Seven organizations received grants from the Horsehead Community Development Fund this week at the Palmerton Area Library.

The grant recipients are: Nesquehoning Hose Company 1, Palmerton Area Library Association, Slatington Public Library, Palmerton Borough, Palmerton Youth Wrestling, Palmerton Memorial Park Association and Palmerton Bandstand Committee.Since 1990, Horsehead Corp. has given 830 grants to Palmerton area organizations amounting to almost $3.2 million, William Smelts, the executive consultant to the fund, said it was established to provide grants to charitable projects in and around Palmerton.John McArdle, fire chief of the Nesquehoning Hose Company, accepted the grant for the fire company.He told the group that the fire company recently purchased a new urban interface vehicle and the grant will go toward purchasing special hoses for it.On behalf of the library, Diane Danielson and Mata Curran accepted the check.Danielson said that the water had come in the mezzanine, so they had some repair expenses. The grant money will also go toward paying for more artists to come to Palmerton for the concert series in the library.So far, the library has held two concerts, and since most of the artists are from the New York City area, the funds will help in bringing them to the area for shows.Curran also accepted the check on behalf of the Palmerton Bandstand Committee. She thanked the committee and said the funds will help to pay for more concerts in the park every Sunday evening in the summer. The concerts have been going on since 1989.Lynne Fedorcha accepted the grant on behalf of the Slatington Public Library. Like Palmerton Area Library, the money will go toward much-needed repairs, she said. Their roof is in need of some care, too."We are very, very grateful to be able to do that," she said.Palmerton Borough member Kris Hoffner accepted the grant on behalf of the borough. He said the funds will go toward paying for maintenance and other needs of the park.The recipient for the Palmerton Youth Wrestling Association was Tabitha Serfass. She told the committee that the wrestling organization is in sore need of new wrestling mats on the walls.Serfass said the old mats have begun to fall off walls. She thanked the committee and said the grant money will go toward the purchase of new mats, which will keep the children safe.Victor Jahelka received the funds on behalf of the Palmerton Memorial Park Association. He said that the park is in need of a new pump. The old one has a hole in it. The grant will help them to be able to afford a new pump.Executive officers of the fund are James Wimmer, chairman; Joseph Bechtel, vice chairman; Rory Koons, secretary; and Sue Choy, treasurer. The directors of the program are John Kisthardt and Debbie Lutz.