Press Releases: March 2, 2000

For Immediate Release
March 02, 2000 Press Releases

Downtown Traffic Flow Changes To Accommodate Construction
Harrisburg, PA – Mayor Stephen R. Reed has reported that several major changes to downtown Harrisburg’s traffic flow patterns will be implemented in the next several weeks to accommodate the construction of the new Second Street Garage. Changes will include the installation of new traffic signals on North Front and North Third streets, and the redirection of traffic in the first and second blocks of Locust and Pine streets.

The Mayor said the changes are necessary to allow for the construction of the new 870-space parking garage in the 200 block of North Second Street. Work will get underway in early April with a completion date planned for Spring, 2001.

Reed said the most significant modifications motorists will see in the next several weeks will be the installation of new traffic control signals on North Front Street at Pine Street, and North Third Street at Locust Street. Traffic flow directions will be changed on Pine Street, from its current easterly direction from Front to Third, to westbound only from Third to Front streets. Locust Street, which is now easterly from Front to Second, westerly from Third to Second, will be changed to all eastbound from Front to Third streets. River Alley, which currently runs south from Pine Street to Locust Street, will be changed to northbound only.

Reed urged commuters and other motorists to remain alert to traffic news about the project, as it will likely cause some minor delays as streets are excavated and the new signalization is installed.

Students and Business Leaders to Join Forces
Camp Hill, PA – Over 150 area high school students and educators have been invited to attend a first-of-a-kind conference uniting students and business leaders Wednesday, March 15, hosted by the West Shore Chamber of Commerce.

School districts scheduled to participate in the conference, entitled Student Success-Community Success, include Camp Hill, Cumberland Valley, East Pennsboro, Mechanicsburg, Northern York, South Middleton, Susquenita, and West Shore.

The one-day conference will feature exhibits, break-out sessions and door prizes. Keynote speaker, Lynne G. Tully, founder of The Professional Edge, will address “Behaving in Business – The 10 Most Common Etiquette Mistakes.” Other topics for students include Résumé Writing, Proper Attire on the Job, Interviews and Getting Along with Others in the Workplace.

Break-out sessions for business professionals include “Let Co-Ops and Internships Work for You,” “How to Understand and Communicate with Your Entry Level Employees” and “Business Leaders Make Good Education Leaders.”

High school students interested in attending Student Success-Community Success should contact their guidance counselors. Business professionals interested in participating or exhibiting should contact Audrey Hanna at the West Shore Chamber office at 761-0702.

Open House To Be Held at Grandview Surgery Center
Camp Hill, PA – A grand opening celebration will be held at a newly opened free standing outpatient surgery center in Mechanicsburg. Grandview Surgery Center at Mechanicsburg, a joint venture of Holy Spirit Health System and HEALTHSOUTH, will open its doors to the public on Saturday, March 11, from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. Several physicians will be giving brief presentations about orthopedic surgeries they will perform there. Tours and refreshments will also be provided.

Grandview Surgery Center at Mechanicsburg provides patients and physicians with greater options for outpatient surgery. The center is located at 179 Lancaster Boulevard, Mechanicsburg, next to HEALTHSOUTH Rehabilitation Hospital.

For more information or directions, please call Grandview Surgery Center at Mechanicsburg at 506-2120.

PROBE To Offer Career Readiness Classes
Harrisburg, PA – New Choices/New Options at PROBE (Potential Reentry Opportunities in Business and Education) announces a new series of Career Readiness Classes to begin March 28. The classes will run 3 nights a week: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for 5 weeks. PROBE is a non-profit agency offering intensive individual career counseling and career readiness training to single parents and displaced homemakers.

Career Readiness Classes are designed to help participants improve self-esteem, boost confidence, and identify skills and interests. Effective job search methods and interview skills are also discussed. Basic computer skills are introduced, and a variety of job options are explored, including non-traditional occupations.

Pre-registration is required. PROBE is an equal opportunity program that is funded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education at no cost to participants. Call today for more information and registration. Contact New Choices/New Options at PROBE at 939-2260 or 1-800-662-7062.

In addition, individual GED instruction is available on Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Instruction is offered from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Please call PROBE at the above phone number for more information and to sign up today.

City’s Neighborhood Recreation Program Hits Record Attendance
Harrisburg, PA – Mayor Stephen R. Reed has announced that during 1999 the city’s neighborhood-based citywide recreational programs reached a new attendance record, with a total of 446,449 persons participating in the dozens of activities conducted at sites throughout Harrisburg.

The city offers CPR/First Aid Courses, table tennis, computer classes, reading, indoor tennis, job fairs, basketball, golf, arts, crafts, volleyball, soccer, aerobics, tubing, track, field trips, aquatics, dance, fishing derby, Black History Showcase, videos, art and school visits, Easter Egg Hunt, and a range of on-site structured activities at 17 playground sites.

“Recreational programming is regarded by some as a non-essential governmental activity. For Harrisburg, however, I regard it as one of the keys to providing a positive outlet for youthful time and energy, a means to build community and a character-building and educational function. We are now at the highest levels of programming and attendance in city history and intend to continue with such,” Reed said.

AARP Pennsylvania Names State Director
Harrisburg, PA – AARP has announced that Nora Dowd has been named its new Pennsylvania State Director. As state director, Dowd will oversee AARP’s strategic initiatives and community-based activities on behalf of AARP’s nearly 1.8 million members in Pennsylvania.

According to AARP Regional Director Frank Bailey, “Nora brings a deep commitment to aging issues, and exceptional qualifications to the position. She is looking forward to working with AARP’s dedicated volunteers on a number of critical issues including Medicare, Social Security, Long-term Care, and patient protections in managed care. AARP is excited to have her on board.”
Prior to joining AARP, Dowd directed the Center for Advocacy for the Rights and Interests of the Elderly’s (CARIE) U.S. Department of Health and Human Services grant project designed to decrease the occurrence of Health care fraud among the elderly. She also has experience working as a Deputy Attorney General in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, the Attorney General’s statewide task force on fraud and the elderly, and at the Federal Trade Commission in Washington, D.C.

AARP is the nation’s leading organization for people age 50 and over.