40¢
71st Year, Issue No. 12 USPS 248-700
MARCH 22-28, 2012 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.
Standing room audience wanted Answers on Lehigh Twsp. rails to trails
By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
STEPS at right in the living room lead up to the bedroom where child and mother napped when fire broke out last Tuesday. The family escaped. – Contributed photo
Fire rips through row of Nazareth townhouses
Fire broke out at about 2 p.m. last Tuesday, March 13 in a townhouse at 40 N. Green St., Nazareth. It then spread to 38 and 36 N. Green St., part of the townhouse development owned by Orwig Property Management, and rented from them. They are a short distance from Moravian Hall Square. At the time the fire started at 40 N. Green St., Karla Dewey and her three year old son Cole were taking a nap upstairs, her husband Rich, was at work. The mother and her child were able to escape the home. However, their home and all the belongings were destroyed. Eight volunteer fire companies responded from Nazareth, Hecktown, Bath, Tatamy, and the townships of Bushkill, Upper Nazareth, Palmer and Plainfield. It took roughly 40 minutes and about 60 firefighters to extinguish the flames. While the townhouse at 40 N. Green St. was a complete loss, thanks to the efforts of the firefighters the other four townhouses attached to it were saved. The two closest to where the fire began did have water and smoke damage, causing the tenants to relocate. According to the Red Cross, there were two adults and their young child in 40 N. Green; one adult in 38 N. Green; an adult in 36 N. Green;
an adult in 34 N. Green, and and an adult and two children at 32 N. Green St. The Red Cross provided assistance with lodging, clothing, food, shoes and toiletry items for the Dewey family until Friday morning when they decided to stay with Family. The other families were also given food, clothing and toiletry items and are staying with family. The cause of the fire is undetermined, according to Vigilance Hose Co. #1 Chief Dan Keenhold, so it remains under investigation. Help for Family Meanwhile, Ben Miller of 181 Tewksbury Ct., Upper Nazareth Township has launched an online appeal for help from businesses and individuals for the family who lost everything. He is asking for gift cards from restaurants, grocery stores, and pharmacies, where the family can purchase clothes or toys for their child. If donating clothing for the child his measurements are 3T to 4T. Miller said individuals could consider donating a gift card to places like WalMart or Target, where the family can purchase anything they will need to rebuild their lives. He said it can be from $5 to however much they want to donate. Gift cards can either be dropped in Miller’s mailbox or mailed to him at the Continued on page 10
A standing room only audience was on hand at the Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors meeting this past Tuesday, March 15. They came in response to rumors that were floating around concerning the Rails to Trails plans for acquiring rights to land. At the beginning of the dialogue, Supervisor Keith Hantz read a letter from Rails to Trails president Mrs. Meg Schell, in which she said she could not attend because the committee was unprepared. Near the end of the debate that went back and forth between the board and the audience, Supervisor Dell Grove expressed disappoint-
ment at Mrs. Schell not being present to answer questions of concern. “I don’t buy it,” he said, and asked the residents to “be patient and determined,” adding, “When they (the R-T committee) come in, lift the rock and let the sun in, bear with us and come to the March 27 meeting of the Supervisors.” It was noted that the committee would be meeting on Wednesday, March 21, and they could attend then. Grove requested that the board send a letter to Meg Schell informing her that she should be at the March 27 meeting. It was unanimously approved. In an earlier discussion, Chairman Darryl Snover emphasized that Lehigh Town-
ship is not providing any funds to the committee for their project of putting in a trail. Hantz said the area included is between Quince Road and Wood Drive. The residents’ concern is that they don’t want land taken away from them, and Butternut Drive was also in question. The letter from Mrs. Schell said there has been a lot of misinformation circulated. Hantz said the board needs to look at the easements, but Snover said they don’t really matter, adding that the landowners should work together. “There are always challenges, and the Rails to Trails committee needs to come to some
kind of agreement with them. It’s Continued on page 13
Northampton children collect $6,513.27 for leukemia patients By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
Col. John Siegfried Elementary School in Northampton had an assembly last Friday in which the final totals were announced in a collection of pennies and other change to benefit patients afflicted with leukemia. The 700 students gathered in the school gym and heard a report from teacher Gary Pierzga and members of the student council that $6,513.27 was raised in the “Pennies for Patients” drive. It set a new record, beating last year’s amount of $5,556.61. In all, over the four years the elementary students in Northampton have been raising funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, $19,363.29 has been collected. Collecting the most money was the second grade, $1,164.00, earning them a pizza party. Kindergarten was only $9.75 back, with $1,154.25. The most money donated was by Jacob Biery in Miss Allabach’s kindergarten classroom. Pamela Formica, campaign
INSIDE THIS WEEK: Cement Worker….8 QR Code ….14 Police Blotter....16
manager for the L&L Society in Allentown, said Siegfried School ranks third among the 18 counties in eastern Pennsylvania for the amount collected. “It’s amazing!” she said. Across the U.S., there are 13,000 children suffering from leukemia. Pierzga thanked Linda Stepp and Lynn Galgool of KNBT Bank for counting all the pennies, dimes, quarters and other change. Making the announcement in front of the cheering boys and girls were Olivia Daniels and Devin Thomma of student council.
Pierzga thanked Chief of Police Ron Morey for carrying the big buckets of change to the bank with the help of Mayor Tom Reenock. He also thanked the PTA, teachers and staff. Included among the change were 100,604 pennies, an amount that would stretch 1.2 miles, Pierzga said. He told the boys and girls how far that would go through the streets of Northampton. School Principal Carrie Belano welcomed the students and everyone else to the program.
$6,513.27 CHECK is handed by student council member Olivia Daniels to Pamela Formica of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in the “Pennies for Patients” drive. Others in front row (l-r) are Gary Pierzga, who headed the drive; Devin Thomma of student council; and Principal Carrie Belano. Behind them are Police Chief Ron Morey, Linda Stepp and Lynn Galgool of KNBT, and Mayor Tom Reenock. – Home News photo