00:08 - Senator Judy Ward

00:09 - is a Republican

00:11 - representing the city of Altoona

00:13 - in Pennsylvania's legislature.

00:15 - In your mind,

00:16 - what sets Altoona apart

00:17 - from other parts of the state?

00:19 - I would say by

00:20 - far as the history,

00:21 - we have so much history,

00:23 - such a rich railroad history.

00:26 - The horseshoe curve is there.

00:29 - We have an Altoona

00:30 - Railroaders Museum

00:32 - that draws people

00:33 - in, talking about the

00:35 - lives of railroad workers.

00:36 - And it's just so in any

00:38 - time, the day or night,

00:40 - there's trains.

00:42 - It's a train mecca.

00:44 - But we've, you know,

00:45 - certainly have other

00:46 - rich history in Altoona

00:48 - besides the railroad.

00:51 - We do have the Altoona

00:52 - curve, the Baltimore ballpark,

00:54 - which is fabulous, has

00:56 - been such a gift to our area

00:59 - and just draws in people

01:00 - from the entire region.

01:02 - We also have Fort Roberto,

01:04 - which is a Revolutionary War.

01:07 - Fort was a lead mining fort.

01:09 - And so our history goes.

01:12 - It's very rich. It

01:13 - goes way back.

01:14 - Well, Senator,

01:14 - let's just back up a

01:15 - minute and consider

01:16 - why is Altoona steeped

01:17 - in railroad history anyway?

01:19 - Well, that's where the

01:21 - Pennsylvania Railroad settled.

01:25 - And it was a thruway between

01:27 - Harrisburg and Pittsburgh or

01:29 - Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

01:32 - And so you had to cross

01:33 - through the mountains.

01:34 - And that is what the

01:35 - horseshoe curve does.

01:36 - The horseshoe curve

01:37 - there is a railroad.

01:39 - It's an engineering feat.

01:41 - And just so much fun

01:42 - and just so interesting.

01:45 - And it looks like a horseshoe

01:46 - when you from overhead.

01:47 - And why did they make it

01:48 - that way anyway

01:49 - in the first place?

01:50 - Well, it's to get through

01:51 - the mountains and

01:54 - they hired Irish

01:55 - immigrants to come and

01:58 - do the rails and work

01:59 - on the rail system.

02:01 - And it was actually a target

02:03 - during World War

02:04 - Two for the Nazis.

02:05 - They wanted to bomb that area

02:07 - because it was such a thruway

02:09 - first.

02:10 - That's how important

02:11 - railroading was.

02:12 - Absolute.

02:13 - Absolutely.

02:14 - Not just passenger

02:15 - rail, but freight rail.

02:17 - And so we continue

02:18 - to have both of those.

02:19 - We do still have a

02:21 - Norfolk Southern presence

02:23 - shops, locomotive

02:25 - shops in Altoona,

02:27 - and it's very rich with

02:29 - its railroad history.

02:31 - Now, I think you mentioned

02:32 - the ball team a little while ago

02:34 - and their name, they're

02:35 - called the Curve Ball Team

02:37 - after the Horseshoe Curve,

02:38 - which you've just told us about.

02:39 - So tell us about that ball team,

02:41 - minor league baseball team.

02:42 - It's a Double-A minor

02:44 - league baseball team.

02:45 - We do play the

02:46 - Harrisburg senators

02:48 - and it's really brought

02:50 - a lot to the area.

02:51 - It's very reasonably

02:53 - priced baseball

02:54 - that you don't have to drive

02:56 - to Pittsburgh or elsewhere.

02:59 - But it is a farm team

03:00 - for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

03:02 - And many people

03:04 - that come to Altoona

03:06 - to play at the At the Curve.

03:09 - Many of those ballplayers

03:10 - do go on to other teams

03:12 - and many to the pirates.

03:14 - So it's

03:15 - yeah, always I

03:16 - always tell pirate fans.

03:18 - Altoona gives you

03:19 - you're great ballplayers.

03:22 - This is where they're called

03:23 - up from. Yes, that's. Right.

03:24 - So besides the local history

03:26 - and I'm glad to hear about that,

03:28 - let's turn our attention to

03:29 - the local economy in Altoona.

03:31 - So what's driving

03:32 - your economy there?

