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Coach's Corner: Who Should Do Your Orientation | Team Building Pt. 7

Who should be designated to do the orientation for new hires at your restoration company?




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Coach's Corner: How Do Your Job Descriptions Stack Up? | Team Building Pt. 8

When was the last time you took a good, close look at job descriptions for the various positions in your company? Art and Dan continue their awesome series on hiring, onboarding, and creating a well-rounded team within your restoration company.




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Coach's Corner: Your Customer Service Policy | Team Building Pt. 9

There are a lot of companies out there becoming giants in their industries through offering impeccable customer service. Now, it's your turn!




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Coach's Corner: Your Customer Service Philosophy | Team Building Pt. 10

Art and Dan dig deeper to talk about the actual heart and essence of your customer service philosophy.




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Coach's Corner: Continuing the Customer Service Conversation | Team Building Pt. 11

People come to your business for a solution - which many other people offer - so why should they choose you over the competition?




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Coach's Corner: Subcontractor Orientation | Team Building Pt. 12

Just as you do on-boarding for your own employees, you should also be sure your subcontractors understand your policies and philosophies.




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Coach's Corner: Structure Contributes to Synergy | Team Building Pt. 13

We are into the 13th episode of Dan and Art's series on team building! This week, they're talking about structure and synergy in your company, and within your team.




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Coach's Corner: Organizational Structure & Your Team | Team Building Pt. 14

Art and Dan give you a checklist to do a wellness check on your structure - including policies, culture, and services.




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Coach's Corner: Synergy vs. Money | Team Building Pt. 15

The more disgruntled your team, the more they focus on money (paychecks). The better the synergy, the less money is the key motivator for doing good work.




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Coach's Corner: Synergy & Your Future | Team Building Pt. 16 SERIES FINALE

In this episode, the pair talks about helping nurture and grow an employee's potential that they may not see in themselves.




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Coach's Corner: Focus + Action = Results

What if 10 minutes of focused energy changed the trajectory of your restoration company?




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Coach's Corner: Can Technology Sharpen Your Focus?

Dan gets honest about how to sharpen your focus which often involves a shocking concept: not multitasking.




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Coach's Corner: Multitasking Can Kill Your Focus

Dan encourages you to take a bit of a simpler approach to tackling that to do list.




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Coach's Corner: Culture by Design | Episode 1

This series is all about reversing a negative company culture, and its effects. 




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Coach's Corner: Culture By Design | Episode 2

Culture doesn't just happen overnight, and when a healthy culture isn't created and nurtured, negativity and an unhealthy environment can quickly follow.




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Coach's Corner: Culture By Design | Episode 3

Do you think culture is just a part of your company, or IS it your company?




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Coach's Corner: Culture by Design - Do You Walk the Walk? | Episode 4

Culture within your company does not happen by mistake - and cannot be faked.




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Optimizing Water Damage Restoration through Modern Technologies

Michael Vervena gives us tips on navigating water damage restoration and the adoption of technology to document the damage and streamline insurance claims.




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Attorneys Stress the Importance of Communication during Restoration Process

Listening carefully and communicating with clarity create a better process for all parties and help avoid issues.





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No BS Internet Marketing Guide: Fall 2024 Experience Tradeshow and Convention

Marketing guru Benjamin Ricciardi is one of our industry experts sharing his optimal knowledge at this year’s Fall Experience and Trade Show! 




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KnowHow CEO Leighton Healey on His Entrepreneurial Journey

We bring you a new episode of Trade Talks: Unlocking The Experience with special guest CEO/Founder of KnowHow and The Experience Events keynote speaker Leighton Healey.




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Garnett Station Partners Makes Strategic Growth Investment in Bristol Environmental

Garnett Station Partners, a New York-based investment firm managing over $2.3 billion in assets, has made a strategic growth investment in Bristol Environmental. This partnership aims to expand Bristol's reach and enhance its environmental remediation and abatement services.




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A Young Writer Born of a Forgotten War

Crystal Hana Kim says the Korean War is so deeply ingrained in her family's history--but so remote for Americans today--that it became the driving force for her to become a writer.




