Oct 11, 2002 22 min read

local stage

Reservations for the Thompson House Restaurant’s interactive Halloween Mystery Dinner Theatre, “The Vampire Game,” scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 31, should be made by calling 724-785-4744. The Thompson House Restaurant is located at 815 Water St., Brownsville.

Actors and Artists of Fayette County will present “If the Shoe Fits,” the second production in Scottdale Showtime’s Fall Family Showcase, on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 19-20, at Scottdale Showtime Theatre, 111 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale. “If the Shoe Fits” is a one-act adaptation of the classic Cinderella fairy tale, as told with a modern beat. For more information, call 724-887- 0887.

Uniontown Business and Professional Women’s Club will present a dinner theater at Becker’s Shadyside Restaurant, 998 N. Gallatin Ave. Extension, Uniontown, on Friday, Oct. 25. The cost is $40 per person. Stagecoach to the Stars will perform “Arsenic and Old Lace.” A Chinese auction will also be held. A cash bar will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. followed by dinner and the show. Dinner choices will include prime rib, chicken or orange roughy. For tickets, call 724-438-0310 or 724-438-3144.

Local children, who have dance experience, will have the opportunity to audition for roles in the State Theatre’s upcoming production of “The Nutcracker,” which is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 14. Auditions will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19, at the State Theatre, which is located on Main Street in Uniontown. Both boys and girls are needed to fill these roles. Children ages 9 to 13 will audition from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. This professional production will give local children the opportunity to perform with The International Ballet Theatre and artistic director Vladimir Shumeikin. For more information or to sign up for an audition, call the State Theatre at 724-43-1360.

music

Diane Bish, renowned organist and host of “The Joy of Music” television series, will perform on the two-manual, 22-rank Schantz pipe organ at St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Uniontown at 7 p.m. Tuesday. Tickets for the event are sold out.

The Fall Recital Series of Trinity Presbyterian Church, corner of Morgantown and West Fayette streets, Uniontown, will begin an organ recital by their organist and music director, Jason J. Keefer, at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25. Keefer will present a program featuring works by French and German masters ranging from the 17th through 20th centuries. Following the recital on Friday, Oct. 25, the public is invited to a reception in the chapel for a time of refreshment and fellowship. For more information, call 724-437-2709.

The Point Marion Lions Club will host a “Music Jamboree” fund-raising event at the skating rink in Point Marion every second Saturday of the month. The event will begin at 6 p.m. and will feature an open-stage portion from 6 to 7:30 p.m. A feature group or band will play from 7:45 to 8:45 p.m. These events will continue every second Saturday of the month through June 2003. Betty Jo and the Mountainairs from Orlando, W.Va., will sing a variety of country, gospel and traditional music on Saturday. There is a $2 donation at the door. The kitchen opens at 5:30 p.m. To participate in the open stage, book a band or perform in the feature portion, call 724-725-5737 or 1-304-599-0795.

The Greater Uniontown Chorale will open its 28th season at 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, in the sanctuary of Asbury United Methodist Church of Uniontown. The 40-member chorus, known locally as “the official musical voice of Uniontown,” will sing the stirring music of Howard Hanson’s “Song of Democracy” and “Requiem” by John Rutter. The first concert of the 2002-03 season will be a post-tour performance following a three-day tour to West Chester to sing in concert with the Chester County Choral Society. Tickets for the chorale’s fall concert will be available, beginning Monday, Oct. 14, at Window Designs by Lydia, Main Street, Uniontown; Judy’s Do Re Me Music Shop, 70 S. Beeson Blvd., Uniontown; Amend’s Jewelry in the Uniontown Mall and at the Atkins Music Store in Connellsville. Admission prices are $10 for adults and $7 for students. Tickets must be purchased in advance, and no tickets will be sold at the door. The doors of Asbury Church will open one hour before the performance. The chorale is offering four- and two-concert subscription packages with savings for both adults and students. Subscriptions may be purchased by calling Karen at 724-439-7518. Asbury United Methodist Church is located at the corner of South Beeson Avenue and Dunbar Street in Uniontown.

