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UPDATE:The cream rises to the top

1/28/2021

Story updated 1/28/2021, originally published 1/16/2021

When Lance Mitchell humbly requested prayers a couple years back when he wasn't exactly sure he'd ever sell another drop of milk again, he couldn't really imagine being sold out of milk twice in his first week of in-house production.
But here he is.

His family run Mitch Hill Dairy started small with their new bottling operations - only

a couple dozen gallon jugs of raw milk last week and a few more pasteurized bottles this week. But they've all made their way into area homes and bellies. Their first batch of raw milk sold out in a day and now their first run of pasteurized milk has also vanished.

Now, after a Wednesday of delivering to some local shops, the Mitch Hill milk is available in a few stores.

Three local places are already on board to carry Mitch Hill gallons. and others expressed interest when they begin bottling half-gallons. With the help of Oil City's Heath Market, Seneca's Stiller's Meats and Smokehouse and Abe's General Store in President, Mitch Hill I can now be purchased with out a ride out the country farm.

According to Gayle Mitchell the store will set the price over $4 a gallon but they'll be at least $4.25 in the stores. The Mitch Hill store at the farm will continue selling at $4 and continue selling raw milk there as well.

The move to sell at the stores helps distribute their local milk in a more convenient way for consumers in town. This move is showing a way a small farmer can reach their community with their product despite the high distribution of corporate farms and dairies, which many experts have pointed to as the reason so many small farms are in the decline.

So at least for now through hard work and perhaps a little luck, Mitch Hill is not only still here, they are growing and they are selling drops of milk by the gallon. Mitchell's prayers, and those from others, are paying off.

Below is the story published on the 16th.

Gayle Mitchell indicates they have only four gallons of raw milk left on their very first day of bottle sales at the Pinegrove township farm. They began slow with just 24 gallons and by the end of the day they sold out. A friend from as far away as Brookville came by to support their new endeavor.

Selling 24 gallons of milk might not seem like a life changing event to most, but on Saturday January 16, 2021, for Mitch Hill Farms in Pinegrove Township, this was a woo hoo moment for sure.

"It's been over a decade in the making," said Gayle Mitchell. She and husband Lance have been talking about, planning, seeking a means, and revamping plans to set up a milk bottling operation. It hasn't been an easy road.

Several road blocks and stumbling blocks kept pushing back the plans. Then in early 2018, the company that had been buying their milk, suddenly cut them off. They and several farms in the area were left with no one to buy their milk.

Some multi-generation farms could weather the storm a little better than others who still had liens on their property and much of their equipment. Mitch Hill had been operating on a line of credit as the milk prices were so low they struggled to keep up.

At that time Lance Mitchell, who always seems to be wearing a smile, was worried, but not defeated. He simply only asked for people to include them in their thoughts and prayers.

""If there is one thing I can ask... if folks would say a little prayer," he said while moving cows into position for the afternoon milking.

Not too long after that humble request, another dairy picked them up allowing the Mitchell's to keep operating their farm.

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But they were still at the mercy of someone else to determine their future. So they kept planning and working toward their goal. Two years later, and during one of the worst years in world history thanks in part to the Coronavirus, the Mitchell's caught a break that would change their lives and help them move forward with their dream.

"We had a pretty good 2020," Lance said. They received a $50,000 Pennsylvania Dairy Improvement Grant that propelled them into getting the funding they needed to start their bottling operation. The nearly $200,000 project started operating with their first 24 one-gallon jugs of raw milk Friday night. They sold out on Saturday after a brief Facebook message.

Friends came as far a Brookville to support the Mitchell's new endeavor.

"This gives us a chance to stabilize the market for ourselves," Gayle said.

They plan to start bottling pasteurized milk this week as soon as their labels arrive.

After that they hope to be able to produce around 400 gallons of milk a week and sell their product in some area shops.

Lance said he doesn't care to become a big operation. "I just want to have 40 cows and make a living," he said.

"It was pretty neat seeing the milk going into the bottle," Gayle said about starting the bottling process Friday night.

