Float Conveys Dream of New Museum for Christmasweirtonmuseum.com/WAMCC2010December.pdf · in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena California, January 1, 1960. This honor was

P.O. Box 517, Weirton, WV 26062

Volume 2, Issue 12

Upcoming Events:

February 24, 2011WV History DayState Capital

April 2 , 2011Festival of NationsMillsop Community Center

Museum Officers:Elected 7-7-10

December 23, 2010

President

Dennis R. Jones

Vice President

Pamela Makricosta

Vice President

Despina Melonas

Treasurer

Paul B. Zuros

Secretary

Kim Salter

Museum

3393 Main StreetWeirton, WV 26062

Editor: Dennis Jones

[email protected]

Museum Phone:

(304) 479-7266 (cell phone)

Museum Hours:

Monday thru Friday9:00 am thru 4:00 pm(other times available)

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Float Conveys Dream of New Museum for Christmas

Website:

www.weirtonmuseum.com

On November 27, 2010, Weirton Area Museum & Cultural Center participated in Weirton’s Christmas Parade. WAMCC’s float, (picturedabove) featured a museum building and the Weirton Daily Times with a headline of a “New Museum in Weirton.” WAMCC officers andmembers are on the float which was redesigned to be in accordance with this year’s parade theme, “Christmas Dreams.” Andrea Anderson,Steve Ivady, and Dennis Jones helped decorate the float, which originally represented the movie: “A Christmas Story.”

Photo by Argiro Latousakis

Photo by Andrea Anderson

Photo by Andrea Anderson

Photo by Pam Makricosta

Photo by Dennis Jones

Pictured left to right: Despina Melonas (Vice President), Paul J.Zuros, Paul B. Zuros (Treasurer), and Kim Salter (Secretary)

Board member Dr. J. K. Luthra was on board the float with his daugh-ter Namita Luthra and his grandchildren Amartya Shri and Jaya Shri.

Vice President Pam Makricosta along with Steve Ivady and hisgranddaughter Lilly sat on the float’s sofa in front of the Tree.

Weirton Daily Times issued a special newspaper promoting the newmuseum “dream” and also provided 2 newspaper vending machines.

Page 2 Volume 2, Issue 12 Weirton Area Museum and Cultural Center Newsletter

More Scenes from the 2010 Weirton Christmas Parade

Yvonne Tuchalski, who helped pass out the museum Christmas tags during theparade, is shown walking along side WAMCC’s float as it enters the parade atArcelorMittal’s (old Weirton Steel) Gate #5, at the Virginia Avenue intersection.

Another view of those on the float, braving the cold wind on November 27, 2010.

Christmas tags (shown atleft) were distributed to theparade spectators byYvonne Tuchalski, Paul J.Zuros and Dennis Jones.Andrea Anderson contrib-uted the words “A Gift to OurCommunity” and “The Pastis our “Present” to you.”

Photo by Andrea AndersonPhoto by Dennis Jones


Photo by Pam Makricosta

Above: Paul J. Zoros, Paul B. Zuros, and Kim Salter are shown on float in front of the“new museum” building, which originally represented the school for the movie “A ChristmasStory.” The metal flag pole, also used for museum float, is where the kid froze his tongue.At Left: A head-on view of the float as it waited in line to enter the parade. In the back-ground is the overpass, which was first constructed in the year 1931 to relieve traffic con-gestion caused by the railroad tracks crossing Main St. (Route 2) at “Crawford’s Crossing.”

Photo by Edmund DiBacco Photo by Edmund DiBacco

WAMCC President Dennis Jones was honored to be selected by the WeirtonArea Chamber of Commerce to serve as the parade’s Grand Marshall. TheChrysler Sebring convertible is owned and driven by volunteer Bob Barnabei.

The Giant Santa in front of the Weirton Millsop Community Center first appeared in Weir-ton in the year 1952. WAMCC’s Christmas Tree can be seen in the “Weirton Room” frontwindow (second from left).

