By Rep. Greg Lucas (R-Erie/Crawford)

For many of us, summer means baseball games, ice cream, trips to the beaches of Presque Isle and other outdoor activities. It also signifies the beginning of fair season in Pennsylvania.

You can obtain a free copy of the 2013 Pennsylvania Fair Guide, which is now available at my district office and online.

Published by the state Department of Agriculture, the guide lists the dates, locations and contact persons for more than 100 agriculture fairs and events scheduled this summer and fall in Pennsylvania.

The guide also highlights 16 fairs that offer live harness racing as part of one of the nation’s leading fair racing programs.

It is estimated that several million visitors will attend Pennsylvania fairs this year.

The Department of Agriculture also hosts the annual Pennsylvania State Farm Show, the largest indoor agricultural exhibition in the country. The 2014 Farm Show will be held Jan. 4-11.

For a free copy of the Pennsylvania Fair Guide, visit my Edinboro office at 124 Meadville St. Room 215, or call 814-734-2793.

The guide is also available online at www.RepLucas.com.

Rep. Greg Lucas

Excitement is building for the Perry 200 Grand Patriotic Parade this Saturday in Erie. Parade organizers are expecting as many as 75,000 people to be along the parade route. This historic parade will feature over 20 bands, including a Mummer’s String Band from Philadelphia, bands from Canada, and the 10-time World Champion Junior  Corps-the Cadets. Numerous floats and marching units featuring Erie’s diverse

ethnic communities and civic organizations are also expected, as well as  re-enactment groups, antique cars, and much more!
With the theme, “historical figures of Erie county,” we could not resist making General McLane a significant part of the event. In this week’s Lancer Letter, I’d like to describe what we’ll be doing and give you information on how you can watch the parade and cheer us on.

Leading the McLane contingent will be the pride and spirit of General McLane, the Lancer Marching Band, followed by our cheerleaders. Then comes our float. The float has been a labor or love with many hands involved. Instead of the traditional “build it in the barn” approach, we had it made in pieces and “pomped” in the high school. That made it possible for many students (and adults) to get involved. The elements were assembled on Tuesday and look pretty impressive. It depicts General McLane and his horse at a camp site. A large replica of the regimental flag of the 83rd regiment is at the front of the float.

Following the float will be about 30 elementary age students sporting a t-shirt with our mascot on front and a picture of the General on the back. These kids will also be sporting – are you ready – a General McLane beard!
Finally, following the children will be Civil War re-enactor and GM graduate, Randall McCaslin. Randall will be in full “general garb” and mounted on a horse. He will be preceded by a fife and drummer. Randall was very helpful in our planning as he is a font of knowledge in all things Civil War.

Over the years I’ve heard people ask, “Was General McLane a person?” If any of the 75,000 in attendance asks that question, they just aren’t paying attention!

The parade begins at West 12th and Liberty and will proceed east to State Street. It then turns north on State Street and ends at Fourth Street. There are nine (9) divisions in the parade and General McLane is in Division seven (7). This means we will be toward the end of the parade so don’t leave early!

Parade participants will be dropped off at the 12th and Liberty location and vehicles and busses will be parked at the end of the parade route near Fourth Street. A shuttle bus will be running between the parade start and finish areas.

Our float design was a collective effort. Christina Martin, who teaches some art classes for us, did a masterful job with the final design and making the horse and general for us to pomp. Katie Thompson, art teacher at the high school, did a great job providing the layout and detail for the large 8 foot by seven foot regimental flag. Mary Ann Schenk helped with the design and took charge of the children’s walking unit, making 30 beards. Our high school tech ed department with John Kieffer and Nick Basko, led the building and assembly of the float itself. Marissa Rosenbaum has done much of the leg work for the project and Monica Fritchman and Laura Scott helped find “pompers.” Brian Kelly is providing his horse for the General and Ron Dzeskewicz and his brother have provided the wagon for the float. Other planning committee members included Janie Cochran, Kevin Wible and Randall McCaslin. We want to thank our consultant and long time renowned Edinboro parade man, Ron Sturga, for his help and advice. I also wish to thank all the staff and students at the high school who have helped with the pomping of the float the last three weeks and have put up with the mess in the main lobby. Also, we appreciate the donations of supplies from Hobbs Lumber and Agway and financial support for the General McLane Student Council and Perry 200 committee.

