yanking off their own dog tags.
Please join our conversations. Contributors welcome.
claysh@gmail.com

Thursday, June 30, 2011
a poem by Diana Reh Hunt
yanking off their own dog tags.
How a natural-gas tycoon tapped into Corbett
IN THE OIL-AND-GAS business, it's called a wildcat well - when a prospector takes a big risk drilling deep in an unexplored area. In 2004, a flamboyant Oklahoma City multimillionaire took out his hefty checkbook for what you could call the political equivalent of a wildcat well - and he struck a gusher, right here in Pennsylvania. The $450,000 in campaign checks -- filtered through an obscure GOP committee - that energy mogul Aubrey McClendon wrote that fall helped elect a man he said he'd never even met, a relatively obscure GOP candidate for Pennsylvania attorney general, Tom Corbett. The hard-charging company run by McClendon, Chesapeake Energy, is the largest and most active driller for natural gas both in Pennsylvania and across the United States - and its environmental record here is under fire for two major well accidents in the past year and allegations from upstate residents of tainted well water.
Read more at http://articles.philly.com/
-- Submitted by Elizabeth Donohoe

We love Rosary Acres!!!
YARD SALE VENDORS WANTED!

Good morning, Ligonier!

COMPASS INN MUSEUM OPEN ON JULY 4TH

New State Budget Begins Building Road to Fiscal Responsibility
rsmith@pahousegop.com
717.705.1834
RepReese.com

Paul says its unconscionably inappropriate and I agree.
Paul Essig

Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Mellow Mike Photos
super wifi
Microsoft, the BBC, BSkyB and BT are among the tech giants investigating how the gaps in frequencies between TV broadcasts can be used to transmit broadband.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2009187/Trials-super-WiFi-uses-white-space-TV-channels-begin-Cambridge.html#ixzz1Qg2KSz8Z
Good morning, Ligonier!

Hydrofracking in Central PA, as seen from the air:
Do you really want this same kind of scarring here in the beautiful Ligonier Valley -- to say nothing of the effects of fracking on our air and water? Why would tourists bother to come to a place so altered by this intensively industrial process, why? How much will it depress your property's value?
Shouldn't such considerations be as important as someone's right to lease? What about the effects on the Valley as a whole?
--Submitted by Elizabeth Donohoe

Tuesday, June 28, 2011
MerJo on MAIN STREET
Tammy our Creative Card Maker (CCM), has added really cute Pet Cards - both for your pets birthday, and the loss of your pet.
She also has created Gift Bags that even includes the tissue paper. What could be easier to wrap those Graduation and Birthday gifts?
Bill our jewelry maker is adding more Steeler Jewelry to his line just in time for football camp.
Belinda who does the Quilted Wall hangings is getting us ready for July 4th with a lot of Americana Designs.
AND - - - - - -
MerJo On Main Street is offering a NEW Service.
We are now able to offer Alterations and Sewing repairs.
So with all the new items and services - we hope you stop by.
MerJo on Main Street
331 W. Main Street (across from Holy Trinity Church)
Shop Hours
Wednesday - Saturday - 11:00 am - 5:00 pm
with extended hours on Friday till 7:00 pm
Sunday - 12 noon to 4:00 pm.
Look at this crew waiting for tasting of new menu!

Happy Birthday Peggy
Schmucker apologized to his victims before being led away to serve his sentence.
David A. Schmucker, 21, pleaded guilty on Monday to charges that he was drunk on Sept. 25 when his pickup ran through a red light on Route 30 in Ligonier at about 95 mph and hit a pickup driven by Lara Hoenshell, a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher who was on the way home after working a 12-hour shift.

