Laurel Mountain Post :: Winter 2005

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST A Magazine for the Heart of Westmoreland County

Every Story Begins At Home.

www.LaurelMountainPost.com

A Distinguished Gentleman and An Iron Duke A Portrait of Lou Kasperik

WINTER 2005: Cooking • Gardening • Nostalgia • Shopping • Nutrition • Style • Faith • Children • Art • Fiction

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Ever FFeel eel Like Y ou You Were All Alone?

Equine Chic for Horse and Home

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified – for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

DEUTERONOMY 31:6 Photo taken by Pastor Ron Durika along Route 30 in the Ligonier Valley.

Read his “Take It On Faith”column on page 18 of the Laurel Mountain Post.

You don’t have to own a horse to find a great gift!

106 E. Main St. • Ligonier, Pennsylvania www.EquineChic.com • 724.238.7003

MOUNTAIN VIEWS Cathi Gerhard Williams

Peace, Love and Understanding I’m not sure which I like better – hearing Elvis Costello sing Nick Lowe’s song (What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding, or watching Bill Murray sing it Karaoke-style in the movie Lost In Translation. I think it’s a tie between two of my favorite entertainers. Either way, it’s one of my favorite songs and always makes me think.

Personally, I have a hard time sharing space, which I suppose is the nature of the international war beast in the end as well. It’s just a matter of scale. From a distance, consider the size and importance of a situation before you take it out on someone else. We all need space, both private and shared. Respect works both ways.

That’s what I try to keep in mind.

Will the world ever know peace? I doubt it. There will always be some place full of people “looking for light in the darkness of insanity.” But I think a lot more these days about how I can make the world around me, both near and far, a lot less stressful. I should take the time to consider the small disputes and grudges that really aren’t necessary. Whether it is patience in the grocery line or garbage that didn’t get taken out, is it really worth the argument? How far would a little understanding go?

We’ve put a lot of love and memories in this issue. And I mean that several ways, just not because Valentine’s Day is coming soon.

Sure, lots of our articles and advertisements deal with Valentine or love themes. It is seasonal and fun. But more importantly, I’ve noticed the various kinds of love associated with this edition and the people that bring it to life.

Most of us are guilty of these daily conflicts. I had a teacher who used to tell us to “remember to smile and nod.” That’s not so hard if you try.

The stories are about people’s passions and work and reveal that everyone’s unique contribution has value.

Our writers are here because they love what they do and want to share it with the world. The celebration ads are small, everlasting ways to say how much you care and

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST The Laurel Mountain Post is a quarterly publication of biffBOOcommunication designed to focus on the people, places and events at the heart of Westmoreland County in western Pennsylvania. We print stories about real people and their daily lives; feature local merchants, craftsmen and professionals; present short pieces of art & literature; and never lose sight of what makes this area a great place to call home.

P.O. Box 227 | Latrobe, PA 15650 | 724-331-3936 | editor@LaurelMountainPost.com

value the people in your life. Our advertisers list with us because they believe in the positive power of our publication. And we’ve included some surveys at the end to gather your input on the Laurel Mountain Post.

We’d love to hear from you!

All this work on our “Valentine Issue” has made me recall happy vignettes from the past, the things that make life important to us. Memories make us smile, give us the strength to keep going, and reward us for our efforts. They help us understand our mistakes and learn to do better when the chance comes around again. Try to remember the love you’ve known rather than the love you’ve lost. I’ll never forget finding flowers from my boyfriend in my high school locker.

I will always think about that happiness more than how much it hurt to break up.

editor@LaurelMountainPost.com

Cathi Gerhard Williams Briana Dwire Tomack advertising@LaurelMountainPost.com

There is a lot of pain and suffering out there – but even more ways to help make it better. We hope to always feature articles on the people and places around Westmoreland County that are working toward a world full of peace, love and understanding. Take the time to think about how you can help. Put your gifts and skills to work in our community. Contrary to some colorful notions of the past, peace isn’t a passive concept; it requires participation, cooperation, and most of all, love . . .

Cathi Gerhard Williams, Editor & Publisher Briana Dwire Tomack, Marketing Director & Business Manager CONTRIBUTORS - WINTER 2005 (Volume II, Issue 1) Becca Brenner, Jim Brewer, Walt Brewer, Daniel Chicka, Derek Clawson, Ron Durika, Carol Dwire, Donna Garrity, Carol Gerhard, Shelly Gerhard, Paula Forte, Jodee Harris-Anke, Jim Kasperik, Heather Rogers Kline, Susan McBroom, Jim Prengaman, Joe Prengaman, Emily Prohaska, Ruth Richardson, Maria Schultz, Michelle Schultz, Elizabeth Srsic, Nicole Vitale Smith, Scott Sinemus, Denise Marie White, Drew Williams Special thanks to our advertisers for supporting this community publication!

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 3

A Distinguished Gentleman and An Iron Duke

By Jim Kasperik

Live Productions Love, Sex And The I.R .S. I.R.S.

February 4, 5, 11, and 12 at 8:00 PM February 13 at 2:30 PM Adults—$12.00, Students and Seniors—$10.00

My W ay: Way: A Musical TTribute ribute TTo o FFrank rank Sinatra

March 4 and 5 at 8:00 PM March 6 at 2:30 PM Adults—$10.00, Students and Seniors—$8.00 For Reservations, Call 724-238-6514, Ext. 2

Vintage Film In The Valley “Doctor Zhivago” February 18, 19, 20

“Citizen K ane” Kane” March 11, 12, 13

“ W illie W Wonk onka onk a And The Chocolate FFactor actor y” actory April 8, 9, 10 Showings are: Friday & Saturday at 7:30 PM; Sunday at 2:30 PM All tickets are $6.00

Ligonier Theater 208 West Main Street

Fabric Art

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724-532-3542 4 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

Lou Kasperik was born in Smithton, Pennsylvania on December 19, 1919 to proud parents, Joseph and Victoria Kasperik. On that day one of the greatest individuals from our area began his life as part of the “greatest generation.” Most people who know Lou now have dealt with him as a businessman, a local asset and friend but they may not know about his athletic achievements. Lou always excelled in everything he did (or does!) and never did anything half-speed. After moving with his family to many mining towns in Western Pennsylvania, the Kasperiks settled near Derry.

Derry Township High School Years – An Athlete and A Scholar Lou began his high school career in 1933 as a small freshman at the now defunct Derry Township High School.

He was always interested in sports and led by the encouragement of his Dad, participated in football, basketball, baseball and track during high school. As the years of high school passed, Lou began to excel in all sports but was especially noticed by colleges for his football and basketball prowess. After a late growth spurt between his junior and senior years, Lou began to receive scholarship offers for his past athletic achievements and future potential.

In addition to his athletic prowess, Lou was receiving attention from colleges because he also typified what a student athlete should be. He arguably excelled more in the classroom than in athletics as his Derry Township High Schools years progressed. As he was preparing to graduate, Lou was working towards a straight A average and Salutatorian in his class. As a senior he received a scholarship offer from Georgetown University to play both football and basketball.

Although this was quite tempting, he decided to stay closer to home and attend Duquesne University on the “bluff” in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The College Years – The Iron Dukes When Lou arrived at Duquesne in the fall of 1938, athletic scholarships were often hard to come by. Many times scholarships were offered to athletes only after they tried out for

In 1938 as a six foot three inch, 165pound freshman, Lou tried out for the Duquesne University basketball team. Immediately his skill and work ethic was noticed, and Coach Chick Davies offered him a scholarship for basketball. Although the Athletic Director and Coach Davies argued over Lou playing basketball instead of football, he stuck with basketball and the history of Duquesne basketball was changed.

Back in 1938, freshmen in any sport at the college level were not eligible to play varsity but in basketball at Duquesne a freshmen team was developed. Throughout his freshman year, Lou and the team excelled in every game they played. They not only excelled, they were perfect against any and all comers. In fact the 1938 Duquesne freshmen basketball team ran off thirty-two victories in a row with some wins even coming against semi-pro teams. As it turned out, this was a glimpse of what was to come for Duquesne Basketball.

In the next three years, Lou continued to excel individually in basketball at Duquesne, as did the team.

During these years, Duquesne started to utilize the best five players to play every minute of every game – the Iron Dukes were now formed! From 1939 through Lou Kasperik, Iron Duke, circa 1941.

1941, the Iron Dukes compiled a stellar record of 51 wins and 10 losses (three the team. In other words, a person losses were in post season tournacould work out with the team and if ments). During the 1940 season, the the coach deemed them good Dukes were invited to appear in both enough, a scholarship would be ofthe National Invitation Tournament fered. Lou began his time at (NIT) and the NCAA Tournament afDuquesne with the intent of playing ter a fantastic regular season. The football, but early on he discovered Iron Dukes finished well in both that as a freshman he would have tournaments – second in the NIT and to sit out an entire year and wait to third in the NCAA. play his sophomore year. Therefore being as competitive as he was, Lou Along with these great athletic acsearched out another option. complishments, Lou continued to

excel in the classroom. He was legendary for his study habits and work ethic as he worked towards his degree in Pharmacy. Lou graduated with a straight A average and was Valedictorian of his class!

he was inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.

He continues to be the only person from the Derry Area to have received this honor.

Lou has always dedicated his life to The Pros – In Two Sports better himself and others. In addition he has spent his life trying to As Lou worked hard in his basketcontinually better the area in which ball career at Duquesne, he often he lives. He has donated and dediplayed baseball in the summer cated his time to many organizations months with and still does his brother to help our Joe. The area be sucbrothers were cessful and very successcontinue to ful and they thrive. Just were feared as this past year, pitchers and Lou celhitters wherebrated his ever they 85 th birthday played. Lou with over one performed well h u n d r e d enough to friends and have profesfamily memsional scouts bers and is looking very still going seriously at strong. Lookhim. During ing at Lou his junior year Kasperik and at Duquesne, his life so far, he is a great he signed a model for contract to Lou Kasperik working in a lab young scholar play Triple-A in Europe during World War II. athletes in our professional area to try to baseball with emulate. He Knoxville in has demonstrated what it takes to be the Southern Association. In the talented and successful in sports – mean time, he continued along his dedication and hard work – and in life! basketball path.

After his graduation in 1941, Lou had many options in the sports world. Should he play basketball or baseball? After pondering that question, he decided on basketball and went to play with the Detroit Eagles of the National Basketball League (NBL), which later became the NBA. In his first year, Lou contributed greatly to the Eagles winning the world championship over Toledo.

However, this is where the sports story ended as World War II started and Lou went to defend our country.

Distinguished Honors for a Distinguished Man Lou excelled at both athletics and academics through his life. Because of this, he was often awarded with well-deserved honors. In 1969, Lou and his Iron Duke teammates were inducted into the Duquesne Sports Hall of Fame. In addition to that,

Jim Kasperik was born in Derry and has lived in the Laurel Highlands most of his life.

He received his Engineering degree from Carnegie Mellon University and his MBA from The Pennsylvania State University. He has worked at Latrobe-based Kennametal, Inc. for over ten years. During his school years Jim played football, baseball, volleyball and basketball, and still enjoys playing hoops whenever he can. His love for the competition that sports provides has kept him continually interested in sports year round.

Look for Jim Kasperik’s new regular column on sports & recreation in the Spring 2005 issue of the Laurel Mountain Post!

MONEY TALKS submitted by Jodee Harris-Anke

Investment Strategies for Facing Uncertainty Believe it or not, there is an investment strategy for facing uncertainty. I believe the following steps are essential to ensure that your investment plan is on track and that you have the confidence you need to remain committed to it.

needs of your investment goals?

This is the time for reassessment.

Ask your Financial Advisor to work through a questionnaire with you that spotlights how you are feeling about the market and what level of volatility you are willing to experience. It is the combination of your investment goals and objectives and how you feel about risk that provides the blueprint for building a solid investment plan.

Revisit Your Financial Goals Uncertainty creates doubt, and doubt can be an investor’s biggest enemy. If you have not done so recently, revisit “Look for a your financial goals to Review Your Financial Advisor Asset Allocation determine if they remain who has a appropriate.

Many If the market has imthorough process times I find that an pacted the way your asthat will help investor’s uncertainty is sets are diversified, it is clients identify a result of personal important that your their investment changes that are not necportfolio be rebalanced essarily connected to the to place it in line with objectives.” performance of the maryour investment plan. ket. Ask yourself the relReview your asset allocaevant questions: Has your time hotion strategy to determine if it still rizon changed; are you looking to meets your investment goals and withdraw funds sooner? Have your your risk tolerance. needs changed? Have your family circumstances changed? It is essenA good advisor will develop a stratial to have an investment plan that tegic and tactical asset allocation has been built to meet your indifor you and then implement the vidual needs. plan by utilizing asset management firms who have a specific focus in Look for a Financial Advisor who each market segment. These asset has a thorough process that will managers manage the assets of our help clients identify their investnation’s largest corporations and ment objectives. By understanding endowments. They have long-term and responding to a client’s inditrack records and have developed vidual circumstances should be at critical discipline to manage assets the foundation of your financial in both strong and weak markets. professional’s investment process and philosophy.

