Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

For updates on the flooding in Ridgway, you can go to our Facebook page, Facebook.com/1490WESB. With schools and roads already closed throughout the region, and more rain on the way, a flash flood warning remains in effect until 1 o’clock for Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties and until 1:30 for McKean, Elk, Warren and Cameron counties. Flash flood watches go until 5 in Pennsylvania and 8 p.m. in New York. In Ridgway, students from St. Leo’s Catholic School were evacuated and taken to the Ridgway Fire Department. Parents are being advised to leave their children there because flooding has made traveling unsafe. The Sheetz parking lot is also under water. Clarion River Bridge in Ridgway is closed because of flooding and the Indian Run Bridge on Bendigo Road is washed out. Route 219 between Ridgway and Johnsonburg is covered with high water and debris, and other main roads in the county are flooded as well. Emergency crews are also doing water rescues in Elk County. In Warren ...

Charges have been filed against the Bradford man who was driving a car that crashed on Euclid Avenue in March injuring six people, three seriously. 22-year-old Matthew Herbstritt was arraigned Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, recklessly endangering another person, corruption of minors, DUI and possession of drug paraphernalia. On the afternoon of March 9 Herbstritt was allegedly speeding on Euclid when his car went out of control and hit a tree. Herbstritt is in McKean County Jail on $30,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

McKean County Democrats voted like the rest of the state in Tuesday's primary and chose Tom Wolf to challenge Governor Tom Corbett in this fall’s General Election. But, while Senator Mike Stack of Philadelphia got the nod for lieutenant governor in the state, he came in third in McKean County behind Mark Smith and Mark Critz. Stack faces off against current Lt. Governor Jim Cawley in November. Kerith Taylor of Brookville beat her challenger in the Democratic primary for the 5th Congressional District seat and will face incumbent Glenn “GT” Thompson in November. Voter turnout in McKean County was dismal with only 2,677 of 21,024 registered voters casting ballots. That’s less than 13 percent. Of the 1,790 Republicans who voted 1,474 voted for Corbett; 1,516 voted for Cawley; 1,602 voted for Thompson; and 1,681 voted for Marty Causer. 1,573 people cast ballots for Stacy Wallace to be the Republican State Committeewoman. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947 ...

A 74-year-old man is behind bars on trespass and other charges in connection to an incident last week in the Town of Ripley. Sheriff’s deputies say they found Daley Reynolds at his home and arrested him without incident. He is also charged with criminal contempt and disorderly conduct. His bail is $10,000. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A 39-year-old Chautauqua County man is in jail for having a sexual relationship with a girl. Police didn’t say how old the girl is but said William Stratton of Ashville had a relationship with her from December of 2009 through August of 2013 in the Town of North Harmony. He is charged with course of sexual conduct against a child, rape, sexual abuse and endangering the welfare of a child, and is locked up on $20,000 bail. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Lorena Mae Ward, of Smethport, passed away Monday, May 19, 2014 at The Pavilion at BRMC. Born October 24, 1918 in Backus, she was a daughter of the late Charles and Mary (Anderson) Skaggs. On December 31, 1974 in Smethport, she married William Thomas Ward, who passed away January 17, 1997. She was formerly married to Lovell Pattison, who also preceded her in death. She is survived by a daughter, Sandra (John) Nelson, of Bradford; a son, Leroy Pattison of Smethport; a son in law, Kenneth (the late Linda) Ward, of Smethport; numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren, great great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husbands, she was preceded in death by a daughter, Linda Ward, who passed away December 15, 2012 and 9 brothers and sisters. Family will be receiving friends from 3 to 5 PM, Thursday, May 22, 2014 in the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes, Inc., South Avenue, where funeral and committal services will be hel...

