Laurel Mountain Post :: November-December 2007

Every Story Begins At Home. November/December 2007 - 1

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Coping WithSeasonal Depression

Ruth Richardson RemembersChristmas Toys . . .For Girls OR Boys

We Need A Little Christmasfrom the Valley Players

Stress-Free DiningFor the Holidays

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POSTA Magazine from the Heart of Western Pennsylvania

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2007 FREE

A Letter Home from Former Westmoreland County Residentand Oregon State Christmas Tree Farmer, Bob Kintigh

Season’s Greetingsfrom the Kintigh FamilyA Letter Home from Former Westmoreland County Resident

and Oregon State Christmas Tree Farmer, Bob Kintigh

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Coping WithSeasonal Depression

Ruth Richardson RemembersChristmas Toys . . .For Girls OR Boys

We Need A Little Christmasfrom the Valley Players

Stress-Free DiningFor the Holidays

2 - November/December 2007 LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

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Sponsored by the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce120 East Main Street • Ligonier, PA 15658 • 724-238-4200 • www.ligonier.com

Christmas in the Ligonier Valley

And To All, A Good Night!Courtyard by Marriott Greensburg

700 Powerline Drive • Greensburg, PA 15601Phone: 724-834-3555 • www.courtyardgreensburg.com

Whether planning an intimate affair with close family and friendsor an office celebration, your guests will experience an unforgettable evening

with unparalleled Marriott service and style.

Managed by Concord Hospitality Enterprises.*Quality *Community *Integrity *Profitability

www.concordhotels.com

Contact Our Sales Office Today to Book Your Holiday EventMandisa: 724-205-7033Alisha: 724-205-7032

Get away from the hectic pace of the holidays and visit our many quaint specialty shopsfor that perfect one-of-a-kind gift. Make visiting Ligonier a holiday tradition.

Light Up NightFriday, November 23 – Santa arrives at 6:00 PM!

Town-Wide Open HouseSunday, December 2 – 12:00 to 5:00 PM

Gingerbread House ContestNovember 30- December 9; Silent Auction all week at Ramada Inn

Festival of LightsSaturday, December 1 – Sunday, December 9, Town Hall Community Room

Merchant Raffle WindowOver 50 donated prizes . . . tickets available at participating shops

FREE 2-Hour Saturday ParkingThanksgiving through Christmas at all meters throughout the town

Saturday Carriage and Sleigh Rides

Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce

A Ligonier ChristmasDecember 1 at 8:00 PM, December 1 & 2 at 2:30 PM

$10.00 Adults, $5.00 Children 6 thru 12, Children Under 6 Free

Our production of A Ligonier Christmas has become a holidaytradition for many area residents. In this all new version of our annualcelebration of the holiday season, we will again feature sacred andsecular music that reflects both the joyous and the serious side ofthe season as a holiday event for the entire family, along with songsfrom our special soloists and, of course, our Santas. A LigonierChristmas is truly a family celebration.

Ligonier Theater • 208 West Main Street • 724-238-6514, ext. [email protected] • www.valleyplayers.org • www.ligoniertheater.com


elcome . . .MOUNTAIN VIEWS

Cathi Gerhard WilliamsNOV/DEC 2007(Volume IV, Issue 6)

The Laurel Mountain Post is a bimonthlypublication designed to focus on thepeople, places and events of Westmore-land County and the surrounding areasin the heart of western Pennsylvania. Weprint stories about real people and theirdaily lives; feature local merchants, crafts-men and professionals; present shortpieces of art & literature; and never losesight of what makes this area a great placeto call home.

Most of our writers are not professionalreporters, but accomplished localpractitioners with years of experience in theirrespective fields who bring credibility andpersonality to every article. In October 2006,the BBC News quoted us as “the voice ofPennsylvania.”

Laurel Mountain PostP.O. Box 227

Latrobe, PA 15650

724-331-3936

[email protected]

Office Hours by Appointment at137 East Main Street

in Ligonier, Pennsylvania

Cathi Gerhard WilliamsEditor & Publisher

Briana Dwire TomackMarketing Director

& Business Manager

Proud members of the Latrobe,Ligonier, and StronglandChambers of Commerce,

Women’s Business Network,The Pittsburgh

Advertising Federation,and The PennsylvaniaNewspaper Assocation

Special thanks to ouradvertisers for supportingthis community publication!

www.LaurelMountainPost.com

WChange Always Comes Bearing Gifts

Cathi Gerhard WilliamsBriana Dwire Tomack

[email protected]

[email protected]

In September I saw a wonderfulconcert at a small amphitheaterin the middle of the North Caro-lina woods. Elvis Costello ap-peared with the NC Symphonyand presented a beautiful collec-tion of his songs, both old and new.The best part was that each songwas performed unlike any versionI had previously heard. The an-gry young punk-influencedIrishman had been replaced by anexperienced, elegant showmanand musician, yet nothing waslost in the translation. He spoketo the audience often about cre-ative new arrangements for oldmaterial, and, of course, themetaphors starting spinning inmy mind.

Maybe it is because my 20thhigh school class reunion is com-ing up over Thanksgiving, and somany of us have been preoccu-pied with who we were rather thanwith who we are today. There isnothing worse than watchingsomeone struggle to fit a moldthey have outgrown . . . as evi-denced by aging rock stars inleather pants or my own self tryingto wear my teenage daughter’sclothes. It’s like looking into afunhouse mirror.

But the reflection extends be-yond simple fashion. One of thehardest things we ever do is let goof the past. I believe it has little todo with the simple romanticizedviews of our own history and ev-erything to do with a fear of change.Every success is the result of ourefforts, and no one wants to startall over again once we’ve achievedit. Unfortunately, this leads to astale life of repetitive motions withno real meaning.

Life and time itself are meta-phors for growth and change. We

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy;for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must dieto one life before we can enter another.

– Anatole France

Our distribution of 15,000 reaches beyondWestmoreland County into the neighboring

counties of Allegheny, Washington,Armstrong, Bedford, Cambria, Indiana,Somerset and Fayette. In 2006 our web

traffic increased by 53% and continues togrow. Every day, more and more readers

and advertisers across western Pennsylvaniaare discovering the Laurel Mountain Post.

1978

1974

start out one way and slowly changeinto something else. The calendarresets itself soon, as people aroundthe world prepare to celebrate theend of one year and the start of thenext. The seasons change, and

with each “death” comes the prom-ise and return of “new life.” Itseems like people are the onlythings on earth who try to fight thatcircle of life, rather than embraceits possibilities.

Change always comes bearinggifts; yet we often focus on thelosses, creating our own obstaclesto personal evolution. We deny andlie because we are afraid to face

the realities of truth, struggling toprotect something that has al-ready passed. It is energy wastedand dishonored; strength thatshould be redirected to build a moreresilient and flexible future.

Adaptation is the premise forevolution. Instead of trying so hardto stay where you are, considerrisk to make things better. Some-times that means letting go, andat others holding on. But like therepetitive and meaningful linefrom “Changes” sung by DavidBowie, we need to “turn and facethe strain.” Change is constantand requires habitual effort. Weusually only have a finite numberof pieces in our personal puzzles,yet endless combinations. It is upto us to consider them all, andmake the most of what we have towork with at any point in time.

With the holidays coming upquickly, we thought we would sharea couple of our favorite flashbackswith you (pictures at left). Christ-mas always seems to make usthink of those times when we werekids (no matter how much wefought with those brothers and sis-ters) . . . magic we will always wishwe could re-create now, and some-times still feel in our hearts dur-ing a nostalgic moment or two.

From everyone here at the Lau-rel Mountain Post, best wishes forthe happiest of holidays – and thegrace with which to greet everynew day that follows.


1/8 page Vertical

Former Resident Shares His StoryA Letter Home from Bob Kintigh

Greetings! My name is Bob Kintigh. I am aformer Westmoreland County native whorelocated over 60 years ago. I was contactedrecently by the Laurel Mountain Post. Theysuggested that their readers would enjoy readingabout my life and experiences. Humbly, Iconsented to write this letter to you for theholiday edition.

After graduating from East Huntington HighSchool (now Southmoreland) in 1939, I attendedPenn State where I earned a Bachelor ofScience in Forestry degree. Here I also met myfuture wife, Margaret Kilgore of Altoona,Pennsylvania who has been my loving wife andcompanion now for 64 years. Immediately upongraduation the US Navy called me to activeduty. After receiving training, I was sent tothe Pacific Fleet for service as a Deck Officeron a destroyer.

Our ship was in seven major navalengagements and although we saw manyships sunk or heavily damaged we survivedunscathed. I have pondered many times aboutwhy it was that I got to come home but manyothers of my generation did not. I have no answer.However I do know that had my ship gone down, Iwould’ve been lost for eternity because it wasn’tuntil after the war while in San Francisco that Iaccepted Jesus as my Savior.

To further my forestry education, I did a yearof graduate work at the University of Californiabefore going on to Oregon where I have livednow for 60 years. I worked at several forestryjobs before we purchased our first farm and forestland in the McKenzie Valley east of Springfieldand have been living here ever since. It is herethat we raised five wonderful children.

Our primary goal and ambition when wepurchased our property was to make our livingraising timber. But timber takes many yearsto grow so we became engaged in raisingChristmas trees, tree seedlings and cattle to

support our family while the timber grew. Aftersome years we converted our pasture land toChristmas trees. Later more forest land waspurchased, giving us a total of 250 acres of forest

land not counting Christmas trees and todaywe continue to grow timber, seedlings andChristmas trees.

In our Christmas tree operation we havealways strived for quality rather than quantity.This has resulted in satisfied customers, someof which have been purchasing from us now forover 50 years. Further proof of our ability togrow top-quality trees is evidenced by the factthat in 1992 one of our trees was chosen asNational Grand Champion. This gave us theprivilege of supplying a tree for the Blue Roomof the White House. Fifteen members of theKintigh family made the trip to Washington, DCto present the tree to Mrs. Barbara Bush. Afterpresenting the tree, our family was granted a15-minute private audience with Mrs. Bush. Itwas truly a delightful time. One of our prizefamily possessions is a personal handwrittennote from Mrs. Bush thanking us for the treeand for “living family values.” We also weregiven a personal guided tour of the White House,the Capitol grounds and had our pictures takenwith President and Mrs. Bush.

From my early days in Oregon I have beenin leadership roles in my church, communityand professional organizations. This subse-quently led to me running for the Oregon StateSenate. I served three 4-year terms representinga large rural district. I am the only professionalforester to ever serve in the Oregon Senate.During my last four years I served as thechairman of the Agriculture and NaturalResources Committee, vice chair of the WaterCommittee and on several other committees. Ihad the unique honor of being unanimouslychosen as President Pro Tem during the lasttwo years. No one could remember when therehad previously been a unanimous choice.

It has been our pleasure to host over 45tours of our tree farm to show people good soundforest management. Our diverse audienceincludes schoolchildren and foreign visitors aswell as political office holders.

I have received “Lifetime Service Awards” ortheir equivalent from the Society of AmericanForesters, Oregon Smallwood Association and thePacific Northwest Christmas Tree Association.

In 2005 Margaret and I were named theOregon Tree Farmers of the Year. In 2006 wewere named the Western Regional OutstandingTree Farmers of the Year. And then, lastOctober we were named the 2006 NationalOutstanding Tree Farmers of the Year. We arethe only people to have been the grower of aNational Grand Champion Christmas tree andalso the National Outstanding Tree Farmers ofthe Year. In the sports world this would be theequivalent of an athlete winning the HeismanTrophy and the Cy Young Award.

It has been a long, interesting and eventfullife. Were you to ask me what is the mostimportant thing I ever did, I would withouthesitation say that accepting Jesus as my Saviormany years ago is more important than anythingelse. Without Him nothing else matters.

– October 2, 2007Fifteen members of the Kintigh family with President and Mrs. George H.W. Bush at the South Portico

of the White House in 1992.

Bob & Margaret Kintigh of Springfield, Oregon.


Senator Bob Kintigh presiding over a session of the Oregon State Senate.

Kintigh coordinates educational forestry tours on his ranch for professionals,school and civic groups and foreigners and write about natural resource issues.

“We work really hard to ensure that we are maximizing sustainable wood productionwithout hurting the environment, wildlife habitat or water resources,” says Kintigh.

Something else that grows on the Kintigh Tree Farm!

Celtic CultureIt’s the most wonderful

time of the year . . .for Nicholas Mosse pottery!

Receive a complimentary angled bowl in the red bird pattern with every $100.00

purchase of Nicholas Mosse pottery,through Dec. 31, 2007.

