A few clouds. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable..
A few clouds. Low around 60F. Winds light and variable.
Happy Labor Day weekend, farmers!
Celebrated as the unofficial end of summer — the first day of fall isn’t until Sept. 22 — by many, we tend to forget a major reason for this holiday. Have you ever stopped to thank a Union? If it wasn’t for Unions and the work of the many organizers of such groups, many of us wouldn’t have the gifts of safety laws that protect our workers, and other rights we don’t always show proper gratitude for.
Your weekends, paid time off, minimum wage and 8-hour work days, overtime pay, and child labor law enforcement are all thanks to Unions. Access to health care, discrimination laws, raises, holiday pay, military leave, equal pay, civil rights, workers comp, all things you should thank a Union for. It’s more than just a day before the public pools close for the summer, to drink a cold beverage and have good food with friends, or to take advantage of the day off to catch up on yard work, hobbies, and honey do lists. Take a moment to thank those who fought, and still fight, for our rights to unionize and make a living and working in this great state and the USA safe and beneficial for all Mountaineers.
Local Star to Shine at Italian Festival
Franchesca Aloi will sing on the WV Italian Heritage Festival’s main stage at 12:50 Sunday, Sept. 4. In her catalog are such favorites as “Someone Like You” from “Jekyll and Hyde,” “Just A Closer Walk With Thee,” Patsy Cline’s version, “There Are Worse Things I Could Do” from “Grease” and “How Great Thou Art” from her album “My Purpose.” You can also enjoy the Italian Festival Mass choir directed by Stefano Pishner at the 10 a.m. mass before her concert, of which she will also be singing. The Italian Festival is an annual event held around Labor Day weekend in Clarksburg.
In case you’re not aware, traffic is delayed on US 250 from Route 91, Blackshere Drive, to the junction of West Railroad Street in Mannington, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. through today for milling, paving and shoulder work. Likewise, they’ve also been working on Route 218 through Farmington so please use caution while traveling through town and give yourself plenty of extra time for traveling until it’s completed.
Don’t forget Puppy Sudz Pet Salon LLC is open and taking appointments for your pets at 1100 Railroad St. by the Catholic Church and walk bridge. You can call 304-266-4393 to make an appointment. For those of you that use Smallwood Sanitation, their office will close at noon today and reopen Tuesday at 8 a.m. You can still call during normal business hours with any questions or payment information. They will run a regular schedule next week, so put your trash out on your normal pick-up day.
Happy Anniversary to Keith & Mary Raddish, Chris & Stephanie Tomana, and Phyllis & Bob Hearn. The St. Peter’s Women’s Society meetings will not resume monthly until October due to some unforeseen circumstances. The Knights of Columbus will meet on Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. at St. Patrick’s Parish Hall. Today’s special at The Baker’s Nook is a meatball hoagie with side salad for $10.50. Stop in for a sweet treat, pepperoni rolls or a steak hoagie with house peppers.
Good luck tonight to the North Marion Husky Football team as they play the Preston County Knights. It should be a good match up. Let’s keep the winning streak going! If you’d like to donate items to help the team this season, they need a lot of stuff. Place orders via Amazon.com or Sam’s Club and have it sent straight to the school ℅ Coach Daran Hays at 1 North Marion Dr., Farmington, WV 26571. Cases of water, granola bars, protein bars, Ramen noodles, Vienna sausages, tuna packets/kits, cups of mac n cheese, Little Debbie snack cakes, cookies, cereal bars, fruit, cracker packs, pickles, pizza rolls, hot pockets, etc. have made the list including laundry detergent and stain removers. Fairview will host the North Marion Homecoming parade this year on Sept. 21. Mark your calendars now!
As you might have guessed there will be no school on Monday, Sept. 5 in observance of Labor Day. The Fairview Elementary PTO is selling tickets to win a fire pit basket packed full of bonfire essentials for family fun. Chances are $5 each or $20 for 5 tickets. You can inquire at the school or via their Facebook page, they do accept PayPal.
