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Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Election analysis: A look at primary outcomes, implications
Two women will battle for Scranton mayor just six years after city voters swept incumbent Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti into office as a Democrat-turned-independent running as an alternative to the city's entrenched Democratic political establishment. Cognetti's historic 2019 special election victory to fill the unexpired term of corrupt former Mayor Bill Courtright was in the minds of many a rejection of Scranton's old-guard Democratic politics — a symbolic turning of the page that opened the door for Cognetti to become the city's first female mayor and shatter a longstanding glass ceiling without the support of traditional city Democratic power brokers. * Patricia 'Trish' Beynon, Republican candidate for Scranton mayor in 2025 primary and general elections. (PHOTO PROVIDED / COURTESY OF PATRICIA BEYNON) * Scranton Mayor-Elect Paige Gebhardt Cognetti at Scranton City Hall in Scranton on Nov. 7, 2019. * A voter walks into the polls in John G. Whittier Elementary School in Scranton Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Voters walk into Charles Sumner Elementary School in Scranton Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Voters walk into the polls as they take literature from candidates and volunteers at John G. Whittier Elementary School in Scranton Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Voters gather outside of Green Ridge Assembly of God Church in Scranton Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Voters walk into Scranton High School in Scranton Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * A voter walks into Scranton High School in Scranton Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * A volunteer waits for voters to enter the polls in Jackson Heights Apartments in Scranton Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Show Caption 1 of 9 Patricia 'Trish' Beynon, Republican candidate for Scranton mayor in 2025 primary and general elections. (PHOTO PROVIDED / COURTESY OF PATRICIA BEYNON) Expand After sailing to reelection as a Democrat in 2021 and dominating a contested Democratic primary Tuesday with more than 75% of the vote, Cognetti now faces another potential glass-ceiling-breaker in Republican mayoral candidate Patricia 'Trish' Beynon. The accounting executive defeated business owner Lynn Labrosky by 118 votes in Tuesday's GOP primary, securing the Republican nomination for mayor in November's municipal election, according to unofficial election results. If elected, Beynon would become the first Republican woman to take City Hall and Scranton's first elected GOP mayor since the late Jimmy Connors, a Democrat who switched parties and won the office as a Republican in 1989 before switching back in 2000 during his third term. Then-Republican City Councilman Wayne Evans was appointed interim mayor after Courtright resigned in disgrace, serving for several months until Cognetti succeeded him in January of 2020. Patricia Beynon celebrates with supporters at Cooper's Seafood House in Scranton on Tuesday night after capturing the Republican nomination for Scranton mayor. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Beynon will have to overcome a considerable Democratic voter-registration advantage to make that history, which will require defeating Cognetti and a possible field of independent candidates for mayor in November. The entrance of would-be independent mayoral candidate Gene Barrett, the former Scranton Sewer Authority executive director and a former city councilman who originally announced plans to challenge Cognetti in the Democratic primary but ultimately didn't file paperwork to appear on the ballot, would certainly change the dynamic of the race. Barrett forecasted his potential independent run in March after Democratic former Scranton School Board President Bob Sheridan filed to challenge Cognetti, telling The Times-Tribune on the day of the filing deadline that a three-person Democratic primary would only split up votes to the advantage of the incumbent mayor. Cognetti didn't ultimately need that advantage, earning 6,264 votes Tuesday to Sheridan's 1,864, but Barrett could prove a more formidable challenger if he mounts a meaningful independent campaign. Reached last week, he didn't commit to an independent run but didn't rule one out. 'We're looking at it,' Barrett said. 'It will be a practical and common-sense decision. Certainly the incumbent mayor won convincingly in the Democratic primary, but on the other hand it wasn't a very strong candidate that she ran against.' Even if Barrett runs and doesn't defeat Cognetti himself, his possible independent candidacy, that of independent mayoral candidate Mike Mancini and potential others would likely siphon votes away from Cognetti to Beynon's advantage. It's an advantage she could use in a city where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by a more than 2-1 margin and hold the registration advantage in every one of Scranton's 48 precincts. Mayor Paige Cognetti enters her campaign headquarters after winning the Democratic primary mayoral election in Scranton on Tuesday, May 20, 2025. (REBECCA PARTICKA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Running for mayor as a Democrat, Cognetti has never failed to garner at least 70% of the vote. She earned 71.36% in her 2021 municipal primary victory over Democratic City Controller John Murray, 72.51% in the 2021 municipal election where she defeated longshot Republican candidate Darwin Lee Shaw II and 75.51% to Sheridan's 22.47% Tuesday. But despite that success, Cognetti's endorsement wasn't enough to get her preferred city council candidate, Democratic city planning commissioner member Todd Pousley, over the finish line in the Democratic primary for city council. It was a defeat that could hamper Cognetti's ability to enact her legislative agenda should she win another four-year term this fall. City council The dynamic of city council was going to change regardless of Tuesday's outcomes, as two of the three Democratic council members who most frequently align with Cognetti on legislative matters — Council President Gerald Smurl, Councilman