Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Property taxes in the City of Bradford won’t be going up nearly as much as anticipated. The average property owner will see an increase of about $4.50 a month. They had been looking at an increase of around $10. Mayor Tom Riel says they were able to knock the millage down from 4.9 to 1.5 in the past month. “It was kind of scary when we did the first reading (of the millage ordinance),” Riel said. “I want to commend council for their efforts working with everybody to lower that down to 1.5 mils.” “I wish it was nothing,” he said, “but we can’t go without a tax increase every year.” He added that there has not been a tax increase for the past three years. Eliminating the purchase of new vehicles for the police, fire and property maintenance departments is one way they trimmed the budget. Health insurance, pension costs and contract obligations were among the increases expenses they had no control over. Councilman Fred Proper, who oversees accounts and finances, said although the for...

The City Code Enforcement Office shut down an East Main Street business after a faulty wood stove caught on fire this morning. City Fire Department Captain Matt Rettger tells WESB In and Out Tire was burning “trash and debris” in the wood stove. He added that some of it was construction debris including particle board, paneling and furniture. He says the business will be closed until code enforcement deems it safe to reopen. The fire was reported at 11:20 a.m. Rettger says firefighters were on the scene for about an hour “making sure the building wasn’t on fire.” The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Fire damaged a house at 4 Osborne Place this morning, but no one was hurt. City Fire Department Captain Matt Rettger tells WESB they got the call at 8:18 a.m. He says the first fire hydrant they went to was frozen, but they were able to operate with water from their tank and it didn’t hinder the battling of the blaze at all. “It didn’t change the outcome,” he said, adding that damage is estimated at $20,000. They don’t know the cause of the blaze yet, but are going back to the scene this afternoon and may have a determination later today. The house is owned by Neil Reynolds. The occupant, Vincent Reynolds, was home at the time but was able to get out safely. Sixteen Bradford firefighters were on the scene until 10:40 a.m. Six Bradford Township firefighters were also on the scene. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Sutphen Corporation posted this picture of the City of Bradford Fire Department's new truck (along with some firefighters) this morning. This truck replaces the 1976 Ward La France truck that is obsolete. But if you'd like the Ward La France, you can bid on it. Minimum bid is $2,500. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

In case you are not Facebook fans of ours (and why aren't you???), here's the scoop on these stories: About 2,800 Penelec customers experienced a power outage that lasted about 3 minutes last night. Penelec Communications Manager Linda Routzahn says the outage started at about 11:15 p.m., but they don’t know exactly what caused it. She says high voltage circuits locked out, and some of the causes could be a fallen tree limb or animal contact. She says it affected mostly the downtown Bradford area, but surrounding areas may have seen their lights flicker, or may have had other brief interruptions in power. ~~~ If you’re wondering why you woke up to the smell of smoke this morning, we have the answer. Bradford City Fire Department Captain Matt Rettger tells us, "They are doing a land clearing at Glendorn, and the smoke is lingering in the valley." Rettger says it is a controlled burn. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Bradford City Fire Department Lt. Matt Rettger confirms that the person who set the fire at Tops Market this morning is in custody. He said Tops employees apprehended the suspect after he went back into he store after it re-opened at around 1 p.m. Rettger said “it was an intentionally set fire – without a doubt.” The fire was started at around 10 a.m. in a rack of uninflated Mylar balloons, and the store had to be closed because of the smoke and the chemicals in the air from the Mylar. Representatives from the State Department of Agriculture and Tops corporate office were called to the scene. Damage is estimated at $10,000. We’re waiting for a call from Bradford City Police to be returned so we can pass along more information.

A fire in a rack of uninflated Mylar balloons at Tops Market caused at least $10,000 worth of damage and has temporarily closed the store. Bradford City Fire Department Lieutenant Matt Rettger says the assistant store manager put the fire out with a fire extinguisher before firefighters arrived. Firefighters assisted with smoke removal and are continuing their investigation. The store had to be closed because of the smoke, and because of the chemicals in the air from the Mylar. Representatives from the State Department of Agriculture and Tops corporate office have also been called to the scene. The store is expected to re-open this afternoon.

Bradford City firefighters are still hoping for a federal grant to help pay for the $6.4 million "green" fire station they want to build. During a work session prior to Tuesday's Bradford City Council meeting coucnilman Ross Neidich, who oversees the fire department, fire chief Boo Coder and firefighter Matt Rettger, who writes grant applications for the department, said they intend to ask council for permission to submit more grant applications. They also updated council on their grant application and what possible avenues they can take to secure more grant money. Although the proposal wasn't approved by the Department of Homeland Security, Rettger said there's "still $130 million hanging out there." Rettger said they've been looking into the Kresge Foundation's "Challenge Program" as a possible source for the $750,000 to $1 million for a "green" roof. He added that green grants are available at the state level for the $750,0...