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WILKES-BARRE — The Pennsylvania Department of Military and Veterans Affairs reminded Pennsylvanians that March 29 was National Vietnam War Veterans Day — a time to remember the heroism, bravery and sacrifices of Vietnam-era veterans and their families.
The Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017 permanently designates that every year March 29 will be celebrated as National Vietnam War Veterans Day. It was on March 29, 1973, when combat and combat support units withdrew from South Vietnam.
“In honor of all of the men and women who served in our nation’s armed forces throughout history, Pennsylvania is proud to join in the national commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War,” Wolf wrote in a proclamation to the DMVA.
“Today, and every day, our Vietnam veterans should receive the recognition they earned and deserve,” said Maj. Gen. Tony Carrelli, Pennsylvania’s adjutant general and head of the DMVA. “They are true American heroes who we can’t thank enough for the sacrifices they made on our behalf.
Carrelli added that National Vietnam War Veterans Day is also a good time to draw attention to the national Vietnam War Wall of Faces program.
For the past few years, the DMVA has partnered with the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (VVMF) in Washington, D.C., to find a photo of every Pennsylvanian whose name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall – commonly referred to as The Wall. The VVMF is posting the photos on a virtual Wall of Faces to put a face and a story to every name.
“As time passes, it is crucial that we do not let the memory of our fallen Vietnam War heroes fade,” said Carrelli. “By putting a face with the name of every Pennsylvanian listed on The Wall, we can more easily remember those who sacrificed greatly while defending our freedom and help to keep their legacy alive.”
Though great progress has been made to find all 3,151 photos of service members from Pennsylvania whose names are on The Wall, there are still 34 missing. The DMVA continues to search for the remaining photos, but help from the community is needed.
Pa. focused on senior hunger,
access to federal food program
Department of Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller this week joined Department of Aging Secretary Teresa Osborne, stakeholders, and seniors at the Central PA Food Bank to discuss the importance of senior participation in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Gov. Tom Wolf’s Food Security Partnership.
In September 2016, “Setting the Table: Blueprint for a Hunger-Free PA” was developed to address hunger in the state and respond to Wolf’s executive order establishing the Governor’s Food Security Partnership. The partnership includes the departments of Aging, Agriculture, Community and Economic Development, Education, Health, and Human Services.
Research has shown that when seniors participate in programs such as SNAP that address food insecurity, they become more independent because of improved nutrition status and overall health.
The National Foundation to End Senior Hunger reports seniors who are food insecure have diets that are less nutritious, endure worse health outcomes, and experience a higher risk for depression. Also, a four-year study by Benefits Data Trust compared residents age 65 and older who received SNAP with those who did not.
“At DHS, we are focused on the social determinants of health – those social and environmental factors that impact an individual’s well-being,” said Miller. “These factors include things like employment, housing, transportation, and food security. Hunger has major impacts on health and development, which in turn affect our state budget and health care spending.”
In Pennsylvania, it’s estimated that 1.58 million Pennsylvanians live in poverty, and 173,000 of those are seniors. Only approximately 30 percent of eligible seniors currently receive SNAP benefits. The Department of Human Services has made it easier for eligible seniors to sign up for SNAP by reducing the application from 24 pages to two, and has cut red tape by increasing eligibility re-determinations from one to three years.
Food insecurity can also have a profound effect on children. Low-income children are more likely to be food insecure, and food insecurity in households with children is associated with inadequate intake of several important nutrients, deficits in cognitive development, behavioral problems, and poor health.
Pa. treasurer warns
of new telephone scam
Pennsylvania Treasurer and Berwick native Joe Torsella this week warned Pennsylvanians about a telephone scam in which scammers are posing as Treasury employees and threatening people with arrest if unpaid taxes are not paid immediately.
These fraudulent calls are coming from telephone numbers that appear to belong to the Pennsylvania Treasury.
Treasury does not collect taxes or seek payments via telephone and has no authority to make arrests. All services that Treasury provides to the public are offered free of charge, including the process of unclaimed property.
Anyone who receives a scam call should take precautionary measures by ceasing contact immediately and refraining from sharing personal financial information, including bank accounts or credit card numbers. Please report any suspicious calls to the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection, at 1-800-441-2555 or scams@attorneygeneral.gov.
State taxes are collected by the state Department of Revenue. To determine if a tax issue is legitimate, contact the Department of Revenue at 717-787-8201.
New investments in rail
infrastructure announced
Gov. Tom Wolf this week announced the approval of 27 rail freight improvement projects that will help sustain more than 400 jobs across Pennsylvania.
“Keeping our extensive rail freight system in good shape is a vital component of creating a sound foundation for Pennsylvania’s economy,” Wolf said in a news release. “These investments underscore our continued commitment in building a world-class infrastructure system that supports the creation of new jobs and our business community.”
The State Transportation Commission voted to approve $32 million for the projects through the Rail Transportation Assistance Program (RTAP) and the Rail Freight Assistance Program (RFAP).
Pennsylvania, with 67 operating railroads, has more than any other state and PennDOT’s focus is on working with private rail operators to assist in maintaining and improving the roughly 5,600 miles of freight lines in the state.
Local projects include:
• Scranton Transload Inc., to rehabilitate .25 mile of track from Delaware-Lackawanna’s line to Scranton Transload’s facility including the replacement of 2 turnouts and surfacing of track which will allow for materials to be transported to the facility by rail instead of truck, $700,000.
• The Delaware-Lackawanna Railroad Co. Inc., rehabilitate 19 miles of the Carbondale Line and construct a 1,000-foot yard track, including ties, track surfacing, and bridge repairs which will improve operations and yard capacity, $686,000.
