Holiday I GreeneScene Magazine

HOLIDAY I 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

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Post a Photo to Social Media and Win a $25 Gift Card!

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FEATURES 4 6

Oh Christmas Tree!

Equipment & Accessories

GREENESCENE OF THE PAST Downtown Christmas Tree

5 Kidz Kandy

Toys, Novelty Items & Gifts

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PUBLIC SERVICE PROFILE

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COOL AT SCHOOL

Women’s Apparel, Shoes, Jewelry & Accessories

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GOING GREENE

Greene County Tourism

Greene Works! The Works Progress Administration

Greene County Gifts

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GREENE ARTIFACTS

Hilltop Packs Coffee Company

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COUNTY CONVERSATIONS

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GOOD NEWS IN GREENE

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MESSAGE BOARD

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HOMETOWN HERITAGE

WHS Greene Auxiliary

Fashion Shoppe

Jefferson-Morgan Crochet Club

Lighting the Way

The HOME Program

Scan me to learn more!

Meats, Jerky & Amish Canned Goods

Kiln to Table

Community announcements and opportunities A snapshot of Greene County sports

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GREENE COUNTY COON HUNTERS

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ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

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OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

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SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

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THINK BIG & SHOP SMALL

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BREAKFAST WITH SANTA

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ALL THINGS CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

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CHRISTMAS PARADE

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HISTORIC COUNTRY CHRISTMAS

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HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE

Locally Roasted Coffee, Backpacks & Gifts

Hungarian Smokehouse

Awards & acknowledgements within our community

EXTRAS

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4 Seasons Lawn & Garden

I LOVE THIS PLACE

Pottery & Artisan Gifts www.VisitGreene.org/Challenge Full rules available at www.VisitGreene. org/Challenge. No purchase is required to win. Challenge ends at 11:59pm EST Friday, December 24, 2021.

Lippencott Alpacas Scarves, Hats, Gloves & Stuffed Animals

Lumber Ladies

Crafts, Gifts & Decor

Mickey’s Men’s Store

Men’s & Women’s Apparel, Boots & Accessories

Stokes General Merchandise Everything but the Kitchen Sink!

The Dutch House Antiques & Gifts

The Nest

Waynesburg University Apparel & Gifts

The Perfect Arrangement & Lily Bee’s Gift Shop Floral, Soaps, Decor & Gifts

Thistlethwaite Vineyards Locally Produced Wine

Wayne Lumber & Supply Lumber, Equipment & Home Improvement

Meet the Greene Co. Coon Hunters Association Rachel Rohanna Virgili

OCC continues to serve others during Christmas Small Business Saturday is November 27 Help our community’s businesses by shopping local Breakfast with Santa and Letters to Santa at Fairgrounds Starts the week after Thanksgiving in Carmichaels The drive through parade returns this year At Christmas Open House at the GCHS Museum Downtown Waynesburg has the spirit of the season!

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HOLIDAY I 2021

HOLIDAY I 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

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I Love this P l ace

Robert Crouse of Rogersville donates the 2022 Christmas tree he found as a seedling in 1977.

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he towering evergreen that appears as if by magic on the Greene County Courthouse steps the Friday after Black Friday has a backstory that was almost – but not quite – lost to time.

Thanks to the late G. Wayne Smith, who pored over the microfilm of old local newspapers to write the History of Greene County, we know it made the news when the Federation of Women’s Clubs and the Waynesburg Board of Trade put up the first Christmas tree at the courthouse on December 19, 1916.

The story doesn’t say what spirit moved the ladies and tradesmen of the county to sponsor such an extravagant event but it reports that John Hoge donated the 50-foot spruce, county commissioners bought the lights and the local power company paid to light them up for a week of nightly services and festivities that began with Christmastide on Sunday, December 24. Some 1,200 people came to hear Burgess Meighen open the 6:45 p.m. services with prayers followed by a coronet solo. For the next six days, 4

OH CHRISTMAS TREE!

By Colleen Nelson

Once the tree is placed at the Courthouse, the fireman help volunteers with decorating.

community churches took turns leading the services, prayers and music held round the tree.

What prompted this might be explained by the times the world was living through. America was about to take those first tentative steps towards entering a war that had already ignited Europe. By May 18, 1917, the Selective Services Act would be enacted, the first since the Civil War and the first to disallow the wealthy to purchase substitutes.

All men aged 21 to 30 would sign up to be selected – or not - for the first wave of recruitment and the men of Company K would begin mustering out to Camp Sherman in September, then on to the battle fields of France.

It’s possible that the wives and mothers of Greene County were moved to action in the best way possible – to do something to bring their community together in the spirit of peace and good will to mankind as they faced an uncertain future that would send their sons and husbands off to the First World War. That first tree was most likely deco-

Moose officers Mike Harmon and John Meter.

rated with red ribbons, a German tradition practiced since the mid-1800s in America. There would probably be fruit and candy in paper cones for the children who came to stand in awe before all those newfangled electric lights.

The courthouse tree didn’t make the microfilm again until 1927 when John Headley of Equitable Gas “took the initiative” to put up a tree and the business community rallied behind him.

Carnegie Natural Gas, Peoples Gas and Waynesburg Water Supply got into the act and George Murdock of Jefferson donated the tree. It’s not hard to imagine those first cars on High Street slowing down to admire the sight and stopping to do some Christmas shopping while they were in town. By 1931 a tree on the courthouse steps marked the beginning of the holiday season. That year, James K. Thomas donated the lights, West Penn Power paid for the electricity and merchants put up Christmas trees with lights on both sides of High Street.

Having a Christmas tree on the courthouse steps relied on those who do-

nated the trees and those with access to a boom truck and other tools to do the heavy lifting and placement that came with felling and moving a 30-foot tree, then anchoring it to the steps and decorating it.

From the 1930s through the 1950s local gas companies used their workers to get the trees and bring them to the courthouse with company equipment.

When the Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge 461 in Waynesburg decided to take on the project in the 1960s, it was because members who were gas company employees or retirees still had access to the equipment and the Waynesburg Fire Department had the bucket truck and manpower to do the decorating.

When Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful got involved 13 years ago, Holiday Open House was added to the festivities. Fire barrels were on street corners, carolers and musicians made the rounds, free wagon rides and visits with Santa were happening as holiday shoppers browsed stores and vendors in their outdoor kiosks for presents. The Holiday

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Open House event has become the un- Christmas season. official kickoff to the holiday season in Greene County.

This year’s Holiday Open House will be held on December 3.

The tradition of donating mature spruce and fir trees for the Courthouse steps continues.

Many of them have outgrown their spot in the yard and need removed. These big 30- to 50-foot beauties from around the county are prime candidates for their next incarnation as a towering Christmas tree, ready to wow children of all This tree on Nettle Hill didn’t make the cut because it was too far from town. ages through the Greene County United Way would like to thank our community, our donors, our sponsors, and our volunteers for your support throughout 2021!

Thank you!

Through your generosity, you have helped libraries touch lives. You have offered abused individuals a safe space and vulnerable adults a hot meal. You have provided food to those who are struggling and helped when a disaster hit.

On behalf of the Greene County United Way Staff and Board, have a wonderful holiday season!

HOLIDAY I 2021

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G reen e Sce n e of the Pa st

By Colleen Nelson

Mike Harmon, Rich Hopkins, George Smith, Bob Simpson, Tony Negley

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he cutline on this undated photograph from the Observer-Reporter tells us “members of the Waynesburg Moose erected the community tree on the courthouse plaza Sunday morning.”

What Sunday morning? Hard to tell because the date has been trimmed from the clipping. But when Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful became involved with the community Christmas tree project 13 years ago, the Friday after Black Friday became the set up day, so it 6

has to be older than that.

The cutline names names: the tree was donated by Robert Levo of Dark Hollow Road and the Moose had also helped set up a holiday tree donated by Mrs. Stewart Edwards of Morningside at Greene County Memorial Hospital that year.

Moose Lodge administrator Mike Harmon’s best guess is this newspaper clipping is from somewhere between 1978 and 1983. It’s just one of the many memories of Christmas trees past that

are in Lodge archives, including photographs of what it takes to harvest something this big, using the boom truck that Equitable Gas eventually donated to the county.

“We trim it up a bit so we can get into the base then go up and connect the hoist to the tree so that it will hopefully balance to a horizontal position when cut,” Harmon explained.

“We try to place the worst side on the bed of the truck because the branches break under its own weight and the further we have to travel the more damage to the tree. When we are erecting the tree in town, we cut the base to fit in a hole in the courthouse steps, move the hookup to the right of the tree and place it. We secure it as much as possible without taking away from its appearance. However one year it did blow over and needed put back up.”

One of the photographs Harmon shared was of a gorgeous spruce on Nettle Hill that didn’t make the cut because it was too far from town. In another undated photo, that year’s tree wranglers can be seen posing amidst the cone-studded branches of the downed Norway spruce that would soon be on its way to town.

How about this year’s tree? It’s grow-

ing on the corner of Schoolhouse Road, Rogersville, in the backyard of Robert Crouse. Crouse, who turned 90 this year, planted it as a seedling in 1985 when he moved in with his mom from the family home next door.

Crouse said he first noticed it growing against the wall of the family home in 1977, most likely planted there by a neighborhood squirrel and decided to mow around it and watch it grow. “It was just a splinter – about six inches high. I don’t know why but I just let it be.”

Once transplanted from the shady wall to the edge of the sunny back yard it began to grow in earnest. As it grew ever taller and fuller over the years, Crouse began removing lower branches in order to mow under it. Last year he thought about donating it to be the Courthouse Christmas tree because it was mature, and like most evergreens that are grown as ornamentals out of their natural habitat, susceptible to blights as they age.

Crouse, who was a logger with W A Wilson Staves in East Vies after he graduated from Center Township High School in 1949, makes an educated guess that his tree is well over 40 feet high.

But we won’t really know until Mark Harmon and his crew of Lodge members and county workers arrive to get it ready for its drive to town to be this year’s Christmas Tree on the courthouse steps.

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HOLIDAY I 2021

HOLIDAY I 2021

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Public Service Profile

By Lachlan Loudon

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WHS GREENE AUXILIARY

he year 2021 marks a special anniversary for the WHS Greene Auxiliary volunteer group. It has been 100 years since thirteen women came together to assemble a team to support the hospital.

Originally led by Mrs. Margaret Crago, the auxiliary was formed from representatives from several churches and clubs who saw a need for assistance.

Over the course of the past 100 years, the auxiliary has found many ways to contribute efforts towards WHS Greene. Today, the auxiliary accomplishes this through two parts within the hospital: the escort desk and the lobby shop. There is also a third location outside of the hospital that engages volunteers called The Cherry Door in Waynesburg.

This shop, located on High Street, was organized in 1960 and consists of affordable household items and clothing for members of the community to purchase with profits going back to the hospital. It’s a mutually beneficial operation between the hospital and the community that runs on volunteer service by the auxiliary. “[It’s] tremendous,” Rebecca Biddle, Director of Volunteer Services, says. “It provides a tremendous support to staff, where volunteers are stepping forward and greeting people or delivering newspapers. They are fundraisers here. They’ve donated over a million dollars to the hospital since their inception in 1921. It’s just incredible all the stuff that they’ve done for the community.”

The history of the auxiliary is very rich.

Their role in helping the hospitals started as women working from their homes, sewing together supplies for the hospital. They also provided food for patients through gardening.

In its early years, the hospital was located on the campus of Waynesburg University, and the auxiliary would simply make ends meet by assisting with monthly bills, including rent.

A list from February 1922 has $500 worth of sheets, pillows, screen

covers, knives, forks, spoons, vegetables, lemon squeezers and biscuit pans that the auxiliary would help pay for.

In the 1940s, a “Donation Day” was held where monetary donations, canned goods, fresh produce, feed sacks to make pillows, linens, fabric for curtains and many other items were donated to augment the hospital supplies. Local high school classes also got involved by building screen frames and footstools for patients.