As you can see from the list of people involved (and sorry if I missed anyone), this has been a major effort. It is yet another example of how our school and community can work together to get something accomplished. If you are in Erie on Saturday watching the parade, I hope you swell with pride as you see General John W. McLane’s image pass by in several versions!

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The Lancer Letter is a weekly editorial by Richard Scaletta, Superintendent of Schools, General McLane School District. Opinions expressed are Mr. Scaletta’s views on the issues and subjects of discussion.

By Dr. Rebecca Wise

5 Wise Ways To Beat Seasonal Allergies:

1. Identify triggers (Are you allergic to pollen, dust, mold, animal dander?)

2. Avoid triggers when possible (being in an air-conditioned environment during peak hay-fever season, avoiding certain foods, and eliminating dust mites and animal dander from the home.) If have hay-fever (allergy to pollen) monitor pollen counts in your area to help you determine when to limit your exposure to the outdoors or to know when to take allergy medications.

3. Talk to your doctor about starting an OTC product such as Zyrtec, Allegra, Claritin. Some products do not work for everyone. If you have given a specific product an adequate trial, try another agent before getting discouraged. Other products that can help manage allergy symptoms include nasal steroids and decongestants.

4. Learn to distinguish allergy symptoms from cold symptoms. Both can cause sneezing, runny and stuffy nose. Symptoms more common in cold than allergies include: Cough, sore throat, fever. Symptoms more common from allergies include: itchy eyes. Duration is also different. Allergies can last for weeks while a cold should end in 3-14 days.

5. If you have asthma in addition to allergies, make sure to have a rescue inhaler available in case your asthma is triggered by the allergen. Prevent emergency situations by making sure you have refills left on your prescription and that your inhaler is not expired. If your asthma is not under control, talk to your doctor about the addition of a long term controller medication to prevent asthma episodes.

Be well, Be Wise.

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Dr. Rebecca Wise

Soon to be released is Dr Becky’s new website which will address women’s issues, watch for it: www.WiseWordsforWomen.com
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GIRARD – State Rep. Greg Lucas (R-Erie/Crawford) today showed off his new “Honoring Our Veterans” license plate at Girard American Legion Post No. 494 while describing how the proceeds from the plates will be used to benefit Pennsylvania military veterans and their families.

Lucas’s legislative office can help Pennsylvania drivers apply for one of the new license plates.

“Ordering and using an Honoring Our Veterans license plate is a wonderful way to show your support for military veterans,” Lucas said. “Best of all, the money raised through the license plates will help Pennsylvania military veterans and their families, who have sacrificed so much for us.”

When a constituent purchases a $35 Honoring Our Veterans license plate, $15 from the sale goes to the Veterans Trust Fund, which helps veterans and their families with issues like health care, shelter services and other needs.

Constituents can visit Lucas’s Edinboro district office located at 124 Meadville St., Room 215, to acquire an application for an Honoring Our Veterans license plate.

“We have the applications and are happy to provide them to constituents,” Lucas said. “My goal is to get the word out so that more people are aware that these license plates are available.”

Applications also are available online at the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation’s (PennDOT) website, www.DMV.State.Pa.US.

Rep. Greg Lucas

Our human nature creates a need within us to memorialize certain events in history by setting aside days of recognition. We have days to commemorate the end of military conflicts, celebrate our independence, recognize contributions of national leaders and days to recognize the contributions of the working man and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country. It is important that a nation have these commemorations. I think it equally important that the Lancer nation similarly recognizes achievements that have made our school district what it is. That is one of the reasons we will celebrate the Lancer Legacy Banquet of Academic Excellence on May 23.

