2007 Press Releases Media Use Policy: Press releases may be copied for media use, but please provide us with your publication name and date used: emhr@epix.net If you have questions or need more information contact Endless Mountains Heritage Region 570-265-1528. Pictures related to most articles below are available in digital form and can be emailed. Please send your request to quest12@epix.net Public Welcome at Susquehanna River Regional Meeting Tickets Available for Endless Mountains Heritage Region Annual Dinner Susquehanna River Map and Guide Available EMHR Dedicates Susquehanna River Signs and Map Veleker Honored at Retirement Luncheon EMHR Grant Workshop Held Swank Selected as New Executive Director of Endless Mountains Heritage Region Dr. Faull Presents Program on Friedenshutten EMHR Sponsored Susquehanna River Clean-ups Successful Heritage Region Memberships Help Communities Public Welcome at Susquehanna River Regional Meeting      TOWANDA - A Susquehanna Greenway Partnership and water trail meeting will be held at 2 p.m., December 12, at Wyoming County Conservation District, 1 Hollowcrest Complex near Tunkhannock. The complex is just off Rt. 6, two miles west of Tunkhannock Borough.      The meeting will focus on establishing and protecting greenways along the Susquehanna River corridor and connecting river communities. A light lunch and workshop before the meeting will start at 1 p.m. and includes an update on projects at Vosburg Neck and the D&H Rail Trail.      Executive Director Phil Swank of the Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR), which is the lead organization for the North Branch Susquehanna River Greenway Partnership, will host the event. Trish Carothers of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership will offer updates, and new information on an opportunity for collaborative fundraising.      Updates on the North Branch Water Trail stewardship program, 2008 events and festivals planned by river towns, the availability of North Branch Susquehanna River Water Trail Maps, and a Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission Water Trail Maps will be presented by David Buck, EMHR Greenways Coordinator.      Participants will learn about projects underway throughout the region including informational signs at Susquehanna River access points and roadways, Greenway and River Trail signs, and "Rivertown" designations.      For more information call EMHR Greenways Coordinator David Buck 570-746-3272 or Phil Swank EMHR executive director 570-265-1528.
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Tickets Available for Endless Mountains Heritage Region Annual Dinner

TOWANDA PA - Tickets are available for the Endless Mountains Heritage Region Annual Dinner, scheduled Thursday, October 18, at the Wyalusing Community Building, 121 Main Street, Wyalusing.
Activities will get underway at 5 p.m. with a social hour & silent auction. Dinner, catered by The Wyalusing Hotel will be at 6 p.m. The annual meeting and program will begin at 7 p.m.
      "We anticipate many quality items being donated for our silent auction, including a beautiful print from local artist Brain Keeler entitled "Where Rivers Meet - Tioga Point, Athens, PA," said Phil Swank, Endless Mountains Heritage Region executive director.
      Eastern Delaware Nations will display artwork previously exhibited at the United Nations in Manhattan during Indigenous People's Day. The group donated a print to the silent auction of "Elan Kumankwa" (We Are All Related) a mural depicting the culture, heritage and history of American Indian descendants in the Endless Mountains Region.
     Displays will be presented by other local and regional organizations to convey the stories associated with the heritage of our people, including Friedenshutten, Center for Anti-Slavery Studies, and more.
      Featured speaker will be Dr. Katherine Faull, Professor of German at Bucknell University. Dr. Faull will present the latest information on research of the Friedenshutten historic site in Wyalusing Township. Friedenshutten was a Moravian Church mission village serving Christian Native Americans in the 18th century.
      Although many people in the Wyalusing area are familiar with Friedenshutten, most regional residents are unaware of the site, its connections with Bethlehem PA, the roles missionaries played and what records of the site still exist today.
      "Dr. Faull's presentation is an opportunity to learn more about this fascinating piece of local history," said Swank.
Friedenshutten was established in 1765 by Moravians David Zeisberger and John Woolman to bring Christianity to Delaware Indians at M'chwihilusing (later anglicized to Wyalusing). The mission closed and the Indians relocated prior to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War, but its founders did not forget the village. In 1871 members of the Moravian Historical Society returned to Wyalusing to place a monument on the village site. The monument still stands in what is now a cornfield.
