As development of Marcellus Shale natural gas grows in Pennsylvania, business people statewide are being invited to a series of seminars to learn how it may create opportunities for their businesses.  Energy firms are flocking to the Commonwealth to extract natural gas from Marcellus and are partnering with or purchasing from local businesses and entrepreneurs.   

   The Oil Region Alliance once again is hosting a "Your Business & Marcellus Shale: Building Business Connections" educational program at the Oil City Business Innovation Center to help entrepreneurs and established small- and medium-sized businesses understand and respond to Marcellus shale-related business opportunities. The series will consist of six twice-monthly morning webinars, with sessions highlighting successful examples of how local businesses are responding, how to identify gas industry needs, and how to establish productive and ongoing relationships with natural gas companies.  

   The series is co-sponsored by a consortium of universities, chambers of commerce, local planning commissions, and regional economic development boards from across the Commonwealth, with leadership from Penn State Cooperative Extension.  Presenters and panelists will include successful local businesses, natural gas industry representatives, and experts from Penn State.  These trainings follow two successful series; the first series introduced business opportunities and the second profiled businesses and service companies on their experience working with the natural gas industry. Each series had over 500 local businesses participate at local sites within Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York. 

   The six 90-minute sessions will meet on the first and third Wednesdays beginning at 8 am on June 2, June 16, July 7, July 21, August 4, and August 18.     

   For more information, contact Deb Lutz at the Alliance at 814-677-3152 or see the 'Your Business & Marcellus Shale: Voices of Experience' website, at http://www.economicdevelopment.psu.edu/marcellusbiz/.    The sessions are FREE, but you must register.  Email mcochran@oilregion.org.

More Residents Receive Oil Region National Heritage House Plaques

 by Kim Harris, Project Manager

   April brought more than showers this year; two additional property owners will soon receive Oil Regional National Heritage Area House Plaques.  Applications were approved, and the plaques are being fabricated by Franklin Bronze Plaques,

Davidson Farm, 1871

located in Franklin.  This brings the list of approved plaques to 11 in this program which began in January. 

   The Alliance is pleased to have the first farm receive a historic plaque.  The "Davidson Farm - 1871" is located at 2265 Rockland-Nickleville Road, Rockland Township.  The farmhouse is circa 1871, with the barn being constructed in 1875 by T.P. Davidson.  The property is today known as Baytree Farm. 

   The "Brundred House, 1883" located at 315 West First Street, Oil City is obtaining a historic plaque.  Constructed in 1883 by B. F. Brundred who was involved in the refining of petroleum, this three-story Queen Anne boasts

Brundred House, 1883

16 rooms and has had only three owners.  The house remained in the Brundred family until 1958.  The following owner sold the home to James Thomas in 2002.  

   Houses at least 50 years old located within the Oil Region National Heritage Area may be eligible to receive a historic house plaque.  Participation does not place any future restrictions on the structure.  The program's purpose is to assist in drawing attention to the region's historic structures and to help educate community members and visitors about the region's rich heritage. 

   Questions may be directed to Kim Harris, Project Manager, at 814-677-3152 or email kharris@oilregion.org. 

   The Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission provided the Alliance a grant to assist with the development of this project. 

   With spring upon us, work on the Neilltown Church rehabilitation project has begun. Plans include reworking entranceways, including new thresholds, door repairs, and replacement of the rear door to accommodate handicapped access. The biggest part of the project includes replacement of the asphalt-shingled roof with period-appropriate wooden shingles, which will add greatly to the pre-Civil War character of the building. 

   One of the first hurdles that must be overcome before the roof replacement begins is the necessary structural repair on the timber sill of the north wall. In 1842, this modest structure was built using a basic post construction, similar to a pole barn. Sills along the base of the structure consist of very large old-growth timbers. One timber on the north wall has become (after 150 years!) structurally deficient. At this stage in the project, the contractor has removed a portion of the exterior wall to examine the structure and is currently discussing the best approach for repair and replacement of the timber. Over the next couple weeks, a better foundation will be prepared, the new sill installed, and the roof work will begin. 

   Funding for this project has been made possible by a PHMC Keystone Historic Preservation Grant, CDBG Grant via the County of Forest, and many generous private donations.

   The Alliance is partnering with the Titusville Leisure Services to study and engineer the northernmost missing segment along the main stem of the recreational trail system within the Oil Region National Heritage Area.  This is a collaborative project with the City of Titusville, Oil Creek Township (Crawford County), and Hydetown Borough for the planning of approximately 5.3 miles of trail that will extend from the Queen City Trail's current ending point at South Martin Street in Titusville to Hasbrouck Park in Hydetown.

   The Alliance, the lead organization on the project, issued a Request for Proposals on March 24.  Four firms submitted proposals which are being reviewed.  The first task the contracted firm will tackle will be to study and survey the area, then provide three itineraries for the recreational trail and trailhead for each respective alignment.  In addition, the firm will provide a list of property owners along each of the itineraries.  The three proposed alignments will be reviewed by the project partners and stakeholders to decipher the most viable route. 

   Public participation is vital to the project; therefore, a series of public meetings will be scheduled and announced. 

   The remaining aspect of the project will be to engineer the most viable route and its trailheads.  It is anticipated that the project will be kicked off in June and be completed by the end of the year.

   This vital missing segment of trail is located on the main spine of the Erie-To-Pittsburgh Trail, which will run continuously from Erie to Pittsburgh where it will connect to the Greater Allegheny Passage that stretches to Washington, D.C.  Additional information about these two trails can be found at the following websites:  www.eriepittsburghtrail.org and www.atatrail.orgwww.atatrail.org.

   This project is financed in part by a Pennsylvania Heritage Area Program Grant from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Recreation and Conservation via the Oil Region Alliance.  Matching funds are being provided by Titusville Leisure Services; Penn Soil Resource, Conservation & Development; and Greenways Block Grant via the Northwest Pennsylvania Regional Planning & Development Commission.

   Questions or request for additional information may be directed to Kim Harris, Project Manager, at 814-677-3152, or email kharris@oilregion.org.