CURWENSVILLE — For Bill Royer of Grampian, it has been a natural progression to the position of park manager at Curwensville Lake Recreation Area.
Royer, who was recently hired for the position, spent a lot of time at the lake fishing to fill his time when he lost his job as a manager at the Sears department store in DuBois when the store closed in late 2018.
A veteran of the U.S. Army, Royer said he suddenly had many hours to fill after the job he had devoted 26 years of his life had ended. He said he chose to spend some of those fishing at Curwensville Lake.
“I like to fish and there is great fishing here,” Royer said. He named muskies, crappies and bass as some of the species he enjoys casting his fishing lines for –all prevalent species at the lake.
“Some of the biggest crappies I’ve ever caught have come from this lake,” he told The Progress.
It was during a fishing excursion to Curwensville Lake in 2019 that he learned the authority was looking for someone to fill a vacant position on the grounds crew.
“I thought, why not?” Royer said. He said he enjoys the outdoors and the pleasing scenery at Curwensville Lake would make it a pleasure to come to work each day.
“This is a very quiet and tranquil place. It’s peaceful, there’s lots of fresh air and beautiful surroundings here,” he said noting some of the reasons why he wanted to work at the lake.
He said he worked with the grounds crew for one year before he was promoted to the head of the lake’s maintenance crew.
In March he advanced again to the position of park manager. He said he hopes to bring some consistency to the job where there have been turnovers in recent years.
“I enjoy the challenge and the diversity of this position. I don’t get overwhelmed. That’s something I learned as a manager at Sears. I just try to find a way each day for different personalities to get along and work together to get the jobs done,” Royer said.
He said he oversees 15 employees who work as part of the the grounds crew and the office staff. They range in age from 14 to 65.
While sometimes personnel matters can be challenging, Royer said he has great affection for his co-workers, some with whom he has worked with from the beginning. “Everyone gets along. We are like a big family here,” he explained.
Royer said he would like to encourage everyone to visit…
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NEOSHO, Mo. — Dusty Altman has seen traffic come and go on the Neosho square for 17 years, and he used to be able to set a watch to it.
From the windows of Sam’s Cellar, formerly owned by his stepfather, he would watch how cars cleared away from the square as soon as the courthouse closed, leaving behind scores of empty parking spots. The only ones filled were around the pizza place.
“Five o’clock would come around, and the square would clear out,” said Altman, now the owner of the restaurant. “There was nothing holding people except for us.”
That’s not the case anymore. A new crop of eateries has brought more customers to downtown after business hours, providing an economic draw that is affecting the square’s business identity.
Neosho’s downtown is now a dining destination, offering a variety of locally owned restaurants and other eateries. The new businesses are helping to drive traffic from other cities, with visitors finding more reasons to spend more time in the city.
Already attracted by existing features such as the High Ground Bike Preserve’s bike trails and other features at Morse Park, the restaurants give tourists a reason to prolong their visit, said Lauri Lyerla, director of the Neosho Area Chamber of Commerce.
“The square is really coming together as a place for more than the people who just work here, live here,” Lyerla said. “Now there are other reasons. We have had some of those draws for a long time, but there weren’t enough to keep people here for a full day.”
It wasn’t too long ago that Sam’s Cellar, Charley’s and The Clay Cup were the only eateries near the square.
Changes
Within the past year:
• Indian Springs Brewing Company and Briar and Thistle have collaborated for an evening dining experience, and the brewing company has added regular events such as trivia nights, comedians and musicians.
• A-Ray’s Desserts, a dessert lounge, offers a variety of sweet treats.
• Downtown Nutrition, a smoothie and juice bar, also offers a variety of teas, coffees, oatmeal bowls and waffles, all with health in mind.
• Spring Street Bar and Grill bills itself as “the steakhouse Neosho has been waiting for,” and offers standard restaurant fare including burgers and sandwiches. It also offers live music on weekends with hours of…
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MURRAY – The Murray Parks Committee last week approved two planned Playhouse in the Park events for later this year, as well as accepting a donation of security cameras and renewing its lawnmower lease.
Playhouse in the Park Executive Director Lisa Copeland spoke to the committee about a “ghost light walk” the community theater would like to do toward the back of the park in conjunction with Halloween. She said the Playhouse Board of Directors has tentatively planned to hold the family-friendly event from 5-8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13-14, and they would ideally like to put a traffic barricade up next to the Saputo Playground to ensure safety for the participants.
“‘Ghost light’ is a theater term, and you’ve seen other towns and other theaters do this, where we would take groups of folks and they would walk from one location in the park to another,” Copeland said. “We’re thinking of maybe the deck and perhaps the caboose and the old schoolhouse – probably four to five spots in the park. In each spot, there would be a storyteller, and we’re working with the Historical Society to get some stories. People would walk (to each of the storytellers) and then back up at the deck, where we would have cider and popcorn and those kinds of things.”
