10 Years Ago
Week of June 2, 2016
Phares Strikes a Chord with Guitar Business
Chuck Phares is making the world a more beautiful place, at least to those who have an ear for quality musical instruments.
A talented woodworker, he decided to build his first guitar in the early 1990s and has spent the last 25 years perfecting his trade. Phares was influenced by his father, Robert Phares of Circleville, also a talented woodworker.
Phares is completely self-taught when it comes to his trade, although he does admit that You Tube is an “awesome teacher.” From start to finish, he performs every part of the process, from selecting the piece of wood that will be used for the body of the guitar to installing the hardware that will produce the sound.
20 Years Ago
Week of June 1, 2006
TV Personalities
Open New Business
If one believes that angels walk the face of the earth and are here to help mankind—or if one doesn’t believe in the earthy presence of angels—Sandy Young, a new resident and business owner in Seneca Rocks, is the person to talk to.
If one finds the hieroglyphs—are those formations resembling animal and human outlines ancient, totemic carvings or are they naturally occurring?—on Seneca Rocks, Nelson Rocks and Champe Rocks a source of wonder, mystery and myth-laden resonance, then her husband, Jim Young, an ordained minister, is the person to talk to.
If one wants advice on holistic approaches to health or wants to know about the possible spiritual sources of aches and pains and all types of physical ailments, then both of the Youngs, a charming, accomplished and articulate couple, are people to be sought out.
In March, the Youngs purchased Skate World adjacent to the Macksville Mart from Carrol and Eleanor Warner and moved to Seneca Rocks from Gaithersburg, MD, not far from the nation’s capital.
They now operate what was known as “Skate World” as the Honey Bear Restaurant & Conference Center.
There is a cozy restaurant, and there is an arcade gaming section for kids.
But there is also about 9,000 square feet of space in the building, and the Youngs have a variety of ideas for how to make it a “center for the community” and a tourist draw for the area.
These plans are not idle ones because Jim and Sandy Young have a following through the cable television show they produce twice a month.
Jim Young grew up in Paw Paw and has been coming to the Seneca Rocks area all of his life. He worked as a representative of individuals, businesses and organizations having legal troubles with the Internal Revenue Service.
A native of Schellsburg, PA, Sandy Young was educated in Maryland and worked professionally as an engineer.
Now they are Pendletonians, who love the Seneca Rocks area for the way it resonates with them as an ancient place full of history, myth and profound spirituality.
But, as proponents of living healthy lifestyles, they were also drawn to the county by its clean air, clean water, beautiful mountains and good people.
They invite those good local folks to stop in and get to know their new neighbors anytime at the Honey Bear.
Kimble Donates Bugle To Veterans
Honor Guard
Keith Kimble, owner of Kimble Funeral Home in Franklin, donated a ceremonial bugle to members of the Pendleton County Veterans Honor Guard to be used by them at funeral services for all veterans in the county.
The military veterans organizations of the county have formed the PCVHG to pay final tribute to military veterans who, in times of war and peace, have dedicated their loyal service to the United States of America. The PCVHG performs at funerals of military veterans when requested by the deceased veteran’s family.
The PCVHG consists of volunteer members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9666 of Sugar Grove, Post 2370 of Franklin and Post 6862 of Seneca Rocks, as well as American Legion Post 30 of Franklin and Post 183 of Riverton.
40 Years Ago
Week of June 5, 1986
Catholic Church Here
To Hold Open House
The community of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church on Hall’s Hill south of Franklin will hold open house Sunday, June 22, from 1 to 5 p.m. in observance of ten years of local service and to provide an opportunity for area residents to visit the newly constructed church.
The original community of about eight members and their families began to gather in 1975 at the home of the late Robert Gonshor where various liturgical services and organizational meetings were held. In November 1975, thanks to the generosity and cooperation of the Lutheran community, the first mass was celebrated at Faith Lutheran Church, Franklin. In the summer of 1976, under the leadership of Bishop Joseph Hodges, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston purchased the present property on Hall’s Hill in Franklin.
In 1978, Fr. “Bud” Raney was assigned to St. Elizabeth’s as the first full time pastor, and the two houses adjacent to the property on which the new building now sits were purchased—one to serve as a residence (parsonage); the other to serve as a chapel/classroom/activities building.
In the spring of 1984, with the support of the Bishop Hodges, the building committee met for the first time to discuss plans for the new building. The committee worked in conjunction with the Diocesan building advisor.
For budgeting purposes, the building is designed to be a multi-purpose room, with most rooms serving more than one function. The main room, for example, serves primarily as a worship space, but is also used as a dining room and for large meetings.
The building, which covers approximately 3,550 square feet, has only one floor and so is easily accessible to the handicapped. The architect was Alpha Corporation of Morgantown, and the contractor was Michael Blankenship of Franklin with Hott and Miller of Brandywine.
