#264 October 2022

On the cover: Punxsutawney native son Kaleb Young was a PIAA wrestling champion at Punxsutawney Area High School and an All-American at the University of Iowa. (photo courtesy UI Athletics).

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Punxsutawney Proud, Boosting our Hometown!

By Danielle Merrow for Hometown magazine

In June 2016, Hometown published a profile of a Punxsutawney Area High School wrestler who was leaving his mark on his hometown, both on and off the wrestling mat. Kaleb Young finished his PAHS wrestling career ranked second in the United States, and in the fall of 2016, he moved to Iowa to embark on his next chapter as a college wrestler with the University of Iowa Hawkeyes.

In Punx’y, the Young last name is almost synonymous with wrestling –many of Kaleb’s family members are involved in different aspects of the local wrestling scene. One might think such a legacy would add extra pressure to a young wrestler (no pun intended), but Kaleb says that was never the case for him.

Melissa Salsgiver

Hometown Writers

James Lauffer, Editor

S. Thomas Curry

Shirley Sharp

Mary Ellen Pollock-Raneri

Marty Armstrong Dr. Gloria Kerr

Danielle Merrow

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“My brother wrestled, and was successful,” Kaleb explains. “I looked up to him and wanted to do as well as he had. But I definitely never felt pressure to succeed from my family.”

Kaleb took on the University of Iowa with the same sense of drive and determination his parents and coaches spoke of six years ago. At that time, his parents marveled at Kaleb’s own sense of accountability and self-motivation, noting that he was always a driven and determined force – needing nobody but himself to nudge him toward his own potential.

Obviously, Kaleb’s ability to look out for himself was a huge asset to his ability to adapt to the college atmosphere – an atmosphere he readily embraced and, in fact, relished. The independence, the relationships he was able to build with his college professors, the entire college experience. “College is a lot more flexible, schedule-wise,” he reflects. “You have a lot more independence, but it’s also a lot of time commitment, more homework and harder schoolwork. Time management is important, and learning how to use time wisely and efficiently.”

On balancing school with a rigorous

athletic schedule, Kaleb observes, “A big part of it is being able to talk to teachers – they want you to succeed. Talking to them about travel for wrestling, they accommodate, and help you – you just have to be willing to talk to them.” With support from his teachers and coaches (namely, University of Iowa coach and Olympic gold medalist Tom Brands) – and a strong dose of his own unwavering dedication to his sport – Kaleb went on to become a three-time All-American wrestler, and placed twice at Nationals (fifth and seventh place). He was seeded in the top eight wrestlers nationally, after COVID caused the NCAA championships to be canceled just prior to the 2020 tournament. Because Kaleb was seeded in the top eight, he earned All-American status.

Personally, as Kaleb navigated the waters of collegiate sports balanced out with a major in Human Physiology, he found love – in the person of coach Tom Brands’ daughter, Madigan. After a chance meeting, Kaleb and Madigan began to get to know one another, and they soon realized they had more than just wrestling in common. The two lived in the same dorm building, and went to the same church, and their relationship

blossomed.

“We got a ride to church together from our dorm every week, so knowing he had those shared [religious] beliefs drew me to him,” says his wife, Madigan (Brands) Young. Having our faith and Jesus at the center of our relationship as friends and after was encouraging from the start.”

He says that her familiarity with the wrestling lifestyle is a huge asset to their relationship. “Madigan has been to a lot more [wrestling] meets than I have,” Kaleb notes. “She’s been around it her whole life. She understands not only what goes on there, but what goes into it to bring it all together.”

What drew Madigan to Kaleb, she says, was that he was “someone who never cared about being the center of attention but has a great sense of humor.”

Madigan goes on to explain that Kaleb “also has all the values that are often part of people in the wrestling community – work ethic, drive, and a fun, goofy side. He’s also very adventurous and continues to seek out new mountains to climb and new places to explore. We both enjoy traveling to places where we can do those things.

Continued on next

Gipsy Rd.

PA

Punxsutawney Hometown – October 2022 - Issue #264 – 3 Mon.-Fri. 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Sat. 7:30 a.m. - Noon Indiana Street, Punx’y OWNER LESA WALKER Thurs. - Fri. Noon to 8 pm, Sat. 10 am to 6 pm, Sun. Noon to 5 pm LLC New Line of Ariat, Carolina & Double H Clothing for Men & Women, Work & Hunting Boots by Rocky, Wolverine, Georgia, Danner, Red Wing & Muck Military Discount with Military ID 814-845-7853 3802 Catching Up with Kaleb Young

At Iowa in 2016, Kaleb Young met the love of his life, Madigan, the daughter of wrestling coach Tom Brands. (submitted photo)

After completing graduate school, Kaleb hopes to settle “somewhere in the mountains … somewhere west of Iowa.” (submitted photo)

Catching Up

That’s one way we support each other –finding space between our busy school/wrestling lives to travel.”

While the couple loves to explore new places and embark on different adventures, part of their travel schedule always includes family, Madigan says.

Whether they are visiting family, traveling with family, or spending time

She recalls her first meeting with Kaleb’s family: his parents, brother and sister-in-law, and his grandparents. “We all went bowling together; I think it was maybe our third date,” Madigan says.

She credits Kaleb’s family with his success as both a student as well as an athlete. “There’s a lot of love there,” she says. And as Kaleb’s family supports and encourages him, Kaleb is one of Madigan’s biggest supporters, too, by “encouraging me to just go for things.”

“When I went to get my 200hour yoga teacher training certification or decided to go back to school for my masters in education, he was like ‘yeah do it’ – without hesitation” Madigan says.

Kaleb was nearing the completion of his undergraduate degree when the world halted with the uncertainty of a global pandemic. Having no choice but to stop everything, Kaleb’s world (not to mention his and Madigan’s wedding plans – planned for about four years after they first met) came to an abrupt halt. However, the couple wed on July 11, 2020, and Kaleb was able to resume his education and wrestling career soon after.

While many other students and athletes might have been frustrated or discouraged by the effects of the pandemic on their future plans and dreams, Kaleb was thrilled by the outcome on his own aspirations: “The year that was canceled added an extra year of eligibility for wrestling – it was a bonus year! Adding another year was the best,” he emphasizes. With undergraduate degrees firmly under their belts, Kaleb and his new bride, Madigan, are both working through furthering their education.

with their families, they all love spending time together.

In many ways, Kaleb and Madigan’s relationship seems to have been almost a foregone conclusion: “My dad probably heard rumors about Kaleb and I ‘talking’ [from people sharing stories in] the wrestling room,” Madigan recalls. “So I don’t know what his initial reaction was. But [our relationship] was never anything super dramatic or interesting like people think it could be. My dad and Kaleb have a lot of shared interests in the outdoors: hunting, biking, and so on, so they got along well off the mat as well. I think that made it feel like Kaleb was a natural addition to the family.”

Likewise, Madigan fit perfectly into Kaleb’s family, having gotten to know them when they would all travel to watch Kaleb wrestle. “I got to know his family really well pretty quickly,” she says, “because they never missed a match. During wrestling season, I saw them nearly every weekend.”

Kaleb is pursuing a PhD. in environmental engineering; he is on track to graduate in 2025 and plans to work in hydrology (researching water resources). Madigan is working toward a master’s degree in education.

A typical day for Kaleb now includes waking up at 7 or 8 a.m. to get in a workout, followed by schoolwork. He heads over to Carver Arena around 3 p.m. to practice with the wrestling team, then goes home to eat dinner and spend some time with his wife and their two dogs (a Brittany and a Rottweiler puppy). Madigan says Kaleb and the dogs are “best buds. I love how he cares for them, and it’s fun to see him train and nap with them.”

In ten years, Kaleb predicts, “we’ll probably have kids and hopefully be living somewhere in the mountains: Colorado, Montana, Idaho, Alaska –somewhere west of Iowa. I see myself working for a federal research institution that works with rivers and streams.”

Kaleb and Madigan Young, a stylish couple, support each other’s academic goals as they pursue graduate degrees at the University of Iowa. (submitted photo)

Borough Explorers Learn

How Punxsutawney

The Borough of Punxsutawney of fered a special 2022 summer pro gram for youngsters ages 11 to 14 to explore how the borough works. The program was made possible by a grant from the Punxsutawney Area Community Foundation, Inc. The explorers gathered at the Civic Center on Tuesday mornings to learn the What, Why, Where, When, and How the borough works to provide a

clean, safe, and inviting environment for residents and visitors.

On July 26 the Explorers visited the bor ough office workers. They began by meeting with Toby Santik, the borough manager, at the Civic Center. They learned how Punxsutawney became a town, and then a borough. They learned that the workers at the borough include

elected officers, employed staff, consult ants, and volunteers. They discovered that becoming a borough requires ap proval by the Commonwealth of Penn sylvania, which requires boroughs to take responsibility for specific functions. Their first stop was the tax collector’s office where Susan Mitchell, the elected tax collector, was preparing the fall tax statements for mailing. She explained that it costs money to pro vide borough services. Each year borough residents re ceive Spring and Fall tax statements for both borough services and the school dis trict. These are two sepa rate units of local govern ment. The bor ough tax assessment is used to sup port the serv ices provided by the Punx sutawney Bor ough and the school tax is used to sup port the public schools in the Punxsutawney Area School District. Their next stop was at the administrative office which is shared by the Sewer Office and Code Enforcement. Here Janet Lyons, secretary for the Sewer Department, explained her responsibili ties including accounting for the funds residents pay for sewer services, and en suring the Waste Water Treatment Facil ity has the support it needs to operate effectively. Mary McHenry, the Code En forcement Officer showed the Explorers

Continued on next page

Punxsutawney

Officer Ryan Miller guided the Explorers through the Police Department at the Borough Complex. The tour began with a finger-printing demonstration. (submitted photo)

Mayor Alexander and Borough Manager Toby Santik were on hand to congratulate the Explorers who completed the 2022 Borough Explorer Program: Harper Cameron, Jacob Young, and Aleena Filitske. Mayor Alexander proclaimed the Explorers to be Ambassadors for Punxsutawney. (submitted photo)

The last employee of the Borough the Explorers met this day was Fury, the Police Dog, who was accompanied by Officer Matt Conrad. (submitted photo)

Borough Explorers

from previous page

the Borough Code Book and advised them it is important for residents to know what the codes are and their responsibil ity to comply with the codes. The codes are available in the Public Library and online for every resident to review. The purpose of having codes is to ensure that every resident abides by basic standards

farm animals, the creation of a clean water system, and the development of in door plumbing with sewers and a waste water treatment facility, has made typhoid and cholera a rare occurrence in the community. To see the modern way of disposing of waste, the Explorers vis ited the Waste Water Treatment Facility. Chuck Hess, the plant manager, provided a guided tour through the facility. The Explorers saw how one to four million gallons of waste water is treated at Punxsutawney’s treatment facility each day. They followed each step in the process of cleaning the wastewater and discovered some of the hardest workers at the fa cility are goldfish or carp. These workers are re sponsible for tak ing algae and other plant life out of the water before it enters the settle ment area where the sludge is re moved. After the wastewater has been cleaned and purified, it is re leased into Ma honing Creek where it reenters the natural water cycle.

of conduct with regard to safety and san itation. Compliance with the codes is im portant because they keep residents safe from diseases, vermin, and hazards. Codes, including keeping grass mowed, having regular trash collection, and re moving ice and snow from sidewalks, make living in town a safer place for res idents.

