The Oil Region Alliance is pleased to send you its newsletter. If you have difficulty viewing this format via this email, it will be posted on www.oilregion.org soon. Also, depending upon your computer system, you may need to click on "view images" to see the images. Feel free to contact me at
wthomas@oilregion.org with questions and comments concerning the newsletter.
If you wish to be removed from the Alliance's email distribution group, please email wthomas@oilregion.org |
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ORA Expands Book Selection Offered For Sale
By Kim Harris, Project Manager Heritage Development
Calling all history buffs, researchers, educators, and those wanting to learn more about the Oil Region, we have expanded our book selection of non-fiction Oil and Natural Gas history books inventory. Since March of this year, we have added 15 new titles, becoming one of the premier sources for non-fiction materials about the history of oil. The expansion includes books for all age levels, and levels of interest from research to easy reading.
New titles available through the Alliance include "The Early Days of Oil", by Paul H. Giddens; "Fossil Fuels", Conrad J. Storad; "Handbook of Natural Gas", by Henry Palmer Westcott; "Ida M. Tarbell- The History of the Standard Oil Company"(Briefer Version), Published by Dover Publication Inc.; "John A. Mather: Oildom's Photographic Historian", by Ernest C. Miller and T.K. Stratton. Reprinted by Margaret Anne Mong; "Oil City High School", published by The Derrick; "Oil City Pennsylvania - 1896", published by The Derrick Publishing Company, 1896, and reprinted by Margaret Anne Mong, 1999; "Petrolia- The Landscapes of America's First Oil Boom", By Brian Black; "Postcard Panorama - A Look At Oil City Through The Years", published by The Oil City Heritage Society and The Derrick; "Scientist and Swindlers", by Paul Lucier; "The Oil City", by Charles D. Martens; "Titusville - An Illustrated History", Mabel Clark; "Venango County 2000" (Volumes 1 & 2), published by The Venango County Historical Society; and Views of River Ridge Farm - Franklin, PA; Joseph Sibley, 1925 and reprinted by Margaret Anne Mong, 2006.
In addition to adding new book titles, the Alliance has opened a retail outlet inside the Liberty Galleria located on Liberty Street in Franklin. This location is stocked with many of the book titles offered by the Alliance, as well as DVD's and other merchandise.
To purchase items the Alliance offers for sale you may stop by the Liberty Galleria, or the Alliance Business Office at 217 Elm Street in Oil City; visit one of websites at www.oilregion.org or www.oil150.com; or call Kim Harris, Project Manager at 814-677-3152 to place your order, or to find out other locations the merchandise is available.
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Grant Applications Being Accepted!
By Willis Thomas, Marketing & Communications Manager/BREP Coordinator
The Pennsylvania DEP will be accepting Small Business Advantage Grant Applications July 25 - August 29. Eligible businesses can receive a 50% reimbursement grant for projects, or up to $7,500 total reimbursement. Projects must promote pollution prevention and energy efficiency and reduce costs by 25% and $1,000 annually.
The application process contains several extensive components and funds are limited. Please send questions to epadvantagegrant@state.pa.us or call the program manager at (717) 772-5160.
Check out the Small Business Advantage grant website for program details, eligible projects, and grant application.
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2012 Oil Region Travel Guide
By Betty Squire, VP Tourism Destination Marketing
The Tourism department will soon be sending all members information about your presence in the 2012 Travel Guide. Contracts will be sent for your consideration of advertising in this quality production. The OHR will distribute 75,000 Travel Guides to qualified leads at PA Welcome Centers, OHR Brochure Racks, co-op members, and several trade and travel shows and special events throughout the year. We encourage you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to target visitors looking for specific information about our region by investing in the 2012 Oil Heritage Travel Guide. This guide is also a quality marketing tool for economic development and downtowns to take advantage of.
Call Marie @ 814.677.3152 for further information.
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Open House Planned at the Historic Tarbell House
By Melissa Mann, Sr. Project Manager Heritage Development
The public is invited to attend a free open house at the Tarbell House on Saturday, August 13 from 2 p.m. through 5 p.m. during Titusville, Pennsylvania's annual Oil Festival. The historic home is located at 324 East Main Street in Titusville.
