November 2022 GreeneScene Magazine

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Community

I Love this Place HARVEST FESTIVAL

By Colleen Nelson

Astretch of Rolling Meadows Road was hemmed with canvas tents poking through the morning mist on Saturday, October 8.  Shadowy figures in Civil War garb moved between them, the smell of wood smoke was in the air. Behind the tents, the stately old brick mansion slash poor farm slash old folks’ home, known these days as the GCHS Museum stood at the heart of this impromptu village, its wood fired kitchen oven already lit. The 2022 Harvest Festival was about to go live.

Visitors crunched gravel underfoot as they pilgrim aged through the gate, past the Civil War camera set up to make historic photographic plates, past a barefoot Lenape warrior wrapped in bearskin and carrying a musket, past big hooped ladies in shawls out for a stroll. Right on time, Waynie, the old steam engine that once ran the narrowgauge rails from Waynesburg to Washington, rolled out of its shed and blew its whistle at 10am.  Like Brigadoon, this village and its people had emerged once more from the mists of local history, jumping centuries to live life as it once was, before magically disappearing for another year. And like the legend of that village in the Scottish highlands that appears once every hundred years, those who stopped by for a visit were made welcome. And like Brigadoon, some of those visitors would fall in love with this life and choose to stay.

“All you have to be is a history geek.” Willy Frankfort’s eyes twinkled behind his round wire framed spectacles. The two log cabins with their connecting porch behind the museum morphed into a frontier trading post, tavern and hostel, every detail hand made, restored and assembled with a real life story to tell. Ask any reenactor what they do when they return to the future and you might find a rocket scientist, a doctor, a professional tradesman he added with a grin. “This is what we do to decompress.”

Frankfort, who started engraving ivory and bone knife handles at age 12, makes his living as a master scrim shaw artist. Years of frontier reenactment with the 1st Vir ginia Regiment, Washington’s troops on the frontier from the 1760s through the Revolutionary War, has left him steeped in the artistry and history of goods bartered for furs and hide, whis key, and bear fat on the Western Fron tier. In the early 2000s his group turned the museum cabins into Colonial His tory 101 and invited the public in to taste, touch and listen.  “Bear fat was rendered with beeswax for candles. Don’t be afraid to ask stupid questions. Ask the right stupid questions and you learn!”

Delving into trading post receipt books from Ft. Pitt and elsewhere paints a portrait of longhaired boys to men purchasing the bone and horn combs needed to manage it while dodging ambush and living off the land. A good carver would put a cer

tain flaw into his finished product that guaranteed a re turn purchase when the comb broke, Frankfort noted. The third time a replacement comb was bought was recorded with the charge of an obligatory purchase of whiskey to go with it - a tidbit gleaned from a receipt book found at a trading post in Delaware. In Colonial times, every skill daisy chained with other skills that allowed a community to form and thrive and that’s how America was built. Inno

vation was the driver. The biggest change happened when men learned to make nails and turned it into a local trade.

“Real estate happened when settlers didn’t have to burn down their cabins to recover the nails when they moved.”

Relaxing in the shadows of the Bloody Dirk Tavern as visitors wandered in to inspect the flintlocks and taste the fruit brandies of Washington’s day, fellow regiment veteran Peter Stevensky admitted he was also drawn here by the

Harvest Festival attendees enjoy a visit with Waynie, the old steam engine that once ran between Waynesburg and Washington.

Joe Kinney inked up one of the old presses and got it rolling making prints of old advertisement engravings and more.

A Civil War camera was set up to make historic photo graphic plates at the festival.

paranormal. “Our first team came here in 2000 and they saw people caring for people on the front porch.”

Stevensky and his group bring their sensory equip ment to many of the places they reenact at, including the LeMoyne House in Washington County and other historic sites. Interest in the paranormal attracts a public that is looking for their own doorway into the past and reenactors like Stevensky have become the musket packing gatekeep ers of that doorway. “If you hook them with the ghosts, then you can tell them about history.”

The chairs in the open doorway of the print shop were front row seats to the indigenous history that was being reenacted by Todd Johnson, aka Ghost in the Head, with his collection of hand made trade goods spread in front of his encampment. Lenape warrior Doug Wood described and demonstrated to wide eyed families the real facts of the war path during the time both before and during the territorial wars on the Western Frontier as the Eastern Woodland tribes were driven west. This history is baked

into every old settlement land tract in the county – this is where it happened. When Barnet Rinehart built the brick farmhouse that is now the oldest part of the museum in 1789, massacres and ambushes were still front-page news and the most common dwellings were log cabins.

When the museum opened its doors and got caught up in the national mood to be ready for the Bicentennial of 1976, two log cabins were rescued and resettled here, along with whatever piece of the past that was able to be moved and refurbished in time for the big year. Early cu rator Mary Childs remembers getting a Department of Education grant to write, produce, and create costumes for an award-winning play “The Muddy Creek Ledger” based on an account book kept by merchant Thomas Seaton at his store on the south bank of Muddy Creek, Cumberland Township from 1793-1796. (When she told me this I had a powerful urge to see that play be restaged!)

Faces change but the village so many helped build from stone, timber, and salvaged artifacts remains, wait

ing for those who return to be part of the hands-on family reunion it has turned out to be, year after year after year. Jumping centuries for a weekend with friends and hunker ing down over a fire to swap stories is a powerful incentive to return.

I came as a participant this year for the first time in dog years, as they used to say. It was great to spend the weekend visiting with old friends while helping out at the print shop as board member Joe Kinney inked up one of the old presses and got it rolling making prints of old ad vertisement engravings in his stash of type and font blocks.

Some of the scenes I drew for the Greene Country Calendar have already been made into engravings that Joe runs on the press and gives away to visitors. My ev ery memory of being part of festivals past have their own happy stories to tell, stories that I’ve added to this year and am sharing here with you. So yeah, a corner of the village of Brigadoon already has my name on it. See you next year!

Civil War reenactors reenact skirmishes on the grounds of the museum.

Lenape warrior Doug Wood described and demonstrated how warriors acted when on raiding parties.

Willy Frankfort, resting in the Bloody Dirk, makes his living as a master scrimshaw artist.

GreeneScene of the Past

It’sHarvest Festival 1980 at the Greene County Historical Society Museum and the reenactment being demonstrat ed here is apple pressing, the good old-fashioned way. The press is an antique with two barrels – one for grinding and one for pressing, and these folks have been at it all day, swat ting yellow jackets and bees, filling jugs with cider from the apples they’ve gathered and selling it for fifty cents a cup with a homemade ginger snap thrown in for good measure. They are my friends and neighbors who pooled their money to buy the press to make cider from the trees they planted and from the old orchards they found on their farms after moving here in the early 1970s.

I’ve always loved this photo my friend Wendy Saul de veloped at home in her darkroom on Moonlight Drive, New Freeport. It captures a great moment we all shared, set against the backdrop of the Harvest Festival on a beautiful shirtsleeve October afternoon.

That’s Wendy on the left, pregnant with second son Sam, “So it has to be 1980!” she exclaims as we look through stacks of albums, the kind that sandwiches memories between sticky sheets of paper and cellophane. I’m not in the picture – I’m set up over by old Waynie in the open door of the barn, selling my hand screened W&W Railroad shirts to guys in overalls who have the old engine with fire in its belly throwing great gobs of sooty steam high in the air with every puff. To my dismay soot falls on the shirts but that doesn’t bother those guys - they buy them all.

Of course there’s reenactors fighting battles and firing the hand built cannon that is the heart and soul of Knap’s Battery. My memory is fuzzy when it comes to who was battling whom that day, but my neighbor Mary Childs has it memorized. She was there in the beginning when “they gave me $200 to put on a festival. Everything was inside.” It featured dulcimer playing, wool spinning and every room was furnished with donated family heirlooms and artifacts, she tells me on the phone when I reach her at her home on Grinnage Run. As assistant cura tor, “I had so much to learn. But I was from Lancaster County and we really relish our history. I took classes and learned that every display should tell a story.” After that first festival, board member Joe Cook suggested having Civil War skirmishes and Knap‘s Battery became part of the act.

The year the festival added Civil War skirmishes, “There was not a place left to park.”

Once outside the museum walls, the festival grew by leaps and historic bounds, with mock battles, historic en

campments of Joe Cook’s Cre sap’s Rifle Com pany and Knap’s Battery, Terry Cole’s family making apple butter and his mom bring ing homemade bread. Arti sans as educa tors with their looms, foot pedal lathes and potters wheels were joined by blacksmiths, corn grind ers and apple pressers and the smell of gun powder in the air was there to stay.

Mary re members where the log cabins behind the museum came from – one was do nated from the Jesse Morris farm on Norman Hollow Road, Center Twp. by Mrs. Ealy and the other was from West Vir ginia, donated by Dr. Grover Phillippi in honor of his son. Dr. Phillippi also paid for the cabins’ reconstruction and at Mary’s suggestion a porch between them was added to give reenac tors some elbow room. Terry Cole remembers the cabins were already erected when he came to build the fireplace scavenged from a cabin “in a hollow outside of Waynesburg on Apple Hill Road. Tom Headlee picked up the stones.”

Tom Headlee tells me that he and his dad loaded the chimney stones and hauled the cabins too. It was neighbors helping neighbors get the job done in time for the Bicenten nial and Joe Cook was doing his part in more ways than one.

As a teacher at Central Greene High School, he and his students were busy hooking up classrooms with the early elec tronics that would lead to the digital age. Using big first gen eration video cameras he and his students were able to go into

By Colleen Nelson

the field – and overgrown hollows - to document log cabins around the county, along with researching their land deeds in the courthouse and writing reports on them. When Terry Cole gave Joe a slice of a white oak that dated back to 1640, his students counted the rings and marked the growth years when the Declaration of Independence, the War of 1812 and other historic events happened. The school also published “Back roads” in 1977, a collection of stories that students wrote after interviewing county notables like John O’Hara and old tim ers who remembered everything from the first freight train to Harry McNeeley’s last team of horses, along with how to spin rope, split rail fences, press apples and hunt squirrels.

(I’m not giving Joe back his copy until I’ve read every story. They’re fabulous!)

Thanks to all this prep work for the Bicentennial, local history across America was documented, reenacted, recov ered and remembered. And in Greene County, the Harvest Festival is the place to go if you want to see this history come alive.

Fly the Friendly Skies of Greene County

It was a great day to fly the friendly skies on October 15 - crisp, clear and just right enough breeze to be exciting. It was a dream trip come true for Dan Kuhns, winner of SOAR of Greene County’s Sweetest Day Weekend Getaway drawing. He and his guest Martha Miller were off to Nemacolin Wood lands Resort for the day, flying in a Beechcraft King Air C90 provided by Mountain Air Ser vices of Morgantown. SOAR member pilot Chris Polhemus would be waiting to meet them for a private tour of Joe Hardy’s Vin tage Aircraft Collection and the rest of the day was theirs to enjoy, with a $500 voucher for dinner and amenities, bed and breakfast at Nemacolin Chateau and $250 to spend. Mountain Air Services would return them to the Greene County Airport the next day by 1pm with the weekend getaway of a lifetime to talk about.

The 31 miles between Waynes burg and Nemacolin Woodlands in Fayette County would take 28 min utes, time enough for a snack while enjoying peak fall foliage on the hills below, enough time for the lucky winners to “get” what pilots love about taking to the sky to see the world from above.

