The Forest City Regional School District Board of Directors meeting started in the normal progression of Pledging Allegiance to the flag at their meeting on November 14th.  After that it was all about the Super 6th Grader, Outstanding Seniors and an outstanding Soccer player.

Elementary School Principal, Brian Kelly presented Kamryn Lonzinski as the Super 6th Grader for November.  He describes Ms. Lonzinski as always smiling, happy to help, well liked, a leader, kind and a role model.  Mr. Kelly said she should be praised for her kindness, leadership, friendliness and love of her school.

Dr. Michael Elia, High School Principal was on hand to present his students with the Outstanding Senior Award.  Michael Kelly, the October recipient of the Award was recognized as an extremely hardworking student who is loyal and honest in everything he does.  Some of Mr. Kelly’s accomplishments; he is a member of the National Honor Society with high honors and four years as a varsity soccer player.  He has a passion for working with his hands, and his future goal is to be a carpenter with his own business.

Nicholas Megivern is the November recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award and one of the top students in his grade.  Dr. Elia said Mr. Megivern is self-aware, driven, hard working and he has taken advantage of many opportunities presented to him in High School.  Some of his accomplishments are; high honor roll all four years, a member of the National Honor Society, active in student council, and excelling in Jr. High and Varsity volleyball and baseball.  Dr. Elia is impressed that Nicholas Megivern is dedicated to health and fitness in body and mind, and he makes time everyday to exercise both through a variety of Yoga routines.  Mr. Megivern plans on attending Penn State University to pursue his studies of Electrical Engineering.

Heather Purdy is also a recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award for the month of November.  Dr. Elia describes Ms. Purdy as hardworking, determined, reliable, dependable, honest and a person of high integrity. Ms. Purdy has made the honor roll for four straight years, she helped organize the eighth grade field trip to Washington DC, she serves as the president of CHOPS and she is active in the schools’ sports programs.  She played varsity soccer, and has been a member of the Ski team for four years.  Ms. Purdy was also in the school chorus for two years. She is hoping to attend West Chester University, to further her education to make improved prosthetics for people in need.

Superintendent, Dr. Jessica Aquilina presented to Jared Paulin a soccer ball that will be displayed in the school trophy case for his score of fifty goals. Superintendent Aquilina said he was able to keep the game ball, and she was proud to present him with this trophy.  She said Mr. Paulin was an outstanding role model and contributor on and off the field.

School Board President, Mary Emmett said the student athletes came to the board to ask them to consider hiring an athletic trainer.  She said Dr. Aquilina and Mr. Durkin put a lot of time and effort into the research and reached out to several local agencies for quotes.  Unfortunately only two responded, and neither could provide a trainer to meet the needs of the school.

President Emmett said she was proud of the athletes for stepping up, and coming to the board with their request.  She wants them to know that the board cares about them and they are here for them.  President Emmett said she would also like to thank the coaches who go above, and beyond to teach and support the athletes, and they are very fortunate to have these dedicated coaches.

Superintendent Aquilina conducted a presentation titled: Every Child, Every Need, Every Day, Guiding Beliefs.  She went through each segment explaining what would be expected from the Guiding Beliefs.  Superintendent Aquilina believes everyone who crosses the threshold can reach his or her ability.  She stated she comes in each day and does the best job she can to meet the needs of every child they serve, and always keeps the best interest of the children and taxpayers of the district.  Superintendent Aquilina said the Board of Directors is in the process of putting together their goals.  She said she is very happy for the opportunity, is blessed to be with FCRSD, and her plan is within the next few years for the FCRSD to be the shining star of Pennsylvania schools.

Business discussed, and approved were two programs for Mrs. Moran’s classroom, general Yoga, and Music Panacea Program.  Denise Hirsch, and Sally J. Hunt were approved as substitute bus drivers.  Diane Bailey will be the Homebound Instructor for the 2016-2017 school year.  Alexandra Scott will be a student teacher from Keystone College.  Fred Garm’s resignation from the NEIU-19 Board of Directors was accepted, and Bernice Lukas was appointed to fulfill Mr. Garms term.  Todd Hadden resigned as a Custodian effective October 27th.  Act 93 was amended, the change to the Act solely applies to overtime for the Maintenance Supervisor.  Benjamin Monahan was appointed as a mentor for secondary Mathematics teacher Lisette Kozar.  There was also a change Work Order relating to the children’s lockers.  It was discovered the lockers were not large enough to hold the children’s belongings, and top lockers would have made it difficult for them to get to class on time.  The change is to put in full-length lockers.

During Superintendent Aquilina’s report, she stated Monday, November 28th was slated to be a snow makeup day, this has changed and school will remain closed.  She reported they had an Executive Session before the meeting with regard to legal, personnel and contract issues. 

Superintendent Aquilina received notification from the Office of Safe Schools, the application she submitted for a twenty-five thousand competitive grant was approved.  She stated they will use the funding for a digital repeater to improve signal strength across the physical plant and enhanced camera surveillance systems for the building and buses.

Many thanks were relayed by Superintendent Aquilina to Todd Hadden for his service, to the Board of Directors and the Giana Foundation for the new wireless microphones, to Mrs. Dennebaum, Mrs. Monahan, Mr. Wade, and Mr. Zack for helping make first FCR Community Night a great success, and to Jim Kuruts and the FC Emergency Services for facilitating fire prevention educational programs.