Bob Sanzi remembered
He and I shared many adventures. He took me to sprint car races, drag races and flat-track dirt bike races. We visited Watkins Glen and climbed up through the Glen, then retraced the old road race course. We packed his bike and rode it to Arlington, Texas, to meet up with the folks he rode with while he lived and worked there. We put another thousand miles on the bike before we made the return trip to Latrobe. We explored a bog near Wilmington, North Carolina in search of carnivorous plants. We rode the train to Chicago to attend the Auto Show, went to the bike show in Cleveland, and to model train shows every chance we got. Our times together also included quiet evenings in front of the television and outings with my grandchildren.
Read more on Beanerywriters.
It's Mellow Mike night!
Just had to post a larger picture of Cathi and her brother, Bill. Love the brother to sister look. ;)

Email May Be Your Most Important Password
June 28, 2011 11:40 AM EDT
Did you know your email account may be the most important account you have?
When hackers get your email login, they can sit back and watch your email. If they are patient, they will see what banks you use and what friends you correspond with. They will slowly learn your daily habits. When the time is just right, they can strike.
The classic email hack is when someone gets access and immediately send email to every person in the address book. They impersonate you, claiming to be out of the country traveling, robbed and asking for a wire transfer. Most of your friends and associates won’t fall for this trick any more.
When a smart criminal gains access to email, they don’t immediately act. They sit back and watch a while. Most people book travel online and get the details in email. If they wait to they see you’re on vacation. They can then easily send the email to all your friends and sound very credible. They know where you went, when you left, when you got there. If your friends know you just went to Aruba and the next morning they see an email from you saying you were robbed, are stranded, and need a wire-transfer, they’re likely to run to western union right away.
When you lose your password and click “forgot my password”, how is the account reset? For most things they send a temporary password to your email account. If someone has your email account, they can easily start forgetting passwords and getting access to your important things. Luckily, most financial institutions have stopped using email as a primary password reset. But many other sites still use it.
If you want an easy way to secure your email, try using 2-step authentication. It’s only offered by a few email providers. Google is the biggest. We have step-by-step directions at Healthy Passwords.
Do you have a story to share or good idea on this topic? Please share if you do.
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PA HERO WALK

The Pennsylvania Hero Walk passed through Ligonier… The Pennsylvania Hero Walk participants arrive in Ligonier
For those of you who wondered what was going on in Ligonier last Wednesday afternoon, here is the story:
There’s been quite a change. When men arrived home from the Viet Nam war in the 1960s, there was no welcome. Today, soldiers return from war to bands and applause.
The reception Ligonier gave to the walkers participating in the Pennsylvania Hero Walk showed that patriotism is n

Cathy Rhodes and her brother, a Viet Nam veteran, walked through Ligonier with the Pennsylvania Hero Walk participants. Cathy also sang at the American Legion hall.
“We were honored to be with several injured servicemen,” said one of the founders of the walk, Al Pulice, of Murrysville, Pennsylvania. “It’s a learning experience to be with the men who served the country…

Pennsylvania Heroes Walk for the Wounded Warriors
The Pennsylvania Hero Walk participants at the end of their Ligonier in-town parade nearing the American Legion hall.
Pennsylvania Hero Walkers to Stop in Ligonier (PA) June 22, 2011
ADDITIONAL READING:
what about all those out of town contractors???
Terrific topic, Dawnmarie. Ligonier Borough has a required soliciting permit. Ask to see it before you even talk with someone who is soliciting your business.
I know local contractors are overwhelmed this season. We've been trying to get some work done ourselves and can't even get an estimate from the contractor we normally use. We did hire another contractor who started our work and then WAS INTERRUPTED BY ONE OF THE HOUSE TOUR PEOPLE WHO DECIDED THE WEEK BEFORE THE TOUR TO INSTALL WALKWAYS, ETC AND FOR WHATEVER REASON OUR WORKERS ALL WENT THERE TO HELP WITH THE SO CALLED EMERGENCY. Now we are in LaLa Land with an unfinished torn up house because that false emergency was followed by a real emergency of illness in the family of the contractor.
We won't hire one of the out of town companies so we'll wait. We have some hail damage but we can't get to that work until this other work is done and there are others projects to finish but everything is on hold while we wait for someone to show. It's not like we can switch contractors because everyone has so much work.
What a crazy year. I am happy that at least the automobile folks and housing contractors have work. That's good for everyone.
dc

