BLUEPRINT NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTY

The 1st Annual Blueprint Neighborhood Block Party will be held on Tuesday, August 17 @ Sponsler Park. The festivities will start at 7:00 P.M. and will include live music provided by " It Takes Two", free snow cones, a moon bounce, and a few other suprises for the kids. Food and drinks will be sold by the Berwick Lions Club and residents will have the opportunity to learn about and get involved with the future plans and initiatives of the Blueprint for Revitalization. So....bring a lawn chair or a blanket and come out to enjoy an evening in the park with friends and neighbors. We hope to see you at Sponsler Park on August 17th.

Blue Print Community Plan

A committee of citizens has worked very hard throughout the past several years to develop a plan for the LaSalle Street Neighborhood.  The neighborhood includes LaSalle Street, Monroe Street, and Washington Street, as well as the side streets connecting them.  The committee joined forces with the Columbia County Housing Authority as well as consultants Mullin and Lonergan Associates to establish a plan for the much needed project.  The committee has applied for funds through several entities.  They are working hard to acquire grants through the Wachovia Foundation as well as several others.  They have recently applied for a $600,000 rehabilitation grant.  Because grants are competitive, the group continues to examine all resources.  The plan was funded by the Wachovia Foundation.  We hope that this project turns into much more than just a plan.  With continued support and hard work, we are confident that this neighborhood can be revitalized. To see the plan, click the link below.  Please forgive us as the scan was not entirely clear. Blue Print Community Project Plan The Blueprint Community of LaSalle Street will be starting to gain momentum in recent months. Rich Kisner, Columbia County Redevelopment Authority, stated that the project had gone quiet, but that people just need to be patient because it will be starting back up in full swing soon. The Blueprint Community recently received funding through a grant from the Wachoiva Foundation and is looking to hire a part-time neighborhood manager, who will be in charge of getting neighborhood support and participation in events, administering surveys about neighborhood concerns, and supervising projects.   The Redevelopment Authority recently hired Jay Jarrett as the neighborhood manager for the program.  Jay has a long history of contributing to the Berwick community.  As a Councilman, Jay donated 100% of his Council salary to charity throughout his entire 4-year tenure.  Jay comes from a construction background and is able to identify housing issues with ease.  Jay has served as a board member of Berwick Area Little League, a Little League softball coach, a board member of the United Way, and a board member of Beyond Violence.  His involvement with the community will serve as a great asset for the Authority as well as the neighborhood.   Mr. Jarrett recently designed a neighborhood newsletter that all residents received.  Click on this link to view the newsletter.

Blue Print Community Information

What’s going on: Good things are happening in the Blueprint neighborhood and we invite you to get involved and lend a hand. Join with your friends and neighbors to make the Blueprint for Revitalization a success. In the last few months we have done a number of things that will impact the LaSalle Street neighborhood in positive and exciting ways. First, we have established the Blueprint Neighborhood Council to help lead the revitalization efforts. This group consists of neighborhood residents and representatives of the larger Berwick community. The first meeting was on February 2 and they will meet monthly from this point forward. All meetings are open to the public and your participation is welcomed and encouraged. Second, the Homeowner Rehabs are underway with 4 completed so far. Two projects are under construction, two others are ready to start and another two are ready to go out for bid.  We are still accepting applications so if you are interested, please contact our office. 784-9373 ext.121. Third, redevelopment efforts have started in the 300 Block of LaSalle Street with the demolition of houses at 316/318, 320, and R331. Thanks to Berwick Borough for their help with this project. We hope to fill these empty lots with new homes in the very near future.

Blueprint Community Receives $600,000 grant

The Columbia County Housing / Redevelopment Authority recently received a $600,000 grant from the Wachovia Foundation to begin the management process of the Blueprint Community.  The Wachovia Foundation has been a major benefactor in the redevelopment effort in the LaSalle Street neighborhood.  In addition, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh has also been a very generous donor for redevelopment efforts. The Columbia County Housing / Redevelopment Authority hosted a luncheon for community leaders and neighborhood residents to celebrate the recent grant award.  The event was held at the Maria Assunta.  Following the event, attendees were invited to tour the new housing units that were recently completed on Chestnut Street.  The Borough of Berwick is extremely excited to partner with the Blueprint Committee, the Columbia County Housing and Redevelopment Authority, the Wachovia Foundation, the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, and the citizens of the neighborhood in a great effort to revitalize and redevelop this neighborhood.  This event November 6, 2009 was a major stepping stone and boost to this effort.

