MONEYSAVER
Smethport, East Smethport, Crosby, Gifford, Rew, Cyclone, Hazel Hurst, Mt. Jewett, Port A, Roulette, Duke Center, Eldred, Rixford, Turtlepoint
JULY 14, 2020
CAR. TR. MKTG MAIL US POSTAGE PAID PERMIT NO. 244 BRADFORD, PA Occupant Rural-Star Route P.O. Box Holder
NEWS
Smethport forges ahead with travel baseball team By ANTHONY SAMBROTTO
SMETHPORT, Pa. — Dick Ognen had a particularly good reason to look forward to being on the baseball diamond this summer. The veteran coach was set to return six players to his Smethport Youth American Legion team that had posted a strong showing in its inaugural season and advanced all the way to the Pennsylvania Regionals a year ago. But the national American Legion organization announced in May that due to the coronavirus there would be no games this summer, no chance for Ognen’s Smethport squad to make another postseason run, and most importantly, another lost opportunity for a team of teenagers that just wanted a chance to play baseball. But Ognen — and assistant coaches Bob Guilds, Travis Brown, Bric Burdick and Mike Hill — would not be deterred. They forged ahead with plans for those six players, added some additional eligible athletes from neighboring towns along the way, and the 16U Southern Tier Cardinals were born. “WHEN COVID started, we decided that we were going to try to get a baseball team together and basically put it on hold and waited for things to clear up enough to play ball,” Ognen explained. “Once things started opening up and we got the ‘OK’ from Smethport Borough to practice and play on June 1, the plans were set in motion and we got things going.” In addition to three players from Smethport, the 12-man roster also consists of players from Kane, Ulysses, Bradford, Port Allegany and Lawrenceville. And for nearly all of those kids, the Southern Tier Cardinals will be their only chance to play live sports this
summer. “They were pretty excited,” Ognen said of the team’s first practice. “They all lost their high school baseball seasons and a lot of those kids were signed up to play American Legion ball and that was one of the first programs canceled this summer as well. Once things got going, they were pretty pumped up.” LIKE NEARLY all group events trying to dance around the COVID-19 pandemic, Ognen admits there have been some “roadblocks.” Their season was supposed to begin at a tournament in Clearfield on Memorial Day Weekend, but with McKean and Clearfield Counties not going green until a few days after that, the Cardinals didn’t play in their first tournament until last weekend in Johnstown. In that tournament, the Southern Tier — in its first baseball game in nearly a year — tied a team from Pittsburgh and lost its second game to a team from Maryland before finishing it with a game against an Ohio-based team. “They hung in there with all these teams and this was our first exposure to a game,” Ognen noted. “I don’t think they did too bad at all.” And though the team practiced three or four times a week, Ognen noted that for as much as the coaches tried to keep the kids in game-ready shape through nearly a month of batting practice and simulated pitching, there is nothing like the real thing.
“THEY ARE all good ballplayers and they are all dedicated to the game and that helps us as coaches, first and foremost,” he said. “If they have the dedication and will and the want to, then it makes our jobs easier.
“A lot of them had just two or three weeks of high school practice and then we had to start all over and we are lucky that we had almost four weeks to prepare. But nothing prepares you for a game. It’s the best experience you can have.” To Ognen and his players’ liking, the Cardinals will get plenty of live game action in the coming weeks. It starts this week with a game in Warren either Wednesday or Thursday night and then a three-team round-robin tournament Saturday in DuBois. The Southern Tier Cardinals will also host games at George Murray Field in Smethport, highlighted by a three-team tournament on July 17 and 18 and then a multiple-team event on July 31 and August 2 that will include the Elk-McKean All-Stars. “Right now we have every weekend scheduled for the rest of this month and into August,” Ognen said. “A big thank you for the Smethport Borough to open the park up and to let us use it and giving these kids a chance to play” The roster consists of Jake Costanzo, Andy Jekielek and Justin Peterson of Kane; Alex Ognen, Chase Burdick and Kam Rounsville of Smethport; Tanyon Brown and Tre Slawson from Ulysses; Michael Gow of Bradford; Ty Guilds of Port Allegany; and Mikey Sipps and Kade Sottolano from Lawrenceville.
