Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Update . . . A Traffic Light Cometh (finally) . . .

Yes, I have been remiss in updating and I apologize for that. It would seem that life has gotten the best of me and, well, quite frankly, there really hasn't been much exciting to review - it's been, for the most part, "business as usual". I hope everyone has had a nice summer. It's hard to believe it's just about over, and we're a week away from the start of school again.

There are a few things worth noting:

1. Moving Permits. Please be mindful that if you're moving in, out or within the Borough, moving permits are required. Please stop by the Borough Office to obtain a moving permit. The cost is $5.00.

2. Karl Johnson - 90th Birthday Celebration. Karl Johnson - lifelong resident of Tatamy Borough will be turning 90 years old on the 31st. To mark the event, Mayor Duignam will be proclaiming August 31, 2010 as "Karl Johnson Day" in the Borough of Tatamy. A brief ceremony will be held at 10am at the Borough Hall. Light refreshments will be provided.

3. Traffic Light Update. Could it be possible that construction will start soon? Chances are the answer is "yes". Based on some information received earlier today, it looks like all the documentation has been approved by PennDOT and construction can start - perhaps as early as the middle of next month. Further information will be published as it becomes available.

4. Main St. Bridge Replacement. A few of us attended a pre-construction design meeting last week with PennDOT. Looks like construction on the replacement Main St. bridge over the Bushkill Creek is (right now, anyway) scheduled to begin in August 2011, with a completion sometime in November 2012. As with all construction projects (especially those involving PennDOT) this is subject to change, but for now, anyway, that's the latest information that I have.

That's it for now. Have a great day everyone!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

PA American Water Company Water Main Flushing Activity

I received an automated telephone call from Pennsylvania American Water Company today announcing the schedule for the annual water main flushing in our area. Apparently the work is scheduled between Monday 4/12 through and including Friday 4/23.

According to the announcement, you may notice a decrease in water pressure and/or discolored water. If your water is discolored, they recommend letting the water run for a few minutes until it clears up.

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Street Sweeping Scheduled

Are you tired of the mess left behind from this past winter's plowing operation? Had enough of tracking the stones and cinders into the house and car? Well, salvation, in the form of a street sweeping machine, is heading to a street near you soon.

The annual street sweeping operation is scheduled, weather permitting, for this coming week - starting on Monday 3/29. If it's raining, we will reschedule for the next good weather day.

Please make sure that all cars are removed from the streets prior to 08:30 the morning of the sweeping operation to allow the machine clear passage.

Thanks in advance for your cooperation. Have a great weekend everybody! :-)

Thursday, March 11, 2010

2010 Census

Well, the 2010 Census forms have begun arriving. I got mine yesterday. Please make sure that you take the five minutes (or less) that's required to fill out this form and return it as soon as possible.

Participation in the decennial is required by law. The goal of the US Census Bureau is to count every man, woman, and child living in the United States as of 4/1/2010 (Census Day). This count is important in many ways. The results of the census are used to determine, among other things, the amount of Representatives in the House of Representatives in Washington, distribution of federal funding to the states, counties, and, most importantly, the local governments.

Don't forget - complete your form and mail it in. Otherwise, you will be getting a visit from a census taker sometime in the early summer.

Monday, March 8, 2010

A Note From the Mayor

Mayor Duignam asked me to pass this along . . .

It’s such a pleasure living in a community where people care about one another!

Thank you everyone for your cooperation and consideration during our recent snow storms. Your adherence to the emergency snow management ordinance was awesome and greatly appreciated by Council, the Road Crew, the Police Dept., and above all, your neighbors. Kudos to the Maintenance Road Crew for a superb clean up job. Keep up the good work!

Now, let’s all look forward to our Annual Easter Egg Hunt slated for March 28th at 1:00 PM. This great event will take place at the Braden Park ball field for all children up to and including the 6th grade. We are looking for donations of eggs, real or plastic. A sign up sheet will be posted in the Municipal Building lobby. Till then, God bless and THINK SUMMER!

Luke Duignam
Mayor, Borough of Tatamy

Friday, February 26, 2010

Got Snow?

OK - so have you had enough yet?

Have fun digging out. A few reminders:

1. The Snow Emergency is still in effect until further notice. Please keep your cars off the snow emergency routes - you risk being ticketed and towed.

