Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
348833197
label
Rural Development - Pennsylvania
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
348833197
contentType
document
title
Rural Development - Pennsylvania
citationUrl
collections
Records of the Office of National Service (Clinton Administration)
AmeriCorps Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
348833197
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
otherTitles
311842741-20130661F-Seg3-038-010-2023
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
18c5ac9593789826
ocrText
FOIA Number: 2013-0661-F
(3)
FOIA
MARKER
This is not a textual record. This is used as an
administrative marker by the William J. Clinton
Presidential Library Staff.
Collection/Record Group:
Clinton Presidential Records
Subgroup/Office of Origin:
Americorps
Series/Staff Member:
General Files
Subseries:
OA/ID Number:
24222
FolderID:
Folder Title:
Rural Development - Pennsylvania
Stack:
Row:
Section:
Shelf:
Position:
S
66
1
5
1
USDA/AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
MERICORP
UNITED
STATES
DEPARTMENT
OF AGRICULTURE
Fayette County AmeriCorps Team
First Annual Report
TO
1995-1996
National Road
HERITAGE
ROUTE
Heritage Park
USDA/AmeriCorps Team Makes Headlines
The Fayette County AmeriCorps Team
Creating Solutions Through Partnerships
Their objective: Community. Opportunity. Responsibility
Pennsy Ivania has had five members of
Craig Kelso
Jaime Fecek
Team sponsors are beginning to recruit
AmeriCorps since October. 1995
Craig Kelso is close to completing the
Jaime Feeek is assisting with the Ram-
new AmeriCorps Team members for
Headquartered at the National Road
Youghioch
'erpretive
parts Neighborhood italization
1997. Next year's proposed job descrip-
Heritage Park offices in Farmington. the
develop
C
team has made significant progre
15,
1995
Ramparts is
tions include:
users to
being
variety
of
projects
OCT.
ghts
drainage
include
AmeriCorps TRIBUNE heritage REVIEW SUNDAY tourism to work
rholt
AMERICORPS TEAM the
demonstration site
on history,
estern Pennsylva orps to
County
to
Pennsylvania E COUNTY ES
in ops on National they
work N funding of and under
//// Can an
1/15
Corps
last
of the
A-6--HERALD-D-STANDARD, TUESDAY, APRIL 16 1996
Yough Trail clean-up project slated
solution
The scheduled rain date for the pate.
The Frazier School District clean-up will
For
more
information.
contact
Saturday
in
a
project is Saturday. April 27.
Parents. families and community
Barbara
Rozycki
at
736-4427
or
Assembled from all over U.S.,
participate project along six miles in the of district the Yough and
Jaime Fecek at 329-1560.
AmeriCorps team takes
River in areas on both ends of the Layton
Trail
located
members are encou
tunnel. The school district will work with
the
variety of projects in county on
the AmeriCorps Team. Pennsylvania
Volunteer Day FRIDAY. set
APRIL
19.
1996
CleanWays and the Regional Trail
Tribune-Review
Corporation to remove garbage and
wrk on the
to repair center
debris from the areas as one of the
district's community-service pro-
paysembers its car
The
February 25,1996
jects. The project was sponsored made possible by
era that Nessity
through Fayette County grant Drug and Alcohol
Conservation bar
THE
a
Center The in Uniontown the East End Community May 11.
repairing
Commission. Students in grades 9-12 who service per-
ps members pl
Cen.
AmeriCorps team
form
25
hours
of
community
during the year will receive Con
cate
the
Frazier
A-6-HERALD-STANDARD, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1996
a
from
faces challenge
Group indicating the numb
FAYETTE COUNTY AMERI-
vice hours attained.
ne
CORPS TEAM will host a town
Heyworth
Students will also be h
their services at a spring b:
meeting at 7 p.m. Monday at the
dif.
