Potter McKean County Community Source 9/14/21

SEPTEMBER

14 2021

Penn State Extension seeks support for garden program

File photo Raj Nadella (foreground) plants onions and shallots in June at the Crook Farm garden, while her fellow Penn State Extension master gardeners, Linda Rankin and Bob Harris (in background) water and plant other vegetables. This is the first year the master gardeners’ group has sponsored the garden at the historic farm.

The former Lighthouse restaurant will be the location of WellNow Urgent Care next year.

WellNow Urgent Care planned for former Lighthouse location in Bradford

BY JOELLEN WANKEL The former site of The Lighthouse Restaurant will be an urgent care center.

“The team confirmed that 26 Bolivar Drive is where the WellNow Urgent Care will be located,” said Annie Keller, Manager of Public Relations for WellNow Urgent Care, via email Thursday.

WellNow Urgent Care

centers currently operate in New York, Illinois, Ohio and Michigan.

The entity was founded in 2011 as Five Star Urgent Care and was rebranded in 2018 “to better reflect our mission of offering the care you need with the convenience you crave for all non-life-threatening injuries and illnesses,” per the company’s website.

Currently, a WellNow Urgent Care is open in Olean, N.Y. Online checkins and virtual visits are also an option listed on wellnow.com.

The website notes centers are “open daily for walk-ins or check-ins, as early as 7 a.m. until as late as 11 p.m., with 24/7 virtual care – to help you and your family get well…well,

now.”

In regard to the Bradford location, demolition of the building on site began Tuesday. The facility is expected to be complete and operational in 2022.

“Construction is expected to be completed in March, depending on weather conditions, and we anticipate a Spring opening,” Keller explained.

HOME & GARDEN

SMETHPORT — Penn State Extension in McKean County is seeking support from area businesses and groups for a garden program that helps county residents develop their own gardens to grow their own food.

The Master Gardener Program has demonstration gardens in Bradford (Crook Farm), Smethport (Donald J. Comes Natural Resource Center) and Sybil Kane Perennial Gardens in Kane.

Master Gardener coordinator Gloria Wilson said the organization’s mission is to educate the public using research-based information on. best practices in consumer horticulture and environmental stewardship.

“At the gardens in Bradford and Smethport, we grow vegetables and donate them to local food pantries,” Wilson said.

“We have a program called Seed to Supper that targets individuals who face food insecurity.”

Classes allow participants who would benefit from the program to attend a six-week beginning

gardening class, and the receive the necessary supplies to grow vegetables at their home. The upcoming year will be the second year for the program, which is free, and the Extension provides ongoing support.

Wilson said the garden program also supports educational programs with community youth and schools in the county.

“We are completely self-sufficient, which basically means that any programs we do within the county are supported by our volunteer fundraising efforts,” Wilson said. “We are proud of the manhours of our 38 volunteers who donated almost 2,000 hours last year.”

The Extension is hoping to secure sponsors for the Seed to Supper program and other costs associated with spreading garden knowledge. All support will be acknowledged publicly through the Extension office in Smethport.

Contact Wilson at 885613 ext. 208 or email gjw5260@psu.edu.

Safe and effective ways to clean up leaves Removing leaves from the yard is a task that homeowners must perform each fall. Thousands upon thousands of leaves can drop from a single tree. Multiply that by the number of trees on a property, and it’s no surprise the task of leaf cleanup can seem so daunting. Furthermore, not all leaves are shed at the same time, so several cleanup sessions may be necessary before the last leaf is banished from the yard.

Just like removing snow, leaf cleanup can be a taxing job if done by hand.

For people unaccustomed to exercise, cleaning up leaves can turn into quite a workout. According to the Discovery Health Calorie Counter, raking leaves for one hour can burn nearly 292 calories. Shoulders and arms will feel the burn.

Raking leaves is considered moderate physical activity, similar to brisk walking.

Those who find themselves straining or out of breath should take a break, and these tips also make the job safer and easier.

• Wear layers when cleaning up leaves. It may be cool at first, but it’s easy to work up a sweat after raking for awhile. Layers can be peeled off so as not to get overheated or risk hypothermia from sweating in chilly temps.

