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The Allegany County Board of Legislators has appointed Charles Bessette of Wirt to fill a vacancy in its Third Legislative District. On March 26, 2025, after passing Board Resolution No. 138-25, Bessette was sworn into office by the Honorable Thomas P. Brown.

Bessette is a 30-year resident of the Town of Wirt and served 35 years with the United States Postal Service, including 6 years as managing Postmaster for Allentown, Alma, Richburg, and Little Genesse. He also served as President of the Chautauqua-Cattaraugus-Allegany Postmaster Association from 2011 to 2015 and as Adverse Action Representative for United Postmasters and Managers from 2012 to 2023.

Yesterday at 1549 hours, Station 7 was dispatched for a grass fire with exposure. Chief 7 (Dickerson) arrived and reported the grass fire had extended to the shed and was threatening a garage. The incident was upgraded to a box alarm which brought station 2, station 8, and station 15 to the scene and station 11 and station 21 on stand-by. The fire was contained to the debris and the shed. The garage was not damaged by the fire. Station 15 was released and back in quarters at 1712 hrs.

Now Hiring: Seasonal Museum Visitor Services Assistant

The Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates (PALMA) are seeking a seasonal Museum Visitor Services Assistant (MVSA) to work with other museum staff and volunteers in providing a high-quality, entertaining, and educational experience to our audience. The MVSA will help with tours and events, process admissions, and represent the museum at off-site outreach activities. This is a seasonal, part-time, hourly position, scheduled for a maximum of 28 hours/week from May through October. The preferred work schedule for the MVSA will be: Thursday through Sunday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM, with a half-hour unpaid lunch break each day. Compensation will be commensurate with experience, starting at no less than $17.00/ hour. A full job description is available HERE.

To apply, please submit a resume and cover letter by March 28, 2025, to:

Roger Hetrick, President

Pennsylvania Lumber Museum Associates (PALMA)

P.O. Box 239

Galeton, PA 16922

or,

Email (with ‘MVSA Application’ in the subject line) to:

palumbermuseum@gmail.com

Please call the museum at 814-435-2652 with any questions.

The Port Allegany Rotary Club will once again host A Night at the Races, Saturday, April 5 at the Port Allegany Moose Lodge located at 35 Pearl Street.  Doors will open at 5 p.m. and races begin at 6 p.m.  The night will feature 11 high definition DVD horse races projected on a big screen – 10 horses in each race.  Action race 11 – attendees can bid to buy a horse for this race at the end of race 10.  There will be a best hat contest.  There will be $2 (cash only) bests on each race, games of chance, 50/50 tickets, door prizes, a cash bar and food for purchase.  The horses and jockeys will be sold in advance and randomly placed in races after all 100 are sold.  To purchase, text 814-598-1942 for details.  Tickets for the event are available from any Rotarian, at Karen’s Styling Salon, Davenport Port Beverage and JVB bank at a cost of $20. Tickets will also be available at the door.   Race caller is “Racin’ Jason Christopher.  You must be 21 to attend.  No outside alcohol is permitted. 

After months of cold weather, many people are eager to get outside and be active again. Whether it’s walking, running, biking, or playing sports, spring is the perfect time to shake off winter stiffness. But jumping back into activity too quickly can lead to injuries, especially for those who have been less active in the colder months.

Ease Into Exercise

It’s tempting to pick up right where you left off last fall, but your body may need time to adjust. Start with lower-impact activities like walking or cycling before progressing to higher-intensity workouts. Warming up before activity and cooling down afterward with gentle stretching can help prevent stiffness and strain. If you haven’t been active in a while, consider starting with 10–15 minutes of movement and gradually increasing your duration and intensity.

Protect Your Joints and Muscles

Wearing the right footwear is key to preventing injuries. If your shoes are worn out, it may be time for a new pair with good support. Strengthening the muscles around your joints can also help reduce stress on them. Exercises like squats, lunges, and core work improve stability and reduce injury risk. Pay attention to how your body feels – mild soreness is normal, but sharp or persistent pain could signal a problem that needs attention.

