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GreeneScene by Ruby Kirk
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T
I Love this P l a ce
SPRAGGS/KUHNTOWN, PA
a little town that is almost too small to spot. The old store is long gone and the gas station is closed. The fresh red paint on the roof and steeple of Spraggs United Methodist church, though, tells you that the community is alive and well, but the main street of town tucks into the hill and is hidden from view when you drive by. Main Street used to be the highway until the road was straightened in the 1930s, creating a straight stretch that gave Spraggs its 15 minutes of fame in 1950. That’s when two World War II era fighter jets lost their radar and ran out of gas in the snowy March skies above Greene County. When the clouds parted the pilots realized they had to attempt a landing and that straight stretch of road looked like their best bet. What they didn’t count on was the truck coming up from Blacksville just as the first pilot came in for a landing. He tried to pull up but his wing caught and he and his jet went tumbling into the field on the other side of the guardrails. “That other pilot landed in the field above my dad’s house and just about took the top off of a walnut tree,” ninety-yearold Karl Hoy Jr. said, pointing to the photo of the wreckage that made all the newspapers from here to Pittsburgh the next day. Miraculously neither pilot was hurt but it gave a generation of kids something to talk about when they saw the One of few remaining photos of the General Store and Post Office in Spraggs at the turn of the last century, from the Cole Family collection. wrecked plane as their school
aking a ten-mile wander through history on State Rt. 218 south from Waynesburg is a chance to cross the Warrior Trail, Greene County’s oldest highway. For 5000 years Indigenous tribes walked the high ground
from the Ohio River to Greensboro on the Monongahela River to hunt, trade and make war and peace. Hikers now trek its length across those beautiful ridge tops and you can see the trail’s orange reflective marker as you crest the hill between Waynes-
Pictured here is Edison Hoy ad Carl Hoy Sr. standing next to crashed jet on the Carl Hoy Farm, Yeager Road, Spraggs, PA, March 16, 1950.
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burg and
by Colleen Nelson
bus drove by. Many towns get their name from a founding family, but not Spraggs. A listing in the Platt Book shows that on August 29, 1787 Jonathan Hoge Esq. laid claim to 306 acres along Roberts Run and named it Rich Bottom. “Not sure why he called it that – you stick a shovel in the ground and hit a rock,” Township Supervisor John Wells Jr. said with a grin. Funny thing is, Mr. Hoge lived all his life in Cumberland County and died in 1800, thirteen years after his purchase. In short, there is no record of him ever visiting or developing what he bought. But by 1850 some of the acreage was owned by a family named Spragg and by 1890 there were enough of them to call the village Spraggstown. When rural free delivery came to town, the name was shortened to Spraggs. When the last Spragg moved to Missouri nearly 40 years ago, they didn’t sell their house because “they wanted to have Spraggs owning land in Spraggs,” Dreama Tuttle White remembers. “So they rented to my mom and dad and never raised the rent.” When their grandson Bobby Spragg died a year ago the house was finally sold but the post office and the church still remember their name. Right around the bend and over the hill is another frontier town that changed its name more than once, then faded away until all that remains is an abandoned red brick church and a stretch of township road that once had a wooden sidewalk, two grocery stores, a blacksmith shop and a hotel to brag about. Kuhntown was named after its founding family, but it took more than a hundred years and the US Postal Service to make it stick. Phillips Hill Road takes you past Kent Tree Farm, with its Christmas trees of many sizes making beautiful patterns on the hills, then down the hill to Oak Forest Road and the signs that say Brave four miles, Kuhntown two. Keep an eye out for the King Sisters Covered Bridge and stop for a selfie – there are only five of these historic bridges still standing in the county. When you finally cross Bell’s Run, you’ll see some modern homes and a crumbling stonewall beside what was once a bustling main street. “It used to be called Hoovers Run after the creek but there was another town by that name so it got changed to Kuhntown,” longtime area resident Terry Cole said. Family history submitted to Cornerstone Genealogical Society states that Jacob and Elizabeth Kuhn migrated to America from Germany and after “drifting westward from New York”, found land to their liking in Greene County. It had clear springs, fertile soil and fine timber. “They proceeded at once to build a cabin” and by circa 1781 “procured a patent from the Government for several hundred acres and spent the rest of their lives improving their estate.” Their large family of “sturdy boys and girls” grew up and settled nearby and for the next 60 some years most GreeneScene Magazine •
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families were Kuhn descendants. But half a mile up the road is land owned by the Cole family, whose family history meshes with the Kuhns a few generations later. “The Coles, Tustins, Taylors and Rupes came to Sycamore in 1805 and in 1830 all the families moved to the Kuhntown area,” Terry Cole said. “My great grandfather Halsie Tustin and Arthur Main had the store in Khuntown in the 1920s.” The Cole family log cabin, built in 1830 was Terry’s 1976 Bicentennial project to dismantle, move down the road and restore. It now belongs to his son Shane, who paid homage to the lost businesses of Kuhntown by designing a barn complex to store feed and house chickens and goats that looks like the façade of an old western town. It sits proudly in the field beside the log cabin, with the names of the forgotten blacksmith shop, general store and bank that once served the people living on Hoovers Run. If you retrace your route and return to State Rt. 218, hang a right and head towards Blacksville. Your last stop might just be your best, this time of year. Shields Herb & Flower Farm Greenhouse is a couple of miles down the road and the farm-grown plants are hardy and well adapted to our climate. The family has an exquisite shop full of dried flowers, antiques, collectables and a side room full of their finest crop of all – Shields Melomel wine made of honey and an astonishing array of juices, extracts and herbs. Mellow out with Melomel. Do drop in. You’ll be glad you did!
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SPRAGGS UMC
GreeneScene
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By Colleen Nelson
f there’s anything you might want to know about Spraggs United Methodist Church, ask Carl Hoy Jr. “I’ve gone here all my life,” the newly minted nonagenarian said with a cheerful smile as he stood with his dart ball buddy Harold Haines, posing for the camera with the church shining in the morning light behind them. “We play dartball here every Monday in the winter,” Carl explained. The rest of the year is for working and not just playing games, it seems. According to these two church regulars, there’s always plenty of church volunteering to do. It was a good day to remember the good old days, when “the only day we took off was Christmas,” according to Harold and Carl. Carl’s church records, copied on Carl’s copier at home and given to this reporter, give the facts about what it takes to keep people coming to church and serving themselves and the community, while having a good time. The dartball league started in the early 1950s and members were sworn to attend Sunday school or services at least twice a month. Carl’s dad was on the first team and it’s right there in the records that go all the way back to August 2, 1859. That’s when David and Nancy Spragg donated land to build a meetinghouse to study the bible and it became known as Pleasant Valley Church, and later Valley Chapel. The church served two branches of Methodism – Protestant and Episcopal, whose congregations used the building on alternating Sundays and each had their own minister. There was a door for women and a door for men and inside they sat on separate sides of the aisle. “Very few churches of this time had both bells and vestibules but this church had both.,” the records note. By 1899 the building was in need of repair and the present church was built for the tidy sum of $1500. Somewhere along the line it became known as Spraggs United Methodist Church and became one congregation. In 1926 the building was raised, moved back and a basement put under it for $365. That’s the same year the red brick Methodist Church in Kuhntown was built. Congregations shared a minister for the four point Brave Circuit that included Kents Chapel in Brave, Phillips Church, Kuhntown
and Spraggs. In the 1960s the church basement was the place to go for the Stitcharoos 4-H sewing club, which gave girls who weren’t in the Agricultural 4-H club a chance to hone their sewing skills. Summer Vacation Bible School was and still is fun spiritual learning for kids in the Spraggs area, Carl is happy to report. These days “We do sunrise service on Easter and have a Summer Festival in June and a Fall Festival in October.” Other activities include Christmas programs, Election Day dinners and Thanksgiving boxes for shut-ins that members deliver to anyone they know who can’t get out and about. Kids have a Saturday Youth Program and there is bible study every Wednesday. Sunday worship services are at 10 a.m. and visitors are always welcome.
