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HEADLINES: FC Resident Questions Council During a business meeting May 2, Forest City Borough Council discussed at length a letter from an Upper North Main Street property owner which cited the expansion of the Franceski Lumber Mill storage area into a refuse center as a possible zoning violation. Robert Trusky, president of council, stated that Mr. Franceski is “not in any violation of anything right now.” Solicitor Paul E. Smith explained that the expansion consists of the storage of dry material in containers and added that DEP does not even require a permit for the venture, since there is no trash on the ground, no wet or hazardous material involved. “I don’t see where the normal nuisance problems are there,” Smith added, concluding, “I think most of [the resident’s] complaints are aesthetic… It’s just a use of his property that she’s not happy with.” The resident commented, “I question how [the expansion] happened.” She continued, “[A borough secretary] could not find any record of it ever being discussed. I have the right to know if Council addressed it before that facility was expanded.” The resident stated that the facility “devalues all the homes on that street” and creates noise problems for her, since she sometimes works at home. Trusky requested that all residents contribute to a Kennedy Park fundraiser, stating that the park “is one of the few nice places… that we do have in the area for recreation and enjoyable uses.” A notice was issued that both the Pennsylvania American Water Company and the Forest City Borough Council must be notified prior to any non-emergency and training use of fire hydrants. Sentencing for Susan Coleman will be held on May 20 at 11:30 a.m. Any borough resident may attend. Trusky reported that he contacted Penn DOT requesting a Dundaff Street traffic study. A completed report is expected to be delivered within two to three weeks and will be presented at a future borough meeting. Several matters involved the police department. Trusky read a letter stating that due to expense, Vandling Borough will discontinue daily police patrols. Between May 23 and June 18, the Forest City Police Department, and possibly the Clifford Police Department, will provide expanded enforcement of seat belt and traffic laws. Funding has been provided through a $500 grant from the Buckle-Up PA Project. Dominic Calzola and Andrew Swingle were hired as part time police officers. After comparing costs, council passed a motion to purchase an Impala from Chapman Auto in Philadelphia. “We do need the vehicle,” Trusky commented, stating that unit seventeen was “eating us alive” on repair costs. The new police car will be purchased for $32,500. The purchase of a new dump truck also was discussed, although with a cost of $60,648, council decided to table that matter. Council did pass a motion to repair the transmission on the present truck.
706 & Drainage Woes In Montrose At the May 2 meeting of the Montrose borough council, various items were discussed. A representative from the Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission was present, and by the end of the meeting the fate of the 706 project was being debated somewhat passionately. Prior to that point however, the meeting was largely business as usual. During the street department report, it was announced that the street sweeper had broken on Main Street. The machine has two systems, foreman Ken DiPhillips explained, and the road crew is getting to the bottom of the problem. A woman had contacted Mr. DiPhillips regarding the end of the jake brake ordinance sign, located on Church Street. This sign stated where the jake brake restriction ends, and the resident said that the trucks all waited to that spot to honk their horns and then use the brake. The resident has a small child, and requested that perhaps the sign could be moved. Mr. Granahan asked if the borough had to have the signs a certain distance apart. It was responded that no, they were put where the borough had received permission to place them. It was suggested that the sign be moved to below Mann's. There was some discussion then about whether one sign or both signs should be moved. It was suggested that the brakes off sign be moved by Mann's, and the “no use of brakes” sign remain before the corner, such that both could be seen from 167 there. An ordinance had been made for no parking on South Main Street, the church side. When the streets department foreman went to measure the 84 feet required by regulations, the spot was right in the middle of the church's driveway. The priest had requested that the ban be extended to in front of the church, where people parked and he felt a hazard to be present. It was asked if this ordinance affected the private houses. Mr. Lamont didn't wish to take away the parking from private residences. The sign couldn't be put in the middle of the driveway, so would have to be put past the required 84 feet anyway, but to extend the no parking zone officially would require a new ordinance with a public hearing. In the end it was decided that they would not pursue this action. During the Code Enforcement Report, it was stated that the member of the NTRPDC who was present, Brian Baker, was to be working with Mr. Darrow to hold Community Planning classes. They requested the use of the building. The plan was to hold one of these sets of classes in each county. Mr. Reimel motioned that the borough pay for the planning commission to attend. The event was to be open to the public, and charged $30 total for the three classes. It was suggested that the 17th and 18th be the dates of the community cleanup day. The Friday would be curbside pickup, and Saturday the day to drop off items at the dump. Mr. Darrow then spoke about the bathrooms at the park. A quote had been received, regarding bathrooms and a new shed. The quote for the bathroom, excepting the toilet and sink, was $8,175, and the quote for the shed was $4,200 total. There had been some discussion regarding eliminating the space between the buildings and making them one. It was suggested that the bathrooms be moved closer to the street to be more easily accessible to police patrols. Mr. Reimel pointed out that the bathroom