The moment he stepped through the doors, Gov. Josh Shapiro knew it was his kind of place.
He took a quick look around Holistic Skate Shop on Penn Avenue in West Reading Tuesday morning, then asked owner JD Turner an important question. The self-avowed “sneaker head” wanted to see the shoes.
Turner showed him one of his more sought after pairs — brown Nike SB Dunk Low Pros with bright orange laces.
“Oh, those are cool,” said the governor, who often pairs sneakers with suits.
Turner said the shoes are good for skateboarders looking for a little more padding in the heels when they land.
“I would wear the sneakers but not for skateboarding,” Shapiro said, earning laughs from others in the shop.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro talks about sneakers with Holistic Skateshop owner J. D. Turner during a walking tour of Penn Avenue in West Reading in support of the Main Street Matters program on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Turner Told Shapiro things have been good for the business, which is in its 14th year. He noted that he has seen more interest in skateboarding over the last several years.
And that is why he’s been a longtime supporter of the Reading Skatepark, which opened in 2024 after a decade of advocacy and is now creating a new generation of skaters.
Shapiro said that’s a passion that, perhaps surprisingly, they share.
He said that when he was a state representative there was a young man in his district who was struck and killed by a driver while skateboarding. Shapiro worked with his parents to advocate for a skatepark that would give people a place to ride safely.
“It’s still there today and it’s one of the things I’m most proud of that I did,” he said. “Skateparks create a real sense of community. It really matters.”
Shapiro’s chat with Turner took place as part of the governor’s tour of West Reading’s business district — which included stops at Simply Bold Cafe, Symbiote Collectibles and the West Reading Motor Club — to announce a new round of funding for the state’s Main Street Matters initiative.
The effort provides money to revitalize downtowns, support small businesses and strengthen local economies.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro walks with West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag and Main Street Manager Nick Price during a tour of Penn Avenue in West Reading in support of the Main Street Matters program on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Through the initiative, Shapiro’s administration invested $20 million to fund 81 projects in its first year and selected West Reading as the location to announce a second round of funding that will see $17.2 million benefit 56 more projects.
West Reading will receive $60,000 of that money to help six small businesses make facade improvements to make Penn Avenue more welcoming to shoppers.
Shapiro said main streets like Penn Avenue are the beating hearts of communities.
“I believe these are places that are worthy of investment,” he said, noting that was why he created the initiative shortly after taking office.
Shapiro said his short tour of Penn Avenue and chat with business owners showed him just how passionate they are about what they do, recalling an encounter at Symbiote Collectibles where owner Max Hirneisen bet the governor that if he ripped open a pack of Topps baseball cards from 1990 he would eat the bubble gum inside.
“He did it and the gum basically turned to dust, but he kept chewing,” Shapiro said with a smile. “I think that speaks to the passion that all these business owners have — that they would be willing to eat 36-year-old gum to make the point about how much his shop means to him.”
Hirneisen, owner of the shop for the last 11 years, bought it when its previous owner announced plans to close. Hirneisen, who visited the store as a boy, wanted to keep its doors open for generations to come.
Matt Hirneisen, owner of Symbiote Collectibles, presents Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro a Fight-A-Bear card game during a press conference at the West Reading Motor Club in support of the Main Street Matters program on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
“We hope that these Main Street Matters grants provide an extra boost to strengthen the businesses that are here and bring in even more businesses,” Shapiro said, adding that he’s calling on state lawmakers to include another $20 million for the initiative in the upcoming budget.
Following his tour, Shapiro held a short press conference with local leaders. West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag thanked the governor and Community and Economic Development Secretary Rick Siger for choosing the borough as the location to announce the new funding.
“Penn Avenue is more than just a main street,” she said. “It’s where families come for dinner, where neighbors run into each other, where visitors discover what makes West Reading special and where small-business owners put their time, their savings, their creativity and their courage into building something that serves the people around them.”
Kaag said small businesses are not just the economic engines of the region, they are places where people feel connected and build community pride.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro walks with West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag and Main Street Manager Nick Price during a tour of Penn Avenue in West Reading in support of the Main Street Matters program on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)
Standing beside the governor, Sen. Judy Schwank and Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Freytiz applauded his administration for including West Reading in the latest round of funding. The lawmakers, who endorsed the borough’s application, said they are proud to represent West Reading and those who work so hard to make it a vibrant community.
“West Reading is a jewel in my district,” Schwank said. “And you want to invest as a state leader because you can see that you get the bang for the buck here. Leaders are doing the things we need to do to make this a destination people want to come to.”
Cepeda-Freytiz said that as a former small-business owner she has a better understanding than most about the sacrifice, stress, risk and faith needed to be successful.
“When we invest in our main streets we invest in people, we invest in jobs, we invest in local economies and we invest in the entrepreneurs who take the risk every single day to keep our communities alive and thriving,” she said. “West Reading is proof of what can happen when a community believes in itself.”
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announces new Main Street Matters funding during a walking tour of Penn Avenue in West Reading in support of the Main Street Matters program on Tuesday, May 26, 2026. With him at the West Reading Motor Club are, from left, Secretary of Community and Economic Development Rick Siger; state Rep. Johanny Cepeda-Fretiz; state Sen. Judy Schwank; West Reading Mayor Samantha Kaag; Holistic Skate Shop owner J. D. Turner; and West Reading Main Street Manager Nick Price. (BILL UHRICH/READING EAGLE)