Keystone Community Resources Facility Tour

April 26, 2019

Keystone Community Resources Facility Tour

I appreciated the invitation to tour the Keystone Community Resources facility in Montrose. They have an amazing and caring staff that works with intellectually-challenged individuals in our community. There were an abundance of smiles and I truly enjoyed the experience.

Pictured from left, Kristie Baker, program developer for Montrose Keystone Community Resources Facility; Sherri Roberts, manager of Montrose Keystone Community Resources Facility; Dean White, director of Montrose Keystone Community Resources Facility; and me.

Wayne/Pike County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting

It was a full house at the Wayne/Pike County Farm Bureau annual meeting. Scholarships were awarded to several youngsters in the region who are pursuing agriculture-related education paths. It was an added bonus that we had the team back together.

Pictured from left are County Commissioners Joe Adams, Wendell Kay, me and Brian Smith. It was a great night and a reminder of the unwavering strength of our farming community!

Protecting Children and Animals in Hot Cars

As temperatures begin to rise outside, the heat in your vehicle can quickly reach levels that can be deadly for children and pets locked inside.

House Bill 279, which was passed by the House earlier this month, would provide civil immunity for any damage that may be done to a vehicle when forceful entry is necessary to rescue a child.

Last year, the Legislature enacted Act 104 of 2018, which provides civil immunity to law enforcement, animal control and humane officers and emergency responders who enter a car to save an animal that was left behind.

The civil protections in Act 104 do not extend to civilians attempting to break into a car to rescue an animal.

For the safety of your pets, it is best to leave them at home in hot weather.
For the safety and well-being of your children, they should not be left unattended in a vehicle regardless of weather.

SEEDS Offers $1,000 Scholarship for Best Sustainability Essay

Sustainable Energy Education and Development Support (SEEDS) of Northeastern PA will award a $1000 scholarship to a college-bound high school senior who resides in Pennsylvania for the best essay about the following:

“In what ways does our consumption of non-renewable energy sources affect the health and well-being of the earth and its lifeforms? How does developing “clean” energy alternatives contribute to a more sustainable future? What practices have you seen in your community that indicate we’re going in the right or wrong direction? What information would you provide to educate people? What tools and strategies would you employ to accomplish this, both locally and beyond?”

The scholarship honors the memory of Michael “Jake” Burkhardt, Western Wayne Class of 2015, who loved life, his family, his community and the environment and worked with SEEDS as a high school student.

Local high school seniors, including homeschooled students, are encouraged to submit their essay via email to scholarship@seedsgroup.net on or before 8 p.m. Sunday, May 19. The essay may be in the text of the email or in a Microsoft Word file, and should be between 600 and 1600 words in length. Seniors from Western Wayne High School, Honesdale High School, Wallenpaupack Area High School, and Canaan Christian Academy are eligible, as well as homeschooled seniors who reside within the areas covered by those high schools.

Applications must include the student’s name, address, email address, phone number(s), parent/guardian name(s) and address, current high school (or “homeschooled” if that is the case), proposed field of study, name of college they will be attending in the fall and their essay.

The winner cannot be related to any SEEDS staff or board members. By submitting an essay, you are agreeing that SEEDS can use the essay or excerpts from it for publication or other uses, with your name as the author, with your image. Winners will be encouraged to attend an informal meeting with the SEEDS volunteers during the month of July.

For more information, visit seedsgroup.net or call 570-0245-1256 or email Sandy@seedsgroup.net.

Attention Veterans

Brian Stolarski, a service officer with the American Legion, visits both my Honesdale and Montrose district offices each month to provide claims, pension and benefits assistance for area veterans. He visits the Honesdale office on the fourth Friday of each month and the Montrose office on the first Tuesday each month. Veterans need not be a member of the American Legion to use this service.

Brian will be in the Honesdale office on today, April 26, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Please call our office at 570-253-5533 for more information. He will also be in my Montrose district office on Tuesday, May 7, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information and to schedule an appointment, call the Honesdale office at 570-253-5533 or the Montrose office at 570-278-3374.

Safely Dispose of Unused Prescriptions This Saturday

Residents have an opportunity to remove opioids and other unused medicines from homes this Saturday, April 27, as part of the National Prescription Drug Take Back Day.

More than 18 tons of prescription drugs were disposed of across Pennsylvania in the Prescription Drug Take Back Day held last October. The initiative helps prevent unused medications ending up in the wrong hands.

Locations to safely dispose of unused drugs are listed here.

You can also find permanent disposal boxes in your community by clicking here.

Share the Road

As the weather continues to warm up, more and more Pennsylvanians will ride their bicycles on the roads.

Both motorists and bicyclists can work together to ensure everyone shares the road and gets home safely.

Motorists and bicyclists have the right to use the roads in Pennsylvania and should work to maintain a 4-foot barrier between each other when passing.

Motorists are allowed to overtake a bicycle in a no-passing zone, provided they leave a 4-foot clearance.

You can learn more about Pennsylvania’s bicycle laws here.

April is Autism Awareness Month

April is Autism Awareness Month in Pennsylvania. An estimated 30,000 Pennsylvanians live with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

To help families, providers and those with autism access services that meet their needs, Pennsylvania’s Bureau of Autism Services maintains a comprehensive online resource at PAautism.org.

The website connects people with autism and their supporters with autism resources and a community to help improve their lives.

The General Assembly further supports people with autism by dedicating funding to autism intervention and services in the annual state budget. In the current 2018-19 budget, funding totals more than $31 million, an increase of $3.6 million over the previous fiscal year’s spending.

Learn more here.

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