PNG Outdoor Services
Nathan Pierce faced a moment in his life where he had to make a decision – continue working in the oil and gas industry with long days, or take control of his days by opening his own business. After much thought, he decided he wanted to have more control over his own schedule to spend time with his family. He decided to bring to life an idea that he had before he went to college and PNG Outdoor Services was created on March 4, 2019.
As a family-first company, PNG values the time with their own families as much as they see the value in time with your own family. Their services allow you to take control of your downtime by spending it with your family – not doing outside chores.
PNG is a lawn care and landscaping company that also offers power washing, material hauling, and snow removal services. During the holidays, they’ll even put up your Christmas lights and decorations! PNG is proud to offer a variety of services that make them your one-stop shop for everything outdoors.
PNG continues to expand to provide the best service possible to their clients. This year, they are expanding their fleet of equipment to improve their efficiency and quality, as well as increase their capacity. This includes new equipment from Gravely; PNG is now part of the Gravely Elite Landscaper program, which allows them access to the best quality cutting equipment available.
Growth will continue, and in the year 2021, PNG hopes to expand to 3 to 5 employees and multiple crews. Within five years, they hope to be the premier choice for landscaping in Greene County and within ten years, multiple counties and states.
PNG Outdoor Services takes pride in their work and in their hometown community of Greene County. FMI or to get a free project quote, visit them at pngos.com, Facebook@PNGOutdoorServices or call 724-747-8776.
Seghi’s 5 Lakes
Seghi’s 5 Lakes is the perfect place to spend some time doing what you love – fishing! The family owned and operated Seghi’s 5 Lakes has been providing an excellent place to fish since 1955. It is currently owned and operated by Beach and Carol Seghi.
Seghi’s has everything that you could need to begin fishing; they have tackle, live bait, food, refreshments and anything else you might need to get started. Trout is stocked weekly on Wednesday and Saturday throughout the season and additional types of fish are stocked throughout the year at different times.
Seghi’s is open year-round, seven days a week. The hours are currently 7am to dark. No PA license is required to fish at Seghi’s 5 Lakes. Fees are $15/adults, $14/senior citizens, and $8/children age 6-12. Fees include all tags. For a daily rate, campsites are available for tent camping and there are camper lots available at times. FMI, call 724-569-5329.
Redevelopment Authority of Greene County
The Redevelopment Authority of Greene County’s mission is “to assist the Greene County community with economic development, community revitalization, affordable housing initiatives, and home ownership opportunities.”
In addition to helping homeowners take the jump into home ownership, RACG also works to stabilize blighted areas within local communities. To assist in reducing blighted areas, RACG will purchase homes or underutilized property in Greene County, mostly through judicial sales with oil and gas impact fees, and begin the long process of rehabilitating them from the ground up.
“We want to stabilize these communities and stop the skidding,” Dave says in reference to the blighted communities in Greene. “It’s overwhelming at times trying to find where to start.”
RACG is currently rehabilitating ten homes located within the communities of Clarksville, Crucible, and Nemacolin that will be available for sale throughout 2020. Once the homes have been fully rehabilitated, they are available for purchase through RACG’s Homebuyer Assistance Program (land contract). RACG works closely with partner Blueprints to make sure that affordable home ownership opportunities are provided to those with low-to-moderate incomes through the Blueprints Home Ownership Center.
To enter into a land contract, a payment plan is set up with RACG based on the resident’s income. RACG will receive the down payment and mortgage payments (included principal, 5% interest, insurance, and taxes) for the next 18-24 months, until the residents improve their credit enough to qualify for a traditional mortgage. During the time the resident has a land contract with RACG, they meet quarterly with Blueprints for credit counseling sessions.
“When we work on rehabbing homes, we don’t just put a band-aid on the problems,” says Dave Calvario, RACG Executive Director. “Our goal is to have them ready for the homeowner and be maintenance free for about eight to twelve years.”
