There were two New Milford township supervisors present at the October 15th meeting, which met in the borough garage due to the construction on the township building.  In a meeting, which lasted all of about fifteen minutes, various items were dealt with nonetheless.

Notification was received that Diaz Supplies Quarry had applied for a Small Non-Coal Mine Permit up on Mitchell Road.  Also, Popple Construction Inc. had filed for a nonmetallic mineral processing plant permit and a diesel fired internal combustion engine permit.  It was suggested these permits were for the portable crushers that company had.  Two subdivisions were discussed, one on Page Lake and one on Tyler Lake.  Some of the residents involved in the former were present.  The supervisors had no objection to either, just noting that they would send the usual sewer letter.

It was said that the supervisors had to recommend that a resolution be passed referring a matter to the solicitor to review and investigate.  The matter in question was Mr. Hartman's seeking to transfer a liquor license from Forest City to a location in the township.  The understanding was that the permit would be used for a pizza and subs type establishment, similar to the Six Pack Shack.  It would be located up near Gibson.

The county library had approached the township looking for donations at a previous meeting. The supervisors had sent one, and had received a thank you letter.

It was stated that the proposed 2015 budget or the township was to be available for review at the township office during normal business hours.  The plan was to vote on it at the next meeting.

The upcoming voting was to be held in the garage, it was related.  This, again, was due to the construction on the township building.

There were the floods of 2006 and following that prompted some property owners at Tingley Lake to sue to get the lake’s outlet fixed. The rampaging bulls at the Fair 2 years ago stirred up another lawsuit. Now some residents of the Tyler Lake area appear to be threatening legal action against the township.

Harford Township’s Supervisors wouldn’t say more at their October meeting on the 14th other than that there had been an executive session with their solicitor on September 4th concerning a legal matter related to Tyler Lake. The bill list showed $2,612.32 paid to the lawyers. Supervisor and Township Secretary Sue Furney said that was partly for the Tyler Lake issue, and partly for miscellaneous liens and easements around the township.

Last month 3 residents of the Tyler Lake area attended demanding some action on drainage problems on Tyler Lake Road, and requesting a complete hydrographic survey of the road from Purdy Lane to Reservoir Lane. There was some mention of attorneys at the time, and now it seems to be semi-official.

The same 3 people attended this month. The Supervisors refused to get into a discussion of the matter at issue with the lawyers. However, the residents repeated their request for an engineering study, so that seems not to be a part of the legal battle. They did, however, question the size of the project under way to replace the sluice under the road between the lake and the “eddy.” Ms. Furney said the engineering for that project was based on new 100-year-flood requirements. Supervisor Doug Phelps was clearly nervous speaking about any issues at Tyler Lake, cautious about responding to some comments for the time being.

The county courthouse showed no evidence of a lawsuit filed recently against the township.

The rest of the meeting was fairly routine. A natural gas pipeline company has completed work to restore sections of Lower Podunk, Stephens, Grinnell and Miller Roads. They provided about $15,000 worth of stone for Lower Podunk, and replaced all sluice pipes under Stephens, Grinnell and Miller Road, even adding a few at some locations. The Williams company was also granted driveway and road crossing permits for the Moxley Pipeline. A township resident made a request about a driveway that is now on land under the control of a gas services company, and will be directed to them for more information.

The bill list included items totaling about $60,000 for contracted work on roads in several locations. Most of the money comes from the so-called “impact fee” funds distributed to municipalities as a result of natural gas exploration. One resident who frequently uses Jeffers Road expressed her satisfaction with the result.

The Supervisors approved the annual agreement with the local volunteer fire company. The Township will collect 1 mill in property taxes for them in return for putting out fires and providing other emergency services.

The Supervisors reviewed a letter from Adams Cable setting out a “rate adjustment” bringing the basic cable TV rate to $20.99 per month; expanded cable will be priced at $55.99 per month.

Supervisor Conrad Owens explained to the assembled multitude that the Township’s tanks used to hold calcium chloride for dust control need to be cleaned. He said that a few years ago when the township was using AEP oil for that purpose, some of the oil got mixed in with the calcium solution. The oil has now settled into a sludge at the bottom of the tanks that makes spreading the calcium chloride difficult. He said he thought that cleaning the large tanks would be cheaper than trying to replace them, especially since the tanks would also have to be disposed of somehow. Hazleton Environmental has estimated the cost of cleaning the tanks at up to about $2,500. Another firm that looked at the problem refused to take on the work.

Mr. Owens also reported on a project undertaken by Jim Ketterer to restore a “water works” that once supported a mill in the Beaver Meadow area. While the Township has no direct interest in the project, Mr. Owens did report that environmental authorities have also cleared the way. According to Mr. Owens, the old dam has already been reconstructed, but the mill itself is not part of the plan. He also said that Mr. Ketterer had no objection to visits by the curious who may see large equipment at the site lifting stones from the creekbed for placement in the structure.

