Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Students from 11 area schools showed off their math skills during the 2011 Challenge-24 Mathematics Contest held Saturday, April 9, at St. Bonaventure University. There were 47 students from the following participating schools: Cuba Elementary, Cuba-Rushford Middle School, Friendship, four Olean elementary schools (Boardmanville, East View, Ivers J. Norton, and Washington West), Olean Middle School, Otto-Eldred Elementary School, Otto-Eldred Middle School, and Southern Tier Catholic. Challenge-24 is a game in which contestants are presented with four numbers between one and nine. The object is to combine the numbers, using each number exactly once, to produce an answer of 24. Any of the standard arithmetic operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division) may be used as needed, perhaps more than once, to get the result. Medals were awarded to the first-, second-, and third-place students at each grade. Winners are: 3rd grade: First Place: Caileigh Bump (Cuba Elementary...

OLEAN - Sweet corn or the onion? Senator Catharine Young (R,I,C – Olean) is asking for public input to determine her vote for which should be named New York’s official state vegetable. “While New York counts the apple as its official fruit, the rose as its official flower and milk as its official beverage, we still don’t have a state vegetable,” said Senator Young. Senator Young said two competing proposals to name a state vegetable were introduced in the Senate recently. Senator David Carlucci (D-New City) sponsors legislation supporting the black-dirt onion and Senator Michael Nozzolio (R-Lafayette) is calling for a bill to give sweet corn the official honors. “We have passed an on-time budget, passed a property tax cap and a spending cap in the Senate, and obviously there are many issues that we need to address in Albany right now. But aside from being a fun debate, this is also a great way to draw more attention to our agriculture industry, and encourage t...

A Westfield, PA, man is in jail for allegedly breaking into the Galeton and Westfield Police Department offices. State Police say 26-year-old Jason Morgan broke into the Galeton Borough Building on March 25 by breaking a window. He then allegedly forced his way into the police department offices, where he then broke into a separately secured evidence room and stole drugs from closed cases that were waiting to be destroyed. The drugs were valued at $180. Damage to the building is estimated at $200. State police say Morgan also broke into the Westfield Police Department and stole more drugs that were going to be destroyed, quarters and a knife. Morgan is charged with two counts of burglary and related offenses. Morgan is also charged with stealing guns from his stepfather's home in Harrison Valley. Police say he took the .357 Magnum, a single shot rifle and an H&R .22 revolver, and sold the revolver and the .357 Magnum. He's charged with felony counts of theft. He’s in Potter...

Marcellus Shale Impact Fee Would Help Fund Districts The Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts, Inc. (PACD) applauds Senate President Pro Tempore Senator Joseph Scarnati for his support of conservation districts by dedicating a portion of his proposed impact fee legislation to help fund them. Senator Scarnati recently reported his intent to introduce legislation creating an impact fee for Marcellus shale activities at a Tioga County Conservation District legislative meeting. “We need to support conservation districts as they strive to protect and preserve our natural resources,” Scarnati stated. Conservation districts help people and communities by offering technical assistance and educational guidance on the wise use of natural resources. Districts work with private individuals and organizations as well as public agencies to implement practices intended to protect soil, water and air. Robert Maiden, PACD Executive Director, said, “Senator Scarnati understands the impor...

Firefighters in Chautauqua County got a surprise when they responded to a house fire in the Town of Harmony Tuesday afternoon. While attempting to put the fire out, they found several potted marijuana plants growing in an upstairs room. They called sheriff’s deputies, who recovered 24 plants after the fire was put out. 49-year-old Sean Reardon is charged with unlawful growing of cannabis and unlawful possession of marijuana. He’ll appear in court at a later date.

Update: Shares of Graham Packaging were up $5.51 at the close of trading on Wall Street today. Consumer packaging maker Silgan Holdings Inc. of Connecticut will acquire Graham Packaging in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $4.1 billion. The companies say the deal will build a stronger force in creating packaging for beverage, food and consumer products ranging from sports drinks and beer to personal care products and motor oil. Silgan said it will have 17,000 employees and 180 manufacturing facilities in 19 countries once the deal is completed. There’s no word yet on how the sale will affect the Bradford plant. Silgan expects the combined company will achieve $50 million in cost savings by the third year after the sale closes. The company expects the sale to close in the third quarter if regulators and shareholders approve. For more information, go to Silgan's website .

