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Rothrock Week 2025

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Celebrate Rothrock Week with Pride—and a Free Bumper Sticker!

LEWISTOWN — The Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau is proud to kick off Rothrock Week, a celebration honoring our hometown hero Dr. Joseph T. Rothrock, the Father of Forestry in Pennsylvania. Born and raised in McVeytown, Dr. Rothrock’s influence on forest conservation is still felt today throughout the state—and especially in the scenic beauty of Rothrock State Forest, named in his honor.

To celebrate, the visitors bureau designed a special edition bumper sticker that proudly displays the correct Mifflin County pronunciation of “Rothrock”—“Row-throck,” not “Raw-throck” like some folks might say.

“It’s a fun and local way to show off both your environmental pride and your Mifflin County roots,” said Jenny Landis, executive director of the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau.

These free bumper stickers will be available for pickup at the visitors bureau office, just in time for Earth Day (Tuesday) and Arbor Day (Friday), the perfect time to honor Dr. Rothrock’s conservation legacy and recognize the natural assets we treasure here in the Juniata River Valley.

Rothrock Week is a great opportunity to explore the outdoors, plant a tree, or simply reflect on the importance of preserving our forests.

“Swing by, grab a sticker, and help us spread the word the Mifflin County way—it’s “Row-throck,” and we’re sticking to it!,” said Landis.

For more information or to pick up your bumper sticker, visit the office at 1 W. Market St., Lewistown or call (717) 248-6713.

America250PA Mifflin County

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Next year marks America’s 250th birthday. Pennsylvania has been gearing up for this over the last few years. The state agency that’s coordinating efforts, America250PA, has started programs that include Pennsylvania Day, Memorial Flag Initiative, and the #PAProud Servicemember Spotlight. Two of their programs have already reached Mifflin County. The Keystone Classroom Initiative was at Lewistown Elementary School in December and the Liberty Tree was planted with help from the McVeytown Mason Lodge in October.

Jenny Landis, director of the Juniata River Valley Visitors Bureau, has been coordinating plans for Mifflin County. “My office has held a few meetings with area historical societies, governments, and business owners. And now that a plan has been devised, it’s time to bring the community in,” Landis explained.

While it seems obvious that the Revolutionary War would take center stage for the celebrations, that’s not necessarily what America250PA has in mind. Their campaign themes are “Educate. Preserve. Innovate. Celebrate.” A list of platforms has also been created to bring in things like the arts, science, agriculture, youth programs and more.

“America250PA’s hope is that every community in the Commonwealth can get behind one or more of these platforms and use them to show their pride and respect for this country we live in,” says Landis. “And don’t forget that it’s also a reason to celebrate.”

From the previous meetings, a general plan for 2026 has been developed. Focusing on the fourth weekend of each month, a different community could host some kind of celebration, event, contest, or activity that highlights the 250th. A few communities already have something going on at that time. Country Memories Day is on the fourth Saturday of May and Goose Day is on the fourth weekend of September. The annual fireworks are held on the Saturday before July 4 and that falls on the fourth Saturday in June. The fireworks will kick off a week-long celebration all over the county.

“This bridge week will bring out the patriotism in everyone. That’s when everyone gets involved and brings their own style of patriotic passion,” explains Landis. “From red, white and blue ice cream sundaes to showing off your best BBQ recipe. I’m really hoping we get a beard or mullet contest and elaborate decorations on homes and businesses.”

The Visitors Bureau will collect information from everyone planning to do something to celebrate and create a list to use for promotion. This is similar to how we promote Goose Day activities every September. The America250PA agency will help share the information, but it must be submitted before the end of this year.

“That means we need to get talking about ideas and making plans for next year,” suggests Landis.

For more information, follow the America250PA – Mifflin County Facebook page or contact Jenny Landis at jlandis@jrvvisitors.com or at 717-248-6713.

Juniata River Valley Named Top Spring Fishing Destination in the United States!

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Nothing beats the feel of spring in the air. The trees are blooming, the days start getting longer, and the world seems to come alive with activity. For anglers, the start of spring signals some of the best action of the entire year, with annual migrations and breeding seasons bringing our favorite fish into our sights.

To celebrate the start of the season, we asked our readers to suggest their favorite spring fishing spots. The results just came in – these are the 10 best spots in the country, and Juniata River Valley made the list!

Why did Juniata River Valley make the list?

The Juniata River Valley is a gentle place with real rural charm. It’s a beautiful land of densely-wooded ridges and long sweeping farmland. The valley is hidden away from the major highways that take people to and from the East Coast – and it’s all the better for it! It’s the ideal spot to enjoy a little time in the slow lane.

During the spring, the Juniata River is a top-tier Bass water, rivaling the nearby Penns Creek, just without the crowds! Anglers can kayak their way along the river, and reel in big spring Smallmouth, or wade freestone and limestone streams and catch Trout on the fly.

A full list of top spring fishing destinations in the United States can be found below:

  • Fort Myers Beach, Florida
  • Lake Tahoe, California/Nevada
  • Black Hills, South Dakota
  • Biloxi, Mississippi
  • Yakima Valley, Washington
  • Tybee Island, Georgia
  • Roanoke, Virginia
  • Niagara Falls, New York
  • Juniata River Valley, Pennsylvania
  • Panama City Beach, Florida

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For more details, please feel free to contact me at aleksandra.jovicic@fishingbooker.com

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Aleksandra Jovicic
FishingBooker