Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Today would have been the 100th birthday of the greatest comedienne of all time -- Lucille Ball. You can celebrate by going to her birthplace, Jamestown, New York, where there's a huge celebration. http://www.lucy-desi.com

Following is a letter Bradford Regional Airport Director Tom Frungillo sent to business and community leaders in the region: As many of you have read of the ongoing debates concerning the FAA reauthorization bill and the Essential Air Service (EAS) program, there is still light at the end of the tunnel. Senator Casey’s staff has reached out to us regarding the Essential Air Service (EAS) language in the compromised FAA extension and it very encouraging. The Senator is still very much in support of the continuation of this important program for our region and the other airports at risk in the Commonwealth. Senator Casey has been stalwart in working hard for Pennsylvania. Please encourage your business contacts and friends to FLY BRADFORD! and support Senator Casey and Representative GT Thompson throughout this funding debate of our commercial air service program. Also it’s important that you let Senator Toomey know we disapprove of his position on Essential Air Service (EAS). EAS is n...

An employee at Dresser-Rand in Wellsville is dead after an industrial accident Friday afternoon. Wellsville Village Police say the accident happened at around 1:55 p.m. The man was taken by ambulance to Jones Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police have not released the man’s name yet. They will be issuing a news release Monday after OSHA completes its investigation.

The Department of Environmental Protection has issued a drought warning for four Pennsylvania counties, including McKean, and Mount Jewett is in a state of emergency because of their water problems. A drought warning asks residents to voluntarily reduce water use by 10 to 15 percent. In Mount Jewett, residents are being asked by the water authority to not wash cars, fill swimming pools or water their lawns and gardens. Residents are also being reminded to keep boiling their drinking water. Elsewhere, precipitation levels in Elk County are more than 4 inches below normal. Cameron and Potter counties are also under a drought warning. Forest, Jefferson, Tioga, Venango and Warren counties are under a drought watch. Read the news released from DEP: HARRISBURG -- The Department of Environmental Protection today issued a drought warning for four Pennsylvania counties and a drought watch for 40 counties. “With the hot, dry summer, our statewide monitoring network indicates a need to take this ...

By Josh Hatcher Usually at 11:00 AM on Sunday mornings, Open Arms Community Church in Bradford is just starting their weekly worship service – but throughout the month of August – they’ll be headed out the door. They’ve decided to cancel their second church service each Sunday morning to host Free Block Parties at different locations in town, starting this Sunday with a picnic at the parking lot of Phillip’s Auto Depot on North Kendall Avenue from 12:00 Noon until 3:00PM. “The idea is something we've bounced around for quite some time,” says Open Arms Pastor Mike McAvoy, “My wife has always wanted to cancel service to go serve the community and some others in the church had a similar idea, and my thought is: one service isn't radical, but canceling service 4 weeks in a row is radical.” The church will instead hold one service at 9:15, and then start loading up supplies and preparing for the outreaches. Each of the four weeks in August, Open Arms will partner with individuals an...

A benefit dinner for the North Kendall Park Revitalization Project will be held this Sunday August 7th from noon to 8 PM at the Fraternal Order of Eagles located at 49 East Main Street. The cost of the dinner will be $10.00 for a single, $15.00 a couple, and $25.00 for a family up to 5. New conceptual drawings of the park revitalization will be on display for the public to see. Area residents are urged to attend this benefit to find out more information about the plans for the revitalization of the North Kendall Park. If you would like to donate to the North Kendall Park Revitalization Project a special account has been established by the First Wesleyan Church of Bradford at the Hamlin Bank located 671 East Main Street. To keep updated on current developments with the North Kendall Park Project, you can join our Facebook page by logging on to Facebook.com and searching for North Kendall Park.

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. — Following a distinguished nine-year term of service, Associate Vice President and Executive Director of the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts, Joseph A. LoSchiavo, will step down as the center’s leader effective Dec. 31, 2011, to pursue new professional opportunities. “While we certainly respect Joe’s decision and wish him the very best, we sincerely regret the loss of his leadership for the Quick Center for the Arts. He will leave us having accomplished significant milestones and having generated national and international recognition of our museum, University collection, and our institution’s capacity to present major exhibitions,” said Brenda L. McGee, Senior Vice President for Finance and Administration. University President Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., said that LoSchiavo’s commitment to enriching the artistic and cultural opportunities of citizens throughout the Twin Tiers region will be his legacy. “Joe ran with the university’s vision to establish th...