Chip Comilla is now head of city parks as well as public works. Bradford City Council approved the appointment during its meeting Tuesday night. Comilla replaces Gary Alcock, who retired at the end of last year. Councilman Fred Proper, who oversees the Department of Public Works, praised Jim Copeland and Greg Taylor who ran the department for the last few months. "They're both to be commended for that," Proper said. "Going through what, I think what everyone would agree, was one of the worst winters we've had in years, Jim's been faced with some pretty heavy snowplowing issues -- at least trying to keep the streets drivable over the last few months. A big thank you out to both of those people." "They did a tremendous job," added Mayor Tom Riel. You can listen to last night's meeting here .

The state House has approved legislation reinforcing a person’s right to defend himself or herself in the face of an intruder, Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint) said today. House Bill 40, also known as the Castle Doctrine, passed by a vote of 164-37. “Under current law, a person under attack has a duty to retreat before taking action in self-defense – that simply does not make sense,” Causer said. “This change in law protects the rights of law-abiding citizens to defend themselves.” The measure creates a presumption in law that an attacker or intruder intends to do great bodily harm and therefore force, including deadly force, may be used to protect oneself, one’s family and others in the face of an attack while at home or in an occupied vehicle. The presumption also applies if a person is trying to unlawfully remove an occupant, against the occupant’s will, from a home or vehicle. The presumption would not apply if the person entering a home was: ~~Another resident of the home. ~~A...

HARRISBURG - The Senate Judiciary Committee today approved legislation sponsored by Senator Lisa Baker (R-20) to reform the juvenile justice system and protect the fundamental rights of kids entering the system. Baker's bills will: Eliminate waiving counsel in juvenile delinquency hearings Create a victim advocate devoted to juvenile justice Require judges to state on the record the reasons behind disposition orders Prohibit shackling of juveniles in the courtroom Senator Baker was joined by Senator John Yudichak and Sandy Fonzo, who's son Edward Kenzakoski was among the juveniles sentenced by Judge Ciavarella. She shared with the committee her personal story of how this injustice has impacted her family. Senator Baker's remarks to the committee follow: Our justice system is supposed to safeguard rights and protect people. Yet, because of unimaginable judicial corruption in Luzerne County, we find ourselves debating ways to protect our kids from abuse at the hands of the ...

For more go to CNN.com .

A Fredonia man is dead after a one-vehicle crash in Arkwright at around midnight. Sheriff’s deputies say 26-year-old Nicholas Bankosh was flown to ECMC in Buffalo after the rollover crash on Miller Road. Deputies are still trying to determine what caused the accident.

The Pennsylvania Game Commission today entered into an oil/gas production land exchange agreement with Endless Mountain Energy that includes a tract of land in McKean County. Under the agreement, Endless Mountain Energy will be given limited access to game commission-owned oil and gas under a 1,930-acre portion of state game lands in Tioga County. In exchange for that, Endless Mountain will convey a 585-acre tract of land in Hamlin Township, known as the Kane Tract, which is valued at $700 per acre. The five-year agreement will result in a total bonus payment of $6,755,000, of which $409,346 will be credited toward the conveyance to the Game Commission of the Kane Tract, and $6,345,654 will be deposited into the Game Fund or an interest-bearing escrow account to be used for the future purchase of wildlife habitats and lands acceptable to the Commission. All royalties will be directly deposited into the Game Fund. Oil and gas development will be regulated by the Commonwealth’s oil/gas r...

Spring weather is just around the corner and the historic downtown business district is busy preparing for its summer event season. The Downtown Bradford Business District Authority is in the process of fundraising to be able to purchase hanging baskets for the historic Main Street area. “We are looking for donations for individual baskets, which we have done in previous years,” said Main Street Manager, Anita Dolan. Donations can be made by businesses, individuals and organizations. They can also be made in honor or in memory of someone. A long time sponsor, the Betty Jane Monjar Garden Committee is again helping financially with the event by pledging $1,000 in matching funds toward the program. “The Garden Committee has always been very supportive and helpful with this program. Their generosity will again provide for some of the baskets in our historic area,” added Dolan. More than 50 hanging baskets are needed to complete the project. The anticipated total needed to purchase t...

