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Put Pennsylvania’s Alert System to Work for You Don’t be caught off-guard when an incident or emergency occurs whether you are at work, home, or relaxing in the park while your children play. Sign-up for Pennsylvania’s Alert System, administered by Commonwealth officials, for timely information about emergencies allowing for educated decision-making. Receive emergency notifications, including PA Amber Alerts, through your communication devices by incorporating your email account, cell phone, pager, and Smartphone/PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) when you sign-up through AlertPA.gov to ensure timely warnings. Participants may receive precautionary warnings as deemed necessary, such as:
Register your accounts and devices to establish your secure AlertPA account today. During registration, use the Control key for multiple selections allowing you to receive notification for loved ones at additional locations. --------- One in 10 Pennsylvanians Have Unclaimed Property One in 10 Pennsylvanians have Unclaimed Property, according to the State Treasury. In fact, over $1.5 billion in unclaimed property is ready and waiting for its rightful owners. Abandoned bank accounts, forgotten stocks, uncashed checks, certificates of deposit, life insurance policies, safe deposit box contents, and recovered stolen property are among the items waiting to be claimed. Gift cards and certificates with an expiration date also must be turned over to the Treasury, in its entirety or partially redeemed, two years after the expiration date or five years from the issuance date, if no redemption period is specified. Items included among the tangible property include:
Begin your search online through the listings for millions of dollars in unclaimed property. You may also call 1-800-222-2046 for assistance from a claims representative from 7:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday, or send an email inquiry to tupmail@patreasury.org. ---------- May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month Skin Cancer Awareness Month is dedicated to the prevention and treatment of the most common types of cancer in the U.S., according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health. The American Cancer Society reports more than 2 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed annually in the country. The two most common and highly curable skin cancers are basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. The third most common skin cancer among young adults and the most dangerous is melanoma. Risk factors include:
Preventative measures include avoiding the sun between 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.; wearing sun-protective clothing during exposure; using sunscreen with a sun-protection factor (SPF) of 15 or greater; avoiding artificial sources of UV light, and wearing sunglasses with at least 99 percent UV absorption to block damaging UVA and UVB light. Provide the best protection for your head, ears, nose, and cheeks by wearing a wide-brimmed hat with a 3 or more inch brim or a legionnaire hat with attached ear and neck flaps. ---------- Turn Around, Don’t Drown Pennsylvania is one of the most flood-prone states in the nation. From rural areas to suburban communities, floods - especially flash floods - are a constant concern, according to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. Except for heat-related fatalities, more deaths occur from flooding than any other hazard, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation and the National Weather Service. Failure to realize the power of water contributes to nearly 100 flood-related deaths annually according to the NWS and is the catalyst for the “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” campaign. Just six inches of fast-moving flood water can knock you off your feet and sweep your vehicle downstream. Flash floods can roll boulders, tear out trees, trigger catastrophic mud slides, destroy buildings and bridges, and carve new channels. ---------- Good News about PA’s Gypsy Moth Population This summer don’t expect to see aerial suppression campaigns targeting the gypsy moth population. According to the Bureau of Forestry for the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), gypsy moth defoliation declined significantly in 2009. A naturally occurring fungus, Entomophaga maimaiga, flourished in the cool, wet weather in the spring of 2009. The fungus reduced insect numbers and their defoliation activities. The gypsy moth is expected to return in greater numbers by 2012 due to the warm, dry springs in April and May and anticipated in June of this year. If conditions remain conducive to the growth of the gypsy moth, DCNR will consider resuming aerial suppression treatment in 2011. Meanwhile, Pennsylvania is watching the forest tent caterpillar, responsible for defoliating more than 371,000 acres, while the gypsy moth accounted for 239,700 acres of defoliation—far less than the 766,500 acres of woodlands stripped in 2008. If you are planting trees, avoid the over 300 species of trees targeted by gypsy moth. Instead, go for variety and choose ash, butternut, black walnut, locust, sycamore, yellow poplar (tulip tree), ferns, mountain laurel, redbud and rhododendron to keep away the destructive gypsy moth. Find out how a little burlap and twine or nylon cord secured to your trees along with a jar of detergent solution can spare your trees when used from mid-May through late July. ---------- Bluebird Cam Offers Respite from Daily Grind Are you stuck in a building with no windows or live in an urban area with little natural environment to enjoy, or maybe a rainy day is keeping you cooped-up inside? You are now a click away from a peaceful respite with a family of bluebirds, according to the Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC). Activity surrounding a bluebird nesting box on the grounds of the PGC’s Harrisburg Headquarters is now being webcast via live streaming video. The five recently laid bluebird eggs appearing in the specially-placed bluebird nest box are visible day and night through the installation of an infrared video camera. Bluebird nest boxes placed close to buildings almost always attract competition from sparrows, which annually chase native bluebirds from nest boxes and nesting cavities. Competition from sparrows for a nest box is thwarted by the use of monofilament fishing line stretched from the roof over the entrance hole. May is the peak of spring migration. Grab your binoculars and turn an eye to the sky and you may see Baltimore orioles, scarlet tanagers, wood thrushes, black-throated green warblers, red-eyed vireos, yellow warblers, and olive-backed thrushes. June delivers the height of the nesting season and more migration while July marks the beginning of fall migration. Access the PGC’s Howard Nursery Wildlife Homes 2010 Order Form (scroll to bottom of page) to purchase a bluebird box for just $7. Hang it in your backyard along with other available wildlife homes to bring nature home. ----------
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