GOAL Magazine Winter 2019

Subscriptions Available At: GO2GOALUS.COM

MAGAZINE

TYLER KENNEDY: Joining the Wave of Retirement Reinvention Page 26

INSIDE: Wendy Bell Find the Goodness in the World SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management Evaluating an Early Retirement Offer Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce Reimagining Our Westmoreland

INDIVIDUAL COMMITMENT TO A GROUP EFFORT | Winter 2019

Magazine

Proudly Presents the

4th ANNUAL

GOLF OUTING Please join us for the GOAL Magazine Golf Outing PLUS Paint and Sip to benefit the Greater Latrobe Partners in Education Foundation. Net proceeds will be granted to the Autistic Support, Learning Support and Life Skills Classrooms in the Greater Latrobe School District. Over the past three years, we have raised more than $51,000 for this cause.

WHEN:

FRIDAY, MAY 3, 2019

WHERE:

LIGONIER COUNTRY CLUB The format is a 2-person scramble and the entry fee per person includes a gift, snack box and beverages on the course, awards reception and dinner following golf PLUS chances to win VIP tickets to a major sporting event, $10,000 and much more!

Registration: 9:00 a.m.

Tee Time Start: 10:00 a.m.

Dinner: 4:00 p.m. $150 Per Golfer

Not a golfer?

Starting at 12:30 p.m. follow a skilled instructor while you paint your own artwork.

Wine, cheese and light hors d'oeuvres included with Paint and Sip Event.

Paint and Sip Only...... $60 Paint and Sip + Dinner... $100

LEAD SPONSOR:

For more information visit www.go2goalus.com/events Go2Goal is a Pennsylvania not for profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service. The official registration and financial information may be obtained from the PA Dept. of State by calling toll free within PA at 800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. All donations are deductible in accordance with prevailing IRS rules. A portion of the registration proceeds will be tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor.

Winter 2019

IN THIS ISSUE

MAGAZINE

26

In this issue We proudly feature Tyler Kennedy, former Pittsburgh Penguin and Stanley Cup Champion. After announcing his retirement in January of 2017, he and his wife Brandi chose to stay in the Pittsburgh area with their children Cookie and TK. Kennedy has reinvented himself in retirement and founded his own youth training organization playing a major role in motivating and inspiring young hockey players across the region.

Cover Story:

Tyler Kennedy:

Joining the Wave of Retirement Reinvention

by William J. Urbanik and Bree Edgerly

5 GOAL Magazine Cover Party Wrap Up 6 Find the Goodness in the World

by Wendy Bell

8 Evaluating an Early Retirement Offer

by SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management Team

12 Elections are Over, It’s Time To Govern and Work Together

by Senator Pat Stefano

13 Local Author Tackles Opioid Epidemic

by Scott Brown

Photography by award-winning photographers Autumn and Bill Stankay, owners of SkySight Photography of Greensburg, Pa.

18 Q&A with QR: Automobile Accidents and

34 Animal Friends of Westmoreland

20 GOAL Magazine Gala Wrap Up

35 Four Things Not to Do When Putting

Auto Insurance

by Jessica Rafferty

22 Grassroots and Boots

by Inselmini Construction

23 Reimagining Our Westmoreland

by Chad Amond

24 The Juices of Health and Happiness

by Dr. Reed Nelson

by Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli

15 Advocating Aevidum

by Anne Dalton

16 The War for Empire in Western Pennsylvania

Your Home on the Market

by Scott Ludwick

37 Thriving, Not Just Surviving in Retirement

by Tracy Stough Grajewski

38 Addiction Meets its Match

by Mark Marino

42 GOAL Magazine Bullying Symposium

30 Hope

14 Human Trafficking

Upcoming Events

by Candy Valentino

Wrap Up

by Bill Arnold

44 Am I Having Enough Withheld?

31 Photo File Backup 101

by Bryan Kisiel

by Autumn Stankay

32 The Technology of Making Sticky Customers

by Chrissy Giagnocavo

46 The Benefits of Long-Term Planning

by Briana Tomack

by Jerry Ferraro

10

Diversity and Tradition Across the 38th Latitude

by Ernie Vallozzi

This page is sponsored by:

40

What You Need to Know About Life Insurance

by Brian Winfield

724.454.7034 Shafferslandscaping.com

"Quality work done at affordable prices."

Available At: GO2G OALUS.COM

Magazine’s

Quatrini Raffer ty

Candy Valentino Nelson:

MAG AZI NE

Ernie

Vallo Family, Philanth zzi: ropy an Inspired d Italian Cu Page 26 isine

By The Goal Magazine Team

A Local Role Mod el for Positive Think Intense Dreaming ing, and Generous Giving

Cover Story Page 26 INSIDE

ano Pat Stef Senator field Brian Win wick Scott Lud

ry Cover Sto

ing_2018.indd

magazine_spr

GOAL_

ENT

MMITM

UAL CO

INDIVID

UP TO A GRO

EFFORT

Page 24

| Spring

INDIVIDUAL

COMMITMENT

TO A GROUP

2018 3/29/18

EFFORT | Wint er 2018

1:31 PM

1

INSID

E:

INDIVI

DUAL

GOAL Magazine arrived on the scene in the summer of 2016 and has quickly become known as a must-read publication for those looking to be enlightened by local professionals.

The magazine was created as a way of bringing local professionals and leaders within the community together to collaboratively educate and interest readers with thought-provoking and intriguing content. The creators’ hope was to inspire entrepreneurs and other community leaders to share their knowledge in order to become a part of something bigger than they are individually, thus creating a collective and empowering wealth of knowledge within each issue.

Inselm ini Co nstruc Comm tion of We unity Found stmore ati land Co on unty Wend y Bell

COMM

ITMEN

T TO

A GROU

P EFFO

RT | Summ

er/Fall

2018

The following roles have been created to inspire different levels of involvement within GOAL Magazine: Contributors are contracted to provide editorial content aimed at assisting with our mission of educating and enlightening readers.

Advertisers provide a paid advertisement for their business.

Participation in GOAL Magazine can be rewarding in many ways. Not only do you gain an opportunity to promote your business through sharing your experience and knowledge, but you become a proclaimed member of a collaborative group of local leaders, entrepreneurs and professionals who are committed to bringing value to their communities.

Sponsors are given a banner at the bottom of a page that is otherwise not sold to advertisers or contributors.

Sponsorship banners fund informational pages related to the magazine or contributor pages of contracted contributors who do not pay a fee due to their field being non-profit or related to public service.

With each contributor distributing and promoting the magazine in their own ways, everyone benefits from cross-promotion and the shared expenses of doing so.

If you want to be considered for a role as a GOAL Magazine Contributor, Advertiser or Sponsor for future issues, please email us at info@go2goalus.com.

Our Production Team William J. Urbanik Co-Founder

Anthony E. Slezak Co-Founder

Jessica S. Urbanik Chief Relationship Manager

Tawnya Rockwell Chief Production Manager

at Vallozzi’s Greensburg

OALUS.COM

INSIDE Vallozzi’s Larrimors

! y t r a P l a e v e Cover R Our 7th issue of GOAL Magazine made its debut in August with the cover featuring local restaurateur and philanthropist, Ernie Vallozzi. The portrait of Mr. Vallozzi was taken by GOAL Magazine contributor Autumn Stankay, owner of Skysight Photography in Greensburg. The cover was unveiled for the first time at a reveal party held at Vallozzi’s Greensburg. Approximately fifty GOAL Magazine contributors and guests mingled while enjoying drinks and a delicious spread of specialties prepared by Chef Josiah and his team. Chief Production Manager Tawnya Rockwell welcomed everyone and shared information about the magazine and upcoming charitable events hosted by GOAL. In addition, Chief Relationship Manager Jessica Urbanik spoke about her interview with Ernie Vallozzi and his dedication to his family and community. All attendees generously donated to the Old Joe Club Charities, Inc. and helped raise over $500. The organization’s mission is to provide support to a number of organizations and causes that enhance the lives of the citizens of Western Pennsylvania.

To read more about Ernie’s interview please visit www.go2goalus.com/past-issues.

The event was sponsored by Vallozzi’s Greensburg.

Amy Dicesere (Vallozzi’s Office Manager and Old Joe Club Charity Event Coordinator) poses with the GOAL Magazine Honoree Ernie Vallozzi during the event.

Bree Edgerly Writer/Editor GOAL Magazine Contributor Dr. Daniel Lovette of Westmoreland Chiropractic and Rehab Associates poses with his girlfriend Alaina Wilson.

GOAL Magazine’s Jessica Urbanik (L) and Tawnya Rockwell (R) share some laughs as they pose for a photo with Ernie Vallozzi (M) in the same location the cover photo was taken.

At: GO2G

Subscrip tions Av ailable At:

How To Get Involved and Why?

GO2G OALU S.COM

E AZIN MAG

s Available

MAGAZI NE

MAGA ZINE

Subscription

O F

Subscriptions

S.COM 2GOALU le At: GO ns Availab Subscriptio

Magazine

M E N T L E G E N

Ernie Vallo zz

i: Family, Phila nthropy an d Inspired Cu isine Page 26 Gina Cerilli INSIDE: | Commun ity Found ation of We stmorelan d County

INDIVIDU

AL COMM

ITMENT TO

A GROUP

EFFORT

| Wendy Bel l

| Summer/ Fa

ll 2018

GOAL Magazine Co-Founder William Urbanik poses with GOAL Photographer Autumn Stankay and Chief Designer Jaimee Greenawalt.

GOAL Magazine Contributor and President of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, Chad Amond and his wife Amy (L) pose for a photo with Greater Latrobe- Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce Membership Coordinator, Hannah Kahn Brinker (R)

GOAL Magazine recognizes Fotorecord Print Center as the Official Printer of GOAL Magazine.

Kathleen Lloyd Editor

Jaimee Greenawalt Chief Designer

4 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

Autumn Stankay Photographer

Jessica M. Marazza Relationship Manager

Amanda Mayger Relationship Manager

724-837-0530 info@fotorecord.com

www.go2goalus.com 5

I

write this in the radiology department at UPMC St. Margaret, sitting in the waiting room, my eyes fixed on the television. I write this as the President of the United States and our First Lady listen solemnly to Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, hearing gentle words about nearly a dozen of his friends and neighbors whose stars were snuffed out by hate. I write this as President and Mrs. Trump place rocks and flowers at each of eleven white memorials, pausing for silent prayer and reflection. I write this as the daughter of my high school friend from California awaits an MRI, thinking about how fortunate she was to escape the horror that sliced through the midmorning rain across the street from her Chatham University dormitory. I write this wondering what in the world our country has come to.

of a powerful nation or sections of it. But they cannot prevail if we refuse to let them.

Giving these people oxygen or airtime or publicity feeds their ugly need for rel-

By Wendy Bell, PositivelyWendyBell.com

Find the Goodness in the World

This good oozes from our neighborhoods in times of crisis, heartache, suffering, and pain. This good holds us all together.

But I write this with hope. I refuse to believe that hate and anger and greed will ever win out over love and joy and grace. Because they will not.

There have been and will always be people in our midst who are troubled. People who want to hurt, to kill, to shatter the spirit

This good bubbles quietly in each of your homes, where you and your families work together to contribute to charity, or volunteer, or selflessly give of your time to help the less advantaged. This good is heard on playgrounds and jungle gyms all across western Pennsylvania at recess and lunchtime, as school kids enjoy the innocence of childhood.

evance. I suggest we change the narrative.

I believe – no, I KNOW – that there is so much more good than evil in our world.

No matter how ugly hate can be, I know love is far more powerful. Love comes from faith. From respect. We must become better at respecting one another, embrac-

The Halloween pumpkins carved by my neighbor who lives about 100 yards from the Tree of Life Synagogue.

ing our differences and learning from each other’s experiences and points of view. We need to shout less and listen more. We need to avoid sweeping judgments of those we don’t know.

And we mustn’t be so quick to be offended or outraged.

Sometimes it’s okay to not like what someone else does or says and to simply decide to move on from it.

I’m reminded of the goodness in our world as I look into the beautiful eyes of my friend’s daughter. She moved all the way from southern California to attend college in Pittsburgh and I’ve been so proud to share our special city with her. She’s a catcher on Chatham’s softball team and her exam today will no doubt confirm the torn ligament in her arm. Through

her pain and doctor’s appointments, I’ve been able to sample the delicious flavor of what all of you with daughters must enjoy every day. I get to share our special town with a special young lady. I get to welcome her into my family. I get to look out for someone else. And that is a wonderful thing.

Family. Friends. Neighbors. As we welcome a new year, I give thanks for each of you. What we share is stronger than the evil that tries to tear us apart. It’s time to get back to the basics.

To laughing again. To celebrating our many incredible differences.

To learning from each other.

And for breathing in each and every day we’re afforded to make America great.

We must become better at respecting one another, embracing our differences and learning from each other’s experiences and points of view.

Wendy Bell | Emmy Award Winning News Anchor | Positive Stories positivelywendybell.com The stories I tell here, the videos I shoot, the people I interview – I BELIEVE IN. Share your ideas. Be inspired. Get motivated.

Photos from left to right: Delaney, my friend’s daughter, and Murphy; my son Michael with me outside his Clemson University dorm; my sons’ last photo together before Michael left for college, my son Jack with his little cousin, Faolan; Joe and me with friends at the Notre Dame/Pitt game; Bobby, Chris, Ryan and me at Cedar Point.

6 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

www.go2goalus.com 7

include other perks. Your employer may provide you and other early retirees with financial planning assistance. This can come in handy if you feel overwhelmed by all of the financial issues that early retirement brings. Your employer may also offer job placement assistance to help you find other employment. If you have company stock options, your employer may give you more time to exercise them. Other benefits, such as educational assistance, may also be available. Check with your employer to find out exactly what its offer includes.

EVALUATING AN

EARLY RETIREMENT OFFER

Can you afford to retire early?

By The SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management Team

I

n today's corporate environment, cost cutting, restructuring, and downsizing are the norm, and many employers are offering their employees early retirement packages. But how do you know if the seemingly attractive offer you've received is a good one? By evaluating it carefully to make sure that the offer fits your needs.

What's the severance package?

Most early retirement offers include a severance package that is based on your annual salary and years of service at the company. For example, your employer might offer you one or two weeks' salary (or even a month's salary) for each year of service. Make sure that the severance package will be enough for you to make the transition to the next phase of your life. Also, make sure that you understand the payout options available to you. You may be able to take a lump-sum severance payment and then invest the money to provide income, or use it to meet large expenses. Or, you may be able to take deferred payments over several years to spread out your income tax bill on the money.

How does all of this affect your pension?

