(The first women to host a show on Beaver County Radio Gert Trobe. Photo from 1949 Courtesy-of Terri Hufnagel)

Monday March 8, 2021 is International Women’s Day. While we appreciate what women do on a daily basis, Monday is a day to celebrate it.  Many normal gatherings and celebrations are not abler to occur because of the Pandemic but the International Women’s Day website says there are many other ways to celebrate the women in our lives and communities.

This year, the theme is #ChooseToChallenge. You can get more information on how to celebrate by going to the International Women’s Day 2021 website at  https://www.internationalwomensday.com/

One of the most celebrated woman in Beaver County Radio was Gert Trobe.

In 1948, WBVP was making history on many different fronts.  Aside from being the first radio station  in Beaver County, WBVP was on the cutting edge of another historical event, that of having a woman talk show host.  Gertude, or “Gert” Trobe was one of the first women, anywhere, to be involved with broadcasting when she began her show as part of the original staff that station owners Frank Smith, Tom Price and Charles Onderka had assembled together in Beaver Falls.   The following is an except from the book “Behind The Microphone – The History Of Radio in Beaver County”, which is was published in conjunction with the 70th Anniversary of WBVP in May 2018.

“Following the news, one of the most beloved announcers in the Beaver County Area, of all time, Gertrude Trobe, would take control of the airwaves. (Beaver County historian and local author) Ken Britten summed up the significance of Ms. Trobe’s contributions. ‘Shortly after going on the air, Mr (Frank) Smith hired Gertrude Trobe to become the first woman’s director thus making WBVP the first radio station in history to have a full time Woman’s Director in charge of special programming aimed directly at the female market. You must remember radio was only 28 years old when WBVP went on the air and was still in its infancy. The hiring of a Woman’s Director made news throughout the industry.

Mrs Trobe was already well established on the faculty of Geneva College where she taught English, Drama and Communications. After being hired at WBVP she would become one of the leaders in female broadcasting within the industry, winning and receiving many awards, honors and certificates. She would become one of the founding members of the New York based “American Women In Radio and Television”, become recognized for introducing many radio firsts and be listed in “Who’s Who”.

Initially beginning by broadcasting daily 15 minute programs, she would eventually do a daily 45 minute show called “You and Your Home” that ran for thirty years and two shorter programs entitled “Market Place” and the “Shoppers Guide”. She would also be fondly remembered for her annual “Christmas Tea Party” and her many travel cruises.’

The Cookie Teas hosted by Gert Trobe over at the Brodhead Hotel  on 7th Avenue in Beaver Falls were some of the  the biggest events staged by WBVP every year.  the Cookie Teas were held up in the Grand Ballroom around Christmas time.   The events were for ladies only, were free of charge to attend and usually featured a buffet and guest speaker and sometimes a singing group or two.  Women who wanted to attend had to call WBVP and make a reservation.  The Cookie Teas were so popular that they needed to be held twice in the same day to accommodate the crowd of 500 to 600 ladies that would attend each year, given the 250 person seating capacity of the Brodhead Hotel’s Grand Ballroom.  (WBVP Engineer) Jim Roush also added in a December, 2017 discussion, that once the Cookie Teas were advertised on WBVP,  the phones in the office would receive a deluge of calls and all of the available reservations would be gone in a day. Gert would get dress shops and other sponsors to donate supplies, prizes and other things that were needed to pull off the Cookie Teas each year.”

Gert and her husband, Max were fixtures in the local community.  Max Trobe was a popular dentist in Beaver Falls and was involved with and attended many radio station social events through the years.

 

PHILADELPHIA, PA – Jeff Bartos, small business owner and co-founder of the Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund, today announced his candidacy for the United States Senate. In a statement and announcement video, both included below, Bartos pledges to be a fighter for all Pennsylvanians and do what it takes to help keep our nation moving forward.

