Focusing on the resort and tourist community of Slaty Fork, Snowshoe Mountain, Cass and Green Bank

Vol. 6 No. 9
September 2007

Serving SnowShoe Mountain, Slaty Fork, Green Bank and Cass
"News you can resort to"

Second Section of
The Pocahontas Times
Post Office No. 436-640
ISSN No. 07388373

If it's going on in the county, you'll find it here
SEPTEMBER
AROUND THE COUNTY
•Thursdays in September • Wake up and see stars! • National Radio Astronomy Observatory, Green Bank • 304-456-2150 • gb.nrao.edu. Gather at the planetarium balloon every Thursday for a unique look at the sky. There is a $3.00 charge per person and reservations are suggested. Program begins at 2 p.m.
•Saturdays in September • Farmers Market, First Avenue, Marlinton, beside the mini-park • 8 a.m. - ? Vendors and products vary from week to week and season by season, but look for plants, produce, local crafts and baked goods.
•Sept. 1 • First Annual Irish Road Bowling Tournament • Cass Scenic Railroad State Park • 1-800-CALL-WVA or 456-4300 • cassrailroad.com. Registration: Meck's Home Bakery, located on State Route 66, east of Cass, about a mile from the Route 28/92 intersection. beginning 1:30 p.m. Bowling from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. Teams of 2, 3 or 4. Very easy to learn, everyone welcome. Free. Please call David Powell 202-387-1680 for more information.
•Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22 • Fiddles & Vittles Special Train • Cass Scenic Railroad State Park • 1-800-CALL WVA or 456-4300 • cass railroad.com. Back for another year---take a train ride to Whittaker Station and enjoy dinner and live bluegrass music along the way.
•Sept. 12, 26 • High Tech Wednesday • NRAO, Green Bank • 304-456-2150 • gb.nrao.edu. Join us for a guided tour through parts of NRAO normally off limits to visitors, like lab areas where sensitive receivers are designed and built. Space limited to 15 per program; one hour and cost is $3.00
•Sept. 15 • Star Party on the Patio • NRAO, Green Bank • 304-456-2150 • gb.nrao.edu. NRAO Staff will orient you to the star-filled sky and then view the night sky on the Star Party Patio. Bring optical telescopes and binoculars - you won’t believe the view! Program begins 30 minutes before dark.
•Sept. 22 • Live Music: Pianafiddle at The Opera House • Third Ave. Marlinton • 304-799-6645 • pocahontascountyoperahouse.org. Is it bluegrass? Is it jazz? Is it classical, old time, ragtime, blues, Celtic or klezmer? If Pianafiddle is performing, the answer is YES! You'll find out when they make their Opera House debut on Sept. 22, with special guest Richard Hefner. Beginning with only a familiar tune, pianist Lynn Wright and violinist/fiddler Adam DeGraff improvise as they go, blending the traditional, the unwritten, and the spontaneous in compelling performances.
•Sept. 28 - Murder Mystery Train• Cass Scenic Railroad State Park • • 1-800-CALL-WVA or 456-4300 • cassrailroad.com. Come enjoy this 'who-done-it' trainl ride to Whittaker Station. The trip includes dinner and murder mystery entertainment. Trip departs at 5 p.m. and advance reservations are required.
•Sept. 29 • Autumn Harvest Festival • Marlinton• 800-336-7009 or 799-4636 • pocahontascountywv.com. Come enjoy the activities of fall with us. The festival features live bluegrass, old-time and folk music, clogging, soccer games, arts and crafts, a truck and tractor pull, harvest games for children and adults, an auction, horseshoe pitching, scavenger hunt, agricultural and homemaking exhibits and much more. Food concessions by local non-profit organizations.
•Sept. 29 • Roadkill Cook-off • Downtown Marlinton, WV; 800-336-7009 or 456-4636. Come enjoy a whole new experience and have a lot of fun, too, at the 14th Annual RoadKill Cook-off. Anything goes as long as the main ingredient is an animal commonly found along the road. You can taste some very unique dishes. The cooking begins at 11 a.m.; the judging begins at 2 p.m.; and the tasting begins when you work up the nerve! Cash prizes will be awarded to the top three teams chosen by our panel of "celebrity judges." A People's Choice Award will go to the entry voted tops by the crowd.
•Sept. 29 • RoadKill Killer Road Ride & Dirtbean's 3rd Anniversary Celebration • Marlinton • 304-799-4038 • dirtbean.com. Come join Dirtbean and Pocahontas County for a weekend of fun. Friday night Pasta dinner at Dirtbean Halé. Enjoy a continental breakfast at Dirtbean on Saturday before the ride. Post-ride fun at Dirtbean and the Autumn Harvest Festival & RoadKill Cook-off – that's if you aren't roadkill before the end of the ride! Ride has 2 options: Shorter route and longer route for those needing a bail out to avoid becoming roadkill for the cook-off.
•Sept. 30 • Cranberry Mountain Shindig • Cranberry Mountain Nature Center; 304-653-4826. Tap your foot to live Appalachian music and dance, enjoy crafts made by local artisans, and appreciate autumn’s early colors. Join in on the fall celebration and see Monongahela Forest all aglow in gold and orange.

