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Era’s 2007 top 10 stories: Little Chicago topping the list
By SANDRA RHODES
Era City Editor and
MIKE SCHREIBER
Era Associate Editor
A fictional movie, a perceived fictional creature and the happenings at a real life lighter company lead the Top 10 list for The Bradford Era for 2007.
The region’s local industry and economic development picture also came into focus during the year, with five businesses or organizations making the annual list in some capacity. Local officials also hope the movie “Little Chicago” — which brought movie crews to town and enlisted the help of scores of local citizens — will help pump some dollars into the city’s economy.
Meanwhile, the faces that lead the City of Bradford will also be changing due to the elections and travelers from Bradford Regional Airport will be experiencing a change of scenery — to Washington’s Dulles International Airport while flying on United Airlines planes.
It’s easy to say the Tuna Valley saw it all during 2007.
Era full-time editors, reporters and photographers voted for the top stories of 2007, weighing such factors as impact, importance and long-term effect.
1. Little Chicago
A little bit of Hollywood came to Bradford in 2007 when movie crews began planning for and shooting segments of the movie “Little Chicago,” which focuses on the city’s well-chronicled gangster past during the 1920s and 1930s.
While actual filming began in November — with cast members and movie crews fanning out across the city to capture shoot-outs and explosions, among other special effects — planning for the movie began much earlier in the year with the announcement that executive producer Carl Veno of Olean, N.Y., would be using Bradford and Olean as locations for the gangster flick.
The names of several big name stars, such as Vincent Pastore of “The Sopranos” fame, were soon being bantered about as having parts in the movie. In fact, Pastore visited Old City Hall and other sites across Bradford during a promotional stop for the show during the summer. That just served to whet the appetite for local residents, of which hundreds dressed up in Prohibition era attire in an attempt to land speaking and non-speaking parts in the film.
Officials also hoped the movie would provide an economic boost to the region; in October, the project was awarded a $1.1 million tax credit from the Pennsylvania Film Commission. Of the movie’s $5.2 million budget, Veno said $4 million would be placed into Bradford’s economy. Crews will be back in town during the early portion of 2008 to film at more locations.
2. Bigfoot
In September, a stationary field camera located in the Allegheny National Forest captured images of a dark, furry creature walking on four legs. The images quickly incited speculation the creature was Bigfoot — the mythical being that has held the attention of enthusiasts worldwide for years.
While nobody could definitively say what the creature was — the Pennsylvania Game Commission said it was definitely not Bigfoot but possibly a bear with mange — the region became ablaze with thoughts of it could be.
Pictures of the creature captured by Elk County hunter Rick Jacobs’s camera appeared across the nation and the story soon littered the Internet in stories and blogs and in print media and television everywhere. Talk of excursions into the woods were even discussed, but never formalized.
It was not the first time that Bigfoot was apparently seen in the state. According to the Pennsylvania Bigfoot Society, three credible sightings took place in the county since 1985, while four occurred in Potter County since 1970, five in Cameron County since 1977 and one in Elk County in 1992.
The year ended with the identity of the creature still a mystery.
3. Zippo
Zippo Manufacturing Co., the number one employer in McKean County, celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2007, complete with a “Light the Night” parade on Main Street and a fireworks display. An original Zippo lighter was also auctioned off at the first-ever auction opened to the public at a record price $37,000 — the highest ever paid for an original Zippo.
The company was also in the headlines for several other matters as well. In July, it was announced by the Transportation Security Administration would remove a ban on allowing airline passengers to carry disposable and refillable lighters, including Zippos. Meanwhile, the company also won an order to block U.S. imports of knockoffs from China that copy their trademark design.
The year also marked the loss of Zippo’s promotional products division to Leed’s of New Kensington as part of a restructuring of the company’s approach to the promotional products and advertising specialty industry. The move led to a phase-out of a handful of jobs in the division.
Meanwhile, after several years in the works, Zippo announced that its ZippoBLU, a butane lighter, was now in production and will be sold in the U.S. starting in September. Company officials said it took so long to bring the lighter to market because it did not meet Zippo’s standards. Officials also announced the company’s product line would move more toward collectors and away from smoking products in the future.
4. BRMC
It was a year of ups and downs for Bradford Regional Medical Center. On the good side, improvements continued as the hospital’s $15 million addition — outpatient services wing — opened. Later in the year, work started on the Emergency Room improvements.
Meanwhile, the historic Hamsher House was demolished to make room for a parking lot for the new addition. The demolition was stopped for a brief period of time by the state Department of Environmental Protection when it was discovered the hospital didn’t submit the correct paperwork needed for the demolition to take place. The matter was eventually resolved and the work continued.
However, facility officials announced in 2007 that the facility operated at a $5.3 million deficit for 2006. While finances have gotten better, they were still at a deficit in 2007. Officials explained that the problem arose from unexplained expenses and a decrease in payout from Blue Cross.
