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THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE of the MAY 2015 | ISSN 2330-6629
Thanks, Mom! Tributes to Motherhood, Midwifery, Body-Mind Awareness, Ducks and Chickens, Healthy Living, Entertainment, The Land Around You, Writing, High School Musicals
1 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST, September 2013
2 - May 2015
LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
Mamma Mia!
OFFICIAL MAGAZINE of the LAUREL MOUNTAIN
POST
Proudly serving the Laurel Area Valleys and Highlands of Westmoreland County and neighbors since 2004.
When I first started planning this May issue, I felt as though I had no creative ideas. Mother’s Day seemed liked such an obvious and overdone choice. But once I sent out the theme assignment, I was gratified by the insightful and varied takes on motherhood that started coming back. Ruthie Richardson returns this month with her personal story on becoming a mother, looking back through the cultural lens of the 50s and 60s. Also inspired by that era, I decided to pursue the profession brought to life by one of my favorite shows set during the same era, Call the Midwife, now airing on PBS. “Whoever heard of a midwife as a literary heroine? Yet midwifery is the very stuff of drama. Every child is conceived either in love or lust, is born in pain, followed by joy or sometimes remorse. A midwife is in the thick of it, she sees it all.” – Jennifer Worth, The Midwife: A Memoir of Birth, Joy, and Hard Times.
The LaurelMountainPostisanindependent,monthlypublicationproducedatFairviewFarmin Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. All material printed herein is subject to copyright and permission to reproduce in any format must be obtained in writing from the publisher. This publication is registered with the US Library of Congress, ISSN 2330-6629.
Cathi Gerhard, Editor & Publisher editor@laurelmountainpost.com
What about women and babies today? I talked to a certified nurse midwife born and raised right here at home in western Pennsylvania. A midwife is so much more than I ever thought, and stands center stage to support our “sheroes” as they navigate a lifetime of circumstances and choices.
Megan Fuller, Web & Calendar Editor megan@laurelmountainpost.com
Nancy A. Clark, Contributing Editor nancy@laurelmountainpost.com
Gregory Susa, Co-Publisher & Circulation Manager Carol Gerhard, Copy Editor Publisher cannot and does not guarantee the accuracy of the matter represented in the advertisements herein published. Please contact the advertiser to verify details.
Phone: 724-537-6845 Fax: 724-558-9548 editor@laurelmountainpost.com
Laurel Mountain Post 189 Fairview Lane Derry, PA 15627
www.LaurelMountainPost.com “The Voice of Pennsylvania” – BBC News, 2006
My beautiful mother, Carol Davis Gerhard, “back in the day.”
But if not for our mothers, we would not exist to do what we do ... raise ducks, direct plays, practice good nutrition and fitness, volunteer, build, travel, meditate, party, run toward goals, write a novel or a letter ... all those other things we talk about this month in the Laurel Mountain Post, where every story begins at home. Thanks, mom. – Cathi Gerhard Every Story Begins At Home.
May 2015 - 3
Table of Contents
May 2015 5
Congratulations, Mom, the Rabbit Died
26
New Help for Vermiculite Asbestos Remediation Home Study by Brian Mishler
27
WCHS Trip to Harper’s Ferry
28
Eight Reasons You Should Finally Try Yoga and Bring Your Notebook with You
Memory Lane by Ruthie Richardson
9
GLLV Golf Classic & Dinner Benefit There Goes the Neighborhood by Mike Dudurich
10 Parenthood from Scratch: Raising Chickens and Ducks in Yor Backyard Down on the Farm by Cathi Gerhard & Gregory Susa
12 Krackin Thru by Hank Baughman
Write Local by Krista Sarraf
30
Moms Know How to Party! by Carol Whelan
32
Muddy Mayhem, part 1 by Drew Williams
34
Writing A Trilogy–Why or Why Not byJudith Redline Coopey
35
Morley’s Dog Show
36
May-June Community Calendar
15 Westmoreland County Senior Games
43
Red Cross Summer Scholarship Program
16 A Contemporary Look at One of the Oldest Professions: Midwifery
44
LMP Distribution Guide
46
Thoughts on Letter Writing by Nancy A. Clark
14 Eating the Living by Hayley Chemski-Horwat
MSN, CNRA
by Cathi Gerhard
18 Body Mind Awareness for Positive Change What’s Cooking in Fitness by Meaghan Cutrell
20 May Flowers: Southwestern PA Corners the Pageant Market by Megan Fuller 22 The Land Around You by GregoryH. Clark,
PLS
25 Heroes and She-roes That’s What They Say by Rev. Marjorie Rivera
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MEMORY LANE by Ruthie Richardson
Congratulations, Mom, the Rabbit Died As another mother’s day rolls around, I was reminiscing about motherhood, and everything that word meant, back in the good old days. Things sure have changed since I was ‘in the family way.’ And boy, they have REALLY changed since my grandma’s day. I saw a very pregnant girl at the beach this spring wearing a little string bikini, and I swear you could see the baby kicking inside her tanned, enormous, and bare tummy. Even though I realize how awe-inspiring, beautiful, and magical the entire birth process is, I sometimes find myself frowning. Babies, who were on their way, back in those good old days, were a very precious, very special, and a very secret thing. Once they arrived it was a wonderfully exciting time for celebrations, announcements and sharing the big news. But before that grand entrance, expecting a baby was not something that was discussed in mixed company, and never when there were children around. I remember when Lucille Ball was expecting in real life and insisted her condition be written into the story line of her hit series, I Love Lucy. This just was not done, and it goes to show the power and influence she had in the entertainment industry that she could break that taboo. I remember that it was forbidden for her to even use the word pregnant: the censors thought that word was too vulgar. Google says scripts for the episode were reviewed by a rabbi, a minister, and a priest in order to make sure it would not be offensive. But Little Ricky was on the way, and Lucy was not going to hide it. The episode of this groundbreaking birth received higher ratings than the inauguration of President Eisenhower. Ladies who were ‘expecting’ (the proper word for it) in those days did everything they could to camouflage their condition. Maternity clothes Every Story Begins At Home.
were mandatory. Propriety dictated that no hint of the growing bundle of joy should be apparent. As the pregnancy progressed the clothing became bigger and baggier. As a little girl, I remember visiting friend’s houses with my parents– and all of a sudden, there would be a new baby in the house. We never knew where those babies came from; we certainly had never suspected the lady of the house had been carrying it around under all those ruffles! And as for Lucy and Ricky, we would never have guessed how this all came about anyway, since,–even though they were married–they weren’t allowed to be shown sleeping in the same bed. It was twin beds only on television* up until the 1960’s when Herman and Lilly Munster hit the sack together, followed shortly thereafter by Samantha and Darrin Stevens. And suddenly it seemed, the invisible door of modesty had quietly been opened a crack. We were in new censorship territory, and Katie couldn’t bar the door any longer. The decision to have a baby has always been a giant step in any young couple’s lives. But there weren’t always the alternatives available in this decision-making process that we see in today’s society. And the decision NOT to have a baby was an even much bigger burden in days gone by. Although I hesitate in writing about these things, it is all a matter of history. So I will be as proper and sensitive as possible in the retelling of these realities. Birth control. There, I said it. And back in those days there sure wasn’t much of it to choose from. If you didn’t want to have a baby, the common sense solution, the one beaten into our heads, was NOT to have ... well, you know ... s-e-x. Unwanted pregnancy was a huge deterrent in the behavior of the dating class of teens back in the old days. Even young marrieds faced
the dilemma of how to postpone or avoid an addition to the family. Although the Catholics had it written out for them in black and white and had to attest to it in the classes they took BEFORE they got married. It was suggested by the Church of Rome, quite enthusiastically, that they were to have babies, lots of little Catholic babies. And to try and stop ‘God’s will’ in that process was frowned upon. The only birth control even hesitantly mentioned to the Catholic couple was the rhythm method, and I’m not talking about dancing. It meant they had to figure out the little woman’s ‘cycle’ and work around it. Good luck with that. I remember sitting with my mom and grandma one afternoon in the ‘60’s, and my Grandma was telling us she heard on the news about a new medical breakthrough. It was called ‘The Pill,’ and grandma thought it was quite a leap forward for womanhood. She continued that we modern day girls were so much luckier than when she was a new bride. She said they didn’t have the ability to plan their families the way we did. She said the only option she and my grandfather had in deciding whether to have another baby or not were those ‘dang overcoats.’ I remember my mom and I looking at each other and bursting into fits of giggles over that term. Grandma didn’t understand what we found so amusing. I read somewhere recently that 40% of births today are out of wedlock. Back in 40’s and 50’s, that percentage, as far as we knew, was 0%. I’m sure there were the so-called ‘illegitimate’ babies born back then. And what a terrible term, as if those innocent babies were somehow illegitimate. I continued on page 6
May 2015 - 5
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think we should have referred to the parents as the illegitimate ones. At any rate, it just wasn’t done. If the unthinkable happened, and a girl found herself in a delicate condition, there was no hesitation, no talking of options; because there were only two. Option #1 – there would be a wedding … probably the following weekend. Shotgun or no shotgun, love or no love, the happy couple was gittin’ hitched! They would quit school and set up housekeeping The fresh-faced young husband would get a job, and the new little wifey would stay home and raise the baby. No more high school sports, no more dances or parties, no more education, no proms or graduation or college. That life was over; they would
settle into domestic bliss and grow up quickly, with the arrival of their eight pound, premature baby a mere six months later. It was the solution to make everything legitimate. Option #2 - The girl would suddenly go to live with her aunt, or grandma in another city for a while. You know, just for a little visit. The next school year, she would return, a little older, a little wiser, and a little sadder, to finish up her education. These incidents where whispered about but never really confirmed. We all had heard of Homes for Unwed Mothers, where those unplanned babies were born and given up for adoption. And we were told about the shame and heartache for everyone involved. Those stories were also a great example to help formulate our behavior. This old
Grandma with my Daddy, 1924. 6 - May 2015
adage was beaten into our heads, “You make your bed, and you will have to sleep in it.” And the fear of that unknown journey did a great job of throwing cold water on our youthful libidos. And now, on to the happier scenario of all the newly-wedded young couples, the high school or college graduates, the ones who were settled into their new little homes, making a nice salary and looking forward to adding a brand new bundle of joy to make the picture complete. I remember when that biological alarm clock went off for me. I was 22, and Doug was 24. We had been living in wedded bliss for three years, owned our own home (well, at least we had a mortgage on it), were both working, and had saved a tidy little sum of about $300 big fat dollars. Plenty enough to raise a child in our opinion, even considering the fact that I would quit my job to stay home to take care of the baby! As the signs of impending motherhood started to make themselves apparent to me, I decided to see the doctor on my own. I didn’t want to get my hopes up early and have us both be disappointed if it was a false alarm. In those days, the doctor wouldn’t even see you until you were ‘late’ by two months. And to determine if your lives were about to be blessed by a visit from the stork, you needed a pregnancy test: and that test included a rabbit. If the rabbit died, you were given the happy news that the stork, was indeed on its way. Thus the phrase, The Rabbit Died! We expectant moms of the ‘60’s were just beginning to read up on what exactly was involved in this exciting new condition we found ourselves in. There were actual books starting to be written to help us figure it all out: books by Dr. Lamaze and Dr. Benjamin Spock. Our mom’s generation had no such information at hand. They only had the opinions and suggestions from THEIR mothers, and that was even sketchier. The doctors took care of all the decisions, and the new mom didn’t need to know anything about anything. In my grandmother’s day, most all babies were born at home. If the doctor couldn’t get there, a midwife was called. My grandma told me LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
that after her babies were born, she was told not to get out of bed for a week. And while most of our mothers gave birth in an actual hospital, they were none too sure of what was going on, either. It just wasn’t discussed. Most moms-to-be in the 40’s and 50’s were given an injection to induce ‘Twilight Sleep’ once they arrived at the hospital in labor. I guess it was a knock-out punch because when it wore off, the baby was in their arms, and they had no memory of what had transpired. Even worse, before that, the sedation of choice for childbirth was chloroform. By the time the ‘60’s rolled around, modern medicine had evolved, and now we were offered the epidural or spinal block. You could still be ‘knocked out’ if that is what you wanted, but now you had a choice. And while men had always been banned from witnessing any part of labor, let alone the actual birthing process, starting in the ‘60’s that rule was beginning to be relaxed somewhat. Before that, all expectant daddies were relegated to a smoky waiting
room to pace and worry and sometimes listen to distant screams from the rooms down the hall where their wives had been taken. No contact between them was allowed until after delivery, and that could be hours and hours. By the time our much-anticipated baby was ready to greet the world, dads were allowed to remain with their wives in the labor rooms, but when it was time for delivery, out they went, back to the daddy waiting room. I remember Doug begging my obstetrician to allow him to be with me for the actual birth. When the time came, the fabulous Dr. Conte had me wheeled into the delivery room while he went out into the hallway, got Doug, and secretly took him into the doctor’s lounge. He told him to put on a pair of scrubs, a hat and mask, and follow him. Doug was instructed to sit quietly beside me and not say a word. But he was there, by my side, against regulations, to witness the birth of our daughter, Nicole. Although they whisked her away quickly, we got to see her,
Latrobe Area Hospital – I finally get to hold her.
and hear her first sweet cries together. I didn’t get to see her again for 12 hours, because that was the hospital regulation for babies to be allowed to leave the nursery and go to their moms. It never occurred to me to demand to see my baby, and we were not allowed out of bed until we got the OK the next day from the doctor. It was the longest 12 hours of my life. Meanwhile, every member of our families and all of our friends were mooning over my new little angel down the hall in the nurcontinued on page 8
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Every Story Begins At Home.
May 2015 - 7
continued from page 7
sery. And as for the poor daddies, they were never allowed to be in the room when the baby was with mom. They could only see their new little offspring through the glass window of the nursery. Today, not only can’t the public see any new babies, they can’t even get onto the maternity floor without what seems like top-secret clearance. Babies stay in the rooms with their moms from the first breath and are equipped with tiny little Lojack devices because, in this day and age, people actually sneak into the hospital and steal babies. Not so back then. All the babies in the nursery were on full and delightful display for anyone who cared to look. You could point one out to the nurse, and she would wheel it over to the windows so you could have a closer look. Little cards were on each crib with the baby’s date of birth, length, weight and parents names: pink cards for girls and blue for boys. All the birth announcements were also published in the Latrobe Bulletin, along with all the hospital admissions names and all the discharges. I’m surprised they
My mommy, happy with her new little bundle ... my brother, not quite so thrilled about it. 8 - May 2015
didn’t add a little blurb by each name stating the reason for being in the hospital. The HIPAA folks would be jumping off the top floor of the parking garage if they had been around back then!
Pink card in the nursery announcing my little girl.
After my daughter was born, I was in the hospital for five days back in 1970. That was the standard stay for a standard birth. A C-section could keep you there for a week or two, depending on how you progressed. But there weren’t many C-sections done back then. That procedure was reserved for emergency situations. When it was time to take our little bundle of joy home, we dressed her up in one of her new little outfits, and the nurse wheeled us to the front lobby where our car was waiting. Into the front seat of our convertible I climbed, the nurse placed my little sweetie in my arms, and off we drove. Not only was there no such thing as infant car seats, there weren’t even any seatbelts. Today, the delivery room is the ‘birthing room.’ It seems like the whole family and half the neighborhood are invited to witness the miracle, if they can find a seat around the film crew. I agree that the regulations in place in my day were much too restrictive, but I think we may have swung the pendulum a little too far. And the new mommy and baby are thrown out of the hospital in what seems like about 20 minutes after the cord cutting ceremony, which is now done by some pretty reluctant looking and queasy new daddies, if you ask me.
Maybe the regulations and the protocol have evolved over the years, but the miracle remains the same. When that brand new little face, with those brand new little eyes look into yours for the first time, you realize your life has been changed profoundly ... and you will never be the same again. You become transformed, from the moment you see that furrowed little brow, that has just endured what must be a pretty difficult entry into this world, and watch it turn into a contented sleepy face upon hearing the soothing voice that has become so familiar: the voice of mommy. Motherhood – the best decision I have ever made. It was also the most exhausting, confusing, worrisome, hand-wringing and worthwhile journey a person will ever choose to take. You are forever changed, from the first moment you look at that little face and fall so completely in love that it takes your breath away. My mommy felt the same way; she told me so while cupping my face in her hands as she was loosing her battle with breast cancer. Thank you, mom, for your never-ending love and understanding. I miss you every day. And thank you, Nicole, for giving me more joy than a heart is prepared to hold. I think that’s why the happy tears roll down my cheeks sometimes when I look at your beautiful face. It’s just that because of you, my cup runneth over. *Editor’s Note: Several sources cite the “Mary Kay and Johnny Show” from 1947 as the first appearance of a married couple sharing a bed. However, it has been dismissed as a blip, and most consider“Bewitched” as the first official shift from the Hayes Codes, a series of rules and regulations designed to moderate the action of Hollywood film industry directors and producers in the 1930s. For more on the specifics of these TV guidelines, see www.tvacres.com/broad_bed.htm.
***** Ruthie grew up in an idyllic and magical place – a 1950's childhood, and she loves to share these memories with you. Stay in touch: email her at: Ruth-Elaine@comcast.net, and look for her on Facebook.
LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Mike Dudurich
GLLVChamber Announces 26th Annual Golf Classic & Dinner Benefit In any endeavor, capitalizing on momentum is always a good thing. Whether it’s a couple good holes that lead to a good round of golf or a good week in the office that leads to an uptick in the bottom line, keeping a grip on that momentum, whenever it happens is always big. And that’s where the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Golf Classic is as it heads toward the 26th playing of the event July 17 at Latrobe County Club. The annual event is coming off one of its best years ever, and celebrated that by presenting the Greater Latrobe Partners in Education Foundation with a check for $5,000 on the GLLV’s weekly radio show on WCNS 1480, Good Morning Greater Latrobe. The show is hosted by chamber president David Martin and airs each Friday at 8 am. “The outing was nearly dead in the water,” said Jerry Supko, SVP of Commercial Bank and chairman of the event. “With the re-branding of the chamber, things changed last year. For the first time in seven or eight years, we made some money. The community really stepped up, and it was nearly sold out.”
Jessica Golden, the director of development for the Greater Latrobe Partners in Education Foundation, expressed great appreciation for the gift. “It’s a tremendous honor and boost for our effort to boost the education program for our students,” Golden said. “It’s great for us to be a partner and this is a natural fit.” The 2015 golf outing will be held Friday, July 17 at Latrobe Country Club and, once again, Arnold Palmer will be the honorary chairman. “We always enjoy welcoming to Latrobe Country Club the golfers who support such fine organizations as the Latrobe Laurel-Valley Community Chamber of Commerce through these outings, and hope that they will have a great day,” Palmer said. While the check presentation from 2014 capped that event, it also served as a kickoff for this year. “We’re absolutely hoping to build on that momentum and it seems like we are,” Supko said. “We have four major sponsors, and we’re almost halfway sold out of the field of 120.” Registration that day will be at 10 with a shotgun start at 11:15 a.m. The round will
be followed by a happy hour and dinner buffet. Cost is $200 per golfer. Proceeds will benefit the Chamber’s local education programs and the work of the Greater Latrobe Partners in Education foundation. An addition to the committee for this year’s outing is Katie Miller, who was a three-time PIAA girl’s golf champion at Hempfield Area High School (1999, 2000 and 2002). She went on to become a standout for the University of North Carolina golf team. She continues to play the game at a high level and also manages the Latrobe Dairy Queen. “I love getting involved with events like this,” she said. “I volunteer for the First Tee in Pittsburgh, we’ve gotten involved in a big way with Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October. I’ve gotten to know David (Martin) and the GLLV staff, and it’s very exciting.” Miller hopes to be able to play in the event July 17. “I can’t wait!” said David Martin, GLLV Chamber president. “This has quickly become a very special event for GLLV members, and it highlights the chamber’s commitment educational programs in our local schools.”
