A musical relationship
Dear Editor: We recall going to the Ellis Music Store as children when our interest for music first began.
The news coverage of the music store auction was of interest to us all as musicians in Uniontown and the surrounding areas.
However, there was no mention of those, who over the years held the business together since 1968.
The Rev. Paul F. Werner, who was the right hand man to William Caton since he had acquired the ownership of Ellis, was always there when needed. Mr. Caton depended upon Paul as well as Niles Dodson when it came to lending a hand to move pianos in and out of trucks, to and from homes and other establishments, and to and from the store. They enjoyed the presence of Mr. Caton so much that it was a pleasure just to be able to help him and see the scenery as they drove to many places of pickup or delivery.
And never to be forgotten, the woman who made it all happen the past 13-plus years, Judy Herring VanBremen. She possessed such loyalty and devotion throughout those years and since 1998 when she became store manager, the hardest of all years, with Mr. Caton’s wife being ill as well as his own health failing.
Judy, being the only employee, maintained a business amid the strife of unpleasant working conditions up to Aug. 14, the last day of the store’s operation.
It took not only Mr. Werner but the other musicians who frequently visited the store to empty water buckets when it rained or snowed, to find fallen ceilings of plaster, etc., electrical and plumbing problems, phone difficulties that originated often, animals who found their way through holes in the building, and just many other problems that come with a building with standards so out of date and badly in need of repair.
Cindy Caton Ross, only child of William Caton, tried to keep the business afloat from a distance, but without Judy VanBremen, we would not have had the convenience of a local music store these past three years.
Also not to be forgotten, the 8-year-old cat, Baby, who watched over all operations of the store, both day and night. Judy found a new home for Baby three weeks ago.
She is now in an actual home where she can spend her life on furniture and laps of people, quite unlike her eight years of living in an old store, no “Cat TV” and no other cat friends as she now has.
We wish Judy the best in her new venture (she was not the buyer of Ellis Music Store last week) and assure her we will trust her expertise as always when making a musical purchase.
Janice M. Roebuck
Uniontown
Offended by officer
Dear Editor:
All people are equal in our Father’s eyes with or without authority. Some with authority take advantage of the situation and run with it.
We are all human, no less or better. A friend of mine was pulled over coming from Route 166 going Route 40 west, which isn’t the safest place to be pulled over.
It was very dark and not safe. The police officer said she was low-riding, then she said she thought my friend was someone she knew that she had a warrant for.
The officer then asked my friend for her current license.
When she told her she had it in the trunk, the officer asked for her full name and Social Security number, then let her go.
She said for future pullovers pull off the road so she would not be hit. If my friend tells what is being said and done by police to a higher authority who will listen and do the right thing according to God’s laws?
Kim Thomas
Brownsville