      Dr. Faull visited the site last spring and expressed dismay at the deterioration of the monument and the site. She said the site is well known in Germany, where the Moravians originated, but appears all but forgotten in this country, even in the local area.
      Tickets for the Annual Dinner are $25 per person and are available from EMHR staff and board members.
Endless Mountains Heritage Region is a State Heritage Park encompassing Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties. The organization has generated nearly two million dollars benefiting projects throughout the Endless Mountains Region. For more information visit the Endless Mountains Heritage Region office at 1 Washington Street, Towanda, 18848, email emhr@epix.net, or call 570-265-1528.

Susquehanna River Map and Guide Available
      TOWANDA PA - Endless Mountains Heritage Region, Inc. (EMHR) announces the "Susquehanna River North Branch Water Map and Guide" is now available to retailers and the public. EMHR, in partnership with National Park Service and Pennsylvania Environmental Council recently published the map completing a project of several years.
      "This exciting initiative of the Chesapeake Bay Gateways Network coincides with placement of orientation and safety signs at designated river access points. These promote the development of a unique water trail linking access points, informational resources, use sites and local attractions," explained Phil Swank, EMHR executive director.
      EMHR is currently seeking retailers in the Endless Mountains interested in making the map and guide available to the public.       "The map and guide are of great interest to all who enjoy the Susquehanna River, especially nature enthusiasts and paddlers/boaters. Those interested in purchasing quantities of the map and guide for retail sale are encouraged to visit the EMHR office at 1 Washington Street, Towanda, PA or call 570-265-1528," said Swank. The map and guide are currently available at Fitze's Store, Tunkhannock, PA North Country Artisan Store, Towanda and Endless Mountains Outfitters, Sugar Run. For more information contact Endless Mountains Heritage Region at 570-265-1528, or emhr@epix.net.
For updated information - on the web: www.endlessmountainsheritage.org/rivermap.html

EMHR Dedicates Susquehanna River Signs and Map

(Print Quality Picture available by request: quest12@epix.net )
   Dave Buck points out features of newly unveiled river sign at a dedication ceremony in Towanda. L to Rt. EMHR Consultant Dave Buck, Representative Tina Pickett (back to camera), Dave Lange with the National Park Service, Phil Swank EMHR executive director, Bradford County Commissioner Nancy Schrader, Trish Carothers of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership and Ed Robertson of Dupont. EMHR Dedicates Susquehanna River Signs and Map

   TOWANDA PA - North Branch Water Trail signs were unveiled and dedicated August 24 in conjunction with Towanda's Riverfest by the Endless Mountains Heritage Region, lead organization for the North Branch Water Trail Project. The safety and information signs are installed throughout the region at river access points. Each sign is keyed to a panel in the recently published North Branch Water Trail Maps. The Water Trail Project provides information to safely enjoy the river and learn about recreational opportunities in river towns.
      Speakers at the dedication in Towanda were Tina Pickett, (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna); Dave Lange, Program Leader of the National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program; Nancy Schrader, Bradford County Commissioner; Trish Carothers, of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership; Phil Swank, Executive Director of Endless Mountains Heritage Region; and David Buck, Endless Mountains Heritage Region project consultant.
      The North Branch Water Trail Map/guide is currently available at Fitze's Store, Tunkhannock, PA North Country Artisan Store, Towanda and Endless Mountains Outfitters, Sugar Run. EMHR is seeking additional retailers in the Endless Mountains to help distribute the map and guide. For more information contact Endless Mountains Heritage Region at 570-265-1528, or emhr@epix.net.
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Veleker Honored at Retirement Luncheon
(Print Quality Picture available by request: quest12@epix.net)
Bob Veleker, retiring Endless Mountains Heritage Region executive director, serves cake to Wyoming County Commissioner Judy Mead as Jean Gasper, executive director of the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau looks on during a recent luncheon honoring Veleker’s work in the region. The cake was fashioned to look like a book with “Bob’s History Book” on the spine. Veleker plans to spend time researching and writing about local history.

