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Bradford-Online.com"Bradford, PA’s Original Website" |
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Local businessman Mike Smith was found guilty Tuesday afternoon in a case that has drawn wide attention. The City of Bradford issued a citation to Smith for a violation of the sign ordinance, but Smith contended that he was a veteran showing his patriotism by displaying the American flag.
Join the discussion on TalkAboutBradford.com.
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I had no opinion on the Fox News claim of being fair and balanced. After seeing the way they twisted the story of the City of Bradford citing Mike Smith for flying flags in front of his business, I realize they have no problem making up the headline and story they want. Notice their spin on this story, “Veteran Facing Possible 90 Days In Jail For Flying Flag“. Also, why would you interview anyone else? After all, “Fair and Balanced” sounds good, but it really makes for a boring story, doesn’t it? | |
So many times we do not know ahead of time so we can prepare for a homecoming. This is your opportunity to make a difference for both the soldier and his family.
We thank you for your consideration. Please pass this email along to other This information was provided by: Diane Sheeley John McGriff is a BAHS graduate, Class of 2005. Upon his arrival in Bradford, he’ll have a motorcycle escort through town. The first stop will be to see his mother at her place of employment, KOA Speer, on Williams Street. His escort will lead him along Bolivar Drive, E. Main Street, and Main Street. If you see Specialist McGriff, let him know that he’s a real hero! 
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For the past week, the story has been circulating that a Bradford, PA business had received a citation from the City for flags that extended into the roadway. A photo from the local newspaper, the Bradford Era, shows the business owner standing amidst a display of American flags in front of his building. Today the Mayor revealed that when the citation was issued there were “six or seven white flags with lettering, that sat much lower to the ground”, that were not evident when the Era photograph was taken. Riel said that the display in the Era photo weren’t placed there until after the citation was issued. | |
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Is Bradford, PA issuing citations to businesses that display the American Flag, as this sign claims? Local businessman Mike Smith is going to have his day in court after receiving a citation from the City of Bradford. The controversy involves two American flags and one POW/MIA flag that Smith has been displaying in front of his East Main Street business for years. According to City Code Enforcement Officer George Corignani, the complaint was passed to his office after being received by City Clerk John Peterson. The complaint alleges the flags extend into the City’s right of way on East Main, causing a near accident. According to City officials, both the City Clerk and Code Enforcement contacted Smith’s business and were told that the flags would stay. The citation was then issued. | |
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John Kohler was given the Key To The City Of Bradford. Sara Andrews, Director of the OECD, gave a presentation outlining some of Kohler’s contributions. Andrews told the audience, “Ten years ago nobody was investing in Main Street. The City had bought three buildings. We felt there was a need to renovate and encourage investment. John was one of those investors who really stepped up. Not only did he purchase and renovate several downtown buildings, but he actually went out and recruited businesses to occupy them”. It was also noted several of Kohler’s projects resulted in retaining businesses in the area, citing the three acre warehouse he built for Graham Packaging.
During the public comment portion of the meeting one resident raised privacy concerns. She complained that a neighbor had mounted a camera pointed at her house. Bradford City Police Chief Mike Close offered to talk to her after the meeting. Later a police spokesman stated that no charges could be filed in the matter. “The circumstances of each complaint are different. In this case it appears that no criminal law is being broken”. The large upswing in still and video camera use, and the ease of publishing on the Internet has created a great deal of debate. Most laws that address the subject are civil, not criminal laws. Most of these laws hinge on the individual’s expectation of privacy. Columnist Andrew Kantor recently wrote this editorial on the subject in USAToday. What do you think? Click here to send us your comments. | |
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Here at Bradford-Online.com we hope everyone had a safe and happy 4th of July holiday. This seemed appropriate for the occasion. The voice should need no introduction, but for the younger crowd, it’s the voice of movie actor john Wayne. The fireworks were from the public display the Seneca Allegany Hotel & Casino in Salamanca, NY put on.