Goods from IrelGoods from IrelGoods from IrelGoods from IrelGoods from Irelananananand and and and and and thd thd thd thd the Britise Britise Britise Britise British Ish Ish Ish Ish Isllllleseseseses137 E137 E137 E137 E137 Easasasasast Mt Mt Mt Mt Main St in Ligonierain St in Ligonierain St in Ligonierain St in Ligonierain St in Ligonier 724-238-2420 724-238-2420 724-238-2420 724-238-2420 724-238-2420


Crystal Gayle Christmas Show

Saturday, November 24 8 PM Tickets $40 - $55

Meet Crystal at a post-show

Don’t It Make My Brown Eyes Blue.

A Christmas Carol

Bring the family to Dickens’ timeless

Scrooge encounters the ghosts of

special guest from the North Pole!

Friday, November 2310 AM Tickets $7, $8

The Palace Theatre Greensburg

724-836-8000

Adopt A Bone,Build The Future

This innovative andunique campaign allowsmembers of the public to“adopt” their very own bones fromdinosaurs like the armor–platedStegosaurus, the gentle giantDiplodocus (often known as Dippy),and the ultimate predatorTyrannosaurus rex.

All adoptions will beaccompanied by an official signedCertificate of Adoption and will lastfor the life of the exhibit. Adopters’names will also be listedpermanently on a donor plaque anda kiosk in the new hall.

Adoptions start at $25 for atooth and go all the way up to$10,000 for a dinosaur skull. Alladoptions are 100 percent tax-deductible and make for uniqueand unforgettable gifts – especiallyfor dinosaur lovers. Bones adoptedby November 30 will havecertificates delivered to theindividual purchasing the adoptionin time for the holidays.

How to Adopt:• Log on to www.adoptabone.org• Browse dinosaurs by specimen• Mouse over each dinosaurillustration to check bone prices &availability• After setting up your account,start selecting bones• Indicate to whom you want eachCertificate of Adoption made out• Come and see your dinosaurbones when Dinosaurs in Their Timeopens!

Allow for two to four weeks fordelivery of personalized certificate(s)by U.S. Mail. Adopt by November 30for delivery of certificate byChristmas. Certificates and lettersof acknowledgment will be maileddirectly to the bone adoptor. Theadoptor may then deliver thecertificate and acknowledgmentletter to the designated recipient.

All dinosaurs currently foradoption will be in the Dinosaurs inTheir Time permanent exhibit.More dinosaur skeletons will bemade available as the projectcontinues. Dinosaurs in Their Timespecimens available for adoption bythe public include:

• Allosaurus, a fierce andmenacing Jurassic predator.

• Camptosaurus, a smallherbivore from the Jurassic Period.• Diplodocus carnegii, the firstdinosaur ever discovered byCarnegie museum paleontologistsand named after Andrew Carnegie.This lumbering giant is one of thebiggest dinosaurs in the collectionat 90 feet long and 12 feet tall.• Dryosaurus: a delicateherbivore with a bird–like beak andfast–moving legs for avoidingpredators.• Stegosaurus: the Sherman tankof the Jurassic, best known for theplates located along its back andspikes on its tail.• Tylosaurus: a large predatorymarine reptile that lived in theseaway that stretched through theheartland of America.• Tyrannosaurus rex: the king ofall dinosaurs and one of the largestcarnivorous animals ever to havewalked the Earth. Both the originalholotype and cast specimen of T.rex will be available for adoption.

The Adopt-A-Bone CommunityCampaign supports the completionof Dinosaurs in Their Time, the $36million expansion and renovationof the historic Dinosaur Hall. Thegoal of the Adopt–A–Bone campaignis to raise $200,000. Currently $33million has been raised for thisdramatic new exhibit area in whichthe Mesozoic Era, also known as theAge of Dinosaurs, will be recreatedand the Carnegie dinosaursremounted in life-like poses.

Early AdoptionsThe quiet phase of Adopt–A–Bonecampaign began earlier in theyear. Corporate sponsors of Adopt–A–Bone were also allowed to offeradoptions to their employees aspart of their sponsorship. Adoptionswere also made available inSeptember and October to CarnegieMuseums employees and members.

As of October 16, 796 boneshave been adopted, worth$70,584. Currently 1,269 bonesand unlimited dinosaur teeth arestill available for adoption.

Carnegie Museum Kicks OffUltimate Holiday Gift Program


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TAKE IT ON FAITHRev. Wayne Sautter, Christ United Church of Christ - Latrobe

a humble thought

Make the Impossible Possible:One Man’s Crusade to Inspire Others to Dream Bigger

and Achieve the ExtraordinaryAccording to MacArthur Fellowship“genius” award winner Bill Strickland, asuccessful life is not something you simplypursue, it is something that you create,moment by moment. It is a realization hefirst came to when, as a poor kid growingup in a rough neighborhood of Pittsburgh,he encountered a high school ceramicsteacher who took him under his wing andwent on to transform his life.

Over the past thirtyyears, Bill Strickland hasbeen transforming the livesof thousands of peoplethrough the creation of theManchester Bidwell trainingcenter and community artsprogram. Working withcorporations, communityleaders, and schools, he andhis staff work to givedisadvantaged kids and adultsthe opportunities and toolsthey need to envision and builta better, brighter future.

Strickland believes thatevery one of us has thepotential for remarkableachievement. Every one of us canaccomplish the impossible in our lives ifgiven the right inspiration and motivationto do so. We all make ourselves “poor” in oneway or another when we accept that we arenot smart enough, experienced enough, ortalented enough to accomplish something.Bill Strickland works with the least

advantaged among us, and if he can helpthem achieve the impossible in their lives,think what each of us can do.

Among Bill Strickland’s beliefs:• People are born into this world as

assets, not liabilities. It’s all in the way wetreat people, (and ourselves), that determinesa person’s outcome• The sand in the hourglass flows only one

way. Stop going through themotions of living—savor eachand every day. Life is hereand now, not somethingwaiting for you in the future.• You don’t have to travelfar to change the life you’reliving. Bill grew up in thePittsburgh ghetto, four blocksfrom where he came to buildone of the foremost jobtraining centers in the world.He now speaks before CEOsand senators, churchcongregations and civicleaders. You only need tochange your thinking toremake your world.Through lessons from his

own life experiences, and those of countlessothers who have overcome theircircumstances and turned their livesaround, Make the Impossible Possible showshow all of us can build on our passions andstrengths, dream bigger and set the barhigher, achieve meaningful success andhelp mentor and inspire the lives of others.

Scattered square bits of image assemblinglike a satellite image after a rainstorm –scouring the neighborhood for discardedChristmas trees, dragging them to a vacantlot for for annual Christmas tree fort,crawling into the snug interior, smelling theconentrated odors of Scotch pine, balsam fir,Norway spruce and the odd cedar.

It is many years later, and rather thana fort, it is the thick spruce woods of Swan’sisland, Maine. Suddenly, there is a gash ofstark devastation. Silver skeletons lie at oddangles against each other and the earth. Ablow down on the windward side of the island.The eye stunned by the naked display of rootballs drying and bleaching in the sun, thenose intrudes with redemption, begging theeye to see more. the scared incense of youngspruce perfumes the air, even overcomingthe ever-present odor of the sea at low tide.What has the eye missed?

Erupting from the earth are thousandsof baby spruce trees, filling the air with theirsweet baby breath! Having waited patientlyin the earth for years, now is their time!Warmed by sunlight long hoarded by thecanopies of the larger trees, they grow in wildabandon. Nestled against each other forprotection and support, they form a green wallrising course by course from the forest floor.

Patience lies as buried in the soul as inthe forest floor. How long must we wait forour turn? Must something die beforesomething else can live? Cand we standshoulder to shoulder in glorious profusion,each adding strength to the whole, or mustwe struggle to rise above the rest, hoardingthe sunshine before our time? How muchlife is missed by seeing only death?

So many questions. Then comes the sweetbreath of baby spruce – the breath of God.

Just a humble thought . . .

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The use of a Christmas wreath as a decoration on yourfront door, mantel or bay window symbolizes a sign of welcome

and long life to all who enter.


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John Hanna, OwnerPHONE: (724) 537-5140

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‘Tis The Seasonby Jennifer Smoker

“Happy” Thanksgiving, “Happy” Chanukah,“Merry” Christmas and a “Happy” New Year!“It’s the most wonderful time of the year” butis it really? A former co-worker once confidedthat she wished she could “pull a Rip VanWinkle and miss the whole darn thingbecause this time of year is just toodepressing!” She’s not alone in thissentiment, as more than a million people ofall ages struggle with some degree of holidaydepression. For many, just the mention ofChristmas sends their blood pressure soaringas they consider all of the things that theyjust have to get done. For some, it’s a painfultime of year as they miss their loved ones,separated by death, distance and/ordisagreement. For others, it’s a time ofdisillusionment as they fail to achieve theperfect “Walton Family Christmas.” Whateverthe reasoning or the circumstance, theholidays are tough!

The good news is that with a little planningand perspective you can not only survive theholidays but actually enjoy them too! First, getorganized. Set achievable goals within amanageable time frame. Make a prioritizedlist of holiday activities focusing on what’smost important to you. For me it would beshopping. I love to shop (the thrill of thebargain), but you won’t find me anywhere neara store during the week before Christmas.The crowds are just too crazy! I have a friendwho hates shopping (she would rather have aroot canal than waste her time in a store.) soshe puts it off and buys everything at the lastpossible moment. Her gifts are alwaysbeautifully wrapped because for her it’s notChristmas without the ribbons and bows.Wrapping is not my cup of tea so I just throwthings in a gift bag with some tissue paper.We have different approaches and differentpriorities, but both are effective. It’s your list.Only you know what works for you.

Second, keep it real! It’s amazing howmuch pressure we put on ourselves to createthe ideal holiday according to mediastandards. Remember that television comeswith a ready-made script, life doesn’t. So thegravy is lumpy, Uncle Joe talks way too much

and the dog stinks. Realize, one day these willbe the things that make you laugh and smile.Mentally prepare yourself to expect theunexpected (stuff happens) and trust yourselfto handle whatever comes your way. No oneelse is perfect, why should you be?

Third, acknowledge your feelings. Maybeyou are tired and kind of sad. Every year, Imiss my Grandma. She always went that extramile to make Christmas special for us. Theholidays just aren’t the same without her. Thefirst couple of years after she passed, I put on abrave face and endured the holiday dinners. Itwasn’t until my cousin started reminiscingabout holidays past did I understand that Iwasn’t alone in my grief. It’s okay to reach outto family and friends. They taught me that thegreatest tribute we can pay to our departed lovedones is to honor them by passing on what we’velearned and creating new memories for thenext generation.

Next, give yourself a break – literally. Knowthat the best gift you can give your family andfriends is a happy, healthy you! Make aconscious effort to pace yourself. Sneak in a15-minute nap whether you need it or not. Gofor a walk or turn up the music and dancearound the kitchen. Do whatever it takes tode-stress both mentally and physically from allof hustle and bustle. In this way you will beready to celebrate to the fullest.

Finally, not everything has to come fromthe store. An elderly friend of mine claims thebest present she ever received came from her10-year-old neighbor girl who showed up witha basket of jigsaw puzzles and popcorn. Thissurprise gesture “Just made the Holiday!” Shewas even more touched when the little girlcame back to help with the puzzles. My friendtreasured their time spent together much morethan the actual gift. People just need to knowthat they are valued. A phone call, an e-card, aplate of homemade cookies doesn’t really cost allthat much but to the recipient they are priceless!

Count your blessings; be kind and generouswith yourself and those you love. We all get bluefrom time to time. Remember to embrace thespirit of holidays and experience them in thetruest sense!

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Ligonier Gingerbread House Contest Entry Form


Saturday & Sunday, Nov. 24-25, 1:30 - 9:00 pmThursday, Nov. 29, 7:00 - 9:00 pmFriday & Saturday, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 1:30 - 9:00 pmSunday, Dec. 2, 12:00 - 4:00 pm

Present this ad to receive 50¢ off one $3.00 admission.

18th Annual Festival of Lights at the Warden MansionCorner of Church & Walnut Streets, Mt. Pleasant, PA

Tour this National Register of Historic Places home decorated for the holidaysand filled with Christmas trees available for purchase.

Sponsored by Braddock Trail Chapter DAR & Laurel Highlands Chamber of Commerce.

