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1. First Heritage Federal Credit Union Sponsors Christmas Trees for Wellsboro’s Main Street Boulevards
2. Pennsylvania Cancels In-Person State Park Programs Until Further Notice
3. Stam Researches and Writes Christmas On Main Street Ornament History Guides about The Town That Saved Christmas
4. Highland Chocolates to Open at New Location This Thursday, Dec. 10
5. Christmas On Main Street 2020 Schedule of Events for Dec. 11-13
6. Clare Ritter to Lead Six Tours of Main Street, Wellsboro This Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12 and 13
7. Reindeer to be in Wellsboro This Saturday, Dec. 12
8. “It’s A Wonderful Life” Tickets to Go on Sale Monday, Dec. 14
9. Well Armed Woman Shooting Chapter, Tioga County, PA to Meet Thursday, Dec. 17
10. Tiadaghton Audubon Society has 12 participants for the Saturday, Dec. 19 Cowanesque Circle Bird Count; New Deadline to Sign Up for Friday, Jan. 1Wellsboro-Mansfield Circle Bird Count is Friday, Dec. 18

Diane Eaton
dianetn@ptd.net
(570) 724-3800

FIRST HERITAGE FEDERAL CREDIT UNION SPONSORS CHRISTMAS TREES FOR WELLSBORO’S MAIN STREET BOULEVARDS

Photo by John Eaton
Each year for the past 15 years, including 2020, the First Heritage Federal Credit Union with offices in Pennsylvania and New York has sponsored the purchase of the 16 Christmas trees that line Wellsboro Borough’s Main Street boulevards from East Avenue to Charles Street. On Tuesday, Dec. 1, representatives of First Heritage placed two of their special wooden ornaments bearing the words “Tree compliments of First Heritage Federal Credit Union” on each of the 16 trees. Shown wearing their COVID-19 masks are: (from left to right) Bob Blair, chairman of the First Heritage Federal Credit Union Board of Directors; Financial Services Representative Mindy Northrop; Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julie Henry; Wellsboro Branch Manager Nancy Stamilio who places an ornament on a tree; and Regional Manager Deb Meacham.

PENNSYLVANIA CANCELS IN-PERSON PROGRAMS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE

On Friday, Dec. 4, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Bureau of State Parks announced on its website that, due to the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Commonwealth, all in-person programs staffed by state park employees and DCNR volunteers or friends groups had been canceled effective Sunday, Dec. 6. This decision will remain in effect until further notice for all state parks.

All in-person programs included on the parks’ calendar of events at https://events.dcnr.pa.gov have been cancelled. Virtual and self-guided programs may be offered.

This cancelation of in-person programs will impact First Day Hikes on Jan. 1, 2021 statewide, including at Hills Creek, Lyman Run and Sinnemahoning state parks.

Also impacted is the planning for in-person programs at five of the eight state parks in the Hills Creek State Park Complex, including Hills Creek, Lyman Run, Cherry Springs, Leonard Harrison and Colton Point. No in-person programs are held at the other three state parks in the complex, which are Prouty, Patterson and Denton Hill.

Until now, Winter Outings Series in-person programs had been held annually between Jan. 1 and the end of March in Tioga and Potter counties at Hills Creek and Lyman Run state parks as well as Sinnemahoning state park in Cameron County.

From Friday, Nov 20, 2020 through at least Jan. 15, 2021 Gov. Wolf ordered that state park visitor center exhibit halls and interpretive areas be closed.

Also cancelled was Winterfest 2021 at Hills Creek State Park due to restrictions on the number of people who can gather for any outdoor event. Normally, Winterfest is held in mid-January.

For more information, visit the DCNR website at https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/Pages/default.aspx.

STAM RESEARCHES AND WRITES CHRISTMAS ON MAIN STREET ORNAMENT HISTORY GUIDES ABOUT THE TOWN THAT SAVED CHRISTMAS

Anja Stam, who owns Pop’s Culture Shoppe with her husband Julian, has been researching and writing The Town That Saved Christmas ornament history guides for the past two years.