By Paul Heyworth
Volunteers will meet S
Dawson Fire Hall. A representative
THRUNE REVIEW
8 a.m. at the Frazier His
from the USDA Rural Housing
ouths
Five young profes.
auditorium
for
a
brief
s:
Service office. tormerly the Farmers
sionals are offering
gram. Following the safety
Home Administration. will be pre-
their skills, talents
a bus will transport studer
sent to explain grants and loans with
and caring attitudes
to
encourage
clean-up.
one percent interest rates that are
tom ism related her.
itage development
along
the
Youthful team will try to boost
Youghiogheny River
Trail and the Nation-
al Road Heritage
heritage development in county
Park (Route 40) corri-
dors
The month old
Favette
County
By MELISSA WILLIAMS SCHOFIELD
and development of sites and resources infrastrue-
Americ orps Rural
Herald Standard Staff Writer
ture The program includes fostering a strong part-
Development Team
nership among private and public agencies. as well
now realizes it faces
A team of five recent college graduates from all
as small community-based groups. working toward
massive. complex
walks of life will be spending the next eight months
rebuilding the economy of Fayette County. said Tha-
challenge
in
an
trying to rebuild Fayette County's economy.
atmosphere ofconsid
gard.
erable uncertaints. If
Their goal is to encourage tourism-related
The team intends to complete 1700 hours of ser-
COMPUTER REVIEW
the political winds
heritage development at the National Road State
vice over an 11-month time frame.
continue to blow as
Susan Thagard, AmeriCorps team coordinator and
Heritage Park and the Youghiogheny River Trail.
Thag who hails from Pittsburgh. graduated
they
have
been
planner. reviews computer information with Adam
The team started working on revitalizing Fayette
from the University of Maryland. College Park. in
recently. Amer
Baacke, historic preservationist
County in mid-October and is based at the National
1990. with a bachelor of arts degree in fine arts and
might go out of busi
Road Heritage Park offices near Fort Necessity's
a minor in art history, from the University of Utah at
ness by the end of the year.
coordinator and planner. "So. the
"We knew from the outset that it
entrance along the National Road in Farmington.
Salt Lake City in 1005 with an urban planning cer-
difficulty lies in getting people
was going to be difficult to com-
The team is comprised of Susan Thagard. who is
tificate. and from the University of Pittsburgh at
involved. starting the project in
plete projects and make deadlines."
such a way as to ensure they will
planner and coordinator: Adam Baacke. historic
lohnstown. where she learned valuable research
explained Susan F. Thagard. team
preservationist: Jaime Fecek. public relations: Craig
PLEASE SEE TEAM/A4
skills by documenting historic information for small
Kelso, public historian: and Amy Myers. who is an
towns. which she IS applying toward her work in
attorney.
Fayette County
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
Table of Contents
Definition of AmeriCorps
1
Report Summary
2
National Road Heritage Park Corridor
4
Youghiogheny River Trail Corridor
7
Direct Service Projects
8
Getting Things Done
11
1996 Fayette County AmeriCorps Team
Adam Baacke
Jaime Fecek
Craig Kelso
Amy Myers
Susan Thagard
Acknowledgment
Dr. T Allan Comp of Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage Preservation Commission
conceived, developed, and supervised the Fayette County AmeriCorps Team and
Mr. Robert Grenoble of National Road Heritage Park provided office, staff, and
supervisory support. This first annual report is dedicated to their contribution.
i
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
What is AmeriCorps?
AmeriCorps is President Clinton's domestic national service program - passed with
bipartisan support from Congress - that engages 20,000 Americans of diverse
backgrounds in performing service that meets critical community needs in return for
an educational award which may be used to pay for college, job training, graduate
school, or to pay back student loans. The majority of AmeriCorps members work in
partnerships with states, local governments, and non-profit organizations. The U.S.
Department of Agriculture runs three types of AmeriCorps teams in 38 states,
composed of approximately 1,200 members: an Anti-Hunger Team, a Public Lands
and Environment Team, and a Rural Development Team. Many of the AmeriCorps
projects are sponsored by community-based organizations and all projects are
designed to get things done, while building community, opportunity, and
responsibility. In exchange for 1,700 hours of community service performed within
nine months to one year, AmeriCorps Members receive a living stipend, health
insurance, and an educational award.
Why did Fayette County receive an AmeriCorps Team?
