The Broome County William Grace Firefighter of the Year Award is presented to a firefighter, volunteer or paid, whose life-saving actions exemplify the highest standards of their calling.
Captain Brent Soden, teacher at the Susquehanna Community High School and a volunteer firefighter in Endwell, NY, is this year's recipient of that Award.
Brent Soden
It was on December 20th that the Endwell Fire Department was dispatched to a fire at an apartment complex. Captain Soden and his team were on the first engine to arrive at this two alarm fire. Heavy smoke was billowing from the east door entrance and fire was noted at the rear of the building.
With the initial waterline pulled to the building, the crew advanced tot he fire floor of the building. Captain Soden then made a decision that would alter the outcome of this call. It was at that point that he opted to sweep the lower stairwell of the building. Descending the stairs, he heard a victim overcome by the heavy smoke, calling for help. Locating her, he “bear hugged” the resident and rapidly moved her up the stairs and passed her to another firefighter and onto safety. Discovering that the fire originated in a basement apartment across from the victim's, Brent then redirected his crew to the basement where the fire was located and extinguished.
The outcome of this fire call was no civilian injuries and a fire was contained to the apartment of origin. This was all due to the heroic efforts of Captain Brent Soden.
In January, 2017, Captain Brent Soden was given the Broome County William Grace Firefighter of the Year Award.
He was nominated by Chief Joseph Shoemaker.
Lanesboro's monthly borough council meeting provided an extended forum for airing of the changes coming to the Rails-to-Trails within and adjacent to the boundaries of Lanesboro. The many, many upgrades in the current planning stages will vastly improve the quality of the rail-trail from Steven's Point to the New York state line.
To set the table for this story, Borough Council President Dan Boughton called the Tuesday, May 9, meeting to order at 7 p.m. Present for the meeting were Councilmen Dale Rockwell, Dave Glidden, and Tom Nitterour, as well as Mayor Chris Maby and Secretary/Treasurer Gail Hanrahan. Also present and representing Rails-to-Trails was Lynn Conrad, with a cadre of technical experts, including an architect, to discuss and explain the changes envisioned in the coming next few years.
Ms. Conrad's experts had quite a lot of information to share on micro-segments of the trails. Keying the presentation was a philosophy of endurance, sustainability, safety, and user-friendliness. Trail users, they noted, will not see some of the improvements that are to be made. Not readily-apparent upgrades could include assorted corrections to drainage problems, installation of swales, and removal of nuisance vegetation.
Improvements that users will notice over time include the crushed stone surface being laid, the widening of the trail to 12 feet, installation of crosswalks and striping at road-surface intersections, and signage to direct trail users, as well as visitors to the Starrucca Viaduct.
For context, the D & H Rail Trail (north branch) stretches some 38 miles from Simpson, PA (in Lackawanna County), through Ararat Township, Steven's Point, Lanesboro, and onward to the New York border. The segment discussed in-depth at Lanesboro's council meeting related to those six miles of trail from Steven's Point northward.
Information flow was not a one-way transaction at the Lanesboro meeting. While experts could discuss detailed plans for how plans might be brought to fruition, they were clearly solicitous to the opinions and input of residents. Being unfamiliar with some of Lanesboro's topography and the extent to which the borough's low-lying areas have flooded in recent years, the experts were eager to grasp the lay of the land. Mayor Maby, council members, and members of the audience were eager to provide input as to the facts on the ground and in relation to the borough's history.
Mayor Maby also provided significant input concerning the possibilities of parking solutions and the planned-for new sidewalks to bring foot traffic to the trail head, the Starrucca Viaduct, and Luciana Park. Also envisioned for the future is the use of the rail trails for snowmobilers.
Ultimately, the changes in the works are planned to improve the quality of life for local residents, to increase the area's viability as a tourist attraction, and to provide a user-friendly environment for year round use by everyone interested in the great outdoors.
In other actions, the borough noted that the Tri-boro Sewer Authority had notified the borough of a sewer line break and the necessity for its repair. Vice-President Rockwell, in turn, reported that repairs had been made and the issue entirely resolved in the interim.
Council also voted to approve, in response to a request from SCDA, a donation of $100 in support of the annual Hometown Days to be held in Susquehanna Depot again this summer.
Lanesboro's next monthly meeting is scheduled for the second Tuesday in June at the Community Center.
The National Technical Honor Society is now in its thirteenth year at the Susquehanna County Career & Technology Center. Nominees were reviewed for academic standing, attendance, citizenship, instructor recommendation and involvement in outside activities. Qualifying students were then notified of this outstanding achievement.
Dr. Alice M. Davis, SCCTC Executive Director, explained, “The goal of the NTHS is to see that deserving career and technology students are recognized and that the community becomes aware of the talents and abilities of the young people and adults who choose technical education as a pathway to a successful future.”
Pictured (L-R) are the 2016/17 NTHS inductees: seated- Searra Muller, Kimberly Houser, Caitlyn Lutkowski, Thomasina Martin; standing-Kristin Vantuyle-Sepela, Christopher Graf, Keith Martin, Alexis Hartman, Jenice Taluba, Brittany Bennett, Shayla Griffiths, Tatyania Martin, Dr. Alice M. Davis. Missing from photo: Dustin Tegeler, Garett Mowry, Searria Nester, Shanley Nester, Robert Norcross, Seth Owens, Brenden Tobin.
The following students were inducted into the National Technical Honor Society (NTHS) for the 2016/2017 school year: Christopher Graf, Blue Ridge; Kimberly Houser, Adult Student; Caitlyn Lutkowski, Mountain View; Keith Martin, Montrose; Tatyania Martin, Adult; Thomasina Martin, Adult; Searra Muller, Montrose; Kristin Vantuyle-Sepela, Adult; Dustin Tegeler, Blue Ridge. Returning NTHS members are: Brittany Bennett, Montrose; Shayla Griffiths, Adult; Alexis Hartman, Montrose; Garett Mowry, Elk Lake; Searria Nester, Tunkhannock; Shanley Nester, Tunkhannock; Robert Norcross, Elk Lake; Seth Owens, Elk Lake; Jenice Taluba, Elk Lake; Brendan Tobin, Lackawanna Trail.
Students and parents were invited to an induction ceremony that took place on Tuesday, April 4, 2017 in the SCCTC’s ‘A Touch of Class/Serfass Solarium’ restaurant.