A representative of the Harford/Lenox Little League association reappeared to report on progress at the field in the village, to thank the Supervisors for their support, and – as long as they’re looking at a budget for next year – to request another donation. He said they have about $20,000 for the creation of a softball field, but would like Harford and Lenox Townships to contribute to the facility that serves so many youngsters.

With the end of the year approaching, it wasn’t only the baseball association that anticipated a new budget. The Supervisors have scheduled 2 workshops on the budget for Thursday October 23 and Tuesday October 28, both at 7:00pm at the Township office. The next regular monthly meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, November 11, 2014, at 7:00pm at the same location on Route 547 southeast of the interstate.

At the October 13th work session of the Montrose School Board, there were present four high school senior class officers. The students were there to discuss Government Day at Blue Ridge, and were introduced by Mr. Bocella. All of the schools across Susquehanna County were invited to this event, it was explained, and there were eight different speakers. The event took about four hours, each repesentative took turns talking. One of the students, while explaining this, opined that the event wasn’t very good, and that not a lot of people got a lot out of it. He said it was like lecture halls. One of the other students said that the concept was good, but the execution was poor.

Mrs. Boyce asked the students what they would have liked to see in it. One of the girls responded that she would have liked for them to have asked the students for their opinions, and then give them information. Mr. Wilcox (who had participated in the event the year prior) asked Mr. Bocella if these opinions could be communicated back to Blue Ridge, and Mr. Bocella agreed to do so. He said that he thought there was a lot of potential for the event to be a really successful think in the future. Mr. Powers noted that they had since had multiple faculty members volunteer to help with the event, and to make it more interactive- which seemed to be what the students wanted. Mr. Wilcox said that he knew it was difficult for the organizers, and it could be difficult to get people to attend.

Mrs. Boyce asked the seniors how it was going, what their plans were for the rest of the year. One girl said that she thought it was going well, that there was more structure this year than previous years.

One of the students had a question about the ski club trip to vermont. She had heard a rumor that it was canceled. It was responded that this was false. Mr. Bocella addressed the matter, saying that they had been looking to ensure that all trips had a real educational component to them. They had talked a lot about the Vermont trip, had condensed it from three days to two, but it was still planned.

Jamie Shave, a Landman with Cabot Oil and Gas was present. She had brought some documents that needed board signature and notarizing. She explained that in 2009 the school had signed an oil and gas lease for exploration of natural gas. At the current time, there was a property adjacent to the high school which was going to have a well on it, and the company desired to go under district land. She therefore needed some documents signed, one being a ratification of the original contract and the other two affidavits giving information regarding how long the district had owned the property, etc.

It was decided to make this a seperate entry onto the board meeting agenda. The board secretary read the ratification aloud, which involved a gas lease covering 177.72 acres more or less. Mr. Jordan asked where the well pad was to be in relation to the school. Ms. Shave wasn’t certain. He also asked how they were going to access the pad, and she wasn’t certain of that answer either. He then asked about the timeline for beginning work, to which she responded that she believed they wanted to begin by December. He asked how many wells they planned to put on the pad. She replied that she thought it was six, but not to quote her as things changed sometimes. She also said that 13 acres of district land were involved with another unit, and should be receiving royalties soon.

During the administrators’ reports, Mr. Boccella started with student recognition. He spoke about Homecoming, which was that week, and listed the homecoming court. The big in-school event of the week was the pep rally on Friday, with that night being the homecoming football game and that Saturday the dance. The next week was to be Pink Out week, with the big event there being the Pink Out football game. He said that the Wednesday professional development had gone very well. The school was awaiting their school performance profile score from PDE to be released to the public. He thought this to be a good thing, saying it was imperative that educational staff understand it, and that they work together to improve it. Also a curriculum review, and some pretty serious revisions were planned for the future.

Mr. Powers tagged onto Mr. Bocella’s comments by saying that one of the consequences of the SPP score not being released was that they hadn’t been able to finalize the educators’ evaluations. He said that they would love to be able to have that finalized so that they could wrap up last year’s observations. The deadline had been pushed back indefinitely. He also related that the secondary school had drawn names out of a hat for the Get Caught Doing Good promotion. If a student was named to this program they could participate in a monthly drawing. He tended to draw one gift card for every 10 nominated students.

Mr. Owens began by singing Kosta’s praises, since the student was present as the president of the senior class. He said that every couple of years the technology department lost one of the most amazing students, and this year they were losing Kostas. He had done a great job working in the tech office as the resident tech guru and web worker. Mr. Owens thanked him.

