Allegany County Community Source 10-21-2022

4 paranormal groups agree: Andover’s Haunted House is haunted

BY KATHRYN ROSS

ANDOVER — For the last 25 years, the Andover Haunted House Committee has been cashing in each October on the belief that its house on West Greenwood Street is haunted and at least four paranormal inves tigative groups say they are right.

The Andover Haunt ed House Committee uses the funds they raise each Halloween season to help a va riety of charities and provide scholarships for Andover students. After several years of staging haunted house adventures at a variety of sites throughout the village, the committee settled its activities in a three-story brick house at 5 West Greenwood Street.

The imposing structure dates from 1876 when it was con structed by Dr. William Crandall following a suspicious fire that had destroyed the first structure the doctor built on the site. He treated patients in a sanitorium there until his death in 1899.

At the turn of the century a sanitorium was an establishment for the medical treat ment of people who were convalescing or who had a chronic

illness such as tubercu losis.

After Crandall’s death the property was purchased by DB Spal ding for his home. The property then passed to the Rev. and Hattie Eggleston. Upon the untimely death of the reverend the property was sold as a sum mer home to a couple who later sold it back to the widow Hattie Eggleston. She was a well-known local nurse who opened the house again as a sanitorium and maternity hospital. She is noted as having delivered more than 700 babies. Many of them were delivered in the structure the Andover

Haunted House Com mittee would nickname The Brick.

After Eggleston passed the building was purchased and con verted to an apartment house. Like many older, dilapidated structures, The Brick already had a reputation of being haunted when the com mittee moved into it. They capitalized on the reputation. But as one member recalled a few years ago, many mem bers began to think it might be haunted when strange, unexplainable things happened while they decorated the house for Halloween.

Area libraries land $1.26M in state building grants

BY BOB CLARK

OLEAN — More than a dozen area libraries received aid from the state’s Public Library Construction Grants program, the region’s state senator reported.

Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, an nounced $1.26 million in aid for 16 libraries in the Chautauqua-Cat taraugus, Pioneer and Southern Tier library systems will see aid to help with renovation

and construction.

“Funding our public libraries is one of the best investments we can make in our communi ties,” Borrello said. “As I have said many times in the past, libraries are no longer ‘just the place with the books.’ They are community cen ters that provide vital services. They are also information and tech nology hubs that serve students, job seekers and people of all back grounds. Their impor tance was highlighted

during the pandemic and they deserve this added support.”

Area libraries receiv ing aid include:

• Bolivar Free Library will receive $201,190 to install an elevator lift in the main area of the building to provide accessibility to all three levels.

• David A. Howe Public Library in Wellsville will receive $150,622 to replace and upgrade the lower floor roof.

• Twentieth Century Club Library in Almond will receive $66,420 to replace exposed cast iron radiators and piping with in-floor radiant heating and renovate a downstairs bathroom to be ADA compliant.

• Colonial Library in Richburg will receive $30,045 to install a paved parking lot, exterior lights and directional signage.

• Essential Club

Free Library in Canaseraga will receive $5,625 to upgrade an existing ADA compliant ramp and main entrance to improve accessibility and safety.

• Angelica Free Library will receive $4,537 to install two natural gas furnace units along with accompanying duct work and insulation.

Alfred • Allentown • Alma • Andover • Angelica • Belfast • Belmont • Bolivar • Caneadea • Ceres • Cuba • Filmore • Friendship • Genesee

Houghton • little genesee • portville • richburg • Rushford • Scio • shinglehouse • Ulysses • Wellsville • west clarksville • Whitesville

faculty success

shine

State

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The Brick, Andover’s Haunted House Committee’s Haunted Attraction, is full of spirits according to investigators.

Haunted House continued on PAGE 2

In 2016 the Wayland Paranormal Group vis ited the site and spent the night. During their stay they recorded sev eral different instances where they heard voic es and reported that several members felt a physical presence.

In 2019 Echoing Voices of the Past a paranormal inves tigative group with members from across Allegany County spent a night at the house. The group has investi gated several other sites throughout Western New York that have been reported to have paranormal activity. Of the Andover Haunted House they reported, “We’ve investigated the Andover Haunted House and when we asked, a spirit told us they are not happy when the house is deco

rated and used for the October fundraisers.

Even though someone from the committee told the spirits they were only raising mon ey to help preserve the house. But it is under standable. The spirits were people, and this was their home, and nobody likes uninvited guests. They told us a lot of the spirits move out to neighboring houses when the haunt ed house is open. And that has been confirmed by the homeowners.”

In 2020 investigators from the Western Door Paranormal Activities group spent time at 5 West Greenwood Street exploring the structure and finding paranormal activity.

