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HEADLINES:
F. C. Hydrants Change Hands Forest City Borough currently owns and maintains its own fire hydrants. At a Council meeting held on August 3, borough secretary Susan Coleman read a letter from Pennsylvania American Water requesting ownership of the hydrants. Coleman stated that a transfer of ownership would result in no new restrictions, and fees, set by state law, cannot be changed by Pennsylvania American Water Company. Council voted to accept the offer. Another letter of correspondence concerned the D & H Distance Race, a one-half-mile marathon to be held Sunday, September 13. Rail-Trail will host a meeting to recruit volunteers on Wednesday, August 19 at 7 p.m. in the Forest City Borough Building. Council passed Resolution 7-2009, to sign formal contracts with the Forest City Fire Department and the Forest City Ambulance Association. The contracts will enable the latter organizations to obtain tax-exempt loans and will present no new costs or obligations to Forest City Borough. Concerning a parcel of condemned land at Yucca Flatts, Borough solicitor Paul E. Smith announced that he was advised to have the total property appraised. Smith recommended that Council hire three qualified commercial appraisers for the job. Robert Tedesco, head of public works, reported several complaints about gravel from the ABC lot and Hornbeck’s car lot washing onto the sidewalk and road. Council will send letters to both owners. The Forest City Ambulance Association is scheduled to receive a new ambulance this week. The Forest City Old Home Week Council wishes to thank the borough for its cooperation during the event. “This was a very nice Old Home Week,” Barbara Mihelc responded. Due to the Labor Day holiday, the next Forest City Borough meeting will be held Wednesday, September 9 at 7 p.m.
Scales Voted Pro Tem The July 28 meeting of the Susquehanna Boro Council was rescheduled to August 4, as it appeared that there would be a lack of a quorum on July 28. At the August 4 meeting, councilman Bill Perry suggested that a president pro tem be appointed to preside at meetings in the event of the absence of both the president and vice president, as would have been the case on July 28. After a short discussion, a motion carried to appoint Dave Scales as president pro tem. There was some discussion regarding the bill list. A purchase order is required for any purchase over $50, but the totals for small purchases sometimes add up to considerable amounts. Council requested that copies of all invoices be attached to the monthly bill list for review. Mayor Reddon's report included the news that there have been a number of incidents involving “nuisance” bears in the area. Anyone with incidents to report should directly contact the Northeast headquarters of the Game Commission in Dallas at 675-1143. Mayor Reddon also relayed some inquiries she had received regarding the new sidewalks that have been put in, specifically how the sites were chosen; funding for the walks was obtained through grant funding through the state Main Street program, which targets specific areas in the downtown area. And, it was pointed out that it is the property owner's responsibility to maintain the sidewalks at their properties. The mayor also reported an inquiry about road repairs needed on East Church St.; the streets department will be asked to take a look at it. The area was said to be already on a priority list of work that is to be done, but there may be other areas higher up on that list at this time. And, the mayor said that Senator Lisa Baker's office is still working on getting information about PennDOT's plans for replacing the Drinker Creek bridge (on Main St.). There was considerable discussion about the Capra building on Main St., which has sometimes been jokingly referred to as the “Hotel California.” The property was purchased by an individual in California, via the internet. It has been condemned, and the boro has received approval for grant funding to demolish it, provided it belongs to the boro. The owner had agreed to deed it over to the boro, but subsequently rescinded the offer and requested payment. The original amount requested was subsequently reduced to $1,000. Council's dilemma was, if they accepted this offer, what to do if the as-yet unpassed state budget did not include the promised grant funding, would the boro then be responsible for the cost of demolition? After a lengthy discussion, a motion carried to send a letter of intent to the owner to purchase the building for $1,000, with the contingency that the state budget includes the funding for the demolition funds. It was noted that the August 1 deadline given to the Chemung Valley Historical Society for removal of the disputed railroad cars that were donated to the boro has passed without the cars being removed. There was some discussion about what to do about the boxcar that the boro was willing to give the society if it was removed by that date. Council will look into selling it. A motion carried to advertise bids for paving work on Erie Blvd. Council reviewed a letter received by the boro solicitor from Chesapeake Energy, inquiring about leasing property the boro owns. There was some question about whether or not the boro actually owns all of the properties listed as potential sites; council will check to see if the boro does own them before any decision is made. The meeting adjourned to an executive session to discuss a legal issue, after which a motion carried to proceed with vacating the upper portion of Second Ave. at the boro's expense. The next regular meeting will be on Tuesday, August 25, 7 p.m. in the boro building.
