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Austin • Coudersport • Crosby • Eldred • Gifford • Kane • Lewis Run • Mt. Jewett • Otto Eldred • Port Allegany Ridgway • Roulette • Smethport • Turtlepoint
Photo courtesy District 15 Wildfire Crew District 15 crew members work to cut in a fire line to stop the advancing fire in 2021.
Three local volunteer firefighters deploy to Montana BY MANDY COLOSIMO
As many have heard, three members of the Bradford Township Volunteer Fire Department have been deployed to Montana for two weeks. Nick Colley, Mike Maze, and Jim Maze, are among the 20 firefighters from Pa. who left for their journey last Tuesday. Their mission is to lend relief to the embattled crews out west. They are due back in just over a week and another group will be deployed from Pennsylvania. Throughout the years, crews and highly specialized
individuals from Pa. have gone to every state west of the Mississippi, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry. All volunteers from Pennsylvania have received intensive training at a Bureau of Forestry training camp, which duplicates real-life firefighting experiences. Wildfires in the western United States have been about as frequent as snow in this area. It is a sad sight to see. In Montana, though this summer has been reportedly better
than last year, still, nearly 56,000 acres have burned so far — the total for 2021 was a devastating 940,000 acres, according to Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. To the west of Montana are Idaho, Washington, and Oregon. All of which are watching their forest go up in flames due to severe drought conditions. And the drought intensifies in California, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico. Believe it or not, the majority of wildfires burning in the U.S. are in Montana and Alaska, according to National Fire News.
Collins Timber announces land acquisition
KANE — Collins Timber Company recently announced the major acquisition of 58,000 acres of forestland in northeastern California. Collins Timber also owns Kane Hardwood. The primary tracts of land acquired during this purchase on Aug. 4 are near the towns of Westwood, Susanville and Adin.
According to the company’s President and CEO Eric Schooler, the recent transaction was the company’s largest purchase in their 160 year history. Collins is a 167-year-old, family-owned forest management and forest products company with operations in Chester, Calif., Klamath
Falls, Ore. and Kane. Kane Hardwood has approximately 120,000 acres of forestlands. Based in Oregon since 1855, Collins produces wood products from more than 370,000 acres of forestlands nationwide, five manufacturing facilities in the U.S. and one retail yard in California.
It’s not just a west coast or pacific-thing either. Oklahoma and Texas have wildland firefighters battling blazes, but that’s still midcountry to the eastern states, right? Florida, sparked a wildfire this past week as well. One of the best web resources to track the fires, incidents, acreage, and crews working to put out the flames, is www. fs.usda.gov/sciencetechnology/fire/ information The site is interactive. Choose the state, click on the location, and then click on the left side icon that looks like a presentation screen. Doing so gives more information than
anywhere else on the web. With so many Pennsylvania firefighters traveling out west and with the spread of drought conditions across the country, having this information a click away might be enough to settle some nerves. Lastly, somehow it was missed in Round the Square this year but aptly fits with this article. August 9 was Smokey Bear’s 78th birthday. For anyone too young to know who that is, Smokey was developed by the U.S. Forest Service and the Ad Council to promote their joint campaign of forest fire prevention, and now
wildfire prevention as well. He was one of the most iconic advertising characters ever. Smokey’s message that, “Only you can prevent wildfires” is just as relevant and urgent today as it was in 1944. Driving through the region, Smokey the Bear holds many signs indicating the level of fire danger in the area: Red is extreme, Orange is very high, Yellow is high, Blue is moderate, Green is low. Some signs have corresponding numbers, 1 through 5, with 5 indicating extreme, as well as colors and words.
Pittsburgh woman recovering after shark attack at Myrtle Beach
HARRISBURG (TNS) — A Pittsburgh woman was injured in a shark attack on Myrtle Beach and is now recovering, according to WPDE. The woman named Karren Sites reportedly was swimming “wastedeep” in the water with her 8-year-old grandson, and that’s when a shark bit her arm on Monday. Her grandson was
only 10 feet away from her when the incident occurred. “I just felt something, I guess, bite me and there was a shark on my arm. I was only in waist-deep water. I kept pushing at it to get it off my arm and it did,” Sites told WPDE. Sites had to get hundreds of stitches due to the incident. Though, she told
WPDE she will continue to visit the beach. Daniel Abel, a Marine Science professor at Coastal Carolina University’s Marine Science stated, “It’s very clearly a shark bite, when you look at the arc of the tooth marks and the damage that was done, my sympathies to the victim that’s a horrendous thing to go through.”
