left to right
Ammi Phillips, Portrait of Mrs. Mary Halsey Cooke (detail), around 1828.
Stephen Towns, The Pioneer (detail), 2020
Mary Regensburg Feist, Self-Portrait (detail), 1937. Gavin Benjamin, Manjushree, Simone, Subhasish, North Huntingdon, PA, 2021. (From the series: Museum Pictures) (detail), 2021.
Generously supported by THE RICHARD C. VON HESS FOUNDATION
Bree Edgerly
In this issue, we celebrate local entrepreneurs Jeff and Angela Guidos and their thriving small businesses: All Saints Brewing Company and Laurel Valley Academy of Dance. Sipping a black pilsner under an umbrella on the sunny patio at All Saints Brewing Company, our writer Bree Edgerly had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff and Angela Guidos for this issue’s feature story. GOAL Magazine began with a mission rooted in supporting small business owners, and when our production team came across the idea of featuring Jeff and Angela as married, local entrepreneurs, their story felt like an obvious fit. After learning the endearing and inspiring background behind their admirable success as owners of a dance studio and brewery, we are honored to share their journey.
The stunning photography on the cover and within the cover story was captured by Autumn Stankay, the accomplished owner of SkySight Photography in Greensburg, PA. With 20 years of experience, Autumn is celebrated for her commercial, portrait, and wedding photography.
Discovering the Poetry of the Laurel Highlands: Embrace Every Season by Ann Nemanic, GO Laurel Highlands
Second Marriage: Honoring Your Wishes by Jessica M. Geary, CFP®, MPAS™, ABFP™
15 From College Sidelines to the Big Leagues: Hannah Mears' Journey in Sports Broadcasting by Ryan Baughman and Brock Mears, Greater Latrobe Senior High School
Dear Westmoreland County: by Autumn Stankay, SkySight Photography
Spotlight on Westmoreland County: A Season of Growth by Jason Rigone, Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation
16 Raiding Makin: A WWII Marine’s Story by Captain Bradley D. Galbraith, Intelligence Officer, 7th Marine Regiment
18 Empowering the Future: Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce Launches Young Professional Group Fostering Relationships, Amplifying the Voice of Business, and Beyond by Dan DeBone, Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce
19 7 Benefits of Buying a Home by Scott Ludwick, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
21 From Heart-Wrenching to Heartwarming: Willie's Random Act of Kindness Day by Bree Edgerly, GOAL Magazine
22 You are an Estate Representative, Now What? by Bryan Kisiel, CPA Kisiel and Associates, PC
30 The Critical Importance of Planned Giving as America Enters Monumental "Generational Wealth Transfer" Era by Christian Pelusi, The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County
34 SHE Custom Pop-Up Hat Workshop by Tawnya L. Rockwell, GOAL Magazine
36 Financial Empowerment: The Journey of Loretta Scalzitti by Lynda Risnear courtesy of Saint Vincent College
37 Where Have All the Workers Gone? by State Representative, Eric Nelson
38 Celebrating 120 Years of Sweetness: The Great American Banana Split Celebration by Brian Tomack, Greater Latrobe Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce
39 The Role of Nervous System Regulation in Mental Health by Nicole O’Barto-Trainer, Ph.D., MS, LPC, Native
42 Impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on Medicare by Allison Clayton, Insurance Services
44 Celebrating Success at the 5th Annual GOAL Magazine Gala by Tawnya L. Rockwell, GOAL Magazine
GO2GOAL is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization that is best known for semiannually producing the collaborative educational publication, GOAL Magazine which utilizes the talents of local businesses and community leaders to provide an authentic and informative resource to the community.
GO2GOAL is deeply committed to giving back to the community through philanthropic endeavors by supporting a variety of nonprofit organizations via the annual GOAL Magazine Golf Outing PLUS Paint-n-Sip and Gala. Since receiving its not-for-profit status in 2018, these events have collectively raised over $275,000.
GOALcast is being introduced late this summer, where the spotlight is on our GOAL Magazine contributors and philanthropic beneficiaries! Tune in to our GOAL YouTube channel and social media platforms to hear from local
professionals as they dive into a diverse array of compelling topics and share insights on community outreach initiatives throughout the year.
SHE (Sophisticated - Humble - Empowered) is a philanthropy-focused female social group founded by the women of GOAL Magazine in 2019. Open to anyone interested in having a great time, all while supporting local charities. The ladies gather twice per year for fun activities that center around highlighting female-led businesses and raising funds for local organizations that benefit women, children and animals.
Participation in GOAL Magazine can be rewarding in many ways. Not only do you gain an opportunity to promote your business through sharing your expertise and knowledge, you also become a proclaimed
member of a collaborative group of local leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals who are committed to bringing value to their community and giving back in meaningful ways.
How can I get involved? To learn how you can contribute to this publication, please email us at info@go2goalus.com.
How can I get my own copy of GOAL Magazine? The majority of GOAL Magazine recipients receive the magazine because one of the contributors within the magazine is sending the magazine as a gift, or currently subscribe.
Magazine subscriptions are available at go2goalus.com/subscribe.
For the Winter 2024 issue, we commemorated the 65th anniversary of The Westmoreland Museum of American Art. Jenna McGuiggan, Digital Communications Specialist at the museum, wrote an insightful article sharing the rich history, current exhibitions, and future vision of the museum. Complementing her narrative, the stunning cover photo and several pictures throughout the article were captured by Autumn Stankay, the accomplished owner of SkySight Photography in Greensburg, PA.
We unveiled the new cover during a celebration of art, community and creativity in the museum’s colorful Community Room. Many of the GOAL Magazine contributors attended the event, along with the dedicated staff and friends of the museum. The event guests of honor were artist Charles W. Gibbons, III and his wife Patti. Charles’s captivating painting, Summer from the series The Four Seasons (1991-1992) graced the front cover of GOAL Magazine’s Winter 2024 Issue. The cover reveal event guests had the chance to see the original painting while exploring the full museum before gathering in the Community Room for drinks and delectable appetizers from Sun Dawg Cafe of Greensburg.
The highlight of the evening was hearing from Museum Director and CEO, Dr. Silvia Filippini-Fantoni, PhD. She shared exciting upcoming museum events and exhibitions with the crowd before unveiling the oversized canvas replica of the GOAL Magazine cover showcasing Gibbons’s amazing masterpiece.
Thank you to everyone who joined us for this extraordinary evening commemorating the beginning of a journey into the heart of art and community at The Westmoreland Museum of American Art.
by Jessica L. Rafferty Esq.
People ask me some version of this question multiple times every week. This is such a scary time for people. Their spouse or parent needs a level of care that they can no longer provide at home, which is devasting all on its own. But then people are also being told by friends, neighbors, and anyone else they talk to that the nursing home will take all their money and their home.
It is true that nursing homes are extremely expensive. If you pay out-of-pocket for skilled nursing care, it will cost an average of $12,000 per month. These costs will quickly eat into savings and wipe out assets that your loved one worked a lifetime to save.
Ideally, everyone would come to us to create a plan to protect their assets years before they become incapacitated or suffer a medical crisis requiring skilled nursing care. If you, like many, have not created a plan to protect your assets and require skilled nursing care, you can still save some or all your assets through Medicaid crisis planning.
Medicaid crisis planning uses strategies that allow you to pay for long-term care without depleting your life savings. It helps you preserve as many assets as possible while also
making sure that you qualify and receive Medicaid benefits.
Unfortunately, many people have preconceived ideas about Medicaid crisis planning, many of which are wrong. Some of the most common misconceptions about Medicaid and crisis planning include:
• You can only become eligible for Medicaid by giving your assets away. False. While an asset limit to qualify for Medicaid exists, some people mistakenly believe they can become eligible for Medicaid by gifting, selling, and/or transferring their assets to family members and friends. However, when you apply for Medicaid, the state Medicaid agency will review your financial transactions, gifts, and asset transfers for the previous five years from the application date. This is known as the “look-back period.” If the agency finds any transactions, gifts, or transfers for less than fair consideration within the five-year window, you will be disqualified from receiving Medicaid benefits for months or years.
• It is too late to start Medicaid crisis planning. Wrong. It’s never too late. Even if you or your loved one is already in a nursing
home, you can still start Medicaid planning.
• Medicaid crisis planning is illegal because it involves hiding assets. Nope. It is not illegal, and you are not hiding assets. Smart Medicaid crisis planning ensures that you can pay for long-term care costs and avoid losing your life savings without having to take advantage of the system.
• The nursing home will do this for you for free.
Uh, no. Nursing homes and other long-term care facilities provide a wide range of health and personal care services, which can be critical for those who cannot care for themselves. However, do not expect the facility or its staff to help you with Medicaid planning.
The bottom line: many Medicaid crisis planning strategies could allow you to protect your assets and become eligible for Medicaid benefits.
If you or someone you know is in this situation or you are interested in preplanning, please call us at 724-520-2222. Let’s see what solution may be right for you and your family.
Westmoreland County’s 3rd Annual Blight Summit, held on April 19th at Westmoreland County Community College, brought together community leaders, real estate professionals, and local officials to tackle the persistent problem of blight. Organized by the Redevelopment Authority of Westmoreland County, this year’s summit focused on Missing Middle Housing—a concept increasingly recognized as a potential solution to many of the region’s housing challenges. Middle housing can address the needs of both old and new residents.
Blight has long plagued Westmoreland County due to economic decline, population shifts, and industrial changes. The mid-20th-century decline of the coal and steel industries left behind abandoned mines, factories, and homes. Despite revitalization efforts, blight continues to hinder development and community wellbeing. Local governments and community organizations have tried various strategies, including demolition, rehabilitation, and zoning reforms, to combat blight and revitalize neighborhoods and towns.
In 2023, Westmoreland County commissioners allocated $10.4 million of ARPA funds to address vacant and abandoned properties in Qualified Census Tracts. This unprecedented commitment aims to make neighborhoods more appealing to both potential homeowners and business owners, benefiting communities such as Monessen, Greensburg, Arnold, New Kensington, Vandergrift, Jeannette, and Penn borough.
orchestrating the 2024 Blight Summit. He facilitated strategic discussions, coordinated resources, and motivated stakeholders to explore innovative solutions. A highlight of the summit was the keynote address by Megan Reineccius, sponsored by the Realtor’s associations of Westmoreland, Indiana, and Mon Valley (RAWIM). Reineccius, an expert in urban revitalization and blight mitigation, provided invaluable insights and inspiration.
Reineccius, from Opticos Design, emphasized “The Missing Middle,” addressing the lack of affordable, residential, middle-class housing. Middle housing includes duplexes, townhouses, triplexes, quadplexes, accessory dwelling units (in-law suites), courtyard housing, and small apartment buildings. These housing types can work in various communities by addressing diverse housing needs and fostering sustainable development. As intermediaries between single-family homes and high-density urban developments, middle housing options cater to individuals, families, and seniors alike.
Additionally, middle housing fosters social and economic vitality by accommodating a diverse population and providing access to local amenities, services, and employment opportunities.
However, implementing middle housing initiatives faces challenges such as zoning regulations favoring single-family homes, resident resistance, and infrastructure constraints. Proactive planning, community engagement, and policy reforms are necessary to promote flexible zoning, incentivize middle housing development, and address infrastructure needs. For example, cities like Minneapolis have reformed zoning laws to permit more diverse housing types, which could serve as a model for Westmoreland County.
Local communities can adopt measures to streamline middle housing construction and promote more inclusive neighborhoods. Revising zoning laws to allow accessory dwelling units, duplexes, and triplexes in traditionally single-family areas can encourage efficient land use and meet broader housing needs. Incentives such as density bonuses, expedited permitting, and financial support for developers can also facilitate middle housing development. By embracing zoning reforms and incentivizing construction, local governments can create more equitable, affordable, and sustainable communities.
Brian Lawrence, executive director of the Redevelopment Authority of Westmoreland County, played a central role in
In Westmoreland County, where population dynamics and housing demands vary, middle housing offers flexibility and affordability, enabling residents to find homes that match their preferences and financial capacities. Promoting mixed land use and compact development supports efficient land utilization and infrastructure while preserving the rural character and natural landscapes of the county.
The 3rd Annual Blight Summit underscored Missing Middle Housing as a promising strategy for revitalizing Westmoreland County’s neighborhoods. As the community continues to collaborate, integrating diverse and affordable housing options will be crucial for creating vibrant, sustainable communities.
For more information on Missing Middle Housing and its impact on Westmoreland County, visit the National League of Cities at nlc.org and Opticos Design at opticosdesign.com.
by Jessica M. Geary, CFP®, MPAS™, ABFP™
Families come in all shapes and sizes. Traditional or blended, each family is faced with the task of planning their financial road map for both now and once you have passed.
