The Northwest News

U.S. Senate Panel Adopts Climate Change Legislation
On November 5, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee adopted legislation (S. 1733) aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 20 percent by 2020. The bill is similar to legislation (HR 2544) adopted by the House in June reducing GHG emissions by 17 percent by 2020.

While Senate Democratic leadership has expressed a desire to move climate legislation before the end of the year, it is unclear when the measure may come up for floor consideration. Much of the chamber’s floor time for the remainder of the year is expected to be occupied by appropriations and health care legislation.

States and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) with populations over 200,000 will be required to set GHG emission reduction targets, as well as strategies to achieve these targets, which must be certified by DOT. MPOs with populations under 200,000 may opt out of the process.

Northwest Commission Board Meeting
The next Board Meeting of the Northwest Commission will be held Friday, December 4, in Clarion County at Clarion University. If you plan to attend, the meeting will be held in rooms 107 and 108 in Eagle Commons at Wood Street and Ninth Avenue, Clarion. A continental breakfast will be available at 9:30 a.m. and the board meeting will begin promptly at 10 a.m.

If you are interested in attending please contact Vonda Caldwell by phone at 814.677.4800 x104 for information on parking and additional details.

Agencies Consolidate Broadband Funding Rounds

On November 10, USDA Rural Utilities Service (RUS) and the Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced the streamlining of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) broadband grant and loan programs by awarding the remaining funding in just one more round, instead of two rounds. According to agency press releases, the streamlining is designed to “increase efficiency and better accommodate applicants.”

As part of the streamlining effort, the agencies also announced they are seeking public comment on how best to administer the second round of funding. RUS and NTIA will utilize the feedback received to set the rules for the second funding round, which they expect to announce through a Notice of Funds Availability in early 2010. For more information and to view the official Request for Information issued by RUS and NTIA, please click here.

Northwest Commission’s Annual Dinner: Mark Your Calendar!
The Northwest Commission’s Annual Dinner will be held on Thursday, April 1, 2010 at the Cross Creek Resort in Titusville. The Annual Dinner will consist of a cocktail reception followed by dinner, and an awards presentation. Please mark your calendars to attend and watch for further details!

What Are You Thankful For?
When Thanksgiving comes around every year, we tend to think about what we’re thankful for, whether it’s our family and friends, our home, or the men and women that serve every day in fighting for our freedom. Take a few minutes this Thanksgiving season to think about what you’re thankful or grateful for.

Have a Happy and Blessed Thanksgiving,

Ten Loans Closed – Three Loans Approved

In October, the Northwest Commission closed 10 loans for eight companies:

Dennis Farms, Inc. of Venango County closed on a $20,000 Microloan to purchase inventory. The Microloan program does not require job creation.
Erie Inspection Services, Inc. of Erie County closed on a $60,000 EDA/RLF and a $40,000 USDA Rural Development loan to purchase equipment and for working capital needs. The company will create four new jobs.
Fischer’s Windy Ridge Farm and Windy Ridge Dairy, Inc. of Beaver and Lawrence Counties closed on a $196,000 SBF/FIF/Agriculture loan to construct a milk processing plant and retail store. Because this is an agriculture loan, no job creation is required.
Lavery Brewing Company of Erie County closed on a $14,650 Microloan to purchase equipment and for working capital needs to start a production brewing business. The Microloan program does not require job creation.
James & Jane McDowell of Lawrence County closed on a $59,900 SBF/FIF/Agriculture loan to purchase land. Because this is an agriculture loan, no job creation is required.
Oil Valley Physical Therapy, Inc. of Crawford County closed on an $82,000 ARC/RLF loan and a $38,000 EDA/RLF loan to purchase a building. The company will create an additional five jobs.
PennTecQ, Inc. of Mercer County closed on a $200,000 EDA/RLF loan to purchase equipment. The company will retain 120 employees.
York-Seaway Industrial Products, Inc. of Erie County closed on a $56,000 EDA/RLF loan to purchase equipment. The company will retain 76 employees.

The Loan Committee approved three loans in October:

Dennis Farms, Inc. ,of Venango County
Local X Change, LLC, of Clarion County
Mac & B, Inc., of Erie County

Please click here for a list of upcoming events available to small businesses!