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Empty Bowls Helps Feed Greene County Kids
Waynesburg University Bonner Scholars, Kenny Knouse, far right, and Sydney Green, far left, hold some Empty Bowls with Bettie Stammerjohn, executive director of the Community Foundation of Greene County following the recent Empty Bowls event which raised more than $3,000 for the Greene County Weekend Food Program.
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n our last issue, we shared a story about a group of dedicated Waynesburg University students spending their free time creating handmade ceramic bowls for a special fundraising project known as “Empty Bowls.” Here’s a follow-up about how those bowls were filled to play a significant role in keeping Greene County youth properly fed. Empty Bowls raised more than $3,000 for the Weekend Food Program Fund reports the Community Foundation of Greene County. The Empty Bowls project hosted a meal on April 2nd at the National Guard Readiness Center in Waynesburg, which was organized and conducted by a group of Waynesburg University Bonner Scholar students led by Kenny Knouse, a junior from Catawissa, Pennsylvania. This was the fourth year that the Bonner Scholars were able to lead and coordinate the Empty Bowls event. Kenny and a team of students have worked throughout the school year to plan and implement this event and learn about the Weekend Food Program and hunger in Greene County. The Empty Bowls event provides a meal of soup, bread and light dessert. Each person who purchases a ticket for the meal also selects one of the handmade ceramic “empty” bowls to take home with them as a reminder that there are others in the community and world who have nothing to eat. Aladdin Food Services of Waynesburg University provided four varieties of soup: Broccoli Cheddar, Potato Bacon, Vegetable Beef, and Italian Wedding. Kristy Vliet of 5 Kidz Kandy in Waynesburg provided Lobster Bisque. A selection of arti-
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san breads and rolls was provided by Rising Creek Bakery and Panera Bread. Volunteers and local churches provided homemade cookies and cupcakes. A large selection of ceramic bowls were handmade by students, staff and faculty members of Waynesburg University under the direction of assistant professor of art and local artist, Andrew Heisey. Local artists Linda and Jim Winegar, of Winegar Pottery and proprietors of Artbeat Gallery in Waynesburg, donated a selection of bowls also. Additional bowls were donated by Empty Bowls Monongalia County and Empty Bowls Pittsburgh. The students also secured a variety of donated baskets, artwork, and pottery for the Chinese and silent auction which raised additional funds for the Weekend Food program. The money raised by the Empty Bowls event will be donated to the Community Foundation of Greene County, the fiscal sponsor for the Greene County Weekend Food Program. CFGC will distribute the funds among the five Greene County school districts, Carmichaels Area, Central Greene, Jefferson-Morgan, Southeastern Greene and West Greene, and the Intermediate Unit 1 at East Franklin School which run the local programs. Bettie Stammerjohn, CFGC executive director noted, “The caliber and quality of the Empty Bowls project and all the students who participated in making it happen is so impressive. Their efforts, and those of the community who supported the project, really makes a difference for the Weekend Food Program in Greene County. This event raises a significant portion of the funds needed to provide packs of food for an average of 170 students each week during the school year.” All of the funds raised through the Empty Bowls event will go to purchase food for the Weekend Food Program which provides a packet of child-friendly food items to help supplement weekend meals for participating students who are identified by the schools. The program, which began in 2012, currently provides approximately170 weekend food packs each week across all five school districts and the Intermediate Unit 1 building in Greene County. A weekend food package costs an average of five dollars per child each week, or about $195 per child for a full school year. The Greene County Weekend Food Program exists because of the Greene County Food Security Partnership (GCFSP), a broad community collaboration to address food security needs in Greene County. As the fiscal sponsor for the Weekend Food programs, the CFGC is able to receive contributions for the program which are given to the school districts as grants to provide the food for distribution. More information about the Weekend Food Program can be found on the Greene County Food Security Partnership website, http://greenefoodpartnership.org/get-help/backpack-program/ or call CFGC at 724-627-2010.
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29th Annual Hammer In at W.A.Young & Sons - a National Historic Landmark
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By Colleen Nelson
effery Miller of Morgantown and sister Carol Larrobin of Dilliner stood grinning beside the new brass plaque sitting outside the W.A. Young & Sons Machine Shop and Foundry in Rices Landing. April 15 was the kind of fine spring day everyone hopes for when the annual Hammer In happens. Coal moving in barges on the Monongahela River was a fitting back drop for the record number of happy history buffs - nearly 400 signed the guest book that day - who came to watch blacksmiths and metal workers bring America’s industrial past to life. They also came to applaud Rivers of Steel Heritage Corporation President August Carlino and Senator Camera Bartolotta when they dedicated the plaque that spells out what is so special about this old shop and its treasure trove of tools. After more than thirty years of community preservation and perseverence, this last of its kind small industrial shop has been designated a National Historic Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior as having “national significance in commemorating the history of the United States of America. Opened in 1900 and operationg until 1965, this site included a machine shop, foundry, pattern shop and hardware store. The machinery operated by a series of overhead line shafts, pulleys and belts. Business for the shop came from the steamboat, railroad and mining industries as well as piece repair work.” This is an honor that is shared by only 1500 other sites in the United States. According to Jeffrey and Carol, it was also a great place to grow up. “W.A. Young was our great grandfather and Carl Young was our grandfather. We lived up the street when we were kids and came here almost every day,” Jeffrey said. Grandpa Carl’s desk was on the first floor beside the big coal stove and Jeffrey remembes him sitting beside it in the winter. “I played in every inch of this place.” “He had a big change box and I’d get enough money to walk up the street to Grubby Hughes store and buy penny candy,” Carol remembers. “I’m pretty good at fixing things and I think I got that from Grandpa Carl. I’m so happy his shop was saved. The community really cared.” “Here’s the evidence. Bly Blystone asked me
to bring it today, ” Judge Farley Toothman said, holding up the paperwork signed on May 29, 1985 when the Greene County Historical Society purchased the shop and its property from James and Mary Hathaway of Jefferson. “I was president and I knew we just couldn’t’ let this one get away. But we really couldn’t afford to fix it.” Luckily, Rivers of Steel could and in 2000 the historical society turned over the foundry to the nonprofit. Now the building has a new roof and windows, a fire and security system and work is underway on the historic façade. The machines are being restored to working order and the shop and its forge is open every Sunday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. The foundry’s last jobs were repair work for Dillworth mine and fixing river boats that would tie off long enough to drag a shaft or engine part up the bank and into the shop to be welded or reshaped on the lathe. As industry went high tech the little shops that used to cast gears and build speciality equipment diisappeared. But against all odds, the Rices Landing shop stayed as intact as the day Mr. Young and his workers locked the doors, leaving that day’s newspaper and some coffee cups sitting on the table. “(the late) George Kelley loved this place,” foundry ace volunteer Bly Blystone said. “He really was the one that saved it. He got me down here one day and showed me the machines and I’ve been here ever since!” Kelly’s band of “piston heads” were joined by members of the Pittsburgh Area Artist Blacksmiths and the Appalachian Blacksmiths who were looking for a place to bring their tools and set up shop for a day of demonstrations and chamaraderie. The public began to come each spring to watch the hammers draw sparks and some, like Bly, stayed to help. This year’s 29th annual Hammer In ended with a hot – 2000 degrees! - new event – a brass pour put on by Rivers of Steel artists who cast bronze and other molten metals at their restored Carrie Furnace site near Homestead. For more information about the industrial history of our region go online to riversofsteel.com If you want to know more about the foundry and its hours of opperation give Bly a call – 724-710-4898.
A new event premiered this year with a “brass pour” demonstration by Rivers of Steel artists.
