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MARCH
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Austin • Coudersport • Crosby • Eldred • Gifford • Kane • Lewis Run • Mt. Jewett • Otto Eldred • Port Allegany Ridgway • Roulette • Smethport • Turtlepoint
NextGen 911 system will require some McKean County properties to be renumbered
Photo provided Liz Dippold, Smethport art teacher with AP art students, Ashley Day, Caitlyn Munsell and Emily Miller, in preparation for the countywide youth art exhibit at BCPAC in celebration of National Youth Arts Month March 7 thru 18.
BCPAC celebrates area youth artists with countywide show Bradford Creative and Performing Arts Center (BCPAC) is celebrating our young visual artists in McKean County as a part of the National Youth Arts Month in March. BCPAC realizes the importance of the arts and the impact it has on the health
and well-being of our communities and will recognize our area youth and their creations at a countywide art show from March 7 thru 18, 2022 at BCPAC – 119 Main Street in Bradford. The art exhibit will feature over 100 pieces of artwork submitted from
students around McKean County, including the Bradford Area, Otto-Eldred and Smethport schools. “We are thrilled with the response from our local art teachers across the county, and hope this will spur more interest in the visual arts around our region”,
said Darren Litz, executive director for BCPAC. Participating schools were asked to submit artwork by their students, Kindergarten thru 12th grade. Each school will be given a wall space of
Art Show continued on ............. page 2
Era photo Flames lick out from the attic of a house Feb. 26 on Route 59 in Lafayette Township as Corydon Township Fire Capt. Chris Cobb climbs a ladder to get a hose line into the attic. Some county property owners have been informed their property needs to be renumbered for a new 911 system.
BY MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER
letters telling them the new system requires their property to be renumbered to comply with the standards of the National Emergency Numbering Association. More letters will be sent as properties are identified,
The Next Generation 911 will be a positive change for the safety of McKean County residents, but there will be some growing pains getting there. Some property owners in McKean County may have already received 911 System continued on ........... page 2
United Way emergency food and shelter program applications available McKean County has been awarded grants in direct federal funding for an amount of $17,034 under Phase 39 and $52,649 under ARPA-R of the Emergency Food and Shelter Program (EFSP). Each phase requires a separate application and will be voted on separately. The National Board is comprised of representatives from health and human service agencies across the country. The United States Congress appropriates funds annually to help expand the capacity of food and shelter programs in high-need areas nationally.
The local board, made up of representatives from McKean County, will determine how the funds will be distributed. Local agency representation includes The Salvation Army, McKean/ Potter Counties Chapter of the American Red Cross, United Way of the Bradford Area, Catholic Charities, Ministerial Association, local government, the McKean County Housing and Redevelopment Authority and the YWCA of Bradford. These representative will determine how the funds awarded to McKean County are to
be distributed among the emergency food and shelter programs run by local service agencies in the area. The Local Board is responsible for recommending agencies to receive these funds and any additional funds made available under this phase of the program. Under the terms of the grant from the National Board, local agencies chosen to receive funds must: 1). Be private voluntary non-profits or units of government, 2). Be eligible to receive Federal funds, 3). Have an accounting system, 4). Practice
nondiscrimination, 5). Have demonstrated the capability to deliver emergency food and/or shelter programs and 6). If they are a private voluntary organization, have a voluntary board. Qualifying agencies are urged to apply. Public or private voluntary agencies interested in applying for Emergency Food and Shelter Program funds must contact Local Board Chair Sarah Lonzi c/o United Way of the Bradford Area, Inc. PO Box 504, Bradford, PA 16701 or email sarah.lonzi@uwbanews.org or call at (814)
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MARCH 8, 2022
New Carpet Installed At Historic Potter County Courtroom
911 System continued from 1 said Nate Burgett, director of the county’s department of emergency services. He acknowledged that this will cause a lot of frustration for folks, but said it’s necessary. The ranks of volunteer emergency responders are getting smaller, he said, “and in the event we have to have another ambulance service come in,” they need to be able to find the residence quickly and easily. “Some streets aren’t named correctly. There’s a naming nomenclature that needs to be addressed,” Burgett said, adding, “We’re just trying to provide the best service possible. The last thing we want is help not being able to get” where it is needed. The NG911 system will change how incoming calls for emergency services are routed, in the event of a system failure, such as a power outage. The rerouting would provide a backup dispatch to ensure 24/7 emergency response coverage in the
