Several programs are scheduled this month at Kinzua Bridge State Park.

This includes Saturday morning bird walks, a photo shoot walk, a fall leaves hike, a nature walk and a night-time photo shoot. Anyone who wants to attend these programs is asked to call the park at 814-778-5467 to sign up, as space is limited due to COVID-19.

Saturday morning bird walks will be held starting at 7:15 a.m. on Oct. 3, 10 and 17. Attendees are invited to bring their own binoculars to look for birds. Participants will meet in front of the visitor center, and they will hike around the park and out on the bridge. The walks are limited to six participants or six family groups.

The photo shoot walk will be held at 1 p.m. Oct. 3, with participants meeting in front of the visitor center. Members of the Twin Tier Camera Club will conduct a walk around the park while giving tips about how to get a “perfect” picture. The event is limited to five participants.

A fall leaves hike will be held at noon Oct. 10, with participants meeting in front of the visitor center. The group will explore the park while learning about some of its trees. The event is limited to six participants or six family groups.

A Sunday afternoon nature walk will take place at noon Oct. 11 starting in front of the visitor center. The event is limited to six participants or six family groups.

The night-time photo shoot will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Oct. 16. The Twin Tiers Camera Club’s Bart Barton will lead the photo shoot out on the bridge, and the program will include a brief overview of night-time camera basics. The program is limited to five participants.

The park is practicing social distancing for all programs, so participants are asked to stay six feet apart and wear a mask to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Bradford Era – When Kelly Barr Hughes moved to Mount Jewett from St. Louis last October, she brought along her passion for honoring veterans around the country. That’s why she decided to organize a Wreaths Across America event in the area.

According to the event website, “Wreaths Across America coordinates wreath-laying ceremonies at more than 2,100 locations across the United States, at sea and abroad.”

Wreaths are currently being sold for $15 each by Decade Dames (code: PA0526P), the Mount Jewett Vol. Fire Dept. (code: PA0525P), Mount Jewett Hilltop Heritage Coalition (code: PA0530P), Mount Jewett Rotary Club (code: PA0533P), Mount Jewett Boy Scout Troop #410 (code: PA0534P) and the Mount Jewett VFD Fire Police (code: PA0535P).

To purchase a wreath, individuals can either visit www.wreathsacrossamerica.org and click on the “local sponsorship group” link under the “sponsor wreaths” button, or talk to a member of one of the aforementioned organizations. Read More

Bradford Era – How can Mount Jewett residents improve their community?

Organizers of a new community coalition hope to get some answers to that question when they meet with community members to brainstorm goals for the group.

The revitalization group is currently calling itself the Mount Jewett Hilltop Heritage Coalition, but even that is not finalized.

Mount Jewett residents will have several opportunities to provide input for the new group, both in person and over Zoom, as several collaboration gatherings are planned over the next several days.

In-person events are scheduled for 7 to 11 a.m. Sept. 5 and 12 at Jewett’s Kaffe Sol. Virtual events will be held starting at 7 to 9 p.m. Sept. 7, 9 and 10.

Links to the Zoom gatherings are posted to the events pages on the coalition’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/mjhhc

One founding member, Kelly Barr Hughes, talked to The Era about the group’s beginnings and goals. Read More

A variety of programs will be held Labor Day weekend at Kinzua Bridge State Park.

Upcoming activities include a nature hike, Saturday morning bird walks, a native plant walk, “View from the Bridge: Landforms” and early morning star gazing.

For the walks and hikes, the limit is six hikers or six family groups. Call 814-778-5467 to sign up.

The nature hike will be held at 1 p.m. Friday. Participants are invited to discover the nature around the park. The group will meet in front of the visitor center.

Saturday morning bird walks will be held at 7:15 a.m. this Saturday, as well as the following Saturday on Sept. 12. Participants should bring their own binoculars to look for birds, and they should plan on hiking around the park and out on the bridge. The group will meet in front of the visitors center.

For the native plant walk, set to begin at noon Saturday, participants will explore the park while learning about native plants. They will meet in front of the visitor center.

Unlike the walks and hikes, for “View from the Bridge: Landforms,” the limit is 25 participants. They will meet on Kinzua bridge at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Early morning star gazing, which will be held at 4 a.m. Sunday, the limit is 8 participants, and attendees must call 814-778-5467 to sign up. The group will meet near the visitor center classroom on the west side of the building to go watch the stars shine over the Kinzua Bridge. Participants should bring a flashlight with a red lens and a folding chair or blanket to take out on the bridge. This program will be canceled in the event of rain or cloud cover.

Bradford Era – The Collins Companies Foundation has donated $10,000 to the Kinzua Bridge State Park Foundation for playground equipment at the park.

