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Rehearsals starting for Queen City Community Band

1/24/2023

The first rehearsal of the Queen City Community Band, pictured here playing at the Veteran's Day program last November, will be held from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, January 26 at the Rocsato Conservatory of Music at 701 N. Perry St., Titusville. Musicians of all ages and skill levels are welcome to join the volunteer group.

For questions or additional information, contact director Gregory Rock at 540-493-3827 or rocsatoconservatoryofmusic@gmail.com.

Elks Hoop shoot numbers not what they used to be, but ...

1/17/2023

Elks Hoops shoots were being held again after the COVID-19 pandemic put the foul shooting competition on the shelf.

In Titusville last Saturday Elks Lodge 264 filled the YMCA building with the sounds of dribbling and swooshing mantra of a well tossed free throw.

"Shooters and fans gathered at the Titusville YMCA on Saturday, January 14, for this favorite Elks Youth Activities program," said organizer Chris Fiely in a press release.

The competition is based on a series of free-throws with the most accurate shooters coming out holding the biggest trophies.

Sean Rose, who won the 12-13 year-old division was also the outstanding shooter on the day. Other winners included Takoda Troup, who was the only girl and won the 8-9-year-old girl division. Chase Stec took home the 8-9-year-old boy prize. Jackson Evans torched the chords enough to capture the 10-11-year-old division.

There were only about a dozen overall competitors this year. Years ago, Fiely, who was once competed in the event, said the gymnasium was full of kids. Organizers asked the competitors to tell their friends about it hoping to get the numbers boosted back up again next year.

Trophies and medallions were awarded to the champions. The runners-up also received trophies. All participants received Titusville Elks Lodge Hoop Shoot t-shirts and Drug Awareness information. All shooters and their fans (and us reporters) were treated to a lunch in the YMCA Cafe (maybe the best hotdog ever.)

Winners will advance to the Northwest District Hoop Shoot on Saturday, February 11 at Warren High School. District winners will compete at the Pennsylvania State Hoop Shoot in the State College/Bellefonte area

For more information about our Youth Activities, Community Activities, and membership: Call 814-827-7721 or visit the Titusville Elks Lodge 264 Facebook page.

Hilburn joins Northwest Hospital Foundation team

1/16/2023

The UPMC Northwest Hospital Foundation in Seneca announced Titusville's Juliet Hilburn as it's new Annual Giving Officer. The position is responsible for coordinating annual giving programs within the foundation, as well as all direct mail appeals, email, and social media development. She will also assist in supporting donor relations and outreach efforts relating to fundraising.

Hilburn comes to the Northwest Hospital Foundation from Allegheny Realty Settlement, an
affiliate of Shafer Law Firm, where she served as a licensed title agent and communications
coordinator in the firm’s Titusville office. She previously served as a student success specialist for the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College and an analyst-educator for the Oil Region Alliance.

Titusville man joins regional college board

1/15/2023

Kevin Sprong of Titusville was appointed to the Northern Pennsylvania Regional College’s Board of Trustees during its January meeting.

A Crawford County native, Sprong serves as the Director of Crawford County Career and Technical Center and previously served on the College’s Advisory Council of Presidents and on the board for the Educational Consortium of the Upper Allegheny (ECUA). He was also involved in the University of Pittsburgh’s Manufacturing Assistance Center and Pitt-Titusville's Education and Training Hub’s Advisory Committee, Clarion University’s Applied Technology Advisory Board, Crawford County Children’s Roundtable, the K-12 Career and Education Alliance, Northwest Workforce Development Board’s Youth Committee, Partners in Education, Titusville Area Little League, Meadville Area Lacrosse and the Titusville YMCA.

Sprong was one of two people appointed to the board earlier this month. Jennifer Gesing of Bear Lake, Executive Director at Beacon Light Behavioral Health System, also joined the board.

“We continue to see amazing local talent and interest in serving the college’s mission. Our new board members join an already strong collection of leaders that have done some incredible things for NPRC," NPRC board chairperson Kate Brock said. "Kevin and Jennifer will bring additional community connections and perspectives to the institution we serve, and we look forward to the contributions they will bring moving forward.”

NPRC is an open-admission, two-year institution of higher education that is authorized to award Associate degrees and certificates. The mission is to provide affordable and accessible post-secondary education to the residents of northern Pennsylvania. NPRC brings affordable education with flexible schedules to a nine-county region, Cameron, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, McKean, Potter, Venango and Warren.

Titusville City Council looks back at busy 2022, looks forward to 2023

1/3/2023

Images in this story are screen shots from The Stream TV coverage of the city council meeting Jan. 3, 2023.

Titusville City Manager Neil Fratus took the council on a flashback tour of all the things accomplished in 2022.

Fratus presented 26 highlights during Tuesday night’s city public meeting and touched on an array of items from large-scale projects to continued community programs.