One of the biggest emotional and financial challenges that can impact a person and their family on this roadmap, is a second marriage. That marriage may come on the heels of a divorce or being widowed and can happen as early as your 20’s or further down the road in your retirement years. Regardless of when, emotions need to be pulled to the side, and there are several considerations that need to be made, no matter how perfect your new match is.
The first hurdle all couples encounter is which assets will be shared and which assets will be kept separate. Are you joining finances completely, or are you creating a joint account for shared expenses and leaving all other assets separate? Who owns the house? Does one spouse have a considerable amount of family heirlooms or precious metals sitting in the safe? Does one spouse have children while the other does not?
Every pair is going to answer differently and much like shared assets, liabilities are something that needs to be fully disclosed prior to saying "I do". Does one spouse carry a heavy load of credit card or children’s student loan debts, while the other carries none? Is one spouse selling their family home to move in with the other who still has a mortgage in their name?
Though it sounds daunting, a few up front conversations about how your new life will play out together can save countless uncomfortable conversations and confrontations down the line. Once the legal documents are filed, your new spouse automatically becomes your heir, unless otherwise noted through beneficiary forms and your estate planning documents, so you need to proactively inventory your assets and liabilities and make sure your future wishes are honored.
A big piece of most retirees’ monthly income is social security, and several marriage details may affect that figure. If you are collecting off a former spouse, you would have been married for at least ten years, and not remarried despite their
marital status. If you remarry, you have no rights to your ex-spouses’ figures, only you and your new spouses’ figures apply.
Those who collect pensions will also want to ensure their designated beneficiaries align with the payout they chose or will choose at retirement. One of the most frequent overlooked changes we see is spouses who forget to remove an ex from an old retirement plan.
Getting married also allows the potential for married filing joint tax status, as opposed to the single or head of household status used prior. While it is always best to consult a tax professional with specific scenarios, the greatest tax advantage comes with the ability to receive unlimited assets from a spouse without owing estate tax.
Depending on the state of life you get remarried, there may be a portion of assets that come from your late spouse, or an inheritance from a loved one you want to ensure stays on your half of the family. You will want to consider any pre or post nuptial agreements with your legal representative.
Beneficiary forms tied to your investments allow you to designate not only who, but at what percentage assets are split at a primary level and then contingently if something were to happen to your initial wish. You should also do a thorough review and not assume your new spouse has replaced your old on any policies or accounts you do not review regularly.
We have seen couples take for granted. They added a spouse on a beneficiary form, and after realizing they had not, must go through the court process of claiming their spouses’ assets that would have otherwise directed right to them.
Where beneficiaries really become important is if there are multiple children on both sides of the marriage. For
example, if you have a husband with $500,000 and wife with $800,000 splitting equally to two children on each side, the husband’s children would receive $250,000 and the wife’s $400,000 each when their parents were to pass. If for example, the wife passes and the assets are to go to the new husband at death, who updates the accounts to 25% beneficiary for each of the 4 children, the same example would now leave each child $325,000 increasing the husband’s heir’s total dollar and decreasing the wife’s heir’s total dollar. While some couples may deem this as fair, others will not, and that is why proper beneficiary designation is of utmost importance.
Should you intend to leave a considerable amount to your family or a named charity, there may be a need for a life
insurance policy that in essence reimburses your children for taxes paid with tax-free inheritance dollars. Life insurance, like most investments, is not a one size fits all, so I encourage you to ask your financial or tax professional if this is a conversation you should be exploring.
With each unique relationship, whether you are cohabitating or choosing to wed, it is prudent that you always consider the financial, tax, and estate consequences that result from your specific situation. Our hope is to not only honor our clients wishes but do so with minimal tax consequence and discomfort to the heirs handling their loved one’s estate with issues that can be sorted out ahead of time.
“We are committed to being a trauma-assumed District Attorney’s Office,” District Attorney Nicole W. Ziccarelli said. “I think it’s important to not only prosecute crimes, but try to prevent them as well.”
As we relish in the summer heat and recognize back-to-school sales will soon be consuming our attention, I want to acknowledge an initiative and community project that is expanding across school districts throughout Westmoreland County: Handle With Care.
When I was sworn in as your District Attorney, Handle with Care was one of my most paramount and passionate initiatives.
When it comes to the success, safety and security of our children, we are all in agreement. The better the start, the better the finish.
The Handle With Care program supports children exposed to traumatic events through critical communication between law enforcement, the school district, and the Handle With Care team.
Handle With Care promotes and fosters partnerships aimed at ensuring children exposed to trauma, receive appropriate and immediate intervention to help them feel safe and succeed in life.
The idea behind this program is simple: A law enforcement officer voluntarily sends a referral through the Handle With Care platform. A referral notifies school administration and the teacher that a student was exposed to a stressful, traumatic event that could impact their behavior and disrupt their school day. That child should then be provided with additional care and compassion to prevent cognitive, behavioral or physical impacts as a result of that exposure.
The Handle With Care response team can offer resources as a response to the situation that child is facing –whether it is food or clothing; counseling, a brain break or a simple act of kindness. The research and data behind this nationally-recognized program proves that it works.
by Westmoreland County District Attorney, Nicole W. Ziccarelli
West Virginia is the leading expert in the Defending Childhood Initiative, commonly referred to as Handle With Care. West Virginia is the only state to have the program adopted state-wide while being the most widely recognized model in the country.
A recent national survey of the incidence and prevalence of children’s exposure to violence and trauma revealed that 60% of American children have been exposed to violence, crime or abuse. Forty percent were direct victims of two or more violent acts, according to West Virginia Center for Children’s Justice.
The goal of this initiative is to prevent children’s subjection to trauma and violence, mitigate negative affects experienced by children’s exposure to trauma, and to increase awareness of this issue. The intention is to promote safe and supportive homes, schools and communities that protect children, and help children heal and thrive. Also, it builds and strengthens relationship with law enforcement.
Not only do we want to be a traumaassumed District Attorney’s Office aimed at prosecuting criminal offenses, but we want to be committed to preventing criminal activity down the road, especially in our most vulnerable population: our youth.
As a mother, this program is personal. As your District Attorney, this program became even more personal during my first year in office.
An innocent 9-year-old boy living in New Kensington did not get that chance to grow up and succeed.
Azuree Charles, 9, became the inspiration for piloting this program in New KensingtonArnold School District. The elementary student was tragically murdered in May of 2022. His death shattered the community and stunned law enforcement, alike.
Since piloting Westmoreland County’s first Handle With Care program in New Kensington-Arnold School District in the fall of 2022, as many as seven other school districts across the county have expressed interest in adopting the Handle With Care curriculum. It is my goal to eventually have a county-wide program and be a leader in the Commonwealth for other counties.
If this program could help save one child, the world would be a better place.
We would not be seeing the tremendous success if it weren’t for the incredible and generous contributions from the Handle With Care team at Allegheny Intermediate Unit, Highlands Family Center, the Richard King Mellon Foundation, and the incredible educators at the helm of our children’s future.
We know that trauma is poison to a child’s development; imagine what repeated trauma is to a child’s brain. We also know the positive interaction with even one adult can change the entire trajectory of that child’s life -- that is the core of what Handle With Care does.
If your local school district is interested in implementing the Handle With Care program, please contact my public information officer, Melanie Jones, via email at mjones@ westmorelandcountypa.gov.
by Maria Graziano-Bickerstaff, Funeral Director
All veterans deserve unwavering respect for the sacrifices they have made for their country and our freedom. They also deserve that same incomparable honor when they pass. With many opportunities offered by the government, there are many benefits that are free of charge available for the final farewell of a veteran.
What is needed to qualify for Veterans Benefits?
An official DD-214 (Honorable Discharge) form is required to apply for veterans’ benefits. The discharge can be wartime or peacetime, but only issued under conditions other than dishonorable. If you are unable to locate your loved one’s discharge, it may be accessible at the local county recorder of deeds office if it was registered. If it is not registered with the county, one can submit a request to the National Military Personnel Record Center in St. Louis. This, however, can take some time.
What is available if your loved one qualifies for Veterans benefits?
• All deceased veterans are entitled to an American flag that is applied for by your funeral director.
• All deceased veterans are entitled to Military Honors. These can be held at the funeral home, place of worship, or cemetery. Included in this service can be a combination of: honor guard ceremony, threevolley rifle firing detail, folding of the flag and presentation to the next of kin, and the playing of Taps.
• Burial in a national cemetery is open to all members of the armed forces who have met a minimum active duty service requirement and were discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Their spouse and dependent children
could also be eligible. They would be entitled to a free grave space or cremation niche, a free outer burial container for ground burial, no fees for interment, and a free government headstone. Grave spaces cannot be reserved, but a veteran can prequalify for burial in advance. The closest National Cemetery to Westmoreland County is the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies in Bridgeville, PA.
• A Presidential Memorial Certificate signed by the sitting president at the time of application is available to the family of a deceased honorably discharged veteran.
• A deceased veteran’s family can be eligible for up to ten free Pennsylvania Certified Death Certificates, which are normally $20 each. These free death certificates are applied for through your funeral director and usually take up to two weeks to receive.
• An inscribed headstone or marker for a deceased veteran’s grave can be applied for if they were honorably discharged during war or peacetime, an Active-Duty member, a retired Reservist, or a National Guard member. The headstone or marker can be delivered at no cost to you, but most cemeteries that are not veterans cemeteries will charge for the foundation and installation of a veteran headstone or marker.
• Other spousal and dependent benefits might be available on a case-by-case basis.
• If a veteran was receiving a pension due to a service-connected disability, they may be eligible for additional burial benefits from the federal government. The eligibility and amounts of these benefits are approved on a case-by-case basis by the Department of Veterans Affairs. If they served during wartime, they and their spouse can be eligible for a county burial allowance of $75.
If you or your loved one is interested in a Veterans funeral, feel free to call HartmanGraziano Funeral Home to discuss preplanning, pre approval and more at no obligation.
Water – the elixir of life. Most people view water as a way of quenching thirst, but it plays a much larger role in human vitality. Approximately 60% of our bodies are made up of water. It plays a role in nearly all of our daily functions from the cellular level to our overall well being. Hydration is a valuable partner in our quest for optimal health. Let’s discuss why we should properly hydrate ourselves and how it can play an impact on our lives.
Just imagine if there was a magic pill that provided the body with improved digestion, weight management, enhanced physical performance, cognitive clarity and heart health. People would be lining up at the pharmacy in droves to get this miracle drug. Well, good news! You most likely have access to this in your own kitchen.
by Dr. Jordan Ford DC
Sorry, I’m not talking about wine. Your body starts the digestive process as soon as you put food in your mouth. Drinking water increases the production of saliva which contains enzymes and jumpstarts the digestive process. As our food travels into our stomachs, water aids in the dilution of gastric juices and stomach acid which helps break down the foods we eat. As our bodies break down foods, water acts as the vessel
that takes our nutrients across the intestinal lining and into the bloodstream. With the rise in grocery prices, why not try and maximize the value we get from foods.
Well technically soda does have water, which will contribute to overall hydration right? That is one way to look at it, however the hydrating component of soda is overshadowed by its extremely high sugar content. When you overload yourself with sugar, it has an osmotic effect. This means that your body will take water from cells and transport it into the bloodstream in order to dilute the high sugar concentration. I have always been an advocate of the mantra “don’t drink your calories.” Oftentimes liquids are “empty calories' ' that are low in nutrients and won’t trigger the body into a state of satiation. Drinking water will help the body feel more full, which can help with overeating.
During physical activity, the body will produce heat. As body temperature rises, sweating is our primary mechanism for cooling ourselves down. Dehydration will lead to a decreased heat dissipation, which can impair physical performance and increase the risk of heat related illnesses. Water also plays a massive role in our muscle function, because it transports nutrients and removes waste products. Adequate hydration helps to maintain joint lubrication and cushioning, which helps to prevent joint restriction and injury during physical activity. Energy production is one of the other major benefits of drinking water. Being dehydrated can impair the metabolic process, which reduces energy levels and overall physical performance.
The human brain is composed of roughly 75% water and relies on hydration to function effectively. The brain communicates via the transmission of electrical signals between neurons. When we are well hydrated, the brain is able to speed up cognitive processes such as memory and learning ability. Water is also necessary for the production of neurotransmitters, which are essential for mood regulation and overall brain health. Chronic dehydration can contribute to cognitive impairment over time. Some studies show that older adults who maintain proper hydration may be at lower risk of dementia.
The leading cause of death in the United States is heart disease. Drinking more water isn’t going to cure all of our cardiovascular problems, but it can certainly help. Water makes up a significant portion of blood volume, and proper hydration helps to provide efficient circulation and the transportation of nutrients to the body. Dehydration can lead to increased blood viscosity, which makes it harder for the heart to pump
blood effectively. Staying hydrated can help maintain proper blood pressure, which reduces strain on the heart.
