It’s Your Business
Youngwood Volunteers sought for tax help
The Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program (TCE) needs volunteers, age 55 and older, to help people file their tax returns.
Tax-aide volunteers provide free assistance to taxpayers that cannot afford professional tax help, particularly those who file simple tax returns.
Volunteers assist lower income, elderly, non-English speaking persons and those with disabilities. The tax counseling sessions are held at sites throughout Westmorel and Fayette counties.
Volunteers attend an eight-day training session that is conducted by the Internal Revenue Service and specially trained tax-aide volunteer instructors from the TCE program.
The training includes testing of volunteers to ensure accurate service to TCE taxpayers.
All volunteers must achieve a minimum score on the test to serve as a TCE assistant.
For more information or to participate, residents may call the Retired and Senior Volunteer Program at 724-925-4213.
Uniontown
Work company ties in Angus listing
Work Land & Cattle Co., Uniontown, tied for ninth largest in registering the most Angus beef cattle in Pennsylvania having recorded 49 head of Angus with the American Angus Association during fiscal year 2002, which ended Sept. 30, according to John Crouch, executive vice president of the American Angus Association.
Angus breeders across the nation in 2002 registered 281,965 head of Angus cattle compared to 271,206 in fiscal 2001.
“We are pleased with this four percent increase in business,” Crouch said. “The year-end statistics indicate a constant demand for Angus genetics in commercial herds as producers continue to focus on end product quality and its effect on their bottom line.”
The American Angus Association, headquartered in St. Joseph, Mo., was founded in 1883. It is the largest beef registry association in the world in terms of both annual registrations and active members. For more information about the Angus breed go to www.angus.org.
California
GACO gets $148,500 grant
California University of Pennsylvania’s government agency coordination office (GACO) was awarded a grant of $148,500 from the Defense Logistics Agency of Fort Belvoir, Va.
The federal grant will support continuing contracting assistant services to regional businesses by GACO from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2003.
GACO, which is part of California University’s Mon Valley Renaissance economic development program, is a full-service procurement technical assistance center (PTAC) that helps businesses throughout western Pennsylvania to obtain federal, state, corporate, local and export contracts and subcontracts. Through GACO’s computerized marketing system, companies can gain placement on bidders’ mailing lists and receive notifications of procurement opportunities.
GACO also provides assistance with electronic commerce, bid preparation, past procurement data for federal contracts, specifications and standards, assistance with obtaining technical data packages, and access to Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR’s) and Defense Federal Acquisition Regulations (DFAR’s).
GACO hosts seminars throughout the year where businesses can obtain education and training on various procurement topics.
Additionally, GACO’s annual trade fair affords businesses the unique opportunity to make contacts with procurement representatives from federal, state and local agencies, and to meet individuals from large corporations who are looking for additional vendors and suppliers.
GACO operates three offices, located at California University of Pennsylvania, Slippery Rock University and Pittsburgh.
The GACO staff is currently providing contracting assistance services to 1,429 businesses in western Pennsylvania.
These businesses have reported receiving more than 16,938 contracts and subcontracts totaling more than $1,299,157,340 since GACO began operations in 1985.
Area businesses interested in obtaining additional information about GACO’s services may do so by calling Deborah Wojcik at 724-938-5881.