Stanley A. Shimko

CBWS allows eligible College and University students to use their Federal Work Study award to work off campus, at a local non-profit. Students earn their wages while supporting meaningful community work and gaining real world experiences and assisting non-profits with their impacts withing the communities that they serve by providing some additional organizational capacity to the organizations.

CBWS is designed for students who want their work to matter by contributing locally to the communities that surround their Colleges and Universities. They can gain hands‑on experience in real nonprofit settings, build skills that translate directly to future careers, explore fields like education, social services, history, environmental work, and community outreach. On top of the soft skills and opportunities for applied science, they can also earn certificates that they can add to their resumes and make a positive impact while getting paid. EPCAMR encourages students can contact their Financial Aid or Community Engagement office to learn more about eligibility and placements. Students at King’s College should inquire if they have questions or need more assistance on the process, by stopping by Kelly Gibbons’ office at the Shoval Center or book an appointment with her (in person is preferable)  Book time to meet with me

Stanley shares deep familial ties with the coal region, and intends that the lands in which he was raised, may be healed from the long history and scars of past  anthracite mining. He comes from a lineage of generational coal miners in Eastern Europe around Poland, Ukraine, and Russia. He expressed interest in working (after graduation) in a field related to anthracite mining. To this end, he expressed his gratefulness and his interest in the opportunity to participate  EPCAMR’s Work Study internship program. Stanley will use his historical insight from his education at King’s to aid in EPCAMR’s preparation for its 30th Anniversary in the Fall, during his work study and for research into anthracite mining history topics that will become a part of several of our reports and watershed assessments that we are currently working on.

Stanley expressed his desire to share EPCAMR’s history at the 30th Anniversary Reception, as bringing EPCAMR’s history and past projects to the forefront of local conciseness would bring forth a greater sense of awareness to the type of work and activities involved in EPCAMR’s abandoned mine reclamation, which directly benefits the regional population centers impacted by abandoned mines in Northeastern and Northcentral PA.

Stanley tells us, “My generation does not have the constant visual reminder of anthracite
history which past generations had. I mean coal breakers, colliery buildings, washeries, shafts, slopes, and tipples which were scatted across the Wyoming Valley have been by and large, torn down. So I have noticed that my generation has begun to forget about the long, painful and oppressive history of anthracite mining, entirely”. He later said, “Despite there being little reminders of the deep mining on the surface, there are still endless catacombs of coal veins and water-filled gangways and rooms, with their pillars removed, beneath our feet that remind of of their existence when they open up occasionally during mine subsidence emergencies in our communities, revealing with that geological hazard that comes along with living in the Coal Region, the long unforgettable history of Anthracite.”

Bobby Hughes, Executive Director mentioned, ” We’re glad to have Stanley with us through the CBWS Program at King’s College, which is an invaluable program that supports non-profits like ourselves that don’t often have the funds to financially support paid internships, but have the space and can host the positions. We also are providing some valuable experiences for the students that they can get outside of the classroom and the opportunity to network and have professional mentors in the workforce that can educate them and give them firsthand chances to engage with the surrounding local communities that they are a part of while attending College or a local University. ”

Bobby joked, “As Stan and I were talking on his first day, he recalled attending a PA American Water Wonderful World of Water Camp at The Lands at Hillside Farms when he was very young and he remembered making an AMD Tie-Dye T-shirt and was first introduced to EPCAMR in his early youth. That was rewarding to hear, since I had conducted that educational event and led the workshop to create those t-shirts for the campers, which is an Environmental Education Program that we have been doing for decades with Susan Turcmanovich, External Affairs Manager, from PA American Water, both at The Lands at Hillside Farms over the years, when the Educational Center building was first constructed up on the hill, and yearly at the Valley Library, along the Lackawanna River, in Peckville.”

