Oct Nov GreeneScene 2017

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

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GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017

NOW ON

SALE

Humane Society of Greene County 2018 Lottery Calendar available at the

Greene County Humane Society 183 Jefferson Road Waynesburg, PA 15370

Mon - Wed - Sat • Noon - 5pm www.greenepet.org humanegreene@windstream.net

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

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I Love this P l a ce

by Colleen Nelson

A TALE OF TWO TOWNS MORRISVILLE/DOTYSBURG

This photo shows the Gulf Station and the Double Bridge Inn in the background. It is believed to be taken in the 1930s judging by the cars, according to Bob Henderson of Waynesburg, who shared the picture as a GreeneScene Past in 2010. It was at the intersection of Sugar Run and Rt 21, where McDonalds & Rite Aid are today.

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his is a tale of two towns, or rather two names – for two corners of an almost forgotten village that sits at the eastern edge of Waynesburg.

The sign beside the bridge near McDonalds reads “Morrisville” and according to “Fact and Folklore” author, the late John O’Hara, it was named after the families who first settled there. They were relatives of Robert Morris, “who ended up in poverty after giving his fortune to help finance the Revolutionary War.” Ten Mile Creek wanders through and occasionally overflows its banks and deposits rich silt as it floods the lowlands. In the early 1800s this was fertile farmland, extending into the back yards of the houses and businesses that sprang up along every lane and byway. The dairy cows that grazed on nearby farms supplied the Waynesburg area with a steady delivery of fresh milk, butter and ice cream in the 19th century.

The short streets of Morrisville to the right as you drive towards the Interstate were once lined with the sturdy, unpretentious frame homes of skilled craftsmen. There was a garden in every back yard and neighbors looked after each other.

But to those who grew up where State Route 21, parts company with Route 19 when it heads south to Mt. Morris, this corner of Morrisville has been called Dotysburg ever since the mid 1800s when “an intruder named Doty” moved in and opened a tavern near the Morrisville Methodist Church at the intersection of the road to Jefferson, now Route 188.

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“He immediately had the brashness to give the village the name Dotysburg. The name was resented vigorously by oncoming generations and eventually has almost been forgotten.” O’Hara wrote this colorful bit of local lore in a 1981 column when the Morrisville church closed, noting that it was one of the oldest Methodist parishes in the county.

Retired teacher Johnna Barna Dinan grew up in Dotysburg and has a bit of family fact to add to the Doty legend. When a house her family owned at the corner of Route 188 was taken down in 1970 to make way for the new Barna Furniture and Appliance store, it was found to be a log cabin under the siding. “My mother kept two of the nails for

The Double Covered Bridge closed in 1930 and a new bridge was constructed, later to be known as the Freedom Bridge, which was just replaced this year with the new 4 lane bridge and intersection at Sugar Run Rd. and Routes 19 & 21. Photo from the files of Cornerstone Geneaology, donated by Tina Raber in 1988.

souvenirs.” Years later, “two elderly women from Detroit Michigan who said they were relatives of the Dotys came to find the cabin they visited as children. My mother told them what happened and gave them the nails.”

Johnna’s own childhood memories were reawakened a few years ago when she ran across a pencil sketch of Dotysburg drawn in 1949 by her father John Rodney Barna Jr. when he was 16 years old. The first Barna Maytag store is in the sketch, next door to the East Franklin Grange. Mary George’s store with its barns and sheds in back is also there. Where it sat is now part of the Sheetz service center and Johnna laughs when she talks about her brother, returning pop bottles for pennies there, pennies that he spent for candy at the store.

“Mary knew my brother Rodney would sometimes go around back and get empty bottles from where she had them stored but she never said anything. She knew he wanted candy and he was buying it from her! She was nice to the neighborhood kids. We were like one big family.”

Antique appliances, from iceboxes to wringer washers were part of the décor of Barnas’ new store. Before the arrival of big box chain stores “everybody bought furniture and appliances from us.”

Johnna remembers. “We gave credit and if they had problems we fixed them. My grandfather started out selling Maytags door to door all over Greene County and people called him Barney Maytag. I used to work at the store when I was in high school and I remember my first day of teaching in 1976. I was in Dave Matheson’s classroom in New Freeport and one of the students said ‘ Hey! Are you Barney Maytag’s kid?’”

As the 20th century brought new ways of doing business, the quiet village life of eastern Frank-

Circa 1960s photo of Mary George in her general store, perhaps one of the most remembered businesses in Dotysburg. Photo from Johnna Barna Dinan.

GreeneScene Magazine •

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2017

The Golden Horse Service Station operated by George L. Zimmerman on Old Rt. 21 (now Bill George Drive) just east of the old Triangle Lounge (today Tommy Boys). According to Jim Zimmerman, who shared this picture with us previously as a GreeneScene Past, said his dad George, was also a Justice of the Peace and would conduct free marriage ceremonies under the Golden Horse.

lin Township changed with the times. Bill Kerns had a Gulf station in the 1930s where the Rite Aid is now and George L. Zimmerman’s Golden Horse Gas Station beside the Triangle Tavern in Dotysburg offered free gas to newlyweds and eight gallons of gas for a dollar Sunday specials so families could afford a Sunday drive during the Depression.

The Double Bridge Inn (later Kurtz’ Tavern and finally Koratich’s) by the railroad overpass was an old stone house that was ultimately torn down when McDonalds came to town in the 1970s. At that time a new building was built further back from the road by the Koratich family and was a hot spot for out-of-town bands and still remembered for its good eats. Later when McDonalds renovated and expanded, that building too, disappeared.

“I remember going to the Roller Rink in Dotysburg, and also the Dari-Delight was where Pizza Hut is now,” Johnna said. “We used to catch

the bus to the Opera House for ten cents. There was a lot for kids to do back then.”

The horse and wagon friendly double covered bridge was gone by 1930 and its replacement was later named Freedom Bridge. As Greene County grew the Sugar Run Road intersection onto Route 21 continued to be a bottleneck for traffic trying to get in and out of Waynesburg. Four years ago new construction was launched that elevated the railroad over pass, replaced Freedom Bridge and added that much needed extra lane to get to Waterdam Plaza and beyond to Giant Eagle.

In Dotysburg, Route 21 was rerouted in the late 1960s and most of the buildings and homes that John Barna sketched were taken down. What remains of main street are memories, a handful of photographs, the Rockwell house on Bill George Drive and the top floor of Barney’s Maytag store.

When the original store was removed, “my

This view from the end of Bill George Drive today shows on the right foreground the building that was once the 2nd floor of John Barna Senior’s original store, which became an apartment and is now Travel Saver’s. Also, the structure to the left is the Rockwell Home, and if you look carefully through the trees you will also see the Morrisville Methodist church building and graveyard and the building that became the new Barna’s appliance store in the distant background.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

grandfather loaded the second story onto a truck and moved it beside Mr. Rockwell’s house.” Johnna is happy to report. “When I got married in 1978 it was our first apartment (Now home of Travel Savers and UPS/Fed Ex drop). I stopped in the travel agency once to look around and I told them the office used to be my living room!”

The bypassed strip of Route 21 is now known as Bill George Drive in honor Dotysburg’s most famous resident.

Mary George’s son Bill (1929 – 1982) was the only junior on the football team but already a powerhouse of talent and energy when Waynesburg High School made it to state finals in 1946. He was drafted by the Chicago Bears in 1951 and played for them until 1965, finishing out his career with the LA Rams in 1966. Wikipedia lists him as the first true middle linebacker in football history and creator of the 4-3 defense.

Bill’s number 61 retired with him and he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1974. Sports Illustrated called him the “meanest bear ever” and listed him number 49 of the 100 greatest football players in 1999.

But to friends back home, like local paper editor the late Jim Moore, who had dinner with him the night he was inducted in 1974, and kids like Johnna, who grew up buying candy at his mother’s store, Bill George was a neighbor who would come back to the county unannounced to go coon hunting in winter or throw bales on the Higgins farm in summer to tone his muscles for the upcoming season of the NFL. Johnna remembers him as part of her childhood in a town where everybody knew your name.

Topps Collectible card featuring Gill George, Dotysburg’s most famous son.

“We used to see him at Mary George’s store and I never thought of him as a star. He was just Bill.”

Morrisville Methodist Church before it was closed in 1981. Now the building houses a family Dental Practice. Photo from Johnna Barna Dinan.

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Brent A. McClelland

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rmy Private First Class Brent A. McClellan was a native of Clarksville, Pa, and a member of the Jefferson-Morgan High School class of 1963. Private McClelland was distinguished in his service when he was selected to serve in the Honor Guard at Fort Meyers, Virginia where he stood guard at the grave of President John F. Kennedy. He went on to serve his country at war in Vietnam, and was killed on February 28, 1966 in an ambush in Bihn Dihn province, South Vietnam, while assigned to 1st platoon, B company, 5th Cavalry in the Army’s 1st cavalry division.

He received the Purple Heart, the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal, and the Combat Infantryman Badge.

On August 5, 2017 State Representative Pam Snyder announced that the PA House of Representatives unanimously approved her measure to name a Greene County bridge the “Private First Class Brent A. McClellan Memorial Bridge.” The bridge spans the south fork of Ten Mile Creek between Jefferson Township and Clarksville Borough. State Representative Pam Snyder said, “We cannot repay the sacrifice of those who gave their lives defending us, but at the very least, we can and we must remember them.”

On September 30th at a Special Recognition Ceremony held during the time the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall was in Waynesburg, Pa, the family of Brent McClellan stood alongside eight other Greene County families to recognize their fallen loved one - heroes that were taken by this conflict.

We adhere to the advice of Representative Snyder. We remember these sacrifices, and we pay tribute today to US Army Private First Class Brent A. McClellan and his brothers and sisters in arms. We cannot say thank you enough.

