FREE Fall Wellness Festival

September 21, 2018

Fourth Annual Fall Wellness Festival

FREE ADMISSION!

Hosted by State Representative Jack Rader
and Lehigh Valley Health Network

Saturday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Northampton Community College’s Monroe Campus
2411 Route 715, Tannersville

This event provides Monroe County residents with greater access to
health and wellness-related services, including information for the
whole family – even your beloved children and pets!
The Wellness Festival will feature:

• Free flu shots (for all ages, including pediatric and senior flu shots)
• A Drug Take-Back program
• Yoga instruction
• Health screenings
• Kids fall activities
• Lite refreshments
• Information about pet wellness (please do not bring your pets to the event)
• Financial wellness information • Help with weight loss • And much, much more!

If you are interested in participating as a vendor, please call my district office by dialing 570-620-4341.

Pictured with me are Dr. Eric Bean from Lehigh Valley Health Network and Matt Connell, dean of Northampton Community College’s Monroe Campus. Lehigh Valley Health Network is co-hosting this event with us.

New Auto Park Opens in Snydersville

Monroe County last week celebrated the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Ray Price Auto Park in Snydersville. This new facility is now home to the Ray Price Ford, Honda, Volvo and Mazda dealerships.

Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network Opens New Facility

The Pleasant Valley Ecumenical Network last weekend held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new facilities on Route 209 in Sciota. Some of the services offered at the new location include a food pantry, a clothing close and social services referrals. I am pictured with Taylor Munoz from Sen. Mario Scavello’s office, PVEN Treasurer Tom Campbell and PVEN Executive Director Hope Christman. PVEN is a great resource for our community. For more information on PVEN, or to learn about volunteer opportunities, call 570-992-3136 or visit pven.net.

Tobyhanna Township Fall Fest Tomorrow

Tobyhanna Township Fall Fest will take place tomorrow, Sept. 22, from noon to 4:30 p.m. at Blanche Price Park, which is located at 105 Government Center Way in Pocono Pines.

The festival features live music, vendors, food and a free pumpkin patch for kids.

Parking and admission to the event are free.

Stop by our booth at the festival!

Special Assistance Available to Military Veterans

An American Legion service officer will be available on a rotating basis at my Effort or Pocono Pines district office each month on the third Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to answer questions about veterans benefits and help file claims for veterans and their dependents.

Upcoming dates and locations:

Pocono Pines District Office

Tuesday, Oct. 16, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Effort District Office

Tuesday, Nov. 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Space is limited so please call to schedule an appointment. Veterans do not need to be a member of the American Legion to take advantage of this service.

Are You Prepared?

With remnants of Tropical Depression Florence hitting much of Pennsylvania this week, state and national officials remind residents that September is National Preparedness month, an opportunity to prepare ourselves and our families now and throughout the year.

As part of the awareness month, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is urging residents to make and practice a preparedness plan, learn life-saving skills, check your insurance coverage and save for an emergency.

Residents should adapt their plans for all types of emergencies and disasters – residential fires, tornadoes, hurricanes, flooding, snowstorms, earthquakes, natural gas leaks and other events involving evacuations.

Tips and checklists are available online here.

PA Treasury Holding Military Decorations

The Pennsylvania Treasury announced the launch of a new state website dedicated to reuniting military decorations that have been reported as unclaimed property with their rightful owners.

The new search function allows users to search their names, or the name of a loved one, to see if Treasury is holding a military decoration as unclaimed property. In addition, users can look through a photo gallery featuring some of the decorations that are in the unclaimed property vault, as well as medals that have been returned to their rightful owners. Military decorations are often reported to Treasury as contents held in a safe deposit box that has gone unclaimed or abandoned.

Since 2017, Treasury has returned 58 service decorations, some of which have been in Treasury’s custody for decades, including Purple Hearts, to their rightful owners. Treasury continues to search for the owners of over 500 unclaimed military awards.

To search for unclaimed military decorations, click here.

Farm Conservation Tax Credits Available

To help farmers implement best management practices (BMPs) to prevent water pollution or purchase conservation equipment, $10 million in tax credits is available through the 2018-19 Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program.

REAP is designed for agricultural producers who install BMPs or make equipment purchases that reduce nutrient and sediment runoff, which improves Pennsylvania’s streams and watersheds. The program is administered by Pennsylvania’s State Conservation Commission.

Farmers may receive tax credits of up to $150,000 per agricultural operation for 50 percent to 75 percent of a project’s cost. The most common projects approved are for no-till planting and precision ag equipment, waste storage facilities, conservation plans, Nutrient Management Plans, and protecting animal heavy-use areas like barnyards. Cover crops and riparian stream buffers are also common REAP-eligible practices. REAP can be used in conjunction with other funding sources such as the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) or the Chesapeake Bay Program to help install BMPs.

For projects that include the proposed purchase of equipment, the equipment must be delivered by June 30, 2019. For projects involving the implementation of structural BMPs, all BMPs and BMP components must be completed by June 30, 2020, to be eligible.

REAP applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, click here.

New Website Offers Latest on Spotted Lanternfly

The spotted lanternfly (SLF), a pest native to China and Vietnam, was first discovered in Berks County in 2014 and presents a significant threat to Pennsylvania’s agriculture industry. Products specifically at risk include grapes, tree-fruit, hardwoods and nursery items.

The pest has since spread to 13 counties – Berks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery, Northampton, Philadelphia and Schuylkill – which are now considered to be part of a quarantine area.

While little is known about the insect's behavior and biology, researchers at the Penn State College of Agricultural Sciences and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) are working to gather scientific data on how to contain and manage this pest. The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture (PDA) and USDA are working to implement containment and control efforts.

Penn State Extension has compiled a comprehensive website with a lot of resources, including a checklist for homeowners in the quarantine area, tips for handling yard waste, ways to report and dispose of the insect, notices of public meetings, along with signs and symptoms, what’s at risk, where it’s found, and how the state is managing response to the insect. You can also sign up to receive the latest news, updates and alerts.

Click here to access the website.

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