laurel mountain post :: november 2014

1 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST, September 2013

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Lapp Family Market

A Valiant Try At Pumpkin Pie

The Iron Furnace

Their Future or Our Past?

Candlelight Open House

Things of Permanence

’Tis Almost the Season

Gather Round the Table

2 - November 2014 LAUREL MOUNTAIN POSTPOSTPOSTPOSTPOST

Every Story Begins At Home. November 2014 - 3

The Laurel Mountain Post is an independent, monthly publication produced at Fairview Farm inWestmoreland County, Pennsylvania. All material printed herein is subject to copyright andpermission to reproduce in any format must be obtained in writing from the publisher. Thispublication is registered with the US Library of Congress, ISSN 2330-6629.

Cathi Gerhard, Editor & [email protected]

Joe Walko, Managing [email protected]

Megan Fuller, Web & Calendar [email protected]

Nancy A. Clark, Contributing [email protected]

Gregory Susa, Co-Publisher & Circulation ManagerCarol Gerhard, Copy Editor

Publisher cannot and does not guarantee the accuracy of the matter represented in the advertise-ments herein published. Please contact the advertiser to verify details.

Laurel Mountain Post189 Fairview LaneDerry, PA 15627

www.LaurelMountainPost.com

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POSTProudly serving the LaurelArea Valleys and Highlandsof Westmoreland Countysince 2004.

Phone: 724-537-6845Fax: 724-558-9548

OFFICIAL MAGAZINE of the

“The Pilgrims made seven times more graves than huts.No Americans have been more impoverished than these who,

nevertheless, set aside a day of thanksgiving.”– H.U. Westermayer

Set Aside A Dayof Thanksgiving

My favorite time of the year, along with so many of you, is theholiday season ... Halloween through New Year’s Day. It’s not justbecause there are so many parties, treats and other excesses. Whatmeans so much more to me is that our hearts turn back (alongwith the clocks) toward home, family, and friends.

Autumn brings so many opportunities to reflect on gratitude,and then act upon it. I struggle with All Saints Day and VeteransDay. I mourn the dead, both those I’ve known and strangers whohave defended our nation. I remember my dad, my grandparents,aunts & uncles, and my child-hood friend – I still miss themso much, and the tearful floodof memories often overwhelmsme. But what always strikesme next is how grateful I amto have had such wonderfultimes with all of them. A lotof people will never know thatkind of joy.

Then I turn to the living and revel in the preparations for theevents yet to come: planning, decorating, baking, cooking, creat-ing and writing cards, shopping, wrapping presents, and volun-teering. There’a a lot of hard work that goes into the holidays, andwhile some people dread the season for it, I see the hassles andsweat as worthy efforts toward connecting with those I love. It’sthe stuffing in tomorrow’s sweet nostalgia.

Thanksgiving is not just a time for grateful hearts to rememberthe past – it’s about today and tomorrow, as well. We take so manythings for granted in our modern age, often overlooking the bestparts of life – each other. Look around as you gather round yourtable, and savor the treasured moments with friends and family asoften as you can.

– Cathi Gerhard, Editor

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Table of Contents

5 A Valiant Try at Pumpkin Pie by Nancy A. Clark

6 Gather Round the Table“Down on the Farm” by Cathi Gerhard

7 America Recycles and Shop Small

9 St. Clair Should Have Returnedto Pennsylvania Sooner by RW Dick Phillips

11 Plastic Bag Ban by Earth Talk

12 How to lose weight fast andNEVER have to stress about it again

“My Fitness Kitchen” by Mark Rullo

15 Journey of A Thousand Miles“That’s What They Say” by Rev. Majorie Rivera

17 Harvesting & Working Wood

18 Derry Area HS Wins AwardLaurel Mountain Post Celebrates 10 Years

19 The Iron Furnace by Judith Redline Coopey

20 Candlelight Open House

21 Their Future or Our Past?“Today’s Education” by Clair Ward

22 Things of Permanence“Home Study” by Brian Mishler

26 Nov-Dec Community Calendar

29 Memory Lane “Dear Diary” by Ruthie Richardson

30 ’Tis Almost the Season “End Notes” by Joe Walko

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are conscious of our treasures.”are conscious of our treasures.”~Thornton Wilder~Thornton Wilder


A Valiant Try at Pumpkin Pieby Nancy A. Clark

Life is full of “firsts” – a first step, firstday of school, a first kiss and the firsttry at baking a pumpkin pie. Withouta doubt, the latter was most traumaticfor me when, as a new bride, I set outto impress my family by making myfirst pumpkin pie for Thanksgivingdinner. And not just any pumpkin pie,mind you: my pie would begin andend with the flesh of a pumpkinfrom our first vegetable garden,the fruit from our first harvest.

“Use only Libby’s cannedpumpkin and Carnation evapor-ated milk,” Mom advised, whenshe learned of my plan. “Trustme; they’ll never fail you“

Although I desired to emu-late her success at presenting anaward-winning “harvest custardpie,” I was determined to do itmy own way. Mom offered oneof her finest deep-dish pie plates,and sage, but unsolicited, advice.“Remember, Libby’s and Carna-tion Evaporated Milk.” I accep-ted the pie plate but dismissedthe rest.

Silly me.The one to whom I did se-

cretly turn to for guidance, how-ever, was the world-renowned GeneralMills kitchen maven and cookbookauthor, Betty Crocker. Next to mymother, there was no other who couldhelp this novice baker to create animpressive pumpkin pie. After all, ifone couldn’t trust Betty Crocker to leadthe way, who could one trust?

The pumpkins we picked fromour dying vines weren’t as Halloween-orange as was our neighbor’s pump-kins; but the spotted, greenish-grayhue of our produce set them apart asunique and distinctive. This was espec-ially true with the one we carved forour Hallween Jack-O-Lantern, so I as-sumed that one of Jack’s siblings wouldresult in a unique and distinctive pie.

Silly me.Betty’s instructions for making a

mouth-watering pumpkin pie were so

elementary that I – even I – could readit and follow along. She called for 1 ¾cups mashed cooked pumpkin butoffered no instruction on how to prepa garden pumpkin. I suppose shepresumed that a semi-intelligent per-son could figure that out for oneself.Reason (what little I had back then)said the outer skin didn’t belong in a

pastry shell, so I took a potato peelerto the rind. Nor did Betty suggest howto cook the pumpkin. Common sense(what little I had back then) dictatedthat I chop the peeled and seededgreenish globes into pieces smallenough to stuff into the largest cook-ing pot we owned – a four quart saucepan. Add water, cover and let simmer.

Easy as pie.After three hours of simmering,

the watery mush in the pan clearlydidn’t need mashing. Tapping into ajunior high Home Ec. lesson on thick-ening agents, I added a couple of table-spoons of cornstarch to the bubblingmush in the pan and concluded thewhite clots that formed would even-tually melt in the oven.

Betty called for “three eggs or 4yolks,” but I had only two eggs. Surely

a few more drops of milk would makeup for the missing egg.

As for the milk: Mom’s words –Carnation Evaporated Milk – echoedin my head, but Betty didn’t specify.Trusting my instincts (what little I hadback then), I poured an extra splashof skim milk into the glob of superthick pumpkin puree solidifying in the

pan and hoped for the best. I may have overshot Betty’s

specs regarding ground ginger,nutmeg and cloves, but what’spumpkin pie without a lot ofspice? An extra dash of cinna-mon actually improved the colorof the filling, and the aroma ofthat pie baking in the oven of ourfirst apartment sealed the ex-pectation that the mess I spread(not poured) onto the frozenpastry shell would attract everyturkey that strutted to the Thanks-giving table.

The final product looked likecooked field grass sprinkled withwhite things in petrified gelatin-gone-bad; and the only turkeystrutting up to that dessert wasme. The Good Book promisesPride goeth before the fall, and,

boy, did I fall. The price of pride wasto “yum-m-m it up” and roll my eyesheavenward with every gaggingswallow, pretending the pie was atleast half as tasty as Mom’s. Therewere no other takers for the dessert,and we buried the remains in Dad’sgarden.

Two salient facts were foreverestablished for me that Thanksgiving:1) There IS a difference between “piepumpkin” and “Jack O Lantern pump-kin; and 2) When in doubt, trust Momand her friend Libby: they’ll never failyou.

* * * * *

Nancy Clark and her husband, Tom, rejoice in50 years of marriage, three children and threegrandchildren. She dabbles in freelance andmemoir writing when she isn’t baking, knitting,reading, or building a jigsaw puzzle.


“FROM OUR FAMILY TO YOURS”Lapp Family Market is owned by the Mervin & Ina Lapp Family.

Mervin and Ina Lapp and their six children hope to provide Latrobeand surrounding areas with a unique shopping experience.

Gather Round the TableLapp Family Market Opens in Latrobe

There has been a lot of buzz the last fewmonths concerning the redevelopment ofa property along route 30 east in Latrobe –about one half mile before the KingstonBridge. Previously this time of year, WestChristmas Trees would fill the parking lotwith yuletide cheer. But this season, the siteis busy with shoppers at the new neighbor-hood grocery, Lapp Family Market, special-izing in bulk foods, whole foods,deli meats & cheeses, natural andgluten-free products and outdoorliving. They also offer a large se-lection of delicious locally-sourceditems, such as: honey, maple syr-up, teas, milk and ice cream (byMoo Echo Dairy in Somerset), andfree-range eggs. After a soft open-ing in August, their clientele grewsteadily by word of mouth until thefamily celebrated a grand openingand ribbon cutting with the Great-er Latrobe-Laurel Valley Commu-nity Chamber of Commerce onOctober 17.

Facebook then exploded withcounty-wide curiosity and positivefeedback about Lapp’s. Shoppersare in love with the products andprices (this writer included), andare telling everyone about the new “Amish”store. But the Lapp Family are actually pro-gressive Mennonites, who do share a com-mon Anabaptist lineage with the Amish.However, they are actually two distinctChristian groups (splitting in 1693 Europe,and settling in 18th century America). Men-nonites share some beliefs with the Amish:a commitment to nonviolence and a desireto live simply as agricultural people.

“They believe in and require for mem-bership a true spiritual experiences of theNew Birth that Jesus said must be experi-enced to enter the kingdom of God and besaved. The power to be faithful in all thingsthey hold must be from and by the HolySpirit dwelling within. It should be notedthat the use of modern things such as au-tomobiles, electricity and telephones can beused by Mennonites with careful and propercontrol. But Mennonites do not find the useof radio or television to be for them sincethese are largely under the control of thecarnal world and mostly harmful to trueand pure spiritual living.” (jamesportmissouri.org)

Nonetheless, the careful use of comput-ers and the internet are allowed, especially

for business purposes, according to JavanLapp, head of marketing for the familystore. He explained that all such decisionsare made within the local community basedon accountability and the traditional val-ues of family and their basic Christian faith.

Mennonites are taught to work in thefamily business at a young age, with anemphasis on hands-on experience (although

there are no restrictions on education, both1-12 and college). The entire Lapp Fam-ily–parents/owners Merv & Ina, and theirchildren, ages 13-25–works in the market.Javan and his wife, Rosina, (parents ofbaby Arie), handle marketing; Kendall isthe deli manager; Barbara is currentlystudying in Asia (but will join the family atyear’s end); Brenda is the bulk food man-ager; Rhonda works as cashier and in thedeli; and Keith Lapp is a cashier after school.

“Interaction with local people is definitelythe highlight of this work,” says Javan. “Wehave a great base of local customers who weget to see regularly, and we look forwardto expanding that customer base.”

The Lapp Family and other members oftheir Mennonite community moved toLatrobe in July 2012 to establish the TraugerMennonite Church (formerly Forty MartyrsCatholic Church) on route 981. Merv Lappis the pastor there to seven families whochose to move here after their communityat Weavertown Amish Mennonite Churchin Lancaster County became too large. Themembers there decided that some wouldlook for new territory rather than build a

Trauger Mennonite Church4375 Pennsylvania 981Mt Pleasant, PA 15666

(724) 424-9430

Find them both on Facebook!

bigger church house. All are welcome toservices at TMC, which begins with acappella singing and continues with biblestudy and a sermon. A school has been es-tablished with two teachers and twelve stu-dents ranging in grades from 1-11. MervLapp is also active in the WestmorelandCounty Meals on Wheels program.

