The Northwest News

2010 Annual Dinner-REGISTER NOW!
The Northwest Commission will be holding its Annual Dinner at Cross Creek Resort in Titusville on Thursday, April 1, 2010. Please plan to attend, and join us for an evening of networking and recognition as the Northwest Commission honors the Board Member of the Year, Business of the Year, Partner of the Year and Local Government of the Year.

If you have not already registered, please do so by:

1. Sending an email to rsvp@nwcommission.org

2. By contacting Amber Walters directly at 814.677.4800 x100.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Local Development Districts host Capitol Day
The Northwest Commission, along with its six sister agencies, convened at the Capitol on March 9, 2010 to meet with their respective legislators as well as leadership within the House and Senate. The LDDs have recently developed the 2008-2008 Impact Summary and are proud to report that one job is created or retained for every $421 invested by the Commonwealth in the LDD line item. A special thank you goes out to the Northwest legislators for taking the time to meet with Commission staff!

President Signs Short-Term Highway Bill Extension, Congress Prepares Long-Term Extension as Part of Jobs Bill

On March 2, President Obama signed into law legislation (H.R. 4691) extending funding for federal surface transportation programs through the end of March 2010. Federal surface transportation programs shut down March 1-2, 2010 after the bill was filibustered by arguments that the measure’s $10.3 billion price tag should be fully offset.

The bill also contains an extension of unemployment benefits and the flood insurance program as well as a provision that would prevent a cut in Medicare physician payments.

Appalachian Regional Commission Co-Chair Confirmed

On March 10, the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Earl Gohl to be Federal Co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC).

Mr. Gohl’s experience includes service as Executive Assistant to the Mayor of Harrisburg (PA), Deputy Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Community Affairs and as an Associate Assistant Secretary within the U.S. Department of Labor.

Visit Us on Facebook
The Commission has recently developed its own facebook page and will be keeping it up-to-date with news and events. We would love to have you as a fan - please join by clicking her e .

Wishing you a rainbow
For sunlight after showers—
Miles and miles of Irish smiles
For golden happy hours—
Shamrocks at your doorway
For luck and laughter too,
And a host of friends that never ends
Each day your whole life through!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK’S DAY!!

One Loan Approved

In February, the Loan Committee approved one loan:

Abbatron, LLC of Erie County

Upcoming Events:

2010 Entrepreneur Training Series
The Northwest Commission along with Clarion University SBDC is proud to once again be sponsoring the Entrepreneur Training Series. These events are free of charge and open to entrepreneurs in all stages of business who want to benefit from networking and education. The events are held the second Wednesday of every other month – six events a year. If you are interested in attending or have an idea for an event topic, please contact Jo Cramer at 814.677.4800 x113.

Please Click Here for the events available to small business in the region.

PTAC Government Contracting Specialist Speaks at Seminar
The Northwest Commission attended two training seminars on March 11^th where Krystal Pistone, Government Contracting Specialist, presented an overview of the Commission’s PTAC program. Topics in the presentation included why you should sell to the government, the services that the PTAC can provide a company in assisting them with this process, and examples of companies within the region that have had great success in obtaining government contracts. This full-day event was held for any company who was looking for information regarding the state procurement process. Elizabeth Bowers with the PA Department of General Services’ PA Minority Business Enterprise / Women Business Enterprise (MBE/WBE) Program presented, and provided attendees insight on how the state purchases goods and services, how to properly respond to a bid and how state contracting can assist in growing a small business.

New Government Contracting Manager Hired
Please welcome the new Manger of Government Contracts, Lisa Wood. You may contact her in the Oil City office at 814.677.4800 x 102.

Doing Business in China - Navigate the China market with the help of Experts and compete to win!
Join the Commission for this full-day event on April 20th and receive basic business strategies in order to succeed in the China market. The agenda offers regional companies to meet one-on-one with the PA Trade Representatives from the China-Beijing and China-Shanghai trade offices. Attendees also receive China marketing briefings and learn to understand the Chinese business culture. They receive tools on how to protect Intellectual Property Rights and how to proactively respond to import competition from China (Trade Adjustment Assistance).

The event will take place at the Grove City College, Carnegie Alumni Center. Registration is $25 per person. Please click here to view the agenda. For online registration, please click here.

