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DEMOGRAPHICS
|
Median
Household income:
|
$48,000 |
| Civilian
Labor Force: |
13,300 |
| Employed: |
12,800 |
| Unemployed: |
500 |
| Unemployement
rate: |
4.1% |
| Population,
2005 estimate: |
22,821 |
| Percent
change from previous
2005 census: |
3.0% |
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TOP
EMPLOYERS
(latest
data as of Q1 2003):
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1.
Empire Kosher Poultry
Inc.
2. Armstrong Corp.
3. Zimmerman Truck Lines Inc.
4. Fulkroad & Sons Inc.
5. Stop 35 Inc. |
| Source: Juniata
Valley Area Chamber
of Commerce |
|
Square
Miles: 391.6
County Seat: Mifflintown
No. of corporate parks: 1
Transportation: Those
driving through Juniata
County can travel on
U.S. Route 11, U.S. Route
15, U.S. Route 22 and
U.S. Route 322. Mifflintown
Airport and Stottle Memorial
Airport provide service.
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DECISION
MAKER
Teresa
J. O’Neal
Chairperson
Juniata County Commissioners
By Brian E. Bassett
|
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“Had somebody, even five years
ago, said I’d be in this
position, I would’ve said
they were crazy,” said
Teresa J. O’Neal.
After close to 20 years, commuting
to work at the Department of
Transportation in Harrisburg,
O’Neal retired to spend
more time with her teenage daughter.
She joined her father’s
real estate business and became
a broker. Her friends suggested
it might be a good idea to run
for Juniata County Commissioner – and
she politely declined. However,
after a couple years, O’Neal
did consider their suggestion,
ran for commissioner in 2003
and won the election to a four-year
term, thus beginning her career
in politics.
It is traditional for the commissioner
gaining the most votes to chair
the board, and the consensus
of the commissioners was to uphold
that tradition, declaring O’Neal
their chairperson.
“Teresa O’Neal is Juniata
County’s most significant
mover and shaker, and is an incredible
lady who is very busy,” said
Jim Tunall, president of the
Juniata Valley Area Chamber of
Commerce.
O’Neal credits her father
being on of the Long Brothers
Auctioneers a major factor in
her learning the skills needed
to excel at her present position.
The knowledge and experience
gained from participating in
family auctions, becoming an
apprentice auctioneer, and working
in the public eye all came together
to develop her unusual talent
for providing superior customer
service.
O’Neal participates in
many community service efforts,
including:
• Member of operating board, and
classroom volunteer of the Juniata
County Junior Achievement Program
• Volunteer for Port Royal Friendship
Fire Company
• Trustee on the Port Royal United
Methodist Church Board
• Fundraising volunteer for the
American Cancer Society
• Member of Business and Professional
Women of Juniata County
• Member of Mifflintown Rotary
Other community involvement that
O’Neal feels is important
due to her position as commissioner:
•
Serves on Executive and/or Advisory
boards of: Mental Health/Mental
Retardation; Human Services Development
Fund; Mifflin/Juniata Domestic & Sexual
Violence Task Force; and Juniata
Criminal Justice
• Participates in County Commissioners
Association of PA (CCAP) Academy
for Excellence Leadership Course
for commissioners
O’Neal has worked hard
to enroll Juniata County in a
special program offered by the
National Association of Counties
(NACo). Juniata County, as a
NACo member will be able to provide
any Juniata County citizen with
a special Drug Prescription Discount
Card. This card will provide
holders, who are under- or un-insured,
with protection – enabling
them to save on prescription
drugs.
“
I’m really committed to
this program because it’s
totally free to all eligible
citizens of Juniata County, and
to Juniata County, too,” said
O’Neal. “Average
prescription savings for card
holders are 18 percent, but can
be as high as 22 percent in some
cases.”
After learning of this program
in Nov. 2005, at the Fall Conference
of the County Commissioners Association
of Pennsylvania in Hershey, she
began researching, and talking
with other counties that had
the NACo program, and took the
necessary steps needed to apply.
O’Neal said that the Juniata
County application has been accepted
and approved by NACo.
When asked for a closing quote
regarding her role as county
commissioner, O’Neal concluded, “Of
all the different jobs I have
had in state government, being
self-employed, and in the private
sector, this is the most difficult
job I have ever had, due to the
many complex issues that arise
on a daily basis. But, it is
also the most rewarding job I’ve
ever had.” ~PBC |
|
| PROFILE |
|
Driving forward
with transportation infrastructure
By Brian E. Bassett
Juniata County is experiencing
an ongoing and accelerated
modernization of the critical
transportation corridors affecting
that region. The Juniata Valley
has major north/south and east/west
four-lane transportation corridors,
including railroad lines, airports
in University Park and Harrisburg,
and bus lines, all offering
easy regional access and egress.
“The most significant
project in Juniata County is
the location
of a new bridge connecting
the boroughs of Mifflin, and
Mifflintown,” said Jim
Tunall, director of the Juniata
River Valley Visitors Bureau,
and president of the Juniata
Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.
It can’t be over-emphasized
how great an impact this bridge
will have on both these communities, “in
traffic flow, bussing and transportation.”
According to PennDOT, the bridge
is scheduled for replacement
during the 2009 construction
season. The first stages of
the preliminary studies comprise
the project purpose and needs,
preliminary environmental features,
historic resources, and traffic
and engineering studies. A
meeting was held May 13 in
the Juniata High School in
Mifflintown. The public was
invited and encouraged to attend.
The Juniata County Industrial
Park will certainly benefit
from this new bridge; however
the ability to access energy
sources may still be difficult
due to the presence of the
Juniata River – especially
gas, due to the financial impracticality
of running gas lines under
the river and highway. This
makes it necessary for businesses
in the park to consider other
forms of energy.
“Also of great significance
is the Narrows Project,” added
Tunall. “It is a very
sophisticated, $110 million
engineering project, now in
progress, that will not be
completed for approximately
another two years.”
Economic development is expected
to grow at an amazing rate
once the Narrows Project is
completed, allowing area residents
to travel more easily than
ever before to Harrisburg,
Philadelphia, and Baltimore.
Juniata Valley, while primarily
rural and offering all the
beauty and serenity of natural
country living, is still within
the densely populated Northeast
Corridor – and just a
few hours from major metropolitan
areas.
“We have never been in
such a positive position – looking
forward to an improved highway
system where millions of dollars
have been invested in improving
our transportation system,” said
Tunall.
Lowe’s opened on old
Rte. 22 West near WalMart,
which has been here for 15
years – and the same
manager who opened WalMart
will open Lowe’s.
“The Narrows Project
will make Juniata County folks
more prone
to come to Lewistown instead
of Selinsgrove for some shopping,
due to the ease of travel not
available before.
“Things are definitely
looking good for the Juniata
River
Valley.” ~PBC
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©Copyright
2007 King Publishing, LLC
1305 West College Avenue • State College, PA 16801
814.867.2222 |
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