Published: October 11, 2009 11:15 pm      

City hosting Grange convention

JOHNSTOWN — Grangers from Cambria County will be rolling out the red carpet when Grangers from throughout Pennsylvania visit Johnstown this weekend for the 137th annual Pennsylvania State Grange Convention.

It is the first time that the event is being held in Johnstown, said Mary Golden, a spokeswoman for the event and a member of the Buckhorn Grange, which serves the Forest Hills area.

The convention, which will be held at the Pasquerilla Conference Center, starts Friday and ends Oct. 19.

About 400 delegates and their guests have registered for the event.

Carol A. Hemminger, master of both the Buckhorn Grange and the Pomona Grange, which oversees the five Granges in Cambria County, said it is an honor to have the convention in Johnstown.

In addition to the normal business of the convention, Grangers will be taken on tours of historic and tourist sites in the area.

“Johnstown has a lot of history, and we will get to show them (Grangers) that history,” Hemminger said.

Johnstown Mayor Tom Trigona will be the guest speaker at the convention’s banquet Saturday evening, she said.

Granges from Somerset, Bedford, Blair and Clearfield counties helped to organize the event.

Golden said the convention will be good for the Johnstown area because Grangers, in addition to staying at hotels, will be patronizing businesses such as restaurants.

“The conference is very important for the members,” she said. “Not only will they have the chance to vote, but they also will get the chance to get together with fellow Grangers.”

Golden said that during the convention, Grangers will vote on various issues brought up by local Granges.

The National Grange was formed in 1867, primarily as a protective measure for the farming community. Over the years, the fraternal organization has evolved to include people from all walks of life, Golden said.