Zen Buddhist Monk to Visit Bona's

Olean native and Zen Buddhist monk John Sojun Godfrey will give a lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1, in the auditorium of the William F. Walsh Science Center at St. Bonaventure University.

Godfrey comes to campus as part of CLAR 401, The University Plenary Forum, where students attend lectures, workshops or exhibitions about topics involving social and natural scientists, humanists, philosophers and theologians.

Godfrey’s lecture is titled “Living Words, Dead Words: Sutras in Zen Buddhism.”

Sutras are Zen Buddhist scriptures. Many seekers of Buddhism begin their journey by studying the sutras. Godfrey will speak about his experience with the sutras, his life in a Japanese Zen monastery and how it changed the way he views life.

After receiving a bachelor of arts in religion and East Asian studies from McGill University in Montreal, Godfrey lived in Japan for eight years. He studied at Daitoku-ji, a Rinzai monastery in Kyoto, where he was ordained a Zen Buddhist monk. He returned to the U.S. in April.

The lecture is sponsored by the University’s Franciscan Center for Social Concern and Clare College.

McKean, Potter Counties Included in USDA's NY Disaster Declaration

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has granted disaster designation for six New York Counties and McKean and Potter Counties in Pennsylvania were included as contiguous disaster counties. U.S. Representative Glenn `GT’ Thompson was notified today of the designation.

The USDA determined the disaster designation was warranted due to cooler than normal temperatures that occurred June 15, 2009 and immediately thereafter.

“This designation will allow producers to be considered for Farm Service Agency emergency loans and the Supplemental Revenue Assistance Program when the program becomes available,” Thompson said in a news release. “Governor David Paterson of New York has been very good about applying for such disaster designations and the eligible county in his state is Allegany."

Cattaraugus County is considered a contiguous disaster area in New York.

Local Farm Service Agency offices can provide affected farmers with further information.

Santa Claus is in Town

After the "Cruisin' Into Christmas" parade, Santa went to his headquarters at 25 Main Street to listen to some Christmas wishes.

Cruisin' Into Christmas ...

Amber Bacha drove the Zippo Car in the "Cruisin' Into Christmas" parade, followed by Scott Douglas, followed by Dan Griffin driving the WESB/HERO van.
Dan was accompanied in the van by the lovely Amanda, along with Eleanor and Mallory.
The Christmas House Characters made an appearance in the parade, and they'll be making appearances at their new location this year -- Beacon Light -- during the holiday season. (John Pockey will be on Monday's LiveLine to talk more about that.)
The Bradford Alliance Church reminded people about the "reason for the season."

Gary Hoy and other members of the Street Dreams Car Club got decked out for the occasion. And, Santa arrived in style before making his way to his headquarters at 25 Main Street.

Crusin' Into Christmas ..

... today at 5:30 in Downtown Bradford.

The parade starts at Main and Davis streets, goes up Mechanic, to Barbour, to Bushnell, to Chautauqua Place around Veterans Square and back down Main Street.

Woman Charged with Posting Nude Picture on Facebook

A Falconer, New York, woman is facing charges after allegedly posting a naked photo of a Warren woman on Facebook.

Police say 22-year-old Lindsay Head posted the picture without the consent of the 21-year-old victim, who is dating Head's ex-boyfriend.

Head is charged with dispersing obscene and sexual materials.

The picture has been removed from Facebook.

'Christmas Belles' Cast Announced

Veteran director Cindy Matteson has announced the 11-member cast of both new and familiar actors for “Christmas Belles,” the Bradford Little Theatre’s holiday comedy in December.

“This is the most delightful cast to work with, and wow, do they bring a lot of talent and energy to every rehearsal. I am so very excited for this show to hit the stage because, if our practices are any indication, this is going to be one of the highlights of the holiday season in our area,” said Matteson, BLT secretary.

The two-act comedy about a church Christmas pageant gone haywire in the small town of Fayro, Texas, will be presented at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford’s Bromeley Family Theatre in Blaisdell Hall. The 500-seat venue will host the show at 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 18 and 19 and at 2 p.m. Dec. 20.