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List of Deliverable Canadian Government Bond Issues for the LGB, CGB, CGF and CGZ Futures Contracts

116-24 : List of Deliverable Canadian Government Bond Issues for the LGB, CGB, CGF and CGZ Futures Contracts




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List of Deliverable Canadian Government Bond Issues for the LGB, CGB, CGF and CGZ Futures Contracts

128-24 : List of Deliverable Canadian Government Bond Issues for the LGB, CGB, CGF and CGZ Futures Contracts




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Owners of SuperTech University Credit Success in Cleaning to Continuous Learning

In this episode of “TradeTalks: Unlocking The Experience”, R&R Publisher Mike Balzano talks with the Owners of SuperTech University and the creators and hosts of the Blue Collar Podcast, Eric Sprague and Larry Wilberton!





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First Onsite Presents Live Burn and Education Seminar

First Onsite Property Restoration to co-host a Live Burn and Education Seminar!




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First Onsite Presents Live Burn and Education Seminar in Freeport, Illinois

Join First Onsite and FireTech Inc. for a unique opportunity to witness live fire training and enhance your fire safety knowledge at the Live Burn and Education Seminar in Freeport, Illinois, on September 30!




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Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack Talks About the Efforts on Human Trafficking. 

We talk with Cumberland County District Attorney Sean McCormack about the efforts to fight human trafficking. https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732753579746685324?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732765713054470239?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732766219596435926?s=20   https://x.com/PAcatholic/status/1732775470393889221?s=20 Facebook ? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/hieNMkimGABgrjaS/?mibextid=d6eG65   ? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/5pnu4uYDr4DXCvJc/?mibextid=d6eG65   ? Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/v/qH2GGUt8zv8SKdX3/?mibextid=d6eG65        




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Maternal & Early Childhood Series: Morning Star Pregnancy Services

We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with a look at Morning Star Pregnancy Services. They do an outstanding job working with women facing unplanned pregnancies. https://fb.watch/bEB-FxMfAj/ The Harrisburg location for Morning Star Pregnancy Services at 2509 Front Street is relatively new, but the service itself is celebrating its 50th year in existence in 2022. The mission remains the same—helping women with unplanned pregnancies and with their sexual health. It offers a number of free health services, including pregnancy testing and ultrasound exams, along with education and support after the pregnancy. Morningstar does not provide or refer for abortion services but they help you to consider all options, including abortion, parenting and adoption. Bottom line, they are there for support. “We know that all mothers would like to feel loved and supported in their pregnancy and beyond. We are also able to reach out to the fathers of their children and offer them support and education as well,” said Morningstar Executive Director Linda Plummer. She says they see a range of women and men who have just had a positive pregnancy test and just can’t see beyond the immediate challenge. “The majority of women don’t want an abortion. They just feel like they don’t have another solution.” Morningstar will schedule regular visits for clients and will monitor the changing circumstances as the weeks progress. As the circumstances change, so do the perspectives. 6:12   “the first time they come to Morningstar and feel that they have no alternative but abortion, they change on their second visit when we invite them back in a decision-making process on a weekly basis. They may come the second time and say, well now my boyfriend says maybe we can have this baby or now my parents are saying they will support me.” Plummer also points out that 25 to 30% of pregnancies end in miscarriage. Morningstar will help to determine the viability of the fetus through ultrasound testing. “Because a lot of those pregnancies end in miscarriage, what we see here is that women grieve that loss of the baby so in the process, they recognize the idea that if I had gone through with an abortion, I would have been carrying this burden and I would have been mourning the loss of that child.” They’ve been around for 50 years and must be doing something right for folks to keep coming back. The commitment to providing care and support without judgement has translated into a very impressive statistic. “80% of the time that women who come here who are at risk for an abortion will decide to have their child.” Plummer says many of the 20% who choose otherwise later return in a subsequent pregnancy.




