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DOWN FOR NTAMHS NEWS FROM THE BEGINNING - FIRST REPORT | |||
Reports on Society meetings in January-February 2008The Society tried to have a Christmas Party in December but the weather would not cooperate.OVERVIEW of the January 3rd 2008 meetingOfficers for 2008 are John Dropcho, president; Helena Dropcho, v. president; Nancy DeBiase, secretary; Jim Toth, treasurer. Reading of the minutes and treasurer's report was followed by a discussion of the Liberty Museum building project. George Heit reported that Construction Supply had donated 375 cinder blocks to finish the stair area of the building. Value of the blocks was $638. Jim Toth is getting bids on all phases of construction and material for the Museum.Activities:
The Nanty Glo Freedom Fest, Saturday, July 5th, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. | |||
Wal-Mart donates $1000 to Liberty Museum project
Greg
Ganoe, assistant manager of the Ebensburg Wal-Mart, left, presented a check for
$1000 to the Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society's Liberty Museum
project on February 20. Receiving the donation are Jim Toth, center, project manager
and treasurer, and John Dropcho, NTAMHS president. | |||
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Now
you can make contributions and pay for services online at: The
Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society Researches and sends old obituaries
from the Nanty Glo Journal. This service is NOT available from the Library
or from the Home Page. For each obituary, send a check for $4 made out to NGTAM&HS,
942 Roberts Street, Nanty Glo, Pa. 15943 and INCLUDE a self-addressed envelope.
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Nant-Y-Glo
Tri Area Museum and Historical Society Jackson Township presents $20,000 check Building This meeting was largely about the interior of the building. The carpet color for the walls and also the floor was decided upon. Also the color of some of the track lighting but some of the lightening of the Multi Purpose Area is yet to be decided. The coating of the entire roof of the museum is completed. Rain spouting on the old Sheets side of the building is now complete.
Activities: We will be taking part in Jackson Townships Light Up Night on Nov. 24th. We will be decorating a tree with laminated copies of the pictures on the note cards that are for sale in the Nanty Glo Library. Three books by Jon Kennedy, The Everything Jesus Book sold. Our next puzzle will be something from Blacklick Township. Donation: Much of the talk of the evening was of the donation from Jackson Township. On October 29th, 2007, members of the Tri-Area Historical Society gathered at the Liberty Theatre with the members of the Jackson Township Supervisors. This meeting was for the presentation of a $20,000 check from the Township to the NGTAMHS for the Liberty Museum project. We have received $10,000 and have the promise of another $10,000 if and when we get a grant for that amount. This was a photo opportunity and Joe Vassalotti of the Journal and Judy Rose from the Nanty Glo Home Page took many pictures. In the photo below are: Left to right. Mark McElhany volunteer; George Heit, a board member for 2008 and also a volunteer; Rich McDowell, board member and also our draftsman; Randy Nihart, volunteer; Rita McGuire, active member; Jim ‘Chief’ Toth, our Treasurer and the Project Manager; Dave Bracken, Dave Hirko, Bruce Baker, and Guy Ellenberger, all Jackson Township Supervisors; Helena Dropcho, VP for 2008; Barb Hakanen, current VP, and Barbara Teeter, Secretary of the Society. The Supervisors were given a tour of the building at the time so they could see just how the work is progressing. Click
the photo for a larger view. | |||
Liberty Theater Museum project web site Click here for Tribune-Democrat feature on museum project, 7/20/2007 New feature added August 14 2007: Dr. Prideaux retrospective Nant-Y-Glo
Tri Area Museum and Historical Society Museum Building (former Liberty Theater): The tuck point of the outside of the building is complete. A boom lift was rented for a day and the work was completed, starting at 8 a.m. and ending at 8 p.m. A motion was made and passed by the board to have the roof coated before winter. Our business plan is now finished and will be going to the printer within the week. Activities: The basket party held in September was very well attended and profitable to the Society. Many are asking if we will do it again next year. No decision has been made. We are now selling Sheetz tickets (good for a sandwich/salad and a drink, at $4 a ticket) as a fund-raising activity. We will continue this through the winter months. Annual Meeting of September 6, 2007 Officers for 2008 were elected: President John Dropcho Vice President Helena Dropcho Secretary Nancy DeBiase Treasurer Jim Toth Board Members for next year: George Heit Rich McDowell Denny Dixon Cindy Dixon Barb Hakanen The officers and board members become effective in January 2008 Book Fundraiser Adopted at the September Meeting Copies of the book, The Everything Jesus Book, donated by Jon Kennedy, will be sold for the price printed on the cover, $14.95, plus tax. The society will pay shipping and handling on any copies being shipped. The author is a life member of the Society. The 304-page life of Jesus and history of the church based on the New Testament and histories of all major Christian bodies, is a mass market paperback published by a major secular publishing house. | |||
