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HEADLINES:
Schools Come Up Short In Corbett’s Budget HARRISBURG, - The Pennsylvania School Funding Campaign (PSFC) noted with alarm Governor Tom Corbett’s $549.9 million cut in combined state and federal basic education funding, returning it to the 2008-09 funding level. The overall cut for schools in his 2011-12 budget is $589.8 million. “The General Assembly took historic action beginning in 2008 to put the state back on track toward a fair, equitable, and rational school funding system for the first time in two decades,” said Ron Cowell, president of The Education Policy and Leadership Center and PSFC spokesperson. “Today’s proposal is a distressing step backward, one that will dramatically weaken our children’s education” he added. “Student achievement has increased significantly across the state in recent years, and this reflects the impact of state and federal funds invested in our schools,” according to Jim Buckheit, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. “Students cannot put their education on hold while waiting for state revenues to recover. This is no time to turn back the clock,” he added. Shelley Yanoff, executive director of Public Citizens for Children and Youth, noted that “our children don’t get a second chance at kindergarten or third grade or their junior year of high school. They cannot afford to have the state take a year off from its commitment to fund their education properly.” School districts are currently developing budgets for the next school year and are in the third year of “dealing with shrinking local revenues that have been battered by the recession. Every day we read about districts that are planning to lay off teachers and other staff, increase class size, and drop academic programs,” said Jay Himes, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials. During the past two years, the state has used federal funds to increase school funding and cover a 9% reduction in its own support, according to Cowell. “The expiration of federal funding and the proposed reduction or elimination of 17 budget line items mean schools will get 6.2% less than they are receiving this year,” Cowell said. “Our future as a Commonwealth depends upon highly educated citizens,” said Thomas J. Gentzel, executive director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association. “We hope that as the General Assembly deliberates on the Governor’s proposal it will find ways to keep from cutting school funding. It is the best investment we can make in our own future prosperity,” he added. The Pennsylvania School Funding Campaign is an unprecedented coalition of more than 30 statewide and regional education and advocacy organizations representing hundreds of thousands of parents, students, educators, school board members, administrators, and other concerned citizens advocating for adequate and equitable funding of Pennsylvania’s public schools.
Pickett Votes To Repeal New Homes Mandate HARRISBURG - To relieve the burden of a costly new mandate on new residential buildings, Rep. Tina Pickett (R-Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna) voted to repeal the requirement of automatic sprinkler systems in new home construction. “As of Jan. 1, all new homes have been required to install expensive sprinkler systems under the state’s building code,” said Pickett. “While I understand the concerns of firefighters that safety must be at the forefront, I believe that this requirement poses an undue hardship upon rural communities without a public water system. New home builders not only will have to install sprinkler systems, but they will need to set up water tanks and municipal water systems must ensure that water pressure is adequate to operate the systems. “The sprinkler systems are estimated to add $5,000 to $20,000 to the purchase price of a new home,” Pickett continued. “That type of expense is discouraging many families from building and stalling the homebuilding industry at a time when our state’s housing market is trying to recover from the recent economic downturn.” House Bill 377, which passed the House 154-39, removes the residential sprinkler requirement from new one- and two-family residential homes. “In this day and age of excessive government regulations, new homeowners should be afforded the option of including sprinkler systems in their homes, not to have it forced upon them,” Pickett said. The legislation now heads to the state Senate for consideration.
