Happy New Year!

Well, it's an hour before midnight on the 31st of December, 2008. In a few days, I'll post "2008 - The Year in Review" - our accomplishments, and what I hope to see in the next year here in Tatamy.

Thanks to all of my readers - the statistics that I get about visitors surprise me every day. I'll summarize them one day here when I have some spare time - there's lots of data to parse through, but here are some highlights. Since I started keeping statistics in March, we have had 2,443 visitors. Out of that 2,443 visitors, 187 of you have been back more than 200 times. For that, I thank each and every one of you. Who would have thought?

I hope 2008 was a good year for you, and please accept my best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, Safe and Prosperous 2009.

Thanks for reading!
Chris

Holiday Greetings!

Merry Christmas to all of my readers, with best wishes for a fantastic 2009!

Nazareth Area High School Contraband Sweep Ended

Well, the routine search of the Nazareth Area High School ended at 10:25AM. Here's a quote from an email I just received:

This will also serve as the response to any parents or press who would contact any HS staff member during this time.

Nazareth Area High School has completed conducting our annual canine search of the building and all lockers. Any illegal contraband located within the building will be addressed as per the Nazareth Area School District Drug and Alcohol Policy. In order to facilitate this search by the administration and local law enforcement officials, building security procedures for a non-emergency situation were implemented.

To our knowledge, at this time, there was no present danger of any illegal drugs or paraphernalia present on school property. This was simply a routine search that was conducted to ensure that our students and staff are able to teach and learn in a safe and drug free environment.

The building security procedures have been lifted and all students and staff have resumed their regular duties and mode of operation.

Thank you for your support and cooperation in ensuring that our students and staff are able to operate and receive their education in a safe and drug free environment.

Nazareth Area High School Drug/Contraband Sweep

It looks like the Nazareth Area High School is being searched today for drugs/weapons/other contraband. Here's a quote from the email I received just a few minutes ago:

This will also serve as the response to any parents or press who would contact any HS staff member during this time.

Nazareth Area High School is currently conducting our annual canine search of the building and all lockers. Any illegal contraband located within the building will be addressed as per the Nazareth Area School District Drug and Alcohol Policy. In order to facilitate this search by the administration and local law enforcement officials, building security procedures for a non-emergency situation have been implemented. At this time, teachers are still continuing with their regular academic instruction.

To our knowledge, at this time, there is no present danger of any illegal drugs or paraphernalia present on school property. This is simply a routine search being conducted to ensure that our students and staff are able to teach and learn in a safe and drug free environment.

Upon completion of the canine search, the building security procedures will be lifted and all students and staff will resume their regular duties and mode of operation.

Thank you for your support and cooperation in ensuring that our students and staff are able to operate and receive their education in a safe and drug free environment.

Tax Increase

Get ready for a tax increase folks. Council last night during a (very long and drawn out) special meeting approved an increase from 9.5 Mills to 11.5 Mills.

Why raise taxes you ask? Well, let me start by saying that I'm not a fan of raising taxes - ever, especially in this economy. However . . . the Borough needs to start 'saving for a rainy day'. For years we have held the tax rate steady at 9.5 Mills. Unfortunately the economy being what it is, expenses are steadily increasing, with the income remaining relatively the same.

Sorry guys - it's just the way it is. I wouldn't be surprised to see an additional increase next year. There was some discussion at length last night about Council trying to bundle trash collection into the taxes instead of sending semi-annual bills to everyone. Stay tuned - that's a whole year away. For now, make sure that you pay your (exorbitantly large)trash bills on time!

See you around town!

Tree Lighting Tonight!

Don't forget - the Tatamy Tree Lighting is tonight at 6:30 PM at the Municipal Building - 423 Broad St., Tatamy.

I hope to see you there!

2009 Tatamy Borough Meeting Schedule

Here is the 2009 Tatamy Borough meeting schedule. Unless otherwise stated, all meetings will be held at the Tatamy Borough Hall, 423 Main Street, Tatamy, PA at 7:30PM Prevailing Time. Mark your calendars!

TATAMY BOROUGH COUNCIL
Tatamy Borough Council will meet on Monday, January 5, 2009 for Reorganization and a regular monthly meeting. Regular meetings for the remainder of the year will be held on the first Monday of every month, with the exception of September, which will be held on Tuesday, September 7, 2009. A special meeting will be held on Monday December 21, 2009 to adopt the 2010 Budget.

TATAMY BOROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION
Tatamy Borough Planning Commision will meet on the second Tuesday of every month with the exception of September, which will be held on Wednesday, September 9th.

TATAMY BOROUGH SEWER AUTHORITY
Tatamy Borough Sewer Authority will meet on the second Thursday of every month.

TATAMY BOROUGH POLICE COMMITTEE
Tatamy Borough Police Committee will meet on the last Thursday of every month except for November, which will be held on Wednesday November 25, 2009 and December, which will be held on Wednesday, December 23, 2009.

2009 Proposed Tatamy Borough Budget

The proposed 2009 Tatamy Borough budget is available for public inspection through December 15, 2008 at the Borough Office - 423 Main Street - Tatamy between the hours of 9AM to 5PM Monday through Friday daily.

The proposed General Fund budget = $527,354.00
The proposed Highway Aid budget = $32,504.00
The proposed Refuse Fund budget = $146,148.00

The proposed 2009 Tax Rate is 11 Mills.

Tatamy Borough Council will vote on the budget at a special meeting on Monday, December 15, 2008 at 7:30PM at the Borough Office.

Christmas Tree Lighting Sunday

The annual lighting of our Christmas Tree will be held this coming Sunday, December 7 at the Municipal Building. The festivities start at 6:30PM, and Santa arrives courtesy of the Tatamy Fire Company around 7. It's always a fun event - my family and I hope to see you there!

December Borough Council Roundup

OK - a little late, but better late than never. Here's a summary of this past Monday's Borough Council meeting:

PLANNING AND ZONING:
1. Rental Agreement Form for Landlords. The Planning Commission has prepared, and the Borough Solicitor has reviewed and approved, a new form to be sent to all landlords to complete to identify their tenants. Council approved. The form will be sent to the landlords at the beginning of the year.

2. Crosswalk at the corner of 7th and Main. The planning commission presented a request to have a crosswalk installed at the corner of 7th and Main Streets. A motion was made by me to have a crosswalk installed. I felt it was the right thing to do - it's a school bus stop and a lot of residents use that intersection to go between North Tatamy and the main portion of town. Council and the Police Chief discussed the issue at length, and the motion ultimately failed, 4 to 2. Chapter 35, Subchapter C, Sections 3542 and 3543 of the Pennsylvania Motor Vehicle Code outlines the rules concerning pedestrian crossing and rights of way (if you're so inclined, you can read it here). Bottom line, pedestrians in a crosswalk have the right of way. The fear is that if a crosswalk is installed, pedestrians would step into the crosswalk and automatically expect vehicles to stop. We don't want to see anyone get hurt. Without a crosswalk, vehicles have the right of way and the burden is placed solely on the pedestrian to determine whether or not it's safe to cross.

Engineers Report
1. Municipal Map Update. Its time to update the official municipal map. Council has forwarded to the Planning Commission for their recommendation as to what they want to see on the map (e.g. public buildings, parks, etc).

2. "Jake Brake" Retarder Study. Bob Mack has stated that there should not be any issues with PennDOT and we have given him the authority to draft and submit to PennDOT for approval a draft ordinance to implement a ban on the use of Jake Brakes in Tatamy on 8th and Main Streets. PennDOT has to grant approval before we can advertise and pass an ordinance. Stay tuned . . .

3. Chrin Commerce Centre Plan Recording. The final plan for the Chrin Commerce Centre has been signed and recorded with the County.

4. Tatamy Hunt Street Dedication. 5 of 9 lights have been activated. Word is that MetEd has to replace a defective piece of equipment to energize the remaining four lights. The ordinance for street dedication will be presented at the 12/15 special meeting.

Solicitors Report
1. A revised Peddler's Ordinance was reviewed and approved by Council.

That's about it folks. Please note that there is a special meeting that is scheduled to be held on 12/15 at 7:30PM to discuss and pass the 2009 operating budget.

See you around town!

Bushkill Creek Fishkill Update

Apparently the investigation concerning why the Bushkill Creek dried up earlier this year is continuing.

The Express Times has an article in today's paper here.

Let There (almost) Be Light!

Can you believe that last night 5 of the 9 street lights in Tatamy Hunt were actually on? I believe MetEd will be back in the next day or so to finish up - something about replacing a damaged piece of equipment. There is hope after all!

John - stop complaining about that bright light shining into your window - HA!

Council Roundup coming later today. Stay tuned! :-)

12/1 Borough Council Meeting - Agenda

Hello everyone! I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving Holiday, and that you didn't eat too much - HA!

Can you believe it's December already? The following items of interest are on the agenda for tomorrow night's Borough Council meeting:

PLANNING
1. Rental Agreement Form for Landlords

2. Yes/No on a crosswalk at the corner of Main and 7th. This is a school bus stop, and is frequently used by folks walking from the main part of town to North Tatamy. I vote "yes". Let's see what my colleagues think.