With the start of the school year, I thought it would be fitting to talk about School Superintendent Homer C. Toothman who spoke before the Monongahela Valley Round table meeting held in Mannington on the struggle with illiteracy in our end of Marion County in 1916. He called attention to the issue that he said was more than the “average person is aware of.” This resonated with me particularly because until I worked with kids in our local schools, I wasn’t aware of how many kids are in need, kids who may live down the street or even next door.
Superintendent Toothman shed light on the fact that many immigrants, working in the coal mines and factories, came here from other countries and without the opportunity to learn our language and therefore were classified as illiterate. Imagine being quite educated in your homeland only to come to a world of new and better opportunity but told you’re illiterate. Public education in 1916 was compulsory until the age of 15 in WV but not nationwide. Among the older generation reasons for this were simply that this group of adults grew up where public schools were not well established and schooling took place only four months out of the year.
Many were simply too old when the opportunity came up, and had family obligations that prevented attendance. He implored guests to support creating a night school in an effort to stamp out illiteracy. Nighttime would be the only time for those working long days to take classes using regular teachers at their school houses teaching those beyond school age to read and write. The US Census report shows Marion County’s population at the time was 42,794 with 2,908 born of foreign or mixed parentage and 4,695 foreign born. That’s a lot of bilingual kids who have to read, write and interpret for their older family members all while trying to get their own education. Speaking of literacy, if you see my sister, Mrs. Samantha Halpenny who teaches at Barrackville, tell her congratulations. She had the highest ELA (English Language Arts) scores in the county among 8th Grade classrooms.
Happy Birthday wishes to Anthony Longwell, Paula Rankin Hollen, Tommy Menas, Myrtle Sine, Susan Belton, Julius Aloi, Anthony Sherry, Janet Thompson, Janet Ammons, Judith Neff, Sharon Fink Lucas, Debbie Hornick, Deborah Kennedy, Denny Efaw, Samra Cunningham, Michael Roscoe, Linda Glendenning, Crystal Hardesty, Charlie Clelland, Julius Aloi, Jack Lemley, Louise Hayes, Judi Starsick, Donald Carpenter and Heidi Bradley.
Tuesday Night Together for ages 12 and up is resuming at Noah’s Ark Assembly of God. The Flame Youth Ministry will meet on Tuesday nights starting Sept. 6 from 7-8:30 p.m. in the Noah’s Ark AG Youth Building. The church is also participating in a September Cereal Drive for Fairview Food Pantry. Donated cereal must be in 10 ounce or bigger boxes. Healthy option without big sugar content. Their goal is 80-plus boxes by Sept. 18.
If you haven’t heard the sad news, Monongah Christmas Lights Committee vice president Carolyn Kelly Tice and husband Charles “Chuck” Tice were in a motorcycle accident last Saturday. Please keep them in your hearts as they recover from the incident. The Marion County WV Humane Society No Kill Shelter donation list needs your help. At present, heavy duty leashes in order to walk the dogs safely next to the busy Husky Highway are high on the list. They’re also out of bleach and will need odoban odor eliminator and disinfectant as well.
The Friends of Monongah Christmas Light Fund Association will be out doing a road toll tomorrow across from Circle K and The Monongah Fire Dept. There will be a Designer Purse Bingo, Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Knights of Columbus on Mary Lou Retton Drive, Fairmont. Raffles, door prizes, and concessions will be available. Doors open at 12:30 pm., Early Bird at 1 p.m. and Regular Game starting at 1:30 p.m. Winner of each game selects the purse of choice. Advance ticket prices are $20 and ticket prices at the door are $25. To purchase call Carol Hoffman at 304-216-0620 or the church office at 304-363-5796.
I’m officially old enough to have weather-related aches and pains. The ol’ ankle has been pitching a fit the likes I might become an amatuer meterologist based on its thumps and bumps. A friend sent me a funny card the other day and on the front it said, “I just finished writing my book on how to fall down the stairs.” I could see where this was going without opening it up to the punchline, “It’s a step by step guide.” Hardy-har-har. But it gave me a laugh as intended. Reach me next week from Wednesday-Friday in office or by email scummons@timeswv.com and phone, 304-367-2527. Stay safe and have a happy holiday weekend!
Sorry, there are no recent results for popular commented articles.
Sign up now to get our FREE breaking news coverage delivered right to your inbox.
First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.