DECEMBER 2014
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GreeneScene Calendar
Winners
he new 2015 GreeneScene Calendar is here! From several hundred entries, our judges selected 13 pictures to serve as the monthly themes and front cover. “It was, as always, a very difficult decision,” said Calendar Contest Coordinator, Pam Blaker of Direct Results, publisher of the GreeneSaver. “We have a number of talented photographers in the area, and of course plenty of beauty and fun that serve as great GreeneScenes. Many of the pictures which were not selected for the calendar will now be showing up in future isues of the GreeneSaver, both as GreeneScenes and perhaps even covers, so even if you didn’t make the calendar this year, keep a lookout for your pictures in the GreeneSaver!” Pam added. The winners of the 2015 GreeneScene Calendar Contest were Jeffrey Hughes of Graysville, PA (Front Cover); Warren Hlafcsak of Waynesburg, PA (January); David Logan of Holbrook, PA (February); Lindsay Osborne of Carmichaels, PA (March); Robin Teagarden of Rices Landing, PA (April); Jessie Belding of Waynesburg, PA (May); KaSaundra Glendenning of Carmichaels, PA (June); Kim Behm of Rices Landing, PA (July); Linda Skobel of Vestaburg, PA (August); Tammie Dunlap of Dilliner, PA (September); Beth Moore of Waynesburg, PA (October); Greg Gooden of Garards Fort, PA (November); and Beverly Yoskovich of Dilliner, PA (December). Each of the contest winners received $100, and all participants receive our thanks for sending in so many amazing photos! Close to 20,000 copies of the GreeneScene Calendar will be distributed with this December issue of the GreeneSaver, and copies will be available while supplies last at the Direct Results/GreeneSaver offices, 185 Wade Street in Waynesburg.
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DECEMBER 2014
GreeneScene by Jeanine Henry
DECEMBER 2014
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W riter in Greene By Regis Whetzel
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ere’s a question for you: what could a rural pastor with over three decades of experience ministering to the spiritual needs of his church know about such dark subjects as murders, brutal beatings, and the dangers of spiraling into the grip of addiction? You might be surprised… John Rich Dorean has been serving the community as pastor at Jefferson Baptist Church for 32 years, but to many in Greene County, he may be just as well known as the author of the “… In Greene” books, Murder in Greene, Witness in Greene, and the final volume of the trilogy, Justice in Greene. Just released, Justice in Greene takes readers back to the real-life Greene County environs of Mark Stewart, pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church. There’s nothing to suggest that Pastor Stewart is trying to indulge a “cop fantasy,” or has a secret longing to be a crime-fighting private eye; he’s a preacher who’s just trying to care for his flock, yet somehow finds himself in the middle of some very sticky situations. Fans of John’s work as a writer may be surprised to learn that Pastor Mark Stewart was “born” long before the public got to share his adventures. “I wrote the original book, Murder in Greene, back in 1997. I sent it off to a Christian book publisher, because it was somewhere in between being a ‘Christian novel,’ and not a ‘Christian novel,’” he remembers. “They thought it was a little too ‘worldly’— they sent me a rejection notice.” The project was shelved for a time, especially since John had completed another, non-fiction book, The Kingdom Adventure, which he describes as a “collection of essays and reflections on Christian life,” which he self-published. “I did well with it,” he says, “but was not convinced that the ‘murder mystery thing’ would self-publish as well, so that I could sell it.” It was well over a decade before Pastor Stewart’s Greene County adventures would see the light of day. The credit for turning them loose on the world goes, largely, to John’s wife, Merry, and one of his daughters: “Back in 2011, my wife, out of the blue, literally dropped in my lap on Christmas Day a box of 20 copies of Murder in Greene that she’d had digitally printed, and my daughter, Carrie, had done a cover for it,” he notes, smiling at the memory. “As a joke, they stuck on the back of the book that it was the first book in the ‘Mark Stewart Trilogy’.” Those first 20 copies were given to family and friends, and soon the book began taking on a life of its own. “The response was so positive,” John notes, “that we decided to take a leap of faith, and printed 500 copies.” The new books were made, printed locally by Rhodes and Hammers, which was yet another advantage, according to John. “We marketed it as, ‘Written in Greene County, printed in Greene County, for the people of Greene County,” he says, proudly. Of course, this “Greene-centric” approach is one of the more unique features of the series. While all novels take place in defined locations which typically serve as the “background” against which the characters’ actions take place, the “… In Greene” books feature area locations as part of the story. “That’s the thing that most people stop me on the street about, you know—‘I read your book! I loved reading about Havers Hill!’ or what have you,” John laughs. Although being a writer is quite a different profession from being a pastor, one is firmly grounded in the other. “The foundation of writing for me is 32-and-a-half years of writing Sunday sermons,” he notes. “I’d also written a newspaper religion column for about 10 years. I majored in Religion in college, and that required writing a lot of long term papers. I enjoyed that process, because I enjoy thinking things through. The whole area of writing fiction—these are the only three attempts I’ve made at it. It brings out the creativity in me that we all have within us, but that most of us squelch.” And how does he “channel” the lives of his characters from the inside of his head, onto the printed page? “I’m very much a ‘Stream of Consciousness’ guy,” John points out. “I read somewhere that J. K. Rowling had detailed outlines of all seven volumes of the Harry Potter series before she wrote one word. I don’t. I have one chapter in my mind when I start the book, and it goes from there.” Given the “hard boiled” nature of much of his subject matter, one has to wonder if John’s pastor-half and author-half are ever at odds. “I’m very conscious throughout the writing process—is this something that’s going to offend people?” he confirms. “I’ve got three checks: I’ve got my wife—am I going to say something here that she’s going to take the wrong way? I’ve got the congregation—if there’s too much bad language or inappropriate behavior; and I also write, in part, with my own grandkids in mind. Is this something that, when they grow up and are readers, themselves, would I be embarrassed to have them read at some point?” His relentless self-editing has done little, if anything, to water down the characters in Justice in
