$490,936 announced for Bear Creek projects

Sep. 1—BEAR CREEK — Thursday brought money for some "bears," as a moose watched.

Ruth Ann Koval, chair of the Bear Creek Township Board of Supervisors, said the township has been persistent in applying for grant dollars and she expressed her gratitude for the receipt of what she termed "much-needed funding."

Koval was on hand at the Bear Creek Village Clubhouse — adorned with a mounted stuffed moose head — when state Rep. Eddie Day Pashinski, D-Wilkes-Barre, and state Sen. Dave Argall, R-Schuylkill County, announced three state grants totaling $490,936 were awarded to support transportation projects in Bear Creek Village Borough and Bear Creek Township.

Argall and Pashinski were also joined by Bear Creek Village Mayor Walter Mitchell, Bear Creek Village Council President John Parsons, Bear Creek Village Council Vice President Jim Rogers and Secretary of Bear Creek Village, Billie Gillean.

The three projects receiving grant funding are:

—Bear Creek Township, $165,936 for the purchase of two new trucks that will be fitted with super duty plows to improve the township's efforts to clear away snow.

—Bear Creek Township, $100,000 to reconstruct and repave the roads and improve the stormwater management of the Forest Park development. The project will upgrade Parkway Road, Woodland Road, Forest Road, Crescent Road and Sylvan Road.

—Bear Creek Village Borough, $225,000 to replace a damaged bridge along Beaupland Road that crosses Sand Spring Run.

"This funding will help us to make the long-overdue repairs to the roads and stormwater infrastructure of the Forest Park development and will also help us to replace some of our township trucks that have become old and obsolete," Koval said. "I would like to thank everyone involved for helping us to acquire this funding. It's great that this program exists, and it helps small townships like ours to get important projects completed without putting a significant strain on us financially."

Parsons said the Borough of Bear Creek Village is "extremely grateful" for the LSA funding that was awarded for the Beaupland Road Bridge culvert replacement.

"This is to replace what was intended to be a temporary Band-Aid when the original culvert was destroyed during the devastating flood of 2001," Parsons said. "The culvert serves a primary access road for the residents of our community and has required repeated repairs, especially within the last five years. Based on the size of our community, projects like these are not attainable without the critical grant funding and assistance from our legislators and their leadership, and we are thankful for the support we are receiving."

Bear Creek Township and Bear Creek Village Borough are new to the districts served by Pashinski and Argall.

Pashinski said he enjoyed working with Sen. Argall to acquire the funds needed to make the necessary repairs for several of the communities the two state legislators represent together.

"The bridge along Beaupland Road has had many repairs and, at this point, needs replacement," said Pashinski. "When this project is completed, it will allow for the continued use of one of the few main roads within Bear Creek Village Borough, which provides access to a large section of the community."

Additionally, Pashinski said the new vehicles and the implementation of infrastructure improvements in the Forest Park development, including the reconstruction/repaving of all existing roadways as well as improvements in stormwater management, will go far in increasing the quality of life for the residents of Bear Creek Township.

"I am proud that we were able to secure this important funding," Pashinski said.

Argall agreed, noting that securing the grant funding is a highly competitive process.

"Only the most important projects receive this state support," Argall said. "It was a pleasure to work with Rep. Pashinski to secure these dollars for the Bear Creek community."

Route 115 concerns

While celebrating the funding for the three projects, Pashinski and Argall took time to discuss Route 115 safety issues with the Bear Creek officials.

Parsons explained that there have been "a number of accidents" in a one-mile stretch of Route 115.

"We are seeking funding to make Route 115 safe for all who travel it," Parsons said. "We have been compiling a plan to submit for consideration for funding."

Pashinski and Argall both said they will support the two communities getting the necessary funding to complete the project.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.