Letter
Our own Katie Anderson has been skating with the Steel City Roller Derby organization for a little more than a year. To say that she loves it is an understatement. So, she was more than excited when she pitched this issue’s cover story about the Mon View Roller Rink in Greensboro. Truly immersing herself in the piece, she donned her skates to visit the rink on its season opening night and do the interview.
For most folks, time spent at the local roller rink used to be a teenage right of passage. Now, as rinks continue closing and operating at reduced hours and times of year, you might be hard-pressed to find someone who spends their weekends at the roller skating rink. As I looked at the photos that Holly Tonini took, I couldn’t help but be transported back to my own early teenage years and favorite Friday night pastime, albeit at Canonsburg’s Roll ‘R’ Skate. I always went with a group of friends – one of our parents would drop us off while another picked us up. There were relay races, “Hokey-Pokey” dances and the oh-so-anticipated couple skates. Every Friday night.
These days, there’s a lot of things vying for kids’ and teens’ attention – smartphones being the biggest competitor, unfortunately. Regardless, under the ownership of Greene County, the Greensboro rink thankfully keeps going. To keep everyone interested, Friday night skates are part skating and part dance party – complete with dimmed lights and disco balls. You can read more in Anderson’s story on page 19.
Curt Hughes also keeps going. You can meet him on page 26, where writer C.R. Nelson profiles the 2018 Greene County Conservation District’s Outstanding Cooperator of the Year and how he retired from his job as a vo-ag teacher for West Greene School District, only to return a semester later. Farming and education are in his blood, though – his father, Byron Hughes, was the first vo-ag teacher at West Greene. Curt was the second, and began teaching upon his dad’s retirement.
Over in Waynesburg, Mark Headlee did retire from Wayne Lumber. Now Ryan Mooney is at the helm of the store, and if you do happen to run into Headlee there, it’s going to be because he has stopped by to visit. After running the business for 50 years, who can blame him? You can read the story of transition on page 14.
Regardless of how you and your family spend Friday nights, enjoy them – time goes by so quickly, and things seem to change even faster. I hate to admit it, but it’s probably been more than 22 years since I’ve laced up a pair of skates.