News For Constituents
From Senate Republican Policy Development & Research Office
Archive
November 3, 2011
Time to Prepare Mailboxes for Snow
Early snow accumulations come with a reminder from the
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) to
prepare your mailbox for the rigors of winter weather.
Residents living along rural state and local roads can
reduce the risk of damage from a snowplow by following a few tips from PennDOT:
- Place a 6- to 8-inch piece of reflective tape on the mailbox to help snow plow
operators see it at night.
- Remove snow from around the mailbox, but never throw it back onto the road.
- A mailbox located within the legal right-of-way and damaged in the past, can be
repositioned for winter.
- Install a
cantilevered mailbox support that will swing the box out of harm's way.
PennDOT recommends contacting your local post office for
additional questions on the correct placement of a mailbox.
Hunters Reminded to Display License
The
Pennsylvania Game Commission is issuing a reminder that hunters and trappers
must continue to display their licenses.
Announcements regarding bear hunting, turkey season, early muzzleloader
season, and grouse and squirrel seasons all include the reminder of the
statutory requirement for a visible license.
Legislation to remove the requirement, while supported by
the PGC, has not received the necessary support to eliminate requiring the
display of the license on an outer garment. Visit the PGC's
Licensing and Permits webpage for answers to related questions.
Home Burglary Prevention Guide Now Available
Burglars break into a house, apartment or condominium every
11 seconds, according to the
Pennsylvania State Police (PSP). Sixty percent of those residential
burglaries occur during the daylight hours when many of us are away from our homes.
A
Home Burglary Prevention Guide is now available to help you keep your
family, home, and belongings safe and secure.
As holiday shopping and gift giving picks up, the PSP Guide
urges residents to avoid flaunting large purchases by leaving intact boxes
curbside for trash collection. Boxes should be broken down and positioned under
other trash on the day of pick-up.
Holiday plans should remain private. Avoid sharing your
shopping, party, travel, and other holiday plans with strangers and social
media. Never leave your schedule details in a note on your door. Phone
messages should be devoid of information about your plans.
Review the PSP's prevention tips related to landscaping,
windows, doors, locks, and more.
Consult the PSP's
Understanding Crime Prevention to help reduce and eliminate crime.
Preventing Lead Poisoning
With nearly 2,600 children statewide showing elevated blood
lead levels in 2010, the Pennsylvania Department of Health is reminding parents
and families of a variety of health-related problems associated with
lead exposure.
Lead poisoning is hard to detect and may be confused with
other illnesses with similar symptoms such as:
- stomach aches or cramps;
- convulsions;
- headaches;
- nausea;
- vomiting;
- fatigue;
- irritability;
- vision problems;
- loss of appetite; and
- sleeplessness.
Permanent injury, including damage to the brain, nervous
system, and kidneys, as well as hyperactivity, slowed growth, and aggressive
behavior patterns, are among the known behavioral and learning problems. Coma
and death may occur with high levels of lead poisoning.
The ingestion or inhalation of lead-based paint and
lead-contaminated dust is more likely in homes built prior to 1978 when the lead
ban for paint was instituted. Find
answers to your questions about protecting your family from the hazards of
lead. Parents, physicians, contractors, and homeowners concerned about lead
poisoning, prevention, and control may call the
Lead Information Line at 1-800-440-LEAD (5323).
PA State Museum Fills November With Fun Activities and Shopping
Archaeology, astronomy, and folk art fill the
November schedule at the
Pennsylvania State Museum located at
300 North Street in Harrisburg.
Highlights from investigations along the Susquehanna River,
a flint knapping demonstration, and an artifact identification session will be
among archaeological workshops offered early in November. Over 30 master
artists whose works represent a wide array of traditions such as African dance,
stone wall construction, Native American clay flutes, Pysanky eggs, contemporary
blacksmith work, woodcarving, and Vietnamese funerary portraits will exhibit
later in November and continue into spring 2012.
Planetarium shows fill November weekends with Star Stories of the Native
Americans and the Ultimate Universe.
The 6th Annual Holiday Marketplace operated by
the Pennsylvania Heritage Society will be held on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 17
and 18, 2011 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Commonwealth Keystone Building located
at Forster Street and Commonwealth Avenue in Harrisburg, PA.
Museum stores from the Pennsylvania Trails of History and
other participants including Tony's Cafe at Keystone, the Capitol Preservation
Committee, the Department of Conservation & Natural Resources, and the
Department of Community & Economic Development's Artisan Trails will be offering
unique items to help start off your holiday shopping.
Borders Transfers Customer Database to Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble's purchase of the now defunct Borders book
store chain includes $14 million for a database of nearly 50 million former
Borders customers, including the customer's name, email address, telephone
number, birthday, credit card information, and purchase history, according to
the
Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General.
Previous Borders customers can prevent the data transfer by going directly to the
Barnes & Noble website for instructions. Option number two allows an
individual to respond to the official email being sent by Barnes & Noble to all
former Borders customers. Check your email inbox for the notification from
Barnes & Noble to opt out of the data transfer.
A large number of Pennsylvania consumers are expected to be
affected since Borders operated approximately 30 stores in the Commonwealth. Those not meeting the deadline for the transfer of data will have the choice to
opt-out of any future related email contact at the bottom of the unwanted
message.
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