If your employer has a traditional pension plan, the retirement benefits you receive

8 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

from the plan are based on your age, years of service, and annual salary. You typically must work until your company's normal retirement age (usually 65) to receive the maximum benefits. This means that you may receive smaller benefits if you accept an offer to retire early.

The difference between this reduced pension and a full pension could be large, because pension benefits typically accrue faster as you near retirement. However, your employer may provide you with larger pension benefits until you can start collecting Social Security at age 62. Or, your employer might boost your pension benefits by adding years to your age, length of service, or both. These types of pension sweeteners are key features to look for in your employer's offer — especially if a reduced pension won't give you enough income.

Does the offer include health insurance?

Does your employer's early retirement offer include medical coverage for you and your family? If not, look at your other health insurance options, such as COBRA, a private policy, dependent coverage through your spouse's employer-sponsored plan, or an individual health insurance policy through either a statebased or federal health insurance Exchange Marketplace. Because your health-care costs will probably increase as you age, an offer

with no medical coverage may not be worth taking if these other options are unavailable or too expensive. Even if the offer does include medical coverage, make sure that you understand and evaluate the coverage.

Will you be covered for life, or at least until you're eligible for Medicare? Is the coverage adequate and affordable (some employers may cut benefits or raise premiums for early retirees)? If your employer's coverage doesn't meet your health insurance needs, you may be able to fill the gaps with other insurance.

To decide if you should accept an early retirement offer, you can't just look at the offer itself. You have to consider your total financial picture. Can you afford to retire early?

Even if you can, will you still be able to reach all of your retirement goals? These are tough questions that a financial professional should help you sort out, but you can take some basic steps yourself.

Identify your sources of retirement income and the yearly amount you can expect from each source. Then, estimate your annual retirement expenses (don't forget taxes and inflation) and make sure your income will be more than enough to meet them. You may

find that you can accept your employer's offer and probably still have the retirement lifestyle you want. But remember, these are only estimates. Build in a comfortable cushion in case your expenses increase, your income drops, or you live longer than expected.

If you don't think you can afford early retirement, it may be better not to accept your employer's offer. The longer you stay in the workforce, the shorter your retirement will be and the less money you'll need to fund it.

Working longer may also allow you to build larger savings in your IRAs, retirement plans, and investments. However, if you really want to retire early, making some smart choices may help you overcome the obstacles. Try to lower or eliminate some of your retirement expenses. Consider a more aggressive approach to investing. Take a part-time job for extra income. Finally, think about electing early Social Security benefits at age 62, but remember that your monthly benefit will be smaller if you do this.

What if you can't afford to retire?

Finding a new job

You may find yourself having to accept an early retirement offer, even though you can't afford to retire. One way to make up for the difference between what you receive from your early retirement package and your old paycheck is to find a new job, but that doesn't mean that you have to abandon your former line of work for a new career. You can start by finding out if your former employer would hire you as a consultant. Or, you may find that you would like to turn what was once just a

What other benefits are available?

Some early retirement offers include employer-sponsored life insurance. This can help you meet your life insurance needs, and the coverage probably won't cost you much (if anything). However, continued employer coverage is usually limited (e.g., one year's coverage equal to your annual salary) or may not be offered at all. This may not be a problem if you already have enough life insurance elsewhere, or if you're financially secure and don't need life insurance. Otherwise, weigh your needs against the cost of buying an individual policy. You may also be able to convert some of your old employer coverage to an individual policy, though your premium will be higher than when you were employed.

In addition, a good early retirement offer may

hobby into a second career. Then there is always the possibility of finding full-time or part-time employment with a new company.

However, for the employee who has 20 years of service with the same company, the prospect of job hunting may be terrifying. If you have been out of the job market for a long time, you might not feel comfortable or have experience marketing yourself for a new job. Some companies provide career counseling to assist employees in re-entering the workforce. If your company does not provide you with this service, you may want to look into corporate outplacement firms and nonprofit organizations in your area that deal with career transition.

Note: Many early retirement offers contain noncompetition agreements or offer monetary inducements on the condition that you agree not to work for a competitor. However, you'll generally be able to work for a new employer and still receive your pension and other retirement plan benefits.

What will happen if you say no?

If you refuse early retirement, you may continue to thrive with your employer. You could earn promotions and salary raises that boost your pension. You could receive a second early retirement offer that's better than the first one. But, you may not be so lucky. Consider whether your position could be eliminated down the road.

If the consequences of saying no are hard to predict, use your best judgment and seek professional advice. But don't take too long. You may have only a short window of time, typically 60 to 90 days, to make your decision.

Financial Planners William J. Urbanik, MBA, Jessica M. Marazza and Anthony E. Slezak

2519 Ligonier St. P.O. Box 421 Latrobe, Pa 15650 724.537.2799 www.shcwealthmanagement.com info@shcwealthmanagement.com

SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management SecondHalfCoachWealthManagement SHCteam

Securities and advisory services offered through SagePoint Financial, Inc. member FINRA/ SIPC. Insurance services offered through SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management, which is not affiliated with SagePoint Financial, Inc. These materials are provided for general information and educational purposes based upon publicly available information from sources believed to be reliable—we cannot assure the accuracy or completeness of these materials. The information in these materials may change at any time and without notice.

www.go2goalus.com 9

Vallozzi’s Restaurant

Diversity and Traditions Across the 38th Latitude:

A Review of Cuisine Practices in America and Italy

S

ince the great periods of immigration, the fabric of our American culture has been woven together into a beautiful and intricate tapestry with threads from many different countries.

Known across the world as the great Melting Pot for its mingling of people from cultures around the globe, America’s great diversity shows itself in all aspects of the American way, cuisine being no exception. We live in a country that has essentially imported and blended its traditions and recipes into a new American palate. In cities across America you can go out and taste flavors from each of the

By Ernie Vallozzi continents as well as from all of the regions of our country. Despite many famous regional or local specialties, like cheesesteaks from Philly or Pittsburgh salads topped with french fries, the various recipes and traditions of the American cookbook have been dispersed from coast to coast in the same intermixed fashion as its people.

As the American way boasts diversity, so too do many restaurants across our nation pride themselves on robust menus with dishes inspired by flavors from around the world. As a generalization, the five-star New York and

California restaurants set the new hot trends in the industry much the same way as the New York Times Bestseller list does in the literary world. Therefore, we see a crossover of all the best American flavors in each of the 50 states. However, different regions boast different specialties and the best of any genre of cuisine can usually be tracked down to a specific locale. For example, the best barbecue in the US can be found in the South, pizza in New York and Chicago, jerk and Cajun style eats down in the deep Bayou, and Asian fusion on the West Coast just to name a few.

Perhaps geography has something to do with it -- if you trace across the globe, you can travel along a mostly straight latitude from Napa Valley to Italy.

10 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

If you eliminated the Melting Pot effect on cuisine culture in America and let these different regional dishes and styles stay localized, our food industry would look a little more similar to Italy. Unlike the pride in diversity within every city across America, the regions of Italy pride themselves on their local and unique traditions which have continued to embed and develop through the generations. If a region is known for being the best at a particular dish, that is where you go in Italy to get it. Many of the restaurants around the country serve local wines rather than large menus of wine from around the world. Where as in Greensburg at Vallozzi’s Restaurant you can order fine wines from Italy, California or Argentina, in Rome you would drink local wines that were made in nearby Lazio or Abruzzo.

Regional cuisine and wine in Italy function much like our craft beer industry here in America. While Italy also does its fair share of importing and exporting for sourcing restaurant goods, many restaurants stick to local products and wines. Because the craft micro-breweries operate small, they are only serving their beers in house or, perhaps for some of the more successful, in bars around their region of their state. So, for beer aficionados exploring micro-breweries across the country, they can drink unique beer in each city that they will not find elsewhere.

Similarly, when traveling around Italy, you could order locally specific wines and dishes in each region that you would not come across in the next major city. Italians even take local sourcing one step further than micro-breweries who source their ingredients from across the globe; many of the wines being served at authentic Italian restaurants are not only made locally, the grapes used to ferment the wine are likely to have been grown locally as well.

While we do have local wines across America, only specific wineries from America have gained the same level of international attention as Italian wines, most all of which are concentrated in California, Oregon and Washington where much of the country’s grapes are grown. Perhaps geography has something to do with it — if you trace across the globe, you can travel along a mostly straight latitude from Napa Valley to Italy. Italy and Napa Valley alike are home to many diverse climate and terra which lend themselves to a diverse crop of grapes each year.

Wine is not the only part of the menu that changes from locale to locale — the different regions of Italy also are home to different traditions of bread-making: fried, boiled and layered to name a few I have had the pleasure of consuming. In the Province of Parma in Northern Italy, restaurants served a beautiful bread that was similar to an egg biscuit: semi-hollow and airy on the inside with a shiny outer crust. Where as in Rome, restaurants did not seem as particular about their bread — they served a more classic style loaf that had a drier texture, like it had probably been cut earlier in the day or even the day prior to service.

You cannot get authentic Buffalo Mozzarella like it anywhere else in the world as the cheese is specifically made from the milk of the Italian buffalo that graze at the base of Mt. Vesuvius.

Cheese and meat are no exception to the regional cuisine motif in Italy either.

Perhaps the most famous cheese in the world right now comes from the Campania region in Southwestern Italy: Buffalo Mozzarella. You cannot get authentic Buffalo Mozzarella like it anywhere else in the world as the cheese is specifically made from the milk of the Italian buffalo that graze at the base of Mt. Vesuvius. Similar to how the soil and climate conditions drastically can affect the ultimate flavor of the grapes used to make wine, the diet of these Italian buffalos adds a specific quality to the mozzarella produced from their milk. For the best Prosciutto in Italy, and perhaps the world, one would travel to the Province of Parma. Mostly in America, we are used to just buying Prosciutto. In Parma where Prosciutto is their specialty, you can buy many different kinds of Prosciutto:

the butchers cut the meat by the different muscle groups much like we are able to purchase different cuts of beef such as tenderloin or ribeye.

When considering the regional focus in Italy versus the push for diversity across American cuisine, it is important to acknowledge the crucial role that environmental factors play in the ability to remain local.

Just because it is local does not necessarily make it good or the best option — in the food industry, environment can be extremely limiting; therefore, sourcing across the regions can add incredible value. Focusing on wine as an example, most all of the country of Italy has ideal climate conditions for growing grapes thus making it possible for all of the regions of Italy to sustain their own vineyards and wineries. As America is much larger stretch of land, it only makes sense that not all of the regions are capable of growing grapes and would therefore be sourcing their wine elsewhere. Not to speak poorly of anyone’s effort, but as an example, wine produced from a vineyard on the plains of the American Midwest is simply not going to yield the same quality wine as that hailing from Napa Valley because it has a significant environmental disadvantage.

The comparison of cuisine tradition or lackthereof between Italy and America leads me to a thoughtful concern of mine with which I would like to leave my readers. In my opinion, one of the important outcomes of Italy’s focus on regional specialties and traditions rather than cuisine diversity is the level of craftsmanship that has developed through the generations. When you have families that have been fostering the same traditional recipes or practices for decades, or even centuries in some cases, a superior level of expertise and quality develops. I am not saying this does not exist in America, we of course have many claims to fame as well. But in our instant gratification culture, it seems many people are moving too quickly to try to develop the next best thing and traditions are being lost amidst the hustle. I am afraid of our society moving too fast to hold onto the values that come from hard training and invested time in perfecting a craft. In light of this concern, I am proud to see a third generation of my own family continuing the Vallozzi tradition and excited to see where we will continue to grow in the future.

www.go2goalus.com 11

B O O K

ELECTIONS ARE OVER. IT’S TIME TO GOVERN AND WORK TOGETHER

I

By State Senator, Pat Stefano

n November voters went to the polls to elect representatives in Congress and state legislatures across America. Many of these campaigns were marked by harsh rhetoric and pointed criticisms of the opposition. With the election past us those who will represent us in DC and in Harrisburg need to take to heart the apparent lesson of the voters- Work Together.

Voters have sent divided government to both DC and Harrisburg. I’m honored to have been returned to Harrisburg by my constituents. At the same time that they were re-electing a Democratic Governor in Tom Wolf, Pennsylvania voters returned reduced but sizable Republican majority to both chambers of State Legislature. Meanwhile in DC, voters elected a Democratic House and Republican Senate to work with President Trump.

In my first term as a State Senator, I saw too many instances in both DC and Harrisburg of legislators not looking beyond their partisan blinders and succumbing to the temptation of throwing verbal insults instead of engaging in true dialogue. When we are just shouting at each other, the public policy suffers.

Fortunately in Harrisburg there have been recent signs that we can work together for the common good of the Commonwealth.

12 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

Most encouraging in regards to bipartisan cooperation has been the work done on the opioid crisis, school safety, and preventing domestic violence. The most recent budget which passed by wide bipartisan majorities included new money for school safety and opioid treatments. We have also passed a number of bills protecting victims of domestic abuse from their abusers. These bills were passed with bipartisan support.

Recently I co-authored a bill with Senator Lisa Boscola (D-Lehigh) to address to whom restitution can be paid when someone is convicted of theft. A Supreme Court decision declared that nonprofits, government agencies and businesses could not seek restitution from someone convicted of defrauding or stealing from them. Both Senator Boscola and I saw how this would affect our districts and came together and worked with victim advocate groups to develop a solution which was signed into law in October.

The highlights of the legislative term which ended in November were also bipartisan triumphs. I wrote before of the critically important pension reform legislation passed in 2017. This law which takes effect in January 2019 finally starts to curb our massive pension debt by putting new hires in a hybrid pension plan that shifts the liability from the taxpayer to the beneficiary. Over the next 2 decades this law will save the Commonwealth 20 billion dollars.

The other major legislative accomplishment was a comprehensive gaming reform.

Soon you will begin to see advertisements for online gaming and sports betting which will not only bring funds into the general fund but also protect our casino jobs from threats from neighboring states who compete for our entertainment dollars. This bill was 3 years in the making and required the input of a variety of stakeholders. As the Vice Chairman of the Community Economic and Recreational Development, I worked closely with Republicans and Democrats from Western and Eastern PA to see this bill to its finish line.

All of this is not to say that we don’t have strong disagreements in Harrisburg. Indeed we can battle on contentious issues in ways that would make you think that common ground would be impossible. Yet in Harrisburg at the end of the day, we still can have a drink together, still be cordial, and still work on the issues where there is common ground. When you actually sit down and see the number of bipartisan versus straight party votes that there are, you’ll come to the conclusion that there are far more issues that bring us together than drive us apart. Hopefully it is more than a few of my fellow legislators New Year’s resolution to focus on the things that bring us together in 2019.