EMHR Grant Workshop Held
(Print Quality Picture available by request: quest12@epix.net)
Phil Swank, new executive director of Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR), spoke at a recent grant workshop hosted by EMHR. The workshop was held this year at the Bradford County Historical Society Museum in Towanda. The event is offered annually to representatives from non-profits throughout the region hoping to connect projects with appropriate funding. Speakers included Trish Carothers of the Susquehanna Greenway Partnership, Loren Passinger of Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Scott Doyle of Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission Bureau for Historic Preservation, Rick Biery of Northern Tier Regional Planning and Developmemt Commission, and Jennifer Swain of Northern Tier Cultural Alliance.
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Swank Selected as New Executive Director of Endless Mountains Heritage Region
   TOWANDA PA - Phillip Swank was appointed recently by the Endless Mountains Heritage Region's Board of Directors to take over as Executive Director when Bob Veleker retires from that position in June.
     "It is a privilege to receive this appointment to serve the Endless Mountains region in finding and funding good projects and assisting our region's communities in telling their unique stories to neighbors and beyond," Swank said. "I hope to apply my experience and education in public administration and grant programs and my intense interest in the history, culture and natural resources of our region to continue and expand upon the service of the Endless Mountains Heritage Region."
     Swank starts working with Veleker this week toward assuming leadership of EMHR in June. The State Heritage Park, founded in 1998, encompasses Bradford, Sullivan, Wyoming and Susquehanna Counties. Swank already has a pretty good understanding of EMHR's priorities and projects.
     "Bob and I have worked together on some major projects over the last several years, including the Old Bradford County Jail Restoration/Historical Society project, the Marie Antoinette Overlook project on Rt. 6, and improvements to the French Azilum Historic site," Swank said.
     Swank brings extensive experience and training in public agency and grant funded program administration to EMHR. His career experience includes Program Supervisor with the Area Agency on Aging for Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Tioga Counties and Grants Coordinator for Bradford County. He has most recently worked as Regional Manager with Stiffler, McGraw & Associates, Inc., a consulting engineering firm specializing in community project management.
     "I'm very excited the board selected Phil for this position," Veleker said. "He has the background and experience to achieve a seamless transition. I feel very good about his appointment, which will benefit the region and provide solid guidance for local project coordinators. EMHR will continue to thrive and grow in the future through his leadership."
     Swank has an impressive track record, putting to his Masters in Public Administration degree from Marywood University good use, achieving over 20 years professional experience in public administration. He, like Veleker, has provided leadership for a wide range of community projects, and demonstrated a history of contributing to community and economic development, historic preservation and improving the quality of life in the region.
     "I am very excited to have this opportunity to carry on the tremendous successes created by Bob Veleker with the support of an active board of directors. All of us who have had the benefit of sharing in coordination of projects involving the Endless Mountains Heritage Region can attest to his professionalism and enthusiasm. Bob has been in the forefront of advancing the concept of heritage development and finding and funding projects that reveal the attributes of communities in a very special way," Swank said.
     Swank acknowledges and honors Veleker's track record of leadership and dedication to the region as he looks forward to stepping into the role Veleker has literally defined since he assuming leadership of EMHR in January 2001.
     "The challenge of building local capacity that leads to the identification, preservation and enhancement of our rich cultural, natural and historical resources is a task Bob has faced with tremendous strength of character. It is my sincere goal to bring similar character to the work and to continue successfully meeting this challenge," he said. "I look forward to working with proactive EMHR board members and the agency's partners to be a catalyst for increased opportunities in historic preservation, cultural awareness and tourism."
     Veleker's retirement, like everything he does, will be energetic. He plans to pursue research of local history. It's a task he's been waiting enthusiastically to tackle. He spent almost eight years as curator of the Bradford County Historical Society before accepting his position with EMHR. He was the driving force behind the Society's project to acquire the old Bradford County Jail, vacant for years and close to demolition, and renovate it into the Society's headquarters, museum and genealogical research facility.