Upcoming Training Events
The PTAC program is currently coordinating future training events so please keep an eye on the website calendar for upcoming events!

Central Contractor Registration (CCR) REMINDER
December 21, 2009 - For those of you who are registered with the CCR to do business with the federal government, the deadline to switch from using your DUNS number and TPIN and create your own user-name and password so you can login to/update your CCR profile is December 21, 2009. All those companies that have not created and switched their login information to a username and password will be inactivated in the CCR after December 21. Please note that after that date, you will be unable to bid on any federal contracts until you have re-registered in the CCR and you could possibly lose any current federal contracts you may have as you would be inactive in the CCR.

Join us for our Export Documentation and Compliance Seminar!
The international team is excited to announce an up-coming training event scheduled for December 1, in Erie. Bob Imbriani with Team WorldWide, N.J. is going to offer a full day event providing training on:

Incoterms 2000
Export Compliance Issues (Basics of the EAR and ITAR)
Commercial and Legal Documents
Customs Related Exports (e.g. ATA Carnet, TIB Cancellations, Duty Drawback)
Requirements for filing the AES/EEI
Classification under the Harmonized System
Transportation Methods & Freight Rates

You can learn about all of these and more for just a $50.00 registration fee. The seminar will be held at the Ambassador Banquet & Conference Center, Interstate 90 & Peach Street, Erie, PA 16509. For additional information, please contact Claudia Garcia.

‘The Fundamentals of International Business Contracts: What you must know!’
On December 17, the Northwest Commission in close partnership with the Oil Regional Alliance is providing a half day training session on International Business Contracts, to include modules on:

International Business Transactions
Financial Considerations for Overseas Operations
Negotiating & Drafting Foreign Agency and Distribution Agreements
Drafting an Arbitration Clause for International Contracts
The United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods
The Foreign Corrupt Practices ACT (FCPA)
What You Need to Know about U.S. AntiBoycott Laws

The speaker for the event is Dennis Unkovic, Partner of Meyer, Unkovic, and Scott LLP, Pittsburgh. This training will be located at Sperian Fall Protection, Inc., 1345 15th St. Franklin, PA 16323. A Continental Breakfast / Registration will be held at 8:30am and the training will run from 9:00am – 12:00pm. There is a Registration Fee of $15. For additional information, please contact Katarina Ishman.

Market Access Grants will be available!
The Northwest Commission received the final draft of the new guidelines for the Market Access Grant FY 2009-2010 and Market Access Grant funding will be available! There are some changes in the guidelines of the previous year. The allowable amount per company per fiscal year has been reduced to $3,000. Companies can only apply one time per fiscal year with one event/activity per application. International Certifications and Translations are no longer eligible for grant funding. Funding is reserved for trade show participation, trade mission participation, foreign market sales trips, or subscription to USDOC services. Please contact Dorte Heffernan for additional questions.

We are actively recruiting for the following trade missions and trade shows:

Trade Mission to Australia and New Zealand, March 1-9, 2010
IndiaWood 2010, Bangalore, India, March 4-8, 2010
Business Development Mission to Turkey, March 15-19, 2010
Bauma 2010, Munich, Germany, April 19-25, 2010
Global Petroleum Show 2010, Calgary, Canada, June 8-10, 2010

KIZ Funding Approved
The NWPA KIZ was approved for its second round of funding by the Ben Franklin Technology Development Authority Board on October 22, 2009 for the amount of $187,500. The contract for this program runs through June 2011.

KIZ Micro Grant Awarded
KIZ company, Forward Vision, was awarded a $10,000 KIZ Micro Grant on October 23, 2009. The grant funds will be used toward the cost of materials associated with developing and building a prototype for a Laser Based Scanning Head-Up Display (HUD) Projector. This will enable Forward Vision to collaborate with VirtualHud and bring this product to market sooner.

