NEAT NUMERALS

85

Osram Sylvania celebrated the 85th anniversary of its founding this month, harkening back to the November 1924 start-up of Sylvania in Emporium. Its origins actually date back even more.

In 1905, the Novelty Incandescent Lamp Company (NILCO) had been organized in St. Marys and Emporium, and was busily engaged in making miniature specialty and decorative lamps. General Motors bought controlling interest in 1910.

In 1924, NILCO formed its Sylvania Products Company in order to manufacture radio tubes. Sylvania was the Emporium area’s dominant employer and economic driver for decades.

In 1959, Sylvania was acquired by General Telephone, and in 1971, the name was changed to GTE Sylvania Inc. In 1993, Osram GmbH purchased GTE Sylvania’s North American operations.

35

Thirty-five percent of Pennsylvanians who qualified for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) last winter will not qualify this year, due to stricter income limits.

Cutoff point for annual income is $16,245 for individuals up to $33,075 for a four-person household. Those limits last winter were $23,110 and $44,443.

80

The battle over a plan to impose tolls on Interstate 80 is heating up again.

Federal Highway Administration officials will evaluate the application from the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission to toll Interstate 80. Many economic development officials and state and federal politicians are actively opposing the plan.

9

Operations are underway at the Eagle Biodiesel plant in Kane, which produces biodiesel as an additive for diesel fuel. It’s located in the former Holgate Toy building on Wetmore Avenue. Eagle began with nine employees, but a company spokesman said plans call for adding second and third shifts with additional hiring.

Diesel fuel sold in Pennsylvania after May 1 is required to contain a minimum of two- percent biodiesel, which is made from used cooking oil, plant oils, animal fats and sources such as algae.

20

Honorably discharged veterans of the Armed Forces have a new way to display their service. PennDOT has announced the availability of a new series of military license plates honoring veterans of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard. Cost of each plate is $20.

The plates feature the standard Pennsylvania license plate colors of blue, white and yellow along with the applicable branch of service emblem or logo on the left side of the plate. Pennsylvania is printed at the top of the plate, with the name of the applicable branch of service at the bottom. To purchase a plate, honorably discharged veterans must mail Form MV-150 to PennDOT and include a certified copy of their DD-214, along with the $20 fee. Form MV-150 is available on the PennDOT website, www.dmv.state.pa.us.

6

Six years after its inception, the Pennsylvania Wilds tourist marketing and heritage campaign has demonstrated its worth, according to two of its employees.

Community Outreach Specialist Sam MacDonald reported that a design guide developed to help businesses and communities enhance their visual presence has been well-received. It focuses on architecture, landscaping, lights, signs and building placement to encourage tourism while maintaining the attributes of the community.

45

Forty-five windows at the former county home in Smethport will be replaced as part of a larger project to renovate county buildings and make them more energyeffi cient.

The McKean County Commissioners decided to solicit a new round of bids for the windows. The project is separate from the plans to renovate the county courthouse, which will also include window replacements.

1,800

Pennsylvania has once again run out of space in its state penitentiaries. There is capacity for 51,000 inmates, which means that some 1,800 are being detained out of state, with Pennsylvania paying for the prison space.

State Corrections Secretary Jeffrey Beard is among those calling for a larger number of non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug and property crimes, to be diverted into non-prison settings.