State Fire Commissioner: Remember To Change Batteries In Smoke, Carbon Monoxide Alarms When Changing Clocks This Weekend

HARRISBURG – State Fire Commissioner Ed Mann is reminding Pennsylvanians to change the batteries in their smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors when they move their clocks ahead by one hour this weekend.

“Buying, installing and maintaining smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors is one of the best and cheapest ways people can save lives,” Mann said. “These alarms have literally saved thousands of lives and it’s a good idea to get into the habit of changing batteries in these devices whenever you change your clocks.”

After replacing the batteries, homeowners should test the alarms. Smoke alarms should be installed on every level of your home, especially inside each bedroom and hallways near sleeping areas. Carbon monoxide, or CO, detectors should also be installed near sleeping areas.

Mann suggested replacing a smoke alarm if it’s more than 10 years old, even if it seems to work properly. The useful life of a smoke alarm is usually 10 years.

After making sure the alarms work properly, Mann recommends creating and practicing a home fire escape plan. Each member of the household must be able to identify more than one way to get out of the home and reach a meeting place away from the home, such as a neighbor’s porch or a telephone pole across the street, so that each person can be accounted for in an emergency.

“A home fire escape plan should also be reviewed and practiced on a regular basis,” Mann said. “Families can make this part of their twice-yearly battery replacement habit, too.”

More information about fire prevention and safety is available online at www.ReadyPA.org. For more information about the Office of the State Fire Commissioner and the fire service in Pennsylvania, visit www.osfc.state.pa.us.

“Scholastic Swing” At The Sherman Featuring Guest Artist Lou Marini From SNL & The Blues Brothers

STROUDSBURG – The Sherman Theater will be filled with the sound of swing music on April 15 performed by local high school musicians, the COTA Festival Orchestra, and special guest “Blue” Lou Marini, Jr. of Saturday Night Live and Blues Brothers fame. This ensemble cast of performers will be playing selections from the Al Cohn Memorial Jazz Collection.

When Lou Marini is introduced on stages worldwide, it’s amidst luminaries like James Taylor, Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Buddy Rich, Aretha Franklin, the Rolling Stones, and others. He’s also known as the inspiration for the music of the Blues Brothers, born out of Saturday Night Live, where Lou’s signature wailing sax is imitated to this day.

Marini is no stranger to either the Poconos or the music of Al Cohn. “To me, (Cohn’s) charts are the embodiment of a natural inherent swing,” commented Marini. “They just feel right and natural to play. They reflect his intelligence and great sense of humor and above all, they swing.”

This will be a unique educational experience for young jazz musicians from the Pocono Mountain East, Delaware Valley, and Stroudsburg Area School Districts. Each band is preparing music from the Al Cohn Collection and will be participants in a workshop/clinic with members of the Festival Orchestra and Lou Marini. They will then perform with Marini before the evening closes with a set by Lou and The Festival Orchestra.

A portion of the proceeds from this concert will benefit COTA CampJazz: an educational outreach program of the Delaware Water Gap Celebration of the Arts Fund for Young Musicians.

Showtime on April 15 is at 7:30 PM. Tickets are available at the Sherman Theater box office, by calling 570-420-2808, or by visiting www.ShermanTheater.com.Ticket prices are $15 for general admission with $5.00 discounted tickets available for students.

SBDC Training Aids Small Business Start Ups

SCRANTON-The University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC) is an available resource for both start-up and existing businesses in Pike County. The SBDC will hold a seminar entitled “The First Step: Starting Your Business” on Friday, March 19 from 1-3 p.m. at the Pike County Economic Development Authority (PCEDA) office, 209 East Harford Street, Milford.

This seminar provides participants with critical information needed to start and operate a small business in Pennsylvania. Registrations, licenses, business structures, taxation, and research tools will be covered, as well as what to expect in financing, expense and sales estimation, and resources.

Cost is $10 per person. Pre-registration and pre-payment are required. Call Tammy Savarese at 570-296-7332 to register.

The University of Scranton SBDC provides confidential small business consulting services to residents of Pike County at the PCEDA office by appointment only. To request SBDC services, complete the online request at www.scrantonsbdc.com.

Pennsylvania Is Top-Ranked Large State For Delivering On Federal Recovery Program

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania is the top-ranked large state – and ranks third overall – for the speed with which its Department of Transportation started and delivered projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, according to a Congressional committee.

