Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Friday Pack your camp chair and bring your friends to Red House Beach for an evening of FREE live music. This is a family friendly event. For more information please call 716-354-9101 ext 236 www.facebook.com/alleganystatepark Bradford Little Theatre's Kids Camp culminates with performances of "We Are Monsters" at Togi's Playhouse. Saturday The 20th annual Kids & Cancer Benefit Motorcycle Run ends with a block party on Mechanic Street featuring music from the No Name Trio. "We Are Monsters" at Togi's Playhouse Sunday Solid Rock Festival at the Bradford Township Community Club on Irving Lane from 1 to 9 p.m. featuring several Christian rock bands.

Road work on ASP Rt. 3 from the bear caves up to park entrance near Bradford toll is scheduled for Wednesday or Thursday, depending on the weather. No traffic will be allowed to go in or out of the park at the Bradford toll or where work is being done along ASP Rt. 3 Anyone wishing to get through the park will have to use ASP Rt. 1 or take Interstate 86 to get around. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

State police are investigating an incident where a man videotaped a woman in a shower at Allegany State Park. In an email to several media outlets, a woman says she was showering in a bathhouse in the Quaker Area of the state park early on the morning of September 21 when she looked up and saw a man in the stall next to her filming her. Park police later told her they had a similar report from 2010, and that suspect matched the description she gave them. The man is described as white, in his mid- to late 30's, 6' 2” tall and weighing 220 pounds. The suspect is believed to be driving a maroon/burgundy colored Dodge Intrepid with a yellow license plate. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The hemlock woolly adelgid has made its way to Allegany State Park. The NYS Parks Office says the invasive insect that kills hemlock trees was found by trained citizen scientist volunteers at two locations while performing area searches within the park. The find was confirmed by the State Department of Agriculture and Markets. The State Parks Office says it has taken steps to eliminate the hemlock woolly adelgid and will step up efforts to find additional infestations. The insect was on the Allegheny National Forest last year in the Tionesta Research Natural Area, Cook Forest and Clear Creek state parks this past spring, and near the Clarion and Allegheny rivers as well as Webbs Ferry. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

By SANDRA RHODES The Willow Creek Triathlon committee is expecting this year’s event will be grand - one hundred thousand grand to be exact. That is the amount the committee is expected to surpass in donations to the Disabled American Veterans of McKean and Warren counties. “Our event has grown in participation and in money raised for this worthy cause,” said Gregg Reynolds, the new race director. “We are very proud of what we have accomplished in a relatively short amount of time. This is something we could not do without the support of this community.” This sprint triathlon, in its eighth year, will be held on Saturday, Aug. 3, starting with a 300-yard swim at Quaker Lake in Allegany State Park in New York State. That is followed by a 15-mile bicycle ride to the Corydon Hotel on Route 346. Runners complete the with a three-mile run to the Willows Restaurant. “One of the best things about our triathlon is the course was laid out by Mother Nature herself,” Reynolds said. “F...

The humans remains discovered in Allegany State Park on Tuesday have been positively identified. State Police say the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office used dental records to identify 92-year-old Reverend Thomas Hamilton of Great Valley, who was reported missing on November 11, 2010. A hiker discovered the remains and Hamilton’s personal effects near the Art Roscoe Ski Trails in the Red House area of the park. They were found near where Hamilton was reported missing. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A hiker discovered what he believes are human remains in Allegany State Park Tuesday afternoon. The remains were found in the area where the Rev. Thomas Hamilton was reported missing a year and a half ago. The hiker made the discovery near the Art Roscoe ski trails in the Red House area of the park, and reported it to New York State Police. An autopsy is being conducted today. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Those interested in participating in this year’s Willow Creek Triathlon should sprint to register as there is a cap on participants this year. This year’s triathlon, slated for Saturday, Aug. 4, will be capped at 400 participants. In the past, there has been no limit to the number of people who could participate in this sprint triathlon, which benefits the Disabled American Veterans of McKean and Warren counties. Race director Shane Oschman explained this move was made to ensure the safety of all those involved – participants, committee and onlookers. This number will also help in the efficiency for transportation of participants and getting their belongings from one place to another. Those interested in participating are encouraged to register soon since there is no guarantee there will be openings the day of the event. The triathlon, open for teams and individuals, starts with 300-yard swim beginning at Quaker Lake in Allegany State Park, N.Y., a 15-mile bike ride to Giordano’s New C...

