Wolf\’s Plan to use Funds from Horse Racing for Scholarships Upsetting Horse Owners/Supporters

A horse and rider work during practice on the Penn National Race Course racetrack on a foggy morning Nov. 29, 2006, in Grantville, Pa. Carolyn Kaster / AP photo

By Steve Bittenbender |

The Center Square

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf is feeling some heat from horsemen and their supporters after proposing to divert a significant portion of a fund used to support the state’s racing industry toward a college scholarship program instead.

The governor visited West Chester University on Thursday to promote the Nellie Bly Scholarship Program, an initiative he introduced in his budget proposal last week. The $204 million proposal would provide scholarship funding for students attending any of the 14 state-run colleges, filling the gap between grant funding students receive and the actual cost of tuition.

The scholarship is named after Bly, a Pennsylvania native who could not afford the cost of tuition. She became a famous journalist whose work in the 19th century brought about changes to mental health treatment in the U.S.

Wolf said the goals of the program are to alleviate students from college loan debts and retain the state’s best and brightest workers. If a recipient leaves the state, they must repay the money.

“With less college debt, graduates can buy a car and a home, start a family and save for retirement,” Wolf said. “The program also strengthens our public university system and creates a talented labor force that Pennsylvania needs to thrive.”

The program would be funded from money currently going to the state’s Race Horse Development Trust Fund. That money is generated from slot machine gaming revenue.

According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the fund received $240.4 million in 2018, with $152.6 million going to purses for races at the state’s thoroughbred and harness tracks.

Horsemen have attacked the plan since Wolf first announced it, saying the move would devastate the racing industry. Not only would tracks be affected, but breeders and those who raise thoroughbred and standardbred horses in the state.

“Instead of the governor destroying an industry and family farms to create a program that holds our young people hostage by forcing them to stay in Pennsylvania, why doesn’t the governor focus on creating a state that makes students want to stay?” asked Heather Hunter,

according to the Daily

Local

in Chester County.

Hunter, who works at her family’s horse farm, has a son who attends West Chester, the newspaper said.

Some lawmakers have expressed concerns as well, including state Rep. Sue Helm, R-Susquehanna Township. Helm’s district includes the Penn National Race Course near Harrisburg.

“If this account is raided for the furtherment of the governor’s budget priorities, it would essentially bankrupt the industry,” Helm said in a statement earlier this week. “It would mean the end of horseracing in Pennsylvania.”

Still, Wolf’s plan has supporters, and that includes an organization that often criticizes the governor’s policies.

While the Commonwealth Foundation still had several concerns about Wolf’s budget overall, it said the plan to move the funding to support higher education costs was one of the few positives the group saw in the spending plan.

“This is a revenue stream that should be brought into the General Fund, allowing lawmakers to prioritize spending and protect working families from tax increases,” the foundation said in a statement.

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The Center Square

Wolf\’s Plan to use Funds from Horse Racing for Scholarships Upsetting Horse Owners/Supporters

A horse and rider work during practice on the Penn National Race Course racetrack on a foggy morning Nov. 29, 2006, in Grantville, Pa. Carolyn Kaster / AP photo

By Steve Bittenbender |

The Center Square

Wolf said the goals of the program are to alleviate students from college loan debts and retain the state’s best and brightest workers. If a recipient leaves the state, they must repay the money.

The program would be funded from money currently going to the state’s Race Horse Development Trust Fund. That money is generated from slot machine gaming revenue.

According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, the fund received $240.4 million in 2018, with $152.6 million going to purses for races at the state’s thoroughbred and harness tracks.

according to the Daily

Local

in Chester County.

Hunter, who works at her family’s horse farm, has a son who attends West Chester, the newspaper said.

Some lawmakers have expressed concerns as well, including state Rep. Sue Helm, R-Susquehanna Township. Helm’s district includes the Penn National Race Course near Harrisburg.

