Women’s Independent Press

Animal Friends Hosts Temple Grandin, September 6, 2012 (NEW DATE!)

On Thursday, September 6 at 7:30 pm, Animal Friends will host an evening with Temple Grandin.

Dr. Temple Grandin goes by many titles: doctor, professor, educator, researcher, author. But perhaps her most important title is animal advocate.

On September 6, Animal Friends and Huntington Bank will bring Temple Grandin to the August Wilson Center, downtown, to speak about her work in the animal welfare field and the connection between people and their animals.

Grandin, who was diagnosed with autism at a young age, is a well-known autism and animal advocate. Grandin’s career and research into autism and animal welfare spans decades. Using her research, Grandin has pushed for and achieved better conditions for livestock and other barn yard animals. Her autism also grants her a special insight into how animals react and interact with the world around them.

Grandin has written numerous books on how we as humans can better the world our animals live in. In 2010, HBO premiered a movie detailing Grandin’s life and work in the livestock industry. The film won numerous awards.

“I saw her speak for the first time at a Humane Society of the United States conference back in 2001 and I knew then she was someone special,” Joanne Moore, Animal Friends’ Director of Outreach and Therapeutic Programming, said. “Her research—how she had dedicated her life and career to work for better conditions for animals—all of it is just amazing.”

An Evening with Temple Grandin will focus mainly on Grandin’s work in the animal welfare field and her book, Animals Make Us Human. Knowing what causes animals physical pain is usually easy, but pinpointing emotional distress is much harder. Drawing on her own experience with autism, Grandin has identified and explored the emotional needs of animals. This insight has led her to push for humane advances in livestock facilities. While her work with slaughterhouses and the livestock industry is not without some controversy, Moore thought it important to share the core of Grandin’s message.

“We need to think about the needs of our animals. We as a community need to hear and spread the message that animals are not things. They are living beings that command respect and dignity,” Moore said.

Tickets are available through www.ThinkingOutsideTheCage.org or by calling 412.847.7000. There are 3 different ticket packages available, one of which offers a special reception with Dr. Grandin.

The August Wilson Center is located at 980 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh, PA 15222.

By Patricia Thibault
Social Security District Manager in Pittsburgh, PA

Hispanic Heritage Month begins on September 15, and whether you prefer communicating in English or Spanish, there are some important online services we’d like you to know about. You can find them at www.socialsecurity.gov and at our Spanish site, www.segurosocial.gov 

If you are ready to apply for Social Security retirement benefits now, you can do it quickly and easily on your home or office computer. The online application takes as little as 15 minutes. Once you complete the online application and “sign” it with the click of a mouse, your application is complete. In most cases, there are no documents to submit or additional paperwork to fill out. Online is the easiest way to apply, and you can do it in English or Spanish.

In addition to applying for Social Security retirement benefits, you also can apply for Medicare — in as little as 10 minutes, from start to finish.

But you can do more than apply for benefits. You can find a lot of information and a number of online services that allow you to complete your Social Security business online, in English or Spanish. One of the most popular is our Retirement Estimator, which provides an instant, personalized estimate of your future Social Security benefits. Using the actual wages posted in your Social Security record, the Estimator will give you a good picture of what to expect in benefits. It protects your personal information by providing only retirement benefit estimates — it does not show the earnings information used to calculate the benefit estimate, nor does it reveal other identifying information. You can plug in different retirement scenarios and future wage amounts to get estimates for different situations.

If you already are entitled to Medicare and are having trouble with the cost of prescription drugs, you might qualify for Extra Help from Social Security. The Extra Help can save you as much as $4,000 each year. You can learn all about it and apply online.

Whether you prefer to do business online in Spanish or English, our website is the place for you. Visit www.segurosocial.gov   or www.socialsecurity.gov   during Hispanic Heritage Month, or anytime.
It’s so easy!

A Manageable Social Media Presence
Dawn Mentzer - Freelance Writer, The Insatiable Solopreneur Blog
www.dawnmentzer.com
www.scorepittsburgh.com

Social media can rock for small businesses. A presence on one or more social networks lets you talk about and visually share your products and services with your fans and followers – and with whomever within their networks they decide to share with. It opens the door for two-way conversations between you and your audience so you can build rapport – and establish your brand as the business to do business with.

Social media platforms truly present tremendous opportunities – so long as you also accept and act on the responsibility that comes with them. To do that, you need to make sure you can manage your social media involvement.

*Time and Attention

You would never buy a smartphone only to completely ignore all incoming calls, texts, and voicemail messages. Unfortunately, that’s how some businesses handle their social media presence. There are Facebook pages that haven’t posted an update in months. There are Twitter accounts that haven’t tweeted since 2009. There are LinkedIn profiles that still display the default shadowy silhouette as their profile pic.

Social media takes time and attention, and if you’re not giving yours both of those things, people will notice.

*Avoid “Shiny Object” Syndrome

Devoting time and attention to social media is a heck of a lot easier if you haven’t overextended yourself in that arena. Don’t jump in and try every single new online network that comes down the pike. Carefully consider which social media will serve you best before you sign up. In short, find out which ones your customers and prospective customers are actively using. How? Ask them. Or check out which social media networks your competitors are using and observe how much activity is going on there.