Stanley will be coming in to the Office twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, when he doesn’t have classes, so there is no conflict with his on campus education, and providing us with 10 hours a week for 10 weeks. His Activities are outlined in the following Volunteer Activity Description (VAD) entitled, EPCAMR Coal Region History Researcher and Archivist_Job Description

He will also spend time archiving and scanning our 30 years history of news articles, projects, photos, into a digital archive for EPCAMR. We hope to have it complete to reveal at the 30th Anniversary Reception in September 2026.

Another assignment will be to research the history of coal mining towns and communities where coal breakers were once prominent as we develop our watershed assessments for a number of watersheds in the region. In particular, he will be looking at the E.S. Stackhouse Colliery and Greater Shickshinny Area as we continue to develop our Coldwater Conservation Plan for the Shickshinny Creek Watershed and both the Paddy Run and Rocky Run Valleys, along the southern tip of the Northern Anthracite Coalfields, along State Route 11, in Shickshinny and Salem Township.

E.S. Stackhouse portrait from 1886.

The majority of the colliery history is located in State Game Lands 260. He’ll be looking for maps and history on the people, landmarks, and local communities that influenced the mining industry in those areas that EPCAMR always includes in our watershed assessments and Coldwater Conservation Plans.

A transparency over a historic mining map showing the E.S. Stackhouse Colliery Breaker original location along State Route 11 just outside of Shickshinny.

He will be helping our former AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer Dennis Dukinas, continue to build on our new Story Map on the Anthracite Region’s Historic Coal Mines, Breakers, and Washeries, in the Northern, Middle (Eastern), Western Middle, and Southern Anthracite Coal Fields, Geographic Information System (GIS), online, interactive map.

Screen shot of the online Story Map and Interactive Historical Coal Mines, Collieries, Breakers, and Washeries in the EPCAMR Region’s Anthracite Coal Fields

He expressed his interest in attending the EPCAMR 30th Anniversary Reception with his fiancée, and wishes for you to be in attendance as well, on September 19th, 2026 from 5-9PM, at the Sand Springs Country Club, in Drums. More details on the planning of this pivotal occasion will be forthcoming, so please SAVE THE DATE! We will be highlighting our accomplishments over the last three decades. Dinner and a Cash Bar will be provided. Registration will open soon and sponsorships will be sought from our regional partners across our 16-county region.

We look forward to his contributions to our organization over the next 10 weeks! Welcome aboard Stanley! Join us in welcoming him to this great opportunity for the both of us.

The post EPCAMR Brings on Stanley A. Shimko as a Community-based Federal Work Study student intern from King’s College as Our Coal Region History Researcher & Archivist appeared first on epcamr.org.

The Annual Pennsylvania Abandoned Mine Reclamation (AMR) Conference is now accepting proposals for presentations.  The 2017 PA AMR Conference will be held June 21-22, 2017 at the Best Western Plus Genetti Hotel and Conference Center, Wilkes-Barre.   Abstracts for presentations which revolve around this year’s theme of  “The Future of Reclamation” should be no longer than 1 page, contain the presenter’s name and title of presentation, and must be emailed by the close of business on March 21, 2017 to Anne Daymut, at anne@wpcamr.org.

The potential for the changing Federal environmental policies to influence abandoned mine reclamation in Pennsylvania is imminent.  The return to a focus on coal production, the proposed shifting of spending of the Abandoned Mine Land Fund through the RECLAIM initiative, and the expected expiration of the collection fees feeding the Abandoned Mine Land Fund could each have their own costs and benefits to Pennsylvania’s abandoned mine reclamation community.  The PA AMR Conference will explore these ideas with an emphasis on the future of reclamation and the benefits it provides.  We also welcome presentations on treatment system design, new technologies and tools, successes and lessons learned, or anything that is useful to the abandoned mine reclamation community.

The AMR conference is going to be located in the heart of the Wyoming Valley and the Northern Anthracite Coalfields. We have not been back to “The Diamond City” since our first regional conference that was held in June of 1996 at Wilkes University.  A full day tour of the Wyoming and Lackawanna Valleys’ abandoned mine drainage and abandoned mine reclamation projects.  An alternative walking tour of Wilkes-Barre coal history, visits to an Anthracite Altar, an Anthracite art exhibit, and a film screening will also be offered, including the release of the full documentary, Centralia: PA’s Lost Town.

