TROY - Judy Warn of Troy walks over to her flower garden and points to a single plant with a small orange flower.

"It's taken a while to get established," she said.

The plant is one of the many varieties of milkweed, and is called Butterflyweed.

By growing the plant in her garden, Warn is seeking to do her part to help the monarch butterfly survive.

"They're beautiful," she said of the winged insects. "They're just beautiful."

Recently, Warn became concerned after reading a newspaper article that appeared in The Daily Review about the plight of monarch butterflies.

The TNS News Service article was about a national pollinator plan from the White House, which it noted is an "epic attempt" to save the monarch butterfly's "steady slide toward the Endangered Species list."

According to the article, the key to the plan is milkweed, the monarch caterpillars' "one and only food source."

Much attention is being focused on the Midwest area of the country.

The article noted that milkweed "has all but disappeared" from Midwestern landscapes, "thanks largely to GMO crops and the widespread use of Round-up."

The TNS News Service article stated that, with the execution of the national pollinator plan, "more than a billion unruly milkweed plants would pop up along a 200-mile-wide corridor along Interstate 35 from Minnesota to Texas."

The article states that 500 million milkweed seeds will be needed, while an official with the U.S. Geological Service quoted in the article states that the government's plan needs more - "billions and billions of seeds," because just one out of 100 seeds germinate.

While Troy is hardly the Midwest, Warn still wants to do her part by growing milkweed.

"It's their only food source, which is why it's so critical," she commented.

In addition to her concerns about pesticides, Warn notes that the monarchs' problems also have to do with development.

"Add to this the paving over of much of their habitat as urban areas expand and a fragmentation of migratory routes so vital to their survival has resulted," she wrote in a letter to the editor. "To help reverse this trend, you can help by planting milkweed in your gardens or properties. There are many varieties of milkweed including one that I grow, a showy orange Butterflyweed, Asclepias tuberosa."

Warn noted that the seeds form in pods on milkweed in late summer, and can then be collected and donated to MonarchWatch.org. so they can be dispersed.

"The seeds can be separated from their fluff by grasping the seed parts and pulling them away from their fluff," she noted in her letter to the editor. "They can then be placed in a ziplock bag, labeled and sent to MonarchWatch whose address is listed on their website. Be sure to include information about where you collected the seeds, i.e. your garden or county location and state."

Recently, Penn State Horticulture Educator Tom Maloney had some live monarch caterpillars at the Troy Fair for people to see.

"Through clearing land in Mexico, where they migrate to, they don't have as much habitat as they used to," he said of the monarch butterflies' habitat. "It's been reduced. They have been losing their numbers."

"They cut the trees and plants down to plant crops, there's not as much habitat for monarchs." Besides the issues in Mexico, he noted that urbanization in the U.S. is also a challenge for the monarchs.

Also, he said that "some of the broad spectrum insecticides that kill some of our garden pests will also kill butterflies."

Maloney said he has seen fewer monarch butterflies the last several years in Bradford County, adding that the populations fluctuate. He's seen a few this year.

He said that he "absolutely" encourages people to plant milkweed in their garden to help the monarch butterflies, noting there are many varieties.

"There's a lot of different ones," he said.

"Be careful with insecticides," he added. "If you have to use an insecticide, use it as close to nighttime as possible, when insects are less active. Usually, the warmer the day, the more active they are."

Maloney said people can look for monarch butterflies migrating in mid- to late-October.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; email: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

Are you at least 60 years old? Are you looking for some fun and enjoyable community activities with your fellow seniors? Would you like a nice lunch?

If the answer is affirmative, then the Towanda Senior Center may be just what you've been looking for.

"I think our senior center is our best kept secret in our county," explained Nancy Schrader, manager of the Towanda Senior Center, which operates out of the community center in Colonial Towers in Towanda. "I feel they provide a valuable service to those who participate at the center, but also to those who need the service. Such as Meals on Wheels."

According to Tiffani Warner, Community Service Coordinator for the Bradford Sullivan Tioga Area Agency on Aging Inc., the Towanda facility is one of 20 senior centers operated through the four-county area. Robin Vanvalkenburg, Volunteer Coordinator/Senior Center Director, explained that the services provided through the Towanda Senior Center cover most of Bradford and Sullivan counties.

"We furnish a hot, nutritious meal, along with activity," Schrader explained.

Some of those activities include penny bingo which is held every day from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. In the afternoons folks can play pinochle together. Schrader said that yoga classes and "chair exercises" are provided on a regular basis, with instructors coming in to lead the participants.

"(Bradford County Commissioner) Daryl Miller is scheduled to come in and talk about the county's activities and the new senior building, Towanda Terrace," Schrader said. "We also have a wellness program throughout the month as well as a nutritional program."