The amount of water the average person should drink can vary based on various factors such as age, gender, activity level, and overall health. The US National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine recommend that the average daily fluid intake should be roughly 15.5 cups for males and 11.5 cups for females. This number considers total fluid intake, which accounts for water, other beverages and food. Generally, adults should drink at least eight cups of water per day. An easy way to monitor hydration is to pay attention to thirst, as it's a reliable indicator of when your body needs fluids. Additionally, the color of your urine can provide clues about your hydration status; pale yellow or clear urine generally indicates adequate hydration, while darker urine may indicate dehydration. Every individual is different and it is essential to listen to your body, and adjust your intake based on factors like activity level and environmental conditions to maintain optimal hydration and overall health. If you have any questions about hydration levels or other health related issues, always check with a healthcare professional.
by Ryan Baughman and Brock Mears, staff writers for the student-run publication, The High Post at the Greater Latrobe Senior High School
Hannah Mears knows how to share the inside story, whether she is talking with James Franklin, Broderick Jones, or Curtis Jacobs. This Greater Latrobe alumna said “Yes” to a career in broadcasting when she was immersed in Friday Night Lights, the community event at Memorial Stadium featuring the Steelers.
“One summer I worked as a runner for ESPN when they were at Latrobe covering Steelers Training Camp. That is when I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the field. I loved the adrenaline rush, the sideline stories, and the entire day seeing behindthe-scenes action of it all,” said Mears. Hannah continued her journey at Penn State University the next year, where she blossomed in her newfound passion.
As a young go-getter, she created opportunities to get a feel for the job by doing sideline reporting at Beaver Stadium and building relationships. Hannah befriended running back Saquon Barkley, who was also a rising star.
After a game in 2017, Hannah interviewed Barkley, which quickly grew into a mutually beneficial friendship. Barkley ensured that Hannah could get interviews no matter where the two were. Working with a player like Barkley helped Hannah’s name to be heard and her work to be seen. This bond helped Hannah progress in her career and perhaps played a role in Barkley getting selected in the first round of the 2018 NFL draft. Before the draft, Barkley made sure that Hannah would have a personal interview. These are the kinds of relationships that make Hannah’s field of work so fun and special for her.
When she graduated from Penn State in 2020 with a degree in broadcasting and journalism, she continued to build her diverse career with each piece of work, each opportunity. She did on-air reporting
for football games and wrestling matches on the Wildcats Network, interviewing athletes on-thespot following the game. Her career expanded through smart risks: experiences with her hometown teams, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Steelers, working for the Big Ten Network telling stories all around the country for sporting events, and now with her commitment to the Pirates.
Hannah has made a big impact in the few years she has been out of college, but she has settled down for a hometown stop. As a sideline reporter for the Pittsburgh Pirates on SportsNet Pittsburgh, Hannah loves that her roots in SWPA run deep. “This is exactly where I saw myself when I started this journey. I never knew it would be for the Pirates, per se, but I always knew I wanted to be on TV, on the sidelines, and working for one of my hometown teams,” said Mears.
“I think manifesting something and believing in yourself is very important in this field where it can be very hard and very competitive.” Hannah embraces the competition with technological savvy, sports acumen, and a personable character.
“It is the most rewarding and humbling experience in the world to be where I am right now. I feel so blessed. I’m living my dream,” said Hannah.
Every day is full of work for Hannah. She preps game stories and notes before heading over to the stadium. Hannah then makes her way into the locker room to interview players and coaches. After this, she prepares two stories to go live twice during the pregame show. When the game starts, Hannah is on the field providing insight and information from the field’s perspective. She “finishes” with her post-game interviews and begins prep for the next day.
“The best part of my career so far is just waking up and loving what I do. I love the people I work with. I am so blessed to be a part of an organization, network, and team that is full of good people. The belief that the Pirates and the network have in me to tell their stories has allowed me to grow, and the team and staff have been nothing but kind.”
Hannah has had a long and winding road in her journey, from her first interviews with Barkley at Penn State to now building relationships with each player on the Pirates team. Look for her on the field, and you may even see her own fan club.
by Captain Bradley D. Galbraith, Intelligence Officer, 7th Marine Regiment
It’s August 1942. The new Disney animated picture Bambi has just hit American theaters. Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees hold a two-game lead over the Boston Red Sox heading into the month. Bandleader Kay Kyser is at the top of the Billboard Charts with his hit Jingle Jangle Jingle. Additionally, America’s sweetheart Rita Hayworth is widely regarded as the top actress in Hollywood.
Abroad, the United States is preparing for a major offensive in the Pacific in response to the unprecedented attacks on Pearl Harbor some 8 months ago. Ground forces consist of 16,000 United States Marines under the charge of Major General Alexander Vandegrift. From the staging point in New Zealand, you hear whispers of names of small islands in the Solomon Island chain that you had never heard before: Guadalcanal, Makin, and others.
Your name is First Lieutenant Oscar Peatross. You were born on March 2, 1916, in Raleigh, North Carolina, and graduated from high school in 1934. You were born into a wealthy family, and because of that, later graduated from North Carolina State College with a Bachelor of Science degree in 1939. You joined the Marine Corps on November 6, 1940, and due to your degree,
you were selected for the Officer’s Candidate School at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia. You completed the school on February 20, 1941, and commissioned on that date. You were then ordered to San Diego, California, and assigned to the newly activated 2nd Marine Division.
Around the same time, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, having been thrust into the war, became interested in creating an American counterpart to the British Commandos. Specifically, the Admiral of the Pacific Fleet, Chester Nimitz, requested commando units to conduct amphibious reconnaissance and raids on small islands lightly occupied by Japanese defenses. The commandant of the Marine Corps erected two battalions of men who were to be known as “Raiders” and appointed your current boss, Lieutenant Colonel Evans F. Carlson, as one of the battalion commanders.
Your boss is an eccentric personality and out-of-the-box thinker, to say the least. LtCol Carlson ran away from home at the age of 10 in Vermont. Living on the streets, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and was on the punitive expedition to capture Pancho Villa as a young Marine. During the American occupation of Nicaragua, he received a battlefield commission to
become an officer. He would go on to serve as an Intelligence Officer of the 4th Marine Regiment in China. He had seen the tactics and strategy of Communist Chinese irregulars as they fought the occupying Japanese and became enthralled with their version of guerrilla warfare. Later, in 1933, Carlson commanded the Marine Detachment at the Warm Springs, Georgia, vacation retreat of President Roosevelt, where he formed a close friendship with Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Your boss is not like any other Marine you have ever met, let alone a Marine Officer. Carlson uses egalitarian and team-building methods he learned from the Communists during his years in China: he treats officers and enlisted men with minimum regard to rank as leaders and fighters, giving his men “ethical indoctrination,” describing for each man what he was fighting for and why, and frequently uses the Chinese phrase “Gungho!” as a motivational slogan. He believes success will lie in highly trained Marines operating in a decentralized manner with simple guidance and clear intent.
In Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, two submarines, the Nautilus and Argonaut, have just left port carrying Marines for the first time in history. You sit aboard one of these vessels.
This naval task force of submarines is to carry out a daring raid on Makin Island, a strategic island in the Pacific Theater. The goal was simple: to divert the enemy’s attention, to destroy Japanese installations, and to garner any intelligence from prisoners and documents. The Second Marine Raider Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Evans F. Carlson, was assigned the job.
For eight days, you sail east. Not knowing whether it was day or night, it is hot and cramped in the close quarters. The temperature of the Pacific Ocean itself is 80°, and although extra air-conditioning units have been installed, the temperature inside the submarines is over 90° from the sweating bodies of the jam-packed men. All torpedoes have been removed and bunks have been built where they once were stored.
Fortunately, the weather has been good, and so you were able to go topside for exercise and fresh air twice a day. A submarine is most vulnerable on the surface, so these periods—once in the morning and once at night—have been timed carefully to no more than 10 minutes.
The Nautilus proceeds as fast as possible to make a periscope reconnaissance of the island before the day of the landing. Specifically, it reconnoiters the preparations the Japanese might make to prevent a landing and studies the tides and currents around the atoll to insure a rapid and safe debarkation when the time comes for the attack.
So, the Nautilus speeds ahead. Now on August 16, at three o’clock in the morning, Makin Island is in her sights. The commander plots the tidal currents and finds them quite different from previous information. Immediately after dark he surfaces and, in the middle of a violent rain squall, conducts a link-up with the Argonaut.
The plan of attack calls for all landing boats to assemble alongside the Nautilus
so that they might get underway together for simultaneous landing on two separate beaches. The continuous noise from the roar of the surf through the rain makes it almost impossible to hear orders. Added to this, most of the outboard motors refuse to start, and the swell of the sea makes it difficult to keep the inflatable rubber boats alongside the submarine.
The situation is less than ideal. It’s barely visible in the rain and the darkness, and you cannot hear orders from your senior officers as they are being passed. Eventually the word is passed for the Raiders to make their way to the beach. You and the 12 men under your command begin the treacherous journey through the surf zone.
It is early morning when you hit the beach, and a mild sense of relief washes over you as you hit land. Quickly, however, you realize a small problem. You do not see or hear anyone else besides your 12 men. What you would later learn is that the other 17 boats got last-minute orders because of the conditions to all consolidate on one beachfront, and not make way to where you are currently located. Realizing that nobody is coming to assist you, you gather your men and make your way into the dark tropical jungle just off the beach.
As you begin your trek through the swarm of vines and trees, you hear the eruption of Japanese machine guns in the distance. The attack has begun. Marines, you later learn, were able to overrun the installations before the Japanese were able to man them. Still, the Japanese rapidly advanced towards prepared defensive positions, pinning down the Marines to your East.
As you advance on the Japanese flank, you can see the positions where machine guns and radio men are operating to keep the Marines at a standstill. To ensure a complete American victory here, you soon realize you must sprint towards these positions to
alleviate their suppression of your peers. Here, the Japanese fought to the last man, and many Japanese had to be fought via bayonet, knife, or with bare hands.
During the day, the Japanese attempted three counterattacks. They sprinted forward while frantically screaming and firing their rifles, which was common during these “banzai charges.”. Rifle fire from your Marines halted the charges, and in one instance, a submachine gun killed eight who came out bunched together. The Marines there easily stopped these attacks.
The operation was ultimately a success. It caused a task force of Japanese cruisers, transports, and destroyers, en route to reinforce the Japanese on Guadalcanal, to change course. It provided practical information about the enemy’s fighting equipment and proved the need and use for what would become United States Special Forces and Operations.
The lessons that were learned throughout the raid transcended its time or even the military. Many commanders would later say that success lay in training, trust, and simplicity. Being a leader means instilling in your team what “right” looks like and ensuring they know how to get to “right” before even giving them an assigned task. Subsequently, once assigned a task, you provide guidance, which should be kept as simple as possible for clarity. The training and trust that you bestow upon your team should be the factors that propel the team to success.
Oversight can be offered, albeit in limited quantities, so as not to confuse oversight with micromanagement. These are the tenets that ensured the success of a difficult mission in a chaotic environment. Leaders universally agree that they are easy to explain but can be difficult to implement. Like anything else, they take practice, but once implemented, can be the X-factor your team has been missing.
by Dan DeBone President/CEO Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce
The Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce proudly announces the establishment of its inaugural Young Professional group, marking a pivotal moment in the region’s efforts to cultivate the next generation of business leaders. With a steadfast commitment to collaboration, innovation, and amplifying the collective voice of emerging professionals, this initiative stands as a beacon of opportunity and growth within the community.
At the heart of the Young Professional group lies a dedication to nurturing meaningful relationships among the county’s young talents. Recognizing the transformative power of networking and mentorship, the group offers a platform for aspiring professionals to connect with seasoned mentors and like-minded peers. Through a series of roundtable discussions with business leaders, local officials, non-profit organizations, and community groups, the Young Professional group aims to leverage its voice and perspective to contribute to the revitalization of Westmoreland County, especially crucial considering significant population loss in recent years.
Our goal is to create a supportive community where young professionals can learn from each other, establish transparent communication channels with various entities, and drive essential changes needed for our county to economically flourish for generations to come. By investing in our young professionals, we unlock unprecedented opportunities for personal and professional growth, shaping the county’s direction today and for years to come.
The vision of the current committee, comprising 27 young professionals from various industries, is encapsulated in Westmoreland FUEL. Derived from the pillars of Focus, Unite, Engage, and Lead, FUEL’s mission is to guide and empower young professionals through mentorship, networking, and skill advancement while contributing to the development of local communities. Ali Zorzi, Property Controller at Westmoreland Country Club and FUEL’s first President, remarks, “Our opinions, suggestions, and input are crucial to driving change and revitalizing our population, attracting more young professionals to live, grow, and thrive in the region.”
The Chamber’s Young Professionals Group officially kicked off its roundtable and networking initiatives in April, with a discussion with the Westmoreland County Transit Authority to review and provide feedback on the agency’s comprehensive transportation plan. Additional roundtable discussions will include meetings with local and state officials, key county departments, and business leaders throughout the region. FUEL will represent the voice, suggestions, and concerns of young professionals, shaping the future of the county.
