WINTER 2011
COMMUNITY MAGAZINE
Harbor Creek School DistrictAlways Giving Back INSIDE! Harborcreek Township Newsletter Harbor Creek School District Newsletter
Welcome to the Winter issue of Harborcreek Township magazine. I hope you and yours had a wonderful holiday, that the kids transitioned back to school well, and that you had an opportunity to catch a few NFL games along the way. We all view winter differently – some see it as the holiday season, some see it as the gloomy period when we put away the swim trunks and patio furniture. Others see it as their opportunity to break out the skis and sleds and hit the slopes. No matter how you view it, winter is a time when we have to be the most diligent, despite our mood about snow, or our preoccupation with playing in it, for those who need us the most – our seniors. While it’s hard enough for many of them to get around in good weather, the winter months can be a trial of terror for the elderly. Who’s going to shovel the snow? How will I get groceries? Will I be home before it’s too dark for me to see the road well enough to drive? And for those who have transitioned to assisted living facilities, the questions might be of an altogether different, but equally unsettling nature. Will anyone visit me this year? These are our mothers, fathers, friends and neighbors, and they don’t like to ask anything of us. But they need us just the same. I know the economy is bad, and I’m not saying go out and spend money you can’t afford but visiting someone who has no one is free to us all. Chances are, you’ll not only put a smile on their faces, you’ll be giving them something money can’t buy – the feeling that someone cares. Have a happy New Year!
PUBL ISHE R
Wayne Dollard MAN AGIN G E DIT OR
Marybeth Jeffries marybeth@incommunitymagazines.com RE GION AL E DIT ORS
Mark Berton [South and West] mark@incommunitymagazines.com Dana Black McGrath [North] d.mcgrath@incommunitymagazines.com Monica L. Haynes [East] m.haynes@incommunitymagazines.com OF F ICE MAN AGE R
Leo Vighetti leo@incommunitymagazines.com AD PL ACE ME N T COORDIN AT OR
Debbie Mountain d.mountain@incommunitymagazines.com GRAPHIC DE SIGN
Cassie Brkich Anna Buzzelli Sharon Cobb Susie Doak
Jan McEvoy Joe Milne Tamara Tylenda
W RIT E RS
Wayne Dollard Publisher
Heather Holtschlage Erika Howland Leigh Lyons Joann Naser PHOT OGRAPHE RS
Brad Lauer Mark Fainstein
Welcome to the first edition of Harborcreek! With the hustle and bustle of the holiday season behind us, I hope you can take a little time to enjoy what we have assembled in these pages. Our goal in offering you this magazine is to provide a bit of insight into the community. Every quarter, you’ll find information and news from Harborcreek Township and Harbor Creek School District. On this edition’s cover, I am sure you recognize your superintendent Dr. Rick Lansberry. Harbor Creek School District has developed a reputation of students and faculty giving back to the community. It’s one that we think should be recognized! Congratulations! Some of our most interesting features focus on residents and their passion in all things “community.” As you are going through your busy days, please let us know about any person or organization who you feel would be interesting for us to write about. We get some of our best story ideas from, and are so inspired by, our readers! You can email me at the magazine – m.jeffries@icmags.com. From all of us at Harborcreek Magazine, please accept our best wishes for a year filled with peace and surrounded by the love and companionship of those who mean the most to you.
Every piece of the universe, even the tiniest little snow crystal, matters somehow. I have a place in the pattern, and so do you. – TA Baron
Marybeth Jeffries Managing Editor
Aimee Nicolia Pamela Palongue Gina Salinger Judith Schardt
Kathleen Rudolph Gary Yon
PROOF RE ADE RS
Kelly Lotter
Rachel Maize
ADVE RT ISIN G SAL E S MAN AGE RS
Derek Bayer Tom Poljak
Tamara Myers
ADVE RT ISIN G SAL E S
Brian Daley Gina D’Alicandro Tina Dollard Karen Fadzen Julie Graff Jason Huffman Lori Jeffries Connie McDaniel Brian McKee Gabriel Negri Aimee Nicolia
Robert Ojeda Ralph Palaski Annette Petrone Vincent Sabatini Jennifer Schaefer Michael Silvert Karen Turkovich RJ Vighetti Nikki Capezio-Watson Sophia Williard
This magazine is carrier route mailed to all district households and businesses. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited. Copyright 2011. CORRESPONDENCE Direct all inquiries, comments and press releases to: IN Community Magazines Attn: Editorial 603 East McMurray Road McMurray, PA 15317 Ph: 724.942.0940 Fax: 724.942.0968 www.incommunitymagazines.com
Spring content deadline: 3/5
Please recycle this magazine when you are through enjoying it.
IN Harborcreek is a non-partisan community publication dedicated to representing, encouraging and promoting the Harborcreek area and its comprising municipalities by focusing on the talents and gifts of the people who live and work here. Our goal is to provide readers with the most informative and professional regional publication in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
INSIDE
IN Harborcreek | WINTER 2011 |
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FEATURES
Health and Wellness Nutrition is Not “One Size Fits All” ............ | 30
Real Estate in Harborcreek Make Your Home Cleaner & Greener ......... | 33 Outsmarting Ol’ Man Winter .................... | 35
Money Saving Alternative Energy Choices .............................. | 36 |
ON THE COVER
Harbor Creek Superintendent Rick Lansberry and students Caroline Bremner, Taylor Bean, Kaylee Schwenk, Anna Flores, Hunter Kelly, Anthony Concilla, Olivia Gula, Issac Hodapp, Seth Morton and Autumn Terpolowski. Photo by Mark Fainstein.
IN Kids ................................................. | 37
INDUSTRY INSIGHTS
Brevillier Village OK, You Are Aging...Now What? ............... | 20
Circulatory Centers EVLA Minimally Invasive Procedure Brings Immediate Vein Relief .................. | 21
Chiropractic Solutions The Fresh Start to Wellness ...................... | 32 8
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Edward Jones 401(k) Review and Rollover Can Be Rewarding ................................... | 39
COMMUNITY INTEREST
Harbor Creek School District Newsletter ....................
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Harborcreek Township Newsletter .................................
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Grandmother Pledges to Run Half-Marathons in 50 States ............................................
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Find Out What Your Local Fire Department Has Been Up To Lately ...............................
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Harborcreek Hosts an Old-Fashioned Christmas .......
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Second Harvest Food Bank Works to Fight Hunger .
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Presque Isle in the Winter Embrace the Season .....................................................................
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BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT
Erie General Electric Federal Credit Union Let us make a FAN out of YOU!
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Harbor Creek Website www.hcsd.iu5.org Magazine feedback http://hcmagazine.hcsd.iu5.org District Report Card http://paayp.emetric.net Like us on Facebook
Letter From the Superintendent Happy New Year and welcome to the first edition of the Harbor Creek School District and Harborcreek Township magazine. It is our hope that you find this informative and helpful in knowing all that is going on in your community and schools as well as the many resources and services available from local businesses. We are planning a second issue to be sent out in the spring and it is our hope we may be able to continue this into next year.
I want to encourage our community to be involved in the schools. Student success is directly related to family and community involvement. Parent teacher organizations, participation in specific school activities, and attending board meetings are excellent places to start. Look to the school newsletters or district website to learn about all the important and exciting things going on in your schools every day.
Harbor Creek is a wonderful school community with many great people working to be sure that every student is successful. All of our staff take a great deal of pride in the work that they do with our students and what they are able to give back to the community. There are always exciting things going on in your schools. Students are involved in many different learning activities and projects. The following pages will give you a brief overview of the many things our students and staff are involved with.
Please extend a special thank-you to our school board members when you see them in the community. This is a group of people who give many hours of their time to help ensure that our students have all that they need to be successful. Thank you for supporting Harbor Creek schools and if you have any questions or would like to contact us regarding this first issue, please contact my office through our website, www.hcsd.iu5.org, or by phone 897.2100 ext. 2102.
–Rick Lansberry
Clark Wins $10,000 in the Pepsi Refresh Contest! This summer, Clark Elementary took on a huge challenge. In an effort to earn money to purchase iPads for our school, we entered the $10,000 Pepsi Refresh Contest. To kick off the competition, our students participated in a video that included our entire student body and focused on what iPads would do for our school. The contest began in July when our video was placed on the Pepsi Refresh website. This was followed by a monthlong journey of voting (both texting and online), collecting bonus point Pepsi lids, and spreading word to everyone that we knew. Parents, staff, friends, relatives, and even strangers supported us throughout the entire month. In the end, Clark finished the nationwide contest in 1st place winning the $10,000. We were so excited!! We have since purchased 20 iPads, iPad apps, and headphones for teacher and student use. We have found the ideas on how to incorporate these wonderful tools into our classrooms are endless and we are thrilled to have them!
Principal Donna Rose holding an iPad purchased with the contest money. Third grade students are excited to receive their iPads!
Clark celebrates 50th Anniversary: On Nov. 3, 2011, Clark celebrated our 50th anniversary with an open house. Several retired teachers and past administrators spoke at the event sharing many wonderful memories. Parents, students and community members enjoyed the evening filled with history, fun and refreshments. Chuck Arnold, one of the speakers at Clark’s 50th Anniversary
FERPA 4
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To access information about the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Harbor Creek School District’s Child Find Annual Notice please visit our website at www.hcsd.iu5.org in the Student Services section.
Activities and Sports at the Jr./Sr. High School Harbor Creek is a “Cool School” In November, Harbor Creek High School was recognized as a “Cool School” by WICU 12 and a live broadcast showcasing our students was completed on November 18. To achieve this recognition, students from the Management and Marketing and History of TV classes collaborated to create a video that reflected their answer to the question posed by WICU, “How Cool is Your School?” Together, a theme was developed, footage was shot, and editing was completed. Once the video was submitted, the students worked to get the word out and seek the support of their fellow students and the Harborcreek community. The goal of the video was to reflect the tradition, excellence, pride, and sense of community associated with Harbor Creek High School. The following comments were posted on the WICU website, and we were excited to see that our goal was accomplished:
• “I taught in HC for 22 years – there is nothing finer than the spirit there! • “My mother and uncles graduated from here. My brother, cousins, and I graduated from here. My son attended one year here. Now my GRANDchildren go here! Harbor Creek is in our blood and our blood is in HARBOR CREEK! Husky born and Husky bred! GO HARBOR CREEK! • “As the mother of three Harb grads (’80, ’85, ’94) and the wife of a Harb
teacher (40 years on the job!), I am proud of the school district… ‘cool’ is only one of hundreds of adjectives to describe this wonderful educational facility!” • “GREAT job Chris!!! Excellent video, and it makes me proud to be an alum and a parent of three HC kids!!” • “That was great [to see]. I’m a ‘90 graduate myself.”
