laurel mountain post :: march-april 2006

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POSTA Magazine for the Heart of Westmoreland County

March-April 2006: A Visit to Parris Island | War In Their Own Words | Fresh from the Farm | STEELERS! FREEFREEFREEFREEFREE

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When I was very young, I wanted to be Batgirl. Thisheroine was quickly replaced in my heart by Won-der Woman. My son has been a Batman fan sincehe was a baby – but his favorite character is Robin,probably because of the Teen Titans cartoon on tele-vision today designed just for his generation. Everyyear for Christmas, Santa Claus has brought hima different super hero costume from the DC comicsworld of the Justice League or the Mar-vel Universe.

Everyone wants to be a hero when theygrow up. Eventually the desire to weara mask and save the world from evilvillains is replaced by something a littlemore practical. From his superheroorigins, my son has set his sights onbeing a New York City policeman . . .or a Broadway performer who makesus smile with a song and a dance num-ber. He is still considering his options.

There are many different kinds of realpeople we’d like to be when we growup: fireman and police officers are agreat choice because they work everyday to save and protect lives, often atthe expense of their own. Teenagershang posters on their walls of rock sing-ers and movies stars, hoping to one dayconquer the world with such fame andfortune. Sports legends appeal to all ages – every-one hopes to win the big game someday! Othersadmire great historical figures such as world lead-ers or civil rights pioneers. Parades are filled withpoliticans and war heroes who fill us with patrioticpride. We are awed by doctors who brilliantly healour broken bodies and cure disease.

It is natural for us to choose the glamorous rolemodels in front of us. Money, fame, accomplish-ments, power, bravery or a winning record are easythings to measure. The concrete is much more ac-

We Could Be Heroes

MOUNTAIN VIEWSCathi Gerhard Williams

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST - 3

Cathi Gerhard Williams, Editor & PublisherBriana Dwire Tomack, Marketing Director & Business Manager

STAFF & CONTRIBUTORS - MARCH-APRIL 2006 (Volume III, Issue 1)

Jim Brewer, Walt Brewer, Daniel Chicka, Carol Dwire,Ron & Deb Durika, Matt George, Shelly & Carol Gerhard,

Jim Kasperik, Kathy Kasperik, Carma Lamm, Susan Ransel McBroom,David “Muggsy” Miles, Jeremy Olson, Ruth Richardson, J.B. Rossi,

Richard Z. Rupert, Michelle Schultz, Nicole Vitale Smith, Scott Sinemus,Elizabeth Srsic, Rick Tomack, Drew Williams, Robert Williams

PRINTED IN LATROBE, PENNSYLVANIA

Proud member of the Latrobe and Ligonier Chambers of Commerce

The Laurel Mountain Post is a bimonthly publication of biffBOOcommunication designed to focuson the people, places and events at the heart of Westmoreland County in western Pennsylvania.We print stories about real people and their daily lives; feature local merchants, craftsmen andprofessionals; present short pieces of art & literature; and never lose sight of what makes this

area a great place to call home.

P.O. Box 227 | Latrobe, PA 15650 | 724-331-3936 | [email protected]

Special thanks to our advertisers for supporting this community publication!

Briana Dwire TomackCathi Gerhard Williams

[email protected]

[email protected]

cessible than the abstract. But it is quality thatmakes life worth living . . . the things we can’t al-ways measure and often take for granted. We for-get about those who go to work in the middle of thenight to make the doughnuts or keep the electric-ity on. There is food at the grocery store when Ineed it because somebody somewhere in the worldstill farms the land and tends to their herd. We

live in a free country because the military trains todefend it, during times of both war and peace. Theyare all there in numbers but working as one – forus, whether we thank them or not.

Gratitude, kindness, and respect. Those are thequalities I wish for my children over money, powerand achievment. Having them all would be great,but our decisions inevitably lead us down diversecareer and personal paths.

My daughter has reached the age of making thosedifficult and varied choices that will shape her adultlife – what classes to take next year, what college to

attend, and most importantly, what directionshe wants to take with her life. I

couldn’t be more proud of her at-titude toward thewhole wide-open fu-ture: “I just want tolike what I do and

be a nice person,”she says. At age 36,

part of me still tries tobe Wonder Woman every day,

struggling with my identity andthe things I want to achieve withmy life; but my 15-year-olddaughter already seems to

have the right perspective and posi-tive outlook.

A lot of superheroes in comics are amoody, brooding lot who do their jobout of a sense of duty or obligation.Most don’t seem to appreciate their tal-ents or view them as a burden. Theydwell on the things they’ve lost, blindto what they have achieved, and all thatthey can still do. True, it gives theircharacters a dramatic depth and obvi-ous motivations for their actions. But

what if they took all their strength and powers andcoupled them with a better attitude?

Imagine the things we could all accomplish in thereal world if we took off our masks and focusedour energy in a constructive way, doing the rightthings for the right reason with the gifts uniqueto each of us . . . if we could re-channel our grief,stress, and envy; and defeat our inner villains . . .

We could be heroes.And not just for one day.

4 - LAUREL MOUNTAIN POST

FRIENDS & HEROESA Visit to Parris Island with the United States Marines Corps

Each year the U.S. Marine Corps hosts aseries of Educator Workshops for teachers,

guidance counselors and members of themedia all across the country. Participantstravel to Parris island, S.C. for a firsthandlook at what it takes to become a Marine.

Last November (2005) Briana Tomack andCathi Williams accompanied the Pittsburgh

area group for this incredible experience.

The trip began with a 4:00 am wakeup callto catch a flight to Charleston and continuedwell into the morning hours of the next daybefore they were able to catch a few hourssleep. The schedule allowed participants to

experience a glimpse of the same exhaus-tion, exhiliration, physical demands andother conditions that make up the Parris

Island recruit training program.

Recruits and Marines from theWestmoreland County area met with the

Laurel Mountain Post and spoke abouttraining and living as a U.S. Marine. With

intense pride they discussed the educationand skills provided at Parris Island, theirindividual acomplishments, transforma-

tions, and career plans for the future.

Get on theYellow Footprints

Recruits arrive at Parris Island by bus to begin trainingand are greeted by a drill instructor like Diana Ruiz fromChicago . . . tough as nails one minute, gracious andsoftspoken the next. The first thing each recruit does isstand on the yellow footprints and wait for instructions.They are then led through a set of shiny metal doors at therecieving office – the one and only time they will ever enterthose doors. Processing includes receiving sets of gear, moreinstructions, and the ceremonial haircut. Each recruitmakes one phone call home and delivers a set script toconfim their arrival and begin their journey toward be-coming a United States Marine.

We Make Marines Famous!

“If you need something, ask a Marine,” says Cpl.Darhonda Rodela, Media Chief of the Parris Is-land Public Affairs Office. Their department cantell you anything you want to know about thepeople and places of the Marine Corps . . . andtrack down just about anything else you arelooking for. Managing information has becomea career for Public Affairs Chief Gunnery Sgt.Jason Bortz (a native of Export, PA and 1992graduate of Franklin Regional High School). Hehas traveled the world to such places as Japanand Spain with his work for the Marine Corps.

Photo by Pfc. Heather A. Golden.

Every participant in the Educator Workshop received instruction and a practice roundwith the M16A2 service rifle on the firing range and observed training exercises inLeatherneck Square, a custom obstacle course environment for training Marines.

Lance Cpl. Mac has been the offical mascot of the US Marines Corps Recruiting Depot atParris Island since September 2002. The English bulldog greets hundreds of Marines andvisitors each week. Mac represents a tradition of the Marines Corps that began with a recruit-ing poster during World War I with an image of a snarling bulldog wearing a helmet – epitomiz-ing a Marine’s unwavering tenacity and fighting spirit. Like all Marines, Depot mascots mustuphold the Core Values of honor, courage and commitment. Mac’s last official day of duty wasJanuary 6, 2006, but continues to serve as needed until a successor is named.

details from an article in The Boot by Cpl. Jennifer D. Brofer – September 16, 2005

Gunny Bortz andMac at the visitors

center; Cpl. Rodelaposes with a young

visitor attendinggraduation

ceremonies.


Graduation Day

The CrucibleA Rite of Passage for all Marines, the Crucible is the culmination of recruittraining – a 54-hour physically and mentally challenging event that involvesfood and sleep deprivation and the completion of various obstacles. Marinestravel 43 miles on foot, complete 29 problem-solving exercises and con-sume three ready-to-eat meals (MREs - which were surprisingly tasty!).Upon completion, recruits are treated to a Warrior’s Breakfast . . . all-you-can-eat steak, eggs and potatoes.

The Crucible was the best part of theParris Island recruit training experience forMitch Lander (a 2005 graduate ofHempfield Area High School). From ParrisIsland, he went to Camp Lejeune in NorthCarolina for combat training. After a briefvisit home this winter (where he haddinner at his favorite local restaurant, TheTexas Roadhouse) he left for El Paso, TXto begin training as a Military OperationsSpecialist – a Stringer Missle Gunner.Future plans for Lander include a careerteaching music and history. We will keepyou posted on his progress!

Our visit to Parris Island ended with watching the recruits become United StatesMarines as they recieved their Eagle, Globe and Anchor pin on the parade deck. Briga-dier General Richard Tryon and his wife, Diane, hosted the event and even invited oursmall group back to their home where Mrs. Tryon gave us a personal tour and briefhistory of the generals quarters. As we made our way back home, exhausted andexhilirated by the trasformative experience and witness on Parris Island, we had manyfeelings for our Marines . . . gratitude and respect topped the list. It takes a specialhuman being to give of yourself and meet the Marine Corps expectations as well asthose of the United States of America.

Flat Stanley Pays A Visitto the Nearby Air Base

Lt. Col. “Waldo” shows off his plane toFlat Stanley, a popular elementaryschool character, who came along withSeneca Valley High School teacher JimLucot, of Cranberry Township. We alllearned that Marines can be pilots, too!

Briana and Cathi meet Brigadier General Richard Tryonfollowing the Eagle, Globe and Anchor ceremony.


DERRY REMEMBRANCESRuth Richardson

I ride through town and all the empty storefrontsmake me sad. Every now and then an excited newproprietor moves in with high expectations and lotsof energy. The community tries to be supportive aswe watch them struggle to succeed. Then one daywe drive past and the windows are vacant again.For so many reasons, small towns don’t seem to beable to sustain small business’s any longer.

I remember a time in Derry when one business blockof East First Avenue housed SIX grocery stores. Ifyou started from South Ligonier Street where theDerry Credit Union building sits, we had Kist’sMarket on the corner and Tony Basciano’s acrossthe street. Continuing west on First Avenue pastthe Gem Theater and the Eagles, you came to Vitale’sStore. Right beside that was Mastrorocco’s, the onlyoriginal store still in operation today. Crossing thestreet, still heading west you came to Murray’s Res-taurant. They carried a limited stock of groceryitems. (I remember the big bread racks right insidethe front door. ) And last, on the western end ofFirst Avenue was the A & P. These were located injust one little neighborhood. Several blocks awayin each direction, new neighborhoods started andeach was a self-sustaining little community as well.

All of us who lived in Derry in those days knew thatcalling us ‘Derry residents’ was too generic a term.Although the post office assigned us all a Derryaddress, I personally knew I was not from Derry. Iwas from West Derry. Everyone who originally hailedfrom West Derry will confirm this. We were a townof neighborhoods that had names. My husband,Doug, was from Goosetown, and he will tell youthat IT was the best, much better than West Derry.The folks in Elmadale would have greatly disputedhis assertion, to them Elmadale was even better.And the New Derry natives - don’t even go there.These rivalries could have led to a challenge that indays gone by might have led to blows. We were veryloyal to whichever neighborhood we called home.Although Derry Borough is less than one squaremile in size, it contained several ‘towns within thetown,’ including the aforementioned Goosetown andElmadale. The strangest neighborhood nicknameof all was for Derry’s business district. If you werefrom the northern side of the tracks, you called it‘over town’ Some said they were going ‘over street’.From West Derry, when we went into town to shop,we went ‘down street’.

Each little enclave was pretty self-sufficient. In WestDerry, for instance, we had our own market. It wasSolomon’s, and it was right next door to my house.When I was very young, it belonged to my grand-parents and was known as Parrish’s Store andSinclair filling station, a sort of antique Sheetz. Lateron we had our own gas/service station, Hall’sSunoco. Our education was taken care of at WestDerry school, and our religious instruction at The

Neighborhood Portraits - 1950’sEcumenical United Brethren, or EUB church. Thelargest industry was Provost’s Poultry Farm. Wealso had our own tavern. In the fifties it was ownedby Pete Pynos and later bought by ‘Uncle’ Al Matteo.There was also Georgie Little’s store next door tothe tavern. And let’s not forget our own four starrestaurant from the ‘60’s, Bernie’s Diner. The un-official and unelected mayor of West Derry was LouieFesta. I believe this was a self-appointed office, butwe all supported his ascension to the throne.

Goosetown was also quite self-sustainable. All yourgrocery needs could be taken care of at either DudeLunnen’s, Stemmler’s Market, Risings, or Dillon’s.I believe Dude himself could have been consideredthe elder statesman of Goosetown. The kids at-tended Third Ward school, worship took place atthe Methodist church, and car repair at Richey’sservice station. Several saloons quenched the thirst

of this neighborhood, Rich’s Grill, near the Chest-nut Ridge bus barn, Vince Borza’s and the Rod andGun Club. The local eateries were Cordi’s Corner,and Bell’s Pizza. They had Ballantyne’s Plumbing,and Barchesky’s Auto Sales. There was a sportinggoods store owned by Atkinson’s, Ernie Borazio’sJewelry store, and if you really want to go back intime, they used to have a movie theater, The Victor,which is now part of the community center. Youcan still see its name inscribed near the roof of thebrick building. This neighborhood was obviouslyconcerned with health and exercise since they werehome to the community pool, the little league fieldbeside the pool, another ball field behind Price’sMachine Shop, and a makeshift football field be-side McBrooms. The Goosetown Bonecrusher’sbroadcast this ‘stadium’s’ games on radio stationWROK, featuring on-air personality, Eric Tepper.This was from a mobile station hooked to an exten-sion cord run across Second Street from Doug’shouse. Dude Lunnen advertised his weekly specialson this station. It was all quite illegal but that’s astory best told by the now grown-up 14 year oldperpetrators. (They were eventually caught and

grounded). Winter sports took place on Windy Hillat the Mossholder. This neighborhood also hostedthe most famous boxing match in Derry history.You will have to ask Craig Taylor or Jerry Rich tofill you in on the details.