Next, they visited the Borough Secre tary, Michelle Peace, and learned her main responsibility is to record and keep the borough records. They also met Emily States Pearce, the Borough Treas urer, who receives the money to support the borough activities, and prepares the checks for payment of borough expenses. While in this office, they also met a Bor ough Council Member Josh McAfoos. The last borough employee they met that day was Fury, the police dog, and his handler Matt Conrad.

On August 2, the Explorers learned some of the situations that existed in Punxsutawney before modern sanitation services from historians, Tom Curry and Shirley Sharp. Early residents had ani mals including cows, horses, and pigs, which created unhealthy situations. The method of disposing of human wastes was an outhouse, which was part of every town lot. Water was obtained from wells on residents’ lots. These practices were the source of typhoid and cholera epi demics in the town. Ordinances banning

On August 9, the Explorers visited the borough work ers who ensure physical safety for residents. This included the Police De partment, Central Fire Company, and the Flood Control Project. They learned that Mayor Richard Alexander, an elected of ficer, oversees the work of the Police De partment. Police officers, employed in Punxsutawney, have the responsibility to ensure safety through traffic control, crime prevention, and when necessary to detain those who break the law, engage in illegal activities or threaten violent harm on residents. Officer Ryan Miller escorted the Explorers to the town “lock up” where individuals, who have been ar rested, spend time while awaiting their case to be heard by a judge. If the judge determines the individual should be sent to jail, the police transport that person to the county jail. Miller also had the Ex plorers inspect the police vehicle, which is equipped with high tech means for de tecting vehicle ownership and status. This enables stolen vehicles to be identi fied quickly.

Next the Explorers stopped at the Cen tral Fire Company where volunteer Scott Depp showed the Explorers the equip ment volunteer firemen use to fight fires. He was pleased to tell the Explorers that the number of house fires has declined which means homes are safer. He re minded them that it is important to have a fully functioning smoke detector in their homes. The Fire Company also re

Parks and recreational facilities in the borough are maintained by the Public Works Department. Director David Bofinger explains the maintenance schedule that ensures safety of the equipment at the playground to the Explorers and Mr. Tom Curry. (submitted photo)

About midway through the water purification process, fish are used to remove algae and other vegetation from the waste water. The Explorers were amazed to see so many fish in one place. (submitted photo)

Punxsutawney

Eagles 1231

Call Michele DeHaven 938-9976

Make the Most of a Rainy Honeymoon

ain on a wedding day is something that many couples encounter, but the silver lining is that various cultures view rainy wedding days as a symbol of a lucky and successful match. Rain on a wedding day is considered good luck in India and in areas of Great Britain and Ire land as well. In ancient pastoral societies, rain symbolized fertility — a mark of good luck for the newly betrothed.

R

While couples may rely on these lucky day customs to cope with a shower on their nuptials, rain on a honeymoon may not be so welcome. Mother Nature is un predictable, so couples may have to con tend with soggy honeymoons. Here’s how to handle the situation with grace.

Invest in a hotel upgrade

Honeymooners may not expect to spend much time in their hotel rooms, especially if beautiful weather is the norm at their destination. But if it rains, you’ll be spend ing more time indoors. If budget allows, upgrade to a suite or a more opulent hotel with added indoor amenities. A hotel with an indoor pool or a spa can save the day when a beach day is canceled due to rain.

Walk (or kiss) in the rain

The patter of rain on an umbrella can be soothing and romantic. Don’t let a light shower get you down. Instead, take a stroll with your newly betrothed and soak up some fresh air and negative ions that a

fresh rain can bring.

Sleep in

While you already may be spending more time together in bed, use rainy days on your honeymoon to extend time spent under the covers. Put the “do not disturb” sign on the door and lounge around while raindrops cascade outside. Order breakfast or lunch as room service and catch up on extra cuddles.

Take the plunge anyway

If there is no thunder or lightning in the forecast, who says you can’t still dive into the pool or jump through some waves? After all, you’ll be wet either way. Put on those swimsuits and take a dip. Snuggle up in the hot tub, especially if it’s under a sheltered pergola or gazebo.

Take a drive

Rent a car or arrange for a taxi service to take you on a tour. Rain generally cools down hot climates and can reduce airborne pollen, so it might make sightseeing more comfortable. While you’re out, visit mu seums or other indoor venues. The soft light created when it’s overcast also can make photographs pop. Capture many memories along the way by snapping pho tos as you go.

A rainy honeymoon may not be ideal, but couples can adapt and find ways to make their getaways memorable and romantic.

The Evolution of Wedding Favors

Wedding favors have changed — and in many cases for the better. Favors have evolved from the inexpensive trinkets purchased in bulk into more personalized mementos that guests can cherish.

Today’s couples are interested in cus tomizing their weddings and offering guests something meaningful, or at the very least, edible, so that favors don’t immediately get relegated to the trash can. According to Heather Jones of Wente Vineyards in California, favors have moved from “goodie bags” toward items that are experimental and fun. Wedding planners from across the coun try offer these wedding favor trends that couples may want to incorporate into their own celebrations.

Welcome bags

Rather than take-home bags, welcome bags have replaced the traditional favor trinket at some weddings. Many wed dings have become multi-day events that ask guests traveling from out of town to attend a wedding weekend. To help greet them and make their experience memo rable, couples may fill a gift bag with items guests can use or enjoy during their stay — like a bottle of locally sourced maple syrup or some handmade soaps from a nearby shopkeeper.

Experience gifts

Instead of a candle or a monogrammed cake server, think of experiences to offer guests. A coupon for free drinks at a

nearby brewery, a tour of a local attrac tion while guests are in town or a group excursion for guests attending a destina tion wedding can be fun and will help guests create lasting memories.

Charitable donations

Some couples feel that favors are waste ful and would rather set aside a portion of their wedding budgets toward giving back. In such situations, a donation to charity in guests’ names can be the way to go. Guests can vote on two favorite charities advertised on a special table at the wedding reception. The one with the most votes will get the proceeds.

Late-night snacks

After a night of celebrating, some guests may want the festivities to continue, but may need some extra sustenance to make it through a few more hours. Some cou ples are eschewing traditional favors in lieu of making room for extra food or beverage expenses that can include afterparty treats. These may run the gamut from wood-fired pizzas to food truck vendors to extra desserts. A tasty takehome option also may be given, such as fresh zeppolis or beignets, or even a per sonalized bottle of wine. Even if the food and drink is not consumed right away, there’s a good chance it will hit the spot when guests return to their hotel rooms. Wedding favors are changing to keep up with the times and keep guests feeling extra special.

See these local professionals for all your wedding planning ideas!

Borough Explorers

Continued from page 6

sponds to other emergencies including automobile accidents, which is their most frequent call. The Fire Company is also equipped to respond to water emergen cies and are frequently called to pump out flooded basements. Mr. Depp advised the Explorers that they could become

Fire Company volunteers when they reach the age of 15 years.

The Explorers then took a walk along the flood control concrete barrier on Front Street and observed work in progress where Mahoning Creek is being dredged and cleared of plant growth. They walked to Harmon Field and ob served the levee that has been con structed along the creek to keep flood water from inundating the town. This is one way the borough keeps residents safe during times of high water in Mahoning Creek.

August 19 was the final day for the Ex

plorers. They visited public spaces in the Borough and learned how borough em ployees work to maintain them. First, they visited the East End Park, where they learned public spaces are sometimes donated to the community. Skate Park was donated by Thomas Barletta; the East End Playground was donated by the Josh Smith Family, and funds for a new Tennis/Pickle Ball Court have recently been donated, making this a public area which is attractive to a variety of resi dents. David Bofin ger, Director of the Public Works De partment, shared challenges faced by workers when maintaining public spaces, including maintenance to en sure safety and the problem with van dalism. From there the Explorers went to the North Find ley Street Ceme tery, which was donated by John W. Jenks and Charles Barclay. Here they met Bob Lott of the North Findley Street Cemetery Guild, and Gloria Kerr of the Punx sutawney Garden Club, volunteers who work to help maintain this public place. They and Tom Curry shared with the Explorers the history of some graves in the ceme tery. Next the Explor ers went to the Winslow House on Pine Street where they were met by Tim and Laurie Spence, owners, who shared with them the history of the house, which was built in the 1870s outside the town. After touring the house and seeing some of the unique fea tures, the Explorers were met on the porch of the Winslow House by Mayor Alexander and Borough Manager Santik. The Mayor, in recognized their comple tion of the Borough Explorer Program by proclaimed them as Ambassadors of Punxsutawney.