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Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Heart of Tioga Pregnancy Center

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the Heart of Tioga Pregnancy Center in Tioga County, PA and the support it gets from parishioners at Holy Child Catholic Church in the Diocese of Scranton. https://fb.watch/bHgvkXjO3Z/




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Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Tri-State Pregnancy Center

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the Tri-State Pregnancy Center in northeastern PA. The facility gets help from local Catholics and on-the-spot advice from above! https://fb.watch/bHh3c7Z-Hu/




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Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Catholic Social Services of Philadelphia

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look at the extensive work being done by the Community Based Services segment of Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. https://fb.watch/bHhrh-1oe7/




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Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank

We continue our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues with more on the subject of breastfeeding. For the next several days we will look at the important work being done by the Mid-Atlantic Mothers’ Milk Bank and how the PCC is looking to help them. https://fb.watch/dv4YBuc3qS/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1532416678121857025?s=20&t=6XAnUbQUJooExYYWxkr1WQ  




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Latest Pieces on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Breastfeeding

6-10-22 Our focus on breastfeeding continues with a look at the increase in public accommodations for breastfeeding moms. https://fb.watch/dz7s3mmxy1/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1535283771251085313?s=20&t=d8Pb52gE3vOjcBIAujH0rQ   6-9-22 Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues with a look back at the passage of the PA law to permit breastfeeding in public. https://fb.watch/dz7zQTeSHv/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1534961334323904512?s=20&t=d8Pb52gE3vOjcBIAujH0rQ  




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Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Breastfeeding

6-16-22 Interesting story here on one person’s belief that the COVID lockdowns are to blame for many moms turning away from breastfeeding and, in turn, contributing to the current shortage in baby formula. pic.twitter.com/1iU3XYFbZF — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 16, 2022 https://fb.watch/dHdtLvKsVG/ 6-14-22 Sharing an article that came out Tuesday for our series on breastfeeding about trying to still do it while returning to work. Sharing an article that came out Tuesday for our series on breastfeeding about trying to still do it while returning to work. pic.twitter.com/Fb43upYGpy — PAcatholic (@PAcatholic) June 15, 2022 https://fb.watch/dHdp5IzKNN/   6-13-22 Continuing our series on breastfeeding for June. Women of color are less likely to breastfeed than those of other races and that has made them more vulnerable to the baby formula shortage. We look at some of the societal factors involved. https://fb.watch/dHdd4Kl8j6/ https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1536404428735094788?s=20&t=K3d74k2cioFdzcdNNHbHTg




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Our Series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Breastfeeding – 9 stories

6-30-22 We finish up our stories on breastfeeding by talking again with Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center about the culture that exists towards BF in the U.S. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1542502773232631808?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZztlqwT-k/ 6-29-22 As we’ve focused this month on issues involved in breastfeeding, we’ve talked with our advocates and moms about the challenges involved in doing so while going back to work full time. Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center shares her views on what’s involved. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1542181083462221833?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZzB2MlLo-/ 6-28-22 Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center talks with us about why many new moms give up on breastfeeding within the first several weeks after the birth of their child. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1541812970275180546?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZzHsbhiOH/ 6-27-22 We begin today a series of stories with Colette Acker of the Breastfeeding Resource Center in Montgomery County. They’ve been providing vital support for new moms for nearly 20 years. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1541447488065966082?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZA4NAhnvc/ 6-24-22 We wrap up our conversation on breastfeeding with Amy Wilt by talking about two potential problems that may affect moms during breastfeeding. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1540366512262975488?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAjWQcR-8/ 6-23-22 We continue our June focus on breastfeeding by talking with doula Amy Wilt about the challenges involved in breastfeeding while returning to work. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1540060616722989056?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZApmYqCFR/ 6-22-22 We continue our chat with Amy Wilt about breastfeeding. Today’s focus is on relactation. A total education for many of us. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1539653795398836224?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAyeP5WNk/ 6-21-22 We continue the conversation with our doula consultant, Amy Wilt, about the influence and pressure that moms get from those closest to them when trying to decide whether or not to breastfeed their newborns. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1539255591914328065?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAFgKarE-/ 6-20-22 We continue our series on breastfeeding by talking again with Amy Wilt of Dauphin County Doulas. She has provided a ton of information for us in our nine-month long focus on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues. Today Amy talks about ”the latch.” https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1538962868414169094?s=20&t=y-vWAw8jWy_JOJQb9YkGAw https://fb.watch/dZAMmSazHv/  




