Pennsylvania

Reenactors, historians celebrate Pennsylvania’s birthday at Bushy Run museum

Published

10 months ago

March 10, 2024

Reenactors, historians celebrate Pennsylvania’s birthday at Bushy Run museum

Educators, craftspeople, reenactors, volunteers and visitors hoping to learn more about local history crowded the halls of the Bushy Run Battlefield Museum on Sunday.

The occasion? The state of Pennsylvania’s 343rd birthday, or “Charter Day” — the day in 1681 that Pennsylvania was named, when England’s King Charles II granted a charter to William Penn.

The celebration is marked at many Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission sites like Bushy Run Battlefield with an open house day. Admission was free Sunday for the museum at Bushy Run, and though bad weather kept activities indoors, the historical party brought the past to life for attendees who explored exhibits at the visitor center.

Though Bushy Run Battlefield is better known for its battle history, which dates to more than 80 years after the founding, in August 1763, educators found ways to incorporate multiple eras of local history, said museum manager Matt Adams.

“There’s enough in this museum that talks about more broadly, the ideas of colonial expansion and settlement, and the role of the British military in the colony here, that we’re able to connect the stuff we do here with the founding in 1681,” Adams said.

Educators and reenactors showed off their period clothing and handmade items and talked about their areas of expertise.

Leon Sam Briggs, a Tonawanda Seneca artist, explained to visitors how different beadwork items, weapons, pipes, and bags were made, and talked about Native American life in the region.

“Everything I do is out of original—I do it the old-style way,” he said.

Some of his work has been featured in documentaries, he added.

Dan Balzarini, a reenactor with Proctor’s Militia in Hannastown, said he teaches about multiple different eras of history.

The clothing he wears and items he carries differ by time period, he explained—his waistcoat would be a different length if he was portraying a Revolutionary War soldier as opposed to a French and Indian War soldier.

“A lot of this you have to make yourself,” he said. “You just can’t go to JCPenney and buy gaiters or britches.”

Connecting to history

Henry Bowden, a reenactor who was portraying William Penn, signed copies of the Pennsylvania charter for visitors.

Bowden said many visitors are not as aware of pre-Revolutionary War history.

“That’s where I get the opportunity to introduce myself to them and give them a little background on the history of Pennsylvania,” he said.

Nina Carey and daughters Mia and Taylor Sarpolis of Jeannette were a few of those visitors who came to Charter Day explore local history. Carey said she and her family hike at the battlefield often, but they haven’t made their way to the visitor center before.

“You grow up here, and I always tell them, there’s so much history,” she said. “This is kind of like our backyard.”

Meadow Golick, 9, came with her mom, Amanda Golick, from Irwin. The two sat down at a table with volunteers to play colonial-era children’s games.

“We’ve just come to learn about history,” Amanda said.

Meadow said her favorite activity was getting to write with a feather pen.

Events like this give people multiple ways to connect to history, Adams said.

“It’s really just about trying to reach as many different people as we can, in as many different ways as we can,” he said. “Some people respond really well to going through a quiet museum, kind of reading the displays and seeing the artifacts, and some people respond really well to seeing the reenactors, and having them kind of lifelike in front of them.”

Many volunteers at the museum first got hooked on history as kids when they explored a museum themselves, he added.

“We figure, if we do something like this and we even get one or two people to get interested in history, then that pays of generations from now,” Adams said.

Julia Maruca is a TribLive reporter covering health and the Greensburg and Hempfield areas. She joined the Trib in 2022 after working at the Butler Eagle covering southwestern Butler County. She can be reached at jmaruca@triblive.com.

Source link

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania program overturns 50% of health insurance denials, new data shows

Published

2 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Pennsylvania program overturns 50% of health insurance denials, new data shows

However, information about how often individual insurance companies deny coverage, and how many cases are appealed and overturned, is scarce and not publicly reported most of the time.

Insurance denials can lead to delays in care and medical debt. State officials estimate that 1 million people in Pennsylvania have some medical debt from unpaid bills and other charges.

In Pennsylvania, residents can file an appeal with the state’s Independent External Review program after they have already completed an internal appeals process with their health insurer.

If they are still denied coverage, people can then submit their case to the state review process, where independent, third-party reviewers analyze individual claims and give a final determination on whether the insurer’s denial was valid or if it must be overturned.

The review program is open to people who have health insurance through a state health plan, the Affordable Care Act Marketplace and other commercial insurance, including employer-sponsored plans offered at private companies, nonprofits and organizations.

People who get insurance from their employer through self-funded plans, in which the employer or company pays health claims directly rather than through the insurance company, are excluded from using the state review program.

Source link

Pennsylvania

Levittown-Area State Representatives Sworn In – LevittownNow.com

Published

10 hours ago

January 8, 2025

Press Room

Levittown-Area State Representatives Sworn In – LevittownNow.com

A sign for the House of Representatives Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg. File photo. Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com

The area’s four state representatives were sworn in for new terms on Tuesday at the Pennsylvania Capitol in Harrisburg.

The lawmakers took the oath with their peers at the historic legislative building.

Democrats hold a razor-thin majority in the Pennsylvania House and State Rep. Joanna McClinton, a Democrat, was reelected as speaker.

State Rep. Tina Davis, a Democrat from Bristol Township, was sworn in today for her eighth two-year term.

In addition to her role as a lawmaker, Davis was reelected as the caucus secretary for the Pennsylvania House Democrats last month. She was first appointed to the leadership position in the 2021-2022 legislative session.

“As caucus secretary, Davis plays a crucial role in supporting the efficient and effective functioning of the House Democratic Caucus,” her office said.

“I am honored to continue serving the people of the Bristol-Levittown area and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Davis said. “With the support of my colleagues, I will work tirelessly to ensure our work in the House is transparent, effective, and focused on improving the lives of all Pennsylvanians. Together, we will push forward meaningful legislation that creates new opportunities, promotes equity, and strengthens communities.”

Davis serves the 141st Legislative District, which is made up of Bristol Borough and Bristol Township.

State Rep. Joe Hogan, a Republican from Middletown Township was sworn in today for his second term.

“It is an honor to be back in Harrisburg to represent the 142nd District,” said Hogan. “I will continue to fight for the common sense measures I fought for in my first term, like supporting working parents, fighting for early childhood education and supporting our schools.”

Hogan serves the 142nd Legislative District, which covers Lower Southampton Township, Langhorne Manor Borough, Langhorne Borough, Penndel Borough and portions of Middletown and Northampton townships.

State Rep. Jim Prokopiak, a Democrat from Falls Township, took the oath for a new term in the Pennsylvania House.

Prokopiak serves the 140th Legislative District that covers Falls Township, Morrisville Borough, Tullytown Borough, and part of Middletown Township.

State Rep. K.C. Tomlinson, a Republican from Bensalem Township, was sworn in the Capitol. She is serving her third full term following a special election in March 2020.

“It continues to be the greatest honor of my life to serve the people of Bensalem and Hulmeville,” said Tomlinson. “I will continue to work tirelessly for my district, find common ground in Harrisburg, and get things done that benefit all Pennsylvanians.”

Tomlinson serves the 18th Legislative District that covers Bensalem Township and Hulmeville Borough.

Advertisement