MCGUIREFURNITURE - John WuTHE COLLECTION 16872_84526_AmerLife.qxd:16872_84526_AmerLife 5/29/09 2:13 PM Page 1. ... However, in 2004, Sue was diagnosed with breast cancer, and needed

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THE COLLECTION

16872_84526_AmerLife.qxd:16872_84526_AmerLife 5/29/09 2:13 PM Page 1

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE2 AMERICAN LIFESTYLE 3

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American Lifestyle IN THIS ISSUEmagazine

CONTRIBUTORS:Erin Beeler, Alan Freed, Peter French, Marc Hoberman, Hugh Huddleson, Ellie Lawrence,

Mississippi Development Authority, Brian Oar, Sal Paolantonio, Barbara Passino, Marie

Penn, Michael Penn, Dean Pratt, Jacques Saint Dizier, Sue Weldon

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GRAPHICSDennis Ibarra, Heather Trout, Joe Corcoran,

Erin Beeler, Alicia Mastrian

EDITORIALRobin Manrodt

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGYJosh Freed, Daniel Miladinov, Jon Campbell, Shannon Ploppa,

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Stephen Iacona, Dan Gallaway, Francis Albani, Jr., Andrew King, Lee Stouch, Kourtney Addison, Dalia Vias-Fradera,

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“

Immediately upon entering the United Sports Training Center for the Pink Invitational—Gymnasts Unite, you feel the tremendous energy flowing through the air. Not only is this gymnastics meet an inspiring display of athletic achievement, it also unites thousands of peo-ple from up and down the East Coast in an effort to raise funds for Living Beyond Breast Can-cer. The spirited crowd revels in the camaraderie, happily doing their part to make a significant financial impact for this non-profit organization.

It is impressive to know that such an influential gather-ing grew from one woman’s dream. It began at AJS Pancott Gymnastics, one of the largest competitive women’s gymnas-tics programs in Pennsylvania, where Sue Weldon has been coaching since the gym first opened its doors. With twenty years of experience under her

GYMNASTS FLIPFOR A GOOD CAUSE

Article by Marie Penn, based on an interview with Sue WeldonPhotography by Erin Beeler

In 2004, Sue was diagnosed with

BREAST CANCER, and needed to take a year

off from coaching to focus on HEALING. In

due time, she was able to come back to

the BELOVED GYM that she missed so

much, bringing EMPOWERMENT and

healthy lifestyle advice to the girls

she mentored.”

belt, she trains and nurtures young girls to become accomplished ath-letes. However, in 2004, Sue was diagnosed with breast cancer, and needed to take a year off from coaching to focus on healing. In due time, she was able to come back to the beloved gym that she missed so much, bringing empow-erment and healthy lifestyle advice to the girls she mentored.

Early on, Sue had the vision to hold this gymnastics competition. She wanted to bring empower-ment to young women and girls through a greater understanding of breast cancer and healthy liv-ing, all the while raising money to support other survivors. “I wanted to help women get all the same healing opportunities that I was able to have,” explains Sue. With full support from Steve and Louise Pancott of AJS Pancott Gymnas-tics, Sue was able to implement her dream, and quickly sub-merged herself in the planning of the event. “All of this was such an

unknown,” she remembers. “But you could feel the positive en-ergy, so you knew it was going to work. You just had to dive in.”

News spread like wildfire, re-sulting in an overwhelming re-sponse. Sue recalls, “We have such a dedicated group of vol-unteers and parents in the gym. We knew we could do something that would be spectacular. All of these incredible men and women that we have surrounding us felt so connected to this. It was just a huge united effort.” Even the business community happily sponsored the meet, generously providing both donations and discounts for necessary items such as leotards and equipment. The Chester County Commis-sioners also awarded one of their largest grants to the event, which helped pay for the rented facility.

AJS Pancott gymnasts wanted to do their part as well, so they took leadership into their own hands

Sue Weldon is pictured third from the left.

[S]PORTS


and established a youth board. The seniors became role models, guiding the younger girls as they organized fundraisers to further the efforts of the Pink Invita-tional. From running a car wash to selling bracelets, these girls raised over $3,000 by themselves. The AJS Pink Youth Board ini-tiated the Above and Beyond Challenge, urging other gyms to donate money above the

W

customary entry fees. The gym-nasts also sponsored Club 9.0, where they pledged to donate one dollar for every gymnast who scores a 9.0 or higher. “The youth board is actually one of my favorite parts,” Sue admits fondly. “Those girls are fantas-tic. To see them go and become philanthropists at a young age is really neat. I am so proud of these girls!”

After almost one year of plan-ning, countless hours, and un-limited community support, the first annual Pink Invitation-al—Gymnasts Unite came to fruition during the last weekend of February 2009 in Downing-town, Pennsylvania. An ordinary sports center transformed into a pink paradise as thirty-seven gyms, spanning as far and wide as Massachusetts and Florida,

gathered for the three-day com-petition. The meet was organized according to the skill level of the girls, and was divided into six sessions per day. The gymnasts performed on the vault, uneven bars, balance beam, and floor exercises, and were judged indi-vidually for each routine. A total of 1,157 gymnasts participated, most between the ages of seven and seventeen. With all the

gymnasts outfitted in identical pink leotards, the staff volun-teers wearing matching shirts, and the cheering crowd adorned in the vibrant hue as well, the en-tire gathering was clearly united behind the cause.

This competition came as a re-freshing change for the gym-nasts, as they were finally doing a gymnastics meet that supported a cause. “Gymnastics is incred-ible for our girls. It gives them something to look forward to. It gives them time management and dedication. It is great for their bodies,” describes Sue. “But it is always all about them. Now they get a chance to compete in a sport that they love and give back to others in need.”

Watching these young women perform was the highlight of the entire event. Their determination and passion was evident in every single move they made. They bore the agility needed to vault through the air with ease. These gymnasts could land gracefully on the mats after consecutive rapid spins on the uneven bars. They possessed the strength to delicately lift themselves upright from a kneeling position without using their hands, all while bal-ancing their weight on the beam. And their theatrical skills came to

life on the floor exercises, which intermixed a slew of turns, tum-bles, and leaps, choreographed to lively music.

It was also uplifting to see that this gymnastics meet had no age boundaries—there were several adult participants who defied their stature by contending in the Pink Invitational along side their daughters. These women were immediately inspired by the mission of the event, and opted to show their support by uniting in the effort rather than cheering from the sidelines.

Although the gymnasts were judged according to their indi-vidual achievements, the awards ceremony was once again a cel-ebration of unity. All of the par-ticipants received recognition for their valiant efforts. Usually dressed in their matching team outfits, the gymnasts anxiously waited together as the judges announced the results. Neigh-boring friends held each other’s hand as they proudly stood on the podiums after receiving their pink-ribboned medals. With ela-tion beaming off of everyone’s face, the girls ended their time on the stage by accepting their awards with the classic gymnasts’ salute—posing elegantly with arms raised in the air.