In this period of uncertainty, investors should not put their goals on Reassess Risk hold. Look for a Financial Advisor Another critical evaluation investors that will help you review your portshould consider, is how your portfolio if you feel changes might be folio is positioned on a risk basis. appropriate.

Based on recent events, has your Jodee Harris-Anke has a BA from Seton tolerance for risk changed? Do you Hill and MA from Duquesne and is a feel more conservative, and less willregistered investment advisor who is ing to endure market fluctuations? series 7, 6, and 31 licensed in PA, MD, WV, and FL. She is also licensed for Life, How does that balance with the Health and Auto Insurances.

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 5

DERRY REMEMBRANCES Ruth Richardson

Valentines Magic, 1962 Ahhh...the gymnasium at Derry B school, it might leave the gym by the side door, head up the ramp and my teeth were chattering. I’d like to think it make you think of high top sneakers, wrestling past the music room (it was a separate little buildwas from the frigid night air, but it was more likely mats, and basketball games. If you’re a girl, you ing to the right of the school) and stroll downfrom nerves. may recall those stylish blue town. We had an hour for The gym was strangely dim without the midday one piece gym suits that lunch and the business dissunshine. The bleachers next to the door were were so flattering, my first trict was only two blocks pulled out and I could see my girlfriends sitting one had bloomer legs. You away. We could go to the 5 there giggling and trying to look sophisticated. could buy them on the sec& 10 and browse the 45 As I made my way toward them, I noticed couples ond floor at Troutmans in records and see the list of the dancing, just like at lunchtime, but everything Latrobe, and Mrs. top ten songs for the week. felt so different. The boys stood by the door and Carbonara made us embroiThe list was posted by the acted like we were invisible. When we heard the der our names on the left cash register and the stacks piano chords and luscious strings from the first pocket. We wore them as we of records were for sale unnotes of “Theme From a Summer Place” by Percy exercised to the “Go Chicken der it on a rack counting Faith, the boys decided to move in our direction.

Fat” song. Memorable as down from the tenth to the We had all seen “A Summer Place” at the Gem these recollections are, they number 1 hit. If you had exTheater, and it had left a big impression on us. I are not what I think of first. tra money, you could stop at personally still have a crush on Troy Donahue.

What flashes to my mind is Murray’s Restaurant for a No one wore a cardigan sweater like that boy. This the clang of the lunch bell quick hamburger. Usually was the type of song that just begged to be slowand wolfing down my sandour whole group would walk danced to, and dance we did, there in that shadwich so my friends and I to Betts’s store at the end of owy and romantic setting. After our partners could run down to the gym South Chestnut Street for a walked us from the dance floor, we would meet for the lunchtime dances. snack. Mine was usually a in the girls locker room to exchange gossip about After a brief stop for a Sky bottle of Pepsi and 10 cent who was dancing with whom, to fix our hair and Bar or some Necco Wafers at bag of Brownie’s potato to touch-up our lipstick. I had brought along four the Student Council Store in chips. The store was built or five of the tiny little sample tubes the Avon the hallway, we would haul right over McGee’s run and Ruthie and Dad before a jr. high dance. lady had left with my mom for all of us to try out. out the big hi fi, add a stack had a little bridge/porch After I checked to make sure the kick pleat on my of 45’s and jitterbug until the where we would hang out straight skirt was in place, we made our way back bell rang. I remember racing down the back stairs, and watch the stream cascade from under the to the dance floor. My black cha-cha boots with entering the girl’s locker room and hearing the building. There were always kids walking around the little chain on the side were ready to lay down strains of “Duke of Earl” drifting from the gym. town at lunchtime, and as far as I knew, we all made some fancy steps. I grabbed the hand of my faEveryone gathered in front of the bleachers at it back for class every day. In winter, we mostly just vorite jitterbug partner, Annie Craver, and we pracnoon, laughing, talking and dancing. We would went down to the gym at lunchtime and danced. ticed all the moves we had all bring our records from home to share. That’s Come February, the Stulearned while watching why on all the 45’s you find at the flea market dent Council decided to American Bandstand every today, you will see a name written on the label. It have a Valentine’s Day day after school. was for sorting them out afterwards. One of our Dance. I had never been to classmates, Jack Meloy, had all the best records.

It was a magical evening. a nightime dance before, so He also loved to be the DJ at our parties. Jack Our plain old gym was the this was big news.

We decowent on to have an illustrious career at WDVE. perfect elegant ballroom, rated the gym with cut out He knew, way back in 1962, what he wanted to and the music was achingly snowflakes and hearts. do with his life. beautiful. The boys were so When the big night came, handsome, our own Troy As we paired up for the slow numbers, my steady, my dad dropped me off at Donahues and Fabians, Tank Caviggia, would lead me to the center of the the front of the school. As I and the girls...we were the basketball court and we would dance to “Over walked that familiar side stars of the movie, we were the Mountain” by Johnnie and Joe as it echoed walkway, nothing felt famileach Sandra Dee. It was all through the cavernous gymnasium. It was not iar. It was after dark and we Derry B photo courtesy of Derry Historical Society. so new and wonderful and very romantic, but what did we know about rowere at school. There were fleeting. We were too young, mance? We were in eighth grade, the sun was kids standing outside waiton that long ago night, to know just how fleeting, streaming through those high windows of the gym, ing to get in. I could see their breath as they and how precious those moments were. The broand there was the faint scent of ‘locker room’ in laughed and gabbed in the cold, their hands ken hearts were yet to come. The life lessons that the air. We just wanted to dance. tucked into pockets and their collars turned up. have made us such staid and steady grownups, The gym door was open, and I could faintly hear When the weather was nice, we were allowed to the music playing inside. My stomach was jittery continued on page 11 6 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

Northwest Airlines Announces New Nonstop Service Between Latrobe and Detroit: Three Daily Flights Begin April 4, 2005 Northwest Airlines has announced new nonstop service between Latrobe and its hub at Detroit. Three daily flights will be offered beginning April 4, 2005, restoring scheduled commercial air service to the town.

“I am very pleased to welcome Northwest Airlines to Arnold Palmer Regional,” added Gene Lakin, executive director of the Westmoreland County Airport Authority. “This new service will establish excellent connections for our leisure and business travelers and will provide worldwide access to Westmoreland County.”

“The establishment of this new commercial service with Northwest Airlines is a historic step for the Westmoreland County Airport Authority and almost certainly will be a boom to the community and western Pennsylvania,” added Arnold Palmer, the professional golfer originally from Latrobe who serves on the airport authority board. “It’s something that our officials have been working very hard to put together for many months and today’s exciting announcement signals a rebirth of world-class passenger service at our outstanding airport.”

Including Latrobe, Northwest has announced or has

begun service to 12 new destinations from Detroit this year, bringing to 157 the number of destinations served from Northwest’s WorldGateway hub. In all, Northwest and its Northwest Airlink partners serve 225 cities in North America and the Caribbean, Europe and Asia, with service to 49 US states and the District of Columbia.

The flights are now open for sale at www.nwa.com, through travel agencies or Northwest Airlines Reservations at 1-800225-2525.

2nd Pennsylvania Bird Atlas Basics In the Holiday issue of The Laurel Mountain Post, we read about the 2nd Pennsylvania Breeding Bird Atlas (2nd PBBA), a statewide conservation project headquartered in the Laurel Highlands.

The 2nd PBBA is organized into 57 geographical regions which are further subdivided into 4,937

identification, good birding spots, etc. To become a participant in the 2nd PBBA, atlassers can register at any time during the next four years by logging on to our popular website, www.pabirdatlas.org, and clicking “register.” The online handbook, appendices, and other atlas materials can be accessed, printed, and kept for reference. Those who have no internet access can call the Atlas headquarters at Powdermill Nature Reserve (724.593.6022) where the staff can provide answers to your questions, register you as a volunteer, and mail printed materials to you.

The 2nd PBBA is organized into 57 geographical regions which are further subdivided into 4,937 “blocks” across the state.

“blocks” across the state. Each Region corresponds exactly to a page in the DeLorme Pennsylvania Atlas and Gazetteer and each is headed by a Regional Coordinator who volunteers his or her time as the local birding expert. In this way, coordination of the massive project is manageable.

Our local Laurel Highlands area crosses several regional boundaries (the map shows how regions relate to county boundaries). If you are a resident of Latrobe, for example, your Region is 72, which is coordinated by retired biology teacher Dick Byers of Stahlstown. Dick’s job is to be available to area atlassers for guidance, advice, answers on species

arrivals of Pennsylvania’s nearly 200 breeding bird species. Many local bird clubs offer interesting programs all year round to help familiarize birders of all skill levels with the intricacies of birding. Attending these programs is a wonderful way to meet other birders who are knowledgeable, friendly, and eager to take a novice under their wing!

Everyone is encouraged to take part in Monitoring Pennsylavian Biodiversity which combines the fun of bird watching with the important goal of conserving birds and the Pennsylvania habitats they depend upon.

For this project, we’ve coined the term “atlassing” to include all the activities associated with observing, identifying, and recording data on birds that display behaviors associated with breeding. These observations can be coded by referring to the Atlas handbook which defines each behavior as well as the safe dates and habitats in which you can expect to observe the behaviors.

What can be done during the winter months to participate in the 2nd PBBA? Take a winter hike! Scout around your atlassing area and look for used nests, cavities in trees, or interesting habitats which may not be obvious when trees are in leaf. There are some species that actually have safe dates for breeding during January and February. These include the Great Horned Owl, Barred Owl, Rock Pigeon, and House Sparrow. Not long afterwards we can count common feeder birds like our resident woodpeckers, chickadees, Tufted Titmouse, and Northern Cardinal, whose breeding dates begin in March.

Winter is also a great time to brush up on your bird identification skills in preparation for the first spring

Barred Owl – Photo by Mike Lanzone.

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 7

FOCUS ON CHILDREN Nicole Vitale Smith, M.S.W.

A Child’s Self-Esteem . . . and Love If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.

If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.

If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.

If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.

Those inspirational words were written by Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D., an education professional.

The four sentences are only a portion of her classic poem ‘Children Learn What They Live.’ In our home office, I have the poem posted on the bulletin board. It serves as a reminder on how to interact with and raise your children. If you are interested in learning more about the author’s assertions and suggestions, she expands on each line of her poem in a book, Children Learn What They Live: Parenting to Inspire Values.

Self-esteem is a person’s self-worth. As a parent, you have a great influence on how your child feels about himself. You are his first and most important teacher. Building your child’s self-esteem is essential because it will shape how he acts towards others and help him to become a happy, lovable, capable, and productive adult. The characteristics of positive self-esteem are a sense of

connectedness, uniqueness, autonomy, and models. A supportive home environment provides the seeds necessary for such positive feelings, consider: giving your children a strong sense of belonging to their family, making them aware of their family’s heritage while starting/continuing unique traditions, providing a safe and secure learning environment, and helping your children develop personal pride and respect. Always encourage, challenge, and trust them.

To help strengthen your child’s confidence, show him how much you care by spending time with him. Tell him that he means the world to you.

Listen to him. Be consistent, set limits, teach him how to problem-solve. Provide a broad range of experiences and challenges, and help him set reasonable and achievable goals. Support his decisions. Children can never receive too much praise. Instead of constantly saying “Good Job”, be specific about what you like or observe. For example, “You stayed in the lines really well, and the colors you used are beautiful.” Or, “Thanks for sharing, you are a good friend.” Try the following words and expressions: • • • • • • • •

Wow Super Neat Excellent Terrific Magnificent Bravo Marvelous

• • • • • • • •

I’m proud of you You’re important You brighten my day You’re precious Hip,Hip Hooray You’re unique What an imagination I knew you could do it

Your child’s social and emotional well-being is equally as critical as his physical, speech, and cognitive skills. To understand more about this significant area of development, I recommend the book Self-Esteem: The Key to Your Child’s WellBeing by researchers in the field, Harris Clemes and Reynold Bean. As you continue with the most difficult and amazing job as a parent, remember that you have the incredible task of helping to build your child’s self-esteem.

Love them unconditionally!

“To help strengthen your child’s confidence, show him how much you care by spending time with him.”

8 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

Nicole is a 1988 Derry Area High School graduate. She attended the University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 1992 with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work. She received her Master of Social Work degree in 1997 from Temple University.

She has worked in the following areas: Early Intervention (developmental disabilities), Adolescent Mental Health, Hospice, and Youth Work (England). Currently, Nicole is taking a break from her career as a Licensed Social Worker to be a fulltime mom to her two boys, ages 4 1/2 and 2 years old.

What is Love?

With Valentine’s Day approaching, I thought it would be cute to ask that question to my four and a half year old son! I also enlisted the help of my friends to ask their children too (they are the same age)!

We received the following responses . . .

Christina “When you like someone and you hug them and you like them forever.”

Riley “When you fall in love and get married.”

Tyler “You like what they do and that you like their love.”