“Jennie Borneman Lusk of Wild Asaph Outfitters wrote the guide in 2017 and 2018. When I took it over in 2019, she gave me a large binder of information and resources she had collected,” Stam said.

“Last year, I spent quite a bit of time at the Rakow Research Library of the Corning Museum of Glass, researching the historical development
of the different shapes and styles of Christmas ornaments, and how Wellsboro contributed to their development.” She titled the 2019 guide, “The Town that Saved Christmas: Shaping Our Traditions.”

In 2020, Stam did research on the ribbon machine. “The Town that Saved Christmas: Manufacturing Miracles” is the title she gave to this year’s ornament history guide. Its focus is on how the Wellsboro plant became involved in the ornament making business and the development of the ribbon machine by Billy Woods, which revolutionized the manufacturing of Christmas ornaments. The guide also includes information about each of the 26 displays.

Grant “Skip” Cavanaugh has been an enthusiastic supporter of Stam’s work over the past two years and shared his knowledge of operations at the Wellsboro plant, as well as his collections of ornaments for the displays. Cavanaugh worked at the Corning Glass factory in Wellsboro beginning in 1965 and retired from the same plant, then owned by Osram-Sylvania, in 2002.

This summer, Stam contacted Ryan Root, former ribbon machine mechanic at the Wellsboro plant, and interviewed him. “Ryan helped me understand the entire manufacturing process and how the ribbon machine fit in. He even showed me how it worked. Ryan is also enthusiastic about preserving Wellsboro’s glass production history, and has loaned us some of his personal pieces for the displays on this year’s tour,” Stam said.

“This summer thanks to a Facebook post by Ryan, Skip’s efforts and the support of the Growth Resources of Wellsboro Foundation, two ribbon machines were saved from being scrapped and were brought to Wellsboro. The entire rescue of these machines was tenuous and things fell into place at the last possible second every step of the way,” said Stam.

“I think it’s very important to recognize how revolutionary the invention of the ribbon machine really was. With very few modifications, from it’s invention in 1926 through the early 2000s, the ribbon machine was the way light bulbs, ornaments and other blown glass objects were created around the world. In fact, ribbon machines were built here in Wellsboro and shipped to several other countries. They were so efficient that it only took 15 ribbon machines to produce all the light bulbs needed to supply the entire world,” Stam said.

“More important is the story of the people,” said Stam. “Whenever I talk to those who worked at the Wellsboro plant, or read their stories, I admire their work ethic. No matter what their job was, they knew it was important and took pride in doing it. They all felt they were part of a family,” she said.

“When they brought the two ribbon machines home to Wellsboro this June, I could tell it was an emotional event for Ryan and Skip. It’s important to record this piece of history for future generations. Even I got emotional when I learned that the ribbon machines had been rescued, and I have only lived in the Wellsboro area for 16 years,” said Stam. “It is important to learn about local history. We can always learn from those who have gone before us, and it helps to understand the dynamics that shaped our area and our culture.”

Those who want to purchase either the 2020 or 2019 ornament history guide can visit the Pop’s Culture Shoppe website (popscultureshoppe.com) and choose from different shipping or pick up options or call the store at 570-723-4263. The guides are $5 each.

The Christmas On Main Street committee asks that those who worked at the Wellsboro glass plant email their information, photos and stories to WellsboroGlass@gmail.com. “Hopefully we’ll have even more stories to share in next year’s Christmas on Main Street historic guide,” Stam said.

“We are also planning to build a permanent home for the ribbon machines,” she added. Tax deductible donations can be mailed to the Wellsboro Foundation (reference “Ribbon Machine” in the check memo line), 114 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901.

Photo by John Eaton
Anja Stam holds a copy of last year’s The Town That Saved Christmas ornament history guide that she wrote about the varied shapes and sizes of the ornaments on display, from simple spheres in traditional colors to “fancies”.

HIGHLAND CHOCOLATES TO OPEN AT NEW LOCATION THIS THURSDAY, DEC. 10

This Thursday, Dec. 10, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Highland Chocolates will open its new retail store at 82 Main Street in Wellsboro. The opening was planned for Dec. 3 but due to an unexpected setback was rescheduled.

