Coal show comes to a close
CARMICHAELS – For the 55th consecutive year, Carmichaels celebrated Greene County’s rich coal heritage by hosting the annual Pennsylvania Bituminous Coal Show, a weeklong celebration that featured a wide variety of attractions and events for festivalgoers of all ages. The event began with the traditional golf outing, cheerleading competition and Coal Queen pageant, and ended with the popular car show and parade. And in between, there were many contests and parades that were enjoyed by the many men, women and children who participated and attended.
On Aug. 20, the Pennsylvania Bituminous Safety Association’s State Mine Rescue Contest was held at the Carmichaels Area High School stadium. The mine rescue contest presented mine rescue teams with different problems on a course at the Carmichaels Area High School stadium.
The top three winners were: First place, Foundation Coal’s Cumberland mine team with captain Bob Drzazgowski; second place, Consol’s Enlow Fork mine team with captain Shawn Dewitt; and third place, Foundation’s Emerald Mine team with captain Gary Bochna.
The association held its annual Pre-Shift Contest on Aug. 21. This contest required participants to look for any dangers in the mine before mining begins.
The top three winners were: First place, Eighty Four Mining Co.’s Mine 84 with contestant Adrian Gordan; second place, Consol’s Robinson Run No. 95 mine, Mannington, W.Va., with contestant Larry Tenney; and third place, Patriot Coal’s Southern Appalachia Operations, Wharton, W.Va., with contestant Rex Osborne
Also on Aug. 22, a Bench contest was held at the Carmichaels Elementary Center’s gymnasium. The benchmen examined the equipment and found and fixed any and all problems with the equipment.
The top three winners for the bench contest were: First place, Federal No. 2 with Eastern Associated Coal’s Federal No. 2, Fairview, W.Va., with contestant David Pace; second place, Consol’s Enlow Fork mine with contestant Randy Bombach; and third place, Foundation’s Emerald mine with contestant Emmitt Cox.
The 42nd annual Children’s Pet Parade was held on Aug. 20. The participants assembled at Yoskovich’s funeral home parking lot and the parade went to the town circle. The Carmichaels Area High School Marching Band participated in the parade in addition to many children and their pets.
The winners included: Prettiest Cat, Michele Frye, 12, of Carmichaels; Best Dressed Cat, Alexa Nelly, 6, of Carmichaels; Largest Cat, Steven Kingan, 12, of Clarksville; Best Groomed Cat, Odyzza Centro, 9, of Carmichaels; Prettiest Dog, Shane Black, 13, of Carmichaels; Cutest Puppy, Elyssa Roberts, 5, of Carmichaels; Largest Dog, Elyssa Roberts, 11, of Carmichaels; Oddest Pet, Carter McMinn, 3, and Carson McMinn, age 2, of Carmichaels; Smallest Pet, Emma Holaron, 5, of Carmichaels; and Cutest Oddest Pet, Logan Ewart, 12, and Madison Ewart, 7, of Carmichaels.
The King Coal Charles Workman Memorial Bike Parade, which was held Aug. 21, awarded each winner $10 in the following categories: Youngest child pedaling a bike, Chevelle Roberts, 2, of Carmichaels; oldest person pedaling a bike, Mason Pratt, 13, of Crucible; and oldest bicycle, Liam Shea of Carmichaels with a 1942 scooter, and Carla Riggi, 10, of Carmichaels, with a 1994 Huffy bike.
Winners in the one- to five-year-old age group were: Jilian Kadruska, 3, of Clarksville; Dustin Hastings, 3, of Carmichaels; and Emma Holaren, 5, of Carmichaels. In the six- to 10-year-old group: Taggert Shea, 6, of Carmichaels; Stephany Pratt, 6, of Carmichaels; and Daren Krause, 10, of Carmichaels. And in the age 12 to adult division: Mason Pratt, 13, of Crucible.
Local artists had the opportunity to submit works of art to the Art of the Mines contest. The pieces were judged on Aug. 18, and the public had the opportunity to weigh in for the People’s Choice award, which was presented on Aug. 21, along with the Queen’s choice.
The winners were: First place, Melody Matthews, “Diamonds In The Rough”; second place, Tom Shaneyfelt, “Black Coal Miner”; and third place, Karen Calvert, “Black Cap.” Other winners were: Youth, Kasey Osborne, “Bituminous Bill”; Best of Show, Kasey Osborne; People’s Choice, Kasey Osborne; and Queen’s Choice. Breonna Bibb.
The King Coal Prince and the King Coal Princess were announced during the Devon Allen Johnson and Ruff Creek concert on Aug. 22 at the Carmichaels fire hall.
Dayton Reynolds was named King Coal Prince. He is the 14-month-old son of Sheldon and Michelle Reynolds of Carmichaels. They entered their son in the contest because they had entered their other two sons in the contest in years past.
Olivia Renee Glendenning, also 14 months old, will reign as King Coal Princess. She is the daughter of James Michael and Rhonda Renee Glendenning of Carmichaels. The new Princess’ grandfather is a retired coal miner and her father is a coal miner.
The contestants signed up on Monday and through the week Coal Show goers had the opportunity to vote for their favorite child with a donation.
Both the prince and princess had the opportunity to ride in the Coal Show parade, which was held on Aug. 23, the festival’s last day.
The Coal Show concluded with an antique car show and the King Coal parade. The parade was dedicated in memory of Sara L. Ruth, dubbed by King Coal Association as “The True Coal Queen,” who died in May.
She was president of the King Coal Association for more than two decades.
Prior to the parade was an antique car show. Bob Campbell won Queen’s Choice and Brock and Pam Diamond won Best of Show. There were 123 car participants.
Parade winners were:
Senior High School Band, first place – Albert Gallatin, second place – Waynesburg; Junior/Senior High School Band, first place – Carmichaels, second place – West Greene; Floats, first place – TOPS #1478, second place – Cub Scouts; and Best Specialty, first place- Mini Mike Cheerleaders.
For the fire equipment competition of the parade, the winners were; Light Pumper, Point Marion; Ambulance, Nemacolin; Medium Pumper, Jefferson; Aerial, Waynesburg; Heavy Pumper, South Brownsville; Judges Choice, Blaine Hill; Tanker, Crucible; Brush Truck, Fairchance; Longest Distance, Punxsutawney; Squad, Rices Landing; Rescue, Denbo/Vesta 6.
(Information provided by the King Coal Association)