This Thanksgiving, the Lapp Familylooks forward to gathering roundthe table as a family for a tradi-tional meal of roasht (bread fillingwith pieces of chicken or turkey,and gravy), board games (Settlersof Catan is a current communityfavorite along with dominoes andsome homemade games), and giv-ing thanks to God at a morningchurch service and throughout theday. Family is the cornerstone oftheir faith and lives. They enjoycooking, baking, gardening andother traditional activities that canbe done together.

What’s next for the family busi-ness? Kendall explained, “While wedo envision growth in the futurefor Lapp Family Market, we wantto make sure we can still offerquality service and products. To

ensure this, we do not anticipate rapidgrowth in the near future. We value fam-ily, both ours and our customers’, and willgrow as we see opportunities that will notnegatively impact family. This being said,we do plan to start offering deli sandwiches(pre-made and made-to-order) in the nearfuture (stay tuned to our Facebook page).”

– Cathi Gerhard

Lapp Family Market216 Kingston St

Latrobe, Pennsylvania(724) 879-4848

www.LappFamilyMarket.com

Store HoursMonday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:30 pm

Saturday, 8:30 am - 4:00 pmClosed on Sundays


On Saturday, November 8, Westmoreland Cleanways will celebrateAmerica Recycles Day at its Recycling Center, joining thousands oflocal organizers holding recycling events across the country to cel-ebrate America Recycles Day, the only nationally recognized day dedi-cated to promoting and celebrating recycling in the United States.Westmoreland Cleanways Brings National Recycling Celebration toWestmoreland County.

The Westmoreland Cleanways Recycling Center, located at 113 In-novative Lane, Latrobe, PA 15650, will be open on Saturday, Novem-ber 8, from 8:30 a.m. to Noon, to collect electronics, tires, Freon appli-ances, cardboard and paper, and other hard-to-recycle items. Childrencan visit the America Recycles Day tent for a special recycling activityand light refreshments.

“Westmoreland Cleanways honors the spirit of America RecyclesDay all year long,” said Ellen Keefe, Executive Director. “America Re-cycles Day gives us the opportunity to join like-minded people acrossthe country to raise awareness for recycling as a way to protect our en-vironment and conserve our natural resources.”

“Keep America Beautiful proudly supports Westmoreland Clean-ways’ America Recycles Day event and commend their efforts to pro-mote recycling in Westmoreland County. Recyclable items we use ev-ery day, like that cereal box and milk jug in the morning–are recover-able resources that can be manufactured into new and valuable prod-ucts. Together, we can reduce the billions of dollars’ worth of materialthrown away each year and work to give that “garbage” another lifethrough recycling.”

For a complete list of materials that can be recycled at the Westmore-land Cleanways Recycling Center, or for more information about recy-cling in Westmoreland County, visit www.westmorelandcleanways.org,or call 724-879-4020.

America’s leading companies are proud to make America RecyclesDay possible. National sponsors of America Recycles Day are: Amcor,America Chemistry Council, the Johnson & Johnson Family of ConsumerCompanies, Pilot Pen, and Waste Management.

America Recycles Day 2014

Shop Small Saturday– and Every Day!

Here at the Laurel Mountain Post, we are big believers in the powerof small business. For every $100 spent at a locally owned busi-ness, $73 remains in the local economy, and only $27 leaves. Forevery $100 spent at a non-locally owned business, $43 remains inthe local economy, and $57 leaves.

If you enjoy the Laurel Mountain Post, please shop on “MainStreet,” and especially the merchants who advertise with us. Tellthem you saw their ad on these pages. Their decision to invest partof their valuable marketing dollars with us shows their continuedsupport for bringing our local magazine to you!

NOVEMBER 29, 2014


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St. Clair Should Have Returnedto Pennsylvania Sooner

By RW Dick Phillips, Author & Historian

After serving as President of Congress in1787, Arthur St. Clair should have returnedto Westmoreland County to rebuild the lifeof his family. He had already spent his firstten years in western Pennsylvania,working with and for Governor JohnPenn, helping him protect the early settlersand develop Bedford and Westmorelandcounties. As a retired British officer, he hadbecome disgusted with the British treatmentof the settlers and colonists and made themomentous decision to meet with PresidentJohn Hancock, renounce his allegiance toGreat Britain and accept a commission asColonel in America’s Continental Army,serving eight years in the Revolution as oneof Washington’s most trusted MajorGenerals. After the war, St. Clair again returnedhome to begin rebuilding his family’sfinances, only to be elected as a Penn-sylvania delegate to Congress in 1785, andthen elected by Congress as its President in1787. St. Clair had already been activelyengaged in America’s military and publicservice for 21 years and he and his wife,Phoebe, had invested much of their fundsto help Washington’s army. When he re-turned home for a brief stay during his lastdays as president, he had reached the pin-nacle of his career. He was again lookingforward to building the private life andfinances of his family. Unfortunately, on his return he foundthat Congress had elected (some say ap-pointed) him as the first Federal Governorof the Northwest Territory, which wasmostly wilderness and two-thirds the sizeof the original 13 colonies. The entire ar-rangement had been orchestrated by oneof the shrewdest lobbyists of the time, Dr.Manasseh Cutler. He knew that his proposalto buy 1.7 million acres of the Ohio terri-tory would sail through Congress mucheasier if he had St. Clair, who was know-ledgeable about the Ordinance and lesslikely to be a troublesome land investor aswell as Federal Governor. Congress’ passage of the bill was obvi-ously based on acceptance by St. Clair andall concerned sold the necessity of this firstgreat American expansion and the prestige

of leading it and promised the resources tosupport this massive project. Based on theirpast non-performance in so many areas,he should have known better.

If ever Arthur St. Clair should havesaid no, or at least negotiated to have hisfamily’s war contributions paid back, he didneither. All of his knowledgeable Penn-sylvania friends in Congress and govern-ment strenuously advised St. Clair againstaccepting the position. However, when thesellers of the plan played the honor-duty-country cards, St.Clair, again, did not sayno.

He had spent the first decade of his 40years in America’s military and public ser-vice in western Pennsylvania’s Westmore-land County, where he ultimately wasappointed magistrate by Governor JohnPenn. After his retirement as a British of-ficer, St. Clair’s cousin, General ThomasGage, commander of the British forces inNorth America, persuaded him to overseethe British forts along the Forbes Road; i.e.Bedford, Ligonier and Duquesne, whichbecame Fort Pitt. This job was short-lived

as the British moved St. Clair’s troops toother assignments, leaving the settler’s invillages around the forts vulnerable to In-dian attacks. St. Clair put together his owncompany of experienced rangers who volun-teered to patrol the Forbes Road and taughtthe settlers to better defend themselves,using the forts as necessary.

When Governor Penn learned what St.Clair had done, he persuaded the legislatureto appropriate funds for muskets, ammu-nition and salaries for the rangers. In lessthan a year St. Clair was able to report thatthe Indian raids had subsided, and Gov-ernor Penn began to count on St. Clairmore and more. At that time, St. Clair wasnot aware that the Indian raids were beinginstigated by British Lord Dunmore, Gov-ernor of Virginia. Dunmore’s future actswould make him the constant adversaryof Governor Penn and St. Clair before thewar. During the Revolutionary War, St.Clair’s gallantry earned him recognition asa Major General, a congressman and thepresident of Congress in 1787, the mostcrucial year in our young nation’s exi-stence. It was the year that the U.S. Con-stitution was debated and passed and put outfor approval by each state and the NorthwestOrdinance, which was passed by Congressand set forth the guidelines for the develop-ment of the American states west of theOhio River, all the way to the Mississippi.

St. Clair always sought to do the rightthing, even when his successful strategyand actions were inconvenient truths for hissuperiors, including Congress. So many ofhis contributions were either unreported ortotally misreported to the media, resultingin many years of negative publicity for St.Clair. So why did this great American patriot,statesman and founding founder and hisfamily endure so much hardship through-out St. Clair’s 40-year, American mili-tary and public service career? More questions, examples, plausibleanswers and reasons can be found in theauthor’s new book entitled Arthur St.Clair, The Invisible Patriot (pictured at left)– available at Amazon.com.


Jo VernonWestmoreland Financial Services of Pennsylvania Inc.Phone: 724-995-8297 Email: [email protected] Licensed by the Department of Banking, NMLS 136138


What’s the latest on efforts to ban plastic bags?California made big news recently when itannounced the first statewide ban on plasticshopping bags set to kick in during themiddle of 2015. Beginning in July, largegrocery stores, pharmacies and other foodretailers in the Golden State will no longerbe able to send shoppers home with plasticbags, while convenience markets, liquorstores and other small food retailers willjoin the ranks a year later.

Back in 2007, San Francisco becamethe first U.S. municipality to ban plasticshopping bags. In intervening years up-wards of 132 other cities and counties in 18states and the District of Columbia institutedsimilar measures. Of course, Americans arelate to the party when it comes to banningplastic bags: The European Union, China,India and dozens of other nations alreadyhave plastic bag bans or taxes in place.

But the trend here toward banningplastic shopping bags comes in the wake ofnew findings regarding the extent andharm of plastic in our environment. Sinceplastic isn’t biodegradable, it ends up eitherin landfills or as litter on the landscape andin waterways and the ocean. Plastic cantake hundreds of years to decompose andreleases toxins into the soil and water inthe process.

Littered plastic is also a huge problemfor the health of wildlife, as many animalsingest it thinking it is food and can haveproblems thereafter breathing and diges-ting. The non-profit Worldwatch Institute

reports that at least 267 species of marinewildlife are known to have suffered fromentanglement or ingestion of marine debris,most of which is composed of plastic; tensof thousands of whales, birds, seals andturtles die every year from contact withocean-borne plastic bags. A recent Euro-pean Commission study on the impact oflitter on North Sea wildlife found that some90 percent of the birds examined had plasticin their stomachs.

Another reason for banning plasticbags is their fossil fuel burden. Plastic is notonly made from petroleum—producing ittypically requires a lot of fossil-fuel-derivedenergy. The fact that Americans throwaway some 100 billion plastic grocery bagseach year means we are drilling for andimporting millions of barrels worth of oiland natural gas for a convenient way tocarry home a few groceries.

It’s hard to measure the impact of pre-existing plastic bag bans, but some initialfindings look promising. A plastic bag taxlevied in Ireland in 2002 has reportedly ledto a 95 percent reduction in plastic bag litterthere. And a study by San Jose, Californiafound that a 2011 ban instituted there hasled to plastic litter reduction of “approxi-mately 89 percent in the storm drainsystem, 60 percent in the creeks and rivers,and 59 percent in City streets andneighborhoods.”

Environmental groups continue topush for more plastic bag bans. “As U.S.natural gas production has surged andprices have fallen, the plastics industry islooking to ramp up domestic production,”reports the Earth Policy Institute. “Yetusing this fossil fuel endowment to makesomething so short-lived, which can blowaway at the slightest breeze and pollutesindefinitely, is illogical—particularly whenthere is a ready alternative: the reusablebag.”

* * * * *

CONTACTS: Worldwatch Institute, www.worldwatch.org; Earth Policy Institute,www.earth-policy.org.

EarthTalk® is written and edited by RoddyScheer and Doug Moss and is a registeredtrademark of E - The EnvironmentalMagazine (www.emagazine.com). Sendquestions to: [email protected].

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by Mark Rullo MS, CSCS, MES

WHAT’S COOKING IN FITNESS

How to lose weight fast andNEVER have to stress about it again

In the weight loss industry, we see indi-viduals constantly struggling to lose weightand keep it off while others are able to losethe weight and maintain it all their lives.What separates the two? It is simple. Thosewho are successful long-term have esta-blished the proper foundation.