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Greene. Dealing primarily with the all-too-real problem of drug abuse and addiction in Greene County, Pastor Stewart and youth pastor, Ethan Lawson, are forced to confront their own inner struggles while trying to help a troubled young girl battle her demons. The cast of characters is wide and multi-dimensional, and the instant familiarity created by placing the reader on “home turf ” adds to the realism of the story. Some of the players in John’s books are, he admits, “Created just for the fun of it.” Others combine aspects of actual people in his life, including himself and his family. “The lead character of all three books is a pastor,” he notes, “so I have that in common with him. He’s younger than I am, and he’s in a wheelchair. I have four daughters. My youngest daughter has spent her life in a wheelchair, so, in some ways, I think that I have some interesting insights from that perspective.” Most of all, he says, “I try and create real characters. One of the things that some ‘Christian writers’ have done is make people where the good guys are ‘goody-good,’ and the bad guys are ‘baddy-bad.’ In my experience, I don’t know anybody like that! I just don’t think that’s the way people are.” Pointing out that Jefferson Baptist has a support group for families coping with addiction much like the one that opens Justice in Greene, he adds, “The experience of drug addiction is real; the experience of these particular characters is obviously fictionalized. The pain, the anguish of the families that I relate to every day—I try to make that into an interesting story that people who are not necessarily dealing with those issues in their lives can say, ‘I like that story, and what he’s done with it. Maybe there’s something there for me to learn.’” Justice in Greene is available locally at the Giant Eagle stores in Waynesburg and Rices Landing; the Belko stores in Mt. Morris, Waynesburg and Jefferson; at ArtBeat and Specialty Herbal, both in Waynesburg; and at the Little Store, between Waynesburg and Jefferson. Or, says John, “People can stop me on the street or call me, and I’ll sign one and bring it to them!”
GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2014
DECEMBER 2014
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The Holiday Escape I
t’s a sentiment heard often, from family members, stories in the news, popular TV shows, and elsewhere: families often don’t spend nearly as much “quality time” together as they used to do. Duties and distractions that just didn’t exist in earlier times, such as television, “work emails,” cell phones, and, of course, the Internet, can create situations where people who are related to each other are living under one roof, but may not have much genuine interaction. The Family Stability Community Team, part of the Greene County collective called MAGIC (Making A Great Impact Collectively) makes efforts to change that through a variety of programs designed to bring parents, children and other family members together in one place, with a common purpose: having fun! The 2014 Holiday Escape, sponsored by the Greene County Commissioners, Greene County Human Services, the Greene County MAGIC Collective, and the Family Stability Community Team, is taking place at the 4-H building at the Greene County Fairgrounds on Monday, December 29th from 10am to 2pm. Chairperson of the Family Stability Team, Tracie Sypin, has been overseeing this event for the last 8 years, and is excited to bring families together for a day of free fun and games. “Holiday Escape is one of our annual events we do between Christmas and New Year’s, where we show a movie, and have a free lunch, which usually consists of hot dogs and chips. We play games with the kids and their family members; it’s a really nice event that we have.” Tracie reports having upwards of 150 participants at some of the Holiday Escape events, drawing children and families from all over Greene County, and often attracts people from Washington and Fayette, as well. The Family Stability Team relies on donations from local businesses, agencies and individuals. “One of our main contributors is Value Behavioral Health,” Tracie says, adding, “Anything that we get, we put back into the program.” In addition to the Holiday Escape, MAGIC and the Family Stability group also present a soccer camp in June, and a basketball camp in August. “Soccer camp is at Carmichaels, at the high school soccer field,” Tracie notes, “and our basketball camp used to be held at Margaret Bell Miller Middle School, but for the last couple of years we’ve had it at the Assembly of God in Eastview, in their air conditioned gym. August is usually the hottest month, and Margaret Bell Miller doesn’t have air conditioning in it!” The mission statement of the Family Stability team is, “To provide programs and activities to help Greene County residents build and strengthen bonds between family members,” and Tracie makes sure that this mission takes form through the work of the team. For the Holiday Escape, for example, “We encourage parents and caregivers to stay with their kids when they bring them, and play games with them, and watch the movie. With basketball and soccer camp, we encourage them to stay on the field and play, so we really work toward creating and strengthening some family bonding.” The team is hoping for a healthy turnout for this year’s Holiday Escape; the choice of Disney’s “Frozen” as the movie being shown may certainly contribute to that. “We used to focus strictly on a holiday-themed movie,” Tracie notes, “but now we just show a familyoriented movie. We try to find one that appeals to young kids and older kids as well. I think we have a good one this year.” The Holiday Escape is open to all children, families and caregivers. There is no cost to attend, but registration is required. To register, or for more information, contact Greene County Human Services at 724-852-5276.