Charles A. Christjohn, 81, formerly of Bradford, passed away Tuesday, May 20, 2014 at Sena Kean Manor. Funeral arrangements are incomplete, and will be announced by the Hollenbeck-Cahill Funeral Homes, Inc., with a full obituary. Online condolences can be expressed at www.hollenbeckcahill.com The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

William E. Tremaine, Jr., 83, of 309 Pennsylvania Avenue West in Warren, formerly of 60 South Avenue in Bradford, passed away Monday May 19, 2014 at his residence. Born July 5, 1930 in Bradford, he was a son of the late William and Delores (Lyons) Tremaine. On January 8, 1977, he married Mary Ann (Shuey) Tremaine, who passed away June 27, 1994. He attended schools in Bradford and Boston, and received his A.A. and B.S. from Boston University. He also received a degree in Mortuary Science from the New England Institute of Mortuary Science. He served in the U.S. Army with the second infantry division, 38th Field Artilery Battalion in Korea and was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. He worked as a funeral director for The Milton Funeral Home in Milton Mass. and also worked in combustion engineering in the New England Area. He returned to Bradford in 1965 and worked for Dresser-Clark in Olean, NY as an Analysis Engineer, until his retirement in 1993. He was an activ...

Warren, Pa. – Recreation facilities on the Allegheny National Forest will be opened and fully operational Friday, May 23rd, for the summer recreation season. Fees: Fees for campgrounds range from $12 to $24. Each campground has sites that are first-come, first-served, and many have sites that can be reserved. Group camping areas require reservations, except at Hearts Content, and are $50 per night. Six rustic cabins are available at Willow Bay Campground for a fee of $55-65 per night. Please check our website at http://www.fs.fed.us/r9/forests/allegheny/recreation/camping or call 814-362-4613 for fee information. Double Sites: In response to many requests for adjacent family campsites, some double sites that can accommodate up to 14 people per night have been identified at Buckaloons and Twin Lakes Campgrounds for a rate of $32-36. The double sites are listed with the National Recreation Reservation Service. Reservations: All reservations are handled through th...

No one was hurt but a car had to be towed after a deer ran out in front of it Monday night. Police say at about 9:15 p.m. 48-year-old Samir Abdulfetah of Scarborough, Ontario, was on Route 219 in Lafayette Township when the deer ran onto the road, and was hit by the front of the car on the passenger’s side. Abdulfetah pulled the car to the side of the road, where he called police. He had four passengers, ranging in age from 18 to 47. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

The arts council is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Executive Director, Tina Hastings, who will begin her tenure in June of 2014. Tina comes to us with a strong background in arts administration and will replace former executive director, Anne Conroy-Baiter. Most recently Tina served as the Director of the Cathy and Jesse Marion Art Gallery at SUNY Fredonia where she enjoyed working with regional, national, and international artists in all mediums and curating diverse exhibitions, lecture series, and gallery talks for the campus and community. During her time at SUNY Fredonia she also developed and taught courses for students in the college's Museum Studies program. Tina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology as well as a Masters of Public Administration, both from Southern Illinois University. Originally from central Ohio, she and her family moved to western New York in 2007 when her husband accepted a teaching position at SUNY Fredonia. As CCAC's Executive D...

The McKean County SPCA needs help from dog lovers. The shelter is at capacity and asking for people to adopt or foster some of the dogs. They have a variety of sizes, breeds and ages. Many have already been spayed and neutered, and all are socialized. If you can't adopt a dog, think about taking one for a couple of weeks as a foster pet. The SPCA can help with expenses. You can visit the dogs at the shelter on Glenwood Avenue, or check them out first on Facebook at Facebook.com/MCSPCA The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Two people were hurt in a crash at about 12:15 this afternoon in Chautauqua. Sheriff’s deputies say 38-year-old Scott Boardman was traveling north on Route 394 when 22-year-old Edward Schlabach was coming out of the parking lot of Light House Grocery and their vehicles collided. Schlabach had to be freed from his vehicle and was then flown to UPMC Hamot in Erie. Boardman’s passenger 37-year-old Autumn Boardman was flown to Hamot for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies are continuing their investigation and say charges are pending. ] The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