February Lottery Records The Susquehanna County Transcript is starting a monthly feature listing Pennsylvania Lottery Winners who won prizes over $1,000 from Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties. Each of these three counties had a big winner playing the lottery in February, state records show. Matthew Thatcher of Great Bend took home the most - $7,500 - from the instant game “Monopoly.” Paula M. Zenger of Tunkhannock scored $3,000 on another instant game “Bonus Block Bingo.” John Risboskin of Browndale snagged $1,025 as a Match 6 winner. In total for February, 37 local players won $$45,525, records show. Most of the lucky players won on scratch-off games. Following are notable winners for February as listed on the lottery website. Susquehanna County Keith A. McLemore, Jackson, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Mega Multiplier.” Barbara E. Lake, Susquehanna, $1,000 from “20X The Money.” Debra A. Blaisure, Montrose, $1,000 from “$now Globe Ca$h.” Herbert M. Herbert, Montrose, $1,000 from “$250,000 A Year For Life.” Tho Hancock, Kingsley, $1,000 from “$1,000 A Week For Life.” Teri L. Brink, Hallstead, $1,000 from “$1 Million Platinum Payout.” Edwin M. Martinez, Brooklyn, $1,000 from “Diamonds & Pearls.” Jiang Hue Mei, Brooklyn, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Mega Multiplier.” Wayne County Judi L. Simons, Honesdale, $1,000 from “Winner Green.” Gail A. McDonald, Lake Ariel, $1,000 from “Steelers.” Michael J. Deturo, Lake Ariel, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Mega Multiplier.” Nichola M. Smith, Honesdale, $1,000 from “Diamonds And 7S.” V. Piscitelli, Hawley, $1,000 from “$1 Million Platinum Payout.” Jovan Neda, Honesdale, $1,000 from “$1 Million Platinum Payout.” Jennifer Serge, Honesdale, $1,000 from “$1 Million Platinum Payout.” Thomas J. Green, Honesdale, $1,000 from “Diamonds & Pearls.” Catherine Kelly, Honesdale, $1,000 from “2nd Edition Goldbar Cro$$word.” Norma Schmidt, Hawley, $1,000 from “Diamonds & Pearls.” Delores A. Dombrowski, Lake Ariel, $1,000 from “Money, Money, Money.” Melissa Davis, Lake Ariel, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Cash Fever.” Joseph L Garelli, Hawley, $1,000 from “Eagles.” Carl H. Magnussen, Hawley, $1,000 from “Hershey's Kisses & Cash.” Loretta M. Parrish, Lake Ariel, $1,000 from “20X The Money.” Dawn M. Vanderstad, Prompton, $1,000 from “5X The Money.” Wyoming County Cathleen A. Mason, Tunkhannock, $1,000 from “Treasure.” Ernest C. Pasney, Tunkhannock, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Mega Multiplier.” Emily Gelormini, Nicholson, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Cash Fever.” Patricia Franko, Nicholson, $1,000 from “Diamonds And 7S.” Stanley J. Bush, Tunkhannock, $1,000 from “20X The Money.” Duane Adams, Meshoppen, $1,000 from “Diamonds & Pearls.” Bertram Harris II, Factoryville, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Mega Multiplier.” Nicholas Brandon, Factoryville, $1,000 from “King Of Cash.” Raymond G. Buckingham, Meshoppen, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Mega Multiplier.” Francis Coats, Meshoppen, $1,000 from “Million Dollar Mega Multiplier.” For the fiscal year 2009-2010, The Pennsylvania Lottery paid $7,374,212 out in prizes to Susquehanna County, $7,670,759 to Wayne County and $3,418,477 to Wyoming County.
Livestock Disaster Assistance Programs (Montrose, PA) - CED Jason Pontillo, Executive Director for the Susquehanna and Wyoming/Sullivan County USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA), announced that permanent disaster assistance programs created in the 2008 Farm Bill allow FSA to offer relief to producers affected by adverse weather. The Livestock Indemnity Program (LIP) provides livestock producers with benefits for livestock deaths in excess of normal mortality caused by adverse weather. The Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm Raised Fish Program (ELAP) provides emergency assistance to producers of livestock, honeybees, and farm-raised fish that have losses due to disease, adverse weather or other conditions, including blizzards and wildfires. For livestock producers, ELAP assistance may be available for feed losses due to a major weather event. ELAP benefits paid are based on FSA’s calculation of the value of feed lost compared to the feed needs of the livestock during the disaster period. Producers should document any additional costs associated with transporting feed to livestock. “Many farmers and ranchers have faced a rough winter, and they need to know FSA has programs that offer relief when they need it most,” said Pontillo. “For LIP benefits, producers should document the number and kind of livestock that died due to the winter storms and notify our office as soon as possible,” he said. To meet eligibility requirements under LIP, producers must file a notice of loss within 30 days from when the loss is apparent to the producer. It is also important that the verification of death loss is verified by an unrelated third party. Another disaster assistance program available to livestock producers is the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) which provides financial assistance to producers who suffer grazing losses due to drought or fire. LFP requires that producers obtain a policy or plan of insurance for the grazed forage crop under the Federal Crop Insurance Act (FCIA) or file the required paperwork and pay the administrative fee by the applicable state application closing date for the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program (NAP). “Although we don’t often think of drought and snow in the same context, it is very possible that both weather conditions are occurring at the same time and LFP is available to help alleviate the financial strain caused by drought, “said Pontillo. Pontillo stressed that applications received for any of the livestock disaster assistance programs are considered on a case-by-case basis and producers should be prepared to provide required information to determine eligibility and applicable benefits. Producers who have questions regarding livestock disaster assistance program eligibility and the application process should contact the Susquehanna or Wyoming/Sullivan County FSA office at 570-278-1197 or 570-836-5111, or online at www.fsa.usda.gov/pa.