Elmadale was also fairly well equipped. They hadElmadale school, and the Presbyterian church wasalmost in Elmadale. There was Oliverio’s store forgroceries, and the Uke’s for a cocktail. Their clubwas located in a little white house on Owens av-enue back then. There was also Tierno’s Tavern andrestaurant, located where Lakeside Lounge is to-day. Although technically not in Elemadale, the highschool was close enough to qualify and next to it,where the administration building sits today, wasthe original Blue and Gold Luncheonette, completewith a juke box and pinball machine. They latermoved to the other side of the school and becameGigi’s Blue and Gold, a famous Derry landmark/gas station/restaurant/market, and all aroundhangout. Across the street on the corner, you couldget a draft at The Tri Way Inn.

First ward - I don’t ever recall it having anothername, but Fifth and Sixth avenues in first wardwere referred to as ‘the hill’. It was served by Fritz’sstore, and Ault’s Grocery, run by Hammy Ault, whowas a WWII hero and one of Merill’s Marauder’s.My friend Suzie, who lived in that neighborhood,said they would display all of the neighborhood kidsschool pictures on their wall. At the end of SouthLigonier Street was Betts’s Store, located right overMcGee’s Run. It was previously owned by Hoffer’swho lived next door. This little village also supplieda service station, Manordale of Derry, with ChauncyWherry as the unofficial manager. Just one blockover was The Fourth Avenue Garage and car deal-ership. The gas pumps were right on the sidewalkand there was just enough room to pull off the streetand fill up your tank. It later housed Barkley’s BeerDistributor, with a soft ice cream machine inside.

Derry’s original homestead, the one founded whilethere were still Indians about, became the famousNew Derry, another totally self-sufficient commu-nity. Joe’s Red and White was the big grocery store.Others I remember were Shines store, andDemagone’s Market. They had Babe Johns bar, stillin operation to this day, and the Italian Club. St.Martins took care of the catholic souls and the Meth-odist Church attended to the Protestants. You couldget the best pizza in the world right out of Mrs.Pennizi’s kitchen. You just parked the car in thedriveway and knocked at her back door. She alsooffered the most wonderful fried dough.

Our neighborhoods were quite comfortably self-re-liant. No one I knew had two cars back then, butyou didn’t need the second one. If we had to bedriven somewhere while my dad was working, mom

Ruthie’s grandma, Veda Parrish and brother Keith behind the counterat Parrish’s Store in West Derry. [approx. 1950]

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had to take him to work, bring the car home, andpick him up at 3:30. Other than that, cars werenot available during the day, they were at workwith all the dads. A lot of moms didn’t even have adrivers license. So if mom needed to get any gro-cery items, your little neighborhood market wouldsupply anything she might need. Our moms sentus to the store for them, it was one of our chores.The stores were usually located within a block ortwo of our houses so our moms didn’t have toworry about us getting there safely. We didn’t haveto take any money with us, either, and that wasgood since cash was scarce between paydays. Iremember going to Solomon’s and getting a poundof chipped ham and a loaf of bread. We just toldthem to put it on our slip. If you were feeling re-ally brave, you could add on a popsicle or someNecco Wafers, but be prepared to do some ex-plaining when payday came around and your momwould go to pay her bill and find your unautho-rized item on her slip. Doug tells me that DudeLunnen offered charge accounts to the kids inGoosetown, as well as the adults, provided theykept them paid up weekly. Milk was never on mymoms shopping list since the Bergman’s truckdropped it off at the front door, and stored it safelyin the little silver insulated milkbox. The milk-man would also leave butter, or any other dairyproducts you had checked off the list they sup-plied. We went to their office ‘down-street’ once amonth to pay our milk bill.

I loved our little neighborhood, it had everythingyou could want. When I was really little, the egg

man came and delivered eggs once a week. If youhad clothes to go to the drycleaners, you just putthe little card in your front window and ShookFulvio would stop and pick them up. When theywere cleaned, he would deliver them back to you.A different little cardboard sign in the front win-dow would have Tony, the Schaller’s Bakery man,at your front door around 7:30 in the morningcarrying a big tray of fresh baked goods for you tochoose from. Tony had the thickest glasses I hadever seen and I wondered how he could maneuverthat big Schaller’s truck around. Sometimes hisbread was still warm from the oven. The insur-ance man came to the house too. We had Mr.Hendrickson with his big leather bound case, andMr. Oliverio, too. If you were really sick, the doc-tor would make a house call, either Dr. Oliver orDr. Blair. I remember one winter afternoon, Dr.Oliver was getting ready to leave after stopping totreat one of our childhood illnesses. My mom hadher purse out and asked him how much she owedhim. He was very aware that Westinghouse pay-day was on Fridays and this was a Thursday. Hetold her he was having a special and it was only$2.00 - American. Beneath that gruff exterior trulydid beat a kind heart of gold. There were no HMO’s,no HIPA regulations, no insurance cards and nobilling. Mom handed him the money and in hispocket it went. I wish I could get one more checkupfrom O.P. He was a thoughtful and caring man,not to mention a brilliant doctor.

I could name each family that lived in all thehouses, up and down the streets in West Derry.Many of them were my relatives. Entire extendedfamilies lived within blocks of each other. I knowmy husband can still rattle off most names andwhere they lived in Goosetown, as well. His grand-parents lived three doors down and his aunt anduncle and all five cousins lived on the next block.

The summer before my dad passed away, in 2003,we sat on his back porch swing and he told methat other than himself, Ilene Hull, Mildred Wible,and Ben Hall were the only original West Derryfolks left in the neighborhood. He knew some ofhis neighbors names, but not much else aboutthem. He told me the old-time neighborhoodswould never come back. I’m sure he was right. Weare too busy with our hectic lives. We shop at themega stores and think nothing of driving 20 milesto get groceries. Our children are scattered to thefour winds. We wave to our neighbors but prob-ably have never been in their kitchens. I don’t knowvery many little ones today that can say, “I’m run-ning up to Grandma’s house for a minute.” Likemy dad, I know those days cannot come backagain. And I am so thankful I grew up knowingthat life, one of security and familiarity, of trustand appreciation of our neighbors. I think it’s partof the reason it’s so hard for me to ever think ofleaving this little ‘burg’ for good. It’s become a partof me, of who I am, even though it no longer ex-ists. I know that many of us fondly remember whatthose days were like, and wish we could turn theclock back. Silly? I guess so, but no one ever saidsentimentality was supposed to be sensible. If Icould take my little town back in time to the way itused to be, I would do it in a heartbeat, to showtoday’s generation how wonderful it all was. WhatI would give for one more walk over to Solomon’s,for one more fudgesicle to eat on my way throughall the back yards, and up to Grandma’s house.

TRIVIA QUESTION:How many Derry neighborhoods can you remember?(See page 16)

Ruthie Parrish Richardson is a life-long resident of Derry. Hermemories of growing up in such a wonderful small town are one of her

greatest treasures.“I feel the lessons we learned back then were apowerful force in shaping the people we are today. Small town Americamay seem to be gone forever, but if, now and then, we take a moment

to remember what those ‘growing-up years’ were like, we can keep thevalues we learned strong and pass the best of them along to the nextgeneration.” Ruthie and her husband Doug have owned RichardsonConstruction in Derry since 1970 and have a daughter, Nicole, who

lives in San Francisco with her husband, Russell. Write to Ruth [email protected]

.

Goosetown gang hanging out on Dude’s steps. L to R: Dave Robb,Doug Richardson, Tommy Miller, Donnie Matteo, Craig Taylor, DannyCivitarese, Bill (Maw) Burns, and standing in the back, The Dude,himself. [approx. 1961]

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Ralph Parrish, Sr. Ruthie’s grandfather, at the pumps at Parrish’s Storein West Derry. [approx. 1945]


The Essential Rock of Lifeby JB Rossi

The large flakes of white fluffy snow fell slowlyas I jogged briskly toward my warm haven on thiscold February morning. I felt like I was runningthrough a reenactment of last night’s pillow fight.My daughter’s room had become a sea of goosefeathers after her pillow burst open. Amidst thecolliding noises of bopping pillows and the barkingof excited puppies, a table lamp tumbled off thenight stand. A truce was called and we all col-lapsed in a fit of giggles onto the bed. Thank goodnessfor the massive amount of feathers and stray pillowsstrewn across the floor. The lamp didn’t break! So lost did I become in my reverie, that I failedto notice a huge patch of ice on the sidewalk infront of me. Suddenly before I realized what hap-pened, I found myself feeling like the floor in mydaughter’s room the night before. Flat on my backand looking up to the sky, the flakes quickly beganto bury me. Then four concerned faces peered downat me and asked me that obvious question in quar-tet unison. “Are you all right?” What kind of question is that anyway? Of courseI was alright! I routinely lie down in the middle ofbusy sidewalks and gaze up into wintry skies, justso I can identify withthe feelings of mydaughter’s hardwoodfloor. I shut my eyes inhope that, when I re-opened them, I wouldawaken from thisnightmare. But as thearms of my helpfulneighbors pulled meback onto my feetagain, I realized thatall the dignity I hadever possessed drainedfrom my face and wasreplaced with a deepred glow. Well, at leastthe heat of my embar-rassment melted thesnow that had col-lected on me. After assuring allthe numerous onlook-ers that had gatheredthat I was okay, Ibrushed the rest of thesnow off, thanked myrescuers, and headedback home. Once safely backin the confines of myoffice, I thought aboutwhat I would havegiven for a little bit ofrock salt to melt awaythe ice and all my embarrassment. Surely this win-ter de-icer couldn’t be that expensive. So I decidedto research this simple diamond-like crystal andwas shocked to discover that this simple little rockhas throughout history been more important andmore valuable to life than any of my other favoriterocks, my precious gemstones.

This substance which we call “salt” (sodiumchloride) has a fascinating history. An essentialelement of life, the use of salt dates back to prehis-toric times. Early caveman as a hunter obtainedhis salt from eating the meat of the animals whichhe killed. As agriculture progressed, man’s dietchanged. The vegetables he grew were rich in po-tassium but offered little sodium chloride. Instinc-tively, Man began to seek out the salty flavor thathe was accustomed to and needed to survive. Manthen began to use salt to preserve his food, curehides, and heal wounds. As time progressed, this simple compound be-came more and more important. Homer describedit as a divine substance, while Plato deemed saltespecially dear to the Gods. The use of salt as a preservative was perfectedby the Egyptians. The extraordinary good condi-tion of their ancient mummies is a great testamentto its powers of preservation. Salt became so valuable that it was often usedas currency. Roman soldiers were often paid withrations of salt known as “salarium argentum”, fromwhich we get our English word “salary.”

It is not surprisingthat, as an essentialelement of life and akey ingredient of foodpreservation beforethe invention of refrig-eration, salt becameone of the most valu-able commodities inthe world. Thriving cit-ies, countries, andempires derived theirpower by either pro-ducing or controllingthe trade of salt. Itis even rumored thatthe income from thesalt pan in southernSpain was largely re-sponsible for financingthe voyages of Chris-topher Columbus. Salt has even beenresponsible for wars,playing a prominentrole in history world-wide. A good exampleis the Seven Years Warbetween England andFrance, which is alsoknown as the Frenchand Indian War. We all know of theimportance our localregion played duringthe French and Indian

War and how a young George Washington helpedignite the fight not far from here. This confronta-tion is what many historians refer to as the firsttrue world war. What many don’t know is that oneof the significant causes of tension between Englandand France at that time was salt. Prior to the war, there had been years of coex-istence between the two countries because of a

mutual dependency of trade. The large British fish-ing fleet relied on French sea salt from the region ofBrittany (still famous for sea salt today) to preserveits catch. In return, the French obtained incomeand goods from the British industry. As long asthis balance existed, animosity between the twocountries was on hold. Yet neither country enjoyedrelying on the other and sought its own sources toalleviate this dependency. Eventually, the British won the war and withthe development of the great salt mines in Cheshire,England, the British no longer depended on theFrench salt. The town of Liverpool soon rose to be-come the prime exporting port for the world’s saltin the 1800s. In the American Revolutionary War, the rebel’ssalt supply was intercepted by the British and thustheir ability to preserve food was destroyed. This same tactic was employed in the AmericanCivil War when the Union forces captured the townof Saltville, Virginia. By destroying the Confeder-ates’ supply of salt, the southern soldiers were notable to preserve rations and had to spend their timeforaging for fresh food instead of fighting. Salt also has tremendous symbolic importance.To seal loyalty and friendship, the use of salt repre-sents longevity, permanence, and immutability be-cause the essence of this mineral does not change.Salt has also come to symbolize purity and has beenused on altars, stages, and holy grounds to scareaway the evil spirits. Hence by “throwing spilledsalt over our right shoulder,” we are scaring awaythe wickedness that caused us to knock over theshaker. Salt was often given in the dowry to the parentsof the finance’ in marriage and is rumored to havegreat powers of fertility. This mineral has even sparked the coining ofpopular expressions still in use today. Have youever heard of the expression “salt of the earth”? Thisterm is used to describe a person of great good-ness. The term “not worth his salt” is an expres-sion derived from ancient Egypt where slaves weretraded for salt. Skeptics unsure about stated factsare often said to “take it with a pinch of salt” Eventhe Bible has over 30 references to this substance. Today salt is still an essential element for ourhealth. Biologically, the adult human body containsabout 250 grams of salt. This compound is usedby every cell to maintain the normal volume of bloodand to digest food. It is the main component of blood,sweat and tears (not the rock group but the realthing). Salt is a mineral which the human body can-not manufacture. Therefore, it is necessary to re-place this substance from an outside source. In the kitchen, salt has become a connoisseur’streat. Everything from basic table salt to gourmetblends from around the world is now available andcomes in a wide variety of colors and textures. Salde Mer or sea salt is a broad term to define unre-fined crystals which come directly from a livingocean or sea and still contain a lot of the other traceminerals including iron, magnesium, calcium, po-tassium and iodine. Sea salt is considered to be

continued on page 23

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FOCUS ON CHILDREN

Ready, Set . . . Wait?Nicole Vitale Smith, M.S.W.