The committee voted to approve the traffic barricade. Copeland said her next request might be a bit more controversial, but Playhouse is hoping to sell premium tickets for some of its August performances of “The Savannah Sipping Society” – a play about the friendships between four Southern women – to have a couple of wine tastings on the deck before the Saturday evening shows. Committee member Linda Cherry said she realized the door had been opened with several park events involving alcohol in the last year, but she would rather not see it.
Committee member Grant Rudolph said he was in favor of allowing Playhouse’s request because the recent events – which included a beer garden at a Labor Day weekend concert and the Bourbon and Bow Ties park fundraiser – had proven to be successful and had not seen any problems. He added that Bourbon and Bow Ties is planned again this year, and he believed things should work well as long as the procedures of checking IDs and having the serving area cordoned off from the rest of the park continue.
“I don’t…
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More changes are coming to Dynamic Discs, with the exit of longtime events coodinator Doug Bjerkaas.
Bjerkaas announced in a blog post to Dynamic Discs’ web site Wednesday that he will be taking a “director-level” position with the PDGA beginning April 1.
“It is with bittersweet emotions that I am announcing my run with Dynamic Discs is coming to an end,” he wrote. “On April 1st, I have the privilege and honor of working for the PDGA. Working for the sanctioning body of the sport I love is an exciting opportunity. The Director-level position I will be assuming will allow me to work with the outstanding team of PDGA employees, the PDGA Board of Directors, and many of my fellow PDGA members, to help shape the future of major PDGA events. This collaborative effort will further the growth of disc golf and continue to increase professionalism in our events. In addition, this new position provides me with the perfect platform to grow the sport of disc golf in an area I have been very close to; competitive disc golf.”
Bjerkaas said he first met Dynamic Discs founder Jeremy Rusco at the 23rd annual Frontier Open in Hays in Sept. 2007. He lauded their budding friendship and Rusco’s primary sponsorship of a small women’s event Bjerkaas started, which grew over time.
“In the fall of 2015, Jeremy sought someone to be the Tournament Director for the Dynamic Discs events hosted in Emporia,” he said. “Again, I was fortunate that he called me. After a few phone calls with Jeremy and the ability to continue my primary job remotely, my wife and I relocated to Emporia. I became the part-time Events Coordinator at Dynamic Discs in January 2016.”
Bjerkaas said his time with Dynamic Discs has been a “rollercoaster ride” where the “excitement never really slowed down.”
“From running the annual PDGA National Tour Glass Blown Opens, a few DGPT editions of the Dynamic Discs Open, three PDGA Junior Disc Golf World Championships, two PDGA Professional Disc Golf World Championships, and countless other events, my experience as a tournament director grew,” he said. “Dynamic Discs also grew rapidly, creating an opportunity to add to my responsibilities. Over the last seven-plus years, my position evolved into a full-time role that included the duties of community relations, special projects, and human resources. In the fall of 2021, I was named the…
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Because this section is free of charge, community events are subject to run based on available space. Religion items are published on the Saturday church page. Email events to [email protected].
TODAY, MARCH 16
ADULT ARTS AND CRAFTS: Let creativity shine to create a cute craft or inspiring art piece from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at Ruby B. Archie Library auditorium. Ages 18 and up. No fee. Registration is required by calling, 434-799-5195.
FRIDAY, MARCH 17
FAMILY GAME NIGHTS: Relax with family and come out for a fun night of board games, sports and outdoor games at Coates Recreation Center from 5:30 to 7 p.m. No fee. Registration required by calling, 434-799-5150. Sponsored by Parks and Recreation.
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SATURDAY, MARCH 18
CARS & COFFEE: Old Dominion Classic Sports Car Club will hold Cars & Coffee from 9 to 11 a.m. at Crema & Vine, 1009 Main St. For more information, call 434-548-9862.
JAPANESE CULTURAL EVENT: George Washington High School Japanese class and club will host the third annual Japan Day free event in the GW auditorium from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be Kendo, Taiko Drumming, a tea ceremony, prizes and more. Register online at https://tinyurl.com/yse2tj2z.
CLASSIC MOVIE CLUB: Enjoy a classic movie with discussion following at the Ruby B. Archie Library auditorium from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. “The Adventure of Robin Hood” (1938) for ages 18 and up. Registration required by calling, 434-799-5195. No fee.
ARCHERY 101 WORKSHOP: Learn the basic safety, anchor points, draw and release, care of equipment and essential safety skills with a USA Archery certified instructor for ages 5 to 17 at Coates Recreation Center from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Cost is $12. Registration required by calling, 434-799-5150.
HOMESTEADING 101: Learn from local homesteaders Ben and Amber Martin at Glenwood Community Center from 10 a.m. to noon. No fee. For ages 5 and up; registration is required a week prior.
MONDAY, MARCH 20
PRESSURE CANNER LID TESTING: Virginia Cooperative Extensive Office, 19783 U.S. 29 South, Suite C, Chatham, will check pressure cooker lid and gauge used for canning at no cost from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. For information, call 434-432-7770.
