Jan 4: A Visit from York

On Tuesday, January 4 at noon, Pittsburgh actor Greg Kenney will be at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling to portray the slave York, who accompanied Lewis & Clark on their famous journey. Join York, as he takes us to the Pacific Ocean and explains how he interacted with the white men on the expedition, how he earned the respect of the Plains Indians, and how he struggled for his freedom after the expedition. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

People's University Class 4 Posted

Class 4 of the People's University (Wheeling as the birthplace of a new state, 1860-1870) is now posted on Youtube! ( see HERE) NOTE: Fans from or still based in Charleston are advised to pay extra close attention. Follow the link and enjoy.

Just Announced: Auschwitz Survivor Judge Thomas Buergenthal to Visit LWB

March 4 (Friday) at noon: Auschwitz Survivor Judge Thomas Buergenthal

On Friday, March 4 at noon, Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library will welcome a very distinguished guest. Judge Thomas Buergenthal will discuss his memoir, A Lucky Child, in which he recounts his experiences as one of the youngest survivors of the concentration camps of Auschwitz and Sachsenhausen. Judge Buergenthal served on the International Court of Justice from 2000 until 2010. Between 1979 and 1991, he was a judge and president of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. In the 1990s, he was a member of the United Nations Human Rights Committee and the UN Truth Commission for El Salvador. After graduating from Bethany College and the New York University Law School, he received LL.M. and S.J.D. degrees from the Harvard Law School. Professor Buergenthal was the Dean of the Washington College of Law at the American University from 1980 to 1985 and is currently Lobingier Professor of Comparative Law and Jurisprudence at the George Washington University Law School. Buergenthal is the author of more than a dozen books and numerous journal articles dealing with international law and human rights. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

First Series of the People's University Concludes

Here's a group photo of the first graduating class of the People's University, A History of Wheeling with Dr. David Javersak. Each of the 40 students who attended every class in the series received a certificate of completion. One student was overheard saying, "This has been the most enjoyable thing I've done in a very long time." Thanks to everyone who helped to make The People's University a huge success. We'll be back in April 2011 with a new series on World Geography. Look for details this spring.

In Two Weeks (12-28-10): Shadows of the Night

WVNCC professor John Plesa will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday December 28 at noon discuss his new horror novel, Shadows of the Night: The Awakening. The first of a trilogy, the book follows a man and his friends, who band together against a mysterious, shadowy presence. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

CANCELLATION

THE SPEAKER FOR TODAY, 12-14-2010, HAS CANCELLED DUE TO ACCIDENT. SHE IS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED BUT IS UNABLE TO MAKE THE EVENT. WE WILL ATTEMPT TO RESCHEDULE AND WE APOLOGIZE FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE.

Two Things...

1--This evening, Thursday December 9 at 6:00 PM, the library will present an Irish Country Christmas. The excellent and popular living historian Patty Cooper will become an Irish immigrant who remembers life in the old country at this wonderful time of the year.

That's tonight at six!

2--If you had a family member who served in the First World War, I am looking for journals, letters, photos, or any primary source information on Ohio Valley WWI veterans for an upcoming Lunch With Books porgram. Please contact me if you have anything to share.

304-232-0244 or lunchwithbooks@yahoo.com

Thank you.

December 14: NIKE

Award winning journalist & author Tracy Carbasho will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday December 14 at noon to discuss her new book, “NIKE’” from ABC-CLIO’s Corporations That Changed the World Series. The book utilizes interviews with top sports celebrities and marketing gurus to explain why Nike has ruled the sports world for more than 4 decades. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

People's University DVDs Now Avaliable!

The Ohio County Public Library is pleased to announce that the first six classes in its People's University, Series 1: History of Wheeling with Dr David Javersak are now available for check out in DVD format. Please inquire at the reference desk: 304-232-0244, Or, search the online catalog.