ENGINEER
1. Municipal map update
2. Jake Brake Ordinance update
3. Recording of the plans for the Chrin Commerce Centre
4. Dedication of streets in Tatamy Hunt (contingent of course on having the street lights turned on. At last check, you guessed it, they were still dark).

SOLICITOR
1. Adoption of a revised Peddler's Ordinance
2. Tatamy Hunt Street Lights (need I say more?)

BUDGET
The 2nd reading of the 2009 Tatamy Borough Budget will be read.

That's all folks. Borough Council meets tomorrow evening, 12/1/2008 at 7:30PM at the Borough Hall. I hope to see you there!

Street Lighting - Update

At the December council meeting, Borough Council is scheduled to formally adopt the streets in the Tatamy Hunt sub division. A letter was sent by Borough Solicitor, Elviria LaBarre to the attorney for the developer telling them that unless the lights are turned on, the borough will not adopt the streets.

Knowing how much they want the streets dedicated (and their escrow money released), here's to hoping that they will get this resolved before our 12/1 meeting. However, if past history is any indication of future performance, I'm not holding my breath. Here's hoping folks . . .

Perhaps its time for the residents living in Tatamy Hunt to send a letter or email to the developer - telling him how much they love their houses, especially at night, in the dark. While you're at it, you might want to thank him for installing the beautiful light posts. They do look nice - in the daytime.

The Lights are Still Out . . .

As mentioned in my November Borough Council Roundup, we were told that MetEd was targeting this past Friday, 11/14/2008 to have the street lights in Tatamy Hunt energized. Well, Friday has come and past and, I'm sure to nobody's surprise, the lights aren't on.

I'm going to make a few phone calls tomorrow to see if I can't get any information. I'll keep you posted.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown

Tonight I had the privilage of attending the final performance of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, at the Nazareth Area Middle School. What a show - the kids did a super job. For two hours I felt as though I was immersed in the Sunday Peanuts comic. A special shout out to Tatamy's very own John Nadolski (son of our Tax Collector John), who played the part of Linus. WOW! I believe he may have a future in theatre! My own son Jordan was the Assistant to the Director (he prefers being "behind the scenes"). If I left anyone else from Tatamy out, I apologize in advance (I'm sorry but don't know everyone).

The standing ovation at the end of tonight's show was well deserved. I can't wait until the spring performance.

You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown!

I'm Being Followed . . .

OK - so I don't come here as often as I should, but when I signed on tonight I got a message that I was being followed. It came as quite a shock actually - who would be following (or, for that matter, want to follow) little old me? Was it a stalker? Some crazed nut looking to corner me in some dark unlit corner on Green Street? No, it was none other than fellow Lehigh Valley blogger Bernie O'Hare.

I highly recommend and read his blog daily. It's very insightful. I don't know why I didn't add him to my links page until now, I just didn't. Anyway, it's there now. Go check it out. I promise you, you won't be disappointed.

Thanks for following me Bernie!

Election Day Roundup - Tatamy Borough Summary and County Roll-up

Wow - what a turnout yesterday! Thanks to everyone who took time out of their busy days to come down to Hope Lutheran Church to cast a vote in what turned out to be a very historical election.

I thought I'd provide some local statistics.

Please note these results are UNOFFICIAL. Source: Northampton County. First - Tatamy . . .

TATAMY BOROUGH SUMMARY
Total Registered Voters: 751
Total Turnout: 547 + 23 Absentees = 570 or 75.9%.
I don't know if this is a borough record, but it certainly is impressive. Now if we could only get this many people to come and vote in EVERY election!

President
Obama/Biden (D): 265
McCain/Palin (R): 287
Nader/Gonzalez (I): 8
Barr/Root (LIB): 8

Attorney General
Morganelli (D): 312
Corbett (R): 222
Rogers (LIB): 6

Auditor General
Wagner (D): 262
Beiler (R): 244
Summers (LIB): 8

Representative in Congress - 15th District
Bennett (D): 192
Dent (R): 339

Representative in the General Assembly - 137th District
Grucela (D): 376 (Unopposed)

Water/Sewer Bond Referendum
Yes: 214
No: 134

Northampton County Controller
Yes: 218
No: 117

Now - the Northampton County Rollup - Key Races that affect Tatamy:

Total Registered Voters: 208,521
Total Turnout: 131,225 + 6,158 Absentees = 137,383 or 65.88%.

PRESIDENT
Obama/Biden (D): 74,956
McCain/Palin (R): 58,352
Nader/Gonzalez (I): 1,251
Barr/Root (LIB): 524

Attorney General
Morganelli (D): 78,842
Corbett (R): 47,966
Rogers (LIB): 1,387

Auditor General
Wagner (D): 70,721
Beiler (R): 48,590
Summers (LIB): 1,962

State Treasurer
McCord (D): 66,883
Ellis (R): 52,234
Etzel (LIB): 1,702

Representative in Congress - 15th District
Bennett (D): 53,302
Dent (R): 74,754

Representative in the General Assembly - 137th District
Grucela (D): 23,217 (Unopposed)

Water/Sewer Bond Referendum
Yes: 47,754
No: 33,732

Northampton County Controller
Yes: 50,017
No: 29,679

November Borough Council Roundup

Here's a summary of last night's council meeting:

1. Jake Braking - Bob Mack (Borough Engineer) is going to be moving forward with the drafting of the ordinance for PennDOT review (they're required to sign-off on all anti-engine braking ordinances before municipalities pass them). Hopefully we can get something passed soon. More to come on this topic next month.

2. Signature Homes/Tatamy Farms Development Extension - Mr. Tom Maloney was at the council meeting last night and requested another six-month extension. The market conditions as most of you know are not conducive for real-estate development, nobody is buying houses right now, so he's not in a position to begin building. Hearing no opposition from anyone present, Council granted the six-month extension. We will readdress again in May.

3. Tatamy Hunt Street Lighting - After several attempts at faxing the inspection reports, MetEd FINALLY received a copy of them Monday morning and are now working to get the lights energized. Right now their target date is Friday, 11/14/2008. Hopefully we can get it done sooner, but that's the date that we were given. Stay tuned.

4. Tatamy Hunt Street Dedication - Council and the Developer have agreed on the terms of the dedication of the streets in Tatamy Hunt. This will most likely happen at the December council meeting.

5. The first reading of the 2009 Operating Budget was presented.

6. Northampton County has announced a program whereby residents without prescription drug coverage are eligible to receive a 22% discount off the cost of their prescriptions. If you're interested, please see Joanne in the Borough Office for the paperwork.

That's about it for this month. GET OUT AND VOTE!

Election Day Update

As of about 12:45 this afternoon, there were 283 voters through the polls. That's an awesome turnout. I can only imagine what it's going to be like later today.

Please get out there and show your support by voting for the candidate of your choice!

Thanks and maybe I'll see you later this afternoon at the polls!

Election Day

Tomorrow, Tuesday, November 4, 2008 is Election Day. Please exercise your right to vote in what might be the most important election in a very long time. Our polling place is located at the Hope Lutheran Church on 8th Street. The polls are open from 7AM until 8PM.

The Lehigh Valley League of Women Voters has published their annual Voters Guide, which can be found here.

GET OUT THE VOTE!

See you at the polls!

Tonight's Council Meeting Agenda

In case you're interested, the following items are on the agenda to be discussed at tonight's Borough Council meeting (in no particular order):

JT Maloney - Signature Homes - Extension Request

Tatamy Hunt
- Water Drainage Issues
- Street Lighting (will this never end?)

Updating the Municipal Map

Traffic Light Agreement with Chrin

Tatamy's Website

2009 Operating Budget - FIRST READING

Council meets tonight at 7:30PM in the Municipal Building. See you there!

Borough Council Monday Night

Now that October is all but over (Happy Halloween everyone) I wanted to remind you that Borough Council meets on Monday night (November 3rd) at 7:30PM at the Borough Hall. Among the items we're going to be discussing are the first reading of the borough Budget (there are three readings total), and, perhaps even more important, the continued lack of progress toward getting the lights turned on over in Tatamy Hunt. I encourage everyone to come to the meeting - i) to hear the budget reading, and ii) to get the latest information on the (lack of) progress toward getting the lights turned on in Tatamy Hunt. As I understand it, MetEd is waiting on information (an inspection report for the lighting installation I believe) from Mr. Steve Goffredo, the Project Coordinator for the developer. This documentation was supposed to have been provided weeks ago - why it hasn't (or if it has and was misplaced) will be determined on Monday.

I hope to see you there! Have a great weekend everyone! :-)

Trick-or-Treat - Friday!

Tatamy's Trick-or-Treat is scheduled for this coming Friday evening, Halloween, 10/31/2008 from 6 to 8PM. See you there!

I advise Tatamy Hunt residents to have a flashlight handy. It appears that MetEd is still waiting on some documentation from the developer's project manager before they can energize the lights. All this inaction is driving me absolutely crazy, but unfortunately the ball is not in our court right now.

Tatamy Hunt Street Lighting

I wanted to let you know that I have escalated the Tatamy Hunt Street Lighting to the next level. At the last Council meeting we approved the resolution, and sent everything off to MetEd to have the lights turned on. As of last night at 9PM, they weren't on, so I made some calls this morning to find out what's going on.

Stay tuned . . .

Voter Registration Ends Tomorrow

Are you planning on voting in the November Presidential Election? If so, and you're not already a registered voter, you have until the end of the day tomorrow to register.

