Troops will be on hand at Fort Ligonier on Saturday and Sunday, July 24-25, 2010 to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the fall of Montreal and New France to the British. “For the first time ever, the French will occupy the fort and the British will attack it. Fort Ligonier, with the flag of France flying over it, will represent a French fort on the frontiers of New France in 1760,” according to Fort Ligonier’s Director, Martin West. Following the battle, the French will surrender the fort, representing the conquest of Montreal and other French forts in 1760.

British, Highlanders, American, Militia, French, Canadian, and Native American troops will be encamped throughout the weekend and living history activities will take place on Saturday and Sunday, July 24 and 25, with cannon firings and artillery demonstrations at 1:00 and 3:00 PM and battle reenactments at 1:30 PM and 3:30 PM on both days.

The participants will be presented with commemorative 250th anniversary, 1760 – 2010, Fort Ligonier medals at the conclusion of the weekend activities. This is a 2010 Signature Event as Fort Ligonier continues commemorating the 250th anniversary of the French and Indian War with the theme, “The Year of the Conquest: The Fall of New France, 1760 – 2010.”

In addition to attending the battle reenactments and stopping by to see the British and French military encampments, visitors will enjoy touring the Fort Ligonier Museum, which houses an impressive collection of original artifacts, a French and Indian War Art Gallery, the George Washington Pistols Exhibit, and the newest exhibit: The World Ablaze: An Introduction to the Seven Years’ War. The Museum Store offers a large selection of books, gift items, and souvenirs.

Fort Ligonier is located approximately 12 miles from Exit 91 (Donegal) of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at the intersection of U.S. Route 30 and PA Route 711 in Ligonier. Hours of operation are Monday through Saturday, 10:00 AM – 4:30 PM, and Sunday, 12:00 PM – 4:30 PM. For more information, phone 724.238.9701 or visit www.fortligonier.org.

All activities are weather permitting

Rockwood, Trail Town along the Great Allegheny Passage

By Larry Walsh, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Bike news is breaking out all over …

• The long-awaited agreement to extend the Great Allegheny Passage through the Sandcastle Waterpark is expected to be announced within days.

• In a feat that required precision timing, two prefabricated bridges were lifted into place July 7 in Duquesne and Whitaker to give bicyclists and pedestrians safe access across active railroad tracks.

• A long-sought “roll-on/roll-off” service for bicyclists on the Capitol Limited that will open the passage and the C& O Canal Towpath to more riders between Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C., is expected to be available next June.

• A feasibility study for a bike trail leading from the Montour Trail to Monaca is expected to be completed within a few weeks by the Ohio River Trail Commission.

• And “On The Passage,” John Urman’s informative and delightfully entertaining video on riding the Great Allegheny Passage from Cumberland, Md., to Pittsburgh, has become a must-see for new and veteran trail-users.

Let’s start with the expected agreement between Allegheny County and Palace Entertainment, the owner of the Sandcastle Waterpark. It will allow bicyclists to traverse the latter’s property on their way to and from the Mon Valley and beyond.

James Judy, vice president of operations for Palace Entertainment, told Jon Schmitz, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s transportation reporter, that a formal announcement of the agreement is only days away.

“We’re thrilled to be on the trail,” Judy said earlier this week. “It’s been a very high priority for me to get this done.”

That’s a welcome change from the position of the former owner, Kennywood Entertainment. It maintained there was not enough room for the trail.

Trail enthusiasts are raving about the teamwork involved in the placement of the trail bridges in Duquesne and Whitaker. The one in the RIDC industrial park in Duquesne, a 110-foot-long, 37-ton span, crosses three sets of Norfolk Southern tracks.

The 170-foot-long, 62-ton bridge in Whitaker elevates the passage over six sets of tracks heavily used by the Norfolk Southern Railway and the Union Railroad Company. The tracks were temporarily closed while construction cranes lifted the bridges into position.

Jack Paulik, project manager for the Regional Trail Corp., said work will start this fall on a 2 1/2-mile segment of the passage that will link the bridges to the existing trail. Meanwhile, the new bridges and the property immediately before, between and after them are closed to the public.