On Saturday their son Caine posted a Facebook message that they would have milk at their new store on the farm beginning at 10 a.m. The night before their daughter Quinn baked some cookies to give away as a thank you. They then waited to see if anyone would show up.

"We would've been happy if one person showed up," Gayle said with a laugh. But they had a steady stream of customers, many promising a return visit in the future. At the end of the day they had only one jug remaining.

However after checking her phone messages, Gayle saw that a friend asked if she would bring a gallon to work on Monday, so they did manage to sell out on their first day.

"This is nothing short of a miracle," said Gayle. "Those prayers that were sent three years ago have been answered in a remarkable way."

Visit the farm at 702 Keister Rd, Venus, PA 16364. As of now they are planning to hold Saturday hours from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Learn more by following their Facebook page here.

More on the back story:
From almost three years ago.
This social media post had gone pretty viral reaching close to a million people worldwide with thousands of comments pouring in with support and prayers for the Mitchells and others struggling with the state of dairy in decline for the small farmer.

https://www.facebook.com/richardsayerphotojournalism/posts/1851353808491031

Read the story that appeared in The Derrick and News-Herald here:
https://www.thederrick.com/news/front_page/dairy-dilemma/article_cf22072b-aa89-5fdd-b528-82f719f4fa68.html#tncms-source=login

Another farm that was included in the 2018 story, the Henry Farm in Knox has also started bottling milk for sale as well. Check out their page at www.facebook.com/HenryDairyFarms

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Did you know you can purchase photos from Eight & 322?

1/27/2021

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Most newspapers offer, as a service, the photos they take at events.
Here at Eight & 322 we do as well.

As folks are gathered around the tube to watch the Super Bowl, some might be less interested in the game than others, so maybe those folks might like to look at some photos of their kids in action? Or save the link for later.

I can't be at every game, but I try to get to at least three a week.

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Looking back on 2020, Part five: Some joy and perspective

1/25/2021

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Opinion
(sorry this got lost in the shuffle the last few weeks.)

Hey, We made it. Was it normal? No. Did we miss some things? Yes. Did we experience sorrow? Sure. "Did we experience joy? Absolutely.

Sounds like life.

No, this was not a fun year. The tremendous amount of news that hit us like Muhammed Ali jabs over and over again were just sometimes too much to take. But still, kids graduated, kids played, adults figured ways and those of us lucky enough to be here right now, we lived.

Yes it was a sad year and will be remembered for decades to come as the year we say every December 31 the phrase, "well it wasn't as bad as 2020."

Years like this, the triumphs and joys we managed to experience may be over shadowed, but perhaps these moments should be what we ultimately take away as a pat on the back for our perseverance.
It was a surprise that school's opened up to be honest. But with monitoring and restrictions we were able to have some in person classes and modified sports seasons. In Oil City this led to a joy the city and school couldn't imagine. Their beat up run in the playoffs left them one game shy of a state championship. But this team brought light to a beleaguered city during a beleaguered time.

2020 couldn't take that away from them and history will remember this team.

2020 also showed the spirit of family and friends to not let important moments go. Socially distanced celebrations took place, born out of fear of harming one another. But we still celebrated with drive by parades and affection flung out windows or tossed up from the sidewalks onto porches or thrown from windows. We didn't forget each other.

We learned new ways to show love.

Perspective could also be something we gained a little more of in 2020. We saw people we know get sick and even die. We know we all have our issues to contend with, but understanding what others are going through during difficult times became something that was in front of everyone.

Despite COVID-19 we still had people dealing with troubles above that. I wrote a story about a Franklin father in need of a kidney and hoping to find a person with such a big heart they are willing to give him one of their kidneys. After the story was posted and made it around the country, several people stepped up to be tested for a match. People who don't even know the man.

Unfortunately no match has been found yet, but they are still searching and hoping.

Then this summer as COVID restrictions began to lighten up, the news of a young man coming down with a powerful illness surfaced. Through the kind and generous heart of a family friend, many people learned of his situation and reached out to help in anyway they could. At the county fair a perennial champion 4-her decided to auction his prize pig off for the family who was looking at incredible expenses ahead.