“We get so wrapped up in what we’re doing in any given month… that we don’t realize how much was accomplished in the entirety of the year,” deputy mayor Sara Jones said following the presentation. “… It’s nice to see that we are moving forward.”

Larger Projects

Diamond Street Park – “(We’re) getting down toward the end of that project,” Fratus said of the city’s newest downtown green space, which will be complete once sod is placed in the spring. The project had a $260,000 budget, but increased prices had all the work coming in closer to $400,000, therefore some items like cafe tables and benches were cut from the plan. Fratus said the city continues to look for additional grants and partnerships to purchase items eliminated from the project, such as café tables and benches.

Dog Park Grant – The Titusville Redevelopment Authority was awarded $25,000 to create a new dog park at the Ed Myer Complex near the BMX trail. The park, which will be built in 2023, will include separate sections for small and large dogs. It will use some of the existing fencing from an old baseball field. The city will reallocate Community Development Block Grant funding designated for the park before the grant was awarded. “That will free up some money for other projects down at the complex,” Fratus said.

City Sidewalk Study – Former junior council member Gavin Griffin spearheaded an effort to survey all the city’s sidewalks. “Many of them are in deplorable condition,” Fratus said of the findings. The next step is for the city to work alongside Crawford County to allocate CDBG funding for repair efforts and “fix a lot of these sidewalks in town that are in bad shape,” he said.
Community Garden – In partnership with the United Way of the Titusville Region, raised beds were built as the David L. Weber Memorial Community Garden on Central Avenue. That partnership was continued in 2022. Fratus said additional upgrades will be made at the location as United Way received a grant to purchase a removable pavilion.

Senior Center Apartment – City workers completed updates to a two-bedroom apartment in the Titusville Community Center at Burgess Park. Fratus expects the apartment to be ready to rent later this month.

South Perry Street Bridge – After being closed for several years, the truss bridge was removed in 2022. CDBG will be used for an engineering study to determine what could be done in the area. “Whether it is a walking bridge… a covered walking bridge… (or) do nothing, we ill have an idea of some options that we have and certainly, what it is going to cost,” Fratus said.

Recycling Center – Upgrades to the building near the water department are nearly complete. Recycling services will soon be relocated from near the sewage plant to the rehabilitated property near the O’Rouke Baseball Field. The city is hoping to receive a grant for additional machinery at the center.

South Martin Street Bike Lane – The redevelopment authority received funding to create the lanes near Giant Eagle. Signs still need to be installed. “I’ve seen people using it and it looks great,” Fratus said.

Taco Bell – Construction continues at the site of the former Perkins Restaurant. “It’s just exciting to have something utilized in a space that’s been empty,” Fratus said.

City Upgrades

Deputy Treasurer – The position, which is done in partnership with the Titusville Area School District, has improved efficiencies at the city by also assisting with the zoning office and enabling the treasurer’s office to offer lunchtime hours.

Security Cameras Installed – Cameras were placed at city hall, parks and the airport to help curb vandalism and potentially solve crimes.

Diamond Maps – The city upgraded its internal, digital mapping system to a more efficient program.

Maps Technologies – The local company replaced a similar service the city used for emergency and code enforcement correspondence.

Hover Phone Service – The city changed phone service providers were allowed for the elimination of unused lines and created cost savings.

Junior Council Program – The city started its second year of having two volunteer high school members on the council “It is great to hear their wonderful ideas,” Fratus said.

Street Sweeper – The new machine has created savings by being more efficient and requiring less maintenance.

Leaf Pickup Truck – The new truck has taken the leaf pickup operation from a three- to four-person operation to a one-person operation.

Roundtable Meetings – Started three years ago, Fratus said the meetings continue to grow in size with 20 to 25 people attending each time. Participants represent different agencies, non-profits, and the school district and discuss updates and possible partnerships.

Emergencies

Church Run Plan – Following the flooding in 2022, the city will use the studies already completed to get an engineer to develop a long-term plan for the area. In the short term, the city will continue to remove debris from the creek as needed.

American Rescue Plan Act – The city received the second part of the nearly $500,000 grant. Fratus said the money was used for a variety of efforts, including the library, police department, flood recovery, city hall repairs and the ambulance purchase.

Tri-County Refuse – “We are very thankful for Tri-County and what they have done,” Fratus said. He reiterated the issues the city faced with their contractor Raccoon Refuse shut down without notice. Tri-County worked with the city to get an emergency contract in place quickly “when we were in desperate need,” Fratus said.

Emergency Parking Ordinance – The city updated its parking rules to cover emergency situations and make snow removal easier. The ordinance has not been used so far this winter.

Fratus said 2022 was a busy year for special events in the city, including some organized by the city in partnership with other organizations such as the graduation parade, Easter parade/Easter Bunny, and Santa parade.