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G ree n e Sce n e of the Pa st

hen retired West Greene elementary teacher Johnna Barna Dinan was going through family papers a few years ago she was thrilled to find this pencil sketch done in 1949 by her father John Rodney Barna when he was 16. It shows what the forgotten town of Dotysburg looked like, before progress stepped in and replaced it with a strip mall, a Sheetz service center and a straight stretch of highway.

“He drew it from his bedroom window and I recognize most of the buildings because I was born and raised in Dotysburg,” Johnna said. When I was growing up a lot of these buildings were already gone. But I went to church there and a photo I have that was taken from my front porch shows what was still there in the 1960s and 70s.”

The most recognizable feature left in this little village that was dismantled to reroute and widen Route 21 where it intersects with Route 19 is the Methodist church at the corner of Bill George Drive and Route 188, seen here at the bottom of John’s sketch. Well, on the sketch you don’t see the church, you see the corner of the iron fence around the church cemetery. The view is looking back at the village, as if you were gazing from the rooftop of the church.

Johnna has identified the buildings her father drew and numbered them for those of us who can only imagine what Route 21 once looked like as it meandered through Dotysburg to the double covered bridge across Ten Mile Creek in Morrisville, then up the hill to Waynesburg.

1. Barna Maytag furniture and appliance store, started in the 1940s by John R. Barna Sr. J.R, Barna Jr. and his wife Winifred Lahew Burna and siblings Mary Barna Burich and Thomas Barna took over

the family business in the 1950s. The new appliance and furniture store was located across the road from the one pictured here and was open for business until 2013.

2. The original East Franklin Grange Hall was also used as a Central Greene classroom in the 1940s.

3. Mary George’s grocery store was operated

by Mary and husband Leo, with help from family and friends. Johnna remembers buying pop and penny candy here as Mary and her lady friends sat knitting and kabitzing in between sales. Mary was the mother of Chicago Bears Hall of Fame football player Bill George and what’s left of Main Street Dotysburg is named in his honor.

4. This store housed several businesses over the years. Johnna remembers it being a second hand shop in the 1970s.

5. “Windy” Miller and his family lived here in the 1950s and 60s.

6. Corner of the wrought iron fence of the Morrisville Methodist Church and cemetery, now a dentist office.

7. The Mason family home in the 1950s and 60s.

8. J.R. Barna, Sr. owned this house and various family members lived here through the 1930s into the 1950s before it became a rental property.

9. This is the beginning of the 9 long sidewalk that leads to the East Franklin Elementary School that is still in use as an Intermediate Unit I academy.

10. This building and lot were used by the Highway Department in the 1940s (note the snow plow blade beside the truck!)

11. These barns and sheds were the edge of the Morris family properties and disappeared when the Rt. 21 was put in.

The drawing shows a chicken coup, an outhouse and the barn Mr. Morris used as a blacksmith shop.

12. Barns on the back end of Mary George’s property.

13. When State Route 21 was being reconstructed, the upper story of Barna Maytag was moved on a truck across the road and turned into two apartments. It is now the Travel Agency on Bill George Drive.

by Colleen Nelson

14. This is where Sheetz now sits. It will soon be removed and replaced by the new Sheetz service center that is being built closer to the intersection of Routes 19 and 21.

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If you have an interesting old photo from the area you’d like to share, just send it to: GreeneScene of the Past, 185 Wade Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370. Or email to: info@greenescene.com with GreeneScene Past in subject line. The GreeneScene Community Magazine can even scan your original in just a few minutes if you bring it to our office. We are particularly interested in photos of people and places in the Greene County area taken between 1950 and 1980, though we welcome previous dates, too.

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GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017

Donald Duke

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udrey Duke of Mather shares these keepsakes and some memories of her late husband and veteran, Donald Duke.

Donald Duke enlisted in the Coast Guard (Merchant Marines) while a senior in High School at Jefferson. He served two years during World War II from 1945 to 1947. When he was discharged, Audrey was a freshman in high school.

Three years later, they were planning on getting married, right about the time Donald received his draft notice. Donald was drafted into the Army in September 1950 and served during the Korean War

Donald Duke shortly after being drafted into the Army in 1950.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

as an A&E Mechanic and Crew Chief in the 426th F.A. Battalion from 1950 to 1952.

“We decided to wait, and Donald was able to come home for a brief visit after basic training in December of 1950, and that’s when we were married,” Audrey recalls.

Donald’s service did not end when he came home in 1952, however. He immediately went to work in the active Reserves in Nov 1952, serving as Construction Foreman for Company C, 429th Engineers Battalion out of Waynesburg PA. In 1960 they were activated, and he served another two years of duty at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Back in Waynesburg by 1962 he held the title of Engineering Equipment Maintenance Supervisor.

“Donald stayed in the active Reserves until he became ill in 1977,” Audrey says, “When he died, in February of 1979, he held the rank of Warrant Officer III.” We join Audrey Duke and her family in paying tribute to Donald Duke, for his lifetime of service and dedication to preserving the rights of Americans and other people around the world. Thank you, Warrant Officer III Donald Duke, we appreciate you.

ID card of young Seaman 2nd Class Donald Duke.

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

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Two Heroes

Shining the light on a Brighter Greene

By Glen Kinsey

By Colleen Nelson

May 4, 2015 when 1,400 people turned out to March for a Brighter Greene.

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hen it comes to making the world a better place, “taking it to the streets” like Jesus did can sometimes work wonders. And in Greene County, that is what happened when some area churches joined with their neighbors to lead the battle against opioid addiction.

It was standing room only on October 21, 2015 when 384 people came to the Greene County courthouse to voice their concern about the prescription drug epidemic that is affecting so many families both here and in neighborhoods across the nation.

This was the county’s first town hall meeting and it wouldn’t be long before the fire that was lit that night would bring pastors and their flocks out of their churches to join with their neighbors to say “Enough!”

This was the night that Coalition for a Brighter Greene was born.

Retired economic development program manager Chris Gardner heard the call to duty in 2012 when Bob Terry of Steps Inside, a recovery support group, asked ‘can you help us raise a little money?

There’s no recovery houses in Greene County’.

Gardner had seen the problems of addiction while working for Community Action in the 1980s when the mines were idling and workers were in crisis. “The drug of choice then was alcohol. Now it’s opioids and people are dying,” she remembers.

Helping the Steps Inside Community Recovery committee establish houses for men and women brought Gardner together with businesses, pastors, family members, law enforcement and elected officials who deal with drug addiction, overdose death and the lack of community services that are available to county residents. In the beginning they met in churches, restaurants, offices and homes, trying to pool resources, strategies and funding. It was clear that what is needed in Greene County and elsewhere is recovery services and legal reintegration back into the work force after recovery. Grieving parents came, including Don and Lynn Bird, who lost two daughters in four months in 2013.

With every meeting there were more people becoming involved, with more shared ideas and more determination to make change happen.

Gardner’s good work caught the eye of Judge Farley Toothman, who knew her when he was a county commissioner and she was the county redevelopment director. Toothman brought her out of retirement to help pull together crime statistics, death rates and other data linked to the drug arrests

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within the court system to help him implement a county ARD program for drug offenders that would reclassify addiction as a health issue rather than a criminal offense.

When it was time to have a public forum to expand the mission, Toothman suggested the courthouse and the first town hall meeting drew the community in. Pastor Richard Berkey of Rolling Meadows Church of God, Waynesburg joined the coalition and brought with him the documentary movie “Appalachian Dawn.” It told the story of the opioid epidemic in Mansfield Kentucky and how the churches worked together, and then marched to bring attention to the problem and break the log jam of political apathy. Appalachian Dawn was put in the county libraries and shown in churches, homes and public gatherings. Momentum began to build.

On May 14, 2015, 1400 people turned out on a cold rainy day to march a mile from the airport to the fairgrounds, chanting “Greene County has had enough!” It was a day to share testimonies, pray and learn more about the epidemic, fueled here, as in Kentucky, by legal prescription drugs.

Four out of five heroin users started with taking prescription opioids found in home medicine cabinets, speaker Gary Tennis, then secretary of Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Prevention pointed out.

The momentum continued to grow. On June 24 the court system partnered with the county and Career Link to hold a first ever job “re-entry fair” at the Greene County Fairgrounds to help defendants integrate back into the work force by expunging criminal records, obtaining drivers licenses and getting job training.

All five school districts made drug prevention part of the curriculum for 3rd through 9th grades beginning with the 2016-17 school year and every year awards are given for drug awareness videos made by students.

Coalition for a Brighter Greene continues to fight for more prevention services and get the word out about the needs that underserved rural communities face. The message has reached state and federal levels and additional resources are being brought onboard, including private and corporate dollars. The third annual town hall meeting was October 26 and the path forward continues, one day, one meeting, and one shared idea at a time.

“We still have things to do. We need a detox center in the county and a half way house, too,” coalition volunteer George “Bly” Blystone points out.

“It’s important that the detox treatment be for everyone, not just those with insurance. The best path for recovery that I see would be seven to ten days detox in a hospital setting, then a doctor would write a prescription for transfer to a rehab center, which wouldn’t have to be in the county. After rehab, which should be at least a month, another prescription would get you to a half way house, where there would be enough structure to help you recover. The problem is, most insurance companies today give you two weeks, which is not enough. I know if I only had two weeks at Gateway Center in Aliquippa when I was recovering from alcoholism 38 years ago, I would not have made it.”

Rich Dolan, liver transplant recipient and his pastor, Rev. Reagan Fike, of the First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ in Carmichaels, his donor.

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t was 1972, Sergeant Rich Dolan laid in the mud, cold and wet, tracers whizzing overhead. He wondered, “How did they kill this foliage so fast?”

Some forty years later, as his health began to fail and his skin changed color, Rich understood that the Agent Orange that killed the foliage in Vietnam was now killing him at his home in Clarksville, Pennsylvania. Days followed when life went from feeling bad to being downright sick. Trips to the doctor showed “fatty liver, something wrong with the blood work, and high ammonia levels.” Rich realized something serious was wrong when the people draining the fluid around his liver began wearing yellow hazmat suits.