And if you’ve already got accounts on social media, evaluate how well you’re keeping up with them before you commit to the latest and greatest thing. It might very well serve your business well, but if you’re not able to consistently engage with followers on your other social networks, there’s a good chance you’ll falter on the new one, too.

*It’s Not Enough to Just Be There

Social media is meant to be social. That means you need to be an active participant to derive any benefit for your business. You need to:
Post regularly.
Acknowledge and reply to questions and comments.
Proactively interact with others beyond just your own page or profile (i.e. comment on other businesses’ status updates, retweet others’ tweets, “like” posts by others).

Again, it takes time. It takes energy. And all of the networks require varying amounts of those things. Know the frequency of posting that’s effective and acceptable for the networks you’re considering. That can run the gamut from 1 to 2 times per week to 15 times per day. The time you have available for social media – or the feasibility of hiring someone to do it for you – should be among the deciding factors as you zone in on which platforms are right for you.

*Tools for the Taking

All that said, before giving the thumbs down to a platform because you don’t believe you’ll have the time to devote to it, consider what tools are available to help you manage your presence there. There are time-saving free web-based and downloadable products that give you “dashboard” views of multiple social media network news feeds at once. Some tools allow you to, with just a click on your web browser, send links directly into a status update that you can either post immediately or schedule for later.

For starters, check out…

Hootsuite

TweetDeck

Buffer

SocialOomph

Visit their websites to learn about their features and benefits. And you probably won’t have to look very hard to find someone who is using – or has used – at least one of them. Ask them questions about their experiences with these tools.

Making social media a manageable marketing endeavor takes some education and energy. The key is to be realistic about your ability to keep up with your points of online presence so you don’t spread yourself too thin. Consider the time and effort you’ll need to put into it; abstain from jumping on every shiny, brand new platform; know the nuances of individual platforms; and don’t be afraid to use tools. With some careful thought about and dedication to managing your social media, you’ll succeed in keeping your fans and followers engaged while not missing a beat in fulfilling your other responsibilities to your business.

Dawn Mentzer - Freelance Writer, The Insatiable Solopreneur Blog
Dawn is a marketing and public relations freelance writer, editor and proofreader. Her passion and finely balanced left /right brain ratio helps businesses convey the unique value they deliver. She serves as VP of Marketing for the Lancaster, PA chapter of SCORE.
www.dawnmentzer.com | Facebook | @DawnMentzer | More from Dawn

Sydnee Bagovich
The Grammar Nerd
Helping you to get it right.
412.848.2053
www.thegrammarnerd.com
sydnee@thegrammarnerd.com
facebook.com/thegrammarnerd

 

I will be presenting Quick Fixes for Everyday Grammar Blunders at several libraries this fall. Programs run from 7:00 - 8:00, and there is no fee. Here are the dates and contact information:
9/20/12 – Upper St. Clair Library, contact: Lee Boyd boydlee10@comcast.net  , 412-835-5540
10/10/12 – Mt. Lebanon Library, contact: Mimi Ingalls, ingallsm@einetwork.net  ; 412-531-1912, http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=MTLEB&curskw=grammar 
10/25/12 – Cooper-Siegel Library, Fox Chapel, contact: Ann Andrews, andrewsa@einetwork.net  ,412-828-9520 x215
10/29/12 – South Park Library, contact: Donna Neiport, neiportd@einetwork.net  , 412-833-5585
11/10/12 – Carnegie Main Library, Oakland, contact: Wes Roberts, robertsq@carnegielibrary.org 

Business Program Calendar
September 2012
Programs are held on Thursdays at 12:15 pm at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Downtown & Business, 612 Smithfield St., Downtown. They are free and open to the public.
September 6 Are You “Wired” for Success?
Dr. Barbara Schwarck, Executive Coach & CEO
Clear Intentions International

This session is all about you being successful at home and at work. Dr. Schwarck will demonstrate her unique Neuro Emotional Coaching Technique, revealing that success is not only a function of the conscious mind, but many biochemical processes deeply imbedded in our body and consciousness. Discover what you can do to have a breakthrough in areas that have been difficult for you in this very informative, fun and interactive session.

SPECIAL PROGRAM!

September 13 Electronic Etiquette: Ground Rules for the Wireless & Paperless Age
Karen Litzinger – Litzinger Career Consulting

Should you e-mail the person in the next office or cubicle? When, if ever, is it OK to text during a meeting? What does your ringtone say about you? With ever-increasing dependence on technology, we sometimes lose sight of common courtesy. Ms. Litzinger will help you examine your use of electronic devices to enhance your professional image and advance your career.

September 20 Recognizing Who is At Risk for Financial Exploitation and Knowing
Where to Find Help If It Happens
Anna Hays, Esquire – Julian Gray Associates

Even if your parents live nearby, you may not recognize the initial signs of diminished capacity, and if they have always managed their own finances, you may not know the nature and scope of their investments. . Pennsylvania offers several resources to help seniors and their families understand possible financial risks and how to avoid financial exploitation. Ms.Hays will provide important information that will help you safeguard assets to provide for both longevity and rising health care costs.

