NEWS

At 2:23 PM on Wednesday, Smethport Fire Dept. has been requested to assist Port Allegany Fire Department with a wildfire at 184 Upper Grimes Road.

The Potter County Master Gardeners have been busy.  There are 3 new trainees working towards their Master Gardener certification.  Basic training began on October 6, 2022 and will continue through March, 2023.

Basic training classes are utilizing a virtual format which has proven to be very popular with trainees.  It provides considerably more scheduling flexibility and reduces travel, which is especially helpful during the winter months. Trainees work independently each week to read the assigned chapter in the Penn State Extension Master Gardener Manual, watch the corresponding webinar and take the online “check your knowledge” quiz. 

Basic Training topics include Botany, Plant Propagation, Soil Health, Fertilizers, Composting, Controlling Pests Safely, Basic Entomology, Plant Diseases, Indoor Plants, Vegetables, Lawn Care, Tree Fruits, Landscape Design, Native Plants, Communications, Pruning, Small Fruits, Woody Ornamentals, Herbaceous Plants, Weeds, Plant Diagnostics, Weeds and Invasive Species.  Trainees and current Master Gardeners recently completed interactive activities related to Botany, Soils and Common Vegetable Diseases.  A hands-on pruning session has been scheduled for later in February during which trainees will have the opportunity to apply their pruning skills with guidance from a Penn State instructor.

As part of the classes, trainees will also learn about the history of Penn State Extension, have opportunities to meet and talk with certified Master Gardeners, and be introduced to Extension’s Volunteer Portal.  The Volunteer Portal provides information and resources for volunteers, connects them to service opportunities, and helps them keep track of their volunteer and continuing education hours. Weekly class meetings are conducted by Potter County Master Gardener Coordinator, Leona Smith, with assistance from Clinton County Master Gardeners Amy Strong and Charles Kincaid. 

Master Gardener services available in Potter County include assistance with community gardens, delivery of gardening workshops for the public, a garden hotline, and more.  Master Gardeners and trainees are participating in the Home Garden Vegetable Trials sponsored by the Penn State Master Gardener program featuring 2 each of 5 different pepper plants.   Weekly reports will be sent to the statewide program on how our peppers are growing and final production information will be submitted.

Applications are now available for a plot in the Potter County Community Garden, located to the rear of the Penn State Extension office on Water Street in Coudersport.  Contact Barry Hayman (814)274-8290 or email PCCG2022@googlegroups.com.

Gardening workshops are being planned now for the upcoming season.   A Seed-Starting Workshop is scheduled for Thursday, March 30^th.  Future workshops will include Planning Your Garden, Container Gardening, Common Vegetable Diseases and more.  For additional information on the workshops available please call 814-274-8540 extension 103 or send email to PotterMG@psu.edu.

Garden hotline services will go live in late April and continue through September.

The current group of Master Gardener trainees will take their final exams in early April, after which they will move to the apprenticeship phase of their training where they are required to complete 50 hours of volunteer service with guidance from experienced Master Gardeners.  Trainees are currently working closely with Certified Master Gardeners in all aspects of the program. 

The next Master Gardener Basic Training class in Potter County is scheduled to begin in October, 2023.  More information can be obtained by contacting Leona Smith at (814)274-8540 ext 103 or email lds5520@psu.edu.

BELMONT, NY — On Tuesday, February 14^th, the Allegany County Democratic Committee (ACDC) delivered homemade cookies to approximately 1,000  “Health Care Heroes” at Allegany County’s medical facilities: Wellsville Manor, Manor Hills, Highland Park Rehabilitation and Jones Memorial Hospital, and Hart Comfort House in Wellsville; Cuba Memorial Hospital in Cuba, and the Houghton Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Houghton. 

                This is ACDC’s third year organizing this project. Those involved do it to show support for our local health care workers, let them know they are appreciated, and thank them for the compassionate attention they give to the community members in their care.

                More than 50 volunteers from all corners of the county baked and donated 160 dozen cookies, which were packed in individual bags at several locations around the County. Each bag had a tag that read: “To the unknown hero receiving this message:  Thank you for all you do. We are very grateful! Allegany County Democratic Committee 2023”

                Martha Sabato, Committee Vice Chair and a key organizer for this project, spoke for all: “Words can never fully express our appreciation, but we believe that cookies are able to say what words cannot. With this project, we recognize and honor the commitment and dedication of our local health care workers as they attend to our loved ones, our dearest friends, and our neighbors.”

ServSafe is a certification program developed by the Restaurant Association Education Foundation. The course meets certification requirements for individuals who are responsible for the safe handling of food in restaurants, schools, elder care facilities, lodges, bed and breakfasts, community centers, and other food concessions (organizations or businesses that sell or prepare food on a regular basis). 

