Potter McKean County Community Source | 04/13/21

APRIL

13 2021

Crossing the finish line: Oswayo Valley officially debuts new track

Photo by Jay Bradish Two crews of the District 15 Wildfire Crew were dispatched to Warren County to assist in extinguishing multiple wildfires burning Thursday afternoon. Six members of one crew shown are from the Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department. Shown (l-r) are Assistant Chief Tim Burkhouse, Assistant Chief Bob Eliason, Jim Maze, Mike Maze, Chad Miller and Chief Dan Burkhouse. The District 15 Crew was dispatched on Monday afternoon to assist on a wildfire at Cross Forks in southern Potter County. Lafayette Township Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to Bradford Regional Airport to fill air tankers with water that were being used for water drops on fires in Warren County.

Wildfire danger elevated in region

BY JOELLEN WANKEL The weather is warm and this time of year is prime for wildfires.

Currently, a burn ban has not been issued for the area.

In fact, at this time there are no burn bans anywhere in Pennsylvania.

However, as local fire departments will tell you, that does not mean the risk is not present, as multiple wildfires have been fought already in 2021.

The Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources is maintaining two maps, with daily updates: a map for ob-

served wildfire danger and also one for the wildfire danger forecast.

As of Wednesday, McKean and Elk counties were at moderate risk of wildfire, while Potter and Cameron counties are at high risk.

In regard to the wildfire forecast, McKean, Elk and Cameron counties were at moderate risk for fire danger, while Potter County is at low risk as of Thursday.

Those maps can be accessed by visiting https:// www.dcnr.pa.gov/Communities/Wildfire/Pages/ default.aspx and choosing

the PDF for “Observed Wildfire Danger” or “Wildfire Danger Forecast.”

As the danger of wildfire typically continues into May and will increase again in autumn, particularly in October and November, it is important to remember that there is one specific cause in Pennsylvania for wildfires — 99% are caused by people.

Conditions at this time of year are prime for wildfires, as grass and leaves tend to be dry, the weather includes low humidity and bare trees mean sunlight reaches the

forest floor to further dry the ground. Strong winds also contribute to the dry conditions and provide plenty of fuel, ready to combust with a spark.

According to the DCNR, “Firefighters call the area where homes and development meet and intermingle with undeveloped forests the ‘wildland-urban interface.’ More than half of all wildfire ignitions in Pennsylvania occur within the wildland-urban interface.”

These fires can be caused

Wild fire continued on .............. page 2

Photo provided A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place prior to Tuesday’s Oswayo Valley-Port Allegany track meet on OV’s new track. From left to right: Brenda West, representing the Oswayo Valley Education Foundation and the Norton Trust. Mike Filer, representing the T.R.A.C.K. organization.

Jed Hamberger, current superintendent of the Oswayo Valley School District and Mark Schlosser, principal of the Oswayo Valley School District. The two ribbon holders were Shayden Mesler and Charlotte Austin Keech.

BY PATRICK KOTNIK SHINGLEHOUSE — When the ceremonial ribbon was cut prior to the first track and field meet at Oswayo Valley’s new surface on Tuesday, Bruce Kemp and the rest of the Shinglehouse community couldn’t help but feel gratitude.

OV’s home-opener against Port Allegany was the culmination of a long and grueling process that began in 2007 and ended with the small District 9 community coming together to accomplish something that, at one time, seemed far-fetched.

“It was just real festive,” Kemp said, regarding the atmosphere during Tuesday’s meet. “People were happy to be able to check it off and be like, ‘Hey, it’s done,’ because I think a lot of us never thought it was going to happen.”

Kemp said the process began over a decade ago when some of the school’s track athletes, who were helping with a fundraiser and competed at the PIAA state meet, asked if any of the money they were raising could be put towards a new track.

New track continued on .......... page 3

2

APRIL 13, 2021

MCCF awards grants totaling $33,530 The second round of grants from the McKean County Community Foundation (MCCF) of COVID-19 Assistance Fund was recently distributed.

Representatives from the MCCF visited all of the recipients in the past few weeks to distribute a total of $33,530 to sixteen local nonprofit agencies.

Recipients of the awards were diverse and had a variety of needs due to COVID related issues. Some of the common requests included issues due to lack of fund raising ability, low enrollment, increased request for services and the need to purchase the personal protection supplies required to allow their agencies to safely provide their programs and services to the public.