03:34 - So right now,

03:36 - you know, the railroad

03:37 - has you know,

03:39 - there's been a decreased

03:40 - presence of the railroad.

03:41 - And that was such a

03:43 - major economic driver.

03:44 - So we found

03:45 - ourselves transitioning.

03:47 - Tourism is very

03:48 - important in the area.

03:50 - We do have still

03:51 - some manufacturing.

03:54 - We do have it in

03:54 - part of the tourism.

03:56 - We do have an amusement

03:57 - park in Blair County,

03:59 - the DelGrosso Park

04:02 - Water Park,

04:02 - amusement park rides.

04:04 - So that draws people in.

04:06 - So we try to play off all

04:07 - those things in the winter.

04:08 - We do have skiing

04:09 - very close by Blue Knob.

04:12 - So we've got, you

04:12 - know, all sorts of things.

04:14 - We've got beautiful.

04:15 - We've got the had a river

04:16 - that runs through Blair County.

04:18 - You know, people can canoe.

04:20 - We've got real trails.

04:22 - So it's a multitude of things

04:24 - that really make it what it is.

04:26 - Now, tell me about

04:27 - your personal connection

04:28 - to the Altoona area

04:29 - and how far it goes back.

04:31 - So I was born at out to in a

04:33 - hospital many, many years ago.

04:35 - We won't get into numbers, but

04:38 - and my family most of my family

04:41 - stayed in the Altoona

04:42 - area, my extended family.

04:44 - So my mother grew up nearby

04:46 - Cambria County, but her family

04:49 - eventually many of them

04:50 - migrated to the Altoona area.

04:52 - So my family's

04:53 - very rich in history.

04:55 - They many of them

04:56 - were railroad workers.

04:58 - But I've grown up in the area

04:59 - and I've come to really love it.

05:01 - I mean, oftentimes our

05:02 - young people will leave

05:04 - not to trial larger cities, but

05:06 - they seem to gravitate back.

05:09 - Is that right to

05:09 - raise them back?

05:10 - Some come back

05:11 - to raise their families

05:12 - because it's just a very

05:13 - closely good schools, you know,

05:15 - just good good

05:16 - areas to raise kids.

05:19 - So that makes me so happy when

05:21 - I see young people coming back.

05:23 - And I think it's great

05:24 - they go out and they they

05:25 - they see the

05:25 - world, but it's nice

05:26 - that they come home and

05:27 - raise their families there.

05:28 - So what do you suppose

05:29 - Altoona is doing to attract

05:30 - these young people back?

05:32 - So, I mean, obviously, things

05:34 - have have changed a bit.

05:36 - And you have to kind of

05:38 - we have a great

05:39 - economic development

05:40 - engine, ABCD Corp,

05:42 - they're wonderful

05:43 - and they've been incredibly

05:44 - helpful about helping us sort

05:45 - of transition from manufacturing

05:47 - to other things.

05:49 - And so now we've

05:50 - we've got downtown, we

05:52 - have some growth downtown.

05:54 - Penn State has an

05:55 - entrepreneurial program there.

05:57 - Saint Francis University

05:59 - just put in as a small

06:01 - an area there that they're

06:04 - they've got students coming in

06:06 - and out of the downtown area.

06:08 - We I mean, we do have

06:09 - great medical facilities.

06:11 - UPMC, Altoona is there.

06:12 - But we also we're getting

06:14 - like little breweries and coffee

06:15 - shops and things that draw

06:17 - younger folks into the area.

06:19 - So it's really it's

06:21 - really all the time.

06:23 - It's growing. It's changing.

06:24 - So it's it's really

06:25 - fascinating to watch.

06:27 - What legislation are

06:28 - you working on that's

06:29 - of particular interest

06:31 - to Altoona citizens?

06:33 - So I a lot of my legislation

06:35 - is I call it organic,

06:37 - it's homegrown.

06:38 - People come to me with issues.

06:40 - And, you know,

06:42 - I put together some legislation

06:43 - that might help those issues.

06:45 - I think I have a bill

06:48 - I co-sponsored with Senator

06:50 - Lisa Baker just the other day.

06:51 - We got it out.

06:52 - It will prevent people

06:54 - when they get cost

06:56 - of living adjustment

06:57 - with Social Security, it will

06:58 - prevent them from losing

07:00 - some of the programs like light

07:03 - heat for their rent rebates.