Latrobe Presbyterian ChurchLatrobe Presbyterian ChurchLatrobe Presbyterian ChurchLatrobe Presbyterian ChurchLatrobe Presbyterian ChurchInvites you to join us for an eveningInvites you to join us for an eveningInvites you to join us for an eveningInvites you to join us for an eveningInvites you to join us for an evening

of readings and musicof readings and musicof readings and musicof readings and musicof readings and music

A Festival of Nine Lessons and CarolsA Festival of Nine Lessons and CarolsA Festival of Nine Lessons and CarolsA Festival of Nine Lessons and CarolsA Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols

December 16, 7:30 PM – Unity ChapelDecember 16, 7:30 PM – Unity ChapelDecember 16, 7:30 PM – Unity ChapelDecember 16, 7:30 PM – Unity ChapelDecember 16, 7:30 PM – Unity Chapel

Featuring Harpist: Christine MazzaFeaturing Harpist: Christine MazzaFeaturing Harpist: Christine MazzaFeaturing Harpist: Christine MazzaFeaturing Harpist: Christine MazzaWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia UniversityWest Virginia University

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In 1947, Toys for Tots started making the holidays a little happier for childrenby organizing its first Christmas toy drive for needy youngsters.


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Try one of our fresh and

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Gather with friends to enjoy fireside outdoor

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Please call for an AppointmentSchedule Holiday Appointments Early

“What The World Needs Now”Laurel Area Faith In Action

…is love, sweet love. Sharing love – that itwhat “community” is about. And, it is seenevery day in many ways working through theLaurel Area Interfaith Volunteer CaregiversFaith in Action program. Their mission is “toenhance the quality of life for persons 60years and older who reside in the GreaterLatrobe and Ligonier areas by providingcompanionship and assistance.”

We often hear or read terms like “buildingcommunity” and “sense of commun-ity”…Laurel Area Faith in Action puts a faceon “community”. They have been workingsince January 2002 to build a community oforganizations, congregations, businesses,agencies and individuals reaching out to helpthe growing elderly population.

Community is Laurel Faith in Action receivingreferrals from the Area Agency on Aging andExcela Health for clients who need a ride tothe doctor or grocery shopping. It is the youthfrom Adelphoi Village group homes shovelingsnow and cutting grass for their elderlyneighbors. It is over 100 youth from clubs,schools, and churches raking leaves every fall.

Community is a pre-med student intern fromSaint Vincent College organizing cookingclasses – elderly cooks teaching young boysand girls how to make noodles, soup, cookies,meatballs, ham loaf… It is a retired engineervisiting a man who suffers from Parkinson’sdisease so that his wife can run to the storeor doctor. Sometimes they go to the mall or apark for a walk and always enjoy stimulatingdiscussions.

Community is the many individuals who visitMary. She has outlived her family and friendsand is determined to stay in the home whereshe was born 92 years ago. Mary is partiallyparalyzed and spends her days in a wheelchairsurrounded by a community of love. Aidesthrough the Area Agency on Aging visit to helpher bathe and keep her house clean (alwaysneat as a pin!). Volunteers deliver her Mealson Wheels five days a week. Her neighborchecks with her when she is running to thestore to get her small list that always includesice cream. And, Faith in Action volunteers,aged six to sixty, stop by for a visit. Sheespecially looks forward to her Sunday visitswhen Meg brings Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Community is neighbors helping neighbors -showing and sharing love. It is aboutenriching lives and being enriched in return.The Laurel Area Faith in Action program is overtwo hundred volunteers, aged three to eightythree, helping more than two hundred elderlyneighbors every month. It is allowing them toremain in their homes with dignity and quality oflife. And, it is forever changing the volunteer’slives and the community in which we live.

Laurel Faith in Action is in many ways anincubator that grows individual responsibilityand initiative, kindness and philanthropy,community awareness and respect. This workhelps to create a community that is a dynamicand expansive place where people want to liveand raise families.

Opportunities to volunteer are many and thecommitment is just two hours per week – anytwo hours, any day and any time. Volunteersof all ages decide what services they wish toprovide and receive full training. Elderlyneighbors are waiting right now for friendlyvisits, rides to the store, grocery shopping, helppaying bills, a changed light bulb in the hallway,a friendly call, and some love, sweet love. Pleasevolunteer today and join the fastest growingvolunteer organization in the community!

– By Jane KerrExecutive Director, Laurel Area Faith in Action

Laurel Area Interfaith Volunteer Caregivers, Inc.Faith in ActionP.O. Box 854

1414 Ligonier StreetLatrobe, PA 15650

[email protected]

www.laurelfia.org

Students (and puppy) from Saint VincentCollege raking leaves.

Learning to make noodles from the “pro’s”at the Latrobe Senior Center.


Contact: SueAnn ZippiIndependent Consultant

[email protected]

www.LaurelFIA.org

Our Mission is to enhance the quality of life for persons 60 years and older who residein the Greater Latrobe and Ligonier Areas by providing companionship and assistance.

Volunteer caregivers are trained to assist elderly individuals with the following:• Transportation • Errands• Caregiver relief • Friendly visiting and telephone calls• Correspondence • Small household repairs and chores• Yard Work • Link with other community services

We are all called to reach out and help our neighbor. Knowing who to help and how tohelp is sometimes a greater challenge that helping, though. The Laurel Area Faith inAction program makes it easy for all to help.

We ask volunteers to commit just two hours per week and we provide great flexibility— you choose what you want to do and when you can do it. Get involved today!

724-539-4357 • [email protected]

THE REC ROOMJim Kasperik

What Are You Thankful For?At this time of year, many peoplebegin to reflect on the year that haspassed and all the good things thatthey have in their lives. Peoplebegin to count their blessings andare thankful . . . but thankful forwhat? Friends? Family? GoodHealth? Sure all those areimportant and I am very thankfulfor them, but what about some otherreally important parts of life?

What about being thankful forliving in this hotbed of sports?!? Surethe Laurel Highlands is beautiful andhas a great deal to offer, but I forone am thankful for the sports thathappen here! Whether it bewatching your favorite teams orparticipating in your favoritesporting activity, the LaurelHighlands is the place to be.

Our Teams

Since I am a die-hard football fan,I could not ask for any better placeto live! I often times think whatif I had been born in Cleveland orBaltimore. I would probably berooting for the Browns or theRavens and that in itself is badenough. But what about wearingthose hideous colors those teamswear? The poor Browns’ fanshaving to wear that terrible brownand orange and the Ravens’ fanshaving to sport their awful purpleand yellow. Then there is thegood old Black and Gold! Youcannot go wrong with those colorsand for that, I am thankful!

But more than colors, it’s theteams. As a true and loyal fan oflocal sports, how can it be betterat this time of the year? We havethe Steelers off to another greatstart and under new leadership.If it is possible to have the rabidfans of Steeler Nation more intorooting for their team, then it isactually happening. All you haveto do to see how much we localfans love the Steelers is just goto an away game.

I am lucky that I have had theopportunity to go and see severalSteelers away games over the lastseveral seasons. I am thankfulthat I get to see the best sport fans

in the country travel and representour area so well. I have been to placessuch as Cincinnati, Indianapolis,and San Diego over the last few yearsand it never ceases to amaze me howthe Steeler Nation shows up to rootfor their team. A couple of weeksago, I made my most recent roadtrip to Arizona. Even though it wasa rough game for the team, it wasgreat to hear an away stadiumcheering as loudly for the Steelersas it did for the home team! I amproud and thankful to be part of theSteeler Nation.

Our RecreationalOpportunities

So we can all be thankful as sportsfans for our local teams, but whatabout the great recreationalopportunities that the LaurelHighlands area offers? We areblessed to have so many activitiesto participate in on a year roundbasis. During the year oppor-tunities abound for us to get outthere and get involved in some greatactivities. We can ride some of thenicest bike trails out there, we canrun in a great number of local races,we can play golf on some of the finestcourses in the country and we canhike through some beautifulscenery as well. Now that winter isfast approaching we have SevenSprings waiting for us to fall, I meanski down the mountain!

Truly Blessed

So at this time of the year we shouldbe thankful and feel blessed.Thankful for the opportunities wehave and thankful for being able tolive in such a great area of thecountry. I have seen many friendsmove away from the LaurelHighlands area only to come backbecause they missed family, friendsand also what our area offers.

Our area has so manyrecreational activities to offer. I hopeeveryone enjoys there holidayseason and enjoys some sports forthe holidays…whether you arewatching, rooting or participating!Happy Holidays and Good Sporting!


REPARTEE FOR TWOBarbara M. Neill

Need A Little Music, Laughter, Or Happy Ever After?The Valley Players of Ligonier

I may be going out on the proverbiallimb here, but hasn’t the theatercrowd been notorious forcenturies? In ancient times therewere the Greeks and Romans.Need I elaborate? (The originalactor was the Greek performerThespis. The Granddaddy of allthespians, he is still rumored to bein existence as a mischievousspirit who causes theatricalmishaps.) The medieval travelingtroupe was a motley male crew,widely enjoyed perhaps, but lookedon as decidedly lower class.Shakespearean players weresomewhat more polished, but stilllacked esteem.

Quasi-respectable 19th centuryluminaries like native-born EdwinBooth and the Englishman EdmundKean did emerge. But, even thegentlemanly Players Club founderBooth courted infamy as thebrother of Public Enemy #1 JohnWilkes Booth, and the reveredKean was fond of the notuncommon practice ofentertaining his patrons under theinfluence – still an oft-used methodof acting. When females werefinally permitted to take the stage,audiences viewed the likes ofscandalous sirens such as Lola“Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets”Montez, Sarah Bernhardt, Collette,and the legendary Eleonora Duse.In 1923 The Duse became the first

woman to be featured on the coverof Time magazine only to die inPittsburgh the next year at theHotel Schenley (today the WilliamPitt Union at the University ofPittsburgh).

In time the career did gainsome respectability due in part tothe money and fame it couldgenerate. Unfortunately, the illrepute of some participants didn’twane appreciably. During the 20th

century numerous greats trod theboards and are remembered fortheir arresting performances, andoccasionally their arrests. Granted,for every shocking Barrymore,Bankhead or Brando there was anequally praiseworthy Adams, Arlissor Adler. Verdict prediction for 21st

century thespians would bepremature, but history does havea tendency to repeat itself.

Locally, the Valley Players ofLigonier has achieved a notorietyof an entirely different sort. In factits members could rightly bereferred to as the VIPs of Ligonier.The group’s renown is firmly basedin a rich and colorful 42-yearhistory. Achievements include along list of outstanding and variedproductions, the purchase andrestoration of a permanent home,The Ligonier Theater, and a levelof camaraderie amongst the multi-talented performers that is hard tosurpass.

Shining VP stars that havebeen extinguished but have notdimmed, are those of Rita Frank,Eloise Brock, Walter St. Clair,Clarence Graham, Dave Albert, andRalph Kurtz. Sadly, these late VPassociates (and numerous others)cannot personally contribute to thiscolumn, but they are rememberedfondly by many for their vision anddedication. Also missing from thisrendering are many individualsinvolved in current VP ventures.Showcased here are just some ofthe people who endured thegrowing pains and garnered theglories of a community theatergroup as it matured.

For the holiday edition ofRepartee for Two the columnistfeels “We need a little Christmas!”With that in mind, I have invitedthe Valley Players to hang thetinsel. I will merely provide theevergreen bough.

The Laurel Mountain Post ProudlyPresents: (In order of appearancein the Valley Players of Ligonier)

Tessa Smith(Breeder of Llewellin Setters)VP Performer, Director, Crew Member

When I joined the Valley Players in1968 they were doing their showsas dinner theater at the HolidayInn (now the Ramada Inn) inLigonier. They did not have a realtheater to perform in. We arrangedto use Town Hall and I believe I was

the first person to direct a playthere. This was huge! The townwas very proud of their beautifulTown Hall, so the officials were alittle apprehensive about lettingthe local theater group do a play init. We had to be very careful not todamage the wooden stage floor. Ithink the first show we did wasPrivate Lives by Noel Coward. I guessI was asked to direct because I amEnglish! (Tessa is too modest totell you that she was also trainedat the Royal Academy of DramaticArt in London.) After this we usedTown Hall exclusively. A few ofthe shows I was involved in includeThe Odd Couple, A Majority of One,and A Streetcar Named Desire (asBlanche). My involvement with theVP ended when we moved fromLigonier in 1973.

Chet Jaworski(Wine Trade Consultant, NewspaperColumnist) VP Performer, Crew Member

I began my tenure in the theaterin 1971 when I was “conned” intothe VP production of Stalag 17. Thiswas quite a stretch for the groupas I believe there were 20 malesin the production and I don’t thinkthere were 20 males in the entireorganization at that time. It wasalso the debut of Ralph Kurtz as adirector. It seems that everyonein the Players was recruiting and Iwas approached by a friend whoenticed me with the promise offree beer and a line I will alwaysremember, “We only need you toput on a uniform, carry a gun andstand around in a group…nothingmore, I promise.” Next thing Iknew someone says “read thissection” and I have a supportingrole and 700+ lines. It was downhillfrom there as I couldn’t get enoughof it and was cast following thatopening experience in South Pacificand Guys and Dolls. At that point Ilearned I could sing. I ended thingswith Arsenic and Old Lace. I hadbroken my leg 10 months beforethat show and hadn’t planned to beinvolved. But Tom Devereux askedme if I’d do the part and you cannever miss a chance to workunder a director of his stature. Infact it was Father Tom who oncecommented, “What you peoplehave done is impossible, yet I havejust watched it happen.” It didn’tseem that big a deal as during thisdevelopment period it was a teameffort. We had people in charge ofsets and costumes, but everyonepitched in.

