Cyclists far and wide will once again gather in Smethport for the historic Wheel Around the Hub bicycle race to be held on Saturday, September 18. The 53-mile, seven-lap race starts at noon on Main Street in front of the McKean County Courthouse. Proceeds will benefit the Smethport Volunteer Fire Department’s Fire Police.

The route takes cyclists through Smethport’s quaint business district, past the McKean County fairgrounds and scenic farmlands, over the Galico Bridge, through forests, past Hamlin Lake, and back onto Main Street past Victorian homes.

For the 53-mile race, male and female winners in various age categories will receive gold watches, cash and medallions. Lap premiums will also be paid.

The 15-mile, two-circuit Family Fun Race will start approximately ten minutes after the main race. Prizes will be non-monetary awards.

Participants for each race can register online at BikeReg.com. Online registration closes Thursday, September 16 at 5:00 pm ET. Teams are encouraged for both the 15-mile and 53-mile races.

To help pull in the best cyclists for the 53-mile race, the Smethport Area Chamber of Commerce has become the first organization to pledge $500, which is earmarked for prize money. “This is a great event for Smethport and so many people volunteer their time to making it a success,” said Chamber president Nathan Muller. “I’m happy the Chamber has decided to take an active role in this.”

Businesses, community organizations and individuals can sponsor the event at a given level or simply make a donation by printing and filling out this form and mailing it in with their check.

Scientists, farmers and beekeepers have been expressing alarm in recent years over the apparent disappearance of bee colonies across North America. The situation goes far beyond a few bees here and there and threatens the pollination of fruits, grains, and vegetables.

According to news reports, at issue is American agriculture itself. Most orchards, fields of grain, and vegetable crops are pollinated by honeybees. And both milk and meat come from cows that munch on grain. If honeybee populations continue to disappear in such large numbers, it could have a devastating effect on crop yields — ultimately leaving every dinner plate in America empty.  

Catastrophe abated

Honeybee hysteria may have been dealt a knock-out blow by a recent finding in Smethport, Pennsylvania that has the science community buzzing.

On the corner of Main and Marvin Streets there is — no fooling — a B&B where proprietors Ross and Jovanna Porter discovered an estimated 30,000 vacationing pollinators occupying a makeshift structure on their property.

Feeling a bit uneasy about the guest-to-proprietor ratio, Ross called in the experts for help: Ryan Yingling and his father Doug who is a master beekeeper.

Donning protective gear, the team went to work looking for the queen bee in the 4 pound mass of honeybees. With the queen and some bees gently coaxed into a cardboard box, the other bees eventually followed. When the transition from nest to box was completed, the bees were safely removed from the property for relocation elsewhere.

So the mystery of the missing bees is really no mystery at all — honeybees today simply prefer the better accommodations of an upscale B&B rather than the white box and drawers to which they have been traditionally consigned by their human masters.

A Chinese student, a talented English major from a university in Hunan, China, asked me to describe my hometown. This is what I wrote:

Smethport is very different from Chenzhou. It is like a dream that I’m afraid will seem unreal or too abstract for you to realize. Words alone are not enough to describe the beauty, wonder, and charm of my home town. But I will try.

Right now it is a very special time of the year in which we celebrate the birth of our country, the Declaration of Independence and like your country, a revolution against Imperial tyranny. Now the weather is much like Kunming in the autumn, winter or spring: everything is blue sky and very sunny. The people ride their bikes, fish, boat, swim, garden, walk their dogs, tend their lawns and the upkeep of their homes, or just go for a country drive to enjoy the scenery. Depending on the time of day you will smell fresh cut grass, sweet fresh air born upon a northerly breeze or the cooking smells of backyard barbecues that make your stomach growl.  

A few puffy clouds hang in the blue sky like strange dreamlike castles or otherworldly sky galleons made of pure cotton. These clouds look thick and solid enough to climb, walk or jump on, if only you can fly up to one. All around there are green forested hills where you can hike or ride your horse on trails, and depending on the time of day, see wildlife such as deer, coyotes, foxes, and black bears.

In the morning before sunrise all the birds of the region hold congress. Their commotion gently eases you out of sleep and negates any need for an alarm clock. The starry night fades away as a silvery, lacey mist saunters through the valley leaving much of Smethport’s allure to the imagination. Mourning doves croon to each other while brown cottontail rabbits with nervous ears nibble on blades of grass. And as the sun rises, the mist shimmers slightly with a pink blush.