The getaway weekend drawing was the brainchild one of SOAR’s newest members, Carmichaels School District educator Cassie Menhart. Her school aviation pro gram has two flight simulators and her classes include a week of inschool aviation camp at the end of the school year. “On the last day we go to the airport for Young Eagles

rides and a chance to meet aviators, pilots and mechanics. This year will be our third year of partnering with SOAR.” Menhart, who admits she has no background in aviation, knows the power taking a first flight had on herself and her students. Menhart suggested this trip as a fundraiser for the group and the idea took flight. “They’re so used to flying, I told them how cool others would find it to fly in a private plane!”

For more information about SOAR and the events it sponsors, including Young Eagles rides and Aviation Days in August and sea sonal pancake breakfasts, go online: SOARof GreeneCounty.org

GreeneScene

Inspired by a post he saw, West Greene Aca demic Director Eric M. Gaydos got a great idea to encourage student excellence. He brought a book vending machine to the West Greene School District.

Cool at School

By Michelle Church WEST GREENE SCHOOL DISTRICT

“I thought it was an amazing idea and didn’t realize until that moment that I needed to bring it to West Greene. I think we can all recall that euphoric high that we would get as stu dents when it was “Book Fair” day at school. What if we could bring that opportunity to students on a more regular basis, all the while praising students for their positive behaviors?”

The district received the vending machine from Global Vending Group (GVG) at the beginning of the 22-23 school year. Inchy’s Bookworm Vending Machine rewards students for good attendance, behavior, and grades. Students earn golden tokens, and each token earned equals a book of the student’s choice. According to the GVG website, “We believe that the combination of vending books and your own person alized reward system could bridge the gap between literacy and engagement...”

West Greene ordered the book vending machine after a grant was approved by the school board. Eric says, “Every time a delivery truck would pull onto campus in August, I was con stantly checking to see if it was the machine. I couldn’t wait for it to arrive. In the meantime, the elementary principal, Mr. Don Painter, and I did a walkthrough to pick out a specific location for the machine that would place it in a high-traffic area, yet allow the machine to fit in the space. We found the perfect space next to the school library.” School librarian, Mrs. Stephanie Bohon, makes sure the books are fully stocked.

Students earn golden tokens by being exceptional. The book vending machine promotes positive behaviors. Staff and faculty look for students that are great learners but also great friends. Eric explains, “We want to promote the positive be haviors that we are teaching daily. It can range from making sure that everyone is included in the kickball game, making excellent progress in their intervention classes, to helping an other student tie his or her shoe.” When a student is recog nized for excellent behavior, they are referred to the elemen tary principal, Mr. Painter, to discuss why they have earned their golden token and to express his gratitude for their good work.

“The West Greene Innovation Grant funded the ma chine, and we used the remaining grant funds and combined them with ESSER funds to purchase the books for the ma chine,” Eric says. He also says that the school board and dis trict superintendent, Brian Jackson, were extremely support ive of the idea to bring this to campus.

Eric recalls the students noticing the vending machine. “When we were adding books…for the first time, the kids who were traversing the halls back to class…were so excited to see the selection of books. It was so much fun to see and hear their excitement.”

“I am really appreciative of all of the community and school board support for this initiative. I can’t wait for parents to see it live at our Open House in October…The more books

that we can get in the hands of our students, the better off our students will be.”

Elijah Murphy was the first student to earn a golden token to use at the book vending machine.

Public Service Profile

By Michelle Church

TEDDY BEAR CARE

Since2013, Teddy Bear Care (TBC) has been providing affection, security, and love, to animals in Greene County. An oft quoted line says, “no amount of time can erase the memory of a good dog” and it is because of a certain good dog named Ted dy that TBC began. Following the passing of her beloved Teddy, Donna Roberts and Charlotte Williams-Newton created Teddy Bear Care as a way to deal with their loss.

TBC helps the animals and humans of Greene County in many ways. Donna says, “TBC will field calls from residents, state & local police, and we assist the dog wardens on occasion... We run our emergency ve hicle, we do search & rescue, trap-neuterrelease, and assist with people who have a valid diagnosis that requires a support or emotional support dogs.”

The biggest undertaking for TBC has been the Mather Cat Rescue Operation. Thirty-one cats had been living under one roof. This number climbed to 41 cats after several cats gave birth to kittens. TBC res cued the cats from the home, got medical treatment for the cats, and eventually found them loving homes. “The to tal vet bill [and only the vet bill] was $7,300, not includ ing the other expenses we incurred for emergencies, medications, and other sup plies,” Donna says. “Mr. Jerry Dorsey owned the old fire hall and he allowed us to use it for the 72 days we cared for the cats,” - while the cats re ceived medical treatment and TBC found homes for them.

In December 2020, TBC led a successful search mis sion for a white cat named McKenzie in the dead of win ter, missing for twelve days. TBC has also been respon sible for giving several dogs a new lease on life through the rehab team led by Cathy Glad after rescuing them from heartbreaking conditions.

Donna shares exciting news for TBC. There will be a new TBC Junior Volunteer Program and also a “new Emergency Transport Ve

hicle for the community. This operation has helped the counties that we serve to respond to hit and run, and also vet health runs for residents that have the need.”

TBC is always looking for new vol unteers and foster families. They are very grateful to their volunteers and show their appreciation with a volunteer awards cer emony every other year. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, be assured that you will receive the training you need from TBC.

“Every volunteer must complete this class, and pass a short test... We feel it is wrong to just throw someone into the work without knowing who Teddy was, what we do, and how we do it! We also do our best to match each person with their skill sets so that everyone is doing something they en joy doing while loving animals, and help the animals at the same time.”

To become a TBC volunteer, you will need to fill out the application on https:// www.tbccares.org/volunteer. In addition to volunteers, TBC always welcomes donations of blankets, sheets and towels.

Volunteer Earl Frazier was honored at the Teddy Bear Care volunteer awards event.

GreeneScene by Jody Pierce-Craig

Greene Artifacts

By Matthew Cumberledge, GCHS ExECutivE DirECtor

FLOYD T. HICKMAN

are about the stories they can tell and the preservation of his tory, from the greatest events to the smallest human stories.

Artifacts

Some artifacts can recall history to a larger extent than others. This artifact ar ticulates the story of a whole generation and the war to end all wars, yet it is still a per sonal story and deeply emotional to those who once viewed it.

November 11th, 2018, marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the “war to end all wars,” World War I. In Greene Coun ty, that date also saw the dedication of a new monument, adjacent to the Greene County Historical Society Museum, which com memorates the fallen of Greene County in the Great War.

Floyd T. Hickman was one of those men commemorated by the new monu ment. In the military exhibit room of the Greene County Historical Museum there is a simple white marble marker that bears the names and dates of this soldier, who gave his last full measure of devotion on the battlefields of France on July 29, 1918.

Floyd was one of several men who lost their lives on that terrible July 29. These men, forever remembered as “The Rain Day Boys”, were killed in action on the date of Waynesburg’s unique Rain Day celebration.

Floyd fell victim to an artillery shell that landed near him while in a wheat field near Grimpette woods.

He was initially buried in a rough but lovingly creat ed battlefield grave, and then later moved to the AisneMarne American Cemetery in Belleau, France. Floyd didn’t return home until 1923, when he was interred for the final time on Novem ber 3, 1923 in Green Mount Cemetery.

It is thought, that the marker for Floyd T. Hickman held in the Greene County Historical Society Museum

was perhaps a memorial marker placed in the family plot at Green Mount Cemetery by Floyd’s grieving family before he returned home for burial. It took some time to lo cate Floyd’s battlefield grave, and his fam ily carried the burden of grieving for a lost son with no grave site, memorial or location where they could express their grief and pay tribute to their heroic son.

Perhaps it was this that led to the in scription on this marker bearing the incor rect death date of July 30, 1918, in lieu of July 29. It’s possible that his family may not have known all of the details at that time.

When Floyd was finally laid to rest in Green Mount Cemetery, a new marker was provided that would provide the pattern for other markers in the family plot.

The men of Greene County who lost their lives on that fateful date of July 29 be long to one of the saddest chapters in our history, yet for as long as we willing to re member them, they will live through us for ever.

Equitable Funding for Public Schools

Property Tax Reform

Energy Jobs for SWPA

Convenient and accessible district offices in both Greene and Washington counties

Timeschange with the season, and with each passing year and each passing generation we grow distant from what many refer to as the good old days. Times when family, friends and neigh bors were everything and it was the bonds of love and family that bound us together, not the usurping false facade of social media. Good tales and stories were our form of enter tainment, and oral history was still the way our culture and heritage were passed on from one genera tion to the next. Oh, how times have changed! But has it all been for the better?

For many families in our area, this social tradition is still very much a way of life. We wish to ex tend our thanks to GreeneScene reader Mona Moore for sharing part of her family’s history with us. Mona related a story to us of an epic bear chase, in the western part of Greene County on November 24, 1927, a true tale fit to be told around a warm wood burning stove or in front of a fireplace on a cold fall evening when families are together enjoying company with each other.

This story was related to Mona in the form of a poem written down and recorded in her family since the time this story happened. The poem was penned by her great grand mother, Elizabeth King Smith, who was a journalist in her day. This sto ry will live on through the passage of time.

This wonderful story captures an amazing incident of a commu nity that lived around Rutan in the early part of the 20th century, a generation of people who grew up in the late 19th century and knew a way of life far different than what we are accustomed to now. All the people mentioned in this story were connected through the bonds of blood or marriage, as nearly every one was in these small hamlets in days gone past.

But now on to the tale, as it was related by Elizabeth Smith, wife of “Still” Smith who is mentioned in the story.

Going Greene

A THANKSGIVING BEAR HUNT

A Thanksgiving Bear Chase By Elizabeth King Smith

A lot of tales we’ve read and a lot of tales we’ve heard”

But this is the “true tale” from the fellows that got the bird.

Across a bottom in Center””

And up a Richhill grade Old Bruin went a-galloping”

Apparently not afraid.

But Nellie Stockdale saw him.

She could scarcely believe her eyes.

But after close observation”

She surely was surprised.

Ed Smith was in the cornfield

At 6:30 shucking corn

And glanced up and espied him on Thanksgiving morn.

After a moments thinking

And given some alarm, he started on a bear chase

Practically unarmed.

With Roy Stockdale following And Guy Anderson close behind, We meant to make it hot from Bruin Before he crossed the line.

We Traveled o’er the hillside

At a very rapid gate

Determined to find him Before it was too late.

After but two hours of traveling Old Bruin was espied Laying in a briar patch

On Burt Scott’s hillside.

Roy and Guy sat down to watch him Lest the bear should travel on But he seemed so well contented

That he may have stayed till dawn.

After Just a moments thinking, Ed decided he would run Just across the hillside to Borrow Still Smith’s gun.

The gun Still gladly promised, and in the house he run, Come back out immediately And handed Ed the Gun.

To Ed the gun he handed But the shells he kept.

We traveled back up the field In which the black bear slept.

In his great excitement

Still of an honor thought, After loading up his gun, Said “I’ll take the first shot.”

One shot was all was needed.

Twas then Old Bruin died.

And all Still wanted for his share Was just the black bear’s hide.

After all those miles of traveling And Quite a little sweat, We did not think he quite deserved The hide of Bruin yet. We did not want a marksman. Our own aim we would trust.

With gun of ample power, We’d kill that bear or bust. So homeward then we started, With Bruin up on a pole.