5. Bradford Regional Airport
Bradford Regional Airport finally turned the corner in 2007, flying high with several long sought-after projects coming to fruition — namely a change in hub cities from Pittsburgh to Washington’s Dulles International Airport.
Airport officials also have a new parent airline to look forward to, as current carrier Colgan Air Inc., announced in December that it would be flying under United Airlines instead of US Airways, which faces an uncertain future. Officials hope both the change in hubs and parent airlines pays big dividends in the airport’s bottom line and will be able to wean the facility off the federal Essential Air Service program.
While the activity surrounding flight service at the airport took center stage, other projects — such as the ongoing development of a Pennsylvania Army National Guard armory and proposed multi-tenant center — continued to move forward in moves airport officials hope will provide an economic boost. The airport also was able to make major physical improvements to the facility, including the creation of a parallel taxiway and repairs to the main runway.
6. Case
Business was very good at W.R. Case and Sons Cutlery Co. during 2007 with 73 new hires in the factory and more expected in 2008.
The company also launched a partnership with the popular country music duo Brooks & Dunn with a “Making a Case for America” campaign. The campaign is to bring focus to small-town America, officials said when the campaign was announced.
Meanwhile, Case officials announced in December the company will hold a new, two-day event this summer. Dubbed the Case Collector Appreciation Weekend, the event will help pay tribute to the thousands of enthusiasts who collect Case knives. The new weekend was needed after officials at Zippo Manufacturing Co. announced that there would no longer be a Zippo/Case International Swap Meet; that event is being redefined, according to Zippo officials.
7. Oil & Gas
The oil and gas industry continued its resurgence in 2007 with prices reaching record levels.
On the oil side, the price hovered near $90 a barrel for most of the year while gas topped $3 a gallon. Some even wondered if the days of $100 a barrel would soon become commonplace. Natural gas was also a primary target as part of the process, especially with prices for the element continuing to soar for the consumer.
As a result, local producers and those from outside the region continued to stream back into Bradford’s historic oil patch, drilling record numbers of new wells. The latest boom is paying bid dividends, with the extraction and refining industry responsible for generating millions of dollars for the area.
Energy prices were also high throughout the year. The average U.S. household may pay $88 more to heat their home than they did last year, according to the Federal Energy Information Administration. All of this took place as politicians looked for ways to become more energy independent and to secure needed supplies of natural gas off the country’s shores. The area could also be a prime target for the development of alternative fuels.
8. Train derailment
The effects of the June 2006 Norfolk Southern train derailment in southern McKean County near Gardeau continued in 2007, with the engineer of the train, Michael Seifert of West Seneca, N.Y., discovered to have allegedly been on drugs when the accident occurred. The railroad was also charged for the incident as part of the case, which spanned into neighboring Cameron County.
The derailment caused some 42,000 gallons of lye to spill into nearby waterways, causing millions of dollars in environmental damage and the death of thousands of fish. Eventually, a $7.35 million civil liability settlement agreement was reached between the railroad and the state Department of Environmental Protection and Fish and Boat Commission. A large portion of that settlement will be directed toward community organizations or be used to support environmental restoration work and fund community improvement projects.
Meanwhile, in August, the DEP announced the railroad had also been fined for incidents dating back four years, including three train derailments in three other counties across the state and two diesel fuel leaks in two other counties.
In November, Seifert lost his bid to have the charges dismissed; five days for his trial have been set aside in January. Meanwhile, Norfolk Southern pleaded no contest to the criminal charges leveled against the railroad.
9. Changes in city government
The faces of Bradford City government changed in 2007 as a new mayor was elected as some city council seats changed hands. A new fire chief was also named.
Starting at the top, long-time Mayor Michele Corignani announced she wouldn’t be running for re-election to the post she’s held for two terms. Prior to that she had served on city council. Taking her seat will be Tom Riel, who has served on council and ran against fellow council member Bob Onuffer. He will be sworn in next week.
Meanwhile, former Bradford Area School Board president Bob Tingley won a seat on council and will be alongside councilmen Ross Neidich and Onuffer on the new panel. Riel’s seat will need to be filled by council in the coming weeks. Former councilman Dan Costello lost out in their bids to become mayor in the primary election.
There were also changes other sections of city government, where Fire Chief Bill McCormack announced he would be retiring. Council named James “Boo” Coder as the new chief.
10. Magnotta
Former Bradford Township resident Cheryl Magnotta was charged with starving 21 Great Danes to death — 21 counts of cruelty to animals and 44 counts of scattering rubbish — after the dogs were found dead at Magnotta’s former home on West Corydon Street in June. The dogs were discovered by an agent from a local realty company who was hired to check on the residence for occupancy and prepare it for sale.
The bodies of the decomposed animals, found in debris and dog feces, were lying in kennels located behind the home, among other spots.
Magnotta remained on the lam for several weeks and was eventually found by authorities in Lackawanna County after a warrant for her arrest and statewide BOLO was issued. In September it was announced that Magnotta petitioned McKean County Court in Smethport for a reduction of her bail, which was later reduced. As the year ended, Magnotta was still awaiting trial.
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