I congratulate the local Panther Valley Boroughs for being rewarded with the Blueprint Communities designation. Bravo!

Blight will not go away when you have companies buying up properties from out of the area and letting these properties fall in disarray. That is the cause and effect of high taxes. People can’t pay the taxes — they get sold off.

Economic development is a huge undertaking. That is the weakness the area needs to address.

The valley has strength in its small-town life and the clean outdoors and surroundings. hiking, biking and fishing.

Every town has a story, but it is not just one broad line. It branches out like a painting through time. Coal is just a part of the line; many other branches that have sprung from the area.

Tourism: There is HOPE!

The tourism potential is there. It just has not been tapped into yet!

Summit Hill has a wonderful vision of creating a small version of a Cyclorama 360. I have seen Gettysburg’s version and the painting from 1883. Breathe taking.

Lansford never tapped into what I always thought would have been a strong pull — the Dorsey family. Considering elder Mr. Dorsey taught music at the Lansford School. Maybe a grant can be found to scale it down and make it a museum. If that is even possible. It is falling apart.

Nequehoning at least has a start with the steam engine train.

Coaldale must have a story. Coal-miners always drank Boilo, and everyone had a special recipe. This is the perfect region to have a startup of a Boilo store or two. Is anyone for Mason jar Boilo?

Similar to the moonshine stores I have seen down in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. They sell very well down south to the tourists.

Best of luck to Abbie Guardiani. I’ve known her since high school. I hope a website and email will be available.

Celeste Bybel

Summit Hill