The Pledge of Allegiance was written in 1892 by Francis Bellamy (1855-1931), a Baptist minister, a Christian Socialist, and the cousin of Socialist Utopian novelist Edward Bellamy (1850-1898). [Wikipedia] | |
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Lights, camera, action! Little Chicago will stay in Bradford. Legislators today extended the Pennsylvania Film Production Tax Credit. Under legislation signed by the governor, a production intended for a national audience that spends 60% of its budget in Pennsylvania draws a 25% transferable tax credit on qualified expenses. A spokesperson at the “Little Chicago” offices confirmed that this tax credit will allow the movie to continue filming in Pennsylvania. Failure to pass the extension of the credit could have forced the filming to other other states that already offer film tax credits. New York State offers a 30% tax credit. Mayor Tom Riel stated this will ensure a $3 Million tax credit to the producers of the movie “Little Chicago”. He recently spoke at a conference in Harrisburg about the importance of the tax credit to the State’s small and rural communities. Writer/director M. Night Shyamalan has also expressed interest in Bradford as a possible location for filming. Shyamalan is already known for shooting major productions in PA, mostly in the Philadelphia area. His film credits include “The Sixth Sense” and “The Village”. At a post-conference dinner Mayor Riel had the chance to chat with some of the conference speakers. He was seated next to Mr. Shymalan, giving them the chance to talk about movies and to talk about Bradford. M. Night Shyamalan’s Next Movie In Bradford? (MP3 Audio) According to Variety magazine, part of Pennsylvania’s push to establish a movie infrastructure in the state includes a deal to construct a major movie studio in the Delaware valley. It will include six 24,000-square-foot, high-ceilinged soundstages. Related Links:
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Bradford City Council met Tuesday, 6/24/08. As expected, the City’s dog ordinance was amended to require a person walking their dog to have some means of cleaning up after their pet. Council also approved a $200,000 loan to Zito Media for their on-going fiber optic project. This phase will continue work to include Bradford in the “fiber ring”. Jim Rigas and Steve Zwerin of Zito Media explained what the project involves. | |
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Bradford Mayor Tom Riel spoke Tuesday at a conference attended by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, educators, and elected officials from across the state. The conference discussed plans to enact a school funding formula law that invests at least $2.6 billion over the next six years to help close the school funding shortfall identified in the legislature’s Costing-Out Report.
Riel told the conference, “Failure to act has real economic costs. As a locally elected official, I understand that if the state refuses to live up to its responsibility, then the burden falls to local taxpayers – which in turn hinders our economic growth. The best strategy for long-term property tax relief is for the state to increase funding for our schools.” At the podium Riel also stressed how important it is for the General Assembly to cooperate to find a solution to the funding shortfall. Related: | |
The City of Bradford’s Refuse & Recycling department has scheduled the week of April 28th - May 2nd as Cleanup Week. The City is urging residents to bring all their trash to the curb. This is the time to bring out the old furniture, and other debris that’s built up over the winter. City crews cannot accept motor oil, paint, fuels, or chemicals. White goods such as washers, dryers, refrigerators, and other large appliances will be picked up for a $10 charge. You must pay at City Hall in advance of pick up. According to Kriss Edwards at the City’s Refuse & Billing office, the regulations for this trash pick up are the same for the rest of the year. By offering a Cleanup Week, the department can schedule extra personnel and trucks for the added work. To schedule white goods pick up, or ask a question: Administrative Assistant/Refuse Residents should note the City’s Recycling Program can no longer accept newspapers bundled in plastic bags. Newspapers, magazines, and other paper recyclables should be placed in a green recycling bin and brought to the curb. Click here for the City’s 2008 Recycling Schedule. | |
The Bradford City Report for March 2008 has been published. This contains the City’s March budget report as well as departmental budget summaries as presented to City Counsel. Find all 2008 City Reports here. | |
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Bradford, PA - April 12, 2008 Protesters demonstrated Saturday at the retirement dinner held for Representative John E. Peterson at the Penn Hills Club here in Bradford, PA. The group of about a dozen identified themselves as members of the Fifth District Peace Project. The group targets the Fifth Congressional District of Pennsylvania, and Representative Peterson’s voting record, particularly regarding the war. Peterson will be retiring at the end of his term. A number of candidates will compete for his seat in the election this fall. The Fifth District Peace Project is co-sponsoring an event on Sunday, April 20, 2008 at Bradford’s Veteran’s Square from 10am - 4pm. The event is known as “Eyes Wide Open - An Exhibition On The Human Cost Of The War”. Co-sponsored by the American Friends Committee, more information is available here. | |