had originally been placed in the center to make it more easily accessible, and if it were to be moved perhaps it should be moved closer to the pavilion end. It was said that such a project would have to be put out to bid. The type of fixtures was discussed as well, with the suggestion being made that stainless steel would perhaps last longer than porcelain. The quote which had been received was not based on specific specs, but general information. Mr. Lamont suggested using a design and build model. It was proposed that something looking like specs could be gathered by the recessed meeting so that the matter could be put out for bid. The contractors would be responsible for all permits. During the police report, Chief Dale Smith was asked whether or not the scales had been purchased. They had, but they were sent to be certified. The interested officers had been trained. Mr. Granahan related that the state police had offered to help the borough police with test runs. Bill Baier's, a resident of Bank Street, attended the meeting to discuss drainage, which was affecting his property. Being a state road, the borough did not have to do maintenance on that road. He said that he knew, however, that Mr. DiPhillips worked on some grates that were on state roads, and he was requesting permission for him to do so in that area as well. The water, he said, wiped out not only his driveway but all the way down the hill. Something which the borough had done, he continued, had created the problem, with two pipes which now directed water at a better flow to ditches which weren't used to that flow. He requested that the council look into working with the state. Mr. DiPhillips said that his crew cleaned out, for instance, a grate on Lake Avenue, because it would create greater problems if they did not. Mr. Lamont motioned for the street crew to be able to remove the leaves during a heavy storm, and to discuss with the state what could be done to rectify the situation. It was suggested that if the water was brought across the road it wouldn't shoot to the bottom of the hill. Mr. DiPhillips was told to, if he was going to fix it, fix it once, so they did not have to fix it repeatedly. Jean Ball also attended the meeting to discuss the 706 Drainage Project, and parking issues. Her husband passed pictures around to the council members. She said that she sympathized with Mr. Baier, regarding the drainage. The pictures showed a mess in her backyard after a heavy rainfall, and she expressed her opinion that new and adequate drainage was necessitated. Her second concern was the parking of her neighbors. People were parking at the edge of her property, and at the dead end. She did not, she said, consider the dead end to be public parking, she considered it to be a borough street as the borough cindered and plowed it. She complained of tire marks in her yard, a foot to a foot and a half into her property. A nice looking yard, like others in town, was what she desired, she continued. Also, people park on top of a rain drain, she reported. She had called the police department many times over the years. The police would speak to the neighbors and tell them not to park there anymore, but as time passed, they still do so. Her husband had a difficult time getting into their property due to the cars being parked on both sides of the street. She had difficulty parking in her own driveway. She emphasized that the borough needed a drainage system which worked in the borough, and that she needed the borough's assistance with the parking. Mr. Smith was asked if they could be ticketed, and responded that they could if they were parking in the street only. It was stated that someone would have to go down and define the street and post it, such that then they could be made to park off of it. Mr. Lamont suggested putting curbs in, which would help with the drainage and keeping cars off the property. Both parties would be told that they couldn't park on the street, and then ticketing and towing could result. Ms. Ball was warned that, when the borough defined the road, she may lose something which she thought was hers; she stated that this was alright by her. It was suggested that for now the boundaries could be painted. The PennDOT Traffic Light Maintenance Agreement was brought up. Mr. Granahan had prepared information for the press in advance. The council had been working with Bridgewater Township, regarding the drainage agreement. It was ultimately determined that the agreement was not something they wanted to sign. The Montrose borough had planned to piggyback off of the compromises Bridgewater was going to make with PennDOT. PennDOT was not going to compromise however, and the same concerns which Bridgewater had with the drainage agreement, Montrose had. What the borough was left with was, then, the traffic light agreement. He motioned that they pass this, even though he had some problems with the language in it, as the borough already cared for the traffic lights anyway. Why quibble over something the borough was already doing, he opined. Borough solicitor Ms. O'Malley recommended that the council not sign the agreement, as she had recommended they not sign the others. She felt it would bring them additional responsibilities. Though the borough would end up de facto caring for the lights anyway, she did not see a point in having additional responsibility. Since a motion and second were on the table, a roll call vote was held. The motion was carried. Mr. Reimel asked if there had ever been a motion regarding the other two agreements. It was stipulated that they were just pushed to the side, but no formal motion had been made. Just to make it official, Mr. Reimel made the motions to sign them. Both died for lack of a second. Mr. Baker, the representative from the NTRPDC and the 706 project, spoke up then. The sidewalk agreement, he said, did not need to be signed for this motion to go through, but the storm water agreement did. He said that they were on a timeline, and Bridgewater and Montrose would lose 10 million dollars worth of investment, perhaps in another county, if this did not move, though he understood their concerns. The sidewalk was the big issue in the past, he said, but he didn't blame the council