Rachel’s Challenge Comes to Harbor Creek Rachel Scott was the first person killed at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999. Rachel’s acts of kindness and compassion coupled with the contents of her six diaries have become the foundation for one of the most life-changing school programs in America. Her brother, Craig, was in the library that day and lost two close friends and narrowly escaped death himself. He was the only student at Columbine who was in the library, the worst of the killing zone, and also lost a sibling. On November 15, 2011, Rachel’s message of kindness and compassion came to Harbor Creek. Harbor Creek students viewed powerful audio/video footage and sat spellbound during the one-hour school presentation. The message hit home with students and motivated them to make a positive change in the way they treat others. On the evening of November 15, the Rachel’s Challenge presenter conducted a powerful session with parents and community leaders. November 15, the day that Rachel’s Challenge came to Harbor Creek, will be long remembered in the halls of Harbor Creek.
“THE MUSIC MAN” IS COMING! Harbor Creek High School will present Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man” in the high school auditorium at 7:30 p.m. on March 29, 30, and 31, 2012. Memorable numbers such as “76 Trombones,” “The Wells Fargo Wagon,” “Goodnight, My Someone,” and “Till There Was You” are just some of the songs in this enchanting show. “The Music Man” is the story of lovable con man Harold Hill, a traveling salesman peddling musical instruments, uniforms, and instruction books in order to create a boys band. The story takes place during the summer of 1912 in River City, Iowa. Harold arrives
just in time to get the city out of all the “trouble” it’s in – “the presence of a pool table in your community!” The trouble is, Harold – the Music Man – actually knows nothing about music! Come see several talented high school students sing and dance their way into your hearts as you experience “The Music Man.” You don’t want to miss this one! Continued on page 6. Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 5
Continued from page 5
Girls Soccer The 3-1 win was a beautiful thing.
At the end of this past season the Huskies again were undefeated in Region 6 play with a league record of 12-0. Their regular season record of 16-2 was a result of long, hard work to become skillful, physically strong, and mentally tough. The team played some super games this past regular season but when the district playoffs began, they—along with their fans—seemed to become larger than life. Each team member played at a level they had not experienced before. They defeated Slippery Rock by a 4-2 score. Then came the Villa game. The Huskies had already lost to Villa in an earlier meeting by a 2-4 score. Villa was probably confident but was stunned by the level of play of the Huskies. Tough and skillful, they prevailed in probably the best game ever played by a Harbor Creek Girls Soccer Team.
They won the first game in the state playoffs but lost the second. That was sad but the Region and District 10 Championships were theirs to keep. Champions aren’t made in gyms and on practice fields. They are made from something they have deep inside them: a dream, and a desire to fulfill it. Certainly it helps to be a little faster, to have skill, and to have end-of-the-game stamina. But in the end – stronger than the skill – is the WILL. The exhausted girls could have given up and let fatigue take over but they willed their tired muscles to perform. The Huskies WILLED themselves to win. Congratulations!
Sparkles The Varsity and JV basketball cheerleaders have added a new “SPARKLE” to the cheerleading program at Harbor Creek by starting an inclusive squad for students with disabilities. This squad was established after learning about the nonprofit organization The Sparkle Effect. Its purpose is to encourage high school cheerleading and dance squads to include students with disabilities into their squads. The Sparkles Cheerleading Squad has had a positive impact on the high school cheerleaders, student body, and community as a whole. They pep up the crowd, and they inspire everyone to embrace inclusion and friendship.
Volleyball This year’s girls volleyball season was one of the most successful in quite some time. The Huskies overcame numerous injuries and sicknesses throughout the season to post a 15-3 overall record and a 10-2 region record that was good for second place in Region 6. Both the varsity and junior varsity teams captured regular season tournament titles along the way. The varsity won their title at Iroquois while the junior varsity squad won their tournament championship at Corry. The varsity
advanced to the District 10 playoffs for the fourth consecutive year and had a very solid showing. After going 2-1 in pool play the Huskies fell in the semifinals to General McLane in a very tough three-set match. This is the farthest Harbor Creek has advanced in the postseason in over 10 years.
Marching Huskies Invent Musical Excitement Throughout the fall, this year’s edition of the Marching Huskies Marching Band has presented its modern versions of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music in a show entitled “Inventions.” The show was popular with the students and was very well received in competition as the band performed in a number of shows in northwestern Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh area. The band also performed during the summer at the North East Cherry Festival Parade with its rendition of the classic hit “Hey, Baby!” The band placed well in competition but, more importantly, it showed constant improvement on the way to our highest championship score in the last three years. The band is now busy raising funds for its spring 2012 trip to Florida. If you are a fan of the band, join us on Facebook by searching “Harbor Creek Marching Huskies Band.”
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Relay for Life The Junior High School was a proud participant of the Relay for Life in the spring of 2011. We were personally touched by the loss of Myra Kress, secretary at the high school, and students and teachers participated and donated money in her memory. Mr. Cavalline, a junior high math teacher, built houses that store coins as a way for students to donate any loose money. Each house held about $120. A total of $500 was donated to the Relay for Life and presented to the Kress family. This year the junior high will continue giving by collecting change and raising money by selling newspapers at the Harborcreek Walmart.
Sr. High School National Honor Society sponsored Harbor Creek’s annual Food Drive in the senior high for two weeks ending on Friday, November 11. Volunteering to help collect food from homerooms was Mr. Angerer’s Community Pride class and students from Mrs. Pitzer and Miss Narducci’s first period study hall. Every morning they trekked to their assigned homeroom to collect donations. As usual, a competition between homerooms ensued. This year’s Food Drive was steady from day one. Normally donations are slow until Thursday or Friday of the first week, but this year, donations came on the very first day and didn’t stop until the last day. While this was not a record-breaking year, we did manage to amass a whopping 3,682 points of food and personal care items along with $502 in cash.
The homeroom competition saw several different winners throughout the two weeks with the final results as follows: In 4th place was Mr. Snippert’s homeroom with 416 points, in 3rd place was Mrs. Yarnell’s homeroom with 439 points, coming in 2nd was Miss Hilinski’s homeroom with 792 points and in 1st place was Mr. Pfadt’s homeroom with a staggering 1,123 points. We’re proud of our students and faculty and the response we received. All donations stay right here in Harborcreek at the Harborcreek Food Pantry. The Harborcreek Food Pantry will be grateful, but even more so will be the families who will benefit from a little extra help this holiday season. Thank you Harbor Creek!
Jr. High School The Jr. High Student Council officers (President – Zach Mattson, Vice President – Joey Shotts, Secretary – Alex Rose, Treasurer – Kelsey Wegelin), advised by Mr. Quiggle and Mr. Ludwig, donated $250 worth of personal care items, and junior high students and faculty donated nearly $150 and nearly 300 pounds of food to the Harborcreek Food Pantry. Students and faculty competed against one another to see which Advisory could earn the most
points, and Mr. Smock’s 8th grade Advisory won, with 76 points earned. Throughout the two-week competition, Ms. Eakin and her Advisory brought in money and non-perishable items just about every day, but Mr. Smock rallied his troops and took the lead on Friday. Regardless of who won the competition, the Jr. High Student Council members, students, and faculty worked together to help the Harborcreek community.
Hall of Fame The purpose of the Harbor Creek High School Athletic Hall of Fame is to recognize those individuals or teams who have brought distinction, honor, and excellence to Harbor Creek High School in the field of athletics. Athletes, teams, coaches, managers, or other individuals associated with athletics may be nominated for this recognition. The committee reviewed nomination forms for individual athletes, a variety of teams, iconic coaches, as well as special individuals representing the athletic pride of the Huskies from Harbor Creek High School. The following athletes, coaches, and administrators were selected from over 60 nominations representing the TRADITION, EXCELLENCE, and SUCCESS of Harbor Creek High School’s rich athletic history. They were joined by friends and family members as they were honored at the Hall of Fame banquet on Saturday, September 17, 2011.
Richard Arpin – Class of 1968 Robert Black – Athletic Director Jeff Catrabone – Class of 1993 Paul Foust – Baseball Coach Kelly (Mulligan) Erwin – Class of 1993 Richard Passerotti – Class of 1978 Terry Roseto – Class of 1973 Joe Sholtis – Softball and Basketball Coach Brian Siverling – Class of 1982 Chad Vogt – Class of 1992 Kathy (Mazur) Zoltowski – Class of 1982
This picture can be purchased for $20. If interested please contact the athletic department at 897.2100 x1367. Picture taken by Doug Duer – Elite Aerial Images www.GibbensCreative.com
Football The 2011 football season featured five lopsided wins over opponents Ft. LeBoeuf, Warren, Titusville, Seneca and Central Tech and two close victories over Girard and Fairview. This allowed the Huskies to post a very successful 7-win, 3-loss season. A furious General McLane second half comeback and a disappointing loss in the mud at Northwestern ended up costing the Huskies a District 10 playoff bid as the District 10 committee
opted to take only six teams instead of the usual eight Class AA teams. The 2011 team featured contributions from 15 seniors as they leave behind a challenge to the remaining 41 team members to exceed their successful season. Way to go Huskies! Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 7
Wii Afterschool Program Klein’s “WE Afterschool Program” addresses the statewide emphasis on wellness and promoting healthy lifestyles while fostering Harbor Creek School District’s commitment to academics and the development of lifelong learners. We are able to implement this program again this year thanks to funding from a Highmark Healthy High 5 grant. It saddens us to report that the Highmark Healthy High 5 grants are presently not being offered; therefore, this could be the last year for this program. This program is held for eight weeks in the fall and eight weeks in the spring. Enrollment is limited to 20 staff-recommended students. Parent requests are considered if space is available. The “WE Afterschool Program” is a three-part program designed to engage students in physical, social, and academic activities. The program is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m. During this time frame students are:
• provided with academic support for homework and other assignments • provided with healthy snacks and lessons on healthy food choices • actively engaged in a wide variety of physical activities using Wii, Wii Fit, and various other gym and outdoor equipment.
Gifts of Love Giving gifts and helping others enjoy the Christmas holiday is the spirit amongst Klein Elementary 5th and 6th graders. During the Christmas season, each student will be paired with a resident at Brevillier Village, and they will participate in an intergenerational gift exchange. The 5th and 6th graders will receive a resident’s wish list, and they will shop for a Christmas present for their individual resident. During the visit, the fifth graders will perform their Christmas Chorus Concert for the residents, and afterwards the 5th and 6th graders will give
a Christmas gift to a resident, and they will spend some time getting to know each other. At the conclusion of the visit, the residents of Brevillier Village will host a party full of cookies and punch with the students. Both the elementary students and the residents of Brevillier Village look forward to this fun-filled event. It reminds us all of what the holidays are truly about.