art

The Flatiron Building in Brownsville houses two museums. The Heritage Center tells the story of the two major eras of history relating to the making of America. The Westward Expansion (National Road era) and the Coal, Coke, River and Railroad (Industrial era) offer changing exhibits every two months. For more information, call 724-785-9331. The Frank L. Melega Art Museum located in the upper level of the historic Flatiron Building offers Melega’s original art of many mediums focusing on the industries of the area. Reproductions and limited-edition reproductions are available for sale in the gift shop.

A.G. Montessori Preschool and Kindergarten will hold an art auction fundraiser to benefit the educational program for children in the Uniontown area. It will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Becker’s Shadyside Inn. Marlin Art, New York-based company, will furnish exquisitely framed art in a variety of mediums – oil, watercolor, lithographs, etc. – and provide an auctioneer for the evening. Hot and cold hors d’oeuvres are available during the preview period and the auction. The event will also feature a variety of raffles and a Chinese auction.

Sylvia Vignali of Hopwood, Uniontown Art Club president, and Patty Clutter-Thorpe of Fairchance, recording secretary, have chosen 16 photographs to exhibit at the National City Bank in downtown Uniontown during bank hours in October. The photographs portray the essence of local landscapes and nature through their vision of composition, lighting and impact. Both women have taken classes from nationally known photographers Norm Schumm and Nancy Rotenberg at the Touchstone Center for the Arts. Vignali has focused her skills on the fine art of black and white photography for which she has won many awards. Clutter-Thorpe has exhibited photos at the Carnegie Museum Photography Section, Westmoreland Art Nationals and has won several best of show awards. She owns and operates a wedding photography business in Fairchance. A portion of all sales will benefit the Uniontown Art Club. For more information, call Vignali at 724-439-3880 or Clutter-Thorpe at 724-564-2019.

odds & ends

The book, “Point Marion … From the Beginning,” is currently for sale. The 490-page volume that includes the genealogy and history of the area begins with the Indians and ends with the year 1999. It details not only the borough of Point Marion, but also the surrounding area because Point Marion was once located within the boundaries of Springhill Township in the former state of Virginia. The book is available at The Book Store in the Cherry Tree Plaza, Smithfield Pharmacy in Smithfield, Kendall Floral, Clar-Mac Sales and the Point Marion Hardware in Point Marion, New Geneva Pottery in McClellandtown and Riverrun Books and Prints in Greensboro.

The third annual All-Community Skate Night, which will kick off the annual food drive to benefit the Fayette County Community Action Food Bank, will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday. The event will be held at Swaney’s Roller Rink, Route 857 South. Each guest is asked to bring a canned good item as their “ticket” to skate for the event. Canned good items can be purchased at the door for $1 to gain entrance. The event is sponsored by the dental practice of Cecchini & Cecchini. For the past two years, more than 100 people have attended each year to help Cecchini & Cecchini contribute to the Community Action Food Bank. For more information, contact Penny Whoolery, marketing coordinator, at 724-437-5010.

Diamond Jubilee celebration will conclude on Sunday, Oct. 20, at St. George Maronite Catholic Church, 6 Lebanon Terrace, Uniontown. A banquet will be held in the church social hall at 12:30 p.m. The honored guest will be the Most Rev. Stephen Hector Doueihi, Bishop of Eparchy of St. Maron.

Candlelight Ghost Tours of Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville will be held every Saturday and Sunday in October, starting this weekend and running through Oct. 31. The tours will be held from 6 to 11 p.m. on Saturdays and 6 to 10 p.m. on Sundays at the castle, which is located along Front Street in Brownsville. Everyone who visits the castle asks if it is haunted. Tour guides will share the investigation results from a para-normal research team, information gained by psychics, the castle staff and volunteers and the castle’s visitors. Charge for the castle tours is $6 for adults and $3 for children age 12 and under. For more information, call 724-785-6882.

