Four presentations next week at the David A. Howe Library
By Kathryn Ross, VP TRGHS
Four interesting local speakers, including the Wellsville Sun’s publisher, will take to the podium as part of the Thelma Rodgers Genealogical and Historical Society’s Enterprising Innovators program next week at the David A. Howe Library.
The program, Enterprising Innovators will take place Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the Howe’s Gallery and is free and open to the public. The featured speakers are Historian Craig Braack, UR/JMH CEO Jim Helms, the first female Mayor of Wellsville Susan Goetschius and Harris. The theme of the program reflects innovative changes that have taken place locally and impacted the area’s history.
The program opens with Allegany County Historian Craig Braack. He will talk about the Erie and Genesee Valley canals and how they changed the course of history in this part of the state.
On Tuesday Helms will talk about the past and the future of Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville and across the three-county area. He will also update the community on the current building project.
On Wednesday, Harris will talk about how he developed the Wellsville Sun, which has become a vital source of news for the area following the demise of print media. He will also discuss the Fassett GreenSpace and what lies ahead for that unique venue.
The Enterprising Innovators program will come to an end with a sit-down interview with the first woman to hold the office of Village Mayor of Wellsville – Susan Goetschius. A former journalist and Communications Director for Alfred University, Goetschius will discuss why she ran for the office and the years she spent governing the village.
The Enterprising Innovators program is sponsored by the Thelma Rogers Genealogical and Historical Society and is part of its ongoing mission to preserve the history of Wellsville. It oversees the Nathaniel Dike Museum located on Dyke Street. The museum, which houses memorabilia from the founding families, industry, and businesses in the community as well as genealogical information is open May through October on Wednesdays from 1 to 4 p.m. Admission is free.
