Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Junior Himes, 1927-2011


As a result of my “Letters from Mom” project, I can conclude that I’ve been subscribing by mail to the Times-Observer for about 13 years. Now that I’ve transcribed her letters through most of 1998, I’ve discovered that she no longer encloses newspaper clippings, at least not from the Warren paper. (Yeah, I’ve kept most of these items, too. Perhaps I should have been an archivist in an historical society library rather than a director of a public library.)

She still occasionally draws attention to a particular news story, especially if it involved another budget cut at the Warren library, the closing of a once-popular business establishment, or the death of a member of St. Paul’s. (Not that there was never any upbeat news to come out of Warren!)

Junior Himes is someone I remember from about the time we first moved to Warren. I don’t think he, his wife Lois, and daughter Diane missed a Sunday service. For some reason, I picture them sitting in the same spot, week after week, toward the back of the right-hand side of the sanctuary in the old church. I can’t picture them in the new church, probably because I spent comparatively little time attending services there.

Junior would have been just 30 when we moved to Warren, but my memory of him has always been someone who looks much older than his actual years. While reading his obituary, I tried to recall the sound of his voice, but quickly realized that we probably never exchanged more than 10 words. Total. He certainly couldn’t have been a shy, retiring guy if he played the role of Santa Claus for 20 years. In the photo accompanying the obituary, there’s definitely a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and a subtly sly smile on his face. Unlike much more outgoing church members like Mel Karlson, Bill Brader, and Howard Ford, I never got to know the man.

But at least one question has finally been answered. Yes, his first name really is “Junior”.

$2.5M For City


Warren Times-Observer, 11/7/2011.

Excerpt: In particular, a portion of the loan will pay for a paving project on Liberty Street between Second and Third avenues.

The work at Pennsylvania and Liberty is primarily the reinstallation of a traffic signal and paving.

The southernmost part of Liberty Street will be widened, Clark Street will also be widened. The extent of the work on Langdon Drive will depend on how much of the funding remains after all the other portions of the project are complete
.

Library repairs underway


Warren Times-Observer, 11/10/2011.

Excerpt: Repairs to the original facade of Warren Public Library are underway, thanks to a grant from the Community Foundation of Warren County.

"It looks like we can do the repairs, it's not going to be as extensive as we feared," Warren Public Library Executive Director Patty Sherbondy said on Wednesday.

The grant from the Community Foundation will allow Fiske and Sons of Erie to waterproof the area surrounding the wooden braces, which will prevent moisture from seeping through, freezing and cracking the structure further
.

Northwest Savings Plans


Warren Times-Observer, 11/10/2011.

Excerpt: Northwest announced earlier this month that it had purchased the Diamond Block, also known as the Dicembre Building, along Pennsylvania Avenue, and the former Knights of Columbus Building along Second Avenue and planned to tear those buildings down and put up a new building to accommodate the company's growing office space needs.

The Diamond Block building would torn down and initially used as a staging area for construction of the new building along Second Avenue. Later, that space would become an outdoor dining area for employees and a separate public green space.

The ideas for a park were generally well-received. Some in the audience suggested making it child-friendly and including aspects of the region's Iroquois heritage.

Historical concerns

Chase Putnam asked that the Second Avenue building be remembered as the Woodward Building, with a theater and a ballroom, not as the Knights of Columbus building.

That building dates from 1910 and was built by an "ambitious businessman," he said. The Diamond Block dates to the 1870s or 1880s.

He also said that the Diamond Block is "one of the best-preserved business blocks in town. That's a beautiful building."

"We're seeing two more wonderful institutions come down," he s
aid. However, "It hurts me more to see the front of the building standing with nothing behind it."

Ex-Quality bldg. purchased


Warren Times-Observer, 11/11/2011.

Excerpt: The former Quality Market at 1075 Market St. Ext., including five acres of land, was on the block at a sheriff's sale held at the Warren County Sheriff's Office on Thursday morning.

Beacon Light purchased the property at a winning bid of $600,000.

"This property is desirable, both because of its size and its location," Beacon Light President and CEO Richard Seager said. "The dimension of the building will really allow our clinical staff the space to effectively meet the needs of the recovery program consumers, while we believe the centralized location will make the center as accessible as possible."

According to Seager, studies indicate that at least one in four Americans age 18 and older suffer from a "diagnosable mental or substance disorder
."

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Obituary: Kenneth Knight, 1924-2011


Warren High School Class of 1942
"Our chicle champ" -- just how you want to be remembered!

Obituary: John Schorman, 1934-2011


Warren High School, Class of 1952

Obituary: : Jay Church, 1943-2011


Warren High School, Class of 1960