In a YouTube video, member Tony Burtis described a random sitting session where

a voice was recorded saying “Oh Babe” to a female member of the group. In another session, he said he felt something touching him and a female voice was recorded saying “Nice, nice.”

“This is a very, very haunted place,” Buris exclaimed.

In the Spring of 2021, the Alfred State Paranormal Inves tigation and Urban Exploration Club investigated the Ando ver Haunted House. “This location used as a haunted house attrac tion is actually host to several spirits from the building’s past includ ing its time being used as a Sanitorium,” they reported.

“During their night in the house club mem bers ended up captur ing a lot of interesting evidence during this investigation,” their report concluded.

They used divining rods to communicate with the spirits, asked questions and noted significant drops in the air temperature when engaging with the spirits. Video of their encounter can also be found on YouTube.

Whether or not spirits reside in the 146-year-old building, for the last 25-years the Andover Haunt ed House Committee has raised the spirit of the community and surrounding area each October by opening the doors to the Andover Haunted House from 7 to 11 p.m. every Friday and Saturday until Oct. 29th. For more infor mation on this year’s haunted adventure see their Facebook page.

• Olean Public Library will receive $253,469 to replace the two remaining 30-year-old HVAC units to increase energy efficiency and improve air quality and climate in the library.

• Ellicottville Memorial Library received $38,891 to expand the existing parking lot and provide a uniform parking surface.

• Allegany Public Library received

$23,427 to improve lighting, safety and access by renovating the children’s room and automating the

ramp door.

• Cattaraugus Free Library received $22,385 to update the electrical wiring and panel box on the second floor as well as install a new furnace and air conditioner.

Borrello noted over half of the over 1,000 public library buildings in communities across New York are over 60 years old. Some are closer to 100 year old, or even older.

One of the librar ies receiving aid, the Bolivar Free Library, remains based in a Carnegie Library. Built between 1883 and 1929 — 1909 in Bolivar’s case — Carnegie libraries were funded in part by Gilded Age steel mag nate Andrew Carnegie.

Others like the Olean and Allegany libraries were not originally libraries, but were built as private businesses and later converted. Olean’s building is a former grocery store which replaced a Carnegie library in the early 1970s, while the Allegany library was previously a bank.

“With library budgets perpetually stretched thin, this funding will help our libraries update their fa cilities without impact ing local taxpayers,” Borrello said. “With this funding, we can help our libraries meet the needs of our commu nities, passing on our history and knowledge to the next generation and helping us dream, imagine and build a brighter tomorrow.

“The volunteers and staff at our librar ies provide wonderful programs folks need and deserve,” he added.

“This funding will help ensure they have the resources to do that.”

at:

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Wellsville David A. Howe Public Library will receive $150,622 grants to replace and upgrade the lower floor roof.

home improvement

Design ideas to give

Farmhouse style homes are having a moment. A 2020 survey from Homes.com asked more than 5,000 adults across the United States about their favorite house style from a list that included bohemian craftsman, mid-century modern ranch, French chateau, and Tudor, among others. Modern farmhouse was the runaway winner, as participants in 42 of the 50 states indicated this simple, cozy style was their favorite.

Home renova tion projects can help homeowners put their own unique stamp on their homes, and such

projects can be both aesthetic and functional in nature. The following are some farmhouse design elements home owners can consider as they look to transform their home interiors with this popular style in mind.

• Exposed beams: Exposed beams in stantly evoke images of a farmhouse. The home improvement experts at BobVila. com note that this rustic renovation project can utilize real wood or faux beams that look like the real thing. Dec orative beams that have nothing to do

home a farmhouse feel

meal. Old-fashioned porcelain sinks are worth consideration by homeowners who want their kitchen sinks to evoke a tra ditional farmhouse feel.

with a home’s struc tural integrity can be installed by skilled do-it-yourselfers. However, even faux beams are heavy, and BobVila.com recom mends homeowners have an engineer assess their existing structure prior to installation.

• Distressed wood finishes: Distressing is designed to make something look less than perfect. Distressed wood finishes can be found throughout many farmhouse style homes. Fur niture and picture frames can provide the distressed look farmhouse fans are looking for. This is a relatively inex pensive project that many homeowners can tackle on their own after watching some online tutori als that recommend the right tools and techniques to get the job done right.

• Kitchen sink: Many components com bine to create a truly classic farmhouse kitchen. But perhaps no component is more essential than the classic farm house sink. The renovation experts at HGTV note that a classic farmhouse sink features a deep, wide basin. Farm house sinks are large enough to handle all the dishes that come after a big family

• Countertops: HGTV recommends butcher block countertops for homeowners who fa vor European farm house style. Home owners overhauling their kitchens to create a farmhouse feel should consider installing a large island with a walnut butcher block coun tertop for an authen tic farmhouse feel.

