Graffitti mural in the Pajama Factory courtyard
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PROMOTING AWARENESS, ARTS, CULTURE AND EDUCATION IN NORTH-CENTRAL PA
A few weeks ago I attended a meeting in Hillsgrove. Chesapeake Gas & Oil has applied for a permit to extract water from the Loyalsock Creek in Hillsgrove, and this meeting was intended to allow Hillsgrove residents to hear from and put questions and comments to representatives of Chesapeake and the two government agencies that…
It may seem strange to get a gas drilling story from Lancaster County, but the industry has changed our lives. For years my wife and I made regular trips to Lycoming County to visit family and get away from the cities. Neither of us care too much for life down here. There’s too much flat…
I had the opportunity to attend the Oil & Gas Expo held at the Hughesville Fairgrounds on May 7th, and felt it worth reporting on. I noticed right off that there is a definitive cultural aesthetic that is openly pursued by industrial fossil fuelers. The expo was a great case study of this crafted image,…
Annual cost per capita for public broadcasting in the U.S. as of 2008 … $3.75 Annual cost per capita to Canadian government for public broadcasting, 2008 … $30 Annual cost per capita to Australian government for public broadcasting, 2008 … $34 Annual cost per capita to U.K. government for public broadcasting, 2009 … $90.70 Percent…
Tuesday, June 7. Rally at the Capital at noon. Join us in Harrisburg and SPEAK OUT! Let our Legislators know that we need them to take action NOW! Contaminated drinking water, pollution in our rivers, hazardous air pollution, safety problems, and destruction of our state forests are just some of our problems. We need protection…
I was shaken by his honesty, as we were talking on the phone. I had called the DEP offices in Harrisburg and dialed the extension of the person serving as the public comment liaison on the application of one of thousands of gas industry permits. The DEP worker was kind; rapport came easily, and we…
A GAS INDUSTRY WORKER SPILLS The Williamsport Guardian had the following conversation with a young man who has worked as a floorhand on several drilling rigs in Bradford and Tioga Counties. He also worked for a well emergency clean-up, containment, and rig moving company. He asked that we not publish his name. Q: What goes…
State Senator Joseph “Super Bowl” Scarnati, along with Senator Eugene Yaw, among others, introduced Senate Bill 1100 (SB1100) last week. The bill, “An Act Amending Title 58 (Oil and Gas) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes,” imposes a natural gas impact fee tied to a model zoning ordinance. Watchdog groups around the state quickly dissected the…
On April 27 a consent order and agreement was signed between Eureka 1, LLC and the PA DEP regarding violations of the Pennsylvania Code of rules and regulations. Eureka is a Delaware corporation operating a gas well water treatment facility at 417- 419 Second Street in Williamsport. As part of their operation, Eureka utilizes three…
I’m usually known for writing about light and happy things, but the death of Osama bin Laden is so very important that I feel compelled to write about that instead. First, some history. On 9/11/2001 I was going to surprise my wife with tickets to “The Producers.” I was going to go to the half-price…
If you want to learn what your state government plans to do about gas drilling in the Marcellus Shale, you need look no further than the Marcellus Shale Advisory Commission. This is a group of thirty white men and one white woman, average age maybe 55, which meets in the Rachel Carson State Office Building…
Recently, Republican presidential frontrunner Mitt Romney did a little rhetorical dance around health reform, arguing that his Massachusetts plan was good, but the federal law signed by President Obama was an evil “government takeover of health care.” The language echoed the Republican mantra of 2010 promulgated by GOP strategist and Fox News “analyst” Frank Luntz…
Our editor, Anna Alford, visited the Williamsport Growers Market one Saturday morning to ask people why they liked to come to the market. Here is a summary of their responses. 1. Fresh, organic vegetables, flowers and fruit 2. Local meat, cheese, eggs, and baked goods 3. Meeting friends and the…
The Susquehanna Riverlands, along Route 11 about seven miles north of Berwick, is operated by PPL in conjunction with its Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Salem Township. The preserve, encompassing 1,200 acres on both the east and west banks of the Susquehanna River, has been providing the residents of north central Pennsylvania with quality recreation,…
22ND ANNUAL BILLTOWN BLUES FESTIVAL Sunday, June 12 Gates open 11 am, showtime Noon to 10pm Lycoming County Fairgrounds, Hughesville www.billtownblues.org The Porkroll Project, George Kilby Jr., The Laurie Morvan Band, Big James and the Chicago Playboys, Mark Hummel’s Blues Harmonica Explosion featuring special guests Phil Wiggins, Jerry Portnoy, Steve Guyger, Charlie Baty, plus the…
Educators can learn how to build on young children’s sense of wonder about nature and invite them to explore wildlife and the world around them during this workshop from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Friday, June 24, at PPL’s Susquehanna Riverlands. During the five-hour workshop, participants will sample activities and receive a curriculum and activity guide. Activities…
Most people think of summer as a time for movies with action—car chases, heists, shootouts, pirate sword fights. I don’t disagree; I love the Fast and Furious movies as much as the next woman (or truthfully, even as much as the next teenage boy with a souped-up Mazda). But perhaps at some point this summer…
“Mostly Rapscallions: Salient Sillies About the Rich and Infamous in History” by P.J. Sullivan, revised and updated edition, 2010 Infinity Publishing. “Mostly Rapscallions” by P.J. Sullivan is a zany romp through history. It has three things to offer a reader: history, biography, and humor. The first two are rock solid. The author did his…
King of Harts, located in the Hart building at 30 W. Third St. in downtown Williamsport, looked promising. There are two floors; upstairs is a wide open, yellowwalled bar with murals of medieval scenes. Fleurs de lis are hung for decoration and the ceiling is made of copper! Downstairs is called the King’s Quarters and…
Why did Jeff Wheeland think it was a good idea to send out a flyer bashing “Republican” opponent John Mussare for supporting Democratic State Rep. Rick Mirabito— to lifelong Democratic households? Not only could Democrats not vote in the Republican primary, period, but why would they want to vote for “the 100% Republican” candidate? If…
PISCES—You will fall victim to a strange disease where everything you say will come out of your mouth as the opposite of what you mean. It should make for some interesting situations. Avoid situations where someone will ask you “Do you want punched?” ARIES—Because of your stubborn, Arien nature you are feeling very contrary this…
(The following is the opinion of the writer and does not represent the opinion of The Williamsport Guardian or any other organization.) My husband and I recently discussed when to start speaking with our 4-year-old daughter about sex. As a Prevention Specialist with AIDS Resource, I often host group sessions with young people, after which…
Linden, May 19—Rain. Wind. Mud. None of it was enough to stop Jay Stabley, owner of South Side Services, from climbing the skinny tower surrounded by farm fields to install a radio antenna. No one on the ground seemed to mind the muck. History was being made, with the installation of transmission equipment for central…
Osama bin Laden is dead. He is dead, and I am happy about it. I’ve weighed my reaction and tried to be circumspect. Have I suddenly gone alarmingly hawkish? Am I simply more centrist than I thought? And, in a more convoluted train of thought: should I take the approach some vegetarians do and claim…