Million Minutes of Reading At the start of the school year, Ms. Evans presented the students of Klein Elementary School with a literacy challenge: to read for one million minutes. Since then, teachers, students, and parents have been working together to reach this goal by keeping track of the amount of minutes students have been reading in school and at home. The goal is that by the end of the school year the students of Klein school
will have reached or surpassed the goal of reading for one million minutes. Dr. Timothy Rasinski and Nancy Padak’s research helped set the foundation for Klein’s Million Minutes of Reading Challenge. They found that student achievement has a direct correlation to the number of minutes each child reads. With that in mind, the best way to get better at reading is to practice doing it just like practicing an instrument or sport. At Klein, we believe that practicing reading makes students better readers and increases their chances of becoming lifelong readers. Everyone at Klein is very excited to work together to meet this wholeschool challenge. We believe that it will result in fun, increased skill of reading, and a tremendous sense of community and teamwork. We are looking forward to a school year focused on reading.
Hands Across Time This year, sixth graders at Klein will once again have the opportunity to participate in Hands Across Time, a cross-generational program at Brevillier Village. Each week, students travel to Brevillier and interact with residents through many enjoyable activities. Together, they make crafts, go bowling, play BINGO, tour the facility, and develop reciprocal relationships. We feel that this popular program, which has been in existence for many 8
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years, provides a very valuable experience for our children and helps teach them wonderful life lessons including compassion and caring. Students very much enjoy getting to know the residents and learning about their life experiences. Many student participants have continued to volunteer, not only as Brevillier junior volunteers, but in additional ways as well, and have made a difference in the lives of many others.
Meet Our School Board
Carol Bucklin President
Barb Gainer Vice-President
Mark Concilla Treasurer
We are very happy to welcome two new board members to the Harbor Creek team: Mrs. Christine Mitchell and Mr. Kurt Smith.
Bryan Fife
Jim Dolak
Terri Brink
Christine Mitchell
Curt Smith
Committee meetings are held the second Thursday of each month and the regular board meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month. Please check our website for a complete listing of meetings, special meetings or a change of date.
What’s Rolling at the Ridge? Healthy Huskies at Rolling Ridge Rolling Ridge has been awarded a Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge grant of $10,000 to implement the Healthy Huskies Program that will provide students with enhanced nutrition and fitness education. Students will automatically become a Bobby Shotts, Ali Benim, Corrynne Williamson, “Healthy Husky” with Alexis Soles, Thomas DeVore, Lienne Su opportunities that exercise the mind and body. The Healthy Husky program is designed to encourage during and afterschool participation in activities that involve exercise, good sportsmanship, team commitment and positive relationships. The afterschool handbell program is already underway.
Since 2007, the Highmark Foundation, through the Highmark Healthy High 5 School Challenge, has awarded more than $8 million in over 945 grants to schools in 49 counties across Pennsylvania for programs that provide nutrition education, enhance nutrition choices and increase opportunities for physical activity. Our goal is for students to be more successful in school by developing a commitment to school- wide activities. Healthy activities and exercise are a part of this program. With this grant, Rolling Ridge has already included indoor fitness activities including weighted hula hoops and fitness activities on a Wii system. Afterschool recreation will begin in January. This grant has allowed our students to choose healthy behaviors that will stay with them for a lifetime. Thanks to our families and students for helping to support this annual event.
Rolling Ridge Mrs. Renne and her fifth grade students take time to tally and measure the thousands of pounds of food donated to our district food drive. Our annual food drive runs the two weeks prior to Thanksgiving. It is a great time of the year to help support the 106 local families, including 80 children, through the Harborcreek Food Pantry. Mrs. Pratt’s class (5A) is recognized for having the most donations in one class! We are ALL winners, however, as we celebrate the success of donating over 3,000 pounds of food from Rolling Ridge. Domonic Viscuso and Greg Barney Jr. begin the process of sorting.
Project You and Hoops of Hope Hoops of Hope is a basketball shoot-a-thon that will take place at Rolling Ridge Elementary on Thursday, February 16, 2012, from 3:30 until 6:00 p.m. at Rolling Ridge. Rolling Ridge 4th-6th grades’ Project You Too will raise money by way of sponsors to help the Erie Inter City Neighborhood Art House. The Gannon basketball team is scheduled to help us that evening along with a DJ. We are looking forward to another successful hoop-a-thon. Gannon players and RR student Sebastain Beatty. Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 9
Teachers Giving Back Harbor Creek teachers lead by example. We believe it is important to give back to the community. The “Drenching Booth” and the Teachers Golf Outing are two of the activities that teachers sponsor to raise funds for our causes. In addition, the teachers and staff pay to participate in “Dress for a Cause” days four times a year. These activities raise funds for autism, juvenile diabetes, and Relay for Life. The Juvenile Diabetes Walk at Presque Isle is another fun event in which we participate. The staff visits Brevillier Village each December to sing Christmas carols, play bingo, and present each resident with a small gift. The Harborcreek Township Holiday Giving Tree is another one of our efforts. We provide Christmas gifts for over 30 children. Each year, one or two high school seniors are each given a scholarship to help with college costs. We look forward to continuing to give back to the community.
Brevillier Village Teachers give gifts, play bingo, and sing Christmas carols to the residents at Brevillier Village in December.
Autism Walk
Jeans Day is one way the teachers raise money to support different causes. Last year the proceeds bought gifts for 30 children from the Harborcreek Township Giving Tree during the Christmas season.
Each year Harbor Creek Education Association awards two $500 scholarships to graduating seniors to use toward tuition costs.
Elaine and Natalie LaFuria
Golfing for Juvenile Diabetes
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Jean Schneggenburger, Janiuks, Russells, LeAnne Morton, Sabrina Eakin, Marcie Henry, Lynda Meyer, Kathy Nicalo, Bob Hand, Mandy Blackhurst, Deb McLaughlin, Bonds, Jan Weber, Martha Seifert, Roses
Harborcreek Township Giving Tree
Scholarships
Pictured in this photo left to right are Mrs. Jackie Baird, Olivia Frietas, Mark Pitonyak and Mrs. Kathy Nicalo.
Relay for Life
Teaching Science in the 21st Century… Through Robotics John Knox, Harbor Creek Robotics Club coach and technology integration specialist for Harbor Creek School District The atmosphere is electric with the yelling and screaming of 30 other teams rooting on their or a neighboring school’s robot. The discussions are definitely intense as students weigh the pros and cons. All of the robots’ computer programming is in a language by Carnegie Mellon called “Robot C.” The code is changed, downloaded to the controller, and tested in a matter of a couple of minutes. All of this is the culmination of six weeks of very hard work and very long hours. Welcome to the world of high school robotics at Harbor Creek. The idea is simple: give kids a very difficult task (build a working robot that competes in a game with specific goals), with a very limited inventory of parts (the kit), and a short time to do it (six weeks) and see what happens. Yet, kids rise to the occasion and produce a working robot that competes with 30 other robots built by other students with all of the same time and resource constraints. Robotics programs are seen as a way to excite students about the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). STEM fields are increasingly seen as the source for much of the growth in the U.S. Students at Harbor Creek are competing in the BEST competition in the fall and FIRST in the spring. Both competitions are six weeks long. The off season is spent fundraising and trying to spread the word about robotics. Harbor Creek has been extremely fortunate to have a major sponsor in GE. The robotics program requires about $12,000 a year in basic funding.
Without the sponsorship of companies like GE, the robotics program would not be possible. However, the support of GE only covers slightly more than half of the cost. We still need to cover the cost of the trip to Pittsburgh, Grove City, and the cost of additional parts and tools. This is where our fundraising efforts kick in. Beyond GE, we also need the support of the entire community to ensure a high quality program. We need people in the engineering fields to step up and provide the support for the students. Students need to work alongside real engineers to design, create, and build the robot. The Penn State Behrend computer science students have been helping our students learn to program. This has been a great addition. Students also need the tools needed to produce a high quality robot. At this time, we use a local machine shop to create anything beyond simple parts. High Point Tool in Wattsburg, owned by Rick Leasure, has been kind enough to donate time every year to the students of Harbor Creek. We would like to raise enough money to purchase a mill drill or a small milling machine so students can produce some of the small parts themselves. We would also like to see the program expand down into the elementary schools if possible with Lego robotics. The children of the Harborcreek community are neither the wealthiest nor the most numerous in the area. What they lack in resources, they make up for in desire and creativity. For many of the team, this is the first organized activity where they have not only been comfortable, but also excelled. Whether it is personal expertise or assistance, goods or services, or funds, any support we can get from the community is greatly appreciated. Harbor Creek robotics can pave the way to a successful future for the students and for the community.
