Happy New Year Everyone!

It's hard to believe that 2009 is drawing to a close and that 2010 is now less than two hours away.

Thanks, as always for the emails, comments and suggestions, and keep them coming next year.

Monday night's council meeting starts at 7:30PM. A few things worth noting:

1. Council reorganizes at this meeting. A new president and vice-president will be appointed, along with the confirmation, or reconfirmation of the various appointments (secretary, treasurer, solicitor, engineer, etc.).

2. We welcome to the Council table Hazel DeReamus who won a seat on Council this past November. Hazel brings to council a world of experience in the area of finance and finance administration, having been the local tax collector (both real estate and earned income tax) for many many years. Hazel is a great addition to council and I look forward to working with her.

3. Returning to the table this year having been reelected to a second term is Bob Hayes. Returning for what I believe is a third term is Mike Racz. Welcome back guys and congratulations (again) on your win.

4. Sadly, not returning to the table is outgoing Council President Bob Fisher who lost his bid for reelection this past November. Bob served many many years on Borough Council. Thanks for everything that you've done over the years Bob. Bob's not going too far - he's accepted a position with the Tatamy Borough Sewer Authority.

I understand that a lot of you are upset over the fees that we have been billed for the trash pick-up. Unfortunately, we're three years into a five-year contract. Next year I hope that we will be looking at many other options for trash pickup to hopefully manage the cost and bring it down to a more manageable level. I will say, however, that the amount of money that we pay (about $350/year) is in line with what a lot of other folks around the area are paying. The one benefit that we Tatamy residents have over those other folks is that we can literally put almost ANYTHING out at the curb and the trash hauler will take it. The other folks can't. Most haulers won't accept yard waste any longer. That's something that will seriously need to be considered when contract negotiations begin again. Do we want to pay to have the ability to put anything on the curb? Do we want to pay a reduced rate and only be restricted to certain items? How about a "per-bin" rate (e.g. we supply you with a bin and if it fits in the bin, we'll take it, but anything extra you have to pay for). These are things that will need to be considered, and I will be asking for your input.

Thanks once again for your valued support over the past year, and, on behalf of my children and I, our best wishes for a Happy, Healthy, Safe and Prosperous 2010. I look forward to working FOR you in the coming year.

Here's my son Jordan, and Tax Collector John Nadolski's son John on their mountain of snow on my front lawn following last week's snowfall. Thought I'd share this.



Happy New Year everyone!

Bread and Milk Alert (oh, and please move your car)

It's looking like a true Bread and Milk Alert is in full force. Our friends at AccuWeather and the National Weather Service are predicting a measurable snowfall tomorrow into Sunday.

As a friendly reminder, please make sure that you remove your cars from the Snow Emergency Routes to allow our road crew to do their job and clear the snow.

Send me your snow photos. I'll share them here.

Be safe!

Council Roundup - 12/7/2009 Meeting

It certainly was a long night last night. Here's the highlights:

Rental Property Inspection Program: After much debate, Council passed the Rental Property Inspection Program - there were two dissenting votes (Bill Kiefer and myself). While I think it's a good program, I personally don't think that the borough is ready for it just yet. Having said that, I would like to thank Dale Fern, Pam Pearson, Adolph Marth and the remaining members of the committee for all their hard work and dedication that was required to put together the program, and I truly hope it's successful. There will be a public hearing scheduled at some point in the (hopefully) not too distant future with the committee, the inspector that the borough has hired and the landlords (and tenants I suppose) to review the program in its entirety, and answer any questions that folks may have. As soon as I get the date, I'll post it here for you.


Resolution authorizing Tax and Revenue Anticipation Note: Council approved the borrowing of $100,000 from the Tatamy Borough Sewer Authority. The funds will be used to cover cash flow needs until the tax money comes due in April (hence Tax and Revenue Anticipation). The note will be payable, in full, in June of 2010 in the amount of $100,500.

Everything else on the agenda below was discussed and approved, to include the 2nd reading of the 2010 Operating Budget. So far, no tax increase.

The final budget reading (and approval) will take place on Monday, December 21, 2009 at 7:30PM at the Municipal Building.

There you go folks! Have a great day!

Borough Council Agenda - 12/7/2009

The following items are on the agenda for tonight's Borough Council Meeting:

Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance

Roll Call

Approval of November 2, 2009 Council Meeting Minutes

Treasurer's Report and Approval of Receipts and Disbursements

Planning and Zoning - Discuss tentative administrative program for Rental Inspection Program

Engineer's Report - Discuss traffic signal installation

Solicitor's Report
1) Resolution authorizing Tax and Revenue Anticipation Note
2) Discuss raising Borough Council President's Compensation
3) Motion from Council to pass "Residential Rental Housing Licensing and Inspection System" Ordinance and adopting the "International Property Maintenance Code".

Old Business
1. Establish an Emergency Management Committee
2. Motion to approve the 2008 Audit
3. Motion to approve final payment of $269.79 (plus accrued current interest) in Tatamy Hunt Escrow Account and close the Tatamy Hunt Escrow Account

New Business
1. Approve payment of sewer bill, refuse bill and fuel bill from the Special Relief Fund for the Special Needs of a Tatamy Resident
2. Request from the Nazareth Rotary to use Braden Park in August 2010
3. Budget Committee suggests closing the following accounts and depositing the funds (plus any current accrued interest) into a checking or savings account:
- Rails to Trails: $15.60
- Grant Money (Dirt/Gravel): $28.25
- Truck Fund: $122.97
4. Request from Chrin Brothers in support of their Landfill Renewal Application

Also included:

Comments from the Floor

Police Committee Report

Mayor's Report

Sewer Authority

Correspondence

2010 Budget - 2nd Reading

Reminder - council meets tonight at 7:30PM at the Municipal Building - 423 Broad Street. See you there!

Tree Lighting

Please join us this coming Sunday at our annual Christmas Tree Lighting at the Municipal Building. The festivities kick-off at 6:30PM. I hope to see you there!

Thanksgiving Greetings!

