson. That same airtime running on electricity would be about three dollars. With that happy thought we continue the tour. Tucked away in one hanger is a handmade experimental aircraft that was donated with the stipulation that it not be flown. It sits with its wings clipped and stacked against wall but not to worry – the club has plans to take the body of this futuristic aircraft to Touch a Truck events so that kids can get their hands on a real airplane. The pilot club fleet is a case study in the evolution of aviation – and horsepower. The jaunty 65 horsepower 1945 Ercoupe is perfect for beginners to get their air legs, with simple rudder steering that teaches a new pilot how to ride the wind. It shares hanger space with five colorful “planes” built by pilot-in-training Garard Schliecher and his family, using 50 gallon barrels decked out with wings, props and a bathroom plunger for a joystick. This plane train will be filled with kids and pulled

GREENE CO. AIRPORT By Colleen Nelson

The jaunty 1945 Ercoupe is perfect for beginners.

by a lawn tractor during upcoming August Airport Days. In another hanger sits a rare bird – a 1991, 119 horsepower Taylorcraft F22A, with a nose wheel instead of a tail. Taylorcraft made only six of these planes before going bankrupt and all are still flying. And then over to the edge of the runway, to the new hanger with its electric door and birds eye view of the wind sock by the gateway to the pilots terminal. The Piper Cherokee 180 - as in horsepower- bought when the club was just getting off the ground in 2017, is the Cadillac of the fleet, with seating for four passengers and space for cargo. There’s plenty of elbowroom for rusty pilots who haven’t flown in years and student pilots, to fly toGerard Schliecher built the Airport’s entrance for his Eagle Scout gether with an instructor and project. get the training needed for recertification and licensing. It’s funds through the Greene County Flying also available for members to fly for the joy of flying. Plans are being made Club for training and airtime. Gerard, now for upcoming events when it is safe to gather, 19, is attending Community College, Beaver to promote aviation and eventually get stu- County and is well on his way to getting his private pilot certificate. As a club member, dents back in the cockpit. The Greene County Flying Club is an Gerard built the handsome brick gateway that offshoot of S.O.A.R. (Save Our Aviation Re- now leads to the pilot terminal entrance as his sources). This group of local pilots, both ac- Eagle Scout project in 2019. I return on another winter morning – tive and retired, banded together in 2007 to this time in squalling snow, to visit the terfind that next generation of new pilots who minal’s flight training classroom and meet might someday reach for the stars. Members of S.O.A.R. have a mission to keep the up with the real deal – recently retired pilot spirit of learning to fly alive in the county Chris Polhemus, who has a home with its by sponsoring an annual Aviation Day the own landing strip on Rutters Lane, Carmithird weekend in August and holding fly-in chaels. Today he’s wearing a jacket with the pancake breakfasts to raise funds in lieu of logo of the National War Plane Museum dues. S.O.A.R. sponsored its first flight train- featuring the historic “Whisky 7” Douging scholarship to Gerard Schliecher when he las C47 that he flew over Washington DC, was seventeen and directed the scholarship in formation with planes from every era of GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

using the airport to hanger their planes, train students, run flight schools and finally organize as S.O.A.R., then expand into the non profit world of the flying club to bring affordable training to the community. But those maps are now on smart phones and tablets and weather reports can be live when linked to websites like Intelicast. Chris points Chris Polhemus works with flying student Jacob Fordyce. to a lit spot on the weather map on his tablet. That’s us, aerial combat, for Independence Day 2020. “We came over the White House at 800 feet he tells me. “See, it’s clear behind the band of Chris tells me with a big grin. He’s brought snow. It should let up in about five minutes.” his ace student, 15-year-old Jacob Fordyce of And it did. There’s plenty more to learn if you visit Carmichaels, who has every intention of solothese two aviation stations online. It’s all ing on his sixteenth birthday on March 1. By the looks of the hefty Private Pilot book Jacob there, including the application form to join has with him, there’s plenty to master besides Greene County Flying Club. Are you ready to learn to fly like an eagle? Both groups are on steering when it comes to flying solo. The walls are lined with faded maps. Facebook, as Greene County Flying Club and Some have been up since pilots first started Support Our Aviation Resources.

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

G reen e Sce n e of the Pa st

first saw this old family photograph in the 1990s when visiting Terry and Jane Cole at their log cabin home on Ho Browsing the photographs stashed in neat yearly files on the S.O.A.R. webpage soarofgreenecounty.org seems like a real blast from the past these days. They’re from a time when the third week of August meant Greene County Airport would be filled with colorful planes and their pilots, filled with crowds of spectators and plenty of kids, all waiting for a piece of the living past to fly overhead then come in low to drop Hershey bars from the sky, each with its own small parachute. Then a scramble on the field to claim them, just as kids did more than 70 years ago on the Eastern side of Germany’s Berlin Wall. The plane doing the drop is the Spirit of America, a lovingly restored C-54 cargo plane that did the heavy lifting during World War II, carrying troops and supplies to the battle front and afterwards, running missions of mercy for the millions suffering starvation in the aftermath. Thanks to the pilots and flight loving members of S.O.A.R., visitors from miles around, especially kids, have had a chance to relive a bit of history that goes back to the years after the war, when Germany was a divided country and Great Britain and the United States were providing humanitarian aid, airlifting food to the people on the side of Berlin claimed by the Soviet Union. One of the pilots of the Berlin Airlift was a young officer named Gail Halvorsen. One day while out taking home movies, he met about 30 hungry children on the other side of the barbed wire and gave them what he had – two sticks of Wrig-

gly Double Mint Gum. Touched as he watched them share amongst themselves, even passing the wrappers around so all could at least have a sniff, “Hal” made a deal with them – next run he would drop more gum from his plane and would wiggle his wings to let them know. Then he went back to base and hit up his buddies for sway, mostly gum and Hershey Bars from their rations, bundled them and added parachutes to break their speed. Hal delivered the sweet stuff of childhood every week to crowds Pilot Tim Chopp and crewman Jason Pence bring the Spirit of Freedom to Greene County. of cheering kids that grew with every drop. When called into the office by his commanding ofwas piloted by Tim Chopp, seen on the left, standing beside ficer, it was not to court martial but to congratulate him for fellow crewman Jason Pence. Cropp is a legend in his own helping heal some of the wounds of war. Other pilots joined right. As president of the nonprofit Berlin Airlift Historical the candy drop, American children began sending candy and Foundation he has been awarded and honored worldwide for handkerchiefs for “Operation Little Vittles” and candy comhis part in preserving this part of history. The Spirit of Amerpanies soon followed suit. By the end of the airlifts in 1949, ica is a flying museum that makes the rounds of airshows tons of candy had been delivered and Hal became, and still is, worldwide, keeping the story of goodwill between people who a national hero. He celebrated his 100th birthday in Utah with were once bitter adversaries alive. his family on October 10 with what else? A chocolate cake! Keep your fingers crossed. This might be the year the This photo from the 2015 Aviation Days folder shows the Spirit of America drops Hershey Bars at Airport Days again. first year the Spirit of Freedom made it to Greene County. It

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

County Conversations GREENE COUNTY DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING

REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

he County of Greene government director of RACG. “We’re helping people provides our community with a va- who never thought they could own a home riety of services and care that help of their own before. We’re offering the supmake Greene County a better place to live port they need to succeed.” and grow. The Redevelopment Authority of The Redevelopment Authority of County of Greene (RACG) assists in provid- County of Greene also works to stabiing both living opportunities and growth lize blighted and vulnerable communities to the Greene County community through throughout the county. To assist in reducing economic developblighted areas, RACG ment, community repurchases homes or vitalization, affordable underutilized properhousing initiatives, and ty in Greene County, home ownership opmostly through juportunities. dicial sales with oil The RACG proand gas impact fees. vides is instrumental Once they acquire the in helping potential property, they begin first-time homeownthe long process of ers make the jump into rehabilitating them home ownership. Their from the ground up Remodeled houses in Crucible (above) and Nemacolin (below) are now available. available homes can by skilled contractors be either purchased with assistance from outright if the potenlocal Greene County tial buyer qualifies for CTC students. Once a mortgage or purrenovated, the homes chased through a Land are sold. Installment Purchase “When we work Contract. In order on rehabbing homes, to be approved for a we don’t just put a Land Contract, potenband-aid on the probtial buyers meet with lems,” says Dave. “Our Blueprints to examine goal is to have them credit scores and debt ready for the hometo income ratio. If apowner and be mainteproved, a payment plan is arranged based nance free for about eight to twelve years.” on income; RACG will receive the payments “We want to stabilize these coal patch until the residents improve their credit communities and stop the skidding,” Dave enough to apply for a traditional mortgage. adds. “I’m tremendously proud of how our FMI on the Redevelopment Authority department assists people in the journey of of County of Greene program, call 724-852home ownership,” shares Dave Calverio, the 5306.

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

By Colleen Nelson

here’s a new church in Waynesburg that has taken on the mission of the 21st century with a cheerful nod to neon and a happy dose of rock and roll. Don’t be surprised that it calls itself a campus. For the mostly twenty to fortysomethings and their kids who come to hear the Good Word in a contemporary setting, Crosspoint, an Assembly of God ministry with a campus in Carmichaels and now Waynesburg, is bringing them back to the fold with a coffee bar, camaraderie and an ear for understanding the problems of the present that parishioners - and the rest of us - face every day. Recharging faith to meet the needs of the times is as American as apple pie. Baptist, Methodist and Presbyterian ministers once rode their charges into the wilderness to preach the gospel of self-determination. Settlers felt free at last to earn their own heavenly rewards by humbly following the teachings of the Bible. The Good Book became the Wikipedia of the day, to be consulted for the wisdom of the Word. The early nineteenth century brought revivals as settlers gathered to replenish their faith and start new denominations. By the 1890s a new sense of personal relationship to the Word began to emerge, found in the message of the Pentecostal. When the flawed disciple Peter, who twice denied Jesus, was overcome by the Spirit that came like a great wind, a new chapter in American belief was born. That personal choice to directly connect with God has now found its place in modern Christianity. Crosspoint Waynesburg on 265 Elm Drive opened January 3 and attendance is at 60 and growing. Crosspoint Carmichaels turned the dance studio on 550 W. George St.

into a campus in 2007 that now has more than 400 members. Pastors Josh Coss and Andy Gump will share campus sermon duty and members are free to campus hop as the spirit moves them. The outside of the steel sided building that the campus shares with rehab center OSPTA looks 21st century industrial. But the inside has been transformed with the talking points of faith made modern. The Trinity has become triangles dancing happily on every wall, there’s a cross beside the words “helping kids discover their value” on the wall leading to the Sunday School rooms. Most arrive early to drink coffee and socialize, then head into the chapel at 11am to take their seats. Purple neon arrows point upward behind the pulpit as the band begins to play. Later, I listen to the live stream sermon at home and am struck by the points Pastor Andy draws from Matthew about coming unto the Lord as little children, to shed the burdensome habits of a lifetime to allow for a spiritual restart, to find Grace in the realities of everyday life. When we talked on the phone, Andy told me of all the amazing, serendipitous connections that lead Crosspoint and himself to Carmichaels and then to Waynesburg and many small amazing steps that are the adventure of a lifetime, best shared with friends. Andy and I go back a long way – as a GPO – Graysville Parent Organization regular, I remember him in my daughter’s class at Graysville Elementary in the 1980s, a tall quiet kid with an easy smile who didn’t elbow his way into the pecking order of the playground. Now he’s onstage telling it like it is, with a rock and roll band backup. Way to go, Andy! Check out Crosspoint Waynesburg on Facebook and see what’s going on.