By SANDRA RHODES There will be plenty of horsing around at the Bradford Area Public Library on Saturday, April 16 – and library officials are all for it. That’s when the Kids Derby Day will take place from 1 to 3 p.m. The library, located at 67 W. Washington St., started the Kids Derby to add to the “Triple Crown” of events leading up to the Derby Gala held the same day as the Kentucky Derby. “We wanted to offer the same fun festivities to the children that the adults get to partake in at the Derby Gala,” said Stephanie Parsons, children’s program coordinator at the library. “The children get to come play, create and expand their minds in their Derby experience.” This includes the children making their own Derby hats, design a horse, guess at trivia, make a horse cookie, play games, listen to stories, get a chance to name and autograph a plush horse and even ride a real horse. The event is free and open to all ages, Parsons said, adding, “It is truly a family program.” Parents are enco...

The Bradford Main Street Program is inviting area clubs, groups, residents and Main Street businesses to participate in the 2011 Main Street/Project Pride Clean-up event to be held Saturday, April 30th from 9 a.m. to Noon. “We are hoping for a good turn out of volunteers this year. It is great to see what people can do when working together,” said Main Street Manager, Anita Dolan. “Our event season begins in May, with events such as Lunch in the Square and the Memorial Day Parade, so now is a good time to get everything cleaned up,” Dolan added. As part of the 2011 Great American Clean-up, the nation's largest organized annual clean-up, the Main Street event will include the sidewalks being swept or hosed, followed by trash and litter pick up by volunteers. “We would like to get Main Street and Veterans’ Square cleaned up so that our historic district will look nice for residents and visitors to our area. Our historic district is truly beautiful and we want it to look it’s bes...

WASHINGTON, DC— U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) today testified in the Senate on the potential of natural gas to meet our energy needs and increase economic development as well as the need to protect drinking water in Pennsylvania. In testimony before the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, Senator Casey highlighted his legislation to increase disclosure and safeguards of chemicals that could enter Pennsylvania’s drinking water supply, improve safety for workers and emergency response procedures at drilling sites and promote job training to help give Pennsylvania workers the skills needed to get jobs in the natural gas industry so that workers are not shipped in from out-of-state. “The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is experiencing a natural gas boom,” said Senator Casey. “An average of 120 wells per month were drilled in the Marcellus Shale in 2010, versus 17 a month in the preceding four years. American natural gas reserves provide us with a significant energy resource...

Harrisburg – Governor Tom Corbett today helped to launch Pennsylvania’s observance of the 150th anniversary of the Civil War, the four-year struggle between northern and southern states that forever ended slavery in the United States. “The Civil War left an indelible mark on Pennsylvania, and the war could not have been won without the many sacrifices and contributions of its people,” Corbett said. “Nearly 338,000 Pennsylvanians fought and 33,000 died in the Civil War – a staggering number, especially when you consider Pennsylvania had fewer than 3 million residents when the war began.” Waged from 1861-65, the Civil War resulted in more than 623,000 deaths and left hundreds of thousands of people injured. The war erupted on April 12, 1861 in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor at the contested federal Fort Sumter. President Abraham Lincoln’s refusal to abandon the fort goaded impatient Confederates to open fire. Fought in July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was considered a major turnin...

A registered sex offender is back in jail after being picked up Monday night in Portville. Sheriff’s deputies say they got a report of a person dressed in dark clothes walking on Route 417 at about 9:15 p.m. Deputies learned that 30-year-old Daniel Goodell of Bolivar, New York, had an outstanding warrant against him for failing to register as a sex offender in Genesee County. He was arrested and turned over to the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department.

A 17-year-old Steamburg boy is facing charges for allegedly beating up his mother and her boyfriend on April 3. Sheriff’s deputies did not say exactly w hat the boy did to his mother, but did say he bit the woman’s boyfriend on the left side of his stomach. He is scheduled to appear in Town of Coldspring Court at a later date.

The former office manager for the Elk County Tax Claim Bureau has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $50,000 in payments to the bureau. 51-year-old Stephanie Kilhoffer was sentenced to six to 24 months in prison, and must pay restitution, which includes $8,000 for an audit that uncovered the thefts. Kilhoffer took the money between March of 2007 and May of 2009 by not depositing money people had paid for their taxes. The investigation started after people who paid their taxes, and had receipts to prove it, got notices saying they hadn't paid and started complaining.