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FEBRUARY
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Alfred • Allentown • Alma • Andover • Angelica • Belfast • Belmont • Bolivar • Caneadea • Ceres • Cuba • FilLmore • Friendship • Genesee Houghton • little genesee • portville • richburg • Rushford • Scio • shinglehouse • Ulysses • Wellsville • west clarksville • Whitesville
Based on Allegany County: Bills’ new stadium built on blocks produced in Alfred Station sourced materials, hence the new stadium sits on blocks that were produced in Allegany County and made from materials resourced from Allegany County. Owned by CEO Ben Palmer of Alfred, the family-owned business located on Route 244 in Alfred Station is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. Southern Tier Concrete Products, Inc. has also long been involved in the masonry program at Alfred State College, contributing technical support, materials, tools and training aids as well as annual
BY KATHRYN ROSS
ALFRED STATION — When fans sit in the 62,000 seats in the new home of the Buffalo Bills — the new Highmark Stadium — they’ll be cheering their beloved on a part of Allegany County. At the beginning of the stadium building project three years ago, Southern Tier Concrete Products Inc. of Alfred Station was contracted to supply more than 1 million concrete blocks for the build. The company makes its concrete products from locally
scholarships to help produce graduates with skills needed to succeed in the construction trades. Southern Tier Concrete Products has supplied bricks and blocks for many of the schools and other buildings throughout the Southern Tier. When the material contracts went out for the Bills’ stadium, contractor Thomas Johnson contacted the offices of Southern Tier Concrete Products. Having worked with them in
File photo The new Highmark Stadium, under construction in Orchard Park and set to open later this year, is built with hundreds of thousands of concrete blocks from an Allegany County manufacturer.
Bills’ New Stadium continued on PAGE 4
Hoodie Hoo Day: How it began and how it got to Shongo SHONGO — Gold, Pa. is 150 miles from Lebanon, Pa., but that didn’t stop a tradition nurtured there to make the journey nothwest to become a happy holiday that ended up in Allegany County. In 1986, Tom and Ruth Roy of North Lebanon Township, Pa. invented Hoodie Hoo Day, a holiday to banish winter — and the winter blues — and encourage spring by going outside, raising your hands over your head and shouting “Hoodie Hoo!” twice, at noon on Feb. 20. Hoodie Hoo Day was
File photo Folks shout “Hoodie Hoo!” in Shongo in an effort to drive away the winter blues. Hoodie Hoo Day is set for Saturday at what is now Two Sisters and a Smoker on Route 19 in Shongo.
created and copyrighted by the Roys, founders of the website Wellcat. com, which is noted for inventing dozens of
unique and fun holidays. In 1986, Tom Roy was the morning man on radio WIOV in
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entirely invented phrase and does not belong to any real language. USA Today picked up the story and radio host Paul Harvey followed through with it. Some 150 miles away from Lebanon, Betty Tomack, who operated a general store at the crossroads in Gold, Potter County, Pa., was looking at Chase’s Calendar in 1987 when she came across Hoodie Hoo Day. In such a rural area, The General Store was a popular gathering place where people socialized and generally had fun. Tomack was looking for an event that would brighten up the
West Lebanon when he was glancing through Chase’s Calendar of Events, an annual almanac he used to find interesting dates to mention on his radio show. He saw in the back there was a form where people could submit their own holidays. He submitted Hoodie Hoo Day to take place a month before the arrival of spring. It was included in the next year’s calendar with the description: “a lighthearted ritual meant to lift spirits and help everyone shake off the seasonal gloom of late winter.” Hoodie Hoo is an
BY KATHRYN ROSS
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Hoodie Hoo Day continued on PAGE 4
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winter-weary folk who came into the store. Hoodie Hoo Day was exactly what she was looking for, so she made it a celebration filled with chili and live music and a whole crew of people stepping outside at noon, to stand in the crossroads and shout “Hoodie Hoo.” After The General Store closed it looked like the tradition would be lost, until then-Allegany County Legislator Bill Dibble, president of Allegany County Trails, got wind of it. Combining the trail concept with the Hoodie
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