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2012 Note: Newest reports are listed first and continue chronologically in the order they were submitted. Any ideas can be submitted to Public Information Officer Jeff Greenburg at jgreenburg@mcc.co.mercer.pa.us.
Come join the Mercer County Conservation District in
cooperation with Munnell Run Farm on
Saturday, April 21st from 10:00
AM until 2:00 PM to celebrate Earth Day. This year’s Earth Day
celebration will be held at Munnell Run Farm, located at
What is geocaching? To put it simply, geocaching is an outdoor activity in
which participants utilize the technological abilities of a GPS to locate a
hidden treasure or unique geological area. We will teach you about what it is,
how to get started, and how to utilize a GPS unit. This day also signifies
the kick-off of our Shenango River geoWatershed Trail that spotlights geological
features throughout the Shenango River Watershed. The first 100 who find
the 12 EarthCache sites spread across the Shenango River Watershed will receive
a free commemorative geocoin to congratulate their achievement. At 11:30 AM,
we will have the Grand Opening of “Munnell Run Farm’s Country Store”; and
at 12:00 Noon, enjoy a free lunch
on us. From 12:45 PM to 2 PM, we will wrap up the day with a Family
Scavenger Hunt.
The Mercer County Bureau of Elections is again looking for a few good students
interested in gaining a valuable real-life lesson in civics by serving as a
student poll worker for the county. Students would be required to attend a
regularly-scheduled two-hour training session two weeks before the April 24
primary. They are then sworn in on Election Day along with the adult poll
workers and can perform any election work that’s asked of them by the
precinct’s Judge of Elections. Because they aren’t paid, students have the
option of working a full or partial day. An appropriate school administrator or government teacher from each district interested in having their students participate should contact Director of Elections Jeff Greenburg at 724-662-7542 or by E-mail at jgreenburg@mcc.co.mercer.pa.us for more information. Please have only one representative from each school compile the list of students in order to avoid any confusion.
Cochranton, Pa. -- To address the basics of
pond management, Bryan Swistock from Penn State, and representatives from the
Crawford, Mercer, and Venango Conservation Districts as well as the Pennsylvania
Lake Management Society, will offer a workshop from 9:00 AM until 12:30 PM
on Saturday, May 5th. The program will be presented at the Cochranton
Volunteer Fire Department at
Ponds can provide many recreational benefits to homeowners, but they have their
share of problems, says a water resources specialist in
During the program, Swistock and others will offer tips and advice on common
pond problems and proper management. The program involves presentations as well
as a question and answer program.
"The most frequent questions involve the control of aquatic plants and
weeds," says Swistock, "so we'll spend time discussing how to identify
and control nuisance plants and algae. We also get a lot of questions about
fisheries, so we'll discuss the best kinds of fish to stock, the species to
avoid and how to harvest to keep the populations balanced." The cost of the program is $10.00. Pre-register by April 30th to insure sufficient handout materials. For more information on the program, contact the Venango Conservation District at 814-676-2832.
On the go is an appropriate phrase for Mercer County Government, which is truly focused in on that effort in 2012 in the wake of an election year that saw significant turnover in its elected officials. Taking a seat at the County Seat for the first time are Common Pleas Judge Robert G. Yeatts, Commissioner Matthew B. McConnell, Prothonotary Ruth A. Bice, Recorder of Deeds DeeDee Zickar and Sheriff Gary A. Hartman, who expect to continue the good practices that were put in place by their predecessors and bring new ideas to those offices in order to keep the county “on the go.” That quintet replaced
long-standing public servants Francis J. Fornelli, Kenneth Ammann, Liz Fair,
Rhonda McClelland and Bill Romine, respectively, and will join courthouse
veterans in President Judge Thomas R. Dobson, Judge John C. Reed, Judge
Christopher St. John, Commissioner Chairman John Lechner, Commissioner Brian
Beader, Clerk of Courts/Register of Wills Kathy Kloos, Controller Tom Amundsen,
Coroner J. Bradley McGonigle III, District Attorney Bob Kochems and Treasurer
Ginny Steese Richardson. Among the 2012 goals for the
county are: ·
A joint venture with counties in Southwest Pennsylvania to share
call routing equipment between 911 Centers that will save money and give
residents an extra layer of protection in the event phone service is lost in any
of those counties. ·
Upgrades to the Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping that
should prove beneficial to those organizations and individuals focused on
economic development. ·
Expanding the option for toll-free calling to the courthouse for
all residents of the county by increasing the number of available lines through
an upgrade in technology that will also more importantly save tax dollars by
lowering monthly phone costs. ·
A new agreement for natural gas at a reduced cost that will save
thousands of dollars over previous contracts. Perhaps most significant for
taxpayers is county officials will continue these efforts while keeping a
watchful eye on spending, which enabled them to move into 2012 with a balanced
budget and no property tax increase for residents.
… OR (ALMOST) EVERYTHING AN INFORMED VOTER NEEDS TO KNOW! ELECTIONS 1. Election Dates: a. Primary – April 24, 2012 b. General – November 6, 2012 2. Voting Hours: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. 3. Key word: PATIENCE 4. Educate yourself as to what offices are on the ballot. This year you will see the following: a. Federal races: President of the United States, U.S. Senator, and U.S. Representative, National Delegates and Alternate Delegates for 3rd Congressional District b. Statewide races: Attorney General, Auditor General and State Treasurer c. State-level races: Representative in the General Assembly d. Countywide races: None e. Municipal races: None f. Precinct-level races: Republican Committeeman and Committeewoman (winners decided in primary). 5. Redistricting occurred at both the federal and state levels and will affect voters’ ballots in many precincts. a.
