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City Financial Reports

April 1, 2008 in Local Interest, Politics & Government

report-cover

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.

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Gas Prices Hit Another Record High

March 12, 2008 in Jobs & Employment, Politics & Government, TAB

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.

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Bradford Master Plan Public Meeting

March 3, 2008 in Local Interest, TAB

Bradford Regional Strategy

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
Bradford Regional Strategy – The Master Plan
TalkAboutBradford.com Discussion

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Bradford, PA Gas Prices Rise Again

February 21, 2008 in Local Interest, Politics & Government

Can you guess which way Bradford gasoline prices are heading?

If you have to ask how much it costs, you can’t afford it. – J.P. Morgan

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.

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Safe Surf – Students Can Win Fame & Prizes

February 20, 2008 in Politics & Government

 

Attorney General Tom Corbett Presents .

“Operation Safe Surf”
Student Video Contest

Supported by
Microsoft & Comcast

 

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.

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New Website For City Of Bradford Police

February 18, 2008 in Local Interest, Politics & Government

CityOfBradfordPolice.com

The City Of Bradford Police Department has unveiled their new web site, CityOfBradfordPolice.com. The web site is part of the department’s effort to interact with the community and allow residents to give information to help local police do their job better.

One feature of the site is a form for people to give the police tips and information anonymously. This feature is in response to the many people who already want to help law enforcement. The anonymous form will send information to a secure email address that is monitored by the police department.

The web site will also carry the latest department news, links to law enforcement, resources for crime victims, and information about laws and safety.

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12 Candidates In Race To Replace Pennsylvania Representative John Peterson

February 13, 2008 in News Roundup, Politics & Government

Representative John Peterson announced he will not be running for re-election at the end of his term this year. Nine Republicans and three Democrats are now officially running for the 5th District Congressional seat Peterson has occupied in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Pennsylvania Fifth Congressional District Map

John Peterson
Pleasantville
Owned and operated a retail food market for 26 years
Peterson was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 1977. In 1984, Peterson was elected to the Pennsylvania Senate where he served for 12 years, chairing both the Public Health and Welfare Committee and the Republican Policy Committee. In 1996, Peterson was elected to serve Pennsylvania’s Fifth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republican Candidates:

  • Elk County Coroner Lou Radkowski
  • Jeffrey J. Stroehmann, a business owner who is the great-grandson of the founder of Stroehmann Bakery
  • Derek Walker, owner of a financial planning business
  • Chris Exarchos, a former Centre County commissioner
  • Matt Shaner, a hotel developer
  • Glenn Thompson, the Centre County GOP chairman and a nursing home administrator
  • Keith Richardson, an attorney and pastor
  • Clarion Mayor John Rea Stroup
  • John Krupa, an insurance agent.

Democratic Candidates:

  • Bill Cahir, a journalist who fought in the Iraq war with the Marines
  • Clearfield County Commissioner Mark McCracken
  • Lock Haven Mayor Richard Vilello.

Kerry Gern of Glade Township will challenge Representative Kathy Rapp in her bid for re-election.

Representative Marty Causer is running unopposed.

In the 25th Senatorial District:

  • Senator Joe Scarnati is running for re-election on the Republican ticket.
  • Democrat Donald Hilliard of Brookville is running as a Democrat.

The 5th District is traditionally conservative Republican territory. The presumptive winner in the November general election will be the winner of the April 22nd Republican primary. Without an incumbent to challenge, the three Democratic candidates stand a better chance of winning than they have in decades. Since the district is considered one of the most conservative in the state, a democratic win would send a strong message to Republicans in Harrisburg.

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Boil Water Advisory Lifted

February 1, 2008 in News Roundup

The precautionary boil water advisory for the Bradford area has been lifted as of noon on Friday. The advisory had been issued after water main breaks caused a disruption in service to customers of the Bradford Water Authority.

Executive Director, Kim Benjamin, wished to thank Water Authority customers for their patience and cooperation during the past week. Water line breaks caused the Bradford water reserve to lose half of its volume of eight million gallons, creating a critical situation. The conservation efforts of customers allowed the system to return to normal winter operating conditions 24-36 hours ahead of the projected time.

When asked if the breaks occurred because the Bradford water system is old, Benjamin explained that our situation is no different from many systems in the north east that were originally built in the late nineteenth century. Some of our lines are as old as 120 years, but are operating without a problem. Other lines are much newer but tend to have more problems. More than age, there are many factors that effect the integrity of the water lines. Factors such as ground movement and water pressure can result in system leaks and it is very difficult to predict when or where they will occur. He likened the system to maintaining city streets. Some need paved frequently and develop pot holes often, while others last for years. It’s not practical to repave every street, but when potholes occur they are filled.

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Conserve, Conserve, Conserve

January 28, 2008 in Local Interest, News Roundup

Bradford Water Authority

Update: The Bradford Area School District has announced there will be no school on Tuesday, January 29, 2008 due to on-going water main repairs.

“Conserve, Conserve, Conserve” were the three words Kim Benjamin of the Bradford Water Authority wants to stress to area residents and water customers.

Water system customers are urged to conserve water after several breaks were detected in city and township water lines. Crews have been working to repair the breaks. The most serious break was detected Sunday morning in the 20 inch water main along Campus Drive that is the major supply line to the City. About half of the normal water reserve of eight million gallons, was lost in about an hour.

Currently Benjamin believes that all water leaks have been detected or repaired. However, until the water reserve is replenished, another large break could seriously effect the area. He estimates it will take another 5-7 days to replenish the supply. While the break along Campus Drive was not directly related to the cold weather, most line breaks do happen during the winter. In an effort to curtail water use many high volume water customers have been cooperating with the Bradford Water Authority. Bradford area schools were closed Monday, and other customers effected include Pitt-Bradford, BRMC, FCI-McKean, Zippo, Case, and Dresser.

The Bradford Water Authority also issued a precautionary boil water advisory for the next 72 hours. The advisory is voluntary, but was issued because disruptions could cause sediment and other contaminates throughout the system. No health problems have been reported.

Campus Drive Repair 20? Water Main
The water main break along Campus Drive
spilled 4,000,000 gallons in about an hour.

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