New Milford Is 100! The Borough Council of New Milford’s meeting began with an award from The Pennsylvania Association of Boroughs presented by their president, Joseph Mercatill. President Mercatill congratulated the Council (including past Councils) on their faithful service throughout the 100 years and jokingly stated he would like to be on hand to present them with their 200th recognition. The award seems timely in that the weekend of August 7-9 is not only Hometown Days, but also New Milford Borough and New Milford Township’s Bi-Centennial Celebration event as well. News of the event will be reported in September’s New Milford Borough Meeting. Council President Jim Carr graciously accepted the plaque stating that he realizes all Council members work hard for New Milford Borough residents, trying to keep the Borough running well and for the well being of as many of the residents as they can in planning and carrying out not only projects that need to be done for safety and necessity, but for the better use of facilities such as Community Park, keeping it up so the community can utilize it. Concerns were expressed when Council member Jane Zick reported that COG’s number of employees and work hours had been cut. Zick also stated that COG’s funds are dwindling down to approximately $16,000, with a possibility of more cuts in employees or employee hours. Council responded stating that they will just have to keep an eye on the situation. Bridges in the Borough are reported to be coming along nicely, with a number of them just awaiting a few little items until completion. The bridge on Church Street is almost completed but it was reported that a number of residents have expressed concerns for a large area which could cause a hazard. Council’s Jane Zick reported she was informed that FEMA didn’t authorize that piece to be done, as it was “pre-flood.” Council agreed to look into it and either fence it or otherwise shut it off so it does not become a hazard for residents. Present to speak was Wayne Bradley’s trucking company owner, who was concerned with the allegedly illegal location of several stop sign placements within New Milford Borough. Bradley handed out information to Council members regarding “legal/illegal” placements and informed Council he had spoken to Keith Williams, of Dunmore, on the subject. He invited Council to speak with Williams on the same. He also asked Council to make a motion to remove all offending stop signs, to allow his trucks not to have to down shift and stop before heading up the hill on Susquehanna and Church Streets in particular, and for the betterment of the people. Council stated they would turn the matter over to their solicitor for advisement. A motion to advertise the revised version of The Barking Dog Ordinance was made. The trash burning ordinance is still being investigated and will be sent to the solicitor for a final review. Council’s Jane Zick mentioned that thanks should go out to all who helped in any way with the flowers, keeping the streets clean and making New Milford Borough look as nice as it does and having kept it in that manner. Council President Jim Carr stated that he also acknowledged all who helped and that it was a good thing, “you don’t often hear of things like this or hear of it enough. It’s a job well done.” The Johnson Street underpass is almost completed, and is approximately 10 feet from top to bottom, reportedly. After much deliberation, Fred Shiptosky was named to the Municipal Authority, due to the fact that he had previously had experience with water related activity. The New Milford Borough Council Meting is held the first Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. in the New Milford Borough Building on Main Street.