FUEL actively seeks to expand its Young Professionals Group through its first roundtable discussion and meeting. Anyone interested in joining FUEL or affiliating with the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce can visit www.westmorelandchamber.com/westmoreland-fuel/ or contact Tim Wiles at twiles@redstone.org or 724-972-4574.
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Interest rates are only one factor when it comes to buying a house now. Interest rates sure do get a lot of attention. But they shouldn’t be the only part of your home buying decision-making process. After all, the answer to the question “is right now a good time to buy a house” boils down to whether the time is right for you: To start your new chapter. To invest in what makes you happy. Interest rates don’t negate the benefits of buying a home. Unlike that other big-ticket purchase — a car — home value doesn’t take a nose dive once you get the keys. Quite the opposite.
When it comes to long-term, stable financial growth, real estate is your ace in the hole. If you bought a home 30 years ago for the median price at the time — about $105,900 — that same home would have appreciated by almost $280,000 in 2022 to about $384,900, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. Even factoring in the lowest point for the market in recent memory — the Great Recession — home values have risen over time, and have kept pace with inflation.
The down payment and the principle in your monthly mortgage payment goes straight to your equity. Rent money just goes. That equity, an interest percentage in the home, gives you a lot of flexibility. You can:
· Trade up to your next home when the time is right;
· Tap equity to borrow money to pay for home repairs and renovations (making your home even more valuable!); or
· Use it to consolidate credit card debt or even help pay for college. (Just keep in mind when you use equity, your home becomes your collateral.)
Thanks to equity, the typical net worth of homeowners is $300,000 compared with $8,000 for renters, according to 2022 NAR data. That’s a lot of financial leverage.
Believe it or not, savings and taxes can play together nicely. Equity is savings, and when you sell a primary residence, you don’t typically pay taxes on the gain. You can take up to $250,000 ($500,000 for a married couple) without owing taxes. So all that appreciation goes with you on your next adventure.
If you itemize, you also can deduct some of your property costs from your federal taxes. Those include the annual interest you pay on your mortgage, your state and local property taxes up to $10,000, and in the year you buy, some of the fees you paid to close on the home. Only itemize if it means you can claim more than the standard deduction, which for tax year 2022 is $12,950 for single filers and $25,900 for married couples.
Unlike rent, your fixed-rate mortgage payments don’t rise over the years so your relative housing costs may actually go down the longer you own the home. That is, if your earnings go up, a static mortgage payment means your home debt load becomes a smaller percentage of your monthly nut.
Here’s an example: Say your mortgage payment is $2,329 this year and your monthly gross salary is $6,667 (roughly $80,000 per year). That means you’re putting 35% of your salary toward the mortgage. Now, fast forward a few years. Say you saw 5% salary growth annually, and you’re at $7,700 gross per month. Your mortgage payment is still $2,320, but now you’re only spending 30% of your salary on your mortgage.
Speaking of those mortgage payments: Each one, paid on time, is helping to further build your credit score.
One of the biggest pros of owning a home is that you can turn the house you can afford into your dream home – bit by bit. Those holes in the wall and paint colors your landlord freaked out about? No worries. You can upgrade amenities, décor, and style to your vision — whether that’s cottagecore, Barbiecore, or anything in between.containers.”
If you have questions about this, or anything real estate related - reach out to Scott Ludwick at 724-838-3660 or Scott@ScottLudwick.com
Westmoreland County Industrial Development Corporation has been busy since I shared our winter update with GOAL readers. We’ve signed notable leases that will keep key businesses in Westmoreland County, sold land to be developed into a manufacturing plant, and successfully secured grant funding for a new industrial park project. So, without further preamble, I’ll dive right into some of the economic-development highlights of the past several months.
In December, WATT Fuel Cell Corp., a pioneer in fuel cell technology, extended its lease for nearly 40,000 square feet at Mount Pleasant Glass Centre for seven more years. This move ensures that WATT’s headquarters will remain in Westmoreland County as it continues to innovate Solid Oxide Fuel Cell systems. Then, in March, AGParts Worldwide and AGiRepair — members of the AssetGenie, Inc. (AGI) family of companies — signed five-year leases for nearly 120,000 square-feet of space that AGI has occupied at South Greensburg Commons since 2006. AGI has seen tremendous growth since moving its headquarters into the WCIDC park system; in that time, its workforce has swelled from fewer than 40 to more than 200 employees.
Though the WCIDC is the first organization people turn to with business-attraction queries in Westmoreland, we never lose sight of how important it is to support the companies already here. We develop sites that can support expansion projects, and we reinvest in the properties we own
so we can retain high-quality tenants. As I write this, we’re completing facility upgrades to Mount Pleasant Glass Centre, and we’re working with our partner RIDC on upgrades at our jointly owned New Kensington Advanced Manufacturing Park.
Shifting from leases to land sales, Chelsea Building Products purchased nearly 30 acres at Commerce Crossing at Westmoreland in December. This project will lead to the construction of a 228,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, which is expected to create up to 150 jobs within the next five years. Chelsea will use this site to manufacture PVC-based window and door profiles and to produce the raw materials for both this operation and one in Texas. Two lots are available in this Sewickley Township industrial park.
by Jason Rigone, WCIDC Executive Director
May brought exciting news as Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Hempfield Township to announce that an application we submitted was successful in securing $2.5 million in PA SITES grant funding to develop an industrial park along Georges Station Road in Hempfield Township. The funding will support the redevelopment of a 217-acre site — which is owned by Adam Eidemiller, Inc. — into an industrial park. Eidemiller is responsible for the rest of the cost of this nearly $30 million project, which could support up to one million square feet of building space.
The WCIDC will serve as the grant administrator, a role that we’ve filled for projects outside of our park system. We’ve also served as grant administrator for Adelphoi, Ligonier Valley YMCA and RIDC Westmoreland projects.
The WCIDC also has begun a video series that both highlights companies impacting the local economy and promotes Westmoreland County as a great place to grow a business. The Westmoreland Spotlight series of videos is hosted on our YouTube channel, and we kicked off this marketing project with profiles of Ventana USA, Roechling Industrial Mount Pleasant, Palco Power Systems and Al. Neyer. These videos give a glimpse inside their operations while delivering a positive Westmoreland message. I invite you to check them out and consider sharing them to help get word out about Westmoreland County. To watch the videos, just search “Westmoreland County IDC” on YouTube.
by Bree Edgerly
Have you ever been the recipient of a random act of kindness? Maybe someone ahead of you in the drive-thru paid for your order, or a stranger raced after you in the parking lot to return your dropped $20 bill, or a client stopped in with donuts just to remind you that you are appreciated. These small heartwarming moments have a way of sticking with us, like rays of sunshine gleaming through the clouds of the mundane everyday.
In contrast, unfortunately the other moments that stay with us are those colored by heartache. Will and Lindsay Fennell of Unity Township experienced the heart-wrenching devastation of losing their firstborn son William “Willie” David Fennell within hours of his birth on January 6, 2020. Determined for his memory to live on year after year in a positive way, they have transformed the sadness of their loss into a powerful movement of generosity in his honor that has spread kindness to hundreds of people needing love and smiles over the past 4 years.
Initially started on January 6, 2021 by the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Laurel Region to support Will and Lindsay on what would have been Willie’s first birthday, Willie’s Random Act of Kindness Day has grown from a local single day event to a year-round campaign for kindness spanning multiple states. Lindsay described the array of messages she receives randomly throughout the year from friends, family and strangers who have been touched by their story and reached out to detail their random acts of kindness given in honor of Willie:
• neighbors delivering cookies and checking in on widows
• restaurants donating a portion of their sales for the day to charity
• an individual befriending a lonely coworker at lunch only to find out their visit that day rescued the coworker from a depressive thought spiral
• a little friend planting happy painted rocks in random places
The very first Facebook tagline for the event was “Little Things Create Big Love” and the essence of this slogan speaks volumes about the truth of Willie’s life -- though his time here was short, his impact is immeasurable and eternal through the lasting legacy of these loving acts.
The Fennell’s, along with their daughter Farrah who was born at the end of 2020, have a personal initiative of selling t-shirts to raise money for BBBSLR in honor of Willie (they have raised close to $5000 since 2022) and spending Willie’s day delivering homemade soup and visiting with lonely seniors and neighbors. They are hopeful that the continued growth of Willie’s movement could someday lead to them starting a 501(c)3 that provides scholarships for youth. They also have dreams of expanding their soup delivery project to include a network of volunteers who deliver soup to those in need throughout the whole year.
To follow the movement or share your own act of kindness in Willie’s honor, visit their facebook page at https:// www.facebook.com/WilliesRAKD.
by Bryan Kisiel, CPA
Estate and trust administration after a family member or close friend’s death can vary in complexity and timeline, depending on each individual’s facts and circumstances. Matters requiring consideration and action can include protecting property rights, the transfer of assets, and the implications of income, inheritance and transfer taxes. Proper planning and organization is crucial to effectively administering an estate.
Different parties play specific roles in estate administration. If you are the named administrator or executor/ executrix in a decedent’s will, you are responsible for carrying out its provisions. In certain cases, a probate proceeding in the county court may be required to permit you, as the Estate Representative, to sign documents and forms to transfer assets from the decedent’s name to individual beneficiaries, charities or a trust. In Pennsylvania, you may be required to obtain Short Certificates, to identify you as the Estate Representative in fulfilling your duties. A probate proceeding will often extend the period of the estate’s administration due to the required notices to interested parties and potential creditors. Creditors have a limited time to file a claim against the estate for any unpaid debts. An accounting of all receipts and disbursements may also need to be prepared and filed prior to closing the court proceeding. The accounting can be waived by the beneficiaries.
The Estate Representative has a duty to identify, secure and maintain the estate’s assets immediately upon the decedent’s passing. Some steps that the Representative might take include:
• Alerting the Social Security Administration of decedent’s death;
• Securing homes and storage facilities and their contents;
• Canceling decedents individual credit cards and driver’s license to protect against identity theft;
• Notifying financial institutions;
• Ensuring that crypto asset wallets or other digital assets are secured;
• Identifying and securing collections of value (ie coin, art, stamp, comic book, baseball card collectables)
All of the decedent’s assets that he/she controlled or had beneficial ownership at his/ her passing will be includible in the estate. Beneficiaries may receive assets through the estate, a trust established by the will or may receive assets by operation of law, i.e., through joint tenancy with rights of survivorship or tenancy by the entireties, or through a pay-ondeath or beneficiary designation.
If all of the named representatives in a will are unavailable or decline to act, or in the absence of a will, state law sets forth the priority under which a family member can appoint a representative to administer the estate.
An Estate Attorney should be consulted to assist with this process.
• Confirming that any firearms are properly secured and custodied;
• Safeguarding specific gifts or items of sentimental value;
• Arranging for collection of mail to ensure timely handling of debts and other matters;
• Canceling monthly subscription contracts;
• Closing or securing personal email and social media accounts;
• Alerting life insurance companies and requesting benefit distributions on behalf of the beneficiaries; and
• Estimating cash flow requirements and identifying sources of funds to use for immediate needs, including outstanding personal bills, funeral and burial expenses.
Identifying and engaging with the key professionals in administering an estate include the estate attorney (normally the attorney who prepared the will and any estate documents), the decedent’s CPA or tax advisor, the investment advisor(s) for the decedent’s investments including any retirement accounts, the insurance agent for life and property policies.
You may have other key people if, for example, business ownership interests or investment real estate is part of the estate.
The Estate Representative should also order death certificates to assist in getting assets retitled and benefits such as life insurance paid. At a minimum, two will be needed for the inheritance tax return filing, and one each for the estate tax return filing, each financial institution in which decedent had an account, and each life insurance policy.
The federal estate tax basic exclusion amount is $13,610,000 in 2024, and a federal estate tax return (Form 706, United States Estate (and Generation- Skipping Transfer) Tax Return) must be filed if the gross taxable estate plus prior gifts exceed this amount. A final federal (IRS Form 1040), state(s) and local personal income tax filings may also be required to report income and deduction activity prior to the date of death for that year. Also, a Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts may be required for income received and allowable deductions incurred by the estate during each calendar (or fiscal year) during the administration process, subsequent to the date of death, until the estate is closed. In addition, Pennsylvania has a separate inheritance tax and a separate estate tax return (usually filed in conjunction with the federal return) for which additional tax filings may be required.
For income tax purposes, the estate and any trusts that may be created by the estate become separate income taxpayers upon decedent’s passing. An election may be available to combine them into a single filing, as described in the next section.
If a living trust is involved, your CPA may recommend a Sec. 645 election that permits the living
trust to be treated as part of the estate, thus requiring only one Form 1041 filing. Beyond the reduction in the number of tax returns to be filed, the election provides many benefits, including the ability to hold S corporation stock through its duration. It also permits the trust to use a fiscal year. Although estates are permitted a fiscal year, absent this election, trusts must use a calendar year.