September 27 Fresh: New Thinking About What We’re Eating
(DVD – 70 minutes)

It’s obvious that there must be a better way to eat than to use genetically engineered food, produce sprayed with pesticides, and meat from cows that are fed surplus corn instead of grazing happily in open fields. This lively documentary features interviews with an urban farmer, a sustainable farmer and a supermarket owner. After you see this film, you may be inspired to buy local products, shop at farmers markets and even grow your own garden!

On August 13, The Wall Street Journal-NBC News poll reported that President Obama leads Mitt Romney 54 percent to 39 percent among women. For college-educated women, Obama leads 63 percent to 32 percent. The differences between the two parties is where they stand on the concerns that women encounter on a daily basis
Democrats emphasize the benefits to women of the new health care law; their unwavering support of access to reproductive health care: their support of the Violence Against Women Act renewal and its marriage equality plank.

Republican emphasize that they believe that economic issues are most important to women, and the solution is to lower taxes for those in the upper income brackets and
cut federal government spending on services, like making Medicare a voucher program. The GOP is confident that women will find the party’s platform on access to contraception and abortion, marriage equality and renewal of the Violence Against Women Act to be a secondary concern for women voters.

Women and Sports
Augusta National, one of the last good old boy holdouts, has changed it’s No Women policy and invited two women to join the private golf club. Former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice and business executive Darla Moore are now the first two women members in the clubs long history of excluding women. .
The London Olympics: 40 years after the Passage of Title IX , American women earned 58 medals – 29 of them gold, compared to the American men’s 45 medals, 15 gold. For the first time in Olympic history, there were more female athletes competing than males and every single participating country had at least one woman on its team. During the London Olympics the women athletes were able to show the world what they were capable of, as TIME magazine in their ‘Wonder Women” coverage stated, “London exposed a fallacy: that women’s sports are less gripping, less serious and less entertaining than men’s. The women have made glorious the Summer Olympics.”
On August 9 the NFL’s First Female Referee – Shannon Eastin broke pro football’s on-field gender barrier. the San Diego Charger players and team president welcomed her recognizing a historical moment . The cap & whistle Ms Eastin used for the game are going in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

By Leann Schmidt

American women like to think they have full autonomy of themselves, their bodies, their health and even their right to speak. After all, women here have the right to vote and the right to work. However, as it turns out, women in the United States have lost more rights in 2012 than most people even imagined. While our economy lags, extremist politicians around the United States have made it their number one priority to systematically reduce women’s rights to speak in public forums on issues that directly affect them, including in Congress and in State hearings, and in having their health needs included in their health insurance and making their own health-related decisions. Here are a few examples:

1. On February 16, 2012 in a hotly contested debate over religiously-affiliated organizations being required to include contraception as part of women’s health insurance plans, the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform held a special inquiry on the contraceptive coverage rule as it applies to religiously-affiliated organizations (not churches). The next day the The Washington Post reported that two congresswomen, Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.), walked out in protest of the Republican-led hearing after questioning why no women were included on the hearing’s first panel of witnesses. Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) stated that, “The hearing was not just about contraception, but religious freedom.” Issa also stated that the testimony of the female Georgetown University law student proposed by the Democrats was not “appropriate” or “qualified” to speak on the subject of female contraception coverage as it relates to both health and religion. It was clear that while the Committee was exploring the religious values of the church leaders regarding the exclusion of contraception in health insurance plans, female students and working women employed by church-run institutions would ultimately be directly affected by the ruling, and thus, very qualified to speak to the effects of sacrificing what is considered by most Americans to be basic health care in insurance plans for women. The House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform never did allow the female law student, Sandra Fluke, to testify at their hearings. One week later, Ms. Fluke did testify at the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee event on February 23, 2012. No Republicans from the House Committee on Oversight & Government Reform were present.

2. In Arizona, women’s ability to receive accurate medical information from their physicians depends largely on the physician, who is protected against civil lawsuits should the physician fail to provide accurate information when the woman electively pays them to screen for birth defects of a fetus, which sometimes results in the mother making a decision regarding abortion. On April 17, 2012 Arizona State Governor Jan Brewer signed Senate Bill 1359 into law. Per the Arizona State legislature website, the law stipulates that women may proceed with “…civil action for damages for an intentional or grossly negligent act or omission, including an act or omission that violates a criminal law.” However, if a woman seeks information about her pregnancy through fetal testing, which is the primary reason why she would have such testing in the first place, and the doctor fails to provide that information accurately because s/he is negligent and not intentional, then the woman has no civil recourse if she has a child with birth defects, which she may not have had if she had been provided with accurate information and had an abortion; this chain of events is referred to as “Wrongful Birth”. The doctor is protected and she is not. The precedent is that ordinary negligence does not apply to pregnant women in these cases unless it can be proved that the doctor acted intentionally. If the doctor failed to do his or her job through sheer negligence, he or she is safe from civil litigation. The following states specifically prohibit Wrongful Birth claims:

