Bill Trevillian Retires

Thanks to my sister Kim for sending me the link to this. The Dominishing Post wrote a nice article, but unless you subscribe you can't read it. Unless you know a trick or two like yours truley.

Click on the Title for full size picture and article.

This is in todays paper.

Good luck on your retirement Bill, it seems like only yesterday you started with the fire department.

Tidbits

* Been a while since I've done a tidbits, so I thought I would just touch on a few things.

* Last Friday night we played softball against Michael Toth's team. I had been talking trash all summer long and we exploded for 16 runs after 2 outs in the second inning to take a 16-2 lead. We cruised to a 19-8 victory running our record to 11-3 on the season.

* I spent the day Wed running around and stopped by to see mom. We drove down to visit Terri at the Country Inn.

* Jean called me last night and wanted to go down to the Country Inn, so I drove her down to hear a new band.

* I see the Country Inn is getting a little bit of publicity from Aaron Scott on his website. I think he's there every time I have went to the Country Inn, whether it be putting on a show or just hanging out.



* Happy Birthday Joey.

* Jean tells me that Moke is away this weekend at WVU. They selected eight students from Clay Battelle and allowed them to stay on the WVU campus for a few days to get the hang of college life. Moke is entering his Senior year this year.

* Talked to Kim briefly last week. I was going to suggest going out to lunch when I was coming back from Jury Duty. She was eating as I called.

* Nick said that they are going to have karaoke at the Country Inn this coming Saturday night. He said it's a good time and everyone enjoys themselves when they do it.

* Is it time for Survivor yet?

* Today is my typical shopping, cleaning and laundry day. Don't know what I'm going to get into this afternoon, but it is a beautiful day and I need to do something. Maybe I'll drive around and take a few pictures.

These are my tidbits for the week, and I'm outta here.

Morgantown as it was yesterday

I came across This site this morning while I was surfing the net. I started to read down the list reminisce a little bit about the way Morgantown used to be. I have lived here over 40 years and have watched this town grow and change through the years.

How many of these things do you remember?





* Ali Baba's in Westover
* The Underground Railroad/Underground
* Morrison's coat store down town
* Second Ward Elementary (and annex)
* First Ward Elementary
* Central Elementary
* Mistakes at Dairy Queen
* Fins, Feathers and Fur
* Health Sciences was the hospital
* Chico Dairy: Mighty Mountaineer Ice Cream Sundae

* Ray's Pastries (downtown, where the Blue Moose was as well as every other incarnation)
* Why McDonald's downtown closed
* The Theatre at the Mountaineer Mall
* Lums at the Mountaineer Mall
* When the Middletown Mall was the only mall, and actually had stores....
* Shop & Save/Foodland/Thorofare (?) downtown on Richwood Ave
* Roller Rink downtown
* Morgantown Jr High School (end of the Walnut Street bridge)
* The Vanity Shop
* The Mountainlair when:
1) you could smoke there
2) it didn't look like a mall

* Why the old stadium was great:
it was downtown
the band running out of the tunnels
Sunnyside
The Backyard Brawl
* When the Met was actually a working theatre
* Hardee's downtown--it had a basement dining room
* Wings & Things
* People hanging out in front of Massulo's Dry Cleaner (I was never that cool)
* When the fountain in front of the post office downtown worked
* When the Little Village was a red-neck bar
* The theatre next to Hills
* When Captain D's was next to Shoney's
* Burger Chef downtown

* The Foxfire
* Chalkies, when that alley had a wooden fence in the middle that made it a dead-end
* The goddam dryhouse/the machine shop
* Craig's Comics
* Space Port
* Carousel library cards
* Falstaff's in Sunnyside
* The miniature golf course/batting cages on Greenbag Road--was it Hole in One
* Montanero's in Sunny Side
* Alfredo's on Pineview Drive
* The payphones by Dairy Queen, at the beginning of that alley on the wall.
Two of them.

