20th Garlic Festival is Sept. 20-21 in Cuba
BY KATHRYN ROSS
CUBA — Celebrate 20 years of the Garlic Festival on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 20-21, at Empire City Farms, McKinney Stables’ “Block Barn,” 105 South St. and presented by the Cuba Chamber of Commerce.
This event will include over 175 vendors, live music and entertainment, children’s activities, food, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, raffles and giveaways and many free and fun educational events.
Parking is free. Tickets are $8 at the gate; free admission for children 10 years old and younger. NO PETS will be allowed on the festival grounds.
The popular cooking demonstrations will take place in the Sinking Rose Tent. This year will feature The Radix, Six South Pizza, Lucky Day Homestead and M&T BBQ on Saturday and Tap-N-Pour and Spring Bottom Farms on Sunday. Also included are free samples and raffles.
The Monster Bulb Contest will be held on Saturday with judging beginning at 12:30 p.m. The winners of the annual Carlos Wood Amateur Wine Contest will be announced on Sunday.
As always, the Garlic Festival will feature a variety of
Alfred University launches 190th academic year
ALFRED — Alfred University has launched its 190th academic year as students returned for the start of the fall semester.
Welcoming more than 450 new students, the incoming class is among the most notable in recent history. It includes the largest-ever cohorts of AU Scholars and participants in the AU Advantage Summer Bridge Program.
“We are thrilled to welcome the largest number of AU Scholars in the four-year history of the program,” said Mark Zupan, Alfred’s president. “Recipients of the scholarship are not only gifted academically, but typically demon-
strate exceptional grit, curiosity, and engagement. This is exactly the kind of student who thrives at Alfred.”
The AU Scholars program provides generous scholarships to students nominated through their high school guidance offices: $30,000 per year for four years; $18,000 annually for four years for students enrolled in programs in the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University.
Since the program was initiated four years ago, scholarship recipients have typically shown the highest rate of retention among Alfred University students. Students in the AU Advantage
Summer Bridge Program spend four weeks on campus before their first semester, adjusting to life on campus and easing the transition from high school to college.
The incoming class also includes 57 international students representing 29 countries, with 14 of them hailing from the African nation of Tanzania.
“This is our largest cohort of international students in six years,” said Kyla Whannell, director of admissions and interim vice president of enrollment management. “Inclusivity is one of Alfred University’s core strengths and it is reflected in the diversity of our student body.”
musical entertainment.
The Cuba-Rushford Central School Pop Group & Jazz Band will kick things off on Saturday morning at the opening ceremony, followed by Jack Ellis & “Keeping It Country, Chillbillys & Friends and The A List Band.
Sunday’s lineup will include The Chumps, Miss Hoshi’s Trio and Lucky Number. Visitors will also find bagpiper Beth Goldsmith wandering the grounds sharing her music.
The weekend event will also include a foam party for the kids, Goat Yoga, historical presenta-
tions, garlic braiding with Michelle Scutt, a blacksmith, a beekeeper, pony rides, riding demonstrations by the Alfred State Equestrian Team, K9 demos, educational sessions by the Cornell Cooperative Extension Master Gardeners, historic barn tours and much more, including this year’s Garlic Festival’s King and Queen, Scott Wisler and Jill Loree. Follow the Cuba Chamber of Commerce & Cuba Garlic Festival Facebook pages and website cubagarlicfestival.com for updated information or call the Chamber office at (585) 968-5654 with any questions.
BY KATHRYN ROSS
Summer may be waning, but events happening across Allegany County in autumn are getting ready for harvest.
There are four weekends in September, and the month starts with the annual car show in Wellsville’s Island Park and grows from there.
SEPT. 13
• A Renaissance Faire will start at 5 p.m. at the David A. Howe Library in Wellsville. There will
be crafts, vendors, food, dance and music.
• A 25th Anniversary celebration for Tami’s Floral Expressions in Wellsville will start at 9:30 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. on Jefferson Street (near the American Legion) where there will be vendors games and crafts for children and more.
SEPT. 20-21
The Cuba Garlic Festival will get underway from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on that
Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on that Sunday. There will be arts and crafts vendors, garlic sales and contests and demonstrations, food and beverages, music and games at the Block Barn just outside the village limits. There is free parking, but an admission charge.
