Alvin M. Keeling 
Even though basketball for high school is over, we’re still interested to see which players receive honors for outstanding play during the season. We are thrilled to see our player Matthew Carte named to the AA All-State First Team. He is the 20th Ravenswood player to receive All-State honors. We can’t wait to see him play again next year as a senior.
We found out that Poca High School won the Spirit Award for AA Schools at the Boys State Tournament in Charleston. We were so hoping our Ravenswood kids would win. I guess Poca won because they had more games than us. It’s understandable – so we hope to return to the state tournament next year and try to win the spirit prize then.
We were thrilled when the Glenville State women’s team won the NCAA Division II National Championship last week. We didn’t know any of the Glenville players personally, but we knew their coach, Kim Stephens, from when she played at Parkersburg South High School.
We are now looking at local baseball and softball teams. We watched a few boys’ matches that didn’t end in a winning score. The girls lost to Ripley but won several other matches. Softball games scheduled to be played last weekend have been canceled due to inclement weather.
Robbie and I took a business trip to Parkersburg last Friday and on our way home we stopped at Cracker Barrel in Mineral Wells for a meal. The waitress called us by our first names and of course we were like “Who are you?” In fact, her face was familiar to us but we couldn’t tell who she was. So we asked!!!
It was Kayla Richards Ratliff. Kayla worked at our local Tudors several years ago. She graduated from Ravenswood in 2006. We appreciated her waiting for us. So if you’re going to Parkersburg, you might want to stop by Cracker Barrell and say hi to Kayla if she’s working.
I hope everyone enjoys watching the seasons change. I mentioned daffodils a few weeks ago. Now the trees are starting to fill with colorful flowers – mostly white and pink so far – and the yellow forsythia is blooming. The colors pink, green, white and yellow seem to be the most abundant spring colors. I think we live in a great place to be able to enjoy all four seasons of the year!
Ravenswood Senior News
Our center is now open full time, from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with all activities. You can drop by the center and get a calendar of activities and a menu for the month of April. We are looking for new people to join us at the center. Anyone aged 60 and over is welcome. You can make new friends and find something fun to do. We also have a very active volunteer program that you might like to get involved in.
We enjoyed celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. We played bingo and the winner of the combination game was Bobbie Lucas. Door prizes were won by Charles Buss and Edie Dow.
The River Rats now play music in the United Methodist Church of the North multipurpose hall every Thursday night beginning at 5:30 p.m. They will return to Riverfront Park when weather permits.
The 2022 Recycled Teenagers Travel Program includes the following trips:
Thursday, May 5, we leave for the Amish Country in Berlin and Walnut Creek, Ohio. It will be a day of shopping at unique Amish stores and cheese shops. Lunch will be free at the Der Dutchman restaurant.
Monday through Saturday, June 20-25, we will be going to Mackinaw Island and Mackinaw City, Michigan. We will have tours of Mackinaw Island and Mackinaw City, enjoy a boat ride through the Soo Locks, spend time at Kewadin Sault Casino, see the Michillmakinac and much more. Five breakfasts and three dinners are included on this trip.
Thursday, July 7, we are going to the Ohio Star Theater to see The Hoppers. A buffet meal at the Dutch Valley Restaurant is included on this trip.
From September 7 to 19, we will visit the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and the Hoover Dam. We will visit the Hoover Dam Visitor Center, Grand Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, the famous Las Vegas Strip, Valley of Fire State Park, Petrified Forest and other locations of interest. Nine breakfasts and eight dinners are included in this fabulous trip to the West.
Monday through Saturday, October 10-15, we’re going to Branson, Missouri. We will attend three morning shows, including “All Hands on Deck”, the Doug Gabriel Show and a Neil Diamond tribute show. We will see three evening shows including The Haygoods Show, Presley’s Country Jubilee Show and The Duttons Show. We will visit Historic Downton Branson and visit Branson Landing for waterfront shopping on Lake Taneycomo. Five breakfasts and three dinners are included on this trip.
Tuesday through Thursday, November 15-17, we will travel to Lancaster, Pennsylvania for an Amish vacation visit. We will see a Christmas show at the American Theater and see the “David” show at the Sight and Sound Theater. Shopping time will be at Tanger Outlets and Kitchen Kettle Village. Two breakfasts and two dinners are included on this trip. This trip usually fills up quickly, so make your reservation as soon as possible.
Monday through Thursday, December 5-8, we travel to the Smokies in Tennessee. Highlights of this trip include the Dolly Parton Stampede dinner, the Hatfield and McCoy Christmas Disaster Feud, two Christmas shows, a tour and tasting at the Ole Smoky Tennessee Moonshine Distillery, a tour of the Smoky Mountains, and more. Three breakfasts and three dinners are included on this trip.
We have a trip planned for Hawaii from February 23 to March 4, 2023. You can get a detailed flyer for this trip at the senior center. Prices vary depending on the accommodations you choose.
Day trips must be paid in full upon registration. Multi-day trips can be paid for in installments as shown on the trip flyer. Insurance is also available for multi-day trips. All trips and insurance policies must be paid for by separate checks. You can call trip coordinator Kay Parsons at 304-372-3970 for more information on trips of your choice.
The Heritage Christian Academy makes and sells chocolate covered Easter eggs. Flavors available include Almond Delight, Cherry Nut, Chocolate, Coconut, Maple Nut, and Peanut Butter. Proceeds benefit the HCA Christian Education Program. Eggs are $5 each. Call 304-273-9462 to order the eggs.
Have a nice day!
