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SEPTEMBER 3-9, 2020
Cherryville intersection bids and Lukas Connolly, Bath, Address numbers on agenda at Alongside his Eagle Scout project Lehigh Township meeting by JOE KORBA The Lehigh Township Supervisors discussed the ongoing road project at the intersection of Route 248 and Blue Mountain Drive in Cherryville at their August 25 meeting. The project is in its fourth leg and is set to make way for a new Turkey Hill on the opposite side of the street from the current one. PPL is currently in the process of moving poles. There are already five bids in, but Chairperson Cindy Miller said that they will be accepting bids from interested contractors until the next Board of Supervisors meeting on September 8. Turkey Hill officials will meet with the planning commission in September to discuss revised plans that include a larger building and fewer gas pumps. In other business at the meeting, a township resident, who is
also a census worker, asked that the supervisors consider standardizing house numbering in the township “It is very hard to find houses in the township. They have numbers of mailboxes near the road, but not on houses. You don’t know which one it is,” she said. The resident noted that Allen Township requires residents to have numbers on their homes that are a certain height and color. Township Manager Alice Rehrig said that Lehigh Township does actually have an ordinance on the books that mandates that house numbers be visible from the street and, at minimum, three inches in height. However, there is no requirement on placement and people have been putting them in odd places or in areas obstructed from view. The supervisors agreed that requiring standardized num-
bering is a good idea, beneficial not only to delivery people but also first responders. During his report, Township Solicitor David Backenstoe noted that he has finished a draft ordinance regarding short-term rentals for the Supervisors to review and that ongoing talks with the state Department of Environmental Protection about the unfunded rainwater mandate MS4 are “very favorable.” The township is trying to negotiate better numbers that will ultimately lower costs. Lehigh Township Board of Supervisors meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m. in the municipal building. Because of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, a teleconference option is available with the number listed on the township’s website.
Mako returns from deployment to Middle East submitted by TRACY POLOVICK Rep. Zach Mako (R-Lehigh/ Northampton), a combat veteran and U.S. Army helicopter pilot in the Pennsylvania National Guard, has officially returned from deployment to the Middle East and has resumed his legislative duties full time. Mako, attached to Company B, 2nd Battalion, 104th Aviation Regiment, Fort Indiantown Gap, which traces its history to Battle of the Bulge, received orders last year to support Operation Freedom’s Sentinel (OFS)
and joined more than 50 Army National Guard soldiers in the fight against terrorism. “When I was deployed last fall, I don’t think anyone could have imagined that a virus would spread worldwide and cause such change in the world,” Mako said. “I’m pleased to be back on American soil and appreciate all the support from my family, friends and neighbors. Thank you to my staff who assisted constituents with a variety of state-related issues including unemployment problems. I’m ready to get to work to help Pennsylvanians re-
cover from this pandemic.” Mako enlisted in the Pennsylvania National Guard in January 2008 and has been a Chinook pilot since July 2011. He was deployed to Afghanistan in December 2012 for nine months as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. In 2016, he was selected to be an adviser to Estonia’s top military officials. In 2017, he completed elite training as an Aviation Mission Survivability Officer (AMSO). “The House Republican CauContinued on page 2
Lukas Connolly by HOME NEWS STAFF Lukas Connolly of Bath recently completed his Eagle Scout project to attain Eagle Rank (the highest rank a Scout can achieve). The Northampton Area High School student has been in Scouting since the age of 6. This past year Connolly decided it was time to try and complete Eagle Rank. From start to finish, Connolly's Eagle Project took 9 months and over 463 total hours to complete, between designing and building the bulletins. Along the way Connolly learned many new things, from construction and leadership to interpersonal skills. Connolly told the Bath Borough, "I can't take all the
credit though; without the help of amazing local businesses and generous people willing to help me with their expertise and kindness, this project would not have been possible. I want to give a special thank you to my family, friends, and my Troop 33 for always being there when I needed help along the way. I am so grateContinued on page 2
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