The Northampton County Voter Registration Office can be located at 670 Wolf Ave., Easton PA 18042-4343
Tel: (610) 559-3055

Borough Council - Monday 10/6/2008

Are you wondering what's on the agenda for Monday night's council meeting? Some items of interest include:

1. Discussion of repairs to the streets in Tatamy Hunt where there are low spots that allow ponding after rain storms.

2. Review of the agreement with MetEd and Tatamy Hunt to have the street lights turned on.

3. Mail Delivery. Keep in mind that the Post Office has control over this issue. The borough has absolutely NOTHING to say in this matter. It is not the Borough's decision to change the way that mail is delivered - that is all up to the post office.

4. I will be presenting for approval the final version of our new website. I have spent many hours putting it together, tearing it apart and putting it back together again and I'm pretty happy with the final version. If you haven't seen it yet, please do take a look around. A few things to note -- this website isn't costing the borough anything other than the purchase of a domain name. I will maintain it, and the server space is being donated by a local IT services firm.

If you're not busy on Monday, come to the meeting.

See you around town!

Sonic to Open on Monday!

So I called down to Sonic today to see if they were open yet. They said "no", but they are opening at 11AM on Monday.

Maybe I'll stop there for supper on Monday night to try it - especially since it's a Council night and I won't have much time to fix dinner.

Borough Website Almost Ready!

It's almost ready folks - the new Tatamy Borough Website is almost finished. Thanks to the feedback that I have received from a lot of you, I've been hard at work and made a lot of changes. You can get a sneak peek here. If you check it out, please email me and let me know what you think. I'll announce the official domain name hopefully later this week.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Safe Water and Fire Company Breakfast

Well, in case you haven't guessed by now, the water in town has been declared safe to drink. I apologize for not updating the blog, but thought most of you probably already knew.

My son Jordan and I had a fantastic breakfast this morning at the Tatamy Fire Company. If you haven't had the chance to enjoy breakfast at the Fire Company, give it a try. They give you plenty of food, everything's great, and for $5.50, you can't beat it. Plus, you're supporting a great cause. Breakfast is served the third Sunday of every month, from September through May, from 7:30AM until 12:30PM. We hope to see you there!

It looks like it's going to be a good week weather wise. Let's enjoy it - tomorrow is the first day of Autumn, and, as we all know, the long, cold days of winter are drawing closer and closer every day.

Have a good week everyone!

Boil Water Advisory In Effect

Pennsylvania American Water Company has issued a Boil Water Advisory for folks in the Tatamy area until further notice. From WFMZ:

The Pennsylvania American Water Company has issued a MANDATORY BOIL WATER ADVISORY for customers in parts of Northampton County. They say an equipment malfunction has led to lower disinfectant levels and an increased chance that the water may contain disease-causing organisms. Customers may experience low water pressure or no water pressure while the situation is being resolved. The boil water advisory applies to customers in the following municipalities: Easton, Nazareth, Upper Nazareth, Palmer, Pen Argyl, Plainfield Township, Saylorsburg, Stockertown, Tatamy, Wind Gap, Bushkill Township, and Forks Township.

Tatamy Hunt Streetlighting - A Resolution

I received the following from Bob Mack (our Borough Engineer) today and thought I'd share it with you.

Met Ed assured us that, if Council votes to turn the lights on “now” and have the developer pay the energy cost, they will move on the turn on request as soon as Council passes the necessary resolution.

Basically, this means that Council will be presented with a resolution to review and approve at the October 6th Council Meeting. Once approved by Council, MetEd will be directed to turn on the power to the streetlights. There is much work to do on the part of the developer, the Borough Engineer and MetEd with regard to the eventual redesign and replacement of the streetlighting system in Tatamy Hunt, but it looks like we're finally moving forward.

According to Bob,

MetEd would act within 2 or 3 days from their receipt of the resolution from Council.

So there you have it folks. Light at the end of the tunnel (sorry, I just couldn't help myself).

See you around town!

Home Mail Delivery - Changes (May be) Coming!

Could it be that the days of going to the Post Office to get our mail are coming to a close? Perhaps, if the US Postal Service has their way.

Our mailboxes come up for renewal every year. The Postal Service is now requiring the owner of a free Post Office Box (e.g. most of us in Tatamy) to fill out a "Request for Rural Delivery" application which, if approved by the Postal Service, will require residents to install a rural type mailbox by the curb. Because the Postal Service will only provide one free method of mail delivery for each of their clients, if you are approved for rural delivery but want to keep your PO Box, you'll be required to pay for it. I'm not sure what the fee is (maybe $50/year?) but will find out.

Personally, I don't have a clue how this will work for those of us in town. There's no way the Postal Service will be able to drive down Broad, High or Main Streets in their Jeep delivering mail to each resident's box. Will they make us install cluster boxes? Will our applications for rural delivery service even be approved? These are all questions that I'm sure we're all going to have. I'll try to get more information and update the blog when I have it. For now I guess it's "stay tuned".

Hollo Road - It's OPEN!

Once again you can now head down Hollo Road to 248 and points beyond. They opened the road sometime yesterday (9/5/08). You can't yet go through the industrial park (it's blocked off), but the link between 248 and Van Buren Road is F I N A L L Y reopened!

Borough Council Roundup

Hello folks . . . here are the highlights from last night's council meeting.

1. Traffic Signal - 8th and Main Street. Mr. Chrin was in last night and proposed to Council that they assume responsibility for the installation of this signal. We have been holding money in escrow from the Tatamy Hunt developer for the installation of the signal, which, if all parties agree to Chrin's proposal, would be applied toward the project. There are some legal agreements that need to be worked out, but it looks like things are moving forward in this regard. Speaking of Mr. Chrin, things are moving along nicely with the Porsche project (in the Palmer portion of the development), and I believe they will be starting the building foundation in the very near future.

2. Street Lighting - Tatamy Hunt. Well, I thought we were close to resolving this issue, but once again it appears we're back at square one. The developer of Tatamy Hunt presented us with a few options on Friday afternoon that they received from MetEd. Apparently now it seems that since MetEd didn't install the lights, they won't accept the ownership of them, all they'll do is maintain them (e.g. lamps and photocells), should anything go wrong with them (internal workings, ballasts, underground wiring, etc.) we (the borough) would be responsible to repair them. Unfortunately we're not in a position to do that financially, so we're faced with a few options: i) get a cost to rip out the existing lights and have MetEd come and install new ones. In my opinion this is not a good use of resources (time, money, materials or people, nor would it get the lights turned on any faster); ii) come up with a cost figure to assess the developer for any future repair work that may need to be done and invest that money in an interest bearing escrow account; iii) deal with the issues as is and contract with MetEd to have the lights turned on and worry about future costs later (not a wise idea). The borough solicitor and engineer will be working with the developer to establish the cost figures and determine the next steps. Hopefully we can work all this out this month. Stay tuned . . .

3. Potential Jake Brake Ordinance. Blog Reader Shawn emailed this to me yesterday:

It would be nice if the town would consider installing a sign for trucks not to use jake brakes while passing Tatamy Hunt in the early hours of the morning.

Well Shawn, I brought this up for discussion and the engineer will be getting us some information on drafting a potential ordinance for review. Apparently this restriction requires approval by PennDOT, but we all think it is a good idea. Thanks for the suggestion!

4. Borough Website. Still under construction but making progress. I hope to have it wrapped up this month. I'll announce it here.

That's about it. See you around town!

Tatamy Borough Website

Progress is steadily being made and I'm happy to announce that I'm close to finishing. It's not quite ready for prime time yet - but if you want to take a sneak peek at what it might look like, click here and have a look around. Please email me with feedback and let me know what you think.I hope that the official announcement will come soon. Stay tuned!

** UDPATED 9/2/2008 at 9:26AM ET **

Fire Company Cited

Uh oh - it looks like the Tatamy Fire Company may have been cited for possession or operation of gambling devices. Read the Express Times story here.

Tatamy Hunt Streetlighting

Pardon the pun, but there may be a "light at the end of the tunnel" (sorry, I couldn't help myself).

More information will follow at Tuesday's council meeting. Please join us for the official update at that time.

Hollo Road Update

Could it be possible that Hollo Road may be opening soon? I drove by there on my way to work this morning and the construction workers were moving the concrete barriers away from the new bridge over the Shoeneck (sp?) Creek and the "Road Closed" barricades at the corner of Hollo and Van Buren. Stay tuned . . .

** UPDATE ** 8/28/2008 10:10AM
I spoke with Palmer Township this morning. They indicated that their side still needs to be inspected, and they hope to have it open by the end of next week, or 9/5/2008. I'm still trying to get some information from Lower Nazareth, and will post something here if/when I hear anything.

2008 Tatamy Car Show

Better late than never, here are some photos from the 2008 Tatamy Car Show. Special thanks to the Tatamy Historical Society and to the owners of these awesome cars who braved the questionable weather (yes, it rained AGAIN) and brought their cars out to share them with the rest of us.

Comments . . .

First, I want to thank all (2 of) my faithful readers. I'm just kidding about the 2 part - I know quite a few folks read this blog. Can you believe I've actually gotten hits from Iraq and Russia? Go figure . . .

