Archive - Aug 2012 - News Article
August 12th
(The Spirit is pleased to share with our readers vignettes of life in the 19th century as originally reported in past issues of the newspapers. These reproduced stories include their original headlines and spelling.)
Local Intelligence
(August 19, 1896)
SCHOOL BEGINS AUGUST 31
The Punxsutawney schools will open on Monday, August 31st.
The average small boy will be delighted to know that his long vacation, during which he has added little to his intellectual growth, is about over, and that he can begin again the assiduous process of cultivating his brain.
August 10th
PUNXSUTAWNEY â With the Korean War commemorating its 60th anniversary July 27, for veteran Richard Bianco, there was only one thing to do â memorialize it in the form of a display in his apartment at Mahoning Towers in Punxsutawney.
âI wanted to do this for a long time,â he said.
â(The Korean War) is âthe forgotten war,ââ he added, borrowing a phrase that is frequently used to describe the event.
When asked if people seemed to know much about the war, he said, âThey donât, but I speak up.â
PUNXSUTAWNEY â Thirty years of day care, and Rona Petroff is still going strong on Church Street in Punxsutawney.
"When I first began taking care of children I really didn't understand what day care was all about," Petroff said, adding that originally she had taken a different job and was then contacted by Child Care Information Services (CCIS) to become a child care giver.
August 9th
WALSTON â Young Township residents are requesting help from Punxsutawney-based Pennsylvania State Police on slowing down speeders on Ellermeyer Road.
State Police have offered assistance over the years and told residents to call them when they need them to enforce the 25 mph speed limit on the residential road that was recently paved, said Ron Walker, Ellermeyer Road resident, adding that if something isn't done, he thinks there's could be a tragic accident.
Pete Betts, township supervisor, said the township put up the speed limit 25 mph signs on the much-traveled road.
Members of the Punxsutawney Area High School senior high (top photo) and junior high (not pictured) cheerleading squads participated at the cheerleading exhibition at the Sykesville Ag & Youth Fair Thursday. Events at the Ag & Youth Fair continue tonight with The Moore Brothers in concert and the Guy Uplinger Memorial Compact Car Demolition Derby in addition to the regularly scheduled daily events. (Photo by Tracy Smith of The Punxsutawney Spirit)
August 8th
PUNXSUTAWNEYâ Punxsutawney Borough recently purchased a good used dump truck through the PennDOT auction.
"Punxsutawney Borough Council had given permission for the borough to proceed with the purchase of a used dump truck through PennDOT," said Ben White, Punxsutawney Borough Manager at the Public Works Committee meeting on Tuesday.
White said the truck that was purchased is a 2000 International single-axle dump truck with 109,000 miles on it that has an aluminum bed.
Paul Kot holds up Diane Kot so she can feed Melman the Giraffe at the Sykesville Ag & Youth fair Wednesday. The miniature zoo also has lemurs, macaws and a young zebra. (Photo by Matt Triponey of The Punxsutawney Spirit)
PUNXSUTAWNEY â The Punxsutawney Memorial Library Summer Reading program concluded with an award event for the successful participants held at Harmon Field and concluded with a swimming party at the George C. Brown Community Pool on Wednesday.
There were about 140 kids registered for the program this year, said Coral Ellshoff, Punxsutawney Memorial Library Director.
She said there were 110 kids who reached the goal of reading 10 books over the summer from June 1 to Aug. 1.
August 7th
PUNXSUTAWNEY â Barclay Square has hosted a variety of events throughout the summer: Groundhog Festival, Music in the Park and Church in the Park, among others. Now, get ready for the Punxsutawney Sports Fest.
âWeâve done a variety of different VBS programs over the years; this time, we were looking for something to take into town so everyone can participate,â said Pastor Chris Golembiowski of the First Assembly of God Church near Walston.
PUNXSUTAWNEY â The new traffic light system that began operation this past spring appears to be working all right as the complaints from the public have died off.
"I haven't received any more complaints from the public regarding the new traffic light system in downtown," said Ben White, Punxsutawney Borough manager at Tuesday's Public Safety Committee meeting.
Punxsutawney Police Department Chief Tom Fedigan said he has not received any complaints about the new system after borough officials met with PennDOT officials regarding the system a few weeks ago.
