NEWS

Abdalla Sholi, M.D.
Medical Oncologist, UPMC Hillman Cancer Center

June 4^th is National Cancer Survivors Day, a celebration of life dedicated to the millions of cancer survivors, their support persons, and care teams to raise awareness of the challenges and accomplishments those who are affected by cancer take on.

Care After Cancer Treatment

Cancer care doesn’t just stop once you’ve completed all your treatment sessions. There can be late or long-term effects that occur due to the treatment received to fight your cancer. Your doctor will create a personalized plan during a Cancer Survivorship Program appointment with you to help you cope with these effects in addition to making referrals for whatever mental, social, or spiritual concerns you may have. Some of these services include but are not limited to:

• Nutrition coaching
• Social services
• Physical therapy or exercise programs
• Financial counseling
• Home care
• Support groups and psychotherapists

Psychological and interpersonal care resources like these will help you transition from cancer diagnosis to cancer survivorship.

Making Healthy Choices

After going through cancer treatments, it’s important to keep up with the care of your health. Your body has already gone through so much; making certain lifestyle choices will either help or hurt the chances of your cancer returning.

There is no hard evidence that there are any health benefits to drinking alcohol. In fact, drinking alcohol increases the risk of cancer returning and the susceptibility of other diseases. To destress, light physical activity like taking a walk is a great alternative to give your body a serotonin boost.

Another misconception is that smoking is a way to relax your body. However, nicotine actually creates the same stress hormones that your body produces when it experiences fear. Smoking also leads to cancer in addition to other health issues like heart problems and possible stroke.

Your diet plays an important role after fighting cancer and making small and gradual changes can help benefit you in the long run. Make it fun by trying new healthy foods and keeping the ones you like in your meal prep. Whole grains, fiber, lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables are also all great options to start incorporating into your favorite recipes.

You are not alone in your fight against cancer. At UPMC Hillman Cancer Center, our oncologists help guide you from prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, and everything in between. From our cancer centers in Williamsport, Coudersport, and Wellsboro, Pa., we offer you and your family the resources you need to fight cancer and get back to the life you love.

Abdalla Sholi, M.D. is the medical director of Medical Oncology at UPMC Hillman Cancer Centers in Coudersport, Wellsboro, and Williamsport. UPMC Hillman Cancer Center is one of the largest integrated cancer networks in the U.S. To learn more, visit UPMC.com/CancerNCPA.

Rick Bosworth of the Port Allegany Moose Lodge FC is pictured with Makayla Alcorn, a Headley’s Headliners volunteer after presenting a check for $1,000 to the group.  The donation, proceeds from a spaghetti dinner held recently at the Moose, benefit the Pastor Randy Headley Memorial Award for Community Service.  Students at Port Allegany High School are given the opportunity to apply for the awards by volunteering in the community,  schools and churches.  Pastor Randy served the Port Allegany United Methodist Church and several others in the area.  He loved serving his church and community and loved spending time with and supporting the youth of the community.  The award is given to help keep his memory alive and to encourage more youth involvement in service to their school, community and churches. 

Whether in their backyards or high on a mountain, it’s almost certain Pennsylvanians will encounter young wildlife this time of year.

While some young animals might appear to be abandoned, usually they are not. It’s likely their mothers are watching over them from somewhere nearby.

So when encountering young wildlife, be it deer, birds, raccoons or other animals, the best thing you can do is leave it alone.

“Well-intentioned people might step in to help a young animal that appears to be alone, not realizing its mother is nearby and it’s not in need of help,” said Matthew Schnupp, the Game Commission’s wildlife management director. “That’s one reason why leaving young wildlife undisturbed in the wild typically is the best solution when encountering young wild animals.”

Adult animals often leave their young while they forage for food, but they don’t go far and they do return. Wildlife also often relies on a natural defensive tactic called the “hider strategy,” where young animals will remain motionless and “hide” in surrounding cover while adults draw the attention of potential predators or other intruders away from their young.

Deer employ this strategy, and deer fawns sometimes are assumed to be abandoned when, in fact, their mothers are nearby.

The Game Commission urges Pennsylvanians to resist the urge to interfere with young wildlife or remove any wild animal from its natural setting.

Such contact can be harmful to both people and wildlife. Wild animals can lose their natural fear of humans, making it difficult, even impossible, for them to ever again live normally in the wild. And anytime wildlife is handled, there’s always a risk people could contract diseases or parasites such as fleas, ticks and lice.

Wildlife that becomes habituated to humans also can pose a public-safety risk. Some years ago, a yearling, six-point buck attacked and severely injured two people. The investigation into the incident revealed that a neighboring family had illegally taken the deer into their home and fed it as a fawn, and they continued to feed the deer right up until the time of the attack.

It is illegal to take or possess wildlife from the wild. Under state law, the penalty for such a violation is a fine of up to $1,500 per animal.

Under no circumstances will anyone who illegally takes wildlife into captivity be allowed to keep that animal, and under a working agreement with state health officials, any “high risk” rabies vector species confiscated after human contact must be euthanized and tested; none can be returned to the wild because the risk of spreading disease is too high.

Animals infected with rabies might not show obvious symptoms, but still might be able to transmit the disease. Though any mammal might carry rabies, the rabies vector species identified in the agreement are: skunks, raccoons, foxes, bats, coyotes and groundhogs.

People can get rabies from the saliva of a rabid animal if they are bitten or scratched, or if the saliva gets into the person’s eyes, mouth or a fresh wound.