New York environmental regulators are seeking $187,500 in fines against a gas-drilling company for polluting a stream in Allegany State Park. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has filed an administrative complaint against U.S. Energy, saying that storm water runoff from the company’s roads and well pads in the Allegheny National Forest washed a large amount of mud into nearby waterways, including Yeager Creek in the state park. DEC also is requiring US Energy to install storm water and erosion controls to prevent any future water quality damage. http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/79850.html The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A new snowmobile trail will connect Allegany State Park with the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel. Seneca Gaming and the Seneca Nation today announced that they are underwriting the cost of building and maintaining the one-and-a-half mile long trail. The Senecas have allocated nearly $67,000 in an agreement with Snow Bounders, a Salamanca-based snowmobile association. Snowbounders will develop and maintain the trail. Seneca Nation President Robert Odawi Porter says the idea of underwriting the project came from a continuing initiative by the nation to build strong community relationships.

I-86 between Salamanca and Allegany State Park was closed for several hours earlier today after three cars collided head-on. Investigators say 73-year-old John Cousins of Olean was disoriented and traveling the wrong way on the interstate when his car hit two others near Salamanca. Cousins was taken to Olean General Hospital with serious, but not life threatening, injuries. 28-year-old Jessie Fuller of Little Valley was taken to Olean General for treatment of unspecified injuries. The third driver, Robert Rafferty Jr. of Kokomo, Indiana, was not hurt. Sheriff’s deputies are continuing their investigation.

Don’t expect oil and gas drilling in Allegany State Park after all. Governor Andrew Cuomo on Friday signed two pieces of legislation giving broad new protections against drilling in the park. The legislation comes a couple years after U.S. Energy Development of Getzville, which has drilling operations in Western New York and Pennsylvania, said it had subsurface mineral rights in the park and wanted state approval to sink five test wells. US Energy says it has claims on 2,800 acres in the Red House area of the park. The two-bill package Cuomo signed says any oil and gas claim not actively used within the past 20 years shall be considered "extinguished" and the rights reverted to the state, and gives the state parks department powers over any effort to explore or drill within Allegany State Park.

The New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) has announced that a culvert repair will be conducted on NY Route 280 (Quaker Run Road) in the town of Red House, Cattaraugus County, Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians. As a result, NY Route 280 (Quaker Run Road) northbound and southbound will be closed to thru traffic south of Interstate 86, Exit 18, for approximately one mile, beginning on Monday, September 12. The posted detours are as follows: Motorists traveling from Pennsylvania to Interstate 86 A posted detour will direct traffic to proceed northbound on US Route 219, in the city of Bradford, PA, and access Interstate 86 eastbound and westbound at Exit 23 in the town of Carrollton, NY, Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians. Motorists traveling from Interstate 86 to PA Route 346 A posted detour will direct traffic on Interstate 86 to proceed to Exit 23 in the town of Carrollton, NY, Allegany Territory of the Seneca Nation of Indians. ...

By SANDRA RHODES The Sixth Annual Willow Creek Triathlon is one for the record books. There was a record number of participants as well as a record number of dollars donated to the Disabled American Veterans of McKean and Warren counties. The pouring rain did not dampen the spirits of the participants in Saturday's triathlon. More than 360 - over 100 more people than last year - either swam, rode a bicycle or ran - or did all three. But the number that really counted - $22,192.57, the amount donated to the DAV - dwarfed last year's amount of just over $11,000. The money goes towards funding the transportation network for veterans, which ensures veterans transportation to and from appointments at VA hospitals and clinics. Dan Pierce and Sandy Trocki, overall male and female winners, were awarded the Master Sgt. Thom Maholic Award. Maholic, a Bradford native, died in 2006 while fighting with the Special Forces in Afghanistan. The awards are custom made knives from W.R. Case &...