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Observers enjoy the 29th Annual Hammer In at WA Young & Sons Foundry in Rices Landing, now designated a National Historic Landmark GreeneScene Magazine •
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“I
G ree n e Sce n e of the Pa st
f I had my choices of where I’d want to grow up I would choose Kuhntown. The people were wonderful!” Truth is, Marilyn Watts Kerr actually did grow up in this little village that once filled the valley where Bell’s Run joins Hoover’s Run in Wayne Township. This photo is in the Kuhntown file at Cornerstone Genealogical Society in Waynesburg and Marilyn is a happy volunteer there on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday. The photo has a handwritten note: “Kuhntown – before 1926” but Marilyn’s memories from her childhood in the 1940s can identify every building and the people who called it home. The white house with the double decker porch in the right hand corner was “my grandmother’s house. Half was log but everything was covered with wood siding, The foundation stones came from the stone quarry that was up Bells Run.” The log part went back to the original settlers, Jacob and Elizabeth Kuhn, who built the first cabins and whose children and grandchildren helped raise a village. The bridge at the bottom of the photo crossed Bell’s Run and Marilyn remembers Ida Gutherie, who lived in the first house on the left and ran the community phone co-op out of her living room.
“Everybody called her Aunt Ida and she never had a day off because she had to take all the calls that came in or went out around the clock.” Aunt Ida had her moment of fame in 1954. The Pittsburgh Roto Magazine did a piece that October on the 21 owners of Kuhntown’s non-profit phone company and called later to interview Aunt Ida and let her take the “Tele-Test”. She knew the answer and won $60, which “was not peanuts, when you consider that Mrs. Gutherie’s salary as chief operator is $124 a year!” the Pittsburgh Press reported in its November 28th Sunday Magazine. Across the street from Aunt Ida was the building where the gas company stored pipe and attached to it was the room that the community stored ice cut from the creeks in winter. Past the little white house was a small garage, then a big barn and then the two-story hotel where drillers lived back when oil and gas rigs dotted every hill in the 1870s and into the 20th century. It was next door to the store that many families took turns running over the years. “I know at one time my great-grandfather Jocephas Kiger operated the store and in later years my mother did. The money from the store helped put me through college,” Marilyn said. The town had everything people needed. Across from the big barn was the wagon shed that
wagons could drive through and a blacksmith shop in back. The little white building further up the road was the meeting house where church services were held until the the red brick United Methodist Church was built in 1926. You can’t see it in the photo, but the vil-
by Colleen Nelson
lage school was a “stone’s throw away” up Bell’s Run and just down the road before you get to Kuhntown was the Oddfellows Hall where Hoover Grange also met. This, folks, was country living, before good roads and the automobile changed the world.
If you have an interesting old photo from the area you’d like to share, just send it to: GreeneScene of the Past, 185 Wade Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370. Or email to: info@greenescene.com with GreeneScene Past in subject line. The GreeneScene Community Magazine can even scan your original in just a few minutes if you bring it to our office. We are particularly interested in photos of people and places in the Greene County area taken between 1950 and 1980, though we welcome previous dates, too.
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H
ow would you like to tap into the vast resources of Penn State University without ever leaving home? The Penn State Extension program offers that and much more to residents in our area. But first let’s investigate just how these valuable university “extensions” came to be all across our country. It started with “land-grants” resulting from the Morril Acts of 1862 and 1890, which funded educational institutions by granting federally controlled land to states, enabling them to raise money, establish and endow “land-grant” colleges. In 1863 Pennsylvania established Penn State as PA’s “land-grant” university. In 1914, the Smith Lever Act created a partnership between the US Dept. of Agriculture and these land-grant universities, to apply research and provide education in agriculture. With this effort, Congress created the extension system to address rural and agricultural issues, with 50% of the population living in rural areas and 30% of the work force in agricultural jobs at that time. During the Depression, “extension agents” worked locally with farmers to improve management and production, extension home economists taught farm women — who traditionally maintained the household — nutrition, bulk food canning, gardening, home poultry production, home nursing, furniture refinishing, and sewing — skills that helped many farm families survive the years of economic depression and drought. Of course much has changed over the last century, and the extension program has adapted to meet the needs of people in suburban and urban communities as well as those who remain in rural areas, with offices in or near the approximately 3,000 counties in our nation. Today, Penn State Extension is an educational network that gives the residents of PA access to resources and help from experts. All 67 counties in PA have an extension office; there are 20 districts and 2 urban centers. Greene County is part of district 10 which encompasses Washington, Greene and Fayette Counties, funded by the USDA and state and county governments. Penn State Extension educators, faculty and local volunteers work together to teach and share information with community residents. Educators in various areas of expertise continue to help ag producers remain successful, provide education in both rural and urban gardening, teach health, nutrition and food preservation, and work extensively to help prepare today’s youth to become the leaders of tomorrow. The 4-H program, one of the largest operated through Penn State Extension, is well-known, however, there are many other programs, workshops, classes and activities offered including health and nutrition education, the Master Gardener courses, Food Safety certifi-
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Joe Conklin, District Director and Chris Becker, 4-H Educator, standing in front of the Penn State Extension Greene County office, 26 West High Street, downtown Waynesburg.
cation and more. District 10 Director Joe Conklin, explains: “A goal for this year is to do more programming which would include economic development, family living and school enrichment. I am also very proud of our diabetes program because we are one of only four districts in PA to receive funding to present this program.” Also serving the local Greene County office either part or full time are Kay Mooney, office manager who has been with the program for 40 years; Christina Becker, 4-H educator; Lisa Whittaker, administrative assistant; Walt Bumgarner, livestock educator; Rachel Moeser, nutrition education advisor; and Lee Stivers, commercial horticultural educator. The Greene County office also hosts about 40 volunteer 4-H leaders and 20 Master Gardener volunteers. Through this office, residents of our community can access the vast resources of Penn State University. Want to identify a certain pest in your yard, learn how to prune your fruit tree, research the best grass seed for shady spot, finds building plans for your shop, barn or chicken coop, learn about weather patterns and climate, study honey bees? This list goes on and on and on…. Pretty much whatever you want to learn about, you can from Penn State Extension. The Greene County office is at 26 W. High Street, Waynesburg. For more information on available programs, call 724-627-3745 or visit www.extension.psu.edu/ greene.
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Vietnam Veterans Traveling Wall
Let’s Play Ball on the Best!
The National Softball Association of Western Pennsylvania (NSAWPA) recently recognized Waynesburg University’s softball field as the 2016 Facility of the Year. Sandy Sullivan, NSAWPA’s State Director for Western Pennsylvania, and Ray Sullivan, NSAWPA’s Umpire-in-Chief and West Virginia State Director, presented the award to Waynesburg University
President Douglas G. Lee and Larry Marshall, the University’s Director of Athletics, Wednesday, April 5. “Waynesburg University has been privileged to host the NSAWPA for the last several years,” said Marshall. “The Waynesburg University Showcase is an excellent time for prospective student-athletes to enjoy a university atmosphere.” Each year, the NSAWPA holds girls fast pitch tournaments at the University’s field. The 2017 Waynesburg University Showcase will be held June 23 through 25. For registration information, visit www.playnsawpa. com. Founded in 1849 by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg University is located on a traditional campus in the hills of southwestern Pennsylvania, with three additional sites located in the Pittsburgh region. The University is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and is one of only 21 Bonner Scholar schools in the country, offering local, regional and international opportunities to touch the lives of others through service.
Mapletown Girls Softball Pitch In to Help
The Greene County Salute to Vietnam Veterans Committee announced that the project to bring the Vietnam Veterans Traveling Wall to Greene County has received a donation of $3,000 from the Waynesburg Loyal Order of the Moose Lodge #461. Participating in the check presentation were (l-r): Don Keller, Gary Milovac, Mike Harmon, Don Martin, Rick Black. The Vietnam Veterans Traveling Memorial Wall will be located at the Greene County Fairgrounds, 107 Fairgrounds Road, Waynesburg PA 15370, from September 28 – October 2, 2017. It will be open 24 hours a day and is free to the public.
