Irvin Walter, a Johnstown, PA native, has authored “Tales from the Woods,” a collection of stories of intrigue, danger, and passion in the Alleghenies. After serving in the navy, Irvin worked his way through Indiana University of Pennsylvania, earning a degree in business and marrying Shirley Bender, an RN from Woodvale. After a career in the glass, steel, and chemicals industries Irvin and Shirley now live in South Carolina and enjoy travel, cooking the Slovak and German food they grew up with, and visiting their sons and daughter. Always a writer, Irvin has pulled together stories he’d written over the years into “Tales from the Woods.” The six stories include “The Gift,” a tale of a mysteriously wise teacher’s continued influence; “Nora” who’s name was only whispered by older members of the family — but whose letters and visitor journal fell into Irvin’s hands, and “Water” the legendary digging of a well in Tanneryville, complete with divination and dynamite.