Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry Invites Public Input on State's Vocational Rehabilitation Services; Meetings Planned Statewide
HARRISBURG, Pa., March 9, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Department of Labor & Industry acting Secretary Patrick Beaty today invited public comment on Pennsylvania's vocational rehabilitation services during a series of meetings scheduled statewide from March 10 to April 12, hosted by the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation's (OVR) Bureau of Blindness & Visual Services (BBVS) and Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation Services (BVRS).
"Our goal is to provide the best possible service to people with disabilities," said Beaty. "To continue to provide quality service, we need to know what the public wants and needs. The more input we receive, the more effective we can make these programs."
The public meetings give Pennsylvanians an opportunity to present their ideas and recommendations on how the state can better serve the needs of people with disabilities. The input helps OVR develop and implement its Combined Agency State Plan, which is required by federal law to be reviewed and revised annually.
All public-forum sites are accessible, and interpreters for people who are deaf and hard of hearing will be present. Individuals unable to attend one of the public meetings may submit written comments to their local vocational rehabilitation or blindness and visual services district office. Written comments must be received by April 19.
The Combined Agency State Plan and other information regarding services for people with disabilities may be found online at www.dli.state.pa.us/OVR.
Media contact: Christopher S. Manlove, 717-787-7530
Editor's Note: Schedule of public meetings, by county, follows.
Adams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Lancaster, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry and York counties |
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Harrisburg BBVS District Office |
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1-866-375-8264 (Voice) or 1-888-575-9420 (TTY) |
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Franklin County CareerLink |
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600 Norland Ave., |
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Chambersburg, PA 17201 |
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Date/Time: March 15; 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. |
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Contact Person: Karen Knaub 717-705-8618 or Mardell Eberly 717-264-4584 |
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Forum Place, 8th Floor Conference Room, |
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555 Walnut St. |
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Harrisburg, PA 17101 |
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Date/Time: March 24; 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Karen Knaub, 717-705-8618; or Cindy Mundis, 717-346-2754 |
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York BVRS District Office |
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1-8007626306 (Voice) or 1-866-466-1404 (TTY) |
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2550 Kingston Rd., Suite 101, |
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York, PA 17402 |
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Date/Time: March 29; 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Bonnie Bluett, 717-771-4407, Ext. 204 |
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Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Washington and Westmoreland counties |
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Pittsburgh BBVS and BVRS District Offices |
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1-8004426371 (Voice) or 1-888-870-4474 (TTY) |
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The Allegheny County Human Services Building, the Liberty Room |
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1 Smithfield St. |
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Pittsburgh, PA 15222 |
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Date/Time: April 12; 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. |
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Contact: Maryann Sutor, 412-392-4958; Richard Fischer, 412-565-5521 |
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Armstrong, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties |
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New Castle BVRS District Office |
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1-800-442-6379 (Voice) or 1-888-870-4476 (TTY) |
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Conference Room |
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100 Margaret St. |
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New Castle, PA 16101 |
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Date/Time: March 30; 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Gary Gay |
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Bedford, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Somerset and Union counties |
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Altoona BBVS and BVRS District Offices |
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1-866-695-7673 (Voice) or 1-866-320-7956 (TTY) |
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1130 12th Ave., Fourth Floor Conference Room |
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Altoona, PA 16601 |
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Date/Time: March 28; 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Anne Strollo or Pamela Montgomery |
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Berks and Schuylkill counties |
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Reading BVRS District Office |
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1-8004420949 (Voice) or 1-877-475-7326 or 610-621-5820 (TTY) |
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3602 Kutztown Rd., Suite 200 |
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Reading, PA 19605 |
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Date/Time: March 21; 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Betty Brown, 610-621-5800, ext. 102 |
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Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Pike, Schuylkill, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Wayne and Wyoming counties |
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Wilkes-Barre BBVS District Office |
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1-866-227-4163 (Voice) or 570-826-2361 or 1-888-651-6117 (TTY) |
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Conference Room |
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300G Laird St. |
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Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 |
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Date/Time: March 10; 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Karen Walsh-Emma, 570-826-2361 x211 |
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Center for Vision Loss |
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610-821-6441 (Voice) or 1-888-377-9207 (TTY) |
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845 Wyoming St. |
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Allentown, PA 18103 |
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Date/Time: March 16; 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Karen Walsh-Emma, 570-826-2361 x211 |
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Bradford, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Pike, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Wayne and Wyoming counties |
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Wilkes-Barre BVRS District Office |
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1-8006342060 (Voice) or 1-888-651-6117 (TTY) |
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300G Laird St. |
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Wilkes-Barre, PA 18702 |
