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The strength and grace of Catherine Schuyler

BY WENDE KENYON

The Catherine Schuyler Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution was founded in 1897. The chapter started with a membership of 22 ladies, including two of Catherine Schuyler’s great-granddaughters, Helen Church Gilpin and Angelica Church Hart. The chapter was named after Catherine Schuyler because of her connection to the Church family, who were founding pioneers of the village of Angelica in Allegany County,

and to acknowledge and honor her patriotism shown during her lifetime and during the Revolutionary War. She is one of a small percentage of the total DAR-verified Patriots who were female.

The record states that she “Furnished horses for the army.” And “Burned her wheat to keep it from the British.”

Catherine was born of Dutch heritage in 1734, in Columbia County, New York, near Albany. She was the only daughter of Col. John Van Rensselaer and Engeltke Livingston. (A little side note, her mother’s name, Engelt-

ke is Dutch for Angelica, and the name of Angelica has been passed down through several generations of Catherine’s family.)

Picture of Helen Church Gilpin and Angelica Church Hart. She lived a life of privilege and wealth. Catherine was educated, spoke several languages, and was raised with the graciousness and dedication to her family as befitting a woman of her position.

When the accomplished Catherine was united in marriage in 1755 to the noble young

BY KATHRYN ROSS

WELLSVILLE — Over the years there have been many homegrown celebrities, from actors and actresses and renown architects, who have called the village of Wellsville home.

The newest is David A. Meow, the resident black (with some white) cat at the library.

Meow is whimsically named after the founder of the library, David A. Howe, but he’s not a descendant, he’s a stray.

A fixture in Wellsville’s public library, David A. Meow often attends board meetings. (Provided)

David A. Meow has

become one of the most popular personalities at the David A. Howe Memorial Library. The library’s director, Nic Gunning, said Meow is often featured on the library’s website and people who don’t live in the area often detour to Wellsville just to meet the 4-year-old feline.

He has his own office hours when he’s not lounging around the library.

Gunning explained that the resident cat showed up about four years ago when two library employees went for a walk a walk on a cold winter’s day.

“Amanda Smith and Ally Fesmire went for a walk and they found this shivering, young, stray

kitten, so they brought him back to the library,” Gunning said. “The staff fell in love with him. We tried to find his owner and called the SPCA, but no one came forward. We decided to keep him.”

Meow got his name when Gunning joked, “We have David A. Howe so we might as well have David A. Meow, and it stuck.” Meow spends much of his time in his nest in the office area of the library, when he isn’t perched on computer keyboards. He’s the greeter when the employees arrive in the morning.

“He runs around, at

Catherine Schuyler

Picture of Helen Church Gilpin and Angelica Church Hart.

Catherine Schuyler continued on PAGE 4

Photo provided David A. Meow often attends board meetings.

Cold comfort for Wellsville residents on higher electric bills

BY KATHRYN ROSS

WELLSVILLE —

Mayor Ed Fahs attempted to mollify village electric users with an explanation from the New York Municipal Power Agency as to why electric bills will skyrocket in February and March.

The short explanation the evening of Feb. 9, during the village board meeting, was the polar vortex, which thrust temperatures into the basement in January and February. The weather was paired with the increased cost of purchasing and transmitting electricity to municipalities are

the contributing factors, according to NYMPA.

Village treasurer Melissa Mullen and NYMPA said electric customers in the village will see the increase in the February and March electric bills.

“As a distribution system, your local utility has no control over energy prices, transportation costs, or other associated expenses of providing the electricity consumed by its customers,” NYMPA stated. “The cost of generating and transporting electricity is calculated each month in the purchase power adjustment in the bill and passed on to customers.”

NYMPA reminded municipal electric customers that their utility bills are one-third to one-half of those paid by customers outside the village, who are served by other major utility companies in the state.

collection than in previous years, and while previous boards have rounded up the contribution by hundreds of dollars, the current board rounded up the amount to $814.

next District IV meeting address the topic.

lem and said he will get back to Green as soon as he knows something.

Residents attending the meeting included Barry Glickstein, chair of the Babcock Movie Theater Preservation Society, who asked the board if the Society could rid the theater of broken and ruined theater seats during the spring cleanup.

Members of the board suggested the Society should look into having a local scrap dealer purchase the heavy seats and get rid of all the seats the society plans to replace, at once and generating revenue for the theater.