We would never build our dream homeon a poor, weak foundation and expect it tolast through a lifetime of obstacles. Thesame is true with weight management. Forany weight loss to be successful over thelong-haul, it has to be built on a solid foun-dation of proper nutrition and exercise andnot from quick fix diets and fads.

There are four levels in building thisfoundation that will allow any individualto become empowered on their weight lossjourney so their short-term success can bemaintained long-term.

Level 1 - Education“Knowledge is Power!”Learning how weight loss works is the firstand most crucial part of the process. Withall of the misleading diet and exercise infor-mation that is out there, it can be easy forsomeone who is not knowledgeable on thesubject to become lost in it all and findthemselves unsuccessful. By learning theprocess and the science behind it, you willfind what works for you and you will beable to reach and sustain your desired goalsall on your own.

The good news is the education is quitesimple; the bad news is most individualsallow misleading information to cloud theircomprehension and make it more difficultthan it needs to be.

Education begins by gaining a firmunderstanding of the “Hierarchy of FatLoss.” The hierarchy begins with caloricmanagement without regard to exercise.Once that is achieved, exercise can then beincorporated into a weight loss program toachieve maximum results. The most effec-tive form of exercise to shed fat is havingconcern for muscle through what is calledprogressive resistance training. A far lesseffective option, which is almost alwaysmisconceived, is cardio exercise. By under-standing the hierarchy, a weight loss pro-gram becomes much more realistic for anyindividual and will make their weight-lossgoals much more achievable.

Level 2 – Equation “Personalization”Once individuals have the correct under-standing of the “Hierarchy of Fat Loss,” apersonalization of one’s nutritional formulacan be established. Having this createdeliminates any guesswork in the weightmanagement process. This “recipe” of def-ining one’s personal metabolism makes itclear, simple, and straightforward of exactlyhow your body should be fueled so a desiredweight can be achieved allowing individualsto eat their favorite foods on THEIRTERMS for THEIR RESULTS.

This is so important for long termsuccess. Many individuals have been ableto drop the weight, typically by restrictingthe foods they love. This can only last solong before it is too difficult to maintain.The problem in this type of restrictive dietlies in that they have no understanding orexperience of how to introduce those foodsback into their lifestyle without over doingit and ultimately putting back on all theweight they lost and then some.

For the longest time we were only ableto manage one side of the caloric equation– calories consumed. With today’s tech-nology we now are able to monitor bothsides of the equation (calories consumerand calories burned) allowing for the truepersonalization of a nutritional program.

Level 3 – Execute “Just Do It”!Now with an understanding of their per-sonalized “recipe” or nutritional formula inplace, the next level of establishing thefoundation is taking action. This action istypically the “trial and error” stage. Thismeans no one should expect to be perfectwith their caloric intake management atthe onset of their weight loss program.

The science is black and white in thatone pound of fat is 3,500 calories. Therefore,when a net accumulation deficit (burnmore calories than you eat) totals 3500, anindividual should see a one pound loss onthe scale. Although that science is clear, ourability to accurately calculate the daily cal-ories consumed is not.

Variables that can cause unintentionalerrors in our daily caloric calculation includeportion distortion, FDA labeling loopholes,and BLT’s (Bites, Licks and Tastes) that gounaccounted.

As a weight loss/management facility,here at My Fitness Kitchen® we recom-mend minimally 30-days of daily caloricmonitoring with weekly accountabilitycheck-ups to identify possible errors in thisprocess.

This extended time of daily moni-toring isn’t to make individuals miserableas we understand no one likes having tocount calories. However, it is this exactprocess that enables individuals to NOThave to count calories the rest of their life ifthey want to make any weight loss lastlong-term.

This combination of daily monitoringalong with week to week check-ins allowsindividuals to focus in on the possible errorsbeing made that could easily be overlookedduring the early stage of the weight losssuccess. This high frequency of caloric moni-toring and weekly check-ins will also en-able individuals to learn the correct size andcaloric value of THEIR FOODS for easymanagement of weight without daily logging.

The weekly check-up should consist ofboth scale weight and body composition(e.g., % Body Fat). This ensures that theweight being lost is primarily fat and notany active lean muscle tissue (aka yourmetabolism). A failure to monitor thecomposition of weight lost is another hugefactor in making the long-term manage-ment more difficult. Most weight loss pro-grams are willing to sacrifice an individual’smetabolism (muscle) in exchange for ashort-term loss of weight on the scale. Thisis an example of how a cardio-only exerciseprogram as well as starvation diets will beunsuccessful later down the road.

Level 4 – Winning the Majority“Making Every Day Better”!

This is the lifestyle stage we hear everyhealth professional preach. As we tell all ofour clients/members; “There is no finishline on the road toward a healthy lifestyle”.

While in pursuit of a particular weightloss goal, the focus should be there, hittingon all cylinders in relation to caloric man-agement and exercise. However, it ulti-mately has to be a lifestyle change and forthat to occur you can’t expect to run uphillfull-speed all year long. Therefore, ulti-mately, there will be a lapse in your daily

.


nutrition and exercise routine from time totime. The key is to understand and acceptthis, and that winning the majority of thetime is what is important. Again, while inpursuit of a short-term goal, the attentionto detail will and should be much greaterand then once you’re at your “Happy Zone”,it is okay to let off the pedal some.

Winning the majority is simple. Startwith the week, then the month and thenthe year. Each week if you can make thecorrect nutrition choices and exercise atleast 4 of the 7 days you will win that week.For each month, if you have at least 3winning weeks where you are in the major-ity of positive behaviors, you will have wonthat month. The same holds true for theyear. If you have 7 or more months whereyou’re in the majority of positive behaviors,you will have WON that year.

When we look at the trending inactivityand obesity of our society, it is easy to seethose individuals who have lost the war onthe majority of positive behaviors for properweight management and a healthy lifestyle.In the end, the choice is yours with whichside you want to be on and the good newsit doesn’t require perfection, but rather justthe majority of “Making Every Day Better”!

For more information, please feel free toconsult with any of the fitness professionals atMy Fitness Kitchen®. Additionally, as an on-going thank you to Laurel Mountain Post andits readers, mention this article for a FREE, noobligation, personalized, metabolic nutri-tional formula and fitness program that willleverage the “Hierarchy of Fat Loss.” If youare serious about achieving a body transfor-mation goal, then you need a program, as anygoal without a plan is really only a wish!

As an added incentive for people new toMy Fitness Kitchen®, by mentioning thisLaurel Mountain Post article, you will receive$25 “Kitchen Cash” to be used toward our no-risk, no obligation, 100% money guaran-tee 30-Day Weight Loss JUMPSTART program at MyFitness Kitchen®, as a courtesy of the LaurelMountain Post.

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My Fitness Kitchen® is whereweight loss is made simple.

My Fitness Kitchen® is located in Latrobe30 plaza, Latrobe PA. My Fitness Kit-chen® is a weight loss and body transfor-mation center that also happens to have afitness center connected to it. From themoment you enter My Fitness Kitchen®regardless of your age, fitness level orexperience, it’s all about “You.” The sup-portive staff, welcoming atmosphere, andfriendly members combine to create the mostunique and comfortable environment for yourweight management and fitness success.Whether it is Nutrition, Fitness or both, youcan be confident My Fitness Kitchen® isthe solution to a healthier and thinner you.

It’s all about telling our member’s stories ...The Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Community Cham-ber of Commerce is working hard to transition to newfacilities on Route 30 in Sharky's Cafe & The Pier Plaza.The end-result will be a modern, technology-focusedVisitor & Information Center! www.gllv.org


Thought-Provoking Insights on Common Quotationsby Rev. Marjorie Rivera

THAT’S WHAT THEY SAY

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

Who hasn’t heard this little gem? Everyjourney, no matter how small or howepic begins with putting your one littlefoot before you and making that effortto move forward, yes. I do agree withthe thought that the physical action oflifting one’s leg and raising one’s footand coordinating the muscles in one’sextremity is the causal act1ion, but myquestion to you is— what happened inyour mind before you even raised yourfoot to move? You raised a thought.Consider this for a moment; can youraise your hand without sending athought to your hand to lift? Try it….

It’s the thought that creates thephysical reaction. On a purely physicallevel, thought creates movement.There are things that we control withour mind, such as a smile, or a frown.There are things we don’t control withawareness like the act of breathing orblinking. Life sustaining activities arerelegated to the workings of ourautonomic nervous system, so that wedon’t have to think about our survival.Things that don’t necessarily have animpact on our survival are things weactually have to think about in orderto do. We have to think about raisinga foot, to take a step. So my propo-sition here is that our intention is whatcreates an action. The action supportsthe intention. Furthermore, a moreaccurate redesign of the statementabove might actually sound like; Ajourney of a thousand miles begins

with your intention to take the firststep. Add to all of this, who takes ajourney without first doing some plan-ning? Planning is intention setting.

It is with intention that we createaction. Our actions directly supportour intention. Whether or not youknow what your intention actually is,you are creating actions in this worldthat support your intention. Why notbe more clear about what your inten-tions are when beginning a new jour-ney? That might make it easier for youto produce the outcome you actuallyenvisioned.

For more inspirations on thistopic, please visit the Pinterest boardI have dedicated to intention:

http://www.pinterest.com/aPGHmedium/intention/

Suggested Reading:“The Seat of the Soul” by Gary Zukav

Connect with me:

Tweet tweethttps://twitter.com/PGHmedium

Like me on Facebook:www.facebook.com/PGHmedium

Pin with me:www.pinterest.com/aPGHmedium/

Sign up for my newsletter atwww.PittsburghMedium.com

Rev. Marjorie RiveraPittsburgh Medium

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#1014231 – Beautiful 2 bedroom log cedar home, Lo-cated on a 12.92 +- acre lot surrounded by woods. In-cluded is a two car garage with bonus room above.Plenty of space outside to entertain friends and family.Near Yellow Creek State Park. Offered at $289,000

#994532– 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath brick home in BrookwoodEstates. Home features, living room, dining room, fam-ily room, sun room and a finished basement. Laundry islocated on main floor and home also includes a largemud room. Enjoy the warmth of the 2 fireplaces, sit onthe deck or relax on the back porch. Offered at $275,000

#1003746 – Brick farmhouse on 18 acres, with barn.Excellent views, detached pole building for garage orhorses.# bedrooms on Main floor, nice location in coun-try. Pasture is sloping and gas rights not included in thesale. Offered at $199,900

Indiana

#1010823 – Country living with privacy and peace, beauti-ful views and magnificent view of stars and constellations,olde farmhouse with greatroom addition, open kitchen,dr,lr,finished apartment downstairs, generator, well and springwater, 4 outbuildings, Amish cook stove, gas rights nego-tiable, agent owned.Bring your horses, fenced inpasture...home warranty. Offered at $299,000

Blairsville

#1011943 – Country Living! Farmette property with almost6 acres and no zoning. Features 3 bedrooms, 3 full baths,w/ updated kitchen. Hot tub room, pool, barn, garageoutbuilding. Lots of room and storage - must see!! Offeredat $254,900

#1027319 – Elegant home offers vaulted ceiling in livingroom and gas log fireplace. Custom white kitchen withisland, electric cooktop, wall oven, pantry, breakfastarea,and French doors to large covered patio. First floormaster, bath has jet tub, shower, vanity, walk in closet.First floor laundry. Huge family room. Attached garage.Lots of great landscaping. Offered at $235,000

#1029570 – 1.5 story brick home w/ 4 bedrooms, 2 fullbaths. Gas fireplace, hardwood floors, finished basement.Walk-in closet. 2-car garage, 12x16 shed. Enclosed rearporch and deck. Living room hutch included. Offered at$159,900

#1022045 – Country living near Routes 22 and 119, thislovely home offers kitchen w/granite counters/appliances,beautiful oak woodwork. French doors to15'x31' covered Vermont slate patio. Heated 5 car ga-rage; Professionally landscaped. Blacktopped circulardriveway. Survey in office. 3.4 acres. Offered at $299,900

#1011285 – Beautiful 3 bedroom 2.5 bath ranch w/stonefireplace, oak kitchen and trim thru out. Inviting deck &pool with shed & playgym. Move-in ready.Huge finishedlower level w/bar & plenty of storage. Complete with 2car garage, on a double lot in the Walnut Hills area ofBlairsville. Easy access to Rt. 22. Offered at $239,900

#1025635 – Move-in condition, full basement. Master w/full bath and garden tub. Fenced rear yard, oversized detgarage w/ storage. New windows, newer roof, provate.New furnace, updated electric. Small barn. Must-see prop-erty! Offered at $159,900

#1028218 – Enjoy the view of this 2 bedroom, 1 3/4 bathranch home situation on 4.05 +/- acres. Potential for 3bedrooms. Home also includes a deck overlooking anicely landscaped yard. Use the barn for extra storage.Located close to Yellowcreek Park for all your outsideadventures. Offered at $185,000

#1011621 – Quiet country living close to Rt 22! Lovely peren-nials. Open living room and dining room, new maple lami-nate floor,sliding door from dining room to enclosed sidedeck. Updated bath. Huge family room with wall ofstorage,double deck, 6' fence enclosed yard,brick patio,large pavilion with lighting, swing set, nice shed, grapearbor, fruit trees,extra lot. 3 acres mowed. Offered at $175,000


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The Westmoreland Woodlands Improve-ment Association will host a talk on Tues-day, November 18, in the WestmorelandConservation District headquarters (the J.Roy Houston Conservation Center behindthe Donohoe Center).