On The Mountain
For more info about any events at Snowshoe, call 877-441-4FUN or visit online at www.snowshoemtn.com
•Aug. 31 - Sept. 3 • Labor Day Celebration. Truly a family weekend for all. Join us for great games, activities, face painting, live entertainment and more as we celebrate one of the last great weekends of the summer season.
•Sept. 1 - 2 • Community Appreciation Weekend. Our friends and neighbors residing in Pocahontas, Randolph and Webster counties are invited to enjoy a weekend atop our summit! Enjoy complimentary Village activities, entertainment and a mountaintop fireworks display.
•Sept. 7 - 9 • Full Throttle's Mayhem in the Mountains. The grand finale to the Full Throttle Mountain Bike Race Series! This is the 3rd and final race event so come on out and spend it with friends, enjoy live entertainment, happy hours, giveaways and much more.
•Sept. 8 • Oktoberfest. We'll tap the kegs and celebrate the world's largest fair – Oktoberfest! Put on your best lederhosen, fill your bottomless stein with the finest from local breweries, dine on German favorites and dance the night away to Bavarian classics… Oompa!

Banjo player Richard Hefner of the Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys will team up with pianist Lynn Wright and violinist Adam DeGraff of Pianafiddle in a concert at the Pocahontas County Opera House on Sept. 22.

Photo courtesy Adam DeGraff

Pianafiddle teams up with Richard Hefner
for a night at the Opera House

Barbara Elliott
Contributing Writer
      Is it bluegrass?
      Is it jazz?
      Is it classical, old time, ragtime, blues, Celtic or klezmer? If Pianafiddle is performing, the answer is YES! If we like it, we play it, they say, and since they have a healthy appreciation for good music, no matter the style, their programs transcend musical genre.
      Beginning with only a familiar tune, pianist Lynn Wright and violinist/fiddler Adam DeGraff improvise as they go, blending the traditional, the unwritten, and the spontaneous in compelling performances that get toes tapping and hands clapping!
      You can hear this remarkable duo at the Pocahontas County Opera House in Marlinton on Saturday, September 22. at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $5 and are sold only at the door. Children 12 and under will be admitted free. To make things even more unpredictable, Adam and Lynn have invited Pocahontas Countys own legendary bluegrass banjo player Richard Hefner, of the Black Mountain Bluegrass Boys, to sit in for a few numbers during their Opera House gig. The result promises to be a night of memorable, magical music.
      Seth Williamson, of Roanoke NPR affiliate WVTF, said of Pianafiddle, "I watched blas radio types, who thought theyd heard it all, jerk to attention when Adam and Lynn kicked it into high gear. These guys are GOOD! From Bach to ragtime to bluegrass, they play with energy and musicality and a loving attention to detail that makes you a believer no matter what the genre isand with Pianafiddle on any given night, it could be almost anything. I never figured Id hear a classical violinist who could give Kenny Baker a run for his money on Jerusalem Ridge, but I cant say that anymore now that Ive heard Adam DeGraff."
      The Pocahontas County Opera House is located at 818 Third Avenue in Marlinton. For further information, call (304) 799-6645. Persons with disabilities are encouraged to attend. Special seating can be arranged by calling in advance.
      Performances at the Opera House are family friendly and open to all. Keep posted on upcoming events at the Opera House website, pocahontas operahouse.org.
      The 2007-08 Performance Series is sponsored by the Pocahontas County Opera House Foundation. Financial support is provided through a grant from the West Virginia Division of Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the West Virginia Commission on the Arts. Additional support is provided by Pocahontas County Drama, Fairs and Festivals.