* Little Caesar's Pizza
* The Fayette House
* Don't forget the miniature golf course that was behind Hills.
* Scotto's Pizza on High St., where the Subway is now.
* Dr. John's (DJ's) was on street level in Sunnyside and the place to be.
* Gabe's was where the Brew Pub is now and you didn't want anyone to see you shop there.
* Mario's Pizza at the top of High Street.
* Nick's Canteen was the greatest place to get hot chocolate before the Christmas parade.
* WVU was the #1 party school and proud of it.
* The Steppin' Out guy painted on the side of Daniel's, before they painted over it with that huge Main St mural.
* BOPARC dances in the summer.
* Record Mart on Walnut St.
* Plant and Pet Shop

* Hecks--one in Sabraton, and one in Westover (Kimmie Tyer)
* St. Francis de Sales Elementary School and the Convent (yup, they're now gone)
* On the corner of Prairie Ave and University there is only the back wall left of a two story garage. That used to be Prairie Street Gym. Before that it was a garage for Wilson Chevrolet. You can still see the paint on the walls from the locker/shower room. (Chris and Connie Law)
* Lof's (John Corral)
* Dr. Pizza. They used to deliver their pizza's in an old ambulance (Susan)

* Robert CressG.C. Murphy's
* Rite Aid
* Revco
* Mc Vicker's Pharmacy
* Famers and Merchants Bank
* Morgan's (when they had hobby supplies)
* Murphy Mart
* Sterling Faucet
* Carosuel Drive -In (Mileground)
* Dairy Delight in Sabraton (Hero Hut)
* Giant Eagle In the Mountaineer Mall Parking lot

* Wayne Womble Whiteside's , a department store downtown on High St.
* Biafora's, a clothing store across the street from Masullo's Cleaners
* The Flora Dora Shop, a women's clothing store next to Daniel's
* The Olympia, a great bar and dance hall close to the Book Exchange
* The Cottage, a dirt bar where most of the football players frequented

* erin Wizard Records
NOTE: I still miss Jack and Wizard Records. Anyone remember the names of the other employees? "Chris was the guy from Fairmont with the mohawk."
* Backstreet Records (owned and operated by Eric Hansmann)
* Falstaff's

* Debra and Mark Riffon The intersection of Beechurst and University Ave. was AAA for years, but before that it was a Texaco gas station with upper and lower gas pumps.
* Across from that Texaco gas station was the Beechurst Ave. Market and the Gold & Blue Restaurant.
* Where Mode Roman and Nautilus is now, was Wilkins Motors.
* Where Vic Solomon's garage is now, was Wilson Chevrolet.
* On Chestnut St where SaraTec was, Pizzaria Italia was downstairs and the Castle was upstairs. And, before that it was the Pontiac Garage.
* Where Great Wall on High St. is now, use to be Moore - Parriott Pharmacy.
* Right beside where Great Wall is, was Bakers Hardware.
* Where BW3 is use to be Greys Cutrate Drug Store and the ajoining street of High and WAlnut use to be McCrory's.
* On Chestnut St the building where the restaurant is with the deck and lanterns and hanging lights, used to be the Sanitary Milk Co.
* Where the Human Services Dept is now, used to be the ACME Supermarket.
* Where the Dollar General is by the South High bridge now, used to be the A & P Grocery Store.
* A & P also used to be where Boston Beanery is on Patterson Drive.
* At the top of High St. where the bank is used to be Borden Burger Foods (remember the big Satalite)
* Across the street where the VooDoo Shop is, used to be Gioviani's Pizza Shop.
* To the left of the Dairy Mart on Willey St. where the parking lot is used to be the Thorofare Grocery Store. After that is was Foodland until it burned down.
* Where the Senior Center is on High St, used to be Montgomery Ward. It was 3 stories. If you look up at the building you will still see the big "W"
* If you look at the ingraving on where the Pawn SHop is now on High ST. you will see Farmers & Merchants BAnk. Also down from where Subway is now used to be Woolworth's.
* Where the bike shop is by the courthouse use to be O. B. Fawley's and beside that was the State Liquer Store. and before that it was Rogers Drug Store.
* The Mountain Peoples Co-op used to be Picketts Dry Cleaners.
* On University Ave where the parking garage is now, used to be a small white building that was Kelly Cab and Yellow Cab.
* At the end of Westover bridge where Wings Ole is now, was Firestore Tires.
* Where Gibby's is now use to be Communtzis Restaurant.
* On Walnut St. down from where the Blue Moose is now, used to be Presto Lunch (what a great place to eat)
* Where Salvation Army Shop is now, used to be Radio Shack.
* Where WesBanco is in Sabration used to be a Sunoco Gas Station.
* Where Hardee's is in Sabraton used to be a Texaco Station and a car wash.
* Beside KFC used to be Mr. Donut.
* Dominion Post used to be on Spruce St where Manpower is now.
* To the right of where manpower is now on Spruce St. is a Medical building. That used to be the Moose Lodge.
* To the left was a gas station and the building on the corner was Plaid Stamps Store.
* At the intersection of Stewart St. and Chestnut Ridge Rd and Stewartstown Rd was Chestnut Ridge Grade School (became Bed & Breakfast and then some kind of Lodge after that) and across the street was a Texaco Station.

