Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Team Skid Mark from Burritt Appliance Center won the annual outhouse races at Stinkfest on Saturday afternoon in East Bradford. Rolling Thunder, the team from the US Army National Guard came in second. T 'n' T from Togi's took third place.

Eyad Al-Hattab (center), M.D., medical director of Oncology/Hematology at The Cancer Care Center in Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC), is shown talking to cancer patient Julia Moore and her husband, Jim, of Bradford during Saturday’s second annual Patient Appreciation Picnic. It was held at the Bradford Township Lions Club on Irving Lane. The picnic was co-sponsored by BRMC’s Cancer Care Center, a regional clinical network member of Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and Bradford Manor. The purpose of the event was to celebrate the patients and their families in the fight against cancer, said Dr. Al-Hattab. He credited BRMC’s Cancer Care Center secretary Kimberly Hatch and hospital volunteer Larry Saar with doing so much work to organize the event and solicit donations. More than 200 donations were given by local businesses for the picnic that has grown in attendance each year. It offered patients and their family members gift certificates, cash and also prizes to winners of various ...

Governor David Paterson has sent a letter to Department of the Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, urging him to reverse a Bush Administration policy that, in effect, would keep the Seneca Nation from building a casino/hotel complex in the Catskills. A memorandum issued on January 3, 2008, by former Secretary of the Interior Dirk Kempthorne, restricted Indian tribes from taking off-reservation land into trust for gaming purposes. The Sullivan County, NY, Legislature has approved the Seneca's proposal. Paterson says the county's "extremely depressed economy desperately needs this kind of economic development, which will create jobs and additional investment associated with the kind of tourism industry that this policy change would create.” For more information, go to the governor's Web site .

On Sunday, May 24, from 1-5 p.m. on Highland Road behind Kane High School, kids of all ages will have the opportunity to enjoy a quarter mile of Big machines up close and personal. Among the featured machines are skid steers, backhoes, log trucks, bulldozers, dump trucks and fire trucks. The “Jaws of Life” are expected to be demonstrated as well as demonstrations of backhoes and log trucks. In addition to the big machine show and demonstrations, there will be an abundance of food, games, prizes, and raffles. The “Friday Niters” will provide music from 1-3 p.m. At least eleven Kane Area Relay for Life teams will be providing special activities and food to entertain and amaze while raising funds for a cancer cure and for local patient services for those who hear the words “You have cancer.” Forty percent of the money raised goes toward cancer research and the other 60% for patient care, assistance or services. The community is invited to attend this special event. There is a $1 ...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will play host to more than a dozen camps, gatherings and other events this summer. The camps will take place between May and August and are open to the public. The summer will end with the Heart of the Alleghenies Music Festival from Aug. 7-9. The summer season begins with two sessions of the Kinzua Fly Fishing School May 1-3 and May 16-17. Beginning and intermediate fly fishers, male and female, age 12 to adult, are welcome to come learn fly tying, fly casting and fly-fishing techniques with nymphs, wet flies, streamers and dry flies. For more information, visit users.penn.com/~skvarka/ or e-mail Steve Skvarka at skvarka@penn.com . Pitt-Bradford’s Science in Motion Camp will hold two sessions this year. The first session will take place from 8:30 a.m. to noon June 8-12 and is for students who have completed first, second or third grade. Students will participate in science labs pertaining to bi...

The Foster Brook Crosby's re-opened its fuel tanks on Friday -- including the first E85 tank in McKean County, and north of Interstate 80. The official ribbon cutting ceremony at the new dispenser will be May 15. Scott Douglas will be doing a live broadcast from Crosby's/Tim Horton's on May 16 on 100.1 The HERO, The Rock Station of the Twin Tiers. E85 is an alternative fuel that shows superior performance characteristics and burns cleaner than gasoline. It's also renewable and domestically produced.

Williamsville, NY –As part of a manufacturer's recall, Tops Friendly Markets have removed from shelves several Hydroxycut products. The Food and Drug Administration is urging consumers to discontinue the use of Hydroxycut products as they have been associated with a number of serious liver injuries. The maker of the dietary supplement has announced a voluntary recall for all code dates for the following products that Tops carries: · Hydroxycut Complete 7-day cap, UPC #63165660161 · Hydroxycut Weight Loss Caplets, UPC #63165660047 The FDA said it has received 23 reports of serious liver injuries linked to Hydroxycut products, which are also used as energy enhancers and as fat burners Customers should check their cupboards for this product and return to the store for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact Hydroxycut at 1-877-468-2835.