One day Rich had passed out at home, and didn’t recognize his wife or know what had happened. It was then he was put on the transplant list, but not anywhere near the top. During the two and a half years on the list, a tumor was dis-

Young Sgt. Rich Dolan in Vietnam in 1972.

covered and his name was moved to the top for a transplant. A later MRI scan showed that the tumor was gone, and despite the fact that most of his liver was also gone, he was moved back down to a less urgent level.

During his time on the list a search was made to find a suitable donor. A member of the Tri-County Christian Men’s organization was a willing donor, but wasn’t a qualified match.

One evening Rich’s pastor, Rev. Reagan Fike called to say she wanted to come to his house and have prayer. As they sat talking, Reagan said, “I’m your donor.” Rich was speechless, trying to understand what she was saying. Reagan had had the testing done on her own and was found to be a perfect match. Rich says, “I didn’t sleep much that night.”

The next step was to work with a coordinator to make sure there was a good mental match also.

With all the details worked out, the transplant was planned for November of 2015. Reagan’s surgery was to take approximately two hours. Rich’s was planned to last eight, but due to complications, it lasted twelve hours.

As Reagan was being rolled down to surgery she insisted that they stop at Rich’s room for prayer, something she repeated in the operating room. As soon as the surgeon examined Reagan’s liver and found it to be sound, surgery was begun on Rich. The doctors reported that as soon as the new liver was connected it started working.

“Very soon after the surgery, I began to feel better”, Rich says. “Each day was better than the day before, thanks to the love and support of my church family. I never talk to Reagan without telling her I love her. Words do not exist that could express my thanks for her sacrifice. She not only gave me life, she gave me a good life. She is my hero.”

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017

A trip to Baghdad

By Mike Belding

Col Mike Belding in Baghdad, Iraq in 2008. Built in 1989, these two immense triumphal arches stand at either end of a wide parade ground in a central Baghdad Park, Iraq. They were built to commemorate ‘victory’ in the Iran-Iraq war (1980-1988), despite the fact that construction was started 2 years before the war ended, and the fact that the war was widely thought to have ended in a ‘stalemate’.

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had always made a practice of offering special opportunities to Marines that were in my charge upon their promotion, re-enlistment or retirement. Their requested ceremonies varied from an event for their family in an office, at the Enlisted Club or Officer’s Club or a full blown troop and stomp on the parade deck. Regardless of the significance of the event, in my mind, that was their day. Their special day, for whatever level of celebration we could reasonably support.

My previous tours in Iraq included participating in Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm in 1991 where I served as a helicopter pilot deployed aboard navy ships conducting operations for assault support, resupply and medevac missions. My second combat tour, in 2004, I served as a Commanding Officer for a Marine helicopter squadron and operated out of the relative comfort of a seized Iraqi airfield. It was a large airfield with dispersed aircraft hangers, bunkers and living quarters. Rarely did we experience incoming fire and we almost always had aircraft arriving and departing taking special interest in any activity just outside our perimeter fencing.

Although being in a combat zone cannot be categorized as comfortable, in March of 2008, I began my third combat tour in Iraq at the same airfield, in the relative safety that an isolated airfield offers. Three months into my tour as a Marine Aircraft Group Commander, a good friend that I had served with on several previous occasions, was to be promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. I asked him his pleasure in promotion ceremonies and his request shocked me.

As an assault support aircraft pilot, when I flew missions, they were well planned, usually at night and most of the time in relatively safe areas. So when my friend suggested we fly to Baghdad, get out of the aircraft, transit to the infamous Green Zone in armored vehicles and have a promotion ceremony in one of Saddam Hussein’s palaces, I asked whether he was feeling okay. He said it was a chance of a lifetime. I said I would keep my word and continue

GreeneScene by Billy Jo Henry

the tradition.

We planned a detailed excursion to Baghdad.

We flew into the unlighted landing zone shortly after midnight and exited the helicopter into absolute blackness. Having only navigated around Baghdad from the air, I was of little help on the ground. We finally linked up with our ground transportation and were driven through the battle riddled streets of Baghdad in an armored vehicle, eventually entering the fortified Greene Zone.

We were dropped off next to a café where we were able to get breakfast and observe the sun beginning to rise above the horizon. We asked some other service members more familiar with the area where the best place was to get good pictures of the iconic former palaces. They suggested the front balcony of a nearby palace and we headed that way as it became light enough to get outdoor pictures.

The promotion ceremony took about five minutes, including a couple of comments about my friend’s previous achievements, what the promotion to the next higher rank entailed, the actual pinning on of the new rank and reciting of the oath of office. Within two hours of landing in Baghdad, we had completed our mission and were on our way back to the same landing zone. We stopped one more time and took pictures at the infamous triumphal arches just outside Baghdad.

Returning to our own base within twelve hours of leaving, we all thought it was an awful lot of work to get a couple of pictures of a promotion ceremony. Today, I tell this story warmheartedly, but at the time it was an affirmation that even in situations that may be far from normal, requests can be fulfilled to acknowledge the times that individuals identify as special. I attended this friend’s retirement from the Marine Corps not long ago and as he communicated this exact experience as one of the highlights of his 30 year career, I knew I had done the right thing.

Editor’s note: We thank Col. (ret) Mike Belding for sharing this entertaining anecdote, for reminding us of the value in keeping one’s word and the need for proper acknowledgement no matter what, which leads us our real message to Col. Mike Belding: Thank you for your service, for your sacrifice and that of your family, as you went wherever you were called to defend and protect the liberties we value, and which should be the human right of all people, everywhere.

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2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

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2017 winners of the Distinguished Service Award and McCracken Legacy Award

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he Greene County Chamber of Commerce hosted its 30th annual Membership Banquet and presentation of the Distinguished Service Award on Saturday, October 21st on the Waynesburg University Campus in the Benedum Din-

ing Hall.

The individual Distinguished Service Award is bestowed based on lasting contributions to community welfare, participation in civic organizations, evidence of leadership ability, success in voca-

tion, personal and/or business progress, and cooperation with other individuals and organizations. The award has no relation to work performed for the Chamber of Commerce. Jack McCracken was the first individual recipient. Special awards have been presented from time to time over the years as well as posthumous awards. The Organizational Distinguished Service Award was presented from 2004 to 2015. In 2016 the McCracken Legacy Award was presented for the first time to First Federal Savings & Loan of Greene County.

The McCracken Legacy Award is awarded to a business or organization, having an operating presence in Greene County who has demonstrated ambition, profitability, growth, sound business planning, customer satisfaction and management of people; a commitment to social responsibility and exemplary community involvement; demonstrated a positive social and/or economic impact on the community and exemplary civic community leadership.

2017 Distinguished Service Award presented to Chuck Baily.

Following is an excerpt from his nomination form: When Waynesburg Prosperous and Beautiful was published in 1907, the Randolph and Baily Agency (page 120) had been providing insurance and real estate services for 27 years, having been founded in 1880. Rather than being business owners, Chuck Baily was taught that his family’s role was more of a stewardship -- not only for their family, staff, and clients’ assets, but also for the welfare of our community.

Not much has changed in four generations. Chuck has been privileged to serve on several local advisory boards; Children and Youth Services, United Way, Boy Scouts, GCID, GCIDA, GARC, the hospital, tourism and SCI Greene. He has also worked in a number of capacities with “at risk” young men. In addition to these, he is most proud of being a cofounder of Greene County Habitat for Humanity in

1984. Habitat has partnered with over 60 families in owning their first home.

He also cofounded the EAL/Greene County College Opportunity Program in 1985. It ran for a decade and mentored over seventy high school students who wanted to be the first members of their families to go to college. Fifty of them achieved that goal.

Currently, one of the things Chuck is most excited about is being President of Rocky Bleier’s Beating the Odds Foundation. To date, this organization has influenced over 300,000 junior high and high school students with an inspirational curriculum for their personal success. Four of our county school districts have had Rocky in to speak and are able to utilize their program.

Chuck and his wife Shirley have three sons, and now assist with four-

teen grandchildren, who are their closest neighbors. Wellness is an important family value and they are all very active. Chuck still does short triathlons and 5K’s. They are actively involved at First Presbyterian Church, where he grew up. Finally, he and Shirley feel strongly that one of the main reasons God put them on the planet was to mentor college students. After college, in 1973, they worked at Waynesburg University for three years as residence hall Directors as staff members of the Coalition for Christian Outreach (CCO), a college ministry based in Pittsburgh. Sixty-five other CCO campus ministers have followed them here, almost all of whom were hired directly by the University. He continues reaching out to these students, and will continue to do so.

2017 McCracken Legacy Award presented to Waynesburg University.

Following is an excerpt from the nomination form: Waynesburg University has been a leader in the local and regional economy for many years and is one of the premier partners for economic development in southwestern Pennsylvania. The Waynesburg University community contributes approximately 50,000 service learning and community/civic engagement hours each year. Those hours provide a total annual economic impact of approximately $1.2 million.

The University is one of only 21 Bonner Scholar schools in the country. With support from the Corella and Bertram F. Bonner Foundation, this unique scholarship program offers selected students financial assistance in return for a commitment to service while enrolled at Waynesburg. Bonners contribute approximately 17,290 hours of service locally each year. The Waynesburg University Bonner Program has developed meaningful, longstanding relationships with partner organizations in and around Greene County. Through this long-term approach, these local organizations benefit from ongoing weekly service contributed by students while students experience personal and professional growth. With the numerous educational centers at the University, business partners and

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community members alike benefit from the University’s distinctive offerings. Examples include training exercises for law enforcement in the criminal justice facilities and monthly labs for homeschooled students. Waynesburg University also has a long-standing history of supporting the local community. The University has donated more than $500,000 in recent years to the Waynesburg-Franklin Township Volunteer Fire Company and the Waynesburg Borough for the purchase of new police cars, improvements to borough infrastructure, downtown beautification projects, construction and fire safety equipment, as well as contributions to the Borough Master Plan, recreational fields and parks maintenance.

