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Pinot Noir — extremely versatile wine, specialty in Deep Creek

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………In Maryland, Black Ankle and Elk Run produce Pinot Noir wines, but it is a specialty only further west, at Deep Creek Cellars.

“The lower humidity and cooler nights, due to our higher elevation, makes the difference,” says Paul Roberts, co-owner and winemaker. “Chesapeake Bay once lapped up on these ridges, leaving marine fossils and calcareous rock. We’ve pioneered five vintages showing central Allegany County is the place for back-country Pinot. These are not baked West Coast wines, but rather more traditional, Burgundy-inspired Pinot Noirs of subtlety and finesse. Connoisseurs compare ours very favorably.”

Roberts teamed up with Michael and Barbara Hutton in 2008 to plant the couple’s property southeast of Cumberland with about 3,500 vines.

Read More Here:  http://www.abc2news.com/lifestyle/pinot-noir-extremely-versatile-wine

Ice safety comes before winter recreation and productive fishing

In recent years, new cold-weather clothing technologies and reliable ice fishing gear have made the sport easier and more comfortable, attracting a growing number of ice anglers and their families. But in the same ways that hunters understand the risks of their sport and often talk afield about hunting safety, anglers should be aware of the inherent dangers of ice fishing. They should bring the proper safety gear and talk about the condition and thickness of the ice and the weight it can hold. They should be aware of the conditions of the water below, the spacing of holes and what to do if the worst happens.

“My wife talks about ice safety before we go, but we don’t talk a lot about it when we’re out,” said Jason Redinger of Bedford, Bedford County. On Jan. 24, he and several friends pulled a dozen fish through the ice over Deep Creek, Md., including Redinger’s 21-inch walleye.

“We usually wear life vests. I made some ice picks from dowel rods, nails and rope, and we usually put holes about 25 feet apart for tip-ups,” he said.

Read More Here:  http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/outdoors/2015/02/01/Ice-safety-comes-before-winter-recreation-and-productive-fishing/stories/201502010157

Long ride opens at Blackwater Falls

DAVIS, W.Va. — State Commerce Secretary Keith Burdette says he wasn’t too old to enjoy a new attraction at one of the state’s most popular state parks Wednesday. Burdette was one of the first to go down the sled run at Blackwater Falls State Park in Tucker County.

“It was a very cool experience. I got to go up and ride down a couple of times and didn’t break any bones,” the 59-year-old Burdette joked. “I just had a great time. It’s a real great addition to West Virginia state parks.”

The run has been tabbed the longest sled run on the East Coast. It’s more than a quarter-mile long. The Wonder Carpet conveyor system that takes sledders back up the mountain is also believed to be the longest in the region.

Read More Here:  http://wvmetronews.com/2015/01/21/long-ride-opens-at-blackwater-falls/

 

Groups call for legislative fracking ban

CUMBERLAND — A coalition of 79 organizations, including several local organizations, is calling for legislative action to ban hydraulic fracturing in Maryland.

“Based on what we know now, we believe that fracking endangers public health and is the wrong approach to building a robust Maryland economy and a clean energy future. We urge Maryland’s legislature to pass an extended moratorium in 2015,” the statement, released Jan.17, reads. The document was released by the Chesapeake Physicians for Social Responsibility and Food & Water Watch.

At least one bill to ban the practice has been introduced in the Maryland General Assembly.

Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the method that would be used to free the gas and allow it to be brought to the surface. In order to get the gas trapped in the shale to the surface, chemicals, water and sand are pumped underground to break apart rock formations and free the gas.

Coalition members say the state isn’t up to regulating fracking.

Read More Here:  http://bakken.com/news/id/230970/groups-call-legislative-fracking-ban/