The U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s latest ranking of the states showed Pennsylvania climbed from No. 6 to No. 3 and is the highest ranked large state. The committee has paid close attention to how the states have managed the $27 billion in highway and bridge recovery funds allocated by the Recovery Act.

PennDOT is managing nearly four times the amount of road and bridge funding of the two states ranked higher – Maine and Wyoming – combined.

“This recognition reflects the incredibly hard work done by dedicated PennDOT employees on behalf of the people of Pennsylvania,” said Secretary Allen D. Biehler, P.E. “From pre-planning to the execution, PennDOT and its partners in the local planning regions and contractors across the state have worked diligently to inject these dollars into the economy as quickly as possible.”

Pennsylvania was allocated $1.026 billion in federal Recovery funds for its state highway and bridge system. All contract bids for 326 projects have been opened.

So far, PennDOT has completed 92 Recovery-funded projects worth $125 million.

More Recovery-funded work will begin as warmer weather returns, putting thousands of people to work across the state. During the peak construction months in 2009, contractors and consultants reported employing more than 5,000 people per month on work funded by the Recovery Act.

State Capitol Roundup

A weekly summary of important events on Capitol Hill

By Rep. Mike Peifer (R-139)

Peifer’s Office Has Trout Stocking Schedules

Trout stocking schedules are now available at Rep. Mike Peifer’s (R-Monroe/Pike/Wayne) district office in preparation for opening day of trout season in April. A total of 744 streams and 124 lakes will be stocked as a part of the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission’s 2010 adult trout stocking program. Stocking occurs year-round, though most anglers typically view March as the official start of stocking season. The PFBC will stock nearly 4 million adult trout in Pennsylvanian rivers and streams that are open to the public for fishing. More than one million additional trout will be stocked by private contractors across the Commonwealth. Opening day for trout season is currently scheduled for Saturday, April 17. There will also be a regional opening day earlier in April for parts of southeastern Pennsylvania. Copies of the trout stocking schedules can be obtained from Peifer’s legislative office in the Wayne County Visitor’s Center, 32 Commercial St., Suite 300, Honesdale, or by visiting Peifer’s Web site at RepPeifer.com.

Students Can Begin Filing Applications for State Education Assistance Grants

Students seeking higher education assistance grants for the 2010-11 academic year may now begin submitting applications. Need-based Pennsylvania State Grants are provided to qualified Pennsylvania residents through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and do not have to be repaid. Students must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be considered. May 1 is the deadline for the Pennsylvania State Grant. Individuals with internet access may file their FAFSA electronically. For more information, visit RepPeifer.com.

Crossing Guards May Soon Receive Increased Protection

A bill authored by Rep. John Taylor (R-Philadelphia) would give school crossing guards who escort children through dangerous intersections the same legal protection as other school officials. Taylor’s proposal would change the law and create harsher penalties for anyone who attempts to, or intentionally causes, bodily injury to a crossing guard who is on duty. The legislation, which has been voted out of the House Judiciary Committee, increases the penalty for assaulting a school crossing guard from simple assault to aggravated assault and carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $25,000. For the latest legislative news, visit PAHouseGOP.com.

Pennsylvania Looking To Up Completion Rate Among College Students

HARRISBURG— Citing the need to increase the number of Pennsylvania students who finish college, Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced the state has teamed with 16 other states in an effort to significantly increase college completion rates by 2020.

“Pennsylvania boasts some of the finest colleges and universities in the nation, and we have made progress in making these institutions accessible and affordable to millions of students, but the number of students attaining college degrees falls woefully short of our nation’s needs and our collective potential,” Governor Rendell said.

A 2009 national study on education and the workforce found more than 60 percent of jobs will require a college degree in the coming decade, yet only 43 percent of Pennsylvanians age 25 to 34 have earned degrees. In addition, only about one-third of students enrolled in Pennsylvania’s four-year public colleges and less than two-thirds of those enrolled in four-year, private colleges graduate on time.

“Pennsylvania’s long-term economic outlook depends on a well-educated, highly skilled workforce,” the Governor added. “That workforce increasingly requires a postsecondary degree, but too many of our students are falling short. This must change.”