The Greene County Chamber serves the community in many ways throughout the year by sponsoring the annual Christmas Parade and 5th Grade Career Days in Central Greene, Jefferson-Morgan and West Greene school districts. 2017 marked the 27th year that the Chamber has given a scholarship to a graduating Greene County high school senior who is going on to a two-year or four-year college, university or trade school. It also works with

the business community to bring services and information to its members through meetings, newsletters, training seminars and networking gatherings. It also provides ribbon cuttings as part of grand opening celebrations for new member businesses in the county. The Greene County Business 2 Business Social serves the business community by providing a premier “Business-to-Business” networking event. The Chamber was recently ranked number 16 by the

Pittsburgh Business Times on their list of “Largest Chambers in the Pittsburgh Region” with 365 members. The Chamber has made the list since 2005 when it debuted at number 23 and has been steadily climbing the list. The Chamber is very proud of this ranking which reflects the dedication of the staff and the Board of Directors to growing a vibrant and thriving Chamber to serve not only the business community but the general population as well.

GreeneScene Magazine •

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2017

I

Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall

By Shelly Brown

never met John Darrel Smith. But I speak to him, pretty much on daily basis.

Several years ago, a new bridge was built on the winding little road that leads to my home in Earnshaw, West Virginia. Earnshaw is not a town, not anymore anyway, it’s just an area not even five miles from the PA state line, just west of Hundred, WV. This bridge was a new, wide bridge, replacing the ancient, single lane, somewhat crumbling structure that crossed the creek in front of my house on Willey Fork Road.

I was sure glad to see that bridge go in, as I drive across it every day coming and going from home. One day, not too long after the bridge was finished, I saw a big new sign go up, naming it the Lance Corporal John Darrel Smith Memorial Bridge. I stopped and looked at that sign for several moments, and I heard myself say, “Thank you, Lance Corporal John Darrel Smith.” And I’ve said it nearly every day since then. Whenever I cross the bridge, I thank this man, who gave his life that we might stay free, that others around the world would also be freed from oppression.

Not too long after the sign went up, I came home one day to find a small gathering of people around the bridge, I saw a few neighbors, three local Legionnaires with trumpets, I saw my State Representative there, preparing to speak.

I stopped, joined the group and listened to the dedication of the Lance Corporal John Darrell Smith Memorial Bridge. It was then I learned that John Darrell Smith had been a resident

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

of Earnshaw, WV, had gone to Hundred High School, and was only 21 years old when he was killed in Vietnam in 1966. I cried that day, along with the others there, as we listened to taps being played by the men of our local American Legion standing across the creek. And I continue to say thank you, John Darrell Smith, thank you.

The recent trend (thanks to our state representatives) of dedicating and naming our bridges for fallen heroes is a good thing. It helps us remember those who gave all - the same reason we have the national Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall in Washington D.C. Here in Greene County, we were privileged to see the 5/8 scale replica of that wall come to Waynesburg a few weeks ago, through the efforts of volunteers who worked hundreds of hours and local businesses and organizations who donated thousands of dollars to make it happen.

The sun was very bright in my eyes on the Friday evening I went to the Greene County Fairgrounds to see the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall. There were quite a few other people there, slowly walking along looking, touching, and kneeling. I saw couples, families with children, and individual people walking alone, as I was. I stopped next to one gentleman with a cane. He was also wearing a Vietnam Veteran hat. We stood in silence together for a few minutes before I asked him, “What do you think?” After a pause he said, “It’s tough.” Another long pause, and his voice came again, breaking up a little, “I worked support out of Okinawa…I got a lot of buddies…

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

whose names….I’m sorry,” he said, and looked away.

But I saw the tear. It wasn’t long at all before he had his composure again, his voice was strong and he said, “These boys were the best of the best…” and then we began to talk easily about how the wall was arranged, how to find names, how good it was that it was here, etc. He went off to find his buddies, and I went to find Lance Corporal John Darrell Smith.

Thank you Rick Black, Vietnam Veteran and Vice President of VFW Post 4793, for leading this effort to bring the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall to Greene County. And thank you to each and every one of you who donated money, supplies and/or time to support his effort. It was a good thing, a very good thing.

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Spo r t Sh o rt s

by Jason Tennant

West Greene Football Playoffs: It’s Been A Long Time

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n Saturday, November 27, 1993, the 11-0-1 West Greene Pioneers played at Three Rivers Stadium for the WPIAL Championship. They would lose that Championship Game to Duquesne by a score of 55-0 but 1993 still stands as the gold standard in the history of West Greene football.

Moving forward from that day, West Greene Football played 23 consecutive seasons without reaching the postseason.

That slump came to an end on Friday, October 13, 2017 when the Pioneers defeated Monessen, 4816 to clinch a spot in this year’s WPIAL Playoffs!

Referring to another long playoff drought known all to well in this area, West Greene Ath-

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letic Director Bill Simms joked, “The (Pittsburgh) Pirates ended their 20-season playoff drought so we thought it was about time we ended ours.”

All kidding aside, the 2017 West Greene Pioneers have accomplished a lot.

“We set goals at the beginning of the season,” said Head Coach Rod Huffman. “One was to make the playoffs and another was to have a winning season.”

Missions accomplished.

The night West Greene defeated Monessen was a special night at West Greene. Not only did the Pioneers clinch a playoff spot, but it was also the same night the State Champion West Greene softball team received their championship rings in

a halftime ceremony.

There seems to be a lot of winning going on at West Greene these days.

Obviously for the football team that hasn’t been the case in a while. “It’s been a long time coming,” said Simms. “I’m just so proud of the kids.”

This season is easily the winningest season for the Pioneers since that magical 1993 season as with a 20-14 win over Western Beaver this year, West Greene recorded their seventh win of the season.

In the past 23 seasons, West Greene only reached 5 wins twice and they came in back-toback seasons in 2002 and 2003. Those two seasons were the only winning seasons during the playoff drought. In twelve of those seasons, West Greene

finished with 2 wins or less.

As of this writing, West Greene is sitting at 7-2 through nine games this season; there’s a lot to be excited about.

“It’s a wonderful thing that this team has done,” said Huffman. “It’s so good for the school.

My hat’s off to the coaching staff and the players who have worked so hard.”

The Pioneers haven’t just won games, they’ve won many of them in dominating fashion. In the seven games they’ve won, West Greene outscored their opponents, 274-76.

They also made quite a statement in a loss when they were narrowly defeated by Carmichaels, a team that hasn’t lost a game to West Greene in over 20 years and the team this season that has locked up 2nd place in the Tri-County South Conference. The Pioneers led the Mikes 30-16 halfway through the third quarter of that game, but starting quarterback Zach Pettit was injured scoring a touchdown and didn’t return to the game. In Pettit’s absence, Carmichaels scored 20 unanswered points to win 36-30.

The success the team is seeing is something that has been in the works for a few years and Huffman credits a great feeder program with a highly successful Junior High program with the Varsity team now seeing the fruits of that. “We knew West Greene had a future,” said Huffman. “I’m just honored to be a part of it and proud of what the players have accomplished.”

It’s clear though that while a winning season with a trip to the postseason is a great accomplishment, there are still goals to be met.

“It’s not just making the playoffs,” said Huffman. “We want to perform at a high level in the playoffs and represent our school well.”

GreeneScene Magazine •

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2017

EQT REC Center Grand Opening and First-Kick Event

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reene County’s new EQT REC Center will celebrate its grand opening with a community-wide Big Kick-Off event November 18, highlighting the facility’s indoor turf field with a First-Kick Event, scheduled for 10:15am.

“Our grand opening is open to the entire community, and we’re looking forward to meeting our neighbors and having a great time,” said EQT REC Center General Manager, Mia Matos. “We encourage everyone to come tour the facility, visit our vendors, enjoy snacks and giveaways, and watch or participate in our free class demos.”

The festivities begin at 10am. with a welcome, immediately followed by the inaugural soccer ball kick on the indoor soccer field. Guests are invited to visit vendors, enjoy giveaways and entertainment, participate in free fitness class demonstrations, and enter to win a one-year membership to EQT REC Center and other fun giveaways.

A project of the Greene County Memorial Hospital Foundation, the facility has been under construction since April 13, 2016. It features a two-story fitness center, recreational and community events complex, indoor soccer field, basketball court, indoor track, and amenities and services developed to meet the needs of Greene County residents and neighbors. Foundation board members led project development and fundraising efforts for the better part of four years, garnering local and corporate support for the Foundation’s latest community improvement initiative.

“With the turning of the first shovel of dirt, [we] marked the start of construction for a first-ofits-kind recreational and social gathering space for the entire Greene County community,” said Sheila Stewart, President, Greene County Memorial Hospital Foundation. “This state-of-the-art facility… serves as a symbol of the area’s bright and healthy future.”

EQT REC Center is professionally managed

by EXOS, a world leader in fitness center operational excellence. EXOS management brings a carefully crafted member experience to EQT REC Center, and fitness expertise guided by proven best practices within the Four Pillars Approach: Mindset,

Movement, Nutrition, and Recovery.

The new recreation center is located at 400 EverGreene Drive in Waynesburg. The 8-acre EverGreene Technology Park property is conveniently located near Greene County Airport, adjacent to the Pennsylvania Army National Guard Readiness Center. For more information, visit www.

EQTRECCenter.org.

Learn more about the Greene County Memorial Hospital Foundation by visiting www.GCMHfoundation.org.

GreeneScene by Joanne Marshall GCTPA

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

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GreeneScene by Joanne Marshall GCTPA

PICTURE PUZZLE WINNER Ashley Fox of Greensboro recognized the Witch in our picture puzzle last month and won the random drawing.

She and her family enjoyed free admission to the Harvest Festival at the Greene County Historical Society Museum grounds, and a shopping spree in the Museum store as well.

