Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Terror hits the stage through the production of “Dracula” at St. Bonaventure University Oct. 20-23 in the historic Garret Theater. An adaptation by the Scottish playwright Liz Lochhead brings Bram Stoker’s eerie and passionate tale to life. The SBU Theater cast and crew are working to create both a thrilling and a rather scary experience. The production has been set to capture the spookiness of the Halloween season; but to do this, rehearsal time has been shorter than in past seasons. Memorizing the lines and learning the blocking has been done at a very professional rate for this show, but Mary Best, a freshman journalism and mass communication major, believes that this time crunch will not affect the quality of the show. “Everyone is putting their all into the show,” said Best, “and with the finishing touches on our sets and the addition of makeup and costumes, we are sure to put on one heck of a ‘Dracula.’” With lots of effects, and some very dramatic action, “Dracula” rehearsals ha...

A Falconer man was all wet after an accident at 7:20 this morning in Ashville. Sheriff’s deputies say 65-year-old James Dearing fell asleep at the wheel, causing his vehicle to go through a stop sign, through an intersection and over an embankment, where it landed on its roof in 4 feet of water. Members of the Panama Fire Department responded, and learned Dearing left the scene to go home and get dry clothes. He did return to the scene, and was charged with traffic violations. He will appear in Town of Harmony Court at a later date.

A federal grand jury has indicted a New York State Corrections officer from Gowanda on child pornography charges. 39-year-old Shawn Pound is charged with possessing child pornography on two computers in his home. Pound was arrested in March after law enforcement officers executed a search warranat and found the child porn. If convicted, Pound faces 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

An Emporium man who is a fugitive from justice in New Jersey is in Elk County Jail awaiting extradition back to New Jersey. 24-year-old Steven Crespo was picked up by Emporium-based state police on Friday after they learned he had an active warrant from the Middlesex County Sheriff’s Department in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He was arraigned by District Judge Alvin Brown and sent to jail on $50,000 bail.

A group of children work with the Pitt Bradford Lady Panthers soccer team Thursday night during CARE for Children’s soccer stars mini camp.The event, held in the Sport & Fitness Center, was an opportunity for children with special health care needs to meet the team, learn soccer drills and play a game. It was part of CARE for Children’s therapeutic recreation program. 28 children took part. The Lady Panthers are coached by Mike Idland. CARE kid Aiden gets ready to score a goal at Thursday’s Soccer Stars mini camp, sponsored by CARE for Children and hosted by the Pitt Bradford Lady Panthers soccer team CARE kid Carmine stretches with Holly, a member of the Pitt Bradford Lady Panthers Soccer team. Photos courtesy of CARE for Children

Author Mark Nowak, a mining and labor activist, will talk about his recent work at 4:30 p.m. Monday in the Walsh Amphitheater. A Buffalo native, Nowak was a guest commentator on the Al Jazeera English news network this week as the Chilean mine rescue began. “Nowak is a poet, but he’s more likely to be found doing workshops with auto workers in Michigan or South Africa than doing the usual poetry reading or tour,” said Dr. Kaplan Harris, associate professor in the English department, which is sponsoring Nowak’s visit. A 2010 Guggenheim fellow, Nowak is the author of “Coal Mountain Elementary” (Coffee House Press, 2009) and “Shut Up Shut Down” (Coffee House Press, 2004). He frequently speaks about global working class policies and issues, most recently on Al Jazeera, BBC World News America, and Pacifica Radio’s “Against the Grain.” Nowak is the director of the Rose O’Neill Literary House at Washington College in Chestertown, Md. For more information on Nowak’s talk, contact Harris at kha...

WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) applauded today’s decision by the U.S. Trade Representative to investigate unfair trade practices by China involving manufacturing in the clean energy sector. Senator Casey had previously voiced support for this petition when it was filed last month under Section 301 of the Trade Act to seek remedies against Chinese subsidies and other policies that have unfairly put U.S. workers at a disadvantage. “This is a positive step by the USTR to formally investigate the clear Chinese subsidies and other unfair trade practices which have violated trade laws and given Chinese manufacturers an unfair boost in new clean energy technology,” said Senator Casey. “Action must be taken to force China to level the playing field to allow U.S. manufacturers and workers to compete. There is tremendous potential in the clean energy sector to create more high-paying jobs in Pennsylvania and around the country. If the U.S. doesn’t aggressively deal with unfair...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will hold an open house on Oct. 23 for high school students interested in attending Pitt-Bradford and their families. The event will allow students to learn more about academics, student life, financial aid, scholarship opportunities and the admissions process at Pitt-Bradford. Registration begins at 12:30 p.m. at the information desk in the Frame-Westerberg Commons. At 1 p.m., Dr. Livingston Alexander, president, will welcome guests in the Bromeley Family Theater in Blaisdell Hall. Mark Kelley, director of the sports medicine program and instructor of sport and exercise science, will discuss academic programs with students and parents. A student panel will address any questions or concerns. Alex Nazemetz, director of admissions, will explain Pitt-Bradford’s admissions process, and the Open House will conclude with campus tours provided by Student Ambassadors at 2:30 p.m. Members of the Admissions staff will be available ...

High school students from across Western New York and Northern Pennsylvania were honored Friday (Oct. 15, 2010) at St. Bonaventure University’s Communications Day, an annual celebration of high school journalism hosted by the Russell J. Jandoli School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Buffalo City Honors School received the Buffalo News’ Bertram Freed Memorial Award for overall excellence. More than 250 students from 16 high schools attended. Workshops in social media, radio, TV, newswriting and yearbooks filled the students’ morning before an afternoon keynote address given by MaryLynn Ryan, bureau chief of the Southeast region for CNN/U.S. Following her talk, Ryan was presented the Russell J. Jandoli Memorial Award of Excellence “for demonstrating courage in journalism and encouragement of youth.” The School of Journalism and Mass Communication also took the occasion to add a member to its Wall of Distinguished Graduates – a series of plaques permanently displayed in the John J. ...

Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati amended Senate Bill 1161 to require public hearings to be held in communities where convicted murderers are being released into group homes. The Board of Probation and Parole will be responsible for holding the aforementioned public hearings. Yesterday, the Senate passed this measure with a 45-4 final vote. It now goes to the Governor for his signature. "As I have stated, this amendment is simply a public safety measure in order to inform and alert the communities when a convicted murderer will be released to a group home in their area," Scarnati stated. "Citizens should also have the right to express themselves in a public forum on the circumstances surrounding the location of the individual." Scarnati mentioned that this amendment was prompted by the lack of public information given to the residents in the Jefferson County area when a convicted murderer was to be placed in a local group home. "Without question, go...

Work is winding down on PennDOT’s Route 219/Bradford Bypass project in McKean County. PennDOT issues the following travel update for the week of Oct. 18. All work is weather and schedule dependent. Glenn O. Hawbaker, Inc. of State College is the contractor on this $28 million job. · Motorists are advised to watch for slow-moving and stopped vehicles throughout the entire work zone. · The contractor will be working close to the travel lanes, removing temporary barriers and removing crossovers. Watch for workers and equipment being close to the travel lanes. · TRAFFIC ALERT: A new traffic pattern will begin the week of Oct. 18. Route 219 northbound traffic will be placed back on the newly constructed northbound travel lane and all ramps will be open. · Work on the Route 219 southbound ON-ramp at Elm Street continues. Traffic will continue to use the existing shoulder. The contractor crew will be working close to the roadway placing plants behind a new barrier wall. Expect delays duri...

U.S. District Court Judge Richard Arcara has extended the Seneca and Cayuga Nations' temporary restraining order against New York State sales taxes on cigarettes indefinitely. In making his ruling, Arcara expressed concern over the impact the taxes would have on Native American businesses, and over the possibility of violent protests, if they are enforced. But in a separate order, Arcara threw out some of the arguments that the tribes have been making against the tax, saying he isn't convinced that the state's plan to collect taxes on cigarette sales to non-Indian customers would be a violation of tribal sovereignty. The Senecas and Cayugas have already told Arcara they will appeal the second ruling.

