Friday, February 28, 2014

Samuel David O'Connor, PAHS Class of 2007



Samuel David O'Connor, 25, of Colorado Springs, CO, formerly of Port Allegany, died Sunday (February 23, 2014) in Colorado Springs.

He was born Jan 19, 1989 in Jamestown, a son of David and Mary Boyer Johnson.

Mr. O'Connor was a 2007 graduate of Port Allegany High School. He attended Allegheny College and received his Bachelors’ Degree from Mansfield University in 2012 with a double major in both Sociology/Anthropology and History. He was one of 20 students nominated for the Outstanding Senior Award. His research on student study habits was completed and presented at the Pennsylvania Sociology Society meeting. Sam was an officer of Pi Gamma Mu, the science honor society, as well as other clubs and organizations on campus. He hoped to pursue a master’s degree in Medical Sociology or Public Health then work toward a career in addressing public policy in the area of healthcare.

Sam was on the Dean’s List and Presidents List of Distinguished Scholars. He played football at both schools he attended,

He is survived by his mother and step father Mary and James O’Connor of Port Allegany and his father and step mother David and Mary Johnson of Randolph, NY

Three sisters: Vanessa Johnson of Boulder, CO, Anna (Eric) Ezzolo of Erin, NY, and Erin (Michael) Hudak of Van Etton, NY

One brother: Elliott Johnson of Sahuarita, AZ

Two step brothers, Josh (Kate) Hoffman and Shawn Hoffman both of Erie, PA

Two step sisters, Charity (Todd) Kleitz of East Aurora, NY and Sunday Card of Port Allegany, PA.

Visitation will be held on Wednesday, March 5, 2014 from 6-8PM in the Hartle-Tarbox Funeral Homes, Inc, 105 N Main St., Port Allegany. A memorial service will be held on Thursday, March 6, 2014 at 11:00am from the Hartle-Tarbox Funeral Homes, Inc, with the Rev James Kazimer, Pastor of the First Church of God, Eldred, officiating.

Online condolence may be made at www.hartle-tarboxfuneralhomes.com

Arrangements are under the direction of the Hartle-Tarbox Funeral Homes, Port Allegany.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Updates

We're sorry for the unexplained lack of PAO news.  Due to a medical set-back for the webmaster news was not able to be updated sooner.

Today I may be having an unplanned surgery.  The issue has caused headaches over the past week or so, which has left me incapable of many tasks most of us take for granted.

Thank you for your patience and thank you very much for your continued support of Port Allegany Online!!

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Special Weather STATEMENT

(UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE) 
 
BLACK ICE MAY BE A HAZARD OVERNIGHT...

TEMPERATURES ARE FALLING BACK BELOW FREEZING...AND EARLIER MELTING SNOW IS NOW REFREEZING...CAUSING LOCALIZED AREAS OF BLACK ICE AND
SLIPPERY TRAVEL.

BLACK ICE IS A TERM USED FOR ICY SPOTS ON THE ROADS THAT MAY NOT BE VISIBLE WHILE DRIVING. IF YOU MUST BE OUT DRIVING TONIGHT...USE
CAUTION AND ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF HAZARDOUS ROAD CONDITIONS THAT COULD DEVELOP RAPIDLY AND WITHOUT WARNING.

Freezing Rain ADVISORY

FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 9 AM EST WEDNESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 4 AM TO 9 AM EST
WEDNESDAY.

* LOCATIONS...CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA.

* HAZARD TYPES...LIGHT FREEZING RAIN.

* ACCUMULATIONS...A THIN GLAZE OF ICE OVER MANY LOCATIONS...WITH UP TO A TENTH OF AN INCH OF ICE OVER THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS.

* TIMING...PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE IN FROM THE SOUTHWEST LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. IT WILL LIKELY START AS A
  BRIEF PERIOD OF FREEZING RAIN SINCE TEMPERATURES WILL BE AT OR BELOW FREEZING. TEMPERATURES WILL SLOWLY WARM ABOVE FREEZING BY
  MID MORNING...ENDING THE THREAT OF FREEZING RAIN.

* IMPACTS...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL...MAINLY ON UNTREATED ROADS AND BRIDGES. SIDEWALKS AND METAL OBJECTS MAY ALSO HAVE A GLAZE OF
  ICE.

* WINDS...LIGHT AND VARIABLE.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER 20S TO LOWER 30S.

Stake appointed to fill school board vacancy / By Martha Knight



Five applicants addressed the Port Allegany School Board Monday night, laying out their qualifications for service on the board.

When board president Dave Mensch called for nominations, Jason Stake was nominated, the nominations were closed, and the seven board members present voted unanimously to appoint local businessman Jason Stake.

Stake was sworn into office on the spot and took his seat to begin participating as a board member.

