Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Governor Tom Corbett gets an assist from Lt. Governor Jim Cawley and his son Nicholas (5), along with First Lady Susan Corbett (right), and Suzanna Cawley (left) as they light the Capitol Christmas tree in a Tuesday evening ceremony on the Capitol steps. The ceremony, held outside for the first time in recent memory, brought together members of the community for a holiday celebration. The ceremony featured Christmas caroling led by the Hanover High School Victorian Singers. The 15-member vocal group specializes in singing acapella and they dress in Victorian-period garb. Photo provided by PA Internet News Service

Down by 19 in the second half to Juniata Tuesday night, the Pitt-Bradford men’s basketball team stormed back to tie the game in the final 90 seconds and eventually prevailed 80-77 in double-overtime. Nate Higgins’ layup with 10:38 left in the game tied the Eagles’ largest lead of the night at 54-35. Over the next five and half minutes, the Panthers whittled the advantage to 12, but Alex Raymond drilled a three-pointer with 6:55 remaining to make it 61-46. Unbeknownst to the Eagles, that would be their last points in regulation. PJ Blanch’s triple with 4:50 left cut the deficit to eight, and Tyler Ferguson scored on consecutive possessions to pull the Panthers within 61-57. Juniata missed a layup on the opposite end, and out of a timeout, Blanch scored on an up-and-under layup to trim the lead to two. The Eagles turned the ball over on their ensuing possession and Brandon McClester’s basket with 1:22 left tied the game for the first time since it was 16 all in the first half...

The St. Bonaventure men's basketball team (5-2) used an 11-2 run in the second half to break away from Franciscan Cup rival Siena (2-7) for a 58-43 victory on Tuesday night in front of a national TV audience at the Reilly Center. Demitrius Conger posted 12 points and eight rebounds, and Chris Johnson added 10 points for the Bonnies, who have now won the Franciscan Cup game in each of its three years of existence. Marquise Simmons delivered his second double-double in the last four games – and also second of his career – with a 12-point, 10-rebound performance in his second starting role of the campaign. The Bonnies led, 39-38, when the decisive run began with 12:22 remaining. Conger scored six points during the stretch and his lay-up with 5:37 left gave Bona a 50-40 advantage. Siena would get no closer than seven points the rest of the game, and the 15-point winning margin represents the largest lead SBU has had through its first seven contests. Bonaventure shot 19-55 from ...

Foster Township employee Ken Greek donated his time -- and decorations -- to spruce up a corner of the meeting room in the Foster Township Municipal Building for the holidays. WESB photo The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Mrs. Kris Toomey and Mrs. Terese Casey, the wives of U.S. Senators Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.), hosted a tribute at the U.S. Capitol today to honor the passengers and crew of Flight 93 and raise awareness for the still unfinished Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville. Here, Toomey addresses families of Flight 93 passengers, members of Congress, and their spouses. Here,families of Flight 93 passengers gather to remember. From left, Gordon Felt, brother of passenger Edward Felt; Allison Vadhan, daughter of passenger Kristin Gould White; Deborah Borza, mother of passenger Deora Bodley; and Greg Linden, guest of Deborah Borza. Photos provided by Toomey's office The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

New York State Senate Republicans and the Independent Democratic Conference made a deal today to take control of the chamber in an unprecedented power sharing plan. The announcement by Senate Republican leader Dean Skelos and IDC leader Jeffrey Klein sunk the hopes of the traditional Democratic conference from taking the near absolute control of the majority, even though they won more seats than Republicans in the November elections. Senator Cathy Young said, “This coalition builds on a bipartisan partnership that was formed two years ago. Our Senate Republican Conference has worked well with Governor Cuomo and the members of the IDC to pass on-time budgets and move the state in the right direction." “We share a number of the same priorities, including economic revitalization and job growth. This agreement maintains regional balance and ensures that upstate is treated fairly and equitably, instead of being controlled by New York City-dominated political bosses," she conti...