to the full extent, though he would hate to see the municipality not get free sidewalks. As far as the drainage went, he continued, this town was on the verge of becoming the gridlock which Towanda and Wysox had become. The drainage would need to be fixed. He said the frustration factor would be coming to Montrose soon. He was under the impression that they did not want to deal with it. The systems in town, he felt, would only get worse, as had already been discussed previously in the meeting. He asserted that he hated to see 10 million dollars go away, and that this money had to be obligated. He had spoken to PennDOT about the subject. Mr. Granahan spoke up about this, asking him to look at things from the council's perspective. Basically, what would happen, would be taking a 24 inch pipe, basically sticking your thumb over it, and spraying it all over. The council did not have a tax base that would accommodate a new storm water system like PennDOT wanted to put in. The council could not continue levying taxes on people. PennDOT doesn't care, someone suggested, whether or not the municipalities can afford the upgrades. Mr. Baker said that he hadn't heard that they didn't care, but they had certain standards they had to follow in new highways. The pipes they wanted to put in were more than double the existing pipe, which were 10 inch. The state can't control the water that goes over 706 now, Mr. Lamont said, and if the borough had to match PennDOT drain for drain for that much pipe they could not do it. Mr. Granahan and Mr. Lamont said that the final plans had only been brought before them a year ago. From the council's viewpoint, Mr. Granahan reiterated, this wasn't just about getting a new road, but there were other issues. It's been sold as 10 million dollars worth of investments in the municipalities, some council members said, but it was not free investment, in the end. Brian said that he would be making phone calls as to whether or not the water was going to go into the borough's pillboxes. Mr. DiPhillips had thought they were going to upgrade the boxes and lines, for instance, at the bottom of Locust Street. Mr. Baker said that he was under the impression that these upgrades would be included in the design. Mr. Lamont said he had asked about this repeatedly. Mr. Baker felt that there has been a lot of miscommunication. Mr. Granahan stated that the pillbox wasn't really the question; the question was where the water would go when it left the pillbox. Mr. DiPhillips suggested that perhaps not every pipe would be 24 inch, perhaps only by Vitales where there was a larger pipe already. Mr. Schuster opined that if somebody could be reached who could give definitive answers, then everybody would know. The council needed to know how much it would cost them. Mr. Baker wasn't under the impression that it would cost the borough a dime, but he would ask about it at work the next day. Mr. Lamont still felt it would cost them money, regardless. Mr. Baker said that they would have to upgrade eventually, so he didn't see the problem. Council answered that the problem was that they did not have the money to do it all at once. Mr. Baker reiterated that he did not want to see the project go away because of a lack of two signatures. It was asked if the council could get answers. The one question they really wanted to know the answer to, Mr. Reimel said, was what the plan was for the water once it left PennDOT’s jurisdiction. As the town was built on a hill, water flows down hill, and Mr. Reimel said that they hadn't been given any assurance that once it left their right of way, it wouldn't be left to hurt yards and properties. Mr. Baker offered to try to find out what the plan was the next day. Mr. Chamberlain stipulated that the problem with the sidewalk ordinance had been getting releases from property owners. His understanding was, he said, that there was a little more time, in getting the releases from property owners. Mr. Reimel said that they would not be getting a release from the owners. Mr. Baker said, one more time, that if the township and borough would sign the document, the project would go forward. If they did not it would go away and not return. Mr. DiPhillips wanted to make one more point before the topic was closed, and said that the year prior they had spent a lot of money on Chestnut Street, and nothing really would be gained until that section across the road was repaired. However, it was rebutted, the agreement also would allow PennDOT to back out at any point, and require the borough to maintain the work. The topic closed with Mr. Baker again offering to try and get answers. Mary Anne Waddington's resignation was accepted with regret, from her position on borough council. It was stated that she was wished well with her future endeavors. She had been Vice President. Mr. Lamont was elected to replace her. Council was down, it was stated, two positions. The subject of borough drilling was broached. Mr. Granahan said that this would be written as part of the new zoning. A legal business can't be eliminated, he explained, but what could be done is for the business to be restricted, such that it would no longer be palatable. For this reason these restrictions were being written into the zoning. A visitor asked if they could go horizontal; it was said that this may be allowed but there would be no wells drilled in the borough. There was also some discussion on cutting down the industrial zone, as it was originally intended to be used for factories. This would open up the land for more residential development. The visitor was concerned that the drilling restrictions would hurt the price of his land. Council didn't care what happened underneath Mr. Granahan said, it was only surface action that they did not want. Mr. Reimel pointed out that the chances of them drilling a well that close to a populated area anyway were slim. It was asked if compressors would be included as well, and responded that nothing was to be done on the surface. After an executive session, the motion was made to advertise for the vacated council position and to hire four new patrolmen: Levi Tiffany, Dave Williams, Justin Sprout, and Dennis Moore, all at $11.50 with a probationary period of three months.