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Air Supply to perform at Seneca Allegany Casino in November
Era file photo Enjoy viewing the elk herd of Elk County from the Pennsylvania Game Commission’s camera via www.pgc.pa.gov.
Elk Cam, Back for another season
HARRISBURG — Can’t wait for the September peak of Pennsylvania’s elk rut? Get a jumpstart now with the Game Commission’s Elk Cam. The Game Commission again has installed a camera on State Game Lands 311 in Elk County, in a field that typically is a hub of elk activity as the bugling season heats up. Video and sound from the camera are being live streamed at www.pgc.pa.gov, and viewers can expect not only to see elk, but turkeys, deer and other wildlife, as well. Elk, which in the coming weeks will ramp up activity – with bulls becoming more vocal and competing with one another for available cows – always seem to take center stage, however. And enjoying the show is just a few clicks away. “Elk are fascinating animals and the spectacle of their bugling season draws plenty of onlookers, sometimes from hundreds of miles away,” said Game Commission Executive Director Bryan Burhans. “That same dynamic is what makes the Elk Cam so
popular with viewers. And the Game Commission is proud to bring it back for yet another run.” The livestream, which is provided by HDOnTap and made possible with the help of the North Central Pennsylvania Regional Planning and Development Commission, is the latest in a string of realtime wildlife-watching opportunities offered by the Game Commission. “HDOnTap is excited to partner with the Pennsylvania Game Commission for another year of the live cam in elk country,” said Kate Alexander, director of marketing with HDOnTap. “Last year, over a million viewers tuned in for the many sights and sounds of activity on the field. It’s a thrill to see the wide range of Pennsylvania wildlife roaming in the field live 24/7. Elk activity is consistent, though unexpected appearances from black bears and coyotes add to the joy for viewers of this cam, it’s no wonder why the live elk cam is so popular year after year!” The live stream can be accessed at the
home page at www. pgc.pa.gov by clicking on the Elk Cameras link provided in the “Popular Now” category. The agency’s elk webpage also contains information on Pennsylvania’s elk, where to view them, and contains a link to the Pennsylvania Great Outdoors website, which provides all sorts of handy information for anyone visiting elk country. Each September, thousands of visitors make their way to Pennsylvania’s elk country to experience for themselves the wonder of the bugling season. The Game Commission reminds visitors to the elk range to always be “Elk Smart.” Give elk space, never feed elk, don’t name elk and do your part to ensure the welfare of the herd. Enjoy your time in elk country and help keep Pennsylvania beautiful and it’s elk wild. The PA Game Elk Cam is slated to run until the end of the bugling season, likely sometime in midOctober. The top time to see elk on camera is late in the afternoon.
Save Bradford Hospital to hold event celebrating hospital workers, EMS The grassroots group Save Bradford Hospital is inviting the community to come out and enjoy a family-friendly afternoon while celebrating those who are dedicated to saving lives. The event, from noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 18, at Callahan Park’s main pavilion, will include a live band, food and drinks, speakers, rigs from area fire departments, games, and activities for all ages. Live music will be provided by The Badgemen, a rock and pop cover band from Hornell, N.Y., with members from Bradford as well. All hospital and EMS representatives in attendance will receive a free lunch from CJ Bar-B-Que. The region is invited to show their support for the dedicated hospital employees and emergency responders. Save Bradford Hospital organizers
hope area residents take the opportunity to come out and thank front-line workers and volunteers, and help rally the community to push forward for the return of a true, full-service hospital that other towns enjoy. The group is hoping for a substantial turnout to show support for the people who are working daily to protect our health and lives under difficult circumstances. “When workers, patients, and neighbors stand together, we can do anything,” said organizers. Hospital employees have remained an incredibly caring group committed to the community’s health care despite challenges caused by the transfer of essential medical services from Bradford to Olean, N.Y. Along with issues involving the hospital, the situation has revealed a related issue involving emergency
medical services in the Bradford area — shortages of EMTs, lack of volunteers, and an inadequate number of transport vehicles. Other groups and organizations are encouraged to take advantage of the venue space to provide literature or other small services (blood pressure checks, for example). For more information about reserving space, contact the group on Facebook. It has been more than a year since Kaleida Health and Upper Allegheny Health Systems closed most of the Bradford hospital with the goal of sending patients to Olean General Hospital and, further, to Kaleida Health Systems in Buffalo, N.Y. The pandemic created issues surrounding emergency response and, now, staffing shortages continue to hamper the delivery of efficient, quality care.