* Matt Helmick "The Press Box" (bar) and the trailers behind it, near the stadium.
NOTE: These just went down in 2004, and much of that whole stretch is now being converted to town houses. (Expensive town houses I'm sure.)
* Dick's Hot Dogs ("Everyone Loves Dick's"), one of many drive-thru ideas in the building near the intersection of University and Patteson.
NOTE: The original building was some el cheapo drive through/walk-up hamburger joint (Rally's?). No one seems to realize that's a terrible location and they'd be better off razing it to the ground and selling the space for parking.
* Pizza Man on University Ave, all you can eat pizza buffet for (if I remember correctly) 3.99. Not a bad deal if the folks in the kitchen were actually making pizzas while you were there. The price eventually went up, in anticipation of the liquor license, which never went through, and the joint went out of business. Next it was the Alamo, some of the most expensive burritos I've ever seen.

* Randy Oleksa Ed's barber shop on Brockway avenue
* Carl's roller rink also on Brockway next to Connie's grocery building is gone now.
* This goes way back: The Commodore restaurant and department store used to set in front of Sterling Faucet along route 7 in Sabraton.
* The Hayloft bar then it was Company B dance club in Dellslow where the Dairy Mart is now
* Beckman Brothers Feed Store in Sabraton where Southern States is now.
* Cloverleaf drive in on Cheat road
* Johnnie's Texaco on Cheat road
* Whipper will on the lake (Cheat Lake)
* Sycamore lounge on Fairchance road
* LuLu Belle's on Fairchance road

* Jay Paulovicks The Columbian Dorm - on Beechurst Ave. - now an office building
* My Brothers Place - in an ally downtown
* Communtzi's Restaurant - Downtown - Slogan was "Where Dad took his girl and grandad too"
* The Armory
* The "tin can"
* Reynolds Hall
* "Bonded" gas station on Beechurst
* Shoe shines at the Met Theatre
* Pool Hall in "old" Morgantown BEFORE the BBF was built there
* Whatever was "49 steps up Walnut from High"
* Old Hawley Field drill area (ROTC) - where coliseum is now
* Tony's Restaurant - Italian restaurant near Chico Dairy
* WVU Dairy at Ag School - when it provided ALL milk and ice cream for all residence halls
* Golf course where the new Mountaineer Field is
* Mont Chateau motel and restaurant

* David Schreiber The Cantina
* RedBeard's
* Di Giovanni's on Sunnyside- old married couple ran it- home of 3 am pizza- but watch your change!
* The Old KA House (just knocked down)
* Original Mario's Fishbowl- don't curse!
* The "CI" a/k/a College Inn on Sunnyside
* The Bullpen on Sunnyside
* The Down Under
* The Fifth Quarter
* The Nyabhingi (after the Underground)
* Grant Street Block Party


* The College Inn, University Avenue, Sunnyside USA where I worked as bartender and doorman in 87-88. I believe the CI held the record for the oldest, continuously operating bar in Morgantown.
* Down the street in what later became half of the Foxfire Hot Diggity, my brother in law's (Bob Armstrong) hot dog only restaurant. It closed in the early 80's, around the time Old Mountaineer Field closed.


* The old, three-story offices of the Daily Athenaeum near the corner of Pleasant and Price Streets (am I remembering those correctly?) -- it was across the street from a sorority house... Man, that was a great old building for a geeky newspaper crew to hatch its world-domination schemes from... before putting the paper to bed every night and heading down to Mario's Back Door for a pitcher! =)

* The Berger Chef on (now) Rte 705. Was right next door to Flatts Elementary school
* Flatts Elementary School, as well as the middle school that it fed into that was out about where the Wal-Mart not-to-be was going to go. I forget the name of the school. I want to say Chestnut Ridge, but I cannot recall for sure. It would have been 5th and 6th grades and fed into Suncrest Jr High School.


