DECEMBER 2015
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Letters to Santa continued
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cattered throughout this issue of the GreeneSaver are more letters to Santa from students in the third grade at Jefferson-Morgan Elementary School. We extend a huge thank you to third grade teacher, Heather Wise for helping us share the children’s wishes. We hope you enjoy reading them as much as we did.
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PARADE WINNERS!
beautiful, sunny winter day set the stage for the Waynesburg Area Chamber of Commerce Christmas Parade. The execution of the parade this year was underwritten by FirstEnergy Foundation. Ninety-two entries appeared on Saturday, Dec. 5 representing schools, churches, civic organizations, and businesses from all over the county. Winners of the Float Entry Competitions are as follows: 1st Place: Patriot’s Dream Riding Association 2nd Place: Seldom Seen Farm 3rd Place: Greene County Special Olympics Best Designed: Greene Arc Most Spirited: WWJD Christian Center Most Original: Greene County 4-H Clubs High schools in Greene County select a “Miss Merry Christmas” to represent her school in the parade. The 2015 Miss Merry Christmas line-up are pictured here, upper right. L—R: Haley Kesner - Waynesburg, Maria Christy - Jefferson Morgan, Sara Cumpston - Mapletown and Destinee Rose – Carmichaels. Photo by Jeanine Henry 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
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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.
Miss
Merry Christmas Miss Merry Christmas representatives, photo by Jeanine Henry
Dog: A furry member of the Patriot Dream Rider’s Association riding in the parade, photo by Tara Kinsell
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DECEMBER 2015
Dear Santa, I have been very good this year This is what I want for Chrismas: Xbox 360, laptop, Xbox controller, ipad mini, clock that is camo, star wars game for xbox and for my sister coal no candy for my sister. Give me all of the candy that she gets and the toys instead of what I want. Your friend, Louis DECEMBER 2015
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I Love this P l a ce
hat connection does Greene County, steamboats, passenger trains, the Olympics, NASA and Hollywood have in common? The short answer is Rices Landing. When John Rice built his boat landing along the Monongahela River in 1786, it was the beginning of the town that would become known as Rices Landing. This is not meant to be a history of Rices Landing. It is instead intended to share a little bit of the unique people and happenings associated with it. Jumping ahead a bit, looking at Rices Landing in the 1800s, this was a happening place. Steamboats carried throngs of passengers to the town where there were two hotels, and a bustling downtown with dress and hat shops, blacksmiths, livery stables, and more. If folks weren’t arriving by riverboat, they were getting there via passenger train service. Rices Landing had its own bank, post office and was even the location of the first telegraph in Greene County. Like its neighbors along the river at Greensboro and New Geneva, Rices Landing also became known for its pottery, thought not quite as famously. The Excelsior Pottery Works, started by Isaac Hewitt, Jr. in 1870, was in operation for just a decade, leaving it quite sought after by collectors today. Next door to where the pottery was actually created (currently a private residence) is what the curator emeritus of the Smithsonian called “the greatest find of its type in the nation,” the W.A. Young Foundry. Words have never done the foundry justice. It is a place to be experienced. When it began in 1900, the belt driven machines were powered by steam. By the time it closed in the 1960s it was powered by electricity. One look around at the machinery and what it was capable of producing via this series of belts, no matter how it was powered, is an amazement. When it was all powered off for the last time, everything was left just as it was, as if the workers intended to return in the morning to finish what they had begun. How it remained that way decades later is amazing. Currently, it is having new life breathed into it by the Rivers of Steel National Heritage Area who took over ownership (temporarily) in 2009 from the Greene County Historical Society. Wooden molds throughout the foundry for everything from signage to mining equipment tell the story of what it once created and will again. “We are going to make things,” said George Blystone, a volunteer, who can be found working inside the foundry each Sunday. George is also one of the organizers of the annual Hammer In, held there each April to allow the public an opportunity to experience the foundry for themselves. The idea of ‘making things’ certainly would have spoken to Sol Levine, who lived in Rices Landing as a young boy, and whose family was in business there. Sol connects Rices Landing to NASA.
The W. A. Young Foundry and Machine Shop first floor equipment.
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When we saw a post about him on the “Hey, I once lived in Rices Landing,” Facebook page it took us by surprise. How did we not know about this man? It was Sol’s sonar depth finder, patented in 1950, that explorer Jacques Cousteau used on his ship, the Calypso. A 1938 graduate of Waynesburg College, Sol would go on to earn his master’s in engineering from New York University. It eventually led him to become the chief civilian engineer of the United States Navy in 1967 where he would assist in the development of the Nautilus, the first nuclear-powered ship. All that is impressive, but even more so may be his connections to the space program. As the technical director of Project Gemini, Sol was instrumental in the design features that helped launch astronauts into orbit. The program tested weightlessness, rendezvousing in orbit with other spacecraft, and reentry procedures. It was the precursor to the Apollo project and helped pave the way for the moon landing. Sol wrote about Gemini in his book, “Appointment in the Sky: The Story of the Gemini Project,” in 1963. The forward to the book was written by President Lyndon Johnson. We recently made the Rices Landing connection to the Olympics when we featured Jefferson-Morgan’s four-time, undefeated, PIAA wrestling champion Cary Kolat as part of our sports shorts column. A marker near the volunteer fire department building lets visitors know they are in Cary’s hometown. “It is always going to be home, that small A piece of little town. You really don’t lose that feeling,” Hewitt Pottery, Cary told us. manufactured in Rices Just a few houses up the street from Landing.
RICES LANDING, PA
by Tara Kinsell
Cary’s sign is where Rices Landing meets Hollywood at the childhood home of Susan Barnes, another Jefferson-Morgan graduate. Susan went on to embark on a career in theater, dance, television and movies following her graduation from WVU. Her career has spanned more than four decades in rolls that placed her with Morgan Freeman, Glenn Close, Sarah Jessica Parker, Paul Newman, and Keanu Reeves. She has been an elected member of the actor’s branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, nominating and voting for the Oscars, for over a decade. With Christmas approaching you can catch Susan as Harpy in “Scrooged,” with Bill Murray. See it throughout the month of December. Check your local listings on AMC (American Movie Classics). There are more fascinating stories and much history associated with this interesting town and its people along the Monongahela River. We hope this small snapshot shows you why “We Love This Place.”
This upstairs office in the W.A. Young Foundry and Machine Shop has perfect views of the Monongahela River.