R E L E A S E

Local author tackles opioid epidemic Beyond the Numbers: The Hope and Heartbreak of the Opioid Epidemic.

Scott Brown, resident of Greensburg and local author recently sat down with GOAL Magazine’s very own Tawnya Rockwell, Chief Production Manager to discuss his new book Beyond the Numbers, The Hope and Heartbreak of the Opioid Epidemic.

Brown has written seven books to date, the most recent becomes available in late January and focuses on the opioid crisis largely through the lens of Western Pennsylvania and more specifically, Westmoreland County.

speakers are in the book so GOAL really helped me get started. I finished the bulk of my reporting, which included well over 100 interviews, and writing by the end of July. From there, I went through revision after revision, nearly driving myself crazy in the process. All told, it took almost a year just to get it to the publisher. That happened at the end of October.

Your other books have been primarily about sports. What made you decide to write this?

How this book changed you?

The seeds for it were planted when I worked for Westmoreland County Judge Scott Mears in family court. Unfortunately, we had more than our share of grandparents come before Judge Mears with emergency custody petitions. Many of those were a result of addiction issues, and it really opened my eyes to what was going on around me.

Once my antenna was up, so to speak, I was shocked at how pervasive the opioid epidemic is -- and how clueless I had been to it. I found out that what is taking place all over the country is also happening right outside of my front door.

How long did it take to write the book?

I started in November, 2017 when I attended the We Are at War symposium that GOAL staged at St. Vincent College. Many of those Angel Arms Infant Recovery is also featured in the book.

Carmen Capozzi, founder of Sages Army is featured in the book.

I now believe that addiction is a disease that can happen to anyone. In fact, the foreword of the book is written by former Penguins star Kevin Stevens who had the world by the tail when a split-second decision started him on the harrowing path of addiction. Kevin is doing great in recovery and helping others through his foundation, Power Forward, Kevin’s story is not just about the fall but also proof that long-term recovery is possible for those who commit to it. Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the people in the book who are trying to be part of the solution. They inspired me through their selflessness, commitment, and passion. I would like to think some of that rubbed off on me.

Who is this book for?

In a word, everybody. Parents need to have their eyes wide open now more than ever.

They also need to know that they are not alone if they are dealing with a child in addiction and don’t know what the hell to do. Kids need it ingrained in them what a potentially catastrophic decision they are making if they experiment with drugs at a young age and eventually move to opiates. I hope, too, that the stories in the book resonate with those struggling with addiction and let them know that there is a way out. I encountered a lot of hope while reporting for the book, and I hope that comes through to the readers.

They inspired me through their selflessness, commitment, and passion. I would like to think some of that rubbed off on me.

What do you ultimately want to accomplish with the book?

I would love for it to change how readers look at the opioid epidemic -- as writing it did with me. If that means more conversations about it in households, work and public settings, great. If it chips away at the stigma that is a huge component of the opioid epidemic, just as good if not better.

We need transparency as uncomfortable as it may be at times. That only happens when those who are battling addiction are impacted by it don’t feel ashamed to talk about it. Too many of those people are still in the shadows because of stigma. They need help, not scorn.

The book will be available in late January of 2019 on Amazon and at the Facebook page, Beyond the Numbers: The Hope and Heartbreak of the Opioid Epidemic (same as book title). It will also be available at Faith Forward in Latrobe. www.go2goalus.com 13

GREATER LATROBE SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Human Trafficking is a Larger Problem in Western Pennsylvania than many believe, FBI needs public’s help to stop it.

By Gina Cerilli, Westmoreland County Commissioner, Westmoreland County

Y

ou may have noticed the recent news stories on all major Pittsburgh television networks over the past year regarding human trafficking in and around the city of Pittsburgh.

Human trafficking is a larger problem in Western Pennsylvania than many believe.

This article isn’t intended to scare anyone, but instead to educate the public so that they may be aware and aid the FBI’s mission to end human trafficking. I serve on the Westmoreland County Human Trafficking Task Force and one of our main objectives is to bring awareness to our county.

Human trafficking is the act of recruiting, harboring, transporting, providing or obtaining a person for compelled labor or commercial sex acts through the use of force, fraud, or coercion. The FBI considers human trafficking as the third largest criminal activity in the world. The National Human Trafficking Hotline reported 5,600 calls in 2016 for sex trafficking, and 156 were from Pennsylvania. Pittsburgh Action Against

The trafficker can then use force or intimidation tactics to keep them quiet...

Rape has a dozen billboards throughout the Pittsburgh area warning the public about human trafficking.

Traffickers are master manipulators, using various force, fraud, or coercive tactics to gain control over their victims. Pimps and Romeo sex traffickers may begin by pampering their future victims by buying them clothes, jewelry, food, and beauty services.

The trafficker can then use force or intimidation tactics to keep them quiet, or the trafficker may threaten the victim’s family, publish nude photos of them online, etc.

Similarly, traffickers who recruit unsuspecting victims for labor often promise a job with good salary and benefits, only to then

force, defraud, or coerce the victim into performing labor for long hours with little to no pay.

Traffickers are known to use the internet to recruit, control, and sell victims online for human trafficking. Victims can be anyone, but those who are targeted through social media are often teens. Parents are warned to be aware of all their children’s social media platforms. Children and teenagers may be putting information on social media that they do not realize is bait for predators.

Victims of sex trafficking are often young adult American women, the average entry age being 12-14 years old, but anyone, male or female, young or older can be targeted.

Anyone can also be a trafficker! What we are currently seeing in Westmoreland County is mostly romantic partners trafficking their girlfriends or wives. We have also seen older siblings or parents trafficking their children.

Westmoreland’s Blackburn Center does not have many number/statistics for our County because victims face a lot of barriers coming forward. If you are a victim, please call the Blackburn Center hotline (1-888-832-2272) for help. The Blackburn Center also provides training at no cost on human trafficking if any organization or individual is interested.

This past fall, the Blackburn Center and the Westmoreland County Human Trafficking Task Force sponsored the Red Sand Project.

Red sand is poured in the cracks of a sidewalk to symbolize all victims of human trafficking who have fallen through the cracks, and are unnoticed by system and community members.

Project Stand is a national movement symbolizing all the human trafficking victims that “fall through the cracks of getting help & saved.” Blackburn organized 3 Red Sand projects in Greensburg. The Courthouse, St. Clair Park, and Excela Hospital.

14 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

Commissioner Gina Cerilli participates in Project Stand by pouring sand in the cracks of the sidewalk outside of the Courthouse to bring awareness to human trafficking.

Hopefully our participation in this project will bring an awareness to our Westmoreland County community that will spread throughout Western Pennsylvania and eventually help end this heinous crime worldwide.

Aevidum, “I’ve got your back.” This simple phrase is derived from Latin roots and coined by students for a club that embraces relationships.

Aevidum is a nationwide movement originated at Cocalico High School in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania in response to a student’s suicide in 2003. Aevidum thrives because of the stories of Andrew Smith and Josh Johnson, two of Nazareth’s students who took their lives at a young age due to an unseen struggle within.

In response to the desperation, the publicschool system knew something had to be done to prevent other tragedies. The club Aevidum was conceived to allow teenagers to feel confident to talk about mental health and suicide prevention in a healthy, proactive way.

Originally called A Helping Hand, Aevidum breaks the silence that surrounds mental illnesses. Accept, Appreciate, Acknowledge, and Care for--these are the four pillars that the voluntary club wants to instill in every single person- inside or outside the classroom.

In 2009 Aevidum earned SADD’s National Activity of the Year Award; a year later it officially became a non-profit organization.

Aevidum is now a part of over 150 clubs in elementary, middle, high schools, and colleges in Pennsylvania. Thousands of students have pledged in support of the program as it continuously grows across the country. Now Aevidum is an integral part of Greater Latrobe School District.

The organization motivates teens to use their voices and be confident in making a difference in the school and community. The movement procures a positive culture where students should feel comfortable talking about significant topics such as mental health.

ADVOCATING AEVIDUM

Officially Aevidum became established at GLSH in the fall of 2018. In its infancy, Wildcat Wellness was organized by President Adam Hoffman and C’18 Chase Beezer under the mentorship of Dr. Soltys. “This was the first huge leap we have had in our school to actually impact the lives of those suffering from mental illness,” said Hoffman.

Recent retiree, Dr. Soltys is a consultant for the current advisors Eugene Joe, Supervisor of Pupil Services; Laurie Golobish, Director of Pupil Services; and Jackie Rider, 11/12 Counselor. The leaders recently adopted the nationwide, non-profit organization Aevidum, which has curriculum attached.

Rider said, “By adopting Aevidum, we now have access to materials, ideas, training, and guidance that will help all in the long run.”

Hoffman is confident that, with more training, more can be actualized. “We will change the culture of the school so that it is a place where everyone is welcomed and embraced as they go through the halls simply even with just a smile,” said Hoffman. “I think this program is something that should be worldwide,” said sophomore Brooklyn Bradley, who attends Nazareth High School. “Nobody should struggle through hard times alone and [he] should know someone is there for them.”

GLSH hosted a workshop in the Center of Student Creativity where Nazareth students met with a core group of Latrobe leaders who were trained on how to cope with personal anxiety and helping others who may be struggling.

By Anne Dalton

On Monday, October 22, students from local schools such as Mount Pleasant and Norwin, attended the workshop to see how the program could impact their own school. “The impact Aevidum has on me is SUPER STRONG,” said Bradley. “It helps me be a more positive and helpful person.

It allows me to think more maturely about how my actions could hurt someone, no matter how small.”

“It seems to me, when we stop to think about how many hours we spend at GLSD, we should all do our part to reach out to each other and make this school a place we want to be,” said Rider. “It is such an easy thing to do. Never underestimate the positive effect of a smile- of accepting, appreciating, acknowledging, and caring for your fellow students.”

Aevidum officially kicked off at GLSH in a student-run assembly during the advisory period in early November. Students recognized the theme of Logic’s song “1-800273-8255,” which emphasized suicide prevention.

Students understood the four pillars of Aevidum: Accept, Appreciate, Acknowledge, and Care for. Students acknowledged that mental health is as significant as physical health.

After Greater Latrobe senior Emma Greiner posed general questions about loneliness and stress, audience members realized they were not alone when fellow classmates had common answers.

Students identified teachers in the Students Assistance Program (SAP), who are there to confidentially offer assistance on the 9/10 and 11/12 levels.

“After the introduction by student leaders, about 16 or 17 teenagers said that they wanted to be a part of the program. That is impressive,” said Rider. The impact of Aevidum is ever growing and ever changing, so from our students to yours, we want you to know “We’ve got your back.”

Students pledged to Aevidum by putting their hands up and spread the message that “We’ve got your back.

www.go2goalus.com 15

The War for Empire in Western Pennsylvania PART 1

By Jerry Ferraro

The French, along with their Indian allies, surrounded the fortification known as Fort Necessity.

with officer sword drawn illustrates assertive leadership. He is bookended by the 18th century European flags of Great Britain and France. This display stirs the question: where is the American flag?

George Washington was a Virginian surveyor traveling to what is now known as Western Pennsylvania. He was well versed in the topography and pathways of the region. As a provincial, his actions would reflect the British crown.

Sent by Virginia’s Governor Dinwiddie, Washington was able to negotiate an agreement with local Iroquois leader, Half-King. The aptly named warrior, possessed limited power yet he had granted the English the right to build a trading post at the forks of the Ohio River.

P

ittsburghers pride themselves on their small-town city. Steeped in tradition, the local populous are largely unaware of the pivotal role played out at the confluence of the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers. In the 18th century, the Ohio River Valley was the focus of both the British Empire and that of their European counterpart, France. Britain wished to expand from the coastal towns inland moving west of the Allegheny Mountain range.

The French Empire aimed to build a series of connecting forts, ultimately to merge their colonies in Canada with those settlements in New Orleans. A War for Empire, which included the indigenous Iroquois Nations, eventually spilled over into Europe and became known globally as the Seven Years War. The War would shape modern North American

16 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

borders, establish language and cultural barriers, and launch the career of the Father of our country, George Washington.

Nestled between Kennywood Park’s Kangaroo and their newly renovated Carousel Food Pavilion stands a storied reminder of days gone by. Colonel George Washington’s statue standing,

When France completed Fort Duquesne on the site of modern day Pittsburgh they demonstrated their control over the influential waterways. Half-King along with his word, his influence, and his British allies had all been cast aside.

In the spring of 1754, Washington led a foray into the wilderness of Western Pennsylvania. His primary goal was the removal of the French Fort Duquesne and ultimately any foreign influence in the Ohio River Valley. Approximately 40 Virginia militia along with 12 of their Indian allies surprised a small band of French soldiers 50 miles south of Fort Duquesne.

A skirmish ensued with the French entourage ultimately succumbing to the Virginian force.

Among the 35 French Canadian militia men was their commander, Joseph Coulon de Jumonville.

Shortly after his capture, HalfKing summarily clubbed him to death. The French would later claim he was on a diplomatic mission while Half-King saw it

two years, adopting the moniker The Seven Years War. as a chance to reassert himself. Either way, Washington was shocked at the action and decided to move his forces back toward Virginia. As word worked its way back to Fort Duquesne and ultimately throughout the French Empire in the New World, a retaliation party force was being coordinated. Jumonville’s brother would lead. Washington found himself without his Indian allies in a clearing known as the Great Meadows.

He had ordered a primitive stockade to be built with entrenchments surrounding the structure. He was prepared to give the French a traditional European open field pitched battle. The French, along with their Indian allies, surrounded the fortification known as Fort Necessity.

After a prolonged struggle in the rain, Washington agreed to discuss surrender terms. Using a Dutchman and Belgian native as interpreters, he signed the wet surrender document unknowingly admit-

Marching south back to Virginia with drums, flags, and weapons in tow, Washington felt he had avoided a disaster. His initial success at the “Jumonville Affair” was eventually dampened by this defeat at Fort Necessity. The Virginians had not achieved their goal of removal of Fort Duquesne and had potentially strengthened the hold of the French Empire in Western Pennsylvania. (Part II, The Return of Washington in the next installment of GOAL Magazine).

Bibliographical works consulted: Axelrod, Alan. Blooding At Great Meadows: Young George Washington and the Battle that Shaped the Man. Philadelphia: Running Press, 2007. ting to the murder of Jumonville and effectively triggering the War for Empire in North America. The French and Indian War would spill over into Europe within

O’Meara, Walter. Guns At The Forks.

Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1979.