Other activities include celebrating birthdays and special occasions, Schrader continued. They also hold trivia competitions on a regular basis.

"We're getting ready to auction wrapped gifts," Schrader said. "Participants find items at home that they don't want any more, so they gift-wrap them and bring them in for sale."

The purpose of the auction, Vanvalkenburg explained, is to raise funds donated to Human Services, which will in turn use the money to purchase school supplies for foster children. Vanvalkenburg explained she is going to treat the senior center that raises the most money to a pizza party.

Another event held at the Towanda Senior Center on a monthly basis is a French toast breakfast which is open to the public.

"We always have a calendar on the wall, listing activities," Schrader explained. "We also give a calendar to participants. You don't have to be a resident (of Colonial Towers) to participate. We love people to come in and join the fun."

The Towanda Senior Center operates from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. However, Schrader explained that they often sponsor events after hours, such as their "night out" activities.

"I love it," said Rose Farr of Towanda, who comes to the center on a regular basis. "The service is excellent, there's good meals. And of course the residents are a joy to be around."

"I love the center," Marcia Flanagan of Towanda explained. "It's in a good location - there's a lot of places I can walk to from there."

"I'm happy ever since I got here," explained Toni Wheeler, who lives at Colonial Towers and takes advantage of the services provided by the center. "Ever since I got here, people have been terrific here."

"I like it," said Betty Whipple. "I have a lot of friends here. The volunteers are excellent here."

The Towanda Senior Center also coordinates the distribution of the "Meals on Wheels" program in the area.

"We serve about 50 people in Wysox, Ulster, Burlington, Towanda and Rome," Schrader explained. "It's all done by volunteers, who are paid mileage. We're always looking for drivers. We are very thankful for the volunteers."

Meals on Wheels provides a hot meal to participants on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and at the same time a frozen meal so they will have something to eat on days when deliveries are not scheduled.

Robin explained that those wishing to take advantage of the Meals on Wheels program may contact a caseworker at the Bradford Sullivan Tioga Area Agency on Aging at 1 (800) 982-4346 to determine eligibility. In addition, Vanvalkenburg said, people out of the area may call the agency and ask for her to find information on a senior center serving their particular area. People locally wishing to check on activities and services provided by the Towanda Senior Center may call (570) 265-2687. Vanvalkenburg also said that people can find listings of their local senior centers in the telephone book.

Schrader also explained that those who volunteer at the Towanda Senior Center do a wonderful job of helping participants with the various activities. In addition, she said, they are also looking for such donations from the community as clean plastic grocery bags - to wrap the food in for the Meals on Wheels program - paper towels, and coffee. Nancy explained that she makes "no bake" cookies for the participants, so donations of peanut butter and cocoa would also be appreciated. Anyone interested in making a donation may call the center's number.

Schrader, Vanvalkenburg and Warner emphasized that all the activities sponsored by the Towanda Senior Center would not be possible without the time and effort contributed by the volunteers.

"We're always looking for volunteers," Vanvalkenburg explained.

"I would like every senior to take advantage of the wonderful opportunities that are available at the Towanda Senior Center," Schrader said.

TROY - Tom Johnston of Wellsboro attended the Troy Town Cruisers weekly car show Tuesday in downtown Troy, and left with a prize.

In one of the raffle drawings, he won a Quick Lube certificate for Eighmey's.

"I think it's great," he said.

Johnston said that he also won a prize two or three weeks ago.

"Guess I've been lucky," he commented.

He brought a 1966 Corvette to the show.

Car show organizer Jim Blackwell said Corvettes will be the theme for next week's car show.

People can bring any kind of Corvette to the show next Tuesday.

According to Blackwell, there were requests from the public for a Corvette-themed night.

He said that he's already had calls from Watkins Glen about the Corvette night, and he expected to get some from Williamsport as well.

Blackwell thought there would be good attendance for the Corvette night.

He noted that a lot of people took part in the Mustang-themed night last year.

Blackwell said Tuesday's car show had the highest participation of the weekly car shows this year. He said there were 60 cars.

Johnston, meanwhile, said he will bring his Corvette next week - "if it's sunny."

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; email: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

Towanda Printing Company (TPC) announced on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement to sell the company to Sample News Group.

George Lynett Jr., CEO of Times-Shamrock Communications, the parent company of TPC, made the announcement along with George "Scoop" Sample, CEO of Sample News Group.

An asset purchase agreement between the two companies was executed Aug. 4, and the sale is expected to be completed by Oct. 1.

