Matt Osterberg, Pike County Commissioner
Earlier this April I had the pleasure of interviewing The Pike County Commissioner Matt Osterberg of Milford, Pennsylvania. The interview with the commissioner was a great conversation spanning many topic such as professional values, community involvement, and county politics. Let’s jump right in.
To get started, I want to thank you for taking the time to speak with me and the new column Brooklynn’s Corner The first question I’d like to begin with is: after being the Milford Borough president for 22 years, how does it feel to be the Pike County Commissioner for the 4 times running?
“I enjoyed being the borough president, I enjoyed interacting with the people and neighbors. Issues that are small to some that become a larger problem, it's not as easy to get issues done with the immediate resources. It is also not always an option to make everyone happy, but you can certainly make them understand why you made the choices you did. “ Matt believes that being of service and being respectful is what has lead him achieving such a successful local and regional professional presence. The role previously held by Matt Osterberg was Borough President for 22 years which covered the historic town of Milford and its 1,000 - 2,000 residents. Upon being elected for Pike County Commissioner Mike then became the voice and steward of over 55,000 human beings across Pike Counties multiple townships and municipalities. Matt speaks very highly of his residents and states that representing all of the residents is an honor and he enjoys coming up with solutions to the many issues the community may face. “These people are your neighbors, they’re not numbers”
-Matt Osterberg What about your professional values do you believe stand out to your audience the most?
“Small business hometown values definitely show up strong when providing within in county government. People in town can feel the difference. When working for the Milford Hardware Store, Alber Luhers taught all of his employees that when you serve others you do so by recognizing their needs. It is different when these people are your neighbors, they’re not numbers.”
When speaking of neighbors it boils down to the people one can trust to help out in the immediate vicinity, the ones who see your life on the daily grind — not simply pop in from across the state on the way from a long commute. Good neighbors are the super-glue of a thriving community.
What would you say to any town members currently interested in becoming a voice in county politics, social & civil activism, or justice work?
“When you get involved have an open mind and understand the history behind the place you are serving. Just have an open mind. When you get involved you have to learn the town history so that you have a full spectrum and timeline before jumping in to create solutions. I invite people to get involved, and pay attention to the institutional knowledge available.” Switching gears for a moment, what is your opinion on including the teachings of regional + town history in Pike County school districts?
“We can do more on teaching more local history. Local history ties in very quickly, Gifford Pinchot and The National Forester Service started right here in Milford. To be honest, Milford really began conservationism in the United States. Many people in the area do not even know why the Delaware River and Hudson Canal are so important; this area helped develop the industrial revolution whereas prior to the revolution’s take off places like Honesdale had 10 people on census [in 2023 the town of Honesdale, Pennsylvania now has upwards of 5,000 residents]. Love where you live, build pride.” In your 3 previous terms as commissioner, what 2 issues have you seen pop up continuously? What 2 issues have you successfully handled in your 3 terms? “The medical system in Pike County is a bit old, stretched thin. For example the medical transportation system will at times take residents all the way to Scranton, Newton, and New York City. It stretches our resources because then have longer wait times for transportation, enables further gas spending, and in turn the transportation systems struggles under the weight. In the recent years, Pike County has added 135 apartments for the elderly. At the moment there is more housing for seniors is being built right in town. In Pike County we have 2 Urgent Care facilities and in the near future we are looking to put together a 24/7 medical facility in Blooming Grove. A new facility would take much pressure off the ambulance transportation system whose service times previously hovered between 20 minutes to 3 (three) hours due to how far away the emergency medical facilites are located. Due to the funding for medical services implemented by the Comissioners these wait times have dropped. It has been very important to me that we expand and push for services for people with disabilities. In recent years we have had a hand with the organizations that work daily with the Deaf Community, and PIKE COUNTY VETERANS OFFIC. With the Veterans office specifically, we have created a program in Pike County which allows all veterans in the area with a service-related disability will receive a tax exemption. Lastly, we are working on creating a new multi-use center for disabled members of the community. The learning and training center will focus on areas such as Transportation, Human Services, hold a Recycling Centre, a Human Resource Center, an Archival Centre, Vocational Training Centre (specifically disability employment) in an accessible area of the the county where they can learn to be functioning trade members of society.”
My last question is, in your opinion how can the residents of the Borough of Milford best become more involved and positively impact their community in 2023?
Everybody has time, talent and treasure. In the period time we live in Volunteerism is hard because we are always so busy working. There are organizations such as Emergency Medical transport and the local Fire Station which take a special type of person to join and succeed but when we come locally we realize that all the organizations are looking for members, including being on fundraising committees, volunteer kitchens, zoning & development boards.. sometimes we forget that these are all important roles that to help steer the future of the municipality.
Other examples include The Pike County Public Library, The Historic Society, Community House. The Rotary Club, The Lions Club, and The Penn State Alumni House can always use volunteers. The Pike County Aging office delivers meals to housebound seniors. They’re just looking for someone to touch them in real life, touch their heart and see them in person.
Meet your neighbors.
Places to get involved are what bind us together and make us able to sit at the table and talk.”
Wise words from our Pike County Commissioner Matt Osterberg of Milford, Pennsylvania. Matt Osterberg is currently running for the position of Pike County Commissioner for the 4th time. If you would like to learn more the Pike County Commissioners Office feel free to visit PIKEPA.ORG.
Thank you and welcome for taking the time out to read Brooklynn’s Corner. Brooklynn’s corner is a column and publication of social commentary, event reviews, restaurant reviews, and seasonal zodiac updates. To be a supporting patron of independent journalism and media, check out MY DOT. CARD and DONATE HERE. All proceeds and donations are used to support the path of journalism directly, and I thank you for being apart of this support system. Love, Brooklynn V On the search for more information, hot takes, reviews, or event sneak peeks? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow the Journey on Instagram, Youtube, or Spotify Podcasts.
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