October GreeneScene 2018

OCTOBER

2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

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GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

GreeneScene by Lauren Geller

OCTOBER

2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

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H

I Love this Place

istory can be full of surprises, unexpected dead ends and sometimes even a mystery or two. Or three. Maybe even a ghost. Greene County Historical Society has its share of all of that. Its museum on Rolling Meadows Road is known for its library and fine collections of furniture, tools and artifacts donated by local families that time travel between the mid 1700s, through the gas and oil rich Victorian Age and beyond. But it’s the thousands of artifacts from arrowheads to clay pots, shards and stone tools that take us back to 1925 when the society was born.

By that time, some 5000 years of Native American culture had been gathered from the surrounding hills and valleys – a collection that opened a window into the lives of ancient hunters and gatherers through the centuries to villagers raising corn and squash and burying their dead in mounds. A museum was needed to show their lives to the world and those early history hunters answered the call.

We have Frank B. Jones – 1879-1951 - of Pine Bank to thank for his 17 years of collecting amazing specimens from nature and man when he roamed “the seven seas” as a Navy Headmaster and avid archaeologist and naturalist. A veteran of the Spanish American War, Jones returned to Greene County in 1906 and joined forces with Muddy Creek native A.J. Waychoff, 1849 – 1927, a professor at Waynesburg College with a formidable thirst for geology anthropology and local history. Waychoff and nephew Paul R. “Prexy” Stewart, who went on to become head of the college geology department, travelled to Ohio to explore the indigenous mounds and dug and documented traces of ancient cultures on farmland all over this area. They identified the first segment of the Warrior Trail near Nettle Hill and as the county’s passion for the past grew, Waychoff and Jones lead the charge to form a society that would be both a library and a museum.

It opened in the basement of the newly constructed Long Building in Waynesburg in 1925 with a membership of more than 200. Jones was the co-curator and had on display, along with all those indigenous artifacts, his “18 foot jawbone from a whale killed off Greenland and shipped to Waynesburg by a Norwegian whaler he had met during his travels.”

Waychoff, sadly, died in 1927, a year before the society made the news for dedicating its first historical plaque on the site of the first court session held in Greene County along State Rt. 21 near Khedive.

As the collections and public interest grew, excess inventory began piling up in the homes of board members. Was it time for a new museum?

The tides of history said not yet.

In 1932, at the height of the Great Depression, a lot on Church Street, Waynesburg was willed to the society by Levi Funk to build a “proper library and museum” - but only under certain conditions: that it be two or three stories, built of stone, have enough insurance to replace it in case of fire, be free of debt, never accrue any debt against it at any time and be built by January 1, 1937. Oh, and it could not be used for “plays, loafing or any trivial purpose and the caretaker must be a person of temperate and sober habits.”

History notes that the museum Mr. Funk envisioned was never built! - But the lot was eventu-

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by Colleen Nelson

GREENE COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY MUSEUM

A view of Greene Hills Farm, the county’s home for the indigent in the 1920’s, that later became the Greene County Museum in 1970.

A sellout crowd in the 1970’s at the Greene County Historical Society annual Harvest Festival.

ally sold and the money became a nest egg for the future.

By 1956, another room was added but members kept a weather eye on their community. Somewhere out there, a new home was waiting.

Over on Rolling Meadows Road, the past had another story to tell. In The History of Greene Hills, Richard Zollars reports that in 1789, Barnet Rinehart – 1758-1822 - built the brick farmhouse that is now the oldest part of the museum’s sprawling complex of buildings, additions, sheds and barns.

Called Lions Bush, the farm sat on 225 acres and it’s easy to imagine the last of the big cats seen in this area passing through the ravine behind the museum where Civil War battles are now fought during the Harvest Festival.

Zollars tells us the farm stayed in the family until 1861 when Jacob Rinehart sold the house and 127 acres to attorney Robinson Downey, who “immediately sold it to the Directors of the Poor

for the County of Greene.” Here, the poor, indigent, mentally and physically challenged and even the occasional unwed mother took up collective country living, raised their own food, sewed their own clothes and worked the farm to supplement what the county paid to manage the facility. As occupancy grew, their cramped, hardscrabble life began drawing criticism from state inspectors that eventually lead to changes in state law concerning institutional living. Spurred to action, the county responded, wings and buildings were added and a boiler house for better heating was constructed in 1886. T.J. Morris supplied the brick, which were “made at 10,000 bricks a day.”

The boiler house with its big chimney is now the museum library and has been modernized, with climate control to protect the many books, family photographs and manuscripts that are housed there.

Life on Greene Hills Farm, as it became

Two unknown volunteers in the museums first home in the basement of the Long Building in Waynesburg.

known, continued to depend on whatever charity the community could afford, through the 1920s and beyond.

When former Greene County resident Francis Marion Curry died in 1921 in Hollywood California, he bequeathed a hefty $37,000 to build a home for the infirm and elderly over age 60. The county was able to invest the money, make a profit despite the depression and build the Curry Home across the road in 1931. Greene Hills Farm continued caring for the rest of the poor for another 35 years.

When a second wing was added to the Curry Home in 1965, the farm closed up shop and sat empty for four years. The county was faced with a dilemma.

What to do? Tear down this historic place or lease it and a couple of acres for a dollar a year for 50 years to the Greene County Historical Society?

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

We all know the answer to that!

The historical society took its nest egg and its $1500 a year allowance from the county and made the big move in 1969.

After months of volunteer elbow grease and determination, the library opened in 1970 and by 1971 the museum threw its first open house, with rooms designed and decorated by members and with a number of showcase pieces to brag about, including Waynesburg College’s first piano, dated 1867, thanks to a student who carved his initials and date inside the piano. It still sits in Josephine Denny’s eloquently decorated parlor on the first floor. The public paid a small fee to browse, members got in for free and the slow slog of repair, restoration, grant writing and countless hours of volunteer commitment became a history that continues today.

By 1973 another co-curator, Mary Childs had the great idea of a fall festival to celebrate the past by reliving some of it for a crisp October weekend of spinning, weaving, butter churning, apple pressing, blacksmithing, Civil War reenactors and Indian encampments. It was a hit and continues to be a major yearly fundraiser.

The upcoming 1976 Bicentennial was a notto-be-missed historical deadline and members got busy getting their own history in order.

Waychoff ’s 252 weekly articles for the Democrat Messenger in the early 1920s were compiled in book form as Local History of Greene County and Southwest Pennsylvania. That and other local family stories and collections were printed and available for sale in time for the Bicentennial.

My own memories of the museum are tied up in those bright fall days on the grassy grounds,

OCTOBER

2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

Learning to make fire at Stone-to-Steel, a popular weekend of learning in the ravine behind the museum.

starting in the late 1970s, cranking a collectively owned apple press with friends, selling cups of cider and gingersnaps to raise money for the Warrior Trail School. We back-to-the-landers were having children and we noticed there were no preschools for our first frisky batch of three year olds. And like the pioneers before us, we got together and did something about it.

It’s fun to go through the files at Cornerstone Genealogical Society and find my own newspaper articles introducing decades of festivals, historical projects and new museum directors to the community. When Eben Williams came onboard in 2011,

Steam-punkers posing by the “Old Waynie.” One of the many victorian artifacts at the museum.

he brought his preservationist smarts from historic Massachusetts to Greene County and is happy to promote the heritage he finds here. “This museum has the best Mid Victorian collection in Pennsylvania.”

Those Victorian artifacts have helped introduce a new generation of history hunters to the wonderful world of the past, who come to “steam punk” against a backdrop of steam engines, elaborate ironworks, salvaged cornices and chandeliered rooms. Ghost busters pilgrimage through the corridors, old rooms and deep basements where so many lost souls from the poorhouse days are said to wander. Reenactors sleep over, camp out and even

Curator Eben Williams holding a turtle jawbone and petrified wolf skull collected by Frank Jones.

skin bears in the ravine, all to better appreciate the lives of the generations that have come before.

The Harvest Festival is October 13-14. By all means go! Eat some beans and corn bread. Learn to spin. See if you can find the oak tree that was planted the year John F Kennedy died. Ask Eben Williams what he thinks happened to the whale jawbone.

The past is full of questions waiting for you to find answers. Put your hands on some history and have fun!

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G ree n e Sce n e of the Pa st cracker barrels. Celluloid collars, French buttons, 1890s McCall patterns and patent medicines like Park’s Sure Cure for Liver and Kidneys.

The article notes that President Richard Zollars was “a genealogist and an over 30-year affiliate of Peoples Gas in the utility’s Southern Division Area” in 1974 and “if he had to choose a most-favored attraction in the Mansion it would probably be the prolifically-stocked library on the main floor.”

I’ve run across both Richard and Malvine doing research for the stories I’ve written about loving Greene County. Their work in genealogy and local history is extensive and their names pop up in news stories and personal writings about family histories, old cemeteries and institutions such as Bowlby Library. Their willingness to document old cemeteries, serve on boards and roll up their sleeves and do the work it takes to preserve history has made a lasting impact on the way Greene County remembers its past.

“They dedicated their lives to the history here, they were involved in everything,” grandson District Magistrate Dave Balint says. Christine is his mom. Dave was born in 1977 and doesn’t remember much about his grandfather who died in 1988 at age 64 while helping maintain the old Scott Cemetery in West Greene on a hot summer day. But grandmother Malvine, 92, is alive and well in an assisted living home in Virginia and uncle Rick lives nearby. As family blood would have it, he’s a history teacher, Dave tells me. “You should talk to him.”

“Mom can take her history back to the 1600s, so she’s a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the American Colonists. She wrote her last book four years ago and I’m going to visit with her today. I’ll tell her you said hello!” Richard Jr. is glad to share some family history with me over the phone. His father wrote Fredrick’s Hope in 1980 about founding father Frederick Zollars who migrated Spring 1974 cover of the “Peoples Natural Gas Company VOICE” featuring society presiwith his family from Amsterdam in 1728. “Their parents died dent Richard Zollars (right), wife Malvine Zollars (left) and daughter Christine Zollars. on the voyage and he and his sister Hannah were taken in by a here are many old photos of the Greene County Historical German family.” By 1758 Frederick had trekked across the AlSociety Museum and Library out there, most dating back legheny Mountains and settled near Marianna, within a day’s journey to its days as the County Home for the poor. But this one to Upper Ten Mile Creek and the Monongahela River. Five years later tells a story that many still remember – that grand moment the British would close the frontier to settlers but the push was on and in 1974 when the Peoples Natural Gas Company featured “Greene it wasn’t long before Frederick had neighbors and the settlement was County’s Enchanting Museum” in its quarterly magazine, with society called Zollersville. president Richard Zollars, his wife Malvine and daughter Christine Back at Cornerstone, I found more of their story - after getting on the cover. the new museum up and running, Richard and Malvine also helped The story inside is full of praise for the historic collections built found the genealogical society in 1975 and their books, Cornermostly through donations from local families, the authentic Victorian stone Clues quarterly newsletters and articles are all there to browse. parlors, dining rooms and upstairs bedrooms, the meticulous details Malvine’s book Gone, But Not Forgotten about her roots through the of the recreated country store with its products from bygone days – Ankrom family is catalogued in the Library of Congress.

by Colleen Nelson

In 1996 the Zollars became members of the newly formed Early Settlers of Greene County to celebrate the county’s bicentennial and membership is still open to those who trace their family roots back to 1796 or earlier.

Fast forward to today. Thanks to the hard work of historians like the Zollars and the Hennens and so many other deep-rooted families, the Historical Society and the Genealogical Society are here to tell the true tale of history in America as it was lived, one family at a time.

I’m happy to report that Malvine reads clippings from the Greene Scene concerning the history that makes us all love this place.