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GreeneScene Magazine •

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2017

Downtown Waynesburg Makes the Movie Scene The following text is reprinted with permission from Waynesburg University’s The Yellow Jacket, October 12, 2017 edition. It was written by student Michael Cappelli for the Yellow Jacket.

T Halloween Schedule for Greene County Aleppo Twp. trick or treat from 6 to 8pm .........................................Oct. 31st Carmichaels Borough trick or treat from 2 to 4 ...............................Oct. 29th Chamber event to follow Center Twp trick or treat from 6 to 7 ................................................Oct. 31st Clarksville Borough trick or treat from 6 to 8 ..................................Oct.31st Cumberland Twp. trick or treat from 4 to 6 .....................................Oct. 29th Dunkard Twp trick or treat from 6 to 8 ............................................Oct. 31st Franklin Twp trick or treat from 4 to 6 .............................................Oct. 26th Freeport Twp trick or treat from 6 to 8 .............................................Oct. 31st Gilmore Twp trick or treat 6 to 8 .......................................................Oct. 31st Gray Twp trick or treat from 4 to 5 ....................................................Oct. 28th Greene Twp trick or treat from 5 to 7 ................................................Oct. 31st Greensboro Borough trick or treat from 5 to 7 ................................Oct. 28th Jackson Twp trick or treat from 5 to 7 ..............................................Oct. 31st Jefferson Borough trick or treat from 6 to 8 .....................................Oct. 31st Monongahela Twp trick or treat from 6 to 8 ....................................Oct. 31st Morgan Twp trick or treat from 6 to 7:30 .........................................Oct. 31st Morris Twp trick or treat from 6 to 7 ................................................Oct.31st Perry Twp trick or treat from 5 to 7 ...................................................Oct. 28th Rices Landing Parade at 1pm ..............................................................Oct. 29th Trick or treat to follow Richhill Twp trick or treat from 6 to 7 ...............................................Oct. 31st Springhill Twp no events Washington Twp trunk or treat from 6 to 7:30 at the Twp Park ....Oct. 31st Wayne Twp trick or treat from 6 to 8 ................................................Oct. 31st Waynesburg trick or treat from 4 to 6, parade follow ......................Oct. 26th Whitely Twp no events

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

he Borough of Waynesburg usually does not attract much attention.

Recently, however, there has been a buzz in the air. Within the last couple of months two movies were filmed in Waynesburg.

“Night Zero,” the first of the two was filmed in August and took just eight days to film, according to co-producer Tredd Barton. “[For] Night Zero, we had 90 days to write it, film it, edit it and release it,” said Barton.

The second film, “A Jury of His Peers” just wrapped up Photo is courtesy of Tredd Productions filming Thursday, Oct. 5.

The filming took around two weeks, and the producers cated on E. High St. emailed Waynesburg University students to fill in “Typically, we don’t go into Greene County as extras. just because most [actors] are from Pittsburgh and The film is set to be released within the next it’s a long drive, but we love this courthouse” said six months to a year, according to Barton.

Barton.

Starring in this movie is Brian Ceponis, who According to Barton, the borough was very has previously starred in two other movies as well willing and understanding to accommodate the as the major network TV show NCIS. needs of the films.

The movie is about a famous college basketball “We went and set off 10 smoke grenades and coach that is accused of molesting one of his players literally filled all of downtown with smoke” said and goes on trial to win his life back.

Barton. “That is the final five minutes of Night Barton has also been a producer in two other Zero: we filled the town with smoke, we had police movies that were filmed in southwestern Pennsyl- cars, we had an ambulance and a firetruck and exvania; “The Chop” and “Truce”. tras running up and down the street.”

He is also the weapons master for the films, in “Night Zero” will be released to the public charge of all of the weapon props brought on set, Dec. 12. Barton said he wanted to premiere “Night and he owns and operates Washington County Ma- Zero” in Waynesburg for a free viewing, but ran chine Guns, where a scene was filmed for a Netflix into complications due to the lack of movie theaters original film. in Greene County.

According to Barton, working your way up is how to “make it” in the film industry.

Editor’s Note: GreeneScene Magazine thanks “If you want to be in the movies just do it,” said Michael Cappelli for this contribution, and we’d like Barton “But you have to start small and don’t ask to to add that as of our print date, we have received get paid.” confirmation from the Greene County Tourist ProThe different productions that Barton has motion Agency that a premier of Night Zero has been been a part of have taken place all over southwest- arranged and will be shown at the Greene County ern Pennsylvania.

Courthouse, where much of the filming occurred. A Barton said that Waynesburg was chosen for date in November will be announced soon. the films because of the beautiful courthouse lo-

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GreeneScene Magazine •

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2017

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2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

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Colonel Kurt Marisa

Col. Kurt Marisa (ret) is pictured on far right with former CIA Director John Brennan, left, and a surviving member of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) from World War II at an OSS Society Black Tie Event at Washington D.C. in 2016.

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eteran’s Day is a day of celebrating the Service of all armed forces veterans. Col. Kurt Marisa (ret.) prepared for, and led a life of, service to this country since 1978, when he graduated as Valedictorian from Waynesburg Central High School, and starred on the basketball and football teams. His work in US Air Force military Intelligence involved years of intense, specialized training, and ultimately spanned the globe.

After earning both B.S and B.A degrees in International Studies and Economics from West Virginia University in 1982, Kurt was convinced he wanted to serve the country in either a diplomatic, intelligence, or military capacity at the highest levels. He earned his master’s degree in international studies as a Waynesburg Rotary Scholar at the Institute of Social Studies, the Hague, Netherlands, and entered the Air Force in 1985 as a distinguished graduate from Officers Training School. After completing basic and advanced intelligence specialty training, he first served as the Chief of Electronic Combat and Information Warfare for the Strategic Air Command’s Strategic Communications Division. In this position, he was selected as the Air Force Communications Command’s Electronic Combat Officer of the Year for his work in improving information operations capabilities. Captain Marisa then spent more than four years in Germany as a science and technology intelligence operations officer with the Air Force

Special Activities Center supporting the United States Air Forces in Europe. In 1992, he transferred to a field element of AFSAC at Los Angeles AFB, California, where he worked as the Operating Location Chief conducting sensitive intelligence missions supporting the Air Force space and missile mission and United States Southern Air Forces counter-drug operations.

Following graduation from the Joint Military Intelligence College in 1996, with a Master’s Degree in Strategic Intelligence, Major Marisa was deployed to Saudi Arabia in support of Operation Southern Watch, and as a liaison officer to the Royal Saudi Air Force. He was also selected as one of the first Foreign Area Officer (FAO) international affairs specialists in the new USAF FAO program. Marisa’s follow-on tour was with the DIA Foreign Material Program in Washington, DC. After completing Joint Forces Staff College at Norfolk Naval Base, VA, in 2001, he served as DIA HUMINT Support Element liaison officer to the Director of Intelligence, USAF, providing strategic Human Intelligence (HUMINT) support to targeting and technical intelligence missions strategic operations.

It was during this time that Kurt found himself working at the Pentagon when it came under attack on 9/11. As many Greene County residents know, Kurt’s younger brother, Kent, was working at “ground zero” in NYC on the same day. They both survived the ordeal without injury.

In 2002, Lt. Colonel Marisa was designated as the Defense Attaché and Military Group Chief to Suriname, South America, followed by a tour to Seoul, South Korea, as the Deputy Chief of the DIA Operating Base supporting United States Forces Korea. In August 2004, Marisa became Air Attache’ to the Kingdom of Denmark and Greenland.

After being selected for promotion to full Colonel, Kurt was transferred to the Pentagon in August 2007 as the Division Chief for Targeting and Geo-spatial Information under the Deputy Chief of Staff for ISR, USAF, and then served from February 2008 until July 2011 as the Chief for HUMINT. He also serves as the current President of the Foreign Area Officers Association (FAOA).

In August, 2011, Colonel Kurt M. Marisa assumed the position of Deputy Director for Human Intelligence (HUMINT), Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Intelligence.

Colonel Marisa retired from active duty in July 2012, after a 30year, blistering world tour serving our country.

Kurt is still the President of FAO Association (FAOA), and he serves as the Director of Business Development for the Intelligence Community LLC. He is also the Founder and President of Human Domain Solutions LLC, providing contract services for defense, intelligence, and disaster response organizations.

Colonel Kurt Marisa with mom Jackie, left, and dad Rudy, right, at his formal retirement from the U.S. Air Force at Bolling Air Force Base, MD.

Kurt and his wife Suzanne have four beautiful children: Kylie, Carter, Nick, and Samantha…and their newest edition, “Joey Cotton,” a Coton de Teleur cotton dog from Madagascar, which Kurt describes as, “The coolest dog in the world!”

The family resides in Alexandria, VA, and they are all involved in competitive sports, much to the pride their grandparents: legendary Waynesburg University basketball coach, Rudy Marisa, and longtime county nurse, Jackie.

GreeneScene Community Magazine joins his family in paying tribute to Col. Kurt Marisa. We Joey Cotton, the newest addithank you for your life commitment tion to the Kurt Marisa Famto helping preserve the rights and ily is a Coton de Teleur cotton freedoms we enjoy. dog from Madagascar.

GREENESCENE ROAD RALLY RESULTS Waynesburg, $1,390 was raised for the Greene County Chamber Educational Scholarship fund.

“Everyone seemed to have a good time on the run, we had some great food and we’re helping a worthy cause… I’d call it a success,” said Barry Shoaf, General Manager of Fox Ford.

The GreeneScene Road Rally is a pre-plotted course of approximately 50-60 miles winding through Greene County back roads during the peak Top Three Teams in the 2017 GreeneScene Road Rally, hosted and of the fall foliage season. In addition sponsored by Fox Ford. to being treated to our natural scectober 14th was an awesome autumn nic beauty, the GreeneScene Road day with lots of sunshine, perfect for Rally challenges participants to spot and answer the 2017 Fox Ford GreeneScene Road questions about specific or entertaining sights and Rally. With over 50 people participating signs along the way. The course has a “target time” in the event, hosted and sponsored by Fox Ford in – the time it should take to drive it under normal

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circumstances – on which participants are scored.

