AUGUST 9-15, 2012 Your Local News
50 cents
Martin on Main Rocks Nazareth Page 10
Bath 275th Anniversary Pages 8-9
The Home News
Bath Fire Social Hall president James Pasquariello presented $500.00 check to Bath Fire Chief Ed Demchak for firefighters at Council meeting on Monday.
homenewspa.com Dumpster ordinance first, then work Coming Together Of CRPD tops Bath Council’s agenda By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
FRAMEWORK is up for the gazebo that is being built at Keystone Park in Bath, adding another element of entertainment for the park. – Home News photo
Allen Township trying again To put referendum on ballot By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
With only three of the members present, the Allen Township Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, July 24 voted to put a referendum on the November ballot calling for an additional tax to support farmland preservation. The supervisors on Thursday, July 12 indicated they would take that action in a second try at asking township residents to pay a 0.25% earned income tax increase. It failed on the first referendum in last November’s election. Supervisor Albert Pierce said at the July 12 meeting,
71st Year, Issue No. 32
USPS 248-700
“We’ll do it one more time, and if it doesn’t pass this time, forget it.”The board voted to advertise it.. On July 24, he, along with Supervisors William Holmes and Michelle Drzewiecki voted to put the referendum on the November ballot. Chairman Paul Balliet and Vice Chairman Bruce Frack were not present at that meeting. If it passes this time, the extra tax will be carried on for five years for the acquisition of farmlands to support the Northampton County open space initiatives program. The extra tax money could preserve up to 70 acres of open space each year, buying up development rights on farmlands. Once a farm owner accepts the offer for his land, it can never be used to develop homes. The supervisors first meeting in August will be held this Thursday, Aug. 9 at 7 p.m.
Bath Borough Council held an extension of their July 2 meeting on Monday to explain with local business people the proposed dumpster ordinance, for which they have had many questions. Later, during the second portion of the night, Councilwoman Carol Bear-Heckman noted that corner properties and all visible dumpsters need a buffer of some type were the only things she saw that needed to be changed. Still, at least two members of Council had misgivings when Mrs. Heckman moved that Borough Manager Tom Petrucci confer with solicitor Blake Marles and bring a final draft back to Council on Sept. 4 for review and subsequent approval. Voting for that motion were Council persons Robert Fields, Mrs. Heckman, Jennifer George and Kathryn Roberts. Councilmen Mike Reph and Mark Saginario voted no. Councilman John Kearns was absent.
CRPD Coverage The second issue included a lengthy discussion with Colonial Regional Police Chief Roy Seiple. Council’s main concern is traffic enforcement. -------------------------------
“There may be a perception that we’re not around, but we are around.”
CRPD Chief Roy Seiple
------------------------------At the outset, he reported that CRPD’s coverage area with Bath and Chapman boroughs and Lower Nazareth and Hanover townships is 22 square miles, involving 19,500 people. He told Council, “There may be a perception that we’re not around, but we are around.” Saginario questioned traffic control. Chief Seiple said arrests are way down, but admitted CRPD could do better with traffic, especially with
the hot spots. With all the truck traffic going through town and its state routes, Mrs. Heckman commented, “Somehow, we’ve got to take our town back.” Then Councilwoman Roberts, a criminal defense lawyer, had a list of questions for Seiple, notably what kind of incidents they handle. They included emergency medical, hang-up calls (3-5 are real, 95-98 are not), flimflam scams, registered sex offenders, DUI checkpoints, vice, and drugs. With Council comparing what CRPD does and the cost to the borough, and the quote received recently from the Moore Township Police Department, Seiple said, “Don’t let that (incidents which are the basis for the fee Bath pays) drive what you do. I know it costs money. If we should know about [the incidents], call us.” Told about the incident last month in which a car crashed Continued on page 8
Pavilion Will Come Down
KEYSTONE PARK pavilion that was severely damaged in a flash flood this summer will be demolished. FEMA has provided $44,234 for that work, and then to replace it with a pre-fab structure. Bath Borough will seek competitive bids for the demolition and concrete slabs. Keystone Cement will maintain the pipes and culvert that were also damaged in the flooding. Borough crew will inspect those pipes after each severe storm to set up maintenance. – Home News photo
INDEX:
Sports...........................6
Church ....................... 11
Gab over the Fence ..... 3
Northampton............. 7
Obits........................ 12
Social Announcements . . 4
Bath ..............................8
Seniors ....................... 13
Deutsche Schule.......... 5
Nazareth ................... 10
Classified .................. 14