The village of Kennerdell is a small, Allegheny River community, made up of about 150 residences. Kennerdell lies in southern Venango County and boasts a history rich in diversity, with roots stemming from its plentiful natural resources including, but not limited to its waterways and waterfalls, wildlife habitats, minerals, oil, natural gas and, BEST OF ALL, its vast abundance of unspoiled forest lands. Kennerdell is “ a Mecca “ in the eyes of boating, hunting and fishing enthusiasts, as well as those who appreciate most other forms of outdoor recreation.
Kennerdell’s future growth will be as a result of four ( 4 ) recent decisions;
1. The State of Pennsylvania’s year 2000 decision to replace The Kennerdell Bridge, which remains as the only Allegheny River vehicular crossing between Franklin, PA and Emlenton, PA,…a span of about 50 miles. This work was completed in year 2000…and, this important link to Interstate 80 now insures a healthy future for this wonderful, growing community. If you are interested in seeing a photo of both the Old & New Bridges, please “ click on “ the thumbnails below.
Update:
It's been almost 3 years now, and it hasn't fallen in the river yet!
2. UPMC / Northwest’s decision to build a state-of-the art medical facility in our back yard, just 8 miles down the road. This new, long awaited facility is scheduled to replace the existing outdated hospital facilities in both Oil City and Franklin, both of which lie an inconvenient 25 miles to our north. (http://www.upmc.edu/newsbureau/director/nwest.htm) The expected investment will approach $100 million dollars and is scheduled to be “ on-line “ in
early 2004. This new hospital will solidify our neighboring Cranberry Township’s position as the economic center-point for future county growth, and will be the cornerstone and foundation of “ good things to come “ as Venango County moves toward 2010, and beyond. You can follow this story as it unfolds, within our local paper, The Derrick. The Derrick can be found on the web at
www.thederrick.com.
Update - The new hospital is more than half way completed.
Cindy & I toured the facility and it appears as though it certainly will become
the " Crown Jewel " of Southern Venango County. We're excited to
see the progress and we understand
it's " on schedule ". It will open late next summer.
We understand they're also breaking ground on their New, Multi-Million
Dollar Behavioral Health Complex ( Nice way of saying " Mental Ward " ).
Once the facility
opens, we'll let you know our room number! We think you'll be
impressed with what this complex is destined to become. Here
are a couple photos:
Kennerdell's
State-of-the-Art UPMC Northwest Medical Center in Cranberry Pennsylvania
is more than half-way complete ! !
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3. The Allegheny Valley Trail’s Association’s decision to invest heavily into an interconnected system of bicycle trails which traverses our region. This decision takes us one-step closer and in a direction toward the recreational roots which our community must begin to exploit,…if we expect to succeed. As has occurred throughout Europe, non-motorized infrastructure is forecast to grow, nation-wide. This local AVTA system is slated to connect into existing systems that, long-term, will interconnect the entire east coast. See
www.avta-trails.org for more; you will note the trail system is coming directly though Kennerdell. Mr. Jim Holden, Et. Al. has done an excellent job on preparing their web-site, and I would recommend you spend some time surfing through it to gain a better idea as to what their future plans entail.
UPDATE - For most of this summer, construction has progressed
at a rapid pace. The trail is now completely through the
Kennerdell Tunnel and well on its way toward Rockland Station. We
understand AVTA's goal is to have this section completed before the end
of the Summer of 2003. From our vantage point here on the hill, it
seems as though there's already quite a bit of bike and pedestrian
traffic using this new stretch of trail.
Here's a link to a Recent Story by The Derrick. Here
are current photos:
Kennerdell's "
Rails-to-Trails " Bike Trail by the Allegheny Valley Trails Association
( AVTA )
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4. The decision to carefully manage the remaining acreage which lies within and adjacent to Kennerdell’s Peninsular region, insuring that it remains as a residential resource, supporting future growth and economic expansion of southern Venango County.
www.kennerdell.com.
Update: Several
beautiful homes have already been constructed in the past couple of
years and another is scheduled to begin very soon...there are 3
river-view parcels remaining in Phase II...and then we will rest!!
For more on Kennerdell's and Venango County's interesting history,
please take some time to review the hyperlinks listed below...you'll
walk away from the computer with a much better knowledge as to what's
taking place around you:
A.
The
Kennerdell Community has put forth a very nice effort in establishing a
web site…and although still “ under construction “, you will find
some interesting photos and an excellent chronology of key, historic
events which played a roll in shaping The Village of Kennerdell into its
present form.
If you’re interested in learning more about our village’s
history, please make a point of visiting www.kennerdell.org.
You will find that this web site provides for a Yahoo! based ”
Kennerdell Community On-Line Forum “ whose emphasis is on the village,
its people and its rich history.
You might just want to pop in and say hello…or, if you have a
specific question, you might just find a Kennerdell historian who is in
a position to provide you with the answer you're looking for !
Check It Out !!!
Update - It appears " Kennerdell.org " has
gone dormant. If anyone is interested in posting anything of
interest on our web site...just say the word!
B. One of our most infamous residents -- News
Article…keep your eyes peeled as there have been several recent local sightings.
Perhaps
he’ll be coming to a camp fire near you !!! (April 2002 update: Mr.
Waagner is now in the custody of the authorities and won't be visiting
anyone for a long time.) Update - He's still in the "
Klinker ", but, we hear he's now " Found God " !!
C. Although it may take you a few days to get through this comprehensive
site, we can guarantee that once you do, you'll have a much better
knowledge as to the area's rich history, its current state of proactive
change as well as what's in store for Venango County's seemingly bright
future...you will feel the evolution!!! In our humble opinion, this web
site is a " who's who " compendium for " things to come " here in
Venango County.
www.artcontinuum.com/oc/aboc.asp
D. For more on The Village of Kennerdell, please check your favorite “ search engine “ and continue to visit
www.kennerdell.com on a periodic basic.
We will continually update the site, keying in on the latest news and issues which will affect our community.
Update - Yup, we're still having fun with our web-site.
If anyone wants to post anything of interest to The Kennerdell
Community...JUST SAY THE WORD, K?? There is no cost !! How's
that for a deal?
E. Oil City just recently unveiled their new website, covering many local
attractions, businesses, and other information specific to what's
happening in Venango County. When you have some time, you'll
want to check out
www.oilcitychamber.org to see what's going on with our great
neighbor to the North. Mr. Ron Shoup and his team did a great job
putting this site together, focusing on Oil City, Venango County and the
vast resources this region has to offer.
