Live, Work, Play in Happy Valley

64 articles

Amy Debach_profile

Metro-rural mix made Bellefonte a perfect new hometown for Amy Debach

When Amy Debach moved to Bellefonte in 2006, she was enthralled with the duality of the area — rural yet metro, culturally diverse yet deeply rooted in history. It’s a mix that invited involvement and has kept her here for close to two decades. She spoke to [Bellefonte.com] about the best ways to volunteer and what everyone needs to check out while they are in town. Read on!

Troy Weston and Melissa Hombosky

The accidental residents: “We forgot to move”

“We never intended to stay here,” Troy Weston and Melissa Hombosky said about their move to Happy Valley in 2002. “We just forgot to leave.” There seems to be a little more to the story than forgetting to leave.

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Tom Laird on why Philipsburg will always be home: “It’s feisty fun”

If you visit Philipsburg and make your way to the new Moshannon Valley Heritage Center (we highly recommend that you do!), you’ll inevitably run into Tom Laird. He is, after all, a lifelong Philipsburg resident, original member of The Cold Stream Beach Bums, and can regale you with stories of old dams, forgotten ruins, hollows and hills of the area. “It sings to me,” he says.

Abdullah Family Christmas Pic 2023

Gary Abdullah Jr. on making Happy Valley happy for everyone: “You can do well here. You can do good.”

Gary Abdullah Jr. was born in the shadow of Beaver Stadium, went to State High, and married his childhood crush who lived down the street … but he never intended to stay in Happy Valley. Today, he will tell you that he has made Happy Valley his place — and it’s his life’s work to make it a place for everyone. Because in his words, “Happy Valley isn’t happy for everyone.” And he wants to change that.

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Tanya Campbell talks butts on bikes, East Coast gravel, and the gemstone of Rothrock State Forest

When Tanya Campbell was a little girl, her grandmother walked her dogs on Charcoal Flats, a trail in Shingletown. Tanya, her mother, and her daughter also enjoyed hiking along this same trail. The trail, just past Pine Grove Mills near the small town of Shingletown, is known for its series of four charcoal flats — large, circular flat areas where logs would be piled and allowed to smolder to create and one that was used to make iron ore. Or, in the words of little girl Tanya, it’s a place that is “rocky and awesome.”

The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau publishes up-to-date event information at HappyValley.com/events