Genesee Valley’s Junior Firefighter Program prepares next generation
BELMONT —
Landyn Burrows, a 10th-grade student at Genesee Valley Central School, recently became the first member of the school’s Junior Firefighter Program to advance to full-fledged firefighter status.
The Junior Firefighter Program seeks to prepare students for careers in emergency services while strengthening local fire departments. This grant-funded initiative, supported by the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), provides young volunteers with hands-on experience in firefighting techniques, safety procedures and emergency response training.
The grant aims to address the regional
need for emergency responders and includes students from multiple communities, including Scio, Angelica and Belmont.
During his time in the program, Landyn has participated in intensive training, learning critical skills such as how to wear and use SCBA tanks, ladder training, hose handling, forest fire safety, fire hydrant operation and assisting in the Allegany County DWI Mock Crash demonstration.
To become a full firefighter, junior members must meet several criteria, including reaching the age of 16, passing a physical examination, maintaining good standing within the junior program and receiving
approval from the fire department’s board.
When asked why he chose to join the program, Landyn shared, “I wanted to learn something new and help out in the community.”
Through his participation, he has gained in-depth knowledge of firefighting equipment, fire trucks, and emergency procedures, all of which have helped prepare him for active duty.
Miranda Hemphill, Junior Firefighter Program advisor, has witnessed Landyn’s personal growth throughout the program. “He has truly opened up as a person and grown through this experience. His enthusiasm and passion for firefighting
are inspiring. It’s been wonderful to hear how well he’s doing and how much he’s succeeding.”
Josh Ford, chief of the Angelica Fire Department, praised the program’s success.
“The junior firefighter program at GVCS has been instrumental in adding new members to our department who otherwise may have never joined,” he said.
“It has been rewarding to see Landyn’s dedication and eagerness to learn since he joined our department, and I look
BY KATHRYN ROSS
WELLSVILLE — Everyone was Irish, and green was the prominent color of the crowd as hundreds showed up for the third annual AOH Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Wellsville on March 14.
It was an event that brought people from far and wide, home to Wellsville and some for the first time to see the parade, which is only 12 feet long stretching from the north corner of the Wellsville Brewing Company pub to the south corner of From the Hart, an Irish boutique.
This year people gathered in the street and on the sidewalk in front of buildings hoping for o’ bit of shade as Old Sol reigned overhead. It was better than 60 degrees at the high point of the parade, which started at 5 p.m. and lasted less than half an hour.
Even with several groups marching, sports figures and celebrities, dance companies, performers, cars, trucks buses and the Emerald Hook and Ladder firetruck bringing up the rear, it doesn’t take long to complete a 12-footlong parade route.
forward to his continued growth as a firefighter.
“I can only hope we will get more young volunteers like Landyn to serve their community and help replenish the ranks of our dwindling fire departments,” he added.
The parade was the idea of the Ancient Order of Hibernians, an organization that has its roots in Ireland and started here in the late 1700s to protect and support Catholics. Today, the local group spends much of its time raising funds to support the local food banks, scholarships and Irish heritage.
Later this spring they will host their annual Road Bowling Tournament in Andover, yet another nod to the area’s Irish roots. An annual car show, the largest in
Photo provided
Members of Genesee Valley Central School’s Junior Firefighter Program.
Photo by Kathryn Ross
Kay McCulloch (left) and Mike McCulloch, the Grand Marshall and AOH president, and a green friend were accompanied by bagpiper Steven Walker (right) as they march in Wellsville’s third annual AOH Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
WELLSVILLE —
Wellsville Creative Arts
Center directors are seeking a visionary entrepreneur to take over the center’s café space.
Since its opening in 2006, the center has been
a cornerstone of the local community, offering engaging art and music programs for all ages and skill levels. With its fully equipped kitchen and café, it has provided a welcoming space for
Cuba village sets budget workshop
CUBA — The Cuba Village Board of Trustees have scheduled a budget workshop for April 7 at the Cuba Chamber of Commerce building located at 5 W. Main St.
The session will open at 4 p.m. to plan for the upcoming fiscal year 2025-26.
students, guests and the public to gather and connect.
Andy Glanzman, founder of the Arts Center, said the café “represents an extraordinary opportunity” for someone who has dreamed of owning their own coffee house and café. Boasting a prime location within the center, it has a builtin clientele and is ready for a new chapter, he added.