DVDs now available:

Class 1 (Oct 13): The public library and Andrew Carnegie’s vision
Class 2 (Oct 20): Wheeling as a frontier outpost, 1769-1800
Class 3 (Oct 27): A transportation revolution transforms Wheeling, 1800-1860
Class 4 (Nov 3): Wheeling as the birthplace of a new state, 1860-1870
Class 5 (Nov 10): Wheeling as the premier city of West Virginia, 1870-1920
Class 6 (Nov 17): The “underside” of Wheeling

NOTE: Anyone who plans to attend all of the Series 1 classes and would like a completion certificate, please let me know as soon as possible.

Remembering Pearl Harbor

All members of the community who remember the shocking attack on Pearl Harbor are invited to come to Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday December 7 at noon to share those memories as we mark the 69th anniversary of the date that still lives in infamy. All comments will be recorded for inclusion in the library archives. Dr. Jeffrey Rutherford, a history professor at Wheeling Jesuit University and a WWII specialist, will provide a brief introduction covering the events leading up to the attack and will host the ensuing discussion. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

November 30: Growing Up in the Last Small Town

Retired Marshall professor Bob Barnett will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday November 30 at noon to present Growing Up in the Last Small Town: A West Virginia Memoir, a humorous and poignant story of growing up in small-town America between 1940 and 1960. For Bob and the other children in unincorporated pottery town Newell, West Virginia, it was a time of simple pleasures. This story captures the rhythm of small-town life that we thought would never change — but did. The generation whose story is told in this book grew up in the last small town in America. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Nov 23: Haskins Hospital

On Tueday, November 23 at noon, local historian Kate Quinn will be at the Lunch With Books program at the Ohio County Public Library to discuss Haskins Hospital, a private facility built in 1895 at 32nd and Eoff Streets. The program will feature photographs of the interior and the staff. Haskins, which also included a nursing school, closed in 1915. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Thursday Nov 18 at 6:30--THE CHIEF then GENE COLLIER!

MOVIE STARTS AT 6:30, GENE COLLIER will appear at about 8:05.

People's University Receives Community Foundation Grant Award

The Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley has awarded a grant to the Ohio County Public Library to help cover the costs of The People's University, Series 1: A History of Wheeling with instructor David Javersak. The OCPL is honored to receive this grant award. Pictured left to right: Susie Nelson (Community Foundation for the Ohio Valley), Dr. David Javersak (instructor), Sean Duffy (OCPL programming coordinator), and Dottie Thomas (library director).

The IRONMEN Still Draw a Crowd!

This afternoon at Lunch With Books, an audience of 112 people enjoyed listening to the memories of WHEELING IRONMEN football days shared by (right to left) Ann Thomas (wife of the late Clyde Thomas, star RB), sportswriter Doug Huff, and former players , Willie Stinson, Bob Butts, and Perry Jeter. Thanks to all who participated for a stellar and enjoyable program.

NOVEMBER 16 AND 18: THE CHIEF

On Tuesday November 16th at noon and Thursday November 18th at 6:30 pm, the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling will offer the first local screening of the fantastic one-man-play (now on DVD) about legendary Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney Sr. Written by Gene Collier and Rob Zellers, The CHIEF, the one-man-play, debuted at Pittsburgh Public Theater in 2003 starring Tom Atkins, whose portrayal is amazingly true-to-life. The DVD has been publicly endorsed by the Rooney Family, the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Steeler Nation.

On November 18th, immediately after the film ends at about 8:00 PM, Pittsburgh sportswriter and co-author of the play, Gene Collier be on hand speak to the audience about the play and about Mr Rooney and to answer audience questions. Copies of the script of The Chief, now available in book form, will be available for purchase and signing by Mr. Collier. Don't miss this one of a kind opportunity to see the film and meet the writer. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

MEN OF IRON

On Tuesday, November 9 at noon, Doug Huff and Ann Thomas will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library to help us remember Wheeling’s beloved professional football team, the Wheeling/Ohio Valley Ironmen, who played in the United & Continental Football Leagues from 1962 through 1969. Mr. Huff is the retired sports editor for the Wheeling Intelligencer, and Mrs. Thomas’s husband Clyde Thomas was a star running back for the team. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.Test

EXPLORING REGIONAL FOOTBALL AND ECONOMIC STRIFE

LIBRARY PROGRAMS TO EXPLORE REGIONAL FOOTBALL HISTORY

The Lunch With Books program at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling will soon be revisiting the best and worst of times in regional professional football.