The “Traveling Wall” is a 3/5 scale of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington D.C. It stands six feet tall at the center and covers almost 300 feet in length. This memorial was made for the purpose of healing and serves as a reminder of the great sacrifices made during the Vietnam War. It provides citizens an opportunity to pay tribute to veterans both past and present, without the need to travel to Washington D.C. Rick Black, one of the project’s coordinators, said “This event will not only benefit area veterans, but our entire community as well. And all the surrounding communities throughout southwestern PA and norther West Virginia will benefit and have the opportunity to experience history in viewing the wall. It is our hope that many people, including school children, will visit the Traveling Wall over the course of the exhibit’s visit to Greene County.” To learn more about The Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall, visit www.travelingwall.us. The committee continues to raise the necessary funds to accomplish this historic event. To learn more about how you can help or support this worthwhile effort – please contact Rick Black by phone: 724-9980598 or email: reblack998@yahoo.com.
Best of Show! Greene County artist Colleen Nelson of Holbrook took Best of Show at the Morgantown Art Association Spring Exhibit which opened earlier this month. The prize winning painting features retired miner David Huntly, also of Holbrook, who took part in the September 8, 2016 rally in Washington DC to show support for the Miners Protection Act. Huntley came to the show opening with his hard hat that protected him for 30 years and another of the signs that were carried to urge the U.S. Senate to approve the act that would guarantee health care benefits and pensions promised to miners. Colleen was also at the rally representing local media.
Rice Energy Donates $8,000 for Summer Programs
Mapletown Girls Softball Team did a donation fund raiser to collect money, office supplies and clothing in support of Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern, PA, Greene County Office. Photo
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by Head Coach Doug McIntire of the team presenting a check for $275 and other items to Cheryl McCready of Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern, PA. Way to go girls!
Earlier this month, Rice Energy presented the Greene County Commissioners and the Department of Recreation with $8,000 for support of the summer recreation programs. Rice Energy will be hosting Marcellus Mania 2017 on Saturday, June 17 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Greene County Fairgrounds. The free community event features live music, games and family-friendly activities throughout the day. Marcellus Mania is an annual event that has raised 1.7 million dollars over the past five years. Pictured, from l. to r., are Commissioner Dave Coder; Commissioner Archie Trader; Kimberly Price, Rice Energy external communications man-
ager; Kaitlyn Joyce, Rice Energy community development specialist; Brittani Marsteller, Rice Energy community development specialist; and Commissioner Blair Zimmerman.
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Growing in Greene Part Two
TRIVIA WINNER
Oleta Kiger of Spraggs, PA
FRIDAY WINNER
SATURDAY WINNER
Buckin’ B Cattle Company’s Extreme Bull Riding fan pack winners, who each received two tickets, two t-shirts and two hats: Friday Show winner was Mary Whitlatch of Waynesburg, who says her daughters are big fans who look forward to the event each year!
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Saturday Show winner was Melissa Husenits of Carmichaels, PA, who plans to attend with her son
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GreeneScene by Becky Pecjak
Flicka Project Receives Cindy’s Wind Grant
“H
orses are good for the soul,” says Faith Bjalobok, PH.D., who serves on the board of directors at the nonprofit Save A Horse Stables equine sanctuary in Rogersville. Save A Horse, a safe haven for more than 50 mostly rescued horses, was awarded the second Cindy’s Wind grant of $500 to help launch their “Flicka” pilot program which will provide equine bonding experiences for domestic violence victims. Cindy’s Wind grants are awarded twice a year for projects that benefit women and girls. The “field of interest” fund is operated by the Community Foundation of Greene County, where the board of directors select the award recipients based on grant applications from nonprofits. The Flicka Project is believed to be the first of its kind in Greene County and comes from Mary O’Hara’s 1941 classic novel, “My Friend Flicka,” about a young, awkward boy who bonds with a horse, which in turn helps him bond with his strict father, according to Bjalobok, who wrote the grant proposal. Stable owner Darlene Moore and her board members, are always seeking out more ways to connect with people, including a successful Open House on the farm held in October, and similar events. For awhile now, Bjalobok said, they’ve been
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researching equine therapy programs for people “who are marginalized.” That is, people with disabilities, veterans with such conditions as PTSD, and abuse victims. However, the liability insurance and other costs of such a sweeping effort has been prohibitive. When Moore learned about the Cindy’s Wind grants, it occurred to her that starting out smaller might be the way to find out if such a program is feasible. So they chose to serve Domestic Violence victims in a pilot program. “There’s a ton of literature that the supports equine bonding for victims of abuse,” said Bjalobok, who teaches classes at Duquesne and Waynesburg University, and who has been active with animal causes most of her life. Moore gave a presentation about Flicka to the Community Foundation Board. Bettie Stammerjohn, Executive Director of the Community Foundation, said, “The board was really impressed with this project, working with women who have experienced abuse, to expose them to horse therapy. Equine therapy is a growing field.” Several organizations submitted worthy projects, Stammerjohn said, but Flicka “seemed to be the best fit.” The grant will be used to offset the liability insurance costs. Cindy’s Wind Fund donor Cindy Bailey, said, “I am delighted that Save a Horse can use this grant to provide such a positive experience for women who have been through
catastrophic experiences. This is exactly the type of project I had in mind when Bettie helped me set up this fund.” Moore said Save A Horse will work with organizations that serve domestic violence victims to select women to participate. “They will have an opportunity to just bond with the horses,” Moore said, “feeding and caring for them. Horses respond to people. If you’re upset, they will put their head around you and nudge you.” Only the most docile horses will be selected for this program. “The stable will provide domestic violence victims a safe haven where they can come to experience the benefits of equine therapy, such as building self-esteem and eliminating insecurity and anxiety,” Bjalobok wrote in her grant proposal. Eventually, they hope to include other people who could benefit from the program. The Cindy’s Wind Grant Fund was established in honor of Bailey’s two grown daughters and comes from her column of the same name about family life. Published continuously since the early 90s, Cindy’s Wind has appeared in various venues, including Christian magazines, church newsletters, the Tribune-Review, and online (See Cindy’s Wind on Facebook) The first award was selected last spring and was given to the Bird Sisters House, a halfway-style home for women in recovery from drug or alcohol addiction.
“With this being only the second grant to be awarded, the Cindy’s Wind Fund has already exceeded my expectations,” Bailey said. CFGC is accepting new grant requests for the next Cindy’s Wind Fund. Proposals for projects under this fund will be accepted June 1st and October 1st as part of CFGC’s Community Grants cycle application process. Projects may be proposed by 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, including schools/educational institutions, government agencies, and faith-based/church organizations (church related projects must be nonsectarian.) The application form and proposal guidelines are available on the CFGC website, www.cfgcpa.org. The Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC) is a private, non-profit 501(c) (3) organization founded in 2000 whose purpose is to serve the needs and philanthropic aims of donors who wish to better their community, both now and in the future. CFGC currently manages $4 million in assets through more than 65 different funds. For more information about the Flicka Project contact: Save a Horse Stable Inc., 165 Lightner Run Road, Sycamore PA 15364; phone:724-499-5709, or email: saveahorse@ windstream.net
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CENTRAL GREENE STUDENTS COMPETE IN SCRABBLE TOURNAMENT
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CENTRAL GREENE SCHOOL DISTRICT SCRABBLE TEAM: JJ Martinez, Makenzie Barchiesi, Keira Kennedy, Duncan Barto, Jonah Higley, Joei Barchiesi
tudents from Central Greene School District’s Waynesburg Central Elementary School and Margaret Bell Miller Middle School recently participated in the Fayette Invitational Regional Scrabble Tournament (F.I.R.S.T.). The tournament is an annual event sponsored by Davis & Davis, Attorneys at Law. Students from Central Greene, Brownsville, Uniontown, and Carmichaels school districts competed in the event. Central Greene Scrabble team members put forth an outstanding performance as the team brought home 4 first place trophies, 1 second place
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trophy and 1 third place finish. Team members who competed in their grade levels included WCES third graders Keira Kennedy – 1st place, Duncan Barto – 2nd place; fourth graders JJ Martinez-1st place and Joei Barchiesi-3rd place; MBM seventh grader Makenzie Barchiesi-1st place and 8th grader Jonah Higley-1st place. Scrabble is a game that involves strategy and benefits students academically in the areas of spelling, word recognition, vocabulary development, computation, decision making, risk taking, good sportsmanship, fair play, and social skills. Congratulations on a job well done!