Whoever comes closest to the target time, and answers the most questions correctly, will have the highest score.

That achievement went to Team Brunetto this year, who received the $300 first prize award from Fox Ford, and promptly donated the entire amount back to the Chamber’s Educational Scholarship fund. Thank you Team Brunetto!

The 2nd place award, and $150 prize, went to Bob & Maryann Dispenza, long-time participants in the GreeneScene Road Rally. 3rd place, and $75 prize, was earned by Lori Widdup and Team, also veteran road rally runners.

Melody Longstreth, Chamber Director, expressed her appreciation, “The Chamber is grateful that our Scholarship Fund was again selected by Fox Ford as the recipient of the road rally proceeds.

This will allow us to expand our scholarship pro-

gram next year, and fund a second scholarship.”

“There were many first timers among the participants this year, and we saw a lot of family teams,” said Shelly Brown, GreeneScene Editor and this year’s Course Master, “the GreeneScene Road Rally is something you have to experience to really understand, most people come back in laughing and talking and anxious to see the answers and check their scores. It’s just fun, that’s the best way to describe it.”

Participant Alberta Jones from New Freeport agrees: “We had a fun day! First time for my granddaughter and she had a blast, planning already to participate next year!”

Barb McMillen of Waynesburg sent a post run thank you note that reads: “We had such a great time :) Thank you to everyone for all their hard work in this event -- it was a wonderful afternoon!!!!”

GreeneScene Magazine •

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2017

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Anthony Jarrell announces release of “Exile” According to author Anthony Jarrell, sharing his “story” with people in university and church settings, inspired him to write Exile: A Story of Finding Hope published by WestBow Press.

The book is a memoir about a regular guy finding hope and faith after decades of pain, mistakes and disappointment. It points readers to hope and bigger perspectives in their own lives.

“I think my story and this book is highly relatable to diverse populations of people, particularly those who can identify with small town, sports bar and entertainment cultures,” Jarrell says. “This is a ner Scholar Program at Waynesburg University, story of searching to experience and find Jesus outled a team of six students who served with Greene side the walls of the church in real life.”

“I want readers to know that regardless of what County Habitat for Humanity, assisting with building homes in the local area and addressing substan- circumstances may seem like, there is hope. We can understand our own narratives by experiencing dard housing issues.

Six students led by Kelley Hardie, assistant dean of student services, served various Greene County organizations including Cherry Door thrift store, the Greene County Historical Society, Corner Cupboard Food Bank, Saint Ann’s Good Neighbor Dinner Program, the local Senior Center and Ronald McDonald House.

Resident Directors Anthony Jarrell and Liz Diviney led seven students who served at the Dream Center in Atlanta, Georgia, a national organization of church-led non-profits.

Fulfilling Fall Break for WU Students 31 Waynesburg University students recently participated in several service trips during their fall break. Led by faculty and staff members, various groups worked on projects from Gettysburg, Pa to Atlanta Ga, and also here at home in Greene County during the week of Oct. 15-21.

Rea Redd, director of the Eberly Library, and Courtney Dennis, associate director of the Paul R. Stewart Museum, led 12 students on a trip to Gettysburg where they partnered with Gettysburg National Military Park to engage in service projects on the battlefield and at the Daniel Lady Farm. This the first Gettysburg service trip since WU officially adopted two battlefield monuments, giving the University a critical role in their maintenance.

Adrienne Tharp, coordinator for the Bon-

and finding ourselves in the Gospel. We have hope for today and for eternity when we place our faith and identity in Jesus,” Anthony concludes.

Exile: A Story of Finding Hope is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble in both hard and soft cover and ebook. Anthony is a staff pastor at The Foundry Church in Morgantown, West Virginia, and a resident director at Waynesburg University.

He holds a Master of Business Administration from WU and is currently pursuing his master’s degree in ministerial leadership from Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida. At Waynesburg, he mentors students, teaches courses and works on the campus ministry leadership team. He has also coached men’s lacrosse. He is credentialed in the Assemblies of God.

Lions Club Anniversary

CFGC Announces New Scholarship Opportunity

The Community Foundation of Greene County (CFGC) recently announced the Aaron Anthony Haywood Memorial Scholarship, created in loving memory of Greene County resident Aaron Haywood by his parents Craig and Dawn Haywood.

The scholarship will provide financial assistance to a senior student graduating from Waynesburg Central High School to attend a four-year college or university with a major in an Engineering field.

The $1,000 scholarship may be used for tuition or books.

Aaron Haywood, a Summa Cum Laude graduate of Waynesburg Central High School, went on to study Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering at West Virginia University. A highly motivated student, Aaron interned with CONSOL Energy during his freshman year and operated his own lawn care

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business. He graduated from WVU in May 2017.

According to his mother, Aaron had a love for family, friends, strangers, fast cars, golf and music.

He was very well liked and had a gift for making people feel special and good about themselves.

Most of all, Aaron shared a special bond with his younger brother, Dalton, who was his best friend, confidante and shoulder to lean on.

“Creating this scholarship to honor Aaron was a natural thing to do,” Dawn said. “This is one way that Aaron continues to help others, even though he is gone. It is a fitting tribute to his life.”

“This scholarship was created with monies originally raised by Aaron’s friends and classmates through a GoFundMe account,” said CFGC Board Chairman, Dr. Morris Harper. “The impact Aaron had on the lives of the people around him was clearly very special. This scholarship will ensure that his life will continue to make Greene County a better, brighter place.”

To be eligible for consideration, interested students must: (a) Be a senior student in good standing and eligible to graduate from Waynesburg Central High School; (b) have a minimum cumulative grade point average of at least 3.5 (GPA); (c) be accepted and plan to attend a four-year college or university; and (d) have declared a major in an Engineering field.

The requirements and application form are available in hard copy at CFGC offices and online at www.cfgcpa.org. A one-page essay detailing why the student chose Engineering and any future goals they might have should also be submitted.

To learn more about the Aaron Anthony Haywood Memorial Scholarship, or how to make a gift to the scholarship fund, contact Community Foundation by phone at 724-627-2010, email at cfgcpa@ gmail.com or go to our website at www.cfgcpa.org.

The Greene County Commissioners issued a proclamation in celebration of the Lions Club International on its 100th Anniversary in October.

The Lions Club International is the largest service club organization in the world, aiding the blind and visually impaired, providing youth activities, environmental projects and humanitarian services.

The Waynesburg Lions Club was chartered on October 22, 1940 and has contributed to our local community with the annual July 4th celebration, Halloween Parade, student recognition, scholarships and maintaining the Waynesburg Lions Club & Community Park.

“We are entering our 77th year serving this community and we are very proud,” said Herb Thompson, Waynesburg Lions Club president.

The Greene County Commissioners urge all citizens to express their gratitude and appreciation to the members of the Lions Club International on the 100th anniversary.

Pictured, from l. to r., are Commissioner Archie Trader; Commissioner Dave Coder; Herb Thompson, Waynesburg Lions Club president; and Commissioner Blair Zimmerman.

Local 4-H’ers Shine at Regional Show Greene County 4-H members Emily Cooke, Jesse Cooke and Allison Pecjak recently attended the Southwest Regional 4-H Small Animal Show in Greensburg, Pa, held at the Westmoreland County Fairgrounds. Emily won Overall Showman (pictured) and Jesse won 2nd place in Junior Showmanship in the goat division. Allison completed all the Cloverbud activities in goat and rabbit. This annual event is comprised of a dog show, a rabbit show and a goat show. 4-H members from the Southwest Region of Pa, including Greene, Westmoreland, Washington and Indiana counties participate.

GreeneScene Magazine •

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2017

Scott Ely

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cott Ely served in the U.S. Airforce for 26 years, from 1989 -2015. He retired as a Senior Master Sgt. His service duties took him and his wife of 28 years, Trisha(Snell) Ely, to several states including Arizona, Alaska, Mississippi twice, Alabama, Florida twice, and overseas to Japan, Azores.

He deployed to Afghanistan and Kyrgyztan for two tours. He worked in the medical field and also the contracting squadron during his 26 years of service.

Over the years, Scott received numerous awards for his dedication and service and even now after retirement, continues his service to veterans as he currently works for the VA. He and his wife Trisha have returned to Greene County where they have made a home for themselves after all these years, but admit that at times they miss all the travel.

GreeneScene Magazine joins the family and friends of Scott Ely in paying tribute to this veteran, who spent his career in service to our country and to the oppressed around the world, fighting for freedom and the basic human rights we value. Thank you, Senior Master Sgt. Scott Ely, thank you.

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John R. Rauen Swinder

e share this tribute to Veteran John R. Rauen Swinder submitted by “A Friend of John’s” “John is a very proud service man; he put in 20 years serving our country, protecting us from the enemies abroad. After finishing his time in the service, he put in another 20 years as a corrections officer at the state prison here in

Greene County. He continued to protect us from the criminals who do harm to others. John has health issues today, and he is still a very honorable man. To me, John will always be ‘The Best of the Best’ – he is my hero.”

GreeneScene Magazine joins John Swinder’s friend by saluting him and all our precious veterans. To each and every one we say, THANK YOU.

Richard Lee Waddel

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ommander Richard Lee Waddel served 10 years active duty in the US Navy, followed by another 10 years in the reserves. Today Richard is a full professor of political science at Waynesburg University, where his wife K.C. also teaches math and computer science. This photo shows young Richard upon his graduation from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, MD in 1980. GreeneScene Community Magazine joins K.C. in paying tribute to US Naval Commander Richard Lee Waddel for his dedication and service defending the liberties we hold so dear. We salute you Commander Waddel and we THANK YOU!

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

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Greene: Earth and Sky

By Pete Zapadka

Autumn’s surprising splendor helps us defeat the darkness Fall is for flowers!

Didn’t you know?

An abundance of colors Before the first snow.

