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The Penn Grade Crude Coalition hosted an informative discussion and tour for lawmakers and administration officials in Bradford on Sept. 7. The group, which included Rep. Oberlander, discussed issues and concerns of the conventional oil and gas industry, and then visited several sites including the Cline oil well in the McDonald’s parking lot, American Refining Group’s refinery, the Penn Brad Oil Museum and a Minard Run Oil Company well site. In August, Rep. Oberlander joined with Sen. Scott Hutchinson; Clarion County Commissioners Ted Tharan, Wayne Brosius and Ed Heasley; Coroner Terry Shaffer; Assistant District Attorney Drew Welsh, Deputy Coroner Randall Stom, Deputy Sheriff Keith Troesch and the executive director of Drug and Alcohol Cami Anderson for a meeting with Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro. The meeting focused on efforts to fight the opioid and heroin crisis throughout Pennsylvania. Hundreds of people from around the 63rd District attended Rep. Oberlander’s Nifty Sixty Senior Expo at the Clarion Mall on Aug. 4. Blood pressure screenings were one of many health services offered at Rep. Oberlander’s Nifty Sixty Senior Expo, held Aug. 4 at the Clarion Mall. Dozens of exhibitors were on hand offering information to local senior citizens about the various services and programs they provide to older residents. Jimmy Swogger and Friends delighted the crowd at this year’s Nifty Sixty Senior Expo, sponsored by Rep. Donna Oberlander at the Clarion Mall on Aug. 4. While at the Dayton Fair, Rep. Oberlander caught up with Smokey Bear who was on hand to raise awareness of forest fire prevention. During the livestock auction at the 2017 Dayton Fair, Rep. Oberlander partnered with Seneca Resources to successfully bid on Natalie Eroh’s champion pig this year. Congratulations to all the champions and to all the participants for a successful year! With generous support from EQT, Colcom Foundation and the Carnegie Science Center, the “H2Oh! Why Our Rivers Matter” mobile science lab was unveiled at this year’s Dayton Fair. A project through the Armstrong County Conservation District, the mobile science lab uses kinetic water-driven motion to discover the relations between water, land and habitat, while thinking about the big picture – how do everyday decisions impact our water supply and the environment? Pictured with Rep. Oberlander (from left) are Gregory Hostetter, deputy secretary for Animal Health and Food Safety; Greg Smith, Armstrong County Conservation District; Brenda Stambaugh, Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts; and Dave Rupert, executive director, Armstrong County Conservation District. Reps. Donna Oberlander and Lee James joined Gov. Tom Wolf, Clarion University President Karen Whitney (at podium) and other officials for the announcement of a new specialty certificate program at the university. The Opioid Treatment Specialist Certificate will be the first of its kind in Pennsylvania, and is one such way to train individuals to help ensure that people who are in need of treatment can obtain it and save lives. According to the university, the certificate is an online, four course (12-credit) certificate that anyone may take which would qualify someone to be an opioid treatment specialist. It will be offered through the creation of the university’s College of Health and Human Services. In late June, Rep. Oberlander (at podium) joined officials with the Clarion County YMCA and its capital campaign members, dozens of local donors, local families and elected officials to break ground on its new facility in Monroe Township. More than 220 donors have contributed more than $7 million. The YMCA also received a $3 million grant from the state’s Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program. (Photo courtesy of Clarion County YCMA Facebook page.) Rep. Oberlander was one of many officials to help the Clarion County YMCA break ground on its new facility in late June. The YMCA’s capital campaign has done a tremendous job in raising funds for this worthwhile project, further evidence that Clarion County is full of generous individuals, businesses and organizations that appreciate the importance of having a full-service YMCA here in Clarion County. More than $10 million has been raised for the facility, which will triple the size of the current Y and include a pool, a full-size gymnasium, an indoor track, a wellness center, a weight room, multiple purpose rooms and locker facilities for men, women and families. It is expected to be open in 12-15 months. (Photo courtesy of Clarion County YCMA Facebook page.) The Alliance of Bikers Aimed Toward Education (ABATE) held its 40th anniversary rally at the Capitol on May 22, and Rep. Oberlander was on hand to advocate for the rights of motorcyclists in Pennsylvania. May is also Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in Pennsylvania and a good time for all drivers