Highland permanently closed its retail space at 17 Main Street this past Sunday at 3 p.m. Equipment , products and supplies will be moved from 17 Main to 82 Main in time for the opening.

Hours at 82 Main are: Mondays through Thursdays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Sundays, 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Not only will Highland be carrying more varieties of their handcrafted chocolates and trail mixes but will also have gift baskets, and feature souvenir items from T-shirts and sweatshirts to can coolers and wine glasses as well as nostalgic penny candies from liquorice and jawbreakers to salt water taffy, candy necklaces, gummies and jelly beans.

On display in the front window at 82 Main will be a collection of diagrams, aerial photographs of the Wellsboro Corning Glass Works plant. photographs of the production of the Christmas ornaments on ribbon machines at the plant, and other memorabilia from the collections of Skip Cavanaugh and Ryan Root. This is one of 26 Christmas On Main Street displays that can be seen throughout town.

Highland’s main store at 11724 Route 6 will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. this Friday and Saturday, Dec. 11 and 12, and 82 Main will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 11; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 12; and 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 13.

Those who stop in at either store with a Christmas On Main Street passport will receive a 10 percent discount on their Highland Chocolates purchases. The downtown store at 82 Main Street will be stamping passports Dec. 11-13; the main store will not.

For more information, call toll-free at 800-371-1082 or visit www.highlandchocolates.org.

Christmas On Main Street 2020 Schedule of Events

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11
9:00 a.m. (During regular business hours)
Historic Ornaments on Display
At 26 Wellsboro Area Locations

9:00 a.m. (runs continuously 24/7)
FREE Video on Christmas On Main Street History
Penn Oak Realty
65 Main Street

9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Ribbon Machine Molds and Historic Ornaments on Display
From My Shelf Books & Gifts
7 East Avenue

4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Victorian House Tour $5
Refreshments, Ornament to Keep
Goodhart’s Inn
49 Central Avenue

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 12
9:00 a.m. (During regular business hours)
Historic Ornaments on Display
At 26 Wellsboro Area Locations

9:00 a.m.
Historic Walking Tour
Begins at Penn Wells Hotel Lobby
Preregistration required
Call 570-724-2111
$5 or FREE with Passport

9:00 a.m. (runs continuously 24/7)
FREE Video on Christmas On Main Street History
Penn Oak Realty
65 Main Street

9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Ribbon Machine Molds and Historic Ornaments on Display
From My Shelf Books & Gifts
7 East Avenue

10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Vote for Nonprofit to Win $$
Wild Asaph Outfitters
71 Main Street

10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Victorian House Tour $5
Refreshments, Ornament to Keep
Goodhart’s Inn
49 Central Avenue

11:00 a.m.
Historic Walking Tour
Begins at Penn Wells Hotel Lobby
Preregistration required
Call 570-724-2111
$5 or FREE with Passport

11:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Christine A. Moore Holiday Trunk Show
Fall and Winter Hats
Dunham’s Department Store
45 Main Street

12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
FREE Visit with Live Reindeer
Photo Session with Reindeer $10
Methodist Church/Sherwin-Williams
Parking Lot on Main Street

12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Free Hot Chocolate & Mini Photos
Senior’s Creations & Main Street Olive Oil Co.
75 Main Street

12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Candy Cane Sundaes for $1
The Creamery
17 Main Street

1:00 p.m.
Historic Walking Tour
Begins at Penn Wells Hotel Lobby
Preregistration required
Call 570-724-2111
$5 or FREE with Passport

3:00 p.m.
Historic Walking Tour
Begins at Penn Wells Hotel Lobby
Preregistration required
Call 570-724-2111
$5 or FREE with Passport

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13
9:00 a.m. (runs continuously 24/7)
FREE Video on Christmas On Main Street History
Penn Oak Realty
65 Main Street

10:00 a.m. (During regular business hours)
Historic Ornaments on Display
At 17 Wellsboro Locations

10:00 a.m.
Historic Walking Tour
Begins at Penn Wells Hotel Lobby
Preregistration required
Call 570-724-2111
$5 or FREE with Passport