This course, taught by Rick Kralj, Penn State Educator, is scheduled for Mondays, March 6 and March 13, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Education Council’s Coudersport office. The cost is $185/person. The registration deadline is Monday, February 27^th. To register, call (877) 489-1398 or go to http://extension.psu.edu/food-safety/serv-safe.

Northern Pennsylvania Regional College is thrilled to announce a partnership in the public safety space with the Emergency Response Training and Certification Association (ERTCA), a law enforcement training partner offering virtual reality simulations. Working alongside ERTCA is important for NPRC as the College can now provide training courses within three different disciplines of public safety – emergency medical services, fire safety, and law enforcement. With NPRC having an established Emergency Medical Services program and an emerging fire safety program, this partnership will give students access to enhanced experiences in law enforcement. Overall, this will help the College provide well-rounded training to meet the needs of the region.

Lifelong Potter County resident Paul W. Heimel is running for re-election to the Board of County Commissioners. His name will appear on the Republican ballot in the May 16 Municipal Primary.

“It has been an honor to serve as a member of two teams of commissioners that have moved the county forward in many ways, while stabilizing the county’s finances and holding the line on taxes,” Heimel said. “In Potter County, we don’t get dragged into the deep divisions that have plagued our federal and state governments. Here, we put our differences aside and we get things done.”

Among the commissioners’ accomplishments during Heimel’s tenure have been:

• a $4 million emergency communications system partly covered by a state grant;
• leadership of a successful mission to increase the state’s “payments in lieu of taxes,” bringing some $4 million (and counting!) to school districts, townships and the county government;
• elimination of the per-capita tax and a five-year freeze on the property tax;
• reducing crime by supporting the county court system’s criminal justice reforms;
• continued “over and above” support of the county’s most vulnerable citizens through a competent and compassionate Human Services Department;
• expanded county services for military veterans and their families;
• elimination of the archaic system that required the elected county sheriff to also serve as jail warden.

On an individual basis, Heimel is recognized as an effective rural advocate with federal and state officials. He is the first commissioner from Potter County to hold multiple leadership positions with the National Assn. of Counties and the County Commissioners Assn. of Pa. (CCAP).

In 2017, he became the first commissioner from Potter County to be honored by his peers as CCAP’s Pennsylvania Commissioner of the Year. Heimel also received a Pennsylvania State Senate Special Commendation for his leadership of the Pa. State Land Tax Fairness Coalition.

Locally, he was named Citizen of the Year by American Legion Post 192 in Coudersport for his support of military veterans.

“Potter County is facing many challenges, but we also have some very promising opportunities,” Heimel said. “More people are looking at our county as a place to live. If we can work together to capitalize on that opportunity, we can turn around our most challenging problems: population loss and a rising median age.”

Among initiatives he plans to pursue if re-elected are: 1.) a comprehensive strategy to support the marketing of local agricultural and forest products; 2.)  changes in county administration to better position Potter County to qualify for state and federal grants; and 3.) a strategic review of county departments to increase efficiency and save money.

Thanks to planning by the Potter County Commissioners and a financial grant from UPMC, residents will be able to enjoy a vibrant community garden for another growing season. The Potter County Community Garden, located at 7 Water Street in Coudersport, will open its gates again this spring for individuals and groups to adopt a free garden plot. A total of 29 raised garden beds are available to the public, along with a pollinator garden, a storage shed with tools, and a handicap accessible planting station.

The mission of the Potter County Community Garden is 1) to empower the community to plant, grow and harvest their own produce, 2) to provide education on the value of gardening, 3) to promote community interaction & unity, and 4) to offer solutions to food insecurity. Highlights of the 2022 garden include:

Congratulations to Ella Malogrino, Rylee Thompson, and Holden Turek for attending the PMEA District Two Band Festival at Seneca High School. A special congratulations to Rylee and Holden for being selected to go to the PMEA Region Band Festival where they will audition for a chair at the All-State Festival.

            While working at area businesses and interning at FCI-McKean, she attended UPB.  After graduating with a degree in criminal justice, she was employed by Children and Youth Services.  While working at CYS, Shaffer earned her juris doctorate degree, with a concentration in criminal law, from the State University of New York at Buffalo.

            She has practiced law in McKean County for nearly 20 years.  Shaffer was appointed, by the Court, to be the McKean County Guardian Ad Litem — with the responsibility of representing the welfare of the County’s dependent children.  Previously, Shaffer served as the Special Assistant Public Defender.  Shaffer was first elected District Attorney in 2015 and was re-elected to her current term in 2019.

            With the invaluable help of great police work, Shaffer has established a notable and respected rate of conviction at trial, including — a Marshburg man for homicide by vehicle and leaving the scene, a Bradford man for one of the largest cocaine operations in County history, the first drug delivery resulting in death conviction in the County’s history, and numerous felony drug convictions.

