Arts & Culture Story Archives - Page 328 of 335 - West Virginia Public Broadcasting

W.Va. native is tops in America's Test Kitchen

As you prepare for your family’s big Thanksgiving Day meal, don’t be nervous. The cooks at America’s Test Kitchen have got you covered and one of them is a West Virginia native. Bridget Lancaster was born and raised in Cross Lanes, just outside of Charleston. She’s been testing recipes in the company’s kitchen in Boston since 1998. Now she is one of the stars of America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country Television Show seen on PBS. Wednesday night at 9:00 on West Virginia Public Radio, Bridget and her kitchen colleagues will be serving up Thanksgiving Day tips.

Bridget invites home cooks to check out these websites for great Thanksgiving recipes.

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/

http://www.americastestkitchen.com/

America’s Test Kitchen Radio will provide you with a history of the holiday and turkey day tips on West Virginia Public Radio, Wednesday night at 9:00.

Open Season in 51 Counties Begins Nov. 25th

It’s that time of year again!

For two weeks, beginning Monday, Nov. 25 and ending Saturday, Dec. 2, it’s open season in 51 counties across the state as hunters hit the woods looking for that prize buck.

About 330,000 hunters will participate in West Virginia’s buck firearm season and will spend an estimated $230 million here, particularly in rural areas, but before you hit the woods, the state Division of Natural Resources has some rules and regulations they want you to be aware of:

-Hunters are limited to two bucks during the two week firearm season and may only take three during an entire calendar year, including both firearm and archery seasons.

-November 24 is the last day to purchase an additional buck deer gun tag

-A hunter may harvest two deer per day, but only one antlered deer per day

-A concurrent bear gun season will be held in 29 counties

-Sunday hunting is legal on Dec. 1 in the following 14 counties: Boone, Brooke, Clay, Hancock, Jefferson, Lincoln, Logan, McDowell, Marshall, Mingo, Ohio, Wayne, Wetzel and Wyoming.

-Hunters are required to wear at least 400 square inches of blaze orange on an outer garment for visibility and safety and the color must be visible from both the front and back

Make sure you read up on the DNR’s hunting and trapping regulations and locate your official game checking stations before you head to your favorite hunting spot.

Don’t forget your state hunting license and remember, only 51 counties participate in the open buck firearm season. Deer gun seasons are closed in Logan, Mingo, McDowell and Wyoming Counties.

Consider donating your harvested deer to help feed West Virginians in need. Contact the Hunters Helping the Hungry to find a meat processor in your area.

Governor Commemorates 50th Anniversary of Kennedy Assassination

Governor Tomblin and his wife Joanne honored the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy a day early by rededicating a plaque that hangs in the lower rotunda of the Capitol.

The symbol commemorates Kennedy’s speech delivered on the Capitol steps June 20, 1963, celebrating West Virginia’s 100th birthday.

On that rainy summer day, the President began his remarks by saying, “The sun doesn’t always shine in West Virginia, but the people do.”

After revealing the plaque, Tomblin remembered where he was when he first heard of the President’s death.

“I remember I was in the sixth grade at Chapmanville Grade School at lunch time and one of my classmates had a little transistor radio like some of us may remember,” he said, “and the news came over that.”

“He was shouting around, ‘They’ve shot the President! They’ve shot the President!’ So, it’s one of those days that we who are old enough to remember it will always remember where we were when we heard that news, just as we did on 9/11.”

Fifty Years Later, West Virginians Remember JFK's Death

Fifty years ago Friday, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The killing shocked the nation and world and, to this day, people still talk about it. Many West Virginians are remembering where they were the day the President was killed.

The West Virginians who are remembering that day include Mountain Stage host Larry Groce, who was living near Dallas at the time.

LarryGroce.mp3

Larry Groce shares his JFK memory.

Others who share their memories include: Maura Brackett, who worked in the White House, and a Princeton man who served as a local campaign manager for Kennedy during the 1960 campaign.

This is audio collected from West Virginia television stations following the death of President Kennedy, exclusive to this digital version of our story:

REPORTER.mp3

Reporters at the Capitol.

WTRF,_PEOPLE_ON_THE_STREET_REACT_TO_JFK'S_DEATH.mp3

WTRF collected man on the street interviews following the death of JFK.