The registration deadline for vendor booths, the Pumpkin Fest Scarecrow Contest and the Pumpkin Decorating Contest has been extended to Saturday, October 16. The forms are available at the Main Street Mercantile located at 96 Main Street, Bradford. Vendor booths are available at no charge to food and craft vendors and community organizations looking to host game booths. It is recommended that game booths are child oriented and contain a pumpkin theme. Prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the organization hosting the booth. The Scarecrow contest is open to any individual, business or group, with a request that the Scarecrows be tastefully made and/or decorated. The scarecrows will be judged during the Pumpkin Fest and will remain on Main Street until November 1. The Pumpkin Decorating contest is open to any child under the age of 12. Pumpkins need to be decorated only, not carved. Again judging of the Pumpkin Decorating contest will be done during Pumpkin Fest. Pumpkins mu...

Dr. Gwynn Thomas, assistant professor of Global Gender Studies at the University at Buffalo, will give a public lecture at St. Bonaventure University on Chile’s first woman president. Her talk, “Creating a Virtuous Circle: Advancing Gender Equality in Chile under President Michelle Bachelet,” will be held at 4:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 25, in Walsh Auditorium. Bachelet stepped down from the presidency in March and was just appointed to head the new United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women). Thomas received her doctorate in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2005 and is an assistant professor in the Department of Global Gender Studies at the University at Buffalo. Her first book, “It’s a Family Affair: Mobilizing Citizens, Claiming Leadership and Contesting Legitimacy in Chilean Politics,” will be published by Penn State Press in 2011. She is presently writing a book about Bachelet, “When a Woman Leads: The Presidency of Mich...

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist John Hanchette will be the featured speaker for the kickoff of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Seminar Series on Oct. 21 at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Hanchette will speak on “Media Discord: Crisis or Opportunity” at 7:30 p.m. in Rice Auditorium in Fisher Hall. In addition to winning the Pulitzer Prize in 1980 for his part in a Gannett News Service investigative series, he was nominated for the prize eight other times. Hanchette began his career at the Niagara Falls (N.Y.) Gazette in 1964. He left to work for The Buffalo Evening News, but returned to the Gazette (which was then a Gannett newspaper) in 1974 as managing editor. Hanchette moved on with Gannett News Service, which named him Florida bureau chief in 1977 and a Washington correspondent in 1981. He became managing editor of the Gannett paper The Arkansas Gazette in 1988, before returning to Gannett News Service in 1992 as nation...

The Penn State School of Forest Resources and Cooperative Extension will hold a seminar entitled "Gas Well Drilling and Your Private Water Supply Workshop" from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 19, at St Bibiana’s Church Social Hall or the Galeton Senior Center in Galeton, PA. Penn State Water Resources Extension Educator, Jim Clark, will discuss pre-drill water testing by gas companies and voluntary testing by landowners, how to test water quality, reading water test reports, and the use of accredited water labs. The latter part of the program will be dedicated to discussing research being conducted. Penn State and the Cooperative Extension have received funding from the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Water Resources Research Center to study the potential impacts of Marcellus gas drilling on rural drinking water wells. Statewide, about 200 private water wells near completed Marcellus gas well sites will be selected for free post-drilling water testing ...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has recorded its second highest enrollment ever this year. After four years of unprecedented growth, enrollment for Fall 2010 was down only slightly from the previous year by 1.2 percent. As of Sept. 30, the campus had 1,515 full-time equivalent students compared to 1,533 last year. Full-time equivalent is a measurement used by colleges and universities that takes into account both full- and part-time students. The measurement allows administrators to better plan and budget for the demands placed on the faculty and student services. The total number of full- and part-time students is 1,629. Despite the small drop, enrollment is at the second highest level in the school’s history, having grown rapidly from an enrollment of 1,124 FTE in the fall of 2005. “Although the decline is small, we’re carefully assessing the enrollment patterns in an effort to determine the particular reasons for the decline,” said Dr. Li...

