Archive - 2011
December 21st
The family of Staff Sgt. Ken VanGiesen of Kane is trying to cope with the brave soldierâs death, especially during this Christmas season.
A member of the Pennsylvania National Guard detachment based in Kane, VanGiesen-- because of his special skills-- was deployed with another unit in Afghanistan when he was killed in July.
To deepen the heartache of the loss, that unit returned to the U.S. just two weeks ago.
The soldier's parents are Tom and Sue VanGiesen of 137 Lincoln St., Kane.
KANE - In just three days, excited Kane area children will be waking up Christmas morning in their homes to see what wonderful gifts Santa Claus has delivered this year.
Three young Kane boys at this point don't have a home and may be waking up Christmas morning in a motel room.
A fire Thursday night forced the boys and their guardians to flee the house they rented at 629 Park Ave., Kane. They've been staying at local motels ever since. Unless the family finds a new house to rent in the near future, it appears Santa will be dropping off Christmas gifts at their motel.
Doris Mae Fritz, 87, of 112 Poplar Road, St. Marys died Wednesday, Dec. 21, 2011 at the Geisinger Medical Center in Danville following a lengthy illness.
She was born May 8, 1924 in St. Marys, daughter of the late Aloysius "Allie" and Clara Fox Erich. On October 16, 1943, in the St. Mary's Church, she married Robert F. Fritz, who preceded her in death on December 27, 2004.
William M. "Tooley" Zimmerman, 75, of 3034 Rasselas Rd., Wilcox, died Tuesday night, Dec. 20, 2011, at the Lutheran Home in Kane following a lengthy illness.
He was born Feb. 15, 1936 in Rasselas, son of Michael and Mary Fiscus Zimmerman. He married Cecelia Yankovich on June 29, 1963 in St. Ann's Church, Wilcox, and she preceded him in death on April 2, 1990.
He resided in the Wilcox-Rasselas area all his life and attended Wilcox High School.
December 20th
By
Victoria Stanish, Editor
At the conclusion of Monday's St. Marys City Council meeting, several outgoing council members were presented with plaques recognizing their service.
Council members Richard Gabler Jr., Steven Skok, and Dennis Nero, who also served as deputy mayor, were presented with plaques. Gabler served on council for four years and Nero and Skok served for eight years. The three men said they appreciated their time on council and the opportunity to serve their community.
Despite Saturday's chilly temperatures, a small group of residents gathered in the morning at the St. Marys Airport to celebrate a flagpole dedication, hosted by
Jerry Bonfardine, a member of the Elk Flyers Club and representative of local pilots.
The flagpole was presented to the St. Marys Airport and the Airport Authority, with members of the St. Marys Servicemen's Burial Detail in attendance as they presented colors at the event.
According to Bonfardine, the flagpole was installed on Dec. 7, the 70th anniversary of Pearl Harbor.
The Elk County Catholic Crusaders opened play in the District 9 League with a 45-38 victory over the DuBois Area Beavers at the ECCHS gym. This was also the home opener for the Crusaders.
The Crusaders were able to take a 19-9 lead at the half, then outscore the Beavers 18-10 in the third period to take a 37-19 lead in the final eight minutes of play. DuBois outscored Elk 19-8 in the fourth quarter, cutting Elkâs margin of victory to 45-38.
âIt was a good win tonight,â said ECCHS coach Aaron Straub. âObviously DuBois missed a lot of shots early.â
December 19th
Monica Lynn Presley, 45, of Morrisville, died Friday, Dec. 16, 2011 as a result of an automobile accident.
Born in Bristol, Pa., she was the daughter of the late Gregory L. Presley and Kathryn (Stevens) Grenz, who survives.
Mrs. Presley had been a resident of Morrisville for over 12 years, moving there from Olanta, Pa. She was employed as an office manager for the Probuild Company in Morrisville, where she had worked for over 10 years.
Michael W. Caylor, 65, of 519 Toby Rd., Kersey, died unexpectedly on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011 at Elk Regional Health Center in St. Marys.
He was born Feb. 15, 1946 near Vandergrift, Pa., a son of Wayne E. and Eleanor I. Morrison Caylor, who survive.
The St. Marys Area Flying Dutch basketball team improved to 3-1 on the young season with a 65-40 victory over the DuBois Central Catholic Cardinals in a game played at the St. Marys Area Dutch Oven last night.
The Dutch had a very strong first half, which saw them go up by a 34-15 halftime lead. They outscored the Cardinals by a 23-9 margin in the third period, taking a 57-24 lead with eight minutes remaining. DuBois Central outscored the Dutch 16-8 in the final quarter, making the final score 65-40.
 COLOR.jpg "Photo by Amy Cherry -
This black and white Dutch rabbit is one of the popular breeds of rabbits. They can be found at the Bucktail Bunnies rabbitry, owned by Cindy Wingard, located on Woodsmoke Road in St. Marys.")