“During the Trump Administration, millions of Pennsylvanians who had felt abandoned and forgotten had someone fighting for them in Washington and delivering real results for their communities. We cannot afford to return to a time when working families and small businesses, which are the lifeblood of our communities, had their priorities and well-being ignored by their elected officials,” said Jeff Bartos, “Pennsylvanians deserve to have someone fighting for them – and that’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate.”

“What we’ve seen over the last year is that government continues to step in, time and again, in a way that favors the big companies at the expense of the little companies,” continued Bartos, “Who are we as a society if all that’s left at the end of this pandemic are giant companies?”

Born and raised in Berks County, Bartos has been a Pennsylvania resident his entire life. Bartos is a small business owner and real estate developer active in the Greater Philadelphia market. In addition to his private-sector career, Bartos co-founded and led an effort to raise and distribute over $3.3 million to struggling small businesses in Pennsylvania through the Pennsylvania 30 Day Fund. Bartos was the Republican nominee in 2018 for Lieutenant Governor after winning the Primary Election with nearly 50% of the total vote in a four-person race.

“Over the last ten months, I have been talking with small business owners from all over the commonwealth. They’ve shared with me their belief that Main Street Pennsylvania has been left behind by the very people who are supposed to be representing them,” continued Bartos, “If we’ve learned anything over the past ten months, it’s that career politicians love to talk but rarely roll up their sleeves and get to work to fix problems. Frankly, Pennsylvania is suffering because of it. I’m running to change that. Politicians talk. I’m running to get shit done.”

Jeff and his wife, Sheryl, have two daughters, Emily and Sarah. Jeff and his family share a deep love of Pennsylvania. Over the past four years, Jeff has visited every corner of the commonwealth, has helped save thousands of family-sustaining jobs, and remains deeply committed to serving the people of Pennsylvania.

To learn more about Jeff and his campaign for U.S. Senate, please visit www.JeffBartos.com.

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A Democratic state senator from Philadelphia and the vice chair of the state Democratic Party said he’s considering running for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat in next year’s election. Forty-six-year-old Sharif Street was just elected to his second term in the state Senate last year. He said he’ll start an exploratory committee next month of more than 100 people to start the formal process. Street is a lawyer and the son of former Philadelphia Mayor John Street. He spent the past couple years campaigning around Pennsylvania for Democratic candidates as the state party’s No. 2 official.

(Photo courtesy of Mrs. Kelley Schulte, administrative assistant)

Story by Beaver County Radio News Correspondent Sandy Giordan0 

(Midland, Pa.) Midland Elementary  Middle School students  are wrapping up their week of Dr. Seuss activities  as part of a Read  Across America program.  Principal Brenda Millitello  and the teachers  planned activities for each day  and students wore attire according to the days themes. (Photo courtesy of Mrs. Kelley Schulte, administrative assistant)

(Ellwood City , Pa.) Ellwood City School District students are returning to the classroom starting Monday, March 8, 2021. The Ellwood City School Board voted unanimously last Thursday for students to return to the classroom. School start times will be at the normal time. There was some question on whether the one-hour delay that had been in place to allow prep time for teachers to prepare for remote learning each day would continue. The school board was split on that decision and decided 5-4 to return to normal times.

(Aliquippa, Pa.) Pa State Police in Beaver are reporting that 18 year old Landin Pillar of Aliquippa was arrested last night on suspicion of Driving Under the Influence.
Troopers are reporting via release that Pillar was driving on the West Aliquippa Bridge around 8:30 p.m. last night when he was pulled over for a traffic violation by a State Trooper. Pillar was taken into custody and charges are pending.

Crosby caps first-period outburst, Pens defeat Rangers 5-1
By DAN SCIFO Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sidney Crosby capped Pittsburgh’s three-goal outburst in the first period, and the Penguins beat the New York Rangers 5-1. Crosby scored his eighth of the season, Kasperi Kapanen netted his sixth and John Marino his first as Pittsburgh scored three times on six shots. Evgeni Malkin and Zach Aston-Reese scored in the third period as the Penguins won for the ninth time 13 games. Casey DeSmith had 22 saves in his second start since Feb. 11. Mika Zibanejad scored the Rangers, who had their season-best three-game winning streak halted.

