July 23, 2014

Big aim is to avoid increasing maintenance costs

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

With new regulations and increased costs for purchasing and maintaining bus fleets, Sullivan schools may opt to begin leasing their busses, rather than purchasing them outright.

The need for a lease was discussed both during and after Sullivan schools transportation supervisor Cary Suhl’s annual transportation report last month.

In his report, Suhl explained that the district has 25 vehicles in its fleet, including 16 school busses and that bus drivers drove an average of 709 miles each day to get students to and from school at an average cost of $2,210.33 per day. For the 13-14 school year, the district’s fleet underwent 154,143 miles of travel, down 2,812 miles from a year ago. The majority of the fleet also enjoyed slightly better gas mileage this past school year, and the average cost per gallon of diesel had also fallen just less than 12 cents. The 13-14 budget stipulated $80,000 for fuel, but the total came in $14,573.07 less at $65,426.92 as of June 12. Read More

Photo by Brian Andrews/1st Sense Photography!
After several months of uncertainty surrounded the American Legion Fourth of July Fireworks display, the Legion, with the help of the community’s outpouring of donations, was able to purchase the display for Friday’s celebration.

July 9, 2014

Improvements still needed and to come

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

In February, American Legion Post 68 board member Mike Keown thought Sullivan would go without its annual Fourth of July fireworks display. With the majority of its board members replaced with new, including Keown, it wasn’t discovered until January that not only had the Legion missed its first $6,000 installment towards the display but that the Legion didn’t have the money.

“In my opinion, we weren’t going to have fireworks,” said Keown. “The Legion couldn’t pay for it upfront.” Read More

Photo by Stan Smart
Members of Sullivan based band “Them Gringos” Lauren Harris (left), Steffen Shook (middle), and Jerry Snyder (right) perform Saturday evening at the Bethany Celebration.

June 25, 2014

New additions, important aspect

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

From the SOV fundraiser dinner Friday to the firework display Saturday evening, the day-and-a-half long Bethany Celebration was once again a success according to organizers.

“We feel it went over really, really well this year,” said Heidi Ward, the Bethany Celebration chairperson. “We have heard nothing but great feedback from everyone that attended so far. There were people in the park constantly enjoying activities, whereas in the past few years, attendance seemed to die down somewhat during the Saturday afternoon hours.”

But with this year featuring an entertainment tent from which patrons could enjoy an adult beverage as well as a larger musical act in Gracia Harrison not to mention local talent in Slant Six and Them Gringos, the Bethany Celebration enjoyed rave reviews following its conclusion Saturday night. Read More

June 11, 2014

Also chased group of children prior to being subdued

by Keith Stewart
keith@newsprogress.com

A woman in Sullivan was charged Tuesday with aggravated battery after she allegedly attacked a UPS driver and was reported to have been acting strangely Friday afternoon.

According to Sullivan police chief John Love, a phone call was received shortly before noon Friday of a female walking in the North Graham Street area acting strangely and wearing aluminum foil on top of her head. An officer was then dispatched while more calls came in with similar reports, including that the woman had struck UPS driver Jeff Howard, of Windsor, with a cell phone, resulting in a two inch gash between his eyes that later required stitches. Read More

Photo by Keith Stewart
Heather Dore Johnson (left) as Gladys and Alex Jorth (middle) as Billy Lawlor dance away in the Little Theatre’s season opener “42nd Street.”

By Dan Hagen
NP Theatre Critic

When you think of the generic term “Broadway musical,” the Little Theatre’s 2014 summer season opener — “42nd Street” — is probably the kind of show that springs to mind.

It’s that “You’re going out there a youngster, but you’re coming back a star!” musical. Yes, that very bit has been a cliché for 70 or 80 years now, at least since the deep Depression debut, in 1933, of the Dick Powell/Ruby Keeler film that inspired this 1980 stage musical. 

And that’s the problem I always have with this show, the paper-thin plot we’re stuck with. It’s not so much a plot, in fact, as a skeletal dramatic scaffolding on which to hang a number of crowd-pleasing tap-dance numbers.  Read More