07:05 - It will prevent them

07:06 - from purchasing.

07:06 - Them will be over the limit.

07:07 - Otherwise. Correct? Correct.

07:09 - So we've we've we're

07:10 - trying to change that

07:12 - so people don't lose benefits

07:13 - so we can keep our older folks,

07:16 - you know, where they're

07:17 - at and not have them

07:18 - struggle any anymore.

07:21 - We also, you know,

07:22 - I have represent

07:23 - a lot of farming communities

07:24 - in my legislative district.

07:25 - I represent five

07:26 - counties, a lot of

07:29 - a lot of ag agriculture,

07:30 - farm families.

07:32 - So they've come to me

07:33 - with an issue on hauling

07:35 - milk during, you know,

07:36 - when our highways are

07:37 - shut down in the winter and

07:39 - they shut down the highways.

07:41 - I mean, they'll do snow

07:42 - cumulation snow accumulation.

07:44 - Yes. Yes.

07:45 - And so, you know,

07:46 - when the governor places

07:47 - a restriction on no trucks

07:49 - on or things get shut down,

07:52 - then they're not able

07:53 - the milk trucks aren't able

07:54 - to get to the properties.

07:55 - Absolutely.

07:56 - They're not able to get to

07:57 - the farms to pick up the milk.

07:59 - So we have some legislation

08:00 - dealing in addressing that.

08:04 - Some folks in my area

08:05 - wanted to use their barns

08:07 - for a different purpose,

08:08 - maybe being a wedding venue

08:09 - and they have to put a sprinkler

08:11 - system in.

08:12 - So we have a bill

08:13 - that would, you know,

08:14 - have all different

08:15 - fire protections,

08:16 - but they don't need to have a

08:18 - sprinkler system because of,

08:20 - you know, the fact

08:21 - that it's very rural.

08:22 - They'd have to

08:22 - drill another well.

08:24 - It's just a huge expense

08:25 - to them when they're trying

08:27 - to pivot their farm from

08:29 - maybe growing crops

08:30 - to being a wedding venue.

08:34 - That would be helpful to them.

08:36 - So I try to do a lot of things

08:38 - that, like I said, organic

08:40 - in nature. People come. To me.

08:41 - Sounds like you need the input

08:42 - from the constituents

08:44 - first, or you'd like to go

08:45 - to your legislature around

08:46 - what they're asking for.

08:47 - Absolutely. Absolutely.

08:48 - And I know I'm

08:49 - out a lot in the area

08:51 - and I really like to feel like I

08:53 - have a pulse on the area and.

08:56 - Finger on the pulse.

08:57 - Finger on the pulse.

08:58 - So, you know, going

09:00 - out and just in my daily

09:02 - routines, right, you know,

09:03 - going to the grocery store,

09:04 - going to church, going,

09:05 - you know, different events.

09:07 - You see people, they

09:08 - go, hey, you know,

09:08 - I'm really struggling

09:10 - with this or that.

09:11 - And having lived there all

09:12 - my life, people feel comfortable

09:14 - coming to me and

09:15 - that makes me happy.

09:16 - So let's talk about grant money

09:18 - coming in downtown, and

09:19 - that's always good news.

09:20 - I understand there's

09:21 - grant money coming in for

09:22 - a new fire truck and Altoona

09:24 - and trying to tell

09:25 - us what difference

09:26 - that new vehicle will

09:27 - make for first responders.

09:28 - Yes, absolutely.

09:30 - We were so thrilled with

09:33 - we got news

09:34 - that our Altoona fire department

09:38 - qualified and received a grant

09:40 - for a new fire truck.

09:43 - This is I mean, these fire

09:44 - trucks are as you know,

09:45 - very expensive.

09:47 - It takes a long

09:48 - time to get them.

09:49 - And they they kind of got there.

09:52 - There was they

09:53 - were able to get one

09:54 - a little quicker

09:54 - than they thought.

09:55 - So this is they have one

09:57 - ordered and it will be coming in

09:59 - very soon.

10:00 - And it means a lot that

10:01 - they have the equipment

10:03 - that they need to protect our

10:05 - citizens in the Altoona area.

10:07 - And they're very gracious

10:08 - with their resources.

10:10 - I was at the Altoona fire

10:11 - department yesterday.

