Allegany County Source 08-08-2025 by Community Source

New event, the Scio Harvest Festival, is this weekend

allegany county

Flickering memories of one who worked at the Babcock in Wellsville

BY KATHRYN ROSS

WELLSVILLE —

Ray McClure may have earned his stripes in World War II, but he was in uniform long before he wore U.S. Navy white.

McClure was the guest speaker at the Babcock Movie Theater Preservation Society’s (BMTPS) public meeting July 29 when, among others, he shared memories of working at the Babcock Theater when it was owned by movie mogul Jack Warner in the 1930s and 1940s.

Bracing himself at the wooden podium, the 99-year-old came into focus when he recalled, “I always wanted to go to the movies when I was a

kid. There wasn’t much other entertainment except for our Philco radio. Back then it only cost 10 cents for a ticket and 5 cents for popcorn.”

His father had introduced him to the movie magic when he played piano for the silent movies.

When McClure was around 14, he went to work as an usher at the Babcock Theater. He was paid 50 cents a night and the theater was open every day.

“We had a tuxedo uniform, and we wore a cap and carried a flashlight. We helped people find their seats. At the matinees, kids would get rowdy, and it was our job to calm them down and clean up after

them,” he recalled.

In those years the theater routinely provided stage entertainment prior to the featured films. “Sometimes the acts were so bad, we had to pull them off stage with a hook,” he said.

McClure also cleared up the mystery of the locked trap door on the stage floor members of the BMTPS found when cleaning up behind the screen. He explained that it was used when people had to disappear from the stage as part of a performance or magic show.

McClure’s job also included helping the projectionist, a disabled man named Charlie, who needed help walking upstairs and

carrying the heavy film canisters.

The movies, McClure explained, would arrive once a week on the train and had to be picked up at the station and taken to the theater, where they were carried upstairs to the projection room.

“Charlie taught me how to thread the film into the projector, change reels and show the movies,” he remembered.

The young man’s duties also included using a long pole to change the metal letters on the marquee every Sunday. It’s a chore done the same way today when members of BMTPS

BELMONT — The Belmont Rotary Club is making final preparations to host the 38th annual Amity Daze on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 8 and 9. There are some changes in store for visitors this year. Rotarian Mary Fuller said, “Most of our events will be taking place in Wilmac Park,” explaining that space for vendors was limited in the Schuyler Street park in the center of the village.

“We needed more room, and we already had many events already taking place

in Wilmac Park, so we decided to move most of the event there,” she said. “Vendor space was limited in the Schuyler Street park due to the growing popularity of the car show.”

Wilmac Park is located along Willard Street, a short block away from downtown and before crossing the Genesee

River. The bulk of Amity Daze will take place there on Saturday. Amity Daze gets underway Friday morning at around 8 a.m. when 41 residents will open their yards, garages, driveways and porches for rummage sales. This “one man’s treasure” event is always very popular at Amity Daze. The yard sales will go on all day, Friday and Saturday, across the village. Listings of the sites are available at the Town Hall and at the library.

At 6:30 p.m. Friday, there will be a concert at the Gospel Fellowship Church on Hood Road.

(The road is across from the former propane company.) The musical presentations will feature the Fountain Art Center Youth Choir and an instrumental ensemble.

On Saturday, activities will start again at around 8 a.m. when the yard sales reopen. The fun in Wilmac Park begins at 9 a.m. with a pickleball tournament. Players can be preregistered for a fee. Vendors, artisans and a food booth sponsored by the Rotary and the Genesee Valley Central School Interact Club will be open in the park starting in the morning.

There will also be kids’ games in Wilmac Park, including a bounce house and dunk tank. A flag football/ kickball game will also take place. Near noon, eyes and ears will turn to the downtown park when antique and classic cars and hot rods cruise into the village before heading downtown to the park for the Cruise In Car Show. Awards for the cars will be presented at 2 p.m. Steve Fleischman is in charge of the car show. Call him at (585) 610-6254 for more information. The Rotary, which

took the event over from the Belmont Betterment Association several years ago, sponsors Amity Daze for the community, it doesn’t raise funds for Rotary charities and activities.

“We just do it for the people and to bring the community together,” Fuller said.

Last year, Amity Daze featured a sand sculpture by noted area artist Eric Jones of Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen on the edge of the downtown park. It lasted for several months.

There’s no sculpture planned for this year, “But who knows about next year?” Fuller said.

Photo by Kathryn Ross

Ray McClure shares his memories of working at the Babcock Theater of Wellsville.