To observe the centennial milestone, a special luncheon was held in September at the Greene County Historical Society. Long serving volunteers Jean Gusic and Mary Zollars were honored at this event for their work as members of the auxiliary.

“It was a great event,” Rebecca says.

“Personally, I’ve never been in that building, but if you haven’t, it has fantastic artifacts from the history of Greene County and it is really cool to see.”

It only makes sense to hold a historical celebration of a 100-year-old group in a building that houses the county’s history.

The members of the auxiliary enjoyed a catered meal and a peek into the history of Greene County that they are now a working part of.

The work of the WHS Greene Auxiliary group will continue into the holiday season as they prepare to continue fundraising and providing support to WHS Greene and its patients. Greene county residents have been impacted by the auxiliary for the past 100 years and continue to do so.

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hanks to the interest of students at Jefferson-Morgan High School, a new club was created. A group of students were chatting one day about their shared interest in crochet and how much they would love to have a crochet club. After the discussion, these students approached Principal Brandon Robinson about getting a sponsor for the club. In September, the brand-new crochet club was born with Mrs. Angie Mack as the club sponsor.

The club currently has about twenty members of differing skill levels. Those with more crochet experience help those still learning by teaching and sharing skills. Any student at the high school is welcome to join the club.

Angie believes that crochet can provide many benefits to the students. It gives the students an “opportunity to learn skills to take to adulthood” and “helps to alleviate stress.”

Learning crochet also ensures that an incredibly old skill continues to live on in younger generations. The group teaches “creativity and interaction” with a skill that the students can “pass down to their children and grandchildren.”

Crochet club members at JeffersonMorgan are currently learning the process and have a big, heart-warming goal – they

HOLIDAY I 2021

Co o l at Sc h oo l

By Michelle Church

JEFFERSON-MORGAN SCHOOL DISTRICT want to do service-based projects. Someday they plan to crochet for children with cancer, make blankets for the elderly, and scarves for the poor. Currently, some of their favorite projects have been a Santa head scarf and a Pride banner for one of the teachers.

Crocheting maintains a bridge between the past and the future. While the origins of crochet are murky, it has been a part of our shared history for more than a century. Many of us, people of all ages, still curl up with a blanket our grandmother crocheted. After a decline in popularity, crochet is becoming trendy again. One need look no further than Olympian Tom Daley who sat with his needles, knitting and crocheting, in his downtime. Tom touts the benefits of crochet, saying, “one thing that has kept me sane throughout this whole process is my love for knitting and crochet and all things stitching.”

Serotonin is released with repetitive movement and that improves both your calmness and mood. Crochettherapy.com says that crocheting is “a magical combination of mindfulness, repetition, focus, creativity, hand movement, productivity and…

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

positive social interactions.” Simply put, crocheting can improve happiness long-term.

A recent book by the actress Sutton Foster, named Hooked, also attributed crochet and crafting to her stress management. In a quote from the book Hooked, Sutton also mentions how everything you create is a “time capsule and an heirloom” and that creating a craft is making memories. That’s what the crochet club students at Jefferson-Morgan are doing – making memories with camaraderie and service to others, while learning new skills.

Interested in learning (or reMegan John was the first J-M student to finish a piece learning) the skill of crochet? Check that she started with the help of Mrs. Mack. with local organizations, events like Sheep & Fiber Festival, and similar would like to get rid of, the crochet club businesses. Many places like this have crochet groups or know of some. There would love to have it. Contact the high school are also thousands of videos on YouTube that office at 724-883-2310 and let them know teach crochet, as well as online classes from that you have crochet materials available to donate. groups like SkillShare.

If you have crafting material that you

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G o in g G re e n e

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GREENE WORKS! THE WORKS PROGRESS ADMINISTRATION

orld War I had been over for more than a decade and the Roaring Twenties were raging on throughout most of the country. However, Greene County was suffering her own economic depression. In 1928, a year before the stock market crash of 1929, several banks in the area had failed, property values in the county were on a rapid decline, and it was a very uncertain time. County officials were encouraging homeowners to remodel their homes to create jobs and pleading with farmers to take on laborers to help curb the massive unemployment. The state created an unemployment committee for Greene County to canvas the region in hopes of finding and creating jobs, but there was no end to the hardships in sight.

Matters would only get worse when the great depression struck the nation in 1929.

The people of Greene County would prove themselves to be industrious. Several local groups formed for the purposes of helping and aiding those who found themselves going through tough times. The American Legion Relief Committee, chaired by J. E. Isherwood proved to be the most important local private relief agency for providing assistance to the needy. In coordination with the Greene County Poor Board (the agency responsible for overseeing the poor farm or County Home where the Greene County Historical Society now resides) and the Monongahela Township School Board, the Legion’s Relief Committee staged a benefit show with the proceeds used to buy shoes, clothing, utensils, and other necessities for those who were suffering the greatest effects of the Depression. Later, in 1931, they held Christmas Dinner for the poor at the Poland Mines theater, and special free lunches were arranged for children at the Poland Mines school house.

Greene County largely dealt with the consequences of the 1928 local depression and the Great Depression on her own. The local population did everything they could to help get everyone back on their feet, with great amounts of success. Times would still remain tough with the impact on the coal industry, which even then was a large part of the Counties economic structure. On May 6, 1935, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order #7034 creating the Works Progress Administration (WPA), an agency whose purpose was to assist in funding public works projects to create jobs. By that time, Greene County had largely stabilized herself and was dealing with the Depression well.

Greene County would still see a pres-

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By Matthew Cumberledge

ence from the WPA, but not like other areas of the country where the WPA would build bridges and work on local infrastructure such as power and water utilities. In Greene County, the WPA would turn its eye towards the preservation of history with a special emphasis on the history of our local veterans.

Dr. Paul Rich “Prexy” Stewart of Waynesburg University and U.S. Army veteran Frank B. Jones, both mentored by Professor Andrew Jackson Waychoff of Waynesburg University, would perhaps be Greene County’s most involved citizens with the WPA. Both men would work on two major projects through the WPA that would have lasting impacts on Greene County, her history, the memorializing of her veterans, and on the field of archaeology. Jones and Stewart lead projects that would locate, identify, record and survey the burial locations of all veterans buried in Greene County while at the same time studying the archaeology of Greene County and making discoveries that would be studied for decades to come.

Jones and Stewart were both founding members of the Greene County Historical Society established the previous decade in November 1925. Jones specifically would work with over a dozen other individuals searching the archives held by the historical society and by canvassing the local population to locate nearly 700 cemeteries in the county, create detailed surveys and record the locations of the burial of every veteran discovered in Greene County. Jones would also create a veterans burial index on note cards that is now archived at the Greene County Historical Society and available for research at Cornerstone Genealogical Society.

This work in recording veterans burials remains significant to this day. In many cases, the surveys generated give detailed descriptions of the size, limits, location and orientation of the cemetery, as well as specifically where in the cemetery veterans can be found. These surveys are often the only record of a

Frank Jones, while working with the WPA at a Native American site.

Dr. Paul Rich “Prexy” Stewart

Grave of Benjamin Garrison at the Geho Cemetery, located from WPA Surveys. Benjamin was a veteran of the American Revolution and died at the age of 107.

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specific cemetery.

Frank Jones and the crew working through the WPA were able to speak with locals who had memories of long forgotten spots where great grandfathers and more distant ancestors were buried in unmarked graves and were able to locate them for the men working with the WPA to be recorded.

Many graves that remain unmarked, even to this day can be identified based on the surveys created in the mid-1930s.

This WPA work would also be heavily used throughout the mid-1960s and 1970s by Dorothy and James Hennen when they made their prolific 12-volume set of Cemetery Records of Greene County. The Hennen’s used the WPA Surveys to locate long forgotten family burial grounds and recorded every known cemetery in the county, with transcriptions from each individual stone in each cemetery.

The WPA work, culminating with the Hennen Cemetery Records, has made locating the burials of distant ancestors in Greene County very simple for the genealogist and historian and few other locations have cemeteries as well recorded as we do here in Greene County.

Stewart and Jones would both engage in another project through the WPA, a passion both men shared along with their mentor, Andrew J. Waychoff. The prehistory of Greene County and the study of artifacts that had been found by farmers in their fields for over 150 years was a topic both men had been studying throughout the first quarter of the twentieth century, and with the WPA, Stewart and Jones had the chance to fund an extensive archaeological survey of Greene County.

Several important sites were located throughout Greene County (for the purposes of protecting and preservation of archaeological sites we will only mention locations of

specific sites vaguely). Most notably one on a high hilltop in Jefferson Township and two in Franklin Township just south of Waynesburg.

These sites provided a wealth of information on the Monongahela Culture, a group of Native Americans that lived in the area surrounding the Monongahela River from about 1000AD through 1635AD, and was just beginning to become known to archaeologists.

All the sites discovered by the WPA were village sites from different time periods during the years the Monongahela Culture existed in the region. They provided a wealth of information to be used to create a full picture of what life was like for these prehistoric people. Without the work done by Frank Jones and Prexy Stewart, little would be known about the Monongahela People and the prehistory of Greene County.

The artifacts discovered by the WPA would be photographed and referenced in over 40 years’ worth of publications taught in colleges and universities. They also helped to further the understanding of the Native Cultures that existed in the eastern United States.

Both projects, the cemetery surveys, and the archaeological surveys are still researched by many today. Cornerstone Genealogical Society archives the actual completed surveys showing veterans burials, and they can be used by the public to help locate the grave sites of ancestors. The archaeological work can be found spread throughout issues of Pennsylvania Archaeologist, a publication by the Society for Pennsylvania Archaeology. Some artifacts recovered are on display at both the Greene County Historical Society Museum and the museum at Waynesburg University. Both of the latter institutions can credit, at least in part, their establishment to Dr. Paul Rich “Prexy” Stewart.

Don’t Do It Alone!

Various graves located at the Geho Cemetery where Garrison was discovered.

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Gre e ne Art ifacts

By Matthew Cumberledge, GCHS Executive Director

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LIGHTING THE WAY

anterns are an item that we still use today, though not as often as we once did. Perhaps you’ve used one during a power outage or when camping, and many likely have one hanging in our garage waiting for use. Recently, lantern collecting has become quite the hobby and it’s one that I find that I myself am very interested.

Most lanterns today use kerosene or store-bought lamp oil for fuel, and that has been the case since the mid-1860s. The first kerosene lanterns were beautifully constructed and highly well made, and many

of those that have survived over the last century and a half are still in good working order today.

The lantern we are showcasing this month dates to the mid-1930s. This small lantern was made by Embury Manufacturing Company of Warsaw New York. Embury Manufacturing was known for high quality manufacturing standards and a strongly made, very durable lantern.

Specifically, this is a Model 150 Little Supreme Lantern. A smaller lantern with a 5/8th inch wide wick to provide a bright flame and save on fuel usage.

These model 150s was very common in the 1930s and 40s and many survive and are still in use to this day.

This specific Model 150 however has a very special feature. On the bottom of the lantern, the letters “WPA” are visible, added with black paint.

WPA stands for Works Progress Administration, part of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal” that was created to help stimulate the economy and create jobs during the Great Depression.

The WPA would engage in projects such as laying new water lines, building bridges, public buildings and in some cases even entire towns. In Greene County, Pennsylvania specifically, the WPA worked to record cemeteries and conducted an archaeological survey.

Though little specific history of this lantern is known, it’s association with the WPA links it to a major part of our national history. Many such lanterns were purchased and used by the WPA during the 1930s, but only a few survived due to very heavy use.

What stories could this lantern tell?

Keep an eye out on our website and Facebook page for information on our upcoming events, and for more information on our 2022 season!

