18 2022
community
JANUARY
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
Dog sled demo races to be featured at Winter Fun day
State Park Environmental MOUNT JEWETT — The Mount Jewett sleds with bike wheels. They won’t do a Bridge to Kinzua Bridge Trail Club (MJ2KB), in competition race as these are young dogs Educational Specialist Holly Dzemyan, the conjunction with the Kinzua Bridge State that are in training, running for exhibition event has been able to secure three teams of sled dogs which will be participating. Park staff, will host a Winter Fun day on only at this time.” So far, with the assistance of Kinzua The three confirmed teams are coming from noon until 3 from Scranton, Warren p.m. on Saturday, Center and Syracuse, Feb. 5, at the N.Y. Kinzua Bridge The Warren Center State Park and group, Sled Dogs Knox and Kane of Smokey Hill is a small sled team. It curRail Trail. rently consists of seven This inauSiberian Huskies, gural event will of which several are be held whether dogs getting a second there is snow chance. accumulation “We sled, cart and on the ground scooter for recreation or not, and has and make a appearfeatures which ance’s to benefit sanctuaries, shelters and will interest enorganizations in edtire families. ucation and/or fund From dog sledraising,” according to ding demo races, the groups Facebook cross country page. skiing, snowWhile the sled dogs shoes, hiking and are a unique attraction, informational it is not the only event power-point planned for the Winter presentations. Fun day. Stroup will “We will be showing a rail trail have dog sleds PowerPoint presentarun the Knox & tion in one of the classKane Rail Trail rooms at the Visitor’s beginning from Center providing inthe Skywalk, for formation on the Knox approximately a & Kane Rail trail and mile to the first the MJ2KB trail club. set of benches The Kane Travel Girl & interpretive signs on the trail, Scout Troop 90008 where they’ll will be selling hot coturn around and coa and hotdogs. And run back — one cross country skis and sled at a time,” snowshoes will be relayed Carolyn available at the park Stroup, president of Provided for adults and chilthe Mount Jewett to dren to try out. Kinzua Bridge Trail A member of the Warren Center group, Sled Dogs of Smokey Hill, is pulled on a wheeled cart Club. “If we do not by his pups during a training exercise. have snow, they will run pulling
Many local nursing homes continue to limit visitors Due to the concern over the rise in COVID-19 cases and the emergence of the omicron and delta variants, most area nursing homes are continuing to limit visitation. The Bradford Ecumenical Home updated its information on Jan. 10. Currently no residents have tested positive for COVID while seven staff members at the Ecumenical Home have tested positive, as well as three staff members at Chapel Ridge. If the surrounding community shows a county positivity rate of 10% or greater, indoor visitation is restricted. Outdoor visitation continues to be the preferred method of visitation. The nursing home may be able to access Civil Monetary Penalty funds from the state to purchase items to facilitate outdoor visitation in winter weather. At the Pavilion at Bradford Regional Medical Center, all visitors must stop at the main information desk in the lobby, where a room number and current visitation restrictions will be outlined. Bradford Manor currently has no restrictions for visitation, except that visitors must wear a mask at all times. Lakeview Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Smethport is open for regular visitation, according to director Terry Lopus.
Sena Kean Nursing and Rehabilitation Center continues to follow recommendations of the CDC, Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH), and other federal, state, and local authorities to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading. Every person who enters the building is screened before they can access resident areas. This includes taking temperatures, as well as looking for signs or symptoms of a respiratory infection, such as fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat. The Lutheran Home at Kane released a statement on Jan. 4 stating that the high county positivity rate remains a concern. In order to protect their residents, they ask individuals visiting to continue to follow these procedures: all visitors must self-screen when entering the building; and all visitors must wear a mask at all times. Sweden Valley Manor in Coudersport’s website states that outdoor visits, electronic visits and window visits will continue to remain an option for visiting with loved ones. However, stricter guidelines for indoor visitation can be located on their website at https://hcfinc.com/ Unfortunately, residents who are in quarantine/observation are unable to have visitors until they are out of quarantine, with exceptions
for Compassionate Care visits. Elk Haven Nursing Home in St. Marys reports in a statement released this week that they have no residential cases of COVID-19 and two active staff COVID-19 cases. Visitation protocols may change daily based on facility outbreak testing, COVID-19 positive residents or staff in the facility, or directives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and DOH. Family and friends are encouraged to connect with their loved ones through calling, video chat, window visits, on social media and/or by other avenues that the facility is able to offer. Pinecrest Manor in St. Marys updated their COVID-19 information on Jan. 7, with five staff and two residents positive for COVID-19.
Visitors are still required to screen upon entry by taking their temperature and filling out a questionnaire. If someone is COVID positive, experiencing signs or symptoms or has been exposed, they are not to visit. Also, residents who are in quarantine or are COVID positive will not have visitors during their isolation period. Guy and Mary Felt Manor in Emporium is open for visitation. However visitors must submit to a respiratory check, wash/sanitize their hands, and wear a mask for the entirety of the visit. Should any individual, regardless of vaccination status, be preparing to visit a nursing home in McKean County, they should check its website or call before visiting to find out any updated specific guidelines or instructions.
Bradford native named Professional Deer Manager of the Year The National Deer Association named Bradford native Dr. Krysten Schuler of New York as its 2021 Professional Deer Manager of the Year. Schuler, who graduated from Bradford Area High School, is a wildlife disease ecologist and assistant research professor at Cornell University’s Wildlife Health Lab, and she serves on NDA’s Science and Research Advisory Committee. She now lives in Port Byron, New York, with her husband, Dr. Brian Weidel, and son, Rhys. “Dr. Schuler is a national leader when it comes to scientific wildlife management, and her work to help slow the spread of CWD in recent years particularly stands out,” said Nick Pinizzotto, NDA President and CEO. “In addition to her impressive work in the field and in the laboratory, she has been a great friend and resource to NDA having previously been a board member of the former National Deer Alliance and now serving on our critical Science and Research Advisory Committee.” Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is the single largest issue impacting the future of deer management and hunting, and Dr. Schuler’s work is making great strides in this arena. Schuler’s work on New York State’s Risk Minimization Plan and the Surveillance Optimization Project for Chronic Wasting Disease (SOP4CWD) has received national acclaim. In 2021 the SOP4CWD project has brought together 23 states and one province in eastern North American to
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