One of the first priorities with our new museum buildingat 3149 Main Street is to design a new front to the build-ing to improve the appearance of our “40 Feet of MainStreet” and help attract museum support and businessgrowth in the vicinity. In an effort to involve the com-munity in our project, WAMCC will be offering a contestto help design “Our 40 Feet of Main Street.” The con-test rules have not been finalized; however, it is beingconsidered to open the contest to all students in the area,who can offer a rendition of how the 40 foot front to ourbuilding at 3149 Main Street should appear. It is alsobeing considered to offer a substantial monetary prize,which will be provided to the winner by a contest spon-sor. Contest entries may be electronic or hand-drawn.Details about this contest will be forthcoming soon.

Community Encouraged to Help Design Our “40 Feet of Main St.”


On December 8, WAMCC members voted unani-mously to purchase the building at 3149 Main St. inWeirton. At that meeting Rich Cunningham, TrustOfficer of Wesbanco Bank presented a check in theamount of $7016.00 to WAMCC President DennisJones and WAMCC Treasurer Paul B. Zuros. Thecheck was granted by the Sophia Pipinos CharitableTrust. Dennis commented that this grant money is ofutmost importance, and it came at just the right time.The grant will be used to help purchase the building at3149 Main Street and remodel it. Other contributionshave been received from individuals including DavidM. Weir, John Pandelios, Drs. Juginder K. & DollyLuthra, and Dennis Jones. Anyone wishing to donatecan send their check to: Weirton Area Museum andCultural Center, P.O. Box 517, Weirton, WV 26062.

First Grant Check Received for New Museum Building

Pictured Left to Right: Paul B. Zuros (WAMCC Treasurer), Dennis Jones (WAMCC Presi-dent), and Rich Cunningham (Wesbanco Trust Officer).

3100 Block of Main Street, looking southwest. The building identified by the redarrow will be the new home of WAMCC after remodeling is completed next year.

Above: Future Museum building at 3149 Main St in December 2010 before remodeling.Below: Museum building showing a possible new look for our “40 feet of Main Street.”

Weir High Band’s Trip to the Rose Bowl (50 Years Ago) Featured



In 1959 the Weir High Band, underthe leadership of Director CharlesE. McKinney and Assistant DaleLutton, received word that theirband had been invited to participatein the Tournament of Roses Paradein Pasadena California, January 1,1960. This honor was a first amonghigh schools in West Virginia. 1965Weir High School Graduate, TomTarowski, authored a Goldensealmagazine article featuring this his-torical time for Weir High School,including several photos fromWAMCC’s Weirton Steel Archives.The photo at top left shows bandmembers marching down OrchardSt. carrying the Weirton Daily Timeswith headlines of their upcomingtrip to the Rose Bowl. A large ver-sion of this picture is also featuredin WAMCC’s 1913 Picture Calendartitled “Market to Market.” The oldlunchtime student hangout, Kem-plers Market, can be seen in thebackground. The middle left photoshows the band and parents Califor-nia bound from the Pittsburgh Air-port. A large version of this picturewas featured in WAMCC’s 1910Picture Calendar titled “All Aboardfor the History Tour.” The bottomphoto shows the 144 member WeirHigh Band proudly marching downColorado Boulevard in Pasadena,

Happy Weir High Band members marching downOrchard St. with news of going to the Rose Bowl

Courtesy WAMCC Weirton Steel Archives



Happy Weir High Band members marching downOrchard St. with news of going to the Rose Bowl

Photo Courtesy Goldenseal Magazine - John Lilly, editor

California. That photo is featured inWAMCC’s 1912 Picture Calendar titled“Marching into History.” The current issueof Goldenseal Magazine (pictured above)including Mr. Tarowski’s detailed account-ing of this historic trip can be obtained atthe Weirton Area Museum and CulturalCenter Gift Shop and the Mary H. WeirPublic Library for a special donation priceof $5.00. WAMCC’s popular historic pic-ture calendars are also available.