Crosspoint Waynesburg, opened in January and attendance is growing.

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

Greene County Plays Supporting Role in COVID-19 Vaccine Program

s COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Greene County, receiving the vaccine is on everyone’s mind. Pennsylvania hospitals began receiving shipments of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine the week of December 14 and the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine the week of December 21. The Department of Health guides the distribution and administration of the COVID-19 vaccine. Updated January 8, the state’s vaccination plan follows the blueprint set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) regarding a COVID-19 Vaccination Plan. The interim plan is continuously updated to reflect the latest recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and other guidance available and feedback received. “Our mission to immunize any Pennsylvanian who wants a vaccine continues,” said Dr. Rachel Levine, PA Secretary of Health. “The Federal Pharmacy Partnership has vaccination clinics at 159 skilled nursing facilities this week. Vaccine providers have administered vaccine to a total of 311,477 people, including 251,133 people who have received their first dose and 30,172 who have received two doses and are considered fully vaccinated.” The current distribution plan has medical facilities administering vaccines in four phases: Phase 1A, 1B, 1C and Phase 2. Pennsylvania is currently administering vaccines to Phase 1A, which consists of health care personnel and long-term care facility residents. A complete description of population by phase is available at www.health.pa.gov/ topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Vaccine. aspx. Locally, a plan is in place and when the vaccine is received by the health care providers, the capability exists to get it distributed to the public in accordance with the prioritized phases established by the Department of Health.

FEBRUARY 2021

Greene County continues to be a partner in information gathering, plan validation and assisting in any way available. “We have offered whatever help we can provide to the hospital administrators charged with organizing the vaccine program. Our facilities and any other county asset we can offer to facilitate a more efficient and effective vaccination program is available,” said Mike Belding, Chairman of the Greene County Commissioners. “We certainly value our partnership with our local health care providers including Washington Health Systems Greene, Cornerstone Care, Centerville Clinics, McCracken’s Pharmacy, CVS and Walgreens.” The Commonwealth has provided a vaccine provider map that is available at www.health. pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/ Pa ge s / Va c c i n e . aspx. This map ensures that all enrolled vaccine providers have their information publicly available for those currently eligible to

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

be vaccinated. All eligible providers that have vaccines delineated on the map in a green pin, while those providers that are eligible but do not have vaccine show up with a red pin. All Pennsylvania residents are encouraged to sign up for AlertPA, a text notification

system for health, weather, and other important alerts like COVID-19 updates from commonwealth agencies. Residents can sign up online at www.ready.pa.gov/ B eInformed/ Signup-For-Alerts.

Public Service Profile By Danielle Nyland

GREENE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM

n a rural community like Greene County, a library is more than just a library. It’s a community space, meeting place, learning facility, communication center, and much more. Without the library system, many community members would not have access to the internet, reading and research materials, art & craft classes, and educational opportunities. The Greene County Library System, consisting of Eva K. Bowlby and Flenniken libraries, continues to provide these services to the citizens of Greene County, even throughout a pandemic. “2020 was a challenging year for libraries across Pennsylvania; however, the Eva K. Bowlby and Flenniken libraries adapted well by adding virtual programs, creating grab n’ go services, implementing contactless delivery of materials, increasing safety measures within the buildings, attending virtual trainings, workshops, and webinars, and gaining a more prominent social presence,” shares Kathy McClure, Executive Director of Bowlby Library and System Administrator of GCLS. “We look forward to 2021 and thank our communities for the support through the pandemic.” The GCLS libraries utilize WAGGIN, allowing patrons to borrow items from participating libraries in Greene, Washington, and Fayette counties. Patrons can use their personal computer or mobile device to browse the catalog, place a hold, renew items, review reading history, and create a reading list. Through OverDrive, patrons can download eBooks and audiobooks from their personal device without a trip to the library – perfect for reading during a pandemic. For patrons looking for free educational opportunities, Gale Courses offer a wide range of highly interactive, instructorled courses taken entirely online. Courses run for six weeks and new sessions begin every month; they are provided at no cost to library users. Courses include finance, business, technology, design, healthcare, language, legal, education, writing, and personal development. Other programs included with a library card are Freegal (free music downloads), Brainfuse (free online tutoring), Hoopla (borrow movies, music, ebooks, audiobooks, comics, & tv shows), Rocket Languages (learn a new language for free), and Beanstack (ongoing reading challenges to

earn prizes). These virtual services offer access to many of the same services provided by the library in person, while allowing you to stay safely at home. If you are permanently or temporarily homebound due to illness, injury, or advanced age, and can’t make it to your local library, GCLS brings the library to you with the Library by Mail program. The program delivers books straight to your mailbox. Applications are available online; once a completed application has been received by your library, the staff will contact you for a phone interview. Materials will arrive by USPS in a reusable bag; once you’ve read your selections, send the materials back in the same bag. Postage is paid for – both ways – by GCLS. Readers can make specific requests or allow the library staff to choose books; each mailing will include a Materials Request Card that allows you to make requests for future mailings. Each year, the library promotes reading through the Greene County Reading Competition. Teams consist of elementary, middle school and high school age students from the libraries and school districts in Greene County; students have the option to join a school or non-school team. A required reading list is given to each student. Coaches lead their students in competition training by discussing the theme and details of each book on the list, complete activities, and practice for the competition. The teams will compete head-to-head with other teams at the annual competition; the team with the most points wins their category. GCLS has also partnered with T-Mobile to provide free mobile hotspots to patrons. Library card holders can use these hotspots to have access to internet service anywhere a T-Mobile signal can be received. Currently, these cool pads are only available for checkout at Bowlby Library. And Flenniken Library has partnered with IdentoGO to provide fingerprinting/identity services to our community. These services – and many more not listed – are provided by Greene’s libraries to card-holding community members for no charge. If you are interested in these services or would like to get a library card, you can check out greenecolib.org or check the libraries on Facebook @FlennikenLibrary and @BowlbyPublicLibrary.

Neither do we. We see you. We believe you. We are here for you.

1.888.480.7283 CARE Center STTARS Program

Paid for with Pennsylvania Tax Payer Dollars. Campaign created by Fenway Health.

BHVRP-61

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

CLASSIFIEDS Various barely used baby items, crib, bouncy chair, bathtub, stroller. FMI contact julie. ann.mascara@gmail.com. Fluff Butt pickled eggs for sale: $1/egg. Pickled beet eggs, hot & spicy, sweet & spicy. 502-297-2118. Troy-Built Storm 2840 28” snowblower, used 1 time. Electric start, 7 forward speeds, 2 reverse., heated handle grips, lights - commercial unit w/manual, $700. 724-627-5994.

DOCUMENTARY Puts

reviously called Delight, the small town of Greensboro sits snugly against the mighty Monongahela and was once a social, commercial, and manufacturing hub for the area. One of the reasons the Mingo Indians called the area Delight was its rich and fertile soil; this soil provided birthed the industries that would spread Greensboro’s influence across America. Saving Greensboro, a documentary film by Paul Hicks and Harry Oakes, explores the history of Greensboro and the industries that made it famous – glass and pottery. “Back in the fall of 2019, Harry and I wanted to create a larger film project, more than anything we had created during our undergrad years,” shares Paul. Harry and Paul heard that a grant was available to fund projects that helped the surrounding community. They contemplated topics, including creating a documentary about the Greene County Historical Society. Chuck Bailey, a long-time friend, knew the duo was looking for a topic and introduced them to Glenn Toothman who had an idea that might interest them. Glenn took Paul on a tour of Greensboro and shared its history of pottery and glassworks. “I was enamored by his storytelling and fell in love with the subject right away,” says Paul. “Harry and I finalized the grant proposal shortly after this tour took place, and we learned that it was approved a couple of days later!” Before filming, Harry and Paul spent time conducting research as Glenn told the story of Greensboro. During his research, Paul spent months searching photographs and historical documents. “It was tough finding first-hand historical sources about this small town’s history, but I was also surprised by the high-quality preservation and documentation for a lot of these materials.” After their months of research, Harry and Paul had fleshed out their idea and knew what interviews and reenactments they would need to film. In addition to working with Glenn, they involved other locals in the documentary. Local pottery artisans, Jim and Linda Winegar, allowed the duo the use of their pottery studio for the reenactment scenes. “They blew us away with their skill and were so accommodating to our vision. If it weren’t for them, I really do not think the project would look as quality as it does now,” Paul says. The documentary wasn’t without its difficulties. Neither Harry or Paul or had worked on a project of this scope and importance. Technical difficulties prolonged the project’s de-

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

livery time. Once the pandemic hit and the university shut down, they faced the difficulty of getting the film edited. Collaboration was difficult, but they split the work and managed to produce a high-quality documentary. “Harry deserves so much credit for his editing work on the film, since he did about 90% of it on his superior computer hardware. I would travel to his place back in Maryland and work alongside him sometimes, but he really did pull off its final look,” Paul says. “I always say this, but I really do not deserve a friend as hardworking or as incredibly talented as Harry.” Both Paul and Harry are from Maryland and attended Waynesburg University, studying communication with an electronic media focus. During their time at Waynesburg, they both participated in the Bonner Scholar program. Paul currently serves as Graduate Assistant, working as the official photographer/videographer for University Relations. He is currently pursuing an MBA with Waynesburg. “Living in this area for the past five years has taught me so much about what love for your community truly means. I have made more fruitful friendships with people in this community than I ever could’ve imagined when I first stepped into Waynesburg,” Paul shares. “This town feels like my home far more than Annapolis in this way. Glenn Toothman and Chuck Bailey are only a few glowing examples of the many community-builders I have met over the years. Truly, I believe Waynesburg continues to

By Danielle Nyland

culturally thrive because of these people who are so passionate about preserving the town’s memories.” “Heritage and history from long ago can still greatly impact a community today. With Greensboro, there’s a beautiful memory preserved by the remnants of the potters’ families and artifacts that still exist. Members of the community should feel proud of where their ancestry comes from, how hard they’ve worked to keep this community alive,” Paul says in regard to the film’s message. “Greensboro to me is a microcosm of the American spirit that built this country up from the time it first became a nation. Albert Gallatin, a Swiss man, came to this area long ago and saw opportunity for a glass industry. Even though it wasn’t profitable in its short run, the fact that he took as many risks as he did is still inspiring. In this small town south of Pittsburgh, these glass workers and pottery makers were significant to the development of America.” Paul says that he has a few other ideas for some great documentaries and is spending time researching ideas and funding. After the documentary was finished, original plans called for a showing at the Historical Society, but with the pandemic, they decided the most effective way to show the film would be through social media. It is currently available for viewing on the GCHS Facebook page, @GCHSofPA.