The show is written by the same trio who penned BLT’s opening comedy, “The Dixie Swim Club,” which recently sold out all three performances. The award-winning writers are Jessie Jones, Nicholas Hope and Jamie Wooten, who spent many seasons as writer/producer of television’s classic “The Golden Girls.”

Matteson, who previously directed BLT’s “The Diary of Anne Frank,” announced the cast as follows:

Carrie Russell of Smethport as Honey Raye Futrelle, oldest Futrelle sister and new director of the Christmas pageant;

Rick Frederick of Bradford as Dub Dubberly, Frankie’s husband moonlighting as Santa and passing a kidney stone;

Kristin Asinger of Bradford as Frankie Futrelle Dubberly, cranky and overdue with her twins;

Lori Powers of Bradford as Twink Futrelle, serving time for arson in her attempted revenge on her ex-boyfriend;

Amanda Uhl of Bradford as Gina Jo “GJ” Dubberly, Frankie and Dub’s daughter;

Tim Asinger of Bradford as Justin Waverly, young interim pastor at the Tabernacle of the Lamb who is in love with Gina Jo;

Marcia McAndrew of Bradford as Geneva Musgrave, town florist and past Christmas program director;

Tomas James of Bradford as Raynerd Chisum, idiot savant and part-time employee at the Dairy Dog;

Dani Brien of Smethport as Rhonda Lynn Lampley, manager of the Dairy Dog;

Martha Madden as Patsy Price, town heiress and snob, who buys her way into the pageant with surprising results; and

Travis Cowburn of Bradford as John Curtis Buntner, deputy sheriff pressed into performing while guarding Twink.

Only Frederick, Brien and Madden have performed with BLT before.

Tickets are available through the BLT Web site www.bradfordlittletheatre.org at a cost of $7 each in advance or $8 at the door. They will also be available at BLT’s regular outlets: Tina’s Hallmark, Ott & McHenry Pharmacy, Graham’s Florist and Smith’s. Discounts are available for groups of ten or more by contacting BLT.

More on the Johnstown Flood Tax

An article in Monday's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette explains the rationale behind diverting the Johnstown Flood Tax from the state's general fund to financially troubled municipalities.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09319/1013414-155.stm

Hay Wagon Involved in Mishap

A man towing a hay wagon that didn't have an emblem indicating it was a slow moving vehicle has been charged following a crash Wednesday evening.

Chautauqua County Sheriff's deputies say 27-year-old Anthony Mikula of Cassadaga was charged with impeding traffic after his tractor and hay wagon were rear-ended by a vehicle driven by 55-year-old Darlene Shoup of Jamestown.

Deputies say the hay was stacked so high on the wagon that the safety lights on the vehicle were not visible.

Shoup and Mikula were taken to hospitals with unspecified injuries. Route 60 was closed for about an hour following the crash.

Dump Truck Crash Closes Route 5

Traffic on Route 5 in Dunkirk was re-routed for several hours this morning after a dump truck left the road as the driver tried to avoid an accident with another vehicle.

Sheriff's deputies say 47-year-old Maurice Smith of Westfield had to take evasive action to avoid hitting a vehicle that suddenly stopped in front of him.

After leaving the road, the dump truck went into a ditch and hit a utility pole.

Smith was treated for minor injuries. No charges have been field.

Route 219 Work is Winding Down

Work is continuing to wind down for the season on the Route 219 Bradford Bypass project.

Next week, crews will work during daytime hours on highway lighting and camera pole installation. Motorists can expect short lane closures in the northbound and southbound lanes.

No work will be done on Thanksgiving.

Thompson, Others Learn About I-80 Tolling Application

At a briefing on Capitol Hill today, members of the Pennsylvania Congressional Delegation had an opportunity to learn how the Federal Highway Administration plans to evaluate the current application from the Turnpike Commission to toll Interstate 80.

