Commissioners designate March as Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month
RIDGWAY - March is Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities Awareness Month.
Pamela FinGado, an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Specialist with the Cameron and Elk County Behavioral and Developmental Program, spoke to the Elk County Commissioners about the monthlong program they call "Abilities Month."
The first event occurred in St. Marys on Monday in two separate sessions at Gallery 29, with an abstract painting class in hour-and-ahalf-long sessions. The next event will take place in Ridgway on March 15, beginning at 6 p.m. with a tour of the Ridgway Fire Department Central Station on Broad Street. The ELCAM Community Center, located at 189 West Creek Road in St Marys, will hold a Safety Conference on March 24 beginning at 8:30 a.m. City of St. Marys Chief of Police Tom Nicklas will speak on safety in the community, while Lianne Schneider from CAPSEA will talk about security in personal relationships.
An Evening of Art will be held at Sarah Jane's at 5 East 4th Street in Emporium at 6 p.m. on March 29. The last event will be a Drummercize experience at the Johnsonburg Community Center at 600 Market Street in two sessions, one at 10 a.m. and the final at 6 p.m. on March 30. All events are free of charge to those who attend, and Walmart gift cards will be awarded at each event.
Natalie Aiello responded to the commissioners naming March 12-18 Pennsylvania 4-H Week. Aiello, with the Penn State Extension Office, spoke of the various 4-H programs and events held in the county throughout the year and thanked the commissioners for their help in promoting the program that helps hundreds of kids in Elk County.
LeeAnn L. Covac, District Court Administrator for the 59th District, which serves all of Elk and Cameron Counties, spoke in favor of a renewal contract with the Potter County Women's Recovery Center. This alternative to incarceration for female defendants provides services to center residents, including mental health therapy, drug and alcohol counseling, employment services, parenting classes, general education programs, life skills, computer skills, nutrition classes, and educational programs, including GED instruction. Cameron County has used the program in the past, and Elk County wants to be able to offer the diversionary program as well. There is a slight price increase from $75 to $80 a day for patients, which the county reimburses through a probation department grant.
The commissioners renewed two contracts for service providers to the Elk County Children and Youth Services (CYS). Keystone Adolescent Center is a non-profit organization that aims to provide community-based programs that will afford constructive behavior modification, therapeutic counseling, and educational opportunities to at-risk adolescents and offer their families greater involvement in the treatment program
because of its community-based nature and emphasis on family preservation. Keystone facilities provide 24hour care and supervision for delinquent and dependent males and females throughout Western Pennsylvania. Dr. Allen Ryen of DuBois was also renewed as a provider of psychological services to children in CYS care.
The next meeting of the Elk County Commissioners, initially scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, has been canceled and rescheduled for Wednesday, March 22, at the usual time of 10 a.m. at the Elk County Courthouse Annex in Conference room #2, and is open to the public as well as being available on the Zoom platform through the link on the county website at co.elk.pa.us.