event of any local disaster that might impact telecommunications or emergency services. NG911 will allow other counties to answer 911 calls in the event of a natural disaster or power outage at a dispatch center. “McKean County’s 911 center is well protected against threats that would impact their ability to manage a call,” said Commissioner Tom Kreiner. “This is a vital service for all citizens and having each county be able to provide and receive backup is a step forward in meeting this need regardless of any unforeseen circumstances.” Burgett explained the address of a residence must pinpoint the exact location of a structure. “Implementing this system will better leverage the county to ensure the correct emergency service is dispatched to the exact location of the 911 call,” Burgett said. “Locations such as those with a shared driveway will need to be identified as a new road to provide an exact location for those homes.” As locations are identified that need to be re-addressed, the 911 center will contact property owners to initiate the process. In
some cases, new address numbers will need to be assigned and in others, a new road name will be chosen through a Private Road Name Declaration. In choosing a new road name, the name must be a unique road name, approved by the municipality. McKean County DES will assist property owners in coordinating this process with the municipality and the post office. Changing a house number or declaring a new road name will require the property owner to update their address in the same way an address change would be done if the resident was moving to a new location. It will be important to notify all parties where the homeowner does business. This may include utility companies, financial institutions, PennDOT for driver’s licenses and car registrations and insurance companies. “We are sympathetic with property owners who will be re-assigned an address,” said Burgett. “The important part of this equation is that in an emergency, every second counts and eliminating time lost due to a misunderstanding of location is our priority.” There isn’t one place in the county that has a higher
concentration of homes that will need to be renumbered, and there isn’t any place that will be exempt. “Even in the populated area of whatever city, we have these areas of apartment buildings and duplexes” that will need to be renumbered. “The main one that’s going to come up a lot is multi-dwellings, people sharing a driveway.” He added, “At the end of the day, it’s not something we want to do, it’s something we have to do to make emergency services easier.” Potential properties that would need an address change to meet the standards include those with a single driveway to access multiple homes, address numbers out of sequence, inconsistent road names, duplicated road names, sub addressing – such as apartments or suite numbers and new structures. For more information or questions regarding the transition to the NG911 system contact Burgett at 814887-5071 x1. Additional details are on the McKean County Department of Emergency Services Facebook page and on the county website at mckeancountypa.org.
Contractors were busy installing new carpet in the courtroom of the historic Potter County Courthouse on Monday. The county’s maintenance manager, Joe Kurtz, oversaw the project after the Potter County Commissioners accepted the lone bid from Carpet Plus of Hamburg, Pa. Potter County Courthouse, often referred to as the jewel of the county seat, is listed on the National Register of Historic Buildings. It was built in 1851-53 by
Art Show continued from 1 approximately 120 sq/ft to “fill their space.” The works can include pen & ink, acrylic, temper, watercolor, mixed media, sculptures, pottery, graphic arts and more, representing a variety of artwork in style, medium and content. Teachers, students, parents, and the public are invited to come view the artwork weekdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 2 to 4 p.m. throughout the twoweek exhibit. A special Artist Reception will be held on March 18th for the students, their teachers and families. Participating students will receive a certificate
contractor William Bell of Warren and carpenter Eli Rees, at a cost of about $17,000. Alterations were made in 1888-89, including relocation of the courtroom from the first floor to the second. Prior to construction of today’s courthouse, a building constructed in 1835 to accommodate court proceedings and other county functions was disassembled. Its stone foundation was moved across Second Street to become part of the Potter County Jail.
recognizing them for their achievement. “As part of our arts in education initiative, our purpose is to create opportunities for young artists to network and support one another as they transform, illuminate, educate, encourage, inspire, and motivate each of us with their incredible gifts. We also want to increase arts awareness in our region and help support our local art education programs through the involvement in art exhibits, workshops, and other creative ventures. Our desire is to stimulate new art programs and increase community, business, and governmental support for art education,” said Litz. For more information go to the bcpac website at: bcpac.com or call the office at 814-362-2522.