Geezers’ Writing Workshops have been moved to Tuesdays from 6 to 8:30 p.m. The workshops are free, but individual tutoring sessions for writers may be arranged for other times at reasonable rates. These will also be held at Geezers’ Literary Book Shop, which is located on the third floor of the Thompson House in Brownsville. For more information, contact Dr. Fred Lapisardi at 724-785-9010 or e-mail Geezersbks@worldnet.att.net.

Deadlines for both high school and college divisions of the 64 Crayons Short-Play Writing Contest have been extended to Friday, Nov. 15. Teachers, gifted program coordinators, play directors or others involved with student groups interested in play writing, who have students interested in this project, should either call 724-785-9010, e-mail Geezersbks@worldnet.att.net, or write to 64 Crayons Short-Play Writing Contest, third floor of the Thompson House, 815 Water St., Brownsville, Pa. 15417 for contest rules, awards and performance information.

German Township Recreation Parks & Trails Commission invites the public to attend a dinner on Sunday, Oct. 20, to benefit the Browns Run Trail at Dolfi’s Restaurant banquet room on River Avenue in Masontown. Design plans will be on display, and an auction of items will be held. Appetizers will be served at 5:30 p.m. followed by a buffet dinner at 6:15 p.m. A donation of $30 per person is requested. Tickets are available by calling Martha Babic at 724-737-5130.

Touchstone Center for Crafts will host its annual buckwheat cake and pancake dinner from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20. The cost is $5 for adults and $4 for children under age 10. A “Hammer In” will be featured from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, with the members of the Pittsburgh Area Artists’ Blacksmith Association (PAABA) in the world-famous Hart-Moore Blacksmith Studio, which was built for Touchstone by the Eberly Foundation. John Steel of Freedom is president of the PAABA group. They will be making hasps, hinges and hooks for use on Touchstone buildings and for sale in the gallery. Touchstone is located on the Elliottsville Road, which is four miles from Route 40 East. Visitors are welcome to visit the forge and see the work done by these experienced blacksmiths. For more information, call 724-329-1370.

The 25th anniversary of the Progress Club’s annual Arts and Crafts Show will be held from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Point Marion Volunteer Fire Department hall at the corner of Water and Cheat streets in Point Marion. Crafts, lunch and baked goods will be available. A ticket will be given to each person as they enter, which is used for the hourly drawing for a craft donated by the exhibitors. Admission is free, and there is ample parking. The Progress Club is also raffling a hand-crafted light walnut mission-style shelves cabinet featuring glass doors. The $1 ticket may be purchased in advanced from a club member of at the lobby the day of the show. Table reservations are still being accepted. The event is open to the public. For further information, contact Diane at 724-725-5457 after 7 p.m.

The “Carpathian Cookery” cookbook, now in its 10th printing, is again available for sale. The 330-page cookbook now features a protective plastic cover and includes sections on Easter customs and recipes (and Christmas customs and recipes), traditional Rusyn foods and other ethnic dishes and many other recipes of St. John’s parishioners. Many paska and kolachi recipes, as well as meatless dishes and Lenten recipes, are included. The price of this cookbook is $13 plus $2 postage and handling. To order, send a check or money order to Ethnic Craft Club, St. John Byzantine Catholic Church, 185 E. Main St., Uniontown, Pa. 15401 or call 724-438-6027 for more information.

The Smock Heritage Museum is open every Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Oct. 31. The museum portrays life as it was in a typical coal-mining town during the Coal & Coke Era. Three rooms in a “Patch Company House” are open, and the tour takes visitors back in time to life during that era. “Cicconi Tavern” is on display where several meetings were held to organize the union along with information on Colonial Mines No. 1 and No. 2, photos, antiques, vintage clothing and a unique craft shop. The museum will open on weekdays by appointment. For more information, call 724-677-2528.