Congressman Glen Thompson delivered a three-inch thick binder of news articles from the state on the different opinions on the tolling plan and the recent scandals involving the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission, which would manage I-80 if the application is approved.

A policy adviser to administration administrator Victor Mendez explained that the application must show that “the only way the state could reconstruct or rehabilitate was through tolling.”

Congressman Paul Kanjorski told Mendez that he did not think the state had exhausted all other possibilities.

PA Jobless Rate Holding Steady

Pennsylvania's jobless rate is holding steady at 8.8 percent.

The jobless rate is the highest it's been since 1984, but Governor Ed Rendell says the numbers are an economic bright spot and evidence that the state may be poised for recovery.

Pennsylvania's unemployment rate is below the national rate of 10.2 percent.

Roswell Park Cancer Institute Physician Awarded Grant

BUFFALO, NY – Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI) physician Roberto Pili, MD, has been awarded an R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health to study the role of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors in treating renal cell carcinoma (RCC). The two-year grant is for $675,000.

Dr. Pili is the principal investigator on a study with three goals: to further define the role of specific HDAC inhibitors; to evaluate novel combination strategies for targeted agents such as mammalian-target-of-rapamycin (mTOR), which are likely enhanced by use of HDAC inhibitors; and to conduct clinical studies with a combination of HDAC and mTOR inhibitors.

The study is expected to provide new insights on the role of HDACs in the renal tumor microenvironment, as well as early clinical evidence that combining HDAC inhibitors and molecular targeted inhibitors increases the antitumor effects. The study will also provide the foundation for future clinical trials in RCC patients.

Dr. Pili is Chief of the Genitourinary Section in the Department of Medicine and Co-Leader, of the Genitourinary Program at RPCI. He was named one of the Best Doctors® in America for 2009-2010.

Hamot, Shriners Partner

Erie Shriners Hospital is moving its inpatient surgeries and procedures to Hamot Medical Center.

Same-day surgeries and outpatient services will continue at the Shriners hospital on West Eighth Street.

The announcement comes four months after Shriners International voted to keep all 22 Shriners hospitals open, but encouraged them to partner with other area hospitals to reduce costs.

http://www.hamot.org/about/news_view.php?article=241

Tax Incentives for Hunters

Senator Chuck Schumer has proposed a tax deduction for deer hunters who donate their processed venison to food pantries and soup kitchens.

He says hunters would be able to deduct the cost of the processing, which is about $75.

Tax incentives would also be provided to processors who work for non-profit organizations that pay to have the game processed then donate it to food pantries.

Tougher DWI Laws in NY

New York lawmakers have agreed on tougher penalties for people who drive drunk with a child in the vehicle.

When passed, the new law will make the crime a felony. It will also require offenders to have breathalyzer-type devices in their cars that keep the engine from starting if they're drunk.

Leandra's Law is named for 11-year-old Leandra Rosado, who was killed when a station wagon full of children driven by a mother who has been since accused of drunk driving crashed in Manhattan on October 11.

Police Investigating Sexual Assault

State police in Emporium are looking into a report of statutory sexual assault that happened at the old tennis courts in Shippen Township.

Police say a known 21-year-old man had sex with a 13-year-old girl.

Police are continuing their investigation.

Witte Wins, Officially

It's official. Olean will have a new mayor next year.

The results from the Cattaraugus County Board of Elections show that Linda Witte garnered 1,921 votes to current Mayor David Carucci's 1,726.

That's a difference of 195 votes. The unofficial results on Election Night showed a difference of 185 votes.

Carucci said he wouldn't concede until all the absentee votes were counted and the results were made official.

Salamanca Principal on Leave

The principal of Seneca Elementary School in Salamanca has been placed on administrative leave, but there's no word on why.

Chuck Crist was removed from the position last week, but district officials say they can't comment on the reason because of the district's policy regarding personnel matters.

Officials are conducting an internal investigation.

The school board has named Jean Pascarella interim principal.