James W. Douglass, noted Catholic pacifist and activist, will be speaking Friday, Oct. 22, on “JFK, Obama, and the Unspeakable” during a 7 p.m. presentation in Walsh Auditorium at St. Bonaventure University. The talk will examine what it means to be transformed as president of the United States, at the edge of total nuclear war, into a peacemaker. John F. Kennedy’s turn toward peace, which Douglass claims resulted in his assassination, provides a parable of the unspeakable for President Barack Obama and ourselves in the midst of our escalating war on terror. Can we discover hope for our enlightenment and resurrection as one human family through the dark truths of Dallas? Douglass’ most recent book, “JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters” (2008), Orbis Books: Maryknoll, N.Y., has been touted as one of the more thorough examinations of the many conspiracy theories surrounding the assassination of JFK, but unlike many other works, it focuses on reasons why he was assas...

WARREN—Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati voted in support of legislation that would allow law abiding citizens to defend themselves without retreat and with potential lethal force providing their life is in danger. The bill passed the Senate today with a 45-4 final vote. “This is a common-sense bill that further allows individuals the right to protect themselves and their loved ones if they feel lethally threatened,” Scarnati stated. “The basic right to protect ourselves and loved ones, whether they are home, in a vehicle, or in a public place is one of the fundamental premises of our democracy.” According to Scarnati, under current law citizens have the right to defend themselves in their homes. However, they must show retreat outside their home when facing the danger of lethal force. This expansion of the ‘Castle Doctrine’ provides that individuals, in any place they have a legal right to be, can defend themselves, or others, when in signif...

Pianist Patrick Connolly, an internationally recognized soloist and chamber musician, will perform Thursday, Oct. 28, at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. His recital, the first Noon Tunes event of the semester, will take place in Blaisdell Hall’s Studio Theater at 11:30 a.m. The concert is free and is an offering of the university’s Spectrum Series. Connolly’s program will include Bach’s “English Suite in F major, BWV 809,” Franz Liszt’s “Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6” and Ludwig van Beethoven’s famous “Sonata in F minor, Op. 57” (commonly known as the “Appassionata”). He will also premiere a short work by Dr. John Levey, assistant professor of music at Pitt-Bradford. “Patrick and I have collaborated on several occasions, and I’m delighted that he’s agreed to yet another premiere,” Levey said. “He’s the best kind of performer: creative, knowledgeable, and brilliant technically. The Steinway will get quite a workout.” Conn...

Tickets go on sale Thursday for the Oswayo Valley Middle/High School senior class melodrama “Murder at the Malt Shop” or “Hey Daddy-O, We’re in Deadsville! This dessert theater production will be presented Friday and Saturday, November 12 and 13, 2010 on the Oswayo Valley Elementary School stage. The new show features 14 members of the senior class in acting roles. There will be three shows and the production includes an all you can eat dessert buffet and beverages with the cost of the ticket. Playwright and director, Cheri Thomas, states, “This year’s melodrama is completely different from the previous three in that it is set in the fabulous 1950’s instead of at the turn of the century. Also, it’s a murder mystery written in tribute and in the style of Agatha Christie’s long running London play, The Mousetrap. It’s an audience interactive with two of the play characters being drawn from the audience in walk on roles. Intermission will feature a hula hoop and twist contest. "I spe...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Senate Republican leaders don’t believe a new tax on natural gas extracted from Marcellus Shale will be approved anytime soon. “I don’t believe we’re any closer to a deal,” Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati said in a news conference Tuesday. The prospects of getting the bill finished “diminish by the hour,” he said, adding that the House and Senate are “worlds apart.” Scarnati adds that some of the main sticking points are finding an acceptable tax rate, certain exemptions and safety issues. Scarnati says the bill passed by the House two weeks ago, calling for a levy of 39 cents per thousand cubic feet of gas, is too high and is unacceptable. Also unacceptable, he says, is the fact that small gas producers in the state that drill shallow wells are not exempted from any new tax in the House bill. Governor Ed Rendell’s proposal would “tax shallow gas producers out of the state,” Scarnati said. “These are the Mom and Pop producers that have...

Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) welcomed hundreds of area senior citizens to his Eighth Annual Senior Expo at the Roulette Fire Hall on Oct. 8. "It was good to see the many people that come back year after year, but I was also especially pleased to hear from several folks that this was their first trip to the expo," Causer said. "I believe this is a great service to our older residents, as well as their families, and the fact that the events in Roulette and Bradford are growing every year confirms that." Among the most popular features of the expo are health screenings, such as blood pressure and carotid artery checks. Flu and pneumonia shots were also available. Seniors also had access to information from a wide variety of vendors, including the Potter County Education Council, the PACE/PACENET program, the Potter County Sheriff's Office, the PA Association of Retired State Employees, the state office of Attorney General, Charles Cole Memorial Hospital, Ham...

The United Way of the Bradford Area, Inc. was able to upgrade their technologies with the help of Bradford based, Omnis Technologies. Omnis Technologies graciously donated a portion of their time to install and network the United Way’s computers. “Upgrading our computers will bring huge improvements in performance and functionality for our staff,” says Community Relations and Marketing Specialist, Megan Mangini. “We are very grateful that Omnis Technologies was able to assist us in this process.” “It just reinforces the small community mentality of how organizations lend expertise to fellow community members,” says Executive Director, Kelly Z. Case. “This mentality is the premise of the United Way mission.” “We were delighted to have the opportunity to help such an important organization in our community. Technology upgrades can be a daunting task without some support. We were happy to help!” Says Donny Kemick, President of protocol 80, Omnis Technologies’ parent company. Omnis Tech...

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Raymond Richard Learn, age 62, of Harborcreek, passed away to God's care on Monday, October 11, 2010 at his home after a long battle with cancer. He was born on July 14, 1948 to the late Carl and Viola Learn of Harborcreek. Ray attended Harbor Creek High School and graduated from the G.E. Apprentice Program and Gannon University with a Degree in Industrial Management. He retired from G.E. Transportation Systems in 2009 after 43 years of service. He was elected to the Harbor Creek School District Board of Directors in 2000 where he served until the days before his death. Ray was a past Director of the Erie District Bowling Association serving as First Vice President. He was a parishioner of St. James R.C. Church, a charter member of the East Erie Moose Lodge #593, a member of the Lawrence Park Athletic Club, Wesleyville Athletic Club, the G.E. Quarter Century Club, and a former member of the Perry Keystone Masonic Lodge #392. He was an avid bowler all of his life and especially enjo...

A former Bradford resident has pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually exploiting children. 34-year-old Michael Begin used a cell phone and the Internet in an effort to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity. He also transported obscene material to a minor. Begin is scheduled for sentencing March 7 in federal court in Erie. http://www.justice.gov/usao/paw/pr/2010_october/2010_10_12_01.html

State Police have identified the victim of a fatal hit-and-run early Sunday morning in the Town of Randolph. They say 18-year-old Fredericko Flores was a migrant worker who arrived in the area a month ago. He was walking home from his job at a local dairy farm when he was hit. A passing motorist discovered the body and contacted police. Police say parts that were found at the scene led them to locating the vehicle at a Jamestown body shop. They are interviewing the driver but say it’s still unclear why he left the scene.

Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, has been appointed to the board of directors for the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. Alexander will represent the University of Pittsburgh, a role that had previously been filled by Dr. Robert Pack, who is retiring from the university as vice provost for academic planning and resources management. The center is the second oldest state-level rural research policy center in the nation. It is a bipartisan legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. The center works with various government groups and organizations to maximize resources for Pennsylvania’s 3.4 million rural residents. In part, it sponsors research projects, collects data on trends in rural Pennsylvania and publishes information and research results about diverse people and communities in rural Pennsylvania. The group is led by Pennsylvania ...