• Pay attention to your

posture while raking. James Weinstein, chairman of the Department of Orthopedics at Dartmouth Medical School, recommends forming a wide base with the feet and holding the rake slightly toward the end of the handle with one hand three-quarters of the way down the handle from the other. Do not twist the spine; move your entire body. Avoid overuse of muscles on one side of the body by switching sides periodically.

• Do not try to rake or blow leaves on windy days.

Wind will only make the task that much more difficult, which could lead to overworking oneself.

• Avoid overfilling bags. For those who plan to mulch and bag leaves, remember that compressed leaves can get heavy pretty quickly. Do not over-fill bags, as they can be hard to move or bring to a recycling center.

Using a leaf blower to push leaves into piles will reduce the strenuousness of the task, but leaf blowers can be heavy and noisy and gas-powered blowers can produce a considerable amount of exhaust.

Raking leaves can be quite a chore. It is important that homeowners take steps to prevent injury while cleaning up leaves in their yards.

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2

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

Smethport council counters school district proposal regarding field use

BY FRAN DE LANCEY SMETHPORT — Following a 33-minute executive session that was called to discuss legal contracts and personnel, Smethport Borough Council agreed unanimously Tuesday to offer a counter proposal to the Smethport Area School District’s proposal to renew the contract for the two borough-owned athletic fields the school teams use.

The school’s baseball teams use George Murray Memorial Field and the girls’ softball team plays on the Glenn Mencer Memorial Field, both in Hamlin Lake Park.

Under the terms of the current agreement, the school would be responsible for any damage to the fields caused by school personnel, coaches and players. The school district would compensate the borough for the reasonable costs of repairs.

In their counter proposal, borough councilmen have added the words “fans and attendees” to those who have caused damage.

In another matter, council has enlisted the help of State Rep. Martin Causer in attempts to have the Liquor Control Board to reverse its decision to close the Wine and Spirit Shop on West Main Street. Formerly commonly known at the state store,” this one closed its

doors September 1.

During council’s consideration of this matter that has local economic implications, as well as adding another vacant building in the business district, it was noted that the state is closing these stores due to costs of operation.

Considerable time was spent discussing the problem of a portion of the sidewalk on Willow Street that is lower than the catch basin, which caused debris to fill the walkway after the recent unusually heavy rains.

The borough has received a quote of $3,990 to replace this 85-foot section of sidewalk and is to contact the property owner about sharing the expense.

Council agreed to a request from Jeff Wolfe to remove an old spruce tree from the location of Pavilion #3 in Hamlin Lake Park. Wolfe will replace it with a blue spruce tree in time for the benefit that is being planned in memory of his daughter, Hannah, on September 25.

In the councilmen’s reports part of the agenda, Jeff Tanner stated that the shade tree commission plans eight plantings this fall.

Council briefly discussed the status of the town’s chamber of commerce. Mayor Wayne Foltz will contact the chamber’s former officers to receive any new information.

More Cases, Another Death In Potter Co. POTTER COUNTY– A rising coronavirus case count in Potter County and a 27th COVID-related death has prompted many of those who have been “vaccine-hesitant” to reconsider. Potter County now has a vaccination rate of just over 40 percent (5,353) among residents age 18 and older. Statewide, more than 70 percent have been inoculated. UPMC Cole offers the vaccine to eligible patients at its outpatient offices. To schedule an appointment for an adult, call 814-274-5460; for pediatric patients, call 814-2749198. Buchanan Brothers Pharmacy in Coudersport administers the vaccine by appointment; call 814-2748660. Rite Aid pharmacies continue to book appointments. To access the online reservation form, click here.

Pa. Dept. of Health has reported a concerning increase in new COVID-19 cases across the region over the past two weeks, even as fewer people have been scheduling tests. That matches a national trend of higher confirmed cases, which includes a 250-percent increase in the number of children who have been infected since early August. In recent days, some 27 percent of all cases have been diagnosed in children. There were five

more positive tests in Potter County and another fatality between Saturday and Tuesday. Total cases since the pandemic began rose to 1,331. In neighboring counties, McKean had 27 more cases; Tioga, 41; Lycoming, 86; Clinton, 32; Cameron, 4; Cattaraugus County, N.Y., 63; and Allegany County, N.Y., 22.

