Paddle Auction Fundraiser at SRAC

Paddle Auction Fundraiser
Sunday, March 27th
S.R.A.C. (Susquehanna River Archaeological Center)
345 Broad Street, Waverly NY 14892
1pm - everything is GONE!

Doors open at 1:00 to preview auction products & vendor tables.
Auction begins at 2:00 p.m.
$5 for 4 paddles & chips plus door prize tickets.
Refreshments will be available to purchase.

What is a Paddle Party Auction you ask? This is a new part of the event that you do not want to miss! A Paddle Party is a fun way to win some of your favorite items for less than a $1.00! You bring a few rolls of quarters to bid on items. Each company will be bringing many different types of items to bid on with bids ranging from $.25 to $.75!!

SRAC will also be auctioning GREAT TICKETS TO THE HIGHEST BIDDERS throughout the event. Tickets include:

• 2 VIP TICKETS to The Colbert Report!
• 2 VIP Tickets to The David Letterman Show!
  
• 2 Tickets to a FOUR HOUR Sopranos Bus Tour!
• 2 Tickets to a NY Yankee Classic Stadium Tour!
• More tickets to be announced! click here!
  

(The $ you spend on these tickets are TAX DEDUCTIBLE - and You can schedule each of these tickets to fit YOUR SCHEDULE!)

Can't attend? You can call in as well- or we will bid for you if you give us your maximum bid in your absence! Just give Deb Twigg a call to learn more at (607)727-3111!

Stay tuned for announcements of other items to be placed on the auction block for the day!

How the paddle auction portion works:
You arrive and purchase a bag of 4 paddles and 4 chips with a matching numbers for $5.00. You then place your chips into the large drawing basket. The next step is for us to hold up an item and you decide if you would like to bid on it. If so, you drop the bid amount in quarters into the bucket on your table for each paddle you want to put in play and raise your paddles. If we draw the chip with your number on it, you win the item. If a chip is drawn with a number that did not bid, we pull another chip until someone wins!! …… It is that simple! AND FUN!!!!!

If you would like to donate something for this fundraiser auction, please call Deb Twigg at 607-727-3111.

Items in the paddle auction portion of the event will include many local business donations and gift certificates as well as incredible items from:

Creative Memories

Discovery Toys

Just Jewelry

Lia Sophia

Mama Chisari’s Biscotti

Mary Kay

Pampered Chef

Rada Cutlery/ Ellens Knives

Scentsy Wickless Candles

Tastefully Simple

Thirty-One

Tupperware

Wildtree

Sullivan Campaign- the British Perspective, by Robert Shepherd,PhD, Elmira College.

The Revolutionary War- the British Perspective, by Robert Shepherd,PhD, Elmira College Tuesday, March 1st, 6:30 - 7:30 pm at SRAC, 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY

(Waverly) In 1779 - Generals Sullivan and Clinton received orders from General George Washington to come to our region and to battle the British and Native Americans. The entire campaign would be referred to by many today as one of the most important strategic efforts of the Revolutionary War. As a result, it is quite common in our region to hear about the Revolutionary War in relation to the Sullivan Campaign and from the American soldier or Native American perspective. However, on Tuesday, March 1, at 6:30 - 7:30pm, SRAC will host a very unique presentation on - "The Revolutionary War - The British Perspective" by Dr. Robert Shepherd from Elmira College. The talk will discuss the reactions in Britain and the rest of Europe toward the American Revolution, including those both for and against the American cause.

Dr. Shephard has been teaching European History at Elmira College since 1987, including courses on the Holocaust and on British, Russian, and women’s history, and seminars on Renaissance Italy, Tudor England, the French Revolution, and European Totalitarianism.

His research interests focus on early modern British political culture, and he has published articles in the Journal of Modern History, the Sixteenth Century Journal, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and Sex and Sexuality in the Pre-Modern West. Dr. Shephard has been a Regional Visiting Fellow at Cornell University and is currently the vice president of the International Sidney Society. He received the Gerald R. Rubio Award in 2005 for his article “The Political Commonplace Books of Sir Robert Sidney.”

Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for SRAC members and students. The admission to the SRAC Exhibit Hall is included in the admission fee for the event. SRAC is located at 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY. For more information, email info@sracenter.org or call the Center at (607) 565-7960.

Huge Pot Donated to SRAC

Dick Cowles, Don Hunt, Ron VanWinkle, Don VanWinkle, Ted Keir, Mark Madill

A larger than average Iroquoian pot is the latest artifact donated to the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center (SRAC) in Waverly, NY. The pot, described as “Richmond Incised Style” measures an impressive 18 inches deep while the rim which has 6 castellations measures 13 inches in diameter.

Rim of the pot showing one of the 6 castellations

The pot which is estimated to be over five hundred years old was donated to SRAC recently by Ron VanWinkle of Owego, NY. VanWinkle found the pot broken into many pieces and restored it in the early 1990’s; but because of the fragile nature of the pottery, the piece has been safely packed away in a closet for all these years. Recently he decided that the pot needed to be shared with the public and decided to donate it to SRAC.

SRAC’s executive director, Deb Twigg explains, “When Ron and his twin brother, Don came to SRAC with the pot, we were all amazed at the quality and the size of the piece, which is several times larger than any pots that we currently have on exhibit.” The pot was immediately placed on display in the SRAC Exhibit Hall and shares a space with other examples of pottery found in the region.

Ron and Don VanWinkle stand in front of their pot placed on exhibit in SRAC

Twigg added, “I cannot stress enough how substantial this donation is to our collection, and for our community. So many people who find things like this keep it out of the public eye or sell it for a lot of money. Instead Ron VanWinkle did the right thing and preserved this wonderful piece of our prehistoric past and in return the pot will be referred to as the “SRAC/Van Winkle Pot” for future generations to enjoy.” SRAC is dedicated to education, research and preservation of the region's archaeological and historical assets for the communities within the Twin Tier Region of Southeastern NY and Northeastern PA.

SRAC Online Efforts

When I get up in the morning, the first thing that I do is let the dogs out, get my coffee, and then sit down at the laptop and check online reports for SRAC. This morning, I thought that all of you might be interested in our online efforts and the results that we are seeing from them.

First - we have a main website http://www.SRACenter.org. This is the main hub that we have where you learn about us, find videos, newsletters, events, directions, hours, and about our gift shop, exhibits, and how to join or donate. These pages are updated from time to time, but are a steady place that gives everyone an online doorway into SRAC.

Second - we have our blog at http://SRACenter.blogspot.com. This is a more active place - with weekly additions and updates that are about archaeology news, prehistory and history and of course things that are going on at SRAC....I have been posting blogs since November 2007 and I think by doing so, we have built a strong following online. The most recent three articles that I post here are then automatically fed as headlines (and links) on the SRACenter.org and SpanishHill.com websites as well.

The amount and depth of topics that we have covered in these blogs since I began posting is pretty impressive, and people who search for any of those topics online using any search engine can get any of these articles in their search results, where they begin to learn more about SRAC as well.

Third, we have an email feed and facebook page that also serve up each blog posting automatically as I post them.

Fourth, we have a SRAC Channel on YouTube where I post videos often making this a very useful educational tool and yet another way that online visitors can get to learn more about SRAC. We also feed specific videos to many of the pages on www.SRACenter.org directly from youtube - many in groupings of specific videos that fit that specific page's needs. You can see some of the stats for YouTube page here.

In the end, we use the blog, youtube videos, email feed, and facebook posts to draw in and or keep as many online users up-to-date as possible - and the main website is the online version of our Center that they can visit if they want to get to know more specifics.

Sounds as clear as mud doesn't it?

( ;

Well - the truth is that no matter what your online efforts are - they don't mean a thing if they don't show results!

So let's make some sense of all of this:

In 2011 - SRACenter.org - (our main website) has had 607 visits with 572 visits from the United States. In the graphic below - you can see by the darker green colors that NY and PA are the states with the most visitors - but 32 states actually visited SRAC's website.

(click to enlarge)

So we can see pretty quickly that the interest in SRAC is far outside of our local communities. But how did these people living so far away learn about us and how did they get to the website? 29.16% came directly to our website. 34.10% came from other sites that link to us (including our blog, youtube, facebook, emails, tourism sites, etc...) The largest percentage (36.24%) was traffic that came to us via search engines.

