Destructive pests costing Pennsylvania $50 million Annually, Page 5
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JANUARY 23-29, 2020
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Volunteers attend Sew-a-thon despite snow
by ERIN FERGUSON The devastation of the Australian fires prompted St. John’s Lutheran Church, located at 206 E. Main Street in Bath, to hold a sew-a-thon on January 18, in the Fellowship Hall, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Australian wildfires killed one billion animals and injured over 480 million. Due to this devastation, Australian animal rescues are in dire need of sewn items to help comfort and heal the injured kangaroos, wallabies, bats, koalas, and other native animals. “Australia has been experiencing wildfires for months now that are unprecedented. This is one of those things you see, and even though it’s so far away, you try to do anything you can to reach out and help,” said Connie Lusto, one of the organizers of the sewa-thon. Sewing patterns, which were approved by the rescues, were available during the sew-a-thon to create specific wraps and pouches. Knitters and crocheters were welcome to join in as well to help create nests for the smaller animals. Other volunteers helped by cutting fabrics and ironing them at the ironing stations. The rescue organizations
in Australia required the fabric to be cotton, which could come from old shirts, curtains or tablecloths. The volunteers were asked to bring sewing machines, threads of any color, scissors, pins, irons and ironing boards, rotary cutters, cutting mats, yard sticks, and their own knitting or crocheting tools. Many volunteers throughout the community gladly donated their time and sewing skills to help achieve the sew-a-thon’s goals. “Kathy Walsch, the other event organizer and the pastor’s wife, and myself are absolutely humbled by the many people from all over the area that braved the weather to come together to help our Australian neighbors. We had around 100 people show up and a bunch of them took fabric home with them when the weather started to get really bad out,” said Lusto. “Our volunteers sewed, knitted, and crocheted a total of 266 items, with more on the way. It was more than we could have hoped for and are so grateful for their time and donations,” added Lusto. The church provided snacks, sweet treats, lunch, and drinks to Continued on page 2
Sledding in Nazareth Borough Park on Jan. 19, photo by Gregory Morgan Photography.
Petition expected to be Circulated for Upper Nazareth Township library tax
By JASON KAMERY Early on in the Upper Nazareth Township Board of Supervisors meeting at 7 p.m. on Jan. 15 at the municipal building, supervisor Donna Hirst read a statement explaining a bit about the Board of Supervisor’s library budget. “Upper Nazareth Township budget meetings were advised and open to the public,” Hirst said. “Three supervisors attended both Upper Nazareth Township budget meetings. That was Mr. Rinker, Mr. Disbrow and myself. The library was fully represented only at the first meeting. During the two meetings, every line item of the budget was reviewed and
addressed. The library funding from the very beginning, from the first meeting, was $50,000.” Hirst continued her statement, discussing different discrepancies that were found by the Board of Supervisors and the process they went through to find answers for the discrepancies from the library. She concluded her statement with a suggestion for the library budget moving forward. “I respectfully submit the following suggestion,” Hirst said. “Maybe we should have a referendum on the library funding. It can be a separate tax like Open Spaces and voted on by Upper Nazareth Township residences. It
would put the funding decision into the Upper Nazareth Township community, which is where it belongs. Since it is believed the Board of Supervisors is antilibrary, which it’s not, the funding decision should be made by the residents.” Township solicitor Gary AsContinued on page 3
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