Airport may add flights to D.C. if proposal is approved
By FRAN DE LANCEY
MOUNT ALTON — Southern Air Express, which provides daily flights from Bradford to Pittsburgh from Bradford Regional Airport, will add commercial air service to Washington Dulles International Airport, possibly before the end of the year. After initially voting in May to recommend to the U.S. Department of Transportation that Cape Air, the Massachusetts-based regional airline, took over commercial flights at Bradford airport at the expiration of the current Essential Air Service contract, airport authority members agreed Wednesday to reverse course and accept Southern’s alternate proposal. Multiple weekly flights to Washington Dulles International Airport will be added, while Southern will keep its daily flights to Pittsburgh. This recommendation must also be submitted to USDOT. “Authority members and I debated this decision for weeks and the final decision was based solely on changes resulting from COVID-19’s impact on the air travel industry,” airport
Manager Alicia Dankesreiter said in a prepared statement. “As you may recall, our decision was due back in mid-May, and in the following months we began to see the real effects COVID-19 would have on airports, airlines, and the travelling public. Within days, the whole situation turned upside down.” Dankesreiter said Southern has agreed to the service to both Pittsburgh and Dulles at the previously submitted bid price without requesting a subsidy increase for the length of the award. According to Dankesreiter, “This dual hubbing will allow us to continue to serve our robust Pittsburgh base while also recapturing lost business and international travelers. Cape Air was simply unable to match this offer.” Washington Dulles will more than triple the connections available at Pittsburgh. “We feel this will allow us the greatest opportunity to, if not increase enplanements in 2021, at least hold them steady until travel returns to normal, ensuring our survival in the EAS program,” Dankesreiter noted. “Not inconsequentially, our local Ford rental car
File photo Southern Air Express has submitted a proposal to fly to Pittsburgh and to Washington, D.C., from Bradford Regional Airport under the Essential Air Service subsidy.
provider has recently indicated a desire to wind down rentals here at the airport. In light of this, Southern has agreed to place rental cars at Bradford within the next few weeks and increase that with demand. Our passengers will be able to use these cars for oneway rentals to Pittsburgh and Dulles, which was not possible previously.” She said Southern’s proposal is the clear choice. “I will be submitting a letter to DOT later this week and have asked Sen. Bob Casey and Rep. Glenn Thompson to add their voices of support as well.” Flights to Dulles would probably begin this fall, said Dankesreiter. “When the airport last offered service to Dulles
in ‘07 and ‘08, it proved to be one of our best passenger routes,” said authority Chairman Cliff Lane. In a personnel matter, authority members accepted “with regret” the resignation of Ron Dankesreiter as a fellow member. Ron Dankesreiter, who has represented Cameron County on the authority since 2005, most recently as vice-president, indicated his resignation is effective immediately due to health reasons. In keeping with past practice, the authority will fill the vacancy with a resident from the same county. The McKean County commissioners have the ultimate power to OK the replacement.
Pennsylvania DCNR photo The pool at Sizerville State Park.
Swimming open at Pa. state parks — with safety precautions
By MARCIE SCHELLHAMMER
The heat of summer has arrived, with temperatures in the 80s and 90s lately. Visiting the community pool usually helps on days like these, but with the pandemic, pools have been closed. However, there are swimming areas available in nearby state parks and on the Allegheny National Forest. On Thursday, Gov. Tom Wolf and Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn, in a prepared statement, reminded Pennsylvanians to wear masks while enjoying the outdoors when they are not able to consistently maintain social distancing from individuals who are not members of their household. “It’s critical that Pennsylvanians take opportunities to go outside and enjoy our many parks, trails and beaches. It’s good for our mental and physical health. But we must do so safely,” Wolf said. “Park attendance has increased dramatically, so Pennsylvanians should protect themselves and their fellow outdoor seekers by wearing a mask.” Dunn said recent Bureau of State Park attendance figures show people turning to the outdoors in record numbers. May 2020 attendance reports show 5.8 million visitors compared to 4.2 million last year. The parks system increased by over 1.5 million visitors, a 36 percent increase, and 18 parks experienced more than a 100 percent increase. “Last weekend brought a crush of visitors to almost all our state parks, and those numbers reinforce the need for all park visitors to be smart and safe by wearing masks,” Dunn said. “Our park officials tell us the holiday crowds were orderly and, for the most part, observing self-distancing but masks were not being worn by many. For the safety of all, masks should be worn,
especially in areas where park visitors gather: pools and beaches when not in the water; restroom areas; and state park offices and visitor centers.” Swimming pools or areas are available at Bendigo State Park in Elk County, Sizerville State Park in Cameron County, beaches at Lyman Run, Ole Bull and Patterson state parks in Potter County, and at Chapman State Park in Warren County. As far as the status of the local state parks, all in Cameron County are open — Bucktail State Park Natural Area, Sinnemahoning State Park, Sizerville State Park and Elk State Forest. In Elk County, Bendigo State Park, Elk State Park and Elk State Forest are all open. The Elk Country Visitor Center is open, but the interpretive area and exhibits are closed. In McKean County, all state park facilities are open, including Kinzua Bridge State Park, Susquehannock State Forest and Elk State Forest. Nearly everything in Potter County is open as well, with the exception of picnic areas at Tiadaghton State Forest. The parks or park facilities in Potter County include Cherry Springs State Park, Denton Hill State Park, Lyman Run State Park, Ole Bull State Park, Patterson State Park, Elk State Forest and Susquehannock State Forest. In nearby Warren County, Chapman State Park is open, as is the Cornplanter State Forest. On the Allegheny National Forest, swimming areas are open, but restrooms in some areas, like Kinzua Beach, are closed. According to the Forest Service’s website, swimming is permitted at several campgrounds and recreation areas, including Dewdrop, Elijah Run, Kiasutha, Willow Bay and Red Bridge. Not all have designated areas for swimming, and some do charge. Swimming is at one’s own risk.