HT News

November 18, 2009

Eckley facing winter closing

Historic miners village a victim of Pa. budget cuts, as is the Anthracite Museum.

By Sherry Long slong@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

FOSTER TWP. – The lights at the Eckley Miners Village historical coal mining town will be going dim at least through the winter because of severe state budget cuts.

A Greater Hazleton Chamber of Commerce official said it will be a major blow to southern Luzerne County to close the historic site because it is such a tourist destination and educational site for children and adults.

The Anthracite Museum in Scranton is also facing a winter closure after the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission’s 2009-2010 budget was cut by 43 percent, or $15.7 million, said commission spokesman Kirk Wilson.

“I’m sorry we had to make those cuts,” Gov. Ed Rendell said during his visit to Luzerne County on Tuesday.

“If we didn’t lose $3.2 billion in revenues, I would never make them. These cuts were very painful.”

Rendell said that as important as the state’s historical sites are, they are not part of the state’s core mission. He said nonprofit groups are stepping up to help with keeping some of the sites operational.

The exact closure and reopening dates for both historic sites had not been released as of Tuesday night. Eckley Miners Village Administrator David Dubick couldn’t be reached for comment.

The commission’s Web site states there will be more information released regarding “field site operations” on Friday. The state museum and state archives offices will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays starting on Dec. 1, the Web site states.

Eckley Miners Village might be able to be open periodically during the winter, but only if volunteers and community organizers agree to operate the site, said Wilson said.

“It would probably be open only for special events that have already been planned and with the understanding that the (Eckley Miners Village) Associates would be willing to take some additional responsibility for the site,” Wilson said.

Starting Friday, the commission will lay off 85 employees across the state, Wilson said. He could not confirm how many would be laid off at the historic coal mining village. Every historical site in Pennsylvania is being affected in some way – whether through reducing hours, staff or programs, Wilson said.

Hazleton Chamber President Donna Palermo said the state had not notified the chamber of the village’s pending closure as of 3 p.m. Tuesday. Everything she knew she said she learned through local media reports.

The popular tourist site brings more than 20,000 people annually to the Hazleton area, Palermo said, all of which fuels the region’s economic growth as people visit area businesses.

“This is sad news for us. This is devastating for the growth of this community’s tourist promotion. I hope this isn’t setting up the village for failure,” Palermo said.

State Rep. Todd Eachus, D-Butler Township, said he believes the village will reopen in the spring. He said the site’s winter closure does not reflect the village’s historical significance, but rather the state’s monumental budget woes.

“It has been the most difficult budget year since 1929,” Eachus said.

The village, which is the last coal mining town in Luzerne County, now serves as a living historical educational tool for students to see how people lived in the 1800s and early 1900s, when mining was the prominent industry in Northeastern Pennsylvania.

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