Archive - Dec 2011 - News Article
December 30th
OCTOBER
Oct. 1
⢠After nearly seven years of planning, the Area Transportation Authority broke ground and started its 140-day construction schedule. A ceremony was held to kick off construction of ATAâs Punxsutawney Transit Center.
Oct. 2
⢠Foxâs Pizza Denâs âPizza & Preventionâ fund-raiser beat its previous yearâs record with more than $31,000 raised for the Punxsutawney Fire Department.
With help from members of the fire department, Foxâs Pizza Den sold 3,444 Big Daddy Pizzas, a 12-percent increase from 3,072 pizzas in 2010.
Oct. 3
PUNXSUTAWNEY â Did you miss Groundhog Brew this year? Well, in the waning days of 2011 and the early days of 2012, itâs back.
This week, the Straub Brewing Company of St. Marys introduced its 2011 batch of Groundhog Brew, the breweryâs amber lager, as opposed to the light beer.
PUNXSUTAWNEY â Phil Mennitti never thought heâd write a book, but all it took was a bit of inspiration.
Motivated by the Occupy Wall Street (OWS) movement, Mennitti, who works for the Punxsutawney Area School District, wrote âA Commonerâs Guide to Defeating the Aristocracy,â a book about Wall Streetâs influence on the government and how its influence has destroyed the highest standard of living in the world.
âI was kind of inspired (by the OWS Movement) because I saw that everybody else felt the way I did,â he said. âAnd it didnât die off. It kept growing â day after day.â
December 29th
JULY
June 30
⢠Close enough â Gov. Tom Corbett signed a new state budget, reaching his goal of enacting a 2011-12 spending plan before the new fiscal year began â by 15 minutes. It was the first time a state budget had been passed on time in eight years, those eight during the administration of former Gov. Ed Rendell.
July 2
⢠With the help of Punxsy Phil, his co-handler John Griffiths and a fake front page, Jeff White proposed to his girlfriend, Sarah OâDonnell, both of Pittsburgh, in front of The Spiritâs âPhantastic Phil!â And she said yes.
July 5
The Punxsy boysâ basketball team overcame a late Clarion lead to win the 17th-annual Carl A. Truance Holiday Classic, 53-52, Thursday in Punxsutawney. Pictured here is the entire team with the championship trophy.
December 28th
APRIL
April 5
⢠Director Christopher Nolan announced that parts of the next Batman film, âThe Dark Knight Rises,â would be filmed in Pittsburgh.
April 10
⢠Participants and supporters raised more than $45,000 for Camp Friendship and the ARC of Jefferson County during the 32nd annual Run/Walk for Someone Special in Sykesville.
April 11
⢠Punxsutawney Borough Council approved hiring attorney Jay Lundy as the boroughâs new solicitor to succeed Timothy Morris, who resigned and moved to California.
Morris had served as the boroughâs solicitor since 1999.
PUNXSUTAWNEY â Wednesday, the Punxsutawney Rotary Club saluted the sponsors and winners in its fifth annual Circle of Trees event, following a year which will be hard to top, according to the event chairman.
The winners in this yearâs Circle of Trees were the Punxsy Garden Club, named Best Overall, with a $600 prize; Friends of the Punxsutawney Memorial Library, Best Day Appearing; and the Punxsy Career Womenâs Club, Best Nighttime Appearing, both with $400 prizes.
FALLS CREEK â A commuter aircraft that had taken off from the DuBois-Jefferson County Airport landed safely minutes after take-off due to a mechanical issue Wednesday.
The plane â carrying 10 passengers total, according to Falls Creek VFD Chief Mark Miller â had just taken off, but around 2:38 p.m., the crew radioed the tower in order to make an emergency landing.
âThey were showing some icing on the rear side of the wings,â Miller said, adding that the flight return to DuBois was a precautionary measure.
December 27th
JANUARY
Jan. 1
⢠Natasha Tinnette Adams, daughter of Joe and Rhonda Adams of Marion Center, was born at 9:55 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 1.
Weighing 6 pounds, 4 ounces, and 18 1/2-inches in length, Natasha was the first baby born for 2011 at Punxsutawney Area Hospital.
Jan. 4
⢠By a unanimous vote, state Rep. Sam Smith of Punxsutawney was elected speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, while state Sen. Joe Scarnati of Brockway was sworn in as President Pro Tempore of the Senate for a third time.
PUNXSUTAWNEY â The Punxsutawney Area Community Centerâs Jackson Theater will receive some equipment upgrades and become even more of a local attraction in coming months, thanks to a grant from Dominion Energyâs philanthropic foundation.
