November 2022

The First Presbyterian Church of Wellsboro is offering the chance to really make a difference in someone’s life this Christmas.

As a way to reduce the focus on materialism, the church is encouraging support for charitable organizations by holding the Alternative Giving Christmas Fair online for the public between now and Tuesday, Dec. 20.

The online fair is for those who have people on their Christmas lists who love a particular cause and for others that believe Christmas is too commercial, missing the point of honoring the birth of Jesus.

The form titled First Presbyterian Church Wellsboro Alternative Giving Christmas Fair is available online. It includes the names of the 16 participating charitable organizations and a brief description about each one’s mission and purpose.

The charitable organizations are: Ansanm, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, Child Evangelism Fellowship of Tioga County, Diapers for Darlings, Haven of Tioga County, Heart of Tioga, His Thousand Hills Christian Camp & Retreat Center, the Humble Bumble Project, Medical Benevolence Foundation, Rewritten of Tioga County, Salvation Army, the Samaritan House, Seeds of Hope Partners, Tioga County Homeless Initiative, Ukraine Relief – Samaritan’s Purse and the Wellsboro Area Food Pantry.

At the online site – https://fpcwellsboro.breezechms.com/form/c4bc69 – those who want to donate to one or more of these charities can complete the form and make a contribution with a credit card.

Or, they can print off the form, complete and return it in person to the church office with a check made payable to the First Presbyterian Church between 8:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays or mail it to the church at 130 Main Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901.

All contributions are being collected at the First Presbyterian Church with 100 percent of the funds to be distributed on or before Saturday, Dec. 31 to the charities as designated by the donors.

Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Environmental Quality Board (EQB) will consider an emergency rule on volatile organic compounds (VOC) for existing conventional oil and gas sources, which will lower air pollution from conventional oil and gas sources. The EQB will consider adopting the rule at a meeting on Wednesday, November 30, 2022, at 9:00 AM. The regulation mirrors a final-omitted regulation that the EQB adopted on October 12, 2022, and that the Independent Regulatory Review Commission (IRRC) approved on November 17, 2022.

“We are considering this emergency rulemaking in an effort to comply with federal requirements and prevent sanctions that could cost Pennsylvania hundreds of millions of dollars in federal highway funds,” said DEP Acting Secretary Ramez Ziadeh. “Due to the actions of the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee, we have no choice but to consider this emergency certified rulemaking in order to comply with federal regulations.”

DEP is pursuing the emergency rulemaking to meet a December deadline, after which more than $800 million in federal highway funding earmarked for Pennsylvania projects would be jeopardized. Under the federal Clean Air Act, Pennsylvania has until December 16, 2022, to submit a State Implementation Plan, including a rulemaking covering VOC emissions for all required oil and gas sources, to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

On November 14, with less than half an hour’s notice, the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee (Committee) held a meeting to discuss and vote on sending a letter to IRRC informing them that the Committee disapproved the final-omitted regulation adopted by the EQB in October. This action by the Committee also triggered a mandatory 14-day review period under Pennsylvania’s Regulatory Review Act, which began after the November 17 IRRC meeting, during which the regulation is prohibited from being finalized. During that 14-day period, the Committee may hold a meeting and vote on a disapproval resolution to stop the regulation. Also, under the Regulatory Review Act, if the 14-day period ends after the end of the legislative session (which ends on November 30, 2022), the 14-day period is suspended until the new legislative session has convened and the legislative standing committees are re-established. This process would extend into 2023, beyond the December 16 deadline, and result in the Commonwealth losing hundreds of millions of dollars in federal highway funds.

Regulation of VOCs from existing oil and gas sources was originally to be addressed in a single rule that applied to both conventional and unconventional sources as the federal government makes no distinction between conventional and unconventional oil and gas sources. However, due to a possible disapproval resolution from the General Assembly, the combined regulation was bifurcated into separate rulemakings for unconventional oil and gas sources and conventional oil and gas sources. Public comments submitted on the original rulemaking package were incorporated into both the final unconventional and emergency conventional regulations.

The emergency rulemaking establishes the VOC emission limitations for existing conventional oil and gas sources based on Reasonably Available Control Technology (RACT) requirements consistent with the EPA’s recommendations. The EPA defines RACT as “the lowest emission limitation that a particular source is capable of meeting by the application of control technology that is reasonably available considering technological and economic feasibility.”

DEP is required to regulate the sources of VOC emissions listed by EPA: storage vessels; natural gas-driven continuous bleed pneumatic controllers; natural gas-driven diaphragm pumps; reciprocating and centrifugal compressors; and fugitive emissions components. The regulations would also reduce methane emissions from existing oil and gas sources as a co-benefit. VOC emissions are precursors to the formation of ground-level ozone, a public health, welfare and environmental hazard.

If adopted by the EQB, the emergency regulation will go into effect upon notice or publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin. 

The regulatory package is available at https://www.dep.pa.gov/PublicParticipation/EnvironmentalQuality/Pages/2022-Meetings.aspx 

Denise Lorson, PT
Pediatric Rehabilitation Services, UPMC

As a parent, you want the best for your child. Children are amazingly resilient, and your hopes are to see them grow and flourish into independence. Sometimes life can throw your child a curveball, especially when it’s related to an acute injury, long-term illness, or disability, and they may need a little help. When that happens, you’ll do whatever is necessary to ensure they receive the care they need. There’s a specialty of medicine, pediatric rehabilitation, that focuses on supporting the growth and well-being of children experiencing an injury or developmental delays.