Farmhouse style homes are wildly popular. Some simple renovations can help homeowners with a fondness for farmhouse style bring this classic look into their homes.

health & Wellness

Dairy benefits the body in various ways. Those who may be wondering how to incorporate more dairy into their diets and/or individuals who have been advised to do so by a doctor or nutrition ist can consider these handy tips.

1. Sprinkle on some cheese. Cheese has less lactose than other dairy products, making it easier on the stomach for those who may have issues consuming dairy. Consider

sprinkling some parmesan cheese on an apple or popcorn for an afternoon snack, or have an ounce of cheddar with a small portion of nuts for calcium and protein.

2. Top off meals. Fruit salads, oatmeal or even a baked potato can be enhanced with low-fat yogurt instead of other fat-heavy or sugary toppings like whipped or sour creams.

3. Add milk to coffee. While some people simply like the taste of coffee served black, adding milk to one’s morning or afternoon brew is an easy way to get a serving of dairy each day.

4. Finish your morning milk. Add a full serving of milk to that bowl of cereal. When the cereal is gone, sip the rest of the milk for a sweet treat.

5. Try evaporated milk. Heavy cream can add five grams of fat and 50 calories in just one tablespoon. In lieu of heavy cream,

opt for fat-free evaporated milk in soups and other recipes that call for cream. Evaporated milk provides the creaminess of dairy without the

excessive calories. Try a kefir smoothie. Fermented kefir has roughly 15 to 20 times as many probiotics as yogurt. Probiotics benefit gut health, so substitute kefir in place of yogurt when making smoothies and

other dairy drinks for a healthy boost.

7. Swap your spread. Switch out mayonnaise or mustard on sandwiches for yogurt or ricotta cheese. Add herbs or lemon juice to dairy to amp up flavor.

Student and faculty success to shine at Alfred State inauguration

ALFRED — Student and faculty success will be showcased as guests take the “Pio neer Walk” following the Inauguration of Dr. Steven Mauro, PhD on Oct. 20. Alfred State’s campus will come alive with examples of work done by students.

Students and faculty from each of the three schools, the School of Applied Technology, the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Architecture, Man agement and Engineer ing Technology, have prepared displays that will show the wide variety of curriculums

and skills taught at the college. Interim Vice Pres ident for Academic Affairs and Economic Development Dr. Craig Clark is excited for the college community and guests to see the work of students and facul ty. “Each of the three schools will be high lighted and the walk will highlight the wide variety of hands-on education that we offer.

Visitors will see and get to interact with the equipment and animals used to learn, view var ious student projects, and sample delectable culinary treats to name

just a few. It will be a unique experience for all.”

Alfred State offers 80 majors and students learn the skills needed with tools and soft ware just like the pros. Every major includes applied learning and there are over 200 labs and hands-on oppor tunities. 98% of ASC graduates land jobs or continue education. Students are career ready and ready to launch careers.

The “Pioneer Walk” follows a path from Orvis Activities Center where the ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. and leads to the public reception at Student Leadership Center.

Stay current on inaugural events and activities online at www.AlfredState.edu/ Inauguration.

Annual Pumpkin Decorating Contest returns to Cuba Library

CUBA — The Cuba Circulating Library is hosting its third annual Book Character Pump kin Decorating Contest through noon on Oct. 25.

Decorate a pumpkin (or gourd) as a book character or with a literary theme and drop it off at the library’s front desk for display through Oct. 25. Library staff and patrons will vote for the best literary pumpkins on Oct. 26.

The winners will receive a Cuba Cash gift card.

Contest Rules:

• The library cannot accept carved pump kin submissions. Only painted and/or deco rated whole pumpkin submissions may be entered into the contest. Leave a circle on the bottom of your pumpkin unpainted so your pumpkin can “breathe.”

• Contest submissions must be turned into library staff by Oct. 25. Late pumpkin submissions will not be accepted.

One winner will be chosen from each of the following age cat egories: young kids (ages 7 and under), tweens (ages 8-12), teens (ages 13-18), and adults (ages 19 and up).

Painted pumpkins depicting characters in literature may be entered for the Cuba Circulating Library’s third annual Book Character Pumpkin Decorating Contest.

• All pumpkins must be picked up by Oct. 29 at 3 p.m. Pumpkins that are not picked up by this time will be

FRIDAY 10/21

disposed of. For more informa tion, contact the Cuba Library at (585) 9681668.

MONDAY 10/24

WEDNESDAY 10/26

THURSDAY 10/27

TUESDAY 10/25

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Photo provided

Margaret Shepard of Hornell works in an electrical engineering laboratory.