๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ฉ ๐๐ฅ๐จ๐ฌ๐๐ซ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐๐ฌ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ข๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ซ
Our goal to breathe new life into the long-vacant White Haven Center moved one step further this week.
The PA Senate and the House of Representatives have approved the 2026 Real Property Disposition Plan, which authorizes the sale of the White Haven Center through competitive bidding or public action.
This 182-acre and 23 building campus has sat vacant since 2023, while the stateโs bureaucracy continues to spend millions of dollars each year maintaining it. The next step is to move toward a sale and, ultimately, put this property back into productive use.
Rep. Jamie Walsh and I have heard directly from residents and local leaders about the importance of finding a new purpose for this property. Luzerne County is also completing a study to evaluate the best potential redevelopment options for the propertyโand the sooner, the better!
Seth Hubler from my office recently attended a dedication ceremony for the new ๐๐๐ซ๐ ๐ง๐๐ซ ๐
๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ, the newest addition to the local State Game Lands system in Hegins Township.
The 427-acre tract was sold to the Pennsylvania Game Commission by the Bergner family in honor of their father, K. Roland Bergner, who stewarded the land for nearly 70 years. The new public lands expand opportunities for hunting and outdoor recreation in Schuylkill County while improving access to an existing portion of State Game Lands 132 on Mahantongo Mountain.
Thank you to the Bergner family for approaching the Game Commission about making this land available for the public to enjoy. Their commitment to conserving this land will benefit hunters, outdoor enthusiasts, and future generations throughout our region.
I was recently invited to attend the bipartisan Northeast PA Manufacturers & Employers Association Legislative Roundtable at Mountain Valley.
During the event, we discussed several issues impacting businesses and families across our region, including energy costs. I highlighted the recent Senate Majority Policy Committee hearing I chaired in Downtown Shenandoah, which focused on increasing energy production and lowering utility costs, as well as the successful elimination of the Governorโs proposed โRGGIโ carbon tax last year.
We also discussed workforce development and ways to cut government red tape. This included local efforts such as the Temple Dental Education Center & Clinic, which will help train and retain dentists right here in our region; my bipartisan package of bills focused on growing the long-term care workforce; efforts to secure competitive economic development grants for our local technical and career centers; and permitting reform.
We also discussed the need for improved infrastructure and greater housing availability across Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill counties.
I was joined by Rep. JoAnne Stehr, Rep. Dane Watro, Rep. Tim Twardzik, Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, Rep. Robert Leadbeter, and Rep. Brenda Pugh .
Read more here: https://www.republicanherald.com/2026/10/02/state-legislators-discuss-pennsylvanias-business-needs-during-event-in-schuylkill/
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๐จ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ซ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฅ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐๐ฌ: ๐๐๐๐ญ ๐๐๐ณ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐จ๐ฐ๐ง๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉโ๐ฌ ๐๐ซ. ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ซ๐ข๐ ๐ฎ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข ๐ค
Welcome to the latest edition of โFocusing on Our Local Communities,โ where we interview, on a bipartisan basis, a key local leader in one of the 102 municipalities that I represent in Carbon, Schuylkill, and Luzerne counties.
This week, weโre focusing on Hazle Township supervisor Dr. Anthony Griguoli. A Republican and a Hazleton native, Griguoli graduated from Bishop Hafey High School in 1989 before attending the State University of New York, where he earned a bachelorโs degree in biology. He later continued his education at the New York Chiropractic College. In 1996, Griguoli returned to the Hazleton area to begin his practice, eventually establishing Griguoli Chiropractic & Rehab Center.
Griguoli currently serves as chairman of the Hazle Township Board of Supervisors and is in his seventh year of service after recently being re-elected.
โI first served on the municipal authority for a few years before one of the supervisor seats opened up and I decided to run. I got involved because I wanted to help people,โ said Griguoli. โI truly care about the people that live in our township and if they have an issue, I want to help them solve it.โ
In addition to his township role, Griguoli is active in several community organizations. He is a member of the Hazleton Elks, the Hazleton Swing Club, and an active parishioner at Most Precious Blood Church in Hazleton.