Stacie Cretekos inquired about the authority of the Allegany County Industrial Development Agency, its funding source, village representation on its board (former Mayor Randy Shayler) and the cost to the village.

The board directed her to the county legislature for an explanation and suggested that the

Local businessman Marshall Green expressed his difficulty in dealing with a building codes contractor for an apartment renovation he is undertaking with the help of ACCORD.

The village contracted with a firm to handle building codes and property regulations in the fall.

Green said they weren’t returning calls and asked the board for help. Trustee Tim Colligan made an appointment to talk with the group to solve the prob-

As the regular meeting got underway, the board approved a resolution renewing Spectrum Northeast LLC’s 15-year franchise agreement to provide cable television in the village. A public hearing on the matter was held prior to the meeting. It ended early due to a lack of participation.

Glickstein said he will look into the matter.

He also learned that only $813.46 was generated from the parking meter holiday collection for the theater. It is a significantly lower

Alfred man gets 25 years for motel killing in August

BELMONT — An Allegany County man was sentenced to 25 years in state prison for the stabbing death of a man in an Alfred motel room last summer, the Allegany County District Attorney reported Wednesday.

Briar A. York, 27, formerly of Alfred, was sentenced Feb. 2 as a predicate felon and the sentence imposed is the maximum allowable by law, Acting District Attorney Peter J. Degnan

said. The 25-year sentence is to be followed by five years of post-release supervision.

Degnan said York had pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, a class B felony, as well as tampering with physical evidence, a class E felony.

The sentencing stems from an incident, reported on Aug. 19, in which York stabbed and bludgeoned Sean M. Dawson, 32, in the Economy Inn.

The board also approved the installation of crosswalk lights, like those at the hospital and Genesee Street crosswalk. The new crosswalk lights will be placed at the library, La’ Italia and Pizza King. The lights will be paid for from IEEP funding and will be installed by DPW.

The board also approved a special event permit for the Ancient Order of Hibernians’ Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade will take place 4 to 7 p.m. March 13 along Main Street between Madison and Fassett streets. The board also agreed to suspend the open container law for those hours in that location only.

Lots of Fenton Art Glass, Westmoreland Glass, Heisey Glass, Jadite, Shadowdancers & Costume Jewelry

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The shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade on record is held in the 12-foot distance between From the Hart Irish store and the Wellsville Brewery. It will be the fourth year for the event, which features marchers, sports teams, a variety of fire trucks and emergency vehicles and local celebrities. Fahs also announced the resignation of Trustee Jeff Monroe, who recently moved outside the village, making him ineligible to hold a board position. His resignation was tendered prior to the Jan. 12 meeting. It is the mayor’s duty to select Monroe’s replacement, who will serve until the December 2026 reorganizational meeting. That position, as well as the terms for the mayor and trustees Mike Roeske and Tim Colligan, will be decided in the 2026 general election. Fahs said he will announce Monroe’s replacement at the next board meeting, set for 6 p.m. Feb. 23.

Deborah Didion

5857 Hilltop Road, Cuba, NY 14727 Phone & Fax: (585) 968-2621

Monday–Saturday: 9:00 am - 5:30 pm Other times available by appointment. Striving to serve you better. debdidion3@gmail.com • Deborah@didiontaxes.com

Photo by Kathryn Ross

An electric pole in the village of Wellsville.

BY SARAH NEGRON

SHINGLEHOUSE,

Pa. — Kelsie Pease was first introduced to gokart racing when her father got her brother Kyle involved, not thinking that she would be interested.

After trying it once, racing has remained the biggest part of Pease’s life 20 years later.

Beyond competition, giving back to the sport has become a major focus for Pease. Through hands-on involvement, she takes pride in helping young drivers get started, supporting and mentoring the next generation of racers. Pease’s involvement also extends to the technical side of the sport. Her father has built

all of their engines at Motorworx, where the team also performs customized machine work through Motorworx Machining — keeping the operation truly family-driven from the ground up. Her brother Kyle is one of the most well-known racing machinists around the nation.

This past year, Pease

Shinglehouse woman places 8th in national go-karting competition, seeking support in social media contest

reached a major milestone with a first-time entry into the Unlimited All-Stars Division (UAS). The season included winning the Keystone UAS Region, the Western New York UAS Region and earning the title of Northeast Divisional Champion.