Pennsylvania and the 16 other states will work cooperatively with Complete College America, a national nonprofit organization, to identify ways to dramatically increase the number of young adults with a college degree. The Complete College Alliance also will focus on closing degree “attainment gaps” for traditionally underserved populations.

In addition to Pennsylvania, the alliance currently includes Connecticut, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, and West Virginia.

“Fewer than 40 percent of young adults hold an Associate Degree or higher,” said Stan Jones, President of Complete College America. “The numbers for most states are even worse. For states and America to be competitive, six of ten adults between the ages of 25 and 35 will need to hold a postsecondary degree or credential of value in the labor market by 2020. That’s why the commitment to students and the higher education institutions that serve them made by Governor Rendell is so important to Pennsylvania’s long-term economic and social well-being.”

Pennsylvania has taken dramatic steps in recent years to make a college degree more attainable, including working with public colleges to control tuition increases and simplifying the process for transferring college credits so students can avoid the costly, time-consuming process of retaking courses if they change schools.

Complete College America will provide Pennsylvania with tangible and practical support to help implement a range of strategies that will bring needed changes in the culture and practices of its public postsecondary institutions. To join the Alliance, a state – in partnership with its colleges and universities – must pledge to make college completion a top priority and commit to:

• Setting state and campus-specific degree and credential completion goals;

• Developing and implementing aggressive state and campus-level action plans for meeting the state’s completion goals; and

• Collecting and reporting common measures of progress toward the state’s completion goals.

Alliance states will receive in-depth technical support from America’s leading experts on improving college success, including assistance in building consensus for reform, developing policy action plans, guidance on applying for and effectively using federal funding to produce more degrees, and annual networking opportunities.

Five national foundations are providing multi-year support to Complete College America, including the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Lumina Foundation for Education.

“The long-term economic growth of any state is tied to the educational attainment of its citizens,” said Jones. “Reform-minded states like Pennsylvania are taking the lead in addressing this serious national issue head on. The implications of ‘business as usual’ are too great not to act.”

For more information on Complete College America, visit www.completecollege.org.

Pennsylvania’s Domestic Violence Programs Serve Close To 2,600 Adult And Child Victims In Just One Day

HARRISBURG– In one 24-hour period last year, when the state budget impasse was creating tremendous cash flow problems for local domestic violence programs that depend on state funding, Pennsylvania’s network of programs still managed to provide services to 2,597 domestic violence victims and their children.

A 24-hour census of all 61 domestic violence programs across the Commonwealth, released today, revealed that on Sept. 15, 2009:

• 1,190 victims were safely sheltered;
• 1,407 victims benefited from other services, including counseling, legal advocacy and children’s support groups;
• 950 hotline calls were answered;
• 1,473 people were trained in domestic violence intervention and prevention;
• 365 requests for services, including 247 requests for housing to escape an abuser, were unmet due to a critical shortage of funds and staff.

The census, conducted in all 50 states by the National Network To End Domestic Violence, is an unduplicated count of victims served on a single day. Nationwide, 1,648 domestic violence programs, representing 83 percent of identified local programs in the United States, participated and reported that they served more than 65,000 domestic violence victims.

Only six states ranked higher than Pennsylvania in the census for total people served: California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York and Texas; and in number of unmet requests: California, Illinois, Minnesota, Missouri, New York and Texas.

“Behind each of these statistics is a frightened adult or child desperately seeking safety and freedom from abuse and hard-working program staff trying to meet their needs with ever dwindling resources. Sadly, the same economic pressures that are driving up requests for help are curtailing local programs’ ability to respond,” said Peg Dierkers, executive director of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV).

Last year in Pennsylvania more than 100 domestic violence program workers were laid off, even as programs grappled with responding to 3,000 more requests for shelter than the year before.

Meanwhile, legislation to create additional revenue for domestic violence services through a small increase in marriage license and divorce filing fees remained stalled in the General Assembly.  Likewise, funding for services remained flat in the final budget.

“Inadequate funding means lost opportunities to offer safety and protection to victims and their children and lost opportunities to reduce injury and prevent homicides,” Dierkers noted. The domestic violence homicide rate has been steadily rising each year in Pennsylvania (visit www.pcadv.org for the most recent fatality report). Dierkers urged decision-makers in Harrisburg to address the critical need for domestic violence services by enacting the pending revenue legislation and allocating adequate funding in the next budget.