1. Arkansas
2. Arizona
3. Georgia
4. Idaho
5. Kentucky
6. Michigan
7. Minnesota
8. Missouri
9. North Carolina
10. Oklahoma
11. Pennsylvania
12. South Dakota
13. Utah

Several states have taken the Wrongful Birth legislation to new extremes. For instance, if a physician believes a woman may have a constitutionally protected abortion based on the information provided, the physician may withhold information, lie or intentionally deceive her to avoid her doing so, even if it puts the woman’s life at risk. This more severe version of the law has been enacted in the following states:

• New Jersey
• Kansas

These states are using anti-abortion perspectives to legislate, while at the same time minimizing the rights of women to make decisions in favor of protecting negligent physicians who fail to adequately screen for birth defects. It begs the question: Who owns a woman’s body and why is her experience not worthy enough to make negligent doctors responsible for their negligence?

3. Ironically, while the above laws seek to deny women access to information regarding birth defects by means of limiting their civil liability claims, another law seeks to use information as a form of torture to persuade women from having abortions. Lawmakers in Pennsylvania and Virginia were poised to require the use of an invasive, transvaginal ultrasound and to coerce women to view the ultrasound image by requiring the screen to face them – even against a woman’s will. The theory was that if a woman sees the fetus on the screen, she is less likely to have an abortion (this theory is not a proven scientific fact.) Ironically termed, Pennsylvania’s “Women’s Right to Know Act,” was seen as going too far. Though not passed, Bill 1077 can be viewed in its entirety here. On page 7, the Bill stipulates that the doctor must, “Position the screen so that the patient is able to view the ultrasound test in its entirety, with a view of her unborn child, while that test is being conducted to determine gestational age. The patient is not required to view the screen.” On March 15, 2012, The Huffington Post reported:

Asked if he thinks the bill goes too far to make a woman look at the ultrasound image, Corbett responded, “You can’t make anybody watch, okay? Because you just have to close your eyes. As long as it’s on the exterior and not the interior.”

Pennsylvania’s ultrasound bill, unlike the revised version passed in Virginia, does not specify a type of ultrasound, so the doctor will have to use an “interior” procedure for most first-trimester abortions in order to meet the requirements of the law. An “interior” procedure would require that a probe be inserted into a woman’s vagina. The Pennsylvania House Bill 1077 was not passed.

Evidence that citizens, and subsequently, lawmakers realized that these types of laws were meant to torture and coerce women into not having an abortion, the Virginia House Bill 462, signed into law on March 7, 2012 by Governor Bob McDonnell, incorporates some compassion for a select group of women: “Victims of rape and incest are exempt from the law if the molestation or assault was reported to legal authorities.” It is a fact that not all women report rape or incest. Even still, all women should be exempt from the law. It’s an unnecessary, costly form of torture and state-sanctioned rape imposed on women to further the anti-abortion agenda, and in no way meets the standard of a women’s right to make decisions that are in their own best interest or in their constitutionally-protected right to have an abortion. Virginia backed away from requiring the invasive transvaginal ultrasounds as proposed in Pennsylvania, but did enact a mandatory jelly-to-the-belly version. Also, because many insurance companies are now removing abortions from their coverage, this is a mandatory but unnecessary and uncovered medical diagnostic requirement that would add an additional financial burden on women.

Texas is now the only state which requires an ultrasound for each abortion where the provider MUST display and describe the image to the patient. North Carolina and Oklahoma have also enacted such laws, but are not being enforced due to ongoing court challenges. States which require an ultrasound for each abortion and stipulate that the provider must offer to show the woman the image include:

• Alabama
• Arizona
• Florida
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• Mississippi

4. Speaking of Texas, this past March, Governor Rick Perry has initiated a forceful attack against Planned Parenthood. Medicaid specifies that no program can supersede the right of the patient to choose a health-care provider. Governor Perry, however, signed a law stipulating that no women in Texas can choose Planned Parenthood with Medicaid funds, a federal program, despite the fact that Medicaid funds already cannot be used for abortion per federal law. According to http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/us/perry-pledges-to-finance-texas-medicaid-womens-health-program.html" target="_blank">The New York Times, Governor Perry insists that Texas will pay for its own program, some $35 million. Due to Gov. Perry’s defiance, over 130,000 Texas women have been affected.

5. On June 16, 2012, Michigan Democratic State Representative Lisa Brown was banned by Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas from speaking at the House for two days after she mentioned the word “vagina” while opposing a sweeping anti-abortion bill on the House Floor, described by male Republican leader Bolger as “emotional remarks,” Her exact words:

This legislation does a lot of things, Mr. Speaker. It regulates business, requiring exorbitant insurance policies to be purchased which will result in clinics closing, causing people to lose their jobs, and denying women their constitutional rights.

