'Crossroads' job club formed

A "Crossroads Job Club" has been formed to help the dozens of Coudersport area residents who have lost their jobs in recent months.

Although the organization is not limited to displaced employees from the bankrupt Adelphia Communications Corp., its membership will probably be comprised largely of Adelphia workers who have lost - or will soon be losing - their jobs.

First Crossroads Job Club meeting will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 29, at the Pa. CareerLink Office on Rt. 6 West (Port Allegany Road) in Coudersport. Featured speakers will be

Terry Cole, administrator of Pa. CareerLink, and Helene Nawrocki, executive director of the Potter County Education Council. They will discuss what their organizations have to offer in easing members' transition to a new job or education.

Meetings will be loosely structured so that attendees can reconnect with past coworkers, share job-hunting stories and tips, talk about issues they've encountered and discuss any roadblocks they may have hit. They can also view online job listings and use other Pa. CareerLink resources. Refreshments will be available.

Adelphia was once the Coudersport area's leading

employer with more than 1,500 jobs. The company came under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2002.

Reorganization and the relocation of corporate headquarters to Denver resulted in significant job loss. Then, on Aug. 1, 2006, the bankrupt company's assets were sold to Time Warner Cable and Comcast.

Time Warner retained a portion of Adelphia's Coudersport workforce, many in transitional roles, while other employees were terminated. Some were able to hang on with the Adelphia Estate. A portion of those jobs will be eliminated in the coming months.

Coudersport's sixthgraders are bringing the classic musical "Annie" back to stage at 2:00 this afternoon at the high school auditorium. This final curtain call tops off a busy week.

Music teacher Patty Symans says the cooperation she has received from parents, the school staff and the community has complemented the dedication of more than 50 students who are involved in the production.

This early exposure to so many different aspects of theater is an important part of the school's efforts to broaden the education experience. Proceeds from the two public performances will help pay for the sixth-graders' trip to Washington, D.C. The entire elementary student body watched the final dress rehearsal on Friday, leading up to the first public showing last night.

Technically, the local show is called "Annie Jr.." It's a shortened version of the Broadway blockbuster Little Orphan Annie, set in New York City during the Great Depression, about a clever and cute 11- year-old orphan.