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Every Story Begins At Home.
May 2015 - 9
DOWN ON THE FARM by Cathi Gerhard & Greg Susa
"Regard it as just as desirable to build a chicken house as to build a cathedral.” – Frank Lloyd Wright
Parenthood from Scratch Raising Chickens & Ducks in Your Backyard In early April, Greg and I took the plunge to become adoptive parents together: we purchased 11 Welsh Harlequin duck eggs from a reputable farm, and placed them in our new incubator. We won’t know how many ducks will actually hatch before press time, because it takes 28 watchful days before they emerge. By early May, we should know and will report back to you in the June issue. Preparing for ducks to join the family has been much like furnishing a new nursery. First came the incubator and related tools: flashlight, water bottles, clean space, access to soap and water, towels, and several ”how-to” books and articles. At 10 ten days, we tried our first “candling,” which is where you shine a flashlight behind the egg while in a dark room to see what is developing. A few eggs looked just like the reference books, others showed nothing, while a few more revealed a bit of both: something sort of like the diagrams, but also not much of anything. Frustrated and impatient, like most expectant mothers, I called a local expert for help. My neighbor, Wally Brewer, was my dad’s best friend, and also grew up on a family farm in in Derry Township (near Hillside). Wally has been raising chickens in his backyard, on and off for years, and was currently incubating some chicken eggs. “I know it’s hard to do,” he said, “but you need to have patience. If you have done everything right, all you can do is wait.” Doing everything right* includes keeping the eggs at a steady 99.5oF with a humidity reading of 86 for the first 25 days, and turning the eggs 3-7 times a day. The last few days, you must adjust the temperature down to 10 - May 2015
98.5oF, increase humidity to 94, and stop turning. Some sources suggest cooling and spraying the eggs with warm water to simulate the mother duck leaving and returning wet from a swim. Actually, there is a lot of varied advice out there, and it’s just as confusing as multiple editions of What to Expect When You Are Expecting. There does not seem to be a single definitive guide, but rather systems that work for different people after lots of practice. I am a bit squeamish about the idea of “practicing” on live animals, though, and am still wrestling with guilt over what might go wrong.
Newly-hatched chickens – the fourth and smallest chick is hiding in the back for extra warmth!
Soon I will need to have even more items ready to go for the ducks who survive this experiment and actually hatch. They will need a crib: a safe, heated box to live in with access to fresh water and non-medicated chick feed (the medicated type is lethal to ducklings). I will have to put marbles
in the bottom of the water dish to prevent drowning until they learn to swim, which will be several months. Without a natural mother’s oily feathers to coat the ducklings, they are sensitive to cold and could freeze to death in the water. Once my ducklings are ready to venture outside for their first tastes of fresh, green grasses and insects, they will need protection from predators: foxes, weasels, raccoons, large birds like our barn owl, snapping turtles, cats and dogs–to name but a few. Greg is working on a mobile playpen for them now called a tractor: a screened in structure with wheels on one end, some protection from the elements, and plenty of room to roam from one green plot to the next. We will also build a permanent duck house for them with room to roost and brood, plenty of storage, and an attached yard complete with in-ground swimming pool. Once they are full grown, I hope to train my flock to follow me on trips to our farm pond. I will also need to train our Australian Cattle Dog to help herd them, rather than pick them up like squeak toys! I chose Welsh Harlequins because books describe them as very friendly, good layers, and can be quite broody (sit on their own eggs ,so I will not have to endure the incubation anxiety again). “The Welsh Harlequin originated in 1949 from two mutant light colored ducklings hatched from pure Khaki Campbells by Leslie Bonnet, a duck breeder living near Criccieth, Wales. In 1968, John Fugate imported hatching Harlequin eggs to Tennessee, but by 1980, descendants of the original imports were confined to two small flocks. To broaden the gene pool, LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
breeders imported additional Harlequins in 1982, and in 1984 they began to offer birds for sale in the United States. The silver variety of the Welsh Harlequin was accepted by the American Poultry Association in 2001.”
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Greg and I hope to explore recipes for cooking and baking with duck eggs, and perhaps (if our flock is large enough), begin selling them at local outlets. Duck eggs are similar to a large chicken egg, but have much higher protein and fat contents. They also tend to make fluffier, richer baked goods. We’ll let you know! ***** Wally’s chicken eggs hatched this past weekend, and he now has four babies to add to his new young flock of white leghorns (yes, just like Foghorn Leghorn from Looney Tunes). The first Leghorn chickens came to England from America. W.B. Tegetmeier imported White Leghorns in 1870 and Lewis Wright imported Brown Leghorns in 1872. “Leghorns are active, even ambitious chickens. They are always willing to work, hunting and scratching, giving no prejudice to flower beds or dunghill; if there is scratching to be done, Leghorns are the chickens for the job. On range they are splendid foragers and small eaters. The breed is prolific, highly fertile, and hardy. Leghorn chickens lay very large numbers of white eggs – in fact, they lay as well or better than other breeds. It is the combination of hardiness, rate-of-lay, and small appetite that about 1870 turned American poultrymen’s heads and won the Leghorn chicken lasting popularity.” (livestockconservancy.org)
Welsh Harlequins mother duck with her chicks. Every Story Begins At Home.
CO NT ING EN T
(livestockconservancy.org)
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For more information about raising backyard poultry, we recommend the following resources: • Hobby Farm or Grit magazine • Your local breeder • Backyardchickens.com • ModernFarmer.com • Local extension office • High school agriculture program • Storey’s Guide to Raising Ducks by Dave Holderread, 2nd edition
*The method for chicken eggs varies slightly: chicken eggs should be incubated at a temperature between 99 and 102 degrees Fahrenheit (99.5 is often considered to be ideal) and 50 to 65 percent relative humidity (60 percent is often considered the ideal). Chicken eggs typically hatch after 21 days of incubation. Consider that number to be a target – not an absolute. During the final three days of incubation, the eggs should ideally be located in a slightly cooler (98.5 degrees) and more humid (65 percent relative humidity or greater) environment to facilitate successful hatching. (according to Grit magazine) May 2015 - 11
Krackin Thru by Hank Baughman
“Every show. Every show the kids surprise me.” Kids in breakout performances. Cheering, growing audiences. They drive Dan Krack. The Latrobe High Artistic Director has guided, nurtured, cajoled and pulled ever-better performances from more than 1,000 student actors and actresses, thru ten straight years of meticulous, grueling productions. “I thought I was done at five years, ten shows,” says the English teacher and former professional actor who toured in a children’s show before becoming an educator. “I was tired,” he says. “There’s so much planning and management in stage productions. Not even the casts are aware of it. But I would have missed the magic and the thrills of seeing how the casts and audiences are moved by the shows. The fact is, these performances are important, to so many people, for so many reasons.”
Krack’s Greatest Hits (Greater Latrobe Sr. High, 2005-2015)
Rumors Bye Bye Birdie Noises Off! Pippin The Miracle Worker Guys and Dolls The Foreigner Grease The Odd Couple (Female Version) Disney’s Beauty and the Beast The Crucible West Side Story The Musical Comedy Murders of 1940 Children of Eden Almost, Maine The Wizard of Oz Harvey Little Shop of Horrors Twelve Angry Jurors Godspell
12 - May 2015
So, theater champion that he is, Dan geared up and drove on - thru twelve shows, then sixteen. And in March, Krack and a stage-bursting cast of 60 high-amp teens put the director at a landmark 20 shows, with a blissful performance of Godspell that touched, uplifted and rocked. “That was yet another show where the kids truly rose to the occasion,” Krack says. “Doing things they hadn’t done in rehearsal, and which they couldn’t do – until the audience. I sat in the director’s booth and cried.” The kids cried too, after the show. As always. Krack’s 20, increasingly ambitious productions, have been equally divided between plays and musicals. His favorite play? “I would say Noises Off. Very technical, very fast-paced. Also, The Miracle Worker and The Crucible. Both very challenging as well.” Favorite musicals? “Children of Eden. First show we did that was completely sung. Also Grease and The Wizard of Oz.” Musicals, of course, are tougher. “They’re bigger, more complex, requiring greater collaboration, linking dialogue, song and choreography, more intensive rehearsals,” Krack points out. “When I wanted to do Oz and West Side Story my theater friends said ‘Oh my God don’t try those, they’re just too much.’ But we did them. And well. We had the tornado in Wizard, and all the difficult dancing and music in West Side. That show was a little scary, one I thought might not work. But the kids, it was incredible to watch them come together and make it happen. The students on stage here are invested. Because they’ve seen the results. They know the reputation of Latrobe High shows.” Indeed. The upward reputation and quality of shows by Dan Krack and his counterparts are making high-school musicals an increasingly hot ticket, their popularity flaring beyond the families and friends of talented teens, to regular theater-goers. No less than
Creating the Beast for Beauty.
the Wall Street Journal has taken note of the sharper, richer productions on American school stages. “High-school shows have become increasingly elaborate, with Broadway-worthy sets and local competitions for best actor and actress,” said a Journal story last month, front page. “Fans seek out the student performances for inexpensive entertainment or a chance to see a musical that otherwise might not be performed locally.” Serendipitously, this discovery by the elite Journal of ascending schoolstagecraft was co-written by Erich Schwartzel, a 2005 Latrobe High grad and rising, Hollywood-based star at the top national paper. “It’s true,” Krack confirms. “Our musicals are getting more popular.” Big productions and on-the-money performers are key reasons, of course. Another is that Krack stays aware of audiences. “I did the updated, 2012 version of Godspell, rather than the original, because it has elements that kids connect with and today’s audiences can relate to.” Example? In one Bible-bending Godspell scene, Jesus takes a call on his cell phone, answering, “Dad?” Krack’s directing style? “Collaborative and demanding,” he says. “In the beginning I yelled too much. Then I thought, no, this isn’t the kind of teacher I am. I won’t be that kind of director.” His young show-makers appreciate and depend on his high skill and deep LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
knowing. Say some of his student performers: “He’s gifted at finding what each individual actor needs to do.” “He really cares about us. He goes out of his way for us. ” “He’s simply one of the greatest inspirations in my life.” And, “He talks to us in professional terms. That elevates us.” Krack appreciates the adulation, but confesses that, “At the beginning of productions, I’m rough and I sometimes still lose my temper. The kids say, ‘Be careful, don’t release the Krackin.’ That’s my wild persona. But when it comes together, they’re all hugs and smiles, and at the end they say we wish this could go on forever.” The prolific director is especially gratified that theater audiences are growing amidst the ever-flashing electronic screens that project and subsume American life. “It’s thrilling that we can get people to unplug for a while. It shows that the community appreciates good, live shows.” But he wonders if schools can sustain or grow their arts programs, saying, “Everything comes down to
Every Story Begins At Home.
Troupe leader: a dance for Godspell.
high-stakes testing and the dollars that schools receive as a result of those tests. And when there’s less money, it’s the arts that are cut. But if they cut too much, they’re going to find that we don’t have creative thinkers.” For now, high school stage-shows are on a roll, and Krack fans will be happy to know he’s here to stay. “Oh yes, I love this school. The support is great. The students are welcom-
ing to one another. It’s like family. English and theater. Teaching and directing. The perfect job.” Next, Dan’s 21st production, in the fall. The kids will soon get Krackin. ***** Hank Baughman is a freelance writer and media producer. He lives in Latrobe.
May 2015 - 13
Eating the Living? by Hayley Chemski-Horwat, MSN, CNRA Building Bodeez is located at 154 Pandora Road in Derry Township. 724-739-0105. www.building bodeez.net.
intake, our colons are crying for fresh foods (vegetables, fatty acids found in fish) and fermented foods (as below) that can help to maintain healthy flora (or bacteria). A balance between good and bad bacteria is ideal. If your colon is “out of whack” and full of unhealthy bacteria, eventually they spew into the rest of the body’s circulation wrecking havoc on the immune system. Stress, dietary changes, prescription medications, contaminated food, and chlorinated water, and other factors can also alter the bacterial flora in the intestinal tract. To maintain a healthy bacterial residency in your colon you need to ingest adequate amounts of probiotics or “good bacteria.” Foods to consider eating that are high in probiotics are:
Do you have living creatures deep in your belly? Most people have the idea that bacteria—any bacteria—are “bad.” Yet this is certainly not true. As ‘icky’ as it is to think about ... your body (inside and outside) is covered in bacteria. The breeding ground for nearly 500 different species, the gastrointestinal (GI) tract or colon contains about three pounds of bacteria. Or at least it should! These bacteria help to ward off other, more harmful, bacteria from invading your body when not wanted (such as those which create diarrhea or vomiting spells). The bowel is a comfortable home for bacteria because it is dark, warm, and moist. For those of us that suffer from a diet high in sugar, salt, and factory foods with less than ideal fiber
Cruciferous Vegetables
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yogurt (Activia is “probiotic infused”), Miso soup, Saurkraut (unpasteurized), soft cheese, sourdough bread, buttermilk, sour pickles, and tempeh. Probiotic supplements, such as freeze-dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, are useful but not as wholesome as eating probiotic rich foods as above. You can ask your health care provider what supplements he or she recommends, or stop at the pharmacy. Several companies have a probiotic capsule on market to be taken once daily. Prebiotics are foods that feed the living organisms in probiotics. You can find prebiotics in items such as asparagus, artichokes, bananas, oatmeal, red wine, honey, maple syrup, and legumes. Try prebiotic foods on their own or with probiotic foods to perhaps give the probiotics a boost. A scientific basis for the use of probiotics has not yet been published with enough certainty to warrant the prescribed use of probiotics in daily routines. However, some health professionals claim that probiotic use can also improve skin function, bowel regularity, resistance to cedar pollen, excessive gas and bloating, protection of DNA, and also act like antioxidants. Finally probiotics can avoid an upset in good bacteria brought on by prescribed antibiotics. Maintain a healthy, fresh diet and monitor your food intake daily. Ensure that you’re eating enough of the right bacteria so that bad bugs don’t rear their ugly heads. Source: Priobiotic Foods. WebMD. Retrieved online: http://www.webmd.com/digestivedisorders/probiotics-15/slideshow-probiotics
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14 - May 2015
Hayley is a Certified Fitness Trainer and the coowner of Building Bodeez Fitness Center, located at 154 Pandora Rd in Derry, PA, as well as a fulltime Nurse Anesthetist with the University of Pittsburgh Physicians, currently based at St. Margaret’s Hospital in Fox Chapel, PA. Hayley offers a wealth of fitness and health knowledge, serving as the Group Fitness Coordinator and Wellness Programs Director at Building Bodeez.
LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
Westmoreland County Senior Games The 2015 Westmoreland County Senior Games will take place May 5-15 at Mammoth Park and several other central Westmoreland area locations. Any person 50 years of age or older is eligible to participate in any of the thirty-two events. Westmoreland County residency is not required to participate in the events. Registration for the Senior Games costs only ten dollars. All pre-registered participants will receive a Senior Games t-shirt, and a free picnic lunch will be provided for athletes at Mammoth Park on Thursday, May 7 and Monday, May 11. A few of the events include high and low impact activities, such as bocce, bowling, canoeing, cycling, darts, golf, horseshoes, running, shuffleboard and swimming. Many of the events will divide athletes into age brackets: 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80-89, and 90 plus. Medals are awarded to the top three finishers in each event and age bracket. There is also an Awards Ceremony on May 15 honoring the year’s sportsmen and women as voted on by the athletes. For over thirty years, the slogan of the Westmoreland County Senior Games is to “Bring a Friend for Fun and Fitness.” The ultimate goal of the games is to encourage an active lifestyle and continued participation in recreational activities beyond age 50. Most of the participants come for the camaraderie of the games and enjoy competing with friends and meeting new people. The Games are more about fun and fitness than serious competition, and one does not have to be a super athlete to participate. The Westmoreland County Senior Games are sponsored by UPMC For You / UPMC For Life, Highmark, William Penn Care Center, Greensburg Care Center, HomeWell Senior Care, Harmon House Care Center, Senior Helpers, Community Care Inc., Humana, SuperValu, SeniorLife, Wholistic Health Center, and 1480 WCNS Radio. To receive a registration booklet, call the Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation at (724) 830-3950, or download one online by visiting the County Parks' website at www.co.westmoreland.pa.us/parks.
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May 2015 - 15
A Contemporary Look at One of the Oldest Professions: Midwifery by Cathi Gerhard I have been a fan of the PBS Series “Call the Midwife,” as well as the companion books by Jennifer Worth, for four years. Ever since I watched the first season and read the memoirs, I have thought about doing an article on modern midwifery for the Laurel Mountain Post. My knowledge of the profession was very limited, and frankly, I used to assume midwifery was something that had to do with hippies and swimming pool births at home. Midwives have been around as long as human history. The Ebers Papyrus, which dates from 1900 to 1550 BCE, devotes five columns to Egyptian obstetrics and gynecology. “The ancient Jews called her the wise woman, just as she is known in France as the sage-femme, and in Germany, the weise frau and also Hebamme or mother’s adviser, helper, or friend. The English ‘midwife’ is derived from Middle English “mit wif, or withwoman”(J.H. Aveling). The Latin term cummater and the Spanish and Portuguese term comadre, have the same meaning: with woman.” (midwifeinsight.com) The insightful CTM screenplays and memoir pages opened my eyes to the realities women faced in a time which seems so far
removed from my own. Now in its fourth season on PBS, the online women’s magazine Bustle .com has called the series “the most feminist and socially-conscious show you’re not watch-ing.” Set in the East End of London during the 50s and 60s, the show’s historical backdrop is perfectly timed to explore a variety of issues important to contemporary women: motherhood, career, social standing, economics, work-life balance, and the shifting cultural views of the post WWII era that defined our modern age. Thanks to the power of Facebook, I was able to reach out to a highschool classmate and certified nurese midwife, Karen LintNguyen, to find out more about the profession. Have you seen or read Call the Midwife?
I have watched “Call the Midwife” off and on–I love the promotion of Midwifery as an honorable profession. I have read so many books written about Midwives, and I love it when I see documentaries on birth in the US and our fractured health care system. Midwifery has certainly evolved since the time period of Call the Midwife... What is a midwife?
.
Karen Lint-Nguyen, Certified Nurse Midwife in Winchester, VA. 16 - May 2015
My definition of a Midwife is a professional who is a safe keeper of normal birth and other common life events for women (i.e. Birth, Lactation, and Menopause). Midwife literally means “with woman.” In the USA there are several paths to become a midwife. The American College of Nurse Midwives is governing body, if you will, of Certified Nurse Midwives (like me) or Certified Midwives. Most are nurses first, and then continue onto graduate or post graduate education in Midwifery. CM’s have college degrees in other disciplines and then complete a Master’s in midwifery. The North American registry of Midwives certifies the “traditional” home birth midwife, and no college is necessary. They complete an internship, and then sit for an exam to become CPM’s (certified professional midwives). All types of Midwives deliver babies. Since I am a
CNM, I can best speak to my type of Midwifery. Nurse Midwives care for females throughout their lifetime. I can provide gynecology care, care during pregnancy and birth, some primary care issues, and lactation support. How did you get into this job?