By mid morning the heat of the sun has pulled the clinging wisps of mist away to reveal a clear blue sky, Victorian mansions festooned with the red, white and blue of American flags, and an authentic Main Street modestly bustling and catering to residents and travelers alike. Part of a great East-West road running from coast to coast, Main Street was once part of a major throughway for west bound migrants in quest of a better life. But now serves travelers of a different stripe, each hoping to catch a glimpse of an older, traditional America.

During the day you will hear happy children home for summer vacation playing ball games in a nearby park, swimming at the town pool, or riding bicycles. And in the late daytime hours before twilight, shadows grow long and stretch across golden fields and green lawns. A blue river and a lake in the middle of our town glitter like diamonds in westering sun. Older couples stroll around town for evening exercise while younger people walk briskly or go for an evening jog. Still others visit the porches of their neighbors for gossip, a friendly debate about current events, or just to unwind and reflect on their day with a glass of wine or a cold beer.

In the darkness beyond Main Street enigmatic points of light blink in random patterns creating an ever-changing constellation. After being away and living in a Chinese city for some time, it takes me a moment to realize that I am witnessing Smethport nightlife at its best: the miraculous bioluminescence of fireflies getting their groove on.

Except for the occasional bird singing to his lover, things quiet down at night – that is of course unless you live in my house. The kitchen especially is a loud and noisy place. Here our pet birds chirp and squawk incessantly like a discordant gallery of pipsqueaks as I chop vegetables fresh picked from the garden and prepare dinner for my family. If it is too cool to eat dinner outside on the deck, then we will eat at the kitchen table where I share stories with my parents about teaching and traveling in China.

After dinner we watch television in the living room with our three cats. There is Nikko, a small boisterous princess with glistening black fur, and lustrous green eyes who seems to have forgotten her humble origins in an Animal Shelter. There is Storm, an old gentlemen who, when he’s not sniffing Nikko’s tail, lounges indigently around the house in a black tuxedo with one forepaw out and the other tucked neatly under his shoulder, and if you stare at him he’ll stare right back, show some teeth, and bleat a note of indignation. And there is Smokey, a goofy heavy weight grey with white boxing gloves, and who is always following the others around the house.

While we watch television the trio takes turns purring and crawling into our laps or grooming each other. Then tiring of our attention, they chase each other around the house, up and down the steps, and room to room. And this is probably the only reason why we bother to watch television in the first place.

That is just a snapshot of my hometown during the summertime. It is very different in the autumn, winter and spring. Each season colors the town in a unique way and has a rhythm of life that changes accordingly. And our town – like many other towns scattered across America – is one of a kind. Every person, family, house, shop, and street has a rich story to tell and a different way to tell it. I hope my story helps you to see the town of Smethport through my eyes.

Melanie Clabaugh, a recent arrival to Smethport with her husband Phil, has been named executive director of the Kane Area Development Center. Her duties span the Chamber of Commerce, Kane Area Industrial Development Corp., and the Kane Area Revitalization Enterprise.

Melanie has a BA and M.Ed. from the University of Pittsburgh in Oakland. She was the marketing and outreach coordinator for the Oakland Business Improvement District responsible for planning, developing and implementing promotions and events designed to steer commerce to Oakland’s business district.  

Before coming to Smethport, she had been employed by Mount St. Mary’s in Emmitsburg, Maryland — America’s second oldest Catholic University.

As a volunteer for the Wooly Willy Wonderdaze festival, Melanie handled media relations and button sales.

Smethport resident Jeff Andrulonis, president and CEO of Colonial Radio Group, and president of the Kane Chamber of Commerce, said Melanie brings energy and excitement to the organizations representing the Kane business community.

Phil Clabaugh is the county’s newest assistant District Attorney and works out of the McKean County Courthouse in Smethport.

Lesley Willis of Smethport won the ‘Discover Smethport’ quiz written by Wooly Willy inventor Jim Herzog. Her perfect score earned her a $125 gift certificate from The Country Porch.

The 11-question quiz is sponsored by the Smethport Area Chamber of Commerce and is a featured event of Wooly Willy Wonderdaze. It tests a person’s in-depth knowledge of Borough history.