GOWANDA, NY – An increase in coordinated law enforcement sweeps conducted by members of the Zoar Valley Task Force have been an effective tool to promote safety and help stop illicit and dangerous activities, according to Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I - Olean). Over the summer months, the New York State Police, New York State Forest Rangers, Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Department and other members of the Task Force have increased patrols in the gorge area, parking lots and surrounding roadways to ensure that people are aware of dangers and to prevent trespassing, drunk driving, drug use and illegal camping. “We want people to enjoy Zoar Valley, but extreme caution should be exercised. Zoar Valley can be extremely hazardous and visitors need to adhere to the rules,” said Senator Young. “If you take risks, trespass, use drugs or alcohol and break other rules, chances are you will be caught. “Unfortunately, we have had deaths, serious ...

One person was hurt in accident in the Town of Chautauqua at around 12:15 this afternoon. Sheriff’s deputies say 17-year-old Brandon Hilton of Mayville didn’t stop at a stop sign and hit a vehicle driven by 49-year-old Ronald Krisanda of Dewittville. One of Krisanda’s 16-year-old passengers suffered a minor hand injury and was treated at the scene. Hilton will appear in Town of Chautauqua Court at a later date. ~~~ A South Dayton man was hurt in an accident Tuesday morning in the Town of Villenova. Chautauqua County Sheriff’s deputies say it appears 19-year-old Joshua Press fell asleep at the wheel while he was driving on Route 83 at just after 6:30 a.m. His vehicle went off the road and rolled over. Press was taken to Lake Shore for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.

Someone stole six rolls of lottery tickets from the Duke Center Superette between 8:30 and 9:30 this morning. The tickets are valued at $4,200. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Kane-based state police.

By US Senator Bob Casey Friday, we learned that the economy added 117,000 jobs in July. Better than many forecasters predicted, but not enough to bring down the national unemployment rate below 9 percent. Unfortunately, the modest job growth is consistent with the GDP data released at the end of July, which showed the economy grew at an annual rate of less than one percent during the first half of 2011. The recovery has slowed and we need to ensure it regains momentum. It’s critical that we focus on jump-starting job creation and reducing the unemployment rate. Nearly 14 million Americans, including 479,000 in Pennsylvania, remain out of work and more than six million of these workers have been jobless for six months or more. As Chairman of the Joint Economic Committee, I held a hearing on Friday to better understand our country’s employment challenges. We heard from Bureau of Labor Statistics Commissioner Keith Hall, who oversees the federal government’s jobs data. Although Cong...

CNN Presents will broadcast a three-part special report, "Twisted Tale," on Sunday, August 7, at 8 p.m. ET. The report digs deep into what precisely happened during a 2003 bank robbery in Erie, Pennsylvania, and examines one man with prior knowledge of the plot who has never been charged. For more information go to CNN.com .

AMITY, NY - Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Marine Corporal Jason Dunham has been honored in a special way with the naming of a bridge and part of State Route 19 near his hometown in his memory, according to state Senator Catharine Young (R,C,I-Olean). Senator Young, who initiated and authored the legislation, said that Governor Cuomo signed the bill on Thursday that renames the stretch of State Route 19 and bridge that crosses over Interstate 86 in Amity in honor of the fallen hero who grew up in Scio. Corporal Dunham’s parents, Dan and Deb, still live there. “This roadway leads directly into Scio, and Jason must have traveled that route thousands of times. He is missed by many, and the memory of a man who made the ultimate sacrifice for his nation will live on forever in the hearts and minds of the people from the place he called home,” Senator Young said. She said she filed the legislation after being contacted by a constituent who felt ...

Former NFL player Seth Payne poses for a picture with Voice of the Owls Frank Williams during the Big 30 Banquet Thursday at Pitt-Bradford. Payne played 5 years with the Jacksonville Jaguars and 5 years with the Houston Texanas, and is now an assistant coach with the Portivlle Panthers, The annual Don Raabe Big 30 Charities Classic is at 7 p.m. Saturday at Parkway Field. You can hear the game on 1490 WESB, 100.1 The HERO and live online at WESB.com . The parade starts at 2 p.m. on Main Street. A tailgate party follows at Callahan Park.

