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April 16, 2010
Senator John Pippy E-News
Citizens Can Send Cost-Saving Ideas to Government Cost Study Commission
via e-mail to: cuttingcosts@pasen.gov
Harrisburg -- The Senate Government Management and Cost Study
Commission is asking for ideas from citizens to cut the cost of state
government.
The 10-member commission includes individuals experienced in the
operation of state and local government, along with members who have experience
in private business. The goal is to evaluate state government operations and the
experience of other states in an effort to propose changes which will reduce
costs for Pennsylvania taxpayers.
Members of the public who have ideas they would like the
commission to consider are encouraged to send email to
cuttingcosts@pasen.gov.
The commission’s report to the full Senate is due on June 30.
The commission is chaired by Senator David Argall and also has a
web site,
www.senatorargall.com/commission.htm, which includes video from every
commission meeting, along with supplementary materials.
2010 Trout Season Opens in PA
Pennsylvania will once again
observe two opening days for the regular
2010 trout season, according to the
PA Fish & Boat Commission (PF&BC). Across 49 counties, fishermen will line
the banks of streams, rivers, and lakes on Saturday, April 17 for the
opening day of trout season.
The remaining 18 counties in
southeastern PA opened trout fishing on April 3. Trout season kicks off at 8
a.m. on the first Saturday after March 28 for those southeastern counties.
Opening Day in the 49 other counties begins at 8 a.m. on the first Saturday
after April 11 and continues until midnight on Labor Day.
PA residents age 16 – 64 may
purchase a license from
issuing agents located statewide or through
The Outdoor Shop for $22.70, valid December 1, 2009 through December 31, 2010. The
PF&BC issuesa number of other licenses including (scroll to bottom of linked page),
Senior Resident, Senior Resident Lifetime, National Guard & Armed Forces Reserve
Resident, Prisoner of War, Non-resident and three different Tourist licenses,
among others.
Trees Boost Your Property Value
Reduced energy costs and
improved water and air quality are among the benefits of trees in a community.
Trees provide shade, serve as windbreakers, deter runoff and erosion, and
provide food for wildlife, according to the
Arbor Day Foundation.
According to
TreeVitalize, a partnership to restore tree cover in the state’s
communities, one of the biggest boosts for individuals planting trees is an
increase in property value. At a time when property values are so important to
homeowners, buyers and sellers, trees boost property values five to fifteen
percent. The Arbor Day Foundation suggests that trees may
increase property values as much as 20 percent.
The Pennsylvania Department
of Conservation and Natural Resources reports many urban street trees die within
the first seven years of planting. In order to promote the planting and
successful growth of the Commonwealth’s trees, training will be offered to
citizens through the
Tree Tenders Training. Municipal
staff, current and prospective Shade Tree Commission members, and others
responsible for the long term care and management of public shade trees are
invited to attend the
Municipal Tree Institute.
TreeVitalize, a program initiated by the Pennsylvania Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources and conducted with the support and
involvement of the PA Horticultural Society, the Western PA Conservancy, county
governments, and public agencies, among others, is committed to a five-year goal
to plant one million trees by 2012.
Rebates of up to $500 Available for Non-Electric Home Heating
Upgrades - - Program Begins April 21
Harrisburg – A new rebate
program designed to help consumers save money and energy by making it more
affordable to upgrade a home heating system will open April 21.
The Pennsylvania Home
Heating Equipment Rebate Program could help as many as 33,000 households to
purchase Energy Star-rated, non-electric residential hot water heaters, furnaces
and boilers.
The federally-funded rebates
will range from $100 to $500, depending on the equipment’s efficiency rating.
Consumers can apply for and
receive their rebates by following three simple steps:
- Reserve a rebate by
completing an online application. Residents without Internet access can call
877-592-2061 to make a reservation;
- Purchase and have a
contractor install a qualifying product. Purchases made before April 21 will
not be eligible; and
- Submit the completed
rebate application within 30 days of the reservation date.
Applications and program
details are available at
www.paheatingrebates.com.To learn about rebates for appliance upgrades,
consumers should contact their electric utility.
