Greetings from Jeff Curry!

I just stumbled across the Woodsdale Kids blog. Unbelieveable. Who dreamed this one up? I haven’t seen all those names in decades. I got lost for a couple hours reading just half of those stories. Just amazing. I lived on the 100 block of Maple Ave back then… closer up your way, around Tommy Emch and Andy Bates and Richard Hamm and Augie Bankie and Debbie Frizell. Barbara Taylor’s house was pin high with us, straight out our back door in fact. I’m the same age as Kim and Charlie and Colin and Eddie P. My dad & Kim’s dad made up the whole radiology dept at OVGH. You might remember my older brother Larry. Anyway as a 6 or 7 year old I couldn’t venture down as far as that busy corner where the Liebolds and Butlers and Swarts and Quinns lived which seemed like a whole ‘nother world back then. I only went that far when I walked to Woodsdale School where I would meet up with Kim and we would head down the alley behind his house, not just because it was shorter but because we were petrified by a Great Dane named Duke, perched up on one of those real high front porches a couple doors past Johnny Rogers’ house, kind of like those kids who were all afraid of the giant dog in that Sandlot movie. Then a couple years after the Swarts moved over to Orchard Rd we moved over that way too. I kind of have to chime in with whoever said that that’s not really Woodsdale over there because it just didn’t seem quite the same to me either. Crossing Bethany Pike was sort of like crossing a river or something. Anyway I haven’t been in Woodsdale for a real long time. But you never know, I might just have to come see the place again someday. Oglebay Park alone is a good enough excuse.
Take care,
Jeff Curry
102 Maple Avenue
Phone #: Woodsdale304

Hot Summer Nights

This hot weather reminds me of the days of sitting on the front porch during steamy thunderstorms. Our front porch was a wraparound version with a swing. When a storm was coming you could smell the ozone in the air and almost taste the rain. I would sit on the swing reading books from the bookmobile...and I still remember what authors I liked and read.....George Orwell, Jack Keroac, I even read War and Peace on that swing. When the rain would come pelting down with a vengence, it was lovely to be outside watching the gutters become rivers and enjoying the free "high' that ozone gives human beings.
    Sometimes if it was really hot outside we would sleep on the porch. The only annoyance were mosquitos and the street lights. As a teen there were always gatherings on the front porch. Everyone adored my sweet mother and were polite and kind to her.
   As I got a little older, summer nights were for stealing watermelons or corn, going out to the "country" to build a fire and roast the ears for good eating...then of course drinking lots of beers. To this day, I don't drink beer because I don't like the taste of it now that I am old enough to buy it. Once in awhile I would go watch the drag races on country road with straight-aways.
   Summer.....the sound of crickets, the neighbors talking on their porches....just a good old Woodsdale tradition. Were we not the luckiest kids in the world?

God Save the Goat

God Save the Goat

Although this story doesn't exactly relate to Woodsdale, I thought I would include it in celebration of the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

While living in New Zealand I acquired a six week old Belgium shepherd and a wild, orphaned  angora goat kid. This incredible dog was named Marley (after Bob Marley) and the goat was Gulliver, because he tended to travel from my yard. They were best mates and always teaching each other something new. The goat tried to bark, the dog climbed up on things. I taught them both to heel and so could walk with them to town where they would patiently wait outside the butcher shop or bakery. If Gully started to wander the dog would grab his leash and hold him. Their standard greeting was butting heads!

Well, eventually Gully ate my British husband's strawberries from the garden once too often and he said, "Either the goat goes or I do"...damn! I made the wrong choice and Gully soon found a home at a touristy missionary house from the 1800's. It was just down the road from me so we could visit often and they were thrilled to get a tourist attraction (the missionaries kept goats).

One day the Queen and Phillip were scheduled to come to town. All the school children were equipped with Union Jacks and seated along the inlet where the Queen would appear. Her tender would come from the yacht and land at the Missionary house. I tiny boat found it's way up the river and all the kids cheered and waved their flags until their teacher said, "That's just the luggage boat, kids". They soon lost interest and scattered to play.

