Go Xplore - Jan./Feb./March 2024 by SWPA Special Publications

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JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH 2024

VOL. 2 ISSUE 1 $2.00

CONNELLSVILLE for all seasons

Plus Greene County wineries and Washington libraries

Plus upcoming events and activities in the Fayette, Greene and Washington County areas

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TABLE OF CONTENTS: Connellsville for all seasons...................................... 4 Wines off the wine path.............................................. 8 Washington County libraries....................................12 ON THE COVER: Even in winter, the City of Connellsville boasts a striking setting, poised on the bank of the Youghiogheny River with Chestnut Ridge of the Allegheny Mountains beyond. In 2019, the Pittsburgh Chapter of Scenic America honored Connellsville with its “Scenic Pittsburgh Award,” recognizing community excellence in preserving scenic resources in Western Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

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Connellsville for all seasons

by Ben Moyer This file photo shows the Italian Social Club building in Connellsville, which was the canvas of three murals leading the city to receive a state award in 2020 for public art. (Photo by Mark Hofmann)

In this file photo, area residents helped create the butterfly mosaic outside of Youghiogheny Opalescent Glass in Connellsville. (Photo by Mark Hofmann)

Connellsville residents and visitors join the Connellsville Polar Bear Club for a dip in the Youghiogheny River every New Year’s Day. Visitors from as far away as Australia have taken the frigid plunge. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

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ew small cities can match the setting of Connellsville. The town spreads gracefully across a narrow terrace above a bend in the Youghiogheny River while its landward neighborhoods scale beyond the base of Chestnut Ridge. Viewed from downriver, Connellsville is a nucleus of human construction embraced by nature. The only aspect of Connellsville that is as dramatic as its setting is its history. Connellsville’s location was a key river crossing during the French and Indian War. In 1755, General Braddock’s British regiments crossed the Youghiogheny there on their way to disaster, just short of their goal — the French Fort Duquesne (now Pittsburgh). Farmer, surveyor and war veteran Colonel William Crawford settled on the Youghiogheny’s west shore in 1765. His reconstructed cabin is one of those storied places that can claim “George Washington slept here” since Colonel Crawford hosted his famous friend when Washington explored the “western country” after the Revolution. Today, Crawford’s cabin homesite is part of Connellsville’s Yough River Park. Zachariah Connell laid out a plan for the town in 1793, attracting so many settlers that Connellsville incorporated as a borough in 1806. Connellsville grew steadily through the 19th century after coal from the region’s vast deposits gained importance as industrial fuel. As steelmaking boomed nearby at Pittsburgh, the mills craved enormous volumes of coke, the pure-carbon fuel made by baking bituminous coal in thousands of coke ovens across the “Connellsville Coke Region,” blazing Fayette County’s night sky orange. Trains ran back and forth, hauling coal into Connellsville ovens and coke to Pittsburgh mills. It is said that during the peak of the Coke Era, Connellsville boasted more millionaires per capita than any other place in the world. Steel, coal and coke all declined, and Connellsville could have become a forgotten relic of the industrial age. But the city still boasted its dramatic setting, framed by a river and a mountain range. By the 21st century, one of those old rail lines had been transformed into a biking and hiking trail, and people began noticing that graceful river at Connellsville’s doorstep. Connellsville seized its opportunity to remake itself as a center of outdoor recreation. Increasingly, residents and visitors alike recognize this small city on the Yough as a place of adventure and natural beauty.

Winter by the river

Visitors from near and far find Connellsville’s transformation offers an appealing destination, even in winter. “You can ride a bike or take a hike on the Great Allegheny Passage at Connellsville any time there’s no snow. Winter is a great time to use the trail because you can see the river and downtown better when the leaves have fallen. And off the trail, there’s more to see and do here all the time.” said Connellsville Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Mike Edwards. “When we do have snow, more people are cross-country skiing portions of the GAP.”