The federal Form 1040, state and local individual income tax returns, unless extended will be due on April 15th in the year following the year of death. Estates and trust must file Form 1041 by the fifteenth day of the fourth month after the close of the elected tax year (ie. April 15th for a typical calendar year-end of December 31).
The Form 706 is due nine months after the decedent’s date of death. The estate may request an extension of time to file for six months. As described below, the information required for the estate tax filing is extensive, and for this reason, estate tax filings are often extended. This does not grant the estate an extension of time to pay the tax. The estate may request an extension of time to pay estate tax under Sec. 6161 for reasonable cause.
If a Form 706 is required for the estate, every asset and liability must be reported with a description of the asset and an explanation of how it was valued. Note that the values reported on Form 706 will become the basis for the assets in the hands of the heirs of the estate, and that basis information must be reported on Form 8971, Information Regarding Beneficiaries Acquiring Property From a Decedent.
This basis determination is subject to one caveat if the estate is expected to be nontaxable, the Representative cannot elect to use alternate valuation and needs to obtain only date-of-death values. Your CPA can assist you with collecting the following information:
• Financial statements, including the date of death, for the joint checking account, CD, brokerage account, and IRA. For accounts
holding publicly traded securities, the broker should be able to provide a special securities valuation report. This report will list each security held, identification number, average high/low value, and accrued interest and dividend information.
• A business appraisal for any business interests owned. To comply with the IRS requirements, the Representative should hire a qualified appraiser to value the company interest.
• Form 712, Life Insurance Statement.
• Real estate appraisals by a qualified appraiser for each residence or individually owned investment property.
• For any loans or mortgages, a statement reflecting the date-of-death balance, including accrued interest.
• A tangible personal property appraisal. Depending on the materiality of the value of these assets, the Representative might consider an estimate of value. If the Representative sells any items, at armslength to unrelated 3rd parties, during the administrative period, the Representative could use the sales price.
This article is a helicopter view of estate administration, keeping in mind that each estate is different and involves numerous tasks and details that need careful evaluation. The process can vary significantly depending on the types of assets owned, their values, and the number of beneficiaries. The complexity is not always directly related to the asset value. The individual beneficiaries and their specific preferences can also add complexity, especially in cases of second marriages with children from both unions having different perspectives.
Losing a loved one can create significant stress on a family. The estate attorney and the tax professional play a central role in keeping things moving for the family. Thus, it is essential to be prepared and organized, and engage appropriate professionals to assist, as you navigate the estate administration process.
by Bree Edgerly
Once Jeff saw Angela across the bar at The Red Star, he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He was bartending and she came in with a date. Unfortunately for Angela’s date, she was equally drawn to Jeff.
As the story goes, after exchanging a few bits of conversation over drink orders that first evening, Angela left her serving shift at Dingbats a few nights later and found herself back at The Red Star in hopes Jeff would be behind the bar again. He was there hoping chance might bring Angela in for another beer – without a date this time. Laughs and numbers were exchanged, and from that day forward they were together. They were engaged five months later and married the following year.
Family and friends never questioned the swift timeline of their commitment; as they say, “when you know, you know.” Their chemistry was obvious from the day they first met and is still unwavering after 2 decades of marriage and entrepreneurship.
But theirs is more than a story of love at first sight – that’s just how it starts. It is a story of two ambitious individuals unafraid to follow their hearts, to find ways against all hesitation and odds to stay true to their convictions – passions that led them to raising two charming sons and building two very successful businesses. Jeff and Angela have spent their decades together pouring themselves into their family and their livelihoods. And in turn their businesses have allowed them to be wholly present for their boys through the years, all while sharing their favorite things with their community.
Sipping a black pilsner under an umbrella on the sunny patio at All Saints Brewing Company, I had the pleasure of interviewing Jeff and Angela Guidos for this feature story. GOAL Magazine began with a mission rooted in supporting small business owners, and when our production team came across the idea of featuring Jeff and Angela as married, local entrepreneurs, the story felt like an obvious fit. After learning the endearing and inspiring background behind their admirable success, I am honored to share their story.
Angela’s decision to open a dance studio didn’t exactly come about in the way you might expect given this is a story about following your heart. Angela had been passionate about dance from a very young age, but didn’t intend to pursue it as a career after graduating from Greater Latrobe High School. “I decided I loved dance so much, I didn’t want it to be my ‘job.’ I wanted it to be something I continued to keep in my life because I loved it… If you would have asked me at 7 or 8 years old what I wanted to be, I would have said, ‘own a studio and be a dance teacher.’ But somewhere along the line, practicality pops in and you’re like ‘I need a real job.’ And so I thought about a million other things to do.” Little did she know, she wouldn’t ultimately turn down the dreams of her 7-year-old heart.
She originally majored in business at St. Vincent College, but quickly found that was not a good fit for her (which later turned out to be quite ironic) and finished with a multi-faceted degree in Public Relations, Advertising and Marketing. True to her commitment to keep dance in her life, she taught lessons part time at a local studio the whole way through college, and then continued to teach while also waiting tables after she graduated.
Less than a year after marrying Jeff in October 2001, the studio closed when the owners moved away. Angela suddenly found herself
considering the opportunity to start her own studio and turned to Jeff for guidance: “Go for it. If it fails, so what! Then you do something else.” Empowered by Jeff’s lack of hesitation and her own passion to keep dancing, Angela contacted the landlord of the building and signed a new lease to make the studio space her own.
She opened Laurel Valley Academy of Dance in August 2002 and had 47 students in her first year. Despite only being 25 at the time, she had decades of experience as a dancer and teacher in the studio business: “I knew exactly what I did and did not want for policies, philosophies and culture.” With a clear vision shaped by her own experience, she pointedly organized her classes and delivered clear communication to foster an incredibly positive and supportive environment with her dance families. She hired support in areas that fell outside of her expertise, like accounting, but ran the rest of the business on her own – scheduling, emailing, bookkeeping, managing social media, preparing lesson plans, and teaching the lessons. With the growth of the studio over the years, she has hired and now works alongside a staff of teachers – some of whom she formerly trained as students – that she considers family: “My staff is amazing and I love that they love my students as much as I do.”
Since opening the studio, Angela has pursued a number of professional certifications in dance and is always taking classes herself. She is certified to teach through Dance Masters of America, Inc., the Cecchetti Council
of America (which is the Italian school of ballet), and she is Acrobatic Arts certified. However, beyond keeping dance in her life, her favorite part of running a studio over the past 22 years is undoubtedly the people: “I currently teach students who I originally taught their parents – I call them my granddancers. The average school teacher spends 9 months with kids and then maybe sees them in the halls through the years. I meet kids at 3-4 years old and have the pleasure of working with them and getting to know them through every stage until they graduate. And I love watching kids grow. I love watching their friendships form and being the place where that gets to happen. I teach dance to help my students grow as humans, have compassion and understanding, learn how to express themselves, how to make themselves better people, how to push themselves to achieve the next thing, to build confidence.”
Alongside watching her students grow through the years, the studio enabled Angela to be with her sons everyday once she and Jeff decided to have kids. Noah was born first in March of 2005 and Nikolas came along just a short 10.5 months later. By the time Noah was 3.5, both boys began dancing at the studio. Over the years they practiced tap, ballet, acrobatics and jazz, gaining strength and agility that eventually contributed to their great success on the ice. Though they have turned their energy exclusively to the demands of ice hockey since entering highschool and now college, they still are involved in helping Angela produce the studio shows every year.
Like most business owners, Angela was faced with a number of significant challenges through the years, but she never considered doing anything else once she had committed herself to the studio and her dance families. When I asked her if she had any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, her answer clearly resonated from the heart of her own experience: “I truly think that if you are going to go the entrepreneurial route, it needs to be something that you are passionate about. I could see it being very easy to lose interest or get discouraged if it is not something that is in your heart and soul. It is very taxing, it affects your family. Your passion is what keeps you invested beyond the financial commitment when challenges come and go...And if you have a passion, it is absolutely worth pursuing.”
Jeff’s story takes a bit of a different course than Angela’s, though colored by the same driving commitment to doing what he loves. Jeff obviously didn’t foster a love for beer through his whole childhood, but rather stumbled upon his interest in homebrewing through a random encounter while pursuing his chemistry degree at St. Vincent College in 1992. While he was assisting a professor with a summer instruction program for local teachers, one of the teacher’s kids
Like most business owners, Angela was faced with a number of significant challenges through the years, but she never considered doing anything else once she had committed herself to the studio and her dance families.
brought in his homebrewing equipment to demo making beer as a chemistry process. And right there at 20 years old, Jeff fell in love with brewing. He partnered with a buddy who bought all the equipment and they started making their own beer in his mom’s kitchen and then his dad’s garage as their operation grew.
After graduating from college in 1994 with a degree in Chemistry Education, Jeff moved south to Maryland for a biology teaching position. Once he started making money at his new job, he started to beef up his homebrew equipment. He and his roommate, who had a band, took to hosting big backyard parties with their neighbor who liked to go crabbing and
would supply bushels of crabs to accompany Jeff’s homebrews. He found great joy in sharing his beer with friends.
After a couple years in Maryland, his school district opted to hire a teacher with a biology degree to take over his position and he decided to return to Latrobe and pursue his passion for making beer one step further. The Red Star was getting ready to open in Greensburg, and Jeff used his connections and years of experience in homebrewing to land a position as the assistant brewer and bartender at the new brewery restaurant. “I wanted to be a part of the biggest thing to hit Westmoreland County since the UFO Kecksburg incident. The Red Star was HUGE coming into this area.” He was hired in July of 1998.
Under the supervision of the head brewer, he was responsible for cleaning and maintaining the stunning copper kettles from the day of their arrival. Prior to eventually stepping away in 2001, the head brewer taught Jeff how to understand the ingredients and beer styles from the recipe books (“That shit wasn’t on the internet yet!”), enabling him to turn a blank piece of paper into award winning beer. Between assisting in brewing, caring for the equipment, and cleaning the kegs, he also trained as a bartender under the legendary Skeeter Davis behind the bar where he met Angela.
Jeff was the head brewer of The Red Star from 2001 until the restaurant sadly closed in March 2010. Similar to Angela less than a decade earlier, he was faced with the decision to brew for himself or find another job, only this time they had two young children and another business venture to consider. “Once I started brewing, I just wanted to have a pub and a place, serve people and give them something good.” Despite their hesitation at owning two businesses, Angela supported Jeff’s dream to start his own brewery. They invested everything they had along with some help from Jeff’s family and friends and purchased the brewing equipment from The Red Star.
After over a year of enduring sleepless nights, building a business plan, finding a property and securing all of the necessary licensing and inventory, Jeff moved his prized copper tanks from his dad’s garage into the old bread store on Roseytown Road. He officially opened the doors of All Saints Brewing Company to the public in December 2011.
With
plans for a big outdoor stage, a full-service kitchen and an extensive bar spanning the large room where his copper tanks stand, Jeff
continues to slowly invest his profits into bringing his dream to reality.
With the help of his family and friends who he affectionately describes as “my people,” Jeff has slowly transformed the basic block warehouse structure into a modern brewery with aluminum siding, a double-deck outdoor patio, updated bathrooms and a taproom with a full-service bar. He has been able to incorporate special pieces from he and Angela’s history
into the brewery, like the booths in the taproom which came from Dingbats where Angela waited tables when they first met.
Despite all of his progress over the past 13 years, Jeff still has not hosted a grand opening as he feels he is still working to fulfill his original vision for the space. With plans for a big outdoor stage, a full-service kitchen and an extensive bar spanning the large room where his copper tanks stand, Jeff continues to slowly invest his profits into bringing his dream to reality. He also hopes to eventually connect to The Five Star Trail which ends only a few properties away.
When I asked Jeff about his favorite part of running a brewery, I was fully expecting him to say the beer. While he admitted the beer (Oktoberfest specifically) was a close second, he passionately spoke about how much he loves his customers and staff, “Without them it doesn’t work. We didn’t get into this to be rich. It’s about making people smile. Whatever you do, keep it about the people. Let them know always how much you appreciate them.”
Jeff and Angela both trusted their hearts’ calling and supported each other through starting two very different businesses. The dance studio and the brewery have created spaces where they have been able to pour their all into sharing their passions with their community. While they might come together for dinner at 10pm each night after brewing by day and dancing by evening, they have never had to miss a moment with their boys, admirably balancing being a family and succeeding as entrepreneurs. They have never lost sight of their resounding agreement that the people are the most important part of what they do and why they do it. They are incredible examples of entrepreneurship. I hope their story and these final words from Jeff inspire all of our readers as they did me the day of our interview: “If you have a passion to do something, do it! Do what you’re good at, do what you want to do, do what you love.”
R“Each moment of the year has its own season.”
