The year 2017 was also chock-full of good news.

For starters, the Schwab committee raised money to purchase back the town’s landmark school, the Mrs. C.M. Schwab School.

The group of Weatherly residents raised enough money in January to purchase the building after it met its fundraising goal about eight months after the borough gave it the go-ahead to fundraise.

Over that time, members also negotiated the purchase price of $50,000. The price was originally $200,000.

Kline’s Lehighton

Also that month, Franz Kline’s “Lehighton” was restored and unveiled in Allentown.

Then in October, Lehighton Area Middle School unveiled a replica of the mural during a dedication ceremony.

The replica hangs near the main entrance to the middle school, made possible through the generosity of William and Joyce Schwab, who funded the display in the school lobby.

In March, Care Net of Carbon County expanded when it opened its second location with a new office in Nesquehoning.

Located at 250 W. Catawissa St., the nonprofit organization has for decades served countless numbers of families at its quaint half-double home at 531 Mahoning St. in Lehighton with classes, pregnancy support, life skills, pregnancy tests, counseling and education opportunities.

The new office includes an area for a teen group room, meeting area, a child-care area, materials resource room, two counseling rooms, and eventually a thrift boutique where people could purchase necessities for babies and families.

Fireman stands

In September, the Slatington Borough fireman statue was returned to its home base on Main Street and rededicated as part of a ceremony on Sept. 11.

Residents snapped photos and took video as the Hose Company No. 1 presented the refurbished statue to the town.

The job took roughly six hours to complete.

On Aug. 21, cosmic observers packed the lawn at the Western Pocono Community Library in Brodheadsville in anticipation of the solar eclipse.

Thanks to library Director Carol Kern’s preparation, the library was able to obtain hundreds of pairs of eclipse sunglasses, which were distributed to the community for free.

As first contact — the point at which the moon begins to pass in the front of the sun — began, floods of people came out on the lawn.

Nearing 2:42 p.m., all eyes went up toward the sun to observe the maximum coverage in our area, which hovered around 74 percent. Though the region did not experience the darkness of totality, an eerie, hazy change in light blanketed the lawn for a little while.

New fire center

In October, Schuylkill County’s new fire training center was unveiled, as members of the Schuylkill Volunteer Firefighter Association, who built the burn house, decided to try it.

Local officials and the project’s architect were on hand to see the new facility.

The association secured a $2.4 million loan to build and maintain the new facility. They also received a $450,000 matching grant from an anonymous donor. Legislators and the county commissioners have agreed to put hotel tax revenue toward the project over the next 10 years.

The unique facility is capable of replicating 1,000-plus degree temperatures, designed with input from local firefighters.

Veterans dedication

In November, the Lehighton’s United Veterans Organization officially dedicated the Lehighton Veterans Memorial Park.

Located on the tract of land between Sgt. Stanley Hoffman Boulevard and Lehigh Drive, the park hosts a number of monuments to the military, including several recent installations which were also dedicated during the ceremony.

The park, which already plays host to the Sgt. Stanley Hoffman memorial, as well as the War at Home memorial featuring a metal silhouette of Spc. Michael Wargo, now houses several other monuments to servicemen and women.

A World War I commemorative stone was dedicated in remembrance of 100 years since the U.S. entered the war, and the military men and women from Lehighton who fought for the nation. The UVO members purchased the monument, which sits near the base of the Sgt. Stanley Hoffman memorial.

A large anchor, honoring the waterborne servicemen and women of the Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines, was dedicated as well. UVO Vice Commander David Bryfogle obtained the anchor as a donation from Wallace Putkowski.

Lastly, a set of flags and poles honoring each branch of the military — Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard and Air Force, along with a POW/MIA flag — were hoisted to the tune of each respective branch’s song. Oriole’s Nest 183 provided funding for the purchase of the flags and poles.

And there’s more

More good news items in chronological order include:

• Jan. 16 — Tamaqua man Joseph Krushinsky chats with President Barack Obama on phone during last days in office.

The 2017 Shamrock award presented to Michael J. McCall.

• Feb. 24 — Lehighton school custodian Keith Patterson performs the Heimlich maneuver on fifth-grade middle school student Joshua Glanz, who was choking on cheese from a slice of pizza.

• March 28 — Palmerton man George Ashman is an advocate for education.

• April 1 — Nesquehoning remembers the 75th anniversary of Lt. Fred Knauf’s plane crash.

• April 8 — Courage award recipients.

• April 11 — Cristi Marchetti, Fulbright award teacher, shares experience with her daughter.

• May 2 — Association honors late Judge David W. Addy with oil portrait.

• June 5 — Weissport celebrates 225 years.

• June 10 — Trooper Jonathan Bailey awarded Medal of Honor for saving woman from Albrightsville fire.

• July 13 — Aquashicola Fire Company tracks down family of man who died trying to save two children in 1949.

• Sept. 1 — Bishop Alfred Schlert ordained.

• Sept. 23 — Ross Township celebrates 200 years of history.

• Sept. 25 — Weissport honors Olympic champion, unveils Betty Brey statue

• Sept. 27 — Lehighton area firefighters Capt. Douglas Nothstein and Lt. Justin Smith honored.

• Oct. 10 — Panther Valley students adopt class affected by Hurricane Harvey.

• Oct. 21 — Nearly $100K bequeathed to Carbon animal shelter.

• Nov. 18 — LCCC establishes Shoemaker scholarship.

• Dec. 4 — Ross Township dedicates new municipal building.