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County Conversations DEVELOPMENT & PLANNING

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HOME PROGRAM

f your home needs some help, the Greene repair, the funds will provide an opportunity County Planning and Community De- to strengthen the Greene County Workforce velopment Department’s HOME Pro- by employing local qualified contractors. gram may be the solution to your (and your The HOME program utilizes federal home’s) problems. The program rehabilitates funds, and federal regulations stipulate that homes owned by low to moderate income contractors must be licensed, insured, and residents in Greene County. “The program the general contractor must be EPA-certiallows our senior residents on fixed incomes fied to work with lead-containing surfaces. and low to moderate income residents and Other qualifications include having been in families to have safe housing,” says Program business one year or more, as well as providDirector Crystal Simmons. “It also helps the ing references. communities by removing blight and deteFinding qualified contractors is the bigriorating structures which affects the value gest challenge the HOME program faces. of neighboring properties.”

To expand their list of approved contracThe HOME program offers a deferred tors, they are working with area job training payment loan of up to $35,000 to make re- agencies and regional offices. They are also pairs that bring the home into code compli- accepting contractor applications. ance. The deferred payment loan converts to The HOME program improves the a grant after five years if compliance require- housing situation of dozens of families and ments are met. The loans can be used to as- provides much needed repairs to individuals sist with roof issues, safety and health issues, who would not be able to finance the repairs updates to major systems such as furnaces, to their home without assistance. With projoutdated electric or plumbing systems, and ects anticipated to start on the late fall of this other repairs that preserve, improve, and year, the need for contractors is urgent. FMI, stabilize the current housing stock in Greene or to apply for housing rehabilitation or as a County. contractor, contact the HOME Program ofThe Greene County Planning and fice at 724-852-5260, email CDBGhome@ Community Development has recently an- co.greene.pa.us, or visit www.co.greene. nounced the receipt of $500,000 from the pa.us/Department-HOME-Program.

Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) of federal grant funds through the HOME Investment Partnership Program. In addition to helping homeowners with forgivable loans for home Crystal Simmons Nikki Mickens

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WCHS Students of the Month

WU Awarded $2.5M XR Learning Grant Waynesburg University has been awarded a $2.5M grant from EON Reality, Inc., to fund implementation of virtual and augmented reality (XR) experiences through EONXR, the company’s flagship solution.

“Students [will be able to] pull their cell phones out of their pockets, put on simple three-dimensional glasses, and become immersed in experiential lessons. They can visit locations around the world, manipulate objects in three dimensions, and take apart and rebuild complex models,” said Dr. James Rieker, instructional designer at Waynesburg University. “In effect, students will learn by doing, making, and exploring in ways that were not possible before.”

The EON Reality grant will provide faculty with the tools necessary to build XR learning experiences for students across a host of disciplines, at both the undergraduate and the graduate level.

“We have many faculty members already excited about including both virtual and augmented reality components into classes that they teach,” said Dr. Evonne Baldauff, Assistant Provost for Online Learning & Curriculum Development and Chair of the Department of Chemistry & Forensic Science. “I believe that this initiative will place the University at the ground level of early adopters of XR technologies.”

Dr. Janet Paladino, professor of biology, was instrumental in identifying and pursuing this grant opportunity. Motivated to tackle challenges presented to higher education by the pandemic, Paladino spent time over the summer exploring new ways to utilize technology to enhance learning opportunities.

“After conducting a great deal of research, I discovered that there is a whole world out there, a virtual one, with the potential to revolutionize teaching and learning,” shared Paladino.

Paladino plans to utilize EON Reality’s XR solution to create 360° virtual field trips and lesson plans to educate students about international environmental issues and hopes to develop international collaborative efforts using EON-XR. She is also interested in using the technology to develop virtual worlds in the biological sciences where students can travel inside a cell to study photosynthesis, or experience pollination of plants from the perspective of a honey bee.

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The students of the month for September are Lauren Strelick and Bryce Clutter.

Lauren is the daughter of Brian and Chera Strelick of Waynesburg. She has earned a 3.9 GPA throughout high school. Lauren is a 4-year letterman in soccer and a 2-year letterman in track and field.

She is a member of Student Council, NHS, Alpha beta club, and the ski club. Ms. Strelick is very involved in the FFA. She has served as an FFA officer for three years.

She has earned an FFA chapter award and a greenhand degree.

Outside of school, Lauren loves riding horses. She rides at Seldom Seen Farm and is a member of the English Saddleseat Riding Show team. Lauren is an active member of the First Baptist Church of Waynesburg. She teaches children’s church and has traveled with the church on Mission trips. Ms. Strelick is also a certified lifeguard. She has worked at the Greene County Aquatic Center and Mylan Aquatic

center.

Ms. Strelick is a Member of the Waynesburg University Achievement Academy. She will attend Waynesburg University next fall and pursue a degree in Forensic Investigation. She plans to someday work for the FBI. Bryce Clutter is the son of Terry and Keri Clutter of Waynesburg. Bryce has earned straight ‘A’s throughout high school. Bryce has stayed very busy at WCHS. He is a member of NHS, the soccer team, the Spanish Club, the drama club and the academic league. He also plays drums in the marching band, pep band and percussion ensemble. Mr. Clutter loves soccer.

He is a soccer letterman and has worked as a referee for the Greene County Soccer Association for the past four years.

Outside of school, Bryce attends the Crossroads Youth Group. Bryce’s future plans are to attend college and major in engineering.

“The possibilities for creating virtual worlds in STEM education are infinite!” Paladino said.

The implementation plan includes training a cohort of faculty on the platform beginning this fall, with several projects being piloted during the first year. The early focus will be on developing the supporting structures on campus and utilizing the University’s instructional design team’s expertise to pilot lessons.

Over the course of five years, the technology will be implemented in academic programs across campus, likely providing every student at Waynesburg the opportunity to experience XR in a class at some point.

“Seeing a university like Waynesburg that is so eager and excited to bring EON-XR to their students and faculty is always thrilling for me, as it furthers my belief that we are truly making a difference in transforming education,” said Dan Lejerskar, EON Reality The Greene County Association of School Retirees Founder and Chairman. “As we have seen (GCASR) presented the following awards: over the last 18 months, providing students • AARP Volunteer Award to Charlene May, presented with hands-on and immersive experiences

by GCASR President Lori Greene. can be crucial for a proper classroom setting, • GCASR Volunteer of the Year Award to Charlene and I can’t wait to see how Waynesburg UniMay, presented by Greene [R] and Barb Ruschak [L]. versity is able to utilize EON-XR to create, • John Dillion Award publish, and experience more XR content. (for outstanding serCreating partnerships like this, both across vice to the local chapter America and around the world, is what EON from the state associaReality, our global network, and the knowltion of school retirees) edge metaverse are all about.” to Rosemary Andrew, EON-XR integrates into the University’s presented by Greene. existing learning management system, Canvas.

“This is a tremendous opportunity for the University,” Rieker said. “Our Each year, the National FFA tion & Expo. The award recognizes list of FFA and community activities. goal is to become Organization honors FFA members demonstrated ability and outstanding Less than one percent of FFA memleaders in educating our students who show the utmost dedication to achievements in agricultural busi- bers achieve the American FFA Dewith innovative and the organization through their desire ness, production, processing or ser- gree.

Each recipient of the American immersive learn- to develop their potential for premier vice programs.

To be eligible, FFA members FFA Degree receives a gold American ing technologies. leadership, personal growth and caWe hope to partner reer success through agricultural edu- must have earned and productively FFA Degree key and certificate after with other institu- cation. The American FFA Degree is invested $10,000 through a super- being recognized at the national contions across the bestowed upon a select group of stu- vised agricultural experience (SAE) vention. country to build dents in recognition of their years of program in which they own their own collaborations that academic and professional excellence. business or hold a professional posiAvery Berdine and Kenneth (DJ) tion as an employee. Recipients must make the most of these emerging Jones, members of the West Greene also complete 50 hours community technologies as we FFA chapter in Waynesburg were service and demonstrate outstanding develop best prac- awarded the American FFA Degree leadership abilities and civic involveat the 94th National FFA Conven- ment through completion of a long tices for their use.”

GCASR Presents Awards

Local FFA Members Awarded National American FFA Degree

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This Winter, Find More Snuggle Time.

NMLS#458729

Be prepared for the cold with the help of First Federal of Greene County. With a home improvement or home equity loan, you can finally upgrade that old furnace, take care of that leaking roof or replace those outdated floors. Keep the cold out and keep the warm and cozy in your home this winter. Visit a Loan Officer, or apply anytime online!

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CFGC Announces New Director The Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC) is pleased to announce the appointment of David Calvario, Ph.D. as the new Executive Director of the foundation.

Dr. Calvario will replace current Executive Director, Bettie Stammerjohn who announced last spring her intention to retire at the end of October.

“The Foundation is thrilled to have Dave as our new executive director,” said CFGC Chairwoman, Beth Hellems. “Dave’s background in higher education and county government, along with his involvement in local non-profits, provides a great fit for CFGC. Dr. Calvario brings more than 30 years’ experience in nonprofit experience to the position, working with diverse age groups and community issues.

He earned a Ph.D. in College Student Personnel Administration from the University of Northern Colorado. He holds a Master of Science in Counseling/College Student Personnel, as well as a Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice from Shippensburg University.

Calvario said, “I am excited to start this new opportunity to expand the Foundation within our County. For me, life is about leaving fingerprints after we have departed this life. I look forward to working throughout our communities sharing how people can

leave a legacy for generations to come.”

Prior to his appointment with the Community Foundation of Greene County, Calvario was the Executive Director of the Redevelopment Authority of the County of Greene since 2015. He also served as Interim Executive Director of the Corner Cupboard Food Bank for several months in 2014. He began his career in Greene County at Waynesburg University as Associate Dean of Students in 1995, working his way up to Dean of Students and Director of Center for Service Leadership and Chair of the Service-Learning Department from 20042014.

Dr. Calvario resides in Waynesburg with his family.

He will take over his new duties at the Foundation after November 5th.

The Community Foundation of Greene County is a private, non-profit 501c3 organization, founded in 2000 to better our people and community through philanthropy. The Community Foundation currently manages more than $8 million in endowed and restricted assets through various donor established funds that support local nonprofit organizations, address community needs, and provide student scholarship.

For more information about the Community Foundation, call 724-627-2010 or visit our website at www.cfgcpa.org.

Chamber Announces 2021 Award Winners

The Greene County Chamber of Com- ning, customer satisfaction and management merce hosted their 33rd annual Member- of people; a commitment to social responship Banquet and presentation of the Distin- sibility and exemplary community involveguished Service Award on October 28th at ment; demonstrated a positive social and/or Valley View Farm in Waynesburg. economic impact on the community and exThe Distinguished Service Awards are emplary civic community leadership. bestowed based on lasting contributions to Receiving the 2021 McCracken Legacy community welfare, participation in civic Award is the Waynesburg V.F.W. Post #4793, organizations, evidence of leadership ability, Auxiliary and Cooties. success in vocation, personal and/or business progress, and cooperation with other individuals and organizations. The award has no relation to work performed 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 Distinguished Service Award was presented from 2004 to 2015. In 2016 the McCrackBly Blystone received the Distinguished Service Award. en Legacy Award was presented for the first time to First Federal Savings & Loan of Greene County.

The 2021 award recipients are Distinguished Service Award -George “Bly” Blystone and Posthumous Distinguished Service Award – the late Rick Black The McCracken Legacy Award is awarded to a business or organization, having an operating presence in Greene County who has Receiving the 2021 McCracken Legacy Award is the demonstrated ambition, profitabilWaynesburg V.F.W. Post #4793, Auxiliary and Cooties. ity, growth, sound business plan-

Locals Honored at Peace Begins at Home Dinner

At the 15th Annual Peace Begins at Home Dinner, Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern PA honored a local police department, business, and volunteer for their work to help survivors of domestic violence and their children find peace and safety. Every dollar raised at the event helps provide free and confidential services for survivors in Washington, Greene, and Fayette counties.

“We were thrilled to bring our annual dinner back again after we had to cancel it last year due to COVID,” said Lisa G. Hannum, DVSSP CEO. “I am extremely proud to say that during the pandemic, we never closed our doors, and we never stopped providing services to clients at a time when they needed our help the most. This would not have been possible without your support.”