Yesterday we heard the representative from Holland speak about religious freedom. I’m Jewish. I keep kosher in my home. I have two sets of dishes, one for meat and one for dairy, and another two sets of dishes on top of that for Passover. Judaism believes that therapeutic abortion, namely abortions performed in order to preserve the life of the mother, are not only permissible but mandatory. The stage of pregnancy does not matter. Wherever there is a question of the life of the mother or that of the unborn child, Jewish law rules in favor of preserving the life of the mother. The status of the fetus as human life does not equal that of the mother. I have not asked you to adopt and adhere to my religious beliefs. Why are you asking me to adopt yours?

And finally Mr. Speaker, I’m flattered that you’re all so interested in my vagina but no means no.

Michigan State Representative Barb Byrum was also banned. Both representatives stated they were not informed about the ban from the House Leader, nor were they given a reason. In an interview with The Huffington Post, Byrum surmised, “It’s my impression that I’m being banned from speaking as a result of my use of the term vasectomy — a medical procedure.”

In the same article, the Huffington Post reported, “Ari Adler, a spokesman for House Majority Leader Jase Bolger (R-Marshall), said the lawmakers were banned from speaking because of their behavior, not because of their word choice. ‘They behaved in a way that disrupted the decorum of the House,” Adler said. ‘For Brown, it was not the words she used, but the way she used them that resulted in her being gaveled down.’ In Byrum’s case, Adler said, ‘I hate to put it this way, but she essentially had a temper tantrum on the House floor.’”

Byrum pointed to clear gender discrimination: “There have been physical altercations between at least two men on the House floor, and I don’t recall any of them every being banned from speaking,” She went on to summarize, “It’s just unacceptable to silence women when we’re talking about women’s reproductive rights.”

6. On August 3, 2012, CNN reported that New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg recently announced that New York hospitals may voluntarily join his initiative, “Latch On NYC” to encourage breast feeding instead of using baby formula. Requests for baby formula will now result in giving new mothers information on why breast feeding is more beneficial to her baby than is formula. Mayor Bloomberg believes that women should be informed before making a decision about how to feed their babies, and that hospitals can and should do more to encourage breast feeding rather than giving new mothers a bottle of formula and a take-home gift with more formula (provided for free to the hospital by formula companies). Bloomberg insists that it is a woman’s choice and that for years hospitals have encouraged formula, even when the mother wanted to breastfeed. The formula will now be treated as narcotics, under lock and key. Opponents of this initiative insist that it’s too paternalistic and may result in shaming women who either cannot or who have chosen not to breast feed.

7.  On August 7, 2012, ABC News  reported that Louisiana high school, Delhi Charter School “required students who were suspected of being pregnant to take a pregnancy test. If they refused, or tested positive, they had to be home-schooled.” But what about HIPAA, medical privacy laws, education mandates, etc.? After national public scrutiny, the school changed their policy on August 10, 2012 to meet with the Title IX of the 1972 federal education law, which requires equal educational opportunities for both genders.

The evidence is clear that American women have lost a significant number of rights to their own bodies. Since electing the current congress in 2010, nearly 40% of all US states have enacted laws that seek to diminish women’s right. They include:

1. Alabama
2. Arkansas
3. Arizona
4. Florida
5. Georgia 6. Idaho
7. Kansas
8. Kentucky
9. Michigan
10. Minnesota 11. Mississippi
12. Missouri
13. New Jersey
14. North Carolina
15. Oklahoma 16. Pennsylvania
17. South Dakota
18. Texas
19. Utah

While many women believed the last Congressional election was about improving the economy, they were wrong. The economy is still in a very slow recovery, but the effort to diminish women’s rights has proven to be the real priority of legislators in nearly 40% of US states.

Since the beginning of this year, women throughout the USA have been silenced and treated with sexist language aimed to de-legitimize their concerns at important hearings that directly affect them. Their medical needs have been superseded by superficial laws aimed to remove their right to legal recourse as well as to torture, humiliate and shame them while at the same time placing place the entire burden of population control upon their shoulders, while removing their resources and tools at every turn.

And while it may seem far-fetched, American women must now realize that they’re only one vote away from losing the right to vote in the US. Needless to say, all of the above probably seemed far-fetched – as recently as January 1, 2012.

Pittsburgh Professional Women partners with The Pittsburgh Social Exchange for: Send off To Summer!
Thursday, September 6th from 6-9pm
Jergel’s Rhythm House Grille
285 Northgate Drive
Warrendale, PA 15086
Cost: $10 for PPW Members, $35 for non-members
You must register by September 5th!

Register online here…and bring a friend!
http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e66fbsil0c5ad4fb&llr=g5woh4cab

The Grant Writer’s Café offers short programs on hot grant topics with discussion and networking held on the 1st Friday morning of the month at Panera restaurants.
This new professional development program features presentations by chapter members and invited guests on grant issues and practices for those who work in the field as grant writers and fundraisers, managers, independent contractors and consultants, and individuals who are interested in grant writing as a career. The cost to attend is $5 per person (paid at the door). GPA-WPA Chapter members free.
Friday, September 7, 2012, 7:30 - 9:30 am
Panera in Shadyside, 5430 Centre Ave, Pittsburgh 15232

Topic: Career Opportunities in the Grants Profession
Presented by: Laurie Anderson, Katherine F.H. Heart
This program will explore career and advancement options for grant professionals at nonprofit organizations and with independent grant writing/consulting. Information will be provided on the benefits of GPA national and chapter membership, and the grant professional certification (GPC) process.