10:13 - We had a they showed us

10:16 - they have a dog, Lucille,

10:18 - who is a she can sniff for

10:23 - it. I'm trying to think

10:24 - of the name of it.

10:26 - She sniffs for

10:28 - gasoline or those types

10:29 - of traditional Dalmatian.

10:31 - There's no not at all.

10:33 - She's a black lab.

10:34 - But I said, you

10:35 - know, if there's a fire

10:38 - that's suspicious

10:39 - that they need,

10:40 - you know, that maybe

10:41 - they feel was set on purpose,

10:43 - they can take the dog

10:44 - out and the dog sniffs.

10:45 - I didn't know there was

10:46 - such a just amazing.

10:47 - There's only nine in

10:48 - the Commonwealth

10:49 - and Altoona has one

10:50 - and it's her name is Lucille.

10:52 - She's she's amazing.

10:53 - They had a

10:53 - demonstration yesterday

10:55 - but they share those resources

10:57 - with the region, with the area.

10:58 - So it's they're they're

11:00 - wonderful group in there.

11:02 - We just have a few minutes

11:03 - left in our program center.

11:05 - And as we're

11:06 - recording this, budget

11:07 - hearings are taking

11:08 - place at the Capitol.

11:09 - And that means

11:09 - the appropriations

11:10 - committees are hearing

11:11 - from the various departments.

11:13 - So so far, given the

11:14 - testimony you've learned

11:15 - about what stands out to you, tr

11:19 - Well,

11:19 - the budget hearings are

11:21 - very important because,

11:23 - you know, it's your

11:24 - opportunity to ask

11:25 - specific questions

11:26 - about their departments.

11:28 - You know, why are you

11:29 - asking for more dollars?

11:30 - Do you need to hire more people?

11:32 - Is there a reason

11:35 - why your budget is is

11:36 - increasing from last year?

11:38 - So it's it's very important.

11:41 - It's an important tool to use

11:43 - in the whole

11:43 - appropriations process.

11:45 - The House does

11:45 - their set of hearings.

11:47 - The Senate does

11:48 - their set of hearings.

11:49 - And I think it's just a great

11:51 - opportunity to ask questions

11:53 - about those issues.

11:55 - I often ask questions about

11:57 - local issues that I'm having.

12:00 - So it's an opportunity

12:01 - to ask those questions.

12:02 - So it's it's always

12:04 - interesting, you know,

12:06 - you never know what's

12:07 - going to come out in

12:08 - budget hearings and the

12:09 - questions that are asked

12:10 - even.

12:11 - I'm not on appropriations, I

12:12 - don't come in to Harrisburg.

12:14 - Education education's

12:14 - making headlines,

12:15 - for example, a big

12:16 - increase, right? Absolutely.

12:18 - Education's making headlines

12:20 - for their very large increase.

12:23 - And Governor SHAPIRO

12:24 - is very committed to that.

12:26 - And he

12:27 - was just at a Farm Bureau

12:29 - banquet luncheon

12:30 - with the governor

12:31 - and is very committed

12:32 - to agriculture,

12:33 - which speaks to, again,

12:35 - my legislative district.

12:37 - So the governor is I am

12:38 - really pleased to hear that

12:40 - he's as he says, there's many

12:42 - things we can agree upon.

12:44 - You know, we're

12:45 - divided government.

12:46 - There's many things

12:47 - we can agree upon.

12:48 - And and safety of our

12:50 - individuals, farming,

12:53 - those sorts of things are things

12:55 - we can all work on together.

12:57 - Senator, we only have about

12:58 - a minute left in our program.

12:59 - What do you look forward to

13:00 - working on in the near future?

13:03 - So really getting going

13:04 - with the legislation.

13:07 - You know, some of the

13:08 - bills we put out a lot of bills,

13:10 - the House was a little

13:11 - stalled, getting started.

13:12 - So, you know, we really

13:14 - haven't gotten dug in yet.

13:16 - So I'm anxious to get going

13:18 - and get some legislation

13:19 - passed that really is

13:20 - important to my area,

13:22 - especially the Altoona area.

13:24 - Senator Judy Ward

13:26 - is a Republican

13:27 - representing the city of Altoona

13:28 - in Pennsylvania's legislature.

13:30 - Thank you for your time.

13:31 - Thank you for having me.