The community caught wind of this and rallied to give this pig the largest ever sale at the fair and help out a family in need.

2020 was sad, but the joy of life and the strength of humanity was on display in Northwest Pennsylvania.

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Column: Art isn't just a thing to look at

1/22/2021

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Opinion

I'm an artist. That has always sounded pretentious to me. I always like to tell people I make stuff. The truth is art isn't about a thing, an object, or a performance or even the individual...its life.

Art provides an energy that just doesn't exist in a void. Everyone benefits from art and more importantly everyone benefits from the creative mind.

Having evidence of creative minds in our community allows us to see the world a little different. So being in an art-centric place like Oil City offers us a unique understanding of the world.

Remember when those weird box-looking tiny cars came out how nearly everyone thought they were weird, yet for some they were just what the doctor ordered.
Well somewhere this concept came from a very creative mind who had the gumption to put the idea out there. Just like somewhere in a board room someone threw out the idea "We should have a movie where sharks are flying around in a tornado!"

I like to be challenged when I look at art.

Technique doesn't challenge, weirdness doesn't challenge, color, texture, scale... don't challenge. Challenge comes from being surprised and witnessing the unexpected with some level of proficiency of technique, color, texture, scale and yes weirdness. Challenge comes when the artist's insides explode out in either emotion or something cerebral.

Art wakes you.

Anyone who thinks it doesn't, doesn't take note of what excites them enough to realize that the creative mind of an artist was fully involved at some point in the process, because everything that is human-made took someone thinking of something that was never thought of before.

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Craig Phillips: A life well lived

1/19/2021

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By Bob Heist

“We might not be the ones to change the world. We might not belong to the few that ‘put a ding in the universe.’ We might not be something the whole world would celebrate. But … in the little corners that we live, in the lives that we’ve played a part in, we should be nothing but unforgettable.”

― Nesta Jojoe Erskine, Unforgettable: Living a Life That Matters

The easy part are the memories. The hard part is the goodbye.

Meet Robert Craig Phillips, whose life journey ended on Jan. 15, 2021. He was just 63 years old.

So where to begin for the son of Bob and Leta Phillips? Newport Beach, California, where he was born? Guys Mills, Pennsylvania? Fargo, North Dakota? Brockport, New York? Or is it a dart on the map at countless places in-between?

I’ll take my chances with the dart.

Craig was unique, no doubt, a guy that walked to the beat of his own drummer. But that beat was his brilliance, and it touched countless lives. And that includes me.

Before we get to his life’s passion, which was the sport of wrestling, a quick note about what my friend meant personally.

It’s no secret that we worked and coached together for more than a decade. I wouldn’t trade those years for anything. But a big chunk of what I became should never have happened.

The year was 1984, I had been in my wife’s hometown of Meadville with our two young boys for just a couple years. I had little purpose at that point, and worse yet, no direction. But somehow I ended up on the Williams Cafe morning league softball team. Somehow one man had just left a two-man sports staff at the Meadville Tribune. Somehow I asked Craig what it took to be a sports writer, and somehow he pushed Managing Editor John Wellington to hire me.

You can’t do that nowadays - no college journalism courses, had nothing to show as writing clips; hell, I couldn’t even type.

A 36-year career blossomed from that mid-morning conversation over a dive bar beer. I’ve traveled the country, covered everything from youth and high school sports, to Super Bowls, to NASCAR, to college football national championships, to NCAA basketball final fours, etc., etc. I ran the newsroom at three newspapers and either individually or as a staff (sports and news) won numerous national awards.

I was rewarded with a life that I never could have imagined before 1984. That was because of Craig, who saw something that I didn’t know existed.

So, yes, his passing hit hard.

Craig's column header from his days at The Meadville Tribune

But Craig’s legacy has nothing to do with our relationship, but the countless lives he influenced through wrestling.

Craig was an awful good wrestler at both Maplewood and Pitt - hard-nosed, “One tough hombre,” as longtime friend Mark Dugan, himself a two-time state champion, put it. But he would become a great coach and ambassador for the sport.