Jerry Ferraro is the contributing history & current events consultant for GOAL magazine. He currently teaches history at Greater Latrobe High School with over 21 years experience. He is a member of the Ft. Ligonier Teacher Advisory board and is pursuing a Masters degree in Military History. He has traveled extensively throughout Europe and the U.S. for professional and personal development. He resides near Latrobe, Pa with his wife and daughter.

www.go2goalus.com 17

Q&A

When I talk to someone who has been injured in an auto accident, their first concern is almost always their injuries. They want to figure out why they are in pain and how to treat the injury. After the doctors determine what treatment they need, their concerns turn toward more practical issues.

I want to share the answers to some of the more frequently asked questions we receive.

AUTO ACCIDENTS AND AUTO INSURANCE

“If I’m injured in an accident, who pays for my medical bills?”

WITH QR:

By Attorney Jessica Rafferty

Most people assume that the person who caused the accident’s (aka the “at-fault driver’s”) insurance company is responsible for paying your medical bills. That is not the case – at least not initially. Under Pennsylvania law, your auto insurance company is the first source of payment for your medical bills.

Under Pennsylvania law you are required to carry at least $5,000 in medical benefits coverage. You are permitted to purchase more than that, but $5,000 is the state minimum.

It depends on your particular circumstances as to whether or not $5,000 is a sufficient amount of coverage for you and your family.

Regardless of how much medical coverage you decided to purchase, it generally covers more medical treatment than you would expect. This is because Pennsylvania law requires medical providers to reduce the amount charged for treatments they provide to you if your injuries were the result of an auto accident.

If your medical bills exceed the amount of coverage you carry under your auto insurance, you then turn to your private health insurance. You may have co-pays and your heath insurance company may be entitled to reimbursement for bills they pay. That is, your health insurance company may assert a lien against the settlement we make against the other driver. If this occurs, in addition

to making a claim for your pain, suffering and wage loss, we also make a claim against the other driver’s insurance company for the co-pays and the lien asserted by your health insurance company.

This claim, however, must be done as part of your lump sum settlement. The person who caused the accident’s insurance company does not pay for your medical bills as you incur them. And you do not submit your medical bills to the at-fault drivers insurance company as you incur them.

Everyone’s situation is different. Please feel free to call me if you’d like to discuss how much medical coverage you should carry under your auto insurance policy. I’m always happy to review your auto insurance policy with you free of charge.

If you have a new vehicle, you can look into purchasing Gap or New Car Replacement Insurance. This may make sense from a financial standpoint if your car is new – but make sure you look at how your insurance company defines “new” to avoid paying for something that you would not be able to take advantage of if you are involved in an accident.

“What do I do if I can’t go back to work because of my injuries?”

If you suffer injuries in an auto accident that prevent you from going back to work for

“If someone totals my car in an accident, how much money will I get?”

a certain period of time, we will make a claim for the wages you “lost” as a direct result of your inability to work against the person who caused the accident’s insurance company. This, however, must be done as part of a lump sum settlement and will include compensation for all of your damages – not just your wages lost.

Although this will help you in the longterm, it does not help in the short-term.

Most people do not have a large amount of savings that will allow them to pay monthly expenses like your mortgage, electric bill, gas bill, etc.

policy. Your particular circumstances will dictate the amount of coverage that is right for you.

These are just a few of the questions we receive on a daily basis from clients and prospective clients after they are injured in an auto accident. If you or your friends are injured in an auto accident, please give us a call. Additionally, remember that we will review your auto policy for free so that in the rare event you are injured in an auto accident, we can help you to make a difficult situation a little bit easier.

To avoid this issue, you should consider purchasing what is known as Wage Loss Coverage under your own auto insurance

QuatriniRafferty is recognized as The Injury and Disability Law Firm, with offices in Greensburg, Pittsburgh, Latrobe, and

Altoona. The firm’s 13 local lawyers specialize in workers’ compensation, personal injury, social security disability, car accidents, wills and estate planning, long-term disability, and nursing home injuries. The firm was founded in 1987. Find out more about QuatriniRafferty by visiting www.qrlegal.com.

An insurance company will usually deem a vehicle “totaled” if the cost to repair the vehicle exceeds a certain percentage of the vehicle’s worth. If your vehicle is “totaled” you will generally get the fair market value of your car.

The fair market value of your car usually does not provide you with enough money to purchase a replacement vehicle.

Unfortunately, under the law, you are only entitled to the fair market value of the vehicle. You are not entitled to the difference between the fair market value of your vehicle and the cost of a replacement vehicle. People often ask whether we can make a claim for this loss in their personal injury case, which is a claim for your pain, suffering, inconvenience, wage loss, medical bills, and any out-of-pocket expenses you incur as a result of the auto accident. And the answer is we cannot, because the property damage claim is completely separate from your personal injury claim.

1 Under Pennsylvania law, it is mandatory for automobile owners to carry liability insurance to protect other motorists from their acts of negligence. Ironically however, under Pennsylvania law, during a trial an attorney is not allowed to tell a jury that there is insurance available. For example, a lawsuit would have to be filed as John Doe vs. Jane Doe. But this is in name only. The money awarded to John Doe by the jury would be paid out of the insurance coverage provided by the XYZ Insurance Company – not Jane Doe.

Most injury claims do not require the actual filing of a lawsuit. An injury victim who is represented by an attorney can usually settle their claim prior to going to court.

2

18 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

www.go2goalus.com 19

Gala M A G A Z I N E

2018 GOAL Magazine Gala raises $20,000 for

G

OAL Magazine is dedicated to giving back to our local communities and helping organizations in need. On September 22nd, guests and volunteers crossed the red carpet at Greensburg Country Club for the 2nd Annual GOAL Magazine Gala benefiting Our Clubhouse Westmoreland.

Based in Greensburg, Our Clubhouse Westmoreland provides free emotional and social support to those touched by cancer. Those living with cancer at any age, as well as the family and friends who care for them, are welcome to join Our Clubhouse and receive free support.

Gala guests enjoyed red carpet photos taken by Jaime Leonard Photography, a champagne reception, hors d’oeuvres, tapas style food stations, a top shelf open bar and martini bar. DJ Michael Ferguson spun dance music while strolling Magician Steven entertained guests with mind blowing tricks. In addition, there were many laughs in the photo booth and at the blackjack, craps and roulette casino tables. Dessert featured assorted pastries from local bakers ands bakeries including Prantl’s, Aroma Italiano, The Original Pie Shoppe and Patty Olave’s Cookie Table.

Guests also had the opportunity to win silent and basket auction items donated

GOAL Magazine presented Our Clubhouse Westmoreland a donation in October for $20,000, the net-proceeds of the 2nd Annual GOAL Magazine Gala. (L to R: Tony Slezak, GOAL Magazine Co-Founder; Tawnya Rockwell, GOAL Magazine Chief Production Manager; Christine Sumner, Our Clubhouse Program Coordinator; Dani Wilson, Our Clubhouse Executive Director; Arthur McCauley, Our Clubhouse Board Chairman; Jessica Urbanik, GOAL Magazine Chief Relationship Manager; Sheri Slezak, Our Clubhouse Volunteer; William Urbanik, GOAL Magazine Co-Founder and Jessica Marazza, GOAL Magazine Relationship Manager.

20 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

Matt Schimizzi enjoying some laughs with Colette and Jim Silvis.

Alanna Wilson, Dr. Reed Nelson and Dr. Dan Lovette pose in front of the martini luge.

A portion of the amazing dessert display.

Some of the guests enjoying cigars and laughs on the patio.

Our Clubhouse Westmoreland

by a variety of local businesses and organizations.

Thank you to all of our supporters, volunteers and attendees for making the 2018 Gala a success! We would like to give a special recognition to our event sponsors: lead sponsor SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management, Fotorecord Print Center, Westmoreland Chiropractic and Rehab Associates, Nelson Loguasto Cigars, Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce, Westmoreland County Commissioner Gina Cerilli, Kisiel and Associates, Shaffer’s Landscaping, Smail Auto and Candy Valentino.

Attendee Janice Urbanik (left) holds a dollar bill in amazement after Magician Steve (right) turned her dollar from her purse into a distorted bill and then turned it back to normal before returning to her.

Kathy and Dennis Rafferty arriving at the Gala on the red carpet.

The martini luge was a huge draw throughout the evening. Guests could choose from chocolate, cosmo, gin or vodka martinis. Amy and Chad Amond enjoyed making their own.

SAVE THE DATE for our 3rd Annual GOAL Magazine Gala September 7th, 2019 - Greensburg Country Club Beneficiary: Our Clubhouse Westmoreland Find more information at www.go2goalus.com/2019-goal-gala

Located in the Blue Spruce Shoppes in Murrysville

We Now Carry:

724- 519-9502

Find us on Facebook at KatwalkMurrysville www.go2goalus.com 21

ment in the Integrated Water Resources Plan, due to be adopted within months. County Commissioners have also taken the proactive step of creating a demolition fund to remove blight from our communities.

Grassroots & Boots

724-537-4489 www.iccthebuilder.com • info@iccthebuilder.com

By Inselmini Construction Company

The word “grassroots” usually refers to a political metaphor. But in 1912 the words “grassroots and boots” were coined by the Progressive Party, meaning “grown from the soil of people’s hard necessities.” Back in 1975, a newly graduated young man named John Inselmini decided to start his own construction business with his brother Tom out of the hard necessity of economic times in

Pat Dicesere

the 1970’s. The brothers, with their father Bruno helping out, worked in a 24’ x 24’ dirt floor garage on Miller Street in Latrobe taking any work they could get for the fledgling business. Three years later, 14 year old Pat Dicesere would skip school and ride his bicycle to the garage to clean bricks (a penny per brick) so Bruno could re-use them as building material. Times were tough and

John Inselmini

lean. Back in those days there was no office, no secretary, and no computers. Instead, there was John working evenings making phone calls and his wife Cher typing up contracts using carbon paper and a manual typewriter.

Their first big break came on July 11, 1976, when an F3 tornado tore through the Tierney Plan, and the Inselminis were allotted multiple repair and renovation jobs.

Over time, their reputation as hard-working, quality builders grew. They purchased an old farmhouse on a 3 acre plot of land along route 982, back then considered the outskirts of town, with a plan for the future in mind. The farmhouse was torn down, materials were salvaged and reused as best as could be done, and a new shop was built with rental units above as a source of steady income. John fondly remembers how at first everyone communicated with their crew by pager. Later on, portable phones were installed in vehicles, and every time a call came in, the horn would sound.

Fast forward to 2018. John and Pat are equal business partners and respected members of the Latrobe Community. Inselmini Construction Company employs a dozen full-time workers and Some of the original maestros….L to R: Bob Nicomede, was named by golf legend Arnold Bruno Inselmini and Tom Inselmini Palmer as one of two premier local builders for the Palmer Place housing community. Proud sponsors of numerous charitable organizations, John and Pat still love what they do and do it exceedingly well. They are giving back to their community through trade organizations like the Westmoreland Professional Builders Association, through membership in local Chambers of Commerce, and through active participation in Habitat for Humanity. Please join in wishing Inselmini Construction Company a Happy 43rd Anniversary as a local business providing quality and craftsmanship to customers throughout Westmoreland County.

22 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

By Chad Amond, President Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce

T

he Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce invites residents and businesses to embrace the new comprehensive plan, Reimagining Our Westmoreland. The planning procedure has been an over two-year process to engage with the public and our business community to understand their wants and needs over the next 10 to 15 years. The comprehensive plan also represents the efforts of thousands of everyday citizens, county and regional leaders in business, education, the non-profit community, and local, county, regional, and state officials.

This effort could not have been possible without the perspective and financial support from the state Department of Community and Economic Development, Economic Growth Connection of Westmoreland, Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce and First Energy Foundation. The Chamber was pleased to play a vital role in giving perspective to the plan from our employers and key leaders who help to drive our local and regional economy.

The plan makes a radical departure from ‘the business as usual approach’ to comprehensive planning. The central organizing goal of the plan is to counter continued population decline and a rapidly aging workforce. Westmoreland County’s population today is nearly the same as it was in 1960, and the population’s median age is the seventh highest in the state and one of the highest in the nation overall. A possible outcome of these changes may lead to business and employment losses as companies are unable to fill open positions, leading to possible relocation, closing, or automation. Such outcomes spell considerable troubles for our communities as they seek to provide vital services and maintain infrastructure.

In it, seven strategic core objectives were identified for action: 1. Align Workforce, Education, Employers, and Entrepreneurship Ensuring our education system is preparing citizens for life in Westmoreland County.

Ensuring employers have the workforce they need for the jobs that are open today and tomorrow.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

Ensuring small businesses have an opportunity to open and grow in the county.

Discover Westmoreland Ensuring our message that a great quality of life, affordable living and opportunities to grow as an individual are spread far and wide.

Reposition Our Towns Ensuring our communities are well positioned for a changing global, national and regional economy.

Connect with Parks and Nature Ensuring our natural systems are sustainable.

Ensuring access to parks and recreation is available to all residents.

Build Healthy and Whole Communities Ensuring our communities are healthy in their environment, society and economy.

Plug into the New Economy Ensuring our local economy is positioned to take advantage of new technologies like the internet of things and transitioning manufacturing to industry 4.0.

Create Transportation Choices Ensuring every community has the potential for multiple modes of travel whether by car, foot, bike, shared ride, or autonomous vehicle.

Ensuring flight and freight transportation are efficient.

A comprehensive plan is not only a playbook for specific actions but also a set of guidance policies for municipalities to begin working on, including amending their zoning ordinances to expand the choices of housing and transportation options available in their communities. Community art and beautification projects can be bolstered by their identification as specific strategies.

Implementation of the plan will rely on partnerships across and within municipalities, agencies, school districts, non-profit organizations, businesses, and individuals. Support for the plan can come in a variety of forms.

The most important way is for citizens to be engaged in the process and share the strategies and actions with their neighbors. Businesses can help by telling their story regarding the workforce. Municipal leaders can help by adopting resolutions of support for the plan. School districts can help by letting parents and students know that good employment opportunities are in the county if they’re trained and educated for them. The County and allied agencies look to engage with constituents of our county over the next ten years to take action and implement the plan and to Reimagine Westmoreland County.

Sincerely,

Chad Amond President & CEO Westmoreland County Chamber Of Commerce

The plan fundamentally recognizes that there are no silver bullets and that all of the strategies that support the core objectives are essential elements in attracting, retaining, and developing a diverse and stable workforce that will sustain a healthy economy.

Many of the strategies and actions identified in the plan are already underway through the help of the Chamber, including work to align education and employers with the Westmoreland Forum for Workforce Development to create career pathways for the jobs that are here today. Additionally, steps are being taken to implement Westmoreland County Transit Authority’s Transit Development Plan, including an examination of the use of micro transit. Steps are also being taken to address the health of streams and storm water managewww.go2goalus.com 23

The Juices of

Health and Happiness

By Reed Nelson, DC, BS

T

he amazing human body secretes chemicals that make you feel good.