Rices Landing in 1915 looked a bit different. The houses, pictured behind the Rices Landing National Bank building, no longer exist. A clear view of the river is what is there today. GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2015
Dear Santa, , How are you? I m doing good. For Christmas I just want my friends to have a good Christmas. If you want to get something you can. I have been extremely good this year! I ,hope you get some good rest for Christmas! We all don t want you to be sleepy. Have a very good Christmas Santa. Thanks, Alyson
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Dear Santa, , I don t really know if I was good this year. I want to know when the elf is coming? I want a little live pet birds that sings and rides. I want a giant monster ,high doll. Oh, I hope my sister and I were good. I hope you ll have a good Christmas too. Have a good Christmas and have lots of fun! Love, Katarina
Co o l at Sc h o o l HONORING THOSE WHO SERVE
by Tara Kinsell
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Coby Watson and his uncle, Staff Sergeant Robert Wells, standing in front of a wall displaying posters recognizing the military careers of local veterans. Coby holds his poster with information about Wells, an infantryman who has served in three wars in a 23-year career.
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hen 11-year old Coby Watson was assigned the task of doing a presentation on a veteran by his social studies teacher, Mike Ozohonish, he didn’t have far to look. Coby’s family has a long history of military service. His late grandfather, Claude Barnes of Mather, was a veteran of the Vietnam War. Coby’s mom, Tiffany Barnes Watson, said each of their family members are equally deserving of Coby’s recognition. However, Coby could only choose one for the project, so he decided on someone who is still active military - his uncle, US Army Staff Sergeant Robert Wells, who is married to Tiffany’s sister, Colleen. “I was happy that he chose me,” Robert said, noting he was also surprised with so many others in Coby’s family having served. Mr. Ozohonish, who teaches at BethCenter Middle School, explained that the students are tasked with choosing a veteran they can either interview or, if the person they want to write about is deceased, they can interview family members about them. “After they have compiled all of the necessary information, they have to design and create a poster. I make the posters due about a week before our (annual) Veteran’s Day program,” Mr. Ozohonish said. “All of the stu-
dents’ posters are proudly displayed for all of the veterans, community members, parents and students who attend our program at the middle school.” For Coby, a sixth-grader, it was an opportunity to learn some about what his uncle has experienced during his 23 years of military service. Robert Wells, a native of Morgantown, WV, enlisted when he was 21 years old. Coby describes the effort: “We had to interview a veteran and ask them things like, what wars they had been in and all the achievements that they had. I learned that he served in three wars, Dessert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.” Robert, who is an active member of Gulf Company 228, Army National Guard, based in Lock Haven, was injured when the vehicle he was in was blasted by an improvised explosive device, or IED, while he was serving in Iraq in 2009. Hit by shrapnel, he suffered a back injury and sustained a concussion. However, this didn’t deter him from joining his home unit when it went to Afghanistan just a few months later. Tiffany said she was very proud of Coby and all of the other children who made posters honoring our service men and woman and participated in the school’s annual veteran’s
program. “Mr. Ozohonish wanted the kids to be aware of what a veteran does, who they are and to be able to distinguish Veterans Day from Memorial Day,” Tiffany said, noting he definitely succeeded when it came to her son. As she sat in the audience for the program where veteran Tom Shumaker from Filer Sadlek American Legion Post in Jefferson spoke, students participated in a flag folding ceremony, Coby played trumpet in the middle school band played, and the chorus sang patriotic songs. In addition to her brother-in-law, she couldn’t help but think of her father. “My dad died from complications from Agent Orange from Vietnam. He had diabetes, a deteriorating spine and a heart problem,” she said, noting he did the best he could for her and her siblings, even with his health problems. “When Mr. Ozohonish played a video with stories about individual veterans, I cried.” Although we have focused on Coby’s project for our Cool at School we had an opportunity to see some of the other posters, shared with us by Ozohonish. They were all worthy of our Cool at School title. We salute the kids and the veterans whose stories they told. GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2015
Dear Santa, I am sorry if I have ever been bad. I am so excited for Christmas. Please bring me some root beer candies and jelly beans. Please bring me some really good makeup and a columbia water bottle. Please bring me an Ipad case. Please bring me a dry erase board and other teaching things. Please bring me a stylish bracelet and other stylish things and sparkle things. Thank you for every thing you do. Love, Isabelle
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DECEMBER 2015
G re e n e S cene of th e Pa st
by Tara Kinsell
ROLLING ALONG THE RIVER
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e talk about the commerce that developed along the Monongahela River at Rices Landing in our I Love This Place column in this issue. This photo is one of several taken when Rices Landing was a destination for vessels traveling along the river. With a little bit of everything available at one time in the town, even those wanting to escape the summer heat of the city would venture to the town. This photo was featured in the book, “Rice’s Landing: A Step Back In Time,” compiled by Debbie Guesman Haring and the late Rices Landing Fire Chief Murray Kline. 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.
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Dear Santa, I have been amazing this , year! I really don t want a lot of stuff but I want a few things. Santa also give Emily and Haley stuff to. So it can be fair. I really want a computer. The rest of the things I want is a Kinect Xbox 360, mp3 player, Iphone, new matress, laptop and a just dance 2015 for a Kinect. , I ll make sure I give food to the reindeer. Love, Chris 9
PA Mug Company Comes Home
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he outcome of a 2012 study showed that Americans, on average, spend roughly $1,100 on coffee each year. Throw in all the tea drinkers and you see why Starbucks is so successful. Whether it is the caffeine or the comfort, we seem to like our hot beverages. With the holiday season upon us, a locally, handproduced, one-of-a-kind mug may be the perfect gift for your coffee and tea drinking loved ones and potter Jennifer Adamson has you covered. Jennifer, who is well known in the area for her Adamson Pottery Company, started its offshoot, PA Mug Company, in 2013, working out of a rented ga-
Jennifer Adamson
space in the new facility to teach in other mediums. The birth of PA Mug, Co. was a result of Jennifer’s experience as coffee house owner. “We opened the Washington Street Cafe in Waynesburg in 2000 and sold it in 2003. But it was during that time that I realized I wanted to create an affordable, handmade product just for coffee shops.” Obviously, she found her niche; PA Mug Co. mugs have found a following in 15 regional coffeehouses and other retail establishments, so far. In addition to creating the mugs and her pottery through Adamson Pottery, Jennifer also does her own marketing. “I think the farthest one right now is in Ambridge,” she said. “The Blue Canary in Mt. Lebanon has them and they recently opened a shop in Ambridge and they have them there as well.” When one looks at some of the mugs Jennifer and her two artists in residence, Jessica Brobst and Keith Koury, both of Morgantown, WV, have created for these establishments, it is no wonder that PA Mug Co. has taken off. The logos of the individual coffee shops that utilize them are not a label but instead a part of the actual mugs. “We can put pretty much anything on a mug if you send us a PDF or Jpeg file. It is printed with iron oxide onto a water-slide paper that is placed on the mugs and then they are re-fired (in the kiln),” Jennifer explains. “The entire process from start to finish takes about two weeks. We produce 250 mugs a week.” In a single order, PA Mug Co. is capable of producing a single mug up to 1,000 pieces at a time. Yet small orders are also welcome. For a truly individualized gift, Jennifer and company are even capable of putting your child’s artwork on a mug. “We have had kids’ drawings in the past that we’ve scanned and put on a mug,” she said. As the mugs have grooves up and down them, referred to as throw lines, for a mug with an image such as this, the upper half is left straight to accommodate the image. In this case, the throw lines are left on the bottom portion, keeping a part of that
rage at the Washington Arts and Cultural Center in Washington County. Jennifer, a 1990 Waynesburg High School graduate, lives in Brave, PA. When she had the opportunity to purchase a building at 352 S. Richhill Street in Waynesburg, it was the first real step to realizing a dream that has “always been developing,” she said. PA Mug, Co. has now come home to Greene County and just had a soft opening in time for holiday shopping. “Having a studio and retail space together just makes life a lot easier. I won’t be having the actual grand opening until the spring, I’m still doing some renovation,” Jennifer said, though she does plan to offer limited holiday gallery hours for two weekends in December. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11/12 and Dec. 18/19, from 11 am to 7 pm, the gallery of PA Mug Co. will be open at 352 South Richhill Street, Wayneburg. She will establish regular gallery hours next spring. Jennifer says she has plans to offer pottery The Arrogant Bean Coffee House & Sweets in Butler classes at that time and serves up its coffee in mugs produced by the PA Mug welcomes other artists Co., located at 352 S. Richhill Street in Waynesburg who would like to rent Borough.