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DECEMBER 2014
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GreeneScene
ore than 80 local children attended the Greene County Department of Recreation’s recent “Breakfast with Santa” at the Greene County Fairgrounds. Contest winners in different age categories received $10 Wal-Mart gift cards. The winners were: ages 1 to 3, Kendall McKay, 3, of Waynesburg; ages 4 to 6, Gabby Russo, 6, of Holbrook; ages 7 to 9, Abigail Riggen, 8, of Waynesburg; and ages 10 and up, Remmey Lohr, 11, of Carmichaels. The breakfast was prepared and served by Chef Dan Wagner, culinary arts instructor at the Greene County Career & Technology Center. Helping with the festivities were Lohr, the 2014 Junior Miss Greene County, and Bailey Barnyak of Carmichaels, the 2014 Petite Miss Greene County. The Department of Recreation thanks Santa and Mrs. Claus, everyone who attended, all of the volunteers and the Greene County Commissioners for sponsoring. All supplies were purchased with proceeds from previous Recreation events, such as the annual Dock to Lock 5K Run/ Walk held each May. For more information on “Breakfast with Santa,” call the Department of Recreation at 724-852-5323.
DECEMBER 2014
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DECEMBER 2014
The DJ Who Rocked Christmas
GreeneScene
By Regis Whetzel
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appy Christmastime memories are like snowflakes—many of them appear to be similar, but no two are exactly alike. For local history expert-at-large and frequent GreeneSaver contributor, Albie Rinehart, one set of memories stands out in particular: “There was a disc jockey from Masontown,” he recalls; “his name was Sheb Abi. He was a very nice man, and he used to hold dances at the old Waynesburg High School on Morgan Street on Saturday nights. When Christmastime came along, the school was closed down, and he wasn’t able to have the dances there. He loved doing his job, and he loved making kids happy, so he went to the local armory, rented it, and had his Christmas dance! Kids would come from all the school districts in the county, and just absolutely had a wonderful time.” Just 60 cents allowed entry to the 1962 “Teenage Christmas Dance,” which Albie recalls was the second such event, the first one taking place in 1961. The Christmas Dance (and the “Teenage New-Year’s Eve Party” that took place the following week) became an ongoing annual tradition for several years, and attracted impressive crowds. “The dance was for anyone at all that wanted to attend,” says Albie. “There were kids that would come in from Jefferson, Carmichaels, Beth-Center, all of the local districts. It kept a kind of continuity—he had the dances at Waynesburg High School on Saturday nights, and wanted to provide the kids with some enjoyment during Christmas and New Year’s, too.” “Continuity” was a big part of Sheb Abi’s contribution to the burgeoning rock and roll scene throughout Greene County in the 1950s and 1960s. When American Bandstand was at the height of its glory on television, Sheb was a disc jockey on WANB radio, hosting a two hour local “bandstand”-type radio show, and constantly updating his “Halo of Hits,” a listing of the most requested songs from around the region. His school dances became a fixture for young people in the area, featuring “spotlight dances,” hula-hoop contests, and live performances by popular local singing groups. Sheb Abi and his wife of 55 years, Josette, are now retired and living in Virginia Beach, VA, but he reports that there are many occasions for which he has, “Returned to the bandstand to present ‘record hops’ for class reunions, ‘Welcome Wagon’ get-togethers, New Year’s Eve Oldies Hops, and many other kinds of events.” If he ever gets the urge to come back to Greene County around the holidays, we bet that there are scores of people who would love another chance to be rockin’ around the Christmas tree while Sheb Abi spins the hits!
DECEMBER 2014
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GreeneScene
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DECEMBER 2014
Congratulations to Deserving Students! The Challenge Program, Inc. distributed financial awards to the underclassmen at Jefferson-Morgan High School for excelling in the areas of Attendance, Academic Improvement, Academic Excellence, STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and Community Service. Pictured left to right: Jeff Rice, junior academic improvement; Shane Dohn, junior STEM Award; Chance Bennett, sophomore academic improvement; Chase Kovalcheck, sophomore attendance; David Blosser, junior attendance, academic excellence, and community service; Camryn Dugan, sophomore academic excellence and community service, and Samantha Rockwell, sophomore STEM Award. The program partners with businesses to motivate high school students to excel and introduce them to career opportunities in their own communities. Alpha Natural Resources was the sponsor of the program at the school for the 2013/14 school year. For information about 2015/2016 sponsorship of The Challenge Program, Inc. at Jefferson-Morgan Near the end of November, the Grand National Cross Country Series (GNCC ATV/Motorcycle Rac- High School, contact Mary Dreliszak, director of program development and public relations, at 724-984ing) held their annual banquet at the Waterfront Place in Morgantown, WV. Ten PA racers were presented 0860. the State Championship Trophy, an award given to the state with the most champions in the series this year. Of these ten, three are Greene County residents, champions in their respective classes. Congratulations to Alex Teagarden of Waynesburg, Kaleb Williams of Jefferson, and Adam Lewis of Carmichaels for a job well done, and for representing our county!
They Got Their Motors Running!
L-R: Adam Lewis, Alex Teagarden, Colin Keegan (Coal Center, PA), Kaleb Williams
Garden Club Cookie Walk Reaps Sweet Success Town & Country Garden Club members hosted their annual cookie walk luncheon recently at the Carmichaels Activity Center. This is the eleventh year for the cookie walk, which is the fundraiser for the club’s annual $1,000 scholarship which is awarded to a graduating senior from one of the five county high schools. Two former scholarship recipients, Joshuah Dains (2011) a senior at Waynesburg University, and Jeremy Baker (2013) a sophomore at Waynesburg University attended and provided assistance at the event. Club member Linda Shefcheck won the title of Cookie Queen for baking the most cookies—34 dozen. “The success of our cookie walk is due to the great support it receives from patrons of the surrounding communities and businesses. They, too, wish to invest in the youth of our county,” stated Kay Bair president. Town and Country was organized in 1951 and is a member of the Garden Club Federation of Pennsylvania (District X), National Garden Clubs, Inc., and the Central Atlantic Division.
