Endeavor's Neat Numbers

50

On Tuesday, the American Red Cross Elk-Cameron Counties Chapter conducted a Disaster Readiness Exercise.

Under the scenario, 50 homes in Ridgway were flooded and the chapter was called upon to evacuate victims and tend to their needs. National Red Cross officials were present to oversee the disaster plan and evaluate the team's performance.

$10.2M

Ron Cooper, who came aboard as president of the Coudersport-based Adelphia Communications Corp. in 2003, has been approved for a $10.2 million bonus. It's a reward for his role in closing the sale of the company to Time Warner and Comcast.

5

One Day's Pay, a non-profit organization, is marking the fifth anniversary of the terrorists' attack on Sept. 11, 2001, with a campaign to associate volunteerism with the disaster.

Americans are encouraged to perform good deeds, such as volunteering for charities or checking on elderly neighbors, to observe the anniversary and show what America is all about. There's more information at the One Day's Pay website, HYPERLINK http://www.mygooddeed.org www.mygooddeed.org.

21

Just 21 percent of high school graduates meet basic college entrance standards for skills in English, math, reading and science.

If students want to go to college and do well, they have to take high school seriously and take challenging courses," said one prominent educator in response to the results of the latest testing. The key, experts agree, is a combination of early childhood education and small class sizes in the early grades, combined with strong academic programs in middle school and high school.

Pa. State Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak has taken a strong stand on the issue of test scores. He believes superintendents and principals in districts that fail to meet certain academic standards should be fired.

138

Major repairs on the 138- year-old Jefferson County Courthouse will have to wait a while. Faced with an overall cost of about $1 million, the county commissioners are postponing the work until they have enough money.

1

One-year retrospectives on Hurricane Katrina raised the issues of charitable donations. Some muckraking reports revealed that a large percentage of donations from concerned Americans never did reach the victims.

The Internet provides several sites to check on the integrity of charitable organizations. One website, HYPERLINK www.charitynavigator.org, gives details on 5,000 charitable groups to help potential donors make informed decisions.

11

Motorcycle sales in the U.S. have risen by 11 percent this year, due largely to the twowheelers' fuel economy.

12

Times have changed since 1996, when more than a quarter of all marriages took place during the "in" months of June and September.

Twelve percent of Pennsylvania's weddings take place in August, followed closely by July (11.6), May (11.2) and September (10.8). January is the least popular month in which to tie the knot (just under 5 percent), followed by December (5.0), February (5.2), and November (5.3 percent) were also unpopular, each with fewer than 4,000 marriages.

60

About 60 percent of Pennsylvania adults are married. About one-quarter of have never married, and the remainder is about equally split between those who are widowed and those who are divorced. Men are more likely than women never to have been married - 27 percent versus 21 percent.

The majority of women (51 percent) get married between the ages of 20 and 29; 22 percent of brides are between the ages of 30 and 39; some 20 percent are age 40 or older. Grooms are often older, with 26 percent marrying in their 30s and 24 percent marrying at age 40 or older.

On the flip side, 59 percent of divorces in Pennsylvania happen before a couple's 10th year of marriage. Of those, half take place in the first five years of marriage.

90

The U.S. Forest Service held its final public hearing on a new plan for managing the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) last week in Kane. About 90 people attended, with nearly 50 presenting testimony. Several forest industry spokespeople were critical of the plan's allowance for timber cutting.

The plan calls for 60 percent of the forest to be managed through even-aged timber harvesting, 25 percent through uneven-aged methods and 15 percent with no vegetative management. Kane Mayor Doug Caldwell urged the Forest Service to take into account the economic impact of management decisions on the region.

Those comments were echoed by Kane Area School Superintendent Sandy Chlopecki, who pointed out that the district is dependent on a share of the ANF timber harvesting proceeds.

Representatives of area ATV and snowmobile clubs said the plan gives short shrift to recreational needs. Hamlin Township's Bill Belitskus called for the creation of an "impartial science committee" to better incorporate scientific principles into the plan.

Chris Stovic of McKean County complained that increased oil and gas well drilling will further harm the watershed.

35

A 35 percent dip in demand for business paper is at the heart of a major consolidation announced last week.

Forest products giant Weyerhaeuser Co. is combining its fine-paper business with Canadian paper maker Domtar Inc.

Due largely to electronics, demand has slipped for fine paper, typically used for books, brochures and printer and fax machines. Company officials say they do not expect any job cuts or mill closures as a result of the transaction.

Bruce Amundson, spokesman for Weyerhaeuser, said the mill in Johnsonburg would be known as a Domtar mill. "The opportunities are much greater moving forward than for either company standing alone," Amundson said. "The paper market is increasingly competitive, particularly on a global scale, and the new firm is in a better position to compete."