Although our task was difficult, We were bound to make our goal. We landed with him safely, And soon the news was spread. Folks flocked in by the dozen, Although the bear was dead. The Carcass was divided So all the folks could taste The Bear that crossed our country And caused us all this chase.

Now, talk about the carcass. Some made an awful fuss. They said they would not eat it, But it’s good enough for us.

Joseph F. “Still” Smith, would pass on the following year on April 17, 1928 at the age of 64; his wife Elizabeth would follow him on No vember 24, 1951, exactly 24 years to the day of the bear hunt she re corded for posterity.

It is hard for us now to un derstand how great an event this would have been to the community of Rutan nearly a century ago, but as Mona Moore shares, “The bear hunt was probably the most exciting thing that ever happened in Rutan, and the men involved got a lot of at tention. Still’s wife Elizabeth knew the inside story, which was that the original group wanted to use [Still] Smith’s high powered gun, but they didn’t intend for him to take part in the actual kill. He had other ideas. He gave them the gun but kept the ammo in his pocket so he’d have to load the gun and could then take the first shot. The kicker to the sto ry – the bear was asleep at the time. Perhaps they were not such fearless hunters after all.”

By Matthew Cumberledge

Distinguished Service Awards and McCracken Legacy Award Winners

The Greene County Chamber of Commerce will host their 34th annual Membership Banquet and presen tation of the Distinguished Service Awards on Thursday, October 27th at Valley View Farm in Waynesburg.

The Distinguished Service Awards are bestowed based on lasting contributions to community welfare, participation in civic organizations, evidence of leader ship ability, success in vocation, personal and/or business progress, and cooperation with other individuals and organizations. (The award has no relation to work per formed for the Chamber of Commerce.) Jack McCracken was the first individual recipient in 1988. Special awards have been presented from time to time over the years as well as posthumous awards. The Organizational Distin guished Service Award was presented from 2004 to 2015. In 2016 the McCracken Legacy Award was presented for the first time to First Federal Savings & Loan of Greene County.

The 2022 Distinguished Service Award is present ed this year to a couple, Jack and Peggy Rock, and the Posthumous Distinguished Service Award will be pre sented to the family of the late John Brodak.

The McCracken Legacy Award is awarded to a busi ness or organization, having an operating presence in Greene County which has demonstrated ambition, prof itability, growth, sound business planning, customer sat isfaction and management of people; a commitment to social responsibility and exemplary community involve ment; demonstration of a positive social and/or economic impact on the community and exemplary civic community leadership.

Receiving the 2022 McCrack en Legacy Award is Hilltop Packs and Hilltop Packs Coffee Company.

The Greene County Chamber of Commerce works with the busi ness community to bring services and information to its members through meetings, newsletters, training seminars and networking gatherings. It also provides ribbon cuttings as part of grand opening celebrations for new member businesses in the county. The Chamber was once again ranked number 16 by the Pittsburgh Business Times on their list of “Largest Chambers in the Pitts burgh Region” with 365 members. The Chamber has made the list since 2005 when it debuted at number 23. The Chamber is proud of this ranking which reflects the dedication of the staff and the Board of Directors to growing a vibrant and thriving Chamber to serve not only the business community but the general population as well through events such as the Annual Downtown Waynesburg Christmas Parade which has been held for 84 years. 2022 marked the 32nd year that the Chamber has given a scholarship to a graduating Greene County high school senior who is going on to a two-year or four-year college, university, or trade school.

Carmichaels 2nd at State Competition

Congratulations to the team from Car michaels Area High School for placing sec ond in the state at the 2022 Grasslands Evalu ation Competition.

Team members individually completed exams in four areas: Grassland Condition, Wildlife Habitat, Soil Evaluation, and Plant Identification.

Team members: Spencer Conard, Sophia Zalar, Faith Willis, and Alex Lawrence. Each team member received a $250 scholarship for the second place finish.

The team would like to especially thank the Greene County Conservation Dis trict for their help in fund ing the transportation to this event held at Penn State’s Ag Progress Days site.

Grassland Evaluation Contest is an educational op portunity for PA high school students enrolled in FFA and 4-H programs, or members

of a high school affiliated club. The contest is aimed at educating youth about the value and benefits of grazing and other conservation practices. The Grassland Evaluation contest is hosted by Southwest Project Grass, SWPG.

Since 2003, Southwest Project Grass has been sponsoring this educational contest for high school students to learn practical and profitable ways to graze livestock. $41,000 in scholarships have been awarded to date.

FMI: http://www.swprojectgrass.com/ grassland-evaluation-contest.html

West Greene Celebrates AP Capstone Certificate Recipients

West Greene School District Celebrates Its AP Capstone Certificate Recipients

Over 2,200 schools participated in the AP Capstone Diploma program, a projectbased learning experience valued by colleges and universities across the U.S. and around the world.

Waynesburg, PA-At West Greene High School, 6 students have earned the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™ during the 2021-22 school year. The AP Capstone program helps students develop the critical thinking, research, collaboration, and pre sentation skills that are critical for academic success.

“We proudly recognize the achievements of students who participated in the AP Cap stone™ program,” said Eric Gaydos, Academic Director. “Our AP Capstone students and their teacher showed extraordinary commit ment while facing historic challenges. This is a meaningful college readiness program that will serve our students well after high school.”

To receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate, students must earn scores of 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research. Students are increasingly participating in the AP Capstone program. Over 2,200 schools participated in the AP Capstone program worldwide during the 2021-22 school year. West Greene is one of only 80 schools in Pennsylvania and the only district in Wash ington, Greene, and Fayette Counties to offer

AP Capstone.

Unlike traditional AP® subject exams with a single end-of-year assessment, AP Sem inar and AP Research assessments are project based and evaluate skills mastery through group projects, presentations, and individual essays completed throughout the year. In stead of focusing on one specific academic discipline, AP Seminar and AP Research are interdisciplinary: students are empowered to create research projects based on topics of personal interest. Students are assessed on the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills needed to complete their projects. At West Greene, students focused their research on a range of topics, including children’s understanding of death, effects of activity on memory care patients, the evolution of the appearance of Mickey Mouse as correlated with cultural changes, features of social media posts of local restaurants as correlated with reposting and sharing, effects of equine therapy for children with special needs, and attitudes toward green burial practices.

“I’m thrilled to congratulate these mo tivated students, who worked hard to earn the AP Capstone Diploma and AP Seminar and Research Certificate,” said Trevor Packer, head of the Advanced Placement® Program. “These students have enhanced the founda tion for their future academic and profession al careers by honing their ability to manage

long-term projects, collaborate with teams, and deliver effective presentations on topics they’re passionate about.”

Of the students who participated in the AP Capstone program at West Greene:

• Six were awarded the AP Seminar and Research Certificate by earning scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research.

• Five program completers were graduating seniors in the class of 2022 and are all pursuing postsecondary education in a variety of majors.

The College Board Advanced Placement Program gives students the opportunity to take challeng ing college-level courses while still in high school. A 3 or higher on an AP Exam has multiple benefits for students, including earning college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on AP Exams, saving them time and money.

Research shows AP students are bet

ter prepared for and more likely to enroll and remain in college, do well in classes, and earn their degrees on time. Each exam is devel oped by a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring that AP Ex ams align with their high standards.

The mission of the West Greene School District is to provide educational opportuni ties to maximize individual potential. 20222023 is the third year AP Capstone courses will be offered as part of the English depart ment curriculum.

FirstEnergy Awards Grant to WU

Waynesburg University was recently se lected to receive a one-time grant from the FirstEnergy Foundation to benefit multiple programs within the sciences.

Through FirstEnergy’s Investing with Purpose (IWP) initiative, the University will receive an award of $35,811 to be used to purchase state-of-the-art tools needed within the programs to implement advances in the technology available for use by faculty and students. These upgrades will work to benefit both on-campus and remote teaching and learning experiences.

The grant is part of more than $3 million recently awarded to nearly 100 organizations under the FirstEnergy Foundation’s Investing with Purpose initiative. Investing with Pur pose supports nonprofit organizations that advance health and safety, workforce devel opment, educational and social justice initia tives.

The grant will support numerous areas

within the sciences, including two key proj ects to provide additional hands-on methods of learning for students.

“The biggest project will support the acquisition of iWorx, a physiology-centered teaching and research platform that provides authentic and high-quality methods for stu dents to obtain and analyze real-time data in the lab,” said Dr. Evonne Baldauff, chair person for the Chemistry and Forensic Sci ence Department and professor of chemistry. “Similarly, the funding will also allow for the purchase of a digital 2-D and 3-D anatomi cal modeling simulator so that students tak ing anatomy classes will learn through a more immersive and interactive experience.”

Additional items supported by the grant include the purchase of licenses for a polling software that will allow instructors to embed questions within their lectures and receive real-time feedback from students, and virtual and augmented reality equipment to incorpo rate realistic scenarios into daily lessons.

Do you have some good news from Greene or surrounding areas that you would like to share? Send it to info@greenescenemagazine.com.

Teri Jordan and those that helped with and attended the Yard Sale/Craft Fair at Springhill Community Building raised $4,500.00 to donate to the Max Jordan Cunningham DIPG Fund at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, The fund is in honor of Teri’s nephew Max Cunningham, who passed away in 2015 from DIPG, or diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma. The GreeneScene shared a story about Max and Teri in October 2020. You can visit greenescenemgazine.com to learn more about Max’s story.

Waynesburg to Host Overnight Visitation for Prospective Students

Waynesburg University will offer an overnight visitation opportunity to pro spective students on Sunday, Nov. 13, and Monday, Nov. 14.

Visiting students will have the oppor tunity to experience life on Waynesburg’s campus and see what day-to-day life as an undergraduate student is like.

“This is a great opportunity for pro spective students to really see and feel what it’s like to be a Waynesburg Student by stay

ing in our dorms, sitting in on classes, eat ing at the dining hall, interacting with cur rent students, staff, and faculty, and more,” said Juan Gallo, admissions counselor.

Prospective students will spend the night with student ambassadors, athletes and students, all of whom have been ap proved and cleared by the University.

Interested students should apply at waynesburg.edu/overnightvisit.

WU to Host Healthcare Career Fair

Waynesburg University will partner with PA CareerLink (Greene County) to host a Healthcare Career Fair Wednesday, Nov. 2, at the Marisa Fieldhouse on the Uni versity’s main campus.

The career fair will be held from 10:30am to 1:30pm. Registration will begin at 9:30am.

Attendees will be able to meet employ ers in the fields of athletic training, biol ogy, counseling, exercise science, health care management, human services, nursing pharmaceutical science, pre-med, pre-den tistry, pre-vet, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy and psychology.

“The purpose of the healthcare career fair is to connect students as well as com munity members with jobs, internships and experiential opportunities,” said Sarah Bell, assistant director of the Pathways Center.

This year, the career fair is expanding its focus beyond nursing-specific employers to include other various jobs in the health

Xander Bunny

Project Corrections

The project was inspired by the Ben nett’s adoptive grandson. Tammy Watson was working in healthcare when she became a community partner for Lavender Life. I was working in healthcare; she later changed ca reer paths and started working with Greene CYS in March 2022. This year’s shipping cost was paid by New Way Excavating, owned by her daughter and son-in-law. Tammy says, “A lot of children in foster care leave with noth ing of their own and the bunnies are com fort ing to them when a caseworker shares them with them.”

care industry, making it more inclusive and giving participants greater opportunities to connect and network.

Events such as this, Bell shared, pro vide students a chance to explore career op tions related to their major that they might not have known existed.