DECEMBER 2014
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Quite a Canstruction Project! Greene County Corner Cupboard Foodbank coordinated it’s second Canstruction event with displays hosted by various downtown merchants during the Holiday Open House held earlier this month. Local artists and youth group volunteers designed and constructed “sculptures” made from actual canned foods. All the food and funds raised benefit the Greene County Corner Cupboard Food bank. CONSOL Energy provided the funding to purchase all the food used in the construction, and monetary votes were gathered from the public during the Open House making this an outstanding opportunity for the food bank to gather both food and funds for contribution to pantries throughout the county. Said Corner Cupboard’s Dave Calvario, “It was a great evening. Thanks especially to CONSOL. It was a ‘win-win,’ since it allowed us to purchase the non-perishable food, which goes right back to our food bank!” Direct Results’ own graphic designer, Molly Usher, won two awards, “Best Use of Labels” and “Best Meal” for her creation, “A Colorful Harvest;” while graphic designer, Alaina Whetzel won “Honorable Mention” for “Can-a-Nana-Nana-Nana-Batman!” Waynesburg University’s Andy Heisey won the “Peoples’ Choice” and “Structural Ingenuity” awards for “Can Dee Cane,” and Emily Weidner, Taryn Leiter and Maggie Denniston, also from Waynesburg University, won “Jurors’ Favorite” for their work, “Campbell’s Soup Can.”
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Memories of Christmas Past By Regis Whetzel
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n December of 1977, famed Greene County newspaper reporter, John L. O’Hara, wrote about Christmases long since gone in his Fact and Folklore column in the Observer-Reporter. “Long since gone,” as in the late 1700s, even before Greene separated from Washington County in 1796. “Life must have been quite harsh, compared to modern push button and electronic living,” he wrote; “According to early historians, the observance of a holiday such as Christmas was confined almost entirely to the family circle.” He wrote of how Christmas so far back was still a “day for feasting,” wherein one would be more likely to find “shooting matches with old time muzzle loader guns” than carol sings or sleigh rides. In a passage that shows how sharply the passage of time can change the world, John noted how adults who once longed for Erector sets under the tree now had “children and grand-children who take walkie-talkie sets, and four, five and six function computors (his spelling) right in stride as though they had been in existence since the dawn of time, itself.” One has to ponder the sort of mental gymnastics John L. O’Hara would have to do if he were to suddenly enter today’s world, where “walkie-talkies” have been replaced by smartphones, and the idea of a “six function computor” would make nearly any child over the age of three laugh until they were incapable of playing Candy Crush on their iPads. But what of Christmas in a more reasonable time frame, say, 40 years ago? Here’s a sampling of some things that were going on from newspapers of the time. In the headlines, President Gerald Ford had ordered 3 congressional probes into allegations of “Widespread domestic spying by the Central Intelligence Agency”; unknown vandals destroyed Christmas
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lights in front of the Wascho home in Carmichaels; and the price of gold hit a record high of $194 an ounce. As of this writing, the current price for an ounce of gold is just over $1200… If you were done decorating and wanted to settle in for some quality Christmas Eve television viewing, the nine channels listed had a variety of programs. The kids could catch reruns of Gilligan’s Island, The Flintstones, or Bewitched in the mid-afternoon; later, the family could curl up by the fire to enjoy Happy Days, M*A*S*H*, or Marcus Welby, M.D. Maybe a Christmas Day movie was in order; if so, you might have wanted to take in Jeremiah Johnson, starring Robert Redford; The Towering Inferno, with Paul Newman, Faye Dunaway, and every other star that Irwin Allen could recruit to pack into this big budget thriller; or maybe it was the day for “Bond… James Bond…” as Sean Connery became The Man with the Golden Gun. Finally, when it was time to enjoy Christmas dinner, “Your Holiday Budget Goes Further Here!” announced the ad for Davis’ Giant Market in Dry Tavern. Butterball turkeys were going for 69 cents a pound, or Sugardale hams for $1.19; for your salad, lettuce was 25 cents a head, and celery 29 cents; and you could wash it all down with an ice cold Coca-Cola, eight 16 ounce bottles for $1.19. In the end, perhaps it may be best to think of it this way: reminiscing about Christmases past is a way to keep our memories alive, to share stories with those we love of our experiences of the time, but… the holiday that we celebrate here and now is truly the gift that is given to us. Maybe that’s why it’s called “the present…” As John O’Hara concluded so long ago, “There is still at least one unchanging thing left from years gone by, as friends and neighbors say to each other: Merry Christmas!” GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2014
By Regis Whetzel
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or those not in the know, the Grumpy Old Men may best be briefly described as, “A really loose-knit club. We’ve been together for a long, long time. We communicate a lot and work together, loan tools back and forth,” and much more, according to one of the original members of the group, Waynesburg’s Glen Kinsey. What these humble words don’t even begin to allude to is the fact that this “loose-knit club” is responsible for bringing automotive history back to life, rescuing derelict old vehicles that are often little more—literally—than a pile of dirty parts and rusted metal, but that isn’t all. Not only do they restore cars that any ordinary person would most likely sell for scrap; recalling the opening of the old Six Million Dollar Man TV show from the 1970s, they make these cars “Better… Faster… Stronger.” Glen, Rodney Grimes of Jefferson, and Dave Masat of Waynesburg share a lifelong passion, investing copious amounts of their time, energy and money in creating souped-up, tricked-out wonders where the finished product is far more than just the sum of the parts. Here are some photos of the Grumpys currently in the process of building. The “finished product,” though, while a worthy ultimate goal, is only the end result of a much grander process. “We enjoy working on them as much as we enjoy driving them,” says Rodney, whose “day job” is as a mobile equipment operator at the Cumberland Mine in Kirby. Camaraderie is also a key factor. “You go to Glen’s, you never know who’s going to be there, or how many people. Sometimes we don’t get a lot of work done,” Rodney laughs; “sometimes we just sit and talk, but that’s a part of it. Sometimes I go up there just to get away and not work, but it’s enjoyable to get together and work on them.” There are several remarkable things that emerge from a conversation with the Grumpy Old Men. The first is their seemingly universal ability to recite from memory every part and process involved in restoring a car, like a parent recalling awards won by a child. In the midst of an enormous Auburn-inspired machine featuring a 12-cylinder (yes, you read that correctly—12 cylinder) engine gleaned and modified from a pair of American LaFrance fire truck engines, Dave, a retired maintenance man for Maxwell Lock and Dam, seems to
