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From Senate Republican Policy Development & Research Office January 29, 2010 PA LIHEAP Accepting Applications Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is accepting applications for cash and crisis grants through April 2, 2010, according to the PA Department of Public Welfare (DPW). LIHEAP is expected to provide some 600,000 income-eligible families with cash grants during the 2009-2010 heating season. Cash grants assist eligible households pay for heat during winter months. Crisis grants are expected to be provided to approximately 126,000 households this season. Those income-eligible families in jeopardy of losing heat as a result of an emergency may apply for crisis grants. Emergency situations include:
Families with a heating emergency should call their county assistance offices. Applications are available through the local county assistance office, local utility companies, and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies. Applications for LIHEAP cash grants are also available online through COMPASS or by calling the LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095. LIHEAP is a federally-funded program administered by the PA Department of Public Welfare. Time to Be Counted In a matter of weeks, households across the country will be receiving one of the most important requests to be received this decade – Be Counted as part of the 2010 Decennial Census. The U.S. Census Bureau will soon be mailing out the easiest and shortest Census questionnaires ever. The U.S. Census Bureau is reminding everyone their being counted will affect the locations for roads, public transportation, retail stores, schools, hospitals, senior centers, new housing developments, and other community facilities. More than $400 billion is allocated to states and communities each year based, in part, on census data. Updated Census data allows for local emergency service providers to receive up-to-date maps that in turn ensure faster response in the event of a local crisis. Census information is also used to determine boundaries for state and local legislative and congressional districts. Completed Census surveys should be returned by April 1, 2010. Those who do not mail back their confidential form should anticipate a census taker to follow-up in person. The Census Bureau is very successful in getting participation by explaining the importance of the questions asked and how the information benefits communities. Participation in the 2010 Census is vital and required by law, Section 221, of Title 13 of the U.S. Code. Mammoths and Mastodons Invade State Museum Mammoths and mastodons have invaded the State Museum of Pennsylvania in downtown Harrisburg and brought with them more than 80 specimens including extinct creatures that once flaunted tusks and trunks. The Marshalls Creek Mastodon, excavated in 1968 from a peat bog in Monroe County, PA, is considered one of the most complete mastodon skeletons ever recovered. However, only half the creature’s 12,000-year-old skeleton had been on display at the State Museum until the Buy-A-Bone Campaign brought life to the project. Now completely remounted, the Pennsylvania Mastodon is the star attraction of an exhibit that will include other Ice Age creatures such as carnivores, horses, giant ground sloths, and giant armadillos. The travelling exhibition “Tusks! Ice Age Mammoths and Mastodons” will continue through May 2, 2010. See them all at the State Museum located at 300 North Street in Harrisburg, PA. Museum hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 noon to 5 p.m. General admission is $3.00 for adults, $2.00 for children/senior citizens. Individuals who need special assistance should call (717) 787-6778 or the PA TDD relay service at 800-654-5984. PA Moves to Online Vanity Plate Check If you are considering joining the more than 276,000 Pennsylvanians with personalized vanity plates on their vehicle, you will no longer have to wait to see if your idea already appears on another vehicle, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. Check the availability of a personalized plate before submitting and possibly receiving a notice of duplication. Go to the Department of Motor Vehicles and select the Online Driver and Vehicle Services link. Choose Personalized Vanity Plate Availability from the list of available online Vehicle Registration Services. Complete Form MV-904, Application for Special Registration Plate and submit it to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, Special Tag Unit, P.O. Box 68293, Harrisburg, PA 17106-8293 along with a $20 check or money order payable to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Punxsutawney Phil Pops Up On Social Networking Sites February 2, 2010 will be a Groundhog Day like no other, according to the Pennsylvania Tourism Office, as Punxsutawney Phil pops up on social networking sites. While already a YouTube sensation, Punxsutawney Phil now has his own Facebook page, is sharing photos on Flickr and will be Tweeting his world famous weather forecast for Spring 2010. Punxsutawney Phil represents the evolution of a story that is believed to have originated long before modern technology with the Romans and was passed along to the Germans. Pennsylvania’s earliest German settlers appear to have continued a similar tradition substituting a groundhog for a hedgehog and reestablishing the prognosticating ritual in Jefferson County, PA. Phil’s evolution for the new decade finds him beckoning cyber visitors to witness his forecast along with the thousands packing Gobbler’s Knob in Punxsutawney and millions around the globe catching the event on television and radio. The Pennsylvania Tourism Office, under the state Department of Community and Economic Development, is dedicated to inspiring travel to the State of Independence. For more information, go to visitPA.com or call (800) VISIT PA. Award Winning PA Wineries Emerge The competition was tough but they took home the gold, silver, and bronze reflecting their hard work and commitment. From selecting the grapes through fermentation to bottling a finished wine then submitting the product for consideration during the 2010 PA Farm Show, 46 PA wineries put their reputations on the line entering a record number 328 wines for consideration. Top award-winning wineries hail from six counties located in both the eastern and western regions of the state. The seven “Best of” designations include:
Many of these wineries will go on to compete in regional and national contests. Visit these and other Pennsylvania wineries located around the state utilizing the VisitPA Wine Road Trips planning tool. A three-day suggested schedule is intended to help you customize your road trip to meet your interests.
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