|
|||||
|
In this Update:
Celebrating the Expansion of Alvernia-Pottsville and the YMCA!
Last night, we celebrated a new expansion to Alvernia University Pottsville CollegeTowne. The remaining unused space at their location on Progress Street will be renovated into a Schuylkill YMCA gymnastics facility. Currently, the Schuylkill YMCA provides gymnastics to 75 youth, with more than 200 on a waiting list. This new facility will greatly expand access to these programs for families across the region. I’ve been very proud to support every single step we have taken to bring Alvernia to downtown Pottsville. What was formerly a blighted, abandoned grocery store is now training the next generation of nurses, educators, and entrepreneurs, hosting many community events and gatherings, and now expanding athletic opportunities right here in downtown Pottsville. Rep. Tim Twardzik and I secured $3 million to begin construction on the college and an additional $1 million to support this expansion. Building a thriving college campus like Pottsville CollegeTowne can jumpstart additional efforts to breathe new life into a community. Here’s a perfect example: 60 market-rate apartments are currently under development on the vacant upper six floors of the Schuylkill Trust Company building on Center and Market Streets. Rep. Twardzik and I secured a $3 million state grant to support these much-needed new apartments – but this would not have happened without Alvernia’s commitment to locate in Pottsville’s downtown. We want the residents of those new market rate downtown apartments to take classes here, use both downtown YMCA facilities with their families, and enjoy the downtown restaurants and pubs. Improving Water Systems in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne Counties
More than $32 million in state funding was awarded to projects to improve water and sewer systems in Schuylkill, Carbon, and Luzerne counties this week. These projects showcase what can be accomplished through dedicated partnerships between state and local government officials. I’m grateful this highly competitive funding will improve water services for thousands of homes and many employers. The following projects received funding:
CEBA Construction Underway in Downtown Shenandoah
While I was in Shenandoah with Rep. Dane Watro for a meeting last week, I made a quick stop to check on the construction on the Center for Business, Education, and the Arts (CEBA), the centerpiece of community efforts led by Downtown Shenandoah, Inc. to breathe new life into the borough, which is now moving along rapidly! This property was a vacant and blighted eyesore just a few years ago. Now, after years of planning, $5.3 million in state grants I secured with the bipartisan assistance of former Rep. Neal Goodman, Rep. Twardzik, and Rep. Watro, and an additional $3.3 million in donations by private members of the community, the building is taking shape day by day. This is a shining example of what a community like Shenandoah can accomplish when it never gives up, despite considerable economic adversity! Once completed, CEBA will house a health clinic, event center, business incubator space, and training for entrepreneurs. When was the last time more than $8 million was invested in downtown Shenandoah? I think this is the best news for the area since Rep. Twardzik’s father invented Mrs. T’s Pierogies in his grandmother’s kitchen many years ago. President Trump Inaugurated in Washington, D.C.
Beth and I traveled to our nation’s capital for the inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. I wish him the best as he now begins his second term. As Democratic Senator John Fetterman said recently, “if you are rooting against the president, you are rooting against our nation.” I visited Congressman Dan Meuser’s office while at the Capitol complex for the ceremony with many of my colleagues from the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Pictured here are Rep. David Rowe, Senator Joe Picozzi, me, Rep. Robert Leadbeter, Congressman Meuser, and Rep. Brenda Pugh. Battle of the Crater: The Impact of Local Miners on the Civil War
Beth, Rep. Watro, and I attended a Hazle Township presentation by the Penn-Anthracite Society of Mining Engineers about the impact of local coal region miners on the Battle of the Crater, a Civil War conflict fought in Petersburg, Virginia on July 30, 1864. Thank you to Dave Williams, a local mining engineer and professional land surveyor, for sharing his expertise and insights into this fascinating piece of American History. During the battle, miners led by Lt. Col. Henry Pleasants, who resided in Pottsville and worked for the Pennsylvania Railroad and local coal mines, at considerable danger to themselves, successfully dug a tunnel under Confederate lines and planted a massive quantity of explosive charges beneath their position. The resulting explosion blasted a huge hole through Confederate lines shortly after 4 a.m. However, Union forces failed to take advantage of their surprise attack and suffered serious casualties in the crater left behind by the blast. Lt. General (and future President) Ulysses S. Grant said that the resulting military failure was the “saddest affair I have witnessed in this war.” Had they succeeded, the Civil War would have ended many months sooner, all because of the efforts of our local coal miners! Argall TV Report: CRIZ Breathes New Life into Older Towns
The January edition of my local TV program focuses on the past achievements and future goals of the Tamaqua City Revitalization and Improvement Zone (CRIZ). Tamaqua is the only borough in the state with this designation, which allows the community to utilize its state tax payments for economic development. When I was growing up in a ‘half a double’ on Arlington Street, I never could have imagined the progress we’ve seen in Tamaqua in the last few years. Without the CRIZ and the hard work of so many members of the Tamaqua community, this transformation would not have been possible. Now, a new dental college and housing for students may locate in the borough in 2026 because of the CRIZ. This edition features a tour of many of the sites that have directly benefited from these investments, including the Perla Building, Child Development, Inc., the Bischoff Inn, the Tamaqua Train Station, Boyer’s Food Market Complex, and Gimbel’s. Pottsville Office to Close Wednesday, Jan. 29 to Friday, Jan. 31
My office in downtown Pottsville will temporarily close from Wednesday, Jan. 29 to Friday, Jan. 31 for construction. If you need immediate assistance, please visit my Mahanoy City office at 1 West Centre Street, Mahanoy City or call 570-773-0891. Every year, my staff assists hundreds of people with their applications for the Property Tax/Rent Rebate program. Appointments for assistance with the required forms are now being scheduled for February. Appointments can be scheduled in Pottsville by calling 570-621-3400, Mahanoy City by calling 570-773-0891, or Hazleton by calling 570-521-9441. Assisting Local Veterans in Need
Last week, Rep. Watro, Rep. Twardzik and I met with the founders of the Shenandoah Valley Sports Locker & Veterans Support Fund – a new organization working to help veterans and their families in serious need. They encourage any veteran needing assistance to contact the Schuylkill County Veterans Affairs Office in Pottsville at 570-628-1400 for more information. Thank you all for undertaking this incredibly impactful work on behalf of local heroes. Feb. 6: State Funding Seminar for Municipalities, Businesses, and Non-Profits
Reps. Jamie Barton, JoAnne Stehr, Twardzik, Watro, and I are hosting a seminar about best practices for local governments and organizations looking to apply for state funding through the Neighborhood Assistance Program and other popular grant programs on Thursday, Feb. 6 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Penn State Schuylkill. Joining us will be the Pottsville Area Development Corporation and the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development. Please call my office at 570-773-0891 to reserve your spot by Jan. 31. RSVPs are required for this event.
If you are not already subscribed to this newsletter please sign up here. |
|||||
|
|||||
Want to change how you receive these emails? 2025 © Senate of Pennsylvania | https://www.senatorargall.com | Privacy Policy |
