For Immediate Release: March 22, 2011
Contact: Carol Hussa, Co-Chair -Live Well Luzerne County Coalition
YMCA Action Communities for Health, Innovation & Environmental Change
Phone: 823-2191 X 140

Luzerne County: The Live Well Luzerne County Coalition is proud to announce the 2011 awardees of its Healthy Community Challenge; an initiative focused on improving health and quality of life at the community level using proven programs and strategies to create lasting changes that improve peoples’ ability to live active, healthy lives. Awardees receive training, a mentor, and funding to assist community groups, organizations and municipalities to work together to accomplish permanent changes in four areas: healthy parks and public places; healthy streets and roadways; healthy community planning and zoning; and healthy eating. “We are excited about the creativity these projects show and the level of community involvement that they have inspired” reports Carol Hussa, a member of Live Well Luzerne, the County-wide health promotion coalition that coordinated the challenge.

The nine projects include :
1.) Huber Breaker Preservation Society, in partnership with the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation, the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor, Earth Conservancy, and the Anthracite Heritage Alliance OSM/VISTA Appalachian Coal Country Team working with Ashley Borough to improve public access and awareness of the planned three acre Anthracite Region Miner’s Memorial Park along South Main Street, Ashley, fronting the colossal historic Huber Breaker Colliery grounds; $1500 was awarded.

Robert E. Hughes, local environmental leader with the Eastern PA Coalition for Abandoned Mine Reclamation (EPCAMR) and community volunteer was specifically requested to mentor the Huber Breaker Preservation Society’s Project because of his extensive knowledge of local anthracite mining history, building community connections, previous work with the Society, and his networking ability that might serve the Preservation Society well when considering other grant funds to support the project. Mr. Hughes, assisted Mr. Ray Clarke, Chairman of the Board for the HBPS, with the successful preparation, local partnership coordination, grant writing, and budget development for the design of the Anthracite Region Coal Miner’s Memorial Park Project in Ashley, PA.

The Huber Breaker Preservation Society will use several strategies to improve the connectivity of steets and unimproved pathways that lead to the historic Huber Breaker and Anthracite Region Coal Miner’s Memorial along South Main Street, Ashley Borough. Improvements in the neighborhood pathways will allow greater access to the property and the Huber Breaker and Anthracite Region Coal Miner’s Memorial for historical interpretation, photography, artisans, educational programs, and outdoor walking recreation within the 3 acres of greenspace owned by the HBPS. Currently there are limitations on the access to the property and no safe routes to connect local residents and visitors to the proposed park area. Trail and interpretive signage following the design specifications of the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Corridor’s, (D & LHC), Visually Speaking guidelines would be the most appropriate use for this historical location that ties into other important places of local interest such as the Wyoming Valley Levee Raising Project and the Luzerne County Courthouse, which also uses the D & L HC design specifications. Improved signage will inform potential outdoor users and recreationists of not only the trail presence, but the actual HBPS property and the Anthracite Region Coal Miner’s Memorial.

Ashley Borough municipality will be the decision making body on final determination of signage placement, street connectivity, and types of improvements that can be made on pathways leading the South Main Street property. PennDOT will have the final determination of placement of “Yield to Pedestrians” signage that the HBPS is prepared to apply for once it completes a survey of the local pedestrian and vehicle traffic along 101 South Main Street in Ashley, PA.

The current challenge is that there is no signage or improvements to the street connectivity and unimproved pathways that lead to the historic Huber Breaker Property. There are no crosswalks leading to the property, but there are two perpendicular streets, Cook and Wyoming, property that connect to South Main Street across from the proposed park.

Traffic along South Main Street is a State Route and is maintained by Ashley Borough, however there is a need for traffic calming in this location. There is a need for funding for the signage and the pathway improvements. The property is only 3 acres in size and was former abandoned mine lands that is now being turned into a wonderful greenspace for the Huber Breaker Coal Region Anthracite Miner’s Memorial and historical interpretive pleasure of the viewing public. The sidewalks that parallel the HBPS property along 101 S. Main Street are also in deplorable conditions.

The HBPS will work with Dale Freudenberger-Anthracite Region Coordinator from the D & LHC- to design, create, and designate areas for placement of kiosks and signage on property and along the way to the park within the Borough limits of Ashley. The HBPS will recommend the placement to the Ashley Borough and PennDOT for signs that will be on Borough property or State property. The HBPS will work with EPCAMR as their mentor to review other Tools & Resources from the suggested websites from the workshop to try and secure additional funding for the project. The HBPS will work with its community volunteers, the D & LHC, Earth Conservancy, and the Anthracite Heritage Alliance Office of Surface Mining/AmeriCorps Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) Watershed Community Development Coordinator, Wren Dugan, who has been assisting the Society in other fundraising efforts.

