Senator Pennycuick E-Newsletter

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In this Update:

  • New Hanover Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services Appreciation Dinner
  • Dr. Boston Foundation MLK Event
  • Pottstown NAACP MLK Service
  • Red Hill VFW Post 5954 Awards Dinner
  • Perkiomen Township Road Improvement Begins Next Week on Route 29 (Gravel Pike) in Perkiomen Township
  • Senate Approves Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Teacher First Amendment Rights
  • Senate Acts to Help Farmers Meet Rising Demand for Home Delivery
  • Measure to Boost Volunteer Fire Company Membership Approved
  • PennDOT Job Openings Posted for College Students
  • Veterans: Now is a Good Time to Review and Update Benefits
  • Blood Donation is Easy and Safe

New Hanover Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services Appreciation Dinner

I am so grateful to have been a part of the swearing in of new officers to New Hanover Volunteer Fire & Rescue Services.

Our community thanks you for giving your lives, time, and energy to help those in need. You truly make a difference!

Dr. Boston Foundation MLK Event

What better way to honor Martin Luther King Jr. and his lasting legacy, than to bring our communities together, and give back! It was such a great turnout.

Over 100 volunteers participated across Lansdale, Hatfield, Towamencin, and Upper Gwynedd in the cleaning of several local parks. A great big thank you to all that participated!

Pottstown NAACP MLK Service

Five local heroes this week were recognized for their positive impacts during a service honoring MLK. Joined with me was Rep. Joe Ciresi and Pottstown NAACP President, Johnny Corson.

Alone we can only do so much, but together we can do so much more. It is great to see such collaborative efforts being made towards one common goal; unity and hope.

Red Hill VFW Post 5954 Awards Dinner

Saturday (Jan. 14), I got the opportunity to attend the Red Hill VFW Post 5954 annual awards dinner. Awards were given out to Police Officer of the Year, EMT of the Year, Teacher of the Year, and two student essay awards from Upper Perk School District.

Congratulations to all the award winners! Your hard work and dedication to serving your community, has earned you this well-deserved recognition!

Perkiomen Township Road Improvement Begins Next Week on Route 29 (Gravel Pike) in Perkiomen Township

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) announced this week that Perkiomen Township will be performing roadway improvements next week on Route 29 (Gravel Pike) in Perkiomen Township, Montgomery County.

Motorists are advised of the following travel restriction:

  • Monday, January 23, through Friday, September 1, from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM, a weekday lane closure is scheduled on Route 29 (Gravel Pike) at the intersection with Bridge Street/Graterford Road.

Motorists are advised to allow extra time when traveling through the work area because backups and delays will occur. All scheduled activities are weather dependent.

Perkiomen Township will complete this project under a PennDOT Highway Occupancy Permit.

Motorists can check conditions on more than 40,000 roadway miles, including color-coded winter conditions on 2,900 miles, by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

For a complete list of construction projects impacting state-owned highways in Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties, visit the District 6 Traffic Bulletin.

Information about infrastructure in District 6, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D6Results. Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at www.projects.penndot.gov.

Subscribe to PennDOT District 6 news and traffic alerts at www.penndot.pa.gov/District6.

Senate Approves Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Teacher First Amendment Rights

Following the swearing in of the governor and lieutenant governor on Tuesday, the Senate began the new legislative session in earnest Wednesday by passing several pieces of legislation, including Senate Bill 84.

The measure would eliminate the prohibition on teachers from wearing any dress, mark, emblem or insignia reflecting their faith or denomination.

It would align Pennsylvania with every other state in the nation in preserving and protecting First Amendment rights for educators. The measure was sent to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Senate Acts to Help Farmers Meet Rising Demand for Home Delivery

Legislation to help farmers meet the rising demand for farm products delivered to homes was approved by the Senate.

The current vehicle code allows for home deliveries via a commercial vehicle registration, but prevents the commercial vehicle from being registered as a farm vehicle. As a result, a farmer needs to purchase, register and maintain a separate commercial vehicle for at-home delivery, while also maintaining a farm vehicle to deliver agricultural commodities to places of business.

Senate Bill 95 would remove this duplicative, unnecessary and overburdensome requirement. The bill was sent to the House of Representatives.

Measure to Boost Volunteer Fire Company Membership Approved

To address the serious shortage of volunteer firefighters across Pennsylvania, the Senate passed legislation to create a pilot program giving interested high school students training in firefighting.

Senate Bill 114 would award grants to one higher education school each in eastern, central and western Pennsylvania to establish fire training programs for students in high school, with the hope they will remain firefighters for years to come.

The number of Pennsylvania volunteer firefighters has plummeted from 300,000 in the 1970s to fewer than 37,000. Senate Bill 114 was sent to the House of Representatives.

PennDOT Job Openings Posted for College Students

Summer PennDOT jobs are available to full-time college students registered for the Fall 2023 semester. 

Jobs include assisting in seasonal maintenance work, crash system input and analysis, and maintenance and custodial services at roadside rest facilities. Many students also perform laboring and flagging duties in maintenance organizations and at highway worksites. The pay is $15.49 per hour.

Students majoring in engineering or a related scientific or technical field might be interested in engineering internship opportunities at PennDOT’s Central Office (Harrisburg) or at one of its statewide engineering district offices.

Veterans: Now is a Good Time to Review and Update Benefits

The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA) says that the start of the year is a good time for veterans to meet with an accredited veteran service officer to ensure they are receiving or maximizing the benefits they have earned through their service and sacrifice while in uniform.

Safeguarding military paperwork – especially the DD-214, which is used to verify military service – is an important first step for securing benefits. Filing these documents for free at the county courthouse is an easy way to secure them until needed, which can often be decades into the future. Anyone needing assistance locating their military documentation can call the DMVA at 800-547-2838 or e-mail RA-REQ@pa.gov.

A complete list of accredited county directors of veterans affairs and their contact information can be found here. Contact information for accredited veteran service officers can be found here.

Blood Donation is Easy and Safe

Every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs donated blood. Blood donors help accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, those battling cancer and others.

Please take the occasion of National Blood Donor Month to consider providing this lifesaving gift. You can find the nearest blood drive here, and learn more about the process here.

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