Pine Bluff News
By Pat Matheny
Wednesday morning, the PB CEOS Club held their first monthly meeting of the year in the basement of the PB UM Church.
Those in attendance were Julia Martin, Jeannette Smith, Martha Martin, our Thelma Martin, Jo Moore, Madonna Ashley, Jeff Sampson, Pastor Buzzy Holbert, Patty Sampson, Mary Deem, and Donna Wyke (We forgot about it).
The members are planning a Cream Chicken and Biscuit Dinner for April 7th and 8th at the community center from 11 am to 6 pm daily. Also, my lil’ buddy Colton is collecting for the Shriners Toy Drive…any kind of new toy would be appreciated. The toys can be dropped off at the church or community building before June 25th. For further info, contact Colton’s mommy Julia at 304-641-3032.
Friday was a beautiful day, so we decided to take a little drive around the area. We drove through Rosemont and Flemington, where Susie’s family had once lived, and continued on through Galloway to Philippi. I still get a kick out of driving through the old Philippi covered bridge, although, I thought I would have to suck the side mirrors in on the Explorer to get it through…kinda tight. Then, we traveled down Rt. 119 to Rt. 20 and circled back into Nutter Fort where we ate at the FOP Restaurant.
While there, we ran into Susie’s Aunt Shirley and husband Dave Cimino of Fairmont. Shirley was one of the bridesmaids at our wedding and Dave and I were co-workers at the Loveridge Mine before I retired. So, we have met them before. The restaurant’s pepper shaker worked really well.
Before I forget it, I’d like to give a special shout out to Susie. She has picked up the tab and tip for the last two out of three eating outings…she’s a good girl.
In the evening, our Santana showed up for a visit just when the WVU basketball game started. The first thing she did, as usual, was fix herself something to eat. Then, for the next two hours, she got to witness grandpa and grandma jumping up and down in our seats and screaming at the refs, the announcers, the coach, and the players on the TV…more negative language than positive. However, it must have worked, because WVU won.
Besides working and going to school, our girl has been work shadowing (Onlooker) at the Clarksburg Veterinary Hospital…getting firsthand knowledge. She said that she has really enjoyed the experience so far, except when they’ve had to euthanize a few animals; that would be tough.
Last week at the Vet Center Meeting in Morgantown, Paul Hevner brought a WWII Veteran friend, Hal Shamburger, to share stories with the group. Hal is 94 years old and his mind is as sharp as a tack; I think his wife is 93. He enlisted in the Navy in 1938 for a six year hitch, which lasted through WWII. His starting pay was $21 a month … 26 years later, it was $83. He shared some very interesting stories about his military career and his career at WVU. He has a great sense of humor and is truly a great American.
I noticed while driving around the area that there aren’t a gazillion potholes in the roads as normal for this time of the year…that’s a good thing. Since the state road won’t have to patch as much, I wonder if they could trade some of the extra patching material for some cans of white paint. Then they could paint some lines on our road.
Until next time, have a great week and remember our Veterans.
Pat