to be aware and practice safety around motorcycles. Rep. Nesbit joined with dozens of his colleagues and supporters from around the Commonwealth in Making the Second Amendment Great Again at a Capitol Rotunda rally on May 22. The event, now is its 11th year, is held to reaffirm the right to bear and keep arms and oppose any legislation that seeks to diminish that right. Rep. Oberlander proudly received a 2017 Pre-K Champion Award from the Pre-K for PA campaign during a visit to Creative Kids Learning Center on May 15. During her tenure, she has been strongly committed to and supportive of expanded investments in early education. On May 15, Rep. Oberlander visited Creative Kids Learning Center to see firsthand how pre-kindergarten programs are helping give local children a head start in their education. Demonstrating the tremendous value to northwestern Pennsylvania, Rep. Donna Oberlander spoke at a Capitol press conference on May 9 that unveiled a study which detailed the extensive economic impact of the conventional oil and gas industry. This industry, which includes the shallow wells drilled throughout our area, plays a huge role in the economy of northwestern Pennsylvania and contributes $1.4 billion each year to our economy. Dozens of residents came out April 29 for Rep. Oberlander’s most recent Firearms Safety and Rights Seminar at the Distant Firehall. Special thanks also to guest speakers, Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi and Armstrong County Sheriff Bill Rupert, for their informative presentations. During the seminar, residents learned about how to obtain a permit to carry a concealed weapon; what to do when coming in contact with a member of law enforcement while carrying a concealed weapon; the Castle Doctrine; and other valuable information regarding state gun laws. During the first week of May, students from the Teen PACT organization participated in educational sessions to instill leadership skills in and understand the political process. Although the organization selects students statewide, many of them are from the 63rd District. This is a great organization that does so much to encourage our youth. In fact, Pennsylvania state directors, Deb and Dave Jones are from Knox. On May 3, ninth-grade students from Keystone High School traveled to the Capitol as part of a field trip. During their tour, they visited the chambers of the state House, Senate and Supreme Court. Winners of Rep. Donna Oberlander’s essay contest joined her at the Capitol on May 8 and were recognized in the House. The theme of this year’s essay was “PA – The Creation of the Nation.” Pictured with her in the House chamber (from left) are Cody Zaeske and Faith Young from Keystone High School and Clara Gourley from Redbank Valley. Mr. John Greenawalt, a teacher at Immaculate Conception School in Clarion, brought his fifth-grade class to the Capitol on May 5 to learn more about Pennsylvania history and state government. Thank you to everyone who attended the Firearms Safety and Rights Seminar April 8 in Knox. Thank you also to the Knox Volunteer Fire Department for the use of its facilities and to Clarion County Sheriff Rex Munsee and District Attorney Mark Aaron for their excellent presentations. Clarion County District Attorney Mark Aaron explained the details of Pennsylvania’s concealed carry laws and the Castle Doctrine during Rep. Oberlander’s Firearms Safety and Rights Seminar at the Knox Fire Hall on April 8. Rep. Oberlander welcomed Rich and Linda Horner to Harrisburg and the state Cpaitol on April 4 to see the House pass House Resolution 190, which designated the month of April 2017 as Esophageal Cancer Awareness and Prevention Month in Pennsylvania. Esophageal cancer is among the deadliest cancers, with 17,000 cases estimated to be diagnosed this year. Of those, 15,000 individuals will die, and only one in five will survive for five years. Rich is a survivor of this disease and is dedicated to raising awareness. Clarion University students and president Karen Whitney traveled to Harrisburg in April to advocate for the university. They joined Rep. Oberlander at the front of the House chamber for this photo. Redbank Valley High School senior Logan Markle, a cadet with the Civil Air Patrol, was promoted to cadet major during a ceremony at the Clarion County Airport on March 18. In addition to his promotion, Markle, who is enlisted in the delayed entry program for the Air Force, was also presented the Air Force Recruiting Service Achievement Award for demonstrating the core values of the Air Force, specifically excellence, by his recruiter Technical Sergeant Harold Normoyle. Markle is pictured with Rep. Oberlander, Sen. Scott Hutchinson and his parents, Vince Markle and Tracey Colwell, and Civil Air Patrol personnel. (Photo by Evanne Gareis, The Leader-Vindicator.) Rep. Oberlander also recognized Cadet Second Lt. Ryan Moore of Mayport for receiving the General Billy Mitchell Award. The award, named after