Still, Wolf’s plan has supporters, and that includes an organization that often criticizes the governor’s policies.

republished by olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com with permission of

The Center Square

Dorothy E. Griffin, member of Bellmawr VFW Post 9563 Ladies Auxiliary

Dorothy E. Griffin (nee Herrmann), on February 13, 2020, of Bellmawr, formerly of Philadelphia. Age 88.

Beloved wife of 70 years to Jack. Devoted mother of Jim Griffin (Lesa), Diane Griffin and Stacy Griffin. Loving grandmother of Jason Griffin (Carly) and Andrew Pearce and great grandmother of Brady and Dylan. Dear sister of the late Jack Herrmann. Also survived by nieces and nephews.

Mrs. Griffin was a member of Bellmawr VFW Post 9563 Ladies Auxiliary.

There will be a viewing from 7 to 9pm Friday eve and 9 to 10am Saturday morning at GARDNER FUNERAL HOME, RUNNEMEDE. Funeral Service 10am Saturday at the funeral home. Interment Oakland Cemetery, Philadelphia.

Family requests in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Mrs. Griffin’s memory to Good Shepherd Penn Partners, C/O Development Office, 1800 Lombard St., Philadelphia, PA 19146.

Why You Should Vacation to Luxury Safari Lodges in KZN

olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com (February 18, 2020)–South Africa is home to some of the most vibrant wildlife, immersive landscapes, and interesting people in the world. Zulu means “heaven” to the local people, who have named themselves the “people of heaven.” This is why the

luxury safari lodges in KZN

have become some of the most sought-after business and vacation retreats in the world.

For romance or recreation, these luxury safari lodges offer the unique opportunity to commune with the landscape of KZN in style. Their many guided tours, luxury accommodations, environmental conservation efforts, and community outreach programs guarantee any of its select guests the vacation of a lifetime.

Here are just a few of the luxury safari lodges available in KZN.

Thanda Safari

In the welcome video on its website, Thanda Safari describes itself as a “love story” between its royal guests and the wild but beautiful Zulu environment. It stands as a shining example of South Africa’s luxury lodges, where pleasure meets preservation.

Offering an array of accommodations, the Thanda Private Game Reserve is known worldwide for its luxury and hospitality. Its decadent common areas and main suites are safe for children and its private meeting areas provide secluded space for business meetings. Its self-sustaining tented camps provide exclusive access to nature unmatched by other reserves.

There’s a reason its suites were voted the World’s Leading Luxury Lodge at the 2011

World Travel Awards

Experienced environmental advisors and trackers conduct safari tours on the Thanda Game Reserve in order to educate its guests and give them the experience of a lifetime. Its educational programs seek to preserve the future while reconnecting with the past.

Partnering with many government organizations in a concerted effort to save the endangered rhino population, Thanda Safari embodies preservation, even as it offers its guests unmatched luxury accommodations.

Thula Thula

People visit the Thula Thula Private Game Reserve for a more personal touch. It is family-owned and operated and represents the oldest private game reserve in KZN, a treasured sanctuary for many of the endangered big game populations in South Africa, including leopard, rhino, and elephant.

Thula Thula is the former home of the famed conservationist Lawrence Anthony, whose book “The Elephant Whisperer” continues to inspire conservation efforts around the world. Thula Thula represents his integrity, his connection with nature, and his work.

Famed for its colonial decorative style and fine dining, the luxury suites are perfect for family vacations and honeymoons alike. For a more rugged experience, their tented camp situates you right in the bush with viewing decks, outdoor facilities, and authentic South African cooking.

Experienced guides will lead you on game drives and local outreach where you will be given the opportunity to experience the local people hands-on. There are luxury spa accommodations as well as cooking classes. Thula Thula is a feast of variety for those that want a connected, diverse experience in KZN.

Rhino Ridge

The Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge prides itself on connecting its guests with a true experience of the wilderness of South Africa. Its bush trails are to be experienced for those wanting a guided tour of nature’s great wonders, including one of the highest concentrations of white rhino in the world.

Though it is self-proclaimed “The Home of the Rhino,” Rhino Ridge also boasts

bird watching

that encompasses half of the entire region’s diverse species (over 400, according to its website). Its expert trackers guide guests on walks through the bush and gorges of the reserve, offering a connective experience with nature unlike any other.

