Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The Laughing Owl Press Co. is hosting an Interactive Art Show to benefit Kane Area School District art classes, grades K-12 at the Thomas L. Kane Memorial Chapel. Come enjoy music by The Moon Whistlers while viewing an art exhibit featuring Brooke Balliet, Sara Aiello, Cathy Sirianni, select KASD students, and other talented artists. Light hors d’ouvres will be served. Tickets are $10 and are available at the Laughing Owl Press and at the door.

The hearing for a Ludlow teenager who was driving a car involved in an accident that killed a high school student last summer has been moved to next month. 18-year-old Dylan Yasurek of Ludlow is charged with homicide by vehicle and driving under the influence of a controlled substance in connection to the death of 17-year-old Tristan Sauers of Ludlow, who was a senior a Kane Area High School. Police say Yasurek was speeding on Gibbs Hill Road at around 6:45 p.m. on August 23 when the car went off the road, spun around and hit a large tree. Sauers was pronounced dead at the scene. A 15-year-old girl suffered minor injuries. Yasurek is free on unsecured bail. His preliminary hearing that had been scheduled for today is now scheduled for February 23. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A senior at Kane Area High School is dead following a crash on Gibbs Hill Road Saturday evening. Police say a car driven by 18-year-old Dylan Yasurek of Ludlow was speeding at around 6:45 p.m. when it went off the road, spun around, and hit a large tree. One of the passengers, 17-year-old Tristan Sauers of Ludlow was pronounced dead at the scene by McKean County Deputy Coroner Sam Cummings. The other passenger, a 15-year-old girl from Endeavor, suffered minor injuries. Counselors have been made available to students at Kane high school today. Visitation for Tristan will be from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ronald McDonald Funeral Home, where a service will be held at 11 o’clock Wednesday morning. Police are continuing their investigation into the crash. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The whistle-blower lawsuit involving Kane Area School District Superintendent Maryann Anderson has been thrown out. The lawsuit, which has been going through the court system for nearly six years, pitted Anderson – a former Millcreek Township School District administrator – against three former Millcreek district officials. U.S. District Judge Sean McLaughlin threw out Anderson’s whistle-blower complaint, citing lack of evidence. But Anderson’s requests for sanctions against former superintendent Dean Maynard, former school board member Susan Sullivan and former director of pupil services Rebecca Mancini are still in play. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The New York All-Stars got a 25-15 win in the 39th Annual Don Raabe Big 30 All-Star Charities Classic Saturday night at Parkway Field. One of the highlights for the Pennsylvania All-Stars was a 50-yard interception return by Zach Vleminckx. Before the game, a parade took Big 30 participants from Davis Street to Interstate Parkway, where a tailgate party was held. Kane Area High School graduate Ken VanGiesen, who played in the 26th Classic, was honored on Saturday. VanGiesen died last year while serving in the US Army in Afghanistan. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Judge John Cleland will be the speaker for Kane Area High School’s commencement exercises on June 8. Cleland is a Kane native and 1965 graduate of Kane High School. He was appointed to the McKean County Court of Common Pleas 1984. He was a Pennsylvania Superior Court Judge from 2008 to 2009. Cleland chaired the Interbranch Commission on Juvenile Justice that was created to investigate the circumstances that led to the Kids for Cash scandal in Luzerne County. Now, he is presiding over the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse case. 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...

This year’s Don Raabe Big 30 Charities Classic will be dedicated to Staff Sergeant Kenneth Van Giesen who gave his life to preserve our freedom while serving with the U.S. Army in Afghanistan on July 18, 2011. Ken was a three year letterman in football from Kane Area High School who played offensive center in the Raabe Classic on August 7, 1999. Six more area seniors have accepted invitations to play in the 39th Annual game on August 4, 2012, at Bradford’s Parkway Field. They are: Jacob Boll Bolivar Richburg Central School Off: Wide Receiver Def: Linebacker Height: 6’2” Weight: 185 lbs. Jacob plans to attend St. John Fisher after graduation to study nursing with the intention of becoming a nurse anesthesiologist. He was honored as a Livingston County all star for the 2011 season and was Bolivar-Richburg’s Scholar Athlete for 2010 and 2011. He played baseball and basketball in 2011 and received the Susan B. Anthony award and the Frederick Douglas award in 2011. Jaco...

Four area schools will host a free Financial Aid Night for district high school students and their families, according to Senator Joe Scarnati (R-Jefferson). Scarnati said those attending can find out how to apply for all types of financial aid, including completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is required to qualify for most student aid programs, including the Pennsylvania State Grant, the Federal Pell Grant, institutional awards and low-cost federal student and parent loans. A student aid expert from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) will be available at the Financial Aid Nights to provide information on grants and loans and answer questions. “This is an excellent opportunity for students and their parents to get a better understanding of the student aid process and how to begin planning to fund their higher education,” Scarnati said. “Participants can learn about Pennsylvania-specific aid programs, as well as the importanc...

A Johnsonburg teenager who broke into Kane Area High School while he was drunk, and then passed out on the floor has been sentenced to a year of probation. 18-year-old Jonathan Card was found sleeping inside the cafeteria at Kane Area High School at 6:14 a.m. on Saturday, August 7. Police later determined that Card had thrown a cement block through the glass portion of a back door, reached through the broken part of the door and opened it from the inside.

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. ...

