Penn Dutch Pacer :: March April May 2010 Newsletter by Phil Allamong

March, April, May 2010 - 1

Penn Dutch Pacers Volksmarch

letter Club • Lancaster, Pa

March, April, May 2010

Willow Street (South) Walk • May 8th & 9th One of the things that we try to do when designing and producing a walk is to find a trail that offers a lot of variety and when we can do that we end up with a walk much like you will experience in Willow Street on May 8th and 9th. We first walked in Willow Street on October 2 & 3, 2004. Back in 2004 we started from the community room within the Willow Street Fire Company and from there toured pretty much all of Willow Street proper. We walked the campus of the Willow Valley Retirement community and also walked by the Willow Street Votech School and the Hans Herr House (which was on our patch). On Saturday we had made arrangements for those who cared to to attend the Octoberfest at the Hans Herr House for a discount. This year we’re back in the town with the confusing name. You know when you tell folks that something is in Willow Street and they say, “OK, Willow Street in what town?” Willow Street as all the locals know is in fact the name of the town. The town name came about in the early part of the 20th century when the main thoroughfare in town was lined with Willow trees on both sides of the street for the length of the town. The community received its name because of these trees. As time marched on the town grew. The road was widened, sidewalks were installed which required the trees be removed. Only a few of the original trees remain to this day. Even though we are back in Willow Street our experience here will be totally different in 2010 in a number of ways. First maybe to differentiate this walk we should have called this walk Willow Street South. First, we will not be starting in the main Willow Street Fire House but in the Al Starr Community Building right behind the fire house, and second, our trail is totally different. We will be heading South from our startpoint through a fairly large residential development and then we will venture onto sparsely traveled country roads where there is some moderately hilly terrain. We will come to the trailhead of the Lancaster County Conservancy’s Slippery Rock Woods Nature Preserve and will be taking the natural surfaced trail up over the ridge and coming out on the far side again on sparsely traveled Ship Rock road. The Ship Rock Woods property was purchased in 2005 and it is speculated that the “Shiprock” name came from a large flat rock

in the nearby Pequea Creek that is said to be the size of a ship. There are two tributaries (one intermittent) of the Pequea Creek that cut through Shiprock Woods with sections of the forest that are comprised of mature second-growth. There are several large white oak trees that dot the hillside and provide a strong genetic seed source for successors. Shiprock woods has minimal forest understory along the ravine and hilltop. The upland soil content on the property means that nutrients are very shallow and rocky which probably is the reason the property was never planted with agricultural crops compared to being surrounded by the low lying farmlands. You will find wildflowers in bloom during the Summer. White-tailed deer, turkeys, foxes, grey squirrels, rabbits, and groundhogs can all be found on the property. Many species of song birds and raptors can also be spotted. Black vultures in particular have become regulars in this area and can be seen lurking around woodlot edges and nearby farms. In the future this property will be featured as an educational destination. The wooded hillside will be maintained as it is crucial in preventing more sediment runoff into the Pequea Creek. Streambank restoration is already occurring on the north side of the property where black walnut trees have already started to regenerate and oaks will be planted to prevent further erosion. Properties like Shiprock feature an important roll of buffering our stream against sediment erosion and nutrient loading, which are caused by developments and end up in the Chesapeake Bay. Continued trail maintenance and removal of invasive plants will be ongoing. The trek through Shiprock Woods is an added treat that we hadn’t envisioned when planning this trail. We happened upon it quite by accident and are excited about offering it as part of our Willow Street trail. The hilly part of this walk starts once we begin our Slippery Rock Woods adventure and when we leave the woods we will encounter some additional hills as we again engage Shiprock road continuing south. There is a not to be missed vista to the south that is camera worthy, if that is your thing. And if you have never walked through the middle of an Amish farm you will be doing just that on this walk as Shiprock road goes directly between the house and barn. Once we reach our furthermost point south and make the turn north again we will be gradually makCont’d on Page 4, column 3 (bottom)

March, April, May 2010 - 2 The folks listed below are the people that have stepped forward & given their time & talents to make PDP work for you. An encouraging word & a Thank You occasionally is a small price to pay for what they do.

Club Office Holders Phil Allamong, President 786-7118 phil@solanco.com ••• George Resh, 1st VP 397-1906 col_resh@hotmail.com ••• Donna Bashaw, 2nd VP Volunteer Coordinator 293-0221 ••• Inge Koenig, Sec 653-5451 lekohen@aol.com ••• Kitty Glass, Treas. 872-7743 kittyglass@yahoo.com ••• Barry Weatherholtz,TM* 625-3533 barrynbarb@dejazzd.com ••• Don Young, Asst. TM* 656-6873 flydlyoung@aol.com ••• Membership & Registrar Pete Byrne 393-6700 plhbyrne@verizon.net ••• Membership Development How About You? ••• Sales Marv Albert 653-8989 midnightmarv@aol.com ••• Publicity Rose & Mary Angeline 898-8153 Rmline@aol.com ••• Historian Chris Resh 397-1906 col_resh@hotmail.com ••• Webmeister Phil Allamong 786-7118 phil@solanco.com ••• YRE Coordinator Bob Gast 393-8083 rmgast@comcast.net ••• KSVA President Joan Lampart 215-529-5686 jmlampart@aol.com *Trailmaster

Last 2 Walks Recapped Lititz 2009

Award & Credit

Credit Only

Non-IVV

Totals

10K

151

Totals

110

174

Lancaster 2010

Award & Credit

Credit Only

Non-IVV

Totals

10K

Totals

Lancaster 2010 Walk

A walkers book is meticulously stamped by PDP Pete Byrne & the stack of discount coupons supplied to us by Isaac’s is pictured lower left.

