Anne's Arts & Activities Blog

Kevin Shaffer probably made Santa's "nice" list after offering a ride to a couple of elves. Herb Confer decked out his Firebird for the holidays. Street Dreams Car Club President Gary Hoy tossed out candy to the kids. Frosty and Rudolph wave to the crowd.

Santa Claus makes an appearance in Bradford's 2nd Annual Home for the Holidays Parade, sponsored by the Downtown Bradford Business District Authority and the Street Dreams Car Club. More video and pictures coming soon.

By Ruth Gentilman Peterson Director of Planning & Communications Kane Community Hospital “This month Kane Community Hospital celebrates a twelve-year partnership with area ministers for the spiritual care of our patients," stated KCH Director of Nursing Pam Bray, RN at a breakfast for KCH’s Volunteer Chaplains on Friday. CEO J. Gary Rhodes thanked the chaplains and shared the latest KCH news on Hamot affiliation, and on new specialty care en route to KCH over the next two months. The Volunteer Chaplain Program, which began at KCH on November 1, 1998, is a joint effort of the Kane Area Ministerial Association and Kane Community Hospital. “It was created to recognize that the healing process is multifaceted, and that frequently, if healing is to occur, spiritual needs must also be met,” Bray notes. The purpose of the Volunteer Chaplain Program is to provide spiritual care on an “on-call” basis, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year for crisis situations, emergency needs and end-of-l

The Grand Opening for the AT&T Authorized Dealer store was held at noon on Friday, November 19. The storefront is located at 93 Main Street and retails cellular phones and wireless service for both business and residential customers. Store hours are Monday through Saturday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm. Pictured from left: AT&T Mascot; Cory Schuchter, owner; Dick Truman, employee; Ron Orris; Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce Photo courtesy of the Bradford Area Chamber of Commerce

One of the men arrested in Wednesday’s drug raids in Bradford was charged last month in the state attorney general’s Operation Stateline Crackdown that focused on using sources in Buffalo and Jamestown to take drugs to Warren County and surrounding communities. 24-year-old Dontrell Wise of Buffalo was charged by the attorney general’s office with two counts each of possession with intent to deliver cocaine and possession of cocaine in Operation Stateline Crackdown. After Wednesday’s arrest he was charged with possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, and was sent to McKean County Jail on $12,500 bail.

Congressman Tom Reed has been sworn in on the floor of the House of Representatives. Swearing in for the Congressman, whose district includes Cattaraugus County, was postponed for a couple of days after he was hospitalized with blood clots in his lungs. He was released from the hospital this morning and sworn in by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi at around 2 o’clock this afternoon. Reed replaces Eric Massa, who resigned in March amid allegations that he was sexually harassing male staff members.

The man accused of killing a woman and her infant daughter in March was in McKean County Court today. Attorneys for Waide Nolf are arguing that the confession he gave to Bradford City Police should be suppressed because it wasn’t given voluntarily. Judge John Pavlock didn’t render a decision today, and another hearing on the matter has been scheduled for January 26. Nolf is accused of drowning Tanya and Tamara Haight in a house they shared with several other people on Pleasant Street. McKean County District Attorney Ray Learn is seeking the death penalty.

HARRISBURG -- A set of new standards that will make natural gas wells safer were approved unanimously today on a vote of 5-0 by the state’s Independent Regulatory Review Commission, Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said today. Hanger praised the IRRC vote, saying the new regulations will, among other things, impose more stringent construction standards on gas wells, making them less likely to allow natural gas to escape and contaminate water supplies or cause safety concerns. The final-form regulations now go to the state Office of Attorney General for final review and approval. The regulations were deemed approved by the House and Senate Environmental Resources and Energy committees. “When gas migrates from a poorly constructed gas well through the ground, it can contaminate water supplies or build up to explosive levels in water wells or even homes,” said Hanger. “These strong rules will eliminate or significantly reduce the problem of gas migration from poorly designed