If necessary, auxiliary aids and services will be available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

To best accommodate for parking and for more information, community members interested in attending are asked to register in advance by visiting https:// waynesburguniversity.forms-db.com/view. php?id=1059036.

Employers interested in participating can register for $20 prior to Wednesday, Oct. 19. After that date, registration is $30. To register, visit https://waynesburguniver sity.forms-db.com/view.php?id=1056051.

For all other information, contact Bell at sbell@waynesburg.edu or 724-852-7790.

Mock Crime Scene to be Held for High School Seniors

Waynesburg University will hold a Mock Crime Scene event Saturday, Nov. 12, for high school seniors interested in the fields of criminal justice and forensic sci ence. Registration can be completed online at waynesburg.edu/groupvisit.

The event, which will be held from 9am to 2pm, will give prospective students a chance to experience first-hand academic opportunities in the Department of Crimi nal Justice and Social Sciences and the De partment of Chemistry and Forensic Sci ence.

“Waynesburg University has one of the top criminal justice administration pro

grams in the country,” said Juan Gallo, ad missions counselor. “For anyone interested in law enforcement in any capacity, this event is a unique opportunity to get a close look at the program and its facilities, faculty and students to help them decide if Waynes burg is the right fit.”

Attendees will participate in work shops and presentations throughout the day, led by Waynesburg faculty and current students.

All those who attend will receive lunch and a free t-shirt. For more information, contact Gallo at juan.gallo@waynesburg. edu.

Chemistry for the Future Event to be Held for Prospective Students

Waynesburg University will hold a Chemistry for the Future event Thursday, Dec. 8, for prospective students.

The event will be held from 9am until 1pm and will take place in the Paul R. Stew art Science Hall on the University’s main campus.

The Chemistry for the Future event is aimed at helping students understand the type of careers that can be pursued with a degree in chemistry, biochemistry or phar maceutical science. It will also include a hands-on component for participants.

“You hear a lot about STEM, but visu alizing what a scientist does, specifically a chemist or a biochemist working in a lab, is

challenging to do because not a lot of people have experience with that,” said Dr. Evonne Baldauff, chairperson of the Chemistry and Forensic Science Department. “This is an opportunity to do that and see what kind of careers are available.”

Representatives from Shimadzu Scien tific Instruments, the world’s second-largest producer of laboratory instrumentation, will be in attendance to demonstrate a va riety of the equipment available to students within Waynesburg’s Department of Chem istry and Forensic Science.

The event is open to all high school students, but space is limited. To register, visit waynesburg.edu/groupvisit.

Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry Briefing

The event was held at Hampton Inn, Waynesburg, and was attended by eleven Chamber members, President of the Greene County Chamber of Commerce, Casey Durdines, and two Chamber staffers (Melo dy Longstreth, Executive Director, and Janice Morris, Executive Assistant).

The presentation by Alex Halper, Vice President of Government Affairs for the PA Chamber of Business and Industry, included a review of the recently passed Pennsylvania budget and how chambers across the state are advo cating for changes which will positively impact the recruitment and reten tion of businesses in the state. The PA Chamber is also involved in immigra tion and criminal justice reform as part of efforts to avert a workforce crisis.

Mr. Halper also discussed Unemployment Compensation Tax, which raised the rates of some businesses inequitably. He added that Greene County legislators Snyder and Bartolotta have moved legislation forward to fix this and deserve our thanks for their efforts.

A light breakfast was available during the presentation.

Pumpkin Magically Appears in Carmichaels Town Square Traffic Island Garden

Have you ever heard the saying that Mother Nature has a sense of humor?

Well, there may be some evidence of her laughter in the town of Carmichaels. As you drive around the Carmichaels Town Square, be on the lookout for a pumpkin growing among the flowers and bushes in the island’s garden. This traffic island’s garden is an unusual place for a pumpkin to show up especially considering that pumpkins need a lot of room to grow on long, large vines.

The Carmichaels Town Square traffic island had been a grassy knoll for as long as 50 years and maybe longer. But that changed in 2013, when the Town and Country Garden Club, a garden club that originated in Rices Landing, asked the Carmichaels Borough Council if they were interested in transform ing the grassy knoll into a public flower gar den space. The club, a non-profit, charitable organization, and member of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania, Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs and National Garden Clubs has been an active participant in the National Garden Clubs’ theme of “Plant America” which embodies the commitment to raise awareness about environmental is sues, conservation and access to green spaces, such as public gardens and parks. The Carmi chaels Borough Coun cil enthusiastically gave their permission, and the Town and Country Garden Club members got busy. A perennial garden was the plan to keep maintenance to a minimum. The club’s Horticulture Commit tee coordinated the help for the construc tion of the ground, including placing four

walkways in the garden. The club, paid for some of the costs and received help from do nated materials and labor. Since that time, TJ’s Lawn Service, a local landscape company has become a donating partner, assisting the club with yearly cleanup and donates fresh mulch every year for all the club’s gardens af ter spring planting. The club has continued to plant and maintain this public garden space for the last nine years.

The club has been adding more peren nial flowers which come back every spring, in hopes of lessening the demand of planting each year. The club has never planted veg etables, squash or gourds of any kind in the garden. Using organic practices to prevent injury to bees, birds and other pollinators, the club never uses pesticides in their public gar den spaces. So how did a pumpkin – a rather beautiful, nearly perfect pumpkin – grow in this traffic island garden? Was it a bird? Did someone secretly plant it there? It’s anyone’s guess. But one can’t help but think Mother Nature probably knows and is laughing at us all as we ponder the question.

Story provided by Terri Laird. Thank you for your contribution, Terri!

REMEMBRANCE & CELEBRATION

The Claughton Chapel United Methodist Church will celebrate its history of 155 years on Sunday, Novem ber 27, 2022 at 2pm. Claughton Chapel is located at 1552 Big Shannon Run Road, Waynesburg, PA 15370.

A Remembrance Service will celebrate those who were the foundation and spiritual strength of this little church built on solid rock on a hill in Whiteley Township, Greene County, PA. The fellowship will include: readings, music, church history and sharing memories of those who have passed. A special invitation is extended to those who were baptized or married at Claughton Chapel. Community mem bers and friends are also welcome to attend. Please RSVP to 724-627-8379 by November 18, 2022.

Greene Gardens

By Lisa Lewis of the Greene County Master Gardeners Don’t Top That Tree!

Tree topping involves cut ting off all a tree’s branch es above a certain point, like giving a flat-top or buzz-cut to a person’s hair. It’s also known as heading, stubbing, tipping, lopping, rounding-over, and de horning. People top their trees because the trees have gotten too large for the place they’ve grown or the owner has become afraid of their size.

Since tree scientists and ar borists universally have agreed for years that tree topping is a harmful practice, you would think word would have reached practitioners and their custom ers. Unfortunately, each spring brings a new crop of buzz-cut trees.

Tree topping is harmful in several ways. First, as you remember from school, photo synthesis is the conversion of light to life-giving energy which takes place in green leaves. Top ping that removes more than 1/4 to 1/3 of a tree’s leafy crown causes the tree to go into starvation mode because of vastly reduced photosynthesis. Second, without the shade of the leafy arbor, the remaining branches and trunk of the tree are left open to sunscald. Third, topping results in large cuts in branches that are slow to heal. Just like an open wound in people, these large cuts serve as points of entry for virus, fungi and insects. Infection, starvation, and sunscald weaken trees and can even kill them.

In a defensive response to topping, the tree uses already taxed nutrient resources to force rapidly growing shoots or sprouts. Not only is the owner’s effort to limit the size of the tree now completely undone, but these new shoots of rapid growth wood are weak and prone to break and fall. The fall ing branches could harm people, animals, or property. A topped tree is a disfigured tree – the landscape is robbed of an as set and of beauty. As a final argument against topping –it can cost you money. Not only the money to pay the tree ser vice to do the topping and haul away the branches, but with reduced prop er ty value, and the cost of

removing and replacing the topped tree that has a greater risk of dying.

What are the alternatives? First and foremost, plant only a tree that fits the site, including any power lines, water/sewer lines, and buildings that are present on the site.

Plant a tree only where it will have room to thrive with its natural growth habit. Sec ond, familiarize yourself with correct prun ing practices. You may be able to reduce the height of a tree or shrub with a reduction cut, which involves cutting a larger branch back to a smaller branch that can assume the leader role. You can learn to correctly prune yourself or hire a certified arborist.

SOURCES:

Elmendorf, W & Gerhold, H Don’t Top Trees. Penn State Extension, 2005.

McKenzie, R What’s Wrong With Topping Trees? Purdue Universi ty, 2000.

Tree Topping and Why It Should Be Avoided.

Kansas State University Extension, 2020.

Chalker-Scott, L The Myth of Tree Top ping. Washington State University, 2015.

How will Bud represent us in the Future?

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ATTENTION PARENTS AND COACHES!

Do you know of an achievement in sports and would like to see it shared in Hometown Heritage? Email it to: sports@directresults.us.

Intentional Walks

Thefinal part of my 1960s football flashback trilogy is a review of the tre mendous community bonding experi ence provided by Waynesburg College and their National Championship era.

The 1960s began with the College in creasing football scholarships from 18 to 22. Fullback Don Bartolomucci was named All-American after the 1960 season. That year, the College attempted to schedule one football and one basketball game at a site in Uniontown. The school was operating a branch campus in Uniontown called The Waynesburg College Center. After a winless first season, new athletic director and football coach Peter Mazzaferro was hung in effigy on the campus by overly passionate students. When the Jackets rebounded with a 6-2 sea son in 1961, he was named regional Small College Coach of the Year and hailed as a campus hero. Fullback Paul Stanek made the All-American Team that season.

After another successful year in 1962, Mazzaferro resigned saying coaching mul tiple sports was too much for anyone. Jacket legend Mo Scarry returned to the program and continued the resurgence. His team went 6-2 in his first year. They were led by future pro quarterback Harry Theofiledes. In 1964 before the Jackets’ season began, Scarry served as an assistant coach for his old team mate Otto Graham. They coached the College All-Stars against the NFL Champion Chicago Bears. Readers of a certain age will remem ber this traditional pre-season game held at Soldier Field. That season, running back Bob Gary was named to the NAIA All-American Team and the AP All-Pennsylvania College Team. Scarry introduced the two-platoon system to the Jackets in 1965. They went 6-2-1 and won the West Penn Conference. Incredibly, Theofiledes was named first team NAIA defensive back and second team NAIA quarterback.

Carl DePasqua took over the Yellow Jackets in 1966 after Scarry took an assistant job with the Washington Redskins. He was hoping for a “good season” in the wake of the rebuilding effort. He ended up with a nation al championship. The season opened with a

31-0 victory over Slippery Rock and was followed by an other nine wins. The Jackets were led defensively by three NAIA All-Americans: Tim McNeil, Joe Righetti, and Joe Hornack.

The N.A.I.A. invited the Jackets to the national playoffs, and the administration approved the trip to Albu querque to play New Mexico Highlands in the national semi-final. The Jackets were 28-point underdogs. High lands was led by Carl Garrett, who would become the 1969 AFL Rookie of the Year for the Boston Patriots. In front of 5,000 fans, New Mexico led 20-0 late in the second quar ter. Waynesburg fought back to lead 23-20 before a fourth quarter TD gave Highlands the apparent win. However, the Jackets had one more comeback in them. With 27 seconds left, Rich Dahar threw a 5-yard halfback pass to tight end Bob Milt enberger for the 30-27 victory. It was Milten berger’s first touchdown catch of the season.

The championship game was held in front of 6,500 fans the following week in Tulsa. Wisconsin-Whitewater had destroyed Central Iowa in the other semi-final 41-16. Few thought Waynesburg had any chance of victory. DePasqua decided to keep the ball on the ground to keep Whitewater’s power ful offense on the sidelines. The star of the game was once again Dahar, who rushed for 233 yards on 41 carries. Ultimately, the Jacket defense held Whitewater to minus 39 yards rushing. The 42-21 victory allowed the team to claim the Amos Alonzo Stagg Tro phy. Upon their return to Pittsburgh Airport, the team was greeted by 1,500 fans and stu dents. That night, hundreds of people gath ered in front of the courthouse in a driving rainstorm. Those assembled, “snake-danced” through town in celebration. The Jackets had broken 25 individual and team records that

season.

The Jackets almost won a second na tional championship the following season. They were ranked number one nationally in the NAIA Division II and number two overall behind only San Diego State. That team av eraged a phenomenal 53.7 points per game. Their only loss was at Fairmont, a trip they hadn’t made since 1925. In a pouring rain, the game became a muddy slog. The Falcons managed the only score of the game on a 16yard pass with 40 seconds remaining. That loss ended the Jackets 18-game win streak and sent Fairmont to the playoffs. The Jackets took out their frustration on Westminster in the final home game with a 61-7 beatdown. Fairmont went on to defeat Northern Michi gan and Eastern Washington for the National Title.

The 1968 team finished 7-2 and won the West Penn Conference. They had two NAIA All-Americans, defensive end Joe Righetti and wide receiver Don Herman, go on to the N.F.L. The other defensive end Joe “The Hammer” Hornak was also named to the All-American Second Team for the sec

By Bret Moore

ond time and center Tony Fusarelli received Honorable Mention. Kicker Ben Falcone broke the NCAA and NAIA record for career extra points with 144. He had set the single season record the year before with 57 PATs. That marked the final year of the West Penn Conference that had started in 1958. The con ference ended up with six teams after Carne gie- Mellon left in 1960 and Grove City left in 1967. Waynesburg won the conference foot ball title in ’63, ’66, and ’68; and they shared the title with Westminster in ’65 and ’67.

The 1968 game with Fairmont had to be moved to Uniontown High School to accom modate the crowd of 7,500. The two teams had won the last two National Titles. Waynes burg had a 19-1 record the previous two years and Fairmont was 18-1. The Falcons won the game in convincing fashion. Unfortunately, the most interesting fact of the 1969 season was an N.A.I.A. single game record set during a game with Ohio Northern. The two teams combined to throw 10 interceptions, five each. The team finished 5-4.

Halfback Rich Dahar led the Yellow Jackets to a national title in 1966.

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BOYs and GIRLs OF THE MONTH

Liam Lohr is the son of Jason and Tricia Lohr of Carmichaels. He recently placed third in the 2A WPIAL Golf Finals at historic Oak mont Country Club. It was the highest finish for a Carmichaels Area male golfer in school history. He also competed in the state tourna ment on October 17th and 18th at the Penn State courses. He is a junior member of the golf, baseball, and basketball teams. In school, he is a member of the National Honor Society, Leo club, Junior Standing Committee, and he is the yearbook editor. He also volunteers for the local food bank and plays golf on the Callaway Junior Golf Tour.

Mikayla Andrews is the daughter of Je rod and Tracy Andrews of Carmichaels. She is a member of the volleyball team and earned third-team WPIAL honors in 2021. She is also the assistant captain of the varsity cheerleading squad. In school, Mikayla is a member of the National Honor Society. After graduation, she plans to attend college to pursue a career as a cosmetic dermatologist.

Drew Layton is the son of Rick and An drea Layton of Waynesburg. He plays soc cer and runs track for the Raiders. His ac colades include: 2022 TSTCA pole vault champion, 2022 WPIAL pole vault cham pion, 2022 PIAA outdoor pole vault run ner-up, 2022 New Balance National out door champion. He is also the captain of both the soccer and track team. In school, Drew is involved in the student council, newspaper and yearbook. He maintains a 4.0 GPA and plans on attending college to major in biology and continue his vault ing career.

Emily Mahle is the daughter of T.R. and Candy Mahle of Waynesburg. The senior plays soccer and runs track and field for the Raiders. She was a WPIAL qualifier in the pole vault (2021) and the high jump (2022). In school, she has been involved with Alpha Beta, student council, Spanish Club and the yearbook. She plans to at tend college and major in political science with a minor in psychology.

Cole Jones is the son of Tim and Regina Jones of Jefferson. He is the quarterback for the Rocket’s and recently passed the 3,000-yard benchmark for career pass ing yards. Cole also attends the Greene County Career and Technical Center.

Alison Ostrich is the daughter of Craig and Megan Ostrich of Jefferson. She is a member of the Rockets’ volleyball, bas ketball and softball teams. In school, she is involved in the Spanish Club and the Principal’s Advisory Council. Alison is also involved in 4H activities showing lambs. Finally, she competed in Texas last summer, where she won the World Championship in barrel racing and pole bending.

Isaac Hall is the son of Brad and Jodi Hall of Garards Fort. Only a junior, Ike is al ready a three-year letterman and two-year starter for the football team. He has been part of the Debate Team, SADD, FTA, Interact Club, and the Academic League. When not at school or on the gridiron, he enjoys lifting weights and spending time with his family and friends.

Krista Wilson is a four-year varsity starter for the Lady Maples volleyball team. She leads her team in kills, averaging over five per set. She has received multiple awards throughout her high school volleyball ca reer. Krista has also played both basket ball and softball since her freshman year while maintaining a 4.5 GPA. She is the daughter of Jeff Wilson of Greensboro.

Levi Smith is the son of Brandon and Adrienne Smith of Rogersville. The sophomore competes in varsity football and track & field. Levi also participates in weightlifting and has been to several competitions.

He enjoys hunting, fishing, and trapping. He was also an escort during this year’s homecoming festivities.

Karlee Payton is the daughter of Nathan and Becky McClure of Rogersville. She is a senior member of the Pioneer volleyball team. She also films games for the softball team and is a wrestling grapplerette.

Karlee was a member of PROM Court her junior year and has worked at Dairy Queen for several years.

Girls Soccer Review

Liam Lohr, Dustin Hastings, Coach Dave Briggs and Mason Lapana represented Carmichaels at the WPIAL Golf Finals at Oakmont Country Club. Lohr finished third to advance to the PIAA tournament.

Waynesburg Central’s Ashlyn Basinger became only the third girl to score 100 career goals for the Raiders. Alumnae Madison Clayton was on hand to welcome Ashlyn to the 100 Goal Club.

Ford, Chase Phillips, Coach Fowler.

West Greene Inducts Four into Hall of Fame

1969 graduate Allen Hughes participated in band, football and wrestling. He was a threeyear letterman on Buzz Walters’ wrestling teams. He was also named All-County in football his senior year. Allen attended Penn State University and was a 3-time intramural wrestling champion. He also earned a varsity letter as a member of the wrestling team his junior season. In 1976, he was hired as an assistant wrestling coach under Buzz Wal ters and became an assistant football coach in 1978. He gave 37 years of service coach ing football, golf and wrestling. As the Head Wrestling Coach, Allen amassed a 216-94 record, while coaching 29 individual section champions, 23 individual WPIAL champi ons, 10 PIAA Southwest Regional individual champions, 41 PIAA State qualifiers and 13 PIAA place winners. In the 1993-94 season, Allen led the team to a 17-0 record and the school’s first WPIAL Team Championship. He was twice named WPIAL Class AA Coach of the Year (1994 and 1999)

Mrs. Jesse Reed Meighen was hired by the West Greene School District in 1963. She taught Health, Physical Education, and Physiology. In her many years of service at West Greene, she influenced countless young people outside of the classroom in extra-curricular activities. Before there were sanctioned female sports sponsored by the WPIAL and PIAA, Mrs. Meighen sponsored the Girl’s Athletic Association, which pro vided females the opportunity to compete in various activities against other schools.

Her primary athletic contribution came as the school’s first girls’ basketball coach. She remained heavily involved with the school’s activities until she was 89 years old.

1959 graduate Price Cheek was a four-year letterman in football and track and field for the Pioneers. He was an All-County, AllWPIAL, and All-State receiver in football. On the track, he was the County’s one-mile champion in 1958 and 1959. He was also part of the relay teams that set WPIAL re cords and claimed team gold at the 1958 Championships. He qualified for the PIAA Championships in both his junior and se nior years.

1998 graduate Shawn Whyte was a fouryear letterman in football and wrestling. He is the school’s career wins leaders on the mat with 148 victories. He became just the 10th wrestler to win four WPIAL individual championships. He also collected a title and three runner-up finishes at regionals. At the PIAA tournament, he collected three med als. After wrestling in the Dapper Dan Wres tling Classic for the WPIAL, he went on to wrestle at Waynesburg University, where he compiled a 107-19 record, won three MidWest Regional Championships, and twice reached All-American status.

Greene County Football Stats

Player

RUSHING

Long

(M)

(WG)

(JM)

(WG)

(WC)

(M)

(WC)

(M)

Bisceglia

(WG)

Schooley

(WG)

PASSING

Player

Greene County resident and owner of Archangel Defense LLC, Kerry Dugan Jr. recently traveled to West Bend, WI to the United States Concealed Carry Associa tion (USCCA) where he was put through vigorous training and chosen to become a Training Counselor for the USCCA. Train ing Counselors are active and experienced instructors who have been hand-selected and trained by the USCCA to train future instructors. Almost 20 hours of training took place October 8 & 9, 2022. Dugan was one of 54 Training Counselors selected from thousands of applicants across the United States.

RECEIVING

Player Rec. Yards TDs Long

Guesman

(C

(M)

Lamp (WG)

(C

(M)

(WG)

Burns (WG)

Adamson (C

Griffin (M)

The Forgotten Scattergun

Intoday’s self-defense culture, high tech leads the way. Most avid shooters are interested in what’s new, trendy, cutting edge. Alas, most of us do not require this trendy, techy, cutting edge solutioning for our protection needs. What we may need is a shotgun. There is an adage that says “Use your pistol to fight your way back to your rifle. A rifle is almost always a better option than a pistol. Unfortunately, rifles are bulky and not as easily carried on one’s person as a pistol. On the rare occasion, a pistol may prove a bit handier in close quarters. I am fond of saying, “The best weapon for the job is the one you are carrying.” That being said, I’d nearly always prefer a rifle over a pistol. So, what is this shotgun business?

Shotguns are not magic. They are not “do all” miracle weapons of wonder. In fact, shotguns are usually not the best alternative for any single application. Shotguns perform most self-defense tasks adequately. Let’s lim it our shotgun argument to 12 gauge.

To simplify the discussion, shotgun ammunition normally comes in bird shot, buck shot and slug form. Bird shot is a com pilation of fine lead shot used for hunting of flying creatures. It can be quite effective for self-defense needs, as well. Bird shot is less likely to pass through the walls of an inte rior structure so it can be a safer alternative to rifle or pistol rounds. It is not particularly good at defeating body armor. Buck shot is a mass of larger sized pellets (12 gauge, 00 Buck Shot contains nine pellets about the di ameter of a 9mm bullet.) It is lethal at close range and is devastating upon impact. Imag ine being struck with nine, 9 mm rounds simul taneously! Not my idea of fun. Lastly, a shotgun slug is a single projectile. Big, heavy, slow by comparison but hugely effective.