Great Bend Police (?) Police, or the lack thereof, has been a hot topic in Great Bend Borough for some time, perhaps ever since it was the last of a local consortium to vote some 10 years ago to disband the last police force they once had. Recently, Great Bend’s Council negotiated to lease time from the Susquehanna Borough police force until that town’s Council rejected the idea; it nearly had a similar deal with Lanesboro until fuel prices skyrocketed and Lanesboro backed out; and it considered an arrangement with Montrose similar to what New Milford has done, until the Montrose Police chief backed away amid some controversy over perceptions about the way they were operating in New Milford. So Great Bend Borough, like its neighbors - and like many other mostly rural municipalities in Pennsylvania - continues to depend on the meager services of the State Police. For some, that isn’t enough, and even that may soon become costly. The Borough Council meeting on August 6 got a late start waiting for a fourth member to make a quorum. When the meeting got under way, a borough couple stood up to demand better police coverage, claiming a “significant increase in crime,” particularly in the little town’s 3 parks. Declaring that the problem “can’t be ignored any longer,” they offered to start a committee “to find a way” to get more police coverage. Perhaps coincidentally, two members of the Susquehanna Borough Police Force, through spokesman Assistant Chief Lance Penzone, offered to organize police coverage for an area that would include Great Bend Borough, Great Bend Township and New Milford Township. While the officers did not immediately broach the subject of dollars and cents, they did bring Council’s attention to House Bill 1500 in the state legislature that threatens to bill municipalities like Great Bend for State Police services. It seems that by cooperating with neighboring communities to contract for police services from Susquehanna, the Borough might end up saving money. House Bill 1500 would assess municipalities that depend on the State Police in a 3-year phase-in. In the first year the price tag would be $52 per resident. For the 700 residents of Great Bend Borough, that would come to about $36,400. By the third year the cost would rise to over $100,000, virtually doubling the borough’s budget, and similarly its residents’ tax bills. According to Council member Bret Jennings, the Bradford County Sheriff’s department is developing a study of regional policing that may be of interest. And Susquehanna County’s Council of Governments is studying the possibility of developing a police force that could cover the county in three regions. In the meantime, Mr. Penzone said that the Susquehanna Borough Council is now more receptive to the idea of sharing its police force. He said that he would come up with figures and more details by the time of the Borough Council’s next meeting in early September. He said that grant money is becoming available for regional policing arrangements like this that could help fund the service. Of course everyone is looking for grants to pay for services that would otherwise come from local taxes. Council recently met with a representative of a company that offers playground equipment. Members are hoping to be able to outfit the old “Benedict” property adjacent to VFW Memorial Park using grant dollars. The property was acquired by the Borough from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency after it was flooded in the summer of 2006. Borough Secretary Sheila Guinan already snagged a grant for an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) from the Regional EMS Council as part of a program administered by the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. These easy-to-use devices are showing up just about everywhere as affordable life-saving equipment. In other business, Council signed onto a loan agreement with the Hallstead-Great Bend Joint Sewer Authority at a general meeting on July 13. Without the cooperation of participating municipalities, the sewer authority was in jeopardy of not being able to fund some expensive repairs and upgrades mandated by environmental regulators. Council had been apprehensive that the town’s taxpayers would be on the hook for a lot of money to be managed by a sewer authority over which Council had little control. Considering the options, however, Council went ahead and signed. A representative of the sewer authority, Shane Rumage, attended the Council meeting to report that some sizeable grants have been identified that appear to promise substantial assistance with the project. A long-running issue with water on Washington Street took another turn with the receipt of a letter from Dennis Giordano, Assistant District Executive for Maintenance for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). Great Bend’s state representative Sandra Major pressured PennDOT into taking the matter more seriously, yet the PennDOT letter effectively denies any responsibility for the problem. The letter says that a conduit under Interstate 81 conducts a waterway that the state Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) considers a “cold water fishery.” (Some residents remember that area in the Borough being swampy many years ago.) The problem on Washington Street arose during the flood of June 2006; Council member Jerry MacConnell (absent at this meeting) has been insisting that the water problem be dealt with by PennDOT, which manages that stretch of the Interstate. The letter supposes that the town’s drainage system in that area just is not large enough to accommodate flows like that in the summer of 2006. Mr. MacConnell has also been insisting that the Borough’s solicitor, Frank O’Connor, come up with some sort of ordinance to control the proliferation of mobile homes - aka trailers - in the town. Mr. O’Connor has said that the only way he knew to enforce such regulations would be to introduce zoning throughout the Borough. Council President Rick Franks asked his colleagues if the issue should remain on the agenda, considering that no one is likely to entertain the long and difficult process of implementing zoning in the town. The four members present voted to remove the item from the agenda. The one major project that the Borough’s budget can withstand this year is to seal the cracks in the streets. Council voted to accept the low bid of Annseal of Pennsylvania, which estimated a cost of just under $10,000, with the condition that the contractor be properly bonded. Council also voted to allow Borough maintenance employee Dick Button to get 2 or 3 bids to scrape and paint the dump body of the town’s truck and to proceed with the work as long as the cost does not exceed $1,000. Mr. Button also got approval to close the parks at 8:00 p.m. instead of the posted 10:00 p.m. He said that much of the vandalism in the parks takes place after dark, and hoped that locking Greenwood and VFW Memorial parks earlier would help. Mr. Franks noted that when the parks had been locked in the past, vandals simply tore down the fences. But Council decided to try again anyway. With some luck - and a little money - there may yet be some local police to help enforce the new hours and to minimize the depredations of a few that can spoil the enjoyment of the town’s jewels by the many. The Great Bend Borough Council is scheduled to meet next on Thursday, September 3, beginning at 7:00 p.m., at the Borough Building at Elizabeth and Franklin Streets.
