County Lends Non-Profit Grant Match

By Jonathan Weaver

County leaders are helping out a regional non-profit group geared toward the revitalization of three southern Armstrong County river communities.

Planning and Economic Development Assistant Director Carmen Johnson explained the situation to commissioners Thursday.

“The County had received a grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) for a Main Street Program with FLAG (Freeport, Leechburg, Apollo Group), and (while) the project was completed and audited, FLAG was not able to reach their entire (monetary) match – a little over $50,000 short ,” Johnson said.

About $50,000 was then borrowed from the County, and will be paid back no later than July 31, 2015.

“The money will be used for additional façade improvements and also for the project audit,” Johnson said.

The original grant received in 2008 was $225,000, and the original match amount for the façade improvements was $120,000.

FLAG utilized their funds for a Main Street Manager – served through Mary Jendrey already. Although there is an active board, FLAG does not have any staff members currently.

FLAG was the only organization in the County that received a grant similar to this.

Applications are being accepted from local residents to serve on the Kittanning-based Children Youth and Family Services Advisory Committee – especially from those living in the City of Parker, Bradys Bend Township, and Rural Valley and Elderton Boroughs.

A total of three individuals listed at Kittanning addresses were appointed or reappointed to serve through December 31, 2016.

Administrator Dennis Demangone said there are four vacancies on the minimum-11 member board.

“But we can exceed the 11-number too – so if there were additional people who would be interested, we’d be glad to have them,” Demangone said.

The board members currently meet the first Monday of each month at 3:30PM at the offices along South Jefferson Street in Kittanning. Meetings are approximately an hour in length. This year, members recommended several actions for the County agency on how to respond to several upcoming Child Abuse Law changes

“It’s quite the commitment,” Commissioner Bob Bower said.

The agency has provided placement to about 50 children in the past fiscal year and about 200 children received in-home services out of the approximately 600 family referrals investigated.

Any county resident interested in serving on the advisory committee may contact Demangone at the agency phone number (724 548-3466) or through email at ddemangone@co.armstrong.pa.us. He will provide a packet of information to the interested individual who will then be positioned to make an informed decision on pursuing membership.

Advisory Committee members who serve as volunteers at agency events for children are required to obtain child abuse and criminal background checks as well as mandated reporter of suspected child abuse training.

Also, pending County Solicitor Chase McClister’s review, one-year lease agreements were also made with the Amateur Armstrong Hockey League, the Freeport Area Hockey Association and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Hockey League (PIHL). Executive Director Gary Montebell said the Belmont Complex ice has been home to the organizations for decades.

In PIHL game action Thursday night, the varsity Freeport Yellow Jackets won but the varsity Armstrong Riverhawks lost to Moon, 4-2, at the Belmont Complex in East Franklin Township.

Acting Head Coach Jaymie Oliver led the team in Head Coach Doug Anthony’s place due to a series of suspensions suffered during the last matchup. Oliver said the team tried hard to keep a 1-0 lead early in the third period, but gave up four quick goals.

“Overall, I thought they played well with the effort – we had a couple of things working against us (kids being out because of injury and due to the suspension the previous game),” Oliver said. “We were starting our younger goaltender (Jacob Lorigan), and he played extremely well with the (more than 50 Moon) shots and a lot working against us.

“We didn’t make that an excuse – we fully expected to win. We just missed a couple opportunities to go up, and that was the difference.”

Junior Varsity Coach Pete Benvenuti said Lorigan was nervous going into the matchup (his first game of the season), but also agreed that he did “a fantastic job keeping the rebounds to a minimum and covering the puck when he needed to.”

The loss was Armstrong’s second straight, and kept them in third place with a 5-3 record.

The next public meeting will be held at 9AM Thursday, December 18. The 2015 County budget