Tag: PA

bookmark_borderSummer Youth Program

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Philadelphia, PA – During the British American Business Council (BABC) Breakfast with His Royal Highness The Prince Edward in attendance, Mayor Michael A. Nutter announced that pharmaceutical and healthcare company GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and The Philadelphia Foundation will provide $1 million in grants to support WorkReady Philadelphia programs.

“This grant will make a tremendous difference in the lives of young Philadelphians that benefit from the programming offered by WorkReady, and it will also create an employee pipeline for area businesses,” said Mayor Nutter. “I appreciate the commitment GlaxoSmithKline has shown to our city and region, and I challenge other area businesses to follow its lead so that even more youth can be served. It costs only $1,600 to provide a summer opportunity for a young person. There is no better investment that we can make in our future than to help our young people achieve success.”

The money will fund 515 educationally-enriched employment opportunities for young people through the WorkReady Philadelphia summer programs and help launch a new bio-medical employment training program. WorkReady Philadelphia is the city’s system of youth workforce preparation programs that is managed by the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN).

The $1 million includes $750,000 from the $5 million GlaxoSmithKline Inspiring Youth Endowment Fund and $250,000 from the Fund for Children. Both funds are administered through The Philadelphia Foundation, which has undertaken a comprehensive study of the out-of-school time needs of older youth to inform future allocations.

Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, visited Philadelphia Thursday and Friday to honor Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee year and to support the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award youth development program in the city. The BABC breakfast recognized GlaxoSmithKline for the creation of the $5 million fund benefiting youth in the City of Philadelphia, including a $500,000 designation to The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Philadelphia Program.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program was established in 1956 by HRH Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, who is the husband of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Edward’s father. The program mentors 14- to 25-year-olds through self-selected activities in community service, physical recreation, skill development and an adventurous journey that includes outdoor experiences.

To be funded through the $1 million grant announced today are:
WorkReady Summer programs, which provide valuable exposure to workplaces across the city as well as weekly professional development seminars. The programs challenge youth to understand the correlations between work experience, skill attainment and high school completion and how those variables impact their potential for college and career success. Participants also can attain credits through the School District of Philadelphia.

WorkReady’s Industry Pipeline Model, which provides multi-year training for 11th and 12th grade students in industry-identified skills. The funding will allow for development of a new bio-medical employment training program that will prepare young Philadelphians to enter high-wage, high-demand positions in that industry.

Applicants interested in applying for the programs may visit PYN’s youth website at http://www.mypyn.org.
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About GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline is one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies. For further information go to us.gsk.com, follow GSK on twitter.com/GSKUS or visit the GSK blog: (www.morethanmedicine.us.gsk.com/blog).

About The Philadelphia Foundation
Since 1918, The Philadelphia Foundation has linked those with financial resources to those who serve societal needs. It is the region’s community foundation, serving Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. For more information, visit www.philafound.org.

About The Philadelphia Youth Network
A nationally recognized leader in youth workforce development, the Philadelphia Youth Network (PYN) is a non-profit intermediary organization that brings stakeholders together to change systems and improve educational and economic outcomes for the city’s youth. For more information, visit www.pyninc.org.

About The British American Business Council of Greater Philadelphia
Since 1991, the British American Business Council (BABC) of Greater Philadelphia has promoted increased trade and investment between the United Kingdom and the Greater Philadelphia region. The BABC of Greater Philadelphia is an affiliate of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit http://www.babcphiladelphia.com/about/.

bookmark_borderAmbler Auto Show

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16th Annual Ambler Auto Show
Saturday May 19, 2012
10:00AM until 3:00PM
Butler Avenue, Ambler, PA 19002

Ambler Main Street will host its 16th annual Auto Show. In keeping with our goal of making this one of the nicest shows of the car show season and as a result of our review of the questionnaires you completed, we have a few attractions for your enjoyment and ease of registration.

Three cash raffle prizes totaling $250.00
· Additional volunteers at registration!
· More food selections with outside seating
· More music
· More businesses open for shopping

* Your $15 registration fee includes 6 free raffle tickets in your registration packet on show day. Fill them out and drop them into the raffle jar at the Borough Hall, 122 E. Butler Avenue by 2:00 PM.

bookmark_borderAttorney General Warns of Weather Scams

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HARRISBURG, PA — Attorney General Linda Kelly today cautioned Pennsylvania consumers and businesses about price gouging and scams following an unusual Spring storm that dumped heavy snowfall on parts of western and northern Pennsylvania.

“Our price-gouging law was designed to guard consumers and businesses against sudden, unwarranted price increases during emergency situations,” Kelly said. “The price gouging restrictions apply to anyone involved in the distribution or sale of consumer goods or services, prohibiting ‘unconscionably excessive’ increases above the average prices observed during the week prior to the emergency.”

Kelly said the Governor’s April 23rd declaration of a statewide disaster emergency triggered the price gouging restrictions, which will extend for 30 days after the expiration of the disaster declaration.

“It is important for everyone – consumers and businesses alike – to understand exactly what constitutes price gouging,” Kelly said. “Price increases for consumer goods or services that are 20% or more above the average prices before this storm are not allowed, except in some very limited situations.”

Kelly said the price gouging law gives the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection the authority to investigate price gouging complaints and allows for penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.

She noted that the emergency price restrictions not only apply to businesses involved in direct consumer sales, but also to manufacturers, suppliers, wholesalers and distributors of consumer products and services.

“I encourage any Pennsylvania consumer or business who feels they are the victims of price-gouging to contact our office so we can thoroughly investigate the situation,” Kelly said.

Kelly said consumers can report potential price-gouging by calling the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline, toll-free, at 1-800-441-2555 or by filing an online consumer complaint using the Attorney General’s website, at www.attorneygeneral.gov (Click on the “Complaints” button on the front page of the website and select “Consumer Complaint Form” from the menu that appears).

Additionally, Kelly urged consumers in storm struck communities to be watchful for scams related to home repair.

“It is natural for homeowners to look for speedy repairs for any storm damage,” Kelly said.  “Still, the desire for immediate repairs should not cloud your judgment or research regarding contractors.”

Kelly explained that all home improvement contractors who do more than $5,000 worth of business per year in Pennsylvania are required to register with the Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.  Registration is not an endorsement of the contractor’s honesty or quality of work.

All home improvement and home repair contractors are required to provide consumers with specific information before proceeding with any project, including:

  • The contractor’s registration number, which must be included in all contracts, estimates and advertisements.
  • A written contract for any project costing more than $500.
  • Information about the consumer’s three-day right to cancel a home improvement contract.
  • Details about the materials and labor included in the project.
  • Total cost of the work.
  • An approximate start-date and end-date for the project.

Additionally, Kelly explained that Pennsylvania’s Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act limits the amount of any up-front payments that contractors can collect.  For projects costing more than $5,000, contractors may not accept advance payment of more than one-third of the total price of the contract.

Kelly also encouraged consumers to get multiple estimates for any major project, to check references for recent work before committing to a project and to be wary of individuals who approach you with stories of “just being in the neighborhood” or other unsolicited offers that seem “too good to be true.”

Warning signs for potential home repair scams include:

  • Unsolicited door-to-door sales pitches.
  • Requests for large up-front payments.
  • No written estimates or contracts.
  • Offers to perform work using “left over” or “discount” materials from other jobs.
  • High-pressure sales pitches.

“When consumers understand their rights, they are much better prepared to identify and avoid potential scams,” Kelly said. “If you encounter a contractor who is not providing the information required by Pennsylvania law, we encourage you to file a complaint with our office and consider using another business for your project.”