Mr. Owens also spoke about the stage project, and the rumors about safety on the stage (that the stage was unsafe). The district had contracted with a stage lighting company, Syracuse Stage, to come, do an audit on the existing system, and make some recommendations about work on the stage. There hadn’t been any lighting or rigging work in about fifty years. That company had various recommendations. They coupled this information with the evaluation of a contractor they worked with when they did the sound system. He had said that the stage was as safe at that time as it was when they put it in fifty years ago. There was no deterioration in the rigging on the stage. What there was was a closer scrutiny on safety then there had been fifty years ago. There were urgent recommendations that were being made, therefore. Mr. Owens had asked that contractor to look at and see what it would take to meet the urgent recommendations from Syracuse Stage. These included having two clamps on steel wires that presently only had one, and replacing j-hook on the arbors with closed loops to prevent wires falling off. He noted that the chances of this occurring were the same as they had been fifty years ago, but the school wanted to be safe. The quote they received was for approximately $11,000 to do the work- replace the handlines, fix the arbors, fix the arbor stops, and basically do everything that Syracuse Stage had said were urgent recommendations, with an eye to do another fifty year replacement eventually. Until they could get to a replacement though, they desired to get to a place where they were safe and this estimate would allow them to do so. They were looking to start the work soon. Mrs. Boyce spoke of funding the work. There had been money made available for school art programs, which they planned to use, and there was also a to be a donation in memory of someone given. The total of that money came to $11,200, enough to do the repairs. Mrs. Boyce asked the seniors to please spread the news around. The eventual larger project would involve replacing the rigging, the lighting, and the curtains, and doing work on the crows nest.

Ms. O’Malley said that food services was doing well. The contracts for the bus contractors were to be ready for them to sign. Things were moving along nicely.

Ms. Riker reported that they had been busy interviewing for positions in the special education department. She spoke very highly of the interviewees. Also, she had received notification that the district met requirements for part B of IDEA.

Mrs. Boyce then reviewed the agenda. They planned to adopt it as a consent agenda when the meeting began.

Mr. Jordan asked about a funding item involving $100,000 received from Pennsylvania’s state Ready to Lean Block Grant. Mrs. Boyce explained that the government had changed the name from the Accountability Block Grant, and the district had received an additional $100,000 over expected. In order to spend it as intended they had to move money within the budget. They planned to allocate it to curriculum.

During the visitor comment portion of the meeting, a student spoke up about something which he said had been bothering him a lot about the school. He said that every time a party came up, a call went home. He didn’t understand how it was the school’s responsibility to do this, and why it wasn’t being communicated to the students. He felt that this led to the kids being riskier in their parties, it wasn’t helping the students, and that the parties were being held without adult supervision. Mrs. Smith asked what kind of parties he was referring to, and, with the disclaimer that he himself didn’t drink, he stated that there were parties with alcohol. Mr. Bocella responded to this, explaining that at times he and Mr. Powers heard about a party being held at a person’s house. Sometimes they heard that the parents were okay with it and would be there, and other times they didn’t. One hundred percent of the time they called the parents to report that they had heard this. He said he knew some parents had taken offense to this in the past. Mrs. Smith spoke up, and said that having a party with underage drinking at their home could also be a large problem for the parents. She shared an anecdote about parents who lost their jobs because they had an underage drinking party. Mr. Scheer noted that it wouldn’t be ethically correct for the school not to call. He said that he had lost classmates in the past due to parties that were held when a call wasn’t made. He understood where the student was coming from, but the burden came back to the district if they knew of a party and didn’t report it. It was said that no matter how big brotherish the calls seemed, it could save somebody’s life.

Mrs. Mordovancey said it wasn’t any other parent’s right to make the decision for her children that it was okay for them. The student said that it was becoming more common for parties to be sneakier. It went from a situation where the parents took your keys when you walked in the door and made you breakfast in the morning, to partying in the woods and getting up before the hunters came out. Mr. Jordan said that if any parent made themselves aware of the law and the consequences of letting minors drink, he couldn’t imagine that they would allow it. If a call from Mr. Bocella made them aware of this, he felt it was a good thing.

Mrs. Staats noted that, as Mr. Bocella said, no one was being punished for something occurring outside school. That would be overstepping, but calling home was the right thing to do. Mr. Powers stated that it wasn’t like they had a personal vendetta to go out and look for these situations, he and Mr. Bocella together had made a total of like three of the calls recently. He said that sometimes it was community members reporting it; it wasn’t just school rumors. They made the calls tactfully, and addressed each one as if it was a rumor.

Mrs. Boyce pointed out that the district wasn’t alone in this. Anywhere she’d been in her career, in four different states, the same call was made. She felt it was because the staff cared about young adults and they wanted the best in safety and for the students. Mr. Wilcox said that there wasn’t a staff member in the district who wanted to get a call of a student who lost his or her life. Those calls made a tremendous impact on a person.

Mrs. Staats said that when the student was a parent he would see the other side.

Mr. Scheer said that he thought the board saw that it took a tremendous amount of courage to bring this up and he commended the student for doing so, but he hoped as leadership those present would spread it among the other students. The student reiterated that the students hadn’t been spoken with about the subject, and he felt it wasn’t handled appropriately. He thought Mr. Powers and Mr. Bocella were being made out to be the bad guys. They said they were okay with that.