This is a celebration that can be embraced by all: all district staff, parents, students and community. At the banquet we will recognize two distinguished alumni and two people to receive the Lancer Legacy Award. It is a time to recognize who we are, the people who helped make us who we are, and the present students who will define our future.

The night starts with dinner at 6:00 p.m. The program begins at 7:00 p.m. Some people come for dinner while others just join us for the ceremony at 7:00 p.m. We start by recognizing our distinguished alumni. Their success is a result of the work of ALL of our teachers and staff from kindergarten through graduation. Everyone has had a hand in their success.

We will recognize Tyler Travis, Executive Director at the John M. and Silvia Ferretti LECOM Medical Fitness & Wellness Center. Yes, when you drive past that beautiful building on Peach St., know that a GM grad is is charge! Not only are the facilities world-class with state of the art equipment, but the science behind what they do, under Tyler’s direction, is also world-class. Tyler’s education and knowledge base is impressive! Over the past two years, Tyler has graciously given many hours to our teachers and coaches to keep them updated on the latest in exercise science. He has also hosted numerous GM student visits to the facility.

Dr. Scott Miller graduated from General McLane in the seventies. He has served as president of three colleges, currently serving in that role at Bethany College. He holds two doctorates, an honorary doctorate and has a stadium named after him in Delaware! Dr. Miller has certainly distinguished himself as an educator and citizen and is a great role model for our students.

This banquet is also a time we recognize and honor our former employees who helped shape our district. Gary Gilbert will receive the Lancer Legacy Award for Contributions to GM Athletics. Gary was with the district from the early days and saw a need for a wrestling program. He used his personal funds to start the program and today, GM Wrestling is one of the largest, most successful programs in the school. Gary taught with us for 36 years and coached wrestling and football for over 20 years. His dedication was pivotal to the establishment of strong sporting programs at GM.

Pat Davis taught physical education at McKean Elementary School for thirty four and one-half years. Pat will receive the Lancer Legacy Award for Contributions to the General McLane School District. Pat established a solid program at McKean and was recognized as the Pennsylvania Teacher of the Year in Elementary Health and Physical Education. Pat instituted many programs that remain in effect today. Many of our students were recipients of scholarship dollars through the Edinboro Triathalon which she has shepherded for many years.

After recognizing those who built our district in the past, we will turn our attention to the present. On this evening we recognize the academic accomplishments of our students, recognizing those who have achieved honor role and other academic distinctions. It is always fun to watch our students go up to receive their awards and wonder where their lives will lead and who may someday be one of our distinguished alumni at a future Legacy Banquet.

Let’s think about this May 23 as THE holiday for the General McLane School District. Please consider being part of the celebration. You can find more information and a reservation form at www.generalmclane.org.

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The Lancer Letter is a weekly editorial by Richard Scaletta, Superintendent of Schools, General McLane School District. Opinions expressed are Mr. Scaletta’s views on the issues and subjects of discussion.

By State Rep. Greg Lucas (R-Erie/Crawford)

The state Supreme Court this week approved a redistricting plan that will move the 5th Legislative District from northwestern Pennsylvania to the eastern part of the Commonwealth in Berks County.

I currently represent the 5th Legislative District covering parts of Erie and Crawford counties. As a result of the redrawn district lines, I will now live in the 3rd Legislative District currently served by Rep. Ryan Bizzarro.

Because of the change, I may lose my job. But to be honest, that’s not what’s important here.

While the redrawn maps and my future as a legislator have gained media attention, the real story is the underlying reason behind the shuffle of legislative districts.

The 5th District is moving from northwestern Pennsylvania to the eastern part of the state because our region has seen a population decrease during the past decade, while other parts of the Commonwealth are growing.

When a state legislator could potentially lose his job, it’s front-page news and a top story on TV and radio. When a few factory workers are laid off or a small business shuts down, few people outside their immediate friends and families take notice.

