Great Bend Borough's November 7th meeting went right to business at 7 o'clock, as there was no members of the public with comments or concerns. Therefore, the meeting moved forward to discuss roads, water issues, the new bluestone bench in memory of Officer Lomax, and the monthly police report.

There are still a number of projects that are ongoing at this point, including work on Rt. 81, Carroll Street, Maple Street, Williams, and Franklin Street.

Washington Street water lines that are being re-done may be finished by this winter, but they will hold off on paving the road itself until the springtime.

The Borough provided an update on Mountain Vista Lane and Orchard Road work. Dick Button has finished the drainage work on Orchard Road. Mountain Vista Lane is ongoing. Council members will be meeting with Bob Thorn, PennDOT, on Monday, the 18th of November to discuss that drainage issue.

There are also a number of water issues that are being addressed at different homes in the area, as they are having issues on their properties.

Mr. Jon Record, Chief of Police for Great Bend Borough made comments on behalf of the Police Department regarding the new blue stone bench. The bench was delivered on the 13th of October, in memory of Officer Lomax and the impact he made in Great Bend Borough where he once served.  In a “Thank You” letter, Mr. Jon Record wrote “helping people is what he loved.” He also noted Officer Lomax's recent application to the Great Bend Hose Company #1, showing his eagerness to help out in the community, as he also served in other Police Departments and volunteer Fire Departments. The bench was made possible with a number of donations made by the Great Bend Police Officers, D.A. Jason Legg, Tom & Nancy Hurley, Sheriff Lance Benedict, and Endless Mountain Stone Company, who donated the engraving of Officer Lomax's badge with special detail, also Deputy Michelle Hillard, who delivered the bench to the Borough. The bench was made by Meshoppen Stone Company and is now on display near the entrance of the Great Bend Borough Building. The Police Department “extends a sincere Thank You to everyone who helped in making the bench a reality.”

The Blue Stone bench in memory of Officer Lomax

Great Bend Borough Police Department also took part in the “National Take Back Initiative” on October 29th. The Borough collected just over eleven pounds of unused or expired prescription drugs. This even takes place through the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

A burglary investigation from September had led to the arrest of three males from Susquehanna,  PA. In this investigation, several firearms have been recovered. Felony warrants for the arrests of John Deakin and Jason Eromenok were served in November. John Deakin was incarcerated on $250,000 bail, while Eromenok is incarcerated on $100,000 bail. Andrew Lesser is now in Broome County, serving time for other, non-related charges. This investigation is still ongoing, says Mr. Jon Record.

In a separate incident, Michael Tice of Great Bend, was also arrested for burglary and is incarcerated on $15,000 bail.

The Great Bend Borough and Police Department have also decided to move forward with the purchase of a new police patrol car, which will be here later this month. This new car is two years newer than their current car and is fully equipped with all the necessary devices. This being said, the Borough will discuss an asking price for their current patrol car, as there is possibly an interested buyer.

The Mayor wished to thank Mr. Dick Button, for doing a “great job” with keeping up the parks and recreational areas, and also for keeping a number of holes filled and neat.

As Southwestern Energy will be in the area doing Seismic Testing, the Borough discussed interest in talking with not only Southwestern Energy but perhaps holding a town meeting to discuss any comments or concerns the public may have. There was no word on when such a meeting would be held.

The Borough also received a resignation letter from Ruth Loucks, who will not be returning to the Great Bend Borough Council.

Finally, one council member discussed the possibility of getting display cases to show and display local artifacts and local items from the past, as he says the past of the Borough is being lost to time. These displays would be a valuable tool for not only teaching future generations about their home, but to keep memories alive from the past locally. Having said that, the Borough is looking into display cases and will hopefully put this issue on the agenda and in the budget in the future.

The Borough will hold its next meeting on December 5th.

It took a while to get down to business when the Blue Ridge School Board met on November 4th. 

To begin with, Harold Empett’s Facilities & Grounds Committee started early.  Maintenance Supervisor Kevin Price was away so the Committee heard no general report.  Board President Laurie Brown-Bonner introduced the major item for the committee to consider, in the person of Robin Waldowski.  For some time now the committee has been considering Ms. Waldowski’s proposal to apply mural paintings to the walls inside the main High School entrance, for the most part trying to decide whether to paint directly on the walls, or to paint on panels that can be moved about, much like those in the cafeteria.  It now seems that the project is about to commence.  Superintendent Robert McTiernan reported that the paint has already been ordered.  Ms. Waldowski will supervise some 25 students to create a series of works that will outline the mission and achievements of the Blue Ridge School District, creatively.

