FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Save 814 Area Code Public Hearing Thursday in Erie

Erie Area Activists Urge Public to Participate

Erie, PA-May 24, 2011-The Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will hold a public hearing Thurs. May 26 at the Ambassador Conference Center, Hemmingway Ballroom Entrance from 6-9 PM to seek public input on reversing the Dec. 16 ruling that changed the 814 to 582 area code in portions of Northwest Pennsylvania. The demand for reconsideration came largely due to the tremendous outcry from the community spearheaded by the group Save 814, founded by Erie Internet marketing expert Douglas Boldt, with the assistance of attorneys Jason R. Owen and Alison M. Scarpitti and public relations expert, Kimberly A. Morewood. In December 2010, the group collected over 13,000 digital signatures on an online petition urging the PUC to reconsider their previous decision and sent them to Harrisburg with Boldt’s personal petition for reconsideration as prepared by Owen and Scarpitti.

“We are thrilled to have helped the public get the chance to have their voice heard and that the PUC listened,” Boldt stated. “It is energizing to see a community come together and work with government toward a common goal. This ill-advised change will cost our community and businesses unnecessarily when another, more cost effective and reasonable solution is available. We need every business owner and concerned consumer to come out and participate Thursday for this to end in a victory for Northwest Pennsylvania.”

BACKGROUND: On Dec. 16, 2010 the PUC unanimously voted to change the 814 area code in the Northwest part of Pennsylvania. After concluding that there was not enough public notice prior to this decision and the economic burden to area businesses would be unnecessary, Douglas Boldt, an Erie Internet marketing expert, created a unique online petition to submit to the PUC. On Dec. 29, he complimented the Internet petition by using a state of the art internet phone message system by Google Voice that transcribes the voice message to text in order to accommodate people without Internet access. On Jan. 3, 2011, Boldt’s petition for reconsideration of the Dec. 16th decision was mailed to Harrisburg and included the digital signatures of 13, 068 people. Along with the petitions were 300+ phone numbers of callers who left messages on the Save 814 Hotline.

More information can be found at www.Save814.com or the PUC website at:http://www.puc.state.pa.us/General/press_releases/Press_Releases.aspx?ShowPR=2675

CONTACT:
Douglas Boldt
douglas@boldt.us
814.602.1554 or

Kimberly A. Morewood
Kim.Morewood@gmail.com
Cell: 717.557.8394