Innovation Grants Available
The Innovation Grant Program (IG) replaces the Keystone Innovation Grant Program (KIG) and has $1,500,000 available to provide seed capital in the form of grants for faculty and students to perform proof of concept efforts; to hire staff in a technology transfer office or to create a shared resource to provide technology transfer assistance; and to provide support for services related to the technology transfer process at academic medical institutions, non-profit research institutions, and Pennsylvania Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) with preference given to Keystone Innovation Zone-participating IHEs. The application deadline is January 22, 2010 for requests up to $150,000.

ROI Contracted
The company, Research On Investment, has been contracted to help identify potential businesses interested in establishing a business presence in the region.

International RFP Request
Two proposals were sent to the International Trade Development office at DCED in response to a request from a Canadian company for locations conducive for a call center.

KOZ Property Interest
Nine potential KOZ sites were forwarded to an Oregon company interested in establishing multiple operations in Pennsylvania.

Pennsylvania Energy Partnership (PEP) Year 3 Work Plan Complete
The LDDs have completed the work plan for year three of PEP. The Partnership will continue along the same path as the previous two years while enhancing professional development through additional trainings and seminars. There will be a heavier focus on energy related workshops for constituents in order to better educate them on relevant issues and prepare them for the upcoming removal of electricity rate caps. Additionally, there will be an effort to actively look for opportunities to create savings through the formation of buying consortiums, much like the LED Traffic Signal Bulk Purchase Program that was recently completed. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions regarding PEP, please contact Bill Rupert at 814.297.7158 x103,

Northwest Commission Now Accepting New Clients for Energy Assessments
These assessments are free of charge for all municipalities, schools, and non-profit organizations within the eight county region. An Energy Assessment, especially when combined with a Utility Bill Analysis, is an excellent way to save money on utility costs by recognizing conservation opportunities, especially considering the electricity rate caps that will be coming off in the near future (or may have come off already depending on your location). Additionally, the Energy Assessments will now be much more encompassing than before due to the added capabilities of thermal imaging, light monitoring, and moisture recognition.

LED Traffic Signal Bulk Purchase Rebates
The Commission is currently in the process of distributing the rebates to those municipalities who participated in the LED Traffic Signal Bulk Purchase Program. The Commission will be reaching out to the municipalities in the near future to confirm delivery of all LED signal orders and to request an invoice so that the Commission may begin disbursements.

MTAP Schedule Under Construction
The Northwest Commission is currently putting a schedule together for the next round of MTAP classes. The Commission hopes to have a final schedule in place prior to year’s end with classes beginning in January of 2010. New offerings for this year will include courses on Social Networking, Microsoft Vista, PC Security and Maintenance, and Conducting a Mail Merge. As soon as the final schedule is confirmed, it will be posted on the Commission's web site.

MTAP Computer Labs Needed
It was the Commission's hope to spread it's new course schedule out across the region to better accommodate each of the eight counties that are represented. What the Commission is finding is that not only is it difficult to find new locations that have the appropriate equipment, but some of the previously used facilities are no longer available or they have changed to a fee structure that unfortunately eliminates them as an option. If you are aware of any computer labs that could be used for the purpose of MTAP trainings, please contact Bill Rupert.

Route 62 Transportation Study Proposals Awarded
The Northwest Commission received 15 proposals for the Route 62 Smart Transportation Study. This project will focus on encouraging in-fill redevelopment south of the Allegheny River in Oil City’s south side business and commercial districts. The project will also determine a set of multi-modal infrastructure projects that will improve the safety and mobility of residents and visitors. The Commission and selection committee reviewed proposals and interviewed five consulting firms. After a very competitive process, Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson (JMT) was awarded the contract to develop the Route 62 Smart Transportation Study.

State Transportation Hearings held in October
The Northwest Commission provided testimony at the State Transportation Commission (STC) hearing that occurred in Erie in early October. The hearings were conducted to collect public testimony for the update of the 2011 Twelve Year Transportation Program. The Commission’s regional overview touched on the current transportation conditions, creative partnerships used to link land use and planning and also discussed funding allocations for the region.

Please contact W. Randy Rice, Director, Community Development and Planning at 814.677.4800 x101 if you have any questions regarding transportation planning.