            Shaffer has won numerous convictions for crimes of violence, including aggravated assault, terrorist threats, reckless endangerment, and rape.   She has also successfully prosecuted theft, arson, burglary, and insurance fraud.

            District Attorney Shaffer has won convictions for sex crimes against children, for sending sexually explicit photographs to minors, and for possession of child pornography.

            Shaffer has attended hundreds of civic events and has spoken to adults and children on numerous topics, including bullying in schools, on-line safety, child abuse, sexual violence, gun rights, and scams targeting the elderly.  Shaffer testified before the Center for Rural Pennsylvania on the opioid crisis.

            In 2019, Shaffer created an educational program about drugs that is geared toward our County’s children.  During Shaffer’s tenure as DA, she has grown the K9 Unit under the umbrella of the County Detective Bureau to include drug-detecting dogs, explosive-detecting dogs and tracking dogs.  Currently, Shaffer is working to create a victim advisory board and a child predator unit at the District Attorney’s office.

            District Attorney Shaffer said: “It has been the greatest privilege of my life to serve the people of McKean County as their District Attorney.  My performance as District Attorney demonstrates that I have the experience, the integrity, and the ability to serve and to protect you and your family.  I would be honored to receive the voters’ continued support in the May 16^th Republican Primary.”

            Shaffer has lived in McKean County for nearly 30 years.  She has been involved with many local organizations, including Rotary, the Elf Fund, the Bradford Exchange Club, the United Way, the YWCA, the Guidance Center, and Northwestern Legal Services.  She supports several local causes, including No Feline Left Behind, the SPCA and Kids and Cancer.  She and her husband, Brian, reside in Foster Township.

SHAFFERFORDA.COM

Posted as a FREE announcement by Solomon’s Words For The Wise. Political candidates are allowed one free announcement in February, March or April. Subsequent ads must be paid for.

Jan Bloss, Port Allegany, was nervous on the day of her hip replacement surgery in June of 2021. She had put it off as long as she could. But the pain had grown intolerable, to the point where she could barely stand.

Several things helped her that day. First, she knew her surgeon, Terrance Foust, D.O., because he had done surgery on her knee. Second, she was close to home: UPMC Cole is 30 minutes away.

But there was something else. Jan knew the people at UPMC Cole. They were her friends and neighbors. Some were even students her husband, Denny, had once coached.

Pennsylvania hunters harvested some tremendous black bears in the 2022 seasons, including three of more than 700 pounds and 11 more that topped 600 pounds.

Those were among 3,170 taken overall. That was down from 3,621 in 2021, but still enough to rank the harvest as the 14^th largest all time.

Pennsylvania’s all-time best bear season came in 2019, when hunters harvested 4,653.

Hunters in 2022 took bears in 58 of the state’s 67 counties and 22 of its 23 Wildlife Management Units (WMUs).

Notably, the harvest was spread out – more evenly than ever before – over four seasons. Hunters took 737 bears in the archery season, 712 in the muzzleloader/special firearms season, 1,051 in the general season and 663 in the extended season. Another seven were taken in the early season.

That’s how things most likely will continue to look moving forward, said Emily Carrollo, the Game Commission’s black bear biologist.

“Our season structure allows hunters to pursue black bears across multiple months, using multiple tools, when opportunity best matches up with their availability,” Carrollo said. “They can hunt when they have the time off work or school or other responsibilities, which is good for them and helps us reach our management objectives.”

That’s attractive to lots of hunters, based on license sales.

In 2022, 213,639 individuals – 203,922 Pennsylvania residents, 9,717 nonresidents – bought a bear license. That was the third-most ever.

And hunters found some impressive bears.

The largest taken in 2022 was the 755-pounder harvested by Cory Bennett, of Toms River, N.J. He got it with a muzzleloader on Oct. 15 in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County.

The heaviest bear ever taken in Pennsylvania was an 875-pounder harvested in 2010 in Pike County. Since 1992, seven black bears weighing at least 800 pounds have been lawfully harvested in Pennsylvania hunting seasons.

Other large bears taken in the 2022 are: a 746-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 22 in Barrett Township, Monroe County, by James Laquino of Canadensis; a 705-pounder taken with a muzzleloader on Oct. 15 in Middle Smithfield Township, Monroe County, by Timothy Moffet, of East Greenville; a 693-pounder taken with a rifle on Oct. 20 in Abbott Township, Potter County, by Elijah Smucker, of Paradise; a 681-pounder taken with a muzzleloader on Oct. 22 in Bradford Township, Clearfield County, by William Swoope, of Woodland; a 681-pounder taken bow on Oct. 21 in Cumberland Valley Township, Bedford County, by Cole Schnably, of Bedford; a 657-pounder taken with a rifle on Oct. 22 in Gallagher Township, Clinton County, by Lane Charles, of Millersville; a 650-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 21 in Hazle Township, Luzerne County, by Joshua Monahan, of Ashland; a 634-pounder taken with a rifle on Nov. 27 in Asylum Township, Bradford County, by Nicholas Menzen, of Cogan Station; and a 633-pounder taken with a muzzleloader on Oct. 22 in Cummings Township, Lycoming County, by Holden Long, of Lock Haven.