SALAMANCA, N.Y. — Seneca Allegany Resort and Casino has a memorable evening of entertainment in store when Air Supply performs inside the Seneca Allegany Event Center on Saturday, Nov. 12 at 8 p.m. Tickets for the show will go on sale this Friday at noon. Air Supply, the duo of Graham Russell and Russell Hitchcock, has been making memories through their music since 1975. The duo scored seven consecutive
top-five singles in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, equaling a mark previously set by The Beatles. From their debut single, “Love and Other Bruises,” through today, Air Supply has remained a popular touring act and a radio mainstay, selling millions of records and drawing sold-out crowds to performance halls the world over. Their long list of hits includes “Lost In Love,” “All Out of Love,” “Making Love Out of Nothing at All,” “The One That You
Love,” “It’s Never Too Late,” and many, many more. Tickets to the performance will go on sale this Friday, starting at $25. In addition to Air Supply, Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino has a number of exciting upcoming shows, including: Live to Rock Tour featuring Skid Row, Warrant and Quiet Riot on Sept. 17 (tickets start at $45); and Amy Schumer on Oct. 29 (tickets start at $58).
FedEx mistakenly delivered 30 rifles to Pa. high school
CHESTER (TNS) — A FedEx worker accidentally delivered 30 rifles intended for a private collector to Chester High School on Friday, according to Chester police. The delivery — six boxes containing .30-caliber M1 rifles — was dropped off Friday afternoon, Chester Police Commissioner Steven Gretsky said. Within minutes, the driver realized his mistake and contacted police, who were able to pick the guns up Monday and give them to their intended recipient. ”It really was just
the addresses are very similar,” Gretsky said. “Everything was legitimate, and no charges are going to be filed.” Gretsky said the guns had been ordered by a collector who owns an autorepair shop in Chester Township, which borders the city. C o m m u n i t y members learned of the error Monday evening, when Chester Upland School District Superintendent Craig Parkinson sent a letter to parents outlining the issue. Classes are scheduled to resume in the 2,621-student
Parkinson said the boxes were delivered to the school’s loading dock and secured inside the building over the weekend, the standard practice for any delivery. The boxes did not appear to be suspicious, Parkinson said. ”We wanted to communicate with you about this in case you hear rumors in the community or on social media,” Parkinson said in the letter. “We are focused on a positive start to the school year and can’t wait to see you and our students back in our schools!”
Pa. fishing fees increased for the first time in 17 years PITTSBURGH (TNS) — In 2005, Pennsylvanians paid $22 for a fishing license and $1.60 for a gallon of gasoline. On Thursday in Harrisburg, the cost of an adult resident fishing license increased for the first time in 17 years. Pending legislative approval, in 2023 anglers will pay $25.47 for a license, an increase of $2.50. Getting to where they want to fish is expected to cost about $4.25 per gallon. While the cost of everything increased, the state legislature froze license fees at 2005 prices for the semi-autonomous agency mostly funded by user license fees. On Thursday, the state Fish and Boat Commission set its own license fees for the first time since its founding in 1866. Under the proposal, $2.50 would be added to current fees charged for all
license categories for state residents, non-residents and seniors as well as trout permits and combination trout/ Lake Erie permits. Additional increases would be applied to other license and permit fees. Revenues from those fee increases were expected to generate an estimated $2.5 million annually for the agency’s Fish Fund, which supports fishing related programs. Approval was also given for increases in fees for boat titles, licenses and permits. According to Fish and Boat, administrative fees related to title certificates, cast net permits and penalties for uncollectible checks had not been updated since the 1980s or 1990s. Revenues from these fee increases were expected to generate an estimated $30,000 annually for the Fish Fund and $1.2 million
for the Boat Fund used to pay for boating related programs. The 20-year absence in fee increases has been attributed to the reluctance of lawmakers to raise the cost of fishing, fearing a ballot box retaliation from constituents. In a controversial vote in 2020, the legislature gave Fish and Boat the authority to set its own license and permit fees pending legislative oversight. The agency used that power for the first time Thursday. The fee increases aren’t official yet. Also, in accordance with Act 56 of 2020, the final rule proposal, the transcript of a July 25 public hearing and all public comments associated with the proposal are to be shared with the Pennsylvania House and Senate Game and Fisheries committees for review. If approved the fee increases would go into effect with 2023 licenses, which go on sale Dec. 1.
