|
|||||
|
In this Update:
How Can We Develop More Affordable Housing for Employees and Students?
Joseph DeFelice, the Assistant Deputy Secretary for Field Policy and Management for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, visited Pottsville and Tamaqua to learn more about local efforts, both completed and now under development, to transform vacant and blighted properties into new housing. In Tamaqua, we visited the new apartments at Bank on Broad; the site of the proposed rural dental school and the Sheid’s building, which is set to be renovated for student housing; Gimbel’s and other projects encouraged by the Tamaqua City Revitalization and Improvement Zone; and the proposed new police and community center. In Pottsville, we visited the Rosalia Hotel, the Schuylkill Trust Company future apartment building on Centre and Market Streets, and Alvernia University Pottsville CollegeTowne. The key to all these efforts is strong partnerships between federal, state, county, and local officials, local employers, and other community leaders. Without working together, none of these projects would be more than ideas. We’re now working to bring these same strategies to other communities in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties. The Rosalia Hotel: Downtown Pottsville’s Newest Revitalization Project
The latest step in breathing new life into downtown Pottsville was announced this week: the vacant Miners National Bank building will be transformed into the Rosalia Hotel. I joined Hannah Corbacio, Nick Hair, Bill Metzinger, and many other local leaders in Pottsville to announce the plans. The historic building will undergo significant renovations to develop more than 30 hotel rooms, conference and wedding venue space, and more. Reps. Jamie Barton, Tim Twardzik and I were pleased to support this project with a state grant of $450,000.
For many years, we’ve heard about the serious need for more overnight accommodations and conference space downtown for the Film Festival, Lager Jogger, and the more than 70,000 annual visitors to the Yuengling Brewery – business partners and people who just want to come to Pottsville and maybe enjoy a beer or three. For years, Dick Yuengling has told anyone who would listen that beer is good for you! Now, that dream will soon become a reality, thanks to strong public-private partnerships. Between this new project, the thriving Alvernia University Pottsville CollegeTowne campus, 60 new market-rate apartments under development in the Schuylkill Trust Company building at Centre and Market, and new businesses opening their doors, we’re seeing genuine progress in breathing new life into downtown Pottsville. Brenda Banks: Three-Time Wrestling State Champion
Brenda Banks of Lansford visited our State Capitol to be recognized for winning her third straight wrestling state championship. Last summer, she traveled to Fargo, North Dakota to compete in the U.S. Marine Corps Junior National 16U Wrestling Competition – to no one’s surprise, she won first place there as well. She has established herself as one of the most promising young wrestlers in the entire nation. The Panther Valley community is very proud! Brenda will be a senior at Panther Valley Junior/Senior High School in the fall. She still has one more year to continue making her mark on Pennsylvania girls wrestling history. Recognizing Scouts from Laurel Run, Albrightsville, Tamaqua, and BeyondLast Sunday, two local scouts celebrated earning the rank of Eagle – Eric Richardson of Troop 777, Tamaqua and Gavin Trent Schach of Troop 650, Pine Grove.
Eric made significant improvements to the parish yard at St. John XXIII in Tamaqua for his service project. He planted new hedges, laid river rocks in the alley, and added a grate to make the area safer. Rep. Jamie Barton and I joined his court of honor.
Gavin relocated a historic bell at Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church in Pine Grove for his service project. He constructed a concrete base for the bell, repaired and painted its frame, and built a shelter for it in front of the church. Rep. JoAnne Stehr, Commissioners Boots Hetherington and Gary Hess, and Seth Hubler, my outreach director, joined his court of honor. This weekend, the Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania will honor 64 scouts who earned the Gold Award, including four from our area. Ava Antz from Shenandoah developed sensory boxes and materials to soothe and calm children who visit a local library for her Gold Award project. Alyssa Porambo from Tamaqua partnered with Catholic Relief Services to coordinate a food drive. Olivia Rosenberger from Albrightsville created a bridge, gazebo, and memorial garden for the Carbon County Animal Shelter. Mariska Robinson from Laurel Run created a nine square game for the Pocono Mountain Bible Conference Summer Camp. Congratulations to all on your hard work and service to the community! Lansford Historical Society Museum Open House – Featuring Polka Joe!