Weir High Band marching down Colorado Blvd. inPasadena, CA, on January 1, 1960.

Seasonal Historical Photographs

WAMCC’s Tony Bongiovanni and Steve Ivady recently performed aphoto rotation for the Weirton Room at Millsop Community Center. Thephotos now show wintertime scenes throughout the history of our area.

A tradition that is no longer performed in Weirton is the lighting of the tree at the corner of Pennsyl-vania Ave. and Main St. Photo above is from 1961. Pictured L-R: unidentified, James Flenniken(Weirton Chamber), Charles Tourney (President Weirton Steel Co.), Earle Wittpenn (Editor-WeirtonDaily Times), and J. H. Harris (V-President Weirton Steel Co.) More about Mr. Flenniken on page 5.

Photo of the latest Goldenseal Magazine, released in December2010, showing Weir High School Band drum majors (left toright): Paul Kuhns, Tyrone Price, and David Kuhns at the 1960Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California.

Pictured above is the piano that once belonged to Senator Waitman T. Willeyof Morgantown and later owned by his Great Grandson, James Flenniken.This piano and the table (below) were loaded into the rental truck and taken tothe WV State Museum in Charleston, West Virginia. WAMCC’s Jason Rine

and Dennis Jones assisted.


Preserving Senator Waitman T. Willey’s Piano and Table

Photo by Margaret Brennan

House once owned by James Flenniken, 3063 Pennsylvania Ave., Weirton. By the truck are Travis Henline (SiteManager of WV Independence Hall, Wheeling) and Nicholas Mitchell, on this rainy day, November 30, 2010.

Nicholas Mitchell and Travis Henline preparethe piano for loading on the truck.

Nicholas Mitchell, Jason Rine, and TravisHenline ease the piano off the front porch.

Jason Rine stands by the table on whichthe Willey Amendment was composed bySenator Waitman Willey in the year 1863.

On the porch during the drenching rain of November 30, 2010, are left to right:Margaret Brennan (Historian from Wheeling), Dennis Jones (WAMCC Presi-dent), Jason Rine (WAMCC member), Travis Henline (WV Independence Hall),and Nicholas Mitchell (son of WV State Museum Curator, Jim Mitchell).

Photo by Dennis JonesPhoto by Aimee Miller


Photo by Dennis Jones Photo by Dennis Jones


Aimee Miller (Granddaughter of JamesFlenniken) shown with Jason Rine.

Senator Waitman T. Willey (1811 - 1900) hadthe distinction of serving both Virginia andWest Virginia in the U.S. Senate. He was in-strumental in the formation of the new stateof West Virginia during the American Civil

War and was one of the state’s first 2 Sena-tors. In 1863 he authored the Willey Amend-ment, which was a compromise pertaining toslavery and paved the way for West Virginia’sacceptance into the Union. James Flenniken,Great Grandson of Senator Willey, becamethe first Program Manager for WEIR Radiowhen it went on the air in 1950. He later be-

came a leader in the Weirton Chamber ofCommerce. Jim and his family lived at 3063Pennsylvania Ave. in Weirton for over 50years. He had several items that once be-longed to his great grandfather, Senator Willeyof Morgantown, which were donated to theWV State Museum and WV IndependenceHall. Other local paper materials were do-

nated to WAMCC by the heirs.

WAMCC’s 3rd Annual Festival of Nations Scheduled for April 2ndEvent Will Help Raise Funds for our New Museum

“The valley is home to people from a large number of ethnic backgrounds, each one of them callingthis area our home and we are all part of the vast melting pot--United States of America. These areoccasions to celebrate Unity in Diversity. In these economically hard times, celebrations help cheerus up and see brighter side of life.”

- Dr. Junginder K. Luthra, WAMCC Festival Committee Chairman.


Flyer Revised by Argiro Latousakis

Documents

Float Conveys Dream of New Museum for Christmasweirtonmuseum.com/WAMCC2010December.pdf · in the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena California, January 1, 1960. This honor was