Bill King and Councilwoman Jessica Rothchild — are set to leave office after this year. King didn't seek reelection, and Smurl withdrew from Democratic primary contention in March amid issues with certain signatures on his nomination petitions. His withdrawal left a field of six Democratic candidates — Pousley, incumbent Councilman Tom Schuster, Scranton School Director Sean McAndrew, former state House candidate Patrick Flynn, political organizer Frankie Malacaria and vocal Cognetti critic Virgil Argenta — vying for three Democratic nominations to advance to November's municipal election, when three seats on the five-member council are up for grabs. Flynn, McAndrew and Schuster won nominations Tuesday, with Flynn finishing as the top vote-getter. They'll appear on November's ballot alongside Republican Marc Pane, who was the lone candidate in the GOP primary. Whoever wins the three council seats in November will serve alongside Rothchild and Democratic Councilman Mark McAndrew, Sean McAndrew's uncle, when council reorganizes. Patrick Flynn, who captured a Democratic nomination for Scranton City Council on Tuesday night, celebrates with his wife, Kate, at Benny's on Green Ridge Street in Scranton. (CHAD SEBRING/STAFF PHOTO) Smurl said last week he doesn't currently intend to seek reelection as an independent, but left open the possibility that he'll reconsider. Nonetheless, Tuesday's council outcome was a blow for Cognetti who, should she win reelection, stands to lose two often reliable votes on the five-member legislative body. The administration's legislative proposals require the majority support of three council members to pass, assuming all members are voting, and a supermajority of four can override the mayor's veto. In past votes where council split and Cognetti's proposed legislation narrowly passed 3-2, Smurl, King and Rothchild often voted together in support of her proposals with Schuster and Mark McAndrew opposed. That's not to say Smurl, King and Rothchild always align with the mayor or that Schuster and Mark McAndrew never do — council members are free agents and the body often votes unanimously. Flynn, Sean McAndrew and Pane could also find common ground with the mayor if she's reelected and they secure council seats. But the defeat of Pousley, who finished fourth despite Cognetti's backing, means one less likely ally on council for the mayor should she retain City Hall. Cognetti acknowledged the harder road ahead in her victory speech Tuesday. 'We have a real fight on our hands for city council,' she told her supporters, Pousley among them. 'We will continue to fight to make sure that we have a city council, with Dr. Rothchild, that can continue to help us make this progress and not try to tear down everything that we've built. So, it's going to be a slog. We've got a long way to go until November.' Schuster took umbrage with those remarks at Thursday's council meeting. 'I saw comments in the paper by the mayor and if I don't question things while on this council I'm not doing my job as a councilman, so I'd just like to put that out there,' he said. 'I think a lot of progress is made and this council passes most things that come from down from this mayor.' School district The race for Scranton School Board lacked the political acrimony that often marks primary elections. City voters backed experience. Incumbent board Vice President Danielle Chesek led the field in both the Democratic and Republican primaries. In Pennsylvania school board candidates can cross-file, meaning they can seek both Democratic and Republican nominations to secure spots on the November ballot. In the school board race all but one of the six candidates cross-filed and all but one, 22-year-old political newcomer Julien M. Wells, secured either a Democratic nomination, a GOP nomination or both. Chesek, recently appointed school Director Jenna Strzelecki and retired district Chief Information Officer Joe Brazil won nominations on both the Democratic and Republican ballots. Former school Director Carol J. Cleary, running only as a Democrat, won a Democratic nomination, while former Scranton City Council candidate John Howe won a nomination on the Republican ballot. From left: Scranton School Board candidates Joe Brazil, Danielle Chesek, Carol Cleary, John Howe and Jenna Strzelecki. (Chad Sebring / Staff Photos) Howe is the only of the winning primary candidates not to have worked for the district, served on the board or currently serve in that capacity. Strzelecki, the board's newest member, was appointed to a vacant board seat in late April. Tuesday's results suggest voters put stock in experience. And with four seats on the nine-member school board up for grabs this year, the majority of the five candidates that secured nominations Tuesday seem likely to win or maintain board seats. Several of the candidates who won nominations in the primary complimented the other candidates in the field after the polls closed. And while all candidates for school director are focused on the challenges ahead for the district — from improving educational outcomes and bolstering curriculums to providing the best possible education for the district's roughly 9,300 students amid the looming threat of federal funding cuts — the Scranton School Board has proven a reliable pipeline for city offices. Cognetti, Schuster and Mark McAndrew all previously served on the school board, Sean McAndrew is a current school director and King, the outgoing city councilman, is the district's former superintendent. The window for individuals who plan to run as independent or third-party candidates in November's municipal election to begin circulating nomination papers opened March 12. The last day to file those papers is Aug. 1. The municipal election itself is Nov. 4.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sister cities: Carrying parts of Gubbio through Jessup on St. Ubaldo Day