A quick note to say "Happy Thanksgiving" to everyone. I hope you all enjoy a nice, safe holiday with family and friends.

Tatamy Fire Chief Re-Elected

The Express Times has an article today about Fire Chief Joe Fulse being re-elected, after what appeared to be a heated debate, to his post as chief. You can read the entire article here.

Tatamy Borough - Local Election Returns

While not yet certified, here are the preliminary results for the local portion of the Tatamy Borough election:

Total Number of Voters
Out of 720 registered voters, 162 folks turned out at the polls, or 22.5%. Not bad for a municipal election.

MAYOR (Vote for One - ** UNOPPOSED **):
Luke J Duignam (R) - Total Votes: 129
Write in (unknown) - 1

TAX COLLECTOR (Vote for One - ** UNOPPOSED **):
Tracey Cressman (R): 127

BOROUGH COUNCIL (Vote for Not More than Three):
Hazel DeReamus (R): 126
Robert Hayes, Jr., (R): 122
Michael Racz (D): 75
Robert Fisher (R): 74

JUDGE OF ELECTIONS:
Cynthia J Duelley (R): 125

INSPECTOR OF ELECTIONS (Vote for One):
Joanne Wagner (R): 75
Bernice Correll (D): 66

For the balance of the election results, check with Northampton County Elections and search for Tatamy Boro.

Election Day - Tuesday 11/3/2009

Just a friendly reminder - tomorrow, Tuesday 11/3/2009 is Election Day. Please come out and vote for the candidates who you would like to see represent you on the Borough Council for the next four years.

The local candidates running for election are as follows:

Borough Council
Hazel DeReamus (Republican - Former Tax Collector)
Robert Fisher (Incumbent - Borough Council President - Republican)
Michael Racz (Incumbent - Democrat)
Robert Hayes (Incumbent - Republican)

Mayor
Luke Duignam (Incumbent - Republican)
** Mayor Duignam is running unopposed

I will post the results of the election tomorrow night once the polls have closed and the results have been released.

Please - come out and vote tomorrow and show support for your local candidates. Thank you!

Tatamy Borough Council Meeting - 11/2/2009 - Agenda

Are you coming to the meeting tonight? If so, here's the agenda:

1. Call to Order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Roll Call
4. Approval of October meeting minutes
5. Treasurer's Report
6. Approval of Disbursements and Receipts
7. Planning and Zoning Discussion
8. Engineer's Report
9. Solicitor's Report
- Rental Inspection Program Ordinance
- Extending St. Peter's UCC Parking Area
10. Old Business
- Sewer Authority Discussion (carryover from October meeting)
11. New Business
- First reading - 2010 Budget
12. Open discussion from the floor
13. Police Committee
14. Mayor's Report
15. Sewer Authority
16. Correspondence
17. "Good of the Order"
18. Adjournment

Just a reminder - the meeting starts at 7:30PM at the Borough Hall. Hope to see you there!

Meeting was a Non-Meeting

So - the meeting mentioned the other day regarding the decision of the Rt 33 exit onto Main Street was a non-event. There's still more work to be done.

I'll let you know what's going on when I hear more.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Route 33 Tatamy Interchange - It's Decision Day!

Today is decision day folks - PennDOT will be deciding whether or not to approve Chrin's plans for a new Route 33 interchange on Main Street at a meeting at PennDOT District 5 Headquarters later this afternoon. As soon as I find out what the verdict is, I'll let everyone know.

Stay tuned to this station for further updates as they become available.

Road sign image courtesy of Kurumi's Road Sign Maker.

Tatamy Council Candidates - November Election

The Express-Times recently featured an article profiling the candidates running for Tatamy Borough Council in the November general election. You can read the article here.

Special Election Tomorrow

Don't forget - tomorrow is a special election to fill the senate seat vacated by Sen. Rob Wonderling.

Rental Property Inspections

I cannot believe that I left this off the Council Roundup - shame on me. This is more important than the library actually as it directly affects owners of rental property in Tatamy Borough.

As you may know, for the past several months (actually close to a year now) a sub-committee of folks from both the Planning Commission and Zoning Hearing Board have been getting together and developing a comprehensive inspection program for all the rental properties in the Borough. They will be using a checklist developed in conjunction with the civil engineering firm that currently is responsible for all the building inspections in the Borough.

The committee presented a detailed report to Council last week - which included the checklist, suggested fees, and a suggestion for scheduling the inspections. Council gave the blessing to the committee to work with the Borough Solicitor and Engineer to draft the ordinance. This ordinance, because it potentially affects many people, will be read TWICE - the first scheduled reading of the proposed ordinance I believe will be at the October council meeting (10/5 - 7:30PM), with the final reading/adoption at the November council meeting (11/2 - 7:30PM).

The goal of the inspection program is to ensure that all rental properties are safe, and up to code.

If passed, it is the goal to begin inspecting rental properties I believe in Q2 of 2010.

Borough Council Roundup - 9/8/2009

Can you believe it's September already? Where did the time go? Seems like just the other day I was opening my pool, this weekend if we get a break from the rain I'll be closing it. The end of another summer season is upon us.

In any event, you're not here to listen to me lament about the weather - you're here because you're curious as to what happened this week at the borough council meeting.

It was a relatively uneventful meeting actually - though there are a few things worth mentioning:

1. The "No Through Trucks" ordinance in Tatamy Hunt (a blog reader suggestion actually) is going to be passed next month. We have received approval from Palmer Township to install some signage at their end of the development. So - once the ordinance is advertised and passed, we will post the signs and drivers will face penalties for violating them. Please be mindful that local deliveries are exempt from this policy. Thanks to the reader (you know who you are) who suggested it.

2. Trash Collection. There was a brief discussion concerning the cost of trash pick-up in the Borough, along with the administrative expense of maintaining the billing, chasing after open receivables (there will ALWAYS be open receivables) and such. I thought it might be a good idea to see if there was any way to absorb the cost into the property taxes and eliminate the separate trash bills that we receive twice a year. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like the math works out - so, for now, anyway, it will stay the way it is, and we'll be billed 2x/year for our trash pickup.