Mini Training Session on Term of Sales (INCOTERMS) and Term of Payment
The International Program is offering upon special request of one of it's Venango County clients the above listed mini training session on April 29 at the Northwest Commission. The event will be held in the Commission's Conference Room. Gary Carver of Carvel International, Erie, is going to present this half-day event scheduled for 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM. The training is available to a limited number of attendees. Registration is available on a first-come first-served basis. There is a registration fee of $15 per person. Please contact Katarina Ishman to register.

Rio Oil and Gas Expo & Conference 2010 - Rio de Janerir, Brazil - September 13-16
Brazil ranks 17th in the world in terms of proven oil reserves. It is not part of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The new large oil and gas discoveries (Tupi and Jupiter) that Petrobras made in late 2007 under the pre-salt layer could turn Brazil into a net oil and gas exporter.

Recent Brazilian Petroleum Institute's estimates show that Brazil has probable reserves of 60-80 billion barrels and possible reserves of 20-30 billion. Such figures take into account the recent discoveries in Brazil's pre-salt layer (Tupi, Jupiter, and others). According to 2007 OPEC statistics, Brazil's proven crude oil reserves reached 12.2 billion barrels. Petrobras planned to put 11 new oil platforms in operation in 2009. By 2010, another 22 units will explore for oil in Brazil. December 2008 statistics show that Brazil has 90 active onshore and offshore drilling rigs mostly operated by Petrobras.

Export opportunities exist for offshore equipment and services include flexible pipes, oil well completion systems, pumps, valves, drill pipes, and undersea services. Onshore E&P best prospects include progressive cavity and sucker rod pumps, polish rods, tri-cone drill bits, packer systems, flow control equipment, compressors, heat exchangers, plant automation, well simulation, sand control completions, and others.

Pennsylvania's Center for Trade Development is pleased to offer Pennsylvania companies an opportunity to participate in Rio Oil & Gas Expo and Conference 2010.

Pleas click here for the registration form.

ROI Update
The Commission has had 12 calls with companies looking at the possibility of expanding into Pennsylvania. One is a real contact.

Canadian Firm Interested in Mercer
The PA Investment Office in Montreal has identified an investment prospect for Mercer County. Penn Northwest and Commission staff are working with the PA offices to provide information for a decision by the client. Other states are competing for the prospect.

Plastic Firm Interested in the Region
The PA Investment Office in the UK has identified an investment prospect in the plastic industry they will be in the region visiting sites during April.

Northwest Commission Energy Workshops Proving Popular
The response to the Commission’s Energy Workshops has been very positive. So far, the Commission has conducted four sessions (three “Strategic Energy Management” and one “Saving Energy Pays”) with a combined attendance of 107 participants. These workshops have already led to several projects for the municipalities and non-profit organizations in attendance, and have facilitated discussions toward many more.

Now is the time to prepare for the impending removal of electricity rate caps throughout the region. If you feel that your organization can benefit from an energy conservation project, please contact the Commission or plan on attending one of the remaining workshops.

Workshops for Strategic Energy Management are as follows:

3/17/10 – Clarion County: SMI, Strattanville
4/14 – 3/22/10 – Erie County: Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Erie
3/24/10 – Forest County: Bucktail Hotel, Marienville

For all questions & comments please contact Bill Rupert at 814.297.7158 x103.

Pennsylvania Energy Partnership (PEP) Presents at the Development District Association of Appalachia Conference in Washington, D.C.
Pennsylvania Energy Partnership (PEP) staff served on a presentation panel along with Penn State University and ARC representatives at the Development District Association of Appalachia (DDAA) Annual Conference in Washington D.C. on March 1, 2010. The presentation was designed to highlight the award winning PEP program that has been developed by the seven PA Local Development Districts (LDDs). PEP provides technical assistance, training and support services, thus empowering communities to make informed energy consumption and conservation decisions. The presentation provided a roadmap for the replication and implementation of the program by the LDDs in the 12 other Appalachia states. More than 70 individuals attended the well-received presentation.

PA Act 129…What You Need to Know
The Commission encourages you to investigate what your local electric provider is offering under PA Act 129. Act 129 requires electric providers to reduce the amount of their load on the grid or incur significant fines. In order to meet their goals, these providers are now (and will continue to be) offering significant funding opportunities for municipal, business/commercial, and even residential customers to reduce their energy consumption. Depending on the particular project a significant portion (up to 100% in some circumstances) of the project’s material costs may be recouped. The Commissions encourages you to contact your electric company to learn what types of programs and incentives that they are currently offering.