When teams of runners careen through the streets of Jessup on Saturday for St. Ubaldo Day's iconic Corsa dei Ceri, they aren't just carrying their saints, they're carrying pieces of Gubbio. In a tradition observed only in Jessup and Gubbio, Italy, runners, or ceraioli, carry statues of St. Ubaldo, St. Anthony and St. George perched atop tall, wooden, candlelike pillars called a cero, as they navigate through the hilly streets of Jessup for La Corsa dei Ceri. With the Family of St. George unveiling last month a new, roughly 6-foot-tall cero handcrafted in Gubbio, all three families will be using statues and saints made in Gubbio, said Curt Camoni, a board member with the Family of St. George who has been running in the Race of the Saints since 2001 — a year after the tradition was revived in Jessup. 'It definitely brings a closeness (to Gubbio),' Camoni said. Gubbio is Jessup's sister city. * Statues from the Family of San Giorgio, Sant'Ubaldo, and Sant'Antonio are presented in the Saint Ubaldo Cultural Center in Jessup. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * The upper level of the Saint Ubaldo Cultural Center where artifacts are kept. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Dave Valvano, member of the family of The Family of Sant' Antonio, discusses some of the historical items that are part of Saint Ubaldo Day in the Saint Ubaldo Cultural Center Friday, May 23, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * President of the Saint Ubaldo Society Scott Hall and member of the family of The Family of Sant' Antonio Dave Valvano stand in the Saint Ubaldo Cultural Center as they describe some of the items used during Saint Ubaldo Day in Jessup Friday, May 23, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * A few of the first class relics that make up the cultural significance of Saint Ubaldo Day sit in the Saint Ubaldo Cultural Center in Jessup Friday, May 23, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * President of the Saint Ubaldo Society Scott Hall points out some of the artifacts that make up the cultural significance of Saint Ubaldo Day in Jessup Friday, May 23, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Shown here is the former cero that was used by The Family of San Giorgio and will be replaced with a new one. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Flags representing the three families are secured to the roof of the Saint Ubaldo Cultural Center in Jessup. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Show Caption 1 of 8 Statues from the Family of San Giorgio, Sant'Ubaldo, and Sant'Antonio are presented in the Saint Ubaldo Cultural Center in Jessup. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Expand The celebration of St. Ubaldo Baldassini began in Gubbio in the 12th century; Italian immigrants brought the tradition to Jessup in 1909. The tradition had a hiatus in1952 and resumed in 1976, followed by another hiatus from 1990 to 2000. The Family of St. George was the last family to still use a locally made cero, Camoni said. With their new cero — a gift from Gubbio — the family will preserve their previous cero inside the St. Ubaldo Society Cultural Center, 310 Third Ave., Camoni said. 'They generously created and gifted these items to us,' Camoni said. 'It really is best of both worlds. We feel a very personal attachment to everything we use.' The ceri from Gubbio are the same as the ones they use in their race, just smaller, Camoni said, explaining runners in Gubbio don't have to worry about hitting wires like Jessup. The Family of St. Ubaldo and the Family of St. Anthony each received a new cero from Gubbio in previous years, and during last year's St. Ubaldo Day, a large group of attendees from Gubbio saw the Family of St. George's cero and promised to send a new one, he said. 'It just was an amazingly generous gift,' Camoni said. The Lackawanna Energy Center then covered the $2,500 shipping costs from Gubbio to Jessup, he said, lauding the natural gas-fired power plant for its support. Because the statue of St. George is seated on a horse, it's the shortest of the three saints, Camoni said. To offset that, the new cero is slightly taller, bringing it more in line with the others, he said. 'It's going to be beautiful,' he said. 'I can't wait to see the pictures where they're running, and you could see all three in line.' On Saturday, the only non-Gubbio items carried by the runners will be the stangas, or the H-shaped platforms that rest on their shoulders, with the ceri and saint statues on top of them, Camoni said. The entire setup weighs 400 to 500 pounds, he said. Asked whether they would ever use stangas from Gubbio, Camoni pointed to the sentimental value of the generations of runners who have used their current stangas. 'That's the part that actually comes in contact with the ceraioli, the runners, and there's some really good people that are no longer able to touch that,' he said. 'Knowing that they were in contact with that, that one day a year, you get to feel them kind of with you. It's super important.' Both Camoni and St. Ubaldo Society President Scott Hall pointed to other important items from Gubbio used in Jessup, including a large statue of St. Ubaldo that is paraded before the race, which was handcrafted and painted in Gubbio; a relic with a piece of St. Ubaldo's lung, which Hall said is supposed to have a healing effect for those who are sick; and elements of the child-sized version of the race on Sunday called the Ceri Piccoli. Each year, Gubbio also ships Jessup hand-painted vases with the names of each family's captain, or capodieci, Camoni said. In one of St. Ubaldo Day's more compelling scenes, called L'Alzata, or the raising of the saints, team captains toss the water-filled vases into the air, shattering them on the ground before their teams hoist their saints into the air. 'The connection to Gubbio is stronger than ever,' Camoni said. Getting a piece of the vase is supposed to bring good luck for the year, Hall said. At the end of the race, the capocetta, who is selected by the capodiece, uses a hatchet from Gubbio to remove a pin disconnecting the cero from the stanga, Hall said, explaining each family has its own hatchet. Hatchets used in Saint Ubaldo Day that were made in Gubbio, Italy are secured to the wall of the Saint Ubaldo Cultural Center in Jessup. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Hall called it a great honor to participate each year and carry on the tradition that came over from Gubbio. 'It's not about one person, one family,' Hall said. 'Rain or shine, the ceri will rise, and we are going to honor St. Ubaldo (Saturday) through the streets of Jessup.' La Festa dei Ceri schedule St. Ubaldo Day festivities begin early Saturday morning, continuing throughout much of the day in Jessup's boroughwide celebration. 