3. Library. Of course I saved the best for last (gotta keep you reading . . .). Anyway, a few weeks back if you recall, I met with the Board of Directors at the Nazareth Library. Also present at that meeting if you remember was the State Librarian. I learned (along with the rest of the Directors at the Library) that the State Library Code allows local libraries only to reach out and attract communities that directly border them to become contributing members. So, in the case of the Nazareth library, that includes Nazareth Borough, and the townships of Upper, Lower and Bushkill. What about Tatamy you ask? Well - because of where Tatamy sits on an "island" if you will surrounded on three sides by Palmer Township (North, West, and South) and by Forks (East), we don't have a direct link to Nazareth, therefore Tatamy is not (and never was) eligible to be a participating member of the Nazareth Library. So where does that leave us today? Is there a library that we're eligible to be a contributing member of? According to the folks in Harrisburg, the only library that we would be eligible to join (should we choose to do so) is the Easton Area Public Library. I offered to begin discussions with them, but the general consensus of the majority of the folks on council, along with the folks in the audience (and the folks who I have received emails and feedback from) has all been consistently the same - and that's "let's keep things the way they are for now". So - those of you who want library cards are free to go to the Palmer or Easton library, pay for your membership, and the Borough will reimburse you 50% of the fee. Some day perhaps things will change, but for now, it is what it is.

Have a good weekend everyone!

Borough Wide Yard Sale - This Saturday (8/29)

Clean out the basement, clean out the attic and get all your treasures ready. The annual Tatamy Borough Wide Yard Sale is scheduled for this coming Saturday, August 29. Yard Sale Permits are NOT required for this day ONLY.

Just remember - "one man's trash is another man's treasure". I've found many treasures at yard sales.

Have fun everyone!

Library Follow-up

I would like to publicly thank Lynn Snodgrass-Pilla, John Reinhart and the rest of the Board of Directors of the Memorial Library of Nazareth and Vicinity for inviting me to their Board meeting on Tuesday night. The discussion was lively, insightful and proved to be a learning experience filled with surprises for everyone in attendance.

There was quite a bit of information that was learned. The most important of which needs to be verified before I can publicly discuss what our next steps are. For now, let me just say that this isn't finished yet, and I intend to keep learning about some potential new options and opportunities, beginning new discussions, and moving this forward.

Stay tuned to this station for further updates as they become available.

Some Interesting Library Statistics

Just a quick post today with some interesting library statistics (thanks to borough secretary Joanne Kiefer).

Since 2006 (this is as far as I've gone back in history) Tatamy Borough has spent a total of $712.50 in library reimbursements for our residents who have library cards at the Palmer (Easton) Library. The breakdown is as follows:

Membership fees for the Easton Library are $30/adult and $5/child. The borough will reimburse half of the fee.

2006: $165.00 (10 adults / 5 children)
2007: $255.00 (16 adults / 6 children)
2008: $155.00 (9 adults / 8 children)

And so far for 2009, $137.50 (15 adults / 5 children)

As far as the feedback that I've been getting from the Tatamy residents concerning this issue (thank you very much - keep it coming please) - the majority of the folks are in favor of keeping things the way they are. Here's one that I found rather interesting:

The Easton Library is a little further away but the library is bigger and the staff have been very friendly. When I just renewed my card, they reminded me of the reimbursement. It’s nice to have books available when every kid in school is assigned the same project – Easton has more resources.

I was also just reminded that several years ago (I can't remember when) there was a referendum on the ballot to support the library that the voters turned down. I'll try to get some more info on that one and post it here.

In any event - I thought these were interesting statistics and decided to share them with you. Unless I'm missing something, I can't see justifying an $11 to $14K spend /year when we've only spent just over $700 in four.

Have a good day everyone!

Library Feedback

Thanks to those of you who have provided feedback on the Library. Unfortunately, the response I received is less than what I had expected, and, believe it or not, of the responses I did receive, the majority of them were "no" votes.

Please - drop me a note or comment this (or the other) post. I would really like to know how you feel about supporting the library.

Thanks!

Tatamy Family Day

By now you should have seen the fliers that the Fire Company was passing out. But, in case you didn't get yours, Tatamy Family Day is going to be held this coming Sunday, August 16, 2009 between 1 and 5PM at Hope Lutheran Church. Some of the events of the day include:

Todd Rothrock Basketball Court Dedication
We will be dedicating the basketball court at the High Street Park in memory of Todd Rothrock. There will be a "Hot Shot Shooting Contest" afterward.

Tatamy Police Department
The Tatamy Police Department will be conducting a K9 demonstration at 2:30PM. They will also have on display some of their old uniforms.

Tatamy Historical Society
Come and learn a little bit of Tatamy's heritage from the Tatamy Historical Society.

Fire, Safety and Emergency Management
- Suburban EMS Vehicle Display
- Go through a smoke trailer and learn fire safety
- The PennStar Helicopter will be landing at 4PM
- The PA Child Identification Program sponsored by the PA Masonic Lodge
- See the Northampton County Mobile Command Center

Blood Drive
Roll up your sleeves and donate a pint of blood. The Miller Keystone Memorial Blood Center will have a blood mobile onsite between 1 and 4:30PM (on the 16th only).

Balloons the Clown will be there between 1 and 3PM.

DJ Terry Cressman will be providing the music and entertainment for the day.

Food, prizes, games, displays and giveaways. Come and enjoy a day of fun and learning, and get an opportunity to spend time with your neighbors.

I hope to see everyone there!

A Few Things . . .

I need to get this in before Ross does his weekly round up :-). In any event - there's a few things going on worth mentioning:

Car Show
I hope you made it to the annual car show a few weeks back. For the most part, the weather held out, though there were a few showers early in the day. Thanks again to all the folks who brought their cars to share them with us.