read from a list inside his mind. “The back part of the body was an MG Roadster—it had tail fins on it; I had to take them off and re-form the back end. The frame was a ’93 Mercury Grand Marquis, and I narrowed it 10 inches and stretched it a foot because I needed a 127 inch wheelbase. The fenders are from a ’35 Ford pickup, the grill shell is a ’33 Dodge pickup; the hood and all the sheet metal, I just made.” Mastering understatement, Dave adds, “That was a big project.” This is another of the “remarkable things”: if a needed part is unavailable or cost-prohibitive, more often than not the “G.O.M.s” will just make it from scratch. Case in point: Glen, a retired hydraulics engineer, is working on a new roadster, the front end of which is a remake of a Ford Model A, but every part is so modified and customized, the only real “model” it could be named is a “brand new, 2014 Glen Kinsey.” When the location of the fuel filter interfered with the position of the trunk lid (and, in this case, “interfered” means, “Just could not possibly work, ever, in a million years”), Glen didn’t lose heart. Instead, he custom-machined a set of ingenious “sliding hinges” that kept the fuel filter right where it was, yet still allowed the trunk lid to open easily. “I probably worked over two weeks from the first, until I finally got one that works.” This dogged, passionate persistence is a shared trait among the men, and it is both inspiring and a little overwhelming. When Rodney and Glen point to a pile of rusty sheet metal lying on the floor of Rodney’s garage, contrasting it with what is turning out to be a beautiful restoration of an old Ford Model A Coupe, and Glen remarks, “When we brought it home, it all looked like that!” it becomes perfectly clear that these are not a group of guys who let obstacles stand in their way. Dave’s personal story of getting started
Dave Masat
DECEMBER 2014
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Rodney Grimes
working on cars illustrates the mindset, perfectly. When 12 year old Dave asked his father, Emilio, for an old car to fix up, “Where most dads would have said, ‘No, that’s stupid,’ he said, ‘That’s a great idea! You got any money?’ ‘Yeah…’ ‘I’ll find you something…’” Soon, $50 landed young Dave an old Crosley with no engine. His dad’s response? “Don’t worry—I’ll find you an engine.” Dave’s dad found him an engine—after a fashion. “We drove to Shinston, West Virginia to a used car lot, and this guy brings out a bushel basket filled with engine parts. He said, ‘Here you go, boy.’ I said, ‘Is it all there?’ He said, ‘Every bit of it, guaranteed.’ Dave bought the disassembled mess for $15, and took it home to his basement. Using nothing more than an auto repair manual, “Me and my 11 year old neighbor, looking at pictures, comparing parts, we put this engine together, and we put it in the car and made it run.” Many years later, a chance meeting reunited Dave and the man from whom he bought the engine, who added quite a footnote to the story. “He said, ‘Do you know, that engine ran like a watch, and your dad made me tear it all apart. He said you wouldn’t learn anything if all you did was put an engine in a car, but if you put an engine together, you’d learn something.’” One thing is sure: if, as some say, learning something new all the time helps keep a person young, then these Grumpy Old Men should be around for a long, long time.
Glen Kinsey
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Clipper
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DECEMBER 2014
“Keep On Clipping!”
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O
n Dec 20, 1988, Paul Long, long-time evening news anchor for WTAE (Channel 4) in Pittsburgh, visited Jollytown in Greene County, PA as part of the “Our Town” series featuring communities throughout the station’s viewing area. Jollytown must have seemed a most appropriate visit during the Christmas Season, and the people of the community did not disappoint. “They created a banner from a bed sheet, I think, and posed with it in front of the Jesse Taylor Memorial,” remembers Mr. J. Robert Rice, who shared this picture with us. Mr. Rice’s late wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Dye Rice, was the 3rd generation and final proprietor of Dye’s Store in Jollytown when the store closed in the late 80s. Just a few weeks ago, in October 2014, the remaining contents of the store, which had been in storage all this time, were sold at auction, and this banner resurfaced. Mr. Rice received a phone call from a friend who told him she spotted it up on someone’s front porch…some holiday décor with history, for sure. If you recognize yourself or someone you know in the picture, let us know. As a matter of fact, we’re using this opportunity to introduce a new series of feature stories we plan to share with you beginning in January 2015. The GreeneSaver is going to revive WTAE’s “Our Town” idea and feature various communities throughout the Greene County Area. We’ll look into the history and changes over the years, share memories and news of what’s happening now. We’ll need your help. We’ll always let you know in advance which town will be spotlighted in an upcoming issues, and invite folks from the area to share your memories, pictures, stories, community history, etc. We decided to start the project with Southwest Greene’s beloved Jollytown. So – if you recognize yourself in this photo, or if your roots go even further back, or you live there now…you’re welcome to share any special memories and pictures you have of Jollytown, PA. Everything we receive may not be included in our story, as space is limited, but we look forward to hearing from all of you. Please call the GreeneSaver office at 724-627-2040 and ask for Regis. You can also email to info@GreeneSaver.com, or stop by our office at 185 Wade St. in Waynesburg.
