The LuLac Edition #730, Feb. 17th, 2009

PHOTO INDEX: ATTORNEY JOSEPH TERRANA NEWLY ANNOUNCED CANDIDATE FOR JUDGE.

TERRANA MAKES HIS MOVE

Citing his experience as a public servant and years of dedicated service to his clients and community, today, Attorney Joe Terrana announced his candidacy for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas of Luzerne County.
“Since graduating from law school, my career decisions reflect an unwavering commitment to our community and an abiding faith in the potential of Luzerne County,” Terrana explained. “As a lawyer, local Congressional aide, housing and community developer and volunteer public authority member, I know our community extremely well -- and I have demonstrated that my highest priority is helping our region.”
“At this critical moment, what our residents need and deserve – now more than ever – is a Judicial Branch they can count on for fairness, justice, and compassion. I know I can help restore the integrity of our Judicial Branch because these have been the very guideposts of my two decades of public service. And they will be the pillars of my service as Judge.”
Attorney Joe Terrana practices law in Kingston with Terrana Law, P.C., handling a variety of issues including real estate transactions, business start-up, commercial and personal injury litigation, and estates. He previously practiced in the litigation department of Hourigan, Kluger, Spohrer & Quinn, P.C., and with Joel A. DeBoe & Associates, of Arlington, Virginia. He is admitted to practice in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the Federal District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. He is also an associate member of the Virginia State Bar.
Attorney Terrana also currently serves as Counselor to Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (PA-11). In this position he assists constituents with a wide variety of federal issues, works with community leaders on projects to improve the quality of life of their residents and assesses the local impact of federal legislation and regulations. From 1992 to 2001, he served as District Director for the Congressman, and during law school he worked on Capitol Hill.
His varied career includes six years as Director of the Northeastern and Central Pennsylvania Community Business Center of Fannie Mae, where he spearheaded efforts to prevent predatory lending practices and foreclosures in the Poconos, helped business in communities like Wilkes-Barre and Scranton assist their employees in buying homes and helped re-build neighborhoods with organizations like CityVest in Wilkes-Barre and the Pine Street Neighborhood in Hazleton.
Attorney Terrana is the co-founder and President of the Luzerne County Housing Partnership, a non-profit corporation that provides education resources to local families, communities, elected officials and housing industry professionals on homeownership and neighborhood rebuilding. He is the Secretary/Treasurer of the Luzerne County Redevelopment Authority and the Luzerne County Rail Corporation, a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Pittston Meals on Wheels, and member of the Wilkes-Barre Law and Library Association. He serves as a Parish Facilitator for Called to Holiness and Mission: Pastoral Planning in the Diocese of Scranton. He is a member of the St. John the Evangelist Core Committee, Chairman of the St. John the Evangelist Marketing of Buildings Committee, Instructor for the St. John the Evangelist's Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults and an Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist.
Attorney Terrana attended elementary and middle school in the Pittston Area School District and is a graduate of Scranton Preparatory School. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree from Villanova University and his Juris Doctorate from George Mason University School of Law in Arlington, Virginia, where he was a member of the Law Review and President of Phi Delta Phi Honor Fraternity.
More than 250 attended the event at the Kirby along with Congressman Kanjorski, Chamber head and former County Commissioner Todd Vonderheid and Mayor Tom Leighton. Terrana’s turnout was quite impressive and bodes well for his candidacy. He brings on the campaign trail an engaging personality as well as a sense of humor that not more than a few residents have dubbed Linconesque. Terrana will also do well in his home turf of Pittston better known as the old third district.

STIMULUS AND HEALTH

As a cushion against a possible failed campaign promise on health care, President Obama included some health related items in the recently passed stimulus package. The administration is using the economic stimulus package to show it has made serious progress on the president’s health agenda, perhaps softening the blow if Congress fails to comprehensively address the issue this year. In the legislation passed late Friday, Congress approved spending about $19 billion over the coming years on electronic health records and an additional $1.1 billion on research comparing which treatments work best for a particular disease.
Also, the bill sets aside about $1 billion for a “prevention and wellness fund.” About $300 million of that money would provide additional immunizations. Most of the rest of that money will go to state and communities to help them tackle smoking, obesity and various preventable health problems.