Sunday, June 28, 2009

Positively PIttsburgh Live, Stuff to Do, Historic Sites

This show was recorded on 6-1-2009 as a series on Pittsburgh Stuff to Do, first in the series, Historic Sites. Archived version can be heard at:
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/18520


Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
"Take a Ride into the Past"
Open Daily through Labor Day
Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
1 Museum Road
Washington, PA 15301
Phone: (724) 228-9256
Fax Number: (724) 228-9675
http://www.pa-trolley.org
(you’re here, so, you knew that!)


* Pennsylvania Trolley Museum - ptm@pa-trolley.org

Pennsylvania Trolley Museum Mission Statement

The mission of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum is to communicate the story of Pennsylvania's Trolley Era to a diverse audience through the preservation, interpretation, and use of its collection of electric railway and railroad equipment, associated artifacts and photo/document archives, and to ensure that its visitors have an enjoyable and rewarding educational experience.
History of the Pennsylvania Trolley Museum
The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum started out as the dream of a few people in the early 1940s when streetcars began to be replaced by buses and automobiles. The Museum has evolved over the past 50 years from a handful of volunteers and a few trolleys to approximately 600 members and 50 railway vehicles preserved at its museum in Washington, PA. It is unique in that visitors actually experience the Trolley Era first-hand by riding the Museum's beautifully restored streetcars for a scenic four-mile ride into the past.

The Museum’s beginnings go back to 1946 when the Pittsburgh Electric Railway Club was organized. Between 1949 and 1953 three cars were acquired for the collection and the group searched for a suitable location to preserve and operate them. In late 1953 the group formally organized as a nonprofit corporation and purchased a 2,000-foot section of the Pittsburgh Railways Company's Washington interurban trolley line near Washington's County Home in Chartiers Township. On February 7, 1954 these three cars were moved under their own power from Pittsburgh to the Museum's new home. During the next nine years museum volunteers constructed storage tracks and a carbarn to protect the trolley cars, and set up a diesel generator to provide the 600 volts DC power necessary to operate the cars. Its corporate name became Pennsylvania Railway Museum Association, Inc. to reflect its being a museum.

The Museum opened to the public in June of 1963 using the trade name Arden Trolley Museum (named for nearby village), and provided visitors with short demonstration trolley rides plus an informal tour of the carbarn. Two years later an eighty-foot 1923 railroad baggage/passenger car was acquired and turned into a gift shop/museum area. A restoration shop was built in 1975 to provide additional indoor storage for the trolley collection and an area for trolley car restoration, and in 1988 a restoration parts storeroom was added to the building. The Museum's Visitor Education Center was added and opened to the public in November 1993. It allows the public to begin their visit in a pleasant, climate-controlled area housing exhibits, restrooms, a theater and a gift shop. Between 1979 and 1995 the Museum's volunteers extended its operating trolley line up the scenic Arden Valley along the right of way of an abandoned coal mine railroad spur. The Museum completed this one-mile segment of track with the opening of a trolley turning loop in August of 1995. During 1998 the Museum's trolley display car house was completely renovated to provide an improved display area for its streetcars based upon recommendations from an IMLS Conservation Assessment Program report done a few years earlier.


Woodville Plantation | 1375 Washington Pike, Bridgeville, PA 15017-2821 | 412-221-0348

Woodville, locally known as the Neville House, is the oldest house museum open for tours in Allegheny County and is one of only 10 National Historic Landmarks in the County.

The house was built in 1775 by John Neville for his son Presley, and was originally part of a 10,000 acre estate that covered much of the area in the South Hills that today includes Scott Twp. , Mt Lebanon, Carnegie, Heidlberg, Collier Twp, and Bridgeville. (Only 2 1/2 acres are preserved of that original property)

John and Presley Neville were the wealthiest men in Western Pa in the 1780's and 1790's. In addition to Woodville, John Neville owned a country house on the property known as Bower Hill ( originally located about 3/4 mile away from Woodville) This house was burned by local farmers in July of 1794 during the "Whiskey Rebellion"

Both John and Presley Neville owned town houses Pittsburgh as well. John Neville built his third and final resdence on Montours Island (Neville Island) in 1799 following the burning of his Bower Hill house.