Linda McKenna Boxx, president of the Allegheny Trail Alliance, said the roll-on/roll-off service announced by Amtrak officials July 9 “will add a great convenience and extra excitement to tourists who want to bike our great trail system.” She said bicyclists will be able to roll their bikes on/off the Capitol Limited in Pittsburgh, Connellsville, Cumberland, Harper’s Ferry and Martinsburg, W.Va., Rockville, Md., and Washington. Reservations will be required.

Boxx said Amtrak will install bike racks in several baggage cars “and needs to work out operational issues before the service can begin.” She said the SCA Trail Town Outreach Corps deserves “special thanks” for developing a survey to assess interest in roll-on/roll-off service, conducting other research and helping to organize a letter-writing campaign.

Somerset County officials and the Somerset County Rails-to-Trails Association discussed roll-on/roll-off with Amtrak officials in conjunction with their efforts to create a stop in Rockwood. And the alliance prepared a report “showing the need, the trail traffic, survey results and sample itineraries.”

Vincent Troia, chief executive officer of the Ohio River Trail Council, told the Post-Gazette’s Brian David that he is seeking public and private grants to link the Montour Trail to Monaca.

For more information on the council, Sandcastle and the Duquesne and Whitaker bridges, go to www.post-gazette.com.

Larry Walsh writes about recreational bicycling for the Post-Gazette.

Read more, click here.

Wave bon voyage when we embark on a deep sea voyage called Life Under the Sea Camp on July 6-9. Kids & Photography campers will participate in hands-on activities to learn more to create their own fine art photos on August 10-13. Each camper will need to bring a basic digital camera and will have a chance to display their work in the halls of the Education & Dance Center.

Kids & Pottery Camp is another chance to work those creative muscles. Everyone will construct their own unique projects through four days of working with clay. Kids & Pottery is a half-day camp—it will be held 9 a.m. to noon, June 22-25, July 6-9, and August 3-6.

Junior Art Camp is just like the big kids’ camp, only geared toward our smaller campers, ages 3 to 5. Campers choose either a morning or afternoon session, 9 a.m. to noon or 1 to 4 p.m. There are three different weeks and themes to choose from: Fairytales and Legends, June 22-25; Go West, July 27-30; and Art Around the World, August 10-13.

Theater Camp, for ages 6 to 18, will once again be held at Berlin Brothersvalley High School. In just five short days—June 28-July 2—Missoula Children’s Theater will teach campers acting techniques and help them put together a play. Campers will bring the classic story “The Jungle Book” to life on stage for two performances on July 3.

We’ll also host a Summer Book Club for kids ages 8 through 12. We’ve chosen some great summer reads and will serve light refreshments straight out of the books. On June 29, the book club will discuss “Because of Winn Dixie” by Kate DiCamillo. One summer, Opal brings home a stray dog who helps her befriend the quirky and endearing characters in the town where she has just moved. On July 27, the featured selection is “The Penderwicks” by Jeanne Birdsall. The four Penderwick sisters are great at making friends and having adventures—but no-so-great at staying out of trouble. In August (date TBA), we will discuss “Holes” by Louis Sachar.

Teenagers are invited to attend our potluck dinner party discussion of Stephenie Meyer’s novel “Twilight.” Held on June 24, we will celebrate the film version of Stephenie Meyer’s novel “Eclipse” by taking a look back at how this suspenseful series began.

So much to do this summer…so little time! Call the Laurel Arts Education & Dance Center at 443-1835 or visit us at www.laurelarts.org to register and for more information, including scholarship information.

“Amie, what you wanna do, I think I could stay with you, for a while maybe longer if I do…” Sound familiar? This is a Pure Prairie League classic, and you can hear it live in Somerset on July 10th at Laurel Arts’ annual Pre-Somerfest concert. That’s right - the distinct sounds of Pure Prairie League are coming to Somerset.

Pure Prairie League’s rich history dates back to 1969 when a group of young musicians played cover tunes at local bars in the Southern Ohio area. RCA signed the group after seeing them play in Cleveland, Ohio. Their first album, Bustin Out, was released in 1972 and featured the hits “Amie” and “Falling in & Out of Love”.