To find the right answers, participants are encouraged to visit local landmarks, do research online or at the Hamlin Memorial Library, and talk with area business owners.

This year, three contestants achieved perfect scores on the Discover Smethport quiz. The winner was selected by blind draw at The Country Porch, with Lesley Willis emerging as the winner.

Holding the five-day Wooly Willy Wonderdaze event requires the involvement of many people and organizations working behind the scenes, giving generously of their time and energy to help make our community a very special place.

We are indebted to the Borough’s utility crew who installed new poles to display the Wooly Willy Wonderdaze banner across Main Street after it had blown down twice at its original location.

On short notice, Borough electrician Charlie Jones built new utility boxes to handle the increased load at various locations in Hamlin Lake Park.  

Kudos go to the Smethport Fire Department and Smethport Fire Police for their support, as well as to Mayor Ross Porter, Police Chief Ryan Yingling, and Smethport schools music director Matt Bailey and the marching band.

Diana Covert of Lightwaves Laser Engraving, Scott Christie and his staff at the Lakeview Senior Care and Living Center, Rose Bishop of Colonial Radio Group, Jackie Taylor of The Country Porch, Costa’s Ace Hardware, Costa’s Supermarket, and Northwest Savings Bank also went the extra distance to ensure the show’s success, as did Christy and Jeff Andrulonis of Colonial Radio Group, Terry Brennan and Tom Larson at Sena Kean Manor, and Melanie Clabaugh who handled press relations and button sales.

The “patience” award goes to Greg Rounsville, manager of the toy factory in Smethport. On the first day, over 75 guests showed up within a 2-hour period for a tour of the plant on Magnetic Avenue. On the second day 120 guests took the tour over a span of 2 hours. This number of guests was completely unexpected, but Greg managed to handle it all in his typically calm, friendly manner.

The spectacular fireworks on Hamlin Lake would not have been possible without the generous support of Patch Products, Bradford Regional Medical Center, Hamlin Bank & Trust, Costa’s Supermarket, Costa’s Ace Hardware, Northwest Savings Bank, and Smethport Gulf & Tire.

The tent and dance floor used for a variety of musical performances throughout the Wonderdaze festival was made possible by Anne Potter.

Finally, thanks to Jim Herzog for his creative ideas and enthusiastic participation in helping to make Wooly Willy Wonderdaze 2010 another memorable experience for Smethport!

The Chamber of Commerce encouraged business owners and individuals to paint Smethport’s storefront windows for the 2010 Wooly Willy Wonderdaze. The theme this year was, “Wooly Willy’s Impact on Main Street.”

Prizes for the contest, donated by The Hamlin Bank & Trust Company, are:  

1st Place - a $75 saving bond

2nd Place - a $50 saving bond

3rd Place - a $25 saving bond

Smethport’s legendary Wooly Willy inventor Jim Herzog and Mayor Ross Porter toured the Borough to judge the windows based on originality, theme compliance, and artwork quality.

Winners of this year’s contest are:

1st Place - Buchanan Brothers Pharmacy at 313 W. Main Street for their “Prescription for Fun” which included Wooly Willy toys modified with photos of employees.

2nd Place – Route 6 Diner at 423 W. Main Street for their Wooly Willy train that spanned the entire set of windows.

3rd Place – Smethport Senior Center at 119 W. Main Street for its clever floral depiction of “Wooly Willy Blooming” painted by Barbara Bowman.

Two other entrants demonstrated extraordinary creativity to depict how Wooly Willy has helped Smethport to become what it is. The judges acknowledged Hamlin Bank & Trust as having the Best Business Concept with their Wooly Willy dollars. Lindgren’s Variety Store was cited for having the Best Display.

McClelland Financial Management has a new office in downtown Smethport. Irons Hollow resident, Sue McClelland, operates the business, which is located at 601 West Main Street, Suite 2, on the basement level of the Masonic Temple across from the McKean County Courthouse.

Sue has been in the financial services industry for 13 years and offers professional, honest and confidential services to her clients. Her tag line reads, “Let me help you realize your dreams.”  

Personal service is featured with each confidential, friendly meeting where Sue makes recommendations so the client can reach their individual goals.

Part of that meeting is to introduce a broad range of investment and insurance products that will meet the client’s financial needs. While Sue offers securities through Multi Financial Securities Corporation (member FINRA, SIPC), her service is an independent agency that can offer many investment and insurance products available from “A-rated” companies.