If you heard that someone saw the Penn Dutch Pacers at the Pickle Bar it’s all true. The Pickle Bar was a great Startpoint for our Lancaster Walk.

Lititz after Thoughts This is the second year that we have produced an event on the Sunday following Thanksgiving that has dovetailed with the Susquehanna Rovers walk in Hershey giving walkers a weekend of walking opportunities in Central Pennsylvania. It was a pleasure welcoming walkers to our new Freeze & Frizz startpoint in Lititz under sunny skies. A very pleasant change from last year and a stupendous showing for a one day Sunday event and obviously a hit with walkers. Lititz has always been a walkers delight and November 29th was no exception. The new startpoint offered a refreshing change and a whole different Lititz walking experience to the delight of everyone that attended. The trail, although covering the favorite areas of Lititz, offered some new areas which seems amazing given the number of times we have offered walking opportunities in the lovely borough. Thanks to everyone who contributed in any way to our Lititz success and a special hats off to our intrepid trailmasters who continue to provide enjoyable trails in Lititz.

PENN DUTCH PACERS NEWSLETTER The PDP Newsletter is published for the membership and friends of PDP and is produced 4 times a year with the intention of keeping everyone up-to-date with what is happening within the club and also within the world of Volksmarching. We encourage contributions from members and non-members alike. Our deadlines are November 1 for Dec/Jan/Feb edition, February 1 for the Mar/Apr/May edition, May 1 for the Jun/Jul/Aug edition and August 1 for the Sep/Oct/Nov edition. We prefer that articles for inclusion be submitted via e-mail either as a Word attachment or as native e-mail. We also accept articles typed or in long hand. All submissions will be included on a first-come first-included space available basis. Thanks in advance for your submissions.

Editor...........................................................................................Phil Allamong Contributors: Pete Byrne, Bob Coonney, George Resh, Bob Gast, Sherry & Phil Allamong

March, April, May 2010 - 3

President’s Message

Cont’d from Previous Column . . .

event. You can find her phone number listed along with the rest This is my first communication with of the officer contact info in the left hand column of page 2 of you since my re-election as your this newsletter. president at the annual January dinner And we have two office holders who are not elected and we kid meeting that was held at Isaac’s on the about them being lifetime positions. Those positions are SecreManheim Pike on January 21st. Eighteen fellow Penn tary and Treasurer. Both of these positions are very necessary to Dutch Pacers gathered for what was an enjoyable meal and prothe continued success of the Penn Dutch Pacers and they are caductive meeting. pably handled by Inge Koenig, Secretary and Kitty Glass, TreaIn the even years, based on our by-laws, we are required to hold surer. And I would have to tell you I have no idea without elections for club officers. The president and 1st and 2nd viceresearching it how long either of them have been doing such fine president positions are elected. It was a pretty clear cut, unexcitjobs. Those minutes that you get from the previous meeting are ing election since we only had one candidate for each office. Of the work of Inge and she also moonlights as the sometime PDP course I’ll continue as president for my second two year term. photographer and you will also see her volunteering usually at Since the president can not serve more than two consecutive the start or finish desk during our walks. terms this will be my last. So those of you who might have aspiUnless you attend our meetings you don’t get to see Kitty’s handrations of leading this fine organization have two years to preiwork in the form of the reports she provides on the clubs financpare your platform. es. Kitty writes all the checks, fills out and files a number of the The job of 1st Vice President will continue to be capably handled forms that are required by AVA and found out that with the PDP by George Resh. The job of the 1st Vice President is primarily taking on the Museum Walk America Special Walking Program tabulating results from our weekend events and it used to be that she has more forms to fill out and checks to write. Kitty is done on paper and as of January 1st this year all those figures the one that picks up the PDP mail from the post office box and from our weekend events are now submitted electronically on the usually helps out at events where we are serving food like at the PDP website. And although not an official function of the 1st next event in Willow Street. Vice President George and his wife Chris store, transport, setup, A HUGE, HUGE thank you to these two ladies for continuing in man and tear down the Start and Finish points at the majority of their respective positions. We couldn’t do it without them. our walks. Chris is also officially our Historian which means that I don’t want anyone’s feelings hurt so remember this article is she keeps memorabilia such as the brochures, awards, trail map, intended to bring you up to date on the election of officers and etc from all of our walks. A big thank you to George and Chris that is why the particular people above were mentioned. It goes for all their individual and combined efforts to support the Penn without saying that we have tons of other folks that contribute Dutch Pacers and particularly thank you for being office holders. immensely to PDP’s success that are not specifically mentioned Without people to step forward to fill the spots we have for offihere. So to all of you who weren’t specifically mentioned and cers PDP will cease to exist. who contribute so much to the success of the Penn Dutch Pacers We have change at 2nd Vice President position which has been a hearty thank you on behalf of your fellow club members and a capably held by Bob Coonney for a number of years. Donna heartfelt THANK YOU on my behalf. Bashaw has stepped forward to take a load off of Bob who is in his second year of taking on the very time Downtown Lancaster Followup consuming task of managing the Museum Walk AmeriSaturday, January 9th we were back with amiable host, ca Special Walking Program that is sponsored by PDP. Isaac’s on Queen Street just north of Penn Square in downThanks Bob for wearing those two hats for sometime town Lancaster. This is the second year we hosted a walk in and a special thanks to Donna for stepping forward and Downtown Lancaster right after the New Year. Last year taking some of the burden from Bob. was the inaugural walk for the PDP sponsored Special Donna’s primary task as 2nd Vice President is Walking Program Museum Walk America and we volunteer coordinator. As you might guess were afforded a sunny, rather mild day, winter from the title she is the one who will be conwise, for enjoying Historic Downtown Lancaster. tacting you to volunteer your time at one of Donna Bashaw, 2nd VP This year although sunny, mild was not in the our weekend events. You can make Donna’s picture. The pre-walk the Sunday previous set the scene with temjob easier in several ways. First at each of our weekend events peratures in the mid 20’s and wind gusts near 50 and the smallest there is a sign up sheet on the start/finish table for the next walk. turnout for a pre-walk in recent history. By Friday there was an Pick it up and sign up for two or more 2-hour windows during the walk at the job of your choice. You can also go to the PDP inch or two of snow on the ground which quickly dissipated from website at www.penndutchpacers.org, select the Volunteer Page the roads but still lingered on some sidewalks on Saturday. and click on the link to volunteer for the next walk. You’ll be And although not as brisk as originally forecast the winds were taken to a form that you can fill out with your preferences for present in a lively enough fashion to remind everyone that it is volunteering. You can select which day, which time frame and indeed winter and that bundling up was a necessity. which job you prefer or let Donna schedule you as she needs It was nice finishing a walk in a restaurant where one could imyou. Once you select submit your information is added to a mediately take in something warm to start the thaw from the inspreadsheet that compiles all the volunteer information that’s side out. submitted on the website. Isaac’s again made us feel at home and welcomed us back not onThe third and final option to make Donna’s job easier is to simly by providing space inside their restaurant but also by providing ply call her directly to say you’ll volunteer prior to a specific coupons which could be used immediately or anytime before the end of the year. Cont’d in the next column

