our township ordinance to give a better description of what is allowed and what is prohibited regarding this issue.” 

Township Ordinance, 660.01  Outdoor Fires; Leaf Burning

(a) No person shall set or maintain any fire upon any of the streets, sidewalks, alleys or public grounds in the Township, or burn, or cause to be burned thereon, any paper, boxes, rubbish or other materials or substance of any kind.

(b) Outdoor fires shall be permitted upon private property when a responsible adult person is in attendance, provided that the following regulations are strictly adhered to:  every such outdoor fire, with the exception of the burning of leaves, shall be built in, and confined to, a noncombustible container covered with a screen of one-half inch or smaller mesh, or within some other suitable noncombustible container.  No such fire shall be started unless the same is a reasonable distance away from any property or building.  No such fire shall be allowed to burn on any day except between the hours of 9:00am and 4:00pm on the first Saturday of every month,  There shall be no burning of leaves at any time within the Township.

(c) No person shall set fire to, or burn out-of-doors, any combustible material which emits any offensive or obnoxious odor to the annoyance of such person’s neighbors.

(d) No person, being the owner, tenant or occupier of any land, shall start any field fire unless proper arrangements are made with the Fire Companies of the Township to stand by and prevent the spreading of such fire to adjoining properties.

(e) All burning and open fires by any contractor, real estate agency, developer and/or builder within the Township are hereby prohibited.

(Ord. 748.  Passed June 19, 1996)

From the Pen of Our Police Chief 

   We recently received a $500 contribution from Owens Corning Basement Finishing System and a $500 contribution from Endless Pools, Inc. These generous donations will be used to update our bullet-proof vests.  Thank you!  -Chief Al Fasano 

Professional Profiles 

   “In this job, the happiest moment for me is when I see a family move into their new home,” says Ralph Maiden, Senior Code Enforcement Officer.  “There are many happy times here but that moment is always the best.”  Ralph was born and raised in Aston as were his great-grandparents.  He remembers his grandmother working in the Mills.  “I love Aston.  I can’t imagine being anywhere else,” says Ralph.

   As his title indicates, Ralph shoulders a tremendous responsibility as he and his staff spend much of their day

on the road inspecting residential and business properties, ensuring that permits and licenses are properly obtained, and that any construction work within the township is performed in a

a safe manner.  Ralph states, “You never know what to expect on any given day.  Prioritizing can be a challenge but everything gets done.  I work with a very good and highly qualified staff.”    A graduate of Williamson Trade, in the field of carpentry, Ralph has acquired numerous certifications
over the years including educational	Ralph Maiden

training as a Residential Energy Inspector and Plans Examiner, Residential Building Inspector, and HVAC General Maintenance Contractor.  Ralph is also certified by ICC (International Code Council) and REPA, Inc. (Refrigeration Environmental Protection Association, Inc.) as a Universal Technician.

   Public Information Updates 

   A video of the Kids’ Fun Fair event held on October 15, 2005, sponsored by Senator Dominic F. Pileggi, can be viewed on Comcast Cable channel 76, Wednesday evenings at 8pm.

   Did you know that Aston Township has more than 16,000 residents and encompasses an area of 7.2 square miles?  Our township was settled in 1682 and early residents came from Aston in Oxfordshire, England.  We were incorporated as a township in 1688 and became a first class township in 1906.  Interesting!

   Comcast Newsmakers, hosted by CNN Headline News, cable channel 50, will be airing interviews from Joseph P. Possenti, Jr., President of the Board of Commissioners, who spoke on the topic of  “Keeping Our Children Safe” along with Rocco Gaspari, Jr., President of the Board of Commissioners of Lower Chichester Township, who discussed his township’s recently implemented ordinance regarding sex offenders.   An additional interview with newly elected 2nd Ward Commissioner, Jeffrey M. Pilla, discussed “Quality of Life” programs available to township residents.  These three, 5-minute interviews are live-to-tape and air at :24 or :54 after the hour during the month of January.

   Next month’s issue of Township Times will highlight  Emory Driscoll in Professional Profiles. 

Township Times newsletters locations:

Aston Community Center, Aston Township Municipal Building, Eckerd Pharmacy, First Keystone Bank, Giant Food Store, Iron Workers Bank, Village Green Mobile Home Community, & Wawa