Title

Heart of Glass - Blenko Glass

Blenko Glass is a West Virginia treasure that spans generations. Nothing symbolizes the state of West Virginia better or more beautifully than Blenko Glass. We will discuss current and former craftsmen and designers and how important it is that Blenko and West Virginia glass be appreciated and valued by the younger generation.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Happy Birthday Steve Rowe

Steve Rowe is a musician, a web designer, an artist and a friend to Blenko.
Today is Steve Rowe's Birthday! If you see Steve Rowe today say Happy Brthday!
Margie Hale sent a note to remind me : Rick Blenko had a birthday this month also!
Happy January Birthday!

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hummingbird feeders, call John the garden expert at WSAZ and he will tell you where a place is across the WV line in Ohio. Nice hummingbird feeders. In red glass with like three little bottles to hold the sugar water. I feed those little guys every year. There were not as many this year. I know all the weather that we have had has not helped those little guys. Roxie

Anonymous said...

To the hummingbird lady, Call John the garden expert at WSAZ and he will tell you where you can get a nice hummingbird feeder right across the WV line in Ohio. Lovely feeder. He showed it last spring right before the little fellows came back. YES! Hillary does drink coffee, good coffee. Starbucks or better. Hello Sol! Tea and chocolate too. I guess one of these days Hillary will have to see that we all get together for a picture for the blog. I sometimes do wonder what you all look like. You send pictures of your beautiful Blenko glass or made in the WVa.,USA. with know faces, how would I know you if I pasted you on the street? I do want to visit the Purple Moon I found its location driving around Charleston one day. When warmer weather than 18 degrees comes along I need to go to Milton and the O's place and to Tamerack. Kate has moved to Winchester so you all know that I will be sight seeing. Patsy Cline was like a third cousin and one of the things I love reading about. Guess it comes from hearing lots of stories about her. Very brave stronge woman! and that is saying it nicely. West Virginian more than we realize. LOL! Thanks for caring about Cabin Creek, that is one of the amazing things about WVa., is you can go 25 miles and the people are different, yet we work together daily. It just amazes me, how some hold on to the way it has always been. Only living up against the mountain side, where life is still unicorparated is wonderful. One woman has bandy hens running around,You never know when you will get to see little pee-pees, one has goats that get loose, everyone has at least one dog, or they feed the birds, deer, bears. Got one big bear that weights about 350 to 400 lbs. Rog seen him one morning going to work. Enough of Cabin Creek. Yes spring is on its way, the hill sides will turn a maroon shade of brown,then that little green will appear, to the blooming of the dog wood trees, and so the sap has returned to the trees. My tulips and butter-cups and iris are coming up. So gardeners check your flower beds. Think Blenko bricks for the sun to shine on. May God Bless You All, Roxie

Anonymous said...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STEVE ROWE
FROM a
12 stepper

DrAnnu said...

Steve
You don't update the website
and DC noted mistakes, you don't correct mistakes.
What ever your age, and whatever
Hilar pays you its
well . . . .she could do better.
The website is 6 or 7 years old and needs updating and revamping.
Happy Birthday now go to work so we appreciate your skills, and can acknowledge you to be what Hillary seems to believe you are.
Ann

Anonymous said...

Shame on you Hillary.
If this is Rick's Birthday week
you should have devoted a day or two to him.
What he gave to Blenko, we are just now appreciating.
Seeing a non Blenko attempting to do his job, and failing miserably makes me more appreciative of him and his impact on Blenko and he may have been the reason Blenko didn't expire 20 years ago.
Rick Blenko will go down as the most under valued person in the Blenko history. Three Cheers and a good bottle of wine to Rick Blenko!
coal is n ur stocking glasslady.

Anonymous said...

The reason Rick was good at Blenko he had what his dad taught him and he surrounded himself with people who knew glass and how to make it. Lemley, Osburn, Wade, Robinson. He had them in-place ready to go. Walter comes in hires the young one she gets rid of anyone who knew glass. Now look at the place. Don't get me wrong I like the people there they are nice, they just don't know what they are doing look at the glass and what they are making it speaks for itself. She might know business but not glass. I hope ( a young girls pride) is not Blenko's downfall.

Anonymous said...

Rick Blenko's birthday week was some weeks ago.
Very much a most undervalued person at Blenko. I must agree, without his very public representation, very few would remember Blenko, and they might be gone by now.
Lilly A.

Anonymous said...

I believe you may be right when those guys were working they were busy and seemed like they were going to make it. At least everybody was working 40 hrs a week.

Anonymous said...

I have to sign Anon. I work at Blenko. We all miss Don, Dave, Rodney they kept us busy with orders we hardly ever got laid off. If there some kind of change made we knew that they had all got together and decided what to do, we were all confident knowing we had them looking out for us and our jobs. Now we all know our time is limited we are looking for jobs, It is a sad fact but most of us planned on retiring from blenko. The old timers would crap if they saw what was going on now at the factory.

Anonymous said...

I LOVE RICK BLENKO OVER THE YEARS HE SIGNED MY GLASS
TOLD ME WHERE I MIGHT FIND GLASS
ANSWERED QUESTIONS
TOLD THE TRUTH ABOUT THINGS
AND I THINK WAS A GREAT PUBLIC REPRSENTATION OF BLENKO.
I MIGHT ADD I THINK THE CURRENT PERSON REPRSENTS THE CURRENT STATE OF BLENKO. NO COMPLIMENT INTENDED.

Anonymous said...

maybe Walter and Katie needs to go talk to some of the guys that was mentioned to find some answers to their problems thet are having.Im sure they might be able to tell you something that might help.

Tina in Ohio

Anonymous said...

Listening is the problem.
There is a lot of talk
very little
listening.
Rider is the only one with skill left and I heard thisis temporary.
New people with skill could help.
Blenko is a landmark for all of WV, she should be saved whatever the cost.
SM

Anonymous said...

what about mark davis?he can make more items than Rider DONNIE garett is becoming a great finisher also.RIDER?hes not as good as he thinks he is talks it but cant walk it

a blenko employee

Anonymous said...

A poem about the Jews in German reminds me of whats going on at Blenko now....the poem is about not standing up until they came for u and your family.
As Blenko employees we've seen a lot of good people terminated beginning with Wanda Lewis then Brett and ending with Lemley. We say nothing as we are fearful of who is and who isn't safe.
One person responsible for Dave leaving, Wade leaving and many younger men not returning will be found out but not as he he has turned on management. Soon management will hear of this. Blenko managment does not allow this. Lack of management has been a problem for 10+ years Ive been here.
problems continue to be:
#1 Lack of proper training
#2 Lack of knowledge about employees role
#3 Office over staffed, VC understaff and often staffing VC with skillless people.
#4 Beating bushes for new business, this should be done weekly, with thought given to the appearance and knowledge of the bush beater.
#5 Stealing a lot of Blenko goes out the front and back door. Shop lifting and internal theif is a problem not mentioned.
#6 Ok I will stop now.
When you start getting email from employees of Blenko saying : Im laid off, or they no longer need me as a salaried employee. Know your time is coming.
Hilary I am surprised you have been able to keep your job.
Blenko does not allow negative comments even if they are true.
Current Blenko employee
hourly wage of under $10.
No one outside the office is making any money.