Some people come to Connellsville to embrace the cold. “Our Polar Bear Club has been luring people to the Youghiogheny River here since 2005. That was an idea put forth by our recreation board,” Edwards said. The Connellsville Polar Club invites the public to join its members in taking a dip in the Youghiogheny on New Year’s Day. Visitors from as far away as Australia have taken the plunge. Otherwise, visitors and residents are cautioned that kayaking

In this 2022 submitted photo, Chris Galiyas of Rostraver Township restores the colors of his mural on silos along the Yough River Trail in Connellsville. Galivas was originally commissioned to paint the silos 16 years ago.

or canoeing the river during winter might not be the best recreational decision. Experts, adequately equipped and trained, continue to paddle the Youghiogheny when it’s free of ice. In his professional role helping to guide Connellsville’s community and economic future, Edwards knows how the city has made the most of its setting. “Connellsville has already become a biking hub along the Great Allegheny Passage,” Edwards said. “When the Sheepskin Trail is complete through Uniontown, it will link the GAP with West Virginia’s trail systems, and if we can connect with the Coal and Coke Trail through Westmoreland County, our economic potential as a recreational hub will be enormous. “Entrepreneurs of all types are already jumping on the bandwagon,” he continued. “The Comfort Inn at Yough Park purchased bikes and canoes and encourages their guests to enjoy the city, the river and the trail. They also do a shuttle service now for bikers who want to probe long-distance on the GAP. “We have one brewery now, and there’s another one planned. Also in the planning stage are an event center with a skating rink, fire pits and a climbing wall at the Comfort Inn. A lot of new businesses are keyed toward serving visitors on the trail or the river. We have new restaurants, massage and meditation services, and bed and breakfast accommodations are popping up. People can come here now and find multiple options for lodging.” Connellsville’s rising image as an outdoor and tourism destination was proven last summer when Governor Shapiro

Please see Connellsville, page 6

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The “Coke to Spokes” sculpture near Connellsville’s Yough River Park celebrates the city’s evolution from an industrial center to an outdoor recreation destination, highlighted by the Great Allegheny Passage bike trail and paddling and fishing opportunities on the Youghiogheny River. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

Connellsville Continued from 5

visited the city to announce the state’s first-ever Office of Outdoor Recreation. The Governor could have made the announcement in the Poconos, at Lake Erie or in the popular “Pennsylvania Dutch” region, but he chose Connellsville. Speaking at the announcement ceremony next to the Governor, Connellsville Mayor Greg Lincoln said, “We are

fortunate to have experienced significant economic revitalization from the direct impact of the Great Allegheny Passage and the boon in outdoor recreation.” Edwards suggested that one winter option for Connellsville visitors is to experience the city’s public art displays. Through cooperative efforts of the Connellsville Redevelopment Authority, Fayette County Cultural Trust, The Progress Fund, and Trail Town Initiative, commissioned artists have placed sculptures throughout the city that celebrate Connellsville’s industrial past while pointing to its potential as a recreational destination. Murals also grace downtown, plus an artistic touch to Fairview Avenue’s long, steep stairway. Connellsville’s Gateway Arch, for example, straddles the GAP just downriver from Yough Park. Made from stained glass, steel and coal, the arch welcomes eastbound bikers to town and reminds westbound travelers of the former industrial significance of the city they just visited. The Coke to Spokes sculpture at the intersection of First Street and Third Street evokes a similar message. “Public art is something that can be overlooked, but it interests people when it’s pointed out,” Edwards observed. “Coke to Spokes remembers Connellsville’s past when the coke ovens were burning, powering the entire steel industry, but instead of smoke rising from the ovens, bicycle wheels represent the smoke.” No initiative better symbolizes Connellsville’s spirit of honoring the past while seizing the future than the Connellsville Canteen. Located downtown at 131 W. Crawford Ave., the Canteen serves as a museum, a community gathering place, a restaurant and a historical shrine. The Canteen honors America’s and Connellsville’s sacrifices, triumphs and compassion during World War II. During the war, trains passed through Connellsville carrying thousands of troops headed either to foreign battlefields or back to their homes. Local service organizations and volunteers gathered at the Connellsville train station to serve the troops hot coffee, sandwiches and donuts. Surviving World War II vets from around the country still remember the kindness shown in Connellsville. Today, the Canteen commemorates the generosity extended to troops at Connellsville. Inside, photographs, maps, donated uniforms, letters and other memorabilia recall the nation’s mood during the 1940s war years. An assembly room hosts community events, and the Canteen cafe serves a varied menu for breakfast and lunch at modest prices. The cafe is open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., including winter. “The Canteen is meaningful to people here because so many families have donated the items on display. And people who come through Connellsville now on the trail or on the way to Fallingwater have told us every town should have something like our Canteen to preserve their stories,” Edwards said. In 2019, the Pittsburgh chapter of Scenic America, a national organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the visual character and scenic beauty of America, honored Connellsville with its “Scenic Pittsburgh Award.” The award program recognizes community excellence in preserving, enhancing and promoting scenic resources within the Western Pennsylvania region. “Our public art was one of the things Scenic Pittsburgh noted with that award,” Edwards said. “And also, the way we have tried to maintain and call attention to our city’s dramatic natural setting.” For more information about visiting Connellsville or opening a business there, check the city’s website at connellsville.us, the Connellsville Redevelopment Authority at connellsvilleredevelopment.org, or the Fayette County Cultural Trust at fayettetrust.org.

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Wines off the wine path

by Ben Moyer ABOVE: Meticulously planted and cared for rows of wine grapes grow on a gently sloped vineyard in Greene County. The grapes are planted so that no row’s shadow will fall upon the next row. AT LEFT: From the nine varieties of wine grapes grown at Thistlethwaite Vineyards, Jamie Thistlethwaite said he can produce about 15 types of wine, from sugary sweet to sophisticated dry. (Photos by Katherine Mansfield)

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hether you’re a hibernator who burrows into the couch in cold weather or a winter warrior who embraces the cold, visiting a winery may not be the first option that comes to mind for winter diversion. A winter visit to a vineyard, though, can be a great mini adventure. Wineries across our region stay open during those cold, dark months, welcoming visitors and offering vintages to help you take winter in stride. Likewise, Greene County may not be the first destination that leaps to mind for wine. Most wine enthusiasts think of the Lake Erie Wine Country or the Laurel Highlands as Western Pennsylvania’s wine regions. But Greene County boasts two wineries of its own. Award-winning Thistlethwaite Vineyards in Jefferson is among the Pennsylvania Tourism Office’s (visitPA. com) recommended stops on the Southwest Passage Wine Trail. And Shields-Demesne Winery in Spraggs is a unique winery with an unconventional, earthy, but passionate approach to winemaking rooted in Hungarian tradition and West Virginia’s nearby hills.

Thistlethwaite Vineyards

With its rustically appealing, red-roofed tasting room, set at the end of a long, narrow lane amid hills cloaked in ranks of grapevines, Thistlethwaite Vineyards evokes the classic image of wine culture worldwide. While approaching the vineyard on Thistlethwaite Lane, a moment to savor the setting is part of a visit’s reward, even in winter. “Winter is a quiet time around here. We’re not picking grapes or making wine,” said owner and vintner Jamie Thistlethwaite. “But the bottles are pouring, and the tasting room is open for tasting and sales.” The Thistlethwaites grow 10 varieties of French hybrid grapes on the farm that’s been in their family since 1892. Those 200 acres, typically hilly, produced more traditional regional crops for generations. “When I told my grandfather I had decided to grow grapes and make wine, he was stunned at first, but the whole family supported the idea.” Jamie planted the first grapes in 2000, and the vineyard went commercial in 2008. Thistlethwaite now offers 15 wines, red and white, with flavor profiles of citrus, vanilla, berries, plums, oak and more. The taste of each wine originates in the blend of grapes used and the aging process. Thistlethwaite ages some wines in stainless steel barrels and others in barrels of Pennsylvania white oak. Some of Thistlethwaite’s wines include Chambourcin Reserve, Colonial Red, Farmhouse Red, Very Berry Good, Naked Blanc, Thistleberry and others. “We attribute the quality of our wines to growing our own grapes. The clean, ripe fruit we produce makes us stand out,” Thistlethwaite said. “Others might buy grapes or juice from the Lake Erie region, and they have that taste. But our wines are unique to this place because the grapes grew in Greene County soil, in our weather. We think of it as a ‘vine to wine’ process. “A lot of people think of Pennsylvania wine as sweet wine,” Thistlethwaite continued. “But we make dry wines and semidry that people who like chardonnay or merlots will enjoy. We do make a wonderful, sweet wine, to be sure, but we go beyond sweet to complex flavors in drier wines.” Thistlethwaite credits Penn State University’s Extension Service and established local wineries for help and coaching when he got started. “Penn State has done so much great research on grapes as