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Victorian House Tour $5
Refreshments, Ornament to Keep
Goodhart’s Inn
49 Central Avenue

11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Ribbon Machine Molds and Historic Ornaments on Display
From My Shelf Books & Gifts
7 East Avenue

12:00 p.m.
Historic Walking Tour
Begins at Penn Wells Hotel Lobby
Preregistration required
Call 570-724-2111
$5 or FREE with Passport

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Holiday Coffee and Hot Chocolate Tastings
Café 1905
Dunham’s Department Store
45 Main Street

12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Christine A. Moore Holiday Trunk Show
Fall and Winter Hats
Dunham’s Department Store
45 Main Street

12:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Unlock The Sparkle charity event tickets available
Bethany’s Jewelers & Design
84 Main Street

Until 6:00 p.m.
Last Chance to Turn in Passports at
Historic Ornament Display Locations
Last Drop Off is at 6 p.m. at Penn Wells Lodge Front Desk at 4 Main Street

CLARE RITTER TO LEAD SIX HISTORIC TOURS OF MAIN STREET, WELLSBORO THIS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, DEC. 12 AND 13

Clare Ritter of Blossburg is leading the Christmas On Main Street Historic Walking Tours this Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 12 and 13. “I’ started the tours last year,” she said.

“I work at the front desk at the Penn Wells Hotel taking reservations and helping with marketing to larger groups that want to stay in Wellsboro. Those I work with quickly learned about my love of history and it snowballed from there. I think it is important for people to understand local history. That’s why I enjoy leading these tours. Most tour guides also have a theatrical background,” she said. For many years, Ritter has acted in and directed plays produced by Hamilton-Gibson, Wellsboro’s community theater arts group.

Each tour lasts about one hour and starts in the Penn Wells Hotel lobby at 62 Main Street in downtown Wellsboro. There will be six tours in total, four this Saturday at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. and two on Sunday, at 10 a.m. and noon. People can register for the tours by calling the Penn Wells Hotel at 570-724-2111 or stopping in at the hotel’s main lobby.

“Normally, I would take up to 25 people on a tour. Since this is the year of COVID-19, I will be taking up to six people if they are couples or individuals but can take more if the group is a family or people that live in the same household. Everyone on the tour has to wear a mask and social distance,” she noted.

“The tours are $5 per person or free for those who pay $5 for the 2020 ornament history guide that comes with a passport to the 26 Wellsboro ornament display locations. The guide can be purchased at the Penn Wells Hotel, Pop’s Culture Shoppe at 25 Main Street, Wild Asaph Outfitters at 71 Main Street and The Farmer’s Daughters at 11719 Route 6, all in Wellsboro. It includes information about each of the 26 displays.

The names of visitors who get their passports stamped at 10 or more display locations and turn them in no later than 6 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 13 will be entered in a drawing being held at 7 p.m. that night. The three winners will be contacted and each will receive a basket of gift cards and merchandise valued at $100 or more. Those who enter the drawing need not be present to win.

Also available is a free brochure that includes the schedule of events, a map showing where the 34 participating businesses and restaurants are located, information about the hours each will be open this weekend, what they offer, and identifying the 26 that are hosting historic displays of Christmas ornaments, ribbon machine molds and other equipment used in manufacturing ornaments and/or are holding special events.

“We will walk along the sidewalks as I point out the different businesses that were represented in some of our historic buildings,” Ritter said. Those who go on the tours will get a feel for the way life was in Wellsboro in 1939.

“I do a lot of research to find out what Main Street, Wellsboro looked like. Last year I focused on the postwar years in the 1940s and this weekend on 1939, the first year that Christmas ornaments were made at the Wellsboro Corning Glass Works plant,” said Ritter.

“In 1939, if you couldn’t find what you wanted on Main Street then you didn’t need it,” she laughed.

For a detailed schedule for Dec. 11, 12 and 13, visit WellsboroChristmasOnMainStreet.com or for information call (570) 724-1926 before 4 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 11.

Photo by John Eaton
Clare Ritter displays the Christmas On Main Street ornament history guide, passport and brochure.