In the 1960s, the steel mills were operating at full capacity. People were working. Times were good. Even though the Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the worst teams in football, hardworking fans enjoyed their team’s grit and rough and tumble style. And Wheeling had its own minor league professional team in the Wheeling (Ohio Valley) Ironmen of the United and Continental Football Leagues. “The Ironmen represent more than professional penury.” Sports Illustrated reported in 1968, “In their own way they are the Packers in Green Bay, a breath of the big time in a small city, a wellspring of civic chauvinism.”

But by the 1970s, things were changing. The Iron-Belt was rusting and the Ironmen had been disbanded. The local economy was deteriorating.

First, on November 9 at noon, Doug Huff and Ann Thomas will be at Lunch With Books to discuss the decade-long rise and fall of Wheeling’s beloved IRONMEN. Mr. Huff has been a local sportswriter for decades and is the retired sports editor of the Wheeling Intelligencer. Mrs. Thomas’s husband Clyde Thomas (pictured) was a star running back for the team. The program will feature Ironmen memorabilia and photographs.

The following week will feature Art Rooney Sr. beloved founder of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Much as steel is forged from iron, the Pittsburgh Steelers emerged to soothe a badly stressed regional psyche. Two special programs will recall a benevolent and beloved old king and the dynasty he created after decades of failure. The hard earned success of Art Rooney’s Steelers helped comfort a generation.

On November 16 at noon, Lunch With Books will offer the first local screening of THE CHIEF, the marvelous film version of the one-man stage play written by Gene Collier and Rob Zellers. Tom Atkins stars as Art Rooney, and his portrayal is amazingly true to life. The stage play enjoyed seven sold-out seasons at Pittsburgh Public Theater before retiring in January 2010 and being captured on film. Art Rooney Sr. was the founder and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1933 until his death in 1988, and is one of the most beloved iconic figures in sports history. This film is publicly endorsed by the Rooney family, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Steelers Nation.

Originally, the library had scheduled the authors of the book The Ones Who Hit the Hardest about the Steelers of the 1970s for Thursday November 18th in the evening. That program was canceled by Penguin Publishing and has been replaced with the second screening of THE CHIEF beginning at 6:30 PM. Immediately after the film ends at about 8:00 PM, Pittsburgh sportswriter and co-author of the play, Gene Collier be on hand speak to the audience about the play and about Mr. Rooney and to answer audience questions. Copies of the script of THE CHIEF, now available in book form, will be available for purchase and signing by Mr. Collier. Don't miss this one of a kind opportunity to see the film and meet the writer.

The programs will also feature a splendid display of Steelers and Ironmen memorabilia.

People should know that these are much more than just sports or football programs. These are explorations of an era. We hope these programs will help some to remember and others to understand why most Ohio Valley residents will always regard the 70s with equal parts nostalgia and profound sadness. Just about everyone who lived through those days in this area was touched by a certain amount of economic trauma, and these programs will help explain how we coped, and continue to cope.

Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Complimentary beverages are provided. Call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

People's University Videos Now Online!

The Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling has made the first three classes in its popular People’s University Series available online.

The first series is called “A History of Wheeling,” and is being presented by retired West Liberty University history professor, Dr. David Javersak. Video clips from each class are now available in segments of ten minutes or less on http://www.youtube.com/. The videos can be accessed on this page at bottom right, through the Lunch With Books Facebook page, or by visiting the Youtube web site and searching keywords “lunchwithbooks” or “history of Wheeling.”

The first class in the series covered Andrew Carnegie’s vision of the public library as a place of learning for all people, as well as his failed attempt to present a free Carnegie library to the city of Wheeling. Class two dealt with Wheeling as a frontier outpost, and class three with the transportation revolution that transformed the city. The fourth class, covering how Wheeling became the birthplace of the new state of West Virginia during the Civil War, will meet next Wednesday, November 3 at 7:00 PM in the library’s auditorium. Classes will continue on most Wednesday evenings at seven o’clock through December 15. Call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information. Videos of the remaining classes will be uploaded to Youtube as they are completed.