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By Tara Kinsell
unique PA Mug, Co. appeal. When one holds a PA Mug Co. mug, the throw lines create an ideal surface for gripping it. Aesthetically, the mugs come in three different shapes, from a traditional coffee mug to one that many have utilized as a beer stein, according to Jennifer. The nine available finishes ensure the mugs’ variety of colorings appeal to a large consumer base. Examples of all of the styles of mugs produced are available on the PA Mug Co. Facebook page. “They are lead-free and dishwasher and microwave safe,” Jennifer said, “Did I mention it is a PA Preferred Product?” A PA Preferred label is conferred upon products that meet the quality and excellence standards set forth by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture for products grown or produced in Pennsylvania. To find the PA Mug Co. one simply needs to make a left at Behm Funeral home from downtown Waynesburg and follow it to the end of the road to find Jennifer. If you can’t make it to the PA Mug Co. during the holiday gallery hours, a selection of the mugs are available locally at McCracken Pharmacy in downtown Waynesburg.
Jen’s Mugs at McCracken Pharmacy A selection of PA Mug Co. mugs are available for purchase at McCracken’s Pharmacy in Waynesburg.
Potter Jennifer Adamson, who just moved her PA Mug Co. operation to South Richhill Street in Waynesburg Borough, continues to produce work as part of her Adamson Pottery Company business. Pieces such as this one make a special gift for a bride a groom.
Dear Santa, I have been extremely good this year! I have been begging for pokemon. I am hoping you could get me a tin of them. My brother would coal for Chirstmas. I would also like a XboxOne with Xbox games to go with it. Can you please give my brother coal in his stocking and a lot of candy in mine? Make sure it is snowing! Thanks, Evan GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2015
GreeneScene
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S Connections is a Self-Help/Support Group for Multiple Sclerosis in Greene and Fayette counties. “Our goal is to provide our community with support and a connection to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society,” said Angela Haught Baker, a founder of MS Connections. “We want to help improve the lives of people living with MS and their Caregivers.” Angela knows personally the struggles of living with Multiple Sclerosis. A former corrections officer turned stay-at-home mom, she said it is difficult when her MS is at its worst, especially with young children. “It is something that most people just don’t understand, unless they have been personally affected by it,” Angela said. “We want you (MS sufferers) to know that you are not alone!” Common symptoms of MS include fatigue, weakness, spasticity, balance problems, bladder and bowel problems, numbness, vision loss, tremors and depression.
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Not all symptoms affect all MS patients. No two persons have the same complaints; no one develops all of the symptoms. Symptoms may be persistent or may cease from time to time. Most patients have episodic patterns of attacks and remissions throughout the disease course. Symptoms may remit completely, leaving no residual damage, or partially leaving degrees of permanent impairment. With symptoms that are not typically “outwardly visible” those with Multiple Sclerosis are often misunderstood, Angela said. In addition to being a support for herself and others in the MS community, she uses MS Connections to educate others about MS. “We set up a tent at Rain Day and I’ve spoken at various functions. I am always happy to do that. We’re proud that we have gotten the word out and helped a lot of people to have a better understanding of MS,” she said. “More than anything, I am overjoyed and humbled with the support and love of all of those in our MS Connections family and the friends that continue to demonstrate their devotion to all of us.” The group’s motto is ‘All Swagger, No Stagger,’ she said. “In January we will mark our first year in existence as a group with a milestone dinner, VIPs and a presentation of a wall hanging to the hospital in appreciation for its support.” Angela hopes even more people who need it will find the group and bring a friend. MS Connections meets in the Guesman Room on the second floor of the Washington Health System Greene on Bonar Avenue, Waynesburg, the first Tuesday of each month at 6 pm. To contact MS Connections, leave a voicemail or text message at 724-833-2542.
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Misher Scholarship Fund Announced
Garden Club Hosts “Sweet” Fundraiser
The Town and Country Garden Club held its 12th Annual Cookie Walk Fundraiser at the Carmichaels Activity Center with more than 330 dozen homemade cookies baked by club members. In addition to the cookies, patrons of the walk were greeted with the smells of homemade soups and coffee. The cookie selections included lady locks, small nut and apricot rolls, gingerbread and gingersnaps, kolachy, coconut pecan dainties, orange drop cookies, toffee biscotti, rugelach, plus homemade fudge. Proceeds of the sale support the club’s Scholarship Fund that awards a $1,000 scholarship annually to a graduating senior from one of the five Greene County Schools. The 2015 recipient is
Gavin Koratich of Jefferson-Morgan High School who will attend Washington and Jefferson College. Gavin is the 24th recipient of the scholarship. The first scholarship was awarded by the club in 1991 to Kevin Willis of Carmichaels Area High School. Today, Kevin is a secondary science teacher at his alma mater. The Town and Country Garden Club was assisted at the cookie walk for 2015 by Gavin and members of the National Honor Society at Carmichaels Area High School. Other monies raised at the cookie walk came from a Chinese auction and the raffling of a queensized quilt made by club member, Marion Walker.
The Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC) recently announced that a new scholarship has been created by a gift from the estate of George L. Misher. The George L. Misher and Anne Misher Scholarship Fund was established with a bequest of $100,000 from the late George L. Misher. George Misher, who passed away in the summer of 2014 at 98, was a teacher and principal in Jefferson-Morgan schools for over 40 years. “He was a wonderful gentleman with a quick wit. He really valued education as a way to succeed; not just for the students who have the best grades or for whom learning comes easy,” said Bettie Stammerjohn, executive director of CFGC. “He also wanted to challenge and help the average students to expand their education beyond high school.” Stammerjohn said George Misher had the foresight to set aside funds for the scholarship as a lasting bequest through his will, knowing that it would be around to help students long beyond his lifetime. “It is this legacy that means so much – giving back to the community where he lived and loved.,” Stammerjohn said. The two-year scholarship will be presented annually to a graduating senior of Jefferson-Morgan School District who is planning to pursue a post-
secondary degree from an accredited college or university, trade school or technical school. The first scholarship will be awarded in 2017, which gives the donation time to be invested in the permanent endowment and for the income that will be used for the scholarship to grow without using the principal of the gift. The George L. Misher and Anne Misher Scholarship is one of fifteen scholarships currently established at CFGC to assist students with a higher education. Additionally, CFGC has nearly four million dollars in assets through more than 65 endowed and restricted funds which address local needs. The Community Foundation of Greene County partners with local organizations to address current and emerging community needs through leadership and philanthropy. The foundation’s mission is to “strengthen Greene County by building charitable endowments, maximizing benefits to donors, making effective grants and providing leadership to address community needs,” Stammerjohn said. For more information about the George L. Misher and Anne Misher Scholarship, or about the Foundation contact the CFGC office by phone at 724-627-2010, email at cfgcpa@gmail.com, or visit the website www.cfgcpa.org.
Waynesburg Legion Helps with Member’s Rehabilitation
In 2013 Army veteran Frank Roth suffered three major brain traumas. A key component of Frank’s rehabilitation process is standing. To help Frank with this part of his recovery, American Legion Post 330 of Waynesburg provided help to the Roth family by purchasing a standing frame for him. Frank’s wife, Pat, said Post 330, of which Frank is a member and served in the honor guard, responded quickly to the request for help, sending a check for the full cost of the Easy Frame Standing Frame for more than $2,800. It arrived three weeks later, allowing Frank’s family to help him at home, following several months in a skilled nursing facility. The Easy Frame helps promote blood flow to the extremities, aiding in digestion, elimination, and circulatory functions while preventing the osteoporosis that is often associated with wheelchair confinement. Standing also helps stretch muscles and ligaments that may contract from disuse. It helps breathing, prevents pressure sores, and helps restore balance. Standing may also help cognition and alertness, as well as enhancing eye to eye interaction with others. A retired physical education teacher, Frank is working toward using the frame daily with a goal of increasing his standing time to sixty minutes a day, in Rogersville, Walters Take Down Tire, at the Pat said. The Roths moved to Waynesburg when Graysville store in Graysville, and in Waynesburg at Frank and Pat retired. Their daughter, JoAnne Somerville, a Navy veteran, is also a member of Art Beat and the GreeneSaver office.
The Bell is Back where it Belongs Work on the historic, one-room Crouse Schoolhouse continues to move ahead with the recent return of the schoolhouse cupola to its proper place on the schoolhouse roof. Removed while roofing materials were replaced, the cupola was restored to its original glory by Richard Long of Mt. Morris. It was placed back onto the roof via a crane operated by county employees. The bulk of the work being doing to put the Crouse Schoolhouse back into use as a satellite of the Greene County Historical Society is primarily a volunteer effort. Anyone wishing to help, or make a donation to the ongoing project, can do so by contacting the Greene County Historical Society Museum at 724627-3204. A fundraising raffle is also underway for an original framed painting of the school house by local artist Barbara Deynzer. Tickets available in Rogersville at Rush Grocery, Community Bank
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Post 330 and its auxiliary. Frank first joined the American Legion in 1963 upon leaving the Army after serving as a medic in Germany. Pat said the Roth family is very grateful to American Legion Post 330 for their generosity and the help they have given Frank to continue his rehabilitation from his brain injuries. Pictured, Pat Roth assists her husband, Army veteran Frank Roth, in using an Easy Frame Standing Frame.
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1080 East High Street Waynesburg, PA 15370
(724) 627-5766 www.CSTirePros.com
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 and puzzles from the November/December issue will be announced in January.
Dear Santa, I have been really good this year. I want a ex pokemon cards, a real smart phone, a kitten and my sister wants an Elsa doll. I want a Big EX card and a real phone. Your friend, Danica 14
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DECEMBER 2015
ARTIST COMMUNITY GROWING IN GREENSBORO By Tara Kinsell
ephant?’ One bite at a time. It (the building) was the elephant in the room,” Keith says of the efforts and accomplishments so far. Over the past six years, he has taken quite a chunk out of that elephant. There is still more work to be done, especially in the three residential apartments above the building. As Keith (artist, instructor, musician, historic preservationist, licensed contractor and much more) gives me a tour, it is as if he can see the completed rooms. “There will be a wall right here. You see that empty space behind there? I’m going to open that up. There Keith McManus, founder of Greensboro Pennsylvania Arts Collective will be a door over there,” he says, walking from room to room. “I lived ix years ago happenstance placed me inside in this space back here for a while. This room here a building along Greensboro’s Front Street is our war room. It is a quiet space where we can that looked like it should be condemned. Its come to share ideas.” Post it notes cover the walls new owner was talking about his big plans with words like solar and sustainability on them. to restore it and turn it into a space for artists. As The apartments will eventually be occupied by he shared his dream, I could see right through the artists in residency. dilapidated back wall. Several large refrigeration “There is a statistic about people who graduate units were left behind by the previous owners, as from art colleges - ten years later only two percent was a general mess throughout. are making a living in art,” Keith said. “My idea was Even though it seemed like a long shot, there to create an environment where young artists could was something about this guy’s laid back - yet en- live where their studio is. The rent they pay would thusiastic – delivery that made you want to believe cover the studio as well.” Others who wish to come in him. If anyone could make this work, I thought, to Greensboro to use the studio space would pay a it would be him. I began to imagine, to almost see fee for materials, he explained. what he was seeing. For now, “The Greensboro Pennsylvania Arts Today, that guy, Keith McManus, is a fixture Collective,” as Keith’s artist community has been in Greensboro, so much so that he was recently dubbed, gets its financial support through income elected mayor of the borough. from Morgantown rental properties owned by And the transformation of that very building Keith. However, there is still a lot of work to be done is nothing short of amazing. and outside assistance would be welcomed, said “There is a saying, ‘How do you eat an el- potter Keith Koury, aka
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“Young Keith,” who was throwing pots in the studio when I visited. A few feet away, Sara Gianola, of Morgantown, was cutting stained glass pieces. “It’s such a great creative space,” she added. The physical labor for the collective has been shared by Keith McManus and about a half dozen artists and musicians who are part of the collective. As part of his grander plan, Keith McManus has acquired additional buildings along Front Street, among them, the former Davis Theater, as well as the J. J. Longo Confectionary. The former confectionary now holds an antique store, a space for music lessons, and a collection of educational materials from which to draw inspiration. “Eventually it will be a coffeehouse with baked goods and Panini sandwiches,” Keith said. There’s that vision again… I can almost smell the coffee. Inside the former theater a woodworking shop has been set up at the rear. “My son, Shane, plans to build bamboo bicycles here,” Keith said, reaching the front of the building. The final stop on my tour is a former restaurant/bar that currently serves as Keith McManus’s residence. Of course, he sees its commercial kitchen being utilized by entrepreneurs in the community in some way. The possibilities appear to be endless for Greensboro Pennsylvania Arts Collective, and this inspiring visionary.
