Hits & Misses
Hit: Greene County will have another option in treating addiction later this fall when the Butler-based Gaiser Center anticipates opening a 10-bed withdrawal management facility near Carmichaels. “This is a much-needed service, and this is a service we don’t already have under Gaiser’s umbrella, said executive director Joe Mahoney last week. “And so this is an opportunity for us to bring our life-saving mission to a different county. And this is an opportunity for the county to expand its offerings as well for addiction treatment.” The center will provide an acute level of care for those who need medical oversight while withdrawing from heavy alcohol use. Construction on the site along Route 21 began several weeks ago.
Hit: The efforts of about 100 volunteers are paying off for students at a number of Washington County’s elementary schools who will receive healthy snacks as they start the new school year. Designed to help combat food insecurity for children in the county, the LittleMoochi packs were assembled at CNX Southpointe in Canonsburg. Athena Petrolias, operations director for Food Helpers, a division of the Greater Washington Food Bank, said volunteers from the Heartland Restaurant Group, a franchisee of Dunkin’, would assemble enough of the packs containing nutritious snacks to take care of the first month-and-a-half of the school year. “It’s really a great way to start students off on the right foot at the start of a new school year. If you’re worried about where your food is coming from, you can’t be as attentive as you need to be and you can’t excel in the classroom,” said Mike Zappone, director of learning and development at Heartland. Currently, more than 26,000 county residents face food insecurity, 30% of whom are children younger than 18. Last year, about 78,000 food packs were distributed to students. “It’s a good way to start them off, snacking the right way, keeping them full and focused for the school year,” said Zappone.
Hit: Boy Scout Alex Weaver is to be commended for his hard work in restoring the Hoge Memorial on West Walnut Street in Washington. Weaver, 14, of Washington, earned his Eagle Scout badge by completing the project that involved more than 250 hours of volunteer work and the help of about 20 people. Funding came from various sources, and some businesses provided discounts on supplies or donated them for free. His work was recognized last week at a rededication ceremony at the memorial located behind John F. Kennedy Catholic School. The memorial is built on what was the first community graveyard in Washington. The first interment was in 1795, and 331 bodies were buried there. In the 1950s and ’60s, many families relocated their loved ones from the Hoge Cemetery to others in the area. “The city was all on board for a positive young man doing something positive here in the city of Washington,” said Mayor JoJo Burgess. These are the positive things we like to highlight in the community.”
Hit: A big shout-out is extended to Dr. Charles Machesky, who has retired after spending 50 years as an educator and administrator in the Uniontown Area School District. “It was a productive and fulfilling career,” he told the newspaper earlier this week. “But I’ve started to slow down and things in education are speeding up. You have AI, budget issues, dropping enrollments and other challenges, and those things I won’t miss. But I’ll miss the daily interactions with the staff and students. That was always the highlight of my career – seeing students earn success, and the daily operations of the schools.” Since 2012, Machesky has forfeited his paycheck. His selflessness and generosity saved the district more than $2 million, which went toward upgrading facilities and equipment and textbooks. “I have a strong affection for the district, and it was an honor for me to be able to give back to the Uniontown Area School District.” We wish him the best in his well-deserved retirement.