2 Across by

In 2 Across, two strangers, a man and a woman, board a San Francisco BART train at 4:30 a.m. They're alone in the car, each is married, both are doing the New York Times cross word. She's an organized, sensible psychologist. He's a freespirited, unemployed ad exec. She is a crossword pro, he always quits. When he tosses his puzzle away, she snaps, "Crosswords are a metaphor for life, those who finish, succeed, those who don't, fail." Now he vows to finish. By the end of their 80-minute commute, they have bonded, but just how in that short amount of time is the question.

AT PUNXSUTAWNEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH on the corner of Union & Findley Streets

Friday, October 21 at 7 p.m. and Saturday, October 22 at 2 p.m. Tickets At the Door and Patron Tickets Accepted

Jerry Mayer

A dramatic comedy presented by the Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild

Volunteers Bob Lott and Tom Curry show the Explorers some of the maintenance activities which are undertaken at the North Findley Street Veterans Cemetery. (submitted photo)

Volunteer Fireman Scott Depp demonstrated the resources of the Central Fire Company for the Explorers. Here he is showing how a fire truck is fully equipped to handle any emergency call. (submitted photo)

Homeowners Tim and Laurie Spence welcome the Explorers and Volunteer Tom Curry to the Senator Rueben Winslow House, which they have restored. The Explorers were able to have a guided tour of the house and to learn some of its history. (submitted photo)

DOWNTOWN PUNXSY

Mix and Match

Sausage McMuffin Hash Brown Sausage Burrito

John Charles Driscoll

Mine Superintendent, Part 1

convenience of the employees.

John Charles Driscoll was one of the “office boys” at the Rochester and Pittsburg Coal and Iron Company’s headquarters near the Elk Run Junction in Punxsutawney in 1890. The office building was the center of administrative operations for the company. Lucius Wa terman Robinson, the General Manager of the company, had office accommoda tions in the building, which was the nerve center of the rapidly expanding company. G. W. Downes, the chief clerk, was in charge of the administrative functions necessary to keep the company operating in an efficient manner. His clerical assistants, C.S. Yard, C.H. Ford, J.H. Hammond, J.W. Brown, and J.C. Driscoll kept records of billing and shipping; of ton nage, payrolls, expenditures, taxes; improvements, and all information necessary to fa cilitate smooth operation of the company. Dannie Craw ford was the errand boy, who did anything needed to sup port this administrative group’s work.

Each of the company’s mines was connected to this business center by telephone, enabling quick response to need for information by the office boys, or conversely getting information and/or critical assistance to the mines when needed.

The building also had an office for George J. Rose, yardmaster for the Buf falo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railroad, his clerk, Arthur S. Klock, and G. V. Ryan the telegrapher. It also contained a large vault for storage of the maps of the land and mines, which was intended to keep the maps safe from fire. The facility was equipped with electric lighting, central heat from a furnace in the cellar and in door plumbing which included wash rooms and closets in the building for the

John C. Driscoll, the eldest of five chil dren, was a first-generation American. His father had emigrated from Ireland in 1851 and settled near Rochester, New York, where he found work with the rail road. John had continued his education beyond the required eighth grade. He found employment with the rapidly ex panding Rochester & Pittsburg Coal and Iron Company in Punxsutawney and se cured lodging at the Hotel Pantall. In Jan uary 1891, he contracted typhoid and was taken to the Adrian Hospital, where he re ceived excellent care and fully recovered. He ever after praised the excellent care and treatment he received at the Adrian Hospital.

By 1893 he had become the chief clerk in the scale office at the Helvetia Mines of the Company. And was suffi ciently secure in his position to take on the personal re sponsibilities of marriage. His bride, Mary Rudolph, was the daughter of John Erdman and Mary Arnold Rudolph.

His next career move was to Adrian Mines, where he was an assistant superintendent for the largest mining opera tion of the company. Here, in July 1900, he experienced a personal tragedy when his three-year-old daughter died.

On July 16, 1901, a burglary took place at the Adrian Company Store. About 3 a.m., John Skibo, the assistant yard boss at Adrian, found a man lying on the ground near the company store and went to investigate. He asked what was wrong, and the man replied he was sick. Skibo saw a second man who also replied that he was sick. Before Skibo could summon aid, the men fired their revolvers at him. Skibo, who was unarmed, saw several other men jumping out of an open store window, and knew what was happening.

At the turn of the century, men carried their important papers and paper money in leather pocketbooks. These fit nicely into inside pockets on coats. Mr. Patroch’s pocketbook may have been similar to this one. A pouch to hold the pocketbook would have been sewn on the inside of the waistband of his trousers. (photo courtesy S.J. Sharp)

The Rochester and Pittsburg Coal and Iron Company’s headquarters near the Elk Run Junction, where John C. Driscoll began his career. The building housed the administrative offices of the R&PC&I Company and the Buffalo, Rochester and Pittsburg Railway. This picture was taken after the R&PC&I Company moved to a new building on North Penn Street in Punxsutawney. The BR&P converted the facility to a Y.M.C.A for railroad employees. (photo courtesy PAHGS)

By the Coal Memorial Committee for Hometown magazine

Punxsutawney Area Hospital’s Daniel Blough Retires after Four Decades of Service

aniel Blough, a fixture of the Punxsutawney Area Hospital for more than 40 years, retired effective September 9. Blough and his colleagues were asked to reflect on his many years of service spent at PAH and his time devoted to the healthcare industry in the community.

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“Being a rural hospital, there are many challenges that are uniquely faced and obstacles to overcome, our community has been privileged to have the guidance and wisdom of a man that devoted his entire career to the wellbeing of our community.

Having worked for Mr. Blough for almost four decades as Chief Financial Officer and part of the executive leadership team, I can say that we have been fortunate to have had a leader who has never lost sight of our charitable mission while navigating a constantly changing healthcare environment.

I am humbled to even attempt to follow such an honorable man,” stated Jack Sisk, CFO and newly named incoming president of the

Punxsutawney Area Hospital.

When arriving at Punxsutawney as a Penn State student intern in 1977, Blough assisted in the planning and organizing the Punxsutawney Area Community Health Center, which is now a part of the Primary Health Care Network.

He soon became the manager of the local practice site and later others in Rural Valley, Patton, and Barnesboro. A few years later, after working with the local medical community and the Punxsutawney Area Hospital Board of Directors, an unexpected vacancy in leadership occurred at the brand-new hospital facility. The Board chairman at the time asked him if he would consider helping out on an interim basis while they conducted a search for a new CEO, an exceptional opportunity for a 25-year-old. He eventually won the job on a permanent basis.

As the saying goes, the rest is history.

“I have loved this hospital, the staff, the town, and its people,” said Blough. His hope

after 40 years is that he might someday overhear someone on the street say, “He was a local and did a great job for our community.”

Dr. Clark Simpson, Director of Medical Staff Affairs, commented, “‘I have made this hospital my life’s mission.’ That is an incredibly powerful statement I have heard from Mr. Blough on many occasions. I only hope that I can live up to his words. My responsibility is to keep 425-plus employees working, keep a full-service hospital in Punxsutawney and do what we do well.”

When looking back on being a young executive and what he might have done differently, Blough would offer the advice to himself to spend more time out of the solace of his office and get to know the staff better and affirm their daily efforts. “The Punxsutawney Area Hospital is a nationally ranked Top 20 Rural and Community Hospital because of the amazing work they do, not me,” he said.

Blough was honored to be selected as the Pennsylvania 2014 Rural Health Care Leader of the Year and served the greater Pennsylvania hospital community as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hospital Council of Western Pennsylvania and as an appointed trustee of the Board of Directors of the Hospital Association of Pennsylvania. Locally, he helped form Jefferson EMS and the Pennsylvania Mountain Health Care Alliance, a network of

regional hospitals that wanted to stay independent but realized change was coming and would be better off by working collaboratively to improve health care in surrounding regional communities.

“Great local health care is a driver of a good local economy, and it was always my objective to ensure that Punxsutawney Area Hospital has been preserved and improved continuously here. I hope to stay involved locally after retirement supporting PAH where possible” stated Blough.

Reflecting on his years at the Punxsutawney Area Hospital, Blough felt he would be remiss not to mention the Covid19 Pandemic: “The 2020-2022 pandemic was perhaps one of the more significant career events for me and a contributing factor as to why I postponed my retirement by a year. It required a whole house reorganization. Our superb medical staff and nursing and other leaders truly rose to the occasion and met the daily challenges. Mandatory masking of staff and visitors, daily anxiety about the availability of supplies to care for patients and to keep employees safe, healthcare worker mandatory vaccinations, and restricting patient visitors from campus were all novel developments to be managed.”

“The Covid-19 related deaths of my good neighbor and fine man and several beloved health care workers, and daily worries about

Daniel Blough (submitted photo)

Punxsutawney Hometown

John Charles Driscoll

from page 10

Skibo immediately went to John Driscoll’s residence, woke him, and told him of the situation. They returned to the store and found the thieves had blown open the vault and had taken about $100 in small change and some postage stamps. In their haste to leave, the thieves had overlooked about $800 in large de nominations that were secured in small packages. Skibo reported that there were five men in the robbery, and that the tools found at the scene had been taken from Stear’s blacksmith shop in Punx sutawney. Skibo was commended for his actions, which saved the larger portion of the company store’s resources.

In 1903, Driscoll applied for and was accepted as a temporary superintendent at the Pittsburg Coal and Coke Com pany’s Elders Ridge Mines in Indiana County. By 1905 Driscoll had returned to the R & P C & I Company, which at that time was under temporary management of the Jefferson & Clearfield Iron & Coal Company, as the Assistant Superintend ent at the Eleanora Mines.

The nightmare that every miner fears re gardless of his position, happened on April 27, 1905, when an explosion killed 13 miners at the Eleanora Shaft in Hen derson Township. John Driscoll had the responsibility of supporting the survivors through their grief and readjustment.