“Share everything. Play fair. Don’t hit people. Put things backwhere you found them. Clean up your own mess. Don’t takethings that aren’t yours. Say you’re sorry when you hurt some-one. Wash your hands before you eat. Flush. Warm cookiesand cold milk are good for you. Take a nap every afternoon.

– ROBERT FULGHUM,All I Really Need To Know I Learned in Kindergarten

One of my favorite books! Too bad that makingthe decision to send your child to kindergartenisn’t as simple and straight- forward as theauthor’s words! Today, many children have re-ceived one or two years of structured preschooland are prepared for a more academic kindergar-ten than the one that you and I enjoyed as manyas three or four decades ago. Robert Fulghum’sbook could be renamed “All I Really Needed toKnow I Learned in Preschool” these days. Someparents are concerned that increased academicexpectations coupled with some child’s immaturesocial skills may be affecting our children’s appe-tite for education and their ongoing excitementto learn. These concerned parents often feel thattheir child is not ready to begin kindergarten atage 5 and are waiting an extra year to start theirchild’s school career. Parents are recognizing thata good kindergarten experience is a significantstep to their child’s ongoing school success.

The decision to delay your child’s entry into kin-dergarten is difficult. My husband and I, alongwith a few good friends, are currently strugglingwith this complex issue. We are parents of boys,boys with a summer birthday. Since most schooldistricts around the state use September 1st asthe cut-off date to begin kindergarten, boys andgirls who turn five the summer before schoolstarts are the youngest children in their class.Some people argue that there will always be older

and younger children in a classroom, while oth-ers believe that the youngest boys have a disad-vantage. Peg Tyre reports that boys are biologi-cally, developmentally, and psychologically differ-ent than girls (The Trouble with Boys, Newsweek,January 30, 2006). In the same article, she alsostates that boys are falling behind girls in elemen-tary school. Two of the country’s leading childpsychologists, Dan Kindlon, Ph. D and MichaelThompson, Ph. D support this claim. In theirbook, Raising Cain, they assert that the averageboy is developmentally disadvantaged in the earlyschool environment. One example is in reading,which they have found favors girls at a young age.Boys do not feel as able or valued as girls in readingand other central learning tasks of elementary school.

The National Association for the Education ofYoung Children emphasizes that for a child to besuccessful in school, he/she needs to be ready inall areas of development: cognitive, physical, so-cial and emotional. When trying to make up yourmind about sending or delaying, I strongly be-lieve that you should listen to the recommenda-tion of your child’s preschool teacher. In our situ-ation, we were fortunate that our son had his pre-school teacher for two years and she did feel thathe was ready for kindergarten. She did note,however, that if she were to hold a child back,she would repeat the kindergarten year insteadof waiting until first or second grade. Asking yourchild’s pediatrician for his/her input may aid inyour decision and visiting the kindergartenclassroom(s) may be helpful. Contacting the elemen-tary school guidance counselor to discuss your child’sdevelopment and to review the pros and cons of thesituation may be beneficial. Remember that each childis unique and a decision should be made based onthe student’s individual needs. Consider all your op-tions before making a decision.

If you would like further information on the sub-jects of school readiness and special issues per-taining to boys, I recommend the following books:“Summer Children: Ready or Not for School” byJames Uphoff, “Real Boys” by Dr. William Pol-lock, “The Minds of Boys” by Michael Gurian. TheGesell Institute of Human Development, whichhelps parents and educators understand howchildren grow and learn, provides a checklist ofsigns and indicators that will assist you in mak-ing your decision about kindergarten. The publi-cation is entitled “Understanding Your Child, AParents Guide to Starting School” and may bepurchased for $ 2.50 on the internet at theirwebsite gesellinstitute.org.

Personally, I have questioned many parents abouttheir child’s kindergarten experience. Most of

them have said that they do not regret their deci-sion to wait an extra year, whereas a few of themstated that they feel they made the wrong deci-sion in sending their child when he had justturned 5. Many of them mentioned feeling betterabout their child having an extra year to deal withthe emotional aspects of the middle school years.Like any parent, my husband and I want the bestfor our son. As we contemplate Austin’s schoolfate, we know that we are not able to look into amagic ball and predict his future at high school orcollege, but we do realize how critical the early yearsare in forming a positive school experience. I hopeyou find a good fit for your child’s kindergarten andthat he enjoys and thrives in his first exposure tothe school environment! Remember, you are yourchild’s first teacher and best advocate through theeducation system.

Nicole is a 1988 Derry Area High School graduate. She attendedthe University of Pittsburgh and graduated in 1992 with a BA in

Social Work. She received her MS degree in 1997 from TempleUniversity. She has worked in the following areas: Early Interven-

tion (developmental disabilities), Adolescent Mental Health, Hospice,and Youth Work (England). Currently, Nicole is taking a break fromher career as a Licensed Social Worker to be a full-time mom to her

two boys, ages 5 and 3 years old.

THE LIGONIER CHEFScott Sinemus

Mary Had A Little Lamb . . .


There are just too many things about springtime topick a single one to be the best. That being said, Ihave to put lamb up there in the top 10. It’s ashame more people in the States don’t appreciatelamb. Older folks have a bad connotation with it,as in the not too recent past mutton was frequentlypassed off to be lamb. Mutton is a fully maturedolder sheep, which can indeed be too strongly fla-vored to be enjoyed in any cooking application. Theyounger set can’t quite get past how cute & fuzzythe sheep are to consider having them for dinner.

When my brother & I were just kids, we raised asheep my Dad insisted we call “Lamb Chop”, thatway we would always be reminded that one day hewas destined to be dinner! So, I can truly relate tothe cuteness factor; but will mention, no one in thefamily aside from my Dad could bear to eat LambChops’ Chops… On the other hand I couldn’t waitto see “Jethro” on the table. Now I take the ap-proach: since it’s an animal that virtually every partcan be utilized for something, I’m ok with it. Let’sface it, it’s one of the meats that has been celebrated& revered for millennia, by nearly every single cul-ture, and one that often includes the word ‘Spring’in it’s marketing, “Spring Lamb”, when written ona menu still makes me salivate almost instantly.With the farming & shipping today it’s possible tohave affordable, delicious lamb any time of the year.And we always hope Dad wins the bidding on themarket lamb at the fair.

We are very fortunate to have some of the worldsbest lambs being raised right here in the LaurelHighlands by John & Sukey Jamison. RenownedChefs across the country clamber to have it on their5-Star menus. I enjoy it myself; some of the bestlegs of lamb I’ve ever had, have been Jamison Lamb.Call me what you will though, I still prefer my chopsto be the larger but still as tender New Zealand Lamb.

There are a myriad of classic lamb preparationsfrom Roast Leg of Lamb, Lamb Chops, Rack ofLamb, Braised Lamb Shanks, Irish Lamb Stew,Curried Lamb, etc. And for the record: Shepherds Pieis not Shepherds Pie unless it is made with lamb!

I’m not going to give a specific recipe this month;instead rather I’m going to give a couple of “meth-ods” for preparation. Think of them as enhance-ments to your favorite recipe.

Before I start though, since I’m advocating a roast,please go and get yourself a digital thermometerwith a probe! They are wireless now and at around$30, less than the price of one single roast you’llruin without one. The reason a probe is essential:there are too many factors that go into making aroast cook according to the time in a recipe, for in-

stance: How cold was it when it went into the oven?How tough is the connective tissue? Is your ovenactually at the temperature you think it is? Arethere bones in it? What kind of pan it is in andwhere is it placed in the oven?

Now that you have your probe you may feel thefreedom of knowing that your dinner is going to beexactly as you like it every single time! Be certainto always remember; when you remove the roastfrom the oven; there will be “carry over cooking”,which is always good for raising the temperature atleast 5-10 degrees after the meat has been removedfrom the oven. If you’re not sure what temperatureequals what you like on the doneness scale, thereis a little chart that comes with your thermometer.And ALWAYS let your roast rest for 15-20 minutesbefore cutting it (no matter how hungry you are orhow good it smells & looks). On that note, do notremove the probe either. Instead take this time tofinish making your sauce, heat your vegetables, tendyour starch etc. You will be handsomely rewardedfor your patience with a juicy succulent roast. Slic-ing your roasts on the thinner side against the grainof the meat will also help to encourage tendernessand enhance the meat’s flavor.

Using a probe will also afford you the chance toroast your meat by a method instead of the tickingof a clock. Too many times I’ve seen even so-calledprofessionals, repeatedly puncture a roast severaltimes with an instant read thermometer towardsthe end of cooking trying to find out what donenessit is inside. The amount of juices lost to this methodis clearly measurable and completely unacceptable.Even the old ‘shove in & leave in’ thermometer you’veprobably found buried in the back of your mom’sgadget drawer is better than that.

When roasting meat it is essential to remember thatthe air in the oven when you start your roast hasgot to be very hot & very dry. I like to start off at425 f for a smaller roast and go up to 450-475 f forthe larger roasts. I leave the meat in for 30 min-utes then turn the oven down to 225 f withoutopening the door! In about an hour open the door,insert your probe into the thickest part of the meat~but not near a bone, quickly close the door, setyour temperature, then decant & try your wine.

When you’re making Roast Leg of Lamb, instead ofslicing it all over and shoving garlic into the slits (asmost recipes call for you to do) try this instead:• Remove the roast from the bones, trim out thesinew & extra fat bits, reserve. This isn’t as daunt-ing a procedure as you might think, all you need ispatience to follow the sinew thru the tissues and asharp flexible boning knife.• Smear chopped garlic, fresh herbs & pepper onthe meat. Do not use salt, as it draws moisture out

of the meat, which isn’t what you want to do.• Fold in the pieces, reshape and tie it up withcotton butchers twine. I usually let mine marinateon a wire rack over a sheet pan in the refrigerator,covered only with a linen towel overnight & thruthe next day; removing it to the counter one hourbefore cooking, grinding salt & pepper on the out-side before roasting.• Roast the bones & trimmings in the oven withsome Mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery) to create astock to become a sauce, this should be done onday 1 immediately following butchering, that way ifyou only have one oven, you’re not compromisingthe roast to make sauce.• There aren’t going to be many bones in yourlamb leg, if you supplement the same amount ofveal knuckles as you have lamb bones, you’ll beable to make more stock. Better still would be, ifyou have a rapport with your butcher… which Itruly suggest starting if you don’t have one already,getting additional lamb bones to make a nice fullstockpot won’t ever be a problem.• When slicing, only slice as much as is neededat the time. The leftovers are much nicer slicedfresh off of a large chilled piece; however, thereshould always be a few pieces left on the platterwhen you put it away, making for an easy nibble whenyou’re staring in the fridge for a quick bite later.

Consider making Rack of Lamb instead of Lamb Chops

• Trim excess fat off the back of the rack, pat drywith paper towel, salt & pepper• Sear (fat side down first) in a very hot dry castiron skillet, only until the fat is browned, remem-bering to touch each end of the loins to the skilletfor a moment before removing from the heat andplacing on a wire rack, over a sheet pan• Allow to cool, then smear a healthy layer of Dijonmustard across the fat• Then dip into a mixture of fresh breadcrumbs &herbs (including Lavender buds, Rosemary, Thyme,Parsley, Chervil, Garlic & whatever you fancy) I use astandard premixed “Herbs de Provence”.• Then roast in a 425 f oven to your desireddoneness, which hopefully is Rare• Allow racks to rest for 5 minutes if they’re pe-tite, but no longer than 10 even if they’re large• If you’re serving the petite chops for hors d’ oeuvre,be sure to “French” them. This means scraping thevisible bone completely clean of any meat, fat or sinew• If you’re grilling over an open flame ALWAYStake a second to wrap the bones with foil, particu-larly if you haven’t Frenched them

Scott Sinemus is a Chef with a degree in Culinary Arts from thePennsylvania Institute for Culinary Arts in Pittsburgh. He’s

continued his education with classes from the Culinary Institute ofAmerica at Greystone and The Greenbrier; and has travelled

internationally in search of authentic cuisine. To schedule a privatecooking class, visit www.The LigonierChef.com.


DOWN ON THE FARMShelly Gerhard

The Ligonier Chef’sSpring Picks 2006

Jamison FarmLatrobe, PAwww.jamisonfarm.com171 Jamison Lane · Latrobe, PA 15650Toll Free: 1-800-237-5262Fax: 1-724-837-2287

Jamison Lamb can be purchaseddirectly from their website. I definitelyrecommend saving their site to yourfavorites. It’s updated regularly, and has amyriad of information, including recipes,ordering information, links, etc. Sukeyalso gives cooking classes in the Wexfordkitchen, classes are small 6-8 people andfill up fast; the next one is March 18.John & Sukey are also involved with theJean–Louis Palladin Foundation,www.jlpfoundation.org that carries onJean-Louis’ work of mentoring youngchefs and meticulously searching for thevery best ingredients on the planet. TheJamisons are hosting another intern againthis spring. The farm is also CertifiedHumane for it’s second straight year.www.certifiedhumane.com

Loebel’s,Manhattan, NYCLobel’s of New York1096 Madison Avenue (at 82nd St)New York, NY 100281-877-783-4512

Loebel’s is a fantastic meat market inManhattan; there are many morespecialty meat items available besideslamb. Be certain to check out theheirloom beef! All of it now available foronline purchase, but it is always nice tostop in if you’re ever in New York. It’s agreat atmosphere, not to mentionpractically an institution in the city.|

The Kitchen Collection,Somerset, PAThe Factory Shoppes at Georgian Place113 Georgian PlaceSomerset, PA 15501-1600814-445-3449

Yes, they are still in the Georgian Place!This store is still worth a trip up toSomerset. They’ve got great prices onlots of essentials including almost all ofthe Kitchen Aid mixer attachments forless money than you’ll spend buyingdirectly from Kitchen Aid. There’s evena wacky “as seen on TV” section ofthings! This is also the best price I’vefound on the wireless probe thermom-eter, $39.99, the standard non-wirelessare about $10 less. If you have anyquestions, just ask Erin Baker themanager, she knows almost instantly ifthey have what you’re looking for andit’s precise location in the store!

