Organizers of grassroots revitalization effort in Highlands' towns encouraged by start

Elected officials and others were encouraged by the discussion that took place at a recent grassroots meeting organized online to talk about how to make three Alle-Kiski Valley communities better places to live.

The gathering to talk about improving Tarentum, Brackenridge and Harrison was held Saturday at Dry Bones, a Tarentum skateboard and tie-dye shop owned by Councilman Brian Snyder and his family.

“It was really encouraging to see the people that came out to spend a Saturday night at a revitalization meeting,” Snyder said. “What I hope happens is that they stay excited, that they stay encouraged and not give up on it because, like somebody said: Our towns didn’t fall apart in a year, and we’re not going to be able to put them back together in a year.”

Estimates of how many people were inside at one time reached as high as 70, although people were coming and going throughout the roughly 90-minute event and some left after seeing it was standing room only.

The attendance, Snyder said, “surpassed my expectations.”

At a council meeting the following Tuesday, Tarentum Councilman Adam Blythe, who also attended, encouraged residents to get involved with their local governments and tell them what they want.

“I’m here to listen,” Blythe said. “I want to hear what you have to say. We all want to see things get better.”

In addition to Tarentum, elected officials from Harrison and the Highlands School Board attended.

“The mood was constructive. It was polite,” Harrison Commissioner Chuck Dizard said. “It reflects a level of engagement in this town we haven’t really seen.”

Denise Sloan was among members of Brackenridge Improvement Group who attended. She’s also on the steering committee for a comprehensive plan being developed between the three municipalities, for which a public meeting is being held starting at 6 p.m. Feb. 17 at the Salvation Army in Brackenridge.

“A lot of things came up in line with things we’re already working on,” Sloan said. “I think, all in all, the good thing about it is it brought more people together and made them aware of the things that are going on. And hopefully from all that, we can get more people involved in the communities.”

The gathering was organized by Harrison resident Dylan Seelnacht, who created a Facebook group on revitalizing the three towns after asking people for ideas on how to make them better places to live.

“People definitely do see that things need to change. That’s good,” he said. “We have a lot of people on different pages; we have a lot on the same pages.”

Cleaning up the communities was among the first suggestions people had.

Toward that, Brackenridge, Tarentum and Harrison are planning to coordinate their Earth Day activities on April 25.

The Tarentum Action Committee was spotlighted and held up as an example of a way to combat blight. Its chair, Lorri Wildi, said she was inspired by the meeting.

“These young people mean business,” she said. “A lot of good things can happen.”

Holding a “Better Block” event — which would temporarily fill empty storefronts to show potential — was also suggested. Such events have been held in New Kensington.

Setting up a nonprofit to do fundraising to support the group’s activities and do bigger projects is being explored, Seelnacht said.

As it moves forward, Seelnacht said he’d like to see people organize into smaller groups in which they can work on the things they feel passionate about, whether it be a cleanup, events or business development.

Because more people came to the first meeting than were expected, Seelnacht said the second will be held at a larger venue, Pittsburgh Paws Pet Resort, just outside Harrison on Burtner Road in Fawn, at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, March 8.

“Things don’t have to stay the way they are,” Seelnacht said. “They can be better.”