Mr. McTiernan also reported on a conference with Leatherstocking, the company that is expected to pipe natural gas to local communities for domestic use.  Blue Ridge was early designated as an “anchor” site for the project in the New Milford/Great Bend corridor.  However, Blue Ridge will continue to use wood chips as the primary fuel to heat the buildings; wood chips are still considerably cheaper than natural gas.  The Leatherstocking people seemed a little disappointed that their fuel wouldn’t be number one at Blue Ridge, saying they would take the matter back to their management.

The maintenance staff are looking at ways to dispose of a growing pile of trash: old desks and tables, and a variety of other castoffs.  The administration hopes to recoup some of the cost of disposal by selling the metals as scrap.

Once the main Board session got under way, Middle/High School Principal led off by introducing one of his outstanding seniors.  Alex Dennis could not attend, but Morgan Lesjack, reading from her smartphone, said she especially liked her business courses.  She said that she plans to attend Keystone College next year, perhaps going on to Cornell veterinary school to work with large animals.

The Board then recognized Alicia Ross and Katie Brown for their efforts to disseminate the lessons of their Reading Apprenticeship program throughout the curriculum.  By “enhancing instruction … and literacy skills,” they were recognized for making of Blue Ridge a “model school” in the WestEd Reading Apprenticeship program.  WestEd “is a Joint Powers Agency, authorized by a California Joint Powers Agreement and governed by public entities in Arizona, California, Nevada, and Utah, with Board members representing agencies from these states and nationally.”  WestEd is a nonprofit, public research and development agency that “works with education and other communities to promote excellence, achieve equity, and improve learning for children, youth, and adults.”  Reading Apprenticeship is characterized as “a research–based, research–tested partnership” based on a framework that incorporates “social, personal, cognitive and knowledge-building” dimensions that are “woven into subject area teaching through ‘metacognitive conversations’ — conversations about the thinking processes students and teachers engage in as they read.’’

Ms. Brown-Bonner then recognized students Cayli Allen, Morgan Lesjack, Julia Stanley, Mary Mangel, Andrew Scott and Clayton Whitney, and teachers Kimberly Davenport and Sarrah Camburn for their contributions at the annual conference of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) in Hershey in October.  The PSBA is the lobbying organization for the state’s public schools in Harrisburg.  The district sends a couple of Board members to the convention each year – and this year and last, a few students and teachers as well.

From left: Middle/High School Principal Matthew Nebzydoski with Alicia Ross and Katie Brown, leaders of the Reading Apprenticeship program at Blue Ridge.  (Photo courtesy of Barbara McCain)

From left: Alicia Ross with PSBA student representative (and now also on the School Board) Julia Stanley with Middle/High School Principal Matthew Nebzydoski.  (Photo courtesy of Barbara McCain)

From left: Cayli Allen, Morgan Lesjack, Kimberly Davenport who attended the recent PSBA conference representing the on-line edition of the Raider Reader, with Matthew Nebzydoski, Middle/High School Principal.  (Photo courtesy of Barbara McCain)

5th-grade artist Andrew Scott with Elementary School Principal Matthew Button.  (Photo courtesy of Barbara McCain)

Once the business session got under way, the Board accepted a motion to approve all 18 agenda items at once.  Among them:

• James Mangel resigned as Girls’ Basketball Head Coach, yielding place to Paula Wedlock-Finn; Rebecca Hinkley will become the Girls’ Basketball Jr. High Head Coach.  Mr. Mangel was given a volunteer position in athletics, along with Gary Stone and Robert Dibble.  Kenneth Robinson also resigned as Boys’ Head Volleyball coach.
  
  
• Charlene Kempa, Joseph Kempa, Nichole Welmon and Roxanne Lloyd were appointed to other coaching positions.
  
  
• Nichole Welmon and Ann Marie Graf were jointly appointed to the new position of “Hall Monitor,” whose job will be to assist with “functions geared toward improving and maintaining school safety and security.”  This is a part-time position with no benefits.
  
  
• Approved an agreement with Eleanor Conroy to serve as “Medical Access Practitioner” for the current school year.  She will review Individual Education Plans (IEPs) for submission under state regulation.  The service will be billed at $65 per hour for a certified family nurse practitioner.
  
  
• Special Education Coordinator Barbara McCain expressed her regret at the resignation of Gail Wnorowski as instructional supervisor.
  
  
• The district will also be looking for a part-time registered or licensed practical nurse for after-school activities.

