Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Kiwanis Club of Bradford has pledged $10,000 to the Ashley Booth Griffin CARE for Children Center, continuing its collaborative efforts with the organization to support early learning and literacy initiatives. The contribution will fund a child-friendly reading area in the preschool classroom in the new facility, which will include a reading loft and an age-appropriate library. Members of Kiwanis, visited students at Rainbow Corner’s Preschool Fun Camp on Tuesday, taking some time to read to the kids, as well as present CARE with payment for half of the campaign pledge. Pictured are preschool campers Jake Whitlow and Ianna Schoonover with Kiwanis Board Members Gene Carll and Kathy Durner, and President Shane Oschman. Whitlow, 3, is the son of Jay and Krista Whitlow of Lewis Run. Schoonover, 3, is the daughter of Kari Schoonover of Limestone, NY. Photo provided by CARE for Children The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The Kiwanis Club of Bradford is pleased to present its 54th annual show Extrem eMakeover: Kapers Edition. This year’s cast numbers more than 100 performers and the show’s varied repertoire includes song and dance numbers as well as comedy skits, percussion numbers and guest stars. More than a dozen artists from the community are also participating by painting scenery depicting some of the area businesses and organizations. In keeping with the theme, the businesses will get a makeover look to their existing “storefronts.” Show chair is Michele McCann. Co-directors are Kristin Asinger, Barb Pedersen, and ShelleyWright, who is also the musical director. Producers are Karen Buchheit and Candy Tingley. choreographers are Felicia Lively Munday and Brittany Rose. Extreme Makeover: Kapers Edition will be performed November 10, 11, and 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Bradford Area High School. Advance tickets are on sale at Graham Florist on Kennedy Street, all Northwest Savings Bank locations i...

Dean Bauer, top, and Bill Walb of the Kiwanis Club of Bradford join in on the annual Project Pride Cleanup Saturday by sprucing up around the Bradford Area Public Library.

We’ve heard it before: The Kennedy Street Bridge is one step closer to being replaced. This time, however, a company has been hired to do the work. The L.C. Whitford Company Inc. of Wellsville, N.Y., submitted the lowest of five bids for the job at $444,436. PennDOT opened the bids on December 2, and Bradford City Council authorized execution of the contract on Tuesday. Also during Tuesday’s meeting, council authorized a contract with E & M Engineers for $100,644 for design of the School Street Elementary Safe Routes to School project. Council also agreed to execute an agreement with Habiterra Architecture to provide design and related enhancements to the Kessel Athletic Complex for $152,000. The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will reimburse the city for the cost of the engineering services. Council also authorized the filing of an application for Transportation Enhancement Funding through the North Central Regional Planning and Development Commission for the Elm Street/Davis...

Local parents, child care providers, and educators now have a consolidated venue to turn to for information on child development, parenting, and issues specific to children with delays and disabilities with the unveiling of the Parent Resource Center at the Bradford Area Public Library. CARE for Children initially developed a collection of materials following a Children First Priority One grant that the agency received from the Kiwanis Club of Bradford in 2001. The number of resources has grown considerably over the years, with continued funding from the Kiwanis Club and the United Way of Bradford. Donations of books were also received by the March of Dimes, the Bradford Area School District and local individuals. “CARE had all these great resources for parents but they were underutilized,” stated Tina Martin, Executive Director. “We decided to collaborate with the library, and Director Linda Newman graciously set aside a prominent space next to the circulation desk to house the col...

By SANDRA RHODES If competition breeds success then there are already many winners in the Willow Creek Triathlon. The obvious winners in the Fifth Annual Willow Creek Triathlon, set for Aug. 7, may be determined by those who benefit from the race – the Disabled American Veterans of McKean and Warren counties. There are also the participants who strive to better themselves as well as bring out a little competitive side, pitting friend against friend, family member against family member. Participants swim for 300 yards in Quaker Lake in Allegany State Park, bicycle 15 miles to Giordano’s Corydon Hotel and run three miles to The Willows Restaurant. Individuals can do all three events or be part of a team. One example of the competitive spirit is a group from the Bradford Kiwanis Club. The team of Karen Buchheit, Candy Tingley and Denise Bean will compete against Steve Cottillion, a fellow Kiwanian. Buchheit will swim, Tingley will bike and Bean will run. Although none were clear on how th...

Rick Benton and the Kiwanis Club of Bradford are this year’s recipients of the George G. Blaisdell YMCA Community Service Award. The awards will be presented during the 2010 Bradford Community Awards Breakfast on June 8 at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Also during the breakfast, five high school students will be presented with the Ray C. Uhler YMCA Outstanding Youth Award. They are Rachel Britton of Bradford Area High School, Russel Marold of Kane Area High School, Cody Baxter of Otto-Eldred High School, Jonathan Binder of Port Allegany High School and Danielle Nielson of Smethport Area Junior-Senior High School. The YMCA Volunteer of the Year Award will be presented to Bill Leven.

The Bradford Family YMCA Flames will host the Level 3 and 4 Championships of the Western Pennsylvania YMCA Gymnastics League Sunday at the Olean (N.Y.) YMCA. Nearly 100 girls age 5 to 14 from throughout Western Pennsylvania and New York will compete in the uneven bars, floor, balance beam and vault. The meet, which is being sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Bradford, is open to the public. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students 18 years old and younger.

to all the people who donated money when I was ringing the Salvation Army bell at Tops today (especially the lady who said "You sound just like that girl on the radio.")!.