During the dinner, Hannum presented awards for these groups efforts to help survivors of domestic violence and their children in southwestern PA. DVSSP recognized the Cecil Township Police Department for their active partici-

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pation in the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP). Through this critical program, survivors of domestic violence are given a brief survey when officers arrive on the scene, and depending on the lethality of the situation, can be immediately connected with DVSSP for services. The Cecil Township Police Department has changed lives, opened doors, and increased awareness of the services available to survivors through their active implementation of this program.

With the help of Hartman and Hartman’s generous donation of construction expertise, time, and materials, last year DVSSP was able to move into a beautiful and functional new administrative office in Brownsville, PA. The company also consistently supports DVSSP with monthly donations, and recently donated a vehicle to transport clients. The company also encourages their staff to volunteer for the agency.

Miss Thompson is the founder of the Pillows for Peace Program, which has provided DVSSP’s youth clients with 800 Pillows for

Peace b a g s over the past six years.

T h e creation of the bags involved Photo provided by Symetra Tour/Ali Palma. approximately $35,000 worth of donations and over 5,000 volunteer hours. The bags include stuffed animals and personal care items to make youth client’s stay at the safe house more comfortable.

DVSSP would like to thank the many local businesses and corporate sponsors that supported the event including platinum sponsors Aspirant, Prequel Solutions, and Mary Pruss; silver sponsor Anonymous; and bronze sponsors ProspHire Healthcare Consulting, Range Resources, Southwestern

Pennsylvania Eye Center, Washington County Bar Association, Washington Financial Bank, and Washington Health System. The keynote speaker for the event was Aspirant CEO and DVSSP board member Mike McClaine.

Every table at the Peace Begins at Home Dinner had an empty place setting in recognition of the lives lost to domestic violence.

In 2020, 109 individuals lost their lives to domestic violence in Pennsylvania. Their deaths leave an empty place at the family table, and an empty place in society.

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Free Photos with Santa

Want a free photo with Santa while helping to preserve local history? Starting November 10, you can pick a time online at picktime.com; sessions are set at 15 minute intervals. Photo sessions are on Saturdays from 9am to 5pm on 11/13, 11/20, 11/27, and 12/4. You will need to bring your own camera and/or photographer. During your appointment, you will be able to take all the photos you like. The location is outside un-

der a porch roof at Santa’s temporary headquarters (114 W. Wayne Street in Waynesburg). An appropriate backdrop is provided.

There are no fees, but if you would like to share some holiday cheer, donations are accepted (but not necessary). Proceeds from donations benefit local history projects at RainDayBoys.com and GreeneConnections.com. All done in the spirit of community fellowship and weather permitting.

New Paranormal Book about Greene Released Greene County, Pennsylvania was largely unknown to paranormal enthusiasts until 2018’s Haunted Hills and Hollows: What Lurks in Greene County Pennsylvania revealed the bizarre phenomena lurking in, and the haunted history of, the southwestern corner of the Keystone State.

Author and researcher Kevin Paul will guide readers on a return trip to those hills and hollows that hide secrets from many but share much with those who know how and where to look.

Haunted Hills and Hollows II: Still Lurking in Greene County Pennsylvania picks up where its predecessor left off by detailing alien encounters, unexplained lights, a bizarre owl-like object, hypnotic regression, unusual flying craft, ghosts, remote and mysterious roadways, local legends, retrocognition, and intelligent nonhuman entities hiding in plain sight. One thing is certain: it is nearly impossible to be alone in Greene County, Pennsylvania.

Immersed at an early age in local folklore and its application to everyday life in rural southwestern Pennsylvania, author Kevin Paul began studying the paranormal in 1966. His farm background and family history are blended with folklore to create a distinctive, low-tech approach to research and investigation of paranormal activity.

“People, communities, and the land are intertwined,” says Paul, “You simply can’t ignore the ground underfoot when investigating reports of paranormal activ-

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ity. It, along with folklore and the spirit world hold the keys to understanding the unexplained.”

Haunted Hills and Hollows II: Still Lurking in Greene County Pennsylvania will be published in paperback on October 23, 2022, to be followed by an e-book edition. The publisher is Visionary Living Publishing, an independent publishing house based in New Milford, Connecticut.

The book will be available on Amazon and elsewhere online, and in select bookstores.

Copies will also be available for purchase at Flenniken Library, 102 E. George Street, Carmichaels, PA 15320.

For more information, or to receive a review copy of Haunted Hills and Hollows II: Still Lurking in Greene County Pennsylvania,, contact Kevin Paul at hauntedgc@ yahoo.com or 724-255-0464.

Christmas Afghan Raffle

This 44” x 70” handmade afghan is sure to keep you cozy on cold winter evenings while you’re sitting in front of the fireplace. Tickets are $2 each and are available in the GCHS Museum Gift Shop by appointment (call 724-627-3204 to make an appointment) or through your favorite staff member or volunteer. Winner will be drawn Sunday, December 5, 2021 at 6 PM.

Senior Life Blanket Drive Senior Life in Waynesburg is accepting donations of new and used blankets during their blanket drive. There are three ways to donate: (1)bring in your new or used blanket donation to the Senior Life building at 100 EverGreene Drive in Waynesburg, PA; (2) give them to your building manager; and (3) contact Zack Shultz at 724-852-2273 to arrange a pickup if needed.

Mapletown Field Trip On Friday, October 15, 2021, Mapletown Environmental Science students had the opportunity to engage in the Rivers of Steel Environmental Science field trip in Pittsburgh. Students had the opportunity to collect water from all three rivers around Pittsburgh and complete several water quality chemistry tests. Other experiments completed were the collection of benthic macroinvertebrates, like mayfly nymphs, and macroinvertebrates that live near the surface of the water, like phytoplankton.

The objective was to determine if the rivers were healthy enough to support a strong

ecosystem; the findings were favorable.

Students shared their experiences. “I enjoyed being able to do experiments on the water and find out if the rivers were actually clean or not. My favorite part was the chemistry,” Tanner McCormick says. And Ben Goforth shares, “I liked the entire trip.

I learned about algae and that scientists do more than one of the same tests.” Kylee Hawk shares:“The trip was fun. We got to learn more about the watershed we live in. It was fun to see what type of microorganisms live in the water.”

Ghosts of Christmas Past w/ Ron Murphy Kevin Paul will host a Christmas themed event titled “Ghosts of Christmas Past With Ron Murphy” on December 11 at the Lions Club Park Community Building in Waynesburg. Doors open 7:15 PM. Admission is $10 and will benefit Flenniken Library.

WINNERS SPLASH LAGOON TRIP - Lou Pecjak of Mather.

Bicycle Donations Needed for Children The Russell’s Bikes 4 Kids Program is matching underprivileged children in Greene County to new bicycles. Bicycles and monetary donations, large or small, are being accepted and 100% of any money raised will go towards purchases of new bicycles.

If you know of any underprivileged children you think would love to have Santa Claus bring them a new bike for Christmas, or if you would like to donate money or a bicycle to this cause, please text or call Nathan Pierce at 724-747-8776. Names will be accepted until December 12.

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GreeneScene By Pam Lindsay

Christmas Dinner Theatre to be Presented at The Denny House

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he festive season is now upon this community, and as everyone is searching online for that special gift, it is nice to be able to come together and celebrate the holiday in person. Christmas and family gatherings go together. As the wellknown song states, “there is no place like home for the holidays.” You are invited to The Denny House on High Street for an evening of fine food, carols, poems and stories for “It is Christmas.”

“This program is a compilation of traditional stories and familiar carols that a r e sure to put one and all in the holiday spirit,” says director Edward L. Powers, “I love singing Christ-

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mas carols, and over the years have read some truly special stories that bring the message of Christmas to life. I have enjoyed putting this show together. We look forward to sharing this unique type of program with an audience.” Whether it is “Jingle Bells” or “Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Claus”, these numerous songs and readings will bring a Christmas warmth on a cold December evening.

Join your friends and neighbors at The Denny House on High Street in Waynesburg on December 11 at 6 pm for an evening of holiday joy, because as we all know... “It is Christmas.”

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Sponsored by

Intentional Walks

By Bret Moore

W

A Little Hoop History

ith winter sports season upon us, I thought it would be interesting to reflect on our local efforts. Obviously, wrestling is king in the county, but there have been bright spots on the hardwood as well for our local boys.

Most local fans above the age of 50 remember the glory days of Rudy Marisa’s Waynesburg College basketball teams of the 70s and 80s. Marisa turned a moribund program into a national power. His teams played before standing room only crowds at the fieldhouse that would eventually be renamed in his honor in 1999. They made 15 consecutive playoff appearances, winning the NAIA District 18 title in 1981 and from 19841989. The classic R&B song Kansas City Here I Come was heard annually on WANB as the team headed off to the National Tournament.

In the 80s, fans would line up around the gym two hours before the game.

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That decade, the team had the second highest winning percentage (82%) of any program in the NAIA. They were 131-21 from 1983-88 and at one point won 70 of 71 home games.

The high point was the nationally televised appearance in the NAIA semi-finals against Grand Canyon University On the high school level, there were periodic flashes of success in the first half of the 20th century in Carmichaels and Waynesburg with a handful of section championships and a couple of playoff runs (one each) to the WPIAL semi-finals held at Pitt Stadium. In 1955, Jim Walters of Cumberland Township High School set the WPIAL Single Game Scoring Record with 60 Points against West Beth. In 1960, Waynesburg’s Gary Milliken was on the NCAA National Champion Ohio State roster. That team had four future Hall of Famers: Fred Taylor, Bobby Knight, John Havlicek, and Jerry Lucas The 1962 West Greene Pioneers went 16-3 and had Dave Baily and Rick Sonneborn named to the All-WPIAL Team.

Sonneborn also received PIAA Honorable Mention. He went on to lead the state in scoring the following year with 693 points (34.7 PPG).

Sonneborn also scored 56 in a game against Father Kolb Memorial High and earned First Team All-State honors that year.

In 1969, Mapletown’s John Billitz was named FourthTeam All-State and All-American (UPI) after leading the county in scoring. The team won the section title, losing only one game all season. Other key players on the team were Buddy Quertinmont and

Bob Clites. Their trip to Waynesburg resulted in 250 people standing in the 800-seat gym.

A non-wrestling sellout of that nature was unheard of during that time. Clites won the 1970 county scoring title averaging 26.7 PPG and was named All-WPIAL and UPI Little All-State (Fourth Team). He became the first player in the county to reach the 1,000-point plateau (1,342). Remember, this was before freshman eligibility and the three-point line.

Two years later, the Maples won the WPIAL boys’ basketball title. At that time, the WPIAL allowed schools to play in a Class C certification. They beat Sparta in the first round of the PIAA tournament before losing to eventual state runner-up Karns City.

That same year, Carmichaels also made the PIAA “C” Playoffs and defeated ShanksvilleStoneycreek 72-66 before losing to Cambridge Springs in the second round.

Jefferson-Morgan’s Dennis Garrett became the second county player in the County’s 1,000-Point Club. He scored 1,356 career points from 1972 to 1975. Two years later, Waynesburg’s Craig Conklin would be the third and final member in that club before the three-point line changed the game.

In 1984, J.L Lechner became the highest scoring player in Carmichaels’ and Greene County history with 1,778 points. Both records stand today.

The 1988 Waynesburg team was the school’s most successful in over a half century. They went 16-5 and qualified for the PIAA state tournament. They beat Blackhawk in the first round before losing to Hampton in round two. They went on to beat Brookville in the first round of the PIAA tournament before losing to Aliquippa. The team was led by the third member of the Raider’s 1,000-Point Club, Kerry Marisa.

The 1991 West Greene team finished 197. That team also notched the Pioneer’s first ever playoff victory. Mike Cipoletti finished his career that season with 1,230 points. Chris Cook and Dave Goodwin joined Cipoletti on the All-District Team. Two years later, the Pioneers recorded their fourth straight win-

ning season. The highlight of the season was a thrilling double-overtime victory over traditional power Monessen in front of a sellout crowd. Dave Goodwin graduated that year as the Pioneers’ all-time scoring (1,753) and rebounding (986) leader. He was also named to the All-State Team and was a Pittsburgh PostGazette Fab Five selection.