The amount of these juices you secrete influences your health and happiness. Learning about these happy secretions empowers you with a deeper understanding of what can be done to influence your health and keep stress in check.

Endorphins are endogenous opioid neuropeptides and peptide hormones. Think of endorphins as the body’s perfect pain juice.

It’s one of the happy chemicals. Endorphin's pharmacological purpose is straightforward; to diminish pain! Simply exercising for 20-30 minutes causes a surge of endorphins. The classic example is the “runner’s high.” As runners get into a zone, they feel no pain. As endorphin levels rise, it makes the runner feel unstoppable! The next day, however, the endorphins are well diminished, and the runner is sore and experiences pain. If you’d like to consider another way to increase endorphins, try dancing!

Dancing increases many of our happy secretions all at once. You will feel amazing.

Focusing efforts to increase endorphins should also be a part of every treatment plan when stress and anxiety is a concern.

We get a surge of this happy chemical, Serotonin, when we feel significant. It is a basic human need to feel significant.

Serotonin is the achievement secretion.

24 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

When serotonin levels are low, we feel loneliness. Volunteer your time working for a good cause and you will get a nice dose of serotonin. When your life’s work involves helping people, you are guaranteed a daily dose. Whether it’s helping people with their finances, their relationships, or helping

them with their health, it feels good, resulting in health and happiness.

One inherent problem with serotonin is that we can learn to get a dose by a host of bad behaviors as well. A child may learn to secrete some serotonin by participating in bullying. How we learn to get our serotonin is a choice, so choose wisely. Helping your team at work to achieve something outstanding will cause serotonin to flow.

Parents know the good feeling they get as their child achieves graduation.

Graduation is a big serotonin party. The cool thing is everyone gets a dose. Our friend, the sun, gets a bad rap when it comes to overexposure. We have all heard that 20-30 minutes of sun each day is wise and results in free Vitamin D for your health! Few people additionally think about their tan as boosting this happy juice, but I like to say, “Sun’s out, fun’s out!”

Don’t take yourself too seriously. Laughter is an easy go-to dose of endorphins.

It feels good to laugh and it’s healthy.

For me, Oxytocin is the “touchy-feely” juice. It is the secretion that drives humans

will be away from your phone for to care for each other. The body an entire 8 hours while you sleep. releases oxytocin in women durYou may currently be chuckling ing childbirth. This surge continues at this one, but many of us need throughout breastfeeding, specifireminded to keep a balance when cally to increase the natural drive it comes to our phones. I can confiof the mother to love and care for dently say that we will collectively her offspring. It is in the interest of look back in the years to come and healthy babies that mom’s oxytocin realize that to date, the modern levels are plentiful. Both men and cellphone is the most addictive women get a nice dose of oxytocin invention known to mankind. during sexual intercourse. One good side effect of oxytocin is it decreases We cannot end a discussion on vulnerability to addictions. This secretions without at least touchsecretion is also why happy people ing base on Cortisol. Cortisol is live longer. My pap, Nelson, was no not a happy chemical secretion dummy when he taught us all to unless it is kept in check. This juice greet with a hug! As well, nobody Most antidepressant drugs focus on lets loose when we are stressed. left the party without hugging again. increasing serotonin, but know this, our Cortisol is designed to keep us Hugging is an easy way to obtain a alive. It is the survival chemical. little dose of oxytocin for your entire bodies are a premier pharmacy! They Despite its reputation, cortisol actufamily’s health. Hands on treatments, too, through healthy choices make the ally does many good things for our like chiropractic and massage, cause perfect happy chemicals. bodies. It regulates our metabolism, the body to release and replenish giving us a boost of energy when oxytocin levels, promoting good we need it most. It helps reduce health. Oxytocin is additionally the inflammation and even participates chemical of trust. It is a healthy ritual unconsciously popular, and now you know in regulating our blood pressure. It is our to shake hands, as it gives us a little kick of why. It’s all to get a little boost of dopafight or flight juice. High cortisol levels oxytocin and builds trust between us. Men mine. In the early years of human beings, result in predictable behaviors and negative instinctually pat backs as a way to greet dopamine was useful for driving us to find effects on health. When cortisol is up, you each other, and as a result we elevate oxyfood when we weren’t yet hungry. We just will watch your back, be less likely to trust, tocin levels in those we think the most of. might not have survived the years before and you will look for danger. Cortisol is a Whole Foods if it wasn’t for the happy lifesaver, but it’s at its best when it’s mainDopamine basically motivates you to take chemical dopamine. Dopamine comes with tained at reduced levels. When your work action towards your goals. You reach a goal, a warning label: It’s highly addictive! The environment, or your relationships overand you get a little shot of dopamine. Selfunhealthy ways that we can get a dose of whelm you with stress, cortisol will drip, doubt and lack of enthusiasm results in low dopamine are plentiful. Gambling, alcohol, levels of dopamine, while simply checking drugs and yes this one’s personal to me, the drip, drip long-term and negatively affect your health. High cortisol decreases growth something off of your “to-do” list gives cell phone. Did you ever decide to quickly and diminishes immune function making you a little boost of it. I’ve actually added jump into the car to do some errands, only a few things to my “to-do” list right after to pull back into your driveway because you you sick. Even worse, high cortisol reduces completing them just so I could check the your sex drive and makes you crave sugar. forgot your cell phone? You might be an When you feel safe and relaxed, your cortibox! It feels good when you look at your addict! You might be an addict if you walk sol levels will naturally diminish. list and there are plenty of checked boxes. room-to-room and carry your cellphone. Do This technique also reminds you of all you you spend a few minutes surfing your social did, not all you didn’t. As it turns out, this is media just before bed? After all, I guess you

It is my goal

with this article to open your mind and grasp how readily the body can produce the juices of happiness “on demand.” Your central nervous system runs the show! It is the Comcast of your health.

Reed Nelson, DC, BS is the founding partner of Westmoreland Chiropractic & Rehab Associates, a group of wellness providers including Chiropractors, Massage Therapists and a Nutritionist, helping people with their health in multiple locations in Westmoreland County. Dr. Nelson is passionate about community involvement and gives time and financial support to many charitable causes.

Greensburg Office 724.216.5004 Export Office 724.325.2112

www.go2goalus.com 25

TYLER

I

n backyards and driveways all across the globe there are children wearing their favorite player’s jersey, honing their skills, dreaming of a day that others will be buying a shirt with their name and number on the back. There are also children grabbing another book off the shelf, building an airport on Minecraft, writing a short story, doing a science experiment in the backyard or taking something apart so they can better understand how it works.

As all of this is unfolding, peeking out the windows or around the corner from another room are parents looking on with pride who see possibility, opportunity and a future career.

KENNEDY

Joining the Wave of Retirement Reinvention

By William J. Urbanik & Bree Edgerly

Tyler Kennedy’s journey

to the NHL started when he began skating on a frozen track in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario shortly after he learned to walk.

From the earliest of ages, he could not get enough of the outdoors whether it was playing hockey, fishing, swimming or riding snowmobiles. He chose being outside skating laps on the frozen track and working on moves over being enthralled in video games like his peers. He enjoyed it so much that practicing and training to perfect his game was not considered work.

It is where everything made sense and where he felt he belonged.

Tyler’s parents and grandfather always told him “hard work...works” and all that paid off when his dream of becoming a professional hockey player became a reality at the 2004 NHL Entry Draft when he was selected in the fourth round, 99th overall, by the Pittsburgh Penguins. When asked when he felt becoming a professional hockey player was a possibility, he told GOAL Magazine, “it wasn’t till my third NHL game where I realized I had made it.” At that moment, he realized he was no longer dreaming, he was a professional athlete at the highest level. He was being paid to play!

In his debut season, Kennedy was named to the NHL’s Young Stars Team in 2008 alongside Penguins teammate Kris Letang.

Tyler’s tenacious work ethic and relentless

26 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

style of play captured the hearts of fans in Pittsburgh who pride themselves on their blue-collar roots and toughness. Pittsburgh was home and the city had another talented son who embodied its cherished image. In the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals against the Detroit Red Wings, Kennedy scored a goal in Game 4 of the series, as well as the game-winning goal in Game 6, citing that as one of his most memorable moments. The Penguins would go on to defeat Detroit in seven games to win the Stanley Cup. The Penguins were once again champions of the NHL, its third as a franchise since the era of Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jágr, and its first in the salary cap era featuring new NHL and Pittsburgh stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin.

With the Pittsburgh Steelers also winning the Super Bowl, the city regained its swagger and mantle as the City of Champions.

During the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, the Penguins traded Kennedy to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for a second-round pick. He later played for the New York Islanders and New Jersey Devils and battled several injuries during those tenures. After playing over 500 games in the most competitive hockey league in the world and taking a whole year off hoping that rest would heal his body, he injured his back again while in New Jersey, and after realizing he’d had enough, he announced the end of his NHL career on January 3, 2017.

The man affectionately known as TK, who gave the number 48 an image in the city of Pittsburgh and helped a once storied franchise leave its troubles and disappointments in the past and return to glory, was now faced with a question he had not ever really pondered in his life. He had spent nearly his entire life working towards becoming a professional player. It is what he knew, what he understood, where he felt he belonged and who he believed he was. Now, abruptly, he was forced to consider what he would do with his life going forward.

Tyler never dreamed or thought of retirement; he was focused on making it, not ending it. Similarly, as the visions of various careers swirl in the imaginations of parents and children everywhere, neither are they thinking about the day they will retire from those dreams, purpose and recognition.

While every retiree’s situation is different in many ways due to standards of living, age, healthcare, pension, savings, there is one glaring similarity: they all fear the unknown. A teacher retiring at age 55, an engineer retiring at age 64 or a professional hockey player retiring at 32 all worry about the same things.

Have I saved enough? What will I do with my time? Who am I if I am not working?

Regardless of age, job title, or career earnings this is a very difficult transition for people to experience.

www.go2goalus.com 27

lives. He tells them how James Neal took very good care of his body and treated it like a machine. He shares insight on how players like Sidney Crosby, Brett Burns, Joe Thornton and John Tavares would immerse themselves into anything they wanted to do or accomplish on the ice or off, how their commitment levels were unmatched thus making their names stand out as the best. He prides himself on providing an experience that will teach life lessons, not just skills and tactics.

It is an investment in their future. They learn to work hard and play as a team. They learn discipline, how to pay attention to learning concepts and how to push themselves when they feel they have nothing left to give. It is character building and helps keep them out of trouble.

COMMITMENT

Over the course of his career, Tyler had developed a relentless work ethic and, upon entering retirement, was initially not sure where to redirect those intangibles once he was no longer playing. When asked what advice he would give to another person fearful of what they will do next after retirement he said, “Just start! That’s the best way to get going. Ask yourself what it is you like to do? It is an opportunity to create another identity. You are not done, you are just doing something different. End of the day, nobody is going to feel sorry for you and you need to have pride to continue to find purpose. It’s a challenge for sure, but you can figure it out.”

Tyler can be found back on the ice at various rinks skating with a new purpose: he is training youth hockey players to find themselves through the rigors of sport

WORK ETHIC

28 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

Unbeknownst to many local retirees, they could have an opportunity to reinvent themselves completely, or leverage those years of expertise and connections to open small businesses to consult or merely work less hours, even from the comforts of home. “Having a large retirement age population is impacting the workforce in Westmoreland County and all of Southwestern Pennsylvania,” said Chad Amond, President & CEO of the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce. “We’re hearing from employees and employers that people who get to retirement age don’t necessarily want to fully retire. But they don’t necessarily want to work forty hours a week either.

As part of resolving the workforce short-

and play. He believes that working hard as a youth athlete and the commitment that families make to training is important regardless of whether or not a player ends up being a professional athlete.

Tyler stated, “It is an investment in their future. They learn to work hard and play as a team. They learn discipline, how to pay attention to learning concepts and how to push themselves when they feel they have nothing left to give. It is character building and helps keep them out of trouble.

It’s worth it whether they make the NHL or never advance beyond the level they play now.” For parents of young athletes Tyler offers, “Be positive. There is a way to be hard and demand effort while also building them up, not putting them down.”

”It’s a challenge for sure, but you can figure it out.”

Tyler, as a coach and trainer embodies much of the same characteristics he did as a player and youth players are responsive, improving tremendously. He encourages players, “(It’s) not going to be easy, but worth it.

Just because you are being expected to work hard, doesn’t mean it has to stop being fun.” He is profoundly creative, pulling together all his contacts and resources to provide an amazing experience for the players. And, beyond the skills and tactics, he tells stories and uses examples from his experience that impress upon them lessons that can be applied in any area of their

A healthy retirement is in fact a monumental accomplishment. In order to actually retire you must first succeed, therefore making retiring comfortably the pinnacle of professional success---a gateway to a life focused on what a person wants to do rather than what they have to do. This is a stage guaranteed to no one, but attainable to those who work the hardest and plan the best. While those fundamental truths remain, the changing of times, generational demographics and advancements in medical science have people retiring younger and living longer with the potential to remain useful to society with their skills and experience. Due to these developments, retirement now provides an opportunity to be considered an achievement that unlocks another level in the

MOTIVATION

Tyler, like any professional on the cusp of retirement, had so much to consider regarding the next stage of his life. Tyler told GOAL Magazine that the hardest part of the transition to retirement was “trying to find a routine. Without a schedule or agenda, it was hard to be motivated.”

While there were many challenges, Tyler stated, “The easiest part was knowing where everything was…and feeling at home rather than always being on the move, leaving things in different places, being away from his family.” Today, Tyler is enjoying life at home in Pittsburgh with his wife Brandi, daughter Cookie and newborn son TK. When asked what he missed the most from his playing days it was surprising to hear that it was not scoring a goal and hearing the crowds cheering, but the more simple things like pushing himself to be better, seeing improvement in an area of his skill set, being nervous before a big game and even that moment before he would go out on the ice, drink a cup of coffee and tape his stick thinking about what he needed to do in the game. It was a heartwarming response proving that it wasn’t the stats, but rather the opportunity to play and the process that was the true reward of his career.

Being a coach and trainer for youth was never a part of Tyler’s original dream but has wound up being a really great retirement gig tailored specifically to his skills and background. Ideally, retirement should be a part of the dream; it should be something that is planned for and imagined.

However, for many, pondering retirement comes later in life. Many don’t really begin to seriously consider retirement until they are forced to or are, quite frankly, sick of working. Unfortunately, life is so busy that time flies by quickly and retirement can sneak up on people leaving them unprepared financially and/or emotionally. One moment you are on the doorstep to a career trying to get in, and seemingly very soon thereafter you are being shown that same door on your way out.

game of life that has the potential to be even more brilliant, fulfilling and challenging than any prior. Retirement is no longer about winding down, it is about renewed enthusiasm born of a profound opportunity to reinvent oneself all while reinvigorating a sense of purpose and giving birth to new dreams and hopes.

age in Southwestern Pennsylvania, we need to connect those ‘part-time’ retirees with the employers who are struggling to find workers.”

