10 Years Ago
Week of October 23, 2014
Teaching Youth
To Volunteer
According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, roughly 64.5 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2011 and September 2012. While those statistics do not include children under the age of 16, that does not mean youngsters cannot lend a helping hand and chip in as volunteers.
For many youngsters, exposure to volunteering opportunities begins with mom and dad. In fact, the Corporation for National & Community Service notes that a youth from a family where at least one parent volunteers is nearly twice as likely to volunteer as a youth from a family with no family members who volunteer.
Youngsters are often enthusiastic about volunteering, and that enthusiasm only increases when kids find the right volunteer opportunities. The following are a handful of places that typically offer volunteer opportunities tailor-made for youngsters who want to give back to their communities.
Nature Cleanup
Many children love to spend time in the great outdoors, making a local park or roadside trash cleanup an ideal way for kids to volunteer. Kids can join groups to clear parks and roadsides of litter and debris, all the while spending a few hours outdoors in the sun. Such projects keep kids on their feet as well, providing a healthy dose of exercise for youngsters who may not be into organized sports. Roadside work should always include adult supervision. For more information about roadside cleanup and to get safety gear, contact the local department of highways office.
Food Collection/Toy Drives
During the holiday season, children and youth can participate in toy drives or Operation Christmas Child. Some organizations will even accept gently used items. This gives youngsters the opportunity to select from their own possessions to provide joy to others at Christmas making the contribution more meaningful.
This type of volunteer work may open youngsters’ eyes to the reality that not everyone is as fortunate as they are, instilling a sense of obligation to the less fortunate that can serve kids well for the rest of their lives.
Nursing Home
Residents of nursing homes may experience newfound vigor when getting a visit from a child. Parents can contact local nursing homes or retirement communities to learn about volunteer opportunities for children.
Religious Organizations
The Corporation for National & Community Service notes that many youths are likely to volunteer through a religious organization. Such organizations, including churches and youth groups tend to encourage their younger members to give back to their communities, and many are involved in a variety of volunteer opportunities aimed at kids of all ages and interests.
4-H
Four-H is a service organization that provides opportunities for youth, age 9 – 21, to learn new things, make new friends and serve the community they live in. Members are part of clubs that work together to foster relationships and provide opportunities that may not be available to youth acting alone.
Garden Clubs
For the child that loves being outdoors and enjoys getting their hands dirty, volunteering for a garden club may be the answer. Most clubs perform service projects throughout the year and would welcome a youngster’s energy and enthusiasm.
Children often make great volunteers. Finding the right volunteering opportunity for your youngster can foster a love of volunteering for years to come and provide a lifetime of fulfillment.
30 Years Ago
Week of October 20, 1994
DAHMER
Ruddle Is Historic Center Of Pendleton County
The old country store at Ruddle operated by the late Dayton Harold is now called Poole’s Bit-O-Country Antiques. It is now a very attractive store both on the first floor and the attic. The store was visited by a number of folks that attended the Hedrick sale Saturday. Hopefully, they will tell others about it. Nearby in this little hamlet, as Ms. Poole loves to call it, is Hemlock Inn with a local boy, Dewayne Propst, as chef. Do not forget to view the historical marker near the place where Pendleton County was first organized June 2, 1788. Then there is a fish hatchery nearby with the nice spring water that flows past Mrs. Nola Ruddle Vandevander’s residence. The Indians loved to bathe in this warm spring water in the wintertime. Nola can point to the spot where Skidmore Grist Mill once stood and also where Skidmore Fort stood over two centuries ago.
60 Years Ago
Week of October 22, 1964
100 YEARS AGO
By LON K. SAVAGE
Editor’s Note—The following is one of a series of articles on the Civil War. Each weekly installment covers events which occurred exactly 100 years ago.
Early Routed
To End Valley Campaign
It was still dark, and most of the troops in the VIII Corps of Phil Sheridan’s Federal army were asleep in their tents. Outside, fog rose from Cedar Creek and the North Fork of the Shenandoah River in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
Suddenly, rifle and artillery fire erupted in the night, and out of the gorge along the river thousands of yelling Confederates rose and swooped into the Federal encampment. Never had an army been so surprised as on that early morning of October 19, 100 years ago this week.
So began the Battle of Cedar Creek, which turned, within 12 hours, from a Confederate victory to a Federal victory; which ended the Valley campaign of 1864 and which made a legend of the Federal commander, Sheridan.
Gen. Jubal Early’s surprise attack had been planned as a last resort to hold the valley for the South. In the past month, Early had been whipped twice by Sheridan’s larger army, and he had stood by helplessly as Sheridan’s men burned and destroyed the valley’s crops, harvest, livestock and mills. Now, his army was starving, and he had to either attack or get out.
He found Sheridan’s army encamped along Cedar Creek, 20 miles south of Winchester. During the night before the attack, his men silently worked themselves into position along the river, and just before daylight, the battle was on.
The VIII Corps was devastated. The troops hadn’t even time to dress or grab their guns; most fled, barefooted, and more than 1,000 were captured, still half asleep. Early’s Confederates captured Federal artillery, spun it around and fired it at the fleeing Yanks.