Son Rick texted me a photo of the two of them that he took after our phone call and added “She’s pleased that whenever you search about Greene County history you will see her and dad’s names.”

Thanks Malvine!

Over the years, exhibits at the museum have grown and some have changed with the times but those rooms of mid-Victorian life are still the stars. And the reference library filled with Greene County history is still something Richard Zollars would be proud of.

If any of the artifacts to be found at the museum are from your family, let us know. If it is on display, take a photo and send it to us.

The best part of history is what people remember and share.

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Malvine Zollars with her son Richard Zollars say hello to old Greene County friends and neighbors from their home in Virginia.

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 2018

BLY’S HOT ROD HISTORY

By Danielle Nyland

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ast month, we shared just a hint of backstory for the car featured as the magnetic dash plaque for the 2018 Waynesburg 50s Fest & Car Cruise.

There’s so much great history that surrounds the car that we knew we needed to include a bigger story about it. The modified racecar featured won the honor and trophy for having the fastest time at the Harper Dry Lakes in Southern California in 1941. It belonged to Bill Blystone, Waynesburg resident George ‘Bly’ Blystone’s father.

Bly was born and raised in California and grew up in the Valley and Hollywood. His father, Bill, was an alcoholic and his parents divorced when he was around 9 years old. After the divorce, Bly, his sister Stephanie Tascione, and his mother Jean lived in the Valley (San Fernando Valley, CA.). Jean’s brother Ike Williams ran the B&S Garage in nearby Hollywood and the family would often go there to get their car serviced.

Baldwin & Sommerfeld Automotive Service was originally run by Robert “Baldy” Baldwin and August “Gus” Sommerfeld before Ike took over the shop in the mid-1950s. The Garage was a hotspot for racers and hot rods; Baldy and Gus ran their own customized cars at the lakes, on the street, and on the track and most of their clientele did the same. Growing up nearby put young Bly right in the middle of hot rod history.

“Ike’s friends were my friends. We were all like a big family,” Bly says. “My mom started going out with Baldy when I was about 11. Eventually, I started going to the garage more and more often and I was hanging out there with the race car and engine builders.”

Bly didn’t have a relationship with his father after the divorce. One day while hanging out at the garage as he often did, he opened a drawer and found a bunch of pictures of his dad’s car.

“I thought it was cool,” Bly remembers. “I knew about the cars, but the early stuff that happened never really registered. It was interesting to learn it was in my blood and I didn’t know it.”

In 1970 Bly moved to Greene County with John Eckerd and his family. John and Bly were both Civil War buffs at the time and wanted to be closer to Gettysburg.

Bill’s modified.

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2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

Greene County was a perfect fit with a “cheap farm for sale.” The Blystone family was actually from the area, having settled here in the 1700s, before eventually making their way to Wisconsin and then Hollywood for the film industry. Bly spent 40 years in reenactment as part of Knapp’s Battery, which is an entirely different story that just may show up in a future issue of the GreeneScene.

About 3 years ago Bly’s cousin and son of Gordon Williams, Grumpy Jim Donoho called him: “I got pictures of race cars and your dad is in some of them.”

Grumpy Jim sent a few to Bly and asked if he recognized anything or anyone.

“As he led me on, I started realizing I recognized stuff that he didn’t,” Bly says. “And I saw people that I grew up with – like my mom’s brothers, Ike Williams and Gordy Williams.”

The pictures revealed a lot of history, not just of Bly’s family and friends but also of the southern California car scene. Bill, Baldy, Ike, Gordy and more of Bly’s friends were part of the Bungholers of Hollywood, a Los Angeles-based hot rod club established in 1937. The Bungholers were a collection of men that loved to race fast cars.

Together with the Throttlers and 5 other car clubs, they formed the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), still in existence today. Bill Blystone was also a member of the Hollywood Throttlers. The clubs would race at the Harper Dry Lakes and Bonneville.

“All of this was a part of my dad’s and uncles’ history,” Bly says. “ Even my mom would race.” He laughs a little and then added, “Once my parents got divorced she had to go out and actually get a driver’s license. She’d always raced without one.”

Bly’s cousin Andria, Ike’s daughter, is also heavily involved in the California car scene. She’s part of the Safety Team Committee at Bonneville and was the first woman President of the SCTA. “We have over a thousand pictures that have to do with our relations,” Bly shares. “It’s really exciting to have a history like this, that I grew up not knowing anything about.”

The pictures featured here are part of the Blystone and Donoho collection. More can be seen at kustomrama.com.

Bill Blystone in his Hollywood Throttlers jacket.

Bly’s mother Jean in his uncle Ike William’s Model A roadster.

Bill with the modified.

Baldwin & Sommerfeld Automotive Service. “Baldy” can be seen on the left.

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GHOST HUNTING GREENE

By Danielle Nyland

WPPH investigates the basement of the GCHS Museum.

The Western Pennsylvania Paranormal Hunters.

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.J. Porfeli was always a big fan of the TV show Ghost Hunters. He started watching in 2005, but it wasn’t until a 2007 episode that the show really had an influence

on him.

“I always thought the show was interesting but they never caught anything. Then in 2007, I was flipping through the channels and they were in St. Augustine [investigating the St. Augustine lighthouse] when they caught a full body apparition leaning over a railing and then they saw another one in a different location,” T.J. says. “After watching that, I knew I had to find out if it was true.”

T.J. began looking for people with the same interests and founded Western Pennsylvania Paranormal Hunters (WPPH) in January 2008. Since its creation, WPPH has performed hundreds of investigations, spanning across the United States (including the St. Augustine lighthouse), but the majority of them happen in the Western Pennsylvania area.

Their very first investigation took them to the home of a family member built next to a graveyard in Washington County. The clients felt they were experiencing paranormal activity but WPPH was able to conclude that claims were from natural occurrences, some of it due to the age of the house.

“Our first investigation was pretty comical,” T.J. says with a laugh. “We were new and very enthusiastic, so every little thing we heard would get us excited, asking each other, ‘Did you hear that?!’

After that, we knew we needed to take a step back and go in as skeptics.”

And that’s how WPPH has approached every investigation since. They go into each location as skeptics, looking to disprove paranormal activity and find logical answer. Only after exhausting all logical possibilities do they declare a place haunt-

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ed. A previous clients’ major claim to paranormal activity was footsteps walking up the stair. WPPH was able to discover through investigation that heating ductwork ran under the stairs. When the furnace would kick on, the steps would creak one at a time, sounding like footsteps.

WPPH uses a wide range of equipment during an investigation: digital voice recorders, video and photographic cameras including those with thermal imaging and night vision, spirit boxes, EMF meters, motion detectors, and more. During an investigation, the equipment is spread throughout the building to capture activity that may happen when investigators are occupied elsewhere. After the investigation, the process of going through the collected data begins.

“We have to go through all the data, which can be very extensive,” T.J. states. “Depending on the location, we can have 12-15 voice recorders that have to be listened to thoroughly – you have to listen to every second because you never know what could happen. You could have hours of total silence, then the sound of footsteps when no one is around.”

Once evidence has been compiled, it’s presented to their client in a very straightforward way – here’s what happened and here’s what we think is going on. Sometimes, they may give them suggestions of how to handle the activity. If there are any items of concern, WPPH connects them with local clergy for a house blessing.

“Most people welcome them if they aren’t malicious,” T.J. says. “There’s even one family whose home we investigated that wraps presents for them at Christmas. We’ve only had one home where clergy became involved.”

After reading a newspaper article about haunted Greene County locations, they contacted Greene Academy of Art in Carmichaels and com-

T.J. and Adele Barton (Lead Investigator & Researcher) at an investigation at Fischers Antiques in Waynesburg.

pleted an investigation that resulted in some audio evidence and personal experiences. They’ve visited the Greene Academy, Rices Landing VFD, W.A. Young Foundry multiple times and found evidence of paranormal activity at all these locations. But the most haunted location in Greene the team has investigated is the Greene County Historical Society Museum (GCHS) located in Waynesburg. In fact, T.J. declares that the GCHS Museum is the most haunted place that he’s ever been.

“Activity doesn’t happen on command, even with the tools and knowledge we have available. It just doesn’t happen every night,” T.J. reveals. “But every single time we’ve been there something happens. They activity is consistent, it always happens.”

Prior to WPPH’s investigation, the GCHS Museum had never been investigated for its unusual activity. Throughout the first investigation in 2013, the team had personal experiences, including hearing voices. They also captured evidence that backed up their experiences. The team visited the museum three times over 2013, each time experiencing and usually capturing evidence of strange activity.

The museum is home to disembodied voices, footsteps and sounds, as well as shadow figures.

During a visit in 2014 to film a promo video, a member of the team brought Girl Scout cookies as refreshments. Knowing T.J.’s love of Thin Mints, he had his own special box delivered, which he took to his truck. One of the investigators left a voice recorder by the cookies. Upon reviewing the audio

from that night, two female team members were heard talking in the room – the only people in the room at the time. Over their voices a male voice that didn’t belong to any of the team could be heard saying, “T.J. has the Thin Mints.”

In 2015, T.J. became a board member for GCHS. It was then that he had one of his most standout personal experiences with the hauntings at the museum.

“We were having our meeting in one of the rooms off the main hall, when we heard the screen door open, a person walk in and then walk upstairs,” T.J. shares. “I and another board member got up to investigate and one of us took the front stairs and the other took the back stairs. There was nobody in the building.”

Because of its highly active state, the GCHSM offers private ghost hunts to other paranormal investigations teams. They also host public ghost hunts throughout the year.

For more information about Western Pennsylvania Paranormal Hunters LLC, visit huntparanormal.com. You can find evidence of their investigations at the GCHS Museum and elsewhere, such as audio clips, video, and photos. They also perform public speaking events and participate in other public functions across the Pittsburgh area.

If you have questions, want to book them for an engagement, or would like them to investigate unexplained happenings at your own home, contact them at huntparanormal@gmail.com.

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OCTOBER 2018

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by Colleen Nelson

hen Juan Sebastian Gallo was recruited to be youth director at First Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg in 2017, he arrived from Florida with a fresh eye for the beauty of Greene County and an eagerness to serve the needs of the youth he found here. He soon got to know other out-of-town youth directors Justin Rhodes from Alabama who had arrived the year before to serve at Waynesburg First Assembly of God in East View and Tim Meeks from Idaho, doing good work at Waynesburg Church of the Nazarene on Juan Sebastian Gallo (left) and Tim Meeks (right) at the Waynesburg Farmers Dark Hollow Road.

Market spreading the word of the “Love Greene Project” on September 29th at the EQT REC Center.

What these “new kids on the block” found here is a microcosm of what youth face in rural communities ows Road and help paint a mural on the wall at Pioacross America – plenty of scenic vistas but not neer Grocery in Rogersville. Requests are still comenough to do and more than enough drugs avail- ing in from individuals who could use the kind of help they used to get from their kids and grandkids. able to cost them their future before it begins.

“At this point we need about 100 volunteers,” What could these new directors on their way to becoming ministers do to make a difference? Justin declares, looking up from his laptop to the The answer was to breathe new life into the Greene screen of things to do projected on the wall. “ProjCounty Youth Network, organized more than 20 ects will take about four hours and then we’ll return years ago to help youth ministers work together to the REC Center for lunch. How’s lunch looking, and with others in the community to tackle prob- Tim?” Tim grins from his corner. “No problem. My lems that affect us all. When it comes to not having enough to do, the good old-fashioned act of helping mom says she’s going to help and she’s a beast in the others is a great way for kids of all ages to find new kitchen. We’ll be fine. But if anyone is volunteerfriends and have fun playing on a winning team of ing at the REC center after the crews leave, they can certainly help.” spiritual proportions.

