Submitted photo
Mifflin County Commissioners proclaimed July Parks and Recreation Month. Pictured from left, Commissioner Noah Wise, Commissioner Kevin Kodish, Reeds Gap Superintendent Josh Bruce, Commissioner Robert Postal.

LEWISTOWN — The old swimming pool at Reeds Gap is gone–demolished in 2009, a casualty of costs and insurance — but the spirit of Mifflin County’s parks endures.

That was clear Thursday morning as the county commissioners opened their meeting not with bills or bureaucracy, but a call to “explore the outdoors, enjoy local parks, and support recreation opportunities throughout our community.”

The room, filled with staff, officials, and a few guests from Reeds Gap State Park, heard the county’s formal proclamation: July is National Parks and Recreation Month.

“We recognize the vital contributions of our local park recreation professionals and volunteers,” Commissioner Kevin Kodish read aloud, “who organize programming and ensure safe, inclusive spaces for all.”

Reeds Gap Superintendent Josh Bruce noted the park’s long run–“Reeds Gap’s been around since 1905”–and offered a quick local history: “It was 1965 when the pool opened and it closed in 2009. Too much, I guess, insurance with the kids swimming.” The absence of a pool, he implied, hasn’t dimmed the park’s value as a gathering place.

The commissioners then approved three requests for the exoneration of 2025 county real estate tax bills for local veterans. The requests were based on recommendations from the Department of Veterans Affairs, which confirmed that each applicant “has met the requirement of 100% disability and also financial needs”.

The approved exonerations were for Brown Township ($478.62), Derry Township ($436.04), and Lewistown ($1,803.30). A fourth parcel in Armagh Township will be corrected for an acreage error and rebilled.

A memorandum of understanding with the Tuscarora Intermediate Unit (TIU) to provide adult education at the Mifflin County Correctional Facility was approved for $7,500.

Keith Mernin, a TIU adult instructor, praised the partnership with the facility’s staff. “They work really hard with us. Real smart, helpful,” Mernin said. “Without their knowledge of how they understand how jails work, we couldn’t create complexity to let us try things.”

He explained the program’s impact, noting that while success inside the jail is important, the ultimate goal is to help individuals upon their release. “Sometimes in jail is like the starting point,” Mernin said, adding that his program has worked with over 70 people from the outside, many with past legal issues. The commissioners supported a suggestion to re-establish a ceremony to recognize program graduates.

The board’s attention then shifted to local development. A contract from the Keystone Communities Program was assigned to the Mifflin County Industrial Development Corporation, keeping $36,000 in the community rather than sending it back to Harrisburg.

Planning Director Jim Lettiere explained, “This is the same type of project. The demo project is already underway.” An amendment to a prior agreement with MCIDC raised the budget for demolishing buildings at the MCIDC Plaza to $213,358, funded by a mix of grants and loans.

“That’s important,” Commissioner Robert Postal said, “MCIDC is being made whole, so they’re not losing or gaining anything. Any money not used goes back into the improvement fund for other projects.”

In other business, the commissioners authorized an agreement for the Medical Assistance Transportation Program, letting the director submit required reports.

They also approved several purchase of service agreements for Children and Youth, including contracts for childcare, in-home parenting programs, and legal services for the 2025-26 fiscal year. The list includes:

For the period of July 1, 2025, through June 30, 2026:

Summit Early Learning provides childcare and summer camp services; Tuscarora Intermediate Unit to provide an in-home parenting program for families with children under five years old; Stover, McGlaughlin, and Torquato, P.C., State College, to provide legal services to the agency at $85 per hour; Jacob W. Diviney, Esquire, of Huntingdon to provide legal services to the agency at $85 per hour;

The board signed on to America250PA’s “Bells Across Pennsylvania,” agreeing to host a Liberty Bell replica at the courthouse. “So there will be Liberty Bells in 67 counties,” Commissioner Postal said. “The bell is proposed to be erected or set at the Mifflin County Courthouse… and be responsible for its maintenance.”

The meeting concluded with the approval of three staff members promotions. Marc Houser was promoted from part-time corrections officer to full-time Lieutenant. Breanna Hockenberry and Julia Lyter were both promoted from Caseworker II to Caseworker III within the Department of Children and Youth.