April 6, 2007 Online Newsletter

JACKSON TOWNSHIP ONLINE NEWS

JACKSON TOWNSHIP NEWS
April 6, 2007

************************** THE JACKSON TOWNSHIP SUPERVISORS & MUNICIPAL STAFF, BOARDS, AUTHORITIES & COMMISSIONS WISH A HAPPY EASTER TO ALL! ************************** HIGHLIGHTS FROM RECENT SUPERVISORS MEETINGS MARCH 8th MEETING ~The Board appointed Tom Wray to be a member of the Economic Development Committee. The Economic Development committee is currently working on ways to create job opportunities and development in Jackson Township. MARCH 29th MEETING ~Received a letter from the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors notifying Jackson Township of two State awards. The awards were 2nd place for best Newsletter and 2nd place for best Website. ~Received letter from Cambria County Planning Commission. They sent a copy of a recently completed Route 22 Traffic Study which is available at the Township Municipal Building for public viewing. ~A letter was received from PEMA officially appointing Chris Fedora as the Emergency Management Coordinator for Jackson Township. ~Approved the subdivisions of Patrick S. DeRubis and Steve J. DeRubis and also of Anna Wilkinson Allbaugh. Deborah Burkey, Executrix. ~The Supervisors accepted the resignation of Brian Emerson from the Jackson - East Taylor Sewer Authority and voted to appoint Wendell Gillen to serve the remaining term of that position. ~The Board voted to approve a right-of-way agreement and easement between Jackson Township and Joseph R. & Sharon E. Wiktor. The easement was need to move forward with the relocation of two poles along Adams Avenue that could be a potential safety hazard. The poles will be moved off the edge of the road onto the easement area. A similar project was done on Leidy Lane several years ago. ~Accepted the lone bid from Luther P. Miller for Heating Oil, Regular No Lead Gas and Diesel Fuel. Six bid packages were mailed out to potential suppliers but only Luther P. Miller, the current supplier submitted a bid. ~The Supervisors voted to approve Ordinance 148 which amends Ordinance 131 and expands the circumstances under which sewage holding tanks may be allowed for temporary camping facilities. ~The Board voted to recommend approval of the Master Recreation, Parks & Open Space Plan as the official document and recreation plan for Jackson Township. ~The Supervisors voted to approve Resolution 02-07 authorizing the filing of an application for a recreation matching grant for Mitchell Park with the DCNR. Pashek Associates who drew up the Master Recreation, Open Spaces & Parks Plan for Jackson is working on the grant application. Items in the application will include 2 large pavilions, public restrooms, extended roads and walkways, extending underground electric in addition to sewer and water. A future phase will include a third large pavilion, one small pavilion, additional playground facilities, ballfield lighting for Mitchell # 1, a walking trail, horseshoe pits and volleyball court. ~The Supervisors approved a contribution of $1,500.00 to the Jackson-East Taylor Little League. ETJ plans to also use Leidy Ballfield this year to accommodate additional practices. ~The Board voted to purchase a Gravely Commercial Mower from Ray’s Lawnmower Sales & Service at the Pennsylvania State Contract cost of $10,499.00 for grass cutting at Jackson Township Parks. The mower is being purchased in order that Jackson Township can do it's own grass cutting without having to contract it out. The mower should pay for itself within a few years. ************************** FIRST EASTER EGG HUNT A HUGE SUCCESS The Jackson Township Lions Club partnering with Jackson Township Recreation held it’s 1st ever Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Mitchell Park on March 31st. There were over 100 children attending and lots of adults to make the event a fun-filled time for all. A special thank you to the Cambria County WIC (Women, Infants, Children) & Heat Start Programs of the Community Action Partnership of Cambria County for arranging the special appearance of the Easter Bunny! In all there were over 2300 eggs hidden in three different areas. In the Toddler Play Area were ages 2 and under. Mitchell Field # 1 was for children, ages 3 to 6 and Mitchell Field # 2 was for ages 7 through 12. In each area were two special eggs each containing a note to see the Easter Bunny or one of the helpers to claim a $20 gift card from Toys R Us. The winners of the cards were as follows: Ages 2 and Under Melanie Jones, Baylee Pudliner Ages 3 to 6 Morgan Devlin, Lars Williamson Ages 7 to 12 Aaron Rieg, Ashley Shaheen The weather cooperated for a beautiful sunny, spring day! Thanks to all the members of the Lions Club, Recreation and a special thanks to Kelly Lundgren for helping to organize the first-ever event. ************************** BIODIVERSITY PROJECT MOVING FORWARD FOR LEIDY ~Recently, the Board of Supervisors approved a project to be done by BioDiversity of Johnstown, PA. According to Kristin Sewak, Director, The project will improve both the aesthetics of the existing property and increase both the biodiversity and wildlife habitat of the area. A small portion of land in the park will be converted into a wildlife area consisting of a mix of plant species native to Pennsylvania. Other possibilities include a butterfly garden, a small water feature, constructed wildlife boxes, trees for shade, general cover food and host plants for pollinators, birds and other wildlife as well as benches. Visitors to the park will be able to enjoy this showcase of a healthy natural environment. Another benefit will be that the area(s) will serve as an outdoor classroom for residents and students. The project