Since January, Taren Drake has been managing the café as her own business, calling it the Artful Cup.
“It’s bittersweet to see Taren move on, but I fully understand that sometimes for personal reasons life leads us in new directions,” Glanzman said. “Taren brought a lot of heart to the café, and while it’s sad to see her go, I wish her the very best always. At the same time, I’m excited for the opportunity this transition
creates for a passionate entrepreneur to step in and make their own mark.
“As the say, ‘When one door closes, another one opens,’” he added.
For information, contact Glanzman at wellsvillecreativeartscenter@ gmail.com.
Wellsville school to present ‘Legally Blond, The Musical’
WELLSVILLE — Wellsville Secondary School will present “Legally Blonde, The Musical” April 4-6 in the school auditorium.
Performance times will be 7 p.m. on Friday, April 4 and Saturday, April 5; 2 p.m. on Sunday, April 6. Tickets cost $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors, and can be purchased at the door or in advance at Brand Name Appliance or the school’s main office.
Wellsville Creative Arts Center seeks someone to manage café space
Photo provided
The Wellsville Creative Arts Center is seeking someone to operate its café space.
home improvement
Pros and cons of open concept floor plans
Open floor plans that make it easy to move through primary living and entertaining areas have been popular for decades. Open concept floor plans join the dining room, kitchen and living (great) room into a communal space where sight lines are maximized and walls are minimal.
thinking there is more square footage.
Drawback: The space may feel too large. An open concept floor plan in a large home can make interior spaces feel cavernous. A cozy home can be difficult to achieve with fewer walls.
According to JJones Design Co., the origins of open concept floor plans may be traced to the deaf community. An open layout allows for better visual communication and awareness of one’s surroundings, and some deaf individuals modified their kitchen and living spaces to facilitate more room for social gatherings and signing. Nowadays, it’s nearly impossible to find a new construction with closed-off rooms. Here’s a look at some of the pros and cons of having an open-concept home.
Benefit: Open concept plans facilitate the flow of natural light. Without walls to break up rooms, homeowners can maximize light coming in through their windows. This also may help to brighten darker rooms that do not get as much natural light.
Benefit: Open concept plans make small spaces feel bigger. When smaller homes are broken up by walls, they can seem even smaller. By tearing down walls, one can trick the mind into
Drawback: Privacy can be hard to achieve. Unobstructed views from windows and doors can make it more
challenging to create privacy when desired. When window shades are open, passersby can see into a home. Also, sunlight may end up wearing out flooring and furniture throughout the home.
Benefit: Open floor plans allow more space to spread out when entertaining. One of the biggest plusses of open floor plans is that it makes it easier to host crowds. Guests can enjoy the communal space, while hosts can still interact with friends and family even while preparing meals in the kitchen.
Drawback: Homeowners will likely need to do more cleaning ahead of hosting guests, as multiple rooms will be on display. Also, cleanup afterwards may be more arduous since guests have spent time in multiple spaces.
Benefit: Open concept plans can improve property value. The home renovation experts at The Spruce note open floor plans are desirable and increase the value of a home by up to 7.4 percent a year.
Drawback: Some home buyers are beginning to shy away from open floor plans. This may
have been prompted by stay-at-home requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic, when multiple family members were working and doing school work at home. In that environment, an open-concept layout didn’t provide the privacy or distrac-
tion-free spaces residents may have needed.
Open floor plans have been around for more than 30 years, but they aren’t everyone’s cup of tea. The pros and cons of this design style merits consideration when renovating or shopping for a home.
Wound and ostomy care expands at Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville
WELLSVILLE —
Jones Memorial Hospital announced that registered nurse Ailie Smithers, BSN, is now nationally board-certified in both wound and ostomy nursing.
The certification allows Smithers to pro-
vide specialized care to our patient population dealing with wounds, ostomies and related skin conditions.
Wound, ostomy and continence (WOC) nurses provide direct care to patients with wounds, implement prevention measures for at-risk patients and educate clinicians on providing care to patients with surgical incisions, traumatic wounds, burns and chronic skin changes related to comorbid conditions.
They also treat patients with peripheral vascular disease, diabetic wounds and pressure injuries. Patients are often dealing with the lasting effects of der-
matitis, lower extremity wounds, immobility and reduced sensation, or may have wounds that require advanced wound care products and dressings. WOC nurses also provide patient education and collaborate with nurses, providers, physical and occupational therapists and registered dieticians to support patient outcomes.
