Potter & McKean County Community Source 2/8/22

8 2022

community

FEBRUARY

p o t t e r m c k e a n

county

Austin • Coudersport • Crosby • Eldred • Gifford • Kane • Lewis Run • Mt. Jewett • Otto Eldred • Port Allegany Ridgway • Roulette • Smethport • Turtlepoint

Photo provided James Uber Photo by PA Fish and Boat Commission The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has released its trout stocking list for the 2022 season.

Pennsylvania’s trout stocking list now available With the calendar — and assuredly the weather — stating that it’s the dead of winter, it’s hopeful to note that in only about three weeks the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission will begin stocking trout for the 2022 fishing season.

Trout season opens statewide on Saturday, April 2, and the PFBC has released its stocking schedule, with 3.2 million trout planned for 696 streams and 128 lakes.

The schedule is available

schedule is searchable by county, lists the waterways in alphabetical order, and indicates stocking dates, meeting locations for volunteers and the species of trout that will be stocked.

In McKean County, the first stocking gets underway on the Marvin Creek, scheduled for Feb. 25, which includes a fly fishing only, catch-and-release stretch that is open to fishing year-round.

Other stockings are set for March, including the delayed harvest, artificial

using the FishBoatPA mobile app and on the commission’s website.

“The release of our trout stocking schedule is always a welcome reminder that spring is just around the corner,” Brian Wisner, director of the PFBC Bureau of Hatcheries, said. “This schedule is our roadmap for stocking millions of trout into hundreds of waterways across the state before and during the trout season, which is no small task.”

The trout stocking

lures only stretch of the Kinzua Creek from the Guffey Road bridge down to the boundary line of the Allegheny National Forest near Westline. This stretch may be fished year-round, as wells as the West Branch of the Tunugwant Creek, which flows through the Pitt-Bradford campus.

Marilla Reservoir is set to be stocked in early March, early April, in the second

PA Fish & Boat continued on ... page 3

Group closer to finding remains of WWI soldier from McKean County

BY MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER

M.I.A. have done the research, combed volumes of historical records, maps and photos, and even visited France, walking the ground of that deadly battle of more than a century ago.

A death statement uncovered through research read that Uber was struck in the temple about 11 a.m.

Oct. 8, 1918, by a “(machine gun) bullet. He lived about 15 minutes and was on his

Kane-area native James L. Uber has been missing in action since Oct. 8, 1918, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France in World War I. However, since his dog tag made its way to the Pennsylvania National Guard Museum in 2019, a group of volunteers have a pretty good idea of where the young corporal is buried.

Robert Laplander and Mike Cunha of Doughboy WWI Soldier continued on ......... page 3

factors to consider before converting an attic

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, many homeowners suddenly found themselves in need of more usable square footage in their homes. Required to work from home due to social distancing recommendations, millions of working professionals suddenly found themselves setting up shop at kitchen tables or islands, in alcoves, garages, or even walk-in closets. Those makeshift offices were never supposed to be permanent, but as companies loosen workplace policies and embrace full remote or hybrid working arrangements, professionals are seeking more

permanent home office solutions.

Home additions are a possibility for homeowners who need more usable square footage, but add-ons may not be the right option for everyone. If adding on won’t work, homeowners may want to look up ... at their attics.

Attics with ample space can make for ideal home offices, as they’re away from the hustle and bustle of a home’s main floor. That can make it easier to concentrate when everyone is in the house and reduce the likelihood that video calls with colleagues and clients will be interrupted by kids and pets.

Attic conversions are not always possible, and the following are three important factors homeowners may need to consider before they can go forward with such projects.

1. Dimensions: Both the renovation experts at This Old House and the real estate experts at UpNest indicate that at least half of a finished attic must be a minimum of seven feet high and seven feet wide and 70 square feet. Requirements may differ depending on where homeowners live, but that 7-7-70 guideline is generally the minimum requirement. An attic that fails to meet such requirements won’t necessarily be

a lost cause, but it might be costly to make adjustments that ultimately align with local codes.

