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FEBRUARY 14, 2020
VOLUME 5 ISSUE 7
CAR. TR. MKTG MAIL US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 244 BRADFORD, PA
L I L V E G SP RIN TIMES
The official newspaper of the Town of Concord, and the Village of Springville. Serving Springville, the surrounding communities and Springville-Griffith Institute Central Schools
SGI teacher attends former student’s D.C. swearing-in ceremony
By Elyana Schosek Student Reporter
Over the years, many Springville Griffith Institute High School graduates have gone on to have excellent careers in various fields. Some recognize their high school teachers and other adults that helped them to reach where they are today. Ian Steff was an SGI graduate who was recently selected for the position of Assistant Secretary for Global Markets and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service. With the long title comes a lot of responsibilities including the oversight of approximately 1,400 trade and investment professionals throughout the U.S. and in markets all over the world. Steff was sworn into the position during a ceremony in Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago.
Photo submitted SGI government teacher Michael Rokitka, his former Springville student Ian Steff and Steff’s family visit Vice President Michael Pence in Washington, D.C. following a ceremony swearing Steff into a new federal position.
Michael Rokitka teaches various history and government classes at SGI High School, and among his many students, Rokitka had Steff in a government class when he was in school. “As a teacher, it is very rewarding when a former student accomplishes
something so profound and then recognizes you as part of the inspiration that got them there,” Roktika had said. Rokitka not only taught Steff but his two brothers as well so he noted that it was “great to catch up with Ian and his family” also
Russell breaks school’s 1,000-meter record at team championships
Springville senior Sydney Wittmer sails over a hurdle in the indoor track team championships Saturday at Houghton College.
Brett Russell ran a school record time of 2:40.02 in the 1,000-meter run, leading the Springville-Griffith Institute indoor track and field team at the team championship meet Saturday at Houghton College. Russell’s school record time gave him sixth place
in the 1,000. Teammate Jared Hecht ran for fifth in the 1,600 (4:38.47). The Griffins’ boys 800-meter relay team of Mike Evans, Charlie DiGangi, Nate Cudney and Noah Greene had a season-best time at 1:47.98. The 1,600 relay (Russell, Hecht, Evans, DiGangi) ran a 8:46.68.
Personal records for the SGI boys included Nate Cudney in the 55 hurdles (9.64) and Zach Scime in the weight throw (44-feet-10.5inches). Scime also recorded a 34-2.5 shot put throw. DiGangi ran a :39.59 in See Track page 7
calling the whole thing a “tremendous experience.” During some of the tours, they were able to see and learn about some of the buildings on the White House grounds, like the Eisenhower Executive Office Building where the Vice President has his
office. They were even able to see a bit of the inside of his office thanks to the door being left open a crack. Even though he was only in D.C. for a day, Rokitka still had a chance to meet Vice President Mike Pence at the ceremony and see his office. He noted that it was all a “once-in-a-lifetime experience,” saying he has never been to anything even close to this. Seeing as Vice President Pence was one of the guests at the ceremony, it was evidently an aweinspiring event. When asked what his favorite part of the whole thing was, Rokitka couldn’t really pick just one thing. Along with spending time with Steff and his family, he enjoyed “talking to many interesting people that serve the country in the federal government.” “It’s inspiring to see how many capable people are working hard in the best interest of our country
every single day,” he added. Rokitka also mentioned that Ian has a “good team of people supporting him.” Prior to entering the ceremony space, attendees were asked to place their cell phones in “phone cubbies” as Rokitka called them. As can be imagined, Rokitka noted that he was “extremely honored” to receive the invitation from his former student. “This was a pretty unique situation that most likely will not happen again in my career,” he said. “I was very pleased that Ian thought of me to share in his great honor.” For someone from our small town of Springville to have such a tremendous opportunity in the nation’s capital shows that great leaders can come from anywhere with the right encouragement and guidance.
Get it Right Tax Service gives customers familiar, personal attention this filing season
Photo by Kellen M. Quigley April Smith of Get It Right Tax Service may be a familiar face to those who have filed their taxes in the Springville are in the past, and her new business is planning to keep the process personable with focus on the customers.
By Kellen M. Quigley As tax season is underway with two months left to file, those in the Springville area have a new place to turn to with a familiar face for getting their taxes done. Get It Right Tax
Service, located in the Spring Creek Professional Mall in Springville, is an independent service run by April Smith, who’s had over 10 years of experience in the field. “I love my clients, and they love me,” she said. “I do anything I can to help
somebody ‘get it right’ as well as feel comfortable.” A resident of Machias, Smith previously did tax service in the area with EG Tax. But after parting ways a couple of years ago, and with encouragement from previous clients, she began See Taxes page 2
A Look Back:
The Love of Longfellow By Jolene Hawkins
Looking back into history and you can find all kinds of love stories. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I did some research and found one I thought all of you would like. Who doesn’t know Henry Wadsworth Longfellow? The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, the song of Hiawatha, Evangeline,
all those wonderful poems we read in school and maybe even afterward, too. He was born on Feb. 27, 1807, and was married to Mary Potter, who sadly died in 1835 following a miscarriage. She was 6 months along. At 29 years of age, he found himself a widower and a Harvard professor. Of her death he wrote, “One thought occupies me night and day, She is dead – She is dead! All day I am weary and sad.” Three years later he was inspired to write the poem “Footsteps of Angels” about her.
Several years later, he wrote the poem “Mezzo Cammin,” which expressed his personal struggles in his middle years. While teaching at Harvard, he rented rooms at the Craigie House in Cambridge. After about 8 months, he began to court a young lady named Frances Appleton. Now the independentminded Fanny was not interested in marriage, but Longfellow was determined. He wrote to a friend, “The lady says she will not! I say she shall! It is not pride, but the madness of passion.” During the courtship, Longfellow frequently walked from Cambridge
to Appleton home in Beacon Hill in Boston crossing the Boston Bridge. She continued to reject him, causing him to suffer from depression and panic attacks. He took a six-month leave of absence from his job at Harvard to recover at a health spa in Germany. On May 10, 1843, Fanny Appleton sent a letter agreeing to marry him. He was too excited to wait for a carriage, so he walked for an hour and a half to her house. They were married a month later on July 13, and they had their first of six children the following year. Her father bought the entire Craigie House for them
as a wedding gift. Longfellow published a poem called “The Bridge” in 1845, which made the west Boston bridge famous. It describes his misery at Fanny’s rejection contrasted with his later happiness. The bridge was replaced in 1906 with a new bridge, and they named the bridge The Longfellow Bridge. Frances was putting locks of her children’s hair into an envelope on July 9, 1861, and while attempting to seal it with hot sealing wax when her dress suddenly caught fire, though it is unclear exactly how it caught fire, with the wax, or maybe the lighted
candle. Longfellow, who was taking a nap, rushed to help her, throwing a rug over her to put the flames out. The flames were stifled but she was See A Look Back page 4