an aviation pioneer, is bestowed upon cadets after completing the first eight achievements of the cadet program and passing an arduous test on leadership theory and aerospace topics. Upon receiving the award, Ryan is promoted to her current rank. It is the second milestone of the cadet program and will increase his eligibility for a wide range of military and Civil Air Patrol opportunities. Ryan is also a senior at Redbank Valley High School. A group of students from Clarion Area High School visited the state Capitol this afternoon and posed for this photo in the historic Capitol Rotunda. I hope they learned a lot about our state history and government. Recently, Rep. Oberlander had the chance to catch up with Magisterial District Justices Duane Quinn and Amy Long Turk during an event in Harrisburg. Rep. Oberlander was one of the featured speakers for Sen. Scott Hutchinson’s “Senator for a Day” program held at Clarion University on March 16. The program involves giving area high school students experience with the legislative process through a mock committee meeting and then floor debate. Pictured with her are the participating students from Union High School. Rep. Oberlander had the honor to present Nicholas Beightol of Shippenville with a House citation for completing the requirements of becoming an Eagle Scout. For his community service project, Nicholas procured and installed a removable outfield fence for the Keystone High School softball field, which also serves as a soccer field. He is a member of the Order of the Arrow and has served as a historian and patrol leader for Troop 55. He is the son of Lorraine Beightol. Joining them in this photo was Sen. Scott Hutchinson. On March 13, Rep. Oberlander joined individuals with disabilities and their families at a Capitol rally to ensure they can make their own choices when it comes to participating in day programs and sheltered workshops. On March 11, the Clarion Area Chamber of Business and Industry recognized several members of the community for their contributions. Among the winners were Bill and Judy Miller, Lifetime of Achievement; John McCall, Volunteer of the Year; WRC Highland Oaks at Water Run, Business of the Year; and Dr. Brenda Sanders Dede, Citizen of the Year. To learn more about the award winners, go to this link: http://www.clarionpa.com/. Clarion County can be very proud that it hosts one of the largest Youth Field Days in the entire Commonwealth. That pride was on display March 11 during the annual Clarion County Sportsmen for Youth’s fundraising banquet. Thank you to all the volunteers and generous contributors for making this banquet and the annual Youth Field Day such tremendous successes. Congratulations to Tyler Ortz of Fairmount City on achieving his Eagle Scout rank on Feb. 19. Tyler earned almost double the badges, spent over 138 hours on community projects and is the first of Troop 403 to achieve this pinnacle of scouting. For his community service project, he constructed and installed two picnic tables and four benches for the Redbank Valley Trail Association. Way to go, Tyler! He received a House citation from Rep. Oberlander and a Senate citation from Sen. Scott Hutchinson. On Feb. 19, Rep. Oberlander attended the Sugarcreek Fire Company’s annual officer installation and appreciation banquet on Saturday, where Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi administered the oath to the company’s officers. Thank you to the fire department for all of its efforts in keeping our community safe! Happy 100th birthday to Willis Elliott of Sligo, who celebrated his milestone birthday. Rep. Oberlander was on hand during a special birthday party to present Mr. Elliott with a citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives acknowledging his long life and contributions to his community, his state and his country. During legislative session on Jan. 23, Rep. Donna Oberlander welcomed Fred Anderson of New Bethlehem and his grandson, Ryan, to the state Capitol. Even in the midst of a busy session day, it was fun spending some time with them, showing them around and even bringing them to the House floor. To officially kick off the 201st Session of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, Rep. Donna Oberlander (R-Clarion/Armstrong/Forest) took the oath of office Tuesday. Oberlander, who is again serving as caucus secretary, began representing the 63rd District in 2009. Rep. Donna Oberlander joined Sen. Scott Hutchinson and Peter Winkler of Congressman Glenn “G.T.” Thompson’s office in welcoming Shannon Barrios as the new executive director of the Clarion County Economic Development Corporation in December. Happy birthday to Sarah “Sally” Best of Clarion who recently turned 104. Rep. Donna Oberlander presented her with a congratulatory citation from the Pennsylvania House for reaching this amazing milestone. They were joined by her nieces and nephews, as well as neighbors and friends to celebrate this significant