For a myriad of reasons, retirement is no longer about fading away and just chillin’ as you wait out your time. Retirement now represents an opportunity for reinvention.

With people retiring younger and living longer, many could be retired for close to the same amount of years that they were actually in the workforce. “We need a significant shift in our perspective about work, as well as the needs of later career individuals and it can be a win-win,” says Tracy Stough Grajewski, a retirement life-

style coach and owner of Laurel Summit Insights. “Later career workers are vibrant, highly experienced and reliable. Yet, similar to workers facing the time demands of raising young families, mature workers may be managing caregiving for aging parents, a spouse/partner or grandchildren.

Individuals may need to work for financial reasons or want to continue contributing to an organization in a meaningful way, but they also may need a flexible, reduced or balanced schedule. This presents an optimal opportunity to address the labor shortage by thinking differently about the true requirements of the work, as well as the needs of the worker. There no longer is a 'one size fits all' retirement.”

Tyler is a shining example of what it looks like to make the most of the opportunity to reinvent oneself in retirement.

He is utilizing all of the best things that he accumulated out of his professional hockey career and rolling them into a refreshing and productive second career as a trainer, a position which he has complete freedom to make what he wants. He is able to shape his efforts around the needs of his family and the demands present in the community for his expertise. Hopefully his story can inspire others who have not considered retirement or who are near to that transition to make the most of their background and the wealth of opportunities present to them in the current state of the everchanging workforce.

Regardless of age or career, more so than in any other time in history, retirement is now a blank canvas rather than a drawing in which you are coloring inside the lines society has laid out for you. Tyler Kennedy went from just another kid skating on frozen tracks in Canada, to NHL hopeful, to Stanley Cup Champion, to training the next generation of players where the “Next One” could emerge.

Life is about evolving. We learn, we do, we teach, and the cycle continues. Harvey Mackay once stated, “Time is free, but it’s priceless. You can’t own it, but you can use it. You can’t keep it, but you can spend it.

Once you’ve lost it you can never get it back.” In the spirit of that statement, may we all hope for a future in which options are plentiful, opportunity is not wasted, and time is cherished by all.

www.go2goalus.com 29

About the Author - Bill Arnold is Executive Director of the Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation, internationally known inspirational speaker, and international media consultant on the subject of mining disasters. again. Maybe they want to increase their own level of hope just a bit. In my previous article for this publication, I wrote that people came to the Quecreek Mine Rescue Site to restore their faith – not just in God but in Man and in the American Spirit. With that restoration of faith, visitors also get a good healthy dose of hope. You will find that they fit together nicely.

By Bill Arnold Executive Director Quecreek Mine Rescue Foundation

I

t’s a powerful word. It should be. We as a nation need hope more now than ever. I think we can sometimes lose it – hope, that is – as we struggle with the day-to-day tasks that never seem to end.

We all have that list of things that need to be done. I know recently I was in a bucolic suburb of Pittsburgh, doing some work for an upcoming auction. I texted a friend of mine because I was in her neighborhood, and asked if she wanted to catch a late lunch.

“Dang it,” she replied, explaining why she couldn’t meet. She had work, and meetings in the afternoon – her “list.” I texted back, “No worries, next time!” and went on, checking things off my own list of things to do. As I drove through the quiet streets, I thought to myself, “what a nice neighborhood.” I did not realize it at the time, but there were joyous preparations being made in town that day: last minute details, phone calls, food being prepared. A baby-naming ceremony at a local synagogue was to happen the next morning, a precious and symbolic celebration of life in the Jewish faith where a newborn child is given their Hebrew name, often selected to honor a loved one’s memory, a name that would carry the parents’ hope for the future of their child.

None of us could have known that less than 12 hours later the lives of Squirrel Hill families would be forever changed after a senseless attack that left 11 dead.

Eleven families instantly went from celebration to mourning. I was numb.

Then, I was angry. “How could someone be so full of hate?” I despaired. I had to stop myself, stop the coldness creeping into my heart; the city of Pittsburgh, and the nation, helped me do just that. Signs began to appear that said, “We stand with Squirrel Hill,” and, “Stronger than hate.” I began to experi-

30 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

ence a different feeling; I began to feel hope, and I realized I had felt that same renewal before – about 16 years ago to be exact. It was halfway through the Quecreek rescue operation. It was hope that held the power to sustain us during that defining period in Pennsylvania history, and the same is true today in the midst of our most recent tragedy.

I truly believe that hope is the overwhelming feeling here at the Quecreek Mine Rescue Site. In the months that followed the horrific attacks of 9-11, all of us needed hope; hope that humanity would survive. Many, including President Bush, felt that Quecreek was the spark that renewed our hope. After three very long days of hard work, prayers and – you guessed it – hope, the tide was turning. Americans began to stand a little taller, help their neighbors, fly their flags, and have hope; hope that tomorrow was going to be just a little bit better.

Having lived through that experience, I know that Pennsylvanians, and all of America, will find their way again.

I think that is why people continue to visit the Quecreek Mine Rescue Site by the thousands.

Maybe they want to see where hope began

A long time ago in a tiny corner of the Roman Empire a writer by the name of Paul penned the first of several letters to some new friends of his who had just started a church in the city of Corinth. I am sure these Corinthians had plenty of things dragging them down; persecution by the ruling political party, back- biting in their newly formed church, and of course their “list” of daily chores, too. Sound familiar? Funny how some things never change. Paul acknowledges these daily struggles, and then writes, “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

(1 Corinthians: 13:13 NIV)

PHOTO FILE BACKUP 101

By Autumn Stankay, Owner and Photographer of SkySight Photography

I

n the digital age, we have to be responsible for backing up our own digital files. If you fail to do so, a simple failure of a computer hard drive could erase years of your family’s memories in photos/videos. This means, not just transferring the files to one location but to multiple locations. Here is a step by step process I highly recommend.

I think it’s important to note that love comes after faith and hope in Paul’s “to do” list.

First, faith, a reminder that while there is always going to be evil in this world, God does have a plan. Hope follows. In the company of faith, hope assures us there will be better days ahead. Then just maybe, we can begin to again love our fellow man.

So take heart when that list of yours seems just a little too long or too impossible, to complete. Take heart when you are faced with unspeakable acts of hate. There is hope.

If you don’t believe me, then maybe it’s time for you to plan a trip to Squirrel Hill and see for yourself. Need another dose of this heavenly medicine? Add the Quecreek Mine Rescue Site to your trip. We will give you all three: faith, hope, and love.

1. First, you must get the files from your camera or phone to your computer. So you need to start with a transfer of those files. If a camera or memory card is directly plugged into the computer, simply copy and paste these files to a folder you created on your drive (ie: pictures folder) If you have to move the files from a phone to a cloud server, then you’ll want to go to that server in an online browser and then download those files to your computer. Then move from your downloads folder to a safe location on your hard drive. (ie: pictures folder) 2. Run a backup copy of the files to a second location NOT ON THE SAME HARD DRIVE. I suggest an external hard drive, such as a Western Digital passport (available at Best Buy, Amazon, etc. for under $100 depending on the size) which plugs in via USB and is ready to use in seconds of taking out of the package. This is a simple

select+copy+paste procedure to make a mirror backup of that folder (ie: in the pictures folder!) to the external hard drive. Once complete...You should now have your photos on your computer drive as well as an external drive. So if either fails, you have a mirror copy on the other and can make a new duplicate drive. ALWAYS have your photos in two locations.

**Photos displayed are from SkySIght Photography Lifestyle Sessions, which are taken of non-posed natural moments at client’s homes. For more information on having a lifestyle session of your own, contact Autumn Stankay by visiting her website, www.skysightphotography.com

. Consider also backing up your files to 3 a cloud server for storage. OR consider keeping your external drive in a different physical location than your computer. For example, once you make your backup (which you can do weekly or monthly, depending on how many photos you take), take that external hard drive to your work or a family member’s house for storage until you make another copy of it next time. This way if there is any theft or structure damage such as a fire, one drive is stored off site.

www.go2goalus.com 31

The Technology of Making Sticky Customers

By Chrissy Giagnocavo, Marketing & Workflow Director for Chroma Studios

A Sticky Customer is a Confident, Reliable Customer

Introducing Chroma’s Flex Portal

When we use the word “sticky” in marketing; it’s a good thing. A sticky customer is loyalty plus… They not only like your product or service, the experience they have working with your company is so easy, so complete, and serves their needs so well they have no reason to click anywhere else.

The more you do to improve their level of confidence and ease of use, the “stickier” they become. A truly sticky customer ignores a price difference when switching to another service will cause more hassle and pain than saving a few bucks.

At Chroma Studios, we’ve entered the portal marketplace with a superior tool of our own design. We call it the Flex Portal, and it’s both powerful out of the box and almost infinitely customizable to your specific business needs.

helping to grow business through technology

The Cutting Edge of Ease and Convenience

What’s In it for You?

One of the best technologies for creating sticky customers today is a cloud-based portal. That might sound a little complicated, but it’s not.

A sticky customer is a happy customer, but a portal makes your life easier too.

On the back end, you can check and interact with any customer account. It’s part customer resource management (CRM) and part customer service mixed with a little project management. All the basics you need to make workflow easy are there, without a bucket full of bells and whistles you’ll never use.

You probably already use a portal. Most people are familiar with them from their health care system, where you login to see a record of your appointments, medications, diagnoses, and procedures.

In business, the same idea of a portal gives your customers the convenience of logging in to their account 24/7. What is the status of their project? Do they have invoices they need to pay? Is that order on its way, or has it been delayed? When is that service call scheduled? Any reports or documentation you prepare are right there in the portal for them to download.

Where a website offers general information, a portal delivers client specific information, as well as serving as a communications hub. No more losing emails or wondering who said what to whom, when help tickets and their status are centralized and stored in the portal.

Customers become “sticky” because the portal gives them the history, the convenience, the ease of communication that makes them confident to use your services again and again.

Portals can also act as a central hub of data entry or data sharing between programs. If you find yourself entering customer or order information in one program only to reenter the same information in another program later on, a portal can unify those systems and even share information with programs like QuickBooks for billing, as well as allow you to take customer payments quickly and securely.

❱ Share Information. With Flex Portal, permission-based logins give employees access to the information they need from any Internet enabled device, and whether it’s a client’s phone number or the latest balance on an account, they know it’s accurate and reliable. Updated data populates instantly, to everyone. ❱ Minimize Errors. Most spreadsheets have formulas that develop errors over time. The Flex Portal features formulas and functions established by professionals. Now you can charge for accurate hours and materials with every job.

❱ A Single Source of Truth. Losing a file or not knowing which file is up-to-date is no longer an issue. Flex Portal is a cloud-based collaboration and management system. That means it provides a single source of reliable, secure information for all your employees and managers. ❱ Reliable Backups. There’s no local file to lose. Flex Portal is built with robust backup and restore capabilities. ❱ Project Management at a Glance.

Now you can check project status, updates, notes, emails, phone logs, contracts, proposals, meetings, schedules, and all your contacts in one place where your team can access and collaborate on the information. It’s a new day when you can know what’s going on using clear, concise, and visual information.

❱ Communicate with and Serve Clients Better. When your clients or customers login to Flex Portal, they see they status of any project or service related to them. They can even place help tickets and see customer service responses, right online. ❱ Secure Information and Transactions.

Chroma’s Flex Portal is built to be HIPAA compliant, so you know its security systems are a step above.

Unlike many similar systems, the Flex Portal is both affordable for small business and does not charge per user, so as your business grows costs do not skyrocket. Our only incrementing charge is based on the amount of hard drive space your business uses, and that can be planned for and controlled.

One of the most amazing properties of the Flex Portal is its “flexibility.” While many businesses can use Flex Portal “as is,” the foundation of the system is so powerful it can handle the most diverse uses with some customization. Follow these links to see case studies on some of our most specialized examples.

(You’ll think you’re reading about custom software solutions.)

With Flex Portal, you pull everyone on your team together into a single work space, an account dashboard where your customers can feel welcome too (and if they’re a bit sticky, that’s a good thing).

View Case Studies at: FlexBusinessPortal.com/case-studies

Find out how Flex Portal can help your business.

Call Chroma Studios today at 724-261-3738 or visit FlexBusinessPortal.com 32 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

www.go2goalus.com 32

www.go2goalus.com 33

Upcoming Events!

Scott Ludwick

Associate Broker Ranked in Top 100 Agents Nationally Since 1998!

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Preferred Realty

4 Things NOT to Do When Putting Your Home on the Market

So you’ve decided to put your home on the market. Congratulations! As you start checking things off your to-do list, it’s also important to pay mind of what not to do. Below are a handful of things to get you started.

If you would like to make an impact

on the lives of abused and abandoned animals, please donate to create a kinder, more compassionate world, please attend one of our fun events to benefit the animals! For more information, and to purchase tickets online, go to:

animalfriendswestmoreland.org/calendar

Don’t over-improve.

As you ready your home for sale, you may realize you will get a great return on your investment if you make a couple of changes. Updating the appliances or replacing that cracked cabinet in the bathroom are all great ideas. However, it’s important not to over-improve, or make improvements that are hyper-specific to your tastes. For example, not everyone wants a pimped out finished basement equipped with a wet bar and lifted stage for their rock and roll buds to jam out on. (Okay, everyone should want that.) What if your buyers are family oriented and want a basement space for their kids to play in?

That rock-and-roll room may look to them like a huge project to un-do. Make any needed fixes to your space, but don’t go above and beyond—you may lose money doing so.

Don’t over-decorate.

Over-decorating is just as bad as over-improving. You may love the look of lace and lavender, but your potential buyer may enter your home and cringe. When prepping for sale, neutralize your decorating scheme so it’s more universally palatable.

Don’t hang around.

Your agent calls to let you know they will be bringing buyers by this afternoon. Great! You rally your whole family, Fluffy the dog included, to be waiting at the door with fresh baked cookies and big smiles. Right? Wrong. Buyers want to imagine themselves in your space, not be confronted by you in your space. Trust, it’s awkward for them to go about judging your home while you stand in the corner smiling like a maniac.

Get out of the house, take the kids with you, and if you can’t leave for whatever reason, at least go sit in the backyard. (On the other hand, if you’re buying a home and not selling, then making it personal is the way to go, especially when writing your offer letter. Pull those heart strings!)

Don’t take things personally.