The premier Pink Invitational proved to be well worth the time and effort. “It was successful and emotional, if you can understand that. Here I was able to take something that was so tragic in my life and turn it around. It’s become one of my greatest gifts, which I never thought I would say that. Ever!” Sue reflects. “The donation that we gave was from the whole gymnastics communi-ty. We were able to give them an avenue to give back, and every-body wanted to jump on board for that. I love seeing everyone so positive about it and feeling so good.”

As AJS Pancott Gymnastics gets ready for their second annual competition, everyone is confi-dent that the upcoming gymnas-tics meet will be bigger and bet-ter than the last. After donating $65,000 their first year out, there is no telling how far their current fundraising efforts will go. [AL]

With all the gymnasts outfitted in identical pink leotards, the staff volunteers wearing matching shirts, and the cheering crowd adorned in the vibrant hue as well,

the entire gathering was clearly united behind the cause.

Pictured Above:A gymnast adjusts her grips as she waits for her turn to compete on the uneven parallel bars.

➧

i www.pinkinvitational.com

[S]PORTS


cooking instructions:ingredients:

Make the pancakes:• Put the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and sugar through a sieve placed over a large mixing bowl. Add the chocolate chips to the dry ingredients. Beat the eggs and vanilla together.

• Add melted butter, then milk, and continue to blend. Pour the liquid mix over the dry ingredients, and stir thoroughly. It should be about the consistency of a really good chocolate milkshake.

• Place a platter in the oven, and turn the heat to 200°F. As you make the pancakes, put them on the platter so that they stay warm until you’re ready to serve.

• Place a griddle or a large skillet over moderate heat, and brush the surface with a little melted butter. Using a ladle, drop batter onto the griddle to make pancakes about 2-3 inches across. Cook until the edges begin to look dry and bubbles appear on the surface. Flip gently, and cook for another minute on the other side.

Make the raspberry sauce:• Place half of the raspberries in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, water, and liqueur. When the raspberries start to collapse and liquefy, turn the heat down to low, and cook until they’re very soft.

• Pour through a strainer to remove the seeds, pushing against the solids to extract all of the juice. Add the remainder of the raspberries to the juice, and stir. Set aside until the pancakes are done.

Assemble:• Serve 3-5 pancakes per person, topped with the raspberry sauce and berries.

For the pancakes:1⅔ cups flour

⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt⅓ cup granulated sugar

1 cup chocolate chips2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla5 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1¼ cups (plus up to ¼ cup more) milk

For raspberry sauce:1 pint raspberries

2 tablespoons sugar¼ cup water

¼ cup raspberry liqueur

chocolate-chocolate pancakes serves 4

CHOCOLATEFOR BREAKFAST

Recipes excerpted from Chocolate for Breakfast by Barbara Passino (The Gerald & Marc Hoberman Collection, 2009)Photography by Marc Hoberman

As we prepared for the photography of this dish, Marc kept asking for more and more pancakes. He said a very tall stack would make a good photo. Then I realized the stack wasn’t growing—he had completed the photography, and the pancakes were disappearing. There sat Marc, smeared with chocolate, smiling and

chuckling like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Apparently sauce is optional.

[F]OOD



Make the apple eggrolls:• Heat 2 inches of oil to 350°F in a deep skillet.

• Mix everything except the eggroll wrappers in a bowl. (If you don’t like all of the chopping and mincing, pulse the ingredients in a food processor.)

• Place an eggroll wrapper on your work surface with one of the corners pointing towards you. Pile a large spoonful (about ¼ cup) of the filling in the upper half triangle of the wrapper. Moisten the edges of the wrapper with a brush dipped in water. Fold the top corner over the filling, then fold in the sides, and roll. The filling should be completely encased. Continue with the remaining wrappers.

• Carefully place each eggroll in the hot oil, and deep-fry, first on one side, then the other until crispy and golden brown. Dust with powdered sugar on the top only, and serve with the dipping sauce.

Make the spicy kiwi dipping sauce:• Melt butter in a small saucepan.

• Stir in sugar until it melts and begins to caramelize.

• Add ginger and a glass of champagne. Reduce over medium heat for 10 minutes.

• Add kiwi, white pepper, red pepper flakes, and soy sauce. Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve.

For the eggrolls:2 tart apples (Granny Smith, Pippin...not

Delicious) peeled, cored, and minced½ cup sweet golden raisins, minced

1 scallion, minced1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon cinnamon1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3 tablespoons brown sugar8 eggroll wrappers

Powdered sugar to dust the finished eggrolls

For the spicy kiwi dipping sauce:2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons brown sugar1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger

1 glass of champagne – ⅔ cup3 kiwis, peeled and chopped finely

Freshly ground white pepper½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (we use

a garden mixture that includes cayenne, red bonnet, habañero, and jalapeño)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

apple eggrolls with spicy kiwi dipping sauce

makes8[F]OOD



Make the buñuelos:• Mix sugar, cocoa, and cinnamon in a bowl large enough to hold a tortilla.

• Heat 2 inches of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat until it reaches 350°F on a deep-fry thermometer. Carefully slip a tortilla into the oil. It will puff up dramatically. Once it turns golden brown, turn it over with long-handled tongs to crisp the other side.

• Remove it to a piece of paper towel placed over several layers of newspaper to absorb any excess oil. Then dip the warm tortilla into the sugar-cocoa, spooning the mixture over both sides to coat the tortilla. Repeat with the other tortillas.

Caramelize the peaches:• Toss the sliced peaches in a bowl with the orange juice, which will help to keep them from browning. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a skillet large enough to hold the fruit.

• Add the brown sugar, and stir until it dissolves. Drain the orange juice from the peaches into the skillet, and bring to a boil.

• Add the cognac, and continue to boil for 5 minutes, until the sauce reduces and thickens. Then add the peaches, stirring to coat them with the liquid. Cook for another minute, and then remove from the heat.

Assemble:• In individual bowls about the size of the tortilla, heap ¼ of the peach mixture in the middle. Place the tortilla so that it’s dipped into the peaches and leaning against the edge of the bowl. Add a scoop of sorbet, and drizzle dulce de leche over the top.