Provided A Forecon Inc. technician treats a goatsrue infestation for the McKean County Conservation District.
PRISM program to manage invasive species SMETHPORT — Pennsylvania’s diverse geography is home to thousands of different plant, animal, and insect species on land and in our waters. Unfortunately, not all of these organisms are beneficial. Some are nonnative invasive species that are a
threat to Pennsylvanians’ natural resources, economy, and health and well-being. The Pennsylvania Invasive Species Council is developing a statewide program called Pennsylvania Regional Invasive Species Management, or PRISM. The PRISM program would be locally based, made up
of experts and stakeholders concerned with invasive species, such as conservation districts, industry associations, government offices, environmental and outdoor recreation organizations, and others. PRISM would not only manage existing invasive species, but, just as
McKean Co. State Health Center giving out COVID test kits The McKean County State Health Center will be distributing free COVID-19 home test kits today and next week. Kits will be distributed March 9 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.; and on March 11 from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The state health center is located at 84-90 Boylston St. in Bradford. Each individual will receive four test kits. Anyone with questions may call the state health center at 814-368-0426. As of March 2, the region saw 13 new cases of COVID-19, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. McKean County had eight new cases for a total of 8,082. In one week’s time, there were 33 additional cases. In one month’s time, there were 339 cases. Since the beginning of the year,
there have been 1,728 new cases. There have been 137 deaths. As for COVID vaccines, there were 4,309 partially covered, 17,715 fully covered and 7,282 who received an additional dose. Elk County had three new cases and a total of 7,070. In one week’s time, there were 21 new cases; in a month’s time, 267 new cases; since the beginning of the year, 1,683 new cases. There have been 96 deaths. As for vaccines, there were 1,770 partially covered, 16,409 fully covered and 8,047 who received a booster dose. Potter County had 2 additional cases as of March 2, for a total of 3,123. In a week’s time, there were 20 new cases; in a month, 126; year-to-date, 533 cases. There have been 91 deaths. As for vaccines, there
were 1,234 partially covered, 5,989 fully covered and 2,596 who received a booster dose. Cameron County had no new cases, and a total of 812. In one week, there was one additional case; in a month, 38; year-to-date, 162 cases. There have been 19 deaths. As for vaccines, there were 231 people partially covered, 2,420 fully covered and 1,225 who received a booster dose.
important, monitor for new invaders, so they can be eradicated or controlled before they become a major economic and environmental problem. Invasive species are often unintentionally introduced and spread through commerce and consumer choices that seemed harmless a generation ago. They’re spread by other everyday activities as well, for example, by hiding in firewood and attaching to gear, boats, cars, trucks, and trains. Once established, invasive species have the potential to change Pennsylvania forever. These invaders threaten our native plants and wildlife with extinction, by outcompeting them for resources and habitat. Invasive species can cause costly damages to agricultural crops and infrastructure. Some affect our health directly by carrying disease, such as the West Nile virus. County Conservation District staff work with many entities in rural,
suburban, and urban areas across Pennsylvania, carrying out agricultural best management practices, stormwater management, and construction-related erosion control. We see the damaging impacts that invasive species can have. For example, riparian buffer plantings can fail if invasive plants, such as Japanese knotweed, monopolize streambanks, causing tons of sediment to enter our waters and damage aquatic life. Giant hogweed and goatsrue are two more examples of noxious weeds that are determined to be injurious to public health, crops, livestock, agricultural land, and other
properties. The value of Pennsylvania’s natural and economic resources and the need to protect Pennsylvanians’ health demand a comprehensive response to the threats posed by invasive species. National Invasive Species Awareness Week is February 28 – March 4. Learn more about PRISM at www.agriculture.pa.gov/ P l a n t s _ L a n d _ Wa t e r / PlantIndustry/GISC and join the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. in support of the PRISM concept to manage invasive species in the Commonwealth.