G ree ne Artifacts By Matthew Cumberledge, GCHS Executive Director

THE POORHOUSE LEDGER

ew items are of such great historical preserve the document itself, as well as tranimportance to the Greene County His- scribe the information located therein to torical Society museum as this month’s make a permanent record of the individuals featured artifact. The Greene County Poor- who once lived at the Greene County Poorhouse, established in 1861, accepted Isaac house. Pipes as its first inmate on June 2, 1862. DurOnce the ledger is fully transcribed, ing the following century, thousands would portions of the entries will be made availcall this facility home, and 746 souls would able to research - specifically the older endepart this life from within these walls. tries from the 19th century. The informaMuseum staff recently discovered the tion contained has no medical information original ledger kept by the poor house stew- but does contain more details than a regular ard, beginning in 1862 and used through census would. 1945 when administration was transferred Please check out the GCHS Facebook to the Curry Home across the road from page to stay up to date on our current projthe poorhouse, often referred to as the alms- ects and online activities. house or county home. Each entry in the book details the name, location, condition, and the reason for admittance for each individual admitted. The last column lists their final disposition, whether they died at the almshouse, were transferred to another facility, ran away, or left by other means. One of the most interesting entries was for R. Lindsay Knisely who was admitted at the age of 16 on October 24, 1862, and shortly thereafter, “ran away to join the Army.” Further research will reveal if he was successful in his enlistment and if he saw any action during the civil war. Other entries show entire families coming to the poorhouse together and spending many years living within its walls. This ledger has several hundred pages and is in a very fragile condiGCHS Volunteer Travis D. Elliott studies the ledger. tion, however efforts are underway to

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

Get ting Better in Gre e ne By Edward Boice

COUNTY INVESTS IN BROADBAND INTERNET UPGRADES

ore Greene County residents can kiss their Wi-Fi woes away this year, as the county and Windstream are now partnered to increase broadband capabilities in the county this year. In September 2020, the Greene County Commissioners published their plan in a press release on the Greene County website to invest toward internet broadband capabilities in the county. Now, they have completed their investments and the county’s issue of generally low-quality internet will be improved upon. According to the commissioners’ press release, which was published Sept. 6, 2020, their plan involved investing $1 million - $1.6 million toward the mission, using a feasibility study to determine where the improvements were needed most. Greene County Commissioner Mike Belding said the county ended up investing $1.2 million from a CARES Act grant and that everything the commissioners’ set out to accomplish in their plan was successful. “Approximately 40% of our students did not have internet access last March when we sent them all home for COVID-19. That was our target audience, so we could get more individuals, residents, students and businesses access so they could operate during this COVID-19 pandemic,” Belding says. Residents in Bobtown, Carmichaels, Greensboro, Jefferson, Mount Morris and Waynesburg will see the improvements from the county’s investment, impacting 7,313 homes and businesses. “[The pandemic] certainly emphasized that broadband is needed in Greene County, as well as all counties,” says Betsy McClure, vice chairmen for the Greene County Commissioners. “Because when you go to remote learning and your children can’t get on to connect with their teachers, that’s a big concern.”

These areas were chosen for improvement by a feasibility study that the county started last year. While the study was occurring, the county sent out requests for proposals to experts in the broadband coverage industry. Belding said Windstream was the only company to send back a proposal. “Although this RFP process with Windstream is our current partner for this project, we want to partner with everybody,” Belding states. “We’ll bring everybody to the table with the request for proposals.” Belding says that the county and Windstream ended negotiations with the county investing $1.2 million, and Windstream investing $1.6 million. The county has already completed their investment, while Windstream will finalize their investment during the spring or summer of this year, said Belding. Windstream also secured a Rural Digital Opportunity Fund, a federal program designed to aid the increase of internet access in rural areas, totaling $13 million over the next 8-10 years. “If you add all that stuff up, you’re going to get about a $16 million investment over eight years toward broadband in Greene County,” Belding says. Windstream will be working on the improvements for approximately the next 18 months. The improvements will include upgraded hardware and the installation of 171 miles of fiber. The COVID-19 pandemic did not hinder the operation greatly. There was a concern about a lack of materials in the broadband industry, but Belding said they worked around the issue. “We adjusted some areas from the original plan and worked through that so it could be completed on time and still with the results for those underserved areas,” Belding says. “It was not without more complications, but in the end, it was completed on time.”

Broadband capabilities are being upgraded throughout the county.

WHY CHOOSE?

FREE to Adults 60 and Over

EAT SMART, MOVE MORE, WEIGH LESS MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES ABOUT EATING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

Get Informed, Empowered & Motivated! 15-week online program Trained and experienced instructor Real-time, interactive, weekly sessions

For more information or to register for the program: Call Robin at 724-489-8080 or 1-888-300-2704, ext. 4433 ryouger@swpa-aaa.org Southwestern Pennsylvania Area Agency on Aging

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

G o in g G re e n e

rick by brick, historic buildings share their stories to anyone willing to listen. Maintaining an old structure amplifies its voice and can flood an individual with glimpses into the past. The old Almshouse, also referred to as the County Home or Poorhouse, that is now the site of the Greene County Historical Society Museum is no exception. Each room contains memories of souls from the past and weaves together a narrative that brings the not-so-forgotten experiences of Greene County back to life with each artifact in every room and the very fabric of the building itself. Occasionally these flashes of the past are augmented with detailed accounts that expand history and provide the human aspect of what life was like in times long gone. The staff at the Greene County Historical Society Museum is always searching for more information on what life was like for the “inmates” that once called this majestic old building home when it was the County Home. Recently, an avalanche of information, accounts and reports were found that give a full view of what life was like inside the walls of this sometimes-tragic facility. The history of public care of the aged, infirm, and mentally and physically disabled people in this country had its ups and downs; when looking at it from a modern perspective, many of the methods and conditions used in the early days are often considered barbaric, insensitive and just plain bad. However, there was always a positive intent in the establishment and administration of almshouses, poorhouses, asylums and other such public institutions. Generally, they all started out well but due to an increasing need for space and a lack of medical and psychological knowledge, these homes for the destitute were often overcrowded. Lack of public funding often made these problems worse. The Greene County Almshouse, when first established in 1861, was built to house 40-50 residents, or Inmates, as they were referred to at the time. The main portion of the building on the first floor contained rooms for the steward and his wife and a large dining room. Above were apartments for the inmates, as well as a sewing room and a storeroom; the site of the original sewing room is now the sewing/spinning room as set up by the Greene County Historical Society museum. The back section contained nine residence rooms on the first floor and a large kitchen with ten resident rooms on the second floor above. Waynesburg newspapers report that in 1863 and 1867, grand juries were sent to inspect the living conditions at the almshouse. They found it in exceptionally good condition and the inmates in good spirits, describing, “The Paupers, of whom there are quite a number of all descriptions and conditions, seemed to be as contented and happy in their different apartments as though they were heirs to the manor born.” Elijah Adams was steward during this time and in charge of the almshouse and surrounding farmland. It was said that “much of this contentment is attributable to the kindness and good management of the keeper, Mr. Elijah Adams and his amiable and agreeable family, improvements on the farm are rapidly being made and everything gives evidence that the institution will prove every way satisfactory.” Beginning in 1871, the Pennsylvania Board of Com-

By Matthew Cumberledge

A HUNT FOR HISTORY missioners of the Public Charities began inspecting asylums, almshouses, and other public charitable institutions throughout the commonwealth. 1871 came with a good report citing that, “An outhouse had been built to serve as a coal house, wood house, bake shop and a well house and with few improvements could be considered one of the best almshouses in the state.” For breakfast, the inmates were served tea or coffee, bread and meat, dinner (in the 19th century, this term often referred to lunch) the same, with the addition of soup, and supper was bread and tea. When the inmates were sick, they were treated in their rooms by a physician employed by the Almshouse. 45 inAt one point, the attic housed 16 men. mates were living in the almshouse at the time, with some entire families sharing small multiroom apartments. Unfortunately, such good reports did not last and the 1875 report tells a very different story. The population of the building had doubled; steward Elijah Adams was doing the best that he could with what he had, but overcrowding had become a major issue. By this time, the attic had been converted into living accommodations, a long room with one window and eight beds lining the wall, and a home for 16 of the male residents. The ventilation was poor, and the structure was becoming dilapidated and infested with mice and vermin. And the institution was filling with “insane” persons. Insanity, and emotional problems, were something the almshouse was never designed to handle, and this became an increasing problem. Conditions would not improve for many years, especially when it came to the care and treatment of the insane. The population of the almshouse continued to rise and the number of the insane being treated there continued to increase. The early 1880s brought a movement to remove “insane persons” from almshouses and place them in facilities that were better suited to treat them for their various conditions. In 1884, all the insane persons were removed from the Greene County Almshouse; many were sent to Dixmont State Hospital in Pittsburgh and a few to Polk School. This was only a temporary mitigation effort; conditions in the building were still bad, and there were plenty of paupers to take

The Greene County Almshouse in 1896, a few years after the new wing

the place of the transferred insane persons. In 1885, there was a movement to condemn the building and build a new facility elsewhere on the property. Plans for a new structure were developed and approved by the state, but never came to fruition. It was ultimately decided to build a new wing that would provide indoor plumbing and expand the living accommodations. Construction began in 1886, and the wing was ready for accommodation by May 1, 1887. The new wing was four floors with a total of 22 rooms and a bathroom and clothing room on each floor. The original structure itself was deemed sound, and once the inmates were relocated to the new wing, the building was renovated. A large dining hall was added on each and a new kitchen and baking facility was added in a new wing on the back; the other rooms were renovated and refreshed. The renovations and additions doubled the occupancy of the almshouse. The physical accommodations had improved greatly, but by this period William B. Cage was the steward. Reports from news agencies as far as Iowa speak to the abuses of Cage; he was known to beat the inmates frequently and force them to live under extremely cruel conditions. Throughout the early 1890s, reports were made in the local newspapers and Cage was removed. Cage’s removal ushered in a new era of peace and tranquility at the almshouse. Going forward, state and local news reports made good mention of the improvements and living conditions available at the almshouse. Many institutions across the country share a similar history. Sadly, the Greene County Almshouse was considered one of the worst, and very little of this history has been properly documented. Because these places housed those on the fringe of society, they were often ignored or forgotten. The Greene County Historical Society staff and volunteers continue to research the history of the almshouse; an in-depth history of the building is being constructed as new documents are found. With these new details, a book about the museum is a strong future possibility. GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

â&#x20AC;¢ GreeneScene Community Magazine

Bailey Mine Donates to Toys for Tots

Threads of Joy Donations This year WCES had 33 students participate in our holiday Threads of Joy Program, which is similar to an Angel Tree. The Lagonda Homemakers made bags to hold all the items, hats and scarves for the students. One member of the group also donated school supplies. WCES staff bought new coats, shoes, toiletries and stockings for the students. An anonymous donor donated money that was used for gift cards for the families. EQT made a generous donation that was used to purchase blankets, school supplies, candy and games for all of the students. The WCES Guidance Office Staff made this all possible. Thanks to all for helping to make Christmas a little more special for these students!

yearly fundraiser to benefit the Tri-County Leathernecks Toys for Tots program. New, unused toys or monetary donations are collected in November and early December from anyone wishing to participate. Employee and contractor volunteers have increased substantially throughout the years.

