Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

For the eleventh year, the Pitt-Bradford Lady Panthers basketball team has collaborated with CARE for Children to provide the opportunity for both boys and girls with motor and learning deficiencies to learn to play basketball. The annual camp began in 2001, and has remained one of the most popular of CARE’s therapeutic recreation events. Each year, between 40 and 60 children throughout McKean County participate. The event remains unique in that it focuses on basketball skills that campers may not have experienced because of perceived limitations. CARE’s physical and occupational therapists are on hand to help the Lady Panthers players adapt components of the game and to work with the kids as an extension of traditional school based therapy. In 2011, the University’s athletic department received the Jostens Community Service Overall Winner Award from the National Association of Division III Athletics, in part for its long-standing relationship with CARE for Children. Since the ince...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director If you watch the St. Bonaventure women take on Notre Dame in Sunday’s Sweet 16 basketball match-up you might hear commentators make some comparisons between the two Catholic universities. You’ll probably hear about their connections to 9/11, too. Notre Dame head coach Muffet McGraw had been planning to take United Flight 175 out of Boston on September 11, 2001, but one of her assistants insisted that she take another flight that day, out of Providence. At the Providence airport, she saw and heard the TVs that told her about United Flight 175 crashing into the World Trade Center. St. Bonaventure graduate Father Mychal Judge has been called “The Saint of 9/11” and was also designated as "Victim 0001," recognized as the first official victim of the September 11, 2001, attacks. He was in the North Tower offering aid and prayers for the rescuers, the injured and dead when, at 9:59 a.m., the South Tower collapsed sending debris to the other ...

Making its first Sweet 16 appearance in its NCAA Tournament debut, the fifth-seeded St. Bonaventure women's basketball team faces top-seeded Notre Dame in the Raleigh Regional Semifinal Sunday afternoon. The Bonnies and Irish are meeting for the first time. SBU advanced to the second weekend of the NCAA tourney by virtue of wins over Florida Gulf Coast (72-65 OT) and Marist (66-63) in the opening rounds in Florida, while ND remained at home to defeat Liberty (74-43) and California (73-62). The winner advances to the Elite 8 with a trip to the Final Four on the line Tuesday night at 9 against either second-seeded Maryland or third-seeded – and reigning national champion – Texas A&M. With an enrollment of just 2,000, St. Bonaventure is the smallest school in Division I women's basketball history to advance to the Sweet 16. Outside of Gonzaga, the Bonnies are the only team left in the tournament that is not a member of a BCS conference. St. Bonaventure also has the youngest...

Cattaraugus County continues its crackdown on welfare fraud. 51-year-old Rhonda Fuller of Bolivar is charged with grand larceny and four counts of offering a false instrument for filing as well as welfare fraud. Sheriff’s deputies say she submitted Child Care Attendance Sheets to the county Department of Social Services that included hours she was not working. Between January of 2007 and December of 2010 she received more than $6,500 in day care assistance she was not entitled to. Fuller is scheduled to appear in City of Olean Court on April 10. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Scientists say the dolphin population in Louisiana’s Barataria Bay, one of the areas hit hardest and longest by the BP oil spill, are severely ill. NBC’s Anne Thompson reports: Visit msnbc.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news , world news , and news about the economy The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

St. Bonaventure University and the Franciscan Friars of Holy Name Province formalized their historic relationship on Friday by signing their first-ever memorandum of understanding. Holy Name Province traces its roots to Franciscan missionaries who came to America mid-1800s to minister to a flood of European immigrants. It was one of those missionaries, Fr. Pamfilo da Magliano, O.F.M., who was instrumental in the founding of St. Bonaventure in 1858. The memorandum of understanding specifies the mutual desire of the university and the province to advance the educational mission of the university in a manner that respects and preserves its Catholic-Franciscan character. While the relationship between the two has endured for more than 150 years, it was never defined in writing. “This formalizes what has always been our understanding,” said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., university president. “It’s a commitment by the University Board of Trustees and the Holy Name Province to continue that re...