A 1 ounce slug, fired from close range produces huge energy. Think of a bowl ing ball flying through the air,

shot out of a cannon and you are more on the side of the slug option.

Question: So, why choose a shotgun if it’s not the best choice for everything. An swer: Because it’s darned good at a lot of things. Shotguns can be fashioned in shorter lengths which makes them handy in close quarter combat (CQB) situations. Shotguns can often be loaded with four, five or six rounds in their magazine, some with even higher round counts. Shotgun ammunition is relatively cheap. Since shotgun rounds travel at slower speeds, comparatively, than rifle or pistol rounds, overpenetration is not as likely, and striking another target unin tentionally via a pass through, can be some what diminished. Alternative rounds can be carried in an onboard scabbard, attached to the weapon, offering different choices of rounds for varied applications.

What then is the con side of the combat shotgun? Shotguns can be big, heavy affairs. Recoil from a shotgun can be unpleasant, es pecially for those of smaller stature. Precise accuracy may be sacrificed for raw power. Like all firearms, shotguns take practice to become proficient in their operation.

You won’t know if a shotgun is for you until you explore your options. You may like a shotgun more than you thought. Full disclosure - I own two combat shotguns, a slide action riot gun and a well worn double barrel coach gun. Both are value priced (see cheap) reliable, serviceable pieces. When things go bump in the night, I almost always find myself reaching for the old double bar rel loaded with 00 buckshot!

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WU Develops New Initiative to Serve Veteran & Military Member Students

Waynesburg

University recently launched the Veteran and Military Student Services and Initiatives to serve the needs of veteran and military mem ber students and their families.

Dr. Michelle Steimer, assistant profes sor of counseling for the Graduate and Pro fessional Studies Counseling Program, will serve as the director of Veteran and Military Student Services and Initiatives, and Charles Stoddard, grant program manager and train ing coordinator, will serve as assistant direc tor.

“The purpose of this initiative is threefold: to serve our veteran and military stu dents, to serve the veteran and military populations in our area through community collaboration, and to enhance veteran and military student recruitment and services in both our undergraduate and graduate pro grams,” said Dr. Steimer.

Through this initiative, Dr. Steimer and Stoddard will work as liaisons for the veteran and military student population and provide resources for information related to fi nancial, health and wellness, and com munity benefits from the Department of Veteran Affairs, Department of De fense, and other local, state, federal or private organizations.

They will also work collaborative ly with existing campus services and programs to further develop, stream line and grow the University’s already established and successful veteran and military services. This will increase access, utilization and continual im provement related to service to veter ans and military members.

In her role as director of Veteran and Military Student Services and Ini tiatives, Dr. Steimer will be responsible for the review of University policies to create and implement militaryfriendly changes on behalf of veterans, active-duty military personnel, reserv ists and dependents.

Her ability to recognize the spe cific needs of the military commu nity stems from her extensive military background. Dr. Steimer has served in the United States Army and Army Re serve for more than 22 years. She has been both enlisted and an officer, and currently serves as a lieutenant colonel in the Army Reserve in Pittsburgh. Her husband, Drew, also serves.

“I have loved serving my country and see this new initiative as a way to

continue to serve military members, veterans and their families,” she said.

Dr. Steimer has also worked for the De partment of Defense, served as president for the Pennsylvania Military and Government Counseling Association and served as an ex pert and consultant in military and veteran culture and mental health on both national and international levels as a counselor edu cator.

In his role as assistant director of Vet eran and Military Student Services and Ini tiatives, Stoddard will assist Dr. Steimer in the review and development of policy and programming. He will also serve as a primary point of contact for Waynesburg University military and veteran students.

“I am intent to establish strong relation ships with veteran and military students serv ing as a student organization advisor, mentor and role model as they enroll, progress, suc ceed and graduate,” said Stoddard. “I want to help our veteran and military students feel a deep sense of belonging to Waynesburg Uni

versity.”

Between active duty and being in the Army Reserve, Stoddard has served in the Army for 18 years and worked as a combat medic for 16 years, which included serving as an infantry platoon medic during deploy ment in Iraq. For the last two years, he has served as a personnel officer.

In addition, Stoddard served as an Army Division Suicide Prevention Program Manager for six years, during which he was responsible for providing mental health and crisis resources for 7,000 soldiers.

“Soldiers sacrifice so much for the ben efit of their communities and this country, and they deserve support as well as a welcome and safe place to work out their experiences,” Stoddard said of his passion for caring for veteran and soldier mental health needs. “I want to be one of those people reaching back to our soldiers and veterans to make it easier for them to address their needs and to thrive.”

In alignment with the University’s mis sion of faith, learning and service, this ini

tiative will provide events including veteran student welcome sessions, monthly coffee groups, and on-campus and virtual service opportunities to promote a sense of connec tion for veteran and military students.

“There is a lot of energy and support from University leadership for this initiative and we’re excited to add to the efforts that have already been made to welcome, serve and support our veterans, military members and their families,” Stoddard said.

As the initiative becomes more estab lished, the goal is to create both virtual and physical spaces on the University’s main cam pus and its Southpointe Center for personal ized veteran student support and advocacy, and community initiatives.

“We want to create a lifecycle of support that matches the needs of our military and veteran students that spans from their first in terest in Waynesburg University to their time as students and continues on as these same students become alumni that continue to serve their communities,” Dr. Steimer added.

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Greene County Veterans Day Parade

TheVeterans Day Parade returns up town in front of the courthouse Sat urday, November 5 at 11am. The pre ceremony will start at approximately 10am to announce the patriotic yard decorating con test winner and the special Grand Marshal presentation. Leading up to the parade, First Federal Savings & Loan will have a patriotic window display honoring the committee and local veterans from November 1-4.

The parade will feature the Greene County Honor Guard, live musical perfor mances, bands, mascots, a dance perfor mance of “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Com pany C” by In Motion, emergency vehicles, a drill team performance from West Virginia’s Camp Dawson Challenge Academy, military vehicles, car and motorcycle clubs – Santa will even drop by in camo! Weather permit ting, there will be a flyover.

A horse drawn carriage will be included with representatives from Greene County Gold Star veterans: Richard Kowalewski, Jr. (Crucible, Operation Restore Hope), Gregory Cox (Carmichaels, Operation Iraqi Freedom), and Steven Phillips (Spraggs, Operation Iraqi Freedom). The carriage will be leading the way for the registered 185+ Greene County Gold Star veterans who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

After the parade, there will be a dinner hosted by Waynesburg VFW Post #4793 & Auxiliary.

The committee is remembering and honoring Rick Black and Terry Hoyle II, both of whom have recently passed. “They had dreams for our veterans parade. We’re trying to have their dreams and service dedication carried out by our committee and to con tinue their dedicated efforts,” shares Greene County Veterans Parade Committee Secre tary Petrina Supler.

The parade would not be possible with out the dedication of the Greene County Veterans Parade Committee. The committee

sincerely appreciates the overwhelming com munity support and sponsorship. Members include: Angela Baker (veteran, commit tee chair, AL Post #954 Adjutant – Greene County Veterans Council; Lori Paletta-Davis (Daughter/Widow of veteran & Co- Chair); Petrina Supler (veteran, Secretary VFW Mili tary Order of the Cooties Post #4793, Greene County Veterans Council); Lynn Bussey (sis ter of veteran/Financial advisor, & Aux AL post #992); Bruce Black (veteran/Veterans Council President); John Michniak (veteran/ Veterans Council VP); Linda Hagyari (vet eran, Commander AL Post #954 Veterans Council Treasurer); Tim Ackley; Miranda Chapman (granddaughter/spouse of vet eran); Joe Krampy (veteran); Melody Long streth (granddaughter of veteran, committee advisor, Chamber of Commerce chair); Vic toria Santucci (Widow of veteran); Victoria Snyder (Granddaughter of veteran); Paul Walker (veteran); Marke Walawander (vet eran, Greene County Veterans Day Parade Master of Ceremony); Renee Jones (spouse/ mother of veteran, VFW Post 4793 Auxiliary Sr-Vice); and Alisa Woods (veteran/Co-MC).

“There have been so many support ers... we’ve have had such an outpouring of support. It’s just been overwhelming,” says Angela Baker, committee chair. “The whole committee wants to extend a special thanks to the community for their support.”

The committee would like to also ex tend special thanks to Melody Longstreth; the Greene County Veterans Council, espe cially President Bruce Black, Vice President John Michniak, and Treasurer Linda Hag yari; Waynesburg University; First Federal Savings & Loan; BeeGraphix; WANB; R&D Watters Septic Service; Waynesburg Giant Eagle; Pam Snyder and staff; Greene County Commissioners; Waynesburg Rotary Club; SOAR Aviation; and GreeneScene Commu nity Magazine.

If you cannot attend the parade, a

broadcast of the parade will be available lat er on their website, filmed by Waynesburg

University. Visit greenevetsunite.us or email greenevetsunite@hotmail.com FMI.

Joe Ayersman

Thisyear’s Veterans Parade Grand Marshal is Joe Ayersman. Joe served in the United States Army and the Pennsylvania National Guard for almost 36 years. During his time with the military, he also served as part of the Military Police. He earned a rank of SFC E-7. While in the Guard, he served in the PANCO Academy as an in structor and evaluator for over 20 years. As a member of the Guard, he was able to bring Sgt. Harrison Bell to Waynesburg Central High School to speak about his experience in the Vietnam War. “I was proud to have served in the Waynesburg National Guard Unit for close to 36 years with so many from Greene County and surrounding counties. The unit was one of the best in PA.” He adds, “The mili tary offers many opportunities today for our young people. Seek them out.”

GreeneScene

Lewis Gipson

Leaving normal life and loved ones behind is never an easy thing to do, es pecially when it was not planned. Lewis Gipson was just a young man pursuing his creative passion for welding when he became one of the thousands of men drafted into the Korean War 63 years ago. He remembers his years of service with fiery pride and still dedicates his free time to honoring those who fought along side him. Gipson can be found in Carmichaels’ circle single-handedly filling it with flags in honor of the soldiers who never made it back home. In addition to the circle, he also spends his memorial days flagging Muddy Creek Graveyard every year.

“I take care of that,” Gipson said re garding the flags. “This year, everything I do with the flags is dedicated to those that gave all.”

Gipson served in the army during the Korean War for three years, rising to the position of sergeant. As an acknowledgment of his service, Gipson was asked for his hands to be used as a cast for a new pair of steel hands after the original pair broke off one of the nineteen statues at the Korean War Me morial in Washington DC. During his time in the military, he also became a demolition ex pert and helped execute numerous missions of high importance. Some of these missions, he emphasized, he has never spoken about and he never will.

Currently, Gipson is still an active supporter of veterans and active service mem bers. He is a commander at the American Le gion’s Post 400 in Carmichaels as well as an active member of the Honor Guard at the VFW Post 4793 in Waynesburg. He described the men of the Honor Guard as a “great bunch of guys” and explained the privilege of per forming the 21-gun salute at gatherings. On Veterans Day, the organization throws a big social to celebrate all the men and women who put their lives on the line for their coun

try.

“Some of the reasons I was in the army was to defend our rights and our flag and our people,” Gipson said about his time in the service and his personal beliefs. “Also, I am a hundred percent in favor of the police and I support them.”