The two instances are directly linked.

The loss of a legislative district will reduce our region’s clout in the state Capitol. There’s nothing we can do about that right now. The deal is done and the ink is dry.

But these maps are redrawn every 10 years. If we’re going to get that legislative seat back in the future, we need to do something more important: bring jobs and the residents they attract back to northwestern Pennsylvania.

My job is just the latest victim in a decades-old tragedy that has affected too many local families. When jobs leave our region, families usually aren’t too far behind. They search elsewhere for their slice of the American Dream. If opportunity doesn’t knock locally, our residents are willing and able to track it down wherever it may be.

I sought my current position knowing that there was a good chance the district would be moved when the lines were redrawn. People have asked me what I intend to do in the future and whether or not I will run against Bizzarro. There’s plenty of time to figure that out. My current term doesn’t run out – and the lines won’t move – until after the November 2014 general election.

I’m focused on doing the job I was hired by my constituents to do – serve them locally and represent them in Harrisburg.

At the same time, I am hopeful that my potential job loss will serve as a wakeup call instead of a metaphorical kiss goodnight. The fight for northwestern Pennsylvania’s future is far from over.

We have some of the best-trained, hardest-working employees in the nation. We have some of the most innovative employers on the planet. Neither group should be ready or willing to throw in the towel.

During the next year and a half – and any time I may be privileged to serve in the General Assembly beyond that – my focus will remain on growing existing businesses, bringing jobs to our area and reversing the trend of population loss in our region.

My job may be leaving, but there are too many jobs left to fight for to give up now. My greatest hope is that this becomes the moment when our region turned the tides and began its triumphant return to greatness. Our residents deserve nothing less.

Rep. Greg Lucas

Zinnias and petunias around the Education Center, Fall 2012.

The nice weather has finally arrived! If you are like most people, you’ve spent time recently mowing the grass, cleaning the flower beds and readying the outdoor furniture. How much land do you maintain in the summer? One acre? Two acres? Ten acres? How about keeping up with 120 acres?

The school district owns 120 acres that requires maintenance. In the budget cuts of 2011, we had to cut our outdoor staff in half to just one person. Imagine having all that acreage to mow and maintain. Our man, Jim Leube, works hard at it but sometimes the weather works against him. So we’ve had to cut back on what we can do with shrubs and flower beds around our buildings. Therefore, we are announcing our “adopt a garden” program.

We are asking families and organizations to adopt an area around one of our buildings and become the “maintenance crew” for that area. We’ll get to the details of what that involves later but now, I’d like people to consider the benefits of getting involved. If you have children attending one of our schools, making this a family project will not only be good for the family, but will give your children a sense of pride and ownership in their school. It’s a chance to teach community service as well as civic and school pride. As your child walks into the school each day, he or she will remember your family experience and have a sense of pride and belonging.

Perhaps your are part of a civic organization that does community service, or better yet, one of the many organizations that use our buildings throughout the year. This a great opportunity to give back.

Last summer, I adopted the area around the Education Center. I weeded it and planted giant zinnias from the seeds I collected in my yard from the previous year. I threw a little mulch from my pile in the back of my truck and gave the bed a nice finished look. This year, I’ve already transplanted some ornamental grass from my yard to add to the zinnia and sunflower seeds gathered last fall to be planted this year.

If you’d like to adopt one of the areas to maintain from the list below, you can commit to be involved at one of two levels:

Basic Level:
1. Between now and the end of the year, weed the area, trim shrubs if needed and sharpen the edge of the bed.
2. Check on the weeds every two to three weeks between now and mid July when they are most active.
3. Remove any dead plant material in the fall.

Intermediate Level:
1. In addition to the above, add any plant material you’d like to spruce up the bed. You’ll need to do any maintenance required on the plants. If you’re into gardening, you know you can divide plants from your own yard for this.
2. Provide mulch for the area.

