NEWS

B.J. Knefley

What’s your purpose? How would you respond to that question? To rephrase it, why are you here? Is it something you contemplate? Is it essential to know or at least have an idea? I suppose the answer will differ from person to person. A person’s spiritual state will also significantly influence the response, one way or another.

BRADFORD, Pa. – The University of Pittsburgh has announced the six finalist names for its panther mascot in honor of National Mascot Day.

                Voting is open to anyone who loves the 6-foot-plus plush black panther that usually appears Winnie-the-Pooh style (no bottoms).

                The finalist names are

Jett – sleek, speedy and black as night.

Piper – a high-flying salute to the iconic Piper Cub planes that took off right where our campus now stands.

Brad – short for Bradford, long on Panther pride.

Kinzua – takes its name from the Seneca word meaning “plenty of fish.”

Blaze – Burning with Pitt pride and Bradford spark

Blizzard – Icy, intense, and unstoppable

                To vote, visit : https://www.upb.pitt.edu/name-the-panther through midnight July 7. One vote per person.

• Brenda Bonczar and Lilly Ingalls will be teaching a ‘Rubber Stamp Art Class’ for ages 8-14 on Wednesday June 18 from 1-2;30. Students will be using rubber stamps to decorate their own canvas bag. Price of the class is $25.00.  All materials provided.

• Laurie Angood will be teaching a ‘Beginner Watercolor Class’ on Friday, June 20 from 6-8pm.  In this class,a students will practice painting a summer flower wreath using gouache and transparent watercolor.   Price of the class is $35.00 and includes all materials. 

• Laurie Angood will be teaching the  ‘June Young Artisan Class,’ on Thursday, June 26 from 1 – 2:30.  This class is open to students grades 2 – 6^th.  Snack and materials provided. Price of the class is $25.00. 

• The community is invited to come to a Star Party Open House at the Potter County Artisan Co-op on Saturday, June 21 from 2:00-5:00 pm.  Join us for a sip and shop in our Gift Gallery with Art from over 50 local Artisans.  Dark Sky Themed Items Available, including photography by Curt Weinhold, as well as Deep Space Photos by Mark Casazza, dark sky watercolors by Laurie Angood, night sky oil paintings by Laurie Shear and Gary Perkins.  Local wine, live music and refreshments to enjoy.

To register for these classes or events, please call the Potter County Artisan Co-op on 814-274-8165.  The co-op is located at 227 N. Main Street.  The co-op’s hours are Monday through Saturday 9:00-5:00. 

Need an activity while visiting the area?  Potter County Artisan Co-op can arrange a private group class for you and your friends at your convenience.  Just call ahead or message us on Facebook.

Events and classes are supported in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the Elk County Council on the Arts, state agencies funded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 

To understand the engineering challenges they had set before them, members of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Baja Racing Club needed to see a race firsthand.

The Society of Auto Engineers hold several competitions annually for college students to compete with Baja cars they have designed and fabricated themselves to race offroad.

This year’s competition was held last month in Marana, Ariz. Dr. Ovidiu Frantescu, who advises the club, and club members Hayden Goldsmith and Austin Stout Peters drove the 32-hour trip to experience the multi-day event with the goal of bringing their own car to the competition next year.

Ever since the George B. Duke Engineering and Information Technologies Building opened in 2023, members of the club have been dreaming of designing and building their own dune buggy for the Baja competition. The Duke Building has a project lab next to the machine shop that was created with this kind of project in mind.

 Club members have been tinkering with designs for the dune buggy-like vehicles, but there’s a lot to figure out – especially when it comes to meeting the strict performance and safety standards set by the engineering society.

Frantescu, an associate professor of environmental science with degrees in automotive mechanics and petroleum engineering, identifies as both a gear head and a geologist. He couldn’t resist the thought of a field trip to the race in the Sonoran Desert for inspiration and information.

The Port Allegany Rotary Club, in collaboration with Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center (SHCTC), proudly announces the completion of the Port Allegany Geocache Trail—a 1.6-mile public trail experience that blends hands-on learning, historical education, and outdoor recreation.

Launched in spring 2025, this innovative project features 12 interactive geocache locations designed and placed by SHCTC students, highlighting both local history and the diverse career and technical programs offered at the CTC. The trail winds through scenic woodland and park areas, now enhanced with newly constructed footbridges, a large trailhead kiosk, and updated signage—all built by SHCTC’s Building Construction students.

