Back from the beach
…In keeping with my ongoing commitment to focusing on positive thoughts in this column and refraining from dwelling on being negative, it is with much pleasure to write that I have recently returned from a wonderful vacation. My wife and I traveled to Ocean City, Maryland with a few good friends, and to say we had a terrific time would be a huge understatement.
We enjoyed afternoons of waterskiing, parasailing, eating fresh seafood at awesome restaurants and shopping along the boardwalk.
We witnessed one of the most spectacular July 4th fireworks displays ever. And when we weren’t doing all of that, we were just simply relaxing at the beach, our toes in the water and our butts in the sand. Perfect weather, no sunburn, no sharks.
It was just about as perfect a vacation as one could hope for.
?But as the old cliché goes, the good times couldn’t last forever, so now we are home, safe and sound.
But I was happy to be back in Greene County, mostly because I missed my two babies at home (our dog Lexi, of course, and my TV).
And unlike previous vacations — which were so hectic that I needed another vacation to recuperate from my vacation — I really did get to relax and unwind, and now I feel that my batteries have been recharged and I am ready to get busy again at work.
And it’s a good thing that I am recharged and ready, because a quick look at the calendar tells me that things are about to get crazy.
In addition to the usual day-to-day hectic grind — writing news stories, covering events, taking photos, attending meetings, penning columns, proofreading, and what not — we are entering the busiest time of the year for the Messenger staff.
We start with covering the Jacktown Fair next week, followed by Rain Day, the Greene County Fair, the Pa. Bituminous Coal Show, and much more. Oh, and when we’re not busy covering all of these events, we will also be hard at work putting together special issues such as the Fair Guide, the Rain Day edition and the annual Pigskin Preview.
So while we hope that you continue to enjoy your summer and find some time to relax, we also hope that you continue to pick up the Messenger each week and see just how busy we are, and how many different fun activities are being held throughout the county over the next couple of months. Stay tuned, it’s going to be a crazy ride…
…One of the most hectic things that I have to do after returning from vacation is to sort through the stunningly high number of emails, phone calls, faxes and pieces of mail that are brought to my attention. And this week was no different: Close to 900 emails infiltrated my computer, not to mention the large pile of papers — mostly containing details about upcoming events such as family reunions and group meetings — that were left for me on my desk.
And you know what? Seeing the high volume of stuff actually made me smile, because it meant that folks were taking the time to send us their information, because they wanted to share it with our many other readers.
So, we thank all of you for continuing to send us your announcements, and we encourage everyone to do the same.
(Here comes my repeated battle cry: If you have an event or info that you’d like the rest of the county to know about, LET THE MESSENGER KNOW. Our contact info can be found at the bottom of the page.)
Anyway, in keeping with my recent decision to highlight the local “good news” that we receive, I am now happy to share with you some of the many tidbits that I received while I was away. So here goes…
…Congratulations to Abigail Taylor Phillips, daughter of Robert and Cheri Phillips of Spraggs, who was crowned “Little Miss Firecracker 2011” on July 4.
Abby is the granddaughter of Berth Willy of Parrottsville, Tenn., Brenda Jones of Waynesburg, the late Bob Phillips and the late H. Ashley Wyant.
The Little Miss Firecracker pageant was part of the 20th annual “4th of July Celebration,” which is sponsored by the Waynesburg Lions Club. By the way, I was told that the July 4 celebration was a huge success.
For more feedback about the event, please see the letter to the editor on this same page…
…Also, two big “Greene Thumbs Up” to the local chapter of ABATE for organizing another successful fundraiser last month. After raising over $1,000 in May from the annual Cancer Run to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay For Life of Greene County, the group held a benefit chicken roast in June, which brought in over $900. (I was in attendance for that event, and I cannot express how delicious that dinner was. Donating for a good cause never tasted so darned good.)
I was also informed that the group is holding their annual run to benefit the Humane Society of Greene County on Saturday, July 16.
Registration is from 10:30 to 11:30?a.m. at the Humane Society and the run will begin at 12?p.m. Donation is $20 per bike. For more info, call Debbie at 724-852-1789…
…Before I wrap this up, I am excited to announce that the Messenger will soon be unveiling a new column, tiled “Intrinsic Greene.” Written by L. Scott Pishko, the new column will focus on Greene County history and folklore, and will certainly be a welcome addition to our terrific group of columnists. Watch for the debut of “Intrinsic Greene” on this page in the very near future…