Among counties, Tioga County produced the most, giving up 187 bears last season. Lycoming County ranked second with 152, followed by Bradford and Luzerne counties with 126 each, Centre County with 122, Potter County with 119, Clearfield and Monroe counties with 114 each and Clinton County with 113.

Final county harvests by region (with 2021 figures in parentheses) are:

Northwest – 502 (451): Warren, 88 (87); Jefferson, 81 (72); Clarion, 80 (60); Venango, 79 (81); Crawford, 52 (38); Forest, 51 (44); Butler, 40 (43); Erie, 20 (13); and Mercer, 11 (8).

Southwest –253 (247): Somerset, 64 (58); Armstrong, 50 (58); Cambria, 44 (19); Fayette, 34 (49); Indiana, 31 (12); Westmoreland, 25 (41); Greene, 3 (3); and Allegheny, 2 (7).

Northcentral – 1,028 (1,220): Tioga, 187 (166); Lycoming, 152 (212); Centre, 122 (118); Potter, 119 (180); Clearfield, 114 (94); Clinton, 113 (156); Elk, 85 (80); McKean, 52 (107); Cameron, 52 (68); and Union, 32 (39).

Southcentral – 355 (464): Huntingdon, 81 (115); Bedford, 71 (82); Mifflin, 34 (55); Blair, 33 (39); Fulton, 31 (47); Perry, 29 (42); Juniata, 26 (36); Franklin, 18 (17); Snyder, 15 (12); Cumberland 8 (8); Adams, 7 (10); and York, 2 (1).

Northeast – 901 (1,121): Bradford, 126 (136); Luzerne, 126 (111); Monroe, 114 (95); Pike, 84 (167); Sullivan, 84 (127); Wayne, 81 (120); Carbon, 78 (103); Lackawanna, 51 (62); Wyoming, 50 (66); Susquehanna, 47 (77); Columbia, 46 (36); Northumberland, 10 (16); and Montour, 4 (5).

Southeast – 131 (156): Schuylkill, 65 (61); Dauphin, 27 (54); Lebanon, 14 (8); Northampton, 12 (13); Berks, 11 (12); and Lehigh, 2 (6).

The final bear harvests by Wildlife Management Unit (with final 2021 figures in parentheses) were:  WMU 1A, 26 (26); WMU 1B, 115 (96); WMU 2A, 13 (5); WMU 2B, 4 (10); WMU 2C, 159 (192); WMU 2D, 202 (206); WMU 2E, 85 (45); WMU 2F, 258 (245); WMU 2G, 425 (519); WMU 2H, 101 (90); WMU 3A, 174 (238); WMU 3B, 292 (403); WMU 3C, 165 (218); WMU 3D, 344 (426); WMU 4A, 114 (173); WMU 4B, 76 (121); WMU 4C, 190 (224); WMU 4D, 291 (300); WMU 4E, 109 (97); WMU 5A, 17 (14); WMU 5B, 2 (1); and WMU 5C, 8 (10).

Johnsonburg, Pa.: ‘Team Big Dog’ consists of ‘Big Dog’ Hoffman and his son Nathan, two well-known and respected coyote hunters from St. Marys, Pa.  Big Dog Hoffman set a new record this year for the heaviest coyote ever harvested at any of Rolfe Beagle Club’s Statewide Predator Hunt or Traps by harvesting a 49.4# male coyote at 6:00 a.m. on Sunday.  Ironically, Big Dog Hoffman also held the previous record for the largest coyote set back in 2020.  The coyote was harvested on private lands in Elk County. 

In addition to the record-setting male coyote, Team Big Dog also brought in four other coyotes they harvested over the weekend.  They hunt a combination of private and public lands.  Team Big Dog uses both mouth and electronic calls.

Big Dog harvested his first coyote of the weekend, a 35.8# male, at 5:30 a.m. on Friday.  He harvested a 32.0# male at 3:30 a.m. on Saturday. 

Nate Hoffman harvested his first coyote of the weekend, a 33.0# female, at 2:30 a.m. on Saturday.  He harvested a 42.4# male at 12:30 a.m. on Sunday.

Hunters are reminded that if they choose to participate during the second weekend of this two-weekend hunt or trap, they must have their registration postmarked by Thursday, 2/16.

Weigh-in is at 4:00 p.m. every day.  Categories include coyote, fox, largest female coyote, and largest female fox.  Additional information at the Facebook Page, Rolfe Beagle Club.