Local News...

Issue 51 — Thursday, July 20, 2017
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Penny Luhrs Appointed Township Supervisor
By Dakota Hendricks

MILFORD — Penny Luhrs was appointed to the newly vacant position on the Milford Township Board of Supervisors. Don Quick announced his resignation at the previous meeting; however, Chairman Gary Clark waited until this week to accept it. Penny Luhrs will be officially sworn in later this week. Luhrs bested Quick in the Republican Primary last May. There were no other candidates for the position.

This is her first time holding public office and she is the second woman ever to hold a Supervisor position in the township. Roadmaster Gary Williams said that the paving of Fire Tower Road should start next Monday and last for approximately five days. Local resident Mary Smith appealed to the Board to see if they could influence the proposed rehabilitation center at the Malibu Dude Ranch. While the property is in Westfall Township and therefore outside of the Supervisors' control, the road leading to the property runs through Milford Township and past numerous residents. Smith said she was concerned about potential safety issues for nearby residents.

The Board approved a motion to send a letter to Westfall Township Solicitor Robert Bernathy urging their Board to heed the words of the Milford Township residents. The Westfall Township Planning Commission will be discussing the rehab center proposal on July 25.

At the previous meeting, the Supervisors rejected a conditional use appeal due to a lack of clarity in the proposed site map. James Baron, legal representative of Lattimore Construction Corporation, appealed the decision and the Supervisors accepted the proposal on the condition that Lattimore submit an improved site map.

The Township approved a one-year contract with PennDOT to plow Foster Hill. The Township has received and approved a bid for 400 tons of salt at $92.50 a ton. The contract will last until May 31st 2018. A new stree light at the intersection of Pine Acres and Route 6 will be installed sometime this week. The next Board of Supervisors meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 7.

 
Body Recovered Along
Delaware River Monday

BUSHKILL — Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area Superintendent John J. Donahue announced that rangers recovered the body Jose F. Loja, 35, of East Stroudsburg, PA at approximately 4 p.m. Monday afternoon along the Pennsylvania shoreline of the Delaware River, just north of Smithfield Beach.

Loja had been missing since the canoe he was in capsized around 5 p.m. on Sunday evening. Park rangers and rescuers from Bushkill Fire Department searched the area until sundown and resumed the search first thing Monday morning with assistance from the NPS Dive Team. Loja was pronounced dead at the scene by the Monroe County Coroner. The cause of death is under investigation. He was not wearing a life jacket.

The NPS reminds all river users to wear a properly-fitted, US Coast Guard-approved life jacket while swimming, floating, fishing, or boating on the Delaware River.

"Wearing a life jacket at all times is one simple thing that a person can do to ensure a fun and safe day on, and in, the river." said Donahue. "

Robin Lore Playing
At The Pâtisserie

MILFORD — The most recent winner of the Texas Solo Artist "Bridgie" Award, the 2008 Orange County (CA) Music Award for Best Live Female performer, Best Folk Artist of 2004 nominee and this year winner of the Inland Empire Music Awards Best Live Performer, Robin Lore has been playing music since she was a toddler.

Starting out as drummer, she worked her way to the front of the band, playing guitar and singing her brains out. Her voice is unique, almost haunting at times and her lyrics are both thought provoking and insightful.

She grew up in New York, moved to Massachusetts in 1992 and started playing guitar and writing music. Her song, Dear Diary, had an honorable mention twice for VH 1's Song of the year award and her CD of the same name was nominated by All Access Magazine as Best CD of the Year.

Robin has opened for Evan Dando of the Lemonheads and, recently, in Phoenix opened for Ani Difranco. She cites Difranco, Tracy Chapman, Toad the Wet Sprocket, XTC, Neil Young, Bob Schneider and Paul Simon as important influences and her newest CD, FICKLE GIRL, was recorded at True Tones Studio in Nashville, TN.

Join us Thursday, July 20, at 7 p.m. at 403 Broad Street in Milford.

Local Library Open
On Sunday

MILFORD — Looking for a good book? The Milford Branch of the Pike County Public Library is open on Sundays from 12 to 4 p.m. during the summer months.

The Friends of PCPL Book Store is located just inside the front door. We have a beautiful selection of books for sale at nominal prices. We have popular author's fiction, non-fiction in every category, some large print books, DVD's, audio books and music CD's. Featured are two shelves of books for children, from tots to teens. Summer is a great time for reading! All proceeds go directly to the Library. Come, shop, and support the Pike County Public Library System. For any additional information, please call 570-296-8211.

Firefighter Honored By Boro And Employer
By Ken Baumel

MATAMORAS — Borough Council President Joe Sain and Mayor Janet Clark issued a proclamation recognizing resident Mario D'Ambrosio for rendering more than 1,000 hours of service to the Matamoras Borough Fire Department.

The proclamation reading and presentation of it took place at the regular council meeting held at Borough Hall last week.

D'Ambrosio's employer, C&S Wholesale Grocers, also recognized D'Ambrosio as their corporate Volunteer of the Year. C&S also donated a $1,000 check (representing $1 per hour) to the department.

According to Borough Secretary Bob Fitch, at a time when volunteers are increasingly crucial in providing services to the community, D'Ambrosio set a high standard and example in providing outstanding community service via his time and talent to improve the department service (he is a firefighter and serves as the department's Fire Prevention Officer... for complete story, get this week's issue.

Twp. Gets Insurance Check To Raze Fawn Lake Property
By Ken Baumel

LACKAWAXEN — No other township has the level of public participation, as does Lackawaxen. Supervisor Chairman Mike Mancino said that when the township administration weathered a series of storms, starting with an embezzlement scheme suspected to have been perpetrated by an employee, and a total turnover on the supervisor board, and turnover of many township employees, a new page in the township's history had to be in place.

Revamping township financing, putting in financial controls to prevent future incidents, and opening up the public meetings to extensive public comment helped diffuse criticism and restored credibility, noted Mancino. Evidence of that credibility, continuing citizen concern, is that every meeting at the township building is packed with citizens. Often the attendance is standing room only, with up to 75 residents participating. Each month, on the scheduled regular meeting days, supervisors hold a workshop prior to the regular meeting. The workshop is the main forum for public input.

At Monday's workshop and regular meeting, supervisors and attendees discussed roads and community development issues, such as when the township would raze a fire-damaged house at Fawn Lake. According to supervisors, the house had been damaged for years. Typically, a township could raze severely deteriorated structures that pose a safety hazard with money provided to a township escrow account from the homeowners' insurance company. The transition of supervisors, employee turnover, and legal issues related to the embezzlement all preoccupied supervisors. However, a continuation of the financial revamping by the current administration recently revealed that an insurance company had sent a check in 2013 for the fire-damaged Dawson property located in Fawn Lake.

Fawn Lake board representatives and residents were regularly asking supervisors to raze the property to remove the safety threat to the public of what community residents considered an imminently collapsing property. With insurance money found and placed into the proper escrow fund, supervisors now can budget for the razing. Township solicitor Tom Farley gave a green light for supervisors to raze the Dawson property.. for complete story, get this week's issue..


Milford Borough Building Washed

During a recent Milford Borough Council Meeting, the topic of sprucing up the Milford Borough/ Police Department Building arose. Without hesitation, Nick May generously volunteered to Softwash the outside of the building. This process uses low pressure and a biodegradable solution to clean and preserve the Historic features of the building. Thank you Nick for your endless dedication to Milford Borough and its residents.

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