RACG has also assisted homeowners with no-interest loans for home repair. They’ve helped various citizens in Nemacolin with new roofs, wiring, and more thanks to a grant provided to clean up the old side of Nemacolin.
Thanks to the hard work of RACG, many families that felt home ownership was out of reach have been able to fulfill their dream of owning a home, repairing their credit, and seeing their communities flourish. FMI, contact RACG at 724-852-5306 or stop by their office at 49 South Washington St., Waynesburg.
Vitalant
Blood Donors Needed – But Not All at the Same Time!
With the coronavirus pandemic, we are living in a time of unprecedented uncertainty. But one thing is certain – hospital patients have an immediate need for blood.
The catch? Many blood drives have been cancelled due to school and business closings, employees working at home, and other coronavirus-related mandates. As of this writing Vitalant has lost more than 10,000 expected donations due to blood drive cancellations. And the number continues to climb.
With all these cancellations, hospital patients could be in peril if the blood supply is not replenished. Dr. Darrell Triulzi, who is Vitalant Clinical Services Medical Director, as well as director of the Division of Transfusion Medicine in UPMC’s Department of Pathology, explains: “The need for blood will continue unabated during this pandemic. Blood will still be needed to care for obstetrics and surgery patients as well as those with cancer, trauma, and chronic conditions.”
The most important message? Vitalant needs a steady stream of blood donors on an ongoing long-term basis, not a big spike of people all trying to donate at the same time. This is because we never want to risk having your precious blood becoming outdated and therefore unusable. Blood components have a limited shelf life: 45 days for red blood cells and only five days for platelets.
The best and most helpful practice is for people to become dedicated donors who give blood on a regular basis. This is a challenging concept to communicate because we don’t want to give donors the impression that their blood is not wanted or needed. It is indeed critically needed; just not all at once.
Vitalant is contracted with Allegheny Health Network and UPMC to supply blood and blood products, which by extension go to WHS-Greene, Washington Hospital, and Canonsburg Hospital. That means when people donate blood with Vitalant they can feel proud that they are helping hospital patients right here in our community.
Are you ready to donate blood? Here are some things to know:
Please make an appointment! Although we welcome walk-ins, priority is given to those who have a scheduled donation. You can call 412.209.7000 or visit Vitalant.org. Or you can download the Vitalant-Pittsburgh app for your smart device.
Plan for an hour for a whole blood donation. The actual donation time is only about 10 minutes. Whole blood donation is most often given by new donors and is the most common type of donation. Vitalant also uses special technology to collect specific blood components (red blood cells, platelets and plasma) to best match current patient needs
Eat a healthy, low-fat meal within two hours ahead of your donation. The day before, eat a salty snack. When you donate blood, you lose about a gram of salt. Replacing it ahead of time helps keep your blood pressure normal.
Hydrate by drinking 8 to 16 ounces of non-alcoholic beverages one hour before you donate. Water and sports drinks are great choices.
Rest assured that during this pandemic – and at all times – donating blood is very safe. Vitalant staff follow rigorous safety and disinfection protocols at blood drives, on our bloodmobiles and in our donation centers:
The donor care staff wear protective wear gloves for every procedure, and gloves are changed before every donor.
All supplies are single use.
As each blood donation concludes, the staff clean and disinfect the donor bed and surrounding areas.
It’s important to remember that giving blood has no impact on the donor’s immune system, and due to the nature of the coronavirus, it is highly unlikely that it can be transmitted through blood transfusions.
Are you ready to save lives? Please become a blood donor. We look forward to welcoming you.
SPHS CARE Center
SPHS CARE Center STTARS Program Launches New Campaign as Part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month
With funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), the STTARS Program has begun a new outreach campaign to increase engagement in sexual violence services among survivors in the LGBTQ+ communities of Washington and Greene Counties.