2. Access: Access is another aspect that must adhere to local safety guidelines. Many attics are accessible only through pulldown ladders, but that will have to change if homeowners repurpose their attic spaces. A staircase that complies with local laws will need to be installed, and contractors can work with homeowners to build that and estimate the cost.

Homeowners who simply want to put desks in their attics without going with full-fledged conversions are urged to adhere to local

access requirements anyway, as they’re intended to ensure residents can safely escape attics in the case of a fire or another emergency.

3. Climate control: Attics are converted to provide residents with more livable space. Converted space is only livable if the climate within the attic can be controlled so it’s cool in the summer and warm in the winter. An existing HVAC unit needs to efficiently heat and cool an extra room. If it can’t, bills might spike because the rest of the home likely won’t be as comfortable, forcing homeowners to adjust thermostats to offset that discomfort. That also could affect the unit’s

life expectancy. Before go ing forward with an attic renovation, homeowners should contact HVAC pro fessionals to determine i attic spaces can be serviced with the existing units and ductwork, or if an alterna tive arrangement must be worked out to make the spaces livable.

Attic conversions can be great ways to make ex isting spaces more livable Homeowners considering such projects should pay attention to three importan variables as they try to de termine if attic conversions will work for them.

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FEBRUARY 8, 2022

DEP: More than $1.7 million for local water clean-up projects HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection announced funds for a McKean County project aimed at cleaning up water in the McKean County Conservation District.

The funding, in the amount of $382,492, is for the Upper Allegheny Ag. BMP Project of the McKean County Conservation District through DEP’s Growing Greener Plus program.

“Growing Greener awardees help keep Pennsylvania clean,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “It is imperative that communities in Pennsylvania receive the necessary funding to reduce pollutants in area waterways.”

Statewide, more than $18 million has been awarded to fund over 60 projects to clean up waters.

Grantees have up to three years to implement their projects from the award date.

DEP announced funding for these seven awards at the Erie County Conservation District Office, which received one of the seven grants

and plans to utilize these funds for the Pennsylvania Vested in Environmental Sustainability program (PA VinES).

Growing Greener is the largest single investment of state funds in Pennsylvania’s history to address Pennsylvania’s critical environmental concerns of the 21st century.

Three other state agencies also received funds to distribute for appropriate projects: the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture to administer farmland preservation projects, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for state park renovations and improvements, and the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority for water and sewer system upgrades.

Growing Greener projects in the northwest region include projects addressing stream bank restoration and in-stream habitat improvements, assisting farmers to install best management practices to reduce agricultural runoff to streams and rivers, and reducing nutrient and sediment pollution in the Lake Erie Watershed.

Elk County Community Foundation launches online scholarship platform ST. MARYS — The Elk County Community Foundation has launched its online application platform, streamlining the process for area students, school counselors and foundation staff members.

Executive Director Paula Fritz Eddy said this is a very notable transition, given the foundation has always operated on paper or used individual PDF forms for each scholarship since its establishment in the late 1990s.

The new Foundant Technologies platform will be used for the 2022 scholarship award cycle.

Students will create an online account and take an “eligibility quiz,” said Eddy, which will be extremely useful, since the foundation offers so many scholarships and students may get overwhelmed when deciding which ones to apply for. Based on the criteria, the quiz tells them which scholarships they are eligible for.

“This way, they aren’t sifting through ones they don’t qualify for,” Eddy said. “It saves them time, and us time as well.”

The foundation’s office

is filled with boxes of paper and applications that accumulated over the years.

The online platform will be an adjustment, but one they anticipate being well worth it.

“Our scholarship program has grown extensively,” she said.

Serving two counties, Elk and McKean, the ECCF is up to offering 150 scholarships, said Eddy.

Which scholarship is right for each student depends on their background/interests, as well as eligibility. The more generic ones tend to be the most popular.