I attended IUP (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) after high school, knowing that I wanted to be a Nurse. During my experiences in college in Nursing, and from becoming a mother myself throughout those four years, sparked my interest in Maternity nursing. I worked in HIV nursing, Neonatal ICU, and Labor and Delivery and found a deep passion for caring for women in labor. I had considered moving to Philadelphia to go to U Penn to study midwifery in 1995, but moved to VA instead. Within a year of my move to VA, Shenandoah University was developing a program for CNM’s. I applied and was accepted into its first class. Midwifery school was hard (like a Residency) and is a real test for the Midwife’s family. I figured that I could make a big difference in the community by passionately helping women with their healthcare needs. Being a nurse makes a difference, but being someone’s Midwife takes it to a whole new level. You become part of their growing family and a rooted member of the community. I have been a CNM for 16 years now, and it has been such an amazing ride. The lifestyle is hard, since babies come when they want and not on any Monday through Friday schedule. But, if I have to wake up at 3 AM and go to work, I feel privileged that it is to welcome a baby into this world. It is sacred, and I do not underestimate the importance of being there for the birthing family. How many babies have you delivered? LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
I have delivered over 2500 babies, and actually, I stopped counting since I can deliver anywhere from 10-18 babies a month. I have training in home birth, but I deliver in the hospital setting. I LOVE that women have some options and hope that this expands throughout my lifetime. We need to look at countries like the Netherlands and Sweden in order to improve our outcomes and promote healthy birth choices. Is midwifery more than just delivering babies?
Midwifery is certainly more than just delivering babies. I love my yearly visits with patients for their GYN care. It is so rewarding to see a Grandmother, a mother, and her daughter for their women’s healthcare needs. As I said, you become part of their family. In the next few years I’ll enjoy delivering a baby from a baby I have delivered. It will be a full circle of life event for me as a midwife. I guess if I practice long enough I could conceivable deliver the generation after that as well. WOW... what a thought! I see patients throughout their pregnancy, and stay with them throughout their labor and birth. We provide care after their birth, and then hopefully throughout the rest of their life. I love being with a naturally laboring mother in her course of labor. I love seeing a family come together and grow. Many births still make me cry, especially when a mother is so overwhelmed with joy at her efforts of giving birth. I have patients with epidurals too. I love to support women in whatever manner they choose to labor. “With woman” doesn’t just mean only women who choose natural birth. I never had a midwife for my own births, but I had fabulous MDs who supported my wishes as well. What is a doctor’s role in the birth process when a midwife is invloved?
In my practice I work side by side with OB/GYNs. We complement each other well, and it makes the transition to high risk needs and surgery seamless when we work together. If all is going well with a labor the MD is Every Story Begins At Home.
FOUR GENERATIONS: Karen (far left) pictured with (from left), her mother, Deb; her daughter, Katie; and her granddaughter, Kailynn.
usually in the office or at home. Most of the time they never even see the patient in her labor–unless I think she is going to need a Cesarean Section. And I never hesitate to ask them for help when the situation calls for it. What is your favorite midwifery story?
I have one woman I have delivered seven times: I know her and her family so well now. Each time I am with her
in labor is such a blessing for me. You get to be lifetime friends with women like this. I have been with mothers in good times and also bad times. My one patient had a baby who died near the end of her pregnancy for no known reason-–being with her in this delicate moment of giving birth to her little boy has left a deep impression on me about grace and the strength of women to endure so many things in their life. She continued on page 21
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WHAT’S COOKING IN FITNESS by Mark Rullo MS, CSCS, MES with Meaghan Cutrell
Body Mind Awareness for Positive Change Cognitively the mind processes on average of 15,000 to 50,000 thoughts per day. Many individuals ruminate on past events or hold anxiety towards the future. Negative thoughts may overwhelm the mind creating blocks that disable change of perspective over a situation. Often negativity leaves an individual feeling stuck in quick sand, unable to escape. Consciously choosing to live in negativity, away from the present moment is a mindset that many individuals fall into when managing and coping with grieving loss or depression. The key is to notice negative thoughts that arise in the mind in each present moment and allow those thoughts to simply pass. The importance of quietly observing the immediate environment dramatically changes the mindset and increases positivity. This concept is known as “Mindfulness.” As Marianne Williamson, American spiritual teacher, author and writer, states, “you must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be.” A positive psychological mindset strongly benefits individuals embarking on a journey to change physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. For example, individuals beginning a weight loss program need to develop patience while understanding the rules that drive weight loss via daily behaviors. Results are not achieved instantly, as modern society has our mind programmed to believe. Changing the way in which one thinks, changes behavior and thus changes attitude. Maintaining a continuous focus on positivity, while noticing when the mind begins to wander promotes mastering a better individual self or way to be. Mindfulness personally transformed my life dramatically since 2009 when I experienced the sudden 18 - May 2015
traumatic loss of my father. The grieving process I experienced significantly altered my mind, body and spirit connection. My nutrition habits became quite poor with excessive over eating past the point of feeling full. I was consuming large portions double the serving size, and consuming food that did not harvest nutritional benefits. Along with nutrition, my exercise significantly decreased; I lived in a mindset of negativity, and until I fully committed myself to mastering a new way to think that in turn, fostered a new way to be. Through ten months of dedication to self-love, mindfulness and using positive methods to control nutrition and exercise I experienced significant results; I lost 40 pounds, and gained an immense amount of strength: physically, mentally and emotionally. The first component that is essential to improving psychological and mental wellbeing is nutrition. Many individuals find nutrition one of the largest hurdles in weight loss and maintaining weight loss. Expanding and broadening an individual’s perspective grants the ability to embrace change. Ideally, begin by learning the caloric value of your foods while looking to increase your intake of fruits, vegetables and proteins. Then set small intentions such as choosing to chew slowly and notice each individual flavor on the taste buds as small but extremely beneficial habits incorporated into your lifestyle to make a huge difference. In addition, portion control is vital. For example, vegetable servings should be about the size of a baseball, protein about the size of your fist or a deck of cards, fats are proportionate to two dice or teaspoons, fruits about the size of a tennis ball and carbohydrates about the size of a hockey puck. Eating a well balanced
diet along with slowly mindfully eating allows the mind to understand that the body is full. Furthermore, the second component that improves psychological wellbeing is exercise. Exercise naturally promotes the release of the endorphins in the brain known as neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine. These neurotransmitters reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety naturally without the need of an anti-depressant. Implementing an exercise routine along with mindful eating certainly promotes success in weight loss. Incorporating fitness into weekly routines is challenging for time management; however, not impossible and again starts with your mindset. As the National Foot League promotes the “NFL Play 60” encouraging 60 minutes of activity per day, if you would embrace that strategy, it is only 4.2% of your week leaving you with 95.8% to do whatever you want or need to do. My transformation substantially benefited through investing an hour a week with a fitness professional at My Fitness Kitchen. Strength training and combining metabolic exercises once a week with a fitness professional widened my perspective of various routines that I incorporated into my individual workouts to drive my success. Even with the general tips on nutrition and the benefits of activity listed above, without the proper mindset one now can see how easy FOOD can be the most abused anxiety drug while EXERCISE is often the most underutilized antidepressant. May is National Mental Health Awareness month. Be mindfully aware of the intake of food and acknowledge its primary role – to fuel your body. For activity try something new when LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
it comes to exercising, fight the aging process by beginning a resistance training program, add a walk to your daily routine or experience a work out class with a friend. The process begins in the mind, as the mind notices positive changes, the body’s awareness will adjust and change will follow. Setting small intentions to slowly build upon gives you the foundation to naturally lead a lifestyle of positivity and mindfulness. Always be kind to yourself as you embrace positivity as you embark on a journey to enhance your mind, body and soul. ***** For more information, please feel free to consult with any of the fitness professionals at My Fitness Kitchen®. Additionally, as an on-going thank you to Laurel Mountain Post and its readers, mention this article for a FREE, no obligation, personalized, metabolic nutritional formula and fitness program that will leverage the “Hierarchy of Fat Loss.” If you are serious about achieving a body transformation goal, then you need a program, as any goal without a plan is really only a wish! As an added incentive for people new to My Fitness Kitchen®, by mentioning this Laurel Mountain Post article, you will receive $25 “Kitchen Cash” to be used toward our no-risk, no obligation, 100% money guarantee 30-Day Weight Loss JUMPSTART program at My Fitness Kitchen®, as a courtesy of the Laurel Mountain Post.
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Every Story Begins At Home.
My Fitness Kitchen® is located in Latrobe 30 plaza, Latrobe PA. My Fitness Kitchen® is a weight loss and body transformation center that also happens to have a fitness center connected to it. From the moment you enter My Fitness Kitchen® regardless of your age, fitness level or experience, it’s all about “You.” The supportive staff, welcoming atmosphere, and friendly members combine to create the most unique and comfortable environment for your weight management and fitness success. Whether it is Nutrition, Fitness or both, you can be confident My Fitness Kitchen® is the solution to a healthier and thinner you. ***** About the Author: Meaghan Cutrell My Fitness Kitchen Exercise Psychology Intern, Saint Vincent College Bachelors of Science in Psychology, May 2015
Meaghan is currently completing a Mindfulness Stressed Based Reduction course from University of Massachusetts Mindfulness Center along with applying to graduate schools to compete her Masters of Arts Degree in Health and Sciences. Meaghan’s personal dramatic transformation occurred over ten months with a 40lbs weight loss along with 25 inches over her entire body. This transformation truly inspired her to live a life of mindfulness while expanding her knowledge in the field. Meaghan leveraged the tools implemented at My Fitness Kitchen that assisted in producing extremely successful livable results. Meaghan implemented My Fitness Kitchen’s saying of “The Mind Trumps the Body” by strongly emphasizing daily nutritional coaching and personal training into her weight loss regimen. Weight loss is a science that Meaghan gracefully embraced for long-term management and personal success.
May 2015 - 19
May Flowers:
Southwestern PA Corners the Pageant Market Interview by Megan Fuller Susan Fancsali is 22 years old and the new Miss Pennsylvania. She started entering pageants just three years ago, but impressed the pageant director with her volunteerism, so much so, Susan won the Super Role Model award. Katy Chrisman of Whitehall, PA is this year’s Mrs. Pennsylvania. At 30 years old, she had never entered a pageant prior to this one but she came out a winner! They were happy to share their stories with the Laurel Mountain Post.
(Brian entering the Wealth Management/Finance field, and I in the Medical Device/Supplies industry). Brian and I got married in September 2010, and welcomed our daughter, Charlotte, in April of 2013. She truly is the best thing that ever happened to both of us, and brings a smile to our faces
Please give us a bit of background: where did you grow up? Attend school? What do/did you study?
I grew up in Pleasant Hills, PA just a small borough of two square miles and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. I attended Allegheny Community College for two years and then transferred to California University of Pennsylvania –I will graduate in December of 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management, with a minor in Business Management and a minor in Marketing. While in school, I work in the Academic Records office at Cal U, and I am part time front desk clerk at LA Fitness in Pleasant Hills. I am also a wedding gown model for Wedding Clickers and do modeling for the Mall at Robinson. There I do the KDKA TVTrend Report for the Mall at Robinson on Pittsburgh Today Live. MISS:
I grew up in Castle Rock, CO (which is about an hour south of Denver). I was very involved in sports growing up, which allowed me to earn a Division I Soccer Scholarship to Marshall University in West Virginia. While in school I studied Marketing and Management, and also met my future husband, Brian (who was a student-athlete as well; a pitcher for the baseball team). After graduating from college we moved to the South Hills of Pittsburgh; where Brian was raised. We both began our careers, and started to build a life together MRS:
20 - May 2015
I was never involved in Beauty Pageants growing up; I was more comfortable in cleats with my hair in a ponytail (and still secretly am). I learned about the Mrs. United States system last summer, and after researching the delegates, and requirements, I decided to do something completely outside of my comfort zone–with some second guessing/ reassurance from my husband; I threw my hat in the ring to become Mrs. Pennsylvania United States. I have to say it is still surreal and very humbling holding the State title for such a great state! MRS:
Where and when do you go on to compete? And for what title? MISS: I will compete for the Nation-
Susan Fancsali and Katy Chrismon
every time we think about her. While we were busy with a very independent toddler, I managed to obtain my Master’s in Healthcare Administration before she turned one (crazy- yes). What is the story behind your entry into the pageants? How did you become a contestant and what lead up to your entry? MISS: I only started pageants at 19, so I was not a “seasoned” pageant girl. Many of these young ladies started pageants at a very early age. I had only been in two previous pageants; I was first runner-up in both. I decided to give myself one more try and do the USA National Miss Pageant since I love what they stand for. There are Runway, Interview and Evening gown portions of the competition, and they are very community service-orientated. My official title at the state level is USA National Miss Pennsylvania.
al title at the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Disney World beginning at the end of July. It starts July 27 and ends Aug. 1st. The winner will be the USA National Miss. MRS: I will be competing in Las Vegas,
NV this July for the title of Mrs. United States! This is such a tremendous honor, and I have to admit, I get a little nervous thinking about it already! There will be one delegate from each state, and I cannot wait to be competing with some of the most accomplished, and well-rounded women in the country. What do you hope to accomplish as Miss/Mrs Pennsylvania?
I am focusing on community service and giving back to the state of Pennsylvania, while making our state proud of what I stand for and who I am. I volunteer for the Ronald McDonald House, Special Olympics, and Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. MISS:
I had the opportunity to coach a club soccer team in college with my best friend/teammates. The young MRS:
LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
ladies we coached were 13 when we began coaching them, and are now onto their own careers. I had the chance to make an impact (which I hoped was a positive one) on these young women when I was still figuring out who I was/where I wanted to go in life. I think having a positive effect on today’s youth is priceless, and something I do not take lightly. I am now a mother, and hope to become a role model for my daughter. I want to show her you can be a wife, mother, business woman, and still have the chance to make a difference in your community. I think making my daughter, and young women proud, while being a role model is something (it may sound cliché) that is my top priority.
MRS:
What types of appearances have you been making?
MRS:
I met the Governor of Pennsylvania on Monday, April 13. I also met the Mayor of Pittsburgh this past April 6th and met councilman Corey O’Connor and State Representative Bill Kortz. I recently spoke at a Rotary Club meeting and had the opportunity to ride the Zamboni at a Pens Game! MISS:
MRS: I am involved with Project Linus
(a National Non-Profit Organization) with a local chapter here in Pittsburgh. Project Linus donates handmade quilts and blankets to terminally ill, traumatized and in need children. It is a fantastic association, so I hope to continue to bring awareness to their efforts in the community with my title. I was the Mistress of Ceremonies at St. Elizabeth’s Spring Fashion Show and Fundraiser several weeks ago, and I will be appearing on WPXI in early July. I am anxious to continue to make appearances over the coming months; so if anyone has an event in mind, please reach out to me. I would love to come out and help in any way I can. What is your advice to others who are interested in entering similar competitions? MISS: It is a wonderful opportunity to
build self-confidence, make friendships, and learn about yourself in ways you may have never thought possible. Every Story Begins At Home.
Be confident, and don’t ever doubt what you can accomplish! I think surprising yourself keeps you challenged and growing as an individual. One of my favorite quotes comes from Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t; you’re right”. What are your favorite things about Southwestern Pennsylvania/the Greater Pittsburgh area? How do you carry these things with you to the national competition? MISS: My love of libraries, our famous
Kennywood Park, the Heinz History Center, our sports teams. We have so much to offer here in Southwestern Pennsylvania. I really have enjoyed living in Pennsylvania over the past eight years, and what makes Pittsburgh such a great city is the “small town” feel it embodies. I have found that everyone is connected to one another in some way, but the city continues to grow tremendously, and continues to be one of the top places to live in the country! I really enjoy the importance of family in the Greater Pittsburgh area, and will take these beliefs and mentality with me to Nationals, and throughout my reign.
continued from page 17
will ALWAYS be so very special to me, and I hope to place a screaming baby into her arms one day! What does the future hold for you?
I grew up in Derry, PA. I went to your typical small town USA school and loved being part of a small community. I graduated from Derry Area High School, IUP for college in Nursing, and Shenandoah University in Winchester, VA for Graduate school. I am considering working on my doctorate, but for now I am enjoying watching my children grow up and get married. I have one granddaughter that I got the joy of watching being born. What are the biggest issues facing women today?
The biggest issues facing women is continued misogyny. Women have decreased access to many things and rights in this world. My greatest hope is that women will be respected and treated equally. My greatest issue, personally, is balancing work, family, and faith and trying to do all things well.
Is there anything else you would like to share? MISS: The quote that I truly believe in
is from Walt Disney, while he had many failures, he saw a lot of his dreams come true. So his quote was; “All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.” MRS: I am truly humbled and honored
to be representing the State of Pennsylvania, and excited to make everyone proud in Las Vegas this July! Thank you all for your support, and I appreciate this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself. Please feel free to reach out to me with any requests for appearances: Email: Mrspaunitedstates2015@gmail.com Twitter: @therealmrspaus Facebook: Mrs Pennsylvania United States Pageant Karen, once a glowing mom-to-be. May 2015 - 21
The Land Around You By Gregory H. Clark, PLS National Surveyors Week, first proclaimed in 1984 by the President, is celebrated during the week in March that begins with the 3rd Sunday. Several well-known figures of American history were surveyors including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. Three of the four presidents carved on Mount Rushmore were surveyors. Today, land surveying includes various fields of expertise such as geodetic surveying, hydrographic surveying, construction surveying or boundary surveying. The boundary surveyor must have special knowledge of the law and history of the land wherein he works his trade. At some time in history that patch of land you call home was deeded out of a larger parcel. The larger piece was part of an even bigger tract, and so on. Far back in time we could find the entire world with no boundaries of individual ownership. At one time the land you live on was considered wilderness. Dividing a larger piece of land into two or more smaller parcels is called a land subdivision. The lines separating the individual parcels are called land boundaries. Land boundaries may be described on paper, marked on the ground, or both. Marking a boundary on the ground is the setting of objects like stakes, stones or other monuments at appropriate locations to make obvious to those in the neighborhood when they are stepping from one piece of land onto the next. Each land boundary has its own story dating back to its time of creation. If properly monumented on the ground at time of creation, and if the monuments are preserved, the history of that boundary is preserved. Suppose you own a piece of land and live on the property. It is obvious when someone enters the doorway and into your house that person is on your property. But, exactly where is that line that separates your land from the neighbor? 22 - May 2015
The deed for a parcel of land often includes a written description of the boundaries around the property. Ideally the written description and the markings on the ground agree, but since we do not live in a perfect world this doesn’t always happen. The accuracy of the description compared with the physical location of monuments set by an original surveyor depends on the technology, methods and standards of land measuring at the time the original survey was performed. Methods and tools available to the modern land surveyor are much advanced compared with a century or two ago. A measurement today between two monuments first set in the ground sometime in the past can be accomplished with greater accuracy than at the time of the original survey. Still, surveyors are aware that every measurement contains error but strive to minimize that error to the accepted standards of the time. Monuments on the ground set and recorded at the time of an original survey are more likely to control the location of land boundaries than the dimensions in your deed. • “My deed says I own 28 acres”; which may or may not be true. • “My deed says I own 755 feet back from the road”; which may or may not be true. Original Surveys & Retracement Surveys Land boundary surveyors perform two distinct types of boundary surveys known as either an “original” survey or a “retracement” survey. An original survey is the establishing of boundaries on the land for the first time. The original surveyor walked the ground and identified land boundaries with objects such as stones, posts, pins etc. In the process, the surveyor recorded measurements of direction and distance between the objects. The accuracy of those mea-
surements depended on the tools, methods and technology of the time. A deed was prepared which included a description of the relationship of those objects. Perhaps a map was drawn and included with the deed or filed elsewhere. A retracement survey is the reestablishing of land boundaries first created in the past, which may have been any number of years ago. The retracement surveyor has one primary goal, which is determining the location of those objects on the ground indicating the “footsteps” of the original surveyor. The stone or post or pin mentioned in the records of the original survey controls boundary location. As a surveyor in western Pennsylvania I have found it likely that a retracement distance between objects will be larger compared with the written description from a century ago. The land boundary surveyor often dedicates much time researching information. Investigation might include chain of title to the subject property and adjoining properties, meeting with local residents in search of landmarks or monuments, or analyzing aerial photography. The surveyor investigates the history of the land to help determine boundaries. The original surveyor may have been a person with expertise in land measurement employed to subdivide the land, or may have been the parties to the subdivision meeting on the land and together setting stakes (objects) in the ground to delineate new boundaries. Without appropriate measuring tools and methods it is easy to see how distances may have been estimated or stepped off and those numbers written in a deed description regardless of their accuracy. Today, land subdivisions are often regulated requiring that licensed surveyor’s measure and describe the land. Future retracement surveys of today’s subdivisions will be performed with greater certainty compared with LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
resurveys of subdivisions from the past. Boundary disputes may arise when monuments cannot be found in their original undisturbed locations. The wood post rots, the iron pin rusts away, the stone corner is hidden by a century of leaf debris, or perhaps the farmer found it convenient to remove a stone set by an original survey and use it as foundation for a corn crib. When the objects defining the footsteps of the original surveyor are lost, determining the true boundary location on the land becomes more challenging. Protect, Maintain and Perpetuate Your Boundary Monuments One of the best things a landowner can do to avoid disagreement and dispute with a neighbor regarding land boundary is protect and perpetuate the location of original monuments set on the ground by the original surveyor. Utility companies have been known to disturb corner markers when digging trenches or setting poles in the ground. When clearing land for improvements be sure the equipment operator is aware of any monuments. When acquiring land inquire with the previous owner and neighbors where boundary monuments exist. When passing title to land make sure the new owner is aware of existing boundary markers. A rotting stump may be all that remains of an oak tree boundary monument mentioned in a deed. Before the stump completely disappears it may be wise to perpetuate that location by piling stones or setting an iron stake
Every Story Begins At Home.