milestone. Rep. Donna Oberlander was re-elected by her peers to continue serving in House leadership for the 2017-18 legislative session. For the new term, the leadership team consists of House Majority Leader Dave Reed (R-Indiana), Whip Bryan Cutler (R-Lancaster), Policy Chairman Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin), Appropriations Chairman Stan Saylor (R-York), Caucus Chairman Marcy Toepel (R-Montgomery) and Caucus Administrator Kurt Masser (R-Columbia/Montour/Northumberland). Current House Speaker Mike Turzai (R-Allegheny) was selected as speaker-designee and will be up for election to the House’s top spot when House members select the speaker on swearing-in day, Jan. 3, 2017. On Nov. 14, House members further raised awareness of diabetes by commemorating World Diabetes Day on Monday. As the majority chair of the House Diabetes Caucus, Rep. Oberlander addresses the crowd gathered in Harrisburg, and welcomed Kendall Simmons, Super Bowl player for the Pittsburgh Steelers and a type 1 diabetic, as the keynote speaker for the event. It’s so important to grow awareness of diabetes and its long-reaching effects on the health of Pennsylvania residents of all ages, potential prevention and treatment. During voting session on Oct. 25, several area lawmakers and Rep. Donna Oberlander introduced recipients of the Purple Heart on the House floor, which included numerous Korean War veterans. And a few minutes later, another guest, Consul General of the Republic of Korea Ambassador Gheewhan Kim, was invited to speak. The consul general recognized and thanked our military men and women in his remarks. Afterward, when he was informed men from the Korean War were in the chamber, he immediately came over to the veterans where he met and thanked them personally. What a truly touching moment! Rep. Oberlander joined many of her House colleagues to officially mark October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month by wearing pink and posing for this photo at the Capitol Fountain, dyed pink in October to further raise awareness. In wrapping up this year’s Autumn Leaf Festival, Clarion Borough celebrated its 175th birthday with a special ceremony. Rep. Oberlander presented two citations -- one to the Borough Council President Carol Lapinto to honor the occasion and one to council member, Earl Zerfoss, for his 38 years of service to the borough. The borough was first incorporated in 1841, with grounds specifically dedicated for county offices and a public square. Currently, more than 7,000 people call Clarion home. A state grant worth $3 million was announced in early October to help fund the Clarion County YMCA’s new facility. The Clarion County YMCA was awarded $3 million through the Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program, and is only one of four YMCAs to receive this amount of state support in the history of the program. The project is expected to include a regional recreation center with a sports field located on a 7-acre tract easily accessible from Exit 62 off Interstate 80. The new facility will triple the size of the current Y and include a pool, a full-size gymnasium, an indoor track, a wellness center, a weight room, multiple purpose rooms, and locker facilities for men, women and families. Money and pledges raised locally to date now total over $7 million, and this grant helps the capital campaign reach the $10 million mark. The YMCA’s capital campaign has done a tremendous job in raising funds thus far, further evidence that our county is full of generous individuals, businesses and organizations that appreciate the importance of having a full-service YMCA here in Clarion County. Fred Workman from Rep. Oberlander’s Clarion district office had the opportunity to join several World War II veterans from the New Bethlehem area for lunch and an awards ceremony sponsored by the Redbank Valley Historical Society on Oct. 4. This event marked the historical society’s second one this year to focus on World War II which started 75 years ago this Dec. 7. In addition, the veterans shared many of their stories, an important part of making sure their history is passed on. Thank you to these local men, of the greatest generation, for their service and sacrifice. On Oct. 4, Rep. Oberlander welcomed the House Majority Policy Committee to Colony Factory Homes in Shippenville to showcase this major employer here in the 63rd District and other manufactured and modular home builders in our region. This event included a discussion about financing, transportation and building code regulations the industry is facing at the state and federal levels, along with the employment opportunities in our region. Colony is partnering with Clarion County Career Center to help recruit students into the building trades as a way to keep these good-paying jobs local. Joining us was Sen. Scott Hutchinson. After the Oct. 4 House Majority Policy Committee hearing, Rep. Oberlander joined Colony Factory Homes on a tour