Dave Hurst

The pavilion at Saint Mary's Byzantine Catholic Church was accommodating more than 150 people at 8-foot tables on one side and a continuous row of food-service stations on the other.

Recently a group, representing The Greater Cumberland (Maryland) Committee, toured outdoor-recreation sites here in the Greater Johnstown area. An article in the local newspaper evoked a smile and fond memories for I was very familiar with the sites and the tour guides.

Recently a group, representing The Greater Cumberland (MD) Committee, toured outdoor-recreation sites here in the Greater Johnstown area. An article in the local newspaper evoked a smile and fond memories for I was very familiar with the sites and the tour guides.

The heart of the Northern Appalachian Folk Festival beats true but isn’t where one would usually expect it.

Cushy cumulus gathered under a soft blue sky. A gentle breeze stirred the fronds bursting from the top of a pencil-straight, 50-foot-high cabbage palm.

The tree, identified by a sign as a yellow birch, was not mighty. It was mighty impressive, though, with its small yellow-greenish leaves glistening in the afternoon sunlight.

The tree, identified by a sign as a yellow birch, was not mighty. It was mighty impressive, though, with its small yellow-greenish leaves glistening in the afternoon sunlight.

Left behind in the attic of my house – at that time recently purchased – was a bundle of squarish sticks, all marked in inches and resembling yardsticks but much longer, with a couple sets connected by hinges.

A massive cube, measuring several feet per side, is suspended in the middle of the room. Shining through a red medium, a light source within illuminates the intricate black patterns that have been laser-cut from lacquered steel.

The mid-October day was beautiful. A bright, hazy-blue sky provided temperatures in the low 40s.