March, April, May 2010 - 4

NEW MEMBERS WELCOME Elizabeth & Phillip Louie CLUB MEMBERS ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS KILOMETER MILESTONES 500 Km Barbara Horst 1500 Km Ralph Greenawalt 2500 Km Donna Bashaw 4000 Km Rose Grumbling EVENT MILESTONES 50 Events Barbara Horst 125 Events Marilyn Morrison 225 Events Jeanne Schopf 250 Events Donna Bashaw 325 Events Robert Coonney 375 Events Rose Grumbling 400 Events Rose Grumbling 950 Events Brian Grumbling Source: American Wanderer December 2009/January 2010

February/March 2010 Records as of January 27, 2010

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake By Alex Bury, McDougall program cooking instructor

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 40 minutes Servings: 8-10 ¼ cup agave nectar or brown rice syrup 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 pineapple, cut into chunks or rings, or 1 can unsweetened pineapple 1½ cups whole wheat pastry flour 2¼ teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon cinnamon ¼ teaspoon each of ground ginger, nutmeg and cloves ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup soy or rice milk ½ cup agave nectar and/or brown rice syrup and/or maple syrup 1½ teaspoons vanilla Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9-inch cake pan or use a nonstick pan. Drizzle the sweetener and lemon over the bottom of the pan. Arrange the fruit to cover the bottom of the pan. Mix the dry ingredients well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients. Add wet to dry, stir well, then pour over the fruit. Bake until the center tests done, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto a cooling rack or pretty plate.

CVA Convention 2010 In case you are looking for a really unique vacation opportunity and would like to include some Volksmarching activity in some of the most scenic areas of the Great North, our sister organization across our northern border in Canada the Canadian Volkssport Federation's (CVF) Annual General Meeting and Convention 2010 will take place 28 - 30 May, 2010. The host club for the convention will be the Cape Breton Island Hoppers Volkssport Club (CBIH). The convention will take place in Sydney, Nova Scotia on Cape Breton Island. Cape Breton has been called one of the most beautiful islands in the world by Travel Magazine and has been featured in National Geographic Travel. Come, Walk Cape Breton for Fun, Fitness and Friendship! Details can be found on our convention web site or simply follow the links at www.walks.ca

Dates To Remember Thursday, March 18th PDP Membership Meeting - 7 PM • LGH Health Campus Diagnostic Imaging Center - Patient & Family Education Conference Room March 19th - March 21st 5th Biennial Atlantic Region Conference - Annapolis MD Thursday, April 15th PDP Membership Meeting - 7 PM • LGH Health Campus Diagnostic Imaging Center - Patient & Family Education Conference Room Sunday, May 2nd Willow Street Pre-walk from the Startpoint at 1 PM Saturday,May 8th & Sunday, May 9th PDP Walking Event :: Al Starr Community Building • Willow StreetStart 8 AM until 1 PM - finish by 4 PM Thursday, May 20th PDP Membership Meeting - 7 PM • LGH Health Campus Diagnostic Imaging Center - Patient & Family Education Conference Room Cont’d from Page 1 • Willow Street . . .

ing our way uphill toward the E M Herr store and we will reenter the other side of the same housing development that we walked through on the way out. Then we wend our way back to the start at the community building at the Willow Street Fire Company. Mark your calendars now so that you don’t miss what is sure to be a memorable walk in the heart of Lancaster County. Some information contained in this article comes from the Lancaster County Conservancy website at lancasterconservancy.org and its Guide to the Natural Side of Lancaster County and also from Wikipedia