I managed to have somesuccess in all three disciplines –drama, musicals, and comedy. Nottoo many are crazy enough to tryall three, but it was a learningprocess and when you did pull it offit was extremely gratifying. It alsowas a sort of “job security,” asdirectors always had you at the topof their list as someone who coulddo just about anything they asked.I was also very particular aboutwhat I did. It had nothing to doabout the level of character. It hadeverything to do about the play.When it is all over, theater at anylevel is only about one thing – youraudience. They are never the

Cathi Rhodes performs as country musicchanteuse Patsy Cline in a recent VP production.

The ever debonair Chet Jaworski -definitely a “Player.”


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same, but they are the driving forcebehind your performance. If they areslow, you push to bring them up; ifthey are into the show from thecurtain, you strive to drive themhigher. You’re up there to entertainand send people home feeling thatthey have been truly entertained andhave not wasted their time.

Audrey Tostevin(Retired Preschool Owner and TravelingPuppet Troupe Director) VP Performer,Director, Board Member, Committee Member

My first involvement with the VP wasin 1973. I played Eleanor of Aquitainein The Lion in Winter, and most recentlyI directed Over the River and Throughthe Woods in 2004. My favorite showis The Foreigner, which I directed ontwo occasions in 1987 and 2001. Inboth productions a piece of stagebusiness elicited audience applauseat every show. (“Stage Business” isdefined by Dictionary.com asincidental activity performed by anactor for dramatic effect.) Many timesactors have received a hand during aperformance, but to my knowledge,this was a first for stage business. Mymost gratifying portrayal as an actresswas as Martha Brewster in Arsenicand Old Lace. What a talented cast -Mary Lu George, Clarence Graham,Tom Moore, Kathy Varner, ChesterJaworski, Hal Dwyer, Jim Mikula,Ron Tostevin, E. Kay Myers, BuddyHelterbran, and Frank Reynolds.Altogether we probably had over 350years of theater experience!

Carol Curtis(Retired Music and Private Piano Teacher)VP Musical Director, Pianist, Board Member

I was a young widow and my friendDave Albert suggested my name tothe VP board of directors. I was askedto play the piano for Brigadoon, andafterward I became the musicaldirector and pianist. Annie Get yourGun was next, and I asked Clarence

Graham to direct. It was his first timeas a director for the VP and what funit was! The show had a great cast thatincluded my sons, Tom and Jim.Along with Roger Turrill they sang thetwo trios behind Annie. Our biggestsuccess and Fiddler on the Roof. Tevyawas played by Clarence and my sonsperformed the “bottle dance.” Thatshow was my favorite and Clarence’sas well. I also did many shows withJim Mikula, who I admired a lot.The time of my involvement (1974-1984/2001) with the VP is amarvelous memory.

Jim Mikula(Retired Theater, Film, and English Teacherfor the GLSD, Ligonier Country MarketManager, Latrobe Farmers’ Market Manager,Quilter) VP Performer, Director,Choreographer, Board Member

One of my first shows was See HowThey Run in 1976 and my latest showwas the musical Clue in the summerof 2005. My favorite VP years werethe 1980s and 1990s when I directeda number of highly successfulmusicals – Fiddler on the Roof, Camelot,Man of La Mancha, Will Rogers Follies,Godspell, Into the Woods and numerousothers. Many of the performances forthese shows were sold out at Town Halland many life-long friendships wereestablished during those years.

Jennifer Redfield Rainey(Estimator for Olympia Steel Buildings,Director of Development and VolunteerOperations for the Project to End HumanTrafficking) VP Child Performer

I can think of so many 1970s VPmemories…my older brother havingto suffer through wearing tights as acast member in a Shakespeareanproduction…my mother and thedirector of The Bad Seed concernedthat I had stage fright because myknee caps moved up and downrepetitively when I was standing

continued on page 15

One talented trio - former VP Musical Director Carol Curtisflanked by the late Clarence Graham (left) and Sam Farls

.

How Do I Love Thee?(In 25 words or less)

Send your Valentine a Love Letter via the Laurel Mountain Post for our January/February edition.Content must be G-Rated and family-friendly. Send with a check for $10 to: Laurel Mountain Post,

PO Box 227, Latrobe, PA 15650. Deadlline for submissions is December 15.

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THE LIGONIER CHEFScott Sinemus

A Stress-Free Boost for the HolidaysRecently while I was sitting nearlymotionless on the parkway in Steeler gametraffic I tried daydreaming about the holidaysthis year to keep my road rage inremission…for the record: the left lane isfor passing not traveling in someone’s blindspot for miles! I also began hoping this pastholiday season would be the last of my lifewhere there was a green Christmas and awhite Easter, something seems inherentlywrong with that scenario.

I remembered last year how manydifferent functions we wound up having toattend, quite often back to back. Going to acocktail and hors d’oeuvre party afterworking all day is a lovely way to end a day,but annoying at the same time as a fewnibblies don’t really constitute dinner, plusafter the party wraps up there’s very littletime left to come home and make dinner ina timely manner. Stopping somewhere afterbeing gone from home all day is really thelast thing we want to do. The saving graceis finding individually portioned componentsfor dinner in the freezer.

During the slight lull between FortLigonier Days and Thanksgiving last year, Ispent a few days making and freezingdifferent hors d’oeuvre, cakes, andcasseroles in anticipation of a busy season.True it’s not often we get the chance to spenda day or two just cooking away; but, it’s veryeasy whenever you’re making dinner duringthe week to make double the amount you needand freeze half of it. I heard someone once callthis having “planned overs” instead of leftovers.I thought it was an extremely perceptiveconcept. Usually a larger pot of stew or saucehas a better flavor than a small batch anyway.

Sometimes no matter how muchadvanced planning I do I still get to feelinglike I’m completely out of energy and justdon’t have the will to do anything but crash.Fortunately this past summer I got an e-mailto try and review a product called “E-Boost”.The claims of enhanced energy, wellness,prevention or quick cure of a cold piqued myinterest. The celebrity endorsements werefairly impressive as well. Heidi Klum,Kirsten Dunst, even Lance Armstrong. Itslimited availability in such couture venuesas the Mondrian, the Shore Club and HardRock and W Hotels as well as online(www.eboost.com) made me want to try it evenmore. So I replied to the e-mail for samples,which arrived in only a couple of days.

Not only did it give me almost boundlessenergy, it tasted good! I have tried a similarproduct called Emergen-C at a friend’s house,but couldn’t get past the taste…it was like

dissolved Flintstone vitamins, a taste bestleft forgotten in my childhood memories.It’s not the slap in your face pick me up thesugar and caffeine-laden energy drinks have;instead, about 15 minutes after taking it Iwas aware that I was completely motivatedto get my to do list started. I’m also pleasedto say there isn’t the ‘crash’ that comes withthose drinks either. The crash from E-boostis more along the lines of… hmm, what do Ihave to do next? After looking around yourealize you’ve finished everything on your todo list and instead of a crash there’s a feelingof satisfaction and accomplishment withoutfeeling tired. We’ve kept a supply of E-booston hand ever since. Several of our friendsas well as ourselves take one every morningand haven’t gotten sick even when it seemedeveryone we knew was catching the changeof season colds. We also keep a couple ofpackets in the car so that if we’re out on along day, but still have evening obligationswe can mix one up in a bottle of water andcarry on like a champ.

Having a source of energy so close at handcertainly helps alleviate a nice amount ofholiday stress. A few other things that canrelieve a little stress for the holidays are:• Don’t volunteer to take something to aparty if you don’t have the time to make it• Keep a list of your favorite restaurantstake away menus in your car just incasesomething happens and you need to picksomething up on the fly• Stock up on crackers, cheeses, dried andcured meats and other pantry items with alonger shelf life incase unexpected guestsstop by.• Keep mixers and liquor on hand. A bottleof wine is a cinch for a hostess gift• Ask your friends out to dinner instead ofcooking for them• Try to remember getting together withfriends, families and loved ones should bemore about spending time catching up andenjoying each others company, not aboutkeeping up with the Jones’ last party.

I’m actually looking forward to theholidays more this year than I usually do.It’s been a long year with many unexpectedcircumstances, but just when I was about tolose hope something good would happen tokeep my spirits up. It is my hope that youfind all the joy and magic possible for yourholidays this year.

For more information about E-Boost,please visit their website at:

www.eboost.com

1856, President Franklin Pierce decorated the first White HouseChristmas tree.


SHOPS AROUND THE CORNERGetting To Know Unique Local Businesses and the People Behind Them

Sabika JewelryBringing Joy, Beauty and Opportunity to Women of All Back-grounds

ComTechDedicated to Doing the Job Right the First Time!

during rehearsals (I was really justmoving my knee caps forsomething to do)…the day mymother and I were in a caraccident and came from thehospital straight to theperformance of Annie Get YourGun…the crazy cast parties withthe “uniquely chosen” awards foreach person…my third graderomance with Chris Kurtz …Ithink that what I remember themost is the feeling of family…ofbeing around people from all walksof life that were there for acommon goal – to have fun…it wasalways hard when the showsended...having to say goodbye.

Cathi Rhodes(Administrative Assistant for PowercastCorporation) VP Performer, Director,Choreographer, Crew and CommitteeMember

I performed in Oliver! in 1987,returned from working withnumerous theaters to audition forthe VP production of 1940s RadioHour on Sept 11, 2001 and neverleft! I have met my dearest friendsthrough the VP “family.” Weproudly uphold professionalstandards with the work that goesinto every production. My mostrewarding role was directing andstarring in Always…Patsy Cline,selling out 10 shows. Otherfavorites include The Taffetas andRoute 66. Our audiences here arethe very best! My “job” as a ValleyPlayer is to invite the publicthrough our doors, have them forgettheir troubles for 2 hours andENJOY! I truly appreciate theopportunities to entertain ourwonderful audiences. It is my wayof giving back to the community.

* * * * *

Chet Jaworski states, “In our littledressing area hung a sign that youare likely to find in most theaterdressing rooms – Dying is easy,Comedy is hard. Truer words werenever spoken.” A fitting finale fora holiday contribution thathopefully leaves my readerssmiling easily and hauling outthe holly!

Read more about the histories of the ValleyPlayers of Ligonier and the LigonierTheater at www.valleyplayers.org.Production schedules and additionalinformation are available online or call 724-238-6514.


Sabika is a gorgeous line of unique necklaces,pendants, bracelets, earrings and rings created foreveryday use. All pieces are made of lightweight,non-precious metals with Bohemian beads orSwarovski Crystal. They are definitely glamorous,but not too fussy to wear with jeans and a t-shirt.Ranging from $22 - $189, the entire collection isaffordable. All pieces are hand made in Austria bywomen in the comfort of the own homes and soldexclusively through a home party network.

Sabika Classic Jewerly are best loved piecesthat are always available. In addition the theClassics, we have a Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter Collection. These collections are only soldfor six months or untill sold out. Sabika brings joy,beauty and opportunity to women of all back-grounds.

“We are a young company very much on theexpand, and I am eager to recruit additionalConsultants in our area,” she said. “I want tocontinue to share with my customers the wealthof jewelry fashion information, that we continuallylearn from the designer/owner of Sabika, KarinMayr of Pittsburgh.”

Sue Ann is the Chapter Rep for the NorwinChapter of Women’s Business Network, andMember of the OSIA (Order Sons of Italy inAmerica), Emilia Sammartino Lodge, Crabtree.She thinks the greatest aspect of her communityare the sincere, kind, helpful, friendly, supportivepeople who live here.

To host your own jewelry party or simply to findout more about the opportunities we provide,

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Comtech is a Computer sales and service centerlocated at 200 West Main Street in Ligonier, PA.Owner, Timm Vanderelli, has over 30 years ofexperience servicing computers and all types ofelectronics.

They are one of the few locations inWestmoreland County that is an authorized tosell a full line of Apple© computers and softwareproducts. They also carry peripherals andaccessories, and provide networking capabilitiesfor many local businesses. Timm and hisexperienced staff can even custom build a PC foryou!