Sue, who has a comfortable, friendly personality, is involved in community activities and has served as president of the Smethport Sports Booster Club from 2007-2009.

Her overall business philosophy is, “My client’s goals and objectives are my first priority.”

McClelland Financial Management will hold an open house on July 14th from noon to 8:00 p.m. with snacks and door prizes.

McClelland Financial Management is not affiliated with Multi Financial.

Despite uncertain weather, Saturday’s Wooly Willy Wonderdaze auto show on Hamlin Lake drew some unusual cars from as far away as Florida and Toronto, Canada. The event was punctuated by drawings for high-end prizes, a karaoke contest, and a full-rev engine demonstration that was heard throughout the Borough.  

Seeking refuge from the street chaos of Toronto’s G-20 Summit, Brian Ahearn brought his fully tricked 2005 Chrysler 300C to the show. The vehicle’s $100,000 worth of extras included four gull-wing doors and airbrushed interior from trunk to engine. As a hobby, Brian and his wife Marion travel around the country from show to show every summer.

Searching on the Internet for something new, they were intrigued when Wooly Willy Wonderdaze came up and decided to head for Smethport. On arriving, their top priority was the overnight parking situation. They did not want to put the pristine vehicle at risk for dents or scratches. One place that met their exacting requirements was Mansion District Inn Suites operated by Jovanna and Ross Porter, who dedicated the entire rear parking area to the vehicle.

Frank Armon brought in a 1970 Opel GT modified to a parachute-packing dragster capable of doing 150 mph in the quarter mile. During the show he treated the crowd to a demonstration of the vehicle’s awesome power with a thunderous full-rev of the highly tuned 355 Chevy engine.

Smethport resident Brian Gustafson brought three antique Ford vehicles to the show – two cars and a truck – which had been in storage for three years. After he and friends spent a good part of the day painstakingly resuscitating the engines back to life, the cars finally made it to the show and went on to the parade.

Other notable cars included a 173 Plymouth ‘cuda brought in by Bill Walters and a 1970 Dodge Super Bee brought in Denese Walters − both vehicles looking “newer than new”.

Bud Carlson of the Smethport Fire Police exhibited two vehicles: a 1995 Dodge Ram 1500 and a 1964 Chevy Nova. Bud is also an avid motorcycle enthusiast and participated in last year’s national rally in Sturgis, South Dakota which draws thousands of people annually from all over the country.

The smallest vehicle, and among the most unusual at the show, was a four cylinder 1959 Ford Anglia, dubbed an “English Ford”, exhibited by Andy and Tina Stuck of Smethport.

The “Best of Show” trophy, sponsored by Ascent Solutions, went to James Pisner who brought in an impressive two-tone ’50s Ford pickup truck dressed in orange and white.

The show ended with a parade down Main Street featuring Smethport’s legendary Wooly Willy inventor and honorary parade marshal Jim Herzog, the school marching band, and the Smethport Fire Department’s antique ladder truck.

Many participants expressed appreciation for the show’s scenic location, hospitality, quality of the prizes, and management of the event. Judging from their smiles during the parade down Main Street – not usually done at other car shows – the day ended as a very enjoyable experience for all.

The following people and organizations funded the trophies or furnished prizes…

Trophy Sponsors

Ascent Solutions
Bill Lake Real Estate
Bowman Health Center | Smethport Wellness Center
Chef Specialties Company
BoB and The Mountain | Colonial Radio Group
Costa’s Ace Hardware
Costa’s Supermarket
Dexter’s Service Center (Bradford)
Edward Jones
Free and Accepted Masons of McKean, Lodge No. 388
H & S Pet Animal Hospital
Hull’s
J&B Furniture (Port Allegany)
Kwik Fill
Lakeview Senior Care and Living Center
Mansion District Inn Suites
Marvel Specialty Company
McKeirnan Towing
Myra’s
Northwest Savings Bank
Olson & Tenglund | NAPA Auto Parts
Sena Kean Manor
Smethport Auto Wash
Smethport County Club
The Cottage House
The Country Porch
Thomas E. Ball, EA
V.F.W. Post 2497

Prize Donations

Buchanan Brothers Pharmacy
Lightwaves Laser Engraving
Total Engraving
Zippo Manufacturing Company (Bradford)