I had called ahead and ask that Gully be staked near the road so he could see the Queen. Since  I was known as "that crazy Yankee woman", they were not surprised and moved the goat near the road where the queen would pass. I walked down the road with Marley at my heel, but as soon as he saw Gulliver he ran up to him and began butting heads. Everyone watched and laughed. By this time the royal couple had arrived and some how Phillip found out that I owned the goat. While the queen shook my hand, he called me aside to talk.

I was impressed that he knew we had just had a major flood in the inlet and cars were washed miles away. A woman I knew drowned in the flood. Anyway, Phillip was concerned that the dog was going to hurt the goat. I explained that they were old friends and this was their greeting ritual, he laughed til his eyes teared up! Meanwhile, the queen (in pink hat and gloves) waved and greeted the crowd.

I decided to go home and as the entourage passed my house, I noticed the queen was wearing white gloves and was not looking out the window of the Rolls as the hand waved in that screwing in the lightbulb motion....so I figure she has a machine in the car attached to the door and it does the waving for her!

I'll save my tales of Charles, Diane and Marley for another occasion. But isn't it amazing  that a Woodsdale Kid had an adventure with royalty???

Radio Shows

One of my favorite memories as a Woodsdale Kid was participating in the Oglebay Institute radio playhouse shows. My sisters also took part. We were assigned a role and on Saturday mornings would go downtown to the studio to become part of a play. Sometimes I got to be the soundeffects person and would slam doors or recreate hoofbeats with glee. I don't know whether anyone listened to these shows, but the experience of being part of it was delightful.
My mother had her own show on WMOD Moundsville at one time. I think it was called the Blue Fairy hour or something like that. She would read stories for kids and sometimes we got to do the readings. We had an extensive set of books around the house to chose stories from. My dad worked at the station as a salesman and he would bring home an old reel to reel tape recorder which he set on the dining room table. We would gather around the microphone and talk, read poems or stories. How I wish I had those tapes now.
Speaking of WMOD they played my favorite children's radio show Andy's Gang which featured Froggy the Gremlin who would "pluck his magic twanger" now and then. The show was sponsored by Buster Brown shoes and they came to the Strand theater in Moundsville one Saturday. There was some sort of contest where you had to collect bottle caps or something and the prize was huge (though I can not now remember what it was). My brothers and sisters and I turned up at the theater with our bottlecaps only to learn we could not enter the contest because my father worked for the station.
Another children's show I liked was Big John and Sparky. Anyone else remember any of these? Or even have radio memories of their own?

Signs of Spring

While walking to Woodsdale school each spring morning, I would look for the crocuses in one particular yard. If they were blooming, even in the snow, I knew spring was on its way. They were always the first flower to bloom. As things warmed up, I'd head out to Stratford hill to cull the crop of wildflowers. Do kids today even notice such things? Somehow, I doubt it.

Mr. Hile's Big Red Dog

As a Woodsdale student from grades 1-4, I was always intimidated by Mr. Hile. he was so tall and looked so much like Abe Lincoln! Since I lived on the Linsly campus where my father taught & coached, I walked home each day down Leatherwood Lane and soon learned that Mr. Hile owned the most beautiful dog I had ever seen! One Saturday I noticed him in his front yard throwing a ball to this large Irish Setter. Summoning all the nerve I could at the age of 6, I stopped to say hello and to pet his dog. From that day on, I was no longer afraid of Mr. Hile and, of course, fell in love with his dog. Each day, "Red" (the name I gave him) would meet me in front of the Hile house and escort me part of the way down Leatherwood lane to my house. My big sister was always there to watch after me on our walks to and from school but "Red" was my real protector.
Although I loved my years at Linsly, there were many days during the fifth grade that I looked up the street wondering if Red was missing me. We always made sure to check on each other most weekends.
My first dog as an adult?..........An Irish Setter!
Dave Keith

Old Friends Reappear

Thanks to this blogsite, I am now in touch with two of my old neighbors, Barbara and Stuart Rubenstein. Both live in California and like to read my posts. Stuart has called me several times and would like to get in touch with an old friend Robert Subitt...if any of you know where he is, please let me know. Seems Stu has become quite an expert on folkmusic so we had a lot to talk about. I actually ran into him once at the Troubador in Los Angeles. They left Woodsdale in 1962. Great to hear from old friends. I took the attached picture to send to Stuart..he was very fond of the old maples that lined both sides of Poplar until a tornado blew most of them down.