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Drugs, jobs, blight top list of concerns ... Survey results show satisfaction with cultural tourism; respondents want more programs for youth [The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.](Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 26--Area residents indicated more needs to be done to address neighborhood concerns -- such as drugs and blight -- but many gave high marks to the region's arts and heritage-type tourism, transportation and offerings for older area residents, results from a Tribune-Democrat survey showed. More than 1,100 individuals took the newspaper's online survey, which was posted on www.tribune-democrat.com this month. The survey followed a "Moving Forward" series that looked at recent progress locally, such as efforts to market the region's growing outdoor recreation offerings, the Route 219 expansion project in Somerset County, downtown and Cambria City neighborhood rejuvenation efforts and new technology education projects. "We are very pleased by the number of those who participated in this survey -- 1,152 is a very impressive participation rate for a region of our size," said Robin Quillon, publisher of The Tribune-Democrat. "This sample size puts our margin of error at about 2.8 percent, and that is pretty good. "We will be sharing the survey results with our readers in upcoming issues and with our community leaders. Hopefully, the results will serve as a helpful guide as we, together, seek ways to improve our community." 'To have an impact' Arts, heritage and cultural tourism efforts earned some of the highest grades from area residents in the survey. It brought a smile to Johnstown Area Heritage Association Director Richard Burkert's face. "That's great to hear," he said. "Obviously, we've all been working on that for a quite awhile." He noted JAHA worked with other groups to lay the groundwork for what has since become the Heritage Discovery Center, a revitalized historic Cambria City and the Peoples Natural Gas Park back in 1991. "And it's interesting to see things come full circle. It's taken time ... but this kind of tourism is important, not just in terms of preserving this area's heritage but from a quality of life, tourism and local economic perspective." Transportation -- at a time efforts are moving forward to extend a four-lane Route 219 toward Interstate 68 in Maryland -- and senior program offerings scored well, too, survey results showed. At a time when senior care providers such as Cambria's Area Agency on Aging are now providing programs for a new generation of seniors -- baby boomers -- who often face different needs and challenges, the survey results signal Cambria's agency is doing a pretty good job, Director Veil Griffith said. "I'm glad to hear it because we are all working together to try to have an impact," Griffith said, crediting county staff. 'Abandoned buildings' Blight ranked as a top concern, with more than 93.5 percent of respondents saying "not enough" is being done to address the issue. That was no surprise to Kevin Rosenbach of Johnstown. "There's so many abandoned buildings around here that need torn down," he said during an interview in downtown Johnstown. "It's obviously a problem." The fact that 90.9 percent of respondents viewed crime and drugs as a concern which needs more attention might come as little surprise to many after a two-year period that has seen a sharp rise in homicides -- and a recent report that ranked Cambria County's rate of drug overdoses among the state's highest as of 2011. 'A vicious circle' Addressing another perceived problem in the region -- increasing the number of options for area youth -- might be a fix for crime and drugs, too, Rosenbach and fellow Johnstown resident Jean Slezak said. "If there's not enough for kids to do, they end up on the streets. They pick up bad habits," Rosenbach said. "It ends up leading them to drugs -- and it's a vicious circle." He suggested turning blighted properties into playgrounds or parks, a move that has occurred in the region before. City and county agencies have been trying to battle blight for years. It's an issue often compounded by the fact that dilapidated homes are sometimes abandoned by owners, leaving communities on the hook. But there have been victories recently, particularly in the Kernville neighborhood where new residential and business development has been built where crumbling homes once stood. One of downtown Johnstown's most noticeable blights, the Conrad Building, will be renovated into a technology education center through a partnership between a Johnstown business development group and Cambria-Rowe Business College. The survey Among the total number of respondents, 502 people identified themselves as male and 650 as female. More than 500 voters fell under the 46 to 60 age range, making them the largest voting block, followed by those ages 31 to 45 (285), and those 61 and older (269), results showed. Young adults ages 30 and under represented the smallest segment, with 94 people in that range submitting survey entries. The data were compiled by Dave Webb of The Tribune-Democrat's information technology department. Preliminary results Participants were asked by category whether they believe enough was being done or not enough was being done on key issues. The survey was completed online from Oct. 9-23, and 1,152 individuals responded. Doing enough Categories where more than half responded "Enough is being done," and percentage of total: --Arts, heritage and cultural tourism: 63.0% --Transportation: 61.6% --Programs for seniors: 60.7% --Availability of middle-income housing: 58.4% --Public service programs: 52.0% Need to do more Categories where more than half responded "Not enough is being done," and percentage of total: --Blight/property redevelopment: 93.5% --Jobs/employment opportunities: 91.2% --Crime/drugs: 90.9% --Business/entrepreneurial activity: 82.8% --Neighborhood improvement: 83.1% --Downtown revitalization: 80.5% --Youth-focused initiatives: 74.5% --Municipal or school consolidation: 69.3% --Political/civic leadership development: 64.8% --Learning/workforce training: 60.6% --Marcellus-related business opportunities: 54.9% --Recreation and outdoor tourism as economic development: 51.0% Who took survey? The respondants described themselves as ... Female: 650 Male: 502 Ages 30 and under: 94 Ages 31-45: 285 Ages 46-60: 504 Ages 61 and over: 269 Civic involvement: 699 -- yes; 453 -- no. David Hurst is a reporter for The Tribune-Democrat. He can be reached at (814) 532-5053. Follow him on Twitter @TDDavidHurst. ___ (c)2014 The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) Visit The Tribune-Democrat (Johnstown, Pa.) at www.tribune-democrat.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |