Deborah Miller has been a volunteer and member of Arthurdale Heritage since 1991 and served two terms on the board of trustees (1992-1998).

As a board member, she had the vision to make the homecoming weekend a marketable event outside the community, and her vision was realized when it became the New Deal Festival.

It also was through her perseverance and knowledge that the board created the maintenance/salary endowment fund. In addition to contributing to the newsletter, she presently schedules volunteers for museum tours and serves as a tour guide.

Deb was named AHI Volunteer of the Year in 2009.

To find out more about this award, please visit WV History Heroes

Tickets are on sale now for the Arthurdale Heritage 25th Anniversary Elimination Dinner.

Tickets are only $35 which admits one (1) for dinner and a chance to win up to $1,000.

Additional tickets for “dinner only” can be purchased for $15.00.

Dinner catered by Monroe’s Restaurant! Wine and beer will be provided free of charge.   Please feel free to bring your own alcoholic beverages,  if you prefer.  Mixers will be provided.

Location:  Reedsville Volunteer Fire Hall

Doors open at 5:00 p.m., Dinner at 6:00 p.m.

Followed by Ticket Drawings:

25th, 50th, 75th, 100th, 125th, 150th, 175th, 200th, 225th Tickets win $35.00

248th ticket wins $250.00

249th ticket wins $500.00

250th ticket wins $1000.00

Tickets can be  purchased online or from AHI Board Members or by contacting AHI at:

ahi@arthurdaleheritage.org   or call (304) 864-3959.   We now accept credit cards!

NOTE: Tickets ordered online will be mailed to the purchaser.

Silent auction items will be posted on line.   We are working on some great auction items.

All three classes are filled but we are taking names for in case of a cancellation.

Want to learn the Art of making Stained Glass?  Dave Houser will be teaching two classes at the Historic Center Hall.   Students will make a 10 inch square log cabin panel and get to select the colors they want to use;  thereby ensuring that each person’s work of art is unique and personal.

NOTE:  Participants need only attend one class to complete their log cabin stained glass panel;  each class is a separate event.

Cost:  $50, which includes  materials!

Classes will run from 9-4 with one hour lunch break.

A delicious, homemade lunch will be served;  free will donation.

To see or purchase some of the fine quality,  stained  glass Dave makes, please visit his website at:  HouserGlass

Specializing in geometric and abstract designs, David’s leaded panels incorporate both American and European stained and clear textured art glass. Appropriate for use as exterior or interior windows, David’s panels are known for their high degree of craftsmanship and use of color. All glass is hand cut and assembled by David, one piece at a time.

Here are two examples of a 10 inch square log cabin panel:

According to Sarah Barnes, President of Arthurdale Heritage, “The Arthurdale Revitalization Project seeks to conduct a community needs assessment and redevelopment visioning effort to create a revitalization plan for the Arthurdale school buildings”.

The Foundation for Overcoming Challenges and Utilizing Strengths (FOCUS) West Virginia Brownfields program funds were awarded to Arthurdale Heritage by the West Virginia Brownfields Assistance Centers through funding from the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation. The program provides financial and technical assistance enabling communities in West Virginia to create a redevelopment vision for brownfield properties of strategic community interest.

The Arthurdale Revitalization Project was one of only 11 projects awarded statewide to receive a 2010 FOCUS WV Brownfields grant.

Brownfields are abandoned or underutilized properties that have not been redeveloped due to real or perceived environmental barriers. Examples of brownfields include former gas stations, glass factories, machine shops, manufacturing and processing facilities, dry cleaners, and mine scarred lands.

Sera Zegre, FOCUS WV Program Manager says, “The Arthurdale Revitalization Project provides an initial stepping stone for revitalization efforts in this New Deal Community, initiating redevelopment progress and community involvement.”

The program was funded through a grant from the Benedum Foundation through the WVU Foundation, a private non-profit corporation that generates, receives and administers private gifts for West Virginia University.  Information about the FOCUS WV Brownfields Program can be found at www.wvbrownfields.com.  The Northern WV Brownfields Assistance Center is located at the West Virginia Water Research Institute, at WVU’s National Research Center for Coal & Energy; the WV Brownfields Assistance Center at Marshall University is located in the Center for Environmental, Geotechnical and Applied Sciences.

Arthurdale Heritage will be releasing information about community surveys and visioning meetings within the next few months.  We hope that everyone in the Arthurdale community will participate in this process to provide us with a clear vision for the Arthurdale School buildings.

One of these family-oriented events is our annual Beat the Heat BBQ coming up next Saturday.  Tom and Dyanna Bonnette, Susie and Richie Davis and a slew of our dedicated volunteers will be grilling and serving up char-grilled hamburgers and hot dogs for this winter fundraiser.  And, yes, Tom and Richie will be outside in the freezing cold grilling. They do this every year and we are so very thankful for their dedication.

This event will also feature a SUPERVISED play area for the kids (so mom and dad can relax and have fun) and the Craft Shop will be open. The Craft Shop is not normally open until April when we start offering weekend tours again, so this is your chance to stop by and pick up unique gifts. (Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, fellas…hint hint!) We really hope to see you there!

Other fundraising events we are planning are the annual Elimination Dinner (April), Mother/Daughter Tea (May), the annual New Deal Festival (July 9-10), and an Ice Cream Social/Kids Day in August.  Also, October 11 is Eleanor Roosevelt’s Birthday and we’re thinking about throwing her a party!

That said, all of these events and initiatives take time, effort, and lots of planning. However, we always pull it off because we have such wonderful volunteers.  If there is anything that you would like to be a part of or help out with, we would love to hear from you.  If you are not on our volunteer email list, please let us know so we can add you.

One of the great things about technology is being able to easily get feedback from anyone and everyone.  We’re making lots of plans for 2010, but also for years to come.  We’d love to hear what Arthurdale Heritage means to you and what you would like to see us doing, so take a moment to add your comments below!

- Sarah Barnes
President, Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. Board of Directors

Thank you to all those volunteers and patrons who braved the weather to make our BBQ a success.

A special thank you to our sponsors:  Valley Pharmacy in Reedsville and Foodland Fresh in Kingwood.   The winner of the box of candy was Suzie Davis;  the winner of the bouquet of roses was Dyanna Bonnette.

Missing those summer cookouts? Hungry for char-grilled hamburgers and hot dogs?  Arthurdale Heritage will hold a “Beat the Heat” BBQ from 4 – 7 on Saturday, January 30.   Bring the Kids!   A play area with games and toys for young children will be available.

Arthurdale Heritage will hold a “Beat the Heat” barbeque from 4 – 7 on Saturday, January 30 in the Center Hall along Rt. 92 in Preston County.

For only $7,  you get a chargrilled hamburger or hot dog,  French fries, baked beans, cole slaw, home made dessert and beverage!   Children ages 5 – 11 $4;   AND children under 5 eat free.   Bring the Kids!
A play area with games and toys for young children will be available.

Homemade baked goods will also be on sale.   Our cooks are famous for their delicious pies, pepperoni rolls, pecan rolls and cakes!

The Arthurdale Craft Shop will be open.   A historic slideshow presentation about the Arthurdale project will also be shown.

All proceeds benefit the historic preservation efforts for the nation’s first New Deal homestead subsistence community project championed by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Students at Grafton High School received an in-depth look at West Virginia’s struggles during the Great Depression. Arthurdale Heritage’s Jonas Knotts presented West Virginia’s unique depression history to Richard Zukowski’s American history class. The lecture to a class of over 20 students covered everything from the suffering of families in Scotts Run and other communities to infrastructure and conservation efforts of the Works Progress Administration and the Civilian Conservation Corps. The lecture also focused on the unique place of Arthurdale in the New Deal and West Virginia history.

Zukowski said that while students are introduced to the national history of the Great Depression in textbooks, it’s important for students to connect national history to local events, “focusing on West Virginia’s history helps students connect better to the surroundings in their local area.” It affects them personally because many times, they are not aware of just how many roads, buildings, and parks in their community were built during the depression through the New Deal”, said Zukowski.

“Guest lectures and presentations like this help to develop interest about the New Deal and Arthurdale among students”, said Knotts. The lecture can also help students draw connections between the 1930s and today. “By learning about New Deal programs in West Virginia, students can draw parallels between those programs and the current recession stimulus programs like the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act, Cash for Clunkers, and the Troubled Asset Relief Program”, said Zukowski.

AHI provides numerous educational opportunities including tailored age and topic appropriate tours of Arthurdale’s New Deal Homestead Museum, guest lecturers, and speakers. AHI is happy to provide these to schools and community organizations. For more information about AHI education opportunities, email ahi@arthurdaleheritage.org.

Related stories:

• Grafton Students learn Great Depression

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, but we encourage you to please contact us if you are interested in setting up an appointment or have questions.

We will be checking phone and email messages regularly. Please call 304-864-3959 to leave a message or email ahi@arthurdaleheritage.org and one of our volunteers will promptly respond.

We wish you and your family a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and look forward to seeing you when we reopen.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

UPDATE 12/21/2009: Thanks to everyone who attended!  It was a wonderful time and the kids obviously had a lot of fun.

If you’d like to look at the photos and purchase prints, you can visit the:

Arthurdale Christmas 2009 Photo Gallery.

Many thanks to photographer, Steven Marra for donating his time to get photos of all the kids with Santa.

Visit the Arthurdale Christmas 2009 Photo Gallery.

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Join us December 18 at 7 pm for a visit with Santa Claus at the Arthurdale Center Hall. Bring the kids and have their pictures taken with Santa.

Many thanks to the Arthurdale Tirekickers and the Reedsville Fire Department for their assistance with this event.

Schedule:

Hot Chocolate and cookies for all beginning at 7pm.

Santa will be arriving on a Big Red Firetruck at 7:30 and will have a gift for all boys and girls!