From the early 1980s on, Craig was on the short list of Pennsylvania’s top wrestling writers for the Tribune (later the Oil City Derrick and Franklin News-Herald) and Pennsylvania Wrestling Roundup, and contributed to the national bible for the sport, USA Wrestling.

“Good” doesn’t do Craig’s writing style justice. He was passionate beyond reproach. His knowledge was immense. His connections were practically unmatched.

And he did it all with a pen and paper - a laptop computer wasn’t his thing, once they became a thing for sports writers. He scratched out award-winning stories and transcribed them back to the sports desk over the phone - never missing deadline. The national wrestling writer of the year in 1990 about sums it up, right? Or is it his induction into both the Pennsylvania Wrestling and Softball Writers Hall of Fame?

He was amazing and articulate and honest.

And one helluva coach.

When Craig was gravely ill and eventually passed, the outpouring on social media was telling. From the great Wade Schalles to a who’s who list of coaches and wrestlers, the comments were unanimous.

“So friendly, kind and considerate. He'll definitely be missed,” Schalles wrote.

“Wow, RIP. Craig was my coach for 7 years. Spent a lot of time with him,” said former Meadville High state medalist Nick Pendolino. “Craig was the epitome of ‘never judge a book by its cover.’ He was a great coach! He was a great man!”

“I am really saddened by this loss to the wrestling community. Craig was my club wrestling coach and served as quite an influence in my life,” said John Reynolds, a former state medalist for Conneaut Lake. “His gruff, physical, no excuses coaching style gave his athletes confidence when he was coaching in your corner. He was ‘old school’ tough with his coaching style, but definitely cared about his athletes.”

“He shaped my freestyle and Greco career. Fare thee well,” said McGuffey’s multiple state medalist Tim Queen.

“Craig wrestled for me at Pitt. Truly loved the sport. RIP my friend,” said former University of Pittsburgh coach Dave Adams.
“Craig was one of the Team PA coaches when I won cadet nationals. He knew the sport inside and out. RIP,” added Biff Walizer, a multiple state champion for Bald Eagle Nittany and All-American for Penn State.

Craig and his brother Todd in their youth showing off their many trophies.

I was asked for Craig’s coaching record leading the Meadville Junior High program through a good portion of the 1980s. I was there, so you’d think I would know. I don’t - how about a ton of wins and I can’t remember losing a dual meet (apparently we did once).

He certainly was a major influence on some of the great MASH teams for Hall of Fame coach Dick Lumley, producing an unquestioned talent pipeline and then assisting on the high school staff from 1988-1992. He spawned future head coaches, including kids he first touched in elementary school - Jon Frye and Barry Anderson in Meadville. How many others followed his no nonsense, caring approach into coaching - throw a dart at the map.

Craig’s brainchild, the French Creek Freestyle Club, drew kids not only from Meadville and Crawford County, but included some of the state’s most elite names. FCFS was one of the country’s top clubs, attested by the swarm of kids that found their way onto the podium in Fargo.

He was a household name that top college coaches contacted for information on wrestlers he either coached or coached against. Craig’s word was gold. His thoughts valued. His endorsement earned numerous scholarship opportunities for kids.

I’d love to tell you about all the coaching trips we made to tournaments - in season and out - or the journeys as writers to the PIAA Championships in Hershey, and everything we did in-between with friends in the business or parents or coaches or former wrestlers, but those memories are for us.

From the cowboy boots to the flip-flops he adopted later in gymnasiums from here to there, Craig was one of a kind - the good kind.

How a life was lived is always up to other individuals’ interpretation in times like these - “But … in the little corners that we live, in the lives that we’ve played a part in, we should be nothing but unforgettable.”

Robert Craig Phillips was unforgettable and one damned good person.

That’s my interpretation.

Thank you, my friend.

Rest In Peace.

Bob Heist is former sports editor at The Meadville Tribune and long time executive editor at several papers around the country, He was kind enough to share his thought with us. Thank you Bob.