The speaker is BA Harrington, assistantprofessor of woodworking in the art depart-ment at Indiana University of Pennsylva-nia. She will discuss IUP’s Harvest-to-Useprogram, which uses trees felled on cam-pus to build objects that serve IUP and thebroader community. It also provides a uniqueteaching opportunity in the field of wood-working. The program was started by IUPprofessor emeritus Chris Weiland in 2004.

IUP is one of only a few universities witha wood program capable of harvesting lo-cal lumber in-house, due to the acquisitionof a Wood-Mizer sawmill in 2004. "Theproject exposes students to the cyclical pro-

WWIA to Host ProgramAbout Harvesting and Working Wood

cess of harvesting lumber using sustainable,low-impact technology," Harrington explains.

"The Harvest-to-Use program instills asense of responsibility for the future pro-duction of meaningful objects. It also ex-plores renewable resources, communitysustainability, collaboration, and regionalidentity, as well as the ideas of place andemotionally laden materials."

Harrington is developing curriculum forcourses that will count toward the newlyproposed minor in sustainability studies atIUP. She received her traditional trainingin the cabinet and furniture-making pro-gram at the North Bennet Street School inBoston. After a decade of building customfurniture, she returned to academia and herstudio art background, graduating from theUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison with anMFA in wood and an MA in art history.She creates sculptures and other art, bothsolo and in a collaborative multimedia prac-tice with Chele Isaac, a Madison-based videoand sound artist.

Harrington's artwork has been shownnationally. She has been the Windgate Art-ist-in-Residence at San Diego State Univer-sity and at Purchase College, State Univer-sity of New York. She was recently namedco-director of The Wood Center at IUP. Hermost recent research explores connectionsbetween new discoveries in cognitive sci-ence and traditional craft practices.

The talk is free to Westmoreland Wood-lands Improvement Association membersand costs $5 for nonmembers. If you’re a

Chris Weiland trains BA Harringtonon the Wood-Mizer.

Freshly milled logs are stackedoutside the drying shed.

WWIA member (or former member orsoon-to-be member), please join us beforethe program for dinner. Come early for asocial half hour at 5:30. There will be abuffet dinner at 6:00 p.m., followed by abrief business meeting. The presentationbegins at 7:00 p.m.

Bring a side dish or dessert if you like; it’snot required. If you plan to attend the din-ner, please call Sandy at WCD, (724) 837-5271, by Friday, November 14, to register.

One lucky attendee will take home as adoor prize a serving board made fromWestmoreland County hardwoods byWWIA president John Hilewick.

WWIA’s mission is to encourage good manage-ment of woodlands for aesthetics, timber, waterquality and control, wildlife habitat, plant propa-gation, and recreation. The group holds regularprograms and field trips throughout the year.For more information, visit www.westmorelandwoodlands.org.

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Derry Area SeniorHigh School Wins

“S&T Bank My School,My Award” Program

Schools across S&T Bank’s 12-county foot-print were invited to apply for the secondannual “S&T Bank My School, My Award”program. As part of the application, schoolswere asked to explain how they would usethe money to help increase educational op-portunities for students. A selection com-mittee that was made up of S&T Bank per-sonnel reviewed applications, and the win-ner was selected on September 5, 2014.Derry Area High School plans to use themoney to support its Agriculture/Horticul-ture program and provide new tools suchas farming and gardening equipment aswell as other landscaping tools which willbe put to use to help distribute and donatefresh produce, landscape local businessesand assist those on fixed incomes to growtheir own food.

What made Derry's application stand outfrom the rest?

“Derry plans to use the $5,000 toward acommunity service initiative and their ag-ricultural program. They will use the mon-ey to purchase supplies such as tillers, shov-els, wheel barrels and other items to im-prove the community and get the studentsinvolved,” explained the selection commit-tee. “This stood out to us in that other schoolswanted to use the money mostly for electron-ics. It was nice to see kids getting out thereand taking care of their community andgetting their hands dirty (literally).”

Jerome “The Bus” Bettis (former Steelersfootball running back and S&T Bank am-bassador) presented the check during anassembly at Derry Area Senior High Schoolon October 24. Pictured in the photos atright with Bettis is S&T Bank President &CEO Todd Brice.

"Giving back to the schools in our re-gion that provide an educational founda-tion to foster youth development is part ofS&T Bank's commitment to community,"said Brice. "The 'S&T Bank My School, MyAward' program recognizes local schoolswho are helping to build successful and thri-ving communities and we are proud toaward Derry Area School District with thiscontribution."

Last year's winner was Woodland HillsHigh School in Pittsburgh. The school usedthe award money to develop a team oftrained adult and peer tutors, working withstudents in an after-school setting in an ef-fort to empower students, strengthen theiracademic skills and foster an environmentof academic success.

Laurel Mountain Post Celebrates 10 Years!

Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce members celebrated the Laurel Mountain Post's10-year anniversary with owner Cathi Gerhard at a special Fall Reception and a Chamber "RibbonCutting Ceremony"! Thanks to our friends at the SpringHill for the complimentary quesadilla appetiz-ers and an amazing "Anniversary Cake" by Mary Carlson from Batter Up! Cakes in Ligonier, Pennsylva-nia. Members and guests enjoyed everyone's favorite new drink, the "GLLV Chamber Mixer" and theSpringHill’s new-for-fall "Spiced Amaretto Cider." Photos by Carly Hall Photography and Designs


We’ve all seen them – those old stone ironfurnaces tucked away in rural valleys withstreams running close, remnants of a by-goneera when iron making was a mainstay ofPennsylvania’s economy. Almost every countyhas a few tumble-down truncated limestonepyramids offering mute testimony to whatwas once a thriving industry and way of life.

My interest in Pennsylvania’s iron in-dustry was awakened when I started writingPennsylvania historical fiction. I like to re-search and write about topics that haven’tbeen worn out over the years, and I grew upin Blair County near one of the best preservediron works in the state–so I got curious aboutMt Etna, near Williamsburg.

Mt Etna, on the Lower Trail, part ofthe Pennsylvania Rails to Trails project, isa great day trip for hikers and bikers alike.What you’ll find there when you go is theiron master’s mansion, built in 1828, nowundergoing renovation, and three of the ori-ginal workers’ log cabins, used as residencesas recently as the 1970s. A short walk bringsyou to the ruins of the furnace itself andsome very well-preserved buildings thatwere once the center of a thriving iron plan-tation. There is the company store, now abeautifully restored private residence, atenant house, the original dwelling built in1796 which now serves as a guest house,and a huge old stone bank barn whichhoused a hundred mules in the 1800s.

What fascinated me in my researchwas how self-sufficient an iron plantationwas. Usually located in a remote rural areanear a fast-flowing stream, the far-flungoperations included ore mines, limestonequarries, forests for charcoal burning,farms for food production, the furnace itself,often with a forge nearby, a grist mill, a sawmill, a church, a school and various formsof transportation. An iron plantation was atight little community with both skilled andunskilled workers pulling together toproduce iron for household implements,tools, machine parts, musket balls or ironrails.

The iron master was a paternalisticemployer whose company store providedfor the needs of the workers, stocking food,clothing, household necessities, medicinesand even alcohol. The iron master usuallykept a close eye on alcohol consumption inthe interest of uninterruptedproduction, so alcohol pur-chases were often restricted.

Once in blast, the furnaceran day and night, six days aweek. It was usually bankedon Saturday night prior to theSabbath, but production re-sumed on Sunday evening. Itwas loud and hot, very stren-uous and dangerous work. Thewages were high for the times,and housing, schooling, a gar-den plot and access to fire-wood, hunting and fishingwere included. Workers pulled twelve hourshifts six days per week.

By nature of their isolation, iron villageswere close knit communities, but workerswere free to come and go as there was alwayswork at another furnace, forge, quarry or oremine. Many a life was lived from the cradleto the grave on a single iron plantation.People knew one another, worked together,worshipped together, shared life’s trials andtriumphs in the seclusion of the village.

Some villages were laid out in a circlewith a village green in the middle wherepeople came together to share the news orthe labor. The community well was oftenlocated within this common area, and some-times the area might be used as a communitygarden. Children played, fished, hunted,picked berries, had sledding parties, schooland church picnics or sporting contests allwithin the village or its environs. Many ironplantations had their own cemeteries whichnow offer mute testimony to the lives whichplayed out in the shadow of the ever presentfurnace.

Iron plantations varied in size, depend-ing on production needs, with an average

of 75 to 100 workers employed, giving apopulation of 300-400 including families.Not all workers lived in the village. Somecame from nearby farms while othersboarded with local families.

While the design of workers’ housesvaried, a plain two story logcabin with two rooms down-stairs and two up was com-mon. Heat came from a fire-place or, later from a cookstove. Candles or kerosenelanterns and lamps providedlight. Since there was usuallyno indoor plumbing, waterwas carried from the commonwell and disposed of on thegarden. Each cabin had itsown “necessary” out back.

As far as food was con-cerned, most workers’ houses

included a garden plot, a chicken coop andmaybe a pig sty. People grew, preserved,pickled, butchered, dried and salted theirown winter supply including the productsof the local woods, streams and meadows –fish, game, nuts, roots and berries. Thecompany store carried preserving supplieslike salt and exotic foods like oranges atChristmas time. Otherwise, the villagerswere on their own.

Family members learned the value ofhard work at a young age. Boys tended thegarden, fished and hunted for the family,hired out to local farms at haying or harvesttime. There was plenty of work for girls aswell: tending the chickens, helping with thewashing which was done outside over anopen fire, sewing, mending and various kindsof needle work. Young women often earneda little pocket money by doing laundry andmending for unmarried workers.

While the work was hard, and the lifedemanding, living on a 19th century iron plan-tation offered its own rewards. Families wereclose, friendships lasted a lifetime, life’s tri-umphs were shared as were its woes. Peoplewere self-reliant, resourceful and resilient,capable of facing life’s hardships with cour-age and faith in themselves and their God.

Next time you drive past one of thoseold furnaces, take a long look and appreciatethe way of life that paved the way for yourown. Despite the conveniences of moderntechnology, you’re not as far removed from itas you may think. I like to think I could goback to that time and place and thrive. Maybe.How about you?

Judith Redline Coopey’s book “The Furnace”is now avalailable through Amazon.com.Visit her website, www.judithredlinecoopey.com to learn more about her other Pennsyl-vania historical fiction.This advertisement sponsored by Wraps By PJ.

