Archive - Feb 13, 2012 - News Article
At the St. Marys Area School District's Board of Directors meeting Monday, the board voted to approve a new teacher contract. Superintendent Anne Kearney said the contract being presented was the result of extensive negotiations between the St. Marys Area School Board and St. Marys Education Association as represented in the matter by association president Julie Bish.
According to Kearney, the two sides reached an agreement after "many meetings discussing the current economic state of Pennsylvania and the community."
During the recent Fox Township Supervisors meeting, Scott Surra, chief of Fox Township Volunteer Fire Department, presented a report on the department.
According to Surra, the department was dispatched 83 times in 2011.
"This is substantially below our 10-year average," Surra said. "The wet spring and fall months kept our brush and grass fire responses to only one."
There were a total of 78 full alarms and five silent alarms, which only required a department officer(s) to respond.
"Be. yourself, Be.inspired, Be.eccss" is just one spin on the Elk County Catholic School System's recently launched marketing campaign.
"We want to really promote that we are regional and that we are the Diocesan school system. So when those parishes are thinking about Catholic education, they are thinking about us," said Mary Meyer, ECCSS director of development.
Within the upcoming days and months, residents may begin noticing an array of billboards, banners in school parking lots, newspaper ads and radio and television commercials promoting the school system.
With over 40 vendors slated to attend the 2012 Business Expo, organizers are encouraging the public to stop out at the event taking place Saturday, Feb. 18 at the Red Fern in St. Marys from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
There will be representatives of businesses including contractors, energy representatives, educational, home-based businesses, manufacturing, insurance and healthcare, along with many more.
Together, The River 98.9 radio station and the St. Marys Area Chamber of Commerce have paired up to sponsor the event as in years past.
St. Marys Area School District Superintendent Anne Kearney discussed the 2012-2013 state budget released by Pa. Governor Tom Corbett this past week at Thursday's meeting of the SMASD Board of Directors. Kearney identified changes and non-changes to public education funding as represented in the budget and how it all relates to public school districts and SMASD in particular.
According to the Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA), this marks the second consecutive year that public schools in Pennsylvania have been faced with cuts in state funding.
For about an hour and a half on Saturday afternoon, the sounds of upbeat tunes could be heard at Pinecrest as around 70 residents gathered for the annual Valentine's Day Ball.
The event is held each year by St. Marys Area High School and Elk County Catholic High School students in the Confirmation classes at Queen of the World Parish, Sacred Heart Parish, and St. Mary's Parish. This year 20 students participated in the event, according to Kathy Reuscher, confirmation facilitator.
A Kane cosmetologist is volunteering to help local cancer patients through a national public service program known as “Look Good…Feel Better.”
Becky Gallagher Vogel, who operates Becky’s Boutique at 439 Biddle St., Kane, will conduct the first local workshop Tuesday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. for female cancer patients.
The free Valentine’s Day forum will be held in a conference room on the second floor of Kane Community Hospital, an affiliate of Hamot/UPMC.
 CLR.jpg "Photo by Colin Deppen
Bryan Chiappelli, left, of the St. Marys Area School District Board of Directors, and Superintendent Anne Kearney, right, talk after Monday night's meeting of the board, during which members voted to approve a new teacher contract.")
 CLR.jpg "Photo submitted
Fr. Michael Ferrick, ECCSS president, is shown with Bryce O'Leary, a fifth grade student at St. Marys Catholic Elementary School, in front of one of the school system's new logos as part of its extensive marketing campaign.")