The Lansford Historical Society Museum is hosting its annual open house on Sunday, June 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 117 E. Bertsch St., Lansford. Polka Joe Manjack from Magic 105.5 will broadcast live from the Museum from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The museum features memorabilia from throughout Lansford’s rich history, with displays about local theaters, schools, stores, ethnic clothes, the area’s anthracite coal mining heritage, and much more. The society is a key partner in the ongoing effort to breathe new life into this classic anthracite coal region community. Rep. Doyle Heffley and I will continue to support Lansford’s ongoing revitalization by securing highly competitive state funding for many new initiatives, including efforts to encourage the growing number of visitors to Jim Thorpe to also visit other nearby communities throughout the Panther Valley. We’re now working to develop new trail connections and improvements at the No.9 Coal Mine and Museum. Argall Report: Fighting Blight Revitalizes Neighborhoods
The June edition of my monthly TV show reviews strategies to repair or demolish blighted and decaying buildings in our communities. The program features a public hearing of the Senate Majority Policy Committee in Sunbury, where successful efforts and challenges to addressing these properties were discussed by local elected officials, business leaders, housing authorities, and local city and borough managers. In several of my recent town hall meetings in Sheppton, Lansford, Frackville, and Pine Grove, local people have often commented that blighted buildings can spread through a community like the plague, but community revitalization efforts are also contagious. I’ve seen it in Jim Thorpe, Tamaqua, Shenandoah, Orwigsburg, Hazleton, Pottsville, and beyond. The repair or demolition of vacant eyesores provides much-needed new housing and encourages new and existing employers to expand in surrounding buildings. Nesquehoning VFW Creates Veterans and First Responders Memorial Garden
I recently visited the newly created Veterans and First Responder Memorial Garden in Nesquehoning. The Nesquehoning Memorial VFW Post #8008 partnered with the Panther Valley Blueprint Communities team and Penn State Master Gardeners to create a space honoring our armed forces and first responders. The garden will also serve as a place for people to learn about native plants. Rep. Doyle Heffley and I secured highly competitive state funding to support this project. While there, I presented them with a vintage VFW plaque from the Yuengling family, which has now returned home. Remembering D-Day and Those Who Gave Their Lives to Liberate Europe
It has been 81 years since June 6, 1944, a fateful day we must never forget. Thousands of Americans stormed the beaches of Normandy in France, sacrificing their lives to liberate Europe from fascism. At the time, the D-Day invasion was the largest naval, air, and land operation in history. On June 6, 2014, my son AJ and I toured the Normandy beaches with a Lycoming College alumni group to honor the living and the dead. We were led by my now-retired European History professor, Dr. Bob Larson and joined by one of my most outstanding classmates, now-retired Naval Chaplain, Captain Jack Lea. Dr. Larson’s main point, as we gathered there on that hallowed ground for Captain Lea’s retirement ceremony: When you are there, looking out over the beaches and seeing the crosses and stars of David that mark those who did not return home, it’s hard not to be overcome by emotion, knowing that you are truly in the company of thousands of heroes who never saw their families again. Remember the 1944 words of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.” Welcoming Hershey to the State Capitol
We welcomed very special guests to our State Capitol this week: Miss Kiss and representatives from The Hershey Company. For visitors, legislators, and staff with a sweet tooth, their annual visit is highly anticipated. Hershey operates a factory in Hazle Township, where they produce Kit-Kat, Cadbury, and Caramello products, employing more than 100 people. Town Hall Meeting in Pine Grove
The North End Fire Company in Pine Grove was the site of my fourth district town hall meeting in recent weeks. Rep. JoAnne Stehr and I discussed many of the serious issues now under consideration by the Senate and the House in Harrisburg, including the challenges addressing blighted and vacant buildings, local revitalization efforts in need of possible state funding, the new law banning handheld devices while driving, and more. Thank you to everyone who took the time to join us. At their request, I also met with the North End Fire Company leadership to discuss how we can assist their efforts to keep our communities safe. We discussed strategies to address the significant shortages of volunteers affecting fire and EMS companies across the state, as well as programs to provide funding and equipment upgrades. June 12: Senior Scam Seminar in Pine Grove
Rep. JoAnne Stehr and I are hosting a scam seminar on Thursday, June 12 at 11 a.m. at St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Pine Grove. With scammers becoming increasingly brazen and creative, we all need to be aware of how to protect ourselves from falling prey to these criminals. David Shallcross, the Director of the Senior Protection Unit of the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, will lead the discussion. RSVPs are required for this event. Please call 570-773-0891 to reserve your spot today. We’ll be hosting more of these events soon in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties. See the full list here. Senate Votes to Preserve Prescription Assistance for Seniors
Legislation to protect thousands of Pennsylvania seniors from losing access to life-sustaining prescriptions passed the Senate unanimously. It now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration. Senate Bill 731 would exclude Social Security cost-of-living adjustments from income eligibility calculations for the PACE and PACENET programs. Funded by the Pennsylvania Lottery, these programs have provided hundreds of thousands of adults 65 and older with low-cost prescriptions. Hand-Held Cell Phone Ban for Motorists Now in Effect
A law to increase safety on Pennsylvania roads by making it illegal to use a handheld cell phone while driving is now in effect. Use is also prohibited when a vehicle is stopped in traffic or at a red light. Drivers may talk using hands-free devices, but holding a phone to make a call, text, get driving directions or check social media is now a citable offense. For the next year, officers may issue written warnings. Formal citations will be issued beginning June 6, 2026. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, distracted drivers were involved in more than 11,000 crashes in Pennsylvania in 2023, outpacing the number of crashes caused by impaired drivers. |
|||||
|
|||||
Want to change how you receive these emails? 2025 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://www.senatorargall.com | Privacy Policy |