2. Do not throw the snow into the street.

3. Give the plow a wide berth.

4. Yes, the plow WILL put snow at the end of your driveway - there's no way to avoid it. Don't dig your driveway clear until the roads are finished. If you're unsure, stop Frank and ask him. He won't bite. I promise.

5. If you're traveling today, please be safe. Slow down.

6. Finally, send me your snow pictures - I'll share them here with everyone.

Happy Shoveling! :-)

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

It's Official - Bread and Milk Alert in Full Force

Go get your bread, milk, eggs and toilet paper folks - because it's coming. The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for our area:

WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TO NOONEST FRIDAY...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A WINTERSTORM WARNING FOR SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT TONIGHT TONOON EST FRIDAY. THE WINTER STORM WATCH IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT.A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DEVELOPING OFF THE SOUTHEASTERN COAST WILLINTENSIFY TONIGHT AND MOVE NORTHWARD ALONG THE EASTERN SEABOARDTHROUGH THURSDAY. AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM REACHES ITS STRONGESTPOINT, IT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE WESTWARD AND BACK ONTO LAND NEAR LONGISLAND, NEW YORK ON THURSDAY, AND REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY THROUGHFRIDAY.PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN LATER THIS EVENING, ANDCOULD START OUT AS EITHER RAIN OR A MIXTURE OF RAIN AND SNOW.HOWEVER, PRECIPITATION WILL CHANGE OVER TO ALL SNOW OVERNIGHTTONIGHT AND LAST THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF FRIDAY. THE HEAVIESTSNOW IS EXPECTED TO BE THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT WITH TOTALSNOW ACCUMULATIONS RANGING FROM 12 TO 16 INCHES ACROSS THE WARNEDAREA. THIS IS THE TIME WHEN THE STORM WILL BE AT ITS STRONGEST ASWELL, WHICH WILL LEAD TO STRONG WINDS UP TO 30 MPH. THESE STRONGWINDS WILL LIKELY LEAD TO BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW, AS WELL ASSCATTERED POWER OUTAGES.THE SNOW COULD BE A HEAVY, WET SNOW, SIMILAR TO THE LAST STORM,WHICH MAY HAVE AN EFFECT OF TREES AND BUILDING OVERHANGS. SHOVELINGSNOW WILL BE DIFFICULT WITH THIS STORM. ANYONE VENTURING OUT TOSHOVEL SNOW IS ADVISED TO USE CAUTION WHEN SHOVELING SNOW AND TAKEFREQUENT BREAKS.A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW...SLEET...AND ICE ARE EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. STRONG WINDS ARE ALSOPOSSIBLE. THIS WILL MAKE TRAVEL VERY HAZARDOUS OR IMPOSSIBLE.

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Another Major Bread and Milk Alert In the Offing ? ? ?

Well – our friends at Accuweather are predicting Doom and Gloom for later this week.  It looks like there’s another major snowstorm in the works.  To quote Accuweather.com, ” Hurricane-Like Storm Aims for Pennsylvania to Maine Thursday, Friday”.  It continues on to say “A powerful storm of historical proportions is aiming at much of the Northeast Thursday into Friday and will follow up to a foot and a half of snow through Wednesday over upstate New York and western New England.

This second storm will be nothing short of a monster. Even in light of the blizzards earlier this winter that targeted the southern mid-Atlantic, this may be the one that people remember the most this winter in parts of New England and the northern mid-Atlantic.

At its peak, the storm will deliver near hurricane-force wind gusts (74 mph) blinding snow falling at the rate of over an inch per hour. For some people in upstate New York and eastern and northern Pennsylvania, this may seem more like a "snow hurricane" rather than a blizzard.

Cities likely to be impacted by heavy snow for all or at least part of the storm include: New York City, Albany, Rochester, Syracuse, Binghamton, Scranton, Allentown, Reading, Williamsport and Burlington.

You can access the entire article here à  http://www.accuweather.com/regional-news-story.asp?region=eastusnews

 

 

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Borough Office Safe

Thought I'd share something funny. When the former secretary, Joanne Keifer left, I asked her to provide to us the combination to the safe in the office. She unfortunately didn't have the combination - and had told me that she hadn't used the safe in years, and forgot it. In any event, through the help of the Police Chief, we obtained the combination of the safe from the manufacturer.

