NEWS

The ice rink in downtown Emporium will have its grand opening Sunday, February 5.  The rink was installed and filled over the past week.  Representatives from the Cameron County chamber of Commerce and Smoker Logging hope the sub-freezing temperatures will create the perfect conditions for skating.

Those with skates to swap, loan or sell are invited to be at the downtown rink Sunday at noon.  Fire rings will be stacked with wood, and grills will be available for those wishing to bring hot dogs.  Rich Valley Wines will have their downtown location open for warm drinks.

The rink located in the center of Emporium is a skate at your own risk facility. 

The first annual Eliot Ness Fest Bootlegger’s Ball Fundraiser at the Hotel Crittendon on January 14, 2023, was a smashing success!  Great food, great music, costumes… who could ask for more?  Make plans to attend next year’s event!  (Tentatively planned for February 17, 2024)

More Photos HERE

Bonnie and Joe Collins met UPMC orthopaedic surgeon Terrance Foust, DO, a decade ago. The couple from Scio, New York, were seeking treatment for Bonnie.

She’d been having shooting pain in her legs for weeks. “I didn’t say anything until it got so bad that I couldn’t walk,” Bonnie says. She went to a local orthopaedic clinic, where a physician assistant immediately flagged Dr. Foust.

Four vertebrae in Bonnie’s back had smooshed together, with her spinal cord caught inside. “They had no idea what happened,” she says, but there was a genuine concern about paralysis. Dr. Foust told her she would need surgery.

The idea of surgery — which included placing a titanium cage in her back — scared her. But it went as planned in 2011, and she hasn’t had any problems since.

Unfortunately, her husband Joe’s problems were just beginning.

An auto-mechanic who has spent his life working on concrete floors, Joe had increasingly unmanageable pain in both his knees. “Dr. Foust had once been my savior,” Bonnie says. “So, when Joe needed relief from knee pain, there was nowhere else we considered but UPMC Orthopaedic Care in Coudersport.”

The same was true when Joe needed a knee implant replaced in 2021 because of a rare blood infection. And when he needed shoulder replacement surgery in 2022 — which UPMC orthopaedic surgeon Bradley Giannotti, MD, performed.

At about 50 minutes away, Coudersport is not the closest hospital for Bonnie and Joe, but they have continued to come to UPMC Cole because they trust the care they have received here.

Double Knee Replacement Surgery

Joe and Bonnie have been running Collins Automotive, an auto repair business, for 35 years. Their son, Ryan, has worked with Joe for the past 25 years, and Bonnie has done the books. It’s a true family endeavor for this couple, married for 51 years.

Joe loves what he does — at 70, he still works every day — but it can be hard on the body. Long hours of bending, reaching, squatting, and standing on concrete aren’t friendly to his joints.

But when Joe got a Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2013, replacing his knees took on a new urgency. He had been getting cortisone shots and wearing knee braces to get by, but that was no longer enough.

Because Parkinson’s can affect mobility, having solid and pain-free knees were important. “Dr. Foust thought I should have them replaced as soon as possible before the disease progressed,” Joe says.

Joe had his bilateral knee replacement surgery in 2014. He credits much of his success to the patient education his team did, including explaining the benefits of pre-operative exercises.

Joe did everything the physical therapist prescribed, from stretches and lunges to leg lifts. “I think doing the exercises helped me recover more quickly,” he says. He knows people who skipped the exercises and had more pain after surgery and longer recoveries.

A Rare Infection and Replacing a Knee Joint Implant

In the summer of 2019, Joe woke up in the middle of the night to find his left knee severely swollen. By morning, he could barely move at all. “I had no strength and I was very sick,” he says.

He had a rare infection in his blood from a streptococcus bacteria called granulicatella adiacens. “They had no idea how I got it,” he says.

To treat it, Joe received a strong antibiotic called vancomycin through an IV twice a day for an hour for eight weeks. He recovered fully, but when his left knee started hurting badly two years later, he knew he needed to visit Dr. Foust.

