Catherine Mackay was honored Dec. 11 for her 27 years of service as director of the Cattaraugus County Department of Aging as she retires from public service.
In her years of service, Mackay, who also served as acting director of the Youth Bureau for the past two years, has been committed to assisting the aging community of the county to lead productive, healthier lives of their choice for as long as possible.
“I am so grateful,” Mackay said. “A lot of people don’t get to have their career be something that they truly love, and it makes life so much better.”
“We cannot thank you enough for all your years, your dedication, how much you’ve dedicated your life and your living to aging,” said Majority Leader Kelly Andreano, “and how much it meant to have you helping with the youth in the past couple years too.”
Mackay has enriched the lives of the area seniors through community engagement, programs, activities, services and experiences, read the proclamation congratulating her.
Legislature honors retiring Dept. of Aging director Mackay
“Cathy’s years of service was dedicated to ensuring that all communities benefit when people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds have the opportunity to participate and live independently,” the proclamation stated. “She ensured the resources and support was available when needed to help them remain in their communities.”
Mackay said she wasn’t sure if she was ready to retire at first, and it is earlier than she initially planned, “but life has other things sometimes for us, and it has been amazing,” she said.
“I appreciate everyone in this room for being on this journey with me,”
Mackay said, looking to the staff and department heads gathered in the legislative chamber. “It’s the people that I’m going to miss a lot.”
The county was privileged to have Mackay as a dedicated advocate for its senior citizens and youth, the proclamation read.
“Cathy, thank you again for your service,” said Chairman Andrew Burr.
“I just can’t imagine the amount of lives you have touched through your years of service here. You’ve been a great role model for the department heads in your public service. Thank
The exterior components of a home, such as the siding and the roof, help to protect its occupants from the elements. While many roofing materials can last for decades, at some point in time homeowners will likely have to repair or replace the roof on their home.
Roof wear and tear may not always be so evident, particularly because most homeowners do not make it a point to get on their roofs very often. The first sign of roof damage typically is a leak that is noticeable from the indoors. It may include a browned spot on the ceiling or even pooling
you for all the lives you’ve touched in Cattaraugus County and elsewhere.”
In tandem with Mackay’s retirement, the legislature unanimously approved the appointment of Bonnie Saunders to a four-year term as director of the recently renamed Department of the Aging and Youth Services, commencing
Jan. 1 of the new year.
“She has been a dedicated employee of the county for 39 years,” Andreano said of Saunders. “She started her career at the Pines before moving to Social Services and then Aging starting in 1994.” Burr also thanked Saunders for “coming on board” with the appointment.
HOURS: Tuesday through Saturday 10-5 Sunday 12-5, Monday Closed
“We appreciate your service and willingness to step up and carry on Cathy’s great work,” he said.
In addition to Mackay, the county also recognized about two dozen other employees on their retirements this year, including Marlene Allison, Kristina Austin, Richard Blemel Jr., James Boberg, John Bronneberg, Sally Busekist, Patricia Cheek, Chris Covert, Gerald
Embs, Theresa Grove, Hanz Heineman, Laurie James, Renee Kamrowski, Eric Keller, Kevin Koch, Tammy Kranock, Denise Lengvarsky, Anne Marie McRae, Lori Pangborn, Kerime Perese, Craig Querns, Kenneth Rice, Regina Rogers, Jeremy Schadt, Tim Whitcomb and Cheryl Wohlers.
“There’s probably a couple hundred years of service to the county collectively in these employees,” said Vice Chair Michael Brisky. “They’re all great people and valuable employees, and I just want to publicly thank them on behalf of the legislature.”
Burr agreed, adding that the legislature “greatly appreciates the contributions of these dedicated county employees and we wish them the very best on a long, fruitful retirement.”
Also for its final meeting of the year, the legislature honored the memories of the following county employees and officials who died during the past year: Duane A. Hill, former Department of Public Works employee; Charles W. Couture, former county legislator; Hope B. Phillips, former Real Property Tax Services employee; Terry H. Martin, former Economic Development, Planning & Tourism employee; JoAnn Hammond, former tax services employee; Giles B. Hamlin, Vice President of the Board of Health; Sue A. Fries, former Board of Elections commissioner; John C. Luzier, former Assistant Public Defender employee; and Timothy T. Lexer, emergency services dispatcher in the sheriff’s office.
water in the attic. Leak from storm damage or something minor like a water intrusion through a nail hole or from a lost shingle typically can be repaired easily enough. However, additional indicators may necessitate a complete roof overhaul. Here are some signs a roof is in need of repairs or replacement.
