FRANKLIN, PA. Residents jump-start day with River Romp

The frog jump is a part of Family Day activities along the river.
FRANKLIN, Pa. --The Oil Region River Romp will include the official Pennsylvania Frog Jump at 10 a.m. Sept. 22 at Riverfront Park.
The jump competition will be done under the rules of the Calaveras County Grand Finals Frog Jump as developed in California.
While frog jumping has long been a part of the Romp, which is a regional outdoor recreational and cultural festival, 2001 will be the first year in which the longest scoring frog and its "jockey" qualify to compete in the finals next May at the Calaveras County, Calif., Jubilee.
Stipulations: Contestant frogs must be at least 4 inches long. The frog is placed on a launching pad by the jockey. The frog's first three jumps are measured, with the distance from the launch pad to the third touchdown as the official distance. Participants are encouraged to bring their own frogs; a shaded tent with water supply and other safeguards will be available for storage of the frogs before the start of competition. "Rent-A-Frogs" will also be available. Frog rental fees and frog jump registration fees will benefit the historical marker fund of the Oil Heritage Region Inc. Participants over 16 years old who got their frog from a waterway in Pennsylvania must present a valid 2001 fishing license. A "Chief Frogologist" will be on site to measure any questionable frogs and to examine the health of the contestants.
Festivities: The frog jump is part of Family Day festivities, which are centered at Riverfront Park, at the mouth of French Creek as it enters the Allegheny River.
Other Family Day activities include the Pennsylvania Qualifying Stone Skipping Championship, canoe and kayak flotillas, jetboat rides, pork barbecue, a triathlon, canoe race and art festival, featuring art and food.
For details, call (800) 483-6264, ext. 17, or www.riverromp.com.
River Romp activities are managed by the Oil Heritage Region Inc., an official Pennsylvania Heritage Park. The state's Heritage Park program is designed to preserve and enhance Pennsylvania's cultural resources, including its industrial history. The first commercially viable oil well in North America was drilled in 1859 in Titusville, Pa., which is in the Oil Heritage Region.