Dr. Foust found that the implant had loosened up inside the knee and needed another replacement. As with the first knee replacement, Bonnie helped him do physical therapy at home after consulting with the therapist.

Knowing their son could keep the business running while Joe was out gave them peace of mind. But Joe was eager to return to work — which he did full-time by eight weeks.

Shoulder Replacement Surgery

Recently, a partial rotator cuff tear had long been causing Joe pain. As arthritis attacked his left shoulder, his range of motion decreased. Working was becoming impossible.

So, Joe returned to Coudersport, where Dr. Foust referred him to Dr. Giannotti. “If he recommended Dr. Giannotti, that was good enough for us,” Bonnie says.

They completely trust Dr. Giannotti, who performed Joe’s total shoulder replacement in April 2022. “I have almost 100% range of motion with the shoulder now, and no pain,” Joe says.

As before, he followed all pre-op and post-op protocols and completely recovered. “My shoulder and knee surgeries haven’t limited me,” Joe says.

He does all his lawn work, splits wood, and runs chainsaws. He rides his snowmobile, four wheeler, shows his classic Mustangs at area car shows, and plays with his five grandchildren. He continues to see Dr. Foust for issues that creep up, like a recent bout with carpal tunnel syndrome.

Why They’ll Always Call Coudersport Home

“Dr. Foust isn’t just a doctor. He’s a people person,” Bonnie says. “Every time I see him, I hug him and tell him I love him.”

Their loyalty extends beyond Dr. Foust and Dr. Giannotti to all the practitioners and staff at Coudersport. “They’re all there to make sure you feel taken care of,” Joe says. “Nobody there just acts like they’re there because it’s a job.”

Everyone at the hospital is always friendly and courteous. “The professionalism is outstanding,” Bonnie says. “And Dr. Foust,” she says, “Well, he’s our angel.”

Eagles and snow geese and bears, oh my! You can watch all of them this winter, anywhere you go, through the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s round-the-clock livestreams.

A new 24-7 livestream from a black bear den in Pike County launched this week, bringing to four the number of livestreams the Game Commission plans to run into the spring of 2023. Also showing are the Farm Country Eagle Livestream, which provides a bird’s-eye view into a long-established nest in a giant sycamore overlooking scenic farmland, the ever-popular Hanover, Pa. Eagle Livestream and the agency’s Snow Goose Livestream capturing the migratory action at Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area.

This is the first time since 2021 the Game Commission is offering livestream viewers an up-close look inside a black bear den. Bears den each winter, but few of them in known spots where cameras can be installed and footage streamed to viewers.

Luckily, the opportunity has presented itself again, and the Game Commission is proud to bring the livestream back, said the agency’s Information and Education Director Steve Smith.

“While all of our wildlife livestreams are popular with viewers, there’s nothing like watching and listening to bear cubs as they begin to explore their surroundings and, ultimately, emerge from the den with their mothers to see their new world in Penn’s Woods,” Smith said. “We’re glad to bring back this livestream for 2023 and offer it alongside our annual wintertime wildlife cams, all of which entertain and educate viewers, and give them a whole new appreciation for wildlife.”

The livestreams are a collaborative effort by the Game Commission, HDOnTap and Comcast Business. HDOnTap provides the streaming services and Comcast Business provides the internet connectivity for the two eagle cameras.

“HDOnTap is thrilled to partner with the Pennsylvania Game Commission for the return of the bear den cam. Watching the sow raise her cubs is a rare and beautiful experience. The bear cam is a staff favorite, it’s a joy to watch the cubs play, learn and grow every day, and we know viewers feel the same,” said Kate Alexander of HDOnTap.

All of these livestreams can be viewed directly at HDOnTap.com or through www.pgc.pa.gov.