Comtech is the only computer sales andservice provider in Ligonier, but that’s not theonly reason for customers to choose Comtech.

Amy Nicely, Office Administrator explains:“Because we are a smaller business

operating in a small town, we know all of ourcustomers personally. There is a mutual respectand trust in our relationships with customersthat you won’t find in a larger environment.” Amyadds, “This is a very nice work environment, aswell. The staff are all generous and friendly, andTimm is very flexible with work schedules,which is important, too.”

They are all about service and take care ofmany small businesses in the area. Timm andhis staff are dedicated to doing the job right thefirst time!

Comtech200 West Main Street, Ligonier, PA 15658 724-238-0560

www.comtechservice.com


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‘Tis the Season for theAmerican Red Cross, Chestnut Ridge Chapter’s

17th Annual Holiday Dinner

“Because It’s Christmas!”(December 6, 2007, Mountain View Inn, Rt. 30, Greensburg)

Yes, it’s hard to believe, but it’s thattime of year again! This year’sdinner theme is “Because it’sChristmas!” As in years past, thisfundraiser will prove to be anunforgettable evening in which ourguests, contributors, boardmembers, volunteers and staff willunite to celebrate the continuingvision of building a community thatis prepared for any type ofemergency. Whether it is respondingto the critical need for blood, teachinghow to administer CPR, or aidingdisaster victims in need,

The American Red Crossis always there to serve.

The Chestnut Ridge Chapterneeds your support to continue toimprove the quality of life for all

members of our community.Won’t you please help us in ourefforts to prepare for thisfundraiser by donating an auctionitem(s) so that we may fill the roomwith dazzling gifts?

“Our community hasconsistently demonstrated itssupport for our chapter throughthe incredible number of items wereceive each year,” said MarlenePetro, Executive Director.

The evening’s festivities willinclude a Live, Silent and ChineseAuction, Super Raffle and MysteryBoxes – all which offer guestsmany opportunities to win greatprizes. Prizes in the past haveincluded helicopter rides, weekendgeta-ways, golf foursomes, artworkand sports memorabilia.

Plan to join the Red Cross onDecember 6 at Mountain View Inn.“It is a beautiful venue in whichto hold our annual dinner,”according to Jean Krouse,Committee Co-Chair. It is full ofambience and truly captures theholiday spirit.”

Tickets are $35 and include:Meal consisting of appetizers,combo plate of Chicken Romano &Sirloin of Beef w/ vegetable medley,rolls, coffee/tea and strawberrycake. A vegetarian meal of StuffedPasta is also available. The cashbar opens at 5:00, Hors d’oeuvreswill be served at 5:30, and thedinner begins at 6:00.

“I have heard many wonderfulcomments about the AnnualDinner, and being new to theorganization, this will be my firsttime attending this event,”explained Petro. I am very muchlooking forward to seeing themagic.”

Marlene Petro was recentlyhired as the new ExecutiveDirector replacing Kristina Swank.Petro, a native of New Kensington,

sought out opportunities with theChestnut Ridge Chapter after thechapter responded to her family’shouse fire in 2005.

“I wanted to give somethingback to Red Cross because itsignificantly impacted my family inour time of need. Had it not beenfor the Red Cross, my family wouldhave definitely suffered a greatdeal more.”

All of the money raised fromthis event stays within theChestnut Ridge Service Area,which includes Northern andSoutheastern WestmorelandCounty: Allegheny Twp., Arnold,Derry Borough, Derry Twp., EastVandergrift, Hyde Park, Latrobe,Ligonier Borough, LigonierTownship, Lower Burrell, NewAlexandria, New Kensington,Oklahoma Borough, Upper Burrell,Unity Twp., Youngstown,Washington Twp., West Leechburg.

For more information, please contactthe Chestnut Ridge Chapter of the AmericanRed Cross at: 1816 Lincoln Avenue; Latrobe,PA 15650; 724-537-3911; [email protected] • www.redcross-crc.org

Did you know that more than 93% of our funding is funneled directly into our community services?Also, our Chapter’s Health & Safety department

is ranked 4th in the nation. Your increased donationwould allow us to continue enhancing

our already recognized services


Clichés can be corny, but occasionally afamiliar phrase really does say it best.Harold Stover is to be admired for his “varietyis the spice” way of life. Existence iscertainly more interesting when goals areaccomplished by diverse ways and means.Stover, a native Latrobean who now residesin Portland, ME, is an excellent example ofmusical multiplicity personified. His skillsas an organist, director, composer, andlecturer are impressive indeed.

Harold Stover was born in 1946 as afourth generation member of the LatrobePresbyterian Church. After studying organwith LPC’s Minister of Music, Robert Ivey,Stover attended Carnegie Institute ofTechnology (now Carnegie MellonUniversity) and The Julliard School. Heserved as Organist and Choirmaster ofSecond Presbyterian Church in New YorkCity from 1968 until 1992. As the founderand director of the “Music at Second” churchprogram series, he presented diverse choral,instrumental, and keyboard compositions.In 1986 IBM Salute to the Arts, a nationallysyndicated radio program, showcased thisseries in an hour-long profile. Since 1992Stover has held the position of Organist andDirector of Music of Woodfords Congre-gational Church in Portland, ME. In additionhe directs the chamber chorus RenaissanceVoices and is on the faculty of the PortlandConservatory of Music.

As a performer, Stover has appeared asa critically acclaimed organist in venues asvaried as the Riverside Church and theCathedral of St. John the Divine in NewYork, the National Cathedral in Washington,D.C., Westminster Abbey in London, England,and St. Mary’s Cathedral in Edinburgh,Scotland, to name but a few. Add to thisassorted concert performances with the NewYork Philharmonic as an orchestral andchamber ensemble organist.

His widely performed and recordedcompositions include keyboard music,choral and vocal music, chamber andorchestral music, electronic music, and filmscores. Stover has had numerous writingspublished and has lectured extensivelyregionally and nationally. He was listed inThe International Who’s Who of Music andMusicians in 1984 and in 1989 was namedan Anniversary Associate of the AlbertSchweitzer Fellowship.

On Sunday, November 11th at 7:30 p.m.Harold Stover will perform an organ recitalin memory of his parents, Harold EllsworthStover and Clare Gibson Stover, at theLatrobe Presbyterian Church. You might saythe range of compositions runs the gamutfrom A to V. Recital selections begin withComes Autumn Time (Sowerby) and ends witha set of Stover compositions that includesThe Starry Night (after Vincent Van Gogh),from Nocturnes, Book I. True to Mr. Stover’sform it looks to be a night of entertaininglistening for attendees!

When recently contacted, Stoveranswered the following questions for theLaurel Mountain Post.

LMP: Which audiences do you find to bemore organ-friendly – American orEuropean?

HS: I’ve actually found them quite similar.On both sides of the Atlantic you typically findgeneral music lovers who go to manydifferent types of concerts and organaficionados who are passionate (andopinionated!) about the instrument and itsmusic. Also, it’s always gratifying to meetsomeone who has come not knowing muchabout what he or she was to hear, who mayonly associate the organ with horror moviesoundtracks, and who leaves surprised anddelighted by the range of expression that afine organ can communicate.

LMP: Could you give your assessment ofthe LPC organ that you saw and heard lastfall when you attended the recital givenby Alan Morrison?

HS: Although the Schantz Organ Companyhas a long history and has built thousands oforgans in many parts of the country, theyhave relatively few instruments in NewEngland, so I was eager to hear this exampleof their most recent work. The Latrobe organhas a very rich and varied range of sounds,with some very beautiful soft voices. Thefull organ has plenty of power but it is wellscaled to the room and never harsh. I enjoyedlistening to it and am very much lookingforward to playing it.

LMP: Have you any fulfilling non-musicalinterests or activities in your life that youwould care to tell our readers about?

HS: I’ve always been an avid reader and Iusually have at least one book going. I’vebuilt a couple of model railroad layouts,although my trains are presently packed upin our barn. My wife and I enjoy working onour 1850 farmhouse in rural Maine. Havingreturned to my country roots after so manyyears in New York City, I find living amidthe beauties of the changing seasons to bewonderfully centering for both mind andspirit.

LMP: Would you care to share anyremembrances from your Latrobe days?

HS: I grew up in the 1950s in the countryoutside of Latrobe. With a bunch of friendsfrom up and down the road and an extendedfamily full of cousins in the Latrobe area itwas a good time and place to spend achildhood. I later wound up living on theUpper West Side of Manhattan for 25 yearsbefore moving to Northern New England, butI’ve always felt connected to my WesternPennsylvania heritage.

For more information about Harold Stover visitwww.haroldstover.com To learn more about his LPCorgan recital visit www.latrobepc.org or call 724-537-3631.

The Spicy Life of Harold Stoverby Barbara M. Neill

American Red Cross,Chestnut Ridge Chapter’s

17th AnnualHoliday Dinner

December 6Mountain View Inn

Unite with us tocelebrate the continuing

vision of building acommunity that is preparedfor any type of emergency.

R.S.V.P.724-537-3911

Chestnut Ridge Chapter

1816 Lincoln Avenue • Latrobe, PA 15650724-537-3911

[email protected] • www.redcross-crc.org


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DERRY REMEMBRANCESRuth Richardson

Christmas Toys for Girls OR BoysI wonder if Sears is still churningout a million of those thick, toy-filled Christmas catalogs andsending them to all the good littleboys and girls in my neighborhood?When I was a little girl, it was justabout this time of the year that ourmailman would deliver thatmagical book to my mailbox inWest Derry. After its arrival, mybrother and I couldn’t wait to leafthrough those pages and start ourChristmas lists. Those Sears guys- what marketing geniuses! Everyyear, just in time for our North Poleletter writing extravaganza, theywould introduce to us, in fabulousdetail and full color, all of the thingsthey told us we couldn’t livewithout. That catalog and Saturdaymorning television commercialsgave my brother and me all theinformation we needed to completeour lists for Santa Claus.

As Christmas drew near, wewould sit at the kitchen table andwrite our letters to Santa. Afterseveral days of studying the BigBook, I would reference my listagainst the dog-eared pages of thatcatalog. My brother, Keith alsocross checked his letter againstthe pages he had marked. Mommade us take turns with thecatalog since I needed to see thegirls’ pages and my brother onlywanted the boys’ pages. A lot of thetoys from the fifties and sixtieswere specifically geared foreither boys or girls. Some toys,like the board games, were funfor everyone, but gender lineswere distinctively drawn on agreat many of the toys of theday. Little girls wereencouraged to aspire to certainprofessions by the toyssuggested for them, but mostlywe were guided tohomemaking careers. Andlittle boys, well let’s see, theywere guided to do just aboutanything they wanted, exceptfor all that homemaking stuff.Boys were told to steer clear ofthat; it was woman’s work.

A lot of playtime activities forboys revolved around some sort offirearms - cap guns, water guns,cowboy six shooters, air pistols, B.B.guns, you get the idea. I know,somewhere along the way, guns

have gotten a terrible reputation,but not back then. They wereconsidered inanimate objects thatwere perfectly safe, if they weretreated with respect and safety.Hmmm, what a novel idea. Gunswere a part of just about everyhousehold, at least the householdsI knew, and we were taught exactlywhat that meant and what it didn’tmean. World War II had endedabout the time our parents weregetting married and startingfamilies, and a lot of our dads hadserved in that war. Maybe that’swhy toy soldiers were a big part ofmost boys’ lives who were raisedin the 1950’s. The boys I knew lovedthe soldier toys, and, of course, theywere accessorized with guns.Another game was ‘cowboys andIndians.’ When we pretended to bein the Old West, we not only neededguns, but also knives, tomahawks,and bows and arrows! My brotherand I had tin soldier molds that hadbeen my dads when he was a littleboy. And guess what these moldsincorporated – GUNS! How we lovedmaking those soldiers in thebasement on daddy’s work bench.The most difficult mold was thesoldier whose rifle had a bayonetattached. It was a greataccomplishment when we couldget the entire bayonet to stay onwhen we took the soldier out of the

mold. When most boys turned 12,(the legal age to start hunting backthen), guess what the number onebirthday or Christmas request wasfor? Are you at all surprised that itwas a .22 rifle? Since there werelots of hunting guns in our house,

daddy had been teaching usfirearm safety from a very youngage. The guns were locked safelyaway in the gun cabinet he had built.When he took one out, we wereallowed to sit at the kitchen tablewhile he cleaned it and learn all aboutthe serious business of firearms.