Only wildlife rehabilitators, who are licensed by the Game Commission, are permitted to care for injured or orphaned wildlife for the purposes of eventual release back into the wild. For those who find wildlife that truly is in need of assistance, a listing of licensed wildlife rehabilitators can be found on the Pennsylvania Association of Wildlife Rehabilitators website, www.pawr.com.

If you are unable to identify a wildlife rehabilitator in your area, contact the Game Commission by phone at 1-833-PGC-WILD or 1-833-PGC-HUNT.

On May 29 at 11:09 pm Bradford City Fire Dept. was dispatched to for a structure fire at 87 Pleasant street for multiple houses on fire. This is a third alarm fire. Bradford Twp. and Lewis Run Fire Departments have also been dispatched. This fire has been raised to a 4th alarm Derrick City has been dispatched Rew and Limestone on standby. Corydon and Salamanca is also dispatched. Lafayette, Smethport and Otto Twp are on standby. the fire has also been raised to a 5th alarm

On Sunday, May 28 the Coudersport Council 1355 performed a live degree based on the new CUF exemplification format and welcomed 11 new brothers to the order and advanced to brother into full Knighthood.

Coudersport Grand Knight Chris Fink, Coudersport Financial Secretary Christian Sevinsky, and Bradford Council 403 Financial Secretary Jeff Brewer welcomed PA State Warden David Spacht and Supreme Representative David MacIntosh to witness the exemplification hosted at St. Eulalia Church in Coudersport and a meal was provided to all in attendance.

Jeremy Wonderling certainly knows how to get around Bradford Speedway; however, in the two prior Tour races run at the tricky track, it was fellow New York standouts Bryce Davis and John Waters victorious. Neither Davis nor Waters were in competition on Sunday so a new winner was guaranteed. Wonderling was certainly the favorite and he lived up to the billing passing Kurt Stebbins on lap three and holding off 13-year-old phenom Brock Pinkerous for his Series leading third victory of 2023 worth $3,000.

St. Marys, Pa.: “It’s been a busy spring for the Upland Bird Hunt Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS) up here in NC Pa,” said Jed Hamberger, President of the Chapter, “but we finished up our ambitious spring schedule.  Now we take a short break and get ready for our summer event, the four-day Women’s Intro to Wingshooting program.”

The Upland Bird Hunt Chapter started its spring schedule by tackling an ambitious new habitat project of alder regeneration at Tionesta Lake in partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers; then moved directly into woodcock singing and drumming grouse surveys in partnership with the PA Game Commission and the US Geological Service.  The first ever Wild Game Dinner Social was held at the Rolfe Beagle Club.  And finally, the Upland Bird Hunt Chapter sponsored its always well-received Future Hunters and Handlers’ Clinic for dog owners at the Rolfe Beagle Club.

The Future Hunters and Handlers’ Clinic is designed for any dog handler or hunter who wants to establish a better rapport with their dog or learn new techniques in dog training.  This program is held every spring by the chapter with experts in the dog training field, dog care, and habitat providing short one-hour seminars for attendees to rotate into.  This spring, the program had 16 attendees – mostly dog owners, but even a few attendees that will be future dog owners.  “We are thinking about rotating this program to another RGS Chapter area such as Erie or State College or Williamsport next spring so we can reach more interested folks,” said Tom McPherson, an instructor for the program. 

Any hunters or dog handlers interested in what the Upland Bird Hunt Chapter of the RGS has to offer in NC Pa should contact Jed Hamberger at jedhamberger@gmail.com.

Thea Petruzzi, daughter of Josh and Erica Petruzzi of Port Allegany, joined high school seniors and their parents from 32 area school districts at the Big 30 Academic Scholarship Banquet.  The banquet recognizes a senior from each school district in the Olean Times Herald’s Twin Tiers sports coverage area, known as the Big  30.  Students are nominated by their principals.  Thea’s plans after graduation are to attend Robert Morris University majoring in biomedical engineering.  She is pictured with PAHS Principal Marc Budd.  

Principal Marc Budd was the MC for the event which began with Underclassmen Awards. 

Certificates of Excellence for attaining Honor Roll status during each grading period of the school year were presented to Molly Barber, Kaiden Bartlett, Chase Boyd, Ryan Carlson, Ian Crum, Braedyn Dibble, Trace Kazimer, Madelynn Lannager, Victor Link, Bailey Lloyd, Duke Shelley, Jackson Smith and Kason Stake in Grade 7; Collin Ableidinger, Jordan Bailey, Kaydence Beaver, Lillie Foltz, Liam Hawver, Olivia LIlly, Brock Marsiglio, Tessa Rendos and Derrick Xaros in Grade 8; Micah Emerick, Madison Errick,  Bynn Evens, Jarrod Funk, Isla Lehmier, Blake Lloyd, Kendra Meade and Nicholas Wilfong in Grade 9; Tyler Carinci, Ava Coleman, Joshua Colton, Tyler Fillhart, Levi Howard, Madison Langfitt, Raelin Meacham, Ella Moses, Joy Ou, Riley Painter, Skyler Pelchy, Beau Shelley, Derek Smith and Isabelle VanNette in Grade 10; Trenton Bunnell, Colton Crowe, Paige Crum-Threadgill, Hannah Hanchett, Kole Kisko, Henry Kisler, Lacy LaChine, Kendra McGarvey-Smoker, Jossalynn Mereen, Brayden Pearsall, Julia Postlewait, John Smith and Miska Young in Grade 11.