I would be very interested to hear the response from the consulting firm who drafted the zoning ordinance on the subject of real estate open house signs.
I do hope that planners will consider the powers already included within the existing zoning ordinance and turn the matter back over to the council to manage case by case as residents make requests for such open house signs.

interesting planning commission meeting in the news
Ligonier residents Lynn Thomas and Malinda Smidga will run the shop, which will specialize in gourmet bagels and cake pops, Smigda said.

Good morning, Ligonier!

Monday, June 27, 2011
our tax dollars supporting political partisanship
"Not related to this post but look at the LVSD web site for a surprising link to the Pennsylvania legislature Democratic Party caucus. Apparently someone in the LVSD administration is openly anti-vouchers and openly pro-Democrat. That same person also can't spell "caucus." They spell it "caucas" on the LVSD web site."
Visit the official school web site to see the link in latest news.
I AM PERTURBED THAT THE PUBLIC SCHOOL MY TAX DOLLARS SUPPORTS IS SPENDING TIME ON THE PUBLIC CLOCK AND WITH THE PUBLIC WEB SITE TO LOBBY FOR AN ANTI-SCHOOL CHOICE POSITION.
And BTW, no wonder the school district is spending so much money on Steve Dunn's literacy and spelling programs. Apparently these skills are beyond the ability of the LVSD administration and teaching staff who ought to be capable role models for the student body.

For Our Proposed Pedestrian Ligonier

Good morning, Ligonier!

All We Need Is A Mini-bus and a Bike Sharing Program
"Cities including Vienna to Munich and Copenhagen have closed vast swaths of streets to car traffic. Barcelona and Paris have had car lanes eroded by popular bike-sharing programs. Drivers in London and Stockholm pay hefty congestion charges just for entering the heart of the city. And over the past two years, dozens of German cities have joined a national network of “environmental zones” where only cars with low carbon dioxide emissions may enter."
'Around Löwenplatz, one of Zurich’s busiest squares, cars are now banned on many blocks. Where permitted, their speed is limited to a snail’s pace so that crosswalks and crossing signs can be removed entirely, giving people on foot the right to cross anywhere they like at any time.
As he stood watching a few cars inch through a mass of bicycles and pedestrians, the city’s chief traffic planner, Andy Fellmann, smiled. “Driving is a stop-and-go experience,” he said. “That’s what we like! Our goal is to reconquer public space for pedestrians, not to make it easy for drivers.”'
'Europe’s cities generally have stronger incentives to act. Built for the most part before the advent of cars, their narrow roads are poor at handling heavy traffic. Public transportation is generally better in Europe than in the United States, and gas often costs over $8 a gallon, contributing to driving costs that are two to three times greater per mile than in the United States, Dr. Schipper said."'
Read the full story: Europe Stifles Drivers in Favor of Alternatives
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/27/science/earth/27traffic.html?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha2

people helping one another
So many opened their doors that while some 11,000 people were evacuated from neighborhoods nearest the river, only a few hundred used shelters at Minot State University and the City Auditorium.
Read more in WT.

Sportsmen Alliance for Marcellus Conservation: Fishermen, Hunters Take On Fracking
Read more at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/
--Submitted by Elizabeth Donohoe

LVSD in the news
Read more in the Tribune Democrat.
BEAR IN LAUREL MOUNTAIN BOROUGH
My neighbor Emma called me to tell me I had a bear in my yard.