There were five public libraries, three preschools/ learning centers, five human services programs along with the Smethport Volunteer Fire Department, the Bradford Township Community Club associated with the Local Lions Club and Eldred World War II Museum. The preschool/ learning centers included Kane Day School, Wesley Preschool and Bradford YMCA Learning Lab & Child Care. Those human

Services programs included Beacon Light Residential Treatment Facility, Big Brothers Big Sister, Community Links, Beacon Light Behavioral Health, and CARE for Children.

The libraries that received awards grants were: Bradford Area Public Library, Hamlin Memorial Library, Friends Library of Kane, S.W. Smith Memorial Public Library and Mount Jewett Memorial Library.

In response to the ongoing pandemic, the McKean County Community Foundation (MCCF) established the COVID-19 Assistance Fund in the spring of 2020.

The first round of grants were given last fall totaling $13,500. With this current grant cycle a total of $47,030 has been awarded and is helping our local community. This outbreak has been impacting the community in many ways and with the uncertainty of where it ends, MCCF hopes to continue to provide help throughout the county but is in need of more funding.

The COVID-19 Assistance Fund has been made up of public donations.

MCCF invites donors to join in this effort. By pooling funds, MCCF can collectively support our commu-

Photo submitted Eldred World War II Museum director Jesse Case, left, receives a grant from Paula Fritz Eddy, executive director of the McKean County Community Foundation.

nity nonprofits and make a bigger impact on their needs. The McKean County Community Foundation will waive administrative fees on all donations and will distribute 100% of all

donations to those agencies in need by an open grant process.

Donations to this fund can be mailed to the McKean County Community Foundation at P.O. Box

Smethport council sets spring cleanup

BY FRAN DE LANCEY SMETHPORT — Smethport Borough Council on Monday accepted the flat rate bid of $4,200 from Casella Waste Management to conduct the spring cleanup during the week of May 3.

This is open to Smethport residents only. The collection fee of $50.00, which is payable in advance at the borough office by 4:30 p.m., April 28, includes two appliances. Additional appliances are $5.00 each.

No items containing Freon, such as freezers, refrigerators or air conditioners will be collected.

All items must be ready for curbside pickup by 7 a.m., May 3, and there will be no return trips.

No computers or associated equipment, televisions, batteries, bricks, stones, cement items, dirt, grass, ashes, branches or hazardous materials will be accepted.

Any lumber items must be cut in four-foot lengths.

A reasonable size of items to be collected is 300 pounds and 4’x5’. Residents will be charged for oversized loads.

In another financial

matter, council voted unanimously to set a $150 fee for replacing homeowners’ water meters that have have frozen. It is no longer possible to replace just the frost plates on the meters.

Council approved a resolution authorizing Council President Greg Rounsville and Borough Secretary-Treasurer Melody DeLuca to sign pertinent documents for the non-uniform employees and police pension plans.

Council is backing the Smethport Fire Department’s Summerfest, which will be held on department property on June 26 after hearing details from Fire Chief Eric Barber during the meeting. The schedule includes bands, vendors, cornhole tournament with music to be concluded prior to the fireworks.

The fire department also plans a chicken barbecue on May 1.

Responding to a question from Barber, Rounsville said the upcoming construction project on Water Street should not affect any hydrants since just several blocks are to be worked on at a time.

Bids for this project were opened last week; a contrac-

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Public Safety Director Bob Funk reported that the municipal health and safety plan has been completed, and the new work order system is in effect and achieving its purpose of keeping employees and council members apprised of the status of projects. The third safety meeting has been held.

Borough officials will

check into any problems concerning the cost of proposed cutting and removing stumps of 28 trees in Hamlin Lake Park since there are currently only two members of the Shade Trade Commission.

Coldren noted the basketball court in the park must be resurfaced before the lines can be painted. The borough will discuss the matter with the Smethport Rotary Club since this court was its project.

708, Bradford, PA, 16701, with check made payable to the MCCF — COVID-19 Assistance Fund. Online donations will also be accepted through the website tat www.mckeancounty-

Wild fire continued from 1 by choosing to burn debris, as well as operating equipment, starting a campfire or issues with power lines.

The DCNR also has a few tips for preparing your home and reducing the risk of a fire igniting within the

foundation.org, using the Donate Now link on the home page. When making your donation, indicate the COVID-19 Assistance Fund as the fund name.

Home Ignition Zone (the area surrounding your residence).

These include: clearing all combustible materials from the five feet of land surrounding your residence; creating breaks within the landscape for the Intermediate Zone (5 to 30 feet around your home) and include interruptions in the 30 to 100 feet of forested landscape near your home (the Extended Zone).