~
alph Waldo Emerson, a prolific poet of the 1800’s, often traveled for inspiration, His European travels and those within the US allowed him to make connections with people and places from which he could draw upon for his writings and teachings, Had Waldo lived during our time, he would have found immense opportunities in the Laurel Highlands to influence his craft.
As we enter our summer and fall seasons, millions of visitors will be coming to our region, Their reasons for traveling are many - from visiting family and friends, checking off a bucket list item, or simply unplugging & reconnecting to life in general, You too can pause your devices and
take a step back to appreciate the wonders in your own backyard,
13 weeks for summer, 12 weeks for fall, That’s all we officially get in the Laurel Highlands to enjoy our magnificent seasons, The lush green of summer transforms into a poet’s dream of color as autumn inches its way across the landscape, Pepper in farmers markets, unique festivals, outdoor dining, an abundance of recreation and you have a masterplan for memories in the making.
The Laurel Highlands footprint is over 3,000 square miles, and an easy drive of only 50 miles can transport you to a towering hemlock forest for an exhilarating walk, or an unparalleled treetop dining experience,
You can travel for inspiration just like Waldo did by carving out some time and mapping out a course of discovery.
Need a nudge, visit our website GOLaurelHighlands.com for inspiration, plus a complete list of events happening in the region, Use the Laurel Highlands Pour Tour Passport to sample your way through our craft beverage establishments, Pick up the GO LH Coupon Book with 59 ways to save on your summer and fall excursions, Who doesn’t want a little extra coin in their pocket?
Each moment of the year has its own season – may yours be a poetic stanza worthy of a Pulitzer Prize.
by Christian Pelusi
Wealth management professionals, attorneys and financial planners are busy. Maybe busier than they have ever been. But it’s with good reason.
Baby boomers (adults born between 1946 and 1964) are retiring at a rapid rate and are teaming with financial professionals to plan for the proper transfer of their assets to philanthropic causes and loved ones in the Generation X/Millennial/Generation Z age groups. What makes this situation a
“generational wealth transfer” period? Approximately $53 trillion in assets.
“The baby boomer generation has indeed accumulated a significant portion of the world's wealth,” said William Urbanik, managing partner and wealth manager for SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management in Latrobe. “There are several factors that contributed to this phenomenon, including boomers accessing educational opportunities in the post-World War II era, which led to securing high-paying jobs early in
their careers as they lived through rapid economic expansion.”
Urbanik said that boomers multiplied their wealth during these same periods by taking advantage of low interest rates, affordable real estate and pension plans. “They diversified their wealth through stock investments, and during the long-term bullish markets, including in the 1980s and 1990s, this was a beneficial strategy. On top of all of this, boomers were diligent about saving and living with no debt.”
The combination of these fortuitous events resulted in a massive accumulation of wealth. Unfortunately, the boomers’ experience was not enjoyed by their children.
“A number of factors have contributed to changing the economy between generations. Among them include the massive loss of manufacturing and other jobs to competing countries removed well-paying, blue-collar occupations. These generations have also felt more pressure to continue their education beyond high school to secure higher-paying jobs in a quieter economy, but the cost of college has risen far more quickly than general inflation for years, burdening many of these generations with debt before starting their first job.”
Average families will need to grapple with the rising costs of living, including the medical expenses that come with greater longevity of aging parents, Urbanik said. “The rising costs of healthcare and long-term care assistance has the potential to wipe out this wealth.”
"While these generations sometimes may seem years apart culturally and economically, the wealth transfer means they will come together in ways many were not fully prepared for. Baby boomers beginning to plan now is the most common sense option to assure the best possible outcome for their years of hard work and savings and for their families and communities", Urbanik said. But he cautioned the boomer generation to seek qualified professionals they can trust.
“I highly recommend baby boomers receive guidance from wealth advisors in their local market who have their clients’ best interests in mind, rather than salespeople who may take advantage of their fears.”
Urbanik outlined the positives that can come with the proper planning from experts.
“THE BABY BOOMER GENERATION HAS INDEED ACCUMULATED A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE WORLD'S WEALTH,” SAID WILLIAM URBANIK, MANAGING PARTNER AND WEALTH MANAGER FOR SECONDHALF COACH
WEALTH MANAGEMENT IN LATROBE.
“THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THIS PHENOMENON, INCLUDING BOOMERS ACCESSING EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
IN THE POST-WORLD WAR II ERA, WHICH LED TO SECURING HIGH-PAYING JOBS EARLY IN THEIR CAREERS AS THEY LIVED THROUGH RAPID ECONOMIC EXPANSION.”
“Building a meaningful relationship with a wealth manager who cares can bring peace of mind,” he said. “On a fiduciary level, wealth managers will employ strategies to best manage assets, including building a will and structuring those assets to avoid estate taxes.
“We can also advise on not only building a legacy within their family, but also in the community through charitable giving, which is both a tax strategy and a way to bolster causes they care about within their hometowns. Organizations like The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County can work with trusted advisors to guide giving while allowing the asset holders to maintain control and ensure they or their children can administer funds based on their wishes.”
“Ultimately,” Urbanik said, “preparing for the great wealth transfer requires thoughtful and open dialogue, careful planning and guidance provided by trusted experts in the areas of tax planning, investment management, estate planning and protection to help ensure that more wealth is retained by those who earned it or their heirs, rather than falling victim to additional taxation and risk exposure.
“Even though boomers may pass down a significant amount of wealth, younger generations should not only rely on inheritance for a secure future,” Urbanik said. “They can follow the examples of the baby boomer generation and focus on independently securing their own futures through sacrifices, investments and good decision making.
“It’s never too early to start. Time is everyone’s greatest asset, and the younger generations have more of it than their parents.”
Christian Pelusi is a
senior communications officer at The Pittsburgh Foundation.
I can't thank you all enough for helping me reach this milestone of 20 years in business! I came to Greensburg in 2004 without even an ounce of knowledge on what I was about to embark on. The support that my network, friends, clients, and community has given to me is unbeatable and overwhelming when looking back.
I am looking forward to the future... to continue to serve this community with my photography but also as a volunteer, fellow supporter of local businesses, and your friend. I have photographed so many of your children, your special memories like weddings, and your businesses that I truly feel like a part of your family's lives.
There are babies that I captured first steps, now graduating high school, and getting married who are calling me to capture those moments and it touches my heart deeply. Thank you all for giving me an amazing career adventure so far! Cheers to 20 more!
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SHE (Sophisticated - Humble - Empowered) is a philanthropy-focused female social group founded by the women of GOAL Magazine in 2019. Open to anyone interested in having a great time all while supporting local charities, the ladies gather twice per year for fun activities that center around highlighting female-led businesses and raising funds for local organizations that benefit women, children and animals.
en e
dence You can be part of the comm
women to enter an interview, job t
an help by donating your new and g appropriate clothing, shoes, accesso
by Tawnya L. Rockwell
usiness and will share a wine and ap
dus, owner of Caffe Barista, will tell h
In May, the ladies of SHE gathered for a Custom Pop-Up Hat Workshop that highlighted several local female-owned businesses. The evening brimmed with creativity, style and community spirit.
happy. We want to create a safe spa telling their story without judgeme
ter purpose that connects inspiratio
after, we will plan not just a networking event, but a girls' night out with
Participants had the unique opportunity to design and create personalized hats under the expert guidance of Taylee Wilson, owner of Feather and Felt. The workshop featured over 15 hat styles, an array of colors, ribbons, leather, suede, rope, dried flowers, feathers and more.
es to join our efforts in SHE. For the launch party and every event
, a secretary or a stay-at-home mom, we welcome you and your unique
ence rather than noise in whatever capacity she is able. Whether you are
Lauren Cassler, Manager of Carol & Dave's Roadhouse, graciously hosted the event at her family-owned restaurant in Ligonier. Attendees enjoyed delicious appetizers, including their award-winning Spinach Dip.
Staying true to SHE's commitment to community service, attendees were encouraged to donate items to local charity Rita’s Closet. Founder, Darlene Rummel, shared the story of this impactful organization which began with Rita Stauffer's generous act of sharing excess belongings at the 1st Church of the Brethren in Ligonier. Today, Rita's Closet, led by a devoted team of volunteers, offers vital support to those in need by providing free clothing, household goods, and other items every Monday in their exclusive location at 405 Route 271 Ligonier, PA 15658. This charity embodies the power of community support and collective compassion.
lieve that the true success of a woman is found in her ability to make a
Dawn Szalay shared fashion tips on accessorizing and styling the newly designed hats, including exclusive new looks from her boutique on The Diamond in Ligonier, Song of Sixpence. She also brought along a table of beautiful jewelry designed by singer, Jewel, for purchase.
2024 marks the 5th anniversary of SHE, our community of "Sophisticated, Humble, and Empowered" women! Since 2019, SHE has uplifted 22 female-led businesses and championed 9 local charities that benefited women, children, or animals.
Through these unforgettable SHE events, we’ve enjoyed fitness classes, made candles, crafted custom hats, decorated seasonal sugar cookies, sampled local wines and beers, learned how to dance towards body positivity, and more. Together, with the support of over 275 amazing women, we’ve raised close to $4,500 for local charities, collected 200 pounds of food, gathered essential items for women and children affected by violence, provided interview attire for aspiring women, and lended a helping hand to shelter pets. Each initiative has brought us closer to our GOAL of making a meaningful difference in our local community!
As we celebrate this milestone, we look forward to many more years of making a positive impact in our community. If you are a local female business owner or know of one that aligns with our mission, please email us at sheofgoal@gmail.com. Learn more about SHE by visiting www.go2goalus.com/she.
SAVE THE DATE for our next virtual meeting, Tuesday, October 1st
The ladies of GOAL Magazine have created a space for meaningful conversations and great company centering around good reads – all fitting seamlessly into your busy schedule!
Our book club focuses on:
• Books featuring compelling female characters or perspectives
• Convenient quarterly virtual meetings
• Thought-provoking, ongoing discussions in the group chat
• New connections with fellow literature enthusiasts
• Book selections and meeting times decided through polls
Scan the QR code to sign up on the Book Club app!
Article courtesy of Lynda Risnear
Loretta Scalzitti's financial story begins in Jeannette, PA, where she grew up under the guidance of her family, particularly her mother. Her mother's financial wisdom, passed down from Loretta's entrepreneurial grandfather in the coal industry, taught Loretta the importance of self-sufficiency and prudent money management.
From her very first paycheck, Loretta set aside a portion of her income as savings. Working at a local company in Jeannette, she discovered the benefits of a 401(k) and started investing in Vanguard mutual funds. Many of these funds, still popular today but closed to new investors, laid the foundation for her financial journey. Now, Loretta not only invests for herself but also guides anyone interested in developing a savings plan, both young and old, utilizing the same investment principles.
A key aspect of Loretta's success is her disciplined spending. Her mother bought her first car, a $100 Pontiac from a friend,
which Loretta learned to drive on Jeannette's snowy hills. Loretta's second car, an old '57 Chevy, cost $750, and from that point on, she paid cash for all her vehicles, favoring Buicks and once keeping a car for 17 years. While her friends spent their money, Loretta focused on building her investment portfolio.
Pursuing further education, she attended Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, becoming the first woman graduate with a degree in Accounting and Finance. Her dedication and achievements earned her the Alumna of Distinction award in 2008. In honor of her mother, Loretta funded a scholarship at Saint Vincent, inspired by the philanthropic values of her father and grandfather.
After a successful 30-year career, Loretta accumulated a substantial nest egg. She decided it was time for her money to work for her. Loretta's second career is marked by her dedication to volunteering and helping others. She has volunteered with Excela Hospice for over 30 years and served as a Meals on Wheels coordinator. Additionally,
she helps friends and elderly individuals navigate the complexities of investing.
Loretta's investment philosophy is straightforward:
• Start Young
• Be Consistent
• Think Long Term
• Know Your Risk Tolerance
• Diversify
• Be Patient
Loretta Scalzitti’s journey to financial empowerment is a testament to the values of hard work, disciplined investing, and the joy of giving back to the community.
At Saint Vincent College, we are proud of Loretta’s commitment to our students in her estate plans. If you are interested in providing support to our young men and women at the college, contact James Bendel, Director of Planned Giving, by phone at 724-244-4805 or by email at James.Bendel@stvincent.edu.
It’s a mystery to many. We see the help-wanted signs, bonuses for fast food workers, and employers boasting high starting wages, yet we just are not finding the workforce. Many ask, “Where have all the workers gone?” We just can’t seem to find them.
We hear some politicians shout these are great times, nothing to see here! It is true, Pennsylvania has its lowest unemployment rate in almost 50 years (since 1976), and we are lower than the national average. Yet, we see restaurants open fewer days a week, senior homes forced to close certified beds, and supply chain backlogs for manufacturing and trucking.
The pandemic is over, and still many are asking, “Where have all the workers gone? Is it Ohio? Florida? Are we just a state of old people and no workers are left?" Unfortunately, our good friends in government are using a well-intended welfare program to move able-bodied workers off the job and onto the couch.