For the buñuelos:¾ cup granulated sugar

2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder1 teaspoon cinnamon

Canola or vegetable oil for deep-frying4 (6-inch) flour tortillas

For the caramelized peaches:4 peaches, peeled and sliced

½ cup orange juice3 tablespoons butter

3 tablespoons dark brown sugar2 tablespoons cognac or brandy

Assembly:4 scoops of peach sorbet, or substitute

peach or vanilla ice cream

cocoa dusted buñuelos with caramelized peaches and

dulce de leche

serves 4

A friend from Bolivia gave me this very cherished family recipe, which he would prepare when his brother was coming for a visit after work. He would start the water boiling when he got up to make coffee. By the time he’d had a shower, eaten breakfast, walked the dog, and read the paper, it was done. When he and his brother came home from the office, they’d both grab spoons and sit on the back porch, enjoying the dulce and solving the problems of the world.

ingredients:

1 can (14-ounce) of condensed milk

cooking instructions:

Place the can in a saucepan, and cover it with water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, and then reduce to a gentle simmer. If water evaporates and the top of the can starts peeking through, add more boiling water. After an hour and a half, turn off the heat. Once the water has cooled down, open the can, and enjoy.

For safety’s sake: It’s important to keep the can covered with water and not to let all of the water evaporate. For this reason, despite my friend’s instructions, I wouldn’t go for a walk with the dog while the can (or anything else, for that matter) is on the stove. Should all of the water boil away, the can could overheat and burst—spraying molten caramel everywhere.

dulce de lechecaramel sauce

[F]OOD



• Preheat oven to 400°F.

Make the strudel:• Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat, and gently add the bananas. When the bottom of the banana is golden brown, turn it over, and cook the other side.

• Place a sheet of filo on your work surface. Brush it with melted butter, and top with another sheet. Top that with butter, and fold it in half. You should have a 4-layered piece measuring 6 inches by 8 inches.

• Put 2 halves of grilled banana near the 6-inch edge. Sprinkle with a tablespoon of brown sugar and 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips. Roll the bananas in the filo, then tuck in the edges, and continue rolling. Place the package seam-side down on a greased cookie sheet. Continue with the other 3. Brush all 4 packages with more melted butter.

• Bake for 12-14 minutes until they turn golden brown.

Make the caramel sauce:• Melt the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and cognac, and stir until they’re combined and bubbling.

To assemble:• Place a swirl of caramel sauce on each plate. Make a diagonal cut through the middle of each strudel. Place one half on the caramel sauce, and balance the other half on top so that the luscious chocolatey-banana filling is visible.

For the strudel:2 tablespoons butter for the bananas

4 bananas, peeled and split lengthwise8 sheets of filo dough

¼ cup melted butter for the filo¼ cup brown sugar

½ cup chocolate chips

For the caramel sauce:2 tablespoons butter½ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cognac

banana chocolate strudel serves 4[F]OOD


Long before American football as we know it, there was rugby. And it was boring. Here was this primitive Old World game, brought over from England and played mostly by college boys at Harvard, Princeton, and Rut-gers. And here was a restless na-tion in the year 1876, the year of the Centennial, when the thirst for new territory, for westward expansion, seemed unquench-able. So, it didn’t fit. Football, as it was being played by European rules in the New World, wasn’t an attractive game. The rules of the London Football Associa-tion called for players from both teams to mass about the ball, all trying to kick it out to a team-mate. In essence, soccer—with a scrum.

“The rules,” wrote Walter Camp, the founding football father from Yale, in his landmark book American Football, first published in 1891, “forbade any one’s pick-ing up, carrying, or throwing the ball in any part of the field. There were no ‘off’ or ‘on’ side rules, and the goals were made by sending the ball under the crossbar instead of over it. Fouls were penalized by making the player who had committed the foul toss the ball straight up in the air from the place where the foul occurred, and it was unfair to touch the ball until it struck the ground.”

Under these rules—this is hardly what we now call football—

HOW FOOTBALLEXPLAINS AMERICAThe excerpt from How Football Explains America by Sal Paolantonio is reprinted with permission from triumphbooks.com

“And here was a

RESTLESS NATION in the

year 1876, the year of

the Centennial, when

THE THIRST for new

territory, for westward

expansion, seemed

UNQUENCHABLE. So, it

didn’t fit. Football, as

it was BEING PLAYED by

European RULES in the

New World, wasn’t an

attractive game.”

[H]ISTORY


Princeton and Rutgers played a game in 1869, a contest that has often been called the fi rst intercollegiate American foot-ball game. But this Old World game—a blend of soccer and rugby—had no compelling ac-tion or story line. It was just a mass of humanity moving in what was then called a “scrum-mage.” Not enough happened. Th ere was no premium placed on advancing the ball, capturing territory, quickly defeating your opponent—the core of what America was becoming. And the players and, most important, the spectators quickly grew tired of it.

Th e boys at Harvard made the fi rst move. Th ey called it “the Boston Game,” which allowed running with the football and tackling. Th eir game was a lit-tle more open and much more physical brand of rugby that had for years been played in Wales and England. Still, it wasn’t a far cry from “kicking a pig’s blad-der in skylarking fashion after Th anksgiving dinner,” as Camp described early football in Amer-ica. As the Harvard Advocate said in 1874, the Boston Game was much better “than the some-what sleepy game now played by our men.”

In 1876, however, Princeton and the University of Pennsylva-nia still competed under soccer rules, while Harvard and Yale

competed under the modifi ed Boston Game. Something had to be done. Th e four schools held a convention on Novem-ber 26, 1876, in Springfi eld, Massachusetts, and formed the Intercollegiate Football Asso-ciation. Th e Harvard boys con-vinced the group to adopt the Boston Game. It was far more compelling. It simply asked the players to do more in more wide-open space.

For the next six years—while the nation was undergoing rapid change in every other walk of life, and while the best and the brightest from the top eastern schools were being drawn to the wide-open opportunity of west-ward expansion—this new “foot-ball” game still proved to be too slow, too stodgy for the players and the fans. Indeed, there were too few of the latter. An analysis without a byline in the Princeton-ian in 1879 off ered an opinion of the game that demanded action: “Keeping the ball and working it by passing, running, and rushing is superior to the kicking game now in vogue.”

Not bad for 1879. Blame this mystery man in Princeton, New Jersey, for America ditching soc-cer. Th at analysis argued that adding these upgrades would make the game more competi-tive for the players and a more compelling story line for an

American audience gaining in literacy rates and sophistication.

Possession, the ability to quickly advance to the ball, hold the territory, and advance—these American concepts needed to be incorporated into the European game, the writer argued. Ameri-can players and, more important, American audiences wanted it. Fans “demanded action,” wrote Parke H. Davis in Football: Th e American Intercollegiate Game. “A great clamor broke out.”

So, the tinkering was over. Time for dramatic change. Th e year was 1880. Another convention was held. Th is time, representa-tives from Columbia University joined in. New York fans were among the most clamorous for change. First thing to go: the scrum. It suggested everything that was un-American: a mass of humanity moving in no particu-lar direction, with no particular purpose. Instead, one team was given possession of the ball, and a line of scrimmage was cre-ated—a line on the fi eld clearly delineating which team had the ball, and which team did not.