A faulty propane grill caused a fire at a Clermont house late Thursday afternoon. State police fire marshal Greg Agosti says the fire damaged the two-story wood home of Patricia Miller. The fire started on the front porch and did about $100,000 worth of damage. No one was hurt. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Allegany-Limestone Middle School principal has been found guilty of harassment, but is appealing the verdict. Tim McMullen has been ordered to pay a fine for stalking a woman. He released a statement saying the judge made numerous mistakes in the non-criminal trial and says he has already started the appeal process regarding what he called an erroneous and ludicrous decision. McMullen remains on paid leave from the school district. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Someone started a fire that damaged the inside of the Prospect Park Playground recreation building in Emporium Friday evening. State police fire marshal David Surra says the fire was intentionally set by someone igniting combustible materials inside a cabinet. Emporium firefighters put out of the fire, which was contained to the area of the cabinet. The rest of the inside of the building was damaged by heat and smoke. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

On a warm spring afternoon, St. Bonaventure University officials broke ground on the William E. & Ann L. Swan Business Center, a new home for the School of Business that’s expected to open in the fall of 2013. Ann Swan donated $3 million to the building campaign in honor of her late husband, William E. Swan, ’69, a longtime Western New York business leader and philanthropist, and a dedicated university alumnus and Board of Trustees chair. Making note of the “magical run we’ve had at St. Bonaventure the last few weeks” in basketball, Robert Daugherty, ’77, trustee and chair of the building campaign, talked about the coaches (campaign steering committee), team (fundraising staff) and fans (donors) who were critical to fulfilling the dream of the Swan Business Center. Daugherty also spoke about inspiration and luck, ingredients often vital in sports. “Our inspiration came from a very good friend, John Watson,” Daugherty said, fighting back tears. “He soldiered with me every step of th...

Marilyn Horne Archive Part of Plans The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford launched a fundraising campaign Friday to raise $17.5 million by the end of its 50th anniversary year in 2014. Dr. Livingston Alexander, president, announced that 60 percent of the goal, which will benefit scholarships, academics, technology, capital projects and athletics, has already been raised. The event included a brief program to introduce the campaign’s goals, which includes $6.5 million for scholarships and $1.25 million for the emerging American Refining Group/Harry R. Halloran Jr. Energy Institute. “There is a great deal at stake,” Alexander said in his remarks to those gathered for the launch celebration in Blaisdell Hall. “We have come a long way and achieved a position of prominence in the northeast. We envision that Pitt-Bradford will become a top-of-mind institution among high school students. … Students will benefit from these … gifts for the next 50 years a...

From CNN: President Barack Obama waded into the growing national controversy of the killing of an unarmed black teenager in Florida, saying Trayvon Martin's death particularly resonated with him as an African-American parent. "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon," Obama said in brief remarks outside the White House. Obama said the nation should do some "soul-searching to figure out how something like this happens." "I think every parent in America should be able to understand why it is absolutely imperative that we investigate every aspect of this and that everybody pulls together, federal, state and local, to figure out exactly how this tragedy happened," Obama said. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A lawyer for Jerry Sandusky is asking Judge John Cleland to dismiss child sex abuse charges against his client. Joe Amendola says that some charges against Sandusky aren't specific enough, and that in other cases the statute of limitations has run out. The 95-page pretrial motion comes less than two months before Sandusky is due to go on trial for 52 criminal counts that allege sexual abuse of 10 boys over a period of 15 years. A spokesman for the attorney general’s office says they expect to file their response to the motion next week. Cleland may then schedule a hearing on the arguments. The 68-year-old former Penn State assistant football coach denies the allegations. Jury selection in the trial is scheduled for May 14. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Northwest Bancorp Inc., (Nasdaq Global Select Market NWBI), parent company of Northwest Savings Bank, has been named to the “Bank Honor Roll” of superior performers by KBW, Inc. (NYSE: KBW), a full-service investment bank that specializes in the financial services sector. Northwest is one of 45 U.S. banking institutions to be named to the list; KBW Screened nearly 400 companies. Companies named to the Honor Roll hold more than $500 million in total assets and are publicly traded banking institutions that meet three conditions. 1) They cannot have reported any annual loss in net income per share before extraordinary items over the past 10 years; 2) their 2011 annual reported net income per share before extraordinary items must be equal to or greater than their peak net income per share over the past 10 years; and 3) they must show consecutive increases in net income per share before extraordinary items since 2009. This is the second consecutive year that KBW has selected Northwest Ban...