Fayette County qualified for a USDA AmeriCorps team because its 145,000
residents live almost exclusively in rural areas and they face some of the harshest
economic realities in Pennsylvania. Since 1980, the county has experienced a 9%
decline in population while the unemployment rate has remained over 10%. Income
levels rank last in the state with 20.7% of the county's residents and 17.6% of the
county's families living below the poverty level. Nearly one-fifth of the county's
population is over age 65 and more than 14% of the elderly live below the poverty
level. Over 27% of the county's residents receive some form of public assistance.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture sponsored the Rural Development Team that
was applied for and supervised by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage
Preservation Commission (SPHPC), Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, and
Penn's Corner Resource Conservation and Development Area.
1
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
Report Summary
This report documents the accomplishments of the five members of the Fayette
County AmeriCorps Team managed by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Heritage
Preservation Commission, Fay-Penn Economic Development Council, and Penn's
Corner Resource and Conservation District in the 1995-96 year of AmeriCorps. It
was the first and only USDA Rural Development AmeriCorps Team in the state of
Pennsylvania.
The team's primary objective was to encourage tourism-related heritage
development within the National Road Heritage Park and Youghiogheny River Trail
corridors.
The National Road Heritage Park (NRHP) was established to foster economic and
community development through the promotion of heritage tourism in the National
Road corridor. The National Road corridor is defined as one-quarter mile from the
center line of the National Road in both directions. The present U.S. Route 40
follows the National Road in Pennsylvania for 90 miles through Somerset, Fayette,
and Washington Counties.
During the program year, the Fayette County AmeriCorps Team achieved the
following results within two geographic corridors.
Within the NRHP corridor:
Completed and submitted nominations for two taverns and two towns to the
National Register of Historic Places
Created a $400,000 low-interest loan program for owners of historic buildings
Eliminated 100 tons of abandoned vehicles and screened two junkyards
Developed a brochure for the Flat Iron Building Visitor Center in Brownsville
Created events for the National Pike Festival
2
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
Developed art and essay contest to educate students about local history
Initiated screening three junkyards located along the National Road
The Youghiogheny River Trail (YRT) is a 67 mile limestone surfaced trail being
built along the abandoned Pittsburgh and Lake Erie and Western Maryland railroads
between McKeesport and Confluence. It is a non-motorized, shared-use
recreational trail for cycling, walking, fishing and canoe access, horseback riding,
cross country skiing, and picnicking. The YRT parallels the Youghiogheny River
and is the largest single visitor use attraction in the region and a key connection in
the planned Pittsburgh to D. C. trail.
Within the YRT corridor:
Identified and developed interpretive text for 35 historic sites along 40 miles of
trail
Surveyed 60 rail-trail organizations across the U.S. to develop and desiminate
maintenance and management standards for future trail development
Documented trail usage to obtain additional funding for YRT
During the program year, the Fayette County AmeriCorps Team performed the
following direct service projects throughout Fayette County:
Repaired the East End Community Center in Uniontown
Organized an illegal dumpsite cleanup with the Frazier School District
Conducted two town meetings to inform residents of USDA housing programs
Initiated and obtained a five member Anti-Hunger AmeriCorps team
Implemented housing rehabilitation programs in Brownsville
3
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
National Road Heritage Park Corridor
National Register of Historic Places
In order to aid in the development of the NRHP as a tourist destination, one
team member nominated two taverns located along the National Road to the
National Register of Historic Places: the Josiah Frost House in Menallen
Township and the Dougherty Tavern in Donegal Township. Since the team
member identified the building as historically significant, the owners of the
taverns have committed to the preservation and conservation of their
buildings. Two towns were also nominated to the National Register of
Historic Places. Since the nominations have been submitted, members of
both communities have expressed interest in establishing neighborhood
associations, as well as enacting local zoning and regulations to help preserve
the historic character and identity of their communities.
Community and Building Revitalization Program
In an effort to promote tourism and increase community pride in Fayette,
Somerset, and Washington Counties, a team member created a low-interest
loan program for owners of historic structures located along the National
Road. Historic properties within five miles of the National Road which are
listed on the National Register of Historic Places individually or as
contributing resources in a historic district are now eligible for loans ranging
from $5,000 to $30,000 at an interest rate 2% below the National Prime
Interest Rate. Participating lenders include Fayette Bank, National City
Bank of Fayette County, National City Bank of Washington County, and
Washington Federal Savings & Loan. Each lender agreed to contribute
$100,000 to the program.