The Bradford Ranger District of the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) is evaluating a request from U.S. Energy Development Corporation for a right of way for a natural gas pipeline. This pipeline would gather natural gas from proposed wells on Warrant 3713 to an existing pipeline on Warrant 4872 in McKean County, Corydon Township. A special use authorization has been requested because 2,825 ft. of the proposed pipeline would be installed across the ANF surface in Warrant 3719 where U.S. Energy does not have rights to subsurface resources. Approximately 1,900 ft. of the proposed pipeline would run along an existing road (Forest Road 272) and approximately 900 ft. would extend from the road to the boundary between Warrants 3713 and 3719. U.S. Energy has requested a 25 ft. wide right of way for construction and maintenance of the pipeline, which would encumber approximately 1.62 acres of Forest Service land. The proposed construction would occur in Management Area 3.0, which allows special ...

Traffic from Route 27 is currently being detoured through the Warren County Fairgrounds and PennDOT is urging pedestrians and motorists to use extra caution while the fair is being set up and in progress from Monday, Aug. 8, through Saturday, Aug. 13. Pedestrians should be aware that the traffic detour will result in increased traffic at the fair this year. Motorists are urged to slow down and be especially alert while traveling through the fairgrounds. “We hope everyone enjoys the Warren County Fair, but we are asking fairgoers to always keep safety in mind. We are asking motorists to be especially watchful for pedestrians approaching and crossing the roadways,” said Don Hall, assistant district executive for design in PennDOT’s District 1, which covers Crawford, Erie, Forest, Mercer, Venango and Warren counties. The detour is due to ongoing replacement work on the Route 27 bridge over Little Brokenstraw Creek in Pittsfield Township, Warren County. The detour uses Hickory Lane, Barton...

From CNN: Congressional leaders have reached "a bipartisan compromise between the House and the Senate" to fully fund the Federal Aviation Administration, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says. The deal will "put 74,000 transportation and construction workers back to work," Reid says. "This agreement does not resolve the important differences that still remain," Reid said in a written statement. "But I believe we should keep Americans working while Congress settles its differences." http://cnn.com U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement: “This agreement is good news for Pennsylvania jobs as well as travelers across the Nation. It is frustrating that things got to this point in the first place but I am gratified that a bipartisan agreement was reached. Moving forward, I will continue to fight for communities that rely on regional airports and work to ensure that they are not needlessly targeted. “I hope that this agreem...

The Theater and Culture Club at Jamestown Community College’s Cattaraugus County Campus and Olean Toastmasters welcome area actors, comedians, and musicians to participate in an original production of “Scared Speechless.” According to director Anna Bush, musical numbers may be added to the production if enough musicians participate. The deadline to sign up is September 15 and participants must be high school age and up. Set at a high school reunion, the murder mystery centers around witnesses to a crime who have been scared speechless and attempt to act out their version of events to the audience with comedic results. “Scared Speechless” will be performed at 7 p.m. on October 27 and 28 in JCC’s Cutco Theater. Performances are free and open to the public. For more information or to sign up, call Ms. Bush at 716.376.7508 or via email at annabush@mail.sunyjcc.edu .

Starting Monday, Aug. 8, McKean County drivers will encounter work zones on various routes, as bridge repair work takes place. The first three locations include: · Route 6 at the east end of Port Allegany, over a tributary of the Allegheny River. Work includes repairs to the concrete barrier wall, deck and beams. Work should take about two weeks. There will be minimal impacts to traffic but drivers may encounter intermittent delays, with flaggers. · Route 6 five miles west of Port Allegany, over Lillibrige Creek. Work includes concrete wing wall repairs, concrete curb repairs, and beam repairs. Work should take about three weeks. There will be minimal impacts to traffic but drivers may encounter intermittent delays, with flaggers. · Preliminary signing will be set next week for a bridge on Route 46 over Cole Creek in the village of Farmers Valley, Keating Township. An alternating traffic pattern will be controlled by a temporary signal, which will be set later this summer. Work will in...