NEWS

On December 4th we had our second 4-H meeting. We met at the Sartwell Creek Church. Morgan from the extension office was there.

We have a lot of new members in our club this year. We helped the new members learn the 4-H pledge. Then we reviewed how to identify sick livestock.

We reviewed cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and rabbits. At the end of our lesson we played a game about eye for detail. There were pictures of each species and we had to say if it was healthy or sick. If it was sick we had to tell what was wrong with it.

Lastly we made Christmas wreaths out of tablecloths. We are donating these looking really good Christmas wreaths at the Cole Care bazaar this Saturday for the patients to enjoy them.

Rosalie, Reznor, Rayden, Teri-Lynne, Daivony, Talyah-Mae, Tess-Jean, Maddie, Ryleigh, Avaree, Natale, and me, Maeson, all attended the meeting. I would list them under the picture but I am still learning the names of our friends.

A huge thank you to Ilene Altenhein for her donations of supplies to our club.

Written by,
Maeson Redmond
Age 8

On Thursday, December 8, Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center hosted a SkillsUSA Leadership Event. This event is held annually in Erie, Pa, but due to unfortunate circumstances was canceled this year. In a collaborative effort to provide something for the area’s SkillsUSA youth, this event brought together 22 of our own CTC students, as well as 27 Bradford High Comprehensive Career and Technical Program students from Bradford, Pa. Students rotated through four stations for 45 minute sessions. 

These were:

• Professionalism with Brent Bryant.
  • This involved an outside ropes course, and a pretend minefield
• Social Media and You with Tom Boylan & Dave DeGolier
  • Maintaining professionalism on social media
• Framework for SkillsUSA with Kim Mooney
  • Mastering important technical skills, workplace skills, and personal skills through games and activities
• Teambuilding with Michelle Jack
  • Students created snowmen utilizing leadership skills, and enjoyed other interactive activities

Students ate a catered lunch provided by the SHCTC Culinary students and given a presentation by Kelly Compton, Curriculum Specialist at the Seneca Highlands IU9. Kelly spoke about Courage.

Students are looking forward to the SkillsUSA Districts Competition being held in Mercer, Pa in early January.

Andrea Robbins teaching 8 a.m. chemistry. “I’m a morning person,” she says. “My students are there. They know it’s important.” After more than 40 years of breaking down complex topics for students, Robbins is retiring this week. (photo by Matthew Lester)

BRADFORD, Pa. – Andrea Robbins, one of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s longest-serving faculty members, is retiring this week after more than 40 years of service to the university teaching chemistry and algebra.

She had not planned a career in academics when she came to Pitt-Bradford in 1982 as a lab instructor – a job she intended to have for a couple of years before pursuing a career in industry. But she fell in love with another lab instructor, Don Robbins, who introduced her to the woods of his native McKean County, where she still prefers to be found today and plans to spend time in retirement.

The Robbinses were married for 31 years before Don’s death in 2015.

Andrea Robbins grew up in Leetsdale, Pa., loving science at a time when that was uncommon for a girl. After getting a hand-me-down chemistry set from an uncle, she asked for and received one for Christmas, sparking her passion for chemistry. Her 10^th grade chemistry class set in motion her desire to be a chemist.

 Robbins attended Villa Maria College, in Erie, Pa., and took chemistry classes at Gannon University, where she was often the only woman in upper-level courses.

 Robbins’ gained a reputation at Pitt-Bradford as an instructor who excelled at breaking down tough topics into digestible bits.

“I try to remember my best what it was like to be on the other side of the desk,” she says of teaching and meeting with students. She also believes that it takes a lot of work to understand tough topics.

“I’m very old-school in my methods,” she said. “You get out of learning what you put into it. You only learn by pushing a pencil.”

In 2008, she received the Chairs’ Faculty Teaching Award.

A devoted outdoorswoman, she plans to spend more time fishing for trout and hunting for deer (archery) small game and spring gobbler. She is also planning trips to visit her children and grandchildren in New Hampshire and many nieces and nephews around the country. Alaska and Hawaii are also on her list.