SEPT. 26-27
• The Civil War Reenactment in Angelica will see the North and the South fighting in the streets and gentle southern ladies
Allegany County events heat up in the chill of fall
dressed for tea that Friday through Saturday. There will be living history camps and vendors in the park. Three battles will be fought throughout the weekend, times TBA. The event is free.
• Willing Fall Festival will offer food, craft items, wagon rides on Route 29 and more that Saturday at the Willing Town Hall on Route 19 South of Stannards. The event starts at 11 a.m.
Allegany County Events continued on PAGE 5
Great Lakes Cheese works to correct months of wastewater violations
FRANKLINVILLE
— Work is continuing to address months of wastewater violations at the Great Lakes Cheese facility north of the village.
Officials with the Hiram, Ohio-based company said the facility’s staff is working with the state Department of Environmental Conservation more than a week after a wastewater discharge triggered a fish kill on Ischua Creek north of the village. Upgrades to the state-regulated wastewater treatment system are to be completed before the company resumes manufacturing at the site.
“This process takes time, and we are committed to following that process through, in close, daily collaboration with the DEC, to its safe, necessary conclusion,” company officials said in a press release Sept. 4. “Our voluntary pause in discharge outfall into Ischua Creek remains in effect to aid the investigation and assessment process.
far downstream as the Dutch Hill Road bridge south of Ischua.
State and company officials noted the discharge was compound-
“Meanwhile, we have returned our workforce to the facility to complete different business critical tasks during our voluntary pause, which include warehousing and order fulfillment. None of these tasks will impact our efforts to optimize the wastewater treatment facility.”
A release of organic material through the authorized discharge point on Ischua Creek on Aug. 26 is believed to have caused more than 10,000 animal deaths — including many of the over 9,000 DEC-stocked trout released this spring. Effects were seen up to 10 miles downstream from the site, as
Photo by Bob Clark
The Great Lakes Cheese facility in Franklinville is seen from the air. The wastewater treatment plant (top center) is believed to have been responsible for discharging organic material into Ischua Creek (top left) on Aug. 26, causing a fish kill extending around 10 miles downstream.
Sempolinski: New York’s energy plan
unaffordable, unrealistic for WNY
Testifying before the state Energy Planning Board last week, Assemblyman Joe Sempolinski said New York needs a “balanced, bi-partisan approach” to energy that keeps rates reasonable while protecting the environment, not a one-
size-fits-all approach favored by Democrats. “Albany’s top-down approach to energy is another example of government overreach that ignores the realities families face in Western New York,” Sempolinski, R-Canisteo, said. “We’re tired of Albany
➡Allegany County Events
politicians pushing costly mandates that make life harder and more expensive, while doing little to nothing to actually help the environment.
“The one bright spot in the plan is that the state is moving toward embracing more nucle-
• Lobster Fest is when Kent Beer Company will host Cousins Lobster Company from noon to 6 p.m. that Saturday at 1699 Jones Road Spur in Andover. There will be music and games. October is to enjoy the glory of autumn and celebrate the thrills and
— higher stream levels would have helped dilute the discharge and may have minimized environmental damage.
The facility on the Farmersville-Franklinville town line was listed 15 times in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Enforcement and Compliance History Online database, which collects state and federal reports of wastewater discharge exceedances and en-
chills of the season.
OCT. 3
• Andover Haunted House at 5 W. Greenwood St., will open for the season. From 7 to 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday throughout the month the Haunted Attraction will be open to scare the bee Jesús out
forcement actions.
Between November and the end of June, at least one exceedance was reported per month — with three in November and January; two in March, April and May; and one in each December, February and June. Data for July and August was not available. The facility began manufacturing operations in the fall of 2024.
Excess discharges of oxygen-depleted water,
of the unsuspecting. Tickets are available at the door and online.
OCT. 4
• The Armstrong Fall Festival takes place in Belfast near the intersection of routes 305 and 19 (6661 Rt. 305) south of the village. There will be free pumpkins,
phosphorus, chlorine and dissolved solids were reported, ranging from 16% to 711% above permitted levels. Six days saw exceeded levels of total dissolved solids, four of phosphorus totals, three of residual chlorine, and two saw excess biochemical oxygen demand — how much dissolved oxygen was used by microbes to break down organic material in the water.