Thanks to a donation from EQT, there is “We are committed to taking the message of loving each other into the world and meeting the enough money for T-shirts for the first 100 volneeds of people beyond our church walls,” Justin unteers; businesses and partnering churches and tells me at a recent planning meeting, this one held agencies have come up with donations for food, paat the First Assembly of God. He, Tim and Juan are per products, all those little things that make meetthere with others from Jefferson Baptist, WWJD ings like these so important.

If it rains, outside projects will be postponed Christian Center, Mt. Morris Tabernacle and Lori Lhota of Communities that Care. This county task for another day – Love Greene is turning into an force helps bring groups together to tackle prob- ongoing project with plans for the future to be a lems in the community and her fellow organizers network of volunteers serving both nonprofits and are tireless advocates for making a difference in individuals in need of help around the house, the the lives of others. It’s 9 a.m. and they are busy yard, or just a friendly visit from a neighbor.

Younger kids and their families are signing up reviewing their lists of things to do that have been ongoing for months, all those little tasks it takes to to visit residents of the county nursing homes and make their first big community venture – the Love entertain with music, songs and handmade cards.

Those who stay at the REC Center on the day of Greene Project – happen.

Neighbors helping neighbors – what a great service will find tables set up for making cards and idea! Love Greene has its own Facebook page full writing letters to soldiers, inmates and shut-ins of info about this day of service on September 29 along with a chance to help Tim’s awesome mom at the EQT REC Center in Waynesburg. Volunteers put on a picnic.

“We’re hoping that other churches and youth have been invited to come for a registration breakfast, then fan out across the county to do a few doz- organizations join with us,” Juan tells me as we en projects, including painting at Bowlby Library, stand on a rainy Wednesday morning meeting removing carpet, painting a bedroom and build- shoppers at Waynesburg Farmers Market and leting flowerbeds at Cornerstone Bible Ministries on ting them know there are volunteers available to Willis Road, Jefferson. Storerooms will get cleaned help out if they have a project that needs done. “We at Corner Cupboard and donations sorted at the can get so much more done if we work together.”

To join this new generation of neighbors helpCherry Door Thrift Store in Waynesburg. Crews of adults and frisky teens will mow and weedwack at ing neighbors, or if you know of someone who Cedar Grove Cemetery, clear trails at the Greene needs some neighborly help around the house, County Historical Society and Ryerson Station contact Youth Director Juan Sebastian Gallo at First State Park, do roadside cleanup on Rolling Mead- Presbyterian Church, Waynesburg – 724-627-6006.

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2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

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“CASA - On Behalf of a Child….”

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childhood is something we all have.

Maybe yours was filled with carefree days of running through the woods behind your parent’s home, fighting with your siblings or visiting your grandparents every Sunday. It is the time during a person’s life that they should be free from worry and feel safe.

Unfortunately, for many children, this isn’t the case. Instead of thinking about Halloween costumes, some are worrying about greater things, like where they are going to sleep tonight.

Pictured l-r: Maura Kelly, Chris Gardner, and Child abuse and neglect has steadily inJennifer DeBalko. creased in the last 10 years; it is a too common problem prevalent in rural communities. Ac- Representative, often meet challenges while cording to the Annual Child Protective Services working with children in foster care. For example, Report in 2016, Greene County had 31 substan- a 5-year-old boy had a bed-wetting problem and tiated reports of child abuse; there are currently his foster parent was quick to suggest medication 119 children placed with foster families. When to his CYS case worker. “The CASA spoke up for a child is removed from his or her home it is an the child and said ‘He has moved into a big, farm emotional and traumatic experience even if the house, his bedroom is upstairs and the bathroom previous environment was unhealthy. Placed in is downstairs… he doesn’t need medication, he is a strange house with strange people, children are scared and needs a flashlight.” expected to adapt which doesn’t always happen.

In another case, a girl was placed in 9 differOften the child is too frightened or too young to ent foster homes in one year and at the last one express their feelings or needs. Making sure they she told her CASA volunteer that she was the only are heard is crucial to their survival. one who had a clue about what has been going on The Pennsylvania Court Appointed Special with her life. Being a CASA volunteer helps inAdvocate Association (CASA), is a program de- sure that these children will get the care they need veloped to be the extra set of eyes and ears for in order to thrive and become healthy, functionchildren living in protective services. CASA ing young adults. It is much too often children volunteers work with children ranging from ages are simply a product of their environment and the 0-21 and provide a service that CYS, CPS, and vicious cycle repeats. foster families cannot - spending individual time This program works and is changing the lives with each child, learning as much as they can to of children in desperate need for it, however it make sure they are healthy, happy and thriving. cannot do so without volunteers. The first 12 volMost parenting books will confirm that chil- unteers in Greene County will make up the Board dren do well with routines. If you have children of Directors and are encouraged find a volunteer and have moved your family to a new home, with in addition to themselves. If you, or someone a new school, then you know how difficult it can you know, would like to be a positive influence be for kids to adjust even when they have their in a child’s life please step forward. You must be family with them in the process. Imagine a child at least 21 years old and pass a background check. leaving everything familiar to live with strangers; Each commitment is between 18-24 months and their family, friends and favorite toys left behind. volunteers should allow 10-15 hours a month Now imagine them doing it multiple times a to visit with their paired child. Volunteers atyear. Each time a child is relocated they lose be- tend visits with the child’s parents but are never tween 20-30 relationships. Reunification with the asked to go into an unsafe or unfit environment. child’s parents is always the first priority but often If CASA volunteers are unable to visit with the isn’t possible; the child must remain in foster care child weekly they can keep in touch by phone, until an adoption opportunity presents. email, Facetime, or even send cards and letters, A CASA volunteer visits with the child in the kids love to get mail! It doesn’t take much to make foster home; they also attend visits bea difference. tween the child and parents or closest CASA of Greene, Training begins this October kin. Their objective is to learn about Inc Training Dates 23rd and anyone interested should the child and make suggestions to the for Founder’s Class contact Chris Gardner at (724) 833court on their behalf. It’s a comfort Oct. 23 • 5:30-8:30 9488, (724)231-9323 or email her at 25 • 5:30-8:30 for the child to know they have some- Oct. Oct. 30 • 5:30-8:30 cgardner@greenepacourts.us. More one, the CASA volunteer, who has Nov. 1 • 5:30-8:30 information is also available on the only their best interests in mind. Jen- Nov. 10 • 9:00-4:00 Pennsylvania CASA website www. nifer DeBalko, PA CASA Executive Nov. 13 • 5:30-8:30 pacasa.org.

Nov. 15 • 5:30-8:30 Director, and Maura Kelly, PA CASA

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GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

Co o l at Sc h o o l

By Lauren Bertovich

Something Fishy at West Greene

Austin Crouse, Jud Meek, Avery Berdine, Jade Rittenhouse, Jeremiah Miller and Brock Bedilion with the Aquaponics system at West Greene High School.

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quaponics is a plant cultivation system similar to hydroponics but including Aquaculture, or life forms that live in water. West Greene’s Aquaponics project began last year under science teacher Mr. Kurt Jones but what’s been learned reaches far beyond the boundaries of any classroom.

The three parts of an Aquaponics system are highly dependent on each other. A large tank is needed to house fresh water fish; often used are salmon, blue gill, carp, trout and tilapia. A decision must be made about whether the fish will be pets or used as a food source.

Smaller, decorative tanks can house ornamental fish species such as goldfish, tetras, angelfish and betas. These small systems are good for beginners and can grow flowers, houseplants and herb gardens. After that, just add food! The fish eat, swim and produce waste in the fresh water that will flow into a large basin via gravity or pumps depending on system design.

Here’s where you get to see nature doing something truly amazing. Within a large basin, plants are housed in individual baskets and supported in the water using tiny pebbles of extruded clay. These

pebbles support the plants and increase surface area within the basin, tor, Mr. Eric Armstrong, supplied the students with a “Raspberry Pi” allowing the growth of good bacteria and providing shelter to aquatic device, a single board computer that teaches students how to build and red worms. These worms and bacteria feed on waste, converting it to program a computer. The “Pi” was used to create a temperature gauge nitrate, a key nutrient in plant growth. Another key ingredient is sun- to ensure a constant water temperature between 75 and 80 degrees light, and indoor Aquaponics systems often require artificial lighting. Fahrenheit. Students also used a 3-D printer to create custom brackets The types of lamps used in at West Greene are LEDs and operate using that aided in project construction. minimal electricity.

This project teaches important lessons to these young adults soon Under the artificial lamps the plants grow, absorbing the nitrate entering a working society. Just like the relationship between the fish, created by the bacteria and worms. The plants complete the third step plants and bacteria, we are all responsible for specific contributions in the Aquaponics cycle by filtering nitrates and providing fresh, ni- and if one is eliminated an entire system could fail. The participants trate free water that is pumped back into the first tank, supplying the go above and beyond by sharing their knowledge and involving the fish with clean water. The process repeats. elementary students. When a student becomes the teacher it solidiThe collaboration not only in creating the project but also within fies what is learned and knowledge is always better when shared. For it is important. The project combines life sciences, chemistry, agri- West Greene, it has been a journey of exploration; they’ve learned that culture, and engineering and emphasizes the importance of teamwork with collaboration, communication and problem solving, anything is and problem solving. Pollinating the plants indoors was a problem: possible.

“There are no bees or birds in the classroom so we used q-tips to pollenate our plants,” said Brock Bedilion, a student at West Greene.

Communication throughout the project was vital, not only within West Greene but also other school districts. The Tilapia used in the project were donated by McGuffey High School. Tilapia, native to the Nile River need warm water. Construction supplies were donated by Intermediate Unit 1.

The Tilapia used in the project reside in the first tank and West Greene Engineering instruc- The plants receiving artificial light from the LED system. are the first step in the Aquaponics system.

SUPERHERO SCHOOL

1st grade student Juliette Rahuba (green), 3rd grade student Miranda Rahuba (red), and Kindergarten student Tucker Rahuba (blue).

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n August 21 Waynesburg Central Elementary School hosted a Back to School Superhero Game Night. Students and their families had the opportunity to enjoy an evening of fun with school principals and staff members from Waynesburg Central Elementary School, parent volunteers, substitute teacher volunteers and a retired teacher volunteer. Approximately 100 students and their families participated in a variety of

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2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

games and activities that related to superheroes.

The Waynesburg Elementary School PTA purchased snacks for the event that included Heroade, Kaboom Punch, Magnificent Munchies and Hero Rope. All students were able to choose a Superhero themed prize as they left the event. This kick-off event introduced the theme of Superheroes for the 2018-2019 school year at Waynesburg Central Elementary School.

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50’S FEST & CAR CRUISE

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SPIRITS OF THE NIGHT

ith a dreary weekend predicted, the rain stopped just in time for the 17th Annual 50s Fest & Car Cruise presented, as always, on the 2nd Saturday of September in downtown Waynesburg.

Close to 50 classic or hot rod vehicles were present and hundreds of spectators turned out for the event, which is coordinated by Waynesburg Prosperous & Beautiful, Inc. Each year the committee honors the driver of the vehicle that traveled the most miles to get to the cruise with a prize supplied by sponsors WANB Radio & GreeneScene Community Magazine. The threatening weather kept away some of the distant regulars but not all of them. Bob Shannon won the furthest traveled award this year - traveling 50 miles from Bethel Park in his 2016 Mustang Convertible. On his registration form Bob noted, “Always a great time, even after 10 years!”

Bob Lemmons was the winner of the 50/50 drawing, taking home $83 cash. Bob was also a participant, cruising into town in his 1973 Mercury Cougar XR7.