Austin “L-O-V-E”…..I said “yes Austin that’s how you spell love, but what is love?” He gave me this puzzled look! I then said, “How would you describe love?” He replied, “Mom, why are you asking these hard questions!?”

Cute, huh?! I believe Austin was correct, that it is difficult to describe love, especially the love you feel for your children.

It is profound joy. And, the most wonderful words to hear from your child are, “I love you too.”

My two-year-old makes my heart smile when he tells me “I love you soooo much Mommy!”

On February 14, give your little ones an extra kiss and let them know how special they are!

THE GARDEN GUYS Jim & Joe Prengaman

Plan Then Plant There is little for two landscapers to do this time of year except run the Christmas tree through the shredder and toss the Poinsettias on the top of the compost pile. Spring may not be right around the corner, but the plant catalogs are already filling our mailboxes. They offer many of us the opportunity to learn about all of the new hybrids offered this year, and give us plenty of time to plan our new bed designs.

types that have been bred over the past several years by the seed breeders.

Often we get in a rut when planting our annual flowers. The Impatiens we planted for the last several years have done well and will continue to do so, but they lack any imagination. If you are looking to excite new interest in your garden and are looking to take some of the risk out of trying new plants look into some new flowers from the AllWe have found that bed preparation is often overAmerica Selections. They are a national associalooked in the design of a new flowerbed. It is just tion of the horticulture industry, which grows new as important as what you selections of plants from plant, and can save time all over North America. and effort through the They only accept selecseason. Because many of tions that are an improveour customers do not ment from the original have the time to spend variety. Some of the weeding, watering and specifications they look fertilizing, our beds are for include drought and designed with this in disease resistance, varied mind. We normally becolorization, and habit. gin with adding screened Habit may include, a topsoil if the existing soil plant being more compact is marginal. Heavy clay or now being trailing insoils are common in new stead of upright. Most of developments and are the plants we can use this unsuitable for growing season have gone most garden plants. through a trial process at “Bed preparation is often overlooked in Weeding, the bane of one of the land-grant unithe design of a new flowerbed. It is just most gardeners, can be versities. Penn State has as important as what you plant, and can almost eliminated by the the closest example of save time and effort through the season.” use of a pre-emergent this process in their trial herbicide. A granular gardens. They are open time release fertilizer deto the public, and you signed to promote flowering should be incorporated may be able to find the unique specimens you have into the soil. Beds can be topped with 2-3 inches of been searching for. organic or mushroom compost. This helps to retain moisture and adds a rich dark color to conThree of the winners for 2005 were a new zinnia, trast to the colorful flowers. This can be done just gaillardia, and vinca. Each possess the qualities of before planting and will save time throughout the the older varieties, but have several new improveSummer. ments. The Magellan Coral zinnia has been improved with double blooms 4-6 inches across. The Anyone planning on growing their own plants from new blooms will cover the old eliminating the need seed needs to be aware of the time it takes to profor dead-heading. Gaillardia, originally a native duce a quality plant that will thrive when placed in south-western plains plant, has been hybridized to flowerbeds and planters. If not enough time is alproduce the new variety Arizona Sun. The plants lowed during propagation the root systems may not produce large blooms 2-3 inches across with red develop properly to support the plant during transcenters and yellow tips. It grows in a more complant. If they are allowed to grow too long before pact manner than earlier varieties and is commonly they are transplanted, the plants will become tall referred to as blanket flower. While many of us and leggy with the tendency to lie on the soil when love to plant and enjoy flowers some people may planted. While growing your annuals from seed not be as attentive to watering their plants. First can be both rewarding and exciting, most of us do Kiss Blueberry, a vinca, is extremely drought tolernot have the available space and time to research ant and will thrive near concrete and in arid soils. different varieties and produce quality plants. LuckIt is also very close to being a true blue color, which ily for us most growers have already begun their is often lacking in our flower color scheme. seasons and are looking to produce and sell not only the tried and true varieties, but also the newer When planting your seasonal beds don’t overlook

plants that are more non-traditional. Perennials that do not remain hardy in our zone, (5-6) should also be considered when you are looking for unique specimens in annual plantings. Some will not be available in our local nurseries and garden centers, but you can order them from catalogs and online. Unusual tropical plants such as Palmettos, Banana trees and colorful grasses work well around pool areas. They keep these areas looking lush and tropical and are much more appealing when compared to artificial plants. Some may be able to be moved indoors to survive during the cold winter months if they are in planters. If you want to enjoy a greater variety of garden plants continue to look for ones that thrive in zones higher than ours. Many nurseries and garden centers are beginning to sell Pansy and Viola in early spring because they can survive a heavy frost. Planting them when the ground has just thawed will give you a jump on the season.

When you are outside shoveling snow or going to the mailbox this winter, take a moment to look around. Try to determine where you would like to see more color or some new plants. Visit your local garden center or talk to your landscaper to design a new plan for a new year.

Spring is right around the corner . . .

Jim and Joe Prengaman are both graduates of Derry Area High School’s Horticulture program. Jim received an AAS in Greenhouse Production from the Ohio State University and then went on to receive a BS in Horticulture from the Pennsylvania State University. Joe received a BA from the University of Pittsburgh in Secondary Education. They had worked together in both greenhouse producton and landscape and nursery production for different companies before founding Prengaman Landscape Contracting in 1993.

Planting pansies early will give you a jump on the spring season.

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 9

THE LIGONIER CHEF Scott Sinemus

The Sweetest Thing About Winter – Maple Syrup!

I hope this finds everyone well rested and back on track after the holidays.

Even though we didn’t get a dusting of snow until the day after Christmas, it was a wonderful season for us. I was tempted to write about Chocolate for this issue with Valentines Day coming up. Really though, what more could I say about it that hasn’t been written, except maybe, can you really trust people that don’t like chocolate?

What sweet then could I recommend for your sweet … how about Maple Sugar Candy? Perhaps the February

Pennsylvania Maple FFestival estival April 2, 3, 6-10 Meyersdale, PA 814-634-0213 www.pamaplefestival.com

holiday I should mention is Presidents Day, since maple syrup is one of the few truly American Foods. The Native Americans used hot rocks to evaporate the water in sap to make syrup. That part of the process has changed of course, but the rest still remains essentially the same. Some of the maple groves use plastic tubing instead of keelers (buckets) to run sap into a central gathering tank, where it can be collected in tank trucks for transport to the sugar house.

Which not only saves time, but also saves any spills of the precious sap that are inevitable when using keelers.

I must say I am incredibly disappointed with how many people I’ve met who have never tried genuine pure maple syrup. How can you understand what the artificial-corn-syrupswill is trying to emulate if you’ve never had the pleasure of the real thing? True it is a pricey product; the process of making it alone is the reason for that. It takes 40-50 gallons of sap to make one gallon of maple syrup! The trees have to be tapped, sap collected, transported to the ‘sugar house’ where it will slowly be evaporated and filtered into the glis10 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

tening nectar that makes breakfast a meal worth waking up for.

We’re very lucky to be so close to Somerset County, the Commonwealth’s largest producer of maple products. And perhaps nowhere else is this more celebrated than in Meyersdale, PA. They have been hosting the Pennsylvania Maple Festival for 58 years this year! When it started the crowd was around 1500, today it’s over 10, 000!

I spoke with Director Shawn Buterbaugh recently. The dates for this year’s festival are April 2 & 3 and the 6, 7, 8, 9, & 10th. There are demonstrations, entertainment, Car shows, horse pulling contest, quilt shows, The Maple Run 5k, Maple Queen Contest, parade, the Maple Festival Fair, plus many other activities. If you would like more information regarding the festival, or perhaps to volunteer, check out the festival website: www.pamaplefestival.com or by phone 814.634.0213. With so much work to be done in all areas, volunteers are always appreciated.

And not just for the festival dates, but in the weeks leading up to the festival as well. What better way to really see how it happens than to volunteer?

Maple Glazed PPork ork TTenderloin enderloin 8 oz Pure Maple Syrup 2 oz ketchup ¼ t. Thyme leaves ¼ t. fresh ground pepper 1 package Pork tenderloins

1 oz Dijon Mustard 1 oz vegetable oil ¼ t. Marjoram leaves dash of Cayenne pepper 1 cup chicken stock

Mix all ingredients (except chicken stock) together until combined. Then place trimmed pork tenderloin in mixture to marinate over night. (Do this in a sealed plastic bag, and move it around a couple of times when you’re in the fridge for an evening snack).

Remove as much of the marinate from the pork as you can~ keep the marinate, it is now going to become your glaze.

Using a very hot heavy bottomed skillet sear the tenderloin on all sides, then place it on wire rack over a sheet of foil on a sheet pan. Deglaze the skillet with the chicken stock and add the marinate to the skillet, heat just until all the fond is off the bottom of the skillet, and the liquid is simmering. Pour into bowl. Brush the pork with this glaze and put in a 350 degree oven, basting often until the internal temperature of the pork is 160 degrees. Allow to rest a few minutes, slice, serve & enjoy.

Grocery stores usually have a small bottle of Pure Maple Syrup available, but why not take a ride over to Meyersdale when spring is finally here, and pick up a jug of pure Pennsylvania made Maple Syrup. It’s great to have on hand for a myriad of cooking uses: use instead of sugar in an apple pie or cobbler, glazing ham, turkey & pork, sprucing up squash or sweet potatoes, delicious addition to ice cream, milkshakes and eggnog, instead of just topping your pancakes & waffles with it, drizzle it across plain old cornflakes. Use your imagination, but not the imitation. After all, what do you think the colonists were using to satisfy their sweet tooth?

Scott Sinemus is a Chef with a degree in Culinary Arts from the Pennsylvania Institute for Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh. He’s continued his education with classes from the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and The Greenbrier; and has travelled internationally in search of authentic cuisine. To schedule a private cooking class, visit www.The LigonierChef.com.

Sweeten the love with Maple Syrup.

READER RECIPES SMOKY SALMON SPREAD submitted by Donna Garrity, Boswell INGREDIENTS: 1 can Alaska Salmon (14.75 oz), 2 8-oz packages of cream cheese, 3 TBL lemon juice, 3 TBL heavy cream, 3-4 drops natural hickory liquid smoke flavoring, crackers or French bread rounds.

DIRECTIONS: Drain salmon; beat cream cheese with lemon juice and heavy cream until light and fluffy; beat in salmon; season with liquid hickory smoke to taste; chill several hours; serve with crackers or French bread rounds.

IMPOSSIBLE CHEESEBURGER PIE submitted by Maria Schultz, Acme INGREDIENTS: 1 pound ground beef, 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Bisquick or biscuit mix, 1 cup milk, 2 eggs.

DIRECTIONS: Brown meat, drain, then spread into 9-inch pie pan; sprinkle with cheddar cheese; mix together Bisquick, milk and eggs; cover meat and cheese with Bisquick mixture; bake at 3500 for 30-35 minutes or until done.

OPTIONS: garnish top with tomatoes; add onions or other vegetables; substitute ground beef with turkey, chicken, sausage or other meats.

POTATOES SUPREME submitted by Michelle Schultz, Derry INGREDIENTS: 2-pound bag of southern-style frozen hash brown potatoes, 1 stick of butter, 1 tsp salt, pepper to taste, 1 can cream of chicken soup, 2 cups grated cheddar cheese, 16 oz sour cream, corn flakes.

DIRECTIONS: Mix together all ingredients but cereal; Put in 9 x 13 pan; sprinkle crushed corn flakes on top; bake uncovered at 3500 for approximately 1 hour.

In Memor Memoryy of

MICHAEL CHARLES BREWER 19 Sep 1968 - 31 Jan 1984 Have you ever lost a child, Who was so very dear to you?

One you loved so very much, And miss him like we do?

Have you ever had a heartache, Or ever felt the pain, Or ever shed those bitter tears, That drop like falling rain?

If you’ve never had that feeling, We pray you never do, For when God takes your loved one home, He takes a part of you.

Deeply loved and missed by Parents Walt & Mary Brewer Sister Ricki Lyn Prohaska & family Brother Jim Brewer & family “Valentines” continued from page 6

Want to Celebrate A Special Occasion with an Ad in the Laurel Mountain PPost? ost?

Celebration Ads are available in three sizes to commemorate anniversaries, bithdays and other important events in your family. Use this form and send us a non-returnable photo and text! ____ ____ ____

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Birthday Wedding/Anniversary Memorial Graduation Other: __________________________________

RETURN WITH PAYMENT TO: Editor, Laurel Mountain Post c/o biffBOOcommunication P.O. Box 227 Latrobe, PA 15650

were yet to be learned. For just that evening, and for the very first time, we could be swept away on a frosty winter night, slow dancing in the dark to the simple lyrics of a 60’s love song . . .

“Into each dark and starry night, Oh what a mystery, that’s sealed so tight, Over the Mountain, a girl waits for me.”

What were some of the top 10 songs for 1962? Turn to page 14 for the answer.

Ruth (Parrish) Richardson has been a Derry resident her entire life and is a graduate of Derry Area High School.