A newly published article by two Pitt-Bradford professors examines the relationship between student texting and professors’ teaching. Dr. Fang-Yi Flora Wei, assistant professor of broadcast communications, and Dr. Y. Ken Wang, assistant professor of computer information systems and technology, published “Students’ Silent Messages: Can Teacher Verbal and Nonverbal Immediacy Moderate Student Use of Text Messaging in Class?” in the fall issue of the scholarly journal Communication Education. The researchers gave surveys to 228 Pitt-Bradford students, asking them about what levels of immediacy behavior (smiling, eye contact, calling them by name, etc.) professors used and how frequently the students sent and received texts in class (about three of each in a 45-minute class). The researchers hypothesized that there would be a relationship between the professor’s communication immediacy and the students’ texting behavior. Due to students’ addiction and hab

U.S. Bob Casey (D-PA) and Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) joined Judy Conti of the National Employment Law Project and an unemployed Pennsylvanian who is looking for work on a conference call to discuss the importance of preserving unemployment insurance (UI) benefits. Unemployment insurance provides an important safety net for millions of Americans to help them support their families while they look for work, and also provides an immediate and necessary boost to the economy. Recent polling data shows that a strong majority of Americans support extending unemployment insurance as Congress works to create jobs and strengthen the economy. If Congress fails to act, two million job-seeking Americans will lose their benefits in December and several hundred thousand unemployed workers will lose their benefits every month thereafter. "Helping workers who have lost their jobs and pumping dollars into local businesses and the economy should be something everyone can support," said Senato

To honor Blou, who died one year ago in December Tyb and Cavallaro Paint and Decorating are sponsoring a BLOU CHRISTMAS, to benefit the McKean County SPCA.. From now until Christmas we will be collecting things needed by the shelter for their day-to-day operations. The following items will be accepted at Cavallaro’s, 12 Kennedy Street, during normal business hours: Paper towels, bleach, copy paper, dry dog and cat foot, laundry detergent, 40 gallon garbage bags, Fabuloso, treats, and cat litter; new and/or used leashes, collars, toys, blankets, towels, and bedding. Any cash donations will be gratefully accepted as well. Tyb and Jay Monti will match any cash donations up to a total of $500.00. Stop in and add an ornament to our tree in honor or memory of your pet for a donation of $2.00. Pictured, Jay Monti and Blou during National Night Out two years ago.

Harrisburg – PennDOT will again partner with police agencies across the state for “Operation Safe Holiday” from Thanksgiving through the New Year’s holiday. Police will use sobriety checkpoints, roving patrols and regular traffic safety patrols to watch for motorists exhibiting dangerous behaviors, including speeding, aggressive and impaired driving. Pennsylvania will also conduct Click It or Ticket seat belt enforcement from Nov. 19 – Dec. 3. “The holidays bring increased traffic to our highways,” said PennDOT Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. “We’re asking all motorists to be smart about safety by buckling up, obeying speed limits and avoiding distractions behind the wheel.” According to PennDOT, Thanksgiving continues to be the leading holiday for traffic crashes. There were more than 4,500 crashes and 41 fatalities last year during that period, which includes the weekends before and after the holiday. More than 500 of those crashes were alcohol-related. To increase safety on long tr

News release from McKean County District Attorney Ray Learn: On November 17, 2010 at approximately 1:30 PM, a major Buffalo to Bradford cocaine ring was broken-up after a lengthy investigation by the McKean County Drug Task Force. Arrest warrants were issued and served for the following individuals: Quantrell Austin-Carson, 28, of Buffalo Kennedy Gadley, 26, of Buffalo Dontrell Wise, 24, of Buffalo Dorian Cooper, 21, of Buffalo Also arrested were: Lamarlo Jones, 25, of Buffalo; Quentell Suttles, 20, of Buffalo; Dandrea Parker, 19, of Buffalo; Marquay Lee, 24, of Buffalo; Tania Reed, 25 of Buffalo; Quentin Suttles, 20, of Buffalo. The Bradford City Police Emergency Response Team and the State Police Special Emergency Response Teams simultaneously executed three separate search warrants in the City of Bradford in the largest tactical operation in Bradford history. Assisting in the investigation and execution of the warrants were officers from the McKean County Drug Task Force, the City o

A Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Awareness Day will be held on Monday, November 22 from noon to 2 p.m. in the main lobby of The Pavilion at Bradford Regional Medical Center on 200 Pleasant Street. The event is open to the public and all BRMC staff. A member of the BRMC Cardiopulmonary team will be on-site to discuss COPD including chronic bronchitis and emphysema plus offer FREE Pulse-Oximetry Tests, Berlin sleep questionnaires and educational information about “Better Breathing”. COPD a highly prevalent disease; has a large impact on the quality of life for patients and their families. According to the World Health Organization, COPD afflicts approximately fifty million people around the world and kills nearly three million each year. No reservations are required. For more information about this event, call (814)362-8293.