As an ostomy care nurse, Smithers provides patient education, support, resources and followup care, as well as a connection to case management and longterm care and support.
“For patients who wake up from surgery with a life-saving di-
the area, will take place in September in Wellsville.
This year the Parade Marshal was the local AOH President Mike McCulloch, who was accompanied by his wife Kay and a green friend walked the parade route with bagpiper Steven Walker of Andover. They were proceeded by a contingent from the AOH and followed by the women’s auxiliary.
Before the parade, McCulloch said he was happy to be the Parade Marshall and pleaded that the sun was shining so brightly on the event.
While last year’s Parade Marshall Rosie O’Grady watched from the sidelines, the first Parade Marshal Sister Alice Roach rode the route in a car.
version, but who were not planning on this, it really changes how they move through the world,” she explained. “Having someone to provide support, help with supplies, connect them with others in the same situation can be life-changing.”
Smithers’ journey toward wound and
evaporator and automatic draw-off in operation. Free samples will be available of most products, including syrup, cream, sugar pieces, popcorn, ice cream, coffee, etc. There will also be a self-guided tour in the sugar bush with a scavenger hunt for kids. Meals on site for purchase all four days with limited indoor seating and some outdoor under-cover seating.
• Mountain Maple Syrup, 6621 New Mexico Road, Cuba. Participating both weekends. Come visit Mountain Maple from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. for facility tours, demonstrations on the process of making maple syrup, free maple syrup samples, and more. There will be maple syrup, maple sugar, maple candy and other merchandise for sale.
Cattaraugus County
ostomy care began after attending a symposium at Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester in 2023. She identified a need at JMH for this type of specialized care and made a plan to work towards achieving the certification.
“We are proud of Ailie’s passion and initiative to start this pro-
Participating both weekends. All you can eat pancake breakfast. Tour of maple processing.
• Sprague’s Maple Farms, 1048 Portville-Obi Road, Portville. Participating both weekends. Weather permitting, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. there will be live tree tapping demonstrations, wagon rides and sugarhouse tours. Sugar on Snow and fresh made maple cake donuts will be available. Learn how maple sugaring was done by our Native American ancestors. View the state-of-theart evaporator and bottling center.
gram here in Wellsville,” said Sandra Wakins, chief nursing officer for Jones Memorial. “We are lucky to have someone like Ailie advocating for our patients. The hospital, our staff and patients will benefit from her commitment to quality and advanced care.”
cluing maple candy, maple cream, maple caramel popcorn and maple fluff to name a few. How about some hot maple syrup over vanilla ice cream or a maple milkshake?
Red-headed, twin brothers were easy to spot amid all the green. Six-year-old Henry and Wells Burt of Cuba attended the parade for the first time. The sons of Sara (Stout) Burt, originally from Wellsville, said they enjoyed the parade.
Everyone at the event, including the organizers, agreed.
• Durow Farms Maple Products, 11350 Archer Hill Road, Randolph. Participating both weekends. Hours 10 a.m.-4 p.m. all days. There will be sugar house and sap building tours. A hay ride will run to the sap building — weather permitting. Pancake breakfast Saturdays 10 a.m.noon.
• Moore’s Maple Shack & Pancake House, 10444 Galen Hill Road, Freedom.
• Ulinger’s Maple Farms, 8835 Crumb Hill Road, East Otto. Participating both weekends. Come watch staff boil some pure maple syrup. Available will be tours of the sugarhouse and sugarbush. There will also be samples a lot of maple products, in-
• Wright Farms, 9166 Laidlaw Road, Franklinville. Participating both weekends. Come join the family as you see how they continue the 185-year tradition of making maple syrup on the farm. There are 8,000 trees tapped, a 6x16 wood-fired evaporator, steam-away and reverse osmosis. See the process from tree to finished maple syrup. While you are there, get a taste of maple as they will be serving jack wax (sugar on snow) throughout the day.
A full listing of participating producers across New York, including a map of their locations, can be found at the official Maple Weekend website, www. mapleweekend.com.
➡Shortest Parade continued from PAGE 1
Photo by Kathryn Ross
Hadley Flurschutz, 1, of Wellsville, was wearin’ the green for her first AOH Shortest St. Patrick’s Day Parade.
