New branding for Wayne County agriculture

HONESDALE, PA — The Wayne County Commissioners formally adopted the newly designed AgroLegacy logo as the official symbol of Wayne County agriculture and its related products and industries. AgroLegacy and its accompanying imagery was created on behalf of the Wayne Tomorrow! Agriculture Task Force by the Nikki Jones Agency of Port Jervis, NY, through a grant from the PA Dairy Investment grant program.

The image references the Northern Poconos to provide a geographical link to the area, but specifically names Wayne County. It features the “cow & calf” to represent not only the county’s dairy history but also its generations of family farms. The shift toward vegetable products is reflected in the green fields that come directly from the Wayne County logo. Last, the maple leaf references the vast array of forest products produced in Wayne County.

The Ag task force and the AgroLegacy steering committee are now working on the details and agreements that will allow farmers and producers in the county to use the brand to differentiate their products, said Mikki Uzupes, Wayne Tomorrow! community network specialist.

Affordable housing gets $259,000 in funding

SCRANTON, PA — On March 23, Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced that NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania will receive $259,000 in federal funding to develop and preserve affordable housing, revitalize and sustain neighborhoods, and create jobs. These federal grant dollars were awarded by NeighborWorks America, a public nonprofit organization established by Congress in 1978.

Ambulance service, Akenac Park receive grants

HARRISBURG, PA — State grants totaling over $500,000 were recently awarded to three projects in Pike County, according to Sen. Lisa Baker (R-Luzerne/Pike/Susquehanna/Wayne/Wyoming) and Rep. Joe Adams (R-Pike/Wayne).

The Milford Fire Department and Ambulance Service in Milford Borough will receive $287,849 to purchase an ambulance, which will replace the current emergency response and medical transport service vehicle. Milford Township will receive $100,000 to purchase a 2023 Mack Granite dump truck. Delaware Township was also awarded $176,755 for the replacement of a culvert inside Akenac Park.

Oberacker named to transportation budget conference committee

ALBANY, NY — State Sen. Peter Oberacker (R/C-51) on March 21 took part in the initial meeting of the joint budget conference committee on transportation. The conference committees are made up of five senators and five assemblymen tasked with negotiating budget differences between the houses, working with Gov. Kathy Hochul, to develop a final spending plan.

“There is a great deal of work ahead as we near the April 1 budget deadline, and I look forward to the discussions moving forward.  A fiscally sound budget that meets the needs of those I represent with a focus on affordability, public safety and improved opportunities is my goal,”  Oberacker said.

Working Pike Job Fair set to host 65 employers

MATAMORAS, PA — The sixth annual Working Pike job fair is filled to capacity, with 65 employers from the tri-state area scheduled to attend. Job seekers can expect to find opportunities in a variety of industries, including health care, hospitality, financial services, manufacturing, warehouses, law enforcement and corrections, recreation, sales and many more. The job fair will be held on Tuesday, April 4, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Best Western Inn at Hunt’s Landing, 120 Rte. 6. For additional information about the job fair, call the Pike County Workforce Development Agency at 570/296-2909.

Spill from chemical plant near lower Delaware River

BRISTOL, PA — On Friday, March 24, at approximately 11:30 p.m. the Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP) emergency response team responded to a release of approximately 8,100 gallons of acrylic latex polymer. It was released by a chemical processing plant and an unknown amount has entered the Delaware River. 

The incident occurred at Trinseo Altuglas Facility in Bristol, Bucks County, PA. Downstream and nearby systems were alerted because of the tidal flow of the Delaware.  

The DEP is working closely with utility companies—Aqua Pennsylvania, Lower Bucks Joint Municipal Authority, Philadelphia Water Department, and New Jersey American—city officials and other government agencies to ensure that the safety of drinking water is not compromised. Ongoing water sampling is being conducted at various locations. Contaminants have not been detected at drinking water intakes at this time, according to published reports, and there have not been any signs of fish or wildlife impacts. The Philadelphia Water Department, out of an abundance of caution, notified the public in its customer service area that they may wish not to drink or cook with tap water.

AMTRAK releases Scranton-to-NYC route report

SCRANTON, PA — On March 22, AMTRAK released a report titled “Analysis of options for Scranton—New York Amtrak passenger rail service: preliminary service plan and financial analysis.” The report includes conceptual schedules for three daily inter-city round-trip trains, ridership and revenue estimates for those trains, and estimated operating cost and financial support required for the route. Amtrak estimates 473,500 annual riders, $13.3 million in operating revenue, $19.1 million in operating expense, $99 million to $176 million in Pennsylvania track improvement, and $70 million to $90 million in the cost of new train equipment.

An application was filed with the Federal Corridor Identification and Development Program to enhance or establish new inter-city passenger rail service, submitted on March 27. If the application is successful, the federal government could provide initial seed funding and thereafter a maximum of up to 80 percent of overall required funding for development of the corridor.

Rep. Matt Cartwright (PA-08) said in a press release that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation served as the lead signatory on the region’s application, together with New Jersey Transit and the Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority.