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NOVEMBER 2-8, 2017
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Interstate trucks barred from Weaversville Road
By KERI LINDENMUTH At the Allen Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday, October 24, it was announced by Eugene Clater, chairman of the township’s planning commission, that PennDOT will not be allowing Weaversville Road to serve as a truck access. This will prohibit interstate trucks on the township road. Clater asked that supervisors submit an official request for signs to be posted on Weaversville Road, alerting drivers to this regulation. Supervisors unanimously agreed. Signs on Weaversville Road were not the only road improvements on the agenda for supervisors. Supervisors also spent time developing a list of roads they would like PennDOT to consider for brake retarder prohibition.
With so many large hills in the township, and frequent truck traffic, supervisors believe this will be an important adjustment. PennDOT will conduct and pay for studies, while the township will be responsible for the posting and maintenance of appropriate signs. “I think we should definitely start with [Route] 329 because of the big hill there,” said supervisor Dale Hassler. Other supervisors said Howertown and Seemsville Roads should also be submitted to PennDOT for consideration. Ultimately, supervisors agreed to submit all state roads, and let PennDOT decide which roads should be prohibited from brake retarder use. Finally, the township is also
eligible for a grant with Monroe County for radar speed signs at Willowbrook and Savage Roads. These solar-powered signs, seen in many other townships and boroughs, use radar to record the speed of passing cars. They then post the speed for drivers to see. Not only will these signs alert drivers who are speeding, but they will also provide valuable data to officials. “[It is] a little of a price jump, but it is worthwhile…to integrate [with a] wireless data package… to pull reporting,” explained township manager Ilene Eckhart. Township residents can hear more about these improvements and others at the next Allen Township Board of Supervisors meeting on Thursday, November 9 at 7 p.m.
Lehigh Supervisors give Cherryville Developers another chance
By JUSTIN SWEITZER After threatening to revoke the conditional approval behind a project that would bring major traffic improvements to Lehigh County’s Cherryville intersection, as well as a Turkey Hill and a Dollar General, township supervisors decided to give developers one more chance at their Oct. 24 meeting. The Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to give Cherryville Development Partners a six-month extension on their expired conditional approval. The approval requires Cherryville Development Partners to clean and better maintain the property, as it asks them to remove trash, replace sediment barriers, and remove brush, stumps and any other fire hazards. The move comes after the board authorized Township Solicitor David Backenstoe at their Oct. 10 meeting to send a letter to all parties behind the project threatening to revoke conditional of the project if certain conditions weren’t met by Oct. 24. The project, slated for the intersection of Route 248 and
Blue Mountain Drive, has been a source of frustration among township residents and supervisors alike for the slow pace at which it’s been progressing. Many residents, including the supervisors, have been favorable toward the ideas at the crux of the project, but the extended delay has drawn the ire many in the township. The board sought a signed roadway improvements agreement, a letter of credit, and clarification about Turkey Hill’s obtainment of a liquor license in the conditions agreed upon on Oct. 10. Instead, the board got Jim Preston, legal counsel for Cherryville Development Partners, and Joe Posh, a partner behind the project. Preston urged the board to reconsider, citing the scope of the roadway improvements alone as a primary reason why the township should stay on board with the project. “This has really been a project about that intersection, and how to develop and improve that intersection,” he said. “We have other participants,
those are our tenants, those would be Turkey Hill and that would be Dollar General,” Preston said. “We’re at the point now where the tenants have to participate somewhat in the resolution to this problem because the scope of the improvements, not just the site development, the scope of the improvements is staggering.” Preston said that Cherryville Development Partners is currently looking to iron out economic and financial issues with the proposed tenants, which is causing the delay in moving the project forward. “Turkey Hill has an agreement with us; they have a deal with us. We’re trying to restructure the economics of that particular deal to move the thing forward. That’s really where we are,” Preston said. “We believe that post-improvements, the site will be worth the additional investment to the tenants. This is not a bad place to be; this is where we are right now. We can’t conduct these negotiations in public,” Preston said. “That’s where we are in terms of the quiet that you’re hearing.” Regarding Turkey Hill’s liContinued on page 2
Dean Haftl, Keystone Cement Company
–Contributed photo
Cement worker of the Month- Dean Haftl
By ED PANY Mr. Dean Haftl was raised on the family farm in Moore Township. The entire family was active with 4H clubs. He graduated from Northampton High School in 1978, saying, “I was given a good educational foundation for life.” Starting at Keystone in 1978, Dean was hired by Manager Franklin Silfies, he said, “I am proud to say, our family from my grandfather, father and sister, have proudly worked at Keystone for over 100 years. Old timers John Flamisch, Harold Newton and Tom Yost have also shared their work experiences with me.” When Dean started at Keystone, he held a variety of jobs from night shift maintenance to raw and finish mill operator. He later used his electrical training from high school to spend 17 years on the electric gang. Today, he is part of the preventative maintenance team. The group is the eyes and ears of the plant, covering every area of the plant from the quarry to the giant pre-heater. Mr. Haftl said, “I work with Brian Serfass and Harvey Beidler. Our supervisors are Mark Dlugos, Craig Lawrence and Herb Heimbach, all fine men.” His longest shift was a 36-hour stint during a massive snowstorm. The plant stresses safety,
each Friday a safety meeting is held to update his team on any safety issues. The current plant is much more efficient and productive than past plants on the site. Dean has a good working relationship with his coworkers saying, “If you need a hand on a challenging job, your coworkers are always there to help.” Mr. Haftl is a friendly gentleman with a strong work ethic from a family of dedicated cement workers. He appreciates his job at Keystone saying, “The plant has provided my family with a good standard of living.” His favorite hobby is hunting and he is a member of 5-47 Keystone Gun Club. Dean has been married to the former Nancy Silfies for 37 years and they are proud of daughter Nadeanne and son Nathaniel. The friendly family resides in Moore Township. I am proud to say Dean was a fine student of mine at Northampton High School and we wish him, a 39-year employee and all our friends at Keystone a safe and bright future.
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