Beginning with class three, the video segments will include an American Sign Language interpreter for the hearing impaired. Videos of entire classes will also soon be made available for circulation in DVD format as a part of the library’s permanent collection.

Photo caption: Dr. David Javersak talks about Wheeling's transportation revolution while Denise Wycherley of West Virginia Northern Community College provides American Sign Language interpretation of the lecture.

November 2: Catholic West Virginia with Ryan Rutkowski

Ryan Rutkowski, archivist for the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday November 2 at noon to discuss Images of America: Catholic West Virginia . Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Book Description: Overcoming its tumultuous beginnings, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston has matured into a distinguished and active voice for West Virginians. One of the most unique aspects of the diocese's 160-year history is the diversity of the landscape, culture, ethnicity, and dialect that characterizes the state's identity. From Wheeling to Beckley and Martinsburg to Parkersburg, the story of our diocese comes from the individuals who established and nurtured the Catholic faith in their local communities. Without generations of the dedicated faithful, the diocese would not have thrived. Through a variety of images, this book tells the story of the generations that continued striving to give a voice to this unique Catholic community. In addition, professional researchers and local readers alike will find this volume's rare perspective of history through the lived experience of the subjects refreshing.

Author Bio: Ryan Rutkowski, director of archives and records for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, compiled Images of America: Catholic West Virginia after collecting photographs for the diocese's archives. A lifelong Catholic, Rutkowski presents images that reflect the faith, values, identity, and heritage of Catholic West Virginia. Test

October 26: CITIES OF THE DEAD...

In honor of Halloween, Jeanne Finstein and Judi Hendrickson will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday, October 26 at noon present Cities of the Dead: The Final Resting Places of Wheeling’s Famous & Infamous. The program will offer information about numerous people interred in various Wheeling Cemeteries, including Greenwood, Mt. Calvary, Mt. Wood, and Stone Church (among others) - along with images of the grave sites and people. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Cancellation and Consolation :( & :)

I received the following message regarding the Steelers book (The Ones Who Hit the Hardest) program previously scheduled for November 18 at 7 PM: "I am deeply saddened to inform you that Chad and Shawn will not be able to attend the event on Thurs, Nov 18th. I am truly sorry but due to unavoidable circumstances they will be unable to travel."

So long Old School Stillers Week. :(

I'm sorry for any inconvenience. Believe me, no one can be more disappointed than I. On a positive note, the screening of The Chief scheduled for the 16th at noon is still a very big GO! :)

No worries, the DVD does not have to travel and lacks the ability to cancel. The Chief will make us whole again.

NOTE: JUST ADDED a THURSDAY NOVEMBER 18 AT 6:30 PM EVENING SCREENING TO HELP EASE THE PAIN.

October 19: West Virginia Beauty

Author Jeanne Mozier (one of the most interesting guests we've hosted in my time at the library) will return to Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday, October 19 at noon to discuss West Virginia Beauty: Familiar and Rare, which teams her with photographer Steve Shaluta. Together they have produced a love letter to the state in the form of a coffee table book. This book showcases the state's beauty, including amazing geography, wildlife, historic sites and more. Mozier also wrote Way Out in West Virginia. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Monday Oct 11 at noon and Monday Oct 18 at 6:30

October 12: WHEELING TILE

Larry England, who worked for the Wheeling Tile Company for many years, will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday October 12 to share memories of the Wheeling business that spanned from 31st to 33rd Streets and manufactured high quality floor and wall tile products. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

LIBRARY LAUNCHES NEW INITIATIVE: THE PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITY

THE PEOPLE'S UNIVERSITY

Andrew Carnegie called the public library “The People’s University.” He believed the public library was an essential institution of learning for people of all ages, and he knew that a vital part of the library’s mission was to provide the information and knowledge citizens needed. Today, the Ohio County Public Library seeks to continue to assist local residents in the pursuit of knowledge and education in order to promote an enlightened citizenry and to enrich their quality of life.
As a key element in achieving this goal, the OCPL will offer a new series of programs entitled, “The People’s University.” The series will cover the full range of liberal arts and provide an opportunity for adults to learn or refresh their knowledge of art, music, history, government, philosophy, and a variety of other areas of learning. Courses will be free of charge and presenters will be experts in the fields.