Woodville was occupied by three families in 200 years- Neville (1775-1815) , Cowan (1815-1835), and Wrenshall (1835-1975)

Woodville is interpreted through a Multigenerational Interpretation - presenting the house as it would have been seen from 1780-1820 and all of the architectural changes that occured throughout that period. As you tour the house, visitors will "travel through time" via interpreters and historic furnishings.

Woodville is owned and administered by the Neville House Associates (NHA). The NHA , along with Pittsburgh History and Landmarks (PHLF), saved the house from sale and demolition in 1975 following the death of the last owner of the house. PHLF owned the site from 1975-2007. During that time the programming and administration of the site was handled by the NHA. In 2007, the NHA took ownership of the site.

The NHA and Woodville are run entirely by volunteers.

The Colonial Dames of America, Western PA chapter, assist the NHA in aquisitions of historic furnishings and decorative arts matters. They have been involved with the site since 1975.

Woodville is Western PA's link to the late 18th century, promoting the history of the Federal Period of American History. This period (1780-1825) coincides with Pittsburgh's largest incremental period of population growth. Pittsburgh's population in 1790 was 390 people. This figure grows to 12,500 by 1830.

The NHA is also committed to presenting the history of the Whiskey Rebellion. (1791-1795)

Woodville presents over 2 dozen historic programs each year- including 18th century cooking demos, 18th century laundry demos, palnting and growing a garden using only period correct species of plants, raising an 18th century flock of poultry (Dominique Chickens), and recreating the regiment of soldiers that helped defend Bower Hill during the WHiskey Rebellion - Waynes Fourth SubLegion.

Also visit the website http://www.woodvilleplantation.org for additional material.
Allegheny Portage Railroad NHS
110 Federal Park Road
Gallitzin, PA 16641
(814) 886-6150

Megan O’ Malley
megan_omalley@nps.gov


Talking Points –

Yesterday, May 31st was the 120th anniversary of the Johnstown Flood. We held a number of special programs and events, most notably the lighting of 2,209 luminaria to commemorate the flood victims.

This weekend marks the beginning of summer programs at Johnstown Flood NM. Starting June 7 and continuing through Aug 22, the program Journey Around Lake Conemaugh will be offered daily at 10 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM. This free van tour takes visitors around the ruins of the South Fork Dam and the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.

Summer programming has started at Allegheny Portage Railroad. Daily demonstrations of log hewing and stone cutting are offered daily. Tours of the historic Lemon House, an historic tavern along the route of the portage railroad are also available daily.

June 13 is the start of the program Evening on the Summit at Allegheny Portage Railroad. Programs are $2 and include theater productions, music and special historic presentations.
Johnstown Flood National Memorial
Johnstown Flood of 1889
There was no larger news story in the latter nineteenth century after the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The story of the Johnstown Flood has everything to interest the modern mind: a wealthy resort, an intense storm, an unfortunate failure of a dam, the destruction of a working class city, and an inspiring relief effort.
Special Events
Every year, the luminaria serves as a moving tribute to the victims of the flood. More than 2,209 candles are lit on the ruins of the South Fork Dam and on the farm of Elias Unger, president of the South Fork Fishing and Hunting Club.
Trails
The Johnstown Flood National Memorial has two trails that lead out to the remains of the South Fork Dam. One of the two trails takes you into the lakebed and down into the old remnants of the dam. There is an interpretive trail that points out various cultural resources and acts as a guide book and Junior Ranger Program for children visiting the park.
What To See
The Johnstown Flood National Memorial has many cultural resources within its boundary. The historic South Fork Fishing and Hunting Clubhouse, and cottages line Main Street in St. Michael, PA. The remnants of the South Fork Dam and the restored Unger House all are important in the story of the Great Johnstown Flood of 1889. The park has a visitor center and a wonderful film entitled “Black Friday”.

Journey Around Lake Conemaugh - Travel through the Allegheny Mountains on a journey back to 1889 and the Great Johnstown Flood. This van tour begins at Johnstown Flood National Memorial and includes the Clubhouse of the South Fork Fishing & Hunting Club and the ruins of the South Fork Dam.
Tour is offered daily at 10 AM, 1 PM and 3 PM from June 7 to August 22.

Johnstown Flood National Memorial
733 Lake Road
South Fork, PA 15956
814-495-4643
http://www.nps.gov/jofl
The Allegheny Portage Railroad
The Allegheny Portage Railroad was a great achievement in early travel. Charles Dickens, Jenny Linn, and Ulysses S. Grant traveled over the Allegheny Mountains. They braved a system that injured passengers on a weekly basis. A system of inclined planes and a nine hundred foot tunnel carved through solid rock by Welsh coalminers made this feat possible. For twenty years, it was the fastest way to transgress the rough and wild terrain of Pennsylvania.