Passionate about maintaining the values and traditions of small town America, she has been an active voice in Derry, including Derry Board of Recreation (DAPP), and the PAL program within Derry school system.Write to Ruth at ruthelaine@LaurelMountainPost.com.

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 11

HOW TO EAT Jim Brewer, RD, LDN, CNSD, CNIS

Wrap Up the Facts About the Low-Carb Craze I had two questions that came up most often over the past months. The first question is easy.

What do those letters behind your name stand for?

RD = Registered Dietitian. Requires a four-year degree, and 900 hours of clinical practice, providing nutrition care within a hospital setting.

LDN = Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist. Licensed by the state of Pennsylvania to provide nutrition advice and interventions. This credential legitimizes those of us that have a four-year degree and are actually professional nutritionists. Many people call themselves nutritionists/dietitians, but without this credential cannot offer nutrition advice legally using these terms.

CNSD = Certified Nutrition Support Dietitian. Requires 2 years working as a clinical nutritionist and certifies that I am qualified to provide assistance to physicians in feeding patients who are unable to take food by mouth. Basically, I specialize in feeding people who require nutrition through a tube into the GI tract or through an I.V.(intravenous) line. This is referred to as parenteral nutrition; feeding into veins/ arteries.

CNIS = Certified Nutrition Injury Specialist. This certification requires a year-long residency working with patients who have symptoms of nutritional deficiencies. Training emphasizes identifying physical signs of malnutrition. You’re nutritionally injured if you have a wound caused by not getting enough of a particular vitamin/mineral or getting too much of a particular vitamin/mineral. The best example of this is Scurvy or Vitamin C deficiency.

I’m trained to identify hair growth and skin changes that take place when you don’t get enough Vitamin C. Many other vitamins and minerals can cause these types of changes if deficient or in excess.

What foods have carbohydrates, and should I decrease carbs in my diet?

There has been a lot said about carbs and low carbohydrate diets lately. I admit that I am not a fan of the low carb craze and have my opinions on this concept. When these diets first came out Dr. Atkins developed his theories with little or no research to prove that there was any benefit, short term or long term. The research coming forth now is not giving much weight to his theories but is giving more weight to his followers. Unfortunately the marketing mania is in full swing, and no matter what the research is finding, people are still paying millions on low carb products everyday.

12 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

But before I get too far from the question, I do agree that many of us consume an excess of calories in the form of carbohydrates. Foods like pizza, pasta, and cookies have loads of sugar (carbs), and it makes sense that if we want to improve our diets we should cut back on these kinds of foods. Notice I said cut back, not eliminate.

What does a carbohydrate look like? Walk into your kitchen, look in the sugar bowl and voila! Those pesky carbs are looking right back at you. Check out the fridge: are they in milk? Yes! Juice? Yes! Even in that leftover pasta, rice or hoagie you’ve been saving for a special occasion. Blah! The only foods that do not have carbohydrates are pure fats, like butter and olive oil, and fresh beef, chicken, turkey, pork or fish. Unless that is, these foods are breaded – then all bets are off.

Don’t be frightened because carbs are in most of the foods we eat.

No matter what the advertisers say, carbohydrates are not bad for you and are not the primary cause of you being overweight.

lesterol levels for several months, but again they rise after the 5 or 6 month mark and become even higher than when you started the diet. Not much good news for the faithful. So please, eat some carbs already! We didn’t have much luck with the low fat craze. Obesity is moving on up to be the most serious health problem in the U.S. All those low fat products failed us, and most likely the low carb products will do the same.

My advice to you is this: Low carb diets, NO! A moderate diet with adequate carbs, protein and fat, with plenty of physical activity, YES!

It’s all about choice. It’s all about balance, and moderation. If you’re overweight, cutting back on high carbohydrate foods like donuts, pasta, and pizza makes sense.

But eliminating nutritious foods like milk, vegetables, and grains because they contain carbs is lacking in reason. If you’re like me, it’s not what we eat that makes us gain weight, it’s how much we choose to eat. Admittedly I choose to overeat my faWe need carbohydrates to live. vorite foods like spaghetti way too They are the primary fuel for our often. Portion control is the an“If you’re like me, it’s not brains and muscle tissue, and swer; having a high carb donut what we eat that makes definitely needed for those times or slice of pizza occasionally will us gain weight, it’s how when we have to use our bodies not cause obesity or diabetes, but much we choose to eat.” to get somewhere in a hurry. Even having these foods daily in large though our bodies can convert amounts will have its conseprotein or fat to carbohydrates quences. If you think you are eatthis process is very inefficient and ing too many carbs and/or have has side effects if maintained for any period of time. medical problems like diabetes, ask your doctor to Several of the newest studies coming out now rerefer you to a Registered Dietitian. They can tailor a veal what the low carb mania is really doing. That meal pattern with the appropriate level of carbs speis, besides making marketers lots of money on low cifically for you and/or your medical condition. carb products. For one thing, much of the initial weight lost on these diets is water and muscle. ReSince carbohydrates and low carb diets are such a member I said your body converts protein into carbs. hot topic, in the next issue we’ll discuss different Well, unfortunately, your body will preferentially types of carbs and how they affect your body. I’ll choose to break down formed proteins in your body provide a nice list of foods that can affect your blood first to convert to carbs rather than use all those sugar and those that don’t have as much effect. The grams of protein you’ve been eating. When I say benefit of knowing about Glycemic Index to follow . . . formed proteins I mean muscle. The protein you Jim is a1983 graduate of Derry Area High School with 10 years eat will be marked for storage for a later use. Guess experience in nutrition. He has a BS in Clinical Dietetics and Nuhow and where they get stored. If you guessed stored trition from the University of Pittsburgh and currently practices as as fat on your gut or butt you’re right. Also, the a clinical nutritionist. His specialties include physical nutrition assessment, nutrition support and renal nutrition. Send your nutrirebound weight gain after doing very well on these tion questions to Jim by writing PO Box 227, Latrobe PA 15650 or diets has been shown to be higher than those folks emailing editor@LaurelMountainPost.com. following a low fat diet. Oh, and one more thing just to cheer you up, low carb diets also lower cho-

LVW Gourmet Picnic Battles the Winter Blues It will be summer in February, complete with a picnic and a baseball star, at the Ligonier Valley Writers’ eleventh annual hot-dog fest on Friday, February 25, 2005. The social hour begins at 6 PM at Mountain View Inn on Route 30 east of Greensburg. The picnic at 7 PM features gourmet hot dogs, bratwurst, knockwurst, and various salads, with cookies for dessert.

Entertainment will be provided by the Society for Creative Anachronism. SCA members will provide a taste of the Middle Ages via song, poetry, weaponry, and a mock battle. Baseball legend Nellie Briles, now vice president of corporate projects for the Pittsburgh Pirates, will receive the coveted Hot Dogger of the Year Award in recognition of the vast quantities of hot

dogs sold at Pirate games.

Tickets are available from any Ligonier Valley Writers member, the Ligonier Chamber of Commerce, the Ligonier News Stand, and Second Chapter Books for a contribution of $25 each for adults and $12.50 for children under 18. The picnic is a fundraiser for LVW’s literary magazine, the Loyalhanna Review. So lose your winter blues and join the Ligonier Valley Writers for this gourmet picnic to support the development of writing and publishing in our region.

Adelphoi USA is proud to have Le Nature’s join us as a Title Sponsor this year. LeNatures, located in Latrobe, is a developer, producer

724-537-9700 “You’re Going To Like The Way We Do Business”

Karaoke Conte st Every Wed Night t hru Marc h 2

The general public is welcome. Deadline for reserving tickets is February 18. For more information, call Joanne McGough, event chair, at (724) 238-0368, or visit the website, www.ligoniervalleywriters.org.

Le Nature’s Mid-Winter Tennis Classic Set Le Nature’s is the Title Sponsor for the Mid-Winter Tennis Classic to be held on Friday, February 4, Saturday, February 5, and Sunday, February 6, 2005 at the Greensburg Racquet Club. This is the 8th annual tennis tournament fundraiser for Adelphoi USA and will feature men’s, women’s, and mixed doubles tournaments in four levels of NTRP play. The open divisions are USTA sanctioned. This popular event is the largest charitable tennis tournament in Western Pennsylvania. A “Serve-It-Up” party on Friday evening will kick the event off as participants gather for the first rounds of play.

Finals will be played on Sunday, February 6.

Route 30 East Latrobe, PA 15650

VA LE N T I N E S DA Y SP E CI AL DAY SPE CIA

Join your sweetheart for dinner!

Reservations Required A limited special menu will be available

724 -694 -0477

645 Route 217 Latrobe PA 15650

and marketer of all-natural premium fully-pasteurized beverages.

Platinum Sponsors for the event are Amerikohl Mining, Inc., Comcast, Greensburg Racquet Club, Overly Manufacturing Company, Rusbosin Furniture & Carpet and Three Rivers Ortho Products, Inc. Gold Sponsors include Levi Strauss Foundation, Mohawk Industries, Quatrini Rafferty Galloway P.C., Rampart Security Systems and Smail Automotive.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Homes Build Hope, a service of Adelphoi USA, as a means to help homeless and low-income families in Westmoreland County.

For registration information please call Sue at 724-424-3518 (ext. 1) or e-mail suew@adelphoivillage.org

Deadline for advertising in the Spring 2005 issue of the Laurel Mountain Post is March 15 15!

Don’t let the name scare you.

This is truly luxurious knitwear that has to be experienced.

Who do you think settled New Zealand anyway?

MASTROROCCO’S MARKET CELEBRATING 95 YEARS Founded in 1910 by Sam Mastrorocco, Mastrorocco’s Market has been serving the Derry area at the same location (133 E. First Ave.) with friendly, hometown customer service. Still a family-run business headed by great-grandson Vince Mastrorocco, they provide a full-service grocery store (including bakery, deli, meat, and produce) and offer a small delivery service to their customers. Stop in today for your grocery needs as well as money orders, faxes, and copies – or to purchase that winning lottery ticket!

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 13

WHAT MATTERS What really matters about a person?

Is it their looks, or their size?

No, it’s what’s on the inside that matters Black or white It doesn’t matter, but what’s on the inside Athletic or lazy, skinny or fat; Nothing matters but what’s on the inside.

College graduate or high school drop out Don’t look at what a person looks like or what they’ve achieved in their lives Because the only thing that matters is what’s on the inside…

Their personality

Emily Prohaska 10th grade, Derry Area Senior High School

WINTER 2005 COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Unable to go out and volunteer, Florence Eupizi of Latrobe, a longtime member of the American Legion, still wanted to do something for the veterans at home.

When her husband became ill seven years ago, Florence began knitting caps for hospitalized veterans.

Word of her generosity soon spread, and Florence was contacted by the Ligonier Knitting Guild about donating her knit caps for Project Bundle Up via the Salvation Army. Joined by her daughter, Mary Ferguson, the pair donate nearly 300 caps a year to the project, and continue to knit 300 for hospitalized veterans through the Latrobe American Legion Auxiliary.

Donations of yarn for this labor of love are welcome at Latrobe Glass & Mirror, located at 4915 Route 982 in Latrobe (724-539-2431).

The Top 10 Songs for 1962 1. Roses are Red - Bobby Vinton 2. I Can’t Stop Loving You - Ray Charles 3. The Twist - Chubby Checker 4. Stranger On The Shore - Mr. Acker Bilk 5. The Stripper - David Rose 6. Johnny Angel - Shelley Farbares 7. The Loco-Motion - Little Eva 8. Breaking Up Is Hard To Do - Neil Sedaka 9. Mashed Potato Time - Dee Dee Sharp 10. Soldier Boy - Shirelles

Karaoke Contest Gooch’s Restaurant & 724-694-0477

WTAE TV Winterfest Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion 814-352-7777

Feb 23

Jan 29-Feb 26

Young Artist Drawing Class Latrobe Art Center, Latrobe; Saturdays 10AM-12Noon 724-537-7011

Feb 24-March 31 Stained Glass Class Latrobe Art Center. L 724-537-7011

Jan 31-March 31 Exhibition; Photography of Michelle Lenhart Latrobe Art Center, Latrobe; 724-537-7011

Feb 25

Big Band Dance Mountain View Inn, G

Feb 1

District Spelling Bee Ligonier Valley Middle School, 6:30 PM

Feb 25

Feb 1-April12

Free Tax Preparation Service for Seniors Every Tuesday, by appt only Latrobe Senior Center, Avenue C, Latrobe Joan, 724-539-0237

Ligonier Valley Writ Mountain View Inn, G Joanne McGough, 72

Feb 25

The Clarks Palace Theater, Green

Feb 26

Red and the Raiders Gooch’s Restaurant & 724-694-0477

Feb 26

Aaron Carter Palace Theater, Green

Feb 27-April

Man-Made Quilts Ex Westmoreland Museu 724-837-1500

Feb 28-April 18

Colored Pencil Draw Latrobe Art Center, L 724-537-7011

Feb 2- 23

Calligraphy for Beginners Class Latrobe Art Center, Latrobe;Wednesdays 630-830PM 724-537-7011

