Mercer Area Community Profile

It has been said that the Mercer area is "a land where people will come to play and eventually stay." the semi-rural area has easy access to metropolitan regions,

The semi-rural Mercer area, at the intersection of Interstates 79 and 80, has high quality of living, excellent schools, a low crime rate and many recreation areas.

The Interstate highway network has helped bring new business an industry, residential development, and tourism to the area. These highways provide access to the major metropolitan markets of Pittsburgh, Erie Youngstown, Warren and Cleveland.

In the summer of 1994, the first phase of the Grove City Factory Shops, a 400,000 square-foot factory outlet mall, opened in Springfield Township. The Factory Shops which employ 500 persons, is expected to attract 2 million visitors annually.

Recreational areas such as the Shenango Lake, Pymatuning State Park, Lake Latonka, and Goddard State Park, along with the low crime rate, ahvehavee inspired the saying, " the Mercer Area is a land where people will come to play and eventually stay." Those who enjoy watching professional sports can easily travel an hour and a half to either Pittsburg or Cleveland.

The Interstate highways also provide easy access to institutions of higher learning in Pittsburgh, Erie, Youngstown, and Cleveland. the Mercer Area itself has an excellent education system and a wealth of nearby higher educational facilities, including the Shenango Valley Campus of Pennsylvania State University, Westminster College, Slippery Rock University, Thiel College, Allegheny College, Edinboro University, and Grove City College. Money Magazine, in the evaluation of which schools provide the best education for the dollar, ranks Grove City College No. 11 in the nation.

According to the Herald (Sharon, Pa.), Mercer County's best asset is its people: "Nowhere could anyone find people who are are more diversified in work skills and professions; more friendly; more cooperative, and more willing to be good neighbors, especially to visitors or anyone moving in-be they businesses, industries, or residents."

Population

Mercer Borough - 1990 Census - 2,444

Mercer Area - 1990 Census - 11,649

Mercer County - 1990 Census - 121,003

Governmental Services

Mercer Borough - Mayor and 7 council members

Surrounding Townships - 3 supervisors and township secretary

Police

Mercer Police Dept. - 3 full-time. 2 part time

Jefferson Township - 3 full-time

State Police

Fire Departments

East End Volunteer Fire Dept # 1

Jefferson Township Volunteer Fire Dept

Mercer County has 911 service

Gold Cross Ambulance Service available

Community Service

Banking

Mellon Bank/North

Integra Bank/North

First Western Bank F S B

Hospitals

United Community Hospital, Grove City - 128 beds

Sharon Regional Health System, Sharon - 290 beds

Horizon Health System - 236 beds

Greenville Regional Hospital, Greenville

Shenango Valley Medical Center

Mercer Area Healthcare Facilities

Mercer Area medical Center/ Sharon Regional Health System

Mercer Medical Care Center

Mercer Osteopathic Clinic

Education

Public Schools

1 K-6 schools with 920 students

1 7-12 schools with 759 students

Vocational Education

Mercer County Career Center

Advanced Education

Grove City College - 9 miles

Slippery Rock University

Westminster College - 9 miles

Thiel College - 15 miles

Penn State Shenango Campus - Sharon - 15 miles

Churches

12 protestant, 1 Catholic

Newspapers

The Herald, Sharon - daily & Sunday

Record Argus, Greenville - daily

Allied News, Grove City - weekly

Radio Stations

WWIZ - Stereo 104

The Breeze - 96.7 FM

Motels

Howard Johnson's Motel Lodge - 101 rooms

Colonial Inn - 21 rooms

Mercer Motel - 17 rooms

Bed & Breakfast Inn

Magoffin House - 9 rooms

Libraries

Mercer Free Library - 20.000 volumes plus video & magazines

Transportation

Highways

Interstates 79 & 80

Federal Routes - US 19, 62

Trucking - 20 motor freight carriers service the area

Air Service

Commercial Service

Pittsburgh International Airport - 65 miles

Youngstown/ Warren Regional Airport - 25 miles

Cleveland - 80 miles

Erie - 65 miles

Non- Commercial Service

Grove City Airport - 7 miles

Greenville Airport - 17 miles

Utilities

Electricity - Pennsylvania Power Company

Gas - National Fuel Gas

Telephone - Bell Atlantic

Water - Mercer Water Company - private owner, source: Shenango Valley Water Company

Water - Shenango Valley Water Company
Treatment capacity - 19 MGD
Normal use - 10 MGD

Source - Shenango River

Shenango Dam

Flood control, water quality, recreation, fish & wildlife enhancement, operated by Army Corps of Engineers, Pittsburgh District

Summer lake elevation: 896 feet above sea level, summer lake volume 9,449,650,000 gallons, summer lake surface 3,650 acres

Sanitary sewer - Mercer Borough Waste

Water Treatment Plant

Primary treatment capacity - 1.04 MGD

Present normal flow - 400,000 gallons per day

Principal Industries

PA Regional Correctional Facility - 326 employees - Penal Institution

Reznor - a unit of Thomas & Betts Corp - 300 employees - Heating equipment

County Government - 275 employees

Mercer Forge - 200 employees - Iron & steel forgings

PennDOT - 133 employees

Ogelvee Mercer Inc. - 50 employees- Nursery

Pennsylvania Railcar - 50 employees

Tenneco - 33 employees - Natural Gas transmission

Total manufacturing employment - 54,200

Mercer County labor force - 54 000

Taxes (Millage Rates)

Mercer Borough - 34 Municipal - 97 School - 27 County - 158 Total

Coolspring Township - 8 Municipal - 97 School - 27 County - 132 Total

East Lackawannock Twp. - 3 Municipal - 97 School - 27 County - 127 Total

Findley Twp. - 3 Municipal - 97 School - 27 County - 127 Total

Jefferson Twp. - 14 Municipal - 97 School - 27 County - 139 Total

Wage Tax: 1% all Communities

Recreational Facilities

Mercer Borough

Brandy Springs Park - 40 acres

Baseball & softball fields

Swimming pools - 2

Tennis courts - 4

Picnic pavilions

Fishing pond

Playground equipment

Jefferson township

Jefferson Township Community Park

Golf Courses

1 public course

12 courses in the county

Principal Civic Organizations

Business & Professional Women

Chamber of Commerce

Jaycees

Eastern Star

Masonic Lodge

Moose

Optimist

Rotary

Scouts

Women's Club

Business & Professional Women

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