SRAC’s History’s Mysteries! Cairns and Stone Piles! by Ted Keir

SRAC’s History’s Mysteries! Cairns and Stone Piles by Ted Keir

Tuesday, May 6, 2008 at 7 p.m. at SRAC, 345 Broad St. Waverly, NY

It is not uncommon when hiking in local conservation lands, town forests, and state parks in northeastern United States to discover old stone cairns and stones piles. It is estimated that there over 100,000 just in New England alone. Who built them, when, and why? Ted Keir, local archaeologist and historian will take us back in time with a slide presentation and lecture on "Stone Piles." Keir has studied Stone Piles for a great many years. This is one of the great mysteries in both New York State and Pennsylvania. Doors open to the lecture area at 6pm, presentation runs 6:30 - 7:30pm. Admission is $5 for adults, $3 for SRAC members and children. Refreshments will be available.

Monday, April 21, 2008 - Join Us at SRAC!

SRAC and the Andaste Chapter of PA Archaeology invites you to their first "border meeting" held at our new building at 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY!

• Several collections with unique items owned by many local collectors !
• Bring your own artifacts to exhibit share!
  
• Presentation will be presented by Deb Twigg on SRAC and our future plans
• Admission is FREE!
  

Almost There!

Wanna know why these two guys are smiling?

This is SRAC's Dick Cowles (right) and his son Kurt who have planned for the past year for what finally took place today...

As some of you know, the Corning Painted Post Museum had donated several display cases to SRAC about a year ago, and while we already have around 20 of the cases, we still had about a dozen left to get...Once the nice weather got here, it was time to move....literally...

WAAYYY before I was out of bed this morning, 14 people rallied together at the Erwin Museum in Painted Post, NY, and began loading cases out a windows because they were just too big to get out the door....


Oh - did I mention it was the THIRD STORY WINDOW???



The forklift was refitted by Kurt Cowles with an extension he welded himself to be able to reach into the building window and to hold ten foot long cases....

The forklift then placed each case into the trucks for a long trip down the highway to Waverly, NY....(thank GAWD the rain held off!)


Once they arrived at Waverly the cases were loaded into our museum area where they will be put back together, cleaned and oiled and finally loaded with our local artifacts!

If you notice the space there in the floor in the picture above...it will be filled with 14 of the slant top cases (shown below) down the middle of the floor. This will make it on huge rectangular walkway around the cases...

SRAC would like to again thank the Corning Painted Post Museum for such a wonderful and generous donation to SRAC....What a wonderful gift you have given to SRAC and our future generations.

Also - A HUGE thank you to the Cowles family for planning and financing the whole move that occurred today!

Incredible as it sounds, some of these cases as I understand it actually originated in Waverly, NY!!! Yep...Ellsworth Cowles was the person who took them to the Irwin Museum and even orchestrated the same move INTO the museum as his son and grandson orchestrated to get the cases back out!

Finally, thank you to ALL of the folks who helped today to get the cases into SRAC without a scratch....I cannot believe what a feat you accomplished, and SRAC is indebted to all of you for the work you have done for generations to share our local heritage!

SRAC at the Chehanna Gem & Mineral Show

Zachary Levey of Horseheads, NY points at fossilized "Dino Tracks"

If any of you have not attended the Chehanna Rock and Mineral Show held annually in Athens, PA, you are really missing a truly incredible event for the Valley. Hundreds of people come from hours away to this event every year. We at SRAC are proud to be a part of it!

Ted Keir and I are both Chehanna Rock Club members!

While SRAC displays alot of artifacts at the show, it seems to be a tradition that many people bring artifacts or unknown objects for Ted to identify for them:

Once you finally find a parking place and come in the front door, you'll find incredible gems and minerals from many collections, but you will also learn about how gems are faceted and polished:

And if you like - you can even facet a gem for yourself!

While there is alot for the kids to do, their favorite seems to be the "Mini Mine" where they pay their fifty cents and the train car loads up a load in the mine...

Then "whoo whoo!" up it comes out of the mine:

And when it reaches the end of the tack - it empties out its "load" of minerals, gems and shells for the kids to take home!
There is also alot for the adults to include a couple thousand square feet of gem and mineral vendors out back!

Sorry you missed out? You don't have to be! The Gem and Mineral Show is open again tomorrow from 10-5pm!

