40¢
70th Year, Issue No. 32 USPS 248-700
AUGUST 11-17, 2011 A General Circulation Newspaper Serving The Community Since 1942
SERVING BATH, CHAPMAN, NORTHAMPTON, NAZARETH BOROS; ALLEN, E. ALLEN, MOORE, LEHIGH, BUSHKILL, LOWER NAZARETH & UPPER NAZARETH TWPS.
School board transacts business in Record time, and also electronically By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
ONE OF THE FEATURES of Glenmar Nursery of Moorestown is this water garden. (Story and another photo on page 13.) – Home News photo
Bath anniversary grand Opening and concert The Bath 275th Anniversary store at Main & Washington Sts. will be holding their one year anniversary celebration this Saturday, August 13 at 10 a.m. Fe Fe from the IronPigs will be in attendance, sponsored by Hayes Flower Shop in Bath. This marks the one year countdown to the anniversary celebration in August 2012. Hope to see you there. Solo Concert Mary Pritchett, a former music teacher from the Nazareth Area School District and a volunteer soloist for Gracedale, will give a solo concert
on Sunday, August 21, at 4:00 PM in St. John’s Lutheran Church, 206 East Main Street, Bath. Also performing will be Wayne Mery and Susan Cervin. The concert will feature Broadway favorites including songs from The Sound of Music, 110 in the Shade, Les Miserables, The Phantom of the Opera, and the movie Romeo and Juliet as well as other favorites, both sacred and secular. There are no tickets for the concert, but an offering will be taken to benefit the 275th Anniversary Celebration.
Moore Township’s Board of Supervisors this past Tuesday, Aug. 2 voted to appeal a recent decision by the township zoning hearing board regarding a proposed solar array at the Moore Elementary School. MetroTek of Kunkletown had sought relief on interpretation of the zoning ordinance, and it was denied. Instead, the ZHB granted a special exception, even
with regard to zoning of land where a middle school has been proposed Other Matters • Under personnel: A leave of absence for Kerry Haydt from July 20-29, 2011 was approved; job descriptions were updated for school police officer/director of security, school police officer/attendance officer, security officer, and hall monitor; the resignation of Juliann Maurek, high school drivers education teacher, for purposes of retirement, was accepted, effective Dec. 2, 2011. Kovalchuk said she has had 30 years of service and also coached three different sports. • Damien Ciecwisz was hired as summer school security gard, effective June 24 through August 12. • The rate of pay for all current professional teaching staff employees as potential Continued on page 9
PSATS supports plan to improve Roads, bridges, mass transit
The Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors is throwing its support behind a multibillion-dollar plan, proposed by the governor’s Transportation Funding Advisory Commission, that takes a common-sense, networkwide approach to repairing the commonwealth’s roads, bridges, and mass transit systems. Delivered to Gov. Tom though it wasn’t requested. Zoning Officer Jason Harhart Corbett, the report provides had said it was a second prin- the administration and lawcipal use, when there can only makers with a road map for raising $2.5 billion in annual be one. “It is cause for concern,” funding to improve transporSolicitor David Backenstoe tation infrastructure. Townships oversee 56,000 said, in regard to the special exception ruling. At Tues- miles of those roads along day’s meeting, John Becker with thousands of bridges. of the planning commission PSATS, the organization that questioned the advice of Atty. represents them, hails the Cafferty for the ZHB. The de- plan as a step in the right dicision was signed off by chair- rection and is urging the governor and General Assembly man David Tashner. to enact the recommendaContinued on page 7 tions. Two association representatives, Assistant Executive Director Elam M. Herr and Jim Decker, a supervisor for Stroud Township in Monroe County, served on the 40-member commission. “This state-appointed group did some things that others before it haven’t: It recognized the vital role that local roads and bridges play
Supervisors to appeal ZHB decision on solar Array in Moore Township By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
In what had to be a new record, the Northampton Area School Board transacted all of its business in 20 minutes Monday night. They did it with four members present, and since a quorum of five is necessary, a fifth member voted electronically over the speaker phone. Vice President Jean Rundle presided, and present with her were directors Robert Koch, Geraldine Skrapits and Judy Odenwelder. Cory Fenstermaker, Brett Reichelderfer, Jane Erdo, Darin Arthofer and David Gogel were absent. Arthofer acknowledged each item as it came up and voted along with the four members present. In one action, Maria Rossillo was approved to serve as Assistant Principal for the Northampton Borough Elementary School, effective January 2, 2012. Her salary will be
$70,000, pro-rated, with benefits, in accordance with the Act 93 agreement. She was welcomed by each of the directors on Monday. Schools Superintendent Joseph Kovalchuk announced that Thursday, Sept. 1 will be the first day of school for the 2011-2012 school year. And in an effort to save on costs, the new school calendars will be handed out that day and not mailed, as was the previous practice. He noted with pride the fact that all the schools in the Northampton Area School District made Adequate Yearly Progress (ADP), the first time since the 2000-2001 school year. “It’s a cause for celebration,” he said. Other announcements he made: This Wednesday was the annual data retreat for analyzing scores on student achievement. And on Tuesday, August 16 the East Allen Township zoning hearing
in Pennsylvania’s transportation system; it listened to local government; it treated municipalities as partners; and it responded with a doable, long-term solution that is going to put the commonwealth’s transportation system back on the road to recovery,” PSATS Executive Director David M. Sanko said. The commission’s plan, to be phased in over the next five years, would eventually provide municipalities with around $400 million annually
for local transportation projects. The panel has recommended that the state raise the money by indexing outdated license and registration fees, uncapping the oil company franchise tax, shifting partial funding for the State Police to the General Fund, modernizing vehicle inspection and registration requirements, and consolidating mass transit programs and services. New toll roads and Continued on page 15
Musicians playing last Saturday at Martin on Main in front of the Guitar Villa stage on Main St. (More photos on Page 5.) – Home News photo