Growing up in Adah in Fayette County, Gipson grew up along Monongahela River in a coal patch town. Before being drafted, Gipson was one of the first to be part of the welding program at German Township High School. Today, he is a gunsmith and welds in his own shop where he uses classic tools and methods not known by many welders nowa days. When asked about the name of his shop, Gipson gave a small laugh as he answered, “I don’t call it anything. I just call it my shop.”

Now, Gipson happily spends his days tending to his home and his beloved wife, Gail. The two of them take care of each other along with a few local animals they have befriended with the swimming hole in their yard. Their “moochers” include some squirrels, birds that chirp happily at the sight of them, and a raccoon that likes to put her dirty paws on their patio door. It is the kind of peaceful life that Gipson fought for all Ameri can people to live.

Major Wes Cran mer is a C-17 pilot with the 911th Airlift Wing (Air Force Reserve Command) at Pittsburgh International Airport. He has been in the military for over 23 years and lives in Waynesburg. Wes has four children, all of whom love the television show Paw Patrol. Each child has chosen one of the pups as themselves. As Wes flies all over the world, he trav els with a stuffed animal of each pup to show that Dad dy is taking each of his pups along with him.

Caleb Cranmer, son of Major Wesley Cranmer, Jr., USAF, preparing early for pilot training aboard a C-17A Globemaster III at Pittsburgh Air Reserve Station.

Wes Cranmer

CharlesRichard Lange hon orably served his country during the Korean War and was awarded a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his bravery and courage in the line of duty.

Charles Lange

You were always anx ious to get home.” James Townsend, a resident of Greene County, served in the United States Marine Corps from 1952 until 1954, seeing combat during the Korean War.

James was initially drafted into the United States Army. Before he was drafted, however, he had been talk ing with a Marine recruiter about possibly joining.

“I knew I was going to get drafted, and I wanted to join the Marines…. I waited too long,” he said.

Although he was draft ed into the Army, he was always destined for the Ma rines. He got as far as the swearing-in ceremony for the army when a marine ser geant saw him in line and recognized him.

“He told me to ‘fall in’ and follow him, and I became a Marine instead,” he said.

James arrived in Korea in 1953, landing in Inchon and joining Fox Company. He was wounded during fighting at the East Berlin outpost during July 1953. He sustained shrap nel wounds after an explosive device deto nated.

James recovered on a hospital ship an chored off the Inchon coast. He said that he was on the hospital ship for about a month.

After he recovered from his injuries, he guarded the demilitarized zone at the border between North and South Korea. He said that he often patrolled the border with other ma rines. If they were in jeeps, they usually went in pairs. If they were on foot, they patrolled in groups of four.

Often, they would see North Korean soldiers on the other side of the border dur ing patrols, passing a mere 30 feet from each other. Although James said that the marines spoke to each other during the patrols, they never exchanged words with the North Ko reans.

“It was always nervous,” he said. “We knew if something happened, we would be the first ones there.”

James returned home from Korea in 1954 and chose to return to civilian life in stead of continuing his military career.

“I liked the service. I didn’t mind it,” he said.

The reason he chose to stay home? He

James Townsend

got married. “I’ve always thought maybe I should have stayed, but I think that I am glad I didn’t. I’ve had a good life. I’ve been blessed,” he said.

James was awarded a Purple Heart; a Korean Service Medal with two bronze stars, each for an action he was involved in; and a United Nations medal for his service during the Korean War.

After arriving home, he went back to work in the coal mines. He would eventually move away from the area.

“I left in ’64 and went to Cleveland, Ohio, to work in the steel mills,” he said.

James worked in Cleveland, Ohio for 30 years until he retired. He moved back to Greene County in 1995, and is involved with the Waynesburg VFW, Carmichaels Legion, and the Greene County chapter of the Mili tary Order of the Purple Heart.

James has not been back to South Korea since the war ended. He says that he would like to go but has not had the chance to.

James said that it is important to remem ber and honor the sacrifices that Korean vet erans made.

“Most people don’t realize how impor tant the Korean War was. It was one of the worst wars in recent years,” he said. “Korean veterans in the conflict have to be around 87 years old. There are not many left.”

Further, James says the fight for freedom in Korea was extremely important.

“I’ve heard people say that we didn’t win. But if you ask people from South Korea, they appreciate the freedom they got.”

GreeneScene

Greene’s Tribute to heroes

Every day, heroes in our community risk their lives to serve and protect the people of Greene County. From Octo ber 12 through October 16, Greene County took the time to salute these men and women with the Tribute to Heroes event. Held at the Greene County Fairgrounds, two traveling exhibits came to Waynesburg, including the Vietnam Memorial Wall and the Tunnels to Tower Tribute.

It was a six-month process to get the exhibits to the county and took a lot of hard work behind the scenes. Joanne Marshall from Greene County Tourism spearheaded the effort and many others from around the county came together to make the event pos sible.

“We had meetings once a month for about the past six months planning every thing out,” says Director of Greene County Emergency Services and Captain of the Waynesburg/Franklin Township Fire Com pany Richard Policz. “Then, we had an escort bring the displays into the fairgrounds and it was great to see the support from the com munity helping to set things up and offer sup port whenever we needed.”

The Tribute to Heroes event began in 2019 when Rick Black spearheaded the ef

fort to honor both the veterans and the first responders of the county. For two years he worked to bring both the Vietnam Memo rial Wall and the Tunnels to Tower exhibit to Greene County. As planning began for this year’s event, Black was unfortunately diagnosed with COVID-19 before passing away. It was a big loss for those who knew and loved Rick Black, but they also knew that they would have to carry on the legacy he left behind. His daughter Stacey Marshall and his son-in-law Jeff Marshall did just that by forming a group that went out to military folks around the area and continued prepara tions for the event. In talking with those local veterans, they chose to include first respond ers, and that is when they decided to bring both the Vietnam Memorial Wall and the Tunnels to Towers exhibit.

For Policz and the rest of the Tribute to Heroes team it was important to carry on Black’s legacy not only to honor him but honor the veterans and first responders in the area.

“For myself it was very important to carry on [Black’s] legacy because I have been involved with emergency services for 12 years and got the chance to work with Rick at dif ferent veterans’ activities,” says Policz. “He is

a very good friend of our office and a very personal friend, and he was heavily involved in bringing both the 911 Tunnels for Tower exhibit and the Vietnam Memorial Wall.”

During the exhibit, the community visited the Greene County Fairgrounds and toured both exhibits. There were also booths from the different emergency services depart ment showing the community how these men and women serve and protect the commu nity. The big event was on October 15 when Community Day was hosted from 3-7pm. There was a big outpour ing of community support.

“My takeaway here is all the emer gency services we have in the county. Veterans are just as important but the young adults who lead our county and volunteer, we need to support that,” said Policz. “My big

thing is getting involved in that and getting the children and adults wanting to help the community.”

Tribute to Heroes welcomed hundreds of people from around the area to understand what emergency services and veterans do for the community. We thank all of those who protect and serve Greene County and the sur rounding area for their hard work and sacri fice as they help to keep us safe.

By Zack Zeigler

He was a good brother.”

A resident of Lippincott, Charles David Katchmark, or Chuck as he was called, was drafted into the Air Force in World War II, although there is not much information remaining about his service during World War II.

After he returned home, Chuck worked in the Chartiers coal mine, until the start of the Korean War. He re-enlist ed, this time in the US Army’s 11th air borne division. His family attributes this to his belief that it was his duty to serve his country.

Chuck served as a paratrooper until he injured his ankle on one of his jumps. He was reassigned to the First Calvary Division, and he fought with Company D along the Impin river. It was here, at a place that came to be known as “Heart break Ridge,” that he was captured by the North Korean armed forces.

He was 24 years old.

Chuck would spend 22 months in a prisoner of war camp. During his impris onment, he was tortured, both mentally and physically. He was sent on two “death marches,” and was scheduled to go on a third.

“He was with two buddies, and they died on the first march,” his sister, Judy McGrady, says. “He was a very strong person. He wrote to us and told my dad that he didn’t think he would be able to survive the third death march.”

Chuck’s father went to the Red Cross to see what they could do to secure his release. According to Judy, it took a week for the Red Cross to secure his release.

When Chuck returned home, the neighbors were all at the house waiting for him. Judy recalls the first thing that he did when he got out of the car at this home.

“When he got out of the car, he got down and kissed the ground. At first, I thought he fell, but he was so happy to be home,” she said.

Judy said that Chuck rarely spoke about his time in the prisoner of war camp in Korea.

“If you would ask him and he was in a good mood, he would talk a little. But if he wasn’t in a good mood, he would say ‘don’t bother me with that,’” she said. “He said he never got good food.”

Chuck went back to work in the coal mines after returning home. He worked in Gateway Mine for thirty-five years until his retirement.

During his lifetime, Chuck outlived three wives. He raised four children with his first wife, Grace Mitchell: Linda Barney, Mike

Chuck was very active in the commu nity during his life. He owned two local res taurants. The first, Akney’s Dairy Bar, is now called Laverne’s Tavern and is located on Jef ferson Road in Waynesburg. The second was Merle’s townhouse, located in Waynesburg.

According to Judy, Chuck was always ready to help his neighbor, something that those around him appreciated.

“He was quite a remarkable person; he did a lot of things and helped a lot of people. When he got home, you can tell he helped a lot of people because everyone was there waiting for him.”

Katchmark, Sherry Fitch, and Greg Katch mark. He was also married to Pearl Whipkey and Emma Herrod.

Charles Katchmark

Thomas R. Keys joined the Air Force two months after graduating from JeffersonMorgan High School with the class of 1964.Thomas earned the rank of Sergeant and spent four years in the Air Force being stationed in the United States, Korea, and Vietnam. He was dis charged in 1968 and later joined the Army National Guard.

Thomas raised two girls, Kim Fowler (Walter Fowler) of Lowellville, OH and Nicole Stout (Dennis Stout) of Mt. Morris, PA with his wife, the former Carol Adamson. After be coming sick, Tom retired from Emerald Mine in 2002. He passed away at the age of 76 in December 28, 2021, leaving behind his family (above) and four grandchildren: Carrie Tra vis, Gabriel Fowler, Alissa Stout, and Blaine Stout.

Thomas Keys

Many people will never experi ence the hard ships of putting their life on pause and fighting for their entire nation’s safety and freedom. Some will, instead, dedicate their services to improving their local communities and helping their neigh bors. A very rare type of person, one like Leonard “Butch” Santore, spends their life accomplishing both.

Santore was born in Uniontown to Charles and Vincenza Barbarisi Santore. As a youth, San tore was in the Merchant Marine and Civilian Con servation Corps. Addi tionally, he was employed by the North Union Coal Company in Lemont where he was a member of the United Mine Work ers of America Local Union 5219. In October of 1941, Santore joined the United States Army during World War II where he participated in the invasions of Africa, Sicily, and Italy with the 1st Armored Division.

At various points during his time over seas, he had been taken prisoner twice, es caped, and had been shot. On the bright side, Santore also found his future wife during his time serving. Charlotte Elizabeth Casey had been voted the sweetheart of his division and they married in late 1941.

After his time in the war, Santore re turned to high school to complete his edu cation and received his diploma. He then returned to coal mining with the Duquesne Light Co’s Warwick Mine in Greensboro where he suffered a crushing injury that could have killed him if there was not available do nated blood close. Due to this incident, San tore was an active blood donor, contributing three and a half gallons to the county blood bank and continuously encouraged his com munity to donate as well.

