New Bethlehem Mayor Proclaims September ‘FoodStock Month’

John Gerow

John Gerow

Published August 17, 2017 4:21 am
Image

NEW BETHLEHEM, Pa. (EYT) — Responding to a request made by Tracy Becker, Executive Director of the Clarion Area Chamber of Business and Industry, New Bethlehem mayor, Tim Murray proclaimed September as FoodStock Month in Clarion County during the borough council’s meeting on Tuesday, August 15.

FoodStock Month is a month-long drive by area groups, organizations, churches, and individuals throughout the county to collect non-perishable and canned goods for the food banks and food pantries in Clarion County.

Volunteers from many area organizations including the United States Army, PA Gun Owners Association, Boy Scouts, and Clarion University, among many others will assist in the collection of these long shelf life foods and prepare them for distribution to area food banks and food pantries. The FoodStock Month effort will wind up with a huge food drive during the Autumn Leaf Festival in Clarion, September 30 through October 8. Jennifer Keth, owner of Sapphire Moon Healing Arts Center, will chair the FoodStock Month again this year.

Council President Sandy Mateer announced that the borough had received a 3% interest loan from the USDA for $18,200.00 and a grant from the same agency for $15,800.00 to purchase a new Ford F-150 pickup truck for the New Bethlehem Police Department. The federal loan and grant will completely cover the cost of the vehicle, conversion to Compressed Natural Gas, and the police department required painting. Chief Scott Ryan told the council that he had finally received approval from the borough’s insurance carrier to have the deer damage to the other police cruiser repaired. He said that he hoped to get the car into the shop in the next week or so.

Borough Street, Building, and Equipment Supervisor Roger Hilliard reported that his crew had painted all the crosswalk lines on Broad Street, and the remaining side street lines would be painted before the start of school on August 30. He also reported that the garbage truck had been down for repairs earlier in the month and that it was scheduled to have brake work done this week. Mr. Hilliard said that although he is waiting for an estimate to take down the dead trees in the cemetery, he had cleaned up the trees that blew down two weeks ago. When asked about the manhole cover at the highrise, Hilliard said that he had a couple more fixes that he might try.

Sandy Mateer reported that during her conversations with state and federal Emergency Management agencies, she had been told that there were two abandoned gas wells somewhere within the borough limits. She asked the council members to see if they could find anyone who knows about them and also asked that the community offer up information on these wells if anyone knows anything about them.

Mrs. Mateer also shared a letter that she had received from New Bethlehem resident Lucky Kline concerning turning over an abandoned alley to private owners. Mr. Kline pointed out in his letter that the alley has a history of erosion and debris and gravel washing out onto Franklin Street during hard rains. He supposes that the alley has not been maintained and needs to be graded to control the runoff. Kline stated that as he understood it, the proposed private owners wished to pave the alley. Such paving, Mr. Kline contends, without proper grading will only make the erosion and subsequent damage and danger on Franklin Street worse. He requested in his letter that council either grade the alley properly before transferring it to private ownership or that such a transfer include a stipulation requiring the new owners to provide appropriate grading before paving the alley.

In the last bit of new business, Sandy Mateer reported that there are grants available for the removal of buildings on blighted properties in the borough. She said that although New Bethlehem has been denied in the past, she would try to complete the application process again. Council hopes to purchase the Kunselman Building on Broad Street, which has been abandoned by its owners. Mrs. Mateer said that she hoped that the borough could either use the lot for parking or perhaps demolish the rear of the building and sell the front to someone who is in the business of rehabilitating old properties for revitalization. Mateer said that grants have been denied in the past because there has not been enough income surveys filled out and returned to the borough to establish the income/poverty level in the borough. According to county authorities, there are 540 “households” in New Bethlehem Borough currently receiving Food Stamp assistance. Mateer believes that this data, along with the number of households benefitting from Section 8 funding, should prove sufficient to make the borough eligible for these grants.

Recent Articles

Community Partner