Courthouse Report DEEDS George and Carol Gregory to Daniel M., Jr. and Lori Jo Trivett, in Auburn Township for $5,000.00. Jacob E. and Amber Martin (NBM) Amber Remick to Jacob E. and Amber Martin, in Dimock Township for one dollar. Margie Pinch to James M. Foulds, III, in Ararat Township for one dollar. James D. Park to Donald E. and Rose Marie Ellis, in Little Meadows Borough for $3,500.00. Jason D. and Jody E. Daye (NBM) Jody Traver to Jason D. and Jody E. Daye, in Dimock Township for one dollar. Ernest H. and Faye C. Blachek to Ernest H. (Trust) and Faye C. (Trust) Blachek, in Brooklyn and Harford Townships for one dollar. Ernest H. and Faye C. Blachek to Ernest H. (Trust) and Faye C. (Trust) Blachek, in Lenox Township for one dollar. Janice D. Woolbaugh to Brady Fancher, in Great Bend Township for $1,000.00. Arnold M. and Margaret Colwell to Joseph and Joan Altavilla, in Liberty Township for $15,000.00. Bremer Hof Owners, Inc. to William Ray Parrish, in Herrick Township for $100.00. Bremer Hof Owners, Inc. to Rachel Cooley, in Herrick Township for $100.00. Michael Glanville (By Atty) to Bremer Hof Owners, Inc., in Herrick Township for $100.00. Anna Schmuck to Elizabeth Greer, Anna Driesbach and Hans F. Schmuck, in Rush Township for one dollar. Christine M., Douglas George and Michael Arbour and Lisa Scott to Anne M. Saccone, in Middletown Township for $190,000.00. John A. and Vivian W. Bolles to John R. and Katherine Bolles, in Dimock Township for one dollar. George and Sandra Leonard to George and Sandra Leonard, in Middletown Township for one dollar. Charles R. and Shirley D. Tator to Allen C. and Nancy Tator, in Forest Lake Township for one dollar. Mary Jane (Estate) and Joseph Onufrak to James D. and Patricia P. Laing, in Gibson Township for $12,500.00. John J. and Theodore W. Burris to John J. Burris, in New Milford Township for $9,988.57. Donald J. and Doris B. (Estate AKA) Doris Bartholomay to Donald J. Bartholomay, in Clifford Township for one dollar. Kathy Ackley to Charles E. June and Robin L. Tanner, in Susquehanna for $28,280.00. Fannie Mae (AKA) Federal National Mortgage Association (By Atty) to Kathleen and Ray Ellinger, in Dimock Township for $78,000.00. Vincent J. Cirzeveto to Richard D. Cirzeveto, in Choconut Township for one dollar. Veronica Ann (AKA) Veronica Allen to Patricia M. Allen, in Great Bend Township for one dollar. Joseph Lopatofsky to Exco North Coast Energy, Inc., in Clifford Township for $100,000.00. Denise Chu and Jason Oechsle to Nicholas J., Jr. and Kelly Delrosso, in Jessup Township for $3,250.00. June D. Finsel to Jeffrey P. Finsel, in Liberty Township for $40,000.00. William L. Knight (Trust By Trustee) to William L. Knight, in New Milford Township for one dollar. William L. Knight to William L. and