There was some confusion over the creation of another position.  First it was to be called “College, Career, and Trade Advisor.”  Board member Christina Whitney struck that, and the appointment of Paula Finn to it.  Then, in a last minute addendum to the agenda, Paula Finn was (re-)appointed to something called “High School Counselor/Transition Coordinator,” changed in the reading to “High School Guidance Counselor.”  Ms. Whitney didn’t like that either, so in the end the title became “High School Secondary School Counselor.”

The Board also gave first reading to a long list of policy revisions that emerged from a consolidation performed by PSBA that compressed “about 2 inches” out of the district’s policy manual, largely by collapsing several levels of personnel matters into one section.  The new policies will be formally adopted after a 30-day review.

The Board also assented without comment or discussion to an unusual arrangement with the Susquehanna Community School District to provide Blue Ridge with “professional services” in the business office at a rate of $291 per day.  Without being too specific, Mr McTiernan characterized the services as “technical;” Ms. Brown-Bonner said they would focus on “accounting.”  Clearly related to the mysterious disappearance of Business Manager Loren Small, and intended to bolster the skills of his “interim” replacements, Debbie Bennett and Penny Greene, the arrangement appears to be open-ended.  Ms. Brown-Bonner said they expected to need the services only about one day a month.  Yet the measure was not supported by a written agreement of any kind, nor any specification of services to be rendered, or under what conditions.  Neither Mr. McTiernan nor Ms. Brown-Bonner were able (or willing) to further define the scope or specifics of the arrangement with SCSD.

At the very tail end of the meeting, the Board heard from Lori Zawiski and Lacy Stilloe, who plumped for a Junior High cheerleading program.  They said that it would be modeled on a Triplets program and provide a path to develop skills for girls in grades 6-8 looking later to progress to varsity ranks.  With something like this in the wind for a few months already, the Board decided to go ahead and support the idea, so far for basketball only, and coached by “employees” whose compensation would be zero; there would be no transportation to games away from the district campus.  Uniforms might be available, “if funds exist,” or if Athletic Direction Jill Hoffman can find some.

Ms. Brown-Bonner announced that the public meeting was bracketed by executive sessions to discuss grievance procedures under the bargaining agreement (with the teachers), and the Superintendent’s contract.

Julia Stanley, a senior who attended the PSBA conference, responded to Mr. Nebz’s poll for a new student representative on the school board.  Ms. Brown-Bonner invited her to take a place at the table and to join the discussion.  Asked if she had anything to report from the student body, Ms. Stanley paused in thought, then replied, coyly, “… not yet.”

The next public meeting of the Blue Ridge School Board will be a workshop scheduled for Monday, November 25, 2013; workshops are often accompanied by business sessions as needed.  The next scheduled business meeting will be on Tuesday, December 3, 2013, at which time the Board will reorganize itself following the election.  Three seats were up for grabs this month.  Board meetings begin at 7:30pm; committees often meet earlier on the same evenings.  All meetings are held in the cafeteria in the Elementary School.

Great Bend Township’s monthly meeting was held on Tuesday, November 4th this month, the day before the local elections. The meeting started out with a few concerns from the public.

Residents from Baptist Hill Road were in attendance and were inquiring about drainage issues they are having on their property recently. They stated recently, three more pipes were added to the drainage system around their property. The problem with these new pipes is that they all empty onto their land, causing rocks and debris to wash up. Also, this extra flow of water is causing some of their land to be waterlogged, particularly around their apple trees, making it difficult to keep them healthy and maintained. The residents stated that these pipes were not originally there when the property was purchased, and now may be affecting their property value. One of the Supervisors, Mr. Ron Cranage, offered to take a look the following day to hopefully find a solution that works for everybody.

The Township also received a letter of thanks from Mr. Bob Lee, Jr., for their work on Green Valley Rd. Mr. Joseph Gaughan and fellow Supervisors were very pleased to receive this letter of thanks.

Southwestern Energy also issued a letter to the township, asking for permission to do a Seismic Survey under two of the township’s buyout properties. This Seismic Test is used to gather information about the land and what lies beneath as far as fault lines and natural gas. These tests allow for a safer and more effective drilling process. Southwestern Energy also applied for permits for two wells located on Dayton property.

Simmons-Rockwell inquired with the Township about the possibility of widening Jackson Road to accommodate a new dealership. The placement of this seemed to concern the Council members because of it’s location near the river. However, it was mentioned that planning for such a dealership is in it’s very early stages. No decisions were made regarding a widening of the road.

The township is still in need of an Emergency Management Coordinator and a replacement for Norm on the Sewer Authority. They have been seeking a replacement for these positions for a number of months now.

$2,000 was donated for engineering fees towards the work being done for the walking trail. The members of Council hope to make more progress on the walking trail before winter arrives.

