Editorial

By Dave Ellis One month of summer is out of the way, two more to go. The month of July had six days of temperatures in the 90s and some upper 80s. This week the area should be getting some rain which will help out with the grass and gardens....

Pictured, from left, are Homer Smith (Feb. 20, 1905 - Feb. 3, 1991), son of Martin and Margaret Susan “Maggie” Puffenbarger Smith, Martin Smith (May 16, 1871 – Jan. 27, 1966), “Maggie” Smith (April 12, 1875 - Sept. 23, 1957), and Dolan Ray Grogg (Jan. 18, 1933 - June 27,...

By Dave Ellis Everyone is saying and asking God in prayers for much needed rain. The grass is turning brown and crunchy. Some folks haven’t mowed their grass in four weeks. This heat and a lack of rain is making the gardens harder to grow. Smith Creek and Friends Run...

Sugar Grove By Paula Mitchell The sweltering heat coincides with the rising of Sirius, the Dog Star.  In ancient Greece and Rome, the Dog Days were believed to be a time of drought, bad luck, and unrest, when men and dogs alike would be driven mad by the extreme heat! In...

30 Years Ago Week of July 19, 1994 Goland Finds  Jackpot of Mushrooms  On the North Fork The day after a nice rain July 9, I found and harvested over two pounds of the King Bolete, Boletus edulis, in a wooded cow pasture near our place near Cherry Grove on...

To the editor, On a Friday afternoon, at the bottom of North Fork Mountain Road, I had the opportunity to meet about a dozen beautiful human beings. As it turns out, a deer decided to dismount me from my motorcycle. A call to the Pendleton County Emergency Services brought out...

By Dave Ellis This area had a great rainfall on the Fourth of July. Some areas didn’t get a drop of rain. The only problem with the rain was that it came down too hard and mostly ran off since the ground is hard, but residents were glad to get...

30 Years Ago Week of July 7, 1994 DAHMER Church of the Brethren, Richard McDonald, pastor, from church bulletin — in 1776, on July 4, John Hancock led the signing of the Declaration of Independence. To those who signed it, it was the most important act of their lives. Thomas...

Sugar Grove By Paula Mitchell Here is an interesting old-time fruit with very interesting flavors. What has happened to all the Appalachian pawpaw trees? In days past, they were found everywhere — along streams, under bluffs, and on wooded slopes. The pawpaw has been described as custard pie without a crust; while others...

Sugar Grove By Paula Mitchell Pendleton County has farmland, and naturally, there are abundant farmers in the mix. Advice for the farmers can be heeded with some humor. Your fences need to be horse-high, pig-tight and bull-strong. Keep skunks and bankers at a distance. Life is simpler when you plow around...