With hits like “Love Shack,” “Rock Lobster” and “Roam,” The B-52s are a rock group that enduringly transcends all social categories. They consider themselves to be the “World’s Greatest Party Band” and continue to sell out venues with the same founding members from 1976: Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland and Cindy Wilson. The B-52s will deliver a party-like atmosphere inside Seneca Allegany Events Center on Sunday, May 27, at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $35 and go on sale Monday, March 26, at noon. Critically-acclaimed jazz guitarist and singer John Pizzarelli comes to Niagara Falls USA to play the Bear’s Den Showroom inside Seneca Niagara Casino & Hotel on Friday, May 4, at 8 p.m. Pizzarelli gained recent fame playing with the Boston Pops Orchestra and has appeared on more than 140 albums throughout his career – including guest performances with legendary artists such as James Taylor, Natalie Cole and Rosemary Clooney. Tickets start at $45 and are on sale now. Vocal...

The St. Bonaventure women's basketball team will leave campus at 2:30 p.m. Friday for their third-round NCAA Tournament game Sunday afternoon in Raleigh, N.C. The team is flying out of the Buffalo International Airport on this trip. Fans wishing to cheer the team as they depart campus can gather near the new access road next to the Reilly Center, where the team was dropped off Wednesday afternoon following their victories in Florida. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Bradford Area High School Drama Club will present “Kill Me Deadly" (A Noir Comedy) by Bill Robens on March 29 and 30 at the school auditorium. “This show takes film noir, puts it on stage, and adds an element of humor. It is such a fun piece," said club advisor and show director Melissa Krepp. Curtain will rise at 7 p.m. each night. Tickets at $2 for students and $5 for adults are available from cast and crew, at the door, at the school office and at Tina’s Hallmark. The cast includes Lexie Thurston as Mona Livingston, the steamy jazz singer; Cole Vecchio as Charlie Nickels, the Dick Tracy-like detective, Leah Krainz as Veronica Clairmont, the sexy heiress, Nick Forquer as Clive Clairmont, the "idiot savant," as well as many other quirky and entertaining characters of 1947 Hollywood played by Michael McLanahan, Ariel Defrank, Mike Smith, Angela Barger, DeeJay Rickman, Hannah Leposa, and Georgie Auteri. The running crew includes Sarah Howard, Victoria Robinson, Broo...

We can expect it this summer according to this: http://hinsdalehaunt.com/index.html For more information about the events at the house: http://web.sbu.edu/friedsam/archives/biographies/Trabold/paranormalcases.htm The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Navy Seaman Apprentice Devin Zelko, son of Tammi C. Vennard of Derrick City, Pa. and Ted D. Zelko, of Bradford, Pa., recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command, Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Zelko completed a variety of training which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness. The capstone event of boot camp is "Battle Stations". This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet. "Battle Stations" is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. Its distinctly ''Navy'' flavor was designed to take into account what it means to be a...

A South Dayton, New York, man is charged with assault following a bar fight on St. Patrick’s Day. Sheriff’s deputies say 31-year-old Jeremy Sanders was involved in an incident at Rough Kutts bar. He was sent to Cattaraugus County Jail on $200 bail, and is due back in court at a later date. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Great Valley man is facing charges following a crash on the Brewer Cross Road in the Town of Great Valley Saturday night. Sheriff’s deputies say 25-year-old Brian Earley crashed at around 11:45 p.m. He was charged with aggravated DWI for having a blood alcohol content higher than .18 percent. He’ll appear in court at a later date. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Police are continuing to investigate the drowning of a 2-year-old Allegany County boy behind his home Tuesday afternoon. Cameron Fenti of Richburg was taken to Jones Memorial Hospital in Wellsville after his father pulled him out of the creek at around 4:30 p.m. He was pronounced dead at 5:08 p.m. An autopsy was performed in Rochester to determine if drowning was the actual cause of death. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The new owners of the FooteRest Campground & Cabins in Lantz Corners are ready to open their doors. Tom and Ellen Paladini take over today as owners of the campground, which is conveniently located on Route 219 near the intersection with scenic Pennsylvania Route 6. The campground features a total of 192 sites, including 158 camper sites, 30 tent and four cabins. Paladini plans to focus on enticing families and outdoor recreational enthusiasts to visit the region. One of his first projects at the campground will be expanding the playground and adding new fun activities for children. “We are ready to open our doors and welcome hikers, bikers and families,” Paladini said. “All are welcome.” Both Tom and his wife Ellen enjoy a variety of outdoor activities including mountain biking, kayaking and hiking. They especially enjoy flat water kayaking in remote areas. Paladini is no stranger to running campgrounds. He has been in the business for about 25 years and has managed campgrounds...