Gearing Up for Spring PlantingAnyone who has ever driven through the back, countryroads of Westmoreland County has come across some ofthe most beautiful farm land in the state. Folks alwaysslow down to take a look at the horses grazing in thefields, or the cattle that like to stick their heads throughthe fence and take a gander at the passing cars. Time caneven stop for a moment along the rolling hills and neatly-plowed fields.

There’s no denying it certainly is pretty down on the farm,but there is a lot of work to be done behind that peaceful,country setting. In fact, it’s a year-round job.

People might imagine that the winter months are a slowtime around the homestead, but as winter begins to loosenits grip, that’s when we start to think about spring. AtFairview Farm, Groundhog Day doesn’t tell us that springis coming as much as it says it’s time to get to work!February is the time to clean out the barn and spreadmanure on the fields. We also need to sack up oats andtake to the feed store for cleaning.

Another important job this month is to check on the cowswho are preparing to have spring calves. A cow remainspregnant for nine months, just like humans, so for thecows who are seven or eightmonths along by now it’s veryimportant to make sure they arecomfortable and eating well. Setup a clean area inside the barnwith lots of bedding, increasetheir grain ration and pamperthem as much as you would anypregnant members of the family.

While you’re counting the daysuntil your new herd arrives, youshould also be counting your haybales to make sure you’ve gotenough stocked up to keep feed-ing the cattle until the grassstarts to grow in the pastureagain. If you are lucky enoughto get a nice, clear, sunny daywith no wind, it’s a good time toplant grass seed in the fieldswhere you grew fall/winter barley. The freezing and thaw-ing of the ground will cover the seeds as the old manwinter continues his blustery ways.

It doesn’t matter if March comes in like a lamb or a lion,this is the month to check the machinery, fix things, andget ready to go back out in the fields and start plowing.Plowing is done based on a specific but simple plan forwhen a field can be worked and seeded. Some crops arerotated seasonally, while others are left alone. A samplesix-year plan for rotation on a tract of land is:• plow up old sod and plant corn one year• plant oats there the following spring• harvest spring oats

• work up the ground again; plant barley or wheat inthe fall

• the following spring, plant alfalfa and clover seed (thisis called frost planting).

• the field then stays in hay for three years

Oats and barley are minimal-need plants, but in earlyspring you should fertilize hay fields. Spread manure onyour alfalfa and clover strips to add nitrogen to the soil,which helps the corn you plant in the future. Alfalfa andclover are legumes, like beans, which also produce nitro-gen and help nourish corn (a grass). Without rotation,hayfields will return to weeds.

Another important aspect to healthy soil for crop produc-tion is the ph level. When getting ready to plant corn, takesamples from the old hay field you plan to plow. You’llneed to know how much lime to work into the ground toreach the proper ph level of 7. Contact your local PennState extension office for more information about soil testkits or to have samples tested in their labs.

After the plowing and seeding is under way, it’s time toturn our attention back to the newly-cleaned barn wherethe pregnant cows have been brought in for calving. Most

of the babies will arrive by thebeginning of April, weighing inbetween 80-100 pounds. Thecalves stay with their mothersuntil Thanksgiving, by whichtime they will gain another 400-500 pounds on the nourishmentof mother’s milk and grass alone.While you spend time in the barnwith all the cows, itchy to getback out into the fields, don’t for-get to keep the local “nannies”well-fed and healthy . . . yourfarm cats work hard to keep themice population down as theweather starts its slow warm-up.

By the time spring is in full bloomand the cows have had theircalves, the work on the farm isstill demanding. Besides mend-

ing fences and the other endless odd jobs that couldn’t bedone in harsh winter weather, there are fields that stillneed to be worked up: sow oats by the middle of April andget ready to plant corn next month. But that’s another story.

Shelly Gerhard is a native of New Derry and lifelong farmer. Together withhis wife, Carol, he has owned and operated Fairview Farm in Derry

Township since 1964 raising beef cattle, chickens, pigs, horses and avariety of crops including corn, oats, barley, wheat, soy beans and hay. He

studied Agriculture at Penn State University and as an avid readercontinues to learn about a variety of subjects every day.

Penn State Cooperative Extension Servicewww.extension.psu.edu | 724-837-1402 | Donohue Center, Greensburg


“They Say There Was A War” edited by Richard David Wissolik

Center for Northern Appalachian Studies, St. Vincent College(Excerpts from these oral histories of local World War II veterans reprinted with permission)

Clarence KindlLoyalhanna, PennsylvaniaSeventh Air Force, 46th Pursuit Squadron, 15th Pursuit Group,Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941, Wheeler Field, Oahu, Hawaii

We were at church on December 7, 1941. After church, three buddiesand I went to the mess hall to see if we could scrounge up some latebreakfast. When we got there, they were cleaning the place up. The messhall was an old, one story wooden building. We sat down at a table. Theguy on KP asked us, “Would you all mind moving over one table?” Wemoved, and because of that we owed that guy our lives. As soon as wemoved, there was a big explosion outside. I said, “What the hell was that?There’s no flying today. maybe soemthing happened out on the line, agas explosion or something.” Then there was another explosion, then an-other, then another. I walked over to the door and looked out. I saw aplane go by that had big, red balls on it. “Christ,” I said. “There are Japplanes out there!”

Peter TalarovichBradenville, Pennsylvania26th Infantry Division, 101st Infantry RegimentThird Battalion, Headquarters Company

We came upon these dead Germans in a barnyard. This one was a giantof a fellow. he had his whole rear-end shot off. Must’ve been a direct hit.One private looked at me and said, “You know, his sergeant must havereally chewed his ass out.” I mean that’s that type of humor you found. Iguess it’s about the only thing you could find in a place like that.”

Dale Allen BullockJeannette, PennsylvaniaUnited States Navy, Chief Pharmacist Mate (Ret.),U.S.S. Rotanin (“Named After a Star”)

Of course, with all the monotony on board ship, a sailor starts thinkingabout getting liberty in the next port. It had been a long time since we hadliberty. Well, that’s how the famous Fiji Islands incident occurred. TheRotanin docked there and the captain granted the crew liberty. This ofcourse was one of the stories that developed into Tom Heggen’s screen-play for the movie “Mr. Roberts.” Tom Heggen was an assistant communi-cations officer on the Rotanin. His experiences on the Rotanin and an-other ship he was assigned to became the inspiration for the book andlater the movie. The character of Mr. Roberts was in many ways modeledafter many men on the ship. But more than anyone else Don House wasour ship’s Mr. Roberts.

Joseph LaValleSouth Greensburg, PennsylvaniaUnited States Third Army, 17th Field Artillery, POW

We started walking. We walked all night, and we walked right into anambush. Boom, boom, boom, the Germans started shooting and all hellbroke loose. Our guys were dropping like flies! God was with me, becausewhen they opened up and oh my God, I just hit the dirt and all I got was alittle flesh wound. Every time I think of it, it hurts. It really hurts. Seeing allmy buddies, laying there dead and wounded, nobody doing anything forthem. It was enemy territory. It was awful.

Nicholas P. MatroCrabtree, PennsylvaniaTwentieth Air Force, 6th Bomb Group, 313 Wing, 39th SquadronBoeing B29 Lucky Strike

We lived in tents for a long time and each crew had their own tent. Ourtent was at the end of a line of tents. Prior to getting there, the Army orMarines, I don;t know which, had hung, from a tree near the tent, abouttwenty Japanese skulls painted different colors like Christmas tree orna-ments. They swung back and forth in the breeze. We saw them everyday, and never thought a thing about it.

Harvey WaugmanGreensburg, Pennsylvania87th Infantry Division (“Golden Acorns”), 346th Regimen

When it was time for bed, the family gave us their beds to sleep in. It was the first time in months we had seen a bed. We sleptbetween clean sheets, under feather ticks. We were in Heaven! When we awoke in the morning, we found that the family hadwashed and dried our clothes. Before we left, even though their food was in short supply, they gave us breakfast. All they hadwas eggs. Off we went again. We never forgot those people, and I’m sure they never forgot us.

Harvey and wife Gladys (a Nurse Cadet during the war)at the ceremony honoring veterans of the Battle of the Bulge, December 2004.

The Saint Vincent College Center for Northern Appalachian Studies seeks to document the heritage of the multi-

faceted region of Northern Appalachia using the tools provided by a variety of disciplines and community-oriented

projects. “T“T“T“T“Thehehehehey Say Say Say Say Say Ty Ty Ty Ty Therherherherhere We We We We Was A Was A Was A Was A Was A War”ar”ar”ar”ar” may be mail-ordered from: The Center for Northern Appalachian Studies,

Saint Vincent College, 300 Fraser Purchase Road, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, 15650. Please make checks payable to The

Saint Vincent College Center for Northern Appalachian Studies. E-Mail orders acceptable:

[email protected]. Copies are also available through Barnes & Noble Booksellers.

Antonio “Tony” Martin PrioletteGreensburg, Pennsylvania24th Infantry Division, 21st Infantry Regiment,3rd Battalion, Company I

The next day, our Jeep boy, the one who drove the captain around, wasgoing down to the field hospital on an errand. I asked him to find outabout Sergeant Sliven. He came back and told me, “The sergeant can’ttalk too well. I had ot put my right ear up near his mouth, but he said hewas , okay.” Then he told me that Sliven had the whole side of his jawblown off below the ear by shrapnel, that all he could see were Sliven’seyes, nose, and mouth. The rest of his head was bandaged. He also toldme that the docs were going to take a jaw off a dead man and try to use itto replace the one Sliven had lost. He said that Sliven kept saying, “It’sokay. It’s okay.”


HOW TO EATJim Brewer, RD, LDN, CNSD, CNIS

Have Your Cake (or Pie) and Eat It Too!Unfortunately, there is no cure for diabetes. For-tunately, diabetes is a disease which can be con-trolled with a few behavior changes and/or medi-cations. Control comes from appropriate eatinghabits with or without medications. The medica-tions for diabetes are totally dependent on the wayyou eat to work effectively. “Borderline diabetics”can definitely improve their health and possiblyprevent the onset of diabetes by eating better andincreasing their activity or in other words decreas-ing their time on the couch or lazy boy.

I’ve often hear from patients, “My doctor told me Ican’t have ice cream or candy because I’m a dia-betic”. In the past this was the way that physi-cians and dietitians taught diabetics to eat, but overthe years this advice has been detrimental to manyunwitting diabetics. It’s amazing to me how stronglysome clinicians will hold onto a particular belief ortechnique when the evidence is overwhelming thatwhat they are saying and what they are doing iswithout merit and even harmful to their patients.The science of nutrition is relatively new comparedto other sciences and as more research is completedmany of the old beliefs will need to be set aside tomake room for what we find to be closer to the cor-rect answer.

The major myth with diabetes is the thinking thatavoiding high sugar foods is the best way to keepyour blood sugar under control. At first blush, thisseems to make sense. Your blood sugar is high so ifyou avoid high sugar foods your blood sugar willdecrease. It’s like telling you to finish a puzzle butyou only get half the pieces. Success is not likely.I’ll try to explain why this belief can be harmful.

Diabetes is a complex disease process and wouldtake far more paper to explain in detail than I haveavailable here. So, in brief, diabetics either have aproblem with their pancreas or a problem with theircells. Insulin from the pancreas or as an injectionis the piece of the puzzle that carries blood sugar(also called dextrose) from the blood, unlocking thecell to deliver sugar to your cells, where it is usedfor energy production. Diabetics either have a pan-creas that does not produce enough insulin or hascells which are resistent to insulins ability to placesugar within the cell. Oversimplified yes, but hope-fully I haven’t lost you to something more interesting.

There are medications specific to both situationsdepending on your circumstances, but the inter-esting thing is that no matter what the cause ofyour diabetes, or medication you take, the way youthink about eating should be the same.

The word “Homeostasis” means “to stay the same”.Homeostasis is what your body is working for andis easy to understand if you ever tried to lose weight.Your body fights your attempts to change its weightby lowering metabolism and holding onto fluids etc.wanting to stay homeostatic or “the same”. Diabe-

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tes is a medical problem in which your body haslost its ability to regulate. Your body now needsyour help to maintain that homeostasis in regardto blood sugar. The diabetic diet is really not a dietat all, but instead more like a stable way of eatingwith as few differences between meals as possible.The principle is called “Carbohydrate Counting”which has nothing to do with “Low-Carb” diets. Lowcarb diets are not recommended for diabetics.

Carbohydrate counting in its simplest form is justeating the same amount of starchy (carbohydrate)foods at each meal. The goal is not to overwhelmthe body with too little or too much carbohydrateat one time. Notice I did not say eat the same foods,but eat the same amount of foods at each meal.The premise of carbohydrate counting is understand-ing how much carbohydrate is in the foods you eat. Asimplified daily menu might look like this.

• Breakfast: Boiled egg, 4oz juice(15g), and twopieces of toast.(30g)• Lunch: turkey sandwich(30g), and anorange(15g), diet soda.• Dinner: Pork Chop (unbreaded), 1 med bakedpotato(LF sour cream)(15g), 1 piece apple pie.(30g)

(These foods are not recommended by this author but anexample of what someone might choose to balance the carbo-hydrates throughout a day. Consult your dietitian for a mealplan that fits your needs)

Each of these meals has about 45grams of carbo-hydrate each. Your body will better adapt to simi-lar carbohydrate levels, not being overwhelmed byone meal. Consult with your dietitian to discoverwhat carbohydrate level fits your needs. Eliminat-ing high sugar foods from your diet does not solvethe problem. For instance, even though you don’thave the apple pie, and only had the potato, you couldstill potentially overwhelm your body with excess car-bohydrate if your portion size of potato is too large. Itwould make more sense to have a smaller portion ofpotato and have the pie if you understand how manycarbohydrates your getting from each and your mealis not significantly higher than your other meals.

If you think about the problem, which is your bod-ies’ inability to handle high levels of carbohydrate,then it makes sense to only provide that much car-bohydrate your body is able to process. If you eatmore carbohydrate than you have insulin, the ex-cess sugar will not be put it into the cells then youhave all this extra sugar floating around in yourblood. This extra sugar in the blood for too long aperiod of a time can cause damage. Think aboutsugar as you see it in a sugar bowl. It’s white andcrystalline in shape. Even though dissolved in blood,sugar continues to be a crystal like structure andcan scrape the inside of your arteries and veinscausing damage over time. This damage heals andcreates a layer of scar tissue. And guess where cho-lesterol likes to stick? This causes plaque andclogged arteries. That’s why diabetics need to watch

their saturated fat intake as well. Too much sugarin the blood can cause damage to the tiny veinsbehind the eyes, and around the kidneys andaround nerve cells in the feet and hands. Control-ling the amount of carbohydrate you eat at eachmeal can make a big difference in helping your bodymaintain its blood sugar levels where they need tobe. All diabetics should learn carbohydrate count-ing and this way of eating.

This is a brief review of carbohydrate counting prin-ciples. Not to be mistaken for medical advice. Formore information please consult your Registered Di-etitian preferably that has a certification in diabeticeducation.

Useful websites:http://www.diabetes.org/home.jspAmerican Diabetic Associationhttp://www.eatright.orgAmerican Dietetics Association

Jim is a1983 graduate of Derry Area High School with 10years experience in nutrition. He has a BS in Clinical

Dietetics and Nutrition from the University of Pittsburgh andcurrently practices as a clinical nutritionist. His specialties

include physical nutrition assessment, nutrition support andrenal nutrition.

Hop On Over to YourNeighborhood Market

Mastrorocco’s has everything you need rightin downtown Derry. Still a family-run busi-ness headed by great-grandson VinceMastrorocco, they provide a full-service gro-cery store (including bakery, deli, meat, andproduce) and offer a small delivery service totheir customers. Be sure to buy your EasterHam the next time you stop by!

33 East 1st Avenue724-694-2788

MARCH-APRIL 2006 COMMUNITY CALENDAR


Through Familiar Faces: Photographs by Sallie ZoerbApril 23 Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Altoona; 814-946-4464

[email protected]

Through Between Heaven and Earth:The Paintings of Martha Mayer Erlebacher

April 30 Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Altoona; [email protected]

March 1 Government and Policy Education lecture series presentsJames H. Lambright730PM, Science Center Amphitheater - St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA;724-537-4597; www.stvincent.edu

March 3 Arts ONSTAGE Entertainment presents GallagherIndiana University of Pennsylvania, Fisher Auditorium, Indiana, PA;724-357-7553 www.onstageatiup.com

March 3 First Friday Wine Tasting - The Fingerlakes8PM, Green Gables, Jennerstown, PA; 814-629-9201; www.mountainplayhouse.com

March 3- Artists of the 21st Century student art exhibitionApril 9 2PM, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Ligonier;

724-238-6015 [email protected]

March 4 Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society presentsThe Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra8PM, Greater Latrobe Senior HS Auditorium, Latrobe, PA; 724-539-5518

March 4 River City Brass Band’s Toote Suite8PM, Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 800-292-7222; www.thepalacetheatre.org

March 5 Opening Reception: Artists of the 21st Century student art exhibitionNoon-5PM, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Loretto;814-472-3920 [email protected]

March 5 Learn How to Write A Query LetterLed by Barb Miller, Seton Hill University’s Writing Popular FictionProgram; FREE; 3-4:30 pm, St. Michael’s Church in Rector; sponsoredby Ligonier Valley Writers; info: [email protected]; www.ligoniervalleywriters.org

March 8 Gallery Tour for International Regional Artists2PM, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Loretto;814-472-3920; [email protected]

March 9 Arts ONSTAGE Entertainment presentsBroadway! The Star Spangled CelebrationIndiana University of Pennsylvania, Fisher Auditorium, Indiana, PA;724-357-7553; www.onstageatiup.com

March 9-12 Derry Area Senior High School presents Beauty & The Beast7:30 PM Thursday-Saturday; Matinees at 2:00 PM Sat-Sun.Derry Area Middle School Auditorium

March 10-11 Greensburg Central Catholic High School presents Oklahoma!8PM, Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-834-0310, ext. 303www.thepalacetheatre.org

March 10-12 Antique Show and SaleMountain View Inn, Greensburg, PA; 724-834-5300; www.mountainviewinn.com

March 10- Balcomb Greene: Abstractionist Against the TideMay 14 2PM, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Johnstown; 814-269-7234;

[email protected]

March 11 Gallery Tour for International Regional Artists2PM, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Loretto; 814-472-3920;[email protected]

March 11 Saint Vincent Concert Series presents Svetoslav Stoyanov, percussionist8 PM, Science Center Amphitheater, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-4565;www.stvincent.edu

March 12 Opening Reception: Artists of the 21st Century student art exhibitionNoon-5PM, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Ligonier;724-238-6015; [email protected]

March 14 Gallery Tour for International Regional Artists11AM, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Loretto; [email protected]

March 15 Latshaw Productions presents Spirit of the DancePalace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-836-8000; www.thepalacetheatre.org

March 16 Westmoreland Jazz Society presents Harold BettersWestmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, PA; 724-837-1500www.wmuseumaa.org

March 16 Lunch and Art/Garden Party Hat TeaNoon, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Ligonier; 724-238-6015;[email protected]

March 17 Lunch and Art with Dr. Graziella Marchicelli12Noon, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Altoona;814-946-4464 [email protected]

March 17 Westmoreland Cultural Trust presents The Spencers Treatre of IllusionPalace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-836-8000; www.thepalacetheatre.org

March 18 Relay for Life at Latrobe Kickoff Celebration,American Cancer Society Fundraiser7-1130PM, Four Points Sheraton, Greensburg, PA;724-532-3151 [email protected] www.acsevents.org/latroberelayforlife

March 18 Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s March MelangePalace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-837-1850; www.thepalacetheatre.org

March 19 Groucho: A Life in ReviewState Theatre Center for the Arts, Uniontown, PA; 724-439-1360www.statethetre.info

March 22 Center for Economic Policy and Education lecture series presentsDr. Chris Pelham Unger730PM, Science Center Amphitheater, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-4597www.stvincent.edu

March 23-26 Savoir Affair Cultural EventNemacolin Woodlands Resort, Farmington, PA; 724-329-8555 or1-866-386-6957; www.nemacolin.com

March 24-25 Greater Latrobe Senior HS presentsBye, Bye Birdie730PM, Greater Latrobe SHSAuditorium, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-2086Tickets are $10 adults; $8 students(college & below); $5 children under 8 andseniors over 65; available at the door.

March 24-26 Stage Right presentsJesus Christ SuperstarPalace Theatre, Greensburg, PA;724-836-8000www.thepalacetheatre.org

March 24 Annual Art Exhibition and SaleNemacolin Woodlands Resort,Farmington, PA; 724-329-8555 or1-866-386-6957; www.nemacolin.com

March 24 Westmoreland Human OpportunitiesWine Tasting5-9PM, Westmoreland Museum ofAmerican Art, Greensburg, PA;724-837-5678; www.wmuseumaa.org

BYE, BYE BIRDIE:BYE, BYE BIRDIE:BYE, BYE BIRDIE:BYE, BYE BIRDIE:BYE, BYE BIRDIE: Lydia McClain asKim McAfee and Andrew Bangor asConrad Birdie.

BEAUTY & THE BEABEAUTY & THE BEABEAUTY & THE BEABEAUTY & THE BEABEAUTY & THE BEASTSTSTSTST::::: (from left) Carly Rick, Ashleigh Heiple, Melissa Gearing, Caitlin Jones,and Lauren McCurdy


March 24- Ansel Adams: A LegacyAugust 13 Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Loretto; 814-472-3920 [email protected]

March 25-26 Pennsylvania Maple FestivalMeyersdale, PA; 814-634-0213 or 866-858-0213; www.pamaplefestival.com

March 25 The Trip to BountifulState Theatre Center for the Arts, Uniontown, PA; 724-439-1360or800-397-2554; www.statethetre.info

March 26- Artists of The Commonwealth:Realism and its response in Pennsylvania Painting, 1900-1950

May 21 Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, PA; 724-837-1500;www.wmuseumaa.org

March 26- Carole WerderMay 21 Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, PA; 724-837-1500

www.wmuseumaa.org

March 29- Pennsylvania Maple FestivalApril 2 Meyersdale, PA; 814-634-0213 or 866-858-0213; www.pamaplefestival.com

March 30 Small Business Development Center presentsMalware-Security and Disaster Recovery PCs830AM-1PM, Placid Hall, Westmoreland Room, St. Vincent College,Latrobe, PA; 724-537-4572 www.stvincent.edu

March 30 The Fred M. Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Mediaand the Threshold Lecture Series presentsJonathan Kozol “The Lives of Children and the Conscience of a Nation”8-10PM, Robert S. Carey Student Center Auditorium, St. Vincent College,Latrobe, PA;724-537-4556 www.stvincent.edu

March 31 Big Band DanceMountain View Inn, Greensburg, PA; 724-834-5300; www.mountainviewinn.com

April 1-2 Greater Latrobe Junior High School Theater Dept. presentsRogers & Hammerstein’s CinderellaSat 7PM, Sun 2:30PM, Latrobe Elementary School. Cost of tickets are $6 foradults and $4 for students and seniors. Tickets are available at the door.

April 1 River City Brass Band’s Stompin at the Savoy8PM, Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 800-292-7222www.thepalacetheatre.org

April 4 Small Business Development Center presentsThe First Step: Small Business Start Up Workshop530-830PM, Foundations Room, St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA;724-537-4572 www.stvincent.edu

April 5 Latshaw Productions presents Charlie Prose2PM, 8PM, Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-836-8000www.thepalacetheatre.org

April 6 Environmental Education Center Natural Learning Workshop:Easter Basket5-6PM, Science Center Reading Room, St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA;724-532-6600,x2298 www.stvicent.edu

April 7 First Friday Wine Tasting6-8PM, Green Gables, Jennerstown, PA; 814-629-9201www.mountainplayhouse.com

April 7 Lecture program Balcomb Greene: Abstractionist Against the Tide2PM, Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Johnstown;814-269-7234 [email protected]

April 7- A Symphony of Color: The Lyrical Paintings of Joseph HolstonJuly 23 Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Loretto; 814-472-3920

[email protected]

April 8 Arts ONSTAGE Entertainment presentsEric Burdon and The AnimalsIndiana University of Pennsylvania, Fisher Auditorium, Indiana, PA;724-357-7553 www.onstageatiup.com

April 8 Opening Reception forA symphony of Color and Ansel Adams: A LegacySouthern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Loretto; [email protected]

April 8 In the MoodState Theatre Center for the Arts, Uniontown, PA; 724-439-1360 or800-397-2554 www.statethetre.info

April 10 Blue MondaySouthern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Altoona; [email protected]

April 12 Small Business Development Center Learn Manufacturing Seminar830AM-430PM, Placid Hall, Westmoreland and Foundation Rooms,St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-4572 www.stvincent.edu

April 20 Westmoreland Jazz Society presents Trio BravoWestmoreland Museum of American Art, Greensburg, PA; 724-837-5678www.wmuseumaa.org

April 20-23 Ligonier Valley High School Musical – Oklahoma!730PM, LVHS Auditorium

April 21 Lunch and Art with Chas FaganChas Fagan: A Retrospective Exhibit through August 13Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art-Ligonier; [email protected]

April 22 Westmoreland Earth Day 2006Carey Student Center Performing Arts Center and Gymnasium12Noon-4PM, St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA; 724-805-2330www.stvincent.edu

April 22 Westmoreland Symphony Orchestra’s Season FinalePalace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-837-1850www.thepalacetheatre.org

April 22 Saint Vincent Concert Series presents Chengzong Yin, pianist8PM, Science Center Amphitheater, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-4565www.stvincent.edu

April 23 Laurel Highlands Doll ShowMountain View Inn, Greensburg, PA; 724-834-5300; www.mountainviewinn.com

April 25 Small Business Development Center presentsThe First Step: Small Business Start Up Workshop6-8PM, Foundations Room, St. Vincent College, Latrobe, PA; 724-537-4572www.stvincent.edu

April 28 Westmoreland Cultural Trust presentsAn Evening with Colin Mochrie and Brad SherwoodPalace Theatre, Greensburg, PA; 724-836-8000; www.thepalacetheatre.org

April 28-29 Hollow Tree Players presentsLittle Red Riding Hood by Charlotte B. ChorpenningFri 7PM, Sat 11AM, Ligonier Town Hall, Ligonier, PA; 724-238-5283

April 28-30 Seton Hill University Theater presentsI Love You, You’re Perfect, Now ChangeFri 1030AM and 8PM, Sat. 8PM, Sun. 2PM; 724-838-4241; www.setonhill.edu

April 29-30 Sale for Kids Children’s Consignment SaleSat 9AM-4PM, Sun 11AM-3PM, Westmoreland County Fairgrounds,Unity Township, PA; 724-396-0006 www.saleforkids.com

CINDERELLCINDERELLCINDERELLCINDERELLCINDERELLAAAAA::::: at piano, Cassie Dudurich, front: l to r- Carly Marsh, Candida Sylvania, AngelaPalombo, Ariel Fodor, Michelle Dudzinski Back: l to r- Kris Vatter, Lucas Sweeney, Mark

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


LAH Aid Society Presents thePittsburgh Symphony Orchestra

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The Latrobe Area Hospital Aid Society, headed by Susannah Calvoand Dorris Parker (pictured below), presents the Pittsburgh SymphonyOrchestra at the Greater Latrobe High School on March 4th. Proceedswill benfit the Excela Health Latrobe Hospital Emergency DepartmentExpansion. The Aid Society itself has already pledged a $250,000 do-nation to the project. Since 1991, they have made over $1,161,252 incharitable contributions. They provide community education serviceslike Books for Babies, where each baby born at LAH (over 1,000 annu-ally) is provided a book. They host an annual Children’s Health Fair,now in it’s 27th year. They also provide other programs like Facts ofLife for Girls, Getting Ready for Baby, Kidsafe, Teddy Bear Clinic, andWomen’s Health Services, as well as provide $10,000 in annual schol-arships for volunteers who serve over 200 hours.

