THE WI NEWSLETTER 03/09

THE WI NEWSLETTER



Editor: Roleta Smith Meredith Issue 115 March 2009








SPORTS

submitted by: Bill Meredith (Monongah '57)
billmere@aol.com

As a young boy growing up in West Virginia, basketball was my life. I would spend hours playing or practicing on a dirt court at the local playground. Most of the time I was alone, just me and that muddy ball, hour after hour, day after day! I joined a team in elementary school and really enjoyed playing through the eighth grade in a small gym, where the ceiling was so low, that all shots had to be "flat", with almost no arc. Next it was on to high school, where I played for the freshman team my first year and the reserve and varsity teams as a sophomore. Being a small school, we got to play in some gyms that were unique, to say the least. Our home gym was more of a swimming pool than a gym, with the banking boards mounted only about two feet from the end walls. I soon learned to put one arm up to protect myself from the collision with the wall after every lay up. Many of us shot foul shots underhanded with amazing accuracy. We didn't win as many games as we lost, but our coach always told us that we would "get them in football". And, we always did. One evening during practice, I noticed a man with his young son, talking to our coach. The small boy, who was about five years old, could really dribble a basketball well. When I asked someone who they were, I was told that it was Nick Saban and his son, Little Nick, who later would lead the Monongah football teams to statewide fame. As most of you know, Little Nick has gone on to fortune and fame as a college and professional football coach.

Late in high school, I had the privilege of attending the state basketball tournament in Morgantown. The Class A (big school) final was between East Bank and Mullens. Two players really impressed me, Willie Akers of Mullens and Jerry West of East Bank. Of course, both went on to star at WVU and West became a bit famous, too.

I later tried to make it as a walk-on at WVU, but had to settle for intramural ball instead. I never lost my love for the game and continued to play in local leagues in Ohio for many years. I still follow high school games in central West Virginia and the Mountaineers from my home in Florida.

What wonderful memories the teams of Fred Schaus, Joe Retton (Fairmont St.), Gale Catlett, John Beilein, and now, Bob Huggins have given me. I'm thrilled to have enjoyed over sixty years of basketball, West Virginia style.


Pictured above is Bill revisiting his old basketball court in Monongah High School. Here he shows you how close the basket was to the wall!



submitted by: Mary Elizabeth Weaver Snead (WI '60)
auntmerts@bellsouth.net

When I think of WI's basketball games, I think of hoarse voice and lots of fun. I remember so often of losing my voice after the games when we would cheer so much. I loved the cheers and loved to watch the cheerleaders as they would lead us. I can still remember the hand jive we would do a cheer to! I would try to get to the Carmichael Auditorium as early as I could in order to get a good seat. Seems like the different classes would sit together at the games. We would stuff our coats under the seats where the coaches and players sat during the games. I do remember 2 special games. Bobby Secret shot the ball from the far end of the floor into the basket and scored the winning points for us. I don't remember who we played but it was a good game and we were all so proud of Bobby. I'm not even sure what year that was. The other game I love to remember was a night when a big snow storm came calling. When we got out of the game, everything was so white and the snow was falling at a very fast rate. We all walked home slipping and sliding, but loving every minute of it. I am sure there were lots of snow nights but that one in particular comes to mind. And again, I don't remember what year it was. Can you tell I love to remember but my memory is certainly not that great.



submitted by: Herb Cottrill (WI '52)
herbc@vsba.org

Basketball: In 1951, when I was a junior, I started my first (and only) game that season against Shinnston (and Frank Spadafore). I guess that Coach Hite thought I could keep up with him because I was quick (but not like Frankie). On the first possession I stole the ball from Spadafore and raced down court for a layup. I was so pumped up that my shot went over the backboard and into the band area. That was my last steal and Spadafore (who was All-State that year) scored 20 points.



THE SIXTIES

This site was submitted by: Patty Terrill Stealey (WI 1959)

What lovely music…what great memories. Either click on the below site or copy and paste into your browser. Great music and pictures.

http://objflicks.com/TakeMeBackToTheSixties.htm




A world of wishes at your command,
God and his angels close at hand,
Friends and family, their love impart,
And Irish blessings in your heart!




REMEMBERING THINGS

submitted by: Judy Aspy Payne (WI '59)
jim.goinspayne@triadbiz.rr.com

As you will soon notice, I am a novice at this.  I work in a computer all day at our office, and the last thing I want to do is to play with our laptop in the evenings!  Jim and I both enjoy the newsletter, however - he has several Phi Sig fraternity brothers from Clarksburg and the area.  Thank you & Judy for all your hard work!  I have been storing up memories for several issues; so here goes!  

Re: Miss Nutter (I could never refer to her by her first name.)
I had her for Freshman Latin 1st period every day and was as scared of her as everyone else, but worked hard and competed with Fred Alvaro for "first chair". She liked Fred and once referred to him as an "Adonis".  I did learn a lot from both Miss Nutter and Miss Allbright (who later was chosen Teacher of the Year and appeared on national television) about root words.  This did me a ton of good on vocabulary tests and helped a lot when we spent four years in Venezuela and I had to learn to speak Spanish.  I can also get about halfway through the Lord's Prayer in Latin.  

Re: My old neighborhood
I, too, looked for it in the listings and could not find it.  I guess I thought of it as East Main.  We attended Carlisle with kids from Goff Plaza (Corrine Tannenbaum, Alex McFadden), Broad Oaks (Sallie Sue White), but most of us lived right off East Main between the A&P and the Goff Plaza Bridge.  If you lived on Elm, Maple, Oak, Clay, Carr Ave.,Williams Court, etc, this is your neighborhood.   Because we were close to St Mary's, Notre Dame and Immaculate Conception, we had a great many Catholic families (Reisers, Grants, Wilsons, Keeleys, Carinnis, etc), but also Jewish and Protestant kids.  I still remember hearing the horror stories about Sister this or that and am probably one of the few Protestants around who thought "Do Black Patent Shoes Really Reflect Up?" was a riot.  I felt sorry for our kids until we lived in Toronto for three years - they didn't know what Catholic or Jewish meant till then.

I spent most of my growing - up years on Elm Street, first in a rented house at 401 from about 1944 to 1949.  I attended kindergarten through second grades at Carlisle.  I'm not sure how long that kindergarten lasted.  It wasn't there when I returned for sixth grade, but it was state - of - the - art while I was there – had sand and water tables, etc.  My father, Art, was drafted while we lived there, and his parents came to live with us and to help out financially.  Between them and our wonderful neighbors we survived.  I still remember having groceries delivered and my mother giving the man her ration tickets and tokens.  We all loved Elm Street, so much so that we built a house at 306 Elm during the Korean Conflict.  In the meantime we lived at 309 Hickman St and my brother, Arty, and I attended Towers Elementary.  I will have to give sled riding honors to those of you who grew up on The Hill.  Third St was so steep it had steps, and from the top you could ride all the way to the courthouse.  I remember the night the old First Methodist Church burned.  Our parents woke us, and from Arty's bedroom window we had ringside seats.

Back to Elm St in 1952, just in time for the birth of my sister Joyce that Sunday. (We had moved in on Friday.)  Because of the war, it had taken Frank Mazza and his brothers about two years to build it, but it even had custom cabinets made by their dad, and the basement was always dry.  It still looks good, as does the neighborhood.

Memories of the area include the swinging bridge, where people often got rid of unwanted litters of pets, the beautiful walk on East Main with its varied walls to walk on top of, when the Marstiller house was our Haunted House and we dared each other to run up and touch the door, the "buckeye" tree at the corner of Clay and Main, the old hitching post in front of that same house (and whatever happened to that?), the cobblestones on Denham St, but most of all the people! Ours was a neighborhood with a mixture of religions and income levels, and political persuasions, but we kids played out under the streetlights until forced to come in, walked to school together and made friends.  Our parents sat on porches and visited each other, helped in times of trouble and, together, raised us.

On behalf of a lot of Aspys, Spellsburgs, Stouts, Holdens, Clemmons, Grants, Roses, etc, thanks for mentioning our neighborhood!



submitted by: Natalie Harrison Traugh (WI '62)
Nntraugh@aol.com

I can't begin to tell you how much I appreciate all your long hours and hard work you put into the newsletter each month. I really look forward to reading it.