ADDITIONAL READING:
I seem to be posting all about God’s good creatures this past week.
Sydney—A One-Ton Camel—Visits Ligonier (PA)
Mayflies & Blisterflies: Summer Pests
Bird Attack! Dive bombing birds attack humans!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Annie and David
vintage Major Tom
vintage Bowie
events by Chamber
- Free Sunday Band Concert - June 26th, 2011 - Me & Mr. Jones - 7pm Bandst
- Free Sunday Band Concert - July 3rd, 2011 - Scottdale Area Concert Band - 7pm Bandstand
- Free Sunday Band Concert - July 10th, 2011 - Kiski Valley Community Band - 7pm Bandstand
- Free Wednesday Noon Band Concert - July 13th, 2011 - Lou Stein Jazz Trio - Noon-1pm Bandstand
- Living History at Compass Inn Museum - Special Sundays in July (July 16-17, 2011)
- Free Sunday Band Concert - July 17th, 2011 - The Moonlighters Band - 7pm Bandstand
events by Ligonier Radio
- JUNE 27: Nickers and Neighs Therapeutic Riding Center will be holding a four person scramble golf outing on June 27th at the Ligonier Country Club. Registration begins at 9 AM and the event begins at 10 AM with lunch and prizes to follow. For more information, call 724-771-1966.
- JULY 22-23: Summer in Ligonier Arts and Crafts festival will be held along the Diamond on Friday and Saturday, July 22nd and 23rd...from 9- 5pm. There will be entertainment, food, sidewalk sales and arts and crafts for children.
- JULY 30: The Southern Allegheny Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley is offering two exhibitions that celebrate the natural landscape..Seasons of the Landscape and Nature in 2 1/2 Dimension. These works will appeal to any nature lover. Come see them..on display now through July 30th.
events by Laurel Highlands
- 6/26/2011
Runs from 5/14/2011 to 7/9/2011
Latrobe Art Center
Latrobe, PA - 6/26/2011
Runs from 6/12/2011 to 7/2/2011
Hopwood, PA - 6/26/2011
Runs from 6/23/2011 to 7/16/2011
Saint Vincent College Theatre
Latrobe, PA - 6/26/2011
Runs from 6/24/2011 to 6/26/2011
Seven Springs Mountain Resort
Seven Springs, PA - 6/26/2011
Runs from 6/24/2011 to 6/26/2011
Laurel Hill State Park & Ohiopyle State Park
Somerset, PA - 6/26/2011
Runs from 6/25/2011 to 6/26/2011
Colonel Crawford's Cabin
Connellsville, PA - 6/26/2011
Runs from 6/25/2011 to 6/26/2011
Georgian Place Shopping & Office Village
Somerset, PA - 6/26/2011
Runs from 6/25/2011 to 6/26/2011
Benner's Meadow Run Camping & Cabins
Farmington, PA - 6/26/2011
Kooser State Park
Somerset, PA - 6/26/2011
Oakhurst Tea Room
Somerset, PA - 6/26/2011
Runs from 5/29/2011 to 8/28/2011
Diamond Area
Ligonier, PA - 6/27/2011
Runs from 6/27/2011 to 7/1/2011
Westmoreland Museum of American Art
Greensburg, PA - 6/28/2011
Runs from 6/7/2011 to 9/27/2011
Latrobe Stadium Parking Lot
Latrobe, PA - 6/29/2011
Westmoreland Museum of American Art
Greensburg, PA - 6/29/2011
Runs from 6/29/2011 to 7/4/2011
Legion Keener Park
Latrobe, PA - 6/29/2011
Runs from 6/1/2011 to 10/26/2011
Back lot of Georgian Place
Somerset, PA - 6/30/2011
Latrobe Art Center
Latrobe, PA - 6/30/2011
Latrobe, PA - 6/30/2011
Runs from 6/2/2011 to 9/1/2011
Palace Theatre, The
Greensburg, PA - 7/1/2011
Runs from 7/1/2011 to 7/4/2011
Nemacolin Woodlands Resort
Farmington, PA

Good morning, Ligonier!

demonstrated fiscal responsibility
The LVSD's board claims that the other school districts are in the same boat. Mr. Tantlinger frequently cries that the pension fund and the health costs have contributed to the financial woes of the district. Youg discusses the same issues, but somehow it did not hinder them from addressing sound fiscal responsibility.The LVSD's board members with Dr. Oldham need to consult those board members and their superintendents for advice. How were those school districts able to locate such leaders who have demonstrated fiscal responsibility with sound educational initiatives?

