U.S. LABOR DEPARTMENT SUES SOMERSET, PA., COMPANIES AND EXECUTIVE TO PROTECT 401(K) PROFIT-SHARING PLAN PARTICIPANTS. - States News Service

SOMERSET, Pa. -- The following information was released by the U.S. Department of Labor, the Employee Benefits Security Administration:

The U.S. Department of Labor has sued Super City Sports Sales Inc., general manager James V. Sujansky and parent company Pioneer Inc. for failing to remit employee contributions to the company's 401(k) profit-sharing plan, and for withdrawing all remaining plan funds in violation of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants failed to remit employee contributions to the plan and remitted certain employee contributions to the plan late without interest. The suit also alleges that Sujansky withdrew the remaining assets from the plan's account and deposited the money into the company's account. The alleged violations occurred from July 2002 through September 2006.

'Plan fiduciaries have a legal obligation to protect the interests of plan participants. The department will hold plan fiduciaries accountable when they fall short of their obligations under the law,' said Mabel Capolongo, regional director of the department's Employee Benefits Security Administration in Philadelphia, Pa.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, the suit seeks to restore to the plan all losses and lost opportunity costs, and to permanently bar Pioneer Inc., Super City Sports Sales Inc. and Sujansky from serving in a fiduciary capacity to any employee benefit plan covered by ERISA.

Super City Sports Sales sells and services trailers, motorcycles and snowmobiles in Somerset.

This case is part of EBSA's employee contribution project to safeguard workers' contributions to 401(k) and health benefit plans. Employers and workers can reach EBSA's Philadelphia Regional Office at 215.861.5300 or toll-free at 866.444.3272 for help with problems relating to private sector retirement and health plans. Additional information can be found at http://www.dol.gov/ebsa.

Solis v. Sujansky

# # #

Allentown, Pa., high-end retail and office development fills up with tenants. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Kurt Blumenau, The Morning Call, Allentown, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Nov. 28--After years of false starts and failed flirtations, Liberty Center has finally fulfilled its promise.

The five-story office and retail building at West Broad and Main streets, Bethlehem, has emerged as a bona fide upscale retail hub, a rare thing among Lehigh Valley downtowns.

National chains such as the Gap rebuffed early entreaties from developer Liberty Property Trust. The builder then turned to locally owned companies. It took four years, but Liberty Property Trust assembled a nearly full house, with tenants including Edge restaurant; the American Hairlines hair salon and health club; home-accessories shop Accessories Inc.; and custom cabinet maker Oberholtzer Kitchens.

Liberty Center has room for one more shop of 3,300 square feet, according to the developer. The building features 48,000 square feet of retail space on its first two floors, topped by 72,000 square feet of office space -- also almost fully occupied.

That's good news for Bethlehem officials and residents, who spent decades watching proposal after proposal for West Broad and Main come to nothing.

It's also good news for the tenants, who are reaping benefits from Liberty Center's growing cachet. Some hope the building will serve as a model for further upscale development in downtown settings.

'There's a lot of people here looking for high-end retailing,' said Dave McCormack, co-owner of American Hairlines, which moved into Liberty Center's first floor last month. 'Downtown Allentown would be a terrific lifestyle center.'

If Liberty Center is any example, though, bringing high-end shops to a downtown setting can be a challenge.

Prominent Bethlehem developer Lou Pektor took it on in the late '90s, proposing a $13 million project that would have included Tommy Hilfiger, Abercrombie and Fitch or similar national names. Pektor's proposal also included an upscale restaurant and office space.

The city committed to build a $10 million, 800-space parking deck next to the building. The garage was especially vital for Liberty Center because the building was displacing two 100-space parking lots.

Pektor's plans were thwarted in early 2000, when his original anchor tenant, a group of 27 doctors, pulled out. Pektor handed over the project to deeper-pocketed Liberty Property Trust, of Malvern, Chester County, in May 2000.

Within a month, the building had landed its first tenant, Fireman's Fund Insurance, which agreed to move more than 220 employees from a processing center in an industrial park in Hanover Township, Northampton County. The deal with Fireman's Fund filled two of the three floors of office space, giving the project a strong push forward.

Filling the street-level retail space proved more difficult. The Gap decided not to build at Liberty Center in April 2001, after slow company-wide sales forced it to scale back on expansion plans. Other national names, including coffee chain Starbucks, never committed.

The announcement last year of upscale mall plans in Bethlehem and Upper Saucon townships further drew those retailers' attention away from downtown, officials said.

'We held out and held out to try to get \[big-name tenants\], and realized they weren't going to come downtown,' said Bob Kiel, senior vice president of Liberty Property Trust.

Talks with the first retail tenant, Edge restaurant, were announced in September 2001. Edge opened in October 2002, followed by Accessories the next month. Accessories moved from a shopping plaza on Route 512, Hanover Township, Northampton County.

Gail Dunn, owner of Accessories, said her store has done well. Accessories expanded this spring, adding 5,934 square feet, bringing the store to more than 12,000 square feet. The new space is expected to open in February.

A law firm, Kolb, Vasiliadis & Florenz, took a small chunk of the first floor last year.

But Liberty Center's biggest push forward came in March, when American Hairlines announced a long-term lease for the remaining 14,442 square feet of first-floor space, moving from a nearby location on West Broad Street. The new store adds a health club, complete with exercise machines, to American Hairlines' established salon business.

The arrival of American Hairlines last month brought a well-known tenant with regular daily traffic to Liberty Center's last major retail vacancy -- high-visibility first-floor space, to boot.

'The corner is spectacular placement in downtown,' McCormack said.

Kiel said talks are under way to lease the remaining space, but nothing is imminent.

Some argue that Liberty Center represents the latest step in an established formula, rather than something new. Tony Hanna, Bethlehem's economic development director, said Liberty Center is the latest addition to a thriving downtown upscale area.

'That's been the story of the success of downtown Bethlehem,' Hanna said. 'You look down Main Street and Broad Street, and we have a lot of high-end retail, all local.'

Still, brand-new downtown buildings filled with higher-end stores are a rarity throughout the Lehigh Valley.

Allentown's Plaza at PPL Center, also a Liberty Property Trust project, might be a comparable building, Kiel said. That building, opened in spring 2003, has landed leases with a regional Mexican restaurant and Keystone Nazareth Bank & Trust. But the eight-story Plaza at PPL Center is predominantly an office building, with retail limited to the first floor.

Tenants at Liberty Center hope their success, hard-earned as it was, will inspire more such projects.

'It's good for everybody,' said Fran Mantz, general manager of Edge. 'People look at it as competition. But, the more the merrier.'

kurt.blumenau@mcall.com

610-820-6664

ORIGINAL INSERTION TIME: 11/26/2004 12:18:37 PM

KRT NEWS SERVICE VERSION:

To see more of The Morning Call, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.mcall.com.

The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Business People Column. - The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, PA)

May 5--GREATER WILKES-BARRE CHAMBER OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY: Susan Boyles has been named assistant to the vice president for communications.

Boyles is a veteran with more than 20 years service in the U.S. Army and Army Reserves, both military and civilian. She previously worked in Los Alamitos, Calif., with the U.S. Army 63rd Regional Support Command.

While in the military, she served as a personnel manager in various locations, including Ft. Jackson, S.C.; Ft. Sheridan, Ill.; and St. Louis. She attended the University of South Carolina, where she studied applications programming.

She is a Wilkes-Barre resident.

HIRINGS/PROMOTIONS

TOBYHANNA ARMY DEPOT: Leroy A. Knowles has been named chief of the Woodworking/Fabric Applications Division in the depot's Production Support Services Directorate. He is responsible for the work of about 23 employees who perform overhaul and fabrication work on shelter and van components and composite material, such as radar units.

Knowles is a 1957 graduate of Pittston Area High School and served in the Army. He resides in Pittston with his wife.

ERDMAN, ANTHONY AND ASSOCIATES: Lawrence J. Marchetti, professional engineer, has been named senior mechanical engineer. He will serve as project manager and project engineer for building systems projects.

Marchetti holds associate's degrees in fire science technology and mechanical design technology from Luzerne County Community College.

An Exeter resident, he is a registered professional engineer in Pennsylvania with 16 years experience.

GEISINGER MEDICAL GROUP: Dr. Hema Padmanabhan has been named an associate in endocrinology.

Padmanabhan was one of 10 fellows awarded the Etzwiler Fellowship last year by the Endocrine Fellows Foundation at the International Diabetes Center.

A diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, she previously was named a diplomate of the National Board of India.

She has earned numerous professional awards and has given many medical presentations.

FITZPATRICK LENTZ & BUBBA: George R. Barron of Mountaintop has joined the Lehigh Valley firm as an associate.

He received an undergraduate degree from Bloomsburg University and a law degree from Temple University, where he was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society.

His practice areas will include civil litigation, health care and corporate law.

TASTEFULLY SIMPLE: Sherri Williams of Plymouth now represents the national sales company based in Alexandria, Minn.

The company offers upscale, convenience-driven gourmet foods.

PNC BANK, NORTHEAST: Jack Walsh has been promoted to assistant vice president and Annmarie E. Andrejko has joined the bank as assistant vice president in the Corporate Banking Group for the Northeast PA Market.

Walsh is a corporate banking officer responsible for managing a credit relationship and the cross-sell of additional PNC products and services.

A Clarks Summit resident, he is a graduate of the University of Scranton, where he earned a bachelor's degree in accounting. He is a certified public accountant.