August Council Meeting
This month's council meeting was rather uneventful, though I did propose that we draft an ordinance restricting through truck traffic in Tatamy Hunt. That's now in the works and I hope to have something on the books before the end of the year. Because Tatamy Hunt shares a main through street with Palmer Township, we need to get their OK to post signage and such. I thought we should get this ordinance on the books now, before the Chrin project ramps up and drivers get used to the idea that they might be able to cut through the development and get to Bushkill Drive. Bottom line - it will be "no trucks allowed except for local deliveries". Stay tuned.

The Nazareth Library Controversy
I guess I've steered clear of this thing long enough. I would like to comment on all this controversy of late regarding the Nazareth Library. Just a friendly reminder - this comment should NOT be interpreted as an official opinion of the Borough of Tatamy.

Moving on . . . As a public official, I would like nothing better than to say to the citizens of Tatamy that we will support the library. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, Tatamy Borough never saw the need to support the library. I don't know why, though my guess would be to say that they didn't want to raise taxes to generate the required revenue. Bottom line, the funds were never set aside, and now, the budget is so tight there aren't funds available.

Growing up in New Jersey, I was used to having access to the Hunterdon County Library System and it's many branches. When I moved to Pennsylvania way back in 1992, I was shocked to find out that there was no county sponsored library system - that each municipality was required to fund it's own library, or join with other municipalities to create a "regional library" - as is the case with the Memorial Library of Nazareth and Vicinity. I have been invited to attend their next Board Meeting (thank you Lynn) - which I plan to do, so I can learn more about the library, and their requirements for sponsorship from each municipality.

Now fellow Tatamy resident - this is where you come in. Are you truly interested in having access to the library? If it meant that taxes were to go up by XX% (a value yet to be determined) would you still support the change? Would you use the services of the library? Please - if you have never commented before - now is the time to do it. Send me an email - let me know your thoughts. Forward this post on to your neighbors - let them read it and ask that they answer the question. Let me know how you feel, so I can take your input to Council and, if the residents are truly interested in supporting the library, we'll see what needs to be done to make that happen. Feedback is important folks - it's the only way that change happens. Send your input to me using the email link below, or post a comment to this entry. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks!

Tatamy Car Show, Other . . .

Sorry folks - life has gotten away from me and this morning I just realized it's been a month since I posted anything here. I've been traveling and quite busy at work (believe me, I'm not complaining at all about that one) so I apologize for being quiet. In any event, there are a few things that you should know:

1. The annual Tatamy Car Show is being held today on Broad Street. Please come out and support the Tatamy Historical Society and the drivers who have braved the elements (or at least the threat of rain and storms) who are bringing their cars. I hear them already.

2. At last month's Council meeting, borough council passed an engine braking ordinance forbidding the use of "jake brakes" within the borough limits on 8th Street and on Broad Street. Signs are being made up and will be posted. Thanks to the citizen in Tatamy Hunt for suggesting that. We also discussed the possibility of restricting truck traffic through the Tatamy Hunt development. Our engineer Bob Mack will be back this month with some recommendations and hopefully we can propose an ordinance. Stay tuned.

3. It looks like the street lights in Tatamy Hunt are finally being replaced (Thanks John for the heads up). I realize the lights are not the "fancy schmancy" ones that were installed by the developer, they are nicer than the ones that I thought MetEd was going to install (standard brushed aluminum post with a light at the end of a mast arm hanging over the street). Hopefully once they're all in and powered up this will FINALLY put an end to that whole mess.

That's it for today - I hope to see everyone at the car show (come out before it rains).

Route 33 Interchange Meeting

FYI - there will be a public meeting tonight at 7PM at the Chrin Community Center in Palmer Township to discuss the proposed Route 33 Interchange on Tatamy Road. I encourage everyone to attend. I will be there, and will provide an update after the meeting.

I've said it before and I'll go on the record again and say publicly that I wholly support this project - at the end of the day I think it's what Tatamy and the surrounding area needs to encourage smart growth, which, in turn, results in jobs and much needed revenue and resources for the Borough.

Main Street Repair Work Scheduled ** FINALLY **

I am happy to announce that the much-awaited repairs to Main Street have been scheduled to begin Monday, June 15th. There are no parking signs posted on the south side of Main Street between 7th and Bushkill Street. No parking is in effect from 7AM to 4PM starting Monday "until further notice". The no-parking signs that have been obscured by the recent rainfall will be changed out sometime today (thanks to blog reader Eileen for bringing this to my attention).

Have a great weekend everyone!

** HOLD THE DATE ** Tatamy Family Day 2009!

Mark your calendars - Tatamy Family Day is scheduled for Sunday, August 16, 2009 from 1 to 5PM at Hope Lutheran Church. More information will follow, but make a note of the date.

Hope to see you there!

Regal and Rave Theatres Offer Free Family Movies

Are you looking for something to do with the kids over the summer? If so, Regal Cinemas at Northampton Crossings and the Rave Motion Pictures at The Promenade in Lower Saucon are offering free family movies.

The schedule can be found here.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch 'til 8PM

The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Watch until 8PM for the Lehigh Valley. Please keep your eyes to the sky.

According to the National Weather Service, a Severe Thunderstorm is:

A thunderstorm that produces either of the following: winds of 50 kts (58 mph) or greater (these speeds can result in structural or tree damage), hail ¾" in diameter or larger, or a tornado. Lightning frequency is not a warning criteria for issuing a severe thunderstorm warning. Severe thunderstorms can result in the loss of life and property. They can also produce a tornado with little or no advanced warning. A table of hail sizes can be found in this glossary, under the definition of hail.

Tatamy Has a Hero

I learned this morning that, as fate would have it, Tatamy Borough's very own Corporal Fred Lahovsky was among the dozens of police officers and State Troopers involved in this weekend's car chase following the abduction at gunpoint of 9-year old Trevor Autenrieth from Nazareth. Quoting from an article in this morning's Express-Times:

Pennsylvania State Police Trooper John Osterhout, of the Swiftwater barracks, and police Cpl. Fred Lahovski, of the Tatamy Police Department, are being credited with pulling 9-year-old Trevor Autenrieth to safety during Sunday night's gunfire that ended in the deaths of Trevor's father, Daniel Autenrieth, and Trooper Joshua Miller.