“A scrimmage takes place when the holder of the ball, being in the fi eld of play, puts it down on the ground in front of him and puts it in play with his foot,” said Amendment #1, adopted in 1880. Okay, so it’s not exactly

IInstead, one team was given possession of the ball, and a line of scrimmage was created—a line on the fi eld clearly delineating

which team had the ball, and which team did not.“‘The MAN who fi rst

RECEIVES the ball from

the snap-back shall

be called the

QUARTERBACK,’ the

new rule stated.”

[H]ISTORY


Jeff Saturday snapping the ball to Peyton Manning. We’re not there yet.

“The man who first receives the ball from the snap-back shall be called the quarterback,” the new rule stated. So, here’s where Manning’s prototype is born. By creating the position of “quarter-back,” football’s founders created a man on the field who would stand out among equals (a deli-ciously American concept that needs plenty of interpretation).

That was not enough. Another convention was held in 1882, and the participants implement-ed a great idea, an idea complete-ly foreign to the football/rugby/soccer players around the world: the concept of the first down. It was like somebody flipped a light switch.

Here was the new rule they creat-ed: “If, on three consecutive fairs and downs, a team shall not have advanced the ball five yards or lost ten, they must give up the ball to the other side at the spot where the fourth down was made.”

It was a somewhat backhanded way of saying that the team with possession must advance the ball five yards or surrender it. But, more important, it meant that if the team with the ball advanced it five yards, it kept the ball and the territory it had earned and kept going—kept possession of the football.

So, that rule also established pos-session—another particularly American notion. But to clearly translate the American geopo-litical mind-set of the time to a game on the field, there needed to be one more critical change in the game: the team possessing the ball had to be able to advance it—while holding onto the ter-ritory it had already captured. That was critical: hold and ad-vance. Or surrender.

Ah, Manifest Destiny! Now, that’s something American foot-ball players and spectators could embrace. Capture territory. Hold it. Advance.

Remember, this was happening at the height of the Wild West—in all its rationalized glory. America needed a game that had a chance to reflect this bold, multilayered panorama of experiences.

“The Rugby code was all right for Englishmen who had been brought up upon traditions as old and as binding as the laws them-selves,” wrote Camp. American football, he wrote, was evolving from “the nondescript running and kicking.” Camp wanted to bring scholarship and rationality to the game, make the game look more like his country.

So, back to the simple rule change, the creation of the first down simply mirrored the na-tion’s quest for territory. As ad-vancing the ball became more innovative, the first down rule would be changed from five yards to ten. With these new rule changes, with the use of ter-ritorial advancement in five- and then ten-yard increments, there would be a defined structure to the game, allowing for the for-mation of a narrative and the cre-ation of another set of stories to satiate the American public. And it happened almost instantly.

It was the daily press in New York, Boston, and Philadelphia— hop-ing to build its readership, of course—that went looking for stories on the football field. As the game opened up, it became more of a story. The characters, with the invention of the quar-terback and other distinct po-sitions, became more defined. To be sure, early sportswriters were encouraged by their edi-tors to glorify the game’s blood and violence. It was a way to sell newspapers.

“REMEMBER, this was

happening at the

height of the

WILD WEST—in all its

rationalized glory.

AMERICA needed

a game that HAD A

chance to reflect this

BOLD, MULTILAYERED

panorama of experiences.”

But it also served another pur-pose. Not everybody could go fight on the frontier or whip out a pistol in Tombstone. What was happening in the capture and surrender of territory on the football field in urban settings back east was a mythological ex-tension of what was happening from Missouri to Arizona.

“The champions of necessary roughness” in the new American game of football, writes Oriard in Reading Football, “were con-cerned that the ‘free-born Ameri-can college boys’ might lose their instincts of their ancestral ‘fight-ers from way back.’”

These college football games quickly gained in popularity.

By the 1890s, crowds of 10,000 and 20,000 fans were routine. And interest in the game quickly migrated west. The University of Michigan, which began foot-ball in 1878, went east as early as 1881 to play the Ivy League teams. The father of the mid-western game, Amos Alonzo Stagg, created a squad at the University of Chicago, and the Chicago Tribune and other mid-western newspapers responded by writing about the game in all its violent glory.

Teams from the East boarded buses and headed west to play, too. And this left fans in Phila-delphia and New York, now fully engaged in the stories of their gridiron heroes, starving for updates.

So, The Philadelphia Inquirer came up with a pretty ingenious idea—an idea that is the forefa-ther of the American sports bar. It’s not quite twelve flat screens showing every game of the NFL’s Sunday Ticket. But for 1896, it would do. The editors of the In-quirer took the teletype updates of University of Pennsylvania road football games—at Columbia,

H

Chicago, and Yale—and recre-ated the game on what the news-paper called a “Miniature Grid-iron,” a diorama displayed in a picture window in the front of the building. Hundreds of foot-ball fans would gather in front of the building, waiting for the game’s drama to unfold, play by play, on a replica of the field. Think of the electric football game we played as kids grow-ing up in the ‘60s and ‘70s, ex-cept the pieces on the field were moved by hand, one by one.

That’s just how attractive the nar-rative of the game of football had become, nearly overnight. Inter-estingly, there was nothing simi-lar to the “Miniature Gridiron” for baseball, even as that sport grew in popularity. Why? There were clearly more baseball games available to attend during the spring and summer. But a base-ball game goes at a much slower pace, making updates much few-er and far between. The narrative takes place at a much slower rate. Fans would probably not stand for that.

Thus, the “Miniature Gridiron” really foreshadows why America’s game of football was perfectly suited for television. The picture window in the front of the In-quirer was shaped like the field, and the action is linear—the march to gain territory, all hap-pening in a definable rectangular space shaped like the country itself. A newspaper picture win-dow was the forefather of the TV set—both, in essence, a mirror of American society. [AL]

Hundreds of football fans would gather in front of the building, waiting for the game’s drama to

unfold, play by play, on a replica of the field.

[H]ISTORY


“THE MOMENT YOU REALIZED THAT DESIGNING WAS YOUR PASSION:I realized during my third year of architecture school that I had more interest in interiors than architecture. As it turned out, I lean heavily on my architecture background in my work.

TALK ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR FIRM:The day after I graduated from Louisiana State University, I was living in New York. During the late seventies and early eighties, I did hotel and residential design for two of the most celebrated designers of that era before open-ing my own firm. By 1986, I was ready to get back to a—let’s just say—less intense way of life. I made my home in the Sonoma wine country where I have been (in the same house) since. I travel frequently to Hawaii to work on a variety of projects, mostly on Oahu and the Big Island.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH YOUR WORK?Unlike some firms, I see what we do as a service business. In the end, if I can leave a client with a sense that their personality permeates the design, I consider myself successful.

WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU HAVE FACED AS A DESIGNER?The biggest challenge seems to be putting together the four in-gredients that push a job “over the top” as it were: a great proj-ect, an architect who works col-laboratively, smart and trusting clients (if they trust us, they’re smart), and the budget to do it right. About half of the jobs hit the mark these days.

