WESTERN PA. Santorum delivers grants

Officials also pressed for his support to keep the Chestnut Run beach open.
By LAURE CIOFFIand HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR PA. STAFF
U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum made two stops in the area Wednesday to deliver $250,000 in federal assistance.
At Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pa., he handed over a $100,000 federal grant to college officials. And at the Mercer County Regional Council of Governments office, he dropped a $150,000 State and Tribal Assistance Grant program check to help fund sanitary sewer and water improvements in Hermitage, Sharon and Sharpsville.
The Westminster money will help pay for an updated electronic collection management system and 25 new public access computers.
The library -- though part of the college -- is open to the public.
"As you know, technology is such an important part of where we get our information today. Fewer people are walking into the stacks and more are sitting at computers," Santorum said.
About 20 people gathered in the McGill Library to greet Santorum.
Westminster College President R. Thomas Williamson said the library serves people in the borough and surrounding townships. He noted there are no public libraries between New Wilmington and New Castle or New Wilmington and Sharon.
Popular with residents
Westminster opened its library doors to the community in 1976 with a community bookshelf that had two shelves, said Molly Spinney, head librarian and associate professor at Westminster.
"Currently there are over 125 town cards in use, and they have access to everything we have," said Yvonne Ayers, circulation assistant at McGill Library. "The children's library is used frequently by grandmothers and grandfathers who bring their grandchildren to read them a story. We even have Amish teachers who stop by and use our material for their work."
Westminster College is undergoing a long-term $3 million to $4 million renovation of McGill Library. The technology upgrade will also be supported by a gift from the Class of 1953 to help install wireless technology throughout the building.
Municipal projects
The Mercer County grant resulted from a request for funding for the work, he said. He was able to get $150,000 earmarked in a 2004 appropriations bill.
Sharon is faced with major improvements at its sewage treatment plant, Hermitage is looking at expanding its sewer lines into Jefferson Township, and Sharpsville is considering building a new borough water plant.
"I'm hopeful that the initial funding will help local communities move forward with plans to upgrade sewage treatment plans and extend city sewer lines," Santorum said.
Just how the money will be divided among them has yet to be determined. Officials from the municipalities will meet to make that decision.
Denny Puko, executive director of the Mercer County Regional Planning Commission, said the application sent to Santorum showed the three municipalities are facing a total cost of $36.1 million for their projects.
More money needed
The application for assistance was "the tip of the iceberg," Puko said, adding that all of Mercer County has a wish list totaling $137 million in sewer improvements.
Santorum advised those at the meeting to "get those projects to us."
He said he has two full-time staff members in his Washington office whose sole job it is to find money for projects.
While he was in town, officials pressed Santorum for his support on a number of other issues, including funding federal operating money to keep the Chestnut Run Swim Beach on Shenango River Lake, built 26 years ago with federal money, from closing.
The beach has run some deficits in recent years that threaten its future.