Dr. Jean Truman, assistant professor of nursing at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford, presented a paper at a teaching conference held at Penn State Shenango on the success of first-generation nursing students. Truman presented her paper “First Generation Student Preparedness for NCLEX-RN Success” at the “Meeting the Challenges of the 21st-Century Classroom” conference. The NCLEX is the state board nursing licensure exam. Truman’s study was a furthering of the research she did for her doctoral dissertation, which focused on predictors of student success on the NCLEX. This time, Truman chose to focus on first-generation college students and whether, as a group, their NCLEX scores differed from other students. Truman found that first-generation students (who make up about one-third of college students nationwide, but two-thirds of Pitt-Bradford nursing students) do not score much differently on the NCLEX then non-first-generation students.

Harrisburg – Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced that Pennsylvania is more than halfway toward its goal to help nearly 30,000 low-income homeowners improve their energy efficiency and reduce costs. Training will help prepare 1,000 more weatherization installers, crew chiefs and auditors across the state in the coming year. “We are making great progress weatherizing low-income homes, work that creates jobs, conserves energy and reduces costs for homeowners,” Governor Rendell said. “Over the past 11 months, 15,027 homes across the state — just over 50 percent of our 29,700 goal — were weatherized as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act-funded initiative in Pennsylvania.” Approximately 1,800 people have jobs and skills that can carry well into the future economy because of the weatherization work on these homes. “Those homeowners are now saving an average of $600 each year on their energy costs. But this effort is about more than simply saving energy and money; this R

The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford recognized 10 faculty members who are celebrating service anniversaries at a dinner held Tuesday evening. Isabelle Champlin, assistant professor of anthropology, was honored for 40 years. She has been teaching at Pitt-Bradford since 1971 and is one of the few faculty members who was a student here first. Besides hiking, gardening and basket weaving, Champlin likes to canoe. She is the director of international studies, leads the Maya spring break trip each year and was the 2005 recipient of the Pitt-Bradford Alumni Association Teaching Excellence Award. Dr. Warren Fass, associate professor of psychology, was honored for 30 years. He is the director of the psychology program and enjoys music, especially classic rock. His favorite sport is hockey, and he is a Buffalo Sabres fan. He was the 2007 recipient of the PBAA Teaching Excellence Award. Honored for 25 years were Dr. Lisa Fiorentino, assistant professor of

WASHINGTON, DC—Following the recent terrorist attempt to ship explosive devices from Yemen in packages, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs Subcommittee of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced the Air Cargo Security Act to expand the 100% screening mandate to all-cargo aircraft. “Terrorists intent on doing us harm have shown that they will adapt and try new tactics,” said Senator Casey. “It is imperative that threats are constantly assessed and procedures put in place to ensure the safety of the American people. Requiring 100% of cargo aircraft to be screened will add another layer of defense as we continue to hunt down terrorists.” The Air Cargo Security Act strengthens security by directing the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: ~~Develop a system to screen 100 percent of cargo transported on all-cargo aircraft within 3 years, with half of the cargo screened within 18 months; ~

A state police Special Emergency Response Team helped Bradford City Police today as they rounded up crack cocaine dealers being supplied out of Buffalo, New York. District Attorney Ray Learn says SERT was called in to assist with some suspects who are considered high-risk because of their criminal records. But he says the warrants were served without incident. Raids were conducted on Congress, Kane and Pine streets and at the Hotel Holley (formerly the Riddell House). Learn says the 18-month investigation has "taken down the major suppliers." He says he’ll release more information later tonight.

