Page 5 of 13 Dec 2013 Issue of Bedford County Inquirer in Bedford, Pennsylvania

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Bedford County Inquirer (Newspaper) - December 13, 2013, Bedford, Pennsylvania State to see More Road Bridge work a continued from Page i the transportation plan. The lifting of the Cap on the enfranchise tax a currently capped at $1.25 per gallon a could raise the Cost per gallon by 28 cents by 2019. With the infusion of Cash Schoch has directed Penn Dot executives such As Tom Prestash executive for District 9, to put together their lists of projects that can go ahead in 2014. A Tom and his team Are now getting a list together for me to determine what we can do next year a Schoch said. Generally part of the plan is to improve skid resistance with repaving projects fix the structurally deficient Bridges improve intersections and traffic signals and upgrade the states mass transit systems. Now that the Law has passed Schoch said a this Agency needs to deliver and believe me we Prestash said he expects to have the list in the coming weeks. For Bedford county it will mean the advancement of projects that like those throughout the state have been halted because of a Lack of funding. One example is the reconstruction of the intersection of routes 915 and 26 in Hopewell. Prestash said work there a which will replace the Bridge and improve the intersection and has an estimated $8 million Cost a will see new movement. Another project is for the intersection of route 56 and old town Hammond Hill Road in Fishertown. Preliminary plans Are to create a turn Lane such As was constructed near the Chestnut Ridge schools. Other corridor improvements in the county along route 26 to Saxton and route 36 in the new Enterprise area will now come to fruition faster. Penn Dot said the Money also will support a much needed projects including a $64 million Roadway realignment project on route 56 from Thomas Road to just West of Mountain Road in West St. Clair that project also was shelved Early in the 2000s because of funding. Prestash said the Rural planning organization that recommends funding for Bedford Fulton Huntingdon and Somerset counties and the metropolitan organizations for Johnstown and Altoona will help to determine which projects will be expedited in 2014. The organizations made of elected officials and their planning staffs set spending priorities in a transportation improvement program. The update for 2015-18 is currently underway. A a we la be Able to Advance some projects if not in this transportation improvement program then in 2015,�?� Prestash said. Counties and local municipalities will Benefit from the Gazette photo Elizabeth Coyle state transportation officials enjoy the upbeat tone of Bedford county chamber of Commerce so government its your business Quot Friday. From left Are Tom Prestash state transportation District 9 executive state Sens. John Eichel Berger or. And John Wozniak Pennsylvania Turnpike ceo Mark Compton and state transportation Secretary Barry Schoch. All either supported or head agencies that will Benefit from increased transportation funding. Law in at least a couple different ways. Schoch said one was a change in the Way the states prevailing wage Law will be applied. Projects must have a Cost of $100,000 before the prevailing wage applies. The threshold had been $25,000. Schoch said about 75 percent of local projects Are typically Over $25,000 for counties townships cities and boroughs. It also will save on Penn Dot projects but not to county will get projects funded regionally the transportation Bill passed last month will fund several much needed projects in Bedford county according to the state transportation office in Hollidaysburg. By the fifth year of the plan this plan invests an additional �?$1.3 billion annually for state roads and Bridges �?$480 million to $495 million annually for Public transportation �?$237 million annually for local roads and Bridges a $144 million annually in a Multi modal fund �?$30 million annually for dirt. Gravel and Low volume roadways and �?$86 million annually for Pennsylvania Turnpike expansion projects. Penn Dot said projects in Bedford county that will be completed because of the plan include Roadway rehabilitation and widening to improve safety along route 26 from riddles Burg to Saxton Broad top and Liberty townships $13.5 million a replacement of Hopewell Bridge carrying route 915 Over the Ray town Branch of the Juniata River including intersection improvements at route 26 to improve sight distance and turning movements in Broad top township and Hopewell Borough $8.3 million a intersection safety upgrades along route 36 from route 869 to the Northern Bedford county school in South Woodbury township $6.4 million. A safety improvements including adding a left turn Lane at the intersection of route 56 and route 4028, old town Road adjacent to the Fishertown country Market in East St. Clair township $2.8 million. A $64 million Roadway realignment project on route 56 from Thomas Road to just West of Mountain Road in West St. Clair township Bedford county. The same extent. The liquid fuels or Gas tax allotment municipalities