Penn State Fayette has announced the Fall 2002 Cultural Events Series. All events are open to the general public. The schedule is as follows: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 24, Eric Mintel Quartet in Swimmer Hall; 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 26, musicians Andes Manta in Swimmer Hall. For more information, call 724-430-4199.

The fall coffeehouse schedule at Penn State Fayette will be held from 7:30 to 10 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 16; Wednesday, Nov. 6; and Wednesday, Dec. 4, in the J.L. Williams Building Caf’. The audience can relax and enjoy some coffee and refreshments while listening to coffeehouse-style talent from Penn State Fayette faculty, staff and students. Penn State Fayette English professor Dr. Fred Adams serves as the coffeehouse emcee as he performs many favorites on his guitar. Each evening has a mix of poetry reading, singing, piano and jam sessions. Campus clubs and organizations sponsor the coffeehouses by providing coffee and refreshments for all in attendance. For more information, call 724-430-4199.

The State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown will celebrate the 80th anniversary of “The Grand Old Lady of Main Street.” Residents can support this historic landmark by sponsoring an 80th anniversary commemorative flag imprinted with their name, business name or organization’s name. The theatrically themed flags will be displayed on Main Street from mid-September until Thanksgiving. The cost is $45 to sponsor one side of the flag or $80 for both sides. For more information, call the State Theatre office Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 724-439-1360.

The Friends of the Brownsville Free Public Library are currently selling packets of note cards. A hand-drawn sketch of the library is displayed on the front, with the inside left blank. One packet includes 12 note cards for $5.

They can be purchased at the library or from any member of the organization. The organization is also conducting a membership drive. They meet the first Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. in the library.

For more information concerning the note cards of the “Friends,” contact Barry Blaine, librarian, at 724-785-7272.

Hoe-down round and square dancing, slow dancing, line dancing & clogging will be held on the following dates: 8 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, at the Arthurdale Center Hall in Arthurdale, W.Va.; 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Wharton Grange in Elliottsville; 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Ohiopyle Community Center in Ohiopyle. Donation is $4 per person, and children 12 and under will be admitted free. Music and figure calling will be provided by the Dave Dahl Trio.

The 21st annual Carpatho-Rusyn Celebration will take place from noon to 7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 27, at St. John the Baptist Byzantine Catholic Church, 185 E. Main St., Uniontown.

The event will feature ethnic foods, baked goods, crafts, dancers, folk displays, music, demonstrations, speakers, children’s activities and family fun. Admission is free.

For more information, call 724-438-6027 during the day or 724-437-2462 in the evenings.

Special dinner dance will be held on Wednesday, Oct. 23, at the Brownfield Community Center in Dawson. Lunch will be served at noon followed by round and square dancing from 1 to 3 p.m. The donation for lunch and the dance is $3 per person.

Music and figure calling will be provided by the Dave Dahl Trio. Call Linda Cottom at 724-529-7626 to make reservations three days prior to the event.

Great Bethel Baptist Church, 47 W. Fayette St., Uniontown, is gearing up for the collection week of Operation Christmas Child’s “Love in a Shoe Box” project. Great Bethel will serve as the collection center, and once again as a drop-off site for completed shoe boxes. OCC, run by international Christian and relief and evangelism organization Samaritan’s Purse, delivers show boxes filled with small gifts, toys and candy to suffering children all across the globe. Completed shoe boxes may be delivered to Great Bethel Baptist Church from Nov. 18-25 during the hours of 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. This year there are drop-off sites in Uniontown, Markleysburg, Amity, Connellsville, Everson, Normalville and Meyersdale. Call 1-800-397-9257 for more information.

The eighth annual Connellsville Youth River Trail Fall Foliage Ride will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20. Registration and packet pick up will begin at noon. Participants will have a chance to bike the Yough River Trail and enjoy a family picnic at 3 p.m. at Yough River Park. Entertainment will also be provided.

