Cattaraugus County Source 02-20-2025 by Community Source

Local sheriff’s deputy-K9 team provides crisis support to LA wildfire victims

BY DEB EVERTS

LOS ANGELES

Four teams from the Northeast Region of the HOPE Animal-Assisted Crisis Response (AACR) organization were recently called to Southern California to provide crisis support to victims of the wildfires.

Mary MacQueen, a deputy sheriff for the Cattaraugus County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Office, and her canine, Paxil, were among the HOPE teams. They were joined by three other teams: Deb Goodwin and her dog, Rika, of West Stockbridge, Mass.; Cece Peterson and Fergus of Pittsburgh, Pa.; Sue Herman and Jessie of Erie, Pa.; and team leader Sherry Rigel of New Castle, Pa.

MacQueen said they got the call to deploy Jan. 22 from HOPE’s national headquarters in Oregon after the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) organization requested their assistance to help victims of the Eaton wildfires in Pasadena and Altadena.

“VOAD initially requested HOPE teams from the Pacific Southwest Region, but those dog and handler teams were exhausted from being at the wildfire sites every day,” she said. From the time MacQueen and her fellow HOPE teams arrived Jan. 27 until their final day Feb. 1, the dogs gave emotional support to grieving, traumatized victims at the Disaster Recovery Centers. She said the Altadena community, in particular, is experiencing the devastating

impacts from the destructive and deadly Eaton Fire. According to the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department, the city and county have worked closely with the state and FEMA to open Disaster Recovery Centers for residents impacted by the fires. The recovery resource centers have been supporting individuals with lost vital records including birth certificates, death certificates, driver’s licenses and social security documentation; disaster relief for those with homes and businesses lost or damaged by the fire; and offer referrals for mental health counseling and other services.

The centers also give away food, clothing, cleaning equipment and other essential items to people left homeless by the wildfires.

“These people waited in line. Some started at midnight and didn’t get to the end of the line until about 2 o’clock in the afternoon when they could enter the resource building. There were so many emotions, coupled with impatience fueled by frustration,” she said. “Almost 2,000 people shared experiences of losing their homes, family members, pets and livelihoods. Many showed pictures of their homes, with the wildfire approaching in the background before they were burned down.”

WHEN THEY GO to a crisis site, MacQueen said they pretty much stand back and let the dogs do what they do best — give comfort and love. She said the teams walked through

the

lines and lines of frustrated people, many of whom eased their stress by petting the dogs.

“The tears these people shed in Paxil’s fur telling about their dog they lost in the fire was heartbreaking,” she said. “The veterinarian who hugged Paxil told us about her entire facility that burned to the ground.

One of the most dangerous toxins they encountered from the fires, according to MacQueen, was arsenic from burning

batteries. She said it gets in the air and lands on everything.

“We had illusions of taking the dogs swimming in the ocean but it was not an option,” she said. “All the beaches from halfway to San Francisco, practically down to Mexico, were closed because of all the toxins running off when it rains.”

MacQueen and Paxil, her highly-trained Golden retriever, have been a HOPE team for two-and-a-half years. She said

Paxil is 6-and-a-half years old and the first dog she’s had on the HOPE team.

“Of all the things I’ve done with dogs in my life, HOPE has to be the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done,” she said.

MacQueen said it was an honor to go and help heal the victims of the fire. She said the work and accomplishments of these dogs during this deployment were incredible. They have helped ease

Photo provided

MacQueen and

their canines to comfort victims of the recent wildfires. Shown are

teams (front) Sue Herman and Jessie, (back) Deb Goodwin and Rika, Cece Peterson and Fergus, and MacQueen and Paxil.

Remembering ‘Mayor of Kill Buck’ at annual sauerkraut dinner

a cutting tool that had been in the family for generations.

Otie told his friends about the sauerkraut he’d been working on, at the time, and how it would be something fun for the guys to do together. The original group included Brad Brown, Bill Hunt, Jerry Bierfeldt, Bernie Padlo, John Haley and Otie.

started about 50 years ago. Known to many as the unofficial “Mayor of Kill Buck,” Patterson passed away in January 2015. His son, Bob, said this dinner marked the 10th year of his father’s passing which made the event even more meaningful. According to Bob Patterson, the idea for the original sauerkraut dinner came one day, all those years ago, when his father, some friends and fellow railroad workers met for lunch and a few brews. He said “Otie” (as his friends called him) made sauerkraut every year — the old, German way, using a family recipe and

“His friends joked around about him pushing the cabbage down to bring the juices up to the top of the crock,” Patterson said. “It was the final push in the process and they called it the ‘Patterson Plunge.’”

Patterson said the last time his father made sauerkraut was in October 2014, but the tradition continues. He said his father’s friends are still making the sauerkraut.

“Every year in February, we have a little party with people who dad knew and friends we all know at Katy’s Fly-In,” he said. “He was a pretty popular

man in the area and many people knew him. He was an emcee, entertainer and singer.”

When Patterson moved back home from Florida about seven years ago, he joined the sauerkrautmaking group and loves it.