Feb 2

Karaoke Contest Gooch’s Restaurant & Lounge, Derry; 9PM-1AM 724-694-0477

Feb 3

America in Concert Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion, PA 814-352-7777

Feb 4-March 11

Basic Absolute Beginner Watercolor Class Latrobe Art Center, Latrobe; Fridays 1-3PM 724-537-7011

Feb 4-6

Winterfest at Mystic Mountain Nemacolin Woodlands Resort and Spa, Farmington 724-329-8555

Feb 5

Opening Reception Light Writings, Photography of Michelle Lenhart Latrobe Art Center, Latrobe, 6PM-9PM; 724-537-7011

Feb 5

WPSC Kids Snowshoe Fun Race Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion; 814-352-7777

Feb 5

Mike Garris Pure Country Gooch’s Restaurant & Lounge; Derry; 9:30PM 724-694-0477

Feb 6

Ski Dummy Race Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion, 814-352-7777

Feb 9

Karaoke Contest Gooch’s Restaurant & Lounge, Derry; 9PM-1AM 724-694-0477

Feb 12

Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Classic Valentine Palace Theater, Greensburg; 8PM; 724-837-1850

Feb 14

Valentine’s Day Party All Seniors Invited, Free food, activities Latrobe Senior Center, Avenue C, Latrobe Joan, 724-539-0237

Feb 16

Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons Palace Theater, Greensburg; 8PM; 724-836-8000

Feb 16

Karaoke Contest Gooch’s Restaurant & Lounge, Derry; 9PM-1AM 724-694-0477

Feb 18-19

First Tracks on Gunnar-Benefit Race for non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and Glioblastoma Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion; 814-352-7777

Feb 19

The Show Gooch’s Restaurant & Lounge, Derry; 9:30PM; 724-694-0477

From Derry Remembrances, page 6

14 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

Greensburg Sings: I Palace Theater, Green

Jan 29-Feb 6

Printed in the Book: “Impressions of Youth”

By American Library of Poetry

A Labor of Love

Feb 19

Love the 70’s (Grand Finale) nsburg; 8PM; 724-836-8000

March 2

Karaoke Contest Finals Gooch’s Restaurant & Lounge, Derry; 9PM – 1AM 724-694-0477

& Lounge, Derry; 9PM-1AM

March 3,4

Ligonier Valley Jr. High Band Festival Ligonier Valley HS Auditorium and Band Room

March 4,5

My Way: A Musical Tribute to Frank Sinatra Ligonier Theater; 8PM; 724-238-6514, ext. 3

March 4

Anything Goes Greensburg Salem High School, 8PM

March 5

Anything Goes Greensburg Salem High School, 2PM and 8PM

March 5

Going Pops with Mendelssohn Palace Theater, Greensburg; 8PM; 800-292-7222

Latrobe; Thursdays 6:30-9:30PM

Greensburg; 724-834-5300

ters 11th Annual Hot Dog Fest Greensburg; 6PM 24-238-0368

nsburg; 8PM; 724-836-8000

s & Lounge, Derry; 9:30PM

wing Class Latrobe; Mondays 630-930PM

Purchase & Repair of All Types of Remote Control Cars Specializing in Nitro-Powered Vehicles

By Appointment Only

724.331.8204 707 West First Avenue Derry, PA 15627

March 8-April 12 Drawing Latrobe Art Center, Latrobe; Tuesdays 1-3PM 724-537-7011 March 9

Red Cross Blood Drive Derry Area High School Auxillaiary Gym; 830AM-130PM 724-694-1405

March 9,10,11

42 Street Palace Theater, Greensburg; 8PM; 724-836-8000

March 10,11,12

West Side Story Derry High School; 7:30PM;724-694-1405

Mar11-12

Spring Musical Greater Latrobe SHS Auditorium; 7:30PM; 724-539-4236

March 12

42nd Street Palace Theater, Greensburg; 2PM and 8PM 724-836-8000

nsburg; 7:30PM; 724-836-8000

xhibition um of American Art

rc underground

nd

March 13

West Side Story Derry High School; 2PM; 724-694-1405

March 13

Cahal Dunne Palace Theater, Greensburg; 2PM; 724-836-8000

March 17

Foreign Language Honor Society Induction Ligonier Valley High School; 7PM

March 17

Westmoreland Jazz Society Presents: Donna Bailey Westmoreland Museum of American Art; 730PM 724-837-1500

March 18-20

Pittsburgh Arts & Crafts Spring Fever Festival Expo Center Behind Westmoreland Mall 10am-9pm Fri, Sat; 10am-6pm Sun; 724-863-6577

March 19

Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Portraits of Sound Palace Theater, Greensburg; 8PM; 724-837-1850

March 19

Red and the Raiders Gooch’s Restaurant & Lounge, Derry; 9:30PM 724-694-0477

March 22

1st and 2nd Grade Program Ligonier Valley Elementary School; 945AM-11AM

March 23

1st and 2nd Grade Program Ligonier Valley Elementary School; 2PM-340PM

March 23

1st and 2nd Grade Program Evening Performance Ligonier Valley Elementary School; 7-8PM

March 26

Shooters Gooch’s Restaurant & Lounge, Derry; 9:30PM 724-694-0477

“Relationships Built on Trust” Cheryl Krisfalusi 200 Weldon Street 724.539.2553

Dolan Vogle Route 30 East 724.539.8501

TO YOT A OF GREENSBURG . . . moving forward TOY OTA

Call Patsy Darazio

Sales Manager at Toyota of Greensburg Derry Area Senior High Class of 1987

800-324-1886 Located on Route 30 at Mt. View Commons

To add your community event to this calendar, please call 724-331-3936 or visit our website www.LaurelMountainPost.com LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 15

STUDENT ARTS SPOTLIGHT Derek Clawson – Derry Area High School

March 21, 2005 Happy 2nd Birthday

Owen Nicolas Smith We Love You! Mom, Dad, and Austin

Happy 1st Birthday Dylan Robert Szepesi February 3, 2005 Love, Dad

We are pleased to announce

Aidan Anderson Faikish December 15, 2004 9 lbs. 7 ozs. 21 inches Happy 2nd Birthday to Big Brother

Ryan Anderson Faikish February 5, 2005

Derek Clawson is a ninth grade student at Derry Area Senior High School. He is a

member of the Academic Quiz team. His favorite hobby is collecting comic books. This hobby led to his second favorite hobby of sketching real and comic characters. Derek wants to major in graphic arts in college.

The Laurel Mountain Post Student Arts Spotlight is a cooperative program for area high school writers and artists coordinated by Paula Forte, a reading teacher in the Derry Area School District.

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February 16, 2005 Happy Birthday to the Best Dad and Husband!

Love, Nicole, Austin and Owen.

The Ice Age Cometh: A Tour of Pennsylvania’s Pleistocene Features

by Heather Rogers Kline Winter is upon us. I look out my backdoor and know that eventually, I will see acres of glistening white blanketing the open field. I watch as a whitetail prances from one side of my land to the other searching for some nibble of food from the now barren garden. It is calm and peaceful here in the Pennsylvania woodlands. The winter’s cold brings to the mind of a geoscientist, such as myself, the Pennsylvania of the past, a land strikingly different from the one we know — Pennsylvania during the Pleistocene Epoch. Come along on an Ice Age tour of Pennsylvania.

Because the climate was cold… very, very cold, the animals that existed here were extraordinarily different. The beautiful deer shared the harsh cold landscape with elk, moose, sabre-tooth cats, mastodons and three-toed horses (the latter three became extinct at the end of the Ice Age). Other animals such as sloths and camels (yes, camels) also made Ice Age North America their home (Sevon and Fleeger, 1999). The streams and lakes in our state were populated by our state fish, the brook trout, sunfish and many other species that can still be found swimming in Pennsylvania’s waterways today.

While the Ice Age fauna (wildlife) is extremely interesting, the glaciers that descended upon Pennsylvania left a lasting imprint on the land that is both profound and significant. There were three different ice sheet advances that impacted the northern part of the state, especially, the northwest and northeast corners. We will start our tour of “glacier-ized” Pennsylvania in the westernmost part of Pennsylvania at Moraine State Park in Butler County.

Think of a glacier as a massive ice sheet, potentially as large as a continent, that literally bulldozes everything in its path. As it advances it pushes a massive amount of debris ahead of it and drags debris both underneath and along its sides until the glacier itself stops. Eventually, the glacier begins to retreat due to warming temperatures; like a bulldozer in reverse, and leaves in its wake a large deposit of wreckage known as till.

An end moraine (as in the title Moraine State Park) is a till deposit that represents the furthest advance of a glacier. These massive jumbles of boulders of varying compositions, soil, smaller rocks, clay and other fragmental material were once believed to have been deposited by Noah’s flood, due to their heterogeneous composition and seemingly miscellaneous state of deposit. We now know there have been at

least three glaciers that advanced as far as, or near, Moraine State Park. Next time you are in or around Butler County, feel free to stop by and enjoy the scenery at this beautiful park.

Traveling East the next stop is our beloved Three Rivers in Pittsburgh. The ice sheets never actually advanced as far South as Pittsburgh, but nonetheless, they left their mark. We are all familiar with the Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio Rivers. Many folks in our area delight in boating, fishing, water skiing, tubing and just generally enjoying them.

Most streams of Western Pennsylvania eventually drain into the Ohio River, which in turn drains into the Mississippi River. Prior to 770,000 years ago when the earliest glacier advanced into Western Pennsylvania, the waters of the Ohio and Allegheny Rivers used to flow northwest to Canada and into the St. Lawrence Seaway. The northwest flow of these streams, however, was interrupted by the southward advance of the ice sheets, causing the formation of glacial lakes. These lakes became so deep that they eventually overflowed causing a reversal in stream flow. As the water moved southwest, it carved its way through the bedrock creating watergaps and taking over existing stream channels. Other rivers such as the Kiskiminetas, Conemaugh and Youghiogheny have been affected by glaciation indirectly. Flat terraces along these rivers are the result of isostatic rebound. Isostatic

Hickory Run State Park in Carbon County. rebound is when the Earth’s crust, after having been compressed due to the weight of the glaciers, rebounds or rises in response to glacial retreat. This is similar to a seat cushion springing back to its normal shape after the person sitting on it has left.

Rebound caused the flat stream bottoms to rise, which in turn caused the stream channel to dig through the surrounding bedrock and form new stream channels. The old stream floors that were

stranded above the new stream paths are these flat terraces that can be seen throughout our region.

John A. Harper (1997) of the Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey has written a comprehensive article titled “Of Ice and Waters Flowing: The Formation of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers” in Pennsylvania Geology which details in greater length the geologic history of the Three Rivers.

On with the tour…Did you know that Pennsylvania has a Grand Canyon? We do, this National Natural Wonder is actually Pine Creek Gorge. It is located just south of Ansonia. The gorge is 1450 feet deep, nearly a mile wide and continues south from Ansonia for about 47 miles. Pine Creek, like the other streams in Pennsylvania, flowed north until about 20,000 years ago, when it encountered southward moving ice sheets. A lake formed near Ansonia. Eventually, like in the case of the Three Rivers, there was an overflow of glacial meltwater, which caused stream flow to reverse directions. This reverse flow carved the deep canyon that millions of people have marveled over for centuries.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) website (www.dcnr.state.pa.us), Native Americans used Pine Creek Gorge as a major travel route. The gorge provided more accessible passage through the heavily wooded terrain. Archaeologists have unearthed evidence of Native American campsites in the gorge. The area is abundant in wildlife, including bald eagles, which began nesting in the gorge in 1980, and river otters, which were reintroduced to the area in 1983. If you are interested in visiting the gorge, there are two state parks that you can visit. Leonard Harrison State Park and Colton Point State Park are on opposite sides of Pine Creek Gorge. Both have beautiful scenery, especially if you are interested in looking at fall foliage. Leonard Harrison State Park, however, may offer the best access to the gorge.

Continuing on our journey, we will travel east to Carbon County, in the foothills of the Pocono Mountains, where we find Hickory Run State Park. The boulder field at Hickory Run is a periglacial feature that is absolutely striking, if not amazing. A periglacial feature is something that displays an extreme imprint of a glacier, but did not have direct contact with ice.

These boulders were not deposited by a glacier, but continued on page 19 LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 17

TAKE IT ON FAITH Pastor Ron Durika

Sometimes We Forget How Much It Hurts After Christmas when all the decorations are put away and the singing of carols is no more, the world seems to be a different place. All the excitement and joy of the season is past, and what many are left with seems like a huge let down. Gone are many of the smiles and warm greetings. We now often face blank stares and what seems to be a cold indifference. It certainly doesn’t help that the weather is cold and damp, with sunny sky replaced by the dull gray of winter.

As a pastor, maybe I notice this change in people more than others do. It is most obvious to me when I visit a hospital or care home. There the patients or residents are likely to be found in a less than healthy state of mind. They seem to be more withdrawn and in need of someone to show them they are not forgotten or unloved.

