Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SATURDAY, October 1, 1994                   TAG: 9411020031
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-2   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: PULASKI                                 LENGTH: Medium

TAXIDERMIST OPENS BUSINESS IN PULASKI

"I had somebody mount something for me and didn't think much of it," he said.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday formally opened Janey's New River Taxidermy Studio at 218 N. Jefferson St. as the latest new business in downtown Pulaski.

Janey had been stuffing and mounting animals, birds and fish from a shop in his home in Giles County until now. He and his wife live in Eggleston but plan to move to Pulaski as soon as they can find a house.

"I lived in Pulaski once before, and I kind of like it," he said. Besides, Giles County has some taxidermists and Pulaski did not - until now.

When he was here before, the downtown area had a lot of empty stores. That was before the town's revived Main Street program hit its stride in the past two years and began filling the stores with new businesses. "It's changed a lot since I lived up here," he said.

When Janey decided to look seriously at mounting animals professionally, he went to a taxidermy school and took private lessons and classes.

He joined the Virginia Taxidermy Association last year and took seven of his mounted pieces to its annual show, mainly to get ideas from the judges on how he might improve his technique.

Apparently, it does not need a lot of improvement. His entries took four first places and three seconds.

Janey's hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.

"I like to hunt and fish," he said, "but, being a taxidermist, I'll be in the shop more than I'll be hunting and fishing."