I have made it thru 5 years with my ALS when they had predicted that was all the longer I would live and it's only progressed a little. WVU doctors are really surprised but I'm holding in there.

Speaking of areas of town, we lived in what they referred to as the "foot of Kelly Hill". It was on East Pike Street, across from what is now Raymond's Restaurant. I think I was 3 months old when my family moved there. I remember my father only paid $25.00 a month rent. Also we lived there when the Dairy Queen on the corner of East Pike and Linden Avenue opened. Cones were .05 cents then. When we moved they tore our house and 2 others down and put in a service station which is gone now.

My brother, James, (Class of '61) better known as Butch Harrison played basketball at WI. The only real memory I have is the time my father was hollering at the officials during a game and WI got a foul for it. My father was a real sports nut.

Re: Teachers: My biggest surprise was Yvonne Tiennebrunne. Needless to say in school I thought she was a real terror. But when I married and moved to Salem she was a shut-in on our church list and I used to go visit her on Terrace Ave. She was a real lady and we became good fiends. She used to tell me about when she started teaching and how she road the train to Clarksburg on Monday and home on Friday. She rented a room in Clarksburg during the week while she taught. As we grow older and meet our teachers after they retire they really change in our opinions. It's sort of like how our parents get smarter as we grow older.

I know this is a lot of different subjects but I have failed to write when you were discussing some of them. Thanks again for all your work.



submitted by: Mary Harbert Nophsker (WI '58)
Menrn40@aol.com

I just had a chance to read January's newsletter.
It was really interesting to read about everyone’s memories of living on "The Hill", and how so many of our memories were similar. What stood out the most was the fond memories we had of our childhoods and the friends we did things with. I wonder how many of our grandchildren will have such things to look back on, or will they just remember the people they play on line games with or the friends they text message? Everyone's afraid to let their children run and play and just come home at supper. My sister and I are so glad we grew up when and where we did.

Also want to thank Steve Goff for his YouTube sights for the oldies. I finally tried one just to see what was there and spent the next 2 hrs listening to old Elvis Presley songs. I now look forward to these each month.

Thanks so much to you and Judy for taking on this huge task each month. I don't know how you ever find the time to do all you do.

Have a great year.



submitted by: Diana Calverley Haskell (WI '60)
dianahaskell@mindspring.com

I certainly remember Miss Emily Taylor. Her method of diagramming sentences has stuck with me for life. She was a strict teacher but she certainly produced results! I even remember the colors:

Red for verbs
Blue for nouns
Purple for pronouns
Yellow for adjectives
Green for adverbs
Orange for gerunds
Brown for prepositions
Black for conjunctions

I also remember listening to Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony for the first time in the music appreciation club that she sponsored. The look of sheer rapture on her face was contagious.



submitted by: Bill Hutchinson (WI '52)
Hutch21934@aol.com

I will volunteer to offer my early memories of Adamston. My life began at 1613 West Pike Street, within sight of Victory High School across the street. My grandfather, William Vincent Hutchinson was from Louisa County Kentucky who came to Clarksburg around 1900 to work as an engineer on the B & O. He married one of the daughters of Jonathan and Matilda Kidd of Crooked Run, the small valley that begins at the Gore streetcar stop. When they married, they moved to Adamston and lived at 1611 W. Pike St. where my grandfather opened a grocery store in what later became Schneider Heating. My grandfather later built a new building right next to Victory H.S. where my father graduated in 1927. When the new store building opened, the family moved to 1613. Matilda Kidd lived at 1617. Jonathan was the Postmaster for Adamston for some time. My father worked around Clarksburg but the problems of the depression led him back to the gas station next to Victory. Thus my father was familiar with most of his teachers at the high school and liked to show me off. I knew the principal Lucy Bailey. Directly across the street from Victory lived Kenneth Cubbins and his wife. My grandmother maintained rooms at 1613 which she rented to various single teachers and eventually to Emanuel Bear who purchased the gas station next to Victory. Manny later added a small restaurant but eventually moved to Fairmont. I was a social animal but I knew mostly adults, few children in my block. I attended Adamston Grade School until we moved to Stealey in November 1940.

I don't know any Victory graduates as I transferred to Morgan Grade School in November, 1940. I was pleased to see that Mr. Lowther was still among the living. He and I had some serious talks about my deportment. In the 1930's, one of Mr Cubbins' neighbors was A. W. (AW) Shaw, the Victory band director. The school choral and orchestra director in 1927 was Clyde Becket who later was choir director at Christ Episcopal Church and recruited me and other boys in mid 1940's to be in the Church boys choir. Another 1927 Victory graduate was Frances (Upton) Custer, whose daughter Catherine was in my 1952 class at W.I. The Upton family of at least four girls and one son were all in education to some degree and are worthy of a family biography. The Uptons and my grandparents, William Vincent and Anna Charlotte were among the founders of the Adamston Methodist Church. I still have my grandparents' check that helped finance that church



INTERESTING

submitted by: Arreta Radcliffe Jaranko (WI '40)
jjaranko@frontiernet.net

This little bit of information might interest some of the readers as it is amazing. A man by the name of Frank Buckles lives near me and he is 108 years old!! Still getting around, too. But the amazing thing is he is the last living veteran of World War I !!! Just imagine what history he has seen in his long life! He has been receiving considerable attention from various organizations, the past president called him and congratulated him, and there have been newspaper accounts and interviews plus here in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia where I live a highway has been named for him. Can you imagine living to be 108 years old?!!



May the leprechauns be near you,
To spread luck along your way.
And may all the Irish angels,
Smile upon you St. Patrick’s Day.




SUBJECTS FOR YOU TO WRITE ABOUT NEXT MONTH

What was the “Purple Tree”? What do you remember about it? Where was it located?

What and where was the Red Barn?

Let’s hear from you about Coach Moore, Coach Marra and/or Coach Folio.

Featured teacher for the month of April will be Miss Griffin, Librarian at WI.

Did you marry someone you dated while in high school?? When did you start dating? What is the age difference? Tell us about it?

Children's Theater at WI. Joe Charles (Bridgeport 1955) suggested this subject. He says he remembers going to see Rip Van Winkle in the 40’s. I remember going there in the 40s and seeing Rip Van Winkle. Do you know if there were other plays and who was in charge of these productions? Did you participate as a crew member or an actor? It is ironic that the story was written by Washington Irving, and was performed there. Did this have anything to do with the production?

Write your memories to: Roleta1@aol.com




THOSE WHO GAVE THIS MONTH

I received checks for the WIN Scholarship from:

Joe Malone (WI 1953)
Dick Hanifan (WI 1959)
Larry O’Grady (With the class of WI 1955 but moved to Bridgeport)
Sharon Bee Armstrong (Bristol HS 1959) Sent a check in honor of her son, Billy, who is serving in Afghanistan.
Mary Elizabeth Custer Carder (WI 1954)
Ellen White Pollack (WI 1972)
Last year we were able to give 2 each $3,000.00 scholarships to a graduate of R.C. Byrd High School. (This is the consolidated High School in Clarksburg). These scholarships were paid at $1,500.00 per semester to the student account at the college of their choice to help ease college expense.

If you wish to be a part of this project just write a check to Roleta Meredith c/o WIN Scholarship.

And mail it to me at:
Roleta Meredith
3201 Charles MacDonald Drive
Sarasota, Florida 34240

I thank you and the child receiving the scholarship certainly will appreciate your generosity.
REMEMBER-----NO GIFT IS TOO SMALL OR TOO LARGE… every cent fits in the bank account.



OLD WORDS

8-Track
Butter Churn
Coffee mill
Davenport
Flash bulbs
Flash cubes
Hi Fidelity (HI-FI)
Milk Separator
Party Line
Picture Show
Rain Bonnet
Roll of Film
Spinning wheel
Street Car
Test Pattern (TV)
Victrola
Yonder
Fetch it
Druther
britches
petticoat
waistcoat
pin curls
ear bobs
underskirt
hoopskirt
pantaloons
ballerina skirt
Spitoon



Leprechauns, castles, good luck and laughter;
Lullabies, dreams and love ever after.
Poems and songs with pipes and drums;
A thousand welcomes when anyone comes...;
That's the Irish for you!