The show is located at the Athens Township Fire Hall, Bressler Street, Athens, PA.


Hope to see you there!

( ;

SRAC Wildlife Rehab Event a HUGE Success!

Thursday March 20th was the first event held at SRAC at 345 Broad Street Waverly, and we had a wonderful time of it! About 70 people in all showed up and let me just tell you that the barn owl was a big hit!

For those of you that missed the event, Barb will be back starting in May with more live animals and more stories from her unique perspective as a wildlife rehabber. Mark your calendars - it will be the THIRD THURSDAY OF EVERY MONTH throughout 2008, from 6-7:30 pm!

Other Updates to Report:

Eating Out Healthily by Andrea Seeley - click here for flier
Our next event is scheduled for this coming Thursday - March 27. Our first "Healthy You" presentation which is FREE to the public will be by Guthrie's dietitian, Andrea Seeley. The presentation is to help those of us to learn how to make healthier choices when we dine out. Filled with lots of healthy tips and simple yet little understood easy steps to help you live a healthier life! Doors open ant 6pm, and presentation runs from 6:30 - 7:30 pm.

Kids Night Out Canceled-
We are canceling the first Kids Night as poor Inga needs to have surgery! Stay tuned for updates!

April 1 - Histories Mysteries! - click here for flier!
I will be presenting the "Mystery of Spanish Hill" April 1st, from 6:30 - 7:30 pm (doors open at 6pm) and will have tables full of EVIDENCE from the hill on display. Plan to come and be a part of a more interactive presentation on the site that has captured all of our imaginations for so many generations! Adults $5, Children $3, SRAC members $4 at the door!

Finishing Touches For Our First Event on Thursday, March 20th

Every time I walk in the SRAC right now at 345 Broad Street Waverly, NY, I cannot believe that we just bought the building on December 4th, 2007 ~ but it is true!

Just a couple of months before that we had walked through the very same building and it looked like this:

Within days of our purchase the work began to first clean the building out and then to begin renovations...and believe me, from the ceiling to the floor, nothing went untouched!

With the help of many SRAC friends, we are proud to tell you that although we will not be finished by any means, we will be ready to open our doors for the Wildlife Rehab presentation by Barb Cole this Thursday from 6:30 - 7:30 pm, and have our gift shop open beginning at 1pm on that same day...

We have been busy setting up and stocking the gift shop for the last couple of days..The Gift Shop alone is 50 feet by 28 feet, so we even had room to set up an area for people to sit down and chat a while before events:

Along with historical books and educational information which we sell from our online gift shop, we are adding alot of new items that we are very excited to be able to bring to downtown Waverly...

We will have alot of children's items as well as original photos and paintings by local artists...items include educational kits, different minerals, geodes, sand dollars, jewelry, and a whole lot more!

Lastly, we are just finishing the final coats on the back lecture area floor and getting ready to lay down the stage/platform.

I hope that you can come in and see the place this Thursday for the Wildlife Rehab night or in the near future. I find the positive and exciting atmosphere contagious...and I think you will too!

( ;

SRAC Presents - Wildlife Rehab with Barb Cole! March 20th

SRAC is proud to announce a Wildlife Rehab Series presented by NYS licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator, Barb Cole on Thursday, March 20th from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm. The series which will include live animals will be held every month at SRAC at 345 Broad Street, Waverly NY.

Barb has been Class 2 licensed by the DEC and U.S. Fish and Wildlife since 1984. She has also served on the board for the NYSWRC as well as presided as President for 6 years.

The Wildlife Rehab Series will include many topics throughout the year to include discussions on owls, and other large birds, porcupines, deer, reptiles, bats, water fowl, garden birds and more!

March 20th - "Overview of Wildlife Rehab"
Join SRAC for a night with NYS licensed wildlife Rebilitator, Barb Cole as she brings live wildlife to assist her in presenting the basic overview of wildlife rehabilitation, how to tell if an animal needs help or doesn't and what to do until you can get licensed rehabilitation assistance.

Click here to download a flier for the presentation.

Stop in early to view items in our gift shop which be open from 1-5pm the same day!

Doors will open at 6pm and admission will be $3 for children under 18, $4 for adults and $3 for SRAC members. Refreshments will be available.