Madeline Nagy is a 5-year-old girl who has endured many challenges including physical impair-ments, surgeries, and many nights spent in hospital beds instead of her own. She has been diag-nosed with Turner Syndrome and Trisomy 7. Because of her disclocated hips and knees, Madi usesa wheelchair to get around. Please consider making a donation for Madi’s family to assist ingetting a wheelchair-accessible van. This will make Madi’s trips to the hospitals and doctors alittle less painful. It would be amazing for Madi to be able to go to the hospital in comfort. Pleasegive as little or as much as you can – every little bit helps, and the family of this precious little girlwould be very grateful.

Go to www.gofundme.com/madelinesvanto make a donation and follow Madi’s amazing journey!

Life on a Pennsylvania Iron Plantationby Judith Redline Coopey


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Candlelight Open HouseHistoric Hanna’s Town will be open on Thursday, November 13,2014 from 4 to 8 p.m. for a candlelight gathering at the Tavern,and an opportunity to preview the new holiday merchandise at theMuseum Shop. We will be recreating the ambience of an 18th

century evening of camaraderie and commerce, and celebratinglife in Westmoreland County – then and now.• Roll some wooden dice and learn to play a game of Draughts orNine Men’s Morris.• Taste some beer from All Saints Brewery and wassail made froma Colonial Williamsburg recipe served from the “bar” at the Tavern.• Stroll by candlelight from the Tavern where you will enjoy thegames and savory snacks to the Shop where we’ll serve sweets –including Sally Lunn and Gingerbread with our own private labeledjams and jellies, and freshly brewed gourmet tea.• Browse all our other unique gift items selected with an eye forthat early American flair and a Made in America label.

The Candlelight event is free and open to the public. For theholiday season, the Historic Hanna’s Town Shop will be open onNovember 15 and 22 from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm during the Fall Teaand Coffee events. Special discounts will be given to programattendees. The Shop will be open from 1:00 to 4:00 pm on Novem-0ber 29, December 6 and the 13. December 13 will be our last day,and our “End of Season” sale.

Historic Hanna’s Town is located 3 miles north of Greensburg at 809Forbes Trail Road. The village was founded in 1773 by Robert Hannaand was the site of the first English court west of the AlleghenyMountains prior to the Revolutionary War. The settlement was attackedand burned by Indians and their British allies on July 13, 1782. Hanna’sTown never recovered and court was moved to Greensburg in 1786.

Please visit www.westmorelandhistory.org and follow our activities onthe Westmoreland County Historical Society Facebook page, and onTwitter @WCHistory. Call for information about Historic Hanna’s Townand the Westmoreland County Historical Society at 724-532-1935.


by Clair Ward, Head of School at Valley School of LigonierTODAY’S EDUCATION

Their Future or Our Past?Educators have escalated the conversationabout 21st century skills as we consider whatstudents will need for tomorrow’s jobs. Theprimary lens for this is building skills thatour students will need for their futures andnot educating them according to our past.For example, many of us recall having tomemorize pivotal and famous speechesfrom our forefathers. But perhaps requiringstudents to recite the Gettysburg address isnot as powerful as being sure they can speakabout Lincoln and the ways in which his viewof government can serve us even today.

Skeptics argue that we are already wellenough into the 21st century that such talkseems outdated. They also worry that ourcurricular pendulum will swing too drama-tically from teaching exclusively content toexclusively softer skills like collaboration.Nevertheless, we can all agree that we arebecoming increasingly nervous that theeducational paths we have laid out for ourchildren—paths not so different from ourown—may not guarantee them the samefuture that those paths secured for us.

How different this conversation looksthan the same conversation we had before2000! At that time, we spoke about theimportance of learning specific content andskills related to the exploding technologyworld. The conversation asked us to con-sider the following: “Kids need to know howto do…”—fill in the blank. But no longer arewe speaking about what kids need to knowhow to do. Now we are talking in terms ofbehaviors, and how kids need to know howto think. It is becoming increasingly clearto us that unless they know how to thinkand adapt, they will lack the mental andbehavioral flexibility to reinvent them-selves the estimated 5-6 times that theircareer paths will likely require.

Many schools are favoring mind-setssuch as stewardship, globalism, communi-cation, self-advocacy and innovation. Thisdoes not mean replacing content, but en-suring that the content we choose to presentto children helps us to advance these in-creasingly important ways of looking at theworld and at learning. But let’s be honest.What we crave is the confirmation that thiswill be the right path. How will we knowthese things are right if we do not have acrystal ball?

Allow me to share with you one exter-nal benchmark. In February of this year,the New York Times published an Op Edpiece on an interview with Senior Vice Presi-dent of People Operations (otherwise knownas HR) from Google—a man named LaszloBock. Now whether or not you or your chil-dren aspire to a future career at Google,we cannot deny that a company such asthis has to stay nimble in today’s technologymarket place.

According to Bock, here are the mostcrucial hiring attributes for Google:1. General cognitive ability as character-ized by an individual’s ability to learn—notby their IQ2.Emergent leadership as characterized notonly by your ability to step in and lead whennecessary, but also to step back and letsomeone else lead when it is better for thegroup.3.Intellectual humility and ownership

Last on the list? Expertise. Because ac-cording to Bock, an expert will come upagainst a problem they have seen 100times and choose only the predictable solu-tion instead of the creative solution.

The author of this article issues a warn-ing to young people as a result of the Googleexample: “Beware. Your degree is not aproxy for your ability to do any job. Theworld only cares about — and pays off on— what you can do with what you know(and it doesn’t care how you learned it.)And in an age when innovation is increas-ingly a group endeavor, it also cares abouta lot of soft skills — leadership, humility,collaboration, adaptability and loving tolearn and re-learn.”

I promise you that most educators arenot solely focused on producing workers forthe marketplace. However, it is possible thatthis is an age when the philosophy of edu-cation that you will find in many schoolscould not be a bigger mismatch for whatour children actually need for their futures.Curricular emphasis on test prep, emphasison grades over learning, on product over

process will never lead to the kind of employeethat Google is describing. The more wefocus on grades as the learning outcomeinstead of the learning itself, the more wenarrow our children’s academic experienceand mindsets. Such is the consideration forthe 21st century.

Allow me to share three ways to raisea 21st century learner:• Our children will function in an entirelydifferent marketplace than the one we haveknown. So if your child’s school feels differ-ent to you than your own schooling felt—celebrate! Curriculum should be a meansfor us to develop mindsets toward learningand the world. The content is not the goal—the mindset is.• Academic success can be helpful, butsuccess without creativity will fall short.Children who feel burdened by the bench-mark of grades do not have the ability toentertain creativity in their learning. Allowteachers to partner with you in makingchildren care about the pursuit of learning,not the pursuit of status.• Discipline yourself to avoid focusing onthe product—you can expect your child towork hard, you can have consequences forher not working hard without ever men-tioning grades. Do not let the grand-parentspay them for A’s or link the acquisition ofsome long sought-after gift tied to her GPA.Rewards of this nature do not raise intrin-sically motivated children. And intrinsicmotivation is their only key to the decades oflearning and invention that face them.

Let us commit ourselves as a commun-ity to raising our children in a way thatkeeps them most relevant for their futurein the 21st century and beyond.

* * * * *

Clair Ward was appointed in 2008 to the position ofHead of School at Valley School of Ligonier(www.valleyschoolofligonier.com). Ms. Ward holdsan M.Ed. from Boston College and a B.A. in English/Classics from Hamilton College. She lives in Rectorwith her daughter and husband, Bryon Williams,a doctoral candidate at Duquesne University.

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The author “inspecting” a beehive hut, and unabashedly self-promoting!

HOME STUDYby Brian Mishler

Things of PermanenceMentioned previously in these pages, Caroland I just returned from a wonderful tripto Ireland. While photos can show thebeauty, nothing can relate the sense ofwonder around every corner. This some-times can be momentarily replaced by asense of terror as driving on the left side ofthe road on what can only be described astwo-way one lane roads edged with stonewalls.

If ever you have the chance to visitIreland, – go. It is easy to understand themythical and magical tales that havesprung up from such a small region; notonly the magnificent landscape but a peopleso friendly and ornery all at the same time!

As a self-proclaimed building geek oneof the (many) things that struck me duringour trip was of course the architecture. Onething that I love is seeing history throughconstruction – not so much the architec-ture itself, but the actual construction; howthings were and are put together. The ma-terials, tools (or lack thereof), techniques,fasteners and components used throughtime.

For instance, we all know for the mostpart that humans through time have usednearby materials to build their homes;Native Americans used animal hides andwood from the land to build their “mobile”homes. American pioneers felled trees andbuilt log structures, Eskimos and igloos, so

on and so forth. But today one might notgive it much thought or think that’s changedwith the advent of shipping technology.However, here in our region asphalt roofshingles are the norm, and slate the excep-tion. In Ireland slate is the norm; not anasphalt shingle roof to be seen! This isamazing to me, as the skill and labor neces-sary to install a slate roof is easily twice whatit is to install shingles. But in a countrywhere diesel fuel is $6.88 per gallon androck is abundant, perhaps a petroleumbased roofing material doesn’t make sense.

Here in this country and particularlyour region we consider construction to beold at about 100 years, give or take a fewdecades. In one conversation I had with arealtor who had emigrated from the UK,he told me the oldest building he’d ever soldwas built in the 1300’s. It didn’t really sinkin how old that is…

Our trip began in Dublin where werented a car; funny little thing– steeringwheel on the wrong side, stick shifts onlythank you–we jumped in and headed downthe highway on the “wrong” side of the road.It wasn’t long before we were off the majorhighways and onto the smaller roads gasp-ing at the breathtaking sights, and mar-veling at the abandoned castles. Abandoned– there to be had, imagining we could owna castle! All it needs is a little fixing up!

After a day of exploring, and deter-mined not to let jet lag get the best of us,we checked into our bed and breakfast –upon which our hosts told us we should gointo downtown and explore Kilkenny andgrab a bite and a pint at Kyteler’s tavern.

Kyteler’s was established by Dame AliceKyteler who, as it turned out, had four hus-bands die a mysterious death. The localbishop declared that she must be a witch,and should be destroyed! Ms. Kyteler es-caped, but unfortunately her hand-maidenwas burned at the stake in her stead. Andso began the witch hunts and executionswe read about in school. [editor’s note: seehttp://www.kytelersinn.com/kytelers-inn-history.asp]

Her inn, built between 1263 and 1324,remains. That’s 690 years old folks. TheUnited States? 238. And, the Kyteler innwhile unique in history is not so in age.

As we roamed the country, we sawexamples of architecture around everycorner dating to the 12th century – musthave been a building boom – some placeswe visited boasted of having been re-modeled; in the 1800’s.

One place that I “inspected” called abeehive hut was constructed some-wherearound 2,000 B.C. – 4,000 years ago. Aswe circumnavigated Ireland, the aban-doned churches, castles, friaries and otherancient structures became commonplace;they’re around every corner, and they allhave a story to be told. History so rich, le-gends so grand, tales passed down throughmillennia.

One thing that struck a chord withinme – during the protestant occupation ofIreland in the mid-1600’s, among otherrestrictions and atrocities, Catholics wereforbidden to construct stone churches; theyhad to be built of wood. In our land, wherewood is the most common building meth-od, this may seem a minor annoyancerather than a harsh punishment. But there,a wooden structure is not considered “per-manent.” Wood rots. Those abandonedbuildings that need some “fixing up?” Notonly have their wooden floors, ceilings androofs decayed and fallen in; they’ve rottedaway to nothing. Except for the beampockets in the stone, there’s no trace theywere ever there.

Here in the ‘states we consider ourhomes and buildings to be “permanent,” yetthey are designed with only a 50 or so year


* * * * *

Brian Mishler is the owner of HomeStudy Inc.,and a 20-year veteran home inspector. He beganperforming home inspection after 15 years in theconstruction industry convinced him that hisbody wasn’t made for hard labor. Brian is theformer president of the Pittsburgh RegionalOrganization of the American Society of HomeInspectors (PRO-ASHI), and currently sits on theboard of Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, a non-profit that rehabilitates homes for disadvantagedseniors and veterans, assisting them with pre-renovation inspection and selection. Brian alsoteaches a variety of real estate related classes,and has mentored other seeking to become homeinspectors.