receive each year is to Rise though it s not Clear yet How much. Governments also will see More dirt and gravel roads funding which has aided local town ships in maintaining Rural roads. Another Way counties May Benefit is a $5 per vehicle registration tax counties May Start to charge in 2015 for Road and Bridge projects. According to commissioners Paul Crooks and Kirt Morris who attended the chamber event the surcharge could bring in at least $330,000 per year. A i am not set for it or against it a Crooks said. The commissioners said in their research they Learned there Are about 67,000 registered vehicles in the county. Crooks and Morris said they want to see How the new funding will Impact the amount of liquid fuels Cash the county receives. A 12 cent per gallon tax that supported liquid fuels will be eliminated however the Oil franchise tax will kick in Jan. I instead. If the liquid fuels Money was to decrease Morris said he would consider the $5 tax that could Only be used for transportation Type spending. A three Hundred some thousand a that would keep us from raising property taxes to fix Bridges a Morris said. A but i done to want to add $5 if we done to need another saving would be through a a bundled Bridge projects in which designs for similar projects be placed under one contract Schoch noted. The transportation Bill is projected to add 60,000 new jobs in five years. Shawn Ritchey of Keller engineers said in his remarks to open the program that his firm plans on adding to the current staff in the transportation department. State sen. John Eichelberger jr., a Blair and sen. John Wozniak a Cambria both supported the Bill. Eichelberger has maintained that i. Support for the lifting of the Cap on the state Oil franchise tax and registration and License fee increases do not violate the no new tax pledge he took. In a question answer panel portion Wozniak said the House republicans wanted liquor privatization tied to the Senate a transportation Bill but that Effort failed last summer. Shortly after transportation funding looked doubtful. But it was for the Best in the end. A transportation Bill a was so important it should stand on its own a the Johnstown Democrat and Senate minority transportation chairman said. Had the two remained tied a it probably would have terminated the Effort for Mark Compton chief executive officer for the Pennsylva Nia Turnpike commission responding to a question said the Turnpike tolls will Rise annually 3 to 5 percent for the next eight years. During that time the Turnpike will continue to contribute $450 million annually As was agreed to under act 44 of 2007. When the Bill first passed the annual Turnpike contribution was to be in Exchange for the state getting permission to toll interstate 80 with proceeds going to the Turnpike. However the Federal Highway administration reject 1 the tolling request. To ease the turnpikes Burden the transportation Bill Sunset the turnpikes pay ment in eight years. It was to continue until 2057. Compton who took Over in february talked about the commissions recovery from the scandal that broke in March when eight Turnpike officials were indicted in a corruption investigation. The Turnpike has spent More than $1 million in audits which resulted in 133 administrative findings he said. Compton said he a committed a to make sure things that happened in the past done to happen Bedford a heritage Trust. Ritchey adds print. A continued from Page i a there i am a Small Towner a never heard of Pearl Harbor before but i was there where history happened a he said. Ritchey laughed As he told the stories of his Only two times on sea duty getting to and from Pearl Harbor. A i was about As sick As you get he said. A i did no to eat for three Days. My pants Hung Limp on Ritchey also talked about his wife Betty Lou who was also from Hyndman and served As an army nurse for 18 months during the War. They began spending time together after they both returned from Active duty. A we danced a few times and we stayed out late a few times and her Mother said what Are you doing a and eventually we got married a he said. To commemorate his wife a service and memory Ritchey said he is going to buy a Brick to be placed on the a Honor walk which will surround the statue. The statue made by Manns Choice native Wayne Hyde will be placed on Penn Street across from the courthouse As part of the memorial. It depicts two men sitting on rocks one Reading a letter from Home and the other sitting nearby with the dog tags of a fallen Soldier in his hand. There will also be bricks with the names of those who served placed around the statue As part of the Honor walk. Before the statue can be placed however it must be sent away to be bronzed which will Cost about $45,000. The visitors Bureau has raised about $10,000 of that so far and Hopes that by Selling bricks for the Honor walk and by donations. Each Brick costs $120 and will include name rank and military service of the world War ii Veteran of the buyers Choice. Brochures for the bricks have been placed in businesses around Bedford county. Anyone who wants to contribute to the memorial can visit the website www.ww2monument.com or