Though Pure Prairie League was dropped from RCA in 1973, college stations continued to play cuts from Bustin Out – proving that the group still had a following. RCA re-signed them in 1975 and they recorded two more albums - Two Lane Highway and Can’t Hold Back (which included a young Vince Gill, who joined the group in 1978 for a short stint and helped give this album its’ country – rock influence).


Next Casablanca signed the group and they released Firin’ Up. The first single, “Let me Love You Tonight” reached number 7 on the Pop Charts and number 1 on the Adult Contemporary Charts. Despite this success, however, personnel changes at Casablanca ultimately resulted in Pure Prairie League losing yet another record deal.

Pure Prairie League reunited and has been treating audiences nationwide to their music, which sounds just as good today as it did when they first performed. Laurel Arts is thrilled to be able to bring them to Somerset. Mark your calendars because this is an event you do not want to miss. To check out the sounds of Pure Prairie League, log on to www.pureprairieleague.com.

The concert kicks off at 6:30p.m. under the Somerfest tent (located at the Dressler Center, 214 South Harrison Avenue, Somerset) with opening act Chris Higbee. Many of you remember Chris Higbee as the founder of the “The PovertyNeck Hillbillies”, a group which performed for 7 years, released a nationally rated video “Mr. Right Now,” starring Ben Roethlisberger, acquired national attention and released two records. Come check out his new act, which blends some of Higbee’s lifelong friends with some amazing newcomers.

Tickets are $20.00 and go on sale Monday, May 3rd. They can be purchased at the Dressler Center and the Education & Dance Center or by calling 814-443-2433. See you under the big tent!

For more information on Laurel Arts, visit www.laurelarts.org

By VICKI ROCK, Daily American

Wildflowers bloom throughout Laurel Hill State Park from early spring to late fall.

“Starting in April, there’s something beautiful blooming all the time,” said naturalist Joan Ansell.

Park visitors frequently ask about the flowers, said environmental education specialist Kimberly Peck. In addition to wildflowers throughout the park, there is a meadow across from the visitors center and flower gardens, a butterfly garden and an herbal garden at the center. These different types of plantings are to show people a variety of ecosystems.



“The meadows are a few acres with walking paths and benches,” Peck said. “The bluebird trail, (which) has nesting boxes, winds through it and beside Laurel Hill Creek. It’s a beautiful place to just sit and relax and enjoy nature.”

Ansell, who has been a park volunteer for more than 15 years, tried to save what grew in the meadow naturally when the paths and benches were added. She and other volunteers added some plants, most of which are native to this area.

Trailing arbutus is the first to appear in the meadow in the spring. Pinkster azaleas are blooming now. Native species, including the ragged fringed orchid, will bloom later. Ironweed is best seen in August, which is the peak month for the plants in the meadow. Other plants include arrowhead, coneflowers and black-eyed Susans. Part of the meadow is swampy. Native grasses, including some tipped in purple, grow there. Land-dwelling crayfish build mounds in the meadow.

White Great Lobelia, New Jersey tea, Eastern Columbine, smooth azalea, yellow foxglove, wild monk’s head, violets, pink ladyslippers, ginseng, wild geraniums, larkspur, wild sweet Cecily, wild sarsaparilla, blue cohosh and Jacob’s ladder also grow in the park.

Volunteers try to identify every plant in the meadow. They post lists of what is in bloom on a bulletin board beside the visitors center. If people want a tour they may stop at the center and Peck or a volunteer will take them.

“We’re hoping to have a day for people in wheelchairs to tour,” Peck said. “The meadow’s paths are wide and flat. Bring cameras and field glasses — there are tons of birds and butterflies.”

The herb garden will be planted by Memorial Day and is at its peak in June. The butterfly gardens are at their best in July. Milkweed is a host plant for Monarch butterflies and other species. Monarch butterflies migrate from Mexico and arrive in mid-July.

“The butterfly garden is very successful,” Peck said. “I saw my first one (Monarch butterfly) go into chrysalis. It took less than a minute. It was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen. We encourage people to plant butterfly gardens. They need milkweed.”

The naturalists are interested in preserving native wildflowers were it can be done. Some were hiking on the Great Allegheny Passage near Confluence and realized that crews were cutting down wild monk’s head, thinking it was a weed. They went through park channels to let trail officials know what the plant is.