Poet Marie Howe, whose writing has appeared in The New Yorker, Atlantic and O magazine, will read from her work next week at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Howe will read at noon Thursday, March 29, in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. A luncheon will be served at 11:30 a.m. The lunch and reading are both free and open to the public. The event is part of the university’s Spectrum series. Howe is the author of three volumes of poetry, “The Kingdom of Ordinary Time,” “The Good Thief” and “What the Living Do,” written after the loss of her brother John to AIDS. She is also the co-editor of a book of essays, “In the Company of my Solitude: American Writing from the AIDS Pandemic.” She has been selected for a Lavan Younger Poets Prize from the American Academy of Poets and Guggenheim and NEA fellowships. Her poems have also appeared in Poetry, Ploughshares, Harvard Review and The Partisan Review. Last fall, she was ...

HARRISBURG -- The Department of Environmental Protection invites teachers, non-formal educators, homeschooled students, youth groups and scout leaders to attend a Peregrine Falcon Educators’ Workshop, “WILD in the City,” on April 3 in Harrisburg. The workshop is sponsored by DEP and the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) in cooperation with ZOOAMERICA North American Wildlife Park. It will be held in the Rachel Carson State Office Building auditorium from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Since 1997, countless Peregrine falcons have made their home on a ledge off the 15th floor of the Rachel Carson State Office Building. Peregrine falcons, which are an endangered species in Pennsylvania, were extremely rare in the state for many years. Through reintroduction programs, they have adapted to life in urban environments like Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Williamsport. Each year, DEP and PGC track the birds’ activities and share educational information through, among other things, the popular onlin...

WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service seeks civic-minded volunteers to serve on the Taxpayer Advocacy Panel (TAP), a federal advisory committee that listens to taxpayers, identifies key issues, and makes recommendations for improving IRS service. “TAP members give the IRS insights from every corner of our nation, helping the agency in its continuous effort to improve tax administration,” said IRS Commissioner Doug Shulman. The TAP provides a forum for taxpayers from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico to raise concerns about IRS service and offer suggestions for improvement. The TAP reports annually to the Secretary of the Treasury, the IRS Commissioner and the National Taxpayer Advocate. The Office of the Taxpayer Advocate, an independent organization within the IRS, provides oversight of the TAP. “In trying to comply with an increasingly complex tax system, taxpayers may find they need different services than the IRS is currently providing,” said Nina E. Olso...

By SANDRA RHODES You may ask, “What do alcohol and vegetables have in common?” The answer is simple – John Schlimm. The St. Marys author, who is known for his cookbooks involving beer - such as “The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Cookbook” – has penned a new cookbook called “The Tipsy Vegan.” “This book grew out of ‘The Ultimate Beer Lover’s Cookbook,’” Schlimm said. “After I wrote that, I thought it would actually be cool to do something vegetarian or vegan.” A vegetarian does not eat any meat. A vegan eats no part of any animal, including dairy. Schlimm himself made the transition to a plant-based lifestyle about two years ago. It seemed like a natural progression to evolve recipes that include vegetables and alcohol – and not just beer. “I wanted to give equal time to all other rock stars which I also love,” said Schlimm, a descendent of Peter Straub, founder of Straub Brewery, of the other types of alcohol. The book is described as “Boozy recipes to turn every bite into happy hour.” Schlimm...

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Representative Glenn 'GT' Thompson today announced details for the 2012 Congressional High School Art Competition. The annual nationwide competition, which is sponsored by the Congressional Arts Caucus and coordinated by individual Members of Congress, is open to all high school students who reside in Pennsylvania's Fifth Congressional District. "The 2012 Congressional High School Art Competition gives Members of Congress and the public an opportunity to foster and encourage the artistic talents of young Americans," said Representative Thompson. All entries for the 2012 competition must be received by Friday, April 27th at 5:00 PM. The judging will take place thereafter at the Winkler Gallery of Fine Art in DuBois, Pa. The winning entry will be announced, along with all art displayed, at the Winkler Gallery on Thursday, May 3rd from 4 to 6 P.M. The winning entries will be exhibited for the next year in a display at the United States Capi...