is set to begin in May and upon completion, any ongoing maintenance will be done by Jackson Township. Approximately $4000.to -5000. dollars will be dedicated to plants and other materials to be placed on site. Total cost of the project is estimated to be between $10,000. -12,000.dollars. The Township is required to have a 25% match which can include recruitment of volunteers, donation of equipment such as a backhoe, printing costs or participation in project planning. ************************** UPCOMING RECREATION EVENTS In an effort to get Community residents involved in recreational activities and events, several events have been scheduled and there is literally something for everyone. Events scheduled are as follows: ~Bus Trip to Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington DC Saturday, April 14th - Bus leaves Jackson Elementary at 6 am and leaves DC at 6 pm. Cost is $25.00 Highlight of the trip will be the 95th Anniversary Cherry Blossom Parade. Many attractions and museums are within a short walking distance. Reserve your seats as buses are filling up quickly! ~2nd Annual Jackson Township Fishing Derby Saturday, May 5th from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Registrations begin at 8:00 am. FREE ADMISSION, The location for this event will be Woodland Park Campgrounds off Route 22 east towards Ebensburg. This event is for children 12 and under. Prizes will be awarded in many categories. ~Bus Trip to National Zoo in Washington DC Saturday, May 12th - Bus leaves Jackson Elementary at 6 am and leaves the National Zoo at 6 pm. Cost is $25.00 and admission to the Zoo is FREE! This is a great trip to take the entire family on. Reserve your seats as buses are filling up quickly! ~Bus Trip to Baltimore Inner-Harbor Saturday, June 16th - Bus leaves Jackson Elementary at 6 am and leaves Baltimore at 6 pm. Cost is $25.00. Baltimore Inner Harbor offers lots of sightseeing, museums, shopping and a fantastic aquarium. Reserve your seats as buses are filling up quickly!. ~ETJ Little League Night at the Curve The Jackson-East Taylor Little League along with Jackson Recreation Commission are sponsoring a night at the Altoona Curve on Sunday, June 17th. The game against the Connecticut Defenders begins at 6:05 pm. Cost is only $6.50 per ticket. This is also Fireworks night and there will be a gigantic display following the game. What better way to celebrate Fathers Day than to enjoy America’s favorite pastime at beautiful Blair County Ball Park. ************************** JACKSON SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE FORMED Neighbors Who Care, a local community oriented group has taken the initiative to form a Jackson Township Scholarship Committee for the purpose of generating scholarship monies to be awarded to deserving senior students from Jackson Township. The awards will be announced and presented at the awards program at the Central Cambria High School each spring. The Committee is comprised of Kathy Bortz, Dave Cobaugh, Deana Deetscreek and John Letizia. The Committee will be soliciting donations from the business community, organizations and from successful graduates from Central Cambria who wish to give something back to the School District and Jackson Township students. It is hoped that citizens of Jackson Township will come forward to offer a scholarship in their name or as a legacy in their parents name. The donating party can choose the criteria for the scholarship awarded. Smaller donations will be pooled and the Jackson Township Scholarship Committee in cooperation with the Central Cambria Scholarship Committee will choose the criteria. Donations are tax deductible. To “kick off” the Scholarship Fund, Neighbors Who Care contributed an initial donation of $1,000. To be awarded to two deserving students from Jackson Township in the amount of $500. each. Ms. Susan Dixon, Chairperson of the CC Scholarship Committee and a guidance counselor at the High School encourages any interested Jackson Township students to apply for the scholarships by requesting a form from the guidance office. Any additional information needed can be obtained from the Scholarship Committee members by calling: Kathy Bortz - 322-3154 Dave Cobaugh - 322-4512 Deana Deetscreek - 322-3503 John Letizia - 535-2278 ************************** JACKSON TOWNSHIP FEBRUARY POLICE REPORT The February, 2007 Police Report submitted by Police Chief Bob Fatula was presented. The figures for February were as follows: 911 Calls dispatched to Police: 268. Reportable Part I Crimes: 4 broken down as follows: Larceny-2, Assaults-1 and Burglary-1. Reportable Part II Crimes: 16 broken down as follows: Vandalism-4, Disorderly Conduct-3, Fraud-3, DUI (Driving While Under the Influence)-1,Stolen Property-1 and all others-4. Calls Resulting in Cases: 17, Total Arrestees: 7, Total Victims: 14, DUI Arrests: 1, Traffic Citations: 23, Non-Traffic Citations: 2, Total Warnings: 1. ************************* SPREAD THE NEWS. . INVITE YOUR NEIGHBORS TO JOIN JACKSON TOWNSHIP NEWS ONLINE. . . .just tell them to enter their email address in the yahoogroups purple box on the main page of www.jacksontwppa.com They will receive an email confirmation that they must reply / return verifying they wish to be added. It's easy to join and keep updated on news that affects you and your community. We hope you enjoy receiving news updates on Jackson Township and will spread the word to others to sign up to receive future newsletters at the Jackson Township Website. Our website is updated frequently and the address is www.jacksontwppa.com If you have any ideas, suggestions or comments please forward them to office@jacksontwppa.com

Jackson Township Supervisors Dave Hirko / ManagerReturn