Craig's Obituary and more thoughts on Craig can be found here

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When your dollar stays local, you help neighbors

1/19/2021

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During this pandemic local businesses have been put on a roller coaster ride of hell. Mitigation efforts have either shut many of them down completely for a period of time or demanded they lesson their in store capacity to comply with safety protocols. Both measures have meant less money in their pocket and a strain on their businesses.

Many have taken to selling gift cards on their own to off-set some expenses. This provides much needed short-term cash in hand solution that really helps. The downside is somewhere down the road this will eventually lead to less revenue as the gift cards get used. A bit of a catch 22

The Franklin Retail Association offered a slightly different way to support local businesses with their gift cards. Their card can be used at any of the around 50 businesses participating.

Their cards need to be used as soon as possible if they are to help the businesses out now. When they are used for purchases, the business then submits the amount to the retail association who then cuts them a check. A newer system allows them to pay the businesses quicker, usually within a week. Those cards do not help the businesses if they are not used, according to Jessica Carroll the association president.

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During their promotion they sold $35,000 worth of cards. This is all money that remains in the community.

As further incentive to use these cards sooner rather than later, the association will be announcing another little promotion during the months of February and March to extend the value of their gift cards and help even more businesses. For more information on that keep an eye on their Facebook page for this announcement coming very soon according to Carroll..

The association is also happy to be partnering with Franklin Fine Arts Council on a soup competition during Franklin on Ice on February 6. Due to COVID-19, the participating restaurants will set up their samples at their own restaurants. Sampling cards will be $5.

The Franklin community is doing what it can to help keep their businesses from having to shutter during these trying times and keep the money in the area.

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Covid era swimming is different

1/14/2021

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I walked into the Franklin YMCA today and was met by some friendly faces who graciously asked to take my temperature and asked me to was my hands with hand sanitizer. Now my hands are feeling like raw tenderized cutlets from sanitizing them.
Then I went into the pool and as usual my lenses were all fogged up. Even the ones over my eyes.

The meets are divided up now with the girls swimming first and the boys showing up later to finish the meet. It's all different, but, as I've said since the fall, they played! I made a few photos and shared even more at the link below:

https://sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p869265359

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Let them know you saw they support local coverage of your kids sports and other stories and thank them for their dedication to the community.

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See more photos by clicking here.

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Looking back on 2020: Photographer favorites

1/11/2021

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It starts around Christmas each year. I begin to feel..... well not very good about my ability as a photographer. Colleagues from all over the country start posting their best photos of the year and that feeling intensifies. I am blessed to know some very, very incredible journalists with cameras. I am in awe of their work. I learn from their work.

Also my Facebook memories torment me with photos from my past that often make me wish I still saw photos the same way I did when I was young and hungry.

Then I spend a few days of self doubt and loathing before I come to my senses and realize that each story I cover has its own merits and therefore there should be no comparisons to times past or other community stories witnessed by other photographers. The life I am blessed to witness deserves their own recognition and a dedicated second look.

This years stories here in NW Pa. are as good as any other stories anywhere else.
And usually, within this whole process, I discover that I am better and smarter than my previous selves.

I then look at my work with a fresh eye.
So here are a collection of my favorite images from the very trying year of 2020.

March 27

My year, for the sake of this collection, began on March 25 when I was laid off from the Derrick and News-Herald. The first three months I made some photographs that would have made it in this collection, but those are not mine to show.

I was blessed to be invited into the home of Oil City police officer Steve Rembold to tell the story of his battle with cancer and efforts by the community to rally behind him and his family. It was an honor to be given the trust to tell such a story and I am proud of that. I wish I could share my favorite photo from that story as one of my favorites of the year.

Click here for a blog about the story.

As I was sitting in my bosses offices getting the pink slip, I was thinking, ok, I'll start telling stories on my own. Two days later I made this picture above of Laura Jones and her husband getting rid one a guest room full of supplies she had collected over the last 25 years of being a GEMS teacher. She was giving her supplies to the next generation of GEMS leaders as she prepared for retirement.

She was thrilled to be able to pass on her work to others. Her husband was also happy to see parts of the house he said he hadn't seen in years. We laughed and I wrote my first independent story.