With municipalities revealing their budgets for next year, many residents are asking if there's any money in those budgets to pave some roads. On Tuesday, Mayor Tom Riel explained to the Kiwanis Club why Bradford has limited money for paving. He said the city used to have a line item in the budget, in which they budgeted to do paving every year. In addition to that, they used money from the state's liquid fuels tax fund. "Over the years, as things went down hill – that line item – they didn't budget for it anymore," Riel said. "They just relied on liquid fuels." But, he said, "Liquid fuels monies have gone down, but the cost of black top has gone up significantly, and the cost of road salt, which also comes out of liquid fuels, has gone up significantly." He said the city is doing what it can with the money it has. Riel said he has spoken to Congressman Glenn Thompson and with Senator Bob Casey's office about finding some money to do the $2...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director Bradford residents might not see a tax increase after all – "might not" being the operative words. Following Tuesday's City Council meeting, Councilman Bob Onuffer who oversees accounts and finances said, "It looks very, very good" for no tax increase. "We have a lot of cooperation going now and we're still working," Onuffer said. During the meeting, council approved the budget ordinance on first reading. The $8 million proposed budget for next year is about $500,000 over the anticipated general fund expenditures for this year. The submitted expenditures for accounts and finances for next year is $2.8 million compared to an anticipated $2.37 million this year. Public affairs, public safety and streets and public improvements are about the same for this year and next year at $1.3 million, $1.5 million and $1.79 million respectively. Parks and public property is anticipated at $586,000 this year and $611,000 n...

"Legally Kapers" was a huge success and a lot of fun. Congratuations! And thanks to the great audiences all three nights.

Andrea Wurster and Shane Oschman rehearse a musical number for next weekend's 52nd Annual Kiwanis Kapers -- Legally Kapers. Tickets are available at all Northwest Savings Bank locations in Bradford, Graham Florist and Ott & McHenry Pharmacy. Shane was on Thursday's LiveLine talking about the show, and you can listen to that here .

Monday: Our series on United Way funded agencies continues with Amy Pierce, director of the Bradford YWCA Tuesday: Our series on Domestic Violence Awareness Month concludes with Safety Issues Wednesday: Michelle McCann, president of the Kiwanis Club of Bradford Thursday: Jeff Hendryx, Reiki Master Practitioner http://fullcirclereiki.com/testimonials.html Remember you can hear the LiveLine live online at 12:40 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Mike Walter has been re-elected president of the AKtion Club. Chelsea Albright was re-elected vice president; Rose Colella, secretary; and Ashley Peterson was elected treasurer. Directors serving until 2010 are Tracy Carson and Jeff VanScoter. Directors serving until 2011 are Pete Carlson and Joe Lee. Swearing in of officers was done by District Judge Dom Cercone. Walter says the club's plans are working on Kiwanis Kapers, participating in the Salvation Army's Kettle Drive, continuing to raise money and plan for Relay for Life and working on First Night. "We're scattered all over the place," Walter said of First Night. "We go wherever they need us."

The Kiwanis Club of Bradford has completed a $5,000 pledge to its scholarship at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Money for the donation came from the proceeds of the Kiwanis Kapers, the club’s annual fundraising variety show held each November. The gift was matched by the Agnes L. and Lewis Lyle Thomas Scholarship Challenge. Shown here are Todd Peine, president of the Kiwanis Club, left, and Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford. The scholarship is awarded to promising and deserving students showing financial need who are returning to Pitt-Bradford. Preference is given to former members of the Bradford Area High School Key Club, children of Kiwanis Club of Bradford members and graduates of BAHS. ( Photo courtesy of Pitt-Bradford )

Chelsey Colosimo just passed along a Zippo sighting. She says Zippo was the answer to a question on a recent episode of The Discovery Channel's Cash Cab . Chelsey was just here with Katie Zapel taping an upcoming LiveLine about the 3rd annual Locks of Love being held May 18 in Room 236 at Bradford High from 2:30 to 6 p.m. If you'd like to make an appointment (walk-ins are welcome, too) or you're a stylist who'd like to help, call Chelsey at 331-1145. For more information on Locks of Love, you can visit Locks of Love .

Pitt Improvers, a student improvisational club, will perform a comedy show on Jan. 22 at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Members will take to the stage from 8 to 10 p.m. in the Mukaiyama University Room of the Frame-Westerberg Commons. The free show is geared toward teenagers and adults. Like the popular television show, “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” hosted by Drew Carey, the 16 students seek input from the audience and create unexpected scenes. Ten to 12 games will be performed, said Kristin Asinger, adviser and visiting instructor in sports medicine at Pitt-Bradford. The group hopes to draw a large crowd following a successful three-night performance at last November’s Kiwanis Kapers charity variety show in Bradford, she said. “We would love to get big crowds; it adds to the energy,” Asinger said. “We performed for the Kapers and got a lot of positive feedback.” The troupe is led by Asinger and her husband, Tim Asinger...

The newly formed Bradford AKtion Club officially received its charter during a celebration last night at Togi's. Kiwanis Club President Todd Peine had this message for AKtion Club President Mike Walter and the rest of the members, "With all the stuff you guys have already done, it shows you have been wanting to do things for your community; you have the ability to do things for the community. Now you have an avenue to do that." Other AKtion Club officers are Chelsea Albright, vice president; Rose Colella, secretary; and Renee Chittester, treasurer. Board members are Tom Miller, Sheridan Phillips, Tracy Carson and Jeffrey VanScoter. Other members of the club are Jay Furman, Henny Keller, Ashley Peterson, Patty Price, Robert Tubbs, Lisa Williams and Jackie Wolfe. Bradford Mayor Tom Riel read a proclamation declaring November 19, 2008, "AKtion Club Day" in Bradford. City Clerk John Peterson, on behalf of State Representative Marty Causer, read a resolution from the...