The Bradford Area School District held its annual Science Fair Friday night at Fretz Middle School. Here are just a few of the exhibits. I wish I could post pictures of all of them! This is the fifth year of the Science Fair, started by teacher Jan Russell. School District Superintendent Sandra Romanowski said during the first year, they didn't have enough exhibits to fill one side of the Large Group Instruction Room. This year, the LGI Room was full, and there were also exhibits in the hallways and the gym. "We'll have it every year and it'll get better and better," she said, also noting that people who don't even have children in the school district were among the hundreds and hundreds of people who attended. The event was partially funded by the Oil 150 Committee.

Schools in Bemus Point could be closed anywhere from 5 to 14 days because a student tested "probable" for swine flu.. Friday morning Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was recommending that schools affected by swine flu be closed for 14 days. During a briefing Friday afternoon, New York Health Commissioner Dr. Richard Daines told Chautauqua County Executive Greg Edwards that's not set in stone. "That 14-day guideline may change," Daine said. "I've been in touch with (County Health Director Christine Schuyler) directly there. ... When the school's closed, we're certainly going to have it closed for five days. It gives time to work out the details on this." The Bemus Point Central School District cancelled school today and all extracurricular activities through the weekend. Governor David Paterson said officials should know before Monday when the schools can be re-opened.

Seneca Nation President Barry Snyder Sr. was among the dignitaries on hand to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the Seneca Allegany Casino & Hotel in Salamanca today. During the ceremonies, Seneca Gaming Corporation Chairman Cochise Redeye said one of the new initiatives this year will be an employee bonus policy. He said the reason for instating the bonus policy is a renewed commitment to improve employee culture.

Erie County (N.Y.) Sheriff Tim Howard will speak at the Police Memorial Day service at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford May 15. The service, which is co-sponsored by the Bucktail Lodge #96 and the William Hanley Sr. Lodge #67 of the Fraternal Order of Police, will take place at 1 p.m. in the Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall. The service is open to the public and will feature a color guard; Howard and other speakers, including Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford, and members of the clergy; a video tribute to officers who died in the line of duty in Pennsylvania in the last year; and a 21-gun salute. As part of the service, wreaths will be laid at a plaque commemorating three local officers who have died in the line of duty in the past 22 years – Sgt. David Distrola, Bradford; Patrolman Steven Jerman, Kane; and Patrolman Carl Whippo, Johnsonburg. A luncheon will follow in the KOA Dining Hall in the Frame-We...

Shown at Friday’s scholarship awards ceremony for Bradford Regional Medical Center’s School of Radiography students are (from left): Jeanne Burritt, the school’s acting program director; Emily Rieder of St. Marys, a recipient of the Clinical Excellence Scholarship; Virginia Hauser, executive director of the Bradford Hospital Auxiliary; and Ricky Bee of Olean, N.Y., a recipient of the New Professional Scholarship. ( Photo courtesy of BRMC ) Two second-year students from Bradford Regional Medical Center’s (BRMC) School of Radiography have been awarded annual Bradford Hospital Auxiliary scholarships. Ricky Bee of Olean, N.Y., received the New Professional Scholarship and Emily Rieder of St. Marys was presented with the Clinical Excellence Scholarship during an awards ceremony Friday at BRMC. Each scholarship is worth $750. “The New Professional Scholarship was developed to recognize a student for outstanding work ethic, professionalism, compassion, attitude and competency,” said Virginia ...

When Fr. James Vacco, O.F.M., learned of the need for more meat products at the Warming House soup kitchen in Olean, he turned to parishioners at St. John’s Church. They responded with donations totaling $2,500, enough to put meat on the Warming House table for the next four or five months. “Their generosity is overwhelming, it’s a dream come true,” said Trevor Thompson, director of the Warming House, which has operated as an outreach/service ministry of St. Bonaventure University since 1974 and is believed to be the oldest student-run soup kitchen in the nation. Fr. James, an instructor in St. Bonaventure’s Clare College and administrator of St. John’s Parish, asked parishioners to donate to the meat fund as a Lenten sacrificial offering. Some 100 “Meat The Need” envelopes were picked up by parishioners. “Perhaps they gave up purchasing a cup of coffee at work and placed that money in the ‘Meat The Need’ envelope instead,” said Fr. James. “It all adds up.” But no one expected it ...