Utilizing a campaign adapted from Fenway Health System in Boston, we are hoping to reduce the stigma associated with sexual assault for all populations that may not know about the availability of, or how to access services. The campaign asserts that sexual violence doesn’t discriminate based on gender, race, orientation, or identity. It encourages survivors to access the discreet, free, and confidential counseling and advocacy services that are available in our area.
April 2020 marks the 19th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The SAAM theme, “I Ask” continues to build on the idea that consent, communication, and respect are healthy, normal, and necessary parts of everyday interactions. SAAM is about more than just awareness, it is about generating interest and support to expand prevention, which is our ultimate goal.
“Preventing sexual violence means that we must work together to support healthy, safe, and respectful environments,” Joanna Dragan, supervisor of the STTARS Program asserts. “By engaging in conversations about prevention, modeling respect for others, and confronting attitudes that are conducive to sexual violence, each individual can contribute to the creation of safer and healthier communities.”
Beyond SAAM activities this April, the STTARS Program leads a wide range of initiatives to prevent sexual assault. These include primary prevention activities aimed at addressing child sexual abuse and human trafficking, outreach to professionals on mandated reporting and sexual harassment in the workplace, and engaging underserved populations in prevention and treatment including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and other underserved populations.
For more information on preventing sexual violence in our communities or to request services, please contact the SPHS CARE Center STTARS Program at 724-229-5007.
SAAM is organized nationally by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center.
FMI on this year’s national campaign, visit www.nsvrc.org/saam.
Ozie’s Sport Shop
The days are getting longer and the weather is warming up. It’s the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy your favorite springtime activities. If you need any gear to get you ready for those hunting and fishing adventures, look no further than Ozie’s Sport Shop in Rices Landing. Ozie’s Sport Shop is ready to assist you with getting everything you need to have a successful time while pursuing your favorite activities.
Ozie’s has been serving the Greene County community since 1978, when John Ozohonish, along with his father John (Pokey), opened the store along Route 88. John has retired and his son Jim, who was always helping in the store while growing up, operates the store now. Jim, Jim’s wife Tracy, and daughters Emily and Abby are continuing the tradition of supplying the area with everyone’s hunting and fishing needs. You can still frequently find John at the shop, rocking in his chair and drinking his coffee.
Ozie’s supports the community and assists with fundraising efforts, gun bashes, and other endeavors. They are continuing their efforts to raise money to stock Ten Mile again this year.
In addition to the wide variety of hunting, archery, and fishing gear available at Ozie’s, you get your hunting and fishing licenses. During the summer, Ozie’s also offers a variety of live bait options. Since last year, their inventory has added musky lures, breathable waders, a new line of fishing rods, and other various fishing supplies.
During August and September, Ozie’s will have 3D Outdoor Archery. Last hunting season, Ozie’s started a youth buck hunting contest, which was free to enter. Due to its success, they will keep the contest going this year. FMI on Ozie’s events and promotions, call 724-592-5009 or visit their Facebook page @oziesportshop.
Nanny’s Waste Not Want Not
Nanny’s opened up its doors at Carmichaels Plaza in Carmichaels on October 16, 2017 thanks to owner Nancy McClarren’s main need at the time – to empty her house. “My number one goal was to clean out my house and get rid of all the things that I had accumulated,” Nancy shares. “I had so much stuff!”
Instead of hauling her items to flea markets or dealing with the weather at a yard sale, Nancy opened up her shop and began selling her items, allowing her the freedom to sell at the times she wanted.
All the items at Nanny’s are donated, many of them by her customers. “I’ve had many, many very nice donations made,” Nancy says. “Plus anyone that donates, I allow them to choose an item in the store to take home.”
Ten percent of all proceeds benefit Servant Song Ministries in Waynesburg and “that includes the customers that say keep the change.” So far, Nanny’s has donated over $1000.
Nanny’s reasonable prices are made even better by the daily, weekly, and monthly sales. Stop by and take a look at the variety of goods Nanny’s has to offer – you won’t be disappointed!
