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In this Update:
The Key Question of the Week, from Pine Grove to Bear Creek Township: Do You Support Closing Penn State Schuylkill and Penn State Hazleton?
Everywhere I traveled throughout the 29th district this week, I’ve been asked about the new threat to close our local Penn State campuses. People constantly ask what I will do if Penn State Schuylkill and Penn State Hazleton are closed. My answer: I have voted for Penn State’s annual state appropriation each and every year, during my years in the House and in the Senate, BUT if these local campuses are closed, I can NO LONGER support Penn State’s state appropriation in the future. 𝐀𝐬 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐧𝐮𝐬 (𝟏𝟑 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭!) 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐬, 𝐈 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬. 𝐈𝐭 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐈𝐅 𝐏𝐞𝐧𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞’𝐬 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬. Rep. Dane Watro summed up the situation well: “The state gives PSU one third of a billion dollars for operating costs, and it keeps tuition costs down for students. I’m very concerned what the budget is going to look like. Are we going to give you that much money and are going to close down Hazleton, possibly Schuylkill County’s campus?” Here’s my discussion with Andy Mehalshick at WBRE/WYOU, where he asked me the key question. Please consider filling out our one-question survey here. New Trail to Connect Pottsville, Middleport, Tamaqua, and the Panther Valley to Jim Thorpe and Beyond?
I joined Schuylkill County Commissioners Larry Padora and Boots Hetherington at Lehigh Carbon Community College’s Morgan Campus in Tamaqua for the kickoff meeting to build the proposed Panther Creek Valley Trail, which would connect the existing Schuylkill River Trail in Pottsville to the very popular Delaware & Lehigh Trail in Jim Thorpe. We’ve seen how trails can breathe new life into older towns by bringing new visitors to the area not just to exercise and enjoy the outdoors, but to visit nearby towns and employers. Thank you to the 911 Memorial Trail for driving this effort! Meeting with Parents and Teachers at Bear Creek Community Charter School
I visited the northernmost township of the 29th district for a bipartisan legislative lunch with parents and teachers at Bear Creek Community Charter School. Thanks to all who attended our bipartisan discussion about the most critical issues facing public schools across Pennsylvania. This school, established in 2004, now includes a new academic wing, opened in 2024, serving 606 students in Luzerne, Lackawanna, and Monroe counties. The key to their success, to quote from their presentation: “Parents, along with staff, are important stakeholders in the success of our students and the future of our school. Parents of Bear Creek Community Charter School are expected to actively participate.” Joining me from Luzerne County were Reps. Jamie Walsh, Eddie Day Pashinski, and Alec Ryncavage, as well as Rep. Bryan Cutler, the Republican Chair of the House Education Committee from Lancaster County. My Great-Grandfather’s Pink Slip – From 93 Years Ago!
93 years ago this week, my great-grandfather, Roger Howells, lost his job as a “fire boss” when the mine he worked in the New Philadelphia area closed during the Great Depression. I display the pink skip – note that it’s really pink!! – he received in my Capitol office, as a reminder of the backbreaking and dangerous labor that our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents performed to feed our families. So many of our ancestors faced and overcame significant hardships here in Carbon, Luzerne, and Schuylkill counties during the decline of the anthracite coal industry. March Argall Report: Transforming Blighted Buildings in Hazleton and PottsvilleThe March edition of my local TV program highlights Alvernia University Pottsville CollegeTowne and the Mericle Family Center YMCA in Hazleton – two local projects that transformed blighted and vacant buildings, breathing new life into the region.
Alvernia University Pottsville CollegeTowne opened its doors in early 2023. The building was formerly a vacant and blighted grocery store, before state and private sector funding completely transformed the site. 50 students have earned degrees in nursing, early childhood education, business administration, and other fields, while 250 additional students are now enrolled on site. Rep. Tim Twardzik and I recently worked to secure $1 million in state funding to turn unused space there into a Schuylkill YMCA gymnastics facility. I’ve been very proud to help bring Alvernia to downtown Pottsville. They are now training the next generation of nurses, educators, and entrepreneurs!