     As Executive Director of EMHR Veleker, guided numerous projects with partners in the Heritage Region's four counties including development of Susquehanna River North Branch Recreational Maps soon to be published. He has been instrumental in pressing forward with a working group composed of representatives of several regional organizations and French Azilum Inc. to keep a project at Marie Antoinette Overlook on Rt. 6 on track. A multipurpose building which could house a visitors center is planned at that location. Veleker currently serves on the French Azilum Inc. board.
     Swank, a resident of Tuscarora Township in Bradford County, lives in an agricultural area with his wife Michelle and children Samantha, Erin and Parker. He has volunteered with more than two dozen local and regional organizations serving the region in a remarkably wide variety of ways. He is for instance, a Board Member of Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau, a member of the Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission, an affiliate member of the Bradford County Conservation District, serves on the advisory council of Lackawanna College and is a local volunteer Little League coach and umpire. For more information contact Endless Mountains Heritage Region at 570-265-1528, or emhr@epix.net.
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Dr. Faull Presents Program on Friedenshutten
   WYALUSING PA - Dr. Katherine Faull of Bucknell University will present a program focusing on the Moravian mission town called Friedenshutten, once located near present day Wyalusing during Wyalusing Community Corporation's Annual Meeting, at 5 p.m., May 10th.
     Although many people in the Wyalusing area are familiar with Friedenshutten, most Bradford County residents are unaware of the site, its connections with Bethlehem, the roles of the missionaries or what records were preserved about the site. This presentation provides an opportunity to learn more about this fascinating piece of local history.
     Friedenshutten was established in 1765 by Moravians David Zeisberger and John Woolman to bring Christianity to Delaware Indians at M'chwihilusing (later anglicized to Wyalusing). The mission closed and the Indians were relocated prior to the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War. But its founders did not forget the village. In 1871 members of the Moravian Historical Society returned to Wyalusing and erected a monument at the village site. It still marks the village site, now a cornfield.
     Dr. Faull explains what was going on in the mid-1700s in this part of Pennsylvania and why Moravian missions were established, especially along the North Branch of the Susquehanna River at Sheshequin in Bradford County and next to Fort Augusta at present day Sunbury.
     Dr. Faull is a Professor of German and Director of Program in Comparative Humanities in the Dept of Foreign Language Programs at Bucknell. She holds a BA and MA from King's College, University of London and PhD in German Literature from Princeton University. The recipient of numerous academic awards, fellowships and grants she has published many articles and presentations.
     Her book, Moravian Women's Memoirs: Their Related Lives 1750-1820, was published by the Syracuse University Press in 1997. Dr. Faull is the first academic to translate memoirs written by Moravian women and preserved at the Moravian Archives in Bethlehem, PA. Her research formed the basis for the book.
     For more information contact Wyalusing Community Corporation, 746-4922, wchamber@epix.net or Endless Mountains Heritage Region at 570-265-1528, or emhr@epix.net.
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EMHR Sponsored Susquehanna River Clean-ups Successful
   TOWANDA PA - Susquehanna Riverbank locations in two counties were cleaned up in honor of Earth Day the weekend of April 21 and 22. The event was sponsored and organized by the Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) as part of the Great Pennsylvania Clean Up. The Susquehanna River Basin Commission and PennDOT contributed funds and materials.
     Volunteers from Endless Mountains Nature Center, North Branch Land Trust and Boy Scouts and individual community members targeted locations in Wyoming and Bradford counties. On April 21 volunteers scoured riverbanks at Camp Lackawanna located on the Vosburg Neck and the Howland Preserve, part of the North Branch Land Trust (NBLT) in Wyoming County.