Towanda Printing Company is made up of three newspaper clusters that include daily, weekly and monthly publications that serve a five-county area centered in Northeast Pennsylvania and South Central New York. Those publications include The Daily Review, the Bradford Sullivan Pennysaver, and the Farmer's Friend, all in Towanda; the Northeast Driller, Sayre; the Troy Pennysaver, Troy; the Susquehanna County Independent and Weekender in Montrose; The News Item in Shamokin; the Citizens Standard, Valley View, Pa.; and the Owego Pennysaver in Owego, N.Y. Also included in the sale is the company's printing facility in Towanda.

"This is a bittersweet moment for our family and for me as a former publisher of The Daily Review. We have had a wonderful experience as owners of the Towanda Printing Company," Lynett said. "But we are also confident that we have placed Towanda Printing in the capable hands of another respected, family-owned media company."

Times-Shamrock purchased the Towanda Printing Company from the Turner family in 1977, opening a Sayre bureau the following year and debuting the Sunday Review in 1987. Towanda Printing Company's state-of-the-art printing plant was opened in 2001. Times-Shamrock continues to operate daily newspapers in Scranton, Wilkes-Barre, Pottsville and Hazleton, as well as 14 radio stations in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Wisconsin and Nevada.

"We welcome Towanda Printing Company and Shamokin into our family of newspapers. We are honored to have been selected by Times-Shamrock to continue their legacy of delivering all the best news to these fine communities," George "Scoop" Sample said.

Sample News Group owns over 50 publications, including 15 daily newspapers, in six states: Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.

The Sample News Group is headquartered in Huntingdon, Pa.

The annual Dushore Founders Day, which features its famous outhouse races and much more, will take place on Saturday, Aug. 8 in Dushore.

Two years ago, over 5,000 people came to Dushore Founders Day, with the outhouse races being the biggest draw, said Dushore Lions Club member Spencer Davis, who is one of the organizers of the event.

Dushore Founders Day features activities, including kids' activities, which are held throughout the day, such as a pet parade, roll-a-keg races, and a 3-on-3 basketball tournament.

The event also features many vendors, including food vendors.

At 6:30 p.m. there will be a parade of outhouses, each of which is mounted on wheels, down Main Street "so that people can get a good photo of them," Davis said.

The outhouse races begin at 7 p.m. During the competition, teams, each consisting of several people, push the bathrooms on wheels down Main Street, with one member of each team sitting in the outhouse to steer. There are trophies and cash prizes of up to $300 for the winners of the outhouse races.

At 4 p.m., an auction begins of painted toilet seats. In the past, some of the toilet seats have sold for $200 or $300, Davis said.

The roll-a-keg races begin at 5 p.m. on Center Street, in front of the post office. Teams roll the water-filled kegs, which weigh 150 pounds, as fast as they can down a course in the street, Spencer said.

The basketball tournament begins at 8 a.m. in the Dushore Borough Park.

There is free admission to Dushore Founders Day.

Last year, Dushore Founders Day was not held, because a bridge on Route 220 was being replaced in the center of town.

Dushore Founders Day is organized by the Dushore Lions Club.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or email: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.

CANTON - Classic cars will be front and center this evening in the borough.

The Canton Area Chamber of Commerce is presenting the annual "Canton's Classic Car Show" from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today.

"Come show off your muscle!" a flier for the event announces.

Registration begins at 5:30 p.m., which is free.

Vehicles must be at least 20 years old to enter, and the car show will be held at the Main Street Park in Canton.

According to the flier, cars will park in the rear of Chemung Canal Trust and Main Street Park.

Prizes will be awarded to the top three cars, with owner judging, the flier notes.

Also, there will be a live remote with WHGL 100, sidewalk sales, and "lots of food and fun."

"Along with the car show, there is a community pinewood derby that the Canton Cub Scouts Pack No. 3 is hosting," said Amy Seeley, with the chamber.

The race starts at 7 p.m. and the impounding of the cars will begin at 5:30, she said.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; email: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

LEROY TWP. - A LeRoy Township supervisor is urging motorists to drive slowly on the detour for a large culvert replacement on Route 414.

The $743,498 culvert replacement project is near the intersection with Jennings Road (T-318) in LeRoy Township, and started July 27, according to PennDOT.

During the construction of the new culvert, vehicular traffic is being detoured along Canton Cross Road (Route 3005) and Southside Road (Route 3008).

LeRoy Township Supervisor Ted Tomlinson said that there has been a proportionate increase in traffic on Southside Road, as a result of the detour.

"They don't seem to want to slow down, most of them," he said.

He noted that the speed limit is 40 mph.

Tomlinson said one resident on Southside Road put up a sign with a message asking motorists to slow down and telling them that "this is not a racetrack."

Tomlinson said he told his grandchildren not to ride bikes on the road, while the detour is in place.