What is Pediatric Rehabilitation?

Pediatric rehabilitation provides a comprehensive interdisciplinary team approach to prevent, diagnose, and treat congenital and childhood onset disabilities for children from birth to age 21.

Pediatric rehabilitation providers are specialists trained to deliver a variety of services, including occupational, physical, and speech therapy, for those with diagnoses including, but not limited to, autism spectrum disorder, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, coordination disorders, spina bifida, muscular dystrophy, developmental delay, gross motor delays, apraxia, rare genetic disorders, and orthopaedic disorders.

The goal is to improve physical, psychosocial, and vocational limitations by identifying a patients’ abilities and utilizing interventional strategies. These strategies include but are not limited to medications, injections, equipment, orthotics, and therapies to maximize their function and promote physical healing and emotional well-being and improve quality of life.

Is Pediatric Rehabilitation Right for Your Child?

As a parent or caregiver, you have an active role to play ensuring your child receives care. Whether your child has suffered a brain, musculoskeletal, or spine injury, a congenital condition, or something else entirely, rehabilitation may be able to help them overcome hurdles and live their lives to the fullest.

Your child may benefit from rehab if they are struggling with:

• Meeting developmental milestones
• Communication delays
• Difficulty with handwriting or other school-based activities
• Difficulty keeping up with peers
• Emotional regulation
• Sensory integration dysfunction
• Recovering from sports or non-sports related injury
• Feeding

Pediatric rehabilitation comes with its own unique set of needs and requirements so it’s important that parents/caregivers partner with their child’s team of specialists as well as their child’s pediatrician or primary care provider (PCP) in their journey.

A Parent/Caregiver’s Role

Parents/caregivers are often incorporated into therapy sessions as your presence can help tremendously. Therapy may be a scary time for a child as they’re surrounded by new faces, in an unfamiliar location, and may be using equipment that can look intimidating. In addition to your calming presence and the trust your child places in you, you’re a member of your child’s rehabilitation team and you play an integral role in keeping your child’s recovery plan in action at home. Your child’s care team will work closely with you, providing practical advice and training along the way that can improve your child’s progress during and after their time in therapy.

If you have questions about your child’s condition, talk to your child’s pediatrician or PCP. Depending on your child’s needs, your doctor may refer them to a pediatric rehabilitation program where your child will receive further evaluation of their skills based on their current function, age, and your concerns and goals. Based on the evaluation, your child’s therapist will make recommendations and develop a custom plan to ease the physical, developmental, and cognitive effects of their condition helping them live life to their fullest.

Denise Lorson, PT, is with UPMC Pediatric Rehabilitation Services and sees patients at 625 W. Edwin St., Williamsport. To schedule an appointment with Denise, call 570-326-0565. To learn more information about rehabilitation services, visit UPMC.com/RehabNCPA.

Belmont, N.Y. – Allegany County has progressed several EMS initiatives in 2022 including the formation
of an EMS Advisory Board, securing an EMS Medical Director, and initializing Paramedic training to begin
in January 2023. Recently, the County began exploring whether or not it should create or purchase a county-
wide Certificate of Need. The County is seeking proposals for the completion of a comprehensive
emergency medical services study to assist in determining its future role in coordinating services with
volunteer EMS agencies and how to best utilize County resources towards those objectives. The requested
study will provide an evaluation and analysis of existing EMS operations within the County and make
recommendations for long-term success, stability, and improved efficiency and safety for both EMS
services and the public.
• Proposal Submission Instructions and Due Date: Proposals should be submitted in a sealed
envelope addressed or hand delivered to County Administrator Carissa M. Knapp, 7 Court Street,
Rm 213, Belmont, NY 14813 by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 16, 2022.
• For More Information: The complete RFP packet is listed on the County’s website
www.alleganyco.gov. To request a hard copy of the application, call the County Administrator’s
Office at 585-268-9217 or email jodi.adams@alleganyco.gov.
• Questions & Answers: Questions can be submitted in writing to Carissa.Knapp@alleganyco.gov
and responses will be provided until 4:00 p.m. on Friday, December 16. Please be advised that no
questions will be accepted or responded to after this date.

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bradford Regional Medical Center (BRMC) plans to bring some holiday cheer to the patients who cannot be home with their families on November 24 for the Thanksgiving holiday. 

For those who will be patients at BRMC on Thanksgiving, the hospital will offer a festive holiday meal.  In addition, patients can invite a guest to dine with them free of charge. Additional guests may purchase a holiday dinner for $5.

“We’re happy to be able to bring this program back for our patients,” said Julie Becker, general manager, food and nutrition services.  “It’s tough being away from family and friends during the holidays.  We hope that through this small gesture our patients’ Thanksgiving will be more pleasant.”

There are still guidelines in place for visitors at BRMC to ensure the safety of all patients.  Visitors are screened upon entering the facility and are kindly reminded that masks must be worn at all times.