The National Census of Domestic Violence Services Full Report and the Pennsylvania Summary are available online at www.nnedv.org/census.

Safe Haven, Inc., a not-for-profit organization is dedicated to restoring dignity to victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Services include free and confidential individual empowerment counseling, crisis intervention, emergency shelter, support groups, educational outreach programs, medical and justice system advocacy, community outreach, and volunteer training programs. Safe Haven provides a 24-hour crisis hotline, 570-296-4357 (HELP).  Anyone interested in volunteering please contact Terry Ziemba, Volunteer Coordinator at 570-296-2827.  There many different ways to help Safe Haven make our community a safer place for everyone. Check out their website at www.safehavenofpikecounty.org.

Firewood Quarantine Revised to Exempt Additional Types of Treated Hardwoods Move Helps Protect Against Invasive Species, Benefit Important Industry

HARRISBURG – Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding announced today that out-of-state firewood producers now have two additional treatment options for exempting their firewood products from a quarantine meant to keep harmful invasive species from entering Pennsylvania: heat treatment and fumigation.

“Invasive species can have a damaging effect on Pennsylvania’s hardwoods industry, which is valued at $17 billion,” said Redding. “Preventative measures are critical to slowing and stopping the spread of these destructive plant pests. That’s why we’re using every means possible to protect against these destructive intruders and safeguard an important industry for our state.”

The 2007 firewood quarantine was issued to prevent the spread of exotic invasive species like the Asian Longhorned Beetle, Emerald Ash Borer, Sirex Wood Wasp and Bark Beetles that have entered the United States.

Under the firewood quarantine, the commonwealth prohibits moving any type or species of firewood into Pennsylvania. Firewood includes all processed or unprocessed, coniferous or hardwood products meant for use in a campfire or other outdoor or indoor fire. Initially, firewood marked “kiln-dried” and/or “USDA Certified” was the only exempt firewood. The addition of heat-treated and fumigated firewood provides more options for campers and producers.

The exemptions also apply to a separate quarantine that bans the movement of all non-coniferous firewood from within the 11 counties confirmed to have the Emerald Ash Borer: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Indiana, Juniata, Lawrence, Mercer, Mifflin, Washington and Westmoreland.

“As we move into the spring and summer months when traveling and camping activities reach their peak, we urge the public, commercial firewood dealers and retail firewood sellers to heed these quarantines,” said Redding. “Residents and visitors should use only locally harvested firewood, burn all of the firewood on-site, and not carry it to new locations.”

For more information about the quarantine, call 717-772-5205.

CSBG Funds Helping Hundreds Of Thousands

HARRISBURG – CSBG Funds Helping Hundreds of Thousands of PA’s Most Vulnerable Families, DCED Official Says Program Leveraged Nearly $15 for Every $1 Invested, Helped People Find Jobs, Become Self-Sufficient in 2008.

A federal program designed to help Pennsylvania’s neediest and most vulnerable families is helping to find work and improve the quality of life for hundreds of thousands of people statewide, a top Department of Community and Economic Development official told a state legislative committee today.

“The Community Services Block Grant program addresses real needs and helps real families lead better lives,” Jacqueline Parker, DCED’s deputy secretary for community affairs and development, today told the joint House and Senate Committee on Local Government. “There can be no question that, through the help of our partners-the community action agency network and other non-profits and communities-these funds have been used at a grass roots level to significantly help our poorest residents.”

In 2008, Parker said the state’s $27.53 million CSBG grant was used by community action agencies to leverage more than $365 million and help 356,338 people, or $14.82 for each CSBG dollar invested.

The 2008 funding resulted in other measurable, real-world outcomes, including:

• Jobs for 6,511 unemployed, low-income people;

• Higher pay for 1,237 people;

• Improved skills and competency training for 7,456 people; and

• The creation of 1,231 jobs that provide enough income for a family to adequately meet their basic needs without public or private assistance.

“The national recession created hardships for families all across the state, often through no fault of their own,” said Parker. “As an increasing number of Pennsylvanians are affected, our CSBG funding has been instrumental in helping community organizations continue their efforts to provide assistance to those who need it most.”

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Parker said 12.1 percent of Pennsylvania’s population lived at or below the poverty level in 2008. Rural Pennsylvania has a higher percentage of poverty than urban Pennsylvania.