Courthouse Report DEEDS Francis J. (estate), James F., John R. and Joseph R. Belmont, Cindy and William Liepinis to John Belmont, in New Milford Township for one dollar. Francis J. Belmont (estate) to James, John and Joseph R. Belmont and Cindy Liepinis, in New Milford Township for one dollar. Howard S., Jr. and Merna Colwell to Howard, Jr. and Merna Colwell, in Great Bend Township for one dollar. Howard, Jr. and Merna Colwell to Howard, Jr. and Merna Colwell, in Great Bend Township for one dollar. Howard, Jr. and Merna Colwell to Kirk S., IV and Danelle Hinkley, in Great Bend Township for $176,735.00. Helen J. Chudzinski to Robert J. and Barbara Ann Lesjack, in Forest City for one dollar. Mark D. and Kristine R. Cross to MK Cross Family Limited Partnership, in Harford Township for one dollar. Eunice P. Laing (estate) to Travis and Natalie N. Laing, Tara Crittenden and Amy Baugus, in Rush Township for one dollar. Charles R. and Shirley D. Tator to Carolyn Schnure, in Forest Lake Township for one dollar. Jack R. (estate), Lawrence A., John M. and James H. Yeager and Lynne Bruzek (NBM) Lynne Bollinger to John M. Yeager, in Montrose for $66,500.00. R. Scott Tingley to R. Scott Tingley, in New Milford Borough for one dollar. Hartwell P. and Nancy G. Morse, Kenneth S. Leasure (estate) and Jewett F. Neiley, Jr. (estate) to James E. McNerney, Jr., in Silver Lake Township for $13,000.00. Margaret P. Bistocchi (estate) to Nellie Jo Gere and William R. Johnson, in Montrose for $67,000.00. US Bank (by atty) to Francis L., Patricia A., Brett W. and Christel D. Flynn and Flynn’s Stone Castle, in Rush Township for $25,000.00. Jane M. Lucente to Vincent and Lydia Lenzi Lucente, in Herrick Township for one dollar. Roger J. (by tax claim) and Joanna Z. (by tax claim) Ruseski and Susquehanna Co. Tax Claim Bureau to Ann E. Tego, in Bridgewater Township for $111,000.00. Kathleen T. (estate), John R. and William G. Bergin, Marlene J. West, Barbara J. Medwetz, Mary Lou Law, Christine A. Curley and Elizabeth A. Connerton to Steven P. Garner-Richards and Joann Greene, in Silver Lake Township for $200,000.00. Victoria Rullis to Rullis Group LLC, in Dimock Township for one dollar. Milan J. and Cecilia M. Hibbard to M&C Hibbard Partners Limited Partnership, in Dimock Township for one dollar. Joseph P. and Billie S. Demchak to Demchak Partners Limited Partnership, in Bridgewater Township and New Milford Borough for one dollar. Joseph P. and Billie S. Demchak to Demchak Partners Limited Partnership, in Auburn Township for one dollar. Joseph P. and Billie S. Demchak to Demchak Partners Limited Partnership, in Auburn Township for one dollar. I. Isabelle Benton and Aileen D. White to Neil A. and Lucille C. Richards, in Herrick Township for $125,000.00. Leah M. Deliberto (estate by sheriff) to Bank of America, in Great Bend Township for $4,042.62. Upstate Green Energy LTD to Marcellus Shale Billboard Advertising & Truck Parking LLC, in Little Meadows Borough for $3,000.00. Geraldine E. Stone (estate) to Theresa Felter, in Harmony Township for one dollar. Richard Austin to JM Renovations LLC, in Auburn Township for $210,000.00. BENCH WARRANTS The Susquehanna County Domestic Relations Section has bench warrants for the following individuals as of 10:50 a.m. on May 6, 2011. Douglas Buckman, Bryan S. Burnett, Beverly A. Carvin, James J. Corridoni, Randall L. Cox, John C. Creps, Heather R. DeBoer, Charles S. Dunn, John F. Feeley, David J. Fischer, John S. Frisbie, Jr., Andy L. Groff, David Haines, Jr., William Neil Hendrickson, Shannon J. Hollister, Steven L. Jones, Christopher J. Kingsbury, Eric C. Kohlhepp, Erik E. Krisovitch, Lee Labor, Casey J. Lawton, Charlie J. Legere, Carlos L. Leiser, Jason Lindquist, Michael Maryasz, Mark C. McCarey, Jennifer M. Miller, Matthew S. Miller, Daniel Thomas O'Brien, Donald Palmer, Jeremy Presson, Arthur D. Quick, David J. Shiner, Eric J. Snell, Justin Thompson, Robert J. Twilley, Robert J. Vanostrand, Steven G. Warner, Steven G. Wormuth. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals.
The Great Bend Township Supervisors began their May 2 meeting by opening bids for road materials. Three were received, and as is their custom, a motion carried to accept all three. When the materials are needed, the lowest bidder will be contacted and, if the materials are unavailable the next lowest bidder will then be contacted. Bids were also received for calcium and magnesium. Calcium is the material of choice, but magnesium will be used if the calcium is unavailable. Bids were also received for diesel fuel, heating oil, kerosene and a winter blend. There was some discussion as to whether to accept the bid for a firm price or a fluctuating price. A motion carried to accept the firm bid. Correspondence included an invitation to PennDOT’s equipment show on July 28 in Tunkhannock, and a notice that applications for dirt and gravel road grants are due. PennDOT has notified the township that they will be working on I-81 from New Milford to the New York state line. The township also received correspondence from the PA American Water Co. about unauthorized use of hydrants. Fire departments are allowed to use them to fight fires, and are the only ones authorized to do so. The information from the water company will be forwarded to the fire company. The road crew had been busy fixing washouts caused by the recent rainy weather, which put them behind in getting potholes fixed. A new employee had just started work and was said to be doing well. This week, the crew was expected to start spring maintenance, weather permitting. Permits issued during the month were driveway permits for Scott Lozinski (Old Route 11) and Laser Northeast Gathering (Orchard Road and Baptist Hill), and a peddler permit was issued to Keystone Novelties. The township’s solicitor is reviewing a road use and maintenance agreement that the township is considering in dealing with the companies involved in the local gas industry as well as quarry operations; the agreement would be used instead of posting and bonding roads. The Endless Mountains Visitors’ Bureau has requested their annual donation, and a motion carried to approve a donation of $189 (based on the township’s population). The township is still in need of an emergency management coordinator. The supervisors are still discussing contracting police services with Oakland Boro, and it was agreed to see if an informal workshop could be set up to discuss details. The supervisors said that a public meeting would be held when and if any decision needed to be made to pursue an agreement with the boro. The township’s pension fund was discussed; PSATS has notified the township that the fund will be converted from Nationwide Financial to Clear Advantage. The supervisors will need to decide if the township’s list of funds should be changed or remain the same. Public comment included discussion of reflectors that a property owner has put up along the roadside; if they cause damage to any vehicles, the property owner would be responsible, not the township. And, there was discussion about a possible violation to the township’s nuisance ordinance. The next meeting will be on Monday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m.