6-7:45 a.m.: Drummers will commence at 6 a.m. from the St. Ubaldo Cultural Center, 310 Third Ave., and walk through the town to wake up dignitaries for the day. 7:30-9: The Valley View High School band will process through the town playing music for the community to enjoy. 8-8:30: Those participating in St. Ubaldo Day's events will meet at the top of the hill of St. John's Italian American Cemetery entrance on Primo Saldi Drive for a procession into the cemetery, which begins at 8:05 a.m. The Rev. Andrew Kurovsky will perform a prayer service with a wreath laying in honor of past runners. 8:40-10:15: A breakfast will be hosted by the St. Ubaldo Society at the cultural center for participants and dignitaries, with a flower pinning, or Mazzolino di Fiori, ceremony for runners. 10:30-11: A Mass in honor of St. Ubaldo will be held on the steps of the cultural center. Immediately following Mass – 11:20: All runners are asked to assemble inside of the cultural center to remove all needed artifacts used during the Corsa dei Ceri; the saints will leave the chapel and be placed on a carrier to lead in the procession to the old St. Mary's Church, 517 Third Ave. Immediately following the exit of the saints-11:45: Extended procession of saints, ceri and all runners to the old St. Mary's Church. Noon: L'Alzata, or the raising of the saints, at St. Mary's Church. 12:30 p.m.: Each saint will be paraded through town, stopping at the homes of past runners. 2: All ceri will be placed together on lower Ward Street. 4-4:15: Runners, dignitaries and guests will gather at the St. Ubaldo Society Cultural Center in preparation of the large statue of St. Ubaldo. 4:20 p.m.: The large statue of St. Ubaldo will leave promptly at 4:20 p.m., processing the race route in reverse. The St. Ubaldo Society invites all who wish to carry the large statue to do so respectfully. 5:20: A short run from lower Ward Street to the start of the Corsa dei Ceri. 5:30: La Corsa dei Ceri begins, starting on Powell Avenue and winding through town, ending in Veterans Memorial Field. Following the end of the race, a procession with all artifacts used throughout the day will proceed back to the St. Ubaldo Society Cultural Center. When they arrive, all artifacts will be placed in their resting position until next year, and once the large St. Ubaldo statue is in place, a closing prayer by Kurovsky will take place followed by singing. La Corsa dei Ceri route To follow the race, there will be multiple stops along the route. Stops will be at, in order: 1. Powell Avenue and Ward Street 2. Mylert Street and Short Street 3. Grassy Island Avenue and Ward Street 4. Church Street and Center Street 5. The S-turn at Church Street and Front Street 6. Church Street and Lane Street 7. Church Street and Third Avenue 8. The ceri will then turn to run up Church Street 9. Church Street and Erie Street 10. Erie Street 11. Conclusion at Veterans Memorial Field
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Shapiro visits Scranton school, touts education funding success
Students and teachers at Isaac Tripp Elementary School lined a hallway to welcome Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro on Wednesday. They shook pompoms, held signs and swayed miniature flags as the governor greeted and high-fived them. Shortly after, the lucky first-grade class of Julie Zaleski filed politely into the gymnasium and sat 'criss-cross applesauce' on the floor to one side of the room, beneficiaries of a historic $2 billion increase in K-12 public education funding by the Shapiro administration. Shapiro took to the podium, flanked by book shelves loaded with library books, a globe and a stuffed mouse. * Gov. Josh Shapiro jokes with students at Isaac Tripp Elementary School in Scranton Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Gov. Josh Shapiro looks ahead as he visits with students through a hallway at Isaac Tripp Elementary School in Scranton Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks in the gymnasium of Isaac Tripp Elementary School in Scranton Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Gov. Josh Shapiro greets students at Isaac Tripp Elementary School in Scranton Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Students wait for Gov. Josh Shapiro to make his way through a hallway at Isaac Tripp Elementary School in Scranton Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Gov. Josh Shapiro greets students at Isaac Tripp Elementary School in Scranton Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * State Rep. Jim Haddock greets students in the gymnasium of Isaac Tripp Elementary School in Scranton during a visit from Gov. Josh Shapiro Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Show Caption 1 of 7 Gov. Josh Shapiro jokes with students at Isaac Tripp Elementary School in Scranton Wednesday, May 21, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Expand Shapiro touted a year of improved education and resources for students across the region, bolstered by the largest year-over-year increase to education funding in the commonwealth's history, and elaborated on the success of the funding. 'The reason why we are here today is because we've been able to come together, Democrat and Republican alike, and do something really, really historical, for public education here in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania,' Shapiro said. State Reps. Bridget Kosierowski, D-114, Waverly Twp., Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely, and Jim Haddock, D-118, Pittston Twp., gathered to one side. Scranton School District Superintendent Erin Keating, Ed.D., Scranton School Board President Ty Holmes and acting Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Education Carrie Rowe stood on the other side. Scranton Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti sat among a group of local leaders and lookers on in a pattern of padded folding chairs. Shapiro described a scenario where, a decade ago, the state cut $1 billion in funding from the education system. 'We hit a speed bump and were forced to go back,' Shapiro said. He outlined how, though Gov. Tom Wolf's administration worked to do damage control, schools were still severely underfunded. 