The third annual Septemberfest will take place at Yellow Creek State Park on Saturday, September 29, 2012. We're planning races, boating, games, music and more. Yes, we know it's a long time until fall, but we're excited about this event. So we're marking our calendars now! Why don't you do it too.And if you'd like to contribute to this great fundraiser and celebration of the park, join our email list and we'll invite you to the next meeting.
Friends of Yellow Creek aims to include visitors in conserving, protecting, and enhancing the natural, educational, and recreational resources of the park.
Donation, Membership Renewal - Now Online
Submitted by admin on Wed, 11/02/2011 - 21:29Working with our parent organization, the PA Parks and Forests Foundation, FOYC is now able to offer secure, online donation and membership renewal. Please look for the link on that right to start the process:
Hyrdro Fracking in the Yellow Creek Conservation Zone
Submitted by admin on Tue, 10/04/2011 - 19:26Published in
MDS Energy has resumed drilling at the Ray Road site within the Indiana County Conservation Zone just 1500 up hill from the lake. After beginning this well illegally, they have now been granted permission to drill, with some conditions, by the Indiana County Zoning Hearing Board which held that the operation would not be in violation of the Conservation ordinance.
Unfortunately, the current law does not explicitly prohibit drilling within the zone, even though its intent is "to ensure adequate protection for the quantity and quality of the park waters and to prohibit any use that poses a potential to degrade the park waters. Additional environmental concerns include air pollution in the forms of particular and noxious odor, noise pollution, and aesthetic incompatibitities, any one of which can destroy the rural park setting if allowed to operate at an abusive level. (4.600 Intent of Conservation (C) Zone)"
As many FOYC members will know, this well is close to both the Boy Scout Camp and the DCNR cabins. If you would like to become more informed and participate in the effort to get this 30-year old law revised, please visit Coalition for a Healthy County.
Septemberfest Success
Submitted by admin on Wed, 09/28/2011 - 20:23Published in
Thanks to all those who attended and helped organizing Septemberfest 2011. We ran successful 5K, bike, and sailing races. We enjoyed many kinds of music, played games, got out in kayaks, and learned about the flora and the avians of Pennsylvania. We'll share more pictures as they're made available. Email friendsofyellowcreek@gmail.com if you have some to share!
Septemberfest - Press Release
Submitted by admin on Fri, 09/09/2011 - 06:26Published in
2nd Annual Septemberfest to Feature Races, Live Music, Nature Programs – Activities for All Download the PDF
Septemberfest 5K - Register Now!
Submitted by admin on Fri, 09/02/2011 - 07:51Published in
Indiana Runners ... Preregistation for the Septemberfest 5K 9/24 continues up until next Saturday the 10th. Come on out and run for a good cause --Friends of Yellow Creek. Start is not until 1pm, so that Kidz Klassic volunteers would still be able to participate. For more details, see the race description: http://www.foyc.org/node/39Click Here for the Application: http://www.foyc.org/sites/default/files/septemberfest5K-app-draft04-color.pdf
Get the Word Out - Sat 9/24 is Septemberfest 2011
Submitted by admin on Fri, 08/26/2011 - 22:21Published in
If you are a Friend, please help us get the word out. Download this image or print the pdf and post it at school, work, church ... wherever you can. And do come out to enjoy September at the park with us!
Puddle Ducks Launched - July 3rd, 2011 - Yellow Creek Lake
Submitted by admin on Tue, 08/09/2011 - 18:02Published in
The Launch
On July 3rd, 2011, Yellow Creek Lake was the scene for an happy if unusual launching. Six new, homebuilt sailboats made of wood took to the water. These six Puddle Duck Racers were built by groups fo Indiana families in a project organized by FOYC with the help of Moraine Sailing Club's John Bridges. We gathered as a group for construcion oft the hulls in February and sail building in March. Now after much sanding, caulking, and painting, we had sailboats.
There were last minute questions about rigging. Is this boom supposed to be 8 or 10 foot? Some of the builders had never sailed, so we held a 20-minute crash course. How do you sail up-wind? What if you capsize? What is the main-sheet for again? But the winds were gentle, and even first-time sailors made it off the shore and back again! Our sails made as cheaply as possible from Tyvek and stuck together with carpet tape held! Not only did the boats float but, thankfully, but they sailed pretty well and only mine leaked!
In the picture below, you can also see a pair of wooden Optimist sailboats and a Weekend Skiff that came along for the ride. In the gallery, you can see that we launched from shore. The soft mud is gentle on boat bottoms, but you sometimes need a push to get "unstuck." We found ourselves having to launch the boats into deeper water before hanging on the rudders.
Building and sailing a PDR offers a few chances to be create. Our PDRs sport some colorful, custom paint jobs. For our first build, we suited up the six boats with a popular sail style called the "Leg-o-mutton" which is efficient and easy to build. You may see other PDRs with very different sails, since while the boat hulls should conform to the same shape, sail design is totally open to experiment.
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| Puddle ducks, and other wooden boats; Optimist, far right. Yellow Creek Lake 2011 - From PDR |
Vote for Trees in PA Parks
Submitted by admin on Tue, 06/14/2011 - 12:24Published in
New chance to vote for trees. Pennsylvania has the opportunity to gain more dollars in the Odwalla Plant a Tree campaign, which earns free trees for state parks. Several states that produce the Welcome Maps are eligible for a special pot of money, and Pennsylvania is one of those special states. Vote at:www.odwalla.com/plantatree.
Good News on Marcellus Drilling in the Yellow Creek Conservation Zone
Submitted by admin on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 11:08Published in
The Indiana Gazette Reports that MDS Energy "will not be allowed to drill a shale-gas well near Yellow Creek State Park unless it can show how it will ensure the park and its lake will be protected, the Indiana County Zoning Hearing Board has ruled." There is the possibility for a reapplication or appeal. Friends of Yellow Creek and a loose coaltion of community groups provided essential testimony to the County Commissioners and Indiana County Zoning Hearing Board.Read the full story "Panel Denies Drilling Permit," Sam Kusic May 3, 2011