He said people also like to walk on the road, which is another reason for people to slow down.

"You've got to be really careful," he commented.

In a news release, PennDOT said the existing corrugated metal pipe culvert over a tributary to Towanda Creek was built in 1963 and is currently classified as structurally deficient.

This project includes replacing the old corrugated metal pipe culvert with a new reinforced concrete box culvert on the existing alignment, drainage improvements, and guide rail replacement.

The traffic detour is scheduled to end on Aug. 17.

All work under this contract is scheduled to be completed by Sept. 25.

LTT Trucking LLC, is the prime contractor.

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; email: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

A unique program at the Sayre Historical Society will focus on "Sayre's Days of Old: Horses, Trolleys and the Old Lamp Lighter," from 7-9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 22. Presented by Sayre historian James Nobles, the first History Under the Stars program will be held on the museum grounds in downtown Sayre just prior to the summer fireworks display at Riverfront Park.

"The program will include images with commentary of the early days of Sayre as it grew from being an Athens Township hamlet of a little over 700 people in the year 1880 to its boom town growth of over 3,000 people in 1890," said Nobles.

The program will be displayed outdoors on a large screen affixed to the southern end of the Lehigh Valley Railroad Station. Admission is free and bags of popcorn and bottled water will be available to purchase.

"This was a time of horse drawn carriages and wagons being driven on dirt roads," Nobles said. "Bicycles and walking were prominent and for many people were their only mode of travel. East Lockhart Street ended at the Susquehanna River where a ferryboat was operated, preceding any bridge over the river to Riverside Drive."

The program will also include many images of the trolley system on its route through Sayre on tracks in the center of the dirt roads. The "gong" of the trolley bell was well-known to the people of Sayre for nearly a half century. Railroading will include the arrival of the very first Black Diamond Passenger Train at the Sayre passenger station in 1896.

As the sun sets, the program will include images of Sayre's old streetlights.

"In its early days, Sayre had oil streetlights that required a person to, in the words of an old song, 'turn them on when night is near,' and to, 'turn them off when dawn is here.' Haight Griswold was Sayre's 'old lamp lighter of long, long ago.' Images will be shown of Haight on his rounds," Nobles explained.

The program will show the progression of transportation in Sayre from horses, bicycles, Herdic coaches, and steam locomotives, to the trolley cars, and finally automobiles.

"Some of the images will be very familiar as much of the background in the pictures has been preserved and is with us today," said Nobles.

The History Under the Stars program will include musical entertainment starting at 7 p.m. The history program is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. Sayre's fireworks, which will be visible from the station grounds, are set to start at 8:45 p.m. Blankets and lawn chairs are encouraged for the program.

The Sayre Historical Society is a membership-supported, non-profit historic preservation organization staffed by volunteers. The group is the recipient of United Way funding.

Submitted by Nancy Brittain.

Due to a water main break, a boil water advisory has been issued for some of the Towanda Municipal Authority's customers in North Towanda Township.

The boil water advisory is for customers on McEwen Road, Old Mills Road and Tomahawk Road, as well as those on State Route 220 from Tomahawk Road to Hemlock Run Road, according to a press release from the Towanda Municipal Authority.

Customers affected are advised to boil all water for drinking, ice making, brushing teeth, washing dishes and cooking, at a rolling boil for 1 minute, and letting it cool before consuming, said Fred Johnson, the Towanda Municipal Authority's public works superintendent.

The boil water advisory was issued after a water main break was discovered at about 12:30 p.m. Thursday along the east side of Old Mills Road in North Towanda Township, in front of Bradco Supply, said Towanda Municipal Authority Manager Kyle V. Lane.

The water main break has since been repaired, Lane said at 4:45 p.m. Thursday. The water supply for the area has been turned back on, he added.

"Because the pipe drained, we are required to have the boil water advisory," Lane said.

However, before the boil water advisory can be lifted, the Towanda Municipal Authority must have two water tests done, both with negative results for bacteria, he said. The testing will be done today and Saturday, he said.

The results are normally available in 24 hours, he said. However, because of the weekend, the soonest the test results will be available is Monday, he said.

Therefore, Monday, Aug. 10 is the soonest the boil water advisory will be lifted, he said.

Residents affected will be notified when the boil water advisory is lifted, the press release said.

"You may experience discolored or cloudy water and low pressure for a period once the water supply is turned back on. We apologize for any inconvenience this service interruption may cause. We thank you for your patience and understanding," the press release said.

The Towanda Municipal Authority owns and operates the Towanda Water & Sewer Systems.

James Loewenstein can be reached at (570) 265-1633; or email: jloewenstein@thedailyreview.com.