Even though its natural experiences and rhino conservation are at the forefront of the mission of the Rhino Ridge Safari Lodge, its luxury accommodations are no less significant. Contemporary architecture that situates you within viewing distance of the gorgeous watering hole and game herds of the Hluhluwe iMfolozi Park is sure to provide you with the luxury accommodations you seek, no matter if you’re on safari with your family or on honeymoon with your spouse.

The Takeaway

Few places in the world can boast as diverse a combination of decadent accommodations and community outreach as KZN. Its luxury lodges have something for every vacation, from world-renowned restaurants and spas to suites fit for royalty.

Its educational and community outreach programs connect guests to the surrounding Zulu people. Its guided safari tours put you within reach of some of the most breathtaking wildlife and natural vistas in the entire world.

Luxury safari lodges in KZN have something for everyone. They may represent the awe-inspiring vacation experience that you never knew you needed.

Making The Knights of Columbus More Appealing

Written by Peter G. Sánchez/

The Camden Diocese

BRIDGETON, NJ–Don Olbrich is nothing if not persistent.

Wherever he goes, he carries with him Form 100s, which are membership documents for the Knights of Columbus. Which is not surprising, as he is Grand Knight of his council, Liberty Council 1910 out of Bridgeton’s Parish of the Holy Cross.

“I took a Form 100 to my doctor’s office,” he says, but it wasn’t blank.

“I had already filled out his name and phone number, all I needed was his address,” he continues.

And then there was the time he tried to get his son, D.J., to join the council.

“He kept telling me no, so I told some of my brother Knights that if they could get him to sign up, I’d give them $100. It worked,” he says, laughing.

Olbrich’s methods have no doubt rubbed off on his brother Knights. From July 1, 2018, to June 30, 2019, his council gained 40 new members, 800% of their recruitment goal. The effort made Liberty Council 1910 second in the country in recruitment for any Knight’s council.

Today, the 101-year-old council is 113 men strong, in ages ranging from 19 years old to the mid-80s, Olbrich says.

“We set monthly membership goals,” he says in explaining how the council achieved the milestone.

His doggedness and determination speak to his love of the church where he has been a Knight for 10 years.

“It’s all about helping the parish,” he says.

The Liberty Council Knights are a constant presence around the Holy Cross community, be it cooking for the annual fall parish festival, organizing a donation drive of baby wipes and diapers for single mothers and their children, or repainting lines in the church parking lot.

Olbrich was thankful for the leadership and guidance of Holy Cross pastor, Father Matthew Weber, who has shown “tremendous support” for the council.

“The Knights have been a wonderful blessing,” says Father Weber, himself a Fourth Degree Knight.

In addition to “stepping up” to help the parish in whatever needs to be done, such as helping out with maintenance issues or being extra hands at parish events, the Knights of Columbus are “leading men to a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ, and with each other,” he says.

As well, he is pleased that the council reflects the diverse nature of his Bridgeton parish — a bilingual community with a faithful and collaborative mix of Anglo-Saxon and Hispanic members.

“The Knights have been a beautiful bridge” between these communities, he says,

“I’m glad this council has blossomed. These men are pillars of charity, fraternity, unity, and patriotism,” Father Weber said, echoing the Knights of Columbus’ mission.

Following the call from Supreme Director Carl Anderson to make the Knights more appealing, the Bridgeton Knights will hold a public initiation ceremony after the 4:30 p.m. Mass at Saint Mary Church, Rosenhayn on Saturday, Feb. 22, with a spaghetti dinner afterward. All are welcome.

Home

DNREC-sponsored ‘Butterflies and Clean Water’ presentations March 2 and 30

LAUREL DELAWARE (Feb. 2020) – The DNREC Division of Watershed Stewardship’s Reclaim Our River Program – Nanticoke Series, in partnership with the Delaware Nature Society’s Abbott’s Mill Nature Center, and the Nanticoke Watershed Alliance, will host two free presentations in March on saving the monarch butterfly, gardening for butterflies, and the importance of clean water.