Miss Merry Christmas Pageant Winner

CGSD Gathers Donations for WCES Student The Central Greene School District presented a check to student Jax Harris, a WCES kindergartner battling Burkitt lymphoma for approximately $2,750. In addition to raising funds through their “Raider nation is Stronger Than Cancer” campaign, they also gathered donations by selling Christmas tree truck signs. Mr. Kuhns and Mr. Golsky, teachers at WCHS, coordinated the project and created the signs.

JM Receives CFGC Grant Funds The Jefferson-Morgan School District recently received two grants from the Community Foundation of Greene County in support of some innovative and interesting programming. Mrs. Carrie Ricco, a teacher at the elementary, applied for and received funding

2020 may have had many stumbling around to find their way but Bailey Mine workers never skipped a beat when it came to their yearly toy fundraiser event. Employees of Bailey Mine were able to top last year’s fundraiser and raised an overall estimated value of $16,770.56. This employee fundraiser began around 2012 when Pat Ford and his crew of mechanics pooled their money together instead of purchasing gifts for one another. They used the money to donate needed items to locals within the community. Upon Pat’s retirement, Daryl Crow took over encouraging everyone to participate in the

for her “Implementing Lego WeDo into the Elementary Makerspace Project,” and at the middle/high school, Mr. Don Cochran applied for and received funding for his “Stock Market Ticker Project.”

Teegan Cramer, age 6, won overall queen in the Miss Merry Christmas pageant and awards for Most Photogenic, Top Model Look, Best Personality, Best smile, Best Attire, Optional Wear, Prettiest Eyes; she will attend the state finals in June. Teegan is from Holbrook and attends 1st grade at West Greene Elementary Center. Her parents are Tifany and Tim Cramer.

GCASR Raffle Raises Scholarship Funds GCASR Raffle Raises Scholarship Funds The Greene County Association of School Retirees (GCASR) recently held a virtual raffle to raise money for their Scholarship Fund. The raffle included six gift card wreaths and two golf packages. GCASR awards 6 $1000 scholarships each year: one to each of the Greene County School Districts and the Career and Technology Center. They also award 6 $500 Ed Support Grants to present day employees of the school districts to

help fund special projects. The pandemic caused the funding source for the scholarships not to be possible. A virtual raffle via Zoom was held; over 130 members and friends purchased tickets, donated money, made the wreaths, donated gift cards, and obtained raffle items. Because of your support, GCASR will be able to award Scholarships and Ed Support Grants to the five school districts and the CTC in 2021.

Donations for Local Fire Victims at CASD A December fire occurred at Parkview Knoll and impacted several students in the Carmichaels Area school district. In an effort to support these students, the school set up a donation drop off at the middle/high school and gathered donations for the affected community members. The donations gathered helped with the students’ current needs, as well as provide an excellent Christmas experience.

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

Introducing

OARS to the Carmichaels area.

In a challenging year for many, rates for all substance use disorders, isolation, and mental health concerns have increased. With the opening of our clinic in Greene County, we’re continuing our reach in the Western PA region by providing help where it’s needed most and, ultimately, helping our patients who have struggled with their chemical dependency get their lives back.

These are categories of substance use disorders we treat at OARS: • Sedatives, Hypnotics, & Anxiolytics • Alcohol • Stimulants • Cannabis • Tobacco • Hallucinogens • Gambling (not substance related) • Inhalants • Opioids

How do you know if you have a substance abuse disorder? Take our quiz to find out. Each ‘yes’ answer is one point.

7. Are you giving up important social, occupational, or recreational activities because of substance use?

1. Do you regularly take any of the above substances in larger amounts or for longer than you’re meant to? a. Yes

b. No

2. Do you want to cut down or stop using the substance but are unable to? a. Yes b. No 3. Are you spending a lot of time getting, using, or recovering from the substance? a. Yes

b. No

4. Do you get cravings and urges to use the substance? a. Yes

8. Are you using substances again and again, even when it puts you in danger? a. Yes

b. No

9. Are you continuing to use, even though you know you have a physical or psychological problem that could have been caused or made worse by the substance? a. Yes

b. No

10. Do you need more of the substance to get the effect (high) you want? a. Yes b. No 11. Are you developing of withdrawal symptoms and relieving it by taking more of the substance? a. Yes

b. No

6. Are you continuing to use, even when it causes problems in relationships? a. Yes

b. No

5. Are you unable to accomplish things at work, home, or school because of substance use? a. Yes

a. Yes

b. No

How many points did you get? If you scored 1-4 points, you have a MILD substance use disorder. If you scored 5-7 points, you have a MODERATE substance use disorder. If you scored 8-11 points, you have a SEVERE substance use disorder.

Whether you have a mild, moderate, or severe substance use disorder or to learn more about our Medicated Assisted Treatment and Counseling Services, call 724-912-OARS (6277) or visit oarsmat.com. 211 South Vine St. • Suite 104

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

Bradford House Poster Contest The Bradford House Historical Association sponsors two Poster Contests, open to middle and high school students on a topic of Western Pennsylvania history, 1750 – 1850. The contest is open to students who reside in Washington, Greene, Allegheny, Fayette and Westmoreland Counties. Students are required to construct a presentation on a standard size trifold display board, register online during January

and February, and deliver the project to the Bradford House, 175 South Main Street, Washington, Pennsylvania, by March 1. FMI go to bradfordhouse.org and look under the education tab. Cash prizes will be awarded to the top 5 entries in each division: Middle School (grades 5-8) and High School (grades 9-12). Email bradfordhouseshop@hotmail.com for more information.

Update on DIPG Fundraiser In our November 2020 article, we shared Teri Jordan’s unique fundraiser in memory of her nephew Max. Teri reported to us last month that she raised $2790 for

Max’s DIPG fund – and lost a total of 23 pounds. Congratulations on both achievements, Teri!

Parkview Knoll Fire Displacement Donations On Friday, December 4, 40 people were removed from their homes due to a fire at Parkview Knoll Apartments in Carmichaels, PA. Greene County United Way is collecting donations to help those who are

still displaced from this fire. The funding will pay for lodging and other necessities until the apartment complex is renovated and safe to stay. To donate, visit http://www. greenecountyunitedway.org/donate.html.

Waynesburg Lions Club Has Koeze Nuts Waynesburg Lions Club has Koeze nuts on sale at or below suggested retail prices. Call Russell Hall for orders & deliveries 724-627-5042 or 412-997-3650 (cell). Your support is greatly appreciated.

WINNER

GreeneScene Contest - The winner of the GreeneScene contest, Chris Jarrell, knew that the festive holiday scene could be found along Mount Morris Road, at the Riggs farm.

Tax Prep Notice AARP Tax Preparers will not be doing taxes this year at the Waynesburg Senior Center in Waynesburg. Blue Prints is doing them uptown and you will need to make an appointment there. Call 724-6278261.

Save the Date The Red Kettle Run 5K event, typically held on the 1st Saturday of December, has been rescheduled to April 17, 2021. Follow us on Facebook @RedKettleRun.GreeneCounty and @greenesalvationarmy for more details. The hybrid event will be held at the EQT Rec Center in Waynesburg.

2021 Greene County Meeting Schedule COMMISSIONERS’ AGENDA MEETINGS 10AM in the Commissioners’ First Floor Meeting Room, Greene County Office Building. January 6 & 20 February 3 & 17 March 3 & 17 April 7 & 21 May 5 & 26 June 2 & 16 July 14 August 18 September 1 & 15 October 6 & 20 November 17 December 15 COMMISSIONERS’ BOARD MEETINGS 10AM in the Commissioners’ First Floor Meeting Room, Greene County Office Building. January 7 & 21 February 4 & 18 March 4 & 18 April 8 & 22 May 6 & 27 June 3 & 17 July 15 August 19 September 2 & 16 October 7 & 21 November 18 December 16

PRISON BOARD Prison Board Meetings will be held at 11:45 AM in the Commissioners’ First Floor Meeting Room. On the last month of each quarter, the meeting will be held at the Greene County Prison at noon. January 21 February 18 March 18 @Jail April 22 May 27 June 17 @Jail July 15 August 19 September 16 @Jail October 21 November 18 December 16@Jail SALARY BOARD AND RETIREMENT BOARD Immediately following the Commissioners’ Board Meeting in the same room. January 21 February 18 March 18 April 22 May 27 June 17 July 15 August 19 September 16 October 21 November 18

December 16 ASSESSMENT BOARD Immediately following the first Commissioners’ Agenda Meeting in the last month of each quarter, same location. March 3 June 2 September 1 December 15 The Sinking Fund Board will meet on January 7 immediately following the Commissioners Board meeting in the Commissioners’ First Floor Meeting Room, Greene County Office Building, and then will meet as needed. Public notification will be made for future meetings of the Sinking Fund Board. The Election Board will meet on May 6 and October 21 immediately following the Commissioners’ Board Meeting, in the Commissioners’ First Floor Meeting Room, Greene County Office Building. Public notification will be made for future meetings of the Election Board.

Five Generations With the birth of their greatgreat-grandson Lorenzo Azzaro, Jim and Nancy Bellis, of Bobtown, have a five-generation family. Lorenzo is the son of their great granddaughter Tori. L-R: Tori and her son Lorenzo (his father is Michael Azzaro,) Taelene (Tori’s mother), Kim, and Nancy and Jim Bellis.

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

â&#x20AC;¢ GreeneScene Community Magazine

GreeneScene Community Magazine â&#x20AC;¢

FEBRUARY 2021

â&#x20AC;¢ GreeneScene Community Magazine

Staying Strong in Greene: Restaurants upside, and the restaurant industry will probably never be the same again. Very quickly, many restaurants realized that they would either have to adapt to this new world to stay alive or fall behind and perish. Lisa Rumble Miller, owner of Greensboro’s The Ice Plant restaurant quickly realized that adaptation was the restaurant’s only option for survival. Originally bought by her parents in the mid-1980s, The Ice Plant has been a big part of Lisa’s whole life, but back in early 2014, The Ice Plant’s future was in jeopardy due to a devastating fire that burnt the whole building to the ground. While no one was severely injured in the fire, the restaurant was decimated, and Lisa had to completely restore and rebuild the restaurant. The Ice Plant was out of commission for six years until February 2020, when Lisa and her staff were finally able to reopen, that is, until COVID-19 struck. The Ice Plant was only able to serve dine-in customers for a few weeks before the closures. “It was frightening when the COVID-19 restrictions went into place a few short weeks after we reopened,” Lisa shares. “When we were initially asked to comply Greene County restaurants, like The Hungarian Smokehouse, have adapted to with the no dine-in order, it was a trementhe pandemic and continue to provide high quality service. dous setback, but thankfully we were able to continue take-out and curb side pickup.” s the novel COVID-19 virus continues to rage across the world, small businesses across the country are still Even though the future seemed bleak, Lisa and the Ice Plant suffering from the virus’ devastating economic effects. were resilient. After all that work and restoration, there was no Since the coronavirus’ initial discovery, thousands of Ameri- way she was going to let COVID-19 stop her. “Overall, I believe the biggest trial we face is being incan small businesses have been tested by COVID-19 and have had to make difficult decisions and adaptations to survive. novative in drawing customers to dine-in because many are Some businesses prospered amid the crisis; others had to close still frightened,” she says. “Thankfully, we have a great custheir doors for good. While all businesses have felt some sort tomer base and they have been wonderful throughout this of impact from COVID-19, no other business sector was hit challenge.” Some local restaurants have turned to the internet to harder than locally owned restaurants, especially those right boost their revenue in this brave new world. Hillary Clovis, in our backyard. Business and daily operations have not been the same owner of Mount Morris’ Rising Creek Bakery, not only exfor Pennsylvania’s restaurants and bars since March 16, 2020, panded her café’s outdoor seating on the edge of beautiful when Governor Tom Wolfe announced a state-wide shut Dunkard Creek, but has also added her own e-commerce down on all dine-in services. The only services that restau- website to supplement the bakery’s income. This new service rants could provide were take-out options. That initial shut allows customers to pre-order their food and baked goods down lasted until May 2020, and forever changed how most ahead of time, the option for curbside service, or to even have restaurants in the state do business, especially those in Greene baked goods delivered to your own home, anywhere in the County, PA. Later in December 2020, restaurants were later country. “Our e-commerce store has seen an increase in orders, banned from offering dine-in services again. Fortunately, restaurants have been back to the limited capacity model since and we’ve started using FedEx to deliver those orders in a January 4, 2021, but the virus’ effect is still threatening many timely manner,” Hillary says. Even restaurants that did not offer dine-in services prior of the area’s restaurants. to the COVID-19 crisis have had to overcome obstacles genLike most restaurants in rural areas, most of Greene County’s restaurants rely heavily on in-person, table service erated by the virus. For instance, Carmichaels’ Hungarian dining. Prior to COVID-19, rural diners, bars, and family Smokehouse has been experiencing supply shortages and restaurants provided their patrons an outlet for socialization price increases, on top of having to adjust their meal services and companionship, a hot meal or cold drink served fresh and to fit the PA government’s new standards. Popular for their quickly, and quality time with their friends and loved ones. deer processing services, customizable butchering, and homeThanks to COVID-19, this whole structure has been turned made beef jerky, the Hungarian Smokehouse has been a huge