SAYRE - Seventy-three-year-old Alvin Eberlin has been using a motorized wheelchair for about three years.

In 1982, Eberlin broke his back working on a construction site in New Jersey and ever since then he has had trouble walking.

"I can go about 30 feet before collapsing," he said.

But on Thursday last week, Eberlin's red Jazzy motorized wheelchair was stolen between about 10:30 p.m. and 1 a.m., he said.

He said he left at about 10:30 p.m. to take some family members worm hunting for their bait business. Before he returned to his West Lockhart Street residence, he had to help his son with a piece of medical equipment and finally returned at about 1 a.m. Friday to find his chair missing.

"I was stuck down there," he said.

Eberlin uses the chair to navigate his apartment, as well as to take him to his vehicle that he parks in the municipal parking lot on Lehigh Avenue.

"The police looked for it for about an hour," he said.

But a week later, the chair is still missing.

Sayre Police Chief Daniel Reynolds said there are no leads in the theft of the roughly $7,500 chair.

After reviewing Sayre Borough's security footage of the downtown area, Reynolds said police were unable to see who took the chair.

"Hopefully it turns up somewhere," he said.

For the time being, Eberlin is using a scooter that is not accommodating of his disability.

The current scooter has several issues, Eberlin said. One being its stability is lacking, and Eberlin said that a scooter tipped over a few months ago when he was using it.

The tip caused him to break his arm as well as tear cartilage in his shoulder and elbow, he said.

And the scooter he uses now lacks in mobility, he said. Eberlin has to use a three-point turn just to do an about face, whereas the Jazzy had a small turning radius, making navigation around his apartment much easier.

The last issue he faces without his Jazzy is accessing aspects of his everyday life such as his stove top, dining table, and bathroom facilities, he said.

Eberlin said he thinks the chair was stolen for drug money, but Sayre police said they have no information to confirm that.

For three years Eberlin has parked his scooter in the municipal lot and has not had any serious issues with people and his chair.

"There are five bars around here," he said. "I've seen drunk people riding it, but it was always put back."

Now, Eberlin has a cable and locks to secure his scooter and plans to keep locking it up in the future.

He said when he can obtain a police report on the incident, he can send it in to Medicare for reimbursement of a new chair.

"For someone to steal a wheelchair from a disabled person," he said, "they have to be sick."

Eberlin said if he could speak with the perpetrators of the theft he'd tell them they belong in jail.

Max Bennett can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or email: mbennett@thedailyreview.com.

Bridge replacement project starts Monday on Litchfield Road in Bradford County

MONTOURSVILLE - On Monday, Aug. 10, a PennDOT bridge crew in Bradford County will begin a bridge replacement project on Route 1058 (Litchfield Road), just northeast of the intersection with Route 1056 (Cotton Hollow Road) in Litchfield Township.

The existing 12 foot-long steel I-beam bridge, which spans a tributary to Satterlee Creek, was built in 1938 and reconstructed in 1983.

Work includes removing the existing bridge, installing a precast reinforced concrete box culvert, upgrading approaches and guide rail and performing finishing work.

A detour will be in place using Cotton Hollow Road and Route 1067 (Hill Road).

The bridge is scheduled to be opened to traffic at the end of September.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

GILLETT - A famous song by The Beatles is about getting by with a little help from your friends.

On Thursday, the senior citizens in Gillett got by with a little help from the South Creek Township supervisors.

Helen Mickley, president of the senior citizens, asked about a letter that had been sent to the supervisors asking for some assistance in light of the state budget impasse.

The Aug. 3 letter was from Marlea Hoyt, executive director of the B/S/S/T Area Agency on the Aging.

It reads, "The Commonwealth's budget continues to remain at an impasse creating financial challenges for our local non-profit Area Agency on the Aging, Inc. As a result, we are not able to access our state funds nor the federal funds that are channeled through the Pennsylvania Department of Aging."

In the letter, Hoyt asked the township supervisors, as the landlord of the senior center in Gillett, to see if there can be a delay in rental payments for the senior center, without the incurrence of late fees, until the state budget is passed and state funding can be accessed. She noted that reimbursement would be retroactive to the month not paid.

The senior citizens meet inside the township community building.

During the meeting, supervisors then agreed to allow the payments to be suspended until the money from the state comes through.

Township secretary Linda Leonard said that the rent is $25 a meeting, which amounts to from $100 to $125 a month.

Mickley was pleased with the supervisors' decision.

"What are you going to do, until the budget is passed and their money comes?" she said. "We're not happy with it, but we have to do it."

Eric Hrin can be reached at (570) 297-5251; email: reviewtroy@thedailyreview.com.