COMMENTARY_ON_JFK'S_DEATH.mp3

Commentary about the death of JFK.

How to Prepare Your Holiday Packages With USPS

The United States Postal Service is preparing for the busiest shipping season. The delivery service says online shopping is continuing to increase deliveries.

This year, USPS expects volume to increase by 12 percent.USPS is projecting 14.7 billion cards will be delivered from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve.

The Postal Service is suggesting these mail-by dates and tips to help customers mail and ship conveniently for the holidays:

For Dec. 25 Arrival

Dec. 2: International First-Class Mail®
Dec. 2: Priority Mail International®
Dec. 10: Priority Mail Express International™
Dec. 14: Standard Post
Dec. 16: Global Express Guaranteed®
Dec. 20: First-Class Mail®
Dec. 21: Priority Mail®
Dec. 23: Priority Mail Express™

The United States Postal Service is offering a military care kit for families preparing care packages for service members overseas.
The kit is free and contains items like boxes, mail tape, address labels, appropriate forms and directions. To order, call 1-800-610-8734.

Military Mailing Deadlines for Dec. 25

Dec. 10: APO/FPO First-Class Mail® Letters and Cards
Dec. 10: APO/FPO Priority Mail®
Dec. 17: APO/FPO Priority Mail Express™ Military Service

Hanukkah begins next week on Nov. 27 and ends Dec. 5 this year. Postal officials are recommending those celebrating and hoping to use the USPS to send items as soon as possible.

The destination, date mailed and service purchased (International First-Class; Priority Mail International; Priority Mail Express International, etc.), will determine when it arrives. Customers should ask at their Post Office for this information.

Complete shipping details can be found on the USPS website.

'There Is a Change in the Air' in This Southern W.Va. Town

A town in Southern West Virginia is rolling up its sleeves to revitalize downtown. The goal is to turn the main street in Princeton into a safe place to socialize, shop, and grow. Residents basically decided to stop complaining about the rundown reality, and do something to change it.

The Princeton Renaissance Project began about six months ago. It’s a vision to create an attractive economically vibrant downtown. Most of the work is focused on Mercer Street, an area with a reputation for drug trafficking and prostitution. Those projects include:

Festivals and events: The crew at the Riff Raff Arts Collective, a gallery on Mercer Street in Princeton organized and hosted the Altogether Arts Week for the past five years. The event includes a parade, sidewalk painting, and more. Volunteers with the project have also organized outdoor movie viewings, and in October, tricks or treat on Mercer Street.
Restoring the historic Lavon Theater
The Princeton Community Improvement Commission created a grant program to help renovate storefronts. Businesses can apply for up to $2,000 for storefront renovation.
Relocating Princeton City Hall from the corner of Courthouse Road to the former First Community Bank building on Mercer Street.
Artist Alley: The project blocked off more than 20 spaces on two walls separated by a narrow strip of rough pavement. Any artist was able to cover a section of the wall with a masterpiece. After a few final touches the alley will be a 24 hour outdoor art gallery.
Circle time: business owners, non-profit representatives, citizens, and sometimes the city manager meet once a week to discuss new ideas to make the Princeton Renaissance a success
Eight paid mural artists to help cover some buildings

“It’s pretty cool because I’ve been wanting to paint this town for years and years and years,” Patch Whisky, one of the paid artists helping spruce up Mercer Street.

“I was wanting to paint that building five years ago when I was trying to open up an art gallery downtown here,” Whisky said. “They wouldn’t let me do it for free. Now they’ve had to pay somebody a lot of money to paint whatever they’re painting on there right now. But it’s definitely changed.”

“There is a change in the air.”

Wisky’s work can be found across the east coast in cities like Charleston South Carolina, Miami Florida and now his hometown Princeton.

“The whole idea is to give people a good reason to come back down to Mercer Street,” Sam Franz said during a circle time meeting. “Lots of fun. I’m surprised at how eager all the local businesses are to get out and help us with this.”

“We’ve got the arts, and we have education, government, non-profit and just the regular folks all pulling together,” new city manager Elke Doom said, “to bring us back to I can’t say the old glory, but a whole new Mercer Street.”