The show then turns to Hazleton, where strong public-private partnerships raised $7 million to transform the long vacant Hazleton YMCA building into the Mericle Family Center YMCA. This first phase of renovations, which created an early education facility for 150 children, is now complete. The next phase will renovate the pool and gymnasium. My children learned how to swim at the Hazleton YMCA. Rep. Dane Watro and I are VERY pleased to see it reopen for a new generation to create happy memories of their own. Mahanoy City Elks Honor Community Service of Cheryl Stanitis, Dawn Frye
I joined Schuylkill County Commissioner Larry Padora at the Mahanoy City Elks Lodge on Saturday night to congratulate Elk of the Year Cheryl C. Stanitis and Citizen of the Year Dawn M. Frye. Cheryl and Dawn both demonstrate the hardworking attitude that many in Mahanoy City have brought to efforts to breathe new life into the area. In addition to her membership with the Elks, Dawn serves as the President of the Mahanoy City Girls Softball League, the Mahanoy City Community Event planning committee, and the Mahanoy Area Baseball Boosters, as well as the Treasurer of the Mahanoy Area Chamber of Commerce. Cheryl has been a proud member of the Elks for 20 years. Last year, she and her husband organized a Veterans Day dinner for more than 80 people. She worked for SCI Mahanoy for 28 years, earning many commendations including the Governor’s Award for Excellence. She is a member of Columbia Hose & Steam Fire Engine Company No. 1 in Shenandoah, where she is an active firefighter and truck driver. Both award winners are in very good company—two of my former colleagues, Sen. Jim Rhoades and Rep. Neal Goodman were previous Citizen of the Year winners! How Can We Recruit More Firefighters?
Thank you to the more than 75 volunteer firefighters and school administrators who joined Rep. Tim Twardzik, Rep. Dane Watro, Commissioner Boots Hetherington and me at our seminar about new strategies to recruit volunteer firefighters at the Columbia Hose & Steam Fire Engine Company No. 1. Many of our local volunteer companies are facing severe shortages of firefighters. According to the United State Fire Administration, the number of volunteer firefighters has dropped from 60,000 to less than 38,000. We heard from Eric Frantz, a volunteer firefighter who has successfully developed a high-school firefighting club, and Tracie Young-Brungard, the Administrator of Recruitment & Retention for the Pennsylvania Office of the State Fire Commissioner, who shared the variety of services the agency can offer the companies. If you were not able to attend last night and would like to learn more about the strategies we discussed, please contact my district offices. Meeting with Teachers and Community Organizations in Western Schuylkill CountyOn Monday, I met with three local organizations in Pine Grove, Swatara Village, and Schuylkill Haven.
I visited Pine Grove Area School District teachers and administrators for a meeting about key issues facing our schools, including the impact of state assessments. We discussed the urgent need to prepare our local students for in-demand careers as nurses, electricians, carpenters, law enforcement officers, and teachers for both K-12 and preschool. As a member of the Senate Education Committee, these conversations are very important to our work in Harrisburg to improve of system of education from preschool to grad school. Thank you for inviting me!
In the southwest corner of Schuylkill County, I met with the Swatara Village Homeowners Association to discuss the issues confronting local residents, including the significant increase in local traffic due to new employers coming to the area.
Then, I joined the Schuylkill Haven Lions Club, including Commissioner Gary Hess, at the Friedensburg Country Restaurant. My staff assisted members of the club with collecting more than $14,000 in unclaimed property from our state Treasury. If you would like us to check if you also have unclaimed property, please do not hesitate to contact my district offices. State Grant Repairs Roads in Brandonville
Rep. Dane Watro and I visited East Union Township to celebrate a newly awarded state grant of $100,000, which will go toward road repairs and new bike lanes in the Brandonville area. Upkeeping our roads and bridges is an important piece of building strong communities, yet these projects can be very expensive for local governments. I’m grateful this highly competitive state funding will help make these roads safer for all! From left to right: Roadmaster Danny Danchision, Solicitor Donald Karpowich, Treasurer Michael Gaizick, Vice-Chairperson Wendy Danchision, Chairperson Kyle Mummey, Rep. Watro, me, Dominic Yannuzzi of Alfred Benesch & Company, Police Officer-in-Charge Doug Litwhiler, Zoning Hearing Board Chairperson Jo Anna Shovlin, and Supervisor Jill Careyva. Daylight Saving Time Begins This Weekend
Daylight Saving Time begins this Sunday, March 9, at 2 a.m. While cell phone and computer clocks usually change automatically, most people move their standard clocks and appliances ahead one hour on Saturday night. It’s also a good time to check smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. If the devices are more than a decade old, experts suggest upgrading to 10-year, sealed battery alarms. They don’t require any battery replacement throughout their lifetime. However, it’s still a good idea to press the test button on the alarms at least once a month. Find more tips here. |
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