Injury Prevention and Recovery

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) reminds anglers that Mentored Youth Trout Day will happen on Saturday, March 29, 2025, from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.  This is a statewide event open to youth anglers ages 15 and under and their licensed adult mentors on hundreds of waters in all 67 counties

“This is a special day where our youngest anglers have a chance to have fun and learn fishing skills they can carry with them for a lifetime,” said Richard Kauffman, PFBC District 8 Commissioner. 

The purpose of Mentored Youth Trout Day, created in 2013, is to provide an opportunity for young anglers to have fun while learning fishing skills a week before the large crowds arrive for the busy Statewide Opening Day of Trout Season on April 5. 

“On this special day, the focus of every adult mentor should be on helping kids to fish, including teaching them how to bait a hook, cast a line, and hopefully, help them to safely reel in a few trout.” added Kauffman.  “Remember, mentoring is most effective when just one adult accompanies each child, and the main goal should be to provide a positive experience for the kids, so they’ll want to keep fishing for many seasons to come.”

March 29, 10am-2:30pm–Spring Basket Making Class: Spring into the season by joining local basket artist Cathy Snyder for a basket making class hosted at the PA Lumber Museum.  Learn how to make your own colorful handmade original Spring basket.  Choose from a variety of hand-dyed reeds to create a custom look.  Class size is limited, and reservations are required. $60 non-member/$55 museum member. Bring a snack, a drink, and a friend for this enjoyable day of handcrafting fun!

[Bradford, PA] – The Bradford Area Alliance’s Entrepreneur Leadership Mission (ELM) Business Accelerator program is now accepting applications for its 2025-26 program. The ELM Business Accelerator program aims to help existing business owners realize increased business and life success.

The program includes a 2-day Business Owner Renewal Retreat at Beaver Hollow Conference Center. This event kicks off the 9-month journey where participants will be paired with a mentor, benefit from subject matter expertise on key topics, and formulate strategic plans to pursue new opportunities or overcome specific business challenges.

The program is designed to bring about lasting change for entrepreneurs of existing businesses in McKean County. The cohort convenes two times per month from September 2025 to May 2026 on Thursdays from 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM (excluding December).

Last year, the program graduated 9 business owner participants. Individual participants experienced 157% increase in monthly sales, 11% increase in owners’ wealth, and 3 new jobs created (and counting).

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford Vocal Arts Ensemble concert originally scheduled for March 30 has been rescheduled.

The concert will now take place at noon April 16 in the Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall. Student vocalists, directed by Regina Gabriel, instructor of music, will perform a variety of music ranging from traditional hymns to present day songs.

                The event is free and open to the public

Penn College golfers focused

Ready to go for the spring.

That was the goal of Pennsylvania College of Technology golf coach Rob Lytle last September going into what he described as the program’s “most aggressive fall tournament schedule” as it prepared for another run at the United East Conference championship and a third consecutive trip to the NCAA Division III Championship.

Led by senior standout Peyton Mussina of Montoursville, the Wildcats are poised to pick up where they left off after eight fall outings — including winning the United East Fall Preview for the third year in a row where Mussina medaled for the third straight time — when they take to the links on Saturday and Sunday in the Pennsylvania Classic hosted by Penn State Altoona on the Penn State Blue Course.

This weekend’s event will be the first of four two-day tournaments for players to hone their games leading to the conference championship on April 25-26.

Jaiden is a student at Smethport High School. At the Seneca Highlands CTC, he has achieved his OSHA 10, Stop the Bleed, BLS, and Nurse Aide registry. After school and weekends, he works at Lakeview Senior Care. Jaiden can also be found volunteering in various community activities. He has a love of music, which is shown through his high school band and guitar lessons he takes outside of school. 

Jaiden is an inspiration in the classroom. He is always willing to try new things, such as participating in the health assistant’s first annual wellness challenge. He has a positive and helpful attitude that has helped his fellow classmates to push beyond their comfort levels. Jaiden is well liked by his classmates for his sense of humor and nonjudgmental attitude. 

Academically, Jaiden is an excellent student who aspires to become a doctor in the future. He has begun his higher education by taking dual enrollment credits in medical terminology and anatomy and physiology through Penn Cole. He also attended the Northern PA Regional College over the summer to complete a class in sociology. He is currently seeking scholarship opportunities to fund classwork at the University of Pennsylvania this summer.