Representing The Collins Companies Foundation for the presentation Wednesday at the regular meeting of the Kinzua Bridge State Park Foundation was Thomas Kase, resource manager, Kane Hardwood.

Thanking the donors, Jeff Wolfe, fundraising chairman for the bridge foundation, said, “This puts us much closer to reaching the goal of $110,000 for the train-themed playground at McKean County’s only state park. With this new equipment, children ages five to 12, will be able to enjoy healthy, outdoor, physical activity during their visit to the park.” Read More

Bradford Era – Georgia Pacific Corporation with a plant on Hutchins Road, Mount Jewett, has donated $25,000 to the Kinzua Bridge State Park Foundation for themed-playground equipment at the park.

Representing Georgia Pacific, on behalf of all the plant’s employees, for the presentation Thursday during the foundation’s annual meeting were Sid Beckwith and Heather Meyers.

“This puts us much closer to reaching the goal of $110,000 for the train-themed playground at the park,” said Jeff Wolfe, chairman of this project for the foundation, which was incorporated in 1993 as a non-profit organization with the goals of restoration and preservation of the world-famous structure and promoting its historical and cultural importance, in addition to the continued development of the park. Read More

The Mt. Jewett Sportsmen’s Club continues to advance their recruitment of women into the outdoor heritage experience by offering another shooting course for women. On Saturday and Sunday, July 25 and 26, the first two days of a four-day course will be held at the club. Women will learn the basics of shotgun safety, use, ammunition, and experience shotgunning with expert advice.

The Women’s Introduction to Wingshooting program is a national shooting program for women and girls, taught by women. The Ruffed Grouse Society (RGS), Allegheny and Upland Bird Hunt Chapters, and the Mt. Jewett Sportsmen’s Club are bringing this national program to Pennsylvania once again this summer. Training will be held on July 25-26 and August 22-23. An upland bird hunt will be offered on September 13.

Women have been picking up shotguns in record numbers in the last decade. So much so, women shooters have increased a whopping 189% in the last five years (www.shootlikeagirl.com).

National sponsors such as Sportdog, Federal Ammunition, and Purina help make this program available to women. “Once again, this program filled quickly with women from all over the state of Pennsylvania and out-of-state, and we are so glad that the Mt. Jewett Sportsmen’s Club hosts this nationally recognized program right here in north central PA,” said the seven women instructors of the Women’s Introduction to Wingshooting Committee. “We thank the Mt. Jewett Sportsmen’s Club!”

The program will teach women the basic shooting sports, and how to hunt game birds of Pennsylvania: grouse, pheasant, turkey, quail, woodcock, snipe, doves and crows, and ducks and geese.

The Ruffed Grouse Society was founded in 1961 to promote and increase awareness of young forest management and to maintain suitable habitat that supports healthy populations of ruffed grouse, woodcock, deer and many songbird species that depend on forest diversity to survive and prosper.

Bradford Era – Mount Jewett Mayor Annie Jo Wolfe wants to make sure the borough is still sufficiently prepared for emergencies, she said in a statement she released Thursday.

In the release, she mentioned local firefighters, EMS and the American Red Cross.

“Mount Jewett Borough’s volunteer base for fire department and ambulance services is active but smaller,” Wolfe stated. “We need volunteers now more than ever to support these crucial community safeguards.”

She asked that state lawmakers introduce legislation to either temporarily reduce fees for EMS training or to make more money available to volunteer EMS agencies for training costs.

“Perhaps by addressing this barrier more volunteers can be recruited,” she said. Read More

Bradford Era – There is no cause for panic… That was the central part of the message from Mount Jewett Mayor Annie Wolfe on Friday. She stopped by The Era to get the word out to residents of the borough and of Hamlin Township that talks of consolidation between the two municipalities are just that — talks.

“I wanted to assure the public that although officials in Hamlin Township and the borough are looking to start a committee, that this is just a discussion and nothing is going to happen immediately,” Wolfe said.

She noted that a story earlier in the week with municipal officials talking about forming a committee to study future possibilities was causing concern among residents.

The committee, she said, “is to see if this is going to benefit both communities or not.” Read More

Bradford Era – An aging population, shrinking tax base and rising costs are making it harder for municipal governments and emergency services in rural areas to operate.

At Monday’s Hamlin Township meeting, elected officials there and from Mount Jewett brought up a harsh reality — it may be time to think about merging the two municipalities into one.

“We opened up a discussion,” said supervisor Jim Trussell. “I think after a discussion, we’ll form an exploratory committee and figure out what the next step would be.”

It’s worth exploring, said Mount Jewett councilman Chuck Paar.

“This may not be a practical feasibility and it may not make good sense,” he said, but added “if you don’t look at it, you’ll never know. Maybe we ought to at least explore the potential to operate as a single unit.” Read more