Special Events
The Allegheny Portage Railroad offers many special events and tours. Come join us on a Ghost Tour of Staple Bend Tunnel. Sit down under the evening sky and take part in our Evening on the Summit Series. Watch park rangers cut stone and hew logs just as they did in the early 1800’s.

Trails
The Allegheny Portage Railroad has many trails and places to explore. Bring your bike and ride the 2.5-mile trail back to the historic Staple Bend Tunnel. Hike the old trace of the level sections of incline planes 10 through 6. Take a stroll down to the Skew Arch Bridge or relax and walk the Nature Trail.


Fort Necessity and Albert Gallatin’s Home
Mary Ellen Snyder
Acting Site Manager
Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Services
Fort Necessity National Battlefield
Friendship Hill National Historic Site
One Washington Parkway
Farmington, PA 15437
724-329-8131
MaryEllen Snyder is currently serving as the Acting Site Manager at Fort Necessity National Battlefield and Friendship Hill National Historical Site. She has been working in this position since November 2008. In this position she supervises 21 staff and manages both parks, with an annual visitation of over 125,000 visitors and 1500 acres. Her previous position was Chief of Interpretation and Visitor Service at both parks and had been in this position since July 2000.
The Gallatin House is open daily 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM; the park grounds are open from sunrise to sunset.
The park’s ten miles of hiking trails offer woods, meadows and undeveloped river front environments to explore. The graves of Sophia Allegre (Gallatin’s first wife) and Thomas Clare (Gallatin’s friend & neighbor) are located along the trails. Trail maps are available at the Visitor Center. Sturdy, comfortable shoes are highly recommended. A picnic area is also available during regular hours of operation.
Friendship Hill is located in southwestern Pennsylvania, mid-way between Uniontown, PA and Morgantown, WV on State Route 166, three miles north of Point Marion, PA. For more information call 724-725-9190 or write Friendship Hill NHS, 223 New Geneva Road, Point Marion, PA 15474.

AugustFort Area
SOLDIER LIFE PROGRAM
Daily: 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m.
Join costumed park staff as they present the story of Fort Necessity from a soldier’s prospective. When staffing permits, an historic musket demonstration will follow the Soldier Life program
ARTILLERY DEMONSTRATION
Saturday: 11:30 a.m., 1:30 & 3:30 p.m.
Following the Soldier Life program, the soldiers will demonstrate the use of swivel guns Washington brought on his campaign, anticipating an assault on the French Fort Duquesne.
FUR TRADE STATION
Wed-Sat: 1:00 p.m. thru 3:30 p.m.
Meet a coureur de bois (French Canadian trapper) or trading partner to learn about the trade between European and American Indian cultures and the economic factors that led to conflict.

Positively Pittsburgh Live Women's Sports Teams

This show was originally broadcast on 9-29-08 and I was not regularly blogging the show notes, thought that I would do that now as I prepared to do an annual show on Women's Sports Teams in August. You can listen to the archived show at: http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/18520

Three Rivers’ Masters Women’s Rowing

Five years ago…Wendy joined the Three Rivers’ Masters Women’s Rowing team and has been rowing competitively since.
The current team includes about 40 women and two dedicated coaches.
Rowers’ ages run from recent college graduates through to women in their 50s.
The team practices in the early morning three days a week on the Allegheny River and competes in various regattas throughout the Northeast.
Personal
• How did you get involved with rowing?
• What attracted you to the sport?
• What do you find challenging about it?
Team
• Where and when do you practice?
• Is this a sport that anyone can learn?
• What is a typical practice like?
Sport
• People who watch rowing generally notice what a beautiful sport it is. What is the experience like inside the boat?
• People often get confused about some of the vocabulary of the sport. Rowing and Sculling and Crew. Can you explain that.
• Who is the person that is facing the rowers in the boat and what is that person doing in the boat? (Coxswain—pronounced Cox-In or just Cox.)
• What does it mean to be a Masters team?
• Where do you compete?
Women's Sport
• What makes this sport particularly attractive to women girls?

