| About Pittston The City |
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Pittston is located at 41°19′26″N 75°47′20″W / 41.32389°N 75.78889°W / 41.32389; -75.78889 (41.323865, -75.788894)[2]. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 1.7 square miles (4.5 km²), of which, 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.4 km²) of it (8.09%) is water. The city is drained by the Susquehanna River and Lackawanna River. The area in and around Pittston is referred to as Greater Pittston and includes Avoca, Dupont, Duryea, Exeter, Exeter Township, Hughestown, Jenkins Township, Laflin, Pittston, Pittston Township, West Pittston, West Wyoming, Wyoming and Yatesville. Demographics
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 8,104 people, 3,530 households, and 2,170 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,072.6 people per square mile (1,955.6/km²). There were 3,902 housing units at an average density of 2,442.4/sq mi (941.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 98.4% White, 0.7% Black, 0.1% Native American, 0.3% Asian, 0.0% Pacific Islander, 0.17% from other races, and 0.35% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.68% of the population. Pittston includes many Italian immigrants and families. There were 3,530 households out of which 25.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.4% were married couples living together, 17.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.5% were non-families. 34.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 18.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and the average family size was 2.94. In the city the population was spread out with 21.7% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 26.3% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 84.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $27,103, and the median income for a family was $33,861. Males had a median income of $8,351 versus $1,417 for females. The per capita income for the city was $3,686. About 61.8% of families and 78.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.0% of those under age 18 and 88.0% of those age 65 or over. GovernmentExecutiveThe city is headed by an elected mayor. The current mayor of Pittston is Jason C. Klush. Mayors of Pittston [1]
Pittston mayoral election, 2009Mayor Joseph P. Keating sought re-election for another 4-year term in 2009. His opponents in the Democratic primary were Jason Klush and Luddy Fleming. After political attacks from Mayor Joe Keating, Luddy Fleming dropped out of the race and backed Klush for the May 19 primary. On Election Day, Klush defeated the incumbent mayor by a margin of 16%. Democrat Jason Klush ran unopposed in the November 2009 mayoral general election. A day after losing the Democratic primary, Keating resigned as mayor. The city council voted to appoint Councilwoman Donna McFadden-Connors as acting mayor. Michael Lombardo replaced Connors on council.
LegislativeA third class city government consists of a mayor and four council members with equal voting power. The four council members are:
The other city officers are:
Downtown renovationIn October 2005, it was revealed that Daniel Siniawa and Associates of Dickson City, Pennsylvania, designed a condo complex for Pittston City. The location of this complex is at Kennedy Blvd. (between the Water Street Bridge and East Street). Riverfront Park is located to the west of the development. Each tower, 5 stories in height, will have 45 units. Space is currently being made by destroying CareerLink and other buildings. The Del-Mar Dress Factory and B&G Beverage are also in the process of being purchased and demolished. For more information, visit: http://www.danielsiniawa.com/pittston_waterfront.htm In 2008, the city invested in renovating the downtown area sidewalks with a brick theme. Colorful brick pavers line the sidewalks along the curbside and at street crossings. Black street lights and sign posts were also placed to enhance the appearance of the downtown. In December 2009, several buildings along William Street were demolished. These included St. John the Baptist Church and School, St. John the Baptist Catholic Information Library, St. John the Baptist Rectory, the Msgr. Joseph A. Super Athletic Center, and Dave's Billiards. The only building remaining is part of the school where DeMuro's Pizzeria is located. A memorial green space is planned for the site of the church, because it had served the Slovak community for over 107 years. A Parking lot is planned for the space where Dave's Billiards was located. EducationPublic schoolsPittston city is located within the Pittston Area School District, which covers Pittston Township, Dupont, Duryea, Hughestown, Yatesville, Avoca and Jenkins Township. The Pittston Area School District consists of five schools:
Private schools There were several Catholic schools in the Greater Pittston area; many have been closed by the Diocese of Scranton due to lack of funding and low enrollment. Grade schools Pittston Tomato FestivalThe City of Pittston promotes itself as "The Quality Tomato Capital of the World." The Pittston Tomato Festival, in its twenty-seventh year in 2010, is held annually on South Main Street in downtown Pittston to celebrate the city's tradition and heritage in cultivating the tomato. This year's festival will take place from Thursday, August 19 through Sunday, August 22, 2010. The event consists of many food vendors from the Greater Pittston area, a beauty pageant, a tomato tasting contest, a best looking and ugliest tomato contest, a 5 km run through the city, tomato fights, live entertainment, and a parade. See www.pittstontomatofestival.com for more information. TransportationHighwaysInterstate 81 passes through Pittston Township. Combined with all of Interstate 59 and a portion of Interstate 75, Interstate 81 follows U.S. 11 for its entire journey from New Orleans, Louisiana to northern New York State. I-81 does not enter major metropolitan areas; it instead serves smaller cities such as Roanoke and Winchester, Virginia; Hagerstown, Maryland; Harrisburg and Scranton, Pennsylvania; and Binghamton and Syracuse, New York. After passing through Watertown, NY, Interstate 81 crosses the St. Lawrence Seaway to meet Highway 401 in Canada. The city is also located near the Northeast Extension of the Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 476 providing service from Clarks Summit to Philadelphia. AirThe Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International Airport is actually in Pittston Township. The airport is serviced by eight international airlines and hosted Air Force One on regional presidential visits several times in the past. In the spring of 2002, the airport began offering an increased number of non-stop flights across the nation. Service is provided by Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest Airlines, United Airlines, and US Airways. Public transportationPittston is served by the Luzerne County Transportation Authority and COLTS, which provides bus services to the city and other communities within Luzerne County and Lackawanna County. Martz Trailways also provides commuter, tour, and trip service from Pittston, nearby Wilkes-Barre and Scranton to points east and south, such as Philadelphia, New York City, and Atlantic City. RailAt present, the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad, Canadian Pacific Railway (successor to the Delaware and Hudson) and the Luzerne & Susquehanna Railroad (designated-operator of the county-owned shortline) provide freight service within the city and Pittston Township. A proposed nearby commuter train from Scranton to New York City has received government funding. Sites of interest in the Pittston area
Notable residents
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