Beverly A. Knight, in New Milford Township for one dollar. R. Stimson and Betty Jean Wilcox to Lisa R. Vitali, in Middletown Township for $235,000.00. JT Spano LLC to John William Greenleaf, in Forest City for $45,000.00. Marie Tucek to Lori Anne Lass, in Silver Lake Township for $25,000.00. Delval Sportsman Partners of Susquehanna LLC to Delval Sportsman Partners of Susquehanna LLC, in Oakland Township for one dollar. Mary A. Hendry to Glenn Hamer, in Bridgewater Township for $139,000.00. Wayne L., Deborah A., Kellie J. and Jason L. Faigle to Wayne L., Deborah A. and Kellie J. Faigle, in Springville Township for one dollar. Donald J. (Estate AKA) Donald Bishop to Elizabeth A. (Estate AKA) Elizabeth Whipple Bishop, in Auburn Township for one dollar. Elizabeth A. (Estate AKA) Elizabeth Whipple Bishop to Janice F. Brockman and Richard A. and Donald J., Jr. Bishop, in Auburn Township for one dollar. Donald and Margaret D. Barovich to Donald and Margaret D. Barovich, in Bridgewater Township for one dollar. Benedict Trust (By Trustee) to Paul A. and Doris E. Frey, in New Milford Township for $180,000.00. John F. Burke (Estate) to James, Sr. and Vesta Adriance, in Jackson Township for $57,000.00. Hugh and Peggy Faulkner to Bremer Hof Owners, Inc., in Herrick Township for $100.00. Maurice L. and Cecile T. Whitney to Douglas T. Rose and Marcie E. Babbitt, in New Milford Township for $4,400.00. William H. Stortz (Estate) and Kathy A. Then to Kathy A. and Raymond J., Jr. Then, in Lenox Township for one dollar. BENCH WARRANTS The Susquehanna County Domestic Relations Section has bench warrants for the following individuals as of 10:04 a.m. on August 7, 2009. Michael A. Argust, David P. Atherholt, Jr., Erika L. Back, John W. Barber, Sr., David Shawn Blaisure, Joseph Bonavita, Michael P. Bradley, Jr., Devin S. Brewer, Howard Burns, Robert B. Carrier, Beverly A. Carvin, Tony R. Clark, Mark T. Conklin, Edward J. Dickson, Jr., Jeremy M. Dixon, James W. Donahue, III, Deborah L. Drish, David J. Fischer, Ryan M. Forder, Kelly Fox, Dominick M. Franklin, Tiffany M. Groover, Jonathan S. Guzy, David Haines, Jr., Suzanne R. Hansen, William N. Hendrickson, Ann Hightower, Jeremy C. James, Steven L. Jones, Kenneth M. Kintner, Kevin D. Klein, Eric C. Kohlhepp, Erik E. Krisovitch, Amber Kuns, Charlie J. Legere, Carlos L. Leiser, Christopher Locke, Patricia J. Marrero, Jason Marshall, Zada A. McDonald, Nancy McGillis, Rollin E. Miller, Jr., Joseph C. Moore, Anthony Neri, Benjamin Newell, Tanya M. Novak, Todd M. O'Hara, Donald Palmer, Gary Perico, Timothy W. Rogers, Troy Rohmann, David J. Shiner, Garrett M. Thomas, Jozsef M. Varga, Keith W. Vroman, Steven G. Warner, Joseph Watkins, Jamie L. Williams, Kenneth L. Wilmot, Jr. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals.