All children ages 12 and under are required by law to wear certified helmets when riding a bike. The signature of a parent of guardian is required for anyone under the age of 18 years old. All participants are request to sign the release form on the back of the brochure.

Proceeds will benefit Lion’s Square and the Yough River Trail Council. For more information, call 724-628-5500.

area

stage

The Apple Hill Playhouse in Delmont recently announced its 2002 summer schedule, which offers dramas as well as comedies. This season’s highlights include the male and female versions of “The Odd Couple,” “Fiddler on the Roof,” “Taffetas” and “Picnic.” Apple Hill Playhouse is a restored barn that has been converted to a 175-seat performance space. Dinner-theater packages are available with the nearby Lamplighter Restaurant.

Apple Hill is located about 30 miles east of Pittsburgh in Delmont. For more information, call 724-468-5050 or visit www.applehillplayhouse.org.

Premiere Entertainment will present the musical comedy “Radio Gals” on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 18-19, and Friday and Saturday, Oct. 25-26, at the Grand Theater, which is located at 207 Second St., Elizabeth. Curtain time is 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays with a 2 p.m. matinee on Saturday.

For reservations, call the theater at 412-384-0504. Reserved tickets are $13 for adults and $8 for children.

Tickets at the door are $15 for adults and $7.50 for children. For reservations, call 412-384-0504.

“Music America Loves,” a variety show to raise money for a home-delivered meals program operated by Diversified Health Services, will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, and 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19, at the Ringgold High School auditorium.

Tickets are $6 and can be purchased at the door. For more information, call 724-489-1110.

West Virginia Public Theatre will hold auditions for its upcoming production of “The Wizard of Oz” on Sunday, Oct. 27, at the Monongalia Art Center, 107 High St., Morgantown, W.Va. Adults and children are encouraged to audition. Those auditioning are asked to prepare 16 bars of an upbeat tempo or ballad song and bring a headshot and resume. Callbacks will also be held the same day for reading and dance. Auditions are by appointment only. For information and to schedule an audition, contact Marla Freeman at 304-598-0144.

music

The Voices of St. Vincent are currently holding auditions for all sections of the chorus. Rehearsals are every Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:45 p.m. in the St. Vincent Archabbey Basilica in Latrobe. Rehearsals are required. For additional information or to schedule an audition, call Joseph Bronder at 724-532-6600.

The Fabulous Hubcaps will perform on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Lakeview resort in Morgantown, W.Va.

The band performs hits from the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. Tickets are $20 each. Proceeds will benefit the Foundation of Mon General Hospital’s community scholarship fund. For more information, call 304-598-1337.

art

An exhibit entitled “Vistas of the Laurel Highlands” is offered at the Mountain View Inn in Greensburg. This exhibit is a result of collaborative work between the Westmoreland Photographers and Vance and Vicki Booher, owners of the Mountain View Inn.

The public is invited to view this permanent limited-edition collection of vistas from various locations in Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties. Featured will be Fallingwater, Cucumber Falls, Cedar Creek, Twin Lakes, St. Michael’s Church in Rector, Rolling Rock, Linn Run, Four-Mile Run, Ligonier, Sugarloaf, Barronvale Covered Bridge and more. The photographers of this collection are Anne Bernstein, Tracy Ekovich, Ann Hewitt, Shireleah Kujawa, Kern Little, Jim Miller, Lois Odendahl and Lorie Womack. Professional framer Cathy Hayden of the Nature Nook and Malloy’s Camercade assisted with the project. For information, contact Kujawa at 724-219-9355.

odds & ends

Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Schenley Park is staying open every Friday until 9 p.m. Visitors can enjoy an evening stroll through the entire conservatory, then sit and relax in the Palm Court where cappuccino, expresso and desserts will be available. Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardents, the 13-room Victorian glasshouse and gardens in Schenley Park, is open year-round Tuesday through Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Phipps is closed Mondays. Phipps admission rates are $6 for adults, $5 for seniors age 60 and older, $4 for students with ID and $3 for children ages 2 to 12. Children under 2 and Phipps members are admitted free.

