Vol. VI No.39
December 6, 1990
From the Greenbrier
Valley of West Virginia
Row Arises Over
Frank Spicer
Wright
¢.Pltch" and Frank
two are synonymous
Greenbrier Valley.
:Past 18 years the Lewis
n has worked
see that needy fami-
children, share in
Christmas sea-
Pitch involves a tre-
t of work." he
harder to organize
it's very impor-
while I was play-
at The Greenbrler
Sulphur Springs, I got
the children I was
Would never
about having a
while almost
of the hotel there
whose children
to face that pros-
of The
r News In Le-
the annual effort
early 1970's. Today he
as treasurer for the
Pitch was begun in
Flew Brown-
Dennis Sanger,
Rogers, "It started as
collect a little
throw a party for
in Lewlsburg." Mr
"It was held at the
the kids were
and Santa Claus
appearance.-
began to be some
Over after the party
Penny Pitch was or
continued, "so the
to use it to help
families who
children. People
commu nity seemed
the idea of giving
help to those
it. That's about the
he] ping with it."
Lame "Penny Pitch"
wogram's early
were encour-
eh" pennies and
for the effort into jars
placed on counters
Finding a loan for the opera-
tion of tile Andrew S. Rowan
Memorial Home at Sweet Springs
continues to be a problem for
the Monroe County Commission.
However, Commissioners say
they are optimistic the morley
will be available by late Decem-
ber or early in January.
The Commission is working
against a December 31 deadline
extension granted by the West
Virginia Department of Health
and ttuman Resources (DHHR)
to complete plans for the home's
takeover by the county. Efforts
to secure a $1 million loan from
area banks have been unsuc-
cessful, but Commission presi-
dent Sarah ('Susie') Wickline
said she is optimistic the Farm-
ers Home Administration would
shortly approve a loan guarantee
of $750,000 to $800,000. The
amonnt would be sufficient to
begin operation of the home, she
said.
The Commission reel in a spe-
cially called meeting November
30 at the Monroe County Court-
house to discuss the progress of
the plans. Mrs Wickline said the
certificate of need for the 30-bed
sllbstant:e abuse program,
which is part of the plans for the
Rowan Home, had been up
proved. Included in the
~ominission's plans for the 22,8-
acre site is a lood and juice proc-
essing plant, elderly independent
living units, water bottling plant,
and a 150-bed personal care la.
cility,
Members of the Commission
voted to extend to December 15
the deadline for receiving bids on
the operation of the water bet-
fling plant. A previous deadline
had expired with only one bid
~ubmitted.
Some audience members ex-
pressed concern thai the financ-
ing would not be In place by the
December 31 deadline set by the
DHHR. resulting in the closing of
the facility. Mrs Wickline replied,
"By the end of December we may
not have every bit of the paper-
work in place, but 1 believe the
state will see we're going to make
ago of it and will be flexible in
allowing us a few extra days to
finalize what's needed."
Four employees of the Rowan
Home attended the meeting and
expressed frustration concerning
the delays in setting up final
plans for the operation of the
Sweet Springs facility. Kathleen
Schmidt, an employee from Un-
ion, focused on what she said
was a lack of communication be-
tween the Commissioners and
Rowan Home employees, She re-
ferred to the fact that the only
announcement of the November
30 meeting was a notice at-
tached to the courthouse door.
"How can 1 know about these
meetings if theyTre not an-
nounced properly?." she said. "It
was just an accident that one of
our employees saw it on the
courthouse door and told us
about it. 'Every meeting should
be announced in the newspaper
so we can all attend them."
Mrs Wickline replied, "We
haven't really had thfiF many
meetings, and with the newspa-
per deadlines, we're not always
able to get the announcements
published in time. It was just a
few days ago we were able to get
this group scheduled to meet to-
gether."
Also in attendance were Kyle
Baker and Don Richardson.
nlembers of Springfield Associ-
ates. the management team
hired by the Commission to
manage the Rowan Home when
it is turned over to the county.