Montrose Considers Restriction Should children be allowed to skateboard the streets of Montrose? Is it oppressive to the well-behaved boarders to outlaw the sport in an attempt to curb destruction, and, if so, is it a necessary oppression? These are some of the questions discussed at the August 3 Montrose borough meeting, at which a sample skate boarding ordinance from PSAB was presented for review. Various borough residents attended the meeting to discuss the idea, requesting that council consider not making a blanket ordinance which would prevent responsible skateboarders from enjoying their sport. Council is considering the ordinance due to problems with a contingency of skateboarders whose “ride everywhere” philosophy leads to traffic concerns and vandalism. They pose a danger to the elderly walking main avenue, and respond disrespectfully to reprimands or requests for cessation. A mom at the meeting queried as to where their parents were, apparently feeling her children should not be punished for the “idiocy” of other parents and the bad judgment of their children. (She also gave her opinion that the borough should punish four-wheelers if they were to punish skateboarders. One council member quipped that skateboarders were easier to catch.) Her young son spoke up with simple eloquence, maintaining that he and his friends just skated, they didn't graffiti, or misbehave, they just had fun. A dad asked why he would have to tell his son he could not skateboard in front of his own house. For their part council agreed that there were responsible and talented skateboarders in the town, and sympathized with the concerns of those present that these responsible young people were being inconvenienced. They alluded to the concerns mentioned above, however, and explained to the mother that, in such matters, although parents ought to control their children, when they do not something has to be put in place to do so. Even then the borough is not looking at enacting an ordinance which would outlaw skateboarding on all roads; it is considering focusing the ordinance only on the business district and main thoroughfares. Mr. Reimel explained that the borough could not erect a skateboard park due to insurance concerns. He stated, however, that were a group of concerned parents so inclined they could create a proposal for a club, in which agreements, rules, and guidelines existed, and which parents volunteered to supervise whenever it met. He told those parents present that if they were willing to do that then council would entertain the idea. No one at the meeting jumped at the opportunity, however. The skateboarding issue, it was said, will likely be discussed further at the recessed meeting. It was scheduled to be held on the third Tuesday, as usual. This discussion connected with one earlier in the meeting regarding behavior at the park. The lack of open bathrooms was once again brought up, and David Darrow explained why he had been leaving them locked. They were destroyed, he explained, with the water faucet having been broken three times already this summer. The damage had been done during the day at least once. It was attributed to a small group of teenagers; the same ones who have vandalized the park all along. A port-a-potty was suggested, but this, it was feared, would only give the teenagers something to push over with someone inside. One woman asked how Conklin and other parks could keep bathrooms open; it was thought that they might have full-time staff. One proposed solution to the park problems was that of creating more activities within it. This is part of the hope behind the walking track, volleyball courts, etc. The idea is that if more citizens are involved in the park, and there is more to do within it, it will police itself. Those concerned about skateboarding comprised one part of the visitors to the meeting; the others, those not regularly in attendance, also attended in support of a common cause. This contingency came to express their concerns with the proposed position of the Cabot filling station, on the triangle of property belonging to Jim Cantone off Rt. 29. All of the trucks accessing this station are supposed to do so via route 29, but those present were concerned that they would instead drive on South Main Street. One man had been told that 25 trucks a day would utilize the station, and all were to have completed their business prior to 11 a.m. The visitors expressed worry over the effect this would have on traffic safety in an already accident prone span of roadway, as well as on the comfort of those living in the area. Council explained that the only thing within their control is the location of the pumping station; the companies have the permit for the water through PAWC, and South Main is a state road so the borough cannot impose a weight limit. (Although they did say they could talk to the state about doing so.) The visitors said that they were not asking the borough not to build the pumping station; they were just formally requesting that the council consider moving it to the borough property nearby, behind the salt shed. This would allow for better visibility of trucks pulling onto the road, and might help prevent bottlenecks. It would require permission from DEP however, as a creek would be involved. Council agreed to run the idea by the necessary people from the various organizations, and to let the concerned residents know what they discovered. One man at the meeting was rather incensed that no representative of PAWC or Cabot was in attendance to discuss the people's concerns. Council assured him that they had been invited. The new office building project is progressing, though only one bid was received for the construction plans. Mr. Reimel expressed his opinion that the council should know where the money is coming from before a bid is accepted. The bid information meeting was scheduled for the following evening, so no action was going to be taken at the council meeting that evening anyway.
