BELLEFONTE — Centre County Commissioners on Tuesday, July 7 was full of updates on upcoming events, grant applications and awards, and community development.
Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts
Commissioners adopted a proclamation recognizing the milestone anniversary of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts, which was held July 8-12.
What started as an effort to celebrate art and build community in 1967 has grown into one of the premier arts festivals in the country. The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts has enriched the lives of Centre County residents and guests for decades, supporting budding artists, local businesses, and cultivating an annual tradition.
Glass Recycling Grant
Centre County Recycling and Refuse Authority accepted a 901A Municipal Grant Award from the Department of Environmental Protection. CCRRA will receive $75,000 to cover the majority of a project to expand glass recycling efforts in the region.
The project’s total cost is roughly $94,000, and the CCRRA will provide the remaining funds for the project. Mimi Cooper, Recycling Coordinator for CCRRA, joined the Arts Fest, Grants, and Community Development joined the commissioners and shared the need for and benefits of expanding glass recycling in the area.
Previously, CCRRA, like other Central PA recycling agencies, sent glass to a processing facility out of the County. In 2025, that facility shuttered, leaving much of Central PA looking for a replacement glass processing facility. Fortunately, Centre County had some options, but Cooper and CCRRA Executive Director Jason Neidig saw the potential for Centre County to be a glass recycling hub for the region.
Cooper explained that becoming a hub for glass recycling would save other facilities time and money for processing recycled glass, which is already a costly and resource-intensive process. In turn, Centre County stands to benefit by keeping processing in-house and by retaining the economic impact of the more valuable processed glass within the county.
To that end, this grant will support further studies of the feasibility and logistics of expanding glass processing in Centre County and the surrounding region.
Centre County to Apply for Justice Access Grant
The Criminal Justice Planning department received the green light from the commissioners to apply through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
The Bryne Justice Access Grant program provides support to state and local governments for the purpose of implementing criminal justice improvement projects. If awarded, the County would receive up to $250,000 to be used between Jan. 1, 2027, and Dec. 31, 2028.
Karri Hull, Director of Criminal Justice Planning, shared that the funds would support a collaboration with the county’s court administration to implement pre-trial supervision programs.
These pre-trial programs aim to minimize disruptions to the day-to-day lives of people who have charges against them but are awaiting adjudication. For example, eligible people can continue working, live with and care for their families, and more while waiting for their court date. Eligibility for the program is determined on a case-by-case basis to Arts Fest, Grants, and Community Development balance minimizing disruptions to someone’s life with ensuring there is no threat to the community’s safety.
2026 Liquid Fuels/Fee
Taxes and fees collected from gas sales and vehicle registrations generate funds dedicated to local transportation projects. Each year, the funds are doled out to support various communication development projects.
Since 2018, the Liquid Fuels and Fee for Local Use program has facilitated the payment and completion of 29 projects throughout the county, totaling just over $1.3 million.
Another 11 projects are currently in progress or awaiting their allocated funds — another $771,000. Richa Rimal, Transportation Planner, shared a mid-year report of the fees collected in 2026. Currently, $1.6 million in collected funds remains unallocated in 2026. The funds will be awarded to applicants who forward community development projects in the county. Below are important dates and steps in the application process:
- Aug. 18 – Commissioners authorize solicitation of Fee for Local Use and Liquid Fuels Program submissions
- Aug. 21 – Notification of solicitation is sent to all municipalities
- Oct. 16 – Deadline for municipalities to make submissions
- Oct. 19 to Nov. 16 – PennDOT and county staff review submissions
- Nov. 24 – County staff make recommendations to Commissioners
- Dec. 8, 2026 – Commissioners announce the awarded submissions
Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park
Russ Schleiden and Jeanine S. Watson and their families have owned and operated Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park for four generations. They joined the commissioners to discuss a major transition for the park.
Schleiden and Watson have been on a quest to expand and conserve the Penn’s Cave property for several years. Most recently, this quest has included petitioning the state Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources to designate Penn’s Cave a state park and take over stewardship.
The goal of this transition is to ensure the 1,400 acres of land and waters — which includes the headwaters of Penns Creek—are conserved for generations to come.
Commissioners each praised the work Schleiden and Watson have done and enthusiastically supported the push for state park status. The Board also noted the conservation, education, historical, tourism, and recreational benefits of this campaign.
A final throughline in the conversation was the prospect of increasing tourism to and economic engagement in the area. Penn’s Cave and Wildlife Park already attracts people from all 50 states and different countries, and during its peak season, the park employs dozens of local community members. Transferring ownership to DCNR and becoming the 126th state park of Pennsylvania would increase the area’s demand as a destination.
In rural communities in the Commonwealth, state parks like this bring in tourist dollars and expand employment opportunities as their operations grow.
