Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Seven organists from the Chautauqua Chapter of the American Guild of Organists will perform in a Pipe Organ Extravaganza Sunday at the Harriett B. Wick Chapel on the campus of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The concert, which is free and open to the public, begins at 4 p.m. Featured performers are Brian Bogey, Jack Hemink, Ron McEntire, Jennifer Schruers, Cindy Lind Hanson, Andy Schmidt and Donna Gatz, dean of the Chautauqua chapter. Each of the organists will play one or two pieces, including J.S. Bach’s famous “Prelude and Fugue in E Minor. The Sarah B. Dorn Organ in Wick Chapel has 17 ranks and was built by the Schantz Organ Co. for the chapel in 2010. Pictured, front row, from left, Brian Bogey and Jack Hemink; back row, Ron McEntire, Jennifer Schruers, Cindy Lind Hanson, Donna Gatz and Andy Schmidt. Pitt-Bradford photo The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947 For disability-related needs, contact the Office of Di...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director The City of Bradford’s proposed 2012 budget includes no tax increase and no increase in residential garbage rates. “Any year you can get by without raising the cost of services and not raising taxes is a great year,” said Mayor Tom Riel after Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “The city’s finally getting turned around and heading in the right direction.” The proposed total for general fund expenditures in 2012 is $8,383,733. Council passed the budget ordinance unanimously on first reading. It must still be passed on final reading, presumably during the December 27 council meeting. Riel went on to say the city is “exploring a lot of alternative revenue streams that should begin to come in next year and we’ll continue on a positive note next year as well.” One of the new revenue streams is a tax that would be levied on juke boxes and other mechanical devices. Establishments with the devices would have to get a license and pay an annual fee of $50 for...

The Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce is seeking volunteers to assist with putting up the holiday lighting in Veterans’ Square in downtown Bradford. The lighting project is scheduled for Saturday, November 12th, at 10:00 am. Volunteers interested in helping to put the lights up should contact the BACC office at 814-368-7115 or e-mail ed@bradfordchamber.com . New holiday lighting for downtown Bradford has been provided through the generous support of many individuals and organizations, including Sarah Dorn, Harriett B. Wick, and American Refining Group, Inc. BACC would like to thank everyone who has been a part of the new holiday lighting project for their continued support. Come help us make the holiday season brighter for everyone. Let’s light up Veterans’ Square for the holidays!