My Choice… My Public School! One of the greatest challenges the Harbor Creek School District faces in continuing to provide a world class education to students is funding. Over 50% of the district’s revenue comes from the state and federal government. Changes in this funding are outside of the district’s control but significantly affect our ability to educate our students. In addition we are faced with mandates that require us to pay for services that students who attend Harbor Creek do not benefit from. Charter and cyber schools that you see advertised as alternatives to your public schools are not free. The district must pay for every Harbor Creek student who attends an alternative school and we have no ability to hold a charter or cyber school accountable for the quality of education these schools are providing. In addition we are required to transport students to many locations outside of our district boundaries. These two mandates alone cost the Harborcreek tax payers over $1 million a year. Funding these
mandated programs is not our choice and results in Harbor Creek School District cutting programs and resources in order to pay for them. We are asking that you help us as we encourage our state legislators to revisit mandates that take resources away from your public schools. The Harbor Creek School District continues to be one of the highest performing districts in our county and in the state of Pennsylvania. State required testing places our students in the top five percent when compared to surrounding districts. Harbor Creek students have exceeded achievement, attendance and graduation targets for the past six years. We are extremely proud of our students’ academic accomplishments. Our dedicated teachers and staff work on many committees and work groups to improve the quality of education for all students. We are working to build partnerships with business, universities and local industry, which increase our ability to provide real world experiences for our students. Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 11
Harborcreek Township Municipal Pages
Welcome to the first-ever edition of a new partnership between IN Community Magazines, Harborcreek Township and Harbor Creek School District. IN Community Magazines has offered the township and school district two free issues as a trial run to gauge community reaction to the magazine. The township was attracted to the magazine because we continue to look for better, more cost effective ways to reach our residents. At this point, the magazine is not intended to replace your township newsletters, but rather enhance them. The newsletter has always been a “nuts and bolts” in-house publication that was meant to inform residents of important events, dates, etc…It has served us very well in that capacity. With IN Community, we believe we will be better able to develop in-depth profiles on community residents, events, and generally address issues that space does not allow in the newsletter. Articles in this magazine will be developed, written, and presented by professional writers and editors. If you have a community story that you feel would fit nicely into this magazine, please contact us at 899.3171 or through www.harborcreektownship.org. This edition will contain a feature article on the success of the former Harborcreek Mall project, a wrap-up of several township and Harborcreek Chamber of Commerce events over the past year, a look at our three volunteer fire departments, and much more. We hope you enjoy this first edition and, again, welcome your feedback on the magazine and its articles. As supervisors, our 2012 budget contains no real estate tax increase for the 22nd consecutive year. We continue to do our best to deliver the services you have come to expect at the most cost effective level possible. Sincerely,
Harborcreek Township Board of Supervisors Tim May, Joe Peck and Dean Pepicello
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A Christmas Tree That Captures the Spirit of Giving By Aimee Nicolia The true magic of Christmas comes to life when we give to others, especially those who are most needy. This past holiday season, the folks in Harborcreek have shown once again their generous spirit and how a community can come together to make a difference for those less fortunate. This year marked the third year that the Harborcreek Township building was host to one of the Holiday Giving Trees benefiting the Ella Cochran Food Pantry. Other locations for the trees included Our Lady of Mercy Church and Harborcreek First Presbyterian Church, both of which have participated in the Giving Tree program from its start more than 25 years ago. Every year on the weekend before Thanksgiving, the three trees are set up in their locations with ornament tags – with each tag listing the name of a school aged child or senior citizen who is a client of the food pantry. The tags include children’s ages and special wishes for an item or toy, as well as sizes for requests of clothing or shoes. The gifts are then gathered from each location and taken to the food pantry, where volunteers sort and distribute the packages. Dee Law, a volunteer at the Ella Cochran Food Pantry and coordinator of the Giving Tree program, is overwhelmed by the generosity of the Harborcreek community. Within one hour of the tree’s setup in the Harborcreek Township building, the tags were all gone. “We have gotten such a huge response from the township,” says Law. “It is really wonderful to have so much support from the community.” If there is one message that Law would want to share with the generous people from the township, it would be that the gifts they give really do make a world of difference.
“I wish that everybody who has given a gift could see how much their gift matters to someone.” –Dee Law
“The true payoff of the Giving Tree program comes on the day of the distribution,” she says. “It is a very emotional day for all of us. I wish that everybody who has given a gift could see how much their gift matters to someone.” For Law, one especially memorable occasion was when an elderly woman came up to receive her beautifully wrapped gift. The woman hugged her with tears in her eyes and said, “This is the only gift I ever get. If it weren’t for this I wouldn’t get anything.” It is moments like these that show how meaningful this program is and how the giving spirit of the Harborcreek community keeps the magic of Christmas alive. Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 13
Harborcreek Township Municipal Pages
Seniors
GET FIT in Harborcreek
By Aimee Nicolia
You’ve probably heard it said that 60 is the new 40. One of the most important reasons that older Americans today feel younger is that as a whole they are far more interested in staying healthy
extension of the senior activities that are offered through the township,” explained Irene Edwards, senior advocate for Harborcreek. The Get Fit instructor, Theresa Lafferty, who has taught all of the sessions, holds a “Silver Sneakers” certification and has been teaching senior exercise classes throughout the area for more than three years. Lafferty was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes over 20 years ago. She learned to manage her diabetes through exercise and a healthy lifestyle, and she encourages her students to do the same in managing their own medical issues. In fact, many of her students have some degree of arthritis and are finding that the classes can be beneficial in alleviating pain associated with the activities of daily living. Lafferty is a firm believer in practicing what she preaches: “If I can teach this class, they can take it!” Students of the Get Fit classes are not required to have any prior experience. They need only to wear a comfortable pair of shoes and appropriate clothing for working out; Lafferty provides the rest, including the music. “I mix it up with a ‘Sentimental Journey’ soundtrack, or music from the ‘50s and ‘60s, and relaxation music for the yoga classes,” she says. The most recent six-week session included two different types of classes that Lafferty alternated on a weekly basis. The first was a light cardio and strength building class.
and fit as compared to seniors in previous generations. If getting fit is the key, then the Harborcreek Township building is helping folks around here do just that! This past fall, the township offered its third in a series of “Get Fit” programs for seniors that are designed for Harborcreek residents aged 55 years or older. It involved a free six-week class that met once a week in the lower level of the township’s municipal building. “The program is an
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Key Club On Wednesday, October 5, 25 members of Harbor Creek Senior High School’s Key Club, led by advisor Dale Claypoole, joined Harborcreek Township in cleaning up the front entrance to Shade’s Beach. After over 2½ hours of weeding, raking, hauling, and planting, the entrance to Shade’s never looked better. This sort of joint effort between a Harbor Creek school activity and Harborcreek Township exemplifies what the Key Club’s vision is: caring and competent servant leaders transforming communities worldwide, as well as the group’s core values – leadership, character building, caring and inclusiveness. This impressive group of Harbor Creek students should be applauded for giving of their time especially since they are also involved in numerous other academic and athletic activities. Not only are they a great reflection of their parents, but also of a fantastic school district and community. Thanks again, Harbor Creek Key Club! Your commitment to Harborcreek is commended.
Lafferty provided resistance bands and Silver Sneakers balls that are used to strengthen the fingers and help with hand-eye coordination. The second type of class focused on yoga movements specifically tailored for older adults. This class did not include any cardio and was easier on the joints. It included many of the traditional yoga poses but with a modified version for seniors, such as the Tree, Warrior 2, and a Downward Dog pose using a chair for balance. Throughout the six weeks, Lafferty added some more difficult movements as the group progressed. The fall classes had a regular group of about 18 participants, both men and women. “It was a very nice group,” says Irene Edwards. “They seem to really enjoy it, and that’s what counts!” Look for more Get Fit classes to be offered through Harborcreek Township this spring. For more information, call the township municipal building at 814.899.3171.
Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 15
Harborcreek Township Municipal Pages
Harborcreek Harvest A Partnership Blossoms By Aimee Nicolia
It all started with a seed. A pumpkin seed that is, and lots of ‘em! When Chris Hoover of the Harborcreek Chamber of Commerce first took on the role of event coordinator for the Harvest Festival, she knew she would need a whole lot of pumpkins. So she approached Tony Mandic, unit manager at Harborcreek Youth Services, and together they hatched an idea that grew into the pumpkin patch that is today on the parcel of land just east of the township building. Each spring for the last three years, Mandic has led groups of hard working young boys from Harborcreek Youth Services every step of the way to grow pumpkins for the township’s Harvest Festival. He says one of the main goals of Harborcreek Youth Services, a residential facility for at-risk juvenile males, is to encourage the young men to develop healthy behavior and respect for others. “So in working handin-hand with the township,” says Mandic, “the boys are able to complete community service hours they need while helping the township in this project.” This past summer, Mandic, along with Mark Opalenik, child care counselor at Harborcreek Youth Services, taught the boys how to prepare the soil and plant the pumpkin seeds. They helped the boys diligently water the plants, weed, and even fertilize using composted leaves that were collected and recycled by the township. “It taught the kids a lot about the value of hard work and commitment,” explained Mandic. By harvest time, all that hard work provided a bounty of pumpkins – this year the crop yielded 150, and some years it has been as many as 400, which the young men then donate to the Harborcreek Harvest Festival. But additionally, as Mandic says, “it gives the boys an opportunity to experience a positive outcome from their hard labor.” Besides growing the pumpkins for the annual festival, the young men from youth services also help each year with all of the work that is required for setting up and
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Festival cleaning up after the event. And this year they were presented with more of a challenge than ever! The festival, which is always scheduled for the first weekend in October, had the misfortune this year of coinciding with some unseasonably dreadful weather. So Hoover was forced to make a last-minute decision to postpone the festivities until the following weekend. And it was a good thing she did! As it turned out, in delaying a week, they were rewarded with a beautiful autumn weekend that made for a hugely successful turnout. Throughout the weekend there was a classic car show, food vendors, a craft show with 30 crafters, and a horse drawn hayride – which was provided for free, compliments of Walmart. For children, there was a sand art project, a face-painting clown, and of course lots of pumpkins for kids to decorate and take home. “The attendance was great,” said Hoover. “And the crafters all loved it and can’t wait to come back next year.” “A large part of the success of the festival,” says Hoover, “was due to the help of these wonderful young men from youth services who planted and nurtured the pumpkins, and helped with the setup and takedown of the booths.” What started as a seed grew into far more than a pumpkin patch; it developed into a partnership between the township, the Chamber of Commerce, and Harborcreek Youth Services which will blossom for years to come.
Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 17
Harborcreek Township Municipal Pages
By Erika Howland
or more than a decade, visitors to Harborcreek Township have been met with a less-than-stellar greeting at the northwestern entrance to the municipality. But this year that is all about to change. And, it’s thanks to a widespread community effort that is bringing new development and new hope to the once bustling Harborcreek Mall property. “The property has been in bad shape for many years,” explains Dean Pepicello, Harborcreek Township supervisor. “It was important for us as a community to eliminate this eyesore and we couldn’t be more pleased with the manner in which this has been accomplished.”
In most cases where development occurs, a redevelopment authority or private developer will usually purchase blighted or vacant property and either sell it or begin development. However in this case, it was Harborcreek Township who tapped into rainy day funds to purchase the land and make the property suitable for purchase by a private developer. “This is a very unique situation,” says Pepicello. “But we all agreed it needed to be done so we planned it out by rezoning the property from commercial to lakefront zoning and took care of any environmental issues. After that we sought out a buyer. We had a tremendous amount
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of support from the community.” Now that buyer, Affordable Senior Housing Opportunities of NY Inc., is getting its hands dirty on a 120unit multimillion dollar senior living project. According to project managers, the new facility will offer residents “everything under one roof.” The three-story building, which will take up only seven of the nearly 20 acres purchased by the company, will have one- and two-bedroom units suitable for any retiree. “It’s almost like retiring at a Holiday Inn,” says Dave Anthon, project manager and leasing agent. “We are able to offer residents everything they need. If you go down to Florida, this is the type of senior living [people] are looking for today. It’s probably the biggest stress factor for seniors. We want to keep them living up here close to friends and family.” Some of the amenities, according to Anthon, will include an on-site social director, centralized mail service, 24/7 maintenance, indoor trash, laundry, a hair salon and barber shop, and a fitness center including a fitness trainer that will coordinate an exercise program. “It’s really like a community within a community,” says Anthon. “We want to keep today’s seniors as independent as possible. We hope that they will come to our community and grow 10 years younger, not 10 years older. There is a great deal of socialization and really getting to know your neighbors.”