Business Exchange Networking Lunch

* Give a 1-2 minute commercial for your business.
* Bring business cards, brochures, and samples.
* Make new business contacts.

Four Dates and Locations:

Sept. 5- Wexford, Atria’s, 12980 Perry Highway, Wexford
RSVP: email Michelle Zmijanac at
Michellezmijanac@bestpracticesdelivered.com

Sept. 12- Mount Lebanon, Atria’s, 110 Beverly Road,
Mt. Lebanon
RSVP: email Tina Noblers at
TinaNobers@CMNNutritionGroup 

Sept. 19- Murrysville, Bella Luna Trattoria,
5060 William Penn Hwy, Monroeville, Pa 15146
RSVP Carol@CarolBrineyWorkFromHome.com

Sept. 26- Fox Chapel, Comfort Inn (Old Holiday Inn) in RIDC
Park, Ohara Twp
RSVP: 412-781-8773 or PlanBConsultant@comcast.net 

Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Cost: $18 (Bring cash; No-shows will be billed for the lunch)
RSVP: By Monday prior to the event
www.blxnetworking.com 

The WSBA Network Lunch
A Networking Luncheon for Women Business Owners & Professionals
“Get Heard, Get Noticed, Get Leads”

A networking event open to any business woman who would like
to increase her business contacts/clientele. Our networking
format will be structured to provide participants with high
profile and networking. Bring 20-30 business cards/brochures,
cash for your lunch check, and be prepared to give a 60-second commercial about yourself.

Sept. 5 - 1:00 p.m. - Butler
Sept. 6 - 11:30 a.m. - Allegheny Valley
Sept. 12 - 11:30 a.m. - Shaler/Gibsonia
Sept. 14 - 1:00 p.m. - Robinson/Airport
Sept. 10 - 1:00 p.m. - Beaver County
Sept. 19 - 1:00 p.m. - South Hills

Sept. 20 - 1:00 p.m. - East End
Sept. 21 - 1:00 p.m. - Monroeville
Sept. 25 - 1:00 p.m. - North Hills
Sept. 24 - 5:15 p.m. - After Work Network (Washington, PA)
Sept. 26 - 5:15 p.m. - After Work Network (Smallman St. Pgh)
Sept. 28 - 12:00 p.m. - Westmoreland
Host: Women’s Small Business Association
Fee: $2 meeting fee (plus the cost of lunch)
RSVP: Required (Note: Any “Yes” RSVPs who do not show
will be charged a $20 no-show fee.)
For more info and to register online,
www.wsba.ws 

Kauffman FastTrac NewVenture 10-Week Course
September 11, 2012
6:30 PM - 9:30 PM
Place: Chatham University Shadyside Campus
Cost: : $375.00 (includes textbook, online materials, and class sessions)

Register Online at www.chatham.edu/cwe  or call 412-365-1253 for more information
Have you always wanted to start your own business? Before you quit your job or invest your life savings, FastTrac NewVenture will help you identify whether or not your business idea has merit. You will write a feasibility plan, examining the market potential of your business from every angle. This step-by-step hands-on program is taught by seasoned entrepreneurs who will help you craft your business idea. If you are a micro-business, home-based business, part-time business, mompreneur, or just interested in turning your hobby into a business, this program is ideally suited for you.

09/14/2012
7:30 AM - 9:00 AM
Women’s Business Leaders Breakfast
From Scientist to Entrepreneur

Presented by Dr. Susan Catalano,
Chief Science Officer, Cognition Therapeutics Inc
Alzheimers disease affects more than 5.4 million Americans, and will soar to more than 11 million by 2040. The direct costs associated with caring for AD patients in the U.S. alone are $183 billion annually. Seventy percent of the 5.4 million U.S. Alzheimers patients live at home, where 14.9 million Americans, most of them women, provide 17 billion hours of unpaid care for them at a total cost of $202 billion. There are no disease-modifying treatments available to fundamentally halt the progress of Alzheimers disease. Dr. Catalano will describe her journey from scientist to entrepreneur, and outline the cutting edge science being done by Cognition Therapeutics right here in Pittsburgh to discover drugs to halt or reverse the underlying pathological changes in the brain that cause Alzheimers disease.

Volunteers of America’s Brown Bag Lunch.

Brown Bag Lunch
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
12:00 – 1:00pm

Speaker: Jean Nagy, The Bottom Line Doctor
But am I making money?
You can’t take profit to the grocery store. They only take cash. Let the Bottom Line Doctor show you how to ensure that you get the most cash/profit from your business?
Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania
1650 Main Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15215
FREE
RSVP: 412.782.5344 x 209 or volunteersofamerica@voapa.org 

Date: September 14, 2012
Time: 7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
Place: James Laughlin Music Hall, Chatham University, Shadyside
Host: The Center for Women’s Entrepreneurship at Chatham University
Cost: $25 (includes continental breakfast)
RSVP: Suggested by September 11
Register online at: www.chatham.edu/cwe 

BBW Chamber Women’s Networking Luncheon
September 14, 2012
Noon
South Hills Country Club
4305 Brownsville Road, 15236

The monthly luncheon meeting* of the Women’s Networking of the Brentwood Baldwin Whitehall Chamber of Commerce will meet on Friday, September 14, noon, at South Hills Country Club. Please plan on attending and bring a friend. We welcome members and non-members. Tables are available for ladies who would like to display products or merchandise. Everyone will pass out cards and brochures and present a one-minute “commercial.”

Speaker,Wendy O. Lydon, LPBC
“10 Areas to Accelerate YOUR Business”
Wendy is Vice President at ThistleSea Business Development, LLC., and is a Licensed Professional Business Coach. Wendy’s background and expertise combines astute strategic, business and project/program management skills with over 25 years experience in business, association management, consultancy and analysis that enables her to assist clients to generate revenue and profit growth.

Lunch for Chamber Members - $15 - Bring a friend!
Lunch for Non-Members - $18
Display Table—$10
For reservations
secretary@bbwchamber.com 

September 17, 2012
Clever Connections Dinner - Wexford
How to Create an Office Environment for Success
Guest Speaker: Interior Designer Catherine Montague
Is your office space supporting your professional goals of success? Are your employees proud of working there? Does your office design represent your business image?
Whether working from home or in an office environment, you will learn tips on how to transform your office into an environment that promotes productivity, efficiency and success.

Time: 6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
Place: Bella Frutteto, 2602 Brandt School Road, Wexford
Host: Pittsburgh Professional Women
Cost: Members-$36; Non-member-$49 (includes dinner)
(After Sept. 10: Members-$39; Non-members-$59)
RSVP: Suggested by September 10
Register online at: www.PittsburghProfessionalWomen.org

September 20, 2012
Please join us for “A Message of Hope” on Thursday, September 20, 2012, 6pm to 8pm at the Sewickley Heights Golf Club, 126 Backbone Road, Sewickley, PA 15143. A Message of Hope is presented by the PA Alliance for Safe & Drug Free Children. The Master of Ceremonies is Tunch Ilkin. Listen II, a video produced by Michael Bartley, Managing Editor of WQED, will be premiered. Listen II features powerful stories about families affected by addiction.
There will be food stations, live and silent auctions. The cost is $100 per person or $750 per table of 8. Please RSVP by September 4, 2012. All proceeds will be used for educational programs and presentations at 30 member schools, faith based and community sponsors.
For questions and reservations, please contact Debra Kehoe at 724.612.5554.

September 20, 2012
Treasure House Fashions is presenting Stylin’ Inside and Out on Thursday, September 20th, 2012 at the Holiday Inn-Pittsburgh North on McKnight Road from 6 to 9PM with food sampling, fashions, auction items, and inspiring stories of women touched by our mission– affirming the treasure within each one! Consider gathering a table of 8 to support our mission. Tickets are $60 each – and each ticket underwrites two gift certificates for women we serve. Order online at www.thfashions.org  at the SPECIAL EVENTS tab. See you there!!

Disability Resource Breakfast
Thursday, September 20, 2012
8:30 – 9:30 AM
SPEAKER: Terri Seidman, Associate Director, American Diabetes Association of Western Pennsylvania.
Diabetes 101 and work.

What is Diabetes and how does it affect employment? Learn about the potential complications, care
and treatments to better understand how to prevent being sidelined from your chosen career.

Volunteers of America of Pennsylvania
1650 Main Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15215
FREE
RSVP: 412.782.5344 x 209 or volunteersofamerica@voapa.org

Entrepreneurial Thursday Networking Event
Creative Entrepreneurs
A casual weekly networking event for those interested in what’s
innovative and positive in Pittsburgh. A jazz, soul & blues happy
hour show plus open-mike interviews with local executives.

Date: September 20, 2012
Time: 5:30 - 8 p.m.
Place: Little E’s, 949 Liberty Ave, Pittsburgh
Host: Jessica Lee
Cost: $5 (hors d’ouevres included)

For further info, email smarshall@pghgateways.org
The Entrepreneurial Thursday networking event is held each Thursday evening. For information on upcoming events and featured themes, visit : www.entrepreneurialthursdays.com

Kauffman FastTrac Listening To Your Business Workshop
September 21, 2012
Time: 8:30 am to Noon
Place: Chatham University, Gatehouse
Cost: $40.00

Student Rate: $20.00 with valid ID
Register online at www.chatham.edu/cwe   or call 412-365-1253 for more information
The Listening to Your Business workshop is a hands-on, facilitated workshop designed to provide women business owners and managers with the critical evaluation tools and action steps they need to maximize the growth and profitability of their business. The Listening to Your Business workshop is a fast, inexpensive way for you to listen to your business and develop a strategic direction for the future.