The other end of this, said Eddy, is that school counselors will now be able to upload references to the application.

“We have a variety of different ‘reviewers,’” she said, who will now have access to the platform.

This transition has been on the radar for years, said Eddy, but was propelled forward during the pandemic. In spring of 2020, when schools closed, it was the week before ECCF applications were due.

“It forced us to explore this option,” said Eddy.

Eddy and ECCF

Scholarship Manager Kris Kronenwetter started looking into the idea, consulting other community foundations that have also used Foundant Technologies.

The foundation also received a program grant from the Stackpole-Hall Foundation to assist with staffing during the new process, Eddy noted.

The online platform will also give students more independence and control over the application process, Eddy anticipates.

The system will send out “reminders” via email for scholarship deadlines as well, and students can track the status of applications.

“In 2021, the ECCF awarded $249,000 in scholarships to 173 high school

seniors and non-traditional students,” the news release says.

Besides offering a plethora of educational scholarships for students, the foundation also helps support donors and assist nonprofit organizations with work and projects.

“As the new year begins, we continue to encourage people to think about how they can give back, how they can leave a legacy,” said Eddy.

The foundation acts as a resource for donors, helping them decide which way to give back is right for them.

Visit www.elkcountyfoundation.org for more information or call 814-834-2125.

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FEBRUARY 8, 2022

PA Fish & Boat continued from 1

Recipe Corner Molten Chocolate Cakes

1 package (6 squares) Baker’s® Bittersweet Baking Chocolate 10 tablespoons butter 11⁄2 cups powdered sugar 1⁄2 cup flour 3 whole eggs 3 egg yolks Grease six custard cups or soufflé or until cakes are firm around edges dishes. Place on baking sheet. but soft in the centers. Let stand 1 minMicrowave chocolate and butter in ute. Run small knife around cakes to a large microwavable bowl on high for loosen. Carefully invert cakes onto des2 minutes or until butter is melted. Stir sert dishes. Garnish as desired. Serve until chocolate is completely melted. immediately.

Add powdered sugar and flour; mix Tip: Batter can be made a day ahead; well. Add whole eggs and egg yolks; pour into prepared custard cups. Cover stir with wire whisk until well blended.

Divide batter evenly among prepared with plastic wrap; refrigerate. When ready to serve, uncover and bake as custard cups.

Bake at 425 F for 14 to 15 minutes directed.

WWI Vet continued from 1

way to dressing station when he died. His body was taken care of and buried by a detail from Co. B, 112th Inf.” Laplander explained information from World War I is hard to track down.

A massive fire in 1973 at the National Personnel Records Center destroyed much of the information.

“They didn’t throw anything away,” he said, adding that officials have been trying to rebuild the records ever since. “There is no list of what was salvaged and what was not.”

Uber’s file is thought to be among the lost.

Laplander has a copy of his “grave location blank,” which is filled out by whoever oversees the burial of the lost soldier. Uber’s didn’t give the grave’s specific location.

When someone died in battle, they were buried in “private cemeteries,” of which about 1,700 were identified by the end of the war. The soldier’s dog tags were separated, one stayed with the body and one went on a makeshift grave marker.

It is Uber’s grave marker tag that Laplander believes was found and returned to the U.S. The remains of most soldiers were retrieved and taken home. However, many of the burial spots

were lost to time.

“There was still heavy fighting in that area for a few days after (Uber) was killed,” Laplander said.

The marker was likely separated from the grave.

Because Uber’s remains were not located, he did not have a casualty record. So researchers looked for files of others who were killed in the same location during that battle “to give us more clues of what happened to those guys.”

A volunteer in their group lives in France, and has found maps and photos to help the search. Using Google Maps and photos taken by the Signal Corps in the 1930s, they were able to map out the area where Uber would have been killed.

Using plat books and all the information they were able to find, the volunteers marked everything on maps to show where people were buried, including the bodies of five unknown soldiers.