The areas in need of “ownership” are listed below. If you’d like to adopt one, please call 273-1033, extension 5901 or you can email me at richardscaletta@generalmclane.org. This project can be a great deal of fun and a source of community pride. Let’s get growing!

High School Areas:
1. Planters in front of school
2. Southwest corner of building
3. Area around the new sign out front (shrubs are being removed)

Middle School
1. Gillette Memorial Garden in Front
2. Shrubs across front of school south of main lobby

Edinboro Elementary
1. Main entrance area

McKean Elementary
1. Front Entrance
2. Area south of main lobby windows
3. Well head garden by west parking lot

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The Lancer Letter is a weekly editorial by Richard Scaletta, Superintendent of Schools, General McLane School District. Opinions expressed are Mr. Scaletta’s views on the issues and subjects of discussion.

State Budgets are about Priorities

By Rep. Greg Lucas (R-Erie/Crawford)

The governor this year unveiled his annual budget proposal in February before a joint session of the state House and Senate.

This marked the beginning of the yearly budget process. The House Appropriations Committee conducted hearings during a period of several weeks to review the governor’s nearly $28.5 billion proposal. Those hearings and similar ones conducted by the Senate Finance Committee provide all legislators – regardless of whether or not we serve on the committee – with valuable information.

The General Assembly will use the information gathered through the hearing process to develop a final budget bill. That bill must be approved in the same form by the House and the Senate before it can be approved by the governor.

State budgets are about priorities. Tax dollars are a limited resource. As legislators, we have a responsibility to ensure that limited revenues are used in the best way to meet the needs of constituents. Unfortunately, that often means we must make very difficult decisions.

For example, as a former teacher, I have a very special place in my heart for education. I know how important good schools and good teachers are for our students. The state spends a large portion of its annual budget on funding for local schools and teachers.

At the same time, my sister is a college professor and I understand the value of higher education. Many good-paying jobs required some form of education beyond a high school diploma. The Commonwealth provides funding for universities, community colleges and other institutions of higher learning.

Most of us recognize the important job performed by the men and women in the Pennsylvania National Guard. The soldiers who serve our Commonwealth rely on the state budget for funding.

Finally, most of us understand the need for prisons. We simply can’t have dangerous people roaming the streets of the Commonwealth. However, paying to incarcerate a criminal comes at a cost. Commonwealth taxpayers pay that cost through the state budget.

These are just four of the many areas competing for funding in the state budget. Each serves a valid purpose. However, an extra dollar for our students and teachers may have to come out of funding for our National Guard troops. Every dollar we spend on prisons is a dollar we can’t spend on higher education.

These are the tough decisions we have to make as legislators and they are the ones we will be making in the months ahead as we consider a state budget.

Rep. Greg Lucas

It’s May. This is the time of year when people often say to educators, “are you winding down?” The truth of the matter is that we have to crank it way up and keep it up at a frenzied pace before we can “wind down” when the kids walk out the door for summer break.

After many years as a high school principal, I decided that there was a special place in hell for principals where the period of May 1 to commencement replayed – for all eternity! What torture that would be!

In this column, I’ve often given kudos to many of our employees and this week, I want to focus on our building principals. It is my contention that no business would ever expect a middle manager to have as many responsibilities as a school principal. The job is fast-paced and BIG. They have to deal with hundreds of students, hundreds of parents and staffs of 30-60, balancing everyone’s needs and distinctly unique personalities. They work with the demands of all these people while trying to keep in mind the directives of the central office and board. That’s a lot of personalities to deal with – a lot of personalities!

Principals have to understand child development. They have to have a good handle on what is appropriate development at each age level and what is not normal. They have to understand group dynamics when working with groups of students or teachers and also have a sixth sense for counseling when they meet privately with students and teachers.

Principals are expected to understand many different curricula. While they can’t be content experts for every subject, they are well versed in the methodology of teaching. They are to be the instructional leaders for their buildings which requires knowledge of finer points of pedagogy, grading philosophies, assessment strategies and classroom management.