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GreeneScene of the Past
Paul Long
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@ greenesaver.com with GreeneScene Past in subject line. The GreeneSaver 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. GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2014
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GreeneScene by Jeanine Henry
Bobtown Elementary Art Project T
here are many necessary elements involved in taking a group of students out of their familiar environment and transforming them into unified artists capable of creating unique works that will be placed on permanent display inside the school. Having a specific goal is a great starting point; bringing specialized instruction to the project is a perfect next step. Tying everything together with a comprehensive vision that encompasses the artistic intention may be the most daunting challenge, but the teachers and students at Bobtown Elementary seem to have this part well under control. The “Artist Residency Program” is entering its third year at Bobtown. Provided in cooperation with Pittsburgh Filmmakers/Pittsburgh Center for the Arts (PF/PCA), partnered with the Pennsylvania Council for the Arts “Arts in Education” division, and joined in sponsorship locally by the Community Foundation of Greene County, this program offers unique arts services to “schools, community organizations and other non-profit services agencies working with both children and adults,” as stated on the PCA’s website, pca.pittsburgharts.org. “An Artist Residency Project is designed to have lasting benefits for all of the participants,” the site’s introduction goes on to say. “Students are fully immersed in an art form and see how it connects to life and learning, teachers are exposed to alternative ways of experiencing and sharing the creative process and what it brings to their classrooms, and administrators realize the ways in which the arts fully engage students and impact their learning across the curriculum.” The program sends artists who are skilled in their medium into area schools to pass along their techniques, share their wisdom, and help bring a new generation of artistic creators to the world. Curriculum Coordinator Scott Sinn is enthusiastic about the value the program adds, not only to the students’ education, but also to the school, itself. “The first year, second grade made stained glass windows,” he recalls. “They took old windows out of houses, and the kids learned the process to create two mining scenes to go with our background. They hang in our windows going up our two main staircases, so, literally, it’s like going into a church with these two huge stained glass windows.”
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Last year, the program worked with fifth graders, having a special guest artist visit the school to learn metalwork. “They created this huge copper tree in our foyer when you walk in,” Principal Sinn remembers. “It’s called a ‘Community Tree.’ The kids made the individual leaves, went to a special facility in Pittsburgh and, using powdered glass, infused glass on each leaf to give it an ‘autumn look.’ The whole thing was assembled, and hangs in our lobby when you come into the school.” This year, the medium of choice is fabric, with guest artist, Amber Copings, helping students create another masterpiece that will become a permanent fixture at the school. The school’s computer lab, in process of being remodeled, will receive the fruits of the students’ labor this time around. Using an intricate design method known as “tessellation,” students are going to overlay the ceiling tiles in the lab with various fabrics to create a “meteorology design,” Scott notes, adding, “When you look up, it’s going to look like you’re in a planetarium.” Clearly, the variety of expression has been one of the best things about the program, from where Scott Sinn stands: “What’s nice is, when you bring in a different artist each year, you’re not doing the same thing. It’s still the same learning process, but it’s a completely different way of looking at it.” The sense of permanence may well be his other favorite element. “We wanted to leave something lasting,” he points out. “You could do individual pieces for each student, but we wanted the kids to come together in a ‘teamwork approach,’ and leave one big thing.” Contemplating the future, Scott concludes, “I always said, when past students come in with their kids someday, as big as these pieces are, they’re still going to be here. They can say, ‘Hey, your dad did this when he was in fifth grade!’ That’s pretty neat…”
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LOWRY’S WESTERN SHOP 724.228.1225
BEGINNING AFTER THANKSGIVING
NEW HOLIDAY HOURS:
MONDAY THRU FRIDAY 10AM - 8PM SATURDAY 10AM - 5PM • SUNDAY NOON - 5PM
935 HENDERSON AVE. WASHINGTON, PA 15301
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Track the New Year Just in time to get 2015 started off on the right foot, the latest edition of the Greene County Calendar, by Wendy Saul and Colleen Nelson, is now available for just $15 at many local retailers, including Waynesburg Milling Company, Artbeat, and Specialty Herbal in Waynesburg, and Gloria’s Ceramics in Rogersville. Featuring pen-and-ink drawings of many local scenes, the Greene County Calendar makes a great gift—even if it’s a gift for yourself! Colleen Nelson can be reached by email at crnelson@windstream.net.
Christmas Shop HERE!
The “Buy Local, Buy Greene” campaign is a LOCAL effort to build awareness regarding the importance of supporting locally owned businesses. Studies show that $100 spent at a local business generates $68 in revenue for the local community versus only $43 in revenue for that same amount spent at chain stores. To date 37 retailers and 212 consumers have made the pledge! Get the facts and make your pledge to join the LOCAL GREENE COUNTY effort at: http://www.waynesburgpa.org/buylocal.html. For more information or to schedule a speaker for your group contact: Buy Local, Buy Greene chairperson Lindsey Gilkes at 724-627-9054. Remember you have a choice of where you eat, shop, and do business. The Buy Local, Buy Greene Committee urges you to “Choose Greene!”