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Bradford man waives hearings on threats and related cases BY MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER
SMETHPORT — A Bradford man waived hearings Monday before District Judge Bill Todd on three separate criminal cases, one of which alleged he threatened the lives of several public officials. William Brooks, 61, of 194 High St., is facing charges in one case for terroristic threats, a firstdegree misdemeanor, and harassment, a summary offense. In that case, on July 11, he allegedly told another person that he would “outlive Tom Riel, Rich Luther and Dom Cercone,” and
that Cercone would “know what it is like to have a gun pointed at him with the hammer cocked, the criminal complaint stated. Luther and Cercone are district judges, while Riel is a Bradford City councilman. In a second case, he is charged with resisting arrest, a second-degree misdemeanor, and disorderly conduct, a third-degree misdemeanor, for allegations from June 29. While police were assisting Children and Youth Services in the area of Brooks’ residence, they heard him screaming
profanities and challenging another male to a fight. Police warned him to stop, but he did not, and struggled with officers attempting to take him into custody, the complaint stated. In a third case, from Aug. 9, he threatened to assault and kill a victim, saying that if he couldn’t do it, he would have his son pay a visit to do it for him. He is charged with terroristic threats, a firstdegree misdemeanor, and harassment, a summary offense. Brooks is incarcerated in McKean County Jail in lieu of $20,000 bail.
State Police charge trooper with DUI
HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) announced DUI charges against a trooper accused of driving intoxicated while on duty. Joshua M. Ravel, assigned to Troop J, York, was found to be under the influence of alcohol during his assigned
shift on the morning of Monday, Aug. 15. Ravel was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substance and driving on roadways laned for traffic. Charges were filed at Magisterial District Court 19-3-04. Ravel enlisted in the state police in
January 2020 and graduated in June 2020 with the 159th Cadet Class. He has been assigned to Troop J, York since his academy graduation. Due to the charges, he was suspended without pay pending the outcome of the case.
Legislators react to student debt cancellation BY MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER
On Wednesday, President Biden made good on his campaign promise to cancel some student debt, a measure met with criticism from Republican lawmakers, but embraced by fellow Democrats. U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson, R-Pa., criticized Biden for taking the step without Congressional approval, while U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., said it was simply forcing the bill onto taxpayers. “Since President Biden took office, more than $200 billion in student debt relief has been provided without Congressional a p p r o v a l , ” Thompson said. “Today’s move sets yet another bad precedent. “It discounts those who paid their loans, as well as the majority of Americans who do not have student loan debt,” he continued. “Hardworking taxpayers should not bear the cost of Democrats’ debtdriving spending spree. Washington liberals are trying to spend their way out of a recession and, in reality, are only fanning the flames of inflation.” T o o m e y characterized Biden’s actions as using “questionable executive authority to
cancel up to $20,000 in student loans for families making up to $250,000 annually.” The senator said, “President Biden’s student loan bailout scheme is a government handout to Americans making up to $250,000 annually and the higher education industrial complex. Taxpayers will foot the bill for this massive expenditure, including the vast majority of Americans who already paid off their loans, paid for tuition out of pocket, or do not even have postsecondary education nor enjoy the higher lifetime earnings associated with it.” Toomey said Penn Wharton released data indicating the loan forgiveness will cost taxpayers over $300 billion over 10 years, with the majority of relief benefitting the top 60% of income earners in the U.S. “This decision will have widereaching, negative ramifications across America’s economy, including increasing already disastrous inflation, exacerbating America’s spending problems, and encouraging higher education institutions to raise the cost of going to college,” Toomey said. Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., voiced his support of the president’s action.
