Future events
local Mon Valley Performing Arts Academy, formerly the CalRep Pennsylvania Summer Theatre School, will accept applications for enrollment in summer theater school, beginning July 17 and ending July 28. Students ages 8 through 17 will attend classes and rehearse the musical to be performed on the evening of July 28. Call 724-938-4220 for information and an application.
“Once Upon a Mattress” will be presented June 15-18 at Scottdale Showtime Inc. and the Geyer Performing Arts Center. This play was written and composed in 1959. Its Broadway debut is the vehicle that catapulted Carol Burnett, as Winifred, to star status.
Flatwoods Productions announced the shows it will be presenting as part of its spring season. All shows will be performed in the Curfew Grange, which is located at the corner of Route 201 south and Buena Vista Road across from the cemetery. The shows will be performed three times, two evenings at 8 p.m. with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. Dinner is available for an extra charge with the Saturday evening shows. Dinner theater requires reservations. Group rates also are available. “The Secret Garden” is scheduled for May 26-28. Disney’s “Aladdin Jr.” has been rescheduled for 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 23-24, and 2 p.m. Sunday, June 25. Tickets are available at the door for all performances. Call 724-785-6896 or visit the Web site at www.fptheater.com.
Scottdale Showtime Inc. and the Geyer Performing Arts Center announce a second round of auditions for “Once Upon A Mattress.” This production scheduled for June 15-18 is under the direction of Christina Maroney. Auditions for the chorus are scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday and 6:30 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Geyer Performing Arts Center, 111 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale. Anyone age 14 and over is encouraged to audition. Come prepared to sing, but bring no more than two pages of music for the audition.
Flatwoods Productions is seeking men and women ages 14 through adult to help backstage for its upcoming production of “The Secret Garden” and several summer projects as well. Needed are carpenters, painters, property people, people who can sew to help create costumes, concession workers and people to run lights and spotlights. All interested people are asked to call 724-785-6896 as soon as possible.Point Marion Lions Club announced that no country music shows will be held until further notice. The club is closed for utility renovations.
The Greater Uniontown Chorale will perform a concert at 7 p.m. Monday at the Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale. The theater was formerly called Scottdale Showtime. The program is called “Reflections of Andrew Lloyd Webber” and features highlights from Webber’s many Broadway musicals. The audience will hear selections from shows like “Phantom of the Opera,” “Cats,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” “Whistle Down the Wind” and “Evita” as well as “Pie Jesu” from the composition “Requiem” and “Friends for Life” composed by Webber for the 1992 Olympic Games. Soloists will be Lucia Kovell, Judy Pupek, Nancy Kalesky, Mary Meeder, Dick McCoy, Don Leaphart, Dave Brady Jr. and Paul Hartsek. Warren Shirer is director of the chorale. Joanna Ball is the keyboard accompanist. Tickets will be available at the door on the night of the concert.
The second annual Fayette County Jazz Festival will be held Saturday, May 20, at the Woodland Zoo’s Herald-Standard Pavilion, located on Route 40 about 10 miles east of Uniontown. The festival will run from 1 to 9 p.m. The lineup features Quiet Storm from 1 to 1:45 p.m., Albert Gallatin High School Jazz Band from 2 to 3 p.m., Kendall Brothers Jazz Jam from 3:15 to 4:14 p.m., Kenny Blake from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m., Roger Humphries from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m., Lilly Abrue and her Brazilian Jazz Trio from 7 to 7:45 p.m. and Harold Betters from 8 to 9 p.m. Tickets are available in advance and at the door. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life program. For more information, call the Woodland Zoo at 724-329-1776 or the Herald-Standard at 724-439-7569.
Ohiopyle Bluegrass will be held at the Ohiopyle Community Center on Saturday, June 3. The doors open at 5 p.m. Music will play from 6 to 10 p.m. Local and regional bluegrass bands will perform on stage in 30-minute intervals. Seating will be provided. Food and drinks will be for sale. No alcohol or smoking will be permitted. A 50/50 drawing will be held. Jamming rooms will be available for pickers to play off stage. Ohiopyle is located on Route 381 across from the falls. For more information, call Bill Springer at 724-455-3919.Laurel Art Club announces the opening of its Connellsville Bicentennial Art Show at Crawford Center, 139 W. Crawford Ave., Connellsville. The show will continue in May. Hours are noon to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday. For evening or weekend hours, call 724-628-9543.
The annual CUP Congressional High School 2-D Art Competition and Exhibition will be on display through May 24 at the California University of Pennsylvania’s Gallery of Fine Arts, located on the third floor of the Manderino Library. The public is invited to attend. Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday and Wednesday, 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and 2 to 6 p.m. Sunday. The gallery is closed Friday. For information, contact gallery director Maggy Aston at Aston@cup.edu.
