NOVEMBER
2 2021
Fran De Lances From left are McKean County commissioners Cliff Lane, Tom Kreiner and Carol Duffy, along with Tosha Conklin and Dave Conklin, owners of the PA Wilds Sonshine Factory, Taylor Holt, Sonshine Factory project manager, Abbi Peters from PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, Kane Mayor Brandy Schimp, McKean County Planning director Richard Fry and Steve Dyne, Wetmore Township supervisor.
Boone and Crockett Club A captive whitetail deer with chronic wasting disease.
Conklin, Wilds Sonshine Factory honored BY FRAN DE LANCEY
Thompson co-sponsors bill to research, manage chronic wasting disease in deer BY JIM ECKSTROM U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson and a Democratic colleague have introduced a bill to research and manage the spread of chronic wasting disease, a contagious neurological disease affecting deer, elk and moose that is always fatal. Rep. Ron Kind of Wisconsin, another state like Pennsylvania where deer hunting is a way of life for many, is the Democrat sponsor of the bill.
There is no known cure for CWD and it’s unclear how the disease is transmitted. Highly contagious, CWD develops very slowly in the lymph nodes, spinal tissue and brains of deer and similar animals such as reindeer and elk. It does not affect other livestock. To date there is no evidence that it can be spread to humans. As of August 2021, CWD has been confirmed in 25 states, including Pennsylvania, and there
are serious concerns that the disease will continue to spread to herds across the country. A road-killed deer found near the southwest edge of the Pennsylvania elk range tested positive for chronic wasting disease, leading the Pennsylvania Game Commission to expand one of its disease management areas and create a new, sixth disease management area.
Chronic Wasting continued on .page 2
SMETHPORT — The PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship has honored Dave Conklin, owner of The Wilds Sonshine Factory in Kane with its Best Brand Ambassador Award. Abbi Peters, executive vice president of the PA Wilds Center for Entrepreneurship, presented Conklin with a wooden plaque at the conclusion of the McKean County commissioners’ meeting Tuesday morning. Peters provided the background of the Best Brand Ambassador Award, saying, “It honors an organization or individual who has made
significant contributions to promoting and developing the PA Wilds brand through logo use, place name recognition, branded product development, storytelling, event or experience, packaging or similar efforts.” A limited spirits distillery, the Sonshine Factory uses sunflower seeds from the PA Wilds region in its trademarked product. “The Wilds Sonshine Factory tied the patent for their innovative distilled product to the PA Wilds brand and through a licensing contract will be giving a portion of every bottle sold to support the PA Wilds Center’s nonprofit mission
in the landscape,” Peters said. “A true PA Wilds ambassador, Conklin has spoken about the importance of the PA Wilds on the radio and television, to elected officials, to other business people and on stage at Public Officials Day,” Peters noted. W h i l e “Sonshine” is a distilled product, it is not a typical distillery, said Peters. “The building serve as an agricultural education center, combining efforts and partnerships from Allegheny H a r d w o o d s U t i l i z a t i o n Group, Penn State Outreach and Penn State Extension and the McKean, Elk and Warren County Conservation
Districts.” Kane Mayor Brandy Schimp nominated Conklin for this award. Three elected officials sent government resolutions and a certificate to Conklin, recognizing his entrepreneurial efforts. U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson’s certificate recognizes “The Wilds Sonshine Factory for incorporating the PA Wilds brand directly into your business and supporting the PA Wilds Center’s nonprofit mission. Your efforts are recognized and appreciated.” Z a c h a r y Ankeny, district director for State Sen. Cris Dush,
Wilds Sonshine on ... page 3
Budget-friendly dining room renovation ideas If the kitchen is the heart of the home, then the dining room may be akin to one of its arteries. The m o o d created in the kitchen spreads to the dining space where family and friends gather to eat and enjoy one another’s company. Dining rooms can get lost in the home renovation shuffle, as many homeowners tend to focus on renovating kitchens and bathrooms instead. Homeowners do not have to invest a lot of money in renovations to give their dining spaces awe-inspiring makeovers. Here’s how to do so on a budget. • Lighten and brighten. Dining rooms were once very formal spaces. Dark woods, large pieces of furniture, over-the-top chandeliers, and other details could be found in many homes. But now that houses are being built with open floor plans, dining
inside to only include the rooms can blend with other spills. • Add floating shelv- very best display pieces spaces, which have moved ing. Floating shelves pro- and see if the cabinet can to lighter be refinished with paint or a lightly colored stain. • Improve lighting. Make the chandelier the statement piece of the space. Go for a bold color or an innovative design. Then add accessories throughout the space vide much- that coordinate with the needed storage or display space without the need colored to invest in another w a l l s , piece of furniture. flooring Depending on the shelvand furniture. A fresh coat of vibrant paint ing, they can work in modcan work wonders and it ern design schemes or even doesn’t cost much. If you farmhouse dining spaces. • Clear out the clutcan’t remove a floor, cover it with a brightly colored ter. It might be time to say “so long” to that large cuarea rug. • Switch things up with rio cabinet and the knickslipcovers. Slipcovers can knacks within it. Curio and be changed each season to china cabinets used to be de dramatically alter the look rigueur, but plenty of peoof a dining room for little ple now prefer more open investment. Slip covers and airy dining rooms. For also protect chairs and can those who want to keep the be easily laundered after cabinet, try decluttering
chandelier. • Add bench seating. Those who need additional seating may not have to get entirely new furniture. Swap out some chairs for benches, which can fit a couple more guests than chairs. • Create depth with color. HGTV says that using various shades of the same color in a space can
add depth. Coordinate drapes, walls, seat fabrics, and accessories for a cohesive design. Renovating a dining room doesn’t require a large investment of time and money. A few simple steps can give dining spaces a whole new feel without busting homeowners’ budgets.
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