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2009 Year in Review (July through September) |
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Written by Mike Ishman
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Wednesday, 30 December 2009 |
JULY
• The Pantall Hotel, built in 1888 by Theo Pantall, was sold to a new investment group.
“We bought an experience,” said Jim DeLong, who is among the investors that announced their purchase of the Pantall Hotel. “And we plan to deliver an experience.”
• Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska resigned from her office, citing the costs and distractions of various ethics investigations.
• Abatement work began on the former Punxsy Beauty School, Spencer House and Army Navy Club. The buildings in that block of North Findley were demolished to make way for the new Area Transportation Authority (ATA) terminal building. Punxsy Borough Council has been working with ATA for over four years to make this project a reality.
• A memorial service was held for Michael Jackson, who died June 25, in the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The event cost the city $3.2 million and drew an estimated 750,000 people.
• Gov. Ed Rendell told the media 800 state workers could be laid off as a result of the lack of a budget.
• Music in the Park returned for another summer.
• The Punxsutawney Area Community Center reported a number of burglaries, as well as other financial problems.
• The fifth-annual Relay for Life was held in Barclay Square, drawing 28 teams and 300 people to join the fight against cancer.
• Confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor began in Washington.
• The debate over what to do with the Mary A. Wilson school began, with Superintendent Dr. J. Thomas Frantz saying that topic will be addressed during the board’s next committee meeting, but noted, “Right now, I’m not even thinking about it, because we need to get school started.”
• State workers marched on Harrisburg, demanding to be paid.
• The state House of Representatives rejected the GOP’s proposed budget. Rep. Sam Smith said the defeat was a defeat for higher education.
• Space Shuttle Endeavour launched following a month of delays.
• Legendary CBS anchor Walter Cronkite, known for his reporting from 1962 to 1981 and as “the most trusted man in America,” died at 92.
• America celebrated the 40th anniversary of the man walking on the moon.
• A hostess at Harrah’s in Nevada filed a civil lawsuit against Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, alleging that he sexually assaulted her during an event a year prior. Roethlisberger denied the allegations.
• The last check for state workers was sent out, comprising of 20 percent of a worker’s normal paycheck.
• Paul Beatty, longtime Punxsy resident and owner of Beatty Jewelry, died July 26 at age 83.
• Budget talks moved to behind closed doors between party leaders in the Pennsylvania government.
AUGUST
• Despite meetings held in the Gov. Ed Rendell’s office described as encouraging, there was no progress made in budget talks.
• The Mayor’s Drug Task Force hosted Punxsutawney’s first-ever National Night Out to raise drug awareness through speakers, bands and other events.
• The state House of Representatives voted to pay state workers who were previously unpaid due to the budget impasse.
• The SS.C.D. Lawn Festival celebrated its 70th anniversary, with Angela Jones of Reynoldsville chosen as the grand prize winner.
• Environmental abatement was completed on the North Findley Street buildings scheduled to be razed for the new ATA terminal.
• George Sodini, carrying a gym bag, opened fire at the LA Fitness center outside of Pittsburgh, killing three people and wounding nine others before killing himself.
• The Punxsutawney Memorial Library and County Market raised $8,022.77 during Library Days, a near-record total despite rainy weather.
• Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed to the Supreme Court through a 68-31 Senate vote. Sotomayor is the first Hispanic and the third woman to serve on the court.
• Board members at the Punxsutawney Area Community Center said that despite the problems the center faced over the past few months, it has come too far to let it fail all together.
• A mid-air collision over the Hudson River in New York City between a sightseeing helicopter and a small plane resulted in the deaths of nine people on the two crafts, included three Pennsylvania residents.
• As another result of the budget impasse, 255 state employees were laid off based on the $29 billion budget Rendell proposed in February.
• Politicians throughout the nation — including U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter — held town hall meetings regarding health care reform, facing angry crowds on both sides of the issue.
• Children from Playhouse Children’s Center in Punxsutawney marched across town to state Rep. Sam Smith’s office, protesting the lack of a budget and proposed cuts to early childhood education and programs.
• A large audience gathered at the Sykesville Ag & Youth Fair to salute fair co-founder Msgr. John W. Mignot, who had passed away earlier in the year.
• Bill Cahir, 40, a former Fifth Congressional District candidate, was killed while on active duty in Afghanistan.
• Prior to demolishing the buildings for the new ATA terminal, workers removed historic decorative items.
• After moving from the former Army/Navy Club, American Legion John Jacob Fisher Post No. 62 began seeking funding so it could reopen at the former Goodwill Store, 117 Elk Run Ave.
• Punxsutawney-based Pennsylvania State Police investigated the death of Stephen Obbish, who died while in custody of Punxsutawney Borough Police Aug. 15.
The officer involved in the incident was placed on paid leave pending the completion of the investigation. Borough and police officials shed no light on the incident whatsoever.
• ADAPT, a grassroots group for disability rights, marched on state Rep. Sam Smith’s office, the second such protest in less than a week.
• Cash-for-Clunkers, a government program aimed at getting more fuel-efficient vehicles on the road and junking less-efficient vehicles, ended after generating more than $2 billion from nearly 490,000 vehicles.
• The death of Michael Jackson was ruled a homicide, with coroners citing an overdose of the anesthetic Propofol as the cause of death.
