January 24, 2023
Reading, PA – January 24, 2023 – State Sen. Judy Schwank issued the following statement regarding Cream-O-Land Dairy, Inc.’s purchase of Clover Farms.
“I’ve been aware that the owners of Clover Farms were looking at the possibility of selling for quite some time now. From what I understand, independent dairy farmers who have been shipping their milk to Clover Farms have a commitment from Cream-O-Land Dairy to continue that arrangement, and the plant in Berks County will remain operational, so I’m hoping this is a seamless transition. Milk processors are a key component of the dairy industry infrastructure in Pennsylvania; so it’s important that we maintain existing processing plants. Clover Farms is an iconic brand, and is known as a premium local product, my hope is it will continue to be while under new ownership.”
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December 14, 2022
Reading — December 14, 2022 — This morning, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency announced that the 11th Senatorial District received a total of $5,160,209 in grant funding for community safety initiatives.
The funding comes from a variety of different PCCD funding opportunities including the Non-Profit Security Grant Fund, Federal American Rescue Plan Act Funds Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program, the State Children’s Advocacy Center Funds the Federal Victims of Crime Act, State Rights and Services Act, and State Victims of Juvenile Offenders Funds and others.
State Sen. Judy Schwank applauded the county, local governments, and non-profits that received funding for taking advantage of the opportunities provided by PCCD. She also highlighted the fact that the funding for the Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program came from the federal American Rescue Plan.
“It’s always exciting to see funding flow into our area,” Schwank said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that this list of projects will help us achieve safer communities across Berks County. I commend the county, the local governments, and the non-profits that received funding today for putting together strong applications and taking full advantage of the funding opportunities our state government has to offer.”
The recipients are listed below.
Non-Profit Security Grant Fund
Abilities in Motion — $20,000 for safety and security upgrades.
Chabad Lubavitch of Berks County, Inc. — $150,000 for safety and security upgrades.
Local Law Enforcement Support Grant Program
Central Berks Regional Police Department — $153,250 for an upgrade to the current record management system to transition to NIBRS and upgrade the in-house server.
Muhlenberg Township — $427,462 for in-car camera systems, license plate readers, and body-worn cameras with peripheral support equipment.
City of Reading — $2,029,000 for portable tablet computers for patrol, investigations, and services division personnel, recruitment funding, pole cameras, and training (use of force, implicit bias, de-escalation).
West Reading Borough — $153,988 for NIBRS-compliant Records Management System software, backup system, server, in-car cameras, laptop, desktops, license plate reader, body-worn camera storage, XF print all-in-one law enforcement handhelds.
Wyomissing Borough — $98,000 NIBRS-compliant record management system, desk workstation, and mobile computers.
County of Berks — $552,341 for one part-time Firearms Examiner position for two years to supplement the work of the current full-time Firearms Examiner. The funding will also be used to purchase and install a laboratory to allow for the safe discharge of firearms on-site to expedite analysis.
City of Reading — $686,768 to staff a Neighborhood Gun Violence Unit in the Patrol Division that will investigate gun violence incidents at the street level in neighborhoods, assign two investigators to follow up on gun violence incidents, provide funding for increasing the frequency and effectiveness of the Reading Police Department’s multi-agency Operation Ceasefire Details, and the purchase of pole cameras.
Clare of Assisi House — $100,000 to support the Women’s Empowerment After Prison Project.
State Children’s Advocacy Center Funds
County of Berks — $47,000 to support the Children’s Alliance Center.
State Victims of Juvenile Offenders Funds
County of Berks — $528,038 to support the District Attorney’s Victim/Witness Assistance Unit.
County of Berks — $214,362 to support the Juvenile Probation Victim/Witness Assistance Unit.
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January 26, 2022
Reading – January 26, 2022 – This afternoon, the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) announced the Berks Community Action Program, Inc. (BCAP) received $600,000 for violence prevention initiatives.
Over $24 million in Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) grant funding was distributed statewide. A previous round of funding, which was approved in December, awarded an additional $15,708,048 across the commonwealth bringing the combined total of December and January awards to $39,949,901.
BCAP plans to use the funding to support and grow a multitude of services it’s established to combat poverty and engage youth in positive social and educational activities. All these efforts aim to reduce and eliminate gang involvement and gun violence in Berks County. Additionally, BCAP has plans to deploy a trained outreach specialist in conjunction with other trained staff from partner organizations to interact with youths engaged in gang activity and gun violence.
