Jun 29, 2013 6 min read

A look at some of the headlines gracing the pages of the Observer-Reporter and Waynesburg Republican this week in Greene County history:

County seeks airport expertise

WAYNESBURG – Greene County officials started the search process for a special consultant who will plan both short- and long-term improvements at the county airport.

Commissioners would like to repave the apron and taxiways before the end of the year, and they have more ambitious plans for the airport over the next five years or so. The county began advertising for a consultant to lead this project Tuesday. Commissioners are expected to hire a firm by fall.

The county received a $198,000 grant from the state Department of Transportation Bureau of Aviation to start the work. Robbie Matesic, director of the county’s Department of Economic Development, said the grant will pay for the initial fee to the consultant, as well as the construction costs for the apron and taxiway improvements.

The county will have to seek additional grants to pay for future improvements, which include a major change in the layout of the airport.

The airport master plan, which was prepared by consultants from L. Robert Kimball and Associates, calls for the demolition of several older hangars south of the runway. New ones then will be erected in an area north of the runway.

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Last chance for public comment on county’s comprehensive plan

WAYNESBURG – Residents will have one last chance to comment on the Greene County comprehensive plan and related recreation plan before the plans are adopted next month by the county commissioners.

A public hearing on the plans will be held at 10 a.m. July 16 at the county office building in Waynesburg. The commissioners will consider final adoption of the plans at a meeting Aug. 7.

In the works for at least the last three years, the plans serve as a guide or a “blue print” for the county’s future.

“What’s important is that it addresses the critical issues we believe the county will face in the next 10 years,” said Robbie Matesic, director of the county’s Department of Planning and Development.

The plans were developed after extensive public involvement that included meetings by a steering committee and focus groups as well as public workshops in each of the county school districts.

The comprehensive plan, according to its goal statement, offers a guide on how the county can develop in a manner to “preserve (its) natural resources and historic or cultural character while strengthening its commercial and economic base.”

$1.82 million grant to help dislocated miners

Federal funds designed to help more than 125 dislocated miners in Washington and Greene counties were released Tuesday.

A $1.82 million grant from the U.S. Department of Labor was announced by Pennsylvania’s two Republican senators, Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum.

The grant includes a wide array of services, including education, training, job search and referral, job relocation assistance and supportive services for miners who lost their jobs at Consol Energy’s Dilworth Mine and Robena Prep Plant in Greene County and Maple Creek Mine in Washington County.

John Kasula, career counselor and job developer for United Mine Workers of America’s Career Center Inc. in Washington, said officials of his agency could not address how the appropriation would be used locally “because no one has read the details of the grant.”

Kasula did say that the 125 number seems correct because of the number of applications the career center has received.

“Many of the workers at the three mines have been recalled to Consol’s Bailey, Enlow and 84 Mines,” he said. “The timing of this announcement could not be better because those who have not been recalled can surely benefit from the services.”

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Familiar after two decades

JEFFERSON – It was 22 years ago when Mike Adamson, then 7, carved his initials and the year, 81, on the underbelly of a box turtle.

This week, Adamson, 28, who now lives in Florida, returned home to spend Fourth of July with his family. And while taking a stroll in his back yard off Route 188 near Greene County Memorial Park, Adamson saw a familiar object in the grass.

“I saw a turtle and couldn’t help but wonder,” Adamson said. He picked it up and looked. And there they were – initials “MA” and “81.”

Adamson said he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. “I probably marked about 10 turtles and to find one of them is just amazing. All those turtles, all those years and I found one,” he said.

From what he could tell, the “tattooed” turtle seemed quite healthy. “The markings were a little worn from the shell being dragged, but the initials and the year were still clear,” he said.

He wasn’t sure how old the turtle is. “I assume they live a long time, but I don’t know how long. Heck, that turtle could have been 10 years old when I scratched in my initials,” he said.

Saluting General Greene

WAYNESBURG – The statue of Gen. Nathaniel Greene that stands on top of the court house dome will be completely refurbished.

At their meeting June 23, the Greene County commissioners authorized Miles Davin of Waynesburg, to make any necessary repairs and then cover the wooden figure with a fiberglass coating to protect it from the weather.

They said that a decision to authorize the work was made to take advantage of the scaffolding erected around the clock tower and dome by the contractor who will be repainting the tower in conjunction with replacing the courthouse roof.

Davin was authorized to spend up to $1,800 on the job. When contacted after the meeting, Davin said that he expects to begin work on Friday and complete the project by early next week.

“It’s in pretty bad shape,” said Davin, who inspected the statue this week. “At first we thought it could be taken down to be repaired, but I feel that it is too fragile to risk the handling that would be involved.”

Airport action taken

The Greene County commissioners Tuesday authorized the preparation of plans for an administration building and two service hangars at the Greene County Airport.

At the same time, they rejected bids that were opened May 7 for the construction of the block of five “T” hangars.

Commissioners R. Stanley Smith and Herman Gugliotta voted to direct the Michael Baker Engineering firm of Rochester to proceed with plans for the new buildings and have them ready as soon as possible.

Commissioner Harold A. Russell went on record as being opposed to the project and as favoring construction of the “T” hangars, which would have provided five additional hangar spaces for private plane owners.

The two commissioner and airport manager Thomas Gwynn decided, however, that the administrative building should include space for a restaurant and space for a second commercial operator, and asked the engineer to revise their plans to incorporate a second story on the building. They also suggested air conditioning be included.

It was estimated that with the suggested revisions, the project would cost approximately $200,000.