Washington, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) released the following statement on the ruling that Pennsylvania’s law banning same-sex marriage is unconstitutional: “I’m pleased that the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania today struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. This was the right decision and is a step forward for equality in our Commonwealth and in the Nation. As a U.S. Senator representing Pennsylvania, I have heard from many LGBT Pennsylvanians and their families who want nothing more than equal rights under the law. As one mother from Pennsylvania said in a letter to me: ‘My kids have two proud and loving parents who are honest [and] work hard. I want my kids to know they are equal and our family is equal . . . I just want my family to be treated equally and with respect by my state and federal government.’ I believe this decision is a critical step toward achieving equal rights for all Pennsylvanians.” The news lead...

Zippo Manufacturing Company -- maker of the iconic Zippo® lighter – and its subsidiary ZippMark, Inc. announced today that they have sued LOEC, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lorillard, for trademark infringement in the United States District Court for the Central District of California. The Company's lawsuit seeks to prevent LOEC from selling its electronic cigarettes, or "e-cigs," under the brand name "blu" in light of Zippo's ownership of the trademark BLU® for its line of blue-flame butane lighters. "Despite our attempts to resolve this matter amicably, Zippo has been compelled to seek the Court's assistance to protect our BLU trademarks," said Zippo President and CEO Gregory Booth. "Zippo is instantly recognizable because we have long understood the value of our brand and the need to vigorously protect it against use by others. Our BLU trademarks are similarly valuable and will be similarly protected." Zippo's trade...

Someone stole at least 40 bronze vases from Parklawn Memorial Gardens Cemetery just outside of Ridgway. The value of the vases is about $9,800. Anyone with information about the theft is asked to contact Ridgway-based state police or Elk County Crime Stoppers. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A Bradford man is in jail for hitting his girlfriend and kicking a police officer. Court records say 35-year-old Brian Coldren hit his girlfriend several times in the head during an argument in his vehicle and at her apartment. He also threatened to kill her and the family of her daughter’s father. Then, at his home on Bolivar Drive he fought with police and kicked one officer in the groin. Coldren’s bail is $100,000. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

A federal judge declared Pennsylvania's ban on gay marriage unconstitutional today, making Pennsylvania the last Northeast state to allow same-sex marriage. In his 39-page written opinion Judge John E. Jones III said, "We are a better people than what these laws (banning same-sex marriage) represent. It is time to discard them into the ash heap of history." State Attorney General Kathleen had had declined to defend the ban in court, but the Corbett administration went ahead, arguing that states have the right to determine the definition of marriage. The state could still challenge the decision before the 3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947

As part of their Eagle Scout project, two young men from Bradford have cleared a trail through the area that was formerly the Zippo Ski Slope, near Callahan Park. Quentin and Kyle Frombach, who currently hold the Life Scout rank with the Boy Scouts of America, spent more than 2 years removing brush, grading the trail, and relocating the path to create a loop, which made it more accessible for novice hikers. They also crafted and installed benches along the trail as resting points. “It was a lot of work, but definitely a worthwhile project because now people can more easily enjoy the trail again,” said Quentin, who will graduate from Bradford Area High School this June. The Zippo Ski Slope Trail is 3,578 feet long and accessible from the Callahan Park parking lot. An informational trailhead marker has been installed that was designed by Quentin with help from the Zippo Creative Services and Marketing teams. Kyle and Quentin contacted Zippo about donating the sign and pro...

A Limestone man who was driving drunk at more than 100 mph with a child in his car has pleaded guilty in Cattaraugus County Court. 32-year-old Donald Watson Jr. was driving at 127 mph in the Town of Carrollton on November 10 of last year with a blood alcohol content nearly twice the legal limit. He had a child younger than 15 with him, which made it a Leandra’s Law violation. Watson also pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance for possessing and selling a narcotic drug on July 19, 2012, in Salamanca. He is scheduled for sentencing on September 15. The news leader of the Twin Tiers ... since 1947