“It was pretty scary when we started setting up at 7am that morning… steady rain, and then the wind started to blow…for the first time ever we thought, ‘Are we going to have to cancel this?’,” said Shelly Brown, Chairperson of WP&B’s Promotions Committee. “But we held onto the tent and our courage, and sure enough, by 9am the rain had stopped, the wind died down and we had a

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very pleasant six hours of fun – a perfect window for our 50s Fest & Car cruise! We had 44 vehicles registered including trucks, classics, hot rods and a motorcycle.”

GreeneScene by Lucy DeFrank

Come for the Boo’s!

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his year, the Greene County Museum will be changing its annual Flashlight Fright Night event into Spirits of the Night, a ghostly tour experience through the museum by candlelight. Outside of the museum, a local winery will offer free wine tastings for the adults.

“This year we decided to do something a little different,” said T.J. Porfeli, board member and head of the committee for Spirits of the Night. “We’ll lead tours through the museum and share the paranormal experiences that have happened to staff, visitors, and paranormal investigators, as well as some of the museum’s history.” T.J. is also a founding member of the Western Pennsylvania Paranormal Hunters and has investigated the mu-

seum many times (see related story on page 8).

A local winery will offer wine tastings outside of the museum for the adults attending. Wine by the glass or bottle may be purchased. Valid ID required.

Tours will cost $15. Six tours will be available to choose from, one starting every hour on the hour. . Tickets can be purchased online via the museum website. FMI or to purchase tickets visit http://www.greenecountyhistory.org.

It’s a one-day only event, so make sure to head to the GCHS Museum on Saturday, October 27th between 7pm and midnight to spend some time with the spirits, both liquid and ghostly.

Have an appetite for scares?

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till looking for a Greene County haunted house to hit up the weekend before Halloween? Then look no further than the Corner Cupboard Food bank in Waynesburg on October 26 and 27th.

The perfect way to spend an evening and help the food bank with its fundraising, be prepared to head out on a hair-raising walkthrough of the food bank and its warehouse, sure to scare your socks off.

This haunted house is entirely indoors, so don’t let inclement weather scare you away!

“We’re super excited about it,” Candace Tustin, director of Corner Cupboard Food Bank shared.

“We need fundraisers that will work well and this is something that could be really good for us.” With Flashlight Fright Nights phasing into the ghostly Spirits of the Night, it’s the perfect time to introduce a new haunted house to the area.

The haunted house will spook visitors from sunset to midnight both days. Admission is $8 or a donation to Corner Cupboard. Corner Cupboard Food Bank is located at 881 Rolling Meadows Road, Waynesburg, PA. FMI, call 724-627-9784.

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

The Sky’s the Limit for Happy Cloud Media, LLC

By Danielle Nyland

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Amy Lynn Best and Mike Watts, 2 of 3 co-founders for Happy Cloud Media, LLC.

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outhwestern PA is the new hotspot for major film and television. Often overlooked, but here before the boom, are the local filmmakers, working hard to turn their ideas into films. Happy Cloud Media, LLC is one of those hard-working local entertainment companies, bringing you independent movies, great books, and magazines from Washington County.

With a name inspired by their first film, Happy Cloud Pictures was formed in 1997 by Amy Lynn Best, Mike Watt, and Bill Homan. Its initial purpose was the production of The Resurrection Game, a 16mm “zombie-noir” feature film, which led to the production of more horror films. In 2016, Happy Cloud Pictures re-launched as Happy Cloud Media, LLC focusing on production, publishing and self-distribution.

Amy and Mike, both Pittsburgh-area natives, attended school at Pittsburgh Filmmakers, where Mike taught from 2015 to 2018. Bill Homan, a Maine transplant, rounded out the trio with degrees in special effects make-up and electronics from the Art Institute and AIP. “All three of us were life-long film devotees and careers in the creative arts were inevitable,” said Mike.

During the 1990s, independent filmmaking was reaching new heights, encouraging independent filmmakers to produce their own films. Sundance was bringing major attention to small-budget films, and following along that lead, Amy, Mike, and Bill set out to do the same. But it wasn’t as easy as they had hoped.

“Our goal was to join those ranks but the reality was too crushing,” Mike shared. “Making a film on film was our only option, but that brought with it a whole host of challenges and expenses that made making prints too cost-prohibitive. The Resurrection Game wasn’t “officially” complete until 2010. In the meantime, we moved to digital video and high-definition video to continue our productions.”

A perk of being located in southwestern PA is access to a variety of filming backgrounds. Many of their productions have been filmed locally or around Pittsburgh, including Laurel Caverns, Hundred Acres Manor, Scarehouse, and more.

“We’ve shot all up and down the East Coast and found Pittsburgh to be one of the more co-operative (and least-expensive) areas to film.”

Waynesburg and Greene County have been the home to quite a few of their productions: WereGrrl, Severe Injuries, Retreat, parts of Demon Divas and the Lanes of Damnation, and Razor Days.

“For many years, it was the best of both worlds.

We had friendly, helpful people offering us locations and services, often for free. Our neighbors opened their homes and land to us. Our own land was utilized for indie movies like High Stakes and Prometheus Rising. “ The main difficulty faced by Happy Cloud Media is maintaining an audience in the area. Being a small company competing with much bigger companies is often a struggle for independent companies. “The independent film industry is in a very strange place right now. While it seems to be easier than ever to get a film made, getting it seen by an audience is more challenging than ever,” said Mike. “For a while, all of our films were available

on Netflix, now it’s difficult to get a single title listed there.”

The process is not without its rewards. Their horror films deal “with issues of abuse, abandonment, assault, rejection, peer pressure…all under the guise of zombies, vampires, cannibals, demons, etc…” Most with a comedic touch, or course. And they’ve found joy in the fact they’ve been able to create the films they wanted to produce, through their hard work and the hard work of friends and supporters. “If we never make another movie again, we can point to the dozen or so we had our hands in and say, ‘Those are there because of us.’

Maybe that doesn’t sound like much to you, but for an artist, it’s rare and, sometimes, all we have at the end of the day. “ The move from films into publications was a natural jump. Mike, an entertainment journalist, worked for a variety for entertainment magazines including Fangoria, Cinefantastique, Femme Fatales, and more. After a few bad experiences with publishers, Happy Cloud Publishing started printing Mike’s work and eventually moved on to other authors, and their own periodicals.

“We really grew our own reputation as being a part, but outside, of the Pittsburgh film boom.

We’re an obscure, but known, quantity.“ Happy Cloud Media keeps pushing forward and staying busy. Their film Razor Days will be available to stream through Amazon by Halloween, periodicals Exploitation Nation and Grindhouse Purgatory will have new issues out this month and a new book, Shadows & Light by stuntman Gary Warner Kent, will be available for purchase October 1st. Amy and Mike will both be appearing at Cinema Wasteland in Strongsville, OH October 5-7th. For more information about Happy Cloud Media, LLC or to see more about their publications or films, please visit happycloudpictures.net. You can also check them out on Facebook @HappyCloudMediaLLC, Instagram, and Twitter.

The Resurrection Game, the movie that started Happy Cloud pictures in 1997.

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WINNERS! Congratulations to Ed Phillips of Waynesburg for winning the Steelers tickets.

Ed and a guest will be headed to see the Steelers take on the Carolina Panthers at Heinz Field in November!

Ed is pictured here with Giant Eagle manager Rachel Mitter.

Congratulations to Joanne Rode of Fredericktown for winning the Tailgating Party Pack from Giant Eagle.

Joanne is pictured here with Giant Eagle Manager John Stefanizzi and employee Alyssa Throckmorton.

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Congratulations!

PICTURE PUZZLE WINNER

CAMERON SLONEKER of Carmichaels, PA Answer: Globe

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

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n October 13th at 7pm, the First Church of the Nazarene will be the setting when Contemporary Christian recording artist Billy Wayne will fuel an evening of joy, hope and inspiration in an effort to fight the drug epidemic in Greene County. The event is sponsored by the Coalition for a Brighter Greene, an organization whose primary objective is to offer support and resources to individuals currently struggling with addiction. The Coalition enlists the help and knowledge of mental health professionals, law enforcement, teachers, businesses and many others and through their combined efforts they are better prepared to fight this epidemic that destroys people, families and our community.

Billy Wayne is an ordained minister and evangelist, speaking at more than 300 events each year, inspiring people of all ages. Wayne is from Kingsport, TN where he is the founder and president of Vision Production Inc. Wayne has also written, directed and stared in various plays and was awarded Regional Finalist for the Gospel Music Association in 2000 and 2002. He’s no stranger to Greene and leaves a lasting impression on those who have seen him. Despite his passion for ministry, Wayne was not raised in a Christian home but instead an alcoholic and abusive environment. Wayne’s grandpar-

ents brought the religion into his life that he now brings to others.

Representatives from the Coalition will be attending the concert event and are offering information and resources. The Coalition meets on the second Friday of every month at the First Baptist Church in Waynesburg, Pa at 4:00 pm. Anyone with ideas or concerns regarding the drug epidemic and our community are encouraged to attend. The organization currently offers services including schedules for Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous meetings and emergency contact numbers for substance abuse, suicide prevention and poison control centers. The Coalition also offers Botvin Life Style Training, a school program involving grades 3 to 9 that helps young individuals avoid tobacco use, substance abuse and abusive relationships in their future. FMI about the concert or about the Coalition, please visit http://www.coalitionforabrightergreene.org or their Facebook @greenehope2017.

The drug epidemic is a problem affecting us all and is not going to disappear on its own. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction it is important to know that you are not alone and help is available. Show your support and be part of the solution on October 13th at the First Church of the Narzarene.

GreeneScene by Ann Newman

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GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

Harveys-Aleppo Grange Presents Scholarships

2018 Riverview Back To School Blast Champions

During the opening ceremony of the 2018 Jacktown Fair in July, Grange President Mary Jane Kent of the Harveys-Aleppo Grange in Graysville announced this year’s two scholarship recipients, Ashley Rogers and Lexie Mooney.

Ashley is the daughter of Carla Jacobs and stepdaughter of David Jacobs of Graysville, and the daughter of Brian Rogers and stepdaughter of Heather Rogers of Bobtown. She ranked 10th in the West Greene Class of 2018, and will attend Waynesburg University to pursue a degree in Early Childhood Education with a Special Education Certification.

Lexie is the daughter of Heath and Denise Mooney of Sycamore. She is enrolling in West Virginia University’s Nursing Program.

“These two lovely, wonderful young ladies should be commended for representing the true values of what Harveys-Aleppo Grange represents,” she said. “We wish them well in their respective futures.”

Ashley Rogers (left) and Lexie Mooney (far right) were presented with scholarships from HarveysAleppo Grange president Mary Jane Kent during the opening ceremony of the 2018 Jacktown Fair in July.

Commissioners present certificates to Hunting Hills Hawkeyes

The Waynesburg Locker Room 11U Travel Team is the 2018 Back to School Blast Champion.

Kneeling L-R: CJ Corwin, Jackson Fisher, Kory Taylor, Nick Willard, Austin Surber. Standing L-R: Scott VanSickle (Assistant Coach), Braden Work-

man, Tyler Groves, Alex VanSickle, Braydon Phillips, Lucas Slifko, George Taylor (Head Coach). Not pictured are Tim Phillips (Assistant Coach), Bryan Workman (Assistant Coach).

Rotary Club Scholarships

Rachel Jones and Myles Kramer with Scholarship Chair, Melody Longstreth

Each year the Rotary Club of Waynesburg awards scholarships to worthy high school students. The awards are selected based on academic performance, community service involvement, letters of recommendation and the student’s response the essay question, “What does the Rotary motto, ‘service above self ’, mean to you?”

“This year the club selected two $1,000 recipients from among 32 applicants”, shared the club’s scholarship chair, Melody Longstreth. “The committee was very impressed by the quality of our

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applicants and enjoyed learning about so many talented and generous students.”

