Archive - Feb 2012
February 16th
PUNXSUTAWNEY â Two members of Punxsutawney Borough Council have voted against advertising a new FEMA flood map ordinance.
But Monday, Solicitor Jay Lundy said council is obligated to approve the ordinance or risk losing flood insurance.
With a 5-2 vote, council approved a motion to advertise Ordinance No. 1115, with council members Eric Story and Toby Santik voting no.
Story said he read the new ordinance handed down by FEMA, which he said is word-for-word the same as the boroughâs current ordinance, with the exception of two parts.
It looks as if the school bullies âruleâ this school in the PAHS Drama Clubâs production of âOnce Upon a High School,â but in the end, things change, and good does conquer evil. Tonight is the last chance to see the clubâs show, which begins at 7 p.m. in the auditorium at Punxsutawney Area High School.
David N. Griffin, 50, Valier, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, at UPMC Mercy Hospital in Pittsburgh.
He was born Oct. 27, 1961 in Salisbury, Md., a twin son of Shirley Ann (Autten) Griffin Bennett, who survives, of Delmar, Md., and the late Norman Elliott Griffin.
Mr. Griffin worked as a painter and performed odd jobs, most recently selling items on eBay.
He enjoyed working with his hands and doing mechanical jobs such as tearing down, fixing and reselling motorcycles and parts.
Mr. Griffin really liked to spend time with his little daughter, Audrey.
February 15th
PUNXSUTAWNEY â From the very first day of practice this season, Punxsy head coach Dirk Neal said one of the Chucks' top goals was to protect their own house and win their home games this season.
Wednesday night, the Chucks played their final home game of the season and did just that, picking up a 49-37 victory over District IX foe Clearfield to finish the season 9-2 at home.
PUNXSUTAWNEY â In a similar tale to the varsity match that took place after it, the dual meet between Punxsy and Bradford's junior high wrestling teams Tuesday in Punxsutawney was a tale of numbers, a common occurrence for the Chucks this season. But in this case, Punxsy's numbers were better than Bradfords, as the Chucks outdid the Owls both on and off the mats for a 47-15 victory.
With Bradford being a larger school, Punxsy head coach Bill Burke said he was surprised and a bit disappointed to see the Owls' numbers down, as they brought just seven grapplers.
Some weeks when I sit down to write my column, I struggle to find a way to communicate an idea I've been bouncing around in my head and, since it's a sports column, to find a way tie sports into it.
Other weeks, the story itself just falls into my lap and begs me to write about it. This week's column falls into the latter category.
Growing up as a Christian and a huge sports fan, I heard the word "miracle" used in two very different contexts quite often, and the seeming double meaning has caused me to frequently ponder the miraculous over the years.
Paul R. Pounds Sr., 88, of Marion Center, died Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, at St. Andrewâs Village in Indiana.
He was born March 18, 1923, in Marion Center, a son of the late William and Alice (Feight) Pounds.
He married his wife, the former Betty J. Mock, Jan. 23, 1943, and their 69th wedding anniversary occurred the day of Bettyâs death just a few weeks ago Jan 23, 2012.
Mr. Pounds was a graduate of Marion Center High School, then attended Vale Tech for two years.
He served as a medical tech in the U.S. Army during World War II.
PUNXSUTAWNEY â Despite the fact that the Punxsutawney Area School District teacherâs contract expired last June, both sides say the negotiations continue toward a settlement.
Don Gill, president of the Punxsutawney Area Education Association (PAEA), and Gary Conrad, Punxsutawney Area School Board president, agreed to a joint interview to discuss exactly where the negotiations stand at this point.
Gill said the union and board actually began negotiations as an early bird prior to the six months before the former contract expired when formal negotiations are permitted to begin.
BROOKVILLE â A new statewide initiative has local police department officers reminding teen drivers to click it or ticket.
This week, Brookville Borough Police teamed up with Brookville Jr.-Sr. High School to take part in PennDOTâs teen driver safety mobilization, an initiative intended to inform teen drivers about a new seatbelt law.
âToday, itâs not about issuing citations,â PennDOT Safety Press Officer Shawn Houck said. âItâs about awareness. Weâre trying to get the message out.â
Using shoeboxes and other craft items, students from Cheri Barenchikâs second-grade class at Parkview Elementary School created a mini-replica of downtown Punxsutawney. The replica was part of a social studies unit titled âNeeds and Wants,â designed to teach students how to use a map and get around town.