Pennsylvania’s black bears usually are born in January and begin walking in about eight weeks. They leave the den when 3 months old. During the 2019 run of the black bear livestream, the bears left their den on April 11. In 2021, their departure date was March 24.

Bald eagles typically lay eggs in mid-February and, if the eggs are viable, they’ll hatch in mid- to late March, with young fledging in June, but continuing to stop back at the nest.

Snow goose migration typically peaks at Middle Creek from mid-February to March.

For more information on these species and others, visit www.pgc.pa.gov.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) today released the final 2022 Pennsylvania State Water Plan and an interactive online atlas of statewide water resources and use trends to inform leaders’ decision making and educate Pennsylvanians on sustainable use of our lakes, rivers, streams, and groundwater. 

“While Pennsylvania is a water-rich state, our water resources are affected by many factors, including the warming climate, increased development, and others,” said DEP Acting Secretary Rich Negrin. “The State Water Plan helps leaders understand how these factors can affect water resources and make planning decisions that protect this precious natural resource for all Pennsylvanians.” 

The final 2022 Pennsylvania State Water Plan follows announcement of the draft plan in August and public feedback. The DEP Water Use and Planning Section developed the plan in collaboration with more than 100 water resources professionals who served on a statewide committee and six regional committees.  

The plan recommends 100 actions statewide in areas such as floodplain and stormwater management, water withdrawal policy, contaminants of emerging concern, and others.  

It also recommends actions tailored to each of six water planning regions across Pennsylvania: the Great Lakes basin and the Upper/Middle Susquehanna, Lower Susquehanna, Potomac, Ohio, and Delaware river basins.  

The online water atlas shares data on statewide water use from 2008 to 2020. Overall water use in Pennsylvania decreased 33 percent, as daily withdrawals declined from 7.8 billion to 5.2 billion gallons per day in this time period. Closure of some coal-burning power plants was the primary reason for the decline, followed by reduced water use by some large manufacturers. However, overall water use varied by region, for example, water use ticked up in the Potomac region.  

Designed to be not only a planning tool, but also an educational resource, the water atlas provides information on many other factors that may negatively or positively affect the quality and quantity of water resources in Pennsylvania.  

Since the 2022 Pennsylvania State Water Plan isn’t regulatory, the next step is educational outreach to inform legislative, government, advocacy, and business leaders on how they may implement the strategies and actions to benefit all members of their communities.  

Pennsylvania Act 220 of 2002 requires DEP to develop updates to the State Water Plan every five years. 

Brenda K. Nellis, 60, a longtime resident of Eldred, passed away with her loving family by her side on Thursday, January 26, 2023, in UPMC Cole, Coudersport, after a long illness.

Funeral arrangements, entrusted to the care of Kevin J. Dusenbury, funeral director/owner of the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home, Shinglehouse, are incomplete and will be announced with a full obituary.

To express condolences, light a candle, or share a fond memory of Brenda, please visit www.virgillhowardfuneralhome.com or the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home Facebook page.

Blair Dickinson is the Student of the Week. She is in the Early Childhood Education program at the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center. Blair is a Junior enrolled at Smethport High School. Upon graduation, Blair would like to work with children in a school setting.

Blair is a hard worker and finishes her work ahead of the timetable established for the course. She wrote many of her lesson plans ahead and completed her workbook in literally 2 months. With the time she freed up, she worked diligently towards the SkillsUSA District 10 competition. She represented the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center for Early Childhood Education on January 13th in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Blair holds two jobs currently. She works at Fox’s Pizza Den in Smethport and works after school for the YMCA program at Smethport Elementary. Blair is currently volunteering at Port Allegany Elementary and helps in Ms. Burr’s room.

She enjoys reading in free time, as well as spending time with her younger brothers. Last year, Blair won the Hamlin Bank Work Ethic Award on the Career and Technical Center’s Award Day for her math skills. We look forward to her efforts paying off as she strives to attain her Child Development Associate credential in the near future.