Open government is a foundation of our democracy. In the spirit of open government, Bradford-Online.com has obtained the City’s monthly Revenues & Expenditures reports. The reports include departmental summaries of City departments and detailed budget, revenue, and expenditure information. We plan to publish each month’s report as they become available. Click here to view the available reports. The line item detail can be daunting at first glance when you open these reports. Keep in mind that these are the same reports the Mayor and City Council members receive. These reports are great tools for better understanding of how the City works. If you have questions about the numbers, plan on attending a City Council meeting and asking questions. City Council holds regular meetings the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month at 7:30pm on the 3rd floor of City Hall on Kennedy Street. | |
These departmental summaries and budget reports are issued monthly to Bradford’s Mayor and City Council members. Starting in January 2008 Bradford-Online.com will post these detailed reports in PDF format each month. They can be viewed with the free Adobe Reader. This is public information and can also be obtained from City Hall, but copying charges apply. | |
National averages struggled to keep up with Bradford gasoline prices Tuesday, but ultimately lost the battle to an overnight 10 ¢ per gallon average local increase. The local Choice station appeared to have the lowest price in the area. When it comes to Bradford gasoline prices, “Choice” is an interesting concept. Most area gas stations, regardless of brand, typically charge prices that are within a penny of their competitors. Compare Bradford gas prices here. It’s fine to say we have to cut back on fuel consumption. There is a line where you can’t cut back any more though. In rural areas, such as Bradford, the situation is worse than in urban area. Homes, grocery stores, doctors, even gas stations are spread out. Most people have a fairly long drive to work. You don’t have a choice. Public transportation is almost non-existent in this part of the state. The ATA system is a notable exception. However, they aren’t geared toward the average commuter on a work schedule. Perhaps it’s time to demand our politicians get serious about giving us a choice. Making a commitment to alternative transportation would be a good start. Take the money we’ve been giving the oil companies and invest in short-haul passenger train service. Use some of the gas tax revenue to improve bus service. Give people a real choice to leave the car at home. Subsidize bus routes that service the outlying communities to get Zippo and BRMC employees to work and home again without having to drive into town. Then, when we decide to cut back on gas some more we’ll have the choice to do so. Do you have a comment? Join the discussion on TalkaboutBradford.com. | |
The public forum with the planning team will be held in the meeting room at Fretz Middle School on the evening of March 5th from 7-9pm. All are welcome - please mark your calendars! This is your chance to make your opinion heard on Bradford’s future! Additional information: Bradford Regional Strategy Web Site | |
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While gasoline prices in the rest of the nation declined, on average, to under $3.00, prices in Bradford Pa remained well above $3.00. Now that prices are rising again, retailers in Bradford are ahead of the curve, raising prices immediately. The U.S. reports healthy oil reserves, and the Chinese have capped prices and cut imports. So what’s the excuse this time? Reportedly, Speculation on a slowing U.S. economy is driving oil prices up. Check here for the latest Bradford, PA Gas Prices. | |
Attorney General Tom Corbett Presents . “Operation Safe Surf” Supported by Create a Public Service Announcement! Put your creativity to the test! Pennsylvania middle and high school students are invited to participate in the “Operation Safe Surf” Video Contest. With the growth in popularity of social networking sites, instant messaging and blogs, teens are getting messages from everywhere and everyone about being safe online. Here is your chance to talk about the issue from your own perspective. What does online safety really mean to kids? Why should they care about it? How can kids best protect themselves while surfing the net? Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Corbett has teamed with Microsoft and Comcast to sponsor this unique video contest for all Pennsylvania middle and high school students. You can help spread the word about online safety by producing a 30-second public service announcement (PSA). Six regional semi-finalists will be chosen by a panel of judges - three from western Pennsylvania and three from eastern Pennsylvania. The six semi-finalists will travel to Harrisburg to put the finishing touches on their videos in a state-of-the-art production facility. The top six finished videos will be posted online and on Comcast’s On Demand for final voting. Two state winners will be chosen - one from eastern Pennsylvania and one from western Pennsylvania. The winners will be announced during special ceremonies at their respective schools in May 2008. Each semi-finalist will receive educational software from Microsoft. The two winners will receive xBox 360’s from Microsoft, and Comcast will air the two winning videos throughout Pennsylvania.
All entries must be postmarked by February 29, 2008.
Visit this site for all rules, forms, etc. |
Bradford City Council held it’s regular meeting Tuesday night.