Nant-Y-Glo
Tri Area Museum and Historical Society Our August 2nd business meeting was held at the Fellowship Hall of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church due to the Nanty Glo Library's yearly Book Sale. BASKET PARTY: Mr. Mike Soyka, a former teacher at Nanty Glo, joined us to explain a little more about the basket party we will be holding on Sept. 16th at St. Nick's Church Hall. There is a $5.00 donation at the door and with that the person will get a total of 25 tickets, plus one for the door prize. The GCU Lodge 401 has agreed to sponsor us for this event and we are hoping to be well supported by the community. BUILDING: Jim Toth, our treasurer but also our project manager for the Liberty Museum, gave the report on the building and things are happening fast right now. The board voted to hire Keller Engineers Inc. and Kasun Architects Inc. both of Hollidaysburg. Kasun Architects Inc. will be responsible for getting the building's blueprints approved by Nick Bailey, the chief building code official for the Cambria-Somerset Council of Government. We are most blessed to have Rich McDowell on our board of Directors with his background as a draftsman. Rich has been working very hard on the many changes that have to be made in the plans of the building. John Dropcho is also involved in designing the inside layout of the museum. Several Nanty Glo residents are asking whether the society had or needed a permit for the work being done in the theater. With no structural changes being made yet, there is no need for a permit. Removing of paneling, drywall and the old dropped ceiling is nearly 75 percent completed. We are also 75 percent done with the outside mortoring of the building and the paint on the front of the building has been removed. The building has also passed the asbestos inspection by the state Department of Environmental Protection. Our fund raising "thermometer" sign now hangs in one of the front windows of the future museum for all to see. The August 16th meeting was our "work" meeting with several members getting things ready to take to the Vintondale Homecoming on September 1st. and 2nd. We will once again be using our tent for the event and last two days of selling of the raffle tickets with the drawing being on Sunday afternoon. Included are some photos (above and below) … The Nanty Glo Homecoming exhibit (top and bottom) and the display of woodcarvings done by the late Frank Weight, Jr. (below). These were displayed at the Jackson Twp. Heritage Festival.
Barb Hakanen
Nant-Y-Glo
Tri Area Museum and Historical Society Most of the time at this meeting was given over to discussion and making decisions on our building. At this time all the contents of the building have been removed, with leftover sale items going to St. Vincent DePaul's and St. Mary's Church for their sale later this summer. We are now in the process of getting the outside of the building acid cleaned, tuck-pointed, and sealed before winter. This is a big undertaking and may be a very expensive one. All the old signs that were on the building have been taken down and that alone has given it much a cleaner look. The parking lot was also discussed at the meeting. The lot to the north (toward the traffic light) has been leased to us from Nanty Glo Borough and we will fill in, grade, and spread shale for this rear entry/exit parking area. Other happenings: Several old photos were donated to the Society from Ron Rozsi of the Heisley and Webster Mine area and also of a local fire. Other donated photos from one of our newest members, Rita McGuire, were of several Teeter school classes, along with a very old family photo. July will be a busy month for all of us with the Nanty Glo Homecoming at the Park and Pool on July 7th and the Jackson Heritage Festival on July 21 and 22. Raffle Tickets are going well and this drawing will be at the Vintondale Homecoming on Labor day weekend with the drawing on Sunday, September 2 at 3 p.m. (Scroll down to the May report to see the list of prizes.) The basket party will be held on September 16th at St. Nicholas Church Hall in Nanty Glo. Memberships for 2007-08 are now coming in and the funds are being thankfully received and prudently used by the Society. The above information is only an overview of the happenings at the meeting and not the official minutes of the meeting. Barb Hakanen Overview
of the Meeting of the NGTAMHS on May 3, 2007,
