The Warren County YMCA has three openings in its Livestrong at the Y program. This program provides cancer survivors with health and fitness education to help them find new resources to live a life during or after cancer that will aid them in a healthy lifestyle. Anyone wishing to participate in the next Livestrong at the Y session, stop in at the YMCA and ask for Chris Dolan, call her at (814) 726-0110 to schedule an interview, or email her at chris@warrenymca.org. The start date for the next session is the week of September 10th; it runs for 12 weeks and you can use the Y at no cost for the whole 12 weeks for all the days of operation. Tuesdays and Thursdays will be class times of 10 a.m. to noon.

Street closing

Morrison Street between Pennsylvania and Fourth avenues in the City of Warren will be closed during the day Saturday, Aug. 31, for the

National Underground Railroad training

Photo submitted to Times Observer First Presbyterian Church of Warren welcomes Mr. Hunter Peterson as the church’s new Director of Music. As an avid musician, involved in many different musical programs throughout the county, First Presbyterian is ecstatic to find out how Hunter’s eclectic musical journey will continue at the church. As always, all are welcome to join the church for worship every Sunday at 10 a.m.

A national Underground Railroad (UGRR) training event will be held September 11 to 14 at Niagara University in Niagara Falls, N.Y. The program will be hosted by the National Park Service, the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom Program, and the Underground Railroad Consortium of New York State.

Additional hosts are the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area, the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center, Niagara University, and the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

During the conference workshops, Chautauqua County Historian Michelle Henry will present the Anti-slavery Map for Chautauqua County, found at www.orbitist.com/ugrr.

On the map are more than 1,100 persons and/or sites which were documented by their appearance in anti-slavery records related to this county between 1840 and 1860.

Other research training workshops will be held on Thursday and Friday, Sept. 12 and 13. The Thursday morning sessions will cover the history and recent scholarship. Thursday afternoon sessions will address the means of protecting UGRR authenticity.

Photos submitted to Times Observer A scene on the Underground Railroad as painted by Charles T. Webber for the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893. Three of Webber’s Underground Railroad friends are shown in this picture.

Friday morning workshops will discuss best practices for preserving and promoting UGRR sites, and Friday afternoon sessions will examine community-driven investigations of the UGRR.

For further information and registration instructions, go to the website of the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Inset, the interactive Anti-slavery Map for Chautauqua County as found at www.orbitist.com/ugrr.

Times Observer photo by Lorri Drumm Border Ride closed out the Music in the Park summer concert series on Friday evening. Members of the group pictured, from left, are: Scott Pearson (mandolin, fiddle and vocals), Lauren McAnallen (vocals, guitar and percussion), Nelson Boosel (bass guitar and vocals) and Jim Scott (guitar, banjo and vocals). Friday’s concert marked the 14th event held at Soldiers and Sailors Park this summer. One concert was canceled due to inclement weather this summer. Music in the Park concerts are free and open to the public.