Oct 3, 2004 6 min read

Uniontown Del Pinto returns to local office

Francis Del Pinto is moving back to Uniontown after 11 years to serve the community as an investment representative for the financial-services firm Edward Jones. Del Pinto has been named to take over the local Edward Jones office at 6 Oliver Road, Oliver Square Plaza in Uniontown, the firm announced.

“We’re excited to have someone with Fran’s experience taking over our Uniontown office,” said Douglas E. Hill, Edward Jones managing partner. “We’ve been serving the investment needs of people in the area for the past four years, and we believe that Fran will excel at continuing that tradition.”

Del Pinto said he is looking forward to the challenges that lie ahead.

“I am attracted by the opportunity to work with individuals on a one-on-one basis and help them achieve their long-range financial goals,” he said.

Edward Jones traces its roots to 1871 and currently serves more than six million clients. The firm offers its clients a variety of investments, including certificates of deposit, taxable and non-taxable bonds, stocks and mutual funds.

Edward Jones currently has more than 9,000 offices in the U.S. and, through its affiliates, in Canada and the United Kingdom. The Edward Jones interactive Web site is located at www.edwardjones.com.

Uniontown

Extension offers new 4-H programs

Fayette County 4-H school programs will get a boost this year thanks to the AmeriCorps Program. On Sept. 15, Shelby Allen was hired through the AmeriCorps Program for one year to work with Penn State Cooperative Extension. Allen’s responsibilities will be to continue and expand the 4-H In-School Enrichment Program throughout the county. School enrichment offers students “learn by doing,” hands-on activities that will both challenge students, and provide them an opportunity to develop their own personal skills.

There are already more than 100 classrooms in the county that participate in the program. Students age 8-18 have the opportunity to expand their education with experiences in areas such as embryology, forestry, health, and job awareness.

Allen will also be working with the extension office to develop a 4-H Afterschool Program. 4-H Afterschool also wants to work with other area youth-serving organizations to increase the quality of after school programs. The program will provide youth with opportunities to develop their specific academic interest and enhance their leadership skills. In addition, it is anticipated the 4-H Afterschool program will enhance students’ abilities to pass standardized tests required by state and federal law. The outcome of the program should also increase young people’s opportunities to have fun while building character skills.

Being raised on her family’s dairy farm, Allen Hill Dairy in Smock, 4-H has always been a part of Allen’s life. “I can remember how excited I was to turn eight so that I was able to join 4-H,” she said. Cooking, sewing, public speaking, and especially dairy club were all 4-H programs she participated. “I think it’s great that extension is taking such an active role to get 4-H into the lives of the county children. Students really need to take advantage of these opportunities.”

Allen recently graduated from California University of Pennsylvania with a bachelor of arts degree in communication studies. She is planning on attending graduate school in the spring to pursue a master’s degree in mass communication/public relations.

Latrobe

Business workshops planned

The Saint Vincent College Small Business Development Center (SBDC) offers a workshop entitled “The First Step: Small Business Start Up.’

The two-hour workshop, offered every four weeks at various locations in Westmoreland and Fayette counties, is an introductory program designed to answer questions concerning business start-up and to provide information and direction to individuals who are considering a business venture.

SBDC staff members are also available to answer questions about business plan preparation and financing.

The First Step workshop will be offered on Oct. 8 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus in Uniontown; on Oct. 13 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Westmoreland Chamber of Commerce in Greensburg; and on Nov. 9 and Dec. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe.

There is a fee to attend a workshop.

Each participant will also receive a coupon that can be used toward the cost of another Saint Vincent College SBDC program.

Early registration is recommended, as space is limited.

To register, ask what the fee is or obtain more information, call the Saint Vincent College SBDC at 724-537-4572.

Washington, D.C.

Web site helps businesses create drug-free workplace programs

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) is encouraging employers to use its Working Partners for an Alcohol-and Drug-Free Workplace Web site to help them establish drug-free workplace programs that protect worker safety and health, while improving productivity and bottom-line profits.

Of the nation’s 16.6 million adult illicit drug users, 12.4 million (74.6 percent) work either full or part time, according to recently released results of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Such drug use can adversely impact the workplace. For example, in 2000, workers reporting past month drug use were more likely to have worked for more than three employers in a year, missed work more than two days in the past month due to illness or injury, and skipped work more than two days in the past month.

Employers can protect their businesses from these negative effects by developing drug-free workplace programs that educate employees about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse and encourage individuals with related problems to seek help. DOL’s Working Partners Web site provides employers with free resources and tools to help establish and maintain such programs.

The Working Partners Web site can be accessed at www.dol.gov/dol/workingpartners.htm.

The Web site features the Drug-Free Workplace Advisor, an interactive tool that helps employers build tailored, drug-free workplace policies and programs; the Substance Abuse Information Database, an online repository of hundreds of documents related to workplace alcohol and drug abuse; information about substance abuse and how it affects employment; and directories of national, state and local resources and state laws that may assist employers in making their businesses drug free.