Rental Rehab Pilot Program Announced Greene County Human Services is piloting a rental rehabilitation program that will assist eligible landlords in making much-needed improvements and ultimately help bring onto the market more rental housing for people with special needs. Under the program, eligible landlords would receive grants of up to $7,500 per unit, or no more than 50 percent of the rehabilitation cost. Funding for the program is provided through Greene County’s share of Pennsylvania Housing Affordability and Rehabilitation Enhancement Act funds. Karen Bennett, Human Services Administrator, is excited by the program’s potential to provide available housing for children and youth, senior citizens, and other low income renters in need of safe housing. “We want to increase the housing stock,” she notes, “and we’re the only area in the state that’s doing this program, utilizing money that comes from Marcellus shale drilling impact fees that go to the state Applicants would have to be landlords in Greene County who have had at least a one-year history of providing housing to individuals served by Greene County Human Services. Properties must require at least $10,000 in rehabilitation work to be brought into compliance with HUD HQS and local code standards. Work necessary to bring the property into compliance with federal lead-based paint removal requirements is also eligible for the program. Acceptance into the program will be based on the quality of the improvements to the property and to the immediate area. Greene County Human Services will ensure that projects are dispersed throughout the county with an emphasis on residents’ convenience to supportive services. For more information on the rental rehabilitation program, or to apply, call Greene County Human Services at 724-852-5276.
Charitable Taxicab Bud Bradmon’s shiny vintage taxicab is more than just a fixture around the streets of Greene County—it’s a way to help kids and families who need the unique services of Ronald McDonald house! Bud collects signatures on his taxi, written in permanent ink, with a donation to charity for each signing along the way. He reports to the GreeneSaver that his presence at Waynesburg 50’s Fest & Car Cruise raised $260 for Ronald McDonald house! Pictured here is Jeanine Henry, President of Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful, the organization that presents 50s Fest & Car Cruise, adding her signature on the soon to be famous taxi. A previous “Bud Bradmon project,” an antique fire engine, gathered over 300 signatures, and charitable contributions reaching four digits. The GreeneSaver joins Bud in thanking the generous people of this area for their help.
Where are the winners? Because the December issue of the GreeneSaver comes out a little earlier than usual (so we can bring you all the info about holiday happenings and Christmas shopping specials), the winners of our various contests, puzzles and prizes in last month’s issue won’t be announced until the January edition.
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With a new Waynesburg location, Angott
Surgical Associates will perform a full range of general and laparoscopic procedures at Southwest Regional Medical Center (350 Bonar Ave) including: -hernia repair -colon and bowel surgeries -appendectomies
-gallbladder removal -breast surgery
Brent E. Angott, DO The recipient of Vital’s Patient Choice Award (for being in the top 10% of online patient satisfaction ratings), Dr. Angott is the founder and former director of the Skin and Wound Healing Center (WHS), as well as the director of Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery (WHS). He received his doctorate of osteopathic medicine from Northeastern Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine. John M. Mitchell, MD Dr. Mitchell received his doctorate of medicine from Northeastern Ohio University College of Medicine and completed his residency at Mercy Hospital. He is the recipient of the specialist preceptor of the year award from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine
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Carmichaels Ministerium C
all it coincidence, fate, or divine guidance—Rev. Bruce Judy’s life experiences have made him uniquely equipped to lead the Carmichaels Ministerium, an affiliation of churches in the Carmichaels area that brings church leaders from a variety of faiths together to explore common ground, and seek new ways to serve and unite the community. “I can’t speak for others, but, for myself, I was raised Catholic until the age of 13, and then became United Methodist. After I got married, we left the Methodist church and went to a non-denominational, charismatic church, then got moved because of work,” he recalls. “We went to a Baptist church down in Cheat Lake, then moved back home and went to the Methodist church, where I finally answered the call to ministry, so I don’t stand on denomination. As long as Jesus Christ is your lord and savior, that’s the bottom line for us. That’s what matters—that we love one another as Jesus loved us.” The pastors of the churches that comprise the Ministerium—coming from Greene Valley Church of God, Free Methodist Church, Crosspoint Assembly of God, and several others—share and strengthen that philosophy. “When we meet every month, we rotate churches,” Rev. Judy says. “We have a breakfast meeting, and bring in speakers; it really is a family. We’ve all agreed that we don’t care about denominational walls—we’re just all about the business of promoting the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Rev. Judy, whose “home base” is the First United Methodist church in Carmichaels, has been involved with the Ministerium for nearly 6 years, but, he notes, “It’s been around for a lot longer than that.” One of the hallmarks of the group’s efforts is to hold special events throughout the year that emphasize their common ground. Presenting one example, Rev. Judy says, “We have the ‘Cross Walk’ on Good Friday, meeting at the town square, and proceeding to either the Lutheran Church or the Christian Church, where we have a brief service, and carry a cross with us.” The Ministerium also holds two large revivals every year, in the spring and in fall, and recently held their annual Thanksgiving Eve service. To celebrate the season, a community-wide “Candle Walk” is being held on December 21st, the Sunday before Christmas, starting at 5pm. The second year for this event, the Candle Walk offers short plays, music, and refreshments, and takes participants on a walking tour of several area churches. Starting at the Carmichaels Senior Center, the walk will proceed to the First Christian Church, then across the street to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church. From there, the First United Methodist Church fellowship hall will play host to the group, concluding at the Greene Valley Presbyterian Church. All are welcome to join in the celebration, and the Ministerium is doing all that it can to make the event accessible to everyone. “There’ll be a school bus following us for those that can’t walk,” Rev. Judy notes, “and we’ll have a police escort.” A new addition to the festivities for this year, the Ministerium is sponsoring a “Keep Christ in Christmas” decoration contest within Carmichaels Boro and Cumberland Township. “One of the reasons we’re doing that is that so many homes have wonderful decorations,” Rev. Judy says, “but a lot of them really don’t have anything to do with Christmas. We’re trying to encourage people to have some kind of display, like a nativity scene, outside their homes that demonstrates the true meaning of Christmas.” Judging for the contest will take place on December 18 and 19, with prizes of $100, $75 and $50 going to the first, second and third place winners. Contemplating the mission behind their diverse efforts, Rev. Judy concludes, “We just want to embrace everybody, regardless of where they’re coming from. Nobody’s looking for the spotlight, or to take the credit for anything. This is really a family community, and that’s what we love about it.” To learn more about the Carmichaels Ministerium and its events, or for more information about the Candle Walk or decorating contest, call 724-966-7123, or email cfumc1@windstream.net.