On the national level, the season concluded with an impressive

ACC Fund for Women grant application window open through March 20

ALFRED STATION

— The Allegany-Cattaraugus-Chautauqua Fund for Women (ACC FFW) announces the opening of its grant application period for 2026.

The grant application period opened on Thursday. Submissions will be accepted through March 20, with award notifications on or around April 30.

These grants are awarded to women in the tri-county region to facilitate sustained economic self-sufficiency.

The amount awarded may vary from year to year, based on the number of applications and funds available, up to $1,000 per grant. Grants are awarded

based on demonstration of financial need and the applicant’s plan for how the grant funds will increase self-sufficiency. Recipients in prior years have used the funds to purchase equipment, support business startup expenses or advance skills and training. The ACCFFW grants do make a difference. One 2025 grant recipient shared that the

grant helped them build their professional portfolio and presentation to the clients.

“We were able to rebrand our marketing efforts with new business cards and banners,” the grantee shared. “Everyone we came across loved our setup and how we displayed our design options, like a gallery wall.”

Applicants may apply online at accffw. org/grants or by emailing info@accffw.org to request an alternative application method, such as a paper application or interview.

The vision of the ACC-FFW is to be a resource that will provide financial assistance and

open doors for women who seek the continued betterment of their lives. The Fund for Women invests in the women in our communities and contributes to robust local businesses.

The ACC-FFW was established in 2017 to combat poverty in the tri-county area by providing women the opportunity to seek financial assistance for long-term self-improvement, and by promoting philanthropy by and for women. The ACC FFW is a 501(c )(3) nonprofit organization. Donations to this fund are tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.

8th-place finish in the country, capping off a standout year and solidifying a place among the sport’s top competitors.

Pease is currently participating in a competition out of the top 10 in the nation via Facebook to see who can get the most likes, comments and shares on the post of the national posters. The social media competition goes until Sunday. The post can be found at https:// www.facebook.com/ share/1Z8YzNTYw1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Photo provided

Kelsie Pease of Shinglehouse, Pa., finished eighth in a national go-kart championship this past season.

military officer, Philip Schuyler, who had served in the French and Indian War, their home became the center of elegant hospitality. Theirs was a home “with an open hand and an open door” to Gen. George Washington, often a guest and always a friend to Gen. Schuyler; to British Lord William Howe, to British Gen. John Burgoyne, to Ben Franklin and, at one time, 14 captive French officers; to Indians and wounded men of the Continental Army — all nursed and cared for by Catherine. After the French

and Indian War, Philip Schuyler was to become a major general during the Revolutionary War and a United States senator. In 1777, during the height of the American Revolution, the British forces marched toward the country home of the Schuylers at Saratoga. Catherine, so as not to allow anything of value to fall into the hands of British troops, flung blazing torches left and right in the grain fields. She encouraged tenants and neighbors to do the same, which they did. Just prior to the Battle of Saratoga, Burgoyne and

his officers arrived at the Schuyler estate and burned it to the ground. Catherine and Philip had 12 children, nine of which survived. This included four sons and five daughters. Her oldest daughter, Angelica, eloped with John Barker Church in June 1777 and became prominent in the social life of New York and Europe. Angelica and John had at least one son, Philip. Catherine’s second daughter, Elizabeth, married the notable founding father

Alexander Hamilton on Dec. 14, 1780. What is Catherine’s connection to Allegany County? Her grandson Philip Church and his wife Anna Matilda Stuart built a home called “The White House” in the area that was to become Angelica. The house was called The White House because it was the first painted house in Western New York. Later, the Churches built a house in Belvidere, known as Villa Belvidere, on the

➡David A. Meow

continued from PAGE 1

Genesee River near the village of Angelica. The village of Angelica is named after Philip’s mother, Angelica Schuyler Church. Catherine Schuyler’s patriotic devotion and quality of character define her acts during the Revolutionary War. Her incredible fortitude in the most trying of times and circumstances is a testament to the women who played no small role in the forging of our country.

Today, the Catherine

Schuyler Chapter has nearly 100 members. We are active across Allegany County with various committees that include Service to Veterans, America 250, Quilts of Valor and women’s issues. The NSDAR is a non-profit, non-political, volunteer service organization.

If you have any questions or are interested in finding out about DAR membership, please contact us at catherineschuylernsday.weebly. com.

first greeting everyone, but then he calms down and goes back to his bed,” Gunning said.

“He often joins the library board of directors when that body meets.”