During a June hearing in Harrisburg, testimony confirmed PA’s largest category of welfare recipients (43%) are able-bodied, working-age adults. Originally intended to assist our most vulnerable neighbors, PA welfare programs have ballooned, and we are now in America’s Top Five highest welfare spending states by percent of GDP.
A particularly disturbing part of these 1.5 million able-bodied workers on welfare are the “ABAWDs.” These are Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents, and our PA Secretary of Human Services has been making special requests to Washington to waive the federally mandated work requirements for this group.
We should all question the accuracy of that last statement! Surely, at a time of record-low unemployment and record-high welfare spending, Harrisburg would not actively strive to remove nearly 200,000 Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents from the workforce? It is true… and COULD happen for another year this coming August.
That is when the Shapiro Administration may, once again, apply for an exemption to federally mandated work requirements for ABAWDs. They could instead help bring tens of thousands of working-age, non-addicted adults with no kids and no mental health issues BACK into the workforce.
Helping those who cannot help themselves is a vital responsibility of the government. What about the scores of adults who CAN help themselves? Should they remain at the front of the line? This is a multimillion-dollar question with looming consequences in the pending Pennsylvania budget.
Thousands of legitimately confirmed seniors and individuals with disabilities have been recognized to be in need, BUT instead find themselves on the outside of services and facilities. For them, there is no room at the inn.
by State Representative Eric Nelson
are barred from entering nursing homes due to 57% of licensed facilities' inability to meet state-mandated worker-to-client ratios, which were recently created by the same government agency that requested work requirement waivers for nearly 200,000 identified ABAWDs.
Again, we should check the accuracy of that last statement! How would one department inside Human Services mandate unattainable worker ratios for senior facilities while simultaneously the highest office in Human Services, the Secretary, lobbies D.C. to keep people on the couch?
Don’t get me wrong, ratios can help ensure quality care. The rub is intentionally stealing a person’s path to self-reliance through work while intentionally shorting the workforce. That policy has springboarded senior facility closures.
It gets worse. Let’s talk about the more than 12,000 legitimately identified individuals with disabilities and autism who are recognized to be on the “waiting list” for needed services through Pennsylvania’s Office of Developmental Programs (ODP).
Should this small, and in some cases expensive, group of lawful citizens be kept outside while able-bodied workers with no kids continue to rake in monthly benefits without even working 20 hours per week?
Let’s connect a few dots. WARNING: The following facts may raise your blood pressure. Recent articles have confirmed around 2,000 seniors
It is time for a change. It is time work requirements for able-bodied workers, especially “ABAWDs,” be re-established, get them off the rolls, and return to the workforce.
The birthplace of the iconic banana split, Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is gearing up for a spectacular celebration this August. The Great American Banana Split Celebration, now in its 11th year, promises to be a delightful blend of history, fun, and, of course, mouthwatering banana splits.
In 1904, a local man named David Strickler, a PITT Phamacy student home on break, was working as a “soda jerk” at the Tassel pharmacy in Latrobe, had a sweet idea. He decided to experiment with different ice cream combinations, and voilà! - the banana split was born. Since then, the sweet treat has become an iconic part of American dessert culture, loved by generations. On August 24th-25th, 2024, Latrobe celebrates this culinary invention with the year’s most anticipated event. The celebration will take place in the heart of the downtown area and promises two full days brimming with free family-oriented fun, entertainment, and, of course, banana splits galore!
Whether you’re a banana split aficionado or a first-timer, there’s something for everyone at the celebration:
• American Red Cross Blood Drive: Save a life (or 3!) by donating to kick off the weekend!
• Candy Bar Bingo: Test your luck and win sweet treats.
• Crafts and Face Painting: Get creative with arts and crafts, and let the kids enjoy face painting.
• Games and Goat Yoga: Yes, you read that right – goat yoga! Unwind with adorable goats while practicing your downward dog.
• Banana Split Princesses: Meet the royalty – the Banana Split Princesses at the Princess booth, or around town at a Meet and Greet activity.
• Yellow Tie Gala: Dress to impress at this elegant evening event.
• Car Show: Admire classic cars and maybe even spot a banana-themed vehicle.
• Banana Eating Contest: Who can devour the most Bananas?
• 5K Banana Run: Lace up your sneakers and run for the love of bananas.
• Cornhole: Test your bean bag tossing skills.
• Over 21 area: Taste some locally made banana themed adult beverages!
Briana R. Tomack
Greater Latrobe Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce President PO Box 463, Latrobe, PA 15650
724-537-2671
www.latrobelaurelvalley.org
This year’s celebration is extra special. Dole, the renowned fruit company, has inducted Latrobe into It’s Inaugural National Banana Hall of Fame! As part of its 125th banana-versary, Dole recognizes Latrobe’s contribution to banana history. Other inaugural inductees are Brennan’s Restaurant, home of the iconic Bananas Foster, and Dole’s own Bobby Banana.
In 2023, the celebration caught the attention of Good Morning America. The popular morning show highlighted Latrobe’s rich history and the joyous festivities during their Saturday morning broadcast. It’s no wonder – where else can you find banana split princesses, yellow tie galas, and goat yoga all in one place?
So, whether you’re a banana enthusiast, a history buff, or just someone with a sweet tooth, join us in Latrobe this August. Let’s celebrate 120 years of the banana split – a dessert that brings smiles, memories, and a whole lot of deliciousness!
by Nicole O’Barto-Trainer, Ph.D., MS, LPC
Traditionally in psychotherapy we have relied heavily on cognitive interventions that involve the examination of thoughts and understanding the role they play in our emotional experience. However, as we learn more about the relationship between mind and body and the role of the nervous system in emotional well-being, we are discovering that the key to maintaining emotional well-being and achieving emotional healing has less to do with thinking and more to do with being. Essentially, if we could have thought our way out of depression, anxiety and trauma, we would have done it already. What we need are somatic interventions that connect our emotions, mind and body.
When it comes to healing wounds we cannot see, the key is learning how to regulate your nervous system. Nervous system regulation involves developing the ability to access your emotions, be present with them and then regulate your experience of them. It is about acknowledging that safety is not external but internal, and that you can give yourself what you need to feel connected and cared for in order to self-regulate and heal.
When we are stressed, cultural conditioning has taught us to look outside ourselves for comfort and security. However, the essence of nervous system regulation is learning how to turn inward and ask yourself, “What do I need in order to feel safe and secure in my body at this moment?” and then slow down enough to work through the steps to self-soothe and restore balance within your system. As you deepen your self awareness, you begin to understand how and why you react in certain circumstances and where stress and tension present in your body. When you can identify these feelings processing in your system, you can then allow the experience of your emotions and guide yourself out of the discomfort back to safety through regulation. You can follow these four steps to practice nervous system regulation.
The first step of regulating the nervous system is to notice how you are feeling. You can cultivate presence and self-
awareness by slowing down and paying attention to what you are feeling – labeling it even. This may sound simple, and it truly is, but in our fast-paced lives we are encouraged and enticed to distract ourselves in so many ways. Many of us are not attuned to our emotional experiences or are engaged in ongoing escapism. When you feel internal tension, take a moment to notice and identify your feelings: fear, anxiety, excitement, sadness or anger to name a few.
You can’t regulate what you don’t allow yourself to feel. Once you notice how you are feeling, you have to allow yourself to feel it- even the uncomfortable stuff. Instead of escaping or pressing down those feelings – trying not to cry, talking or thinking yourself out of feeling mad – lean into them. Instead of turning outward for comfort, turn inward. You may be surprised at the natural relief or release that comes from allowing the full experience of your emotions.
After you notice and allow your emotions, you bring thinking back into the process and validate your experience. This validation involves self-talk and may sound something like “It is okay that I am feeling this way,” or “My feelings are valid and natural; they are also transient, I will be with them until they pass.” This union of emotion and thought have a powerful effect. Once you have validated your experience, then you can regulate and return to a state of balance and healing.
There are many techniques for regulating your nervous system, and nervous system regulation should be practiced on a daily basis. Some of these techniques focus in the cognitive space, while others are based in the body. Regular practice that incorporates a variety of these nervous system regulation techniques will lead to a higher state of emotional wellness:
• Affirmations and positive self-talk
• Developing a gratitude practice
• Engaging in activities that are creative (painting, drawing, coloring)
• Breathwork
• Meditation
• Visualization
• Cold Exposure
• Grounding Techniques
• Weightlifting
• Body Movement (yoga, Pilates, dancing)
• Prayer
• Journaling
• Maintaining gut health
• Sleep
• Spending time with animals
• Vibration
When we consider that nervous system dysregulation is one of the most cited liabilities of modern living, we can understand how essential these regulation practices are for our emotional wellbeing. We should consider that maintaining our emotional wellbeing is a lifestyle in the same way as maintaining our physical wellbeing. When we can slow down and turn inward – embracing the experience of our emotions and working to regulate our nervous system – we naturally have within us the ability to heal.
CTA: Our team of therapists at Native provide a vast array of integrative approaches to whole–body health and wellness. Visit our website at nativeclinics.com to learn more about our services and book a session.
Ihave been writing for GOAL Magazine for about two years. During this time, I have written about many insurance topics and different ways to protect yourself. At this point, I am running out of informative insurance material without being repetitive. Truth be told, I am not sure who has the attention to read about insurance by the time they get to my article, except for my Uncle Jim. Since beginning my writing, he jokingly likes to call me “page 40 guy”. I appreciate it though because I know at least someone is taking the time to read.
Understanding insurance and how it protects you is important. However, I want to tell you a story of greater importance. This story of Laurel Highlands Insurance Group LLC is how we got our start over 30 years ago. We are a family business. I am proud of what we have built from the ground up, and it deserves a shared story.
In the mid 1980’s my father and mother graduated from Waynesburg College during economically challenging times. My mom went straight to work at her family business and dad was trying to find a job in accounting. After telling her “No matter how desperate I am, I will never sell insurance” he came home one night and informed her he had an interview with Prudential Life Insurance. He took the job because he said he was more desperate to find employment than he thought he could be. After starting as a salesman, he was promoted quickly to a sales manager. He worked tirelessly on a commission only basis, leaving the house very early and coming home late at night. He did what he had to do to provide for our family. Ten years of dodging layoffs, receiving reduced commissions, and handling corporate problems eventually became tiring.
Fast forward to the mid-1990’s, sitting at his desk not knowing what to do, Dad said a prayer asking for help. Out of nowhere, a name popped into his head, Wendell Grimm. Curiously, dad flipped through the phone book and found this man, who lo and behold owned an insurance agency in Scottdale, PA. My dad picked up the phone, dialed the number, introduced himself, and offered to take this random man to lunch to talk business. Dad always thought that if he was making money for a company then maybe he should start his own insurance agency where he could certainly earn for himself. Right there during lunch with Mr. Grimm, some numbers were scribbled on a napkin, and with a handshake, they made a deal for an agency sale. I have heard my dad tell this story count-
less times and to this day, it still gives him goosebumps.
So, in 1995 the very first agency purchase of many began. During the next few months, after a full day of work and coping with two young children, Mom and Dad would stay up late into the night, drafting their business plan, creating a roadmap to success. I remember this vividly. As an 8-year-old, I would wake up to the sound of voices downstairs. Curiously, I would tiptoe down the hall and sit at the top of the steps eavesdropping and watching them. Although I didn’t know exactly what was happening, I could feel the importance as they used the dining room table for a makeshift office, typing out page after page on the first-generation Dell laptop. I remember sensing the stress and would slip back to bed.
For two years, Rettura-Grimm & Associates hummed along at a pace that was less than desirable. This wasn’t for lack of effort. Dad continued to work extremely hard toward success, but location is everything in business, and this business wasn’t in an ideal location for our needs. For the second time in the same number of years, God worked in mysterious ways. A family friend who happened to work for Erie Insurance mentioned to my dad that he knew of an Erie agent who was looking to retire, and his agency may be for sale.
My dad is one of the hardest working, honest, selfless men I know. Because of his ethics and character, our family friend offered to introduce him to the Erie Insurance Pittsburgh Branch VP and the current Erie agency owner, Tom Bradmon. Now mind you, Erie Insurance was not and still is not, an easy company to get appointed to as an agent. It takes many interviews, business plans, and relationship building to even be considered. Seldom is
“Joe Rettura Agency Principal/ President, circa 1995 founding Rettura/Grimm & Associates”.
someone from outside the Erie family looked at. After all the meetings, introductions, interviews, and late nights drafting a new business plan, my father was awarded an Erie Insurance contract. He purchased the Bradmon Agency in Uniontown, PA which is the oldest Erie agency in Fayette County. He soon closed the Scottdale office and merged the clients into the new location where the Laurel Highlands Insurance Group name was born.