The Italianate house was constructed in 1870 for Franklin S. Tarbell using materials recycled from the Bonta House, previously located in Pithole. Miss Ida M. Tarbell resided in the home through her 1876 graduation from Titusville High School and during her early studies at Allegheny College in Meadville. A blue/gold Commonwealth historical marker about Miss Tarbell stands in front of the home today.
In 2007, the Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism (ORA) purchased the Tarbell House, and a preservation plan was compiled in January of 2008. To date, exterior rehabilitation has included the removal of trees and vegetation as well as the restoration of the structure's roofline, gutters, bay windows, porch, façade details, and paint. Restoration of the home's wooden windows, storm windows and porch doors has also been completed. The ORA will add a new handicapped access ramp to the side porch yet in 2011.
Randy Seitz, President and COO of the Oil Region Alliance, stated, "The Alliance is proud to provide continued preservation of the Tarbell House. We encourage the public to come out and take a look at one of the Oil Region's cultural gems."
This rehabilitation project has been financed by the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, the National Park Service, the Crawford Heritage Community Foundation, the Fleming Foundation, the Dr. & Mrs. Arthur William Phillips Charitable Trust and private donors. The ORA continues to seek funds for the interior rehabilitation of the Tarbell House. Those wishing to make a donation should contact Mike Henderson, Project Manager, at (814) 677-3152, Ext. 121 or mhenderson@oilregion.org.
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Allegheny Overlook Construction Completed
By Mike Henderson, Project Manager Heritage Development
The long-awaited Allegheny Overlook is now a reality! This pedestrian-only plaza-style overlook is located on a formerly undeveloped small parcel of land along Spring Street in Oil City. Designed to provide safe pedestrian access to a unique vantage point overlooking downtown Oil City, the combination plaza and green space is now a popular spot for resting on a bench and enjoying a breath of fresh air. With no funding available for tree clearing, students from the Venango Technology Center's Natural Rescources program, under the direction of instructor Pete Lindy, stepped up to clear about 90% of the hillside, opening up the view. The remainder of the clearing work is still slated for the future. Plantings at the site include a combination of various native flowering species, as well as three small flowering trees. The only other addition to the site will be three interpretive panels which will depict interesting facts about the early days of Oil City, including historic images. Funding for the Allegheny Overlook was provided in part by a grant from the PA DCNR Bureau of Recreation and Conservation Community Conservation Partnership Program, a Community Development Block Grant Program via the City of Oil City, and the Oil Region Alliance.
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Member Spotlight: Galaxy Federal Credit Union
Back in 1940, 12 employees from Joy Mining Machinery each put 5 dollars into a fund that would eventually become Galaxy Federal Credit Union. Through the years the credit union went from only being for the employees of Joy to a community credit union serving the residents and their families of Venango County. Today the credit union has a growing membership of 5200 members, which is quite the jump from the 12 founders just 71 years ago.
Galaxy is open to anyone who lives, works, goes to school, worships, or volunteers in Venango County and their immediate family members. This means that almost anyone can join. So many have joined because, unlike a large bank or larger credit union, Galaxy offers a broad range of services to fit the unique needs of their membership. From having a Christmas Club, which not many other institutions still offer, to microloans, to having a children's bank program Galaxy really does offer almost everything a consumer could want from a financial institution. Also unlike a for-profit bank, the credit union being a not-for-profit means that revenues normally to be returned as dividends to the stock holders are actually passed on in savings, higher interest rates on deposit accounts and lower rates on loans.
Galaxy is very active in the community as they hold a Youth Week, where you can find anything from llamas to an exotic petting zoo, a free shred day, where anyone can shred up to three boxes of documents, and a "cash for good grades" program that has already paid out over $16,000 to students in our community! Also the community is active in the credit union as there are 15 board and committee members from the credit union membership who volunteer their time to help run Galaxy.
So the next time you are looking to open an account, teach your child about banking, get a loan for you new car, boat, motorcycle or special home project call Galaxy Federal Credit Union, "Where you belong."