(click to enlarge)

But haven't we all searched on a search engine and came to websites that we weren't really interested in? Well - it really amazes me that there are so many people from all around the country were looking for the Susquehanna River Archaeological Center - - SRAC and visiting www.SRACenter.org. When you start to dig into all of this you realize that SRAC is quite well known acrossed the United States!

(click to enlarge)

I also use other reporting systems to show me more stats on each page on SRAcenter.org, for instance, this is a report for how people got to our main page:

(click to enlarge)

I can also drill into parts of any of my pages to see "heat maps" that show me what people are clicking on and how much:

All of this helps me to understand what it is about SRAC that people are coming to our website to learn more about us - and what is working and what isn't.

So this posting right now will end up in emails, on website front pages, and on facebook, etc - with the hope that you might just find it informative enough to share this information with others who can in turn find interest in what we are doing as well.

The bottom line is that I have tried to make information about everything that we are doing at SRAC available to our community and around the country. Along with other PR and marketing efforts, these online efforts along with people like you telling others about us, or sharing this information on facebook or in an email is a huge part of how people are learning about us and our mission to preserve the archaeological assets of the Twin Tier region. And for that reason I want to thank all of you that are doing so much for helping us to spread the word about SRAC both online and offline. I can tell you that we are seeing the results of ALL of our efforts by more and more people visiting the Center and our websites every week!

I hope that you found this information helpful in learning more about all we are doing to make SRAC continue to succeed! Please send me feedback using the comments link below:

Mike Sisto - Intern at SRAC

There are many people who come to SRAC and for different reasons.

About 6 weeks ago - Mike Sisto came to SRAC. He is graduate of Mansfield University with a History degree, and wondered if we had some work he could do. Even though we told him we only have volunteer work available, Mike has been coming in every week since helping me in the Exhibit Hall, updating exhibits, scanning and preserving items, using our cataloging system, and basically doing the work that any paid staff would be doing for any museum that could afford to pay him.

Just this week we have finished the Lithic Library case, and you can see Mike standing next to the finished exhibit here. We worked on the Spanish Hill case before this. We will continue week after week to update all of our exhibits while allowing Mike to see the unique artifacts and our prehistoric past up close. He is also using actual photos, maps and journals to do this work, and being given assignments to read selected literature that we provide for him. It won't be long before Mike is a local historian himself!

I can't stress enough that here at SRAC, we do what we can for our community. We have helped several students and graduates in research, career choice/development and even helped to try to build experience for resumes by allowing responsible people like Mike to come in and volunteer. But in doing so, SRAC gains so much, because, people like Mike make us all better for having him here with us. He gives us new and fresh ideas and a younger perspective on things we are doing, and I appreciate his help every time he comes in.

As I am writing this - Mike tells me that he is going to consider working at SRAC as long as he can - and that he likes working here - and so it seems to work for him too. So I am happy to say that we will keep Mike around as long as he can continue to take my horrible jokes !

On a more serious note - Mike is looking for a position in the museum/education sector and as sad as I would be to see him go, I have to say that he would be a great addition to any museum or school looking for staff. Let me just say that he is a pleasure to work with and that he works hard everyday he is here.

When there are so many people out of work - I think about those who are continuing to look for employment - and what they are doing with their spare time - - - I just think that Mike is a great example of someone who is using his time wisely. Don't you?

DID YOU HEAR?

I just wanted everyone to know that SRAC is working hard to try to get the Rosaire Bears Show back to Broad Street, Waverly this summer...For those that attended this amazing show - I know you will be excited to hear the news! For those that have not - - take a look at the photo gallery from 2009 (click here) - - - and cross your fingers that SRAC will be able to bring them back this summer!

Even more exciting is that the Waverly Business association is trying to get involved and are looking into the possibility of bringing in other things to downtown Waverly for that weekend and to make it a community event that will be full of fun for everyone of any age - let alone good for economic development of the Valley...

