Flight 93 National Memorial dedicates Tower of Voices

The Tower of Voices, constructed as a visual and audible reminder of the heroism of the 40 passengers and crew members of United Flight 93, was dedicated at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Somerset County on
Sept. 9.

The tower — a 93-foot tall musical instrument located near the memorial’s entrance off U.S. Route 30 — completes the final phase of construction of the memorial. Funding for the design and construction of the chime structure was provided through private donations to the National Park Foundation and the Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial.

This is the only chime structure like this in the world. The system is designed to identify a mathematically developed range of frequencies needed to produce a distinct musical note associated with each of the 40 wind-activated chimes, according to a memorial spokesman.

The 17th anniversary observance of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that led to the crash of United Flight 93, was held Sept. 11. Sponsored by the National Park Service, the Families of Flight 93, Friends of Flight 93 National Memorial, and the National Park Foundation, the event included the reading of the names of passengers and crew members, the ringing of the Bells of Remembrance in their memory, and a wreath-laying at the Wall of Names.

Speakers at the Sept. 11 ceremony included President Donald Trump, Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, Gov. Tom Wolf, former Gov. Mark Schweiker, Gordon Felt (president of the Families of Flight 93), and the Rev. Paul Britton (brother of Flight 93 passenger Marion Britton).

Watch Pennsylvania’s elk from your own living room

Northcentral Pennsylvania has an estimated elk population of about 1,000. Thanks to the Elk Country Live Stream, anyone can watch for elk at their leisure by tuning in to the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s “elk cam” at pgc.pa.gov (go to “Quick Clicks”).

The best time to view elk is at dusk and dawn during the fall, when they are most active.

The live stream is coordinated through the Pennsylvania Game Commission, HDOnTap and North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development.

Barns of Erie County featured

Northwestern Rural Electric Cooperative members David and Marilyn Nelson have published a book, “The Barns of Erie County,” which includes photographs of 500 barns.

As a high school student, Nelson made deliveries all over Erie County for his father’s janitorial supply company, and he says he often marveled at the idyllic country scenes and amazing turn-of-the-century barns he saw along his route.

After graduation, Nelson left the area and traveled extensively around the U.S. and the world, but he says, “To my amazement, I found nothing like Erie County anywhere else in the world.”

He moved back to the area in 2000 and soon noticed the barns he had so admired decades earlier were disappearing.

“In the late 1960s, these barns were only 40 to 60 years old, and in much better shape,” he says. “Now, at 100 or over, the wind and weather were taking their toll. … Many of the barns that I loved so much were falling or had fallen into such disrepair that it was too expensive or too arduous a task to bring them back to their original splendor.”

So Nelson decided to do the next best thing — use photographs to document the barns as they are now. Using a grid map of the county, the couple went road by road taking photos of as many barns as they could see from the road.

For information about the book or to order a photo from the book, contact the Nelsons at [email protected] or call 814-434-1701.

“Old Farmer’s Almanac” says get ready for a warm, wet winter

The “Old Farmer’s Almanac,” which began making long-range weather forecasts in 1792, is predicting the coming winter in Pennsylvania will be warmer, meaning a lot of the seasonal precipitation will fall as rain.

The forecast calls for cold periods in late December, early and late January and early and mid-February. The almanac, which says it uses a secret weather-forecasting formula focusing on the influence of magnetic storms on the surface of the sun developed by Robert Thomas in the late 1700s, claims a historical accuracy rating of 80 percent.

State on track for REAL ID-compliant licenses

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation says it will have REAL ID-compliant driver’s licenses and ID cards available to residents who want them in March 2019.

Individuals must have a REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification (such as a passport) by Oct. 1, 2020, in order to enter federal facilities (with the exception of public spaces), enter a nuclear power plant, or board a commercial aircraft. REAL IDs are not required for driving a vehicle, visiting a post office or obtaining federal benefits such as Social Security.

For more information about the REAL ID program, check online at dmv.pa.gov.

Looking for artistic students

The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, in an effort to raise awareness of the threat posed by the advance of the spotted lanternfly, an invasive pest first spotted in Pennsylvania in 2014, is holding a calendar contest for students in grades 1 through 8.

“When an invasive species enters Pennsylvania, we need the help of our communities to eradicate it,” says Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding.” This contest will educate students about the threat posed by this invasive insect, help Pennsylvanians better identify it, encourage discussions among students and their families, and provide awareness and engagement across the state.”

Entries must include one fact about the spotted lanternfly, original artwork created by the student on an 11-inch by 17-inch poster (horizontally oriented) with a complete contest submission rule taped to the back of the poster. Entries will be judged in four age divisions. The top three winning entries per grade will be featured in a calendar and the grand prize winner will appear on the cover.

The grand prize winner will be announced during a recognition ceremony during the 2019 Farm Show, and his or her school will win a spring assembly featuring prizes, activities, and a special guest.

Send artwork to the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Press Office, Room 210, 2301 N. Cameron Street Harrisburg, PA 17110. All submissions must be postmarked by Oct. 31, 2018.

More information about the spotted lanternfly is available online at agriculture.pa.gov and extension.psu.edu.