Give your living room a new vibe
An “out with the old, in with the new” mentality can extend to people’s visions for their homes. A home in need of repair or renovation can serve as a catalyst to take inventory of personal style and help make interior spaces reflect one’s unique vibe.
A living room can grow stale over time and often serves as a catch-call for clothing, blankets, gadgets, and other items. Upon recognizing a living room has seen better days, individuals may decide it’s time to give the space a new vibe. That transformation can start with these strategies.
Organize first
Clutter frequently is the culprit behind a living room that may not give off the vibe individuals desire.
As families grow and people add belongings, space may be at a premium. Less is more has never been a more important concept. Remove extraneous items before purchasing new furniture or transitioning to a new design. You may even want to remove everything and start from scratch before reintroducing desirable elements to the space.
Seek the assistance of professionals
Some people are adept at decorating and designing spaces. But
just as you wouldn’t perform your own medical procedures, you should leave jobs like interior design and renovations to the professionals. Hiring a professional interior designer and contractors can really bring a living room together in ways homeowners may have never imagined. These pros can build off of your ideas and truly create a space that may be worthy of a magazine spread.
Promote wellness You may want to consider adding natural materials in the design to promote well-being. Ecofriendly furnishings, raw fibers and organic textures will create an environment from sustainable choices. Plenty of plants also can create a welcoming environment that helps you surround yourself with positive energy and the items you love.
Light it up
One of the easiest ways to transform a room’s vibe is to utilize lighting. Change draperies to allow more natural light to shine in. Consider additional windows or skylights if yours is a particularly dark home. If you desire to create a more vivid or cozy ambiance, use a combination of accent, task and supplemental lighting in the space so there are no dim corners.
Create an industrial or urban vibe
Industrial-chic design celebrates the bones
of a building. It’s what makes city lofts so appealing, with their exposed beams and brick. Even those who live in suburbia or out in the country can give a living room this look with subtle nods to the style. Unadorned windows, clean lines on furniture, oversized, gallery-style art, and metal accents can add touches of this popular look to your home.
Revamping a living room doesn’t have to be difficult. With an idea in place and some professional touches, an entirely new vibe can be achieved.
New attractions, pumpkin carving with Eric Jones featured highlights at Pumpkinville
See Page 4
Fall fun in the works for Allegany State Park patrons
BY KELLEN M. QUIGLEY
RED HOUSE —
Allegany State Park is described as a foliage paradise with amazing fall colors, but it is also a great time to get out and explore nature as it prepares for the coming winter season.
There is so much more to do in the fall than to look at the leaves. Allegany State Park has an event-filled fall season in store for park visitors.
On Oct. 9, the wild edible plants class will meet at 3 p.m. at the entrance to Macintosh Cabin trail for the start of the program. Learn how to distinguish edible plants from poisonous ones.
Learn about the awesome opossum at 10 a.m. Oct. 15 at Beehunter Picnic Pavilion and discover their unique set of superpowers. Learn about these often-misunderstood creatures, what they eat, how they help the environment and how you can help them.
Then on Oct. 21, go nuts for squirrels at Beehunter Picnic Pavilion at 10 a.m.
Helping to keep the ecosystem full of life, squirrels plant
thousands of trees each year right in Allegany State Park. Come learn about why else they are so important to the forest.
Learn the basics of watercolor painting with an instructor-led class at 3 p.m. Nov.
3 in the Red House Administration lobby.
On Nov. 4, the Beaver Moon will be the feature of an evening walk that leaves from the Red House Administration Building at 6 p.m.
This full moon is also the biggest and closest
supermoon of the year, orbiting closer to Earth than any other full moon in 2025.
The following day, come learn about the butterflies of Allegany State Park. Park educator and butterfly enthusiast Tom LeBlanc will guide participants through the butterflies that are found in and the research on the butterflies of the park. The presentation will take place at 1 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Camp Allegany Classroom. Finally, on Nov. 21 at
County IDA OKs aid for Daich in former SetterStix factory
1 p.m., in partnership with the Citizens Preparedness Corps, the park will present the NY Citizen Preparedness Training Program in the Camp Allegany Classroom. With severe weather events becoming more frequent and more extreme, it is more important than ever that New Yorkers are prepared for disasters. The NY Citizen Preparedness Training Program teaches residents to have the tools and resources to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly and recover as quickly as possible to normal conditions. This training course will provide an introduction to responding to a natural or manmade disaster. Participants will be advised on how to properly prepare for any disaster, including developing a family emergency plan and stocking up on emergency supplies. Each family that attends will receive one preparedness kit. Registration is required to attend the event. Visit www. prepare.ny.gov to sign up.