Congratulations were relayed to Shelly Giles and the FCR Mask and Hammer Drama Club for another outstanding performance, to Mrs. Lesjack, Mrs. Lombardi and the 5th and 6th grade candidates for Elementary Student Council Office.

Superintendent Aquilina said she was pleased to announce the high school students have been awarded eleven thousand three hundred dollars in scholarships for dual enrollment tuition.  She thanked the Community Foundation of the Endless Mountains for supporting the students.

The school band and chorus students will perform at the Historical Society for the Forest City Holiday Festival, which will be held on Saturday, December 3rd on Main Street.  Superintendent Aquilina said several of the student groups would sponsor free activities for the public at select Main Street businesses.

The next School Board meeting will be held on Thursday, December 1st, and it will be a reorganization meeting.

A number of issues were tabled for future consideration at the meeting of the Harford Township Supervisors on November 15th.  The Supervisors did, however, hire 2 new employees: Rich Raun of Montrose will become a full-time member of the staff, and Steve Welch will have part-time status.  Wages, etc. will be decided later; according to Doug Phelps, there are “some issues we have to deal with.”

Whether to continue to rent, or to go ahead and buy a roller for roadwork, is still in debate.  Mr. Phelps said that he is not yet ready to make a decision.  A similar question about a boom mower was also put off.  A suitable mower would rent for $2,100 per week, according to Roadmaster Jim Phelps.  For equipment that is only used during the warmer months, the rent-versus-buy decision is a sticky one.

The Supervisors also put off a decision on a Planning Commission matter for a saw shop on Fair Hill Road, awaiting commentary from the state Department of Environmental Protection.

On the other hand, the Supervisors decided to purchase a used (cinder and salt) spreader from Jackson Township for $1,800.  According to Jim Phelps and Conrad Owens, the machine is in excellent condition, and one of Harford’s spreaders is in bad shape, with winter weather approaching.

And they did not delay a decision on next year’s budget.  Having offered it for public perusal last month, the budget was formally adopted with no change in taxes or fees.  Expenses are expected to be marginally higher next year, but should be covered by additional revenue, cash on hand, or from the impact fee account.  Property tax rates remain at 4.63 mills for the township, plus 1 mill for fire protection.  Sewer fees remain unchanged at $500 per year per equivalent dwelling unit (1 EDU = 1 residential household).

The township’s solicitor, Jamie Hailstone, said that the transition between Klepadlo Associates and JHA for managing, operating, and rebuilding the sewer system is “still on track.”  Design work on the sewer plant upgrades is “pretty much done,” he said, indicating that progress is “better than it could be” under the circumstances.  Klepadlo was paid another $10,000 for the sewer system redesign.   The company’s role is being phased out with its leader, David Klepadlo, under a cloud in the form of a federal indictment for fraud.  JHA will be taking over the system, but doesn’t expect much delay as long as Klepadlo’s cooperation continues.  JHA will formally assume responsibility for the system on December 1.

Asked by some residents to carry over from last month a proposed “clean air” resolution, the Supervisors (or at least 2 of them, Doug Phelps and Sue Furney) ultimately declined to consider it.  The resolution essentially offers moral support to New Milford Township in its effort to craft an ordinance that hopes to control the development of a commercial waste incinerator.  Ms. Furney said she wouldn’t support a resolution not drafted by the Township, especially one that has “no legal weight,” and she wasn’t prepared to draw one up herself, as suggested by one supporter.

No one seemed to know the origin of a request to supply stone for the Harford water plant access road.  Nor did anyone seem interested in acting on it.  Mr. Owens suggested that anyone needing access to the plant could walk.  And so, like others, the matter was tabled for future deliberation.

The township was recognized as “Outstanding Dirt & Gravel Roads Cooperator” at the County Conservation District’s annual dinner on November 1.  Now that’s some distinction!  And it came with a beautiful plaque, too.

And the township received notice that a seminar sponsored by the County 911 office on how to handle an “active shooter” situation will be offered at Mountain View school on December 1 at 6:30pm, and at Blue Ridge school on December 9 at 9:30am.  The sessions are about 3 hours long, led by a knowledgeable FBI staffer.

Following adjournment, the Supervisors gathered for an executive session covering personnel matters, and some legal issues related to permit violations and the township’s engineers.  Details were not available.

The next public meeting of the Harford Township Supervisors is scheduled for Tuesday, December 20.  Meetings begin at 7:00pm at the Township office on Route 547.

Tyler Corners, LP announced, November 14, that the plans for a 114-acre industrial park and waste incineration project in Susquehanna County are being placed on hold while additional work in the planning of the construction project takes place.

In a letter to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PA DEP) a request was made to place plans and materials, submitted as part of the pre-application process with the PA DEP, aside for now.

The proposed Tyler Corners Industrial Park, should it move forward, will create numerous construction-related jobs, and, because the plant will be a headquarters facility, permanent job opportunities will include engineering, technical, accounting, information technology, security, sales and administrative positions in addition to many other plant operation occupations. Local hiring, promoting from within and developing local vendor relationships will be a priority for Tyler Corners.