DOH estimates that the number of people carrying the highly contagious virus is likely four or more times higher than the reported cases. However, the department no longer releases information on “active” case counts per community, which hampers local officials’ decision-making on potential health and safety protective measures. Testing is available at UPMC Cole for physician-referred patients. Tests are also being administered at Buchanan Brothers Pharmacy (visit the website here or call 1-800-635-8611) and Rite Aid Pharmacy (visit the website here or call 814-274-0439).

Statewide, there has been a surge in cases over the past two weeks. An average of 4,200 new cases are being diagnosed each day.

Total cases in Pennsylvania since the pandemic began stood at 1,324,720 with 28,408 deaths as of Tuesday.

Smethport Legion has set a goal of 1,100 wreaths for their Wreaths Across America drive, which will be placed at the graves of veterans buried in several local cemeteries.

Smethport Legion to hold Wreaths Across America drive SMETHPORT — Remembering and honoring veterans never gets old or goes out of style.

Friends and families of deceased veterans from the Revolutionary War to the present have the opportunity to recognize these military heroes by sponsoring a wreath in their memory for the 2021 Remember, Honor and Teach National Remembrance Day Ceremony at 10 a.m., Dec. 18, at the Smethport Fire Department.

Sons of the American Legion Squadron #138 in Smethport is seeking sponsors for wreaths that will be placed on local veterans’ graves following the nationwide ceremony that is part of the Wreaths Across America program.

“Our goal is purchasing approximately 1,100 wreaths to be placed at the graves of veterans who are buried at Rosehill Cemetery in Smethport, Goodwin Cemetery in Farmers Valley and Fairmont Cemetery off the East Valley Road in Keating Township,” said Todd Witchen, squadron commander.

Wreaths cost $15 and are available through the SAL in Smethport until Nov. 29.

There are three ways to donate: *Order online at the website http://www. wreathsacrossamerica.org/ pages167063; *Drop off the completed form found on the informational pamphlets with check or money order to the Smethport American

Legion, ATTN.: Todd Witchen; *Send a completed form that includes Location ID: PASPMC and Group ID PA0574P with check or money order to Wreaths Across America, P. O. Box 249, Columbia Falls, ME 04623.

By offering sponsorships to the public, Wreaths Across America hopes to eventually place a wreath at every veteran’s memorial marker.

Be advised that this program is for placing wreaths on the graves of veterans only. Any wreaths purchased for civilians will be placed on a veterans’ graves.

To further promote this local initiative, the Sons of the American Legion

will sponsor a fundraiser featuring music, food and raffles beginning at 2 p.m. on Oct. 23 at the Smethport American Legion on West Main Street.

Wreaths Across America traces its beginnings back to Arlington National Cemetery in 1992 when Morrill and Karen Worcester of Harrington, Maine, were motivated to place a ceremonial wreath at every fallen hero’s memorial marker. By 2007, the couple’s initiative had expanded to a national program. Today, Wreaths across America, a nonprofit organization, coordinates wreath-laying events at more than 2,500 sites in the United States, at sea and abroad.

Annual Route 6 meeting set for Kane Kane Rotary to hose Blood Screening UPMC Kane and Kane Rotary will host a multiphasic blood screening on Saturday, Oct. 2 from 6 to 9:30 a.m. at St. Callistus Church Hall, located at 342 Chase St. in Kane.

The screening includes 30 tests for $40. A1c and PSA testing are available for an additional fee.

Registration and masks are required. The event will be limited to 400 participants. No walk-ins will be accepted.

To register, call 814837-4570 or toll-free at 1-800-565-9200 ext. 4570.

Registration deadline is Monday, Sept. 27.

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KANE — The PA Route 6 Annual Meeting & Award Ceremony will be in Kane on Sept. 15 and 16.