Ray McClure continued on PAGE 4

New event, the Scio Harvest Festival, is this weekend

BY KATHRYN ROSS

SCIO — They just wanted to do something for the townspeople, so they’re hosting the first Scio Harvest Festival, set for Friday and Saturday, Aug. 8-9.

Scio town officials

— Supervisor Alissa Ramsey, Deputy Supervisor Glen Layfield and town council members

Mike Coats, Cathy Farewell and Jolene Dickens — wanted to give the residents of Scio a good time, so last January they started planning. They came up with the idea of holding a harvest festival and celebrating with a ball, crowning a royal court, hosting a street dance and organizing a parade.

king and queen will be crowned and the royal court announced. There will be a dance with music provided by a DJ. There is no cost to attend.

with music provided by a DJ is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. Saturday. There is no cost for any of the events, except for items purchased from the vendors.

“We just want a good weekend where people can relax and have a good time,” Coats said.

New

Layfield, who is heading up the parade, said there will be classic and antique cars and hot rods, a grand float for the king and queen’s

Most of the celebration will take place in Scio Central School and in the parking lot adjacent to the community center, but a festive parade is scheduled to take place at 10 a.m. Saturday on the main thoroughfare. The highway will be shut down during the event and through traffic rerouted.

royal court — including the senior king and queen, the junior prince and princess and the prince and princess — business floats, fire trucks and town vehicles. Organizers were hoping the Wellsville High School Marching

Lions will provide music for the parade.

Collins Automotive is providing transportation for the king and queen.

At a special ball set for Friday at 6 p.m. at the high school, the

Ballots for nominations for the king and queen and the royal court were distributed on the town website and at the town hall earlier this year. Those with the most nominations are the ones receiving the crowns, along with sashes and roses.

Vendors will be in the parking lot adjacent to the community center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday following the parade. A street dance

The board hopes to make the Scio Harvest Festival an annual event and that volunteers will step forward to help with planning next year’s festival.

Cars to be in the parade should park in the Genesis Church parking lot prior to the event. There is no entry fee for the parade.

York rolls to 56-0 Big 30 football rout over Pa.

BRADFORD, Pa. —

Chad Bartoszek wasn’t necessarily expecting his New York offense to produce seven touchdowns in the Big 30 AllStar Charities Classic on Saturday night.

After all, there wasn’t

enough evidence in practice leading up to the annual game of graduated football standouts to suggest even scoring five TDs was possible. “We were not producing during practice.

I’m going to tell you that right now,” Bartozsek, the NY coach, said. “Now I kind of know why, because our defense was fantastic.

“We were not producing well. Some of those things just weren’t hitting because our defense was that good. Now that I look back, those two weeks, we were getting banged up against some really

good players. So I was a little skeptical coming in.” It turns out there was no reason to worry. The Empire State defense flew around for four quarters and the offense hit on big plays in the air and on the ground. The result was the most lopsided in the Big 30’s 52-game history — a 56-0 beatdown of Pennsylvania at Brad-

ford High’s Parkway Field.

“That was great fun. Probably the most fun I’ve had playing football, actually,” said Portville/Cuba-Rushford/ Hinsdale’s safety Cole Keesler, who finished among New York’s top tacklers. “I mean, it’s great. It’s like my last game ever, a lot of guys’ last game ever. Just go out there and play with full heart, stay disciplined, do our thing.”

New York evened the all-time series 24-24-3 with a second consecutive win. After Satur-

day’s domination and last year’s 21-point win, PA’s string of dominance from 2016 to 2023 feels like a long time ago.

NY was every bit as good as the final score would indicate. The team rolled up 456 yards, didn’t punt, and held PA to 177 yards and not a single sniff at points.

“It’s fun for the fans to have a game like that,” said Bartoszek, the Salamanca coach. “I’m sure that

photo

After a successful bicentennial celebration two years ago, Scio officials looked for a way to continue a summer-season celebration for townspeople. The Scio Harvest Festival is this weekend.

WELLSVILLE —

Ardent Solutions and the Allegany County Early Childhood Development Coalition are reaching out for community support to sustain Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in the county.

“Parents are a child’s first teacher, and the undeniable benefits of reading to children for their early development and long-term academic success are well-documented,” said Robin Fuller, early childhood development coordinator at Ardent Solutions.

Ardent Solutions drive to support Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

“Recent studies indicate that Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is linked to improved kindergarten preparedness and family literacy habits, especially for children in high-poverty areas who may lack access to books.”