One of the continuing issues with min ers, and in particular foreign born miners, was their distrust of the banking system.

John Patroch, a Polish miner, at the Eleanora Shaft, had accumulated a “nestegg” which he carried with him in a pocketbook, sewn in the lining of his trousers. In October 1906, as he was leaving work, he discovered his pocket book was missing. Knowing that he had the money when he came to work, he was sure that he lost it in the mine that day. His coworkers suggested he calmly look for it everywhere he was in the mine that day. They helped him search every cor ner of the heading where they had worked. The pocketbook was not found.

Patroch rushed out of the mine and ap pealed to Assistant Superintendent John Driscoll to be able to stay in the mine and continue to search. Driscoll calmed the man and assured him that it would be bet ter to look for it in the morning.

The next morning Driscoll notified all miners, shovelers, and dumpers to be on the lookout for the pocketbook. The search went on all day. At that time Eleanora Shaft turned out 800 cars of coal each day. That day coal cars were carefully watched as they were loaded and unloaded.

The last trip to come out of the mines contained 40 cars and was dumped into the engine house bunker at the Eleanora Shaft. It was to be used to fire the furnace which made the steam to create the elec tricity to operate the mine. George Berrae, a fireman at the engine house, who had kept an eye out for his fellow countryman’s pocketbook, began to heave the coal into the furnace. When he lifted the first shovelful of the new coal, he noticed an unusual projection over the edge of the shovel. He laid the shovel down, scraped away the coal, and found a pocketbook.

As the miners were leaving the shaft that day, Berrae called to Patroch to come over to him. He told him how he found the pocketbook. Patroch eagerly grabbed and opened it and found his money was all there. He hugged everyone in sight. After he had time to think about his ex perience, Patroch decided that the safest place for his money was indeed in the bank. The next day he opened a bank ac count and deposited his nest egg.

( to be continued )

This article has been prepared by the Coal Memorial Committee of the Punx sutawney Area Historical & Genealogi cal Society. Resources used in preparing his article are from PAHGS, Punx sutawney News @ Newspapers.com., and the Library of Congress. Direct com ments to PAHGS, P.O. Box 286, Punx sutawney, PA 15767. A Dedication for the 2022 Memorial Tile additions to the Punxsutawney Area Coal Memorial will take place on Sunday, September 4, 2022. Individuals desiring to honor a coal or coal related industry worker in 2023, are encouraged to purchase their tile by June 30, 2023. A Coal Memorial tile may honor persons who worked in any aspect of the coal industry, including railroads and ancillary services. Additional infor mation and forms may be found online at www.punxsyhistory.org or may be re quested by an email to: punxsyhis tory@outlook.com , or calling (814) 938-2555 and leaving a message.

Punxsutawney Area Hospital Participates in Homeless Heroes Stocking Project

The Punxsutawney Area Hospital Medical Surgical Unit participated in a Homeless Heroes Stocking Project from Memorial Day through mid-September. This project distributes donated items to homeless veterans across 14 counties in western Pennsylvania.

The Homeless Hero Stocking project is spearheaded by Kristin Kirkwood of Indiana County and the Indiana PA Veterans Association. “Throughout the pandemic we received so much love and support from the community, with this project we felt that we would have the ability to give back to others,” stated Jennifer Elick, Medical Surgical Unit Nurse Manager. The team collected socks,

razors, deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, toothbrush covers, shampoo, flip flops, soap, soap dishes, Christmas stockings, gloves, washcloths, and other items.

“It amazes me in this day and age that we have over 2,500 homeless veterans in western Pennsylvania. This project was a way for PAH to give a small donation to brighten the lives of these men and women at Christmas. I have volunteered with my grandchildren to give items and to help deliver stockings to the veterans” stated Debbie Friday, RN at the Punxsutawney Area Hospital. The Punxsutawney Area Hospital looks forward to participating in this great service project again next year.

“Ordnung, an Amish Ballet” Set to Premiere

OKTOBERFEST, APPLE BUTTER& HALLOWEEN PARTY!

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Every Monday from 9:30-11 am

Mon., Oct. 3: Blue Pancakes & Sausage

Mon., Oct. 10: French Toast & Bacon

Mon., Oct. 17: Pancakes & Sausage

Mon., Oct. 24: Breakfast Sandwiches

Mon., Oct. 31: Pumpkin Pancakes & Sausage

BINGO every Tuesday

FITNESS CLASS every Wednesday at 11 am

PA MEDI COUNSELING

WITH LISA Thur., Oct. 13 at 11:30 am

HYMN SING Thursday, October 13 at 11 am

B INGO WITH KIM from Embassy Thur., October 6 at 12:30 p.m

SEWING with MARLENE Monday, October 3 at 11 am

OKTOBERFEST

Thursday, Oct. 6th Noon

Pork Loin, Mashed Potatoes, Sauerkraut, Applesauce, Black Forest Cake $3.50 Make reservations by Mon., Oct. 3rd

PAINTING with BETTY Monday, October 10 at 10:30 am

ICCAP FOOD DRIVE

Accepting Non-Perishable, Non-Expired Food & Monetary Donations Oct. 24 - Nov. 7 (Mon.-Thur. only)

MUSICAL PROGRAM by the Gospel Group Grange Church of God Tue., October 18 at 10:30 am

HALLOWEEN PARTY

Thur., October 27 - 10:30 am - 1 p.m. 10:30 am Spooky Music by DJ Randy 11 am Costume Parade with Prizes 12 Noon "Frightfully" Good Lunch Reservations required by Wed., Oct. 26!

APPLE BUTTER FUNDRAISER

TUESDAY, OCT. 25TH

“O

rdnung, an Amish Ballet” is an orig inal ballet by Joan Van Dyke, with devised performance co-directed by Dr. Richard Kemp.

A fifty-year old Supreme Court ruling. An Amish girl who wants to dance. A ballet that traces the unlived dreams of those denied an education beyond the eighth grade.

The ballet begins in the Supreme Court courtroom in 1972 during the highly controversial ruling of Wis consin v. Yoder. This deter mined that children within Amish communities were only required to obtain up to an eighth-grade educa tion. Lena, a young Amish girl, is seven years old when the story begins. Fast-forward 10 years and Lena, now 17, wants to pursue a career in the arts – but must do so in secret.

IUP Dance Theater, along with devised the ater students from the Department of Theater, Dance and Performance, guest artists, and The Mahoning Valley Ballet will premiere this col laborative work on Thursday November 10, 2022, at Waller Main Stage with a free preshow discussion with Torah Bontrager, founder of The Amish Heritage Association at 5 p.m. The show runs for three performances on November 10 and 11 at 7:30 p.m. and Sat urday, November 12 at 2 p.m. Tickets are available through Lively Arts at IUP, iup.edu/events/livelyarts/2022/11/ordnung,an-amish-ballet1.html It is recommended that you get your seats today as there is limited

seating available, 724-357-ARTS (2787).

In 1972, the Supreme Court decision in Wis consin v. Jonas Yoder determined that children within Amish communities were only re quired to obtain up to an eighth-grade educa tion. It has been 50 years since the Wisconsin v. Yoder decision, and we have seen many changes in the Anabaptist and English communities, including the impact of the environmental movement and human disruption of an imal and plant habitats on the lifestyle of the Amish. Many Anabaptist people are being compelled into the English workforce without the formal education and training they need to be competitive in the job mar ket. This verdict was highly argued and ques tionable, many saying that this should have never happened. The results of this law have impacted individuals raised in Plain commu nities for the last four generations with tens of thousands of individuals being denied a high school education. Today this law has contin ued to be questioned and debated among many states.

“Ordnung, An Amish Ballet,” is part of a larger project that includes an award-winning film, “Ordnung,” a dance, by Professor Je remy Waltman and a survey designed by so ciologists Dr. Christian Vaccaro and Dr. Melanie Duncan. This project attempts to in crease awareness and help facilitate a bridge to education and career goals for the Anabaptist communities. Come and decide for yourself!

•

Members of the Punxsutawney Area Hospital Medical Surgical Unit participated in a Homeless Heroes Stocking Project from Memorial Day through mid-September: (l-r) Jennifer Elick, Med Surg Nurse Manager, Gisela Gach, Jennie Overly, Debbie Friday, and Sarah Stanford. (submitted photo)

Each year Punxsutawney Hometown magazine invites

Hometown Community Happenings

From the staff of Hometown magazine and the Community Calendar at Punx sutawney.com, here is a list of events coming up in our area: At press time, Coro navirus restrictions and mask requirements were changing. Please check with the host organization’s website or Facebook page for up-to-date information.

n Hometown Steelers Football Contest winner for the Steelers vs. Bengals game on September 11, 2022 is Diana Maruca, who beat the closest tie breaker of 42 points. The final score was Steelers 23, Bengals 20. Diana wishes to redeem her gift card at Punxsy Shop ‘n Save. You need to play to win our Hometown Steelers Football Con test. Enter today!

n The 21st Annual Punxsy Pizza & Pre vention event will be held during October. $5 from every purchase of The Chief Pep peroni Pizza will be donated to the Punxsy Vol. Fire Dept. Volunteer firefighters will be delivering pizzas every Saturday in October. Coupon cards will be available. Call 9388132 for more information.

n The Punx’y Theatre Arts Guild is holding its Koeze Nuts & Chocolates fundraiser. Place orders by Oct. 31. Call 938-6928 or 938-0378 to place an order or get a catalog.

n Fall Literacy Programs have started at Punx’y Memorial Library. Registration prior to attending programs is recom mended. Register in person at the library’s front desk or with the Children’s Program Coordinator. Only parents or guardians can sign the registration form. Programs will run through Dec. 5 at these times: Tweens & Teens, Mondays at 5 p.m. Wee-Read (18 months to 35 months), Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Pre-K Rocks (3-5 years old), Tuesdays at 1:30 p.m. It’s Elementary (K-3rd grade), Wednesdays at 4 p.m. It’s Elementary (4th6th grades), Wednesdays at 5 p.m. A parent or guardian must stay with children in the Wee-Read or Pre-K Rocks programs. A par ent or guardian must stay in the library with children in Its Elementary I or 2.