An Olean man is charged with snowmobiling while intoxicated after a crash that injured his 9-year-old son Wednesday night. Allegany State Park Police say 45-year-old John Perry was thrown from the snowmobile after helping his son operate it. The snowmobile went out of control while the boy was operating it, then accelerated across a field, through some small trees and into an embankment. The boy was also thrown from the snowmobile. He was flown to Women & Children’s Hospital in Buffalo for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The search is continuing in Allegany State Park at this hour for 92-year-old Thomas Hamilton of Great Valley, according to a news release sent by Cattaraugus County Emergency Services at 7:24 a.m. Hamilton and his daughter were hiking in the park Wednesday when they lost the trail. The ended up spending the night in the park. Thursday, Hamilton's daughter found her way out and contacted New York State Park Police at 1 p.m. Search activities Friday night did not disclose any new information, the news release said. A news conference will be held at 11 o'clock this morning at the park. Those involved in the search besides state park police include the Cattaraugus and Erie County Sheriff's offices; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; New York State and Cattaraugus County emergency management offices; Western Region Emergency Management Assistance Team; Seneca Nation of Indians Marshalls; and New York State Police. Also assisting are 17 local fire department...

Participants and spectators trying to get to Quaker Lake for the start of the Willow Creek Triathlon from Interstate Parkway will have to find an alternate route. The Fifth Annual Willow Creek Triathlon, which is set for Saturday, starts with the opening ceremony and the swimming event at Quaker Lake in Allegany State Park, N.Y. The access point from Interstate Parkway, Bradford, is closed due to bridge replacement. Those attending and participating in the triathlon should take Route 346 West, also known as West Washington Street, 16 miles to New York State at which point the route changes to Route 280. Turn right into Allegany State Park and drive around the lake to the swimming area. Those traveling on Interstate 86 in New York should take Exit 18 to Quaker Lake and continue straight into the state park. Registration starts at 7:30 a.m.; rules meeting at 9 a.m. and shotgun start at 9:30 a.m. The triathlon, which also includes bicycling and running, benefits the Disabled American Vet...

OLEAN, NY -- The Cattaraugus County Arts Council (CCAC) announces its free summer programming held in partnership with Allegany State Park. The classes were made possible with funds donated by National Fuel as well as monies raised by auctioning artist-inspired Adirondack Chairs in August 2009. The first of many summer art workshops will begin next week with Instructor Joan Pingitore who will teach Printing from Nature. This fun, interactive, workshop will give kids and adults a chance to create art from nature and have a beautiful creation to take home with them. Joan Pingitore, a local artist, will guide participants through creating an interesting composition and printmaking techniques. Everyone will make a unique piece of art while learning about the environment in the process. The workshop will take place at The Warming Hut. The Warming Hut is located at the Summit Cabin Loop across from the Art Roscoe x-country ski trails. From I-86 take exit 21 into the park and proceed to the t...

By Sandra Rhodes Visitor & Member Services Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau There’s no better way to spend Independence Day weekend than to take in the sights and sounds at a state park. The Kinzua Bridge State Park, located in McKean County, Pennsylvania, and Allegany State Park, in Salamanca, New York, both offer a multitude of activities beginning on Friday, July 2. Step back into history at the Kinzua Bridge State Park for a History of the Bridge Talk and Walk which take place from 1 to 3 p.m. The Kinzua Bridge State Park is located on Route 3011. The Kinzua Bridge State Park is the home of the former Kinzua Viaduct, which was once billed as the “Eighth Wonder of the World.” The Kinzua Viaduct was built to span the Kinzua Gorge as a railroad viaduct in 1882. The viaduct was partially destroyed by a tornado in 2003, but will be reborn in 2010 and will open as the Kinzua Sky Walk in the fall. Railroad enthusiasts need to come on board to a couple of programs at the park....

More trees in the Randolph area are now infested with the Emerald Ash Borer beetle. In mid-June of last year the New York Department of Environmental Conservation announced that the destructive beetle had infested about 30 trees just south of Interstate 86. Today, DEC said more trees in the same area are infested. Foresters have detected the insect on private woodlands south of Interstate 86 in an area where trees are already quarantined. The beetle infests and kills North American ash tree species, including green, white, black and blue ash. So far, it’s spread to 13 states and two Canadian provinces and is responsible destroying more than 70 million trees. The invasive beetle was first detected in Pennsylvania in the summer of 2007 in Butler County, and subsequently was found in Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Bedford, Indiana, Juniata, Lawrence, Mercer, Mifflin, Washington and Westmoreland counties. Emerald ash borer traps (those purple boxes hanging from trees) can be seen throughout...