Principals have to be judges and interpreters of human behavior. They need to make decisions about the behavior of students and sometimes employees. These decisions are sometimes simple and sometimes complex. Human behavior is a frontier yet to be fully conquered yet they are criticized for their decisions in this area.

Principals also need to understand and effectively use technology. Classroom instructional technology is constantly evolving and the principal needs to be cognizant of the developments. They have to use laptops and iPads every day to perform administrative functions. They have to effectively use our student information software to retrieve student data, schedule classes and monitor student progress.

Special education is another large area for which principals are responsible. The federal IDEIA law pertaining to special education has 755 distinct points of audit – and God help us if we miss one! They need to understand autism, mental retardation, learning disabilities, giftedness, hearing impairments and a host of other diagnoses. And if a student doesn’t qualify for special education services, they have to understand the federal law known as “Section 504” under which most maladies will qualify for special treatment.

The physical building plant presents another area for principals to conquer. They need to be quite familiar with the building and its quirks. They also have to be well versed in school security measures related to the physical plant, building processes and school climate.

Principals face a mound of paperwork everyday yet they are pulled in 100 directions. I remember research in the 1980s that showed that principals have to change their focus an average of 88.3 times per day. I’m sure that number has increased since then. If you don’t come into the job with ADHD, you certainly leave with it!

Principals spend many nights at school for sporting events, musical programs and parent meetings. They live in our community and are often questioned, probed or chided when at the grocery store, little league field or other public area. Everyone wants them to know their chid while principals also have children of their own to know and nurture. Everyone’s problem is the most important, demanding immediate attention, and their personal needs are often set aside.

I don’t know if I’ve done a good job outlining the enormous job duties of a principal. I think there is a danger in this district of underestimating the difficulty of the job because our principals do it so well, they make it look easy. They navigate a quagmire of systems and human demands to keep our buildings running smoothly. I learned quickly as superintendent that if principals are doing a good job, my job is made easier. I am grateful for their expertise and commitment.

Make it a point the next time you see one of our principals to give him or her a high five or some words of encouragement. June 6 seems like an eternity from now!

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The Lancer Letter is a weekly editorial by Richard Scaletta, Superintendent of Schools, General McLane School District. Opinions expressed are Mr. Scaletta’s views on the issues and subjects of discussion.

By Rep. Greg Lucas (R-Erie/Crawford)

The state House Finance Committee this week approved a bill aimed at reforming Pennsylvania’s tax system to make the Commonwealth more economically competitive.

Studies have consistently shown that one of Pennsylvania’s taxes that primarily impacts large employers is not only the highest in the nation, but in the entire world. This encourages large employers currently located in the Commonwealth to flee and discourages potential new job creators from locating here.

House Bill 440 seeks to address this problem by phasing down this high tax rate. However, lawmakers realize that the state budget can’t afford large tax cuts right now. That’s why this proposal seeks to close a large tax loophole to make up the revenue lost by lowering the rate.

Some Pennsylvania companies take advantage of what has been called the “Delaware loophole.” While the technique is legal, it reduces the amount of taxes a company pays to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

To use the loophole, a company that operates in Pennsylvania will establish another branch of the company in Delaware. The Delaware-based company is then given the rights over certain intellectual properties, such as trademarks or logos. The Pennsylvania company then pays the Delaware-based sister company to use the logos or trademarks. This shows up as an expense and lowers the Pennsylvania company’s taxes.

The bill passed this week through the House Finance Committee would close this loophole. The revenue that would be brought in by closing the loophole would be used to lower the overall tax rate.

The current state tax system benefits large businesses that can afford to hire high-priced accountants and take advantage of tools to lower their taxes. If implemented, this new system would level the playing field for all employers subject to this tax.

If we want to grow Pennsylvania’s economy and create jobs, we must create a fair and equitable tax system that rewards companies based on the risks they take instead of the quality of accountants they employ.

Rep. Greg Lucas