Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

SPCA Shelter Manager Heidi Mackowski (left) and SPCA Board Member Lori Burkhouse inspect a hand-carved walking stick by Ken Hannold and a brown-ash pack basket by Dave Mackowski. Both items will be raffled off at a spaghetti dinner fund-raiser on May 24 at the Masonic Lodge in Bradford. (Photo Courtesy of the SPCA) The McKean County SPCA's latest fund-raiser is showcasing the hand-crafted work of a pair of folk artists with local ties. The SPCA will host a will host a spaghetti dinner on Saturday, May 24 starting at 3:00 p.m. and running through 7:00 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge, 625 South Avenue in Bradford. In conjunction with the event, the SPCA is offering chances of a number of prizes, including a hand-carved walking stick by Ken Hannold of Bradford and a brown-ash pack basket woven by Bradford native Dave Mackowski of Milford, Maine. A similar style of pack basket, woven by Mackowski exclusively for Orivs Outfitters, retails for $900. "It's really a rare treat to be abl...

The Mountain Laurel Harmonizers were among the attractions as Bisett Building Center celebrated its 125th year in business with a party on Davis Street Saturday afternoon. Mayor Tom Riel and Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Diane Sheeley were on hand for the festivities as well. George Schaming enjoys the music of the Mountain Laurel Harmonizers while showing off his hand-crafted mini carnival. (And if you haven't seen George's carnival, you need to do that. It's awesome!) Rain wasn't a problem during the celebration. Bisett's vice president of operations Bill Gleason (far right) and others got under a tent to listen to the Fretz Middle School Jazz Band, who entertained the crowd with a variety of tunes from "The Final Countdown" to "The Pink Panther." Bisett’s was founded in 1883 by brothers Edward, J.J. and W.W. Bisett. The company began as a moving and hauling company and later moved into masonry, concrete, lumber and hardware services....

The gunman who stopped traffic for three hours on the 190 this week has been formally arraigned at the Erie County Medical Center. Buffalo City Court Judge Betty Calvo-Torres arraigned James Gilchriese this morning. He's been charged with criminal possession of a weapon, menacing of a police officer, unlawful imprisonment, criminal mischief, reckless endangerment and harassment. Bail has been set at $100,000. Officials say Gilchriese is being transferred from ECMC to the Erie County Holding Center.

A Cross Fork man has been arrested has been charged with bribery for allegedly offering a large sum of money to a state police trooper who is investigating a criminal case in which he is a suspect. James Gelzenlichter is accused of offering the trooper money after an appearance in district court on Monday. He is free after posting 10 thousand dollars bail. Last month, Gelzenlichter was involved in an incident where his girlfriend was found dead in Cross Fork Creek in Potter County. An autopsy showed that 50-year-old Patricia Blouse died of hypothermia. Gelzenlichter was found alive in the creek. Police say they are not releasing further details due to the ongoing investigation.

Since we posted a story here on April 11 concerning the Marcellus Shale rock formation , it's been one of the most-read posts on this blog. So, because of the interest in the topic, we're passing this along: TV Call-in Program Looks at Natural Gas Rush in PA . With residents across the state asking questions about the Marcellus shale formation, natural gas exploration, mineral rights leasing and associated issues, WPSU-TV is responding with a one-hour live call-in program. At 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 22, WPSU-TV in central Pennsylvania will present "Pennsylvania's Gas Rush." This live call-in program will be simulcast statewide on the Pennsylvania Cable Network (PCN) and webcast via Pennsylvania's Gas Rush .

Two arrests have been made in connection with a burglary at Mick's Mart in Lafayette Township last month. 25-year-old Bettina Ginkel of Bradford and 24-year-old Jeremy Magee of Lewis Run have been charged with burglary, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and conspiracy. State Police say Ginkel and Magee conspired to break in to the business during a conversation they had at nearby Tack's Inn. Ginkel allegedly told Magee how to get into the building. Once inside, he allegedly stole more than 2 thousand dollars in cash and merchandise. Both were sent to McKean County Jail on 30 thousand dollars bail each.