The new building is a welcome addition. Because the congregation consists of between 110-120 members—representing all parts of Pendleton County and parts of Highland County, Virginia, especially Monterey—space was a premium in the small white house. The small chapel had become over-crowded and even squeezing in elbow-to-elbow could not give enough room for everyone.
50 Years Ago
Week of June 3, 1976
67 Franklin High School Seniors to Receive
Diplomas Sunday Night
West Virginia Attorney General Chauncey Browning, Jr., will deliver the commencement address to the graduates of Franklin High School Sunday night.
Sixty-seven seniors will receive their high school diplomas during the commencement exercises which will be conducted in the high school auditorium beginning at 8 p.m.
Kindergarten Class Makes Quilt
Mrs. Holly Hubbs and her kindergarten class at Franklin Elementary School crafted a Bicentennial quilt as part of their class work.
Each child in the class printed and then embroidered his name and birth date on a white square, and the squares were stitched together with red and blue borders by Mrs. Hubbs and Mrs. Jean Landis, teacher assistant. The children helped to knot the quilt.
The quilt will be displayed at the Treasure Mountain Festival and at their high school graduation.
60 Years Ago
Week of June 2, 1966
Bluebirds Becoming More Numerous
In Pendleton
By Hughlynn Wilson
The first reports from the Bluebird Conservation Project in Pendleton County indicated that the bluebird is returning to the area. More and more bluebirds are being seen along the roads, in fields, and around houses placed for them. Also, the reports show that more than fifty percent of the bluebird houses are being used in some areas.
The Brandywine 4-H club placed 31 bluebird houses on Route 33 and the South Fork Road to Fort Seybert. On May 20 sixteen of the houses were being used by bluebirds. Some of the nests were just being built, while others contained from three to six eggs. Some had young birds only a few hours old and others contained young birds old enough to leave the nest. The sixteen nests are more families of bluebirds than were counted by the Brooks Bird Club in the spring of 1963 after a week of observation in the whole county.
The Sugar Grove 4-H club also reports that about half of the bluebird houses are being used. The Fort Seybert club reports that about one third of theirs are being used with hope that they can reach fifty percent. Besides the large number of birds using the houses, more than ten families of bluebirds have been observed using other boxes or holes in fence posts and trees.
A detailed study of the bluebirds along Route 33 from the Methodist parsonage in Brandywine to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Simmons near Fort Seybert revealed nine families of birds. Four of these nests were in 4-H houses and five were in fence posts and holes in trees. If this ratio is a true picture of the South Fork, there will be between 80 and 100 bluebird nests on the South Fork this summer.
The Potomac Valley Garden Club which is helping sponsor the project visited 12 nest between Brandywine and Fort Seybert on May 7.
Colored slides were taken of the nests and birds.
The first reports indicate that the conservation project is going to be a real success and that the bluebird is on its way back to Pendleton County.
EDITORIALS
Beauty Reflects Character—
Beauty is one of Pendleton County’s greatest assets. The county is blessed with much natural beauty and it also has considerable man-made attractiveness. Property owners here historically have taken pride in their holdings and maintained them appropriately. As a result our farm lands and countrysides abound in pastoral scenes that rival the artist’s canvas and our communities are neat and clean.
This pleasing appearance is not a result of mere chance. Rather it is the result of persistent effort on the part of many. It is a result of long hours of work mowing lawns, painting buildings, trimming fence rows and mending outbuildings. But it is worth it, and the result is enjoyed not only by the passerby but also by those whose sweat accomplished it.
We are proud of our county and our citizens who have helped make it so beautiful. We join with our mercantile friends whose messages say let’s spruce up our property and keep our county beautiful, not just to win a trophy nor to entice the tourist, but because our property is a part of us and it must be neat and clean to accurately reflect the character of our citizenry.
70 Years Ago
Week of May 31, 1956
Back Street Gets
Surface Treatment
Workmen were busy Saturday applying a blacktop surface on a portion of Eastern Back Street. The portion of the street getting the surface treatment extends from the rear of the Pendleton Motor Sales garage building north to the street between Mrs. Mae Byrd’s property and the Brooke Boggs property. Another coat of the black top treatment was applied Tuesday.
B. J. Aulde said Monday that there are a lot of rumors going around that the work on Eastern Back Street is costing the town a lot of money. “This rumor is entirely false,” Mr. Aulde said, “because I am paying for most of it myself.”
Mr. Aulde went on to explain that a six-inch water main had been laid from near the Potomac Valley Creamery building up the street to Dr. Sites’ medical building and that a two-inch water line had been extended from there over to the Brooke Boggs corner. Also 1200 feet of 12-inch sewer has been installed which runs from the Byrd corner to the river. “In addition to this,” Mr. Aulde said, “a retaining wall was built along the eastern side of the street and the street has been graded and filled in.”
“The only expense this street project has been to the town was the cost of the pipe. The town furnished the pipe and I paid for laying it, and I have also paid for all the rest of the work done there including grading and filling in the street and applying the black top surface. This can be verified by the town records,” Mr. Aulde added.
