E-news Updates - March 15, 2024

In this update:

Recognizing STARboro Cafe
Honoring a Bucks County Fire & EMS Legend for 70 Years of Service
Local Veteran Receives Special Registration Plate
Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund Reopening
PennDOT Shares Roadwork Info with Motorists

Recognizing STARboro Cafe

Earlier this week, I stopped at the STARboro Cafe & Garden Market for some delicious hot coffee served by the friendliest staff. I presented a certificate from the Senate of PA for their hard work and outstanding commitment to our community.

STARboro Café provides Council Rock A.C.H.I.E.V.E. students an authentic work experience. A.C.H.I.E.V.E. is a transition program for young adults ages 18-21 years old with special needs. This program allows them to continue to work and build on employability and independent living skills. To learn more about their program: https://www.crsd.org/schools/achieve.

STARboro Café is located at the Council Rock STAR Center on Upper Holland Road and is open to the community Tuesday-Friday from 8:30am-11:30am. For more info you can follow Starboro Café and Garden Center on Facebook.

Honoring a Bucks County Fire & EMS Legend for 70 Years of Service

At the Trevose Fire Company meeting on Tuesday night, I had the honor of presenting a citation from the Senate of Pennsylvania to Jimmy John Thorpe for his 70 years of providing Fire & EMS services to the Bucks County community, mostly in Bensalem.

I am always proud to honor our first responders, but it is extra special when that person has had a positive impact on me personally. Jimmy John was a longtime emergency services instructor, specializing in ropes and knots and was one of my first instructors over three decades ago when I joined Langhorne Middletown Fire Company as a volunteer firefighter.

Jimmy John has been recognized as a Life Member by the Trevose Fire Company. Nottingham Fire Department Station 65, Cornwells Fire Company, and the Bensalem EMS. He is also a Life Member of the Bensalem Rescue Squad and the Lambertville Rescue Squad. Jimmy John has led the Bensalem EMS technical rescue training for almost a decade and has been credited with helping to improve the careers of countless Bucks County safety officials.

Local Veteran Receives Air Medal Registration Plate

Randy Seitter, a local veteran advocated for a special Air Medal registration plate and I am honored that I was able to make it happen for him and all the Air Medal recipients in our Commonwealth through legislation I drafted. Randy picked up his very own Air Medal plate at our office earlier this week.

The Air Medal is awarded to members of the military who have displayed an act of heroism or meritorious achievement while participating in aerial flight.

Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund Reopening

The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA) announced that the Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund (PAHAF) is reopening this Monday, March 18, 2024, to homeowners struggling as a result of pandemic-related financial hardships. PAHAF provides financial assistance to eligible homeowners for mortgage and housing-related expenses to address delinquency and avoid default, foreclosure or displacement from their homes.

Since February 2023, there has been a pause on new applications in effect to allow PHFA to focus on a backlog of applicants as a priority. Now that most of the transitioned pending applications have been processed and an assessment of remaining funds has been made, PHFA is able to reopen the program to eligible new applicants until the remaining monies are exhausted.

Funds will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis to eligible applicants until the remaining monies are exhausted with priority given to homeowners facing an imminent adverse action (IAA) such as a notice of foreclosure, sheriff sale or utility shut-off notice. Applicants should understand that submitting an application does not guarantee funding. PHFA has encumbered what is believed to be adequate funds to process the remaining transitioned applications.

Interested Pennsylvania homeowners should visit www.pahaf.org for more information, eligibility requirements, and instructions on how to submit their application.

PennDOT Shares Roadwork Info with Motorists

As the weather improves, there will be more roadwork. To inform motorists about construction projects that are underway, beginning this year or being bid, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation offers an informational portal.

It has a mapping application for highway and bridge projects that allows users to obtain information about roadwork projects.

For travel information, visit www.511pa.com or call 5-1-1. 511PA is Pennsylvania’s official travel information service, which provides travelers with reliable, current traffic and weather information, as well as links to other transportation services.

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