SHENANDOAH - Revitalization in the county's northern tier is facing an even steeper uphill battle.
Last year, the Upper Schuylkill Inc. office closed and this year, contracts with the state for Main Street programs in Ashland and Shenandoah will end.
However, local leaders are determined to continue their efforts.
Upper Schuylkill Downtowns, formed in 2004, was a regional Main Street program that assisted the revitalization programs in six northern Schuylkill boroughs. Before it closed its doors in Girardville in late August, Upper Schuylkill provided funding and guidance for the organizations in Ashland, Frackville, Girardville, Mahanoy City, Ringtown and Shenandoah.
Much of the funding for Upper Schuylkill came through the state Department of Community and Economic Development's Main Street Program. It had formerly enjoyed strong support from the late state Sen. James J. Rhoades, who died in a car crash in 2008. After that, the poor economy has prompted severe cutbacks in state spending and grants have been much more difficult to obtain if they still exist.
Former Upper Schuylkill Executive Director John Guers said with contracts ending as the state budget year ended, and local funding limited, it became necessary to close the doors after eight years in operation.
"The grants always run out at the end of June when the state fiscal year ends," Guers said recently. "By knowing when our grants were completed and knowing how much general funds we had on our own and what we would need to continue, we could foresee that our time would be limited."
He said many grants require local matching funds, which were also sparse.
Guers said that even if additional grants could be obtained, the funds would be limited to projects and not used for administration costs like salaries and rent.
"We could see that it was coming, so it wasn't a shock," Guers said.
For Ashland Downtown Inc., the program will continue at a slower pace after the contracts with the state end in June. After that, Main Street Manager Gregory Fisher will no longer be part of ADI.
"What we're planning to do is try to make a go as an individual organization," ADI board President Bill Farley said. "We're going to keep our 501(c)3."
Farley said funding from the state is just not there for organizations like Ashland Downtown.
"Basically, what has taken place is that there had to be cuts in the state budget and we just happen to be a low priority," Farley said. "The facade grants that we were in line to get over the past five years are now much more competitive and, again, a community like Ashland would be low on the totem pole. In order to stay competitive, we would have to raise at least $50,000 a year in order to keep a full-time downtown manager, which is one of the priorities in order to be eligible for the facade grants."
Farley said ADI was able to raise $250,000 over a five-year period, and local funds could be raised to directly operate a facade program, but there would be a sacrifice to do so.
"Unfortunately, we won't have the leadership of our downtown manager, and that's also going to cause a problem," Farley said. "We will try to make a go of it without Greg."
He said the board has not acted on Fisher's position and probably won't do so for a few months, but he said it seems that will be the most likely decision.
"The state contract ends in June, and we have the matching funds until then" Fisher said. "In the upcoming year, we still have facade money to spend before the contract ends, so we're hoping to do a few projects in the spring. We'll also be putting some benches in the town and we'll have the events."
Farley said events like the Easter egg hunt and Old Fashioned Christmas should not be a problem to organize without Fisher, but Applefest in October could be a problem without a full-time manager to organize it.
"Without the leadership of Senator Rhoades, there wouldn't have been Upper Schuylkill and the six communities having their own organizations," Farley said. "His leadership was invaluable. At the time, Patty Rader was the executive director and she was great in keeping the ball rolling. When John Guers took over in 2009, he was very good at his job."
Fisher said ADI has more than $25,000 available in facade grant funds. He and Farley invited anyone interested in doing a facade project within the downtown district to contact ADI as soon as possible to discuss what can be done.
The first Main Street program in northern Schuylkill County is Downtown Shenandoah Inc., approved the same year as ADI. According to Main Street Manager Mary Luscavage, DSI should continue unchanged after the current contract year ends.
"We'll be closing out our year on June 30," Luscavage said. "We are done with state funding now but we will be applying for facade funding, which will enable us to do more facades. Our current funds for facades are used, except for one more project where the funds are allocated. That is just a small sign project."
DSI will continue operations from its office in the American Legion Anthony P. Damato Medal of Honor Post 792 on North Main Street.
"After June, we will still be here and, hopefully, we'll be here for a long time," Luscavage said. "We have the funds and the sustainability to continue. We will try to do as much as we can. We will fundraise as much as we can. We'll do a capital campaign."
Luscavage is preparing to reapply for facade grants.
"We're still a Main Street program. We'll always be a Main Street program. We follow the four-point rule and follow all of the guidelines as usual," Luscavage said. "In order to get facade money, we must follow our guidelines.
"We'll still be affiliated with the Pennsylvania Downtown Center. I will go to their manager meetings. They work hand-in-hand with DCED, so they tell us what DCED wants us to know," she said.