* How about Fredlock's? Fredlock's used to have one of those weird Zen things that made designs in the sand. Also they used to have these raunchy mugs with women on them, and when there was condensation on the mugs the women's clothing would disappear. I would love to know if anyone remembers this.
* Grey's discount
* The Dining Room!
* Jambie's

* Remember the Morgan Theatre, it stood up from what is now the Boston Beanery, right at the alley. It became a hot dog place and beside it was a clothing store. I think the clothing store moved across the street. Where the hot dog stand was is now a bar. Actually when I was young, I think the movie theatre closed but my parents remember going to movies there as they were growing up.
(I remember the Hallmark store next to where the Beanery now is, not sure about a hot dog stand. Anyone else?)


* How about Pike's Rest. near the corner of High Street, later on the House of Cards and now a lawyer's office.


* Mom and pop grocery stores: Chester Hartley's store on the corner of Grand Street and Gordon Street in South Park (briefly became Dairy Mart, before moving to its present location on Dorsey Avenue); Bobette's store on the corner of Wilson Avenue and Kingwood Street (later located in the building behind its first location); Marvin Luckini's store on Kingwood Street (I hope I spelled Marvin's last name right); Forlini's store on White Avenue; Bailey's grocery on the corner of Arch and Green Streets; Cobun Avenue Confectionery on the corner of Cobun and Maryland (Connie Negri still has her business, but it's on Pleasant Street now); the one on Barrickman Street in First Ward which later became (and may still be) Roto Rooter; and many others across Morgantown that I don't remember because they weren't on the south side (where I obviously grew up).
* The five-and-ten's: Woolworth's on High and Wall Streets--I especially remember their record section in the basement; Murphy's, across from the court house, where the Dollar Store is now--you went through the front door, down the stairs, and the toys were on the right, pets on the left--and at Christmas time, Santa came there so you could sit on his lap and tell him what you wanted; and the ultimate five-and-ten, McCrory's on the corner of High and Walnut--so huge that a multitude of businesses now occupy its space (BW3, Z Club, the state treasurer's office, etc.)--McCrory's had great old wooden floors, a great restaurant at the back, and the ladies' underwear was segregated into a separate room where little boys weren't allowed to go so they wouldn't get any bad ideas.
* Downtown restaurants: Remember when the Acropolis was a restaurant and not a coin shop? (It was where the Discount Den now is.); Remember when {where BB&T Bank is} was the BBF before it was Borden Burger before it was Burger Chef? (and before that, it was a Chinese laundry and Olan Mills photography studio.); Bonanza steak house on the corner of High & Fayette (later Hardee's, & later still Cafe of India's old location); the Indian restaurant that was in the back of Cafe of India's old location before it became Cafe of India; Cosmopolitan hot dogs; Healthy Bites (now the Blue Moose); Hav-a-Lunch on the corner of High & Pleasant, where the Huntington Bank drive-through now is.
* The bench on the corner of High and Kirk Streets, which had "Southside Lumber" painted on it--used to be the only bench in all of downtown Morgantown, but I never saw anyone ever sitting on it.
* The pet store on West Street in Westover (at the far end from Holland Avenue).
* The bakery on Walnut Street (now a lawyer's office), next to D&A Jewler's (now the porn store).
* The house on Wall Street with the great balcony and the barber shop on the first floor, which was torn down to become Morgan's parking lot. The barber's wife was a painter, and her paintings were always stacked up so the barber couldn't use one of his chairs. The barber shop moved to the location which is now the Blue Moose's new dining room extension.
* Grocery stores on High Street! (High Street Market & Morgantown Market)--one was on the corner of High and Forest, recently torn down--the other was where Subway is now.
* The Blue Tic Tavern in the Mountainlair!
* The Double Decker bar on Walnut Street (now the Living Room), and another bar down the street, the Washington Cafe (now GARO).
* The miniature golf course on the Greenbag Road, where Bluegrass Village is now.
* Downtown newstands: Walter's News, on the corner of High & Pleasant, and before that in the middle of the block of Pleasant Street between High & Spruce; and Stenger's, where Casa d'Amici is now.
* John Marshall Records, at its many locations up and down High Street, and even on Willey Street at one point; Record Bar in the Mountaineer Mall; and Disc Jockey in the Morgantown Mall.
* The Euphorium, upstairs in Sunnyside--Morgantown's very first head shop, I believe. Speaking of head shops, where Cool Ridge is now used to be the Morgan Theater.
* The stadium bridge--no wonder I don't walk to Sunnyside anymore!
* Morgantown's first pizza delivery place, Phantom Pizza. Its location was supposed to be a secret, but it was on Beechurst.
* Morgantown's first Kentucky Fried Chicken was in a small building on Patteson Drive which today would be located in Kroger's parking lot. The "Today's Buffet" Chinese restaurant next door used to be another Bonanza steak house.
* Morgantown used to have good Chinese restaurants! The Great Wall (not affiliated with the current Great Wall) was where Fatty Loaf's is on Walnut Street; East Garden is now that tea house above Zen Clay; and Foosheen used to be called Hallelujah Chinese Restaurant and used to be good despite the fact that they were serving up cat meat.
* Independent book stores! Who can forget Stilwell's on the corner of Pleasant and Chestnut Streets? (Before it was Stilwell's, it was a bar called El Toro.)--Not to mention the cafe in back of Stilwell's. I remember it first as an oriental grocery store, then Cafe Libretto, then Cafe Catherine, then Grasshopper Locomotive--and now a parking lot. How about the book store on Foundry Street, next to the South High Street Brigde? First it was Wolf's Head, then Abshire's, and finally Books Books Books. Remember Trans-Atlantic Books on Fayette Street? Or how about Riverrun in the Garlow Building above where Kinko's used to be? (and remember when Kinko's was on Willey Street?)--well, some good news, Riverrun is back, now in the Sand Castle on Walnut Street across from the police station/parking garage.