The board meeting opened with the consent agenda. Most of the agenda was approved in this way.

A motion was needed to adopt a resolution as submitted to sell 3.03 acres of school district land to the Susquehanna County Free Library Association for the sum of $1.00, and to ratify a letter of intent with regard to a shared parking lot. Mr. Tom Kurosky was present. Mr. Jordan spoke about reassignment of subsurface rights. It was stated that this had gone between the lawyers. The school was keeping the rights. Mrs. Boyce said that she would like to thank Mr. Kurosky and the library board for their patience with the back and forth with the lawyer. He in turn thanked the school for cooperating with them and again deeding the land over to them, and said that in two years they expected to be operating just down the street.

Mr. Wilcox then made the motion regarding the ratification of the oil and gas lease as it was presented and read. The motion carried.

A woman was found dead of multiple gunshot wounds shortly after 1 a.m. on Friday, October 17. Pennsylvania State Police in Gibson received a call reporting a shooting on Washington Street in Susquehanna Depot at 1:17 a.m.  Kelly A. Conklin who had driven two blocks from Lakey’s to her parents’ at 403 Washington Street was shot multiple times while still in her vehicle and died before police arrived on scene. Police investigation indicates at least nine shots were fired from two 9mm handguns during the Washington Street shooting.

PSP Officers interviewed individuals roused from their sleep by the gunfire and developed leads which ultimately led to identification of a suspect who was subsequently taken into custody. The suspect, Jonathan Kopacz, was apprehended at his Thompson residence after reportedly threatening suicide.      

Mr. Kopacz is accused of Miss Conklin’s criminal homicide and is being held in Susquehanna County Jail without bail, pending further investigation. He is scheduled to appear before Magisterial District Judge Jodi Cordner on Monday, October 20, at 10 a.m. for his next hearing. 

Susquehanna Community School District Board Directors took the following personnel actions during their regular meeting on Wednesday, October 15, 2014.

Approved hiring the following personnel for the 2014-15 school year (one-year only): Sarah French - Jr. High Boys Basketball Scorer; Raymond Testa - Varsity Boys Basketball Clock; Kyle Cook - Varsity Girls Basketball Clock; Joni Miller - Jr. High Girls Basketball Scorer; and Jennifer Bennett for two positions: Varsity Softball Scorer & Jr. High Girls Basketball Clock.

Approved hiring the following personnel: Kim Marco - HS Aide; Karen Armitage - Grades 5 & 6 Girls Basketball Coach; Elizabeth Updyke - HS After-School Tutor; and Gina Gliniecki - Student Council Co-Advisor.

Approved hiring as Elementary After-School Tutors: Karyn Armitage, Sarah Krause, Gloria Glidden, and Debra Stone.

Approved hiring Anthony Tompkins and Christine Raughley as Substitute Teachers.

Approved hiring Tammy Norton, Robin Murray, and Shannon Crawford as Substitute Aide/Food Service workers.

Approved hiring Gregory Stewart and Sharon Thomas as Substitute Drivers.

Approved hiring Timothy Wray and Thomas Mott as Substitute Maintenance workers.

Approved the following volunteers: Kristin Burkhart - Band, and Brian Woodruff - Elementary Wrestling.

Approved the following volunteers for the 2014-15 school year: David Bell - JV/Varsity Basketball; Sarah Alexander - Varsity Basketball Cheerleading, and Paul Rooney - Elementary Wrestling Coach.

Accepted the following resignations: Jessica Welch - HS Aide, effective August 7, 2014; and Jessica Hubal, Jr. High Softball Coach, effective October 8, 2014.

On-campus health care is coming to Susquehanna Community School District. At their Wednesday, October 15 meeting School Board Directors, by unanimous vote, green-lighted the tentative lease agreement with NEPA Community Health Care for the establishment of a school-based health center.

The school district’s responsibility is to provide space for NEPA Community Health Care. NEPA’s responsibility is to provide two hours of medical services on-campus, Monday through Friday, for enrolled students, faculty, and administration. The health center will be located in the elementary school building, and the two-hour daily service will run concurrent with the district’s three lunch periods. Some details remain to be worked out, but the tentative date for opening is December 8th, if all proceeds as anticipated.

School Board President Steven Stanford chaired October’s meeting. Board members present: Lori Canfield, Jason Chamberlain, Amanda Cook, Evelyn Cottrell, Holly Kubus, Martha Stanford, and Clay Weaver. Board member Carol Jackson was absent. The 7:00 to 7:33 meeting covered a lot of territory, not least of which was public comment by a concerned parent of an SCHS student concerning a health issue.

The issue brought to the board’s attention was a charge that Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease (HFMD) is a serious problem among varsity football players at the high school. The board and Superintendent Bronson Stone listened politely to the concerned mother’s comments regarding HFMD, her allegations of mold in the locker room, and her questioning of the need for carpeting in the locker room.