Sponsler\'s Park Plan Beginning to Take Shape

Posted:  March 10, 2010 Update: At the July 19 meeting of Berwick Council, the order for the new play equipment was approved and work is expected to begin in the park by fall. This new equipment will be a huge improvement and will make Sponsler Park one of the best in the area. Thanks to Berwick Council for their continued support of teh Blueprint for Revitalization.  As promised, the Blue Print Community plan is beginning to take shape.  The Borough of Berwick Council secured $40,000 through Community Development Block Grant funding for improvements to Sponsler\'s Park.  The park, the size of an entire town block, is located in the heart of the Blue Print Community.  In coordination with donated services from Seda Cog and Bucknell University, the Borough conducted a study of the basic needs of the park.  The study was conducted to get a solid feel for the issues in the park and the needs of the neighborhood residents for the park.  Residents completed surveys and participated in a day-long workshop in the park, creating basic design options and voicing concerns and needs for the park.  Data was collected and designs were made.  The Borough Council selected one of the basic designs and began the legwork from there. The Borough Manager, Assistant Borough Manager, and Blue Print Manager recently met with the owner of Play World to begin to design equipment for the park.  Later in the summer, when the equipment arrives, we are asking residents to volunteer and help install the equipment for their park.  We truly hope that residents take ownership and pride in this investment. Although $40,000 seems like a lot of money, it really is not when it comes to investing in a community park.  A basic park bench can cost nearly $1,000.  Therefore, we are striving to obtain additional funds through grants and donations.  The ultimate goal is to have a park that is well-lit, safe, and enjoyable for families.  This may take a few years, however, the process has begun, and we are truly excited!  Join us in improving our community and take part of this great process!  Check out the link below in regards to the study that was conducted. Sponsler Park Study

Blue Print Community Halloween Celebration at Sponsler's Park

written by:  Thomas O'Brien, Borough Intern               Sponslers Park was lit up last night for a Halloween celebration that could be heard all throughout Berwick. Led by Jay Jarrett of the Columbia County Redevelopment Authority, Officer Mike Monico and his community policing organization, the Berwick government, , and the Berwick Fire Department, dozens of children dressed in Halloween costumes were treated to the best party in town. It was a grand celebration to say the least, chalked full of dancing, candy, glow sticks, and other surprises. The Berwick Fire Department provided the lighting for the event and lined their trucks up along Monroe Street to show off each company’s apparatuses. Although the main objective of the night was to get out and have some fun, there was an important message that Officer Monico wanted to stress to these young kids.              The theme of the night was about crime and safety, and officer Monico wasn’t shy when relaying his main message to the kids, which was to stay away from drugs and out of trouble. Another important goal of the night was to stress the importance of Halloween safety. Although Halloween should be a fun time of the year for children, there are still people out there who wish to harm children by giving out bad candy that is laced with harmful materials or drugs. At a table next to the police trailer was a handout that was given to every child and parent there explaining the importance of inspecting every item in their Halloween bags. Along with that, it also urged children and parents to stray away from suspicious people as well as strangers.              Another important part of this event was to spread the word about the noble work that is being performed by the Columbia County Housing Authority. The organization has just recently launched a project called the “Blue Print” community, which is led by Jay Jarrett and is aimed at cleaning up streets such as LaSalle Street and making the borough of Berwick look nicer. Another goal of the organization is to pump money into Sponslors Park to beautify it and to make it a place for fun and games as opposed to the drug and crime activities that have deteriorated the park in recent years.             Overall, the event was a huge success and the message was heard loud and clear all across Berwick; we will no longer allow crime to ruin our town. A special thanks to Officer Mike Monico for putting on this event and for all he does for this community. His leadership in the community policing program has paid significant dividends for our town.         The Crime drawing contest for grades 1-4 were on display throughout the night. Congratulations to the following winners of the poster contest for the community policing organization. The winner for the 1st grade was Olivia Erdman in Mrs. Yanchunus’s class, 2nd grade winner was Merisol Wark in Mrs. Parmentari’s class, 3rd grade winner was Grace Finucanoin Mr. Harman’s class, and the 4th grade winner was Angelina Dalberto in Miss. Moschgat’s class. Congratulations to the winners of the contests!