Andrejko is an account manager in the corporate banking group.

She also is a graduate of the University of Scranton, where she earned a bachelor's degree in finance and economics.

She is a Hudson resident.

VECTOR MARKETING: The Kingston office has promoted Suzanne Assenheimer to branch manager.

Assenheimer joined Vector as a sales representative in May 2000 in her hometown of Springfield. She will graduate this month from St. Joseph's University with a degree in elementary and special education. She is a Lansdowne resident.

Andrew Kish has been promoted to manager of the Hazleton office.

Kish joined Vector two years ago as a sales representative and was then promoted to field sales manager. He resides in Hazleton.

BOARDS

THE PENN MILLERS GROUP has elected J. Harvey Sproul Jr., as chairman of the board of directors. Sproul joined in 1990 and was elected its vice chairman in 1997.

Sproul, a graduate of Brown University, is president of H.B.S. Enterprises Inc., H.B. Sproul Construction Co., Harco Excavating Co. and Sproul Realty Company Inc.

He is a Waverly resident.

To see more of The Times Leader, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesleader.com

(c) 2002, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

Transmission line troubles Southwestern Pa. residents - Tribune-Review/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Marty Howsare and his wife spent weeks examining topographicalmaps of the area within 15 miles of Washington, Pa., then visitingcorresponding hilltops, looking for just the right location.

Five years ago, they found the spot to live, a hilltop in NorthBethlehem Township, four acres along Dutch Glory Road, nine milesfrom the nearest post office in Amity.

'We were looking for a hilltop with south and west (sun)exposure,' Marty said. 'When we saw this, we just fell in love withit.'

Now, after five years of spectacular sunsets, after sharing hislawn with deer, coyote and fox, after watching geese fly directlyover his home's rear deck, Howsare must consider something newsoaring over his home: 500,000 volts of electricity.

'They could bisect my house with the transmission line,' Howsaresaid, sitting at his kitchen table, looking out at hills and avalley as pretty as a proverbial picture. In fact, the amateurartist is finishing a charcoal drawing of the exact image.

Howsare's property lies in the way of one of the largesttransmission power line projects Pennsylvania has seen in decades.Proposed by Allegheny Energy Inc., the Tran-Allegheny InterstateLine would stretch 240 miles from Southwestern Pennsylvania, throughWest Virginia before ending in Loudoun County, Va., near Washington,and linking with Dominion Virginia Power.

The Pennsylvania portion includes some 37 miles of the 500,000-volt line, between a pair of to-be-built substations, includingPrexy, in North Strabane, Washington County, and 502 Junction, inDunkard, Greene County, near the West Virginia border.

Allegheny Energy's portion of the $1.3 billion total cost isabout $850 million, with the project slated for completion by 2011.

A dozen public meetings chaired by state Public UtilityCommission administrative law judges begin today, with the firstfour slated at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. today and tomorrow at theWashington County Fairgrounds, Building 2, at 2151 N. Main St.,Washington.

Howsare and many of his neighbors in North Bethlehem admitthey're suspicious of Allegheny Energy's plans, and wonder of theneed for the line and the nearly 200 towers needed withinPennsylvania alone.

'They (Allegheny Energy) say the line is needed, but I questionthe need,' said Pamela Seibel, a Howsare neighbor and 25-yearresident on Dutch Glory Road.

The concerns and questions are nothing new to Allegheny Energy,which has on its side the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, theNorth American Electricity Reliability Corp. and PJMInterconnection, the entity charged with operating the region'spower grid.

'The biggest misconception in Western Pennsylvania is that poweris moving out of Western Pennsylvania,' said Allegheny Energyspokesman David Neurohr. 'Power will be moving north, from the 502(substation) to Prexy (substation). The power is needed inWashington County.'

Power needs in Washington County during the past six to eightyears have been growing at about 4 percent annually, AlleghenyEnergy contends. And with new commercial development around theMeadows race track, and other projects -- such as the $404 millionVictory Centre, including a Bass Pro Shop and Tanger Outlets,planned or under way along Interstates 70 and 79 and Route 19 -- theGreensburg-based utility says the current power transmission systemwasn't built to handle the growth.

Mack and Lois Conkle built their home along Sunedecker Road inNorth Bethlehem 55 years ago. They admit it's no fun being withoutpower, having endured a multi-day outage years ago due to stormdamage, but still aren't convinced the new lines are required.

'I'm on the fence, I don't know which way to go,' Lois said.

'I'm worried about the health implications of the power lines,the impact on our resale value (home and 11 acres of property), andwhat the project will look like,' said Melanie Soares, who livesdown the hill from Howsare, on Mong Drive. 'One of the reasons wemoved here almost four years ago was the view.'

'The scientific studies don't support any connection between EMF(electromagnetic fields) and long-term health effects,' Neurohr said.

Howsare's quest to find the perfect spot to build his house tookmonths, but if Allegheny Energy's objective to build newtransmission on or near his property is successful, the 59-year-oldis prepared to move.

PA. PLANS TO ENFORCE LATE-ABORTION BAN - The Boston Globe (Boston, MA)

HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania plans to enforce a ban onvirtually all abortions after 24 weeks of pregnancy.

At issue is Pennsylvania's restrictive abortion law, which islikely to be put to a test in a federal appeals court this yearand could ultimately reach the US Supreme Court.

US District Judge Daniel J. Huyett 3d overturned keyprovisions of the law last Friday, including requirements thatwomen notify their husbands if they want an abortion and thatminors get the consent of a parent, or a court, to have an abortion.

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Women's LawProject in Philadelphia said Wednesday that the ban on abortionsafter 24 weeks also was overturned.

However, Kate L. Mershimer, who argued the case for thestate, said the prohibition remained largely intact. The stateHealth Department has been instructed to enforce the ban.

Since few abortions in Pennsylvania each year take placeafter 24 weeks, the dispute would appear to carry relatively minorsignificance. But the issue could take on greater importance if itgoes to an appeals court.

The 24-week ban, which prohibits abortions except in cases inwhich a woman would face death or irreversible harm, was widelyviewed as a direct assault on Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Courtruling that established the right to an abortion.

That ruling said a woman's decision to have an abortionduring the first three months of pregnancy must be left to her andher doctor. It said states may interfere in the abortion decisionduring the second trimester only to protect the woman's health, andmay take steps to protect fetal life in the third trimester.

Twenty-four weeks falls near the end of the second trimester;proponents of a ban on abortions after 24 weeks say that a fetushas a good chance of surviving at that point in pregnancy.

Huyett's ruling, which is being appealed by the state,stemmed from a lawsuit filed by a group of doctors and clinics.

DCED: Gaming Fund Investments to Promote Community and Economic Development in Northeast PA. - Health & Medicine Week

The Commonwealth Financing Authority (CFA) yesterday approved the allocation of gaming funds to community and economic development projects in six counties in Northeastern Pennsylvania (see also Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development).

'These revenues will provide support for initiatives that will revitalize downtown communities and redevelop deteriorating buildings to spur economic investment and job creation,' said Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary C. Alan Walker. 'The approved projects will not only spur job creation, but will address important public safety, infrastructure needs and will undoubtedly improve the quality of life for residents.'

In total, 29 projects in Monroe, Lackawanna, Carbon, Pike, Northampton and Wayne counties were awarded $10.05 million by the CFA. The funds are from the 'local share assessment' on the Mount Airy Resort and Casino in Mount Pocono, Monroe County. Under state law, licensed gaming facilities are assessed a fee to support and enhance their host communities and mitigate the impact of gaming.

One of the projects approved by the CFA will help the Scranton Lackawanna Industrial Building Company (SLIBCO) renovate the former JCPenney building in Moosic Borough to attract economic investment and jobs. SLIBCO was awarded a $337,900 grant that will be used to complete tenant improvements at the 29,120-square-foot facility in order to lease the facility to Stericycle, Inc., a medical-related company looking to expand in the region. Stericycle will retain its 65 existing employees and create 100 new, full-time positions and an additional 100 new, part-time jobs.

Monroe County's local share assessment is divided into two funds -- one for Monroe County; the other for projects in contiguous counties: Carbon, Lackawanna, Northampton, Pike and Wayne.

For more information about the local share assessment account, the CFA or a complete list of approved projects, visit CFA Approved Projects - Local Share Account or call 1-866-466-3972.

Media contact: Theresa Elliott, 717-783-1132

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development

Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development

Web Site: http://www.governor.state.pa.us

Keywords: Economic Development.

Pittston, Pa., Residents Lobby for Stricter Zoning Ordinances. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Donna Thomas, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jul. 13--PITTSTON TWP., Pa.--Even though a developer has halted plans to build a truck stop near the Butler Heights housing development, residents want to make sure a truck stop never can be built there.

About 35 families have formed a homeowners association to lobby the township to amend the zoning ordinance to ensure a truck stop is not built at the edge of their development.

'Diesel fuel is being researched as a carcinogen,' said Joseph Aliciene Jr., a member of the Butler Heights Homeowners Association. 'We don't care if anything goes in there that is listed in the zoning code.

'But they were trying to go outside the scope of the zoning law by coming in as a gasoline station,' he said of the business that wanted to build a truck stop there.

Truck stops are not defined under highway business district or industrial districts. The association wants them defined and then permitted in only industrial districts.

A Pilot Travel Center is located in an industrial district -- on the side of state Route 315 where there are no houses.

At some spots, homes are less than 100 feet away from the land where the truck stop was planned, Aliciene says.