part of the Carmichaels’ community for years and has now been faced with challenges that they have no direct control over. Panic buying, COVID-19 protocols in the agricultural industry, and a national economic depression have caused both beef and pork prices to skyrocket. Many farmers had to sell their livestock early to make ends meet, causing a meat supply shortage across the country. Although he cannot control the meat supplier market, Joel Pekar, co-owner of the Hungarian Smokehouse, has been creative in keeping the butcher shop on its feet throughout the crisis. Much like Rising Creek Bakery, the Hungarian Smokehouse has utilized technology to keep their business relevant and accommodating to those most at risk to the virus. Pekar implemented two additional services to the butcher shop’s repertoire, scannable QR codes and curbside delivery. QR codes have been added to their deer processing sheet and take-out menu to provide paperless viewing. “We will also take any order to the customer’s car for them,” Joel says. “We do this in case our customers don’t feel safe coming inside.” While many existing businesses are finally getting back on their feet, others are turning towards tomorrow in the hopes that the restaurant industry in Greene County can live on. Amazingly, some brave Greene County entrepreneurs opened new restaurants during the pandemic. One of these new dining establishments is Fruition Bowls & Brews, located on High Street in Waynesburg. This new café features a lineup of smoothies, acai/fruit bowls, coffee and espresso, and specialty toasts, focusing on healthy options with fresh ingredients. The café was originally set to open in October, but due to extended delays, they were unable to open until December. “The biggest challenge is the uncertainty of knowing if we would have a larger amount of people coming to the shop because of fear of exposure to COVID-19,” says Mabel Jetten, co-owner of Fruition Bowls & Brews. However, Mabel believes that there was a benefit to this situation. “The great thing about opening a business during a pandemic is that we are completely adapted to it from the start,” Mabel says. “All of our drinks and food are already made to take out. We have set up an online system to order from the comfort of your own phone or computer and set a time to pick it up to lower the spread of germs. We also have a contactless pay option on our register to provide a safe check out. People really seem to like our online menu and ordering, so we will be keeping that feature for the foreseeable future. “ Despite the odds of failure, many restaurant owners and their patrons are hopeful for the future of Greene County’s dining industry. Very few of the county’s dining establishments have permanently closed their doors, and most have tried to help the county’s residents feel a sense of normality. Although the world might be askew, being able to sit at a local diner and enjoy a cup of coffee and a stack of pancakes has been a comfort during the pandemic uncertainty. Even though the tables are spread out and the waitresses might be wearing masks, restaurants have been able to bring a semblance of a normal world back to Greene County, and given a sense of hope to our community. While none of us know what the future holds, at least for the moment, Greene County’s restaurants are here to stay, through thick and thin.

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

What is Galentine’s Day?

ebruary truly is the month of love and Galentine’s Day on February 13 fits right in. We’re quick to shower our significant others with gifts and treats on February 14, but the day prior was designed to celebrate other equally important relationships in our lives: our girlfriends! Galentine’s Day is a time to bring together the ladies in your life you love most. The female friendships we so heavily rely on are celebrated annually on Galentine’s Day. Originating from the popular TV show Parks and Recreation, the holiday is all about declaring love and affection to the girls who make up our support system. Go Girl Power! G a l e n t i n e ’s Day was the creation of the beloved fictional deputy director of Parks and Recreation in Pawnee,

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

Indiana, Leslie Knope. The show’s writers centered the 16th episode of the second season of Parks and Recreation around Leslie’s favorite February tradition, Galentine’s Day. Over a brunch of waffles and excessive gift-giving, Leslie celebrates the joy of female friendship with close friends and co-workers. At Lily Bees we offer many amazing gifts for Galentine’s Day and Valentine’s day. Chocolate covered strawberries, fragrant candles, fresh flowers, silk arrangements, lanterns, body lotions, bath balms, self-care packages, signs, home décor, the world’s most amazing caramels, gourmet treats. We specialize in designing custom gift baskets that will put a smile on anyone’s face. For the men in your life we carry Duke Canon products. Call or stop in today 724-627-3191. We’re open Sunday February 14 - and we have free local delivery!

2020 Coloring Contest Winners

Congratulations to the 9 very talented winners of our 2020 Coloring Contest! Thank you to everyone who entered!

Ages 4 & 5 ~ 1st Place

Ages 4 & 5 ~ 2nd Place

Adah

Carmichaels

LEIGHTON BARBER

Ages 6 & 7 ~ 1st Place

GREGORY MICHAUX Clarksville

Ages 8 & 9 ~ 1st Place

NIKKI PRATT (with sister Lora) Carmichaels

Ages 4 & 5 ~ 3rd Place

NASH ONDERKO

NOLAN JOHNSTON

Ages 6 & 7 ~ 2nd Place

Ages 6 & 7 ~ 3rd Place

Dilliner

Waynesburg

Sycamore

BROOKE BENNETT

LYDIA JULIANO

Ages 8 & 9 ~ 2nd Place

Ages 8 & 9 ~ 3rd Place

ROXANNE YEAGER

PAYTON DUNCAN

Holbrook

Clarksville

www.firstfederalofgreene.com

NMLS#458729

GreeneScene Community Magazine â&#x20AC;¢

FEBRUARY 2021

Sponsored by

www.firstfederalofgreene.com

Intentional Walks By Bret Moore

Gone But Not Forgotten Pt. 2

n the first half of the 20th century, nine different high schools fielded athletic teams in Greene County. Unfortunately, each of these schools had a proud sports history that has been subsumed by consolidations. I thought I might revisit some of their histories and accomplishments. Last month, we covered Mt. Morris and Nineveh High Schools. Rogersville / Center Township Panthers In 1910, Center Township was one of five local high schools invited to Waynesburg College’s annual Track and Field Day. In 1914, they organized a basketball team that started playing games in a broom-maker’s garage. They played Company K, Waynesburg and Nineveh. Reid Bristor was the star of the team, and he led a band of “ball hawks” in Whyte, West, Stahl, and Bland. In the 191516 season, they finished the regular season undefeated, including a win over a powerful Waynesburg team. However, they settled for the bronze at the county tournament when Waynesburg got revenge in the semi-finals. However, the lack of a gym caused interest in the sport to wane. Throughout the ’30s, the Panthers fielded competitive football teams that hovered slightly above the .500 mark for the most part. During the 1938 season, every boy in the school either played on the team or served as a manager. The following year, Center defeated Waynesburg for the first time by a 7-6 score. The only spring sport in 1947 was boys’ softball. The following year they switched to baseball. In ’49, they “acquired new baseball suits” and played their first season in the WPIAL. However, an automobile accident mid-season badly injured five players as they drove to a game. The rest of the season was

FEBRUARY 2021

canceled. The Panthers played an exhibition basketball game against Mt. Morris at the 1947 County Coaches’ Undergraduate Tournament. The following year, they had their first full season. There were few wins in those days. It was no wonder given the circumstances. Each year, 15 or so boys would hitchhike the seven miles to Waynesburg three days a week to practice in Waynesburg High School’s gym. The first four years of the 1950s, the Panthers improved on the gridiron and became competitive. Fifty boys came out for the team during the 1950 season. In 1952, they tied arch rival Richhill (6-6) under the lights at Waynesburg’s College field in front of a large crowd. Aleppo Pioneers Aleppo was so small that it was hard to field both a track and baseball team. However, sporadic attempts were made to gather nine boys for the diamond. The school dropped football in 1933 because there weren’t enough boys to field a team. In 1937, they started a six-man team. Soon the other small schools along the Mason-Dixon Line would form a six-man conference, the Greene- Wetzel League. In addition to the Pioneers, the teams included Hundred, Pine Grove, Wallace and Smithfield from West Virginia. The small schools that would become West Greene would join depending on how many boys came out for the team each year. In 1945, Aleppo played three 11-man games and won two of them including victories over Richhill and Cameron. The games were heavily attended, and Aleppo dominated the league during its existence. Richhill Township/ Wind Ridge Ridge Runners

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

The 1932 Center Township football team.

The Ridge Runners won the 1932 county football championship. The team featured surnames such as those associated with the area to this day: Bristor, Burns, Headley, Hughes and Loughman. In 1937, the school graduated future Waynesburg College and Pittsburgh Steeler star Jack Wiley. He played tackle for the Steelers from 1946-1950 and was one of the first football players to have his likeness on a trading card. Wiley returned to Waynesburg to coach the Jackets from 19511954, compiling a 22-9-1 record. Waynesburg University’s football stadium was named in his honor in 1998. The Ridgers played boys’ softball until 1947. In 1948, they began a 10-game home and away baseball schedule with Carmichaels, Waynesburg, Mapletown, Center Township and West Beth. Bill Hughes of Rutan donated a field. Jim and Frank Burns were an effective battery that gave the squad a solid season. The school continued to play Class B football in the 1940s and became very competitive. In 1951, they went undefeated but did not make the playoffs due to a lack of Gardner points. They had tied Midway (Ft. Cherry) and Center Township. Instead of the WPIAL playoffs, they played Midway for the Class C Championship under the lights at

Waynesburg’s College Field. However, Midway won the rematch 13-0. That same school year, they finished third at the 1952 county track meet. Frank Burns won the 220, and Buck Gray won the javelin. Richhill also had a baseball team until the school switched exclusively to track in 1953. Corrections: Thanks to the readers who informed me Dick Paugh was not identified in our photo as one of the members of the 1957 Mt. Morris track team in last month’s column. Also, Jimmy Johnston of Nineveh High School was misidentified as Jimmy Johnson.