This region is not immune to teen suicide. On Monday, a 15-year-old boy from Force shot himself in a wooded area off Pine Avenue in Jay Township. He was found at about 7:25 p.m. He was pronounced dead by Elk County Coroner Lou Radkowski.

Former Seneca Nation president Maurice John has announced that he’s running to become the next president of the nation. John served as the tribe's President from 2006 to 2008, immediately prior to current president, Barry Snyder Sr. John is running as an independent candidate. He has only one opponent, Robert Porter, who has served as the Senecas' chief legal counsel in their lawsuit against New York State cigarette sales taxes. The Seneca Party is backing Porter.

A Sinclairville man is in jail without bail after being stopped Monday evening for not wearing a helmet while on an ATV. Sheriff’s deputies say 45-year-old Donald Vanhouten first did not give them his true identity when asked. When they learned who he really was, they also learned that he was wanted for growing marijuana in the Town of Gerry. He was charged with felony driving while intoxicated for having 3 prior DWI convictions. Deputies also found a rifle within Vanhouten’s reach on the ATV. He is prohibited from having a firearm because of 5 prior felony convictions.

A 71-year-old St. Marys man who didn’t return home after riding his ATV Sunday afternoon was found Sunday night trapped underneath the ATV. St. Marys police say James “Wilbur” Fritz left for an ATV ride at 1 o’clock Sunday afternoon. They received a call at just after 10 o’clock Sunday night saying Fritz hadn’t returned home yet. Elkland Search and Rescue found him at 11:35 p.m. in a wooded area behind St. Marys airport with his ATV on top of him, according to a fax sent to WESB and The HERO by St. Marys Police. Ambulance personnel treated him at the scene, then took him to Elk Regional Health Center for further treatment.

A Coudersport man was flown to Robert Packer Memorial Hospital in Sayre after suffering major injuries when he turned his bicycle into the path of a car Monday afternoon on Route 6 in Eulalia Township. Police say 19-year-old Benjamin Elliott did not use a hand signal before turning into the path of a car driven by 67-year-old Tommie Watkins of Helena, Ohio, who applied his brakes, but couldn’t avoid hitting Elliot. Elliot briefly rode on the hood of Watkins’ car before falling into the road, according to a fax sent to WESB and The HERO by Coudersport-based state police. Elliot suffered multiple injuries to his head. Neither Watkins, nor a passenger in his car, 56-year-old Gwen Watkins, were hurt.

A Kane man is dead after being hit in the head by a large pipe fitting at a well drilling site in Jones Township Monday morning. 42-year-old Stephen Jones was working on the site two-and-one-third miles east of Route 219 at 7:45 a.m. Monday. Elk County Coroner Lou Radkowski pronounced him dead at the scene, according to a news release faxed to WESB and The HERO by Ridgway-based state police. Howard Drilling Company owns the site.

Bradford City Police got a few more calls about disturbances over the weekend – one at a Mechanic Street business, one on Bushnell Street and the other on Amm Street. They also got a call from a Charlotte Avenue assault victim. Officers also looked into reports of a suspicious person on Mian Street, harassment on Cole Avenue and a theft from a vehicle on Barbour Street, according to the complaint report and request sheet faxed to WESB and The HERO by the police department. Police also received reports of a tree down on South Avenue and a traffic complaint at Davis Street and Jackson Avenue.

One man is dead and two others were seriously hurt during a knife fight Saturday in Salamanca. The fight started at a home on Summit Street sometime around one o'clock Saturday morning. Two men from the Tuscarora Indian Reservation in Niagara County and three Salamanca residents were involved, according to a news release e-mailed to WESB and The HERO by the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Department. At some point during the confrontation, two of the men were stabbed. Another was seriously injured. All three were taken to area hospitals, where one of them died. The man who died is Timothy Kraft of Sanborn. Two other victims have undergone surgery and remain hospitalized with what the news release describes as "life-threatening injuries." Investigators recovered three weapons, all believed to have been used in the altercation. Charges are pending.