Enhancing kindergarten readiness has been a primary goal for organizations working together to ensure that children from birth to age 5 have access to age-appropriate books through DPIL, officials said. Since its local launch in 2021, the Parton library has become the top early-childhood book-gifting program in Allegany County, with more than 15,000 free books distributed.

Almost 1,300 books are distributed monthly — books that, individually, would cost $14 retail. Agreements through the program with publisher Penguin Random House allow Ardent Solutions to pay just $2.60 per book.

“Even at this affordable rate, we depend on grants and donations to sustain the program,” Fuller said. “With a donation of just $31, you can sponsor one child in DPIL for an entire year.

In addition to direct donations, Ardent Solutions will host several

fundraising events, including a Read-A-Thon in October, Fuller said.

“We’re also seeking partnerships with local businesses and organizations that are passionate about investing in Allegany County’s youngest children,” she added. Sponsorship opportunities are available — businesses and organizations can sponsor a month of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library for $3,000 or contribute any amount to support this meaningful cause.

More than just books are distributed. In collaboration with the Allegany-Cattaraugus County BOCES Early Childhood Program students, Ardent Solutions sends monthly activities to families that complement their child’s book.

“This partnership is invaluable for our DPIL children,” said Fuller.

“Families can use these activities to enrich their children’s learning beyond early literacy. The activities encompass various areas of early childhood development, including gross and fine motor skills, behavioral and social skills, and cognitive development activities.”

Additionally, the First Step Family Resource Center, a program of Ardent Solutions supported by the Early Childhood Coalition, offers DPIL story time and Open Play from 10 a.m.-noon every Tuesday, where families can visit, take part in imaginary play, arts and crafts, and other fun activities for free. Families can enroll in the program by calling the First Step Family Resource Center at (585) 803-4526. Anyone can contribute to the program by visiting ardentnetwork.org/dolly-partons-imagination-library. html, or mail checks to Ardent Solutions, 85 N. Main St., Wellsville, N.Y., 14895.

➡Ray McClure

change the messages displayed on the “nose” of the theater. Regular movies, McClure said, were shown on the big screen for a week, while blockbusters like 1938’s “Gone With the Wind” ran for two weeks or longer.

McClure recalled Hayes was a “real” character. He met the Western star when he came to town riding on a mule. (Hayes was born in Stannards and grew up in Wellsville before leaving home and becoming famous on the big screen and in television as the irascible sidekick in Westerns. He often returned to his hometown for visits.)

Working at the theater, the young McClure developed an appreciation, which he still has today, for the films from the Golden Age of Hollywood when stars like Tom Mix, Hopalong Cassidy, John Wayne, Maureen O’Hara and Wellsville’s own Gabby Hayes rode across the screen.

During his wartime service in the Navy, McClure, a medical corpsman, had the opportunity to visit the Hollywood Canteen in Los Angeles. (There, during the war years,

established movie stars like Katharine Hepburn, Bette Davis and Rita Hayworth served and mingled with servicemen.) McClure’s smile broadened when he recalled dancing with ingenue Cyd Charisse at the Hollywood Canteen. Following the war years, in the early 1950s, when television was becoming popular, McClure’s interest in movies kicked in. He decided to take the skills he had learned from Charlie and enrolled in a training program in Chicago for television camera operators. McClure estimated

that he has had five different careers throughout his lifetime. While the jobs have come and gone, he still has fond memories of the boy in the tuxedo showing people to their seats in the dark theater lit only by art deco lights, a flashlight and memories flickering on a silver screen. The members of the BMTPS enjoy hearing from those who have memories or memorabilia from the Babcock Theater and encourage contact on its Facebook page or by talking to a member of the society.

30

PA wanted some more points, but they’ve won enough.”

Salamanca quarterback Maddox Isaac overcame a fumble on NY’s first possession to throw for a pair of scores and run for another, fellow QB Isaac Towne of Franklinville/ Ellicottville added a pair of touchdowns on the ground, and Randolph’s Connor Braley ran and caught for a TD each to pace the winning side.

“My mindset was to attack, attack, attack, and then I just got a little too aggressive and lost it my first touch,” said Isaac, who threw for 107 yards on five completions and added 81 yards on four carries after giving away NY’s first fumble. “I had to get the jitters out, and the rust off, and get right back in there.”

New York pounded the ball on the ground for 340 yards rushing. It also used the deep passing game to score points quickly.

Six-foot-5 receiver Bretton Blecha overpowered the smaller PA defensive backs down the field for four receptions for 139 yards. A 47-yarder from his F/E teammate Towne set up NY’s first score. He later hauled in a 49-yard TD from Isaac on another deep ball.