Carl Paladino, CEO of Buffalo’s Ellicott Development Company, will speak at 4 p.m. Monday, May 4, in the amphitheater of St. Bonaventure University’s William F. Walsh Science Center. The talk is part of the Entrepreneur in Residence lecture series sponsored by the School of Business. Paladino will present an overview of his family enterprise with a concentration on strategy and execution, said Dr. Carol Wittmeyer, assistant professor of management sciences at SBU. The program is open to the public and a hallway reception will follow the talk. A 1968 graduate of St. Bonaventure and a former member of the university’s Board of Trustees, Paladino founded Ellicott Development Company in 1973. The property management, leasing and development firm owns Buffalo’s Ellicott Square and manages over 4.5 million square feet of office, retail and residential space, making the company the largest private landlord in downtown Buffalo. School of Business faculty and students will mark the occasion of ...

CLEARFIELD – PennDOT announced today that work has started on the first three projects in the nine-county District 2 area that are financed with federal funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). “Construction activity on these three projects began in April and they signify the beginning of the District’s 14 economic stimulus transportation projects that will help stimulate job creation and provide much-needed transportation improvements in our region,” PennDOT District Executive Kevin Kline said. The remaining 11 projects will move into construction at various times over the next five to six months. PennDOT awarded Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc. of State College a $2,784,026 contract to mill, resurface and widen 4.8-miles of Routes 26 and 64 near Pleasant Gap in Centre County, and a $1,744,319 contract to mill and overlay a 1.5-mile portion of Route 6 in the Coudersport area of Potter County. New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc. of New Enterprise, Bedford County, w...

HARRISBURG - Attorney General Tom Corbett on Thursday announced that agents from the Attorney General's Child Predator Unit have arrested a Texas man accused of using Internet chat rooms to sexually proposition what he believed was a 13-year old girl, as well as flying from Texas to Pittsburgh to meet and have sex with the girl. The "girl" was actually an undercover agent from the Child Predator Unit using the online profile of a child. Corbett identified the defendant as Billy Elvin Clark, 62, 1411 South 11th St., Merkel, Texas. "With summer vacation season quickly approaching, it is important for parents to understand how quickly online predators will attempt to arrange meetings with children," Corbett said. "As this case demonstrates, some predators will travel great distances if they believe they have found a vulnerable child." Corbett said that Clark allegedly used an Internet chat room in late March to make contact with an undercover agent. Cla...

EMPORIUM, Pa. – Family members and friends will be able to memorialize cancer victims by decorating bags for the American Cancer Society's Creating A Cure event on May 30. Those bags will be set up as a maze for the program's 10 a.m. opening ceremonies at Sizerville State Park, along Route 155, six miles north of Emporium. Creating A Cure, which replaces the Relay for Life, has a goal of raising $30,000 for cancer research, education, advocacy and patient services. Unlike luminaries, the yellow, orange, green and hot pink paper bags will not be lit by candles but filled and adorned with memories. "I think it's important to express the way you feel about the person that you lost," said Creating A Cure member Karen Hutton. "It's a way of honoring them." The bags along with forms are available for a donation of any amount at Olivett's Shurfine Foodmart, Reid's Hometown Emporium and the Cameron County Chamber of Commerce/Artisan Center in Emporiu...

Charles Cole Memorial Hospital has established a Swine Flu informational hotline. The prerecorded message can be heard by calling 814/260-5279. As the status of this situation changes, the message will be updated as needed. Due to the recent confirmed cases of Swine Influenza A (swH1N1) in Mexico and the United States, CCMH will continue its efforts to protect patients and staff. While CCMH has been preparing for the potential of an avian flu pandemic for quite some time, the hospital is following recommendations from local emergency management officials, the Center for Disease Control and World Health Organization. "We want the public to know that, if the swine flu affects our local community, Charles Cole will be prepared," said Lonnie Bunch, CCMH safety officer. Symptoms of swine flu are similar to the seasonal flu and include fever, lethargy, lack of appetite, and coughing. While there is currently no vaccine available, the swine flu can be treated with certain antivir...