Call the office at 613-1771. World War ii veterans who Haven to left their prints in the Clay yet May do so by visiting the office at 131 s. Juliana St. In Bedford. Gazette photo Elizabeth Coyle Jennifer Ford executive director for the fort Bedford museum outlines her plans for the facility in the next five years for the Bedford heritage Trust meeting tuesday night. At left is Tom Otis president of the trustees who said they Are working on a business plan for the museum part of a Long Range plan to boost heritage tourism in the Bedford area. Ford is also owner of backstage alpacas in briefs the Bedford state police Public information statistical report is out for the month of november. There were 148 crime offences reported in november 141 founded offences and 103 offences cleared. There were to criminal arrests. Police responded to a total of 531 criminal incidents. There were 91 car crashed last month with 12 hit and runs one fatality and 26 injuries. There were 611 traffic citations Given out and 309 warning notices. Twenty people were arrested on do charges the report stated. Eleven Motorist assists and eight dui related crashes also occurred in november and 59 seat Belt citations were Given out by police with four child seat citations. This information was released by sergeant Bradley e. Hershey station commander on behalf of Bedford troop g. Give blood. The annual Don Roadman memorial blood drive will be held from 8 . To 2 . Dec. 24 at the Bedford american legion. A continued from Page i is As Leibfreid phrased it a to put feet on the a i think a lot of Why we do this heritage tourism development is because what we do Here is of National interest a Thomas said. The trusts contract with the Borough regarding operation of the museum will be the first of possible future involvement with other entities in the Borough if Council wants it Otis said. The museums executive director Jennifer Ford gave the Board an outline of How she plans to make the museum one of the focuses of historic exploration Bedford in five years. She said she would narrow the focus of the museum which she said has a a Hodgepodge of instead of this mixture of eras represented by these items she plans to focus on the mid 1700s to the Early 1800s the French and Indian War the building of Forbes Road and fort Bedford and the whiskey rebellion. Everything that revolves around the father of the country will draw unending interest. A you can to play the George Washington card too much. It never gets old a she said. Artefacts that revolve around the Era of George Washington and the settling of Bedford will become the museums Core. She plans to develop programming to attract visitors in three areas a educational. From Young children to College students including possible internships for students who want to pursue history As a career. A enrichment. Ideas to attract neighbors and visitors such As a monthly round table discussion of topics that can be archaeology genealogy preserving heirlooms outreach to other shops and organizations increased signage and More interpretive signs around the town and More speakers and programs ready to provide to local groups. A events. Ford said the big event she would like to create is a whiskey festival to take off on the areas tie to the whiskey rebellion. The artefacts that done to fit into the time period will be catalogued and put in storage. They could be loaned to other museums who May use them for exhibits regarding other time periods. The Bedford heritage Trust officers believe the association with the Borough will be the beginning of a brighter tomorrow for the museum and other history related endeavours. A a we re absolutely excited about this and we think we can really do great things for this entity or any other entity Down the line a Otis said. What a important is that the Trust is a 501 c 3 federally tax exempt organization that can accept corporate and private donations and apply for Grants. Donors can contribute and write it off their taxes George noted. Leibfreid said Council members in a workshop did no to provide any objections to going ahead with a contract with the heritage Trust. Attorneys for both sides Are to go Over contract language and probably have a final document for Council to consider in january the mayor said. Otis said the Borough and its manager Barbara Diehl in particular have done a a tremendous jobs running the museum. Leibfreid said he is a very confident the Trust and those involved will a take the museum where we want to in other items discussed during the meeting personnel committee chairman Jeff Rinscheid told the Board that Larry Yantz who had served As a curator for the museum had resigned. To Pratt resigned his seat on the Board of trustees. Tonya Grimes newly appointed As main Street manager for downtown Bedford inc. Is to take his place. Tim Weaverling Borough councilman and trustee told the Board that he and Diehl had secured a new insurance policy for the museum. The previous one Cost $1,800 More and insured the property for under $100,000. The new one will insure the museum for $1.04 million Weaverling said. \ \

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