Superintendent Stone was not unprepared to provide a detailed rebuttal. Reading directly from a fact sheet provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health, he honed in on pertinent information, “HFMD is moderately contagious. Infection is spread from person to person by direct contact with nose and throat discharges, saliva, fluid from blisters, or the stool of infected persons. A person is most contagious during the first week of the illness, but the virus can remain in the body for weeks after the person’s symptoms go away. This means the infected person can pass on the infection to other people even though he/she appears well. Some persons (including most adults) can be infected and excreting the virus but not have any symptoms.”

He went on, “. . . the risk of infection can be lowered by good hygienic practices. Preventive measures include frequent hand washing, especially after diaper changes and using the toilet . . .” Superintendent Stone stressed that HFMD occurs mainly in children under the age of 10, although it also can occur in adults. The school, he said, was aware that 10 varsity football players had rashes. The school’s nurse had examined a number of the players, and while the proximate cause of rashes could not be determined for some, it was positively determined that three had rashes associated with or related to adverse reactions to antibiotics. The school’s nurse was not able to make a diagnosis of HFMD in any player whom she examined.

Superintendent Stone (and others) explained that carpeting was in the locker room because of the fact football players wear cleats which are extremely slippery (dangerous) on non-carpeted floor coverings. Additionally, Facilities Manager Donnie Norris had conducted a full-scale examination of the carpeting while disinfecting the locker room on Monday, October 13. Mr. Norris found the carpeting to be in satisfactory condition with no evidence of mold or mildew.

Mr. Stone reiterated that it had not been conclusively shown that HFMD was the proximate cause of rashes experienced by varsity football players; that a program of regular disinfecting of the locker room is essential, and is being and will continue to be carried out on a recurring basis; that the locker room may well be “untidy,” but that it is not the unhygienic viral breeding ground portrayed by the commenter. He further noted that mold is bacterial in nature--not viral.

With health issues conquered for this meeting, the Board moved on to other business. Board members, keenly aware that the board will conduct no meeting during the month of November, voted to grant tentative powers to both the Superintendent and Business Manager for their exercise until December 2. To the Superintendent they granted permission to tentatively hire, pending Board approval, for any vacancies that may occur between October 16 and December 2, 2014. To the Business Office they granted permission to pay bills that may occur between Oct 16 and Dec 2.

The Board also approved increasing the daily teacher substitute rate from $85 to $95 per day, effective November 1, 2014. Superintendent Stone, in recommending approval for this measure, noted that Mountain View School District already pays a $95 rate and SCSD needs to pay a competitive rate to get substitute teachers it needs. He noted that the District’s reservoir of substitute teachers is currently at its lowest level in years. To replenish that supply Mr. Stone encouraged those interested in substitute teaching to contact the District Office. He explained that to be a substitute teacher in Pennsylvania all one needs is to hold bachelor’s degree, enjoy being around children, and be able to pass the necessary background checks.

In a move to cut costs and to improve the level of consistency the Board passed two related measures. The first measure was a motion to NOT fill the posted vacancies (for the 2014-2016 school years) for the positions of Game Manager, and instead assign the Game Manager Duties to the Athletic Director, effective July 1, 2015. The follow-on motion granted approval to increase the Athletic Director’s annual compensation by $3,250, effective July 1, 2015. The two moves result in a cost savings of $600 per year, according to Superintendent Stone.

In his report to the Board, Superintendent Stone discussed the District’s timeline for putting together a Strategic Plan. Meetings will begin in January and run through June. The board will consist of 20 members, 10 from the school district and 10 from the community.

Mr. Stone also reported that SCSD no longer qualifies for Title VI grant funding from the federal government. The funds, amounting to just under $16,000 in recent years, are allocated to school districts based on nine modalities that are used to define what a low-income district is. Susquehanna Community School District no longer meets THAT definition of a low-income school district.

Finally, Superintendent Stone reported that while the school has its current School Performance Profile (SPP) scores for both the elementary and high schools, those scores are not yet authorized for public release. The problem, he said, is that a few schools “have a problem with their SPP scores and are contesting the results.” Until those issues are resolved the PA. Department of Education will not allow public release of SPP scores. He noted that SCSD’s scores for the previous year, 77.3 for the high school and 77.6 for the elementary school, are already above-average, and the preliminary scores to which is privy are even higher than these scores.

Richard Emmons was present and acting in the capacity of Union Representative. He shared with the Board that the Union is currently conducting a coat drive for students in need of winter clothing. Donations of nearly-new/gently-used coats are appreciated, and the Union is also arranging for the purchase of coats to fill the remaining need. He thanked Board members and the community for their support of this initiative.

Other thanks were also high-profile at the Board’s meeting. The Board received commendatory thanks from Mid-Valley School District for SCSD’s alteration of Home-coming activity scheduling so as to make it possible for MVSD’s marching band to participate in a parade honoring veterans, while also performing at their football game with Susquehanna scheduled on the same day.