Uniontown Art Club is sponsoring a juried art competition, which opened recently at the Grindle Train Station, the historic train station next to Rotelli’s Restaurant. The train station is located at the corner of Pittsburgh and Penn streets. The competition is featuring works by regional artists of Western Pennsylvania. The juror is David Ludwick, art professor at Butler County Community College in Butler. The show will be open free to the public from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day until the closing on Friday, May 19. There is ample parking available both in front of and in back of the building. Uniontown Art Club is offering regional artists an opportunity to show their diverse talent to the people in southwestern Pennsylvania. All art works will be for sale.
The Frank L. Melega Art Museum in Brownsville announces photographer Daniel R. Salitrik as the 2006 Artist of the Pike. A “meet the artist” reception will take place from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 20, during the National Road Festival. The public is invited. A free lecture by Salitrik titled “Techniques of Digital Photography” will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday. The exhibition also is open from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 21. The museum is located on the second floor of the Flatiron Building, 69 Market St., Brownsville. For more information about the museum, upcoming events, hours of operation for the Flatiron Heritage Center, call 724-785-9331.
The Albert Gallatin Area Senior High School Art Club and classes are having their annual exhibition at the National City Bank in downtown Uniontown during May. The works are displayed in the front showcase near the Main Street entrance of the bank’s arcade. The exhibit can be viewed during bank hours from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. weekdays. Call 724-564-2024, extension 1128.2006 Fayette County Independence Day Celebration and Cook-off will be held on Sunday, July 2, on the grounds of the Uniontown Mall. To become a sponsor, call the Fayette Chamber of Commerce.
The seventh annual Hopwood Village Parade celebrating the National Road Festival will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, May 20. The parade will begin at the National City Bank and proceed on Route 40 to the Bennington Road intersection. An old-time doubleheader baseball game will be held at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 21, at the ball field at South Union Township Recreational Park in Hutchinson. The Laurel Highlands Senior High School Jazz Band will entertain between games, and refreshments will be available.
The annual Pike Days Craft Show will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, May 19-20, at Granny’s Treasures. Locally made crafts and food will be available. For more information, call 724-438-4438.
The Laurel Art Club will host author Seane O’Hanlon Lincoln who will speak on her latest book, “County Chronicles II,” which will be for sale and signing. The event will take place 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at 139 W. Crawford Ave., Connellsville, during the Geranium Festival. Helen Alt, cover artist, will be there with her cover prints for sale and signing.
Corvettes and Jaguars at Linden Hall, the 13th annual participant-judged show, will be held on the grounds of Linden Hall Resort in Dawson on June 4. Show registration will be held between 10 a.m. and noon. A registration fee will be collected at the gate for all show cars. Dash plaques will be awarded to the first 100 cars registered. Awards will be presented to 40 “best of the decade” winners. A salute to all Corvette and Jaguar convertible models will be the shown there. Food, drinks and live band entertainment will be available. Fayette Friends of Animals is asking for Purina puppy and kitten food donations at the event. Show sponsors are the Laurel Valley Corvette Club of Uniontown and the Jaguar Club of Pittsburgh.
Parts and craft vendors are needed for the Phantom Cruisers’ third annual car show and swap meet at the Fayette County Fairgrounds, which will be held on Sunday, July 16. For more information, call 724-785-3503 or 724-437-7296.
Hopwood Garden Club will be selling perennial plants on Saturday, May 20, as part of the National Road Festival. Included in the sale this year are houseplants, container gardens, baskets, decorative items, plant containers and other items of interest to gardeners. The sale will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Four Star Pizza parking lot.
The annual Strawberry Festival will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at Third Presbyterian Church, located at Craig Meadows, 425 Union St., Uniontown. Participants can enjoy shortcake, ice cream, strawberries and a beverage for a cost. Sloppy Joes and hot dogs also will be on sale. Other activities include a Boy Scout display, crafts and a visit with Smokey the Bear. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased by calling the church office at 724-438-2529. Tickets also will be sold at the door, but advance purchases help to ensure that there will be more than enough food for everyone.
Ballet Lafayette will hold auditions from 6 to 9 p.m. May 30 for its summer performance titled “Dancing Under the Stars.” The performance will be held Aug. 5 in conjunction with a fund-raiser for Ballet Lafayette. The audition is open to advanced dancers who have training in jazz, modern or classical ballet. Those interested in auditioning should arrive at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in downtown Uniontown at 6 p.m. Dancers experienced in Pointe are asked to bring their shoes with them. For more information, call Kelly Jenkins at 724-437-8653.
Ex-PAWS-ition will be held from noon to 5 p.m. June 25 at the Christian W. Klay Winery in Chalk Hill. The event offers a wide range of activities for pets and their owners. Proceeds benefit Fayette Friends of Animals. For more information, contact Christian W. Klay Winery at 724-439-3424.