The violations for phosphorus, chlorine and dissolved solids were identified as significant or Category I noncompliance.
The plant began operations in 2024, with
ar. If you want unlimited carbon-free energy, nuclear is the way to go,” he added. Sempolinski joined Republican members of the Senate and Assembly to testify at the hearing in Buffalo. Assemblyman Phil Palmesano, R-Corning, the ranking
food, bingo and face painting.
OCT. 18-19
• Allegany Artisans Tour will highlight the artwork of dozens of artists and craftsmen across the county with an open studio tour. Maps are available online and in local businesses, Painters, ceramicists,
minority member of the Assembly Energy Committee, is among GOP leaders in New York urging Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic leadership in Albany to step back from what they see as unrealistic goals in 2019’s Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA).
The New York State Energy Planning Board, chaired by New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) President and CEO Do-
sculptors, woodworkers and many others are taking part this year with some opening their studios on Friday night.
• RidgeWalk and Run on that Sunday has been opening the forest of Alma Hill for walkers, hikers and runners to enjoy the splendor of fall. Prior registration is
required and can be found online. For non-hikers an event tent will be open with food available for purchase. There will be music and wagon rides available. Look for more events to be announced as the holidays get closer and the area gets ready to celebrate winter.
the first discharges of treated wastewater to Ischua Creek in October. The facility is permitted to discharge up to 900,000 gallons a day, with the plant reporting daily averages close to that amount each month since March.
The facility is not the first GLC site in New York to have noncompliance reports, nor is it the first to be the cause of a fish kill.
The fish kill is not the first linked to Great Lakes Cheese in the area. The GLC facility in Cuba, which was replaced by the Franklinville facility, was fined $6,250 by the state in
April 2024 after a September 2023 brine discharge led to a fish kill on Griffin Creek, which feeds into Oil Creek. Oil Creek joins Ischua Creek at Maplehurst to form Olean Creek, which enters the Allegheny River at Olean.
In Adams, Jefferson County, a GLC facility has been fined twice for state wastewater violations. In 2012, an order was issued for the company to pay a $40,000 state fine for an effluent discharge, and a $40,310 state fine was ordered in 2022 for permit violations.
GLC was also deter-
mined to have been in violation of reporting requirements in November 2000, but no fine was levied. The company’s other manufacturing facility in La Crosse, Wis. had no reported violations or enforcement actions in the database.
Photos provided
The annual Civil War reenactment is set for Sept. 26-27 in the village of Angelica.
The annual RidgeWalk and Run at Alma Hill is set for Oct. 19.
SBU professor wants to challenge Langworthy in 23rd District
BY JIM ECKSTROM
OLEAN — Aaron Gies has certainly never been a fan of Donald Trump and what he represents. But when he saw friends — refugees from war in Ukraine — suddenly gripped by fear that they could be deported, it was a moment that spurred him to consider an active role in opposing the administration’s policies.
Gies said he couldn’t stand by and watch a president, in his belief, betray or make a mockery of so many of the ideals he believes America should stand for. Nor could he accept not challenging a congressman who is so supportive of the Trump administration’s agenda.
That’s what set him on the path to run for the 23rd Congressional District seat held by Republican Nick Langworthy. And while the general election, part of the high-stakes midterms in 2026, is more than a year away, Gies acknowledges the task before him requires an early start as he works to boost name recognition and garner support in the sprawling 23rd, which includes Cattaraugus and Allegany counties.
“These people, their country was invaded by a dictator, and Americans have a history of trying to defend freedom and democracy abroad,” Gies said in explaining how his heart went out to Ukrainians who sought refuge in the United States. “It seems to me it’s clearly in our interests to help Ukraine and to protect people that are fleeing from war.”
In March, Trump mentioned the possibility of revoking temporary legal status for
approximately 240,000
Ukrainians who fled the fighting with Russia, which has waged a brutal war as it tries to seize the former piece of the Soviet bloc. Reports at the time indicated a possible rollback of protections for Ukrainians could be part of a broader Trump administration effort to strip legal status from more than 1.8 million migrants allowed to enter the U.S. under temporary humanitarian parole programs, launched under the Biden administration.
