Octorara townlively.com
JANUARY 15, 2025
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL XXXIV • NO 46
Program details the life of local inventor BY FRANCINE FULTON
“Inventor ” and “problem solver” were some of the words used by Gwendolyn Dickinson when describing her grandfather William Chester Ruth of Gap
during a program held recently at Sadsbury Friends Meeting as part of its speaker series. Ruth, the son of a slave, became a renowned agricultural inventor who earned patents for various farm implements that See William Chester Ruth pg 5
Octorara Covenanter Presbyterian Foundation board members and entertainers (from left) Thompson McConnell, Donald Henderson, Tishena Moss, Charlie Zahm, Tom Knapp, Donna McCool, Barry Girvin and John Girvin
Octorara Covenanter Presbyterian Foundation slates Burns Night Celebration
T
he Octorara Covenanter Presbyterian Foundation will host its annual Burns Night Celebration on Saturday, Feb. 1, at Beale Manor, 200 S. Church St., Parkesburg. The event will take place from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m., and the price of admission will include live entertainment, food and drinks that are unique to Scottish culture. When guests arrive at Beale Manor, they will hear the distinct sound of a bagpipe ringing through the halls of the historic home. Bagpiper Tyler Destremps will continue to perform until all guests
have arrived, and the celebration will kick off with a social time and a second musical performance by fiddler Tom Knapp. After Destremps and Knapp set the tone for the evening with
“Anyone who wants to learn more about others’ culture is welcome.” traditional Scottish compositions, Charlie Zahm will lead a haggis ceremony. The time-honored ritual will include a tasting of haggis, a savory dish that is made using the heart, lungs and liver of a sheep.
The meat is minced with chopped onion, oatmeal, suet and a medley of spices and broth, and ingredients are customarily cooked inside the sheep’s stomach. In addition to offering a tasting of haggis, Zahm will discuss the cultural significance of the Scottish delicacy. The ceremony will conclude with a tasting of Scottish whiskey. Although hag gis has been enjoyed in the United Kingdom since the 15th century, the meal was made popular by “Address to a Haggis,” a poem that Burns published in 1786. In Burns’ poem, he describes the ingredients of haggis and marvels at its image and flavor. Shortly after “Address to a Haggis” was published, the
GriefShare group offers healing and hope BY FRANCINE FULTON
Receiving support, expert guidance and encouragement are some of the benefits of GriefShare, a free in-person support group designed to help people cope with the loss of a loved one. Locally, the program is offered on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Gateway Church, 160 Cowan Road, Parkesburg. Meetings, which are facilitated by Paul and Twila Ranck, began on Jan. 9 and will run through April 3.
At each of the GriefShare sessions, attendees watch a 30-minute video on a griefrelated topic that includes experts who speak on grief and recovery topics. Also featured are real-life stories from people who have experienced loss. Upcoming topics include “Your Grief Journey” on Jan. 16, “Loneliness and Sadness” on Jan 23, “Self-Care” on Jan. 30 and “Fearful and Overwhelmed” on Feb. 6. “After the video, we talk about what we have seen and what we learned,” Paul said, noting See GriefShare pg 6
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See Burns Night pg 5
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Gwendolyn Dickinson stands next to a photo of her grandfather William Chester Ruth, who is pictured with scale models of a hay baler and a carnival ride that he invented.