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Category: Blog

Discovery Garden Kaleidoscope Dedicated

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

The new interactive kaleidoscope at the Discovery Garden in Holidaysburg, was officially dedicated to the community at a ceremony on Thursday, September 14th.  

Numerous civic leaders, volunteers, and garden enthusiasts took part in the festivities, as live music, refreshments, and door prizes greeted all in attendance.  The fete took place during the garden’s anniversary week, marking 23 years since one parcel of the Legion Park property transformed into the Discovery Garden. 

The Blair County Chamber of Commerce conducted a ribbon cutting ceremony at 4:30pm.  Chamber ambassadors and staff joined volunteers from the Discovery Garden, the Women’s Club of Altoona, Skills of Central Pa staff members, and the Mayor, for a grand photo opportunity in front of the kaleidoscope.   

When the public reception at began at 5:30pm, Holidaysburg Mayor Joe Dodson was first at the microphone to welcome the community to the garden.  Next, were remarks and expressions of gratitude from JoAnn Propcheck, representing both the Women’s Club of Altoona and the Blair Garden Club, and Skills of Central Pa CEO Val Barner.  Finally, Leslie Smith, of the Discovery Garden Committee, dedicated the kaleidoscope to the community.   

The kaleidoscope was designed and constructed by R.L. Anderson, one of the world’s most renowned kaleidoscope artists.  As a permanent fixture now residing the in the Discovery Garden, visitors of all ages can enjoy the merging of nature and physics at the Discovery Garden all Spring, Summer, and Fall. 

Throughout the party, Sophie Kahn delivered beautiful music from her concert harp.  The young harpist is supported by Skills of Central Pa’s Employment Services division. 

About The Garden: 

The Discovery Garden, a project of the Skills Foundation, is an award-winning public garden located in Legion Park, Hollidaysburg, Pennsylvania, adjacent to the Kids’ Kingdom Play Park, at 1501 N Juniata St., Hollidaysburg.  For more information, visit www.discoverygardenpa.com 

Since its opening in 2000, the Garden has become a community and regional sightseeing and gathering destination. This beautiful and peaceful place is dedicated to the memory of Courtney Leigh Claton.  In 2008, Discovery Garden earned the Community Greening Award presented by the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Keep Pennsylvania Beautiful Alliance; the award recognizes the creation and maintenance of a public green space that enhances the community. The Discovery Garden is handicapped accessible and includes a Horticultural Therapy Garden maintained by individuals from Skills of Central PA.    

Other specialty gardens in this inviting botanical space include the Cottage Garden, which earned the 2016 “Garden of Distinction” blue ribbon from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society; the Time Garden, which contains one of the largest horizontal sundials on the East Coast; and the Children’s Garden, which includes a potting shed, a rabbit hole tunnel and a rainbow garden. The Discovery Garden also contains the Planting Garden, comprised of raised beds planted in the spring by local elementary school students. Dedicated volunteers maintain this community garden; they work every Thursday morning from April through mid-October.  

The Chamber is excited to announce that the Annual Celebration and Chamber Awards are back

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

Join the Chamber of Business & Industry of Centre County for this year’s Annual Celebration and Chamber Awards on Thursday, October 26, 2023. This is where we honor Centre County’s businesses, innovators, and entrepreneurs. Join us as we recognize our member’s outstanding contributions that bolster our region’s economic growth and contribute to a vibrant Centre County. This is a time for us to recognize and celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of our local businesses and those that work to provide impactful innovation to the economic vibrance of our wonderful area. We encourage you to nominate an outstanding business or employee that deserves such a recognition.  Sponsorships are also available.

To see our list of awards and submit a nomination form, secure your reservation or explore sponsorship opportunities click here: Annual Celebration & Awards – Chamber of Business & Industry Centre County (cbicc.org).

Two Penn Highlands Healthcare Hospitals Earn National Recognition

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

Penn Highlands Elk and Penn Highlands Huntingdon have earned five stars from Becker’s Hospital Review for outstanding staff responsiveness. The two hospitals are among 530 in the United States and only 17 in Pennsylvania to earn this distinction.

The Becker’s star rating is based on data collected from hospital patients using Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). 

“Superior staff responsiveness creates a safer environment, higher patient satisfaction scores and more positive outcomes,” explained Rhonda Halstead, Penn Highlands Healthcare Regional Market President – Central Region, which includes Huntingdon, Blair and Centre counties. “This recognition indicates to our communities that our staff is dedicated to meeting their needs when they come to our hospitals for care.”

Brad Chapman, President of Penn Highlands Elk, shares Mrs. Halstead’s view. “The men and women who provide care at our hospitals are some of the most skilled, caring and compassionate people in this region. “The five-star rating is the stamp of approval that shows our commitment to high-quality care.”

 

Boost Your Productivity with These Practical Habits

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

SUMMARY

  • Batching tasks allows you to group similar tasks together and focus on them for a specific period of time, improving concentration and allowing you to monotask rather than multitask.
  • “Eating the frog” is a productivity hack that prioritizes the most difficult task first, leading to feelings of accomplishment that can carry over into the rest of the day/week.
  • Automating your attention by turning off notifications, putting your phone on silent, and using online scheduling helps avoid distractions.
  • Power napping for 10-20 minutes before 2pm (or 5pm for night owls) can improve cognitive function and boost creativity.
  • Incorporating these habits can help increase productivity and make you more efficient – practice proactively to see real results 

~ 593 words / 3 minute read 

Although productivity is an essential component to work and life, it’s not a subject most people learn in school. At first glance, the ability to stay focused, get organized, and finish tasks on time seems to be a talent bestowed at birth on the lucky. Thankful productivity experts have another view. Your productivity does not manifest from your genes but from your habits. The following productivity hacks will help you take control of your time and transform the way you work.  