4
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
Education
To increase student awareness about Fayette County's rich heritage, an art
and essay contest was held during the National Pike Festival for elementary
and junior high school students in schools located along the National Road.
Over 100 entries depicting life along the National Road in the 1800's were
submitted. Winners of the art and essay contests received monetary prizes
and their entries were published in the NRHP's newsletter The Milepost.
Teachers now include Fayette County history in their lessons as a result of
the contests created by a member.
Junkyard Removal
In a highway beautification project, one team member worked with new
property owners to remove a junkyard that had scarred the National Road's
landscape for more than 30 years. The site, located in Brier Hill, was an
eyesore and environmental hazard. Over 140 junked vehicles were removed
and 100 tons of scrap metal was recycled. The site is now the home of
Heritage Motors, an automobile dealership. With the removal of one
junkyard along the National Road, there is now a clean site, a new business,
and a pleasant view for neighbors and travelers along the National Road. As
a result of this project, other junkyard owners have indicated their
willingness to cooperate with remediation efforts such as screening and
removal.
Flat Iron Building Brochure
One team member created a brochure for the Flat Iron Building located in
Brownsville. The Flat Iron Building is a 160 year old building renovated by
the Brownsville Area Revitalization Corporation in an effort to promote
tourism in the area. The building will serve as an interpretive and welcome
center for the NRHP. The brochure contains information on Brownsville and
other historic sites in Fayette County.
5
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
Business Survey
To assist the NRHP in implementing community and economic development
programs, all team members surveyed over 500 businesses located in
Somerset, Fayette, and Washington Counties along the National Road.
The survey results provide the NRHP with a baseline for economic and
community development activities, and a ready avenue for improved
communication.
National Pike Festival
To attract more visitors to the National Pike Festival, one team member
organized two evenings of entertainment for the festival at the Great
Meadows Amphitheater. The underutilized amphitheater provided a great
forum for a storyteller who told Early American and Pennsylvania history
folk stories and a four member musical group who sang tavern songs and
told stories about the National Road. This type of entertainment was the first
of its kind during the Pike Festival. The same team member also designed
the first National Pike Festival flag and proceeds benefited the NRHP.
Junkyard Screening
One team member reached agreements with three junkyard owners to screen
their properties located along the National Road. The properties are located
in Henry Clay and Wharton Townships in Fayette County and Malden
Township in Washington County. The screening will consist of a
combination of live screening, such as trees and shrubs, and wooden fences.
Area businesses have agreed to donate supplies needed to build the fences.
6
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
Youghiogheny River Trail Corridor
Interpretive Sites
A historic resources survey was conducted along 40 miles of the
Youghiogheny River Trail to determine appropriate sites for interpretation.
With the assistance of local historical societies and community members, a
team member located 36 historic sites along the trail between Connellsville
and Boston. Interpretive signage will be placed at several sites in Fayette,
Westmoreland, and Allegheney Counties. The signage along the YRT will
tell the history of southwestern Pennsylvania and will create a unique
experience for the more than 10,000 people per week who are expected to
use the trail when it is completed.
Maintenance Guide
Throughout the region and the nation, maintenance and management of rail-
trails are the two greatest concerns trail groups have about their trails. With
support from the PA chapter of Rails-to-Trails, one member conducted a
maintenance study to enable both new and experienced rail-trails to better
plan for future budgets and stewardship of their trails. As a result of the
survey, a database was created that is compatible with the Rails-to-Trails
Conservancy system as well as most trail groups. The collection holds
maintenance, greenway, and economic impact resources that is helpful to
trail groups throughout the country.
Trail Count
All team members assisted the Regional Trail Corporation (RTC) to
determine the number of people who use the YRT daily and on weekends.
The numbers obtained will be used by the RTC to better determine
maintenance costs and schedules. The numbers will also help the RTC
obtain private and public funds to maintain the trail.
7
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
Direct Service Projects
East End Community Center
The East End Community Center, located along the National Road in
Uniontown, provides a safe haven for children to learn social and academic
skills through one-on-one tutoring and mentoring programs for
approximately 285 students each year. Both the interior and exterior of the
center desperately needed repair. Most of the rooms contained dark, paneled
walls which did not provide adequate lighting for tutoring sessions. The
exterior of the building was dirty with peeling and chipping paint. A team
member organized a Community Volunteer Day to rehabilitate the Center.