I covered some pretty important stories this year. A lot were COVID-19 related, all were affected by the virus in one way or another. One bittersweet moment came from the county fair. A young man, Gabe Sobina, had been given some bad news. He and his parents were facing some difficult and expensive medical treatments. Another young man, Scott Snyder, decided to sell his prize hog at auction to raise money for the family. The community came through and raised several thousand dollars. Not many dry eyes in the auction barn that night, including this photographer's.

I also got a chance record a few moments of life this year that seemed oddly vacant of humans as lockdown measures were put in place and then as they were slowly lifted I was able to photograph life getting back to a small bit of normal.

I photographed more nature this year than ever before.

Click on smaller photos to enlarge.

Another major event, or several events I should say, were the Black Lives Matter rallies across the country. These events have sustained all year long and likely had a major impact on the November election. Locally issues of racial inequality were also brought to light in even the smaller communities and many conversations were peacefully discussed.

Though it wasn't without tension or even the blatant displays of racism and mistrust, but rallies in Franklin, Oil City and Meadville all remained peaceful.

Community leaders took the rallies a step further and began hosting serious discussions about the issues of race in our local communities. Many shared their stories that illustrated that even here we have a problem that needs our attention.

These events and others demonstrated that this country is still a great work in progress. But we are working on it, as this country always has - through difficulty comes change.

Besides COVID and BLM, the political climate throughout the country was quite a thing to witness. From rallies against the shutdown and mask wearing with hatred toward Pennsylvania's governor, to the presidential race, it was hard to have discussions about issues without loud voices eventually getting louder. I attended as many local rallies as I felt safe to attend.

One of the most controversial aspects of 2020 was the change in voting rules last minute involving mail in ballots. I included this (below) as a favorite, not because its a great photo, but because of the importance of this story that will be talked about for years to come

I also noted a difference in the area between 2020 and 2016..... more Biden signs than I saw Hillary signs. There seemed to be a shift going on, certainly not a big change in the overall area, but a little change.... this was still without a doubt Trump country. One of my favorite photos was of Ed Scurry alone one Friday in front of the courthouse exercising his right support who he wanted for president. America!

Another favorite image was a group of Amish men who attended a Trump rally in Oil City on the night of the Republican National Convention when the president accepted the nomination. The report was Oil City was going to be a spotlight city during the convention. That didn't happen but hundreds of supporters crowded Seneca Street for the hope to be on TV and show strong support for their candidate.

America works.

Around Memorial Day, the shutdown left our area short on flags. A company on the eastern side of the state was shutdown and the flags were stuck in a warehouse with no one to sort the orders and ship them. Several inquiries and stories later by journalist across the Tate and region, the company was allowed to ship the flags just in time for the observance.

Covering the flag story I stumbled upon a guy who places a flag on the marker of a War of 1812 veteran buried on a hill in the woods near Hydetown. I was fortunate to follow him as he searched through pretty deep thicket, machete in hand, to find the marker and honor this otherwise forgotten soldier. I also found a woman in Linesville who took it upon herself to buy every flag she could find so all the veterans buried in her cemetery would be honored even if the county never got their flags. And she found ones made in America.

Their were two other stories involving soldiers/veterans that I was honored to work on. 93 year old Frank Smith was honored with his ashes spread into the Allegheny river with his son on hand to accept the flag for his fathers service to this country. Also the remains of a Korean War soldier Raymond Knight were returned to Oil City. This was made possible after President' Trump's visit to Korea led to the return of several remains that were later identified.

I was able to photograph some celebrations from graduation to Fourth of July fireworks Life still happens.

Also got to do a fun story about a weight lifting mother to be still lifting eight months into pregnancy, in fact she was lifting the day she delivered. And a long time unique and loved business owner leaving Oil City for a new opportunity in Franklin. Nicholas Hess is always a fun story to do.

This year was still full of great moments despite stay at home orders, social distancing and all the other adversities we faced. And what a year for high school football, Franklin got a new coach who got his first win and the Oil City Oilers were one game away from the state final.