CARMICHAELS AREA

CARMICHAELS CHRONICLES

fter graduating from Cumberland Township High School, Steve Korcheck attended George Washington University, where he became both a football and baseball All-American in 1953-54. Although he had scholarship offers from almost every major college, GW was the only school that allow him to play both sports. During his senior year, he was named the Southern Conference Player of the Year in football and baseball. Upon graduation, he was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers (35th overall) and the Washington Senators. He chose major league baseball and appeared in 58 MLB games from 1954-59. His career was interrupted by a twoyear stint in the army in ’56 and ’57. In an interview with the Democrat- Messenger on March 21, 1960, Korcheck told the reporter the Senators indicated he would be their starting catcher if he could bat between .230 and .250 in spring training. They felt his defensive skills were superior, and they loved the way he handled the pitching staff. Unfortunately, his professional career seems to have ended that year. However, he returned to George Wash-

ington to obtain his Masters’ and Doctoral degrees while coaching the baseball team for the remainder of the decade. In the 1970s, he taught education classes and coached baseball at Manatee Community College in Sarasota, Florida. In the spring of 1970, he returned home and held a local tryout camp for the Kansas City Royals new Baseball Academy in Sarasota. The concept was players would attend junior college classes in the morning and practice baseball in the afternoon. The Academy lasted until 1974 and graduated Ron Washington, U.L. Washington and Frank White to the majors. In 1980, he became president of Manatee until his retirement in 1997.

ATHLETES OF THE MONTH Nathan Swaney is the son of Dean and Melissa Swaney of Carmichaels. He is a senior at Carmichaels Area High School and maintains a 3.5 GPA. He was a four year member of the football team where he was a 3 year starter. He was named All-County and AllConference. He was also named to the BackyardPASports all Tri-County South Team as well as 2nd Team on the Backyard All WPIAL Team. He has also been a 4 year member of the basketball team. He enjoys hunting, fishing and camping with his family. After graduation he intends to play football at Ebinboro University and pursue a forensic chemistry degree and eventually work for the FBI.

Nicole Ludrosky is the daughter of Mike and Jen Ludrosky. She is currently a senior at Carmichaels Area High School, where she is a member of the varsity volleyball team. Her extra-curricular activities include the National Honor Society, Student Council, the high school newspaper and after school tutoring. Her future plans are to attend Youngstown University to major in nursing and become an anesthetist.

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

RAIDER RECALL

rom February 28, 1956 until the end of the 1962-63 season, Waynesburg lost only one dual wrestling match. That was a loss to Canon-McMillan in January of 1960, which the Raiders avenged a month later. In 1958, the team traveled to Washington and Lee High School to take on the defending Virginia state champions and soundly defeated them 28-13. Winners that night included Sam Church, Rob Bartholomew, Jim Husk and Jerry Phillips. They finished the 1959-60 season with a second-place finish at the Pennsylvania State Invitational Tournament. The first three seasons of the 1960s, the Raiders were 38-0. To start the 1960-61 season, they traveled to Bridgeport to take on the defending Ohio state champions and came home with a 36-9 victory. They started the 1961 season against the defending Ohio state champions, Beaver Local. The Raiders won that match 2911, getting pins from Ralph Adamson (103), Jim Meighen (165), and Buck Buchanon (180). The 1962-63 team went 14-0 and in one stretch defeated McGuffey, West Greene, Avella and Washington by a combined score

CENTRAL GREENE

of 228-2. The West Greene match was 60-0 after the Raiders recorded eight pins and four decisions. Pioneer wrestlers only recorded two individual points on the night. By 1964, they had won five straight WPIAL titles and six of the past seven. During the streak, they also had 18 WPIAL champions including Paul Duffield, John Barclay, Robert Bleaney, Jon Ketchum, Duane Makel, John Byard, Ron Mahle, Sam Fuller, Phil Lapping, Terry Wilson, Allen Roberts, Bob Shriver, Leroy Taylor, Tom Baily, Tony Gusic, Mickey Boudreau, and Jim Meighen. Five of that group went on to win PIAA state titles including, Barclay, Byard, Wilson, Shriver and Boudreau.

LADY RAIDER VOLLEYBALL PLAYERS RECEIVE POSTSEASON ACCOLADES Cayla Rush and Emma Robinson were recently named to the AA All- WPIAL Volleyball Team. In addition, Robinson became the first Waynesburg Central volleyball player to ever receive All-State Honors. The senior outside hitter, was named to the PIAA First Team AA squad. Both young women were integral to the Raiders run to the WPIAL championship game.

Give your child the best possible start.

ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

Tyler Switalski, a senior at Waynesburg Central, is the son of Wayne and Amy Switalski of Waynesburg. He is a four-year member of the varsity soccer and baseball teams and was elected captain of each. He was named AllCounty and All- Section, in both sports and AllConference in Baseball. He led the soccer team in scoring last season and was among the leading scorers in the WPIAL. On the diamond, Tyler’s accolades include being named the Raider’s Rookie of the Year his freshman season and receiving the Clutch Award as a sophomore. He has also played with the Tri-State Arsenal Scout Team, the Pittsburgh Spikes, and MLB affiliate Allegheny Pirates. In 2020, PBR Pennsylvania named him the 4th best left-handed pitcher in Pennsylvania and listed him on the Perfect Game Pre-Season Best Underclassmen list. He was also named to the Perfect Game All-Tournament Team in 2018 for both batting and pitching. In addition, Tyler joined both the .400 Batting Club and 90 MPH Club for Perfect Game in 2019.The WPIAL named him as “The Player to Watch” in 2020, and PA Prep named him Pennsylvania’s Top First Basemen for 2021.

Tyler maintains an unweighted GPA of 4.0, and his extra-curricular activities include the NHS and Spanish Club. He has accepted a baseball and Merit scholarship to Division I, Gardner Webb in Boiling Springs, NC. Upon graduation, he plans to attend flight school to pursue his dream of becoming an airline pilot.

Emily Woods is the daughter of Phillip Woods and Gina Obrien of Waynesburg. Emily is a member of the Raiders cross-country and track teams. Her extra-curricular activities include the Art Club, Alpha Beta, Varsity Club and Civil Air Patrol. She also volunteers at Servant Song Ministries in Waynesburg and St. Marcellus Catholic Church in Jefferson. After high school, Emily plans to enlist in the United States Air Force National Guard while furthering her education at a Pennsylvania university to earn a degree in physical therapy.

Our Early Intervention services are designed to help children from birth to age three who have developmental delays or disabilities and their families. Rainbow’s End is our safe, inclusive learning center where children of all abilities can fulfill their early learning potential, with locations in Washington and Waynesburg.

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

At Your Child’s Place, children with complex medical needs are given the skilled nursing, daily instruction, and individual attention they need to thrive.

JEFFERSON - MORGAN J

RETRO ROCKET

efferson was already a football powerhouse by the time Ben Parker took over as coach in 1936, but he took them to new heights. They had officially joined the WPIAL in December of 1935. The Jeffs were 61-149 in the 1930s and had undefeated teams in ’35 (7-0-1), ’38 (9-0-1) and ’39 (8-0-1). The Jefferson yearbook of 1936 reported the team crushed “high and mighty Waynesburg” 30-0. In addition, the 1937 team was 7-1. Parker’s record for the decade was 28- 4- 4. Despite the dominance, Jefferson was always left out of the WPIAL playoffs due to Gardner points. The Jeffs continued their county dominance throughout the 1940s. Their combined record for that decade was 67-12-5. Parker continued to coach the team except for 1945 and 1947 when his duties as the school’s principal became too time consuming. His career record was an incredible 122-14-11 (.897 winning percentage). Parker had played for the legendary Frank Wolfe at Waynesburg College and incorporated Wolfe’s single wing philosophies into his offense even though the T-formation was popular at the time. Despite the school’s

dominance, they continued to be left out of the playoffs due to a lack of Gardner points. A team had to schedule at least five other Class B teams to qualify for the playoffs, and few B teams would schedule the Jeffs. They were forced to play much larger schools in the Pittsburgh area such as Rankin, McKees Rocks, Connellsville and Bethel. Although they were left out of the WPIAL playoffs, the team competed regularly in the Mid-Mon-Valley Championship game. They won the championship in ’40, ’41, ’43 and ’44. They also tied Masontown for the ’42 Championship (0-0). After a 7-1-1 season in 1940, the Jeffs did not lose a game until 1945. That year, they lost to East Pike and tied Waynesburg 7-7 to share the County Title. The 1946 season was also successful with seven wins against a lone 14-0 loss to archrival Carmichaels. Although the 1947 season looked good on the field, the team was forced to forfeit all their games because they played an ineligible player. From an individual standpoint, Eddie Cipcic was one of the best players of the decade. He received All-State Honorable Mention in 1941.

ATHLETES OF THE MONTH Preston Wood is the son of Jaime and Jimmy Wood. His extracurricular activities include basketball, Science Olympiad, student council, library club, Leo club, National Honors Society, and drama club. Preston also does volunteer work for his church and the Colby’s Stars Foundation

Kayla Larkin is the daughter of Michael and Krystl Larkin. Her extracurricular activities include basketball, softball, volleyball, Student Council and, National Junior Honor Society. Kayla does volunteer work at her church and with the Student Council.

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

SOUTHEASTERN GREENE

MAPLE MEMORIES

he 1960s was a great time for Maple Leafs football. They opened the decade as Co-Champions of the Class B Southwest Conference after going 7-2. They also won the County Class B Championship for the second straight year. John Zaby was the top scorer in the county and Francis Nickler received Honorable Mention on the AllState Team. That season was also the first time the team went to a preseason football camp. They had stayed at Camp Iroquois near Meadville. In 1961, John Kelly was named to the All-WPIAL Class B First Team. Chuck Wallace, Bob Taylor, Don Lewis and John Zaby all received Honorable Mention. The squad had finished 6-1-2 with the only loss coming against Avella, the Class B Champions. Lewis led the county in scoring with 113 points. The following three years, the teams also had solid winning records. End Art Jones received AllWPIAL Honorable Mention in 1964. However, the school’s best year was 1968. The Maples

went undefeated yet did not make the playoffs. They had defeated Jefferson (26-0), Bentworth (27-7), Carmichaels (33-6), St. Francis, WV, (40-7), Fairchance- Georges (26-6), Frazier (39-13), West Greene (49-6) and German Township (26-0). However, the Maples were not invited to the playoffs because they lacked enough points in the old Gardner Points System. They were eliminated on the last Friday when Chartiers-Houston beat Carmichaels 37-0 giving them the final berth. Running back Jay Caldwell won the County Scoring Title that season with 71 points and 11 touchdowns. He went on to play at Youngstown State along with fellow alum George Gluvna. Other Maples who went on to play college ball from the era were Robert Taylor (Air Force Academy), Francis Nickler and John Billetz (WVU) and Jay Donley (California State). Billetz started at end for the Mountaineers in the early 70s.

ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

Sophomore Landan Stevenson rushed for 987 yards as a freshman and 939 yards this season. In addition, he had 29 receptions for 599 more yards during that time. He has also scored 200 points. Both seasons, he was named to the GCADA All-County and Tri-County South All-Conference Teams. In 2020, he also was named to the Post-Gazette WPIAL All-Conference Team. On the basketball court, he was All-County and Freshman of the Year last season.

