Spotlight on people, business & places
Wharton Twp. Farm joins program
Pennsylvania’s State Farmland Preservation Board has approved 35 additional farms totaling 3,007 acres in its farmland protection program, including one in Fayette County.
The Daniel and Cindy Komarinski farm in Wharton Township joins 1,910 farms totaling nearly 229,000 acres that have been entered in the program since 1989. This includes 125 new farms totaling 13,675 acres since the launch of its “2002 farms in 2002” initiative earlier this year.
“Our farmland preservation achievements in recent years have been remarkable examples of teamwork on the part of each county and the state’s Bureau of Farmland Preservation,” Agriculture Secretary Sam Hayes said. “Through this partnership, Pennsylvania is setting the standard in farmland preservation across the country.”
Currently, 53 counties participate in the state farmland preservation program. The Commonwealth purchases the development rights, referred to as easements, to preserve Pennsylvania’s prime farmland and open space.
To assist farmers in planning easement purchases, the Department of Agriculture sponsors the “Installment Purchase Agreement Program,” which allows landowners to defer capital gains taxes and county preservation programs, by virtue of installment payments, to fund other farmland preservation efforts. For more information concerning Pennsylvania’s farmland preservation initiative, contact the department’s Bureau of Farmland Preservation at 717-783-3167, or visit the Department of Agriculture’s homepage through the PA PowerPort at www.state.pa.us PA Keyword: “agriculture.”
Uniontown
School expands services
The Laurel Business Institute is adding evening programs to its curriculum. Beginning in mid-October, the school plans to offer specialized associate degrees in the medical assistant and computer software administration programs.
Christopher D. Decker, president of Laurel Business Institute, said the expanded program offering is a natural response to many inquiries the school gets about the availability of evening programs.
The school currently plans to offer classes in both programs on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evenings and on Saturdays. The computer software administration program is the newest and the 10th specialized associate degree offered by the school, approved by the Pennsylvania State Board of Education in early May. The medical assistant course of study, a mainstay of Laurel Business Institute’s programs, has been offered at the school since 1994. Both programs have professional third-party certifications available for students.
Beginning Tuesday, admission staff will be available at the school during the evenings on Tuesdays and Thursdays until 8:30 p.m. Those interested in the program should call the school at 724-439-4900, visit the school at 11-15 Penn St. in Uniontown, or visit the website at www.laurelbusiness.net.
The Laurel Business Institute provides employer-driven education with 10 specialized associate degree programs and professional certifications in accounting, business, information technology, childcare, customer service, hospitality and health-related fields. These educational services are supplemented with a variety of initiatives like the High School Honors Program, more than $100,000 in annual scholarships, ACT 48 and short courses for continuing professional education, career fairs, and contract training for employers. Laurel Business Institute, located in the historic district of Uniontown was established in 1985 to meet the employment and educational needs of the regional community.