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Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: July’s Topic–Early Childhood Screenings

July 18th We continue our look at Early Childhood Screenings by talking with Kris Bowman of Ramsey Educational and Development Institute, or REDI. They administer the PA Early Intervention Program in Montgomery County. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1549094658478903299?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elp1XOaQ3p/   July 15th As part of look at Early Childhood Screenings, we are looking to find out about screenings in PA for newborns suffering from their mothers’ drug addiction. We’d love to talk with the state task force created to help those children but haven’t had much help from the Wolf Admin. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1548004337758060544?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elp7An1dbk/   July 14th Continuing our series for July on Early Childhood Screenings with a quick look at the first big test for the newborn, the blood test. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1547690893766930437?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elpe8tHA1I/   July 13th Continuing our series on Early Childhood Screenings… it was a crisis in Michigan that sparked lawmakers here in Pennsylvania to put an emphasis on testing children for the presence of lead. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1547429183864840192?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elpkHkI4mB/   July 12th  We wrap up the conversation with our friend Victoria about the tests, screenings and milestones designed for children after they come home from the hospital. It’s part of our July focus on Early Childhood Screenings. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1546897353843539968?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg https://fb.watch/elpDdGWIN8/ July 11th As part of our continuing look at Early Childhood Screenings for July, we talk with a young mother about all the tests that we went through. https://twitter.com/PAcatholic/status/1546491903083945984?s=20&t=bfxurJPODSGTJUaDird-pg    




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The PA Senate Returns to Session This Past Week; And Bishop Senior is There for Tuesday’s Opening Prayer

The PA Senate returned to the Capitol for full sessions and committee meetings. The Bishop of Harrisburg, Timothy Senior gave the opening prayer on Tuesday. That is in the first of our Facebook posts offered here. https://www.facebook.com/share/v/gji9z8diELbaWi5E/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/JLLp8LZNLFuBAyrH/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/XRs363N9Mvpog1pe/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/wGTgGutdEcf6vX6V/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/JRyWvi2KkipabkwQ/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/3aBxFaPwQxATNBJj/?mibextid=WC7FNe https://www.facebook.com/share/v/L7H8rK475qyztwnM/?mibextid=WC7FNe




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Gasp!! Biblical Quotations Still Adorn Many Walls of State Capitol!!

You will never guess where you can find a wide selection of biblical quotations when you visit Harrisburg. Well, yeah, the bible. But I’m talking a building. It’s the State Capitol of all places–hard to believe in this day and age where there is always someone looking to be offended. PA Rep. Kathy Rapp, a Republican out of the northwestern part of the state, put out a nice booklet that is complete with the verses and the scenes that accompany those verses. Many are in the Governor’s reception room, House chambers and Senate chambers. Rapp stated in the first page of her book “Pennsylvania’s history and heritage is rooted in religious significance. From William Penn’s own vision and statement of establishing a Holy Experiment, to the first laws proposed by the General Assembly, to the first section of the first Constitution, the Charter of Privileges, entitled the freedom of conscience, our founders based their way of life on religious convictions. There are verses from the Old Testament, including Isaiah 42:1,4,7,10 “Behold my servant whom I uphold to pen the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house. Sing unto the Lord a new song ye that go down to the sea.” There are also several from the New Testament and the Gospels, like Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake.” No, this would not happen today. Not with the hyper-politically correct world we live in. In fact, it’s kind of surprising no one has fought to take it down. Maybe they have and I don’t know it. For example… There’s a case involving Lehigh County and the cross on its county seal that was added in 1944. It was fine then, but of course it had to offend somebody eventually. Yep. It did. The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation—how they came across the symbol is beyond me—joined four Lehigh County residents and filed a lawsuit. According to the Morning Call, they argued “the seal was a violation of their first amendment rights.” U.S. District Judge Edward G. Smith agreed with the folks who were offended. He ruled in September that Lehigh Co. would have to change it on flags, cars or other property but could keep it on older documents. The County appealed to the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, which is waiting for the U.S. Supreme Court to act on a similar case before it makes a ruling.  