Unfortunately, lives were lost in this senseless tragedy. Governor Rendell said it best:

"The death of Trooper Miller and the wounding of Trooper Lombardo remind us all once again of the dangers that our law enforcement officers face each day."

Thank you Fred. Thank you for answering the call for help. Thank you for putting the safety and lives of others before yours. Because of your selfless action, and that of your fellow Officers and State Troopers, this boy is safe at home with his mother and family.

Hollo Road - Speed Limit Confusion

Can someone please explain to me why the North/East bound direction of Hollo Road has a posted speed limit of 25 MPH, but the South/West bound direction has a posted speed limit of 35? It's a bit confusing, don't you think?

For the life of me I can't imagine why you would want a 25 MPH speed limit on that road (there's one of those portable "your speed is" displays there - tonight it told me that I was doing 40). Anyway - 25 MPH is a little slow. 35 seems more reasonable - I guess I need to be going the other way for that. I'll post some photos here tomorrow.

ProLogis Parkway is OPEN!

I came home from a long day at work tonight at 9:15. Of course, I headed down the old Hollo Road, only to discover that the barricades have been REMOVED and the Hollo Road/Prologis Parkway intersection is now open.

Tomorrow I'm playing the lotto.

HELP WANTED - Part Time Borough Treasurer

As recently posted in the Express-Times, Tatamy Borough is accepting applications for a part-time Borough Treasurer. The candidate should have a finance background. Interested applicants may drop off their resume at the Borough Office, 423 Broad Street, Tatamy. If the office is closed, please deposit it in the mail slot on the office door.

Thank you!

Powdered Aspirin Mailing Alert

I received the following alert from Northampton County Emergency Management Services today that I thought I'd share with you:

For your information and awareness.

Between May 20th and May 29th, 2009 there will be a nationwide mass mailing of 178,000 envelopes from the Bayer Aspirin Company.

Approximately 33,561 of these envelopes will contain a sample of Bayer Aspirin Crystals, which is a white powder. Area police departments, EMT's, and hospitals should be aware of these mailings and the potential to present as "white powder" calls. In addition, private sector mail rooms should be aware that these envelopes may be coming through their respective facilities.

As always if you are suspicious of the source please contact your local law enforcement.

Thank you,
Robert F. Mateff, Sr., ENP
Director

If you're not on the distribution list already (you should be), you can sign-up here. The service is free, and you can choose a number of different notification methods (e.g. SMS message, email, or, for the most critical alerts, a voice call).

Hello Everyone!

I was reminded last night that I have been remiss in posting here. My work life has seemed to get very crazy these past few weeks, and I haven't taken the time to post here as much as I like, and for that, I apologize.

In any event, I thought I'd give you an update on a few things.

1. Hollo Road. In case you haven't noticed, yes, it's still closed. Someone from Lower Nazareth actually came by sometime last week and uprighted the barrier that was knocked down and put the plastic fencing back in place to keep folks from driving around the barrier.

2. Election. Tatamy voters came out last week to show their support for the candidates in the local primary election. A total of 105 votes were cast by Tatamy voters, 53 Republicans (50 voters and 3 absentee ballots) and 52 Democrats. The tally for the Council race is as follows (you can get the remainder of the Northampton County results, including those for Judge and District Judge here). Search for Tatamy.

DEMOCRAT:
Mayor
One vote cast for a write-in (no name listed). No official candidate running.

Council
Michael Racz - 33 votes

REPUBLICAN:
Mayor
Luke J Duignam - 44 votes

Council
Hazel DeReamus - 45 votes
Robert Hayes - 36 votes
Robert Fisher - 27 votes

It looks like things are going to be interesting this coming November. There are currently three seats open, and four folks running.

3. Into the Woods. I posted recently about Into the Woods - the play that the Nazareth Area Middle School Drama Club was putting on in the beginning of May. Let me say - that show was fantastic. The kids did an awesome job. Once again hats off to Tatamy's own John Nadolski for his role as "Jack". Great job (as always) John! My son Jordan played the part of the Prince's Steward. Let me take this opportunity right now to gloat (it's my blog and I believe I have the right to occasionally gloat) and say that he did an awesome job. I am very proud of you son.

4. Chrin Commerce Centre and the Route 33 Interchange. Recently it was reported that Chrin Land Developers has submitted plans to construct a $25MM interchange at Route 33 and Main Street, to provide enhanced access to the Chrin Commerce Centre and other projects in the area. A public hearing is tentatively scheduled for 7 p.m. June 25 at the Charles Chrin Community Center in Palmer Township. I encourage everyone to attend and ask questions. I will go on record and publicly say that I support the entire Chrin project, including this interchange. In my opinion that interchange is probably one of the best things that can happen for Tatamy and the surrounding area. It will provide improved (almost immediate) access to Route 33, and allow the Chrin Commerce Centre to really grow and attract top notch businesses, which, in turn will provide Tatamy with much needed local jobs and the accompanying tax revenue that those business (and jobs) will generate. This interchange, should it be approved, will be funded entirely by Chrin. No township (the interchange would actually be located in Palmer Township) or state money will be used to complete this project.

5. Memorial Day Service. Don't forget to join us tomorrow, Monday, May 25, 2009 at the Borough Hall for our annual Memorial Day service. The weather looks like it will cooperate. Please take an hour out of your holiday weekend and come honor those folks, both living and dead, who have served for this country (yes, I'm a US Navy veteran). Part of what makes Tatamy so special is the fact that we actually have services such as this. I hope to see you there.

That I think pretty much sums things up. As always, feel free to drop a note at any time.

Into the Woods

This coming weekend, the Nazareth Area Middle School Drama Club presents the musical "Into the Woods" at the Middle School. Showtimes are as follows:

Friday, 5/1 - 7:30PM
Saturday, 5/2 - 2:00PM and 7:30PM
Sunday, 5/3 - 2:00PM

Tickets are $7.00 at the door for adults, $5.00 for students.

