Section 19. Thomas A. Paternostro Memorial Highway.
(a) Findings.--The General Assembly finds as follows:
(1) Thomas A. Paternostro was born in Williamsport on August 9, 1939. He was married to Marthalie Ryan Paternostro for over 48 years. He was a 1957 graduate of the former St. Mary's High School in Williamsport. He was a 1964 graduate of Lycoming College where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science. In 1975, he received his Masters of Public Administration from St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.
(2) Mr. Paternostro was a lifelong educator. He was both an elementary and secondary school teacher before serving as an elementary principal in Prattsburgh, New York. He then served as superintendent of schools in the Clifton-Fine School District in Star Lake, New York, and the Oneonta City School District in Oneonta, New York. In 1981, he became superintendent of schools at the East Lycoming School District in Hughesville, where he served admirably for 11 years.
(3) Following his retirement from public schools in 1992, Mr. Paternostro went to work for the Industrial Modernization Center in Montoursville. There he was a driving force behind the Pennsylvania School-to-Work initiative, a project that ultimately became a national model for youth apprenticeship. He testified about this initiative in front of a United States Senate committee. His testimony and the initiative were later featured on the ABC News American Agenda and in Smithsonian Magazine.
(4) Continuing his dedicated service to public education and children, Mr. Paternostro served as the director of the Children's Advocacy Initiative for Lycoming County in the early 2000s. In 2004, he received the Child Advocate Award for Leadership on Children's Issues.
(5) Mr. Paternostro spent time supervising student teachers at Bloomsburg University. He also spent three years as a consultant for the American Board for the Certification of Teacher Excellence in Washington, DC.
(6) From 2005 to 2011, following an appointment by the Secretary of Education, Mr. Paternostro served as one of the Commonwealth's first Distinguished Educators serving to help struggling districts throughout the State improve student achievement.
(7) Mr. Paternostro was an active member of his community. He was a charter board member of the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy, past president of the Lycoming Audubon Society, chairman of the capital campaign of the Hughesville Library Building Committee, past president of the Hughesville Rotary, past chairman of the Literacy Board at the James V. Brown Library, former member of the Lycoming County Historical Society Museum board, former member of the Williamsport/Lycoming Chamber of Commerce Education Committee and a Leadership Lycoming volunteer.
(8) Mr. Paternostro also served on the State Legislative Joint Commission Task Force on Children, Lycoming County's Child Death Review Team, Lycoming County's School Safety Committee on Homeland Security and, most recently, as a member of the Lycoming County Heroin Drug Task Force. He was also a proud former member of the Picture Rocks Volunteer Fire Department fire police.
(9) Until his passing, Mr. Paternostro was a regular contributor to Webb Weekly, where he wrote a feature column on nature.
(10) Mr. Paternostro served his country in the U.S. Navy from 1957 through 1965, including time spent in the Naval Reserve. He attended Naval Communications School as well as Officer Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island. He received a special commendation from the Chief of Naval Operations for his far East service following his time spent in Japan.
(b) Designation.--The section of State Route 220 in Lycoming County from State Route 405 in Hughesville Borough to the Picture Rocks Borough line is hereby designated the Thomas A. Paternostro Memorial Highway.
(c) Signs.--The Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs displaying the name of the highway to traffic in both directions on the highway.