The event is public, and any business or organization in McKean County, or the other Route 6 counties, are invited to attend.

To participate, a business or attraction does not need to be directly located along Route 6, as the PA Route 6 Heritage Corridor and their promotions include the entire county through which PA Route 6 traverses.

The full schedule for the annual meeting, and the registration form is at: https://www.paroute6. com/2021-annual-meeting

The subject for the main speaker is “Community Branding,” something that is of great interest for our region, as branding helps to develop a community as a destination for travelers and helps to build community pride.

Kane just completed their branding “A Star in the Forest,” Smethport went with their “Historic Victorian Village,” Mount Jewett uses their Swedish Heritage, Port Allegany is working on their branding and what has emerged is embracing the idea of “Allegheny Modernism.”

Bradford has yet to undertake a formal community branding project.

3

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

Entire state of Pa. at high risk for COVID transmission

Save Bradford Hospital group reschedules town hall — BRADFORD Circumstances have led Save Bradford Hospital committee to change the date and place of its upcoming town hall.

It is now scheduled for 7 to 9 p.m. Monday, Sept.

20, at the Grace Lutheran Church hall on Mechanic Street.

Originally, the meeting was scheduled for Sept.

13 — but the date was the same as the Bradford Area School Board meeting which was expected to be well-attended due to the masking policy mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

Rather than have citizens decide which event to attend, planners decided it would be simpler to change the scheduled town hall to the following

Monday, Sept. 20.

In addition, the group decided to change the location of the meeting to a place which can accommodate more people — particularly with a need for social distancing in the wake of new COVID-19 cases in the county.

The Grace Lutheran hall can accommodate people in a safer, more distanced space but those attending have still been asked to wear a mask.

This is the first town hall scheduled by the Save Bradford Hospital committee. Others are expected to follow.

The Sept. 20 meeting will include presentations on the group’s research into the circumstances concerning the curtailing

of services at Bradford Regional Medical Center. It will also focus on the road ahead, asking residents to consider what steps might be taken going forward.

Organizers hope the town hall will be a forum for people to become involved in planning the future of health care for the Bradford area.

The two-hour meeting will include a chance for local citizens to voice their concerns either at the event or, later, on a form which will be handed out at the session.

The event will be livestreamed so people unable to attend can hear the discussion online. In addition, it will be recorded so others can view the presentation at their own convenience.

The entire state of Pennsylvania is considered at high risk for community transmission of COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control on Tuesday.

There had been 70 new cases over several days into last week in McKean County, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. As of last week, there were more than 4,000 cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

About 35% of the total number of county residents were fully vaccinated, and about 7% were partially vaccinated.

The positivity rate for McKean County was 11.6%, and the incidence rate was

Advances in the clinical care of COVID-19 patients – made possible by rapid, adaptive trials led

by UPMC physician-scientists – have dropped patient death rates by 5% each month of the pandemic, UPMC announced this morning at a press briefing.

In addition, as many as 19 times more non-vaccinated adult patients ages 50 and younger are currently admitted to UPMC hospitals compared to vaccinated patients.

“The average age of our hospitalized patients is almost a decade younger than when we were at the peak of last winter’s wave of COVID-19 in December 2020,” said Dr. Rachel Sackrowitz, chief medical officer of UPMC’s ICU Service Center. “This is concerning because these are people who have few other health issues and would otherwise be looking forward to many healthy years ahead. But the overwhelming majority have one thing in common: They are not vaccinated against COVID-19.”

Sackrowitz added that this statistic is particularly distressing because the disease was preventable in these patients.

“According to our estimates, about 70% of the patients currently in our hospitals could have avoided hospitalization if they’d received monoclonal antibodies while their illness was still mild,” said Dr. Derek Angus, UPMC’s

“This one-time treatment – if given within about a week of COVID-19 infection – significantly decreases the risk of hospitalization and death.”

Earlier this year, UPMC launched its OPTIMISE-C19 trial to study the efficacy of monoclonal antibodies.

Since the start of the pandemic, UPMC has treated over 5,700 patients with monoclonal antibodies, of which over 4,000 are enrolled in the study. These patients are creating the real-time data to help understand how effective monoclonal antibodies are against COVID-19.