Waterworld In Great Bend Boro Water seemed at the top of the agenda when the Great Bend Borough Council met on Cinco de Mayo. As well it should be. It’s Spring in the low-lying little town inside the great horseshoe bend of the Susquehanna River. The borough is still trying to complete the installation of a new conduit to draw water from under the Interstate on Washington Street. Naturally, the project has been delayed by weather, most of it recently in the form of rain. Actually, the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) has informed the borough that it is designing a major reconstruction of the Interstate between New Milford and the New York State line, and wants to meet with borough representatives “about on-going water issues.” Council member Jerry MacConnell is more than eager to meet with them. Several council members engaged in a chaotic discussion of water problems at one intersection in the borough. And Mr. MacConnell had photographs of water flowing down Franklin Street from plugged drains on Randolph Road, which is a state thoroughfare. And a drain on Franklin Street near the Veterans of Foreign Wars building was noted to be caving in; it seems that the borough’s worker, Dick Button, has already fixed that one. As if rainwater wasn’t enough, the Pennsylvania American Water Company sent a letter “about misuse of fire hydrants,” naming a particular one in the borough. And then there was the letter from the same company that everyone got with notice of a water rate increase. Too much, or too costly. Held over from a prior problem with water, the proposed gate at the rest area on the Interstate appears to have died aborning. When the town was isolated by flooding in June 2006, a temporary ramp over the curbing at the rest area was the only way in or out of town. Because the Interstate is a federal highway, the rest area is governed by federal regulations, which prohibit local access to such facilities. The borough appealed to anyone who would listen to have an entrance and a gate installed at the rest area for use in such situations in the future. And they got word from Congressman Chris Carney that it would be done. Trouble is, Mr. Carney lost the last election. So now the borough will pursue the matter again through his replacement, Thomas Marino. The borough Council meets a second time each month specifically on matters related to the creation of a police department. An office for the nascent department was constructed in the Borough garage, but at first without the approval of the building inspectors at the county Council of Governments (COG). Once plans were drawn up and changes made, it appeared that the bathroom was too small. It can’t be simply enlarged, because some of the facilities therein would also have to be shifted, involving connections to the sewer system, which are under the concrete pad. What to do? Mr. MacConnell suggested making modest modifications in the Borough Building and moving the office there. Some Council members were concerned, however, that, because the building is used daily as the Blue Ridge Senior Center, there might be a conflict that could give rise to problems. Mayor James Riecke said he would support spending up to about $5,000 to fix the situation in the garage as the best solution. So Council agreed to get estimates before making a final decision. In the meantime, it was noted that the Borough Building itself “needs a lot of work.” Mr. Riecke, whose wife cleans the building on contract with the Borough, noted the condition of the floor in the main room. Others remarked that the whole inside could use a fresh coat of paint. So Council will obtain estimates and bids to do that work as well. The contracted project to re-roof the building has been delayed by - what else? - the weather, so that won’t be done until June. How to pay for all this? Mr. MacConnell asked to see the lease agreement with the Bradford/Sullivan/Susquehanna/Tioga Area Agency on Aging, which appears to obligate the Agency to help pay for maintenance of the building. On the other hand, Borough Secretary Sheila Guinan (who painted her own office herself, by the way) noted that the Agency already pays nearly $1,000 in rent and propane heating costs. Once the streets emerge from under the snow and ice in the Spring, paving problems also begin to appear. Mr. Riecke has already put Council on notice that his own street, Mountain Vista Lane, “is gone,” having deteriorated to such an extent that he thinks it will need to be completely repaved. He said that he is aware that the Borough has other problems and can’t do everything, but said he didn’t “want to let it go.” For example, others noted a large hole on Church Street. In the end, members agreed to meet on the evening of May 9 to walk the streets to note the special problem areas. Several mentioned the possibility of borrowing to help take care of some of these issues, since the budget can’t accommodate all of the expected expense. In other matters: Vandalism to the grass in Greenwood Park probably won’t be covered by insurance. Four-wheelers have torn up the sod. Mr. MacConnell was given authority to purchase a shotgun for the new police department from the sporting goods shop in the Plaza run by Mike Protz. The Borough will send a letter of thanks to the Lions Club for a stone bench that will be placed in Memorial Park. The Borough will contribute $78 to the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau, approximately 10¢ for each person in the town. The Borough will contribute $100 to the Summer Adventure program for youngsters focused on the Blue Ridge campus and sponsored by Blue Ridge Recreation. And finally, the Borough is soliciting interest in a position on the Board of Directors of the Hallstead-Great Bend Joint Sewer Authority (HGBJSA). Shane Rumage’s resignation was accepted with regret by Council. The next public meeting of the Great Bend Borough Council will be on Monday, May 16, in the Borough Building at Franklin and Elizabeth Streets. The meeting will focus on the developing police department.
