Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

When Eric and Jenny Taylor of Bradford were told that their child was born with Down syndrome, their initial fear quickly turned to ambition. Ambition to ensure that their son would have the best care and services available to him, but also the drive to promote local services for children with disabilities. Down syndrome is a genetic condition that causes delays in physical and cognitive development. According to the National Down Syndrome Association, the condition occurs in one in every 691 live births. “When you’re told that your child will have a disability, you ultimately feel overwhelmed,” said Mr. Taylor. “I remember asking if our county even had an Early Intervention system, and then that settled feeling when we were assured of the services our son would receive without having to leave the area.” Eric Preston Taylor, or Preston as he goes by, is now six months old and has been receiving occupational therapy, physical therapy and special instruction through CARE for Ch...

Olean Common Council is inviting everyone to join them Monday, October 15, 2012 at 6:15 p.m. at the Cattaraugus Campus of Jamestown Community College Cutco Theater to share their thoughts, suggestions and ideas to create a "new vision for Downtown Olean." The meeting includes a presentation by Dan Burden of the Walkable and Livable Communities (WALC) Institute for the Walkable Olean Project. Jeff Belt, President, Sol Epoxy, Inc., and Sam Hoyt, Regional President, Empire State Development Corp., will be there as well. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

As construction continues on the Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center, American Refining Group, Inc. has contributed $25,000 to the building fund, and a matching grant of $25,000 was awarded by the Harry R. Halloran, Jr. Fund (a donor advised fund at The Philadelphia Foundation Special Assets Fund). Mr. Halloran (second from right), Chairman of the Board and ARG Chief Executive Officer, along with President and Chief Operating Officer, Jeannine Schoenecker (left), took a tour of the new facility Friday with CARE for Children Executive Director, Tina Martin (second from left), and Board President, Mick Marshall (right). “We are so appreciative of the generosity of Mr. Halloran and American Refining Group,” said Marshall. “They continue to make an impact in our community, and we’re proud to have their continued support as we move forward during this historic time for CARE.” The organization is currently at 71% of the $2.1 million campaign goal. Construction of the facilit...

Bradford City Police are investigating an incident where gunshots were fired early this morning in the area of Bushnell Street and Chautauqua Place. They received the first reports of shots fired at about 4:45 a.m., and received several tips as to where they could find the person, or people, who fired the shots. During their search of 2 Bushnell Street they were not letting anyone in or out of the building. They have found the bullet casings and have closed off the area while they search for more evidence. We’ll have more information as it becomes available. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Ridgway man is charged with aggravated assault after swinging at one state trooper and threatening to stab another with a pen. Police were attempting to serve a warrant on 55-year-old Randall Marconi Thursday afternoon at the intersection of routes 219 and 948 in Ridgway Township when he allegedly tried to run away, and then took the swing and made the threat. The troopers were able to subdue Marconi and take him into custody, The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

In light of this year’s National Fire Prevention Week, which runs until Saturdray, the American Red Cross has been helping families in the Western Pennsylvania Region learn how to prevent home fires. Last year, the Red Cross assisted 892 families afflicted by various disasters in the Western Pennsylvania Region. On a national level, the Red Cross responds to approximately 63,000 home fires every year by providing food, shelter, and emotional support to affected families. National Fire Prevention Week was officially started in 1925 by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), an international nonprofit organization that advocates for fire prevention and public safety. National Fire Prevention Week aims to raise awareness of the dangers of fires and the many ways to prevent them. As the winter months approach and more space heaters and fireplaces are being used, the risk of home fires increases, reinforcing the need for widespread knowledge of fire prevention. “We respond...

WILLIAMSPORT -- The Department of Environmental Protection today issued an air quality plan approval to Moxie Liberty LLC of Vienna, Va., for construction of the first power plant in Pennsylvania to run on natural gas, including gas from the Marcellus Shale. The plant, which will generate up to 936 megawatts of electricity, will be built in Asylum Township, Bradford County, and create 500 construction jobs at its peak. “Today is a red-letter day for Pennsylvania,” DEP Secretary Mike Krancer said. “With this approval, Moxie now has all that it needs from DEP to move forward with the construction of this historic facility, which will use clean, pipeline-quality, locally produced natural gas as fuel.” The project consists of two power blocks, with each block including a combustion gas turbine and a steam turbine. Each combined cycle process will be able to generate up to 468 megawatts of electricity and will also include a heat recovery steam generator and supplemental duct burners. Wa...

No one was hurt, but the driver has been cited, following a one-car crash early this morning in Elk County. Police say 19-year-old David Aul of St. Marys was on Mount Zion Road at about 4 a.m. when he didn’t stop at a stop sign before attempting to make a left turn at a high rate of speed. The car went out of control, spun around, hit and embankment and rolled over. Aul and his passenger, 25-year-old Timothy Simbeck, also of St. Marys, were able to get the car upright again, and move it onto the road, but they abandoned it there. Aul was cited for driving too fast for conditions. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Child rape charges against the Emporium man who had been on the run from police for five years have been bound to Cameron County Court. 28-year-old Joseph Chapman is accused of raping an 8-year-old girl in 2006. He’s scheduled to be in court on Tuesday. Chapman was being held in the McKean County Jail back in 2007 when he walked away from a work detail. He was picked up earlier this year in Chautauqua County after a woman recognized him on an episode of “America’s Most Wanted” and contacted police. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Frewsburg man accused of having a marijuana growing operation on the Allegheny National Forest is now charged with having another operation in southeastern Chautauqua County. The Southern Tier Regional Drug Task Force has filed a detainer warrant for 57-year-old William Kamholtz. When Kamholtz is released from McKean County Jail he will be charged for allegedly having more than seven pounds of marijuana in his house, along with a marijuana drying shed, growing equipment and several firearms. His bail in McKean County is $75,000 and he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on October 29. 53-year-old Susan Kamholtz is also jailed on charges related to the growing operation in Frewsburg. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is hosting an exhibition dedicated to the work of local ceramicist Anne Mormile. Cultivating her work from clay, forged copper, cast bronze, terracotta, and raku clay, Mormile’s sculptures explore questions surrounding the human condition and question how people find a place both in and outside nature. “Comparing and merging our humanness to the natural world and the life within that environment helps me describe our connectivity to the presence we live in,” she wrote in her artist’s statement. “The imagery in my current work relates to the philosophy of body and spirit in relation to our existence.” Mormile, an adjunct professor at Pitt-Bradford, links her artistic skills to her instruction of her students to help foster their creative work. “By sharing my knowledge of ceramics with my students, it is my hope that someday they will be able to go even further with their own explorations in the field than I have.” Her exhibition, “Of Bo...

Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) has partnered with the Bradford Area School District (BASD) to implement a new and exciting “Raising Readers” program. Raising Readers is an ambitious effort to foster a love of reading, improve literacy among young children, and ultimately, improve the health and educational outcomes of children. Every child born at the hospital and also seen annually for well-child visits up to age five will get a free age appropriate book. Parents will be encouraged to read to their child to assist in developing reading and literacy skills. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a division of the U.S. Department of Education, children who are read to at home enjoy a substantial developmental advantage over children who are not. The School District, through a Federal Grant, is providing funding to BRMC to purchase the books. The State of Pennsylvania has received the “Striving Readers Discretionary Grant” to improve literac...

If you thought this morning was cold – just wait until tomorrow morning. The National Weather Service in State College says the coldest air mass of the early fall so far will center over the region today and tonight, and many areas will see a freeze with temperatures dipping into the upper 20s and lower 30s. A freeze watch is in effect from late tonight through Tuesday morning and includes McKean, Warren, Elk, Potter and Cameron counties in Pennsylvania, and Cattaraugus, Chautauqua and Allegany counties in New York. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Sandra A. Morrison, 58, of 4014 N. Oriental Ave., Bemus Point, died at 6 a.m. Friday (Oct. 5, 2012), in the Lutheran Home and Rehabilitation Center. She was born June 20, 1954, in Jamestown, the daughter of Carl M. Fredeen and Dolores Olson Fredeen Martin. A graduate of the former Chautauqua Central High School, she had also attended Jamestown Community College. She had been employed by the town of Ellery as a bookkeeper, budget officer, and zoning officer. She was a charter member of the Christ Lutheran LCMC, where she had served as treasurer and was active in the Prayer Shawl Ministry. She was also an exempt member of the Bemus Point Volunteer Fire Department, where she had been a first responder and was formerly company secretary. Surviving are a daughter, Bethanie Morrison of Rockville, Md.; four brothers: Donald Fredeen of Derrick City, Pa., Kenneth Fredeen of Monroe, Conn., Timothy Fredeen of Naples Fla., and Robert Fredeen of Ft. Myers, Fla.; her father, Carl M. (Bonn...

An Ashville, New York, woman is facing charges after her car hit a tree and a parked vehicle Sunday evening. Sheriff’s deputies say 22-year-old Mary Miller was on Maple Street in Sinclairville at about 6:35 p.m. when her car ran into a tree, then drove through a lawn and came to rest against a vehicle parked in a driveway. Miller is charged with driving while intoxicated and aggravated DWI. She has been issued appearance tickets for Town of Charlotte Court. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Cattaraugus County barn was heavily damaged during a fire Sunday night on Ellicottville-Maples Road. The fire was reported at about 6:40 p.m. and firefighters were still on the scene in the Town of Mansfield late Sunday night. No injuries were reported. Investigators have not determined the cause of the blaze or the extent of the damage yet. Several fire companies battled the blaze. We’ll have more information as it becomes available. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett talks with Girl Scouts from Eastern Pennsylvania on their fall camping trip to Camp Wood Haven in Pine Grove. Mrs. Corbett spent the night at the camp and joined the girls in activities that helped them earn their 100th anniversary Girl Scout patch. Mrs. Corbett is Pennsylvania's Honorary Chair of the Girl Scouts 100th anniversary celebration. She is a former Girl Scout and troop leader. Commonwealth Media Services photo The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A West Chester man was accidentally shot by a Philadelphia man near Tracy Ridge Campground Saturday morning. Police say 24-year-old James Ferry shot a pistol that hit 24-year-old Bryan Lawler in the thighs. Ferry drove Lawler to Kane Community Hospital. Lawler was then taken to UPMC Hamot. The two men were in a wooded area off Route 321 when the shooting happened at 1:40 a.m. The state game commission and McKean County District Attorney’s office are assisting in the investigation. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Last week I told you I like to read quirky books this time of year. Well, they don't get much quirkier than "The Woman Who Died a Lot." Those of you who have read any of the books about Thursday Next already know about the strange way author Jasper Fforde's mind works. If you don't know, you're in for a treat. Jasper has created a parallel universe in which characters in books live their lives as if they were real. Because that's the case, they need some policing -- and that's where Literary Detective Tuesday Next comes in. You can listen to my chat with Jasper Fforde here . You'll find more information here: http://jasperfforde.com/ Look for, or ask for, any of Jasper's other books at the Bradford Area Public Library The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947