This list has brought back a lot of memories. From the old Burger Chef's to Flatts Elementary to Scotto Pizza downtown.

...and it continues

I reported earlier today for placement on the Federal Grand Jury and was lucky enough to avoid being selected. They select a pool of 23 Grand Jurors and start eliminating form there. If one is eliminated then another one of us from the pool is selected. I managed to avoid being selected until they had their 23 people to swear in. Once they had their 23, the rest of us were dismissed.

Seemed like the 23 saddest people in the room were the ones selected to be Grand Jurors and the happiest people were those of us that weren't selected.

I guess you knew how bad it was when thye show you a movie at the start on why you should like to serve. LOL.

I Had avoided it for years

I have been fortunate the past 41 years to ever be called for Jury Duty. I have watched friends and co-workers get called and have to go through the entire process. Well, it finally caught up with me and then some.

I didn't get called for localJry Duty, no, I have to get called to serve on the Federal Grand Jury this week. I've known about it for about 2 months when my name was added to the pool.

I had to call yesterday to see if I had to report today in Clarksburg, and wouldn't you know it my name was listed. Oh well, it gives me a front row seat for a Federal Court case and also gives me a chance to learn a little something about our legal process.

I hope it's a good one, I want a book deal.

Happy 4th of July

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. --Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has refuted his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.

He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.

He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.

He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.

He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.

He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.

He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.

He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.

He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.

He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:

For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:

For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:

For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies

For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:

For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.

He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.

He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.

He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.

Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred. to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.

We, therefore, the Representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. --And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.

--John Hancock

New Hampshire:
Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts:
John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island:
Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut:
Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York:
William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey:
Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania:
Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware:
Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland:
Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia:
George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina:
William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina:
Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia:
Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton





Lyman was my Great-Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather.


Lyman Hall
1724-1790
Representing Georgia at the Continental Congress

Born: April 12, 1724
Birthplace: Wallingford, Conn.
Education: Graduated Yale College, (Physician.)
Work: Elected to Continental Congress, 1775; Delegate to the Georgia House of Assembly, Elected Governor of Georgia, 1783; Judge, 1785.
Died: October 19, 1790

Lyman Hall was born in Connecticut in 1724. He studied medicine at Yale College, graduated in 1756 and went to Charleston, South Carolina, shortly after to establish a medical practice. He bought land in Georgia in 1760 and established a plantation there, while continuing to practice medicine. Two years later he returned to South Carolina, still as a physician. In 1774, by this time partisan in revolutionary politics, he again came to Georgia and earned the unflattering attention of the Royal Governor, James Wright. He also secured election to the Continental Congress, where he was involved in provisioning food and medicine for the Revolutionary Armies. He was reelected to congress through 1780 but retired to his adopted state in 1777 when state matters, including the situation of his longtime friend Button Gwinnett, demanded his attention. A short time later, the war reached Savannah. Hall's property was burned and he stood accused of high treason. He fled to Charleston, which was also overtaken by the British. He then fled to Connecticut, some say, where he was harbored by family.