He currently resides in Latrobe, with his betterhalf Carol, their Boston terrier Gizmo, three cats,and three transient college students. When sparetime is to be had, Brian can be found on a motor-cycle, in a kayak, or hiking in the area. He canbe reached at [email protected].

Carol and I with Connor Passin the background.

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life expectancy in mind. Does that meanwe intend they be demolished after 50years?! No. We intend that they will needsignificant renovation or remodeling after50 years. Rooms with water in them areintended to need significant remodel-ing orrenovation every 20 years. On the surface,and especially considering the 30 yearmortgage, this may seem too short a lifecycle – not to mention cost prohibitive.

But let’s consider the downside ofpermanence. To “fix up” one of our aban-doned castles, we would not only need toreplace the wooden substructure, but addminor conveniences – like indoor plumb-ing, electricity, windows, and all the othermodern comforts that we take for grantedtoday. Additionally, should we need towiden a road or add living units like anapartment building, demolishing a piece ofhistory may seem like a crime.

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NOVEMBER-DECEMBER COMMUNITY CALENDAR“Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.” – WJ Cameron– WJ Cameron– WJ Cameron– WJ Cameron– WJ Cameron

through early MayLatrobe Indoor Farmer’s MarketCooperstown Event Center, 2541 ThomasStreet, Latrobe. Tuesdays, from 11 a.m. to 5p.m. Local food vendors and crafters will haveitems for sale. Eat-in or take home containerswill be available.

11/6/2014Mad for StyleGreensburg Garden & Civic Center, 951 OldSalem Rd., Greensburg, PA 156017 2 4 . 8 3 6 . 1 1 2 3westmorelandculturaltrust.org

Following the runway event, attendees willgather to sample delectable desserts while en-joying an opportunity to do some early holidayshopping in at our merchant emporium.

1 1 / 7 / 2 0 1 4Commemoration of George Washington’sFriendly Fire IncidentFort Ligonier, 200 South Market Street,Ligonier, PA 15658. 6-8 pm

An evening program presented by notedartist, Chas Fagan. A Ligonier native, and agraduate of Yale University, Chas Fagan hasgained national prominence and recognition asan accomplished and gifted portraitist, sculptorand painter.

1 1 / 7 / 2 0 1 42014-2015 Classic Film Series:Full Metal JacketState Theatre Center for the Arts, 27 E. MainSt., Uniontown, PA 15401 724.439.1360statetheatre.info

11/7/2014 to 11/9/2014Holiday Healthy Eating WellnessWorkshopNemacolin Woodlands Resort, 1001 LafayetteDr., Farmington, PA 15437 724.329.8555.nemacolin.com

Spend time with health experts and Nema-colin Chefs to learn the secrets to healthy eat-ing during the holiday months. Part of Nema-colin Woodlands Resort’s Wellness Workshops,enjoy everything from cooking classes toholistic massages... and time to unwind.

11/9/2014Pests and Pathogens of Wild GamePowdermill Nature ReserveSunday Lecture Series, 1 pm, Parker Rm

Join us in the Parker Room of the naturecenter on the second Sunday of every month at1 p.m. for a seasonally relevant nature talk.Weather permitting, each lecture will befollowed by a brief foray into the field for aninterpretive hike. Free; registration notrequired. 724) 593-6105

11/8/2014Princess Tea PartyMiss Martha’s Tea Room & Gifts, 165 Pitts-burgh St., Scottdale, PA 15683 724.887.6574.missmarthastearoom.com

In addition afternoon tea, each child willmake a special craft to take home.

11/8/2014 to 11/8/2014The Wizard of WonderlandThe Geyer Performing Arts Center, 111Pittsburgh St., Scottdale, PA 15683724.887.0887. geyerpac.com admission $12

1 1 / 8 / 2 0 1 4Putt Putt PartyWestmoreland Museum of American Art @rt30, 4764 State Route 30, Greensburg, PA

Step up to the tee to raise a little green forthe Greensburg YMCA and WestmorelandMuseum of American Art children’s pro-grams! Join us as we turn the Museum into anindoor mini golf course with putt putt holesdesigned by local artists, refreshments fromyour favorite local restaurants and more.

11/8/2014UFO-Bigfoot ConferenceWestmoreland County Community College,145 Pavilion Ln., Youngwood, PA 15697724.836.1266, mufonpa.com

7th annual UFO Conference atWestmoreland Community College. Sixspeakers including Nick Redfern, Derrel Sims,John Ventre, Fred Saluga, Brian Seech andTerry Ray. Separate dinner with speakers also.

11/8/2014Bounty at Boyce Mayview Park Fall FestCommunity & Recreation Center at BoyceMayview Park, 1551 Mayview Rd., Pittsburgh,PA 15241 412.221.1099. twpusc.org

Join us on Saturday, November 8, 2014from 11 AM- 4 PM at the Bounty at BoyceMayview Park Fall Fest. There will be family-friendly activities including fall crafts, haywagon rides, cider tasting, apple slingshots ands’more making. Also, live music will be playingall afternoon in the entertainment tent whereyou can sit and enjoy lunch from one of ourmany food trucks/vendors.

11/8/2014 – 11/21/2014Thanksgiving Food DriveSt. James Roman Catholic Church, 306 SaintJames Lane, New Alexandria, PA.

All non-perishable Thanksgiving-oriented fooddonations should be deposited in the vestibule ofthe Church only. Ministry members will thenassemble boxes and baskets which will be distri-buted the weekend of Nov. 22 and 23 to the needyof the Church. The remaining ThanksgivingBaskets or Boxes will be given to the needy of NewAlexandria from a list given to the Church. Keepin mind, all names will remain completely confi-dential. If one wishes to donate potatoes, turkeysor hams, he must first contact the Parish rectoryat 724.668.2829, so one will be present to refrig-erate or freeze the items before the dates of distri-bution. Any food donations remaining will betaken to the local Food Pantry at No Walls Mini-stry or Delmont Food Bank. There are manyfamilies who need assistance this time of year.One’s generosity will make the difference. Ifeveryone would do his part, there would be morethan enough to go around. Even if one isn’t amember of the Church, everyone can drop offsomething prior to or after the following Masses:Saturday, 4:30 p.m., Sunday, 9:30 a.m. anddaily, 8 a.m.

11/8/2014Beers of the Burgh Winter WarmerLower Lawrenceville, 3511 Butler St.,Pittsburgh, 412.509.2942beersoftheburgh.com

The Beers of the Burgh Winter Warmer is aone-of-a-kind festival featuring seasonal offeringsfrom 25+ Western Pennsylvania breweries tohelp you gear up for another Pittsburgh winter.

11/9/2014Pittsburgh Polish Festival 2014Fourth Floor, Cathedral of Learning,University of Pittsburgh, 4200 Fifth Ave.,Pittsburgh, PA 15260 814.969.5940

Polish demonstrations of cooking, ethnicfoods, surname origins, paper cuttings, livebarnyard animals and a variety of Polishfolkarts. So join Radek Fizik and his Polish FolkSongs and Fran Yakima and her Polkas,Obereks and Mazurkas for your listening anddancing pleasure beginning at noon. The“Lajkoniki Polish Folk Dance Ensemble willentertain as well as the “Living Traditions FolkEnsemble. Family Fun & Free Admission !

11/10/2014Tea History Social and FundraiserFoster and Muriel McCarl Coverlet Gallery,300 Fraser Purchase Rd., Latrobe, PA 15650724.804.2188. mccarlgallery.org

Discover the fascinating history of thismuch-loved beverage! Tea was first introducedto England in the 17th century. At first it wasused for medicinal purposes and sold in Lon-don’s early coffee houses. Only when Catherineof Braganza (an avid tea drinker) of Portugalmarried England’s Charles II did tea become asocial beverage. In 1840, Anna the 7th Duch-ess of Bedford is credited with inventing thecustom of Afternoon Tea, a tradition that wasembraced by Queen Victoria. Understand thedifference between High Tea and Afternoon Teaand learn proper tea etiquette and customs.This program will last approximately one anda half hours and will be broken into differentsections featuring tea foods, etiquette, sweets,etc. Registrants will be able to be served tea inan antique or vintage tea cup which they willget to keep. Cost to Attend $35

1 1 / 1 1 / 2 0 1 4Veteran’s DayFort Necessity Battlefield, 1 Washington Pky.,Farmington, PA 15437 724.329.8124nps.gov/fone

In honor of Veteran’s Day, enjoy freeadmission to National Parks.

1 1 / 1 3 / 2 0 1 4Close to YouPasquerilla Performing Arts Center, 450Schoolhouse Rd., Johnstown, PA 15904814.269.7200, upjarts.org

Close to You: The Music of The Carpentersbrings these classics back to the stage with spot-on renditions performed by singer Lisa Rockand her six-piece band.


11/13/2014 to 11/15/2014Ye Olde Christmas ShoppeSaint Emma Monastery & Retreat House, 1001Harvey Ave., Greensburg, PA 15601724.834.3060, stemma.org

Runs Thursday, November 13 (Early BirdEvening 4-7 pm, $5/person admission),Friday, November 14 (10-7) and Saturday,November 15 (10-3).

1 1 / 1 4 / 2 0 1 4Art on Tap 5.2.7Westmoreland Museum of American Art @rt30, 4764 State Route 30, Greensburg, PA15601. 724.837.1500, wmuseumaa.org

Experience happy hour and the latest Pop-Up Exhibition at Westmoreland @rt 30! Enjoybeer from All Saints Brewing Company, wine,music by Detention, a scavenger hunt and funwith friends! This month’s sponsor is MountainView Dental.

11/14/2014 to 11/16/2014Christmas Open HouseNeubauer’s Flowers & Market House, 36 E.Church St., Uniontown, PA 15401724.437.5500, neubauersflowers.com

Neubauer’s Flowers & Market House is kick-ing off the Christmas season with their AnnualOpen House at the Market House. During theevent there will be a special preview of theirholiday collection. Refreshments will be served.

11/15/2014Hike MurrysvilleDuff Park Hike. 9 am. Please meet at thePavilion in Duff Park. For information, pleasevisit www.murrysvilletrails.org.

11/15/2014Taste of Italy Wine TastingBARC Flatiron Building Heritage Museum &Visitor Center, 16 Race St., Brownsville, PA15417 724.785.9331, barcpa.org

The event showcases talented local vintners’who provide their homemade wines for tasting& an array of appetizers to compliment theexperience. There is also a Chinese Auction & aGrand Auction of Wines.

11/15/2014Colonial Teasat Historic Hanna's Town809 Forbes Trail Road, Greensburg, PA. 11:30am - 4:00 pm

Back by popular demand, Historic Hanna'sTown will be hosting two sittings of this annualevent. Guests will be served tea in the Klingen-smith House, original early 1800's house, byservers dressed in Colonial period garb. Refresh-ments include sandwiches, scones, cakes anddessert with lashings of tea!

Reserve your seat now! 2 sittings -11:30 amand 2:00 pm. The Gift Shop will also be openfrom 1:00pm to 4:00pm. Tickets - $20.00each. Call Westmoreland County HistoricalSociety at 724-532-1935.

11/15/2014Hands-On Glass Cutting ClassMount Pleasant Glass Museum, 402 E. MainSt., Mount Pleasant, PA, 724.547.5929

Come join us and listen to Peter O’Rourkediscuss how to cut glass and then do a littlecutting of your own and take it home. The classis two hours long and the cost is $15. This is afamily friendly activity suitable for all ages!

11/15/2014 to 12/20/2014Snowflake ShowcaseGreensburgh Art Center/Rowe Gallery, 230Todd School Rd., Greensburg, PA 15601724.837.6791. greensburgartcenter.org

Shop an exciting selection of hand-madecrafts, paintings, prints, jewelry, ceramics,textiles, ornaments, and other type handmadeitems for your holiday gift list.