Batch Your Time

Time batching is a technique where you set aside specific timeframes for certain tasks. Instead of jumping from one task to another, time batching allows you to group similar tasks together and focus only on them for a specific period. For example, instead of reading emails throughout the day, you schedule a specific time to read and respond. Likewise, you might set aside specific times each day for returning calls or scheduling appointments. Time batching improves concentration and allows you to monotask rather than multitask, which research has shown to be ineffective. We all wish there was more time in a day. By batching your tasks, you’ll be able to work more efficiently, save time, and minimize distractions.

Eat the Frog

American humorist Mark Twain once wrote, “If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning. And If it’s your job to eat two frogs, it’s best to eat the biggest one first.” Productivity experts have latched onto Twain’s metaphor to address the way many people avoid hard tasks. Unfortunately, that avoidance has a cost. Stress, anxiety, and low-energy happen when we put off important work. Much like ripping off a band-aid, ‘eating the frog’ means prioritizing difficult work. Once you’ve conquered a challenging task, your feeling of accomplishment will carry over into the rest of your day, even your week.

Avoiding Distractions

Distractions can significantly affect productivity. Edward G. Brown, an efficiency and workflow consultant, argues that our biggest time bandits come from momentum loss, starting over, and do-overs because of errors. Nir Ayal, author of Indistracible: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life, recommends using technology to automate your attention. Simple habits like turning off notifications during work hours, putting your phone on silent, and having clients book appointments through an online scheduler keeps your attention on your most important work and saves you time throughout your day.  

Power Naps

Can sleeping in the daytime really make you more productive? Just ask some of the world’s most successful basketball players like Lebron James or Derrick Rose, who have relied on naps to boost performance. Research shows that it’s not just athletes who benefit from napping. Power naps, defined as a 10-20 minute daytime sleep burst, can help recharge your energy, improve cognitive function, boost your creativity, and improve your work performance. When’s the best time to power nap? Sleep experts recommend before 2pm for most people or as late as 5pm for night owls. When you find yourself reaching for afternoon caffeine, you’ll know it’s time for a quick nap.  

The Takeaway 

Incorporating productivity habits like time batching, prioritizing hard tasks, avoiding distractions, and power naps are practical ways to increase productivity and become more efficient. By adopting these habits, you’ll be able to work smarter, not harder. Start by trying one or two habits for a few weeks and track how your productivity improves. Remember, productivity is like a muscle you develop, so practice everyday to get stronger.

Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak Opens New Office in Wilkes-Barre; Welcomes Attorney Stacey Acri

Posted on by Jeannine Lozier

Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak, an elder law firm with current locations in State College, Williamsport, Wyalusing and Wysox, Pa., is pleased to announce the opening of its fifth office, located at 273 East Northampton St. in Wilkes-Barre. Additionally, SGY welcomes Attorney Stacey Acri to its staff as an associate attorney. Attorney Acri comes to SGY from the Acri Law Firm in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. and has been practicing law for 25 years, including the last 16 in Pennsylvania. The new office will open and Attorney Acri will begin seeing clients on September 11, 2023. The Wilkes-Barre office can be reached at 570-266-7034.

“We are thrilled to be growing our firm into Wilkes-Barre and Luzerne County, where we look forward to providing the same high-quality service that our clients in Williamsport, State College and Bradford County have come to expect over the last two decades, as we help them plan for their second half of life,” said Attorney Landon Hodges, a partner at the firm. “We’re also very excited to have Stacey join our firm and focus her entire practice on elder law, while also maintaining her presence in her community where she will be able to continue serving her friends and neighbors.”
SGY was founded 21 years ago by Attorney Julie Steinbacher and for over the last two decades, has assisted thousands of clients with their legal planning needs for their second half of life. The firm’s mission is to provide protection in times of prosperity, security in times of uncertainty and comfort in times of crisis. It focuses solely on elder law, which enables it to provide a full suite of services relates to estate planning, both basic and advanced. SGY’s services include, but aren’t limited to wills, powers of attorney, special needs planning, estate administration, will disputes, guardianships, long-term care planning, nursing home Medicaid planning, wealth protection and tax planning, business succession planning, veterans’ benefits planning, elder care navigation, and Alzheimer’s and dementia planning.

Since 2007, Attorney Acri has been a part of the Acri Law Firm, which was founded by her mother, Jane Acri. Stacey has worked primarily in both family and elder law, but will be solely focusing on elder law at SGY. Elder law related items that she has worked on include but aren’t limited to general estate planning, including wills and Powers of Attorney, probate and guardianships. She also worked on non-elder law areas including family law issues such as child custody, domestic violence, adoptions and divorce and alimony. Prior to her time at the Acri Law Firm, Attorney Acri served her country for over nine years in the Judge Advocate General’s (JAG) Corps of the United States Navy, where she provided military personnel and their families with various and wide-ranging legal services in both criminal and civil matters, including those pertaining to estate planning. A native of Mountain Top, Pa., Attorney Acri is a graduate of King’s College and Penn State Dickinson Law.

Steinbacher, Goodall & Yurchak is an elder care and special needs law firm offering quality representation to clients throughout Pennsylvania. It now has five locations in State College, Wilkes-Barre, Williamsport, Wyalusing and Wysox. Since its beginning in 2002, the firm has dedicated itself to practicing law with extraordinary standards of ethics and values. The vision of the firm has been to provide individuals and their families with a unique plan to protect their assets for their spouses and future generations, while providing for their immediate and long-term needs. More information, including resources and seminar information, can be found at PAElderCounsel.com To schedule your appointment at any of its offices, call 1-800-351-8334.