March, April, May 2010 - 5

THE 5TH BIENNIAL ATLANTIC REGION CONFERENCE March 19—21, 2010 The Atlantic Region Director in cooperation with the ColumbiaVolksmarch Club, AVA-0264 and the Maryland Volkssport Association, AVA-MD will host the 5th Biennial Atlantic Region Conference on March 19-21, 2010 at the Doubletree Hotel, 210 Holiday Court, Annapolis, Maryland. This Registration Brochure contains all the information necessary to register for the conference. It also contains lodging, socials, events and other general information. Please join us for a weekend of activities and walking events. Learn about health and fitness, how the Atlantic Region operates, and maybe a little bit of Annapolis history. The first European settlers arrived in present-day Anne Arundel County in 1649. The General Assembly voted in 1694 to move the capital from St. Mary's City to "Anne Arundell Towne." In 1695 the town was renamed "Annapolis" in honor of then Princess Anne, daughter of Queen Mary. Annapolis became the economic, social and political center of the colony and the seat of government for Anne Arundel County. It remained the capital and seat of government when statehood was achieved on April 28, 1788. In the late 1880's, recreation became a major business throughout the County with the opening of numerous summer resorts including Bay Ridge In 1893. Annapolis, founded in 1649, is a city which offers a delightful combination of history and a zest for living. Architecturally, Annapolis boasts some of the finest 17th and 18th Century buildings in the country - including the residences of all four Maryland signers of the Declaration of Independence. Annapolis is the home of the United States Naval Academy founded in 1845 and also the home of St. John's College, founded in 1696 as King William's School and the third oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Follow is a summary of the walking events associated with this conference.

Qualifies for AVA Special Programs: Cemetery Stroll, Firehouses, Forts of the United States, Historic Churches, Honoring Law Enforcement, Native American Culture, State Capital

SATURDAY, MARCH 20—WALK ANNAPOLIS MD EVENT AT-10/86490 Sponsor: Maryland Volkssport Association, AVA-MD. Contact: Bob Schmick, (410) 960-6226, marktim@erols.com Start Point: Doubletree Hotel, 210 Holiday Court, Annapolis, MD Start Time: 8:00 — Noon. Finish by 3:00 PM. Trail Description: The 5/10 KM trails are rated 1. The walk starts from the Hotel and visits many of the highlights of outer Annapolis. The trail will take you out Riva Road to the high school, past the very large Swim Center, back to the Annapolis Towne Center where you will see all that is new in Annapolis. Also, you will visit the largest Harley Davidson Cycle dealer. Qualifies for AVA Special Programs: Hooray for Hollywood, State Capitals

SUNDAY, MARCH 21—WALK SAVAGE, MD

EVENT AT-10/86464 Sponsor: Columbia Volksmarch Club, AVA-0264. Contact: John Dye, (410) 290-6510, johndye@comcast.net. Start Point: Savage Park, 8599 Fair Street, Savage, MD 20763 Start Time: 8:00 AM—Noon. Finish by 3:00 PM. Trail Description: The 5/10 km trail is rated FRIDAY, MARCH 19 — WALK 2. Savage Park offers many opportunities for ANNAPOLIS MD discovering wildlife, wildflowers and natural EVENT AT-10/86492 history along interconnecting trails, includThe award is a 5” multi-colored 100% embroidered patch Sponsor: Maryland Volkssport Associaing links to Patuxent Branch Trail and Lake depicting the Capitol Building in Annapolis. One-huntion, AVA-MD dred [100] patches are available for pre-registered walkElkhorn. The Historic Mill Trail, Wincopin ers with reorders available, if necessary. You only need Contact: Bob Schmick, (410) 960-626, to complete one of the conference events to earn the Trails, and Savage Loop Trail offer different award. marktim@erols.com lengths and terrains for hikers and bikers of Start Point: Doubletree Hotel, 210 Holiday variousskill levels. Court, Annapolis, MD. Start Time: Noon—3:00 PM. Finish by Qualifies for AVA Special Programs: Riverwalk America sundown. Anyone who has been to previous Atlantic Region ConferencTrail Description: The 5/10 KM trail, rated 1+. You will regises knows how enjoyable they are and Annapolis MD will sureter at the Hotel then drive to Maryland Hall for the Creative ly provide some great walking experiences. If you can go we Arts for the walk. The walk route in mid Annapolis will feature would encourage you to do so. For additional information on the newest portion of Colonial Annapolis Maritime Heritage this conference go to the link for the brochure below or call Trail. The route will pass through a wetland wilderness areas, Bob Schmick, (410) 960-6226 or e-mail: parks, and more of the self-declared Maritime Republic of atlantic.conference@yahoo.com. Eastport. http://www.ava.org/clubs/reg_atlantic/ATConf_2010_brochure.pdf

March, April, May 2010 - 6

What does it take to Plan & Produce a Volksm One of the things that we talk about a lot in this publication is all the work that is accomplished by all of our volunteers not only during the days of our walks but in addition all the hours that are spent in advance of the walks, in preparation. All these hours of planning and preparation are what make PDP walking events happen in what may seem like an effortless manner. As you will hopefully see producing a PDP walk is anything but effortless. ‘See’ is the operative word here; since we will be exploring all that goes into planning a walk using what is called a mind map. A mind map is a diagram used to represent words, ideas, tasks, or other items linked to and arranged around a central key word or idea. The mind map of planning a walk is a word picture, something that you can ‘see’. Our key idea here is ‘Planning a Walk’. We are going to use our mind map, which dominates this two page spread, to help everyone visualize all that goes into producing a PDP walk. The elements of a given mind map are arranged into groupings, branches, or areas, with the goal of representing connections between portions of information. To get our ‘Planning a Walk’ mind map together we had several people collaborate and put down all we could think of regarding what has to be considered and the decisions that have to made and work that needs to be done when it is decided that the Penn Dutch Pacers will produce a walk. We’re sure you will see things that we missed and it may be interesting if we get enough feedback to publish an optimized version in the future showing the things we may have missed. We started with our central concept in the center which as mentioned and as you can see is ‘Planning a Walk’ from there at first level are the main things that need to be decided and handled and the further breakdowns and describes more specifics about individual details the further things are broken down. We decided to present the information on planning a walk in this format so that you can ‘see’ where your talents and interests might fit in. Remember that each of the tasks and decisions represented in the mind map are tasks that one or more individuals need to complete so that the project, a PDP Walking Event, can come to fruition and be successful. Once you have identified a task that best suits your time, interest and tal-

Cont’d on Page 7, column 3

march?