Local chef Robert Cutlip is interviewed by The Smithsonian about the finer points of preparing groundhog.
Photos by Drew Tanner

RoadKill
It's what's for dinner
A light hearted look at Pocahontas County’s
largest one-day event
Drew Tanner
Staff Writer
      Mmm... groundhog.
      September marks that time in Pocahontas County when people come from far and wide to sample—and cook—some of those tasty critters you might find along the side of the road.
      The annual Autumn Harvest Festival’s RoadKill Cook-Off is actually a cleverly disguised wild game cooking contest. The rules stipulate only that the main ingredient be an animal commonly found dead along the side of the road. The meats used in the recipes are fresh, wholesome, well-prepared and cooked on the spot the day of the cook-off.

Teams go all out to decorate their stands with “authentic” items for the occasion
Photos by Drew Tanner

      Venison, elk, rabbit and opossum often headline the menu, but more common items such as pork, beef and poultry are also fair game, so to speak.
      Sure, there’s talk of judges picking gravel out of their teeth while sampling the fare, but event organizers insist such tales are grossly exaggerated rumors.
      Nonetheless, the event has captured people’s imaginations and brought quite a bit of attention to Marlinton and Pocahontas County.
      The cook-off has been featured on the Travel Channel’s popular show “Taste of America,” hosted by TV personality Mark DeCarlo. The Food Channel, Smithsonian Channel, Readers Digest, Heartland and several other magazines have also made note of the event, which began as a small country town gag in 1991.
      Allegheny Mountain Radio’s Gibbs Kinderman was one of the event’s early instigators as the Autumn Harvest Festival committee searched for a catchy way to publicize the festival.

Coal Hollow Brother leader, Ed Blackford prepares the griddle for the next round of vittles.
Photos by Drew Tanner

      The brainstorming process went something like this, according to Kinderman:
      “...Harvest? Fall? Rutting season? Deer crossing road in massive numbers? …ROADKILL! Harvest the road kill?
ROADKILL COOKOFF!”
      “Some people thought it was too gross for words,” Kinderman said.
      But everybody agreed it would catch people’s attention.
      And it did.
      Kinderman received a call one morning from a New York City Radio station personality who interviewed him live, on the air, about the bizarre new event.
      The first menu featured Buzzard’s Breath Enchiladas, RoadKill Pizza and Bambi over Maggots.

Coal Hollow Brothers team members stir the pot and answer questions from the curious.
Photos by Drew Tanner

      Today, the event draws roughly 10 competing teams and thousands of attendees who line up to sample a wide-ranging menu, according to David Cain who helps organize the event for the Pocahontas County Chamber of Commerce.
      While many of the teams are made up of locals, the cook-off also draws teams from across West Virginia and even neighboring states Several teams have a long and storied tenure at the event, such as John Long and the Fat Boys.
      It was on a drive across the state that Long said he first heard about the RoadKill Cook-Off. Stopping at a rest stop along the interstate, he and his wife found a brochure for the Autumn Harvest Festival and the unusual contest.

Ambiance is everything! Contestants’ taste in booth decoration run the gamut
Photos by Drew Tanner

      His curiosity was piqued, and he has been coming back year after year.
      Long, a retired Marine who grew up in Huntington and now lives in northern Virginia, has led a team of friends, family members and fellow servicemen at the cook-off for the past 15 years. The team has had up to 12 members who have come and gone through the years, but Long says there is a core group of five who are the “hardcore” members.
      Since 1992, the Fat Boys have placed in the top three on six occasions, taking first place three times with such dishes as Hoppito Bambito Relleno, Pulled Babito under Saboogoo and Foul Buffalo Gut.
      “Every year I try to do something just a little different,” said Long.
      Through the winter, Long experiments with various recipes in anticipation of the next year’s cook-off. He attributes some of his culinary success to his experiences as a boy scout, and later as a Marine in Vietnam, trying to make the best of limited ingredients

As much as their cuisine, the Coal Hollow Brothers are known for their carefully executed themes and how seriously they get into character for the event
Photos by Drew Tanner

      While many of his entries have had a southwest flair, Long said this year he’s experimenting with a Scottish theme.
      “There’s going to be a different twist on how we usually cook,” said Long.
      As much as the competition, Long said he enjoys getting to Pocahontas County to enjoy the great outdoors, camping, hiking and kayaking.
      Judging each year is handled by an independent panel from outside the county, noted Cain. This year, West Virginia Secretary of State Betty Ireland will judge the cook-off alongside two food critics from The Charleston Gazette. Judges look at a variety of criteria, with the most points being awarded for taste.
      Showmanship and originality are also considered.
      But don’t take the judges’ word. Come taste and see for yourself.

