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A quintessential volunteer: We need more Bill Sementellis

We like to think there are more and many people in our communities like Bill Sementelli. Quiet, yet active and most of all, helpful. Thanks, Bill, for your 20-plus years of helping the Clinton County Treasurer’s Office administer doe licenses. As a volunteer, we emphasize. And this isn’t just an ordinary volunteer. Bill is an experienced 92 years old! God Bless you, Bill. “I enjoy it, I enjoy helping people,” Sementelli told The Express in a July 19 front page feature. Again for the record: Work is nothing new for Sementelli. He is a trustee on the Sons and ...

Congratulations to Miller’s Furniture of Mill Hall

Congratulations to Miller’s Furniture of Mill Hall for its 40th anniversary! It takes a lot of hard work, sacrifice and, frankly, know-how to run and sustain a business for 40 years. Jerry Blanchard and his late wife, Sandy, did just that. The beauty today is that the family continues to own and operate the local business at 3064 Eagle Valley Road with Jerry’s “kids” — his son-in-law Dave Meyer; Dave’s son, Zach, and Wendy Hockenberry, Dave’s sister. And we love their new motto of calling Miller’s the local “Hometown Sit and Sleep Store.” Yepper, locally ...

Labor market has fundamentally changed; what are we doing about it?

There are fewer applicants for jobs. And more applicants are not necessarily qualified for the positions they seek. More also don’t show up for interviews. We know employers in our region are facing those stark realities. No doubt, the pandemic caused a major disruption in America’s labor force — many refer to it as “The Great Resignation.” In 2021 — amid continued, government-ordered shutdowns due to COVID — more than 47 million workers quit their jobs. Most of them were in search of an improved work-life balance and flexibility, increased compensation and a ...

Roadwork a temporary pain for long-term gain

We hope motorists dodging the months-long street and intersection construction around in Lock Haven understand that the sacrifice will be worth it. PennDOT (and the city) had to reconstruct pedestrian corners to fix storm water and other issues. This after the corners had been rebuilt not long before. Now new state of the art signals are being installed pretty much throughout the business district. We certainly hope they are more pedestrian friendly. And streets are being repaved. Overall improvements include upgrades to the traffic signal supports, vehicular and pedestrian ...

Pass common sense changes to fireworks law

As we celebrate the Independence Day holiday — which this year creates a three-day weekend because of July 4 falling on a Monday — we approach a time that many look forward to but certain others dread. It’s not because of the celebration of America, it’s because of the method of the celebration of America — mainly fireworks. For many, fireworks are a fun tradition, whether setting off their own or watching a professional display. But for others, fireworks are at best an inconvenience and at worst a legitimate hazard. The inconvenience comes from those with small ...

Don’t just complain, do something

This is not sustainable. That’s a statement we just heard from one of the region’s largest employers. They were talking about rising and historically high gasoline prices. This large-scale company bakes and delivers food to area grocery, convenience, mom-and-pop and super stores. Its business is based on demand, that is, its various baked goods are made on demand — and demand has remained high. It ships product every day, 24/7. This company, like most, must consistently re-invest profits to upgrade equipment. It must also constantly recruit employees in this difficult ...