Approximately 70 Bald Eagle residents and supporters congregated once again at the Bald Eagle Fire Hall Wednesday evening to discuss Pyramid Healthcare Inc. and their Greentree Village facility’s presence within the small community in Snyder Township.
Greentree Village is an educational and therapeutic program for young men in the Tyrone Area School District who have had academic or behavioral issues that have prevented them from reaching their potential in the public school system. The Pyramid facility officially opened their doors in Bald Eagle this past Monday, August 26th.
Although the efforts by the concerned Bald Eagle residents didn’t keep Greentree Village from opening Monday, they met last evening to decide whether or not they will continue to pursue the issue of Pyramid’s placement in the community and how it was done.
John Snyder, resident of Bald Eagle and spokesperson, stated, “What we’re trying to do tonight is to see where we go from here. It’s a long haul, it’s not something where we’re going to get them out next week or in a couple of months.” He added, “This could take a long time.”
An occupancy permit was signed by a Snyder Township supervisor, which enabled Pyramid Healthcare to move into the Greentree Village facility and cause complications for further action by the citizens. The Bald Eagle residents have a lawyer, Jim Bryant of State College, who is willing to help the residents if they can provide him something to work with, but no legal action was discussed last evening.
Snyder stated, “We had a real good case, hard and firm. When the occupancy permit was signed, we were sold down the river. But we can’t give up.”
Residents in the community aren’t planning on giving up. The community is committed and is in the process of developing a planning committee so they can be more organized. They have named their group ‘Snyder Township and Vicinity Concerned Citizens.’
Snyder stressed, “Our main reason for all of this is that we’re opposed to where this (Greentree Village) is at and how it was brought into us. We’re not opposed to the kids and helping the children, that’s not our reason, but what’s going to be next – a prison or more boys homes?”
Ed Schenck, another resident of Bald Eagle and spokesperson for the community, said that the community needs to get more involved as a whole. Effort needs to be placed where it needs to be placed.
“I feel personally that things need to change,” said Schenck. “We’re the ones who are going to have to make the change. We’re going to have to have the courage of our condition to do that, we’re going to have to have a backbone to do it. Any change is better than what we got.” He added, “We need to be instruments of change.”
Some of those changes Schenck spoke about were the willingness of some Bald Eagle residents to perhaps run for school board positions and Snyder Township positions to have more of a voice on matters. If not run for positions, then to attend those meetings as a community to speak out and know what is going on within the township and school district.
Schenck added, “Pyramid’s contract is renewable in one year, next August. There’s a window of opportunity here and we have to stay committed and focused on what we are trying to do.”
If the residents can’t change what has happened with the Greentree Village, they hope to prevent something similar in the future. Charlie Diehl, a chairman of the Northern Blair County Regional Sewer Authority and concerned citizens, spoke of zoning issues within Snyder Township to help prevent an incident such as the one at hand, but Diehl is afraid that the present township supervisors will not support zoning.
“Snyder Township will become a dumping zone for places like this (Greentree Village) once the I-99 project is complete through Bald Eagle,” says Diehl. “If ‘select zoning’ isn’t addressed at township meetings for the future, it’s going to happen.”
The residents of Bald Eagle and the Snyder Township and Vicinity Concerned Citizens aren’t planning on giving up on Pyramid Healthcare Inc.’s placement in their community or possible placement of any facility of that kind in the future. They have a fund, plan to do fundraisers, and put every effort into making the Bald Eagle community safe as it has always been.
Schenck stated, “We want the best for our kids and our community.” Pyramid Healthcare Inc. has opened many eyes within the small community in Snyder Township. With organization, the residents plan on opening other’s eyes to begin making changes.