University of Pittsburgh at Bradford sophomore Eamon Kelley has been awarded a $7,000 scholarship to assist him in covering the expenses of taking part in “Semester at Sea” in the fall. Kelley, a sport and recreation management major from Harrisburg, received the Pitt-Bradford/Semester at Sea Augmentation Scholarship from the Institute for Shipboard Education at the University of Virginia. Kelley and his fellow 700 student shipmates plus a cohort of faculty, staff, dependents and crew, will depart the Bahamas on the M.V. Explorer on Aug. 29. While at sea, students will take classes and earn 12 course credits from the University of Virginia. Stops on the voyage include Brazil, Namibia, South Africa, India, Malaysia, Vietnam, China (both Hong Kong and Shanghai), Japan, Costa Rica and Hawaii. Kelley is the son of Brett Kelley of Harrisburg and Karen Kelley of Gettysburg.

A 15-year-old girl has been charged Thursday with aggravated assault for attacking her mother just minutes after the girl was picked up from the Corry Police Station. Police say the girl was in police custody because she ran away from home. She started punching her mother and pulling her hair as the woman was driving home. The teen is also accused of choking her mother and then breaking her cell phone so she couldn’t call for help. The girl’s 7-year-old sister and 9-year-old brother were passengers in the car at the time. The mother gained control of the car and drove back to the police station, where the 15-year-old was arrested and charged with aggravated assault, terroristic threats, three counts of recklessly endangering another person and criminal mischief.

Two McKean County men have been charged with petit larceny for allegedly not paying for more than 100 dollars worth of gas. Chautauqua County Sheriff's Deputies say 26-year-old James Holtzwarth of Rew and 32-year-old Richard Wazelle of Aiken got 40 dollars worth of gas at the Findley Lake Hardware Store on April 3, then drove off. On Tuesday, they allegedly drove off without paying for 67 dollars worth of gas. On Tuesday, a witness got a license plate number. State Police arrested them for Tuesday's incident. Sheriff's Deputies arrested them for the April incident. They will appear in Town of Mina Court at a later date.

An 18-year-old is in jail, accused of robbing a store at knifepoint Thursday morning in Wellsville. Police say they received a 9-1-1 call from a person reported that a man had come into the store with a knife and that he grabbed a money box, then locked the caller in a room before running from the store. Police found James Ben in high weeds by the Genesee River just south of the water treatment plant. He was taken into custody without incident. Ben is in Allegany County Jail on 20 thousand dollars bail.

The average price for a gallon of gasoline in the US is $3.79. But -- call Bradford above average or a trend-setting little city -- the average price here Friday afternoon is $3.85. Several weeks ago when the price was $3.50, we asked visitors to our web site when they thought the price would hit $4. You can still answer that poll question by clicking HERE

Three nursing scholarship recipients were recognized during the annual Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) Volunteer Luncheon on Thursday at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. Hosted by BRMC’s Volunteer Services, the Bradford Hospital Auxiliary and the Bradford Hospital Foundation, the event awarded scholarships in two separate programs sponsored by the Auxiliary and the Foundation. The Auxiliary’s $2,000 nursing scholarship was awarded to Katherine Gleason of Bradford. She is a nursing student at Jamestown Community College and works as a maternal/child technician in BRMC’s Maternal/Child Health Department, said Virginia Digel-Neel, the Auxiliary’s executive director. The scholarship from the Auxiliary goes to a student seeking an associate’s degree in nursing and has the goal of becoming a registered nurse, she said. Also at the luncheon, two $1,000 scholarships were awarded by the Foundation from the Doris Winship Newton Nurse Education Fund. The recipients were Celinda A...

State Troopers in Batavia, New York, have dedicated a new monument to Trooper Joseph Longobardo. The monument was unveiled during a ceremony this morning as part of the State Police Troop "A" annual Memorial Day Ceremony. Longobardo was 32 years old in September 2006 while pursuing escaped convict Ralph "Bucky" Phillips. Longobardo was shot by Phillips in Chautauqua County, and died from his injuries three days later.