an alternative form of agriculture in western Pennsylvania, so when we decided to dive into this, Penn State Extension was able to give us advice pertinent to Greene County’s climate, soils and topography,” he said. Thistlethwaite completed a professional internship in winemaking in St. Louis and worked alongside Sharon Klay and vintner Ray Matthews at Christian Klay Winery in the Fayette County mountains for five years to hone his wine skills. “Sharon Klay was a huge help when we were getting started. We still help one another if we need to borrow equipment or just an extra hand,” Thistlethwaite said. Even though Greene County is not widely recognized as a winemaking center, Thistlethwaite says viticulture in Greene has advantages. “Here, we get a growing season that’s typically three-andThe tasting room and wine shop at Thistlethwaite Vineyards in Jefferson, Greene County, stays open until 7 p.m. on winter evenings. The Thistlethwaites make all their wines from grapes they grow on the farm that’s been in their family for generations. (Photo courtesy of Thistlethwaite Vineyards)

a-half weeks longer than up north in Erie or in the mountains to the east,” he observed. Thistlethwaite Vineyards is home to frequent events during the spring, summer and fall seasons. The vineyard’s been the site of Greene County’s early-September Farm to Fork celebration for five consecutive years. Thistlethwaite also offers paint and sip sessions, Sunday Football events, and Wine Down Wednesdays, with special prices offered on some wine varieties. “In winter, we’re not really an event kind of place,” Thistlethwaite reflected. “But we’re open here except on the major holidays, and we stay open until 7 p.m., even on those dark winter evenings. So, our tasting room is a great place to break that cabin fever that everyone gets from being penned up for months. Stop out and taste some great wine. You’ll sleep better.” Thistlethwaite Vineyards’ address is 151 Thistlethwaite Lane, Jefferson. Most visitors will approach from Carmichaels. In Carmichaels, go north on Route 88, continuing north as it becomes North Eighty-Eight Road. At the village of Dry Tavern, head west (left) on Route 188 to Jefferson Borough. Turn right (north) on Pine Street, then left (north) on Chartiers Road and go 0.9 miles to veer left onto Center School Road. Proceed one half-mile to Thistlethwaite Lane. For more information on Thistlethwaite Vineyards, check thistlegrape. com.

Shields-Demesne Winery

Before visiting Shields-Demesne Winery, it helps to expand your mental image of what a winery must look like. First, the location. Shields-Demesne crouches tight against Route 218 (Also known as Smith Creek Road) 11 miles south of Waynesburg and 1.5 miles north of Blacksville, W.Va. The winery is indistinguishable from the Shields Herb and Flower Farm at the same location, where proprietors Leigh and Lillian Shields grow 700 varieties of herbs and perennial flowers in their greenhouse. But they make wine there, too, and a cozy wine shop next

Please see Wines, page 10

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Leigh Shields pours a glass of melomel wine for customers who stopped in on a winter afternoon. Melomel is a unique style of wine made with fruit and fermented honey. Shields learned the craft from Hungarian immigrant Dr. Frank Androczi. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

Wines

Continued from 9 door is where the winery part of the business begins to make sense to visitors.

