TOURISM COMMITTEE – Meeting Minutes
June 27, 2007
2:00 p.m., RTC –
The
Tourism Committee of the Comprehensive Plan met on June 27, 2007. Those in
attendance included: Brett Hollern, Somerset County/G.A.P.; Paul Wiegman,
Confluence Tourism Association; Cindy Wickham, Daily American; Ian Koval,
Interested Citizen; Kerri Burtner, CP Coordinator; Ron Aldom, Chamber of
Commerce; Lee Newell, Chamber Tourism Comm./FNB/Italian Oven; Geoff Miller,
Woodland Marketing Mgmt.; Charles Fox, Somerset Historical Center; Chris
Burtner, D.M. Bowman; Annie Urban, LHVB; Susie Harshbarger, Oakhurst Tea Room;
Brad Zearfoss, Planning Commission; Jim Marker, County Commissioner.
1.
Education –
Susie Harshbarger gave an update on the progress of the Tourism sub-committee
focusing on education opportunities on the trail. She reported that the
sub-committee is in the research phase of developing a trail-based physical and
educational activity to be implemented in an elementary school in at least one
trail town. Committee members include Susie; Kerri Burtner; Cathy McCullum,
Progress Fund; Rebecca Robertson – Progress Fund intern; and Acacia Kreger.
The committee plans to propose this pilot project to
the
The curriculum will be for fifth grade students and
will incorporate science-based learning with activities on the trail. One idea
is to have students identify and place flora signage on the trail so that they
will be compelled to bring their family members onto the trail to show them
their work.
So that the sub-committee is not reinventing the
wheel, they will be meeting with a lady from the Appalachin Trail who has
developed a similar program in
Brett Hollern suggested Tom Jones as a resource for
the sub-committee. Mr. Jones is a high school teacher who has developed
curriculum around a fossil site that exists between Rockwood and Garrett.
2. Gateway Signs – Several members of the committee
reported on the submission of a grant application for Growing Greener II funds
to pay for three gateway signs into Somerset County. The three signs are part
of a larger initiative to have sixteen gateway signs in place on all major and
semi-major roadways into the County. Lee Newell and Kerri Burtner are filling
out the application and submitting it on behalf of the Chamber of Commerce. The
funding request is for signs to be constructed on the Northern entrance on U.S.
Rt. 219 and on the East and West entrances on Rt. 31.
A sub-committee met about the signs and a prototype
was designed by EADS Group. The signs say “Welcome to Somerset County.”
SCI-Somerset has agreed to have their masonry students construct the stone base
and set the manufactured welcome sign. Native stone will be used in the
construction. It was recommended that civic organizations be given the
opportunity to plant native flowers and trees to help beautify the signs.
Annie Urban of the Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau
suggested that the signs say, “Welcome to Somerset County” with “in the Laurel
Highlands” in smaller letters underneath. A conversation ensued and it was
suggested that a motorist would have a difficult time reading all of that while
driving. On the flip side, it was also stated that such wording could help
support our grant application in the Pittsburgh 250 process, since it puts a
regional emphasis on our signs and that is something Pittsburgh 250 is looking
for.
The sign sub-committee is planning to apply for grant
money through Pittsburgh 250, to pay for additional gateway signs on East and
West Rt. 30, and East and West Rt. 40. Rt. 30 is the Forbes Trail which is a
main factor in the Pittsburgh 250 celebration. Annie Urban suggested we partner
with Olga Herbert at the Lincoln Highway when applying for the Pittsburgh 250
grant.
One current roadblock to this sign plan is
cooperation from PennDOT. To our knowledge, no other counties in the state have
this type of welcome sign. Since some of these signs will be constructed in
PennDOT right-of-ways they are questioning the project. A meeting has been scheduled
with the County Commissioners and PennDOT on July 19, to discuss this project.
We hope to find another PennDOT district who has had similar signs constructed
so that we can use their process in support of our project.
While we were on the topic of signage, Ron Aldom said
New Enterprise has offered their conveyor belt tube that crosses Rt. 31 by
Hidden Valley to be painted as a welcome sign or advertisement. The group that
wishes to do so must fund the painting. Due to the tube being high in the air across
a main road, it would be nearly impossible for any group to do the painting on
their own. Painting it would require the use of professional painters and
perhaps the use of PennDOT to limit traffic while the painting is being done.
3. Tourism DVD – Ron Aldom reported that the tourism
video from the late 1990s is being updated and will be distributed in DVD
format instead of the original VHS. It will also be available for viewing on
the Chamber web site and can be reduced in size to be put on other sites.
Additions to the video include the Great Allegheny
Passage tunnel, the Quecreek Rescue Site, and Flight 93. Ron said the National
Park Service was excited to be included in the video and that the filming and
script were done very tastefully. Another change from the original video is the
focus on shopping. It is no longer centered just on Somerset, but now includes
shops in many of the County’s towns.
The Chamber has $10,000 towards this project but
needs another $5,000 to complete it. Ron is working with some area businesses
to try and get sponsorship money. There are some companies who wish to use the
video as a recruitment tool for potential new employees.
The video has an anticipated completion date of late
July 2007. There will be two versions of the video – one will be aimed at
tourists and the other will be for businesses to educate their staffs on the
economic impact of tourism.
4. Next meeting – it was decided that the next meeting
will be held in September. Committee members will be contacted in mid-August
with a date, time and location.