Rails to Trails route may be changing near Eckley

by James Hunter

JH: Ruth Isenberg

Coach $0

• Jason Kane, Head CoachGirls’ Basketball, $4,300

• Chris Gaydoscik, Assistant Coach- Girls’ Basketball, $2,570

• Robert Pavlik, Assistant Coach- Girls’ Basketball, $2,150

• Alicia Burger, Varsity Cheerleading Advisor, $3,200

• Toni Gerhart, Volunteer Asst. Varsity Cheerleading Coach, $0

• Krystal Singley, Junior High Cheerleading Advisor, $1,730

• Ryan Kately, Varsity Track & Field Head Coach, $3,250

• Paul DiGennaro, Varsity Assistant Track & Field Coach, $2,125

• Connie Derr, Assistant Boys’ Soccer Coach, $2,175

The Slusser Law Firm will be the collector of delinquent real estate taxes again this tax year. Slusser

Law Firm was tremendously more successful in collecting these taxes, bringing in ~96%.

The Board’s patience with Umbriac Trucking and Old Republic has reached an end regarding incomplete construction work from 2021. A lawsuit will be filed.

In other business, EHD was approved to remain broker for insurances to the District, with plans to investigate other options for the next school fiscal year. Jones & Company will continue to perform the annual audit of the District’s records. After a discussion, the company will also perform annual audits of the tax collectors in the district, rotating among them on a regular cycle.

The WASB will take July off but are considering a special meeting to be held prior to August 4 so there is time to debrief Moyer before he retires.

The Greater Hazleton Area Civic Partnership is considering changing the route of the Greater Hazleton Rails to Trails. Since building the first two legs of the proposed 16-mile trail to connect Hazleton to the Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor trail at the Lehigh Gorge State Park near Rockport, the Civic Partnership has been having problems getting a right-of-way over one piece of land to get the trail to the historic village of Eckley.

Joe Yannuzzi, chairman of the Civic Partnership, said bypassing the land where the problem is would provide a more direct route to the State Park thus cutting the mileage that has to be developed into a trail. This more direct route would come within a halfmile of Eckley.

“It’s just something to consider,” Yannuzzi said. On the proposed fourth leg of the trail, the Partnership was given land, but that land is occupied by a flying squirrel habitat which is an endangered species. The state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) wants the Partnership to take an alternate route that would require the construction of a bridge. At the beginning of the trail, Yannuzzi said a drainage problem has been solved, but another one has developed near a culvert built to take the trail across an active mine road, The Partnership’s engineer, Mike Cera, and Hazle Township officials will be consulted about it.’

Six new benches have been built “on spec,” Yannuzzi said, and four have been reserved for memorials. Two are available.

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