The presentations will address the monarch butterfly population’s decline of more than 90 percent worldwide over the past 20 years. This is a critical environmental loss, since flowering plants depend on pollinators, including butterflies, to reproduce. Pollinators enable flowering plants to purify water and prevent erosion, through roots that hold the soil in place, and provide foliage that buffers the impact of rain.

On March 2, butterfly enthusiast Mike McFarlin of Milton will speak about his efforts to help repopulate Delaware\’s monarch butterfly population, by raising hundreds of them each summer. In addition, he will explain how attendees can volunteer as stewards, and adopt an area of land that supports pollinator habitat.

The second presentation, on March 30, will be led by Alice Mohrman of the Delaware Nature Society’s Abbott’s Mill Nature Center and focus on gardening for butterflies. She will also provide tips on how to landscape yards with attractive native plants that support wildlife habitat, and help reduce waterway pollution.

A limited number of free milkweed seeds will be available to participants, along with information on activities that support clean water. Attendees also will learn about the 2020 Reclaim Our River–Nanticoke Series, which offers numerous opportunities to learn techniques for keeping local waterways clean. Participants are encouraged to arrive early.

Both presentations will begin at 6 p.m. at the Laurel Library, located at 101 East 4th Street, Laurel, DE 19956.

For more information about the presentations, contact Alice Mohrman at 302-422-0847, or

alice@delawarenaturesociety.org

. For more information on the Reclaim Our River Program, contact Philip Miller at 302-608-5468, or

Philip.miller@delaware.gov

Lessons Learned by Cape Town’s Day Zero

(olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com)(February 18, 2020)–“Day Zero” is the now infamous term used to describe an emergency plan put forth by the leadership of the city of Cape Town, South Africa during the worst recorded drought in over a century. In mid-2017, several factors contributed to Cape Town’s water supply reaching dangerously low levels.

Day Zero, if it was ever implemented, would have meant barring the water supply from public use so that it could be rationed daily. Until the city’s dams naturally replenished, Day Zero could have destroyed Cape Town’s buzzing tourist industry and its inhabitants’ way of life.

Water queues and widespread shortages were a reality that many businesses and civilians in Cape Town were very close to facing.

Knowing the causes of

Cape Town’s Day Zero

and why it never happened can teach us about the resilience and resourcefulness of the leadership and people of Cape Town. Additionally, observing their conservation efforts can help us progress in our own.

What caused Day Zero?

By 2017, Cape Town had experienced a population growth rate of almost 50%, according to its

census data

. However, the water storage capacity for the city had only increased by 15% over that same amount of time.

The widening gap between how much water was being pulled from the reserves and how much was being replenished created a situation where Cape Town’s supply was vulnerable to environmental disasters. New dams could not be built fast enough to offset the rising water usage in the city and the dearth of rainfall.

This disaster came subtly, in the form of record low rainfall in 2015, coupled with increased water usage by the people of the city owing to the population. As the reserves continued to drop, by mid-2017 Day Zero became the name of the plan that the city would have had to initiate if the water levels in the main storage dams reached below 13.5%.

Preventing Day Zero

The worst water crisis in modern history would have entailed daily water queues and rations, strict conservation of all public utilities, and reconstruction of the major waterways. No city has ever undertaken the depth of control that Day Zero would have required of Cape Town’s civilian and tourist population.

Thankfully, Cape Town reversely proved its resilience in the face of disaster by pushing Day Zero back continuously until it was postponed indefinitely in early 2018.

Thanks to water usage education initiatives distributed by the Cape Town city departments, the population got immediately on board with the effort to conserve the dangerously low water stores. The diligence and conscientiousness of the people lowered water usage by 50% by rationing showers, limiting water-based hygiene, and eliminating water usage for recreation.

Today, according to the

Cape Town website

, the city’s dams are holding at 70.3% of their reserve capacity. This makes Day Zero well out of the realm of possibility for the time being.