An Ishua, New York, man is dead after a freak farm accident. Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Deputies say 55-year-old Peter White was trimming cow hooves at the Ken Wood Farm in Dayton when the machine he was setting up fell and hit him in the head. County Coroner Howard Van Rensselaer pronounced White dead at the scene. Sheriff's deputies are continuing their investigation.

My guest on The Weekend Wrap is Anthony Merola, senior Vice President of CitiGroup. He will be discussing a new survery showing college upperclassmen remain optimistic about their financial future despite the current economy. For more information, you can visit Students.UseCreditWisely.com .

Routes to Art, the region's first open studio self-driving tour, will debut on May 17 and 18, when 35 artists across the region will open their doors to the public. Conceived in 2006 in response to requests from area artists, the Cattaraugus County Arts Council (CCAC) developed a multi-county, tri-state, bi-national marketing program to promote art sales while highlighting the beauty and cultural heritage of the Cattaraugus County region. Kimberly Driscoll, Manager of Grants and Programs comments, “We’re hoping our local residents will also hit the road to see some of the region’s top artists, enjoy the blooming hillsides, drive the back roads, try a new restaurant, and support our local economies.” In fact, Routes to Art was designed as a cultural tourism initiative to improve local economies by highlighting the arts as a destination target. CCAC has marketed Routes to Art as far as Pittsburgh, Toronto, Rochester, Erie, Cleveland, and Buffalo. CCAC’s Executive Director Anne Conro...

Stacy Williams (left), director of Volunteer Services at Bradford Regional Medical Center, gives a service pin to Ruth Hahn for 20 years of volunteer work. The annual volunteer luncheon was held Thursday at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. ( Photo Courtesy of BRMC ) Approximately 200 Bradford Regional Medical Center volunteers, many who also serve as members of Bradford Hospital Auxiliary, were honored Thursday during an annual luncheon at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The event was held during National Hospital Week, celebrated from May 11-17. In his opening remarks, BRMC President/CEO George E. Leonhardt said the Auxiliary members and volunteers are the people who feel connected to the community and understand the necessity to serve others. “You recognize that the reason you were blessed with talent is so that you can help to make your world a little better place,” he said. Auxiliary President Beverly Gallup said the Auxiliary was founded 76 years ago by a group ...

Bradford Regional Medical Center’s (BRMC) employees were honored and recognized for their importance Thursday during the annual Service Awards Banquet with the theme “Where Healing Happens Every Day.” The event was held during National Hospital Week, which runs from May 11-17. Dennis Geitner, Vice President of Human Resources, told those at The Bradford Club the banquet was “celebrating our most valuable asset - BRMC employees. It’s a chance to recognize the dedicated employees who provide quality care to the communities we serve.” In his talk preceding the awards presentation, Mr. Geitner also spoke about BRMC’s new Employee Corporate Culture philosophy which focuses on excellence. “We develop strategies that differentiate us from our competitors,” he said, noting BRMC is customer-driven to provide the best possible care by anticipating needs and expectations. Additionally, “We seek to employ the best possible people, providing the support necessary for our employees to learn, grow an...

US Customs and Border Protections agents have seized more than 67 pounds of ecstasy at the Peace Bridge. Agents say 35-year-old Cidalia Costa of Toronto was attempting to cross the bridge into the U.S., and told officers she was on her way to Buffalo Niagara International Airport. But as they were looking at her vehicle, a portable contraband detector found the drugs in a spare tire. The tire contained 5 vacuum-sealed bags and more than 103 thousand pills with a street value of about 2 million dollars. Costa was arrested on federal charges of importation and possession with the intent to distribute a controlled substance. She was turned over to agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for further investigation and prosecution by the U.S. Attorney's Office.

A Philadelphia woman separated from her family by the Nazis is preparing for a reunion with a brother she hasn't seen in 66 years. Irene Famulak was 17 when the Nazis invaded the Ukrainian Catholic family's home in 1942. Famulak was sent to be a cook in Germany and never saw another family member again. But that's about to change. The Red Cross says the 83-year-old's youngest brother Sevelud has turned up in Germany trying to trace his sister. Irene Famulak's daughter says the family will now plan a reunion.