Please come out and support these kids who have done an absolutely outstanding job preparing for this show.


Photo courtesy of the Nazareth Area School District


Tatamy's John Nadolski plays the part of Jack. Photo courtesy of The Express-Times


My son Jordan Moren plays the part of the Steward. Photo courtesy of The Express-Times

For more photos, click here.

I hope to see you at the show!

2009 Primary Election - Tatamy's Candidates

Taken from the Lehigh Valley League of Women Voters May 2009 Primary Voters Guide, here is what Tatamy's candidates have to say:

MAYOR

(Vote for One – 4 Year Term)

REPUBLICAN

LUKE J. DUIGNAM (Incumbent)

DOB: 1927

EDUCATION: High school Scranton Tech, Scranton PA (1945), Schools of continuing education University of Scranton, Bucknell School of Banking, Penn State banking course

CURRENT OCCUPATION: Ret. former banker Naz Natl. B&T 21 years v/pres

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THIS OFFICE: Former Tatamy Boro council and Planning Commission 39 years, Mayor 8 years

RESPONSE: Reducing taxes through commercial area growth. Continue to make the Boro of Tatamy a better community in which to live by addressing the needs and wants of our wonderful citizens.

DEMOCRAT: No challenger


BOROUGH COUNCIL

Vote for not more than Three; 4 year Term)

DEMOCRAT

MICHAEL A. RACZ
No response.



REPUBLICAN

HAZEL E. DeREAMUS

DOB: 1936

EDUCATION: Nazareth Area School District

CURRENT OCCUPATION: Tatamy Borough Sewer Authority secretary-treasurer

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THIS OFFICE: Real Estate Tax Collector 13 years; Earned Income Tax Collector 15 years; Over 25 years working for various accounting firms in the Lehigh Valley; Former officer/bookkeeper Tatamy Fire Company; Borough resident for over 45 years

RESPONSE: Would like to use my knowledge of finance to keep actual expenses in line with the budget during tough financial times.

ROBERT J. HAYES Jr.

DOB: 1958

EDUCATION: 1981, University of Tennessee, Bachelor of Architecture

CURRENT OCCUPATION: Project architect

QUALIFICATIONS FOR THIS OFFICE: Tatamy Borough Planning Commission, 2 years; Tatamy Borough Council, 4 years

RESPONSE: As Tatamy Borough councilman I will endeavor to do what is right as this small borough reacts to the increasing commercial development and vehicular impact caused by our location. I will work to maintain the borough’s sense of historic community and to expand the internal operations to meet the needs of growth.


ROBERT H. FISHER

No response.

Easter Egg Hunt Sunday 4/5/2009

Tatamy Borough's annual Easter Egg Hunt will be held tomorrow, Sunday, April 5, 2009 at 1PM at Braden Park.

I hope to see you there!

Hollo Road - The Saga Continues

** NOTICE ** Although there already is a disclaimer in the header at the top of this blog page, I need to expressly restate that fact. I want noone to mis-interpret that this rant is any way endorsed by, or is any official position of, the Borough of Tatamy. This rant is mine and mine alone. Now on with the story . . .

This afternoon I thought I'd drop a note to Bob Anckaitis, Palmer Township Manager, as a follow-up to our correspondence last week concerning opening the intersection of Hollo Road and ProLogis Parkway, with the hope that I would receive good news. Boy was I wrong.

In a previous post, I learned that Timm Tenges and the folks in Lower Nazareth Township required some sort of reassurances from Palmer Township that Palmer would assume responsibility for some future improvements that were required to support the projected increase in traffic as a result of some of the new construction going on in our area (Chrin project, Majestic, etc.). Palmer submitted to Lower Nazareth's engineering group everything that they asked for. It now appears that Lower Nazareth's Township Manager Timm Tenges is STILL not satisfied. Lower Nazareth is now requesting (perhaps bullying?) Palmer to enter into an intermunicipal agreement. What a crock. It's now painfully obvious to me that Mr. Tenges, and the Chairman of the Lower Nazareth Board of Supervisors Alan Dilsaver along with the rest of the Board of Supervisors don't care about the safety of the folks who risk their lives every time they want to turn left onto 248 from Hollo Road. I can't imagine what kind of intermunicipal agreement is required. Furthermore, I can't imagine why they won't take down the barricades while all this nonsense is worked out. I'm convinced that none of them use this road. If they did, they would know what pain in the you know what it is to try to get out. Nothing will be done until someone gets severely injured - or worse yet, killed.

Mr. Tenges - if you're reading this I would like to remind you and the rest of the Lower Nazareth Supervisors that you are most likely using public funds to signalize what amounts to be a private, dead-end roadway. May I suggest that until whatever beef you have with Palmer Township is worked out, that you turn off the traffic light. It's not doing anyone any good. I had to sit there the other evening - and thought why? Nobody was coming down ProLogis Parkway, but for whatever reason, the light turned red. Ridiculous.

I encourage all of my readers to launch an email/letter writing campaign to the officials in Lower Nazareth (their contact info is below). Explain to them the difficulty that we have trying to get onto Route 248. Explain to them the fact that the recently relocated Majestic plant brought with it a slew of vehicles, that, because ProLogis Parkway and an easy link to Route 248/33 isn't usable, they wind up clogging our roads making their way back to the Slate Belt. Remind them that they're most likely using public money to operate a traffic signal to control a private dead end road. Remind them that we're just plain fed up with their nonsense. I've already done so, and provided a link to this blog post.

Timm Tenges: manager@lowernazareth.com
Alan V. Dilsaver, Chairman: adilsaver@lowernazareth.com
Eric E. Nagle, Vice Chairman: enagle@lowernazareth.com
Ricky T. Johnson: rjohnson@lowernazareth.com
Robert S. Kucsan: rkucsan@lowernazareth.com
Patrick J. Murphy: pmurphy@lowernazareth.com

Lower Nazareth Township
306 Butztown Road
Bethlehem, PA 18020
610.759.7434

I have also forwarded copies of this post to my fellow bloggers, Ross Nunamaker (Nazareth News Over Coffee) and Bernie O'Hare (Lehigh Valley Ramblings), along with Joe Owens from The Express-Times with the hope that they too will post something on their sites to bring more attention to this matter.