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APRIL 13, 2021

AUTO

TAX & FINANCIAL PLANNING The various ways to pay off student loan debt

When will selfdriving cars hit the road?

Tech afficionados often know when the latest gizmos and gadgets are slated to hit the market and be made available to consumers. Anticipation tends to build around everything from the latest version of a popular smartphone to a new incarnation of a beloved gaming system.

But perhaps no advancement in technology is as highly anticipated as the self-driving car. Industry experts note that the hype around self-driving cars, sometimes referred to as autonomous vehicles, has existed since 2004, when United States military experiments involving self-driving vehicles in the Mojave Desert garnered both attention and excitement. That anticipation and excitement waned as 2004 was left further and further behind in the rearview mirror, but the race to become the first auto manufacturer to build and offer driverless vehicles is still very much

on. For example, in 2018 General Motors indicated its intent to make a fleet of self-driving taxis available in San Francisco by 2020.

That did not come to fruition, though other auto manufacturers, notably Tesla, have indicated they have their eyes on potentially offering autonomous taxis in 2021. The COVID-19 pandemic complicated, and likely delayed, the arrival of self-driving automobiles, though it remains to be seen just how much the pandemic affected the arrival of driverless vehicles. A recent report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance noted that many auto manufacturers who have worked on self-driving technology had initially set their sights on deployment in 2021.

However, lab closures and social distancing measures enacted in response to the pandemic may have made it highly unlikely that 2021 will be the year the world sees its first fleet of self-driving taxis hit the road.

Students and families invest heavily in higher education. Many students rely on student loans to finance their educations. In fact, students amassed $1.56 trillion in student loan debt by 2020.

According to Forbes, American student loan debt is now the second highest consumer debt category, exceeded only by mortgage debt. The Institute for College Access and Success says the average student loan debt is $32,731, while the median student loan monthly payment is $222.

Some students feel like paying off student loan debt is impossible. Many loan repayment schedules kick in shortly after graduation, and certain borrowers may not yet be making enough money to afford even the minimum payments on their student loans. Thankfully, there are ways to get out from under student loan pressure.

• Investigate income-driven repayment. IDR will lower student loan payments based on your income,

and some plans even promise to forgive any remaining balance once the repayment period is up. That period can take between 20 and 25 years.

• Make a move. The Rural Opportunity Zone program encourages Americans to move to rural Kansas to help discourage population decline and to give others the benefits of a lower cost of living. Seventy-seven Kansas counties have been authorized to offer student loan payment incentives.

• Work in public service.

A Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, or PLSF, enables student loan forgiveness in exchange for working for a nonprofit or working in government.

• Refinance the loans.

Graduates may not be aware that they can refinance their student loans at a lower rate or choose new loan terms, including variable or fixed rates. Maturity dates can even be renegotiated in certain instances. It’s possible to save thousands of dollars in interest by refinancing, par-

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ticularly borrowers have a credit score of at least 650.

• Make more than the minimum payment. Financial advisor Dave Ramsey says making the minimum payments on student loans will not get them paid off fast, and the interest could pile up as well. By paying more than the minimum payments, you can pay down the principal more quickly. Designate tax

refunds and salary increases to pay down student loan debt.

• Ask for help. Speak with your boss about whether he or she can help pay off student loans. Some employers offer conditional student loan repayment to employees.

These are some of the ways that student loan debts can be repaid quickly, efficiently and creatively.

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The former 15-year OV track coach eventually helped found and became president of T.R.A.C.K. (Together Rebuilding: Alumni, Community & Kids), who made it their goal to raise the required funds to build the new track.

“They really had no idea what they were biting off,” OV athletic director Bill Howard said. “They fought through bureaucratic red tape, naysayers and people that just didn’t want to see the project succeed.

However, they were visionaries. They had work ethic and ideals that helped them through difficult times when some wanted to give up.”

OV’s previous track, nicknamed “kitty litter,” wasn’t one that opposing schools eagerly wanted to visit, so the program would compete at meets mostly on the road.

“Nobody wanted to come here other than the

MONEYSAVER NEWS

track and field teams, as well as residents in the community.

Tuesday was an example of just that when two women, who have been frequently walking on the track, waited for the OV-Port meet to conclude so that they could get their turn on the track.

“When the weather’s good, there are people out there every day right now using it at different times,” Kemp said. “Kids can qualify for districts, (the track’s) not so slow that it hurts their chances, so coaches are all for it.”