Minutes read - Treasurer's Report given Letter Drive Report: So far it is very encouraging. Address list for the next mailing in process of finalization. Next mailing will be the Nanty Glo area, Vintondale, and Blacklick Township. Meeting with Steve from Municipal Marketing Services set for Mon. May 7th. Puzzles: The second puzzle is going very well thanks to Jim Lauffer's article in the Journal. Mail orders also coming in. Indoor Yard Sale: To be held on Saturday, May 19, from 9 to 3 at our new building. Jim and the boys went in and scrubbed floors and got things in order. We will be at the building to price and set up on May 17th, a Thursday, from 9:30 AM to ? Everything must go! The Nanty Glo Homecoming: We have purchased an 18 x 20 enclosed canopy that we will use at this event. The date is July 7th and the location will be the Park and Pool in Nanty Glo. Raffle Tickets: Jim Toth met with the Vintondale Council and we have permission to do the drawing for the raffle ticket at the Vintondale Homecoming on Sept 2nd at 3 p.m. The value of the tickets' 34 prizes is $1,015 (see copy above). The top prize is $250 and the Vintondale Homecoming committee has also donated $100 for the "last winner present" at the time of the drawing. Cost of the ticket is $5 each and can be purchased from the members of the NGTAMHS or at the Nanty Glo Library. Jackson Township Heritage Festival: July 21 and 22nd. This year we will have our photo contest at the festival instead of the Nanty Glo Homecoming because of the indoor location in Jackson. Entry requirement forms are at the Nanty Glo Library and can be picked up there. Prizes are as follows:
Basket Party: The date is set for September 16th at St. Nicholas Church Hall on Second Street. The above information is only an overview of the happenings at the meeting and not the official minutes. Barb Hakanen | |||
Second
local history scene puzzle offered as fund-raiser | |||
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The Nant-Y-Glo Tri Area Museum and Historical Society is presenting the second in a series of puzzles featuring local historic scenes. This time the Society is offering Jackson Township's Eight-Sided Esso Station in Mundy's Corner. This station was located at the intersection of then Routes 219 and 22 at Mundy's Corner and in front of Luther's Restaurant. This should bring back memories to many from the area. The cost of the puzzle is $25 and may be purchased at the Nanty Glo Library or orders cab be sent to NGTAMHS at 942 Roberts Street, Nanty Glo, PA 15943. Please add $5 for shipping and handling. Checks should be made out to NGTAMHS. Please allow three to four weeks for delivery. Money made from the sale of the puzzles will go toward the establishing of our new home on Shoemaker Street (scroll down for more information). | |||
Overview
of the Meeting of the NGTAMHS on February 3, 2007, Present: Janet Toth, Barb Teeter, Jim Toth, Nancy DeBiase, Rich McDowell, Jim Lauffer. Dennis and Cindy Dixon, and Barb Hakanen. Deed & Survey: We have received both the deed for our building and the survey of the property. Insurance: The insurance on volunteers (as well as board members and active members of the society) while working on the building, or at an event, went into effect on February 1. Building:
The furnace has been serviced and checked out. Rich McDowell will arrange
to have the oil delivered on Monday, February 5. A new thermostat has also been
installed. A meeting has been set up for February 15 at Packet for the PA Historical Commission: Jim Toth reported that the packet has been sent to the Historical Commission with all the requirements needed. We may not hear anything on this for two or three months. Our next step will be an Organizational Grant. Fund Raising: Raffle Tickets: We will again be selling raffle tickets this year with prizes to be given out at the Nanty Glo Homecoming in July. Two additional events were discussed for fund raising and more information will come on these ideas at a later date. Please note: The above is only an overview of the happenings at the meeting and not the official minutes done by our Secretary Barbara Teeter. Sincerely, Overview of the Meeting of the NGTAMHS on January 13, 2007 ONLY
TWO PUZZLES LEFT! Insurance Options: It was voted on and passed to buy insurance on our volunteers. This would cover all volunteers and also us, while working on the building or at different functions during the next year. Jim Toth will keep a log of all work done and this will be given to the insurance company each month. The number of volunteers and hours worked will determine our total premium for the year. The base premium is $175. We will try this and see if it will work with our limited finances. Rich H. will contact Danny Hoover to have the furnace checked out and serviced. Rich McDowell will call for oil prices. Currently, we have one-quarter tank of oil. Most of the old stage has been removed and new lighting has been put in the basement for the food pantry. Spring Nanty Glo Homecoming Days July 4th weekend. Jackson Twp. Festival July 20-22 Projects
include: Three or four items for sale were discussed. | |||
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Nant-Y-Glo
Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society Acquires Building | |||
The Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society has acquired the building on Shoemaker Street that once housed the Blacklick Valley Community Center and still houses the Miners' Food Pantry. The building built in 1920-1921 was also known as the Grand Theatre, the Family theater, and then the Liberty Theater. Members of the Historical Society, since its inception in 2000, have been looking for a building to house the growing collection of artifacts and to have a facility where the public can view exhibits. Over the years several properties have been considered as well as the idea of a new building. When the Blacklick Valley Community Center building became available, the Society decided it was time to not only have a building of its own, but to take on the task of preserving a historic building in Nanty Glo. The Society "bought" the building for one dollar and on June 26, 2006, and the board members of the Blacklick Valley Community Association, Inc., signed a resolution donating the Community Center building to the Historical Society. The Building Committee, comprised of Jim Toth and Rich McDowell, has already taken preliminary steps to begin the first phase in the renovation of the building. Keller Engineers, Inc., has determined the building is in good overall condition and now the Society can proceed with plans to apply for funding. A major fund drive is underway to bring a vision of a museum to a reality. | |||