Let's hope that this whole mess can be resolved sometime soon.

Traffic Signal Work

Could it be possible that the traffic signal work at the corner of 8th and Main Streets in Tatamy has begun? It would appear so. I'll try to verify, but they've definately started digging holes for what I'm assuming are to be the foundations for the light standards. Now that the spring weather has arrived, I'm guessing that this work will begin in earnest.

It also looks like they're going to be installing lights at the corner of VanBuren and Main (Tatamy Rd).

Tatamy/Stockertown Bridge Update

After reading an online blog post by Joe Owens (Express-Times Editor) a few weeks back, I decided to drop a note to Representative Rich Grucela's office and ask if there was any chance that we could possibly, if nothing else, take a new look at this project and perhaps use some of the new found stimulus money to fund it.

Well, I received a call yesterday from Chuck Lewis, who works for Rep. Grucela who indicated to me that the bridge project is in fact on the "wishlist". There is a meeting sometime in early April with Sen. Wonderling to discuss this and other projects that might be able to use some stimulus funding.

There may be a little glimmer of hope that something may be done. Stay tuned . . .

Tatamy's Candidates

The following Tatamy residents have filed petitions for election in the May Primary Election as follows:

MAYOR
Luke Duignam (R)

TATAMY BOROUGH COUNCIL
Hazel DeReamus (R)
Bob Fisher (R)
Bob Hayes (R)
Mike Racz (D)

INSPECTOR OF ELECTION
Bernice Correll (D)
Joanne Wagner (R)

JUDGE OF ELECTION
Cindy Duelley (R)

Over the course of the next few weeks, I will be reaching out to these candidates, especially the ones running for Council and Mayor, and ask them to give me a brief summary of their goals and expectations (e.g. "why should I vote for you?") and I will blog them here for you as a way to "Meet the Candidates".

Hollo Road Update

I've received numerous questions lately (and have been rather curious myself) that go something like this:
"hey, do you know when Hollo Road and ProLogis Parkway is going to open?", or "what's up with the barricade at the intersection of Hollo Road and ProLogis Parkway?"

So, I decided to write a note to both Timm Tenges (Lower Nazareth Township Manager) and Bob Anckaitis (Palmer Township Manager). This is where we stand to date:

It would appear that Lower Nazareth is requiring some reassurances from Palmer that Palmer will take care of some future improvements required to support the increased traffic flow that will come from the under construction Chrin Commerce Centre. Two or so weeks ago, Palmer's engineer submitted to Lower Nazareth all the documentation they requested, and it's currently being reviewed by the Lower Nazareth engineer. Once Lower Nazareth has completed their review and is satisfied that Palmer has addressed their concerns, Lower Nazareth will remove the barricades in place and open the road. I thank Bob Anckaitis from Palmer for this information, all I heard from Lower Nazareth was that "there were issues that needed to be worked out". I hope to have information to provide an update sometime next week. If/when I hear anything, you'll get it here.

Stay tuned . . .

Borough Council Roundup - March 2009

At this month's council meeting, about the only important item of business worth mentioning is the fact that the position of Assistant Borough Secretary was eliminated, effective immediately. We hope to use some of the money saved to create a new position as part-time Borough Treasurer. While the job description hasn't been completely developed, in my mind (and mine only) the ideal candidate should have a background in accounting and finance, and should also have experience dealing with municipal budgets. The employment committee is supposed to be formalizing the job description, and it is my hope that we can begin advertising and interviewing for this newly created position soon. Once we hire a treasurer, Joanne will strictly be responsible for the day to day administrative activities for the borough and will be reclassified as Borough Secretary.

Other than that, there's not much else to report on this month.

Spring is coming - in fact don't forget to "spring ahead" tonight before going to bed and turn your clocks ahead one hour. Don't worry, you'll regain that lost hour of sleep in November.

Diner 248 - An Impromptu Review

My daughter Emilee and I were going grocery shopping this afternoon, and decided to stop and have lunch while we were out. Since we were going to Wegmans anyway, I decided to try the new 248 Diner located on the westbound side of Rt. 248 between Northwood Ave. and the Easton Wal*Mart (formerly a Jack Creek Steakhouse). I'm not a professional restaurant reviewer - but I will tell you that I had one of the best experiences in a restaurant I've had in quite a while. The atmosphere is nice, the background music was awesome (they were playing XM/Sirius's "The Coffee House" - all acoustic versions of everything imaginable).

I had the best bowl of chili I've had in a while; my burger was cooked to perfection and Emilee had a big bowl of soup and a plate of spaghetti and meatballs that she wasn't able to finish. One thing to note - unlike most diners, breakfast is only available until 2PM. They do, however, have a full-service bar, again, unlike most diners.

The food was good, and the service was top notch. The two of us ate for just under $25.

Bottom line - if you're in the area, and you're hungry - try Diner 248. You too might be pleasantly surprised.

See you at the diner!

Winter Storm Warning in Effect

The National Weather Service in Mt. Holly, NJ has placed our area under a Winter Storm Warning from 6PM this evening, Sunday, March 1, 2009 through 4PM tomorrow, Monday, March 2, 2009.

...HEAVY SNOW FROM TONIGHT INTO MONDAY...

.LOW PRESSURE, LOCATED OVER GEORGIA EARLY THIS MORNING, WILL
INTENSIFY AS IT MOVES TO THE NORTHEAST. THE LOW IS EXPECTED TO
PASS WELL TO THE EAST OF DELAWARE AND NEW JERSEY ON MONDAY.
HOWEVER, IT SHOULD BRING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SNOW TO OUR
REGION FROM TONIGHT INTO MONDAY.