TOWANDA - Effective Sept. 1, 2015, the boarding fee/copay for BeST Transit door to door senior shared ride services will increase from .75 cents to $1.00.

The boarding fee is required each time a person boards the vehicle. The increase is due to a rise in costs associated with providing transportation services.

The "Shared Ride" program provided by BeST offers reduced fare transportation to persons age 65 and older who are residents of Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna and Tioga counties in Pennsylvania. Eligible persons must register with BeST in advance of scheduling their transportation. For more information about BeST's Shared Ride Program please call BeST at 1-800-242-3484 or B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging, Inc. at 1-800-982-4346.

The Shared Ride program is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Lottery and the B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging, Inc. The B/S/S/T Area Agency on Aging, Inc. is funded in part by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging; the United Way of Bradford County and the United Way of Susquehanna County; and the Bradford, Sullivan, Susquehanna, and Tioga county commissioners.

WYSOX - Panda Liberty LLC will purchase a 10,000 square-foot right-of-way from Wysox Township for $15,000, and the money will be used to make improvements to the township's boat launch property, including the construction of a soccer field, the Wysox Township supervisors announced on Thursday.

The right-of-way, which is located next to state Route 187, will be used to install water and sewer lines, which will serve the Panda Liberty power plant that is being constructed in Asylum Township, township Supervisor Bill Them said at the Wysox Township supervisors' meeting on Thursday.

The right-of-way is located on the boat launch property, 18 feet from Route 187, according to Ian Ivanoff, who represents Panda Liberty LLC. The width of the right-of-way varies from about 15 to 20 feet, he said.

The $15,000 will be used to construct a practice soccer field, if not a full-size soccer field, on the boat launch property, township Supervisor Jon Kulick said. The money will also be used to spruce up other facilities in the park, such as the pavilion, he said.

The water and sewer lines will also be available to serve homes on Echo Beach Road and in the area of the power plant, Ivanoff said in an interview.

The $15,000 gives Panda the right to install the lines on township property, he said.

After the lines are installed, Panda will turn over the right-of-way at no charge to the township, he said. The ownership of the water and sewer lines will also be turned over to the township, he said.

The supervisors also announced that Samantha Dougal has been hired as the new township secretary.

Them said that Dougal "has been here for two weeks. She's doing a heck of a job. She's conscientious and wants to please. It's really good."

Dougal replaces Kurt Lafy, who had resigned from the secretary position.

The supervisors also opened the four bids that had been submitted to do the first phase of a project on Dry Run Road, and they accepted the low bid of $94,320, which had been submitted by Insinger Excavating. The first phase consists of stream stabilization, road regrading, tree removal, and the installation of cross-piping, Them said. The supervisors also voted to advertise the second phase of the project, once the township receives the specifications for the second phase from the Bradford County Conservation District. The second phase involves installing a new road surface for the roadway.

MONTOURSVILLE - On Monday, Aug. 10, a PennDOT maintenance crew in Sullivan County will replace a pipe on Route 2001 (Beaver Lake Road) in Davidson Township.

The road will be closed between Stanton Road and Shipman Hill Road from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. for this one-day project.

A signed detour will be in place using Route 2077 (Beaver Run Road), Route 118 and Route 42.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 770 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

PennDOT will be performing maintenance work at the following locations:

SR 1058, Litchfield Rd., Litchfield Twp., bridge replacement

SR 0006, Standing Stone Twp., base repair

SR 0154, Canton Twp., shoulder stabilization

SR 3034, Mudcreek Rd., Troy Twp., pipe repair

SR 0187, Windham Twp., guiderail repair

SR 4016, Austinville Rd., Columbia Twp., patching

SR 4030, Doty Hill Rd., South Creek, Ridgebury Twp., patching

Various routes, Troy, Coryland area, mowing

SR 1022, Sheshequin Twp., pipe flushing

SR 0220, Athens Twp., pipe repair

SR 1021, Rummerfield Creek Rd., Standing Stone Twp., pipe replacement

SR 1012, Mercur Hill Rd., Leisure Lakes Rd., Wysox, Stevens, Herrick, Standing Stone Twp., shoulder cutting

SR 1023, Johnson Hill Rd., Keene Summit Rd., Wysox, Standing Stone Twp., shoulder cutting

SR 2016, River Road, Towanda, Asylum Twp., shoulder cutting

SR 1017, Herrickville Rd., Herrick Twp., shoulder stabilization

County wide, sign installation and repair

All state routes, dead deer. If you see any dead deer along any state road, please report them to our office at 1-800-FIX-ROAD or 570-265-2181.

All state routes, signs down. If you see any signs down on any state road, please report them to our office at 1-800-FIX-ROAD or 570-265-2181.

Submitted by PennDOT.