IUP
Museum featured Valley coal history | |||
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Historical
Society CD's still available (December 2004) | |||
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December 3, 2002 The Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society (NTAMHS) has released a long-awaited CD-ROM multimedia program dynamically recreating and illustrating aspects of Blacklick Valley's history, commerce, and daily life. Playable on Windows-operating-system personal computers equipped with CD drives, it is available now and can make an excellent holiday gift for anyone with roots in the Valley. Self-paced interactive viewing of the dozens of topics dealt with on the CD is estimated by project director John Dropcho to take about three hours, but the time spent on a particular photo, poem, or historical account is entirely at the discretion of each viewer. The presentations, accompanied by music, are organized under the major topics "At Work," "Daily Life," "History," "Memorabilia," and "Then and Now," as shown in the title slide shown above. Under history, it includes photographs and brief notes on each of 57 casualties of World War II from Blacklick Valley, which were garnered from newspapers' coverage and are shown as slides, for example. Specifically, "the CD contains approximately 545 old photographs, 30 informative essays on local topics," with original music for each item, all woven together to form the content of the CD, an NTAMHS promotional release says. The CD is available for a $15 donation to the Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society, a nonprofit educational and tax-exempt entity established to preserve the area's history and historical artifacts and promote them through such projects. John Dropcho, a retired art instructor at the Indiana University of Pennsylvania whose background is in Nanty Glo, is one of the founders of the NTAMHS and its current vice president. Credits for contributions to the project list several dozen individuals. The
CD is available at the Nanty Glo Public Library, 942 Roberts Street, Nanty Glo,
PA 15943, which is also the address of NTAMHS. Requests for mailed copies should
include an additional $2 for shipping and handling. | |||
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2004 calendars... December 19, 2003 The Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society (NTAMHS) still has copies of its 2004 calendar featuring historical photographs of various sites in the Blacklick Valley from history. It has already been mailed to the society's membership and additional copies are available for purchase by mail and for pickup at the Nanty Glo Public Library.
Each page of the calendar also has advertisements for current area businesses. The calendar is being given, one each, without charge to all members of the Society, including ones who join while copies are still available. Please check the details about memberships available elsewhere on this page. Nonmembers or members wanting additional calendars can obtain a copy for a $5 donation to the society and a shipping charge of $2. Checks to be made out to NGTAM&HS and sent to NGTAM&HS, 942 Roberts St. Nanty Glo, Pa. 15943. NTAMHS ANNUAL REPORT FOR 2003 November 30, 2003 There are few changes in our status for the past year. The list of collectibles continues to grow, crowding our space in the second floor of the library. The genealogy library is expanding and many people are requesting obituary searches (scroll down this page for a link to more information on this service). Our membership has increased , we now have approximately 125 members, including single and family memberships. Our treasurer's report as of November 6, 2003 lists our total balance as $12,378.43. This includes monies from memberships, fund raisers, and memorials. The officers elected for the coming year are: Janet Toth, retained as president; Nancy Debiase, retained as vice president; Barbara Teeter, secretary; Lynn Smith, treasurer. Dennis Dixon asked to be excused from his position on the board of directors and he was replaced by Bill Martin. Betty Leonard is retained as chaplain. Janet Toth, president | |||
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Ann Louise (Little) Jensen gives Society historic NHS yearbook, WWII scrapbook Report of meeting of December 6 2001 (Reported by Barbara Hakanen)