Regional favorites, 220 South, will once again bring their rousing blue grass melodies to the gazebo in downtown Marlinton.
Photos by Drew Tanner

      In addition to the cook-off, this year’s Autumn Harvest Festival will feature the music of 220 South, a wide variety of West Virginia Made products from local vendors, an auction for the Humane Society, horseshoe contests, children’s games, a giant pumpkin contest and other festivities.
      It all takes place in downtown Marlinton, on Saturday, September 29.
      For more information about the event, or to try your hand in the cook-off, visit the Chamber of Commerce website at www.pccoc.com. Information can also be found at pocahontascountywv.com, the website of the Pocahontas County Convention and Visitors Bureau which also sponsors the event.

Judge Ben Morgan with a young Charles McNeel and his Grand Champion steer at the present-day stockyards at the old fairgrounds.
Photos courtesy Moffett McNell

The fair and farming
It's a way of life
Jaynell Graham-Awad
Staff Writer
      The Pocahontas County Fair, where Minnehaha water, as pure as water can be, was served in the grandstand, delivered by Mrs. J. B. Lockridge & Son, and in the 1925, 78-page program, The Premium List, folks were invited to Come! For a week of instruction and pleasure, renew old acquaintances and have a good time. The prospects for a splendid display of exhibits in all departments could not be better. We know of no better way of letting the world know what Pocahontas County can produce and is producing see the progress that is being made by our Four H boys and girls in their club work.

Seems like yesterdsy Allan McNeel waits for his turn in the competition at the old stockyards on Fourth Avenue in Marlinton
Photos courtesy Moffett McNell

      Begun entirely by public spirit and the financial support of businessmen in the county, the Pocahontas County Fair was held on Lower Camden, now Second Avenue, from 1919 until 1922 when it moved to its permanent home on the property surrounding todays Pocahontas Producers stockyards, on Old Fairgrounds Road.
      Nothing mediocre was accepted there.
      Exhibits were to reflect credit upon our State in the line of agriculture, gardening and fruit growing. The judge will not award a prize unless the exhibit has decided merit.
      The Premium, in 1925, was $50 for the best exhibit of products of a single farm. To give you an idea of the work involved, this entry required one bacon ham, one pound butter, one dozen eggs, one peck of wheat, one peck of oats, twelve ears corn, sheaf of timothy, sheaf of clover, six quarts of canned fruits and vegetables. The remaining sixteen articles necessary to complete this exhibit are optional with the exhibitor.
      A silver cup was awarded in the Livestock Judging Contest and Hillsboro claimed it in 1924. The cup remained their property until the following years fair. It would become the permanent property of any club who won it three years in a row.
      Dave Newman says that he has been a stockperson from the day he was born. Daves dad, Clarence Newman, bought the Neil Williams farm in January, 1938. This farm bordered the Pocahontas County Fairgrounds and Dave says, it was a beautiful place. As a child, he would cut through the fairgrounds on his way home from school and he and his dad farmed the fields and sheltered their sheep within the walls of those barns and sheds. Nine days before the Fair, they would move out the animals and clean up the grounds in preparation for the week-long activities.