Smethport Borough will be having their  “Ride into Christmas ATV” parade on Thursday, December 15 at 6PM.

We want to spread some joy to those that can’t get out and see the Christmas lights.   

Parade starts on Willow Street side of park, will go to Sena Kean first, back down Willow so the residents at Lakeview can enjoy the lights.

Borough Police will be our escort to all the side streets East and West on both sides of town. will end at Smethport Firehall with coffee, cookies and hot chocolate where our judges will pick 3 winners. 

Come out and see all the decorated machines, hear the Christmas music and wave Santa on in his ATV sleigh. 

Today, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) and the Department of Health (DOH) joined the Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association at Hershey Pharmacy to discuss updates to the Naloxone Standing Order and encourage pharmacies to keep a variety of naloxone formulations on hand for the public.

“A key component to decreasing overdose deaths is getting naloxone into all communities across the state,” said DDAP Special Assistant Steve Ross. “Every Pennsylvanian can access naloxone through their local pharmacy using the naloxone standing order. By adding different forms of naloxone to the standing order and encouraging availability of these products at pharmacies across the commonwealth, we’re giving Pennsylvanians additional resources for combatting the increase in fentanyl.”

Naloxone is a medication approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose by quickly restoring breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped. Naloxone can be administered by individuals with or without medical training to help reduce opioid overdose deaths. The DOH has resources available to educate people to use the naloxone products available to save lives.

The Wolf Administration instituted the first standing orders allowing the general public and first responders to obtain naloxone from their local pharmacy. In 2022 the standing order expanded to include an eight milligram naloxone nasal spray, ZIMHI, a 5 milligram (mg) intra-muscular injection device, and most recently, a non-prefilled syringe option with two single-dose vials of naloxone that is injectable.

“Naloxone is now available in all four forms, including the most cost-effective non-prefilled syringe and vial version,” said Acting Secretary of Health and Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson. “I want to make it easy for pharmacies to keep naloxone on hand and to provide residents with the option they feel most comfortable using to save a life.”

Pennsylvania also partners with Prevention Point Pittsburgh and NEXT Distro to support a statewide mail-based naloxone program for Pennsylvania residents to request and receive naloxone for free by mail. In August 2022, the Wolf Administration announced that 10,000 requests for naloxone have been filled through the mail-based program, providing almost 36,000 doses of naloxone to people in all 67 counties in Pennsylvania.

Additionally, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s (PCCD) Naloxone for First Responders Program (NFRP) provides and distributes free naloxone to organizations and individuals who may encounter someone experiencing an overdose. Through this program since 2017, Centralized Coordinating Entities (CCEs) distributed 181,247 kits of Narcan and an additional 265,308 kits of Narcan directly to organizations serving high-need communities through its Statewide Portal. More than 22,815 overdose reversals have been reported using state-purchased Narcan.

Learn more about the Wolf Administration’s efforts in combatting the overdose crisis pa.gov/opioids.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Photos and video from the event are available here.

Fish School was held on Friday, December 9, 2022 for the students in Kim Mooney’s Early Childhood Education class at the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center. 

What is Fish School?

It is a program designed to help children understand fish- the aquatic vertebrates that have gills, paired fins, a long body covered with scales, and tend to be cold-blooded. 

Both the morning and afternoon Career and Technical students enjoyed playing games to test their knowledge after garnering information about different types of fish, the parts of a fish and the camouflage of fish. All topics were those that could be passed along later in science lessons written up by the CTC students and shared with younger students. 

Thanks to Lorraine Jacobs, a Youth Education Instructor for water, forestry, natural resources, and ecology for the Penn State Extension, for bringing that program and many others to our area.

The Building Construction Occupations program at Seneca Highlands CTC nominates Joshua Hungiville as the student of the week. Josh is a 3^rd year senior and has proven his content knowledge in the classroom and practical hands-on skills in the shop. He continues to challenge himself and has a good eye for detail.