CSBG is a federal program through the Department of Health and Human Services that is administered in Pennsylvania by DCED. The program is designed to address the interconnected problems of poverty. DCED develops a state plan and a formula to administer CSBG funds.

Funds are allocated at the local level through 42 community action agencies that cover all 67 counties of Pennsylvania. The funds are the foundation for a wide variety of services and improvements that leverage other federal, state and local funding resources.

Additionally, the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act provided DCED $42.3 million in CSBG-Recovery funds, which will allow community action agencies to undertake a variety of community activities to stimulate economic recovery, as well as job creation and retention. These funds, which expire Sept. 30, are being used to meet emergency needs and to provide employment-related services, legal services, financial literacy assistance, family counseling and other services designed to move clients toward self-sufficiency.

For more information on community development programs available through the Department of Community and Economic Development, visit www.newpa.com or call 1-866-466-3972.

Consulting Firm Will Move Headquarters To Suburban Philadelphia

HARRISBURG – Governor Edward G. Rendell announced today that LECG, a global expert services and consulting firm, will relocate its world headquarters to Pennsylvania, creating and retaining nearly 400 jobs in Chester County.

LECG, which recently merged with SMART Business Advisory and Consulting, will locate its new corporate headquarters in a 52,400-square-foot facility in Devon that formerly served as SMART’s headquarters. The $2.1 million consolidation project will create 57 jobs within three years and retain 329 existing positions statewide.

“This is an exciting project for Pennsylvania. Our competitive business environment and strategic investments have attracted the corporate headquarters of a respected, publicly traded firm and a commitment by the company to provide hundreds of high-wage jobs for years to come,” said Governor Rendell. “Projects like this one, which create jobs and leverage private-sector investment, are a concrete sign that our economic development efforts produce real results.”

The Governor said his proposed budget invests in job creation and economic development strategies that have helped keep Pennsylvania’s unemployment rate lower than the national average. The proposed budget boosts funding for job-creating programs such as opportunity grants, customized job training, infrastructure development, and infrastructure facilities and improvement grants.

“Despite this tough economy and a tight budget situation, we must do whatever is within our means to lay the foundation for strong economic growth and job creation as the economy recovers,” Governor Rendell added.

LECG employs more than 1,400 professionals in 39 global locations. It provides independent expert testimony, financial advisory services, original authoritative studies, strategic advisory, and tax, assurance, and business consulting services to clients, including Fortune Global 500 corporations, major law firms, and local, state and federal governments and agencies in the U.S.

“After careful consideration, we made a strategic decision to relocate the headquarters of the new LECG to suburban Philadelphia,” said LECG CEO Steve Samek. “Our analysis showed that 63 percent of the revenues of the combined firm are either in the region or in Europe. This new location also gives us access to many of the AM LAW 100 firms that provide references for many engagements and access to a remarkable talent pool of seasoned professionals and graduates from the many universities and colleges in the area.”

This project was coordinated by the Governor’s Action Team, or GAT, a group of economic development professionals that works directly with businesses that consider locating or expanding in the state.

Select Greater Philadelphia worked with the company and GAT to secure a $371,000 funding offer from the Department of Community and Economic Development for the project. The offer includes a $200,000 opportunity grant and $171,000 in job creation tax credits.

“Select provided the company’s representatives with information and data to help them make an informed decision about the benefits of locating their headquarters in Greater Philadelphia and quickly connected them to the Governor’s Action Team, which made a compelling case for the Pennsylvania location with an attractive incentive package,” said Tom Morr, president and CEO of Select Greater Philadelphia. “This project required quick action and everyone reacted promptly to successfully meet LECG’s timeframe.”

Since Governor Rendell took office in 2003, the Governor’s Action Team has successfully completed 1,220 projects, resulting in commitments to create 129,854 new jobs and retain 305,207 existing positions. The commonwealth has offered more than $2.3 billion in assistance for these projects, which will leverage more than $16.8 billion in additional investment.

For more information on LECG, visit www.lecg.com.

For more information on Select Greater Philadelphia, visit www.selectgreaterphiladelphia.com.

For more information on the Governor’s Action Team and other Department of Community and Economic Development programs, visit www.NewPA.com or call 1-866-466-3972.