By George Nianiatus Senior Writer Communications Department As reports have risen about confirmed swine flu cases internationally and in 11 U.S. states, Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) officials say they are fully prepared and trained for any future contingency which could occur. "We drill and practice for these events throughout the year. We are well prepared and ready to respond, if necessary," says Deborah Price, BRMC's senior vice president of Patient Care Services. BRMC Pathologist Syed Ally, M.D., F.C.A.P, F.A.S.C.P., and medical chairman of the hospital's Infection Control Committee, says he feels "confident in our Emergency Preparedness plan at the federal, state and local levels. The hospitals across our region also plan on an ongoing basis for situations like this." Both hospital officials reported there were adequate medical supplies available for patients as stockpiles are being released from Washington. "Our government is well pre...

Project Pride, Bradford’s designated Elm Street Neighborhood and Main Street seek volunteers for 3rd Annual Clean Up as part of the Great Pennsylvania Cleanup, on May 2nd from 10AM until 2PM. Project Pride and The Main Street program will be hitting the streets to remove litter and scrap tires from the downtown area. Volunteers will be gathering at Grace Lutheran Community Life Center to sign in and pick up their gloves, vests, and trash bags. Last year’s event was a huge success we had over 80 volunteers for the cleanup. Our volunteers picked up over 2,000 pounds of trash and removed over 600 tires. This year we hope to have even more volunteers and remove a larger amount of litter. The Safe, Clean & Green committee of the Elm Street program has been working very hard to get the word out to everyone in the neighborhood by distributing door hangers and recruiting volunteers. “This is a great opportunity for community groups to come together and help us take pride in our Main ...

HARRISBURG – May is Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month by proclamation of Governor Edward G. Rendell, and the Department of Transportation is reminding motorcyclists to fine-tune their skills through free motorcycle safety courses. “Motorcycling requires continued skill-building and practice to ensure safety on the roadways,” said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. “These courses offer all riders the opportunity to learn or review valuable safety techniques, which may help decrease their chances of becoming involved in otherwise avoidable crashes.” Through a contract with the Motorcycle Safety Foundation, PennDOT has operated the Motorcycle Safety Program since 1984. Pennsylvania riders who hold a Class M (motorcycle) permit or license can take either the Basic Rider Course (BRC) or Experienced Rider Course (ERC). Courses are run from March through October at 70 sites across the state. Motorcycle permit holders who successfully complete the course will be issued a motorcycle licen...

By Christopher Lilienthal Communications Director HARRISBURG, PA (April 30, 2009) – A well-structured severance tax on natural gas production will protect Pennsylvania taxpayers from shouldering the public costs that come with increased drilling, according to a report released this week by the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center. “Natural gas extraction in the Marcellus Shale has substantial risks and substantial costs that have not yet been fully explored in the rush to drill,” said Sharon Ward, Director of the non-partisan policy research center. “A severance tax is a well-tested mechanism to shift these costs back to producers, where they belong.” The report, “Responsible Growth: Protecting the Public Interest with a Natural Gas Severance Tax,” examines the potential costs of increased natural gas drilling on taxpayers and the environment, how severance taxes are structured in other states, and what lessons Pennsylvania can learn from them. Interest in the severance tax has been s...

I'm going home sick in about 12 minutes (after the noon news), so don't expect any more updates here today. But please listen to WESB and The HERO for Stefan and the news.

The man who died in the fiery three-vehicle crash on Interstate 90 in Erie Tuesday morning has been identified as 58-year-old Samuel Thomas Sr. of Warren. Police say Thomas was trying to pass another car when he lost control of his car and it hit the back of a car driven by Jennifer Britt of North East. Eventually, his car went across the median and got lodged under the trailer of a truck and was dragged about 300 feet before the vehicles stopped and caught on fire. Britt was treated for minor injuries. The truck driver was not hurt. Part of Interstate 90 was closed until Wednesday morning.

The Sullivan County Legislature has approved an agreement with the Seneca Nation to build a casino just off Route 17 in Bridgeville, New York. The proposed complex would feature a two million square-foot casino, with 6,000 slot machines, 120 game tables and 30 poker tables. It would also include a 1,500-room hotel and spa, 12 restaurants, high-end retail space, and a 5,000-seat arena. The plan still has to be approved by the US Department of Interior before the Senecas can move forward. New D-O-I Secretary Ken Salazar has not indicated whether he supports off-reservation casinos.