All the kids I knew, both boysand girls, loved to play cowboys andIndians, and the woods in ourneighborhoods were the setting forthose cowboy and Indian wars,even when the trees were snowcovered. Sometimes I was thecowgirl, traveling along side theConestoga wagons as I rode mypalomino across the plains. And

sometimes I was the Indianprincess, my face painted withwar paint, freshly squeezedfrom the elderberry bushes. Iloved making my Indian headdress with the tail feathers Ihad saved from the ringneckpheasants daddy brought homeduring small game season.But my favorite costume wasmy Hop-Along-Cassidy outfit,and my second favorite was myAnnie Oakley six shooters(remember her horse, Tagg?).Everyone had cowboy hats andholsters with cap guns, Santaalways kept us in good supply.The caps were red strips of

paper with a little circle of gunpowder in the center, they madegreat stocking stuffers. As youpulled the trigger on your gun, thecaps would feed through the gun forrapid fire motion. We sometimesused daddy’s hammer to hit a whole

roll at a time on the sidewalk. If youhit it just right, it would make quitethe spectacular boom. Even thougheveryone played cowboys, most of theother gun paraphernalia was gearedtoward boys.

I remember getting a nurseskit one year, and how much fun Ihad that winter taking care of allof my sickly dolls. After Santabrought me that wonderfulsurprise, complete with a nurse’scap, my rosy cheeked babies camedown with all sorts of raremalaises. I did such a good jobnursing them back to health, itmade me wonder if I would like tobecome a real nurse when I grewup. The Sears catalog had carrieda doctor’s kit, too, but I knew thatit was intended for boys, not girls.My brother got an electric trainone year. It had a shiny blacklocomotive, several coal cars, a redcaboose and a very realistic lookingtunnel with sparkling snow on top.He would practice being anengineer, or pretend to ride therails and travel the world. Thesame year, I got a set of bakingpans and cookie cutters, and a littlehand mixer. Although I enjoyedlearning to bake with my mom, Icouldn’t wait to play trains. Anotheryear, Santa gave me a clothes linewith little brightly colored plasticclothespins. I loved my dolls, andall of their tiny wardrobe, andcouldn’t wait to wash and hangtheir clothes to dry on laundry day,with my mom. But that same year,my brother got an erector set, andhe could practice becoming anarchitect or builder. It all lookedvery intricate and exciting to me.But he didn’t allow me to help withthe construction. It was for boys.The Christmas I got a doll carriageand brand new babydoll who camewith several different outfits, Keithgot a microscope, with slides ofbugs and bacteria. Are we startingto sense a pattern here? He got achemistry set, I got a little iron thatactually warmed up and a tinyironing board. He got Lincoln Logsthe year that I got a bride doll.

Like me, most of my girlfriendsenjoyed playing with all the boystuff - the tinker toys, the cowboy



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The Radiation Robe Projectby Paula J. Forte

“Who’s your surgeon?” Those words askedof me sixteen years ago still send shuddersdown my spine. I was one of the lucky ones.The growths were benign. However, everyyear thousands of women in the UnitedStates are not as lucky. Fighting breastcancer is a long and arduous process thatcauses weakness, nausea and pain.However, some people are trying to makethese times a little more comfortable throughsmall gestures. Two of these women are ClaraCarnes and Nancy McIlhatten.

Clara Carnes is a charter member of theRadiation Robe Project which was started in2004. Chaired by Fred Balzer, Manager ofCommunication Outreach and HealthPromotion for Excela, and coordinated byJanet McNees, the project provides robes forwomen to wear during the potentiallyembarrassing period of time when they arereceiving radiation treatments for theirbreast cancer. The robes are simple,constructed of cotton and Velcro. Thematerials used to construct them aredonated by local organizations, such as theNew Neighbors Club of Greensburg, and theyare sewn together by women such as Clarawho willing donate their time and talent toa good cause. Clara says that she hasdonated 190 robes to the project so far. Hergoal is for that number to reach 200 by theend of the year. When asked how she findsthe time to sew that many robes, Clara saidthat she sews in her basement while shedoes the laundry. According to Clara, it onlytakes about three to four hours to sew eachrobe. Clara said, “I honestly didn’t realizethat making these robes would help so manywomen. Getting positive feedback from themabout my work made me want to make more.”Women are genuinely thankful for herhandiwork. Whenever I met with her at theArnold Palmer Cancer Center, women whowere waiting for their treatments walked upto her to thank her personally. Hilda White,

a nurse at the center, said, “[The robes] area blessing for these patients and so is Clara.”

Nurse Nancy McIlhatten is in charge ofdistributing the robes to the patients. Shesays that she “goes shopping” with thewomen whenever they choose their robes.The robes are all different and Nancy saysthat the women are amazed that someoneis willing to make the robes especially forthem.

Clara and Nancy are not the only womeninvolved in the project. There are about adozen women sewing and donating radiationrobes to the cancer center located in theArnold Palmer Pavilion near Mountain ViewInn. If you are interested in being a part ofthis worthwhile project, call Janet McNeesat 724-423-5295 for instructions andmaterials. If you or your organization iswilling to donate money or fabric to help fundthe project, contact Fred Balzer at 724-542-1959 or write to him in care of the LatrobeArea Hospital Charitable Foundation at 1Mellon Way, Latrobe, Pennsylvania 15650and indicate that the money or fabric bedesignated for the Radiation Robe Project.

Clara Carnes has constructed over 190 radiation robesfor breast cancer patients over the past three years.

The Community Knitter’s Fellowship is a new group that is planning to meet in the conference room on the first and third Wednesdaysof each month at Adams Memorial Library. The aim of this club is to create knitted and crocheted fashions for charitable groups inthe area. It is an extension of the Chemo Cap program that has traditionally met in February of each year. In addition to the ChemoCap task, current projects include drives for scarves for the local groups Faith in Action and Relay for Life. Additional projects will beposted on the community bulletin board in the conference room in the basement of Adams Memorial Library.

Due to the time zones, Santa has 31 hours to deliver gifts?This means that he would have to visit 832 homes each second!


gear, and all the Tonka trucks inthe sandpile. Funny thing is, mybrother and his friends didn’t seemto have the same affinity forplaying with our toys as we did withtheirs. I don’t ever remember anyboy asking to change the diaper onone of our babydolls when she wether pants, or if he could iron a fewdoll dresses. Although my brotherdid get a kick out of squeezing myTiny Tears doll’s stomach with allhis might to make her ‘cry’ fromthe two little holes drilled at thecorner of her eyes. While I madeher cry gently, he made the watersquirt out in a long scary streamthat quite amused him, and quitehorrified me.

Another favorite gift fromSanta was my chalk board. It hada built in seat you straddled like ahorse. The lid lifted up and insidethe desk was a pegboard with littlecolorful pegs. I don’t know what thepurpose of putting the pegs into theholes was, but I used the deskcompartment for holding chalk,erasers, coloring books and my boxof 64 Crayola Crayons. I would usemy chalkboard when I pretendedto be the teacher and all my dollswere my students. Like nursing,becoming a teacher was anothersuitable profession for a little girl.

I guess our childhoods werethe training ground for what wewould become in life, and little girlswere encouraged, first andforemost, even by Santa Claus, tobe wives and mommies. Attendingcollege was a luxury many familiescouldn’t afford, especially for adaughter. One year for Christmas,I received a little typewriter. Mymom told me being a secretary wasa wonderful career, and I couldalways get a well-paying job withthose skills. A girl could become asecretary right out of high school,she said. I told her that being abiologist sounded like a lot morefun to me, but my mom thoughtthat was a pretty unrealistic goal -for a girl. Although the thought oftyping, shorthand, and bookkeepingdidn’t sound all that appealing to me,I chose the secretarial course ofstudy at Derry. It was one of thebest around under the guidance ofMrs. Kist. We learned all thenecessary secretarial skills fromher, Mr. Calabrace, and Mr. Festa(who told us we won a crochetedbicycle for a correct answer!) Mygirlfriends and I had a huge crushon Mr. Calabrace. What a doll hewas, and still is. My friend Caroland I stopped to see him severalyears ago, and he is still one good-looking guy! Mrs. Kist taught usSOP (secretarial office practice).She was a grand lady in the truestsense of the word. I remember her

telling us to keep a spare pair ofnylons in our desk drawer in casewe got a runner, which to her wouldhave been very unprofessional. Shealso said it made a good impressionin an interview, if your business suitwas accented with a little pair ofwhite gloves as you greeted theinterviewer. Personnel directorsfrom all the major companies in thearea would go to the local high schoolsin February to interview perspectivenew secretaries from the seniorclass. Westmoreland County wasbooming with the steel industry inthe sixties, not to mention variousother companies, and they allneeded office personnel. I got myfirst job at Vanadium Alloys SteelCompany, or VASCO, in Februaryof my senior year.

Being a beautician was a goalfor some girls, and they would findlots of hair stuff and pretend make-up under the Christmas tree topractice those skills with. ImogeneBeauty Academy was locatedconveniently in downtown Latrobe,and once you passed the stateboards, you could open a shop atyour house. That way, you couldwork at home, and schedule yourappointments around your family.Most other careers were, of course,temporary since once you had yourfirst baby, you would want to quitworking to raise your family. Ourhusbands and children needed usto take care of them and most ofus were happy to do thatcaretaking. We made a lot ofsacrifices when the money from thatsecond paycheck stopped, but we didit willingly. We knew the importanceof being a stay-at-home mom.

I know nothing could ever eclipsethe joy and the wonder Iexperienced from being a mother.It was the most fun I’ve ever hadand I miss being ‘mommy’ everysingle day. Without a doubt, havingmy family and raising my littleNicole was the most rewardingthing I can ever imagine doing. But,I wonder sometimes, how differentlyit might have turned out.

I think about how ourlives may have changed if any ofthose little girls had unwrapped adoctor’s kit, instead of the nurse’skit on Christmas morning. Howmany of them were brilliant littleengineers or chemists, justwaiting for a microscope fromSanta, and getting Chatty Cathyinstead, never to discover theircomplete potential. What would bedifferent today, if, on a frostyChristmas morning in 1957,tucked under a little Christmastree in West Derry, there had beena perfectly wrapped package withan erector set inside, and a tagthat read: For: Ruth Elaine From: Santa

continued from page 19


Winter Wonderlandin Westmoreland County

This beautiful farm scene was taken somewhere inWestmoreland County by local photographer StephenSimpson (www.TakeAVirtualHike.com). Visit our website atwww.LaurelMountainPost.com and identify the location if youcan. Our first three winners will receive a free 2008 maildelivery subscription to the Laurel Mountain Post!

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Listening Lessons:Fables a La Fontaine, Aesop & GAO’s Christina Farrell

By means of colorful characters and wittynarrative, fables have taught lessons abouthuman folly and virtue for several thousandyears. Their universal themes appeal tochildren, students of literature, adults andare in a word – inspirational. But, let mebriefly digress.

The Founding Director of the GreensburgAmerican Opera, Christina Farrell, was doublyrecognized in early September. On apersonal level her lovely1798 home, Hawks-worth House, wasincluded on theWestmoreland CountyHistorical SocietyHistoric House Tour.Professionally, sheaccepted the 2007Hardie Artist of theYear Award presentedby the Pittsburgh-basedGateway to the Arts. For50 years Gateway to theArts has been trans-forming the lives andeducation of childrenthrough active partici-pation in the arts. Theaward, which is givenannually to a Gatewayartist and/or artsorganization, honorsformer board member Frances Hardie. Inreceiving this tribute, Farrell and the GAOjoin a prestigious list of individuals andassociations that have shown outstandingcommitment to bringing quality artslearning experiences to western PA students.

To celebrate their educationalrecognition the GAO is preparing a familyopera for its main stage production this year.The whimsical Fable Operas by SusanHulsman Bingham is based on ten Aesopand La Fontaine tales. Featuring threeprofessional singers (soprano Christina

Farrell, mezzo soprano Melissa Collom, andtenor Jeffrey Gross), a youth chorus, and thefabulous giant puppets of artist CherylCapezzuti, the staging promises to be greatfun. The pianist for the UPG FergusonTheatre production is Kazumi Petinaux.Working in conjunction with UPG’s EducationDepartment, the GAO will also provideinteractive stations in the theatre lobbywhere children can craft their own puppets,

try on costumes, andcreate a fable.

Farrell explains,“Those who are new toopera may also beinterested in attendingour presentations ofS’more Opera beforethey see Fable Operas.S’more Opera is a fun,interactive intro-duction to opera withshort opera scenes andsome insider tipsabout what to expect atan opera. These freepresentations will beheld in Ligonier,Scottdale and Union-town and are supportedthrough a grant fromthe Pennsylvania RuralArts Alliance. Yes,

there will be s’mores! See our website fordetails at www.GreensburgOpera.org.”

