HEIDI RUBY MILLER

Events BACK: Patricia Coyle, Laurie Bryner, Heidi Ruby Miller , Marianne Skvarla; FRONT: Robin and Monica Jackson The Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau held its annual dinner on Thursday, October 22, 2009, at the Fred M. Rogers Center on the St. Vincent College campus. The theme IT'S A WONDERFUL DAY IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD played not only on the meeting's locale, but also the bureau's new tourism campaign: Laurel Highlands Pennsylvania - A Place of Wonder . As most of you know, I am a huge proponent for pride of place, so I smiled the entire evening, being among hundreds of like-minded people from Fayette , Somerset , and Westmoreland counties, all working toward the same goal as defined in the LHVB mission statement: "To promote and support tourism, tourism development, and the interests of the travel and hospitality industries in Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands region..., thereby contributing to the economic growth and quality of life for the area."...

Celebrations Our friends Dave and Kris Buchanan had a booth at the 2009 Uniontown Arts and Heritage Festival . Dave was showcasing his Windy Hill Honey and his gorgeous pottery. Dave and Kris Buchanan Photo by Heidi Ruby Miller If you are looking for some new dinnerware or a wonderful gift, you can contact Dave at claydavey@yahoo.com .

Research My job as Educational Marketing Director at Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob provides me access to myriad sources regarding architecture, art, history, and especially Mr. Wright . No surprise I've used those sources to research my next novel. Here's what I'm reading now to brush up on some general Wright knowledge and specifically information on the prairie style of architecture, which I need for a scene in my fourth chapter. For those of you with an interest in architecture, you'll recognize the publisher Taschen , and if your interest is specific to Frank Lloyd Wright, you'll certainly recognize author Bruce Brooks Pfeiffer .

Celebrations Storey Square in Uniontown, PA Photo by Jason Jack Miller The ethnic diversity in our home town of Uniontown, Pennsylvania , allows for wonderful multicultural experiences such as the First Annual Uniontown Italian Heritage Festival . The celebration was held downtown from August 28 -29, 2009. Thousands of visitors enjoyed food and craft vendors along Main Street, as well as live performances, which ran both days on the beautiful Storey Square stage. As we walked home Saturday evening the fireworks were just beginning. Watching them from our own porch reminded us of when we lived in Orlando and could watch fireworks several times each night. The little things always inspire pride of place. That's what it's all about.

News My article about Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob is now up on the Pittsburgh G20 Summit website: http://www.g20pittsburghsummit.org/quality-of-life/cultural-phenomenon/house-on-kentuck-knob/ The photo below was originally supposed to accompany the article. Entrance to Kentuck Knob as seen through the carport Photo by Jason Jack Miller

Valerie Cortis and Heidi Ruby Miller in the Kentuck Knob Greenhouse Cafe Photo by Rich Miller Events This summer I hosted teachers from all over the state of Pennsylvania for the Educational Outreach Program I created at Frank Lloyd Wright's House on Kentuck Knob . Among them was my good friend Valerie Cortis , with whom I taught on the same floor at Uniontown Area High School for seven years. During the six-hour training days, I gave teachers an in-depth, private tour of the Hagan House and the Sculpture Meadow , then they created lesson plans to take back to their classrooms based on the touring experience and our discussions. And, best of all, each participant received 6 free PDE-Approved ACT 48 Continuing Education Hours. It was so successful, we are going to expand the 2010 teacher training dates . You can find more information about it on the Educational Events Page of the Official Kentuck Knob Website or the Kentuck Knob Blog .

News The Writer September 2009 An ad for Seton Hill University's new MFA Program is in the September 2009 issue of The Writer , and I'm honored that my face is a part of it! ;) If you haven't heard about Seton Hill's switch from MA to MFA in Writing Popular Fiction , you can find out the details here: http://www.setonhill.edu/academics/fiction/index.cfm