A Kane resident picked the wrong place to sleep it off this morning. Police say they found 18-year-old Jonathan Card sleeping inside the cafeteria at Kane Area High School at 6:14 a.m. They later determined that Card had thrown a cement block through the glass portion of a back door, reached through the broken part of the door and opened it from the inside. Card was arraigned by District Judge Dominic Cercone on charges of criminal trespass, institutional vandalism, criminal mischief and underage drinking. He was sent to McKean County Jail on $5,000 bail.

Kane Area High School students and students from the Warren County Area Vocational Technical School are among those who scored in the top 20 percent of students across the country who participated in the National Financial Capability Challenge. Pennsylvania students ranked third in the number of perfect scores achieved. “We are encouraged that so many teachers and students chose to participate,” said Mary Rosenkrans, director of the Pennsylvania Office of Financial Education. “However, the test results show that we still have work to do. I look forward to more schools and students using resources like the Office of Financial Education and the Jump$tart Coalition. When young people are financially literate, it means our economic future will be stronger.” The challenge is sponsored by the U.S. departments of Education and Treasury. For more information, visit www.moneysbestfriend.com .

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has closed down its popular Science In Motion program after funding for the program was cut from the Pennsylvania state budget, which some educators think will adversely affect their schools’ science programs. Friday was the last day of operation for the mobile science lending library, which provided high-tech science equipment and expertise to 35 rural schools plus home-schooled children in an area the size of Connecticut. “I am saddened that this program, which had so much potential to support science, technology, engineering and math education, has been cut from the state budget,” said James Baldwin, assistant dean of academic affairs and director of Science In Motion at Pitt-Bradford. “I hope that other existing programs are capable of filling the void that our termination will create.” Funded by the state with the help of private donations, the Pitt-Bradford program was one of 11 such programs in Pennsylv...

The 31st annual Tony Dolan Ski for Cancer is going on until 4 p.m. today at The Westline Inn. Pictured from top, enjoying the snowy weather, and getting ready to head out to the trail. Teachers from all the Kane schools gather every year to raise money for the Cancer Society. Fran Stewart and Chris Perkins of the Cancer Society talk about the baskets full of goodies that were being raffled off. Fran, along with Betsy Dolan Esrich show off print being raffled off (during their visit to the LiveLine Wednesday). And last, but definitely not least, before they took to the trail, Ed and Deb Fidurko of East Resources (center) donated $2,000 to the Ski for Cancer. Also pictured are Cancer Society volunteers Marlene and Bill Walb, and Tim and Leda Lyon of Schlumberger.

The Mt. Jewett Charter Coalition held its monthly Board of Trustees meeting on Wednesday, July 8, 2009. One topic of discussion was a letter of resignation by founding Board member Doug Keller. Mr. Keller cited work and personal reasons in recent months that make it difficult for him to devote the attention needed to continue to serve on the Board. He stated that he is still in support of the project and the proposed September opening of a Charter public school in Mt. Jewett. Mr. Keller felt it was unfair to other Board members that he continue to hold a Board position and not be able to give it his full attention. The remaining Board members regretfully voted to accept Mr. Keller's resignation and expressed their heartfelt appreciation for his effort. It was noted that Mr. Keller was one of the catalysts that started the Coalition movement over 2 1/2 years ago. For several months after its inception, the Board held weekly meetings in the Keller home in Mt. Jewett before establish...

The state Charter Appeals Board is expected to hear the appeal of the Mount Jewett Charter School Coalition tomorrow. After the hearing, the board has up to 60 days to decide whether to accept the charter school application. The coalition has been working toward opening a charter school since the Kane Area School Board decided to close the Mount Jewett Elementary School at the end of the 2007 school year. The school board has denied the application twice.

Kane Area School District facilities manager John Rook said the school used to pay between $105,000 to $125,000 annually in natural gas heating costs. With the biomass system, those heating costs have been reduced to $40,000 annually. For the full story, go to the Courier-Express .

By Ruth Gentilman Peterson Director of Communications Last week CEO J. Gary Rhodes announced that KCH is bringing Rehabilitation Services back in-house with a highly skilled team headed by Joseph Sorg, PT, Ph.D. New equipment has arrived and the new KCH Rehab Services is open for business with the full spectrum of services. This week, Senior Leader of Patient Care Services and Director of Nursing Pam Bray, RN has announced the following members of the team: Jim Bell, OTR/L, Ph.D., Occupational Therapist received his Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Denver, his MS in Occupational Therapy from D’Youville College, Buffalo and Ph.D. in Occupational Therapy, Healthcare Administration from Brentwick University in London, England. Deanna Gardner, Physical Therapy Assistant, received her Associate Degree in Science from The Pennsylvania State University. Don Zilkofski, Physical Therapy Aide, has been a part of the rehabilitation team at KCH for nearly twenty years. Ann Kane, PT...

The Mount Jewett Charter Coalition will be submitting its Amended Charter School Application today, Friday, Oct. 3rd to the Kane Area School District. This comes after the Coalition made a decision earlier this summer to postpone the process due to the lack of time to open the Charter School once approved. Instead, they decided that they would make some modifications to the application they deemed necessary and resubmit with the intention of getting the approval either from the Kane Area School District or the PA Charter Appeals Board. They plan to open the Charter School in Mount Jewett for the 2009-2010 school year. With the submission of the Amended Application, Kane Area School District will have 45 days to hold a Public Hearing on the Charter Application.