He returned to Georgia in 1782, to reclaim his lands, was elected to the House of Assembly in 1783 and then elevated to the office of the Governor. After a single year as Governor, he served one more year in the Assembly, then a year as judge. He then returned to private life & was involved in the continued development of agriculture in the state. Hall died in 1790 at the age of 66.




Happy 4th of July.

Annual Rosiak Party

Every year on the 4th of July weekend for the past eight years now I have made it a tradition to go and spend the day with some long time friends of mine.

Trish, who was Jackie's room mate for years and I have remained close friends for since the time Jackie and I broke up. Bryan, Trish's boyfriend has also been a very close friend very long time now. We played softball together for years until this season.

Every year, Trish's parents have a 4th of July cookout at their home. Every year there is plenty of good food and a very large contingent of people that migrate to the Rosiak's every year for this party.

It's usually the one time of the year I get to see Jackie, but she didn't manage to make it this year, she was in New Jersey.



Every year there is always a big water battle. I have a big super soaker that I bought for the first year there was a picnic, witht he sole intent purrpose of using it at this picnic. Today is the one day of the year that I actually break it out and fill it up. The water battle was a blast



I always look foreward to this party every year. Needless to say when I move to Frostburg this winter I will always return for this party.

Congratulations Gary

Gary took his Contactors test a couple weeks ago and told me this week that he had passed BOTH tests on the first attempt. . Can I say this was probably too long overdue. He has been working in construction since he started hanging drywall years ago when he first came out of High School with his friend Jay.

He takes a lot of pride in his work and does a great job. I think everyone has been on him for years to take his test, and he finally did it and passed it the first time.

Congrats Bro!!!!!!

I now know how to get pictures off my phone

Pictures from my Phone, of the Jimmy Buffett Concert in Pittsburgh this Sunday evening.

Fins to the left, Fins to the right...

WOW, what a time I had today. I went and saw Jimmy Buffett at PNC Park and had a great time. This was my first time to be among the Parrot Heads, and let me say I was not disappointed.



I went with Mark, his wife Denise and Jeff McClung and we sat out in the 90 degree heat for about 4-5 hours having a blast before we ventured into PNC Park.



They said you were not allowed to take your cameras inside of PNC, but if I was thinking properly I would have snuck it in. I did take a couple pictures with my phone, but I don't know how to extract those pictures to a file.



The crowd was awesome. I have never been to a concert this big and to be honest with you, I was a little awestruck by it. PNC Park probably had the biggest crowd they have ever had for this event.



It was also a very enjoyable crown to be around, everyone with a beach theme and you had no fear of any complete idiots anywhere, it was like one BIG Family party.

If you have never seen this man in concert, do yourself a favor and go and see him at least once in your lifetime, you will not regret it.

***UPDATE****

Thanks for the link Mark.

I was one of those gate crashers who tried to get in at 6:00

Buffett fans sunk by late-arrivals at ballpark gates


Concert Review: Buffett starts the summer with a steamy show

Poker Run for Make-a-Wish

Terri and Nick and the Country Inn were the last stop for the Poker Run for the Make-A-Wish Foundation yesterday. WOW, talk about a crowd, I think she probably had her best day ever as far as sales.



It was a total madhouse yesterday, but I think they handled it very well. Being the last stop, you are required to provide food for the pack. Terri, Tyler, Amy, Choo, Rob and Nick did an outstanding job of doing for providng for all of these visitors.

The bar was so busy that it ws almost impossible to get the food from the kitchen to the newly redesigned gameroom where she was serving all the food.

From what I gathered, it allowed a group of kids to enjoy a fun day at Valley Worlds of Fun . Terri had no idea how big the crowd was until I took her and Choo out the backdoor and walked around the building. I knew it was big when I looked out the front window and saw a row of people sitting on the guardrail across the street as far as I could see from my vantage point.

Hat's off to all the Country Inn people who did an outstanding job yesterrday.

Thursdays Tidbits

* Haven't posted much this week, so I guess I'm going to do a tidbits.

* Mom, is in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina on vacation with her friends Shirley. She should be coming back this weekend, I guess she has a one week time share down there.

* Kim and Robert are currently in Baton Rouge, Louisiana this week. Robert is down there bowling in the nationals with his dad.

* George bought a new 4-Wheeler this past weekend. I went up to his place for some of his world famous rib BBQ's and saw it. I have a couple pictures of it, but I haven't uploaded them yet.

* Rich just ended a weeks vacation on Monday, he works a lot of hours and was probably long overdue on having a vacation.

