Billtown Blog's Birthday

This post is about the one year anniversay of Billtown Blog: Williamsport, PA's City Blog.

One year ago I wrote my first post on Billtown Blog: "Williamsport, PA: I love it Here!"

Since then almost 3000 Pennsylvania visitors; most from Lycoming County, have read the blog ~ and most of those repeatedly.

Every month when I look at the reports, I am surpised to see that this post: "3 Things about Williamsport, I’m Thankful For" shows up among the top 50. It's almost Thanksgiving. Let's do this one again!

Tomorrow I'll post some new reasons why I'm still thankful to live in Williamsport. Please join me to "ice the cake" by adding the best part - your comments.

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A Passion for Williamsport

When I began blogging the mayoral election, I did so with a little trepidation. But my passion for the subject motivated my pen. I was not alone. There was a lot of emotion surrounding this election. And judging by the ongoing comments on my last election post and the boards, that emotion has not abated.

To those who were dissapointed by the election's outcome, of which I was one, may I tenderly make a suggestion? We once argued with a purpose - to support our candidate of preference. There's no purpose in it now. Let go of your dissapointment without letting go of your passion for our city

Gabe Campana will be mayor. Gabe Campana is NOT a villain. He's young - and his vision, his ideas and opinions loom larger than life. That's not an "all-bad" quality. And who among us hasn't shared it? Additional experience will temper him. Give him a chance. Whether or not you like how he did it, the fact is - He did EARN that chance.

Let's try suspending our disbelief and cynicism. Let's give the man the benefit of the doubt. Dare I say we offer him our support? Well I'm going to. I hated his campaign rhetoric - but I don't doubt for a minute that he wants to bring improvement to this city. Whatever motives you think inspire him, let's at least not pretend that this isn't one of them.

I hope that while Gabe is in office, crime is curtailed. I hope that while Gabe is in office, businesses thrive. I hope that while Gabe is in office that citizens enjoy higher salaries and lower taxes. I hope I can participate in making those things a reality. I hope you can too. I don't want to see Gabe fail so I can say, "I told you so." I want to see Gabe succeed, because I live here and I love it - with a passion!

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Calling All Citizens Interested in the Future of Williamsport

What would you like Downtown Williamsport to look like ... to be like? Someone really wants to know

• What: Williamsport Main Street Program's Visioning Session
• When: November 8th, at 3 PM
• Where: in the Community Theatre, on the first floor of the Trade & Transit Centre, 100 West Third Street, in downtown Williamsport
• Who: All Citizens Interested in the Future of Wiiliamsport's Downtown

Here's an excerpt of a letter from Cindy Robbins of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce:

"What would you like Downtown Williamsport to look like in 5, 10, or 15 years? That's exactly the topic of discussion on November 8th at the Williamsport Main Street Program's Visioning Session. This event will begin at 3 PM in the Community Theatre, on the first floor of the Trade & Transit Centre, 100 West Third Street, in downtown Williamsport. The visioning session will be conducted by Geoff Brace, Eastern Regional Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Downtown Center, a revitalization organization charged with overseeing Main Street Programs across the state. The purpose of this visioning event is to get input from all facets of the community regarding what people would like to have happen in the downtown. Your input is valued in the formation of goals and strategies for the future.

While at this session, you will also have a chance to learn about the Main Street program and its initiatives and activities and how you could get involved in Main Street. Please don't miss out on this crucial opportunity to be involved in your community. After all, the health and well-being of the future of Downtown Williamsport affects us all."

An attached flyer offers the following additions:
In 2006, Williamsport was officially designated as a Main Street Community by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

At this public meeting, you will have the opportunity to:
• Learn about the Main Street Program
• Have your ideas & concerns heard about the future of downtown
• Contribute to the overall goal of revitalizing Williamsport

For more information visit: http://www.ot2010.org/ or call Josh Trego at 570-320-4211.

o

Discuss this event, before or after attending, here!

Election Results

For those of us who have already returned from the polls, it's all done but the waiting.