The Aid Society conducts fund raising at various levels, selling prod-ucts such as baked goods, books, fudge, handbags, and jewelry. Lightsof Love is a very popular program which receives an average of 460donors annually. Ornaments are placed on the community ChristmasTree in memory of a loved one. Donors are invited to the tree lightingceremony and reception each December. A few of the larger fundraisersthe Aid Society has conducted are American Girl Parties, These ThreeTenors, and now, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

Through the hard work of dedicated individuals who participate in thefundraising efforts of the Aid Society, this organization is able to trulymake a difference in the lives and quality of care our community resi-dents receive at LAH.

1 Atlantic,2 Bairdstown3 Bradenville4 Brenizer5 Clover Hill6 Cokeville7 Cooperstown8 Derbytown9 Divinny Hill10 Elmadale11 Grey’s Station

DERRY NEIGHBORHOODSTRIVIA ANSWER - from page 7

Here are the ones I could think of, let me know if I missed any!

12 Hillside13 Keystone14 Kingston15 Loyalhanna16 Mechesneytown17 Millwood18 New Alex19 New Derry20 Nicol Hollow22 Pandora23 Peach Hollow

24 Peanut25 Reedville26 Seger27 Snydertown28 Sundial29 Superior30 Torrance

31 WEST DERRY

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When Latrobe’s Master, Jeremy Olson, purchased theMozart Hall in downtown Latrobe it was for more thanthe appeal and mystique of the Hall. Olson also believedthat the history of the Hall would blend perfectly withthe traditions of the martial art he hasbeen learning for the last quarter cen-tury and has been teaching for morethan a decade. He immediately movedEastern Alliance Taekwon-Do, llc tothis location.

Although Taekwon-Do was born in1955 (65 years after the Hall itself), itstraditions and customs are built onthousands of years of Korean and East-ern philosophies. Taekwon-Do’sFounder, General Choi, Hong Hi, wasa student of the Great Philosophers ofthe East- Lao Tzu, Confucius, Xun Tzuand many others. General Choi alsostudied how the human body func-tioned and how people could concen-trate the entire make-up of their bodiesto create phenomenal power at will. Hefirmly believed that with the cultivationof a great mind and the scientific appli-cation of power from the body, there wasno obstacle a person could not conquer.He then spent his life proving it.

The General formed an Art based on modern science andancient wisdom which is now studied by more than 60million people worldwide. Why has Taekwon-Do cap-tured the attention of so many in so little time? Its pre-mises call for the “building of a more peaceful world”and the development of “Courtesy, Integrity, Persever-ance, Self-Control and IndomitableSpirit” in its practitioners. What morecan we ask for in a world dominatedby instant self-gratification, lies, deceitand the “sacrifice of others to getahead” thought processes of so manyin our time? Taekwon-Do has evenbeen listed as a factor in the possiblereunification of Korea which split intoNorth and South Korea after WWII!

It is interesting to note that Taekwon-Do would never have existed if WorldWar II had lasted three more days.During the war, General Choi had be-come an outspoken critic of the Japa-nese occupation of Korea since the early1900’s. He called for the expulsion ofthe Japanese and the return of Korea toits independence. As such, he was cap-tured and sentenced to several years inmilitary prison by the Japanese leaders.Although he was sentenced to time, hewas subject to a secret plan to executehim and fellow critics on August 18,1945. As a condition of the surrenderof the Japanese, they were to exit Korea. Choi was re-leased from prison on August 15, three days before hisscheduled execution!

Master Olson saw the potential of Taekwon-Do more than25 years ago and began an earnest study of the Art. Hetells us that the Arts have taught him more than how todefend himself in a physical altercation; “Taekwon-Do is


Martial Arts at the Mozart – Historically Traditionalso applicable to all aspects of life, it is unbelievable. Themental training to overcome any obstacle, from a bad bossto the furnace dying. The overall preparedness to faceany challenge. It is really phenomenal.”

One of his favorite quotes in the Arts isfound in a book called Martial Arts: Tra-ditions, History, People by Corcoran andFarkas: ‘A practitioner must realize andaccept the fact that to stand and defendone’s life means to risk losing it. Ac-cepting the likelihood of death, fear can-not distract him, an opponent cannot in-timidate him, and he is free to perceiveand concentrate on the opponent’sweaknesses, rather than his own.’

Olson believes the essence of this quoteis that anything worth fighting for willcost something. It is only that cost thatmakes it worth fighting for. We mustbe willing to pay the price for the fightand that by doing so, we are able to re-lease internal fear and trepidation andto focus on external factors standing inour way. Only then can we overcomeourselves and others; and, only then islife truly rich.

While Master Olson reports that he hasnot met many negatives in his life, mainly due to his beliefin the teachings of Taekwon-Do, he tells of many positiveincidents the Art has brought him.

One of the major highlights of Taekwon-Do was a recentvisit by one of the highest ranking martial artists in the

world. Grandmaster Kwang S. Hwang,IX Degree Black Belt, was in Latrobe theweekend of February 17-19 and pre-sented seminars on the history, tradi-tions and techniques of this Korean bornart to students and instructors from sev-eral states. IX Degree is the highest rankpossible in Taekwon-Do and Grand-master Hwang is one of only threepeople in the world to have achievedthis rank by training directly under Gen-eral Choi. Also during the weekend,Unity Township resident StephanieKirk was tested for and promoted to therank of First Degree Black Belt by Mas-ter Olson, after direct observation byGrandmaster Hwang.

Latrobe’s Master works hard to main-tain this kind of connection to the tradi-tions of the Art. “So many martial artsinstructors today have turned awayfrom the Arts and into making money,”Olson states. “This has left us withschools solely for children or with statedgoals and missions directed at children

while offering classes to adults as well. Schools like thatkind of say ‘when you become a teenager, the martialarts are no longer for you.’ This is very sad because theArts really are a life-enhancing adventure for everyone.”

Olson continues, “rather than worrying about taking yourmoney and babysitting, a good instructor will understandthat the base of the Arts- Self-Defense and Character

Building- are applicable to all aspects and stages of life:from respect and coordination for children; identity andmorals for teenagers; physical stamina and challenges foryoung adults; stress reduction and exercise for middleadults; and, use of memory, exercise and socializationfor older adults. With its attention to the needs of allages, Taekwon-Do is the perfect positive activity for the fam-ily or the individual looking for an ‘edge’ anytime in life.”

He summarizes his feelings towards instructors who donot grasp these facts and their neglect in duty this way,“it’s like selling you your first new car, taking out thewindows, the seats and the brakes and then letting youdrive it around. Sure, it will get you somewhere, but youwon’t be protected against the elements, you won’t bevery comfortable and you won’t be able to slow down orstop to really enjoy life when you want to. You are at thewhims of nature with no control. They seem to be saying,‘the students will never know any better and will be happyjust to have a car.’ This attitude ruins the Arts for so manygood students and instructors both, it really disgusts me.”

Good instructors are easy to spot. Master Olson says thatthey will be continuing to train themselves, they will berecognized and respected by the leaders of the Arts andthey will be attentive to the needs of all their students.Olson finishes with this, “the most important people inmy life are the students who walk through my door andask me to help them learn to navigate this world. Forthem I will always learn and I will always sacrifice. Forthem, I live ‘Only the Art.’ ”

That’s the way it was meant to be.

Master Jeremy Olson with GrandmasterHwang at an Instructors’ Certification

course in Syracuse, NY.

Some of the students from Eastern Alliance Taekwon-Do kicking to raisemoney for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Master Olson being inducted into the2004 World Wide Martial Arts Hall of

Fame as Instructor of the Year by MasterTom Merritt, President of the International

Taekwon-Do Union.

Check out our Parris IslandEducator WorkshopScrapbook Online at

www.LaurelMountainPost.com!


Pink is a rather simple color. All youdo is mix red with white, and presto,you can make a pink concoction invarying shades. It is primarily asso-ciated with girls, especially babies. Itis generally a ‘happy’ color: thinkabout flowers or candles; dresses orbows; crayons or paint; cotton candyor ice cream. When these things arepink, we smile. If we are “in the pink”,we are deemed to be healthy. If weare “tickled pink”, we are joyous andcontent. We associate it with glad-ness or laughter, and things that arepretty. And often, at a very young age,we recognize that color can be signifi-cant to one’s identity. Just ask any-one who has even heard the words‘breast cancer’ to tell you the color ofthe disease, and they will tell you it’sPink. Now, is this really a way to de-scribe one of the most deadly cancersamong women? A “happy” color? Yes,it is. Because for those affected bybreast cancer in any way, the ultimategoal is a cure of course. But the im-mediate goal is survival. Survival maycome from acceptance or understand-ing. I think, though, that it comesfirst from awareness.

The pink ribbon is the uni-versal symbol for breastcancer awareness. It wascreated in 1991 by EvelynH. Lauder, founder & presi-dent of the Breast CancerResearch Foundation andAlexandra Penney, then-edi-tor of Self Magazine. Andtheir ribbon has blossomedinto an industry of sorts.You can find it on just aboutany type of merchandise. Infact, I plugged the words‘pink ribbon’ into an Internetsearch, and yielded over1,000,000 possible results.And I am a major contributor to thecause. But the primary reason I buypink ribbon “stuff” is so that I am aconstant reminder to myself, my fam-ily, my friends and any woman, to beaware of breast cancer. This is why Ifeel so strongly that the Power of Pinkcan save lives. Awareness is one thingabout which we can be certain. It isactually something we can control.

So in the spirit of awareness, I en-courage you to do a few simple things:

1) Know Your Body: Be able to seeand feel changes in your breasts.

Strive to maintain good breast health.Make it your personal mantra thatearly detection is the key.

2) Get The Facts: There is a wealthof information out there. And it canbe overwhelming or confusing attimes. But try to learn as much asyou can about the disease, especiallyrisk factors and signs. I invite you toread, listen and absorb something newabout the disease on a regular basis.

3) Get Your Mammogram: Can wesay “early detection?” If you are over40 and female, this radiological ex-amination of your breasts should bethe second appointment you makeevery year, right behind that ‘other’yearly visit.

4) Have a Plan: I hope I never get thedisease. However, since I know thefacts, I think about it a lot. I am con-cerned about it, even scared. But Ifeel less threatened because I alreadyknow how I would proceed if I wereever diagnosed. And please, I am notasking you to dwell on it. I am simply

encouraging you to be pre-pared on some level.

5) Get Involved: As thePittsburgh Affiliate of theSusan G. Komen BreastCancer Foundation embarkson it’s 14th annual Race ForThe Cure, I urge you to thinkabout yourself and allwomen in your lives. Be sup-portive of the Race. Volun-teer your time. Offer sup-port. Visit their website atwww.pittsburghraceforthecure.orgor call 412-521-CURE (2873)to learn more about this fabu-lous organization.

It is the power of a symbol that causespeople to acknowledge something. Itis the power of a symbol that causespeople to take action. For breast can-cer awareness, it is the Power of Pink... the Pink Ribbon!

Kathy Kasperik is a Derry High Graduateand received her Bachelor’s Degree from

Penn State University. Kathy is alsoextremely passionate about the Komen Race

for The Cure® after losing family membersand friends to the disease. She has been a

volunteer with the Pittsburgh Affiliate forover 10 years. Kathy will always be seen

wearing some form of a pink ribbon, theuniversal sign for breast cancer awareness.

Everyone needs to THINK PINK!

The Power Of Pink

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TAKE IT ON FAITHPastor Ron Durika

If you could create a whole new world of yourown, what would it look like? Would it be onewithout many of the painful realities we havenow? Would there be no pain, no suffering,no jealousy, without a single thing to fear?Would it be free from even death itself? Wouldit be filled with love, justice, understanding,trust, and freedom? That is exactly how Godoriginally created the world.

The Bible says that when God created the worldhe saw all that He had made and it was good.The Creator of all things did a perfect job ofbringing all things into being. The problemcame when, out of God’s love for His creation,He gave humankind free will. God didn’t wantmindless people who obeyed His every whimwith no thought of their own. He wanted us tobe wise enough to experience things on ourown and make the right decisions. Sadly that didn’tquite work out the way I would have liked it.

Sin is being disobedient to God. Adam and Evelet themselves get greedy and disobeyed God’sone command to enjoy everything but the oneobject in all of creation singled out by God.This caused the perfect relationship they en-joyed to be destroyed, and humankind was castout of a perfect place. Their new surround-ings were a much harsher place to live. Evenworse, sin multiplied and it seemed as if therewas no hope.

SalvationFortunately, out of love, mercy and grace, Goddid not forget His people. God had a way toget us back in good regards so that once againsome day we will be back with God in para-dise. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to takeour sins upon himself and to sacrifice Himselfas penalty for our sins. So when we standbefore God someday, we will be welcomed homeback into a perfect place.

To receive this tremendous show of unmer-ited love, we must accept what Christ has doneand believe that He truly is our Lord and Sav-ior. This act of faith is the only way our Godhas given us to once again enter into a perfectrelationship with Him. This new paradise thatis coming will have no suffering, no evil, anddeath will finally be a thing of the past. Wewill also be reunited with all the people whohave placed their faith and hope in the workof the Son of God.

An eternal life awaits those who will take thisstep of faith. If you haven’t done so, makeevery effort to open your heart and mind toreceive this blessing from God. It is the mostimportant gift you will ever receive.