March, April, May 2010 - 7 Cont’d from Page 6 • What does it. . .

ents we would ask that you step forward and become actively involved in making PDP walking events the best they can be.

GNC No Longer an AVA Partner The January 2010 Checkpoint included a note indicating that the contract between GNC and AVA has expired.

New PA Volksmarch Club Chartered It nice to welcome a brand new club to the ranks of PA Volksmarch Club. Region Director Sam Tollet recently mailed the initial club charter package to AVA for the MARIENSTADT WANDERERS yesterday. This club is in Saint Marys, PA and the club president is Mary Meyers. Her work number is (814) 834-1480 and email is smcessdev@windstream.net .

Baloney Stompers are No More You may have heard the rumors over the past year regarding the status of the Lebanon Baloney Stompers, our neighboring volksmarch club to the north. The rumors in fact are true and we are sad to report that the demise of the Baloney Stompers is a reality. Sadly we understand that it got to the point that they couldn’t get anyone to be office holders any more and the few people that were still doing all the work were simply burnt out. Yet another AVA club has bitten the dust. We will miss the walks in Lebanon County. Thanks to those few folks with the Baloney Stompers who held on to the very end.

March, April, May 2010 - 8

2009/2010From Atlantic Region Calendar the Atlantic Region website March Date 02 06 18 19-21 19-21 20 21 27

Type GPW W M M W W W W

Sponsoring Club Event Location Contact Phone York White Rose Wanderers Hanover PA YRE - 9:00 a.m. 717-633-7644 Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Bethesda MD (Knights of Columbus) 301-229-1356 Penn Dutch Pacer Membership Meeting :: Lancaster Health Campus :: 7 PM :: Everyone Invited Atlantic Region Conference Annapolis MD 410-960-6226 Maryland Volkssport Association Annapolis MD (Doubletree Hotel) 410-960-6226 Maryland Volkssport Association Annapolis MD (Doubletree Hotel) 410-960-6226 Columbia Volksmarch Club Savage MD (Savage Park) 410-290-6510 Virginia Vagabonds Glocester VA (Riverside Walter Reed Hospital) 757-766-3065

April Date 03 10 10 10-11 12 15 17 17 17 18 20 24 24

Type W W W 2W NW M W W W W NW W W

Sponsoring Club Event Location Contact Phone Virginia Vagabonds Williamsburg VA 757-766-3065 Lee Lepus Volksverband Richmond VA (Deep Run Picnic Shelter) 804-768-0055 Baltimore Walking Club Baltimore MD (The Rotunda) 410-252-1573 Susquehanna Rovers Newport PA (Chez Louise) 717-567-9537 Northern Virginia Volksmarchers Fairfax Station VA (Fairview Elementary School)703-455-1878 Penn Dutch Pacer Membership Meeting :: Lancaster Health Campus :: 7 PM :: Everyone Invited Germanna Volkssport Association Warrenton VA (Warrenton Visitor Center) 540-786-6550 Freestate Happy Wanderers Laurel MD (Fairland Regional Park) 301-572-5574 York White Rose Wanderers Hallam PA (Clayton Ely Emig Park) 717-309-6088 Washington DC Area Volksmarching Club Washington DC (Marriott Wardman Park Hotel) 703-765-3128 Washington DC Area Volksmarching Club Alexandria VA (Barrett Branch Library) 703-765-3128 Peninsula Pathfinders Hampton VA (Sandy Bottom Nature Park) 757-851-9252 Loudoun Walking & Volkssport club Leesburg VA (St John the Apostle Parish Center) 703-737-2175

May Date 01 08 08-09 09 10 15 15 18 20 21-23 21-23 21-23 21-23 22 29-31 29-31

Type W W W W NW W W NW M W W W W W W W

Sponsoring Club Event Location Contact Phone Piedmont Pacers Manchester MD 410-795-7855 Liberty Bell Wanderers Huntingdon Valley PA (Lorimer Park) 215-354-1723 Penn Dutch Pacers Willow Street PA (Willow Street Fire Company) 717-625-3533 Chesapeake Bay Country Wanderers Upper Marlboro MD (Rosaryville State Park) 301-805-4278 Northern Virginia Volksmarchers Fairfax Station VA (Fairview Elementary School) 703-455-1878 Gator Volksmarsch Club Virginia Beach VA (Bayville Park) 757-490-9324 Liberty Bell Wanderers West Chester PA (Baranby's) 215-699-9246 Washington DC Area Volksmarching Club Alexandria VA (Barrett Branch Library) 703-765-3128 Penn Dutch Pacer Membership Meeting :: Lancaster Health Campus :: 7 PM :: Everyone Invited York White Rose Wanderers Washington PA (Hampton Inn)-Historic Downtown 717-309-6088 York White Rose Wanderers Washington PA (Hampton Inn)-Rices Landing 717-209-6088 York White Rose Wanderers Washington PA (Hampton Inn)-Mings Creek Park 717-209-6088 York White Rose Wanderers Washington PA (Hampton Inn)-Greenburg 717-309-6088 Northern Virginia Volksmarchers Lorton VA (Occoquan Regional Park) 703-455-1878 Baltimore Walking Club Cumberland MD (Canal Place, Cumberland Walk) 410-252-3165 Baltimore Walking Club Cumberland MD (Canal Place, Western Maryland Heritage) 410-252-3165