See the dog at the base of the statue? Her name was Sallie Ann Jarrett.
Out of patriotism and devotion – as well as a generous bonus – more than three-fourths of the men re-enlisted as veteran volunteers.
Read more in the Tribune Democrat.

Insiders Sound an Alarm Amid a Natural Gas Rush
But the gas may not be as easy and cheap to extract from shale formations deep underground as the companies are saying, according to hundreds of industry e-mails and internal documents and an analysis of data from thousands of wells.
Read the article at http://www.nytimes.com/2011/
--Submitted by Elizabeth Donohoe

Saturday, June 25, 2011
Are You Trading Convenience for Security?
Ken Klein, Healthy Passwords
June 25, 2011 4:32 PM EST
If you’re like most people, you pick the easier way. According to research by unsubscribe.com users use Facebook to login at third-party sites, every three days. This grants long-term access to more than you think.

From an authentication (user name / password) perspective, fewer logins means fewer places your email and password are stored. Using one password is better than leaving breadcrumbs all over the internet waiting for the next big breach, isn’t it?
Logins using social network accounts just swaps risk. Every time a social network ID, such as Facebook, is used to authenticate at another site, the user provides long-term access to their social networking data. The amount of access varies, but it’s not uncommon to grant access to:
Your Posts
Your Favorites
Your Friends
Your Important Dates
By granting access to third parties you legally give corporations access to your data. Besides being a dream for marketers, this type of access can also add additional cross site scripting vulnerabilities to your linked social network account while on the third party site.
Most apps only can access your data while you’re at their site, but some apps require “Access My Data at Any Time”.
It’s a tough decision. Businesses are being compromised at alarming rates. A recent New York Times Blog Post sites a new Ponemon Institute survey of 581 security professionals broadly agreeing that cyber attacks are getting more frequent, more severe, and harder to detect and stop. Ponemon also shows that many breaches are caused by human error. Too much access increases risk.
Most people use a single password for multiple logins, exposing them to potential loss. Creating an account at every site you contribute to multiplies this risk. On the other hand, Facebook and Twitter have adequate staffing to secure user credentials. They’re not infallible, but they are less likely to lose your password than many other sites. What’s a good balance?
Two options are: Login using the social network credentials, and revoke access after your done (instructions for this are at Healthy Passwords). Use a password manager to generate unique passwords. We don’t advocate using password managers for high risk sites, but they can be a good tool for low to moderate risk sites. Just be sure to look at password manager reviews before choosing one.
###

Good afternoon, Ligonier!

looking for a job with a chance to see the Steelers up close and personal?

Google Sites
Check it out!
I know many small business owners have Facebook pages but not everyone uses Facebook. If you want to reach a wide demographic, you need a web presence as well as a Facebook presence.
Google provides templates that you can customize. I tried it this morning. It's not too tough. If you can figure out how to create a page on Facebook, you can build your own web site AND you can add features not available on Facebook.
If you already have a Google Site, please share a few comments. I'm very interested.
on the ludicrous Steve Dunn program...click on images to make them larger
Attached is a copy for a recent RTK concerning Steve Dunn. Included is an invoice to LVSD for the Spelling Licensing Agreement of $6,000. This is an annual expense. Now the total LVSD has spent is approximately $180,000 on his program and services. (over 1 mill). In addition, teacher's must sign a document stating that they are not even allowed to present the workshop formats or content of the Spelling Workshop to other teachers within or outside the district.
Since there are moves made within the district due to layoffs, leaves, and retirees, a teacher who is moved into a position that uses the Dunn materials will have to be trained by Mr. Dunn according to his agreement. Thus, we can watch for Dunn's return.
Mary Raich
Mary: I am posting portions of the RTK. If folks want to see more, just comment and I can post it through Scribd.
Diane

on the retirement of Martin West
It is now the very best place to understand and appreciate the Seven Years War, of which the French and Indian War was a part. The exhibits he created also allow us to better understand the significance of the Forbes Expedition to capture Fort Duquesne.