They were able to track down the young man in France who originally located Uber’s dog tag, and he showed them where he found it.

Then the volunteers went to France and took a look for themselves. They met with the mayor of the town and with a representative of the Ministry of Culture of France and were able to walk the site of the battlefield.

“Now we had even more of a starting point to look at,” Laplander said.

Using information from files of other men who died in the vicinity, he was able

to narrow the list down to four possible names for three sets of unknown remains that were found there.

Uber may have been one of them.

“We believe that Jim was picked up as an unknown and that his tag was not with his body,” Laplander said. “We’re about 75-percent sure that he’s buried as an unknown in the Meuse-Argonne Cemetery.”

Cunha said there are 486 unknown soldiers in that cemetery.

And that is as far as the Doughboy M.I.A. have been able to take the case, as the National Personnel Records Center has been essentially closed since the pandemic began.

“All the paperwork having to do with the unknowns, all of it is missing,” Laplander said. It may have burned in the 1973 fire, but Laplander is hopeful it may someday be recovered.

The search for Cpl. James Uber is suspended, Laplander said, “we’re not investigating it anymore until we can find the paperwork.”

Cunha said Doughboy M.I.A. is going back to France in August to investigate more cases.

“It’s not always about recovery,” he said.

“Commemoration is the number one thing for us.”

Meanwhile, Uber has not been forgotten. The Ludlow American Legion is the James Uber Post 489, and a distant cousin of his was tracked down in Tennessee.

Punxsutawney Phil predicts six more weeks of winter PUNXSUTAWNEY (AP) — There will be six more weeks of winter, Punxsutawney Phil predicted as he emerged from his burrow Wednesday to perform his Groundhog Day duties.

Thousands of people from around the nation and other countries gathered at Gobbler’s Knob as members of Punxsutawney Phil’s “inner circle” summoned him from his tree stump at dawn to learn if he had seen his shadow, a message they said Phil communicated in “groundhogese.” After Phil’s prediction was announced, the crowd repeatedly chanted “six more weeks!”

According to folklore, spring would come early if he didn’t see it.

The event took place virtually last year because

of the coronavirus pandemic, depriving the community, which is about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northeast of Pittsburgh, of a boost from tourists. It was streamed live and seen by more than 15,000 viewers worldwide at one point.

About 150 cardboard cutouts of fans were there to “watch.”

The annual event has its origin in a German legend about a furry rodent.

According to records dating back to 1887, Phil has predicted winter more than 100 times. Ten years were lost because no records were kept, organizers said.

The 2020 forecast called for an early spring.

Punxsutawney Phil may be the most famous groundhog seer but he’s certainly not the only one, and one

competitor disagreed with his prediction. New York City’s Staten Island Chuck expects an early spring, according to Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon, who presided over a ceremony that was livestreamed from Chuck’s home at the Staten Island Zoo. “He did not see his shadow. We will have an early spring,” McMahon announced.

New York Mayor Eric Adams did not attend the ceremony but said in a videotaped message, “Chuck has been very accurate in his predictions since 1981.

I think I can speak for all New Yorkers when I say, ‘Chuck, please don’t see your shadow.’”

week of May and then again in December, while Smethport’s Hamlin Lake will be stocked later this month, in early April and later in May. Pennsylvania will return to a single, statewide opening day for trout season this year, while a single, statewide Mentored Youth Trout Day is set for Saturday, March 26. To accommodate the earlier statewide trout season, preseason trout stocking operations were set to begin the week of Feb. 21.

Fishing is not permitted on lakes and streams designated as Stocked Trout Waters from Feb. 21 to the Mentored Youth Trout Fishing Day and the opening day of the regular trout season in April, unless waters are included in the Stocked Trout Waters Open to Year-Round Fishing program.

Meade Run is the only stream so designated in McKean County.

The total will include 2.2 million rainbow trout, 686,000 brown trout and 293,000 brook trout.