In July, Trump indicated Ukrainian refugees would be allowed to remain in the U.S. at least until the Russian war ends, while his aggressive policies of detaining and deporting illegal migrants have made other ethnic groups wary of their status here.
Meanwhile, Gies said, Langworthy said nothing to defend or protect refugees — people who had received a promise from the nation of support.
“So I decided to start calling” Langworthy’s office, he said, “and like everybody else I got nothing, except meaningless statements. … So that got me out of the house.”
GIES, 44, OF OLEAN and an assistant professor of theology and Franciscan Studies at St. Bonaventure University, began to travel in what is the 23rd District, attending meetings, demonstrations and town hall-style events organized by Democrats and progressives opposed to Trump and his policies. In the spring, he began to be introduced as someone who was considering a run for Congress.
By earlier this sum-
reen M. Harris, is holding public hearings on the state’s Draft State Energy Plan. The plan will guide state energy policy for the next 15 years, through 2040.
Sempolinski has criticized the CLCPA as having goals that are unachievable and unaffordable. The CLCPA, signed into law by former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2019, requires New York to have 70% renewable electricity generation by 2030 and a zero carbon emission electric system by 2040.
Sempolinski said electric rates are rising as utility companies struggle to meet mandates set in the CLCPA — the act is also why New York is attempting to phase out use of natural gas in homes and businesses and why school districts across the state are forced to purchase electric school buses, which are more expensive and less capable than similar diesel-powered buses.
“I’m not against protecting the envi-
mer, the path was set — he officially launched his campaign in late August.
While others may still be interested in seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Langworthy — Kevin Stocker, a Kenmore attorney, is a declared candidate — Gies appears to be gathering the most overt interest from county Democratic committees. He’s attended their summer picnics and other events and is gaining momentum to receive county committee endorsements ahead of the June primary.
While out in communities, Gies said he talks about his willingness to fight for healthcare for rural areas as well as affordable housing, meaningful employment and smart economic development that benefits working Americans. But he said he also asks residents what they feel they need — and he said he listens.
“One thing I’ve found when I’m out there — even talking with someone who might be a Republican — is that there’s a lot of common ground,” he said. “One thing I will ask is, ‘Do you feel your needs are being addressed?’”
Gies said he’s spoken with many veterans who are concerned about continuing to receive benefits and healthcare through Veterans Affairs under the Trump administration, while older residents are concerned about the future viability of Medicare and Social Security. MEANWHILE, HE SAID another frequent theme is the lack of accessibility to Langworthy in the district. Gies acknowledges that many town hall meetings featuring
ronment, far from it,” Sempolinski said. “But the CLCPA is not responsible energy policy. It’s virtue signaling disguised as energy policy.”
HOCHUL COMMITMENT QUESTIONED BY ADVOCATES
Two pipelines under consideration for approval in New York have pitted environmental advocates against Hochul in what they view as a test of her commitment on climate policy. It’s a topic that’s created a divide between Hochul and Democrats in Albany who’ve favored a more aggressive approach to the state’s energy transition, the Times Union of Albany reported. Some of those lawmakers say they would be open to legislation that would set stricter standards for the approval of future pipeline projects. Those proposals are bound by what’s allowed under state law.
Republican Congress members across New York and the country have dissolved into jeers and boos — situations Langworthy has studiously avoided — but the Democrat said he still believes a congressional member’s duty is to appear before and engage with constituents.
“I can say that I am committed to doing in-person town halls regularly,” he said.
Gies has taught at St. Bonaventure for seven years, coming to SBU in 2019 as a research postdoctoral fellow for the Department of Theology & Franciscan Studies and the Franciscan Institute. He became
“I think that’s why the Legislature exists — to see there are problems that need to be addressed and to use our authority to develop statutory changes to prevent problems or stop problems,” said state Sen. Liz Krueger, an influential voice at the state Capitol.
Neither pipeline is guaranteed to be approved. But both are being freshly considered by the state Department of Environmental Conservation this year after the agency previously rejected them for not meeting state standards. That’s why environmental advocates and many Democrats have been particularly frustrated that they’re being considered by the state again. They want Hochul to reject them.