SAYRE - The 11-hour standoff on Friday last week in Sayre ended peacefully with no injuries to law enforcement or the suspect, 33-year-old Justin Holloway.

That, said Sayre Police Chief Daniel Reynolds, is reason to be thankful.

"Our whole goal was safety of the community, police officers, and Mr. Holloway," Reynolds said.

The catalyst for such a large and careful response was the possibility of explosives in the home as well as reported firearms, Reynolds said.

With nearby "target rich environments" such as Howard Elmer Park's farmers market and the Robert Packer Hospital, police evacuated the park and called for a lockdown of Guthrie's Sayre campus.

"We would have evacuated the park eventually," he said. "The threat of potential explosives expedited that, however."

He said if a suspect is willing to hurt oneself, hurting others could be on their mind as well.

Initially, he said there were only three officers on scene, including himself, so when he sent one officer to do crowd control at the park his available staff was cut in half.

"People think there were 20 of us" initially on scene, he said. But with only one other officer on hand, Reynolds said the situation was not easy to approach.

Early on in the day, Reynolds reached out to Pennsylvania and New York state police for Containment Emergency Response Teams to assist with the standoff.

"It's circumstantial based," Reynolds said of making a choice to request CERTs, which Reynolds said are essentially SWAT teams.

With the threat of explosives and firearms in the apartment, Reynolds decided to alert the teams for potential call to action.

That means he contacted state police units who let CERT members know they may be needed.

"We don't want to use resources if we don't need them," he said.

Ideally, Reynolds said talking a suspect out of their location happens quickly, but when police neither saw nor heard Holloway in the apartment, they decided to err on the side of caution to protect the public.

"I waited about an hour to contact state police," he said.

Police and 911 dispatchers initially had very little information, Reynolds said, with most of it coming from Holloway's employers who were at the house early Friday and reported the explosives and firearm presence.

And with the ubiquity of social media, rumors began spreading quickly across the Valley area about the standoff.

Reynolds said most of the rumors had no effect on police, but said it compounded the fears of residents.

"We heard rumors we knew were false," he said. "But other news did affect us."

With new information, such as the number of weapons Holloway possessed, coming from various sources, police kept rethinking the situation to bring the standoff safely to a close.

"The whole situation was fluid," he said, as police were unsure of certain details' veracity that emerged as the day progressed.

Reynolds said regardless of whether or not Holloway was actually in the apartment, police thought he was inside and treated the situation with extreme caution.

He said on a day such as last Friday, where temperatures reached the low 90s, and officers were holding long-barrel weapons wearing black body armor, more officers were necessary to keep others "fresh."

The increased number of officers also allowed police to enforce their perimeter, which was established quickly and Reynolds said he is proud of his officers and other Sayre Borough officials for helping and allowing responders to be alert at all times.

Also, Reynolds said the large number of police helped to supplement Sayre police, as several members were attempting to obtain search, arrest, and mental health warrants for the apartment and Holloway.

Reynolds said if police had not responded the way they did Friday, critics would still be making comments.

"There were a lot of heroes there. I'm thankful no one got hurt," he said. "What upsets me the most is officers put themselves in harm's way to protect the public and people are criticizing the response. I think it's unfair to judge (police) before the general public knows the facts."

However, Reynolds said he and other officers have been thanked by the public for their hard work and efforts to keep the community safe during last Friday's events.

He also said assisting police departments, including Athens borough and township police, Village of Waverly Police, and New York and Pennsylvania state police, were "amazing" in their responses.

"The bottom line is no one got hurt," he said.

Reynolds said he'd like to see a CERT for Bradford County to mitigate potentially long response times from state police in these types of situations.

Max Bennett can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or email: mbennett@thedailyreview.com.

Thanks for the support

North Rome Christian School would like to thank everyone who came out for the benefit for North Spencer Christian Academy. We were able to raise over $2,300 to help the school with repairs after their building in North Spencer, N.Y. was flooded. We also took monetary donations to purchase some new library books, and with a matching grant from Usborne books, the school will receive $300 in library books. So many people came out that we didn't know. It was wonderful to see the support from both Pennsylvania and New York families.

Helicopters spotted

I'm just wondering why two helicopters would have flown over. I live around North Towanda and two helicopters went over at 11:30 a.m. Monday. When I first heard them I thought it was someone coming to the hospital, but no, they went on over and there were two of them. I'm just curious, where would they be going?

Trees dying

Remember when Towanda was given distinction of being Tree City USA? Now there are dead, dying, damaged trees on either side of the town. What happened?

Beautiful sight

The Madigan courtyard at the west side of the veterans' bridge is beautiful. Thank you to whoever worked on this beautification.

----------------

Care to share?