The average size of the trout produced for stocking will again average 11 inches in length with an average weight of .58 pounds.

The stocking schedule will include about 70,000 trophy-sized brood fish,

which are 2.5- to 3.5-yearold trout measuring 1420 inches. The PFBC said about 70% of those fish will be stocked during the preseason prior to opening day of trout season, with the remaining 30% stocked during in-season replenishment stockings.

Also included in the 2022 stocking plan are 13,000 golden rainbow trout weighing an average of 1.5 pounds. About 80 percent will be stocked during the preseason.

In addition to trout raised in commission fish hatcheries, cooperative nurseries operated by sportsmen’s clubs and other groups across the state will add another one million trout to waters open to public angling throughout the year.

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FEBRUARY 8, 2022

Locals team up to provide Valentine’s treat for BRMC workers T h e C h o c o l a t e Factory is teaming up with Save Bradford Hospital to make sure every BRMC employee is remembered this Valentine’s Day. However, they will need help from the community to say “thanks” to all 344 employees who have been there, day in and day out for the community, through the COVID pandemic and the reduction in

services last May. The Chocolate Factory has agreed to provide a half-pound box of candy — at cost — for all the employees on Feb. 14. That’s only $14 a box.

The Chocolate Factory is owned by Timothy Gigliotti, Robert Pascarella and Greg Ross, a former Bradford resident who has been a big supporter of the effort to maintain a full-service critical-care hospital in Bradford.

When Save Bradford Hospital approached them to help with the candy crusade, they didn’t hesitate.

Here’s how individuals can help. They can buy a box of chocolates for $14 by cash, check or credit card. Drop by the candy shop or mail it to 72 Main St., Bradford PA 16701. Of course, individuals can also contact them by phone at (814) 270-2626 to make a credit card payment.

People can also pay for

chocolate directly through a link on the Save Bradford Hospital Facebook page.

They know there’s not a lot of time left, so please get busy with that contribution today.

For sure, a box of chocolate can’t begin to repay them for all they have done for us but, at least, it’s a token of our gratitude. They are special, and we want them to know it.

How to create a romantic night at home Romance takes center stage on Valentine’s Day. February 14th is a chance for couples to express romantic sentiments that reflect just how much they care for one another.

The relationship site Marriage.com offers that happily married couples with long histories together manage to preserve some elements present in the early stages of their relationships — a time when couples typically make a concerted effort to show affection for one another.

Romance is a key component of successful relationships. Couples may discover they don’t need to leave the house to enjoy a romantic night together.

Hide romantic notes Engage in a romantic scavenger hunt by hiding notes that express thoughtful sentiments and give your partner a list of clues to guide the hunt. Start with a clue such as “Where did we go on our first date?” If

it was an Italian restaurant, you can attach the next clue to a bunch of basil in the refrigerator, and so on.

Alternate watching films Both of you probably have all-time favorite movies, but they may not be the same films. Encourage bonding time by queueing up two separate films to watch, yours and your significant other’s. Whether one is a rom-com and the other is an action flick, watch them in succession while cuddling on the sofa.

Prepare a meal together Valentine’s Day dinner can be all the more intimate when you dine alone at home. Together, shop for the ingredients for a delicious meal you both enjoy.

Pour two glasses of wine and divvy up meal preparation tasks. Steal a few sample bites (and kisses) along the way. Cook to a romantic playlist to really enhance the ambiance.

Dress up the bed

Create a warm and inviting bedroom with some luxury bedding. Splurge on sheets with a high thread count and a new down duvet. Fluffy new pillows and room accents can make the

space even more inviting.

This new bedding may inspire extra cuddling together under the covers.

Slow dance When was the last time you enjoyed a dance in

each other’s arms? Turn up “your song” and sway to the beat. Dancing together can rekindle romantic feelings and needn’t be reserved

for special occasions like weddings.

Dialing up the romance at home for Valentine’s Day comes down to simple, thoughtful gestures.