The Butler Heights Homeowners Association presented a letter to the Pittston Township Board of Supervisors in June, asking for the board to pass a resolution to amend the zoning ordinance to include truck stops in industrial districts.

The undeveloped site is now zoned a highway business district and allows for gas stations, hotels and other retail operations.

Association members don't mind a gas station or another hotel, Aliciene said. Nor are they oblivious to the fact that their homes border one of the last pieces of developable land lining busy state Route 315.

Property owner Victoria Popple, who owns Victoria Inns and Suites, could not be reached.

'There is a provision in the 1995 zoning law for an amendment,' said Aliciene. 'But we're not getting any help.'

Township Supervisor Anthony Attardo said he turned the letter over to the township solicitor for review. He hopes to have an idea how to proceed by Monday's board meeting.

Aliciene said about 10 residents have called supervisors and Solicitor Sean McDonough since the June 6 letter was distributed to supervisors. No one received a call back from township officials, he said.

McDonough said the residents have to apply formally for an amendment before the township can respond to the request. He compared the situation in which a property owner who wants a zoning change on his or her parcel has to file formal applications with the township.

'We went to them and asked them how to do this. They didn't tell us that,' Aliciene said referring to filing formal papers.

Adrian Merolli, executive director of the Luzerne County Planning Commission, said that's not the typical process. Most residents usually don't learn of a project before the permitting process.

The resident group's letter is a formal request to the board to pass a resolution amending the 1995 zoning ordinance to define a truck stop. They call the lack of definition an oversight in the original law.

The letter also says action by the board would eliminate the need for residents to spend their own money to take the issue to court.

But, McDonough believes the township has no responsibility to residents -- nor to business owners -- in explaining how to get a zoning change or amendment.

'Do you understand the obvious problem that the township supervisors are facing?' McDonough asked. 'The board's unwillingness to walk (residents) through the process is because, for them, this is a no-win situation.'

Donna Thomas, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 829-7222.

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Pa. utility may face suit.(News) - Waste News

Byline: Joe Truini

A Pennsylvania power company has two months to address pollution problems at one of its plants or face litigation.

Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future notified Allegheny Energy Inc. that it intends to sue the company for air pollution violations at its Hatfield Ferry power plant in Green County, Pa.

'This plant has an appalling record of pollution,'' said Charles McPhedran, senior attorney for PennFuture. 'This disregard for state and federal law and for the health of people trying to breathe nearby must stop.''

PennFuture, with help from the Environmental Integrity Project, sent Allegheny Energy a letter Oct. 5 giving the company the legally required 60 days' notice to develop a plan to correct the alleged violations before PennFuture can file its lawsuit.

The federal Clean Air Act allows citizen lawsuits when the plaintiffs feel government agencies have failed to enforce clean air laws.

'PennFuture deserves a lot of credit to taking action on what is really a life-and-death matter for Pennsylvania's families,'' said Eric Shaeffer, EIP director.

The citizen lawsuit seeks to ensure future compliance, obtain penalties for noncompliance and recover attorney fees and court costs. The maximum penalty under the Clean Air Act is $27,500 per day for each violation occurring between Jan. 30, 1997, and March 15, 2004, and $32,500 per day for each violation occurring after March 15.

Allegheny Energy is still reviewing the letter, said Janice Lantz, a spokeswoman for the Greensburg, Pa., power company.

'Until we get a chance to go through it pretty thoroughly, we can't comment on the letter specifically,'' she said. 'We're looking forward to the opportunity to meet with the representatives of PennFuture and the other groups involved and, hopefully, we can cooperatively work to address their concerns.''

The company provides power to customers in Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia.

PennFuture alleges that Allegheny Energy's Hatfield Ferry plant in Green County, Pa., exceeds limits for opacity, or visible air contaminants, and particulate matter, violating federal and state laws. Local residents have complained of the effects from the pollution for several years.

US LABOR DEPARTMENT'S OSHA FINES CANONSBURG, PA., COMPANY NEARLY $130,000 FOR EXPOSING WORKERS TO LEAD HAZARDS, OTHER VIOLATIONS AT HARRISBURG, PA., WORKSITE. - States News Service

CANONSBURG, Pa -- The following information was released by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration:

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations against Panthera Painting Co. Inc. for exposing workers to dangerously high levels of lead, among other violations, while repainting and performing lead abatement at the George Wade Bridge in Harrisburg. Proposed penalties total $129,900.

OSHA began inspecting the site in September 2010 after being alerted to the hazards during another inspection involving the project's general contractor.

'Panthera Painting's failure to implement the proper safeguards left employees exposed to lead levels above the permissible limit,' said Kevin Kilp, director of OSHA's area office in Harrisburg. 'Lead overexposure is a leading cause of workplace illness that can lead to serious adverse health problems.'

OSHA cited Panthera for one willful violation, with a penalty of $42,000, for failing to monitor lead levels on a quarterly basis. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plan indifference to employee safety and health.

Twenty-nine serious violations, with a penalty of $87,300, include exposing workers to lead levels in excess of the permissible limit, electrical hazards, deficiencies in the company's lead protection program, failing to properly provide medical evaluations for employees prior to respirator fit testing, failing to provide initial respirator fit tests, failing to ensure employees were using well-fitting respirators, failing to provide ring buoys for emergencies, failing to secure pneumatic tools to hoses, failing to guard pulleys and failing to provide fall protection to employees exposed to fall hazards as high as 60 feet. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

The company also was cited for five other-than-serious violations, with a penalty of $600, for failing to properly record injuries and illnesses and to periodically inspect fire extinguishers. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

OSHA's lead standards require employers to protect their workers from lead exposure, which can cause many serious health issues including brain damage, paralysis and kidney disease, as well as death. Detailed information about lead hazards is available on OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/lead/index.html.

The Canonsburg company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, ask for an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The investigation was conducted by OSHA's Harrisburg Area Office; telephone 717-782-3902. To report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and provide training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

US LABOR DEPARTMENT'S OSHA FINES CANONSBURG, PA., COMPANY NEARLY $130,000 FOR EXPOSING WORKERS TO LEAD HAZARDS, OTHER VIOLATIONS AT HARRISBURG, PA., WORKSITE - US Fed News Service, Including US State News

CANONSBURG, Pa., March 22 -- The U.

S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety & Health Administration issued the following press release:

The U.

S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has issued citations against Panthera Painting Co. Inc. for exposing workers to dangerously high levels of lead, among other violations, while repainting and performing lead abatement at the George Wade Bridge in Harrisburg. Proposed penalties total $129,900.

OSHA began inspecting the site in September 2010 after being alerted to the hazards during another inspection involving the project's general contractor.

'Panthera Painting's failure to implement the proper safeguards left employees exposed to lead levels above the permissible limit,' said Kevin Kilp, director of OSHA's area office in Harrisburg. 'Lead overexposure is a leading cause of workplace illness that can lead to serious adverse health problems.'

OSHA cited Panthera for one willful violation, with a penalty of $42,000, for failing to monitor lead levels on a quarterly basis. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plan indifference to employee safety and health.

Twenty-nine serious violations, with a penalty of $87,300, include exposing workers to lead levels in excess of the permissible limit, electrical hazards, deficiencies in the company's lead protection program, failing to properly provide medical evaluations for employees prior to respirator fit testing, failing to provide initial respirator fit tests, failing to ensure employees were using well-fitting respirators, failing to provide ring buoys for emergencies, failing to secure pneumatic tools to hoses, failing to guard pulleys and failing to provide fall protection to employees exposed to fall hazards as high as 60 feet. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

The company also was cited for five other-than-serious violations, with a penalty of $600, for failing to properly record injuries and illnesses and to periodically inspect fire extinguishers. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.

OSHA's lead standards require employers to protect their workers from lead exposure, which can cause many serious health issues including brain damage, paralysis and kidney disease, as well as death. Detailed information about lead hazards is available on OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/lead/index.html.

The Canonsburg company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, ask for an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The investigation was conducted by OSHA's Harrisburg Area Office; telephone 717-782-3902. To report workplace incidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call the agency's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and provide training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov. For any query with respect to this article or any other content requirement, please contact Editor at htsyndication@hindustantimes.com

Erie, Pa., Couple Takes on Utility Over High-Voltage Lines. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Peter Panepento, Erie Times-News, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

May 30--Brenda and Rodney Denning had modest goals when they bought their $70,000, two-story house on Devoe Avenue in 1999.

After years of renting and waiting, the Dennings wanted to own a home. They wanted privacy and space; a place where they would someday retire and grow old.

Today, they say they are not getting what they paid for.

Several months after the Dennings moved into their home on Erie's far west side, the thick row of trees that lined the east side of Devoe Avenue started coming down. Those trees had served as a leafy buffer between the private homes on the west side of the street, which runs north from West 38th Street, and the very public traffic of Interstate 79, which runs parallel to Devoe Avenue's east side.

Those trees were soon replaced by a row of 80-foot-tall steel poles that tote 115-kilovolt electricity transmission lines.

Gone is the seclusion that greeted them when they arrived. Gone, too, is the idea of the Dennings growing old in that home.

Instead, they worry about the potential health risks that come with living fewer than 50 feet from high-voltage power lines.

Though there is plenty of evidence to contradict the claim that living in proximity to power lines poses health risks, the couple has seen enough to fear for their safety.