WHEN PRESIDENT JOHN FITZGERALD KENNEDY WAS SHOT!

submitted by: Robert White (WI '72)
rwhite@djs.state.wv.us

I was in the fourth grade at Point Comfort School when just about lunch time our principal, Ms. Myrl Rohrbough, came into our room and told us that our crossing guard, Mrs. Edith Nutt, had called in to inform of the shooting. Ms. Rohrbough came back to the door a few minutes later, saying that Mrs. Nutt called back in, stating that the President had died. Few of us knew about the impact or felt close enough to the President to feel the sorrow, but our teacher, Mrs. Dorothy Sharp, began to cry. Those with homes open or having family or neighbors to stay with were allowed to go home a few minutes later, with the rest staying until the regular dismissal time. I remember someone tuning a radio in one of the other classrooms and they were listening to the news as we left the building.



submitted by: Wilma Costlow Allman (WI '53)
wallman5@verizon.net

I will never forget where I was. On November 20, our daughter Pam was born in the evening. The next evening, Dr. Marks came into my room and told me that he did not think that she was going to live. Naturally, I was devastated. On November 22, my sister, Helen, came and stayed with me all day. Rooms did not have TV in them at that time, and we spent the whole day glued to the TV in a little lounge. That is how I made it through that day. As it turned out, we found that Pam had breathed before being born and had gotten amniotic fluid in her lungs. They started treating her with penicillin and she quickly recovered. We did have to leave her in the hospital for a few days after I was able to go home. Dr. Marks later commented to me, "for a kid who scared the hell out of me, she is the healthiest one you have." God was in control of her life and still is. She is now grown with three beautiful children and one son-in-law.

Enjoy your newsletter every month.



submitted by: Bud Wheelock (WI '60)
Hawkewoode708@yahoo.com

Thanks for another super newsletter! I was thrilled to see that Mr.Lowther is still alive! I will send him a belated birthday card and try one day to visit him. He was very good to me. I will send a story about one situation with him if you wish. Let me know.

Back to JFK. I was working for Lockheed here on that horrible day. One of the guys, who was always playing tricks on us (Pete Kendall) came around and told us JFK had been shot. We figured it was just another prank. About a half hour later my supervisor came by to verify it. It was as close to a state of shock as I have ever felt. We were told to go home. I caught a ride with one of my fellow workers. At one point we made a stop. Some idiot made an unwise comment about the shooting and my friend beat the hell out of him. He went about it before I could get in a punch.

To say the least, the next four days were the worst of my life. I was just devastated. I felt sorry of course for Jack's family, but even worse for the country. Until this past election I have had many more depressing days waiting for a restoral of hope for this country for which I spent 25 years in uniform. Perhaps now we will see things done that JFK would have tried to do had he not been taken from us.



submitted by: Bill Phillips (would have been WI 1962---but graduated from Elkins)
Captbill2001@aol.com

I was still chasing a Victory grad that lived on Williams Ave. I had gone to her house, on my way home going down one of North Views streets that had the median strip I hit a bump and my left front hub cap came off. It jumped the strip and went up onto a front porch of this house. I then jumped out of the car and ran up on the porch to get it. It had hit a bunch of flower pots, breaking a few. Just about that time the woman of the house ran out to tell me the president had been shot. When things like this happen, you do remember where you were, at least so far.



submitted by: John Teter (WI '61)
jateter@aol.com

I can remember exactly where I was on November 22, 1963. I was working at a company in Arlington, Virginia and a bunch of us had gone out to a Chinese Restaurant on Lee Highway in Arlington when the news came over the radio in the restaurant that John Kennedy had been shot in Texas. The entire restaurant just went stone-cold silent, and remained that way the entire time that we were there. We went back to work and I can remember standing in the computer room where I worked listing to the news reports coming over the speaker system that the company had. When the announcement was made that he had died, there were a lot of people crying and asking how could something like this happen in this day and age.

I can also remember being glued to the television when they were moving Lee Harvey Oswald when he was shot by Jack Ruby. How in the world did somebody not check persons coming into that area for guns and weapons? How far would Jack Ruby have gotten in this day and age, and what would Lee Harvey Oswald’s life been like after that fateful day, had he not been shot by Jack Ruby?

I was living in Washington, D.C. at the time and actually went down to Pennsylvania Avenue and watched the funeral procession.

THAT was a part of history that I was very sorry I got to witness.



submitted by: Ted Wolfe (WI '74)
tedandmary@peoplepc.com

I was in the second grade at Towers. We had been to the restroom (what passed for recess at Towers) and were lined up in the basement to go back to class. Mr. Norman, the janitor came down and told the teacher that was supervising us (Mrs. Bode, I think). Although I could tell they thought it was important, it didn't really register with me, being only 7. I had already learned that Abraham Lincoln was a President and had been assassinated, and I guess, to a seven year old, it wasn't an out of the ordinary event. The only other thing I remember about that time was that we had a day or two off from school, and the funeral was on TV.

(Remember, little kids look at things different than adults, or even older kids.)



submitted by: Fred Alvaro (WI '59)
Falvaro33@aol.com

I recall precisely where I was when I heard of the JFK assassination. I was half way up the stairs leading from the cafeteria to the first floor at the WVU Medical center, when a secretary from an office on the first floor came running down the stairs and hysterically making the announcement.



submitted by: Diana Shablack Sandy (WI '69)
Icedteadee@aol.com

I was in the 7th Grade at St. Mary's & our principal Sister Augustine came to the door & called our teacher, Sister Marita to the door and told her. When Sister Marita turned around, you could see the tears in her eyes then she told us the news. I think most of the kids started crying too. We had no idea that the world as we knew it - forever changed at that moment. A few minutes later all the kids were released for the day to go home. Over the next few days everyone I knew stayed glued to their television sets & we all saw the moment when Jack Ruby shot Oswald. Then when we saw little John-John salute goodbye as his father passed by - sadness so deep that we could never imagine things would continue to be so tragic for the Kennedy's & the United States. They are all memories I will never forget.



submitted by: Herb Cottrill (WI '52)
herbc@vsba.org

John F. Kennedy: I remember well where I was on that day (Friday). I was a teacher/coach at Mardela High School in Salisbury, Md. My PE Class had just ended when the news came from the principal’s office that the President had been shot. We were all stunned. I recall that one of the high school boys made a comment that “he deserved it”. With emotions so high I had to separate him from three other boys who wanted to “teach him a lesson”. That boy became an outstanding citizen and often told me that he regretted making that remark.

WW II MEMORIES



submitted by: Fred G. Layman (VHS '46)
FGL46VHS@AOL.COM

World War II actually started on Sept. 1, 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. On Oct. 3, 1939 Britain and France declared war on Germany. On Dec. 7, 1941 our American fleet was seriously damaged at Pearl Harbor and the Philippines from the Japanese Navy. My father, a neighbor and I were attending a movie at the Ritz Theatre. Around 2:15 p.m. the movie was stopped, the lights came on and the theatre manager came on the stage and announced that Pearl Harbor had been attacked by Japan. He stated that the theatre was closing and that every one should go home. On Dec. 8th President Franklin Delano Roosevelt declared war on Japan. In late 1942 the government started rationing some certain items such as sugar, butter, patent leather shoes, some meats, automobile tires, coffee, whiskey and gasoline. Each family was issued four ration books. My father traded his whiskey stamps for gasoline stamps to a coal miner. Nylon hose were not rationed but were hard to come by. In high school we collected milk pods which were used to make parachutes. We also had paper and scrap metal drives. During the war on Saturdays you could attend a movie free at the Moore’s Opera House Theatre by donating a can of food. This only happened on Saturday. Although Germany surrendered May 6, 1945 and Japan August 31, 1945 the war wasn't actually declared over because the treaties were not signed until September,1945. My brother, Robert, who joined the Navy in August, 1941, was shot and killed while guarding a ware house in Germany by a fellow sailor who mistook him for an enemy. World War II cost the United States $287,181,000,000. A total of 6,619 West Virginians lost their lives in this war. This war officially ended at 9:08 a.m. on September 2, 1945.