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Date/Time: March 30; 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Nancy Murray |
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Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties |
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Norristown BVRS District Office |
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1-8002211042 (Voice) or 1-888-616-0470 (TTY) |
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1875 New Hope St. |
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Norristown, PA 19401 |
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Date/Time: March 29; 3:30 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact Person: Michael Wakefield or Beverly Benn |
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Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties |
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Philadelphia BBVS District Office |
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1-866-631-3892 (Voice) or 1-888-870-4473 (TTY) |
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5th Floor Conference Room |
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444 North Third St. |
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Philadelphia, PA 19123 |
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Date/Time: March 17; 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Associated Services for the Blind |
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1-866-631-3892 (Voice) or 1-888-870-4473 (TTY) |
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919 Walnut St., 10th Floor |
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Philadelphia, PA 19107 |
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Date/Time: March 31; 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. |
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Contact: Roland Gensel, 215-560-1074 |
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Cambria, Indiana, Somerset and Westmoreland counties |
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Johnstown BVRS District Office |
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1-8007624223 (Voice) or 1-866-862-6891 (TTY) |
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Hiram G. Andrews Center Seminar Theater |
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727 Goucher St., Section 10 |
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Johnstown, PA 15905 |
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Date/Time: March 30; 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Tammy Burke, 814-255-6771 |
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Cameron, Clearfield, Elk, Jefferson and McKean counties |
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Dubois BVRS District Office |
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1-8009224017 (Voice/TTY) |
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199 Beaver Dr. |
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DuBois, PA 15801 |
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Date/Times: March 29; 11 a.m. – noon and 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Catherine Farr or Ralph Serafini |
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Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Crawford, Elk, Erie, Forest, Jefferson, Lawrence, McKean, Mercer, Potter, Venango and Warren counties |
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Erie BBVS District Office |
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1-866-521-5073 (Voice) or 1-888-884-5513 (TTY) |
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Office of Vocational Rehabilitation Conference Room |
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3100 Lovell Place |
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Erie, PA 16503 |
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Date/Times: March 23; 10 a.m. - noon and 4 p.m. - 5 p.m. |
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Contact: Dawn Sokol, 814-871-4401 |
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Perkins Family Restaurant |
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18276 Conneaut Lake Rd. |
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Meadville, PA 16335 |
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Date/Time: March 30; 10:30 a.m. – noon |
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Contact: Dawn Sokol, 814-871-4401 |
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On-site at restaurant - mobile number 814-573-1432 |
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Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe and Northampton counties |
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Allentown BVRS District Office |
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1-8009229536 (Voice) or 1-888-377-9207 (TTY) |
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45 North Fourth St. |
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Allentown, PA 18102 |
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Date/Time: March 24; 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Rick Walters |
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Clinton, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Snyder, Tioga and Union counties |
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Williamsport BVRS District Office |
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1-8004426359 or 570-327-3600 (Voice) or 1-800-706-0884 (TTY) |
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The Grit Building, Suite 102 |
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208 West Third St. |
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Williamsport, PA 17701 |
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Date/Time: March 29; 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Susan Swartz |
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Fayette, Greene and Washington counties |
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Washington BVRS District Office |
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1-8004426367 (Voice) or 1-866-752-6163 (TTY) |
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Washington District Office Conference Room |
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201 West Wheeling St. |
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Washington, PA 15301 |
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Date/Time: March 29; 4 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Lori Kaczmarek, 724-223-4430, ext. 251 |
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Fayette Community Action Building |
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1-8004426367 (Voice) or 1-866-752-6163 (TTY) |
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Conference Room |
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137 N. Beeson Blvd. |
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Uniontown, PA 15401 |
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Date/Time: March 30; 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. |
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Contact: Hila Saxer, 724-223-4430, ext. 236 |
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Philadelphia County |
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Philadelphia BVRS District Office |
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1-8004426381 (Voice) or 1-800-772-9031 (TTY) |
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5th Floor Conference Room |
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444 North Third St. |
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Philadelphia, PA 19123 |
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Date/Times: March 23; 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. – 6 p.m. |
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Contact: Rose Higby, 215-560-1940; Shannon Ruane, 215-560-1960 or TTY 965-7428 |
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SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry
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