at that spot on the ground. A stainless steel pin could be driven into the ground where a pipe set 50 years ago to mark a property corner is now nearly rusted away at ground level. Document any improvement or replacement of monuments with ‘before’ and ‘after’ photographs. Write down a few notes describing the changes. Any record of changes to original monuments is useful to future landowners or surveyors. Ideally these records and notes should be recorded in a public office. You, your children, grandchildren, neighbors and other future landowners will benefit from this effort on your part. The goal is to perpetuate and maintain evidence of the spot on the ground occupied by the original monument. Your boundary is also your neighbor’s boundary. Don’t be shy about sharing with others in your community what you know of land boundary monuments in the neighborhood. Let others know of that stainless steel pin you set at the rusting pipe. Boots on the Ground
of original monuments. It may be necessary to define the perimeter of the parent tract from which your piece was subdivided. Before completing a survey, there may be traverse points scattered in places other than on property lines and corners. After completion, the surveyor can then identify those specific marks and stakes on the grounds that indicate actual boundaries. The landowner should meet with the surveyor in the field to walk the newly surveyed boundaries together. Invite the neighbors to join you. The Undisputable Boundary Speaking in generalities it would seem anything in the world can be disputed. When referring to land boundaries, it should be essentially hopeless to win an argument that a land boundary is in a location other than as marked on the ground by original monuments. True boundaries are those defined by the footsteps of the original surveyor on the ground evidenced by original monuments. *****
If you engage the services of a land surveyor, don’t be surprised to see him in places that seem to make no sense. What is he doing on the neighbor’s hill a half mile away? When performing a retracement survey, the surveyor may need to travel around a good portion of the neighborhood locating evidence
Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors, an affiliate of National Society of Professional Surveyors, is a statewide professional organization that supports the practice of land surveying. The society focuses on providing education, encouraging legislative involvement, enhancing public awareness, and promulgating ethics of the profession. For information about Pennsylvania Society of Land Surveyors, visit www.psls.org; for information about National Society of Professional Surveyors, visit nsps.us.com.
May 2015 - 23
Indiana Office: 724-349-8500 957 Philadelphia St. Indiana, PA 15701
New Alexandria Office: 724-668-5080 412 W. Main St. New Alexandia, PA 15670
Blairsville Office: 724-459-9200 213 E. Market St. Blairsville, PA 15717
New Florence Office: 724-235-3062 213 Ligonier St. New Florence, PA 15944
Marion Center
#1052725 – Very well kept home close to Indiana but in Marion Center School District. Home features 3 bedrooms, 1 3/4 baths, enclosed sunroom, tiered deck with retractable awning and large fenced in back yard. This home has 2 heat sources, electric and gas. Family room in basement has a gas fireplace. Offered at $162,000.
Rural Valley
#1049718 – Enjoy the view & privacy of this unique home situated on 3.08 acres w/3 bdrms, 2 full baths, full basement, custom library, sunroom & wet bar. Red wood decking, large front yard garden. Multiple sky lights, whole house surround sound. Offered at $325,000.
Derry Township
#1043779 – Well-maintained 3-bedroom, 2 full bath ranch, finished basement. Country setting, 2 private acres. Covered patio/parking. 27’ round pool, woodburner and oil tanks. Close to public parking w/ boating, fishing, camping, swimming. Offered at $169,900.
Blairsville
#1042540– Beautiful move-in condition. Could be 6 br. Large rooms, massive entry. Ceramic floors, 2 working fireplaces, nicely landscaped. Back stairs from kitchen to second fl. Walk-in closet, new roof, exterior painted in 2014. Off-street parking and more! Offered at $159,000.
Armaugh
#1051594 – Investors dream. 14.4 +/- acres in United School District. This home has great room sizes with large mud room, 2 car garage and utility garage. Easy access to Route 22. Property sold as is. Offered at $75,000.
Indiana
#1049118 – Beautiful end unit condo in Country Club Estates. Move in condition with large bedrooms. Master bedroom on first floor. Harwood flooring and granite counter tops. Sun room with small deck. Offered at $209,900.
Tunnelton
#1043394 – Split entry 4 bedroom home in Tunnelton near Saltsburg. Living room with fireplace, eat in kitchen with appliances, carpeted bedrooms with db closets, and full bath on upper level.Lower level features paneled family room, laundry area,.5 bath,storage room, 1car garage, covered porch–more! Offered at $118,000.
Brush Valley
#1042386 – Move in condition--Large Rooms, Eat in Remodeled Kitchen-First floor laundry-newer carpeting. Offered at $59,900.
Blairsville
#1050080 – Charming all brick home, immaculate condition. Hardwood floors, Geo Bush kitchen with storage and peninsula,3 bedrooms all with double closets. Bathroom features new large step in shower and ceramic tile, new sink and lighting. Nice sunroom w/patio doors. Space for family room in basement, utility room. Offered at $149,000
Mt. Pleasant
#1045761 – Well-maintained 3 Bedrooms, 2.5 baths, splitentry in Mount Laurel View subdivision. Master en suite. Hardwoods, wall-to-wall carpet, central air. Custom stained glass. Integral garage. Offered at $205,000.
Stony Creek Twp #1043072 – 3 Bedroom home located in Stoneycreek Twp. Well kept with integral two car garage. Large family room and sun porch. Offered at $68,500.
Marion Center
#1037798 – Beautiful old Farm House on +/- 30 acres. Relaxing views of pond from front porch; stroll through orchard on way spring house. 3-br main housew/traditional farm house first floor. Newer 3-car garage with a 1-br apt above. Older bank barn will need attention. Offered at $395,000.
www.HewittRealEstate.net 24 - May 2015
LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
THAT’S WHAT THEY SAY
“How important it is for us to recognize and celebrate our heroes and she-roes!” – Maya Angelou, The Complete Collected Poems
Thought-Provoking Insights on Common Quotations by Rev. Marjorie Rivera
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Heroes and She-roes Mainly, I wanted to cite this quote because Dr. Angelou used the word “She-roes!” Yes, I do realize that the proper word would be heroine, and that hero is technically a genderneutral word. But “She-roes” is just such an awesome expression, and I wanted to write about celebrating what we find miraculous. I took a class once about storytelling. During this class, we were asked to go back in our lives and look for the storytellers. Could we remember who told us the good ones? I looked back in my life, and all roads lead to a particular teacher I had in High School, named Mr. Bartoletti. Mr. Bartoletti was tall and lean with a passion for math. I don’t remember if I was the teacher’s pet or anything like that. I don’t remember having any sort of personal conversations with my teacher either. He was a teacher, and I was a student, nothing extraordinary about our relationship at all except Mr. Bartoletti was an exceptional teacher. He
“ WHERE QUALITY & TISF ACTION CUST OMER SA CUSTOMER SATISF TISFA STILL MATTER! ”
was funny, and I remember laughing through his classes all the time. I was a pretty good student, so let me say that I wasn’t required to take math at all after 10th grade, but I did. I took two maths at all times. I liked math because it has rules. Everything is either cut and dry, right or wrong, and it made sense. There were no gray areas. Mr Bartoletti was able to use his humor and storytelling to help us see the gray areas of life. He was also able to light within me a respect and love of all things math, order, and logic. He also helped me learn how I learn. Experientially. He would teach us a concept and immediately let us apply it. It was then sealed into our noggins. Well, at least I can say it was sealed into mine. When I took the storytelling class, I was in Seminary. “Fellowships of the Spirit” to be more exact, in Lily Dale NY. The foundational pastor there is named Elaine Thomas; she is my mentor and teacher inspiration.
A true Heroine or She-Ro in every sense of the word, Elaine teaches by leading you to your most authentic and powerful self. I have heard it said that the journey from the heart to the head is the length of the Spiritual Journey, I am glad I had a guide on that journey. Her name was Elaine. Elaine helped me learn that people relate to us through our story. When we have been there, and we have navigated the same waters, we learn a thing or two about helping. Thank you to my Hero and She-Ro. The teachers who helped me most, teach with humor and teach with heart. To celebrate them, I also teach with humor and heart. So, dear readers, who are your Heroes and She-Roes? What did they teach you? How do you celebrate them? I celebrate by being thankful for the lessons, and trying to be a good teacher and an inspirational minister. I think Dr. Angelou would be proud. She is a She-ro too.
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Every Story Begins At Home.
May 2015 - 25
HOME STUDY by Brian Mishler
New Help for Vermiculite Asbestos Remediation In many regions of our country, home inspectors charge an additional fee for “older” homes – those over 60 years old. When I talk to those inspectors it makes me smile; with the housing stock in our area what it is, I’d have to charge extra on 90% of my inspections. Alas, there will be no old home fee in my foreseeable future. The oldest home that I’ve ever inspected was built in 1773, and that’s one of the things I love about home inspection – seeing history through construction. Most of us live in the moment – and our house – without giving much consideration to times past or the condition of our own home when it was built. We don’t stop to think that pioneers of the 1700s, 1800’s and early 1900’s didn’t build most of their homes with the intention that they would still be standing over 200 years later. They were simply building shelter for their family while at the same time trying to provide food, defend from wild animals and anything or anyone else with mal-intent. Electricity? Indoor plumbing? Central heat? Not even heard of. Some creative types did manage to put a well or spring in the stone foundation basement, so they didn’t have to go too far or put themselves at risk to fetch water. However, many put the outhouse or latrine too close to their drinking water source, as they didn’t have an understanding of bacteria. If you google a picture of Ben Franklin’s house, please note his well and outhouse are 10 feet apart! To this day, few have an understanding of how subterranean water moves. We assume if the water source (well, etc.) is higher than the septic (sewer) we’re OK, but forget that the rock strata below ground may move in the oppo26 - May 2015
site direction. But that’s a topic for another day. In the early 1900’s, and nearly simultaneously, we added electricity and indoor plumbing. A guy by the name of Thomas Edison had devised a way to create an electrical grid and deliver it into homes. The light bulb was the high tech invention of the day. But there were other less-noted, but equally important inventions: such as reliable piping, made of lead, steel, and clay. We started putting one outlet per room and one light fixture. Who needed more? We didn’t have anything to plug into them anyway! The flush toilet made its debut; we no longer had to go outside, an especially exciting development in the colder climates. The 1940’s and WWII ushered in a whole new era of technology; the invention of plastic, an exploding population, and an ever-increasing demand for comfort and permanence brought about changes to construction at an exponential rate. A material that had been discovered in the early 1900’s made a very large appearance in the construction industry, as it was very durable, and had the best heat resistance known. It could be purchased in any hardware store, and was a primary component in roofing material, siding, flooring, and a wide variety of insulation materials. Today, that material – asbestos– can strike fear into the hearts of buyers, sellers and realtors alike. We’ve all seen the television ads about the lung cancer caused by asbestos, and the people it has affected. Like most fears, a little information can go a long way in abating the fear, and its source. Most of the building materials that contain asbestos are not
a risk in their intended state. Roofing, flooring and siding materials, so long as they are intact and not “friable,” are not considered to be a risk. However if these materials are damaged, or are in need of replacement, removal or repair has the potential to release asbestos fibers into the air, potentially causing a risk to the occupants of the house – or the neighborhood. Therefore, knowing it’s there, and knowing how to handle it, is crucial. Insulation is a bit different. Most of the insulation of this era will be in some state of decay, it may be loose, and can be “friable” – fragile to the point where fibers can easily and possibly inadvertently released. Asbestos insulation was used as pipe wrap on hot water heating systems, duct tape/wrap on forced air systems, and a hard sheet plate was used as a fire stop above some furnaces and other heating systems. Sometimes we come across materials that are labeled: left over boxes of flooring, roofing or siding tiles, or a label on the pipe wrap touting the presence of asbestos. At the time it was a selling feature – give us an easy way to identify the material. Otherwise laboratory testing is prudent; the cost of proper asbestos remediation is high. If it isn’t present, there can be great cost savings. If it is present, proper handling can preserve lives. A cousin of asbestos, vermiculite was and is today a popular insulation and potting material. Just like asbestos, vermiculite is a naturally-occurring mineral that is mined. It, however, does not have the small fibers that can get trapped in lungs and cause the cancers we know. However, much of the vermiculite produced from 1919 through 1990 was LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
produced by the Libby mine in Montana. The operators of that mine carelessly mined the vermiculite, and in the process of doing so, also extracted asbestos which was mixed in with their vermiculite product. While not all vermiculite contains asbestos, because the Libby mine was estimated to be the source of over 70 percent of all vermiculite sold in the United States between 1919 to the mid 80’s, and vermiculite from Libby was contaminated with asbestos, it is prudent to treat it as though it does. Most of this vermiculite insulation was sold and distributed under the brand name “Zonolite.” Caution should also be exercised as this insulation may have been poured into wall cavities, and can be hidden under batt insulation. The good news is that last year the W.R. Grace company, owners of the Libby mine, reached a settlement creating a trust fund to help home and business owners with the cost of vermiculite removal and replacement. The Zonolite Attic Insulation Trust has a website, zonoliteatticinsulation.com, where folks can go to file a claim; and upon doing so, have a sample of their insulation tested for free. There are specific protocols for sampling, and the sample should be removed with great care, as asbestos fibers can be released into the air. Asbestos is but one example of a material once commonly used in homes that later was discovered to be a problem. Education is the key to overcoming such obstacles, and if you’re concerned that you may have other asbestos materials, the EPA has websites where you can get information on how to mitigate the risks associated with this material. www2.epa.gov/asbestos www2.epa.gov/asbestos/ protect-your-family-asbestoscontaminated-vermiculite-insulation You might ask why or how I can advise a person to be calm in the face of this type of potential monetary/physical risk? How could we have been so foolish to permit the use of this material? The simple answer is that we consuEvery Story Begins At Home.
Attic floor filled with vermiculite.
mers demand the best there is available, and we are not willing to bear the cost of seemingly endless testing. There are probably construction products on the market today that, just like our forefathers, our children will be asking the same questions in the future. With progress comes risk. Unacceptable you say? Look at the safety devices in the cars of the 1960’s vs. today. Or at the controversy currently surrounding the use of cell phones up against one’s head, or the texting and driving problem that is currently claiming over 4,000 teen lives every year, as it causes 1.3 million accidents. (Ironically enough, I could not find statistics on how many ADULTS are killed.) Who didn’t see this coming? A solution will be found,
and there are some being tried, but in the meantime, we must educate ourselves and take precautions. ***** Brian Mishler is the owner of HomeStudy Inc., and a 20-year veteran home inspector. He began performing home inspection after 15 years in the construction industry convinced him that his body wasn’t made for hard labor. Brian is the former president of the Pittsburgh Regional Organization of the American Society of Home Inspectors (PRO-ASHI), and currently sits on the board of Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, a nonprofit that rehabilitates homes for disadvantaged seniors and veterans, assisting them with prerenovation inspection and selection. Brian also teaches a variety of real estate-related classes, and has mentored others seeking to become home inspectors. He currently resides in Latrobe, with his better half, Carol, their Boston terrier Gizmo, three cats, and three transient college students. When spare time is to be had, Brian can be found on a motorcycle, in a kayak, or hiking in the area. He can be reached at brian@homestudyinc.com.
WCHS Trip to Historic Harpers Ferry, West Virginia The Westmoreland County Historical Society is sponsoring a day-long motor coach trip from Greensburg to the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park on Saturday, June 20 th . Upon arrival, a certified Park Guide will provide an in-depth private tour of Harpers Ferry including battlefield areas and significant historic locations in the park. The comprehensive park tour, lasting 2 ½ hours, will interpret all themes, including geography & natural history, the John Brown Raid & the Civil War, Storer College, the Niagara Movement, the freedom movement, waterpower & industry. After a delicious lunch at the charming Anvil restaurant, the group will return to historic Lower Town where free time will be available to explore several museums, the bookshop, as well as many unique gift shops. On the return route to Greensburg, the motor coach will stop for dinner (on your own) at the Bob Evans Restaurant in Breezewood. The group will leave from the Greensburg Walmart parking lot at 6 AM and return the same day by approximately 9 PM. Cost for the trip is $80 for WCHS members and $90 for nonmembers. Nonrefundable reservations are due by May 31st. Seating is limited. Visit westmorelandhistory.org for complete details, or call the Westmoreland County Historical Society to make a reservation at 724-532-1935, ext.210.