Anyway, the purpose of this post is concerning comments. As much as I love to read your comments (please keep them coming), I had to make a change to require folks to sign-in to leave comments. Even with the little "fill in the letters" field thing, I have been receiving tons and tons of SPAM that I need to weed through every day. More often than not, there weren't any comments to be had. The other advantage of this will allow me to reply directly to any questions that you had.

As always, you can always email me or leave me voice mail messages using the links below and on the right hand side of the page.

Thanks again for reading! See you soon! :)

Borough Council Roundup - August 2008

Hello everyone! I know, you've probably thought I dropped off the face of the earth. That's probably the farthest from the truth. Life has a way of getting ahead of you at times.

In any event, this month's Borough Council meeting was relatively short as Council meetings go, and the only thing worth reporting on was the Tatamy Hunt Streetlighting. It seems we're still at an impasse with the utility (MetEd). Our Engineer Bob Mack is supposed to be reaching out to them to find out what our other options are - to include potentially digging up the wiring so it can be inspected by the utility so they can assume liability for the maintenance of the lights. The issue is that the Borough doesn't have the resources to maintain the street lights on our own. All the other lights in the Borough are maintained by PP&L. Since PP&L isn't the provider of electric service in Tatamy Hunt (through an agreement with MetEd and PPL devised by the builder - the only logic I can assume was for convenience) PPL won't assume responsibility for the lights. The Borough isn't a client of MetEd, so they won't take care of them either. During the meeting, I asked if the Palmer Township portion of the development had streetlights. The answer was "yes", and that is because Palmer has their own Public Works department that maintains them. I suggested that if we don't get anywhere with MetEd or PPL, perhaps we could approach Palmer and see what they can offer us. Bottom line - the folks in Tatamy Hunt need street lighting. With the shorter days of autumn and winter not too far down the road, this needs to be finished - quickly.

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Some Thoughts . . .

I apologize for the lack of posting lately. I have been computerless - my home PC crashed (along with all my data - thankfully I had backups of everything that was important).

There have been a few questions posted (via comments) here that I have neglected to answer, so here goes, in no particular order:

1. "How come the office door is always closed?" It's summertime and the air conditioning is on. The office hours are clearly posted on the door. If you find that the office is locked when it's supposed to be open (and there's no notice posted on the door) please let me know immediately.

2. "Who is minding the hours of the secretaries other than themselves; who monitors their expenditures; who reviews their actions?" That responsibility ultimately lies with the Borough Council President, who assures me that he's minding the store. Regarding the expenditures, Council reviews and approves, monthly, the budget and spending for the entire borough, not just the borough office.

3. "Why is the office being used as an Avon distribution depot?" That's a new one. Do you have proof? If so, please let me know and I'll investigate futher.

4. "What are the chances of an official borough website?" Well, it just so happens that I'm working on a beta version of a website as we speak. Unfortunately all the data was lost in my computer crash (it wasn't included in my backups) so now I'm starting again from scratch. Be on the lookout for something soon. BTW - our domain name is "tatamypa.org".

5. The July council roundup will be coming - probably later this evening or tomorrow night.

Thanks for the feedback. It's very helpful.

See you around town!

Porsche Coming to Chrin Commerce Centre

Porsche announced last night at the Palmer Township Supervisors Meeting that they plan to build a 130,000 square foot facility in the Palmer Township section of the Chrin Commerce Centre. The building will also include a 15,000 square foot indoor test track for driving their latest vehicles and reviewing information with dealers. Formal plans will be submitted once Palmer Township rezones the area to allow projects such as this. Supervisors recommended 3-0 to send the recommended changes to the Planning Commission.

This facility will replace the planned Porsche facility that was proposed and approved along Newburg Road in Lower Nazareth Township. That deal fell through due to the large number of restrictions Lower Nazareth put on the industrial park.

While in Palmer, I believe that this is a huge win for the area overall. The Express Times has an article here. Stay tuned - I'm sure there will be more to follow.

June Borough Council Round-up

Hello everyone - here's a brief summary of the June Council Meeting held last Monday for all those who are interested:

1. Dale Fern attended a class that discussed putting together a rental property inspection and presented the results of the class to Council. Council asked Dale to form a committee to determine the types of requirements and what would be needed to put together a program to inspect rental properties within the borough, to include fees, timing, etc. We will most likely readdress this next month.

2. Zoning Officer John Soloe presented a new proposed fee schedule; basically upgrading our permit and application fees to align with other municipalities, and to allow for more commercial development. Council tabled further discussion on this until next month.

3. Borough Engineer Bob Mack presented a few items:

- A report on the street lights in the new Chrin Commerce Center - they are in fact powered by PPL feeds, so we won't have to deal with the same issue that we've been dealing with for months now in the Tatamy Hunt subdivision with the change in power providers (MetEd vs. the borough's provider PPL Utilities) when it comes time to turn on the street lights. Speaking of the street lights in Tatamy Hunt, we are no closer to coming to an agreement on that one. I believe the borough is going to go back to the developer and make them resolve it.

- The contractor for the Chrin Commerce Center may be coming before Council next month to request i) a realignment of a few lot lines to make them align with the Palmer Township/Tatamy Borough line, and ii) to rename a few of the streets within the development to accomodate a potential tenant.

4. Council (me) presented a few ideas to the Borough Secretary on how to improve her meeting notes. For those of you who attend the meetings regularly, you will know that I and a few others are very particular with the minutes that are published, and will not hesitate to point out mistakes, misspellings, etc. that are contained in them. The minutes of our meetings are public records - they will go on in history forever - and if they are not 100% accurate, do not reflect what truly went on. Anyway, I gave her some suggestions, and hope to see some real improvement soon. We shall see . . .

5. Just a reminder, in preparation for the completion of the new High Street Park, the new stop sign has been installed at the corner of 6th and High Streets. This is now a 4-way stop intersection! Please pay special attention to it (e.g. don't go through it . . . ).

6. Larry Koehler, Chairman of the Sewer Authority, reported that they will, at this month's meeting, plan to adopt the new fee schedule. Sewer billing will be delayed by a week and will reflect the new schedule.

That's about it for this month. As always, let me know if you have any questions!

Thanks for stopping by.

Borough Council - Tonight 7:30

Well, since I was delinquent in providing the roundup for last month (shame on me), I wanted to remind you all that tonight at 7:30 we shall get together again for what I'm sure will be a most lively discussion (HA!).

Hope to see you there!

Memorial Day 2008 - A Recap

As usual, The Memorial Day service was super. We couldn't have asked for a better day weatherwise.

Mayor Duignam welcomed all of us shortly after 1PM on Monday:


It wouldn't be Memorial Day in Tatamy without Joe McHale singing "In Flanders Fields". Thanks Joe!



Ralph Romano provided the musical accompaniment. Thanks Ralph!



Boy Scout Troop 78, Awanas 2314, Brownie Troop 882 lead us with the Pledge of Allegiance and the placed of the Memorial Wreath:


Nathan Werkheiser read "It Was Our Veterans" (helped out a bit by Mayor Duignam):



SGT Phil Cohen (our only Marine Corps representative this year) told us a bit of his tour of duty in Vietnam. Did you know that Phil received a Silver Star, Bronze Star, Vietnamese Cross for Gallantry and TWO Purple Hearts?:


Here are some other shots from the day:

Our Police Chief (and Air Force Veteran) - George Achenbach (another shutterbug - HA!):


The Doughboy:


Tatamy's Veterans (what a motley looking bunch :-):


The only "disappointment" if there could be one was the amount of people who came to show their support. It seems that every year fewer and fewer people come to the service, and that's a disappointment. Hopefully we can get the word out next year and get some more folks to come and salute our veterans.

Memorial Day Service - ** REMINDER **

Don't forget - please join us at the Borough Hall at 1PM on Monday 5/26 for our Memorial Day Service.

There will be some light refreshments (Hot Dogs, Soda and ? ? ?) after the service.

Please come and honor our veterans, past, and present, who served our great country.

See you there!

Bike Rodeo - What a Day!

We had a nice turnout for our first ever Bike Rodeo. The kids who came out appeared to have a great time.

Thanks to the Tatamy Police Department, Chief Achenbach, Corporal Fred (sorry Fred, I'm not going to even attempt your last name - HA!); Colonial Regional Police Department, Nazareth Borough Police Department, Curt's Cyclery in Nazareth, and the rest of you who helped make our event a success (sorry, but I'm terrible with names so please forgive me).

The Express Times had a nice picture on their website tonite:

.

I know that Chief Achenbach took quite a few pictures today also, and I will post them here when he sends them to me.

Tatamy Bike Rodeo

Come one, come all to the first annual Tatamy Bike Rodeo this coming Saturday!

Main Street Bridge Update

Hot off the presses - it looks like PennDOT is FINALLY committing to repairing/replacing the Main Street bridge within, are you ready for this - the next three years. Well, at least that means something, right?

Anyway, Governor Rendell issued a press release today, announcing an accelerated bridge repair program under the "Rebuild Pennsylvania" umbrella. According to an article in the Express Times, bridges in Northampton County include:

three Route 191 spans, one each on routes 412 and 946, the Henry Road bridge in Bushkill Township and the Tatamy bridge across the Bushkill Creek.

Well, here's to hoping, anyway.