As well as covering this historic run I was also able to tell a small side story about man who has taken care of the Oiler footballs now for over 30 years. This story was one of the most popular stories of the year for Eight & 322. I was also happy to give this very kind man a little recognition.

Another story I was proud to do, one that was far more difficult than it needed to be to tell, yet was a great thing that happened in Oil City. A school district that places a great amount of detail on sports seemed to leave one aspect of the football season behind - the marching band.

But band director Dan Cartwright wouldn't let his kids miss out on their season completely. Because of capacity numbers it was decided the band wouldn't join the football team for their games. So the band held a parade on opening night of the Oilers home season and then performed for other sports including Cross Country and Tennis all season. They didn't take no for an answer.

At the end of the season they were able to rejoin the football team and since they had been playing their halftime routine all year anyway, they were seasoned and ready.

I loved this story and was happy I found a way to tell it at the end of the year.

The story that was most read and spread around the country, was about a Franklin man in need of a kidney. At last check he still has not found a match. This father has a lifelong issue with his kidney's that is not due to abuse, just an issue he has had to live with and his kidneys are failing him now and he needs the goodness of others to help him survive.

I am proud people trust me to tell these stories.

It was an interesting year with so many moments that help me understand this life better and this place I live and work even more.

A distillery that could, did. The Grumpy Goat in Franklin, despite just opening, converted their stills into making hand sanitizer for first responders and then offered it to others for free a few different times, loading up container after container for people passing by.

Great community story of great community caring.

From parents wanting their kids to have a high school experience.....

To fun hair at a car show.......

To documenting the first bar beer in several months at 12:01 a.m. on the day the governor lifted the stay at home order, I witness some real life despite the depression of a pandemic.

This above was almost my last photo ever. Well that is perhaps a tad over dramatic. This play in Oil City's win over Juniata in Altoona was a play I didn't witness finishing. A referee running down the sidelines collided with me knocking me out cold. The game had to be stopped because both he and I needed medical attention and apparently the ambulance for the game was out on another call. I suffered a severe concussion and spent a little time in the hospital. So did the ref, but he is younger and more fit than me and seemed to recover quicker.

Not my proudest moment and I'm, in some ways, still recovering. I missed the rest of the Oilers run as I worked to regain equilibrium and remember my name(haha).

One proud thing from this though, I was told they had to almost pry the camera out of my hand and it was undamaged.

Below are some more photographs of some note worthy events this year and some fun captures. I hope all of these help encapsulate a sense of who we are as a people, because to me that is the best thing I can do in this life.

I love my job!

You can click on the smaller ones to enlarge.

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UPDATE to Safty in numbers story

1/4/2021

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A week ago I wrote a column(below) to hopefully help folks know more about the free COVID testing in Crawford County. I also wanted to chronicle some of the decisions I went through making while deciding t get a test and how the whole test experience went. It wasn't scary other than this whole damn virus is scary.

I was told by the testers to expect my results in two to seven days. So I quarantined. I got only curbside delivery of groceries and stayed far away from everyone. A nerve-racking anxiously awaiting results vacation from humanity.

Today I learned I was negative.

Now I'm not thrilled that I didn't hear anything after two or three days. Then four, five, six, seven..... I'm assuming if I was positive I would've heard sooner, but I think the stress of not knowing requires an equally speedy return. I understand there are literally millions of people tested each day and we just don't have the human power to be a perfectly run machine, but I have been worried especially since I do have a cough still (that I think now I can attribute to seasonal dryness and probably being cooped up inside more than usual -though thank god for back yards.)

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I am also disappointed that I had to call to get my result today on day eight from my test.

All that said, water under the bridge, but the feeling I have is oddly not exactly relief. I'm not sure getting a positive result would've been so bad given that my symptoms were so minor. Had it been positive and I was one of the lucky ones who only had very minor symptoms, that would almost seem better as I await my turn for a vaccine. Reports are circulating that a built up immunity that comes from having the virus once, can perhaps protect one from getting the virus again. Those now famed anti-bodies keeping us safer. Now I'm still going to have to worry about contracting the virus and spreading it. Almost like back to square zero.

