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United Methodist ministry leaders celebrate 50 years of serving people of Appalachia
STEUBENVILLE -- United Methodist Appalachian Ministry Network has announced its 50th anniversary celebration and assembly will be held Oct. 5-7 at Oglebay Resort and Conference Center in Wheeling.
For 50 years, members of UMAMN have provided resources and support to hundreds of local churches and ministries serving the people of Appalachia, according to a news release that notes that the network's main focus is hunger and poverty.
The mission is to build on relationships that churches have with their communities. The theme for the 50th anniversary celebration is "Building a Beloved Community."
Appalachia is a 205,000-square-mile region extending from southern New York to northern Mississippi. All or a portion of 20 United Methodist conferences fall within Appalachia, including more than 9,500 United Methodist churches.
The gathering of ministry leaders from these regions will begin Oct. 5 with a welcome picnic dinner at Oglebay followed by an opening worship service. The speaker will be Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton, resident bishop of New York Annual Conference and current president of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. Bickerton is a former chair of UMAMN, returning to celebrate this milestone in ministry.
On Oct. 6, the schedule includes a visit to the House of Carpenter in Wheeling, along with former UMAMN grantee presentations. An evening gala will be held at Christ United Methodist Church in Wheeling to highlight 50 years of service and the donors who made it possible. The keynote speaker will be Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, United Methodist resident bishop of the Western Pennsylvania Conference.
The gathering will conclude Oct. 7 with a morning session on "Dismantling Racism in the Appalachian Region." The presenter will be William Isom II, director of "Black in Appalachia" from Whitesburg, Tenn. The closing session speaker is the Rev. Ashley Steele, executive director of Urban Mission Ministries in Steubenville.
To register for the entire event, or just the gala, visit Eventbrite, or contact Angela Kirtdoll Bates, UMAMN executive coordinator, at kirtdoll.umamn@gmail.com. The Oct. 5 opening worship service is free and open to the public.
Museum's lecture series offers executive director of fort
WEIRTON -- Paul Zuros, executive director of Historic Fort Steuben, will be the featured speaker for the Sept. 18 installment of the Hancock County Museum's 2022 Summer Lecture Series.
Zuros' presentation will be based on his favorite newspaper articles in the "History in the Hills" series he writes about local history. It appears bimonthly in the Valley Life section of the weekend editions of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times.
Zuros was born and raised in Weirton to parents whose interest in history fostered his, but his interest in local history heightened when he volunteered with the Hancock County Museum in New Cumberland and then later with the Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center in Weirton. He graduated from Weir High School and went on to West Virginia University to pursue a degree in history and a minor in public relations and Italian studies. While at WVU, he worked for the National Park Service in Richmond, Va., at the city's Civil War sites.
Zuros graduated from Duquesne University with a master's degree in public history with a concentration in decorative arts and museum studies. Through the years he has worked with the John Heinz History Center in its library and archive, the Fort Pitt Museum and the Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh. Before returning to the Ohio Valley to take the reins as executive director of Historic Fort Steuben, Zuros was operations manager with the West Virginia Humanities Council and served as the executive director of the Historic Craik Patton House, a historic house museum in Charleston, W.Va.
Zuros resides in Weirton with his wife, Abigail, and four children.
Toronto church is hosting
a community blood drive
TORONTO -- Crossroads North River Church will be hosting a community blood drive with the American Red Cross on Sept. 27 from noon to 5 p.m. in the sanctuary at 207 North River Ave., Toronto.
For information or to make an appointment to donate, call (800) RED CROSS (733-2767) or visit RedCrossBlood.org and enter: North to schedule an appointment.
Groups being sought for trunk or treat Oct. 22 at WVNCC
WEIRTON -- The Brooke-Hancock Family Resource Network seeks businesses and groups to man stations at a combined trunk or treat and scavenger hunt to be held from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 22 at West Virginia Northern Community College's Weirton campus.
Those interested should call (304) 748-7850.
Come see 'Elvis' on Friday
at Brooke County Library
WELLSBURG -- The Brooke County Public Library will show the film, "Elvis," starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, at noon on Friday.
Attendees are welcome to bring a lunch. Popcorn and water will be provided.
To reserve a seat for the free screening, call (304) 737-1551 or visit https://brookecountylibs.org/programming-registration.
Spay-neuter clinic taking
appointments for Oct. 1 and 2
STEUBENVILLE -- The Brooke County Animal Welfare League will host a Roaming Animal Sterilization Clinic at Low Cost visit to the Steubenville American Legion Post 33 on 805 N. Fifth St. on Oct. 1 and 2.