'We knew that the standard wasn't being met, across Northeastern Pennsylvania, or across this commonwealth,' Shapiro explained, adding that, when he served as the attorney general of Pennsylvania, he wrote a legal brief explaining the system needed to be corrected, because it was unconstitutional. Shortly after Shapiro took office, Pennsylvania courts ruled the school funding system at that time to be unconstitutional. 'Instead of pointing fingers at somebody else, we all agreed, Democrat and Republican, to get around the table and work to address this crisis in public education that we were facing,' Shapiro said. 'We didn't want to shortchange these students. We wanted to be able to invest in them again and make sure that every child has an opportunity for success in life. And so we worked together, and we made historic investments.' Shapiro pointed to Isaac Tripp Elementary School as an example of what is possible when bipartisan efforts maintain the constitutional obligation to children and schools. 'This wasn't just about writing a check to the school district,' Shapiro said, adding that as a result of the work, problems have been solved, highlighting the commonwealth's universal free breakfast provided in schools to all students, because, 'no child should have to learn on an empty belly.' He outlined other improvements, such as growth to the after-school program, access to pre-K, increased funding for special education, including more counselors and special education support in schools, upgrades and improvements, and an increase in the number of teachers hired, thanks in part to a $10,000 stipend reimbursement for educators' learning costs. 'For so many years, the number of teachers have been declining in Pennsylvania. We're reversing that trend,' Shapiro said. 'For the first time in years, it's growing.' Keating described Scranton as 'a city that is long steeped in a proud history and a promising future,' and highlighting the diversity of the student body of 9,300, accentuating how additional funding has improved the education of the students, 80% of whom 'qualify as economically disadvantaged.' She expressed excitement to be 'bringing back preschool,' addressing mental health needs, adding art, music, physical education, STEM opportunities, new fire alarm systems, upgrading all exterior doors, adding interior cameras, completion of construction to West Scranton Intermediate School, and more with the educational funding increase. 'They aren't just extras,' Keating said, addressing some of the benefits funding has provided for the district. 'They're vital components of well-rounded education that create those experiences and interests for kids to grow from high school and beyond.' Kosierowski thanked Shapiro for prioritizing education, citing how her experience as a nurse allows her the ability to see the benefits positive measures taken while children are young has on their overall and ongoing health and lives. 'I'm really proud of what we do here in the state and with funding that we have,' Kosierowski said, citing safe classrooms, nutritional provisions and mental health supports, and reiterated that $11 billion is aimed at K-12 education funding, with a $2 billion increase during the Shapiro administration, and $200 million more dollars to benefit mental health needs, among other improvements. 'This is what progress looks like,' Kosierowski added, 'and here in Scranton, we are seeing it firsthand.'
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Scranton gives $100,000 in grants to eight veterans' service organizations
SCRANTON — An idea a decade ago for a memorial to honor the hundreds of Scranton veterans who died in wars resulted five years later in the Scranton Veterans Memorial Park at Scranton High School. The city this year gave the memorial park a $5,000 grant for ongoing maintenance and replacement of flags. The memorial park and seven other organizations that serve veterans received city grants totaling $100,000 to help them in various ways, including renovating buildings and providing individual assistance services, Mayor Paige Gebhardt Cognetti said Monday during an event at American Legion Connolly Post 568 in Minooka. Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti announces grants awarded to veterans at the American Legion Post 568 in Scranton Monday, May 19, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) The funding, in the city's 2025 operating budget, continues the city's commitment to local veterans, the mayor said. The $100,000 represents an increase from the $80,000 total awarded in 2023 and $85,000 in 2024. 'As a veteran, I like to see how this program has grown over the last three or four years. Who knows what's going to happen in the next five years?' said Pat Ahern, chairman of Scranton Veterans Memorial Park during the announcement event. 'We have so many different organizations now. It's like planting a tree. It starts off small but eventually it grows,' Ahern said. Vice commander of the American Legion Post 568 Tom Benson joins other legion members as Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti announces grants awarded to veterans outside of the legion in Scranton Monday, May 19, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) The city accepted grant applications through April. The recipients, grant amounts and other representatives of recipient organizations who spoke during the announcement event included: • Agency for Community EmPOWERment of NEPA (ACE), 123 Wyoming Ave., $5,000 to support the Veterans Rise and Ride program that provides transportation to employment and medical appointments. 'This $5,000 was really lifesaving,' ACE Executive Director Jim Wansacz said. 'Without that grant, we would have had to shut that (ride service) down.' • American Legion Connolly Post 568, 2929 Birney Ave., $20,000 for upgrades to the community hall to improve energy efficiency and provide ADA-compliant seating. Post Commander Sean O'Shea said the post's membership is older and raising money for building maintenance and modernization is difficult. 