The beginning of the reorganized agency was a fresh but terrifying new start requiring even more hard work than the last. Quickly Dad found himself helping many people and business picked up. At this point, it was just him and one customer service person, Jackie. Starting as a temp at the Scottdale office when we first opened, Jackie helped my dad care for the customers, going above all in service and becoming the smiling face when you first walked in. Still needing extra help to manage time and write more business, Larry came aboard. Larry and my dad have been best friends since they were in grade school and worked for Dad at Prudential. Larry helped keep the agency growing and was my dad’s shoulder to lean on. Jackie and Larry are still with our family today, each celebrating over 25 years of service. “Thank you” to both of them for being loyal, trustworthy, and following my dad on this crazy journey.
Over the next 10 years the hard work began to pay off. Customers flowed in because they knew that “Joe would take care of them” and that Erie Insurance was one of the best carriers around. By this point it was 2008, I was in my junior year at Elizabethtown College studying business and had no intention of ever selling insurance. A father’s words become the son’s. Over Christmas break I shattered an ankle and leg, requiring extensive surgery. Unable to walk, drive, or return to school for the spring semester, my mom gave me one option; her exact words were “you’re not going to sit here feeling sorry for yourself, playing video games.
You might as well go to work with your dad, learn something, and get credits for an internship”.
Throughout that semester at home and riding to the office with Dad, I learned a lot and quickly realized that his “cushy office job” was harder than it seemed. I was able to learn the nuts and bolts of insurance, be exposed to claims, interact with clients, and even travel to the Erie Insurance home office to meet the President/CEO of the company. After this exposure in the agency, I thought this may be something I wanted to do.
Upon graduation in 2009, still not sure what I wanted to do, I called home to my parents and said, “I think I want to work for dad for a little while”. Starting from the bottom up I did all the grunt work, folding/addressing/stuffing/ licking 4,000 mailers by hand and cleaning toilets. He wasn’t about to let me be “the owner’s kid” and simply collect a paycheck. It wasn’t fun at the time but there was a lesson there. Dad is always about lessons. Looking back at everything he did without knowing it, he was molding me to be the best insurance agent/ business owner/person he could.
Once I progressed and started selling policies the job became more fun. Often Larry and I would have friendly contests about who could help more people. This kept the entire agency busy and it kept dad happy. In 2011 my mother retired from her family business. When we needed extra help, she would come in a few days a week to manage the accounting and other odds and ends, which quickly became a full-time job. She soon became our Controller,
by JJ Rettura, CIC Vice President/Operations Manager Laurel Highlands Insurance Group LLC
HR, customer service, and as she jokes “the referee” between dad and me.
In 2013 we had an opportunity to purchase another Erie Insurance agency. A dear friend of dad’s, Dwight “Lucky” Williams and his wife wanted to retire. A long-standing handshake between them was the agreement that we would perpetuate his business when the time came. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity. This agency purchase gave us a second location in Belle Vernon, PA. It also became my pet project, my challenge, to see how I could successfully grow that location. This was my dad’s test to see what I could really do as well as testing my own abilities. I was scared to death to be quite honest. I was just an inexperienced kid, only 23 years old, with a huge responsibility on my shoulders.
Those next few years were a whirlwind and we continued to grow fast. It seemed as if everyone told their family and friends to do business with our agency because we always picked up the phone and weren’t suits sitting behind a desk. We were just regular people doing an honest job and helping our clients. Not only were we doing more business, but we continued to grow by acquiring a few small agencies. Then in 2016 we added a third location in Masontown, PA after purchasing an agency from another friend and genuinely kind man, Lud Kopec.
We have continued to grow our business as a family. Our work “family” now totals 13 wonderful and faithful employees plus the 3 of us. We have been honored with many awards from Erie Insurance. We are most
proud of the F.W. Hirt Award for being a top model agency in sales, ethics, and service. Both my dad and I have served on Erie Insurance’s Agency Task Force, where he held the top position as Moderator. During his tenure, he was the voice of all 2,200 agents across the Erie Insurance footprint, collaborating with the top executives and Board of Directors on the agent’s behalf. Currently, I am running lead on the Sales and Marketing Task Force division as its chairman. My mom is priceless. She always keeps us in check, is a voice of reason, she keeps the agency in top financial order, and keeps everyone organized.
It has been one heck of an adventure to this point. I am proud to sit back and look at what we have built as a family. I am grateful for all the customers who have trusted us to protect their most valuable assets and for our employees who have helped us grow and manage it. Most of all I am grateful to my parents; all your sacrifices, visions, lessons, and guidance have developed me into who I am and have created this wonderful journey. I just want to say I love you and thank you for everything.
If you would like to watch a great video created by Erie Insurance about my dad, his start, and the inspirational story about Wendell Grimm please scan the code to watch on YouTube.
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by Allison Clayton
Welcome to a clearer path through the Medicare maze. Having helped local seniors make Medicare coverage choices for many years now, I understand that navigating Medicare’s complexities can be overwhelming—especially with new changes in the law.
In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act brought changes aimed at reducing costs and enhancing benefits for Medicare recipients. In this article, I’ll inform you about adjustments to Medicare Advantage and drug plan premiums in 2024, the new $2000 cap on drug expenses, and the closure of the Medicare Part D coverage gap, commonly known as the “donut hole.” These changes promise to transform the healthcare experiences of millions of Medicare enrollees. We’ll also look at how new rules on negotiating drug prices will benefit Medicare recipients, starting with the first 10 drugs in 2026.
One main goal of the Inflation Reduction Act is to keep premium increases in check. Beginning in 2024, the base premiums for Part D plans (Medicare’s prescription drug program) cannot rise more than 6% annually.
Medicare Advantage plans, which bundle Medicare Parts A and B (and usually Part D), are also affected by the new legislation.
These are plans offered by private companies that contract with Medicare. The “Advantage” is that they offer additional services such as dental, vision, and hearing care.
From 2023, Medicare Advantage members have had to pay no more than $35 per month for a covered insulin product. Medicare is also limiting cost-sharing (for Part B drugs that increase in price faster than inflation) to the cost under Original Medicare.
Although premiums are capped, some Advantage plans may increase in cost due to shifts in the cost burden from the government to drug and Medicare Advantage companies. We’ll take a closer look under Concerns for Increased Costs, below.
One of the most important provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act is the new $2000/ year out-of-pocket cap on prescription drugs. Starting in 2025, this cap is sure to be a great help for those who face high medication costs under Medicare Part D.
The cost cap is a relief for many who deal with chronic conditions such as diabetes, cancer, or heart disease. By capping Part D drug expenses, the Act ensures that more beneficiaries can afford their medications and avoid financial distress above the $2000 per calendar year limit.
The new system is also simpler. Under current rules, after spending a certain amount, beneficiaries enter different phases where they are responsible for a percentage of their medication prices. The new cap removes this phasing, as well as any copays or coinsurance for covered drugs for the rest of the year. Once you reach the $2,000 limit, that’s it!
For many seniors, high drug costs mean not being able to take medicines properly. By reducing the cost barriers, more people will be able to afford the proper dosage and adhere to their medication schedules more effectively.
The “donut hole” is a name for the coverage gap in Medicare Part D prescription drug plans. It has long been a confusing reality and a costly one for many seniors. Finally, the Inflation Reduction Act is making progress toward reducing this gap and eliminating it entirely as soon as 2025. What could this mean for you?
In 2024, the coverage gap begins after you and your drug plan combined have spent $5,030 on covered drugs. This amount has changed each year. Once you enter the gap, you must pay 25% of your drug costs until you reach the catastrophic coverage threshold.
This year, the Inflation Reduction Act eliminates the 5% coinsurance paid by beneficiaries in the catastrophic coverage phase. This change means that once beneficiaries spend their 25% in the donut hole and reach the current out of pocket limit, they will no longer pay any percentage of their drug costs for the rest of the year.
In 2025, the “donut hole” will be closed, so there won’t be changing prices throughout the year for beneficiaries; however, the $2000/year out-of-pocket cap remains.
These changes reduce the financial burden associated with high medication costs, benefiting those who need expensive or multiple medications for chronic conditions.
The First 10 Drugs on Medicare’s List for 2026
For the first time, Medicare can negotiate prices with drug manufacturers for certain prescription medications. This historic change aims to reduce healthcare costs for millions of seniors.
While the specific list of the first 10 drugs has not been announced, the selection criteria include those drugs that account for the highest total spending by Medicare. This approach ensures that the focus is on drugs that could have the biggest impact in terms of cost savings. Negotiated prices will be announced and applied starting in 2026, making a starting lineup of drugs more affordable for Medicare recipients.
Lower drug prices not only mean more affordable care but also improved access to necessary medications—especially for those on fixed incomes or managing multiple health conditions.
As the process develops and more information becomes available about the drugs selected for price negotiation, you’ll be able to keep up with the latest on the website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services at CMS.gov.
While there are real benefits in the Inflation Reduction Act, concerns about cost increases remain.
Industry insiders suggest that, despite the 6% cap on premium increases mentioned at the beginning, Medicare recipients may see rising premiums, increased copays, and reductions in benefits next year. How could this happen?
This might occur because the Inflation Reduction Act shifts some of the cost burden from the government to drug and Medicare Advantage companies. Those companies, in turn, must adjust their plan structures to accommodate the increased costs.
For now, it’s wait and see. It is important for Medicare beneficiaries to keep alert about potential changes in cost, so they can plan effectively for their healthcare needs.
The Inflation Reduction Act represents a transformative shift in the landscape of Medicare, aiming to make healthcare more affordable and accessible for millions of American seniors.
As these changes unfold, Medicare beneficiaries and their families should stay informed.
I recommend consulting resources like the official Medicare website, the AARP Foundation, and, most importantly, engaging with knowledgeable insurance agents experienced in Medicare. With my experience working with Medicare beneficiaries, I’m well-equipped to address individual needs, answer your questions, and help you make the best decisions for you and your family.
As an independent insurance agent with Insurance Services, LLC, Allison Clayton offers unbiased advice. She has access to a range of plans and ensures her recommendations, whether for Medigap, Medicare Advantage, or Prescription drug plans, are objective.
Licensed with multiple insurance carriers, Allison can quickly compare rates, provide insights on rate histories, and share her experiences with different carriers’ customer service and online systems.
Allison’s main goal is to simplify Medicare. In her educational sessions, she explains how Original Medicare works and helps those nearing retirement. Once they’re enrolled in Original Medicare, Allison further assists by evaluating individual needs to recommend the best plan.
by Tawnya L. Rockwell
The 5th Annual GOAL Magazine Gala, dedicated to benefiting Shop with a Cop, was an extraordinary success! Thanks to the unwavering support of our local community, businesses, volunteers and attendees, we are thrilled to announce that we raised an impressive $22,500. This substantial sum will allow 150 children who have been affected by crime or unfortunate circumstances to experience the joy of shopping with a police officer from their area before Christmas.
Shop with a Cop plays a crucial role in fostering positive relationships between law enforcement and local youth, annually bringing approximately 500 children in Westmoreland County on a Christmas shopping spree.
The annual gala, hosted at The Venue at Live! Casino in Greensburg, was an unforgettable night marked with elegance and generous philanthropy.
Owner of Skysight Photography, Autumn Stankay welcomed guests on the Red Carpet, capturing glamorous photos of each attendee before they entered the ballroom to the serenade of electric violinist Steven Vance. The evening continued with ice luge martinis, delectable food and beverages
An impressive array of delicious desserts by Heart and Soul Cookies & Pastries added a sweet touch to the affair. Almost 30 enticing baskets, a special raffle with over $500 in local gift cards as the grand prize, and nearly 20 silent auction items provided ample opportunities for
guests to support the cause. One lucky winner walked away with the Grand Limited Raffle valued at over $2,000 which included an autographed Larry Bird basketball, an autographed Dan Marino jersey, a variety of rare alcohol, and four Pittsburgh Penguin hockey game tickets.
In addition to these highlights, guests raised money for the charity playing at a spread of casino table games and captured memorable moments in the photo booth. This incredible evening would not have been possible without the dedication and generosity of everyone involved. Together, we have made a meaningful difference in the lives of children in our community, spreading joy and creating lasting memories
The format is a 2- person scramble and the $175 entry fee per person includes a gift, snack box, lunch and beverages on the course, awards reception and dinner following golf PLUS chances to win top of the line prizes! The winning twosome will be awarded customized wrestling belts by Wildcat Championship Belts with the opportunity to present the belts to next year’s winners.
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Content provided in GOAL Magazine is for educational, informational, and promotional purposes only. GOAL Magazine does not render professional advice. Recommendations expressed in articles have not been independently tested. Articles contained in GOAL Magazine reflect the perspective and advice of their authors, not necessarily the magazine's publisher. GO2GOAL is a Pennsylvania not-for-profit organization with a 501(c)3 status with the Internal Revenue Service. The official registration and financial information may be obtained from the PA Dept. of State by calling toll free within PA at 800-732-0999.