Reflections of blue between dark clouds danced in the waters of Dunkard Creek, while colorful fallen maple leaves floated steadily past. Nearby, a dozen kayakers had entered the creek just below the mouth of Big Shannon Run, while several cars slowed on the road above so passengers could take in the scene on this chilly November day.

The water was a shimmering, iridescent canvas that added some joy to late autumn, when the trees stood barren and the hours of daylight had diminished notably and overcast skies had become predominant.

The Sun’s time illuminating our sky had been shortening since late June, but few took notice until the lack of precious light became apparent and overwhelming. It seemed to happen so quickly.

No wonder ancient people considered this such a foreboding, daunting time of year, and that they often associated it with the demonic spirits of the underworld and with human death and suffering. In fact, the origin of Halloween is ancient, dating to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain of about 2,000 years ago.

Still, there are captivating scenes playing now on our bucolic Greene County stage.

While the kayakers glided away downstream, a visitor turned and glanced along the hillside above Dunkard Creek, adjacent to the curve in the road. A glimmering extravaganza appeared there in the form of a multitude of fall flora.

Surely, this must have been the inspiration for the poem “Fall is for Flowers,” once penned by a wandering journalist, but not finished, even in his retirement – presumably because those abundant autumnal beauties dominated his attention.

You may have noticed these flowering gifts, too, if indeed you have taken the time to look.

It’s fascinating to see the blue of chicory, a flower we first saw sometime in May and still blooming. Here and there, dandelions still shine. Spiny-leaved sow-thistles exhibit a burst of yellow and quickly turn to seed on their apparent sharp stalks. The thin-leaved coneflower, a cousin of black-eyed Susan, endure throughout much of autumn – a wall of them shines annually on the east side of Delphine Road between Rinehart and Milliken roads in Jackson Township.

A dandelion bathes in the sun among the leaf litter of mid November, 2012.

And because autumn can mimic the spring in terms of weather, surprises can sprout. Violets, forsythia, Asiatic dayflower and even the alien-looking skunk cabbage have been sharing their blooms in the fall.

Above all, it is the season of the aster. And it has been for a couple of months.

Tiny calico asters remain abundant, but their colorful relatives, the New England and New York asters are eye catching. The heath asters are widespread, and there are many more examples.

Frost and snow determine how far into the year these beauties persist, but it is possible to see wildflowers in bloom in every month of the year in our region.

Yes, really.

When flowers finally fail to mesmerize, turn to the night sky in these growing hours of darkness. Of course, the sky is subject to Mother Nature’s whim, but the show can be fascinating on precious clear evenings.

Unmistakable is the full Moon that occurs the evening of Nov. 3 into the morning of Nov. 4. It’s called the Frost Moon or the Beaver Moon, and this year, the Hunter’s Moon. It provides much-needed illumination for human and animal activities after sunset.

Watch this full Moon as it lies in the constellation Taurus, slightly below and to the right of the star cluster known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters. And below the Moon is Taurus’ brightest star, Aldebaran.

This grouping also serves as a signal that the winter stars are on the rise.

Before midnight, look below Aldebaran for the constellation Orion, with its well-known figure showing the Great Hunter with his belt, and bright stars Betelgeuse and Rigel on opposite sides.

Don’t forget to look to the Moon’s far upper right for the star Capella, the brightest star nearest the North Pole (it’s true; it’s much brighter than Polaris!).

Finally, if you don’t mind venturing out into the cold, get ready for the Geminids, widely considered the best meteor shower of the year. While it can be observed between Dec. 4 and 16, the meteor shower this year is expected to peak on the night of Dec. 13 and the early morning hours of Dec. 14.

The seasons truly offer us a wonderful ride on this third rock from the Sun as we cruise along in our annual orbit.

Whether you’re enjoying the surprising fall flowers or that cosmos overhead, it’s important not to fear the darkness and to revel in the light.

Smartweed in bloom in the sunshine of early November, 2011.

A nicely developed chicory flower blooming along a rural road in November, 2014.

Astonishingly, these daisies seem healthy as they reach for the Sun in November, 2015.

A red clover flower in bloom among the fallen leaves in mid November, 2014.

A group of thin-leaved coneflowers in November, 2011, along Delphine Road in Jackson Township.

Asters in bloom in early November, 2014.

Pete Zapadka is a Greene County property owner and a retired local news editor at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He can be reached at pzapadka@yahoo.com.

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GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017

Gerald & William Matthews

GreeneScene by Joanne Marshall GCTPA

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his colorful photo is a family heirloom in the Matthews Family. It is a 1940s photo of William C. Matthews on the left, and his older brother Gerald “Gerry” Matthews on the right, Fayette County natives and both veterans of the US Armed forces. The picture was shared with us for this special Veterans Tribute edition by Gerald’s son, Challen Matthews of Waynesburg, who is also one of our precious veterans.

Gerald Matthews, better known as Gerry, served in the US Army Air Corp during WWII (1942-1945) as a Radio Operator for Headquarters Group 27, Fighter Bomber Group. His younger brother William Matthews served in the US Army as a Forward Observer in the South Pacific. “That is one of those jobs that comes with a 5 minute life expectancy,” notes Challen.

The brothers did survive their tours of duty, and after discharge, both attended Waynesburg College. Gerry settled in Waynesburg, and became a teacher and ultimately principal at Albert Gallatin High School. He and his wife Dorothy had four children: Ed, Challen, Sarah & David.

William Matthews moved to Ohio after graduation from college and operated several successful businesses over his lifetime. He and wife Rosemary raised three children: William, Michele & Megan.

GreeneScene Community Magazine is proud to join Challen and the Matthews Family in paying tribute to these two brothers. We salute you and most of all we THANK YOU for you sacrifice and service to help preserve the liberties we enjoy as American Citizens today. Were it not for your service and that of your brothers and sisters in arms, we very well might not be so free, so blessed, and so thankful.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

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GreeneScene by Colleen Nelson 24

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017

Isaac Leo Tustin Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania (DVSSP)

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omestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania (DVSSP), located at 43 N. Morgan St. in Waynesburg, is a part of a much larger agency. In 1986 the agency was incorporated as Washington Women’s Shelter, a fully autonomous and independent organization dedicated to helping victims of domestic violence. The agency was asked in 1993 to expand services and opened an office in Greene County. In 2010, DVSSP merged with the Domestic Violence Shelter in Fayette County. In 2011 the name of the agency was changed to Domestic Violence Services of Southwestern Pennsylvania—a name that is more indicative of the services provided.

Services provided by the agency include: Safe houses in Washington and Fayette Counties, 24-hour hotline, empowerment counseling and support groups, information & referrals, advocacy, transitional housing, food, clothing & personal care items for residents, prevention programs in the schools, and community education programs. All services are FREE and CONFIDENTIAL. DVSSP is a non-profit agency. Funding is provided by several grants including United Way, STOP, VOCA, and PCADV. Funding is supplemented by private and community donations. The agency relies heavily on volunteers.

After a 45-hour training, volunteers can use their skills and talents to help victims in a variety of ways. They can work behind the scenes helping with office tasks or they can work directly with victims. Volunteers are also needed to keep the office open or to assist with programs and other events such as community fairs.

Domestic violence is about power and control. The abuser often uses a pattern of coercive behaviors including threats, intimidation, humiliation, isolation and blame to firmly establish a pattern of control in the relationship. Physical acts of violence may be used at any time to maintain control within the relationship. Often abuse does not start until the relationship has progressed, making it more difficult to walk away.

Anyone can be abused; anyone can be abusive.

Abuse is a learned behavior; it can be unlearned.

When a victim asks for help at DVSSP, they are NEVER told what to do. Staff and volunteers listen non-judgmentally and will help with options, safety planning and referrals. If a protec-

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

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eraldine “Gerry” Stewart shares this tribute to Isaac Leo Tustin: “Isaac Leo Tustin lived on our family farm on Hargus Creek and ‘Leo’ helped Hicey Ray Stewart (my dad) on the farm.

He was the son of the late Joseph Tustin and Fannie Barney Martin Tustin. His sisters were Lydia (Richard Hamilton) June Kidwell, and Mildred Vensic.

He had 3 half-brothers: Raymond, Russell and Alfred Martin and a half-sister Lena Martin Knisley.

Leo was killed in action in WWII. Leo had married a girl from England who corresponded with my sister Helen Marie Stewart.”

GreeneScene Magazine joins Gerry Stewart in remembering Isaac Leo Tustin, and in paying tribute to this man who made the ultimate sacrifice for the cause of liberty for all. Thank you Isaac Leo Tustin.

tion from abuse Order (PFA) is needed, staff will assist with the preparation of the petition and provide accompaniment to the necessary court hearings. To obtain a PFA, there must be a relationship between the parties and grounds must have occurred.

In addition to helping victims directly, awareness and education are important services provided by DVSSP. Primary prevention programs are provided to schools, day cares, colleges, youth groups, etc. Programs are offered to all five of the Greene County Schools. The program covers topics such as self-esteem, relationships, respect, conflict resolution and dating violence.

The goal is to stop domestic violence before it begins, ultimately ending domestic violence.

Another program offered by DVSSP is Coaching Boys into Men. This program has been adopted by several schools in the area. CBIM acknowledges the special relationships between coaches and athletes and provides the coaches with resources for them to model healthy relationships.

The goal is to stop relationship abuse, harassment and sexual assault.

Getting the word out that abuse is not okay and that there is help available is crucial to stopping domestic violence. This is done throughout the year by participating in local awareness month activities. October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and February is Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month. Supporters helped in October by decorating yards and businesses with purple bows, light bulbs and signs or by wearing a No MORE pin. Churches participated by placing notices in their bulletins. Please call DVSSP at 724-852-2373 (hotline 724-8522463) if you need more information about any of our programs or services or if you need help.

Let’s make abuse NO MORE.

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

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Merit Badge U Waynesburg University is hosting its 5th Annual Merit Badge University on the main campus Sat., Nov. 4. 8am – 3pm, beginning at The Marisa Fieldhouse and Gymnasium.