Last October, the group got together and spent two days making 38 gallons of sauerkraut from Otie’s recipe, using the old, family cabbage-cutting tool. They included Bob Patterson, Jimmy Galen, Bernie Padlo, Brad Brown, Steve Beatty, Bill

Hunt and Katy Arena — owner and operator of Katy’s Café and Katy’s Fly-In. Patterson said Padlo, Brown and Hunt are original members of the B&O Sauerkraut group.

“We made the sauerkraut Oct. 30 and 31, in the basement at the home of Brad and Candy Brown of Kill Buck, and it was ready just before Christmas,” he said. “Katy even joined us in the manufacturing process, which is a very labor-intensive activity.”

In a brief speech and toast to honor his father at

the dinner, Patterson said it’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since he passed.

“When I moved back here seven years ago, I accepted the job with the ‘B&O Sauerkraut Company.’ The work is hard and the wages suck, but the benefits are good — friendship, beer and, of course, the finished product,” he said.

“I’d like to say thanks to his friends Bill, Brad, Bernie and Billy for keeping this annual tradition going. I know Dad would be honored.”

Sheriff’s office deputizes new Cattaraugus Co. road patrol K-9

Lex,

LITTLE VALLEY —

Cattaraugus County Sheriff

Eric Butler and Seneca Nation

President J.C. Seneca recently announced the deputizing of the county’s newest road patrol canine, Lex.

The sheriff’s office partnered with the Nation in support of a new K-9 unit to patrol

the county’s communities.

Lex, a 1½-year-old German shepherd, started training with her handler, Deputy Justin Grimm in December. This past week the K-9 team hit the streets to begin their career patrolling the county.

Lex is a dual-purpose patrol dog trained and certified in Narcotics detection,

tracking, article searches and suspect apprehension.

The Seneca Nation in October announced the donation of $30,000 to fund a sheriff’s K-9 unit fully.

“It has not gone without notice that the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department has recently made an aggressive effort in combating illegal drug activity on and near our Seneca territories,” said then-Nation President Rickey L. Armstrong Sr. in the press statement.

It was reported then that the sheriff’s office planned to acquire a specially trained police dog and employ a handler to assist with various law enforcement tasks such as narcotics detection, tracking and suspect apprehension. A dedicated deputy would undergo extensive training to become the K-9’s handler, ensuring a strong bond and effective partnership.

Butler and Grimm agreed to name Lex after the former Senior Emergency Services Dispatcher Timothy Lexer, who tragically passed away in July 2024. Grimm said he and Lex are honored to carry on the legacy of such a great man and co-worker.

The sheriff extended the office’s thanks to the Seneca Nation for their generous donation to help fund the new K-9 team, the Forestville Animal Hospital for veterinarian

services, Purina for the dog food and an anonymous donor who provided a housing enclosure for K-9 Lex.

“The Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office and the Seneca Nation are partnering together with one common goal of taking drugs off our streets and cleaning up our neighborhoods,” Butler said in October. “I’m proud to announce we have partnered with the Nation to add another K-9 drug unit to patrol our streets and the communities we live in and call home.”

Tips to make a living room a more comfortable, welcoming space

A kitchen is widely recognized as the most popular room in a home. Though it might be true that the hustle and bustle of home life runs through the kitchen, many a memory is made in the living room as well.

Living rooms tend to be go-to spaces for family movie nights, game watches with fellow fans and places to gather during holiday celebrations. That’s a lot of quality time spent in the living room, and those moments can be more enjoyable if the space is as comfortable as possible. With that in mind, people can consider various ways to make living rooms more comfortable.

• Prioritize comfort over aesthetics. In an era of Instagram, it’s

easy to fall head over heels with images when designing a living room. Aesthetic appeal certainly has its place in a living room, but it’s important to remember how much living will be done in these rooms when designing them.

Comfortable couches and furnishings like ottomans can make it easier to relax in the living room whether you’re watching a movie, cheering on your favorite team or reading a book.

• Ensure there’s ample seating. It can be hard to feel comfortable in cramped quarters whether you’re welcoming friends and family into your home or simply lounging around on Sunday mornings. If comfort

is your top priority, arrange the room so there’s ample seating throughout and people don’t feel like they’re sitting on top of one another when spending time in the room.

• Consider neutral paint colors. Furnishings are not the only things that can affect how comfortable people feel in a living room. The home improvement experts at The Spruce note that neutral paint colors

with warm undertones help to establish a cozy feel in a living room. Various shades of white, beige, tan, or even gray can help to establish a warm, comfortable vibe in a living room.

• Incorporate the outdoors into the room. The great outdoors can have a calming effect on anyone, so it makes sense that incorporating the outdoors into a living room can make

POOR MAN’S REPAIR

the space feel more comfortable. Furnish the room with plants and look for items with earth-toned furnishings to create a calm and comfortable vibe in the space. In addition, new windows that allow for more natural light and offer views into a yard can help lift spirits and make the room feel more comfortable. A comfortable living room is a space where people will want to spend their time. A few simple strategies can help create an inviting and comfortable vibe in any living room.