n The Punx’y Memorial Library will raffle off a Halloween-themed basket during the month of October. The winner will be drawn at noon Oct. 28. Ask at the front desk for more information.

n The Big Run Fire Co. holds Honey Badger Bingo every first and third Wednes day of the month at the Big Run Event Cen ter. Doors open at 4 p.m., early bird games start at 6 p.m. and regular games start at 6:30 p.m. Food & beverages available.

n The Perry Township Vol. Fire Co holds an All You Can Eat breakfast on the 2nd Sunday of every month at the fire hall, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Adults, $8.

n The Punx’y Salvation Army has started Club 3:16. Call 938-5530 to register your child or for more information.

n The Salvation Army & First United Methodist Church are offering “Wild – a ministry for teenagers,” from 5 to 7 p.m. Sundays, at the Salvation Army. Call 9385530 for information.

n Oct. 1- Nov. 1: Reservations will be taken for the Christmas Cards, Cookies, Cocoa, and Cocktails Craft Event on Nov. 17 from 6-9 p.m. at The Burrow, sponsored by the Punx’y Memorial Library. $25 buys

the items needed to craft 20 cards, sample cookies and cocoa. Cocktails are available for separate purchase. Cash or check is needed to make a reservation. This craft event is recommended for those age 12 and over.

n Oct. 1: “A Bazaar for All Seasons,” 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at Woodland Ave. United Methodist Church. Crafts, soup & sand wiches to eat in or take out.

n Oct. 1: Fall Trash & Treasure Sale, 9 a.m., at Ringgold Vol. Fire Co.

n Oct. 1: Grange Helping Hands free clothing, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at Grange Church of God.

n Oct. 1: 4th Annual Blues & Brews Fest, 1-6 p.m., at Barclay Square. Contact the Punx’y Chamber of Commerce for ticket information.

n Oct. 1: PAHS Homecoming Dance, 7:30-10:30 p.m., PAHS cafeteria.

n Oct. 1: IUP Homecoming parade, 10 a.m., Indiana.

n Oct. 1 & 2: Hazen Flea Market, 7 a.m.3 p.m., Warsaw Township Fire Co.’s grounds.

n Oct. 1 & 2: 32nd Annual Fall Festival in Smicksburg. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

n Oct. 1, 2, 8, & 9: Brooks Farm Fall Fest, food & vendors, $5 admission. Satur days, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sundays, 11 to 4.

n Oct. 1, 5, 15, 19 & 29: Book donations accepted from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Punx’y Memorial Library. Limit 2 boxes/bags per person.

n Oct. 1-Nov. 18: Fall Bucket List Chal lenge at Punx’y Memorial Library. Com plete the items on this challenge (submit a picture of you doing each item) and win a prize. Open to all ages.

n Oct. 2: First Family Fellowship, 9 a.m. to noon, at First United Methodist Church. Special family worship opportunity.

n Oct. 3-7: Christmas Assistance applications, 1-3 p.m., at The Salvation Army. Evening hours by appointment. Call 9385530 for information. Visit The Salvation Army Punx’y’s Facebook page for infor mation about what documentation to bring.

n Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24, & 31: Adult Color ing Club, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m., at Punx’y Memorial Library. Bring your own supplies or borrow some from the library. For those over age 18.

n Oct. 6: Punx’y Chamber of Com merce Annual Award Event and Mixer, 5-7 p.m., at Gobbler’s Knob. Contact the chamber for more information.

n Oct. 7, 14, 21, & 28: Read to a Dog! At Punx’y Memorial Library, 3-4 p.m.

n Oct. 8: Mahoning Shadow Shuffle, 9 a.m. Register at runsignup.com or down load an application at mahoningshadow trail.org. Includes a half-mile fun run for kids aged 10 & under.

n Oct. 8: Fall Bazaar, 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Cloe United Methodist Church. Home made soup by the quart, sloppy joes, bake sale, and crafts.

n Oct. 9: Clergy Appreciation Day Honor your clergy person with something from one of Hometown’s advertisers.

n Oct. 10: Columbus Day. Federal holi

Hometown Community

Continued from previous page

day. Some businesses and other places may be closed.

n Oct. 11: Women’s Health Fair, 5 to 7 p.m., at Punx’y Area Hospital. For infor mation, visit www.pah.org or call 938-1827.

n Oct. 13: Catastrophic Book Club, 5:30 p.m., at Punx’y Memorial Library. This month’s book is “The Second Life of Mirielle West” by Amanda Skenandore. This book club is for adults.

n Oct. 13, 14 & 15: Fall Exposition & Swap Meet, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Coolspring Power Museum. There is an admission charge. Museum closed Sunday, Oct. 16.

n Oct. 15: Salvation Army Harvest Auc tion, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., broadcast on WPXZ.

n Oct. 15: Big Run Beta Craft & Ven dor Show, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Big Run War Memorial.

n Oct. 15: Explore Outdoors Day – Fall, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Punx’y Weather Discovery Center. $12 per person, includes walk to Barclay Square. Pre-register by Oct. 5 by email to educator@weatherdiscov ery.org or call 814-938-1000.

n Oct. 15 & 16: Potter’s Tour, various lo cations around Smicksburg.

n Oct. 16: Girl Scouts Space Science Badge Program for Brownies & Juniors, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at Weather Discov ery Center. $15 per Scout. Pre-register by Oct. 10 by email to info@weatherdiscov ery.org or call 938-1000.

n Oct. 17: National Boss Day. Honor your boss with a treat from one of Home town’s advertisers.

n Oct. 18: Blood Drive, noon to 6 p.m., at Punx’y VFW. Benefits the American Red Cross.

n Oct. 19: Drive-Through Community Dinner, begins at 4:30 p.m., at Punx’y Pres byterian Church. Enter the alley off East Mahoning St beside the Pantall and drive toward Union St. Meals will be handed to the driver. The meal will include an entrée to heat at home and a dessert.

n Oct. 21 & 22: The Punx’y Theatre Arts Guild presents “2 Across” by Jerry Mayer at the Punx’y Presbyterian Church. Friday, 7 p.m. and Saturday, 2 p.m. Tickets available at the door and Patron Tickets will be honored.

n Oct. 22: Scouts BSA Weather Merit Badge, 9 a.m. to noon, at Weather Discov ery Center. $20 per Scout. Pre-register by Oct. 17 by email to info@weatherdiscov ery.org or call 938-1000. Some pre-requi sites required; see Weather Center website for more information.

n Oct. 22: Wine Festival, 4 to 9 p.m., at Gobbler’s Knob. $30 tickets available at Gobbler’s Knob, Laska’s Pizza, and www.groundhog.org. Tickets will not be available at the door. Presented by the Punx’y Groundhog Club and the Punx’y Area Chamber of Commerce.

n Oct. 22: Child Evangelism Fellowship Ministry & Fundraising Banquet, 5:30 p.m., at Bellamauro Social Hall. For reser vations or more information, call 814-9389206. This CEF chapter includes Jefferson, Elk & Clearfield counties.

n Oct. 31: Halloween!

n Leaf collection by Punx’y Borough Public Works should start around the end of October or beginning of November. Leaves need to be raked to the curb.

By Danielle Merrow for Hometown magazine

Local business owner Scott Anthony credits the horrific events the world bore witness to on September 11, 2001, for sparking his idea to begin Pizzas and Prevention at Punxsy Pizza. The event will continue throughout the month of October, which coincides with Fire Safety and Prevention Month.

“The tragedy of 9/11/2001 has made all of us more conscious of the service & sacrifice displayed by firemen,” Anthony said. “Our volunteer firemen are a valuable asset to our community, one that we can’t do without. As the first anniversary of 9/11 approached I began to consider ways to show my respect for first responders. With the help of my friend

Experience the Luxury You Deserve!

Tony Gianvito, the concept of ‘Pizza and Prevention’ was born.”

Anthony quotes motivational speaker Zig Zigler by saying, “Of all the ‘attitudes’ we can acquire, surely the attitude of gratitude is the most important and by far the most life changing.” Anthony goes on to say. “These words reinforce to me that a small town with an ‘attitude’ can make a difference.”

He continued: “I feel that I have built up a tight relationship with the local fire companies and some very close and personal relationships with many volunteer firemen. Getting to know these volunteers and working alongside them has taught me to really appreciate and respect all they do.”

“Many have asked how are we able to continue doing this. [My] basic answer is that

as a local business, you can pull your resources together to make a difference in your community,” he continued. “We are not here to just write checks; actually, no business can do that. No Giver can ‘give till it hurts;’ that robs the joy of giving. We depend on our community shopping local to keep this fundraiser going.”

“It is the customer support we receive over the course of the year that makes this all possible,” Anthony concludes.

Punxsy Pizza has set a goal of selling 1,000 Chief pizzas this October, each to be delivered by a local firefighter. Five dollars from every pizza purchased will be donated back to local Punxsutawney fire departments.

Court

Jeff S. Long Construction

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The Red Gym Suit

By Mary Ellen Pollock-Raneri for Hometown magazine

With school back into session, I have memories of the Punxsutawney red gym suit. I can still see it on display in the Smart Shop as it gazed at me from that local store window. The fashion statement had an elastic waist, snap buttons up the whole front, a collar, and short sleeves.

I am not really sure why everyone had to wear a uniform for gym class. I do know that we received demerits if we forgot it. The suit certainly did not make me any more athletic or coordi nated, I can assure you. I don’t remember the outfit being particularly comfortable either. It was n’t made of stretchy material, and I remember I had to steam iron it on one of the infrequent occasions when I washed it. Yes. Although I hate to admit it, I treated my sacred exercise regalia with the utmost lack of irreverence. Typically, I rolled it in a ball after class and laundered it on a couple national holidays during the school year.