Junior Macee Cree has been a starting setter for the Lady Maples volleyball team since her freshman year. She has been named to the All-Section and AllCounty teams three times. Macee is also a member of the Lady Maples softball team. She maintains a 4.625 GPA and is the vice president of her junior class. Her club affiliations include the National Honor Society, Student Council, Student Forum, the Interact Club, Relay for Life, and The Future is Mine. During the off season, Macee plays club volleyball, travel softball, and enjoys spending time with friends and family.

YOU'RE INVITED TO EXPERIENCE ALL WE HAVE TO OFFER! CHILDREN'S PROGRAMMING SPORTS & RECREATION FITNESS PROGRAMS AND MORE

www.EQTRECCenter.com | (724)-627-2739 FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

PIONEER PAST

fter finally getting their own gym in the late 1950s, the Pioneers basketball teams began to improve. However, the 1960-61 season was rough as the Pioneers went 1-15, including a 121-35 loss to Ellsworth. The following year the squad rebounded with a 16-3 record and saw Dave Baily and Rick Sonneborn both named to the AllWPIAL Team. The latter had won the county scoring race with 452 points and a 22.6 PPG. In addition, Sonneborn received Honorable Mention for the All-State Team. The following year, he had the greatest individual season in county basketball history. During the 196263 season, he led the state in scoring when he poured in 693 points for an average of 34.7 PPG. In a game against Father Kolb Memorial High from Masontown, he scored 56 points, which still stands as the county record. He

WEST GREENE

also earned First Team All-State honors that year as well as receiving Honorable Mention for the All-American Team. After graduation, he received a full scholarship to Penn State, where he led the freshman team in scoring. After a successful career for the Nittany Lions, he played professionally for four years in the National League of Thailand. He was named to the All-Star team each of those years and led the league in scoring for three seasons. His coaching career included a stint as an assistant with Rudy Marisa in the early 1980s. He took over the head coaching duties for the Pioneers from 1986-1993 and became the winningest coach in school history, including four consecutive winning seasons and a WPIAL quarterfinals appearance in 1992.

ATHLETES OF THE MONTH Anna Durbin is the daughter of Lisa and Dave Durbin of Graysville. The Junior is a member of the Pioneer softball and volleyball teams. Her extracurricular activities include the Calculus Club and the National Honor Society. She also volunteers at the Greene County Humane Society and her Sunday school.

WEST GREENE BOYS BASKETBALL SCORES 1/8/21 at Propel Montour (Section 2A) Section record 1-0 West Greene 62, Propel Montour 57

1/9/2021 at Waynesburg (Exhibition) Overall record 1-1 Waynesburg 55, West Greene 39

WG statistics: Caleb Rice 16 points, 3 steals, 3 assists, 7 rebounds; Chase Blake 12 points, 3 steals, 3 assists, 5 rebounds; Ian Van Dyne 11 points, 7 rebounds; Joe Cumberledge 8 points, 5 rebounds; Wes Whipkey 5 points and 5 rebounds; Kaden Shields 5 points, 2 steals, 2 assists; Kevin Thompson 5 points. Propel double-digit scorers: Darrell White 13 points; Cortae Sidberry 10 points.

WG statistics: Chase Blake 21 points, 2 steals; Caleb Rice 9 points. 4 assists, 5 rebounds; Ian Van Dyne 5 points, 7 rebounds; Wes Whipkey 2 points, 2 steals, 6 rebounds. Waynesburg double-digit scoring: Dawson Fowler 16 points; Chase Henkins 12 points; Trenton Zupper 10 points.

sports@directresults.us

GreeneScene Community Magazine â&#x20AC;˘

FEBRUARY 2021

WAYNESBURG UNIVERSITY D

JACKET JOURNALS

uring the 1960 4-I Wrestling Conference Tournament, a young man named Buzz Walters surprised many when he reached the finals. Unfortunately, he lost a controversial one-point decision based on riding time. A last second takedown by Walters was disallowed when the official said it occurred just after the buzzer. The Jackets also won a 31-3 victory over the Fort Belvoir, VA military team that season. The match was scheduled when former Jacket, Joe Ayersman was home on leave for Christmas. It was arranged by Coach Murdock and his former wrestler to fill an open date when West Chester canceled on short notice. The Jackets wrestling program increased its scholarships from 8 to 12 for the 196061 season. That year, Coach Murdock won his seventh 4-I Conference Title. The conference consisted of schools that make up what is today the Mid-American Conference, as well as Marquette and Rochester Tech. In addition to the seven team titles in the program’s history, Waynesburg had 24 Conference Individual Champions. George Lewis and Tony Gizoni both won three. Bucky Murdock, Joe Ayersman, Ralph Adamson, Ralph Schneider, Paul Eckley and Tom Lewis all won two. The Jackets also finished second in the conference in 1962 behind Toledo. By the mid-1960s, Waynesburg was a fixture in the NAIA Tournament in Omaha, Neb., finishing in the NAIA Top 10 four consecutive years under coach Clayton Ketterling. His career record from 1963-1977 was 154-62-3. He was appointed to the United States Olympic Wresting Commit-

tee for the 1976 games. The Jackets hosted Ohio State in 1964 and lost a 20-6 match with many close decisions. Tony Gusic and Mike Zrimm each won an NAIA National Title in 1965. At that tournament, Bob Gary, the school’s first African American wrestler, finished as national runner-up at 180 pounds. The German Township graduate finished 14-1 on the season even though he often wrestled up at heavyweight to help the team. Against top ranked Lock Haven, he defeated two-time national champ Jerry Swope to give the Jackets an upset victory. Swope won a 4-2 return match in the national finals. Dick Pollack was a three-time NAIA All-American finishing third twice and fourth once. Joe Righetti placed fourth in the nation in both 1966 and 1967. Ralph Adamson was the NAIA National Runner-up at 123 pounds in 1966. Bob Flint and Bill Buchanan also received AllAmerican status after placing fifth in 1969. The team finished eighth in the nation at the 1968-69 N.A.I.A tournament. That season, Waynesburg natives Pollack, Buchanan, Terry Gusic and Jay Payne were all in the starting line-up. During the ’60s, the college entered wrestlers in both the NCAA and NAIA tournaments. The last time the Yellow Jackets competed in the Division I NCAA tournament was 1965. That year Tony Gusic lost 5-4 in the second round to a Michigan man. Sophomore Mike Zrimm also lost in the second round to Marty Strayer of Penn State, while Bob Gary lost in the first round to an All-American from Oklahoma State.

AROUND GREENE

CARMICHAELS GOLF COURSE 2021 SCHEDULE LEAGUES • Tuesday Night: Fredericktown Owls Club (contact Jimmy Severini or Tim Sepsi) • Wednesday Night: The Italian Club (contact Geno Tiberi) and Penndot League (contact Jason Lohr or Vinney Colorisso) • Thursday Night - PALS Club • Friday Night – Mixed Couples (contact Judy Price or Becky Lesko) TOURNAMENTS 5/8 - The Owls Club 5/15 - Post 400 American Legion 5/22 - Carmichaels Lions Club 5/28 - TRICADA (Tri County Athletic Directors) 6/4 - Scotty Groves Holmes Safety 6/5 - Beth Center Football Boosters

FEBRUARY 2021

6/11 - The Committee to Re-elect Pam Snyder 6/12 - Hello 2 Hope 6/20 - IACC Parent/Child 7/11 - IACC Open 7/13 - SPJGT, Southwest Pennsylvania Junior Golf Tour 7/16 -Tri-County Football Coaches 7/25 -Young Life of Fayette County 7/31 -Marianna Outdoorsmen 8/6 -Sons of Italy from Brownsville 8/7 - Flenniken Library 8/21 --King Coal 8/22 - Camp Carmel 8/28 - East Beth Volunteer Firemen 9/11 - SCI Greene Prison Guards 9/18 - The Buoniconti Fund (Jimmy Hoy) 9/19 - IACC League Outing 9/25 - PALS Club Outing

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

Make Ready

By Dave Bates of Alpha Omega Shooting Solutions, LLC

My Piano’s Broken

here’s something wrong with my piano! A few years back, my wife and I purchased a piano for our then fiveyear-old daughter. We brought it into the house, set it up in the dining room, and got ready for our daughter to become the next Chopin. Each day I would walk by it. Some days I’d lean against it… Once I actually sat down and tinkled the old ivories. Alas, I could not play it; only noise. I was sure I had gotten a defective piano. I thought about asking my buddy for my money back but then I realized that he had given it to us for free so he could get it out of his dining room. I was had! Then I read a quote by legendary firearms trainer Colonel Jeff Cooper of Gunsite fame. Cooper stated, “Owning a gun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a piano makes you a musician.” Baseball great, Yogi Bera may have stated it more succinctly, “I didn’t know that I didn’t know.” And then it hit me... You wouldn’t dream of throwing your son or daughter the keys to the F-150 on their sixteenth birthday and saying, “Have a good time. Oh, and pick up your friends, along the way. They’ll want to celebrate with you!” Yet, that’s just about what we do as firearm owners. We look around at just how screwed up the world has gotten and, with a little age, begin to get a little scared. We tell ourselves that we need a gun and that will solve our problem. Off to the sporting goods store or the local hunting shop we go and we buy our first weapon, convinced that this will make us safe. We trust a person whom we have never met to sell us, possibly, the most important piece of equipment we may ever own. We bring it home. Maybe we load it, maybe we don’t. We stick it in the drawer or nightstand and we’re good to go! Safe. Ready. Sound familiar? Not so fast. I carried a concealed weapon for 24 years, fairly regularly. I thought I knew, but Yogi was right. I didn’t know that I didn’t know. Hunting does not prepare you to carry a firearm. Coming from a shooting family does not prepare you to employ a weapon. Owning camouflage will not bail you out in a gunfight. Simply possessing a weapon is not the answer. The answer is training. Colonel Cooper imparted his wisdom in the maxim, “You will not rise to the occasion but rather fall to your lowest level of training.” How much

training have you had? I received a scholarship to the prestigious Gunsite Academy in Paulden, Arizona. In case you are not familiar with Gunsite, it is one of the largest, and arguably most comprehensive training facilities for selfdefense, in the world. It was there that my epiphany took place. My eyes were opened to the fact that in practical shooting reality, I didn’t know very much. Gunsite fixed that and started me on my journey to becoming an instructor and later, a police officer. Training made me safer. Through training, I became more confident, more familiar and more competent with my weapon. Notice I did not use the word expert. This quest for knowledge does not end with a thirtyminute infomercial or by borrowing a book from the library. I find this absence of training knowledge in most, if not all, of the hundreds of individuals I have trained at my shooting school. Early in the training day, at the first hint of any pressure, and quite often before the pressure is applied, most students fumble with their gun. They fail to handle it safely. They prove that they do not know how to load, unload, fire and fix the associated problems that accompany firearms handling. Sheepishly, they look at me, and I tell them, “We’ve got a lot of work to do.” Five hours later, I tend to find a fairly safe gun handler standing where a neophyte was present, earlier in the day. That is the beginning of the journey. Whether you just got that new gun for Christmas or yours is laying in a forgotten drawer from a long-ago purchase, it might be time to think about some firearms training. There are many competent firearms training venues in southwestern Pennsylvania. Find a reputable range, get in touch with a competent instructor and schedule some training time, sooner than later. It just might make all the difference. Dave Bates is the owner of Alpha Omega Shooting Solutions, LLC in Khedive, Pennsylvania. Dave is an NRA certified instructor, a teacher, coach and police officer with nearly 40 years of experience. If you have questions or are interested in learning more about firearms training, contact Dave. via email: alphaomegashootingsolutions@ gmail.com or by phone at 724-966-7011.