BY BOB CLARK
ELLICOTTVILLE
— A manufacturer of coatings received tax breaks to redevelop the former SetterStix building in Cattaraugus. The Cattaraugus County Industrial Development Agency approved property and sales tax abatements to Daich Coatings Corp. to bring about 15 jobs to the former SetterStix building in Cattaraugus.
Daich is a Hamilton, Ontario-based firm that makes surface coatings for floors, countertops and concrete. The products are sold at American big box retailers, including The Home Depot and Lowe’s, and directly to contractors.
“Everything we sell in the U.S. will be made here,” said company
President Peter Daich, adding he was excited to be moving the firm’s first U.S. manufacturing site to Cattaraugus. “We’d love to work with the community and build something.”
The site is expected to be converted at a total cost of $1.2 million. The firm is paying $950,000 for the roughly 60,000 square feet facility,
and about $150,000 in manufacturing equipment will be required to bring production online. IDA assistance includes a 15-year Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreement. Documents call for an annual payment of about $12,300 for 15 years. For comparison, the tax bill on the facility is estimated at about $30,000 in
2025. Also part of the incentives are about $24,000 in sales tax and $12,500 in mortgage tax exemptions.
According to documents filed with the IDA, the firm needs to have 15 full-time employees within two years to keep the benefits, but Daich said he expects that number by the spring. “Our really big season starts March, April —
we want to be up and running,” he said. The biggest hurdle now, he said, is securing L-1 visas — a temporary, non-immigrant visa program that brings foreign managers or employees with specialized knowledge to new American sites. Two managers, an administrative employee, and 12 to 17 manufacturing employees are in the
immediate plans, according to the IDA filings. IDA officials offered to reach out to federal representatives to aid the application process. Payroll once the project is completed is estimated at between $673,000 and $750,000 a year.
IDA Executive Director Corey Wiktor said the IDA worked with Daich for about
eight months to move the project forward, having used Cushman Wakefield as a commercial broker and reaching into Canada for potential leads. He noted the building is close to Canada, was relatively inexpensive, and has no costly environmental concerns barring redevelopment. Daich was the second firm to express interest in the site to the IDA, but the first was “not a good fit.” SetterStix, a longtime business in Cattaraugus that made, for example, the sticks for all Charms lollipops, was sold about five years ago. The new owner closed the plant about two years ago, moving production to South Carolina and later Mexico.
Wiktor also noted that five new businesses have opened in Cattaraugus in the last 18 months, and the village is working through its process to award state Downtown Revitalization Initiative grants for further improvements and development.
“You’re adding to a lot of good things going on in Cattaraugus,” said IDA board Chair Thomas Buffamante.
File Photo
Several events are in the works at Allegany State Park this fall.
File photo
The former SetterStix building is located at 261 S. Main St. in the village of Cattaraugus.
New attractions, pumpkin carving with Eric Jones featured highlights at Pumpkinville
BY KELLEN M. QUIGLEY
GREAT VALLEY — Pumpkinville invites guests to visit New York state’s oldest pumpkin farm and check out two exciting new attractions.
Jack & Jennie Junction is an interactive donkey exhibit where visitors can pet, feed and learn about the farm’s beloved donkeys — including a foal born this past July.
Nearby, the Rat Maze offers kids a fun and twisty challenge as they climb, crawl and wind their way through a creative new course.
“This year’s new attractions — Jack & Jennie Junction and the Rat Maze — make Pumpkinville more magical than ever,” said Diane Pawlowski, who co-owns the farm with her husband, Dan.
Voted Buffalo’s Best Pumpkin Patch by the people of Western New York, Pumpkinville is open daily from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Oct. 31. Located at 4844 Sugartown Road, the family-run farm offers more than 35 attractions for all ages, making it a cherished fall destination for families across the region.
Back for his second year, world-renowned pumpkin carver Eric Jones will offer live pumpkin carving shows and interactive lessons. Kids can buy a pumpkin at Jones’s booth and learn to sculpt directly from him with a handson, interactive lesson using his 3D carving tools.
Anyone with a ticket or season pass can catch the Guinness World Record-holder and TV personality’s live pumpkin carving shows in the Farmyard Fun activity area every Sunday starting this week from 1-6 p.m.