'We bought this house with the intent that when we retire, this would be it,' Rodney Denning said, pointing out his living room window at the towering pole that stands directly across the street. 'They've pretty much ruined all of that. We're stuck.'

Still, the Dennings uncomfortable with selling their home so soon after moving in and unwilling to accept their fate are trying to fight back.

The couple is traveling to Pittsburgh today for a hearing with a state Public Utility Commission administrative law judge, looking for a ruling that would force GPU Inc. to take down the poles and bury the lines underground.

Though the Dennings acknowledge that the utility was within its legal rights to install the power lines on the city right of way across the street from their home, they say GPU also has a legal and ethical obligation to protect its neighbors.

Without the help of a lawyer, the Dennings made it through a preliminary hearing in October to get their case on the judge's docket. They have since deposed witnesses, filed motions and recruited experts to argue their cause.

And despite the fact they are taking on a global company that has summoned a trio of lawyers for the case, the Dennings believe they can win.

'We're surprised to get this far and so are a lot of other people,' Brenda Denning said. 'But we're persistent. ... I do believe we'll eventually prevail.'

GPU officials maintain the company followed the rules when the lines were installed as part of a five-year, $10 million project to improve its transmission system.

Though company officials declined to comment on the case Tuesday, a spokesman said in a May 2000 interview that GPU took out newspaper ads and held public hearings in anticipation of the project.

The project included the installation of a transmission line that runs from the company's Greengarden Road substation south along the west side of I-79, across the interstate at West Grandview Boulevard, then along the east side of I-79 to an area just north of the Millcreek Mall.

Included in that path is Devoe Avenue.

Although GPU followed public protocol, the Dennings said they had no way of knowing of the company's intentions when they were looking at the home two years ago.

They said they didn't learn about the project until several months after they moved in, when a GPU official knocked on their door to inform them that the company was taking down the trees out front.

When GPU took out the trees to clear room for the power lines, it took away much of the privacy that the Dennings said first attracted them to the home.

It also opened the door for additional sound and dust pollution from the interstate.

'You couldn't see 79 when we moved in,' Brenda Denning said as a steady stream of cars and semis blurred behind her. 'You could hear 79, but you couldn't see it.'

But the Dennings said they are most concerned about the electromagnetic fields that accompany the high-voltage lines, which are 47 feet from their front door.

'My wife is exposed 24-7,' said Rodney Denning, an electrical wireman. 'We couldn't put our house far enough back on the property to get out of the field.'

GPU officials argue that there is no clear indication that its electric lines pose any health hazards to Devoe Avenue residents.

But the Dennings say they have seen and read enough to know that they do not want to take that risk.

With that in mind, they have enlisted the help of physicist Duane Dahlberg and Ed Maxey, a surgeon, to help them plead their case with the PUC.

Dahlberg, a retired professor of physics at Concordia College in Minnesota, was in Erie Tuesday, taking electromagnetic readings at the Denning house in preparation for the hearing.

'This is a large transmission line carrying a high current,' Dahlberg said. 'There are very few homes in the U.S. that have (electromagnetic) levels this high.'

Brenda Denning said she has already had to decline the chance to look after an expected grandchild at her home, saying she does not want to put the baby at risk.

She said she would only say yes to that opportunity if GPU decided to bury its lines underground, thereby removing the electromagnetic field.

'You can't replace life with money,' she said.

To see more of the Erie Times-News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://ge2.us.publicus.com

(c) 2001, Erie Times-News. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

No-Bid Plan Stirs Anger at Kingston, Pa., Firehouse. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Kasia Kopec, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Aug. 20--KINGSTON, Pa.--Members of the Independent Fire Company charge the municipality is circumventing the bidding process in selecting a construction manager for the $3 million central fire station project.

Mayor Jim Haggerty charges Independent officials, who have been invited to be a partner in the project but who have so far declined, of making unfounded accusations out of frustration, not concern for the community.

The argument stems from the selection of Sordoni Construction Services Inc. to oversee construction of the station on Wyoming Avenue without seeking bids.

Mike Dogal, a trustee of Independent, said he and others in the company are worried that could lead to legal challenges down the road. Municipalities are re...uired to seek bids for any work costing $10,000 or more.

Haggerty said bids are not re...uired in this case, because the Columbian Volunteer Fire department, not the municipality, is doing the project.

'The Columbian owns the land, the Columbian hired the architect and the Columbian hired the construction manager,' said Haggerty. 'And as a private, nonprofit organization, the Columbian is not re...uired to seek bids.'

Dogal said that is splitting hairs, since the municipality, not the Columbian, will own the fire station when it is completed at the end of 2004.

'They're circumventing the bidding process by having the Columbian make all the arrangements,' said Dogal, who worries the process leaves the municipality, and its partners in the fire station project, vulnerable to lawsuits from residents and potential contractors who weren't given a chance to bid on the work.

The lack of a bidding process also means there is no guarantee the fire station planners are getting the best deal for taxpayers, who will ultimately pay for the station, he added.

Dogal said the Independent's attorney, Michael Kostelansky, researched the matter and found case law supporting the company's concerns.

'Our lawyer has told us there are other municipalities that have been sued because they took this route and someone challenged it,' said Dogal.

Haggerty, who is also an attorney, said the argument is without merit. Moreover, he thinks the process undertaken by the Columbian will actually end up saving taxpayers money.

'I'd like them, or anyone, to prove to me how a bidding process guarantees the lowest price,' he said. 'I think hiring a construction manager with an agreement for a maximum price is the only way to guarantee that.'

Rick Ryman, president of the Columbian, said financial considerations had a lot to do with the department's decision to go with Sordoni.

In addition to serving as construction manager for the fire station project, Ryman said Sordoni has agreed to build the station with no payment re...uired until construction is complete.

'This way, we can get started right away and we can work on the financing as we move along,' Ryman said.

Though Ryman said the agreement with Sordoni re...uires no draw schedule, Haggerty said his understanding is that the Columbian is paying for the work in full.

'These volunteer fire companies have a lot of money,' he said.

Allan Kluger, an attorney representing the Columbian, said the Columbian will borrow approximately $2.2 million to cover the balance of construction costs.

'Sordoni is financing it, or they're seeing to the financing,' said Kluger, who added the rate is still being negotiated.

Dogal said his understanding of the agreement is that Sordoni is assuming all costs until construction is complete, at which point the building will be conveyed to the municipality.

Haggerty said there is an agreement being drawn up under which the municipality will take out a bond to cover costs of purchasing the station and new fire e...uipment, but he said the agreement in no way restricts the Columbian's choice of contractors.

Dean Fernsler, a local government policy specialist with the Governor's Center for Local Government, said in his opinion Haggerty is right.

'I don't see any impropriety there,' he said. 'The fact that there is an agreement in place saying that if there is a station built the municipality will buy it, doesn't mean the fire department building the station is bound by the same laws the municipality is.'

But Joseph Krumsky, another local government policy specialist with the Governor's Center, said the process, at the very least, appears improper. Though he deferred to Fernsler, who works regularly with fire companies and municipalities, Krumsky said the scenario seems unusual.

'I'm no lawyer, but I don't think you can do that,' he said.

Haggerty said Harry Mattern, the municipality's solicitor, Kluger, and Eugene Roth, who represents Sordoni, have reviewed the proposals and found no problems.

The Independent's worries stem from self interest, Haggerty said.

'The real issue here isn't their concern for the health and safety of the residents of Kingston,' said Haggerty. 'The real issue, the thing they're really angry about, is that we're taking away, what is essentially their clubhouse over there on Sprague Avenue.'

Dogal disputed the accusation saying the Independent only wants to see the job done right.

'Even if what they're doing isn't illegal, it's certainly not ethical,' said Dogal. 'That's our worry.'

To see more of The Times Leader, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesleader.com

US, EU cut off direct aid to PA - Jerusalem Post

Nathan Guttman and AP, Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.
Jerusalem Post
04-09-2006
Headline: US, EU cut off direct aid to PA
Byline: Nathan Guttman and AP, Khaled Abu Toameh contributed to this report.
Edition; Daily
Section: News
Page: 01

Sunday, April 9, 2006 -- WASHINGTON - The US and the EU announced Friday that all direct financial assistance destined for the Palestinian Authority would be given to nongovernmental organizations instead, following the swearing-in of the Hamas cabinet.

The European Union's executive office has cut off direct aid payments to the Hamas-led government because of its refusal to renounce violence and recognize Israel, EU officials said Friday.

The decision - condemned by Hamas officials but welcomed by Israel as a sign of a growing international consensus - effectively stops the next installment of some $36.9 million in projects designed to fund hospitals, utilities and education run by the UN, Red Cross and other groups.

PA Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh expressed regret over the 'hasty' move. 'It is as if they want to punish the Palestinian people for being committed to the culture of democracy and for choosing a government through the ballot boxes,' Haniyeh told reporters. 'This contradicts the European culture and what they call on the world to do,' he said.

Aziz Dweik, speaker of the Hamas-dominated Palestinian Legislative Council, called on the EU to reconsider its position and to respect the choice of the Palestinians.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said in a statement Friday, 'Because the new Hamas-led Palestinian government has failed to accept the Quartet principles of nonviolence, recognition of Israel and respect for previous agreements between the parties, the United States is suspending assistance to the Palestinian government's cabinet and ministries.'

The US said it would increase assistance to Palestinians channeled through organizations that were not controlled by the PA government. This is to include $245 million in food, health and humanitarian assistance and another $42m in aid funneled through the UN Relief and Work Agency (UNRWA).