MARCH 8, 2022
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McKean Co. Conservation District directors, staff honored
Robin Baxter Reece Bechakas (Kane, in blue) working to tilt Mason Gourley (Clarion, in black) in the District 9 Class AA 145-pound championship match won by Bechakas, 6-1, Saturday afternoon at Clarion University.
Kane’s Bechakas claims D9 wrestling crown; 14 locals advance BY LORI CHASE CLARION — Four minutes into the 145-pound final at the PIAA District 9 Class AA Wrestling Championships on Feb. 26, Reece Bechakas found himself in an unfamiliar position on the Clarion University mat. After ending each of his first two district matches — a pin and a tech-fall — in the second period without allowing a single point, the top-seeded Kane sophomore was trailing surprise finalist Mason Gourley, 1-0, following a second-period escape by the seventh-seeded Clarion High freshman. It didn’t take long, though, for that score to change. Starting from the bottom in the final frame, Bechakas (25-7) hit a Peterson roll for a quick reversal and back points within the first 10 seconds of the period, then added another tilt for a 6-1 decision and D-9 gold. “Him and Harley (Morris, Kane’s 138-pound silver medalist) battle pretty hard in the room and he’s put some extra time in on his own, and it shows. We’ve cleaned up a couple things from the beginning of the year, and it’s starting to come together,” said Wolves coach Mike Swartwood, Jr. “I hope that things go well in Sharon and we can make it to Hershey this year as a sophomore. Who knows, get down there and win a couple matches, see where he’s at.” Bechakas headlined a group of 14 Potter/McKean County wrestlers who advanced to the Class AA North West Regional on March 5-6 at Sharon High School with a top-four finish at districts, including seven from Port Allegany, which took third in the team race. Johnsonburg juniors Aiden Zimmerman and Kaden Dennis also went to Sharon as district champs. It’s the second D-9 gold for Zimmerman (21-9), who won at 152 and qualified for states as a freshman before missing last season due to injury. He cruised through the 160-pound bracket this time, allowing just one point in three matches (an escape by Kane junior Luke Ely in the 9-1 final). Dennis (21-8) made it to the top of the podium after placing second in 2020 and 2021, tech-falling his first two opponents before securing the only takedown of the match to outlast topseeded Brookville freshman Easton Belfiore, 3-2, in the final. Seniors Chase Weimer (Port Allegany, 26-10) and
Danah Campbell (Sheffield, 25-6) took silver in addition to Kane’s Morris (27-6) and Ely (24-8), with Wolves senior Shawn Nystrom (188), Gator sophomore Miska Young (28-8), and Oswayo Valley freshman Andrew Coriaty (14-3) earning bronze. Local fourth-place finishers included Port’s Kai Stauffer (sr., 21-13), Chris Rothermel (so., 5-10), Peyton Stiles (so., 14-13), Gavin Burgess (jr., 14-13) and Juuso Young (fr., 1911), Coudersport’s Gavyn Ayers (so., 24-7) and John Wright (fr., 17-15), and Ridgway’s Tyler Merritt (sr., 25-8). “I’ve been coaching these guys since seventh grade, so it’s been a lot of fun following them up,” said Swartwood, who previously served as an assistant coach on his father’s staff before taking over the Kane program this season. “Harley Morris is always fun to watch, fun to coach, great kid to be around. Taking second place today against the tough Kunselman kid from Brookville. One thing you can count on, he’s going to go out there and wrestle hard and give it everything he’s got until the last second. “Luke lost to Zimmerman a couple weeks ago in the regular season. The score was not as good as it was last time (a 1-0 decision), but I think Luke wrestled a better match this time. He tried shots, he looked like he was trying to win. We’ll see how regionals go. Luke’s a gamer; he’ll show up and give it his all, no doubt.” Port’s showing, matching last year’s seven regional qualifiers despite bringing back just two wrestlers from that senior-laden group, surprised even longtime coach B.J. Greenman. “At the beginning of the season, I didn’t expect that,” he said. “I knew we had a really young team; like I’ve said the whole season, the kids have outperformed what I thought before the season started. Coming out of here having seven kids — I was thinking if the kids wrestled well we’d get between six and eight, and we ended up with seven.” Top-seeded Gator 152-pounder Caleb Furgeson, just cleared to return earlier in the week after missing almost a month with an elbow injury, just missed joining them. The Smethport senior dropped a 2-0 sudden-victory heartbreaker to Cranberry’s Devyn Fleeger in the semifinals, then fell in the consi
finals before rebounding with a 6-3 win in the fifthplace match. “An absolute amazing kid to have in the room, a great kid. It just stinks that injuries happen,” Greenman said. “I kind of talked to him afterward and told him to have no regrets, because he came out and competed and wrestled hard. It is what it is, bad stuff sometimes happens. I think he’s got a pretty good mindset about it.” Weimer, Port’s lone finalist, dropped an 8-4 decision to Brockway senior Mark Palmer (28-7). After falling behind 4-0 on a first-period near-fall, Weimer collected a reversal and tilt of his own in the second to tie the match before Palmer regained control and added another takedown in the third for the win. “He got majored by Mark in the dual meet to start the season, and manhandled the whole match. In this match, I don’t think it was that way,” Greenman said. “Chase put him on his back with a cradle, and was so close to getting the fall there. I think it’s a winnable match for Chase; I think he just needed to get that confidence and that feel to say, ‘I can compete with this kid, I can beat this kid.’ It was a really good tournament for Chase in general.” Overall, Greenman said, “We have two seniors going, which I feel pretty good about because it means we’ve got five other kids going to get some experience. That’s the biggest thing they have to realize, that it’s just another tournament. It doesn’t matter what anybody did the week before, you can go and place and make it to states. “That’s kind of the mindset we’re going to have — just go out there and let stuff fly, and do the best we can. I think we’ve got a couple of guys that have a decent shot at making it on. And the rest of the guys, if we go there and compete and wrestle like we’ve got nothing to lose, I think we can have some good things happen.” Brookville and Brockway each collected four individual titles, but the former’s superior depth — 11 out of 13 Raiders earned a ticket to regionals — powered the two-time defending champs to a 226156.5 win over their rivals. As expected, Brookville swept the awards, with four-time champ Owen Reinsel tabbed the Most Outstanding Wrestler and Dave Klepfer garnering yet another Coach of the Year honor.
Provided Sandy Thompson, district manager; Kerry Fetter, Conservation District director; Blaine Puller, Conservation District chairman; and Lindsay Trojanowski, district resource conservationist.
SMETHPORT — During the McKean County Conservation District’s annual meeting on Feb. 24, directors and staff were recognized for their years of service. Jeff Larson was honored for serving 5 years on the district board. Kerry Fetter was honored for serving as chairman for 15 years. The Conservation District directors are volunteers from the county. There are (3) farmer directors, (3) public directors and one commissioner director along with
McKean GOP hosts petitionsigning events The McKean County Republican Committee is inviting registered Republican voters to one of five petition-signing events in locations across the county. On March 9, from 4 to 7 p.m., registered Republican voters will have the opportunity to sign petitions to enable candidates for several offices to get on the ballot in Pennsylvania. Petitions for the following offices will be available: governor, lieutenant governor, and U.S. Senator, along with petitions for incumbent U.S. Congressman Glenn “GT” Thompson. “We have so many important races this year. For the future of our nation and our Commonwealth, we must elect qualified conservative candidates to these important offices. Please join us to get these candidates on the ballot,” said Ken Kane, McKean County Republican Committee Chairman. The event locations are as follows: • Bradford: Togi’s Blue Room, 412 East Main St. • K a n e : Fish and Game Club, 3211 Dwight’s Road. • Eldred: First Church of God, 142 Main St. • Smethport: Country Club, 13065 Route 59. • P o r t Allegany: Veterans Memorial Inc., 4743 Route 155.
associate directors all of whom represent different facets of the community, land use but ultimately conservation. They attend monthly board meetings; serve on district committees for various programs areas; and regularly volunteer to help at events and programs. Staff member Sandy Thompson, district manager was honored for 15 years of service and Lindsay Trojanowski, resource conservationist was honored for 10 years of service.