BEFORE
AFTER
Before and after pictures of the Davis Theater - transformation by Keith McManus.
Potter, Keith Koury works on projects in studio space of The Greensboro Pennsylvania Arts Collective.
An antique store, music space, and planned coffee house are located inside the former J. J. Longo Confectionary Store in Greensboro.
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Sara Giancola, of Morgantown, W.Va., an artist with The Greensboro Pennsylvania Arts Collective, cuts pieces of stained glass in one of the collective’s studios, located on Front Street in Greensboro Borough.
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DECEMBER 2015
Dear Santa,
GreeneScene by Tara Kinsell
I have been really good this year. I have been thinking this year what I want. I would want an Iphone 5, case, clothes, football and shoes. I also have been thinking of my Chrismas tree. I would like it to be white. I would ike the bulbs to be red, black, white, and gray. I would like a huge Santa. It would make it like Santa. So when I move on to a new Chrismas, I will still reamember him! Love, Houstan
DECEMBER 2015
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Dear Santa, I have been really good this year. I love Christmas. What I want for Christmas is a new bike, Ipod case, gift cards, mini Ipad case. Thank you for giving me all of the stuff , , the last Christmas s I love Christmas a lot I can t wait till Christmas! Love, Sarah 18
GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2015
HOLIDAY TRADITIONS
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Informational signage inside Greene County coal mines at one time reflected the many ethnicities of the miners working there.
This hand carved bank and cigar box are filled with coins from January 8 to the following January 7 for the traditional Serbian Orthodox celebration at Serb’s Red Star Inn on Route 88 in Carmichaels.
Children dig through the straw, symbolic of the Biblical manger, for coins at the annual Serbian Christmas celebration held each January 7 at the Red Star Inn in Carmichaels.
DECEMBER 2015
• GreeneSaver
By Tara Kinsell
hen we invited folks to share their holiday traditions, it came as no surprise to find that many have come across the ocean with our immigrant ancestors, some still being observed today. When you study the coal mining history of our region, you see that many of these miners came from places like Poland, Czechoslovakia, Italy, Croatia and Serbia. The informational signs inside the mines, like the one pictured here from the Greene County Historical Society Museum, reflected the rich ethnic heritage of these miners. In my own family, the Serbian and Croatian roots run deep through my maternal grandmother’s family. I’d often hear stories of the Orthodox Christmas celebrations, held in January, following the Julian calendar. Sadly, those traditions didn’t make it as far as my generation, but I had a pretty good idea of who was still carrying them on, my old buddy, Milos Krewasky, better known as “Serb.” Serb is the proprietor of the Red Star Inn, located in Carmichaels. This year marks 50 years that he has operated the Red Star and come January, the 50th time he has hosted a traditional Serbian Christmas celebration there for local families. “I’ve been coming here since my pap was living,” said patron William “Tiggy” Teagarden, as he shared stories of the annual celebration. “I remember one year we forgot to tell the people about the money in the bread and this lady took a bite. It was funny to see the look on her face.” Česnica, or Christmas bread, is one type of the bread used where coins are actually baked into the bread. At Serb’s it is Pogača, a traditional flat bread. If you get the coin, you are said to receive good luck for the coming year. Coins also play a part in another piece of the traditional Christmas festivities. “Serb puts down plastic and we cover it with straw (representing the manger). He puts coins in it and the kids get to dive in there for them,” Tiggy explains. “He does it by ages. There are three age groups up to 12-years old.” The coins are collected all year from patrons of the Red Star and placed in a wooden monkey bank behind the bar that someone carved for the occasion. After the blessing and the coin grab the children and their families join Serb for a traditional Christmas feast, including roast lamb and Sarma (cabbage rolls). This meal breaks a 40-day fast where Orthodox Serbs do not eat meat or anything that comes from animals, including eggs and butter. “We had two or three kids the first year. We have 20 some kids that come now. Cindy Rose (now an adult) is one that comes every year. Her dad, Bill Kotch, used to bring her,” Serb said. “It’s big for them (the Kotch family). Her son, William, is a senior in high school now but he still comes.” Born in the area known as Serbiantown in Carmichaels, Serb began the tradition at the Red Star in 1966, a few months after he took over the operation of the inn. “I think Stan Brozik of Dolphi’s Restaurant in Masontown and I are the big ones around here who keep this tradition going. If I’m still kicking on January 7th (Serbian Christ-
mas) Santa will be here at the Red Star at 5:30 and then we’ll do the straw and have some eats,” Serb quipped. Across the Mediterranean Sea, Italy is the source of other traditions that have come to Greene County from Italians such as Sister Sue Fazzini of Lippincott and Frank Ricco, Jr. of Carmichaels. Frank’s wife, Colleen, has her Irish roots infused in there also. Although Frank has a little Polish mix from his mother’s side, his Father, Frank Senior, keeps the Italian influence strong and alive in the Ricco family. “My dad is 94. He began the traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes in our family (This celebration commemorates the wait for the midnight birth of the baby Jesus). He even makes Baccala stew, a cod stew for the people at his bus company,” Frank, Jr. said. “On Christmas eve about 10 pm everybody leaves to go the church service.” That would be at St. Peters in Brownsville for the Riccos. The Feast of the Seven Fishes is observed in the Fazinni Family as well. “It is all centered around seafood: crab cakes, smelts, mussels,” said Sister Sue, who was in the middle of preparing a batch of limoncello for her family when we spoke. “My nephew started making wine and homemade raviolis.” There is always an abundance of pasta to go around at the Fazzini’s. Sister Sue is quite famous for her meatball stuffed olives as well. Taken from her grandmoth-
Frank and Colleen Ricco proudly display the Ricco’s Italian heritage in their matching aprons.
er, the late Emidiola Damiani Fazzini’s recipe, Sue has even prepared them live on television as a guest on WQED Pittsburgh’s cooking show. Besides all the amazing food, like the Riccos, Christmas is all about family for the Fazzini’s. Sister Sue is one of ten children. “We all get together for the holiday, as many as we can,” she said. Thanks to Serb, Frank and Sister Sue for sharing their family heritage, and for keeping these great holiday traditions alive.