FINDING PRIVACYWHILE PRESERVING THE VIEW

Article based on an interview with Jacques Saint Dizier, founder of Saint Dizier DesignDesign architecture by Hugh Huddleson, and production architecture by Dean Pratt of Shigetomi Pratt Architects

Photography by Peter French

If you don’t have a

good FOUNDATION,

it’s not worth

putting MAKEUP

on it. We start with

the bones and

build THE DESIGN

from there.”

[D]ESIGN


tThe site, as an empty lot, had no

distinctive character and

significant privacy

challenges, while the distinct view

opportunities were its

fundamental value. WHAT PUSHED YOU TO BRANCH

OUT INTO YOUR OWN FIRM?All it takes is one good client. For me, it was a celebrity cli-ent in New York that made my solo career not only possible but very successful.

DESIGN PHILOSOPHY:If you don’t have a good foun-dation, it’s not worth putting makeup on it. We start with the

Pictured Above:Living room of the Kukio Estate

➧bones and build the design from there. Never underestimate the importance of good lighting.

DEFINING MOMENT WITHIN YOUR CAREER:The day that rocked my career was my twenty-eighth birthday when I was offered a job with Angelo Donghia. He was the one designer I aspired to be most like, and suddenly my desk was twenty

feet from his. He taught me about style and grace in design.

FAVORITE MOMENT: My favorite experiences are buy-ing trips to Bali. How much bet-ter can a job get?

WHAT DO YOU FIND VISUALLY INSPIRING AT THE MOMENT?We are currently working on some environmentally-conscious

KUKIO ESTATETELL US ABOUT THE CLIENTS:The site, as an empty lot, had no distinctive character and signifi-cant privacy challenges, while the distinct view opportunities were its fundamental value. Accord-ingly, the client requested that the layout of the house should carefully incorporate, from every appropri-ate room, the view opportunities. A sense of groundedness was also a fundamental goal, achieved through bold stone walls and lush landscap-ing in a sequence of unique gardens. We had done seven or eight projects with these clients when we took on this house, so by the initial meet-ing, we were running at full steam. When someone comes back because they like what you do, it’s not only flattering, but it carries with it a cer-tain freedom to take leaps.

DESCRIBE THE PROJECT IN GENERAL TERMS:The house is a resort home in Ha-waii. The main house has two bed-rooms (master suite on one side and secondary bedroom on the other), plus a distinctly defined, intimately scaled library/study. There is a sepa-rate guest house which has two lux-urious guest suites. The suites were purposely given their own structure and entrance to avoid any sense of intrusiveness. The guest house has a large living room and is separated by a pond from the main house.Guests to the island are frequent, and stay for both short visits or longer, more thorough island visits. The guest house has a generous sit-ting room with a kitchen/bar, and is equipped with ample storage and a washer and dryer. All four bed-rooms have private bathrooms and private gardens, each with its own outdoor shower.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE DESIGN OF THIS PROJECT?The house is an updated, cosmo-politan approach to the vernacular of Hawaiian Hale architecture, with the goal of capturing sophistication

projects, and it’s very inspiring to be able to deal with the flood of “green” products that have been developed in the past five years. There’s no question that’s where this business is headed.

DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE:We’re all about classical comfort. We like to incorporate sumptu-ous textures and finishes in an approachable way.

[D]ESIGN


as well as casual tropical living through the controlled use of lo-cal materials, layout, and texture. A floor plan that invites indoor-outdoor living at every juncture was considered the most impor-tant way to connect the house and lifestyle appropriate to the location and clients’ desires. The main living area opens up to both sides of the house—the ocean-view side with its rock-sculpted infinity edge pool and expan-sive landscaping, and the more intimately scaled entry court garden onto which the windows lining the main corridor look. This secondary view creates a nice balance of light, and looks beyond the garden and walls to Hualalai, a dormant volcano in the background, and Mauna Kea hovering above and beyond. The interior furnishings were done with a comfortable but stylish look—beautiful elements not dressed up too formally, like Converse All Stars sneakers with a cashmere sport coat.

TALK ABOUT YOUR MATERIAL CHOICES AND DESIGN ELEMENTS WITHIN THE FOLLOWING ROOMS:MASTER BEDROOMWe wanted to accentuate the height of the vaulted ceiling, so we made the four-poster bed nine feet high! The bed is dressed in different linens and sits on a silk and wool rug.

BATHROOMS The baths are all a combination of granite and mahogany. Each opens onto a private garden with an outdoor shower. We used Tibetan rugs in front of each of the vanities.

LIVING AREASSince the room opens complete-ly to the terrace when the doors are pocketed, it was important to create a lanai feeling in the inte-rior spaces as well as on the actu-al lanais. We covered the ceiling panels between the mahogany beams in a woven reed material

[D]ESIGN


to give the flavor of a thatched roof, and hung large framed tapa cloth fragments on one wall. The floors are polished limestone with wool and silk rugs from Ti-bet. The columns lining the main corridor are ohia lehua logs.

KITCHENThe kitchen includes mahogany cabinetry, and harmoniously vibrant but soft-toned granite countertops to finish the look.

LANDSCAPEThe goal was to create a lush, pri-vate world. All of the landscap-ing is indigenous and easy to care for, and is composed to look as though it planted itself.

TALK ABOUT THE DESIGN OF THE CEILINGS AND THE CREATIVE USE OF WOOD: The beams are smooth-finished mahogany. In the primary liv-ing space, we combined them with reed panels to fill the field between the beams, which is intended to create both interior luster and luxury, and a sense of being outdoors.

HOW DO YOU GET A FEEL FOR WHAT A PROJECT SHOULDBE OR SAY? Most of the inspiration comes from two places: the architec-ture and a dialog with the client. Many times, the clients don’t re-ally know what they want, but by asking the right questions, we can figure it out. It’s fun to see their expressions when you’ve suc-cessfully gotten into their head.

HOW DOES THIS PROJECT SHOWCASE YOUR FIRM’S TALENTS?We love using exotic textures and finishes and a fairly neutral palette. There’s a kind of casual elegance to this house that’s typi-cal of our work in the islands.

WHAT ARE THE CURRENT HOMEOWNERS ENJOYING MOST ABOUT THEIR NEW SPACE?They love the house and have of-ten remarked on how much they enjoy the openness of the design and the strong flavor of Hawaii that the house has.

WHAT IS IT LIKE WORKING IN HAWAII? IS THERE A DIFFERENT DESIGN SENSIBILITY?There are so many great things about doing work in Hawaii, like the connection the interior has to the exterior, for instance. On the down side is the fact that the weather can take its toll on wood and metal. The pace in Hawaii is at a greatly reduced tempo. Things tend to get done on “Is-land Time,” which can mean anything from when someone decides they like you and trust you enough to do the work to just the fact that there’s no surf that day. Once you get used to it, it seems like the sensible way to work! [AL]

“We wanted to ACCENTUATE the

height of the vaulted ceiling, so

we made the FOUR-POSTER BED nine

feet high! The bed is dressed in

different LINENS and sits on a silk

and wool rug.”

