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.

According to WESB News:

Smith was fined $50 and has 30 days to appeal Cercone’s decision…

Join the discussion on TalkAboutBradford.com.

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?
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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.

Bradford City Mayor Tom Riel has stated that tne citation has nothing to do with the American flag, or patriotism. The issue is obstructing a City right-of-way.

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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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 Bradford Regional Planning, or Master Plannning process held a public forum Wednesday night at Fretz Middle School.

Commissioned by Bradford’s Office Of Economic And Community Development (OECD), the consulting team shared some of the information and impressions they have gathered so far.

Read about the Strategic Plan here. You can also learn more and give your opinion:

• Bradford Regional Strategy
• TalkAboutBradford.com Discussion

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

April is going to bring more than showers to Bradford this year. The Generations Guitar Workshop will be bringing together area musicians for a day filled with learning, jamming, even an instrument exchange. It is scheduled for Saturday, April 19, 2008, at Fretz Middle School in the large instruction room. The highlight of the workshop and evening performance will be Dan Peters and The West Side Winders from Chicago.

Dan Peters

Dan Peters has been named “Chicago’s Hottest Guitarist”. He will be teaching the Workshop’s Master Class, “Swingin’ Surfabilly Guitar Playin’: Know Your Roots!!” Dan will take students into a detailed analysis of several original compositions and how he developed his own unique musical voice through an appreciation of many different genres. Rockabilly, surf, blues, jazz, country and heavy metal all figure prominently in Dan’s self-proclaimed “Surfabilly” sound and he encourages all students to do their homework and “know your roots!!” Some of the influences Dan names are Brian Setzer, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Elvis Presley, Gene Vincent, Wes Montgomery, Joe Satriani, Dick Dale, Johnny Cash, Steve Vai, Jimmy Bryant and, of course, William Shatner. Read the rest of this entry »

Sale! Sale! Sale!
Stacked and crammed with thousands of hard-cover and paperback books, Cindy’s Book Haven has long been a resource for reading material at very cheap prices. It isn’t well organized, it isn’t even easy to walk around inside, but if you enjoy digging in the stacks for that hard to find treasure, Cindy’s is the place to do it.

Cindy has announced her retirement and will be selling off her stock at deeply discounted prices, as well as great “bag of books” deals. You can’t blame this closing on the chain stores because they simply can’t provide the treasure hunt experience that characterized a visit to the Book Haven. It is the last true book store in the area.

Originally slated for February 25 - 27, Cindy has decided to extend the sale a day, so it’s going to be Monday 25th to Thursday 28th.

All hardcover fiction are $1.00 each.
All newer / thick paperback fiction are .50 cents each.
Older pb fiction .25 cents each.
Some older / thin pb fiction .10 each.
Some great bag-sale deals on older pbs.
All other books are more than 75% OFF! :good:

You can read more on TalkAboutBradford.com.

Cindy’s Book Haven is located on Congress Street, just around the corner from the former Archer’s.

View Larger Map

It’s also worth mentioning the Bradford Area Public Library. Along with their huge collection of free books, they offer a great atmosphere, public access computers, even paintings that can be checked out. They also offer great deals on used books, and of course, some very knowledgeable librarians.

I’m happy to introduce Bradford-Online.com’s newest feature, Local News Headlines.

Initially we’ll be using syndicated feeds for the local radio station, WESB, and local newspaper, the Bradford Era.

The news department for WESB/WBRR, headed by news director Anne Holliday, updates their news articles throughout the day with items of interest to the local area. Hence their motto, “You hear it here first”. The only way to get local news quicker is to tune into the the radio station.

The Bradford Era is the city’s only daily newspaper. Generally updated each morning, their articles tend to be more in-depth. Their “‘Round The Square” feature has been a printed-edition favorite for decades. The on-line edition also features the work of Francie Long, probably Bradford’s best known photographer.

You’ll also find local sports information from both feeds.

Now you can make Bradford-Online.com your first stop for local news. We’ll be adding more syndicated feeds as we discover sources worth adding. If you have a suggestion, please contact us.

Of course our discussion forum, TalkAboutBradford.com, is also a great source of news, although not guaranteed as reliable as the previously mentioned news outlets. Think of it more as a stop to the local general store to discuss the local “news”.

When it was built, the Kinzua Viaduct was the tallest railroad bridge in the world. It was destroyed July 21, 2003 by an F1 tornado. This video, posted on Youtube.com is a great tribute to this engineering marvel.

To learn more about it, and join the discussion, visit TalkAboutBradford.com.

You can also find more information at http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/kinzuabridge.aspx

Kinzua Viaduct

When the Kinzua Viaduct was built in 1882, it was the highest railroad bridge in the world. Built of iron, the original viaduct was 301 feet high, 2,053 feet long, and weighed 3,105,000 pounds. An engineering marvel, the viaduct is now a registered National Civil Engineering Landmark and a National Historic Site.

In May of 1900 it was necessary to rebuild the entire structure to accommodate heavier trains. The job was completed in 105 days by about 100 to 150 men working ten hours a day. The new steel viaduct has the same measurements, but now weighs 6,715,000 pounds.