Also expressing thanks were a group of elementary school students whose field trip to Ross Park Zoo was made possible by the Board. Meanwhile, HS Principal Carmella Bullick thanked everyone involved for their participation in Homecoming activities and preparations. And Facilities Manager Donnie Norris thanked students and faculty for their hard work in bonfire preparation and clean-up.

One last matter before closing, in a sign of the times the old reliable pay phone at the high school is being removed. The District had been paying $28.73 monthly for the privilege of having the pay-phone, yet not a quarter had rolled through its slot in at least three years according to phone company records. It’s the end of an era; cell phones officially rule!

At 7:33 the Board adjourned and Gary Kiernan broke out the brownies to let the good times roll. The Board’s next scheduled meeting is on the first Wednesday in December.

Leisure is now on sale in Lanesboro. That may be a bit tongue-in-cheek, but it’s the bottom-line net result of actions taken by Lanesboro Borough Council at their Tuesday, October 14 monthly meeting. Presiding over the meeting was Council President Dan Boughton, with council members Ed Arzouian, Regina Dilello, Dan Glidden, Tom Nitterour, and Dale Rockwell present; Councilman Jason Fissel was absent. Mayor Chris Maby, Secretary/Treasurer Gail Hanrahan, and Police Chief Jim Smith were also present, along with several Lanesboro residents.

The “Leisure Sale” came to fruition when it came to light that there had been no rentals of the Community Center for the last several months. Council members discussed the matter at length and ultimately decided that in the current economic environment a stimulus might be needed. To that end council voted unanimous approval of a motion to reduce the community center rental fee by 33 percent—from $150 to $100 per day. A $50 refundable cleaning deposit will still be required. In passing the substantial rental reduction council members expressed the hope that potential community center renters would find the facility an affordable choice and within their budget for social events.

A second “leisure issue,” proposed under New Business by Councilman Arzouian, advanced the idea of an ice skating rink in the borough for this winter. Council smiled upon the notion and discussed a number of the preliminary details for making it a reality. The skating rink, as proposed, would be located over the soccer field on North Main Street. With a plastic liner for its foundation and hay bales for its perimeter, the rink would provide suitable leisure for residents from dawn till dusk. Logistics planning to make it all happen requires further investigation, but council members appear to have some good leads. The cost for skaters? Free! All that skaters would need is a fair degree of athleticism and a pair of sharp skates.

Police Chief Smith presented the Police Report for the month of September. It showed LPD put in a total of 143 hours, including 14 hours for Thompson Borough and 108 hours on school district campus patrol. Arrests in Lanesboro included two on charges of harassment and one for disorderly conduct (case closed). In more routine matters LPD made 17 traffic stops with citation issued in eight cases, and warnings issued in nine. Reasons for traffic stops included the following: Speeding Violations (8), Inspection Violations (2), Registration Violation (1), Equipment Violations (4), and Careless Driving (2).

Regular readers may notice that the aforementioned number of traffic stops and violations were down significantly in September. Not to worry, Chief Smith observed that October’s numbers already exceeded September’s; the police force was now at full strength and collaring speeders at the more typical (higher) rate. Advice to those transiting through the borough, good at any time day or night, “Slow down and obey traffic laws.”

Mayor Maby presented the Streets Committee Report. Existing potholes, except for those on Side and Barnes Avenues, will only be filled with a cold-patch mix. Council agreed with Mayor Maby’s analysis that the best course of action for Side and Barnes Avenues was to grind up what remains of pavement, widen them out, and lay down a base of stones for winter. Residents living along the subject avenues were also agreeable to the idea and look forward to a smooth paving job next spring. Other work to be completed includes clearing and re-setting two street grates at the corner of Turnpike and Main.

Mayor Maby also presented several ideas on snow removal from streets and sidewalks, as well as how Lanesboro might help Oakland Boro while Old Man Winter takes up seasonal residence. Further liaison with Oakland will establish what help, if any, Oakland would like. Concerning snow removal from Lanesboro sidewalks, the borough is looking for a hard-charger over the age of 18 who is desirous of part-time seasonal work when more than two inches of snow has fallen. Advertising for the position will be forthcoming in this paper.

Also noted by the Mayor was something observed by every other meeting attendee: Penelec was currently performing ongoing repairs and replacement of some 12 boro streetlights not in working order, even while borough council’s meeting was ongoing.

Concerning the borough’s sewer system, Mayor Maby reported that Tri-boro Municipal Authority was still very much interested in the ongoing purchase. Legal red tape has continued to keep the sale from advancing since Spring. There’s no apparent sign that legal log-jam will be broken any time soon, but the Mayor promised to pry into the matter and see if he could unstuck whatever is stuck. Meanwhile, Secretary Hanrahan indicated that Lanesboro sewer rate-payers were doing a very good job of keeping accounts current; the coercive threat of tax liens may have persuaded recalcitrant ratepayers to repent of any waywardness.