'The new Palestinian government must take responsibility for the consequences of its policies. The path back to the road map is clear - acceptance of the three principles. If it accepts the Quartet principles, or a new government comes to power that accepts them, funding can be restored,' Rice said in her statement.

The US said it would also continue aid meant to promote democracy in the PA.

On Friday, the State Department provided a breakdown of the programs that would not longer be funded. These cuts included $45m in direct aid, $135m in infrastructure assistance, $20m in private sector aid. Another $165m that had been destined for ongoing projects would need to be reviewed before authorized, the department said.

The US decision to cut assistance was intended to pressure the new Palestinian government while minimizing hardship to civilians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Most programs meant to improve the life of Palestinians will continue, however all those that were channeled through the PA will be closed. More important, the US will not help finance the salaries of the PA's more than 140,000 employees.

The US will maintain ties with Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas. Assistant Secretary of State for Near East Affairs David Welch said Friday that the US continued to support Abbas and that the administration was well aware that the PA was now led by Hamas. 'This is fully and totally a Hamas government, from the prime minister through the cabinet on down to the people who work in those ministries. We will have no association with the government,' Welch told a news conference.

The administration's announcement follows a vote in the House of Representatives' Committee on International Relations Thursday approving a bill meant to set the US approach toward Hamas in law. The bill, which still had to be approved by the full House and be reconciled with a similar Senate bill, would, in addition to eliminating direct assistance to the PA and limit the ability to provide humanitarian aid, lead to the closure of the PLO office in Washington and limit the movement of Palestinian diplomats accredited to the UN.

In the recent weeks, the administration worked to moderate the House bill, leading to the addition of a waiver clause that would allow the president to overrule Congress if he decided that assistance to the PA was needed for reasons of national security.

Most pro-Israel activists welcomed the new House bill. AIPAC spokesman Josh Block said his organization applauded the new legislation. Groups on the right, including the Orthodox Union, said the current draft of the bill was inadequate. Nathan Diament, head of the Union's Washington office, said, 'Now is not the time to relent.'

On the other side of the political spectrum, the left- wing Brit Tzedek V'shalom group called on members of Congress to oppose the bill, because even its new version 'places permanent barriers in front of the peace process.'

The vast majority of the EU's aid package does not go to the PA government. However, the decision had symbolic value and added to the pressure on the Hamas leadership.

The funds were considered vital to keeping the Palestinian economy afloat - and the impact could be even stronger if EU foreign ministers decide at a meeting Monday to also freeze their governments' bilateral aid. Britain and the Netherlands have already taken such a step.

EU aid to Palestinians totals more than $600m per year - the bloc is the Palestinians' largest donor - but it has been hanging in the balance since Hamas scored a landslide parliamentary election victory in January.

The frozen EU funds amount to half of that annual figure, with the rest coming under the bilateral agreements to be scrutinized at Monday's EU meeting.

European Commission spokeswoman Emma Udwin said Friday that 'for the time being' no payments were being made to or through the PA. She said the technical move to freeze funds was taken March 29, the day Hamas took power.

She called for a new strategy on financing - a call echoed by German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

'Unfortunately, we can't see any clear signal that would make it possible for us to continue financing in the same way as we did in the past,' Steinmeier said. 'We have to prepare certain changes in the way of financing.'

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Copyright 2006 Jerusalem Post. All Rights Reserved

The US's PA problem - Jerusalem Post

NATHAN GUTTMAN
Jerusalem Post
02-03-2006
Headline: The US's PA problem
Byline: NATHAN GUTTMAN
Edition; Daily
Section: Features
Page: 15

Friday, February 3, 2006 -- The sudden rise to power of Hamas in the Palestinian Authority was the talk of the town in the American capital for almost a week. The media focused on trying to figure out what Hamas is and how it managed to win a landslide victory; think tanks scurried to arrange symposia and put together policy papers analyzing the new situation; members of Congress came out with a variety of initiatives; and the administration went into emergency mode - taking the lead in rejecting Hamas as a partner for any dialogue or cooperation.

Though the administration presented an unwavering position, it is clear that tough words from the president and secretary of state will not be sufficient where maintaining a clear policy for the region is concerned.

First, there is the issue of financial aid.

The US was quick to threaten a halting of the cash flow to the PA - and with a great amount of enthusiasm from Capitol Hill, the administration seems to be on its way to cutting or significantly conditioning aid to the Palestinians.

But it is not that simple.

Though the US is entitled to cut part or all of its aid to the PA, it risks the creation of a humanitarian crisis among the Palestinians. The wiggle-room on this issue is actually limited. While it is easy to gain world support for declarations against giving money to terror groups, it will be more difficult to explain ceasing funds for health and education of refugees through UNRWA, for example, or ruining what is left of the Palestinian workforce.

Nor is it clear how effective the dollar 'stick' would be. If the US does decide to cut its aid, it might find Iran, Saudi Arabia or other Arab counties lining up to fill the financial gap. And though it has been claiming for a long time that the Arab countries do not give enough to their Palestinian brethren, the administration would not be keen to lose one of its few points of leverage over the PA.

SECOND, THERE is the question of demands made on Hamas.

US diplomacy was able to achieve remarkable consensus on the need for Hamas to recognize Israel and reject terror. The American conditions were echoed by the EU, Egypt and even by the Arab League and by Fatah. But history shows that this kind of consensus tends to erode quickly. Though, at the moment, all parties agree with the US that Hamas has to recognize Israel's right to exist, it is not clear what will happen when discussions really begin. It is possible, for example, that the US will continue to demand a formal amendment of the Hamas charter, while the Arab and European countries will be satisfied with an oral declaration of intent.

It is also already evident that on the issue of terror, the US and its partners are not on the same page. As America stresses the need for dismantling the terror arm of Hamas, other partners are mentioning only 'renouncing' terror.

The third point of potential tension is Congress.

US legislators, eager to make their mark on the issue of ties with Hamas, are pushing several resolutions aimed at blocking the US from giving money to or from negotiating with Hamas. So far, the administration is not trying to stop this activity. But the time will come when it steps in - as it has in the past - and demand that Congress not restrict its ability to conduct Middle East diplomacy.

Finally, there is the legal issue.

American law prohibits any contact with organizations designated as terror groups. The Hamas is such an organization. So who are the Americans allowed to talk to?

Can US aid workers discuss a water project in Gaza with a Palestinian official working for a ministry run by an elected Hamas member?

Can American businessmen be in touch with Palestinians who received their salaries from the PA?

At the moment, this is all quite vague, and drawing lines in the future will be complicated.

Edward Abington, a former American diplomat who now does lobbying work in Washington for the PA, said this week that he himself is not sure what is permitted by law.

'If you've got a PA run by Hamas, I don't think we can work for them,' Abington said, immediately adding, 'not that I would want to work for them.'

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Copyright 2006 Jerusalem Post. All Rights Reserved

Judge Gives Go-Ahead for Plains Township, Pa., Methadone Clinic. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Terrie Morgan-Besecker, The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Sep. 11--PLAINS TWP., Pa.--A methadone clinic should be operating within six months after a judge's decision Wednesday that reversed the Zoning Board's denial of an occupancy permit, an area hospital official said.

Senior Judge Gifford Cappellini's ruling clears the way for the Laird Street clinic to proceed and leaves opponents few options to halt the project, said Bruce Phillips, attorney for Wyoming Valley Health Care System, which will operate the clinic through its Choices drug and alcohol treatment program.

Phillips said the Zoning Board or the City of Wilkes-Barre could appeal the ruling to Commonwealth Court. But it's extremely unlikely the court would issue a stay of Cappellini's order pending resolution of the appeal, he said.

'I think their chances of stopping it are zero at this point,' Phillips said.

Methadone is a synthetic drug that blocks cravings for heroin and other highly addictive opiates. The clinic's location elicited heated debate at several hearings this summer.

Nearby residents were concerned their homes would be devalued and their safety compromised. Supporters stressed the need for methadone treatment given the escalating drug overdose deaths in the Luzerne County, which totaled 64 in 2002.

The legal battle began in June when the Zoning Board denied an occupancy permit, saying the facility did not meet the definition of a medical clinic as defined in the township's zoning ordinance.

The health-care system appealed the denial to Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas, arguing the clinic would be staffed by a physician and nurse who would treat patients for drug addiction, as well as evaluate them for other medical problems.

The evaluation of other medical problems was the key issue Cappellini cited in finding the clinic met the definition of 'medical clinic.'

'Because the word methadone precedes the word clinic does not mean the medical doctor ... would ignore a patient with a medical condition just because the patient is at the methadone clinic for methadone treatment,' Cappellini wrote.

Cappellini called the Zoning Board's interpretation 'narrow,' and said it 'does not comport with a reasonable analysis of what clinic means.'

'I do not condone the use of illicit drugs or paraphernalia, but I do agree treatment is necessary,' wrote Cappellini, who has a son who has battled drug addiction.

Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom McGroarty, one of the most vocal opponents of the clinic, said he had to review the opinion with city attorneys before deciding whether to appeal. The city had joined the township Zoning Board in the legal battle because a city park and several homes abut the proposed location.

'Obviously I'm disappointed. It doesn't bode well for the neighborhood,' McGroarty said.

Michael Wascavage, chairman of the Zoning Board, could not be reached for comment.

Joe Knecht, an official with the health-care system, said renovations of the site will move forward. He said several agencies, including the state Department of Health and federal Drug Enforcement Agency, must issue approvals before the facility can open. That puts the projected opening about six months away.

