Duryea Mayor Trina Moss, the first elected female mayor of the borough since its incorporation in 1901, sits in her office at the Duryea Borough Building. Moss, a lifelong resident of Duryea, is in the first few months of her term and is looking forward to rolling up her sleeves to move Duryea forward.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
Working with Mayor Moss is Duryea Borough Manager Carolyn Santee.
Tony Callaio | For Sunday Dispatch
DURYEA — Lifelong resident Trina Moss has been serving as mayor of Duryea Borough for over three months, and she couldn’t be more excited to move the borough forward.
Moss, 68, is the first elected female mayor of Duryea since the borough’s incorporation in 1901, but she is not the first female to serve as mayor.
In 1978, former Mayor Peter Olseheski passed away while in office, and his wife, Agnes, was appointed Mayor, serving out the remainder of his term from 1978 to 1980.
The Borough of Duryea has been experiencing a growth spurt, with an 8.5% increase in population from the 2000 census, making it the only borough in Greater Pittston to show such growth.
Moss is not the first member of her family to hold the title of Mayor in the borough; her cousin, Keith Moss, served for 20 years starting in 2001.
“It is truly an honor to serve as the first elected female Mayor of Duryea,” Moss admitted. “This borough has always meant so much to me, and stepping into this role is both a privilege and a responsibility I take to heart. Now that I am retired, I have the time, energy, and dedication to be fully present for our residents and to devote myself to the work our community deserves.”
Moss feels she brings many unique work skills to the job, including 19 years of experience in workforce development and knowledge of obtaining and managing grants, giving her a leg up on budget management.
“As mayor, I work closely with Borough Council to ensure that our decisions reflect the needs and priorities of our residents,” Moss said. “While the council oversees legislation and borough policy, my role includes administering the police department and supporting the officers who serve our community every day.”
In her role as head of the borough police department, Moss said she looks forward to working with Chief Nicholas Lohman during her tenure.
“I’ll be working with the Chief to ensure our department has the resources, training, and leadership it needs, promoting accountability and professionalism, and helping shape public-safety initiatives that keep our neighborhoods safe and constructively with council and our police leadership, we can maintain a department that reflects the values of Duryea and earns the trust of the people we serve.”
Mayor Moss is also looking forward to working with Borough Manager Carolyn Santee, whom she regards highly, stating, “Carolyn is good, very good, at what she does.”
Mayor Moss said that, moving forward, she would like to reach out to the Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce to see if it’s possible to attract new businesses to the borough. She would also like to improve Main Street’s appearance with new curbing and sidewalks, and to explore the feasibility of new lighting.
One plan already in place is to work with Food Dignity, headed by Clancy Harrison.
Food Dignity’s mission statement: “To create local and regional agriculture acceleration through economic nutrition sustainability. Our aim is to support the development of a robust regional food supply chain offering dignified access to nutritious food through collaboration, education, research, and outreach. We focus on supporting our partners’ goals and achieving results while removing stigma and prioritizing access to a steady supply of nutrient-rich food for everyone.”
“People are calling already, asking when does the produce stand start,” Moss said. “Food Dignity is take what you take, what you need, pay what you can. It’s no questions asked if you can pay, great, if you can’t pay anything, just put the envelope back in the box with nothing.”
Moss also said she would look into doing additional improvements at Healey Park on Foote Ave.
She said the playground would get a basketball court and a pickleball court as well as new fencing around the park.
She would like to establish communication and possibly collaborate with mayors from surrounding municipalities.
One event Moss is looking forward to is Duryea celebrating 125 years as a borough on May 30 with a parade at 3:00 p.m., followed by a picnic at Germania Hose Co. grounds.
Mayor Moss said she wants to be transparent with residents and open to communication. She can be reached by email at trina.moss@duryeaborough.com.
She is the proud mother of Madeline (Brandon) Galli.
“I love Duryea, I’m proud of my borough, and I’m not going anywhere,” Moss said as she closed out the interview.