Pitt-Bradford to inaugurate fifth president Sept. 25
“Today, President Biden eased the burden for millions of Americans who are struggling under the weight of their student debt. This will give them the freedom to invest in their future, buy a home, or take a risk and start a business,” the senator said. “It’s an important first step forward in helping borrowers saddled with student debt.” Since 1980, the total cost of both fouryear public and fouryear private college has nearly tripled, even after accounting for inflation. Federal support has not kept up: Pell Grants once covered nearly 80 percent of the cost of a four-year public college degree for students from working families, but now only cover a third, Casey explained. “ M o v i n g forward, we must work to lower the skyrocketing costs of college so that future students are able to get an education without signing up for a lifetime of debt,” he said.
The University of Pittsburgh at Bradford is preparing for the inauguration of its fifth president, Rick Esch, on Sept. 25 as part of the university’s celebration for Alumni and Family Weekend. The Bradford community is invited to take part in the traditional event, which will take place at 2 p.m. in the KOA Arena of the Richard E. and Ruth McDowell Sport and Fitness Center. A reception will follow. The event will feature a procession of faculty and staff dressed in regalia and the bestowing of the presidential medallion. Among those who will be speaking are Dr. Patrick Gallagher, chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Ann Cudd, provost
of the University of Pittsburgh and Jeannine Schoenecker, chair of the PittBradford Advisory Board. Cudd appointed Esch president after he had served a year as an interim president in the role. A 1983 graduate of Pitt-Bradford, Esch began his career there in 1995 as the director of auxiliary services and five years later was named chief business and administrative affairs officer. In 2003, he was promoted to vice president for business affairs. In 2012, he was named vice president for business affairs at Pitt-Titusville. He held both of those positions at the time that he was named interim president of both campuses. Esch is very active
in the region, including serving as president and charter member of the Tuna Valley Trail Association, a board member and immediate past chair of Journey Health System, a board member and managing director of the Bradford Educational Foundation, and a board member and vice president of the Bradford Economic Development Corp. He also is a member of the McKean County Advisory Board at Northwest Bank, a founding board member and treasurer of the McKean County Community Foundation, and a board member of the Community Foundation of the Upper Alleghenies. Previously Esch served as board chair of Journey Health System for seven years; was active in the Rotary Club of Bradford, serving as president and Youth Exchange Officer and is a Paul Harris Fellow; was a member of the Steering Committee for Impact Bradford I and II; and II was a member of the Steering Committee for Building a Better Bradford Economic Development Master Plan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Pitt-Bradford and a Master of Business Administration from Pitt’s Katz School of Business Executive MBA program. He and his wife, Lisa, live in Bradford and have three grown children.
In-state Pitt students to benefit from Commonwealth funding PITTSBURGH — The University of Pittsburgh will distribute $7.5 million to more than 20,000 in-state students on all five campuses, the University announced Thursday. These funds represent 100% of Pitt’s one-time state allocation of COVID-19 relief money that was recently granted by Governor Tom Wolf’s office. Pitt estimates instate undergraduate and graduate students who are enrolled at least halftime will receive grants of approximately $350. The final dollar amount will be determined based on in-state student enrollment numbers following the end of the drop/add period for the fall term, which concludes on Sept. 9. “We remain grateful for the support of the legislature and Governor Wolf for preserving both the University’s long standing partnership with the commonwealth and the in-state tuition rate that our partnership
supports. This is a powerful benefit — and a life changing one — for Pitt students and families throughout Pennsylvania,” said David Brown, vice chancellor of Government Relations and Advocacy. In late September, eligible in-state students will receive an email informing them when the grant amount has been posted to their account in PittPAY — the University’s online student billing and payment system. The money will be refunded directly to the bank account students have designated on the
eRefunds tab. Students are reminded to confirm they have designated an active and valid bank account. Additional state funding will support rural education — Pitt also received $167,000 in state funding to support rural education outreach. This funding will be distributed to the University of Pittsburgh, Bradford to deliver educational services to the most rural populations in Pennsylvania. Through this program Pitt — Bradford will support the region’s special postsecondary training and business needs.