"Spanish Hill" by Deb Twigg February 2nd

Tuesday, February 2nd, 6:30 – 7:30 PM
“The Mystery of Spanish Hill”
By Deb Twigg
At SRAC, 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY

(download flier here)

On Tuesday, February 2nd, SRAC’s Deb Twigg will discuss the well known site in South Waverly, PA called Spanish Hill. This flat-topped glacial moraine once had earthen walls enclosing ten acres on its summit and is a place that has struck imaginations for many generations.

For thousands of years before the white man knew of it, ancient people left evidence of their occupancy and usage of the hill. This evidence will be on display in the form of artifacts that have been found at Spanish Hill over the last century and are currently in SRAC's collection.

Come and learn about the people that lived in our Valley and used Spanish Hill before the white man arrived. Touch the tools and weapons they actually used hundreds to thousands of years ago!

Doors open at 6pm. Admission is $5 for adults , $4 for SRAC members and students. Call the Center at 607-565-7960 with questions.

IT IS A SIGN...

When we discussed a sign to suit the front of our Center, we had wanted to stay with our mission, and our brand, and well, we wanted it to be unique as we are.

Our good friend Brian Denlinger of Denlinger Design agreed to design one with me and what developed was a year long process that ended just yesterday.

Our good friend Jeff Wright of Built Wright Construction agreed to get rough cut hemlock and he actually brought it up to my house where we have a wood drying barn. There the wood laid flat for weeks until Jeff picked it up and began building the 9 X 4 feet sign structure. (actually it was even bigger at first but we had to make alterations) Jeff by the way has built many hemlock sheds and other items and in fact built a shed on site at my house a few years ago. He is great at what he does and is a great guy too, so send him some business!

By Spring, Brian Denlinger took the sign to Granite Works, where they used our design and logo to make the template to sandblast around to give us a "hand carved" look. This actually took alot more engineering than we had expected and we didn't even get the sign back from the sand blasting until summer because of alterations we decided to make before the sand blasting could even begin.

By late summer, the sign made it into SRAC, and the long slow process of priming all of the design that needed to be painted and weather sealed - which even Dick Cowles, MaryAnn Taylor, and Sam Ayers took part in.

And at that point, you'd think that it was easy to get it up on the side of the building, right?Nope. The truth is the hardest thing was yet ahead of us...or I should say in front of Tom Vallilee....His job was to figure out how to hang a 9x4 feet sign made of solid hemlock that weighed ALOT on a space that actually was wood panels covering up old glass windows!

In the end after of months of planning he figured it out, drilling anchors from the steel girder of the building above the place where the sign would hang and having a custom made frame made to perfectly lower the sign over the area that actually has no place to anchor it.

Yesterday - he and a bunch of SRAC friends put up a scaffold and lifted the frame and sign into place...And I just have to say - - it is PERFECT.


You know after writing this, I have to say that this is yet another of those great SRAC stories where so many people have come together to make something that at times we wondered if we could ever achieve. And I must tell you that THAT is consistently what differentiates SRAC from so many nonprofit organizations with only volunteer help. By that I mean, we have been through so much together and faced hard times and good times together that we are a big family that takes care of each other. As a result many of our membership and friends are willing to roll up their sleeves and help.

Personally, I feel blessed to be a part of an organization such as SRAC where you can be feel like you are welcome the first day that you enter our doors and if you stick around with usfor any amount of time - you may just be inspired.

Thank you to Tom and all of our friends who made the year long process of creating and getting our sign up on the building a success....!

When any of you drive by and look up at this incredible piece of artwork- I hope that you will think about this story and how that sign represents so much more than a logo on a big piece of wood.

It was and always will be a sign of something very solid and special that we were all lucky enough to be a part of

....and made to last for a very long time.

Upcoming Classes at SRAC

Upcoming Classes at SRAC

Saturday, January 30, 2010 from 11:30am - 12:30pm
Fun with Fused Glass
at SRAC - 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY

Make a Valentine for someone special, jewelry, dish or your own design. Glass products plus firing time included in your registration of $20. Bring a friend and you both attend for $30! Payment made before class.

Stop in or call 565-7960 to reserve a spot. Credit cards accepted.

Instructor- Mary Ann Taylor


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Saturday, February 6, 2010 from 11:30am - 12:30pm
Fused Glass & Silver Clay Jewelry
at SRAC - 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY

Use glass as your centerpiece or mold a button of silver. To purchase PMC3 silver clay contact Delphi Glass on the web. Class includes tools to use, firing, tumble, polishing and instruction.

Fee is $20. Payment made before class.

Stop in or call 565-7960 to reserve a spot. Credit cards accepted.

Instructor - Mary Ann Taylor


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Saturday, February 27, 2010 from 11:30am - 12:30pm
Making Metal "Dog Tags"
at SRAC - 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY

Personalize with initials or use your own design. Purchase PMC3 silver clay through Delphi Glass on the web. Class includes molds, tools, firing, tumble, polishing, and instructions

Fee is $20. Payment made before class.

Stop in or call 565-7960 to reserve a spot. Credit cards accepted.

Instructor is Mary Ann Taylor

A Copy of the "Griffin Report"

If you missed last night's presentation at SRAC about the Griffin Report, otherwise known as the Expedition of the Tioga Point Museum, 1931 - which was an unpublished report done by James Griffin on the Abhe-Brennan site BR42, Murray Farm BR5, Thurston Farm BR5, and the top of Spanish Hill BR27, all around Athens, PA, then you missed alot of interesting discussions about the archaeology that was found and the people who found it.

But don't fret - you can still experience the whole presentation that I used right here:

Watch It: (It is cut into 7 chapters that will run one after another or you can use the arrows back or forward on the sides of the video window...sorry but the last ten - minutes got cut off)


And here is a printable version to follow along or print out!





Feel free to use this information but please reference it provided by Deb Twigg/SRAC.

Do you want the actual Griffin Report?

Just call the Tioga Point Museum and they will get a copy to you!

Feel free to send me questions or comments at dtwigg@sracenter.org