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Shields-Demesne’s wines are different on the palate but delicious. They’re a style called “melomel,” made with water, fermented fruit and fermented honey. Depending on the flavor the melomel winemaker wants to achieve, the added fruit can be grapes, pears, apples or berries. Shields-Demesne even makes a melomel made with fermented pomegranate. “We call it wine with taste; it’s definitely full-flavored,” said Leigh Shields. “It’s technically a sweet wine, but it’s honey sweet, which is different from simple sugar sweet. Honey has more complex molecules with more taste, and then there are the full flavors of the fruit and fruit juices we use. “Our melomel wines are also unfiltered because filtering can take the taste out of it. The wine has a nice warm look to it in a glass.” Shields said many of his customers like melomel for winter drinking, especially because of the wine’s full flavor and body. “Melomel is different from other wines. It’s more like a port. When you open a bottle, whatever you don’t finish gets better and better every day because of the honey. Honey is magic stuff.” The Shields age their wines in used bourbon barrels they get from distillers in Kentucky. Their offerings include varieties called Ambrosia, Irish Moss, Jewel of Opar, Golden Harvest, Bloodroot and many others. The Shields admit that mid-winter can be a slow time in their wine shop but opine that people don’t know what they’re missing by waiting until spring to wine-taste and shop. “One of the things we do here in the winter is offer our version of mulled wine to guests,” Leigh Shields said. “With typical mulled wine, you add herbs and spices, heat it up and drink. But with our melomel, you don’t have to add anything because it’s got that spicy full taste on its own. If someone comes in the shop on a cold day, we can just heat it up and add a cinnamon stick to be festive. It makes you warm and keeps you happy. “It’s easier to get here in winter than before, in the old days,” Shields continued. “For years, on the day after Thanksgiving, we had an open house celebration here, and if it snowed one inch in Waynesburg, it snowed eight inches here. It doesn’t seem to snow anymore but we have a good time, and people like to come here to just walk around the greenhouse among the flowers to anticipate spring. We’re not really an event place. We’re a personal service place with handmade melomel.” Shields learned to make melomel from Dr. Frank Androczi, whose family had made wine in Hungary for generations. Uprooted during World War II, Androczi came to the United States and planted a small vineyard on a hilltop above Buckhannon, W.Va. Shields met him at a culinary arts show at Lakeview in Morgantown. They became friends, and Shields helped Androczi in his vineyard for years. When Androczi’s health failed, he implored Shields to continue making his Hungarian-style melomel. “He had his own separate way of doing this,” Shields said. “And we still don’t use chemicals of any kind, just fruit and honey. We’ve always been an organic greenhouse, and we approach winemaking the same way.” Shields Demesne Winery’s address is 374 Smith Creek Road, Spraggs. Their phone number is 724-435-7246. Except for major holidays, the winery is open Monday to Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. You can email Leigh or Lillian Shields at contact@shieldswinery. com.

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Washington libraries offer winter escape

by Ben Moyer Part of the Washington County Library System, the California Public Library occupies the Borough’s old train station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Library users affectionately call the library “information station.” (Photo by Ben Moyer)

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ot everyone’s a “winter warrior.” If a day in the cold, snow, and wind isn’t your cup of tea, consider a cozy visit to a library. Even if you are a snow enthusiast, a winter afternoon at the library can be a fascinating change of pace. Washington County is an excellent place for library exploration. Fourteen community libraries throughout the county serve their local patrons but function together as a county-wide system, linking all users to the system’s breadth of resources. Washington County’s system includes libraries in Avella, Bentleyville, Burgettstown, California, Charleroi, Chartiers-Houston, Citizens Library (Washington), Donora, Frank Sarris Public Library (Canonsburg), Fredericktown, Heritage Public Library (McDonald), Marianna, Monongahela and Peters Township. The library system arose largely out of the efforts of West Brownsville resident Wyona Coleman in the 1970s. In addition to her passion for literacy, Coleman was also a statewide leader in the growing environmental movement and efforts to preserve unique natural places. Washington County’s

The Monongahela Area Library, at 813 W. Main St., Monongahela, is home to the “River Buffs” collection, a compilation of western Pennsylvania river transportation and navigation-related material. (Photo by Ben Moyer)

libraries retain their welcoming hometown “vibe,” but libraries aren’t what they used to be. Once, offering a resting place to thousands of books, sending a few out on brief sorties to patrons’ homes was all a library could hope to achieve. Today, libraries still lend books but also link users with literature in digital form, provide training in life

skills, and serve as hubs of their communities. Modern libraries may be different, but they remain relevant. “Even though they’re part of a system, the fourteen libraries in Washington County are all unique and different,” said Chad Gump, district consultant to the Washington County District Libraries. “We have libraries in larger communities such

Supporting Arts and Events with

as Peters Township and in smaller places like Marianna borough. California’s library is in an old train station, and the Donora Public Library offers additional resources for genealogical research. Each caters to its own community, and their services depend on their

Please see Libraries, page 14

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Libraries

Continued from 13 constituency’s needs. They each try to offer the best service they can to the people in their service area. Yet, you can access anything that any library has through the system.” Winter, when outdoor activities are limited, is an ideal time to visit a library and learn about the range of resources available. “We are more than just books, though books remain our heart,” said Amanda Gabeletto, Monongahela Public Library director. “We’re more a community hub than just bookshelves today. We offer all kinds of programs — classes, story times, clubs, teen programs. Here, the community we serve finds a variety of interests and services of direct value. We can help develop a resume for job seekers or offer guidance in starting a community organization — real things that help people in real life.” At any of the libraries in Washington County, residents with a library card can register for online GALE courses, six weeks of online immersion in a diverse menu of subjects led by expert teachers. Selections include accounting, business, languages, law and legal, healthcare and medical, effective writing and more. GALE courses are free through your library, and because they’re offered through a service network called WAGGIN, residents of Washington, Greene or Fayette counties can access the courses at any of the 14 Washington County libraries, four libraries in Fayette or two in Greene. “To access these classes and all library services, just sign up for a library card,” said Gump. “All that is needed is an ID with your current address or proof of current address, and you can start using our services at no cost. While our library cards are made for the residents and those who work within Washington, Greene, and Fayette Counties, through the AccessPA Initiative, if you visit any of our locations with another library card from anywhere within Pennsylvania, we will also create you a WAGGIN Card at no cost.” And at the same library where you study law or a new language, you can also indulge in less demanding pursuits. Bentleyville Public Library hosts a recipe club during the winter, where participants can learn about and try new recipes. The recipe club meets every first Monday of the month, during winter, at 5:30 p.m. At Bentleyville, you can also indulge in “Coffee and Crayons” every Friday at 10:30 a.m. during January, February and March. And its “Knit Wits” club meets every Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. when knitters and crocheters can share ideas and learn new stitches. Donora Public Library takes a special interest in community history, a nod to its unfortunate role in the progress of air quality regulation after the Donora Smog Disaster of 1948. Heritage Public Library in McDonald holds Senior Coffee and Conversation every Tuesday morning in winter at 10:30 a.m. All 14 Washington libraries participate in 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten, a national program that prepares younger children for a brighter future by encouraging families to read together. Studies show that reading to

Please see Libraries, page 16

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Libraries

Continued from 14 children at ages 4-5 every day significantly impacts their reading and cognitive skills throughout life. “Right now, I can hear the kids outside the door where Halloween story time is going on. They’re laughing and enjoying a safe, welcoming place to come where it’s all for you,” Gabeletto said. “We want to serve our patrons. If we don’t have a book or other resource in Monongahela, we can look it up in the system for a patron and get it brought here for you. Our accessible resources are what we have here times 14 and more.” Gump explained that the COVID pandemic forced libraries to think “outside the box” to continue serving patrons when they could not remain physically open. “Libraries used the pandemic as a reason to pivot,” Gump said. “We had to close our doors, but we did things differently to keep serving citizens. We greatly expanded our digital catalogs, e-books and audiobooks. We offered virtual programming and virtual story times for children. “We even initiated curbside pickup of books; we’d bag patrons’ ordered books and run them outside to their cars. When books were returned, we quarantined them for days before recirculating. Libraries here and around the country made the most of the opportunities the pandemic brought to diversify our services. Our librarians took it in stride and collaborated to keep the library ball rolling, and we’re proud of them for it.” One persistent impression potential library users may harbor from their past is the haunting overdue library book

