Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Anger and frustration freely flowed into and infiltrated last night’s Foster Township supervisors meeting, when the better part of two hours was taken up by a variety of sewer line-related issues. Even before supervisors introduced a motion to appoint a township engineer, residents – who packed the meeting room in the municipal building – brought up issues concerning hook-up fees to the new sewer line. But the discussion really heated up after supervisor chairman Jim Connelly Jr. made a motion to appoint The EADS Group as township engineer. He read quotes for the sewer line project from EADS ($684,000), Hill Engineering ($576,000) and E&M Engineers ($320,000). For months residents have been asking the supervisors to take action against E&M for a mistake that cost the township a PENNVEST loan for the project. But, last night, they were not happy about paying twice as much money to another engineering firm. Connelly said if E&M hadn’t made the mistake they wouldn’t even be ha...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township supervisors on Monday deflected fallout from last month’s meeting when statements were made about former supervisors and township employees. Former supervisor Chris Wolcott, who resigned in December, said he is “very disturbed” by some of the statements made at the June meeting. Wolcott said current supervisor Jim Connelly Jr. “has been blaming former supervisors and (former township secretary Jennifer Gorrell) for not getting a recent PennVEST loan “and that is just ludicrous.” He added that blaming Gorrell is “despicable.” “Somebody dropped the ball and it wasn’t the secretary or former supervisors,” Wolcott said, adding that he believes the responsibility lies with E & M Engineers. “It was a slip,” said township engineer Roy Pedersen. “This was a procedure we’d never had to follow before.” Wolcott also took exception to Connolly, last month, questioning diesel fuel contracts given to Wolcott’s employer, William G. Satterle...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director A local contractor has concerns about the way the Office of Community and Economic Development conducts business regarding home rehabilitation projects, and he brought those concerns to Bradford City Council Tuesday night. Bob Baker of Baker General Contracting had questions about why he wasn’t getting bid announcements for projects, and also about how the projects are advertised and awarded. The questions led to heated exchanges between Baker and OECD Executive Director Sara Andrews, and even prompted Mayor Tom Riel to bang his gavel and ask for order, and Councilman Rick Benton to scold people about being polite. Andrews and City Solicitor Mark Hollenbeck explained that OECD is simply a conduit between the homeowners and the contractors and, therefore, the same rules that apply to bids for city-related projects do not apply to the home rehabilitation projects. Eventually, Andrews said she would make sure bid announcements are sent to Baker, an...

It feels like Christmas in September for Foster Township, supervisor Jim Connelly Jr. told WESB and The HERO this morning. He says Bob Baker of Baker Contracting volunteered his company’s time and some supplies to put a new roof on the pavilion at the township’s community park. Township Secretary Jennifer Gorrell says Baker knew the township had been talking about the need for a roof on the pavilion, and he decided to do it as a community service. His company, along with Union Sales Corp. and Armor Building Supply in Olean, donated supplies for the project, which was done last Wednesday and Thursday. “That’s a nice thing for someone to do,” Connelly said.