'We're very grateful for this' grant. • Bread Basket of NEPA, 550 Madison Ave., $5,000 for its Veteran Food Security Support Initiative which helps Lackawanna County veterans struggling with food insecurity. • Fight4Vets, 711 Davis St., $10,000 for a rent assistance program that combats veteran homelessness by providing emergency rent support and additional prevention services. • Scranton Veterans Memorial Park, located at Scranton High School, 63 Munchak Way, Scranton, $5,000 to purchase flags for each Armed Forces branch and continued maintenance of the site. • UKAVETS, 237 Railroad Ave., $10,000 for the replacement of outdated facilities. • Valhalla Veterans Services, 2754 Jackson St., $20,000 to support Valhalla's Hope, which removes financial barriers to mental health counseling and suicide intervention services for local veterans. • Warrior Strong, 311 Adams Ave., $25,000 to support the Resilient Warriors program, its unique comprehensive health and wellness program. Warrior Strong President Tom Tice said support from the city allowed his organization to double its offerings and open its studio much more often to veterans and their families. 'We can really tell the community — the veteran community — is using our programs every single day,' Tice said. American Legion Connolly Post 568, 2929 Birney Ave., Scranton, on Monday, May 19, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * American Legion Connolly Post 568, 2929 Birney Ave., Scranton, on Monday, May 19, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) * Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti announces grants awarded to veterans at the American Legion Post 568 in Scranton Monday, May 19, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Vice commander of the American Legion Post 568 Tom Benson joins other legion members as Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti announces grants awarded to veterans outside of the legion in Scranton Monday, May 19, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * American Legion Connolly Post 568, 2929 Birney Ave., Scranton, on Monday, May 19, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) Show Caption 1 of 4 American Legion Connolly Post 568, 2929 Birney Ave., Scranton, on Monday, May 19, 2025. (JIM LOCKWOOD / STAFF PHOTO) Expand
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Data centers could reshape landscape in NEPA
Data centers are coming to Northeast Pennsylvania. In a region once fueled by coal, a new industry aims to reshape Northeast Pennsylvania, tapping into the high-voltage power lines slicing through the valley to fuel sprawling campuses of computer-filled buildings powering artificial intelligence and cloud computing. Because of the sudden surge in data centers, local municipalities do not adequately address them in their zoning, leaving communities scrambling to update their land-use legislation to address the rapidly growing industry. Over the last six months, Lackawanna County — primarily in its Midvalley region — has experienced a burst of interest from developers looking to construct large data center parks, joining Luzerne County where Missouri-based NorthPoint Development plans to construct a 15-building data center campus in Hazle Twp. called 'Project Hazelnut,' and where Amazon seeks to operate a data center in Salem Twp. near a nuclear power plant. In Lackawanna County, Archbald has become the hotbed for new data center activity, with three data center campuses proposed for the town, all along the Business Route 6 or Eynon Jermyn Road corridors. Although nothing is official, another developer looks to build a data center in Jessup, and on the southern tier of the county, Clifton Twp. officials are looking to update their zoning in light of a data center proposal. While data centers offer significant tax revenue and high-paying jobs, they could have adverse effects if not properly legislated by municipalities. Local officials are looking to amend their zoning to provide more oversight over data centers and potentially restrict where they can be built, though for some projects, it could be too late. According to the Data Center Coalition, data centers are physical locations that organizations use to house their critical applications and data. 'Data centers are the foundation of the digital infrastructure on which our modern society and economy are built,' according to the industry group's website. 'Data centers aggregate our collective computing demands — everything from sharing photos with friends and family to streaming our favorite shows to supporting online learning and storing important medical and financial information — efficiently and securely in one location.' The Data Center Coalition is a membership association for the data center industry, with members including Amazon Web Services, Google, Microsoft and Meta. * Power lines span over the Scranton Carbondale Highway in Archbald Thursday, May 15, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Power lines span over the Scranton Carbondale Highway in Archbald Thursday, May 15, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) * Power lines run through a section of the Archbald off of the Scranton Carbondale Highway Thursday, May 15, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Show Caption 1 of 3 Power lines span over the Scranton Carbondale Highway in Archbald Thursday, May 15, 2025. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER) Expand Why now? Growth in artificial intelligence is the driving factor behind the surge in data centers, said John Augustine, president and CEO of Penn's Northeast, which is a Pittston-based collective aiming to promote new investments, jobs and business opportunities by promoting Northeast Pennsylvania. 'Cloud computing, computer programs themselves, also play a role in data centers, but really, AI is driving this fast-moving train,' he said. Virginia was essentially the birthplace of data centers, but portions of the state put moratoriums in place on new developments because of the amounts of water and power they use, he said. In response, Amazon looked at tapping directly into the Talen Energy nuclear power plant in Salem Twp. for a data center,, Augustine said. Amazon's data center put Northeast Pennsylvania on the map for new developments, piquing the interest of other major data center firms like Google, Meta and Microsoft, he said. 