The winners selected were Myles Kramer of Waynesburg Central and Rachel Jones of West Greene, both 2018 graduates. Kramer is the son of Mark & Melissa Kramer of Waynesburg. He will attend Penn State University Park this fall and major in mathematics. Jones is the daughter of Kurt & Connie Jones of Holbrook. She will attend Carlow University with a major in biology and a concentration in cardiovascular perfusion.

Greene County Commissioners presented certificates Wednesday to members of the Hunting Hills Hawkeyes – Greene County’s Scholastic Clay Target Program team – and recognized their efforts after winning a total of 34 awards during a recent championship.

The Pennsylvania Scholastic Clay Target Program Sporting Clays Championship, which was held in June at Blue Ridge Sportsman’s Club in Harrisburg, involved over 225 youth shooters from across the state competing in a 100-target shoot to determine state winners in seven skill divisions: rookie, intermediate entry, intermediate advanced, junior varsity, varsity, mixed open and collegiate.

Awards were given to the top three teams in each division, as well as the highest overall and first- through third-place scorers in each division.

A total of 53 Hunting Hills Hawkeyes members

participated in the shoot, with 28 members receiving the 34 awards.

While presenting the certificates, Commissioner Blair Zimmerman said to the members that the Commissioners “applaud your skill, determination and drive to a sport that holds both physical and mental challenges.”

The Commissioners also presented certificates to the team’s head coach Chuck Mallory and assistant head coach Randy Coss, recognizing them for their “leadership and support of the students to help them achieve their goals,” according to the certificates.

The team’s home base of Hunting Hills is owned and operated by Sally and Roy Sisler, who first approached the Greene County Commissioners in 2008 about starting a Scholastic Clay Target Program.

Commissioners Grant School Districts $50K each The Greene County commissioners gifted each of the county’s five school districts a $50,000 grant to improve security and emergency preparedness.

“The single most important asset is our children,” said Blair Zimmerman, the commissioner

chairman. He said he is honored to award the districts with the money to improve the safety of the schools.

Each school district will fill out an application and state what they will do with the money. The grant comes from Act 13 funds.

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Crouse Schoolhouse Apparel Plans to improve, restore and maintain the historic Crouse School House in Rogersville continue. Fundraising efforts are underway with some new custom hats and apparel now on sale. Available at The Locker Room and the Greene County Historical Society Museum store. Hoodies, Crew necks, T-shirts and hats are all available – for yourself and maybe a good start to your holiday shopping. And…with every item purchased, you also receive a free collectible Crouse School House wooden ruler or pencil, as long as they last.

Salvation Army’s First Annual Red Kettle Run The Greene County Salvation Army is introducing the first Annual “Red Kettle Run” this year! This 5K Run/Walk & Kids Mile Fun Run will be held on the morning of Dec. 1st, beginning at the National Guard Readiness Center (Armory) on Evergreen Drive. In addition to the 5K Run/Walk, the Salvation Army is hosting a Pancake Breakfast and pictures with Santa before he heads off to the Christmas Parade in Waynesburg. The race will offer free long sleeve t-shirts and commemorative patches to all pre-

registered participants, and “Red Kettle” medals to the top three finishers in each division. The breakfast and visit with Santa is open to EVERYONE! Mark your calendars and join the fun.

You can register for the race online at salvationarmywpa.org/5K. If you need more info, contact committee volunteer rsmith@waynesburg.edu, or call 740-359-4467. All profits from the event will benefit the Greene County Salvation Army – DOING THE MOST GOOD.

Local Reunions Celebrate 50 and 60 Years!

The West Greene Class of 1958 held their 60th reunion in Rogersville this August.

Buzz Walters modeling the new Crouse School House apparel.

Evening of Appreciation for Veterans On Wednesday, November 7 at 7pm, Harveys-Aleppo Grange will host their annual Evening of Appreciation of our Veterans of our US Armed Forces. Any veteran in attendance who was honorably discharged or still serving will be honored. They will also receive a Certificate of

Appreciation. Please provide the names of veterans from your organization that are planning to attend. Light refreshments will be served after the meeting. Send names and number of party attending to Becky Davis, 109 W. Church Street, PO Box 131, Graysville, PA 15337.

Calling All Trivia Buffs!

Do you always know the answers on Jeopardy? Full of impractical little facts and knowledge? Then Central Greene Scholarship Trust wants you to join them for their 6th annual Triv-

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ia Contest on October 13 at 6pm.

The trivia contest will feature 10 themed rounds of 5 questions each. The Top 3 teams with the most points at the end of the contest will win $1000, $500, and $250 for their favorite charities. Additional proceeds will be donated to the Central Greene Scholarship Trust, which offers scholarships to students in Greene County. It’s a great way to help the non-profits in your area!

The Central Greene Scholarship Trust has been able to award 29 scholarships to graduating Greene County seniors totaling $14,500. 2017’s trivia contest resulted in 9 scholarships for local students. The Trivia Contest has also resulted in the donation of $9000 to local charities on behalf of the contest winners.

There will also be 50/50, raffle baskets, bake sale, food and beverages. Teams are 4 to 8 players. Cost is $30/player (team of 4) or $25/player (team of 5+). Spectators are invited to attend for $10. FMI, visit their Facebook @CentralGreeneScholarshipTrust, call Mike Camillia at 724-5578201 or Jim Caruso at 724-366-1690.

L-R Row 1: Barbara Kimmel Wise; Jean McClelland Guthrie; Carolyn Barnhart McMillan; Virginia Burns Six; Carol Hennen Jacobs; Betty, Conkey Scherich; Janice Whipkey Hastings; David Loughman. L-R Row 2: Ella Crouse Mitchell; Marilyn Jacobs Pietras; Sue Tennant Tennant; Oleta McCormick Kiger; Catherine Shriver Addleman; Marna Lightner Henry; Kaye Gaus Stockdate; Patty Caine Pettit; Larry Stalnaker; Joanne Todd. L-R Row 3: Sam Hopkins; Flossie Frazee Iams; Linda Henderson Jones; Carl Hennen; Floyd Beatty; Allan Lee Simms; Martha Stickles, Ed Schrack; Richard Gooderham (Teacher).

Waynesburg High School Class of 1968 celebrated their 50th Reunion this year.

L-R Row 1: Judy Huffman, Linda Thomas, Karen Stockdale, Shelvajean Baysinger, Sue Taylor, Kristi Scott, Shannon Rush, Rita Jones, Wendy Luciow, Kermit Anderson, Robert Fulton. L-R Row 2: Renee Jones, Jessie Leidecker, Sheila Evans, Patty Phillips, Peggy McCready, Linda Winegar, Melvin Wood, Pam Rice, Karen Keller, Betsy Savino, Don Keller, David Rice, Shirley Shannon, Rosemary Deprosperg. L-R Row 3: Charles Berryhill (teacher), Kren Ruckle, Dena Shultz (teacher), Bonnie Lindley, Rebecca Pritchard, Judy Wood, Patricia Lippencott, Rebecca Smitley, Cindy Grable, Debbie Richner, David Gregg. L-R Row 4: Karl King, Jerry Rutan, David Pritchard, John Bruno, Mary Jane Markle, Jeff Cree, Richard Thomas, Brady Brooks, Dale Murdock, William Parker, Dan Kelley, Doug Montgomery.

L-R Row 5: Chris Smyth, Sam Chambers, Larry Phillips, John Hardisty, Charles Bailey, William DeWeese, Dan Shannon.

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

Harvest Festival

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s the air gets crisper and the leaves start to change color and fall, autumn festival season gets into full gear in Greene County. One of the staples of fall activities is the annual Harvest Festival at the Greene County Museum. Two full days of history, music, food, re-enactments and more, it’s the perfect October weekend activity for the whole family.

The 2018 Harvest Festival will be held on October 13 and 14 this year from 10am to 5pm. The event features artisan vendors recreating homespun crafts such as woodworking, primitive crafts, jewelry, soap, candles and more. Live demonstrations will be held throughout the day and the all-day live performances are sure to entertain. A variety of food will be available.

Reenactments will be held during the weekend and there will be camps set up across the grounds, with demonstrations that reflect the daily and military life of those during the Colonial and Civil War eras. Visit the Civil War encampment and get a glimpse of military life in the 19th century – don’t miss the skirmishes!

Or visit the Native American encampment and learn about Native American life. The 52-room museum will also be open for tours.

FMI, visit www.greenecountyhistory.oer or call 724-627-3204.

Photos courtesy of the Greene County Historical Society.

VICTORY 5K 2018

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Participants of the Children’s Challenge Mile Run.

n Saturday, August 11, 2018 the Victory 5K 2018 took place at the Rolling Meadows Church of God in Waynesburg, PA. The congregations of Rolling Meadows Church of God and Bethlehem Baptist Church of Ruff Creek worked together to present this community event. The 2018 event was a great success, raising $4,584.66 for the Crisis Pregnancy Center of Greene County and collecting 363 lbs. of food for Corner Cupboard Food Bank. 48 event shirts were left over and donated to Waynesburg Christian Outreach for their back-to-school program.

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There were 88 registered participants for The Victory 5K this year. VFW Post #4793 provided the chicken roast – always a community favorite! The Waynesburg Senior Center Quilters donated a special handmade quilt that was raffled separately from the other raffle prizes.

During the event, the musical duo Robin and Bob provided live music. David Gifford did event photography.

Thank you to all sponsors, participants and volunteers for making The Victory 5K 2018 a success!

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WELCOME TO THE LAND OF MISFIT VEGGIES

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By Danielle Nyland

O’Gene and Denise sit in front of their pepper plants at their Waynesburg home, with their snowman cherry tomato.

Conjoined cucumbers.

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Bell peppers grown from the Bright’s garden.

ugene “O’Gene” Bright of Waynesburg is famous for his wacky vegetables. His vegetables, especially his peppers and tomatoes – or ‘tomonsters’ as they are affectionately called thanks to their noses, horns, and faces, are something to be seen. In our recent bizarre veggie contest, O’Gene’s veggies took the $25 prize thanks to their unique look and quantity.

O’Gene, who grew up in Aleppo, started gardening about 4 years ago, after moving to their house in Waynesburg. The house had a flowerbed, “but we aren’t really flower people,” said O’Gene.

“So we decided to use the bed to grow vegetables.”

“Last year was the freakiest. People would ask if we lived in a nuclear power plant, the Twilight Zone or used Viagra to grow the vegetables because of all the crazy ways they turn out,” said Denise, O’Gene’s wife.

Denise saw the GreeneScene’s post on Instagram asking for people to send in pictures of their crazy vegetables “and decided to give it a whack. I’d already made him Facebook famous for his veggies.”

The Bright’s usually grow bell peppers, spring onions, cucumber, and tomatoes – always tomatoes. “We always do tomatoes – they’re my favorite thing,” said O’Gene. “We lived in Texas for a while and it was hard to find good tomatoes south of Virginia.” Their biggest tomonster so far weighed just less than 2 pounds.

The Brights only grow things that they like and know they are going to use. They use their veg-

gies to make salsa, pickled peppers – from a recipe O’Gene’s mother had – and more. What vegetables they can’t use, they share with friends.

The variety of heirlooms that seem to make the strangest shapes are the Oxhearts, raised from seeds that are part of a 75-year-old line. “Heirlooms aren’t perfect,” O’Gene says. “It’s not that rare to see them grow in weird shapes, but you won’t find those ones at the grocery store.”

Congratulations O’Gene and Denise Bright and thank you for sending The ‘Power to the in the pictures of all your People’ banana misfit veggies. Keep growpepper. ing them strange!

A group of the Bright’s tomonsters.