Bestelling author and master of the medical thriller Robin Cook took time out of his schedule to speak with Anne Holliday today about his newest book, Nano. Robin Cook's Nano by wesbnews1 The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Northern Potter schools will be closed Thursday so staff members and students who want to attend the funeral for Darlene Sitler can do that. Sitler was shot and killed Sunday morning while she played the organ at the First United Presbyterian Church in Coudersport. Her ex-husband, Gregory Eldred, is jailed on murder charges for the shooting. Sitler was a teacher in the Northern Potter School District for many years. The funeral is in Benton, PA, in Columbia County, about 2 ½ hours from the school district. School Superintendent Scott Graham says he realizes that, because of the distance, some people may not be able to travel to the viewing or funeral, so he intends to work with Sitler’s pastor to plan a Memorial Service for the school community. Graham said he will release additional information about that service as soon as possible. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Hershey – Ryan Devlin, a teacher in the Brockway Area School District, Jefferson County, today was named Pennsylvania’s 2013 Teacher of the Year at the Keystone Awards of Excellence banquet in Hershey. “On behalf of Governor Tom Corbett and the citizens of Pennsylvania, I congratulate Ryan for achieving this well-deserved, prestigious award,” Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis said in announcing the award. “As a dedicated professional, Ryan’s commitment to both the teaching profession and his students demonstrates that Pennsylvania is home to quality individuals who are in the classroom educating our children.” Devlin, currently in his fifth year at Brockway Area High School, teaches 11th-grade British literature, 8th-grade computer science and two senior-high electives: creative writing and digital media. He also serves as chairman of the high school’s English department. His teaching methods include extensive use of technology in the classroom for which he received the Keystones...

HARRISBURG - Speaking to a packed room at Temple University's Harrisburg Campus, Senator David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill) announced he will reconvene the Pa. Blight Task Force in an effort to continue the fight against blight and abandonment. "The recent passage of land bank legislation has assisted the ongoing efforts to fight blight," said Argall, who spoke at the Housing Alliance of Pennsylvania's Homes Within Reach Conference. "We have achieved considerable progress by giving our local governments more power to fight blight through land bank legislation as well as Act 90, the Neighborhood Blight Reclamation and Revitalization Act." The Blight Task Force was established by Argall's predecessor, the late Sen. Jim Rhoades. The group was responsible for crafting Argall's Senate Bill 900 of 2009, now Act 90. During the event at Temple some people suggested a tax on slumlords. "So, we’re going to be looking at that one," Argall said. ...

Someone damaged a security gate wing at the East Branch Dam. State Police say sometime between 10 o’clock Sunday morning and 8:50 Monday morning someone removed the gate wing from its post, which prevented access to the dam tower. The gate wing was then thrown down an embankment. Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact Ridgway-based state police.

Two Delevan, New York, men are accused of beating another person so badly that he had to be taken to the Gates Vascular Institute to be treated. Sheriff’s deputies say 19-year-old Jared Wrazen and 19-year-old Cody Bemish assaulted the 18-year-old victim at just before 6 a.m. Saturday on Dutch Hill Road in Ashford. The victim was first taken to Bertrand-Chafee Hospital in Springville but later transferred to the Buffalo hospital. Wrazen and Bemish are both charged with assault and sent to Cattaraugus County Jail. They are scheduled to be in court Thursday. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two Wellsville women should probably expect coal in their Christmas stockings after beining caught red-handed stealing a Christmas tree. Police say at around 2:30 Sunday morning the owner of a tree farm on Jones Road in the Town of Andover saw two women put the tree in their vehicle and drove away. He started following them and, at one point, the women threw the tree from their vehicle at the tree farm owner’s vehicle. Andover’s police chief stopped them on Route 417 and, when state police arrived, they arrested 28-year-old Angilne Palmiter and 36-year-old Victoria Green. Troopers later learned that the women and 27-year-old Derek Hodgkins, also of Wellsville, stole another Christmas tree from the same business earlier in the night. All three are charged with petit larceny. The women are also charged with reckless endangerment. They were all released with appearance tickets for Town of Andover Court.

By Robbie Chulick SBU ’13 Mustaches adorned many faces on St. Bonaventure’s campus this November. More than 80 students, faculty and staff members participated in a global cancer awareness initiative called Movember, which raised awareness for men’s prostate and testicular cancer. St. Bonaventure participants raised $2,373 for this cause, and they were just one of nearly 15,000 teams to participate in this global challenge. Dr. David Hilmey, faculty coordinator of Movember, said this initiative enabled participants to openly talk about things men do not like to talk about, such as going to the doctor. “These mustaches gave us a reason to talk about getting checkups for prostate cancer,” he said. “If we are just a little more open about our health, maybe we will start to take care of ourselves a little better and avoid bigger problems down the road.” Michael Robinson, a junior biology major, decided to participate because Movember adds a twist to the normal “No...