UPB Resident Assistant Waives Hearing on Assault Charges

A Resident Assistant at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has waived his preliminary hearing on charges of aggravated indecent assault and related charges for an alleged incident with another student last month.

According to papers filed in District Judge Rich Luther's office, Javier Patino and the female victim were in his room when he tried to kiss and undress her. She said he ripped her pants off, forced himself on top of her and attempted to have intercourse with her.

The victim said he eventually stopped and she thinks that might be because she was crying.

Patino told police the sexual contact was consensual and the victim removed her own clothes.

Police say Patino's initial story didn't match his final story or his written statement.

Hearing on Theft Charges Waived

A Bradford man accused of stealing a number of items from a car and using a stolen credit card to buy more items has waived his preliminary hearing.

According to court papers in District Judge Dom Cercone's office, on August 1 Matthew Jones broke into a vehicle on Williams Street and stole a TomTom GPS, Sirius Radio, cell phone charger, loose change and a wallet.

Jones then allegedly went to two convenience stores, bought about $340 worth of merchandise with a stolen credit card and signed the victim's name.

Jones is free on his own recognizance.

Man Accused of Stealing Knives

A Kane man accused of stealing from Microtech has waived his preliminary hearing.

Zacharcy Harter is accused of taking $3,000 worth of money orders and three knives, according to papers filed in District Judge Dom Cercone's office.

Harter was supposed to sell the knives, but had the companies that were buying them make the money orders out to him.

According to the court papers, he didn't turn over the money orders or the knives until after he was fired from Microtech.

Tax-Exempt Properties Pose Budgetary Problem

By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director

Every year when budget time rolls around, Bradford officials lament the number of tax-exempt properties in the city.

This year, the problem is even more glaring as the city faces a budget deficit and dwindling sources of income.

Between 33 and 35 percent of the properties in Bradford have been tax-exempt for years, according to City Clerk John Peterson.

By contrast, in Clarion Borough 72 to 73 percent of its properties are tax-exempt.

"I can't fathom 70 percent. Thirty-five percent is bad enough," Peterson said during a city council work session Tuesday night.

The state Legislature is not blind to the problem.

In May, Senator John Pippy started calling hearings to discuss the impact tax-exempt properties have on the fiscal status of Pennsylvania municipalities.

"I’ve heard many concerns from cities and urban areas about tax-exempt properties and their impact on tax revenue and long-term growth," Pippy said.

In all but one of the 11 Pennsylvania fiscally distressed municipalities reviewed in the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee report, local governments (county, municipal, and public schools) accounted for the largest share of tax-exempt property. After local government structures, churches tend to account for the next highest share of tax-exempt property.

Pippy noted that many tax-exempt properties, such as the University of Pittsburgh, make voluntary payments to communities in lieu of taxes.

"While we recognize there is no uniformity when it comes to these payments, we also recognize that not all nonprofits are alike," Pippy said. "These tax-exempt entities provide a valuable service and economic engine for growth and development in the Commonwealth. While finding a solution for our distressed municipalities is essential, any decision impacting tax exempt entities has to be reviewed."

During Tuesday's work session, Peterson made a similar statement, saying "You're providing services to your non-profits. Everybody benefits from it."

However, the Legislature did have a chance to help communities in which more than 20 percent of the properties are tax-exempt. Peterson explained that a piece of legislation dealing with the Johnstown Flood Tax and an optional county sales tax died in Harrisburg.

He said an estimate was that Bradford could have gotten as much as $1 million if the bill passed.

"No more budget crisis. Gone," he said.

Peterson did say a watered down version may still may it through the Legislature.

Locally, people are trying to come up with solutions, too. City employees made a suggestion they think would mitigate the impact tax-exempt properties have on the city's finances.

During a work session last week, employees suggested to city council that the city charge a service fee to entities that don't pay property tax.

City officials are still working on next year's budget and trying to decide whether to apply for the state's Early Intervention Program for financially troubled municipalities.

http://1490newsblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/committee-looks-at-impact-of-tax-exempt.html