The GAO website states: Whether as aperformer, teacher or director, she (Farrell) hopesto share her own passion for the arts and fosterthe same enthusiasm in others. In bringing tomusical life the famous fables of La Fontaineand Aesop, Ms. Farrell is a present-dayinspiration as she invites us to participatein the enchantment. Students, parents,teachers and area residents join the GAONovember 30th – December 2nd and put yourhands together for lessons well heard!

Friday, November 30th at 7:30 pm (interactive activities at 6:45 pm)Saturday, December 1st at 2 pm (interactive activities at 3:00 pm)Sunday, December 2nd at 2 pm (interactive activities at 3:00 pm)

Univ. of Pittsburgh-Greensburg Ferguson Theatre$12.00 adults, $8.00 ages 3-18 • Call 724-972-1031 for tickets!

Fable Operas by Susan Hulsman Bingham

The first Christmas card was designed in 1843, by London artist,John Calcott Horsley


It’s Tradition!by JB Rossi

Webster’s dictionary defines it asthe passing down of elements of aculture from generation togeneration especially by oralcommunication; a mode of thoughtor behavior continuously followedby a people; a time-honoredpractice. The word comes from theLatin word “traditio” which means “tohand down” or “to hand over.” Whatis it? It’s “tradition”, of course.

As the holiday seasonapproaches, I am reminded of thisconcept of “traditions”. Sometraditions are worldwide such asthe gift giving and manger displaysduring the Christian observance ofthe Birth of Christ on the 25th ofDecember. Some are nationalsuch as the eating of turkey andpumpkin pie during the harvestcelebration of Thanksgiving andthe firework displays and paradesof Independence Day on the Fourthof July. Other traditions are solelywithin a particular group such asa religious sect or a family unit.

I grew up surrounded by thepracticing of many traditions. Onesuch tradition was the eating ofCanadian Ragout on New Year’sDay. Canadian ragout was madefrom pork tenderloin braised formany hours in a dark brown saucewith meatballs and potatoes. Thisdish was always served with freshbaked rolls for dipping into thesauce (Canadians never wasteanything good). You could alwaystell that the New Year wasapproaching because when youwalked into the kitchen, the horridscent of browning flour almostgagged you. And every year I wouldcrinkle my face and ask why wehad to eat this smelly concoction.And every year I would get thesame answer; “Because it’sTradition!” Truthfully, the finalholiday dish was so appetizing thatit was always worth a little gaggingduring the preparation stages!

When I started my own family,I wanted my children to have thesesame wonderful memories. So Idecided to incorporate all the oldtraditions as well as add a coupleof new ones. We started, of course,with the traditions associated withChristmas. As with most, mychildren were fascinated with thebrightly decorated houses duringthe Christmas season. From earlyon, we were fans of the huge OverlyChristmas light display, oftenreturning to see them severaltimes during the same season.And every time, we would seesomething new that we hadn’t seenthe time before.

Then one year I decided that wewould take one Sunday beforeChristmas and start our own lightingtradition. I would take the childrento the movies in the afternoon andDad ( my secret elf) would stay behindto “work”. After the show, Dad wouldjoin us at a favorite restaurant tohave dinner and then we would allcome home together. Upon arrivingat home, the house would be all litup with decorations done by themagical elves.

This new “tradition” went sowell during the first couple of years.The children were so ecstaticwhen we pulled up the driveway tosee the brightly colored decorationsthat the “elves” arranged while wewere at dinner. As each yearpassed, they grew more excitedtrying to guess which day the“House-decorating Elves” wouldcome. They would ask to go out tothe movies and dinner every nightuntil our house was decorated asbright as the Overly light display. Then the children made–uprules that seemed to govern theHouse-Decorating Elves. Rule #1:The better behaved you were allyear, the earlier in the season yourhouse was decorated, but neverbefore Thanksgiving day (I believethis last clause had to be addedbecause it seemed to get earlierand earlier each year that thechildren looked for a decoratedhouse!)

Rule #2: The Light-DecoratingElves would only come to yourhouse when no one was home.They were very shy and liked tosurprise the family.

Rule #3: Sometimes, if youlooked hard enough, you couldactually see the footprints of thetiny little elves in the snow!(Thank goodness my husband hadsmall feet.)

Every year it was fascinatingto see the amazed looks on thechildren’s faces as we drove up thedriveway to a brightly decoratedhome! And every year it wasamazing to my husband and I howmuch the children enjoyed thislittle “tradition”.

However, our little “tradition”became increasing hard tofacilitate. As the children grewolder, they also grew a lot smarter.At school, they began asking theother children if the House-Decorating Elves had been to theirhouse yet. When the otherchildren just stared at them withblank faces, my children wouldexplain all the “Rules” to them.One year I was deluged with so

many telephone calls from othermothers that I had to add a newrule to the list. New Rule #4:Perhaps we shouldn’t talk aboutour family “traditions” with otherchildren, just in case the otherchildren didn’t know about theHouse-Decorating Elves yet. Then the children startednoticing that some of their friend’sparents decorated their houses.New Rule#5: Just because somepeople decorated their own houses,doesn’t mean that those kids werebad. And it doesn’t give us thepermission to ask what they didwrong. Sometimes it just meansthat there were so many good kidsthat year that the elves had to getextra help from other people to geteverything done in time. Then came the year of the “BigStorm”. Because of previouscommitments, my husband wasn’table to decorate early in the season.The house was undecorated until theweek before. It was his last chance,but the weather channel was callingfor several inches of blusteringsnow, howling winds, and sub-zerotemperatures. But we didn’t want todisappoint the children. So I loadedup the four-wheel drive SUV andheaded for the theater. The good Elfbundled up and braved the cold.

I can’t remember what moviewe saw that afternoon. My mindwas concerned about my elf out inthe storm. Several times during themovie, the power flickered. Ithought perhaps it was about timeto end this particular tradition andprayed that the elf was doing okay. Two hours later as we waited forhim at the restaurant, I grewfrantic. I just wanted to packeverybody up and go home. I wouldjust have to divulge the secret ofthe House-Decorating Elves to thechildren. Disappointed as theymight be, I needed to get home andrescue Dad. Then a messagecame saying to hold tight, that hewas on his way. So we continuedto wait. The snow continued to pileup. The temperatures dropped. Finally Dad made it. His handswere frozen and his cheeks werefiery red from wind burn, but hemade it. We ate quickly and drovehome through the blizzard.

As we stood in the drivewaygazing at the wonderful light displaythat I know had taken a long timeto do in some very unfavorableconditions, I was thrilled that wewere once again able to pull off thefamily “tradition.”

However, my son observedsomething quite different. He

walked all around the display andthen looked up at his father andme with a puzzled face. “Mum,” heasked. “Why do the elves use thesame decorations and the samecolor lights year after year? I’m notdoing the same good deeds everyyear.” New Rule# 6: Never, ever,question the Elves and always bethankful that they came todecorate. Without the lights, Santamight not be able to find the houseon Christmas to deliver the gifts.“Besides,” my quick thinkinghusband added, “Maybe the elvesliked those particular colors andstyle of decorating. They like tohave their traditions, too!” At that moment I knew it wastime to give up this particulartradition. It was just getting toohard to continue the charade. Thekids were getting too smart, theywould soon catch on. But how doyou stop a family “tradition?” The head Elf decided that a niceletter explaining things to thechildren was in order. The letterwould explain why the elvescouldn’t continue to decorate anymore and how they asked if Dadcould fill in for them now anddecorate whenever it wasconvenient and the weatherconditions were favorable. Perhapsthe elves could even invite thechildren to participate in thedecorating, too! The letter was typed but nevermailed. The head elf continues tocome every season in secret(although it tends to be on a “bye”weekend for Steeler football and hehas employed some additionalhelper elves).

So, one Sunday early in theseason, I pack up the SUV, and thekids and I head off to the movies.The head elf stays home to workand we meet for dinner at the samerestaurant.

When I am asked why wecontinue with this “tradition” whenit is clearly evident that thechildren are grown-up and well-aware of who the House-Decorating Head Elf is, I deferredthe answer to the children.Together they respond in unison,“Because it’s tradition!”

But we do make minoradjustments as we go. This year’schange is that I will not be the one“driving” the SUV to the theater!My daughter has her permit! My,how time changes things! Thankgoodness “traditions” stay thesame!


Advent Wreaths:An Evergreen Promise

These have their origins in thefolk traditions of northern Europe,where in the deep winter peoplelit candles on wheel-shapedbundles of evergreen. Both theevergreen and the circular shapesymbolized ongoing life. Thecandlelight gave comfort at thisdarkest time of the year, aspeople looked forward to thelonger days of spring. Later,eastern European Christiansadopted this practice, and by the16th century they were makingAdvent wreaths much as weknow them today.

An Advent wreath traditionallycontains 5 candles—three purple,one rose, and one white. Some

churches use royal blue candlesin place of purple ones todistinguish from the (penitential)purple of Lent. The rose (or pink)candle represents a lightening ofthe mood of Advent on the thirdSunday, and is sometimes said torepresent Mary, the mother ofJesus. The white candle in themiddle of the wreath, the Christcandle, is lit on Christmas Dayor Christmas Eve.

The Advent wreath, with itsgrowing circumference of lightSunday after Sunday, reminds usof the light of Christ in a world ofdarkness, and of our respon-sibility (and privilege) to be thatlight to those around us.

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New Photographic BookCaptures History of Greensburg

Greensburg is one of the newestadditions to Arcadia Publishing’sPostcard History Series. Written dur-ing her first year of graduate school,Rachel E. Smith hopes to preservethe history of Greensburg for genera-tions to come with her new pictorial.

Smith, a graduate student injournalism at West Virginia Uni-versity, is a Greensburg native anda member of the WestmorelandCounty Historical Society. She hasdran from both her own postcardcollection and that of the histori-cal society in order to create thisvisual journey through time.Smith dedicates her book “to allof those who have madeGreensburg the town it is—past,present and future.”

Highlights of Greensburg:• Features rare images of build-ings that no longer exist• Shows many hotels of the area,almost all of which have ceasedoperation and have been torn down.• Meant to compliment ArcadiaPublishing’s Images of America:Greensburg by P. Louis DeRose.• Gives history of Greensburgover the past 150 years.

Greensburg is available at areabookstores, independent and

online retailers, or through ArcadiaPublishing at (888) 313-2665 orwww.arcadiapublishing.com.Arcadia Publishing is the leadingpublisher of local and regionalhisotry in the United States. Theirmission is to make history acces-sible and meaningful through thepublication of books on the heritageof America’s people and places. Havethey done a book on your town?


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NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2007COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Thru May 2008BODIES: The ExhibitionCarnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh, PA; 412-237-3400 www.carnegiesciencecenter.org

Weekends thru December 9Compass Inn Candlelight ToursCompass Inn Museum Laughlintown, PA 724-238-4983 www.compassinn.com

Nov 1Senior Social2PM, Valley Dairy, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-4331www.latroberecreation.org

Nov 2-433rd Annual Seven Springs Fall Polka FestivalSeven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion, PA(708) 594-5182 www.versatones.com

Nov 2Ricky Scaggs & Kentucky Thunder8 PM Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA 724-836-8000www.thepalacetheatre.org

Nov 3Blood Drive8 AM – 2 PM American Red Cross-Chestnut RidgeChapter, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-3911www.redcross-crc.org

Nov 3Greensburg Free Film Series PresentsRichard LinkLater’s “A Scanner Darkly”630 PM Stark Building, 41 W. Otterman St.Greensburg, PA; www.greensburgfilmseries.com

Nov 3River City Brass Band Presents“Songs of Freedom”8PM Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 1-800-292-7222www.thepalacetheatre.org

SaturdaysSign LanguageNov 3-Dec 8 10-1130AM YWCA Greensburg, PA724-834-9390 www.ywcawestmoreland.org

Nov 4Bridal Show12PM, Mountain View Inn, Greensburg, PA; 724-834-5300 www.mountainviewinn.com

Nov 4Latshaw Productions Presents“Puttin On The Ritz”2 PM Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA 724-836-8000www.thepalacetheatre.org

Nov 6Latshaw Productions Presents“A Doo Wop SpectacularFeaturing The Platters & The Drifters”Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion, PA; 724-853-4050 www.latshawproductions.com

Nov 6Senior Social2PM Country Cafe & Video, Pleasant Unity, PA;724-537-4331 www.latroberecreation.org

Nov 9Vegetarian Thanksgiving Dinner530PM YWCA Mansion, Greensburg,PA, Pre-Registrationrequired; 724-834-9390 www.ywcawestmoreland.org

Fridays, Nov 9 &16Self Defense6-730PM, YWCA Greensburg, PA; 724-834-9390www.ywcawestmoreland.org

Nov 9-11Stage Right Presents “Annie”The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-836-8000www.thepalacetheatre.org