penalty fee. Gump explains that, in Washington County anyway, that fee is a thing of the past. “We no longer impose overdue fees,” he said. “We will contact you if a book is overdue, but there are no fines. We decided to dump the fee to help people continue to use the library during the pandemic when it was harder for people to get around.” Washington County’s libraries all subscribe to the mission “To provide the resources to enrich, inform, and educate the public.” Library hours can vary in each community and at different seasons of the year. To make sure of hours, check the website for the Washington County Library System. Within that site, there’s a link to each of the 14 community libraries with contact information, current hours and special events. The system web address is washlibs.org. Visiting a library can be as adventurous as a ski resort or ice skating. Consider this insight from a Washington County tourism professional: “Washington County’s public library system is much more than a collection of books. They serve as a beacon of knowledge, a sanctuary for imagination and a gateway to endless possibilities.,” said Jeff Kotula, president of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Promotion Agency. “To me, there is nowhere cozier than a library,” said Gabeletto. “It’s always warm and inviting, particularly the Monongahela Library in winter. It’s a great place to get out of the cold and enjoy fellowship, hot cocoa or coffee, and sit, read and be around other people who enjoy that too. You can even relax and work on a puzzle or color — all happy things to do in the library in the winter.”

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724-439-6151

DAILY SPECIALS

TUESDAY: MEATLOAF OR PORK CHOP DINNER WEDNESDAY: CHICKEN AND BISCUITS, SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT BALLS, MEATBALL HOAGIE, AND CHICKEN PARMESAN THURSDAY: TACOS OR WINGS FRIDAY: NEW YORK STRIP, CRAB CAKE DINNER, SHRIMP DINNER, FISH DINNER, SEAFOOD DINNER ALL DINNERS COME WITH SALAD, ROLLS AND 2 SIDES. OTHER SIDES AVAILABLE TO EAT IN OR TO GO DINNER SERVED FROM 4:30 TO 8:00 P.M. KITCHEN OPEN TUESDAY THRU FRIDAY

Tavern & Outdoor dining is first come first serve.

Call for reservations 304-737-0188 1001 Washington Pike, Wellsburg, WV www.droversinn1848.com Serving: Wednesday through Saturday 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Sunday Noon to 7 p.m. • Closed Monday & Tuesday

XPLORE | JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH 2024

When the Naps Start

There’s always at least one who needs that post-dinner snooze, so why not help their dreams come true with kicked-back, feet up luxury and some amazing upgrades, too?

SHOP NAPPING FAVORITES FURNITURE • BEDDING ACCESSORIES Complete Home Furnishings Delivery • Layaway Most Major Companies

Route 51, Next to Fayette Plaza, Uniontown • 724-438-0661 Mon-Fri 9AM to 6PM Sat 9AM to 5PM

XPLORE | JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH 2024

From traditional to elegant . . . any size occasion, any budget.

Choose from our popular menu items

Holly Shipley or Chef Ken will prepare any 724-998-0718 Email: BACKBAYCATER@oudook.com menu request

Washington County’s Largest

GUN SHOW

January 13 & 14, 2024 April 13 & 14, 2024 June 22 & 23, 2024 September 21 & 22, 2024

Washington County’s Fairground (Take I-79 to Ex. 41) Racetrack Rd., Follow Signs to Fairgrounds Public Welcome - lots of FREE Parking 724-948-3571

XPLORE | JANUARY, FEBRUARY, MARCH 2024