David isn’t alone in in the halls of the library when the lights are out and the doors are closed. The library is

also the home of Spike the library’s bearded dragon. Gunning believes the resident feline and dragon are the only library residents in the local library system, although Cuba Library does have an aquarium. Meow spends his days roaming the library and mingling with visi-

tors. On the weekends, he is all alone on Sunday, until a volunteer comes in to make sure he’s fed and doing fine. While Meow is fixed, Gunning said he can be temperamental and isn’t fond of large groups. Sometimes he meets with smaller groups. On warm days he is often walked outside on a leash and meets with admirers.

The library just celebrated the cat’s fourth anniversary. Meet and greets and photo opportunities with David A. Meow may be arranged by calling the library at (585) 593-3410.

One of the endearing components of the Netflix series “Stranger Things,” which reached its conclusion at the close of 2025, is how the show harkened viewers back to the unencumbered days of being a kid in the 1980s — that is, until those kids had to fight for their survival against otherworldly foes. Demogorgons and mind flayers aside, the Hawkins kids would hop on their bikes and traverse their town, or engage their imaginations during game play in a wood-paneled basement. Baby Boomers, Generation Xers and even Millennials can likely recall youthful days when they had plenty of free time on their hands to pursue various adventures.

Fast forward to 2026, and today’s children lead much more structured lives. With the rise of “helicopter

parenting” and “tiger parenting,” children find themselves continuously engaged with academics, structured sports teams, music lessons, and choreographed play dates, largely initiated by the adults in their lives.

“Free play,” defined as child-initiated, unstructured activity, has largely been phased out.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggest that free play is not simply a break from learning, but the “primary vehicle through which children develop the brain architecture necessary for adult success.” Free play should

health & Wellness

Getting kids back into free play

be encouraged and not lambasted. Here’s a look at how free play is imperative for healthy kids.

• Improves executive functioning: Research published in The Journal of Pediatrics says children who have more time for unstructured play have better self-regulation and executive function. These elements can predict academic success better than IQ, say health experts.

• Greater brain development: Researchers at Baylor College of Medicine have found that children who don’t play much develop brains 20 to 30 percent smaller than is normal for their age.

Stress reduction: In their clinical report, “The Power of Play,” the AAP suggests

that when play and safe, stable, nurturing relationships are missing in a child’s life, stress hormones can elevate to harmful levels. Play is so essential to kids that the AAP suggests pediatricians recommend more of it at each child well visit.

• Promotes conflict resolution: Children who engage in free play learn on their own how to keep the game going through compromise, rather than relying on a parent or referee.

Free play is an important component of a child’s well-being, and one that is not stressed nearly as much as it should be for good health and future success. Kids can enjoy self-directed play that is nature-based and unplugged from digital distractions.

home improvement

Signs a fireplace is in need of repair

The American Heritage Insurance Group notes that neglect of chimneys and fireplaces can pose a range of notable dangers, including increased risk for carbon monoxide poisoning and chimney fires. Poorly maintained fireplaces also may fail prematurely, which is not insignificant, as a new fireplace can cost thousands of dollars. With so much to gain from a well-maintained fireplace, homeowners can learn to spot

signs suggesting a unit is in need of repair.

• Insufficiently vented smoke: Smoke from a fireplace is meant to go up and out of a home through the chimney. If that’s not happening, and

smoke is instead entering living spaces, then a fireplace and chimney inspection is in order. When such situations unfold, the chimney may be blocked or a damper may be damaged. Such issues are easily and often affordably resolved. But smoke coming into a home also might indicate structural damage to the chimney or fireplace, which can be a more costly fix.

when it’s not in use, is a sign of excessive creosote buildup, which necessitates immediate remediation.

• Water damage: Water damage, which can manifest as rust or dampness around the fireplace or chimney, is another sign a fireplace is in need of repair. Water damage often indicates that water is getting inside. Sometimes that’s due to a faulty chimney cap, which is a simple and affordable repair.

• Foul odors: Fireplace afficionados tend to love the smoky aroma that emanates from the

fixtures while a fire is burning. If that familiar aroma has been overtaken by a foul odor, then there might be a buildup of creosote within the chimney. The United States Environmental Protection Agency notes creosote is a derivative of the distillation of tar from wood or coal. Though creosote is a byproduct of burning wood, if it’s allowed to accumulate over time, the risk of chimney fires increases considerably. A foul odor coming from the fireplace, particularly