Realizing there might be a niche for this type of project in their community, it went to bid and Senior Housing was the highest bidder. At a sale price of $550,000 it was just right for developers to expand a business that has quickly outgrown western New York and just right for a municipality in need of hope. “In addition to the sale, we were also able to recycle old asphalt on the property and sell that as well,” explains Pepicello. “The township made all of it's investment back and the dilapidated building is being replaced with a multi milllion dollar tax paying development.” Now with plans for a grand opening later this year, developers are getting busy finding potential renters and planning
to do much more marketing at all. “I have been overwhelmed by the number of phone calls on this project. I really wasn’t expecting it. At this rate I fully anticipate all or nearly all 120 units being rented out long before construction is complete.” While these types of projects typically take a year to complete, Anthon can’t say for sure what day the doors will open. But he says no matter what, they will work through the winter to finish as soon as possible. In a township that has recently seen so much growth in residential and commercial development, Harborcreek supervisors say they are excited for this next chapter. “Harborcreek is poised for growth,” says Pepicello. “But it’s poised for growth where we have designed areas for growth. We certainly aren’t sacrificing our green space and farmland for the sake of growth but this project fits our plans perfectly.” Just what comes next, no one knows for sure. Developers say they are focusing on one project at a time, but it’s likely whatever project comes next, it will complement the existing facility. “It’s really exciting to bring this senior living facility to Harborcreek,” says Anthon. “We have built this same building in other communities and it’s been very well received. We’re glad we can make such a positive and needed contribution in such a great community.”
ahead for what future development may be on the property’s remaining acreage. Long before any dirt was turned, project managers say there has been a great deal of interest in the senior living project. With rent ranging from $810 to $920 a month, there is already a list of nearly 20 residents who want to call this development home. “Honestly, I don’t usually start marketing development that early,” says Anthon. “But the community has waited so long for this project to come to fruition that we wanted to reassure them it was really going to happen.” Until the project is complete, Anthon says he’s likely to slow down on the promotion side of things, but admits that if the high level of interest continues, he may not need Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 19
OK, You Are Aging...
Now What?
I
t happens. One day we wake up and we wonder where the years went. We raise our families, see our grandchildren being born, in some cases lose our spouse. Our energy isn’t what it used to be. The house is harder to take care of. Some face health issues. Most of us would agree though that we want to remain in our home for as long as possible. The growing trend is to remain at home. There are so many resources in the community now to assist older individuals to remain at home. Private home care agencies are available to provide cleaning, housekeeping, laundry, help with bathing, shopping and errands. These agencies are licensed; their staff are trained in elderly issues and in many cases are bonded. Caution should be used on using private individuals offering these services. They may be less expensive than an agency, but many times “you get what you pay for”. Usually if an individual has assets then payment
is strictly fee for service. There also may be a minimum number of shift hours required in order for the worker to come to your home. So what if you have no assets other than your house and are on a fixed income? The Area Agency on Aging may be able to help. There are many programs within the agency to help older people remain independent on a low-income budget. It could be a matter of just needing Meals on Wheels and help with cleaning to more extensive assistance that requires a certified nurses’ aide or a registered nurse. People are encouraged to apply for services ahead of time and not wait for a crisis to occur as there can be lengthy waiting lists. The Area Agency on Aging is administered under the Greater Erie Community Action Committee (GECAC) and can be reached by calling (814)-459-4581. Sometimes when older adults are hospitalized for illnesses or surgeries they may need some rehabilitation or skilled monitoring when they are discharged home. In this circumstance, skilled home health care may be warranted. There are numerous home health care agencies in the area. You have a choice. If you have a preference of an agency in the area do not be afraid to tell your physician or hospital discharge planner before you are discharged from the hospital. Skilled home care can provide skilled nursing monitoring, physical, occupational and speech therapies, and social services right in your home. These services are paid for by your insurance. Be sure to ask about payment and if there are any out of pocket costs. All insurances differ. A great resource to find a listing of all of the above services can be found in the Guide to Services-Erie County. The Independent Council on Aging is responsible for publishing this guide for Erie County older adults and their families. It is updated annually. You can obtain your free copy from any hospital discharge planner, the Area Agency on Aging or by calling the Independent Council on Aging office at 835-7485. Brevillier Village, Non-Profit Housing and Healthcare for the elderly provides all levels of care from independent living to skilled nursing and short-term rehabilitation. We believe in maintaining and promoting someone’s independence in the least restrictive setting possible. For more information about our housing or healthcare options contact our Admissions Department at (814)-899-8600.
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Harborcreek
EVLA
Minimally Invasive Procedure
D
o you suffer from tired, achy legs with bulging varicose veins., Or maybe you just have clusters of unsightly, small purple veins that bother you and you wonder what can be done about them? Rest assured you are not alone in these concerns. Approximately 30% of American adults has signs and symptoms of varicose veins. Varicose veins are essentially superficial veins that have lost the ability to effectively transport blood back to the heart. Varicose veins can range from large, ugly, ropy veins to smaller clusters of superficial (close to the surface) purple veins. Many patients will experience pain, achiness, heaviness and swelling. If left untreated these varicose veins can lead to inflammation of the vein (phlebitis), skin discoloration of the lower legs, skin breakdown and ulcers can ultimately occur. Years ago patients ignored this problem or were told the condition was "cosmetic". Many times, if they did seek treatment, the results were often disappointing, or they were left with disfiguring scars. Over the past several years, greater understanding of varicose veins has allowed for more effective treatments. The use of painless, noninvasive ultrasound to diagnose the problem and pinpoint the cause is the standard
of care. Treatment for even the largest and most problematic veins can now take less than an hour, require little or no anesthesia, and allow patients to return to their normal activities immediately. All this done in the safety and comfort of an office setting. Many times patients are anxious to receive treatment because they have previously heard an unpleasant story or known someone who had been subjected to previous treatment in years past that was much more invasive than what is available today. The majority of people are familiar with stories of past varicose vein treatments. Unfortunately, many are unfamiliar with the significant advances in treatment for varicose veins that allows for more effective and less invasive treatment. This minimally invasive, office-based care, is standard of care for the physicians at the Circulatory Centers. All new patients are initially evaluated at a no cost, no obligation consultation. A state of the art ultrasound evaluation is performed in our ICAVL accredited vascular lab to diagnose any venous problems. The Circulatory Center staff members will then meet with the patient and offer a customized treatment plan based on each patient’s specific needs. At the Circulatory Centers treatment protocols often involve effective therapies such as; sclerotherapy or Endovenous Laser Ablation (EVLA). The physicians at the Circulatory Centers continually review the evolving literature and treatment standards so a contemporary and effective treatment plan can be individualized for every patient. Sclerotherapy, performed in one of our local offices, by an experienced provider, is often used to treat smaller veins. During this visit a small amount of medication is injected into the target vein which causes it to collapse. The body then reabsorbs this vein over the course of several weeks. A support stocking is worn for a brief period to help compress the veins and allow for them to collapse naturally. Sclerotherapy is performed in a thirty minute office visit and involves no ‘down time.’ EVLA is also performed in the office by a physician. This procedure is often used to treat larger veins. A flexible laser fiber is inserted into the problem vein using ultrasound guidance. This procedure is done with local anesthesia and takes about forty minutes. The laser produces intense energy which causes the vein to close down. Patients return to their normal daily activities immediately. A support stocking is worn for several days after EVLA and patients are encouraged to walk to promote blood flow thru the remaining healthy veins. All this is done in the comfort and safety of our office through a 1/8 inch incision and little or no scaring! With the generally accepted knowledge of venous insufficiency and varicose veins, 95% of our procedures are covered by insurance. At the Circulatory Center each patient is assigned a Patient Account Representative who will help them navigate the often confusing sea of insurance regulations and billing. So what do you have to lose? Only those ugly painful varicose veins. This Industry Insight was written by Dr. Paul Shields. Dr. Paul Shields completed his undergraduate studies at Gannon University in Erie, PA. He then went on to earn his Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) degree from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine in 1999. Dr. Shields subsequently completed a three year Family Medicine residency and is board certified by the American Osteopathic Board of Family Physicians (AOBFP). Dr. Shields practices medicine full time in the Erie area as a physician with Erie Family Medical Group.
Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 21
By Dana Black McGrath
After a terrible fall down the stairs, Bev DiCarlo couldn’t move her arms and legs, and wasn’t sure if that paralysis would be permanent or not. A year later, at age 65, she competed in her first triathlon. DiCarlo took that fateful tumble in April, 2007, and landed face-first into a planter, which broke her fall and saved her from flying out of a second floor window. She couldn’t move, but she could talk. In the hospital, doctors weren’t sure how extensive or temporary her paralysis would be until the swelling around her spine subsided.
At her bedside, her son— who participated in Iron Man competitions—and her daughter, a triathlete, joked with her to keep her spirits up and told her that soon she would be joining them in their competitions. “I told them that if everything turned out OK I would join them, and then I had to honor that,” says DiCarlo. DiCarlo recovered from her injuries and,
by November of that year, was cleared by her doctor to pursue her exercise and training regimen. “Of course, I had made a promise and I needed to keep it.” But, there was another obstacle to conquer before DiCarlo could compete in her first triathlon, a competition in which competitors swim, run and bike – she didn’t know how to swim. So, she signed up for swimming lessons at the YMCA. Laughing, she tells the story of her first day of lessons. She went to the pool only to find a class of preschoolers. Her name was on the class register, listed as a student age 6 or 5, not 65. The lifeguard offered to work with her the next morning and taught her how to swim.
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Harborcreek
Famed trainer Jeff Galloway helped her put together a training schedule, which she monitors by computer. “It’s really important,” she says of her training, “because I need to stay injury free.” Amazingly, DiCarlo did not run or exercise before her accident and did not start her intense athletic training until after her recovery. Now she is enjoying the rewards of her new lifestyle. “Health wise, I have more energy. I don’t take any medication, and I have no bone density problems,” she says. “Exercise helps your mind, helps your body and as people get older, they shouldn’t be afraid of exercise. It is never too late to start.”