Did you know?
You can attend the Titusville City Council meeting via live stream or watch then afternoon the Stream TV Facebook page.

Council also shares top priorities for 2023

Titusville City Council members took time at the end of Monday’s meeting to share topics they would like to see prioritized in 2023.

Sam Logsdon mentioned the vacant recreation director position. “Moving forward this year, I’d really like to get on that.”

William McCrillis and Chad Covell both pointed to a condemned Diamond Street building as their top priority. McCrillis described the building as an eyesore and deplorable and the roof as terrible. He would like to see something happen at the building rather than demolishing it. “I don’t want to have another green space in town,” he said.

“The city should take a hard look at it,” Covell said of the building. He predicted the building might not last through the winter.

“(We are) at a crossroads of what to do,” city manager Neil Fratus said. He mentioned the building owner, who lives in New York, did reimburse the city for the cost of materials and manpower used to board up the building last year.

Deputy mayor Sara Jones and mayor Jon Crouch both cited interest in getting the city planning commission to help move forward the city’s effort to develop rules pertaining to alternative, temporary housing, like Airbnb, and outdoor dining. “We need to push that along,” Jones said. “We might not be able to build hotels, but with the right ordinances we could have some additional options for (visitors).”

“It’s certainly a disservice to our community that we don’t have this up and running,” Couch said. He also pointed to the need to get more inspections done through the code office.

Titusville City Council meeting

1/2/2023

Did you make a New Year's resolution to get more involved in your city? The first Titusville City Council meeting is set for tonight (Tuesday 1/3/2023) at 7 p.m.

Below is the agenda. A reminder that each meeting sets aside time for public input.

To know when the meetings are each month visit https://www.cityoftitusvillepa.gov/city-council. Agenda and minutes are posted on this site along with ever councilor and their email if you have specific question for anyone.

Jon Crouch, Mayor
councilmancrouch@cityoftitusvillepa.gov

William McCrillis
councilmanmccrillis@cityoftitusvillepa.gov

Sam Logsdon
councilmanlogsdon@cityoftitusvillepa.gov

Sara Jones, Deputy Mayor
councilwomanjones@cityoftitusvillepa.gov

Chad Covell
councilmancovell@cityoftitusvillepa.gov

Neil R. Fratus, City Manager
814-827-5300 Extension 314
manager@cityoftitusvillepa.gov

High-tailing it outta there

12/26/2022

Three deer, that appeared interested in the salt on Drake Well Road, decided not to stick around long after the photographer got out of his car and started slowly moving to get a little closer.

Framing being constructed at future Taco Bell

12/26/2022

Despite the figid temperatures and it being the day after Christmas, work continued at the former Perkins site on East Central Avenue in Titusville Monday. The Capital Group Construction contractors have concrete poured and are working on the framing. Monday they were working on constructing walls on the ground to be lifted into place later.

Titusville groups receive state funds

12/23/2022

Titusville is ending the year on a few positive notes – monetary notes that is. Two city groups received state funding this month.

The Greater Titusville Development Foundation was awarded $25,000 for its ongoing Downtown Titusville Façade Improvement Program. The initiative is focused on improving existing façades in the downtown business district and has done eight rounds of local funding since its inception in 2016.

The project provides a dollar-for-dollar match of up to $5,000 to businesses investing in facade improvements as a way to encourage upgrades to the appearance of the downtown and embrace the historical character of the city. In the past six years, $180,495 has been given to city businesses.

The latest round of state funding comes to the GTDF from the Keystone Communities Program, which awarded nearly $8 million to 51 projects across the state.

Earlier this month the Titusville Police Department received a $132,721 grant from the state’s Local Law Enforcement Support Program.

“This project includes investment into personnel, technology, and equipment towards (the) prosperity of the community,” police chief Dustin LeGoullon wrote in a letter posted online.

Titusville will use its funding to upgrade its digital recording management system to assist with processing traffic stops as well as its scheduling system to more efficiently and effectively ensure that there is police coverage 24 hours a day. Money will also be used to provide extensive crisis intervention training to all 12 officers in the department over a two-year period and to support a full-time clerk position to assist with routine paperwork and other daily tasks.

Across the state, $120 million was awarded to more than 197 law enforcement agencies and county district attorneys’ offices. In Venango County, the Franklin Police Department received $80,762 and the Oil City department was granted $399,868.

“These grant programs are one more tool in our toolbox to create safer communities across Pennsylvania,” Gov. Tom Wolf said. “With adequate resources, our local law enforcement and investigative offices can better protect and serve.”

Singing carols in Scheide

12/18/2022

A Titusville School District-wide sing along took place Saturday in Scheide Park. A few dozen folks braved the cold temperatures to fill the downtown with song and Christmas cheer. The middle of the day event was put out last week on social media. Lyric sheets were handed out for the list of around 50 holiday classics.