In 1993, Carmichaels finished 17-9 and Chad Lechner was named the Observer-Reporter Boys Player of the Year. In 1996, the Mikes made it to the WPIAL Final Four and the PIAA Elite Eight. They were led by Justin Voithofer, who was named the WPIAL Class A Player of the Year. He averaged 29 PPG and was named to the AP All-State Small School Team. In addition, he made the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Fab Five. He finished his career as the second leading scorer in program history with 1,666 points. That year, Carmichaels became a ghost town on game nights as fans traveled faithfully with the team. After falling to Rochester in the WPIAL semifinals, the Mikes rebounded nicely in the state tournament. They defeated Sharpsville and Northern Bedford on their way to the PIAA Western Regionals. The run finally ended against Couldersport, but the season will remain incredibly special in Carmichaels’ sports history.

Jefferson-Morgan’s Calvin Wilson (1,684) and Tommy Curtis (1,008) both joined the 1,000 Point Club in 2000. Tyrone Wilson joined them the following year with 1,056 points. The team also had success during those years, winning section titles in both 2000 and 2001. The 2000 team reached the semi-finals and qualified for the PIAA Tournament. After defeating Forbes Road 65-47 in the opening round, they fell to eventual state champion Kennedy Christian.

More recently, Darton McIntire became the all-time points leader at Waynesburg in 2018 with 1,541. Finally, in 2019 Coach Don Williams retired after 44 years at Carmichaels, becoming one of only 19 coaches in WPIAL history with over 500 career wins.

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Have a Practice Plan

e go to the range. We have our range bag, two boxes of shells and our pistol. More than likely, we’re wearing our “lucky shooting shirt” with our favorite cargo pants, and we probably have our gun belt on, as well. Step up to the 3-, 5-, 7- or 10-yard line (pick your poison) on the square range. Slowly and carefully take aim. Drill that one, ragged hole into a paper target and tell yourself, “You are the man/woman!” Fifty to 100 rounds later, maybe after a couple of hammer pairs thrown in for good measure, we are done.

Fini, finito, fertig, complevit!

Not by a long shot, pardon the pun.

The practice session in which you have engaged looks nothing like the actual gun fight for which you carry your concealed weapon religiously. You have not drawn your weapon from your holster, much less from concealment where you’ll be carrying it, hopefully, when you need to access it. You will probably need it in a hurry. Slow is smooth; smooth is fast! Have you ironed out the creases in your draw stroke lately? Is your weapon shifting around in your hand or do you have a solid grip, deeply into the web of the thumb of your shooting hand? Are you seeing the front sight clearly as you present the weapon? How’s your trigger press? Are you jerking the trigger or maybe pushing the muzzle forward? Why is my group always a little bit low and left? What are those things on the ends of my shoelaces called?

By the way, they’re called aglets and yes, I had to Google it! FOCUS! Did you remember to breathe? I probably shouldn’t go here, but did you move off the firing line at any time during the entire session? Did you perform any level I, II or III clearances? Any speed or tactical reloads? I thought not… It may be a bit late in the game to ask this, but did you ever think about the four rules of firearm safety during this practice regiment?

And this, my friends, is where

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we all started. Seems a bit overwhelming, doesn’t it? I have heard that gun fights can be overwhelming, as well, even stressful.

That’s why we practice under controlled stress, with a plan. We try to make practice as close to the real thing so that if we are ever engaged in the real thing, we are closer to being prepared for it. Learn to manage the stress so that you can solve the problems as they arise. In the gun world we use the phrase “Fix it!” Can you imagine shooting from a vehicle? Sitting or lying on the ground? With one hand? How about the support (weak) hand only? If your palms are getting sweaty, I have made you think.

Good.

“Practice gotta be harder than the games and it never is unless you want it to be as a player. The coach can’t drive that.”

Head Coach John Calipari of the University of Kentucky How hard are you practicing? If you want to practice harder, smarter, and better than you ever have before, call me. We’ll make it happen! Good luck and good shooting.

It is with a note of sadness that I close this month’s column. Friend, firearms instructor, and all-around shooting legend Ronnie Dodd was recently killed in an ATV accident. Ronnie was the former police chief of the Red Bank, TN police department, a worldwide authority on police training, the owner and operator of Dodd and Associates Training in Sale Creek, TN and an all-around good old boy! You will be missed, Ronnie!

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CARMICHAELS CHRONICLES

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n 1975, long-time Carmichaels athletic director John Krajnak returned to his alma mater after beginning his career as a teacher and coach at Waynesburg.

Upon his return to the Blue and Gold, a school board member “volunteered” him to start a girls’ softball program. He happily recounts that he didn’t have the first idea about the girls’ game. He con-

tacted several of his coaching friends around the county, including JeffersonMorgan’s Ernie Benedict, to learn the rules. Apparently, the lessons took root.

By 1978 and 1979, the Mikes won backto-back section crowns and reached the WPIAL quarter-finals. Over the next 41 years, they captured 28 section titles and became one of the most dominant programs in the WPIAL in any sport.

BOY OF THE MONTH

Jesse Jones is the son of Jessica Jones and Dave and Dottie Jones of Carmichaels. The senior is a member the football team and participates in the ESPORTS Club. He plans to attend Indiana University of Pennsylvania after graduation to major in Physical Therapy.

Beth Cree is the daughter of Bill and Ami Cree and the granddaughter of Bill and Lura Ann Cree. She has been a member of the Carmichaels’ volleyball team for three years. Beth also plays club volleyball for Renaissance, located in Greentree. One of her Renaissance highlights was making it to Nationals in Las Vegas. She is a 4-H member and works on her family’s dairy farm. She enjoys singing and photography. Beth is a member of the Junior National Honor Society and her future plans are to attend law school.

GIRL OF THE MONTH Kristina Aeschbacher is a 2018 Carmichaels HS alumni and is currently a senior at PSU Fayette.

Kristina was selected as the USCAA Player of the Year, West conference first team, PSUAC player of the week and PSU Fayette featured player of the week for the week of October 26. She tallied 34 kills, including a career high of 15 kills against WVU Potomac State and also 12 blocks. She is currently #1 in hitting percentage, #1 in blocks per set and #4 in kills per set in both west and east conferences. Penn State Fayette also made it to the first round of playoffs against Greater Allegheny. Kristina will be graduating in May with a major in Criminal Justice.

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RETRO ROCKET

n 1973, coach Walt Whitehead’s Rockets won the first of their back-to-back WPIAL football titles after beating Western Beaver 35-6 in the championship game. The previous game against Serra Catholic, quarterback Bob Dugan broke his collarbone. His replacement Pete Largent separated his shoulder in the second half. Running back Jon Culp came in to finish the game. With no experienced quarterbacks available for the championship, Whitehead brought in Bentworth’s head

coach Don Dinardo to install his bellyseries offense. Culp and the newly installed scheme took Western Beaver by surprise and resulted in an offensive explosion.

Earlier in the season, the Rockets had ended Chartiers-Houston’s two-year unbeaten streak with a 15-0 victory. Only a 0-0 tie with archrival Carmichaels in the second game blemished their record. The dominating defense allowed only 43 points the entire season, including three shutouts.

Keith Martin was named First-Team AllWPIAL.

The Jefferson Morgan Division 1 (5th & 6th grade) team recently concluded its season with a trip to the WPYFL Semifinals. The team finished the regular season in 4th place in the Eastern Conference of Class A. They defeated Bentworth in the First Rd of the playoffs and then knocked off #1 seeded Burgettstown in the Quarterfinals before falling to Union Finley in the Semifinals. The 6th graders of the team will wrap up their season this Saturday in the 8th Annual Dicks Sporting Goods WPYFL Senior Bowl.

BOY OF THE MONTH

Collin Bisceglia is the son of Dustin and Courtney Bisceglia of Clarksville PA. He is a sophomore honor student and a member of yearbook. Collin is a twoyear letterman in football and plays basketball and baseball as well.

Kayla Lea Larkin is the daughter of Michael and Krystl Larkin, of Carmichaels, PA. The sophomore maintains a weighted GPA of 4.25. She serves as president of the Student Council, and is a member of the Spanish Club, yearbook, and Academic Team. Kayla plays softball, basketball and volleyball for the Rockets. She also plays softball for the PA Lady Knights.

Kayla volunteers with St. Ann’s Church in Waynesburg. She was recently crowned queen of Jefferson Morgan’s Cinderella Ball 2021.

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B

RAIDER RECALL

u t c h Brunnell took over the Waynesburg Central track program in April of 1970 and the Raiders continued their dominance of the County Meet throughout the decade.

The program also produced many outstanding individual accomplishments in the early 70s.

Charles Baker won the school’s first PIAA Track title when he won the Pole Vault Championship in 1972 with a jump of 13’6. In addition, Glenn Toothman was the WPIAL runner-up in the 440 Yard Dash that

season. In 1973, Bob Alberts qualified for the PIAA Meet in the Pole Vault. The following year, he won the WPIAL Pole Vault Championship and finished 5th at the PIAA Meet. He set a WPIAL record of 13 feet 6 ¼ inches when he used a fiberglass pole for the first time. He had only practiced with the pole once.

That same season, Penee Baker won the WPIAL High Jump (4’10’’) and Kim Eisiminger won the WPIAL Softball Throw (197’3”). That season was the first year for girls’ track at the school.

The MBM Raider girls recently completed their season as Gina Tedrow stuck out 156 batters in only 13 games. On two occasions, she struck out 15 batters in a game. She also batted .488 on the year. Other leading hitters included: Liela McCollum (.463), Ellie Makel (.420), and Bria Stephenson (.340). Team members Emily Pace, Eva Pester, Olivia Farrabee, Aylah Ford, Kalee Piper, Linzy Rush, Alexis Cozad, Abigail Yenchik and Ariuanna Windhurst also contributed to the team’s success.

BOY OF THE MONTH

Rocco Welsh is the son of Denny and Natalie Welsh.

The Raider junior is a member of the wrestling team and is a two- time PIAA State Finalist, two-time Fargo All American, Super 32 Finalist, and Flo Wrestling Who’s Number One competitor. Rocco recently committed to the Ohio State University where he will continue his academic and athletic career. His next event will be in December at the Junior Pan American Games in Cali, Columbia, where he will compete for the United States in the freestyle division at 74kg.

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Members of the Waynesburg Central golf team that placed fifth at the WPIAL Team Tournament. L-R (back): Matt Ankrom, Dawson Fowler, Coach Jamie Moore, Hudson Pincavitch, Mason Switalski. L-R (front): Braden Benke and Evan Davis.

Senior members of The Waynesburg Central soccer teams. L-R: Dawson Fowler,Lauren Strelick, (Goalies) Chase Henkins and Regan Carlson, Bryce Clutter. (Front) Brenna Benke

Jaden Tretinik is the daughter of Jimmy and Jennifer Tretinik of Waynesburg.

She is a freshman member of the soccer team. She also plays club soccer for Empire FC in Bridgeport, WV. Jaden maintains a 4.0 grade point average. Her activities include Art Club, Alpha Beta, and the Gifted Program.

GIRL OF THE MONTH GreeneScene Community Magazine •

HOLIDAY I 2021

Wishing you a safe and healthy Holiday Season. whs.org/greene

HOLIDAY I 2021

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BOY OF THE MONTH

T

MAPLE MEMORIES

he Maples won their first and only section baseball title in 1981. The team finished their schedule 15-10 (9-1). The only section loss was a 5-4 setback at Fairchance-Georges. In the playoffs, they ran into eventual WPIAL runner-up Mon Valley Catholic.

The team was led by a trio of excellent pitchers. Chris Dugan picked up six wins on the season while compiling a 1.84 ERA. Jim Dugan recorded four wins and finished in the top 10 in the WPIAL with 81 strikeouts. Junior Dave Clites pitched only three games because of injury problems, but he won them all.