Series 1: A History of Wheeling

Instructor: Dr. David Javersak

Classes will meet on Wednesday evenings @ 7:00 PM, beginning Oct 13

Week 1 (Oct 13): The public library and Andrew Carnegie’s vision

Week 2 (Oct 20): Wheeling as a frontier outpost, 1769-1800

Week 3 (Oct 27): A transportation revolution transforms Wheeling, 1800-1860

Week 4 (Nov 3): Wheeling as the birthplace of a new state, 1860-1870

Week 5 (Nov 10): Wheeling as the premier city of West Virginia, 1870-1920

Week 6 (Nov 17): The “underside” of Wheeling

Nov 24: Library Closed at 5 for Thanksgiving Holiday – no class

Week 7 (Dec 1): Wheeling’s ethnic heritages

Week 8 (Dec 8): Wheeling in post-industrial America, 1950-2010

Week 9 (Dec 15) : Wheeling’s important structures and what they reveal

Call to register: 304-232-0244 or email lunchwithbooks@yahoo.com

Oct 5: Eastern Woodland Indians

Travis Henline, site manager of West Virginia Independence Hall, will provide an overview of the histories and cultures of eastern woodland American Indian peoples, with particular emphasis on the Ohio Valley and present day West Virginia, with photos and video segments. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

OCTOBER 11 & 18: GASLAND

FIRST WHEELING SCREENINGS!

The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States and the Ohio Valley. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a "Saudia Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown. DON’T MISS THE FIRST WHEELING SCREENINGS: MON OCT 11 @ Noon & MON OCT 18 at 6:30 PM.

Inside the Doomsday Machine

Judge Patrick M. Flatley, chief bankruptcy court judge for the Northern District of West Virginia, will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday September 28 at noon to review the bestseller The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine by Michael Lewis. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Schramm and Foreman and Sherlock

47 people enjoyed R. Wolfgang Schramm's program on The Apocryphal Cases of Sherlock Holmes with artist and illustrator Anne Foreman today.

The Apocryphal Cases of Sherlock Holmes

Author R. Wolfgang Schramm will appear at the Lunch With Books program at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday, September 21 to discuss his new book, The Apocryphal Cases of Sherlock Holmes. Schramm has created three new Sherlock Holmes stories in the Conan Doyle manner. The book is lavishly illustrated with sketches by Wheeling artist Anne Foreman, who will also be at the program. Schramm is an emeritus professor from West Liberty University and has authored four previous books about West Liberty State College, The Linsly School, The City of Moundsville and Wheeling Island. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Celebrate Constitution Week...

Tomorrow, September 14 @ noon: James Madison & the Spirit of Republican Self-Government with Dr. Joe Laker

September 14: Book Review-James Madison and the Spirit of Republican Self-Government with Dr. Joe Laker

In celebration of Constitution and Citizenship Day, retired WJU history professor Dr. Joe Laker will review James Madison and the Spirit of Republican Self-Government by Villanova professor Colleen Sheehan at the Lunch With Books program at the Ohio County Public Library scheduled for Tuesday September 14 at noon. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Explore Wheeling's Past and Present

Wheeling: Then and Now, a new book from Arcadia Publishing, highlights Wheeling’s past and present and is a collaboration between writer Sean Duffy and photographer Paul Rinkes. It compares the Wheeling of the late 19th and early 20th centuries to its present by placing historical photographs side by side with modern-day images. Informative captions explain the location and transitional history of each photographic pair.

Duffy will offer a presentation about Wheeling: Then and Now at the library's Lunch With Books program on Tuesday September 7 at noon. For every book sold at the program, $1.00 will be donated to the library. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the book will benefit the Wheeling Area Historical Society. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages will be served. Call the library at 304-232-0244, email lunchwithbooks@yahoo.com, or visit http://ocplprogramming.blogspot.com for more information.

A companion exhibit of photographs from the book will be on display through Sept. 30 in the third floor loft gallery of the Wheeling Artisan Center at 1400 Main Street in downtown Wheeling. The exhibit is sponsored by the Wheeling National Heritage Area Corporation. For more information, call 304-232-1810.