Dave, Aidan and Grammy. Photo by the Erie Times News.
The following April, almost exactly one year after her accident, DiCarlo competed in her first triathlon. “I did three or four triathlons that summer,” she says, “but the part of it that I really liked was the running.” She began training in September of that year and ran her first half-marathon. Then, she had the idea to run a half-marathon in all 50 states. Joined by her children, they decided to make this proposition a family affair. And, they also decided that if they were going to do it, they wanted to do it for a cause.
“Exercise helps your mind, helps your body and as people get older, they shouldn’t be afraid of exercise. It is never too late to start.” –Bev DiCarlo
DiCarlo’s oldest grandson has autism and had been involved with programs through the Barber National Institute.
In January, she plans to do two more races back-to-back, one in Mississippi on a Saturday and one in Alabama on a Sunday.
“They have been so good in helping him that we decided to donate the pledges from our races to support their programs for those with special needs,” she explains. The family pays for their own expenses for the races and travel, so 100 percent of all pledges and donations are given directly to the Barber National Institute.
Her ultimate goal is to raise $100,000 by 2014. DiCarlo will turn 68 in March. She plans to have completed all 50 races by December, 2014, when she will be 70 years old.
As of this December, DiCarlo had finished her 25th race and “Race With Grammy” has raised just over $20,000.
As she continues on her quest to conquer all 50 states, DiCarlo, a retired teacher, enlists the help of her grandchildren. After she decides which race she will run, her grandchildren research the area and come up with ideas about where to go and what to see during her travels. “It is a great learning tool for the children,” she says. And, the one who does the research is the one who gets to keep the race T-shirt as a reward. To find out where DiCarlo will be running next, or to make a contribution, visit her website at www.racewithgrammy.com. In 2012, she will be doing several back-to-back races (one state on a Saturday and a neighboring state on a Sunday).
To keep up her pace, DiCarlo trains six days a week. Two days per week she runs for one hour, one day per week she runs anywhere from four to 15 miles, and on the other days she swims or bikes. On the seventh day, she laughs, “you need to take one day to be lazy.”
Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 23
Find Out What Your
LOCAL FIRE DEPARTMENT
Has Been Up To Lately By Pamela Palongue
Fairfield Hose is equipped with an engine rescue truck for extrication, a pumper, an ambulance and a tanker truck which carries 2,000 gallons of water and special foam for extinguishing chemical fires. It has some of the finest equipment of any fire station in western Pennsylvania. But even the best equipment needs properly trained individuals or it becomes useless for fighting fires. Fairfield Hose will answer over 300 calls this year to save lives and property and with only 20 active volunteers. According to Jim Hawryliw, chief of Fairfield Hose for the past eight years, the fire company had around 50 volunteers in the 1950s. The company, which was formed in 1945, has experienced a slow and steady decline of members over the years, which is reflective of fire companies across the state, including the fire departments of Harborcreek and Brookside. “Families used to have only one person working in the household. Now usually both spouses work and may even be working two jobs,” says
Chief Hawryliw. Hawryliw is himself a single parent who works long hours. The fire department has partially been able to sustain its service with the help of high school and college students who help fill the void of volunteers. The downside is that when the students get older, they leave for college in other states or get jobs which demand all of their time. Their new responsibilities leave little time for firefighting. Although Hawryliw is extremely grateful for the help from the young people, he would like to see more members aged 25 and above who are established in the community come forward to volunteer. After so much documentation about the health dangers of firefighting and rigorous physical activity, many would-be volunteers never even consider the fire service. But as Hawryliw points out, people of all ages are needed. “Many people think you have to be young and healthy to volunteer with the fire department, but it’s just not true. We have jobs that any
[age person can do].” For example, people are needed to drive the trucks or pull water hoses from the truck. There are people needed to direct traffic around a fire scene for the safety of the crew. “Whatever someone wants to do, that’s what they do. Everyone is not required to go into burning buildings.” After each fire call, the trucks must be washed and all the equipment cleaned and packed away for the next emergency. An individual might volunteer
“I tell my firefighters, ‘I’m not asking for 100%. I’m only asking for 30% to 40%. If you can give a few hours now and then, it helps to make it easier for everyone.’” –Jim Hawryliw, chief of Fairfield Hose
for cleaning responsibilities only. Help is also needed with fundraising events. At the present moment, one of the greatest needs is for volunteer emergency medical technicians. The paramedics (which are a higher level of training) are paid staff, but the emergency medical technicians, or EMT’s are all volunteer staff. EMT training takes approximately four months to complete. The EMT assists the paramedic on calls and drives the ambulance. This essential service is eventually used by almost all members of the community at one time or another. In order to become a firefighter, an individual must complete Fire Essentials, a special four-month training program for firefighters. Though four months may sound like a lengthy time commitment, the classes are conveniently held at various times so that those
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who work and have other obligations can attend. They are also scheduled in nearby fire stations so that there is generally a class within a few minutes, drive from anyone’s home. Although the training is specially designed for firefighters, the knowledge is extremely useful for all citizens. Classes on hazardous materials are covered along with traffic safety, how to handle chemical fires, fire safety in the home and many other useful subjects. “We’re members of the community helping members of the community,” says Hawryliw. When asked how he manages to devote time to the fire company in addition to family responsibilities, Hawryliw says, “I tell my firefighters, ‘I’m not asking for 100%. I’m only asking for 30% to 40%. If you can give a few hours now and then, it helps to make it easier for everyone.’” It may also help to make it cheaper. The volunteer fire companies of Harborcreek enable citizens to feel safe without having to pay taxes to support the fire service. If enough volunteers cannot be attracted to the fire companies to keep them operational, then paid services will become the norm, with residents footing the bill. “If we can get volunteers, then we may be able to survive,” says Hawryliw. In addition to the obvious economic advantages of a volunteer fire service is the connectedness of the community and tradition of friends helping friends. Volunteer firefighters are more than just fellow volunteers; they’re a family who work together to save the lives and homes of people you know. If you would like more information on Fairfield Hose Company, you may visit www.fairfieldfiredept.8m.com. There will be a new updated website in the coming months. If you are interested in volunteering with Fairfield Hose, meetings are held each Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. at the station located at 4896 Eastlake Road, Erie, PA 16511. Harborcreek and Brookside fire companies are also in need of volunteers. Their meetings are held each Tuesday evening or you may contact the fire departments directly at 814.897.5758 for Brookside or 814.899.8304 for Harborcreek.
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Harborcreek Hosts an
Old-Fashioned Christmas By Aimee Nicolia
I
f thoughts of an old-fashioned Christmas conjure up the wholesome image of Ma in her kerchief and Pa in his cap while old St. Nick silently fills the stockings, and sugarplums dance through the heads of sleeping children, you wouldn’t be too far off from the magic of the holiday that was brought to Harborcreek Township this holiday season. On Friday, December 9, Harborcreek Township hosted its second annual “Old-Fashioned Christmas Light Up Night,” an evening that has quickly become a favorite community-spirited event for residents of all ages. Picture the anticipation in the little ones’ faces as they await a visit from none other than Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, who come ‘round the township building on a trolley pulled by two draft horses while the DJ plays “Here Comes Santa Claus.” Upon their arrival at the front
of the building, Santa and Mrs. Claus greet the delighted children and receive a warm welcome from township supervisors Tim May, Dean Pepicello, and Joe Peck. In each of the past two years, one lucky child has been chosen by Santa to help him flip the switch and officially turn on the township’s Christmas tree lights – a magnificent display of thousands of twinkling lights. Ten evergreen trees were brought in and decorated for the occasion along with the centerpiece tree, which is part of the township’s permanent landscaping and has been dubbed the “Blizzard Tree” for the unique way in which it is decorated for the holidays. After the official tree lighting, guests were encouraged to join Santa and Mrs. Claus on a horse drawn trolley ride or to walk along the trail for
Calista (age 5), Eliada (age 11), Xavier (age 10), Connor (age 5) Zachary (age 11), Michael (age 9), Alexandra (age 7) 26 724.942.0940 to advertise |
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a close-up view of the decorated trees. This year, children were also invited to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus in their cottage where they were treated to a candy cane and the chance to tell Santa what they wanted for Christmas. Meanwhile, the Harbor Creek Vocal Ensemble led folks outside in traditional Christmas carols. While inside the township building, the Chamber of Commerce gave everyone a chance to warm up with some free hot chocolate and holiday cookies. Also inside the building, kids could create a homemade holiday craft or color a picture. In addition, this year the event welcomed the Harbor Creek High School basketball cheerleaders who helped to put some extra cheer into the holidays!
LED lights; Pine Creek Structures which provided Santa’s “cottage”; Christine Thomas, director of the Harbor Creek Vocal Ensemble; DJ Josh Bennett; Mandy Blackhurst, Harbor Creek cheerleader advisor; and all of the township employees who pitched in with the outstanding decorations.
Logan (age 5), Danica (age 5), Dana (age 7), Issac (age 8), Carlie (age 9) We all know that as magical as Santa is, even he can’t make an event like this happen all on his own. That’s why the township has many of “Santa’s elves” to thank for helping to make the OldFashioned Christmas Light Up Night a success. Special thanks go out to the Harborcreek Chamber of Commerce; the Conns of North East who provided Santa’s draft horses; Waste Management which provided financial support to purchase the energy efficient
Miriam (age 14), Erin (age 14), Collin (age 15), Deanne (age 17)
Samantha (age 14), Dani (age 15), Emma (age 14)
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Works to Fight Hunger By Dana Black McGrath
n a downturned economy, it is not surprising that more and more families are finding themselves in need and often struggling to put food on the table.