Tornado Hits Viaduct

On July 21, 2003 a F1 tornado ripped thru the Kinzua Gorge partially destroying support towers from the viaduct.

Nine towers remain standing as a testament to the strength of this amazing structure

“Eighth Wonder of the World”

The Kinzua Viaduct was originally advertised as the `Eighth Wonder of the World.” People from all over the civilized world came to see this engineering marvel of it’s time. Excursions came from as far away as Buffalo and Pittsburgh for a around a dollar per person.

On a typical summer Sunday of the time it was not rare to see six to eight excursion trains of ten to fourteen cars to cross the viaduct. To cross the viaduct was considered a great thrill at the time. Drinking, gambling, and parties were a common occurrence on these early excursions to the viaduct.

Many excursionists would even try to climb the iron work of the viaduct. However, many of them would only end up needing rescued from the high iron girders after they found they could not climb back down. These excursions to the Kinzua Viaduct were very popular and raised more than enough money to offset the $167,000 dollar cost to build the original structure.

History of the Viaduct

Brilliant Minds

Company president General Thomas Kane, of Civil War fame, and civil engineer Octave Chanute envisioned building a viaduct longer and higher than any ever built as an alternative to laying an additional eight miles of track over rough terrain along the railroad line leading to McKean County’s coal, timber and oil lands.

The New York, Lake Erie, and Western Railroad and Coal Company recognized the profits to be gained by transporting coal across the Kinzua Valley instead of taking the six mile route around the Kinzua Valley to waiting markets in Buffalo.

The massive sandstone blocks used to make the stone piers that support the extremely high iron columns were quarried from the nearby hills. There are 7,600 cubic yards of hard sandstone used in the stone work of the viaduct. The stone piers are embedded as far as thirty-five feet below the ground and as high as sixteen feet above the ground. On September 8, 1881, the cornerstone of the Kinzua Viaduct was placed on the south abutment, where it remains today.

Octave Chanute, Engineer

Mr. Chanute lived from 1831 until 1910 and was the inventor of call ties and date nails, which had the date engraved on them. He was also responsible for the preservation of timber by the creosote process.

Chanute awarded the bid for the Kinzua Viaduct to The Phoenix Bridge Works Company. General Kane met with Anthony Bonzano of the Clark Reeves Division of the Phoenixville Bridge Works Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, in early 1882.

Mr. Bonzano told General Kane, “We’ll build you a bridge a thousand feet high if you’ll provide the money.” Anthony Bonzano along with Oliver W. Barnes, who was the chief engineer for Kane’s railroad, joined up and planned the first Kinzua Viaduct.

On July 21, 2003 a tornado partially destroyed the viaduct that was in the process of undergoing restoration. In 2002, Pennsylvania at Risk had listed the Kinzua Viaduct as one of top ten Most Endangered Historic Properties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Today, the park is in the process of a master plan for the park that will include a new visitors center, stabilizing the existing towers to allow access on the bridge, and park improvements including overnight accommodations.

From TalkAbout Bradford.com, sidney73 created this moving video of Oak Hill Cemetery.

Does anyone remember Slick, ”the oil drop that won’t stop until Bradford’s on top.”?

Nic posted on TalkAboutBradford.com

Someone awhile ago was looking for this video. Well The Daily Show has posted the last 8 years of content and the slick video was one of them!

WalkingMan wrote:The Bradford Area School Board is submitting a list of potential capital projects — including a fitness center and a multi-use center with artificial turf — to the state Department of Education for approval.
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I guess our schools have the very finest libraries, laboratories, computer labs, textbooks, classrooms and art/theater/music programs. A hint of sarcasm, yes. I just think a fitness center and artificial turf should be at the very bottom of the school board’s priorities. And, no, I am not one of those people who think there shouldn’t be sports.

As an aside, congratulations to the district, especially the super and the staff at BAHS, for putting a SERIOUS dent in dropouts the last five years. Well done.

I’m with you as far as there being a lot more important things than sports when it comes to our schools. However, student fitness is one of the things we have tasked our schools with, and I think BASD is paying attention to it before the athletic facilities deteriorate too far.

Two other things I want to note about the school district. They recently secured a $300K+ technology grant to add to and improve the equipment available to students. In addition to securing new equipment they redeployed existing equipment to classrooms that had none. Along with the equipment I’ve met some of the new teachers who know how to use the technology to engage and teach the students.

BASD has also implemented and made a commitment to the new eSchoolBook technology. I could go on & on about this improvement. It allows parents & students to access grades, assignments, attendance, and teachers by secure login via the BASD website. Teachers are using it. Now it’s up to the parents.

No school district will satisfy everyone 100%. To see the BASD moving forward, making improvements, and holding the line on taxes is a noteworthy accomplishment. I also believe they’ve made real progress on not tolerating bullying.

Here’s the heron I chased down the creek.

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Could someone bring me up to speed on this Graffiti issue? Was this a one-time spree that hasn’t been cleaned up, or an on-going thing?