NEWPORT TWP. — Thanks to a recent Washington, D.C., think tank study on economic data, a local community in Newport Township is getting unwanted negative publicity.
According to the Economic Innovation Group’s February report about the Distressed Communities Index, the Glen Lyon section of Newport Township has been named the most distressed place in Pennsylvania, ranking as the 146th most distressed area from the 26,290 ZIP codes analyzed. The index looks at five years of U.S. Census data studying the population’s education, housing, work status, income and the change of businesses within a ZIP code.
Residents of the approximately 3.4-square-mile unincorporated community — a region of land that is not governed by its own local municipal corporation, but is rather part of a larger administrative division — are more upset about the label and believe the study was skewed and not in their favor.
The study used ZIP codes as their community boundaries, and Newport Township has two ZIP codes. Glen Lyon and Glen Lee — commonly known as Lee — share one ZIP code: 18617. Sheatown, Alden, Wanamie and Ridgeview fall under the Nanticoke ZIP code 18634. State Correctional Institute at Retreat in Hunlock Creek also falls under the Nanticoke ZIP code.
Two housing developments lie in the ZIP code as well: Ken Pollock Apartments, on Depot Street, houses approximately 50 seniors and there are roughly 50 apartments in the Rock Street development.
“That’s like taking all the ZIP codes in Wilkes-Barre and focusing on just one,” Lorrie Materewicz said.
Materewicz, a career U.S. Army nurse and the president of the Legion Auxiliary, grew up in Glen Lyon and moved back as a single mother. She believes having Retreat in the vicinity of the community contributes to the lack of high school diplomas in the study.
“Because of the prisoners (at Retreat), the families of the prisons move closer,” Materewicz said. “And a lot of them settle right here.”
Heidi and Paul Jarecki, editors of the Newport Township Community Newsletter, live on West Main Street, the home Heidi’s parents built in 1931. Heidi moved back to the community after going away to college, and Paul, who worked for the state Department of Environmental Protection, moved back “the first chance I got.”
Like most communities around Glen Lyon, coal was the big boom for the community. According to records supplied by the Jareckis, the famous Frank Sinatra movie from 1948 “The Miracle of the Bells” used Glen Lyon as their fictional Coaltown.
Materewicz said the community was unfortunately part of “a perfect storm” — the coal industry went under, save for stone quarry Newport Aggregate toward the edge of town, the median age currently is 55 and above and the lack of land expansion contributes to the bad press.
“The age where we had the highest percentage filling out the survey (of the Holy Spirit Church pastoral council) is 55 and above and mostly women,” resident Susan Najaka said.
To residents, the survey makes it sound that the community “doesn’t care,” which is far from the truth.
“It’s not like we’re not trying to do something,” Materewicz said, noting that people from across the country subscribe to the Newport Township Community Organization’s newsletter. “How many small communities around can boast of a township newsletter?”
Stability, religion and potential are the words residents would use for the city — not distressed.
“We’re not a dying town,” Kashatus said.
Changes to town
In the early days of Glen Lyon, the west side of town was once called Morgantown, and the east side, Williamstown, according to the Jareckis’ records. The towns were split by Susquehanna Coal Co. Colliery No. 6.
“To go to the other side of town, you used to say ‘going under the breaker,’” Materewicz said.
Even with the breaker being shut down and razed and the population growing older, Tom Kashatus, a township activist and historian, said the biggest change is the lack of business.
“People, if they really want something, they can leave town,” Kashatus said.
Miners lived in “company patches” — company housing — while working for the mining companies.
“At it’s height, (Colliery No. 6) employed 1,100 workers,” Paul said. “Just here (in Glen Lyon).”
Susan Najaka, from the east side of Glen Lyon, remembers the “east side of town’s businesses.” During an interview with the Times Leader, she recalled the former Newport Township High School.
“It was built on the hill in Wanamie; it had an annex, a swimming pool,” Najaka said. “It had a reputation for academic excellence.”
Kashatus can recall what each business was on West Main Street, from luncheonettes to grocery stores and furniture stores.
“When you tear something down that’s falling apart, it does improve your community,” Kashatus said, noting “over the last six, seven years, at least 20 houses have been torn down.”
Currently, the Newport Township Community Organization and Newport Township NOW! — a Facebook page — tries to keep up pride and support for the communities of Glen Lyon and the other communities.
“Lives are so busy and time moves so fast,” Materewicz said. “We all try to support each other.”
Little prospect for expansion turns businesses away, residents noted.
“There’s actually a stretch of highway between us and the rest of the township,” Materewicz said.
Residents of the other sections of the township can patronize businesses in Glen Lyon if they take the stretch of highway or they can go into Nanticoke.
Happy days ahead
Before he left office, former U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski wanted to alter Route 29 so it would run though Glen Lyon to increase prospects for business.
The highway, the residents noted, would make Glen Lyon “once again part of a boom town with real estate development and more businesses.”
Wanamie to Nanticoke is the same distance as Wanamie to Glen Lyon, but Materewicz said the stretch of road leading from Wanamie into Nanticoke is “populated with more houses.”
“The one thing this community has going for it is a post office,” Paul said.
Internet businesses, the group noted, would be perfect for Glen Lyon.
“All you have to do is walk there (to the post office), for crying out loud,” Paul said.
A property of 3,000 acres has been turned over to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources from Earth Conservancy.
Kashatus said Earth Conservancy sold the land, which goes into Mocanaqua, to the North Branch Land Trust.
According to the land trust’s web site, a DCNR Community Conservation Partnership Grant was applied for in early 2013 and awarded in 2014.
“Once you get walking, you can just keep walking,” Materewicz said.
Najaka and Kashatus both believe that there’s one great thing that Glen Lyon has — “potential.”