Effects of the Water Crisis

The businesses, tourists, industry professionals, leadership, and population of Cape Town rallied together to save their water supply. Today, the result is a much more environmentally cognizant city infrastructure. Their waterways have been refined for efficiency and their drainage and water recreation facilities have been modernized.

Not every city could reform its habits so quickly. The Cape Water Strategy is the latest progressive initiative designed to restructure the city’s water usage systems and dam storage capacity to prepare for another future disaster.

With populations growing all over the world, the conservation efforts of Cape Town are a model for any city leadership or population on how to manage a crisis and avoid disaster.

The Takeaway

The possibility of Day Zero happening in Cape Town was a result of stressed resources in a region already environmentally unstable due to population growth, a naturally dry climate, and erratic rainfall patterns. A few issues like a dry spell and a population boom culminated in what could have been the worst water disaster in any developed city in the modern world.

Instead, Cape Town rallied itself around conservation and survived the water shortage. Their concerted efforts to save themselves and their infrastructure are lessons that any city can learn from.

Now, a booming tourist destination and investment opportunity, the productive and resilient city of Cape Town is back to its former glory and then some. Before canceling a visit because of this near disaster, understand what preventing it means for the future of the city: progressively better infrastructure, cognizant people, and productive leadership.

The handling of the water crisis is proof of them all.

LOVE YOUR MONEY: New Jersey Residents Making $1.9 Million Annually Taxed at 9.8 %

The Center Square

The top 1 percent of earners in New Jersey are taxed at an effective rate of 9.8 percent, compared to the state’s 10.1 percent tax rate on the middle 20 percent of income earners, according to

a new 24/7 Wall St. analysis

CNBNews graphic files

The study, which used data from a 2018 report by the Washington-based Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), did not include federal taxes paid. New Jersey ranked 46th on the study’s list of the most tax-friendly states for the rich.

On average, the top 1 percent of earners in the state take in $1.9 million annually, according to 24/7 Wall St.

Nationwide, the top-earning 1 percent of families pay 7.4 percent of what they make toward state and local levies, the ITEP study concluded. The middle 20 percent of U.S. earners, in contrast, paid more – 9.9 percent.

States with no income tax – or a very low income tax – tended to be the most friendly to wealthy individuals, 24/7 Wall St. reported. That’s because those states tend to rely more on more regressive taxes, placing more of a burden on poorer households, the study found.

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The Center Square

How to Prevent Dog Attacks on Mail Carriers

PET PEEVES

If your dog bites a postal carrier, it could cost you thousands.

(

NAPSI)—Can you picture a member of your family attacking a mail carrier? Of course you couldn\’t, but it happened 5,714 times last year across the nation.

Dearborn, Mich., letter carrier Tameka

Toliver

recalls being pinned on a porch by a dog that bit her above her knee. \”It happened so fast, even with all my training, I barely had time to react,\”

Toliver

said last year. \”I\’m still scared when I get close to that house because I remember the attack so vividly. It takes a long time to get over the fear.\”

When a dog attacks a letter carrier, the dog owner could be held liable for all medical expenses, repayment of lost work hours, replacement of the uniform and other costs, which can run into thousands of dollars. The Postal Service places the safety of its employees as a top priority and dedicates a week each April to Dog Bite Awareness.

Here are four simple tips to prevent dog bite injuries that should be enforced year-round:

Door Delivery:

If a carrier delivers mail or packages to your front door, place your dog in a separate room and close that door before opening the front door. Some dogs burst through screen doors or plate-glass windows to attack visitors.

Electronic Fencing:

Although the electronic fence may keep your dog from wandering, it does not protect your Postal Service carrier, who must enter your property to deliver the mail. Even homes with curbside mailboxes may have oversized packages or signature-needed items that require the carrier to approach a doorstep and cross the boundaries of the electronic fence.

Dog in Yard:

Make sure your dog is properly restrained on a leash away from where your mail carrier is delivering the mail. Mail delivery service can be interrupted at an address or neighborhood the carrier deems unsafe because of an unrestrained dog. When service is interrupted at an address or neighborhood, all parties involved will have to pick mail up at their local post office.

