Weatherly is situated in the northwestern corner of Carbon County, close to the Luzerne County border near Hazleton, PA. As a result, it is often overlooked when the folks in Jim Thorpe consider the county's economic future. Still, there is a viable economic plan being discussed here that could very well help to revitalize the entire county.

The Weatherly Area School District has the best record for PSSA's in the county, and it is still fiscally in the black—a potent combination these days. Like other areas of Carbon County, the Weatherly area abounds with natural beauty and outdoor opportunities for young professionals who wish to start a family and enjoy nature.

But these have, in the past, not been enough to stimulate interest in living in Carbon County because, simply, there are no high-paying jobs in our area. The Weatherly Plan would like to change all that.

The first step of the plan has already been carried out with the purchase of the Weatherly Trainworks facility, formerly the Lehigh Valley Railroad Train Shops. Bought by local citizen groups, the facility has undergone a major cleanup, and has been recently turned over to the borough so that further funding for its restoration can be procured. Part of the vision for the future of the facility includes some 10 to 12 high-tech incubator spaces, so that young entrepreneurs can seed their companies there.

The second part of the plan outlines efforts to provide a highly-trained workforce for these new businesses. The Weatherly Institute for Robotics and Engineering has spent the last seven years enticing young people from all over the area into technical career pathways. The first group of these students is now in its senior year of college and will be preparing to enter the workforce very soon. If we can get high-paying jobs in the Carbon County area, perhaps these, our best and brightest, would think of staying, easing our area's "brain drain."

The last and perhaps most important step will be to provide these new companies with a place to build, rent or purchase a facility once they leave the incubator. That is where areas like the Packerton Yards or the Nesquehoning Industrial Park can come into play. By getting these neophyte companies to stay in Carbon County, we will be providing area jobs and a continued tax base while employing our young.

That's the plan. I invite comments and additions to this concept.

Stephen Kew-Goodale