A PERSONAL NOTE FROM FREDDIE....

It was tough at times do to rationing but since I lived on a farm during this time we had plenty to eat as we had a garden and my mother canned beans, corn, green beans, beets, jams, jellies. We grew potatoes and had a grape arbor so we had grape jelly and grape juice. Our land lord had a big orchard so we had apples, peaches, pear and cherry trees to pick from and my mother canned from them also. We also kept an average of 100 chickens so had plenty of fresh eggs and had chicken for Sunday almost every week. We also raised two hogs from April to Thanksgiving which was the day most farmers butchered. The only thing my father had to buy was occasionally bananas, and oranges when both were available. My family had plenty to survive on.





submitted by: Sharon Myers Hall (WI '64)
hhubert@bellsouth.net




Where my mother Ellen Maxwell Myers (Victory High School 1942) worked in Clarksburg WV. It is either Maidenform or Carnation Dairy. There are no names on the backs of the pictures. My mother is the first in the back row.


May luck be our companion;
May friends stand by our side;
May history remind us all
of Ireland's faith and pride.
May God bless us with happiness;
May love and faith abide.




NEIGHBORHOODS


Please write your memories of East End and East Point for the April Newsletter…Make sure you mention the name of your section of Clarksburg in the letter that you write to me. I am unable to distinguish areas of Clarksburg by street names mentioned.

Write to Roleta1@aol.com about either of these areas…

EAST END AND EAST POINT…..

The areas listed below East End and East Point have not been featured yet in the newsletter.
ADAMSTON
ANMOORE (FORMERLY GRASSELLI)
ARBUTUS PARK
ARLINGTON
BROAD OAKS
BROADWAY
BRUSHY FORK
CHESTNUT HILLS
COLONIAL HEIGHTS (aka THE HILL)
COUNTRY CLUB ADDITION
DAVISSON RUN
DESPARD/ SUMMIT PARK
DOWNTOWN / UPTOWN (this is a new section added to cover all those who lived in any other “TOWNY”)

*EAST END
*EAST POINT


EAST VIEW
EDGEWOOD
*GLEN ELK
GLEN FALLS
GOFF PLAZA
HARTLAND
HEFLIN HEIGHTS
HIGHLAND PARK
INDUSTRIAL
KELLY HILL
MONTPELIER (AKA PINNICINICK HILL)
NORTHVIEW
NIXON PLAZA
NORWOOD
NUTTER FORT
PARK PLAZA
POINT COMFORT
STEALEY
STONEWOOD
*WEST END



DOWNTOWN

EDITOR’S NOTE: This section includes all those streets and areas not otherwise named on the list!

submitted by: Linda Spelsberg Wolfe (WI '58)
Wolfopolis@aol.com

I lived on a small street called Jefferson Street, right around the corner from Carlyle Elementary School. My twin, Tom, and I were so lucky to live in that area, it was safe and everyone knew their neighbors. Some playmates were my best buddy, Themie, Pug (David) Hodges, Danny Bacchus, Davy Jarvis, Jimmy Smith, Yevette Stickman, Linda George, Melanie Aspy, John Hart, Cheryl Garten, Juanita Harper, and I'm sure there were others who slip this old memory bank. We'd play tag, hide and seek, kick the can and many of the games little kids play. As we got older, we enlarged our horizons, and then others from Carlyle became playmates, like Tom Lee, Penny Fish and many others. Sometimes our older siblings, Carolyn, Rudy, Johnny would join our games, but really they were too big for us at that time. We climbed trees, roller skated, rode bikes, walked pipe fences (do they still make those pipes that only outlined a lawn?), picked flowers to the consternation of the peoples with beautiful gardens.

Woe to the kid who back talked an adult, next thing you knew your parent (s) were calling you in, or an older sibling was sent for you, and then, well that depended on the parent, but one soon learned that you'd better treat every adult with respect, or you'd be sorry. This included teachers (maybe more so!) and parents of playmates. These lessons went deep and became a part of who we were. I remember being quite young and begging to be able to walk to Clay Street Market with Tommy and Themie (and others?), by ourselves, without older siblings, who were off doing their thing, and thank you very much, didn't much want to go with 'you kids'.

Then the playground, down the steep hill, beside the market, which at first was a path, and then wooden stairs were built (no matter, still a work-out going down and then back up). Those were my first 'big' swings, and 'big' sliding board. What excitement. Our Dad scared us about going anywhere near the creek, talking about germs, and by that time I'd learned to listen to such warnings. After all I had ignored the playing with matches, and paid that price.

Big sister, Carolyn, was very nice to me and my friends, she allowed us to tag along to Clay Street Market, playground (taught me the best way to swing), then even as our horizons broadened all the way to Smitty's Drug store (Jim Smith's father's store) at this end of Golf Plaza Bridge. Tommy, Themie and I often walked there at age 8 or so, with Pat, an Irish Setter, and our Cocker Spaniel. We felt so brave, and maybe a little reckless. Tom was the one who showed me we could go down Elm Street to the playground, I was so scared, it all looked so different from 'known' way. To this day I am amazed how much of our town I was totally unaware existed.

I guess I thought that I could go anywhere I wanted, so where ever I didn't go, I didn't want to see. Oh the small mind of a child. By the time, we went to Central Junior High School we found so many other friends, there was no going back. But it was good, I wonder do all old people think (remember?) their childhood as being free and easy?



submitted by: John Teter (WI '61)
JATeter@aol.com

If your “downtown section” of Clarksburg includes Broaddus Avenue, College Street and Willison Street then your comment about getting LOTS of responses should be true. You should hear from Richard Underwood, Larry Martino, Frank Martino (2), Louis Martino, Dotty Taggart Rutan, Sharon Dillmore, and probably other readers of the WI Newsletter.

We used to play games at the corner of Broaddus Avenue and Willison Street, most weekend nights of the summer and during the winter we would ride our sleds down Broaddus Avenue, or College Street, or the alley that ran in between those two streets. The real challenge in riding our sleds was to not go over the bank at the end of our run as Elk Creek was looming down below Dennison, which ran across the bottom of all three sled runs.

I can remember playing kick the can, spin the bottle, touch football, hide and go seek, and many other games at that intersection. When we were at the young ages, our parents never had to worry about where most of us were as we were somewhere near Broaddus and Willison playing games. I can remember Dotty one time showing me how a GIRL threw a ball, in the presence of Larry Martino, but that is a story that might not be appropriate for your newsletter. Dotty should get a laugh out of it (IF SHE REMEMBERS).

There were so many “good” kids in that area that we just did not need to venture out of the area. Some of the other “kids” that I remember are; Mary Clyde (Murph) Mason, Dickie Stewart, Jerry Belt, Jimmy Belt, Ronnie Underwood. Raymond Smith remembers playing football with us and I can remember Carl Smith being at our house a lot. I remember that there were a couple of Martino girls, but I cannot remember their names. There was a Belt girl; a Stewart girl; and probably others that I have not mentioned, but those were the “good old days”.



submitted by: Alexis Julian Scott (ND '65)
alexisrscott@yahoo.com

Roleta,
I am going to recall some of the times from Beech and Birch Streets, Mulberry Avenue, Sycamore Street and Locust Avenue, College Street and Broadous Avenue. It was a great place to "grow-up" - we were close to town, the library, the movie theaters and we had the corner grocery stores to buy candies and other sundry items.

Patsy Ware had the corner store (Sycamore & Locust Ave) and it was the very first place i ever bought "sliced" bread. We didn't eat sliced bread at our house, my dad brought home "fresh" bread from Tiano's and Tomaro's bakeries. So, sliced bread was a real treat at our house. I also recall that Patsy's wife Rosa was so short we could barely see her over the counter.

I remember the first time I ate potato chips on a "paper" plate - at Lucille Thrush's house, of course with eight kids, she had to look for quick ways to get things done.