of the facility to see the various phases of modular home construction – literally from start to finish! Thank you to members of the Clarion-Venango-Forest Farm Bureau, who had their annual legislative meeting Sept. 16 at Baytree Farm near Emlenton. The meeting included a very educational dialogue regarding lambs, beef, agricultural issues, etc. With agriculture as one of our state's leading industries, it's imperative that our state's policies not only respect the hard-working farming community but seek to ensure it can thrive today and in the years to come. Thank you also to owners Warren and Liz Thomas for their hospitality and expertise. In September, Rep. Oberlander visited the Marienville Rod and Gun Club, where she had the chance to help load fish to the aerated tank for transporting to the stream. The club's members are very active in helping to stock fish in local waterways, so that residents and visitors alike can enjoy the sport of fishing. Rep. Donna Oberlander stopped by the open house of Long Shot Ammo near Hawthorn, an indoor range, archery and ammo sales business on Sept. 17. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy, providing hundreds of thousands of jobs across the Commonwealth every year. On Sept. 10, Rep. Oberlander helped Farmington Township Volunteer Fire Company dedicated its new flagpole and celebrated their fire station expansion. The flag pole was also dedicated to those who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on our nation. Our first responders give so much of their time and energy to help our communities in their time of need. Thank you to everyone who stopped by the Kittanning Township Volunteer Fire Department on Wednesday for the annual Armstrong County Senior Expo, which Rep. Oberlander hosted with Sen. Don White and Rep. Jeff Pyle. Rep. Oberlander welcomed Armstrong County residents at the joint Senior Expo in Kittanning Township, with Rep. Jeff Pyle and Sen. Don White. Exhibitors helped seniors understand the types of services and programs for them, including eligibility information and application assistance. During the Armstrong County Senior Expo, Rep. Oberlander, Rep. Pyle and Sen. White had the chance to meet with several residents and have a photo taken with Arianna, a local therapy dog. At this year’s Clarion County Fair, Rep. Donna Oberlander, Sen. Scott Hutchinson, the Clarion County Fair Board of Directors and the Department of Agriculture presented the prestigious Friend of the Fair award to Charlie Miller. Charlie is such a deserving individual -- he has spent years of hard work helping making the fair a great experience. His dedication, specifically with the rabbit barn, are second to none! Congratulations and thank you, Charlie! Two more Eagle Scouts were added to the ranks of Clarion County's elite fraternity of Eagle Scouts at Camp Coffman in July. Jacob Heeter and Dalton Schultz were honored for their hard work and perseverance in completing the requirements and projects for their Eagle rank. Jacob, the son of Bradley and Jenny Heeter, built a handicapped accessible sidewalk at Camp Coffman. Dalton, the son of John Schultz and Angel Chrisner, build picnic tables, also at Camp Coffman. Both are members of Troop 56 of Knox. Congratulations to you both and to your family, troop and community! Citations were presented by Rep. Donna Oberlander and Sen. Scott Hutchinson. Thank you to Bryan Beck of Long Acre Potato Farms near Tionesta for a tour of his agriculture operations. Rep. Donna Oberlander and the Clarion County commissioners toured the Beck family farm to learn more about its potato operation, along with its seed, fertilizer, equipment and parts sales functions. This valuable information and suggestions gained from this visit help their efforts to make agriculture among Pennsylvania’s top industries. Thank you to all of our family farmers throughout the 63rd District for keeping this tradition so strong. More than 450 children participated in the annual Clarion County Youth Field Day, held July 16, at Camp Coffman, by joining in fishing, sporting clays, canoeing and other activities. From the volunteers, supporting organizations and individuals responsible for the annual youth field day, they continue to instill our values and traditions in our next generation. To commemorate Memorial Day, Rep. Oberlander had the special privilege of helping to honor the memory of 75 World War II veterans from the northern Armstrong County community of Seminole by dedicating a new memorial to these brave men. One of those veterans, Sebastian Spanedda (pictured), is the lone survivor of that band of heroes. Mr. Spanedda served in the U.S. Navy during the war. Thank you to all of our veterans who served, during both war and peace, and those who are currently serving in our military. Diane Porter, a staff person in Rep. Oberlander’s Clarion office, attended the June 30 Penn State Extension Picnic at Clarion County Park where she was greatly impressed