Ashley Borough will make the decision on the final determination where the placement of the signage, street connectivity, and types of improvements that will be allowed on unimproved pathways leading to the property along South Main Street, Ashley, PA. The HBPS will complete a survey of the local pedestrian and vehicle traffic along 101 South Main Street in Ashley, PA. The PA DOT will make the final determination of the placement of 2 “Yield to Pedestrians” signs. Slower traffic will ensue as a lasting change and awareness of the Huber site will increase. Recreationists, students, youth, the local resident population, and historical and outdoor folks will benefit the most from the increased visibility, access, interpretation, walking pathways, and signage.

There will be signage and improvements to the street connectivity and unimproved pathways that lead to the historic Huber Breaker Property. There will be 2 crosswalks leading to the property at Cook and Wyoming Streets. The HBPS will hope to slow traffic at 101 S. Main Street with the installation of these traffic calming devices and signs. Funding will be utilized for the signage and kiosk design, construction, and placement at the property and throughout the Ashley Borough limits. The 3 acres property will become a wonderful greenspace for the HuberBreaker Coal Region Anthracite Miner’s Memorial and historical interpretive pleasure of the viewing public. The HBPS will continue to look for additional funding to improve and replace the old concrete sidewalks that parallel the HBPS property along 101 S. Main Street that are in deplorable conditions.

2.) Exeter Township working with local business to establish a park, playground and trail adjacent to their local state boat launch;

3.) Center for Landscape Design and Stewardship working with the Greater Hazleton Civic Partnership and Hazleton Health and Wellness Center to establish a weekly summer farmers market in downtown Hazleton;

4.) Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority working with the City of Wilkes-Barre to enforce and promote the city’s tobacco ban in its public parks;

5.) Anthracite Scenic Trails Association working with Kingston Township, Luzerne Borough, Penn DOT and the Back Mountain Trail Council to improve public access to the trail;

6.) City of Nanticoke working with Luzerne County Community College and the Boy Scouts to create a walking trail in an existing town park;

7.) Wilkes-Barre City working with Heights Murray Elementary School to conduct an engineering cost analysis in preparation for a Safe Routes to School grant;

8.) Fairview Township Recreation Board working with multiple community organizations, businesses and volunteers to increase bicycle use and safety in and around Fairview Memorial Park; and

9.) Greater Hazleton Civic Partnership working with Greater Hazleton Health Alliance to encourage increased use of the Hazleton Rail Trail by families with young children.

Awardees attended a specially designed conference in November 2010 where they learned about proven change strategies, programs and resources from national, state and local healthy community experts who challenged them to plan and implement permanent changes that enhance health and quality of life by improving access to regular physical activity, healthy eating or tobacco use reduction in their own communities.

“Across the country, communities are taking action now to reverse the increase of overweight and obesity that is contributing to the alarming rate of chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease, adds to our soaring health care costs and threatens to shorten the lives of our children.” according to Hussa. The Pennsylvania Department of Health reports that more than 36% of Luzerne County students in grades K thru 6 are either overweight or obese setting them up for a lifetime of possible health problems. The rising rate of overweight and obesity has been attributed to an epidemic of physical inactivity and poor nutrition and tobacco use is higher here than in most of the nation. “We have engineered physical activity out of daily life; our community design makes us dependant on automobiles to get anywhere and our addiction to convenience is killing us” observes Hussa. The goal of the Challenge is to empower people to make changes and inspire decision makers and interested individuals to learn about what they can do in their own hometowns to improve their health, their neighbors’ and most importantly, the health of future generations.

“Everyone knows you should move more and eat better, but when there is no full service grocery store nearby or there is no safe, enjoyable place to walk, it is hard to follow that advice” says Michele Schasberger, Director of the Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails Partnership. “Communities have always been on the front lines of keeping their citizens safe and healthy; and this Challenge will give them additional tools to aid this mission” she stated emphatically.
The Healthy Community Challenge is supported by a grant from the Healthy Northeast PA Initiative in partnership with Live Well Luzerne and the Wilkes-Barre YMCA’s ACHIEVE initiative.

Photo Credit: The Live Well Luzerne Healthy Community Challenge Team includes: L-R Front Row: Arlene Sindaco, Wyoming Valley Vegetarians; Helene Flannery, Area Agency on Aging; Kathy Finsterbush, PA Department of Health; Carol Hussa; Wilkes-Barre YMCA ACHIEVE; Michele Schasberger, Live Well Luzerne; Valarie Bell, PA Department of Health; Rev. Ann Marie Acacio, Interfaith Council; Lillian Russell-Burnett, Penn State Cooperative Extension.
Second Row L-R: Paul Lumia, North Branch Land Trust; Paul Ginter, Wilkes-Barre City Health Department; Linda Tirpak, Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania; Diane Madras, Misericordia University; Howard Grossman, Jewish Family Services and Joe Aquilina, Hazleton Health & Wellness Center.