I remember when the Thrush's bought the house on the corner of Mulberry and Chesnut and Dr. Thrush decided that the neighborhood kids could build the block wall around the street side of their yard. So of course, Blair, being the oldest, was in charge...I don't really think he knew anymore that the rest of us, but he was in charge. So for one whole summer all of the kids helped to build this wall. Blair and Kent fought the whole time, except when their dad was there supervising. One day Blair was on top of the ladder putting the mortar on the blocks and Kent kept bugging him about something and Blair just "dumped" his trowel contents right into his brother's mouth. Needless to say we all laughed and then we got scared because we thought Kent might die from the concrete getting hard in his mouth. That wall is still standing today...

I remember my brother Anthony telling me to go in to the neighbor's yard, so I did. He had a fishing pole and was practicing casting. He told me to "catch" the end of the pole when he cast, needless to say, the hook got caught in my finger and to this day i have scar on my finger. I think he did it on purpose.

The older kids, mostly boys, except for Betty Carr, used to have to watch Tyke Martino and me...of course, they always ran off from us. So one summer Tyke taught me how to whistle, not just pucker up and whistle, but to whistle. It took him probably a month but to this day my kids and his know our whistles. It was also a very effective tool during my 40 years of teaching. When I whistled everyone "shut up". My cousin Kathleen and I spent many happy times together. But one time, her sister Sarah was really giving us a hard time so we decided to burn her at the stake (the stake being the swing set pole). We spent a lot of time gathering sticks and trying to figure out how we were going to get her so we could tie her down, but alas, her mom saw us playing with matches, asked what we were doing and needless to say completed foiled our plan. Sarah Ann was really smart and was always telling us we should be doing something else besides just "playing". Bonnie Burkhammer was another friend that shared the twilight games with us. It was usually Bonnie, Bobby Aaron, Ernie Fragale, Kent Thrush, Tyke Martino, Kathleen, Linda Newport and me,,,we were all nearly the same age. Playing hide and seek and "spotlight" were our evenings entertainment, Ernie Fragale and I would always hide in a tree, one night we ate so many green apples waiting for everyone to find us that we got sick.

Kent Thrush and I would hide in a big bush in my cousin Kathleen's backyard and no one ever seemed to find us. I think they all knew that we were "sweethearts'.

I remember that Linda Newport's mom, Ursal, Margaret Carr and Mary Martino and my mom would lay out in the sun on summer afternoons and were always there for us.

Linda Newport's mom made the best homemade applesauce.
Bonnie Burkhammer's mom made the best chocolate chip cookies.
Kathleen's mom made the best deep fried chicken.
Mary Martino (Larry, Louis, Tyke and Mary Virginia's mom) made us lunch with sliced bread.
My mom made cakes that she always had to put a slice of bread under to make it even, but they were good.

I remember that Kent Thrush used to have a nickname for Bobby Aaron, I don't recall the name, but Bobby sure got mad every time Kent called him by that name.
I also remember that Bobby Aaron's mom was just a beautiful woman, with the tiniest feet I had ever seen.

Going to Pierpont School I remember that the first and second grade teachers were sisters. Mrs. DeVita, the third grade teacher, had purple hair. Mrs. Weaver, fourth grade, was very tall and most serious all of the time. Miss Rielly, fifth grade, was very strict and Lana Myers and I always got into trouble, usually over Ernie, Larry Wilson, Steve Griffith, and other "hotties" in our class.

Mrs. Whalen was the principal and Jerry Darquenne and I did drive her nuts. She used to send us to the bank on Tuesdays just to get rid of us. Can you imagine sending two kids with a bag full of money, walking by themselves, to deposit money we used to save. I don't know if anyone remembers the little brown banking books we used to have. But Jerry and I would walk to town and stop for ice cream and then go back to school. She used to keep a bottle of peach schnapps in the coatroom, and one day Jerry and I hid it and she never found it. I guess she needed a little "nip" once or twice a day to be able to put up with us.

I remember going to Bobby Aaron's Bar Mitzvah at the WonderBar...we all got dressed up and I was most impressed with this "eating out". There were so many kids in our neighborhood and it was mostly filled with great memories.

I remember the Teeters, the Martino's, the Ali's, Ross & Carolyn Marano, Charlie Burkhammer, Carnie Newport, the Clevengers, the Lynch boys and all the ones mentioned above. I remember when Hazel-Atlas closed and when the interstate was built and when we all went away and became adults and drifted apart, but for me the memories of that time in my life will always remain cherished and will warm my heart.

Roleta, thanks for all of the memories you and Judy provide for us...as I have said before "you two are the memory keepers" for us.



submitted by: Debbie Sharpe Fisher (WI '74)
Daneandjo@aol.com

I grew up in the area you were talking about... Carlile School area. I asked my Mom and she said that is the area where I grew up. She said it was called "Knob Hill" a long, long time ago. When I was growing up in the 60’s she said we called it E. Main St. I remember it being called both but mostly E. Main. My mother is a wealth of information when it comes to Clarksburg. I guess that's why I can't get her to move to sunny south Florida with me. When it comes our turn I will write my memories of growing up on "Knob Hill".



SUMMIT PARK/DESPARD

submitted by: Greg Merrill (WI '66)
MERRILL.GREG@comcast.net

I grew up in a unique part of town, known by most as Route 50 East. My home sat up on the hill next to WHAR radio station and overlook Summit Park and later the Compton Bowling center. Since I was outside of the Clarksburg City limits, I had a choice to either attend Victory or Washington Irving and of course attended WI.

Most of my early youth was spent either working/playing on the farm (now part of the Rt. 50 by-pass road) behind our home or playing ball with my friends from Summit Park. We had a large front yard where many football games were played. The summers were spent playing baseball at the Compton Field. Percy Ashcroft was a great mentor and coach of our Little League team. (Compton Little League baseball team picture) Spent hours each summer day playing baseball or whiffle ball on the field where Compton Lanes is now located. There was a cement retaining wall about 15 feet high that was used as the center and right field wall.

I would ride the city bus to Lindon School and later to Central Junior High. A book of 10 tickets was $1.00. I would look out my front window for the bus to leave the Summit Park/Despard each morning knowing it took them 5 minutes to get to my stop at the bottom of the hill. I always enjoyed running and many times would run home from school rather than take the bus. There was a competitive basketball program at the elementary schools sponsored by the school boy patrol. (picture attached) Many of the friends made during these early years remain good friends today. A couple are even your political leaders in Harrison County today.

Washington Irving High School was a great place to not only get an education but to enjoy the athletic and government programs. Most important was meeting and having great friends. (picture of WI track team). Even though I left Clarksburg a week after graduation and headed west with my family, to this date I cherish the experiences of these formative years. It influenced me throughout my life. A great wife, 4 kids and 6 grandchildren later, I am thankful for growing up in Clarksburg and attending WI.


1966 WI Track Team:

1st Row left to right: (Seniors)
Scott Palmer, Steve London, Steve Hovey, Pete Bowie, Jim Combs, Tim Waroblak, Greg Merrill, Frank Aliveto and Brian Thornley.

2nd Row (Juniors) only know 1?, 2?, 3 Chuck Wilson, 4 Mike Lambiotte, 5?, 6?

Don’t know the other younger members. Back Row is Coach Moore, Coach Castallana and Coach Mara.

As Juniors, a new school record was set in the two-mile relay of 8:38.3. Runners were Greg Merrill 2:07.3, Jim Talkington 2:09.4, Jimmy Griffin 2.14 and Jim combs 2:07.2



Compton Little League Baseball team:

1st row l-r: David Ashcraft, Butch Carpenter, John Scalise, Paul Simons, Frank Lucente, Ronnie Scalise, Dony Snider:

2nd row: Batboy Robert Talbert, Gregory Merrill, Ron Petrgac, Gibson Barnard, Porter Whitehair, Anthony Rome, Robert Barney, David Pasternak, Joe Scalise. Backrow: Hartzell Windon, director of sports at Summit Park, David Goolie, coach and manager Percy Ashcraft.

Other teams in the Elks Little League were Rotary, Working Man’s Store, Nutter Fort, Zeising, Bridgeport, Anmore, Kawanis, N.V.A.C., Continental Can, Compton, Lumberport, K.C., Clearlite, Parkview, Moose, Mercer’s Drug, Clarksburg TV, Elks, West Milford and Dawmont.