GreeneScene Magazine •
APRIL / MAY
2017
Chairman retires from First Federal of Greene County’s Board
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cott S. O’Neil, Chairman of the Board of Directors of First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County, recently announced his retirement from the Board. At its March 27 meeting, the Board accepted O’Neil’s resignation as Chairman of the Board and elected John E. Mariner as Chairman. With his retirement from the Board, O’Neil caps a career of nearly 50 years as an employee or officer of First Federal of Greene County, including 17 years as President/CEO and 11 years as Board Chairman. Born in Point Marion, O’Neil graduated from Albert Gallatin High School before serving a one-year tour in Vietnam with the U.S. Army. He graduated from Waynesburg College in 1969, and that August began working at First Federal of Greene County as an assistant secretary. O’Neil worked his way through the ranks of the Association, later becoming Vice President and Executive Vice President. In December 1990, O’Neil was first appointed to the Board, then was named President/CEO in January 1991. After 39 years of service, O’Neil retired in July 2008 as President/CEO of First Federal of Greene County. He continued to serve as Chairman of the Board, a position he had held since February 2006 upon the retirement of his predecessor, James L. Brewer. In 1969, when O’Neil was first hired, First Federal of Greene County had assets of $61 million; 48 years later, as O’Neil retires from the Board, the Association’s assets are almost $900 million. “What an outstanding career of 50 years for Scott,” Mariner said. “It was his sincere belief to ‘always do the very, very best he could possibly do,’ whatever the moment. It was this determination and dedication that will be truly missed by all.” President/CEO Judi Goodwin Tanner also expressed sadness due to O’Neil’s retirement
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2017 • GreeneScene Magazine
from the Board and his resignation as Chairman, but knows that he is just a short visit away, as he continues to make his home in the Waynesburg community. “Mr. O’Neil was named Director Emeritus,” Tanner said, “and we look forward to continuing our special relationship with him.” Professionally, O’Neil served as a director of the Pennsylvania Association of Community Bankers and Western Pennsylvania League of Financial Institutions, for which he was President from 1991-1992. He was elected and inducted to the PACB “Hall of Fame” in August 2009. He also belonged to the American Community Bankers and the Independent Community Bankers of America. Locally, O’Neil was active in the Fairchance Exchange Club, Fayette County Baseball League, Little League, Pony League Baseball, Waynesburg Elks, Waynesburg Moose, Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful and Waynesburg Wrestling Association. He also loves hunting, fishing and golfing in his spare time. O’Neil and his wife, the former Peggy Williams, recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. They have two sons and one grandson – Patrick and wife Rochelle of McKinney, Texas, and Michael, wife Tierza and son Seamus of Venetia, Pa. Since 1924, First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Greene County has served the residents of Southwestern Pennsylvania through a combination of traditional deposit and loan products and evolving technological convenience. From checking and savings accounts to mortgage and home equity loans, from online bill pay to mobile banking, First Federal of Greene County offers a variety of services to its customers, all while remaining committed to being “The People You Know, The People You Can Trust.” For more information, visit www.firstfederalofgreene. com.
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Co o l at Sc h o o l
armichaels Area High School is presenting a free, public art exhibition featuring student work on April 28, 6-8pm at The Greene Academy of Art, North Market Street, Carmichaels, PA. This issue of the GreeneScene is mailing on April 28, so this news may be getting to you a bit late – so we are sharing some pictures and info about this very “Cool at School” activity. The art students’ work, created throughout this 2016-17 school year, includes ceramics, sculpture, drawing, painting, printmaking and mixed media, some of which are award-winning pieces from the Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.
The senior Advanced Art students displayed portfolios in the exhibit which included multiple pieces from their high school career. “I am so impressed with all of the students, and the seniors deserve recognition for the hard work they’ve put in throughout the years,” said Marlynn White, CAHS art teacher. This is the fifth year for the high school art show to take place at The Greene Academy in Carmichaels. Ms. White continues, “I feel that this is the perfect venue for the event. The Greene Academy is dedicated to promoting the arts in the area; I couldn’t ask for a better way to present this show.”
Senior Kali Price completing her sculptures for her senior portfolio
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A sculpture created by junior Ashlee Cree
A mixed media piece created by senior Sierra Hedrick
Sculpture created by senior Kali Price
A drawing created by freshman Remington Renner
GreeneScene Magazine •
APRIL / MAY
2017
American Cancer Society Mission Spotlight – GREEN COUNTY Programs and Services, Research - Your Money at Work
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Greene County’s Relay for Life helps fund programs, services and research – your money at work
he American Cancer Society, the largest voluntary health organization, is committed to continuing to ensure people facing cancer have the help they need, as well as continuing the fight for access to quality healthcare, lifesaving screenings, groundbreaking research, and pivotal programs and services. Events such as Relay For Life, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, and distinguished events throughout western Pennsylvania enable the Society to raise critical funds to support its overall mission. The National Cancer Information Center (NCIC) provides information and support to those facing cancer 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Trained cancer information specialists are available via phone, or live chat, providing accurate, up to date cancer information to patients, family members, and caregivers and connecting them with valuable services and resources in their communities. This service is provided free of charge by contacting 1-800-227-2345. Road To Recovery provides rides to patients who have no way to get to their cancer treatment. Every day, cancer patients need rides to treatment. Some may not be able to drive themselves, and family and friends cannot always help. Volunteer drivers donate their time and the use of their cars so that patients can receive the life-saving treatments they need. If you or your loved one needs a ride to treatment, call the American Cancer Society at 1-800-227-2345 to be matched with a volunteer, or search online for programs in your area. Look Good Feel Better is a program that provides trained volunteer cosmetologists to teach women how to cope with skin changes and hair loss using cosmetics and skin care products donated by the cosmetic industry. The Patient Navigator Program connects one with a patient navigator at a cancer treatment center. You can talk one-on-one with a patient navigator about your situation. This person will listen in your time of need. Call 1-800-227-2345, and ACS
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2017 • GreeneScene Magazine
will tell you more about this program. Hope Lodge offers cancer patients 18 and older and their caregivers a free place to stay when their best hope for effective treatment may be in another city. Currently, there are more than 30 Hope Lodge locations throughout the United States and Puerto Rico. Accommodations and eligibility requirements may vary by location. The American Cancer Society, in a cooperative effort with hotels across the country, provides overnight accommodations to cancer patients who must travel for outpatient treatment and need assistance with lodging. The Hotel Lodging program is open to cancer patients of all ages, including pediatric patients accompanied by a parent, and patients traveling with children. All accommodations are provided based on eligibility requirements and are subject to availability and to restrictions imposed by the participating hotels. Requests for lodging are met on a first-come, first-served basis. The American Cancer Society currently funds more than $400,000,000 in research and health professional training grants across the United States, including 37 grants totaling $21,255,000 in Pennsylvania. Locally, nearly $4,000,000 in grants are in effect at the University of Pittsburgh, and an additional $210,000 at West Virginia University in Morgantown. In 2012, Cornerstone Care Inc. was awarded a 2-year (2012-2014), $100,000 American Cancer Society- NFL Crucial Catch (Breast Cancer) CHANGE Grant. The funding was to increase breast cancer awareness through education and to increase breast cancer screenings through breast examinations and mammograms in the Washington, Fayette, and Greene County areas. In total, 99 outreach events took place with nearly 13,000 people being educated in the community. Furthermore, 1,633 mammograms were provided, as well as 1,568 clinical breast exams (CBEs). One-onOne education and breast navigation was provided to 3,306 participants at Cornerstone offices. In 2015, Cornerstone Care was awarded a
2-year (2015-2017), $100,000 American Cancer Society- CEE Highmark Foundation grant for Colorectal Cancer. The grant’s dollars are used to increase colorectal cancer awareness through education and to increase colorectal screenings in the Washington, Fayette, and Greene County areas. The grant was awarded to Cornerstone Care and managed by ACS Primary Care Systems and Cornerstone Care. 1,349 patients and local residents have been educated through community and in-house events. 191 FIT screenings and 25 colonoscopies have been attributed to the grant. The grant dollars have been used to pay for client’s copays, full reimbursement for FIT screenings, partial payment for colonoscopies, and full to partial payments for client travel expenses. For additional information please visit www. cancer.org and for the most up to date cancer sta-
tistics, facts and figures, please reference https:// cancerstatisticscenter.cancer.org The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of 2 million volunteers saving lives in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society’s efforts have contributed to a 23 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. We’re finding cures as the nation’s largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at (800) 227-2345 or visit cancer.org.