Among the many returning fanfavorite attractions are pumpkin picking, the Pumpkinville Express Train, the corn maze — featuring Sesame Street’s Road Trip Across America, Pumpkin’ Jumpin’
pillow, gem mining, Goat Mountain, a Birds and Bees Exhibit where attendees hold baby chicks and see honeybees in action, hayrides and more. In the Fun Zone, guests can enjoy the Happy Horse
Carousel, a giant slide, the Feed Mill Obstacle Course, paintball, the apple blaster and the candy cannon.
The Pumpkinville Grill offers a full menu of seasonal favorites, including fresh donuts, cider slushies and weekend BBQ chicken dinners. For adults, the Pumpkinville Beer Garden features local brews from Ellicottville Brewing Co., wines from Winery of Ellicottville and two large-screen TVs to enjoy the game.
“We’re so excited to welcome guests back to Pumpkinville,” Pawlowski added. “As the oldest pumpkin farm in New York State, our goal has always been to help families create fall memories that last a lifetime.”
Pumpkinville is now a fully cashless venue, accepting credit/debit cards and Pumpkinville gift cards. Guests who need to use cash may do so at the front gate pay stand. Admission is not required to access the farm market, food court or retail gift shop. Tickets, including daily admission and family four-packs, are available for advance purchase at www. pumpkinville.com.
How to plan fun game nights for adults
Game night may seem like child’s play, but spending time in the company of others engaging in some lighthearted competition can be an entertaining way for adults to pass the time as well.
Board games have been experiencing a resurgence in popularity in recent years, with many people wanting to reconnect with one another in a way that television or the internet can’t offer, notes Gordon Lugauer, chief executive manager of the Board Game Barrister.
According to a report by OnMilwaukee, a dining and games are finding somethings gathering to hash out strategies for game play on Friday nights.
But it’s not only board games that adults are enjoying with some regularity. According to a new Entertainment Software Association Essential Facts annual report on the U.S. Video Game Industry
play video games every week. The average age of modern gamers is now 36. Nearly half of Boomers (ages 51 to 79) also play video games.
Hosting a regular game night for fellow adults can add to the social opportunities that can keep people connected. The following are some tips
• Invite an array of people. Bringing together a good number of people can ensure a fun night with lively conversation. Just keep player numbers in mind when choosing board games. An even number of players works best. It may be necessary to split up players among various games as many games are capped at a maximum number of players, or to have everyone team up.
• Choose the game in advance. Rather than discussing what to play once everyone arrives, which can take time away from game play, select the game prior to game night. Perhaps rotate so that the person hosting gets to choose the game? Choose a game as a backup in case the first
doesn’t work out.
• Ease into game play. Don’t rush game night along. Let everyone arrive and encourage conversation before everyone starts playing. This enables late arrivals to get there and not come in midgame.
• Create a relaxed vibe. Instead of setting the game up around a formal dining table, keep the dining table for a spread of refreshments and move game play over to a coffee table or a smaller table in the living area. This makes the gathering more relaxed and intimate.
• Keep finger foods on hand. It’s much easier to snack while playing games when finger foods are served. Chips, dips, pizza, miniature tacos, and frozen appetizers are great options for game nights.
• Alcoholic beverages are not a must. Party hosts can use their discretion regarding alcohol. While a drink or two can reduce inhibitions and help players relax and get more into game play, it’s not mandatory to have cocktails, wine or beer available. The people who are regularly invited will help hosts make the call on whether or not to serve alcohol.
Adults can start planning their game nights now.
File photo
Eric Jones and a young Pumpkinville visitor sculpt a pumpkin during a hands-on, interactive lesson using Jones’s 3D carving tools.
BY BOB CLARK
Watkins: Fight breast cancer by knowing risks, early testing
Early screening and paying attention to risk factors can help reduce the impact of breast cancer, said the county’s top medical officer.
Cattaraugus County Public Health Director Dr. Kevin Watkins, speaking at the monthly meeting of the county Board of Health on Oct. 1, noted that the day marked the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
“Everyone in this room probably knows someone who has had
breast cancer,” Watkins said.
Around 62 cases a year are reported in Cattaraugus County, and around 10 deaths are reported annually, he said.
“Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of death among women… around 42,000 women are expected to die in the United States this year,” he said, and 510 men are also expected to die from breast cancer this year.