The U.S. House of Representatives today passed a resolution by U.S. Representative Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, honoring Joe Paterno on his 400th win as Penn State Nittany Lions Football head coach. The resolution, H. Res. 1715, passed the House. “This seemed the most appropriate way to commemorate the historic occasion and to express national support for not only his record, but what Joe Paterno stands for.,” said Thompson. “Coach Paterno has given a lifetime to Penn State, the game, and his players - on and off the field. His charitable spirit has been unsurpassed and he leads by example. This is why I was also proud to nominate him for the Presidential Medal of Freedom earlier this year,” added Thompson. The resolution cites the fact that “Joe Paterno has served the Pennsylvania State University with honor and distinction for 60 years since starting as an assistant coach in 1950.” It also lists Paterno’s many accomplishments: “…two National championships, seven undefeated seaso

The state Senate has voted to override an education bill Governor Ed Rendell vetoed last month. Senate leaders had said they would not hold any lame duck voting sessions, but changed their minds after the House voted to override the veto earlier this week. Senators were returning to Harrisburg today for leadership elections. The Senate voted 42-7 this afternoon to successfully override the Two-thirds of the members in each chamber must vote in favor of overriding a veto for a bill to become law without the governor’s signature. Rendell says he vetoed the bill because it contains an unconstitutional provision that would violate the state’s uniformity of taxation clause by giving tax breaks to nonprofit charter schools but not to other nonprofits. But Senator Jeff Piccola, chairman of the Education Committee, says the provision in the vetoed legislation only sought to make a technical change to the law to make it clear that all public schools are tax-exempt. "I am deeply gratified t

Harrisburg –State Senate Democrats today elected Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny) as their new Democratic floor leader. “I am honored that my Senate Democratic colleagues have expressed the confidence in me to lead them in the next session. I hope to provide strong, aggressive and unified leadership as we work together to solve problems,” Costa said. Last session, Costa was elected by his colleagues to serve as Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. He was first elected to the Senate in 1996 and previously served as Allegheny County Register of Wills (1992-96) and Deputy Sheriff (1984-89). Costa succeeds retiring Democratic Leader Bob Mellow (D-Lackawanna/ Luzerne/Monroe), who held the position since 1989. Other Democratic senators were also elected to the leadership slate. Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Phila./Montgomery) was elected Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee chairman. Hughes has served in the state legislature since 1987. He was elected to

HARRISBURG -- Senate Republicans today elected their leadership team for the 2011-12 legislative session. Senator Joe Scarnati (R-25) has been nominated once again to serve as President Pro Tempore. The full Senate will vote on Scarnati's nomination when it reconvenes on January 4. As President Pro Tempore, he will be responsible for appointing the chairpersons and members of the standing committees of the Senate. He will also play a significant role in negotiations with the Administration and House of Representatives. A native of Brockway in Jefferson County, Scarnati was elected to the State Senate in 2000. A graduate of the Pennsylvania State University at DuBois, the Senator was a third-generation small business owner and served in local government. "I am honored and humbled by the support of my colleagues in electing me President Pro Tempore of the Senate to a third term," Scarnati said. "Working with the basic premise of less taxes and less regulation, prom

The man driving the vehicle that hit and killed a PennDOT worker on Olean Road in October has been charged with homicide by vehicle. 42-year-old Donald Blocher of Salamanca was arraigned on a number of charges this morning by District Judge Rich Luther and was sent to McKean County Jail on $500,000 bail. Police say Blocher failed to see PennDOT workers Jack Griffin of Bradford and James Burrows of Eldred in an active work zone and hit Griffin, propelling him into a ditch. Blocher then hit Burrows, severely injuring him. Blocher is also charged with homicide by vehicle while driving under the influence, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI and a violation of the drug act.

Several people are in custody after incidents early this afternoon on Congress, Kane and Pine streets and at the Hotel Holley (formerly the Riddell House). The Bradford City Police Emergency Response Team, the McKean County Sheriff’s office and other police agencies were on the scenes. Neighbors on Congress Street tell us it was a drug bust, although we have not confirmed that with city police yet. McKean County District Attorney Ray Learn tells us he'll release information this evening.