Dauphin and Perry Counties 
Among State’s Worst in Clean Air Test
Dauphin and Perry Counties are part of a list of nearly 400 U.S. counties to receive a failure rating for ozone air pollution, according to the American Lung Association’s annual State of the Air report. The report examined 660 counties across the country and found Dauphin and Perry Counties ranked 83rd and 203rd, respectively. In state ranking, the Counties placed 8th and 20th worst for ozone air pollution. Allegheny County, which ranked 35th worst in the country, is the state’s worst county for ozone air pollution; Los Angeles is the nation’s biggest offender.

According to the report, the health of 9.4 million state residents is potentially at risk due to the dangerous ozone smog levels, particularly during the summer months. “Without a doubt, our health remains threatened by air pollution,” said Kevin M. Stewart, Director of Environmental Health for American Lung Association of Pennsylvania. “State of the Air confirms that the hundreds of thousands of people who live in the Harrisburg area are at risk for health problems from smog. In the four counties of Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, and Perry, that includes at least 125,000 children. We have no choice but to continue to strengthen our air pollution control laws and to take individual steps to clean the air and protect our health,” said Stewart.

Stewart sees no change in site if emissions aren’t drastically cut, from both power plants and automobiles. “There is no simpler way to convey the reality of America’s air quality problem,” Stewart said. “Dauphin and Perry Counties are among 382 counties in the United States that get an “F” for controlling smog, which can affect anyone’s ability to breathe — not just those with chronic lung disease.”

*NSYNC Raffle to Benefit UPC
Along with WINK 104 FM and Automax, the United Cerebral Palsy of Central PA is raffling an authentic guitar autographed by all five members of the boy band *NSYNC.

Raffle tickets can be purchased at any UPC Central PA location, at the Spot in downtown Harrisburg, or at various times in Strawberry Square where the guitar will be on display. A donation of $5 purchases three raffle tickets.

The drawing for the autographed guitar will take place June 8 at 5:50 p.m. in the Carousel Pavilion on City Island and is to be broadcast live on ABC-TV 27. The 15th Annual Senators Sports Auction to benefit UCP Central PA will take place on City Island on June 9.

For more information on this raffle and all other events, call 975-0611.

Entrepreneurial Brothers Debut New Book
Local brothers Josh and Andy Petroski have unveiled a new book and a companion website. Touted as a “highly interactive entertainment forum designed around the novel Dead with Ilsa,” the site, deadwithilsa.com, operates very much like a coming attraction for a movie, promoting the novel and providing readers with a virtual companion piece to the e-book.

“Dead with Ilsa is a dark, futuristic, sometimes-humorous journey through the afterlife of Aimels Johnson in an alien-inhabited city called Graymin,” said author Josh Petroski, who is based in Baltimore, MD. “Opposing influences combine to create a conflict between good and evil. In the end, as Graymin evolves into a murderous and hateful land, Aimels must choose between the two.”

The site, designed by local multimedia developer Andy Petroski, offers readers an intimate perspective of the novel through games, a chat room, character illustrations, an essay competition with a prize for the winner, a free sample chapter, reader reviews, and a fan club with a free screensaver. The information, media, and interactivity is available to readers before purchasing and downloading the novel from the site at a cost of $6.95.

“This is the DVD of Internet publishing,” said Andy Petroski. “The site provides preview information about the novel and an entertainment value for both readers and non-readers. We incorporate animation, graphics, and sound unlike anything we have seen for an online e-book.”
For more information visit deadwithilsa.com.

Dauphin County Program to 
Make Homeownership Easy
Dauphin County Commissioners John Payne, Lowman Henry, and Anthony Petrucci are reminding county residents that homeownership can be made easy via the county’s First-Time Home Buyers Program. The program offers loan assistance up to $3,500 to first-time home buyers who can use the money toward the price of the house and/or closing costs; the money is to be repaid upon the homeowner’s resale of the home. The house must be located Dauphin County and applicants must meet other eligibility requirements outlined in the program.

Since 1995, the program’s loans have assisted more than 500 first-time home buyers who would have normally been unable to purchase a house. For more information and specific applicant guidelines on the First-Time Home Buyers Program, call the Dauphin County Department of Community and Economic Development at 257-1550 or by visiting dauphincounty.org and selecting “$ Housing Help” under the “Business Opportunities” link.

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