Mother Earth, Wind, and Fire Mary Lynne Spazok
Earth Mother Earth bestowed a cornucopia of fancy flora, lavish fauna, and delectable wholesome vegetables on Gilfillan’s kitchen garden last year. The goddess of Nature gifted plentiful rain, dewkissed mornings, and luminous afternoons, rewarding volunteers with superlative success. Seasoned trail blazer Joseph Pasquarelli appreciates the idyllic tranquility of gardening. Youngsters also welcome this enchanting garden with its cheeky scarecrows whose whimsical fashion flair create quite a stir. No one knows this better than best friends, cousins, and siblings Sarah Tepe, Isabella Benoit, Sophia Benoit, and Victoria Tepe. Energy, imagination, and confidence bring the girls together. The camaraderie of planting, weeding, and watering is not a chore, but an opportunity for physical exercise while learning biology, math, social studies, nutrition, and history. Nature novelist Elizabeth Lawrence wrote that “There is a garden in every childhood, an enchanted place where colors are brighter, the air softer, and the morning more fragrant than ever again.” Blessed with “salt of the earth” grandparents and parents, tradition instills gardening as a lifelong practical skill. USCHS sophomore Sarah Tepe believes that to renew, re-use, and re-cycle cultivates individual responsibility. Over the years, she has come to realize that “To reach a great height a person needs to have great depth.”—Anonymous Free spirit Sophia Benoit likes easy—easy to grow, that is! To ensure success, she shops for top choice radishes, leaf lettuces, and, of course, zucchini. Visually appealing beets, cherry tomatoes, and sunflowers are robust and ensure a prosperous garden. Young Isabella Benoit knows that age-appropriate garden attire and tools are a must. Catalogs and local nurseries offer innovative birthday and holiday gifts that are exciting and motivating. For kids, kooky humor is surely a light hearted stepping stone toward scientific adventure. Adorned in Hollywood shades, fun loving Victoria Tepe embraces comedy: How do you fix a broken tomato? With tomato paste, of course!
Left to right are Sarah Tepe, Isabella Benoit, Sophia Benoit, and Victoria Tepe 16
UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY
Summer 2010
Ryan Gaup and Marayan Thompson
Wind Upper St. Clair’s autumn wind blew in a myriad of remarkable guests to the Gilfillan homestead last fall. Upon harvesting the pumpkin patch, Ryan Gaup and Marayan Thompson from Boy Scout Troop 228 earned the Garden Merit Badge. Their Scout project commenced last spring and continued through late September. They grew six vegetables and flowers, three from seeds and three from seedlings. Food value was established for three root or tuber crops, three above ground vegetables, and three fruits. Seeds were tested for germination. They offered an explanation as to why some did not develop. Garden pests were identified on diseased plants. An organic solution helped to control the problem. Compost is the best medicine for any garden, so a vermipost (worm compost bin) was maintained for about 90 days. No garden effort would be complete without a visit to the county extension agent’s office, local university or agricultural college, nursery, or a botanical garden or arboretum. Lastly, the completion of a detailed report on this exciting expedition earned the Garden Merit Badge. Congratulations to Ryan and Marayan! While October’s golden leaves swayed in a gentle wind, an adventurous group, the Western Pennsylvania 3 Rivers Model “A” Ford Car Club, zipped into town and stopped traffic, causing gleeful amazement among onlookers at Gilfillan. In 1927, the Ford Model A was Ford Motor Company’s second huge success. The Model A replaced its venerable predecessor, the 18-year-old Model T. Intrigued? Fun facts and handsome photos are forthcoming in the UPPER ST. CLAIR TODAY fall 2010 edition. Fire According to FEMA, (Federal Emergency Management Agency) more than 4000 Americans die and more than 25,000 are injured every year due to fire. Direct property loss is estimated at $8.6 billion annually. Fortunately, the main station of the USC Volunteer Fire Department along Route 19 is directly across from the Gilfillan Homestead. The August 2009 electrical fire at the Gifillan’s main residence was not catastrophic. Originating in the basement, the fire’s smoke caused the most damage. However, the good news is that there was no property loss and complete restoration was successful. Non-toxic cleanup methods used by G.S. Jones Restoration included intense vacuuming followed by grazing static dusters (energized lambs’ wool) over damaged areas. Lingering residue was removed with commercial cleaning erasers. Lastly, universal house cleaning was performed. In October, the Historical Society hosted a “spic and span” tour to show appreciation to the USCFVD and employees of G. S. Jones Restoration.