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The Alliance Thanks These New Members
J & J's Corner Cupboard
Mosaic Cafe & Catering Co.- Oil City
Manpower
Betty McElhattan
Identity Studio & Design
Pleasantville Borough
...and These Renewal Members
ALKA Real Estate Holdings LLC
Liberty Electronics, Inc.
Yvonne Klapec
Constellation Energy
Cubbon Lumber & Land Co.
Community Ambulance Service, Inc.
Best Printing
The DayDia Building
John Bartlett
Douglas Baker
Membership benefits everyone that lives, works, and plays in the Oil Region of Northwestern PA
Find out how you can help your community by calling
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Willis Thomas
Marketing & Communications Manager/BREP Coordinator
814-677-3152 extension 117
Oil Region Alliance of Business, Industry & Tourism
217 Elm Street, Oil City, PA 16301   If you have suggestions or new ideas you would like to share, feel free to email them to chairman@oilregion.org.
We welcome input from you, the Oil Region community. |
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August 2011
Volume 7, Issue 6
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Find your passion! Search the ExplorePAtrails.com database for the trails that suit your recreation interests. From hiking, to biking to water trails and more. Enjoy all of our local recreational trails in the Allegheny River Region from the Allegheny River Trail and the Samuel Justus Trail to The Sandy Creek Trail to the Oil Creek State Recreation Trail. Stop by our office to pick up your copy of the Pennsylvania's Great Lake Region Biking Trails Guide. |
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Volunteers Needed! By Jonathan Wenner, General Manager Venango Video
VENANGO VIDEO NEEDS YOU! We are currently working new programming ideas and we need your help. If you have an interest in being on camera or would like to stay behind the scenes we have a great opportunity for you. On or off camera, you would be a great asset to your community by joining our team! We bring the community fun, exciting, entertaining and informative programs of local interest. If you want to know more about the exciting things Venango Video is up to contact Jonathan Wenner at 814-677-3152 ext. 123. We also have a great way to get your business name out into the public view with sponsorship opportunities!
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Board/Staff Spotlight:
Betsy Kellner
Executive Director
Venango Museum of Art, Science, & Industry
Being born in Oil City, raised in Reno, and currently residing in Seneca is easy to see that Betsy Kellner is a big fan of the Oil Region. She works hard for her community everyday as the Executive Director of the Venango Museum of Art, Science, & Industry.
For the first 18 years of Betsy's professional career she worked in the banking industry, but with her passion for the community she decided it was time to make a change in the mid-1990's to start at the Venango Museum as the Administrative Assistant. Her diligent work paid off in 2004 when she was named the Executive Director. As the Executive Director she is really fond of teaching the children that come through the museum every day, fundraising, and the atmosphere of working together with the community. As a member of the Board of Directors of the Alliance, Betsy says that she "enjoys working with the Alliance because they touch on so many important areas for the Oil Region."
At her home in Seneca Betsy has the pleasure of living with her husband, Dave, their two children, David and Jill, and Betsy's mother Audine in the house her husband built many years ago. She is an active member of the Reno United Methodist Chuch, Zonta Club, Oil City Heritage Society, North Side Business Association, and Take Pride in Oil City.
Thank you Betsy for volunteering your time and efforts to be part of the Oil Region Alliance!
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Follow the Oil Region Alliance!!
Twitter
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To see upcoming events
in the Oil Region, go to www.oilregion.org
and check out the
"Event Calendar" on
the home page.
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Thanks to the Oil Region Alliance's
Major Members!
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FLY FKL
Gulfstream International Airlines serves Venango Regional Airport with daily flights between Franklin and Cleveland -- Continental Airlines' hub -- with connections to more than 60 locations. Travelers can park for free at the airport while on their trip. There are same day departure and arrival capabilities.
The Alliance urges business and pleasure travelers to use this valuable asset when planning trips.
To FLY Franklin (FKL), simply work with your travel agent, go to your favorite travel web site, or call O.C. Bell at the airport at (814) 432-5333.
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