Tatamy's Trail May Expand

If you're like me, you enjoy walking on the Tatamy Trail. The Delaware and Lehigh National Heritage Corridor has partnered with Urban Research and Development from Bethlehem to explore the potential of connecting the existing trails such as ours in Stockertown, and Plainfield and Palmer Townships to the Appalachian Trail to the north, and Easton to the south.

The Morning Call has an article about it here.

Sewer Authority Update

As mentioned in my April Council Meeting Update the Sewer Authority is planning on changing their rates.

They are planning on voting on the resolution to amend their fee schedule at tomorrow night's Sewer Authority Meeting. It begins at 7:30PM EDT, is open to the public and you are more than welcome to attend.

Council Meeting Update

I know I've been delinquent (sorry . . . ) and I owe you an update of last week's Borough Council meeting. I hope to have something up by the end of the week. Stay tuned!

Rep. Grucela Announces a NASD Property Tax Reduction

I got this in an email from Rep. Grucela this morning:

I’m pleased to announce that homeowners living in the Nazareth Area School District can expect to see an estimated $218 reduction in their school property taxes this summer.

The cuts for Nazareth Area homeowners are made possible by the more than $612 million in slots proceeds in the state’s Property Tax Relief Fund. The school district will receive the slots money from the state and will use it to adjust local homeowners’ property tax bills.

Coupled with the property tax relief available to low-income seniors who need it most through the expanded Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program, the state will provide more than $786 million in tax cuts next year.

The Property Tax/Rent Rebate Program offers rebates of up to $650, but for seniors who earn less than $30,000 and whose property taxes are more than 15 percent of their income, the rebate will be increased by an additional 50 percent.

Although complete property tax elimination is my ultimate goal, and I have a proposal before the House that would address the antiquated school funding formula, the property tax relief that Nazareth Area homeowners will see this summer is a welcome first step.

2008-2009 Nazareth Area School District Calendar

For those of you who are interested, the Nazareth Area School District has posted their approved 2008-2009 School Calendar on their website.

For planning purposes, I thought I'd outline some key dates:

AUGUST
8/22: First day for staff (Professional Development)
8/25: Orientation for Kindergarten, Grade 6 and Grade 9; No school for other students.
8/26: First day of school for all students
8/29: No school for students

SEPTEMBER
9/1: No school - Labor Day Holiday

OCTOBER
10/13 and 10/14: No school for students

NOVEMBER
11/21 through 11/25: Early Dismissal; Parent Teacher Conferences
11/26: Early Dismissal
11/27 and 11/28: Thanksgiving Holiday

DECEMBER
12/1: Thanksgiving Holiday
12/23: Early Dismissal
12/24 through 12/31: Winter Break

JANUARY
1/1 and 1/2: Winter Break
1/19: No school for students

FEBRUARY
2/16: No school - President's Day Holiday

MARCH
3/17 through 3/19: Early Dismissal - Parent Teacher Conferences

APRIL
4/6 through 4/13: Spring Break (** NOTE ** 4/6 and 4/7 are designated as the "First and Second Snow Make-up Days")

MAY
5/15: Early Dismissal
5/25: No school - Memorial Day Holiday

JUNE
6/3 - 6/4: Early Dismissal
6/5: Early Dismissal - Last Day of School
6/8: Snow Make-up Day
6/9: Snow Make-up Day

You can download/print a copy of it here.

Tonight's Council Meeting - Preliminary Agenda

Some topics for discussion at tonight's council meeting will include:

1. The bids for the construction of the basketball / volleyball courts on the new High Street Park.

2. Approval of the 4-way stop sign ordinance at the corner of High and Sixth Streets.

3. Status of the street lighting in the Tatamy Hunt sub-division.

4. Signature Homes is expected to ask for an extension to file their final subdivision plans. They are looking to develop the field in North Tatamy to the north of Main Street (the plot of land between Equipto and the houses already in North Tatamy).

I hope to see some of you there!

Husky Market Robbery

It appears that the Husky Market on Tatamy Road in the Crown Plaza shopping plaza was robbed on Friday. You can read all about it here.

Reminder - Borough Council Monday Night

Don't forget, our monthly Borough Council meeting will be held Monday May 5, 2008 at 7:30PM Monday, May 5, 2008 at the Borough Hall. I hope to see you there!

Memorial Day 2008

Our annual Memorial Day Services will be held on Monday, May 26, 2008 at 1PM in front of the Borough Hall.

There will be a picnic after the services for anyone who would like to join us.

Come out to support and honor those Veterans who have served our country in the past, and those who are serving our country today.

Here are some photos from last year's Memorial Day service:

High Street Park - The Bids Are In . . .

. . . and Borough Council will review them at our meeting on May 5th. The Express Times had this to say:

Bids received for Tatamy basketball and volleyball courts
Posted by Colin McEvoy April 24, 2008 14:58PM
Categories: Breaking News
Four construction companies placed bids today for new basketball and volleyball courts in Tatamy Borough.

The borough council will choose one of the bids at its May 5 meeting. Construction is expected to start next month and last about 30 days or less, officials said.

The lowest bid, placed by Forks Township-based Pan Companies, was $27,306. The other bids went as high as $36,000.

The courts will be built on High Street, just behind the Hope Lutheran Church and about two blocks from the borough municipal building, Councilman William Belkey said.

The new courts will replace a basketball court behind the municipal building, which was removed last year to make way for a new storage building, he said.

In addition to basketball and volleyball, the courts will include playground equipment and a handicap accessible walkway around the parameter of the area.

The borough received a $48,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for the courts. Remaining money will be used on playground equipment and other costs, Belkey said.

I ask all of you who are interested in this exciting development to come to the Council Meeting and get the latest information.

Get Out and Vote

Don't forget - GO VOTE TODAY! :-)

Proposed NASD 2008-2009 School Calendar

I'll have to give credit where credit is due and thank fellow blogger Ross and the News Over Coffee blog for this:

K-6-9 Orientation: Aug 25th
First day of School: Aug 26th (Tues)
(students would go to school T-Th for the first week and have the Friday before Labor Day off)
Oct 13-14: No School (In service days)
Spring Break would continue to be a full week (w/ Easter Monday off).
Last Day of School (w/o any snow make-ups): June 5th
Teachers Last Day of School: June 9th

This calendar was posted as part of a summary of the NASD Board Meeting - you can read the entire summary here.

Election Day

Tomorrow, Tuesday April 22, 2008 is a very important day for Pennsylvania and the nation as a whole, as we go to the voting booth to choose the candidate that we would like to represent our party (and hopefully lead the nation) in the November Presidential election.

I'm asking each of you to make sure that you get out and vote tomorrow for the candidate that you feel is the best to lead the nation. Each and every one of us has the ability to make a difference in this Primary election. It's time for a change (for the better) - and let's all of us, collectively, make that happen.

Don't forget that our polling place has moved from the Borough Hall to Hope Lutheran Church on 8th Street (Tatamy Road).

See you at the polls!

Street Sweeping Thursday!

FYI - It looks like the annual spring street sweeping will take place tomorrow, Thursday, 4/17/2008. Please make sure that you move your cars to allow the street sweeper to come through and clean up the mess left behind after this winter.

Thank you in advance for your support!

Property Tax Relief ? ? ?

It appears that property tax relief may be on the way. According to an article in The Morning Call, Pennsylvania has received enough revenue from slot machines to be able to cut school property taxes by 10% in the next school year. The amount, which will vary by school district, won't be released until May.

In order to be eligible for the reduction, property owners need to have completed and returned an application that was sent by the county.

You can read the entire article here.

Happy Tax Day!

Well - our new tax collector went above and beyond today. He was standing out in his driveway waiting for all of us to drive up (or walk by) with our tax returns (and, like some of us - our checks) in hand to turn in. I didn't even have to get out of the car. He took the paperwork, handed me my receipt, and off I went. Now that's what I call service.

Thanks John for a job well done!
=========
Speaking of Taxes, I'd also like to say a special "thank you" to our former tax collector Hazel DeReamus. Hazel took care of us (and kept us honest) for many many years, and, even though I had to write a check, I always looked forward to tax day and my annual chat with Hazel at her dining room table. Thank you Hazel for your many years of service to the borough, and for the care and attention that you paid to all of us. You truly made a difference.

Tatamy Borough Council - 4/10/2008 Wrap-up

Hi Everyone -- A little late, but here's a summary of this month's Council meeting. As always, please keep in mind that these thoughts are mine only and are in no way to be interpreted as official meeting minutes or any official communication from Tatamy Borough. Your thoughts, comments, and suggestions are welcome and encouraged!

1. Traffic Light. As you all know, we have been waiting for some time to have a traffc light at the corner of 8th and Main Streets installed. This signal was required as part of the two new housing developments (Tatamy Hunt and Fieldstone) that were recently constructed. The signal work has all been approved for some time, but (I believe) PennDOT put the project 'on hold' due to the changes that were required because of the Chrin development (longer mast arms, etc.). Money was placed into escrow by both the developers, but now several years have gone by, and, of course, the cost for the installation of the traffic light exceeds what is in escrow. The question now is who is going to have to make up the difference? Stay tuned . . .