Senior Housing In New Milford The May 5 New Milford borough meeting was preceded by the public hearing regarding the Housing Authority’s request for a zoning change. The housing authority was present to discuss the matter. The proposed plans for the elder housing development were reviewed at the beginning. If the zoning was approved, the representative said, they could also get their variance. She said that while PHFA were reviewing applications for June and July, it would help if they could submit this to that agency. A visitor clarified that the Housing Authority was the owner of the property, and had insurance and liability on it. The project would not be completed this year, it was stipulated, even if it was approved in July. It is PHFA who will not allow them to touch the building at this time, she said. When a council member asked about the increased traffic flow, it was answered that they did not think it would be a real increase in traffic, as one car per resident ought to be plenty. It was then asked if there was only one entrance and exit. This had been discussed, it was responded. There may be an exit onto both Maple and Susquehanna. Susquehanna, it was stated by Terri Gulick, is a busier street. The question was also asked whether or not the municipal authority had been spoken with, and had a problem with the additional units. The project would increase the edus, it was explained, by 24, but the housing authority had requested that this be reduced as it was expected the elderly residents would use less water. When Jim Carr asked for comments from neighboring property owners, the only one at that time was a woman expressing a wish that it would occur soon. Ms. Gulick reported that the planning commission had met on the matter the night before, and had unanimously voted in favor of rezoning that district from an I1 to a residential D1. There were three parcels in the land, and the owners affected were discussed. The area had not been used for industrial purposes for 20 years, and had become a danger and blight, a statement from the planning commission stated, as read aloud by Mr. Carr. A statement was then read from the Susquehanna County planning commission, which was also required to review the matter. The commission recommended that the New Milford borough council amend the ordinance. For the record, it was also announced that notification was sent to the township supervisor, chief of the New Milford Fire Department, the property owners, the municipal authority, and the Blue Ridge school board. At this point the council opened it's regular public meeting. The first item on the agenda was the rezoning. Ms. Gulick motioned to amend the ordinance to adopt a resolution allowing the change to go through, after stating that the borough had waited a long time for this. Burning was discussed, at a few sites in town. It was stated that there is a burn ordinance, which stipulates enclosed containers. A hearing which the borough had scheduled for that day had been continued, at their request. It was scheduled for August 19, due to the appraiser being out of the area. A letter was received from the department of Labor and Industry in regards to the building inspector underwriter's group next door. In that audit the inspector had picked two properties which were involved in the audit, located in the borough. Most of the findings were matters of inches. The letter was just a notification of what was found in the audit of those projects done through that office. A course in Community Planning was scheduled for the Montrose Borough Building, sponsored by Northern Tier Regional Planning and Development Commission. A letter was removed from the Summer Adventures program through Blue Ridge. The letter requested donations; the cost of the program has remained $3, for years. The cannons are in the park. Both are done, Mayor Taylor stated. The wheels were obtained, but he was still going to look for blue stone. The floor in the pagoda isn't looking good, he said, as the kids had been walking around to watch the wood putty pop out. There were no holes yet, however. He reiterated his statement that the floor needed to be replaced. There are no specifications, he continued, on the materials used, according to the grantors of the money which the borough was planning to use for the project. Mr. Carr said that by the next meeting he would have the prices of the types of materials they were contemplating. The street foreman had requested to purchase an elbow for the catch basin on Montrose Street, and it was explained that they would have to get more information on this. The teenagers decided that the picnic tables needed to be destroyed, it was said during the parks and rec report, near the pool, so they would have to be fixed. Some skateboarders had been kicked out as well. It was suggested that the police begin to patrol that area again. It was also proposed that motion lights be placed in and around the pavilion, which would alert the police to potential trouble. A towns person had volunteered to donate his time in case the borough wanted to rewire the gazebo. That was left undecided. The council approved advertising for bids for paving the walking path. The was to be the first step in the Blue Ridge park project. In related news, the subject of drainage for the Blue Ridge Park was mentioned. When it rained hard, it was said, as the parking lot is higher than the neighbor's yard, the water was flooding to the three neighboring property owners. This subject had been discussed in the past. Suggestions had included building a small levee, or creating a ditch. There was no adequate drainage in that area, to run a pipe too. The closest drain is near the end of the block, so a pipe would only flood the street. It was decided that the matter of some sort of berm would again be addressed. Miscellaneous fees were discussed. One topic was zoning ordinance books. The borough had been giving these out for $5 a copy, but it was suggested that this be raised to $25 to cover costs. Also, as is, the council had been charging 25 cents per page for copies, but it was suggested this might be raised to $1 a page. The American Cancer Society June 4 annual 5k walk/run was requesting the closing of a road. PennDOT simply needed to be notified, the road close would be partial. Hoover Land Service was supposed to be at the meeting to discuss seismic testing. They were not, however. They were interested in two projects, one of which was the Blue Ridge Park the secretary thought. They were offering $5 an acre. The permit was for seismic testing. The municipal authority had declined to sign with them for any property that had water, for fear it would disturb the lines. A representative of Chesapeake had approached the borough, interested in a gas and oil lease. The borough had advertised in the past, and would have to advertise again before doing anything. It was estimated that the borough had around 18 acres. It was stated that the mayor would let him know the hoops that the council had to jump through. There was some discussion regarding a need to let everyone in town know. It was suggested that the borough host an open house where residents could attend and sign up. Someone also asked if the zoning ordinance covered compressor stations. Rick Ainey mentioned the state game land. A reporter asked what the borough had in place to protect the water. The municipal authority had contracted with an agency to do the water testing specific to the industry.
