Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Bradford City Council on Tuesday recognized National Teen Driver Safety Week. Mayor Tom Riel read a proclamation asking everyone in the community to participate in http://celebratemydrive.com/ , a contest that could earn Bradford Area High School grant money for teen driver safety programs. Also Tuesday, council OK'd renovations to the Chestnut Street fire station that will include replacement and painting of two garage doors, one of which will be widened to house the city's new fire engine; replacement of the stairs on the north side of the building while preserving the ornamental steel brackets; and replacement of two rear windows with the possibility of replacing any and all that are in need of replacement, providing the windows remain the same size. The Historical Architectural Review Board recommended the certificate of appropriateness. Council also gave permission to advertise the sale of one surplus/obsolete 1976 Ward La France fire truck that has been removed from s...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director The City of Bradford has come up with a new battle plan in its fight against blight. Instead of demolishing only a handful of properties this year, they’re going to go after many more by, as OECD director Sara Andrews said, getting more bang for their buck. She explained that every year $30,000 of Community Development Block Grant money is set aside for demolition. But this year, they are going take out a loan for $150,000 and pay back the loan with the CDBG money. Andrews said she checked with the state Department of Community and Economic Development and they said using the money that way would be fine. City Council on Tuesday authorized OECD to send letters to lending institutions in an effort to secure the loan. She said Councilman Rhett Kennedy has complied of list of 56 properties that need to be demolished, and that list is growing. She added that they are in the process of getting the “legal end of things” tied up so they can secure the ...