CONGRATULATIONS TO VOLLEYBALL WPIAL ALL STARS

Brody Evans is the son of Gary and Raquel Evans of Dilliner. The junior Maple has lettered in football the past three years and baseball the last two years. He also wrestles for Waynesburg Central through a coop since seventh grade. Brody is a member of the National Honors Society and maintains a 4.5 GPA in AP Honors Classes. He is also a member of the MHS Ski Club. Brody also enjoys camping, fishing, golfing, and hunting with his family and friends during his down time. He plans to attend college after graduation.

Brianna Ashton is a sophomore at Mapletown. She is the daughter of Melissa Ashton and Neal Morgan. Brianna is a member of the undefeated 2021 section championship volleyball team.

She is a defensive specialist, but has also played as a hitter for the Maples.

Brianna is a powerful server who served 92.1% from behind the line this season.

GIRL OF THE MONTH

Three Mapletown students were named Class 1A Wpial All-Stars: Macee Cree (Second Team), Ella Menear (Second Team), Krista Wilson (Third Team).

Additionally, three other Greene County students were named to the WPIAL Class 2A All-Stars: Beth Cree (Second Team, Carmichaels), Paige Jones (Second Team, Waynesburg), and Sarah Stephenson (Third Team, Waynesburg).

Bobtown Bulldog quarterback Quentin Williams looks for a receiver in local youth league action.

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GreeneScene Community Magazine •

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COUNTY FOOTBALL RACES RUSHING

Player Attempts Yards Long TDs L. Stevenson (M) 208 1579 65 23 C. Brady (WG) 140 1333 94 20 B. Woods (WC) 207 1366 89 11 T. Carter (C) 159 1287 80 12 C. Wise (WG) 79 499 68 7 M. Stewart (C) 54 474 80 12 P. Schooley (C) 66 434 22 3 C. Jones (JM) 70 413 66 3 J. Gilbert (JM) 104 360 30 1 A.J. Vanata (M) 57 333 35 4 H. Hamilton (WG) 51 282 42 5 J. Stephenson (WC) 43 209 28 3 C. McCoy (C) 20 198 20 3 A. Anderson (C) 26 159 34 1 M. Vanata (M) 36 134 30 1 B. Whitlach (WG) 23 128 42 2 J. Wise (JM) 44 117 13 1 J. Lampe (WG) 19 115 20 0

PASSING

Player Attempts Completions Yards TDs T. Carter (C) 197 106 1319 17 C. Jones (JM) 161 82 1248 10 W. Whipkey (WG) 95 52 1022 16 J. Stephenson (WC) 133 63 816 8 A.J. Vanata (M) 84 42 537 7

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SCORING (at least 10 points)

RECEIVING

(at least 100 yards) Player Catches Yards C. Fowler (JM) 32 639 M. Stewart (C) 40 586 T. Richmond (C) 25 368 N. Orndoff (WG) 10 354 D. Lucey (WG) 13 307 T. Zuper (WC) 23 281 N. Jones (WC) 14 279 C. Bisceglia (JM) 24 253 L. Stevenson (M) 16 238 A. Anderson (C) 14 205 B. Evans (M) 13 161 D. Cowell (WC) 16 135 B. Anderson (WG) 6 126 R. Baker (JM) 10 122 A.J. Vanata (M) 8 117 Z. Kerik (Carm) 9 110 H. Hamilton (WG) 9 103

TDs 8 9 5 5 2 4 1 0 1 2 6 1 0 0 0 1 0

Player Pts. TDs XP XP2 F Safety L. Stevenson (M) 188 27 16 5 0 0 M. Stewart (C) 169 21 30 6 0 0 T. Carter (C) 134 21 0 4 0 0 C. Brady (WG) 120 20 0 0 0 0 B. Woods (WC) 76 12 0 2 0 0 C. Fowler (JM) 64 10 0 2 0 0 K. Thompson (WG) 44 0 41 0 3 0 C. Wise (WG) 44 7 0 1 0 0 B. Evans (M) 44 7 0 1 0 0 D. Lucey (WG) 36 6 0 0 0 0 N. Orndoff (WG) 30 5 0 0 0 0 H. Hamilton (WG) 30 5 0 0 0 0 A.J. Vanata (M) 30 4 0 3 0 0 T. Richmond (C) 30 5 0 0 0 0 T. Zupper (WC) 26 4 0 1 0 0 D. Huffman (WC) 24 4 0 0 0 0 C. Bisceglia (JM) 20 3 0 1 0 0 P. Schooley (C) 20 3 0 2 0 0 B. Anderson (WG) 20 3 0 0 0 1 B. Whitlatch (WG) 18 3 0 0 0 0 A. Anderson (C) 18 3 0 0 0 0 C. McCoy (C) 18 3 0 0 0 0 J. Stephenson (WC) 18 3 0 0 0 0 C. Jones (JM) 16 2 0 2 0 0 N. Kirby (WC) 16 2 0 2 0 0 C. Henkins (WC) 14 0 14 0 0 0 M. Vanata (M) 14 2 0 1 0 0 J. Wise (JM) 14 2 0 1 0 0 W. Whipky (WG) 12 2 0 0 0 0 N. Jones (WC) 12 2 0 0 0 0 C. Menear (M) 10 1 0 2 0 0

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BOY OF THE MONTH

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Johnny Lampe is the son of John and Stephanie Lampe of Holbrook. The sophomore competes in football, wrestling and baseball. Johnny was an integral part of this year’s section championship football team as a two-way starter. He was also a member of the 2021 baseball team’s first-ever playoff victory over Sewickley Academy. In school, he is also a member of the West Greene FFA.

PIONEER PAST

n the 1970s, the Pioneers had an outstanding decade on the mat. Buzz Walters’ teams finished the decade with a 68-24 record. The 1973-74 season resulted in a 13-1 record. Their only loss was a close 34-27 decision at Waynesburg. Walters was named the WPIAL Class B Coach of the Year that

season. That season began a streak of 23 consecutive winning seasons for the program. The following year, they won the Section 11-B title for the first time and finished 11-3 overall. They finished as WPIAL Runners-up. That season they had four Regional Runners -up: Wylie Cheek, Ron King, Ron Crouse and Curt Hughes.

Katharine (Katie) Lampe is the daughter of John and Stephanie Lampe of Holbrook. She is a senior and competes in cross country, girls’ basketball and softball. She played a pivotal role in the last three seasons of the girls’ basketball team’s consecutive runs to the WPIAL finals.

She was also a key player on the two-time WPIAL champion and PIAA runner-up softball team. She is also an active member of the science club and the peer mentoring program.

GIRL OF THE MONTH

SPORTS HALL OF FAME BANQUET & CEREMONY ANNOUNCED

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ometown Heritage Sports and the County’s Department of Recreation will host the inaugural Greene County Sports Banquet at Waynesburg University on January 8. The event will be held in the dining hall and is sponsored by KSW Oilfield Services.

The evening will fete the Hometown Heritage 2021 Athletes of the Month.

One hundred and eight County athletes from the County’s five districts will receive a medal commemorating their selection. Scholarships and prizes will also be awarded. In addition, the first class of the Greene County Sports Hall of Fame will be inducted that evening. At present, the Hall of Fame Committee is looking for a permanent structure to house the inductees’ plaques and other sports memorabilia.

The first Hall of Fame class includes

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Greene County legends Bill George (football), Cary Kolat (wrestling), Coleman Scott (wrestling), Rudy Marisa (basketball), Derek Bochna (football/baseball), Joe Taffoni (football), Ben Parker (football), Rachel Rohanna (golf), Jack Wiley (football), Steve Korcheck (baseball/football), Greg Hopkins (football), Larry Krutko (football), Jerry Yost (football), Josh Koscheck (wrestling), and Tom McCombs (baseball/football). The two teams selected for induction were the 1966 Waynesburg College NAIA National Championship football team and the 1998 Carmichaels PIAA Championship softball team.

In local Youth League action, West Greene’s Joel Rizor blocks for his brother Jacob after he takes a handoff from quarterback Gavin Roberts.

GreeneScene By Tracy Pekar

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

HOLIDAY I 2021

World-class heart care close to your heart We built the WVU Heart & Vascular Institute so the people of Waynesburg can get the most advanced care possible without leaving the region.

We’ve recruited a world-class team of doctors from some of the finest hospitals and heart institutes in the United States to care for all your heart, vascular, and thoracic needs. They’re making Waynesburg their home to care for you.

The WVU Heart & Vascular Institute offers some of the most advanced procedures and therapies using some of the most advanced technologies found anywhere in the United States and the entire globe – all right here, close to your heart.

MyWVUHeart.org

HOLIDAY I 2021

// 855-WVU-CARE

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Greene County Coon hunter’s Association

By Rochelle McCracken

C

oon hunting is one of the oldest sports changing with the times. Today’s coon hunters are not the hunter-gatherers of yesteryear. Now, it’s more about the bond with your dog and the competition of the trials, according to Joe Moore.

Joe, a longtime member of the Greene County Coon Hunter’s Association (GCCHA), grew-up coon hunting alongside his father in the organization. The organization dates to the 1970s where rendezvous were held for hunting the coon and tanned pelts were auctioned two times a year at the Washington County Fairgrounds, remembers Marvin Cumberledge, a member of GCCHA since the 1970s. Now coon hunting has become a beloved sport for anyone enjoying time in the woods, following the trail of their dog listening for that distinctive bay or “strike”.

Competitive events for coon hunting are organized and governed by the United Kennel Club (UKC) and the Professional Kennel Club (PKC). Trials are held to test a dog during Night Hunts, Bench Shows, Water Races, and Field Trials, per the UKC. As Joe explains, three or four dogs are grouped together to run; this is called casting. A casting guide and judge are assigned to the group and follow the dogs scoring them on standards of the UKC or PKC based on the event.

There are seven distinct hound breeds recognized by the UKC and PKC, with breed standards for every type of dog run. Dogs are worked year-round to stay in condition but harvesting a coon during the hunting season is rarely done anymore.

Competition has club members traveling to South Carolina, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Indiana, Ohio, and Kentucky to run their dogs. Awards are presented depending on the competition and some Grand Champion events can bring in prize money from $10,000 to $50,000. Nighttime competitions are held locally involving

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Bull, a Treeing Walker, has treed a raccoon.

10 to 20 dogs, with bigger national level hunts running 200 to 600 dogs per night, states Joe. A well-bred coon dog can cost you $750 for a puppy, $1500 to $2000 for a 1-year-old with some training, and $5000 to $10,000 for a finished dog. Many supplies used to train your dog, like coon scent, can be bought online and with today’s technology, you can follow your dog on your phone using GPS tracking. This comes in handy according to Marvin, where you see and take the path of least resistance to get to your dog that’s treed a coon.

Monthly meetings and events for the dogs in Greene County are held at the Dunkard Valley Rifle Association. Local properties owned by club members and access to other properties are used to train and run the dogs.

The Greene County Coon Hunters Association holds meetings on the third Sunday

at 6PM, located at Tom’s Run Road near Brave. They are 25 members strong and members range in age from 13 to 91. After talking with Joe and Marvin, anyone can tell that it’s the love of being outdoors, working and bonding with their dogs is what makes coon hunting so much fun. FMI, contact Joe at jmoore5790@ gmail.com or Marvin at woodlandk@ windstream.net.

Mila, a Treeing Walker female owned by Joe Moore won Overall Dog of Show at a bench show.

Jarrett Davis pictured with a Black & Tan winning a night hunt at the Greene County Coonhunters.

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

HOLIDAY I 2021

Athlete Profile

By Sierra Medina

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GreeneScene By Bridget Vernon

Rachel Rohanna Virgili

achel Rohanna Virgili, pro golfer and current head women’s golf coach at Waynesburg University, said she grew up with a club in her hand.

“My sister played, my brother played, my parents did,” Rohanna says. “We were super competitive with each other, which was always fun.”

Rohanna is a Waynesburg native, with both sides of her family involved in the game.

Her father owns Rohanna’s Golf Course on Rolling Meadows Rd. in Waynesburg, PA, an 18-hole public course that opened in 1965.