Two driveway permits were also issued to Matthew Button and to Kiefer Randall Construction & Remodeling.

The Township’s budget was also discussed at this meeting and questions were answered regarding the process of making the proposed 2014 budget to be advertised.

The next meeting is Monday, December 2nd.

DEEDS

Jeffrey C. Carmalt to William S. & Susan Laufs Carmault, in Choconut Twp., for $3,000.00.

Robert B. & Shelby J. Colwell to Jennifer E. & Timothy R. Frantz, in Hallstead Borough, for $92,936.00.

Gary & Kathleen Milsark to Darek A. Ladden, in Lenox Township, for $103,000.00.

Kimberly Frey to Kimberly Teets (fka) Kimberly Frey, in Liberty Twp., for $1.00.

Robert W. & Tammy L. Schaeffer to Theodore R. & Karissa Lauren Bullock, in Auburn Township, for $141,50.00.

Bremer Hof Owners Inc. to Kenneth & Sally Hillman, in Herrick Twp., for $115.00.

Seymore & Judith Greenberg to Bremer Hof Owners Inc., in Herrick Twp., for $100.00.

Merle Harvey (aka) Merle R. Harvey to Bremer Hof Owners Inc., in Herrick Twp., for $100.00.

Ralph Timothy Fruehan (aka) Ralph T. Fruehan, Sarah Fruehan, Stacey Teed, Bonnie Teed, Millicent J. Fruehan (estate aka) Millicent Jane Fruehan (estate) to Bonnie Teed & Ralph Timothy Fruehan, in Silver Lake Twp., for $1.00.

Carol J. Lesjack to Craig T. Roe, in Hallstead Borough, for $550,000.00.

Lisa M. Rivenburgh, (nbm) Lisa Tisano & David Tisano to Ethan W. Ropecka, in Herrick Twp., for $77,500.00.

Donald A., Mary A. & Paul B. Barnes & Theresa Maka Barnes & Theresa Barnes to Paul B. & Theresa M. Barnes, in Susquehanna, for $15,000.00.

Millicent Jane Fruehan (estate aka) Millicent J. Fruehan (estate), Bonnie Teed, Stacey Teed, Ralph T. Fruehan (aka) Ralph Timothy Fruehan & Sarah Fruehan to Bonnie & Stacey Teed, in Silver Lake Twp., for $1.00.

Elinore P. Fitzgerald to Alvin G. Slater Jr. & Cheryl A. Slater, in Hallstead Borough, for $18,000.00.

Samuel A. Merrill (estate) to Edward House Sr., Terry House, & Lisa A. House, in Bridgewater Twp., for $60,000.00.

Robert William Erkfitz II (trust by trustee) to Dennis Hawley, in Susquehanna, for $2,000.00.

Bruce D. & Heather M. Barlow to Bruce Barlow, in Gibson Twp., for $1.00.

Elizabeth G. Mills to John C. & Deborah Lynn Mills, in Dimock Township, for $1.00.

Millicent Jane Fruehan (estate aka) Millicent J. Fruehan (estate), Bonnie Teed, Stacey Teed, Ralph T. Fruehan (aka) Ralph Timothy Fruehan & Sarah Fruehan to Ralph T. Fruehan (aka) Ralph Timothy Fruehan & Sarah Fruehan, in Silver Lake Township, for $1.00.

Martin A. & Sandra Flynn to Gas House Gang LLC, in Forest Lake Twp., for $30,030.00.

Michael R. & Susie A. Hanse to Robert F. Kerr, in Great Bend Twp., for $175,000.00.

Ralph Timothy Fruehan (aka) Ralph T. Fruehan, Sarah Fruehan, Stacey Teed, Bonnie Teed, Millicent J. Fruehan (est aka) Millicent Jane Fruehan (estate) to Stacey & Bonnie Teed, in Silver Lake Twp., for $1.00.

Kenneth & Ellen DiPhillips, Donna & Robert Fassler, Diane Koloski, John Koloski (aka) John W. Koloski, Angelo Ventresca II, Allessandra Ventresca (aka) A. Vestresca & Judith Ventresca to Kenneth DiPhillips, Donna Fassler, Diane Koloski, Angelo Ventresca II & Judith Ventresca, in Jessup Twp., for $1.00.

Kenneth & Ellen DiPhillips, Donna & Robert Fassler, Diane Koloski, John Koloski, Angelo Ventresca II, Allessandra Ventresca (aka) A. Vestresca & Judith Ventresca to Kenneth DiPhillips, Donna Fassler, Diane Koloski, Angelo Ventresca II, in Jessup Twp., for $1.00.