Club
• How long has the Three Rivers Rowing Association been around?
• Can anyone join?
• What makes Three Rivers Rowing so special?
• Where is located?
City
• Pittsburgh just hosted the Head of the Ohio racing regatta
• What makes Pittsburgh a good place for rowing and racing?


Pittsburgh Passion
Theresa Kahn: the owner and CEO of the Pittsburgh Passion a women's full contact football team. I was a high school health and physical education teacher and coach for 16 years. I purchased the team in 2004, however , I had joined the team as a player in 2002.

I am very faith driven and have always felt that teaching life lessons through sport was a calling for me. I believe that the same qualities such as honesty, loyalty, hard work, sacrifice, integrity, and trust and all the same qualities that make a successful team of any type. A team as a "family", "corporation", "sports team" or friendship. Any successful team has the same basic ingredients and we have a chance to practice and develop those qualities every time we step on that field. If you blame, divide, and quit, you will fail. If you inspire, unite, and stick together through the challenging moments, you will succeed.

Since our team started 6 years ago, we have been featured on ESPN's top 10 Sports Center , appeared in Sports Illustrated, had a documentary film produced, been undefeated world champions, been the first women's football team in the country to sign TV deals inducted into the Heinz History Center, we are pioneering the sport leading in attendance, marketing, and community involvement. We have been fortunate to have
Franco Harris support our team in every way and the city of Pittsburgh has embraced us.

Pittsburgh Passion, Independent Women’s Football League

Southside 86
Last Year’s Success
Trying Out for the Team
What do you look for in a player?
Rising Stars this year?


Pittsburgh Banshees Women’s Gaelic Football Club
Bridgette G. Kennedy
(412) 983-0932 BridgetteGKennedy@yahoo.com


Here is a brief overview about the Pittsburgh Banshees Ladies Gaelic Football Club:

We started in 2002 and played our first season in the summer of 2003. We have had incredibly dedicated people support our teams with coaching, funding, etc.

The game is most similar to soccer, and I think it is best described as soccer with your hands. A player can pick up a ball, catch a ball, and move the ball by kicking it or passing it out of her hands. You can score by kicking it or punching it into the net for 3 points, or you can score by kicking it or hitting it between the field goal posts for 1 point. We have 13 women who play per side during the game, which makes a total of 26 players on the field. The regulation field is larger than a soccer field (I'm not sure of the exact dimensions), but usually we play on soccer fields.

It is a summer sport. We have players who are upperclassmen in high school as well as women who are in their 40s. We play in the Mid-West Division, and our competition is Cleveland and Detroit. We also play friendly games against D.C. and Philadelphia.

Each year there is a national tournament, and the Banshees have been invited to play at the national level four times: 2004 (Denver), 2005 (Philadelphia), 2007(Chicago), and 2008 (Boston). The tournament is over Labor Day weekend, it's single elimination, and if a team is lucky they get to play a few games. This year we went the farthest our team has ever gone -- the semi-finals -- where we lost to Chicago, which was the team that went on to win the tournament.

I have been with the team since the first season, and my sister and cousin also play. Our dad played in the 1970s. Pittsburgh also has a men's team, the Pittsburgh Celtics. My brother plays for the Celtics.

Our web site is http://www.pittsburghbanshees.com .


Steel City Derby Demons
As far as I go. My name is derby name Mel Practice, my real name is Danielle but I rarely even go by that any more even in day to day life so you can just call me Mel. I am a mother of a beautiful 10 yr old girl Lydia. I work as a party clown doing balloon animals and face painting and such. I also work a couple days a week at bar as a rollerskating shot girl, I rollerskate around the club with a ray of jello shots. I've been playing roller derby for almost 3 years now since the league started. The position I play is Jammer, I block sometimes as well, but I mostly Jam. I've been lucky as far as injuries go, no surgeries or broken bones yet. I've had a few concussions, I was knocked out, a black eye, bruised tailbone and of course random bumps and bruises. You can see some of the ladies injuries here if your curious, its a rough sport. http://www.steelcityderbydemons.com/scars.htm