• During its meeting, the Jefferson County Commissioners announced that the state budget impasse was affecting the county. County Treasurer James VanSteenberg filed for a tax anticipation note (TAN) loan because he expected a delay due to state budget debates. However, the impasse had continued longer than VanSteenberg anticipated, and commission Chairman Paul Corbin described county budget talks as going “critically.”
• Longtime Mass. Senator Ted Kennedy died Aug. 25. at age 77 from a brain tumor.
• A spokesman for Attorney General Tom Corbett announced that Jefferson County District Attorney Jeffrey Burkett referred the Stephen Obbish case to state prosecutors, as Burkett knows many members of the Punxsutawney Borough Police.
• The Wehrle family celebrated the 100th anniversary of its business, Mahoning Valley Milling.
SEPTEMBER
• Ss. Cosmas & Damian (SS.C.D.) Catholic School opened the school year with a new principal, Dawn Bressler, who succeeded Ann Smith, who served in that position for 24 years.
• The former Arcade building owned by the Punxsutawney Christian School (PCS) was for sale, as secondary classes moved to the community center.
• Pennsylvania Democrats maintained that new tax revenue was needed to stave off multibillion-dollar deficits, Republicans said spending cuts could shrink future funding gaps, and the budget standoff appeared no closer to being resolved as it entered its third month.
• Childcare providers from Punxsy and DuBois rallied amid a budget impasse that had them fighting for not only their centers and employees, but also for the future of young children.
• Surprise, surprise ... A poll showed Pennsylvanians held low opinions about state government, no thanks to the budget impasse and the pay-raise incident a few years before.
• Shaking off a summer of setbacks, President Barack Obama summoned Congress to enact sweeping health care legislation, declaring the “time for bickering is over,” and the moment had arrived to protect millions who have unreliable insurance or no coverage at all.
• With the state budget impasse taking a toll on Jefferson County, commissioners enacted a hiring freeze on all county programs.
• Americans planned beach clean-ups, packages for soldiers and save-the-tree fund-raisers, along with familiar remembrances in three cities to mark the eighth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. It was the first time the anniversary was named a national day of service.
• Pennsylvania legislative leaders outlined the broad terms of a state budget deal that included higher business and cigarette taxes, as well as revenue from legalized table games in casinos and more drilling for gas in state forests.
Gov. Ed Rendell threatened a veto, and his chief of staff warned that the plan’s revenue assumptions were too rosy.
• Members of the Pennsylvania National Guard 856th Engineer Stryker Unit and their friends and families received a surprise Sept. 13, as the unit returned home from its one-year mission in Iraq a day early.
• Momentum slowed for legislative leaders hoping to end Pennsylvania’s 76-day-old budget impasse Monday after Gov. Ed Rendell expanded his critique of the deal’s spending choices and revenue projections.
• Not even a week before the department celebrated its 100th anniversary, Brookville Volunteer Fire Company Chief Dave Beck resigned after internal conflicts with other members of the fire company.
• After almost 70 years, the statues of the SS.C.D.’s patron saints — Cosmas and Damian — were installed in their proper places.
• Gov. Ed Rendell dramatically changed his stance toward a bid by top state legislators to end a 2½-month budget impasse, opening the door to an agreement soon.
• Rendell and legislative leaders reached a budget deal Sept. 18 to end Pennsylvania’s distinction as the last state still fighting over its annual spending plan. The $27.95 billion budget would raise tax rates on some businesses, raise the cigarette tax to 25 cents per pack and draw more than $1.5 billion from state reserves.
• After many years, the transformation of the former J.B. Eberhart building from a dark empty building into the Indiana University of Pennsylvania Fairman Centre was officially completed.
“There have been many dreams and many buildings such as the new Learning Living Center that were accomplished,” IUP-Punxsutawney Dean Dr. Valarie Trimarchi said at the opening ceremony, adding, “That’s one more item off of my ‘bucket list.’”
• Sept. 19, Ss. Cosmas & Damian Roman Catholic Church celebrated the kickoff of its 125th anniversary with great fanfare — complete with brass and percussion — and a very special guest, the Most Rev. Donald Trautman, bishop of the Erie Diocese.
• The buildings that once stood at the intersection of North Findley Street and Torrence Alley were completely torn down. Crews from Earthmovers from Kylertown completed demolition to make way for a new Area Transportation Agency terminal, with the crews next removing bricks and debris and filling in former basement areas.
• Two members of the Pennsylvania National Guard 856th Engineer Company, 56th Stryker Brigade, returned home to their home unit in Punxsy. Spc. Kevin T. Smith, of the Kittanning area, and Sgt. Kyle Yeager of Mahaffey returned home from active duty in Iraq
• Activists engaged in a precarious-looking stunt beneath a heavily-traveled bridge and others gathered for a union-backed, pro-green jobs rally on the eve of the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh.
• The G-20 summit ended with relatively few problems, with the world leaders issuing a sweeping promise to fix a malfunctioning global economic system.
• Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said it successfully test-fired short-range missiles in drills meant to show Tehran is prepared to crush any military threat from another country.
• Several people who were arrested during G-20 protests and others who witnessed police response to the demonstrators accused authorities of being heavy-handed during the summit, with city officials commending law enforcement conduct.
• A powerful Pacific Ocean earthquake spawned towering tsunami waves in the Samoan islands, initially killing at least 39.
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Last Updated ( Thursday, 31 December 2009 )
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