Before adjournment Mayor Maby suggested borough council focus next month’s regular monthly meeting on 2015 budget-making. He and other council members shared the opinion that as with last year‘s budget, no tax increase is projected at the prelim stage. Budget planning will proceed under the premises that tax rates are to remain unchanged, revenues will remain stable, and expenses can be balanced in congruence with the first two premises.

At 7:43 p.m. October’s meeting closed. Next meeting is scheduled for the second Tuesday in November. Parties seeking to take advantage of the new lower rental rate for the Community Center are advised to call the borough at 853-4781 and leave a voicemail, or email the borough at lanesborocommunitycenter@gmail.com to make their reservations before the holiday rush.

BENCH WARRANTS

The Susquehanna County DOMESTIC RELATIONS Section has outstanding BENCH WARRANT’S for the following individuals as of 10:00 a.m. on October 17, 2014: Brent V. Birtch, Edwin Blaisure, Jennifer Blassingame, Anthony M. Choplosky, Tina M. Clark, Christopher J. Clark, Anthony Cokely, Eric J. Darde, David J. Fischer, Jeremy W. Hall, Jeremy Halstead, Lyle J. Hugaboom, Todd J. Layton, Charlie J. Legere, Derrick Lezinsky, Thomas M. Mellor, Vincent J. Petriello, Veronica D. Phelps, Desiree L. Shifler, Joseph W. Sutton, Frederick Swingle, III, Tessa E. Thomas, Kurtis Tracy, Steven G. Warner, Jamie L. Williams Sr. Please contact the Domestic Relations Section at 570-278-4600 ext. 170 with any information on the location of these individuals.

DEEDS

Jennie Nagy, Joseph Nagy & Julius Nagy, Jr. to Jennie Nagy, Joseph Nagy & Julius Nagy Jr., in Jackson Township for $1.00.

Bruce L & Edith M. Conklin to Mark A. & Charlotte L. Conklin, in New Milford Township for $1.00.

Flying Buck LLC to Flying Buck LLC, in Rush Township for $1.00.

Lester C & Emma J. Hall to Philip M. Lobue, in Great Bend Township for $79,000.00.

Leanne M. Simmons  to Jason & Kelly Brown, in Springville Township for $165.000.00.

Deane H. & Joyce E. Shedd to Robert E. & Patricia O. Aiken, in Montrose for $149,000.00.

Lawrence P. Larue to Larry R. Larue in Rush Township for $1.00.

Donald Colwell  (AKA) Donald R. Colwell & Marion Colwell to Donald & Marion Colwell, in Great Bend Township for $1.00.

Patrick A. & Shirley J. Cianflone (By Sheriff) to Marcellus Minerals Appraisers, Inc., in Lenox Township for $74,900.00.

Mary Louise Sabitus to David R. & Kathryn E. Blow, in Silver Lake Township for $45,000.00.

Kathaleen T. & Millard H. Stalker to Christopher L. Stalker, in Clifford Township for $1.00.

Patricia Ellis to John J. & Dolores L. Wentzel,  in Bridgewater Township for $200,000.00.

Don E. & Kelly Jo Hawkins to Don E. Hawkins, In  Bridgewater Township for $1.00.

Catherine & Thomas Holleran to Michael Bahnweg, in Uniondale Borough for $13,000.00.

Steven A. Fitzgerald to Steven A. Fitzgerald  & Steven A. Fitzgerald, Jr., in Hallstead Borough for $1.00.

Randy Hartman to Craig S. & Patrice M. Bruse, in Ararat Townshp for $4,250.00.

Ralph Brown to Charles Paul Rogers, in Bridgewater Township for $1.00.

Charles P. Rogers (AKA) Charles Paul Rodgers & Carol Rogers to William A & Kathryn R. Watkins, in Bridgewater Township for $425,000.00.

Ann E. Tego & Kenneth O. Shaffer to David Rexford Maxey & Christine Maxey, in Bridgewater Township for $265,000.00.

Energy Deep Resources, Inc. to Eagle Minerals LTD, in Lenox Township for $273,171.27.

James A. & Annita B. Chiariello to Joseph C. & Martina M. Lingobardo, in Gibson Township for $48,000.00.

James M. & Annita B. Chiariello to James M. & Annita B. Chiariello, in Gibson Township for $1.00.

Timothy V. Tompkins & Marilyn L Tompkins (AKA) Marilyn Tompkins to Marilyn L. Tompkins, in Ararat Township for $1.00.

John Calvert & Else K. Brunner to Zachary Krug, in Forest Lake Township for $150,000.00.

Ronald E Dipaola (By Atty.) & Kelly A. Roche to Kelly A. Roche, in Silver Lake Township for $1.00.

Lawrence E. & Susan G. Newhart to  Lawrence E. & Susan G. Newhart, in Franklin Township for $1.00.

Lawrence E. & Susan G. Newhart to Newhart Trust, in Franklin Township for $1.00.

Susquehanna Mineral Group LLC to Susquehanna Mineral Group LLC, in Springville Township for $1.00.