Knecht reiterated the health-care system's dedication to run the clinic under tight control. He stressed there will be extensive security measures, and the clinic will treat only residents from Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wyoming counties.

Knecht also said the officials hope to meet with residents to address their concerns. He said officials are considering forming an advisory committee of residents. 'We want this to do well. We have no intention of hurting the community.'

The health-care system has been trying for years to find a location to fit within Act 10, a state law that prohibits methadone clinics within 500 feet of churches, homes, schools and other community buildings. Without a local clinic local addicts have had to drive to clinics in Allentown and Phillipsburg, N.J.

'It's a big win for the patients who are going to get help,' Knecht said.

To see more of The Times Leader, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.timesleader.com

Israel believes EU still on board with Hamas strategy. EU transfers funds as Wolfensohn warns of PA collapse - Jerusalem Post

HERB KEINON
Jerusalem Post
02-28-2006
Headline: Israel believes EU still on board with Hamas strategy. EU transfers funds as Wolfensohn warns of PA collapse
Byline: HERB KEINON
Edition; Daily
Section: News
Page: 01

Tuesday, February 28, 2006 -- Despite the EU's decision Monday to funnel some $143 million to the Palestinian Authority, Foreign Ministry officials said Israel and Europe continue to have a common Hamas strategy.

Unless Hamas recognizes Israel, disavows violence and accepts previous agreements with Israel, the EU and Israel agree that 'Hamas is not a partner for dialogue or recipient of international aid,' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Mark Regev.

Regev said he hoped that this 'common strategic approach' would be translated into common policies. Presently Israel and the Quartet (US, EU, Russia and UN) are at odds over when funds should be halted to the PA, with Israel saying the time has already arrived, and the EU saying the time will arrive only after Hamas forms a government and if it doesn't fundamentally change its policies.

Regev's comments came the same day that the EU foreign ministers decided to funnel the funds in an attempt to stave off what Quartet envoy James Wolfensohn warned would be 'the financial collapse of the PA within two weeks.'

The EU package, agreed to at a meeting of the EU foreign ministers Monday in Brussels, includes $48m. to pay for the PA's energy and other utility bills, $76m. to UNRWA for health and education projects and $21m. for the PA budget to pay salaries.

European Commissioner for External Relations Benita Ferrero-Waldner said there was a firm undertaking by the acting PA finance minister that all the money would be dispersed before the incoming government takes office, so that it would not go to a Hamas-led government.

The $21m. for salaries is money that was allocated for 2005 but part of some $40m. held up in a World Bank trust fund since December because of PA financial irregularities. Ferrero-Waldner said the money was transferred because the PA had met 11 of 14 benchmarks set for its release.

The money for utility bills would be paid directly to the utility companies, said an EU spokesman, including those inside Israel.

Despite the transfer of money, Regev said once Hamas takes control, the EU has said it would cease the automatic transfer of money.

Indeed, Ferrero-Waldner said the EU was 'watching political developments in the Palestinian territories very closely. How we are able to help the Palestinians in the future will depend to a large extent on the decisions taken by their newly elected government; whether its members support nonviolence, recognize Israel and stand by existing agreements.'

Wolfensohn, who was asked by the Quartet principals last week to provide a report on the state of PA finances, wrote that the acting PA finance minister said he needed $60m.-$80m. next week to begin paying wages.

'The failure to pay salaries may have wide-ranging consequences not only for the Palestinian economy but also for security and stability for both the Palestinians and the Israelis,' Wolfensohn wrote in his report. Approximately 135,000 Palestinians draw a paycheck from the PA, including some 60,000 security personnel.

Wolfensohn said as a result of Israel's decision to withhold tax and custom revenues, the PA faced a $260m. budget deficit for the remaining lifespan of the current caretaker government. According to PA law, a new government must be established by March 28.

The Quartet, in its statement from January 30, said it 'urged measures to facilitate the work of the caretaker government to stabilize public finances.' But, Wolfensohn said, not only has the financial situation not been stabilized, it has actually worsened.

He warned of a deterioration in the overall situation and said Israel should consider ways in which to stand by its decision not to support Hamas, but to find an alternative route to pay revenues, for example by helping the Palestinians pay fuel bills owed to the Israeli private sector.

Wolfensohn also called on the Arab countries 'to support the PA with additional funds in the interest of general Middle East stability, given the current level of oil revenues.'

He said while the short-term issues were clearly dominant, a long-term strategy needed to be developed to 'ensure the government structure we have all helped the Palestinians develop over these years is maintained.'

'If we don't get this right, I am afraid past investment in the Palestinian development will be lost, a Palestinian economy will not be sustainable, the Palestinian people will live off humanitarian hand-outs, and security for both Palestinians and Israelis will be in greater jeopardy than it has been for years,' Wolfensohn warned.

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is scheduled to go to London, Paris and Vienna on Wednesday and Thursday to talk, among other things, about the modalities of how to provide humanitarian aid to the Palestinians without strengthening Hamas.

One concern is that if the needs of the Palestinian population are met by international aid, then Hamas will be absolved of having to provide for their welfare, and would be able to use any money raised through taxes or from Arab countries for military purposes.

While Livni is going to Western Europe, plans for a trip to Russia have been shelved. Foreign Ministry officials denied speculation that Livni dropped plans to go to Russia in early March because a Hamas delegation was slated to go there for talks on Friday.

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Copyright 2006 Jerusalem Post. All Rights Reserved

PA GOP CHAIRMAN GLEASON STATEMENT ON 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF OBAMACARE. - States News Service

HARRISBURG, PA -- The following information was released by the Pennsylvania Republican Party:

Republican Party of Pennsylvania Chairman Rob Gleason released the following statement today on the 2nd anniversary of the signing of Obamacare:

'Two years ago today, President Obama signed his massive government takeover of health care into law. Despite the president's promises, Pennsylvania families will pay more for health care, and taxpayers will foot the bill for increased government spending. Unaccountable government bureaucrats will make decisions once left to patients and their doctors. Millions could lose the insurance they receive from their employers, even though President Obama promised that would never happen. Thanks to President Obama's brand of socialized medicine, health care costs will continue to skyrocket, and Americans have less freedom to make their own health care decisions.

'The bottom line is that we cannot afford Obamacare. Its mandates and regulations are bad for small business and economically destructive. Pennsylvania needs market-based solutions to rising health care costs, not a budget-busting one-size-fits-all big government 'we know best' program.

'Because of these failures, Senator Bob Casey is trying to hide the fact that he voted for Obamacare instead of proudly campaigning on the Obama administration's top legislative 'achievement.' Even President Obama himself is pretending that the anniversary is not happening today. So we're going to make sure voters remember that during one of the most troubling economic times of our country's history, Senator Bob Casey joined President Obama to pass a bill that is increasing the debt, killing jobs, and is making healthcare more expensive for families.

CASEY IN 2009: 'I want to get health-care legislation passed. No one in the Senate has worked harder than I have to get this done, and we will get it done'

(Geraghty, Jim. Obamacare Backer Bob Casey Sees What He's Done. National Review. 2/8/2012)

Obamacare's Gross Costs Double to $1.76 Trillion, CBO Projects

'The gross costs of the national healthcare law rammed through Congress by President Barack Obama will reach an estimated $1.76 trillion over 10 years - nearly twice the amount originally projected.'

(Gould, Martin and Wagner, Richard. Obamacare's Gross Costs Double to $1.76 Trillion, CBO Projects. Newsmax. 3/14/2012.)

Reading Eagle, Pa., Business Briefs Column. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Reading Eagle, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Nov. 2--GARY W. AUMAN was awarded a distinguished service to safety award from The National Safety Council at its 90th annual congress and expo in San Diego.

Auman, a Lincoln Park native and a 1964 Wilson High School graduate, is a partner and director with the law firm of Dunlevey, Mahan & Furry in Dayton, Ohio.

The law firm specializes in workers' compensation and Occupational Safety and Health Administration matters.

Auman's activities as a safety volunteer began in 1986 when he was first elected to the board of directors of the Dayton/Miami Valley Safety Council.

He has served as the council board chairman since 1998.

He was co-chairman of the National Safety Council's volunteer leader's briefing since 1995 and has been involved in program planning, as well as being a presenter.

Auman has worked with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Insulation Association to develop a contractor health and safety partnership program to obtain an agreement between the two organizations with regard to worker exposure to fiberglass.

As a member of the safety committee of the National Frame Builders Association, he developed an OSHA compliance guide and is working on fall protection guidelines for the post-frame construction industry.

HIGHMARK WILL INCREASE PAYMENTS to primary-care and specialty physicians across the state by an estimated $68 million effective Jan. 1.

The increases will apply to physicians performing services for Highmark's commercial products, such as preferred provider organization, point-of-service, traditional and HMO products.

'We are increasing payments in part to help ease the economic pressures of higher office practice expenses,' said Dr. Brent O'Connell, vice president and medical director. 'We are trying to balance fair payments to physicians with our members' expectations of broad access to physicians and a wide choice of products.'

CABOT PERFORMANCE MATERIALS, Colebrookdale Township, was awarded the governor's award for safety excellence. Cabot was one of 15 recipients of the award.

THE PENNSYLVANIA DEPARTMENT of Community and Economic Development approved a reduction in interest rates from 5 percent to 3.75 percent on Small Business First loans, effective Friday.