The Port Allegany Rotary Club held their weekly meeting Thursday at the Port Allegany Moose Lodge #460.  Guest speakers for the day were Amanda Miles-Rudolph and Lynn Keck.  The pair spoke on the Break the Chains Festival to be held on the Town Square on Friday and Saturday, July 25 and 26.  This is the ninth year for the festival.  The goal for the BTC coalition is to reach out to local communities to ultimately break the chains of addictions, oppression, and depression.  The BTC Coalition wants to bring light, hope, and love to the broken, the hopeless, the addicted, and the depressed.  Their prayer is to see the culture changed, captives set free, and have lives transformed into who God created them to be…whole and loved.  For further information, go to the Break the Chains Facebook Page, email breakthechainsfestival@gmail.com or visit the website at www.breakthechainscoalition.com.   

The Potter County Education Council, serving Potter and McKean Counties, has an opening for a part-time Business Manager. This part-time position will be available immediately with approximately 16 hours per week. A job description may be reviewed at the Potter County Education Council Office at 5 Water Street in Coudersport, PA (814-274-4877) or www.pottercountyedcouncil.org/employment.

 The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in Potter County the week of June 16. PennDOT performs year-round maintenance in its mission to provide a safe, efficient transportation system, and the scope of work in Potter County for the coming week is as follows:

Mechanized Patching

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced the following schedule of maintenance activities in McKean County the week of June 16. PennDOT performs year-round maintenance in its mission to provide a safe, efficient transportation system, and the scope of work in McKean County for the coming week is as follows:

Bridge Maintenance & Cleaning

• Route 546 at a bridge spanning Knapp Creek in Otto Township. Monday, June 16, through Friday, June 20. This work takes place off the roadway and has minimal, if any, traffic impact, however PennDOT still urges drivers to exercise caution when passing crews working along the shoulder.

Pennsylvania has some of the oldest bridges in the country, with an age of more than 50 years on average. Preventive maintenance is vital in extending the life of the structures. As such, PennDOT maintenance crews perform some bridge deck patching and structural repairs.

Minecraft Mania: Get ready for an epic adventure that will take you to the blocky world of Minecraft! Join us for an exciting camp that will challenge your critical thinking skills, ignite your creativity, and test your teamwork abilities like never before. Collaborate with your fellow campers to overcome obstacles, create solutions, and achieve your goals. But the excitement does not stop there! You will also compete in team challenges that will put your Minecraft skills to the test. Build the tallest tower, navigate a tricky maze, or solve a riddle to unlock the next level. For students entering grades 5 – 8, camp will be held on July 28 – 31, 2025; for students entering grades 9 – 12, camp will be held on August 4 – 7, 2025.

Do your plans include postsecondary education? Northern PA Regional College (NPRC) brings affordable education to you. The Summer 2025 semester begins on Monday, June 2^nd and is divided into three sections: Summer A meets once or twice a week from June 2 – July 31, 2025; Summer B meets Monday through Thursday from June 2 – June 26, 2025; and Summer C meets Monday through Thursday from July 7 – July 31, 2025.

Fourteen courses are being offered, including Introduction to Psychology, Interpersonal Communication, US Government and Politics, and Art Appreciation, to name a few. These courses are part of five associate degrees – Business Administration, Criminal Justice, Early Childhood Education, Liberal Studies, and Social Sciences. If you are not interested in pursuing an associate degree at this time, NPRC’s team will help you select courses or training that meet your goals.

 The Grimes Cemetery’s annual meeting will be held on Thursday, June 19th, at 6 p.m., at the Port Allegany American Legion.

Penn State Extension educators will cover how to preserve food safely at home 

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Extension will offer in-person food preservation workshops in McKean, Potter and Jefferson counties this June and July. 

Instructors will present research-backed information to help dispel food preservation myths, point out unsafe practices and offer practical tips to ensure a positive experience when preserving food at home. 

These workshops will help attendees — whether seasoned experts or beginners — to gain valuable food-preservation skills, organizers noted. 

Workshop topics, times, dates and locations are as follows: 

B.J. Knefley

We live in a time when the celebration of material possessions has overshadowed the recognition of individuals. Their belongings and accomplishments frequently overshadow the significance of the person. However, neither truly honors the individual for who they are at their core, which connects to their inherent value and worth. 