Joshua attends Smethport high school. He lives at home with his parents Lenny and Megan Hungiville and also his younger sister and brothers, Elizabeth, Zach, and Wyatt. Joshua will either be seeking employment in the workforce or going on to a trade school.

Penn College has scheduled three clock-hour Practical Nursing Programs for 2023 – two full-time programs in Wellsboro and Coudersport, and a part-time program in Wellsboro only. The first full-time program will start March 14, 2023, and the second full-time program begins September 11, 2023. Students will graduate approximately one year from the start of the program. The part-time program, offered only in Wellsboro,  begins June 8, 2023, and students will graduate twenty-two months later.

Qualified nursing instructors provide classroom instruction in theory and nursing skills. Affiliation with UPMC allows for clinical experiences at UPMC Wellsboro and UPMC Cole. Other local healthcare affiliates are also utilized. Graduates earn a certificate in Practical Nursing and are eligible to sit for the NCLEX-PN exam for licensure (LPN). Graduates find jobs in hospitals, long-term care facilities, home health agencies, private homes, physician offices, and other health-related offices.

To acquaint prospective students with the course, an Information Session is scheduled on Monday, December 12 at 6:30 p.m. at Penn College/Wellsboro, 22 Walnut Street. The session will also be available live via Zoom at the Education Council’s Coudersport office at 5 Water Street. Learn how this Practical Nursing Program can help give you a great career boost! Registration is required. For more information, or to register for the Information Sessions, call Marie Van Ess at (570) 724-7703.

Kevin and Patty Dusenbury, of the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home, Shinglehouse, are grateful for the extreme generosity of many donors to their Gift of Memory program.  Toys and gifts were delivered to the Christmas House in Coudersport, marking the 22nd year of the program.

Delivering the toys were Kevin and Patty and the Klesa family, who have graciously embraced the Gift of Memory program to honor their son and brother, Jon, having themselves brought 335 gifts and toys donated by their family and friends this year.

Dusenbury said, “We have donors from the first year that continue to donate and new donors every year.  We had several donors who contributed very generous amounts of monies which allowed us to shop for specific needs to purchase items for the older children”. 

Dusenbury, who is the owner and funeral director of the Virgil L. Howard Funeral Home in Shinglehouse and the Potter County Coroner stated, “we are once again amazed by the generosity of so many people.  As we have done the last two years, we started collecting gifts early at the request of the Christmas House. We truly THANK each person who donated, assuring that many less fortunate individuals and families will have a brighter and happier Christmas. We wish everyone a beautiful, blessed and very Merry Christmas.”

Pictured with this year’s gifts are the Klesa family, volunteers from the Christmas House, and Kevin and Patty Dusenbury.

The following donated toys and gifts in memory of their loved ones:

In memory of Cindy Siebert and Heather Siebert Baker from Bonnie and Gary Bachand

In memory of Dave Brabham and Edwin and Virginia Sturdevant from the Bev Brabham family

In memory of Kay and John Press and Jean and Grant Wisel from John Press

In memory of Thomas and Gertrude Traska and Barbara Adams from Tami and Larry Adams

In memory of Russ Baker from Penny Baker and family

In memory of Gerald Sekoll from the Sekoll’s and Hackett’s

In memory of loved ones from Kevin Jr. and Nicole Dusenbury

In memory of Douglas Perry, Juanita Perry, Kenneth Perry, Myra Bledsoe and Harold Bledsoe from Paul and Pat Perry

In memory of Larry Bump and Keith Pratt from Deb Hadden

In memory of Theo Dickerson from the Dickerson Family

In memory of Heather Siebert Baker from Sandy Walmer

In memory of Cindy Siebert from Sandy Walmer

In memory of Janet Hoock and Brad Mason from Wayne and Brenda Varga

In memory of Clyde Eck, Jr. from Tina Rader

In memory of Clyde Eck, Jr. from Louise Setzer

In memory of Grace Peterson from Thomas Duell

In memory of Don Rader from Tina Rader

In memory of Robin Murray from Linda Skiver

In memory of Chuck Harris from Tina Harris

In memory of our loved ones we lost from Pam and Keith Learn

In memory of Arthur and Beulah Haynes and Rich and Yvonne Milliken from the Milliken Families