The Delta variant of the virus, predominant in the communities that UPMC serves, poses a risk to children who are too young to

benefit from vaccination.

“At UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, we are still seeing a slight increase in cases and hospitalizations of kids and teens with COVID-19,” said Dr. John Williams, chief of pediatric infectious diseases. “A disproportionate number of kids getting sick and needing hospitalization have other illnesses, but many are completely healthy kids.”

The best way to protect children from the Delta variant is by masking in schools, distancing and testing when symptoms arise. All children 12 years or older are eligible to receive the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

“My urgent plea is for everyone eligible for a

county residents were fully vaccinated, and about 4% were partially vaccinated.

The positivity rate was 11.2%, and the incidence rate was 121 per 100,000 residents.

In Cameron County, there were eight new cases reported at a point last week — with 344 total cases reported since the beginning of the pandemic.

About 46% of the total county’s residents were fully vaccinated as of last week, and about 5% were partially vaccinated.

The positivity rate was 15.4%, and the incidence rate was 89.9 per 100,000 residents.

Penn State entomologist cautions of fall armyworm SMETHPORT — Many areas across Pennsylvania have been reporting significant numbers of Fall Armyworm, a pest in hay, turf, small grains and corn.

There have been reports of “nothing but mud” left in some hay fields, particularly new seeding of farms, lawns and rights-of-way.

John Tooker, Entomologist at Penn State, said, “We are not worried about just a few caterpillars.

Vaccination, Antibodies Key to Keeping COVID-19 Patients Out of Hospital

BY SARAH KATZ

108.3 per 100,000 residents, according to state health officials.

In Elk County, there had been 96 new cases over several days into last week.

There had been 3,125 total cases since the beginning of the pandemic. Nearly 48% of the total county’s residents were fully vaccinated, while 4% were partially vaccinated.

The positivity rate was 17.6%, and the incidence rate is 170.5 per 100,000 residents, state health officials said.

In Potter County, there were 21 new cases reported over several days into last week. There have been 1,331 total cases. About 28% of the total number of

vaccine to make the choice to get one,” Dr. Sackrowitz said. “You aren’t just getting the vaccine for yourself; you are doing it for those around you – your parents, your children, your neighbors, your coworkers and the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and all the other health care heroes who continue to work countless hours to save lives.”

To schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, visit Vaccine.UPMC.com.

If you tested positive for COVID-19, you may be eligible to receive monoclonal antibodies. Call 866-8045251 or visit UPMC.com for more information.

Chronic Disease Self-Management Workshop Smethport Senior Center 119 West Main St. Smethport PA 16749 October 1, 2021-November 5, 2021 6 week Workshop Friday’s 9:30am-12:00pm This workshop will provide you with a Living a Healthy Life with Chronic Conditions book as well as the tools you can use to Self-Manage your chronic disease. We will cover many Physical and Mental Health Conditions.

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If you find more than 2-3 caterpillars per square foot, it will likely be economical to treat that population.

If you find damage, but the caterpillars are absent, look at adjacent fields to see where they might have moved.

He continued, “They can feed in many crop species but are known to damage corn and soybeans.

Their feeding in corn should be limited by aboveground Bt traits.”

Before spraying your lawn or hayfield there are a few things to think about, how many and how large are the caterpillars? Are they done feeding or will

they move to a nearby crop or plant? Most caterpillars are now over an inch in size, so popular pyrethroids will not work. Preventative measures do not need to be taken as the pest is sporadic and may not occur again. Lawns with severe defoliation may come back and should be monitored. It is getting late to reseed perennial grasses in Northern Pennsylvania, so decisions to overseed will need to be made quickly or delayed until late winter or early spring. For help deciding on control measures, contact McKean County extension office or visit extension.psu.edu.

Hamlin Library announces September events SMETHPORT — Hamlin Library is also hosting a ‘Little Paws Paint Night’ at 7 p.m. Sept. 20.