2. Street Lights. A carry over from last months update, we have been trying to get the street lights in Tatamy Hunt turned on. When the developer submitted his final plans for approval, the power utility company that was indicated on the plan was PPL Utilities, as they are the power supplier for Tatamy Borough. We have since learned that in fact MetEd is the power supplier in Tatamy Hunt. Unfortunately Tatamy Borough does not have an agreement with MetEd, so that presents a problem. According to what we have been told by a MetEd representative, there is an agreement somewhere on file between MetEd and PPL Utilities to allow MetEd into PPL's service area. Unfortunately they were unable to locate that agreement prior to the council meeting. MetEd did send us a proposed Ordnance to review and sign which would allow them to energize and turn-on the street lights, however the way the ordnance was written it would have placed the burden of responsiblity for maintaining and replacing the street lights on the Borough (normally the utility company takes care of this). So, unfortunately, until all the bureaucracy can be worked out, the lights, at least for another month, will stay dark.

3. Zoning Hearing Board. Pam Pearson was sworn in as the Co-Chairperson for the Tatamy Borough Zoning Hearing Board. Congratulations Pam and welcome aboard!

4. No Parking Ordnance. Council approved the ordnance to install the "No Parking" signs behind the newly constructed Borough Garage. This no parking zone will make it easier to get the vehicles (especially the new truck) in and out of the garage safely. Thanks to everyone in advance for your cooperation and compliance with this new no parking zone.

5. Stop Sign Ordnance. We were also supposed to approve the creation of a 4-way stop intersection at the corner of 6th and High Streets, along with the installation of crosswalks. Unfortunately, even though we sent it to the Express Times, somehow the ordnance didn't get advertised and now we have to wait another month. In any event, be prepared as that intersection will most likely become a 4-way stop come May.

6. Sewer Authority. Be on the lookout for a REDUCED sewer bill coming to a post office box near you soon. The Sewer Authority is proposing a realignment of their fee structure.

Those were the major highlights of this month's meeting. Just a reminder, Borough Council meets the first Monday of every month at 7:30PM in the Borough Hall. Come, get involved, voice your opinion, see what's going on. The more the merrier! I look forward to seeing you there!

Borough Council Wrap Up

Delayed . . .

Life has gotten in the way of pulling together my notes and posting the update to Monday night's council meeting. While nothing earth shattering was discussed or approved (unless you consider a "NO PARKING" zone behind the newly constructed borough garage on Green St. earth shattering), I have an obligation to you, my two faithful readers (HA!) to provide a summary. I will have it up for you tomorrow night.

As they say in show business - Stay Tuned!

Appeal Delays Forks Weis Markets Construction Project

The Express Times is reporting that an appeal filed by Scott Gingold and the Residents Who Care may delay construction of the Weis Markets planned for Uhler Road and Sullivan Trail for up to a year.

You can read the entire article here.

Finally . . . A Hollo Road Update

Image courtesy of The Morning Call.

If, you're like me, you (used to) use Hollo Road as a short cut to Route 33 and points south. As you know Hollo Road has been closed for quite some time now, and finally, today in The Morning Call their "Road Warrior" Dan Hartzell has a good write-up in today's edition:

themorningcall.com
Some places, it's Old Man Winter who puts up roadblocks

Dan Hartzell

The Road Warrior

April 7, 2008
Q: How long are developers allowed to close a public road for what appears to be their own convenience? Hollo Road between Van Buren Road and Route 248 in Lower Nazareth and Palmer townships has been closed since July. It appears they completed upgrading the intersection at 248 last year, but haven't done anything at Hollo/Van Buren for many months. Why is a private company allowed to take control of a public road and close it for an extended time? Why does their convenience overrule that of the public? Kris Tavasz

Q: Can you tell me if Hollo Road between 248 and Van Buren Road in Palmer Township is going to be reopened? It has been closed for construction for many months and now it seems road has disappeared altogether. Since Hollo closed, Van Buren traffic has picked up tremendously, making especially the Northwood Road intersection hazardous. Pat Stanek

A:Problems regarding engineering approvals for a ''box culvert,'' a concrete structure that will carry the new, improved Hollo Road over Schoeneck Creek just west of Van Buren, put the brakes on progress, Kris and Pat.

As part of the ProLogis warehouse park being built between Route 248 and Hollo and Van Buren roads, Hollo was closed for widening, repaving, straightening and other improvements. Most of the park is in Lower Nazareth, but part of it, as well as a western segment of Hollo Road, is in Palmer.

Lower Nazareth Manager Timm Tenges said the portion of Hollo in his township is completed, so the holdup must be on the Palmer side. His understanding was that the road was supposed to be open by the start of the school year last September.

Palmer Manager Robert Anckaitis acknowledged that progress was delayed by problems between the township's project engineers and ProLogis's engineers regarding design details, calculations and exchanges of information over the box culvert. That was confirmed by ProLogis spokeswoman Melissa Sheehan.

Anckaitis doubts the road ever could have been open by September, but in any event, because of the culvert delays, winter arrived before work could be finished -- always a setback, because asphalt and concrete normally cannot be installed in cold weather. So, as with many road projects, everything had to wait for this year's construction season to arrive, which is just about now.

Anckaitis could not be more specific than to say the road should be open ''sometime this summer,'' folks, so if we hope for July, Hollo will have been closed for a year.

That's pretty long for a road of this kind, though as you mentioned in your e-mails, Kris, the roughly 1.5-mile detour you take on Van Buren to access Route 248 isn't so bad.

Normally, developers, municipalities and their respective engineers and contractors try to complete road improvements as quickly as possible, and certainly within one spring-to-fall construction season, Tenges and Anckaitis agreed. It just didn't work out that way in this case.

You can read the article in it's entirety here.

Tragedy Strikes . . .

Tragedy struck our tiny town tonight in the form of a fire in Bill and Doris Broad's house on Broad St.

Thankfully, Bill got out of the house alright - I believe that he was taken to the hospital for observation. Doris wasn't home at the time, and arrived a few minutes after the fire department.

A special "Thank You" to the brave men (and women) of the Tatamy, Forks and Palmer Fire Departments, SGT Phil Cohen and the entire Tatamy Police Department, and Suburban EMS for a job well done.

As I get more information, I'll pop a note here. In the meantime, please keep Bill, Doris and the rest of the Broad family in your thoughts and prayers. They'll need them! Thanks!

Congratulations!!!

Congratulations are in order for Tatamy resident Dean Olah on his recent win of a $200,000 Powerball Lottery Ticket. Olah was one of a group of six folks who went together, each paying $5.00 for a group of tickets.

The winning ticket was sold at Herman's Service Center in Tatamy. You can read the entire article here.

Tatamy Bridge

Well, our bridge appears to be showing it's age once again. It was closed for several hours this afternoon due to a failing expansion joint.



According to the Department of Transportation, the bridge is scheduled to be replaced and is currently in the "Preliminary Engineering Phase" (whatever that means). PennDOT lists Stanley J. Poplawski as their project contact person. They also were kind enough to provide Mr. Poplawski's email address, which I have provided for you here. I think we should all drop him a note and let him know that this bridge needs to be replaced NOW before someone gets injured (or worse . . .).

Downtown Easton Perkins Gets New Life

Do you miss the downtown Easton Perkins? If so, the owner of the highly successful "Billy's Downtown Diner" in Bethlehem has signed an agreement to purchase and renovate the building.

I think I'm going to pay a visit to their Bethlehem location this Saturday with the kids for breakfast and will come back with a full revue. It looks very promising. Stay tuned.

Better Watch Your Speed . . .

It looks like the Pennsylvania State Police are out in full force along Route 33. According to an Express Times article, troopers, using fixed wing aircraft and other methods issued 12 tickets in one hour yesterday.

Speaking of speeding, it looks like Tatamy's own Police Department has gained "honorable mention" recently (congratulations George on a job "well done").

Bottom line -- "slow down"!

Have a great day!

Majestic Makes it Official!

As previously reported, Palmer Township officials announced Tuesday evening that plans were approved for a 360,000 sq. foot manufacturing facility destined to be the new home for Majestic Athletic.

Construction on the facility, which will be located on the corner of Newlins Mill and Van Buren Roads will begin on May 1, with operations scheduled to begin November 1.

Happy Easter!

On behalf of everyone here at Tatamy Borough, I wanted to wish everyone a very

Sunday Happenings - 3/23/2008

Here's what's happening in and around town this week:

Hmm - spring fever must be in the air. Some pending nuptuals have been announced:

Kelly Beers in August, and Nathan Kranich in September. Congratulations!

Tatamy Borough Council, through it's solicitor, has announced that at the April 7 Council meeting they plan to amend the parking ordinance, specifically to restrict parking along a section of Green Street behind the newly constructed borough garage. You can read the public notice here.

The owners of Jack Creek Steakhouse have announced that they will be closing their Route 248 location sometime before April. According to the Express Times article, they are selling the property to the owners of the Hometown Diner in Upper Macungie.



That about sums it up for this week. Don't forget to check out News Over Coffee for the latest news for the surrounding Nazareth area.

See ya!

Sunday Happenings . . . Delayed

This week's "Sunday Happenings" will be delayed by a day as I'm going to be returning from a long-weekend "holiday" in Southern California.

Tune in LATE tomorrow evening for the weekly roundup. I hope everyone had a good week!

Palmer Planning Commission Approves Clothing Manufacturer

The Express Times is reporting that the Palmer Township Planning Commission last night approved a 360,000-square-foot manufacturing plant, which township officials say will be occupied by Majestic Athletic.