May 2015 - 27
WRITE LOCAL by Krista Sarraf
8 Reasons You Should Finally Try Yoga … and Bring Your Notebook with You You’ve heard of the health benefits of yoga: improved flexibility, lower blood pressure, better posture (the list goes on). Yet, something holds you back from buying those stretchy pants and heading to your nearby yoga studio. I can relate. Luckily, I found a way to integrate my passion for writing into my exercise regimen, and I’ve found a renewed desire to hit the mat. When I imagine a yoga class, I picture a group of ultra-fit young professionals holding their arms high as they strike a ninja like pose – and hold it for 90 seconds. It can be intimidating to say the least. Often, we restrict ourselves from trying something new – like yoga – because we don’t think we’ll fit in. We criticize ourselves: “I’m too old. I’m not flexible enough. I’m not athletic.” What if we could try a yoga experience that challenged the stereotypes? Imagine a yoga class with people of all ages. Unusual scents and sights fill the room. Your head rests on a pillow and none of the poses hurt. Notebooks rest at each mat’s edge. You hold a pose and break to write what-ever comes to mind. This is the kind of yoga experience that restores your body and mind. A scholar named Barbara Stoler Miller once said, “The aim of yoga is to eliminate the control that material nature exerts over the human spirit, to rediscover through introspective practice what the poet T.S. Eliot called the still point of the turning world.” 28 - May 2015
Yoga, then, intends to deepen your self-awareness. Journal writing also deepens selfawareness. “Journal writing is a voyage to the interior,” wrote Seattle resident Christina Baldwin, author of
Journal Writing as Spiritual Quest. Maybe journaling and yoga have more in common than expected. In fact, you may benefit from bringing your journal to yoga class. Here are eight reasons to get out the notebook and the mat and get started today. 1.Re-discover your inner child. Summer is upon us. Soon, we’ll be spending days at Idlewild, spitting watermelon seeds, and enjoying lazy evenings on our porches. Children will block off streets for hockey games, families will enjoy fresh farmer’s market produce, and we’ll be nursing our baseball game sunburns. As long days
encourage us to relax, we rediscover our inner-child. You can also discover your inner child on the yoga mat. A student in Write Local’s Reflective Yoga & Writing workshop captured this thought during the session: “Yoga– my first experience with it, and you know where it took me? It took me here: that sweet memory of what it felt like as a little child leaning everything I had into my mother. Pressing towards her heart” (Marcia Speicher). There is something profoundly sacred about contorting our bodies into comfortable poses. We are restored to our former, innocent state. 2. Ignite your senses. My yoga mat neighbor, Jaynee, wrote during one journaling break, “Relaxing ... I purely feel the gentleness of this area. The soft sounds, the smells of freshlybrewed coffee and a complete feeling of “being.” Indeed, yoga can waken your senses and deeply bond you to your environment. We had our workshop at Latrobe Art Center, and I remember looking up at the paintings at one point and noticing a beautiful canvas with purple and pink paint dripping down it. I connected with the image in that moment; all this while we stretched our backs and let the stress melt away. 3. Deal with your past. When we journal, we label our emotions. This allows us to heal past wounds. According to Dr. James Pennebaker, a LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
researcher from the University of Texas, “Writing forces people to stop and reevaluate their life circumstance. The mere act of writing also demands a certain degree of structure as well as the basic labeling or acknowledging of their emotions” (Pennebaker 23).
4. Keep your writing private. Occasionally, I speak with potential writing students who hesitate to attend events because they don’t want to share their work. If this sounds like you, journaling is the perfect outlet to explore your thoughts but keep them private. That’s a good thing, since research suggests that writing about difficult subjects can benefit our health. Writing “about emotional upheavals can result in healthy improvements in social, psychological, behavioral, and biological functioning” (Pennebaker 3).
5. Suspend judgement of yourself and others. Fifteen years ago, I wrote without considering the quality of my work. Now, I find it difficult to retreat to a non-judgmental place as a writer. What a way to live! Yoga, particularly its focus on breathing, offers me a way out of this. According to one practitioner, “Attending to the energy of the breath attunes us to the flow of our emotional states because it requires us to be in the present moment and to judge ourselves less harshly as a result” (Wenger 38).
Every Story Begins At Home.
6. Get past writer’s block. As I closed my eyes and brought my attention to the flow of air through my body, I found myself slipping into a restful, safe place. When we gently woke ourselves to journal, I found words flowing. Jaynee captured this idea of nonjudgmental peace: “I often wondered about the deep affect such inspiration, peace and relaxation would have on my writing ... now the words will not stop. They flow out, in no particular structure, freely moving through my heart, as the nourishing blood and oxygen it requires. I am mindfully aware that my thoughts and words occupy a space alongside, and flowing with, the life supply of my mere being.” 7. Increase your concentration. A key component of yoga is to center your mind through breathing. When we breathe deeply, we learn to “concentrate on the present moment and to be attentive to our embodied needs in it” (34). It’s natural, then, that yoga can help us to focus on writing for longer periods of time. In our session, we easily wrote for 15 to 20 minutes without losing focus. 8. Be deeply inspired. Bringing our journals to yoga class left us motivated to write more. I’d like to share one last excerpt from my mat neighbor, Jaynee: “No rush, no pressure – just passion for what I feel and the freedom to employ a simple medium
to share these gentle thoughts with myself. We are all led in directions, that we unknowingly require, for our own depth of life and soul. This quiet morning with acquaintances, who now strangely seem like friends ... together ... I feel gratitude for the gift of inspiration of this day. I am blessed.” These are some of the many benefits I enjoyed through our yoga and writing workshop. What value will you find? If you are interested in experiencing the health benefits of journal writing, Graceful Aging Wellness Center in Ligonier is offering a Journal for Wellness class through Write Local on May 19 from 5:00-6:30 PM. You’ll learn how exactly journaling helps keep you healthy, and you’ll try some expressive writing of your own.
***** After working and studying in Virginia for 10 years, Krista Speicher Sarraf, originally from Donegal, PA, now lives in Latrobe where she teaches composition and critical thinking at Seton Hill University and Westmoreland County Community College. Additionally, she writes poems and stories and is currently working on her first novel. Krista is a founder of Write Local, a literacy initiative that inspires young writers to think creatively and innovate locally. Write Local’s featured May events include the Academy for Writers and Entrepreneurs Open House (with a free class) at Ligonier Valley YMCA on May 16 from 1:00-2:30 PM and Journal for Wellness on May 19 from 5:00-6:30 PM at Graceful Aging Wellness Center.Visit writelocal.org/events or call 724-691-4864 to enroll.
May 2015 - 29
Moms Know How to Party! by Carol Whelan Growing up, every night there were ten people sitting around our dining room table, assuming none of us had invited friends and unexpected guests hadn’t surprised us with a visit. We grew up right on Lake Erie, had a boat, horse, and acres of woods behind our home for hours/days/months of endless entertainment! Looking back I can’t help to wonder what people were thinking, dropping in on such a large family at dinner time. She, my mother, was so gracious we never suspected the amount of work and creativity it took to feed all of us. Even though there were so many, my parents were sticklers on manners. You dressed for dinner (of course as you looked around the table there were several of us with wet swimsuits leaking through our dinner clothes), had clean hands and faces, napkins on our laps, no elbows on the table, never took a bite until our mother was seated and grace was said. Grace before dinner was critical, especially when guests were joining us, certainly good to give thanks but it was the three letters that may follow grace we were all hanging on for ... Amen, followed by F.H.B. ... ugh….the dreaded FHB! When there were more people than my mother had prepared for she would follow grace with those horrible letters! Our guests believed it to be something spiritual I guess, but in all actuality it was just the opposite to we children ... it stood for Family Hold Back! Meaning don’t take very much food when passed to you! Of course it was always on the nights of our favorite meals, probably the only time in our lives we would have such an amazing spread in front of us only to be denied by these strangers, gobbling up our food! Whyyyyyy? I may seem overly dramatic, but as a little girl I already had to fight too many big brothers for my share of table scraps, I certainly didn’t approve of these gobblers eating the remainder of what was rightfully mine! 30 - May 2015
Lessons learned back in those days will forever stay with me. No cable television, (although I often kid that my father had the very first remote controlled television ... he would holler for one of us to come, and when we arrived, he would tell us to turn the channel and adjust the rabbit ears without ever having to get out of his chair! Ingenious!), no computers, cell phones (my eldest brother and his best friend did have soup can phones though), or any other creativity crushing device ... we had each other, friends, and our over active imaginations! Oh and an exceptionally patient mother!
Photo by Jodie Johnson, 123rf.com
As Mother’s Day approaches I am overwhelmed with memories of how incredible my dear mom has lived her life. Now at 88 years old she is slowly leaving us, but again not without being an example of dignity and grace. Through my years she has shown me how to be kind and tolerant. How to ignore the small mistakes and laugh at the big ones. Given me advice that has made me want to be a better woman and parent. Cook, clean, and get almost any stain out of any thing. And if we were going to add chapters and stories to the Bible one day, I
think there should be one about how a woman could make a single chicken breast feed fourteen people with only her imagination, milk and a can of soup! (Well maybe it won’t be in THE Bible, but if someone ever writes a mom bible, then for sure it should make the cut!) A most treasured gift she instilled in me is my desire to entertain. Entertain the way she did. People loved coming to our home because they always felt welcomed, wanted, expected! They never knew any differently (how could they); she hugged them when they arrived, insisted that they stay, and made them promise they would come back as they prepared to leave. Of course with so many people coming and going, so many children to tend to; oh, and my parents owned their own business of which she did all of the accounting–she was not without hiccups. She should have written a book on “how to solve any entertainment crisis, and hints to make life easier when raising a mob!” I leave you with some of the most brilliant tips for outdoor entertaining I learned from my mother and through my own years of experience in the hopes that through these hints it will help take the stress out of your gatherings and put a little more joy into your day, because that’s what moms do! How Much Food Do I Need? As a rule of thumb you need a serving and a half of your Main Dish for every guest; Side Dishes, about one and a half cups; Appetizers before a meal, about 6pcs per guest– but if you are not serving a meal then double that. Vegetable Platters, one for every 10-12 guests; the same holds true for a fruit tray. Alcoholic Drinks, figure 1-2 drinks per guest per hour. Wine, 3 bottles for every four wine drinkers. Outdoor Entertaining Tips: When serving punch outdoors, use a large ice block vs cubes: it melts slower and won’t dilute your drink as quickly. LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
Another cute idea for punch bowls is to soak lemons, oranges, and limes in food coloring; then freeze and float them in your bowl. Freeze edible flowers (begonias, day lilies, fuchsia, gladiolus, jasmine) in your ice cubes to serve in drinks or put in a clear ice bucket. Another trick is to slide your punch bowl inside of another clear bowl and place the ice cubes between them, keeping your drink from watering down. Consider freezing water balloons and putting them in your coolers. Labels will stay on your bottles, and it’s not as uncomfortable to put your hands into. Tie bottle openers to your drink coolers/tubs, as not everyone has the strength to twist off the caps. Pre-scoop your ice cream and place in a muffin/cupcake pan back into your freezer; it won’t melt while you’re scooping, you’ll stay cleaner, and it will save you time during the party. Place glow sticks into your ice buckets and coolers just as it’s getting to be dusk, these make things easier to find, and are a very cute inexpensive effect. I actually love glow sticks; they are great for outdoor evening parties and work in water. Consider filling water balloons and placing one inside; then scatter them around your porch and pool. Mason jars are such a big thing right now. Punch a hole in the top and place your straw in to keep bugs out of your drinks; or if you are using other cups/glasses, pop a hole into the bottom of a cupcake liner, turn it upside down and slide over a straw. This is also effective and cute to keep pests from flying into your guests’ drinks. Cupcake liners are also good to slide over popsicle sticks, they will catch the sticky mess as it melts. On the subject of fun things to eat outside, remember to slide a mini marshmallow down inside your ice cream cone before adding your scoops to stop the cone from dripping (the type of cone should determine what size marshmallow you will need.) Always make certain you have sunscreen, something in case of bee stings, bug spray, a shady spot/ umbrella, and plenty of water. Keep flies at bay by cutting a lemon in half and adding cloves to it –then set out in small desert bowls about 30 min before food will be going on the table. Large parties need a great many coolers, so consider blowing up or using a small child’s pool filled with ice (or frozen water balloons) for your drinks. Cut a watermelon in half and use that as your punch bowl. Feel free to drop me an email if you have any questions about these ideas or would like me to help you brain storm, I’d be so happy to pass along my ideas and hear some of yours! Wishing you the happiest of entertaining!
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“My mom is a never-ending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune.’’ – Graycie Harmon In addition to being the proud mother of three amazing children, Carol Whelan is also a corporate and non-profit event coordinator (relaxedevents.net), and the proprietor of Fairy Godmothers 3, a vacation home concierge service (724-532-0436). Carol resides with her soul mate, Brian, her favorite four-legged child, Gizmo (all the two legged ones have moved out), and two spoiled cats in Latrobe. Email Carol at: carolwhelanevents@aol.com
Every Story Begins At Home.
This advertisement sponsored by The Toy Box and The Twisted Vine of Ligonier
May 2015 - 31
Muddy Mayhem by Drew Williams The following is Part 1 of a three-part short story about one man getting really dirty . . .
Pausing in her game of Trivia Crack, Sheila looked up from her laptop. “You’re doing what?” she asked me. “A mud run,” I replied. “The Muddy Mayhem. It’s an obstacle course out at some farm in Kittanning at the end of the month. I’m going to do it it with some guys from work.” I could tell from the look on Sheila’s face that she was not as enthused about the prospect of me running through some muddy field as I was. “It’s for charity,” I added sheepishly when she didn’t respond. She pursed her lips slightly and shook her head, a gesture I knew she reserved for judgment of what she liked to call my brain-dead ideas. “Muddy Mayhem,” she said as her fingers slid across the keyboard. “And how exactly did you come up with this?” “Some of the guys at work do this every year,” I began. “And they have these four man teams that raise money for charity.” I paused, hoping that the charity angle might soften Sheila’s attitude, but she didn’t even look at me as her fingers kept plucking away at the keyboard. “Well, one of the guys on Tom Kreiger’s team broke his leg last week, and Tom asked if I wanted to take his place.” “And you said yes,” Sheila said, finally looking up at me. I shrugged. ‘What was I supposed to say? They need four guys to compete as a team, and today was the last day they could make a substitution so Tom asked me if I wanted to do it. What’s the big deal?” I said. “It’s for charity, after all.” Sheila allowed herself a slight chuckle. “So you’ve said. And how long is this mud run thing?” I confessed that I didn’t know. “I forgot to ask,” I said, quickly adding, “I don’t think it’s too far.” 32 - May 2015
“Right,” she said, shaking her head. “And the obstacles? What are they like, or did you forget to ask Tom Kreiger about that too?” From my silence she correctly concluded I had forgotten that too. “Come here.” She patted the cushion next to her and motioned for me to sit. Once on the couch Sheila turned her computer toward me. “Muddy Mayhem 2015,” she read from the screen. “Get ready for the wildest day of your life! Twenty grueling obstacles over five miles of mud, muck and mayhem!” She pushed the computer toward me. “Did you even think of what you were getting yourself into, David? Twenty obstacles, five miles. And look at the list of obstacles.” She scrolled down the page and began to read. “The barbed-wire crawl. That sounds like fun. And how about this, The flaming pit of pain. Oh, and here’s a good one. The wall of death.” She rolled her eyes and laughed. “I love you,” she said, taking my hand in hers. “But there is no way you’re going to do this. You are 48 years old and weigh about 230 pounds.” I wanted to correct her and tell her I weighed 225, but I didn’t. I just sat in silence. “You have to be in pretty good shape to do something like this. Tom Kreiger runs marathons and the closest you come to exercising is playing Texas Hold-em on dollar draft nights at O’Mally’s pub. And now,” she said, squeezing my hand for emphasis, “you want to run through the ‘flaming pit of pain’ and climb the ‘wall of death.’ I don’t think so.” Sheila was right, of course. Now that I saw what the mud run entailed, I had no desire to crawl under barbedwire or run through flaming barbecue pits. As I scanned through the Muddy Mayhem website looking at the pictures of the grinning and toned men and women navigating the various obstacles, I knew I was in nowhere
near the kind of shape I needed to be in to do something like that. It had been over twenty years since I had jogged or done anything remotely athletic. Though every New Year’s Day I vowed this was the year I was going to lose weight and get in shape, by the end of the second week of January I was back to my couch potato ways. I had become a happy, middle-aged non-athlete and was perfectly content with things remaining that way. I handed Sheila her computer and stood up. “We’ll see.” “What do you mean by that?” she said as I was walking away. “It means that I might want to try climbing the wall of death,” I said. “Did you ever think of that? This might be something I actually want to try.” I don’t know why, but at that moment running the Muddy Mayhem seemed like the most important thing in the world to me. Maybe it was because for the first time in my adult life someone had asked me to be on a team. Or maybe it was because my wife didn’t think I could do it, and I wanted to prove her wrong. Or maybe I was going through a mid-life crisis, and since I couldn’t afford a new sports car, I would try my hand at some crazy endurance race. Whatever the reason, I was going to do it. “It might be fun getting all muddy and acting like a kid again. Besides,” I added. “I already told Tom I would do it. He’s counting on me.” Sheila gave me a puzzled look and sighed. “You’re serious,” she said. “You’re really going to go through with this.” When I nodded she turned her attention back to her computer and her game. “Your funeral,” she said. ***** The next morning my enthusiasm for doing the run had already diminished. The ramifications of running five miles in the mud for an out of LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
shape guy like me were beginning to sink in. All night I kept imagining the varieties of injuries I was exposing myself to. I could get caught in the barbed-wire pit and have to get stitches; or accidently hang myself on the cargo net climb. I just knew that somewhere on the five mile course I was going to twist an ankle or break an arm. Or worse, I could have a heart attack half way up the Wall of Death, and then it really would be my funeral. No matter what, I just knew it was going to hurt. But despite my worries, I slipped into my old sweat pants and laced up my sneakers. I had three weeks to whip myself into shape, so there was no time to lose. I finished dressing and went to the kitchen where Sheila was sitting in her bathrobe reading the paper. “Morning,” she said. “You want some coffee?” “Maybe later. I’m going out for a run.” “Ah, that explains it.” She took a sip from her coffee mug while eyeing my make-shift athletic apparel. “Very sporty. So how far are you planning on running this morning?” I told her my plan to run three miles a day for the first week and then add a mile each week until the day of the race. “And I’m finally going to use that free 30-day pass to the gym I won at music bingo last fall.” “I’d forgotten about that. Good idea,” she said, returning her attention back to the newspaper. “Have fun.” “I will,” I promised and headed out the front door. It was a little cool for the first Saturday in May, but perfect weather to start preparing for the Muddy Mayhem. I did a few stretches on the porch, a few deep knee bends and flapped my arms around like I had seen Michael Phelps do in the Olympics. As I bent and twisted to loosen up, I started to hum a medley of songs from inspirational sports movies. I started with the theme from Rocky which quickly morphed into “Eye of the Tiger,” and then the theme from Star Wars. Not really a sports movie, but it seemed appropriate. By the time
I got to the music from Chariots of Fire I was ready to run. I really didn’t have a plan for that first run. I thought I would just start off with a pace that was somewhere between a jog and a run and just keep going as long as I could. When I got tired I would slow down for a few seconds to catch my breath and then pick my pace back up again. Confident that I would be able to complete the three-mile loop around my neighborhood I had scouted out the night before, I stepped off my porch and began running. The first thirty seconds were relatively pain free, but after a minute or so of what could only be described as a shuffling waddle, it felt as if my calves were on fire. Obviously I had started off too fast, so I slowed to a more manageable crawl – but that did nothing to alleviate the pain. Only now the soles of my feet were aching and my left knee was making a funny clicking sound. I tried to ignore the pain by replaying the theme from Rocky in my head, but that didn’t work as the agony of my feet moved up my shins and into my thighs. But I kept pushing on, passing my neighbors’ houses in a slow deliberate shuffle. Finally, when I could hardly breathe, and the burning cramps in my calves became too much to bear, I stopped and glanced at my watch. I had been running for three minutes
and had yet to even get out of my block. I groaned and glanced over my shoulder. My house was still clearly visible at the end of the street, as was Sheila watching me from the front porch. I quickly straightened up a bit and gave her a brisk wave. When she waved back I pointed downward toward my feet, then bent over and pantomimed tying my right shoe. Just for added effect, I acted as if the left one needed tying too. Once done, I waved again and then turned and hurried to the end of the block as fast as my screaming legs could take me. I don’t know how long Sheila watched me, but I made sure that I turned the corner at the end of the road so that the house was out of sight before I stopped. On my first run I was barely able to shuffle along for four minutes before my body gave out on me. Judging from where I stopped, I estimated that I had gone less than a quarter of a mile. I looked down the road to where the flat portion begins a gradual, twisting incline. When I had mapped out the three-mile course in my car the night before, I thought it might make for a pleasant run through the treelined lanes of our suburban neighborhood. Now I imagined the next twoplus miles as a mindfield of pot holes and endless hills that I was going to have to force my aching body to cover. Or I could turn around and go back; admit to Sheila that she was right and continued on page 35
Every Story Begins At Home.