Gibson Barracks Report CRASH On April 24 at 3:34 a.m. Damiel Pompey of Nicholson was traveling north along SR 2063 on Harford Road when, as he began to turn right onto T-582, he took the turn too wide and struck the guard rail on the opposing side of the road. The vehicle became disabled and the driver walked away. A seatbelt was in use; he was not injured. He was to receive citations for alleged violations involved in the crash. BURGLARY On May 2 at 4:30 p.m. a Great Bend woman had her Chase St. home broken into. The front door of the residence was unlocked and not fully closed. The only item listed stolen was a white I Pad with serial # HW1026D9Z39 model # A1219, which was on top of the woman's television. Anyone with information is asked to contact PSP Gibson at (570) 465-3154. BURGLARY Between April 20 and 21 a burglary occurred at the Mountain Valley Trailer Park. A portable lockbox and a safe were removed, containing an undetermined number of coins and paper currency. HARASSMENT Ricky Decker of is accused of approaching a Liberty Township Supervisors on April 30 at 6:45 p.m. The incident occurred as the supervisor was at Decker's residence for a water complaint. Decker allegedly approached the supervisor, then began yelling and screaming at him, and pushed him. The accused was charged with harassment and a non-traffic citation was filed at court 34-3-01. THEFT A road tow-able backhoe, orange in color, was stolen from the property of Harold Daniels in Gibson Township, sometime during the night of May 1 after nine. COLLISION-TRAFFIC On May 3 at 4:40 a.m., Joseph Delgiorni of the Syracuse, NY area manifested himself at PSP Gibson Barracks to report a collision. Upon investigation it was discovered that Delgiorni failed to have a valid NY driver's license. The collision in question occurred as Delgioni was traveling northbound on I-81 in Great Bend Township, while a blue tractor trailer with a red cargo box was passing in the right lane. Delgiorni reported that the unknown driver of the truck attempted a lane change and impacted his vehicle, before continuing north on the road without exchange of information. No injuries were reported associated with this collision. Delgiorni was charged with violations of PAVC; the investigation was ongoing as of the time of report. HIT AND RUN On April 19 at 11:45 p.m. Brian Decker Jr. of Meshoppen was traveling westbound on SR 706 when his vehicle exited the roadway to the north after negotiating a left hand curve and traveled approximately 116 feet. The GMC Jimmy then crossed both lanes of travel, exited off the south berm, and struck an embankment, rolling over. The driver then fled the scene after the crash. The investigation was ongoing as of the time of report. COLLISION-DUI On May 1 at 12:33 a.m. Lucas Baker of the Meshoppen area was traveling northbound on SR 3001 in Auburn Twp. when he lost control of his vehicle and impacted a ditch. Baker exhibited signs of intoxication and was transported to EMHS Montrose Hospital for BAC testing. Charges for violation of the PAVC were pending at time of report. A seatbelt was in use; no injuries were reported. CRASH On April 30 at 4:49 p.m. Jason Nichols of Selinsgrove was traveling north on Rt. 4003 in Bridgewater Township when he ran over irregular pavement on his Harley-Davidson and lost control, with the vehicle overturning. Safety equipment was listed as not in use or not applicable; both Nichols and a female passenger sustained moderate injury. POSSESSION OF A SMALL AMOUNT OF MARIJUANA On April 17 at 2:30 p.m. Joel Harris of Binghamton, NY was operating a motor vehicle which was stopped for a traffic violation on Interstate 81 in Great Bend Township. Upon making contact with the accused, the trooper smelled a strong odor of marijuana emitting from inside the vehicle. The driver was interviewed outside the vehicle, at which time he was patted down for weapons. In the course of the pat down the trooper detected marijuana in his pocket, and seized it. He was released as per rule 519 and charged at District Court 34-3-02 on one count each of Possession of Small Amount of Marijuana, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. CRASH On April 28 at 3:17 p.m. a 17 year old female student was traveling east on SR 106 in Harford Township, after leaving the Mt. View school. The girl lost control of her vehicle when wind blew papers around the inside of the unit. The jeep then exited the road to the right, reentered the road, and swerved back off, rolling over and coming to a rest on its wheels. Harford Ambulance responded; Kozlowski Towing removed the car. A seatbelt was in use; a minor injury was sustained. THEFT Crystal Williams is employed by Pump n Pantry in Great Bend, where she under-rung a purchase of cigarettes to Cayli Jeffrey, her half sister, on April eighteenth. Jeffrey then returned a short time later with the stolen cigarettes, and Williams refunded the money. Williams was to answer to the charges in court. SUSPICIOUS PERSON On April 18 at approximately 4 p.m. a 17 year old female was approached by a man in a pick up truck as she was walking home along state route 92 in Gibson Township. The victim reported to police that while she was walking, the man pulled up alongside her in his truck and yelled, “hey, come here.” Having been always told by her parents that if this ever occurred she was to immediately get home, she turned and ran towards her residence. The man again yelled for her to “come here.” When