Well, Chief Achenbach and I met this morning at the Borough Office and opened the safe. Neither of us knew what to expect. Could it be important papers that have been missing for centuries? Could there be thousands of dollars in forgotten cash? The secret to world peace? The tension was mounting as I dialed in the last of the numbers. Next step - flip the lever and open the door . . . . .

Let's just say that I now know how Geraldo Rivera felt.

I hope everyone's having a good weekend! :-)

Northampton County Council Supports Rt. 33 Interchange

According to an article in the Express Times, Northampton County Council granted their approval last night of the Route 33 / Main Street interchange.

Faith in local zoning convinced Northampton County Council to endorse the construction of an interchange at Route 33 and Tatamy Road in Palmer Township.


You can read the entire article here.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Sunday, February 14, 2010

More Snow Coming!

Yes, that's right folks - our friends at the National Weather Service have issued a Winter Storm Watch for our area beginning tomorrow evening continuing through Tuesday evening for, according to the forecasters, 4 to 8 inches of snow.

Please remember to abide by any Snow Emergency rules that may be placed into effect during the upcoming snow storm and remove your cars from the Snow Emergency Routes.

Get your milk, bread and eggs!

Friday, February 12, 2010

Two Hour Delay Today, Friday, 2/12/2010

In case you haven't already heard, there is a two hour delay today for students attending the Nazareth Area School District.

Be safe everyone!

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

School's Closed Tomorrow, Thursday, 2/11/2010

In case you hadn't already heard, children who attend the Nazareth Area School District are getting an extra day off tomorrow due to the inclement weather.

A Ride With Frank



I would like to introduce you to Frank Young, Road Foreman for Tatamy Borough.



Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to ride along with Frank while he cleared snow from the streets. Let me tell you - what an eye opening experience.

Bottom line - it's a thankless job. Everyone expects it to be done, yet everyone has a complaint. The complaints range from "why haven't you cleared my road yet?" to "why are you constantly putting the snow in my driveway after I just finished shoveling it out?" We met some really great people along the way. We were given coffee (thank you). Most folks waved as we went by. However, unfortunately there are also some really nasty folks out there. We got cursed at, and more than once I saw the one fingered salute.

Plowing the roads is not an easy task. Sure - everyone thinks all you need to do is ride around in the truck where it's nice and warm, and push the snow out of the way. Well - let me tell you that's totally not the case. There are other cars (both parked and moving); children sledding; snowmobiles cutting in front of you; trees, mailboxes, and those dreadful manhole covers that, if hit just right, will jar all the teeth in your mouth loose.

Here are a few examples:



Overgrown trees. This particular tree in North Tatamy is way overgrown and, as you can tell, is sticking out into the road. This coming spring, the borough will be working with property owners to identify and trim the trees that are in the borough's right of way.



Mailboxes. These particular mailboxes are too far over the curb. If we weren't careful and just motoring down the road, they would have been trashed for sure. Please - for those of you in town who have mailboxes (and there are more and more popping up every day it seems) - make sure that they are installed so that they're a few inches back from the curb. Information on the proper way to install your mailbox can be found on the US Post Office's website by clicking here.

A few other things to remember:

1. The borough has established a priority order of which streets get plowed in what order. A map is posted in the lobby of the Borough Office that designates the order in which the streets get plowed.

2. Unfortunately the cul-de-sacs are done last. Sorry folks - it's just the way it is. The main roads have to be cleared first. Speaking of cul-de-sacs, there has been a rash of complaints lately "why are you dumping the snow all over my lawn?" When the developers submit their plans for the sub-division, included in those plans are designated areas in the cul-de-sac where the snow is to be placed. The borough is placing the snow in these designated areas.

3. Please stay out of the way of the plow. It's a big truck and doesn't stop or turn on a dime as it is. Add the weight of the large plow and several tons of salt and cinders in the bed of the truck and, well, you know the rest of the story.

