Author: RiverAdmin
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Seeing Progress: A Designerâs 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 biggerâsomewhere with more opportunities, more energy, more everything. But as it turns out, city life wasnât for me. Instead, I found myself Read more
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Capturing the Stories That Inspire Communities Â
This week I’d like to introduce you to Devin Zagar, owner of 7 Foot Productions (yes, heâs that massively tall guy youâve probably seen around town!), and the creative mind behind the camera for Pellere’s upcoming Pellere in Motion video series. For Devin, videography isnât just about visualsâitâs about strategy, connection, and uncovering the âwhyâ behind every Read more
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Kicking Off a New Year
By Selina Pedi-Smith As we step into 2025, weâre reflecting on the progress made last year while laying the groundwork for whatâs to come: a regional coalition all working toward the common goal of resilience and equitable community redevelopment. But progress doesnât happen overnight. It begins with a vision, a plan, and the determination to Read more
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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
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The Work of Change: Progress, Possibility, and What Comes Next
Selina Pedi-Smith with Isaias Gomez, Pellere Foundation When youâre deep in the cleanup of a long-neglected house, you learn to see progress in small victoriesâanother 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, whoâs been hard at work Read more
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Turning Blight into Bright: How Restoring Homes Revitalizes Communities Turning Blight into Bright
You probably see them every day. Theyâre in every town, sometimes on almost every street. The houses with peeling paint, sagging roofs, and yards where the weeds have taken over. Theyâre hard to miss, and if weâre being honest, they can feel like a thorn in the side of an otherwise beautiful street, but hereâs Read more
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Breathing New Life into 403 W 2nd St: Pellere Foundationâs 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 opportunityâa chance to breathe Read more
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A Different Kind of Redevelopment: Hope in the Wake of Hurricane Helene
The floodwaters had receded, but the scars they left behind were everywhere. Mounds of black garbage bags lined the roads, filled with remnants of lives once livedâfamily photos, graduation gowns, childrenâs toys. Broken trees and shattered belongings formed endless piles, each one whispering a story of loss. Our team of 26 volunteers from multiple churches Read more
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Green Hydrogen Storage
Letâs 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
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Future of the Lower Clarion River
Over the last few weeks, weâve touched a little on the importance of environmental advocacy even with new green energy. Now letâs look at a real-life, local example of past environmental contamination and a new organization that seeks to care for and restore the watershed of the Lower Clarion River. Rob Bodenhorn, President, Watershed Association Read more