Pictured Above:(top)Stainless-steel appliances complement the beautiful cabinetry in the kitchen.

(bottom)The masterbath of the Kukio Estate features granite and mahogany materials.

➧

i www.saintd.com

[D]ESIGN

i www.hughhuddleson.com


We were strolling through the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast looking for some bright-ly lit “Wheel of Fortune” slot machines to play and listening to the music vibrate as people frolicked, chatted, and emoted passionately around us.

Casino resorts and golf courses are abundant in this part of the country, located roughly one hour from New Orleans, Louisiana, to the west and Mobile,

GOLFING ONTHE MISSISSIPPI GULF COAST

Article by Brian OarPhotography courtesy of the Mississippi Development Authority

Alabama, to the east. Th is beachy, vibrant setting in America’s Deep South—which I visited with oth-er golf-and-resort lifestyle travel writers as guests of the state and its Gulf Coast tourism partners —was a revelation to me.

Th e Mississippi Gulf Coast has a unique fl avor and charm. South-ern hospitality is for real, and it abounds. You’re likely to hear things here for the fi rst time. Ask a Gulf Coast native how they’re doing, and you may get, “Better

than a speckled pup under a shade tree.” Or a native may ut-ter the greeting, “Howzya Mom-ma and them?” when exchanging friendly pleasantries.

No trip here comes without re-membering Hurricane Katrina. On August 29, 2005, the mas-sive storm destroyed the area in one of the worst natural disasters ever. Fortunately, Mississippians are nothing if not resilient and full of life-enhancing spirit. As a result, the region is once again

“We’re TALKING award-winning, nationally

RECOGNIZED courses authoredby the likes of TOM FAZIO, Jack Nicklaus,

Arnold Palmer, Davis Love III, JERRY PATE,

and Mark McCumber.”

thriving and enjoying a resur-gence as a travel destination.

Homes, condos, resorts, and ame-nities have been, and are being, built. Th e options are many for those seeking an aff ordable place to visit, retire, or for a second home or beach vacation prop-erty. You can still see remnants of Katrina, be it the large slabs of foundation concrete on which once stood structures, or other similar “ghosts.” But the region’s recovery has been astounding.

[T]RAVEL


TMoney is the reason. It comes from the casinos which bring revenue to the region’s coffers in the form of jobs for residents, business tax funds for the state and local governments, and tour-ism dollars from visitors.

Many of the aforementioned casinos have golf courses as amenities. And these are not your run-of-the-mill designs. We’re talking award-winning, nationally recognized courses, authored by the likes of Tom Fazio, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Davis Love III, Jerry Pate, and Mark McCumber.

We started our trip by flying into Gulfport-Biloxi Interna-tional Airport (GPT), which lands you about ten miles from Biloxi, Mississippi, and a selec-tion of the Las Vegas-style re-sort hotels and casinos (many of which offer a rotating sched-ule of marquee music and comedy acts).

After checking into the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Biloxi, which opened in 2007, we met for dinner at Vibe, where the food and drink were outstand-ing and the atmosphere hip. The Hard Rock’s rooms are exquisite, including large, comfy beds, Aveda amenities, views of the Gulf of Mexico to die for, iPod docking stations, tile showers with pie-plate shower heads, and forty-two-inch plasma televi-sions. And all for mind-blowing low prices, which can start at or below one hundred dollars (there are more expensive options available too).

After a sumptuous night’s rest on my king-sized bed, I was raring to go for the thirty-six holes which awaited me–eighteen at Grand Bear (Jack Nicklaus design) and eighteen at The Preserve (Jerry Pate). Grand Bear is about ten years old and located in DeSoto National Forest. Hence, once i www.gulfcoast.org

you turn off the main drag to get there, you have a scenic, six-mile drive through towering pines before arriving at the clubhouse, which has a rustic, handsome lodge look and décor.

An amenity of Harrah’s Grand Casino Biloxi, Grand Bear is in immaculate condition with nary a soul or man-made impediment anywhere to be found—just glo-rious acre upon acre of unspoiled natural terrain. True to his repu-tation and acumen (and casino client expense backing), Nick-laus crafted an inspired course which highlights its setting and risk-reward shot values for bet-ter players, but also designed routes from tees to greens that less accomplished players can safely navigate.

After a lovely lunch and view of Grand Bear in the clubhouse res-taurant, we drove to nearby Pre-serve Golf Club, an amenity of the Palace Casino Resort.

The Preserve debuted in 2007, and it continues to earn its stripes as a rising star in the casino course world. It has been lauded as among the best in the nation, and deservedly so. Its name is authentic—the course abuts an 1,800-acre nature preserve which offers dramatic views and peaceful serenity. A challenging layout fraught with beauty is highlighted by large, undulating greens, water hazards, and diver-sity. Never a dull moment is to be found thanks to a creative col-lection of holes, no two the same or similar.

The après golf offerings in the stately Southern plantation-style clubhouse are excellent. We en-joyed our dinner on the veranda overlooking the eighteenth green and lake as the sun began to set. Grilled delights, an array of sal-ads, and other fresh fare brought an extremely satisfying end to a glorious day.

After a night of gambling, we checked out and headed for Shell Landing, another of the area’s fine to superlative golf courses, albeit, the only one we played not affiliated with a ca-sino. Named for the rare gopher turtles which are found and pro-tected on the site, Shell Landing starts with a dramatic first hole that required a medium iron car-ry for me over an environmental area fronting the green. That set the tone for the round, which was memorable for its combina-tion of scenery and excitement. I alternately found myself inspired by the wooden bridges, marsh-es, tall pines, and fun, exacting golf course.

Afterward, we checked into the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino. An MGM Mirage Resort prop-erty, it is opulent in its design and décor, and stunning in the number of amenities offered— spa, salon, shopping, gaming, multiple restaurants, lounges, and golf to name a few.

Fallen Oak Golf Club is the Beau’s golf amenity, and it may be the best course I’ve ever played. Furthermore, the service, setting, and overall ambiance exceeded my wildest expectations. You must stay at the Beau to have the option to play Fallen Oak. And you must ride to the course in one of the resort’s limos, which are met by the pleasant staff who whisk your golf clubs and golf shoes to the finely appointed clubhouse locker room. There, when you arrive, you’ll find your shoes already polished and set in front of your rich, dark wood locker, which has a gold plate en-graved with your name upon it.