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

S por t Sh or t s Spotlight on John-Glen Davis’ achievements

John-Glen Davis. Photo by Dr. Chad Sherman.

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here has been a constant in senior linebacker John-Glen Davis’ life for the past seven years. Every fall over that time, he has thrown on his shoulder pads, buttoned up his helmet and worn a Waynesburg uniform. Whether the colors have been the red and black of Waynesburg Central High School or the orange and black of Waynesburg University, Davis has seen them become dirty, muddy, torn and maybe even a bit bloodied since before he could drive a car.

Unfortunately, another certainty is looming just over the horizon. After giving so much of himself for seven years to his teammates, coaches and fans, this fall will be his last on the gridiron. That inescapable fact is one of several powerful motivators that have him gunning for his greatest season ever, whether it be on a high school or college field.

“I think it’s my time,” Davis said. “It’s been tough, but after coming off an injury last year, I was able to take a different approach in spring ball this past year.”

During his three years on the WCHS varsity, Davis played a major role in breaking an 11-year playoff drought for the Raiders in 2014. Unfortunately, he also missed that playoff game with an injury. After enjoying that feeling of accomplishment, he is motivated to lead a similar turnaround with the Yellow Jackets, who have won a total of eight games over the past three years.

“We’re ready to execute. Our coaches give us great game plans both offensively and defensively.

It’s our job to execute,” Davis said. “Being a part of Waynesburg football for four years has really showed me what the program is all about and I’m ready to take on a bigger role this season.”

During his time at WCHS, Davis was best known for his excellence as a running back. Despite not lining up on a single offensive possession since becoming a Yellow Jacket, he has still been able to make an impact, first in the defensive sec-

OCTOBER

2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

ondary, then as a member of the linebacker corps. defensive coordinator certainly made the transition Veteran defensive coordinator Scott Venick knew a smoother one.

Now, there is even more familiarity on the right away that his side of the ball was where Davis would be able to be the most productive in the sidelines, as Davis’ former high school head coach Russ Moore has joined Smithley’s staff as the runshortest period of time.

“We moved him to defense as soon as he got ning backs coach and equipment manager. Even here,” Venick said. “We knew he had a much better though Moore, who coached the Raiders during chance of getting him on the field right away as a their playoff season of 2014, spends little if any time with number 31 during practice, it’s still been linebacker.”

Last year, his first as an every-down defender, a great experience for both parties.

“Having Coach Moore back has been a great Davis was all over the field in the best way possible.

He was named honorable mention All-PAC after experience. He always brings high intensity with racking up 91 tackles, a total that ranked first on the his work that creates a setting for everyone. It has team and fourth in the conference. He also piled been an opportunity that I am thankful I got to be up a squad-high 9.0 tackles for loss, recovered three a part of.”

It’s more than ironic that Davis’ playing career fumbles and forced another.

He was able to put up those numbers while will come to an end not only in the same town in playing alongside two more all-conference honor- which it started, but Moore on the coaching staff. ees in senior backers Tristan Sandrosky and Brent Despite the injury and the win totals not always beBlacharczyk, the latter of which is now a graduate ing as high he would like, the Waynesburg football assistant coach on the Waynesburg staff. Davis has veteran still looks back on seven years with fondnot only been tasked with keeping up his high level ness and has mixed feelings when asked about what of play after both players graduated, but with fur- it will be like to play that final snap.

“It’s bitter-sweet. Playing in front of my home ther developing his already burgeoning leadership crowd has been an honor,” Davis said. “Not getting skills.

“John-Glen has matured in trusting the de- to put the pads on next year and get that feeling in fense and where he fits into the scheme,” Venick my gut will be upsetting, but it’s been a great ride.” said. “He has become our leader out there and has played a lot of snaps for us over three years. Hopefully, we can keep him healthy this year. He is a big part of the puzzle for us defensively.”

Two years ago, Davis and the rest of his teammates went through a somewhat surprising coaching change when 12-year head man Rick Shepas retired as the winningest coach in program history. However, havCourtesy of Dave Miller, ADM Photography. ing Venick stay on as current head coach Chris Smithley’s

Courtesy of Dave Miller, ADM Photography.

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CHAMBER CHATTER Greene County Chamber to Become PACP Accredited Chamber

In October, the Greene County Chamber of Commerce will become a Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals Accredited Chamber.

The accreditation program is designed to establish a standard of organizational competency and an objective set of criteria for assessment. The achievement of standards by PACP members as determined by an examining committee will receive accreditation. Chambers must meet standards in the following area to achieve the PACP Accredited Chamber designation; Organization; Mission Focus; Professional Administration; Financial Management and Communications. The designation will be bestowed in the Chamber at the PACP’s Annual Conference held in Barnesville, Pa.

Greene County Chamber Hosts SBA Rural Roundtable Discussion.

In October, the Greene County Chamber will host representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture-Rural Development Leadership, as they visit Greene County small business owners during the Rural Roundtable and Road Trip.

“Meeting one-on-one with small business owners at their workplace truly is indicative of SBA’s mission”, said Michelle Christian, White House Appointee. “Our agency, strictly dedicated to the needs of all small business owners, learns so much about our customers by visiting and listening to their concerns…which is of great importance to this administration.”

The visit also includes a private, invitationonly, interactive roundtable with chamber member small business owners at the Greene County Hampton Inn. The event hosted by the Greene County Chamber of Commerce is providing area small business owners the opportunity to meet with senior-level management at both the federal and state levels.

“Through open dialogue and discussion, we’re taking valuable information to our headquarters office and will come back with services SBA and UDSA can bring to help restore economic strength in these areas,” Christian added.

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Greene County Commissioners Proclaim October “Chamber Month”

The Greene County Commissioners proclaimed the month of October 2018 as Chamber of Commerce Month. The proclamation recognizes that local business is integral to the growth and longevity of our county. Melody Longstreth, Greene County Chamber of Commerce executive director, thanked the Commissioners for the proclamation stating, “Our goal is to continue to make Greene County a better place to live and work.”

Real Solutions for Small Businesses

The Greene County Chamber of Commerce and University of Pittsburgh, Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Pittsburgh, PA are hosting a “Problem Solvers-Decisions Makers” seminar series to assist business owners in Greene County. A grant from the Appalachian Resource Commission enabled the development of the new, no-cost seminar series. The 4-Part program hosted in Waynesburg will meet twice in Oct. and twice in Nov. The program is open to retailers, manufactures and service-based business owners that will bring their concerns/problems to the class. The intent is to determine solutions, referrals and recommendations by fellow business owners that are facing similar issues.

Participants will receive personalized materials and resources to make their companies more profitable. Seminar topics include increasing sales, marketing strategies, attracting new customers, and

Phone: (724) 627-5926 Email: info@greenechamber.org www.greenechamber.org

overcoming financial barriers.

The no-cost program focuses on entrepreneurial growth according to Michael Wholihan, of the University of Pittsburgh SBDC. “Our local community economies rely on small businesses to sustain jobs, remain competitive and be profitable.

The seminars offer real business solutions to help small companies with any issue. The seminars provide practical tools they could use immediately to impact their small business growth.” For more info call 412-624-1368.

The Dapper Doughnut Ribbon Cutting

The Greene County Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed “The Dapper Doughnut” to the

Greene County business community.

Owners Kirsten and Thomas Rohanna opened the business at 230 Bill George Drive in Waynesburg. They create delicious fresh, handmade gourmet doughnuts!

Annual Christmas Parade December 1

The Greene County Chamber of Commerce has begun planning the 2018 Waynesburg Christmas Parade to be held Sat., Dec. 1st at 2pm. The execution of the Parade is underwritten by FirstEnergy Foundation. Miss Rain Day 2018, Lauren Schroyer and the Chamber’s 2018 Distinguished Service and McCracken Legacy Award winners, Sister Audrey Quinn, the family of G. William “Bill” Gensler and EQT will have the honor of leading the parade down High Street as its Grand Marshals.

Anyone wishing to participate in the parade can download the application by visiting the Chamber website at www.greenechamber.org. For more information contact the Chamber office at 724-6275926 or info@greenechamber.org

2018 winners of the Distinguished Service Awards and McCracken Legacy Award

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he Greene County Chamber of Commerce will host their 31st annual Membership Banquet and presentation of the Distinguished Service Award on Saturday, October 20th on the Waynesburg University Campus in the Benedum Dining Hall.

The public is welcome to attend the banquet and may purchase tickets at the Chamber office prior to October 15th. For more information, call 724-627-5926 or info@greenechamber.org The Distinguished Service Awards are bestowed based on lasting contributions to community welfare, participation in civic organizations, evidence of leadership ability, success in vocation, personal and/or business progress, and cooperation

with other individuals and organizations.

The McCracken Legacy Award is awarded to a business or organization having an operating presence in Greene County which 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.

2018 Distinguished Service Award ~ Sister Audrey Quinn.

Sister Audrey Quinn, joined the Benedictine

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

Sister Audrey Quinn

Sisters of Pittsburgh in 1959 and taught for 25 years in Catholic schools in the Dioceses of Pittsburgh and Greensburg. In 1989, Sister Quinn came to Greene County to live and minister. From humble beginnings in a sparsely furnished old farmhouse, she began addressing unmet needs of those around her.

In 1990 she came across a poster seeking foster parents. Shortly after she became a “Foster Mom” through Greene County Children & Youth services, and nurtured over 160 foster children, ages 3 days through 16 years. So vested in the mission, she served as President of Greene County’s CYS Foster Parent Association.

A regular volunteer with Greene County Habitat for Humanity; Meals on Wheels; St. Ann Soup Kitchen; United Way Appeals and Greene County Mothers Against Drunk Driving, she has also held board positions with Catholic Charities; Corner Cupboard Food Bank; Greene County Children & Youth; Greene County Human Services; Greene County CASSP and the Benedictine Sisters of Pittsburgh. She coordinates the Produce to People program and handles the recruiting of volunteers for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank’s monthly program to distribute free food to more than 500 needy families in Greene County.

On her 10th anniversary of arriving in Greene County, along with fellow Benedictine Sister Sue Fazzini, the pair founded “Heart ‘n Sole”, a program to make sure every child in Greene County has a good pair of shoes to start the school year. The program has provided thousands of new school shoes.

The sisters handle the solicitation, donation collections and distribution of shoes each year.

Presently, as the Director of The Salvation Army Greene County Service Center, she continues to serve by maintaining a free clothing/household

OCTOBER

2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

goods warehouse and coordinates with Emergency Disaster Services for those in dire need of immediate assistance. She assists clients with basic needs such as food, clothing, utility and rent assistance.

Under her direction the Service Center provides a free summer camp and facilitates programs with other social service agencies throughout the County by coordinating fund-raising efforts, public relations and volunteer recruitment.

Her work has not gone unnoticed. In 2008 she was chosen from 3,000 nominees from across the country as one of the “100 Extraordinary Women” sponsored by Kraft Foods. In 2009 she was selected as a top ten finalist from among 3,500 nominees in the CVS Pharmacy “For All The Ways You Care” program and earned an appearance on Good Morning America. 2010 brought the “John McGrady Award” and 2016 the Jack McCracken Award, both for Outstanding Service to Community

teaching career at Whiteley School in Greene County. He then transitioned to East Ward Elementary School in Waynesburg Borough. In Bill’s twentyfive years of teaching in the Central Greene School District, he had a positive impact on the lives of many children. During his career, he bestowed his generosity to many children and their families that were in need.

Bill was a faithful and humble servant of God. He was a life-long member of the First United Methodist Church of Waynesburg, where he served on the Board of Trustees and as the Sunday School Treasurer for nearly thirty years.