4. Please understand that the priority of the borough is clearing the streets as soon as possible. Please also understand that while we don't enjoy it, unfortunately snow is going to be dumped in your driveway. That's what happens. It's unavoidable. It's part of living in an area where it snows. A suggestion perhaps would be to wait until we've finished our clearing operation before you shovel your driveway clear. If you are curious as to when it would be OK to shovel your driveway, flag Frank down and ask him if he's finished with your particular street yet. If he is, great - go ahead and shovel out (DO NOT THROW THE SNOW IN THE STREET), if not, he'll probably give you a good idea when he will be done so that you can plan accordingly.

5. DO NOT THROW YOUR SNOW INTO THE STREET. This includes snowblowers. If you're caught you risk getting a ticket that comes with a pretty hefty fine.

Thanks in advance for your support.

Snow Emergency

Well, in case you haven't looked out your window yet, the world outside is getting very white again. Our friends at the National Weather Service are forecasting anywhere between 12 and 16 inches of snow for our area. Having said that, Mayor Duignam declared a snow emergency yesterday (2/9/2010) evening, beginning at 9PM. That means that once again, vehicles are prohibited from parking on streets designated as Snow Emergency Routes.

Please - give the road crew a break - and let them do their job and keep the roads clear for us. I had the opportunity to ride with Frank Young last week, took some pictures and will post them here later today. Let me tell you this - it's not as easy as you would think.

If you're traveling today, be safe.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Borough Council Roundup - 2/1/2010

Sorry it's late folks - been very busy. In any event, the meeting for the most part was relatively uneventful. Some highlights:

1. I have decided to sit on the Residential Rental Property Inspection Program committee. While the program has passed and is now officially on the books, there are things that still need to be ironed out - so I thought it would be best if I sat on the board and offered, wherever and however I can, some assistance to ensure the success of this program.

2. We passed the ordinance designating several additional streets in the new developments (Tatamy Hunt and Fieldstone) as "Snow Emergency Routes". Please folks - when it's going to snow - remove your cars from the Snow Emergency Routes. I had the opportunity to once again ride in the plow with Frank Young, our road foreman on Saturday afternoon. What an eye opening experience. I have several photos of that adventure that I will share with you shortly. Please also remember that the guys driving the plow trucks are doing their jobs. Yes - I understand that it sucks when the snow gets dumped on your driveway after you've just cleared it. Unfortunately there's no other way. Frustrating? Absolutely. Does it merit getting yourself all riled up and swearing at us as we're driving by? No. Also - do NOT, under any circumstances, throw your snow into the street. This includes snowblowers. Please make sure that the snowblower chutes are aimed toward your property and not out into the street. If you're caught throwing snow into the street you risk getting a ticket. Thank you in advance for your support.

3. Help Wanted. The borough has two open positions:

- Borough Secretary. In case you haven't already heard, Joanne Keifer is no longer with the borough. We wish her well as she pursues other opportunities. This is a part-time position, maximum of 30 hours / week with no benefits. If you're a detail oriented, organized individual with office experience, please stop down the Borough Office and turn in you resume and fill out an application. I will be interviewing next week.

- Part Time Police Officer. All applicants must be Act 120 certified. If interested, please submit an application at the Borough Office. All applications must be received by 4:30PM on Tuesday, 2/23/2010.

That's about it for this month folks. Stay tuned - looks like more snow (and the fun that goes with it) is on the way!

Thursday, February 4, 2010

Borough Council Roundup - 2/1/2010

I got an email from a reader (thank you) asking when I would have the roundup from the council meeting posted.

It's been a busy week, but I hope to take care of it this weekend (while it's snowing and I have nothing else to do).

Stay tuned . . .

Major Bread and Milk Alert in Effect

Don't say you weren't warned. Please remember to move your cars off the Snow Emergency Routes to allow our road crews safe passage to clear the streets properly. Once the snow is over, and the roads have been plowed curb to curb you can put your cars back. I know it's inconvenient, but we all benefit in the end. Thanks in advance for your support.