That said, it is somewhat a weight off for now and I can't wait to get out there tonight to photograph a little school sports and try to remember what it is that I do.

Column of 1/4/2021

So, I did a thing.
For a few days I've been self-isolating because.... well you know....sniffles and stuff. I keep getting called a liberal, afraid of my own shadow, snowflake who lets mass media network fake news scare me into giving up all my rights blah, blah, blah.
Right now Crawford County is averaging around 50 new cases a day and Venango around 40..... Since January 1.
I don't which 40 or 50 people those are and are they the ones who walk to stand right next to me in the supermarket with their mask down under their nose?
I don't know?
I get pretty tired of listening to numb between the ears know-it-alls spouting all their vitriol about their rights while spewing their hot breath all over place. Especially when reading or listening to them right after learning an old friend and a cousin both died within a couple days of one another last week.

Yes, from 'complications due to COVID-19." Well let me try to tell all of you out there reading this who think that the numbers are heightened because they include people who died from an affliction while having COVID, that because COVID took over their body and prevented them from fighting off their illness - COVID made them die.

So shut up!

So the last few days I have not been feeling well. I'm a relatively healthy middle-aged man. But I don't know if I have a little bug, or a really scary big one?

My whole life I get colds and flu, perhaps more than others, because I an high energy and forget to take care of myself. But now everytime I feel the slightest bit ill, I fear it is something to worry about. Not for me so much, but for others who I might pass it too.

For years I would apologize for not shaking hands if I was sick. I know I've gotten nearly all of my colds over the years because we have this cultural way of showing respect called shaking hands. I'm not sure I can even break the habit and I'd give my left hand if only I could shake my dad's hand one more time. But we spread a lot of germs through this cultural greeting.

So COVID-19 admittedly scares the crap out of me. I do not ever want to kill anyone.

So today....

I'll just let this photo write my next 1,000 words.

The state is setting up weeklong free testing in 60 of the commonwealth's 67 counties. Today was the first day for the Crawford County at the fairgrounds and it will run through Friday.

Commisioner Eric Henry said there around 20 to 30 cars waiting when the testing began. On the sheet I had to fill out was written 168. It was around 2:30 and there were only two cars ahead of me. I was done in less than a half hour. Easy. Henry said they only did 192 tests Monday.

The group from AMI Expeditionary Healthcare of Reston, Va, is set up to administer 450 tests each day.

This was by no means one of scenes we've seen from big cities with cars snaked through coned off parking lots and lined up for miles. This was pretty easy in and out. Now if they have over 400 people it won't go quite as fast I'm sure.

As for the test itself? I've seen videos where it looks like they're trying to dig long-forgotten childhood memories buried deep in your cerebral cortex with the swab. I admit I was nervous, but in went the swab and unless my sniffer is so big it took up the whole swab and didn't reach to that point of pain, it just wasn't bad at all. The nice lady who took my sample woodshed it around for 10 seconds in each nostril and it was done.

Now I wait for the results and stay away from people until I hear.

I'd rather know than not know. Knowledge is power, knowledge can save someone's life.
I read a social media post by a local politician who was stating how our numbers will go up because of this free testing. Not a helpful post. Numbers do increase with more testing, but it is the number of known positive cases, not the number of people with COVID-19. People not being tested can, and some do, have the virus already. It is there.

Not knowing you have the virus means you can more easily spread it to others. Our local politicians statement does absolutely nothing to educate anyone and actually serves a poor guideline for how we need to act during this virus.

We are safer if we know what we're dealing with. Again, knowledge is power.

I hope I have a cold, or just a solid case of the man-flu(wouldn't be the first time.) But until I know I'm not risking others life because of my ignorance.

Testing at the Crawford County Fairgrounds will continue tomorrow through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.. The entrance is on Hamilton road and it is well marked with signage. I had to show my I.D. and medical card, but it is free.

CATA is also providing a free shuttle to the fairgrounds all week with buses leaving the Downtown Mall every two hours beginning at 8:45 a.m.. CATA requires everyone wear masks and abide the safety protocols in place.

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