• Sagging roof: If the roof is sagging, it could be due to excess loads, such as water-damaged shingles or even weakened roof structure. A professional will need to restore the integrity of the roof.
• Cracking and buckling: It is likely that shingles
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Signs a roof must be repaired or replaced
will have to be replaced if there is cracking or if shingles are buckling and warping.
• Exposed nails: Exposed nails may rust and contribute to a leaky roof, says Family Handyman. How long the nails were exposed could indicate if the roof can be repaired or if everything should be redone.
• Lost granules: Asphalt roofing shingles have small granules on the surface. Over time these granules will slowly degrade and fall off. If there are many granules in gutters or if one can see that portions of the shingles are bare, it is likely time for a new roof.
• Visible light: Homeowners who can see light streams coming into the home need roof repair. This is indicative of holes, cracks or spaces in the roof.
•Growth on the roof: Mold and mildew on the roof is a sign that the roof needs to be repaired or replaced. Such growths contribute to rot that jeopardizes the integrity of the roof.
A durable roof protects a home from the elements. Various symptoms signal that it is time to repair or replace a roof.
Photo by Kellen M. Quigley
Retiring director of the Cattaraugus County Department of Aging Catherine Mackay
(right) is presented a proclamation from Majority Leader Kelly Andreano on behalf of the Legislature congratulating Mackay on her years of service.
LITTLE VALLEY
Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce President
ASP to host snowshoe hikes this winter
Allegany
hikes program.
Beginning Jan. 8, Park Naturalists will lead interpretive snowshoe treks, weather depending, or hikes if there is not enough snow. Witness a breathtaking winter sunset at Stone Tower, visit a secret beaver pond or hike along a creek.
Meeting places and hikes will vary. Be
Jim Carls and the chamber’s Board of Directors announce that Barb Pump has been selected as the organization’s next Executive Director.
Pump, currently the executive assistant to the executive director, has been a key employee at the chamber for eight years. Her experience at the chamber gives her a strong foundation in project management, public relations and operations management, officials said in a press release Dec. 12.
“She has coordinated
several of the chamber’s events and has built strong relationships with community members and chamber partnerships with clients, vendors and community leaders,” the release stated.
Pump will step into the position upon the departure of Brian McFadden, who has served as Executive Director since 1999.
Previously a chamber board member, McFadden has spent the past 26 years developing Ellicottville’s brand as a fun-loving, family-friendly and exciting community. The release said he created strong ad campaigns
to bring visitors to Ellicottville year-round and increased membership in the chamber to over 300 members.
“The Ellicottville chamber is very appreciative of Brian’s work and contributions to Ellicottville’s residents,
partners and the business community’s success,” the release stated. It is with much optimism that the chamber will continue to promote the success of the vibrant Ellicottville community. For more information, visit ellicottvilleny.com.
Photo courtesy Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce Barb Pump (left) has been named the next Executive Director of the Ellicottville Chamber of Commerce, succeeding Brian McFadden, who is retiring after 26 years in the role.
BY DEB EVERTS
SALAMANCA —
The cherished Nativity scene displayed on the front lawn of Riverside Chapel each holiday season has been brought back to its original splendor.
Admired by so many as they pass by on Broad Street, the display representing Jesus’s birth marks the true meaning of the Christmas season for Christians.
Unfortunately, the set’s nearly life-size figures became timeworn and damaged over the years.
Seeing the urgent need to repair and restore the figures, members of the Salamanca Garden Club stepped in and resurrected the pieces.
The dedicated women who worked on the Nativity project included Nita Yonkers, Mary Kay Schreckengost, Darlene Subulski, Karen Grabowski, Anita Williams, Pam Zimbardi, Sharon Wild, Diane Dietrich, Carol Johnston, Nan Miller, Gina Valent, Nancy Shinners, Barb Clark, Kathy Riddle, Chris Schultz and Nell Fellows.
According to Miller, who headed the group in their restoration work, the garden club volunteered to take on this mammoth project as a way to give back to the church that has allowed them to meet there for nothing, every second Monday of the month over the years.
