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| 17 Maple Avenue Portville, NY 14770 www.portvillehistory.org |
Portville, New York
Credits
The lovely watercolor
in our toolbar above is
a depiction of the office
at 17 Maple Avenue.
The artist is Portville's
very own talent,
Marilyn Reynolds.
The lovely watercolor
in our toolbar above is
a depiction of the office
at 17 Maple Avenue.
The artist is Portville's
very own talent,
Marilyn Reynolds.
Welcome to PHPS
This page was last updated on 09-29-08
Hello! It has been awhile since we updated the webpage but here it is! It was a busy year for us
and lots of fun. We just had our last week of our season, so our office will now be closed until
May 2009. You can still reach us though, through this website. Just click here or use the contact
us button in the side menu and send us a message.
We just published our second newsletter, featuring an interesting article on the Strong Veneer
Company. The company was located in Gerry, N. Y., north of Jamestown (Rt. 60), until fire
forced the plant to close. Instead of rebuilding in Gerry, as they had many times previously,
Burdette Strong purchased the Portville Basket Factory on Whitehouse Road in 1918 and fitted it
for his veneer company. The Basket Factory manufactured grape baskets using lathes, a type of
equipment similar to those used to cut veneer. Members should be receiving their copy any day
now.
Serwan F. “Steven” Kakarash to Speak at the Portville Free Library
We have an exciting event coming up on October 9, 2008. Kurdish interpreter, Steven Kakarash,
will talk about growing up under Saddam Hussein, his education, and experiences working for the
U.S. Army in Iraq.
and lots of fun. We just had our last week of our season, so our office will now be closed until
May 2009. You can still reach us though, through this website. Just click here or use the contact
us button in the side menu and send us a message.
We just published our second newsletter, featuring an interesting article on the Strong Veneer
Company. The company was located in Gerry, N. Y., north of Jamestown (Rt. 60), until fire
forced the plant to close. Instead of rebuilding in Gerry, as they had many times previously,
Burdette Strong purchased the Portville Basket Factory on Whitehouse Road in 1918 and fitted it
for his veneer company. The Basket Factory manufactured grape baskets using lathes, a type of
equipment similar to those used to cut veneer. Members should be receiving their copy any day
now.
Serwan F. “Steven” Kakarash to Speak at the Portville Free Library
We have an exciting event coming up on October 9, 2008. Kurdish interpreter, Steven Kakarash,
will talk about growing up under Saddam Hussein, his education, and experiences working for the
U.S. Army in Iraq.
Five years ago, Serwan Kakarash was assigned to the U.S. Army as an interpreter. Serwan says
that he was eager to “help rebuild the country and help to create the environment for a democratic
government and live free in a democracy.” He wished to help bridge the gap between the Iraqi
people and the U.S. Army and eliminate the language and cultural barriers.
When Serwan was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division four years ago, he met Army SPC Kevin
Batt from Portville and they became roommates. Serwan shared his love of books with Kevin and
told him of his desire to have an encyclopedia.
Kevin wrote to his mother, Terri, who discovered that the library in Portville had a set of
encyclopedias that had been donated for a book sale. With the help of the Friends of the Library,
the many volumes were boxed up and sent to Serwan in Iraq.
Serwan is currently staying with the Batt Family in Portville while he explores his opportunities in
the United States.
He will discuss his life and work experiences at a lecture on Thursday evening, October 9, 2008,
at 7 p.m. at the Portville Free Library. Come hear about Iraq, first hand, from someone who
really knows! The lecture will also include photographs and a question and answer session. The
program is free and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the Portville Free Library and
the Portville Historical and Preservation Society. Refreshments will be served.
UPDATES
Now that our office is closed, you should see the webpage updated more frequently. Thanks for
being patient and we think you will find many more interesting features and photographs over the
coming months.
that he was eager to “help rebuild the country and help to create the environment for a democratic
government and live free in a democracy.” He wished to help bridge the gap between the Iraqi
people and the U.S. Army and eliminate the language and cultural barriers.
When Serwan was assigned to the 25th Infantry Division four years ago, he met Army SPC Kevin
Batt from Portville and they became roommates. Serwan shared his love of books with Kevin and
told him of his desire to have an encyclopedia.
Kevin wrote to his mother, Terri, who discovered that the library in Portville had a set of
encyclopedias that had been donated for a book sale. With the help of the Friends of the Library,
the many volumes were boxed up and sent to Serwan in Iraq.
Serwan is currently staying with the Batt Family in Portville while he explores his opportunities in
the United States.
He will discuss his life and work experiences at a lecture on Thursday evening, October 9, 2008,
at 7 p.m. at the Portville Free Library. Come hear about Iraq, first hand, from someone who
really knows! The lecture will also include photographs and a question and answer session. The
program is free and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the Portville Free Library and
the Portville Historical and Preservation Society. Refreshments will be served.
UPDATES
Now that our office is closed, you should see the webpage updated more frequently. Thanks for
being patient and we think you will find many more interesting features and photographs over the
coming months.