BFRR Program Demonstrating Impact – Preparing for Self-Promotion
Commission staff is in the process of preparing a final report summarizing the impact of the Bona-Fide Retail Request program conducted between April 1, 2008 and September 30, 2009. An initial review of program data reveals that nearly 200 points of contact were established with individuals and communities. More than 400 individual BFRR “petitions” for DSL service were submitted to phone companies by the Commission representing phone customers from 81 unique telephone exchanges. An important aspect of program closeout will include the development of a self-help guide that individuals and communities can use to use the BFRR program to pursue high-speed Internet connectivity independently.

Commission to Promote Increased Collaboration in Second Round Broadband Stimulus
Anticipating the second and apparently final round of broadband stimulus funding, the Commission will be promoting the award-winning Inter-Governmental Excellence Through Information Technology (IGET.IT) program as a framework for and/or alternative to federal broadband stimulus funding. IGET.IT emphasizes the imperative of network sustainability through savings achieved through implementing shared technology solutions in a collaborative manner.

Northwest Regional Managers’ Network – Congratulations to Olde Town Grove City’s Main Street manager, Lisa Pritchard, for being selected as one of the two recipients of the Grove City College Florence E. MacKenzie Campus-Community Awards for 2009. Said a nominator, “I know Lisa truly considers Grove City College as an incredible asset to this community and she has gone above and beyond in many other ways to make sure that connection stays strong.” Lisa will be honored at a ceremony on campus on November 17th. Developing and maintaining strong Town-Gown relationships is just one of the important parts of what Main Street programs and managers do for our communities and has been an item of discussion within the Regional Network. Lisa has been a contributing member of this network since the Community Revitalization program implemented these meetings. Congratulations Lisa!

Route 6 Heritage Communities - In recognition of the unique position played by the communities and small towns along Route 6, and the reality that the viability and sustainability of these communities impact Route 6 as a heritage tourism resource, the implementation of the Pennsylvania Route 6 Heritage Communities Program is an effort to maintain and enhance these communities. The Commission’s Community Revitalization program will now be providing assistance to the western designated communities of Conneaut Lake and Youngsville and assisting with the new 2010 applicants. The 2010 Heritage Community designation guidelines and applications are now available at http://www.paroute6.com under the Heritage Corridor tab. The application deadline is December 30.

Forest County – The HTC Group and Meritage Consulting presented an update on their report for county-wide development of sustainable tourism growth on October 20th at the Forest Ranger Station in Marienville. This tourism project was funded through the Appalachian Regional Commission with project assistance provided through the PA Great Outdoors Visitors Bureau. Forest County residents were given the opportunity to prioritize suggested initiatives from the focus group meetings and the final report will offer guidance on project implementation. The Commission has been providing ongoing assistance to this effort as well as the Growing Greener II initiative in downtown Tionesta and new web site improvements.

Northwest community organizations and municipal managers interested in bringing community revitalization information, topic specific workshops, and training to central business districts and neighborhoods, please contact Suzanne Gagliardo, CMSM, Manager, Community Development at 814.677.4800 x122.

Second Round of Implementation Grant Announced
The Northwest Commission sent a mailing announcing the second round of an implementation grant. The main goal of the implementation grant project (if funded) will be to have a block of money that will be made available to entities in northwest Pennsylvania (county/local government, conservation districts, conservancies, trail groups, etc. ) to implement the recommendations/projects that are identified in the greenway plans (county/regional). The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Fish & Boat Commission (FBC) are partnering with DCNR on this project. Grant applications are due to the Northwest Commission by December 11, 2009.

Jo Cramer is a Administrative Assistant at the Northwest Commission. She works very close with the Loan department but also helps carry out tasks for every department in the Commission office.

Feel free to contact Jo by telephone at 814.677.4800 x113 or email her at: joc@nwcommission.org

What is your favorite type of food?
I like Seafood (except squid, octopus or eel)

Do you have any hidden talents?
I have a very artistic/crafty culinary side. Cake anyone?

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?
Queen Elizabeth I

What CD is in your CD player right now?
Meatloaf - Bat out of Hell II

If Hollywood made a movie about your life, whom would you like to see play the lead role as you and why?
Melanie Griffith, because she can be serious and funny.

What is the most satisfying thing about working at the Commission?
I learn something new every single day.

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