Watkins noted that white women see the highest rate of breast cancer diagnoses,
and Black women are statistically more likely to die due to triplenegative breast cancer, a type of cancer that lacks three receptors usually found in other breast cancer types. Triplenegative cancer is more aggressive and has to be treated differently.
“It doesn’t respond to hormone therapy,” Watkins said, which is less invasive and works well on some other forms of breast cancer.
“You’re only left with chemotherapy and immunotherapy.”
Risk factors include obesity, alcohol and
tobacco use, high testosterone or estrogen levels. Another risk factor is the historic use of the drug diethylstilbestrol, which was used until the 1970s to help pregnant women at risk of miscarriage. Women who begin menstruating before age 12 or enter menopause after age 55 also see higher risks.
Family history can indicate mutated genes that normally help protect against cancer, Watkins said, and genetic testing can be performed to see if a
person has the mutated genes and allow for options ranging from heightened screening regimens to preemptive surgery.
Along with knowing risk factors, early detection is key — cancers detected at earlier stages are more likely to be treated successfully. Treatments include local treatments like surgery and targeted radiation, or system-wide treatments like hormone or chemotherapy.
“Women are developing breast cancer a lot earlier
than we thought even 15 years ago,” Watkins said, encouraging mammograms starting at age 40 instead of previous recommendations of 50. The early screenings have been shown to reduce breast cancer death rates between 15% to 29%, he said, citing American Cancer Society statistics. For more information on breast cancer, visit the American Cancer Society at www.cancer. org.
100 Years Ago This Month: Historical events from October 1925
The month of October has been home to many historical events over the years. Here’s a look at some that helped to shape the world in October 1925.
• The Lerma River in Guanajuato, Mexico, floods on October 1, leaving thousands of people homeless as a result.
• Three workers are burned alive when the Church Hill Tunnel in Richmond, Virginia, collapses on October 2. The tragedy is partly responsible for the emergence of an urban legend known as the “Richmond Vampire” more than 80 years after the tunnel’s collapse.
• The Soviet Union removes all restrictions on the alcohol content of beverages on October 4. Alcohol had been prohibited on a limited basis for 11 years prior to the removal of the limitation.
• Legendary baseball pitcher Christy Mathewson dies of
tuberculosis on October 7. Mathewson, who notched 373 wins and five National League ERA titles during his career, developed tuberculosis after being exposed to chemical weapons during World War One.
• On October 9, the Italian state prosecutor absolves 24 officials of any responsibility for the June 1924 murder of Giacomo Matteotti. Matteotti was an Italian socialist politician who accused the fascists of fraud shortly before he was kidnapped and killed by police affiliated with fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
• The Palace Museum is opened to the public in Beijing on October 10. More than 1.1 million pieces of artwork were housed at the museum when it first opened.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation agent Edwin C. Shanahan is killed on October 11. Shanahan is the first FBI agent to be killed in the
line of duty.
• Six hundred American troops enter Panama on October 12. The troops enter at the request of Panamanian President Rodolfo Chiari, who was hoping to put down a renter’s strike.
• Margaret Hilda Roberts is born in Grantham, Lincolnshire, England on October 13. Roberts would come to be known as Margaret Thatcher and serve as the Prime Minister of England from 1979 to 1990.
• The Pittsburgh Pirates win the World Series on October 15. The Pirates defeat the Washington Senators 9-7 in the decisive seventh game of the series. The Senators had opened the series winning three of the first four games.
• Rebels invade Damascus during the Great Syrian Revolt on October 17. The rebels set several colonial
French buildings on fire and take control of Azm Palace during the revolt.
• HungarianAmerican explorer and amateur archaeologist Bryon Khun de Prorok begins excavating the Tin Hinan Tomb in the Sahara Desert in French Algeria on October 18. Prorok begins the excavation despite objections from the local Tuareg Berber community.
• “The War of the Stray Dog” between Bulgaria and Greece begins on October 19. The killing of a Greek captain and a sentry by Bulgarian soldiers was one reason given for the start of the conflict.
• John William Carson is born in Corning, Iowa, on October 23. Carson would grow up and host “The Tonight Show
Starring Johnny Carson” for three decades, ultimately earning the nickname “The King of Late Night.”
• Seven of 23 U.S. Navy Curtiss CS-1 seaplanes are destroyed by wind gusts on October 25. The planes had been brought to Maryland to compete in the Schneider Cup.