This fall I experienced a feeling similar to theirs when I had major neck surgery. The day after this four hour operation, I was in my hospital room taking advantage of pain medication when I was told I was to be taken down to be x-rayed.

Two nurses came to help lift me out of the bed and into the wheel chair waiting to transport me.

As I was being wheeled out of my room, I told my wife that I would be right back.

I was wheeled down the hall, into an elevator, which took me to the ground floor and the x-ray area. I was then taken to a widened area of the hallway in which the people waiting to be x-rayed waited their turn to be called in. It seemed odd to be in a line of wheelchairs, especially when I noticed that I was the youngest one waiting there.

The line moved slowly, and I also noticed that I was beginning to feel some discomfort in my neck.

But it was just about my turn to be called in, so I thought I could hang on till I got back to my room.

When they took me into the room for my x-rays, they had me lie on a cold steel table for what seemed like an eternity. The coldness of the table easily penetrated the thin hospital gown I wore, and I felt my body growing tense. Pain was now really starting to set in, and I was thankful when the technician said I was about finished. Soon two nurses assisted me in getting into my wheelchair, and as I was pushed back into the hallway I was comforted by the thought that someone would soon be there to take me back to my room.

18 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

As I sat in the hall staring straight ahead, I could see what I believed was the ER waiting room. It didn’t do anything to raise my spirits as I watched people who were waiting in pain accompanied by friends or relatives very much concerned for them.

It struck me that some of the friends and relatives seemed to be in as much discomfort as the one waiting to see a doctor. This picture of people sitting almost helplessly as they waited their turns to be cared for wasn’t helping me in my discomfort.

head, and give a weak smile as he pushed the wheelchair towards the elevator. I don’t remember much of my trip back, except when I entered my room my wife asked where I had been and what was wrong. I told her I was in pain, and could she please call the nurse on duty to give me some more medication.

As I waited for the nurse to come, tears began to roll down both cheeks, and my wife tried to comfort me. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that the pain I was feeling wasn’t just a physical one from the operation, but profound pain that comes from deep in the heart when it seems like you are in need—but there is no one around to help or even care.

I was very happy when an attendant came walking down the hall, because I thought it meant that I would be going back to my room. I was anxious to get back to receive my pain medication, and to be with my wife, who would give me a sympathetic ear.

However I was very disappointed to see the attendant take the lady behind me and leave me there.

Another ten minutes passed and the pain in my neck was really starting to increase, I began to feel as if I had been forgotten. It now seems a strange thing to say, because many people surrounded me in that large hospital. But I was incapable of doing much by myself, and I was totally dependent on others to care for me. Fortunately a nurse did notice my discomfort and said she would make a call to get me back to my room.

“I couldn’t bring myself to tell her that the pain I was feeling wasn’t just a physical one from the operation, but profound pain that comes from deep in the heart when it seems like you are in need—but there is no one around to help or even care.”

Some more time passed by, and another attendant came, but once again it was not for me. Now two people who were x-rayed after me had been taken back to their rooms as I sat in pain in that hallway. Once again the nurse who had helped me earlier noticed I was still in the hallway, and said she would call for an attendant to get me right away. Her words did not bring as much hope as they had earlier, and I began to feel myself slipping into despair.

Finally a cheerful, elderly gentleman approached me and asked if I was ready to go back to my room. All I could do was nod my

It wasn’t long until my nurse came, got me into bed, and gave me medication that enabled me to rest and soon fall asleep.

When I awoke the next morning, the feelings that I had the night before were still fresh in my mind. I now felt much better physically, but I was almost ashamed for the way I had felt and the tears that I had shed.

As a pastor, I wondered why God had allowed me to experience all that the night before.

I then began to remember my visits to care homes and the condition in which I found many of the residents. It came to me that the feeling I had of being forgotten while being surrounded by people, was what they experience. The feeling of helplessness and despair can hurt as much as any physical problem. I also realized that the best cure for stopping that deep pain was not found in a pill, but in just being there to show you care.

I hope everyone who has someone they care for in a home takes time to stop in and spend even a few minutes with them whenever possible. I know I now am more sympathetic to their conditions. I also know that I will never forget the lesson I learned and will increase my visits to them.

Ron Durika is the pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in New Florence (corner of Fifth & Chestnut Streets, 724-235-2940).

Join them for worship every Sunday at 10:30am and Sunday School at 9:15am. Bible Study meets on the first and third Monday of each month at 7pm.

“The Ice Age Cometh” continued from page 17

Sister Bea Sends Spring Early Chairperson Appointed for American Cancer Society Daffodil Days 2005 Sister Bea Abril, SC, of Greensburg, has been appointed chairperson of the 32 nd annual American Cancer Society Daffodil Days in Westmoreland County. The fund-raiser, which is coming the week before spring, is expected to raise $74,000 locally and $4 million in the state of Pennsylvania.

This is the second year in a row that Sister Bea is coordinating activities for the sale of daffodils in Westmoreland County, having served as Chairperson of the 2004 Daffodil Days campaign. “Once again, I’m honored to be the chair of the Daffodil Days campaign for the Westmoreland Unit. Our goal of raising $74,000 this year will help bring us closer to the American Cancer Society’s mission of eliminating cancer as a major health problem,” she says.

Pricer, of Latrobe; Rose Overly, Dawn Ritter and Kim Wasil, of Mount Pleasant; and Susan Brooks and Brenda Johnson, of Scottdale.

The daffodil is the first flower of spring, and is the perennial American Cancer Society symbol of hope for cancer patients throughout the community. Advance orders are being accepted now through Friday, March 4, 2005; daffodils will be delivered Wednesday, March 16, 2005. A bouquet of 10 flowers is available for a donation of $7, and a “Spirit of Hope” arrangement of 10 daffodils in a green fluted vase is available for just $17. This year also marks the addition of “Daffodils R. Hope,” a special Boyds Bear designed exclusively for Daffodil Days that can be ordered as part of the bear and a bunch for a donation of $25.

To place an order, call the American Cancer Society office toll-free at 1.888.227.5445.

Cancer prevention is an extremely personal story for Sister Bea. Both she and her sister Proceeds raised from the annual Daffodil Days have survived ovarian cancer, while her campaign benefit the Society’s programs of mother and aunt have overcome breast cancancer research, education, advocacy and cer. As a volunlocal patient serteer for the vices. Donations American Cancer help support serSociety the past vices such as: four years, she transportation of has come to realpatients to treatize that other ment, assistance cancer patients, with wigs and survivors, and medical supplies, their families can school health benefit from her programs, early experiences. A detection pronative of Phoegrams and 24nix, Ariz., Sister hour access to Bea is a member cancer informaof the Sisters of tion via 1.800.

Charity of Seton ACS.2345 and Hill where she is www.cancer.org. active in many of her congreColorectal Cangation’s commitcer is preventable tees including through screenthe Formation ing.

Contact Sister Bea Abril, SC, chairperson of the 32nd annual American Board and Minisyour American Cancer Society Daffodil Days in Westmoreland County. try Planning. She Cancer Society works as a Care for more details.

Manager for the Westmoreland County Area The American Cancer Society provides inforAgency on Aging and holds a bachelor’s degree mation 24 hours a day, seven days a week in Social Work. through its National Cancer Information Center at 1.800.ACS.2345 and via the Web at Joining Sister Bea on the committee organizwww.cancer.org. Founded in 1913 and with ing this event are Vice Chairperson Ginny national headquarters in Atlanta, the Society Weinberg, of Greensburg; Judy Palicka, of has 14 regional Divisions and local offices in Darragh; Becky Bortz, Cheryl Flock, Shelley 3,400 communities, involving millions of volPolechko, Rebecca Roha and Susan Zellner, unteers across the United States. of Greensburg; Barb Bierbower and Gerry

rather were once solid bedrock. Glaciers advanced to within one mile of the area. The solid bedrock, over thousands of years, eventually broke apart due to freeze-thaw cycles associated with the nearby glaciers. Hickory Run is a good example of how the imprint of a glacier can be both beautiful and terrible at the same time. It is a National Natural Wonder and my favorite state park. I visit every year on my annual pilgrimage to see the NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Pocono Raceway.

Not far from Hickory Run State Park is Archibald Pothole State Park. “What is so special about a pothole?” you may be thinking. Well, this one is 45 feet deep and 16-20 feet wide! How would you like to hit that with the old minivan? Archibald Pothole was made by a concentration of sand and gravel swirling around in glacial meltwater. The sand and gravel acted like sandpaper and carved through the bedrock, leaving behind the giant chasm. The pothole was discovered in 1884 by a coal miner that was extending a mineshaft. There is another pothole, believed to be even bigger, within 1000 feet of Archibald Pothole, but it has not been excavated due to the excessive cost associated with such a project.

Commercially, Pennsylvania has benefited extremely well from the Ice Age. Aggregate (sand, gravel, crushed stone, etc) is mined extensively in Pennsylvania. In fact, we are second in this country (only to Texas) in terms of producing aggregate.

Eskers are long sinuous ridges of sand and gravel deposited by a stream that flows underneath and at the base of glaciers. The eskers, or ridges, are mined for the precious aggregate. Aggregate is essential in the construction of highways, railroad beds, wharves and airport runways (Barnes and Smith 2001). According to the book The Non-fuel Mineral Resources of Pennsylvania, in 1999 aggregate in all its forms brought over 653 million dollars of revenue to the state.

The Ice Age has left indelible imprints on the landscape of Pennsylvania, some trifling, others extreme.

Many of our state parks owe their very existence to the glaciers that blanketed Pennsylvania’s northern corners during the Pleistocene. There are many more exciting glacial features that can be found throughout our beautiful state. So what are you waiting for? EXPLORE! 1997. Harper, John A. Of Ice and Waters Flowing: The Formation of Pittsburgh’s Three Rivers. Pennsylvania Geology. vol 28, no 3 / 4. p. 2-8.

1999. Sevon, W.D. and Fleeger, Gary, M. Pennsylvania and the Ice Age. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Educational Series 6.

2001. Barnes, John H. and Smith, II, Robert, C. The Nonfuel Mineral Resources of Pennsylvania. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Educational Series 12. http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/leonardharrison.aspx http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/hickoryrun.aspx

Heather Rogers Kline lives near Creekside, PA (Indiana County) with her husband and four children. She is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Her academic endeavors include geology, anthropology and social studies education. She is currently a substitute teacher in the Marion Center Area School District.

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 19

SUSAN SAYS Susan McBroom

Just Charming At an early age my Mother instinctually instilled in me that “Charm” is the quality no woman wants to be without. Hence, the lasting appeal of the charm bracelet…a kind of rustling skirt.

The sound of my Mother’s charm bracelet jingling on her wrist always told me she was going someplace special. Before she left, she would hold out her wrist and let me play with the charms of my choice. I always played with the ones that moved. I opened the lid on the candy box, popped out the dog from the doghouse, or wiggled the jointed fish.

There was even a tiny pair of sunglasses with its own tiny case.

My Mother would make a lastminute check to see that I was snug in my jammies with a bedtime snack. Then she would give final instructions to the baby-sitter and disappear in a cloud of perfume and fur.

Even now, I can hear the fading sound of her bracelet as she clacked down the hallway off to what I imagined to be the Queen’s Castle.

and 1950’s. Soldiers often picked up charms from every city they visited during World War II and the fashion trend itself continued into times of peace.

Fifty years later charms remain a popular keepsake. Today, a growing trend is theme charm bracelets. Popular themes include travel, gardening, sun and stars and nautical.

Maybe your parents gave you one when you were growing up. Or maybe it was what your favorite aunt or next-door neighbor wore.

Whatever the attachment, charm bracelets are back. And they still make very memorable gifts. In fact, you will find tempting renditions all over, once you start looking. Jewelry and department stores are a standard starting point. You will be able to choose a link bracelet and add a representative charm or two that have meaning for the lucky recipient. But that is just the beginning. Other places to look include estate sales and museum shops.

Many beautiful theme bracelets are popping up in major museums across the country. Even top designers have cast a playful eye on charm bracelets and created incredible treasures.

Apart from the wedding band, it could be the most sentimentally valued jewelry on earth. A collection Many start collecting charms as “Charm bracelets are a of souvenirs strung together and acpre-teens. The most common scepowerful, enchanting quired over time, it dangles with renario is a mother giving her daughforce containing flections of girlhood dreams, rites ter a charm bracelet, either as a new memories in the form of of passage, adventure, transformagift or passing on a family heirloom personal history.” tive travel and true love. It charts bracelet. The daughter adds her anniversaries and births in sterling own charms representing her favorsilver or gold and, in so doing, becomes an instant ite hobbies, sports and interests. As the daughter heirloom. Charm bracelets, which have a long and matures, so does her charm bracelet. Eventually rich history, are enjoying a renaissance. The wearing that same bracelet may hold a graduation cap, colof charms dates back to prehistoric times. The charms lege insignia, the Eiffel Tower, wedding bells and were made of, rock crystal and other gems and were lockets of her children. inscribed with small designs, such as figures of gods, man and animals. They were associated with special Charm bracelets are a powerful, enchanting force powers. containing memories in the form of personal history. They are built one memory at a time and proBy the 1890’s charms had evolved from spiritual vide a sentimental and lasting souvenir for any celprotector to fashion statement. In Victorian Enebration. Charm bracelets are little keepsakes that gland, where elegant and elaborate jewelry was in will preserve special moments and events in our style, charm bracelets were standard fixtures. lives for generations to cherish.

