Gaming funds to support recreation, other projects in Lackawanna County

May 17—State gaming funds will help illuminate Little League fields, rehabilitate playgrounds and paint lines for pickleball.

Local legislators announced more than $2 million in Local Share Account grants for Lackawanna County groups this week, many of them to expand or improve recreational opportunities.

"The improvements to the community provided by these grants will maximize the experiences that residents have when visiting or using the facilities funded by these grants, " Rep. Bridget Kosierowski, D-114, Waverly Twp., said in a news release.

Softball players in the Dunmore Missy League will benefit from state funds two years in a row. A grant last year helped the league resurface fields, build dugouts and redo fencing.

With another $90,000, the league will retrofit lights to LED, helping the league reduce electricity costs by as much as 60%, said John Mecca, league vice president.

"It's a lot easier to see, and it's safer playing for the girls," he said. "It will be a better playing atmosphere."

At Hillside Park in South Abington Twp., $70,000 will be used to replace the playground surface and to hopefully leverage additional grant money. Future plans call for paving the lot next to the playground and soccer fields and building a storage unit and pavilion nearby, said Mark Spatz, a member of the Abington Area Joint Recreation Board.

Other Lackawanna County projects to receive funding include:

* $261,681 for streetscape improvements along Lackawanna Avenue in Scranton.

* $190,537 to renovate a multipurpose athletic training room for the West Scranton Alumni Wrestling Association.

* $140,000 for building renovations at the Friendship House to meet the growing demand for behavioral and physical health care needs.

* $130,000 for Glenburn Township Department of Public Works building phase I.

* $121,542 for Eagle McClure Hose Co. HVAC replacement facility improvements.

* $120,000 to Dunmore Borough for VFW roof replacement/kitchen repairs.

* $117,431 to create a "Tech Hub" in the auditorium of the Scranton Area Community Foundation's offices at the Century Club to provide resources and technical assistance to small- and medium-sized nonprofit organizations.

* $100,400 to rehabilitate single and multifamily residential properties into affordable rental units owned and managed by United Neighborhood Community Development Corp. and made available throughout the city of Scranton.

* $100,000 to renovate Billy Barrett Park in Scranton, including new hill slides, rehabilitating tennis courts, striping lines for pickleball, redesigning stormwater ditches with green infrastructure and re-establishing the central lawn area for open and flexible recreation purposes.

* $100,000 for phase one of improvements to Clover Field Park in West Scranton.

* $100,000 to replace the HVAC system at the Waverly Community House.

* $100,000 for improvements to Havenstrite Lane, Leggs Road and Richland Road in Covington Township.

* $100,000 for playground equipment at the Green Ridge Little League Park in Scranton.

* $100,000 for the Old Forge Lions Little League renovation project.

* $90,000 for the Dunmore Missy League field lighting project.

* $88,386 to Elmhurst Township to complete bathrooms and office space in the municipal garage.

* $70,000 for boundless playground resurfacing at Hillside Park in South Abington Township.

* $62,842 to replace the roof at the 20th Ward Social Club in Scranton.

* $64,400 for parking meters for Dunmore Borough.

* $57,000 for improvements to Tripp Park at the Miss-E Little League fields in Scranton.

* $50,000 for Taylor DPW maintenance garage upgrades.

* $35,410 to Dalton Borough for a RAM 2500 public works truck.

* $35,139 for a roof replacement at the Moosic Youth Center.

* $27,500 to purchase and install a permanent welcome sign and gateway for the front entrance to the Scranton Veterans Memorial Stadium.

* $17,224 for field and concession equipment at Connell Park Little League fields in Scranton.

* $11,000 for security and facilities upgrades at the Scranton Co-Operative Farmer's Market.

Contact the writer: shofius@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9133; @hofiushallTT on Twitter.