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Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Festival
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he third weekend of May will once again bring fiber fanatics flocking to Greene County as Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful stages its 14th Annual Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Festival at the Greene County Fairgrounds. A great chance to get your fingers into some fleece and fiber – this family event offers many interactive activities for all ages, and best of all – it’s FREE. Saturday & Sunday, May 20th & 21st, from 10am- 5pm each day, the fairgrounds will be filled with fiber fun, sheep, alpacas and other fiber producing critters, in addition to live music, demos & entertainment and plenty of food. A juried crafts and fiber supply vendors show will offer real fiber enthusiasts a chance to buy everything from raw fleeces to hundreds of sheep & alpaca yarns and fibers, plus all the tools, supplies and equipment for artists and beautiful finished goods for the rest. And for those who want to learn, this festival is your destination! The Fiber to Shawl Event is a real “Show Stopper” with 3-4 teams of skilled artisans competing with each other and the clock to transform a fleece fresh from the animal into a finished, ready to wear shawl. The competitive groups start in the morning with bags of raw fiber (wool &/or alpaca), then begin cleaning, carding spinning, weaving & designing. By 2:30pm, they are showing off the finished goods as they sell at auction to the highest bidder. Anyone can buy! The fleece to shawl happens only on Saturday, don’t miss the auction at 2:30pm. The Breed Pavilion is always popular as local and regional breeders show off up to a dozen different varieties of sheep raised for fiber and or meat production. You can touch & feel as you learn about the variety and differences between breeds. Also, new this year, is a Small Ruminants Workshop presented by Kellie Frame, DVM and small animal shepherdess. Topics and demonstrations will include nutrition, innoculations, parasite control, gestation, delivery and milking for colostrum (this workshop will be Sunday only, beginning at 12:30pm). You’ll be inspired to pick up your hooks, needles or spindles when you see the Fiber Arts Competition featuring all handmade items from natural fibers. There is also a hand-spun skein
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competition. All fiber artists are welcome to enter both contests, complete rules and information is available on the festival website www.sheepandfiber. com. Or just come look and be inspired to see what you can do! Many vendors at the festival will sell unique natural and dyed fiber, roving, yarns and fiber arts tools. A new attraction this year is the Maker’s Space, where everyone who enjoys working in the fiber arts is invited to gather in a shady tent each afternoon to spin, knit, crochet, whatever your passion. This is an excellent place for newbies to observe and learn as well. The Dog-Herding Demonstration remains among the most popular spectator events, along with the sheep shearing demos. And everyone loves the Tri-State Area Chefs’ American Lamb Cooking Demos and Tasting events. Samples are free! Enjoy live music, too, including folk and acoustic and the popular Fuzzy Randolph Kiltie Band. In addition to the chefs’ samples, various food vendors are on site with goodies like lamb pitas, pulled lamb sandwiches, hot sausage hoagies, hot dogs, funnel cakes, cabbage and noodles, deep-fried Oreos and homemade desserts, too.
There are plenty of fiber related children’s activities, and pictures with lambs. Mark your calendars now to enjoy one or both days of the Waynesburg Sheep & Fiber Festival – celebrating our area’s heritage by learning, seeing, touching and doing! The third weekend of May each year at the Greene County Fairgrounds. Free parking, free admission. Find full schedule of events and information at www.sheepandfiber.com, or by calling Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful at 724-627-8119.
GreeneScene Magazine •
APRIL / MAY
2017
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2017 • GreeneScene Magazine
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t’s not that uncommon to see members of the Waynesburg University cross country and track & field teams out on daily runs through the various roads in and around the borough as they train for their seasons of competition. What that hard work and dedication to their athletic pursuits has produced is a far less common thing, especially for the female competitors, who have turned the 2016-17 schoolyear into eight memorably successful months. An excitement about the Waynesburg women’s distance runner started to buzz after the group ran to a second-place finish at the 2015 PAC Cross Country Championships. Most of that team’s top competitors then transitioned to the indoor track & field season, which saw them place fourth at the 2015-16 PAC Indoor Track & Field Championships. The year concluded with the Jackets and head coach Jason Falvo claiming their second team title at the PAC Outdoor T&F Championships in four years. After such a successful year, it was no surprise that the 2016 XC team, which was led by head coach Chris Hardie, was picked number one in the PAC preseason coaches’ poll. The Jackets were not only given the top spot, but grabbed seven-of-ten first-place votes. Waynesburg not only validated the lofty expectations expressed by the league’s 10 head coaches, but more than silenced its few detractors by crushing the field in October’s race at Saint Vincent College for its first-ever PAC team cross country title. The Jackets claimed eight of the top-10 finishing spots to score 21 points. That total created a 38-point chasm between the victors and second-place Grove City, which saw its 27-year run at the top of the league mountain snapped in resounding fashion. The Orange and Black was led by senior twin sisters Emily and Katie Latimer, who were the first two runners to cross the finish line on that day. Emily Latimer’s victory gave the program its first-ever individual crown, adding another level of history to the day. The sisters not only went on to shine at the NCAA Division III Mideast Regionals, but they also qualified for the NCAA Division III National Championships. Emily and Katie finished their collegiate racing careers ranked one-two in the school 6K record books The snowball of success hasn’t slowed down for Waynesburg’s distance specialists. After moving from the cross country courses to the indoor tracks, Waynesburg rolled to its first-ever PAC indoor track & field team title. Once again led by their distance juggernaut, the Yellow Jackets racked up 146.5 points, a total that was 38.5 points better than second-place Westminster. Three of Waynesburg’s four individual titles at the event were claimed by members of the cross country team. With two women’s team titles already secured, the Yellow Jackets put themselves in position for a trifecta of trophies that has never been accomplished in the history of the PAC. A win at the Outdoor Track & Field Championships on Saturday, April 29, would make Waynesburg the first school to ever grab team gold in one gender for cross country and both track championships in one year. The Latimer sisters have been the driving force behind the Waynesburg women’s distance machine. However, they are far from the only two standout performers that have piled up trophies, medals and accolades through the weeks and months. Prior to suffering an injury in the summer, junior Julie Gerber, a Uniontown native, had emerged as the poster child for Waynesburg
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distance running. Gerber was a runner-up at the PAC cross country championships as both a freshman and a sophomore, and became the first Yellow Jacket man or woman to compete at the NCAA Division III National Cross Country Championships in 2015. Heading into this year, Hardie and Falvo both knew they could rely on talented harriers like Olivia Latimer, the older sister of the Emily and Katie, sophomore Teghan Simonton, who was coming off a fantastic freshman campaign, and another set of swift running twins in Angie and Becky Marchetti. The recruiting efforts of the two head coaches also yielded a large, talented class of newcomers that needed little time to start making contributions to the teams’ successes. The eight-woman group includes natives of five different states from as far away as Arizona.