May 2015 - 33
Writing a Trilogy – Why or Why Not By Judith Redline Coopey A word of advice from a slow learner: never announce that you intend to write a trilogy before you’ve actually written the trilogy. Mine, The Juniata Iron Trilogy, started out as what will eventually be Volume Three. Actually, it started out as a desire to write something inspired by the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. I loved that book for its array of eccentric and memorable characters. So with that in mind, I started to develop my own set of strange beings, delving into my memory of the 1950s in rural western Pennsylvania. A gun enthusiast who shot out of his upstairs window at targets across the road as cars whizzed by. An eastern European immigrant whose command of English was just about non-existent, raising three kids on his own after his wife died. A crazy dare-devil kid trying to wring every last thrill out of his young life before tuberculosis took him down. A kind, unmarried woman dedicating her life to caring for her father and two bachelor brothers, finding joy in her collection of African Violets. For these and other characters, I turned for further inspiration to a place near where I grew up in rural Pennsylvania. The place was Mt Etna, a lost soul of a community when I was growing up, more than 50 years ago, and barely a distant memory now. In the 1950s, Mt Etna was a collection of run-down former workers’ houses strung out along the Juniata River: remnants of a once prosperous and energetic iron plantation. As a youth, I passed through Mt Etna every day, not even curious as to its origins and former glory. All I knew was that the place was derelict, and the people who lived there were poor. Mt Etna in the 1950s was fertile ground for a collection of eccentrics, so I started there and went my merry 34 - May 2015
way, writing a little from memory and a little from imagination. What happened along the way to divert me from a single volume to a trilogy was curiosity. What had Mt Etna really been like back in its nineteenth century heyday? How and why had it come along at all? For an historical novelist those how and why questions are the essence of why we write. Our curiosity
This beautiful, old, stone bank barn was part of the Mt. Etna Iron works. It housed a hundred mules at one time!
leads us down roads we never imagined existed to destinations far from where we thought we were going. So to answer the how and the why, I began researching Mt Etna. Now this was a tiny hamlet, never more than about 300 to 350 people, and it’s been nothing more than a ruin for the past 30 or 40 years. So where was I going to find out anything about it? Enter the internet. That’s right. Amazing as it seems, I found a treasure trove of information about Mt Etna’s history at the Historic American Engineering
Record, HAER No. PA-224. There it was, all laid out before me – narrative, maps, drawings, a solid historical account of The Mt Etna Iron Works. Add to that local historical societies: Blair County Historical Society, Huntingdon County Historical Society, and local newspaper archives. I love local historical societies. They preserve so much that would be lost– simply by collecting, cataloguing and keeping. Someone has to do that! And they do it without compensation for years. So, armed with plenty of historical fact and what is still left of the buildings (including the furnace itself), the manor house (now under-going restoration), the company store, a tenant house, three log workers’ cabins, and a huge stone bank barn, I became familiar with the place again. Only this time I paid attention. For me, the story always emerges out of the research. I read and study and think about the time and place until I think I know it, and then I wait for the story to make its way out of the jumbled mass. Once I had familiarized myself with the actual history of Mt Etna, I knew there was more than one book here. I’ve always loved family sagas, where the reader gets to follow the ebb and flow of a family’s fortunes, so I opted for a trilogy about the MacPhail family, purely fictional, but true to time and place. So that’s how I got to writing a trilogy from the wrong end. The first volume, The Furnace, came out in the fall of 2014. Volume Two, tentatively titled The Brothers, is due this fall, and Volume Three should follow in 2016. Writing the first volume came fairly easily once I’d studied the history of the place; and when launched in October 2014, it quickly claimed its place among readers. The only problem was, once they read volume one, they clamored for volume two, and I LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
hadn’t even written it yet. Having done such extensive research (and having established time, place and a cast of characters), it should have been easy to slip right into volume two. Well, it was, but… the pressure was on. Could I keep up the tension? Could I shepherd this family through another generation? Could I keep my readers happy and looking forward to volume three? Who knows? All a writer can do is write. And hope. So I jumped into volume two, and at this writing the first draft is simmering on the back burner. I’ll leave it there for a month or two before I begin the revision process. It feels pretty good right now, but that will be for the readers to decide. Volume three is already half written. I know where this is going, and where it ends, but the pressure is still on to produce a good story well told – my ultimate goal. Which brings me back to where this blog began. If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s this: don’t ever tell the world you are writing a trilogy until you’ve written a trilogy. The pressure can be deadly, and I’m up for it; but after this, I think I’ll go back to writing one book at a time! This article was originally published as a guest blog post at www.hf-connection.com (Historical Fiction Connection), March 30, 2015. ***** Judith Redline Coopey, born in Altoona, PA holds degrees from the Pennsylvania State University and Arizona State University. A passion for history inherited from her father drives her writing and a love for Pennsylvania sustains it. Her first book, Redfield Farm was the story of the Underground Railroad in Bedford County, Pennsylvania. The second, Waterproof, tells how the 1889 Johnstown Flood nearly destroyed a whole city and one young woman’s life. Looking For Jane is a quest for love and family in the 1890s brought to life through the eyes of Nell, a young girl convinced that Calamity Jane is her mother. Her most recent work, The Furnace: Volume One of the Juniata Iron Trilogy, is set on an iron plantation near where she grew up and tells the story of an ill-conceived marriage of convenience as it plays out over a lifetime. As a teacher, writer and student of history, Ms. Coopey finds her inspiration in the rich history of her native state and in stories of the lives of those who have gone before. For more information please visit her website JudithRedlineCoopey.com. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Every Story Begins At Home.
continued from page 33
spare myself the torture of trying to push my body to its limits just to run in some muddy field with a bunch of strangers. It wasn’t worth it, I thought. Even if it was for charity. After all, there was no shame in being a couch potato, I just had to admit it to myself. I would simply tell Tom that I wasn’t going to do it, and he would have to find someone else to be on his team. It would be easy. But even as my brain was coming up with excuses why I should give up and quit this lunacy before I ended up in the back of some ambulance, the pain in my leg started to subside, and I was able to catch my breath. I took a few tentative steps forward and then a few more. By the time I reached the point where the road started to incline I was shuffling along in a slow half-walk, half-waddling gait that I am sure would have looked ridiculous to any-one who happened to pass by. But I was moving forward again, and that’s all that mattered. It took me fifty-five minutes to cover the entire three miles with my odd walk and foot-shuffle method. When I staggered through my front door my knees were shaking, and my legs felt like rubber. I plopped myself on the couch more exhausted than I had been in a long, long time. Hearing me come in, Shelia called from the upstairs bedroom. “How did it go?” “A little tougher than I expected,” I answered. “But I made it.” To be continued ... (Part 2 coming in the June 2015 issue) Originally from McKeesport, and a graduate of both Slippery Rock (BS and MS) and IUP (PhD), Drew Williams is a Professor of English Literature at North Carolina Central University in Durham. He lives in Fuquay-Varina, NC with his wife, Laura, and their growing collection of dachshunds.
Morley’s Dog Show Set for May 17 First annual event to take place at Peoples Natural Gas Park (JOHNSTOWN, Pa.) – Woof — Johnstown’s going to the dogs! The Johnstown Area Heritage Association will present the first annual Morley’s Dog Show at Peoples Natural Gas Park on Sunday, May 17. Awards will be given for Best In Show, Best Trick, Owner & Dog Look-A-Like, Big Dogs, Little Dogs, High Fashion and more. Guest judges will include Lindsay Ward, a news anchor for WJAC. Vendors of pet-related items will be there, along with local shelters and humane societies with information on adoptable animals. Basket raffles and small games of chance are planned, and food will be available for sale as well. Four local art teachers and one homeschool are having students create pet paintings for the event. These paintings will be offered in a silent auction, and some of the proceeds will go back to their art programs. Doors will open at 1:00 pm, and the dog show will start at 2:00. Registration is $15 per dog – to register in advance, please visit the News & Special Events page on jaha.org and download a form, email to info@jaha.org, or call 814-539-1889. Admission to the event is free for people, but everyone is encouraged to bring pet food and other products to donate to local animal shelters. Proceeds benefit the Johnstown Children’s Museum.
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MAY-JUNE COMMUNITY CALENDAR “Mothers hold their children’s hands for a short while, but their hearts forever.” – Author Unknown
5/5/2015 to 5/6/2015 My Heart in a Suitcase Mountain Playhouse 7690 Somerset Pike, Jennerstown, PA 15547. mountainplayhouse.org “My Heart in a Suitcase” is ArtsPower’s compelling dramatic adaptation of Anne Lehmann Fox’s courageous auto-biographical account of her experiences as a 12-year old on the Kindertransport out of Germany. Beginning in December 1938, Anne and 10,000 other Jewish children fled Germany, without their parents, on the Kindertransport, afraid and uncertain of what the future would hold for them and the families they were forced to leave behind. 5/7/2015 Hand Rolled Beeswax Candle Workshop Series Summer Smiles Honey Farm 939 Horner Church Rd., Stoystown, PA 15563 814.525.0306 shop.summersmileshoneyfarm.com Workshops will be the 2nd Thursday of every month from February to July. 5/6/2015 19th Annual Westmoreland Night of the Stars The Palace Theatre 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg, PA 15601 724.925.1123. thepalacetheatre.org The 19th Annual Westmoreland Night of the Stars features the year’s most exciting night of high school musical theatre with performances by Greensburg Central Catholic, Derry Area, Franklin Regional, Greater Latrobe, Greensburg Salem, Hempfield, Home Schoolers, Jeannette, Kiski, Ligonier Valley, Norwin, Valley, and Yough. 5/7/2015 Be the Difference Beyond Elegance Handbag Sew Special 73 W. Main St., Uniontown, PA 15401 724.438.1765 Be the Difference Foundation, formed by four ovarian cancer survivors, is dedicated to raising awareness and money to fund programs for women fighting ovarian cancer today and to provide research dollars for a cure. 5/7/2015 Exploring the Small Farm Dream Slippery Rock University - SEA; 165 Elm Street Slippery Rock, PA 16057. extension.psu.edu Is starting an agricultural business right for you? Whether your vision includes making goat cheese, selling cut flowers, or growing rare tomato varieties, this course will give you the tools to start making that dream come true. Participants will discuss current opportunities in small-scale agriculture, explore objectives, assess personal and financial resources, conduct preliminary market research, and develop an action plan for pursuing their interests in food and farming. If you are thinking about starting a farm, this course is designed for you. This includes people thinking about full-time farming, farming part-time while continuing other employ36 - May 2015
ment, changing careers to start a farm, and/or developing an existing but informal farming pastime into a more serious business activity. Register by April 20: Extension Registration Support, Phone: 814-563-9388, Email: Extension Registration@ag.psu.edu. Questions? Call Juliette Enfield, 814-563-9388; Email: jse15@psu.edu 5/8/2015 to 5/16/2015 Noises Off Ligonier Theatre: Home of the Valley Players of Ligonier 208 W. Main St., Ligonier, PA 15658 ligoniertheatre.com Performances: May 8, 9, 15, and 16 at 7 pm and May 10 and 17 at 2:30 pm 5/8/2015 to 5/9/2015 Perform-A-Thom at Mountain Playhouse Mountain Playhouse 7690 Somerset Pike, Jennerstown, PA 15547. mountainplayhouse.org The public will be invited to participate in and/ or watch a 24-hour performance marathon by signing up to show off their talents. All ages, groups, schools and talents welcome. 5/8/2015 Be the Difference Pretty Pincushions Sew Special 73 W. Main St., Uniontown, PA 15401 724.438.1765 Be the Difference Foundation, formed by four ovarian cancer survivors, is dedicated to raising awareness and money to fund programs for women fighting ovarian cancer today and to provide research dollars for a cure. 5/8/2015 The Ten Band-A Tribute to Pearl Jam Mountain Playhouse 7690 Somerset Pike, Jennerstown, PA 15547 mountainplayhouse.org One of AXSTV’s “Worlds Greatest Tribute Bands”, Ten is the nation’s premier fan tribute to the legendary rock band Pearl Jam. Touring the US and beyond since 2003, the band has played over 550 shows nationwide to standing room only crowds. Ten has generated a tremendous buzz in US markets nationwide for their authentic reproduction of a live Pearl Jam concert. “This is the most authentic tribute act I have ever seen, and I have seen a bunch” was the quote of a representative of Clear Channel Communications at the inaugural show in May of 2003. Since that night Ten has performed well over 550 shows over 10+ yrs and has firmly established themselves as the premier touring Pearl Jam Tribute act in the US. 5/8/2015 to 5/10/2015 Throwdown 2015: A Ceramic Symposium Touchstone Center for Crafts 1049 Wharton Furnace Rd., Farmington, PA 15437 724.329.1370 touchstonecrafts.org In the spirit of growth and change, Touchstone Center for Crafts is pleased to introduce for the first time Throwdown 2015! If you are crazy for
mud like we are, come join us in this gathering of makers for all things ceramics. We invite students, emerging artists, and seasoned professionals to participate in an event full of community building and idea sharing with demonstrators Bill van Gilder, Greg Gehner, Sandy Miller, and Vince Pitelka. This symposium will offer an exciting weekend of artist demonstrations, lectures, and a good, old-fashioned throwdown! In addition to bragging rights, the top three lucky winners of this year’s Throwdown competition will receive an amazing ceramics piece for their collection! To add even more excitement to this year’s event, Touchstone is holding a prize drawing in which a lucky attendee can win a full tuition certificate* workshop in the clay studio. Only $5.00 per ticket for a chance to win! Registration includes daily activities and demonstrations Friday through Sunday. Meals and/or lodging options can be reserved separately. 5/8/2015 Wonderful Wildflowers Forbes State Forest Linn Run State Park/Forbes State Forest, Laughlintown, PA 15655 724.259.2201. dcnr.pa.gov Go for a leisurely, 1-mile walk, while learning about common spring wildflowers. Field guides will be provided. Meet at the Grove Run picnic area, in Linn Run State Park. *Registration is required. Please register online or by contacting 724-259-2201 or rachristie@pa.gov. 5/9/2015 City of Champions The Palace Theatre 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg, PA 15601 800.292.7222 thepalacetheatre.org River City Brass presents City of Champions Pittsburgh is proud to be called ‘The City of Champions’, and rightly so! Here we celebrate the music of the ‘70s; the songs that were played in the golden age when our great teams won their famous trophies. You’ll hear your favorite team’s fight song remixed with hits by rock icons Chicago, The Rolling Stones, Phil Collins, The Carpenters, ABBA, Don McLean’s American Pie and Survivor’s Eye of the Tiger. Come and meet a Pittsburgh sports celebrity at every show! $31, $26, $24, $2 Discount for Seniors and Students 5/9/2015 Spring Nature Walk Bushy Run Battlefield, 1253 Bushy Run Road, Jeannette, PA 15644. bushyrunbattlefield.com Calling all walkers and runners! Come along to Bushy Run Battlefield, embrace their park and trails and do their annual Spring Nature Walk! Join Bushy Run volunteers and nature enthusiasts Bob Learzaf & Dave Browning as they conduct this annual rite of spring! Explore the woodlands at Bushy Run Battlefield and learn about the various flora and fauna of Western Pennsylvania. LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
No registration is required. Bring sturdy, water resistant walking or hiking shoes and dress for the weather. (724) 527-5584 Time: 10:00am -1:00pm. Cost: Free for BRBHS members and $5.00 for non-members. 5/9/2015 Antiques & Collectibles Sales at Historic Hanna's Town Historic Hanna's Town, 809 Forbes Trail Road, North of Greensburg. (724) 532-1935 Ext: 210 www.westmorelandhistory.org Antiques Lovers of antiques, collectibles and one-of-a-kind items will enjoy the Antiques & Collectibles Sales at Historic Hanna's Town. This longstanding community tradition brings together over 200 vendors in a quaint and historic setting and is western Pennsylvania's oldest show of its kind. The staff, volunteers and vendors strive to plan and promote an atmosphere of friendship, camaraderie and fun, along with good buying and selling opportunities. The gate opens at 7:30 Sunday morning and the market continues through early afternoon, although many vendors are set up by 1:00 p.m. Saturday and sell that afternoon. There is parking on site; admission is $3 per car. Parking revenues are divided equally between the Forbes Road Volunteer Fire Dept. and the Westmoreland County Historical Society who administers Historic Hanna's Town for Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation. The selling vendors pay a fee to set up their wares at the Antiques & Collectibles with these proceeds benefiting the Historical Society's preservation and interpretation efforts at Historic Hanna's Town, site of the first English courts west of the Allegheny Mountains. The town was attacked and burned at the close of the Revolutionary War by a raiding party of Indians and their English allies. Historic Hanna's Town is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Antiques & Collectibles is held the second Sunday of the month May through September. The public is cordially invited to browse for bargains, enjoy a variety of food booths and support local history preservation as well as a local fire department at the Antiques & Collectibles Sales at Historic Hanna's Town. 5/9/2015 Made in America Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center 450 Schoolhouse Rd., Johnstown, PA 15904 814.269.7200. upjarts.org 5/9/2015 Amtrak’s National Train Day Car Cruise Rockwood Mill Shoppes & Opera House 450 Main St., Rockwood, PA 15557 814.926.4546 rockwoodmillshoppes.com Spring has finally arrived. It is time to take off those dust covers and buff up that wax job on those classic and antique cars. Show them off in Rockwood Mill Shoppes’ parking lot. 5/9/2015 Come Cut Glass: Make It and Take It Mount Pleasant Glass Museum 402 E. Main St., Mount Pleasant, PA 15666 724.542.5929 From Grandma to grandkids (10^), ALL are welcome. All are invited to try their hand at the Every Story Begins At Home.
ancient art of glass cutting. It’s that time of year again and Peter O’Rourke, master glass cutter to the Presidents, is offering to share his knowledge and his skills to a select few. BUT MORE THAN THAT HE WILL SUPERVISE YOU AS YOU CUT AND TAKE HOME CUT GLASS. 5/9/2015 Wabash Cannon Ball Rockwood Mill Shoppes & Opera House 450 Main St., Rockwood, PA 15557 814.926.4546 rockwoodmillshoppes.com Get dressed up and have fun for a good cause! On May 9th good hearted guests looking for a laugh will dress up as riders on the mythical Wabash Cannonball to benefit Somerset Hospital In Touch Hospice. 5/9/2015 Yogathon for the New Westmoreland Westmoreland Museum of American Art @rt 30 4764 State Route 30, Greensburg, PA 15601 wmuseumaa.org Bring your yoga mat and join us for Yogathon! Stay fit, have a good time, and help out a worthwhile cause. Hosted by Victoria Faris, an AFPA yoga instructor who has been teaching yoga in Greensburg (including at The Westmoreland) and the surrounding area for the past 10 years. 5/9/2015 May Mart & Opening Day at West Overton Village West Overton Museums, 109 West Overton Road, Scottdale, PA 15683, westovertonvillage.org
Join West Overton Village for this great gardener's event! Featuring heirloom and hybrid tomatoes plus vegetable plants, annuals, perennials, herbs, unique houseplants, hanging baskets, Oglevee's geraniums and flowers for Mother's Day. Guests are invited to bring a plant and take a plant from the Swap Table. In addition to plant sales, there will be vendors selling pastries and fresh roasted coffee, hot chocolate or tea. Admission is free. 724-887-7910 5/10/2015 Mother’s Day Brunch Stone House Restaurant & County Inn 3023 National Pike, Farmington, PA 15437 724.329.8876, stonehouseinn.com All you can eat menu, served family style to your table! Adults $25.99, Children 12 & under $12.99, Under 3 Complimentary. All prices plus 6% sales tax and 20% gratuity. Reservations are strongly recommended! 5/11/2015 to 5/15/2015 Skippyjon Jones Mountain Playhouse 7690 Somerset Pike, Jennerstown, PA 15547. mountainplayhouse.org Skippyjon Jones is a little kitten with big ears and even bigger dreams! Sometimes he pretends to be a bird, sometimes he pretends to be a llama, and sometimes he pretends to be a whale... Anything BUT a Siamese cat!
