March 2010

New online resources for PA Wilds artisans, arts businesses
The PA Wilds Resource Center website now has a section devoted to juried artisans and retail partners involved with the PA Wilds Artisan Trail. The section includes guideline packets and applications on how to join the artisan trail; funding resources for businesses; various directories; a Google arts calendar to post to or view arts events happening in the region; information on how to sign up to use the new, 10-piece artisan display for events or festivals; and tips on how to make the most of your involvement in the artisan trail. Be sure to check it out at www.pawildsresources.org!

Improve your bottom line by improving your online presence
Website development workshops specifically targeting tourism businesses in the Pennsylvania Wilds region are now scheduled for McKean, Warren, Clearfield and Lycoming counties.

Participants in these free, two-hour workshops will be shown examples of tourism business websites from around the PA Wilds region that have gotten real results, and hear what these small business owners have to say about building an effective website, costs and more. In the second half of the workshop, PennTAP will explain basic website layout, search engine optimization and why these things are critical for a successful website.

Outfitters, guides, liveries, artisans, restaurants, stores, lodges and other tourism businesses that want to improve their web presence are encouraged to attend.

Presentations scheduled include:

A complete brochure, including registration information, can be found under “Hot Topics” on the www.pawildsresources.org homepage. Or you can register by contacting Donna Yale at dyale@psu.edu or 570.596.3585.

Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous draws thousands, wins prestigious arts award
The popular Ridgway Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous that’s held every February in Elk County has earned a Governor’s Arts Award. The event is the largest of its kind in the world and draws some 200 carvers and 25,000 people to the Pennsylvania Wilds annually.

The prestigious Arts Awards, given out annually for 29 years, had six winners this year out of a field of more than 70 nominations. The Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous won in the “Creative Community” category.

“The achievements of these honorees exemplify the transformative power of the arts in Pennsylvania,” First Lady Marjorie Rendell said in a written statement. “Each recipient has been a ‘game changer’ in their community or in their own art form, making lasting contributions to the growth and development of arts and culture.”

“We are very excited about receiving the Governor's award,” said event coordinator Liz Boni in an email on Monday. “It was one of the most exciting phone calls we've ever received. We're excited because it insures not only the recognition of the art form – chainsaw art – and the tremendous effect it has on the public, but that it also recognizes our community.”

Gov. Rendell will present the awards on April 8 at the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center in York.

The 11th Annual Ridgway Chainsaw Carvers Rendezvous ended Feb. 27 with its customary auction. A total of 182 carvers from 12 countries and 28 states were registered for the event. A carving by an Iowa man (an archway with a raccoon, bear, fox and two birds carved into it) fetched the highest bid at the auction -- $3,700, according to the Ridgway Record. A carving of a large flying eagle by Altoona’s Richard Hamilton sold for $2,500. Boni said the average bid on carvings was around $350, an increase of $100 from last year.

Congratulations to Boni and her team for all their hard work growing the Rendezvous and this art-form over the years!

Grow your tourism business with free social networking sites
Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn … the growing number of social networking sites can be overwhelming to a busy small business owner. But these sites can be very effective for tourism businesses because they’re built on an old fashioned concept that has helped grow tourism businesses for decades: free word of mouth advertising.

Which social media sites are right for your business? Come find out at this presentation at the University of the Pittsburgh at Bradford. Participants will learn how to create an effective social media marketing strategy to help grow their business; the class will also touch on how social media can affect productivity in the workplace. The presentation will cover social networking trends, tools, strategies and what policies could be implemented for various types of businesses or organizations.

The workshop will be held Wed., March 3 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, Swarts Hall, Room 105. Cost is $29 per participant. To register, contact 814-362-5078 or reach@pitt.edu.

Minimizing drilling impacts on forests and wildlife
Natural gas development in the Pennsylvania Wilds is creating new economic opportunities for the state and for many different types of businesses. But it also raises new environmental concerns. It is important to stay informed.

To that end, Robert S. Hansen, Penn State Cooperative Extension educator, agriculture and forestry, will do a free presentation called: “The Environment and Natural Gas Operation – Minimizing Impacts to Forest and Wildlife,” this month at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The public is invited to attend.

The presentation will be held Wed., March 24 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Frame-Westerberg Commons, Mukaiyama University Room. Hansen will discuss the importance of our natural environment; the changes natural-gas development may bring to the environment; and what can be done to minimize these impacts.

The presentation is free but participants are asked to register by contacting 814-362-5078 or reach@pitt.edu.

Calling all artisans
Jewelry makers, woodworkers, painters, sculptures, quilters, photographers and other skilled artisans living in the Pennsylvania Wilds region are encouraged to apply to become PA Wilds Juried Artisans. The spring application deadline is April. 23.

Artisans accepted through the jury process will become part of a network of more than two dozen galleries and more than 100 other artisans from around the region. The overall goal of the network is to improve the visibility and profitability of those involved. Benefits include business development workshops for artisans; trademarked “Made the in the Pennsylvania Wilds” hang-tags for display on retail art pieces; online and print marketing efforts and more. For more information and instructions on how to apply, go to www.pawildsresources.org and click on “Artisans.”

Business Spotlight: New online news service targets Pennsylvania Wilds readers
Kathy Kolb has built a number of websites over the years as owner of Kolb Net Works, but when she kept hearing about declining newspaper readership, she decided to take things a step further. This fall, she launched www.NorthcentralPa.com, an online news service covering 15 counties, including nine in the Pennsylvania Wilds (Lycoming, Clinton, Potter, Tioga, Cameron, Elk, Centre, Clearfield, McKean).

Kolb said the website covers news, events and original articles from or of interest to people in the Northcentral Pennsylvania region. “We also feature Monday haiku, local poetry and we're working on a regional online visual art gallery,” Kolb said. “We take special interest in candidates for elected offices and gas drilling issues.”

Kolb said her staff welcomes news and events from municipalities, school districts, hospitals, wedding planners, funeral homes – “you name it.”

“Our stories stay online so they will become a sort of archive for the region. We can hook up some web sites to automatically feed our news site when they are updated, reducing publishing time and errors. This is very good for organizations that want to publicize their events.”

The Williamsport-based business also welcomes advertisers trying to reach readers in Northcentral PA. Online advertising on the site starts at just a penny per view; that's 1000 ad views for $10, Kolb said. NorthcentralPa.com is smart phone compatible (Apple iPhone, Blackberry, etc.), she said.

Alternative Energy Forum slated for March
Building contractors, installers, economic development types and other interested in alternative energy are invited to attend a presentation on March 26 about the state’s Alternative Energy Investment Fund.

John Sider, Deputy Secretary for the Technology Investment Office; and Scott Dunkelberger, Executive Director for the Commonwealth Financing Authority, will discuss the state’s Solar, Geothermal, Wind, Alternative, Clean and Renewable Energy Programs. Thomas Bell, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority, will discuss residential energy programs.

Panel discussion will be held March 26 from 10 a.m. to noon at the North Central PA Regional Planning & Development Commission, 651 Montmorenci Road, Ridgway. Email pbrennen@ncentral.com to register.