HARRISBURG – A new fishing season is on the horizon, and anglers can prepare themselves by purchasing a multi-year fishing license, available for the first time this year from the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), said Rep. Martin Causer (R-Turtlepoint). The PFBC is now selling three-year and five-year fishing licenses for the first time in its history. A three-year fishing license will be valid through 2015, and a five-year license will last through 2017. Customers who purchase a multi-year license will save money by not having to pay transaction and processing fees each year. A three-year resident license costs $64.70, while a three-year senior resident license is $31.70. A five-year resident license is $106.70, and a five-year senior resident license costs $51.70. For full pricing information, or to purchase a license, visit www.pawildlifelicense.com. Individuals who do purchase a multi-year license will be eligible for rewards from the PFBC, including a fr...

By ANNE HOLLIDAY WESB/WBRR News Director In an unusually brief Foster Township supervisors meeting sewer issues, for a change, did not take center stage. Sewer and sanitary authority issues were discussed, but shared time with police, emergency management, code enforcement and business development. When asked by resident Bill Hallock how much it would cost to develop property at the Foster Brook intersection, supervisor Dale Phillips said there are no figures from PennDOT but development and occupancy permits depend on use, and how many cars are going in and out. “I believe we’ve got some great potential down there in that area,” Phillips said, adding that he likes to go Applebee’s in Olean on Saturday and “it’s like Bradford day. I know everybody in there.” “Why can’t I know everybody in Applebee’s that’s in Foster Township? Why are we going there instead of them coming here?” he asked rhetorically. He said he’s called the owners of the Kmart property in the Bradford Mall in ...

Organist and Port Allegany native Dr. Carl Klein will play an advent recital on the Sarah B. Dorn Organ at noon on Friday, December 7, in the Harriett B. Wick Chapel. The recital is free and open to the public. Selections include favorites of the season such as “Greensleeves,” J.S. Bach’s “Pastorale” and a setting of “Veni Emmanuel” written by Klein. Klein has served as the director of music at The Episcopal Parish of the Good Shepherd in Waban, Mass., since 1999, where he plays the organ and directs a mixed choir of seven professionals and 10 volunteers. Previously, he was director of music at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Tampa, Fla., from 1991 to 1997. Klein has given numerous recitals on both coasts in this country and in England and Ireland. He studied with W. Kent Hill at Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree, and with David Craighead at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., where he ...

Three more burglars have pleaded guilty in Cattaraugus County Court. 40-year-old Arturo Ross Sr. of Olean broke into an Olean building on August 3. 19-year-old Alexander Hope of Friendship broke into a Portville building on June 9 and stole more than $50,000 worth of property. Both men will be sentenced on February 19. 31-year-old Angel Ocasio of Dunkirk broke into a Town of Dayton building on January 5. He will be sentenced on March 18. His co-defendant Jose Morales will be sentenced March 11. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A West Seneca man has pleaded not guilty to evading or defeating the state’s cigarette tax. 53-year-old Steven Licata is accused of having 30,000 or more cigarettes and, when stopped by police, giving them a false name and other false information. The alleged incident happened on June 2 in the Town of Carrollton. Attempting to evade or defeat excise tax and cigarette taxes are felony offenses. The case has been adjourned for motions. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A public meeting concerning the proposed underground injection wells in Warren County is scheduled for December 12 at the Columbus Township Fire Department. The state Department of Environmental Protection and US Environmental Protection Agency are hosting the meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. The two proposed wells in Columbus Township would be authorized to inject fluids produced in association with oil- and gas-production activities. These fluids may be made up mostly of fresh water or could contain elevated levels of chlorides called “brine.” The fluids would be pumped back into geologic formations that are able to handle such fluids. There is no discharge from a UIC well onto the land surface or into nearby surface waterways. After brief presentations explaining their roles in permitting Underground Injection Control wells, representatives from DEP and EPA will be available to answer questions. “This is an opportunity for area residents to talk to both our staff and EPA about th...