In October, Gov. Schweiker signed into law Act 120 of 2002, which allows the department to set an interest rate for the SBF program not to exceed 5 percent.

This only will affect loans approved by the department on or after today, and not loans approved prior to that date.

SBF is designed to stimulate the expansion and assist in the retention of small businesses for the purpose of creating jobs and retaining existing jobs. SBF provides low-interest loans for small businesses for land and building purchases and construction, machinery and equipment, and working capital.

SCHLOUCH INC., Blandon, has been awarded a contract by Forino Co., Spring Township, to handle site work for Phases 3 and 4 at Rosecliff, a 69-lot residential project on Old Airport Road, Amity Township.

Schlouch site coordinator is Keith Moyer and Steve Billman is project coordinator/estimator.

KUTZTOWN and Lehigh University Small Business Development Centers will sponsor Pennsafe, training to help reduce workman's compensation premiums.

Morris Helton of the state department of Labor and Industry will present what is needed to apply and get the required training for work place safety certification.

Training will cover the required modules for state certification: safety committee dynamics, hazard identification, accident investigation and safety committee requirements.

To see more of the Reading Eagle, or to subscribe, go to http://www.readingeagle.com

CONGRESSMAN SESTAK APPLAUDS IMPORTANT INVESTMENT TO PROTECT WATER QUALITY IN PENNSYLVANIA EPA ANNOUNCES $21.7 MILLION FOR PA CLEAN WATER STATE REVOLVING FUND. - States News Service

WASHINGTON -- The following information was released by the office of Pennsylvania Rep. Joe Sestak:

Today, Congressman Joe Sestak (PA-07) applauds the further investment of economic stimulus money in Pennsylvania, this time to provide the PA Infrastructure and Investment Authority (PENNVEST) with $21,674,730 for clean water projects throughout the state.

'This funding recognizes that often the source of pollution of our waterways is result of a failure over the last several decades to properly invest in drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure in this state and in the Nation at large,' said Congressman Sestak. 'Recognizing the damage done by this underinvestment is why I have co-sponsored HR 537, the Sustainable Water Infrastructure Act, which would remove the limits on the use of tax exempt bonds and allow local communities to leverage the capital markets in combination with other financial mechanisms for the building and repair of water systems.

Congressman Sestak has been a strong supporter of clean water legislation in Congress. In the 110th Congress, he was a co-sponsor of HR 2421, the Clean Water Restoration Act, which would have restored the Clean Water Act's protections for America's rivers, lakes and wetlands as they existed for the 30 years prior to two recent Supreme Court rulings. These Supreme Court decisions in 2001 (Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County v. United States Army Corps of Engineers ('SWANCC')) and in 2006 (Rapanos v. United States) dramatically narrowed the scope of waters protected by the Clean Water Act, fostering confusion and uncertainty for communities and businesses thus making it difficult to protect public health and the environment. Unfortunately, this legislation did not become law.

In the 111th Congress, he continues to support steps to protect our rivers and streams. He has cosponsored, H.R. 1310, the Clean Water Protection Act, which would amend the Clean Water Act to define 'fill material' to mean any pollutant that replaces portions of waters of the United States with dry land or that changes the bottom elevation of a water body for any purpose and to exclude any pollutant discharged into the water primarily to dispose of waste.

He is also a co-sponsor of HR 753 and HR 2093. HR 753, the Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know Act, would require wastewater treatment operators to better monitor and report on sewage overflows and provide public notice of each event. HR 2093, the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009, would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to set criteria for the monitoring and assessing coastal recreation waters adjacent to public access points, such as beaches detect pathogenic contamination. It would also ensure quality monitoring and notification programs for coastal recreation water that include prevention efforts to address identified sources of contamination by pathogens and pathogen indicators in such waters that are used by the public.

Congressman Sestak has also taken a number of steps locally to improve water quality. He secured over $300,000 in federal funding and partnered with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for a comprehensive watershed management project. This funding will go toward a District-wide project to enhance watershed infrastructure, including work on culverts and sewers, as well as environmental restoration of Pennsylvania creeks, in the Seventh Congressional District.

He has also secured $250,000 to upgrade a wastewater treatment facility at Cheyney University, which serves the university and the surrounding community and will result in the ability to treat the water more thoroughly, and $400,000 to separate a combined sewer system in Bridgeport Borough so that raw sewage is not released during heavy rain downpour.

PENNVEST, or the Pennsylvania Infrastructure Investment Authority, helps fund sewer, storm water and drinking water projects throughout the Commonwealth. They can be reached at:

All Counties in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Veronica Kasi (Headquarters)

Direct: (717) 772-4053

David Mittner (Stormwater)

Direct: (717) 772-4058

400 Market Street, 11th floor,

P.O. Box 8555

Harrisburg, PA 17105-8555

Phone: (717) 772-4054

Fax: (717) 772-3249

Southeast Regional Office

Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia

John Fabian (Water)

James McTish (Wastewater)

2 East Main Street

Norristown, PA 19401

Phone: (484) 250-5900

Northeast Regional Office

Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Susquehanna, Wayne, Wyoming

Richard Stepanski (Water)

Joe Buczynski (Wastewater)

Direct: (570) 826-2333

2 Public Square

Wilkes-Barre PA 18711-0790

Phone: (570) 826-2511

Fax: (610) 832-6259/6260

South-Central Regional Office

Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, York

Tom Shaul (Water)

Ed Corriveau (Wastewater)

909 Elmerton Avenue

Harrisburg, PA 17110-8200

Phone: (717) 705-4700

Fax: (717) 705-4930

North-Central Regional Office

Bradford, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Columbia, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Sullivan, Tioga, Union

John Hamilton (Water)

Direct: (570) 327-3673

Rob Boos (Wastewater)

Direct: (570) 327-3690

208 North Third Street Suite 101

Williamsport, PA 17701

Phone: (570) 327-3636

Southwest Regional Office

Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Cambria, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Somerset, Washington, Westmoreland

Christine Marincic (Water)

Direct: (724) 442-4217

500 Waterfront Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745

Phone: (724) 442-4000

Dale Mills (Wastewater)

400 Waterfront Drive

Pittsburgh, PA 15222-4745

Phone: (724) 442-4000

Northwest Regional Office

Butler, Clarion, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Venango, Wareen

Brad Schott (Water)

Direct: (814) 332-6660

Mike Zimmerman (Wastewater)

Direct: (814) 332-6942

230 Chestnut Street

Meadville, PA 16335

Phone: (814) 332-6945

PennFuture Asks PA Supreme Court to Reinstate Mercury Pollution Rule. - Pediatrics Week

Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future (PennFuture), Pennsylvania Trout Unlimited (PA Trout), and the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) today urged the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to reverse a lower court decision and reinstate the Pennsylvania Mercury Rule. In a friend of the court brief, the groups argued that the lower court wrongly interpreted the Pennsylvania Air Pollution Control Act.

Previously, Commonwealth Court had applied a section of the Air Pollution Control Act to block implementation of the Pennsylvania Mercury Rule in light of a separate ruling in federal court. PennFuture, PA Trout and PSNA argued today, in support of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, that state law allows the Pennsylvania Mercury Rule to go forward.

'We believe that Pennsylvania was well within the law when it adopted the rule requiring a 90 percent reduction in the emissions of toxic mercury from power plants,' said Jan Jarrett, president and CEO of PennFuture. 'If the Supreme Court does not reinstate the Pennsylvania mercury regulation, it will be years before we get adequate protection for women and children from this powerful neurotoxin because the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) currently lacks regulations addressing mercury pollution from power plants.'

The genesis of the Pennsylvania rule was in August 2004 when PennFuture formally filed a petition with the Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB) on behalf of 10 public health, sporting, women's rights and environmental and conservation organizations, asking the EQB to enact a regulation requiring coal-fired power plants to reduce their mercury emissions by 90 percent. Almost 70 organizations, including the Pennsylvania Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs, the Pennsylvania State Nurses Association, the Pennsylvania Parent Teachers Association, the Learning Disabilities Association and the Pennsylvania Council of Churches joined the effort.

Toxic mercury pollution from power plants threatens the health of women and their babies. Unsafe levels of mercury in mothers' blood and breast milk can interfere with the proper development of babies' brains and neurological systems and can lead to learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, problems with coordination, lowered IQs and even mental retardation. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) estimates that more than 300,000 newborns each year may have increased risk of learning disabilities associated with in utero exposure to mercury.

PennFuture is a statewide public interest membership organization, founded in 1998. PennFuture's activities include litigating cases before regulatory bodies and in local, state and federal courts, advocating and advancing legislative action on a state and federal level, public education and assisting citizens in public advocacy.

PA Trout, Inc. (PA Trout) is a 13,000-member organization that seeks to conserve and enhance Pennsylvania's cold water streams and fisheries, specifically, its wild trout resources. PA Trout restores streams through habitat improvement projects and works to educate the next generation about the importance of clean water and wild trout.

The Pennsylvania State Nurses Association (PSNA) is a professional nursing organization representing over 205,000 registered nurses. PSNA advocates on behalf of the nursing profession with Commonwealth policymakers, legislators and regulators and seeks to be a strong and effective voice for all registered nurses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Keywords: Citizens for Pennsylvania's Future, Pediatrics, Public Health.

Measure to Rezone Johnstown, Pa., Site for Technology Park Dies. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

By Randy Griffith, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jun. 15--Richland Township supervisors balked at a zoning change that would have cleared the way for Conemaugh Health System's $20 million high-tech business development and hundreds of potential jobs.