Right now or local season just ended and or travel season will start in novemeber. our travel team the steel hurtin will play harrisburg on November 22nd. In the meantime we have a public scrimmage open to the public on Oct 2nd. the public scrimmage is basically an open practice fans can come to. During this we have gals from all the teams but we split into fun teams just for the scrimmage and we have an announcer and the whole deal, its like a real bout but with silly fake teams. for instance this one the first period with be the glamazons (tall girls) vs the low riders(short girls) and the second period will be the kittens (gals under 30) vs the cougars (gals over 30). We have these so people can get an idea of the game, come see a practice, and its something for the fans to come to between the real bouts who can't get enough roller derby. It's a lot of fun.
http://www.harrisburgarearollerderby.com/

here's a youtube rules demo, this is helpful to watch
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_T8izdlc-dY

Here are some things to look over on our website.
http://www.steelcityderbydemons.com


Pittsburgh Panther’s Women Basketball

Yolett McPhee-McCuin. I am the assistant Basketball coach at Pitt and I will be participating in your talk show tonight. Coach Berenato wanted me to –email you some questions that I would like to be asked so here it goes:
Let’s talk about last year’s success with Sweet 16

1. Who will be your GO TO player this year?
2. With so much success from last year, what are you guys looking forward to achieve with this years team?
3. What is your pre-season schedule looking like for this season?
4. I heard your program has a great deal going with Season tickets?
Hope this is ok. Please let me know if you got this!
Coach Yo
Assistant Women's Basketball Coach
PITT Women's Basketball
412-648-1826 (o)
412-496-6542 (c)
412-648-9152 (f)

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Positively Pittsburgh Live Perks

Positively Pittsburgh Live™ Perks
These great perks are culled from the guests of PositivelyPittsburghLive™ Guests. The show airs on the Talk Shoe network at 7 PM EST every Monday.
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/18520



Thought about attending the Entrepreneur’s Growth Conference but thought it was too much money since you haven’t registered yet.

Two days left to register and get a great rate. This is the rate for Positively Pittsburgh Live, if you cannot use the website for some reason just call in with a credit card and use the code below or mention Positively Pittsburgh Live.

www.egc.duq.edu is the website. The promo code is EGCDU09 . They need to click on the $139 Full-day option to register and it will ask them the promo code and give them the discounted price of $99.
Christine Hughes
Duquesne University Chrysler Corporation
Duquesne University SBDC
600 Forbes Ave.
108 Rockwell Hall
Pittsburgh, PA 15282
412-396-1631
This may be the best thing you do for your business this year.

Looking for a week-end trip and don’t want to drive?
You can go to DC, Harrisburg or New York City on the Steel City Flier, a luxury tour bus. They are all a deal for one day trips, sleep on the bus and spend the day, return that night for $99.00. Mention the Techno Granny or Positively Pittsburgh Live and go for half price.
George Solomon Teagarden DeBolt
Steel City Flyer
P.O. Box 335
Homestead, PA 15120
412-461-9132 http://www.steelcityflyer.com

Not sure about how to price your product or service in a down economy.
JoAnn Forrester of SI Business Associates and developer of Price It Perfect™ Cost Analysis and Control Program is offering 1 hour of complementary pricing consultation to anyone who mentions Techno Granny or Positively Pittsburgh Live.

Looking for Affordable Family Summer Fun?
Also Area National Parks have a $15.00 pass that you can use at any park in the system for the entire summer, this includes places like Fort Necessity, Allegheny Portage Railroad, Johnstown National Flood Memorial, Friendship Hill which are all in our area and doing great things this summer.
ENTRANCE FEES

SW Pennsylvania park pass
$15 - 12 Months
Details - Allows entry to Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Johnstown Flood National Memorial, Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site for pass owner(s) and 3 adults, not to exceed 4 adults. Two shared owners allowed. Good for 12 months from date of purchase.
Listening to Positively Pittsburgh Live Talkcast on Mondays at 7 PM or archived on your computer while you work can now save you money along with give you great positive news about Pittsburgh.
For the month of June we are talking about Stuff to Do in Pittsburgh, last week, Pittsburgh Historic Sites, this week Family Fun Guests.
Listen at:
http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/tscmd/tc/18520

Post Your Own News

Also you can post your news and deals at: Positive Pittsburghers™, a social networking site which is part of the PPL Alliance™. Just set up your own page at http://www.pospittlive.ning.com and do a little shameless self promotion of yourself and of course Pittsburgh. Just remember we monitor the site so Positive News Only.

Publish Your Events

You can also post your events non-profit or for-profit on the calendar at:
http://www.positivelypittsburghlivemagazine.com
While you are there you can check out all four of Techno Granny’s shows and also other internet radio and TV shows inside this multi media on line community magazine.