on Loyalhanna limestone
About 75 Ligonier Valley residents gathered at the Bolivar fire hall Thursday afternoon for a public hearing on the project, which is at least two years away, according to Amerikohl President John Stilley
Read more: Residents raise Fairfield mining concerns - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/westmoreland/s_743869.html#ixzz1QI4eXpsT
Rosary Acres.....NOW OPEN
Get in early to get the pick!...opening at 8:30 am Saturday.
--
Friday, June 24, 2011
terrific advice courtesy of Walt
ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.
TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.
THREE. Don't believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.
FOUR. When you say, 'I love you,' mean it.
FIVE. When you say, 'I'm sorry,' look the person in the eye.
SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.
SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.
EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone's dreams. People who don't have dreams don't have much.
NINE... Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it's the only way to live life completely.
TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.
ELEVEN. Don't judge people by their relatives.
TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.
THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don't want to answer, smile and ask, 'Why do you want to know?'
FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
FIFTEEN. Say 'god bless you' when you hear someone sneeze.
SIXTEEN. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R's: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions..
EIGHTEEN. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
NINETEEN. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice
TWENTY-ONE. Spend some time alone.

Diana by Dmitri
Kid's Bike Rally tomorrow!!!
Get a helmet for kids 4-12 if with a bike and an adult.
50 available to the first eligible attendees..
1-3PM at the Ligonier Township Municipal Building.
More info to come on http://ligoniervalleytrail.blogspot.com/

Rose killed the blog
Chuck Wagon - click on image to make it larger

2011 Summer Theater Camp
EPA Briefs Homeowners Living Near Blown Out Gas Well
EPA officials sat down with Randy and Kay Morse at their home in LeRoy township with test results on their private water well. The Morses said the EPA's testing confirmed what they already knew: that high levels of sodium showed up in their well. The couple is still drinking bottled water as a precaution.
Watch the video at http://www.wnep.com/wnep-brad-

Bob Sanzi .....rest in peace, friend
Robert C. Sanzi
Latrobe
Robert C. Sanzi, 66, of Latrobe, passed away Thursday, June 23, 2011, in UPMC Presbyterian Hospital, Pittsburgh. He was born Oct. 7, 1944, in Latrobe, a son of Claire (Austraw) Sanzi, of Ligonier, and the late Adolph N. Sanzi. Prior to his retirement, Bob was employed by General Motors with 32 years of service and was a Vietnam veteran having served with the Army. He was a member of Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church in Latrobe, the Laurel Highlands Model Airplane Club, the Westmoreland Photographers and the Beanery Writing Group. He also loved to ride his motorcycle and was a lifelong model train enthusiast. In addition to his mother, he is survived by two daughters, Dawn Sanzi, of Sterling Heights, Mich., and Donna Suiter and her husband, Kelly, of Lenox, Mich.; two grandchildren, Riley and Josie Suiter; his loving companion of seven years, Nancy Beaufort; a brother, Mark Sanzi, of California; and numerous aunts, uncles and cousins. Friends will be received from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday and from noon until 1 p.m. Saturday in the HARTMAN-GRAZIANO FUNERAL HOME INC., 1500 Ligonier St., Latrobe. Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday in the funeral home chapel with the Trinity Lutheran pastors officiating. Interment will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, 331 Weldon St., Latrobe, PA 15650. Condolences can be sent to hartmangrazianofh<\@>comcast.net.
Sewickley Spa Event Friday July 1st