“When you look at the proposal BCAP put together, it’s very clear a lot of thought about what our community needs was put into this application,” Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district) said. “Having professionals who are trained to go out in communities and interact with young people who aren’t headed down the right path is absolutely invaluable. This funding will ensure BCAP has the resources they need to continue making a positive impact on Berks County. I applaud BCAP for the work they do and the PCCD for continuing to direct financial resources to Berks County.”
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June 10, 2021
Reading, June 10, 2021 Three projects put forward by the Berk County will receive $884,403 in grant funding from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for three projects according to Sen. Judy Schwank (D-11th district), Rep. Mark Rozzi (D-126th district) and Rep. Manny Guzman (D-127th district).
Berks County will also receive $409,955 in State Intermediate Punishment Treatment Funds for the Berks Intermediate Punishment FY21/22 project and $454,448 in Improvement of Adult Probation Service Grant-In-Aid Funds for the Berks County APO Grant in Aid FY20/21 project. The funding will be used to provide treatment for individuals facing drug related offenses and to strengthen services for those on probation.
Berks will also receive $20,000 in support from the Capital Case Indigent Defense Funds. The funds will be used for a mitigation expert for a capital homicide case from July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022.
“These grant funds will have an immediate positive impact on the health and safety of all Berks County residents,” said Sen. Schwank. “Strategic investments in our justice system are crucial and have tremendous social benefits for entire communities.”
“This much-needed state support will go a long way to improve the criminal justice system here at home,” Rep. Rozzi said. “These grants will allow for the increase of treatment services, including supporting detox and alcohol intervention. In short, these funds will allow the people who want help find the support they need and progress toward making a positive impact in their family’s lives as well as in their community.”
“I remain committed to fighting for criminal justice reform and ending mass incarceration, and while much more work still needs to be done, I’m pleased to see that one of these grants will allow the Berks County Jail System to decrease its incarcerated population,” Rep. Guzman said. “Implementing a probation program with restrictions for people convicted of non-violent drug or alcohol offenses will allow people to recover and receive the treatment they need. Jail is not the only answer for every person, at some point we also need to treat the issue that led to the crime.”
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Contact: Spencer Thornburg
Sen. Judy Schwank
Phone: 610-929-2151
Email: spencer.thornburg@pasenate.com
August 24, 2016
Harrisburg – Aug. 24, 2016 – State Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) congratulated the owners of two Berks County farms who joined the ranks of more than 5,000 Pennsylvania farms preserved through the efforts of the State Agricultural Land Preservation Board.
“Berks County is a big reason Pennsylvania has preserved over 5,000 farms,” Schwank said today following the Pennsylvania Farmland Preservation Board’s meeting at Smuckerland Farms located in Bird-in-Hand, Lancaster County.
“The 227 acres of prime, local agricultural space added by the board means Berks County farms will remain a leader in producing nutritious food for generations to come.”
The total conservation easements for the following Berks County farms totals $566,750:
- Wagner Farms Partnership, Oley Township, 113.20 acres;
- Leon S. & Alta M. Zimmerman, Longswamp & Maxatawny Township, 113.50 acres.
In Berks County, 713 farms consisting of 70,354 acres have been preserved.
“Our county has preserved more acres of farmland than any other county,” said Schwank. “We have demonstrated and made preserving farms a priority.”
Pennsylvania is recognized as a national leader for farms and acres preserved. Since the Farmland Preservation program began in 1988, more than $1.3 billion has been invested by federal, state, county and local governments to preserve more than half a million acres on farms in 57 counties for future agricultural production.
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June 9, 2016
Harrisburg – June 9, 2016 – The Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board today approved an additional 194 acres of Berks County farmland for preservation, state Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks) said today.
“The farmland preservation program is so vitally important to the agriculture community of Berks County and all across the state,” Schwank said. “Preserving farmland for agricultural purposes enhances family farming, promotes efficient land use and keeps acres in production without outside development pressures.”
Schwank who is a member of the board in addition to serving as Democratic chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee, said that 110. 7 acres in Centre Township and another 82.7 acres in Perry Township will be preserved.
The board approved conservation easements valued at $483,500 to preserve the farmland.
“Berks County has been a statewide leader in preserving farmland,” Schwank said. “We have a long history of farming in the county and with the help of preservation activities we will continue to keep land in agricultural production.”
The farm that will be preserved in Centre Township belongs to Dale and Carolyn Machmer. The Perry Township farm is owned by Marie Strause and Carol Fetherol.
