KEYSTONE CLIPS Plaque pays tribute to Bush's visit
It was only about 15 minutes long, but George W. Bush's visit to Wampum, Pa., will never be forgotten.
Wampum officials unveiled a plaque Saturday commemorating the visit, which occurred last summer when the president was still on the campaign trail.
Bush, along with Vice President Dick Cheney, U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum and U.S. Rep. Melissa Hart, R-4th, stopped briefly in the Wampum area during their train trip to Youngstown.
Bush and the others spent about 15 minutes talking with and signing autographs for the nearly 300 people waiting along the railroad tracks.
Norman DeGidio, Lawrence County Republican Chairman, raised money for the plaque, located near the old Wampum High School on Main Street.
Growing Greener: The Butler County Conservation District will receive a $5,000 grant from the Growing Greener program of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection. The money will help form the Bear Creek Watershed Association, a group that will clean up and help preserve Bear Creek.
Landfill opponents: The Lawrence County Conservation District is joining a long list of communities in opposing a proposed industrial waste landfill near McConnell's Mill State Park.
The resolution, passed last week by the district board of directors, states that the landfill is inconsistent with the group's mission. There are already 24 municipalities in Lawrence County that have passed similar resolutions.
The proposed landfill would be about 1,000 feet from the park and the Slippery Rock Creek, a water source for much of Lawrence County. Sechan Industries of Portersville recently applied to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for a permit to operate the landfill.
The conservation district is the local arm of the state's effort to preserve natural resources in all counties.
It is funded locally; county commissioners appoint its board of directors.
Volunteers needed: Mercer County United Way agencies are looking for individuals to join their Volunteer Service Division's Care Team.
Volunteers are needed to help with delivery services, maintenance and janitorial care and clerical and office work. Dancers, singers and artists are also needed for various projects.
For more information, call the United Way of Mercer County at (724) 981-1884 or the Grove City Area United Way at (724) 458-4527.
XCONTRIBUTORS: Laure Cioffi of The Vindicator New Castle Bureau and Virginia Ross, Vindicator correspondent.