Pennsylvania News

HARRISBURG, Pa., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Governor Edward G. Rendell
today announced the commonwealth’s application for a $6 million U.S.
Department of Labor State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grant through
the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, that would help strengthen
Pennsylvania’s energy sector industry partnerships and provide advanced
training to more than 1,300 individuals.

Ed Rendell Announce Application

“We’ve made great improvements in the way Pennsylvania works with students,
schools, job seekers, workers and businesses to ensure education and training
are in line with employers’ needs,” Governor Rendell said. “These efforts and
our investments have helped Pennsylvania fare better than much of the nation
during this recession. By making the same and similar investments in the
energy sector and green jobs, we will be able harness these dynamic industries
as we continue our economic recovery.”

If awarded, the Pennsylvania Workforce Investment Board, or PA WIB, will use
the grant to strengthen existing – and create new – regional green industry
partnerships that bring together green businesses with overlapping skill
needs. The partnerships will identify job opportunities, skill gaps and
training needs; design workforce services to meet these needs; oversee
selection of vendors; and monitor and report outcomes.

Additionally, the grant will help establish a Pennsylvania Center for Green
Careers, modeled after the PA Center for Health Careers. The new Center for
Green Careers will be a part of the PA WIB, and will conduct a program of
stakeholder engagement, labor market research, workforce policy development
and consensus building.

For more information about how the commonwealth is using federal Recovery Act
funds to help Pennsylvania residents and businesses, visit:
www.recovery.pa.gov.

Media Contacts:
Christopher S. Manlove, L&I; 717-787-7530
Barry Ciccocioppo, Governor’s Office; 717-783-1116

SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

Christopher S. Manlove, L&I, +1-717-787-7530; Barry Ciccocioppo, Governor’s
Office, +1-717-783-1116

Popularity: unranked [?]

(CNN) — A state commission issued a finding of probable cause that racism was involved in the decision by a suburban Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, swim club to revoke privileges of a largely minority day care center.

Children for Creative Steps Daycare

The Valley Swim Club canceled a contract for swimming privileges for the approximately 65 children from the Creative Steps day care center after a visit June 29.

Some black and Hispanic children said white club members made racist comments to them during that visit, asking why black children were there and raising concerns that “they might steal from us.”

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, in its 33-page finding, details the incident. It notes that the swim club maintains that it canceled its relationship with the day care center because members were requesting that their membership fees be refunded and because of safety concerns “attendant with overcrowding of the shallow end of the pool by a large number of non-swimmers.”

But the commission, in its finding, stated that the club “routinely has members at the facility in numbers that are equal in size or exceed the number of Creative Steps campers.” The club has also hosted groups of similar size without raising safety concerns, the commission said.

As the group was swimming at the club, one of its members voiced concerns that “all of these black kids” might “do something to my child.” When confronted by a Creative Steps official, the woman — a teacher at a local school — denied the comment but said she was concerned because one of the children “was a known thief” and had previously stolen a cell phone. The commission found no evidence that the child was ever accused of or disciplined for stealing at the school.

Other group members sent negative e-mails to club board members after the incident. One board member said in an e-mail, according to the commission, “I feel we were mislead (sic) with the type of camp this was. This camp is a city camp and it is run with tax payers money. This is not the type of camp that is going to bring any new members into the club.”

The finding is “an invitation to sit down with our staff and have the parties settle their differences,” commission Chairman Stephen Glassman said. “If they don’t, it will go on to a public hearing.”

Depending on the outcome of that process, the club could face damages for humiliation and embarrassment, as well as a civil penalty of up to $50,000, commission spokeswoman Shannon Powers said. The public hearing, she said, is held before a body of commissioners.

The commission enforces state human rights law, Powers said. It launched an investigation into the incident after being contacted by a number of advocacy organizations following media coverage of the story. Since then, she said, a number of complaints have been filed with the commission.

The commission noted in the finding that none of the club’s 155 paid members this year was African-American and that last year there were “179 paid memberships, none of whom were African American.”

In addition, the commission said that in 2009, the Valley Swim Club “made a concerted effort to expand the geographic range of its membership by engaging in a marketing campaign. … The respondent efforts were mainly directed at areas with overwhelmingly caucasian populations. … The respondent made no effort to direct such marketing efforts at areas with significant African-American populations.”

Glassman said the swim club had 30 days to appeal the finding.