REINDEER TO BE IN WELLSBORO THIS SATURDAY, DEC. 12

Photo provided
This Saturday, Dec. 12 from noon to 4 p.m. during Christmas On Main Street in Wellsboro, youngsters and adults are invited to visit with Comet and her six-month old son Curly Star who weighs about 120 pounds and was born in May with lots of kinky curls. The two reindeer will be in the parking lot on Main Street between the United Methodist Church and Sherwin-Williams Paint Store. For a detailed schedule of Dec. 11, 12 and 13 events, visit WellsboroChristmasOnMainStreet.com or for information call (570) 724-1926 before 4 p.m. this Friday, Dec. 11.

“IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE” TICKETS TO GO ON SALE MONDAY, DEC. 14

The Hamilton-Gibson cast is rehearsing in preparation for their performance of the radio play version of the American holiday classic “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

A professional using multiple cameras to capture close-ups of the actors and many other shots will film the performance.

The resulting film will then be broadcast at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, Dec. 18 and 19 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 20 so it can be seen and heard by people in their own homes.

Tickets are $10 per person and $20 per family. They will go on sale this coming Monday, Dec. 14 at hgp.booktix.com.

“Cast members play multiple roles and each is skilled at changing his or her voice to reflect different characters. They will also be wearing different costumes and using different props so it will be easy to tell one character from another,” said Director Thomas Putnam.

This year’s HG reprise of “It’s A Wonderful Life” will feature Gordie Dunlap of Wellsboro as George Bailey, Karin Knaus of Westfield as George’s wife, Mary Hatch Bailey and Eugene Seelye of Wellsboro as Clarence Oddbody, George’s guardian angel. They each appeared in these same roles in HG’s 2011 production.

The play is about George, a man who has so many problems, he is thinking about ending it all even though it is Christmas. Instead he rescues Clarence who through flashbacks shows George what his town would have looked like if it hadn’t been for all of his good deeds over the years. It is based on the Frank Capra Christmas fantasy drama film released on Jan. 7, 1947 and adapted into a radio play by Philip Grecian.

“We had a blast doing this production nine years ago,” said Dunlap, a graphic designer for UPMC Wellsboro. “That’s why I decided to audition. Also, I wanted to step out of my personal comfort zone, and I can’t think of anything further out of that zone than being in a play. I first saw the movie when I was in my twenties and fell in love with the story. Then I discovered to my delight that I could do a fairly decent imitation of Jimmy Stewart’s voice.”

Dunlap’s first appearance in an HG stage production was a small part in “Flight of the Lawn Chair Man” in 2008. “I loved it. After that, I played a lead role in ‘Plain and Fancy’ in 2009, and George Bailey in this same production in 2011.” When asked how he felt about performing in the midst of a pandemic, he said “I hope it brings a smile to someone’s face in the midst of what feels like a dark time.”
Asked why she had auditioned for this play, Knaus said, “When we did this play in 2011, it quickly became one of my favorite theater experiences. The story has always resonated very strongly with me, and I love the radio show piece, as it is a unique and fun way to share it with others.

“What draws me to this play is its message that ‘no man is a failure who has friends’. In my own experience, this is certainly true. I am so touched every single time that line is said, whether in our show or when I watch the movie version, it brings me to tears,” said Knaus, an English teacher at Cowanesque Valley High School.

“I think people are missing live theater and music because of this pandemic. Seeing their HG friends doing a show that resonates with so many is comforting. Most importantly, its other message – that even in the hardest of times, we have so many blessings – is one everyone could stand to hear right now,” she said.

Also in the cast are: Don Gill Elementary School third grader Emme Reifer of Wellsboro as Zuzu Bailey; Rock L. Butler Middle School eighth grader River Moyer of Whitneyville as young George Bailey and Hortense; Nicholas J. Duffy of Mansfield as banker Henry F. Potter, George’s younger brother Harry Bailey and Nick the bartender; Kathryn Sheneman of Roseville as Violet and Tilly; and Timothy Wilbourn of Wellsboro as Joseph the Angel, Uncle Billy and Mr. Bailey, George’s father.