by a demonstration by a 4-H group from Venango and Clarion counties, called the Electrotechs. The team works together to design and build a robot to complete an annual challenge as a way to inspire young people to be science and technology leaders. The group consists of numerous local 4-H members, including (pictured below) Jonathan Sherwin, John Anderson, Susie Kandor and John Hetrick. For more information on the group, visit 4helectrotechs.weebly.com. Rep. Donna Oberlander was one of the featured speakers at the annual Second Amendment Action Day at the state Capitol on May 24. She applauded all of the attendees’ passion for the right to keep and bear arms and specifically thanked residents of the 63rd District who made the trip to the Capitol to ensure their rights are being protected. Rep. Donna Oberlander welcomed students from Keystone High School to the state Capitol on May 23 for a tour of the historic building. Also pictured with them is state Sen. Scott Hutchinson. Reps. Donna Oberlander and Cris Dush attended United Electric Cooperative’s annual meeting May 18 in Luthersburg. The meeting attracted a record crowd, as you can see in this photo, and it was a great chance to update the crowd about efforts in the state House to ensure a clean, affordable source of homegrown energy. United serves the eastern part of the 63rd District, from Marienville south to Rural Valley. Reps. Donna Oberlander and Lee James, both members of the House Majority Policy Committee, heard directly from the natural gas industry during a roundtable discussion in Washington County about state government regulations and how they have hampered energy independence, development and jobs. Congratulations to Cindy Selker (center), who received her 10-year award at the Clarion Forest Visiting Nurses awards breakfast on May 11. She was one of many recognized for their service and dedication to this outstanding organization and the people of Clarion and Forest counties. Pictured with Selker and Rep. Oberlander is Diane Porter (left) of Oberlander’s Clarion office. The Pennsylvania State Police play a vital role in keeping our highways and our communities safe. Rep. Oberlander participated May 10 in the dedication of the new State Police Barracks in Kittanning. She is joined by State Police Commissioner Tyree Blocker, PSP administrative staff, leadership at the Kittanning barracks and her colleague, Rep. Jeff Pyle. Rep. Donna Oberlander participates in the dedication of the Clarion County Firemen’s Association firefighters memorial at the courthouse. During the ceremony, she also presented a copy of House Resolution 832 designating May 4 as Firefighters’ Day in Pennsylvania. Rep. Donna Oberlander meets with members of Penn State’s Rural-Urban Leadership (RULE) program and FFA at the state Capitol. The RULE XVI class was in Harrisburg for a study institute as part of their two-year fellowship. The 63rd Legislative District is well represented with both Diane Porter of Oberlander’s office and Joseph Croskey of Clarion University as participating fellows in the program. Additionally, Kelly Ryan of Clarion University is a past graduate and now a program facilitator. Also earning the rank of Eagle Scout from Troop 55 was Braden Jones, son of David and Debra Jones of Knox. Braden, who served his troop as patrol leader and troop instructor, worked with the Grace Evangelical Congregational Church to organize and lead the construction of a flag pole and block wall to honor many local veterans. Congratulations to Scott Reed on attaining the rank of Eagle Scout! Scott, a member of Troop 55, worked with the Nickelville Presbyterian Church to organize and lead the construction of a flag pole beside its veterans’ memorial and to refurbish the grounds at the church. Scott, son of Brian and Kathy Reed of Knox, has been a senior patrol leader, patrol leader and troop scribe. More than 100 people turned out April 2 for Rep. Oberlander’s latest Firearms Safety and Right Seminar at the Leeper Firehall. The seminar included presentations by local district attorneys Mark Aaron from Clarion County (pictured) and Barbara Litten from Forest County, and sheriffs Rex Munsee and Robert Wolfgang, also from Clarion and Forest counties, respectively. Several students from Clarion University traveled to Harrisburg in early April as part of the university’s and the State System of Higher Education’s Advocacy Day at the state Capitol. Rep. Oberlander took them to the floor of the House (where this photo was taken) on Tuesday and to chat with them about their majors and their experiences at Clarion University. As part of the State System of Higher Education’s Advocacy Day on April 5, Rep. Oberlander and Sen. Scott Hutchinson welcomed students from Clarion University to the state Capitol. While on the Senate floor, the lawmakers spoke to them about the legislative process while the students reflected on their experiences, education and goals while at Clarion. At a press