Recommended Program

Lunch With Books fans:

Walter Rybeck, who is originally from Wheeling but now resides in Maryland, has written a book called Re-Solving the Economic Puzzle. He will be in town to discuss and sign copies of the book at the Schrader Environmental Education Center at Oglebay on Saturday July 23 at 2 pm. This looks like a fascinating read, and I thought I would pass this exciting news along to our patrons. Mr Rybeck's brother, the late Dr. S. Arthur Rybeck Jr. was a great friend of the library and appeared at Lunch With Books many times. For more information about the book and program, please see below. Best regards, Sean Duffy, Ohio County Public Library

The book. Re-solving the Economic Puzzle offers proven remedies for some of the nation's critical problems such as . . .

• creating jobs,
• halting urban sprawl,
• reviving fading central cities,
• upgrading bridges, highways, schools and other infrastructure
• financing state and local government services
• stopping boom-and-bust cycles

One chapter on Oglebay's nature program recounts the beginning of the author's understanding of land issues as they relate to conservation, poverty and the enterprise system. Insights from Moses, economist Adam Smith, land taxer Henry George and the author's mentors (editor Walter Locke, a native West Virginian and Illinois Senator Paul H. Douglas, among others) are relied on for developing a strategy for helping America recover from the Great Recession. Stories about places that places that already successfully apply the author's suggested land policy changes lend credence to the book's reform agenda.

The author. Walter Rybeck, a native of Wheeling, attended Triadelphia High. His journalism studies at West Virginia University were interrupted by service in the Combat Engineers in World War II. He completed his college work in economics and political science at Antioch College in Ohio. He was a reporter on the Fairmont Times, where he helped start a symphony and little theater. After a year as foreign correspondent in Latin America, he was a reporter and state editor in Columbus, an editorial writer in Dayton, and Washington Bureau Chief for Cox Newspapers. He then became assistant director of the National Commission on Urban Problems, editorial director of the Urban Institute, and assistant to two congressmen, Henry S. Reuss of Milwaukee and William J. Coyne of Pittsburgh.

He was curator of the Oglebay Nature Museum that was housed in the barn that has long since burned down. He was active in the Brooks Bird Club and the folk dance group under the late Jane Farwell. He is the son of the late S.A. Rybeck, Sr., and Rosalind Rybeck (of Rybeck studios), and brother of the late Dr. S. Arthur Rybeck, Jr. His sister-in-law Sivia Rybeck lives in Woodsdale and his niece Blanche Rybeck lives near Dallas Pike.

THAT'S SATURDAY, JULY 23 AT 2 PM AT THE SCHRADER ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER AT OGLEBAY PARK.