Joe Tucker, a lawyer for the club, said his client will do just that. “We believe this is wrong,” he said.

“I believe the people at the PHRC are very good people, but they were put in a tough position. … If the PHRC would have decided against the children or in favor of the club, they would have been painted with the same unfair and untrue racist brush that the Valley Swim Club was painted with.”

The day care center had originally contracted to use the pool during the summer, but the club canceled the agreement and returned the day care center’s $1,950 check without explanation. The club canceled contracts with two other day care centers because of safety and crowding, swim club director John Duesler said.

Those facilities have not protested the club’s actions.

The issue was exacerbated when Duesler told two Philadelphia television stations that the children had changed “the complexion” and “atmosphere” of the club. The comment brought protesters outside the facility.

Duesler later said that safety and crowding, not racism, prompted the cancellation.

As the controversy gained national attention, the swim club asked the day care center to return. Center officials refused and said they would pursue a lawsuit.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Recent study finds 52 lives in the hospitality industry are saved each year

HARRISBURG, Pa., Sept. 10 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Pennsylvania’s Clean
Indoor Air Act has significantly increased the number of businesses where
customers and employees enjoy a healthy, smoke-free environment, Secretary of
Health Everette James said today.

The law took effect Sept. 11, 2008, and prohibits smoking in most public
places, including restaurants, workplaces and a portion of casino floors.

“Secondhand smoke has a deadly impact on workers and costs our healthcare
system billions of dollars,” said Secretary James. “This law protects the
health of millions of Pennsylvanians from the well-do*****ented dangers of
secondhand smoke.”

Secondhand smoke contains more than 4,000 chemicals, including at least 60
known to cause cancer. In a 2006 report, the U.S. Surgeon General said it is
indisputable that secondhand smoke causes premature death and serious diseases
in nonsmoking adults and children.

Pennsylvania Clean Indoor Act

Popularity: 1% [?]

Former Luzerne County Judges Mark Ciavarella Jr. and Michael Conahan are accused of taking kickbacks related to the construction of two youth detention facilities.

An indictment accuses the two former Pennsylvania judges of racketeering, bribery and extortion in connection with a $2.8 million scheme to funnel juvenile offenders to private detention centers.

Corrupt Judges Mark Ciavarella Jr. and Michael Conahan

Popularity: 1% [?]

LOS ANGELES — Yo quiero no more: The Taco Bell chihuahua has gone to doggie heaven.

The pooch famous for its role in the late-1990s Taco Bell commercials has died, reports People.com.

Gidget, a female dog who played a male dog on TV, was given the computer-enhanced ability to exclaim “Yo quiero Taco Bell!” in the popular advertisement.

The chihuahua suffered a stroke at the Los Angeles suburban home of her longtime trainer Sue Chipperton.

Rest In Peace Gidget

Popularity: 1% [?]

Wednesday starts the fourth week without a budget in Pennsylvania. Legislators and the governor are still battling it out in Harrisburg.

Tens of thousands of state workers are growing more anxious entering another week with little or no pay.

The lifeguards are still up on their stands at the state parks. State crews are still out mowing lawns and doing other jobs. State employees are still filing into their offices but tens of thousands of the workers across Pennsylvania are getting little or no pay.

“Well, how would you like to come to work without a paycheck?” asked state worker Chris Yukenavage. She came out of her office in downtown Wilkes-Barre to show off the t-shirt she displays at her desk.

Workers there can’t believe the state budget is now more than three weeks late.

Pennsylvania Budget Meeting Stalls

Popularity: 1% [?]

Chrysler LLC, fresh out of bankruptcy, is seeking to jumpstart sales by doubling the money that consumers can save when they participate in a new government program to encourage trade-ins of gas-guzzling cars.

The extra push may be enough to convince cautious consumers who already are expressing interest in the federal program to buy a car and boost the struggling auto industry.

The Car Allowance Rebate System, popularly known as “Cash for Clunkers,” will provide a federal rebate of up to $4,500 on the purchase of a new vehicle with a combined EPA city-highway average of at least 22 mpg. To qualify, the buyer must bring in a car that gets 18 mpg or less. The $1 billion program was passed by Congress last month.

Now Chrysler says it will match the government’s rebate for buyers of select vehicles, for a combined price reduction of up to $9,000.

Popularity: 1% [?]