School Boy Patrol 6th grade Linden basketball team. Linden defeated Morgan in 1958 & 1959 to win the School Safety Patrol League championship.

Front row, l-r: David Oliverio, Frank Angotti, David Romano, Gregory Merrill and Louis Tangeri.
Second row: Sgt Muscatell, director of the School Safety Patrol, Edward Mayles, Robert Sout, Billy Harris, Anthony Scarshell and Charles Flanigan, principal and coach.



submitted by: Evelyn Georgeadis Kitts (VHS '58)
evies2262@att.net.

I was born and raised in Summit Park/Despard.

I went from first grade to 9th grade. We had to walk to school everyday, and I attended and a member of the Summit Park Baptist Church. As, I am half Greek, I had to attend Greek school for and hour after school 3 days a week in the hall beside The Greek Orthodox Church in Summit Park. My Daddy was the Greek barber in Summit Park, and in the Arcade in town, He was known as Louie the Greek Barber.

I loved going to school and visiting friends after school and doing homework together I also, loved all my teachers and coaches. On weekends it was quite boring, so a lot of us would get together and divide into 2 groups and go into the hillsides and play hide and seek, it was fun at the time, no one could quit or give up until everyone was safely back at the church lot on whichever side of the hills we were on. In those days we had to make our own fun and games.

My sister (Iona) and I would attended the Baptist church regularly and sang as a duet and Gin Sprouse was our pianist. Several of us in our area would make/build our own pew's and alters and play church during the summer months, we made our own basketball hoop and stand and played ball a lot, others joined me and my sister.

Those days were over when we all went to Victory High School, not much play, just church, and homework. I worked after school in Adamston, meeting a lot of classmates and making friends, at the Candyland. I met my first husband and family, the Ash's in Adamston. I married in the Summit Park Baptist Church. Oh, the memories, I will cherish from high school, as my senior year, I was voted most Athletic in our class, Turtle Knight was voted as the most Athletic for the guys.(1958) I earned it by being successful in Basketball, really just about every sport we had for the girls.



submitted by: Diana Shablack Sandy (WI '69)
IcedTeaDee@aol.com

I don't really know anything about Despard other that in the early 30's many people of Greek descent lived in the area. My mom's first husband was Greek & they lived there. Here are two pictures - maybe someone from that area will recognize something. First one is Harry & Argie Mutafis (my mom) & second is Theodore & Harry Mutafis (brothers) taken in 1933. The one with my mom looks like summertime and the one with the brothers looks like fall.

  

Harry & Argie (Oliverio) Mutafis        Theodore & Harry Mutafis




May your pockets be heavy.
And your heart be light.
May good luck pursue you.
Each morning and night.



NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES

Joe VanVoorhis (WI '65) JOEGVV@AOL.COM
John V. Carney (ND '61) lcarneyj276@comcast.net
Debbie Sharpe Fisher (WI '74) fish6564@bellsouth.net
Claudia Pinella Randolph (WI '69) cpinella@yahoo.com
Hilda Logston Kerns (W '65) hkerns@access.k12.wv.us
Jim Genin (WI '64) jgophth@aol.com
Bill Fowler (WI '59) wfowler12@cfl.rr.com


CHANGE OF EMAIL ADDRESS

Evelyn Georgeadis Kitts (VHS '58) evies2262@att.net
Wilford Johnston (WI '42) tomcatsix@comcast.net
Teresa D. Gouer (WI '78 was: DYMMom@aol.com
is now: TDGouer@ma.rr.com
Frank Meligan (WI '49) was: fanmel@bellsouth.net
is now: fanmel@earthlink.net




CORRECTION

Last month I printed this email address:

Carol (Gottlieb) Rovinsky (WI '65) carolcaz@bellsouth.net

Please change that email address to:
Carol (Gottlieb) Rovinsky (WI '65) carolcaz@juno.com

Also, I received this note from Barbara DeFazio again.
I realized I put my graduation date down as 1935 and that was the year I was born...sorry! Could you change my graduation date to 1953 for me?
So it is: Barbara DeFazio (WI 1953) LeoBeeb@aol.com.

Gee, Barbara, there for a while you shared the honor of being our oldest newsletter reader with Clioreta Post Criss. (WI 1935).



LILLIE MAE BAUER



submitted by: Fran Barrett (WI '50)
flmom1cat4@roadrunner.com

What a character she was! I enjoyed her class the most of all the classes I had while attending WI. She had eyes in the back of her head (so we thought) and that rubber face with the sweet smile. She directed all the plays that were put on at that time. I think I worked on "Once Upon A Mattress". If some one has a better memory of the play that was put on in the class of 1950 please correct me. I worked on props. I was all over Clarksburg begging for the loan of equipment for the stage. I did finally accomplish that job and got everything she needed after a few weeks. I had to go begging during my study hall so time was short each day. Another girl went with me but I don't remember who she was. When you think about it she was teaching us all a life lesson in that class. We owe all that we are today to the dedicated teachers we had in our life, whether we liked them or not. As my granddaughter tells me (she teaches special education and has a Master's Degree in special education and reading) she is not there to win a popularity contest, just wants to get her students to be able to take care of themselves for the rest of their lives.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Shouldn’t that also be the agenda for parents? Prepare them for life---



submitted by: Carolyn Burnside
crburnside842@verizon.net

I do have to respond to this because Lillie Mae was the inspiration that sent me to WVU to major in speech and to eventually replaced her at WI teaching that subject. She was a true mentor who realized that I had a talent that needed development. It was a bumpy road because of her temperament and my teenage insecurity --- I actually stomped out of speech class one day in a real snit (I don't remember the issue.) But she nurtured me through those times to set me on the path to my future. For example: Senior play practice: she got on her knees with her hands around my ankles to show me how to walk. Thank you, Lillie Mae --- I walked runways after that. Lillie Mae's speech class was amazing, but I also enjoyed her World History class as a sophomore. She made that history come alive --- her favorite period was the French Revolution and she marched around the classroom singing Les Marseilles --- and then she performed Charlotte Corday stabbing Marat in his bath --- I tried, but I'm sure I never topped her. The last time I saw Miss Bauer was in the early eighties when she attended an event at WI. We had a nice conversation.



submitted by: Herb Cottrill (WI '52)
herbc@vsba.org

Lillie Mae Bauer: (1952) I had two memorable experiences with Ms. Bauer. The boy’s basketball practice was directly below where Ms. Bauer would conduct her play rehearsals (I believe it was the auditorium). Apparently the practice was too noisy and she came storming into the locker room to protest to Coach Folio. The practice was over and all the guys had just gotten out of the shower room when she came through the locker room door. Needless to say many were naked. Ms. Bauer never gave any indication of the “boys in bare” and walked straight passed us into the gym to see Coach Folio. By the time she came back out all the towels were on.

The second most memorable experience was my first (and only) part in one of her plays from our speech class. During the play I forgot my lines and ad libbed for about 1-2 minutes. After the play she told me that I should not pursue a stage or acting career. Then she corrected herself and said well “maybe I could be a stagehand”. I got along well with Ms. Bauer and even pulled an “A” in Speech.

Thanks Roleta for all you do to bring so many back together again



submitted by: Roleta Smith Meredith (WI '59)
Roleta1@aol.com

Mrs. Bauer was my teacher for Speech Class, I think my senior year. I found out early that she liked it when I used parts of speeches or poems about or by Abraham Lincoln. I would stand in front of the class and talk with great emotion (I have never been bashful---I am sure that comes as a surprise to most of you!) She often got tears in her eyes when I spoke in class and I guess they were tears of pleasure not pain as I made good grades in her class. I remember she was the teacher in charge of our Senior Class play….we had a great time practicing for the big night of the performance! I remember there were rumors that Mrs. Bauer had a steel plate in her head which was placed there after a car accident---the rumor went on…boys would often bring whistles that were so high pitched that only dogs could hear them….A boy would sit in the back of the room and discretely blow the whistle—NO ONE heard it but Mrs. Bauer would start shaking her head in a funny way. Then the class would start laughing and she would give one of those looks as though no one was home upstairs! I don’t know if this is true or not---do you? I also remember that the lady didn’t seem to have any modesty as she would sit up on a high stool and put her feet on the top rung---then her knees would drop apart and her underwear would be exposed. –again causing giggles and laughter in class. I also remember that Ronnie Noe sat on one side of me and Roger Taylor sat behind me…those two plus Roleta were a handful, I am sure!



