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Bloss man's dream of having elevation sign replaced becomes reality
by C. R. Clarke
A Blossburg man who has been working towards a goal for some time has finally seen his dream come to fruition.
Neil Fiske, 91, wanted to see a sign marking the top of Bloss Mountain as the highest point on the new Route 15, soon to be renamed Interstate 99, so he started lobbying for it.
Fiske, a retired state employee for the New York Bureau of Weights and Measures, was once a police officer in Wellsboro.
A native of Michigan, Fiske came to the area in the 1930s to help with the construction of the Trail Top Park, located at the top of Bloss Mountain, and fell in love with the area.
He also met and fell in love with his wife, Lorraine Larson at the same park, so this project was near and dear to his heart for more than one reason.
The sign that was once in place along old Route 15, which read, "Bloss Mountain, Allegheny Range, elevation 2,140 feet," was made out of wood and has long since been removed, and the park was demolished to make room for the four lane highway.
Fiske started his campaign in 2002. After repeated efforts to get the sign placed by contacting PennDOT, and even Rep. Matt Baker, Fiske finally wrote a letter to the editor of this newspaper a little more than a year ago.
This is when the wheels started to turn for Fiske's dream to come true.
Fiske's love for the mountain came through clearly in his letter, one of many written by him on various topics over the years.
"Tioga County needed some type of recognition," Fiske said.
Active in the community, Fiske keeps himself busy with membership in the Sebring Grange, and the Blossburg American Legion.
"After I didn't get a response from PennDOT, the folks in the grange encouraged me to keep trying," he said.
He said he enjoys writing letters to the editor as it keeps his mind sharp and because it is "good mental therapy."
He has two grown children, a son, who is a retired judge adjutant in the military and lives in Fredricksburg, Va., and a daughter, who is a psychologist in Columbia, Md.
He also has two grandchildren, one who is an ensign in the U.S. Navy and studying to be a naval doctor, and the other who is studying to be an attorney.
Neil Fiske, 91, wanted to see a sign marking the top of Bloss Mountain as the highest point on the new Route 15, soon to be renamed Interstate 99, so he started lobbying for it.
Fiske, a retired state employee for the New York Bureau of Weights and Measures, was once a police officer in Wellsboro.
A native of Michigan, Fiske came to the area in the 1930s to help with the construction of the Trail Top Park, located at the top of Bloss Mountain, and fell in love with the area.
He also met and fell in love with his wife, Lorraine Larson at the same park, so this project was near and dear to his heart for more than one reason.
The sign that was once in place along old Route 15, which read, "Bloss Mountain, Allegheny Range, elevation 2,140 feet," was made out of wood and has long since been removed, and the park was demolished to make room for the four lane highway.
Fiske started his campaign in 2002. After repeated efforts to get the sign placed by contacting PennDOT, and even Rep. Matt Baker, Fiske finally wrote a letter to the editor of this newspaper a little more than a year ago.
This is when the wheels started to turn for Fiske's dream to come true.
Fiske's love for the mountain came through clearly in his letter, one of many written by him on various topics over the years.
"Tioga County needed some type of recognition," Fiske said.
Active in the community, Fiske keeps himself busy with membership in the Sebring Grange, and the Blossburg American Legion.
"After I didn't get a response from PennDOT, the folks in the grange encouraged me to keep trying," he said.
He said he enjoys writing letters to the editor as it keeps his mind sharp and because it is "good mental therapy."
He has two grown children, a son, who is a retired judge adjutant in the military and lives in Fredricksburg, Va., and a daughter, who is a psychologist in Columbia, Md.
He also has two grandchildren, one who is an ensign in the U.S. Navy and studying to be a naval doctor, and the other who is studying to be an attorney.
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