The track is now something the community can not only utilize almost every day but one that serves as a reminder of the longstanding effort they gave to see the project come to fruition without using taxpayer money.

“There’s no way, with our enrollment and our budget, that the funding for a new track would have ever passed … Oswayo Valley is a prime example of what

is happening in the small towns in Pennsylvania.

There’s very little industry to draw new families, new life blood, into the area. The tax base is low and makes it difficult to increase revenue,” Howard said.

“This school district and this community needed something like the completion of the track renovation project. It has become a source of pride for both.”

Many people had a hand in the new track transitioning from an idea to a reality.

And that story can serve as an inspiration to other small communities that any addition such as a new track can be made possible if the community comes together and persists.

“I think it just gives us some class and it’s something to be proud of that the community came together to get it done,” Kemp said.

“It was really a small core of people that just wouldn’t give up and kept driving at it to get it done and they did.”

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New track

teams that had other facilities that were similar,” Kemp said. “It wasn’t very usable at all.”

Over the years, the community was able to help raise over $500,000 for the new track to be constructed.

The money was brought in numerous ways such as donations, fundraisers, raffle tickets and grants from the Norton Trust and the school itself.

“If you had said the community could come together to raise a half-million dollars for this, I don’t know if I would’ve agreed with that statement,” Kemp said.

“It was amazing the way the community got behind it and kept donating. Obviously, we got a couple of grants from Norton, that was huge.

And the school ended up putting the final nail in the coffin by being willing to put I think around $50,000 to finish it off.”

The new track was completed back in June and since then, Kemp, who teaches biology and chemistry at OV, has seen it be put to good use daily by members of the school’s cross country and

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APRIL 13, 2021

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HEALTH & WELLNESS Photo submitted Sky & Telescope magazine has recognized Cherry Springs State Park as one of the 10 U.S. Dark-Sky Parks You Need To Visit.

COUDERSPORT — Desired by astronomers for its magnificent Milky Way views, Cherry Springs State Park in Northern Pennsylvania’s Potter and Tioga Counties has earned national recognition by Sky & Telescope magazine as one of the “10 U.S. Dark-Sky Parks You Need To Visit.”

Described as one of the most beloved Dark Sky Parks in the country, the article praises Cherry Springs State Park for its dedicated stargazing observation field, which features unobstructed, panoramic views offering visitors a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical experience.

“It’s a great honor for our park to be nationally ranked as a coveted stargazing site by a magazine boasting the largest, most experienced staff of any astronomy magazine in the world,” said Colleen Hanson, executive director, Visit Potter-Tioga. “The natural beauty of our area is unmatched, and we take pride in sharing all that

our parks and forests have to offer so that visitors can have their own astonishing adventures. If spotting the Milky Way, planets, or constellations is on your bucket list, our parks offer a place where you can truly experience the celestial wonders of the night sky.”

Attracting a high volume of astronomers and stargazers, Cherry Springs State Park is surrounded by the 262,000-acre Susquehannock State Forest. Visitors can enjoy

hiking and backpacking along the Susquehannock Trail System in the daylight before venturing off to the remote park in the evening to view its famous dark skies. From the park’s awe-inspiring stargazing programs to its commitment to preserving dark skies for future generations, Cherry Springs State Park offers visitors the opportunity to learn, experience, and connect with nature.

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Each local county had more virus cases as of April 8 The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 49 additional cases of COVID-19 in the region as of April 8.

McKean County had 17 additional cases for a total of 3,231; Elk had 23 additional cases for 2,651; Potter County had 8 more cases for a total of 1,003; and Cameron County had one more case for a total of 282.

In Pennsylvania, there were 4,746 additional positive cases of COVID-19, bringing the statewide total to 1,059,044.

As for vaccines, McKean County had 4,205 partially vaccinated and 4,741 fully covered; Elk, 2,459 partial and 8,758 full; Potter, 785 partial and 1,646 full; and Cameron, 493 partial and 1,120 full.

In Pennsylvania, there were 3,723,884 partially vaccinated and 2,073,705

fully vaccinated, according to the health department.

As of Thursday, there were 2,425 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19.

Of that number, 484 patients are in the intensive care unit with COVID-19. Elk County had four patients hospitalized with COVID-19, while

McKean and Potter had none.

As of Thursday, there were 42 new deaths identified by the Pennsylvania death registry, reported for a total of 25,327 deaths attributed to COVID-19.

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