“It’s A Wonderful Life” is co-sponsored by Bob and Marsha Chesko, Michele Comes, the Deerfield Charitable Trust, Friends of George Bailey and Partners In Progress, Inc.

For more information, call (570) 724-2079 or email hamgib@gmail.com.

Photo by John Eaton
Mary Hatch Bailey (Karin Knaus) finds out about their money woes as George, her husband (Gordie Dunlap) listens in.

WELL ARMED WOMAN SHOOTING CHAPTER, TIOGA COUNTY, PA TO MEET THURSDAY, DEC. 17

The Well Armed Woman Shooting Chapter, Tioga County, Pa. will meet at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 17 at the Lambs Creek Sportsman’s Club at 339 Sportsman’s Club Road, Mansfield, PA 16933. Discussed will be the chapter’s meeting plans for 2021. The group is following Pennsylvania COVID-19 protocols. Marilyn Jones and Pat Butts are chapter co-leaders.

Also attending the meeting will be representatives from three area organizations. Chris Wheeler from Mansfield University’s Police Academy will talk to the group about deadly force and concealed carry laws. Robin Adams will discuss how Asa’s Place provides help to babies born addicted to drugs and how the organization helps in the community. A representative from Haven of Tioga County will speak on domestic violence and abuse, what they do for the community and how the Well Armed Woman group can help them.

New member applications will be available. Women who don’t own a firearm and want more information before making a purchase or want to find out about joining the chapter are invited to contact Jones at (570) 549-2794 or jones_mk@yahoo.com.

TIADAGHTON AUDUBON SOCIETY HAS 12 PARTICIPANTS FOR THE SATURDAY, DEC. 19 COWANESQUE CIRCLE BIRD COUNT; NEW DEADLINE FOR JAN. 1 WELLSBORO-MANSFIELD CIRCLE BIRD COUNT IS FRIDAY, DEC. 18

“We have 12 participants for the Cowanesque Circle bird count on Saturday, Dec. 19 and I’ve already assigned them to specific areas in that circle,” said Sean Minnick. He and his wife Robin are members of the Tiadaghton Audubon Society based in Wellsboro.

The Cowanesque Circle is centered on Cowanesque Lake and has a radius of 7.5 miles, which covers the following area: North – Pinnacle State Park in N.Y.; South – Ives Run Campground; West – Osceola; and East – East Lawrence Road and Woodford Road and everything in between.

“As for the Wellsboro-Mansfield Circle bird count on Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, I have enough people to do it but if anyone else is interested, I can reduce the size of the areas to be covered so more can participate. I would need to know who wants to take part no later than Friday, Dec. 18,” Minnick said. To sign up, email tasmember@yahoo.com or call Sean or Robin at 570-948-9052. “Anyone interested is welcome to call me or my wife for more information.” Volunteers will get their area assignments via email.

The Wellsboro-Mansfield Circle is centered on the intersection of Whitneyville and Charleston roads with a radius of 7.5 miles, covering the following area: North – Ives Run Campground; South – Arnot and South Elk Road; West – Route 6 and Heise Run Road; and East – Mansfield University and everything in between. Each participant is expected to count every bird they see as he/she/they follow their assigned route.

“If people living in either the Cowanesque or Wellsboro-Mansfield bird circle areas want to participate but don’t want to leave their homes, they can count the birds at the bird feeders in their own backyards,” said Minnick.

“If backyard birders call or email Robin or me, we can tell them how to do a count and whether they are in one of our circle areas and should send the data to us or if they live outside our circle areas we will refer them to the appropriate place to report their bird data,” he said.

“I hadn’t thought about backyard birders participating until I received a phone call from a lady in Coudersport. I told her how she could provide her bird information to a different organization that would turn it in with their count,” said Minnick.

It is not necessary to be a member of either the Tiadaghton or the National Audubon Society to participate in the Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count, which occurs across America between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5 every year. Tioga County, through the Tiadaghton Audubon Society, has been represented in the count every year since 1968.

Photo by Sean Minnick
Despite his bright blue color, a bluejay can still be hard to see in a leafless bush.