Vette Together 2006 will take place from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 24, at Speedy Meedy’s, Route 119, across from the Fayette County Fairgrounds. Registration will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. Call 724-592-6969, 724-966-8653, 724-852-2074 or 724-438-8943 for information.
Vendors are needed for the historic Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville during the National Road Festival, which will take place May 19-21. For more information, call 724-785-6882.
The CROP Walk Rally is scheduled for May 21. It will begin at the German-Masontown Park and will take two different directions – one will be a two-mile walk and the other will be a six-mile walk. Walkers are invited to participate at the level that best suits them. The purpose of the CROP Walk is to raise awareness about the problem of hunger both locally and globally. Twenty-five percent of the money raised will go to food pantries in Masontown and McClellandtown that help to feed needy residents. The other 75 percent will go to Church World Service to help assist people in war-torn areas of the world, such as Sudan, Africa; Third World countries that exist in sub-poverty conditions all the time, and in times of disaster such as the tsunami that affected Asia last year. Sponsor forms can be obtained at area churches or by calling the walk coordinator, the Rev. Bob Lewis, at 724-583-9207.
A car cruise will be held from noon to 4 p.m. May 20 in conjunction with the National Road Festival. The Uniontown Downtown Business District Authority will sponsor the event. Food and drinks will be available for purchase. D.J. Arnie Amber will spin tunes. The event will feature a Chinese auction and a 50/50 drawing. A small registration fee will be required. Car clubs willing to participate are asked to call Judy Vrabel at the Downtown Business District Authority at 724-430-2926.
St. Therese Church Cookbook with familiar and traditional recipes “like Grandma used to make” is now available for sale. To place an order or for more information, call St. Therese Faith Formation Center at 724-437-1957 or Linda at 724-439-4036.
Curfew Recreation Center will open for the summer season on Memorial Day weekend. Pavilion reservations may be made by calling 724-529-0318 or 724-736-2805. New playground equipment has been installed.
The “Carpathian Cookery” cookbook, now in its 11th printing, is again available for sale. There is a cost for the cookbook. To order, send a check or money order to the Ethnic Craft Club, St. John Byzantine Catholic Church, 185 E. Main St., Uniontown, Pa. 15401, or call 724-438-6027 for more information.
Connellsville Bicentennial in 2006 has various events scheduled and more in the works. Sprinkled throughout the year are black history events, a grand bicentennial parade, Geranium Festival and the Glenn Miller Orchestra. Other events include local bands, sporting events, reunions, church tours, food booths, carnivals and children’s events. Interested residents can make contributions to the CFFC or Community Foundation of Fayette County. Indicate on the check that the money is for the Connellsville Bicentennial Fund and mail it to Bicentennial Committee, P.O. Box 698, Connellsville, Pa. 15425.
Classes soon will be starting at The Geyer Performing Arts Center in Scottdale for those interested in performance-related topics. Some of the courses being offered include acting, vocals, songwriting, guitar and set design. The six-week courses are arranged by age from 8 to adult. The rates are reasonable. The instructors include Josh Garsteck and Matt Starry. Classes begin on Monday, and enrollment is limited in some classes. Call 724-887-0887 or stop by The Geyer Performing Arts Center at 111 Pittsburgh St., Scottdale, for more information.
Geezers’ Book Shop, now operating as 64 Crayons at Jozart Studios, has resumed Tuesday writing workshops from 7:30 to 10 p.m. at 333 Second St., California, located above the Dollar General store. Instead of concentrating on a single genre as in past years, the current group agreed that fiction, creative, non-fiction, poetry, plays, film scripts and songs may be presented for discussion. There is no charge for these sessions. For more information, call 724-938-9730 or e-mail 64crayons@jozartstudios.com.
“Fayette County: A Video History,” an educational video of more than 90 minutes about the history of Fayette County, is available at the Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Coal & Coke Heritage Center at the Penn State Library or from the Fayette County Historical Society by calling 724-439-4422. Produced under the guidance of the Fayette County Historical Society, the video is filled with hundreds of photographs, interviews with historians and residents from the county, plus profiles of many towns and communities. The book, “Abel Gray: A Romance of the National Road,” written by A.F. Hill in 1876, was reproduced by the historical society in 1998 as a fictional novel with accurate depictions of the National Road. For information on these and other publications available, contact the Fayette County Historical Society Inc., P.O. Box 193, Uniontown, or call 724-439-4422.