June Date 05 05 12 12 14 15 17 18-19 18-19 19 26 26

Type W W W W NW NW M W W W W W

Sponsoring Club Event Location Contact Phone Loudoun Walking & Volkssport Club Sterling VA (Claude More Park) 703-737-2175 Great Greenvelt Volksmarchers Beltsville MD (Agricultural Research Center-BARC)301-937-3549 Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Silver Spring MD (Safeway) 301-946-5496 Virginia Vagabonds James City County (Freedom Park) 757-766-3065 Northern Virginia Volksmarchers Fairfax Station VA (Fairview Elementary School) 703-455-1878 Washington DC Area Volksmarching Club Alexandria VA (Barrett Branch Library) 703-765-3128 Penn Dutch Pacer Membership Meeting :: Lancaster Health Campus :: 7 PM :: Everyone Invited York White Rose Wanderers York PA (Vo-Tech High School) 717-757-3350 York White Rose Wanderers York PA (Vo-Tech High School) 717-757-3350 Freestate Happy Wanderers Solomons MD (Visitor Center) 301-490-7338 Virginia Vagabonds Hampton VA 757-766-3065 Baltimore Walking Club Towson MD (Notre Dame Preparatory School) 410-252-3165

July Date 10 15 17 31

Type W M W W

Sponsoring Club Event Location Contact Phone Peninsula Pathfinders Hampton VA (Hampton History Museum & Visitors Center) 757-890-9220 Penn Dutch Pacer Membership Meeting :: Lancaster Health Campus :: 7 PM :: Everyone Invited Seneca Valley Sugarloafers Potomac MD (C&O Towpath/Blockhouse Point) 571-217-9851 York White Rose Wanderers Hanover PA (Yesteryear Antique Center ) 717-632-4589

There are events added all the time, please check the AVA website for up to the minute walk information! Legend: W=Walk, GW=Guided Walk, GNW=Guided Night Walk, NW=Night Walk, B=Bike, S=Swim Sk=Ski, XSki = Cross Country Ski, IS=Ice Skate, RS=Roller Skate, SS=Snowshoe M=Meeting

March, April, May 2010 - 9

Paid

Free

Sub Total

Paid

Free

Sub Total

Paid

Free

Sub Total

Paid

Free

Sub Total

Individual Event Totals

2009 YRE Results

21 28

0 1

21 29

21 10

3 0

24 10

11 14

0 0

11 14

14 11

1 0

15 11

71 64

Lititz History

112

Millersville

Middle Creek Lake

Ephrata

Paid & Free Quarterly Walkers

217

157

130

Lancaster Downtown Lancaster West Lititz North

New Holland East New Holland West

Quarterly Sub-Totals 2008 Quarterly Sub-Totals 2009

1st Quarter

164 225

2nd Quarter

187 166

3rd Quarter

186 135

4th Quarter

Closed

174 134

6 6 0

It is that time of year again YRE Participation since 1998 where we share our participation numbers for our YRE and Seasonal events courtesy of the statistics compiled by our YRE and Seasonal Coordinator Bob Gast. The chart at the top of the page gives you a quarter by quarter rundown of totals for each our 785 is the average number of walkers over the past 12 years nine current YRE & Seasonal events. Keep in mind when you look at that chart that we are down one YRE from 2008. (Remember we eliminated the Middlecreek Woods & Meadows walk because participation was lagging and it was not cost effective any longer.) We included in that chart the quarterly totals so that you could see for yourself that the first quarter of the year compared to 2008 was up with the following three quarters all below the performance of 2008. One of things that you need to keep in mind when looking at the above figures is that in 2008 we had 10 YRE and Seasonal events and we only had 9 in 2009 since we hadnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t re-sanctioned the Middlecreek Woods and Meadows walk. In 2008 that walk was responsible for adding 37 walkers to the total. So if we took the 2009 total of 660 and added 37 to it youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at 697, just 11 shy of our 2008 total walkers which would pretty much level the line in the chart above between 2008 and 2009.

March, April, May 2010 - 10

QUEST TO COMPLETE THE A-Z SPECIAL, Part 2 by Bob Coonney

Editors Note: In the last newsletter we journeyed along with John, Becky and Bob on the first 3 days of their adventure. We continue here with the conclusion of Quest to Complete the A-Z Special.

After a much needed rest, we checked out on day 4 and drove to South Haven, MI. Dad took the entire day off from walking while Becky and I would be doing two trails once again. The trail began at Cafe' Julia and would leave town to a small residential area to Lakeview Cemetery where a veterans memorial stands. After collecting the checkpoint answer we would exit back into the same residential area for a short distance to a multi-street intersection and cross a bridge, passing the former Michigan Central Railway Depot on one side and the Michigan Maritime Museum on the other side. We moved through more residential areas to Dyckman Beach, heading towards the South Haven Lighthouse and pier while respecting the home and condo owners. We stopped and took in the visage where the Black River empties into Lake Michigan, then continued along the marina boardwalk to All Seasons Marine, back to Black River St., to Dyckman St. and back over the bridge. On our way up Williams Street, we stopped to watch fisherman fillet fish for their charter group from that morning. After crossing a small area of local businesses, we found ourselves in another stretch of residential until we approached and descended a set of stairs to walk along the Lake Michigan beach front to the pier on the opposite side of the Black River we walked earlier on the trail. The last stretch of this trail took us through the downtown shopping district and to the finish. The second walk of the day was in St. Joseph, MI. which started at the Landis Clothing Company in the tourist shopping district. We were in for an extra treat this day because some streets were blocked off from traffic for a Classic Car Show and we spent additional time walking around the area near the veterans memorials, Curious Kids Museum, and the Krasl Art Center to check out these sweet looking rides. The day got even better as I noticed an island detour on the map and I simply could not pass up that bonus stamp. We would pick up our first checkpoint shortly thereafter, then continue on a long trek through residential housing, which included acquiring the second checkpoint at a cemetery that included a grave site of a poet. We left the homes behind by entering the John and Dede Howard scenic wooden walkway to Lion's Park Beach. We stopped many times along this stretch of trail to take in the scenery both near and far. The trail continued along Lion's Park Drive and Lake Street all the while keeping the majestic view of Lake Michigan to our left. Nearing the conclusion of the trail, we passed the once famed Silver Beach Park, the Amtrak Station/Restaurant, and Arboretum Park. This was our fifth and final walk in Michigan and I would like to take this time to thank all of the trail masters and officers of the Historic Pathfinders again for their well planned trails. We left Michigan behind for an overnight stay in downtown Indianapolis, IN. After a hearty breakfast on day 5, we went to White River State Park to begin our 11K event in Indianapolis, IN. Upon leaving the start point at the Visitors Center, we followed the sidewalk to the fence line along the White River and continued to parallel the river to a staircase down, past a man made waterfall, to a staircase up and along the front of the NCAA Hall of Champions, then down

