Category: River Roots Redevelopment Column
-
Building Community, One Cup at a Time
For the past two weeks, we’ve explored how smart investments—whether in businesses, public spaces, or at home—shape the future of our communities. This week, we’re bringing that idea to life with a story about one local business owner who saw an opportunity, took a risk, and built something that is now an essential part of… Read more
-
Smart Investments: How Thoughtful Choices Today Create a Stronger Future
Why do people buy quality tools instead of the cheapest option? Why do they spend time hunting, fishing, or gardening when the grocery store is right there? Because they know that making an investment upfront saves money, frustration, and time down the road. But beyond the practical benefits, there’s also a deep sense of accomplishment… Read more
-
Investing Isn’t Just Money—It’s What We Choose to Care About
Most people don’t think of themselves as “investors.” That’s for big companies, real estate moguls, and people in fancy suits, right? But…we all invest in things, even if we don’t call it that. You buy quality work boots because they last longer. You fix the porch now instead of waiting for it to fall apart,… Read more
-
Seeing Progress: A Designer’s Perspective on Community & Change
When I was younger, I thought I would end up in a city. I grew up in a small town, and like a lot of people, I imagined that my future was somewhere bigger—somewhere with more opportunities, more energy, more everything. But as it turns out, city life wasn’t for me. Instead, I found myself… Read more
-
Kicking Off a New Year
By Selina Pedi-Smith As we step into 2025, we’re reflecting on the progress made last year while laying the groundwork for what’s to come: a regional coalition all working toward the common goal of resilience and equitable community redevelopment. But progress doesn’t happen overnight. It begins with a vision, a plan, and the determination to… Read more
-
A Year of Firsts
By Selina Pedi-Smith As 2024 draws to a close, we find ourselves reflecting on a year filled with challenges, milestones, and plenty of lessons learned. At Pellere, this year has been a whirlwind of firsts: our first federal grant award, our first agency partnership, the launch of our first ambitious microgrid project, and our first… Read more
-
The Work of Change: Progress, Possibility, and What Comes Next
Selina Pedi-Smith with Isaias Gomez, Pellere Foundation When you’re deep in the cleanup of a long-neglected house, you learn to see progress in small victories—another wall stripped to the studs, another load of debris hauled away, a little light breaking through where there used to be none. For Isaias Gomez, who’s been hard at work… Read more
-
Breathing New Life into 403 W 2nd St: Pellere Foundation’s First Blight Remediation Project
By Selina Pedi-Smith The Pellere Foundation is thrilled to announce the beginning of our first blight remediation project at 403 W 2nd St, a once-stunning Victorian home in the heart of Oil City. This property, generously donated by Sadie McLaughlin and her brother Ian McLaughlin, represents both a challenge and an opportunity—a chance to breathe… Read more
-
Green Hydrogen Storage
Let’s dive into one more energy storage option that could be a great fit for the Oil Region: green hydrogen. Green hydrogen is made through a process called electrolysis, where electricity is used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen can then be stored and used later in fuel cells. When green hydrogen… Read more
-
Innovative and Eco-Friendly Energy Storage Solutions
As Pennsylvania’s Oil Region and other areas with industrial legacies begin to shift focus to cleaner energy, the role of sustainable energy storage becomes crucial. As we’ve seen over the last two weeks, nickel-zinc batteries have emerged as a safer, recyclable alternative to traditional lithium-ion batteries, showcasing how new technologies can support grid stability, local… Read more