Adding to its appeal, Wheeling: Then and Now is formatted like a travel guide. The reader can follow in the footsteps of the creators, visiting each site starting in Oglebay Park and traveling through Warwood, North Wheeling, Downtown, East, Center, and South Wheeling and then "out the pike" through Fulton, Woodsdale, Pleasant Valley, Elm Grove, and Triadelphia.

Duffy and Rinkes have started a blog, at http://thenandnowwheeling.blogspot.com, documenting the “story behind the story” of many of the book’s photos, as well as some that didn’t make the cut.

Duffy, who grew up in Warwood, is the Programming Coordinator at the Ohio County Public Library in Wheeling. A graduate of Wheeling Jesuit University, and the American University, he has written one previous book, The Wheeling Family: A Celebration of Immigrants and Their Neighborhoods, published by Creative Impressions in 2008. He is currently at work on a second volume of local immigrant stories and photographs.

A Martins Ferry native, Rinkes graduated from Denison University in Granville, Ohio, in 1994 and worked as a reporter and copy editor for the Wheeling News-Register. His travels took him to Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis and now to Franklin, TN, where he currently runs Rinkes Photography with his wife, Amina. He also is an independent computer consultant, working with clients in the content creation industry.

Wheeling: Then and Now sells for $21.99, and is available through Arcadia Publishing at www.arcadiapublishing.com or (888) 313-2665. In addition to local branches of national chains and on-line retailers, the book can be purchased from the following local retailers: Wheeling Artisan Center, Convenient True Value Hardware, Hughes Design & Gift Gallery, Pat’s Hallmark, Spry’s Mail Center Plus, Valley Cheese, Warwood Ace Hardware, Wheeling Hospital Gift Shop, Wheeling Jesuit Campus Store, and Words & Music at Stratford.

Songs of the American Worker

Rev. Bob Willits will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday, August 31 at noon, to perform folk songs about the American worker for Labor Day. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.Test

SSSSSSSSNAKES! @ the Library!

Greg Park, Associate Director of Environmental Education at Oglebay Institute, will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday, August 24 at noon to present a program on herpetology featuring live snakes. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.


Incidentally, 94 people attended James Casto's presentation on the Flood of 1937 today. Many audience members shared memories of the 36 in Wheeling. Fascinating stuff.

COMING SOON

STAY TUNED FOR A MAJOR NEW PROGRAM ANNOUNCEMENT FEATURING AUTHORS OF NATIONAL PROMINENCE.

HINT: Could possibly be the greatest book ever created (according to yours truly).

Aug 17: The Big One (Share Your Flood Stories)

James E. Casto of Huntington will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday, August 17 at noon to discuss his book, Images of America: The Great Ohio River Flood of 1937. In 1937, raging floodwaters inundated thousands of Ohio Valley houses and businesses, drove one million people from their homes, claimed nearly 400 lives, and recorded $500 million in damages. The book brings together 200 vintage images of one of the darkest chapters in the region’s history. Casto has written four previous Arcadia books. In 2006, the Cabell County Public Library paid tribute to his efforts as an historian by naming its James E. Casto Local History Room in his honor. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.

Judge Stamp Draws 98

Lunch With Books was honored to host U.S. District Court Judge Frederick P. Stamp, who presented a fascinating inside look at the history of the Sterling Drug Company to an audience of 98 (including far more lawyers than usual). That pushes the average attendance up to an amazing 73 on the year. Many thanks to all.

August 10: Dr. Albert Buckelew

Dr. Albert R. Buckelew, Biology Chair at Bethany College, will be at Lunch With Books at the Ohio County Public Library on Tuesday, August 10 at noon to review the book, George Miksch Sutton: Artist, Scientist, and Teacher by Jerome Jackson. A famous ornithologist and bird artist, Sutton had a profound influence in the Wheeling area. The program will include study skins prepared by Sutton and copies of some of his books and papers. Lunch With Books programs are free and open to the public. Patrons are invited to bring a bag lunch and free beverages are provided. Please call the library at 304-232-0244 for more information.