From there, we proceeded to the practice facility, where we met our forecaddies. Our foursome’s caddie—Tex (so named because he’s from Texas) has looped on the professional tours, and sometimes still does. Not only

was he a hoot, but a heck of a course guide. He easily helped me save five to seven strokes by reading greens and advising where to aim tee shots.

Designed by Tom Fazio, who was given a huge budget, Fallen Oak is as good as golf gets. Designed for high rollers at the Beau, not one luxury or attention to detail is spared. When I die, they can bury me at Fallen Oak.

The rooms and restaurants at Beau Rivage are similarly as-tounding, and the resort and course put a crescendo finish on our visit.

I can unequivocally state that the Mississippi Gulf Coast is the nation’s best golf-and-casino gaming destination bar none. If it isn’t, I’ve not seen a better one. Vegas and Atlantic City are larg-er gaming destinations—Missis-sippi is the nation’s third largest —but neither has the inventory or value of golf amenities that Mississippi boasts.

Further, few can match Missis-sippi for value. The prices for virtually every place we played or stayed were surprisingly low. Beau Rivage and Fallen Oak were the exceptions, and they’re

worth every dollar in the value-judgment equation.

Additionally, the area has many other attractions—from culinary (check out Mary Mahoney’s Old French House Restaurant across the street from the Hard Rock) and beaches to family activities and compelling history, heritage, and architecture (including the “retirement” home of Confeder-ate President Jefferson Davis).

In summary, when people ask if I enjoyed my visit to the Mis-sissippi Gulf Coast, I tell them, “Better than a speckled pup un-der a shade tree.”

Then I ask them, “Howzya Momma and them?” [AL]

Brian Oar is a highly regarded travel writer and photographer. A longtime Salt Lake City resi-dent who lives there with his wife and family, Brian’s work has been published in many leading North American magazines.

The Hard Rock’s rooms are exquisite, including large, comfy beds, Aveda amenities, views of the Gulf of

Mexico to die for, iPod docking stations, tile showers with pie-plate shower heads, and forty-two-inch

plasma televisions.

[T]RAVEL


“

WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP NEAR PHILADELPHIA?I grew up in New Jersey, about thirty minutes from Philadel-phia. My father was a photog-rapher and graphic designer for commercial products; my mother painted murals and trompe l’oeil. Both would have to come to Philadelphia for work, and if you climbed a high enough tree in Cinnaminson, New Jer-sey, you would have seen the William Penn statue atop City Hall in the middle of the skyline.

DESCRIBE A MEMORY THAT YOU ATTRIBUTE TO YOUR PASSION FOR PHILADELPHIA:Being a descendant of Philadel-phia’s founder, William Penn, instantly peaked interest. But it was also the stories my father told me of his love affair of the Ben Franklin Bridge that links New Jersey to Philly. His father despised the bridge for ending his ferry boat captain career.

WHEN DID YOU TAKE UP PHOTOGRAPHY? I always loved photography, but it wasn’t until I was cleaning out my mother’s house and found my father’s old camera. I took it to Seattle with me on vacation, and even though the color was

I’ll take TWO OR

three shots, and

maybe they’ll

all be out of

FOCUS. I don’t

take a photo, look at the little

SCREEN, and take

IT AGAIN. If it’s

perfect, then it

was meant to be.”

[FRAMINGPHILADELPHIA

Article based on an interview with photographer Michael Penn

[

[P]HOTOGRAPHY


off and the camera was in serious need of love and attention, art-ist friends of mine immediately complimented on my composi-tion and subject capture.

I was looking to make a ca-reer change, and was fortunate enough to take some time off to explore this new option.

DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE. WHY DO YOU SHOOT MOSTLY AT NIGHT? WHY BLACK AND WHITE?I love to walk, and observe the city differently every time. An intersection I’ve passed thou-sands of times may have a street light out and someone wait-ing to cross the street, casting a shadow on the steam rising from a manhole. I have to shoot it. I’ll take two or three shots, and maybe they’ll all be out of focus. I don’t take a photo, look at the little screen, and take it again. If it’s perfect, then it was meant to be. Whether a shot is black and white depends on my mood. I like shooting at night because the streets are less populated.

EXPLAIN THE MOMENT YOU DECIDED PHILADELPHIA WOULD BECOME YOUR MUSE:I wouldn’t call it my muse—Philadelphia is an old city, very

PPeople perceive images in their own way, and if an image makes someone think,

then mission accomplished.

[P]HOTOGRAPHY


accessible and somewhat pedes-trian friendly. It has been the subject of countless books and has been photographed over and over—yet everyone’s capture of Philadelphia is unique. I’ve seen hundreds of images of other cit-ies like Chicago, Seattle, and Mi-ami, and they all look and feel the same.

WHAT DO YOU FIND SO VISUALLY INSPIRING ABOUT THE CITY?The weather and long winter shadows make for some great images. I do not like the summer heat, and it’s usually the time of year when I shoot most of my night shots.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH THROUGH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS? I’ve been told that I can make a dirty city look clean and a clean city look dirty. I don’t stylize or set dress any of my shots. If a crumbled piece of newspaper manages to blow in the frame and it works, then it stays. People perceive images in their own way, and if an image makes someone think, then my mission has been accomplished.

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE YOUR SUBJECTS?It’s the way a cloud is overhead or the rareness of an abandoned stretch of city sidewalk at mid-day. It’s fog, shadow, and season. The buildings rarely do anything new, but their environment is al-ways changing.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION FOR THE “SHOT IN THE DARK” COLLECTION? I originally didn’t intend for those photos to be in my artistic portfolio. Instead I was record-ing scenes and views that I knew would not be around for much longer, (No Service, 2007). Reac-tion to the photos forced me to rethink the series and include it in my portfolio.

MICHAELPENN

“There is historic

PRESERVATION, and

there is new

construction, all

happening within

each one’s

SHADOW. I try to

seamlessly BLEND THE

two, to where you

are unaware that

it’s happening.”

[P]HOTOGRAPHY


II will never forget walking into the Ice Box, the huge main gallery of Philadelphia’s Crane Arts building, and seeing my

panorama of Camden Versus Philly on the back wall during a silent auction event.

HOW DO YOUR IMAGES CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF PHILADELPHIA? There is historic preservation, and there is new construction, all happening within each one’s shadow. I try to seamlessly blend the two, to where you are un-aware that it’s happening.

HOW HAS THE CITY CHANGED?It has grown, upward and out-ward. If I were to return to Cin-naminson and begin to climb that tree, I wouldn’t have to climb far now to see the skyline some fifteen miles away.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT THE CITY THROUGH YOUR PHOTOGRAPHS?Probably that nothing is forever.

TALK ABOUT A MOMENT WITHIN YOUR CAREER THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET:I will never forget walking into the Ice Box, the huge main gal-lery of Philadelphia’s Crane Arts building, and seeing my pan-orama of Camden Versus Philly on the back wall during a silent auction event. The moment got better when I was close enough

to see that several people were engaged in a bidding war for it. The icing on the cake was when I was approached by someone who said they were a fan of mine. A very surreal evening.