Cost for the day is $15 and includes lunch, a patch, a t-shirt, and instruction. All spaces are first come, first served. Walk-in registrants will be accepted as space allows, but patches are not guaranteed. Registration is limited to 300 scouts.

Twenty badges are being offered at this year’s event with a limited number of spots remaining. New this year is the opportunity for parents and scoutmasters to participate in adult leader training, hosted by the Laurel Highlands

Council, in addition to attending merit badge sessions. Adults who select either option should be in Class A/Field Uniform and present evidence of their Boy Scouts of America (BSA) registration and current Youth Protection training.

Cost is $15.

Adults who elect not to participate will have the opportunity to join the Waynesburg University admissions staff for a free campus tour and information session. Early registration is still requested.

For more information or to register, visit http://www.waynesburg.edu/merit-badge-university or call 724-852-7790.

Christmas Parade Applications Available The Greene County Chamber of Commerce will present the 2017 Downtown Waynesburg Christmas Parade on Sat., Dec. 2 at 2pm. The execution of the Parade is underwritten by FirstEnergy Foundation.

All participants must be preregistered by Nov. 18, and will be required to pay a $10 entry fee. Late entries will be accepted through Nov. 22 at a fee of $20. A limited number of scholarships are available for groups who have financial need.

Miss Rain Day 2017, Eden Rogers and the Chamber’s 2017 Distinguished Service Award winners, Chuck Baily and Waynesburg University will have the honor of leading the parade down High Street as its Grand Marshals.

Parade line-up will begin at noon. There is no central theme but all entries are asked to portray the true Christmas Spirit. Trophies will be awarded to the top three floats. All entries are reminded that no live Santa is permitted

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The Power of Your Vote A public forum will be presented at Flenniken Library in Carmichaels (102 East George St. 15320) on Wed., Nov 1, beginning at 6:00pm to help concerned citizens understand the effects of Gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is the practice of drawing voting districts to benefit political parties, not people. Gerrymandering has resulted in Greene County being divided into two US Congressional Districts, which

many believe does not make our voice stronger.

The League of Women Voters along with the PA Council of Churches and others are part of a bipartisan effort to reform this process to benefit voters through Fair Districts PA. www.fairdistrictspa.com. Jenny Bardwell will provide information about Greene County’s effort for reform of this process. The public is encouraged to attend. FMI: fdpa-greene@comcast.net.

Holiday Extravaganza The Social Service League of Waynesburg‘s Annual Holiday Extravaganza Craft Show is at Waynesburg Central Elementary School on Sat., Nov. 4, 9am – 3pm. In addition to seasonal items and gifts for the holidays, the show features a vast assortment of homemade crafts including baskets, wooden items, jewelry, apparel, home decor and photography. Hot Lunch will be available - the menu includes homemade chicken & noodles, creamed chicken, sandwiches, soup, a variety of warm fruit cobblers and baked goods. A children’s activity room is available free of charge. New offerings this year include mesh wreaths, paintings on canvas and homemade soaps. $2 donation at the door, children 12 & under free. Proceeds benefit the children of Central Greene School District. FMI, visit and “like” Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/socialserviceleaguewbg. The League works to help provide necessities of Central Greene School District kids and also awards annual scholarships to graduating seniors.

Skate & Dance Mon View Roller Rink in Greensboro will kick off the 2017-18 season with a “Skate & Dance,” from 7 to 11 pm on Friday, Oct. 27. on any unit in the parade as he is the guest of Admission for the all-ages event is $8 per perhonor at the conclusion of the parade.Download son. Skating is 7-9 and dancing from 9-11. The the parade application from www.greenecham- event is sponsored by the Greene County Comber.org FMI call Chamber office at 724-627- missioners and Lola Energy. This season, nearly 5926 or email info@greenechamber.org. every Friday will feature a “Skate & Dance” from 7-11pm, and open skating will be Saturdays,

7-10pm. Admission for all ages is $8 on Friday nights and $5 on Saturday nights. Times and prices may change. The roller rink will be closed on Nov. 24-25, Dec. 22-Jan. 20 and March 3031. Mon View is also available to rent for private parties and skate lessons by appointment only.

FMI: call the Department of Recreation at 724852-5323.

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

2017

Cool at School

by Colleen Nelson

L to R freshman Lexie VanDyne, tenth grader Jud Meek and eighth grade math teacher Shelly Richardson, seen here with West Greene custodian Mary Ellen Coss, an Army veteran who served from 1986 to 1996. A team of high school students will be interviewing veterans from World War II and Korea for the Library of Congress as part of the Veterans History Project.

Carmichaels students, left to right, senior Jacob Bower (white shirt), junior Ryan Swartz and seniors Katelyn Sinn and Adam Donaldson listen and learn as West Virginia professional surveyor Rick Casteel explains how Mason and Dixon were able to measure the side of a hill, using saw horses, plumb lines and narrow wooden boards 16.5 feet long. Today’s survey teams use satellite global positioning and drones, but still have to know math and enjoy being outdoors to do the job.

It was a picture perfect day for ditching the classroom and learning in the great outdoors when four math-loving students from Carmichaels Area High School came to Mason-Dixon Historical Park on October 13. They, along with their Physics/Science teacher Jared Rastoka and dozens of other students from local schools, including Glenville State College WV, were there to learn from professional surveyors from Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.

Professionals who readily admit they are actively recruiting the surveyors of tomorrow from those students of today who love math and love being outdoors.

It was a chance for students to apply what they’ve been learning in the classroom to a real life job that is well paid and a part of every industry that needs to locate and establish boundaries to do business.

Along the way they learned some history.

OCTOBER / NOVEMBER

West Greene teachers Shelly Richardson, Jackie Slogan, and Rebecca Martinak have begun a quest with student volunteers to help preserve personal accounts of Greene County veterans through the Library of Congress Veterans History Project of the American Folk Life Center.

This year a newly formed team of 9-12 graders will begin by finding World War II and Korean War veterans to interview, veterans who are now mostly more than 90 years old.

“It’s so important that we interview them now,” eighth grade math teacher Shelly Richardson said. “My father–in-law Lester Richardson was a World War II Navy veteran who served on the USS Sitka in the Pacific. We talked about the project and watched some of the stories of other veterans together but he died before I could record him. My neighbor Pete McClellan was in World War II and he just passed away a few months ago. Some of our students have grandfathers and great grandfathers who served that they can interview. I’m hoping we can reach into the community and find other veterans to add to the project.”

For more information about the Veterans History Project go online: (https://www.loc.gov/vets/ about.html) If you know any Greene County World War II or Korean War veteran willing to partner with students to preserve their experience, please contact one of these teachers: richards@wgsd.org, sloganj@wgsd.org, martinakr@wgsd.org Or call 724.499.5191 extension 3024.

BOWLBY BITS Library closed Mon, Nov. 10 for Veterans Day & Thu/Fri, Nov. 23/24 for Thanksgiving.

“Where they had to use plumb bobs and sawhorses, we now use radio waves and a beam of electromagnetic light,” surveyor instructor Rick Casteel explained, as the students from Carmichaels stopped to study this setup on the steep grade of grassy hill that leads up to a park pavilion and playground above Dunkard Creek.

This was just one of the learning sessions that allowed students to try a hand at resurveying a section of the Mason-Dixon Line, and conduct field studies with the tools and methods used by surveyors of today, including GPS and drones.

“I knew the math and science, but I didn’t know the tools,” Ryan Swartz said, summing it up for the others,. “Now I do.”

Students and teachers interested in future surveying work sessions can contact Bob Andriotto, Monongalia County Surveyor by phone or text to 304-777-3974.

2017 • GreeneScene Magazine

CPR/AED TRAINING CLASS–Nov. 6, 5pm, FREE, public welcome, sponsored by Greene Co. Memorial Hospital Foundation.

CREATIVE CRAFTING FOR ADULTS – Nov. 2, 5pm, project is a wooden door tag decoration. Cost for materials: $20.

CODING SQUAD - for kids ages 6-12, Every Thursday at 5pm, Nov. 3 – Dec. 7 MOVIE NIGHTS @ THE LIBRARY – Wednesday evenings beginning at 6pm. FREE popcorn & beverages. Nov. movie schedule: 11/1-Pure Country, Pure Heart; 11/8-Disney’s Cars 3; 11/15-Megan Leavey; 11/22-A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving; 11/29-Gifted FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY FUNDRAISER – Wed, Nov. 8, 3-7pm. Shop Initial Outfitters; many items can be personalized. All proceeds benefit the library.

FASIONABLE FUNDRAISER AT TALBOT’S of Morgantown, Fri, Nov. 10 all day. Mention “Friends of Bowlby Library” and 10% of your purchases will be donated to the library!

FREE S.A.T. PREP CLASSES - Saturdays Nov. 4, 11 & 18, 10am-2pm.

AFTER HOURS - International Games Day for children & families on Friday Nov. 17, 4-8pm.

For Teens only ages 13-18, 8-10pm BOWLBY ROCKS! - Adults are invited to participate in the latest craze - painting rocks! Sat., Nov. 4, noon-2pm. Bring two clean rocks with you to paint!

WILD KRATTS STORY TIMES - 11/4 (Fantastic Fox) & 11/18 (Darling Deer) at 11am. Enjoy stories, snacks, crafts & show.

LIBRARY LEGO CLUB – 11/4 (construct a bridge) & 11/18 (build a spaceship) BOWLBY BOOK CLUB – Nov. 13 at noon. New members welcome!

TURKEY TROT 5K – Sat., Nov. 18. Children’s 1K Fun Run at 9am, 5K Run/Walk at 9:30am.

Also a Meet & Greet with The Great Turkey Race author Steve Metzger. Register early!

Stop in or call 724-627-9776 for more info or to register for any of the above events.

Eva K. Bowlby Library • 311 N. West St., Waynesburg, PA 15370

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GreeneScene Magazine •

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2017