A cookbook with a forward by award-winning chef Joe Carei of Caileigh’s Restaurant in Uniontown is available at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown. The cookbook is full of recipes and historic photographs of the Grand Old Lady of Main Street. They are available in the theater office from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and at all performances. Call 724-439-1360 to place a mail order. There is a cost.
area
Pittsburgh CLO’s 2006 season opens at the Benedum Center on June 6 and includes Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast,” June 6-18; “Grease,” June 20-30; “42nd Street,” July 4-16; “Seven Brides for Seven Brothers,” July 18-23; “Bombay Dreams,” Aug. 1-6; and “Monty Python’s SPAMALOT,” Sept. 19-Oct 1. Tickets and subscriptions are available on line at www.pittsburghCLO.org, by fax at 412-281-1150 or by calling the subscription hotline at 412-281-2822. Group sales hotline is 412-264-2560.
music
A summer guitar and vocal workshop titled “Pennsylvania Jam University” will be held May 19-21 at St. Vincent College Department of Fine Arts. For information and registration, call 724-537-4579.
The sixth annual Summer Oldies Concert featuring the Fabulous Hubcaps will fill the stage at the Palace Theatre in Greensburg at 8 p.m. Friday, June 16. There is a cost. All proceeds support Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region’s programs to help children reach their fullest potential through mentoring relationships. All funds raised go directly to children and families in Fayette and Westmoreland counties. For more information, call 724-836-8000.
odds & ends
Arthurdale Heritage Old Time Dance will be held from 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Arthurdale Heritage Center Hall off Route 92 South in Arthurdale, W.Va. For information, call 304-864-3959.
Hoedown round and square dancing, slow dancing, polkas, line dancing and clogging will be held at the following dates and times: 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 19, at the Arthurdale Center Hall in Arthurdale, W.Va.; 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, May 20, at the Ohiopyle Community Center; 7 to 10 p.m. Friday, May 26, at the Haydentown Community Center; and 8:30 to 11:30 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at the Alwine Civic Center on old Route 66 about three miles north of Greensburg. The Dave Dahl Trio will provide music and figure calling. There is a donation for each person.
The Monongahela River Buffs are devoted to the transportation history of the Monongahela River and southwestern Pennsylvania. The museum, located at 175 Second St., Monongahela, exhibits artifacts, models and memorabilia, which traces local history from the flatboat/keelboat age in the early 19th century to the steamboat era from the mid-19th century to today’s diesel towboat times. The museum is open from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. For information, call Dr. J.K. Folmar at 724-938-7856, George Hutchko at 724-258-6231 or Bill Goettel at 724-258-8808. Folmar also gives talks on river history to civic organizations and schools in the valley.
Westmoreland County Historical Society will offer a series of day camps for school age children and teens at Historic Hanna’s Town during the summer. At Colonial Camp, children ages 7 through 11 will learn about the lives of children who lived on the Pennsylvania frontier. Archaeology camps will be held for ages 11 to 13 and 12 to 17 to investigate the history of the Revolutionary War-era settlement through archaeology. For information and cost, call 724-836-1800 extension 10 or history@starofthewest.org.
The Mountaineer Speed and Strength Camp will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, June 3, at the Puskar Center Weight Room at Mountaineer Field. Registration will open at 8 a.m., and lunch will be provided. Participants must be 11 years of age or older. For more information, call Mike Barwis at 304-293-4459.
Ballroom Dance Classes will be held at Arthurdale Heritage Inc. through June 8 on Thursdays at 7 p.m. at the Arthurdale Center Hall in Arthurdale, W.Va., with instructor Al Gouldin. The class is for beginners or advanced students. There is a registration fee. For information, call 304-864-3959.
Fleatique on the Mon will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 3. This street sale is held along the three-mile stretch of Route 88 from Monongahela to New Eagle. Washington County will feature quality antique dealers and fine crafters in Chess Park, which is located at Main and Seventh streets. For application or more information, call 724-258-5919.
“The Monongahela Railway, Its History and Operation, 1903-1993,” a 212-page book with more than 300 black and white pictures and 24 maps of the system, is available at Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, 325 Market St., Fayette Chamber of Commerce, Uniontown Library, Flatiron Building, Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville, New Salem and Fairchance pharmacies and Hobbies & Stuff in Connellsville.
Carnegie Museum of Natural History will present “Bears! Icons of the Wild,” an exhibit of 37 photographs by acclaimed wildlife photographer Jenny E. Ross, until May 28 at the museum. Admission is free.
Flenniken Public Library, 102 E. George St., Carmichaels, will offer preschool story hour every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The library is also offering after-school tutoring for students in kindergarten through high school. A state-certified teacher runs the program.
Sessions are customized to fit each child’s learning style. For more information, call 724-966-5263.
The California Area Public Library will be open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, noon to 4 p.m. Fridays and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays. Story hour for preschool children will be held at 10:30 a.m. every Thursday. Visit the library’s Web site at www.calpublib.org, and click on the “story hour” link for more information or call the library at 724-938-2907.