All interested pet owners may schedule an appointment by calling (304) 374-4443. Walk-ins won't be accepted. Appointments are not limited to Brooke County residents.
SAR Chapter sponsoring youth-oriented contests
WHEELING -- With the new school year under way, the George Washington Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution reminds teachers and students of several youth-oriented contests that the SAR sponsors.
They include the Knight Historical Essay contest for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors; the Boy Scout, Eagle Scout recognition and scholarshipprogram; the middle school brochure contest that is open to sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students and freshmen; and the Americanism elementary school poster contest for fourth- and fifth-grade students.
Participants may be attending public, parochial or private schools, including accredited home schools. Each contest is conducted at three levels -- chapter, state and national with awards varying at each level.
The George Washington Chapter, Fort Henry and Ebenezer Zane chapters serve the Tri-State Area. Information on the contests is available by going to the national society website at www.sar.org and clicking on the youth and education tab.
The Sons of the American Revolution is the leading male lineage society that perpetuates the ideas of the war for independence. As a historical, educational and patriotic nonprofit corporation, it seeks to maintain and expand the meaning of patriotism, respect for national symbols, the value of American citizenship and the unifying force of "e pluribus unum" that was created from the people of many nations -- one nation and one people, a spokesperson noted.
The SAR is open to any male 18 or older who can trace his lineage back to a person who fought in or supported the cause of the American Revolution. For information contact members Gary Timmons at (304) 242-8759; Ron Miller at (412) 352-1670; or Larry Perkins at (740) 695-4342.
Kitty Kochman Quarter
Auction set for Sept. 25
WEIRTON -- The Weirton Kiwanis Club is organizing the Kitty Kochman Quarter Auction fundraiser, which will be held Sept. 25 at Undo's in the Holiday Inn Weirton, 350 Three Springs Drive.
Doors will open at 12:30 p.m. with the auction beginning at 1:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 for one paddle with additional paddles available for $1 each.
Tickets will be sold the day of the auction but can be purchased in advance by contacting Ernie Nicholas, club president, at (304) 479-0235,
Each ticket purchased includes a chance for a door prize. There will be a 50-50 drawing and Chinese auction. Food will be available for purchase at Undo's Restaurant.
Proceeds will benefit Weirton Kiwanis Club community projects.
Catherine Ann "Kitty" Kochman had served as the club's secretary before her death on March 11, a luncheon program booklet from a Kiwanis event earlier this year had noted. It described her as "a selfless servant with a beautiful spirit."
"Kitty dedicated many tireless hours to Kiwanis projects with her goal of profits to benefit the Weirton Christian Center, the Mario Pipinos Head Start Program, Hancock County Special Olympics, Make-A-Wish, the newborns at Weirton Medical Center and Terrific Kids programs. Kitty's dedication to Kiwanis and her community exemplified 'Serving the Children of the World.'"
Healing Land Skills Workshop Weekend is Friday, Saturday
STEUBENVILLE -- The Healing Land, an Ohio-based nonprofit dedicated to providing ongoing education and mentorship in regenerative farm practices as well as homesteading skills, will be holding a skills workshop weekend on Friday and Saturday in Steubenville.
Farm workshops on Friday will be held at local farms, while skills workshops day on Saturday will be at Four Seasons Community Center, the former Pleasant Hill Elementary School building off state Route 213, Steubenville.
"During a time when Americans are concerned about the rising cost of food and supply chain issues, there has been a surge in interest in learning ways to become more self-sufficient," a spokesperson noted. "There's also been a movement to return to community-based shopping, as the importance of supporting our local food producers and craftsmen has become more apparent. There is a new nonprofit based in Jefferson County that is seeking to meet both these needs, and they're helping people on both a local and national scale."
After selling out its first conference in April, with more than 300 attendees from 20 states, "the founders knew there was a great need for more events," a news release notes.
"After selling out three more small intensive workshops held on local farms, the Healing Land is excited to host a Skills Workshop Weekend from Sept. 16-17 in Steubenville. This is a wonderful opportunity to learn a variety of skills from local instructors," the release goes on to note, adding that there are workshop options for adults and children age 5 and older.
Adult workshop options include timber frame build, cheese making, knife making, soap making, wool skirting, canning, spoon carving, rotational grazing, butchering, pottery, water supply, pickling and several carpentry builds. Children's workshops include painting, sewing, carpentry, crochet and pottery. The event will include a variety of local craft vendors and food vendors for lunch and dinner onsite. Visit www.thehealingland.com for information.