Queen Victoria further popularized the trend by wearing a charm bracelet of small lockets containWhere to Start ing family portraits.

There is a charm bracelet for every budget, large or small. With so much variety it can be hard to find a Delightfully playful for its tinkling music, the charm place to start. But here are a few charm collecting bracelet makes a female presence felt. During the tips for the new collector: blackouts of the London Blitz, women were advised • Pick a bracelet with sturdy links to hold a to wear them, like cowbells, in the dark. Charm wrist full of dangling charms. bracelets were most popular in the U.S. in the 1940’s • Choose between gold and silver in the early 20 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

stages of your collecting. This will give your collection a consistent look and feel.

• Start by buying a bracelet that already has a few charms so you can begin wearing your collection.

• Select a collecting category, i.e. sports, moveable charms, family moments, animals, flowers etc., to express your personality.

• Let the gift givers in your life know the types of charms you are collecting.

• Keep a little history about each charm with the date, giver, and occasion. It is a great way to remember stories and special moments.

Starter Bracelets Starting a charm bracelet for someone special makes a great gift. You can start a bracelet with one or two charms and keep adding at every special event, or “just because”. Here are some ideas: Bride’s Maids: Start a bracelet for each attendant with a charm that best represents her; a travel charm for Christina, a gardening charm for Jane, etc.

Tweens and Teens: Dads can start a life-long tradition with their daughters by starting a bracelet for her on her first teen birthday . . . perhaps a favorite hobby or interest: horse, ice skates, shopping bag.

Wives and Girlfriends: Score major points by giving her a little diamond charm on a gold bracelet.

Moms and Grandmothers: Charms are a great way to remember important family events, travel and hobbies of that special woman.

Brides to Be: Charms make a great gift from her fiancé or future mother-in-law. Start with a church, wedding ring or engraved charm.

Top Performers: A starter bracelet with a charm that represents all her contributions and hard work is a great gift. Especially an engraved charm with a special “thank you”.

Best Friends: Start a sterling silver bracelet for each of you with a special charm only the two of you can appreciate: a clown for that trip to the circus when you ate five cotton candies between you.

Preschoolers: Mom can create charms by cutting out letters from cereal boxes and then threading them through string or yarn. A great rainy day treat!

New Moms: Starting a bracelet for the birth of a child is a cherished way to commemorate that special day.

Price Charm prices will be all over the map, depending on the type and quality of metal you are hunting for and the popularity of the category. Many people are intrigued by the “mechanical”charms, which have intricate moving parts and pieces. Most of the gold mechanicals are considered vintage and were crafted between 1930 and 1970. They can be a bit pricey at up to $300 each or more, but they are truly miniature pieces of art. Today’s silversmiths continued on page 24

Yoga’s Path to Health & Well-Being

by Becca Brenner Most people begin to take yoga classes for the physical fitness and stress relief benefits of the practice.

As you move through a Hatha yoga class, you will work with meditation and pranayama (breathing techniques), asanas (yoga postures), and savasana (relaxation). Students quickly begin to gain flexibility, strength, and a greater sense of mental clarity. These benefits from yoga are very real and encouraging as students learn to balance on one leg, hold a stretch for five long breaths, or indulge in just focusing on the breath and letting the outside world go for an hour. Even if students just do yoga once a week, in a very short time they begin to experience better sleep and digestion, stronger and more flexible bodies, and a positive sense of physical confidence.

For many years yoga teachers knew that if their students practiced regularly they would experience many positive physical and mental results. In the last ten years, western science has studied how yoga works to boast the immune system, relieve aches and pains, and increase our sense of well being and happiness, giving teachers more concrete reasons as to why yoga is beneficial. Some of these studies have shown that the stronger muscles combined with the flexibility you gain in yoga, protect you from conditions such as arthritis and back pain.

Also, weight bearing exercises have been proven to build bone density, protecting you from osteoporosis. In yoga, most all of the postures require you to bear your own weight in the hands, wrists, forearms, shoulders, and legs. On a deeper level, some studies have shown that a full yoga practice helps clean and drain lymph in the body. This helps the body on a cellular level through the lymphatic system, to boast the immune system and protect you from different sicknesses and diseases.

Eventually, as students continue to practice yoga regularly for the physical benefits, they start to realize there is another layer of benefits to yoga. These benefits begin to reveal themselves when students get quiet and become curious about the process of familiarizing themselves with their bodies and minds. Yoga students begin each session by getting quiet and focusing on the breath, letting go of their daily demands and relaxing their agendas for the day. Within only a few minutes of this inquiry to breath and self, students begin to feel more grounded, peaceful, and patient. Students then begin to practice yoga with a greater sense of kindness and compassion towards themselves, letting go of preconceived notions of health. These positive qualities that are cultivated during each yoga session then emanate out into the rest of students’ lives, relieving depression and anxiety and a sense of habitual rushing.

Western science has also studied the mental benefits of yoga. Herbert Benson, M.D. calls such benefits the relaxation response. He explains that as students begin to get quiet and shift their focus from a busy agenda of work and family to a calmer

focus on the present, students are actually shifting the balance from the sympathetic nervous system to the parasympathetic nervous system. Benson shows how the focus on parasympathetic nervous system slows breath and decreases heart rate and blood pressure, giving students a greater sense of calm and well-being. The relaxation response creates a sense of more time, spaciousness, and possibility in different aspects of student’s lives.

There is no right or wrong age to start yoga. There are also no disabilities that should discourage you from beginning yoga. Every age level and physical level will benefit from each aspect of a Hatha yoga class. All you need is the will and determination to have a happier and healthy life. Sometimes this is the hardest part to achieving physical and mental well-being. Ironically, many of us put others wellbeing before our own, thinking this is the unselfish thing to do. Making your health a last priority is not recommended. If you want your family and friends to feel strong, centered, compassionate, and patient you need to cultivate those attributes in yourself.

The word yoga comes from the Sanskrit work yuj, which means union or connectedness. Creating union in yourself begins by focusing on what is occurring from moment to moment in your body and mind. Yoga students create a deep sense of union and centeredness as they move through each asana, monitoring their breath and body sensations as well as thought patterns. Each asana is designed to cultivate certain physical and mental benefit, creating a deep sense of holistic health as your practice grows. Other forms of exercise are less holistic because they ignore mental and emotional health, only focusing on physical health. This leaves students feeling physically strong, but mentally and emotionally disconnected. Even after only a few yoga classes, you will feel a sense of union in your mental and physical health.

As you move into your new year, allow your heart and mind to be open to the wonderful path of yoga.

Treat yourself to a deep sense of well-being and health. Hatha yoga not only will take you on a journey of forward bending, twisting, backward bending, side bending, balancing, and inverting the body, but also on a journey to a centered, mindful and peaceful you. Set out in the new year to find a great yoga class, and enjoy as a new, healthier you begins to emerge.

The Backlace

by Cheri

TM

McCall, Timothy. “Count on Yoga” . Yoga Journal, January/Feburary 2004.

Lee, Cindi. Yoga Body, Buddha Mind. Berkley Publishing Group, NY, 2004.

Becca Brenner is owner and one of the teachers at Darshana Yoga Center, a new studio located next door to Seven Springs Mountain Resort, in the Country Commons Plaza. Becca is a certified and registered yoga instructor. She is currently pursuing a PhD in holistic nutrition. Darshana offers daily yoga classes, holistic nutritional counseling, special workshops with guest teachers, and different events such as poetry readings and sushi nights. For more information please call 814-352-7720 or email beccabrenner@msn.com.

“For the Woman Who Wants to Make a Grand Exit”

www.TheBacklace.com LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 21

Foster Parent Campaign A Huge Success Share the blessings of your home. Some children never experience the love of a family or the security of a home.

BECOME A FOSTER PARENT For more information call Nne-Nne at 724-838-9074 or 1-800-KID-5928 www.adelphoivillage.org

Supervisor Named Trainer of the Year Mark Mortimer, the supervisor at Middle Creek Female Secure, an Adelphoi Village group home, is the recipient of the 2004 Trainer of the Year Award.

Mortimer, a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, has been employed by Adelphoi for over 4 years.

The Latrobe resident provided training to Adelphoi staff members on safe crisis management and group process.

The award was given to Mortimer as recognition for his outstanding service to the Adelphoi USA training program which includes about 100 volunteer trainers. Mortimer was nominated and voted on by fellow trainers and Adelphoi USA employees. He received an award plaque which hangs in the reception area of the administration building on the Latrobe campus of Adelphoi.

Adelphoi USA is the sixth largest human services provider in the Pittsburgh region, providing services to 1,500 youth and families each year.

22 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

A year-long campaign to recruit new foster parents for Adelphoi Village Foster & Adoptive Services has been a huge success.

foster parent put an announcement in her Christmas cards last year. The new family that they recruited now has three foster children.”

“We typically get 12 new families a year, but through the campaign we sent out 25 approval letters to new foster parents,” said Nne-Nne Abanobi, foster care recruiter with Adelphoi Village Foster & Adoptive Services. “I’m still getting referrals.”

The campaign would not have been as successful, said Abanobi, without the help of area companies, including Sheetz, Eat N’ Park, Dairy Queen, McDonalds, Burger King, Subway, Krispy Kreme Donuts, and Hoss’s Steak House.

The campaign kicked off Dec. 2003 with the goal of getting families excited about foster and adoptive care, and recruiting new families to the program.

“Ponderosa also gave us coupons that could be used throughout the year,” said Abanobi. “Seven Springs Mountain Resort donated an overnight package to Adelphoi Village that was used as our final quarterly prize.

Sandra Barnaby of Greensburg, helped arrange this package by providing our department with contact information. In addition, the Oakhurst Tea Room contributed a complimentary gift certificate for dinner for two. We truly appreciate their generosity.”

Campaign incentives included cash, gift certificates, a color television, DVD/VCR player, and a digital camera. John and Kristy Scherf of Indiana, Indiana County, won the grand prize of $1,000 for recruiting five new foster families.

“This campaign really exceeded my expectations,” said Abanobi. “I really appreciate all the participation from the families. I got many wonderful recruiting ideas from the parents. One

Adelphoi Village foster families also contributed to the prizes that were awarded throughout the campaign.

Marie Frena, of Mt. Pleasant, gave a candle gift basket that served as a monthly prize, and Regina Shuhart, of Greensburg, provided free portrait coupons from The Picture People.

Foster families are still needed for children who must be temporarily removed from their homes. Staff at Adelphoi Village Foster & Adoptive Services provides foster parents with the tools necessary to deal with situations they may encounter during fostering a child. The program is a family-based treatment resource where youth grow and develop in a family environment. In addition to foster care, Adelphoi Village Foster & Adoptive Services also provides kinship care services including home safety and caretaker assessment study, formal kinship caregiver services, and is a licensed adoption agency affiliated with the State Wide Adoption Network.

For more information on foster care, kinship care, and adoption services, call Adelphoi Village Foster & Adoptive Services at 800-KID-5920 or visit www.adelphoivillage.org.

Homes Build Hope Awarded Grant Homes Build Hope, a service of Adelphoi USA, is the recipient of a $10,000 grant from the Now and Forever Fund of the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County. The grant will be to benefit the Lloyd Avenue Project in Latrobe.

The Lloyd Avenue Project is a $4.5 million revamping of the main corridor into Latrobe.

The primary goals of this project are to improve the living conditions and increase housing options for residents of Latrobe and surrounding areas. Secondary objectives of this project include beautifying the gateway into Latrobe and creating a first impression that will attract commerce, as well as financial and emotional investment in the city.

Homes Build Hope was one of 16 organizations receiving funding from the Now and Forever Fund.

Established by the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County, the Now and Forever Fund is a new, discretionary grant-making fund dedicated to improving the self-sufficiency of families and individuals in Westmoreland County. Through this funding stream, the Community Foundation of Westmoreland County was able to award over $120,000 to organizations in Westmoreland County.

(L to R) Jim Stewart, Chairperson, Homes Build Hope; Judith O’Toole, Board of Directors, Community Foundation of Westmoreland County; Chad Ruffner, Executive Director, Homes Build Hope.

THE CORNER STORY Drew Williams

“Riding The Dragon” This siren is different.

It’s not the dull, long note in g-minor we’ve all grown accustomed to over the past few weeks.

It’s not the same sound that has been sending us to the shelters, testing to see how quickly an entire city can force itself into a few square blocks of brick and mortar cellars.

This siren is beeping, a high-pitched staccato strangely reminiscent of a machine gun. When this siren goes off, we all turn toward the large glass exit doors, each of us straining our necks for a better view of what is coming, but all we see is the blue sky and the reflection of the sun off the cars lined up in the parking lot. It only takes a moment for our eyes to comprehend the absolute normalcy of the moment before we turn to each other, our faces mirroring each other’s fear.