'Amazon was the first and kind of said, 'Hey, look at this place. They have water, they have land, and most importantly, they have the power,'' Augustine said. But, the online retail giant's project hit a roadblock when members of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission in November opposed Talen Energy's proposal to increase the amount of power that it would directly supply to Amazon for data centers. Last month, FERC upheld that decision. With multiple natural gas power plants in Northeast Pennsylvania and the ability to draw natural gas from the Marcellus Shale, Augustine believes the region is well suited for data centers. If data centers use natural gas to generate power onsite, they will pay markedly less per kilowatt of power, he said. 'We have the second largest natural gas reserve in the world,' he said. 'Now it's time to put it to work for what is literally generational, life-changing opportunities.' In Archbald, borough Manager Dan Markey said borough officials have asked people why their town has so much interest, and the answer is always the same. 'We have the trifecta,' he said. 'We have the power, we have the fiber (internet), and we have the land.' Archbald now has three proposed data centers. Wildcat Ridge AI Data Center Campus: A 17.2-million-square-foot proposed data center campus spanning nearly 400 mountainside acres along Business Route 6 and Wildcat Road, or Route 247. A firm first approached Archbald during a January council work session touting an estimated $2.1 billion investment. The data center campus would consist of 14 three-story-tall data center buildings, each with a 126,500-square-foot footprint, according to conceptual plans for the project. For that to move forward, Archbald will have to either rezone hundreds of acres of resource conservation and medium/high density residential land, or grant a special data center overlay. Project Gravity: A data center campus that would be built on just over 186 acres between Business Route 6 and the Eynon Jermyn Road, with entrances on both roads. Proposed by New York City-based Western Hospitality Partners, operating as Archbald 25 Developer LLC, Project Gravity would have at least six two-story data center buildings, each with a 135,000-square-foot footprint. The same developer has proposed data centers in Indiana and Illinois. Archbald Data & Energy Center: A project to remove the Highway Auto Parts auto salvage yard on the Eynon Jermyn Road and build three data centers, each under 70 feet tall with a roughly 150,000-square-foot footprint, along with ancillary buildings and structures. Another developer is looking at building data centers in the Jessup area near the Lackawanna Energy Center natural gas-fired power plant, Augustine said. Augustine believes power will be the limiting factor for the Midvalley projects. 'Will we necessarily see all four of these proposed (data centers) happen?' he said. 'There's not enough power in Pennsylvania, there's not enough power on the PJM grid to be able to handle all of the data centers that are looking currently in the region.' The PJM is a regional transmission organization that coordinates the movement of wholesale electricity throughout the eastern United States. However, Augustine noted plans to add more than nine gigawatts of power to Pennsylvania, with seven gigawatts dedicated to the northeast. Impact of data centers Augustine pointed to job creation and 'game changing' amounts of tax revenue that could be generated by data centers. Data center campuses will take up to five to seven years to completely build, creating potentially thousands of construction jobs with good wages and union labor, Augustine said. Then, once the data centers are complete, each building will employ around 12 to 15 people to operate them, with jobs paying $80,000 to $100,000-plus, he said. 'The dollars that we're talking about in terms of going back to the school districts and the municipalities is just absurd,' he said. Unlike warehousing and distribution centers — another thriving industry in Northeast Pennsylvania — data centers do not have constant truck traffic, aside from the initial construction traffic, Augustine said. 'If some of these companies go through with what they're looking at in Northeastern Pa. and across the state, it will be the largest expenditures ever spent in Pennsylvania history,' he said. For Archbald, the borough reached out to other areas of Pennsylvania and across the country looking for more information on data centers, Markey said. Borough council's top priority is to ensure its residents are safe and healthy, he said. The borough was warned of the possibility of hearing a low hum from the data centers if they're near residential neighborhoods with air cooled systems rather than liquid cooling, he said. Borough officials also learned of the economic benefits, not just from tax revenue but job creation, he said. 'All of a sudden, restaurants become busier, and gas stations and grocery stores become busier,' he said. 'Residential housing is no longer vacant.' Archbald Neighborhood Association co-founder Kayleigh Cornell has taken an active role in informing the community about data centers proposed in her town, attending meetings and using her organization's Facebook page to share news and updates. Residents have reached out to the association, and she has family living near the proposed Project Gravity, she said. 'With the data centers, we're not for or against them,' she said. 'We just want the residents to benefit as much as possible from them.' Noise is the largest impact for residents, Cornell said, advocating that data centers use closed-loop water cooling systems for the least noise, as well as using enclosed diesel generators for backup power. Light pollution is another impact, which could be resolved with downward-facing lights, she said. 