Bill was also a dedicated member of the Waynesburg Lions Club, where he actively participated within the community. He enjoyed events such as the annual Halloween Parade, 4th of July celebration and driving a local queen or honoree in his antique Nash in the Christmas Parade.

Most importantly, Bill adored and was devoted to his family. Bill has a strong bond with his mother, and cared for her through her years. He was a loving husband, father and grandfather. If you had the privilege of running into Bill out and about, you would hear how proud he was of his daughter Ann and his granddaughters Madeline and Emily. He never met at stranger, and enjoyed telling stories.

G. William “Bill” Gensler

2018 McCracken Legacy Award ~ 2018 Posthumous Distinguished EQT. Service Award ~ G. William “Bill” For EQT Corporation, the nation’s top producer of natural gas, Greene County is one of its Gensler

Glenn William Gensler, “Bill”, was a life-long resident of Greene County. Bill began his service to others at an early age: shoveling snow in the winter, mowing lawns in the summer, delivering daily newspapers and assisting his mother in the care of his grandparents.

Bill was a Waynesburg Central High School graduate. Following high school, Bill earned an Accounting degree from Robert Morris University, and subsequently an Elementary Education degree from Waynesburg College, Bill student taught at Amity School where he met his wife of 45 years, Joy. Bill then began his

most prolific and successful operational areas. EQT plays a key role in developing the region’s abundant source of natural gas to meet the country’s demand for clean-burning energy, and Greene County is an essential part of that. But it’s not just about ‘doing business.’ Many of EQT’s employees live here or grew up here, and have profound respect for our Greene County neighbors.

With more than 130 years of experience and a long-standing history of good corporate citizenship in southwestern Pennsylvania, EQT strives to provide a rewarding workplace and enrich the communities where they work. Economically and philan-

thropically, EQT has made exciting and substantial investments in the wellbeing of Greene County residents and is proud to be a part of this community.

In addition to generating millions of dollars in state and local tax revenues, and supporting tens of thousands of jobs, EQT has donated millions to groups and programs focused on arts and culture, community and economic development, education, diversity, and the environment through corporate giving and its charitable arm, the EQT Foundation.

EQT proudly sponsors the Washington and Greene Counties Covered Bridge Festival, Greene County Envirothon, Rices Landing Riverfest, and Waynesburg’s annual Rain Day and Holiday Open House. They also provide Operation Warm coats for Greene County children; consistently contribute to civic projects and first responders; employees regularly help with Produce to People; and in 2017 the EQT REC Center opened to Greene County residents who didn’t have anything like it before in the area. The EQT REC Center will serve Greene County families for decades into the future, reminding all of us that great things can be accomplished when a community comes together.

The Chamber 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 Chamber was recently ranked number 19 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. 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 though events such as the Annual Downtown Waynesburg Christmas Parade. 2018 marked the 28th 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 fouryear college, university or trade school. Two new scholarships were awarded in 2018, the Dr. Nancy I. Davis Memorial Leadership Scholarship and the Dr. Nancy I. Davis Memorial Educational Support Scholarship.

The public is welcome to attend the banquet and may purchase tickets at the Chamber office prior to October 15th. For more information, call 724-627-5926 or info@greenechamber.org

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Mason-Dixon Line Festival on Oct. 13 to Celebrate Local and International History

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istory this fall will continue to be unveiled at Mason-Dixon Historical Park.

And there will be another opportunity for visitors to walk where important figures of our past once stood and worked in the wilderness.

The park, headquartered in the Red Barn at 79 Buckeye Road near Core, W.Va., lies on the border of Greene County, Pa., and Monongalia County, W.Va., with nearly half of it acreage in each state.

Its signature geological feature is the precipitous Brown’s Hill, where in October, 1767, Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon halted the famous survey we today know as the Mason-Dixon Line. Their last marker now is commemorated by a stone set in a resurvey in 1883 by Cephas H. Sinclair.

On Oct. 13, the park will be holding the initial Mason-Dixon Line Festival. It will feature a colorful quilt show in three historic log cabins, a quality arts and crafts show, food, astronomy, instruction in surveying techniques and more.

The day will begin with the Buckwheat Cake Breakfast from 8 a.m. till noon in the Red Barn.

Cost is $9 for adults and $5 for children. The Mason-Dixon festival will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The park’s newest historical addition this year sits atop Brown’s Hill. A team of local surveyors, following directions set 251 years ago in “The Journal of Charles Mason and Jeremiah Dixon,” have determined and marked the precise location Mason and Dixon made their final astronomical observations to fix the exact location of their line.

The modern team, led by West Virginia surveyors Rick Casteel and Bob Andriotto, placed four locally quarried stones at north, south, east and west to mark the site. A wide path was cut, retracing the exact footsteps of Mason and Dixon, to the 1883 monument – 335.66 feet away.

This is the second consecutive year history has been uncovered in the park.

Last October, the new Third Crossing of Dunkard Creek Recreation Area was dedicated with much fanfare that included local and state government officials and descendants of Jeremiah Dixon. The new addition to the park lies next to Dunkard Creek and the mostly flat Turtle Trail, making it easily accessible to visitors. It contains stones that mark the exactly location of the MasonDixon Line – so it’s a great photo op for those who

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want to stand with one foot in either state – and it features something that never has been this far west – the base of an original MasonDixon Line stone. The stone was quarried in England and previously stood on “The Line” near Gettysburg, Pa. Step back to 1780 for a visit with Edward Corder, portrayed by Don Teter, professional surveyor, who worked as a chainman for young George Washington on surveys for Lord Fairfax in the days before the Revolution. He will recall working with General Washington and share stories of the joys and dangers of surveying on the frontier. Mr. Corder will also demonstrate use of the Gunter’s Chain to measure distance, including the use of chaining pins and tally belts, and comment on the difficulties hindering accurate measurement.

While most of the festival activities will be held Oct. 13, there are several fun events set for the previous day: The quilt show, sponsored by the Country Roads Quilt Shop in Morgantown, will run from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The show also will be held at the same time Oct. 13.

The Surveyors School will be held from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 to educate local students with a special land surveying educational learning experience. After a brief career overview on professional land surveying and what is involved in becoming a professional surveyor, there will be equipment demonstrations. We will be tracing the footsteps of early surveyors to modern day professional surveyors and the evolution of our equipment and methods. There will be hands-on equipment instruction and surveying on the famous Mason-Dixon Line, led by our volunteer professional surveyors.

FMI, visit http://www.masondixonhistoricalpark.com. Photographs courtesy of MasonDixon Historical Park’s Facebook @MasonDixon.

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

Revitalizing Ryerson

Greene County Commissioners approved Thursday an ordinance for a low-interest loan totaling 1$.12 million that will be used to help pay for the construction and design work costs of four county-owned bridges in need of replacement.

Earlier this year, Commissioners agreed to participate in a federal and state funding program that will provide $2 million in grants from the state’s Road Maintenance and Preservation Program. Because the county must match the grant funding, the state accepted $1 million in Act 13 money that the county has used over the past few years on previous bridge projects as a match. The other $1 million will be matched through the loan approved Thursday. The county will pay back the loan over a 10-year period with revenue acquired through vehicle registration fees.

Commissioner Blair Zimmerman said acquiring the loan is “a smart move” for the county because securing the money up front for the projects will help accelerate progress.

“A normal, typical cycle for bridge replacements can be four to five years each if we have to wait for funding to be accessed for each individual project,” he said. “By going after these matching grants and securing the funding needed up

front, we can complete these bridge rehabilitations much more quickly and efficiently. So, with this funding, what could take 15 to 20 total years for the four bridge projects hopefully could take as little as 4 to 5 years, barring setbacks.”

The total funding will pay for design work on County Bridge No. 31 in Franklin Township (over Smith Creek), and the replacement of County Bridges No. 8 in Perry Township (over Shannon Run), No. 73 in Morris Township (over Bates Fork Creek) and No. 75 in Morris Township (over Browns Creek), the last of which is currently closed.

Another county bridge, No. 46 in Whiteley Township on Pitcock Road, is currently being rebuilt. Over the past few months, the county has been working with EQT – and before that, Rice Energy – to replace the bridge for access to a well site. Officials said EQT is paying for all costs associated with the replacement of Bridge No. 46, which will save taxpayers almost $1 million.

“This is a win-win for the county, because the bridge will be replaced at a huge savings,” said Commissioner Dave Coder. “This is a terrific example of how private businesses can work with local government for the benefit of our infrastructure and our residents.”

GreeneScene by Joanne Nissen

A

nother step in the effort to revitalize Ryerson Station State Park, a groundbreaking was held on August 21 for an almost $1.4 million project that will improve the existing Polly Hill Campground. The upgrades and additions to the park are expected to be complete in the summer of 2019 and mark the first major renovation to the campground since its opening.

The renovations include three new deluxe cabins that will include a microwave, refrigerator, and stove. They will also have covered porches. The new cabins will be located near the current cabins.

A heated shower house will also be constructed, featuring modern showerheads, private stalls, rest rooms, and coin-operated laundry facilities.

Other renovations include creating 6 to 8 campsites with full water, sewage, and electricity hookups, as

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County Using Grants and Loans to Replace Bridges

2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

well as a new sewage infrastructure. The road will also be resurfaced.

“This groundbreaking ceremony marks the initiation of a series of significant capital projects slated to occur here at Ryerson Station State Park,” DCNR Bureau of State Parks Director John Hallas said. “The campground renovation project, a vital component of the overall improvements designed for the complete rehabilitation of the park, will provide high-quality overnight accommodations to our visitors for many years to come.”

“For those who work at the park, visit it and support it, it is extremely gratifying, after many years of hard work and planning, to be witnessing this full-scale restoration of our campground,” said Ryerson Station State Park Manager Alan Johnson.

“The project marks a significant step in the progress of the park moving into the future.”

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By Danielle Nyland

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he Greene County Historical Society Museum has an interesting and sometimes strange history, which we talked about in this month’s “I Love This Place” and in “Ghost Hunting Greene.” When T.J. suggested taking the GreeneScene on a ghost hunt through the museum, I jumped at the chance.

The first day of fall was the perfect date for the hunt and thanks to a turn in the weather, a chill was in the air – perfect atmosphere for an after-hours, lights-out ghost hunt. My husband, Daytona, and I met T.J. and fellow WPPH team member Adele Barton, lead investigator and researcher, outside the Museum late that evening in preparation for the hunt.

Before we head in T.J. shares some interesting events from earlier that day. A couple attending Stone to Steel were walking around the museum, using a MEL meter to check for paranormal activity. While touring, the meter spiked. He happened to share this with T.J., who then took him around and he received an even bigger spike, “the biggest he ever had,” T.J. says. T.J. also had his own experience while waiting o us to arrive. While sitting outside, he heard someone banging a window from the inside of the empty museum.

Once inside, T.J. and Adele take us on a tour of the museum, sharing paranormal happenings throughout the museum, letting us know what areas seem to be hot spots and what areas have little activity.

We start in the main hall of the museum, where many of the museum’s WWI artifacts are stored. The Thin Mints EVP mentioned in the other article occurred here. The other rooms on the main level – the gift shop, the kitchen, the dining

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room, and the parlor – have had some activity such as hearing children, noises, a cabinet door opening on its own twice when investigators asked for a sign that someone was there.

The music room across the hall is often a source of activity but what seems to be there doesn’t respond to investigators- although it gets upset when they leave. Former board president Mark Fischer shared a story with T.J. from when he was a young boy hanging out at the museum. While there during a storm, a bright flash of lightning lit the room up, revealing 3 figures in the room.

Upstairs, the investigators have had little success with the front bedrooms. The upstairs is difficult to investigate because of the clock room – the loud ticking of the large clock ruins recordings taken in its vicinity. The upper west wing, which serves as storage wing, however is a different matter.

