The Home News Your Local News
NOVEMBER 5-11, 2015
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Exchange Club saluting Football rivalry with Catty
NAZARETH BUSINESS
by BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
The 68th annual Bury-theHatchet program dinner meeting will be held by the Northampton Exchange Club on Tuesday, November 24 at the American Legion Post #415 located at 330 Second St. in Catasauqua. A social hour will begin at 5:30 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:30 p.m. Reservations are to be made with Paul Gieske. The 93rd football game between Northampton Area High
Skye Henry of The Beauty Exchange, Linda Troxell and Michele Schmidt of Merchants Bank, Nazareth at Cozze Cakes. (Story on Page 2.) – Contributed photo
School and Catasauqua Area High School will be played at Al Erdosy Stadium in Northampton on Thanksgiving Day morning, November 26, with the kickoff at 10:00 a.m. In the series between the two schools, Northampton has won 55 games, Catasauqua has won 33 games, and four games ended in a tie. Last year, Northampton broke Catasauqua’s three-game winning streak with a 33-14 victory. Last night, the dinner meeting Continued on page 9
Bath Council, school board head air safety for walkers by BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
Northampton Area School Board President David Gogel came to the meeting of Bath Borough Council on Monday night. It was to mutually find the best safety solution for students who walk to and from George Wolf Elementary School. “Safety is most important for our children,” said Gogel, with 130 boys and girls walking to school every school day. There are crossing guards, and both the Borough of Bath and the Northampton Area School District pay slightly more than $8,000 a year each for their service. Altogether, there are 20 safety people in the district. One suggestion was to have designated areas on the sidewalks, where students can cross streets. It was pointed out that the Allen St. intersection with Walnut St. (Rt. 512) is “horrendous” in the morning, and the feeling is that there should be more police presence by CRPD there. Gogel said there needs to be more dialogue between the borough and the district’s transportation people. Councilwomen Jennifer George and Carol Bear-Heckman have met with a local school representative and the idea for a specialty route was brought up. Gogel said if one is established, the children must be informed that it is the way they must go to and from school. Mayor Fiorella Mirabito agreed that Council should go to George Wolf School. The parents would need
to know about it, so they can stress the importance of a safety route to their children. Council president Mark Saginario told Gogel they never intended to eliminate school crossing guards, only transferring the responsibility to the school district. He encouraged Gogel to attend next Wednesday’s special budget meeting so they could have more dialogue.
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“Safety is most important for our children.” David Gogel
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Saginario said most residents don’t attend Council meetings, so they have been making the best decisions they can on various issues. A tax increase could pay for the guards if the borough residents want to pay for crossing guards (a total cost of about $17,000). Councilman Barry Fenstermaker and Ms. George said that after school, the kids stop at the playground and then disperse in all directions. She added that cars use the alleys and sometimes are side by side, so it is not safe for children who take shortcuts through the back alleys. Council will have the special budget meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. Other Matters • On public works, Saginario said they will continue the present work practices, and not let
the new union affiliation dictate what can and cannot be done. A fourth person will be hired for public works to even out the workload hours, especially during the winter plowing season. • Mary Kositz of the Bath Business Community Partnership and the farmer’s market said they met with the Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce and are now under 501 (c)(3), with funds being deposited there. Money raised in special events will remain in the borough. The liaison will be the Greater Bath Chamber. • In his Colonial Regional Police report, Saginario said they are very pleased with negotiations. . . .90% of the pension plan has been funded. . . .The 2016 budget has been approved, with Bath still to ratify it. . .No Shave Month is being observed by the officers to pinpoint prostate cancer. • Instead of a Bath Water Authority report, Boro Manager Brad Flynn suggested it should be a Health & Sanitation report. • Council voted to transfer $32,210 from developers escrow to the general fund. • Two resolutions were approved. . . .One supports Senate Bill 974 and House Bill 1510 known as the “Pa. Fairness Act,” which updates Pennsylvania’s protected classes to include gay and trans gender Pennsylvanians in the realms of housing, employment and public accommodation. (Saginario voted yes, but said the Constitution applies to all people.) . . .A second resolution authorizes the borough manager to execute a grant application
to the PennDOT transportation fund for the installation of adaptive traffic lights at four intersections in Bath. • Flynn reported that $3,300 has been approved in a TreeVitalize grant for trees in the borough, including the Old Forge tot lot. • CIPP funding for the municipal building study and street sweeper is expected by January. • Council discussed farmer’s market signage, with a vendor objecting that it includes “Bath” on the signs. Council agreed to talk it over with the objector, except Ms. Heckman, who voted against doing that. The market is in Bath, so why object to that name? • Truck traffic was discussed, designating both W. Northampton St. and Barrall Ave. for “No Trucks – Except Local Deliveries.” Mrs. Heckman said it should only be for Barrall Ave., a borough street. It would cost $68,000 to rebuild that street after heavy trucks ruin it. Before any action on the designation, an engineering study must be made for police enforcement. • If the borough gets a 2016 hotel tax grant, it would be used for the Siegfried Log Cabin. Mrs. George said a restoration person checked the cabin and found its interior very unique and decidedly Colonial. Its exterior, however, is not very good and needs siding, at a considerable cost. If the borough gets a grant it may be repaired, and will be under borough ownership. • In her report, Mayor Mirabito said Turn Bath Pink receipts Continued on page 5
Pieces of history in Nazareth Page 12
Focus on Folks 60+ Page 16
74th Year, Issue No. 45 www.homenewspa.com
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