All of b.
All of c. There were many changes to the State House Districts in the county.
i.
The following municipalities vote in the 7th State
House District: Cities of Farrell, Hermitage and Sharon; Townships of
Lackawannock, Pymatuning, Shenango, South Pymatuning and West Salem; and
Boroughs of Clark, ii. The following municipalities vote in the 8th State House District: Townships of Coolspring, Deer Creek, Fairview, Findley, French Creek, Jackson, Lake, Liberty, Mill Creek, New Vernon, Perry, Pine, Sandy Lake, Springfield, Wolf Creek and Worth; and Boroughs of Fredonia, Grove City, Jackson Center, Mercer, New Lebanon, Sandy Lake and Stoneboro.
iii.
The following municipalities vote in the 17th State
House District: Townships of Delaware, East Lackawannock, Greene, Hempfield,
Jefferson, Otter Creek, 6.
Voter ID: While discussion is underway among the General Assembly
in 7. Haven’t used the county’s touch screen voting system before? No problem. A voting tutorial is linked at the county’s Web site at www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us. Click on Voter Registration/Elections and then link to View ESS iVotronic. Or visit the election office at the courthouse for an opportunity to get your hands on a machine. 8. Expect lines at certain times of the day, especially first thing in the morning, around lunch time and then after dinner. The shortest waits usually occur mid-morning or mid-afternoon. 9.
10.
11. ALL voters in line at 8 p.m. – even if that line stretches outside the building and down the street – are permitted by law to vote. If you are NOT in line at 8 p.m. when the Judge of Elections announces the polls are closed, you are NOT allowed to vote. The Judge should assign a poll worker to mark the last person who was IN LINE at 8 p.m. 12. Election returns will be posted as they arrive at the courthouse on the county’s Web site at www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us. 13.
The first day to circulate and file a petition for Republicans and
Democrats is Jan. 24, 2012. Packets for local candidates will be available in
the county’s election office beginning Jan. 20, 2012. The last day to
circulate and file a petition is Feb. 14, 2012. Only committee candidates will
pick up packets at the Mercer County Courthouse. All others will need to get
them from the Department of State in 14.
The first day to circulate and file nominating papers for minor
party and independent candidates is Feb. 15, 2012. The last day to circulate and
file nominating papers is Aug. 1,
2012. Packets for those candidates will be available from the Department of
State in 15. Voter Registration Deadlines: a. Primary – March 26, 2012 b. General – October 9, 2012 16. If you have moved since you last voted, you need to register at your current address. If your name has changed as a result of marital status or some other reason, you need to register under your new name. 17. If you haven’t voted in more than five years, there is a good chance your voting status has been made inactive or canceled. If you are inactive, you can vote but you are required to show a proper form of identification and sign an affirmation. 18. If you have been canceled, you must register again. 19.
If you have any question about your voting status, it’s worth
the time needed to check on it. Stop in the election office at the courthouse or
call us at 724-662-7542. Our hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday-Friday. ABSENTEE
BALLOTS 20. If you are going to be out of the precinct on Election Day or you have an illness or disability that prevents you from going to the polls, you can vote by absentee ballot. Absentee ballot applications are available at some post offices, municipal buildings and libraries in the county, as well as online at the county’s Web site or by calling the election office. 21. The deadline to apply for a regular absentee ballot for the primary is April 17, 2012, and the ballot must be returned to the election office by 5 p.m. April 20, 2012. 22.
The deadline to apply for a regular absentee ballot for the
general election is Oct. 30, 2012, and the ballot must be returned to the
election office by 5 p.m. November 2, 2012. POLLING
PLACES 23. You can check your polling place location online at the county’s Web site: www.mcc.co.mercer.pa.us. Click on Voter Registration/Elections at left and look for a link to polling locations. There are also precinct maps. 24.
There is one polling place change this year: Hermitage SW-3 is
moving from Holy Cross Orthodox Church on
Have you ever wanted to try out the unique sport of snowshoeing, but you
haven’t had the opportunity? Start the New Year off right by scratching
off another item on your bucket list. We, here at Munnell Run Farm, would like
to cordially invite you to Munnell Run Farm’s Snowshoe Adventure on Sunday,
January 8, 2012 from 2:00 pm- 4:30 pm. We will meet at the Pig Barn on Munnell
Run Farm located at
Join us as we not only teach you how to snowshoe, but allow us to expose you to
the wonderful winter world. Our trek will take us through fields and
forests as we discover the many secrets of the winter wonderland. No
experience is necessary; beginners are welcome. Please dress appropriately
for an afternoon in the great
Are you an outdoor enthusiast who loves learning about new places to explore?
Do you have an interest in learning about the various sites scattered across the
·
January 18, 2012- ·
February 15, 2012- ·
March 21, 2012- ·
April 18, 2012- Eastern National Parks and Historic
Sites: Part 1 ·
May 16, 2012- Eastern National Parks and Historic
Sites: Part 2
The newest agency to assist Mercer County emergency
service providers will focus its efforts on four-legged, rather than two-legged,
victims. The Mercer
Its goals are: 1.
To facilitate a rapid,
coordinated, and effective response to any emergency
affecting animals 2. To decrease the health and safety threat to humans and animals 3.
To minimize the
economic impact of emergencies affecting animals 4.
To prevent or
decrease the spread of disease during emergencies affecting animals.
The Mercer County Animal Response Team (MCART) will be deployed by the
Mercer County Emergency Management Agency 911 Center.
It will respond to fires, motor vehicle accidents, natural disasters and
any man-made or natural animal emergency.
It's Web site is pasart.us or
contact the MCART Co-coordinators for more information.
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