We are pleased to share pictures of a few of our Greene County area hunters who have earned the right to

BRAG!

Alex Moore

5 Point Buck

Alex Moore, of Chambersburg, Pa shot this 5-point buck on his Grandpap Zeifel’s Graysville farm just minutes after daybreak on November 28, while hunting with his dad Kevin. This is his second year hunting and he has gotten one both years. His proud grandparents, Lee and Cristy Wise submitted this photo. Awesome job, Alex! John Kozikowski

9 Point Deer

John Kozikowski, of Carmichaels, harvested this 9-point, 19”spread buck on the opening day of rifle season in Whitely Township. Congratulations, John!

Aubrey Lash Mike Larkin

John Kuhn

10 Point Buck 10 Point Buck

Mike Larkin harvested this 10-point buck on the first day of rifle season in Prosperity. Congratulations, Mike!

John Kuhn harvested this 10-point buck during archery season while hunting in Prosperity. Way to go, John!

First Deer

Aubrey Lash, age 5, of Waynesburg, shot her first deer while hunting with her father Chris. “She loves to go to the woods with me and was very insistent that she was going to shoot a deer this year. She was so proud of herself and is still telling everyone she sees that she got her first deer this year,” Chris shares. Congratulations, Aubrey!

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

Remington Crooks

8 Point Buck

Leighana Gooden, age 13, of Waynesburg shot this 8 point buck in the Graysville area on November 29 while hunting with her dad, Rodney, and uncle. Way to go, Leighana!

Leighana Gooden

First Deer

Remington Crooks, of Nemacolin, shot his first doe while hunting with his grandfather Rick Sokol. Remington, age 13, harvested the deer with a .243 Winchester while hunting in Washington Township. Congratulations, Remington!

Maley Thomas Harold Harter

Robert Gooden

8 Point Buck

Robert Gooden, of Waynesburg, shot this 8-point buck in the Graysville area on November 28 while hunting with his niece, Leighana, and his brother, Rodney. Nice work, Robert!!

FEBRUARY 2021

â&#x20AC;˘ GreeneScene Community Magazine

11 Point Buck

Harold Harter, age 78, of Prosperity, shot this 11-point buck while hunting in New Freeport. Way to go, Harold!

9 Point Buck

Maley Thomas, is hauling in her 9-point buck, shot on the opening day of rifle season in Aleppo. Nice work, Maley!

Brody Pratt

8 Point Buck

Brody Pratt, age 10, of Carmichaels, scored this nice 8-point on the first day of archery season in Jefferson with a 40-yard shot using a crossbow. Way to go, Brody!

Kelli Pratt Bronsyn Pratt

Double Bucks

Bronsyn Pratt, age 7, of Carmichaels scored his first Pennsylvania 8-point buck on the first day of archery season in Jefferson with a 30-yard host using a crossbow. He also shot his first Ohio 8-point buck on the first day of youth rifle, with a 70-yard shot. Awesome work, Bronsyn!

7 Point Buck

Kelli Pratt, of Carmichaels and mother of Brody and Bronsyn Pratt, scored a 7-point buck on the first day of rifle season with a 275-yard shot. Awesome work, Kelli!

Payton Smith

8 Point Buck

Payton Smith, of Carmichaels, shot this 8-point on January 2 while hunting with a crossbow. This is her first deer and it just happened to be the biggest buck taken in that area this year. “Payton has been doing the Mentor Hunting Program for three years now, and after watching this big guy for the last couple of months she got the opportunity to take a nice 35-yard shot. The smile and excitement could not be any bigger,” shared Bryan Smith, who also submitted the picture. Awesome work, Payton!

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

George Taylor

Family Time

It was a very successful deer season for the Taylor family this year! Awesome work, guys! Kory, 13 years old, shot an 11-point buck on the first day of rifle season, harvested on the family farm in Washington Township. Kory also filled all three of his doe tags, and shot a couple of turkeys during the spring. “On April 25, Kory shot a turkey with a 9 1/4” beard. Then he purchased a second turkey tag and on May 4 had a very special hunt,” shares Jackie, his mother. “Not only did Kory and his dad both shoot a turkey that day, Kory shot a double beard. While his dad’s bird had a nice 10 3/8” beard, Kory was proud to say he beat his dad with his double beard - first beard was 9 1/2” and second beard was 6.”

Cody Ackley

8 Point Buck

Cody Ackley, of Spraggs, shot this 8-point buck on December 2 with a 308 while hunting in Spraggs. Congratulations, Cody!

Jackie shot an 8-point buck, harvested on the family farm in Washington Township.

Brandon Donley

8 Point Buck

Brandon Donley, of Dilliner, shot this buck on the last day of archery season in Mapletown. Congratulations, Brandon!

George, Kory’s father, shot an 8-point buck on their other farm in Franklin Township. Jackie Taylor

Greene County Hunters Share The Harvest

Kory Taylor

Shaun Brumley

8 Point Buck

Shaun Brumley harvested this 8-point while hunting in Whitley Township.

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

s hunters across Greene County pursued and harvested their deer this season, some of them were also fighting food insecurity in their community. These hunters donated their harvested game to the Pennsylvania Hunters Sharing the Harvest program. Founded in 1991, Hunters Sharing the Harvest coordinates the processing and distribution of donated game from hunters and municipal herd reduction sources to those suffering from food insecurity. The organization has an integrated network of approved deer processors and food banks in every county in the state. These locations help surplus venison meat get to those in need.

In Greene County, hunters can donate the whole deer or parts of deer, through the Hungarian Smokehouse. They process and package the meat; it is then given to the Corner Cupboard Food Bank. The venison is then distributed to food pantries across Greene County. This year, more than 3,050 pounds of meat - have been donated through the Hungarian Smokehouse. Venison is low fat and high protein food that is sought out by food distribution organizations; one donated deer can provide as many as 200 meals. FMI on how to donate you can reach out to the Hungarian or check out www.sharedeer.org.

Dylan Hughes Eli Tennant

First Buck

Eli Tennant, age 10, of Waynesburg, shot his first buck on November 30. He harvested the 8-point buck with a .243 WSSM while hunting with his grandfather, John E. Lagaza. Way to go, Eli! Kathryn Caldwell

First Doe 9 Point Buck

Dylan Hughes, of Rogersville, shot this 9-point, 20.5” inside spread buck on October 17 with his crossbow while hunting in Aleppo Township. His proud mother, Ashley, submitted this picture. Way to go, Dylan!

Kathryn Caldwell, of Waynesburg, shot her first doe while hunting in Rogersville on December 8. Her proud father, Rodney, submitted this photo. Congratulations, Kathryn!

Noah Price

First Buck

Noah Price, age 12, of Waynesburg, shot this 7-point buck on the third day of hunting season. “This is Noah’s first year hunting and his first buck. He was with his grandpap, Larry Maley, when he shot this from the ‘hunting shanty’ on the family farm,” shared his parents, Kevin and Kim Price. Nice work, Noah!

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

Randy Conklin

10 Point Buck

Mark Meiter, of Lorain, Ohio, brought down this 10-point split brow buck on November 28 while hunting on the gamelands near Garards Fort. Great work, Mark!

Mark Meiter

10 Point Buck

Randy Conklin, of Waynesburg, shot this 10-point buck while hunting in Wyoming. Nice job, Randy!

Jaelyne Roupe

9 Point Buck

Jaelyne Roupe, of Washington, shot her 9-point buck while hunting on her grandparents’ farm in Ruff Creek on November 29. Congratulations, Jaelyne!

Prestyn Geller

9 Point Buck

Prestyn Geller, age 12, of Holbrook, brought down this 9-point buck while hunting on his family’s land using a crossbow. Way to go, Prestyn!

Doe

Carson Vanata, age 12, of Greensboro, shot this doe while hunting in Carmichaels.

Nathan McClure

Carson Vanata

9 Point Buck

Nathan McClure, of Rogersville, shot this 9-point buck while hunting in Aleppo on November 28. His proud wife Becky submitted this photo. Nice work, Nathan!

BRAG MAG WINNER Aubrey Lash was the winner of this year’s Brag Mag $50 cash. Congratulations on your deer and your winnings, Aubrey!

Michael Cox

9 Point Buck

Michael Cox shot this 9-point buck on October 3 while hunting at the BowTie Ranch in Ruff Creek with a bow. Nice work, Michael!!

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

Scott Gooden

8 Point Buck

Scott Gooden, of Waynesburg, shot this 8-point buck in the Waynesburg area on December 7. His son, Rodney, submitted this photo. Nice work, Scott!

Sammi Riley

13 Point Buck

First Gobbler

Wyatt Goodwin, age 6, of Masontown, got his first gobbler on May 30 in McClellandtown. It had a 10” beard and 1” spikes. Congratulations, Wyatt!

Sammy Riley, age 12, of Waynesburg shot his 13-point buck during archery season in Pennsylvania and his 8-point Ohio buck during gun season. Great job, Sammy!

Wyatt Goodwin

Paisley Corwin

8 Point Buck

Paisley Corwin, age 8, of Waynesburg, shot this 8-point buck while hunting with her father, Matthew. Way to go, Paisley!

Trevor Corwin

First Buck

Trevor Corwin, of Waynesburg, shot his first buck while hunting with his dad Matthew in Oak Forest. Great work, Trevor!

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

FEBRUARY 2021

Adam Skertich

8 Point Buck

Josh Clark, of Graysville, brought down this 8-point buck on November 28th in Graysville, Pa. Pictured with Josh is his son Garrett. Way to go, Josh!

Josh Clark

8 Point Buck

Adam Skertich, of West Union, shot this deer around 7:30am on Sunday, November 29. Adam shares, “This is the first year hunters were allowed to hunt on Sundays, and I am all for Sunday hunting!” Nice work, Adam! Jeffrey Novak Brook Coss Lacey Braddock

7 Point Buck

Lacey Braddock, age 11, of Waynesburg, brought down this 7-point buck with a 286 yard shot using a .243 while hunting at Bacon Run Farms on November 28. Her proud stepfather Jeremy Estle submitted this photo. Congratulations, Lacey!

FEBRUARY 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

10 Point Buck 11 Point Buck

Jeffrey Novak, of Greensboro, shot this 11-point buck with his 300 Ultra Mag on a friend’s farm on November 29. Nice job, Jeffrey!

Brooke Coss, age 17, of Waynesburg, shot this 10-point buck on November 28 while hunting in the Smith Creek area in Waynesburg. He proud parents, Joyce and Randy Coss shared the photo with us. Way to go, Brooke!

PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID Pittsburgh, PA Permit No. 1219

GreeneScene Community Magazine â&#x20AC;¢

FEBRUARY 2021