1 1 / 1 6 / 2 0 1 4Holiday Arts Open HouseGlades Pike Winery, 2208 Glades Pike,Somerset, PA 15501 814.445.3753gladespikewinery.com

Local artisans bring their works together fora holiday shopping experience – have a glass ofwine while checking off that list!

1 1 / 1 9 / 2 0 1 4Lee Alverson Christmas ShowRockwood Mill Shoppes & Opera House, 450Main St., Rockwood, PA 15557 814.926.4546rockwoodmillshoppes.com

Join Lee Alverson as he treats you to aWinter Wonderland of Holiday favorites. Theshow features nostalgic trivia, warm heartedstories and songs of the season. Starts at noon.

11/20/2014 to 11/23/2014Bah HumbugThe Geyer Performing Arts Center, 111Pittsburgh St., Scottdale, PA 15683724.887.0887. geyerpac.com

11/20/2014Westmorland Jazz Society Concertfeaturing Donna BaileyWestmoreland Museum of American Art @rt30, 1 Seton Hill Dr., Greensburg, PA 15601724.837.1500. wmuseumaa.org

11/21/2014 - 1/1/2015Overly’s Country Christmas116 Blue Ribbon Lane, Greensburg(724) 423-1400, www.overlys.com

Celebrate the season at Overly’s CountryChristmas®, a nonprofit committed to creatingholiday memories with a Christmas Villagethat’s filled with an array of old-fashionedtraditions and treats. Sing carols ‘round thebonfire, revel in the model train display, haveyour picture taken with Santa (in the daysbefore Christmas), take a horse drawn wagon/sleigh ride or shop for gifts in the C. Edgar &Sons General Store plus much, much more asyou experience the beauty of this traditionalwinter wonderland!

Gates open at 5:30 p.m. For your best holi-day experience in Christmas Village, arriveearly or at least 1 hour before the scheduledclosing time. Inclement weather such as highwind, ice and rain may result in an early clos-ing or complete closing. By the Carload. $12,M-T. $15, F-S. $22 - commercial vans. Call forgroup pricing. 5:30 - 9 pm daily.

Be sure to visit the historical displays in theSleigh Room, featuring Christmas issues of theLaurel Mountain Post!

11/21/2014 to 11/23/201417th Annual Greater Pittsburgh Arts &Crafts Holiday SpectacularMonroeville Convention Center, Monroeville.724.863.4577. www.familyfestivals.comFriday 10-9, Saturday 10-6, Sunday 10-5

Don’t miss over 280 booths in two hugeexhibit halls. Pittsburgh’s biggest Christmasarts and crafts show! Jewelry, clothing, func-tional & decorative wood, florals, candles,photography, decorative paintings and more!Sample delicious pre-packaged foods - dips,mixes, nuts, candies, chocolates and more! Kidswill enjoy Santa, clowns and a puppet show!The Carrola Brothers will provide musicalentertainment. Acres of free parking! Don’tmiss the area’s biggest Christmas craft show!

11/21/2014 to 11/23/2014Fiddler on the RoofThe Palace Theatre, 21 W. Otterman St.,Greensburg, PA 15601 724.836.8000thepalacetheatre.org

Tony Award-winning classic musical is filledwith humor, warmth and honesty. Leaves aud-iences crying tears of laughter, joy and sad-ness. Featuring Tony and Renata Marino asGolde and Tevye.

1 1 / 2 2 / 2 0 1 4Three Centuries of Coffeeat Historic Hanna's TownHistoric Hanna's Town, 809 Forbes Trail Road,Greensburg, PA. 11:30 am - 4:00 pmwww.westmorelandhistory.org

Escape the inevitable hustle and bustle thatcomes with preparing for the holiday season byindulging with a friend or two in the ambianceof Historic Hanna's Town. Sample delicious fareand learn about the popularity and social roletea, coffee, and chocolate played in earlyAmerica.

Hot, 'stimulating' beverages like tea, coffeeand chocolate were first introduced to Euro-peans in the early 1600s. These drinks wereexotic and prohibitively expensive for every-one but the elite. It was primarily the aristo-cracy who could afford the ingredients, refinedsugar, and special equipment, as well as theleisure time needed to enjoy these beverages.By the end of the century these hot drinks wereenjoyed by the broad spectrum of society. InAmerica, the popularity of coffee and chocolateincreased during the Revolutionary War whenmany boycotted English products like tea.

Coffee and Chocolate will be served onSaturday, November 22nd with seatings at11:30am and 2:00pm. Guests will meet inHanna's Tavern for a sampling and a briefhistory of the beverages. Heartier fare will beserved in the Klingensmith House, and dessertin the Museum Shop.

Tickets are $20 per person. Seating is limi-ted and advance booking is a must. Please call724-532-1935 x210 for reservations. A specialOpen House will be held at the Hanna's TownShop during the teas from 1:00pm – 4:00pm.

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1 1 / 2 2 / 2 0 1 4Farm to Table Dinner at Foxley FarmsLigonier Country Inn, 118 Foxley Lane,Ligonier, PA 15658 724.238.3651ligoniercountryinn.com

1 1 / 2 2 / 2 0 1 423rd Annual Holiday ParadeCity of Greensburg - Noon. Beginning at the topof North Main Street by the Middle School to4th and Main Streets at City Hall

1 1 / 2 7 / 2 0 1 4Thanksgiving Day BuffetMiss Martha’s Tea Room & Gifts, 165Pittsburgh St., Scottdale, 724.887.6574missmarthastearoom.com

1 1 / 2 7 / 2 0 1 4Thanksgiving Family Styleat the Stone HouseHistoric Stone House Restaurant, 3023National Pike, Farmington, PA. 724.329.2020.stonehouseinn.com

11/28/2014Junie B in Jingle Bells, Batman SmellsThe Palace Theatre, 21 W. Otterman St.,Greensburg. 724.836.8000 thepalacetheatre.org.Westmoreland Cultural Trust

11/28/2014Santa's Arrival & Diamond LightingLigonier, 6:30 pm. visitligonier.com

11/29/20145th Annual Small Business Saturday

Held every year on the Saturday followingThanksgiving, Small Business Saturday wascreated by American Express in 2010 to sup-port the small businesses that create jobs andboost the economy. Since its inception, SmallBusiness Saturday has served as the ceremon-ial kickoff to the busy holiday shopping seasonfor independently-owned businesses.

Just as important, it has driven high visi-bility and appreciation for the unique role thatsmall businesses play in local communities. In2013, consumers who were aware of Small Bus-iness Saturday reported spending $5.7 billionwith independent merchants on the day, anincrease of 3.6% from the previous year.

11/29/2014Ligonier Country Christmas MarketLigonier Valley YMCA, 110 W. Church St.10 am - 3 pm. ligoniercountrymarket.com

Join us in a Holiday shopping experiencewith some of your favorite Market Vendors.

11/29/201425th Annual Festival of LightsBraddock Trail Chapter, NSDAR, WardenMansion - Mount Pleasant. 724-423-3275

Trees and lights are given to individuals andorganizations that in turn decorate the treesand donate them back to the Festival.

11/29/2014Christmas Comedy PlayRockwood Mill Shoppes & Opera House 450Main St., Rockwood, PA 15557. 814.926.4546rockwoodmillshoppes.com

Get into the spirit of Christmas as the Rock-wood Players provide heartwarming entertain-ment filled with joy and holiday cheer. If youhave visitors in for the Thanksgiving holiday,bring them to the show for a night of fun. Or,reserve a few tables for this event for your com-pany’s annual holiday party. Starts at 6pm!

12/4/2014Bumper JacksonsDowntown West Newton, 101-111 N. Water St.724.872.0100. dwni.org. bumperjacksons.com

DWNI is honored to have one of D.C.’s finesttraditional folk bands perform on stage atSimeral Square. “Bumper Jacksons sound is aunique blend of “roots jazz, country swing andstreet blues deeply rooted in their love for earlyswing, blues, and old time country.”

12/5/2014Annual Night of LightsFirst United Methodist Church, 3916 Old Wil-liam Penn Hwy (in Town Square). 6-8 pm

There will be a food drive for the Loaves andFishes Food Pantry and donations will be accep-ted for Toys for Tots. A Gingerbread House con-test will be held, so please contact the Recrea-tion Department at 724-327-2100, Ext. 131for details and rules.

12/5/2014 to 12/7/2014Dickens of a Christmas300 W. High St., Ebensburg, PA 15931814.472.8414. ebensburgdickens.com

Ebensburg’s 9th annual Dickens of a Christ-mas is a family-oriented Christmas celebrationbased on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.Many vendors and other participants are cladin period costume. Let us be your host as youenjoy this old-fashioned Christmas weekend.

12/5/2014Motown ExperienceThe Palace Theatre 21 W. Otterman St.,Greensburg, PA 15601. 724.836.8000thepalacetheatre.org

A world-class vocal group assembled fromformer members of The Contours, The Miraclesand The Temptations featuring dazzlingchoreogrpahy and impeccable harmonies foran unforgettable show of Mowtown favorites.

12/5/2014 to 12/6/2014Scrooge!Greensburg Garden & Civic Center, 951 OldSalem Rd., Greensburg, PA 15601724.836.3074. ggccevents.org

This timeless Christmas classic is full offestive songs, memorable music and rhymingverse for a sleigh-full of holiday fun thataudiences of all ages will love!

12/6/2014Breakfast with SantaChestnut Ridge Golf Resort, 132 Pine Ridge Rd.,Blairsville, PA 15717. 724.459.7191chestnutridgeresort.com

Breakfast buffet, cookie decorating, a visitand gift from Santa, a commemorative photo.Reservations required.

12/6/2014Christmas BrasstacularThe Palace Theatre 21 W. Otterman St.,Greensburg, PA 15601. 724.836.8000thepalacetheatre.org

Go into Christmas overdrive with River CityBrass! Our Brasstacular features carols, choirsand Santa Claus along with the world premierof Symphony of Carols by Drew Fennell.

12/6/2014Gingerbread House ContestLigonier Valley Chamber of Commerce 120 E.Main St., Ligonier, PA 15658. 724.238.4200visitligonier.com

Create your own gingerbread house, or bid onyour favorite! Donations go to a local charity.

12/6/2014 to 12/9/2014Festival of LightsLigonier Valley Chamber of Commerce, 120 E.Main St., Ligonier, PA 15658. 724.238.4200visitligonier.com

This winter wonderland opens the firstSaturday in December. The display of trees andwreaths are decorated by local families, busi-nesses and groups. Many of the trees andwreaths present a theme. These items are forsale and available for pick-up after the Festivalcloses. In addition to the exhibit, there is araffle table and a complimentary cookie café.

12/6/2014Holiday Open HouseChristian W. Klay Winery, 412 FayetteSprings Rd., Chalk Hill, PA 15421.724.439.3424. cwklaywinery.com

This festive event will be held in the beau-tifully decorated barn. The event will featurepopular carols, hot and cold appetizers, winetasting and sweet treats.

12/6/2014Holly Jolly Christmas in LatrobeLatrobe Art Center & Café, 816 Ligonier St.,Latrobe, 724.537.7011. latrobeartcenter.org

Start the Holiday Season off right byShopping at the Latrobe Art Center… Unique,One of a Kind, Handmade Gifts. Latrobe ArtCenter artists set up tables with jewelry,stained glass, clothing, paintings, woodworkand pottery while the Neighborhood Cafeprovides break-fast & lunch specials. Home-made Baked Goods from Maddy’s Bakery andHappy Camper Cakes. Latrobe Art Center andNeighborhood Cafe Gift Certificates make greatstocking stuffers! This holiday season, give twogifts in one! Support your local Art Center, whilepurchasing a gift for a friend or loved one!

12/6/2014 to 12/7/2014It’s a Connellsville ChristmasConnellsville 139 W. Crawford Ave.,Connellsville, PA 15425

12/8/2014Hawaiian Christmas in the HighlandsLigonier Theatre, 208 W. Main St., Ligonier.724.853.4050, latshawproductions.com

These authentic Hawaiian men and womenare skilled in drums, hula, incorporating tra-ditional dance. You’ll feel like you are right inHawaii for the holidays while enjoying thesesensational performances.