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At Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania, which distributes through a member agency in Harborcreek, the number of clients served is on the rise, according to Samantha Lynch, public relations manager. Second Harvest is the only food bank in northwestern Pennsylvania, and supplies provisions to food pantries, soup kitchens and shelters that directly help those in need. The difference between a food bank and a food pantry, Lynch explains, is that a food bank serves as a storage facility or warehouse and ships donations to affiliated agencies that directly serve clients. In Harborcreek, the member agency supported by Second Harvest is the Ella Cochran Food Pantry. While the number of clients served by these individual food pantries may fluctuate, Second Harvest reports that the food bank overall served 72,600 people throughout the northwestern Pennsylvania region last fiscal year and provided a total of 8.3 million pounds of food. From that total, the Ella Cochran Food Pantry received 74,826 pounds of food from Second Harvest during the last fiscal year. “A large amount of our food really does stay in Erie County,” says Lynch. While overall need may be on the rise, at this time of year—during the holiday season—there always seems to be an increase in need at the area food pantries. 28 724.942.0940 to advertise |
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“This is the time of year when heating and utility costs increase, and often people must choose between paying for that versus paying for food,” explains Lynch. Sometimes the season brings a choice between buying presents and buying food. So, especially at this time of year, there is an increased need for donations, support and volunteers. If there is more need, that requires more donations. And, when there are more donations, there is more need for volunteer help to sort, package and distribute food. “It’s a trickle effect,” says Lynch. Second Harvest receives donations mainly three ways, she explains: from the community, from food manufacturers and farmers, and from grocery stores. Often Second Harvest will receive large quantities of certain foods that then need to be broken down into smaller amounts and repackaged – a task often accomplished with the help of the organization’s volunteers. Volunteer opportunities are available Monday through Friday, along with Wednesday evenings and Saturdays. Help is needed to sort items, repack food, drive to pick up donations, and even provide clerical help in the office. All volunteer hours and help must be scheduled – no walk-ins are accepted, says Lynch. Those who are interested in lending a hand may call the food bank at 814.459.3663 or check the website at www.eriefoodbank.org to learn more and check the calendar for volunteer opportunities. Usually the minimum age to volunteer at the food bank is 14
years old. But, Second Harvest hosts family days that allow for children as young as age 6 to come in with their families to help out. “We provide them with child-friendly activities,” Lynch explains, such as sticking labels. Often the food bank will receive donations of jars that are missing labels, and the items must be identified. The children especially love putting the label “stickers” on jars of peanut butter and jelly. Frequently, food drives are organized to benefit Second Harvest. “Our community is great when it comes to food collections,” Lynch says. Those who are interested in conducting a food drive or fundraiser are strongly encouraged to contact Second Harvest first. The food bank can help with planning and provide bins for collections as well as making arrangements for pickup. Second Harvest also offers a “Most Needed Items” list to help guide those who wish to help. Items on the list include canned meats, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, breads, cereals, canned soups, and canned fruits and vegetables. Other non-food items on the list include household cleaners, dish soap, toilet paper and diapers. The organization keeps track of supporters and honors them during an annual ceremony, the Bread Box Awards, to recognize those who have collected food or money for the food bank. Second Harvest itself has been recognized for its responsible fiscal management. Charity Navigator, an organization that rates charities based on their fiscal responsibility, has awarded Second Harvest its highest ranking—four out of four stars—for the past four years.
“This is the time of year when heating and utility costs increase, and often people must choose between paying for that versus paying for food.” –Samantha Lynch
To keep track of trends and needs in its service area, Second Harvest conducts a hunger study every four years. The last study was conducted in 2010. Results showed that Second Harvest served 72,600 clients that year, a significant increase from the previous study that cited 52,000 clients served. As stated earlier, Second Harvest provided its member agencies with 8.3 million pounds of food during the 2010-2011 fiscal year. That was a substantial increase over the previous 2009-2010 fiscal year when the organization provided member agencies with 7.7 million pounds of food. Of the thousands of clients served through Second Harvest, 30 percent are children. That led to the organization establishing programs to support needy children throughout the region. The Kids Cafe program provides nutritious meals and snacks through an afterschool program in which children also receive help with homework, education about nutrition, recreational activities, and a meal. “We realized that there were children who were going home and not getting fed,” says Lynch. “This program has been a huge help.” Children are served through Second Harvest’s member agencies. Operation Backpack is a similar program. Needy children are given food on Friday to take home for the weekend. They receive childfriendly foods that are ready to eat or easily prepared in a microwave. Those who find themselves in need may contact the food bank or visit the website to make a discreet inquiry to see which participating agency serves their area.
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The Fresh Start to
Wellness
Starting a wellness lifestyle doesn't have to be a major change; in fact, when choosing to make the “wellness change" smaller is better. Your plan is to set in motion a lifestyle change. Huge changes made overnight rarely succeed. We often expect things to happen in an instant and when we don't get what we want or see the results immediately, we become discouraged and quit. We set ourselves up for failure from the beginning.
First Steps Your ultimate goal is wellness, and it's more than just an absence of symptoms. It is a true expression of health in every area of your life: Physical, emotional and spiritual. Considering these three categories of wellness, you need to make a list of the top five areas were you want to improve. Success begins by setting small things in motion. Set a steady pace and go the distance, like a marathon runner. Here are examples: Lose weight Losing weight is linked to two important lifestyle choices: nutritional changes and physical activity. Start small by increasing your low-glycemic vegetable intake, the greener the better, avoiding highglycemic vegetables such as corn, potatoes, carrots and peas. Start by eating one extra lowglycemic vegetable a day; each month add another vegetable to your diet. Within five months you'll be feeling healthier and losing weight. We need physical activity for a minimum of 20 min. of continuous activity 3 day a week. Pick two days a week and walk out for 10 min., then walk home. After two weeks add a day and begin walking three times a week. Week 6, walk out for 15 min., then walk home. The ultimate goal is to be walking 45 min. at a time for five days a week.
Decrease Caffeine, Sugar and Other Chemicals Begin reducing coffee from a cup a day for two weeks, and then another for two weeks until you are down to only a cup a day. As for soft drinks, you should consume no more than one/month due to chemical content. This also works with snacking, sugar intake, chemically altered diet snacks or drinks, and high carbohydrate/low-protein diets. Slowly decrease your intake over time and you'll hardly notice it, but you will be making a change. Less Over-the-Counter Medications Allergy medications, pain relievers, sleep aids, antacids, cold remedies and weight-loss drugs are taken routinely by many. "Self-medicating" can be dangerous due to drug interaction risks and side-effects of drugs. Talk to your family wellness chiropractor about any OTCs that you take and why; there may be healthier, holistic options. REST Eight hours of sleep is vital to mental and emotional wellness. Not going to bed early enough, insomnia, or not getting restful sleep can be problems. Determine each of these problems you face.
Going to bed earlier is just a matter of making the change; start going to bed 15 minutes earlier every few weeks. Insomnia can have several causes such as caffeine or reading too close to bedtime, as well as stress. Fitful sleep - consider your mattress, diet or physical activity.
Decrease Stress and Increase Peace The problem with busy lifestyles is that we don't allow ourselves any time to shut down or decompress,
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and watching television or playing on the computer doesn't count. Downtime is several minutes spent letting go of the stresses of the day. Begin with 5 min. of being quiet. If you meditate or pray then do so, but even just sitting and trying to empty your mind of recent thoughts will help to calm you down. A quiet stroll or standing in your backyard contemplating the stars can be equally peaceful. The goal is to let go of stresses and allow your mind and body to fully rest.
Successful goals in summary The concept of baby steps is not new but where we can apply it could be. The areas of our lives that fall under the category of wellness are limitless, only we know where we really want to make a change. Make
small changes over a long period time and you will succeed.
Dr. Zacherl is dedicated to providing you with the best in Family Wellness Care. So Take a Moment Today to Discuss with Your Family Wellness Chiropractor any concerns you may have regarding Your Family's Wellness Goals.
This Industry Insight was written by Dr. Troy Zacherl and Lorraine Zacherl. Dr. Troy Zacherl has been practicing back in his hometown of Erie for over 12 years, with extensive work with athletes; the baby boomer generation; pregnant women and children too. He is a LIFE Chiropractic graduate; holds a F.I.C.P.A. in Pregnancy & Pediatrics. He supports a "wellness" philosophy and loves to spends his free time playing sports (e.g. tennis and swimming) with his children and wife. Lorraine Zacherl, MS; CLC has been teaching nutrition for over 15 years. She has been facilitating and advocating groups of mothers and mothers-to-be with breastfeeding and making healthy choices as they raise their families in busy times. Lorraine frequently gives talks on whole food nutrition and organizing many family oriented activities through Chiropractic Solutions/Healthy Erie.com.
REAL ESTATE
HARBOR CREEK
Make Your Home
Cleaner & Greener F
Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 33
REAL ESTATE
HARBOR CREEK
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Harborcreek
REAL ESTATE
HARBOR CREEK
Reach over 16,823 potential customers in Harborcreek
Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 35
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WINTER
2011
Did you do a fantastic art project at school this year? We would love to see it! Have your mom or dad take a picture of you and your project and send it to us! We think everyone should see what a great artist you are! E-mail your pics to : m.jeffries@icmags.com
Z Z C M X N E Z T I L B C O K
O Z S C P D Z W O K V I U T I
Y P X C O R U D O L P H P K O
D U E N O H A N A K E Y I E O
Y W N T B M I N D T Z V D G C
U E V K I D E P C A B O I C S
R J B I A D T T N E N D T Y P
N D Y S C J Q Q Z E R C J M N
B D H C L J R C V D T S E L G
U E B I M G P N Q O B S R R V
R O L J P Y F M P Q K H L W U
F E Z V W X H N M J Q M A L B
B C T U R G K W K R B T J S R
W L E E I G R B V I X E N K R
J E F B U R J J K V E V G F L
Dasher Dancer Donner Blitzen Comet Cupid Prancer Vixen Rudolph
Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 37
Business Spotlight
“Let us make a fan out of you!” That’s both the moniker and approach of the Erie General Electric Federal Credit Union. In fact, it’s something they have been doing for over 75 years! But don’t let their name fool you; Erie General Electric FCU is open to the entire community. “We are really proud of our GE heritage at the Credit Union,” says Trent Mason, Chief Marketing Officer. “We also want to be clear about the fact that if you live in Erie or Crawford County, you can use our services too!” He continues, “We work really hard to try and earn people’s trust and their business. Our tagline is also an invitation: we are asking for people to give us the chance to serve them - to give us the opportunity to make them into a fan of what we are all about!” When you enter the doors of the Credit Union’s office at 4268 Buffalo Road, it is easy to see that it’s not the standard banking
business as usual with Erie General Electric FCU. The Buffalo Road office was built as a full retail branch that seems to even go against traditional models. For example, there isn’t a teller line, but rather, teller stations where credit union members are helped after they have been able to relax next to a rock fireplace and watch TV. “The Buffalo Road branch is a really nice addition to the Harborcreek community. You won’t find that stuffy attitude that has become so commonplace in banking,” says Mason. “In fact,” he says, “we want people to remember that with us, they are empowered to own part of the Credit Union and we try and keep that first in our minds and in theirs.” “Some people look downright surprised as we offer them a free coffee or can of pop! It’s just a little thing, but it can make a difference in someone’s day. I think people have become so used to getting mistreated by their bank or financial institution; they don’t even know what to think when someone truly goes out of their way to make them smile!” Erie General Electric Federal Credit Union is a non-profit financial institution that provides checking and savings, as well as loans and other financial services to all its members. Because it’s not-for-profit, members can benefit from higher returns on their savings, lower rates on loans, and fewer fees overall. The Credit Union also prides themselves on community service and last year alone, their employees raised over $68,000 for local charities. This has led to them being named the National Credit Union Administration’s Community Credit Union of the Year and also to once again being named Erie’s Choice in both the Banking and Credit Union categories! Complementing their Buffalo Road office, the credit union operates branches throughout the community in order to serve over 35,000 members. Locations include: 2154 E. Lake Road, 1623 East 38th Street, 1595 West 26th Street, and 5 Grant Street, in North East, PA. In addition to their branches, the Credit Union offers many conveniences, including free on-line account access, and a call center that is available for service inquiries and to take loan applications 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They also offer surcharge-free ATM usage at many locations throughout the tristate area. (Visit their website egefcu.org for more information.) The Erie General Electric Credit Union has seen a lot of changes since its modest beginnings in 1936, but through it all, its underlying principle has and always will remain the same – if you give them the opportunity, they will make a fan out of you!