• Nicaragua President Carlos José Solórzano acquiesces to former president Emiliano Chamorro Vargas’s dayold demand to make him Minister of War on October 26, effectively ceding control of the country.
• American inventor Fred Waller receives a patent for the water ski on October 27.
• The remains of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun are found on October 28.
English Egyptologist Howard Carter had discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb nearly three years before discovering the remains, which had been covered by a death mask made of gold.
• An armored truck is hijacked and robbed of $93,000 in cash in Buffalo, New York, on October 29. The money is never recovered and Richard Reese Whitemore, who was indicted for the holdup, was never convicted of the crime after a jury could not agree that he was guilty.
• The Persian Parliament formally deposes the exiled Shah of Persia on October 31. The deposition officially ends the Qajar dynasty, which began in 1789.
BY BOB CLARK
No sooner did the word get out that 8.2 million checks would be coming out of Albany did reports of scams pop up.
Gov. Kathy Hochul, who announced on Sept. 26 that up to $400 inflation refund checks would be coming to 8.2 million taxpayers shortly, said Monday that text, voicemail, email and direct mail scams targeting New Yorkers are being reported to authorities.
“New Yorkers do not have to do anything to receive an inflation refund check outside of meeting the eligibility requirements,” Hochul said. “With scams targeting the state’s inflation refund initiative, let
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Hochul: Scammers target NY inflation refund checks
me be clear: The Tax Department and the IRS do not call or text individuals for personal information. My administration urges New Yorkers to remain vigilant and report these scams to the Tax Department to protect yourself from being a victim.”
The messages typically claim that taxpayers must submit payment information in order to receive an inflation refund check.
Hochul noted that it is the policy of the state Department of Taxation and Finance, and the federal Internal Revenue Service will not call or text New Yorkers with requests for any personal information.
In addition, the checks will be sent
Did You Know?
• What is your budget? It is a good idea to get a pre-approval loan statement from a financial provider to figure out what you can afford to pay for a vehicle. The popular automotive resource Edmunds says the general rule is the monthly new-car payment should not exceed 15 percent of your monthly take-home pay. Lease payments should be less than 10 percent of monthly take-home pay. Calculate these numbers and potential interest rates prior to shopping for a vehicle.
• What size is best for you? Even though it may seem that SUVs and pickups reign supreme on the road, some drivers prefer smaller vehicles. Figure out how much interior space and cargo room you need. Take the time to sit in different vehicle classes to determine which size fits you best.
• What are your fuel preferences? Today’s vehicles come in electric, unleaded gasoline, diesel, and hybrid
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automatically to those who filed tax returns, had income levels below the program’s thresholds, and are not claimed as a dependent on another tax return. Checks have started to be mailed out, and deliveries are expected to continue into November. For more information on eligibility and other details, visit ny.gov/ inflationrefund.
Tips for avoiding such scams include:
• If you receive a threatening phone call regarding your taxes, hang up immediately.
• Never agree to meet anyone who claims to be a tax representative in person to hand over payment for a debt.
• Don’t provide personal information
in an email or click on suspicious links in an email asking for personal information.
• If you’ve been scammed or think you’ve received an email, phone call, or text that seems suspicious, report it at https://www.tax. ny.gov/help/contact/ fraud/scams-tips.htm For more taxpayer scam information, visit the Division of Consumer Protection’s Taxpayer Scam website at https://dos.ny.gov/ taxpayer-scam-0. For additional identity theft prevention and mitigation resources, call the Consumer Helpline at 800697-1220 or visit the Division’s Identity Theft Prevention and Mitigation Program webpage.
Did You Know?
Thanks to early detection and improved therapies, many cases of breast cancer are successfully treated. However, the Susan G. Komen® organization reports breast cancer survival rates vary depending on the stage of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Those diagnosed as having stages 0, I and II tend to have better survival rates than those whose disease was discovered after the cancer had already advanced to stages III and IV. Although each situation is unique, the five-year survival rate among those diagnosed with breast cancer stage I or lower is between 98
and 100 percent. Stage II falls between 90 and 99 percent. The five-year survival rate for stage III patients is between 66 and 98 percent. While the organization does not provide survival data for stage IV, according to the National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER), the five-year relative breast cancer survival rates for women with a SEER stage of Distant (the cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body) is 33 percent. If cancer cells have only spread beyond the breast but it is limited to nearby lymph nodes (Regional), the survival rate is 87 percent.
Gov. Kathy Hochul