Nicknamed the ‘bad hallway’, the atmosphere in the storage wing often seems to leave people uncomfortable and feeling sick. “I’ve gotten sick while investigating in here and I get really anxious,” shares Adele, while we tour the storage wing. “I was up here investigating with other people around room 8 or 9, when another team member asked me if I could see what was happening around me.

I couldn’t but he said that he could see shadow figures walking around behind me.”

T.J. adds, “We actually had another team member leave because he was physically ill and in tears. I’ve been called by name, heard voice recordings warning me to get out, growling noises.

Once, while up here with another investigator, we were standing back to back, all of our devices going off, and there were stomping noises going around us in a circle. Suddenly the footsteps stopped and

we heard the chiming sound downstairs of the door being opened, but once we went down to investigate there was no one there.”

As we walk back downstairs into the lower level of the west wing, T.J. shares a visitor’s experience while in the lower west wing, where most of the WWII relics are kept. “Years ago, there was a lady taking pictures of the hall. In one of her pictures, a woman dressed as a World War II nurse stood at the end of the hall, but you could see through her.”

We continue down, into the basement, where the mentally ill were kept when the house served as the poor farm. The rooms still have the remains of the chains that were supposedly used to chain the disturbed in the rooms. The basement has a particular story attached to it that seems to be one of those urban legends you hear about places like this, but this one is backed up with documents proving it is true. We won’t go into details about the story, but activity in the basement often seems to come from this troubled individual. During an EVP session when asked a specific question about the incident, a voice was heard confirming it.

“The activity at the museum is pretty constant.

While it doesn’t happen on command, you should walk out of here with an experience,” T.J. says, back in the main hall, as he passes out the gear and turns out the lights.

T.J. asks me where I would like to start, and armed with the knowledge of the grisly tale, I pick the basement. Flashlights in hand, we head down into the lowest levels of the museum. Once there, T.J. and Adele spread the equipment around – a MEL meter, KII EMF meter, a thermal imaging camera, 2 motion sensor lights, and a REM pod, along with 2 voice recorders.

The downstairs west wing hallway during the day. This is where the WWII nurse was spotted in pictures, as well as where we thought we heard EVP replies on the voice recorder.

Daytona Nyland using the thermal imaging camera as he explores the basement.

GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

Once the equipment is placed, we sit in the dark on benches and ask questions, waiting about 15 seconds or so between questions to leave time for a response. Of course, one of the questions pertains to basement story. We stop after a while and listen to the playback from T.J.’s recorder. When we get to that question, we seem to get a very strong affirmative in reply. We spend some more time in the basement asking questions and then gather the equipment and head to our second spot – the ‘bad hallway’ of the west wing.

We begin the same – with questions. While asking, we hear some strange, hard-to-describe noises in the rooms around us. We stop briefly to listen to playback and hear something in response to a question about which rooms the spirit stay in.

Not sure if we hear two or six, we investigate each room. Nothing happens at room two, but once we gather around outside of room six, we start to get a response on the KII. Adele asks for whatever it is there to light the KII meter up whenever the answer to a question is yes. While asking questions, the noises become more frequent, louder and seem to be coming from inside the sixth room. We begin to experience much more KII activity in response to our questions. Adele feels a strange sensation along her neck and another member begins to feel uneasy, so we head outside for some fresh air and paranormal talk.

Once we we’re back inside, we make a quick stop in the main hall and pick up some unusual activity near a headstone and WWI artifacts with the KII meter. While there, we hear a door open and close in the next room, but we are the only ones here… We work our way down the west wing’s lower level – where the WWII nurse was The headstone and collection of WWI artifacts where we picked up once spotted – and begin our investigasome interesting readings on the KII EMF Meter. We were also standtion there. We don’t get a lot of activity, ing near these when we heard a door slam in a nearby room. but smell some strange odors and hear what sounds to be a very clear “Hi.” on the audio playback. We end the investigation there and say our goodbyes. On the drive back, Daytona and I discuss the experience and agree that T.J. was right – the museum did not disappoint.

Whether you believe in the paranormal or feel like it’s all a bunch of hocus pocus, the Greene County Historical Society Museum is definitely something to visit, whether during the day for a glimpse into Greene County history or after hours for an exploration into its eerie activity. If you want to hear more about the haunted happenings, be sure to visit the Spirits of the Night event at the end of October.

If you’re feeling really brave, the muT.J. places equipment along the upper west wing’s “bad hallway”. Durseum is available to rent for private ing our time up here, we did have a few strange experiences. paranormal investigations.

Welcome Dave and Kameron!

D

irect Results would like to welcome two new additions to our business development staff. Dave Stoneking and Kameron Marisa joined Direct Results this past Summer and have become valuable members of our talented and hardworking team.

Dave Stoneking has 24 years experience with office furniture sales, design and installation. He’s worked at Mark IV Office Supply, WB Mason, and is now bringing his expertise and skills to Direct Results. Because of this, Direct Results has now expanded its offerings to include office furniture and installation.

Kameron Marisa grew up in Waynesburg

and is a graduate of Waynesburg High school.

He attended college at Muskingum University.

He worked for Coca-Cola for 24 years and then spent 5 years with Lowes, employed as a sales manager for both companies. He’s brought his 29 years of sales expertise to Direct Results to ensure a smoother, top-rate sales experience for our clients.

Both Kameron and Dave are ready to serve you and your business’ needs. Stop by our office at 185 Wade Street, Waynesburg and they’ll be glad to assist you with any questions you have.

Or just stop by and welcome them to the neighborhood! Welcome to the team, gentlemen!

GreeneScene

The Greene County Historical Society Museum, located on Rolling Meadow Road, has a long history of haunted happenings and paranormal activity.

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2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

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You Can’t Make This Up! I grew up in Greene County. This happened about 15 years ago, when I was younger, about 16 give or take. I was visiting my aunt in Kirby, near the intersection of Kirby Rd. and Mt. Morris Rd. I was sitting on her front porch enjoying the outdoors while my mother and aunt were in the kitchen behind me. Suddenly I hear a horse running down the road. But the thing was…. There was no horse! Of course, my aunt and mother didn’t hear a thing. But on the school bus a few weeks later, I heard another kid talking that had the same experience I had!

Melissa of Spring City, TN I was with a friend from church at the Hardees.

As we were walking out, I happened to glance at the Hardees and what I saw stopped me in the middle of my sentence. There was a shadow man, hunched and gargoyle-like, walking across the Hardees’ roof.

Matthew of Waynesburg, PA I was at a farm, said to have had some paranormal activity, when I saw a grey-haired woman in sitting in a chair. When I went to talk to her, she disappeared. I was doing some research about the property and its owners and happened to come across a more recent obituary in a Baltimore newspaper. It was the lady that I had seen in the chair.

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She had lived there previously.

Thomas of Waynesburg, PA We’ve lived in our home since 1986 and we’ve had several instances of spirits there. The first was shortly after we moved into the house in the 1980s.

We were in bed and the music box of the rocking horse in our children’s room started to play its song. The children slept in cribs at the time so they couldn’t have activated the rocking horse. On another occasion my son, 4 or 5 years old at the time, asked me about the man with the beard. I asked if he meant Santa Claus, and he said no, it was an old man that lived in the attic. In 2015, my granddaughter was playing outside. After a round of running around the house and coming back to the front porch she asked me who the man and women were in the basement. The most memorable event happened when our children were still small. My husband called me after his shower to look at the mirror, which had “THE GOOD BOOK”, with the T elongated like a cross, written in the steam. I hadn’t written it nor had he and our children were to young to spell the words. That experience left a lasting impression!

Catherine of Carmichaels, PA. GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018

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Ghost Stories

new book declares Greene County the most haunted county in America. Haunted Hills and Hollows: What Lurks in Greene County, Pennsylvania by Rosemary Ellen Guiley and Kevin Paul explores the otherworldly side of Greene County.

Kevin, a Greene County native, grew up hearing local folklore and stories from his grandparents.

Out of all the folklore and tales Kevin remembers, one story really stood out above the rest. When he was about 10 years old he read a news story about Point Pleasant, West Virginia and the appearance of one of eastern America’s most well known cryptids – the Mothman. The article Kevin read in the paper left a lasting impression; it terrified him, but also sparked an interest in the paranormal.

Kevin says he has frequently experienced the paranormal in his life, seeing shadow apparitions and having apports (an apport is the paranormal movement of an item from one place to another).

“When I worked for the county, I was sent to Pitt for a class. We received certificates after completing the class and mine disappeared,” Kevin reveals. “Sometime after that we moved. One day in the new house, I went upstairs and there was the certificate, lying on the pillow on my side of the bed. I asked my wife about finding it and she hadn’t.. It just popped up from where it had been.”

Writing about these experiences had never crossed Kevin’s mind. It was once he connected with Rosemary Ellen Guiley that his research into the paranormal really started developing.

“I was listening to Coast to Coast AM with George Noory and she had been interviewed,” Kevin says. “I sent her an email telling her about everything happening in the area and invited her to visit. I didn’t really expect her to reply, but she did.

She started visiting and did a lot of research over two to three years. She suggested that we should write a book about it.”

At her urging, and advice from a previous professor of his at West Virginia University, Kevin decided to do just that.

Kevin and Rosemary worked on the book over a couple of years, compiling research and organizing narratives. The stories in the book mainly came by word-of-mouth, most from people that Kevin knew. It wasn’t too difficult to gather the stories - once a few started coming forward with their stories and realized Kevin and Rosemary could be trusted to take them seriously, the stories started rolling in.

Since the release of the book in May, Kevin says they’ve been inundated with new stories. So many new stories, in fact, that they hope to release a sequel in May 2019. The new book will focus on new stories, but include some follow-up on previously discussed topics, like the rectangular UFOs. While researching the novel, different, unheard of local folklore caught Kevin’s attention. A story from the book that personally interested Kevin was the Lizard Man. “I had never heard of the Lizard Man until I started doing research. I was researching obituaries in a local newspaper and discovered an article about a Lizard Man being spotted in Franklin Township in the 1890s. I thought it was just some-

OCTOBER

2018 • GreeneScene Magazine

Kevin Paul

By Danielle Nyland

Rosemary Ellen Guiley

thing to sell newspapers at the time,” Kevin shares. “But then I had a woman come and share something her daughter saw 100 years later that was very similar to the initial sighting.”

“That was one of the things that I found interesting about the whole process. I’d hear a story about one location and then I’d hear about it from someone else that didn’t know about the other story. There was a lot of corroboration.”

In addition to an audio book coming out in October and a sequel next year, the authors are working on a self-guided tour of locations from the book. Many people in the first book remain anonymous, not just for their safety but because the activity is on private property. The locations that are public – 10 locations at this time – will be part of the self-guided tour.

These include Crow’s Rock and the site of the Davis and Corbly massacres. The tour will provide a downloadable PDF map and a list of places where travelers can scope out some haunted history, grab a bite to eat, or spend the night while visiting.

If you would like to be part of the tour, email the authors at hauntedgc@yahoo.com for more info.

“The book has been an interesting experience,” says Kevin. “I thought I’d get pilloried but I haven’t. It’s an Amazon bestseller, it’s selling in 15 countries and Kindle is cranking up in sales, too. The reviews have all been very positive and supportive.”

If you would like your own copy of Haunted Hills and Hollows, you can find copies, Kevin, and locally produced meat, produce and dairy products at the Fencerow Farmer’s Market in Waynesburg. Copies are also available online at Amazon.com. It’s even available in Kindle format for you e-readers out there. For a chance to win an autographed copy, check out he first page of this month’s GreeneScene!

Some images from the book, Haunted Hills and Hollows: What Lurks in Greene County, Pennsylvania

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GreeneScene Magazine •

OCTOBER 2018