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PA Rep. Jesse Topper Looks for an Efficient Government, Not a Costly One

Like many lawmakers in Harrisburg, State Rep. Jesse Topper (R-Bedford, Fulton and Franklin Cos.) will be keeping a close eye on budget talks at the Capitol.  The process started after Governor Wolf unveiled his budget proposal earlier this month. “It’s basically the Governor saying ‘this is my wish list,’” said Topper. “That’s the way I look at it. “ There’s a good chance that Topper and his Republican colleagues will have a different set of wishes. Topper said they will be looking at what is needed to run the government efficiently. “There’s always going to be disagreement on that number. It’s a negotiation,” he said. “But from my standpoint, I’m always going to be advocating for spending less money–being more efficient with what we have and not going back to the tax payers for their hard-earned money.” One of the programs that Topper will be pushing for is the Educational Improvement Tax Credit, or EITC for short. It enables businesses to get a tax credit for contributing to a scholarship organization, educational improvement organization or a pre-K scholarship organization. “This is a way that we can make sure that businesses who want to contribute to our Catholic schools—and private schools really, whether they are Catholic or not, that we can’t give direct dollars to directly through the state, this is a chance for them to be able to contribute to their communities and get tax deductions through that. It has been a widely successful program that has benefited both the communities and the businesses they serve in, as well as the schools. “ Topper sees a lot of support for not only keeping, but also increasing the EITC. “We’ve seen increases in the EITC since I’ve been here. Speaker Turzai has been leading the charge on that, as well as a former colleague of mine, Jimmy Christiana and Senator Regan when he was Representative Regan in the House. There’s a lot of bi-partisan support for increasing the EITC. “ Another issue that Topper will keep his eye is abortion. He is part of a staunch Pro-Life Caucus at the Capitol. Like many of his colleagues he was alarmed by what happened in New York with the new abortion law. “You’ve seen a lot of—even millennials,” Topper said, “who have come to understand that – I think technology has really made a difference, when you can see these children through ultrasounds…I knew what my kids looked like before they were born. That technology wasn’t available back in the time of Roe V. Wade.” “It just wasn’t something that people could look at and understand. Now they can. The science is on our side. And I think that’s one social and cultural issue that we’ve moved to our side, the pro-life movement.” And Topper joined his colleagues in adding re-assurance to pro-lifers in PA. “This is something I don’t expect to see in Pennsylvania under this legislature but we have to have an answer for it—as we talk about the value of life at conception, what these little children mean to us as a society and how we are going to protect them.”    




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House Committee Approves Measure Condemning Child Pornography

The Health Committee within the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has approved a resolution which condemns the free availability of pornography based on the public health hazard that it presents by harming children and families across the Commonwealth. “It’s a public awareness resolution,” said Chairman Matt Baker (R-Tioga). With the resolution, Pennsylvania joins nineteen other states that have passed or introduced a similar measure. “Most people understand pornography is bad, and child pornography is particularly bad,” continued Baker. The resolution cites that due to advances in technology, young children are now exposed to pornography at alarming rates, with as many as 27% of older millennials reporting that they first encountered explicit pornography before even reaching puberty. “As someone with two small daughters, I think that it’s something we owe a certain amount of time and effort to look at,” said Rep. Eli Evankovich (R-WestmorelandAllegheny). House Resolution 519 also encourages a three-pronged approach to confronting this issue with education, prevention and research and policy change at the community and social levels. Prior to the vote, Rep. Martina White (R-Philadelphia) stated that her intent is to “make sure that families are aware of this issue, that it is a concern and it can become, if it not already is, a public health crisis.”




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When adoption agencies can turn away gay prospective parents, what happens to the kids?