For more information about the conservatory, call 412-622-6914 or visit online at www.phipps.conservatory.org.

The Old Petersburg-Addison Historical Society will sponsor guest speaker, Al Feldstein, who will present a slide presentation entitled, “Cumberland in the early 1900s,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Addison Methodist Church. The facility is handicapped accessible.

The annual Dollhouse and Miniature Show will be held on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 19-20, at the Mountain View Inn, Greensburg.

Now in its 24th year, the show has raised more than $200,000 for Westmoreland Regional Hospital, making it the more successful fund-raiser in the hospital’s history.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Satuday, Oct. 19, and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20. For more information, call Barbara Elster at 724-834-7196.

The Pennsylvania Arts & Crafts Christmas Festival will return Friday through Sunday, Oct. 18-20, and Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 26-27, to the Washington County Fairgrounds.

The event will feature more than 200 high-quality arts, crafts and food booths with vendors coming from 10 states. Festival hours are daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Admission cost is $5 for adults, $4.50 for senior citizens age 65 and older and $1 for children ages 6 to 12. Children under 6 years of age are admitted free. Additional discounts are available for groups of 20 or more.

For more information, call 724-863-4577, visit the Web site at www.familyfestivals.com or e-mail familyfestivals@hotmail.com.

Phantom Fright Nights will be held every Friday and Saturday night through Saturday, Oct. 19, at Kennywood Park.

The fun starts at 6 p.m. and lasts until midnight. Visitors can see the Terror Vision 3D maze, the Gothic House, Mortem Manor and the Scare Zone.

Visitors can even enjoy some of their favorite Kennywood rides – with a haunted twist of course.

Phantom Fright Nights is not recommended for children under the age of 13.

Tickets are $17.50 at Kennywood or buy them in advance at blockbuster and save $3.

For more information visit http://www.phantomfrightnights.com.

The Pittsburgh Zoo & PPA Aquarium has switched to its fall and winter hours of operation. The zoo will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily with admission gates closing at 4 p.m.

Carnegie Museum of Natural History will present a special exhibit, “Fascinating Fakes,” through Dec. 8 in the Hillman Hall of Minerals and Gems.

The exhibit showcases specimens that have been embellished to increase value, altered to look like a more valuable piece and examples of some specimens with questionable authenticity.

The exhibit is free with museum admission. “Fascinating Fakes” can be enjoyed Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Thursdays until 9 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m.

Admission is $8 for adults, $5 for senior citizens, $5 for children ages 3 to 18 and full-time students with ID.

The exhibit is free to children under age 3 and Carnegie members. For more information, call 412-622-3131 or visit the museum’s Web site at www.CarnegieMuseums.org/cmnh.

Two of Pittsburgh’s premier haunted houses, Terror by the Lake in North Park and Phantoms Phest ’02 (also known as Phantoms in the Park) in South Park, opened. Proceeds from both houses will benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Western Pennsylvania. The houses have raised more than $1 million for the Foundation since 1992.

Terror by the Lake, created and directed by SPFX “Benzy,” on Pearce Mill Road, North Park, is open through Nov. 2. It is closed on Mondays.

It is open from 7:30 to 10 p.m. weekdays and 7:30 to 11 p.m. weekends. The cost is $8 Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday and $10 on Friday and Saturday. For more information, call 724-934-HELL or visit www.terrorbythelake.com.

Phantoms Phest ’02, featuring carnival rides and games, is located at 100 Acre Drive, South Park. The house is open through Oct. 31. It is closed on Monday and Tuesday. It is open from 7 to 10 p.m. weekdays and 7 to 11 p.m. weekends. The cost is $9 per person, which includes rides.

The cost for games is extra. For more information, call 412-854-4156 or visit the Web site at www.phantomsinthepark.com.