Sheridan’s XIX Corps was hit next. Within minutes, it too, had joined the horde now streaming in panic toward Winchester.
The VI Corps and Sheridan’s famous cavalry, all that remained of his army, held fast, and finally Early’s steamroller slowed to a stop. The Southerners, hungry as always, set about looting the Federal encampment, gorging themselves on food.
Phil Sheridan, just back from Washington, had spent the night at Winchester. Returning to camp that morning, he heard the noise and spurred his horse over rail fences, he waved his hat and yelled to his men as he passed, “Turn back! Turn back!” And, miraculously, the men looked at him, cheered and responded.
As Sheridan galloped on, his devastated army somehow re-grouped itself; men turned around and headed back for the fight.
For an hour, Sheridan formed his army, then ordered his line forward. The Federals swept back into their camp, driving back the Confederates, many of whom still were busy looting. On the Federals came, recapturing all the equipment they had lost in the morning plus nearly all that Early had brought with him. Early’s army limped up the valley, never again to pose a serious threat to the Shenandoah Valley.
Next week: Stop Hood!
70 Years Ago
Week of October 21, 1954
Hazel’s Embrace
Costs County Over $50,000 Flood Damages
Hurricane Hazel, which churned up out of the Caribbean last week and cut across the North American continent from the Carolinas to Hudson Bay, left its mark on Pendleton County.
While the winds in this area did not reach hurricane velocity, an all-day rain drenched the county last Friday which caused high water and extensive damage to roads, farms and electric power lines.
Dick Murphy, observer for the U. S. Weather Bureau, reported that 5.68 inches of rain fell Friday between 4 a.m. and 7 p.m. He said this was the largest amount of rain which has fallen in so short a time since the 1949 flood.
Jack White, District 8 Maintenance Assistant for the State Road Commission, yesterday estimated the damage caused by the high waters to the road system in Pendleton County at $54,850.
He said the sections damaged most in the county were the Roaring Creek-Brushy Run-Seneca Creek section on the North Fork, and the Brushy Fork-Broad Run-Rough Run section on the South Fork. The major items of damage were road base and creek channel disturbance, he added.
County Road Supervisor Riley Thompson said two 30-foot bridges were washed completely out. Once was located on Roaring Creek two miles northeast of Onego, and practically all of a 1-1/2 mile stretch of the Mill Run Road three miles southwest of Brandywine was washed out including three fords. Also, a 200 foot section of the Roaring Creek Road 2-1/2 miles northeast of Onego was washed away.
Damage to the road system in the county was recorded at 32 different places in addition to many slides and clogged culverts.
The storm also did considerable damage to the electric power lines in the county. Although the power was not interrupted in Franklin, it was off in most of the surrounding sections.
Most of the North Fork area was without service for at least several hours Friday.
80 Years Ago
Week of October 20, 1944
FRANKLIN HI LIGHTS
- F. A. NEWS
The Franklin Chapter of FFA is planning to purchase a soil tester which will be kept in the Chapter regular line of equipment for the purpose of testing soil for the various minerals and elements which are essential for plant development.
We judge that this tester will be of great advantage to the Farmers of Pendleton county as a great deal of the soil is lacking minerals and elements which are essential to plants. With the aid of the tester the farmers can have their soil up again and make it more productive.
We are planning to initiate the freshmen as soon as possible. We are expecting to have Circleville to initiate ours and we would initiate theirs.
A SLIGHT MIX-UP
CHARLESTON, W. Va.—It seems that Tyler county dogs don’t always chase deer when they take to the fields alone, said Game Protector W. P. Baker in a recent report to the Conservation Commission.
“I had a report there was a deer killed on Davis Run, but it happened to be a goat.”
FRANKLIN—DOE HILL ROUTE TO HAVE
DAILY MAIL SERVICE
Through the personal efforts of Congressman Jennings Randolph daily mail service (except Sunday) will be given beginning on Oct. 18 on the mail route from Franklin, by Moyers to Doe Hill.
We have not learned whether there will be any change in the schedule.
CREAM WANTED
Farmers—our route service is free in Pendleton, Grant and Hardy. I am buying more cream than any other buyer in the valley, but still want more. If on route, write me at Rough Run.
- C. HINKLE, Your best Cream Buyer, Stations: Petersburg, Moorefield and Franklin. 10:20:4tc
Muntzing First Valley Man To Be Nominated For House
Melvin C. Muntzing, of Petersburg, is the first nominee for Congress in the history of the South Branch Valley. For this reason, as much as the fact that he is a farmer seeking election from a district predominantly agricultural, he is expected to pool one of the heaviest votes every given a candidate for the House of Representatives.
Muntzing is not a rabid Republican in a political sense, but prefers to be considered a good neighbor and farmer friend. “I am not seeking political victory,” he says, “because a great many Democrats are also going to vote for me. This alone shows that party lines will be swept aside November 7.
“But politics should not be considered when we think in terms of the common good of the farmers of the South Branch Valley and elsewhere in the district.”