The vacancy filled by the appointment was created by the resignation of long-time board member Gary A. Hardes, who had moved from the area and resigned.

Stake’s appointment is for the remainder of a term that expires early in December of 2015, because there will not be another municipal election before then.

Five persons in all had sent letters to the board indicating their willingness to serve, and all five were invited to attend the board meeting to address the board. The other four were Jamie Evens, Adam Felmlee, Dan Johnson and Nicole Austin.

After each applicant addressed the board, board members and superintendent Gary Buchsen questioned him or her.

Stake’s business enterprises include an automotive service station and a car wash. He has headed the Port Allegany Ambulance Service board and been active in that organization’s development. Stake said he is very active in his children’s schooling. He was an unsuccessful candidate for school board last year.

Board member Scott Moses said he was gratified to see a good number of well qualified persons show an interest in service on the school board, and encouraged them to run for school board seats in the future.

Mensch said he had not finalized appointments of board committees pending the filling of the vacancy. Moses volunteered to serve as legislative representative, and was appointed to that position. Mensch promised to finish appointing committees, but urged board members to contact him if they wanted different assignments.

In his monthly report Buchsen told the board the district is a Phase Three one, for Comprehensive Planning purposes., and is in the organizational stage of its planning activity. At least six members must be approved by the board to serve on a Comprehensive Planning group..

Buchsen said it would be his recommendation to appoint some of the Academic Improvement Committee members to the comprehensive planning group.

Buchsen also discussed several items of significance to school officials from Governor Tom Corbett’s budget. “Be careful of what headlines you read,” he warned, pointing out that the budget will undergo many adjustments in the next several months, before it is adopted by the legislature.

As things look now, a newly proposed Ready to Learn block grant program would provide $274,000 in funding to the district. Also, $3,348 in additional funding would be available for special education, and $5,475 for basic education.

The Ready to Learn funding, as proposed, “would take you back to where you were funded a few years ago,” Buchsen said, inasmuch as in that period, repeated cuts have been made in what had been supplied in the accountability block grant.

Buchsen announced that there had been a request for Act 93 negotiations. That committee will be convened.

The resignation of elementary teacher Paula Moses was accepted, effective October 31, ending 35 years of service. Elementary principal Tracy Kio, who had been a member of the teaching staff for part of Paula Moses’ service, said those who had served with her or been taught by her “are all better people as a result of her hard work.”

Rodney Folts was added to the support staff substitute list, and Matthew Johnson was approved as a volunteer coach for the junior-high boys’ basketball team.

The board approved entering into an agreement with Lancaster-Lebanon IU 13 to participate in the Microsoft Server Product Group, at an annual cost not to exceed $6,000.

The program will provide the district with Microsoft Office software and the Windows operating system and server software, as well as malware protection, all in latest versions, for about $6,000—about $400 more than is now paid for antivirus software alone.

The board voted to approve participation by Port Allegany students in the Otto-Eldred Trap Shooting Club, at no cost to the district.

Junior-Senior High School principal Marc Budd said some parents and students had requested that the administration explore finding a way for district students to take part in the activity. Parents would be responsible for transportation.

Mensch spoke in favor of the activity, and stated he felt confident Otto-Eldred’s board and administration would make sure the club was run without presenting liability problems for their own district, let alone the Port Allegany “guests.” Years ago Mensch coached the local district’s rifle club.

Board member Dee Buchanan said she would like the liability issue clarified further, and voted No.

The final agenda item was an information one, informing the board that guidance counselor Loren Ferguson has received six satisfactory ratings, and has qualified as a professional (tenured) employee.

Stake takes oath

Board president Dave Mensch, right, administers the oath to Jason Stake after the school board appointed Stake to fill the board vacancy Monday night (2/10).  Martha Knight Photo

Monday, February 17, 2014

Winter Weather ADVISORY

SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW LIKELY ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING...

.LOW PRESSURE AT THE SURFACE AND A POTENT UPPER AIR DISTURBANCE WILL CROSS THE REGION TONIGHT AND TUESDAY BRINGING SNOW OF VARYING
INTENSITY. THE SNOW MAY TAPER OFF TO LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OR FREEZING DRIZZLE DURING THE LATE MORNING HOURS TUESDAY.
 
 
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON EST TUESDAY...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE HAS ISSUED A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 9 PM THIS
EVENING TO NOON EST TUESDAY.

* LOCATIONS...NORTHWEST MOUNTAINS AND LAUREL HIGHLANDS.

* HAZARD TYPES...SNOW...POSSIBLY ENDING AS FREEZING DRIZZLE LATER TUESDAY MORNING.

* ACCUMULATIONS...3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW.

* TIMING...SNOW WILL DEVELOP BETWEEN 9 PM AND 11 PM TONIGHT. SOME OF THE SNOW WILL BE HEAVY OVERNIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING...AND
  FALL AT A RATE OF ONE INCH PER HOUR AT TIMES.

* IMPACTS...HAZARDOUS TRAVEL CONDITIONS DUE TO POOR VISIBILITY AND SNOW COVERED ROADS.

* WINDS...SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST 10 TO 20 MPH...WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 MPH ON THE RIDGES. WINDS WILL SHIFT TO THE WEST-SOUTHWEST AT THE
  SAME SPEEDS BY LATE TUESDAY MORNING.

* TEMPERATURES...IN THE UPPER TEENS TO MID 20S.

* VISIBILITY...BETWEEN ONE-QUARTER...AND ONE-HALF OF A MILE AT TIMES.

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Tech Talk / By Martha Knight



Remember when IBM’s supercomputer “Watson” played Jeopardy and won? Last month IBM announced that it is gearing up for “Project Lucy,” which will utilize Watson’s artificial intelligence, supercomputing capabilities to find solutions to “Africa’s grand challenges.”

Why call it Project Lucy? It’s named after the pre-homo sapiens female dubbed “Lucy” by the anthropologists who found her 40 years ago in the Great Rift Valley in Ethiopia.

What grand challenges? The scarcity of water, disease, poor agricultural production, need for education and health care, for starters.

Why IBM? Because Big Blue has staked its future on something it prefers to call “cognitive computing.” Others usually use the term “artificial intelligence.”

Kamal Bhattacharya, who is IBM’s research chief, says, “With the ability to learn from emerging patterns and discover new correlations, Watson’s cognitive capabilities hold enormous potential in Africa—helping it to achieve in the next two decades what today’s developed markets have achieved in two centuries.”

IBM plans to build “an ecosystem around Watson.” First there will be the pan-African Center of Excellence for Data-Driven Development to work with start-ups, development agencies and universities, giving them access to IBM’s big-data technologies.

At the University of Lagos, vice-chancellor Rahamon Bello foresees a great leap forward for Africa, in which it will “leapfrog” other economies.

First, though, Africa will join with those economies. The base from which the leapfrog will happen will be outside investments in science and technology, and economic planning integrated with those and “aligned to the African landscape.”

IBM and its enormous economic input will serve as catalyst, and will attract investments by other entities, or so the reasoning goes.

A heifer here, a heifer there (or a couple of goats, maybe) and pretty soon you have the herd shot ’round the world. (Sorry about that.) Those micro-loans, those little resource puddles of contributions from churches or clubs or charities can enable African families to feed themselves.

Scale that up a lot, and we have giant enterprises like IBM throwing technologies into the mix, to create self-sustaining systems and services..

How generous and noble! Well, I do think IBM could continue to do well without this initiative, but I also believe IBM will do very well from it.

Just so Big Oil, or American energy companies, spent tens of millions in, for instance, Saudi Arabia, back in the 1940s and 1950s. It did help Saudi Arabia. The American companies did very well for themselves too. Other countries in the region were favored with American investment, development and attention. But one view of those ventures is that the American companies exploited those countries, or their natural resources.

From what I am hearing so far, there is plenty in this venture for IBM, but IBM is not exploiting the African raw materials or resources for its own corporate benefit at the expense of the African peoples, nations or ecology,

IBM opened its first African research center in Nairobi in 2012. Since then there have been several additional “innovation centers,” including one in Nigeria.

One person who will be watching these developments with special interest, and from a closer vantage point, is Jim Mangold, our Don Mangold’s son, who has a fascinating project going on in Zambia, at a most amazing school.

•    •    •

Sony has made laptops for years. Its line of Vaio notebooks has included some excellent models. I can’t say I cared much for its netbooks, but then, I wasn’t a fan of that whole concept. Well, Chromebooks might be okay.

But Sony has excelled in other consumer electronics and entertainment gear. The company plans to do more with tablets and smartphones, too. So now it is selling its Vaio PC business to Japan Industrial Partners. Company spokespersons say this will allow it to concentrate more on tablets and smartphones.

What about Sony TVs? It has had some popular models. Sony says it will focus more on high-end models, such as ultra-high-definition ones. Sony’s TV business will be turned into a wholly owned subsidiary and enhance its cost-cutting efforts. Hm. Downsizing, maybe?

Yes, apparently. Sony will shed about 5,000 jobs, including 1,500 in Japan.

Almost everybody making PCs is selling fewer of them. As for IBM, once the market leader, it doesn’t deal in those anymore. Lenovo is doing okay there, and Dell does sell desktops, laptops and servers.

Maybe they can get Watson to forecast the best places to put their money and attention.

Although I see that the reasoning ability of Watson is described as equivalent to that of a four-year-old human. Hm.