Ron Durika is the pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church inNew Florence (corner of Fifth & Chestnut Streets, 724-235-2940). Join them for worship every Sunday at 10:30am andSunday School at 9:15am. Bible Study meets on the first andthird Monday of each month at 7pm.

MEET OUR STAFFLearn more about our writers, artists, andeveryone else who works to put together

each each issue of the Laurel Mountain Post.Click on the Staff Bio section of our website:

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THE CORNER STORYRichard Z. Rupert

A Youngster’s View of World War II


For youngsters in 1941, it didn’t take much be-fore all other games were set aside and replacedwith “war games.” Wood grenades, pistols andrifles quickly appeared ranging from crude to pre-sentable, depending on access to one’sgrandfather’s carpenter shop. It was a time whentires with inner tube liners and old inner tubescould be quickly converted into the power sourceand missile of the wicked hitting inner-tube gun.

A nickel would buy a small paper bag of “car-bide” from the local hardware store. Carbide wasthe base ingredient used in miner’s lights. Whenwater was added to a few carbide stones, a gaswas generated, which was flammable and explo-sive if confined too severely. Old fash-ioned metal cans with pressed in clo-sures made an ideal cannon. Add sev-eral pieces of carbide, pour in a littlewater, slap in the recessed lid, shakequickly to generate the gas necessaryfor propellant power, hold can underone foot with lid end pointed toward the“enemy”, a lit match to the touch-holeand BA-BOOM! A sub-culture of highlytrained, well armed kids militia soondeveloped.

With women and men working longhours in basic industries and warplants, kid power was soon tapped tobe “gofers” in scrap metal and paperdrives. Youngsters went up and downstreets knocking on doors to collectscrap metal in the form of cans, pots,old pipe, and metal of all kinds. Manyof these drives were organized and ledby local schoolteachers. In fact, twolarge World War I cannons mounted infront of Derry High School were donatedto the scrap metal effort. Even piecesof old rusted quarry cable were dragged off“the ridge” and added to the collection.

Another school sponsored war drivewas going to the rural fields and roadedges and picking the pods of milkweedbefore they burst. The milkweed fluff wasused as “Kapok”, a buoyant stuffing in“Mae-West-Life Jackets” for sea use. Jackets wereso named for their “chest-endowing feature.”

A less exciting but very important aspect ofstudent activity was the buying of “saving stamps”and their transfer into a “savings bond” when thestamp book was filled. A book representing eigh-teen dollars and fifty cents could be turned in fora savings bond worth twenty-five dollars at ma-turity. Teachers would collect and supervise thestamp sales, and then make sure the studentposted the stamps properly into the savings book.

Times were “tuff” and any extra restrictionsnecessary due to the demands of the war effortwere taken in stride. We were tough and we gottougher. All were in the same boat, so to speak,and all rowed or bailed as necessary. No sugar;eat Karo®, no coffee; use chicory, no meat; eatbeans. No bath soap! Use yellow-brown Fels-Napha or Octagon.

Immediate shortage of gasoline and rubber fortires called for a method or rationing while stillallowing workers to get to vital manufacturingplants to support the war effort. Individual jobswere evaluated by an appointed “Ration Board”and gas use was allocated based on one’s job pri-

ority in relation to the war effort. The distancetraveled from home to job and return and theability to car pool with other workers would de-termine whether one received an “A”, “B” or “C”sticker that was posted on the vehicle’s window.The amount of gasoline for a monthly period wasbased on the letter of the gas sticker. Civiliantire and new vehicles became a thing of the pre-war past. Gas rationing restricted civilian plea-sure travel and saved on tire and vehicle wear andtear. Substitute! Re-use! Scrimp! Do without! All

became a new way of life on the home front.Starting on December 8, 1941 lines of young

enlistees presented themselves for induction intovarious service branches in response to the callfor volunteers. It would be the first time manyenlisted personnel were ever away from home.Local Draft Boards were appointed, and all males18 through 40 years of age were classified ac-cording to job type, physical ability, and familyobligations. Classifications ran from “A” to “4F.”

Target areas for enemy bombers were recog-nized by local authorities. Plants producing steeland munitions were supposedly on enemy list forbomb attacks. The government responded with

Civil Defense programs. Among otherthings, on the home front, this entailedAir Raid Wardens, air raid drills, incen-diary fire fighting equipment; bucketsof dry sand and long handled shovelsto control magnesium devices. Black-out curtains appeared at windows, noexposed lights were allowed, wardenspatrolled for any “bombs” or light vio-lations. Wardens had “CD” armbands andspecial small lanterns for blackout use.

A candle stub inside a heavy cir-cular glass with three color shaded sec-tions and a vented shielded top was usedin enclosed stairways to allow lightedpassage within a house. Test drill“bombs” were made from a cardboardtube with ribbons attached as stream-ers. Upon finding an “incendiary bomb”the fire suppression personnel would usethe buckets of dry sand and long-handledshovels to “contain” the fire.

Air raid drills were also held in theschools and amounted to crawling un-der desks or going down into basementsor cellars. In retrospect, crawling underdesks, when the classroom had a maxi-mum amount of high single pane glasswindows, allowed no protection from fly-ing shards of knife-like glass flying acrossthe room.

Some of the more sobering remem-brances of the war were the service flags hangingin the windows of homes honoring those who servedin the various branches of the military. A smallbanner flag with a red centered star designated ac-tive service of a loved one. A gold star indicated aservice person that had died. Kids walked quietlypast gold star houses.

Most people had a family member or close rela-tive on duty. A father or possibly an uncle servingin the Army Air Corps in Europe or a minister/uncle serving as a military chaplain in the Pacific


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or a future brother-in-law in the Marine Corpsthroughout the Pacific Theatre of Operations(P.T.O.), the war hit home.

Once during the war, a large munitions fac-tory just south of Derry experienced a fire andmultiple explosions of ordinance. The womenworkers bailed out of the bunkered small build-ings and scaled the high barbwire security fencelickety-split. In order to attack the fires, with or-dinance exploding in all directions, the local vol-unteer fire company had to crawl and drag firehose up the sunken bed of a nearby creek. Thesevolunteers had the distinction of “baptism by fire.”

Victory in Europe, VE Day was memorable.Teachers and students gathered in the second floorhall of The Second Ward Elementary School. Joy-

ful enthusiasm, an appropriate prayer of thanks-giving and singing of patriotic songs marked theassembly. The town went wild with jubilationwhen VJ Day was announced. Church bellsand school bells rang and clanged. Spontane-ous street dancing in the form of “clangers andbangers” hauled on hand pulled wagons madea merry rattle. Mixed musical instruments madenoise. The entire town business stopped andall participated in the joyous occasion. Headystuff for any youngster!

Richard Z. Rupert is a lifelong resident of Derry and a localhistory buff who has served as a local volunteer fire companymember for 54 years, and is active in emergency services. He

is also a U.S. Army veteran of the Korean War era.

Congratulations to the Laurel Mountain Post’s

Ruth Richardsonwho was recently pucblished in the online edition of

Reminisce Magazine with her story on learning to drive(originally published in the Laurel Mountain Post Fall 2005)

www. Reminisce.com.Her 2004 feature on Christmas shopping was also

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THE REC ROOMJim Kasperik

What A Ride!Anyone who is a fan of sports has heard athletes saythey have dreamed about playing for the world cham-pionship. We have heard many Steelers players afteryears of hard work express that sentiment. As im-probable as their playoff and championship run wasthis year, it captivated our area and members ofthe Steeler Nation aroundthe world.

I also had the best play-off run of my “career!” Letme explain and describeto you my travels fromthe Laurel Highlands asI followed the Steelers ontheir incredible journey.

About halfway through thesecond quarter of thewildcard playoff gameagainst Cincinnati, Istarted to feel comfortablewith how the game wasprogressing. As I watchedon a sixty-inch wide screenTV (thanks to my wife’sfamily for getting that!), Irealized the best seat towatch the game is in theliving room – there aregreat replays and no linesfor the restroom or food.But any die-hard fanknows there is just noth-ing like the atmosphereand the excitement of be-ing live at the game to rootthe Steelers to victory.

As Big Ben took the throw-back pass from Randle-Eland launched a perfectpass to a wide open andwaiting Cedric Wilson, mymind started to wander.The Steelers had just clinched a return trip to India-napolis to meet the vaunted and already heavily fa-vored Colts. Immediately I thought – should I makethe return trip also? My wife, Melanie, and I made thetrip out there for the Monday night game earlier in theyear where I was sure the Steelers would end the Coltsrun at an undefeated season. As most remember, itdid not happen. We did however have a great timeand the fans were very cordial as well. So back to mythoughts of returning to Indy which I had trouble hid-ing. Should I go, shortly turned into who will go withme! Therefore Monday morning after the Steelersvictory in Cincy, I purchased my tickets to go toIndianapolis.

The Saturday before the Indianapolis game, I set outto make the six-hour drive to see my beloved Steelers

play. As I made the trip on I70 West the Steeler Na-tion was well represented. Almost every car seemedto have a Terrible Towel or some other black and golditem on display. What a great experience to see be apart of the Steeler Nation going to root for the team.As I picked up my Sister in Ohio, we both agreed that

the Steelers would playgreat. But we could not getrid of a nagging thought –would it be enough to win?

As game day arrived theexcitement of being therebegan to grow. When weleft the hotel for the shortwalk to the RCA Dome, Istarted to feel even betterabout the game. Every-where we looked we couldsee black and gold andhear the chants of Steelersfans – it was going to be agood day! I could not helpbut notice how confidentthe Indy fans were. Maybethat was because all of the“experts” picked them tonot only beat theSteelers, but also beatthem handily. In factwhen I spoke to thecouple that my wife andI sat beside at the firstColts game, the idea ofover confidence wasquite evident. When Inoticed that his wife wasnot with him, I askedwhere she was, and hestated, “She is comingnext week for the AFCChampionship game.”

As the game was played, Iwas so excited and the

crowd, who was incredibly loud during the regularseason game, was non-existent. Even after an Indytouchdown made it 21-10, there were no worriesamong the Steelers faithful – and then it happened.Troy Polamalu made a fantastic play, and inter-cepted Peyton Manning at midfield! But as Indy chal-lenged the play, the referee stayed under the replayhood for what seemed like forever. Everybody inthe stands knew that it was an interception –Steelers and Colts fans alike discussed it togetherand agreed. But the referee had another opinion –incomplete pass, Colts ball.

After that, everything seemed to change. The Coltsmarched down the field scored a touchdown and whenthey tacked on the two-point conversion it was a mere

continued on page 24

The Action for Animals Human Society will hold theirthird annual Auction for the Animals (to benefitWestmoreland County’s largest and oldest no-kill ani-mal shelter) on Friday, May 19 at 7:00 PM at Moun-tain View Inn, located on Route 30 in Greensburg.

In order to make this fundraiser a success, you canparticipate in two ways: by donating an item and/orbecoming a sponsor. Donors and sponsors will berecognized in our auction program and on ourwebsite: www.afa.petfinder.org

If you can help the homeless animals of Action forAnimals Humane Society, please contact LauraGuskiewicz at 724-850-8802 or Dr. Hank Croft at724-593-6111. We would like to secure all auc-tion items no later than May 5. You may contactLaura or Hank for pickup or you can mail itemsto: Action for Animals Humane Society, P.O. Box814, Latrobe, PA, 15650.

To view items we have acquired, please visitwww.ezauctionservice.com or our website.

Happy 3rd Birthday

March 21March 21March 21March 21March 21Love Mom, Dad, and ALove Mom, Dad, and ALove Mom, Dad, and ALove Mom, Dad, and ALove Mom, Dad, and Austinustinustinustinustin

OWEN

Jim Kasperik with his wife, Melanie, covering the victory in Detroit(above); and with Steeler legend Merril Hoge (below) who wasdoing an interview with Andrew Stockey for WTAE sports on theESPN set.


WHERE’S MUGGSY?On the Scene with David “Muggsy” Miles

Super Bowl XL - Steelers in DetroitDetroit, MI – Our man on the scene was there. . . for all the excitment and action of thePittsburgh Steelers victory in Super Bowl XL.

A NightAt the Opera

Always the Renaissance Man, Muggsystepped out for a night on the townand attended a mid-winter perfor-mance of The Phantom of the Opera atPittsburgh’s Benedum Center in Janu-ary. His favorite musical number wasthe showstopping “Masquerade.”

Where will Muggsy turn up next?

healthier and more flavorful than traditional refinedtable varieties. One of my favorites is “Grey Salt” which is amoist unrefined sea salt from France. Its colorcomes from the clay found in the salt flats and isconsidered by the culinary world to be the bestquality available. While the shaker is still proper for the refinedsorts, the use of a grinder is recommended for thecoarser varieties. When using a grinder, rememberto use only a salt mill with a ceramic or plasticgrinding mechanism. Salt will corrode all metalgrinders and adversely affect its flavor. What discussion on salt would not naturallyinclude the mention of the successful Americancompany, Morton Salt. One of the most notoriouscontributions of this company was the patentedspout on the top of their dispenser invented in 1910.Their famous advertising symbol of the little girlwith the umbrella brought worldwide fame to thecompany in 1911. Morton was also the first com-pany to add iodine in their product to help preventgoiters. Today there are more than 14,000 known usesfor this mineral rock. In industry, salt is used inthe manufacture of paper, in the production of soapsand detergents, and in the setting of dyes on tex-tiles and fabrics. Other uses include Epsom salt from the min-eral rich waters of Epsom, England for relaxingmuscles and drawing toxins from the body whendissolved in warm bath water. Rock salt is appliedto roads in cold climates to help reduce the freezingpoint of water to prevent ice. It might be a little toolate for me to take advantage of the rock salt, butmaybe I should try the Epsom variety to soothe theseaching bones! The next time you grab that shaker, just thinkof how lucky we are to have such an importantmineral so accessible at our finger tips. But userbeware, everything in moderation. While I like tothink of other rocks such as diamonds and emer-alds as being essential to life, there is really onlyone. Salt! The Essential Rock!