Unfortunately, many people derive their worth from their achievements or social status. But is that enough? What happens when life changes? What occurs as they age or retire? Our entire identity can become entangled with our roles or possessions, leading us to feel lost or irrelevant when they are taken away. Being celebrated fulfills a fundamental need in everyone. When someone is celebrated, it affirms their value, worth, and significance.  

 EMPORIUM, Pa. —A Penn State Extension in-person workshop will provide evidence-based training aimed at saving lives and reducing suicidal behaviors. The workshop is scheduled from 3:30 to 5:00 p.m. June 24, at the Barbara Moscato Brown Memorial Library, 27 W. 4th St., Emporium, PA.  

 Penn State Extension educators will lead this webinar training, “Question, Persuade and Refer,” developed by the QPR Institute. Participants can learn to recognize warning signs of suicide in friends, coworkers, family members or neighbors in need. 

HARRISBURG, Pa. (June 13) – The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC) today announced several upcoming committee meetings to be held virtually during the month of July.  These meetings will be held online with Commissioners and PFBC staff participating remotely.

Agendas for all public meetings can be found on the PFBC website (Fishandboat.com).  Dates, times, information on submitting public comment, and links for viewing these meetings virtually can be found below:

 From Brotherhood to Self-Defense: Tribe of Lions Hosts Men’s Safety Seminar in Bradford

Local microchurch and men’s movement team up to equip men with confidence and real-world protection skills.

Men’s Self-Defense Seminar | Bradford, PA

On Wednesday, June 18 from 6:00–7:30 PM, the mats at Miller’s Kenpo Karate Dojo (11 Forman Street, Bradford, PA) won’t just be for martial arts students—they’ll be the training ground for men learning how to stand strong and stay safe.

On June 7, 2025, the Lions Club hosted a water station at Mile Marker 11 and cheered on the participants of the 50th God’s Country Marathon.  On June 13, 2025, the club hosted our annual Strawberry Festival at the Courthouse Square.  Thank you to the over 75 community members who purchased one of the sweet treats!  All of the proceeds from the festival will be used by the Lions Club to help community members & local organizations.  

The Coudersport Area Lions Club meets the first Monday of each month at 3:00 PM in the Ambulance Hall located at 122 E 2nd Street.  The Lions Club is a volunteer organization that supports our local community through service projects.  If you are interested in finding out more about the Lions, please feel free to join us at one of our meetings, or call 814-203-3664. 

Weekend of June 20^th

Program Title: Birdsong Bingo

Date: Friday, June 20th

Time: 7:30 PM

Location: Campground Amphitheater

Description: This program will entail learning multiple calls of different  songbirds that are common to this area, followed by a bingo game to test your memory!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ellwood D. Cosgrove      “beloved husband, father, and grandfather”

COUDERSPORT, PA—Ellwood D. Cosgrove, 91, of Coudersport, passed away with his loving wife by his side on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, in Cole Manor, Coudersport, after a period of declining health.

Born on Thursday, December 28, 1933 in York, he was a son of Lacy P. and Irene M. Young Cosgrove. On October 13, 1956 in Cockeysville, MD, he married Betty L. Layne, who survives.

Work on the kitchen area of the Cameron County Chamber of Commerce Innovation Center focusing on floor installation.  This week the entrance to the artisan center  will be moved to  the side door adjacent to the parking lot to accommodate work on the floor in the vestibule.  In addition a new floor will be installed in the kitchen area of the building.  That work is expected to take one week.

Fifteen teams hit the Emporium Country Club course June 12.  The funds benefit community programs hosted by the Cameron County Chamber of Commerce.

Several of the teams represented businesses/organizations in the county including Crown Realty, Embassy Powdered Metals, Kinetic Business, Straub Insurance, and Burkhouse Contracting.  Placing first in net was the team comprised of  Tim Curry, Pat Lewis, Dick Logue and Tom Langford.  Placing first in gross was the team Mike Keefer,  Ed Mottern, Buff Kelley, and Ken Stuart.

Since its inception more than 17 years ago no one took home the $10,000 cash hole in one sponsored by Caldwell Corporation.  All participants received golf balls from Emporium Food Market and mini fans from Kinetic Business.