When you combined that suit with the even more fashionable white socks and the pristine white sneakers, we girls were ready for a year of physical education. I guess the mentality is this: If you dress like an athlete, you will act like an athlete. Well, that’s what I think the philosophy must have been behind the re quired purchase of that uniform. Unfortu nately, my athletic prowess stopped short after I put on my red outfit. Afraid to dirty my sneakers, I kept them immaculate until school ended in the spring. Nevertheless, Mom al ways bought me a new pair at the start of every school year, and I stuffed everything in my “gym bag.”

My “gym bag” was actually a cast-off small round travel suitcase. It had two or three beatup, silver-colored latches around the whole perimeter, and the surface was hard plastic. In that delightful baby blue valise, I could house my sweaty gym suit, white socks, white sneakers, a towel, soap, a washcloth and some Tussy roll-on deodorant. Heaven help me if the latches popped open! I distinctly remem ber several times when the contents spilled out on the road in front of the old junior high school. My face red from rushing to get to

Punxsutawney Area

Continued from page 11

countless other employees and doctors who despite precautions still got very, very sick due to COVID infection were the real pain points for me,” concluded Blough.

The Punxsutawney Area Hospital and its leadership learned a lot and is a stronger organization today as every organizational crisis always points out opportunities to improve.

Many people may be curious what will happen to the Punxsutawney Area Hospital as Blough departs. Blough stated he is confident that the Punxsutawney Area Hospital will continue to provide high quality, cost effective health care for patients; to be a major employer and a viable part of the community for decades to come and is well positioned with great staff, clinician’s technology and experienced leaders who will

class on time and from embarrassment, I shoveled everything back in my satchel and hurried to Phys. Ed. class.

Ah! The joyous moment when I reached the girl’s locker room in the catacombs of the old junior high. I can still smell the dampness that mingled with multiple deodorant sniffs. Grab bing a locker there in the dimly lit cement chamber, we all hustled to don our red frocks and toe the line in the gym for roll call. Some times we had class in the gym. Other times, we ran up the street from the junior high school, across Main Street, and down to Har mon Field. All decked out in our bright gym wear and white socks, I’m sure we were the best red parade around. Since running was never my bag, I usually brought up the rear –happy that I didn’t pass out or fall flat on my behind. I was equally thrilled to run back to school after running around the field. Never theless, I huffed and puffed my way along the previous arduous route, my red uniform still trailing behind the others.

Of course, the pinnacle of the whole day had to be when I shed the red gym suit and “show ered.” Now, most of us stuck our toes or back side in the water and came right out, wrapped in towels. We had to splash water on our bod ies “somewhere” as proof of a shower. Five minutes to wash and change clothes doesn’t quite give you much to doodle up, let alone dry off. At any rate after a not-so-thorough shower, the red gym suit partnered with the wet washcloth and damp towel, sticky soap, stinky socks, and dirty shoes. I must confess that l stuffed them all randomly in my gym “suitcase,” and ran across the street again to be on time for class.

Gym class was twice a week, and the red gym suit was an integral part of my junior high school life. Since I was about as coordi nated as a hippo on roller skates, you can imagine how much I looked forward to wear ing and using it. These days, I am an avid walker, averaging three or four miles a day. This week I walked seven miles one day and almost ten on another. I like to participate alone, but I still like to participate. I enjoy my own yoga tape, biking with my husband, and going to the gym when it’s not crowded. I wear what I want to and that uniform is per fect. Sadly, I still avoid anything “team,” be cause I’m sure someone will make me wear that red gym suit.

continue to move the organization forward.

“As the President of the Medical Staff, I have had the privilege of working closely with Mr. Blough for many years. He has taught the staff to embrace the value of life and to treat each patient with equal dignity, respect, and compassion. As leadership, we will continue to support the strong work ethic he has instilled in the staff and promote a sense of empowerment throughout the organization,” commented Dr. Phil States.

When thinking about the future and what he is looking forward to the most, Blough simply stated that he is excited to spend more time with his family and never again cut grass or rake leaves in moonlight or for that matter, on Sundays after church.

“On behalf of the community, thank you for your many years of service and dedication to PAH, the patients, and the community of Punxsutawney,” said Katie Laska, Chamber of Commerce President.

(“From Our Past,” researched by S. Thomas Curry, features items of interest from past editions of Punxsutawney and area newspapers.)

September 25, 1907 — The three really big annual social, scientific and industrial events of the season in this section are the Buckwheat picnic at Goodville, the annual hunt of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club at this place and the fair at Dayton. (Punx sutawney Spirit)

September 29, 1886 — The Rochester & Pittsburg Coal company’s new mines on the east branch of Elk Run are now being opened. (Valley News)

(Note: The location of the mine in the Elk Run section of Punxsutawney was where the Acme Machine Company is now.)

October 3, 1903 — Punxsutawney has a full-fledged Anti-Swearing Society which is becoming quite popular. Already the mem bership numbers about 25. Each member carries a little passbook and every time he utters an oath, he fines himself five cents and out comes his little book in which he records the “cuss word,” the date and the amount is set aside opposite. The members meet once a week in McAfee’s tailor shop when all the fines are turned in. The money goes to char ity. There are many in this town, including boys, who might be benefitted by joining. (Punxsutawney News)

October 4, 1899 — Over a hundred houses, all of a substantial quality, and some of the finest structures in town, including the new Methodist Church at West Mahoning Street and Church Street and the Torrence block in the business district, have been built in Punxsutawney this summer, and the work is still in progress. And what is most grati fying is that every one of the numerous dwellings erected were promptly tenanted, and the demand for more houses continues.

Punxsutawney Spirit)

October 9, 1899 — CLAYVILLE BOR

OUGH ORDINANCE

Be it ordained by the Burgess and Town Council of the Borough of Clayville in gen eral council assembled, it is hereby or dained:

Sec. 1 - No person or persons shall engage in any game of baseball, foot ball or other games of ball, or shall throw, kick, toss, or pitch any ball on any street, road, lane, alley or highway in said borough, under penalty of not less than one or more than twenty dollars. W. W. Crissman, clerk; H. M. Means, Burgess. (Punxsutawney News)

(Note: Since 1907, and consolidation, the former Borough of Clayville has been Punx sutawney’s West End section.)

October 14, 1869 — We notice that our enterprising friend, ’Squire Davis, is having his residency painted a beautiful white, which will greatly improve its appearance. A progressive spirit leading in this direction is much needed in our town, and we hope many others will follow the ’Squires excel lent example. (Punxsutawney Plaindealer)

December 7, 1922 - August 15, 2022

Jaunita loved all things related to her family, nature, and especially her birds. She worked for many years at Punxsutawney Hospital as a waivered LPN where she made many wonderful friends and enjoyed caring for her patients.

Jaunita is survived by her daughter, Penny (Ted) Hollabaugh, and her grandchildren

Jeffrey (Lucia) Hollabaugh and Todd (Brandy) Hollabaugh. Also surviving are great-grandchildren, Brooke Hollabaugh, Shelby Hollabaugh, Ted W. Hollabaugh, Jeffrey R. Hollabaugh, and Jacob Hollabaugh; and many loving nieces, nephews, and cousins; and special friend, Billie Robertson.

In addition to her parents, Charles and Clara Belle (McCarty) Stiver, and husband, Harland Grube, Jaunita was preceded in death by her siblings, Wilmer Stiver, John Stiver, and Edward Stiver.

McCabe Funeral Home, Inc. (www.mccabewaldronfh.com) u

Raymond A. Depp of Reynoldsville

April 21, 1931 - August 18, 2022

Ray was a faithful man who loved the Lord, his family, and his community.

He retired from the Army after 24 years of service. On October 12, 1957, he married his wife of 64 years.

He was the owner of Ray’s Lawn and Garden Center, and was a school bus driver for the Punxsutawney Area School District as well as being an active member of the Jefferson County Veterans Honor Guard, VFW, and American Legion.

Ray is survived by his wife, Eleanor (Rhodes) Depp; his three children; Belinda (Gary) Short, Nancy (Dan) Keller, and Timothy Depp; his sister, Helen Depp; five grandchildren, Greg (Kelly) Keller, Jonathan (Shawna) Short, Donald (Amy) Keller, Andria (Nick) Chieffo, and Abby Depp; twelve great-grandchildren; Katlyn Short, Bela Keller, Savannah Keller, Jacob Short, Jonathan Short, Jr., Mason Keller, Zoe Chieffo, Liam Keller, Naomi Chieffo, Grayson Short, Nicky Chieffo, and Zander Chieffo.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Harry Wade and Jane LaRue (Buchanan) Depp; six brothers, Jim Depp, Paul Depp, Ralph Depp, Byron Depp, Russell Depp, Everett Depp; and three sisters, Jane Ross, Lucille Anderson, and Susan Stanionis; and a daughter-in-law, Amy Depp.

McCabe Funeral Home, Inc. (www.mccabewaldronfh.com)

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Elizabeth J. “Betty” (Nase) Barilar July 30, 1931 - August 18, 2022

Betty attended Punxsutawney Area High School, where she was a cheerleader and met her husband, Jim. She started her career working for Clearfield Aviation Institute. She then worked at Peterson Tire Service and Sylvania Electric Corp before spending the majority of her working career with Jefferson Wholesale Grocery.

After retirement, Betty frequently visited area nursing homes and provided people with rides to church, shopping, or appointments. She was a member of Saints Cosmas and Damian Catholic Church. Betty started each day by attending daily Mass and praying the rosary. She also enjoyed tending to her flower and vegetable gardens.

She is survived by her son, James (Anne) M. Barilar; two grandchildren, Denise Barilar and Renae (Mark) Fiecas; greatgrandson, Antonio James Fiecas; and several nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James S. Barilar; her parents, Louis and Elizabeth Esther (Cummings) Nase; her eight brothers and sisters, Geraldine Metz, Richard Nase, Roseann Martino, Mary Margaret Westphal, James Nase, William Nase, Paul Nase, and Robert Nase.

The family would like to thank the staff at Penn Highlands Jefferson Manor for the superior care that was given to Betty.