Premium lists and ribbons for the 1920s
Photo courtesy Dave Newman Collection

      Dave, with his wife, Naomi, still farms the fields of his childhood and from that valley that saw the best the county had to offer, Dave has continued the instruction by giving good counsel to farmers, young and old.
      George Pritt, grandfather of Kyna Moore, the present Director of Nursing at Pocahontas Memorial Hospital, was an important part of the construction crew that, in three months, took a raw farm and turned it into a fairground that boasted a grandstand that seated 2,000, an agricultural building, a barn for pigs and sheep, a cattle pavilion, buildings for poultry and show horses and one-half mile of board-fenced track. And sadly, it was Pritt who had to dismantle the buildings when the Pocahontas County Fair came to an end in 1957 after 39 years of competitions, exhibits, festivities and fun.
      According to the Pocahontas County History, 1981, the phrase Ill see you at the Fair fell by the wayside in 1957. However, 4-H projects, activities and family commitment to all things good continue today.
      Moffett McNeel competed in the State Sheep Show, held each year as a part of the County Fair. The Fair was held in late August and Moffett remembers that you could usually depend on rain.
      Pocahontas Countians, with familiar names in the sheep world, such as Barlow and Williams, showed purebreds, as Pocahontas County was known as the premier sheep producing county in the state. Winners at the County Fair would move on to Jacksons Mill for more competition. In addition to sheep, Moffett showed baby beef and market steers.
      Moffett graduated from high school in 1946 and that same year he was awarded a gold Elgin pocket watch as the State Meat Animal Winner, a culmination of his years in 4-H and his eye for quality sheep and cattle. He still has the watch and his wife, Elma, on one occasion, laundered it for him. In 1949, he was the State 4-H Sheep Shearing winner which gained him a trip to Chicago for the National Competition.
      Just as the County Fair has faded into memory, so too have most of those superior sheep herds that grazed the pastures and hillsides of this county. The common thought is that the introduction of western sheep into this area brought with it a bane to farmers in the way of foot rot, the development of bordering farmland into residential areas allowed untrained family dogs easy access to sheep and lambs, bears were always an enemy and the migration of coyotes into the county sealed the fate of many good sheep farmers.

Third generation showmanship Ruthana McNeel was in control, posing with her market lamb
Photo courtesy Moffett McNell

      The Extension Office continues to advertise the FFA & 4-H Livestock Show and Sale which is held each year at the old fairgrounds. It is a wonderful place to see the results of hard-working young people who have the self-discipline and the support of family as they care for their animals, preen and pamper them in preparation for the show. As it has always been, the local citizens and businesses support these young people in their efforts and the result is, as a rule, a monetary head start on their college tuition and expenses.
      The four sons of Moffett and Elma McNeel began their 4-H careers at the age of 10 and as a result of wise investment of their time and money, they were well prepared for college. Having been raised on the farm, instilled with a strong work ethic and good values, they each went off to West Virginia University and returned to the landDonald, with a degree in Agricultural Engineering, continues the work of the family farm; Allan, with an additional degree from the University of Georgia, is a veterinarian; Charles has a Masters degree in Forest Management; and Jacob, after a first career in soil conservation, is now an osteopath.
      That covers two generations of this farm family, but, so far, eight of the grandchildren have spent their summers on the farm and have followed the path of hard work and showmanship. Two grandchildren showed cattle at the West Virginia State Fair this year and granddaughter Rachel is six years old.
      Who knows?
      I'll see you at the Fair.
      Maybe that phrase has not fallen by the wayside, after all.
Pocahontas County Fairgrounds, 1924. The Greenbrier River runs beyond the far side of the track, and the road on the near side of the track leads out to present-day Rt. 219, near Rite Aid. (Photo courtesy Dave Newman Collection)

Fountain Arbogast, loaded for bear, poses in front of the Farmers Supply Company
Photo courtesy Roger Orndorff

Arbovale store serves up balloons and memories
By Gail Hyer
Contributing Writer
      When visitors walk through the front door of Snow High Cards and Candles in Arbovale, they are entering much more than a well-appointed shop - they are entering a building with tales to tell. The store looks much as it did when it served the community and surrounding area as the Farmers Supply Company from 1920 to 1973, but looks are only the cover of its book of lore.
      The 85-year-old interior, with its floor-to-ceiling oak trimmed shelves, speaks of a past where hardware, fertilizer, livestock feed, hunting and fishing gear, sewing supplies, fabrics and other household supplies were displayed. Today the bins abound with less utilitarian supplies, such as candles with aromatic names like fresh cinnamon bun, butter pecan krunch and peach ginger.

sample of the coins used to buy and sell goods at the store.
Photo courtesy Roger Orndorff

      Except for a new partition separating the store from the steps going to the second floor living quarters, the building remains in its original state. Sequestered under a layer of carpet are the original oiled oak floors. One of the most striking elements still found in the building is the original embossed tin ceiling.
      The community store was built by Fountain C. Arbogast, known to his family and friends as Fount. Prior to building at the Arbovale location, Arbogast built his first store in Winterburn, soon after his marriage to Abbie Wilfong in 1907. In 1914 a fire wiped out not only his store but several other buildings in Winterburn.
      Arbogast then turned to land he had purchased in Arbovale for a new enterprise. The 4,000 square foot building was constructed on a concrete foundation supported by heavy oak beams. An early, state-of-the-art, Delco-Light system provided power for lighting and limited electrical use in the building prior to rural electrification. Following completion of the building, Arbogast rented the building to Joe Hamed for a year, then Ferris Hamed for two additional years.