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S por t Sh or t s
by Tara Kinsell
Teasdale Holds Onto National Title
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t has been a good year for JeffersonMorgan wrestler, Gavin Teasdale, the PIAA Class AA Champion at 106 pounds, with a current record of 49-0 in his high school career. May was a good month for the young grappler as he won gold in Havana, Cuba at the Pan Am Games for the U.S. Team on May 8. He bested Yadisney Portales Segura of Cuba in the finals for the win. Only a sophomore, Gavin has twice qualified for the FILA Cadet World Championships. The 2015 qualification came on May 31 after he won gold at the United World Cadet Nationals in Akron, Ohio, beating Drew Mattin of Ohio in a best-of-three sweep. The 2015 world championships were held Aug. 25-30 in Sarajevo BosniaHerzegovina. Unfortunately, things didn’t go quite as planned as Gavin, who placed fifth there in 2014, got knocked out in the quarterfinal round. “He didn’t do as well as he’d hoped
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at the worlds. His goal is to win a world title,” said mom, Kristin Haywood. Gavin won his opening round at the world championship 14-3 over the Ukraine’s Igor Nykyforuk before a 4-3 loss in the quarterfinal round. “Now you know what you want to work on for next year,” Kristin said. “The U.S. is the only country that has two styles of wrestling with the normal high school season and the freestyle season. It puts wrestlers at a bit of a disadvantage (on the world stage). In other countries they wrestle freestyle year-round.” Continuing on in 2015, Gavin held on to his number one ranking in the nation at 113 pounds by beating number two, Roman Bravo-Young of Arizona by 2-1 in overtime in October. Bravo-Young is the Arizona state champion at 113. In November, Gavin kicked off his 2015-16 high school season with a technical at 120 pounds in the final round of the annual Eastern Area Invitational Wrestling Tournament, at Gateway High School, to beat Noah Levett of Kiski Area.
Dear Santa, I have been very good the year! I would like a American girl doll and clothes for it also shoes. I also would like a closet for the doll. I want an Itunes card 15 on it please. Gymnastics outfits will do also a Gymnastics mat for me. Thank you
S
Your friend, Alisa
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DECEMBER 2015
DECEMBER 2015
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Welcome Center Celebrates 20 Years… Never A Dull Moment
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ccording to PennDOT, there are only 14 welcome centers in Pennsylvania and for the past 20 years, Greene County has been home to one of the best. It draws on average 35,000 travelers off I-79 each month. Do the math. A conservative estimate would be that 8 million people have stopped at the I-79 Welcome Center at Kirby in those 20 years. At peak times of March and April, when the snowbirds begin to return north, the welcome center helps generate $40,000 in hotel reservation income as one of the services offered at the welcome center is helping travelers find hotel accommodations in the state. None of that money goes to the welcome center; it is merely a way to help generate income for the motels, campgrounds, hotels and bed and breakfasts that support the tourism industry through the state hotel tax. As 2015 nears its close, I visited our welcome center in Kirby to talk about what the first 20 years have held. Ruth Fox retired earlier this year as manager of the center but the story wouldn’t have been complete without her, since she was there on day one. Fortunately, she made the drive from her home in Mather to reminisce. The welcome center is open seven days a week from 7 am to 7 pm, including holidays, for 365 days of the year. That’s right retail people, Ruth, Lenora, Tammy and Lori have been right there with you. That would be Lenora Stanko, the current manager and staff members, Tammy Headlee and Lori Whitlatch. For weary travelers who arrive at the welcome center outside of operating hours the restrooms and vending area are open 24-hours a day. So, has it ever closed in those 20 years? “Once,” Ruth said. “When we had that big snow storm in 2010 and everyone was out of power for a week.” A power outage is considered a safety hazard,” she explained, “Otherwise, we are considered essential.” When I visited a second day, a gentleman, looking a little lost, came to the counter asking about hotels. After he was helped, a couple from Beckley, WV, stepped to the counter to consult with Lenora on how best to get to their destination. I overheard them tell Lenora she was “amaz-
Welcome Center employee, Lori Whitlatch, poses with Miss Oregon when she passed through Greene County.
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By Tara Kinsell
ing.” When I said I was there taking photos for a story, they gave our welcome center two thumbs up. Of course not everyone who enters the welcome center is happy. Some are simply lost and tired, especially when their GPS has led them the wrong way. The welcome center staff knows all about that. Lenora tells Ruth to share her struggles with a frequent GPS situation they have faced. “I spent three years fighting to have Morrisville removed from the state map as a place in Greene County. There is a Morrisville over here,” she said, pointing to a location in Bucks County, more than five hours from the I-79 Welcome Center at Kirby. Imagine how unhappy you’d be if your GPS led you to the wrong Morrisville in Pennsylvania and it was that far off. “Morrisville (in Greene County) doesn’t have its own zip code.” Interestingly enough, at one time it did, from 1821-1828, and old habits die hard. Many people continue to refer to the area east of Waynesburg as Morrisville. Although Ruth won her battle for its removal, a map hanging on a nearby wall still bears the name. What was it like at the welcome center on Sept. 11, 2001? There was no Facebook. There were no smart phones. Most of us were still on a dial-up connection and using a flip phone, if we had a cell phone. “We didn’t know what happened. People were coming in and asking us about the plane accident. We tried to get as much information as we could online but it wasn’t easy back then,” Ruth said. “We found out from the travelers who told us ‘we just heard it on the radio about this plane crash.’ The travelers inform us of a lot of things.” If an accident happens on the interstate they are not informed by authorities. “Usually it is the truck drivers that say, ‘Hey, the Interstate is closed,’” she said. With so many people passing through I wondered, have any friendships formed with repeat visitors to the center? Ruth is quick to say, “Yes.” In fact, among the well-wishers on her Facebook wall for her retirement were a couple from Erie, Ret. U.S. Army Sgt. Luther Manus, Jr. and his wife, Connie who pass through every couple of months. Then there was the gentleman who worked on Lake Okeechobee in Florida. “He’d come up through here in the summertime and he would stop to see us,” Ruth said. When the ladies noticed he had not been to the center at the usual time they tracked down his phone number and left him a couple of messages. “His son-in-law called two months later to tell us he had passed away,” Ruth said. At times things can get pretty crazy at the center, like the time in 2013 when state troopers dropped a girl there who had been walking along the Interstate, which is not permitted. “It was the late shift. She was a college student from Kenya who was going to school in Pittsburgh. She had no money and she was trying to get back there,” Ruth said. “I called everywhere trying to get her help and no one, not one agency, would help. I made her a reservation at Econolodge and paid for it.”
