Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director In an unusually brief Foster Township supervisors meeting sewer issues, for a change, did not take center stage. Sewer and sanitary authority issues were discussed, but shared time with police, emergency management, code enforcement and business development. When asked by resident Bill Hallock how much it would cost to develop property at the Foster Brook intersection, supervisor Dale Phillips said there are no figures from PennDOT but development and occupancy permits depend on use, and how many cars are going in and out. “I believe we’ve got some great potential down there in that area,” Phillips said, adding that he likes to go Applebee’s in Olean on Saturday and “it’s like Bradford day. I know everybody in there.” “Why can’t I know everybody in Applebee’s that’s in Foster Township? Why are we going there instead of them coming here?” he asked rhetorically. He said he’s called the owners of the Kmart property in the Bradford Mall in ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Sewer issues once again dominated a Foster Township supervisors meeting, but they also discussed the township’s hiring practices, the Foster Brook intersection and new Tasers for the police department. During Monday’s meeting, township engineer Harold Bloomgren said the layout of the sewer line extension project is being finalized, and once it’s complete they will address issues concerning streams and wetlands. Bloomgren also explained the formula for PENNVEST funding, which is based on a points system. The more points a project has, the higher it moves on the priority list. He said one of the most important factors is whether a project would create or retain jobs. Another concern is “wildcat” lines flowing into waterways. An October 18 meeting has been scheduled for residents to get more information about the sewer line extension project. Bloomgren said while engineers were out working in the Kendall Avenue corridor, the question people asked o...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township’s sewer line project could cost about a million dollars less than originally planned. “We’ve taken what was thought to be a 5, 6 million dollar project and … I think it’s about 4.4 million,” said new township engineer Harold Bloomgren of Northwest Engineering. “That’s a little easier to handle.” Bloomgren attended Monday’s Foster Township supervisors meeting and gave a report on the updated Act 537 Plan. Northwest has taken over engineering duties from E&M Engineers after a mistake by E&M cost the township a low interest PENNVEST loan. E&M’s insurance company is currently considering an “errors and omissions” claim so the township can get its money back. The new plan developed by Northwest calls for using low pressure sewer lines with grinder pumps instead of gravity lines. The actual cost to township residents will depend on if funding comes from PENNVEST or Rural Utility Service, and the terms of the loans and/or gr...

Car Show May Move to the Bradford Mall By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township residents won’t see tax or sewage rate increases in 2012, but they may see the Autumn Daze Car Show move into the township. During Monday night’s meeting supervisor Dale Phillips said he has been working with the owners of the Bradford Mall and Street Dreams Car Club president Gary Hoy about moving the show from downtown Bradford to the mall. “It looks very good so far, knock on wood,” Phillips said, adding that Hoy was submitting all the necessary information to the mall’s management company. Phillips said the car club would be teaming up with the township’s volunteer fire departments and 100 percent of the proceeds would go to them. The show is scheduled for September 9. Also Monday, Bolivar Drive resident Bill Hallock asked about the $216,000 “error” made in the funding process for the sewer project, saying he believes the supervisors are taking the situation too lightly. “We should be up...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township supervisors on Monday deflected fallout from last month’s meeting when statements were made about former supervisors and township employees. Former supervisor Chris Wolcott, who resigned in December, said he is “very disturbed” by some of the statements made at the June meeting. Wolcott said current supervisor Jim Connelly Jr. “has been blaming former supervisors and (former township secretary Jennifer Gorrell) for not getting a recent PennVEST loan “and that is just ludicrous.” He added that blaming Gorrell is “despicable.” “Somebody dropped the ball and it wasn’t the secretary or former supervisors,” Wolcott said, adding that he believes the responsibility lies with E & M Engineers. “It was a slip,” said township engineer Roy Pedersen. “This was a procedure we’d never had to follow before.” Wolcott also took exception to Connolly, last month, questioning diesel fuel contracts given to Wolcott’s employer, William G. Satterle...

John Sullivan is taking over as Foster Township supervisor sooner than expected. BJ Campbell, who Sullivan defeated in last month’s primary election, tendered his resignation Monday and Sullivan was immediately appointed to the position. In accepting the resignation supervisor chairman Jim Connelly Jr. explained that Campbell is not resigning out of hostility. It’s simply that he “feels that he would like to give (Sullivan) the opportunity to get on board a little earlier. We are facing some pretty major decisions in regard to this township.” Connelly mentioned the sewer project and labor negations with the police and road departments. “BJ Campbell did a super job for this township,” Connelly said. “When I was sitting up here in December – It was a pretty rough night when everybody quit. I’ll be honest with you.” But, he added, Campbell had said that if anyone ever quit he would step up to the plate, and he did. Connelly went on to say that during his first week in office Campbell was ...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township supervisors are asking people who have not turned in their easement agreements for the new sewer line project, to turn them in as soon as possible. “We’ve got to get the project going,” said supervisor chairman Jim Connelly Jr. “It’s no longer February. We’ve got a contractor out there that wants to go to work.” He said he and supervisors BJ Campbell and Dale Phillips will be going door-to-door to talk with people who have not turned in their agreements yet, and asked that people who have a problem call them. Township engineer Roy Pedersen noted that Al Vanderpoel, also with E&M Engineers, has worked with a few residents who had issues and those issues have been resolved. Connelly wondered – because EDUs have been shut off in the Tuna Valley – if residents will be able to use the sewer system after they pay the tap-in fee. Pedersen because this is part of the Act 537 Plan people who hook up to the system will “absolutely” be ...

Tuesday was the last day to circulate and file nominating petitions for the May 17 primary election – and some history may have been made by who did not file. For the first time in recent memory, an incumbent Bradford mayor -- in this case Tom Riel -- is running unopposed in the primary. Others, however, do have opposition. Michele Alfieri-Causer, Tony Alfieri, Tony Clarke and Chris Hauser are all running for the second county judge position. In Foster Township, John Sullivan and BJ Campbell are running to fill the unexpired term of Bob Slike. That's for 2 years. Dale Phillips is running unopposed for the 6-year seat.

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Foster Township has a new supervisor. Businessman Dale Phillips was appointed during Monday’s meeting to fill the position left when Chris Wolcott resigned in December. Phillips is the brother-in-law of Bradford Mayor Tom Riel. Also during Monday’s meeting, Jim Connelly Jr. was voted chairman and BJ Campbell vice chairman. Campbell also resigned his position on the Zoning Hearing Board because he can’t hold both jobs. Virginia Hinaman also resigned from the Zoning Hearing Board. They were replaced by Bruce Cauvel and Norm Strotman Jr., who will serve for five years. Campbell said Hinaman was a “very attentive” board member and did a good job. Connelly thanked Cauvel and Strotman for “stepping up and serving Foster Township.” Also during the meeting Connelly acknowledged the work that Sally Scrivo does as emergency management coordinator for the township. “Unless there’s a major emergency or a catastrophe most people don’t even know Sally’s out ...