On the final play of

a 36-0 lead that effectively rendered the second half moot.

“Our game plan was kind of just give it to (the running backs) and pound the ball and just try and get as many yards as we can from the little yards,” Isaac said. “We didn’t really scheme to go over the top, but it was there, so we just started going for it.”

“You still need to run the ball,” Bartoszek added. “You still need the formation. But, man, it helps when you can go up top to kids like Bretton and Corey (Holleran of Salamanca), and that wheel route was just awesome before half.”

The New York players had a lot of fun while doing it. At one point late in the third quarter during an injury timeout, Cattaraugus-Little Valley offensive lineman Chase Marshall brought out a few dance moves in the huddle.

“It feels great,” Isaac said. “Being on a team with a bunch of all-stars … all these guys have a ton of talent, and just being able to do my part, it feels great. Coming out with a win, 56-0, it’s surreal.”

And the New Yorkers could have scored

more. It lost three fumbles, two of them at the goal line going in for touchdowns. Nonetheless, the Empire registered the largest margin of victory in the game, topping a 44-8 NY triumph in 2015.

The NY defense, meanwhile, came up with a pair of turnovers – interceptions from Salamanca’s Zach Treitley and Cattaraugus-Little Valley’s Noah Fuller –and caused a safety in the third quarter when it pressured Pennsy quarterback Colby Barr out of the back zone on a passing attempt. Pennsylvania drove inside the NY 30-yard line just once – in the opening quarter – and squandered a fourthand-1 play at the 21 with a low shotgun snap that resulted in a turnover on downs.

“Our guys were everywhere,” Bartoszek said. “There’s no holes in our secondary. The second thing is our D-end play, spilling, spilling, spilling, and, of course, when Zach Treitley’s on the field, you’re not going to get much. You’re not going to get much of anything.

“That’s how we struggled in practice because Zach knows everything we’re doing. The coverages were sound, and the D-ends were spilling. We didn’t score a lot against our

D (in practice). I think what you saw tonight that these kids like to hit. Wow, a lot of physical football out there.” Keelser said he and his defensive teammates were ready to play that way.

“Really what we focused on all week was just physicality,” he said. “As much as we couldn’t practice that, we got our mindset right. It was everything. Just physicality. That was our whole game plan.”

Towne collected 58 yards on the ground and hit on each of his four passes for 109 yards. His Franklinville/Ellicottville teammate Billy Slavinski tacked on 63 yards on 11 rushes.

Braley finished with 54 yards on seven carries while Randolph teammate Domanik Clark ran in another touchdown from 20 yards out.

Pioneer’s Logan Fleischmann connected on a 35-yard field goal and was perfect on four extra point attempts.

PA’s Ben Paul from St. Marys completed 16 of 26 passes for 94 yards. Otto-Eldred’s Davey Schenfield was Pennsy’s top receiver with 71 yards on eight catches. Ridgway-Johnsonburg’s Rocco Delhunty chipped in 39 yards on the ground and 17 receiving.

the first half, Isaac delivered a perfect long ball to Braley on a running back wheel route for

➡Big

Football continued from PAGE 2

Photo by Jason Wick

The New York squad dominated the Big 30 All-Star Charities Classic 56-0 over Pennsylvania.

home improvement

What you need to know about home equity loans

(not counting the mortgage you’re still paying off).

what to expect. Fixedrate home equity loans are typically used for:

repay the funds you borrow. HELOCs are typically used for:

(BPT) — If you have large or unexpected expenses on the horizon, you may have access to an untapped resource: your home. You could use some of the equity you’ve built up in your house to meet financial goals, depending on how much equity you have and how you use it. Here’s a guide from the experts at Navy Federal Credit Union to explain how home equity loans work and when you should - or shouldn’t - use your home’s equity.

What is a home equity loan?

In basic terms, a home equity loan is money you’re borrowing using your home as collateral. The equity in your home equals how much of your home’s value you actually own

Home equity loans are frequently offered at lower interest rates than other loans, so they may be a great option for consolidating debt on higher interest credit cards, or large home improvement projects. You can determine how much equity you have in your home, and how much your home equity loan payments are likely to be, using online calculators.

Here are the two most common types of home equity loans: Fixed-rate equity loan: This is a lump sum amount you’ll draw from your home’s equity, paying back monthly at a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan, so you’ll know exactly

• Home improvements/repairs

• Debt consolidation

• Large purchases

• Life events

Home equity line of credit (HELOC): This is a line of credit secured by the home, which lets you borrow funds if and when needed, up to a set maximum credit limit. You only have to