From the National Weather Service:

WASHINGTON...MORRISTOWN...BETHLEHEM...EASTON143 PM EST THU FEB 4 2010...WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM FRIDAY TO 7 PM ESTSATURDAY...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A WINTERSTORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW...WHICH IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PMFRIDAY TO 7 PM EST SATURDAY.A STORM SYSTEM DEVELOPING OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO TODAY WILL PASSOFF THE CAROLINA COAST FRIDAY NIGHT AND THEN CONTINUE TO THENORTHEAST ON SATURDAY. SNOW FROM THIS SYSTEM WILL OVERSPREAD THEREGION FROM SOUTH TO NORTH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...THEN CONTINUETHROUGH MUCH OF SATURDAY. SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 8 TO 12INCHES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE WARNING AREA. STRENGTHENING WINDSFRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MAY CREATE BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOWWHICH WILL CAUSE ADDITIONAL HAZARDS.A WINTER STORM WARNING MEANS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF SNOW AREEXPECTED. CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE LATEST FORECASTS FROM YOUR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Borough Council Roundup - 1/4/2009

Well - the first Council meeting of 2010 was held this evening. Mayor Duignam opened the meeting, and swore in our newly elected officials, Hazel DeReamus (new to council), and Bob Hayes, who was re-elected to another four-year term. Unfortunately, due to illness, Mike Racz was unable to join us tonight, but Mayor Duignam will make sure Mike is sworn in properly in the next day or so.

The first order of business was to elect a council president. After much deliberation (well, there really wasn't that much deliberation - hell, there was hardly any discussion) I was nominated by Stuart Albert and elected by my fellow colleagues on council as your new Tatamy Borough Council President this evening. It's an honor that I do not take lightly, and I will do my best to make sure that, at the end of the day, we do what's right for the citizens of the Borough of Tatamy. Stuart Albert was once again re-nominated as Council Vice President.

Once that was completed, we had an executive session to discuss some personnel issues.

Coming out of that executive session, the following personnel changes were approved, effective as of January 1, 2010: The hours of the borough secretary and treasurer will be set at 30 / week, making these positions part-time. They will no longer participate in the full-time benefits program (e.g. vacation, sick, personal time). If they are scheduled to work on a holiday and the office is closed, we will pay them the hours for holiday pay. This will result in a significant cost savings to the borough. I have asked the finance committee (now headed by Hazel DeReamus and Bob Hayes) to report back to council next month with the amount that this change will save us moving forward.

Other appointments confirmed tonight include those of the Solicitor (Elviria LaBarre), Engineer (Hanover Engineering; Bob Mack and/or Brien Koecher); Building Code Inspector (Keystone Engineering); Zoning Officer (John Soloe). The only outstanding appointment remaining is that of the auditor. We have tabled that until next month at the earliest.

Other than that - it was pretty much business as usual. Some other highlights:

1. Dale Fern presented an update to the Residential Rental Property Inspection Program, to include announcing a public meeting to review the new program on Thursday, January 21, 2010 at 7:30PM. This meeting will be advertised. If this program affects you, as a landlord OR as a tenant, I highly recommend you attend.

2. We approved an ordinance increasing the mayor's salary. For the life of me I can't remember how much it was, but trust me - for what he does, it's not enough.

3. The mayor reported that the police department handled a total of 1,233 incidents last year. A special "Thank you" to the police department for taking care of us and making sure that we're safe.

4. Speaking of the police department, they had a great turnout this past Christmas with the "Visit from Santa" program. Collaborating with the Fire Department (we had two trucks on this year) - Santa was able to visit quite a few homes and put smiles on the faces of a lot of children.

That about sums things up. As always, please email me or drop a comment here if there's something that you need help with, or if there's anything that you have questions on.

Stay warm - according to the weather folks, it's looking to be quite cold for the foreseeable future. It is winter, after all.

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Council Meeting - Monday 1/4/2010

2010 - wow -- it seems so strange writing 2010. In any event, enough rambling. Don't forget, tomorrow night, Monday, 1/4/2010 is our monthly Council Meeting. It begins at 7:30PM at the Borough Hall.

The meeting will open with the swearing in of newly elected councilwoman Hazel DeReamus, and the swearing in of Bob Hayes and Mike Racz, who were re-elected to new four year terms.

We will then begin the reorganization - a new council president and vice president will be nominated, and then we will begin the re-appointment of all the other folks who take care of us - solicitor, secretary, treasurer, engineer, road foreman, etc.

Following that, it's business as usual.

I hope to see you at tomorrow night's meeting. If you don't attend any others, please come and show your support for the folks who YOU recently elected, and witness their swearing in.

Happy New Year! Here's to a great 2010 (and beyond) for Tatamy!