Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation Citizens Advisory Board to present “virtual” Green Luncheon in 2020
Due to pandemic precautions, the Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation Citizens Advisory Board is hosting a “virtual” Green Luncheon presentation in 2020. The Green Luncheon was initiated in 2003 to honor those who generously support Westmoreland County’s ten parks and five trails throughout the year.
During the past year, we have worked hard on many park and trail projects throughout Westmoreland County, and we want to celebrate all the partnerships that enabled them to happen.
This year’s Green Luncheon honorees follow. Muir, Olmstead, Hornaday, and Audubon fellows are honored for their financial support, with the cumulative dollar amount of their giving determining the category.
MUIR Fellows ($1,000)
Diane DeCort
East Suburban Sports Medicine Center
Robert Kovalchik, Ameriprise Financial Services
Representative Bob Brooks
Jay and Mary Lou Tarara
Robert Dean Hays
UPMC Center for Rehab Services
Victory Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram
OLMSTEAD ($2,500)
Tom Gillen, DMD
Joady and Ron Hill
Yvonne Guthrie, Howard Hanna Real Estate
Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau
Olympus Energy, LLC
SAI Consulting Engineers
Somerset Trust Company
Regis and Diane Synan
William A. Varley, MD
HORNADAY ($5,000)
Commercial Bank and Trust of PA
Long and Long, LLC
Westmoreland Yough Trail Chapter
AUDUBON ($10,000)
Lakeview Animal Clinic
Malcolm and Patti Sias
Toyota of Greensburg
UPMC East
John Ward, Esq.
Great Oak Energy, Inc.
Spitzer Toyota
Also being honored are the following Lewis Fellows, recognized for their continued exceptional service to Westmoreland County Parks.
Lewis Fellows (in recognition of outstanding service)
John Hynes
Rob Cronauer
John Hynes has served on the Westmoreland County Parks Citizens Advisory Board since 2011 and just resigned in August after 3 terms. John and his wife Vi served on the Murrysville March for Parks planning committee and have volunteered at the annual event since 2014. John has helped coordinate over $17,000 in fundraising for our County parks and trails through the Allstate Helping Hands Foundation, and he and his colleagues volunteered at the August Fun Fest at Cedar Creek Park in 2019. We are very thankful for his commitment and dedication to our Westmoreland County Parks!
Rob Cronauer has been the Watershed Program Manager at the Westmoreland Conservation District for over 17 years, and works closely with the Westmoreland County Parks department. Rob organized building wetlands at Chestnut Ridge and Bridgeport Dam Parks, and managed bridge abutment stabilization on the Great Allegheny Passage trail in Cedar Creek Park. He currently serves as the Vice President of the Westmoreland Heritage Trail Chapter and has donated many hours of his time and expertise to many projects that benefit our County Parks and Trails.
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Thanks to the support and funding of the Westmoreland County Commissioners, the Westmoreland County Parks and Recreation Department is able to provide area citizens with a wide range of year-round recreation opportunities in ten parks and five hiking/biking trails throughout Westmoreland County.
Facilities include: baseball and soccer fields; basketball, tennis, volleyball, shuffleboard, and bocce courts; horseshoe pits; toboggan/sled areas; trout- and game-fish-stocked lakes; handicapped accessible fishing decks; bicycle trails; a skate and action park; two dog parks; amphitheaters; lakes for boating and fishing; swings and playgrounds; a giant slide; model radio-controlled airfields; equestrian trails; a BMX track; walking paths; adult and children’s fitness areas; areas for hunting (limited); dek hockey; and a scenic observation deck.
Free events include: outdoor concerts; fishing derbies; nature hikes and a variety of fun festivals.
Westmoreland County’s ten parks are: Cedar Creek Park in Rostraver Township; Mammoth Park, Chestnut Ridge Park and Bridgeport Dam Park in Mount Pleasant Township; Northmoreland Park in Allegheny Township; Twin Lakes Park in Unity and Hempfield townships; Ann Rudd Saxman Nature Park and Historic Hanna’s Town in Hempfield Township; Sewickley Creek Wetlands in New Stanton Borough; and Loyalhanna Gorge Recreation Area in Derry and Ligonier townships.
Trails in Westmoreland County supported by the Westmoreland County Bureau of Parks and Recreation are: the Five Star Trail (Greensburg to Youngwood); the Westmoreland County section of the Great Allegheny Passage; Coal and Coke Trail (Mount Pleasant to Scottdale); the Westmoreland Heritage Trail (Saltsburg to Delmont and Export to Trafford); and the Little Crabtree Creek Trail (Twin Lakes Park to Crabtree).