Things such as "Lions and Tigers and BEARS - OH MY!" are being thrown around as ideas and if you want to be involved - let me know! The more heads we can get working on this the better ! We will also need volunteers, vendors, entertainment, and well - just about anything you can think of - - even that it could be a VALLEY EVENT to begin to take the stage if we do it right! You know me folks! The sky is the limit - and it is good for everybody. So lets roll up our sleeves and start having some fun - - -and BEARS this summer!

http://www.sracenter.org/SRAC_Bears_Slideshow/

To learn more about the Rosaire Family Circus watch the video below:

STAY TUNED!!!!!!!!

RESCHEDULED: The Revolutionary War- the British Perspective

The Revolutionary War- the British Perspective, by Robert Shepherd,PhD, Elmira College Tuesday, March 1st, 6:30 - 7:30 pm at SRAC, 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY

(Waverly) In 1779 - Generals Sullivan and Clinton received orders from General George Washington to come to our region and to battle the British and Native Americans. The entire campaign would be referred to by many today as one of the most important strategic efforts of the Revolutionary War. As a result, it is quite common in our region to hear about the Revolutionary War in relation to the Sullivan Campaign and from the American soldier or Native American perspective. However, on Tuesday, March 1, at 6:30 - 7:30pm, SRAC will host a very unique presentation on - "The Revolutionary War - The British Perspective" by Dr. Robert Shepherd from Elmira College. The talk will discuss the reactions in Britain and the rest of Europe toward the American Revolution, including those both for and against the American cause.

Dr. Shephard has been teaching European History at Elmira College since 1987, including courses on the Holocaust and on British, Russian, and women’s history, and seminars on Renaissance Italy, Tudor England, the French Revolution, and European Totalitarianism.

His research interests focus on early modern British political culture, and he has published articles in the Journal of Modern History, the Sixteenth Century Journal, the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, and Sex and Sexuality in the Pre-Modern West. Dr. Shephard has been a Regional Visiting Fellow at Cornell University and is currently the vice president of the International Sidney Society. He received the Gerald R. Rubio Award in 2005 for his article “The Political Commonplace Books of Sir Robert Sidney.”

Admission is $6 for adults, $4 for SRAC members and students. The admission to the SRAC Exhibit Hall is included in the admission fee for the event. SRAC is located at 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY. For more information, email info@sracenter.org or call the Center at (607) 565-7960.

Adult Yoga Classes at SRAC

Yoga with Lori

Every Monday night starting February 21, 6:30-7:45 pm at SRAC, 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY, join Lori Maley, for Yoga! Lori Maley has been practicing yoga for 5 years and teaching it at Four Seasons Fitness Center in Owego for 1 ½ years. She is currently obtaining Yoga teacher certification through “Infinite Light Yoga” in Syracuse, NY and will be certified in August.

Yoga is best known as a type of exercise system that stretches and strengthens the body through various poses. But yoga goes far beyond just a mere exercise routine. One of the most compelling reasons to begin practicing is the holistic outlook it takes — working mind, body, and spirit. Yoga brings together physical and mental disciplines to achieve peacefulness of body and mind, helping you relax and manage stress and anxiety. Lori will focus on the practice of breathing (pranayama), as well as poses known as asanas and relaxation or shavasana.

Cost is $10 per session or $36 per month. Participants should wear comfortable fitting clothing and bring a yoga mat or towel and a blanket. RSVPs are greatly appreciated by calling 607-565-7960 or emailing info@SRACenter.org. Walk-ins are always welcome!

Binghamton University Anthropologist In The News

Binghamton University anthropologist Rolf Quam is investigating eight small teeth found in a cave near Rosh Haain, central Israel that are raising big questions about the earliest existence of humans and where we may have originated.

According to ScienceDaily.com, "Part of a team of international researchers led by Dr. Israel Hershkovitz of Tel Aviv University, Qaum and his colleagues have been examining the dental discovery and recently published their joint findings in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology...."The Qesem teeth come from a time period between 200,000 -- 400,000 years ago when human remains from the Middle East are very scarce," Quam said. "We have numerous remains of Neandertals and Homo sapiens from more recent times, that is around 60,00 -- 150,000 years ago, but fossils from earlier time periods are rare. So these teeth are providing us with some new information about who the earlier occupants of this region were as well as their potential evolutionary relationships with the later fossils from this same region...The teeth also present new evidence as to where modern man might have originated. Currently, anthropologists believe that modern humans and Neandertals shared a common ancestor who lived in Africa over 700,000 years ago."