“What sets this group apart from some of the others that we have worked with over the years, is their willingness to give up selfish interests in order to make the team better,” Hardie said. “They truly focus on being a better team each and every day, and don’t focus on individual accolades.” Both Hardie and Falvo agree on a more intangible aspect concerning the Waynesburg women that will further cement their legacy. “Coach Falvo and I have similar philosophies on coaching ‘character’ within our athletes. We challenge our athletes to be the best on and off the track,” Hardie said. “I am proud of this group of talented runners because they are truly making a difference in the lives of others through their commitment to community service and their hard work in their academic pursuits.”
GreeneScene Magazine •
APRIL / MAY
2017
www.4seasonsinc.net
724-627-6153
600 Rolling Meadows Road, Waynesburg, PA
HOURS: Mon-Fri 8AM-5PM & Sat 8AM-2PM
APRIL / MAY
2017 • GreeneScene Magazine
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Corner Cupboard Food Bank Community Garden
omething new and exciting is growing at the Corner Cupboard Food Bank (CCFB). This vital community service organization - which supports 11 pantry sites throughout the county - is catapulting sustainable farming concepts into its daily practices. Director Candace Tustin, joined by Operations Manager Jessica Cole, and part-time Warehouse worker, T.R. Mahle , are working on developing and instilling self-sustaining agricultural practices to help support those in need in an exciting new way. Candace’s vision of people returning to some of their more rural roots of self-sustainability has fueled her visions for the community garden concept. Since beginning her tenure as the director of CCFB in October of 2015, Candace was inspired to incorporate the practices praised by many greening and community garden organizations to promote education and skills for producing food in urban settings. Those of lower income and out of work often are limited by the food choices they can make due to their economic situation. Studies have proven that being able to raise some of the food they need for their families can improve their economic status, provide healthier diet choices, and perhaps most importantly, instill a sense of achievement and community. Passionate about the possibilities of these gardening concepts for the Greene County community, Candace has found the necessary provisions and people to put her ideas into action. “We have received amazing support from local businesses, Waynesburg University, Church youth groups, Penn State Extension, boys and girls youth programs, prison work crews and the Greene County Conservation District employees in helping formulate and enact this vision,” Candace said, “I am also grateful for the Greene County Community
By Rochelle McCracken
Service office support and involvement with the garden project. Their service and labor have been invaluable in helping the project get started and continuing with its expansion.” What was a plot of vacant land between the food bank and county jail is now destined to provide for the growth of food - and the growth of confidence – as a community garden. Raised bed plant boxes are being built and garden fencing erected. The materials, supplies and labor used for the initial establishment of the garden have been provided by sponsors of this project including Wayne Lumber, McCracken Pharmacy, Waynesburg Milling, and Noble Energy. Service day contributors have included Waynesburg University students, church youth groups, Rolling Meadows Church of God, and Daisy Girl Scout Troupe #52914. Even plans for a picnic table were scooped up and a table built by one of Candace’s volunteer groups. Pulling weeds, prepping soil, building plant boxes and installing the fencing have been the focus the past few weeks in preparation for the first planting. Master Gardeners from Penn State Extension - Greene County Office have provided valuable information and tips on raised bed soil preparation to ensure success come harvest time. The Master Gardeners have plans to continue their support with future workshops for the food bank community and clients on raised bed production and composting. With energy and enthusiasm high, prospective future goals are on the horizon. “We have discussed plans for expansion of the community garden operation and our green living practices by building a cistern for collecting rain water which will be used to maintain the garden. We have discussed the grassy area beside the Greene County Historical Society’s Coallick School House as a possible source for additional space to accommodate
an orchard, beehives and more raised plant beds.” Currently the CCFB provides food security to over 2000 people per month, including roughly 600 children, through their pantry box program. A goal from the inception of this sustainability program was to provide a learning environment that helps the clients of the CCFB provide for their own daily needs. “The most valuable ‘harvest’ we hope to have will be the unique blend of creating self-reliance and the strength of community engagement.”
Another goal is to grow some of the food resources needed to support the pantries, helping stretch the dollars provided by donors and sponsors. A constant need for sponsors and volunteers in many capacities is ever present. Candace welcomes all to come and be a part of this exciting endeavor. You can dig your hands in the dirt, head-up a project or sponsor an activity. To find out more visit www.cornercupboard.org.
GreeneScene by Shilynn Victoria Renner
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GreeneScene Magazine •
APRIL / MAY
2017
Garden Club Installs New Officers
The Town & Country Garden Club installed its newly-elected officers for the two-year term 2017-2019. Pictured (l-r): Norma Kline, outgoing president; Kay Bair, new president; Terri Laird, first vice president; Susan Swala, second vice president & parliamentarian; Carol Harrison; Tami Burnworth, secretary; Ann DeVito,
corresponding secretary; and Dianne Nicholson, treasurer. The club was organized in 1951 and will observe its 66th anniversary in October. The club is a member of National Garden Clubs, Inc., Central Atlantic Region of State Garden Clubs, Inc., Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania and District X.
Summer Community Grants The Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC) is accepting applications for the Summer Community Grants and Cindy’s Wind Fund for Women & Girls. Applications for the grants will be accepted until 4pm, June 1, 2017 for project activities beginning after August 1. The Foundation expects to award three to five grants ranging between $500 and $2,000 per project. Proposed Community Grants projects may include one or more of the following broad priorities: Arts, Culture & Humanities; Children, Youth & Families; Community and Economic Development; Education; Environment; Health & Fitness; and Human Services. The Cindy’s
Wind Fund for Women & Girls will award one grant of $500 this summer for projects focusing on helping women and girls achieve their full potential. Eligible applicants must be nonprofit, charitable, tax-exempt organizations (501(c)(3), including schools, religious organizations, and government agencies whose purposes and programs benefit Greene County residents. CFGC seeks to fund organizations and ideas that will have a significant and lasting impact on Greene County, its residents, infrastructure and future. FMI: Call CFGC at 724-627-2010, or e-mail cfgcpa@gmail.com, or visit www.cfgcpa.org.
Shed Hunters
Got A GreeneScene?
GreeneScene Community Magazine encourages our readers to keep their smart phones and cameras ready to snap pictures of the sights, scenes, activities and beauty of Greene County and surrounding area! Then submit your photos for consideration as GreeneScenes inside the magazine, or even a Front Cover shot! We’re looking for photos that depict the good life we live and the natural beauty that
surrounds us here. People, nature, pets, scenic views, community activities…our small towns and country lanes, farms and woods and creeks – there are plenty of opportunities for GreeneScenes. If your photo submission is selected as a GreeneScene Magazine Front Cover, you will receive a free GreeneScene T-shirt and $25! Pictures that appear inside the magazine as GreeneScenes will earn the photographer a free t-shirt…and the privilege of seeing your picture in the area’s most popular publication. We’re looking for colorful, candid shots that celebrate the season. Photos must be of good quality, high resolution and properly submitted by the person who took the picture online at www.greenescenemagazine.com or by email to info@greenescenemagazine.com. Name of photographer, address, phone and date and location of picture must accompany all submissions. Submission implies permission to publish and treat photos (crop, resize, enhance, etc.). Submissions may kept under consideration for up to 12 months.
Anti-Bullying Comic Book Diverse Gaming Coalition, home based in Greene County, is a non-profit dedicated to ending online harassment through social advocacy and community outreach. On May 7, 2017, the coalition is hosting a special event at Four Horsemen Comics & Gaming at the Morgantown Mall to initiate the production of an “anti-bullying comic book” to help achieve the goal of reducing online harassment and bullying. Anyone who has a passion for drawing or writing and would like to participate in the event is welcome! There will be prizes,
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2017 • GreeneScene Magazine
free pizza and more. All ages are invited, participation is absolutely free. The goal is to exchange and share ideas, create art and text and brainstorm the production of this special comic book destined for regional and national distribution at comic book conventions, online and through local community and/or school outlets. The event will begin at noon, please come! To learn more about Diverse Gaming Coalition email contact@ diversegaming.co, visit the website http://diversegaming.co, or find them on Facebook:/diversegamingco.
