Redevelopment Works

By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation I’ve been sitting with Rachel’s travel reflections for these last couple weeks. If you haven’t read them yet, go back…

By Rachel Brosnahan This is a bit of a part two to the story I shared last week about my time in Europe. After the…

By Rachel Brosnahan You’ve likely gotten used to hearing Selina’s voice in these behind-the-scenes stories, but this week I’m stepping in to share a story…

By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation I’ve been down for the count this week – the second casualty in our house to whatever bug’s been making…

By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation I was driving through Franklin the other day and passed a stretch of roadwork. There was a big excavator parked…

By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation With how much I’ve been going on about heavy equipment over the last several weeks, you’d be forgiven for thinking…

By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation If you know me, you know I have a hard time sitting still. So, of course, as soon as I…

By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation This summer hasn’t just been about things breaking down (belts, bolts, my patience…), but even more it’s been about what…

By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation Here’s a confession: until this summer, I had never driven a skid loader in my life. Not a little one,…

Last week I told you how I finally got the skid loader humming again. But, honestly, the story of just how it broke down is…

After July’s adventures in mud and malfunctions, you’d be forgiven for thinking the hardest part for me was blindly feeling around through years of built-up…

I said we’d be back in August. And here we are! Just… maybe not quite the way I imagined. Why does this ever surprise me…

Byline: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation Two weeks ago, we asked a simple question: Where are your memories held? We asked for your moments, your places,…

Byline: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation If you’ve ever had a flat tire, a busted mower, or a car that made a noise no one could…

Byline: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation If you’ve ever raised an eyebrow at the word “redevelopment,” you’re not alone. We’ve all seen the news stories where…

These past few weeks, we’ve taken you along with us – into my head (yikes), into sticky-note reminders and sideways video adventures, and into the…

Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation It started as a simple plan: take a walk, capture some video footage, and talk about how different brains and personalities…

By: Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation If you know me at all, you know that sentence comes out of my mouth at least three times a…

“No, don’t do that. I don’t wanna do that. Stop that!” —actual quote from Rachel this week as we tried to film a simple video….

This month, a new voice joins our pages. Not loud, not urgent, but present. Pele – some folks say Pell-ay, others Pell-ee; he doesn’t mind,…

By Selina Pedi-Smith, Pellere Foundation Every project has a story behind it, and this one starts – like many do – with a few slightly…

Throughout March we’ve talked about investment – not just in the financial sense, but in what we choose to care about, build, and sustain for…

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…

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…

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…

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…

You’ve been there. We all have. You start something new, excited and full of hope, and for a little while, it’s going great. The effort…

By Selina Pedi-Smith January was all about setting the stage – laying the groundwork for the stories we want to tell, the projects we want…

This week I’d like to introduce you to Devin Zagar, owner of 7 Foot Productions (yes, he’s that massively tall guy you’ve probably seen around…

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…

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….

Byline: 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…

You probably see them every day. They’re in every town, sometimes on almost every street. The houses with peeling paint, sagging roofs, and yards where…

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…

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…

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…

Over the last few weeks, we’ve touched a little on the importance of environmental advocacy even with new green energy. Now let’s look at a…

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….

Last week, we heard from Caleb Dawson of Advanced Power & Energy on the cleaner, safer, and more reliable energy storage solution found in nickel-zinc…

Selina Pedi-Smith with Guest Writer: Colin Russ of RAD Solar Last week, we discussed Pennsylvania’s proud energy history and how renewables are offering new opportunities. Let’s…

Selina Pedi-Smith with Guest Writer: Colin Russ of RAD Solar Despite some uncertain weather conditions, we had a great turnout at the Bright Futures Fall…