The girl behind the cash register gasps and drops the quart of milk she was ringing up. It hits the floor sideways and splits open. She pauses, only for a second, to look down at the low fat milk that is slapping against her shoes like tiny waves. Then she starts to run.

She heads for the glass doors, which open automatically. She doesn’t look back, she just runs out into the parking lot and the warm sun of this perfect day. Then she turns to the left and sprints toward the shelter that is nine blocks away.

For a moment, we all stand still, listening to the ripping sound of the siren and watching as the counter girl disappears amidst the minivans and SUV’s. When she is no longer visible we react.

Pushing aside shopping carts and display cases of potato chips and batteries, we push as one toward the door. No one shouts, no one says a word.

We just move.

For the past few weeks we have been told that there was a chance that they might have the ability to deliver a nuclear attack. The chance was slim, almost nonexistent, but the air raid sirens that had lain dormant for fifty years were brought back into service. As were the shelters, antiquated recesses in the basements of buildings designed to withstand the bombs and missiles of an enemy that had long ago graduated to much more powerful and lethal weapons.

We were assured that the drills were only precautionary; that events would never come to this.

So we jogged and walked to the nearest shelter each time we heard the siren’s long, low blare.

We went laughing, smiling and waving to each

other, enjoying the camaraderie of security.

But this siren is different.

I’m almost to the open door when my son’s hand slips from mine. At first I don’t realize that he is no longer beside me, and I take another three steps to the door. Then I feel his absence from my side and I turn.

My son is two, a miniature replica of me but only with his mother’s eyes. He’s grinning and pointing to a spot hidden behind a newspaper rack. I take a step toward him intent on scooping him into my arms and dashing the mile to the nearest shelter. But I’ve seen that grin before; and I know what is concealed behind the wall of newspapers.

It’s a six-foot green dragon wearing blue sneakers and a lopsided red baseball cap, an oversized model of the supermarket chain’s mascot. My son runs up to the dragon and strokes its smooth, metal sides. He turns to me and holds out his hand. It’s our game, our supermarket ritual that we have played out ever since his first steps.

He giggles and points to the coin slot, oblivious to the burping siren, unaware of what is heading our way.

Probably less than five.

That’s it. Five minutes and then everything changes.

My son swivels atop the dragon’s back and takes my hand.

“Again,” he says.

Could I run a mile in five minutes while holding him?

Would it matter?

“Again.”

There are three quarters in my pocket, and I start to panic. Then I remember where I am. I take a quick glance over my shoulder at the open cash register pregnant with quarters.

Sure, I tell him, and slip another coin into the slot.

And as long as the quarters hold out, my son and I, his hand cradled in mine, will be one and ride the dragon together.

What just a few minutes ago was a slim to nothing chance.

All he knows is that this is the point in our game where I hoist him onto the dragon’s saddle and slip a quarter into the slot. It is the prelude to the sixty seconds of gentle shaking that make up the ride.

I still want to run, overwhelmed with a hopeless but instinctive drive for self-preservation. I still want to do some kind of gesture, no matter how primal, that I can take with me that will attest to the fact that I tried to protect my son.

But I also have quarters in my pockets.

I always do when we go to the supermarket, and my son knows that. It’s part of the game.

So I lift him onto the saddle and slip a quarter into the slot and watch as he rides the dragon.

He laughs, and I can’t help but smile even though I know the last precious moments of his childhood are being counted down by the wagging tail of a metal dinosaur.

When the ride stops I estimate it has been three minutes since the siren went off. How much more time, I wonder. Six? Seven minutes?

A native of McKeesport, PA, Drew Williams received his PhD from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and teaches creatve writing at North Carolina Central University. His first novel, Night Terrors, was named Sime-Gen’s novel of the year for 2001.

He lives in Fuquay-Varina, NC with his wife, two kids and a finicky cat. Keep up with Drew at his website: www.drewilliams.com or send an email to DrewWilliams@LaurelMountainPost.com.

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 23

Hanna Insurance Agency 208 Weldon Street PO Box 306 Latrobe, PA 15650

Susan Says continued from page 20 are also bringing back the mechanical and making it affordable to a larger pool of collectors. Prices range from $10 and up.

Susan’s “charm bracelet” fashion flick is Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window, starring Grace Kelly and Jimmy Stewart. Watch for the scene when Grace Kelly is wearing a sage green suit.

You will hear the signature jingle and jangle of her pearl charm bracelets.

Susan McBroom is an independent image consultant who meets individually with clients to help them enhance and develop their personal image and style. Susan will advise clients on their existing wardrobe, future wardrobe purchases, special occasion dressing, personal style enhancement, wardrobe research and personalized shopping for the clothes and accessories that will meet the individual lifestyle and budget. Email Susan at Susan@LaurelMountainPost.com.

ALLISON CHIROPRACTIC CENTER

Dr. James W. Allison, Jr. 310 S. CHESTNUT STREET DERRY, PA 15627

724-694-9700 Providing quality health care to the Laurel Highlands for 20 years.

A provider in the Blue Cross/ Blue Shield network and Medicare.

We have affordable plans for anyone without insurance.

AreYou Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired

?

Free X-Rays During the Month of February 2005 Health Care for your Entire Family.

Turn on your Power of Life thru Chiropractic.

24 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

John Hanna, Owner Phone: (724) 537-5140 Fax: (724) 537-0687 www.hannainsuranceagency.info

Providing All Of Your Insurance Needs Since 1959

The road of life is sometimes the hardest to overcome and the hardest to climb . . .

Just keep walking don’t stop just keep walking uphill and only stop to reflect on the low grade of the road never forget who you are or where you came from but learn from each step you have taken one step at a time and with each step look deep into yourself and rejoice from the thing you have learned in life be compassionate to other people you will pass on your journey, regardless if they are beside you in front of you or behind you remember that we have all walked a path, a road, or a mountain that we have climbed, then looking back later on your journey, rejoice and be happy with you, your life, and who you became . . .

Denise Marie White

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

ADVERTISER SURVEY

READER SURVEY

We would like to know how to best meet your advertising needs in the Westmoreland County community. Please take the time to complete our survey – by returning this form or completing our online questionnaire at www.LaurelMountainPost.com. All respondents will be entered in a drawing for one free quarter page advertisement in the Spring 2005 issue of the Laurel Mountain Post. All surveys must be received by March 15, 2005 to be eligible. Mail completed forms to: Editor, Laurel Mountain Post; P.O. Box 227, Latrobe PA 15650.

We would like to know your opinions about our newspaper! Please complete and return this survey or fill out our online questionaire at www.LaurelMountainPost.com. All surveys received by March 15, 2005 will be entered in a drawing for our local merchant giveaway. This issue’s winner will receive a $50 gift certificate from our merchant sponsor, Equine Chic of Ligonier. Mail completed forms to: Editor, Laurel Mountain Post; P.O. Box 227, Latrobe PA 15650. We can’t wait to hear from you!

In planning to advertise in the Laurel Mountain Post, how often would you like us to publish our paper?

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Ad Rates & Specials Local Distribution Regional Distribution Publication Frequency Publication Content Design & Layout Assistance Sales Personality Ads Also Available Online

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©Laura Petrilla

____________________________________________________________________ What features would you like to see from our advertisers? _____

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LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 25

Pick Up A Copy of the Laurel Mountain Post at One of These Community Locations!

DERRY AH Creations Allison Chiropractic Center Ameriserv Financial Barkley’s Beer Distributor Camman Industries, Inc. Creative Dreams Crispin State Farm Insurance Dablock’s Beauty Shop Derry Federal Credit Union Derry Post Office First Commonwealth Bank George J Bush Kitchen Center Glassmart Gooch’s J & K Produce Mastrorocco’s Market Dr. Morgan, DMD Palombo’s Bar & Restaurant Prakash K. Vin, M.D.P.C Pit Stop Quik Shop, Inc. Red Apple Kwik Fill S&T Bank GREENSBURG American Indian Jewelry Art Tech Supplies Bill & Walt’s Hobby Shop Cook’s Market Crossroads (Route 66) Derby’s Delicatessen Descendents Children’s Clothing Boutique The Dinner Pantry Dr. Philip Dahar, Orthodontist dV8 Expresso Bar Gander Mountain Glassmart Greensburg Care Center Hampton Inn Herbs to Your Health Holiday Inn Express Hyundai of Greensburg Just Miniature Scale Katsur Dental Kids Korner Furniture Malloy’s Cameracade Memory Lane Hallmark Mountain View Inn Mustard Seed Gallery, Inc. On the Avenue Pagnotta Cafe Paouncic Chiropractic Life Center Penelope’s Pizza Hut Seton Hill University

26 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

Sharp Image Hair Designs and Day Spa Sheraton Four Points Hotel Shop ‘n Save- Westmoreland Mall Sun Parlor Super 8 Motel Tom Clark Ford Toyota of Greensburg University of Pittsburgh Westmoreland Athletic Club LATROBE Adam & Eve’s Pet & Hobby Shop Adelphoi Village Arnold Palmer Motors Inc Arnold Palmer Regional Airport Aqua Pets Bella Pasta The Corner Store CJ6 Pet Supply Outlet Chiropractic Health Center Dino’s Sports Lounge DiNunzio’s Italian Chophouse DiSalvo’s Station Restaurant Dr. Philip Dahar, Orthodontist Dr. Scott Learn, DMD First Commonwealth Bank First National Bank - Latrobe 30 Plaza First National Bank-Downtown Frank’s Lounge Gino’s Pizza of Latrobe Hanna Insurance Agency Harvey’s Barber Shop Hostetter Club In-Sync Rehabilitation Services Jocelyn’s Beauty Salon Joe’s Store – Lawson Heights Kaye’s Tailoring Latrobe 30 Beverage Latrobe Animal Clinic Latrobe Art Center Latrobe Center Distributing, Inc. Latrobe Chamber of Commerce Latrobe Glass & Mirror Latrobe Hair Company Latrobe Hospital Little Shop Latrobe News Stand Latrobe Post Office Len’s Jewelry Loyalhanna Care Center Mosso’s Medical Supply Company Inc Petrosky’s Pro Hardware Pizza Siena Ray Foot & Ankle Center Rose Style Shoppe Scotty G’s Pizzaria

Sharky’s Cafe Sherwin-Williams - Latrobe 30 Plaza Shop-N-Save - Latrobe 30 Plaza St. Vincent College St Vincent College Gristmill Tuxedo Room Van Dyke Styling Center Vita-Charge Weiss Furniture Wingate Inn Youngstown Tire Zappone Sausage Company and Retail Outlet LIGONIER Abigail’s Coffeehouse American Indian Jewelry Beno’s Betsy’s of Ligonier BP (CoGo’s) Carol & Dave’s Roadhouse Celtic Culture Compass Inn ComTech Connections Store The Country Cupboard Crafts Unlimited Curves for Women Diamond Cafe Endless Possibilities Equine Chic Essentials The Fairfield Grille The Frame Place The Garret Giant Eagle Gino Gianelli’s Hair Parade Holiday Home Store The Hollow Tavern Lady Bug Style Lady of the Lake Bed & Breakfast La Rosa’s Barber Shop Laughlintown Post Office Ligonier Country Inn Ligonier Outfitters & Newsstand Ligonier Palms Tanning Salon Ligonier Post Office Ligonier Tavern Main Street Deli Pamela’s Golden Touch Salon The Paper House & Baskitry Pathfinder Photo Persnickity The Pie Shoppe The Road Toad The Sandwich Shoppe

The Treehouse in Ligonier Underneath NEW ALEXANDRIA Curves for Women Di’s Pizzeria & Restaurant Johna’s Hair Design Oasis Hotel Qwik Stop Timber Roadhouse ON THE MOUNTAIN OR TO THE EAST Betsy’s Collections (Donegal) Cogo’s (Bakersville) Collections by Marty (Donegal) The Country Pie Shoppe (Donegal) Darshana Yoga Center (Champion) Hair Expressions (Seven Springs) Italian Gourmet Deli (Donegal) Kreinbrooks Market (Jones Mills) Living Treasures Animal Park (Donegal) Log Cabin Motel (Donegal) Lost Mountain Campground (Rockwood) Mountain Horse Saddlery (Donegal) Sarnelli’s Market (Jones Mills) Seven Springs Mountain Resort (Champion) Tall Cedars Restaurant (Donegal) UniMart (New Florence) Windy Lindy’s Mountaineer Crafts (Donegal) Would you like the Laurel Mountain Post delivered to your business?

Give us a call at 724-331-3936.

We’ll list your business name in the print and online editions!

Embrace the warmth of friendship in a gracious home environment. Contact consultant Briana Tomack at 724-331-3936.

Enjoy the scenery.

Place your ad in the Laurel Mountain Post!

Call 724-331-3936.

Susan Ransel McBroom

724.238.4372 foxwoodsrm@adelphia.net P.O. Box 460 Laughlintown, PA 15655

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www.biffBOOcommunication.com LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 27

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