Dozens of names were considered before landing on Sidetracks. The dictionary defines a sidetrack as something that “directs a person’s attention away from an activity or subject toward another one that is less important”. Rather than thinking of that in a negative light, I like to think of it in the context of author Marthe Troly-Curtin’s quote, “Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.” The older I get, the more I appreciate that rather than being a sidetrack from accomplishing more important things, time spent with family and friends really is the most valuable thing in the world.

On a railroad, a sidetrack (or siding) is what connects the railroad to local communities. That’s the whole point of the board game club. It’s an avenue for connecting people within the community and for building new communities of friends.

Ellwood City and Western Pennsylvania have a rich railroad heritage. I have always had a love and affinity for railroads too. When I was little, my favorite place on Earth was Allaire State Park in Farmingdale, New Jersey. I affectionately referred to it as the “Choo Choo Park”. We could hear the train whistle from my grandmother’s house, and she would take me there to play on the playground and to watch the tourist railroad go around. Years later, when my brothers and I were diving into the world of hobby board gaming, the first “big” game we fell in love with was 1830: The Game of Railroads and Robber Barons. - - Coincidence? - - Maybe. Maybe not.