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In this Update:
Transforming the Historic Schwab School into Apartments
The 1901 Schwab School building in Weatherly, which has sat vacant and blighted for 33 long years, will soon be fully restored and transformed into 30 apartments. As the new state senator for this area, I placed the restoration and reuse of this historic old structure at the top of my priority list and now, thanks to an innovative public-private partnership with the Alliance for Building Communities (ABC), we are breathing new life into this decaying building. Rep. Doyle Heffley and I joined Mayor Paul Hadzick and Borough Manager Harold Pudliner to announce the plans, which include rehabilitating the school into 12 two-bedroom and 18 one-bedroom apartments. To our friends at ABC, who have successfully rebuilt several abandoned factories into quality housing in the neighborhood where I grew up in what we called “a half a double” in the East End of Tamaqua, THANK YOU for assisting us with this effort! We have seen the power of community revitalization in similar successful efforts in Jim Thorpe, Tamaqua, White Haven, and other communities. To the people of the Weatherly area who NEVER gave up on the dream of saving this beautiful old building, CONGRATS! Your BIG day has finally come! Pennsylvania Colleges Must Fight Campus Antisemitism
Pennsylvania colleges and universities must fight campus antisemitism. I called a public hearing of the Senate Education Committee this week to hear directly from students about the dramatic rise in antisemitism on college campuses since the October 7 massacre, where Hamas terrorists killed more than 1,000 Israelis, most of whom were civilians. We heard very disturbing accounts of a student wearing Nazi propaganda, displays of footage from the October 7 massacre, and masked protesters chanting about a globalized intifada, invoking a troubling period of heightened violence and suicide bombings in Israel in the early 2000s. Unfortunately, testifiers were worried that these antisemitic instances will continue in the coming academic year. It’s deeply troubling to hear that blatant antisemitism was allowed to fester on our campuses. Action must be taken to prevent this from happening here again. Childcare Center at Vacant Hazleton YMCA Moves Forward
Rep. Dane Watro and I visited the Hazleton YMCA building to see its ongoing transformation into an early education and childcare center. According to this week’s update from the Greater Wyoming Valley Area YMCA, construction is planned to be completed by mid-November. Reliable childcare services are a necessity for working families. Once completed, the center will serve up to 150 children, providing them with a quality education and allowing their parents to participate in the workforce. Rep. Watro, Rep. Mike Cabell, and I worked to secure over $300,000 in state funding to assist with this project last year. Thanks to the hard work of many community partners, a total of $5 million has been raised to make this community dream a reality. My children both learned to swim at the Hazleton Y, so like so many others in Hazleton, I’m very excited by the transformation of this blighted and vacant structure into something we can all be proud of! Palmerton Memorial Remembers Fallen Soldiers
Stone tablets with the names of eighteen men from Carbon County who lost their lives in the Vietnam War were dedicated in Palmerton, ensuring that their sacrifice on behalf of our great nation will never be forgotten. These memorials join the existing veterans’ monument in Palmerton Borough Park. Thank you to the Palmerton United Veteran’s Organization for your hard work to honor local fallen heroes and for inviting me and Carbon County Commissioner Michael Sofranko to join you. Turning Mine-Scarred Land into Jobs in Hazle TownshipMine-scarred land will be transformed into the Crossroads East Business Park in Hazle Township, creating thousands of new jobs, thanks in part to $5 million in highly competitive state funds that were awarded to CAN DO, Inc. and Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services. This new business park will be located on State Route 424 along Interstate 81 between exits 141 and 143. Strong public-private partnerships have again brought new economic opportunities to the Greater Hazleton community and beyond. I look forward to continuing this important work with Rep. Watro, CAN DO, Inc., and the many other local leaders who have contributed to the economic resurgence of the region. President of Sophia Coxe Mansion (Which You Can Visit!) Honored for Military Service
Bryan Dunnigan of West Hazleton was honored with a Quilt of Valor last weekend, recognizing his fourteen years of service in our armed forces. Mr. Dunnigan serves as the President of the Sophia Coxe Foundation & Education Center. Sophia was the wife of Eckley B. Coxe, who owned many local coal mines in the nineteenth century. Sophia gave away over ninety percent of her income to charitable works and was known as the “the angel of the coal fields.” Her beautiful 1869 home is preserved in Drifton to educate people about our local mining history. Plan your visit here. Replace Damaged License Plates in Schuylkill Haven
Is your license plate worn out? You can get it replaced for free at an event I’m hosting with Rep. Twardzik on Wednesday, July 31 from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. at Schuylkill Haven Borough Hall, 333 Center Ave. A local police officer will be on hand to inspect your plate to determine if it qualifies for free replacement. For more information or to RSVP, call 570-773-0891. The announcement of a new state license plate will not impact this event. The new plate design, which features the Liberty Bell in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, will not be available until 2025. Sign up to receive email updates about how to order the new plate here. Thanking Local Veterans at the Schuylkill Center
I thanked local veterans for their service and sacrifice on behalf of our nation at a veteran‘s event at the Schuylkill Center in Pottsville. We honored more than 20 veterans of the Korea and Vietnam wars, presenting them with pins and certificates. Many of them shared experiences with us about their service. Thank you to Compassus for organizing this very moving tribute. PASSHE Universities Freeze Tuition
For the seventh consecutive year, Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education has frozen tuition for in-state undergraduates for 2024-25. As a member of the Board of Governors for the system, I was proud to support this freeze, to keep higher education affordable here in Pennsylvania. The tuition rate will stay the same at all 10 state-owned public universities, including Cheyney University, Commonwealth University (Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield), East Stroudsburg University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Kutztown University, Millersville University, Pennsylvania Western University (California, Clarion, and Edinboro), Shippensburg University, Slippery Rock University, and West Chester University. To make higher education more affordable, the Senate passed Grow PA – a package of bills to recruit the best talent to Pennsylvania schools in industries that will grow the state’s economy and focus on the key jobs we need to fill now, in the trades and in many other professions. Read more about the scholarship and tuition waiver programs. Visit the Schuylkill County Fair!
The Schuylkill County Fair opens next week, running from Monday (July 29) to Saturday (August 3). Year after year, I enjoy seeing the rich culture and heritage of Schuylkill County on display. When you see me there, make sure to say hello! Everything you need to know about the fair can be found here. Public-Private Partnership Supports Local Non-Public Schools
I visited the St. Joseph Center for Special Learning this week to celebrate the donation of almost $80,000 to support scholarships for students attending non-public schools in Schuylkill County. These donations were made possible thanks to the Education Improvement Tax Credit Program. Thank you to principal Bob Giba for showing me around the center, which just opened its new Schuylkill Haven location last year, after 68 years in Pottsville. |
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