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A
recent article by Alan Neuhauser in U.S. News and World Report highlights a new wave of hiring efforts within the oil and natural gas industry that is sure to have a far-reaching impact on all regions of the country where this business is booming, including Greene County. This new focus may, at first glance, seem a bit surprising given the harsh nature of much of the on-site work. Alan’s article quotes Randy Pacheco, dean of the San Juan College’s School of Energy in New Mexico, who says, “We need more women, more workers. The energy companies want to hire them. Whether it’s Chevron or BP or Conoco, they’re looking for them.” Readers of this column may recall that numerous regional colleges and technical schools, including those in our area, are now offering one-year certification and two-year associates programs to train workers to meet the needs of the industry; still, the demands often outweigh the supply. Alan’s story follows Shelly Alexander, a Pennsylvania nanny in need of a career change who was reluctant to take four years to earn a bachelor’s degree at college, but thought that a two year program to enter the industry might be just what she was hoping to find. “Within months,” Alan wrote, “she’d bought herself steel-toed boots, a pink hard hat, and begun driving 90 minutes each way to Lackawanna College’s School of Petroleum and Natural Gas’s campus in Dimock, Pennsylvania, three times a week to earn an associate’s degree in Petroleum and Natural Gas Measurement.” Said Shelly, “I’m going to do something that men do, and I’m going to do it better. That’s what I’ve done my whole life.” At the moment employment numbers are significantly tilted in favor of men. A 2014 study commissioned by the American Petroleum Institute found that women comprise only 19 percent of workers in the oil and gas industry, yet make up nearly have of the country’s workforce, overall. Several factors contribute to the discrepancy. Concerns about harassment or assault in a predominantly male workplace where women may be perceived as “not fitting in” exist, as do the issues of worker inexperience, and the grueling nature of much of the field-work. “They’re difficult jobs,” said Irene Motts, communications director of Stark State Oil and Gas School in Ohio. “Not that women can’t do it,” she clarified, “but there are certainly a lot of men that can’t do it, too.” This is one area where special schools and training programs shine, as they may allow graduates to move directly to positions within the industry that are less dependent on pure physical labor—and may also involve greater starting pay. Another benefit to women (and men) in these dedicated programs is that the schools often feature extensive networking and support to get new graduates directly in contact with the companies and personnel that can get them hired in their field of study. With opportunities available in terms of education and employment, as well as a chance to break through some “boys club” myths, careers in the oil and gas industry are one more way for empowered women to demonstrate their strengths. As Sultana Holcomb, a college senior interning on- and off-site with companies in Texas said, “I enjoy it, because I know I’m doing something right. I’m part of this new generation force that’s tearing down stereotypes.” To read Alan Neuhauser’s entire article, please visit http://www.usnews.com/news/special-reports/ energy-of-tomorrow/articles/2014/12/01/oil-and-gasindustrys-latest-target-women.
GreeneScene by Jeanine Henry
DECEMBER 2014
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Waynesburg
Parade Winners! T
1st place float winner from the Greene County Republican Committee
Miss
Merry Christmas
he Waynesburg Area Chamber of Commerce has announced the winners of the 2014 Annual Downtown Waynesburg Christmas Parade. The execution of the Parade was underwritten by Greene County Tourism and Promotion Agency. Eighty entries appeared on Saturday representing schools, churches, civic organizations, and businesses from all over the county. Turnout was better than expected for the steady rain. Relatively warm temperatures helped. Winners of the Float Entry Competitions: 1st Place Float – Greene County Republican Committee 2nd Place Float – Patriot’s Dream Riding Association 3rd Place Float – Greene County 4-H Clubs Best Design – Greene Arc, Inc. Most Spirit – Greene County Relay for Life Most Original – Baby Rain Day King and Queen Each high school in Greene County selects a “Miss Merry Christmas” to represent her school in the parade. The 2014 Miss Merry Christmas line-up presented by the Chamber are pictured here in front of the Greene County Courthouse. L—R: Sara Reeves of Carmichaels (Carmichaels Area); Grace Haywood of Jefferson (Jefferson-Morgan); Marissa Ferrier of Greensboro (Mapletown); and Lawren Hilverding of Spraggs (Waynesburg). WCYJ Television from Waynesburg College videotaped, narrated and edited the parade for broadcast on local stations. WCYJ is a student operated television station under the direction of Bill Molzon. A broadcast date will be announced as soon as it is available. The Waynesburg Area Chamber of Commerce thanks all those businesses and individuals who helped to make this year’s parade a success and officially welcomed Santa into the downtown to kick-off the Holiday Season in Waynesburg.
Photos by Jeanine Henry
GreeneScene by Jeanine Henry
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GreeneScene by Tammie Dunlap
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New and exciting career opportunities await you as a Professional Truck Driver! This is your life. This is your dream. OWN IT.
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