TUESDAY, MARCH 21
THE WRITE…
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Benton city leaders and officials celebrated what is being touted as “the largest single land acquisition in the city’s history,” gathering on a chilly Tuesday morning on the first parcel of the purchase, 101 acres just off Interstate 30.
In total, the city will be purchasing 511 acres of undeveloped land along the Saline River from the Thomas family of Benton for $7.6 million.
Gary James, the president of the Benton Area Chamber of Commerce introduced Mayor Tom Farmer, who James credited for being the leader in creating this opportunity for the city.
“The person that’s really made this whole thing happen is the mayor of Benton,” said James.
Farmer said it took a lot of people working together to get to this point.
“It took the people behind me, the council, the commissioners, it took the vision of our parks and it took some work from McClelland Engineers,” Farmer said.
Farmer said actions like this one are about improving the quality of life for the current generations and future generations of residents in the city.
“That’s what the 2040 vision was all about, is planning a quality of life for the people 40 to 50 years from now,” said Farmer.
Farmer pointed out that all ten payments for the 511 acres of land will be done in cash.
“We don’t want to put our citizens in debt,” he said.
The land is being bought from siblings Jessie Mitchell and Jim Thomas of Benton in 10 tracts, with the first payment of $904,000 being made Tuesday. Thereafter, the contracts will be signed and the payments made on the first business day of each year, starting in 2024.
Matt Thibault, marketing official for the city, said Friday the payments will be $904,000 a year for five years, then $615,000 a year for the remaining five years.
Farmer said in May of 2021, the city council passed an ordinance to allow the A&P commission to continue its role through 2041. The city then formed a focus group with two citizens from each of the five wards in the city.
“The challenge they…
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Raisa Boben moved to the United States from India to pursue a career as an engineer. She landed in North Carolina in 2016 when she started her master’s degree in mechanical engineering at North Carolina State University.
After graduating, Boben, 31, moved to Hickory to become a development engineer for Corning in 2018.
Raisa Boben displays items that her family sent to her from India.
ROBERT C. REED, RECORD
In her spare time, she enjoys drawing cartoons, which she shares on Instagram, and volunteering at the Catawba Science Center and Hickory Museum of Art. Through her job at Corning, Boben said she gets to teach teens about engineering and robotics. She also serves as a judge at robotics competitions.
Boben said she grew up in Delhi, the capital of India, which is located in the north. Boben’s family is originally from Kerala, which is in the southern part of India. Delhi and Kerala are more than 1,600 miles apart. She said there are many different languages spoken in India depending on the region. Her family’s native tongue is Malayalam. Boben said she can understand Malayalam but is not fluent.
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“I feel like because I grew up in the north, I think in Hindi,” Boben said. “I can understand Malayalam and I can talk in it, but I’m not that good.”
Boben said her first language is Hindi, since she grew up in Delhi, and her second…
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Earlier this year, the Dalton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) installed two practice disc golf baskets outside its visitor information center that is in the old freight depot at 305 S. Depot St., just off Morris Street.
“We are trying to share with our visitors things made in Dalton and Georgia grown,” said Margaret Thigpen, director of tourism for Dalton and Whitfield County, who directs the CVB and the Dalton Convention Center.
Prodigy Disc, a Whitfield County-based manufacturer of disc golf equipment, donated one of the baskets and sold the CVB the other.
“They (the practice baskets) are getting a lot of use,” said Thigpen. “They are not only being used by our visitors, but by our locals, especially those living in the Belk building.”
“We took that idea and expanded it,” Thigpen said. “We thought it would be great to have something throughout downtown. We got with the DDDA (Downtown Dalton Development Authority), Prodigy, the Dalton Parks and Recreation Department and Whitfield County. Voila, we now have a par 2 disc golf course downtown.”
The course, which is open for play, has eight baskets in four locations: the Burr Performing Arts Park, Dalton Green, the county-owned greenspace across from the courthouse and the freight depot. Discs will be for sale at the freight depot.
“To our knowledge, this is the only permanent downtown disc golf course in the nation,” said DDDA Executive Director Candace Eaton.
“I think it’s a huge deal because it will bring a different market downtown,” Eaton said in a press release from the city. “As they walk the course they’ll see local businesses downtown or stop and eat lunch or dinner, or maybe grab a beer or shop.”
“From a tourism standpoint, it absolutely opens our downtown for visitors to have something more to do, to keep them there a little longer,” Thigpen said in the press release. “For all of our tournaments and events coming into our community, just to have something else for the visitors to do when they’re waiting for their next game or their next event, that’s a great addition.”
The Greater Dalton area has several full-sized disc golf courses.
The Whitfield County Parks and Recreation Department’s Westside Park Disc Golf Course was voted one of the top four courses in the United States in 2020 by the readers of Connect…
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