she arrived at her home, she looked out the window. The girl related that she observed the man in the truck pass by her home. He was described as a white male, 30-40 years of age, with thick wavy brown medium length hair, an unkempt beard, and a flannel shirt. The truck was described as an older model, red truck with silver trim. It might be a Chevrolet, and might have something hanging form the rear view mirror. Anyone with information regarding this vehicle is asked to contact the state police at Gibson, at (570) 465-3154. HARASSMENT PSP Gibson is investigating a harassment, which occurred at the Flying J parking lot in New Milford Township, on April 25 at 3 a.m. Darrel Dickerson of Williamsport reported being punched at that time in the face by a traveling companion known to him only as Kareem from Williamsport. The vehicle in which they were traveling then left without the victim. The investigation was continuing at the time of report. CRASH On April 26 at 5:40 a.m. Kody Kemp of Friendsville was traveling north along SR 267, in Choconut Township and failed to observe a large puddle in the lane of travel. Losing control of his vehicle while passing through the puddle, Kemp overcompensated in his steering and crashed into the embankment, rolling the vehicle onto its roof and sliding to a final rest position. Kemp was utilizing a seat belt; he was not inured. PSP Gibson was assisted on scene by members of the Silver Lake Township F.D. and Parks Garage. HIT AND RUN On April 22 at 5:39 a.m. Lynn Kimmel of New Milford was backing from a parked position in that town when she struck the rear of another parked unit and then fled the scene. Damage was caused, and Kimmel was subsequently identified. Numerous citations were to be issued for the alleged violations in this incident, at time of report. CRASH On April 26 at 5:03 p.m. Dave Warner of Hallstead was traveling south on Township Road 804 when he lost control of his Honda CB750C for unknown reasons and went into a ditch. Upon making contact with the ditch, both Warner and a 3 year old passenger were thrown from the motorcycle. Safety equipment was listed as “none used, not applicable.” Warner was taken to the Wilson Hospital for further evaluation of an injury of unknown severity; the passenger sustained no injury. The vehicle did not appear to have any damage noted; Warner was cited for various violations at District Court 34-3-01. HIT AND RUN On April 23rd at 11:00 p.m. an unknown vehicle backed into the island at Endless Mountain Car Wash, damaging a vacuum unit and fleeing the scene. Anyone with any information is asked to please contact PSP Gibson at (570) 465-3154. FATAL TRAFFIC CRASH On April 31 at approximately 6:35 p.m. a man was operating a motorcycle on Beech Grove Road when he failed to negotiate a left hand curve in the roadway. He exited the right side of the roadway and struck a utility pole. The man, who was an experienced rider, and was wearing a helmet, did not survive the crash. It is unknown why he went off of the roadway; the investigation was ongoing as of the time of report. CRASH On April 24th at 1:55 a.m. Sharon James of Susquehanna was traveling north on Germantown Road in Harmony Township when her vehicle exited the roadway from the east berm and traveled approximately 126' before striking a tree with the left front corner. As a result of striking the tree, the vehicle rolled over onto the passenger side, coming to rest approximately 30' from the point of impact, facing a northeasterly direction. If you have information regarding any of these incidents, please contact PSP Gibson at (570) 465-3154.
BK Hospital CEO Announces Retirement Susquehanna, PA - Mrs. Sara C. Iveson, CEO of Barnes-Kasson County Hospital, announced her retirement from the position during a recent meeting of the Board of Trustees. Iveson has led Barnes-Kasson Hospital, a non-profit critical access hospital serving a wide variety of health care needs, since 1982. Mrs. Iveson has worked at Barnes for 42 years, starting in 1969 as an accountant. Under Iveson’s leadership, the hospital has seen many services develop to provide quality community based health care. Over the years, Sara has helped the hospital grow from a 60 employee acute care hospital into an organization that employs approximately 300 people. The hospital now has a 25 bed acute care unit, 58 bed skilled nursing facility, home health department, rural health clinics, dental unit, and a full array of outpatient services, including laboratory, radiology, orthopedics, physical therapy, occupational therapy, and cardiac rehabilitation. In recent years, Mrs. Iveson, along with the support of the Barnes-Kasson Board of Trustees, employees, and community, has navigated some very difficult financial times. With hard work and dedication, she has helped the hospital come through these times and today the hospital is enjoying improved financial stability, with an eye towards doing everything possible to continue providing health care service for generations to come. Mrs. Iveson is currently serving and will remain on full time as the Skilled Nursing Facility’s Nursing Home Administrator. She will also continue to work with the Acute Care staff as a mentor as the transition into new leadership takes place. The Board of Trustees has initiated an exploratory committee in order to recruit a qualified person to serve as the next Chief Executive Officer.
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