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Vernon Realty Ad - page 2
Every Story Begins At Home.
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5/13/2015 Business After Hours Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Community Chamber of Commerce. gllv.org 724-537-2671 Golf, Cars & Cigars! And...Flowers! We are so EXCITED about our May Business After Hours presented by First Commonwealth Bank. Celebrate May, Mom, and outdoor GOLF FUN, all happening at Glengarry Golf Links in Latrobe! Here's what we've got planned: • A 9-Hole "pop-up" golf outing BEFORE our BAH. Tee times will be scheduled between 1:30pm 3pm. CONTACT THE CHAMBER FOR RESERVATIONS AND AVAILABLE TEE TIMES. $19 INCLUDES 9-holes and cart. Prizes to be awarded for male & female longest drive and lowest score. AND, all golfers participating in the "pop-up" golf outing BEFORE BAH will receive a Free Foursome of complimentary green fees (cart not included) for a return trip to Glengarry Golf Links. • Need a little "ZOOM"? Laurel Valley Motors is bringing a HOT car to steam things up! • Need a little "BLOOM"? All ladies will receive a FREE Fresh Flower in honor of Mother's Day, courtesy of Bloomin' Genius Exotic Flowers & Gifts (Greensburg) and Floral Fountain (Latrobe). • Enjoy delicious FREE appetizers from The Pub at Glengarry's 2015 menu! • Enjoy Happy Hour Drink Specials! • We're featuring another "Business After AFTER Hours" - Cigars on the Deck! Bring your favorite cigar, or purchase one from The Pub at Glengarry. • Up for another 9-holes? Enjoy a quick round of 9 AFTER BAH at the same low price of $19, including cart. WOW! We're seriously planning some FUN! Are you in? 5:05 - 6:35 PM. 5/13/2015 Doctor Suess’ “And to Think That I Saw it on Mulberry Street” Rockwood Mill Shoppes & Opera House 450 Main St., Rockwood, PA 15557 814.926.4546 rockwoodmillshoppes.com Inspires children to look past the world we live in and expand the mundane with their imaginations. Like the main character is asked to keep his eyes up while walking home, children who see the show are encouraged to make the most of living! 5/13/2015 Palate to Palette: Picnic Food Latrobe Art Center 819 Ligonier St., Latrobe, PA 15650 724.537.7011 latrobeartcenter.org Chef: Linda Earnest 5/14/2015 American Red Cross Blood Drive for National Nursing Home Week Mountainview Specialty Care Center will be holding a blood drive May 14th from 2:00 pm to 7:00 pm at 227 Sand Hill Road Greensburg PA to celebrate National Nursing Home Week. 5/15/2015 Doo Wop Weekend Seven Springs Mountain Resort 777 Waterwheel Dr., Seven Springs, PA 15622 7springs.com Join us on Friday, May 15 or Saturday, May 16, 2015 for a night that will bring back memories of sock hops and soda shops featuring Charlie Thomas’ Drifters, Kathy Young and Pure Gold, with 40 - May 2015
Frankie Day and Stan Wall emceeing the event. Lets turn back the clock for a night of dinner and dancing and Doo Wop classics!
sponsored in part by Dr. & Mrs. Frank Jacobyansky and the Community Foundation of Fayette County.
5/15/2015 to 5/17/2015 Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh presents: Fiber Arts Weekend Symposium Touchstone Center for Crafts 1049 Wharton Furnace Rd., Farmington, PA 15437 724.329.1370 touchstonecrafts.org Touchstone is teaming up with the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh to deliver an exhilarating weekend of mini-workshops to bring together fiber artists and enthusiasts who seek to gain knowledge about and advance the field of fiber art. Workshop topics include dyeing with Jan Bass, needle felting with Erin Carlson, and introduction to spinning with Lauren Sims. This exciting weekend will also include the opening reception of Mystic Summit, a collective of works from members of the Fiberarts Guild of Pittsburgh. To add a bit of excitement to this year’s event, Touchstone is holding a prize drawing in which a lucky attendee can win a full tuition certificate* fiber, paper and/or book arts workshop. Only $5.00 per ticket for a chance to win!
5/16/2015 Showcase of the Stars Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center 450 Schoolhouse Rd., Johnstown, PA 15904 800.846.2787. upjarts.org The Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center will present an eclectic mix of music, song and dance at a feverish pace, as the Showcase of the Stars, featuring excerpts from the area’s best high school musicals, comes to life at 7:00 pm.
5/15/2015 2014-2015 Classic Film Series: South Pacific State Theatre Center for the Arts 27 E. Main St., Uniontown, PA . 724.439.1360 statetheatre.info Play a crazy game at every movie sponsored by The Herald Standard for a chance to win prizes! 5/16/2015 to 10/3/2015 Ligonier Country Market Corner of West Main St. & Springer Rd., Ligonier, PA 15658. ligoniercountrymarket.com The Ligonier Country Market is located on the Loyalhanna Watershed Farm near the intersection of West Main Street and U.S. Route 30 Ligonier, Pennsylvania (click here for map and directions). We are pleased to be affiliated with the Loyalhanna Watershed Association and share their ideals about conservation and sustainability. It is our pleasure to provide a link to thier website http://loyalhannawatershed.org for more information about this organization that we heartily endorse. 5/16/2015 Spring Tea at Bushy Run Battlefield Bushy Run Battlefield, 1253 Bushy Run Road, Jeannette, PA 15644. bushyrunbattlefield.com Experience the beauty of Western Pennsylvania along with the pleasures of a lovely afternoon tea in the elegant Stone Room at Bushy Run Battlefield. On Saturday, May 16th from 1:00pm3:00 p.m. enjoy tea, hot chocolate, sandwiches, and pastries with family and friends. The cost of this event is $18.00 per adult, $12.00 per child ages 6-12. Seating is limited, so this event is by reservation only. Call 724-5275584 to reserve a spot in this event. 5/16/2015 Jenny Wilson Trio Connellsville Canteen 131 W. Crawford Ave., Connellsville, PA 15425 724.320.6392 connellsvillecanteen.org The Connellsville Canteen presents the Jenny Wilson Trio. This great Jazz band is being
5/16/2015 Spring Frolic Westmoreland County Courthouse, 2 N Main Street, Greensburg, PA. westmorelandhistory.org The Westmoreland County Historical Society invites you to join them for a 1940's themed Frolic! Westmoreland County Courthouse will be recreated into a USO WWII canteen. Dance to the music of a swing band, with guest appearance by "The Andrews Sisters." Buffet by The Supper Club. Tickets: $70.00 for WCHS members, $80.00 for non-members. (724) 532-1935. 5/16/2015 Creating Heroes and Villains (Free Class!) Write Local at Ligonier Valley YMCA 110 W Church Street, Ligonier, PA 15658 724.691.4864 writelocal.org Join us on May 16 from 1:00-2:30 PM for a free class on writing heroes and villains into your stories. Stephanie Keyes, best-selling author from Pittsburgh, is leading the class. This event is open to students between ages 12-18 and their parents. Before the class, enjoy a meet and greet with Write Local's volunteer team. We will have information about our fall 2015 writing program , and sign up sheets avail-able. So come on out, have fun, and see what Write Local is all about! RSVP requested, but walk-ins welcome. RSVP, 724-691-4864 or writelocal@gmail.com (Krista Sarraf) 5/16/2015 The Chain Casino Theatre 145 Lincoln Ave., Vandergrift, PA 15690 724.567.5049. casinotheater.org Fleetwood Mac tribute band 5/17/2015 "Good Intentions... Gone Terribly Wrong" Baltzer Meyer Historical Society, 642 Baltzer Meyer Pike, Greensburg, PA 15601. 2-4 pm. Join Baltzer Meyer Historical Society for program "Good Intentions... Gone Terribly Wrong" Speakers: Rob & Lydia Myers In many cemeteries there are many headstones that have been irreparably damaged by people with the greatest intentions, who were simply trying to help. We Will look at some of these failed DIY attempts as well as damage caused by people who claim to be professionals. We will wrap up by looking at the preservation and restoration results that can be attained by a trained conservator. 5/19/2015 Journal for Wellness Workshop Write Local and Graceful Aging Wellness Center 135 Kalassay Drive, Ligonier, PA 15658 LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST
Join us at Graceful Aging Wellness Center from 5:00-6:30 PM on May 19 for a special journal writing event with Krista Sarraf from Write Local. Sharpen your mind and strengthen your immune system with journal writing. Using the free writing technique, participants will overcome barriers to creativity and reach within for inspiration. This class is designed for those new to keeping a journal who want to explore the mental, physical, and emotional benefits of a journal writing practice. Open to all ages. RSVP by May 15. Call Krista Sarraf at 724-691-4864 to register. 5/20/2015 Americana Mini-Herb Garden Class Lincoln Highway Experience, 3435 State Route 30 East, Latrobe, Pa 15650. lhhc.org. 724-879-4241 Join Lincoln Highway Experience for an Americana Mini-Herb Garden class by Expert Gardener Mary Jo Bullington. As with all Mary Jo's classes, attendees will have a beautiful take-home. Pre-registration required. Cost: $25.00 5/20/2015 to 5/20/2015 Pop-up Studio with Ryan Lammie Adult Art Class Westmoreland Museum of American Art @rt 30 4764 State Route 30, Greensburg, PA 15601 724.837.1500. wmuseumaa.org Learn from an artist and create your own work of art! Wine, beer, snacks and materials are provided. $15 per person. Space is limited. To register contact 724-837-1500 ext. 110. 5/20/2015 Tiny Wonder Time- “Cloudette” Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve 744 Walzer Way, Latrobe, PA 15650 724.537.5284. wpnr.org Nature play hour for children ages 2-4 with an adult. Will include a nature hike or outside activity (weather permitting), two interactive activities or experiments, a craft, and a story. Online Registration Required 5/21/2015 to 11/5/2015 Bike Night Stone House Restaurant & County Inn 3023 National Pike, Farmington, PA 15437 724.329.8876. stonehouseinn.com Event is held every Thursday from 6-9 pm through late October, weather permitting. We have a great line up of bands and activities set for this year! Prizes given weekly! Great drink specials and fabulous BBQ served! Family Friendly! 5/21/2015 Westmoreland Jazz Society: Craig Davis Consortium Seton Hill University 100 Harrison Ave., Greensburg, PA 15601 724.837.1500. wmuseumaa.org Throughout the expansion & renovation of the Museum, all performances will take place at the Seton Hill University Performing Arts Center at 100 Harrison Avenue in Greensburg.Professional Jazz Pianist, Composer, Arranger, and Educator Craig Davis began playing the piano at age 5, taking lessons with the organist at his family’s Church in Glenshaw, PA. At age 10, Davis moved with his family to Fox Chapel and started weekly classical and jazz piano lessons with Bobby Cardillo, a highly respected pianist and piano teacher from Stanton Heights. Davis attended Shady Side
Every Story Begins At Home.
Academy for 12 years and graduated in 1990, where he played piano in the SSA jazz band and received the Creativity Award and Jazz Award. 5/23/2015 to 5/24/2015 18th Century Military History Fort Ligonier 200 South Market Street, Ligonier, PA 15658 724.238.9701. fortligonier.org Over 150 troops from Seven Years War, Inc. and the Detachment of the 8th PA Regiment encamped throughout the weekend. Visitors will see and experience a variety of living history programs, drills and artillery demonstrations. 5/23/2015 Amish Burlesque Rockwood Mill Shoppes & Opera House 450 Main St., Rockwood, PA 15557 rockwoodmillshoppes.com The Amish are about to get frisky on the stage of the Rockwood Opera House! A local favorite, and back by request, you will be entertained by straw hats and dull colors. Book and lyrics by Brian Edward, a local of Pennsylvania. Amish Burlesque originally produced by Marty Schiff. Amish Burlesque featuring Goody Plenty and the Amlets originally produced by the McKeesport Little Theater is now about to be performed by the Rockwood Players! 5/23/2015 Connellsville Geranium Festival Crawford Ave., Connellsville, PA 15425 724.320.6392. downtownconnellsville.org Celebrate the city’s designation as the Geranium Capital of the World. Craft and food vendors line Crawford Avenue with a large variety of items to sell. The event is from 9am-4pm and features live music and contests throughout the day. Geraniums are sold to benefirt the Garden Club’s activities. 5/23/2015 to 11/21/2015 Somerset County Farmer’s Market 800 Georgian Place Dr., Somerset, PA 15501 somersetcountyfarmersmarket.com The Somerset County Farmers’ Market is a producer only market, with the mission of providing children and adults in the Somerset
area with locally-grown foods and farm products. The Market’s goal is to providing a venue for the social, educational, and economic strength of the Somerset Community. It intends to fulfill this goal by the organization of educa-tional programs for its vendors and for the community in areas of food safety, health and nutrition, basic agricultural production and gardening. Adults and children will benefit from these programs. 5/23/2015 Bus Trip to Bedford for the Annual Antiques on the Square Festival Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, lhhc.org 724-879-4241. Slick's Ivy Stone Restaurant is the location for the hearty Lunch. In addition to perusing the 50+ vendors and listening to live music, there will be time to visit downtown Bedford's boutique shops. The historic and grand Georgian Inn of Somerset is the site for the special Dinner meal. Bus pickups are Irwin, Greensburg and Latrobe. $89 per person includes deluxe motor-coach and two fine dining experiences. For reservations, call the Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor office at 724-879-4241; or purchase tickets online at the top of this page by clicking "Gift Shop" then "LHHC Event Tickets." 5/24/2015 to 8/30/2015 Sunday Evening Summer Band Concerts On the Diamond 120 E. Main St., Ligonier, PA 15658 724.238.4200. visitligonier.com Sunday Evening Band Concerts start May 24th and run through August 30th. Concerts start at 7PM on the Diamond. If there is incle-ment weather, the concerts will take place at the Town Hall Auditorium. 5/27/2015 Hawaii in the Highlands Ligonier Theatre: Home of the Valley Players of Ligonier 208 W. Main St., Ligonier, PA 15658 latshawproductions.com Come to the Laurel Highlands, experience the dance of tonga and the ancient untamed Hawaiian Hula! Brilliant, blazing colors with the songs & dances of the wonderful world of aloha! May 2015 - 41
5/27/2015 Hike to the Highpoint Forbes State Forest Mt. Davis picnic area, Laughlintown, PA 724.259.2201. dcnr.pa.gov Celebrate PA Hiking Week by taking a hike to the highpoint at Mt. Davis. Meet at the Mt. Davis picnic area, and come prepared for a 2-mile walk. Sturdy shoes are recommended. *Registration is required. Please register online or by contacting 724-259-2201 or rachristie@pa.gov. 5/29/2015 Family Story Time Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve 744 Walzer Way, Latrobe, PA 15650 wpnr.org Free family program, for all ages, which includes reading a story together in the barn and exploring the grounds while completing a scavenger hunt. 5/30/2015 Lettermen The Arcadia Theater 1418 Graham Ave., Windber, PA 15963 814.467.9070. arcadiatheater.net The letter sweaters may only make a brief appearance at each Lettermen performance, but The Lettermen harmony is non-stop. From their first hit in 1961 - - “The Way You Look Tonight” - through current hits of today, the sound is undeniably Lettermen. Whether singing acapella or backed by an entire symphony orchestra, the Lettermen theme still remains the love song. Lending that well-known harmony to every arrangement, they have proven love ballads have an appeal that knows no boundaries and will continue to stand the test of time for many years to come. 5/31/2015 “Weird Al” Yankovic The Mandatory World Tour The Palace Theatre 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg, PA 15601. thepalacetheatre.org “Weird Al” Yankovic is the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in history. Now in his fourth career decade, he has won three Grammys (with 15 nominations) and countless accolades for classics like Eat It, Like a Surgeon, Yoda, Smells Like Nirvana, Amish Paradise and White & Nerdy. For the rollout of his 14th studio album, Mandatory Fun, Weird Al world-premiered eight videos in eight days, taking the Internet by storm. 5/30/2015 Imagine Nation Open Studio Westmoreland Museum of American Art @rt 30 4764 State Route 30, Greensburg, PA 15601 724.837.1500. wmuseumaa.org Every Saturday & Sunday from 12:30-5 PM, children of all ages and their favorite adult can stop by the Museum and create their own art in the studio! There is a different art project featured each week. Through 12/18/2015 Paint and Sip Liz Jones Arts 201 Fairview Ave., Connellsville, PA 15425 724.455.3699 Art and Wine every Friday at 6:30 PM— unlike other Paint and Sip places, each person attending can choose their own project every time, rather than having to all do the same one! Light refreshments are available... BYOB/ $20 person/ All credit cards and cash accepted. 42 - May 2015
5/27/2015 Weekly Playgroup SeaBase Family Fun Center 770 E. Pittsburgh St., Greensburg, PA. 724.838.8887. seabasefun.com Join us Wednesday mornings at 11 for weekly playgroup! Ideal for ages 2-5. Free w/ admission! 6/2/2015 to 9/29/2015 Latrobe Farmer’s Market Latrobe Community Revitalization Program Legion Keener Park, Latrobe, PA 15650 724.805.0112 latroberevitalization.org Held each Tuesday, from early June through mid-October at the Legion Keener Park. The Park is located where Chestnut Street meets Irving Street, just west of the downtown. The Latrobe Farmers Market is co-sponsored by 1480 WCNS Radio and continues to grow each year. Farmers, vendors, caterers and other entrepreneurs sell a range of excellent produce and products grown or made by them. No re-selling is allowed. This year’s Market will begin on June 3rd beginning at Noon and running until 4pm. It will conclude on October 21st; running for 20 weeks. Come join us in a beautifully treed setting adjacent to Loyalhanna Creek. To become a vendor, call LCRP at (724) 805 0112 or e-mail trunzo@latroberevitalization.org 6/3/2015 to 8/26/2015 Lincoln HighwaySupperMarket Lincoln Highway Experience 3435 Route 30 East, Latrobe, PA 15650 724.879.4241 lincolnhighwaysuppermarket.org What is the Lincoln Highway SupperMarket? It is an opportunity for families to savor the summer flavors from 8 area restaurants every Wednesday during June, July and August from 5 to 8 p.m. Six select restaurants will be offering prepared (ready-to-eat) a la carte entrees. In addition, one bakery will serve premium desserts! Supper can be enjoyed at one of the picnic tables, or pick up a ‘take out’ for home. 6/4/2015 to 9/10/2015 T.G.I.S. Thank Goodness It’s Summer! The Palace Theatre 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg, PA. 724.836.1123. thepalacetheatre.org Thursday Free Concert Series 6/5/2015 to 6/7/2015 Alchemist Picnic II: A Mid-Atlantic Metals Retreat Touchstone Center for Crafts 1049 Wharton Furnace Rd., Farmington, PA 15437 724.329.1370 touchstonecrafts.org The Alchemist Picnic is an annual gathering of metalsmiths and jewelers from the mid-Atlantic region and beyond. This weekend event is hosted by Wayne Werner, renowned for his metalsmithing expertise, jewelry design, musical talent, and ebullient personality. He is the perfect emcee for this lively event and Touchstone is the ideal setting with its beautiful woodland campus and well-equipped metals studios. As Pennsylvania’s only residential craft school, Touchstone’s convenient geography makes it the ideal mid-Atlantic platform for the Alchemist Picnic to take flight. In addition, Touchstone is holding a prize drawing during the Saturday evening auction in which a lucky attendee can win a full tuition certificate* in the Metals Studio. (Tickets $5.00 each for a chance to win! Tickets may be purchased at the event.)