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d in the next column

another staircase to the extremely clean and well tended canal. Strolling along the canal, we would pass a Medal of Honor Memorial, the Indiana State Museum, the ACSM Fitness Garden, circle around the end of the canal to the sidewalk on the opposite side. We continued Indiana State Museum to a ramp past The USS Indianapolis Memorial that emptied back into the streets of downtown Indianapolis. After a couple of blocks, we would enter the Peace Garden at Indiana Avenue and exit onto New York Street and follow it past the Federal Courthouse to Meridian Street and then turn on to Michigan Street to the home of the Liberty Bell replica in Indiana, which is housed in the Indiana War Memorial Building. We continued to traffic through the concrete jungle passing notable structures such as: The Murat Theatre, The Athenaeum(American Cabaret Theatre), The James Whitcomb Riley Home & Museum, and several churches before we arrived at our 2nd checkpoint. The downtown area began to breed a large number of pedestrians going to lunch or shopping as we approached the impressive edifice of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument which houses a museum in the basement. After leaving Meridian Street to Jackson Place, we passed the Morrison Opera House and Union Station to Louisiana Street and then to Capital Street passing the Indiana Repertory Theatre. Washington Street proved to be the last leg of the event and we would pass the State Capitol Building, the President Lincoln speech memorial plaque, the George Washington Statue, and The Eiteljorg Museum of Native American and Western Art before finishing. Thank you to the Indy 'G' Walkers for providing us a show case of Indianapolis and all the activities the city offers. The second walk on this day brought our A to Z Special Event to it's conclusion. Many of you know this to be Xenia, OH. We choose to do the 5k trail due to the long drive from Indianapolis and the drive yet to come after we finished. We were fortunate to have an employee of Screen Play Printing take our picture (which was included with part one of this article). We decided to do the second 5K loop that would take us along a bike trail to the sidewalk of S. Detroit Street to Main Street and into the residential homes of Xenia. We would pass a Central Junior High School and the checkpoint at the Greene Memorial Hospital before exiting back onto Main Street heading back towards the finish. I noticed a Veterans Memorial along the way that was dedicated only to the soldiers of Desert Storm that I found quite intriguing. A special thanks to the Xenia Walking Club for providing the A to Z participants with the only letter "X" in the country I am aware of. Though our A to Z Special Event is now complete, the trip was not over. Now we would head towards our night stay in Columbus, OH. It was an overcast day with mild temperatures, perfect for a summer morning stroll. There were several walks in Columbus to select from and we elected to navigate the 10K trail by the Heart of Ohio Hikers in the German Village. We left the start point from the Comfort Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on Page 11, column 1

March, April, May 2010 - 11 Cont’d from Page 10 • Quest . . .

Inn, crossed the street and proceeded to the Brewery District passing the formidable King Gambrinus brewery. Passing the old Ohio State Arsenal, keeping the Scioto River to the left and viewing the Center of Science and Industry from across the waterway, we came to Broad Street and a flurry of activity among the local population. We passed the Capitol Building, the Lincoln Historical Marker, and the Underground Railroad Marker while approaching the State House where we would stop and read from the "Soldiers Wall of Letters". A short while later, we left the downtown life for the German Village to our first checkpoint in Frank Fetch Park(formally a plot of ground everyone took there dogs to do their business), it is still a doggie-doo spot for the residents, but is very nicely laid out and comes complete with doggiedoo bags and trash can to King Gambrinus Brewery clean up after your pet. Continuing through the narrow streets of the village, we stopped in Franklin Glass to say hello to Frank the Cat before coming to the site of the Ohio State Buckeyes first home game in 1890. A little further along the trail, we passed the famous Schmidt's Sausage Haus, Schmidt's Fudge Haus, the Red Stable Shop, the Mohawk Grill and follow the path in and around Schiller Park. Nearing the end of the trail, we spent some time perusing through the Book Loft before returning to the start point. Thank you to Heart of Ohio Hikers for their historic trail through the German Heritage of this area. The rain would catch us at our second walk of the day in Moraine State Park, which is located in Prospect, PA. The weather this afternoon was so miserable that Becky and I decided to hike the 5K trail. Around the corner from the Park Office we picked up a grassy trail and made a steady climb to tree cover, level off and cross a road to the Pleasant Valley Trail and more tree cover and continued on this path until we reached the next road. Once there, we turned left and passed a boat rental and a beach area on our left. I probably don't have to tell you that there were no beach combers on this day. We picked up a grass trail a little further along which crossed a foot bridge before coming to a hard road surface. We turned right and returned to the start point. The weather was the story for this day and was unable give the trail it's due on this summary. All we could do is go to our hotel room and hope that our last walk the next day would shine on us. In our eagerness to get home, we arrived at the start point at The Air Fitness Center 15 minutes before it opened. It turned out to be a nice morning for a walk. Many of the shops were closed in downtown Ellwood City and we passed them by at a brisk pace, stopping only to look at kittens at play in a cat shelter window. Before long we would be crossing the Sims St. bridge, turning right onto Beatty Ave., passing the Tree of Life Wellness Center and into a residential area where we picked up the nature trail. The nature trail would end on Joffre St. where we would turn left and pass the community swimming pool and tennis courts, continue through the neighborhood turning here and there, carefully crossed a high traffic area and then turned to the left. We continued on this straightaway, crossing many streets until turning left on North St. and crossing the 5th St. bridge back to the other Cont’d in the next column