conference in DuBois on March 10, Rep. Oberlander, along with several of her local colleagues, urged the governor to release $3 billion in funding for schools, which has been held up by his line-item veto from December. The funding is available, and the governor’s top budget adviser even admitted during House Appropriations hearings that Gov. Tom Wolf chose to veto the item in the 2015-16 state budget to send a message that taxes must be increased. Pennsylvania families, senior citizens and small businesses like the one where the press event was held cannot afford the governor’s tax increases and higher spending. They certainly cannot afford an 11 percent increase in the Personal Income Tax that would be retroactive to Jan. 1. Congratulations to Jeremiah Jordan of Sigel on earning the rank of Eagle Scout. He has earned 71 badges and completed a terrific project all by the young age of 15. His community service project included restoring a wildlife habitat at the Allegheny National Forest in Marienville. Jeremiah is the son of Jerry and Coral Jordan and a member of Troop 51 in Clarion. He’s an outstanding young man with a very bright future! They are pictured with Sen. Scott Hutchinson. Congratulations are in order for DuWayne “Bud” Amsler, who was selected by the city of Parker as its 2016 Citizen of the Year. Bud was honored for his three-plus decades of service to the city, its volunteer fire department and Parker Baseball. Rep. Oberlander presented Bud with a citation from the Pennsylvania House of Representatives commending him on this honor and for all of his years of service to the Parker community! Rep. Oberlander was honored and humbled to receive the Friends of 4-H award for 2015. Pictured with her is Anna Longwell, a third-generation 4-H member. Anna is a fine example of why we support 4-H – so that Pennsylvanians can be assured of a strong and vibrant future for agriculture in our state. Rep. Oberlander joined numerous colleagues, members of the Penn State Ag Council and 4-H youth in calling for the restoration of more than $50 million in funding during a press conference on March 9. She is co-sponsoring House Bill 1831, which would release the $50 million investment in Penn State agriculture programs, on top of her consistent votes for previous budgets which support our state’s top industry. Congratulations are also in order for Bud and Gwen Wills on receiving the Art Glatfelter Award for their dedication and work on the equine trail stewardship! It’s wonderful to see their hard work being recognized! Congratulations to Josiah Kline of Knox for earning the rank of Eagle Scout. For his community service project, he constructed an Adirondack shelter along a trail to provide a rest stop and sleeping quarters for hikes. He is the son of Terry and Heather Kline and a member of Troop 55 of Ninevah. Josiah is an outstanding young man with great potential! Before taxpayers are asked to pay more in state taxes, state government first needs to make sure it has explored every practical option for reducing costs. That is exactly why the PennSAVE (Savings, Accountability, Value and Efficiency) initiative was created, and Rep. Oberlander has been appointed to the task force to look at even more ways to save. Anyone who has an idea for a cost-cutting strategy or ways tax money can be stretched can submit it via her website. Congratulations to the Jefferson-Clarion Head Start program as the organization celebrates 50 years of serving pre-kindergarten educational opportunities for the region. To raise awareness of the growing threat of human trafficking, Rep. Oberlander stood with all female members of the state House in urging unanimous passage of legislation (House Resolution 634), which designated January as "National Human Trafficking Awareness Month." Human trafficking is a systematic problem occurring in every county in the Commonwealth and all over the United States. The Joint State Government Commission of the Commonwealth has reported that Pennsylvania is a source and destination for human trafficking victims. Although strides have been made to bring awareness to the issue, more needs to be done to combat the perpetrators. It is our responsibility, morally and constitutionally, to protect the victims of this insidious crime. In mid-July, Rep. Oberlander toured Cook Forest State Park with officials from the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to learn more about an invasive insect species, the woolly adelgid, and the threat it poses to the hemlocks in our state parks. Pictured with her are Regional Supervisor Gil Gilson, Park Manager Ryan Borcz and Ranger Jared Fencil. Cook Forest and nearby Clear Creek are wonderful assets and it is important to take the necessary efforts to protect these trees and others like them from these invasive species. To learn more about this species and the DCNR’s efforts, click here to read these fact sheets.
 
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