McCabe Funeral Home, Inc. (www.mccabewaldronfh.com)

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Thomas E. Rager of Timblin

October 17, 1934 - August 25, 2022

He served in the United States Army from 1957 to 1959.

He worked as a Plant Superintendent for Swift in Punxsutawney. He enjoyed going to the beach, attending auctions and flea markets, and having fun with his grandson Owen.

In addition to his wife, Candy L. (Reitz) Rager, he is survived by a daughter, Jennifer Shaffer and Will; a grandson, Owen Shaffer and Makayla; a sister, Eleanor Isenberg; and inlaws Cindy (Mark) Page, Greg (Valerie) Reitz, and Kim (Allen) Kennedy.

In addition to his parents, Lillian (Foster) and Joseph C. Rager, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Russell D. Rager and Joseph D. Rager; three sisters, Eileen Rager, Freda Amash, and Laura R. Luther; and a son-in-law, Chris Shaffer.

Deeley Funeral Home, Inc. (www.deeleyfuneralhome.com)

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Catherine Jane Stagner of Clearfield

formerly of Punxsutawney

June 3, 1923 - August 30, 2022

Catherine was mostly in good health all of her 99 years. She was a member of the Chestnut Grove Independent Church. Catherine enjoyed crocheting, baking, and cooking. She loved visiting with family and friends.

She is survived by her five nieces, Teresa (Jim) S. Evilsizor, Melissa (Randy) Keith, Karen (Jack) Corson, Carol (Jim) Forberger, and Sherry (Curt) Burkett; four nephews, Steven (Dianne) Byers, John (Kasy) Bakaysa, Danny Passmore, and Darcy Passmore; and a sister-in-law, Olive Byers. She was preceded in death by her parents, Merle and Susan (Hineman) Byers; her husband, Russell Stagner; brothers, Richard, Arthur, and Eugene Byers; a sister,

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Karyn Kay (Limerick) Farbo of Pueblo West, Co. formerly of Punxsutawney August 3, 1946 - September 4, 2022

Karyn attended St. Paul the Apostle church in Pueblo West, Colorado. Karyn had quite a unique employment history including book work and pumping gas at Painter’s (Esso) EXXON Station. A former gas customer, Bruno Farbo, eventually became her husband! She also was an announcer for WPXZ radio station and a writer for The Punxsutawney Spirit newspaper and Punxsutawney Hometown magazine. She was a tour guide for Fullington Tours. A past member of Punxsutawney Theatre Arts Guild, she performed for decades acting, singing, and dancing. A few of Karyn’s many talents and hobbies include traveling, baking, decorating, music, dancing, singing, crocheting, painting, ceramics, collecting anything Wizard of Oz and Statue of Liberty, and collecting shells at the beach and fashion. Karyn’s son Christopher was the light of her life. Karyn is survived by her son Christopher (Holly) Farbo; Holly’s daughter Alexis (Patrick) and grandson Liam and future granddaughter Luna; six siblings, Shannon (Henry) Gnas and children Amber and Ariana, Colleen McKenzie and children Todd, Timothy (Melanie), Sean and Shannon, Michael (Michele) and children Jeremy (Holly) and Jessica (Jonathan) Neese, Patrick and children Correy (Deanna) Jade Emhoff (Aaron) and children, Philip (Chantalle) and children, Laurie Limerick and children Jesse (Rebecca) and Olivia Seiff and boyfriend Jared, Kelley Limerick-Hand (Steven) and children, Dr. Harlan Chambers, (Anusorn), Landon Chambers (Dr. Jessica Chambers) and Skylar Chambers. She is also survived by her aunt Lois Guilfoyle. Plus her dear cousins Peggy (Dan) Prutznal and Jackie (Mark) Meighan and recently deceased cousin Kathy “Jo” Painter; her friend Pam Nichol and two dear and supportive friends from church Cynthia Crowther and Therese Simony. Karyn had special fondness for her nephew Sean Scalise and her many fur babies, she always had room for one more.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Bruno Farbo, and her parents, William and Mercedes (Guilfoyle) Limerick.

McCabe Funeral Home, Inc. (www.mccabewaldronfh.com)

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LeRoy G. Hetager

May 22, 1929 - September 8, 2022 LeRoy started his career in the drilling business at age twelve when he began working at his father’s company. In 1951, he opened

Nora Jaunita Grube of Luray, Virginia formerly of Punxsutawney

Louise Bakaysa; and a sister, Betty Ann; and other numerous family members. McCabe Funeral Home, Inc. (www.mccabewaldronfh.com)

the doors of the LeRoy Hetager Drilling Company in Punxsutawney. It evolved into a corporation called L.G. Hetager Drilling, Inc. with an average of forty-five employees.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl Gustav and Kirsti Skramstad Hetager, both born in Norway; his wife of forty-five years, Mary Adair Davis; his second wife, Lois Satterlee; his siblings, Karl Hetager, Marie Jenks, Lillian Kritsky, and infant Ruth Ingabore. He has many nephews, nieces, and great-nieces and great-nephews surviving him.

LeRoy has one surviving younger brother, Herman Hetager. He is also survived by son Kris Gustav Hetager and daughter Kirsti Mary Hetager Stark. LeRoy was blessed with four grandchildren and three greatgrandchildren. Through his marriage to Lois, he gained additional family locally and across the United States.

LeRoy and Lois were members of Calvary Presbyterian Church in Indiana, Pa. He spent his retirement time traveling, spending winters in Florida, golfing, and creating stained glass lamps, windows, and other pieces. He also started a machine shop, V-King Co., where he worked independently on his drilling inventions until he was 85 years old.

Deeley Funeral Home, Inc. (www.deeleyfuneralhome.com)

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Carl Edwin Benson, Jr. of Glen Campbell

July 31, 1955 - September 10, 2022

Carl was a member of Canoe Ridge Church of God. He was a 1973 graduate of Punxsutawney Area High School. Carl served in the Pennsylvania Army National Guard. He was an avid hunter; his favorite season was flintlock muzzleloader. He loved living where he was surrounded by nature. One of his favorite activities was to walk around the pond near his home to look for fish and wildlife. Carl also enjoyed taking care of the chickens on the property, often feeding them by hand.

He is survived by three sons, Bradley (Lauren) R. Benson, Gregory (Kristy) D. Anthony, Corey (Layla) J. Anthony; nine grandchildren; two brothers, Mark (Kathleen) A. Benson and Keith (Vanessa) Benson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Carl Edwin Sr. and Louise (Todd) Benson, and a son Christopher Benson.

Memorial donations may be made in Carl’s name to the Child Evangelism Fellowship, 104 West Mahoning Street Suite 305, Punxsutawney, PA 15767 or online at cefjec.org

McCabe Funeral Home, Inc. (www.mccabewaldronfh.com)

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Margaret “Petie” Lola Kunselman of Punxsutawney

May 21, 1945 - September 16, 2022

Retired, Petie worked as a bus driver/van driver for SSCD, was a caretaker for others,

Petie was a member of Grange Church of God. She enjoyed playing bingo and cards. During her years of driving buses, Petie, Arthur, and her daughters enjoyed taking bus trips together. Petie will be remembered for her caring heart, willingness to always help others, and her hardworking work ethic.

She enjoyed animals, especially her beloved dachshund dogs she raised over the years.

She is survived by her daughters, Tracey (Jimmy) A. Young and Tami KunselmanLanterman; two grandchildren, Derik (Natalie) Young and Erin (Jake) Walker; two great-grandchildren, Henry and Morgan Young; a sister, Marty Mills; many in-laws, nieces, and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Joseph and Lucille (Swartz) Eckman; her husband, Arthur Roy Kunselman; and a son-in-law, Denny Lowry.

Memorial contributions can be made in her memory to a Humane Society of the donor’s choice.

uAllen J. Woods of State College formerly of Punxsutawney May 27, 1958 - September 19, 2022

Allen was an active member of the Punxsutawney Alliance Church where he was a board member and youth group leader. He graduated from Punxsutawney Area High School in 1976, spent four years in the United States Marine Corp, then enrolled at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he graduated with a degree in education.

Allen taught in Punxsutawney and Rocky Grove High School in Franklin then became an investigative auditor supervisor with the Bureau of Auditor General for Pennsylvania where he worked until his retirement.

Allen enjoyed the outdoors and was always exercising and staying in shape. He loved spending time with his family, particularly his children and grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Patricia L. Woods; three daughters, Jennifer N. Woods and John Kurpiewski, Kristen M. Woods and Tara (Quaid) J. Spearing; five grandchildren, Xaden Long, Adrienne Floyd, Meila Woods, Emma Woods, and Charlotte Spearing; his mother, Jessie Hickox; a brother, Arthur “Artie” Woods; a sister, Carol (Greg) Melvin; a brother-inlaw, James (Brenda) Breth; two sisters-inlaw, Nancy Breth and Pamela (Craig) Carpin; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was precdded in death by his father, Edgar Arthur Woods.

McCabe Funeral Home, Inc. (www.mccabewaldronfh.com)

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Carolina. Terry served in the Army National Guard for seven years. He started driving trucks for his father’s trucking company, Mitchell Stewart Trucking, at a very young age, which led him to be a selfemployed truck driver for over 20 years. He was a former member of the Punxsutawney Elks Lodge #301 and the Punxsutawney Hunting Club. Terry was a current member of the NRA. He enjoyed hunting and fishing.

He is survived by his wife of 35 years, Elaine (Covert) Stewart; a son, Shawn (April) Stewart; two daughters, Michele White and Temple (Scott) Atcheson; four grandchildren, Amber Witherow, Skylar Ross, Emilly Aaron, Dalton White; two great-grandchildren, Madilynn and Rosalie; and a brother, Sheldon Stewart.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Mitchell and Virginia (Miller) Stewart, and a son-in-law, Melvin White.