Children age 7 to 10 are invited to attend this

free event and create their own Purrfect Purple Pal. While the event is free, attendance is limited to eight artists. Call the library to register.

4

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

Conservation District Success Stories Celebrated County’s Sterling Run watershed. Deep coal mining in the late 1800s and early 1900s and surface mining that followed had badly fouled the headwaters, killing all aquatic life. Cameron County Conservation District has installed “passive treatment systems,” neutralizing aluminum and iron levels. Affected waters are now Class A Wild Trout Streams. Also in Cameron County, the group Conservation District Manager Jason Childs (left) explained that over a period of four years, the Conservation District upgraded a 4.7-mile section of the road to reduce sediment loads flowing into the Southwoods Branch, and to keep the road passable for residents, seasonal property owners, tourists, school buses and emergency vehicles

POTTER COUNTY– Roads are being improved, headwater streams protected, and coal mine pollution abated as a result of work that’s dutifully performed — with little or no fanfare — by county conservation districts.

Last week, directors of these low-profile agencies whose impact stretches far and wide showcased some of their success stories in Potter and Cameron counties. About a dozen elected officials and other guests joined conservation district managers and technicians on a daylong field trip.

In Potter County, the group traveled to two project sites on Southwoods Road in Homer and Sylvania

townships. Conservation District Manager Jason Childs explained that over a period of four years, the Conservation District upgraded a 4.7-mile section of the road to reduce sediment loads flowing into the Southwoods Branch, and to keep the road passable for residents, seasonal property owners, tourists, school buses and emergency vehicles. Price tag was nearly $684,000.

In Sylvania Township, an eroding 70-foot vertical bank had collapsed, reducing Southwoods Road

to one lane threatening to close the road entirely.

Some 264 tons of limestone and other materials were used to stabilize the bank and improve the stream

and its habitat. Cost was $175,000.

One stop in Cameron County was at an acid mine drainage treatment project in Cameron

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HEALTH & WELLNESS

How to protect your hearing for the long haul Aging has long been associated with hearing loss, and that association is not unwarranted. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders notes that age-related hearing loss can arise from changes in the inner ear as the body ages.

However, hearing loss can affect people of all ages, including the very young.

Noise-induced hearing loss, or NIHL, can affect people of all ages. In fact, a 2011-12 study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that as many as 40 million adults in the United States have some degree of hearing loss related to exposure to loud noise. Another

study published in 2011 in the journal Pediatrics found that as many as 17 percent of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 19 had features of their hearing suggestive of NIHL. No single activity can explain the prevalence of NIHL among adolescents and adults under 70.

However, there are steps everyone can take to protect their hearing and reduce their risk for NIHL. • Switch from earbuds to over-the-ear headphones. The Cleveland Clinic notes that over-theear headphones encase the ear and are often more effective at canceling outside noise. Why is that important? If outside noise

is effectively canceled out, wearers won’t have to turn up the volume on their headphones in order to hear their music. Listening at lower volumes is a great way to protect your hearing and prevent NIHL. • Recognize that others shouldn’t hear what’s coming through your headphones. Audiologist Sharon A. Sandridge, Ph.D. of the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic notes that if people standing at arm’s length can hear the music coming from an individual’s headphones or earbud, then the volume levels on that person’s devices are too loud.

• Purchase activity-specific headphones, earplugs

or earmuffs. Hardware stores and sporting goods stores sell activity-specific headphones, earplugs and earmuffs that can be utilized when engaging in activities like yard work or hunting. Such products are often designed to block out noises from backpack leaf blowers and hunting rifles, and could therefore prove more protective of users’ hearing than over-the-ear headphones designed for listening to music.

Age-related hearing loss may not be preventable. However, individuals can protect themselves from NIHL, and efforts to do just that should begin at a young age and continue throughout adulthood.

observed a streambank stabilization project along the Driftwood Branch of Sinnemahoning Creek.

That 450-foot section had been severely eroded. A modified mudsill cribwall was installed to stabilize the bank and improve fish habitat. The Conservation District partnered with the Western Pa. Conservancy to plant a five-acre riparian buffer that includes trees, shrubs and live stakes.