A motion to rezone much of Elton Road for Conemaugh's proposed Regional Technology Park died when nobody would second the measure last night.

Echoing Elton Road neighbors' concerns about traffic and drastic changes to their residential neighborhood, supervisors asked Conemaugh representatives to look at traffic and design changes.

'There are definitely some issues I'd like to see addressed by Conemaugh,' Supervisor W. Ray McCombie said before calling for a special meeting to consider the change again.

That meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 21 in Richland Township Municipal Building, 322 Schoolhouse Road.

If final approval does not come by June 25, the law would require supervisors to hold another public hearing on the change. That could delay the project another three months or more, township Solicitor Patrick Kiniry explained at the meeting.

Bill Coward of Schoolhouse Road said neighbors are concerned about increased traffic on Elton Road at Schoolhouse Road intersection.

Proposed plans show that as the location of the technology park's only entrance. He urged supervisors to require a connection to Industrial Park Road.

'I think they need a road through to Industrial Park,' Supervisor Gary Paul said during the meeting.

Tom Kurtz, vice president of special projects for Conemaugh, said he would take the request to Conemaugh's executives, who are reviewing proposals from eight private contractors that want to develop the project.

'I think we need some commitments,' Paul said. 'As far as the road going through, that could be Phase 2 or Phase 3.'

McCombie said the health system has been less than clear on what it proposes to include in the business park, promoted as a magnet for health care and information technology employers.

Kurtz left the township building without comment. Later, Conemaugh spokeswoman Amy Bradley read a brief statement.

'We feel it is a vital community project, and we respect the supervisors' decision to take the time they need to make this decision,' Bradley said in a telephone interview from her home. 'We will provide them with any information we can to help them in this process.'

Several supervisors said they support the technology park in principle.

'I think its a great project,' Supervisor Jay Marsden said after the meeting. 'I don't like the location.'

Marsden suggested the Greater Johnstown Business Park off Jari Drive.

Another zoning change earlier this year expanded that park's light industry zone.

'Our area has seen too many people leave because they cannot find the type of high-tech jobs that this proposed facility will offer,' Supervisor Wayne Langerholc said, making the motion to rezone.

After the meeting, rezoning opponent Chuck Leventry of Elton Road commended the supervisors.

'I thought you were going to shove it down our throats, but you looked at the whole thing,' Leventry said. 'I admire you guys.'

Dr. Herbert V. Allen was not so understanding. He said he did not understand why the proposal did not die with the lack of a second to the motion, adding that he thought it could just be delaying the inevitable approval.

'Do it to us now,' Allen demanded.

To see more of The Tribune-Democrat or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.tribune-democrat.com

PA unanimous against raise in gas tariff. - The Nation (Karachi, Pakistan)

By IQTIDAR GILANI LAHORE, February 19 (THE NATION): The Punjab Assembly on Thursday demanded of the Federal government to issue directions to SNGPL for reviewing raise in gas tariff and not increase it by more than 10 per cent. The Punjab Assembly unanimously passed the resolution moved by Sh Allauddin in which he stated that unprecedented raise in the gas tariff has increased the miseries of consumers. The House unanimously passed the resolution, demanding the Federal government to immediately declare as null and void the inflated Sui gas bill sent to the consumers, and also direct the SNGPL not to send previous bills with increase of more than 10 per cent. Earlier, when the proceedings of the Punjab Assembly started one and a quarter hour behind scheduled time, the journalists staged a walk out from press gallery to protest against brutal killing of Musa Khan Khel in Matta. An opposition legislator asked Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal to suspend the proceedings for offering Fateha for the journalist. Ijaz Shafi said that it was a great tragedy and a direct attack on freedom of Press. The Speaker said that Fateha could not be offered as funeral of the slain journalist was not taken place. The house observed one-minute silence to express sympathies and deep sense of sorrow with the bereaved family. To a number of supplementary questions on introduction of Mass Transit Train Project in the City during Question Hour, Parliamentary Secretary Transport, Khurram Gulfam informed the House that the project would be initiated soon to resolve the transport problems. He said that in the first phase, the feasibility study has been completed, while two foreign firms have prepared the projects reference design in the second phase. In the next phase, construction work on the project would be initiated after examination of the design, he added. He said that government was taking effective measures to improve public transport for which a task force had been constituted. On the recommendation of the task force, the Lahore Transport Company had been set up to improve and streamline the matters relating to the urban transport, he said. To a supplementary question, the Punjab Minister for Special Education, Iqbal Channar said that Chief Minister had allocated Rs 2 billion for the uplift of the disabled children of the province. Rs 2.2 million each has been released to districts for provision of pick and drop facility to the disabled children of special education schools and centres, he informed the House. During Question Hour, the journalists walked out of the press gallery at around 12:20 to protest against SP Traffic Sardar Asif for his misbehaviour with journalists on many occasions. The Speaker Rana Iqbal tasked the Food Minister Nadeem Kamran, treasury MPA Rana Afzal and opposition members- Ejaz Shafi and Amna Ulfat, to bring the protesting journalists back to the gallery. The reporters ended their protest on the request of the parliamentary team. To a Call Attention Notice regarding murder of an eight-year-old girl Sonu after rape in Green Town area, the Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sana Ullah Khan said that the Punjab Government has given 10-day deadline to the local police for arresting the culprit. He said that the person involved in heinous crime has been identified and the police were conducting raids for his arrest. He assured the House that a stringent action would be taken against police officials if they failed to arrest the culprit within 10 days. To another Call Attention Notice, the law minister informed the House that the government has directed DPO Sheikhupura to submit detailed report within three days regarding killing of manager of a trader, his two gunmen and driver, two passengers boarding in a van during a dacoity attempt at Dheerway More Interchange near Sheikhupura. The minister said that the government has taken serious notice of dacoity attempt and appropriate action would be taken after getting report from DPO Sheikhupura. The law minister introduced the University of Health Science Lahore (Amendment) Bill 2009. After getting consent from the House, the Speaker referred the bill to the PA Standing Committee on Health to report by March 15.

Lancaster New Era, Pa., Business People Column. - Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Lancaster New Era, Pa. Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News

Jul. 7--THREE GET MANAGEMENT POSTS AT HIGH DIVISIONS: Three divisions of High Industries Inc. have announced management appointments.

High Steel Structures has promoted Darryl P. Gordon to director of human resources.

Gordon, of Phoenixville, was previously human resources manager for High Industries' High Concrete Structures. He earned his bachelor's degree from Penn State University and his master's degree from Purdue University.

High Construction Co. has hired Brian A. Reichert as assistant supervisor of safety.

Reichert, of Lancaster, was previously a field technician and health safety officer for Marcor Remediation in Downington. He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Maryland and attends Millersville University.

High Concrete Structures has hired Elizabeth Ford as human resources manager.

Ford, of Lancaster, was previously corporate benefits and compensation manager and human resources manager for Conestoga Wood Specialties. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Delaware.

WEBBER IS RGS PROJECT MANAGER: RGS Associates has hired Ben Webber as senior project manager.

Webber, of Lancaster, most recently was a principal with Webber/Smith Associates. He has more than 15 years experience in the engineering and business development field.

Webber earned bachelor degrees from Lehigh University and Hamilton College.

CHRISTENSON COO OF REGIONAL MED: Lancaster Regional Medical Center has hired Lee Christenson as chief operating officer.

Christenson, of Lancaster, most recently was chief operating officer for Charlotte Regional Medical Center in Punta Gorda, Fla.

Before that, he held senior administrative positions with DeSoto Memorial Hospital in Arcadia, Fla., and Riverside Behavioral Health Hospital, also in Punta Gorda.

Christenson earned his bachelor's degree from Millikin University and his master's degree from the University of Illinois.

MANHEIM WOMAN LEADS PARALEGALS: The Keystone Alliance of Paralegal Associations has elected Cindy J. Geib to serve as chair for the 2003-2004 year.

Geib, of Manheim, is a paralegal for attorney Scott E. Albert in Mount Joy.

The alliance consists of eight paralegal associations located in Pennsylvania.

LOCAL WOMAN A VP AT COMMERCE BANK: Commerce Bank has hired Debra E. Knox as senior vice president and corporate services sales manager.

Knox, of Lancaster, was most recently vice president of sales for Safeguard Business Systems.

Before that, she was senior vice president of commercial services at Keystone Financial and vice president of treasury management services at CoreStates Bank.

TWO HERE HEAD PA. BAR COMMITTEES: Two Lancaster lawyers were recently named chairmen of Pennsylvania Bar Association committees.

Kevin M. French, with the law firm of Hartman, Underhill & Brubaker, was renamed chairman of the Legal Ethics & Professional Responsibility Committee.

The committee responds to in...uiries from PBA members on the impact of the provisions of the rules of professional conduct.

Matthew J. Creme, with the law firm of Nikolaus & Hohenadel, was named chairman of the PBA Sports, Entertainment & Art Law Committee.

CONNECTICUT MAN JOINS PA. SCALE CO.: Pennsylvania Scale Co. of Lancaster has hired Rainer Holmberg as product development manager.

Holmberg, of Seymour, Conn., will continue as vice president of product development for Emery Winslow Scale Co. in Seymour. He has more than 20 years of experience in the scale industry.

Holmberg earned his bachelor's degree from Fairfield University in Connecticut.

To see more of the Lancaster New Era, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.lancasteronline.com/newera.

(c) 2003, Lancaster New Era, Pa. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.