     "Our original objective was to pick up trash and flood debris on an island that has a land bridge to Camp Lackawanna, but the river was very high due to snowmelt from the 6-12 inch snowfall from the previous week," said David Buck, EMHR Susquehanna Greenway Coordinator. "We settled for staying on the mainland along the Susquehanna River flood plain at the camp and at Howland Preserve. We covered about 1.5 miles of riverfront. We started with five volunteers from the NBLT and five from the camp and nature center. It was a welcome sight when a dozen campers showed up later to assist. We collected a full pickup truck oad of trash. The kids enjoyed helping clean up their camp and learning about the outdoors."
     The following day in Bradford County volunteers, mostly Boy Scouts and their leaders, began working along River Road. Steep terrain there proved too much for the small group and they moved to Sugar Run where they removed a pickup truck load of tires and trash. Another group of volunteers worked at the Wyalusing Valley Museum Natural Area.
     "We live upstream from the Chesapeake Bay. It is difficult for people here to realize the impact we have on the bay. We want to clean our river, keep trash and pollution from floating downstream into the bay," said Buck. He explained that refuse and pollution dumped into small tributary streams enters the Susquehanna and ultimately reaches the Chesapeake Bay.
     Buck said the weekend clean-up, blessed by good weather in contrast to downpours that plagued last year's event, gathered enough trash to fill about half of a 17 yard dumpster. "That trash would otherwise still be lying along the river banks," he said.
     For more information contact Endless Mountains Heritage Region at 570-265-1528, email emhr@epix.net. EMHR on the web: www.endlessmountainsheritage.org.
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Heritage Region Memberships Help Communities

TOWANDA PA - "I continue to be amazed by the quantity and quality of the heritage projects being undertaken by local groups," said Bob Veleker, Endless Mountains Heritage Region (EMHR) executive director.
     With 11 new projects totaling $144,000 poised to begin this year, Veleker commends local groups for their "vision and willingness to make improvements to facilities and programs that will provide a more rewarding visitor experience."
     One of those projects, implemented by Northern Tier Cultural Alliance, focuses on sustainable agriculture and promoting healthy lifestyles throughout the region. A series of information gathering/exchange meetings are planned on to explore how area farmers and consumers strive to meet those goals and how farmers are layering value added products into their business plans. Local farmer's markets will be promoted and the project will also support Pennsylvania's "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" campaign.
     Managing numerous projects spread over 2,821 square miles in Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties is challenging for EMHR's small staff. EMHR currently functions with only one full-time employee, two part-time employees and a handful of consultants. Operating funds provided by DCNR are quickly eaten up by fixed costs. Funds from memberships and community donations provide flexibility and fill the gaps and allow EMHR to offer a wider range of services.
     Membership in the Heritage Region translates into a positive difference for local communities. It also provides a way for individuals, families, groups, non-profits and businesses to participate in a vital organization with deep regional roots and growing impact.
     "EMHR is involved in projects encompassing historic preservation, cultural and economic development, tourism, recreation, agriculture, community planning and implementation," said Veleker.
     He outlined ambitious objectives for EMHR in 2007 including delivering something tangible. "We hope to have North Branch Water Trail maps available before Memorial Day," Veleker said. These Susquehanna River maps will foster safer recreational use of the river. Veleker also sees completion of Phase One work at the Marie Antoinette Scenic Overlook on Route 6 by October. This site will someday accommodate a new regional visitors' center.
     EMHR members can get involved in projects enhancing the quality of life in their own communities, such as river clean-up activities along the Susquehanna River. EMHR serves as lead organization for Susquehanna Greenway Partnership projects along the river's North Branch, which runs through Bradford, Susquehanna and Wyoming Counties.
     Members receive a quarterly newsletter centered on regional activities and projects, invitations to special workshops, seminars and events. Members vote on executive officers nominated through EMHR's board of directors during the organization's annual meeting in October.
     "We offer our members a chance to make a lasting difference in their communities and the region," Veleker said. EMHR has been doing so since 1998. Throughout the region EMHR funds help preserve and renovate historic buildings, upgrade museum exhibits, improve visitor destinations and create new recreational opportunities.
     For more information contact Endless Mountains Heritage Region at 570-265-1528 or email emhr@epix.net. Membership forms are available on the web at: www.endlessmountainsheritage.org.

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