“As the park, we are very fortunate to have Joan volunteer to do this,” Peck said. “If we didn’t have volunteers, it wouldn’t be done. She and the volunteers created a fantastic opportunity for programming all year long.”

In addition to touring the park, state park naturalists are presenting five programs to help people explore the Laurel Highlands in search of wildflowers. Backyard Gardens, Ohiopyle, is sponsoring the Wildflower Exposure Tours. They will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. starting at the following locations: May 30 — Ohiopyle Train Station; June 26 — Kooser State Park Office; July 17 — Ohiopyle Train Station; Aug. 14 — Laurel Hill Visitors Center; Sept. 11 — Ramcat parking area at Ohiopyle State Park. Registration is recommended. People may register by calling 352-8649 and asking for Kimberly Peck. Be sure to bring a camera. Snacks will be provided.

To view the originial article in the Daily American, click here.

Fishing in the Youghiogheny River

Featured in Trips & Getaways

By Elissa Simmons

I often wonder why the avid angler spends a lifetime of repetitive activity of catching fish just for sport. Fly fishing reels in both men and women. It is a technique, an art form and a science. It takes you from curious wonder to a desire to master the skill. There is more to it than meets the eye. The craft takes practice, patience and a seasoned instructor at the onset.

Handling the rod and getting the feel of the different casting positions is just the beginning. Knowing what the fish are feasting on at that particular time is crucial in the catch. It could be eggs on the stream bottom, larvae, nymph or a floating insect about to take flight. You can purchase ready-made lures, but some folks make their own from feathers and fur.

The draw to fly fishing can be addictive and worth all the effort when you snag a rainbow trout and hold him in your hands. They definitely make for good eating, but there is something about giving that wild wonder of creation its freedom to swim again. I once heard that fish bite better on a cloudy drizzly day. Is it fact of fiction? It is a fact! I caught my first rainbow trout on such a day.

Wilderness Voyageurs

You don’t have to go far to find that perfect fishing spot. Freshwater lakes, streams or creeks fit the bill. Cold water streams that feed into the Youghiogheny River in south western Pennsylvania make fly fishing ideal year round. You can expect to find rainbow, brook, brown and even golden trout.

Wilderness Voyageurs can outfit you and provide one on one or group lessons. The company has even started offering women’s fly fishing clinics. Located in Ohiopyle, Pa., the Martin family has provided outdoor recreation for 40 years. Whitewater rafting (various levels), kayaking, fly fishing, bike excursions are just a few. If you prefer a tamer river ride enjoy their Historical Float Trip where you are guaranteed not to get wet. Wilderness Voyageurs’ domain include parts of Maryland and West Virginia and—if you’re really adventurous—pack up and go with them on a Colorado fly fishing expedition.

Dale Kotowski, fly fishing director and enthusiast since his teens, says “Fly fishing makes me happy!” Fortunately for him, his wife shares his love for the sport. He also considers Youghiogheny River area to be one of the top 10 for fly fishing in Pennsylvania. For information, visit www.wilderness-voyageurs.com.

Seven Springs Mountain Resort

If you like the outdoors but prefer a bed to a sleeping bag, Seven Springs is a worthy destination. Since its inception in 1932, the resort has evolved over the years into a spectacular four-season venue. Located on 5,000 incredible acres in the Laurel Highlands area of southwestern Pennsylvania, you’ll find almost any outdoor sport—and many indoor activities—that make this a most desirable family-oriented resort.

You can pursue your fly fishing aspirations with a guided tour and instructor. Fish on numerous spring-fed lakes and streams or float-tube fish on Lake Gosling.

The newly refurbished hotel is sophisticated elegance but still reflects a mountain resort ambience. On the property you’ll find excellent casual dining choices and fine dining at Helen’s Restaurant located in the original home of the Seven Springs founders.

Your stay at Seven Springs would not be complete without a visit to the renovated Trillium Spa, named after the delicate three-petal wildflower native to the area. The moment you enter the facility, stress seems to melt away. The quiet, colors, aromas and water sounds envelope you. Treatment areas and lounges are lush and relaxing. Feel pampered with a wide variety of treatment options. You’re sure to come away feeling rejuvenated.

For information, visit www.7springs.com.

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