Preserve Eye Health, Prevent Vision Loss Vision plays an important role in many aspects of daily life. From morning to night, the eyes are working hard to process information. In fact, according to the American Optometric Association's (AOA) American Eye-Q® survey, 46 percent of consumers indicate eyesight is the sense they worry most about losing. With consumer sentiment so focused on eye health, protecting the eyes and vision should be an important part of overall health care for Americans of all ages. Age plays a major factor when caring for vision. Patients in their 30s experience very different eye and vision issues than patients in their 60s. To treat current conditions and combat future diseases, patients should take the appropriate age-related steps to help keep their vision as healthy as possible. It's easy to incorporate steps into your daily routine to ensure healthy eyes and vision. Eating right, exercising and visiting your local eye doctor every year can help keep your eyes and vision strong. Overall, people can help their visual system age gracefully through these preventive tips. In honor of Governor Tom Corbett declaring March as Save Your Vision Month to encourage Pennsylvania citizens to protect their vision from preventable, treatable conditions, the Pennsylvania Optometric Association (POA) offers specific tips to follow to preserve eye health and vision based on a patient's age. 20s & 30s The majority of adults in their 20s and 30s can correct vision problems by wearing corrective lenses, either contact lenses or eyeglasses. However, that doesn't mean they don't need to worry about preserving their vision for the future. Similar to other organs in the body, the eyes are generally healthy in people in their 20s and 30s. At this age, it's important to take proactive steps to protect eyesight and vision. For example, eating foods rich in six nutrients - antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin, essential fatty acids, vitamins C and E and the mineral zinc - can boost eye health throughout life. Foods rich in these nutrients include broccoli, spinach, kale, corn, green beans, peas, oranges and tangerines. Smoking is a bad habit that exposes the eyes to high levels of harmful chemicals and increases the risk for developing age-related macular degeneration and cataracts in the future. Finally, remember to wear sunglasses to protect against harmful UV radiation. Studies have shown that exposure to even small amounts of UV rays over time increases the chance of developing cataracts and other diseases and disorders. In fact, sunglasses are considered one of the most important anti-aging tools. 40s & 50s People often begin to notice vision changes around age 40, with a chief complaint being difficulty seeing while reading or doing close work. This normal change in the eye's focusing ability due to age, called presbyopia, will continue to progress over time. Other vision changes often experienced by those in their 40s and 50s include, difficulty seeing far away, problems seeing in low light or at night, sensitivity to light and glare, and for women, the risk of dry eye increases after menopause. An optometrist can easily test patients for proper prescriptions, offer suggestions on how to reduce sensitivity to light and glare and prescribe various treatments to ease the symptoms of these disorders. Adults over age 40 may be particularly at risk for developing eye and vision problems if they have chronic or systemic conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure. Additionally, many medications have ocular side effects, especially those for health conditions like high cholesterol, thyroid conditions, anxiety or depression and arthritis. In addition to continuing to follow the healthy habits established earlier in life, adding an exercise regimen to one's daily routine is important to keep overall health and vision in shape. Also, patients in this age range should be knowledgeable about any eye diseases that run in their family and should discuss them with their optometrist. 60s and beyond At this age, it is especially important for patients to be vigilant about seeing their optometrist to check for the onset of diseases like age-related macular degeneration, cataracts and glaucoma. Many of these conditions have no early symptoms, developing painlessly. For many patients, the first noticeable sign of glaucoma is loss of vision. At this point the vision loss is irreversible, making it critical for patients not to wait to see their optometrist. With approximately three million Americans diagnosed with glaucoma, 10 million with macular degeneration and more than 50 percent of the population likely to develop cataracts by age 80, the most important step to take during these "golden" years is to visit an optometrist at least once a year for a comprehensive eye health exam. Depending on family history and risk factors, the doctor may recommend checkups more than once a year. Early detection and treatment is the best way to maintain good vision at any age. Seeing a doctor of optometry yearly will help keep patients on the path to healthy eyes and vision throughout their lives. For more information on the Pennsylvania Optometric Association, visit www.poaeyes.org. For more information on the American Optometric Association, visit www.aoa.org.
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