Time for PA One Call
Attention all homeowners and
contractors -- whether you are planting shrubs and trees or tunneling, grading,
boring, blasting, demolishing, or any similar work requiring excavation, first
pick up the phone and dial 811 for the
PA One Call System to prevent fires, explosions, and major outages.
Contacting
PA One Call
triggers an alert to all the necessary underground facility owners that in turn,
identify any underground lines or facilities at the intended dig site. Area
utility companies will visit the site to mark the location of their respective
underground facilities. Calls to 811 must be placed no less than three business
days prior to beginning a digging or excavation project to allow sufficient time
to identify impediments.
PA One Call System, Inc.
is a non-profit Pennsylvania corporation created to protect underground
facilities before anyone begins to disturb the earth. The system,
serving 67 counties and employing 70 people,
is as important to excavators, contractors, plumbers, builders, and designers,
as it is to the general public in preventing a disastrous outcome for a project.
Report Potholes for Repairs
Spring has sprung and so
have the potholes. The
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
(PennDOT) is reminding motorists to call the toll-free number 1-800-FIX-ROAD
(1-800-349-7623) to report the location of potholes.
Motorists are also
encouraged to report other problems and information, including:
- shoulder and drainage
concerns;
- signage issues;
- other maintenance
needs;
- animal carcass
removal; and
- brush and tree
removal.
Since its inception in July
1997, the year-round hotline has received between 500 and 1,000 calls per month
statewide. Callers are asked to be as specific as possible when providing
locations of maintenance problems. PennDOT requests the report include the
county, municipality, street name, and the traffic route or the state route (SR)
number to assist
Engineering Districts & County Maintenance
Offices in making prompt repairs. State Route numbers are located on small
black-and-white signs posted along state highways. Callers should also provide
a description of any familiar landmarks to further help PennDOT locate the
problem area.
Great American Cleanup of PA Sweeps the State
Have you
signed up to participate in
the “Great American Cleanup of PA” or “Pick It Up PA Days” set to run through
May 2010?
Joint sponsors, the
Pennsylvania
Departments of Transportation
and of
Environmental Protection
are encouraging all Pennsylvanians to join ranks with community and civic
associations, school and youth groups, families and friends, hunting and fishing
clubs, conservation organizations, sports teams, and others removing litter and
trash from Pennsylvania's roadways, parks, forests, riverbanks, neighborhoods,
and open spaces.
The
2009 Great American Cleanup of PA
brought out 171,940 volunteers for 4,837 events that yielded 344,021 bags of
trash or 6,880,420 pounds. They cleaned 16,498 miles of roads, railroad tracks,
trails, waterways, and shorelines, and 6,986 acres of parks and or wetlands. The
volunteers also planted 6,264 trees, bulbs, and plants in an effort to keep
Pennsylvania beautiful.
Contact the“Keep America Beautiful”
representative for the
Pennsylvania Affiliate
in your area and
get involved.
April is Child Abuse Prevention Month
April 2010 has been
designated “Child Abuse Prevention Month” in the Commonwealth with the support
of the Pennsylvania Senate and
Senate Resolution 278 of 2010.
Across the country, more than one million children are documented as victims of
child abuse and at least 1,500 die annually from the abuse. Children ages four
and younger account for 81 percent of the fatalities.
The Senate of Pennsylvania
has adopted a number of measures to address this issue including
Senate Bill 654 of 2001,
the Newborn Protection Act of 2002. In 2003, an amendment to the PA
Constitution was approved by the electorate permitting child victims and child
material witnesses the option of testifying electronically. A comprehensive
child abuse reform package,
Act 179 of 2006,
was enacted to update the Child Protective Services Law and lengthen the
criminal statute of limitations for sexual offenses against children.
S.R. 278 of 2010 recognizes
that much more still needs to be done to prevent child abuse and victimization;
commends those who work to treat and prevent child abuse, and urges all
Pennsylvanians to do their part in preventing child abuse. Suspected child
abuse in PA can be reported around-the-clock to
ChildLine
at 1-800-932-0313.
Rebates of up to $500 Available for Non-Electric Home
Heating Upgrades - - Program Begins April 21
Harrisburg – A new rebate
program designed to help consumers save money and energy by making it more
affordable to upgrade a home heating system will open April 21.