Keystone State News Connection

March 8, 2021

Andrea Sears

HARRISBURG, Pa. — A proposed amendment to Pennsylvania’s state constitution that would create judicial districts for the election of appellate court judges won’t be on the primary ballot in May, but it could still go to the voters this year.

House Bill 38 was put on hold after two Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee voted against the measure.

Supporters of the amendment claim it would increase regional diversity on the courts by electing judges from more rural areas, but opponents say it would undermine the separation of powers by politicizing judicial selection.

Elizabeth Randol, legislative director for the ACLU of Pennsylvania, pointed out judges don’t have local constituents the way that other elected officials do.

“If we are going to have judges be elected then everybody should be allowed to weigh in on all of the people that sit on those courts because the rulings that they make apply to all Pennsylvanians,” Randol argued.

The bill, as it is currently written, would need to pass both houses of the legislature by early September to be on the statewide ballot for the November election.

Opponents fear the amendment would lead to judicial gerrymandering by drawing district lines to favor the election of judges from the political party in power.

And Randol believes House Bill 38 leaves significant unanswered questions about creating judicial districts.

“There are a lot of missing details that leave open an unimaginable array of options that would be made available to the legislature to make decisions about how these districts are drawn and the process by which they do it,” Randol contended.

Critics also pointed out the amendment has been pushed through the General Assembly without hearings or debate so far.

Randol noted another method of judicial selection, merit appointments, has bipartisan support.

She explained Republican lawmakers who support the option say they don’t want to see judicial selection further entrenched in an electoral process.

“For them, this would just be going in the absolute wrong direction,” Randol remarked. “Any chances of merit selection would be pretty much quashed if we carve up the state into judicial districts.”

She added making judges beholden to the views of their local constituents would subvert the court’s ability to protect civil rights and liberties against the tyranny of the majority.

(Photo used with Permission)

Story by Beaver County Radio News/Program Director Frank Sparks

(Patterson Twp., Pa.) Sam Stadterman’s has been a Firefighter for eight years with different communities throughout Beaver County.  He currently is serving with the Patterson Twp. VFD and Beaver VFD. Sam learned in January that he is terminally ill with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer that starts in the mucous glands of the Esophagus.  Initially staged at IIIA, the unfortunate results of a recent PET Scan revealed that the cancer has spread to his collar bone, pelvis and neck.  Sam is has a wife, Lisa, and two step-daughters. The family preparing for some tough times ahead as Sam is just starting his treatments and will not be able to work and will have go on short-term disability.

Beaver County Radio’s Frank Sparks spoke with Patterson Twp. Fire Chief Phil Graeser earlier this week and Phil explained that Sam is just a good guy who has done so much for his community and he and his fellow firefighters feel that it is time they help give back to him. Graeser said that when Sam is not working as a Field Service Technician for Cintas Fire Protection Division or a firefighter at Pittsburgh International Race Complex he can be seen volunteering his time to serve the residents of Beaver County, Pennsylvania.

Sam has served as  a volunteer firefighter 2014.  Initially serving with Chippewa VFD, he now volunteers his time with Beaver VFD and Patterson Heights VFD.  As an active member and Trustee with the Beaver County Firefighters Association, Sam was instrumental with helping to revive the association and their goal of ensuring that the firefighters of Beaver County have access to quality training classes.

Chief Graeser told Sparks that co-workers of Sam’s started a Go Fund Me for Sam to try and raise money to help him and his family financially. Graeser said that when his fellow firefighters found out they jumped on board and are assisting in anyway they can. They are taking donations at their weekly Fish Fry’s as well. So far as of Friday March 5, 2021 Sam’s family, friends and brothers have raised almost $8000.00  of their $10,000.00 goal.

Sam needs your help and if you would like to help click on the logo below to be direct to Sam’s Go Fund Me: