NEXT MEETING: The Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Advisory Committee will hold its next meeting Wednesday, February 12th at 6:30 PM in the Duncannon Christ Lutheran Church located at 115 Church Street.  An RSVP is not required but it’s greatly appreciated.  Our agenda will focus on next year’s 2014 Duncannon A.T. Community Festival, we’ll discuss the progress we’ve made in the past month and further increasing meeting attendance.  If you’re interested in attending DATC meetings, please vote for your preferred day of the month for future DATC meetings.

OUR PREVIOUS MEETING: Here is a list of some of the topics that we covered at our last January 8th DATC meeting:

• Photography:
  1. Michael Dunmire will be in charge of photo displays and presentations at the DATC Festival and he will organize volunteer photographers to share their knowledge.
  2. Volunteer photographers will be able to display contact information and take orders for future jobs.
  3. During the festival there will be 20 to 30 minute Photography presentations focusing on various subject matters such as portraits, abstracts, still life, architecture and landscapes.  After each presentation photographers will go out in the field to take photographs.  We will try to get each photographer to bring family-friendly photographs of Duncannon for display.  The work will be displayed with a black frame, white mat and an 8 x 10 photo with the contact info.
  4. Photographers might need power for laptops or a projector so we will look into using the dining hall at the firehouse for photography presentations.
  5. We have to make sure that people being photographed sign a model release form and if they are children the parents sign the forms for the children.
  6. We will try to make it so no one feels left out, so people with inexpensive cameras feel just as important as people with professional cameras.  We will advertise that people should bring their own cameras.
  7. Kids love taking pictures. We are thinking of getting disposable cameras for the children to take pictures of Duncannon. We will have to ask the children’s parents to fill out contact information so we can send them the photos that the children took during the festival.
  8. We can create a Flickr group so people from the festival can post their photos. The photos with the highest ratings could be displayed locally.
• We need to establish a plan for sponsorship based on various festival costs.  Find a sponsor for the stage area to cover costs of entertainment, audio equipment and banner.  Get a sponsor for the presentation area to cover costs of paid presenters, sound, tent and banner.
• Martin made a list of all the websites where we can advertise the festival. We should submit the links by the end of April and we will need a promotional blurb prepared by the end of March. We should also advertise on Facebook, Twitter and by word-of-mouth. Maybe advertise via newspapers, television and radio. Channel 27 advertises local events and WITF radio will broadcast events on air as well as Red 102.3.
• We found a big 20 x 40 canopy tent online for $200. It is a fold up canopy that should probably be staked down. Whoever sponsors the banner could also pay for the tent. Maybe we can find a tent that the people we rent from will set up so we are not responsible if it blows away.  We’ll also look into getting straw bales for seating in the presentation area.
• We need fire police to direct traffic.  Since the Market Street bridge will most likely be closed, they will also be needed to help pedestrians cross Rt. 274 from the American Legion to Noye’s Park.
• We will continue our efforts to get the DATC Advisory Committee Board to conform to the bylaws and we’re still trying to find someone who is involved in corporate law so we can obtain tax exempt status.
• Please save your plastic peanut butter jars so we can use them to hold raffle tickets during the festival.
• We still need to contact strong supporters of the Appalachian Trail and develop a working relationship with them.  They will be around in February for the Winter Warmer.
• We chose not to advertise in the Perry County Council of the Arts spring quarterly newsletter but we might advertise in the summer newsletter. We still need local arts and crafts people to fill out about 10 more booths for the festival. We might be able to put something in the Duncannon Borough newsletter since it is free.
• We will put a poll on the DATC website to determine the best day of the month for our monthly DATC meetings.  be sure to vote for a day that works for you!
• We still have $47 in our Pizza Fund so there will be free pizza at our next DATC meeting!
• The Keystone Trails Association has signed up as a vendor for the 2014 festival!

Please contact us at datc@duncannonatc.org if you would like to help us achieve any of the above goals.

NEXT YEAR’S FESTIVAL: The Duncannon Appalachian Trail Festival will take place on the third Saturday of June (June 21, 2014) and we need to get the word out to as many residents, volunteers and vendors as possible.  Be sure to tell all your friends and associates!  We have a printable PDF document that you can use to help recruit potential volunteers and vendors and we also have a Vendor Registration page where vendors interested in attending our Duncannon A.T. Festival can sign up and choose the location of their vendor spaces.  If you’re a vendor or if you know a vendor, now is the time to register so you can pick your favorite location.  If you’d like to volunteer to help with the 2014 festival you can sign up online or attend a meeting for more information.

DUNCANNON OUTDOOR CLUB HIKES:  Join the DOC on Saturday, January 18th to learn about Great Horned Owls.  Bushwhack the Takach property for signs of the great bird.  Afterwards, try your hand at dissecting sterilized owl pellets at the  Cornerstone Christian Church.  Cost is $6 to cover the cost of the pellets.  Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center (51 Business Campus Way, Duncannon, PA 17020) at 9AM to carpool.  Bring water, a snack and binoculars.  Call 834-9216 or e-mail dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.  Be sure to wear orange.

The DOC will hike up Berry Mountain on February 15th.  It will be an average paced 3.6 mile out-and-back hike with a neat point of interest at the top.  We’ll take some time to discuss hypothermia as well as how to treat and avoid it.  Meet at the Duncannon Family Health Center at 9:00AM to carpool.  Call 834-9216 or e-mail dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register.  Be sure to wear orange and dress appropriately for the weather.

NEW ARTICLES ON THE DATC WEBSITE: Be sure to check out these new articles:

• Past DOC “Reading Animal Tracks” Hike
• Best Day for DATC Meetings Poll
• New Appalachian Trail parking Lot in Duncannon
• All I Want For Christmas (is to hike) –
• Upcoming DOC “Great Horned Owl” Hike
• Seasons Greetings from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

JOIN US OR HELP LEND A HAND: Anyone who would like to be involved with the DATC, offer guidance or influence its policies is welcome to attend our meetings. You might find a volunteer opportunity that suits you in any number of fields such as: planning our next 2014 DATC Festival, fundraising, supporting the Duncannon Outdoors Club, learning about Appalachian Trail maintenance and inspiring people to enjoy outdoor activities in the Duncannon area.