Nov 10CPR & First Aid9AM-5PM American Red Cross-Chestnut RidgeChapter, Latrobe, PA Pre-Registration & Pre-PaymentRequired724-537-3911 www.redcross-crc.org

Nov 10Greensburg Free Film Series PresentsWim Wender’s “Land Of Plenty”630PM Stark Building, 41 W. Otterman St.Greensburg, PA www.greensburgfilmseries.com

Nov 10Murder MysteryChristian W. Klay Winery, Chalk Hill, PA;724-439-3424 www.cwklaywinery.com

Nov 8-11Crimes of the HeartApple Hill Playhouse, Delmont, PA; 724-468-5050www.applehillplayhouse.org

Nov 13Blood Drive12PM–6PM American Red Cross-Chestnut RidgeChapter, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-3911www.redcross-crc.org

Nov 15Irwin Light Up Night5PM, Downtown Irwin, PA; Santa arrives, Parade,Snacks. 724-296-8074 www.irwinpa.org

Nov 16-18Light-Up Night WeekendGlades Court Building, Somerset, PA; 814-443-9166www.lhmrc.org

Nov 16-18Greater Pittsburgh Arts & Crafts HolidaySpectacularExpo-Mart, Monroeville, PA; 724-863-4577www.familyfestivals.com

Nov 17Greensburg Free Film Series PresentsMiyazaki’s “Spirited Away”630PM, Stark Building, 41 W. Otterman St.Greensburg, PA www.greensburgfilmseries.com

Nov. 17Westmoreland Symphony OrchestraPresents “Give Thanks”8PM, The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA;724-837-1850 www.thepalacetheatre.org

Nov 17Babysitter’s Training9AM-3 PM American Red Cross-Chestnut RidgeChapter, Latrobe, PA Pre-Registration & Pre-PaymentRequired 724-537-4331 www.redcross-crc.org

Nov 17 thru January 1Overly’s Country ChristmasWestmoreland Fairgrounds, www.overlys.com

Nov 17Greensburg Holiday Parade12Noon, Greensburg, PA; 724-834-4880

Nov 18Holiday Craft ShowMountain View Inn, Greensburg, PA; 724-834-5300www.mountainviewinn.com

Nov 21Elko Concerts Presents “ Joe Bonamassa”8PM, The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA 724-836-8000 www.thepalacetheatre.org

Nov 21Dinosaurs in Their TimeCarnegie Museum of Natural History, Oakland, PA;412-622-3131 www.carnegieMNH.org

Nov 2213 Annual “Turkey Trot”930AM, Latrobe Memorial Stadium, Latrobe, PA;724-537-4331 www.latroberecreation.org


To submit your community event to this calendar,please email complete information to:

[email protected]

Nov 23Light-Up NightNemacolin Woodlands, Farmington, PA; 724-329-8555www.nemacolin.com

Nov 23Light Up NightSanta Arrives at 6PM!!, Downtown Ligonier, PA; 724-238-4200 www.ligonier.com

Nov 23Westmoreland Cultural Trust presents“A Christmas Carol”10AM, The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-836-8000 www.thepalacetheatre.org

Nov 23-25Fourth Annual Bike, Board & Ski SwapSomerset, PA; 814-443-1282www.route3lboardandski.com

Nov 24Westmoreland Cultural Trust presents“Crystal Gayle”8PM, The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-836-8000 www.thepalacetheatre.org

Nov 24Grand Opening Holiday Greenery Sale & EventChristian Klay Winery, Chalk Hill, PA; 724-439-3424www.cwklaywinery.com

Nov 24-25A Maple City ChristmasMeyersdale, PA; 814-634-8840 www.meyersdale.net

Nov 24-25, 29 thru Dec 2Festival of LightsBraddock Trail Chapter House/ Warden Mansion,Mt.Pleasant, PA; 724- 423-3275www.geocities.com/fol5666

Nov 29Shopping Bus Trip to PA Christmas and GiftShow in Harrisburg645AM, bus departs. Pre-registration required. $39covers round trip transportation, admission to showand breakfast. 724-834-2153 www.aerobicccenter.org

Nov 30-Dec 6Latshaw Productions PresentsGlen CampbellThe Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-836-8000www.thepalacetheatre.org

Nov 30The Seven Deadly Sins:Vice and Virtue in Music and MovementReeves Theatre, Seton Hill University, Greensburg,PA; 724-838-4241 [email protected]

Nov 30-Dec 6Christmas in the MountainsRt. 31 Donegal/Somerset Corridor, Somerset, PA;814-443-2897 www.seasoninthemountains.com

Nov 30-Dec 2Second Annual EbensburgDickens of a ChristmasDowntown Ebensburg, PA; 814-472-8780www.ebensburgdickens.com

Nov 30-Dec 9Festival of LightsTown Hall Community Room, Ligonier, PA;724-238-4983 www.ligonierhistoricalsociety.org

First 3 weekends in DecemberDecked Out DecemberHomestead House, West Overton Museums, Scottdale,PA; 724-877-7910 www.westoverton.org

Dec 1Annual Christmas Open HouseChristian Klay Winery, Chalk Hill, PA;724-439-3424 www.cwklaywinery.com

Dec 1Babysitting CertificationSponsored by American Red Cross9AM-3PM YWCA, Greensburg, PA Pre-Registration isRequired; 724-834-9390 www.ywcawestmoreland.org

Dec 1Blood Drive8AM–2PM, American Red Cross-Chestnut RidgeChapter, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-3911www.redcross-crc.org

Dec lRiver City Brass Band Presents“Christmas Classics”8PM, The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA;1-800-292-7222 www.thepalacetheatre.org

Dec 2Christmas Town-Wide Open House12-5PM, Downtown, Ligonier, PA; 724-238-4200www.ligonier.com

Dec 2Academy Hill Historic District2007 Holiday Tour of HomesGreensburg, PA www.Academy-Hill.org

Dec 1-2A Ligonier Christmaspresented by the Valley Players of Ligonier230PM and 8PM on the 1st and 230PM on the 2nd,

Ligonier Theater, Ligonier, PA; [email protected]

Dec 1-9Festival Of LightsLigonier Valley Historical Society724-238-6818 www.Ligonierhistoricalsociety.org

Dec 1-30Christmas at Mountain View InnGreensburg, PA; 724-834-5300www.mountainviewinn.com

Dec 2International Christmas for Children1-330PM, Greensburg Garden and Civic Center,reservations required. 724-836-1123www.westmorelandculturaltrust.org

Dec 4Senior Social2PM Country Cafe & Video, Pleasant Unity, PA;724-537-4331 www.latroberecreation.org

Dec 6Latshaw Productions Presents“Big Band Christmas Spectacular”Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Champion, PA;724-853-4050. www.7springs.com

Dec 6Senior Social2 PM Valley Dairy, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-4331www.latroberecreation.org

Dec 7-23A Musical Christmas CarolByham Theater www.pittsburghclo.org

Dec 8-9Westmoreland Symphony OrchestraPresents “The Nutcracker”The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-836-8000www.thepalacetheatre.org

Dec 8Sensations of the Season Progressive Dinner5PM, Polymath Park Resort. Enjoy A meal at FrankLloyd Wright’s Duncan House, the Balter House and theBlum House at Polymath Park Resort. $95 per person.877-833-7829 ext 2 or [email protected]

Dec 11Blood Drive12PM–6PM American Red Cross-Chestnut RidgeChapter, Latrobe, PA 724-537-3911www.redcross-crc.org

Dec 12Latshaw Productions Presents“Big Band Christmas Spectacular”The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA 724-836-8000www.thepalacetheatre.org

Dec 13Holiday Luncheon Buffet1130AM, Greensburg Garden and Civic Center,Greensburg, PA; reservations required $16/per person.724-836-1123 www.westmorelandculturaltrust.org

Dec 15CPR & First Aid9AM-5PM American Red Cross-Chestnut RidgeChapter, Latrobe, PA Pre-Registration & Pre-PaymentRequired 724-537-3911 www.redcross-crc.org

Dec 15Westmoreland Symphony OrchestraPresents “Home for the Holidays”The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-837-1850www.thepalacetheatre.org

Dec 16-17Holiday Dinner ShowOur Coal Miners Café, Jennerstown, PA;814-629-5518 www.ourcoalminerscafe.com

For the latest events and expanded listings,please visit our online community calendar page at

www.LaurelMountainPost.com.New information is added daily!


Academy ofThe Wagging Tail Pet Grooming and Express Pet Wash

FREE Honey Almond Facial with Full Groom

expires 12/31/07 (LMP)

815 E. Pittsburgh St.• Greensburg, PA 15601724-834-BARK

ZAPPONE SAUSAGECOMPANY RETAIL STORE

Long’s Road in Latrobe, PA724-539-1430 • [email protected]

Specialty, Gourmet & Italian Foods

FREE 1 pound bag of Rizzo’s frozen soupnoodles with $15 purchase - exp. 12/15/07

COUPON VALUES

Loyalhanna Care CenterProviding you peace of mind and continuity of care.

SERVICES AVAILABLE24-hour nursing care, wound care, hospice, respite, intravenous therapy, respiratory,

enteral feedings, beauty and barber services, newspaper delivery, and telephone

REHABILITATIVE SERVICESphysical, occupational, speech, falls management, and dysphasia

ACCOMODATIONSbright and attractive private and semi-private rooms,

cable television in every room free of charge

WE ACCEPTMedicare, Medicaid, Security Blue, and most insurances

For additional information or to arrange a tour, please call 724-537-5500

Excela Health WestmorelandHospital Auxilary Sponsors

Annual Poinsettia SaleEnhance holiday decorating orselect a gift for those on theshopping list by ordering poin-settias, mumsettias, fresh pinewreaths, or white pine roping fromExcela Health WestmorelandHospital Auxiliary.

Order forms are now availablefrom any auxillian or at the West-moreland Hospital Hospitality Shop,first floor, 532 West PittsburghStreet, Greensburg. There are twoways to order: place order in boxprovided at The Hospitality Shop ormail to Darlene Delaini, 117 Den

Mar Court, Greensburg, PA 15601.Order deadline is Wednesday, Nov.19. Please make checks payableto WHA (Westmoreland HospitalAuxiliary). Orders may be pickedup in the hospital lobby, 1 to 4p.m., Dec. 5.

Proceeds from the sale helpmeet the auxiliary’s pledge to fundrenovations in the critical carewaiting areas.

For more information, call theExcela Health WestmorelandHospital Auxiliary, 724-832-4540 orDarlene Delaini, 724-832-7059.

Equine Chic

Take 10%

OFF

www.ShopEquineChic.com

For Horse & Home

Celtic Culture(expires December 31, 2007)

For online shoopers, enter promo code“saddlebag” during online checkout.

Your Total Purchase

Receive a complimentary angled bowl in the red bird pattern with every $100.00

purchase of Nicholas Mosse pottery,through Dec. 31, 2007.

2695+Tax

Valvoline® All-Climate® Motor Oil 5W-30Valvoline® All-Climate® Motor Oil 10W-30

INCLUDES:5 Qts Oil, Filter for Most Domestic &Foreign Cars and 12-Point Check

Featured Price

MOSTCARS

L&L Quik Lube, L&L Quik Lube, L&L Quik Lube, L&L Quik Lube, L&L Quik Lube, Inc.Inc.Inc.Inc.Inc.100-1/2 Depot Street • Latrobe, PA

Behind Domino’s 724-537-9329

Taking Care of the Family Vehicle for Over 18 Years!Angelo Caruso, Jr. and James Deglau, Owners


INDIANA COUNTY TOURIST BUREAU2334 Oakland Avenue – Indiana Mall – Indiana, PA 157011-877-7INDIANA – WWW.VISITINDIANACOUNTYPA.ORG

Christmas Tree FarmsFestival of Lights

Holiday ShowsCommunity Light-up Nights

Outdoor RecreationUnique Shopping

“It’s A Wonderful Life” Festival

Stop by our Visitor Center or Call us for your Complimentary Visitor Guide

Indiana CountyCOME FOR FUN, TAKE HOME A MEMORY!

Happy Holidays from the Laurel Mountain Post


Bogut In the MorningWith Jack Bogut – Chris Shovlin & Carol Finelli 6 – 10 AM

“Chilly Billy” Mid-DaysThe one and only Bill Cardille 10 AM – 3 PM

McGann On The Way HomeMike McGann with Traffic Updates from Lisa Pelky 3 - 7 PM

Rock ‘n Roll Sunday Nights with Doug Hoerth

and Pittsburgh’s Favorite MusicAll The Time!

Bogut Cardille McGann Finelli Shovlin Pelky Hoerth

Documents

Laurel Mountain Post :: November-December 2007