May God grant you many years to live,
For sure He must be knowing,
That earth has angels far too few,
And heaven is overflowing.



MUSIC FOR MARCH

submitted by: Steve Goff (WI '72)
sgoff53@hotmail.com

This addition marks my first full year of submitting music pieces to the newsletter. Big thanks to Roleta and everyone who works at getting this fine e-publication out each month; and for allowing me to send in tunes from years gone by. Over the past 12 months, I've heard from folks in my era '68-'72, and from nice folks of all eras, complementing and commenting on the music. Stay in touch....I take requests....

1943 "Juke Box Saturday Night" Glenn Miller and the Modernaires. This one has just about as much "entertainment" as you can get in 2:54. All singing, all dancing. That's entertainment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GK72A_eV8Lg

1947 "Too Fat Polka (I Don't Want Her...)" Arthur Godfrey. I remember Godfrey as a likeable presence on TV in the late 50's. My parents were big fans. I hope "The Old Redhead" had a piece of the ukulele business in the '50's. Seems like every rumpus room I remember from the era had a ukulele and/or a set of bongos somewhere in the picture. I had not heard all of the words to this song, so I was pleasantly surprised how clever and witty it is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugapuCPTHDg

Oddball Clip of the Month "The Strip Polka" Johnny Mercer. Speaking of novelty polka songs...I found this naughty bit of shenanigans and couldn't resist including it. Watch for the "take it off" boys, and by the end it becomes apparent this singer/dancer is Phyliss' sister, Shower Curtin. I love this kind of bawdy stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Trp95loXAw&feature=related

There has been a Teresa Brewer sighting.

1950 #1 in March, "Music, Music, Music" Live TV with no less than Jimmy Durante banging the piano. Check out the dancing bartender. He works hard for his money. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hI2TEwnKj0&feature=related

1953 and Teresa Brewer again has a number one hit in March ...."Till I Waltz Again With You" Just the record playing, but sometimes I can watch that turntable like I can a wood fire. Good sound. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4E_Qm9IVJk

1957 "Too Much" Elvis Presley. This is an over looked Elvis #1. Great live TV version here showing how well Elvis worked with the Jordanaires. They recorded with him for years. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3MZb2Hc5xU&feature=related

1960 "Beyond the Sea" Bobby Darin. A swinging little number from a live TV special. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEIDep_UMmk

1963 "Walk Like A Man" The Four Seasons. The video starts a little ragged but stay with it. I used to hurt myself trying to sing along with these guys. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TvE6V1Etyo

1967...March of '67, it turns out, had 4 different number one songs that year. That is extremely rare for the slot to turnover 4 times in succession. Anyway, I found the 4 tunes representative of how much variety you could find on American Top 40 radio during this period, and 1967 is often sited as one of the best years, summer of love and all.

Here they are in order from first of the month to last.

"Ruby Tuesday" The Rolling Stones (live from '88). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5_Voeupr3Q

"Love is Here, But Now You're Gone" The Supremes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ncN1hGhAv8

"Penny Lane" The Beatles. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHBKAyn17vw

"Happy Together" The Turtles https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gDfHT-TcbY&feature=related

1970 "Bridge Over Troubled Water" Simon & Garfunkle. This is audio only, but of an early, live version recorded here, 4 months before the record version was cut. Worth a listen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYKJuDxYr3I

1974 "Seasons in the Sun" Terry Jacks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfm-17pu6SQ

1977 "Evergreen" Barbara Streisand. In concert from New Year's Eve '93-'94. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmuF3jiufww

**forgive me father of coolness for those last two entries...

1980 "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" Queen...at Live Aid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFWbF0Kp-_4

1984 "Jump" Van Halen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPBSXzZbAe8.

LET ME RECOMMEND...For any of you missing West Virginia and looking for some new/old tunes to connect you with the Mountain State....WV native Kathy Mattea released an album last year "Coal", that was nominated for a Traditional-Folk Grammy last year. She made it after the Sago mine disaster, here's a "making of" video. I play this CD all the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRrKa1Qu1XY



READ THIS, LEARN SOMETHING TODAY, good info!

This is advice from a Network Administrator responsible for all of the computers at a large corporation. It is an excellent message that ABSOLUTELY applies to ALL of us who send emails. Please read the short letter below, even if you're sure you already follow proper procedures.

Do you really know how to forward emails? 50% of us do; 50% DO NOT.

Do you wonder why you get viruses or junk mail? Do you hate it? Every time you forward an email there is information left over from the people who got the message before you, namely their email addresses and names. As the messages get forwarded along, the list of addresses builds, and builds, and builds, and all it takes is for some poor sap to get a virus, and his or her computer can send that virus to every email address that has come across his computer. Or, someone can take all of those addresses and sell them or send junk mail to them in the hopes that you will go to the site and he will make five cents for each hit. That's right, all of that inconvenience over a nickel! How do you stop it? Well, there are several easy steps.

Do the following if you haven't done it before:

1) When you forward an email, DELETE all of the other addresses that appear in the body of the message (at the top). That's right, DELETE them.

Highlight them and delete them, backspace them, cut them, whatever it is you know how to do. It only takes a second.

You MUST click the 'Forward' button first and then you will have full editing capabilities against the body and headers of the message.

If you don't click on 'Forward' first, you won't be able to edit the message at all.


2) Whenever you send an email to more than one person, do NOT use the To: or Cc: fields for adding email addresses.

Always use the BCC:(blind carbon copy) field for listing ALL the email addresses. This is the way the people you send to will only see their own email address. If you don't see your BCC: option click on where it says To: and your address list will appear. Highlight the address and choose BCC: and that's it, it's that easy. When you send to BCC: your message will automatically say 'Undisclosed Recipients in the 'TO:' field of the people who receive it.

(3) Remove any 'FW :' in the subject line. You can re-name the subject if you wish or even fix spelling.

(4) ALWAYS hit your Forward button from the actual email you are reading .

Ever get those emails that you have to open 10 pages to read the one page with the information on it?

By Forwarding from the actual page you wish someone to view, you stop them from having to open many emails just to see what you sent.


(5) Have you ever gotten an email that is a petition? It states a position and asks you to add your name and address and to forward it to 10 or 15 people or your entire address book. The email can be forwarded on and on and can collect thousands of names and email addresses.

A FACT: The completed petition is actually worth a couple of bucks to a professional spammer because of the wealth of valid names and email addresses contained therein. DO NOT put your email address on any petition. And remember These petitions are "NOT" legal ... petitions with a site to go to and sign up are usually the ONLY LEGAL ACCEPTED ONES. Hackers start petitions up to collect address they sell to advertisers and spammers...

If you want to support the petition, send it as your own personal letter to the intended recipient. Your position may carry more weight as a personal letter than a laundry list of names and email addresses on a petition.

ACTUAL FACT:

Most e-mail petitions are worthless because they do not fully identify the signer by street address, etc. Nor does it prove that the signer really signed it. Do not forward them.

Some of the other emails to delete and not forward are:


A. The one that says something like, 'Send this email to 10 people and you'll see something great run across your screen.' Or sometimes they'll just tease you by saying 'something really cute will happen.'

IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!!!! I repeat.... IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!!!!!

(No matter how many people you send it to or how long you wait.... IT AIN'T GOING TO HAPPEN!!!!!!!! We are still seeing some of the same emails that we waited on 10 years ago!) These are Hackers ways of collecting and Selling addresses to spammers and advertisers.

b. Don't let the bad luck ones scare me either, they should get trashed.

c. Before you forward an 'Amber Alert' , or a 'Virus Alert' , or some of the other emails floating around nowadays, check them out before you forward them. Most of them are junk mail that's been circling the net for YEARS! Just about everything you receive in an email that is in question can be checked out at Snopes. Just go to http://www.snopes.com/ . It's really easy to find out if it's real or not.