Both pipelines — one under New York harbor and the other running through the Southern Tier from Pennsylvania and stretching to Schoharie County— are proposed by the Williams Com-
a regular member of the department in 2021 and he is associate editor of Franciscan Studies, the Franciscan Institute’s academic journal. He is also a research fellow of the Collegio San Bonaventura/Frati editori di Quaracchi of Rome. He earned his doctorate in historical and systematic theology in 2018 from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., while he holds master’s degrees from the university as well as from Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary and his undergrad in Bible & Religion from Montreat (N.C.) College. In addition to his
panies, which states energy bills would drop if they’re built.
They argue that both pipelines would increase the supply of natural gas from other states, where it’s less expensive. That would allow utilities to charge less for the commodity, they predict.
Both were considered dead in New York but were revived this year following a meeting in March between Hochul and President Donald J. Trump, who had said ahead of their conversation that he wanted to discuss an unnamed pipeline.
“It’s a pipeline going through a small section of New York. New York’s held it up for years, actually,” Trump said at the time.
Two months later, the Trump administration reversed an order that had stopped work on a major offshore wind project off the coast of Long Island.
Advocates have perceived that as the result of a deal struck at the meeting in March.
academic work, he helps out at Enchanted Mountains Urgent Veterinary Care of West State Street, which was established by his wife, veterinarian Katie Gies, and serves as a cantor in his church parish.
Gies said he will take a leave from St. Bonaventure at the first of the year to campaign full-time in the 23rd, which includes Chemung, Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Tioga counties as well as parts of Schuyler, Steuben, Erie and Niagara counties.
Langworthy, of Pendleton in Niagara County, is serving his second term.
Hochul has denied that such a deal was made and has made clear that the pipelines would only receive state approval if they passed muster with state law. She has not dismissed them outright.
Hochul signaled this summer she wants New York to develop more nuclear power generation, a move that Republicans see as another admission that the state’s power needs can’t be met with heavy reliance on renewables.
Earlier this week, the governor demanded that the Trump administration uphold permits already granted for off-shore wind projects in New York amid the president’s decision to pull funding.
Trump said he was cancelling $679 million in federal funding previously slated for the nation’s offshore wind industry. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, this
File photo
Aaron Gies, Democratic candidate for the 23rd Congressional District seat in 2026, speaks Aug. 2 during rally and protest in Lincoln Park.
CUBA • NEW YORK
home improvement
What to expect of a room addition project
There are many reasons homeowners consider adding a room to their current homes. Some outgrow an exist-
ing space, while others take up new hobbies or have different needs that were not apparent when purchasing the home.
Indeed, a room addition can remedy a host of issues affecting a home. Those considering adding a room may wonder what is involved in this type of project. According to
The Spruce, no home improvement project is more complicated or expensive than building an addition. The National Association of Realtors says building an addition can cost between
$90,000 and $270,000, depending on the size and intended purpose of the room. An addition structurally changes a home, which requires the work of professionals whether homeowners plan to build upwards or outwards.
• Design and planning: Homeowners must determine the purpose behind the addition and how it will integrate with
continued on PAGE 6
With so much to ponder when considering a home addition, here’s a look at what homeowners can expect of the process.
the existing home. A bedroom design likely will be different from a garage addition or family game room.
• Hire an engineer and contractor: An addition changes the footprint of a home. Homeowners will require professional contractors and structural engineers/ architects to properly design the addition and ensure that it will not compromise the existing structure. Detailed architectural plans will be drawn up considering the layout, size and integration with the existing structure. The home may require a new property survey as well.
• Comply with building codes: The project will have to meet with local zoning regulations, building codes and homeowners association rules.
• Timing involved: Adding a room is a major overhaul of a space. It may require months of a home being in upheaval. If the renovations are particularly extensive, homeowners may need to temporarily move out of
the space. Electrical, plumbing and HVAC must be considered, and drywall and finishing the interior are some of the last steps to make the room habitable.
• Demolition: Adding a room may involve taking down walls or modifying existing spaces, necessitating
hiring a
is an added consideration and expense. Putting an addition on a home is a complex process that will take time and money. Such a project requires careful planning and consultation with an array of experts.
dumpster to remove debris. This