Bad bridges

There are heck of a lot of bridges in the Cambridge Springs area that are structurally deficient, according to a recent article in the Meadville Tribune. (You need to keep clicking "Read more" to get the entire listing of bad bridges.) Included on the list are bridges on Routes 6/19, 86, and 408 as well as several other key roadways, like Gravel Run Road.

It seems like they've been talking for quite some time about replacing the bridge that carries Route 6/19 over French Creek in Cambridge. That project could be a bit messy, as there are a few houses and businesses that are quite close to that span. And we can only hope that heavy track traffic is somehow diverted around town rather than onto the Grant Street bridge. That would probably be a wide and challenging right turn onto either 19 or 86 from Grant Street for a lot of big rigs.

Missed opportunity

Monday's Erie Times-News had an article on school districts' plans for the upcoming year, including the name of each local district's superintendent, the number of students, and a "What's New" section--a few paragraphs updating residents on noteworthy developments in the district.

The only district that didn't feel like it needed to respond to the Times-News was our very own Penncrest School District. So instead of finding out what's new in Penncrest, we get only this phrase: "Did not return phone calls seeking comment." Very nice.

It's hard to believe that someone in the Penncrest superintendent's office--which has three employees--couldn't take 15 minutes to talk to a Times-News reporter. It must have been a busy summer.

What to do with the Dairy Mart?

Probably the biggest eyesore--and target for vandals--in Cambridge Springs is the former Dairy Mart/Quick Stop convenience store. The builiding is in disrepair, the parking lot rife with weeds, and the glass just waiting for someone to throw a brick through it. I guess the only good news it that the building is still on the tax rolls (I would look up that information but Crawford County is still stuck in the stone age when it comes to putting property records online), but it's pretty clear to me that something needs to be done. A few possibilities:

1. Level the building and make a municipal parking lot or park. That would probably require ownership by the borough, which is not the ideal situation since it would end up costing tax dollars instead of earning them as a privately owned parcel.

2. Put another business in the building. One idea I've heard tossed around is a doughnut/bagel shop. It seems like there should be a market for that since there are a fair number of people coming/going in the morning in Cambridge. But of course you need someone who can secure the funding and is willing to risk his/her financial solvency on an idea that may ultimately fail. I guess a resource like the Gannon Small Business Development Center could at least get someone on the right path.

3. Another bar. Just kidding. We have plenty of those.

Here's what I think

Today's random musings about the local area:

1. I've had my new cable box from Coaxial Cable for nearly two months, and the darn thing still doesn't work right all the time. It's not bad enough that I feel like I should call the cable company, but it's really annoying when a whole section of channels (e.g. all the locals) are skipping and dropping out. Coaxial gets a "D" grade for communication during this whole process too--at first they told us not to update the box's software when prompted, but now we're getting different messages, and I'm honestly not sure what to do. Time for Dish Network?

2. It's difficult to sell a property in this area--especially within borough limits--for more than $100K. According to Realtor.com, there are currently 56 properties for sale in the 16403 zip code (including vacant land), and 25 of them are priced above $100K. Maybe property values will *finally* start rising consistently in the area once the National Guard complex is in operation. Or maybe not.

3. Am I the only one who thinks having a 24-hour taco bar would increase business for local taverns? Okay, so I probably am, but I really like tacos. Especially for breakfast.

Two dead in Cambridge-area crash

The Erie Times-News is reporting that two people are dead--and four injured--after a van and car crashed at the intersection of McClellan Street Ext. and Plank Road outside of Cambridge Springs. State police are working to reconstruct how the accident happened, but my guess is that someone ran the stop sign on McClellan. That same type of accident resulted in the death of an Edinboro Independent-Enterprise reporter back in 2000 or 2001 on one of his first assignments for that newspaper.


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People watching

Hands down the best place in Cambridge Springs to do some people watching is the Riverside Inn on a Saturday evening. I stopped by there with some friends for a drink last night and was entertained by the wide variety of patrons we encountered. The bonus is that many of the people are out of towners, so you don't tire of seeing the same faces each time. A few of the highlights from my recent trip:

1. A Kenny Rogers lookalike. And yes, we requested that the DJ (who looked like he was about 16) play "The Gambler." And the lookalike did not disappoint, singing along each time the chorus played (You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, etc., etc.) It also helped that, coincidentally, there was a table of middle-aged guys playing poker next to us.

2. A fat version of Colonel Sanders (of KFC fame) in a tuxedo. He even rocked the dance floor with Mrs. Sanders a few times.

3. Some foxy ladies from the Meadville High School class of 1967 (there for their 40th Reunion.)

4. The band (well, it was really just a keyboardist and drummer) playing that 40th reunion. They were bold and didn't just stick to the music of the class's era. Two of my favorites: Survivor's "Eye of the Tiger" and Europe's "The Final Countdown."

It's a happenin' place, that Riverside.

The true costs of being a senior

A science teacher at Cambridge Springs High School has posted a blog entry about the estimated costs for students who will be seniors this year. Included on the list are things like senior shirts ($15-30), commencement cap and gown ($20), senior banquet ($16), senior trip ($35-55), etc.

I humbly offer a few more potential costs for students in the senior class:

• Bottle of cheap vodka for during/after the senior banquet: $30 (includes markup for paying your uncle or someone over 21 to buy it for you)


• Fine for underage drinking (in case you get caught drinking the vodka): up to $500


• Pregnancy test and/or morning after pills for the day after the senior banquet: $10-50? (Don't buy the Wal-Mart brand--this is something you want to be absolutely sure of.)


• A plane ticket to get the heck out of Cambridge Springs: $80-$300. (There are already too many generations of families living in this town. Put some geographical spread in the family tree. Or at least move to Erie County.)

Soldiers on the way to the Spa

The new Pennsylvania Army National Guard facility just outside Cambridge Springs will provide 40 full-time jobs, reported Tim Hahn in yesterday's Erie Times-News. Borough officials hope that local businesses will benefit from the presence of those employees, as well as the 400 soldiers who train at the facility two weekends a month.

I'm sure local bar owners are especially salivating at the prospect of all those soldiers spending some free time imbibing at their establishments. And the Iron Horse Saloon gets bonus points for posting a "Welcome National Guard" Budweiser sign on the outside of its building.

Cussewago Elementary shuttered

In a move that should surprise absolutely no one, the Penncrest School District board voted 9-1 to close Cussewago Elementary effective immediately. The good news? It was way too much money ($600,000) to spend on an elementary school of 100 kids. The bad news? Average class size at Cambridge Springs Elementary will swell to 25, which seems like a lot.

WJET news at 11 had the requisite interviews of crying parents and kids. While it's hard not to feel bad for them, it's not as though this was a totally unexpected move. Get ready to ride those buses, kids. It's a long way from west of Route 98 to Cambridge Springs.

Lord Corp. to expand Cambridge facility

Cambridge Springs resident Tim Hahn reports in the Erie Times-News that Lord Corp. plans to add 6,500 square feet of space to its Cambridge Springs facility. The article doesn't seem to mention whether more jobs are on the way as a result of the addition—I'm guessing there aren't since it's a pretty small addition—but it's good news anyway. If industrial employers like Lord Corp., Meadville Forging, A.A. Robbins and others left, Cambridge Springs really would be just a one-horse (or maybe three-bar) town.

Parade Photos

Check out a few snapshots from the Cambridge Spring Fireman's Parade a few weeks ago on Flickr.