6/5/2015 Honey Tasting Party Summer Smiles Honey Farm 939 Horner Church Rd., Stoystown, PA 15563 814.525.0306 shop.summersmileshoneyfarm.com Learn how to pair our raw honey (vs other honey), with various foods and wine. Local cheese from Van Grouw Farms, Glades Pike Wine, organic foods from Frankferd Farms, and Wild for Salmon products. 6/5/2015 to 8/28/2015 SummerSounds St. Clair Park Greensburg, PA 15601 summersounds.com SummerSounds is a free series of exciting and interesting concerts under the stars in Greensburg’s downtown St. Clair Park. Emphasizing high standards of contemporary musicianship in a family atmosphere, this series has been called “the best outdoor music series in Western PA. 6/6/2015 to 6/6/2015 Amish Burlesque Rockwood Mill Shoppes & Opera House 450 Main St., Rockwood, PA. rockwoodmillshoppes.com 6/6/2015 Antiques on the Diamond On the Diamond Ligonier, PA 15658 724.238.4200 visitligonier.com Over 50 antique dealers located around the Diamond 6/6/2015 This Old Home Lincoln Highway Experience 3435 Route 30 East, Latrobe, PA 15650. lhhc.org Home improvement tips from three experts on maintaining and updating historic homes. 6/12/2015 to 6/12/2015 Family Story Time Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve 744 Walzer Way, Latrobe, PA 15650 . wpnr.org Free family program, for all ages, which includes reading a story together in the barn and exploring the grounds while completing a scavenger hunt. 6/12/2015 Pollinator Day Winnie Palmer Nature Reserve 744 Walzer Way, Latrobe, PA 15650. wpnr.org Celebrate pollinators, but especially bees on this special day. Learn about the bee life cycle, honey production and much more! Free for families of all ages. Registration required. 6/13/2015\ Ethnic Festival/Spring Craft Show Main Street Irwin, PA 15642 724.863.3093 irwinborough.org Main Street closes between 3rd Street and 5th Street for this event 6/13/2015 Laurel Ballet presents Alice in Wonderland & A Midsummer Night’s Dream The Palace Theatre 21 W. Otterman St., Greensburg, PA 15601 724.836.8000 thepalacetheatre.org
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Join Laurel Ballet Performing Company on an enchanted journey through two classic, magical tales. Order online or call The Palace Theatre Box Office at 724-836-8000 beginning April 1. 6/13/2015 to 6/13/2015 Laurel Highlands Ultra Ohiopyle State Park 124 Main St., Ohiopyle, PA 15470. laurelultra.com Each year the race is held on the second Saturday in June. 2015 will be the thirty-sixth running of the 70.5 mile race and the tenth running of the 50K race. The races will start in Ohiopyle, PA, with the 70.5 mile individual and relay races running the entire length of the trail and the 50K races finishing at the 31 mile point near the intersection of Route 31. All of the races are point-to-point along the Laurel Highlands Hiking Trail. 6/14/2015 Antiques & Collectibles Market Historic Hanna’s Town 809 Forbes Trail Rd., Greensburg, PA 15601 724.532.1935 westmorelandhistory.org 6/15/2015 to 6/19/2015 Fort Kids Camp I Fort Ligonier 200 S., Market St., Ligonier, PA 15658 724.238.9701. fortligonier.org Day camp for kids who have completed grades 1-6 (ages 6-14). Pre-registration required. 6/19/2015 2014-2015 Classic Film Series: Father of the Bride State Theatre Center for the Arts 27 E. Main St., Uniontown, PA. 724.439.1360. statetheatre.info Play a crazy game at every movie sponsored by The Herald Standard for a chance to win prizes!
***** Please send all community calendar listings to: editor@laurelmountainpost.com. We will do our best to consider your event based on available space and editorial review.
Every Story Begins At Home.
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Students Can Register Now for Red Cross Summer Scholarship Program JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (April 27, 2015) — This summer, high school and college students can win a scholarship by hosting an American Red Cross blood drive through the Leaders Save Lives program. Registration is now open to host a participating blood drive between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2015. The Leaders Save Lives program encourages community-minded 16- to 24year-olds to host blood drives to help maintain the blood supply over the summer months. Students who participate as a blood drive coordinator are eligible to win a scholarship up to $2,500 for higher education and to earn a gift card. “The Leaders Save Lives program is a great way for students to learn valuable leadership skills while helping hospital patients in need of lifesaving blood transfusions,” said Red Cross spokesperson, Josh Hauser. “Summer can be a challenging time to maintain a sufficient blood supply. With this program, students are helping the community by recruiting their friends and family to donate during this crucial season.” A total of 10 scholarships will be awarded via drawing to students who achieve 100 percent of their blood drive collections goal. All students who achieve the designated blood drive goal will receive an electronic gift card to giftcertificates.com For more information and to register to host a Leaders Save Lives blood drive, visit redcrossblood.org/leaderssavelives. How to Donate Blood Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App at redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or driver’s license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements. About the American Red Cross: The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
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Laurel Mountain Post Distribution Guide
Pick Up a Copy at Your Favorite Community Location! The new Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Visitor & Information Center, located on Route 30 below Sharky’s Cafe, is the main hub for each new issue release. However, we will continue to distribute copies in your neighborhood at the following 300+locations: Derry Area Action for Animals Allison Chiropractic AmeriServ Financial Barkley's Derry King Building Bodeez Caldwell Library Chef Dato's Derry Medical First Commonwealth Bank Hansen & Torba - Dentists Jean Marie Flowers & Gifts Laundromat Mastrorocco's Market New Derry Municipal Authority Palombo's Restaurant S&T Bank State Farm Insurance Sugar Bears Sunoco Route 22 DELMONT Center for Rehab Svcs Chestnut Ridge Excela Ciggy’s Tobacco Cogo’s Delmont YMCS Execela Health PT Holiday Inn Express Hot Rod Lounge (Spaghetti House) Lamplighter Salem Plaza Laundry SuperCuts Three Rivers Six Pack Shop Wagonwheel Restaurant Watson Chevrolet EXPORT Artisita Salon Choice Gas Station Claire Bridge Memory Care Cozy Inn Murrysville Music Murrysville Rehab Pgh Chiropractic Restella Dance Studio MURRYSVILLE Eye Doc Aluring Designs Salon Chaye Coffee and Tea Dancer’s Closet Dean’s Fitness Dick’s Diner Dr. Abraham/Dr. Gill
Duff Park Info Center Eat n Park En V Salon Focus Hair Design Golden Living Ctr Healing Arts Bldg Hoss’s Walnut Shops Library Borough Building Nature Nails New Horizons Counselors Panera Panther Chiro pt Therapy S&T Bank Scott Medical Sportszone Standard Bank Starbucks SuperCuts UPMC Partners in Health Various Prof Agencies West Historical Society Yoga Flow Donegal/Jones Mills BP/McDonald’s - turnpike Brady’s Dairy Queen Days Inn Donegal Pharmacy Hardware Store Holiday Inn Express Honeybear Tall Cedars The Inn at Ligonier Sarnelli’s Greater Latrobe/Unity Twp Adams Memorial Library Arnold Palmer Regional Airport Barnes House Chestnut Ridge - Bursch Division Chicora's Chris Pakos, CPA Christ UC Church Coffee Bean Commercial Bank - Downtown Commerical Bank - Route 981 D’s Windy Cottage Dainty Pastry Denny's Doggie Divas Dunkin Donuts Eat n Park
Excela Health Quick Draw The Eyeglass Shoppe Fantastic Sam's Four Seasons Brewing Co. Gino's Pizza Gyno Associates Hanna Insurance Dr. Scott Hudimac Jerald Jewelers Joe's Store - Lawson Heights L&L Quik Lube Dr. Patrick Lally Latrobe Animal Clinic Latrobe Art Center Latrobe Hardware Latrobe Hospital & Little Shop Latrobe News Stand - Downtown Latrobe News Stand - Laurel 30 Laurel Highlands Village Latrobe Post Office Lincoln Highway Experience Loyalhanna Care Center McCarl Coverlet Gallery The Medicine Shoppe Drs. Mucci & Campfield, DDS My Fitness Kitchen Neighborhood Visitor & Info Ctr Pizza Siena ProAdjuster Chiropractic Roadman's Country Living Rose Style Shoppe Rusbosin's Furniture S&T Bank Sanctus Spa & Salon Scotty G's Senior Center Shop n Save SpringHill Suites St. Vincent College St. Vincent De Paul St. Vincent Gristmill Store Unity Township Building, Library UPMC Vascular Institute Valley Dairy - downtown Valley Dairy - Route 30 Vasco Federal Credit Union WCNS/Unity Building Westmoreland Federal Westmoreland Historical Society Wigs n More Wingate Greensburg Barnes & Noble
Courtyard by Marriott Café Barista Cellar Door Café Couture Salon DV8 Espresso Bar & Gallery Gateway Convenience Rt. 66 Getty’s Grill Greensburg Library Greensburg News Greensburg YMCA Hampton Inn Holiday Inn Jioio’s, Carbon Mr. Bones Rt. 66 Nature’s Way Old 66 Grill PC Connect Pizza Siena Ramada Inn Senior Life E. G’burg Shop n Save Sun Dawg Café Downtown The Medicine Shoppe Vittone’s Music Westmoreland Athletic Club Westmoreland Hospital White Rabbit Café Ligonier Valley A Touch of Grace Abigail's Coffee Amica BP Insurance Barb's Market - Rector Berkshire Hathway Carol & Dave's Roadhouse Celtic Culture Connections Cafe Darlington Inn Davies Real Estate Diamond Cafe Diamond Hair Cuts Equine Chic Excela Health First Commonwealth Bank Flavors Cafe Fox's Pizza Get Go Giant Eagle Gino's Howard Hanna Real Estate Laughlintown Pie Shoppe Ligonier Chamber of Commerce Ligonier Country Market (in season)
Grow Your Business with Word of Mouth Marketing!
Second Chapter Books New and Used Books • Children’s Gifts Jewelry • Greeting Cards • Neat Stuff 139 East Main Street Ligonier, PA 15658
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openchapter of Business NetworkBNI-Laurel Leaders is an official ing International. We meet every week at 11:30 am in the Wingate Hotel on Route 30 in Latrobe. Guests are always welcome! To learn more about growing your business with us, see www.bni-westernpa.com or visit a meeting!
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Write Local is a nonprofit literacy initiative based in Latrobe, Pennsylvania that offers novice and K-12 writers workshops, publishing, mentoring, contests, and more. Sign up for an event today! www.writelocal.org/events "Inspiring young writers to think creatively and innovate locally." Are you interested in supporting your local literacy initiative? Contact our team: writelocal@gmail.com | 724.691.4864 facebook.com/thewritelocalproject Instagram @writelocal | Twitter @writelocal
Ligonier Library Ligonier Outfitters/Newstand Ligonier Tavern Ligonier Valley Railroad Museum Ligonier Vallery Real Estate Loyalhanna Realty Mack M. Darr Main Exhibit Gallery Modern Elegance On the Diamond Antiques The Paper House Ramada Inn Rosalia Jioio's Little Italy Ruthie's Diner Scamp's Toffee Second Chapter Books Subway Thistledown/Bo Peep The Toy Box The Twisted Vine Vernon Realty Services Valley School of Ligonier Wicked Googly YMCA Laughlintown Compass Inn/Historical Society First Commonwealth Bank Ligonier Country Inn Pie Shoppe Washington Furnace Inn New Alexandria BP - 819 crossroads First Commonwealth Grabiak’s Johna’s Hair Salon Kaufman's Chiropractic Keystone Pharmacy Keystone State Park Kids Care Pediatrics Library Quik Stop Sheetz Stahlstown Flax Scutching Festival Loyalhanna Veterinary Clinic Main Street Wine Bar Mt. Pleasant and Southern Westmoreland County Market Crystal Concepts The Frick Fun Services The General Store Herbalicious Kraisinger's Market Lenox Leo's Mericonda Beer Distributor Mount Pleasant Glass Museum
Every Story Begins At Home.
Mt. Pleasant Library Nino's Orourke Crystal Sandhill Berries Speedy Meedy's Vicky's Crossroads Volero Gas West Overton Deli West Overton Quilt Shop YMCA Youngwood - coming soon! Allegheny County Allegheny General Children's Hospital Downtown Hotels Manchester Bidwell Monroeville Library Pleasant Hills Library Strip District merchants Squirrel Hill businesses UPMC Hospitals: Monroeville, Presbyterian, Mercy, Shadyside, Hillman Cambria County (Johnstown) Comfort Inn & Suites Dancer’s Closet East Hills Family Pharmacy Holiday Inn - Downtown
Holiday Inn Express - Richland Nature's Habitat - Galleria The Sleep Inn Fayette County Adrian's - Hopwood Braddocks Inn Restaurant Chalk Hill Flea Market Miller’s Grocery Store Nemacolin Inn - Farmington Ohiopyle Falls Ohiopyle Pub Summit Hotel - Route 40 Indiana County BLAIRSVILLE Cokeville Produce Market Comfort Inn Dean's Diner Hampton Inn - Chestnut Ridge Senior Center Sheetz CLARKSBURG Shaulis Convenience Market INDIANA 119 Professional Center The Artist's Hand Book Nook The Coventry Inn Cucina Mia Diamond Drug
Downtown Indiana Association Hampton Inn Dr. Hilliard & Tarnoff Indiana Chamber of Commerce Indiana County Tourism Bureau Indiana Hospital Lobby Indiana Free Library Indiana University of PA Jimmy Stewart Museum Rustic Lodge Starbucks SALTSBURG exclusively at: Saltsburg Pharmacy Somerset County JENNERSTOWN Green Gables/Mtn Playhouse Our Coal Miners Cafe Three Rivers Dental SOMERSET AREA Comfort Inn Eat n Park Econo Lodge Hampton Inn Holiday Inn Express Mountain Craft Days Oakhurst Tea Room Sheetz (route 31) Somerset Family Eye Care Somerset Historical Center Summit Diner Quality Inn
Subscribe to the Laurel Mountain Post! Complete and return this form, along with payment of $20, to reserve your monthly issue for home delivery!
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END NOTES by Nancy A. Clark
Nancy Clark and her husband, Tom, rejoice in more than a half century of marriage, three children, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She dabbles in freelance and memoir writing when she isn’t baking, knitting, reading, sewing and building jigsaw puzzles.
Thoughts on Letter Writing “Maybe today will be the day,” I mutter, standing here at the side of the road, sorting through the inevitable handful of bills, circulars, and solicitations addressed to “Occupant.” It’s not a sweepstakes check I seek; I’m panting for at least one letter with a return address bearing the name of a loved one or friend. When such a personalized prize does materialize, bells ring; birds sing and my feet do a happy dance. Such joy catapults me somewhere over the rainbow where troubles melt like lemon drops.
I highly respect the technology that transmits data near the speed of light via phone or computer; and thrill to the come-hither tones indicating incoming e-mail. But I break forth into song when a latter day mail snail, having marked the ancient pony express trails, deposits a personally addressed, lovingly sculpted letter in our mailbox. My love affair with letter writing began with a 10th-birthday gift subscription to the legendary Jack and Jill Magazine. Every page of the “slick/ four-color” publication, first published in 1938, was magical. Pages of puzzles to solve, and stories about faraway places with strange sounding names mesmerized me. But it was the WANTED: PEN PALS page that sent me over the moon. There I studied the printed pleas from kids all over the globe seeking a writing buddy. It was there, in the early 1950’s, that I found Signa Smith, my first pen pal.
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Signa, her Italian mom and American-born dad lived in a small town in southern Italy. Once a month, I put cursive styled words onto crinkly onion skin paper and printed Signa’s address on an airmail envelope trimmed with distinctive red and blue “wings.” Then I waited with bated breath for her response. My parents willingly subsidized the cost of that long-distance friendship for five years when Signa and I lost each other in our respective puddles of teen angst. Phone calls are unrivaled for sharing immediate news and hearing the voice of a loved one; but for me – she with a sieve for a brain – details exchanged during a phone conversation are often forgotten or misconstrued. Facts or figures documented in writing have a marginally better chance at survival. Furthermore, I suffer with “tonguetied-itis,” a socially paralyzing condition characterized by hesitancy or inappropriateness as regards on-thespot verbal response. My symptoms are less prominent on paper. As the letter writer, I have the luxury of collecting my thoughts, organizing my words, selecting phrases, expressing interest, forming an opinion and developing a literary rapport with my intended recipient. Hence, I can present my totally discombobulated self in a softer, saner light. As the letter recipient, I have the pleasure of connecting with words my eyes can touch, and the gift of revisiting the epistle anytime and as often as I like, to linger over nuances and sentiments at will. The benefits of a letter writing discipline are, in my humble opinion, inarguable. A letter is the least obtrusive of all visitors. It never “rings up” during dinner nor does it demand an immediate explanation for not holding one’s undivided attention.
Sans static and call-waiting, it waits patiently for me – not me on it. A letter is a welcomed guest no matter what else is happening in my life. And, always, its presentation is blissfully quiet. The rewards for this discipline, also in my humble opinion, are life-long and often unexpected. I treasure a writing relationship with Sherry, a friend I’ve yet to meet. Sherry lives in Michigan and has, without fail, mailed a note of encouragement to me every month since May of 2001 when I received a troubling medical diagnosis. Her witness to the power of literary connectivity is an ongoing inspiration; her faithfulness to this routine is medicine for my soul. So fiercely determined am I to promote the diminishing craft, I continue to write to folks who never write back. (Some call that desperation; I call it persistence.) But Beware: Old fashioned letter writing is not for sissies. There are risks to fanning the embers of this fading art. Letter carriers have been known to delete mail as unselectively as do cyber carriers, and there is potential for anxiety related to non-reciprocation from those with whom one tries to connect. Lastly, there’s the danger of developing LWS – Letter Writers Syndrome. LWS symptoms include despair over the rising cost of postage, a shortage of ballpoint pens and inevitable disappointment at the mailbox. Risks, indeed; but risks I’m willing to take. How ‘bout you; wanna trade addresses? If you would like to become Nancy’s Pen Pal, or be matched up with another Laurel Mountain Post reader, please send your letter via US mail to:
Laurel Mountain Post Pen Pals Project 189 Fairview Lane Derry, PA 15627
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Every Story Begins At Home.
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