Writing a Self-Portrait,” touches on different journaling styles and how each can help strengthen self-expression and self-discovery skills, wrote Jill Harry, a local writer who will be teaching a free four-week class on journaling this fall in Franklin.

The class is made possible through an Erie Arts and Culture grant through the National Endowment for the Arts.

Classes will run from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturdays, Oct. 14, 21 and 28, and Nov. 4 in the Barrow-Civic Little Theatre, in Franklin.
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Earlier this year, Harry presented the topic as a guest speaker in the Community Conversation series at the Franklin Public Library. The expanded class offers a more in-depth look at four different styles of journaling and offers students a chance to try each. Students will also be given opportunities to share their writings with the class as they feel comfortable and receive verbal and written feedback as time allows.

Tuition to attend the class as well as the workbook written by Harry will be provided for free. The class size will be limited to ensure students have ample time to ask questions and share journal entries. The class is appropriate for those wanting to write for self-discovery (private journaling) as well as those wanting to write for self-expression (public or semi-public writing).
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Harry designed the class and the workbook around her experiences journaling through life-changing experiences in 2021 and periodically throughout her lifetime.

Many of the 2021 entries were posted in a blog-style Facebook group called Love and Family Beyond DNA: My Journey as a Birthmother. The workbook includes several entries from that blog and examines how the voice or style of the writing helps convey a feeling, event or problem. 

Along with the blog, Harry has more than 20 years of professional writing experience but leans predominantly on the time she spends writing when discussing the positive effects of journaling.
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To register for the class, email jharryconsulting@outlook.com.

“One of the unique aspects of this honor is that it came to us by way of the festival vendors,” Lewis said. “We work hard each year to balance the type and number of offerings at the festival to maximize the experience for visitors, food vendors, crafts, and other participants. This ranking lets us know we are doing something right.”

​As part of the nomination process, Sunshine Artist asks respondents to list the 10 most profitable art and/or craft shows they exhibited at during the previous year, indicate their level of gross sales at each event, and note whether they considered themselves fine artists or craftspeople for each event.

The results were tabulated using a weighted scale based on four sales levels to ensure all events competed against each other fairly, according to the magazine. Sunshine Artist’s 200 Best focuses solely on artists’ show revenue, because that is the most objective indicator of a show’s future success. Subjective attributes, such as artist treatment, amenities, attendance levels, management, and overall quality, can impact sales but are harder to gauge and therefore have no direct bearing on the rankings.

“We are headed into the busiest time of the year for Applefest preparations, and have some wonderful things planned to mark our 40th festival. We hope everyone marks their calendar for October 6, 7, and 8 and comes to Franklin for the ‘Best Three Days!’ There is so much to celebrate this year,” Lewis said.​

PennDOT has reopened the Petroleum Center Bridge in Oil Creek State Park to pedestrians and bicyclists

The PennDOT press release stated "The 139-year-old bridge was closed in October 2022 due to advanced deterioration and structural concerns discovered during a routine inspection. In spring, 2023, further inspections were conducted, and plans were created that would allow the bridge to be reopened to non-motorized users."

 Parking lots are available on both side of the span so it can be accessed from either side.

"... the reopening will reconnect visitors to all the amenities at the heart of the park without the need to drive the detour, including access to and from the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad station, the park office, the bike trail, and the Egbert Farm Day Use Area," the release continued. "The bridge will remain closed to motorized vehicles until further repairs can be made. Preliminary design work for those repairs began in 2022 and continues in 2023. A construction contract for work needed to reopen the bridge to vehicles is tentatively scheduled to be awarded in 2026. 
A motorized vehicle detour is posted using Route 8, Route 227, State Park Road, and Petroleum Center Road. "

The single-lane steel through truss bridge was built in 1884 and was rehabilitated in 1984. The bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for its engineering significance, which includes its distinct design and its standing as an example of work done by the Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio. 

Officials at PennDOT released this week that repairs to the Petroleum Center Bridge  that was closed last year due to safety concerns, will begin next week. It has been closed to all traffic, but the repairs will allow it to be reopened to pedestrian and bicycle traffic only, but will remain closed to motor vehicles.

