Riel: We Can Win This Thing

By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director

Bradford has slipped to fifth place in the Ultimate Fishing Town contest but Mayor Tom Riel says there’s no reason the city can’t move back up and win the whole thing.

“If we were able to get over 25,000 votes (in the Toughest Weather City Tournament) in three days when you could only vote once, there’s no reason why we couldn’t win this thing,” Riel said during Tuesday’s city council meeting.

People can vote up to four times a day with each e-mail address they have.

“This is something that would actually bring tourism and bring money to the area,” Riel said. . “There’s no reason – based on how we did in the weather contest – that we shouldn’t be able to get 100,000 votes.”

“That would be a positive for Bradford,” Riel said, “much more so than having the worst weather in America.”

Riel joked that “Ultimate Fishing Town” doesn’t mean “the carp in the Tuna in the City of Bradford.” He said it includes the Marilla Reservoir, the Kinzua Reservoir and other surrounding areas.

During a visit to WESB’s LiveLine earlier this month Allegheny National Forest Visitors Bureau Director Linda Devlin said, "You can fish anywhere in the area, and still nominate Bradford as the Ultimate Fishing Town.”

Bradford "is where you come to stay overnight, and buy your fishing gear. This is where you come to tell your fishing stories at the local bar or local restaurant," she said.

"You can fish in any of the streams around here," Devlin said, "Potato Creek, Allegany State Park, the Allegheny Reservoir -- and it's just that Bradford would be the Fishing Town."

Voting in the first round ends at 6 p.m. May 3. http://www.wfnfishingtown.com/town/bradford-pa/1582

Also during Tuesday’s meeting, council authorized the execution of a housing and redevelopment assistance program grant for the Pine Street Revitalization Project.

The $155,000 grant is from the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

Council also approved certificates of appropriateness to Joe Fromach of John Williams European Pastry Shop to install a large window on the rear of his building and to install siding on the entire building; and to John Kohler, owner of 95 Main Street, to install a sign for the American Cancer Society.

The cancer society will be moving from Thompson Avenue to Main Street on Thursday.

And, council approved a $255 façade improvement grant to Cory Craig of Main Street Antiques at 86 Main Street. That’s half the cost of a new sign for the business.

Also Tuesday, Councilman Ross Neidich said a local business helped the city save some money.

He explained that new code enforcement officer Mike Cleveland was getting quotes for some bodywork on the old code enforcement truck and R&R Collision said they would do the work for free, and the city would just have to pay for the parts, which came to $12.50

Neidich said R&R considers it a donation to the city.

Listen to the council meeting here.