$225,000 grant for park project
GREG SWATT/SPECIAL TO THE TIMES NEWS Harry Connolly, Paul Montemuro chairman, Judith Knappenberger vice chairman, Alan Katz, Warren "Butch" Reiner, pose in front of an enlarged replica of a $225,000 grant check Penn Forest received for a community park project
Monday night at the monthly Penn Forest Township Supervisors Board meeting, Chairman Paul Montemuro revealed that the township had received a grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
The amount of the grant was $225,000 for the Penn Forest park project across from the Bear Creek Lake Development on Route 903.
The Jim Thorpe School District donated 30 acres to begin the park project with the stipulation that Penn Forest Township had five years to develop the area into a park.
The Penn Forest Supervisors have made progress toward making the park a reality.
The grant money will continue the development of the park project.
DCNR is the main source of support for recreation, conservation, and municipal parks in the state.
The grants given out by DCNR help hundreds of communities create recreation areas and conserve open space.
Funding provided by DCNR comes from a variety of sources, such as the Keystone Recreation Park and Conservation Fund, the Environmental Stewardship Fund, the Growing Greener Bond Fund and other federal funding sources.
Montemuro thanked the Penn Forest residents for their continued support of the park project.
He also reported on the work put into the development of the project by state Rep. Keith McCall and his staff; state Sen. David Argall and his staff; and Lorne Possinger and Dennis DeMara from DCNR.
The board recognized Bob Kriebel, the project manager, who put the grant together and made it possible to receive the funding.
The supervisors also thankded Scott Brown from Hanover Engineering; Tom Henry and the rest of the Jim Thorpe Area School District; township solicitor Tom Nanovic; Ralph Clay; and Jim Shober for all their hard work in getting the park project off the ground.
The park on Route 903 will be open to the public for use by all township residents, and not just children in the Jim Thorpe Area School District.
Supervisors believe this added amenity will be a welcome addition to the township for all Penn Forest residents and their families.