Religious News Service reporter Bobby Ross, Jr. recently asked this question, “When adoption agencies can turn away gay prospective parents, what happens to the kids?” With conflicts between religious based adoption and foster care agencies and government non-discrimination regulations playing out across the country including the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, this is an important question. In March, the City of Philadelphia issued an urgent call for 300 new foster parents to provide loving homes for some of the over 6,000 kids in Philadelphia foster care. That same month, the City abruptly barred Catholic Social Services, one of the city’s top-rated foster agencies, from placing children with foster families. This decision makes it exponentially harder for hundreds of children in need of foster care to find homes. Foster homes are sitting empty, even as the city begs for more families to help in its foster care crisis. Catholic Social Services and the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have been serving children throughout Philadelphia for over a century. Their Catholic mission drives them to find loving homes for all children in their care, regardless of the child’s race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity. Catholic Social Services currently serves over 100 children in foster homes. No family or individual has ever complained that the agency’s Catholic mission prevented them from fostering or adopting a child. Sharonell Fulton from Overbrook Farms has been a foster parent for over 25 years. She has opened her home to over 40 children, including two children currently in her care. She strives to provide a loving, stable home and treat each child as if they were her own. To do that, Fulton relies on Catholic Social Services’ help, including around-the-clock support and access to information and resources. “What justice is there in taking stable, loving homes away from children?” Fulton said in a statement to CatholicPhilly.com. “If the city cuts off Catholic Social Services from foster care, foster moms like me won’t have the help and support they need to care for the special-needs kids.” By freezing and threatening to cancel its foster care contract with the CSS, the city is “taking away this help and causing harm and heartache to countless families like mine,” Fulton said. The children will suffer if parents like Fulton do not have the support they need. In May, The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty filed the lawsuit in the United States District Court in Philadelphia on behalf of archdiocesan Catholic Social Services (CSS), Sharonell Fulton and two other women caregivers associated with the archdiocesan agency. They asked the court to halt the city’s harmful policy. A hearing is expected later this year.




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Maternal & Early Childhood Series: Adoption Challenges in PA

The 4th installment of our series on Maternal and Early Childhood Issues looks at the role the Wolf Administration has played in curtailing Catholic adoption efforts in Pennsylvania. https://fb.watch/bBXX1F6m97/ A woman we’ll call Kelly talked with me about her adoption a number of years ago through Catholic charities. She learned details of what happened as she got older. Kelly says it could have worked out any better. Kelly’s story was a familiar one for decades, but one that is happening less and less in many states across the country, as officials have placed restrictions on adoption agencies that contradict their long-held beliefs. Pennsylvania governor Tom Wolf several years ago joined Democratic governors in other states to require adoption agencies to place children with same-sex parents in order to get funding. That requirement by Governor Wolf would be in direct contrast with the long-standing Catholic belief that a marriage is between a man and a woman. It is that parental combination, Catholics believe, that is the best way to raise a child. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference appealed to the Wolf Administration for a religious exemption. It was denied in 2018, basically causing most adoption efforts by Catholic organizations in PA to grind to a halt. Similar regulations have been shutting down Catholic adoption agencies across the U.S. ever since Boston Catholic Charities did so in 2006. The efforts by the PCC to remove this burden continued on both the state and federal level. We sent an appeal to the Department of Health and Human Services in Washington to grant us a religious exemption. We worked closely with U.S. Congressman Mike Kelly on getting federal relief. A number of state senators sent a letter to President Trump asking him to provide relief for our efforts. We’re hoping that a recent Supreme Court ruling involving foster care services by Catholic Charities in Philadelphia. Fulton vs. the City of Philadelphia started when the city said it would no longer contract with Catholic Social Services because CSS would not certify same-sex couples to be foster parents In response, two foster mothers—Sharonell Fulton and Toni Simms-Busch—and the CSS sued the city, arguing that severing the contract violated their religious freedom. Fulton and Simms-Busch, the mothers who are plaintiffs, claim it was their Catholic faith that inspired them to be foster mothers.After losing in two lower courts, they petitioned the Supreme Court, which first agreed to hear the case in February 2020. Over a year later  the Court ruled that the city’s refusal due to the agency’s same-sex couple policy violated the Free Exercise Clause. Great news and a big win for religious liberty. The PCC is hoping the principal will carry over into adoptions, but the damage may have already been done. In 2019 the Diocese of Greensburg closed its adoption and foster care program after 65 years because of the decision by the Wolf Administration. Adoptions were halted by Catholic agencies in other parts of the state.  Will the adoption work done by these organizations ever return to what it once was? We can only hope and pray.