“The garden club has always done some sort of activity to raise money for the church,” said Miller, who retired as club president in November after 22 years but remains a very active member. She is also a longtime member of the
Salamanca Garden Club restores Riverside Chapel Nativity
church. “The Nativity gets used every year and needed to be resurrected, so we spent the money for supplies and donated our time to give back to the church.”
THE PAINSTAKING process of restoration began during the winter when the group cleaned and primed the pieces to prepare them for repairs, final painting and sealing. Miller said restoration began again in early July and continued all summer and through the fall.
“In the summer, I would have about six people working on the pieces and repairing them every week. In the fall, I had eight people for two hours, four times. That’s how many I could handle around my pingpong table painting,” she said. “This was once a week, every week. It took a long time for us to get all the pieces fixed and repainted.”
Miller said they carefully took the Nativity down — piece by piece — right after last year’s Christmas. She said Johnston transported the pieces in her car, one by one, to her residence where they were stored in her second garage to protect them.
After each piece was
with the finished project.
Although she is not certain who purchased the Nativity set in the beginning, Miller said she heard Rosie Hoag, who was mayor at the time, purchased it for the city of Salamanca and wanted to put it in Jefferson Street Park.
cleaned up and taken down to Miller’s cellar, they started looking for the areas where the figures needed to be refurbished and repainted with special outdoor paints. She said they found cracks, scraps, chips and chunks missing.
Since fiberglass is quite toxic, Miller was not about to do that process in her home. She said the group got the pieces cleaned and painted to the point where they needed to be repaired and the figures stayed in her family room for the winter.
“When the weather got better, we brought the pieces
SHOP
Car accidents occur every day. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, there are more than five million car accidents in the United States every year. Forty-three percent of car accidents resulted in injuries in 2020.
No one wants to get into an automobile accident, which can be stressful and even fatal. Even accidents that do not result in any major injuries can be traumatizing. Knowing what to do in the immediate aftermath of an accident may make such instances less stressful.
Assess the situation
The insurance experts at GEICO® advise individuals involved in an accident to first determine if any of the involved parties suffered an injury. If you are injured, stay put. If not, check on the condition of the other driver. At this point do not admit any fault or reveal any policy limits.
Next, make a call to emergency services to request
up to my garage where we worked and painted,” she said. “Some members of the garden club are also members of the Wednesday painting class held at my home. I made the repairs so, when Wednesdays rolled around, people could paint them. After they got painted and spray-sealed, Carol (Johnston) delivered them back to the church’s
carriage house — one by one — for safe storage.”
AFTER COMPLETING the restoration, Miller wrote a letter to the church council at Riverside Chapel expressing that the ladies who worked on the Nativity should get their picture taken with the figures when they put it up, so people could see them
“It didn’t work out because the attorney, at the time, said, ‘No, that’s a religious thing. You can’t do that in a public space.’ So Rosie let the Holy Cross Club and the Congregational church (now known as Riverside Chapel) trade the Nativity back and forth for a while,” she explained. “Then, Holy Cross got a small one and the church kept this large one.”
Thanks to the ladies of the garden club, the beloved Nativity will be enjoyed by the community for years to come.
Move your vehicle
assistance from the police and an ambulance, if necessary.
If possible, pull the vehicle over to a safe, well-lit public location. This is especially important if you believe you were the victim of a staged accident, says the Insurance Information Institute. If the car will cause another road hazard, it is best to move it over to the side and use flashers to alert oncoming traffic. It is important that you don’t leave the scene, according to American Property Casualty Insurance Association.
Gather evidence
Have the police write up an accident report. You should take pictures of the damage to your vehicle, the other vehicle, if possible, and the scene of the accident, including any skid marks, debris and/or property damage. If there are any witnesses to the accident, get
Exchange information
Collect the names, phone numbers, addresses and email addresses of other drivers and vehicle occupants and exchange insurance information with all drivers involved. That includes the insurance company name, policy number and the name of the insured.
Notify a friend or family member
Even if the accident is not serious, you may want to call a friend or family member to provide
support. If you’ve been injured, a friend or
ber can meet you at the hospital and/or arrange
your vehicle towed or returned home while
care you need.
Automotive accidents can be
Knowing the steps to take can alleviate some
Photo by Deb Everts
The Salamanca Garden Club restored the beloved Nativity on display at Riverside Chapel on Broad Street as a way to give back to the church. Members include (from left) Nan Miller, Carol Johnston and Kathy Riddle. Riverside Chapel Nativity.jpg