Statewide 4,977 farms totaling 522,545 acres have been preserved since the program’s inception. In Berks County, 711 farms consisting of 70,227 acres have been preserved. Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the state program.
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October 8, 2015
Harrisburg, Oct. 8, 2015 – Additional acres of Berks County farmland will be preserved following today’s approval of the purchase of conservation easements by the state Agricultural Land Preservation Board, according to state Sen. Judy Schwank (D-Berks).
Schwank, who is a preservation board member, said that nearly 15 acres of farmland in Perry Township belonging to Marie M. Hill valued at $35,000 will be preserved from non-agricultural development.
“It is critical that farming remains viable and it can be if farmland is protected from commercial development,” Schwank said. “The work of preserving farms is on-going and the board needs to continue bringing more farmland into the program.
“Farming is an economic powerhouse and a leading industry in Pennsylvania and it can only stay vibrant if land is preserved for generations to come.”
Pennsylvania is a national leader in preserving farmland. The Pennsylvania farmland preservation program went into effect in 1988 and the first conservation easement was purchased in December 1989.
Statewide 4,860 farms totaling 514,022 acres have been preserved since the program’s inception. In Berks County, 697 farms consisting of 69,361 acres have been preserved. Berks County has preserved more acreage of farmland than any other county in the state program.
“As someone who has worked on farming issues and with farmers for generations, I am proud that Berks County has more acreage protected than any other county in the entire state,” Schwank said. “The new 15 acre parcel in Berks that has been preserved will add even more depth to the program in the county.”
Schwank has long been involved in agriculture and farming issues. Previously, she served as horticultural agent for Penn State Cooperative Extension and established the Master Gardener Program. She was also director of the Berks County Cooperative Extension Program. Schwank is currently the Democratic chair of the Senate Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee.
The Agricultural Land Preservation Board has 17 members. It is responsible for distributing funds in addition to monitoring county preservation programs.
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June 30, 2015
HARRISBURG, June 30, 2015 – Ignoring Berks County residents’ call for relief from skyrocketing property tax bills, the Republican state legislature today steamrolled its $30.2 billion budget, absent the support of state Sen. Judy Schwank.
Schwank said the General Assembly is making a mistake by ignoring the pleadings of Berks County home owners, students and teachers, and farmers who need help.
“Did anyone catch any mention of school property tax elimination or relief in this Republican budget plan? I didn’t hear it,” Schwank said during Senate debate this afternoon.
“This is the issue I hear about everywhere I go in my district. When I’m at the farmers market, at sporting events, at the mall and even in my office, I hear a steady stream of elderly taxpayers at the end of their rope. They are tapped out. They can’t afford that steadily rising tax anymore.
“Gov. Wolf, to his credit, made property tax relief an issue in his budget proposal. He suggested increasing and expanding the sales tax and personal income tax, as well as a severance tax on natural gas, to amplify the state’s share of education funding so that we pay our fair share and our local school districts can stop raising taxes.
“I am in support of totally eliminating – not just reducing – school property taxes. As a prime sponsor on Senate Bill 76, I, along with more than 80 taxpayer groups throughout the state, think elimination is the only way to go. But I know and taxpayers know that the money to fund education has to come from somewhere.
“I am less than enthused, as are my constituents, that there is no tax increase in this budget. They know and you know that that is a cruel joke.
“Who do we think we are fooling with a so called ‘No Tax Hike’ budget? The taxpayers of Pennsylvania get it and they know this budget isn’t what they had hoped for,” Schwank said.
In addition to property tax elimination, Schwank said lawmakers must come up with a significant pension reform plan that works, adoption of the more equitable school funding formula so students can get an excellent education no matter their zip code, and a more committed agriculture investment.
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February 12, 2015
HARRISBURG, Feb. 12, 2015 – Add another 250 acres of Berks County land to Pennsylvania’s farmland preservation program.
The three tracts, valued at nearly $625,000, were approved for inclusion in the record-setting operation today by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Land Preservation Board, Sen. Judy Schwank said.
The 250 acres added by the panel now mean 687 Berks County farms and 68,622 acres are now protected from future development.
“As food costs continue to increase, it’s extremely important that we make sure Pennsylvania’s farms – especially those in Berks County – are able to grow and harvest produce, meat and cheese for local residents,” Schwank, a member of the preservation board, said. “Buying locally is one of the surest ways to ensure the affordability of a good, nutritious food source.”