* Terri and the Country Inn will be the last stop at a Poker Run this Saturday. I'm, going to go down and give them a hand because you know they are going to be busy.

* I'm going to be the designated driver for Mark and a few other people for the Jimmy Buffet concert this Sunday.

* I'm taking this Monday as a vacation day to recover from a very busy weekend.

* Yesterday was a nice day at work, I helped make VARGIS $320,000 in about 15 minutes. I would like to have that chink of change. Actually it was just repairing something we did a few weeks ago that allowed us to bill for the services.

* The weather in Frostburg has been great this week.

* I talked with Kim briefly yesterday, she said Baton Rouge was awesome, but it was also very hot down there.

* I did stop in and pay her a visit Sunday evening after I left Pam and George's place. I met Roki the new puppy.

* When does Survivor start again? I think I'm suffering from Survival Withdrawal Syndrome.

* Have a nice week.

Happy Fathers Day

It's been nearly six years now since me and my family have lost my dad. To me he was someone I had always looked up to and someone who was always there for me. He left this world a few years ago and left one heck of a legacy. I'm fortunate because of him to have four of the best siblings that anyone could ever hope for.

He's left a legacy of stale old jokes of cutting his finger three times when he was making his world famous potato salad. Of course he always waited until you were eating and would always lead in with how do you like the potato salad before he would drop his infamous one liner.

When I look at my Nephews and nieces I can see my Dad through his eyes, they were all his grandchildren and each and every one of them carries a unique piece of him with them. I look at his great-grand daughter and I see his eyes in her.

He left a very positive influence on each and every one of us. I guess the true measure of a man is the legacy that he leaves behind. What happened to the seed that he sewed when he spent his brief time with us. Did it take root and prosper or did it whither and die. Was he going to be remembered or forgotten.

George Edward Hall Sr influenced and inspired many of us. I consider myself a very lucky man to have had the honor of calling this man Dad. He left a legacy that definitely took root and grew in fertile soil. Five loving Children, seven loving Grand-Children and so far one great-grandchild. I think he would have been very proud in each and every one of them.

We Love and Miss you Dad. Thank You and Happy Father's Day.



"Somebody will Pay, Somebody will pay..."

George Hall

Happy First Birthday, Erica Jean Nicholson

Today, we celebrated Erica Jean's first birthday. We had a little cookout at Val and Bobby's place. Weather was beatiful and was perfect for a cookout.

Very Proud of Randy

Yesterday, Randy finished his grueling 22 weeks of training at the Mountaineer ChalleNGe Acadamy and graduated. I have to say that I am very proud of him, he went in as a confused boy, but exited a man.

After the graduation, Terri and Nick had a nice little graduation Party for him. It was a great time enjoyed by everyone who was there.

I did manage to capture his platoons drills in a media file for everyone to see. Be warned though, this is a 40 MB file, so it may take some time to download.

Randy's Graduation

Graduation Day for Randy Hamrick

Today Randy graduates from the Mountaineer ChalleNGe academy at 1:00 at the Craig Civic Center in Kingwood. I will be leaving work a few hours early so I can see his graduation. He's worked very hard over the past six months and being there is the least that I can do.

I was talking to Jean yesterday and I guess he had taken his GED a few weeks ago, but they would not get the results until yesterday. Randy passed his GED and at 16 years old is now a High School graduate. I'm pretty sure that age wise he will be the youngest to graduate when compared to anyone else in the family. Congratulations Randy, I know I am very proud of you and will be there today with my camera in hand to capture the moment.



I have been told that the graduation will last three hours, but I will be sitting in the audience as one proud Uncle watching every moment of it.

After his commencement, Terri is going to be having a party at the Country Inn in Fairmont. I'm sure there will be one or two photo opportunites for me there today.

Finally got the picnic pics resized and uploaded

Ok, I finally got a few pictures from this past weekends picnic uploaded to my site.
Here is a little sample.

Geneology updated

I received an e-mail from Mark Devault this morning telling me that he had updated his dad's geneology software.


SITE

Take a look around and see if you can fill in any of the blanks.

Weeks wrapup

I guess I can do a weeks wrapup/tidbits post.

* We played an undefeated team in softball last night, man was this team loaded with some really solid players. WE did kick the shit out of them 16-4 to run our record to 9-1 though.

* After the game a large group of us went once again to our sponsor Prime Thyme for dinner and a few beers. Of course I was drinking Diet Coke and water.

* Friday a group of us went out to lunch at work. One of the girls was having a birthday party yesterday after work. A girl I work with and I combined to make her a little Birthday file.

* Wed, a guy who I used to work with at the NRAC had his first of two interviews in Frostburg. He interviewed with us for a job in Sterling. I think they are going to make him an offer. Josh, his wife Jamie, JB Churchill (another former NRAC'er) and myself went out to lunch Thursday in Frostburg.

* Randy graduates this coming Friday from the mountaineer Challenge academy. His graduation will be in Kingwood. I think Terri is going to do something after the graduation. Don't really know the details yet.

* Jean and Mickey are having a cookout tomorrow at Krepps Park. It will be nice to see everyone. I think I'm going to my traditional Sunday Morning chores today rather than tomorrow so I can lend a hand if needed.

* The weather has been absolutely gorgeous this past week. We have been getting an occasional Thunderstorm in Frostburg, but it doesn't appear to have rained a drop by the time I get back to WV.

* Jean did give me an update on Valerie Reed. The girl who grew up across the street and was shot this past Christmas. I Blogged about it previously. I guess she is doesn't really know anyone and is still in pretty bad shape, but now here is the kicker. She was pregnant by the guy who shot her and then killed himself. I guess they are feeding her through a feeding tube and the baby is still on schedule.

* I'll try to grab and add a few new picks over the weekend. Have a good time enjoying this wonderful weather.

Not really a tidbits, but it is a Tuesday

Hey, we are 40% of the way to the weekend. Today was a nice day, the weather was absolutely perfect. I got home from work and went and took a little walk on Rails to Trails. I went for a nice little walk on the Caperton Trail where I usually go. I usually park at the Jeep dealership on Don Knotts Boulevard and walk towards downtown. Usually until I get to the Westover Bridge, then I turn around and go back.

It was a very scenic walk tonight for there were literally a few hunred people that I passed on the trails. Everything from bikers, to rollerbladers to joggers to walkers to strollers (me) to people just sitting there and enjoying a beautiful view.



I called Kim from the trail but no one was home. Then I turned around and called Jean and she told me that the Toths are going to have their yearly cookout this coming Sunday. We usually do it at Krepps Park on the backside of the swiiming pool. Usually plenty of food and a great time to be had by all.

Back to the grind

What a beautiful weekend we had weather-wise. Nice and sunny all weekend and weather was in the mid to upper 80's. I don't think I could have asked for better weather. I need to get out with my camera on days like these so I can get some great snapshots.

I'm still starting at 6:00 AM, so I'm still leaving at 4:30 in the morning to drive to Frostburg. It does tend to make the day go a lot quicker and I can get more done in the early morning hours at work, so that does make it nice.

I did get a chance to talk to Pam and George over the weekend. Pam caused George to crash a four wheeler and she's blaming him for it. She has this bad habit of causing people to wreck and them blaming them for it.

George said he did get three rooms drywalled including Calvin's Room, the Living Room and the new Kitchen. They are moving right along on it.

Talked to Jean a little yesterday, she said Rich is starting his vacation this week and that they may go down to the Country Inn this Friday to hear the band the Chicken Pickers.



I never did get a chance to talk to Gary and wish him a Happy Birthday. Maybe he and Renee got away for the weekend or something.

It was a nice enjoyable, peaceful weekend, but now it's back to the grindstone that we call work.

Happy Birthday Gary

I'm wanting to wish a very happy birthday to my brother Gary. He is 34 years old (I think) today. Just wanting to wish him a very happy birthday.

A Softball Weekend

We have three games scheduled over a period of 15 hours. Last night we got off to a great start defeating a team full of the 2005 Morgantown High Football team and we played very well as a team. The game only went 4 innings as we kinda crushed them 21-1 running our seasons record to 6-1.

We have a double header scheduled this morning at 10:00 and 11:00. It will probably eb a long day because after our double header I'm thinking about going over and watching my old team when they play a double header this afternoon and my cousin mike has a double header later this afternoon that I would like to see.

I have a Team Schedule posted here. We are Prime Thyme andplay mostly on Fridays.

Friday, July 7th at 9:00 we take on team my cousin sponsers and plays for. We play Top Notch which I guess is a company Michael started. I also got a chance to see and talk to one of my oldest friends Tim Bowser last night, he's playing on Michael's team this year.


***Update***

We took 2 this morning to run our record to 8-1.



Have a good weekend.