"This is a very exciting time for archeological discovery," Quam said. "Our hope is that the continuing excavation at the site will result in the discover of more complex remains which would help us pinpoint exactly which species we are dealing with."

To read the full article use the following link:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110209105600.htm

Fused Glass and Beading Classes at SRAC

THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING GOING ON AT SRAC!

Fused Glass Jewelry Class, Instructor- Mary Ann Taylor Saturday, February 26, from 11:30 am - 1:30pm at SRAC, 345 Broad St. Waverly, NY.

In this class, participants are able to make fused-glass pendants, pendants, earrings, rings and pins Glass products, findings, plus firing time are included in your registration of $30. Special materials to include dragonfly dichroic glass and special sterling silver ring shanks made by Ellen Sisco will also be available at an additional price. Instructor Mary Ann Taylor will help you to choose the glass supplies and design your own unique works of art. Payment must be made before class begins.

RSVP's are greatly appreciated by calling the Center at (607) 565-7960 or by emailing info@SRAcenter.org. Walk ins are also welcome. Credit cards accepted.

Jewelry & Beading Class - Instructor: Ellen Sisco
Saturday March 5th,11:30am – 1:30pm
at SRAC, 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY

Local lapidary Ellen Sisco is an artisan who is very knowledgeable about working stone, mineral, gemstones, and other suitably durable materials into decorative items. On Saturday, March 5th, Ellen will conduct a class at SRAC in basic beading. Supplies include beads and all accessories to complete a necklace. Precious stones, clips, glass beads and polished glass chips are among the variety of beads that the attendees will be able to choose from. Fees for this two hour beading class is $25. RSVP's are greatly appreciated by calling the Center at (607) 565-7960 or by emailing info@SRAcenter.org.

RSVP's are greatly appreciated by calling the Center at (607) 565-7960 or by emailing info@SRAcenter.org. Walk ins are also welcome. Credit cards accepted.

Yoga For Teens at SRAC!

Yoga For Teens! By Taylor Twigg (Yoga instructor and senior at Sayre High School)
5- 6pm Every Monday Night Starting Monday, February 14th
at SRAC, 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY
NOTE: This class is restricted to teens and preteens only.

Made by and specifically for teenagers, this Yoga class focuses on breathing and neck opening exercises , the asanas –(which focus on strength and balance,) abdomen strengthening, and chevasana (relaxation). The classes are held Monday afternoons at 5pm and fees are $8 per class or $30 per month. Participants are advised to wear comfortable fitting clothing (Shorts, sweats, leggings, tshirts, whatever!) and to bring their yoga mats or a towel that they can stretch out on if possible. SRAC is located at 345 Broad Street, Waverly, NY. RSVP’s are greatly appreciated by calling 607-565-7960 or emailing info@SRACenter.org. Walk-ins are always welcome!

The Kardashians Show Interest in Archaeology (Well Sorta)

Reality TV's Kardashian family have found new bragging rights for their Armenian bloodline. New research in an Armenian cave has uncovered the earliest known wine-making equipment ever found dating back to around 4,100 BC.

Sciencedaily.com is reporting that "Analysis by a UCLA-led team of scientists has confirmed the discovery of the oldest complete wine production facility ever found, including grape seeds, withered grape vines, remains of pressed grapes, a rudimentary wine press, a clay vat apparently used for fermentation, wine-soaked potsherds, and even a cup and drinking bowl." These new artifacts were found "in the same mysterious Armenian cave complex where an ancient leather shoe was found, a discovery that was announced last summer."

Kourtney Kardashian recently commented on her own blog about this discovery, "This explains a lot, lol....Brown lace-up boots and a winery… our ancestors knew how to have a good time!"

To read the whole ScienceDaily.com article about this new find, visit:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110111133236.htm

Spring Instructors Needed at SRAC!

If you or someone you know offers classes to the public in art, crafts, hobbies, health or exercise - contact Deb Twigg at dtwigg@spanishhill.com or call 607-727-3111. We are looking to start a new round of classes in the Spring!