Megan Corwin of Spraggs posts this interesting photo of three generations of shed hunters, who collected 26 sheds this year, the most they have ever found in one season. Pictured (l-r): Pat Corwin, Hayden Corwin, Brandon Corwin. Me-
gan writes, “Hayden is holding the smallest shed they’ve found and Pat and Brandon are holding the largest they’ve found – all collected on our property in Spraggs, Wayne Township.”
Springo Bingo Flamingo Bingo Flamingo was just one of the countless prizes, raffles and chances that were offered to those who came to the Graysville Volunteer Fire Department’s community hall on April Fools Day to have fun and support Harveys Aleppo Grange. Springo Bingo raised $5,000 for the grange general fund that will go back into the community through scholarships, buying extras for nursing home residents, donations to groups, organizations such as fire departments and cash and goods for those in need because of emergencies and natural disasters. Ladies Auxiliary Charie Livingood became the proud keeper of Bingo Flamingo that night. Talk about lucky!
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BOWLBY BITS Creative Crafting for Adults – Classes offered 2x a month - May 4 at 5pm & May 20 at 10am. Project is a Clay Pot Person. Cost for materials is $20. It’s Movie Night –May 24, watch “Max 2: White House Hero” beginning at 6pm. FREE popcorn & beverages! T.O.P.S. - weight management support group meets every Sat., 9:30-11:30am. PA One Book Story Class - May 6, 10-11:30am; story time, craft, songs & games. Each child receives a copy of this year’s PA One Book, Daniel Finds a Poem. Please pre-register. Lego Club – May 6 & 20 at 11am. All ages! Library provides the Legos. Bowlby Book Club – May 8, 6pm. Discussion on “Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy. Coding Camp - Children ages 5-8 learn core coding concepts as they create their own interactive stories and games using PBS KIDS characters. May meetings are 5/4 & 5/18, 5-6pm. Call to register. After-After Hours, presented by Teen Advisory Group (TAG), May 26, 8-10pm, an evening of music by & for Teens. Suggested $2 donation at the door, snacks provided. Please pre-register. Peg & Cat Story Time – May 20, 11am-1pm, for ages 3-8 years. Games, crafts, stories & light lunch. Please pre-register. Keep Me Safe - 3 part series for young children & families on personal and home safety; June 3, 10 & 17, 10am - 12pm Hunter Safety Course - June 17, 9:30am-4:30pm. Free course; light lunch served. Applicants MUST register online at Pennsylvania Game Commission site. Free test prep for adults studying for SAT, GED, Civil Service exams, Drivers Licensing and Life skills, and for basic reading & math skills. Free after school tutoring for school-age children. Call to schedule appointments. Color Outside the Lines - adult coloring group meets every Wed., 11am-1pm or 6-8pm. Brainfuse - Free online tutoring database, with one-on-one tutoring available daily 2-11pm. Writing lab, study guides, and skill building resources available 24/7. Access using your library card at www.evakbowlby.org. Freegal - Enjoy free music! Library patrons can stream or download with mobile apps, visit www.evakbowlby.org. Rocket Languages - 15 online Language courses are available through your library website, with your library card. Or download mobile app at www.evakbowlby.org. Call or stop in Eva K. Bowlby Public Library for more info or to register for any of the above events. 724-627-9776 • 311 N. West St., Waynesburg, PA 15370
GreeneScene by Donna Renee
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GreeneScene Magazine •
APRIL / MAY
2017
Greene: Earth and Sky Getting on track with an unusual hobby in Greene County
By Pete Zapadka
H
ow many times have we heard this lament? “There’s nothing to do in Greene County!” It’s true that certain leisure pursuits, such as enjoying a night at the opera or symphony, or even attending a professional baseball or football game, require a drive of more than an hour. But Greene County offers a multitude of unusual and fulfilling hobbies and activities, some so popular they have visitors, well, railing to come here. It’s the county’s rural nature, topography and its infrastructure draws people from beyond its border. Want to join some of them? Consider railfanning. Wait . . . what? Railfanning is the active pursuit of watching transportation by railroad, and a railfan is a train buff or railroad enthusiast. It’s OK to admit. . . you know you’ve at least once had an attraction to the railroads. First, the clanging of the warning bells with the flashing lights at a crossing. Then, a gigantic, thunderous locomotive moves past, sometimes just a few yards away and towing a lengthy line of noisy, freight-laden cars. It can be inspiring, frightening and just plain hard to ignore. With its sometimes frenetic railroad lines that haul mostly coal, Greene County is quite the mecca for this unusual pursuit. Listen to veteran railfan John Diller of Munhall, a Pittsburgh suburb: “The original Monongahela Railway to the mines in Greene County, especially the Manor Branch to Bailey/Enlow Fork, is of fairly recent construction and is one of the most scenic pieces of railroad in the East,” he said. Railfans often combine their general interest in trains with photography and videography, radio scanning of train operations, model railroading, studying railroad history and participating in train station and preservation efforts. Locally, railfans seem to focus on photographing or videotaping moving trains, especially locomotives. John Diller is among those. He prefers the active line that leads from the Bailey Mine to Waynesburg for its visibility. “Few trees,” he said. The Manor Branch from the mines has several good opportunities for railfans: Crouse Road near the intersection with Stringtown Road in Morris Township; the West Run Road and the Ingram Hill crossings in Morris Township; and in locations along Route 18 south of Sycamore. This busy railroad joins with a line that comes north from mines in West Virginia. There are a multitude of good spots here, most notably: along Toms Run near Shamrock in Wayne Township; Pine Bank Road in Gilmore Township; the Jones Road crossing and the north end of the White Cottage Tunnel near Tunnel Road in Jackson Township. The rail line that leads east along the South Fork of Tenmile
As the train heads toward Jefferson Borough after Homeville Road, it crosses a trestle over the South Fork of Tenmile Creek. Take note that the once-common caboose, which used to be the last car on every train, no longer is used.
APRIL / MAY
2017 • GreeneScene Magazine
Photos by Pete Zapadka
A Norfolk Southern locomotive leads the way as a fully loaded coal train is passing through Waynesburg.
Creek through Jefferson Borough is loaded with viewing locations, but one of the best is at the east end of the recently rebuilt Pollocks Mill Road Bridge. Or try the Homeville Road crossing in Jefferson Township. On the west side of the Monongahela River, just across from Point Marion, is another railroad that runs north from West Virginia. It can be seen easily from Route 88 near Dilliner. If you take Power Plant Road south past the dam, you may catch a train as it crosses the
fabled Mason-Dixon Line. Finally, the unusual Cumberland Mine Railroad runs along Whiteley Creek from west of Kirby to Alicia on the Monongahela River. This isolated railroad is not connected to any other network. Its trains have locomotives on both ends so, in effect, it can return from where it came when it reaches the end of the line. Watch for this train on an overpass near the White Covered Bridge near Garards Fort, from the overpass on Polecat Hollow Road next to Interstate 79 in Whiteley Township, or where it passes beneath Mapletown Road in Monongahela Township. Trains Magazine estimates there are 175,000 active railfans in the United States. YouTube is host to about 25,000 railfan videos. On Facebook, look up SWPA Rail Fans or WesternParailfan Productions for some great local railfanning photos. Use Google to search for more. Finally, there is something vitally important to rail about: Do not trespass on railroad nor on adjacent private property. Never walk, stand or stop your car on the railroad tracks. No one wants a tragic end to a pursuit of a special avocation. Pete Zapadka is a Greene County property owner and a retired local news editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He can A locomotive rounds a bend and is ready to cross a bridge over Bridge Road in be reached at pzapadka@yahoo.com. Morgan Township as it heads toward Waynesburg.
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GreeneScene Magazine •
APRIL / MAY
2017