McCabe Funeral Home, Inc. (www.mccabewaldronfh.com)

u Michael “Boonie” Brudnock of Punxsutawney

February 25, 1940 - September 26, 2022

Boonie served in the United States Army during the Vietnam Era. After his service in the Army, he received his teaching degree from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Michael could not be restricted to being indoors as a teacher, so he found his niche working outside in the fresh air as a roofer. He was known all over the tri-county area as a roofer for Dunkel Roofing.

Boonie will be remembered for his freewilled spirit, his love of life, and his enjoyment of being around people. He loved to travel by motorcycle and was known as being a wanderer – you never knew where he would end up and where you might run into Boonie. He knew people from all around the local and surrounding areas. He was well known and loved by many for simply being Boonie.

He is survived by a brother, Metro Brudnock; nephews, Dan (Denise) Brudnock, Kirk (Brandy) Brudnock, Peter (Nicole) Brudnock, and Ronald Cielo, whom Boonie thought of like a son.

He was a member of and loved to go to St Joseph’s Polish Society in Delancey. He was also a member of the Moose and the Walston Club.

In addition to his parents, Mike and Charlotte (Whitfield) Brudnock, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Peter and Robert Brudnock, and an infant brother.

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Please visit the websites of the funeral homes listed to view the complete obituary, sign their guestbooks, plant a tree, and offer your condolences.

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Terry L. Stewart of Stump Creek

February 15, 1951 - September 23, 2022

Terry was a 1969 graduate of the Punxsutawney Area High School. He then attended Heavy Equipment School in South

If you have a loved one who has passed away and would like to publish the obituary in Hometown Magazine, please contact us at hometown@punxsutawneymagazine.com or call (814) 952-3668.

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A Look at the Oldest Halloween Traditions

s with many celebrations, Hal loween is steeped in traditions — many of which can be traced back quite some time. Since Halloween is be lieved to have originated from Celtic pagan, ancient Roman and early Chris tian events, its traditions are varied. The following is a deep look at some old tra ditions associated with Halloween.

A

Bonfires

Historians trace many traditions of Halloween to a Celtic holiday known as Samhain (pronounced sow-in). The Celts lived 2,000 years ago in parts of what is now Northern France, Great Britain and Ireland.

During Samhain, people believed that the door between the worlds of the liv ing and the dead was blurred. On Samhain, Celts believed the ghosts of the dead returned. Also, Druids made predictions about the future at this time of year. It was customary to build large, sacred bonfires and burn crops and other sacrifices to the Celtic deities.

While large bonfires are not typically part of Halloween celebrations today, revelers can light fire pits in their yards that are reminiscent of ancient celebra tions.

Trick-or-treating

Christianity spread throughout Celtic regions and blended with other rituals. Pope Gregory III expanded on a holiday Pope Boniface IV established to honor Christian martyrs to include all saints and martyrs. All Saints Day on Novem ber 1 commemorates the venerable saints, and All Souls Day on November 2 celebrates loved ones who went on to eternal rest. All-Hallows Eve (Hal loween) was a time to pay homage to the dead. Poor children would go door to door in more affluent neighborhoods offering to say prayers for residents’ de ceased loved ones in exchange for some food or money. This was known as

“souling,” which became the basis for trick-or-treating. Later the tradition be came known as “guising” in areas of Scotland, where children would go around in costumes.

Witches

Images of witches riding broomsticks are everywhere come Halloween, and witch costumes remain a standard. Al manac.com indicates that, during the Middle Ages, women who practiced divination were dubbed “witches,” from the Anglo-Saxon word “wicce,” or “wise one.” It was believed the witches could go into a trancelike state, and would do so in front of their fireplaces. Superstitious people believed the witches could fly out of their chimneys on broomsticks and terrorize others with magical deeds.

Bobbing for apples

Bobbing for apples is not quite as pop ular as it once was, as more people have become concerned about spreading germs. During the Roman festival for Pomona, which occurred around No vember 1, Pomona, the goddess of fruit and orchards, was celebrated. Romans believed the first person to catch a bob bing apple with his or her teeth would be the first to marry. It also was be lieved apple peels contained the secrets to true love.

Carving pumpkins

Removing the insides of pumpkins and carving them into funny or fearsome faces may be messy work, but it’s tradi tion on Halloween. Turnips were the material of choice in ancient Ireland, but were replaced by pumpkins when immigrants came to America. The “lanterns” were made with scary faces and lit to frighten away spirits.

Halloween is full of traditions, many of which have lengthy histories.

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2022 GIRLS’ GOLF (front row, l. to r.) Caleigh Smelko, Cay dynce Zampini, Camryn Hall; (back row) Olivia Burkett, Dan nika Brocious, Laci Poole, Katherine Crago, Kendall Couser. Photo by Jacinda Gigliotti.

2022 BOYS’ GOLF (front row, l. to r.) Cooper Parente, Gage Barrick, Dysen Gould, Josh Tyger; (back row) Noah Kengersky, Jimmy Neese, Jacob Henretta, Jake Sikora, Conner Smith, Hayden Anthony. Photo by Jacinda Gigliotti.

2022 BOYS’ CROSS COUNTRY (front row, l. to r.) Nolan Lewis, Adin Bish, Christopher Setree, Evan Mohney, Michael Setree; (back row) Daniel Lenze, Alex Momyer, Evan Groce, Gar rett Bartlebaugh, Sam Hindman, David Kunselman. Photo by Jacinda Gigliotti.

2022 GIRLS’ TENNIS (front row, l. to r.) Mya Galentine, Lilly Gigliotti, Bailee Stello, Emily McMahan, Racheal Porada, Brooke Skarbek; (back row) Haley Bridge, Reagan Houk, Leanne Zampini, Olivia Smith, Kaylin Smith, Chloe Presloid, Olivia Toven.

Photo by Jacinda Gigliotti.

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2022 GIRLS’ CROSS COUNTRY (front row, l. to r.) Claire Skarbek, Jordann Hicks, Hannah Surkala, Riley Miller, Beth Vallies; (back row) Kiah Greenawalt, Elizabeth Long, Emily Buzzard, Madison Momyer,

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2022 GIRLS’ JV/VARSITY VOLLEYBALL (front row, l. to r.) Lexi Poole, Kaylee Guidice, Sydney Hoffman, Morgan Riggie, Maisie Eberhart, Karli Young, Trinity Edney; (middle row) Ava Boben horn, Holly Deppen, Danielle Griebel, Faith Kimmerlee, Made lyn Neely, Brynn Herbert, Saman tha Griebel, Emiy Wiznesky, Madalyn Wachab; (back row) Sara Gotwald, Kylie Diem, Zoey Hoover, Kinsee Barnett, Megan Edney, Ciara Toven, Abbey Schaf fer, Makenna Gula, Keilei Reitz. Missing from photo: Kayla Bouch. Photo by Jacinda Gigliotti.

2022 JV/VARSITY FOOTBALL (front row, l. to r.) Noah Kanoff, Zach Presloid, Brett Dean, Davin Iannacchione, Landon Peterson, Zeke Bennett, Jor dan Rutan, Landon Temchulla, Alex Shumaker, Bryce Bergreen, Griffin White, Logan Moore, Zaden Gould; (middle row) Peyton Hetrick, Anthony Gould, Maddox Hetrick, Luke Miller, Mason Nesbitt, Seth Moore, Noah Weaver, Kaden Heigley, Andrew Yoder, Jared Meeks, Cameron Powell, Harry Yoder, Logan Baun, Noah Ondo, Collin Eberhart; (back row) Justin miller, Aiden Shaffer, Griffin Barrick, Beau Thomas, Landon Martz, Quinton Voelkel, Matthew Grusky, Kolton Koppenhaver, Nick Wisnesky, Adam Manners, Gabe Rowan, Ryan Kanouff, Adam Muth, Breydon Trithart. Missing from photo: Dylan Story and Owen Story. Photo by Jacinda Gigliotti.

2022 GIRLS’ SOCCER (front row, l. to r.) Katie Humble, Ashlyn Catarouche, Olivia Bish, Abby McAdoo, Lydia Miller, Abriel Zanaglio, Lilly Houser; (back row): Ava Roken, Becca Martin, Jalena Wintermyer, Isabella Gigliotti, Taylor Bair, Mary Grusky, Maggie Guidice, Chloe Silverstien, Isabella Kunselman. Missing from photo: Layla Fyock. Photo by Jacinda Gigliotti.

2022 CHEERLEADING (front row, l. to r.) Piper Petroff, Madison Kanouff, Audrey Johnson; (middle row) Eve Bennett, Ava Greenblatt, Kylee Smith, Brianna Fronk-Sunderlin, Kaitlin Shaffer; (back row) Mackenzie Greene, Makenzie Clontz, Arraya Getch, Abagail Blair, Kirsten Morrow, Rylee Ag nello. Missing from the photo is Riley Schaffer. Photo by Jacinda Gigliotti.

JUNIOR HIGH SOCCER (1st row) Emma Young, Aime Ferringer, Ava Snyder, Savannah Wooten, Paige Charles, Jayna Wickhouse, Addy Lewis; (2nd row) Avery Brownlee, Heath Miller, Parker Diven, Gracyn London, Molly Davis, Bella Young, Hai ley Peace, Aerith Caracciolo; (3rd row) Allison Waltman, Triston Panter, Jack son Stiver, Rooney Kunselman, Lucas Silverstien, Nicholas Beatty, Parker Pifer, Brielle Schaffer; (4th row) back: Aiden Anthony, Blake Dinger, Kyle Mennitti, Harvey Casaday, Luke Spran kle, Clayton Patterson, Owen Roken. Photo by Jacinda Gigliotti.

JUNIOR HIGH CROSS COUNTY (front row, l. to r.) Christian Gambino, Harper Cameron, Amyah Young-Rosey, Saman tha Case, Sophie Henretta, Daegen States, Aleena Filitske, Abby Martin; (back row) Bree Bergreen, Ella Burke, Kamm Browning, Abbi Pifer, Cheyenne Gervasoni, Jorja Ansinger, Bre Satter lee, Lyndsay Schurr, Delilah Yount, Bray den Riggie. Submitted photo.