'Hopefully we could get them to be better neighbors and implement some of the strategies that other municipalities have used,' Cornell said. For guidance, Cornell spoke with the Community & Environmental Defense Services organization. For four decades, CEDS has worked with communities across the country as they navigated proposals from warehouses, transfer stations, landfills, highways and other uses, founder and President Richard Klein said in a phone interview Thursday. Over the last six months, he has been working with communities on data centers. Data centers are attractive because of their tax benefits, and Klein encourages towns to look at ways data centers can be managed to get the tax benefits without causing noise pollution, air pollution, high electricity cost impacts and potential impacts to ground and surface water. They are more benign than warehouses, he said. Older, air-cooled data centers with large fans put out a 'horrendous noise,' but better water-cooled systems and diesel generators stored indoors prevent those adverse effects for residents, Klein said. 'We want you to adopt regulations first to attract the good data centers, the ones that are good neighbors with lots of tax benefits, and discourage those that would cause the excessive impacts that some data centers have caused,' Klein said. 'That strategy is far more successful than trying to kill a data center, which is a conventional approach.' Klein suggests that towns require a noise impact study, a water resources impact study and an air quality study. Data centers should give local governments the funds to hire independent experts for the studies, he said. Legislating data centers Municipalities in Pennsylvania have to allow for every type of land use somewhere within their borders, creating zoning ordinances and maps designating land uses for everything from data centers to strip clubs and landfills. While the process to create a new zoning ordinance is often comprehensive, involving public meetings with guidance from zoning experts, new land uses from burgeoning industries like data centers may not appear in zoning ordinances, even if they're recent. As data center developers look to build along the high-tension power lines throughout the region, Mary Liz Donato, the planning department manager for the Lackawanna County Regional Planning Commission, said there is not an ordinance in Lackawanna County that addresses data centers. Newer legislation, like in Archbald and Jessup, mentions them, but they lack criteria, she said. Lackawanna County is now doing research through the American Planning Association and other organizations to get model ordinances and get more insight into data centers, Donato said. She also expects to get legal advice. 'If you're a municipality and you've got those high-tension power lines running through your community, I would be looking into doing an amendment sooner rather than later at this point, because that seems to be where they're going,' she said. Archbald adopted its zoning ordinance in March 2023 as part of a year-and-a-half-long process, but its only language on data centers is: 'Data Center, which may include an Internet Server Building.' Although he was not with the borough when it was adopted, Markey said he was told the borough saw data centers as smaller external buildings — not the large campuses now proposed in town. 'Nothing was taken lightly,' Markey said. 'Personally, I don't know if this was ever forecasted by anyone in Northeast Pennsylvania … two years ago.' The zoning challenge for Archbald stems from how it designates data centers as principally permitted uses, including in general commercial districts, giving developers a more direct path toward approval. The borough is now trying to remedy that by reclassifying data centers as conditional uses, which would require developers to attend a public hearing where they could be questioned by borough officials and residents. If council approves the project, the borough could attach conditions to the approval. Archbald has not yet set a hearing date to consider the zoning amendment, Markey said. The borough and Lackawanna County planning commissions both have to review and comment on it, then the town has to advertise a hearing date for the zoning amendment, he said. Until the law is changed, Archbald has to follow the legislation as it is written, Markey said. That means considering any data center applications as principally permitted uses until council makes them conditional uses. As a principally permitted use, data centers still have to abide by Archbald's ordinances, including reviews by the borough and county planning commissions, zoning officer, fire chief and solicitor, Markey said. 'We are doing our very best to follow the laws that we have in place right now,' he said. To navigate the zoning process for data centers, Archbald hired engineering consulting firm Pennoni. The Archbald Neighborhood Association advocates for the borough to go through the process as thoroughly as possible, Cornell said. Seeing what's happening in communities like Archbald, and with rumblings of a data center near the Lackawanna Energy Center, Jessup Council Vice President Jerry Crinella said his town wants to be proactive. Jessup adopted its zoning ordinance in November 2020; Archbald later hired the same firm to create its zoning ordinance. As a result, the two towns have very similar zoning in place for data centers. 'I would love to see a data center in Jessup, but I would love to see it in the area that's designated for it and is appropriate for it,' Crinella said. Jessup is looking to better define data centers in its zoning, define where they can and cannot be located, and where possible, make them conditional uses, he said. He expects the borough to bring in an expert to navigate the process. 'You probably make the largest investment of your lifetime when you decide to choose your residence and site your family and build a home or buy a home,' Crinella said. 'Changing zoning should always be done with the utmost care, because you want to make sure that you are not negatively affecting all of the people and current businesses that have already invested in your town.' With his district seeing the most data center interest in Lackawanna County, state Rep. Kyle Mullins, D-112, Blakely, encouraged developers to come in prepared to work with their host communities. 'The health and safety of residents is paramount, and any project proposal — it must demonstrate and be held to that standard of health and safety of residents, and the environment and quality of life in the area,' Mullins said. 'I would strongly encourage prospective developers to work with community members to provide assurances and proof that those standards can be met, and that they will be not only good employers, but good neighbors.'