Event To Benefit Supancik Family Around 8:30 p.m. on the 9th of June the Supancik family’s life was forever changed. That evening, nine year old Kayla was playing with her dad and little sister when she was struck by a car. She was air lifted to Syracuse in critical condition with two broken legs, a broken arm and serious head trauma. She was kept sedated for two weeks as she lay with casts to her hips on her legs and her right arm in a cast. A piece of her skull was removed to make room for her swelling brain. She was on a ventilator and later a trach was inserted. Three weeks after the accident she was up in a reclining wheel chair. Then, in early July a shunt had to be inserted to drain fluid from her brain.
Kayla Supancik On July 16, Kayla was well enough to be transferred to Bethlehem, by ambulance which was a four-hour trip from Syracuse. She is presently there receiving rehabilitation, speech and physical therapy. Although she can eat soft foods, she has a feeding tube to ensure proper nutrition. You can read more about Kayla and follow her daily progress on a blog at http://kaylas-grace.blogspot.com. The medical expenses have been astronomical for the family. In addition, all of the travel expenses and expenses for other care have drained the family as well. On Monday, August 17, at 4:30 p.m. at the Harford Fair a live auction will take place outside Vegetable Hall. The highest bidders will walk off with the first and second place prize winning cakes and pies. All proceeds from the auction will go to the Supancik family to help them with their expenses. Kayla will turn ten on August 18, the day after the auction. This is the ninth year for the auction and last year over $3,000 was raised to benefit Kyle Miller, who had lost a leg in a farming accident. If you can’t be at the fair for the auction, donations can be made to the Kayla S. Fund at Pennstar Bank, 5910 State Route 92, Box 210, Kingsley, PA 18826. Cards can be sent to Kayla at Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit, Kayla S.-Room 105, 2855 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem, PA 18017. Kayla is the daughter of April and Peter Supancik and has a younger sister, Madison. Her grandparents are Betsy and Frank Supancik. The Supancik’s have been a part of the Harford Fair Family for a long, long time. Grandfather Frank served as a director for years and several aunts and uncles as well as Kayla’s dad helped in the arena. Grandma Betsy organized and operates “Farmer For A Day.”
At a prior meeting, the Great Bend township supervisors had approved leasing land the township acquired through the buyout program after the flood of 2006. At their August 3 meeting, the supervisors heard from the owner of an adjacent property that surveying stakes at the site had somehow been removed. After discussion, it was agreed that it is in the township's best interest to have the site surveyed by the township, to determine just where the property lines are. The supervisors would also contact the lessee, to inform him of their intentions. In other business, road work was temporarily delayed due to recent rainy weather. Work on Baptist Hill and Tarzen Road was scheduled to begin in the next few days, weather permitting. The supervisors are looking into purchasing a trailer to use to move some of the equipment during road work, which will save on wear and tear on the equipment and save money, instead of renting a trailer as needed. The sewer authority requested that the supervisors send a letter to a township property owner, informing him/her that there is a township ordinance requiring that the property must be hooked into the sewer system. A copy of the township's ordinance will be included. Correspondence received included the following: a copy of the sewer authority's annual budget report; notice that PennDOT has applied for a GP11 permit for replacement of the bridge on Honey Hollow Creek; a letter from state Attorney General Corbett stating that the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act became effective July 1; NTRPDC's 2008 annual report; the 2009 actuarial valuation for the township's employee pension plan; and notice that the Susquehanna County Township Officials Association's fall convention has been set for Thursday, October 22 at the Montrose Bible Conference. The township still needs a representative for the sewer authority; interested candidates should contact the township office. A motion carried to approve a resolution establishing a fee to be charged by the township tax collector in connection with tax certifications, insufficiently funded checks, and duplicate bill information requests. And, Jorge Armondo Tobon has applied to DEP for a small non-coal mining (quarry) permit from DEP. The next meeting will be on Tuesday, September 8, 7:00 p.m. in the township building.
