Grants aid recreation projects

Twenty recreational projects in Lackawanna County will receive a boost in funding.

County Commissioners Michael J. Washo, Corey D. O’Brien and A.J. Munchak on Monday announced the county has awarded $564,500 through the Environmental Conservation and Outdoor Recreation Partnership grant program to 19 municipalities and agencies to help fund the projects totaling more than $4.6 million.

Landfill Trust money is being used for the grant program. No county taxpayer dollars are involved, commissioners said.

The grants are in addition to $3.6 million already allocated for improvements at county-owned parks and for construction of inclusive, boundless playgrounds, commissioners said.

The improvements are expected to make the county more attractive to individuals, families and businesses considering relocating to the region.

The investment will also help provide construction jobs during these difficult economic times, they added.

“I’m happy to see the continued greening of Lackawanna County,” Munchak said. “We’ve come a long way from the days when I fought as founder and president of the Taylor Neighborhood Association against putting a park on the then-contaminated old Scranton dump in Taylor. Our efforts resulted in having the property designated as a Superfund site. These grants will assure that Lackawanna County children have even more opportunities to play in safe parks.”

The three main areas of funding include development of parks and sports fields, acquisition of property for preservation and recreation, and preparation of site plans for future recreational opportunities. More specifically, the money will be used to build pavilions, renovate restrooms, upgrade playing fields, erect benches, create walking trails, construct a skateboard park, purchase playground equipment, and build an ice skating rink.

• Aylesworth Creek Reservoir Park Authority, Archbald: $45,000 for construction of a $276,232 pocket park at the site of the former Archbald High School including a gazebo, trails and Veterans Memorial Plaza.

• Olyphant: $45,000 for construction of a new $266,686 Little League field at Condella Park.

• South Abington Township: $42,000 for construction of a $142,500 handicapped-accessible restroom at South Abington Community Park.

• Greenfield Township: $13,000 for a $43,025 project at the Slebodnik Sports Complex to include repairs of the existing field house and addition of playground equipment.

• St. Anthony’s Memorial Park, Dunmore: $12,500 for a $42,020 project to expand the existing restroom facility and make it handicapped accessible.

• Leadership Lackawanna: $9,000 for a $34,500 project to revitalize the Cancer Survivor Park at McDade Park.

• Moosic: $9,000 to complete $30,000 in improvements at Mercatili-Segilia, Smerdon and Quinlan parks including new playground equipment, benches, buffer trees and path resurfacing.

• Dalton: $7,000 for a $60,000 project at Platt Park including upgrading the existing Little League field and playground equipment, resurfacing paths and adding new benches.

• Clarks Green: $45,000 for a $160,000 project at the Abington Joint Recreation Board facility to construct handicapped-accessible parking, pedestrian access and restrooms to support the new county-funded Boundless Playground.

• Covington Township: $45,000 for construction of the $604,010, 5,000-square-foot Moffat Estate Pavilion, which will include kitchen facilities and restrooms.

• Throop Borough: $45,000 for construction of a $259,780 skateboard park, trail and ice skating rink at the Throop Recreation Complex.

• Abington Township: $25,000 for $85,762 in improvements at the Abington Township Recreation Area including a construction of a handicapped-accessible pavilion and placement of picnic tables, grills and benches along a township trail.

• Scranton: $22,500 for rehabilitation of a $125,000 project at Billy Barrett Park in Minooka including replacing playground equipment, resurfacing a tennis court and a new picnic pavilion.

• Scranton: $22,500 for development of a $125,000 project at Connors Park to install new play equipment and a gazebo/picnic area.

• Carbondale: $30,000 for a $98,000 project to replace playground equipment at Russell Park, Dundaff Street Park and West Side Cerra Leo Park.

• Countryside Conservancy: $37,000 for the $130,650 acquisition of 42 acres for trail development and access to the Lackawanna State Park in Glenburn, La Plume and North Abington Townships.

• The Nature Conservancy: $45,000 for the $1.54 million acquisition of 277 acres in Jefferson Township that will be added to the Moosic Mountain Preserve.

• Ransom Township: $10,000 for development of an $85,000 park plan for 525 acres purchased by the township for recreational purposes.

• Thornhurst Township: $10,000 for development of a $35,000 park plan for 18 acres purchased by the township for a park and access to the Lehigh River.