Real estate is a business, but buying and selling homes is very, very emotional. However, when selling your homes, try your very best not to take things personally. When a buyer low balls you or says they will need to replace your prized 1970s vintage shag carpet with something “more modern,” try not to raise your hackles.

If you have questions about this, or anything real estate related reach out to Scott Ludwick at 724-838-3660 or Scott@ScottLudwick.com

animalfriendssanctuary.org 34 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

© 2018 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate, and a franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc. Equal Housing Opportunity.

UNIVERSITY We live in an era of information overload and oftentimes it’s difficult to decipher the good information from the bad. GO2GOAL is a 501(c)3 organization that publishes GOAL Magazine, which utilizes the talents of local business and community leaders to provide an authentic and informative resource to our community. GOAL Magazine is more than a publication, it’s a movement. We are excited to announce that this year GOAL Magazine is launching GOAL University. Through GOAL University our professional contributors, who have wide ranging areas of expertise, will serve as teachers and present a curriculum for the public on a variety of topics. The curriculum will be diverse and focus on empowering many different generations and demographics through the presentation of meaningful and thought-provoking information.

We are aiming to host several seminars, workshops and all-day symposiums.

Considering retirement in the next 5 years?

Join GOAL University for a

RETIREMENT SYMPOSIUM FRIDAY, February 22, 2019

Fred Rogers Center, Saint Vincent College 8:30 A.M. to 3:30 P.M.

LUNCH WILL BE SERVED RSVP by February 8th www.go2goalus.com/goal-university $15 PER PERSON

All net proceeds will benefit the Greater Latrobe Partners in Education Foundation

TOPICS COVERED: SOCIAL SECURITY MEDICARE Kristi Sparta of Aetna

CHARITABLE GIVING

Michael Quatrini of Quatrini Rafferty Law Group & Mallory Reese of Community Foundation of Westmoreland County

INSURANCE Brian Winfield of State Farm

TAX PLANNING Bryan Kisiel, CPA of Kisiel & Associates

INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT William Urbanik, Anthony Slezak & Jessica Marazza of SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management

ESTATE PLANNING Scott Avolio of Avolio Law

TAKING CONTROL OF YOUR NEXT STEP Tracy Stough Grajewski of Laurel Summit Insights

Thriving,

By Tracy L. Stough Grajewski Owner, Laurel Summit Insights 724-858-6511 www.laurelsummitinsights.com

Not Just Surviving in Retirement

T

he notion of retirement has changed drastically in the past 20 years. The main drivers to this change in perspective are advances in science and medicine as well as our understanding of healthy lifestyle choices. Simply, we are living longer, healthier lives. Hooray!

health and wellness. Although we may not continue to “work,” we need to replace some of what we got from our work. Work fulfills many of our psycho/sociological needs that are present well beyond the need to make money. Working provides us with a somewhat predictable rhythm to our days. Work gives us mental challenge and a specific purpose. Finally, work provides social benefits which also stimulate and entertain. In contemplating life after full-time work, we need to be planning for supplementing or replacing these “functions” of work to remain vibrant and healthy.

In fact, many of us may enjoy more time post career years than we had in regular, full-time work. This presents an opportunity to think differently about the meaning and format of retirement. We may even need a new term to describe LIFE after full-time work! We certainly need to plan for this life opportunity.

Thinking through a plan for “life after full-time work” can be intimidating and overwhelming. This is a major life change.

It is difficult to do it alone. And it’s never too early to begin.

So, how do we structure our plan for a new retirement scenario? How do we think about the aspects of our lives that will change?

Let’s consider what images we currently have about life after work.

On the positive side, we may think fondly of relaxing on the beach or unlimited golfing. Well, that fills up some time but nowhere near the amount of time we will actually have. We may not have many other points of reference on what a “successful” retirement looks like. Usually, our only reference points are our own relatives or

family friends. If people close to us “retired well,” (not just “well off” financially), then our outlook will probably be positive. If not, then retirement may seem scary. How can we plan to THRIVE in retirement?

A plan for a successful retirement experience should include thinking about our finances, family relationships, leisure,

A good place to start is to recruit a team.

In addition to your loved ones, your pre-retirement planning team should include qualified, objective professionals such as a Wealth Management Advisor and a Certified Retirement Coach. The goal is to have “thinking partners” who can offer resources and challenge you to imagine and create the lifestyle you want following your full-time working years. Make it a time for you to enjoy and thrive!

www.go2goalus.com 37

ADDICTION MEETS ITS MATCH Westmoreland County residents raise matching funds for nonprofits fighting addiction Over the past decade, the number of overdoses per year in Westmoreland County has increased fourfold — from 50 in 2007 to 193 in 2017. In response, a group of concerned citizens is taking a unique philanthropic approach and empowering Westmoreland County nonprofits fighting the opioid epidemic.

VonZell Wade, Ph.D., once struggled with substance addiction. Now he runs the New Kensington-based nonprofit Lost Dreams Awakening, which he launched in 2015 with his wife, Laurie Johnson-Wade, to provide a safe space for people struggling to recover from substance addiction.

The organization was among seven nonprofits that took part in the first-ever Giving Circle organized by The Community Foundation of Westmoreland County (CFWC) in 2017. Lost Dreams Awakening, along with Faith Forward, a Latrobe-based nonprofit dedicated to addiction recovery and counseling, were selected by participants to receive $25,000 each over two years, starting this year.

Giving Circle organized by CFWC in collaboration with The Pittsburgh Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy.

Giving Circles bring together like-minded individuals who meet once a month over a four-month period to combine resources, learn about an issue and collectively make grants.

For this Giving Circle, 20 participants donated $1,000 each, and CFWC contributed $30,000 from its unrestricted grant fund, creating a $50,000 pool for Giving Circle members to allocate to Westmoreland County nonprofits fighting addiction.

The funding, Wade believes, will save lives.

Wade started using alcohol and drugs at age 8. At age 23, after four years of using crack cocaine, he got clean. He says he owes his recovery and happiness to his wife, who was also using when they met.

She got sober first, which inspired Wade to do the same. He recently turned 50 and marvels at how much his life has changed.

Ethan Faybik (left) speaks with VonZell Wade, Ph.D. at Lost Dreams Awakening.

“If I died today, I’d have lived a beautiful life all because I gave up drugs,” Wade says. “When individuals stop using drugs, their lost dreams are awakened.”

Wade was among the nonprofit experts who spoke to participants in the inaugural

38 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

Laurie Johnson-Wade of Lost Dreams Awakening with Rachel Fox, who recently celebrated her 32nd birthday with friends at Lost Dreams Awakening.

By Mark Marino

In 2017, Wade says, Lost Dreams Awakening helped nearly 500 people receive treatment or referral. The Giving Circle funding will be used to train new certified recovery coaches to help meet increasing demand for treatment services.

According to CFWC Executive Director Phil Koch, a key aspect of the Giving Circle is the in-depth learning and empathy that results.

Participants met with staff from CFWC Executive Director Westmoreland Phil Koch.

County Drug Overdose Task Force and Prevention Point Pittsburgh, who provided an in-depth look at how different organizations are fighting the opioid crisis, Koch says.

“Even those of us who thought we understood the issue learned a lot. For example, Westmoreland County does not allow needle exchange programs, which can help prevent the spread of disease,” Koch says. “Our donors got to hear how Prevention Point Pittsburgh’s needle exchange and other programs have had success in certain areas and ask why our county doesn’t allow similar programs.”

Faith Forward primarily serves infants and children who, because of their parents’ drug use, are born into addiction.

The organization also provides counselling and other services to parents and caregivers recovering from substance addiction, says Founder and Executive Director Dawn Hennessey. Faith Forward is using its Giving Circle funding to

Bonnie Guldenschuh holds baby Connor, who is recovering from Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

renovate a donated house in Latrobe where the organization provides housing to children whose parents or caregivers are in rehab facilities.

Hennessey says they also plan to expand the nonprofit’s Angel Arms program, in which trained volunteers snuggle and nurture babies born into addiction.

“I have had to face too many visits to funeral homes for friends over the last decade. That’s accelerated over the last two years,” says Reese, a financial advisor for Janney Montgomery Scott LLC in Ligonier, which refers clients to CFWC for charitable guidance.

“The most valuable part of the Giving Circle was just getting smarter,” Reese says. “CFWC proves to be an innovator. Its approach of including donors and nonprofits together in the philanthropic process makes it possible for us to have a bigger impact with our funds.”

Reese, who is also a member of CFWC’s Visionaries group for new philanthropists, says he wanted, most of all, to understand the opioid crisis so he could teach his children how to make good choices.

Based on the success of CFWC’s opioid Giving Circle, a second Giving Circle focused on opioid addiction is underway now in Allegheny County hosted

by CFWC’s parent organization, The Pittsburgh Foundation.

Angel Arms Director Dawn Hennessey.

“There’s a cycle of generational addiction that we’re seeing now with the epidemic being so widespread,” Hennessey says.

“We want to break that cycle of by reaching those kids now.”

Her approach resonated with Giving Circle donor Michael Reese, who has lived in Greensburg for most of his life and experienced the effects of the epidemic.

Angel Arms Director Dawn Hennessey meets with baby Connor's mom, Kathy Ann Shively.

Author Bio: Mark Marino Communications intern at The Pittsburgh Foundation.

Learn more at www.cfwestmoreland.org www.go2goalus.com 39

based on solid research and sound advice.

If you’re in the market for life insurance, be sure to discuss your options with a qualified insurance representative and consult your tax and legal advisor regarding your situation.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LIFE INSURANCE

WHAT TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A BENEFICIARY

It’s simple: Fill in the blank on the account application and you’ve named a beneficiary. But don’t write off the task as unimportant. Naming the right person to receive the proceeds of an account is an important decision that could have long ranging effects on your loved ones.

By Brian Winfield, State Farm Agent

TERM OR WHOLE LIFE INSURANCE:

WHICH IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

When shopping for life insurance, you’ll face several important decisions. One of the most basic is whether you want a term life (https://www.statefarm.com/simpleinsights/ planning/term-life-insurance) or whole life (https://www.statefarm.com/simpleinsights/planning/life-insurance-you-canput-touse-now) policy. Understanding the benefits and risks of each will help you choose the best policy for your current and future financial needs.

Term life

With term life, you pay premiums for a certain period, say 20 years, and in exchange, the insurer agrees to pay your beneficiaries a stated benefit if you pass away during that time.

Pros • You’ll receive great value. Term insurance can be purchased in large amounts for relatively small premiums.

• You can match terms to needs. Many people choose to match the length and amount of their mortgage to the term and coverage amount of their life insurance policy. If the unthinkable happens and you pass away, the mortgage can be paid off with the life insurance proceeds providing protection and security for your loved ones.

40 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

Cons • The policy is temporary. One of the key benefits of term life is also its biggest risk.

If your term expires and you still have life insurance needs, you’ll re-enter the market as an older and potentially less-healthy consumer. That means significantly higher premiums, provided you qualify for coverage.

• The benefit may not be paid. If you outlive the term, your beneficiaries may never receive the benefit. Companies like State Farm offer Return of Premium Term (https://www.statefarm.com/insurance/life/ term-life/return-of-premium) [1] life insurance though. With this type term life insurance policy, the premiums you’ve paid will be returned to you if you outlive the term.

If you pass away during the term, your beneficiaries will receive a death benefit.

[1] Policy Series (https://www.statefarm.com/ customer-care/disclosures/life-policyseries) Information

Whole life

Whole life insurance (https://www.statefarm.com/simple-insights/planning/lifeinsurance-you-can-put-to-use-now) provides a death benefit throughout your life. It also includes a cash value component that accrues value over time, allowing you to borrow or withdraw funds as needed.

Pros • Lifetime coverage. A whole life policy covers the rest of your life, not just a stated term. As long as your policy is in force

when you pass away, your beneficiaries will receive a death benefit.

• You’ll retain access to your money. A portion of the premiums you pay for a whole life policy become part of the policy’s cash value. Once sufficient cash value has accrued, this cash value becomes available to you through loans (https://www.ssa.gov/ disabilityfacts/materials/pdf/factsheet.pdf) or as a surrender value. You can even report the cash value as an asset when applying for a line of credit. Any way you choose to use it - if you choose to use it - the cash value of a whole life policy provides another level of financial security for your family.

• You may receive dividends. The insurer may pay dividends to whole life policy owners, depending on the company’s financial performance (https://www.bls.gov/opub/btn/ volume-4/disability-insurance-plans.htm).

Although dividends are not guaranteed, the possibility of earning dividends is an attractive feature of whole life policies.

• Estate planning. If you plan to pass on sizable assets, your attorney or estate planner can help you use the policy’s death benefit to address estate taxes for your heirs.

Cons • Higher initial premiums. In the first years of a whole life policy, the premiums are often higher than a comparable term life policy. However, the lifetime level premiums for a whole life policy become more affordable over time, while term renewals can involve significant increases in premiums. Good financial decision-making is

Why it’s important Certain accounts ask you to name a beneficiary, such as life insurance policies, pension plans, and retirement accounts.

Upon your death, proceeds from these accounts will typically go directly to the beneficiaries and bypass probate, which helps your beneficiaries avoid some red tape.

What to consider • Age: Most insurance companies, pension managers, and retirement accounts will not pay benefits to someone under age 18. A better option is to create a trust for the minor and name a trustee to manage the account until the child reaches the age you specify in the trust.

• Ability to manage money: If your beneficiary is not able to manage money, name a trustee to invest and disburse funds on his or her behalf.

• Contingency: Name a secondary beneficiary so that if your first beneficiary dies before you, the account proceeds pass directly to the secondary beneficiary without probate.

• Options: Your beneficiary can be a spouse, child, or other individual(s); a trust; a charity or organization. If you don’t specify a beneficiary, your assets will go into your estate and be distributed according to your will.

Because so many things change throughout life, review your beneficiary designations every few years—and always after a life event such as a marriage, the birth of a child, adoption, divorce, remarriage, or death—to make sure they’re current.

Otherwise, you risk leaving the proceeds to an ex-spouse or someone who has died before you.

Get specific information about beneficiaries from a legal or tax advisor and your State Farm agent.

LIFE INSURANCE YOU CAN PUT TO USE NOW

The money you spend on permanent life insurance can be used to pay death benefits for your loved ones, or to help you financially during your lifetime. Look to permanent life insurance to offer: Lifetime Protection: Whole life insurance offers level premiums and life insurance protection for as long as you live, provided premiums are paid as required to

keep the policy in force. The death benefit paid by a whole life insurance policy generally passes on income tax-free to your beneficiaries.

Cash Value: Whole life insurance provides for the accumulation of cash value on a tax deferred basis over time. This cash value can be used to help cover unexpected expenses, college expenses or help supplement your retirement income.

