Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: The Rev. Tracey Gardone of Greene County has coordinated a creative fundraising initiative that will help others in their fight against cancer, as well as honor the legacy of his daughter, Tiffany Rose, who passed away in 2019 following her battle against the devastating disease. Years ago, Rev. Gardone wrote lyrics to a song he titled, “What Didjya Do with Muh Hat?” The song returned to the front of his mind after he observed Tiffany wearing different hats following her chemotherapy treatments. Following this idea, he coordinated with musicians to record the song and a production company to develop a video featuring photos and videos of his daughter. Rev. Gardone then partnered with the American Cancer Society, which agreed to promote the video on its network; he also created an initiative in memory of Tiffany called, “The Hat Project,” which can be found at www.trgardone.com. Visitors to the website can listen to the song and watch the tribute video, learn more about Tiffany’s history and battle against cancer, and also donate to a worthwhile cause – purchasing hats for distribution to cancer treatments centers and for cancer-related research. We applaud Rev. Gardone for coming up with a unique idea in raising money to help others battling cancer, while honoring his daughter and sharing her story.
Cheers: A report released last week by the Pennsylvania Department of Health clearly laid out the reality of the coronavirus – if you are vaccinated, your chances of being hospitalized or dying decrease significantly. The Health Department found that 74% of those who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 in the month before had not been vaccinated. In addition, from January to October, 93% of those who died as a result of COVID-19 in Pennsylvania had either not been vaccinated or had received just one dose. Acting Physician General Dr. Denise Johnson offered a lucid explanation on why “breakthrough” cases of COVID-19 will increase as more Pennsylvanians are vaccinated: “It’s like what we saw with seat belt use years ago. As the number of people wearing seat belts increased, the number of car accidents involving people wearing seat belts went up. However, the overall fatality rate from car accidents dropped. … So, too, your chances of dying from COVID-19 drop substantially if you are fully vaccinated.”
Cheers: Broadband internet access will soon be expanded to hundreds of homes in Greene County, thanks to an agreement approved last week by the county commissioners with the Appalachian Regional Commission that will provide $2.5 million in grant funding. ARC representatives said the project will provide gigabit-speed broadband access to more than 767 unserved or underserved homes in the areas around Graysville, New Freeport and Spraggs. Increasing broadband access has been a priority for officials in Greene County and in other rural parts of Pennsylvania. “We continually seek additional funding sources and recently applied for nearly $8 million through the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), United States Department of Commerce,” said Commissioner Mike Belding.
Cheers: Rachel Rohanna regained her LPGA Tour card after placing 10th on the Symetra Tour Money List. Rohanna finished tied for 37th place in the season-ending Symetra Tour Championship to secure her 10th place finish on the Race for the Card standings.