sample of the currency used to buy and sell goods at the store.
Photo courtesy Roger Orndorff

      In 1919 Arbogast built a flour and grain mill behind the store, and in 1920 he assumed full operation of the Farmers Supply Company. The mill closed after only a few years, and the machinery was moved to the North Fork Milling Company in 1923.
      The store not only sold shipped in merchandise but also provided fresh items acquired from local residents. Eggs, milk, butter, fruit, and live chickens were staples procured from local farmers for sale. Sellers of the items were compensated by Arbogast with either a paper or coin currency, redeemable only at the Farmers Supply Company. Surplus produce was taken and sold to the Cass Company Store.
      Unlike today, early stores were not stocked with rows of canned goods, convenient cereals boxes, or bottles of condiments. The Farmers Supply Company sold vinegar from a 55 gallon wooden barrel where it was dispensed with a wooden pump into either quart or pint containers. Customers would also bring their chosen receptacles to the store and request lamp oil.
      Most residents came to the store with a list they would give the clerk to fill. Goods were kept in display cases or on shelves behind the counter, and the shopkeeper would hand them over to the buyer.

Dale Earnhardt Beany Baby waits for a special home.
Photo by Gail Hyer

      Besides serving as a place of commerce, the Farmers Supply Store was a natural focal point of social gathering in the community. Arbogast offered an open area located in the rear of the store, with benches and chairs to accommodate those who stopped by in the evening for a hand dipped cone of ice cream, a bottle of pop from the cooler, a root beer from the root beer machine, cookies from the bulk Nabisco cookie case or a fresh chew of tobacco. An open wooden crate with a layer of ashes in the bottom accommodated the tobacco chewers of the day. During these daily gatherings, news of interest was exchanged, farming concerns discussed and wild tales told. Long time residents of Arbovale and the surrounding area were often heard recounting an experience or story overheard during the impromptu social gatherings at the Farmers Supply The store had an early Atwater Kent radio, one of the first such devices in the area.
      Residents would often gather around the modern marvel to listen to notable sports events, such as the Joe Louis and Max Schmeling boxing matches of the 1930s. The Grand Ole Opry and Amos and Andy were also much anticipated programs.
      In the early 1920s and later from 1954 to 1970, the Arbovale Post Office was located in a side room of the store, where now dozens of brightly colored helium balloons swing in the air.

Donna High, owner of Snow High Candles, poses by the mylar balloons
Photo by Gail Hyer

      Donna High has owned the old building since 1973 but has only occupied the downstairs part of the building since September of 2006, when she moved the shop from a smaller facility next door. During her ownership, the building has been rented as a grocery store, the Coleman Brothers Sporting Goods in the late 1980s, a real estate office and as headquarters for both the Republican and Democratic parties. The building has remained in continuous use since its construction.
      Today there are not only numerous aromatic mixtures to select from at Snow High Cards and Candles but also interesting shapes. In addition to standard candles, there are unusually shaped tallow creations such as elephants, dragons, wizards, all types of farm animals, clowns, dogs, hippos, frogs, light bulbs and beautiful full petal pink roses.
      It used to be that the line, cards for every occasion, meant significant dates like birthdays or anniversaries, mothers day. In order to meet todays demand, Snow High carries rows of cards with comic lines, romantic sayings or words of consolation. The store even carries a new theme-based card called Caring Path which has messages for heart patients or people struggling through chemo treatment. When asked what her most unusual piece of merchandise was, Donna replied, I am the only Ty (Beanie Baby) dealer within 200 miles! She then points out the miniature version of NASCAR's #3, complete with sun glasses!

Rows of candles line the walls of the old Farmers Supply Store, now home to Snow High Candles.
Photo by Gail Hyer

      Snow High Cards and Candles is packed with helium and latex balloons, cards for every imagination, candles that not only smell but crackle, rows of ribbons, bows and packaging. But maybe the best thing they offer is the nostalgia of yesteryear.
      Snow High Card and Candle is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and is located in Arbovale at the corner of Rt 92 and Buffalo Mountain Road. For special orders call (304)456-4932.
      Thank you to Roger Orndorff of Monterey, Virginia, grandson of Fountain C. Arbogast, for details and information on the old store as well as the old photographs.

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