Unpaid loans and withdrawals will reduce the death benefit and policy cash value.

Loans also accrue interest.

Policy Dividends: With whole life insurance, insurance companies may pay dividends—a return of premium for betterthan-expected performance by the insurance company. Though not guaranteed, dividends can increase a policy’s death benefit or cash value, and generally aren’t considered taxable income. *Neither State Farm nor its agents provide tax or legal advice

Hello, neighbor!

Brian Winfield, Agent 550 Route 30 Irwin, PA 15642 Bus: 724-864-9000 www.brianwinfieldagency.com

Please stop by and say, “Hi!” I’m looking forward to serving your needs for insurance and financial services.

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

CALL ME TODAY. ®

Don’t ‘set it and forget it’ Regardless of what you’ve specified in your will, assets that have beneficiary designations will pass as provided in those designations, and not how they’re set out in your will. It’s rarely recommended to name your estate as a beneficiary, since doing so means those assets will pass via probate.

1001013.1

State Farm, Home Office, Bloomington, IL

www.go2goalus.com 41

GOAL MAGAZINE COMMUNITY SYMPOSIUM FOCUSES ON THE TOPIC OF

BULLYING

Resource tables were also available prior to the symposium with information from the following community organizations: Blackburn Center, California University of Pennsylvania Global Online, Faith Forward Ministries, Family Behavioral Resources, Mental Health America of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Ray of Hope, Westmoreland Drug and Alcohol Commission, Westmoreland County Suicide Awareness and Prevention Task Force, St. Vincent College Prevention Projects, STAT Ligonier Therapeutic Center, and Westmoreland Intermediate Unit.

By The GOAL Magazine Team

E

ducation is the cornerstone of GOAL Magazine’s mission and with that in mind annually we host a free educational symposium on a topic that is impacting our communities. This year’s symposium was held Thursday, November 8th at the Fred Rogers Center at St. Vincent College. The event pulled together some of the county’s best resources to educate attendees on the topic of bullying and bully prevention. Last year’s symposium included a local panel of experts to shed light on the drug epidemic.

SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management served as the lead sponsor again along with additional sponsors, the Westmoreland County Chamber of Commerce and Schimizzi Law, LLC.

P

anelists for the evening included: Dr. Emily Sweitzer, Social Deviance Program Coordinator and Director of the Liberal Studies Program at California University of Pennsylvania. Dr.

Dr. Sweitzer

T

ed Hoover, Educator and Trainer with the Persad Center in Pittsburgh, addressed how bullying impacts those in the LGBTQ community.

Sweitzer addressed the psychology behind bullying and what defines it. Dr. Sweitzer serves as a consultant for hit TV shows including "Lucifer," "Rosewood," "The Blacklist," "Bones," "CSI," and "Notorious."

Adam Hoffman

B

eth Babyak, Education and Outreach Program Manager at the Blackburn Center shared with attendees a primary prevention approach to end bullying with a focus on school programming.

GOAL Co-Founder William Urbanik welcomed guests and blogger and journalist, Wendy Bell, who served as the emcee of the event. Wendy introduced each panelist and conducted a question and answer session following their presentation.

Tim Phillips

M Beth Babyak

S 42 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

T

im Hammill, Director of Curriculum Services at Westmoreland Intermediate Unit, addressed social media and cyberbullying and shared information about an app called Bark that helps parents monitor their teen’s social media accounts.

atthew Dugan and Elizabeth Bair, students at West Hempfield Middle School, shared details about a program their school has established to help stop bullying.

Ted Hoover

William Urbanik

A

dam Hoffman, a senior at Latrobe High School talked about their school’s chapter of Aevidum, a nationwide club started to empower students to use their unique voices and talents to make a difference. Adam currently serves as President of the club. Aevidum means “I got your back” in Latin.

Matthew Dugan and Elizabeth Bair

Wendy Bell “A HUGE THANK YOU TO WENDY BELL, OUR GUEST SPEAKERS AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS FOR VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME AND SHARING THEIR EXPERIENCES AND EXPERTISE THIS EVENING!!”

– The GOAL Magazine Team

To view a recording of the presentations, please visit www.go2goalus.com/2018-goal-symposium-bullying or scan this QR Code with a barcode scanner on your smartphone, iPad or Tablet.

Thank you to our sponsors that made this event possible…

heila Jordan discussed bullying from a parent’s perspective as well as the long-lasting effects bullying has had on her daughter, Kaitlynn’s, life.

Sheila Jordan www.go2goalus.com 43

The additional amount (if any) you want withheld from your paycheck: This is optional; you can specify any additional amount of money you want withheld.

When both spouses work and have taxes withheld at the married rate, they sometimes end up with insufficient taxes withheld. If this happens to you, remember that you can always choose to withhold at the single rate. In addition, you can determine the proper withholding amount by completing Form W-4’s twoearner/two-job worksheet.

•

Complete the worksheets to claim the correct number of allowances To understand Form W-4, you must understand allowances. Think of allowances as cash in your pocket at the time that you receive your paycheck. The more allowances you claim, the less taxes are taken from your paycheck (and the more cash ends up in your pocket on payday).

For example, you can maximize the amount withheld from your paycheck to ensure that you have enough tax withheld to cover your tax liability by claiming zero allowances. This will reduce the amount of cash you take home in your paycheck. The following factors determine your number of allowances:

Am I Having Enough Withheld?

By Bryan Kisiel

I

f you fail to estimate your federal income tax withholding properly, it may cost you in a variety of ways. If you receive an income tax refund, it essentially means that you provided the IRS with an interest-free loan during the year. By comparison, if you owe taxes when you file your return, you may have to scramble for cash at tax time — and possibly owe interest and penalties to the IRS as well.

When determining the correct withholding amount for your salary or wages, your objective should be to have just enough taxes withheld to prevent you from incurring penalties when your tax return is due. (You may owe some money

44 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

at the time you file your return, but it shouldn’t be much.) You can accomplish this by reading and understanding IRS Publication 505, properly completing Form W-4 (and accompanying worksheets), and providing an updated Form W-4 to your employer when your circumstances change significantly.

Form W-4 helps you determine the proper withholding amount Two factors determine the amount of income tax that your employer withholds from your regular pay: the amount you earn and the information you provide on

Form W-4. This form asks you for three pieces of information:

•

•

The number of withholding allowances you want to claim: You can claim up to the maximum number you’re entitled to, claim less than you’re entitled to, or claim zero.

Whether you want taxes to be withheld at the single, married, or married with tax withheld at single rate: The married status, which is associated with a lower withholding rate, should generally be selected only by those taxpayers who are married and file a joint return. Those who are married and file separately should select married with tax withheld at single rate.

When you’re married and both spouses work, or if either of you start or stop working • When you or your spouse are working more than one job • When you have significant nonwage income, such as interest, dividends, alimony, unemployment compensation, or self-employment income, or the amount of your nonwage income changes • When you’ll owe other taxes on your return, such as self-employment tax or household employment tax • When you have a lifestyle change (e.g., marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, new home, retirement) that affects the tax deductions or credits you may claim • When there are tax law changes that affect the amount of tax you’ll owe In these cases, IRS Publication 505 can help you compare the total tax that you’ll withhold for the year with the tax that you expect to owe on your return. It can also help you determine any additional amount you may need to withhold from each paycheck to avoid owing taxes when you file your return. Alternatively, it may help you identify if you’re having too much tax withheld. If you find that you need to make changes to your withholding, you can do so at any time simply by submitting a new Form W-4 to your employer.

•

The number of jobs that you work The deductions, adjustments to income, and credits that you expect to take during the year • Your filing status • Whether your spouse works To claim the correct number of allowances, you should complete Form W-4’s worksheets. These include a personal allowances worksheet, a deductions and adjustments worksheet, and a two-earner/two-job worksheet. IRS Publication 505 (Tax Withholding and Estimated Tax) explains these worksheets.

To avoid surprises at tax time, it’s a good idea to periodically check your withholding.

If you accurately complete all Form W-4 worksheets and don’t have significant nonwage income (e.g., interest and dividends), it’s likely that your employer will withhold an amount close to the tax you’ll owe on your return.

• •

By Bryan Kisiel, CPA CEO, Kisiel & Associates Director of Tax Planning, SecondHalf Coach Wealth Management

Check your withholding To avoid surprises at tax time, it’s a good idea to periodically check your withholding. If you accurately complete all Form W-4 worksheets and don’t have significant nonwage income (e.g., interest and dividends), it’s likely that your employer will withhold an amount close to the tax you’ll owe on your return. But in the following cases, accurate completion of the Form W-4 worksheets alone won’t guarantee that you’ll have the correct amount of tax withheld:

Please like us on facebook: Kisiel & Associates, PC

Please visit us at our

New Location:

164 West Crawford Avenue, Connellsville, Pennsylvania

www.go2goalus.com 45

The Benefits of

Long-Term Planning

A

nyone who knows me knows that I tend to procrastinate. I always have the sense that I have more time than is actually available, most often as it relates to travel time getting from one place to another. My kids always admonish me…. “Mom, please don’t be late!” Thank heavens I have learned the value of long-term planning in other aspects of my life. It helps keep things orderly for me in what can sometimes be a chaotic world! I learned this lesson (the hard way) when I arrived at IUP as a freshman in 1988.

To this point in my life, I had never had any real long-term planning needs. High school planning for me was making sure I studied for a French test on the bus ride to school or writing a report the night before it was due.

College was a whole new ball of wax. As any college student knows, planning for the semester is the key component between success and failure. The overwhelming sensation of sheer panic hit me when I received five course syllabi in the first week of fall classes.

As my roommates and I sat in the dorm lounge commiserating about how on earth we could possibly complete the mountains of reading, projects, and term papers, it became clear to me that I would have to make a few changes to my usual work habits. This is the first time I was faced with creating a long-term plan...if you can call four months long term!

As a lesson, though, I learned how to break up large tasks into smaller ones. I honed in on identifying high priority tasks as opposed to those that merely took longer to complete. My roommates and I created charts that incorporated study schedules and chores. We all lived through the first semester...and many more.

When I look back on that time, I realize that we were learning and teaching each other skills that many large organizations use in managing their businesses. Many of these I continue to use today and have coached countless employ-

46 GOAL: A Publication of Go2Goal, LLC | Winter 2019

ees, managers, and even my children to use in work and study.

Throughout my career, project management and long range planning have become a guiding principle in how I prioritize my time. When faced with the challenges of maintaining my schedule, meeting deadlines, attending events, and completing daily tasks, I often look to the long term goals of my organization to make choices about what I am able to do and when to do it. In addition, I have to ask myself if these things align with the mission of my organization, or do they distract me from the end goal? Too often, our goals veer off course due to unforeseen circumstances. These could be both positive or negative: lack of funding, unexpected events, or enthusiasm for an exciting idea are common challenges.

To help you stay the course, you have to have a plan.

There are 5 steps to creating a long range plan: 1. Clarify Your Vision The purpose of goal-setting is to clarify the mission and vision for your business. … A longrange plan or strategic plan is something that includes your company’s mission statement.

The mission statement articulates the reason for the existence of the business. A vision statement hones in on a more specific achievement that the business hopes to make in a shorter time frame.

2. Gather and Analyze Information Utilizing historical data to identify where you have been and where you want to go is one of the first steps in creating a long-range plan. If this is a new venture or a start-up, this task can take a little longer. You may have to analyze similar businesses in your area. Often, a Small Business Development Center, like the one we have available at Saint Vincent College, is able to assist with these tasks.

Gala M A G A Z I N E

Proudly Presents the 3rd Annual

By Briana R. Tomack, President Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Chamber of Commerce

3. Formulate a Strategy Things to consider are staffing (how many people do you have/need to achieve your goals), budget (how much will it cost?), and time frame (how long will it take?). Once you have identified what you want to achieve, you are ready to put your goals in writing and establish work groups to attain them.

4. Implement Your Strategy Once you have your plan in place, it’s time to get moving!

5. Evaluate and Revise Once implementation has begun, you can begin to evaluate your progress. Typical evaluations intervals are monthly, quarterly, and annually. At each juncture you can evaluate the progress of a particular goal. This is where you can identify the specifics of what works and what does not.

It is important to remember that it is ok if things are not working the way you planned!

These are the teachable moments that are crucial to understanding the inner workings of your business. I have rarely seen or participated on any work team that did not encounter some roadblocks (or complete failures) along the way. This is where revisions and improvements can be made to the plan.

...no sit down program style event here...THIS IS A PARTY!

September 7th 2019 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.

Greensburg Country Club

Remember, the success or failure of the organization relies on clearly communicating goals to your team and the honest reporting of data.

I remember my college computer science professor always telling us “Garbage in garbage out.” Meaning, if you report inaccurate data to make your results look better, it will result in difficulty achieving your goals. The plan is only effective if it is fluid and can be changed or improved based on reported results.

With a well thought out plan, your business or organization can be successful, no matter how lofty your goals. Remember, a little planning can take you a long way!

$125 per person includes:

Red Carpet Reception with Hors D’ouevres and Champagne Punch Top Shelf Open Bar, Multiple Food Stations Several Forms of Live Entertainment throughout the evening including Casino Tables, Photo Booth, Music, Martini Luge and so much more!

Learn More About This Event At: www.go2goalus.com/2019-goal-gala

LEAD SPONSOR:

All net proceeds benefit The Westmoreland County Chapter of:

About the charity....

Our Clubhouse provides free emotional and social support to those touched by cancer in western Pennsylvania. Those living with cancer at any age, as well as the family and friends who care for them, are welcome to join Our Clubhouse and receive free support.

OURCLUBHOUSE.ORG

Go2Goal is a Pennsylvania not for profit organization with a 501(c)(3) status with the Internal Revenue Service. The official registration and financial information may be obtained from the PA Dept. of State by calling toll free within PA at 800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement. All donations are deductible in accordance with prevailing IRS rules. A portion of the registration proceeds will be tax deductible. Please consult your tax advisor.

MAGAZINE P.O. Box 304, Latrobe, Pa 15650 724-209-8219 go2goalus.com info@go2goalus.com

Content provided in GOAL Magazine is for educational, informational, and promotional purposes only. GOAL Magazine does not render professional advice.

Recommendations expressed in articles have not been independently tested. Articles contained in GOAL Magazine reflect the perspective and advice of their authors, not necessarily the magazine's publisher. Š 2019 Go2Goal

"It feels good to feel good!"

Greensburg Office 724.216.5004 Export Office 724.325.2112

Left to right: Dr. Mike McClure, Dr. David Nicols, Dr. Reed Nelson, Dr. Wes Orvosh, Dr. Dan Lovette