Recreation project, county healthcare on meeting agenda

The Pike County Board of Commissioners met on Wednesday, Feb. 4, to discuss HRG’s Open Space, Greenways and Recreation plan and the state of healthcare in the county.

After the general approval of all motions during the opening section of the meeting, the focus shifted to the adoption of an updated plan for HRG’s Open Space, Greenways and Recreation project. Jessica Yoder introduced Tim Staub, HRG’s assistant vice president, and Ashley Eichlin, HRG’s assistant project manager, to speak in more depth about the plan.

The project is intended to help the county devise ways to address infrastructure needs and to provide opportunities for people to participate in outdoor activities that benefit both the public and the county at large. The plan seeks to encourage the expansion and maintenance of the community’s outdoor spaces and to generate a beneficial stream of revenue for the county.

After their presentation, the board moved on to discussing Northwell Health, both the location in Dingmans Ferry and a new location in Hawley near Wallenpaupack High School. The board said it hopes to expand public knowledge about its presence, with it serving as an option for receiving healthcare in the center of the county’s population.

This segued into the introduction of Laura Harris, RN, a county nurse who works at the Pike County Health Center on Buist Road. She described the health center as “Pike County’s best-kept secret” and appealed for more publicity, saying information about the location isn’t as readily available as it should be, given how valuable the services are. She explained that the services provided there include vaccinations, STD testing, lead-level monitoring and educational programs for both children and adults.

Chairman Matt Osterberg later announced the Women’s Monument Dedication Ceremony at Veterans’ Park in Matamoras on June 12 at 6 p.m. which will recognize local female veterans by including them in a booklet that publicly honors their service. Applications should be sent to the Veterans’ Memorial Park and Education Center Society by March 15.

Osterberg then gave the floor to Commissioner Christa Caceres to announce a fundraiser for the Pike County Veterans’ Service Fund on Friday, May 22, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Tom Quick Inn in Milford. The fundraiser is intended to raise money for the organization to expand its reach throughout the community.

At the tail end of the meeting, when the floor was opened to public comments and questions, a few people asked about the Pike County Correctional Facility’s relationship with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The main concern was whether there would be an expansion to the facility to allow for increased holding for ICE detainees.