In memory of Laura and Bob Brewer from the Brewer Family

In memory of Jeannette Gross from Penny Thomas

In memory of Jeannette Gross from Jessica Rohrer

In memory of PeeWee Phillips from the Phillips Family

In memory of Richard Durst from Judy Durst and Family

In memory of Doug and Deloris Evingham from Jane, Connie, Kayle and Rubi Perkins

In memory of departed loved ones from Roger and Dee Prince

In memory of Bob and Betty Barger, Pat Raven, Bernice and Manford Dusenbury, and Jim and Gloria Taylor from Kathryn, Rob, Brody, and Gwynne Barger

In memory of Freda Reed from the Reed Family

In memory of Sandra Goodenough from the Goodenough Family

In memory of Larry Bump and Ann Meacham from Pat Clark

In memory of Mel Rathbun from Grandkids and Great-grandkids

In memory of Carol Karr from Kids and Grandkids

In memory of Dorothy Nelson from the Maxson’s

In memory of family from the Green’s

In memory of Jean A. Lewis from the Lewis Family

12/07/2022

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania State Police promoted 38 members to the rank of sergeant and 121 members to the rank of corporal during a ceremony at LCBC Manheim in Lancaster County on December 7, Commissioner Robert Evanchick announced. Two Bureau of Liquor Enforcement employees were also promoted to enforcement officer 3 during the ceremony. 

Newly Promoted Sergeants…………

Adam S. Kirk, of Williamsport, Lycoming County, has been promoted to sergeant and assigned to Troop C, Lewis Run. Sergeant Kirk enlisted in the state police in 2006 and was promoted to corporal in 2018.

Newly Promoted Corporals……….

Michael J. Flook, of Bald Eagle Township, Clinton County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop F, Emporium. Corporal Flook enlisted in the state police in 2007.

Daniel M. Henry, of DuBois, Clearfield County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop C, DuBois. Corporal Henry enlisted in the state police in 2016.

Ryan J. Maggs, of Bald Eagle Township, Clinton County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop F, Emporium. Corporal Maggs enlisted in the state police in 2014.

Andrew S. Mills, of Houtzdale, Clearfield County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop C, DuBois. Corporal Mills enlisted in the state police in 2014.

Nathan S. Owens, of Morrisdale, Clearfield County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop C, Ridgway. Corporal Owens enlisted in the state police in 2009.

Ryan J. Salas, of Mansfield, Tioga County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop C, Lewis Run. Corporal Salas enlisted in the state police in September 2012.

Robert J. Southern Jr., of Houtzdale, Clearfield County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop C, Lewis Run. Corporal Southern enlisted in the state police in 2005.

Dennis W. Twigg, of Philipsburg, Centre County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop C, Lewis Run. Corporal Twigg enlisted in the state police in 2014.

Nicholas G. Wissinger, of Allport, Clearfield County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop C, Lewis Run. Corporal Wissinger enlisted in the state police in 2016.

Kyle R. Witmer, of Watsontown, Northumberland County, has been promoted to corporal and assigned to Troop C, Lewis Run. Corporal Witmer enlisted in the state police in 2016.

Newly Promoted Enforcement Officer 3

Ronald P. Beeler, of Ridgway, Elk County, has been promoted to enforcement officer 3 and assigned to the Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement, District Enforcement Office Number 4, Pittsburgh. EO3 Beeler enlisted in the state police in 2010.

Get in the Christmas spirit with “A Harp Holiday,” a free Golden Afternoons program for people 55 years old and up at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 13 in the lobby at the Deane Center at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro. Featured will be Cheryl Hein Walters (shown) performing festive harp music. Free light refreshments will be provided. For more information, call the Deane Center at 570-724-6220.