Nanty Glo, December 6, 2001The meeting of the Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society on December 6, 2001, resulted in a decision being made about our newsletter being done twice a year, a spring edition and fall edition. The CD being prepared about Nanty Glo on behalf of the Society is coming along nicely, but we do not yet know when it will be completed. Lots of work has gone into this, and John Dropcho is the one carrying most of the workload for this project. We were pleased to accept a gift from Ann Louise (Little) Jensen, who taught school at the Wagner building for many years. She gave the Society her 1938 yearbook from Nanty Glo High School. This, she said, was the first year there was a yearbook. She also gave us every photo of the many class reunions held over the years. But perhaps the greatest gift she gave the Society was a large black Scrapbook she kept during the years of World War II. The Scrapbook contains poems, photos, and postcards she saved over this time period. She would cut out the many photos of the local men and women who went to fight that war and there are pages and pages of photos. The Society has taken the book apart (and put it back together again) and photocopied the pictures. We have put them in alphabetical order, into a 3-ring binder that is now in the NTAMHS bookcase at the Nanty Glo Public Library. The Post Cards, most sent to her father, Elmer Little, have also been photocopied front and back and are also in the binder. We invite the public to stop in and take a look... After the meeting we had a small Christmas party... BLH Report of meeting of June 22, 2000 (Reported by Barbara Hakanen)
Nanty Glo, June 23, 2000In the meeting last night we discussed mostly fund raising. We are considering sweatshirts/T-shirts, etc., with the Logo on. We have a great little shop here in town owned by O'Farrell's (located on Lloyd Street across from the Methodist Church). They do embroidery work (computers can do almost anything) and they are beautiful. Jennifer will be working up some colors for us. John Dropcho was absent (couldn't be helped) so he was not there when we were talking about the colors of the Logo and doesn't even know about it yet (being away for several days). The colors will not be like the one you have. I believe Jennifer will do a completely new one. We hope to be able to offer them soon but LOTS of details to be worked out. We are also in the process of becoming incorporated. Bill Martin gave us a great item in the Journal. Front page with the picture of the Logo... Great. Report of meeting of May 25, 2000 Nanty Glo, May 26, 2000Bylaws, membership, mission statements, accession papers, and tax forms were among the items considered at last night's meeting. The eleven attendees included two new participants, Nancy Bracken Debiase and Dez Warzel, both of the Blacklick Township. The NTAMHS logo was reported to be delayed a bit because of an accident involving John Dropcho, codirector and artist in charge of the project, who hopes to have it done by next meeting. An organization email address has been set up at ngtamhs@Hotmail.com. The possibility of having Denise Duzsa Weber coming to speak to the group about her Vintondale history book was discussed but tabled on a report that she is in Europe. Next meeting will be June 8, 7 p.m., at the Nanty Glo Public Library. All interested members of the community are welcome. By that meeting, codirector Barbara Hakanen reported, she and Donna Davis hope to have prepared a space in the upper floor of the Library for a historical corner. Report of organizational meeting, May 11 2000 Nanty Glo, May 12, 2000Twelve community members met last night at the Nanty Glo Public Library to formally organize a community museum and historical society. Barbara Hakanen reported that those attending included John & Helena Dropcho, Donna Davis, Dennis Dixon, Theresa Golias, Rich Ondriezek, Greg O'Farrell, Bill Martin, Zelda Dugan, Bob Mulvehill, Rich Hakanen and herself. The name chosen for the group is The Nant-Y-Glo Tri-Area Museum and Historical Society. A Logo of an open mine entrance with farming on one side to represent Jackson Township and lumbering on the other for Blacklick Valley. They decided that the names of Jackson Township and Blacklick Township will be on the Logo but not on the address, as it would be too long. John Dropcho is working on the logo Officers chosen at the meeting are: codirectors, John Dropcho and Barbara Hakanen; secretary, Donna Davis; treasurer, Theresa Golias. The group agreed to meet biweekly until the forming process and paper work is mostly accomplished. The next meeting will be Thursday, May 25, at 7 p.m., at the Library, with all interested members of the community invited to participate. They agreed to set up email accounts for the organization and its officers through Hotmail. The society web page will be added to the Nanty Glo Home Page Internet site, and its proprietor, Jon Kennedy, volunteered and was asked to set it up and maintain it. The Logo will be added to it as soon as it is completed. The
society's mailing address will be: Mrs. Hakanen predicted the project "is going to be a long time coming, but how can you have anything unless you start toward the goal?" She said suggestions are welcome. | |||
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| Historian
Trevor Rowson remembered The Nantyglo, Wales, former coalminer was Blacklick Valley's friend in the Old Country. | |||
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Appraisal Day May 19, 2001 (click here for photos) | |||
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| Second
NTAMHS newsletter now online (click here)
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