Frank Kamarauskas Jr. & Shana Kamarauskas to Frank Kamarauskas Jr., in Apolacon Township for $10.00.

Pro Environmental LLC to John Irish & Michael Irish, in Lathrop Township for $1.00.

John Irish to Kelly Irish, in Lathrop Township for $1.00.

Earle A. & June J. Wootton to Community Foundatin of the Endless Mountains, in Silver Lake Township for $1.00.

Franics Wellman to Franics & Donna B. Wellman, in Harford Township for $100.

Bernard M. &  Claine G. Griffin to Michelle J. & Salvator Gatto, in Choconut Township for $4,000.00.

Connie R. & David Humbert to Stephen J. & Deborah J. Starks, in Great Bend Township for $1.00.

Thomas F. & Mary Jane Chamberlain to Matthew D. & Kelly L. Button, in Great Bend Township for $1.00.

Bryce Williams & Charles Gayson to Jackson McKee, in Bridgewater Township for $152,500.00.

Steven F. Zapolski, II to James D. Hayes II, in Silver Lake Township for $5,000.00.

Joseph F. & Barbara A. Cremona to Joseph F. Cremona, in Ararat Township for $1.00.

William & Michelle Woodruff to Mark J. & Kathleen R. Switzer, in New Milford Township for $175,000.00.

Mark Warren Associates LP to Angelo Rigas, Thomas Bregianos & Gregory Bregianos in. Apolacon Township for $65,000.00.

William & Elizabeth A. Conklin to Stephen P. Fischer & Jane Guzior, in Springville Township for $92,000.00.

Micheal J. & Lyn L. Coleman to Eric  R. & Sharai L. Shafer in Rush Township for $151,000.00.

Richard Jagger & Connie Flynn to Alan R. & Holly J. Jagger, in Hop Bottom Borough, for $1.00.

Casey Wiedmaier to Jill Weidmaier, in New Milford Township for $1.00.

Florence C. Bush (ESTATE) to Stella Swingle, in Springville Township for $1.00.

Randy M. & Elizabeth A. Ward to Elizabeth A. Ward, in Springville Township for $1.00.

Florence C. Bush (Estate) to Donald Yazurio, Andy & Joseph M. Arnold, in Springville Township for $1.00.

Paul E. Rohe (ESTATE) to Joel A. Rohe, in Middletown Township for $1.00.

Barry & Sheri L. Heller to William E. Shager, in Harmony Township for $55,000.00.

Jack Leon Sims (ESTATE) to Helen D. Osborn & Harry W. Leiser II, in Choconut Township for $1.00.

Michael T. Bahnweg (AKA) Michael Bahnweg to Michael T. Bahweg, in Uniondale Borough for $1.00.

Jean M. Barrett, Linda R. Becker & Kathleen A. Carman to Mason Kirsch, in Thompson Township for $295,000.00.

Paul E. & Jean M. Wienecke to Paul & Jean Wienecke (TRUST), in New Milford Township for $1.00.

Michael E. & Linda M. Stanton to Michael E. & Linda M. Stanton, in Rush Township for $1.00.

Michael E. Stanton to Michael E. Stanton (TRUST) & Linda M. Stanton (FBO), in Rush Township for $1.00

Linda M. Stanton to Linda M. Stanton (TRUST) & Michael E. Stanton (FBO), in Rush Township for $1.00.

Frank A. & Susan L. Nardone to Susan L. Nardone, in Lenox Township for $10.00.

Linda & Angelo Venturini Jr. to William E. Shager, in Great Bend Township for $710,000.00.

Daniel J. Nebzydoski to Brad Leigh Saul, in Forest City for $65,000.00.

Gerald P. Williams to George Fortel, in Clifford Township for $155,000.00.

Penny M. & Frank S. Fitch to John F. Hower, in Hop Bottom Borough for $51,000.00.

Gerald Edward Price (ESTATE AKA) Gerald Edward Price (ESTATE) to Judith Price, in Oakland Township for $1.00.

Lucas J. Baker (ESTATE AKA) Lucas John Baker (ESTATE) to Alice M. Davis, in Springville Township for $140,000.00.

Calamari Farms Inc. to Eugene & Susan Presutto, in Hallstead Borough for $33,000.00.

Edward J. Dobrosielski (AKA)  Edward Dobrosielski & Maryanna Litwin Dobrosielski (AKA) Maryanna Dobrosielski to Edward & Maryanna Dobrosielski (TRUST) in Rush Township & Auburn Township for $1.00.

Arline Cowell (ESTATE) to Louis J. Jr. & Gerri L. Grisafi, in Harford Township for $209,000.00.

James R. Mulherin (ESTATE AKA) James Robert Mulherin (ESTATE AKA) James R. Mulherin Sr. (ESTATE) to Mulherin Family Trust, in Lenox Township for $1.00.

Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains to Hans P. Nesvold & Elizabeth A. Bloomer, in Silver Lake Township for $325,000.00.