The Pennsylvania Home
Heating Equipment Rebate Program could help as many as 33,000 households to
purchase Energy Star-rated, non-electric residential hot water heaters, furnaces
and boilers.
The federally-funded rebates
will range from $100 to $500, depending on the equipment’s efficiency rating.
Consumers can apply for and
receive their rebates by following three simple steps:
- Reserve a rebate by
completing an online application. Residents without Internet access can call
877-592-2061 to make a reservation;
- Purchase and have a
contractor install a qualifying product. Purchases made before April 21 will
not be eligible; and
- Submit the completed
rebate application within 30 days of the reservation date.
Applications and program
details are available at
www.paheatingrebates.com.To
learn about rebates for appliance upgrades, consumers should contact their
electric utility.
PennDOT Traffic Alerts
PennDOT District 11 Weekend Construction Summary
April 16-19, 2010
Pittsburgh, PA – PennDOT District 11 is reminding motorists
many highway and bridge improvements will be occurring this weekend, April
16-19, in Allegheny County.
Motorists should plan their travels accordingly by
anticipating highway work zones, slowing down, exercising patience and being
safe. For more information, visit the District 11 website,
www.dot.state.pa.us ,
click PennDOT near you, “11” under “roadwork” or the Parkway East project
website at www.penndot11.com.
PennDOT reminds motorists to call the construction hotline at 412-429-6035 for
information and current activities on the Parkway East, Parkway West, Parkway
North, I-79 and Route 28. All work is weather permitting. Call 1-800 FIX ROAD to
report roadway problems and concerns.
PennDOT also reminds motorists they can log on to
511pa.com or call 511 from any phone to
check traffic conditions and cameras on major roadways before traveling.
Below is a summary of the major closings and restrictions
this weekend:
West End
Steuben Street in the area between the new ramp to
southbound Saw Mill Run Boulevard (Route 19) and the new connector bridge in the
West End area of the City of Pittsburgh will be closed in both directions from 7
a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 17. Crews will be installing an overhead sign
structure, relocating electrical lines, placing new concrete roadway and
sealing. Traffic traveling from eastbound West Carson Street (Route 51) to the
West End and the West End Bridge will be impacted. Signs will be posted to guide
motorists.
FULL RELEASE
GOOGLE MAP OF GENERAL AREA
Fort Duquesne Bridge
A single, left lane closure will occur on the southbound
(inbound lower deck) Fort Duquesne Bridge (I-279) in the City of Pittsburgh from
6 a.m. to noon on Saturday morning, April 17. Crews will be conducting
inspection activities. All ramps will remain open.
FULL RELEASE
GOOGLE MAP OF GENERAL AREA
Parkway East (I-376)
Outbound (eastbound) traffic on the Parkway East (I-376) is
reduced to two lanes long-term between the Churchill (Exit 79B/Old Exit 10A) and
Pennsylvania Turnpike (Exit 85/Old Exit 15) interchanges.
FULL RELEASE
GOOGLE MAP OF GENERAL AREA
Route 28
Northbound traffic on Route 28 (Allegheny Valley
Expressway) will remain in a single lane pattern crossed over onto the
southbound lanes from the Shaler Water Treatment Facility to the Etna
interchange around-the-clock through late November. The northbound off-ramps to
Route 8 and Sharpsburg are also closed. Southbound Route 28 is open to two
lanes.
FULL RELEASE
GOOGLE MAP OF GENERAL AREA
Route 65
Route 65 (Ohio River Boulevard) is reduced to a single lane
in both directions long-term in the area of the I-79 interchange in Glenfield
Borough with southbound traffic crossed over onto the northbound lanes. All
ramps connecting to southbound Route 65 at the I-79 interchange are also closed
to facilitate the crossover. In addition, two on-and-off ramps that access the
left lane on northbound Route 65 are being used for southbound traffic. These
traffic patterns will remain in place through mid-summer.
FULL RELEASE
GOOGLE MAP OF GENERAL AREA
INFORMATION PROVIDED BY:
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
Engineering District 11
Dan Cessna, District Engineer
45 Thoms Run Road
Bridgeville, PA 15017
Jim Struzzi, Press Officer
(412) 429-5010
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