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Veterans Memorial Garden
Nearing Completion
Jack Holefelder has served as
chairman of the Aston Township Veterans Memorial Garden Foundation
since its inception, but he now sees his work is almost done. As
construction of the memorial park is 95% completed, Holefelder
feels that the foundation should shift its focus to community
service in the new year.
Announcing that he will step
down in December, Holefelder recognized the board of commissioners
for having “the vision” to purchase the prime .3-acre lot in
2001.
The first set of engraved bricks
has been put in place at the memorial, and a second set has been
ordered. Bricks can still be ordered by calling Maryann Bullen at 610-494-4035.
The
official dedication of the Veterans Memorial Garden will be
announced when the laying of pavers and monument corrections are
completed.
Garage Must Go
To Clear Corner For Dorm (cont.)
“I really struggle with the
historical value,” said First Ward Commissioner V. Michael
Fulginiti, expressing the sentiment of the entire board. “We
have to weigh a property owner’s right to develop his ground
against what the historical value would be.”
It was noted that there is no
funding in place for restoration, and no effort has been made to
preserve the garage in the past.
A compromise was offered that
would see the placement of an historical marker on the corner.
Commissioners
urged preservation-minded citizens to be more proactive in taking
measures to protect possible Aston historic sites in the future.
Recycling Helps Check
Trash
Fee Increases
Trash disposal fees paid by the
township will be rising the next two years, but the extra amount
that Aston residents will have to pay will depend on trash tonnage
collected and how
much tonnage is reduced through recycling.
There is now a direct
relationship between recycling efforts and the annual trash
collection fee paid by every household, currently set at $175.
The
township’s trash fee will likely rise by $22 next year, and by
another
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$11 in 2010 to cover the new
surcharge levied by the Delaware County Solid Waste Authority,
according to Commissioner Gary Robinson. Township officials will
be looking for alternatives to reduce the anticipated $120,000 in
additional trash processing costs for 2009.
“I can’t stress enough the
importance of recycling,” Robinson noted. “The more weight we
take out of our trash, the less we’ll be assessed.”
For the months of June and July
2008 combined, the township collected 23.7 tons of newspaper in
the municipal building bin and another 61.2 tons curbside, plus
4.9 tons of scrap metal. The revenue generated by these items
amounted to $2,374.
Even more revenue can be
garnered through bi-weekly single-stream curbside collections.
Public works crews ask residents
to place bundled or bagged newspapers and cardboard curbside next
to recycling cans, but not inside the containers. Additional blue
cans are available for $14 each through the township office, or
residents can write RECYCLING in bold letters on a trash can to be used exclusively for
that purpose.
Recyclable paper products
include cardboard, office paper, magazines, newspapers, junk mail,
envelopes, file folders, and computer paper.
Aluminum and tin cans, glass
bottles and jars, and #1 (water/soda) and #2 (milk/detergent)
plastic bottles are all recyclable items.
Containers sitting behind the
municipal building allow residents to drop off recyclables.
Collection bins include receptacles for newspapers, aluminum cans,
and glass (clear, brown, and green).
Printer cartridges, batteries,
computers or other electronics are not
being recycled through township collections, but alternatives can
be found at www.bluemountainrecycling.com.
Cell phones should not
be put curbside for collection, but there is a depository in the
township office.
Medical waste must be disposed
with great care. Consult your doctor for proper toxic waste
disposal methods. Used needles can be placed in a sealed
container, but should not be discarded loose for safety sake.
Residents
who routinely do not separate recyclables from their trash
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will be notified
with the placement of a warning sticker on trash cans. Continued
non-compliance could result in the suspension of trash
collections.
A town meeting will be held
this fall (date TBA) to pass on more valuable recycling
information.
Congratulations
to Commissioners President and 1983 Sun Valley grad Joseph
Possenti, Jr.
on
his recent induction into the Sun Valley High School Hall of
Fame.
SWDCMA Gives Middletown
10-Year Notice
When the current contract
between the Southwest Delaware County Municipal Authority and
Middletown Township expires on Oct. 24, 2018, the sewer authority
will not be renewing the “sweetheart” terms of the 50-year
pact, according to SWDCMA Board Member Nelson Schaffer. The
long-term contract has often been cited among the main reasons for
recent sewer rate increases on Aston customers.
The sewer authority’s web site
is now up and running and can be found at www.swdelcoma.org.
An audit of 2007 SWDCMA fiscal
status should be completed by November. Billing changes planned
for next year include going back to quarterly sewer bills and
eliminating the 2% discount for early payment.
Schaffer also noted that future
SWDCMA progress reports will be provided to commissioners by Jack
Holefelder, starting this month.
*
Commissioners have unanimously
adopted an ordinance to guarantee $18.2 million of existing bond
debt for the SWDCMA, which will allow the sewer authority to
combine and refinance three bonds, once the volatile bond market
recovers from last month’s historic aberrations.
Kudos To Camp Rainbow
This summer’s six week-long
Camp Rainbow adventures at the Aston Community Center were once
again a resounding success, with 188 children each signing up for
an average of 3.5 weeks of camp.
Commissioners
recently thanked organizer Maureen McKenzie and her assistant
Chrisy Babicki, as well as the
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