Visit our conference website HERE to find further details about this year’s conference, register to attend, or find links to previous conferences and examples of prior presentations.

The post Request for Proposals due March 21st, 2017: 19th Annual PA Abandoned Mine Reclamation Conference appeared first on epcamr.org.

She goes on to say, “When I’m not working or studying, I enjoy outdoor activities such as camping and hiking. I’m also interested in our Anthracite Mining History and am fascinated by all things paranormal. Ghosts are my favorite! I love to visit haunted or historical sites whenever I can. One of my favorite places to tour is Gettysburg.”

Dana Sword, EPCAMR Watershed Outreach Specialist, at one of the Gettysburg Battlefields.

She is an animal lover and has two guinea pigs and a dog. She is also an Eckley Miners’ Village reenactor and volunteer. She plays local intramural volleyball as a hobby.

Having asked her what she thinks her internship with EPCAMR will do for her, she responded on a positive note and said “I feel that my internship with EPCAMR and working with Robert, Mike, the other interns and the rest of the professional and laid back Staff, will provide me with great hands on learning experiences where I will be able to get out into the community throughout the Coalfields and make an actual difference. I will actually be able to see and understand the effects that past coal mining practices have had on the environment in Northeast PA and become an actual active environmental steward with EPCAMR, learning how we can work to help resolve some of the pressing environmental impacts to our rivers, streams, and abandoned mine lands that have resulted because of less stringent laws that were historically on the books. I’ve already seen the difference that can be made when people come together for environmental community service projects such as the Line Street Illegal Dump Site coordinated by Robert and funded by EPCAMR through a grant from the PA American Water Company on Pollock Enterprises and DelBaso Ford properties in the City of Nanticoke, PA last Monday.  I also know I will learn valuable technical skills and tons of useful information on the geology of the Anthracite Region from Robert, who has over 20 years experience in geology, hydrogeology, and watershed restoration principles and processes that will teach me to be ready to get out into the work force following College. He’s like a walking encyclopedia of all things Anthracite, rivers, and streams! I’m seeing them working on projects that involve water quality monitoring and testing, macro-invertebrate and stream habitat surveys, photo-assays of streams, GIS Mine Mapping projects, AMD Treatment System operation and maintenance, underground and surface  Anthracite mine map reading, illegal dump site cleanups, and much more.”

Robert stated, “Dana will have the opportunity like all of our other interns to get the most out of the internship with EPCAMR by paying close attention to details on all projects that we’ll be coordinating over the Summer and writing down the names of people, places, organizations, community groups, State Agency, County Agency, and Federal Agency partners that she will come across in a very short period of time. She’ll also have to dive right into each project that is given to her and make the very best of the opportunities. There will be plenty of times to get her hands dirty, be it sampling mine drainage, conducting an illegal dump site or litter cleanup, scraping paint from an old historic Colliery sign from the Huber Breaker, or planting and measuring trees on mine sites. She’s going to do fine. She’ll be accompanied by several other interns and EPCAMR Community Service Volunteers throughout the Summer to make her experience that much more memorable. It’s good to have a buddy system out on these sites that EPCAMR works on. She’ll be sure gain a lot of knowledge from EPCAMR that she’ll hopefully be able to talk up during future job interviews as she continues on with her career. Seeing that she has another year until she graduates will give her an even greater opportunity to possibly work with EPCAMR in the Fall and quite possibly over the Winter or through the early Spring of 2015.”

“Like I’ve told many, many Freshmen College students before, don’t wait to take advantage of an internship until you are Senior, if you don’t have to, when you can get several seasons under your belt, even if the internships are non-paid, volunteer positions. Robert emphasized. “

The post Dana Sword, Hazleton, PA and Bloomsburg University Junior Geology Student Begins Internship at as a Watershed Outreach Specialist Intern appeared first on epcamr.org.