HARRISBURG – The October edition of the local television program hosted by Sen. Dave Argall (R-29) features the second Carbon County and Beyond Regional Tourism Summit, which was held at the historic Mauch Chunk Opera House in Jim Thorpe. The event, co-hosted by Rep. Doyle Heffley (R-122), was held to update the 100 business owners, borough officials and residents who attended about ongoing initiatives to draw more visitors to the region.
“Decades ago, a similar meeting in Tamaqua resulted in the transformation of the abandoned junior high school where my parents once taught into the Lehigh Carbon Community College Morgan Center and the rebirth of the historic 1874 train station that was very close to demolition,” Argall said. “Because of these continued revitalization efforts, in the next few years, Temple University will open Pennsylvania’s first rural dental college in Tamaqua. Third- and fourth-year dental students will live and study in downtown Tamaqua while also providing much needed dental care to our communities.”
Presentations were given by the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau, the Carbon Chamber and Economic Development Corporation, the Panther Valley and White Haven Blueprint Community committees, the Greater Hazleton Civic Partnership and the 9-11 National Memorial Trail Alliance.
During the first summit in the summer of 2023, Argall and Heffley learned that tourism and its significant benefits are impacting parking, traffic congestion and housing affordability for Jim Thorpe residents. Participants also learned that encouraging visitors to check out surrounding communities could be the solution to these problems, but only with the appropriate planning and investments.
“The ongoing phenomenon of our revitalization is for real,” Argall said. “By working together, we can boost these efforts throughout the Panther Valley, Lehighton, Eckley, White Haven, Tamaqua and beyond.”
This edition of the Argall Report will air on:
- Blue Ridge Communications (channel 13) every Monday at 10 a.m. and every Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.
- Service Electric Cablevision: Hazleton, Mahanoy City, Shenandoah on Hazleton’s WYLN TV 35 channel 507 and MetroCast Communications channel 10. Please check local listings for airtimes.
- Berks Community Television (Comcast channel 15 and Service Electric channel 19). Please check local listings for airtimes.
The Argall Report is also available at www.senatorargall.com/argallreport.
CONTACT: Seth Hubler