Senator Fontana gave remarks at the Perrysville Avenue Façade Renovation Kickoff Ceremony on May 31. He is joined in the photo by Rep. Adam Ravenstahl.  The project involves the renovation of the exterior and interior of three key buildings in the business district in Observatory Hill.

Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program

Qualifying seniors in Allegheny County will be able to pick up vouchers for locally grown fruits and vegetables next week!  The Senior Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program is a federal program that is administered at the state level by the Pennsylvania Department of Aging in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.  This program attempts to provide seniors who are nutritionally at risk a means to purchase fresh fruits and vegetables from approved Pennsylvania farmers.

The program provides recipients with four $5 voucher checks for a total year benefit of $20 to redeem at qualified farmers’ markets.  Checks may be spent through Nov. 30 on produce that is grown in Pennsylvania or purchased directly from a Pennsylvania farmer.

Some examples of produce that may be purchased under the vouchers are apples, beans, berries, carrots, grapes, melons, spinach and tomatoes.  Customers must spend the entire $5 check and change will not be given.

The distribution of voucher checks will take place next Tuesday, June 12 at senior centers throughout Allegheny County.  Checks are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.  Seniors are asked to bring identification showing proof of age and residency to the distribution site.

To be eligible, individuals must be an Allegheny County resident who will be 60 years old by December 31, 2018.  The income limit for a one-person household is $22,459 and is $30,451 for a two-person household.  Married couples may each receive one set of checks.  If an eligible consumer requires a proxy to receive their checks, the proxy is responsible for signing for and spending the checks for the individual.  All individuals must completely fill out a proxy form in order to have a proxy receive checks for them. 

For a complete listing of voucher check distribution locations and times, or to download a proxy form, please visit the Allegheny County Department of Human Services website at http://www.alleghenycounty.us/dhs/olderadults.aspx.  A listing of distribution sites, farmers’ market locations and proxy forms can also be picked up in my district offices.  Anyone with questions on the program can also call the Allegheny County SeniorLine at 412-350-5460.

PUC Hosting Public Input Hearings

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has scheduled Public Input Hearings concerning proposed rate increase requests by Duquesne Light and Columbia Gas of PA.

The PUC will be holding two Public Input Hearings concerning Duquesne Light’s request on June 14.  This first is scheduled for 1 p.m. in Room 2019 at Piatt Place, located at 301 Fifth Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh.  The second is scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Park Inn by Radisson, located at 7195 in Beaver Falls.

The PUC will also hold a Public Input Hearing concerning Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania’s request.  This Hearing is scheduled for June 21 at 6 p.m. at the Courthouse Square Building in Washington, PA.

Anyone with questions regarding any of these upcoming Public Input Hearings can contact the PA Office of Consumer Advocate at 1-800-684-6560 or consumer@paoca.org.

Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program

The Pennsylvania Department of Revenue is accepting applications for the 2017 Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program through June 30.  If you filed a paper rebate last year, you should have received an application in the mail.  Applications are also available at my district offices, online at www.revenue.pa.gov or by calling 1-888-222-9190.  As always, my staff would be happy to assist you in preparing your application.

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program benefits eligible Pennsylvanians age 65 and older; widows and widowers age 50 and older; and people with disabilities age 18 and older.  The income limit is $35,000 a year for homeowners and $15,000 annually for renters.  Please keep in mind, half of Social Security income is excluded.

The program is funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery and revenue from slots gaming.

Grants for Libraries

The Office of Commonwealth Libraries invites applications for the 2018 Keystone Grants for Public Libraries program. These grants are funded through the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund.

A competitive grant application process is used to award matching grants to municipalities that sponsor state-aided public libraries. These grants may be used for planning, acquisition, construction and rehabilitation of public library facilities as outlined in the General Guidelines. To be eligible, the sponsoring municipality and the board of the state-aided library must jointly submit an application developed cooperatively by both entities and signed by their governing bodies.

The maximum Keystone grant award is $750,000 and requires a dollar-for-dollar match. Applicants must show matching funds on hand at the time of the application. There is no minimum amount that may be requested.

Applicants must submit a complete application to the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, postmarked on or before June 15.

The Office of Commonwealth Libraries expects to notify applicants by early September whether they have been awarded a grant.

The application and related Keystone information is available at www.statelibrary.pa.gov.

Upcoming APPRISE Lunch & Learn

The next APPRISE/Allegheny Link Lunch & Learn event is scheduled for Thursday, June 21 at the Human Services Building, located at 1 Smithfield Street in downtown Pittsburgh.  The program will begin at noon with greetings and introductions with the presentation and Q&A session running from 12:15 – 3 p.m.

APPRISE is the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) for Pennsylvania’s Medicare beneficiaries.  The Pennsylvania Department of Aging created APPRISE to help citizens with Medicare understand their health insurance options so they can make informed decisions about which plan is best for them.

The topic for the June 21 Lunch & Learn is “The Medicare Appeals Process.” The presentation will define and describe a Medicare appeal; what grievances can be appealed; how and when to initiate an appeal; and the specific steps in the appeal process. Presenters will also look at the issue of In-Patient verses Observation status for hospital provided services provided under Medicare.

Anyone interested in attending should R.S.V.P. to Bill McKendree at mckendreew@fswp.org or 412-661-1670, ext. 645.

Fontana Fact

The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Ride and Measurement Standards registers more than 9,300 amusement rides and attractions – more than any other state or foreign country – and certifies and trains nearly 1,600 professional private industry inspectors across the state. Last year, more than 11 million visitors took an estimated 55 million rides at Pennsylvania’s parks. More than 5.2 million visitors attended the state’s 109 fairs and millions more rode rides and attractions at carnivals.

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