The plant, which is planned to be located at the intersection of Newlins Mill and Van Buren Roads is expected to bring with it 670 employees. You can read the entire article here.

Sunday Happenings in and Around Town

I will try to post here every Sunday things that are happening in and around our area that I find useful or interesting. What would you would find helpful? Let me know and I'll add them to the weekly list!

In today's Morning Call there's a great writeup about the newly opened Rios Brazilian Steakhouse in Nazareth. You can read it here. Also in the Morning Call, there's a great summary of the weekend's storm damage. Earlier this week they had a report on the new Middle School that's being built by the Nazareth Area School District.

The Express Times also has a nice summary of the weekend's lousy weather here, along with a story about a gentleman who may or may not have had too much to drink who allegedly chose to ignore a barrier and wound up stuck in floodwaters on Zucksville Rd. They also are reporting that Northampton County's Reverse 911 system is in place and ready to be used. According to the article, Reverse 911 will enable emergency management officials to send emergency and other information via automated phone messages to listed and unlisted landline telephone numbers in the 911 database.

Officials can create call lists that target a specific location, like areas along the Delaware River, as well as by municipality, zip codes, etc.

(Northampton County Emergency Management Services Director Bob) Mateff said the system makes 60,000 calls per hour and could reach all the landline phones in the county in two hours.

That's about it for this week's summary. See you around town!

Storm Damage

Did you have any damage from the strong storms this past week? If so, please share your pictures and stories with us. You can email them to me. I'll put consolidate them and will post them here later. I'm going to be out in a little bit taking some photos on my own, so if you see me, stop and say "hi"!

I had some of my own storm damage yesterday - the strong winds last night somehow blew the center column off our front porch! We're going to shore it up later today, and I guess we'll be looking to have it fixed sometime in the spring.

Have a great day everyone! Enjoy the sunshine!

Updated River Statement

The National Weather Service has issued an updated river forecast for the Delaware River. It looks like their crest prediction has gone down a bit, which, of course, is a good thing for all of us.

HYDROLOGIC STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MT HOLLY NJ
435 AM EDT SUN MAR 09 2008


...SPECIAL RIVER STATEMENT FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER ...

SIGNIFICANT RISES WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE LOWER DELAWARE RIVER
TODAY. MOST LOCATIONS ON THE LOWER DELAWARE RIVER ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO REACH FLOOD STAGE. THE ONLY EXCEPTION IS RIEGELSVILLE,
WHICH IS FORECAST TO CREST NEAR FLOOD STAGE SUNDAY LATE AFTERNOON OR
EARLY SUNDAY EVENING.

SOME SPECIFIC CREST FORECASTS FOLLOW.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER NEAR TOCKS ISLAND, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 16.4
FEET AT 3 AM SUNDAY. A CREST OF AROUND 20 FEET IS EXPECTED SUNDAY
EVENING. FLOOD STAGE AT TOCKS ISLAND IS 20 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT BELVIDERE, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 14.9 FEET
AT 3 AM SUNDAY. A CREST OF AROUND 17 FEET IS EXPECTED SUNDAY
EVENING. FLOOD STAGE AT BELVIDERE IS 22 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT EASTON-PHILLIPSBURG BRIDGE, THE LATEST STAGE
WAS 18.4 FEET AT 3 AM SUNDAY. A CREST OF AROUND 20 FEET IS EXPECTED
SUNDAY EVENING. FLOOD STAGE AT EASTON IS 22 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT RIEGELSVILLE, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 18.4
FEET AT 3 AM SUNDAY. A CREST OF AROUND 22 FEET IS EXPECTED LATE
SUNDAY AFTERNOON OR EARLY SUNDAY EVENING. FLOOD STAGE AT
RIEGELSVILLE IS 22 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT FRENCHTOWN, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 11.5 FEET
AT 3 AM SUNDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 14 AND 15 FEET IS EXPECTED
SUNDAY EVENING. FLOOD STAGE AT FRENCHTOWN IS 16 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT NEW HOPE-LAMBERTVILLE BRIDGE, THE LATEST STAGE
WAS 9.1 FEET AT 4 AM SUNDAY. A CREST OF AROUND 11 FEET IS EXPECTED
SUNDAY EVENING. FLOOD STAGE AT NEW HOPE IS 13 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT WASHINGTON`S CROSSING, THE LATEST STAGE
WAS 10.65 AT 4 AM SUNDAY. A CREST OF AROUND 14 FEET IS EXPECTED
SUNDAY EVENING. FLOOD STAGE AT WASHINGTON`S CROSSING IS 20 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT TRENTON, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 16.8 FEET AT
3 AM SUNDAY. A CREST OF AROUND 19 FEET IS EXPECTED SUNDAY EVENING.
FLOOD STAGE AT TRENTON IS 20 FEET.

THESE FORECASTS ASSUME A CONTINUATION OF PRESENT RESERVOIR RELEASES.

STAY TUNED TO DEVELOPMENTS BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...YOUR
LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION OUTLET.

Time to Spring Ahead!

Don't forget, it's that time of the year again, when we "spring ahead" by moving our clocks ahead by one hour this evening before bed. Daylight Saving Time begins at 2AM EDT Sunday morning, March 9, 2008.



While you're at it, you might as well change the batteries in your smoke detector(s) as well!

Have you ever wondered why we observe Daylight Saving Time? Wikipedia has a great explanation.

High Wind Warning - Upgraded!

I guess the weather folks are thinking that it's going to be a bit windier tonite than they originally expected.

DEZ001-MDZ008-NJZ001-007>010-012-015>019-PAZ054-055-060>062-
NEW CASTLE-CECIL-SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET-
MIDDLESEX-MERCER-SALEM-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN-NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-
CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON-CHESTER-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS-
DE-PHILADELPHIA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF.WILMINGTON.ELKTON.NEWTON.
WA.MORRISTOWN.FLEMINGTON.SOMERVILLE.
NEW BRUNSWICK.TRENTON.PENNSVILLE.GLASSBORO.CAMDEN.
CHERRY HILL.MOORESTOWN.MOUNT HOLLY.JIM THORPE.
STROUDSBURG.READING.ALLENTOWN.BETHLEHEM.EASTON.
WEST CHESTER.NORRISTOWN.DOYLESTOWN.MEDIA
358 PM EST SAT MAR 8 2008

.HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EDT SUNDAY.

THE NATL WEATHER SVC IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING.WHICH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 5 AM EDT SUNDAY. THE WIND ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.

LOW PRESSURE LIFTING OUT OF MD THIS AFTERNOON WILL INTENSIFY AS IT LIFTS INTO ME BY DAYBREAK SUNDAY. VERY STRONG WINDS ARE FORECAST TO DEVELOP IN THE WAKE OF THE LOW.

OVER THE WARNING AREA.SUSTAINED WINDS OF 35 TO 40 MPH & GUSTS UP TO AROUND 60 MPH ARE ANTICIPATED WHEN WINDS ARE AT THEIR WORST TONIGHT. WINDS OF THIS STRENGTH CAN KNOCK DOWN TREES & POWER LINES AND RESULT IN POWER OUTAGES.ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE SATURATED GROUND DUE TO THE RAINS FROM THIS EXITING SYSTEM.

DRIVING WILL BECOME HAZARDOUS DUE TO THE WIND.PARTICULARLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. REMEMBER.WINDS ARE TYPICALLY STRONGEST ON BRIDGES & OTHER ELEVATED STRUCTURES. AVOID DRIVING IF YOU CAN.

PLEASE SECURE ANY LOOSE OUTDOOR OBJECTS THAT MAY BE BLOWN ABOUT BY STRONG WINDS.

A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR MORE CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE.

I was out a little bit ago, it wasn't windy (yet) but I guess it's coming. "Auntie Em, Auntie Em . . . ."

First the Flooding - Now the Wind!

As if the torrential rains weren't enough, along with the potential for flooding, now it seem as though it's goig to get a bit breezy. This, according to our friends at the National Weather Service in Philadelphia are saying:

NJZ001-007-008-PAZ054-055-062-082200-
/O.CON.KPHI.WI.Y.0004.080308T2300Z-080309T1300Z/
SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-CARBON-MONROE-NORTHAMPTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NEWTON...WASHINGTON...MORRISTOWN...
JIM THORPE...STROUDSBURG...BETHLEHEM...EASTON
809 AM EST SAT MAR 8 2008

...WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM EST THIS EVENING TO
9 AM EDT SUNDAY...

A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS
MORNING WILL RAPIDLY MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST THIS AFTERNOON INTO
THE EVENING. THE LOW WILL CONTINUE TO RACE NORTHEAST OVERNIGHT AND
BRING STRONG WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS TO THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF
THE SOUTHERN POCONOS...FAR NORTHWEST NEW JERSEY AND NEARBY
LOCALES. RAIN YESTERDAY AND MORE EXPECTED TODAY WILL SATURATE THE
GROUNDS ENOUGH SO THAT THE STRONG WINDS COULD TOPPLE SOME TREES
AND BRING DOWN POWER LINES.