Rohanna says that her maternal grandparents are both professionals in the sport, with her grandfather being her life-long coach.

“Like I said, it’s pretty nice to have on both sides of the family, but at the same time, if you weren’t like shooting really good scores, you weren’t invited to our family reunions,” Rohanna jokes.

Starting tournaments at just eight years old, Rohanna went on to play golf through high school and played at the collegiate level for Ohio State University. In January 2013, she turned pro, playing in 88 Symetra tours, as well as LGPA tours.

“Our tour runs from usually January or February until about October, and I’ll play in about 25 events in that timeframe,” Rohanna explains. “It’s pretty cool though, to get back

full-time on the LPGA and stay competitive with it.”

A tournament typically consists of 144 players, with three or four rounds. After two rounds, players are cut to top 60 or 70 plus ties and so on.

Rohanna still looks fondly on her favorite tournament memory. It was fresh off a win in New Zealand, with a jet-lagged surprise.

“I flew into Daytona. I was exhausted.

We kept getting rained out. So, one day I had to play 30 holes and then we finished on Monday, and I ended up winning the tournament,” she said. “I found out two days later I was actually six weeks pregnant.”

Rohanna said she could feel something was off but blamed it on the jet lag.

“To be able to say, hey, I won a tournament while I was pregnant—it’s always going to be something pretty special for me,” she says.

She doesn’t yet know if her young daughter will choose to continue her legacy.

“I keep telling myself I’m not forcing it on her, but she has a set of clubs and I’m almost like, gee, why don’t you get out there and hit some balls!” she says.

Rohanna picked up coaching at Waynesburg University in the summer of 2021, after she was asked to join. Some tournaments can cost up to $5,000 to play in, so this helps offset the costs.

She flew down to Florida earlier this month for qualifiers, with her next tournament in Boca Raton, Florida.

When it’s off-season Rohanna still puts in considerable hours, as any career needs.

She says being selfemployed means you must keep yourself accountable to completing drills.

“You really got to motivate yourself sometimes to get out of the bed early, get a workout in, get to the course,” she says. “Even if it’s 50 degrees and raining, cold and you have to practice or play, but you know, I love what I do.”

Photo provided by Symetra Tour/Ali Palma.

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Operation Christmas Child

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round Greene County, community ber 15 – 20. Churches, organizations as well members and churches are filling as individual people can drop their shoeboxes shoeboxes with a variety of neces- off at the Nazarene Church. sities for needy children. The boxes include The full collection of shoeboxes are on school supplies such as notebook, pencils, display in the First Church of the Nazarene eraser, sharpener, school scissors and so on as on Sunday, November 20, where they will be well as hygiene items such as soap, wash cloth blessed by the pastor. This church will box evand toothbrush. erything up and load them onto a truck (or One such group is the Greater Purpose more) and deliver them to the Bible Chapel in Team Ministries. The Greater Purpose Team McMurray to be trucked to a Volunteer ProMinistries is a charge of six United Method- cessing Center in Baltimore, Maryland. Here ist Churches located in Jefferson, Rices Land- all boxes will be opened and checked to see ing, Fredericktown, Denbo, Howe and Ros- that appropriate items have been included in coe. They have been working with Operation the boxes. If they find something inappropriChristmas Child’s Christmas shoeboxes since ate, the item is replaced. The boxes are then 2010. That first year, they filled 62 boxes. From sealed with tape and placed on pallets ready that point, the number of shoeboxes complet- to ship to special children all over the world. ed increased each year with a 2021 goal of 366 The work would not be possible without shoeboxes. So far, they have also had 32 extra the generosity of some very special people shoeboxes donated by others. Shoeboxes are that are dedicated to making the event a sucdivided by sex and age, 2-4 years, 5-9 years cess. Many volunteers are needed to help with and 9-14 years. This breaks down to 61+ for the boxes, transportation, and more. If you category. The Greater Purpose Team minis- are interested in helping next year, please contries were displayed at the Jefferson United tact Susan Christopher with Greater Purpose Methodist Church on Sunday, November 14. at susanc14@windstream.net or Julie C. GaYou do not have to be a member with trell with the First Church of the Nazarene at the Greater Purpose Team Ministries to be in- 724-833-3387. volved in Operation Christmas Child. Other churches and community members can participate by filling the shoeboxes and taking them to the drop off center during drop off week. The community continues to work together with a common goal in mind and make each year more successful than the last.

Last year, the Greene County Collection site received 1,776 boxes from Pat Bates and Susan Christopher of the Greater Purpose local churches and indiTeam Ministries with last year’s boxes. viduals; one individual and her daughter packed 90 shoeboxes! “We would love to see 2,500 shoe boxes this year,” says Julie Gatrell, a coordinator for the drop off location at the First Church of the Nazarene.

Churches, organizations as well as individual people can drop their filled shoeboxes off at the drop off center at the First Church of the Nazarene located at 115 Deerfield Lane, WaynesPackaged boxes were displayed at the Nazarene Church in burg, PA during national Waynesburg. collection week of Novem-

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GreeneScene Community Magazine •

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Small Business Saturday Returns November 27 B lack Friday? Forget it. Crowds, traffic, common merchandise on sale for a few hours so everyone can fight over it. It’s just too crazy and overboard…and not the value you once thought. It starts earlier each year, even running into traditional Thanksgiving time with your family. Why stress about it? Definitely out.

On the other hand, Small Business Saturday is much more appealing – and a great way to kickoff your holiday season shopping.

Going strong more than a decade, Small Business Saturday was introduced by American Express in 2010 as a contrast to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retail and ecommerce stores. Small Business Saturday encourages holiday shoppers to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are small and locally owned during one of the biggest shopping weekends of the year.

The 2010 event was so successful that the Senate unanimously passed a resolution in support of the day in 2011. Local officials in all 50 states promoted and participated in the day. Around the country, local organizations, businesses and more began signing up as Neighborhood Champions, and

business associations, officials, municipalities, and nonprofit groups joined to create the Small Business Saturday Coalition. Greene County’s 2020 Neighborhood Champions were Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful.

And according to American Express, “In 2019, shoppers came together to support their local communities more than ever. The 10th Annual Small Business Saturday hit a record high with an estimated $19.6 billion in reported spending.” The 11th annual event was even more successful and reached a re-

ping played a key part in supporting small businesses. With the pandemic still running rampant, many people chose to shop from home as opposed to facing crowds and the possibility of illness. Small businesses adapted to selling online or through social media during the pandemic and have continued to offer these services to customers. Approximately 56% of Small Business Saturday shoppers shopped online with a small business on the day, an increase from 43% in 2019.

Social media recommendations were more important than ever, and research found that social media enof shoppers recognize the positive imdorsements of businesses may be pact they can make shopping small. worth an estimated $197 billion for the U.S. small business economy.

Recommending your favorite busiof those shoppers encourage friends ness through your social media is a and families to do so way to help the small businesses you love—even if you can’t shop from them. Over half of the Americans shopped online that day, up from 43% that shopped on Small Business Satin 2019 urday said they supported a small business through their social media, cord high with an estimated $19.8 billion in either by a recommendation on their feed or reported spending. Of those surveyed, 97% of shopping at a business that had seen featured shoppers recognized the positive impact they on social media. were making by shopping small. Of those, Want to support your favorite business 85% encouraged others to do the same. on social media? Give them a shout out, share In 2020, social media and online shop- their promotions, and encourage others to

97% 85% 56%

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shop there. Consider including hashtags like #ShopSmall, #SmallBusinessSaturday, #SmallBizSat, #ShopLocal, and other similar tags to promote conversation.

Make Small Business Saturday a part of your annual holiday shopping tradition and be a part of the Shop Small Movement supporting business all year around. “The Small Business Saturday movement has evolved into a year-round global campaign to support small merchants,” shares American Express.

We’ve got plenty of awesome small businesses in Greene County and its neighboring communities, and if you haven’t been shopping small recently, you will be pleasantly surprised at the variety and affordability you’re going to find. Make that discovery on Saturday, November 27 by checking out the unique shops all over our little corner of Pennsylvania. You’ll find better stuff, better deals, and MUCH better service… Try it and see!

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

HOLIDAY I 2021

Here’s How You Can Help!

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Think BIG & Shop SMALL to Help Our Community

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ver the past year and a half, small businesses all over the world have been hit hard by the on-going pandemic. Many of them were unprepared for the changes the pandemic would create – customers shopping from home and utilizing online shopping and deliveries, restaurants limiting capacities, and the dangers a new virus present.

Many businesses continue to struggle and need the support of their local communities to keep them going. More than ever, it’s important to support your local small businesses during the upcoming holiday shopping season.

Small businesses support local economy and communities in more ways than you realize. Every time you purchase a local item or participate in a local event or class, you’re making a difference in your community. For every $100 spent in a local business, approximately $67 remain in the local economy. When spending the same at a non-local business, only $43 stays in the community. Over the United States, more than $9.3 billion would be directly returned to the economy if every family spent just $10 a month at a local business.

Wages, taxes, and donations from local businesses support the local economy. Small business donations and support help

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fund many of our local events, such as 50s Fest & Car Cruise, Holiday Open House, and even the Greene County Fair. In fact, small businesses donate 250% more than large businesses to community causes and that makes a BIG impact for local charities, youth organizations, and local service groups. (Visit https://www.score.org/resource/infographic-small-business-charitablegiving-big-impact-local-communities for more information on small businesses and charitable giving.)

Small businesses offer employment opportunities and committed employees. 56% of workers at locally owned businesses have high commitment scores compared to only 38.7% of workers at non-locally owned businesses. And because these employees are usually local, they have community ties that make them passionate about helping those in their community. This often is reflected in the customer service offered by local businesses; because they are part of your community, employees and owners are engaged with the customers on a one-on-one level and want to make them happy.

Shopping small is better for the environment. Many small businesses use locally sourced, recyclable, or recycled materials in their business. This helps reduce their economic footprint; by purchasing locally you can help reduce pollution, processing, packaging, and transportation waste.

Small businesses offer a unique selection of items.

Among the many reasons people shop small, the majority says it’s the availability of unique products that keeps them shopping local.

There’s no better way to sway shoppers to your own business than emphasizing what makes your business unique, whether it’s the merchandise you sell, the outstanding customer service you offer, or something different. Other reasons consumers shop lo-

cally include not finding the items from bigger businesses, supporting the community, trying new retailers, broader assortment of items, and innovative shopping experiences.

Our quiet little corner of southwestern Pennsylvania has more to offer local shoppers than you may recognize. Spread throughout the county and its neighboring communities are specialty gourmet candy & baked good shops, several antiques & collectibles shops, hand crafted Americana gifts and décor, great deals on brand name fashions for men & women, organic foods, herbals, skin and health care, salons, pet & farm supply, custom computer store, home decorating centers, seasonal flag stores, sporting goods stores, floral shops, gift shops, an independent book store, and more.

Oh, and speaking of food… you can find plenty of delicious options to choose from: sizzlin’ steaks and BBQ, authentic Mexican, enchanting Chinese, kiln to table delicacies, homemade baked goods, home-cooked cuisine, and so much more. It’s ALL right here!

And don’t forget our local artisans! Greene County is home to a large creative community, including potters, painters, jewelry fabricators, soap makers, custom home décor creators, authors, and more. While many don’t have physical storefronts to sell their creations, they often have online stores or can be found at the local vendor & craft events held throughout the county during the holidays.

This year remember that “Shop Small” or “Buy Local” are more than just slogans for many businesses. It’s the difference between being open in 2022 and having to close their doors permanently.

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

HOLIDAY I 2021

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Santa Breakfast and Letters to Santa

D

ecember 4 at the Greene County Fairgrounds will be full of Christmas merriment. During the morning, children can breakfast with Santa and drop off letters to the North Pole, and the Greene County Reverse Christmas Parade will be held that afternoon.

Breakfast with Santa will be held in the 4-H building from 9am to 11am. The pancake and sausage breakfast will be provided by the Greene County Department of Recreation and made by their concession stand food service employee. Tickets are $8 and includes the breakfast, a visit and photo with Santa, and a special treat.