Saturday, September 29, 2012 from 1-3pm
Fundraiser benefiting The Ward Home for Teenage Girls
Onyx Salon for Nails, Body & Soul
510 Station Street • Norwood Center
Bridgeville • PA • 15017

Featuring WTAE TV 4 News Anchor Michelle Wright. Enjoy light refreshments and a presentation by Michelle

The proceeds from this event will benefit the Ward Home for Teenage Girls, located in Shadyside.
Register online no later than Wednesday, September 26th.
Registration Link:
http://www.onyxfornails.net/Salon-Events.html 

Beth Caldwell
Executive Director
Pittsburgh Professional Women
412.202.6983

Start-up Funding Workshop
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
8:00am - 10:00am
Chatham University Shadyside Campus
Cost: $15.00

Find out about SBA loans and non-profit lenders to acquire start-up funding for your business idea. Networking and continental breakfast will be followed by a panel with representatives from the groups listed below.

Featured lending organizations to be on the panel and host an informational table at the event include:

Stephen Drozda, SBA
Dane Yancic, Allegheny County Department of Economic Development
Dwayne Rankin and Aaron Aldrich, Bridgeway Capital
Sarah Francis, Southwestern PA Commission
Rebecca MacBlane, Regional Development Funding Corporation
Carolina Pais-Barreto Beyers, Urban Innovation21
Sue Malone, Strategies for Small Business
Kevon Copeland, Urban Redevelopment Authority

SAVE THE DATE

October 8, 2012
Building Bridges for Business to host For Sale: Opportunity, a Franchising Event

Building Bridges for Business is hosting For Sale: Opportunity, a Franchising event,
on October 9 between 4:30pm and 8:00 pm EST at the Fairmont Hotel in downtown
Pittsburgh. This event, which will be built around networking opportunities for small
business owners and entrepreneurs, is intended to connect established franchisors,
funding on the spot with a new loan program, finding space, and potential franchisees.
Rich Fitzgerald, executive, Allegheny County, will deliver a message on the current state
of locally owned small businesses.

In addition to providing franchises with an established presence in the Pittsburgh region with
growth opportunities, the event will also target new opportunities for franchises outside of the
Pittsburgh market and potential local franchisees.

Interested participants can register for the event on Building Bridges for Business’
website : www.buildingbridgesforbusiness.org 

Class: Self-Defense for Women
Dates: October 7-28 (four Sundays)
Time: 10 - 12 noon
Place: Falk School, Oakland

Hope to see you in October!

Mona and Sue
…………
Lioness Martial Arts
412.241.6519
info@lionessmartialarts.com 
www.lionessmartialarts.com 
www.facebook.com/LionessMartialArts 

Wednesday October 10th, 2012
Celebrate Oakmont
The Oakmont Chamber of Commerce

Cordially Invites You to Attend

“Celebrate Oakmont”

Celebrate Oakmont is an evening out to Celebrate Oakmont and
an opportunity for business members and members of the community to meet other business members and members of the community.
Come taste samples of signature dishes from all of your favorite area restaurants and bakeries.
Two Halls, One Incredible Night

Time: 4pm to 8pm

Where: Greek Orthodox Social Hall and Riverside Landing
Oakmont, Pennsylvania
Tickets: $10.00

RSVP: Please contact Summer at 412-828-3238 to receive your ticket

Enter to Win One of These Great Prizes!

Kindle Fire
Keurig Coffee System

Free Food, Fantastic Door Prizes, Incredible Grand Raffles, and More!

Regional arts festival set for Mt. Lebanon Oct. 2-7

More than two dozen of the best Plein Air painters from around the country will fan out across Mt. Lebanon as part of the inaugural Plein Air Mt. Lebanon festival October 2 through October 7.

Painters will plant themselves outside, among Mt. Lebanon’s historic homes, business districts, parks, sunset vistas or anywhere they see a scene to capture, paint quickly and submit the work for a juried show with more than $6,000 in prize money. The gallery-quality paintings will be for sale.

Plein Air, which is French for “in the open air,” is a painting style made popular in Europe in the 1800s as paint first became available in tubes, allowing artists to leave their studios and paint outside. Mt. Lebanon’s festival, modeled after tremendously successful events like the one in Easton, Maryland, is expected to draw art enthusiasts from around the region.

On Friday, October 5, the public is invited to a gala at the municipal building, where guests will see the winning paintings, meeting the painters, and view and purchase the artwork. Tickets, which are $125 each and include a $50 voucher to be used toward the purchase of artwork, are available at www.mtlebanon.org or www.pleinairmtl.com 

On Saturday, October 6, Uptown along Washington Road will feature the Mt Lebo Paint-Out!, a competition open to novice and expert painters, who will have only two hours to complete their best work to win cash prizes. Those paintings also will be for sale. The festivities will include music, food, textile arts, theater and artist demonstrations. Concurrently, patrons may browse Art in the Park in the Academy Avenue parking lot, which runs both Saturday and Sunday.

A portion of the proceeds from Plein Air Mt Lebanon will provide funding for the Mt Lebanon Arts Initiative, which will offer a mini-grant funding support for funding future art initiatives in Mt. Lebanon.
For more information, schedules and artist profiles: www.pleinairmtl.com .
lpace@mtlebanon.org