Next weekend will mark the 100th anniversary of the worst mining disaster in Schuylkill County history, and there will be a memorial service at 11 a.m. Aug. 3 at Ss. Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church, 840 E. Grand Ave., Tower City.
In preparation for the event, the Schuylkill County commissioners proclaimed Aug. 3 as "East Brookside Colliery Commemoration Day" during a public meeting Wednesday.
"Despite a history during which tragedies occurred, the anthracite mining community reveres its long and proud heritage," commissioners Chairman Frank J. Staudenmeier said, reading the proclamation Wednesday.
Dynamite and gas are believed to be the cause of the explosion at the colliery at 11:20 a.m., followed by a second about noon. Rescue workers found only two men alive and they succumbed to injuries shortly after. The disaster killed 20 men, who left behind wives, 51 children, parents, siblings, relatives and friends, according to the proclamation.
The proclamation goes on to recognize the roles Schuylkill County and Pennsylvania had in providing the fuel for the worldwide industrial revolution and praise the efforts of the volunteers and emergency workers that day.
"The board of Schuylkill County commissioners take this opportunity to honor those who gave their lives so that worldwide, people could better their standard of living and we, along with the anthracite community and the relatives of the deceased, declare Aug. 3 as 'East Brookside Colliery Commemoration Day.' "
The memorial service will consist of the "The Breaker Boys," Tommy Symons Sr. and Stu Richards, presenting a dramatization of the disaster and the Rev. Paul Rothermel leading a service, which will include ringing a bell for each miner killed.
Accepting the proclamation Wednesday were David Williams and Susan Graver, event committee members. Also on the committee are Rothermel and Mike and Cindy Rothermel.
The event is free and open to the public. Anyone with a miner's hard hat is asked to bring it for a picture to be taken afterward. For more information, call 570-682-8576.
During the meeting, the county commissioners also approved the changes to the 2011 and 2010 Community Development Block Grant programs.
Leftover funding from the 2010 program will be used for upgrades to the heating system at Coaldale Volunteer Fire Company, Coaldale. It is the only uncompleted project from 2010 and the remaining balance from that year is $2,140.26.
The stormwater replacement project on Hancock Street in McAdoo from 2011 is behind schedule and has been moved to the 2013 program.
The board extended its contract with Larson Design Group to complete the design of repairs to the covered bridge on Newswanger Road over Little Swatara Creek in Washington Township. The contract was extended to Aug. 31, 2014, as additional engineering and environmental services are required by the Federal Highway Administration National Historic Covered Bridge Preservation grant funding the project. The project is still on schedule to be placed out for bid in March 2014.
The commissioners approved a vehicle lease with the Anthracite Region Athletics Against Tumors Inc. The vehicle will be used by the county coroner's office only for transporting bodies. It is a monthly rental at $200 with the lease expiring on Dec. 31, which has an annual renewal. The county is not responsible for maintenance costs and either party can terminate the lease after a 30-day notice.
The commissioners will not meet next week. The next meeting will be a work session at 10 a.m. Aug. 8 in the commissioners' Hofmann Room.