Annual RidgwayElk County Chamber banquet a success
RIDGWAY - The Ridgway-Elk County Chamber banquet was a success on a rainy Friday night at Camp Kaelber. Among those in attendance were State Representative Mike Armanini (R-75) and Senator Cris Dush (R-25). After dinner, the board members for the Ridgway-Elk County Chamber of Commerce were announced, including incumbents and one new board member. Michelle Bogacki, Jason Armagost, Christie Gardner, and Tina Clancy were voted to return to the board, while Bryton Shuey was announced as a new member to the board. Jason Armagost, president of the Allegheny Hike, Bike, and Ski Association,(ABSHA) spoke about the nonprofit and what the future holds for them as well. This is a volunteer organization founded in 2016 to create and maintain hike, bike and ski trails in the southeastern portion of the Allegheny National Forest. In 2021, ABSHA entreted a partnership agreement with the U.S. Forest Service to maintain and oversee the Laurel Mill Trail system. In his presentation, Armagost credited members of their board that includes Dave Leske, Michelle Bogacki, and Kevin Brunner for the work that they do to keep ABSHA thriving. In its second year, the 7k and 14k Laurel Mill Trail races were organized by Brunner raising $4,000 to benefit the group. The biggest highlight of Armagost’s presentation was the ongoing development of the Laurel Mill Mountain Bike Trails. Currently, the group is working with Ridgway Township in this trail project, as these trails will be located across from Sandy Beach Park, using the hilly terrain and will complement the other activities there. A loop on the eastern half of the area has started. Eventually, the hope is that the Forest Service will allow biking on some of their trails so that they can build a bridge over Mill Creek to connect all the trails. “This bike trail just seems like something fun, but it means something more to our area as far as bringing tourism in and helping all the businesses in town,” Armagost said. The Ridgway-Elk County Chamber of Commerce banquet displayed a bright path forward for the chamber as well as the Allegheny Hike, Bike, and Ski group.