Canadian Trail Rating System EDITOR”s NOTE: Recently AVA president Curt Myron sent out information on the Canadian Trail rating system which uses a number and letter combination to describe the trail instead of the single number that the AVA uses in the US as a trail rating. There have been many discussion over the years concerning the fact that the AVA trail rating system maybe isn’t as descriptive as it could be. The Canadian system addresses trail ratings in a different way than we are currently doing them in the US. As an example we rated our upcoming Willow Street event as a 2+. A 2 rated AVA walk is defined as “A moderately easy walk, may be on pavement or on trails. No significant difficulty with hills. May not be suitable for wheelchairs and strollers.” We added the + (the + is not an official part of the trail rating system but all clubs seem to use it anyway) since there are several hills. It depends on who you are if you consider them significant or not. If we were to rate this same walk using the Canadian trail rating system would probably rate it 2-B or maybe 2+-B.

“Here is something to inject into our coming conversation about the AVA trail rating system. Canada uses a two-digit rating, composed of matching a number with a letter. Here it is. It seems to me to be more descriptive than what we are using. Why not share this with your clubs to see what they think of it.” Curt Myron, AVA President - Focus on Growth!! Part 1 - Incline

Part 2 - Terrain (surface)

A. Almost entirely on pavement, probably suitable for baby stroller. B. A significant part of the walk takes place on well2. Some Moderate hill or groomed trails with very stair climbing little difficult terrain. C. A significant part of the walk takes place on 3. Some significant hill or somewhat difficult terrain stair climbing (rocky/root paths) D. A significant part of the 4. A good deal of significant walk takes place on very hill or stair climbing difficult terrain. E. The majority of the walk 5. Many steep hills or high takes place on very difficult altitude trails terrain. 1. Very little hill or stair climbing.

Cont’d from Previous Column . . .

side. We passed a McDonalds, the Ellwood City Fire Station, several churches, Lincoln High School with a replica of the Statue of Liberty in the courtyard. Before long we were back in town and at the start point and in the car, heading for home. Thank you to the Nittany Nomads for providing us with these last 2 trails in western Pennsylvania so far from the confines of Happy Valley. We logged a lot of miles, saw a great deal, and collected a multitude of stamps in our achievement and special event books. Thanks once again to all the clubs who make this happen for all of us to enjoy. Happy Hiking -Robert Coonney(Penn Dutch Pacers Volksmarch Club and POC for Museum Walk America Special Event)

March, April, May 2010 - 12 Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Lancaster, PA Permit No. 58

Penn Dutch Pacers Volksmarch Club, Inc. PO Box 7445 Lancaster PA 17604-7445 Time Dated Material -- Please Deliver Immediately

Contents •Willow Street (South)

Return Service Requested!

^ page 1 •Last 2 Walks Recapped •Lititz after Thoughts ^ Page 2 •President’s Message •Downtown Lancaster Followup ^ Page 3 •Members & Milestones •Pineapple Up-side Down Cake •CVA Convention •Dates to Remember ^ page 4 •5th Biennial Atlantic Region Conf. ^ page 5 •What does it take to Produce a VM? ^ page 6 •GNC No Longer an AVA Partner •New PA VM Club Chartered •Baloney Stompers are No More ^ Page 7 •Atlantic Region Calendar ^ Page 8 •2009 YRE Results •12 year YRE Participation Chart ^ Page 9 •Quest to Complete... Part 2 ^ Page 10 •Canadian Trail Rating System ^ Page 11

A WHOLE DIFFERENT KIND OF WALK Check us out at www.penndutchpacers.org MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

FAMILY NAME _______________________ FIRST NAME ____________________ SPOUSE _____________________ ADDRESS ________________________________ CITY ________________________ ST ____ ZIP ________________ TELEPHONE (___)____-______ CHILDREN’S NAMES ____________________________________________________ E-MAIL ADDRESS (Please) _________________________________________________________________________ I hereby make application for membership in, and agree to conform to the bylaws or any amendment thereof in the PENN DUTCH PACERS VOLKSMARCH CLUB, INC., and with the rules and regulations of the AVA in the IVV and in application I certify the above.

DATE _______________ SIGNATURE ______________________________________ ___NEW ___RENEWAL ___$10.00 • 1 year CHECKS TO:

All membership fees are renewable in June.

___ $18.00 • 2 years

___$25.00 • 3 years

PENN DUTCH PACERS VOLKSMARCH CLUB, INC. ATTN.: MEMBERSHIP P. O. BOX 7445, LANCASTER, PA. 17604-7445

Check where you would like to help: ___AWARDS TABLE ___PUBLICITY

___CHECKPOINTS

___REGISTRATION ___NEWSLETTER

___TRAIL

___REFRESHMENTS

___WHERE NEEDED