The end of the state's owner-
ship of the Rowan Home was
part of a vote by the )990 West
Virginia State Leglslature to dis-
continue the state's lavolvement
there and to find an appropriate
operator for the institution.
Groundbreaklng ceremonies: Keith Morgan (left), Virginia Blake,
Steve Morgan, Sue Ella Miano, Valerie O'Brien, Coleen Walton, Eu-
gene Kelley, Mary Houchins, and Lynwood Wells
Margaret Hollowell Contributes
To Ronceverte Library Addition
The Ronceverte lhablic Libraiy
$300 raised the firstwill more than double in size as
rtions have grown an-a result of a building project be-
pProximately gun November 28. A 961~square-
were used to foot addition is being con-
85 families last year. structed by contractor Melvin
3urg Rotary Club and Dolan Jr to join the present 920-
Creenbrier Jaycees square-foot structure at Walnut
prospective and West Main Street.
and distribute goods Valerie O'Brien. librarian
been even more successful than
we anticipated," Board of Trus-
tees treasurer Kelth Morgan
said. Other members of the
Board include Kelly Ford, Steve
Morgan, and Mary Houchins.
Plans call for the 11,000-vol-
ume library to add another
10,000 volumes after the addi-
tion is completed In late winter.
Ola and Anthony Piercy
Seventy Years Of Wedded
Of Fairlea Look Back
When Ola Hughart Plercy and
Anthony Piercy moved to Fairlea
in 1922. there were only a few
scattered houses in the then-
sleepy community between Ron-
ceverte and Lewisburg. A cur-
sory glance today tells how
things have changed. Scores of
houses, thriving businesses, and
the ever-changing State Fair-
grounds now surround the Pi-
ercy home on U. S, 219 south.
The couple have a lot of years
to look b~ick on. As of November
24, they had been married 70
years. Mr Piercy was born in
1894, Mrs Piercy in 1900. They
were married at Emmanuel
Methodist Church in Asbury in
1920. Today they have two chil-
dren, Lowrie of Pittstord, New
York: and George, who lives next
door to his parents. Four grand-
children and two great-grand-
children cQmplete the family.
The couple live comfortably in
their small frame home. For two
weeks each year a familiar scene
plays in the neighborhood, one
that has been replayed for the
Piercys 68 times: the ~tate Fair
of West Virginia.
The thousands of persons
who visit the fair provided a sup-
plementary income many years
to the Piercy family, who lived in
a tent outside while they rented
their rooms to fairgoers. "We had
some guests who stayed with us
year after year," Mrs I~ercy said.
"One-couple who sold jewelry
during fair time stayed with us
i-or about 25 years during fair
time, Also, Joe Basile. the man
who conducted the band in iron!
of the grandstand for years,
stayed with us for about 15
years." Mr Basile conducted his
"York Spring Garden Band,"
which he brought to Falrlea from
the New York City area.
The Piercys continued open
lng their home to guests until
two years ago. As is common in
the vicinity of the fairgrounds,
the couple continues earning
additional money from charging
fairgoers for parking privileges
on their property.
During the "off- season." the
50 weeks when the fair was not
in session, the Plercya once kept
a milk cow at the fairgrounds.
Local Dancers To Appear
In Nutcracker Ballet At Beckley
families each since 1983. said. "When 1 crone Also included will be a kitchen
number be- here we were in a small trailer and private meeting room for Three local dancers, Lelgh Ann Humen (left), Roberts King, and Nan
nd 50, Mr Spicer said. on Edgar Avenue at the railroad community functions. Mrs Wingler will appear in the ballet Nutcracker" at Beckley s Woodrow
~ut late November tracks. We had only about 500 O'Brien said the West Virginia Wilson High School December 7, 8 and 9. The production is staged
~ecember The West square feet. When our new Library Commission is also by Theatre West Virginia and the Beckley Dance Theater School. Miss
:ly News runs ads building was built in 1986 we funding the installation of a sat- Humen is the daughter of Mr and Mrs James Humen of White Sulphur
help in identifying doubled our space. Now we're ellite television receiver behind Springs. She is a sophomore at Greenbrler East. Miss King is the
o need assistance going to do it again--all in just the new addition. The receiver daughter of Mr and Mrs Ed King of kewlsburg. She also ls a sopho-
season. Re- seven years. That's phenome- will make possible the viewing of more at East. Miss Wlngler, daughter of Mr and Mrs Buck Wlngter of
then visit nal." teleconferences, college exten-White Sulphur Springs, is a senior at East.