By Kimberly Marcott Weinberg Assistant Director of Communications and Marketing For a moment Sunday afternoon, opera legend Marilyn Horne presented an alternate scenario for not only the city of Bradford, but also for herself. Speaking to the media before addressing the largest graduating class in University of Pittsburgh at Bradford history, she wondered if perhaps her family might have stayed in Bradford had Pitt-Bradford existed in 1945. She later touched on the same idea during her speech to the graduates. “Who would have thought when I left in 1945, that I’d be back speaking to the graduating class at Pitt-Bradford, which didn’t even exist at the time,” she said, explaining that her family left Bradford when she was 11 in part to seek an affordable higher education for her and her sister, Gloria. She also spoke about her personal history with her hometown. Although she has graced the world’s most important stages, her first performan...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford has received a $350,000 gift from George Duke in honor of his mother, Sarah B. Dorn, for a 17-rank pipe organ in the campus’s new chapel. “The exquisite Schantz organ was the missing element in an otherwise perfectly designed and beautifully built chapel,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president of Pitt-Bradford. “We’re deeply grateful to Mr. Duke for enabling us to acquire the instrument and name it in honor of Mrs. Sarah Dorn.” Flue voicers Stephen Leslie and Jeffrey Herr of Schantz Organ Co. spent several weeks on campus doing the final voicing and tuning for the instrument, which was installed late last month. Each of the organ’s 1,020 pipes is an individual instrument that must be voiced and tuned on site. The pipes can produce notes from 32 cycles per second to 16,000 cycles per second, a range of eight octaves, essentially allowing one person to reproduce an orchestra. Different ranks of pipes are crea...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will dedicate the Harriett B. Wick Chapel in a ceremony at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 30. The celebration is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will follow. “It has been a dream of the university for quite some time to have a chapel on campus,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president. “The Wick Chapel will fill an important need on our campus in providing a place where students of any religious denomination can worship in a manner consistent with his or her preference.” In addition to Alexander, other speakers at the ceremony include the Rev. Leo J. Gallina Jr., pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church; Rick Weinberg ’94 of Temple Beth El; Dr. Patricia Beeson, provost and senior vice chancellor; Craig A. Hartburg ’73-’75, chairman of the Pitt-Bradford Advisory Board; Howard L. Fesenmyer, member of the Advisory Board Executive Committee; Dr. Gautam Mukerjee, associate professor of economics; and Erik Aus...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford dedicated its newest residence hall, Sarah B. Dorn House, this afternoon. Dorn is co-owner of Zippo Manufacturing and a benefactor of the university. Howard Fesenmyer, executive director of the Blaisdell Foundation, spoke about Dorn during the ceremonies. "She, like her father (George G. Blaisdell) was well aware of the needs of the community and, being in a position to help she came through with flying colors," Fesenmyer said. "No one here really knows the total needs that have been satisfied through her generosity. Until recently, she would not permit her name be used in her giving. We refer to her as 'Miss Anonymous.'" You can hear the rest of Fesenmyer's remarks, as well as other, by clicking on the links following the videos. Dr. Livingston Alexander, University President Craig Hartburg, Advisory Board Chairman Joseph Fink, Associate Vice President Facilities Management Howard Fesenmyer, Executive Member Pitt...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will dedicate its newest residence hall, Sarah B. Dorn House, at 4 p.m. Sept. 10. After an introduction by Dr. Livingston Alexander, president, the program for the day will feature remarks by Craig A. Hartburg, chairman of the Pitt-Bradford Advisory Board; Joseph W. Fink, associate vice chancellor for facilities management, University of Pittsburgh; Howard L. Fesenmyer, a close friend of Dorn’s and executive secretary of the Blaisdell Foundation; and Jacob Loree, president of the Student Government Association and a chemistry major from Warren. Following a dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony, tours of the residence hall will be given and light refreshments will be served. The 103-bed Dorn House is the third residence hall to open on campus in five years. Located across the loop road from Fisher Hall, the $5.45-million residence hall is being named in honor of Sarah B. Dorn, co-owner of Zippo Man...

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford will name its new residence hall in honor of Bradford philanthropist Sarah B. Dorn, co-owner of Zippo Manufacturing Co. The University of Pittsburgh Board of Trustees approved the naming of Sarah B. Dorn House at its annual meeting Friday in Pittsburgh. Dorn House will become home to 103 students this fall. Pitt-Bradford broke ground for the $5.42 million residence hall, which is located near Fisher Hall, in November. “Sarah Dorn is a longstanding and very generous supporter of our campus, and the naming of this new residence hall in her honor is a reflection of our profound and sincere gratitude to her,” said Dr. Livingston Alexander, president. “Sarah Dorn will forever be remembered as one of the pillars upon which this beautiful campus stands.” Dorn, who is the daughter of Zippo founder George G. Blaisdell and held various positions in the company, has been an honorary member of the Pitt-Bradfor...

A brand new scholarship was awarded for the first time during Tuesday’s Senior Recognition Night at Bradford Area High School – the Miriam Barcroft Blaisdell Scholarship. During the April 12 Bradford Area School Board meeting, district superintendent Sandra Romanowski announced that Sarah Dorn and Harriet Wick established the Miriam Barcroft Blaisdell/Bradford Area School District Fund in honor of their mother. Dorn and Wick each donated $25,000 to start the fund, which established $2,500 scholarships for students who eared an advanced or proficient score on their PSSA tests, and have been accepted to a post secondary school. Romanowski said the board and administration are “humbled and grateful for (Dorn’s and Wick’s) most generous contribution to serve or children.” Members of the BAHS Class of 2010 who received the scholarships are Cheyene Werts-Nolan, Dean Bazzani, Trevor Burgoon, Kyle Yurkewicz, Kenneth Arble, and Aidan Frombach. Pictured, Sandra Romanowski congratulates Cheyene W...