Clevenger discovered his woodworking skill

Twenty-five years ago this week, a local law enforcement official was making a name for himself as a woodworker.

The April 11, 1998, edition of The Commercial Review featured a story about Dunkirk Police Chief Arnold Clevenger’s woodworking skills.

Clevenger joked that no pencil was safe when he was around.

His latest work at that time was an American eagle perched on a limb with its wings stretched out. At that time, he had only been involved in the hobby for a couple of years.

“I was helping set up a church picnic at the Redkey park in August 1996,” Clevenger said. “Me and a couple other guys were early, and I just picked up a stick and started whittling.”

When he was done, the stick he had started with had taken the shape of a chain.

Jim Bullock, a friend who was involved in a carving club, gave Clevenger some carving knives and a piece of wood. He was on his way.

The skill seemed to come naturally, he said, noting that he would draw a pattern on a piece of wood before he began carving it. He also carved the centers of golf balls.

“Joe Grogg showed me an article in a magazine of a rose carved in the center of a golf ball,” he said.

Soon, he was cutting up golf balls to see what he could create.

His carvings included logos for the Indiana Hoosiers and Kentucky Wildcats. He also had one featuring Bowz, half of the local clown duo Buttonz and Bowz.

Clevenger used a specially designed paring knife — he modified his own kitchen paring knife to meet his needs — to cut the golf balls open.

“I carry a ball and carving knife with me all the time,” Clevenger said. “I carve any time I get a chance.”