A gift from Mrs Otto Hollowellsions classes, and other pro-
of Lewisburg, along with a num-
ber of smaller contributions, is
funding the project. The new fa-
cility will be named the "Hollow-
ell Addition," according to Vir-
ginia Blake. president of the
library's Board of Trustees.
"We're very happy aboul this,"
Mrs Blake said. "We outgrew this
facility the second year we were
here. I think it shows what it has
done for the people in our area---
it has provided access to the
reading material they desire."
"This library ,building has
grams of community interest,
she said.
Sue Ella Miano, president of
The Friends of the Ronceverte
Public IAbrary, a community
group which helps fund and pro-
mote the activities of the library.
said. "We're accommodating
more and more activities here.
It's an information center for the
entire town. We're very proud of
our exceptional library and li-
brarian. It's really a tribute to
her [Mrs O'Brlen's] efforts that
we're able do all this."
the parents
the degree of need,
the Week before
review the appllca-
which families
to the selected
made the weekend
Each fam-
(~ 70-pound box of
ther contributions,
~n the family's needs,
clothing, and utility
riterviewlng is the
• Penny" Page 2-A
Behind tile house they raised a
large garden from which Mrs PI-
ercy would can a large variety of
vegetables each year. They also
raised hogs on their property.
Mr Plercy is a World World I
veteran. He was awarded a
Purple Heart for wounds he re-
ceived whtl~,,,serving with the
Army during the war in the Ar-
gonne Forest of France in 1917.
He worked with Clarkson and
Tuckwfller Ford Motor Company
in Ronceverte from 1920 to
1936. After working ata variety
of local jobs m the 1930's, he
joined the Greenbrier County
Public Schools' maintenance de-
partment, where he worked 20
years until his retirement at age
65.
Mrs Plercy was honored Sep-
tember 23 by the "IYinlty United
Methodist Church of Ronceverte
for "50 years' outstanding serv-
ice and commitment to mis-
sions" through the United Meth-
odist Women.
When asked for advice to
couples in creating a successful
get mad too quickly. You must
forgive and forget."
Inside Today
About Herbs ..................... 8A
Agriculture ....................... 7A
Briefly
Carneg ie Column
Classified ........................ 7B
For the Record ................ 3A
From the Back Porch ...... 6A
From the Mayor's Desk...5A
Horoscopes ................... 12A
Joy of Farming ................ 7A
Obituaries ........................ 9A
Opinion ............................ 4A
Roberta ............................ 5A
Saints ............................... 2B
Sports ............................... 1 B
Teen Notes ..................... 11A
Funds
Laura Sew. director of the
Greenbrier County Committee
on Aging, says, "A lot of people
have the idea our programs are
lust for people with low incomes.
;l'hey are aciually for anyone
over 60 who needs our services."
ber of individuals provided for.
"We want to encourage all per-
sons over 60 to see whal we
have to oiler them."
One of the. most well-known
services of the group is providing
meals at three"nutrition sites"
Rupert.
Despite the decreased partici-
pation trend, the group served
over 24,000 meals at the nutri-
tion sites last year and delivered
over 28,000. Senior citizens of-
ten make contributions at each
Ms Sevy said the Committe on around the county. Staff mem- meal to help make up for the lo,v
Agingf is losing funds, because of bers deliver,'meals on wheels" to . funding ,received from the gov-
decreased participation among Individuals who cannot travel to emmenL Ms'SeW said.. 7
the senior citlzens it serves,the sites. All food is prepared at One Of the hardest funding
Many public monies the group the central office and recrea- cuts, Ms Sevy added, was when
receives are based on the num- tional complex on U. S. 60 in
See "Aging", Page 8-A