The I-79 Welcome Center
A traveler overheard what was taking place and gave Ruth $20. He told me it was to help cover my cost of helping her. Instead, Ruth gave the twenty to the girl so she would have money for food in the morning. When she asked the girl her name it turned out she was also a ‘Ruth.’ “It brought tears to my eyes. From left, Welcome Center employee, Tammy Headlee; Lenora Stanko, director of the center; I knew this was and Ruth Fox, former director, take a look at the book of clippings and photographs saved what God wantthrough the years at the center. ed me to do,” Ruth said. That wouldn’t be the only time she felt com- do this and I just knew I would. I had no doubt in my mind,” Ruth said. “I still have the note he pelled by a higher power to help a traveler. “I like to tell this story; it has a happy ending. left me on the front seat. It was the scripture that It was Memorial Day weekend. A guy in his 30s or says, “For I was hungry and ye gave me meat, I was 40s came in and said, ‘I’ve got a problem. I’ve got thirsty and ye gave me drink, I was a stranger and to find a car.’ He had his wife and kids with him ye took me in.’” Clearly, there are few dull moments at our and they had broken down,” Ruth said. welcome center. The stories kept coming. There She called Enterprise Rent-a-Car but they wouldn’t rent the man a car without a credit card was the time PennDOT had to rescue a cat from the storm drain. A traveler who saw what took and he only had a debit card, she said. “This thought is going through my head. He place gave it a home. And, there were multiple is saying, ‘I don’t know what I’m going to do.’ I told stories about people being accidentally left behim, ‘I know what you’re going to do. I’m going to hind, like the young girl who was sleeping in the let you use my car,’” Ruth said. She told him her back seat of the car. Her parents went in to use the tires weren’t “that great” so he should drive slowly restroom and didn’t know she woke up and went and be sure he and his family wore their seatbelts. inside. “She called them from her cell phone and “Everybody was telling me, ‘You’re never her mother going to see that car again,’ but God told me to Continued on page 23 GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2015
Continued from page 22
said, ‘Why are you calling me from the back seat?’” Ruth recalled. Tammy and Lenora laughed when the story of the truck driver who left his wife behind in a similar fashion was recounted by Ruth. And what about celebrity sightings? Lori had her picture taken with Miss Oregon. Tammy’s favorite celebrity is someone the ladies refer to as ‘Thong man.’ The description is fairly self-explanatory. “He sometimes wears sandals with it when it is colder weather,” Tammy said. Amazingly, Ruth only had one celebrity encounter in all of her years there. “I never saw him but I heard him,” she said. It was the late CBS newsman, Charles Kuralt. “I knew that voice.”
DECEMBER 2015
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As the ladies pointed out, the acoustics in the center are quite outstanding. A voice like Kuralt’s would certainly have stood out, as did the a capella group who sang there, the Waynesburg University Lamplighters, and the students of since retired Waynesburg Central High School choral instructor, Bridget Montgomery. Photos of each of these grace the pages of a memory book, started by Ruth and continued by Tammy, Lori, and Lenora. If you haven’t had occasion to stop at our welcome center, the next time you are driving home from Morgantown pop in, if only for a minute or two. You may be surprised at what you find. And, just in case you have been wanting to get away for a day or two, Lenora, Tammy and Lori will be happy to help you with your plans.
Dear Santa, I have been really good this year. By helping around the house. What I Want for Christmas is PS4, IPhone 6S and games for the PS4. Also I want money. Make sure you give my ister presents. Sincerely, Brennen
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In Search of the Bottle Cap Man Anna Keys of Mather asked the GreeneSaver’s help in locating someone she recently spoke with about bottle caps. “Would the man I talked to about using the plastic bottle caps please call
me. I lost your phone number,” Anna said. “You The “Buy Local, Buy Greene” campaign is a were in Citgo, getting gas. I think your car was local effort to build awareness of the importance white.” Please call Anna at 724-883-2636. 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 revenue into the local economy for the same amount of money spent with large chain or
Toys for Tots Collection
2015 Coal Queen Katlyn Allison is collecting toys for the Toys for Tots campaign until Dec. 17 with drop off locations for unopened gifts at Carmichaels Community Bank, Greene Valley Presbyterian Church, and in the offices of Carmichaels Senior High. Other collection sites throughout the county include all Community Bank branches, Giant Eagle stores, Dollar Store in Waynesburg and Rush Grocery in Rogersville. For more information visit Carmichaels Toys For Tots facebook page.
Donations for Christmas Gift Bags The annual Steps Inside Christmas Charity Collection is being held through Dec. 17 for patrons of the St. Ann Good Neighbor Lunch on Dec. 19. Various items are needed to prepare gift bags for 20 men, 20 women and five children. Requested personal hygiene articles include, toothbrushes, toothpaste, combs, shampoo/conditioner, bar soap and deodorant. Suggested warm clothing for donation to the event is
Christmas Shopping in Greene
scarves, caps, gloves and socks. Individual packs of crackers, cookies, fruit cups and granola are appreciated, as well as coloring books, crayons, small stuffed toys, and children’s books. These items can be dropped off at Steps Inside, 1790 Morris St., Waynesburg, behind CVS Pharmacy. Monetary donations are also welcome and may be given to Mark M. or Joe W.
box type stores. Join the more than 200 of your neighbors who have taken the pledge to buy local at www.waynesburgpa.org/buylocal. You have a choice of where you eat, shop or contract services, The Buy Local, Buy Greene Committee urges you to “Choose Greene.”
Holiday Mail for Heroes The Carmichaels Area Elementary Center, in conjunction with Columbia Pipeline Group, made Christmas cards that will be sent to soldiers serving in combat zones in other countries. Inclusion and Diversity North-3 Team Committee member, Frank Jeffries, coordinated with Principal Fred Morecraft, a veteran of the 103rd Armor Battalion in Connellsville, to have the school make more than 400 cards that will be sent to our soldiers. The cards will be sent through the Red Cross in its Holiday Mail for Heroes program, and will be distributed to local armories that have soldiers away from home for the holidays. Pictured, from left, seated in front: Anthony Post and Peyton Morecraft. Second row: Dayton
Reynolds, Levi Krampy, Dustin Hastings, Jacob Robison, Mia Shirley, and Delaney Morecraft. Third row: Morecraft and Jeffries.
Track the New Year Just in time to get 2016 started off on the right foot, the latest edition of the Greene Country Calendar, by Wendy Saul and Colleen Nelson, is now available for just $15 at many local retailers, including Waynesburg Milling Company, Artbeat, Specialty Herbal and the GreeneSaver office in Waynesburg,
Thistlethwaite’s Vineyards in Jefferson, and Gloria’s Ceramics in Rogersville. Featuring penand-ink drawings of many local scenes, the Greene Country Calendar makes a great gift- even if it’s a gift for yourself. Colleen Nelson can be reached at crnelson@ windstream.net.
Do You Play the Piano? The Harmony Presbyterian Church, located west of Waynesburg off Route 21 in Wind Ridge, is in need of a pianist for Sunday services. Hours are 9:45 am to 11:15 am. Remuneration is $50 per
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Sunday. Send a letter of interest, including experience, to PO Box 15, Wind Ridge, Pa., 15380, or call 724-428-4344.