Judith M. Ventresca to Liberty Park Associates Inc., in Liberty Twp., for $1.00.

Robert S. & Linda C. Hutnich to Paul Christian Hessert, in Bridgewater Twp., for $255,000.00.

Aldona Gooding (nbm) Aldona Barber & Ward L. Barber Jr., to Aldona Barber & Ward L. Barber Jr., in Bridgewater Twp., for $1.00.

Aldona Gooding (nbm) Aldona Barber & Ward L. Barber Jr., to Aldona Barber & Ward L. Barber Jr., in Bridgewater Twp., for $1.00.

Myron E. & Mary Jane Gregory to Catherine A. & Steen Lunde, in Silver Lake Twp., for $150,000.00.

US Bank (by atty) to Paul L. & Eloise  E. Cobb, in Hop Bottom Borough, for $21,000.00.

Joan M. Hemenway to Joan M. Hemenway (nbm), Joan M. Otis & Randy S. Otis, in Rush Twp., for $1.00.

Mary Lou Knowles to Frank P. Leahy Jr., Tiffany A. Browning-Leahy (aka) Tiffany A. Browning Leahy, in Harmony Twp., for $103,000.00.

Robert D. Bright Sr. (estate) to Niffer LLC, in Thompson Twp., for $1.00.

Robert D. Bright Sr. (estate) to Niffer LLC, in Thompson Twp., for $61,904.00.

Tina M. Graves to Jude Sanger, in Oakland Twp., for $35,000.00.

BENCH WARRANTS

The Susquehanna County DOMESTIC RELATIONS Section has outstanding BENCH WARRANT’S for the following individuals as of 12:00 p.m. on November 8, 2013: William D. Barton, William J. Casey, Anthony M. Choplosky, Thomas D. Earley, David J. Fischer, John S. Frisbie, Jr, Jon W. Hanson, Douglas R. Heath, Timothy M. Holmes, Kay L. Knolles, Todd J. Layton, Charlie J. Legere, Derrick J. Lezinsky, Matthew S. Miller, Ronald N. Mitchell, George M. Moran, III, Jeffrey A. Ransom, Anthony Reed, Jose A. Rodriguez, Scott A. Russell, Bruce A. Schurr, David J. Shiner, Eric J. Snell, Nathan C. Strohl, Frederick Swingle III, Justin S. Thompson, Timothy T. Towers, II, Robert J. Twilley, Kathleen M. Visavati, Steven G. Warner, Richard D. Williams. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals.

The Thompson Borough Council meeting, held on Monday, November 4, was attended by President Mark Carmody, council members Melinda Butts, John Anderson, Terrilyn Sergerstrom, Allen Lloyd, Jeffrey Sheldon, and Calvin Ripple. Also in attendance were Mayor Jim Delaney, Secretary Linda Lee, and Treasurer Marge Whitney.

A handful of residents were present to discuss problematic issues in the borough—one of these entailing the level of water on Water Street after rain. Parents were upset on Halloween night with the amount of water stuck in the street due to improper drainage and thought trick or treating should have been postponed. They requested that in the future, if Halloween lands on a rainy night, it be pushed back. Tied into this concern is the amount of residue in the road leftover from flooding. The residue allegedly builds up to a point where it needs to be shoveled from driveways and the question of, “Why wasn’t the proper drainage system put in,” was put on the table many times during the meeting. President Carmody offered a solution, “What we can do is sweep the streets earlier. We might get a last minute snowstorm, but maybe if we take this course of action, that would take some dust away from you.”

Another Water Street concern is the dilapidated sidewalk that forces a large sum of water to collect in front of one resident’s house. He requested that the council look into fixing the situation, though part of the council urged that this sort of complaint is between the contractor (in this case Pioneer Construction) and the homeowner. The resident stated, “I’m not the one who signed the contract for the sidewalk. The town owns the sidewalk, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s not my responsibility.” The sidewalk was constructed in 2004. President Carmody advised that the homeowner contact Pioneer to try and solve the issue.

One resident asked if a letter could be sent from the council to the State over fixing the bridge on Main Street. The bridge is said to be so poorly paved, cars need to step on their breaks before they go over it and slowly creep by. Carmody said that was a reasonable request and agreed to send the letter.

Mayor Delaney presented the Police Report for the month of October, which included 15.5 total patrol hours. There were 16 traffic stops in Thompson, with 12 citations and 4 warnings issued for the following:  Speeding violations (14) and Inspection violations (2). Three additional events were included in the crime report: one case of harassment, one case of suspicious activity, and one drug stop/drug arrest.

If residents of the borough have any concerns or would like to discuss issues, the next meeting will be