If it's not, please don't pass it on.

So please, in the future, let's stop the junk mail and the viruses. Also get rid of the advertisements at the bottom of your emails! You pay for your internet why advertise free for them? If they want advertisement let them pay you to use your space!!!!




OBITUARIES

DOUGLAS ALAN GOLDEN

CLARKSBURG — Mr. DOUGLAS ALAN GOLDEN, age 44, of 205 North Seventh Street, Clarksburg, WV, passed away at 11 p.m. Thursday, February 26, 2009, at the Pleasant Valley Nursing and Rehab. Center in Point Pleasant, WV.

He was born in Clarksburg, WV, November 11, 1964, a son of Richard B. Golden of 205 North Seventh Street, Clarksburg, WV, and the late Betty Jean Swiger Golden.

In addition to his father, he is survived by one brother, David E. Golden, Bridgeport, WV; and a sister and brother-in-law, Deborah S. and Claude Demastus, Clarksburg, WV; four nieces, Traci Wyer, Kim Swiger, Christy Yoders and Sarah Demastus; three great-nieces; and three great-nephews.

Mr. Golden was Protestant by faith. He was a graduate of Washington Irving High School, Class of 1983. He loved to go fishing and hunting. He greatly enjoyed NASCAR and all types of sports, especially WVU and Pittsburgh teams.

He also liked to collect baseball cards. He had been disabled for many years due to Multiple Sclerosis.


CLOVIS J. RADCLIFFE

CLARKSBURG — Mr. Clovis J. “Buck” Radcliffe, age 87, of Clarksburg, WV, passed away peacefully at 8 a.m. Monday, February 2, 2009, at the home of his daughter Nancy, following a lengthy illness.

He was born at Pickle Street, Gilmer Co., WV, January 6, 1922, a son of the late Okey Wood-row “Dick” Radcliffe and Ocie Gay Smith Radcliffe. His wife, Ruth Evelyn Byrd Radcliffe, whom he married November 23, 1941, preceded him in death August 1, 2007. He was also preceded in death by a grandson, Steven W. Sturch.

Surviving are his two daughters and sons-in-law, Nancy K. and Robert Fowler and Debra L. and Harvey Hardy, all of Clarksburg, WV; and his son and daughter-in-law, Richard K. and Teri Radcliffe, Hurricane, WV; his brother and sister-in-law, Okey Eugene “Gene” and Maxine Radcliffe, Clarksburg, WV; 16 grandchildren and spouses, Andrew and Teressa Fowler, Scott and Angie Fowler, Timothy and Michelle Fowler, Chad Hardy, Robert Hardy and companion, Tammy Jenkins, David Spinks, Rebecca and William Feathers, James Hardy, Kevin Hardy, Shawn Hardy, Misty Hardy, Richard Hardy, Michael and Shannon Radcliffe, Mark and Katie Radcliffe, Laura Casto and Erica Casto.

“Buck” was also blessed to have 14 great-grandchildren whom he loved dearly, Andrew Jaycob “AJ” Fowler, Jonah and Kora Fowler, Brittany Gaines, Emily and Ryan Fowler, Preston Hardy, Kaylee Spinks, Isaac Bonnett, Caleb and Kaden Feathers, Tyler Radcliffe, Hannah and Will Radcliffe.

Mr. Radcliffe was a member of the Duff Street United Methodist Church for 60 years and an associate member of the Boynton Beach Congressional Church of Boynton Beach, Florida. He attended Washington Irving High School and had served his country in the U.S. Army during World War II, where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He worked at Hazel-Atlas Glass Co. for several years, the VA Hospital in Clarksburg and he retired from the U.S. Postal Service with over 35 years of service as a letter carrier. He was a member of CAPE Credit Union and had been a past president and was a Board Member for many years.

He was also well remembered for serving many years as both a football and basketball official. In 1987, the Radcliffes moved to Boynton Beach, FL, where they made their home until returning to Clarksburg in 2006. They enjoyed their many friends and the warmer climate in Florida. Buck will be sadly missed by his family and his many friends.


JOHN W. (JACK) SWISHER

CHARLESTON — John W. (Jack) Swisher passed away at CAMC Memorial Division on Saturday, February 14, 2009, after a period of declining health.

Jack was born on May 10, 1933, in Fairmont, WV, to CV and Goldie Fenton Swisher.

Later they moved to Clarksburg, WV, where Jack lived until college. While in Clarksburg, Jack attended Washington Irving High School where he was active in numerous sports. Upon graduation he became a Mountaineer at West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV, which is where he earned his bachelor’s degree. He then attended West Virginia University College of Law. Jack was also a proud member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity during his years at WVU.

Upon completing law school Jack served proudly in the United States Air Force from 1957 to 1960. He served in the judge advocates program at Langley Air Force Base in Virginia, Lackland Air Force Base in Texas and finally Thule Air Force Base in Greenland. He was given an Honorable Discharge with the rank of Captain.

After serving in the Air Force, Jack practiced law in Huntington, WV for twelve years and was a partner at the law firm Swisher, Fisher, Ferguson, and Lockwood. When his family moved to Charleston, WV he joined the law firm of Preiser and Wilson Law. During his years as a lawyer Jack was honored as one of the top five criminal defense lawyers in West Virginia by the publication The Best Lawyers in America, written by Harvard Law School graduates. Jack had a private practice in Charleston until he retired.

Jack Swisher was preceded in death by his father, CV Swisher, mother, Goldie Fenton Swisher, both of West Virginia, and brother, Dr. George Swisher of Houston, Texas.

Those left to cherish his memory include his wife, Barbara Johnston Swisher, his son, Jeff Swisher and wife, Jill, of Raleigh, NC, his son, Bryan Swisher of Morgantown, WV, and his grandsons, Parker and Tyler Swisher of Raleigh, NC.

Those who were close to Jack knew that he loved sports, especially WVU sports, and had an affinity for fine automobiles. While he was interested in these, Jack also had a terrific passion for justice and the law. However, those who had the honor of knowing Jack well knew that he was not only a great lawyer but a great father. He will be remembered by many as a man of strong convictions, high ethical and moral standards, and as a father who had a loving influence in the lives of his family. For these and many other reasons he will be missed.

His wishes for cremation are being honored and all arrangements are being handled by Wilson Funeral Home, 420 Lee St. W, Charleston, WV, 25302.

Wilson Funeral Home, Charleston is in charge of the arrangements


GEORGE W. DAVIS, SR.

CLARKSBURG — Mr. George W. Davis, Sr., age 88, 242 1/2 Haymond Highway, Clarksburg, WV, died at 5:33 p.m. Friday, February 13, 2009, at his residence in Clarksburg.

He was born in Salem, Harrison Co., WV, February 21, 1920, a son of the late George C. Davis and Anna Ruth Cross Davis.

His wife, Mary Elizabeth Keller Davis, whom he married April 29, 1942, preceded him in death July 21, 2001.

Surviving are four grandchildren, James W. Davis, Kimberly E. Davis Shaw & husband, Glenn, Rick Wallace & wife, Anne, and Robert Wallace & wife, April; four great-grandchildren, Emily K. Shaw, Michael, Alex and Craig Wallace & Katelyn M. Shaw all of the Clarksburg, WV, area; one sister, Betty Louise Hyre, North Pittsburgh, PA; one sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Maxine and Paul Beck, Louisville, KY, and several nieces and nephews.

He was also preceded in death by one son, George W. Sonny Davis, Jr., August 14, 2000.

Mr. Davis was a 1938 graduate of Washington Irving High School. He was a member of the Hermon Lodge No. 6, A.F.&A.M., in Clarksburg for over 50 years, a member of Nemesis Temple of Shrine, a member of the L.O.O. Moose No. 52, the B.P. of Elks No. 482, the Roy E. Parrish Post No.13 of the American Legion & the Meuse Argonne Post No. 573, V.F.W. He had served his country as a veteran of the U. S. Army during World War II. He retired in the 1970s as a crane operator from UCAR in Anmoore.


MICHAEL MINUTELLI

Michael Minutelli (WI 1954) passed away on Mon. Feb. 16, 2009.







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