For the region’s First Energy customers, you may use the following link to monitor their programs: www.energysavePA.com

The MTAP classes for 2010 have once again proven to be extremely popular to the region’s municipal employees. Course space is filling up quickly so the Commission urges you to sign up for any desired course as soon as possible.

Remaining Schedule for 2010

3/31 – PC Security and Maintenance Level II, Franklin
4/14 – Excel 2007 Level III, Meadville
4/21 – Word 2007 Level III, Clarion
5/05 – QuickBooks Level I, Warren
5/19 – QuickBooks Level II, Warren
6/02 – Microsoft Outlook, Corry
6/16 – Mail Merge, Corry
6/16 – Excel Functions, Corry
6/21 – Microsoft Access 2007 Database Level I, Clarion

View the official MTAP schedule by clicking Here!

MTAP Computer Equipment Giveaway is Closing Soon - Sign Up Now!
The window of opportunity is closing for those municipalities who would like the chance to acquire a free flat screen computer monitor as a part of the MTAP program. If you have a need for one of these monitors, the Commission asks that you simply send an email to Bill Rupert stating your name, job title, contact information, and municipality. Winners will be chosen at random and then notified as a group. Monitors will be given out by appointment on a first come, first served basis. Limit is one per municipality.

Entries will be accepted through March 31, 2010 and the winners will be notified shortly thereafter.

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding the MTAP program, please contact Bill Rupert at 814.297.7158 x103.

LTAP classes for municipal officials and any interested party have begun for 2010. All classes start at 8:00 AM with doors opening at 7:30 AM. The courses are free of charge but you must register before the class by contacting Sue Smith at 814.677.4800 x131.

3/11 – Roadway Safety Improvement Program, Strattenville*
3/25 – Spring Road Maintenance, Strattenville*
3/26 – Spring Road Maintenance, Meadville*
4/07 – Bridge Maintenance and Inspection, Oil City*
4/08 – Roadside Safety Features, Hermitage*
4/13 – Bridge Maintenance and Inspection, Meadville*
5/04 – Asphalt Roads; Common Maintenance Problems, Warren

* Lunch will be provided

Please click here for the complete schedule of LTAP Events.

Upcoming Summer and Fall Courses include: Unpaved & Gravel Roads Maintenance, Drainage: the Key to Roads that Last, Principles of Paving, Posting and Bonding, Traffic Signals, and Winter Road Maintenance. More information will be coming as it is available.

Route 62 Smart Transportation Study
Three meetings were conducted for the Route 62 Study at the beginning of February. The first meeting was with the Project Steering Committee and included discussions reviewing existing traffic conditions and assumptions for future projections, as well as group discussions on the overall project goals, objectives and vision. The second meeting was held with the Southside Business Association and also included a Strength, Weakness, Opportunities and Threat (SWOT) analysis and a Visual Preference Survey to gain an understanding of the business’s concerns with the project corridor. The final meeting included a presentation to the Oil City Council of the scope and anticipated schedule of the project. Work during the month of February also included the continuation of obtaining critical data and working with Venango County to obtain relevant GIS information. The consultant, JMT, has now begun their review.

Route 8 Land Use & Transportation Study
Data collection was coordinated during the month of February. Parsons Brinckerhoff, the consultant coordinated with a variety of agencies to obtain published data and documentation. Field data was postponed due to the severe weather conditions in the month of February but are now underway. The third study committee meeting is scheduled for March 26, 2010.

Transportation Advisory Committee
The next meeting of the TAC will be held at 10:30 A.M on March 29th at the first floor of the PennDOT District 1-0 Office, 255 Elm Street, Oil City. Items on the agenda for discussion are the proposed TAC Bylaws, Guideline for TIP Adjustments for the Local Bridge Program, Transit TIP, and Crawford Area Transit Authority Job Access Reverse Commute (JARC) Application.

United Planning Working Program
The 2010-2011 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) was approved by the NWRPO Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC) and submitted to PennDOT Central Office. A Special Request for Capital Projects Assessment was included for consideration.

Significant Broadband Developments
Several recent and anticipated broadband developments represent potentially significant opportunities for Northwest Pennsylvania. Prominent among these developments are the funding of the PA Office of Administration and Pennsylvania Research and Education Network (PennREN) “middle-mile” projects. Combined, these projects represent nearly $150 million in regional broadband network investment. Utilization of these funds is contingent on the willingness and ability of the recipients to make the network available to community Internet Service Providers. The Commission will work, through the Technology Advisory Group (TAG), to determine the process, terms, and conditions by which businesses and communities may access these networks.

