Archive - Feb 15, 2011 - News Article
By
Joseph Bell, Record Editor
RIDGWAY – Possible changes to the local telephone area code system were the focal point of discussions Tuesday during an Elk County Board of Commissioners meeting.
John Balliet, director of Taxpayers United for Representation Now [TURN] from DuBois, discussed the proposed new 582 area code being suggested by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission [PUC].
As gas and oil drilling becomes more prevalent throughout the area, municipalities are making the necessary efforts to attempt to ensure that their natural resources are protected. The City of St. Marys is no exception, and on Tuesday evening members of city council and the planning commission held a joint meeting to discuss the best way to move forward implementing oil and gas drilling restrictions within the city.
By
Victoria Stanish, Editor
During the past week, a late-season run of the influenza virus has occurred in St. Marys and surrounding communities. Dr. David Caruso, a local physician, said the virus usually makes an appearance earlier during the fall and winter months.
"Other states have had it - PA is just later this year getting it," said Caruso.
Among the various business items recently approved by the St. Marys Area School District School Board was the re-bidding of the rubber flooring project for the St. Marys Area High School and South St. Marys Street Elementary School hallways.
Three companies submitted bids, all of which were rejected. The bids were from Faris Carpet, Inc. in Uniontown; Aramark, based in Philadelphia; and CB Flooring in Harrisburg.
Organizers are gearing up for the 2011 Business Expo, slated for Saturday at the Red Fern from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Once again, the St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce and The River 98.9 radio station are teaming up to sponsor the expo.
"Last year we had 40 vendors and have added even more this year," said co-organizer John Salter of The River 98.9. "This year we have a variety of businesses and organizations from around the region."
With a new governor comes a new state budget and new concerns over funding for school districts across the Commonwealth. It has been reported that Governor Tom Corbett plans to cut $1 billion in state money for public schools for the 2011-12 budget.
St. Marys Area School District Superintendent Ann Kearney said she is anticipating deep cuts in education with the new state budget, and adding to that concern is uncertainty over the availability of federal program monies.
At a recent school board workshop, Kearney presented information on SMASD's anticipated revenues for the 2011-12 budget.
When it was his turn to address the attendees at the St. Marys Servicemen's Detail's annual banquet on Saturday Evening, Sergeant in Charge Tom Price began by announcing that he was about to do something that he had wanted to do for a long time, honor World War II Purple Heart veterans.
"These people are like ghosts in the wind. You don't know who they are. They might be your neighbor. They might be your friend down the street. The only time you read about them is when they die and they have an obituary in the paper," Price said.