The conservation easements approved today by the board total $373,750 and were paid to the following Berks County land owners:
- Louise Rick, Lower Heidelberg Township, 44 acres
- Earl & Ann Martin, Maxatawny Township, 85.3 acres
- Mae Baver, Greenwich Township, 120.6 acres
Since its inception in 1988, the commonwealth has protected 4,750 farms totaling 504,252 acres with nearly $1.4 billion in easements.
Local, county or state government – or any combination of the three – may buy easements. Counties that decide to have an easement purchase program must create an agricultural land preservation board.
The long-term goal of the state’s program is to permanently preserve farmland. The holders of the easements have the right to prevent development or improvements of the land for purposes other than agricultural production.
For more information on PA’s farmland preservation program, visit the Bureau of Farmland Preservation’s website.
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Follow Sen. Schwank on her website, Facebook and Twitter.
August 18, 2014
When state Sen. David G. Argall shows up at a public event or town hall meeting, he knows he’d better be prepared to talk about property tax elimination.
“It’s almost always the first question that comes up,” said the Schuylkill County Republican, who represents part of Berks County.
Berks has long been a hotbed for the movement to end school property taxes. – Read more at The Reading Eagle →
September 12, 2013
LEESPORT, Sept. 12, 2013 – With elder abuse a growing problem, Sen. Judy Schwank and top prosecutors from Berks County and the state today provided tips for staying safe to a packed house of senior citizens at Bern Evangelical Lutheran Church.
“With the third highest percentage of senior citizens in the country, we need to take steps every day to make sure our grandparents, friends and neighbors are not falling victim to scam artists and crooks,” Schwank said during her Senior Crime Prevention Seminar.
“In some parts of Pennsylvania, elder abuse is more of a problem than child abuse,” she said.
Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, Berks County First Assistant District Attorney Theresa Johnson, and state Attorney General Senior Public Protection Community Liaison Dave Shallcross helped 125 seniors who attended the seminar identify con artists who are trying to steal their money or property or physically hurt them.
Statistically, senior citizens often fall prey to identity theft, and charities, telemarketing and sweepstakes fraud. But they are also victims of sexual and psychological abuse and neglect.
Pennsylvania’s fastest growing population is residents who are 85 years old and older.
The attorney general’s office and the Berks County District Attorney’s office have elder abuse units that investigate crimes against senior citizens.
Berks County’s elder abuse unit offers tips on its web page, as does the attorney general’s office. Sen. Schwank’s office can also help by calling 610-929-2151.
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Follow Sen. Judy Schwank on her website, Facebook, and Twitter.
December 14, 2011
HARRISBURG, Dec. 14, 2011 — State Sen. Judy Schwank today issued the following statement on legislation that redraws the Congressional map in Pennsylvania into 18 districts, which passed the Senate today by a (26-24) vote:
“This map is a travesty and there’s no reasonable explanation from what I can see,” Schwank said. “At one time, Berks County was represented by one member of Congress. Considering the makeup of our population, that shouldn’t be uncommon. But somehow, we became a magnet for political upheaval and disruption, ripe for cherry-picking voters for political benefit.
“Over the past decade, we were surgically carved into four Congressional districts with a sharp partisan scalpel. The proposed plan for the next decade is more of the same,” said Schwank, who voted against Senate Bill 1249. “We will continue to have not one, but four members of Congress attempting to represent the good people of Berks County in Washington.”
Under the legislation, Berks County would be represented by the 6th, 7th, 15th and 16th districts in the U.S. House of Representatives. Only one other county on the approved Congressional map — Montgomery County — would be represented by more members of Congress.
Philadelphia and Allegheny counties, both of which have triple the number of residents that Berks County, each contain three Congressional districts.
“It is completely and totally unnecessary to divide up our county except, of course, to ensure a political stranglehold on this legislature and Congress,” Schwank said. “The new 7th Congressional district, which snakes its way into Berks, is a disgrace. It is the absolute definition of the word ‘gerrymander.’
“The purpose of redistricting is to reflect changes in population to ensure that the people are properly represented in the state legislature and in Congress,” Schwank said. “The Congressional redistricting map is a blatant attempt to protect seats.
“To slice and dice our county away for political gain is not in the best interest of the 403,000 Pennsylvanians who live in Berks County,” Schwank said. “These actions seek only to divide rather than unite and they are disrespectful to the wishes of the people for fair representation.”
Senate Bill 1249 now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration.
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