NJZ001-007-PAZ054-055-060>062-012200-
/O.CON.KPHI.WS.W.0005.090301T2300Z-090302T2100Z/
SUSSEX-WARREN-CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...NEWTON...WASHINGTON...JIM THORPE...
STROUDSBURG...READING...ALLENTOWN...BETHLEHEM...EASTON
530 AM EST SUN MAR 1 2009

...WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING
TO 4 PM EST MONDAY...

A WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM 600 PM THIS EVENING
UNTIL 400 PM ON MONDAY.

SNOW IS EXPECTED TO SPREAD UP INTO OUR REGION FROM THE SOUTH THIS
EVENING. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT AND INTO MONDAY,
AND IT WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES.

BASED ON THE LATEST FORECAST TRACK OF THE STORM, IT APPEARS AS
THOUGH 5 TO 9 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL IN THE PENNSYLVANIA
COUNTIES OF BERKS, LEHIGH AND NORTHAMPTON, AND IN THE NEW JERSEY
COUNTIES OF WARREN AND SUSSEX FROM TONIGHT INTO MONDAY. SNOWFALL
TOTALS OF 4 TO 7 INCHES ARE EXPECTED FOR THE PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES
OF CARBON AND MONROE.

THE STEADY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO TAPER TO SNOW SHOWERS ON MONDAY
AFTERNOON.

TRAVEL WILL BE DIFFICULT IN THE REGION FROM TONIGHT INTO MONDAY.

Snow amounts with this particular storm are expected to be even greater as you travel to the south and east, with the Philadelphia area expecting 6 to 12 inches of snow.

Please be careful if you're out and about later today, and into tomorrow.

** REMINDER ** Please move your cars from the snow emergency routes so that the road crew can plow curb to curb. Once the snow has ended and the roads have been cleared you can put your cars back. Thank you!

Chrin Commerce Centre Update

In today's Express Times there is an article updating the Chrin Commerce Centre and the new Porsche building being built.

"We're very excited to have Porsche as our anchor project," said Roger Mellin, Chrin director of business development.

"We're very optimistic that despite the downturn in the economy, we're going to see a fair amount of requests for information from companies looking to expand or relocate," Mellin said.

Chrin officials originally conceived Phases II and III as a town center on Main Street in Tatamy as well as offices, loft apartments and a Route 33 interchange.

But Mellin said the company may explore alternative scenarios for the two latter phases, including mixed-use office and light-industrial development.

Mellin said Chrin would not focus on Phases II and III until the completion of the first phase, for which he gave no timeline.

(Palmer) Township Manager Bob Anckaitis said whatever changes Chrin makes to the plans, the company will be obligated to build a Route 33 interchange.

Council Update and "other" . . .

Hi Guys,

OK - so I have gotten a complaint that nothing has been posted, and for that I apologize. To be honest, however, there really isn't much to talk about.

Here's a quick update:

Planning and Zoning
1. Review a complaint received regarding a property on Main St.

Unfortunately we really can't do much about this. The house in question is up to code (as far as we can tell). The borough can't control what a property looks like, and as long as there aren't public safety issues, there's not much we can do.

Engineer's Report
1. Review what appears to be an ongoing issue with drainage in Tatamy Hunt.

The condition has been noted, and the Borough has received a quote to perform the repairs. Unfortunately due to the cold winter weather, this work will need to wait until spring.

2. Discuss the (still non-operational) street lighting in Tatamy Hunt.

Met-Ed is aware of the one fixture that is still not operational and I believe they need some additional parts. All the street lights in Tatamy Hunt will be replaced in the coming few months so I'm not sure how much money they will invest to get this one particular fixture operational.

Old Business
1. Discuss our Emergency Management Plan - and perhaps talk about scheduling drills.

Unfortunately our Emergency Management Coordinator was unable to be at the meeting, so this was tabled until March. We do need to start doing something on this particular issue and I will not let it get pushed to the proverbial back burner.

Now for the "other" . . .

1. Just (another) friendly reminder -- if you live on a "Snow Emergency" street, PLEASE move your vehicles from the street so that Frank can plow the roads properly. Once the roads are cleared you can move your car back in front of your house. I know it's a pain (I have to do it also) but we will all be better off in the end. Most people comply with this request, and for that I thank you. There are still a few folks though who don't seem to feel it's important to move their cars. The Borough isn't going to declare a snow emergency every time it snows, but if we continually see folks who don't move their cars, we will, and you will be towed, so please - move your car, let us plow and then put your car back. Thank you.

2. Speaking of snow plowing, you may have noticed an abundant amount of cinders and such left behind this year. As you probably have noticed, we have had an awful lot of icing, which results in the need to spread more salt/cinders than usual. This past weekend I swept up the cinders and such out front - and it appears as though I may have started a trend because a lot of my neighbors have done the same thing. In any event, I left them in two piles, one at each end of my property. In the past I know that the road crew would pick up the piles if they had time. I'm not sure if they're doing that this year or not, but will ask and let you know. In any event, they're going to stay there and in the spring the cleaning company will pick them up for sure.

That's about it for now -- please drop a note or give a call (using that fancy link off to the right there) any time.

Thanks for reading!

Council Meeting Tonight - Agenda

Items of interest on tonight's Borough Council meeting agenda include:

Planning and Zoning
1. Review a complaint received regarding a property on Main St.

Engineer's Report
1. Review what appears to be an ongoing issue with drainage in Tatamy Hunt
2. Discuss the (still non-operational) street lighting in Tatamy Hunt

Old Business
1. Discuss our Emergency Management Plan - and perhaps talk about scheduling drills

That's about it. Hopefully it will be a quick meeting. See you tonight at 7:30 at the Borough Hall!

Snow Routes - A Friendly Reminder

Now that it's snowing, I thought I'd take this opportunity to remind everyone who lives on any of the Snow Emergency Routes in the Borough to please make sure that you move your cars to a driveway/garage (if you have one), or to one of the side streets. This will make Frank's job a heck of a lot easier - imagine wrangling that big truck with a plow attached to it down the street trying not to hit the cars. Once the snow has stopped and the streets have been plowed curb to curb, you can put your cars back and then Frank can take care of the side streets.

A big thank you to everyone in advance for your help.