A WIND ADVISORY MEANS THAT SUSTAINED WINDS OF AROUND OR IN EXCESS
OF 30 MPH AND WIND GUSTS OF AROUND OR IN EXCESS OF 45 MPH ARE
EXPECTED. WINDS THIS STRONG CAN MAKE DRIVING DIFFICULT...ESPECIALLY
FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. USE EXTRA CAUTION.

Please make sure that you tie down those loose objects (like my trash cans) or better yet, bring them in. Also watch out for falling limbs, etc.!

Delaware River Flooding Possible

This Special River Statement was issued by the National Weather Service in Philadelphia earlier today. It looks like minor flooding is forecast for the Delaware River in Easton.

HYDROLOGIC STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MT HOLLY NJ
1133 AM EST FRI MAR 07 2008


...SPECIAL RIVER STATEMENT FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AND LEHIGH RIVERS...

AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ORGANIZING NEAR THE GULF COAST IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TWO DISTINCT PERIODS OF RAIN FOR THE REGION AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST. THE FIRST PERIOD OF PRECIPITATION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE OVER ONE INCH OF RAIN BETWEEN 3 PM AND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THE SECOND PERIOD HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BETWEEN ONE AND TWO
INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE SAME AREA BETWEEN 7 AM AND 7 PM ON SATURDAY. SOME OF THE HEAVIEST RAIN ON SATURDAY COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. BY THE TIME ALL THE RAIN ENDS BY LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, 2.0 TO 2.75 INCHES OF RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED.

BOTH THE LEHIGH AND DELAWARE RIVERS ARE RUNNING HIGH AS A RESULT OF HEAVY RAIN THAT FELL EARLIER IN THE WEEK. THE GROUND ALSO REMAINS NEARLY SATURATED IN SOME PLACES. AS A RESULT, THE HEAVY RAIN THAT FALLS LATER TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY WILL CAUSE RIVER AND STREAM LEVELS TO RISE QUICKLY, PERHAPS REACHING FLOOD LEVELS BY MID DAY SATURDAY ON THE SMALLER STREAMS AND ON A LITTLE LATER ON THE LARGER STREAMS AND RIVERS. BASED ON A FORECAST OF 2.0 TO 2.75 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING, THE LEHIGH AND DELAWARE RIVERS ARE EXPECTED TO CREST BETWEEN ONE AND TWO FEET ABOVE FLOOD STAGE IN MANY LOCATIONS. THESE CRESTS WOULD MOST LIKELY OCCUR SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN THE FASTER RESPONDING AREAS, TO LATE SUNDAY IN TRENTON. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE REGION.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER NEAR TOCKS ISLAND, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 14.7 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 21 AND 23 FEET IS FORECAST FOR SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT TOCKS ISLAND IS 21 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT BELVIDERE, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 13.4 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 17.5 AND 19.5 FEET IS FORECAST FOR SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT BELVIDERE IS 22 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT EASTON-PHILLIPSBURG BRIDGE, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 16.4 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 22.5 AND 24.5 FEET IS FORECAST FOR SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT EASTON-PHILLIPSBURG IS 22 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT RIEGELSVILLE, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 16.9 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A FORECAST CREST OF BETWEEN 23 AND 25 FEET IS EXPECTED SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT RIEGELSVILLE IS 22 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT FRENCHTOWN, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 11.1 FEET AT 7 AM FRIDAY. A CREST AROUND THE FLOOD STAGE OF 16 FEET IS EXPECTED SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT FRENCHTOWN IS 16 FEET.

FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT TRENTON, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 16.5 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 20 AND 22 FEET IS EXPECTED LATE SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT TRENTON IS 20 FEET.

FOR THE LEHIGH RIVER AT WALNUTPORT, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 5.7 FEET AT 9 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 8 AND 10 FEET IS EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT. FLOOD STAGE AT WALNUTPORT IS 8 FEET.

FOR THE LEHIGH RIVER AT BETHLEHEM, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 6.1 FEET AT 9 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 11 AND 13 FEET IS EXPECTED AT BETHLEHEM SATURDAY NIGHT. FLOOD STAGE AT BETHLEHEM IS 16 FEET.

THESE FORECASTS ASSUME A CONTINUATION OF PRESENT RESERVOIR RELEASES.

THESE FORECASTS ARE BASED ON EXPECTED RAIN OF BETWEEN 2.0 AND 2.75 INCHES THROUGH SATURDAY. IF LESS RAIN FALLS, CRESTS WILL BE LOWER. IF MORE RAIN FALLS, CRESTS WILL BE HIGHER.

STAY TUNED TO DEVELOPMENTS BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION OUTLET.

ONE WAY TO CHECK EXISTING AND FORECAST CONDITIONS ON WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION IS TO MONITOR THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ AVAILABLE ON OUR HOMEPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PHI. JUST CLICK THE AHPS ICON ON THE LEFT HAND MENU.

Please make sure that you make whatever preparations you have to make for heavy rain and potential flooding are completed today.

One word of advice - NEVER EVER drive across flooded roadways - "Turn Around - Don't Drown". Be careful out there this weekend!

Flood Watch Issued

This just in from the National Weather Service :

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A
* FLOOD WATCH FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA COUNTY OF NORTHAMPTON

* FROM LATE FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT

* LOW PRESSURE WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO TONIGHT BEFORE MOVING ONTO THE CENTRAL GULF COAST EARLY ON FRIDAY. THE LOW IS THEN EXPECTED TO INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES UP THE EASTERN SIDE OF THE APPALACHIANS ON FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SATURDAY. THE LOW IS FORECAST TO PASS OVER EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA ON SATURDAY EVENING BEFORE MOVING UP OVER NEW ENGLAND ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

* RAIN SHOULD BEGIN TO MOVE INTO NORTHEASTERN MARYLAND, DELAWARE, EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY ON FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY, AND IT WILL LIKELY BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES. ONE AND A HALF TO TWO AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN IS FORECAST FOR MUCH OF THE REGION FROM LATE FRIDAY INTO LATE SATURDAY. SOME LOCATIONS COULD RECEIVE UP TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN.

* RIVERS AND STREAMS IN THE REGION CONTINUE TO RUN HIGH AS A RESULT OF THE HEAVY RAIN THAT FELL ON TUESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY ON WEDNESDAY. THE GROUND ALSO REMAINS NEARLY SATURATED AT MOST LOCATIONS. AS A RESULT, THE HEAVY RAIN THAT FALLS FROM LATE
FRIDAY THROUGH LATE SATURDAY WILL QUICKLY CAUSE RIVER AND STREAM LEVELS TO RISE. MINOR FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ON MANY AREA RIVERS AND STREAMS OVER THE WEEKEND. SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS MAY EXPERIENCE MODERATE FLOODING GIVEN THEIR FASTER RESPONSE TO
hEAVY RAINFALL.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING IN THE WATCH AREA. IF YOU ARE AT A LOCATION THAT IS PRONE TO FLOODING, BE SURE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS. BE READY FOR ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR IF A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED.

ONE WAY TO CHECK EXISTING AND FORECAST CONDITIONS ON WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION IS TO MONITOR THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ AVAILABLE ON OUR HOMEPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PHI. JUST CLICK THE AHPS ICON ON THE LEFT HAND
MENU.

Tut Tut - Looks like Rain

It looks like my "Snow" post below may actually turn out to be another huge rain maker (image courtesy of AccuWeather).



With the Bushkill already running high from the recent rain storm(s), I would suggest that folks who have interests along the creek take action now to move whatever you have that you don't want wet to higher ground.

Keep tuned to the latest weather outlets for further updates. If/when I hear anything more, I'll post links here as well.

Tatamy Car Show - 2007

Despite a rather rainy day last year, we had a decent turnout at our annual Historical Society car show.

Here are some photos that I took - I thought I'd share them with you.

Snow?

How apropos is the "Snowplowing" post below - when I stumbled on this image courtesy of our friends at AccuWeather.

Now - we haven't had "the big one" yet this winter. Could this be our last chance? I guess we should just stay tuned.

Snowplowing

A few weeks back, I had the opportunity to ride along with our Road Foreman, Frank Young in our nice shiny new red truck on a snowplow run.

Let me tell you - I now have a totally different perspective for what it takes to plow our roads and keep them safe for us to travel. Thank you Frank for allowing me to ride along with you, and for the great job that you and Zach (Albert) do to keep the roads clear for us.

Having had this experience, I now understand the importance of moving our cars off the street so that he has enough room to get by with the plow. Whenever it snows, all of us in the 600 block of Broad Street automatically move our cars to the side streets, or, if we're fortunate enough, we put them in our garages. This is always done - we don't wait for a "snow emergency" to be declared. I assumed (shame on me) that the rest of us did the same thing. I was disappointed to learn, however, that was not the case. I know it's inconvenient - we all like having our cars parked in front of our houses, but . . . if everyone moved their cars, Frank (and / or Zach) would be able to clear the roads from curb to curb, and we would all wind up better off in the end - no mounds of snow in the middle of the road, plowed in cars, etc.

So, I'm asking you - when it snows, if possible, please remove your cars from the main streets (Main, Broad, High) - and for those of you in North Tatamy, please park in your driveways so that the roads can be cleared. The next day, you can move your cars from the side streets, and they will be cleared as well. Let's all work together - it will benefit all of us in the end.

Thanks for "listening". Have a great day!