Donating blood was just a tiny fraction of Santore’s dedication to serving his com munity. After retiring from the coal mines, he went on to become the Postmaster of Greens boro in 1962 and oversaw the upgrading of

Leonard Santore

the Post Office from a third-class status to a second-class, bringing in more services for his clientele.

“We know everybody, it’s a personal thing with us,” said Santore in an article about his retirement from the Post Office. “We have some gripes and groans, but that’s just the way it is with about everything, isn’t it?”

Santore’s next great feat occurred after his retirement from the Post Office when he decided to run for Greene County Commis sioner, where he served two terms. In addi tion, he was a lifetime member and National Council member of Veterans of Foreign Wars. Of course, his community involvement did not stop there. He was a boy scout leader, a member of the Masontown American Legion Post 423, served on the Greene County Hous ing Authority, and was an active member of Southeastern Greene School District Building Authority and the Greene County Vo-Tech Advisory Committee.

On November 3, 2001, Santore passed away in his home, leaving behind a remark able legacy on his community and loving family. He is survived by his three children - Nancy Jean Morris, Charlotte Ann Muzi chuck, and Wayne Keith Santore, as well as his eight grandchildren and fifteen greatgrandchildren.

What ‘used to be yours’ is helping veterans

Supporting our military is a part of our American heritage. We’ve all heard the slogan, “all gave some, and some gave all,” but for those that return to make their way through society they often face difficul ties. We try to find ways to assist and help them through the many organizations dedi cated to helping veterans thrive when they return home.

However, some of these organizations direct a surprisingly low percentage of their profits towards actually helping veterans. When Jennifer Szczyrbak and her husband Joe Prince learned this disappointing fact, they decided to find a way to support for veterans with 100% of profits going directly to veterans and the Area Agency on Aging. When making this decision, they knew they wanted to specifically support the veterans of our local Greene County area.

According to Joe, it was Jennifer’s idea for a thrift store. The idea was born from Jennifer’s relationship with a regular cus tomer at another thrift store who was a vet eran. Once the idea took hold it remained firm in their minds. It quickly became a reality when they found a place to rent for the store within five weeks. And Used to be Yours was born. Investing in shelving and displays to get the store running was a

labor of love for the couple. Spending their own money to set up shop, Jennifer and Joe wanted to make sure their investment was truly benefiting the veterans they wanted to support. The store celebrated its grand open ing in July 2022.

Their profits are supporting Veteran’s Affairs and the Area Agency on Aging groups within Greene County. The oversight of the Greene County Veterans Affair ensures 100% of profits goes to directly supporting the vet

erans in this area. Since opening they’ve been able to help those most in need within Greene County and were able to supply an entire family, free of charge, with clothing and es sentials for back to school. To supply the store with retail items the thrift store takes in dona tions of clothing, furniture, household items, small appliances, flat screen televisions, toys, and a variety of other essentials. There are a few items they do not accept, such as mat tresses, tires, and large appliances. Joe and

By Rochelle McCracken

Jennifer will even provide a pick-up service within certain areas for items people would like to donate but cannot drop off.

If you would like to find out more about the Used to be Yours thrift store, donate, or shop for a few items, stop by their location at 55 Sugar Run Road, Waynesburg, PA 15370. You can also give them a call at (724) 8339458 and/or check out their Facebook.

Connecting our Veterans

According to the latest statistics, the 2019 Pennsyl vania Veteran Suicide Data shows that the veteran suicide rate in Pennsylvania was significantly high er than the national general population suicide rate. It is on record that in 2019, 270 veterans between the ages of 1875+ took their life. However, thanks to the efforts of many veterans group that number is on the decline.

“Here in Pennsylvania, we had a total of 240 suicides during the year 2020. It’s one of the lowest numbers we’ve had in the last 10 years,” says Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veteran Affairs (DMVA) Special Assistant to the Deputy Adjutant General Rick Hamp. And according to a report released by the U.S. Department of Veterans Af fairs, the number of suicides among veterans nationwide has dropped almost ten percent from 2018 to 2020 and is at its lowest rate in more than 10 years.

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is leading efforts to understand suicide risk factors, develop evidence-based prevention programs and prevent veteran suicide through a public health approach. Together With Veterans (TWV) is overseen by the VA’s rural veterans’ health initiative. Their goal is to provide veterans with lead ership, support, and guidance.

In 2018, the suicide rate for veterans was 1.5 times higher than the rate for non-veteran adults. Although that number is reducing, even one is too many. The goal of TWV is to reduce suicide and suicidal behavior among veterans. They plan to bring an end to veteran suicide by providing

veterans with resources, education, and support. “We need to help build community awareness surrounding this is sue,” said veteran Chris Clark about the program in 2021. “Partnering with rural veterans and their communities to implement community-based suicide prevention is key in supporting those who have given so much to our country.”

“Community partners who are informed and edu cated about suicide prevention, and veteran/military cul ture are better equipped to address the needs of veterans,” added Chris. Collaboration and education will strengthen the suicide prevention network for veterans, their families and friends. The TWV strategies are drawn from well-re searched models that have been shown to effectively reduce suicide rates. TWV partnerships develop a unique suicide prevention action plan based on community strengths and addressing community needs. These strategies are imple mented using a five-phase process to support rural commu nities in developing a local veteran suicide prevention ac tion plan: team building, community outreach, community research, team training, Community-tailored planning, and the execution of plans and measuring effectiveness.

Six evidence-based suicide prevention strategies are used by TWV to support the local planning efforts: provide suicide prevention training, enhance primary care suicide prevention, promote connectedness and help seeking, im prove communication across veteran-serving programs, enhance behavioral health suicide prevention, and promote lethal means safety.

Are you a Veteran in Crisis?

Are you a veteran in crisis or concerned about one? You’re not alone. There are resources to help, even if you aren’t enrolled in VA benefits or health care.

The Veterans Crisis Line is one of the resources avail able to veterans in crisis. If you are a veteran and in crisis, you can reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 and pressing 1. After dialing, you’ll reach a trained Veterans Crisis line responder, trained in crisis intervention and military culture, and dedicated to supporting veterans, service members, and their families. The Veterans Crisis Line is also available by text and through chat. You can also send a text to 838255 or find them online at military crisisline.net. Responders are available 24/7.

The Veterans Crisis Line began in 2007 with 14 trained responders. It’s grown in the last fifteen years to 500 responders, available to help through call, text, or on line chat. Many of the responders are veterans and famil iar with the unique situations that veterans face.

Because they believe that support should be avail able after your initial contact, responders work to con tinue your care. These responders can connect veterans in crisis with local suicide prevention coordinators avail able nationwide in VA centers. These coordinators ensure that veterans are connected to the specific services they need. When you contact the Veterans Crisis Line, you decide how much information to share. If you’d like sup port from a local VA suicide prevention coordinator, the responder may ask for your name and some personal in formation to help set up a meeting.

Remember – you are not alone. If you are experi encing difficult thoughts, call 998, then press 1. If you would like support veterans and spread the word about the crisis line, you can visit www.veteranscrisisline.net/ find-resources/spread-the-word/ for social media, web, logo, and print materials.

Together With Veterans of Southwestern Pennsylvania is spon soring the first annual VETERANS DAY WEEKEND PAN CAKE BREAKFAST Fellowship. The event will be held at the Greene County Fairgrounds 4-H Building (Bottom Floor) on Saturday, November 12, 2022 from 8am-10am. All veterans are welcome. Pancakes, coffee, water, juice, bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs will be served. Contact southwestern penntwv@gmail.com FMI.

OUTPATIENT CLINICS

Washington County VA Clinic 95 West Beau St, Crossroads Cen ter, Suite 200 Washington, PA 15301-6800 724-250-7790

Fayette County VA Clinic 627 Pittsburgh Road, Suite 2 Uniontown, PA 15401-2200 724-439-4990

Monongalia County VA Clinic 40 Commerce Drive, Suite 101 Westover, WV 26501-3952 304-292-7535

Westmoreland County VA Clinic 5274 Route 30, Suite 10 Greensburg, PA 15601-7833 724-216-0317

Clarksburg VA Mobile Clinic 1 Medical Center Drive Clarksburg, WV 26301-4155 304-623-3461

VET CENTERS

Morgantown Vet Center 34 Commerce Drive, Suite 101 Morgantown, WV 26501 304-291-4303

Wheeling Vet Center 1058 East Bethlehem Boulevard Wheeling, WV 26003-4961 304-232-0587

White Oak Vet Center 2001 Lincoln Way, Suite 280 White Oak, PA 15131 412-678-7704

Pittsburgh Vet Center 2500 Baldwick Road, Suite 15 Pittsburgh, PA 15205 412-920-1765

VA MEDICAL CENTERS

H. John Heinz III Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center 1010 Delafield Road Pittsburgh, PA 15240-1005 412-360-6000

Pittsburgh VA Medical CenterUniversity Drive University Drive C Pittsburgh, PA 15240-1003 866-482-7488

Louis A. Johnson Veterans’ Ad ministration Medical Center 1 Medical Center Drive Clarksburg, WV 26301-4155 304-623-3461

VETERANS BENEFITS ADMIN ISTRATION OFFICES

Pittsburgh VA Regional Benefit Office

1000 Liberty Avenue Pittsburgh, PA 15222 800-827-1000

SUICIDE PREVENTION COOR DINATORS

Saucier, Sarah University Drive Pittsburgh, PA 15240 412-360-6515

Thompkins, Gary

One Medical Center Drive Clarksburg, WV 26301 800-733-0512x3081

OBSERVANCES FOR VETERANS DAY

WAYNESBURG - VETERANS DAY PA RADE ON NOV. 5 - The Veterans Council of Greene County will hold the Veterans Day Parade in downtown Waynesburg on Saturday, November 5. The community is invited to come out to thank Greene County Veterans past and present who have sacrificed their lives for this nation. Area veterans will be recognized for their service and dedication to the U.S. Military. The pre-ceremony will then begin at 10am on the Court House steps. The parade will be begin at 11am proceeding down High Street to the Greene County Courthouse. Immediately following the parade refresh ments will be provided at Waynesburg VFW Post 4793 veterans and the public are welcomed.

RICES LANDING - VETERANS DAY DIN NER ON NOV. 6 - The Brooks-Crago Amer ican Legion Post 816 will host a dinner for veterans and their families on November 6 from 1-4pm. All veterans are welcome. Please RSVP to the Legion.

WEST GREENE - ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM ON NOV. 8 - On Tuesday, No vember 8, the West Greene Elementary School will be honoring our local veter ans at a Veterans Day program starting at 9:45am.

This is an invitation to veterans who are family members or friends of the students. The celebration includes a light breakfast which will be served in thedistrict confer ence room at 9am.

WAYNESBURG - WCES VETERANS’ DAY CELEBRATION ON NOV. 10 - Waynesburg Central Elementary School staff and stu dents invite veterans to attend their Vet erans’ Day Celebration at the Waynesburg High School on November 10 at 9am.

WAYNESBURG - PANCAKE BREAKFAST ON NOV. 12 - Together With Veterans of Southwestern Pennsylvania is sponsoring the first annual Veterans Day Weekend Pancake Breakfast Fellowship. The event will be held at the Greene County Fair grounds 4-H Building (Bottom Floor) on Saturday, November 12, 2022 from 8am10am. All veterans are welcome. Pancakes, coffee, water, juice, bacon, sausage, and scrambled eggs will be served. Contact southwesternpenntwv@gmail.com FMI.

GreeneScene by

Mark Durbin

GreeneScene