Santa will still be behind plexiglass this year for everyone’s protection during visits.

Santa’s stand will be decorated for the season

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and present a cheerful backdrop to pictures.

Children will get a professional photo with Santa, as well as receive a special treat.

During the event, children will be able to drop off letters to Santa in a special mailbox.

Each letter must include a form filled out by the child’s parent or guardian. Forms are located at www.co.greene.pa.us, on the Greene County Department of Recreation Facebook page, and below. If you are unable to attend, letters to Santa can be mailed to: Greene County Department of Recreation, Attn: SANTA, 107 Fairgrounds Road, Waynesburg, PA 15370. This ongoing program is available from now until December 15. Limit one request per child. FMI or to purchase tickets, call 724-852-5323 or stop by the Department of Recreation in Waynesburg.

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

HOLIDAY I 2021

All Things Christmas Festival

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n 2020, the Annual Christmas Tree Extravaganza ended and the 1st Annual All Things Christmas Festival was held in its place, sponsored by the Cumberland Food Pantry.

The Christmas Tree Extravaganza raised funds for the Cumberland Township Food Bank and the new event will do the same. Each year the Cumberland Township Food Bank gathers all its resources to provide the best boxes for those in the commu-

HOLIDAY I 2021

nity. The food provides plenty for the holiday season and upcoming winter. With the new year approaching, funding to purchase goods becomes imperative. In 2019, the Extravaganza raised $3530 to donate to the Cumberland Township Food Bank.

The 2021 All Things Christmas Festival is reaching out to the community and local businesses for much needed support to make their first year successful. They are accepting donations of decorated, themed Christmas trees, wreaths, crafts, baskets, and more for the event. Each item should have its own theme and will be listed with the name of whom donated it. The Christmas items will be displayed for a week in the Carmichaels First United Methodist Church’s Fellowship Hall from November 29 to December 4.

Setup will take place on November 26 and 27 starting at 9:30am. Those interested can bring their decorated items for setup in the Fellowship Hall. Decorated trees can be real or artificial and from 18” to 7.5’ tall.

Raffle tickets may be purchased from 9:30am to 7pm all week in the Fellowship Hall. Tickets are used to select items that you are interested in winning. Winners will be announced in the hall and on Facebook livestream on Saturday, December 4 at 6pm.

“This is not just a raffle, but a way to raise funds to provide food for Greene County families in need,” says event organizer Nicole Baker.

If you would like to make a monetary donation to the Food Bank during the event, please make all checks payable to “Carmichaels FUMC” and include Food Bank in the memo section of your check. All proceeds received go directly to the Cumberland Township Food Bank. FMI, contact Nicole at 724-970-3276 or visit @allthingschristmasfestival on Facebook.

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Christmas Parade Accepting Applications

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“Reverse” Parade sponsored by First Energy Foundation will be held this year at the Greene County Fairgrounds on Saturday, December 4th from 2-4pm. Spectators will drive through the fairgrounds and enjoy Christmas displays from the safety of their vehicle.

The East Gate on Rt. 21 (near Bortz) will open at 2pm and close at 4pm. Spectators will follow a route through the fairgrounds and exit out of the West Gate (near Burger King).

The Rt. 188 entrance will not be open to parade traffic.

Santa will have a goody bag for the first 300 children which will have treats and other items donated by various individuals, businesses, and organizations. Santa’s elves will deliver these directly to the cars in a low contact manner.

Letters to Santa will be collected from the children by Mrs. Claus and placed in a special North Pole mailbox. Return mailing addresses on the letters are optional.

Those attending as spectators are invited to bring cash donations or items for the Corner Cupboard Food Bank as well as new toys for the Toys for Tots program. Items will be

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collected by members of the Christian Motorcycle Association’s Highway Soldiers in a low or no contact manner along the route.

Our friends at WANB Radio will be providing Christmas music during the event for you to enjoy along the route by tuning into 105.1 FM or 1210 AM. “Crazy” Dougie Wilson will host the two-hour broadcast featuring Christmas music from all music genres and some classic surprises.

Entries will be judged ahead of the start of the parade and the winners will be displaying ribbons and trophies. But the spectators will also get to vote for their favorite as they travel through the route. People’s Choice will be awarded following the parade. There is no central theme, but all entries are asked to portray Christmas spirit.

Winners, photos of all entries and a live walk through of the parade will be shared on the chamber’s Facebook page.

Anyone wishing to participate is asked to download the reverse parade application by visiting the Chamber website at www. greenechamber.org FMI contact the Chamber at 724-998-2386 or melody@greenechamber.org

GreeneScene By Sarah Zolgus

Masontown, PA 724-583-2680 724-583-2685 amedisys.com

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

HOLIDAY I 2021

An Historic Country Christmas

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ach year, the Greene County Historical Society decorates the museum for Christmas and hosts an open house the weekend after Thanksgiving and the first weekend of December.

As always, Santa Claus is attending, and children can stop for a moment to deliver letters to Santa, grab a treat, and take a picture with him. Other activities over the two weekends includes live music, a basket raffle, puppet shows, a model train display, children’s treat bags, and self-guided tours of the museum.

The first weekend, November 27 & 28, features the Christmas tree auction.

Trees will be set up in the main hall to be auctioned off, and each tree is uniquely decorated. Previous years’ trees include a wooden tree frame with canned goods from Corner Cupboard, a tree from books created by the library, and a tree from grapevine created by Thistlethwaite Vineyards, just to name a few. The trees will also be available to see on Facebook and bidding will take place online.

The second weekend, December 4 & 5, is a traditional country Christmas. The museum will be decorated with traditional

HOLIDAY I 2021

decoration that complement the building’s age and style. The museum is collecting donations for the United Way of Greene County, Corner Cupboard Food Bank, and the residents of Rolling Meadows Nursing Home and Waynesburg Healthcare & Rehab Center.

In addition to the Christmas trees, basket raffles for other items are available. And the Gift Shop is open, full of books about local and Pennsylvania history, locally hand-

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

crafted items, and small toys - perfect for some early Christmas shopping. Train displays are setup in the hall – one even features a miniature version of the Kelly Miller circus that visits Waynesburg each year. Live music will play throughout the event.

Make sure not to miss a chance to visit the GCHS Museum in all of its Christmas splendor this year. Christmas Open House will be held Nov. 28, Nov. 29, Dec. 5, and Dec. 6 from 3pm to 7pm. FMI, visit greenecountyhistory.org or check out the museum on Facebook @gchsofpa.

GREENE COUNTY

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

DRIVE-THRU

CHRISTMAS PARADE Underwritten by:

Saturday, December 4th 2:00 to 4:00 p.m.

Greene Co. Fairgrounds East Gate on Route 21 Tune to WANB 105.1 FM Treat bags to the first 300 children. Bring your letters to Santa!

DONATE to the Food Bank, Toys for Tots, & Salvation Army Info? - 724-998-2386 45

Downtown Waynesburg Has the Spirit of the Season S ave the date and plan your visit to downtown Waynesburg from 4 to 8pm on Friday, Dec. 3, for the 13th annual Holiday Open House, sponsored by EQT and presented by Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful.

Serving as the kickoff to the Christmas shopping season, the event will feature shopping opportunities, entertainment, seasonal foods, and fun for the whole family.

Returning are many favorite activities like the free wagon rides, caricatures, the ugly sweater contest, Flix on Brix, and pictures with Santa. New this year will be musical entertainment by Crosspoint Church and Candy Cane Lane, featuring area nonprofits. There will be plenty of shopping available, both indoors and outdoors. Fire barrels will be lit along Washington and Church streets for holiday shoppers to pause for a visit and warm their hands.

“This special evening has become a holiday tradition for many people in the area, reminiscent of an old-fashioned Christmas, with all the sparkle and magic of small-town America,” says event chair JoAnne Marshall of Greene County Tourist Promotion Agency.

One of the most popular activities of the evening are the horse-drawn wagon rides by Rocky Ridge Acres, which offers free rides all evening. “With the generous sponsorship of EQT, nearly all the activities are free this year.

Take a ride through the decorated streets of town in a horse drawn wagon, enjoy the shopping opportunities, get a free caricature drawing by artist Jeff Harris… there is so much to see and do– and it’s for the whole family,” says Jeanine Henry, president of Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful.

New last year, the Holiday Market returns and will start at 4pm until 8pm. Local crafters, artisans, and vendors will have items for sale along High Street. Vendors include Lippencott Alpacas, Thistlethwaite Vineyards, Scottiedog Ceramics, Goodnight Moon Quilts, Willow Tree Farms, and more. Local restaurants and food trucks will be available for those that want to grab a bite to eat. An event map will be released on Facebook on December 1 to help guide shoppers through the festivities.

Beginning at noon, sections of Washington Street and Church Street will be closed to motorized traffic. And High Street will be closed to traffic this year! Vendors will be open at 4pm and activities start at 5pm with Santa & Mrs. Claus on site to welcome children, visitors, and shoppers alike. At 6pm, there will be a tree lighting ceremony for the big Christmas tree that graces the front of Greene County Courthouse. The tree lighting ceremony will be held in person and live on the Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful Facebook page. Special thanks to the Waynesburg Moose Lodge for acquiring and decorating the tree with assistance from Waynesburg-Franklin Twp. Vol.

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Fire Co. and the County of Greene.

Free pictures with Santa will begin after the tree lighting ceremony and are provided by McMillen Photography at the Greene County Courthouse with the 1925 American LaFrance Fire Truck from the Waynesburg-Franklin Twp. Vol. Fire Co. (weather dependent). Treat bags will be available for the first 150 children, compliments of First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Greene County.

As in previous years, a caricaturist will be there to draw your free holiday keepsake. To minimize crowding, tickets for the caricaturist Jeff Harris will be distributed to minimize lines and wait time. The tickets will be for the time to enter the line. Distribution times for the caricaturist will be at 5:00pm and 6:30pm.

Flix on Brix also returns this year. Holiday movies will be shown on the side of the Fashion Shoppe along High Street. Bring a blanket or your own chair to relax and enjoy the movie.

Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) will be open that evening for their winter coat distribution. CASA has partnered with Loved Again Charities to provide winter gear to area children. New and gently used coats, boots, gloves, hats, and scarves can be donated at the CASA anytime this month.

FMI, text 724-797-0946.

Mark your calendar and watch for the specially decorated store fronts to remind you as well. Downtown merchants will be lighting and decorating their windows to compete for cash prizes, sponsored by Community Bank. The competition will be judged the evening of November 29 with the Community Choice virtually voting on Facebook following the completion of judging through 7:30pm on Friday, December 3.

“Restaurants and businesses may alter their operations to safely accommodate the volume of shoppers during the event. Please have patience and help us keep our community safe and our businesses open while you Buy Local, Buy Greene.”

Jeanine adds, “Please respect parking restrictions due to pedestrian safety and utilize the Waynesburg Borough public parking lots. These parking lots will be identified on the event map.”

Normally, the day after Holiday Open House would be full of additional downtown holiday celebrations – namely the Christmas Parade through downtown Waynesburg. For the second year, the Chamber of Commerce’s parade has relocated to the Greene County Fairgrounds and those that attend will drive their vehicles through a parade route to view the stationary displays.

This event starts at 2pm.

Volunteers for the event are a vital component of the event and allow the event

to be offered to the community for no charge. If you would like to volunteer, please call 724-627-8687.

EQT is the lead sponsor of Holiday Open House with additional support from Community Bank and First Federal Savings & Loan Association of Greene County. Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful is a Main Street program that operates in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. Main Street programs emphasize critical time-sensitive stabilization and revitalization of historic downtowns business districts. For more information on and Holiday Open House, call 724-6278687. Follow Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful on Facebook for the latest updates and additional virtual content.

waynesburgpa.org

GreeneScene Community Magazine •

HOLIDAY I 2021

HOLIDAY I 2021

• GreeneScene Community Magazine

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GreeneScene Community Magazine •

HOLIDAY I 2021