Carmichaels Prepares for 250 In 2017, the borough of Carmichaels will celebrate 250 years of existence with a community wide celebration. A Carmichaels 250th Birthday committee has formed and a date has been set for this magnanimous event – June 29July 2, 2017. The committee is hoping businesses and organizations in Carmichaels will join in the
planning and take part in the celebration. Businesses, schools, groups and individuals are invited to contact the committee with ideas, suggestions and ways you would like to support or help the event. Write to: Carmichaels 250th Birthday c/o Greene Academy, PO Box 309, Carmichaels, PA 15320.
Domestic Violence For many people, the holiday season is a time of joy and happiness. For victims of domestic violence, there will be no joy and happiness. Domestic violence knows no holidays. Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern PA can make this holiday season a safe one for
victims of domestic violence and their children. All services are free and confidential. To find out more, in Washington County call 724-223-9190, in Greene County call 724-852-2463, in Fayette County call 724-439-9500, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
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DECEMBER 2015
Artist, Author, Stay-At-Home Mom
L Lois Green Kuvelis
By Tara Kinsell
ois Green Kuvelis, of Carmichaels, never had the opportunity to receive formal art training but that hasn’t stopped her from continuing to do what she loves, pretty much her whole life. “I can remember drawing when I was around six years old. I’ve always drawn,” Lois said, sitting in her kitchen with various pieces of her artwork nearby. “Frank Melega (her high school art teacher at Jefferson-Morgan) was trying to get scholarship money for me to go to art school but my mom got sick that year.” Lois instead chose to stay home and help with her mother’s care and attend cosmetology school. Today, Lois is married with two children, Lydia, 13, and Miguel, 11. Both of whom share an affinity for drawing with their mother. Miguel, who has Autism, inspired Lois to combine her artwork with writing in creating three EBooks, available on Amazon.com, with her son as a lead character. “Rey (her husband) is good with technical stuff so he helped edit them and put them together for me,” she said. Two of the three books, “Miguel and Momo: Hands are Not for Hurting,” and “Miguel and Momo: Leprechauns are Not Real,” are told from the perspective of Momo the cat. Momo is the name of Miguel’s actual pet cat.
Lois said she hopes the books, which were originally intended as teaching tools for her son, may prove to be helpful to other parents of children with Autism. “I’d really like to publish them as (regular) books. I prefer something that people can touch and look at (rather than digital books),” she said. “They were meant to help Miguel but he has outgrown them now.” From the art inside her EBooks to her digital art and painting, there isn’t one way to describe Lois’ art. She doesn’t work in a specific medium and the themes are all over the place. “I never know what I’m going to do, it just comes to me as I go,” she said. In a sketch pad on her kitchen table, among drawings of moonlit trees with intricately detailed leaves, are surreal images of monster-like creatures. Even her chosen medium can’t be nailed down as she uses whatever materials are available to her when she is creating, even nail polish, to achieve the desired effect. As the saying goes, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words.’ That is especially true when it comes to art so we are sharing several pieces of Lois’s work, including photographs of those sold at a charity auction last year. To contact Lois, email loiskuvelis@hotmail.com.
GreeneScene by Tara Kinsell
DECEMBER 2015
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GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2015
Dear Santa,
Hewitt Presbyterian Church
P
astor Geoff Rach has been with the Hewitt Presbyterian Church in Rices Landing since 2008. Although he isn’t personally native to Greene County, Geoff has always had family ties here. His late mother, Glenda Vanskiver Rach, was a 1965 graduate of Waynesburg Central High School. “I grew up in the North Hills (Pittsburgh) but my mom was from Waynesburg and I went to Waynesburg College,” Geoff explained, noting he was graduated from WC in 2001. He went on to Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and shortly after graduation from there received his first calling to preach “just across the river from Rices Landing in McClellandtown.” He credits Rev. Dr. Donald Wilson for recruiting him to serve at Hewitt Presbyterian. Wilson had served as an interim pastor there prior to Rach’s arrival in January of 2012. “We have a mix of all ages at Hewitt. We’re firm in what we teach of the Gospel and are welcoming to all newcomers to the church,” he said. When asked about the groups within the church, Rach said there is a strong women’s organization. As he continues to share information about the church it takes but a couple of minutes speaking with the pastor to learn that he has a great sense of humor. “Just this morning the Christian Education Committee held a cookie walk. We do all kinds of stuff,” he said. Chuckling, he added, “We hold turkey dinners in the spring and spaghetti dinners in the fall.” I noted the irony of having spaghetti in November when it is time for Thanksgiving. Rach said the church tries to “do a men’s breakfast once a month.” The largest project that has been undertaken while he has been at Hewitt is a memorial brick garden. Although the garden was essentially completed “last year,” Rach said the church “would take or-
I like Christmas very much. I would like money and 3DS games and a soccer ball. I would also like disc cleaner and a Xbox 360 and good Pokemon. I like gifts very much. When you come I will not try to hunt you down. Love, Franklin
Your Hometown Radio Station
ders for bricks for it” if someone wanted to add one in memory of a loved one. “We have some bricks we are looking to install,” he explained. The garden was designed by church member, Bob McMillen, to remember friends and family of the church and serve as a place for reflection and prayer. There are also bricks in the garden marking events such as baptisms or for special recognition. A memorial bench within the garden was dedicated to church elder Ivan Guesman and his wife, Adelaide, both longtime members of Hewitt Presbyterian. Although the Guesman’s both passed away in 2014, prior to the dedication of the garden, the memorial bench was placed in 2013 and the Guesman’s had an opportunity to see it. Hewitt Presbyterian Church, located at 1206 Crucible Road, Rices Landing has been part of that community since 1871. Its original wood-framed church building sat next to the current red brick one. The congregation moved into the newly constructed brick building in 1909. The original building, still standing at the time, burned down a year later. Worship services at Hewitt are held on Sundays at 10 am. The church sponsors Cub Scout Pack 1168, the Pine Springs Camp in Jennerstown, Pa., and has a team in the Greene County Dartball League. It also serves as a meeting place for the Town and Garden Country Club.
1210
AM
Tune in for Crazy Dougie Wilson weekday mornings & J.T. Cash weekday afternoons
The Best Mix of current country hits and
country classics you’ll ever find! DECEMBER 2015
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Dear Santa, I have been extremly good this year! I can not wait for you and Allie to come. I have been thinking about what I want for Chritmas. These things are what I want a Ipod Blue, a big Elsa doll, a spycar with a spy kit and a selife stick beause my mom broke my on accident. Many more things I want for Chritmas. When it is Christmas, I will be very excited for you to come. I hope! But what I am telling you is half of what I want. Love, Riley
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GreeneSaver •
DECEMBER 2015