12/10/2014Christmas with the Annie Moses BandPasquerilla Performing Arts Center, 450Schoolhouse Rd., Johnstown, PA 15904814.269.7200. upjarts.org

Experience the beauty of the Christmas seasonwith the Annie Moses Band as the acclaimedclassical crossover ensemble performs stunningarrangements of holiday favorites. Strings,harp, and soaring vocals take the stage to re-imagine classic melodies and to debut originalsthat are sure to become classic. From the elec-trifying rhythm of “Carol of the Bells” to thebreath-taking beauty of “O Holy Night,”“Christmas with the Annie Moses Band” is acinematic journey audiences are sure to love.

12/11/2014 to 12/14/2014The NutcrackerThe Geyer Performing Arts Center, 111Pittsburgh St., Scottdale, PA 15683724.887.0887. geyerpac.com

12/12/2014 to 12/14/2014North Pole ExpressStage Right! 105 W. Fourth St., Greensburg724.832.SING. stagerightgreensburg.com

1 2 / 1 3 / 2 0 1 4Breakfast with Santa at the Stone HouseHistoric Stone House Restaurant, 3023National Pike, Farmington, PA 15437724.329.2020. stonehouseinn.com

Bring the whole family to have breakfast withSanta at the Stone House.Breakfast items will beserved as well as activities for the children.

12/13/2014Buddy the Elf & FriendsLatrobe Art Center, 819 Ligonier St.724-537-7011. www.latrobeartcenter.org

This year, Buddy and Santa will bring alongMrs. Claus, Katie the Elf, and Miss Gwyn withher Happy Christmas Camper! The childrenwill paint their own gingerbread house, do anartful scavenger hunt, have a sing-a-long andthen end the day with a sweet treat right fromGwyn's Happy Christmas Camper! Stay tunedfor more details, but it's definitely a weekendyou don't want to miss! (Register early!)

Session 1: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.Session 2: 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Cost: $16 for members; $20 for non-members(half off for additional sibling)

1 2 / 1 3 / 2 0 1 4Holiday High TeaMiss Martha’s Tea Room & Gifts, 165 Pitts-burgh St., Scottdale, PA 15683. 724.887.6574missmarthastearoom.com

With the stress of the season in full swing,take an afternoon to relax with friends andfamily at our Holiday-themed tea. In addition,each guest will make a keepsake ornament totake home. $16.50/person

1 2 / 1 3 / 2 0 1 4Light Up NightOhiopyle Stewart Community Center, 15Sherman St., Ohiopyle, 724.329.1444ohiopyle-stewart.org

12/13/2014 to 12/14/2014The NutcrackerThe Palace Theatre 21 W. Otterman St.,Greensburg, PA 15601. 724.836.8000thepalacetheatre.org

Revel in the holiday magic when the West-moreland Symphony Orchestra, featuring theLaurel Ballet, performs Tchaikovsky’s timelessNutcracker for three performances.

Wonderful evening seeing the Beachboys for Dougie's birthday. Theysounded exactly as I hoped they would. Terrific show and a littlebackstage time with Mike Love. What a great guy!!!

“The Warmth Of The Sun” was absolute perfection ... my favor-ite! Mike signed my copy of the Laurel Mountain Post with thearticle about what the Beachboys meant to me. And I gave him acopy, he said he would love to read it!

It was truly Fun Fun Fun!

MEMORY LANEby Ruthie Richardson

Dear Diary: October 30, 2014


END NOTESby Joe Walko

’Tis Almost the Season

“To be interested in the changing seasons is a happier state of mindthan to be hopelessly in love with spring.” – George Bernard Shaw

The colorful leaves are gone, the wind blowscolder, the days are noticeably shorter andgray; bleak is the adjective that most use todescribe the season. A late fall cold Novem-ber rain will soon be December snow, fol-lowed by buttoned up coats and wind chillwarnings, snow delays and shoveling –sigh, high time to head indoors until thespring thaw.

But that doesn’t have to be the case.The outdoors still has many gifts andbeauty, and can still be enjoyed, even in the“bleak” days and long winter nights of theseason. And just like a good friend, beingoutside, even during the rain and snow andcold, can pick you up, if given the properpreparation and attitude. True, you mayneed more protective clothing, and theduration of outdoor activities this time ofyear might be shorter than during the longhot days of summer, but the gifts are thesame.

The other day I was suffering majorwriter’s block, the words just not flowing,despite hours in front of the computer, myattitude stuck in the confining walls of mytoo small basement home office, deadlines,and bills to pay. This modern world offersmany comforts and advantages that Iwould not trade, but that comes with re-sponsibilities that pay for those comforts.It is too easy to get sucked into a self-inflicted cage, which had me feeling trappednow. So I decided to take a break and gooutside, if only for some fresh air and torake leaves.

The air was chilly, but soon the activityof raking had warmed me up. A layer cameoff, and it felt good to be moving, and thefresh air was invigorating. A big changingsky of puffy white and gray clouds racingacross a blue palette was freeing, myimagination expanding once freed from aceiling and four walls. There was even somelate season birdsong, and squirrels and chip-monks ran noisily through the leaves, col-lecting acorns and nuts and birdseed forwinter storage. I thought of their duty, col-lecting for winter, their life depenent ontheir success; but they didn’t seem asworried as I often am. Maybe I need to letgo sometimes, like the animals do. Blue jaysscreamed from the treetops, and sparrowsand juncos scratched at the ground underthe feeder. A few white flakes even dancedthrough the air, the first of the season; butit felt good, it brought the anticipation ofthe gifts of a new season. It cleared my

head, just the few hours spent outside, doingsome physical work, breathing in the freshair and enjoying the freedom of the out-doors. I know I will do this again, through-out the remaining fall and winter season,whenever a pick me up is needed.

So don’t let the cold and weather andthe long nights of winter get you down! Getoutside, even if it’s not ideal weather.

Rake up those brown autumn leaves!Make a big pile! Jump in them, just likekids do! It’s still fun!

Before a big holiday meal, sign up andrun a turkey trot 5k and enjoy the feastknowing you’ve earned those extra calories,or get outside with family and friends foran impromptu Turkey bowl after the bigmeal. The activity will keep you warm.

Or go for a brisk walk on a cold night:just throw an extra layer on, and come inwhen you’re chilled. Bring Fido. Enjoy thesilence, with no cell phones or email or loudholiday visitors, accompanied by only thecrunch of fresh snow underfoot.

Gather the family, and go pick out andcut down a live tree, warm up with hotcocoa and a fire at the gift shop (see all ourads in this issue), and bring a little of thegreat outdoors inside! The smells of thefresh pine boughs will elict warm memoriesno matter the temperature or wind chilloutside.

Cabin fever creeping in? Do somethingdifferent. Go for a moonlit hike through aforest on a full moon night, after a bed offresh snow has fallen. Turn off your flash-light or headlamp, you’ll be amazed at howmuch light the moon provides, especiallyas it reflects off the white snow. Try follow-

ing and identifying the tracks of the winteranimals. Maybe you’ll follow turkey tracksuntil they take flight for their treetop winterroosts, or even spy a coyote or deer, not usedto seeing people at night in the woods inthe winter.

When the snow comes, go sled riding,or try cross-country skiing or snowshoing!Our friends at Venture Outdoors offerplenty of outings in these activities righthere in our local parks (www.ventureoutdoors.org). Of course we have worldclass resorts at Seven Springs and HiddenValley, with slopes of all levels for downhillskiing, and snow tubing too, and warmwinter lodges filled with good cheer andglowing fires. Is there anything better thancoming in from the cold and thawing outin front of a roaring fire? Share a hot choco-late or glass of wine or a winter warmer,curl up in front of that fire on the bearskinrug with a good book, a furry companion,or a good partner.

Just a simple walk through your neigh-borhood is so different in the winter! Or goto the local park down the street, or a visita county or state park – we have so manygood ones! Cedar Creek, Twin Lakes, BushyRun Battlefield, Duff Park, Kooser, LaurelHill, Keystone or Linn Run State Parks. Awinter walk can be so quiet you can hearthe snowflakes tumbling down through thedelicate green hemlock boughs, you canhear your own head clearing, you can feela little of that sought after holiday peace.The waterfalls freeze, and you have yourown picture perfect holiday postcard.

Even in the “bleak” season”, just gettingoutside for a bit, to capture some of nature’sblessings and gifts, will pick you up and liftyour spirits.

* * * * *

Off Trail is a monthly column devoted to ex-ploring our diverse and beautiful natural heri-tage, especially the the hidden gems and specialplaces off the beaten path.

* * * * *Joe Walko is a fulltime widowed parent to twobeautiful but challenging boys, now unemployedby choice after a 25-year career in corporatefinance. He is a writer and blogger searching forhis voice, a seeker of his truth, a nature andadventure junkie discovering whole new worldsand beauty in the glorious struggle, in theordinary, in his own backyard, and mostly, inhis heart. Visit his website at joewalko.wordpress.com and contact him at [email protected].


OFFICE: 724.238.7600 | CELL: 724.972.8418 | [email protected]

OFFICE: 724.238.7600 | CELL: [email protected]

485 Laurel Summit, Ligonier Twp3br/2ba atop Laurel Mt. Enjoy thepeace! Lower level can be full guestquarters. Wrap around deck, oakhardwoods on main, 2 wood-burn-ers, level lot. Great mountain homefor entertaining/getaway. Enjoyhiking, cross country skiing, mtnbiking, hunting, fishing, ATV ... rightoutside your front door! $130,000

1518 Darlington Rd, LigonierSituated waterfront on ButtermilkFalls, 2br/3ba home full of characteron absolutely amazing property,MUST SEE! $125,000

Misty [email protected] • 115 S Market St • Ligonier, PA 15658

Buck Run, New Paris/BedfordEnjoy peace & quiet at Buck Run II.Quaint 2br/1ba cabin on 1.17 acres.Ride quads, hike, fish, hunt!. Beauti-ful off-the-grid experience! $69,000

Charlotte Drive, LigonierVacant lot, great neighborhood, greatview, public water/sewage. $28,900

683 E Old Lincoln HighwayLigonier Township

Just minutes from the diamond, im-peccable condition! This RanchStyle home features 3 bedroomsand 2 full baths. Also included areDisposal, Electric Stove, MicrowaveOven, Refrigerator, Washer/Dryer,Window Treatments, Wall to WallCarpet. $149,900

1506 High St, BradenvilleDerry Twp

Amenities galore! Granite counters,master suite/spa, Jacuzzi cabana, 2garages, extra lot. 3 bedroomsand 2full bath. Also included are AutomaticGarage door opener, Dish Washer,Electric Stove, Jet Spray Tub, Refrig-erator, Washer/Dryer, Wall to WallCarpet. $147,000

305 Ligonier St , LatrobeCharming and full of character, this 2-story home features a detached ga-rage, tile, wall-to-wall carpet, hardwood floors, 1 fireplace, Gas,ForcedAir heating, and central air. Two bed-rooms, and 1 full bath. $99,999

3015 Exeter Rd, Greensburg2br/1ba ranch, immaculate home,one-level living. Covered patio, nice-ly landscaped, level lot. $175,000

1526 Broad Street, GreensburgZoned C1 in S. Greensburg, duplex,office or convert to single resident.Large lot, great location, exception-ally cared for property. $137,000

309 Village Ct, Ligonier BoroOpen floor plan. Great home for en-tertaining inside and out with a lovelypatio. 2 br upstairs and den on mainfloor that could be 4th br. All necessi-ties are located on main floor; masterand beautiful bath & laundry, 2 cargarage. Convenient to town. $245,900

Calling All Sellers:Are You Ready to Move?

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If you've been on the fence about listing yourhome, now is the time. With interest rates slowlycreeping up, buyers are on the move. Ask anyagent: we have buyers, we need listings to selll!Now is the time! Call today for a no-cost market

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