The more than 1.3 billion Chinese living in China, where social networks such as Twitter and Facebook are blocked, still have access to a social network that can quickly and easily answer their questions about the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Pitt-Bradford has launched its own page on Weibo, a Chinese language microblogging site that is allowed in China. The page is administered by Dr. Y. Ken Wang, assistant professor of computer information systems and technology and a Chinese native. Wang translates information from the Pitt-Bradford website to post on the page, which currently has 80 followers, and answers questions from prospective students. Wang began the page late in 2011 and said that it has steadily added followers without promotion. Most, he said, have questions about the university. Many are students who have been admitted through the University of Pittsburgh’s Options program, which gives students the optio...

Let's Go Bona's! The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Three men accused of seriously injuring women in separate domestic violence incidents were in district court today. Joseph Henton and Joseph Weaver waived their preliminary hearings, while charges against Johnathon "Juice" Johnson were bound to court. Henton is accused of punching and kicking his girlfriend and injuring her to the point where she thought her ribs and jaw were broken. When she was able to get up off the floor she smashed his fish tank with a glass which made him “extremely irate,” according to papers filed in District Judge Dominic Cercone’s office. Henton then allegedly threw the woman back onto the floor, jumped on her and punched her in the head and face. Weaver is accused of punching his girlfriend in the face. When police arrived at the home, blood was coming from her nose and mouth. Weaver refused to let police officers into the home and started to block the door. When police told him he was under arrest he allegedly started punching one officer. After p...

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Department of Environmental Protection has fined Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc. of Bellefonte, Centre County, $16,500 for air quality violations documented in October 2011 at its quarry in Burlington Township, Bradford County. “Twice last October, following numerous complaints from area residents, our inspectors found dust coming from operations at the site and from dirt that had been dragged onto Route 6 by quarry traffic,” DEP North-central Regional Director Nels Taber said. DEP inspectors also discovered that a water spray system was not being used while the crusher was in operation, which further contributed to the amount of dust leaving the site. The department sent a notice of violation to the company that required Hawbaker to make the necessary changes to keep dust from escaping the property. In response, the company resumed operation of the water spray system as required by its permit; paved areas of heavy truck traffic; and constructed a truck wash station to remov...

A Cameron County girl is facing child pornography charges for allegedly sending obscene pictures of herself on her cell phone. State police say the girl sent the pictures to several people. The investigation is continuing, and anyone with pertinent information is asked to contact Emporium-based state police. Police did not say how old the girl is. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A.J. Burnett following his bullpen this morning at McKechnie Field: Video provided by the Pittsburgh Pirates The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

By SANDRA RHODES If these three women have their way, there will be a “smile” on everyone’s face in Kane. Kathleen Prosperi, Kathy Long and Ashley Mix all are part of the Keystone SMILES Americorps program, which helps students in the Kane Area School District reach their full potential inside and outside of the classroom. Prosperi has been working with high school students, Kathy Long with middle and elementary school students and Mix in the elementary school. Since this program is new to the area – Kane district is the first one to implement it -an informational forum will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 22, in the middle school auditorium in Kane. “We want to tell people what the benefits are and how to get involved,” Mix said of the program which involves both tutoring and volunteering. Keystone SMILES originated as a service-learning project in the Keystone School District in 1990 and became an AmeriCorps*State program in October 1994. It is considered one of the most innovative...

The NFL is suspending former New Orleans Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams indefinitely and Saints head coach Sean Payton for one year because of the team's bounty program, the league said Wednesday. The league also is suspending Saints General Manager Mickey Loomis for the 2012 season's first eight regular-season games, and Saints assistant head coach Joe Vitt for the first six regular-season games, the NFL said in a news release. In addition, the Saints will be fined $500,000 and forfeit their second-round selections in the 2012 and 2013 NFL drafts, the league said. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Forty-eight employees of the Olean City School District may lose their jobs. The school board voted for the job cuts last night, and had already suggested closing four schools in a cost-cutting measure. The board had a $3.4 million budget gap going into this school year and is trying to bridge that gap. The 48 jobs that will be eliminated are a combination of administrative, teacher and support staff positions and will result from both retirements and layoffs, and the number of jobs being eliminated may change. Last month, the board decided that two elementary schools will close permanently at the end of this school year. By the 2015-16 school year, all students will be attending one elementary school. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947