SCSB Discusses Budget As of August 5, the state had not yet passed its budget. Partial provisions had been passed to allow payment to state workers, but none of the education allocations had been passed or agreed upon. The budget was, of course, a large part of discussion at the monthly meeting of the Susquehanna Community School Board. It appeared at that time that there was a very good chance that there would be no increase in basic education funding from the state; if that is the case, the district will have to reopen its budget to find alternative funding sources if the state does not reach an agreement and pass a budget by the time the district meets in October. Superintendent Bronson Stone said that some vital programs are in jeopardy if the budget does not include funding for them, such as the Dual Enrollment program. This allows high school students to take college courses and earn credits for them at a reduced cost. If the state budget cuts funding for this program, the district will still offer it, but it would need to be paid for entirely by the students enrolled in the program. Mr. Stone urged parents and interested persons to contact their state legislators to urge support of state funding for the program. Mr. Stone was pleased to report that 2009 PSSA test results were available, and showed significant growth over last year's scores. Criteria for meeting AYP is comprised of seventeen items, and both the elementary and the high school as well as the district as a whole met the criteria. In their ongoing efforts to reduce energy costs, the district is looking into forming a consortium with the other county schools to purchase electricity. A meeting is scheduled for August 18 to explore the idea. Correspondence received included a letter from Dr. Warren DeWitt, resigning as school physician effective immediately. Dr. DeWitt also informed the board that he will no longer be the physician in attendance at district football games. Resignations were accepted for two positions, personal care aide and elementary library aide. In keeping with the recent renewal of staff contracts, a number of candidates had been interviewed to fill non-instructional positions. Appointments approved by the board are as follows: varsity boys' basketball coach, Scott Gladden; junior varsity boys' basketball coach, Rick Soden; junior high boys' basketball head coach, Will Szili; junior high boys' basketball assistant coach, Ken Travis; elementary boys' basketball coach, Ken Travis; varsity girls' basketball coach, Dori Sabatelli; junior varsity girls' basketball coach, Alice Rhone; junior high girls' basketball head coach, Nathan Shay; junior high girls' basketball assistant coach, Dennise Yankauskas; elementary girls' basketball coach, Julie Hargett; basketball cheerleading coach, Melissa Sussman; varsity wrestling head coach, Don Orner; junior varsity wrestling assistant coach, Nate Wademan; junior high wrestling coach, Allen Lloyd; elementary wrestling coach, Jason Fissel; wrestling cheerleading coach, Roxann Lloyd; wrestling game manager, John Dunn; varsity/JV boys' basketball game manager, Roland Salamon; junior high boys' basketball game manager, Jenny Lawson; varsity/JV girls' basketball game manager, Sue Crawford; junior high girls' basketball game manager, Carol Bushong; personal care aide, Jennifer Bennett; elementary library aide, Kristin Stanford; high school aide, Deborah Zayas. The board approved hiring for the following professional positions: school librarian, Lisa Paterno; reading specialist, Megan Piekarski; teacher mentor, Julie Gallo. Other items approved were as follows: - The final draft of the Strategic Plan midpoint review. It will be on file for thirty days for residents' review, and voted on at the September meeting, after which it will be submitted to Harrisburg. - The final draft of the Act 48 plan. - Two proposals to install key-fob systems, one at the back door of the high school and one at the elementary building gym doors. - Permission for the superintendent to tentatively hire pending board approval for any vacancies that may occur between August 5 and the beginning of the 2009-10 school year. - A contract with Cambium Learning RtI Consultation for training. - A proposal with Brian Kelly, CPA for district auditing services for the fiscal year 2008-09. - A website migration fee with Avant It Consulting, Inc. for web development. - The Parent Involvement Committee's request to use the elementary school gym for a (free) back to school dance on August 28, for grades four, five and six. - The Parent Involvement Committee's request to hold the annual Harvest Fest in the elementary gym on November 14. - Trehab's request to use the auditorium on August 20 for a community workshop on drug and alcohol education and awareness. The next meeting will be on Wednesday, September 16, 7:00 p.m. in the administration offices in the elementary building.
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