The bridge is located near the Oil Creek State Park near the Oil Creek & Titusville Railroad station, the park office, the bike trail parking lot, and the Egbert Farm Day Use Area.
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“Safety is the first concern for all bridges, including historic structures. Our first steps were to ensure users would be safe, which meant initially closing the bridge,” said PennDOT District 1 executive Brian McNulty in a press release. “We also understand the significant connection the bridge serves in the Oil Creek State Park. Therefore, our team set out to develop a plan that would enable visitors to access different parts of the park more easily. We are working alongside industry experts to reinforce the structural integrity of the bridge so it can be reopened to light weight traffic, like hikers and cyclists.”

Work on the 139-year-old bridge will be done by PennDOT employees under the guidance of historic bridge consultant Gannett Fleming and the PennDOT engineering staff.

“Historical bridges come with unique challenges. Simply replacing this bridge with a new one is not an option. We are bound by state and federal regulations to coordinate the scopes and details of these projects with the State Historic Preservation Office, which takes more time than most simple bridge projects. Repairs and rehabilitation efforts must follow guidelines and preserve the historic nature of the structure,” McNulty said. “These factors require time to evaluate and design solutions that meet today’s structural and historical standards.”

PennDOT said once work is done a public notice will be issued, but until then it is an active work zone and pedestrians should not attempt to use the bridge. They said bollards or fixed posts to block larger motorized vehicles will be placed at each end.

Updates on the Petroleum Center Bridge will also be posted on the PennDOT website at www.penndot.pa.gov.

History
The single-lane steel through truss bridge was built in 1884 and was rehabilitated in 1984. Prior to being closed, it was posted with a weight limit of five tons and a height restriction of 11 feet. It is rated in poor condition. The bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places for its engineering significance, which includes its distinct design and its standing as an example of work done by the Morse Bridge Company of Youngstown, Ohio.

Due to its condition, the bridge is on a six-month inspection cycle. Prior to the latest inspection, funding had been allocated for design and construction costs related to the bridge. Preliminary design work began in 2022 and continues in 2023. A construction contract for work needed to reopen the bridge to vehicles is tentatively scheduled to be awarded in 2026.  

The bridge was used by approximately 75 vehicles a day, on average. 
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A motorized vehicle detour is posted using Route 8, Route 227, State Park Road, and Petroleum Center Road. Parking lots are available on both sides of the bridge.

Voting is open for the third annual Oil Region Tourism Awards and the contest has more nominations than previous years.
 
“There are so many unique features of the Oil Region, and this is a great way for residents and guests to share the ones they’re most passionate about with others,” said Emily Altomare, communications and tourism manager for the Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry and Tourism in a press release. Altomare said 2023 has the largest number of nominees received since the program's inception. 
 
Nominees, which were suggested by the public, are from throughout the Oil Region, which includes all of Venango County, plus Titusville, Oil Creek Township, and Hydetown in Crawford County. Categories are Best Dish, Best Drink, Best Room, Best Shop, Best Industry Advocate, Best Industry Partner, Must See/Do Activity/Attraction, and Best Landmark.

To see a complete list of nominees in each category and vote for your favorite, go online to https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/2023OilRegionTourismAwards. Voting is open through Aug. 18. Winners will be announced on Sept. 1. 

The city of Franklin notified us today of a change in the paving schedule from what was released yesterday. They asked if we would help spread the word on the on-going pavement schedule.

​​FRIDAY, AUG. 4
Evergreen Drive, Alder Lane to Gurney Road
Brown Avenue, Grant to Atlantic
Monroe Street, Washington to end
Madison Street, Washington to Adams
Eagle Street, 15th to 13th
13th Street, Chestnut to Eagle

SATURDAY, AUG. 5
No paving

MONDAY, AUG. 7
15th Street, Elk to Otter
Buffalo Street, 12th to 14th
14th Street, Buffalo to Liberty
14th Street, Liberty to Elk

TUESDAY, AUG. 8
Otter Street, South Park to 12th Street
Elk Street, 13th Street to West Park Street
Elk Street, South Park to Washington Crossing
9th Street, Buffalo to Liberty
9th Street, Liberty to Elk
900 Block of Elk Street
200 Block of Elk Street