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Maternal & Early Childhood Issues: Morning Star Helps With Relationships

Our series on Maternal & Early Childhood Issues continues today with a look the work being done by Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg to help kids build a foundation for strong relationships and avoid problems down the road. https://fb.watch/bECfSEse06/ We’ve all had our fair share of relationships that have not gone well over the years, whether they were romantic or just friendly in nature. Wouldn’t it be nice to have gotten some advice before sailing on those waters and crashing into the rocks? The folks at Morning Star Pregnancy Services in Harrisburg are offering just such advice to teenagers and also actually to moms and dads through a program called Unfiltered Truth. Leslie Moyer is the Director of Educational Programs at Morning Star. She works with Ann Deegan from an established curriculum called “Real Essentials” to present different lessons to try to teach kids to build a foundation for strong relationships. Leslie Moyer : “So what are people expecting and what are your boundaries and do you have boundaries and how do you make sure the person knows?” The program is –not- lecture based. Moyer says that would never work. They have discussions so the kids will take ownership of the concepts they are presented and make them their own.  They are getting a lot of positive feedback. Moyer :  “I believe it was woman, she said I wish I’d had this when I was younger. I needed to know about those relationship red flags, the break up skills, which is two lessons that we do. I needed that two years ago when I was in a really bad relationship.” One of the lessons is on living together, which is something that many young people see as the go-to route for couples in love. Ann Deegan : “So many people are living together and so we talk about what are the benefits and what it really looks like and what are some of the myths surrounding living together and why it isn’t a good thing to do. Most of the classes have been with high school students. Moyer says they’re hoping to get more time with middle school kids to help them build their skills by the time they get to high school. There are also classes for adults. Deegan  : “The focus isn’t just on mothering skills, like taking care of a baby. The focus is on what do your relationships look like? And what do you want to pass on to your children? What is the legacy? What do you want to pass on to your children and have your children receive from you?” There is also the goal of having kids take a more deliberate and thoughtful approach to having sex. It may prevent many problems down the road, not the least of which being an unwanted pregnancy. Moyer shares a recurring sentiment that she hears from returning clients. Moyer  : “Over and over again I will hear ‘I would not change the fact that I had my child. But I wish I had waited. I wish I had waited just a little bit longer. I wish I was married. I can’t tell you how many times I hear that.”




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Key trends & developments in international mediation

As the profile of businesses engaged in disputes is now more diverse than ever, there is a need for dispute resolution mechanisms that are culturally responsive as well as internationally robust. Mediation is one mechanism that offers a flexible and confidential forum for business to resolve their differences in an effective and efficient way. Interest in mediation to resolve cross-border disputes has increased dramatically in recent years due to increasing access to the Internet and the growing number of smaller enterprises doing business internationally. Nadja Alexander is Professor of Law at SMU School of Law. She also heads the Singapore International Dispute Resolution Academy as its Director, and a prominent mediator, educator, consultant and writer. In a recent study, Prof Alexander had identified some of the top trends impacting the nature and practice of international mediation. She discusses these key trends and developments in this podcast.




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Toastmasters International

11/14/2024 - 6:00 PM - Venue: Rawlings Library




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HeroClix 'Learn to Play' and Tournaments

11/14/2024 - 5:00 PM - Venue: Chaos Games and More




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Harnessing the power of TikTok for science communication

TikTok catapulted in popularity during the COVID-19 pandemic and has now come to dominate the social media landscape. With over 1 billion monthly active users, science communicators have the potential to capitalize on TikTok’s success and share their science with a broad, engaged audience.

The post Harnessing the power of TikTok for science communication appeared first on The Plainspoken Scientist.




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A mudflow on the banks of Loch Broom in northern Scotland

Over the weekend, quite a large mudflow occurred on the banks of Loch Broom in the Wester Ross area of northern Scotland