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FINANCIAL FOCUS
401(k) Review and Rollover
Can Be Rewarding
Y
our 401(k) offers tax-deductible contributions, tax-deferred growth of earnings potential and a variety of investment options — so it’s a great tool for building retirement savings. Yet like all tools, your 401(k) must be used properly to get the best results. That’s why you should review your 401(k) at least annually and make whatever adjustments are needed.
Depending on where you work, you may get some 401(k) review help from your plan provider. But if that assistance isn’t available, you might want to consult with a financial professional to make sure you’re getting the maximum benefit from your plan. As you begin to review your 401(k), your first question should probably be this: “How much should I contribute?” At the very least, try to put in enough to receive your employer’s matching contribution, if one is offered. If you don’t earn this match, you are essentially walking away from “free money.” Beyond this, though, the amount you put into your 401(k) might depend on what other retirement savings vehicles you have available. For instance, if you’re eligible, you may also want to contribute to a Roth IRA, which offers tax-free growth potential, provided you’ve had your account for five years and don’t start taking withdrawals until you’re 591/2.
✔ Your other retirement income sources — If you have a variety of retirement income sources — a pension from another job, an IRA, a spouse with generous retirement benefits — you may need to invest differently, perhaps less aggressively, than if you had fewer options for retirement income. Apart from putting away as much as you can into your 401(k) and choosing the right investment mix, what else can you do to get the most out of your plan? Here’s a suggestion: If you have worked at various jobs and acquired multiple 401(k)s, consider rolling them over into one account. You might save money on fees and reduce paperwork, but more importantly, you’ll be able to concentrate your resources and pursue a unified investment approach, with your investment dollars working together toward your ultimate retirement goals. As you can see, a 401(k) review and rollover can reward you in many ways — so do whatever it takes to maximize your 401(k)’s performance. This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.
Of course, it’s not only how much you put into your 401(k) that determines its success — it’s also how you choose to allocate your investment dollars. (Keep in mind that asset allocation does not guarantee a profit or protect against loss.) Your 401(k) may have a dozen or more investment choices, such as stock funds, bond funds and money market funds. To choose the right investment mix, you’ll need to consider a variety of factors, including these: ✔ Your age — Generally speaking, the younger you are, the more aggressive you can afford to be with your 401(k) investments, because you’ll have decades in which to potentially overcome the inevitable down periods of the market. As you get older, you may wish to invest somewhat more conservatively, but you’ll still need some growth potential in your 401(k) portfolio. ✔ Your goals — Everyone has different goals for retirement. You might want to retire early and travel the world, while your co-worker desires to work as long as possible and then, upon retirement, stay close to home and pursue hobbies. Because you each have different goals, with different income needs, you also may need to follow different investment strategies within your 401(k). Adam D. Nelson is a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones Investments, where he serves the needs of individual investors from his Harborcreek Township office. He graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor of Science in Finance and is a native of Erie County. For any questions or comments please feel free to contact Adam at: 4622 Buffalo Road, Erie, PA 16510, 814.897.9892 or adam.nelson@edwardjones.com Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 39
Presque Isle in the Winter Embrace the Season By Aimee Nicolia
Photos contributed courtesy of Presque Isle State Park.
Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! If you’ve ever spent the winter months in the Erie area getting a little too comfortable in your old sweat pants and fuzzy socks and watched a few too many reruns on television, finally coming down with a major case of cabin fever, then it’s time to make a change and embrace the season! In fact, we dare you to try to find one weekend at Presque Isle when there isn’t something different and enjoyable to do! For instance, if you’re a nature lover, the peninsula is a spectacular place to explore, right here in your own backyard. What makes it such a special place to be during the winter months is its quiet beauty. As Anne Desarro, Presque Isle’s environmental education specialist supervisor, puts it, “The landscape of the peninsula when it is frozen over and the ice dunes have formed is an otherworldly kind of
spots in the country! This time of year, you’ll see birds (such as the Tundra Swan) that fly here from the north. As part of the peninsula’s public programming, there are a number of bird watching excursions which are led by experts from the park who are able to show you how to spot and identify various birds in their natural habitat. Park visitors looking for a little fresh air and exercise are encouraged to enjoy the easily accessible trails. The multipurpose trail is kept open and cleared from the park’s entrance to the ranger station so that walkers and joggers can enjoy a view of Presque Isle Bay and the cityscape, as well as the beauty of the nature surrounding them. For the slightly more adventuresome, the wooded trails are a perfect place for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Those who have their own equipment and knowledge of the sports are free to venture around the trails on their own. beautiful; it is amazingly peaceful.” According to Desarro, the winter months are a great time to experience the region’s wildlife. “You can see the animal tracks, the critters and the birds. It’s all so much easier to see when everything is snow covered and the leaves are off the trees.” Presque Isle has always been an ideal spot for bird watching in every season; in fact the peninsula has been named as one of the top 10 birding
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If you’re brave enough, or curious enough, to walk the wooded trails in the dark, then the peninsula’s popular night winter hiking tour is the one for you. These tours are offered monthly and are facilitated by the park’s naturalists, who keep things exciting by varying the locations and topics each time. Some of the hikes take place under the light of the full moon, while other hikes are purposely scheduled for darker nights so that hikers
must rely solely on their own night vision and other senses. According to Desarro, “It’s a really unique opportunity for folks to enjoy the peninsula after dark, since the park closes at sunset and you would not otherwise be able to walk on the trails at night.” When Presque Isle Bay freezes over, it’s certainly not the end of fishing and boating season in Erie. In fact, it’s a wonderful time to see iceboats speed across the bay. It’s also when you’ll see dozens of ice fishermen pull their sleds out onto the ice and set up tents for a day of fishing. On February 11, 2012, the peninsula will offer a Family Ice Fishing event, in conjunction with the S.O.N.S. of Lake Erie, giving adults and children a chance to learn a new skill. The event will take place at the Rotary Pavilion. All necessary fishing gear will be provided and skilled volunteers will be on hand to teach children and adults how to fish. No prior knowledge or equipment is needed and registration is not required. On Sunday, February 19, golfers can put a spin on the phrase “having a ball.” The second annual Joe Roots Frostbite Open Golf Tournament will be hosted by the Presque Isle Partnership. Pins, flags and cups will be set up on the ice to form the course, with lots of giveaways and prizes. “Last year, the tournament proved to be such a hit that not only did we have 170 golfers, but even more signed up on a waiting list to play!” said Steve McDermott, executive director of the Presque Isle Partnership. For dates and registration for the Frostbite Open, visit www.discoverpi.com. If staying inside and creating something beautiful is more your idea of a great winter day, then the Tom Ridge Environmental Center has craft making classes that are sure to please. Beach glass jewelry making, which is always a favorite, is just one of the many classes where you can learn how to make something unique out of materials found in nature.
and environmental theme. There are also special event seasonal features such as this year’s latest Warren Miller film with extreme skiers and snowboarders carving it up against breathtaking backdrops from around the world. For movie listings, show times and specials, visit www.trecpi.org or call the Big Green Screen Theatre at 814.838.4123.
“The landscape of the peninsula when it is frozen over and the ice dunes have formed is an otherworldly kind of beautiful; it is amazingly peaceful.” –Anne Desarro, Presque Isle’s environmental education specialist supervisor
So there you have it. There really is something here for everyone at Presque Isle this winter. Why not start planning your next adventure on the peninsula right now! For specific dates or more information on any of the programs or activities listed in this article, please visit www.trecpi.org or call 814.833.7424.
And speaking of crafts, on December 17, adults and kids alike can create a holiday nature craft as part of “TREC the Halls” at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center. The event is a great opportunity for families to gear up for the season with a breakfast with Santa Claus, and a free holiday movie. Call the Sunset Café at 814.833.5843 for reservations for the breakfast.
Did we hear somebody mention popcorn? You can always sit back and enjoy the entertainment at TREC’s Big Green Screen Theatre with its four-story-high, 45-foot-wide movie screen that’ll really make you feel like you’re a part of the action. Many of the movies have an educational
Harborcreek | Winter 2011 | incommunitymagazines.com 41
603 East McMurray Road McMurray I PA I 15317 724.942.0940 www.incommunitymagazines.com
| IN BEDFORD COUNTY | | IN BETHEL PARK | | IN BRENTWOOD-BALDWINWHITEHALL | | IN CANON-MAC | | IN CARLYNTON-MONTOUR | | IN CHARTIERS VALLEY | | IN FAIRVIEW [Erie] | | IN FOX CHAPEL | | IN HAMPTON | |
HARBORCREEK [Erie] |
| IN KEYSTONE OAKS | | IN MARS AREA | | IN McKEESPORT AREA | | IN MERCER COUNTY | | IN MILLCREEK [Erie] | | IN MONROEVILLE | | IN MOON TOWNSHIP | | IN MT. LEBANON | | IN MURRYSVILLE | | IN NORTH ALLEGHENY | | IN NORWIN | | IN PENN HILLS | | IN PETERS TOWNSHIP | | IN PINE-RICHLAND | | IN PLUM | | IN ROSS TOWNSHIP | | IN SENECA VALLEY | | IN SEWICKLEY AREA | | IN SHALER | | IN SOUTH FAYETTE | | IN UPPER ST. CLAIR | | IN WEST ALLEGHENY | | IN WEST JEFFERSON HILLS | | IN WEST MIFFLIN | | IN WOODLAND HILLS |