Here's an election results link.
(Too bad it doesn't work yet, eh?)

In the meanwhile tell us where you'll be when the results start coming in. Or if you'd like to take your mind off of it for a spell, chat about something else.

Billtown Boards Quote:

Radspinner will be:
"Downtown with friends from different campaigns.
Should be a blast."

Good man Radspinner. That's what it's all about.

Discovery Machine Inc. Aids Winner of $600,000 NASA Grant

Complex 3D simulations are a powerful tool for training, e-Learning, and real-time operations support. Fortunately, with a new tool under development using Hypercosm's 3D Software suite, they will soon be easier and more economical to create as well.

After a successful prototype demonstration of a new web-based 3D simulation authoring platform, PLANET LLC was awarded a $600,000 Small Business Innovative Research Phase II Grant from NASA to deliver an authoring tool that will allow subject matter experts or graphic designers, and not high-level programmers, to create the logic behind a complex simulation.

NASA is looking to use the Hypercosm 3D simulation platform for web-based astronaut training and just-in-time operations support for tasks like repairs or maintenance. As NASA continues their path toward long-duration space missions, critical simulation tools like Hypercosm will be a requirement for future crews that may have to perform tasks months or years after they received their training.

The two year contract was awarded by the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. PLANET LLC will use their web-based Hypercosm 3D software partnered with software tools from their knowledge partner, Discovery Machine Inc. of Williamsport, PA, to complete the tool development. Discovery Machine Inc. specializes in software approaches to knowledge acquisition and engineering, and building tools to make this knowledge easily accessible to non-technical experts.

"This project will result in a very powerful but user-friendly tool for developers of 3D training and operations," said Thomas Crabb, President of PLANET LLC. "Web-based simulation will soon be the basis for most training on complex systems, and when they can be authored quickly and cost effectively - and still contain a high level of artificial intelligence - they will become the training option of choice."

About Discovery Machine, Inc.
Todd W. Griffith, Ph.D., is the president and co-founder of Discovery Machine Inc., located in the historic Old City Hall on Pine Street in downtown Williamsport.

Their mission is to enable experts to easily and affordably harness human knowledge in a manner never before achievable. They achieve this through the development of revolutionary products and services which move beyond traditional knowledge acquisition and engineering, to enable strategists, scientists and researchers to build working models and simulations without writing code.

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Billtown Buzz

What's Williamsport Talking About?

o

Find out for yourself on Billtown Boards - a community discussion site powered with the most popular forum engine vBulletin.

* Mayoral Election

With the municipal election only days away, the mayoral candidates are a hot topic.

onemoretaxpayer says:

"I also think Chief Whiteman and Mr Hudack are doing a fantastic job. Things get better every day, and Mayor Wolf is responsible for that."

o

Read these threads for more on this topic:

Williamsport Mayor Election Issues, Who's Got Your Vote?, 2007 Municipal Election, Times split for mayoral forum Monday, Campana responds to criticism of Web site

* The New Sun-Gazette Site

The Williamsport Sun-Gazette has launched a new website which among other things allows comments on articles.

radspinner says:
"I think it looks sharp, but you can't comment on every story. The comments on the election stories are really over the top."

o

Read these threads for more on this topic:
The Sun's new site, Williamsport Sun Gazette

* Bringing the "Wish You Were Here" Hometown Focus Show to Williamsport

Ellen DeGeneres will be traveling to a hometown, selected from those submitted on her Wish You Were Here site, to film and feature that town on her show.

truthseeker says:
"Williamsport is listed already. But we need greater participation to
get Ellen to come to our neck of the woods."

0

Read this thread for more on this topic:
Ellen in Williamsport?

Dozens of Other Topics

Read and make comments on dozens of other topics too: Comment on every article or show from all the local media, tell us where you like to shop, commend your favourite dish or waitress, palaver core town issues, link to and tell us about your business ... and more! Much more.

What Do You Have to Say?

Now it's your turn to be heard.