The Daily Review's Sound Off column will include items, both positive and negative, called in to a Sound Off hotline. That number is 570-265-1603. Calls will be anonymous; names will not be published. Profanity, as well as libelous content will be edited out. Give us a call. Let us know what's on your mind. We look forward to hearing from you!

SAYRE - An abandoned and blighted property on Chemung Street in Sayre has an owner now and is currently undergoing work to renovate the home.

Crescent Builders of Sayre purchased the 105 Chemung St. home from Sayre Borough for $13,001, according to Sayre Borough Code Officer Chris Kaiden.

Next week, the deal will close, but the borough granted Crescent early access to the home to help with a potentially lengthy renovation process.

In June, Kaiden hosted walk-throughs of the property for potential buyers.

The home was littered with clothes, old furniture, and garbage, but Kaiden said structurally the house was sound.

Crescent Builders has 180 days from closing the deal to complete required work on the home, including replacing the roof, windows, siding, and porch; removing a backyard shed and shrubs; installing a new sidewalk, wiring, heating unit, and a 200 AMP service.

The sale didn't generate revenue for the borough, but Kaiden said that wasn't the goal.

The end game is getting the home back on the tax roll, Kaiden said.

The county assessed the house at $17,000, Kaiden said.

Kaiden said after the home is renovated, the county will reassess the home and the value will be more than the $17,000 it's been assessed at.

The increased assessment will allow for more tax revenue to be generated from the home.

Max Bennett can be reached at (570) 888-9652; or email: mbennett@thedailyreview.com.

Researchers comparing hospital visits in three rural Northeast Pennsylvania counties found a higher rate of hospital visits in counties with a heavy gas industry presence.

Residents of heavily drilled Bradford and Susquehanna counties were admitted to hospitals at higher rates than in neighboring Wayne County where drilling is banned, University of Pennsylvania and Columbia University researchers stated in a paper published in the peer-reviewed PLOS One scientific journal in mid-July.

The researchers used hospital-reported inpatient data from 2007, when drilling began, to 2011, the latest year available when their work began, said Penn Medicine researcher Reynold Panettieri Jr., MD, one of the study's authors.

Relying on 95,000 inpatient records, the researchers called their study "the most comprehensive one to date to address the health impact of unconventional gas and oil drilling."

"Bradford and Susquehanna, where there was a substantial increase in hydraulic fracturing and active wells, were associated with more cardiovascular hospitalizations as well as more neurologic," Dr. Panettieri said. "The association was in proximity to the wells. The closer to active wells, the more Pennsylvanians are getting hospitalized for cardiovascular disease."

Cardiology was the category of inpatient records most strongly associated with well count. Visits listed under dermatology, neonatology, neurology, oncology and urology were also linked to the number of wells.

Wayne County served as the perfect control group, with nearly identical age, race, education and income demographics as Bradford and Susquehanna counties, Dr. Panettieri said. The only variable was the gas industry.

While the study does not attempt to explain the exact link between gas industry activities and residents' ailments, Dr. Panettieri said there is a logical link.

"Those make sense if there's a lot of diesel exhaust, noise and social stress," he said. "Hydraulic fracturing changes the complexion of the town because of the number of people coming through the town, the idling trucks and the noise."

When asked for comment on the study, Marcellus Shale Coalition spokesman Travis Windle provided the following comment:

"While we're still reviewing this report, it cannot be lost on anyone that its authors - some who are associated with anti-shale activist groups - note that their so-called findings 'remain unclear' due to sound research 'limitations' which they did not account for. That said, Pennsylvania has a world-class regulatory framework and our industry remains laser-focus on ensuring that our operations are carried out in a way that protects and enhances our environment as well as the communities where we operate."

University of Pennsylvania researchers have met with residents of Northeast Pennsylvania's gas fields, led by Marilyn Howarth, MD, an outreach director with its Center for Excellence in Environmental Toxicology and one of the study's authors.

Susquehanna County resident Rebecca Roter, a founder of the Breathe Easy Susquehanna County group advocating stronger gas industry regulations, said she first contacted Dr. Howarth more than two years ago.

Roter said she is grateful for the scientific rigor researchers used in this study and hopes lawmakers and state public health officials will take note.

"I'm very encouraged to see that the light is being shined on public health impacts in a serious way," she said.

Future studies will rely on outpatient data for patients who seek medical help but do not spend the night in the hospital, Panettieri said. He hopes their work will lead to a true accounting of the medical costs associated with the industry's presence.

"We really do need to have a profit-and-loss sheet for hydraulic fracturing. We've been very focused on the profit side," he said. "I think there's going to be more compelling evidence of concern."

Review writer Eric Hrin contributed to this article.