Tracking:

Dog owners who have access to postal notification features such as Informed Delivery (

informeddelivery.usps.com

) for letter mail and package tracking are urged to use this as a way to gauge when the carrier is on his or her way and to ensure their dog is properly restrained.

What You Need to Know About IVF in South Africa

(olive-wolverine-471793.hostingersite.com)(February 18, 2020)–Prospective parents who are having trouble conceiving a child are more common than you may think. Statistics show that 1 in 6 parents will have trouble successfully conceiving their first child within 12 months of trying.

When this happens, couples turn to fertility clinics to help them conceive. Specifically, the procedure of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is designed to help parents with fertility issues so that they can successfully conceive a baby.

What this process entails and the factors that make it a successful conception alternative are things that you should consider when wondering if IVF is right for you and your significant other.

Only after you’ve been properly educated will you know what to look for in an

IVF clinic in South Africa

, or whatever area in which you’re looking.

What is IVF?

Since the first successful IVF in 1978, in vitro fertilization has become a common assisted reproductive technology (ART). It involves a complex series of medications and procedures that hope to result in successful embryonic fertilization, development, and implantation.

The first step involves medication designed to make a woman’s eggs mature so that they can be harvested by a doctor and fertilized in a laboratory with the desired sperm. These prepared eggs are then surgically inserted directly into the woman’s uterus.

Many people require multiple tries and many months for this process to be successful, as so much can go wrong. Most commonly, the uterus simply does not accept the implanted egg and no fetus ever develops.

This is why finding an accredited IVF clinic is so important. In a procedure already fraught with financial and physical complications, you want the best chance of getting it done right the first time.

IVF clinics in South Africa

Since so much can go wrong, you want to look for a few key factors when choosing an IVF clinic in South Africa.

The first is: are they accredited? You should only visit clinics that have been registered by

The Allied Health Professions Council of South Africa (AHPCSA)

, the primary advisor on regulating and accrediting healthcare professions in South Africa.

Facilities

Next, you should ask if they have modern facilities and access to the latest fertilization technologies. Advanced laboratories like the one at Wijnland Fertility import IVF equipment from top manufacturers all over the world.

The Wijnland fertility clinic in South Africa, for instance, uses a device called an

Embryoscope

to maintain ideal conditions for eggs while they are being analyzed for quality. This is particularly useful for couples who have tried and failed many times with other fertilization methods.

Staff

You should also ask if the clinic has professional and experienced staff. Head doctors should have received specialist training in gynecology or obstetrics and have completed fellowships in fertility and related biological processes.

Do some research online to see what the embryologists and specialists at the clinic in question have done for experience, education, and additional training.

Mind and body

Finally, you want to assess whether the clinic treats patients as a whole person rather than merely as a medical procedure.

Fertilization is a trying process both physically and emotionally. Many different mental and social pressures converge on it to make it a stressful situation that your doctors need to address.

There’s the social judgment of not being able to conceive naturally, the pressure from family expectations when multiple attempts fail, and the strain on your finances. You may even have natural guarding and avoidance systems in your personality that make it really hard for you.

A clinic with staff trained in psychology or with counselors on call who are experienced in fertility counseling will be better suited to addressing all your needs as a prospective patient.

The Takeaway

In vitro fertilization is now a common process. This doesn’t mean that it’s always successful, however, as the process relies on many factors that all have a high failure rate. Variabilities such as your family history, the quality of the technology, and the inherent problems with successful fertilization mean that each attempt involves a series of stressful mental and physical trials.

This is why finding a suitable clinic to take care of all your needs is so essential. When evaluating your options for IVF treatment facilities in South Africa, look at the resumes of the resident doctors, the quality of their facilities, and the availability of mental counseling procedures to supplement the strain of going through this process.

Even though becoming a parent is difficult when you have fertility issues, it is possible in the modern age. With the right personnel and procedures, you can make the family you’ve always wanted into a reality.