Additionally, the Commission is anticipating the release of the National Broadband Plan. The Federal Communications Commission will present the plan to Congress on March 17th. The statutory objectives of the plan are directly relevant to broadband needs in Northwest PA. These objectives include development of a plan that will “seek to ensure that all people of the United States have access to broadband..." and specification of a detailed strategy for achieving affordability of such services.

The Commission will seek to engage specific stakeholders once the details and priorities of the plan are known with certainty. For additional information regarding these projects, the National Broadband plan and/or Commission programs related to broadband contact http://www.broadband.gov, and/or contact W. Randy Rice at respectively.

Bona Fide Retail Request (BFRR) Program Pending Decision in Harrisburg
Funding for the BFRR-related outreach, education, and technical assistance programs of the Commission expired on September 30th. The Commission continues to provide limited assistance to individuals and communities pursuing broadband deployment through the BFRR program. This assistance includes submission of community boundary requests, threshold specifications, and forwarding/tracking of completed BFRR forms. Renewed funding will allow the Commission to target efforts within the dozens of communities in Northwest PA that have initiated the BFRR process but have not been successful in obtaining the required number of service commitments to trigger mandatory DSL deployment. A funding decision is expected by April 1st of this year.

Route 6 Heritage Communities – Conneaut Lake’s Stakeholder Group hosted their final Heritage Community Workshop on February 16th to review major report findings and recommendations and receive public input. The group also held a lunch and work session with members of the Conneaut Lake Community Development Committee on March 2nd to discuss partnerships and potential next steps. The 2010 Heritage Community designations will soon be announced.

The Commission’s Community Revitalization program is providing technical assistance to the Route 6 Heritage Corporation, serving as the western Heritage Community Coordinator. Visit http://www.paroute6.com

ArtsErie – CultureSpark, the Erie County Cultural Plan – On February 24th and 25th, the six CultureSpark task force groups met with the plan’s consultant to review their individual committee recommendations. The draft plan will be presented to the Steering Committee for review and final comments in April and the final plan will be presented on May 21st. Community revitalization staff has been serving as a member of the steering committee for this year long, county-wide planning process.

Connect 2 Communities Conference (C2C) - Save the Date!
Registration for the 4th annual Connect 2 Communities Conference (C2C) is now available. Go to www.nwcommission.org and follow the link. All attendees must be registered for the day-long event to be held on Wednesday, May 5th at Cross Creek Resort on Route 8, just south of Titusville. C2C includes a Continental Breakfast, educational sessions, networking, vendors and exhibits, Lunch, and much more. There will be 12 different educational sessions to choose from. Topics include Storm Water Management (Act 167), Energy (Act 129), technology and broadband, greenways, COSTARS, Marcellus Shale, and more. PennDOT Engineering District 1-0, District Executive Bill Petit will be the lunch-time keynote speaker. Representatives from the Northwest Commission, USDA Rural Development, DCED, DCNR, DEP, PennDOT, PEC and Fish & Boat will be in attendance. Over 20 sponsors, vendors, and exhibitors have already signed up to participate in this year’s event.

Northwest community organizations and municipal managers interested in bringing community revitalization information, topic specific workshops, and training to your central business districts and neighborhoods, please contact Suzanne Gagliardo, CMSM, at 814.677. 4800 X122.

Lisah Cervone is the Assistant Fiscal Manager at the Northwest Commission. In her current capacity, Lisah is responsible for the Accounts Payable and Accounts Receivable. She also handles budget tracking, administers insurance & health programs, and reviews and tracks contracts.

Feel free to contact Lisah by telephone at 814.677.4800 x120 or email her at: lisahc@nwcommission.org.

What is your favorite type of food?
Any kind of Fruit and Veggies

Do you have any hidden talents?
I show horses and used to figure skate

If you could trade places with any other person for a week, famous or not famous, living or dead, real or fictional, with whom would it be and why?
My dad… so I would know what he is really thinking.

What CD is in your CD player right now?
Justin Moore

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you and why?
Sandra Bullock, she’s very real and down to earth.

What is the most satisfying thing about working at the Commission?
Feeling like you are part of something important and looking forward to coming to work everyday!

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