JANUARY 10-16, 2013 Your Local News
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Go Hog Wild at the PA. Farm Show Story on Page 5
The Home News
By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
More revenue came into Bath’s coffers in 2012 than in 2011, it was reported at Borough Council meeting on Monday. And to achieve this surplus, the amount of which was not disclosed at the meeting, Council attributed this to better management of the budget. ---------------------
Enough funds are already available so the bills can be paid on time. A small tax increase was imposed for 2013, but this is intended to repair some of the borough’s streets, which are in a sad state of disrepair, Fields said last month. There is $53,000 in the budget for roadwork, which could include micro-surfacing, crack sealing, and other work to make the streets in better condition. Borough Manager Tom Petrucci said it might not cost as much as budgeted, so that money could be put toward equipment. At any rate, Fields said, “These repairs will prevent further deterioration of our streets.” A road survey was done to
Flu on Increase; Tips Given on Prevention
By BILL HALBFOERSTER The Home News
Not only has it been colder this winter (until this week), but the incidents of influenza are worse this year than in the recent past, according to many sources. A check with local doctors’ offices at the Bath Medical Center varied slightly. At the These repairs will prevent office of Drs. Iqbal Sorathia further deterioration of our and Iflikhar Ahmad, an assistant said flu has been about streets. the same as past years, but -Robert Fields many people are going to the --------------------hospital for treatment. Council President Robert In the office of Drs. Linda Fields noted that in past years Blose and Jane Garnjost, an Council has always had to rely assistant said that the cases on January through March tax of flu among their patients receipts to pay the borough’s are very bad. She added that bills. Not so this year, he said. Continued on page 7 pharmacies are running out of cold medicine as well. Flu shots are being given at pharmacies, and the elderly especially are advised to take the injection. Pennsylvania is just one of 41 states affected by the flu outbreak. Just received: In an effort to provide the best level of care and protection for all of Lehigh Valley Health Network patients, they have proactively set up an ancillary emergency department outside of the ER at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest in Salisbury Township. The mobile surge All Other Purebreeds Reserve Grand Champion Heifer, Keifers tent has been set up to handle Star Angel Z11, was exhibited by Jeffrey Keifer of Bangor, an additional influx of paNorthampton County, on Jan. 4, at the 2013 Pennsylvania Farm tients suffering from flu-like Show in Harrisburg. – Photo courtesy of the PA Farm Show
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illness. Patients that are experiencing flu-like symptoms should still report to the main ER entrance for triage. Matthew Burns, media relations coordinator, said they started accepting patients in the ancillary ER this past Tuesday, Jan. 8. NASD Offers Tips With the increase of flu activity in all regions of the state, the Northampton Area School District this week sent some tips home to parents of the students on how to prevent the disease. They are as follows: • Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water before and following food preparation, before eating, and after using restrooms
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or changing diapers. • Be careful what you touch. Hands transmit germs. • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. • Put your used tissue in the waste basket. Continued on page 6
Three Family Members Die in Virginia Accident Three members of an area family, two from Allentown and one from East Allen Township, died on Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012 in a motor vehicle accident in Springfield, Va. They were enroute to the funeral of a son of one of the victims, who died in Florida. Dead are the driver of the pick-up truck, 87-year-old Peter Stesney, Jr. of Allentown; his sister, Bernice Supinski, 85, of East Allen Twsp., and his daughter, Laura Kordel-
Dr. Clearie......................4
Senior Citizens...............8
Obituaries............ 12 & 13
Opinion .........................2
Carol Ritter....................5
Nazareth......................10
Classifieds ...................14
PennDOT .......................3
Sports............................6
Sermonette..................11
Police Blotter ...............16
ski, 51, of Allentown. According to police reports, the accident happened as Stesney was turning off a highway near Washington, D.C., and rear-ended a tractor-trailer that was stopped in traffic. Stesney had picked up his sister and daughter to go to his 61-year-old son Peter’s funeral after he learned of his sudden death. Obituaries on pages 12 and 13
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Bath Council Proud That Year 2012 Ended With Funds Surplus
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