Griguoli is especially proud of the townshipโs recent investment in road improvements.
โWhat weโre really proud of is the $6 million investment that we have put into improving our roads over the past three years,โ added Griguoli. โAlso, the economic development continues to be something weโre proud of in the township, creating good family sustaining jobs. There is a new Geisinger pharmaceutical warehouse coming in that weโre very excited about.โ
Every 2 minutes, a woman in the U.S. is diagnosed with breast cancer. But when caught early and localized, the 5-year survival rate is 99%.
This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, make sure to act and donโt miss your mammogram.
๐๐๐ญ๐จ๐๐๐ซ ๐๐: ๐๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ฐ
๐๐ข๐ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ค๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ข๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐?
Unclaimed property can include things such as forgotten bank accounts, uncashed checks, insurance payments, utility deposits, or the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes that have been turned over to the state for safekeeping.
To return this property to its rightful owners, Rep. Dane Watro and I will partner with the Pennsylvania Treasury to host an unclaimed property event on Saturday, October 17, from 9 a.m. to Noon at the Ringtown Library.
Questions and to RSVPโcall (570) 773-0891.
๐๐ง๐จ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ค ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ข๐ญ๐จ๐ฅ
It has been another week of meetings at the State Capitol. Here are a few of the highlights:
I stopped by the Capitol Rotunda to meet with Helen Hawkey from the PA Coalition for Oral Health. We discussed the incredible work already happening at the Temple University Dental Education Center & Clinic in Downtown Tamaqua.
I chaired a meeting of the bipartisan, bicameral Statewide Blight Task Force. We reviewed the status of several blight initiatives and discussed legislative priorities moving into 2027. I was joined by Rep. Tim Twardzik and Rep. Doyle Heffley.
I was invited to meet with members of the 4-H State Council, the youth leadership program for the Pennsylvania 4-H program, including Alyssa Cook. Alyssa, a senior at Tri-Valley High School, participates in the Blue Mountain 4-H Livestock Club, Teen Council, Schuylkill Potato Judging Club and the Schuylkill Cooking Club. Her 4-H projects include dairy beef, market goats, market turkeys, market rabbits, cooking, sewing, public speaking and potato judging. She plans to attend college to become a livestock veterinarian.
Rep. Tim Twardzik and I met with students from North Schuylkil Areaโs Gifted Program. We shared with the students what a day in the life of a legislator looks like and answered several questions from the group. Thank you for joining us!
I also joined a group of students at Penn State Harrisburg regarding my work to breathe new life into our older communities through improved housing, attracting new jobs, and Temple Universityโs new Tamaqua clinic and educational center. Thank you for inviting me!
On Monday at the State Capitol, I was presented with the ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฅ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฐ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐.
Over the last two years, I have been pleased to advance several measures that directly support our aging population and the professionals who care for them, including:
โข ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐: This bill would expand both the availability of long-term care training courses for nurse aides and the eligibility for individuals to take the nurse aide competency exam.
โข ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐: This bill would allow individuals without a high school diploma or GED to take a skills competency examination to receive their long-term care employee certification.
โข ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐๐: This bill would allow high school juniors and seniors to earn graduation credit by working or volunteering in licensed care settings that provide 24-hour care and supervision for the elderly, exposing them to this meaningful career path.
All three bills have ๐ฉ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐ญ๐, ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ง๐ข๐ฆ๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ซ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ข๐ฌ๐๐ง ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐๐๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐๐ฒ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐๐ง๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ.
Too many of our families, including mine, have faced the difficult decision of moving a parent or grandparent into a long-term care center. The professionals who provide their care are facing increasing challenges because of workforce shortages. I am hopeful that the House will take up this legislation.
Thank you to LeadingAge PA for this recognition!