All five team members and over 30 volunteers cleaned and painted 10 rooms
and the exterior of the building. The volunteer day sparked other
organizations to become involved in the project, such as the Welfare-to-
Work program and community service work programs. As more people
learned of the project enough donations were received to repair the leaky
roof and replace broken ceiling tiles.
Illegal Dumpsites
To help the Regional Trail Corporation (RTC) clean-up sections of the
Youghiogheny River Trail, two team members organized a clean-up in
cooperation with the Frazier School District, PA Cleanways, and the
Perryopolis Area Heritage Society. To encourage student participation at the
clean-up one team member organized a school assembly where the state
geologist explained the detrimental effects of illegal dumping on the
environment. All team members and over 50 students and 25 adults
participated in the clean-up. Volunteers picked up over 15 tons of trash from
six miles of the future site of the YRT and from 60 acres of land surrounding
the George Washington Grist Mill. During the course of the clean-up
students were overheard saying they would never again throw another piece
of trash on the ground. Students also received community service credits
from the Frazier School District.
8
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
USDA Housing Programs
Two meetings were held in the towns of Dawson and Vanderbilt to help
assist homeowners apply for the USDA's Rural Housing Service grants and
loans. A representative from the local USDA office attended the meetings
to explain eligibility requirements and help citizens fill out applications. As
a result of the meetings, five people filed applications to receive grants
and/or loans to make improvement to their houses.
Summer of Gleaning
Two team members submitted a proposal to obtain an additional five member
USDA AmeriCorps team for summer 1996. The Anti-Hunger Team gleaned
excess food from area restaurants and distributed it to soup kitchens in
Fayette County for twelve weeks. Pennsylvania was one of only 17 states in
the country to receive an Anti-Hunger AmeriCorps Team for the summer.
The team provided an additional 8,000 meals during the summer for patrons
of Fayette County soup kitchens and established linkages with food donors
that remain today.
Picnic in the Park
Several team members organized a "Picnic in the Park" for patrons of Fayette
County soup kitchens during the USDA's National Week of Food Recovery.
All of the food for the picnic was donated from area restaurants and
businesses. Team members coordinated with the Anti-Hunger AmeriCorps
team and served food while a local band provided entertainment for the more
than 100 people who attended the picnic.
9
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
Housing Rehabilitation
A major housing rehabilitation project is being implemented in a
neighborhood in Brownsville to improve housing conditions and make
housing more affordable to low-income residents. The project is being
implemented in partnership with more than 10 agencies, including non-profit
housing and federal agencies. Projects include surveying neighborhood
needs, holding training sessions on home ownership and landlord/tenant
relations, developing a neighborhood crime watch program, and helping
residents access USDA and state assistance programs. In addition to housing
rehabilitation, the project also includes improving other aspects of the
neighborhood, such as building community centers and playgrounds, and
improving roads and sidewalks.
USDA Mini-Grant
One member applied for and received a mini-grant to rehabilitate a home
located in the Ramparts I neighborhood. The mini-grant covered the costs of
cleaning and painting a two story brick home. Three team members worked
closely with volunteers from the community to paint the house and
supervise volunteers.
10
USDA AmeriCorps
Getting Things Done in Rural America
Getting Things Done
The AmeriCorps ethic is "getting things done" by improving communities and
meeting their education, public safety, human, and environmental needs.
AmeriCorps strengthens communities, expands opportunities for its members, and
encourages responsibility.
AmeriCorps members come from different cultures and backgrounds with different
missions to unite in an effort to improve communities across the United States.
AmeriCorps provides opportunities for its members to receive education awards. It
also provides members with invaluable service experience, specialized training, and
life skills.
AmeriCorps encourages members to be responsible for their communities,
themselves, and their families during their terms of service and throughout their
lives.
In addition to their project accomplishments, during 1995-96 the Fayette County
AmeriCorps Team helped to strengthen over 10 communities in Fayette County
with more than 420 volunteers who provided over 2,300 hours of direct service to
their communities.
11