J.B. Rossi wishes to thank all the family and friends who havegenerously supported all of her recent endeavors. Special thanksgo out to her loving husband who has the wisdom of a sage and

the patience of a saint! You are my everything!

continued from page 8

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Along for the fun were McKeesport native JohnWilliams (left) and Rudy Mauro of HarrisonCity (center).


STUDENT SPOTLIGHTHarrold Middle School - Hempfield Area School District

“Oh, Steeler Town”(to the tune of “O, Christmas Tree”)

Lyrics by Karmen Spallone, Heather Paullett,Travis Holway, Thomas Kistner

Oh, Steeler town,Oh, Steeler town,How we all love the Bus.His wheels go round and round and roundAs he knocks everyone else down.

Oh, Steeler town,Oh, Steeler town,How we adore Big BenHis tackle was game savingAnd his throws are amazing.

Oh, Steeler town,Oh, Steeler town ,How we all love Hines Ward.His catches are so breathtakingHis smile is amazing.

Oh, Steeler town,Oh, Steeler town,How we all love out Troy.His hair is long and crazyHis tackles makes heads hazy.

Oh, Steeler town,Oh, Steeler town ,How we love Bill Cowher.His chin is large and scaryHis mustache is so hairy.

Oh, Steeler town,Oh, Steeler town ,How we love our Steelers.

“We Will Beat You”(to the tune of “We Will Rock You” by Queen)

Lyrics by Cody Montell, Emily McDonald,Becca Mitlo, Travis Minear

Polamalu, Porter making a play.We’re gonna win the Super Bowl Sunday.We’re gonna look good, all day long.Steelers gonna put you back where you belong.

SingingWe will, we will beat you

defeat you.We will, we will beat you

defeat you.

Offense, defense, looking real hot.Let’s show the Seahawks what we got.Seahawks don’t have nothing on us,Because we have the unstoppable Bus!

SingingWe will, we will beat you

defeat you.We will, we will beat you

defeat you.

three-point game. The Steeler Nation who had beenout cheering the home fans all day were suddenlydrowned out by the rejuvenated crowd. But the de-fense sacked Peyton on fourth down and the Steelerscelebrated with only a little over a minute left on theclock. It was just up to the Bus to get the clinch-ing touchdown. You all know what happened next– the Tackle by of all people the best quarterbackon the field that day! The Steelers were on theway to Denver!

Well, “the should I go” thought was back again as Imade the six-hour drive back to PA late that Sundaynight. There was the flight, the hotel and of coursethe ticket – was it too much? Then an even better ideapopped into my head – why not save money and go tothe Superbowl? So there I was again, watching theAFC Championship on the big screen, hoping that theSteelers could make history and win three playoffgames on the road to reach the big game. As eachminute ticked off the game clock, the reality of theSteelers earning a trip to the Superbowl became closerand closer. Like many people, I had to ask myself,“was this really happening?’ After so many close callsin the years past, were the Steelers finally going to beSuperbowl bound? Fortunately for the Steeler Nation,this time the answer was yes!

Early in this article, I mentioned football players al-ways state they dream of playing in the Superbowl.Well my dream was just slightly different – I dreamedof watching the Steelers play in the Superbowl in per-son. So because of this, before the Denver game ended,I had made the purchase – two tickets to the biggame. Melanie and I were going to be in Detroitfor Superbowl XL.

What a trip it was. The pageantry and productionthat is the Superbowl was awesome. As the gameapproached, you could feel the tension in the air – Icould only imagine what the players were feeling. Eventhough the game started slowly for Pittsburgh, everyplay that day seemed huge – one play could make orbreak the entire season. I have been to many footballgames and I have never felt this way at any game. Anagging thought that kept running through my headduring the early parts of the game was did the Steelershave anything left after such a great run in the play-offs? Well as everyone saw or heard, they had enoughto make history with class and send Jerome Bettisout like the champion he is. It was well deserved byan organization, a head coach and players that do itthe right way. Not only the right way, but also they allrealized what the Steeler Nation means to their suc-cess. Steelers 21, Seattle 10 – the fifth championshipfor a storied franchise and we were there!

What a great year for football fans in Western Penn-sylvania. The Steelers got one for the thumb and thecity of Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas showedtheir true colors and passion. As we drove home fromDetroit, Melanie mentioned we should start a new slo-gan for next year’s season – “how about one for theother hand?” she laughed.

I could not help but think of people telling me howthis trip may be a once in a lifetime opportunity. ButI think not! As we made it home, my thoughts werealready on sunny Miami – the host city for SuperbowlXLI!

GO STEELERS, AND THANKS FOR A GREAT RIDE!

continued from page 22

STUDENTSTUDENTSTUDENTSTUDENTSTUDENTLYRICISTSLYRICISTSLYRICISTSLYRICISTSLYRICISTS

BABABABABACK:CK:CK:CK:CK: Cody Montell, EmilyMcDonald, Karmen Spallone,

Thomas Kistner

FRONTFRONTFRONTFRONTFRONT::::: Becca Mitlo, TravisMinear, Travis Holway,

Heather Paullett

As part of a unit on capitalizationrules, 6th grade students in Mrs.McCaffrey’s and Mrs. Courtney’s

English classes were asked to writelyrics for a new Steelers fight song.

Get ready for next season with these:


©Laura Petrilla

DERRYA Touch of ClassAH CreationsAllison Chiropractic CenterAmeriserv FinancialBarkley’s Beer DistributorCaldwell Memorial LibraryCamman Industries, Inc.Creative DreamsCrispin State Farm InsuranceDablock’s Beauty ShopDerry Federal Credit UnionDerry Post OfficeFirst Commonwealth BankGeorge J Bush Kitchen CenterGlassmartHerron Hollow StoneryMastrorocco’s MarketDr. Morgan, DMDPalombo’s Bar & RestaurantPrakash K. Vin, M.D.P.CPit Stop Quik Shop, Inc.Red Apple Kwik FillRite AidS&T BankSunkissed Tanning

GREENSBURGAlternative Bodywork CenterAcademy of the Wagging TailAdvantage Resource GroupAmerican Indian JewelryArt Tech SuppliesBarnes & Noble BooksellersBill & Walt’s Hobby ShopCook’s MarketCrossroads (Route 66)Denny’s (Westmoreland Mall)Derby’s DelicatessenDescendents Children’sClothing BoutiqueThe Dinner PantryDr. Philip Dahar, OrthodontistdV8 Expresso BarFantastic Sam’s - E. Pittsburgh StFantastic Sam’s - WalMart PlazaGander MountainGianilli’s IIGlassmartGreensburg Care CenterGround Round - Westmoreland MallHampton InnHerbs to Your HealthHoliday Inn ExpressHyundai of GreensburgJust Miniature ScaleKatsur DentalKids Korner FurnitureKnit WitsMalloy’s CameracadeMemory Lane HallmarkMountain View InnMustard Seed Gallery, Inc.Northwood Realty - GreensburgNorthwood Realty - North HuntingdonPagnotta CafePenelope’sPepperwood Grille - Westmoreland Mall

Phillip Pelusi - Westmoreland MallPizza HutPizza SienaReese TeleservicesSeton Hill UniversitySharp Image Hair Designs and Day SpaSheraton Four Points HotelSun ParlorSuper 8 MotelTom Clark FordToyota of GreensburgUniversity of PittsburghWestmoreland Athletic ClubWestmoreland Chamber of CommerceWorldwide Travel

LATROBEAdam & Eve’s Pet & Hobby ShopAdelphoi VillageArnold Palmer Motors IncArnold Palmer Regional AirportAqua PetsBella PastaThe Corner StoreChiropractic Health CenterCommercial National Bank - Downtown and Lawson HeightsCosmetic & Family DentistryCreative ExpressionsDenny’sDino’s Sports LoungeDiNunzio’s Italian ChophouseDiSalvo’s Station RestaurantDr. Philip Dahar, OrthodontistDr. Scott Learn, DMDEastern Alliance Tae-Kwon DoFalbo’s Rainbow InnFirst Commonwealth BankFirst National Bank - Latrobe 30 PlazaFirst National Bank - DowntownFrank’s LoungeGino’s Pizza of LatrobeHanna Insurance AgencyHarvey’s Barber ShopHolzer’s StoreHostetter ClubIn-Sync Rehabilitation ServicesJazzercise - LoyhannaJocelyn’s Beauty SalonJoe’s Store – Lawson HeightsKaye’s TailoringKeffer Massage TherapyL & L Quik LubeLatrobe 30 BeverageLatrobe Animal ClinicLatrobe Art CenterLatrobe Center Distributing, Inc.Latrobe Chamber of CommerceLatrobe Glass & MirrorLatrobe Hair CompanyLatrobe Hospital Little ShopLatrobe News StandLatrobe Post OfficeLatrobe Senior CenterLatrobe’s Pet Stop, LLCLen’s JewelryLoyalhanna Care CenterMosso’s Medical Supply Company Inc

Mozart HouseNational City Bank - Latrobe 30 PlazaNorthwood RealtyOlson’s Mozart HallPennywise BooksPizza SienaRay Foot & Ankle CenterRose Style ShoppeScotty G’s PizzariaSharky’s CafeSherwin-Williams - Latrobe 30 PlazaShop-N-Save - Latrobe 30 PlazaSt. Vincent CollegeSt Vincent GristmillTuxedo RoomVan Dyke Styling CenterVickie’s Awesome BlossomsVita-ChargeWeiss FurnitureWingate InnYoungstown TireZappone Sausage Co.and Retail Outlet

LIGONIERAbigail’s CoffeehouseAmerican Indian JewelryBeno’sBetsy’s of LigonierBP (CoGo’s)Carol & Dave’s RoadhouseCeltic CultureCompass InnComTechConnections StoreThe Country CupboardCrafts UnlimitedCurves for WomenDiamond CafeEndless PossibilitiesEquine ChicEssentialsThe Fairfield GrilleFirst National BankFox’s PizzaThe Frame PlaceThe GarretGiant EagleGino Gianelli’sHair ParadeHoliday Home StoreThe Hollow TavernIvy’s CafeJohn Clark JewelersLady Bug StyleLady of the Lake Bed & BreakfastLa Rosa’s Barber ShopLaughlintown Post OfficeLigonier Chamber of CommerceLigonier Country InnLigonier Outfitters & NewsstandLigonier Palms Tanning SalonLigonier PharmacyLigonier Post OfficeLigonier TavernLigonier TheaterLigonier YMCAMain Street DeliPamela’s Golden Touch Salon

The Paper House & BaskitryPathfinder PhotoThe Pet CornerPersnickityThe Pie ShoppeThe Post and RailRamada InnThe Road ToadRosalie Jioio’s Little ItalyRuthie’s DinerThe Sandwich ShoppeSecond Chapter BooksStandard BankSubwayThe Stationery ShopThe Treehouse in LigonierUnderneath

NEW ALEXANDRIACurves for WomenDi’s Pizzeria & RestaurantJohna’s Hair DesignOasis HotelQwik StopThe Roadhouse

NORTHBlairsville Pharmacy - BlairsvilleDean’s Diner - BlairsvilleFantastic Sam’s - BlairsvilleGuy’s Tavern - AvonmoreJerich Insurance - LeechburgLonestar - AvonmoreMelissa’s Cut ‘n Curl - BlairsvilleNorthwood Realty - BlairsvillePapa Sal’s Restaurant - BlairsvillePie Cucina - Blairsville

SOUTH - Coming Soon!

EASTBetsy’s Collections - DonegalCogo’s - BakersvilleCollections by Marty - DonegalThe Country Pie Shoppe - DonegalCourtyard by Marriott - AltoonaDarshana Yoga Center - ChampionHair Expressions - Seven SpringsFoggy Mountain - DonegalItalian Gourmet Deli - DonegalKreinbrooks Market - Jones MillsLiving Treasures Animal Park - DonegalLog Cabin Motel - DonegalLost Mountain Campground - RockwoodLoyalhanna Veterinary Clinic - StahlstownMarble Kitchen - LeechburgMountain Horse Saddlery - DonegalNorthwood Realty - DonegalOakhurst Tea Room - SomersetSarnelli’s Market - Jones MillsSeven Springs Mountain Resort -ChampionTall Cedars Restaurant - DonegalUniMart - New FlorenceWindy Lindy’s Mountaineer Crafts - Donegal

WESTCourtyard by Marriott -Penn Ave

(David L. Lawrence Conv. Ctr.)

Pick Up A Copy of the Laurel Mountain PostAcross the County & Neighboring Communities!

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COUPON VALUESEqEqEqEqEquine Chicuine Chicuine Chicuine Chicuine Chic

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ZAPPONE SAUSAGE COMPANY RETAIL STORELong’s Road in Latrobe, PA • 724-539-1430 • [email protected]

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340 Main Street in Latrobe724-537-5199

724-244-2869Loyalhanna Community Center(Knights of Columbus)Instructor Cathy Guerrieri

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106 E. Main Street in Ligonier

724-238-7003www.EquineChic.com

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Advertising deadline for the May-June issue of the Laurel Mountain Post is Saturday, April 15.Call us today at 724-331-3936 to reserve your space in the newspaper everyone in Westmoreland County is talking about!

The Wallpaper &Decorating Shoppe, Inc.

310 S. Penna. Ave. in Greensburg

724-832-1060FREE NIGHT LIGHT*FREE NIGHT LIGHT*FREE NIGHT LIGHT*FREE NIGHT LIGHT*FREE NIGHT LIGHT*

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Wild Horse Stoneware Collectionfrom Home Branded

(Equine Chic is the exclusive retailer east of the Mississippi)

The Official Toby Keith Hatby SCALA

The Original Atlas Glove“Fits like a second skin”

Heirloom Quality Brassby Mayor Mill Brass

Custom Pillowsby Mill Crossing

Distinctive Equestrian Jewelryby KABANA

ALLNEWFOR

2006

EQUINE CHIC (For Horse Home & You!) is located at 106 E. Main Street on the Diamond in Ligonier, PA

724.238.7003Store open Tuesday-Saturday, 10:00 am - 5:00 pm | www.EquineChic.com

Equine ChicEquine ChicEquine Chic

laurel mountain post :: march-april 2006

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