Hellertown, Lower Saucon Awarded Grants

Both Hellertown borough and Lower Saucon Township have been awarded gaming revenue grants through the Local Share accounts (LSA) for Northampton and Lehigh counties and Monroe County, state Sen. Lisa Boscola’s (D-18) office said Tuesday.

Hellertown will receive $24,000 for mortar repair and other community center renovations, $87,506 for a water slide at the Hellertown Pool and $100,684 for the construction of a pedestrian bridge between Tumminello Park and the Saucon Rail Trail.

Lower Saucon Township has been awarded $238,496 for new fencing and $193,126 for a traffic signal video detection system.

Freemansburg borough was awarded $175,000 for seating for a community amphitheater that is currently under construction.

A total of 34 LSA grants totaling nearly $3 million will fund projects in 19 different municipalities, according to a news release. Northampton County and the Easton Redevelopment Authority also were awarded funds in the latest round of LSA grants.

The Local Share accounts were established by the Pennsylvania Race Horse Development and Gaming Act in 2004. The funds are generated by the state’s gaming facilities and may be used for economic development, community development and public interest projects in Northampton and Lehigh counties and Monroe County and its contiguous counties.

“These state grants will allow communities to expedite important projects that will improve the quality of life and increase community safety,” Boscola said in a statement. “The local share account funds coming to these important community projects demonstrate the positive impact we continue to see through the state gaming act,” she added.