National Fuel is lowering its rates again. The 7.8 percent decrease means the bill of a typical residential customer would go from $127 a month to $117. Nancy Taylor of National Fuels says the decrease is a direct result of the continuing decline in the market price of natural gas. The company's next rate adjustment comes August 1.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director During the first public meeting of the Bradford Master Plan team about two years ago, members of the team said one of the toughest obstacles to overcome would be attitude. Wednesday night, during a presentation of the plan to the planning boards of the local municipalities, Albert Filoni of MacLachlan, Cornelius and Filoni Architects Inc. of Pittsburgh said attitudes are starting to change. "The first year of our interviews were a little depressing," Filoni said. "We heard nothing but what a mess it was; how dead Main Street was; how all the young people were leaving. Negative. Negative. Negative." "We kept looking around and looking at things and we couldn't find all that negativity in what we were seeing," he said. "I think as we've been working together for two years, we've seen that attitude start to change," he said. He said one thing area residents have to remember is that people already ...

22 Slippery Rock University students who returned from Mexico City Tuesday may not be able to graduate with their class on Saturday. The students were student teaching in Mexico and, although none of them is currently has swine flu symptoms, the commencement ceremony falls in the middle of the incubation period when people may be contagious but not showing signs of the illness. The Centers for Disease Control advises that people who may have be exposed to swine flu limit their contact with others. The university is expected to make a decision Thursday. For more information, go to Slippery Rock's Web site .

Luca, Eric, Tom and Tom for a delightful afternoon.

Listen now: WESB News Review for April 29, 2009 .

Washington, DC – U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, a member of the House Small Business Committee, participated in a hearing this afternoon that focused on the impact of cap-and-trade legislation on small business and family farms. Cap-and-trade is a policy that limits the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere. In the words of Congressman John Dingell, a Democrat from Michigan and Chairman Emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee, “Cap-and-trade is a tax and it’s a great big one.” “Cap-and-trade, or as I call it, cap-and-tax, will devastate small businesses and family farms,” said Thompson. “As Chairman Dingell pointed out last week, this proposal is a great big tax on energy consumption that will increase the cost of just about every processed, manufactured, and transported good we consume or use in our daily life.” Fossil fuels account for 85 percent of America’s energy consumption – and are also a feedstock in many every day products. Natural gas and pe...

The regional economic effects of the imposition of new gas and oil drilling regulations by the US Forest Service in the Allegheny National Forest will be the topic of a public hearing Friday in Warren. Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-Warren, Forest & McKean), who will chair the hearing of the House Republican Policy Committee, said many citizens from the area around the national forest are deeply concerned that business, jobs and the local economy will be negatively affected by these federal regulations. "There's been a lot of concern in the district about the proposed regulations on our oil production, our natural gas exploration, recreation and what kind of economic impact these regulations will have," Rapp said. "We're going to be hearing from experts in the oil and gas industry, from the Allegheny National Forest people, from Congressman Glenn Thompson, and their views and their opinions on how these new NEPA regulations will impact the economy in Warren, Forest and M...

Seneca Gaming has released its second quarter operating results, and the figures don't look good. Gaming revenues and slot revenues are both down more than 8 percent from a year ago. Income from operations is $27.3 million, but still a decrease of nearly 11 percent over last year. Cathy Walker, Chief Operating Officer and acting principal executive officer of Seneca Gaming says the results reflect the ongoing challenges faced by Seneca Gaming, and the gaming industry, in this unfavorable economic environment. To see the report, go HERE .

HARRISBURG, Pa., April 29, 2009-- Auditor General Jack Wagner said today that the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board did not violate state law but that it did exercise poor judgment in awarding a $173,820 employee training contract to the husband of a PLCB regional manager, creating the appearance of a conflict of interest. “In awarding a contract to the spouse of one of its regional managers, the PLCB should have anticipated the reasonable public questioning that would result over a potential conflict of interest, regardless of whether that conflict was an actual conflict or the appearance of a conflict,” Wagner said. Because of the appearance of a potential conflict and other red flags, such as the wide disparity in cost proposals submitted by prospective vendors, the PLCB should have seriously reconsidered its decision to award the contract at all and done the training in house, or rejected all proposals and started over, Wagner said. The Department of the Auditor General conduct...

Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) employees and members of the community are shown Tuesday afternoon taking part in the National Walk @ Lunch Day, an event hosted locally by the hospital’s Employee Wellness Committee. Following the mile-long walk to Callahan Park and back to BRMC, employees and local residents also got a chance to see the hospital’s new $1.7 million Open-Bore High-Field MAGNETOM Espree MRI during an open house and reception in Imaging Services. Physician-led walks were also held at 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. for employees and the community. An estimated 100 people took part in the three walks. ( Photo courtesy of BRMC )

Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Howard, was briefed today on the swine flu by members of the President’s Cabinet and officials from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). “Government officials are monitoring this very carefully and implementing a number of strategic plans,” said Thompson. “They include releasing supplies of Tamiflu and related anti-viral drugs from the strategic stockpile. These drugs have been shown to be effective against the swine flu if used within two days of experiencing symptoms.” According to the experts, the symptoms of swine flu are very similar to other cases of the flu. They include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. “While named the swine flu, the H1N1 virus has nothing to do with food-borne illness,” Thompson explained. “You cannot get swine flu from eating pork or pork products.” The Congressman said that so far there have...

HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell today issued the following statement in response to U.S. Senator Arlen Specter’s announcement that he has joined the Democratic Party: “I welcome Senator Specter to the Democratic Party. He is a strong leader who has done great work on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania regardless of their political affiliation. “Arlen Specter did not leave the Republican Party – the Republican Party left him. Today’s Pennsylvania Republican party is a far cry from the party of John Heinz, Hugh Scott and Governors Bill Scranton and Tom Ridge.”

Kristin Asinger, left, and Flora Cohen display a few of the items that will be auctioned off at the Derby Gala on Saturday at the Bradford Club. All proceeds from the gala, which will be held from 4 to 8 p.m., will benefit the Bradford Area Public Library’s endowment fund. Tickets are still available at the library and the Bradford Club. Photo provided by the Derby Gala Committee

A bill to legalize the use of medical marijuana is now being considered in the state House. Representative Mark Cohen of Philadelphia says people should not be forced to choose between moving out of state or buying drugs from criminals to treat certain conditions. Legal medical marijuana is a pain management medication that is known to be effective in relieving pain and is not physically addictive for most people. So far, the bill has only six co-sponsors. Cohen, however, says he's optimistic that more lawmakers will sign on after the bill gets public support. "Patients are asking for this bill," Cohen said. For more information, go to Cohen's Web site .

A Duke Center native and Iraq war veteran will serve as parade marshal for the Bradford Memorial Day parade on May 25. Sgt. Tim Lawson, a 2003 Otto Eldred graduate, and two-time tour of duty serviceman in Iraq, currently lives in Bradford. Lawson will be honorably discharged in May from the Army. We were at Bradford Regional Airport last summer when Lawson came home on leave. You can check out the pictures HERE .

By Dan Toomey ALBANY - Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I – Olean) has launched a statewide petition drive to restore the STAR rebate checks to homeowners. The effort is designed to pressure Governor Paterson and lawmakers to re-establish the rebate checks they eliminated as part of the recently-enacted State budget. The multifaceted petition drive will utilize email and social networking sites such as Facebook , along with creation of a new on-line petition. “Every fall, households across the state have come to rely on STAR rebate checks for things like school clothes, groceries and other necessities,” said Sen. Young. “What was once needed property tax relief has now been taken away. This petition drive is an opportunity for the public to tell Albany that the STAR rebate checks are important to their families.” Sen. Young pushed to initiate the STAR rebate check program in 2006, which provided a yearly check mailed directly to homeowners to help ease the burden of skyrocketing property t...

A supplemental environmental impact statement on oil and gas drilling in the Allegheny National Forest will focus on six significant issues. Forest Supervisor Leanne Marten along with district rangers Tony Scardina and Rob Fallon talked about the issues during a public meeting Tuesday at Pitt-Bradford. The issues are water quality, visual resources, hours of operation, drilling in the Marcellus Shale, restoration and reclamation and fragmentation that affects habitat. The supplemental environmental impact statement is expected to be finished by the end of the year.