WILL YOU EVER MOVE ONTO ANOTHER CITY OR ANOTHER SUBJECT ALL TOGETHER? I would like to move to a more eco-friendly, healthier city. There are cities where hiking and walk-ing combine with nature so per-fectly. I’d like to call a place like that home one day.

WHAT DOES PHOTOGRAPHY FULFILL FOR YOU?It’s fulfilling to have a career that you love. I love taking pictures.

TALK ABOUT YOUR LIFE OUTSIDE OF PHOTOGRAPHY:I enjoy my anonymity. I live with my girlfriend and our cat, Cracker, in a loft apartment in Philadelphia’s Old City area. I’ll take any opportunity I can get to leave Center City for a day of hiking in the Wissahick-on Valley. I also enjoy biking and golfing. [AL]

i www.michaelpennphotography.com

[P]HOTOGRAPHY


EGroundhog Day is a rather un-usual holiday on many levels. Early in the morning on the sec-ond day of February, a ground-hog wakes up from hibernation and pops its sleepy head from its burrow. People around the country—some more anxiously than others—await as the ani-mal searches for its shadow. Is an early spring around the cor-ner? Or will the sight of its own shadow cause it to return to its den, signaling another six weeks of winter? As the legend goes, only the groundhog can predict for certain. And despite our bet-ter judgment and advanced me-teorology technology, we believe in its forecasts—at least for a day or two.

So how did the groundhog be-come elevated to the position of Weather Prophet Extraordinaire? According to folklore, the origin of the Groundhog Day tradition dates back to the eighteenth cen-tury when early German settlers adapted the ritual from similar beliefs associated with Candle-mas Day. It was speculated that if the weather was fair and sunny on Candlemas Day—which fell in-between the first days of win-ter and spring—the second half of winter would be cold and stormy. The Europeans tradi-tionally relied on hibernating an-imals, such as the hedgehog, to determine this prediction. If the hedgehog cast its shadow on the ground and retreated back into its hole, winter was not over yet.

WOODCHUCKWEATHER REPORT

Article by Ellie LawrencePhotography by Alan Freed for www.punxsutawneyphil.com

As the German settlers brought the tradition to Pennsylvania, they designated the groundhog to be their official weather fore-caster in America, as the creature was heavily abundant in the state and infinitely as wise.

Whether you trust in the fore-casts or not, there is no escap-ing that our nation follows the development of these predic-tions. And no one celebrates the unique holiday more whole-heartedly than those in Punx-sutawney, Pennsylvania. On the days prior to Groundhog Day, the small rural town transforms into a major metropolis. The population rises threefold as fans from far and wide journey to Gobbler’s Knob, anxiously awaiting the arrival of the man of the hour. Men in tuxedos and top hats gather center stage in front of the enthusiastic crowd. The celebrity behind this annual commotion is not a movie star or a political figure—it is Punx-sutawney Phil, the Seer of Seers, the Sage of Sages, the Prognos-ticator of Prognosticators, the official forecasting groundhog of Pennsylvania.

If you believe in the story, Punx-sutawney Phil is the one and only groundhog that has been pre-dicting the weather since the first official march to Gobbler’s Knob back in 1887—naturally, he drinks the elixir of life to ensure his immortality. (If you believe that, then you know that within

Early in the morning on the second of February, a groundhog wakes up from hibernation and

pops its sleepy head from its burrow.

[C]ULTURE


his 123 years of predictions, he has always been one hundred percent accurate as well.) He is cared for by the Groundhog Club’s Inner Circle—a secretive group of local dignitaries who are responsible for carrying on the Groundhog Day traditions year after year.

The annual festival is nothing short of monumental for this small town, with entertainment rushing out of every nook and cranny. For the days leading up to the holiday, the town orga-nizes a variety of action-packed events. You can enjoy comedy acts and theatrical performances, magic shows and ventriloquists, and balloon art and face paint-ing. Music permeates the air, and art shows fill the streets. Banquets, dances, and the Prog-nosticators’ Ball are always held as well. Amidst this cultural ex-citement, the food possibilities are endless—the mouth-watering buffets, family picnics, local res-taurants, homemade treats, and vendors are guaranteed to please your taste buds. You can even watch the 1993 movie Ground-hog Day starring Bill Murray—in true Groundhog Day fashion, the movie plays on multiple oc-casions throughout the days of celebration. With all the fun and festivities, this sleepy town never seems to rest.

As if this entertainment isn’t enough to make Groundhog Day unforgettable, some people choose to add to the excite-ment with a celebration of love, and nothing says “I love you” like a groundhog-inspired wed-ding. Whether it is because the second of February holds romantic significance, or they are extremely big fans of Phil, couples come to Phil’s Wedding

“Hands down, the

PREMIER EVENT of all

the Groundhog

Day activities is

the annual trek

to GOBBLER’S KNOB.

The CROWD

gathers in the

cold to rejoice

with more music, live

ENTERTAINMENT,

early morning

FIREWORKS,

and genuine camaraderie.”

i www.punxsutawneyphil.com

Chapel to tie the knot or renew their vows, with the Punxsutaw-ney mayor performing the cere-mony and members of the Inner Circle standing witness.

Hands down, the premier event of all the Groundhog Day activi-ties is the annual trek to Gob-bler’s Knob. The crowd gathers in the cold to rejoice with more music, live entertainment, early morning fireworks, and genu-ine camaraderie. As day breaks, the ceremonial prediction be-gins. Members of the Inner Circle gather around a stump on stage. One handler lifts Phil from his heated burrow, hold-ing the infallible marmot in the air in front of the crowd. The gregarious fans chant and shout at the sight, hoping for an early end to their winter blues.

PPhil reveals his prediction to the Inner Circle, speaking in Groundhogese which only the president can understand.

Phil reveals his prediction to the Inner Circle, speaking in Groundhogese which only the president can understand. And sadly, more often than not, Punxutawney Phil’s “shadow” forecast leaves the nation looking at six more weeks of winter.

This wintery weather proclama-tion is never enough to spoil the spirit of the holiday. Before long, the crowd rejoices, and people resume their celebration of hu-manity. After all, this annual commotion is not really about the early arrival of spring—it is not even about the celebration of groundhogs, despite the holiday’s namesake. It is about the pres-ervation of a holiday ritual that spans across generations—all for the sake of coming together as a community and keeping an old tradition alive. [AL]

[C]ULTURE

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MCGUIREFURNITURE - John WuTHE COLLECTION 16872_84526_AmerLife.qxd:16872_84526_AmerLife 5/29/09 2:13 PM Page 1. ... However, in 2004, Sue was diagnosed with breast cancer, and needed