Lower Saucon Township Page 1

Volume 16 Issue 1

Summer 2012

Saucon Rail Trail Opens for 2nd Year

In May, the Saucon Rail Trail marked its 2nd year of operation. In the space of a year the

5-mile long trail has become one of the most popular attractions in the Saucon Valley,

winning the Hellertown Patch’s survey as the “Best Park in Hellertown and Lower Saucon

Township” and being named as one of “Our Favorite Things” in the Lehigh Valley Style

magazine. Thousands of people have enjoyed its natural beauty and tranquility while either

exercising or enjoying a leisurely stroll along the trail.

The trail provides an alternate connection to the Saucon Valley Farmers Market, which is

open from April through November at Hellertown’s Water Street Park, and to the events that

are held at the nearby Hellertown Grist Mill and Heller Homestead properties.

In 2011, the Township finalized the purchase of the 2.2 acre Timko property, which is located on Reading Road to serve

as the Township’s access to the Saucon Rail Trail. Plans are being finalized for parking, toilet facilities, picnic benches,

and an information kiosk at this location, which is midway between the Hellertown and Upper Saucon Township

trailheads.

Our memorial bench program, which allowed individuals to

purchase benches situated along the trail, filled up its allotted

seven (7) locations within the last month. In the future, the

Township staff will evaluate whether additional benches are

needed along the trail.

In the next few weeks the website for the trail should be active at

www.sauconrailtrail.org, which will provide information on the

history, facilities and events that are being planned for the trail.

The operation of the trail is guided by the Saucon Rail Trail

Oversight Commission, which is comprised of representatives

from the four communities that share the trail.

On April 20, 2012, Township officials, joined by Rep. Bob Freeman and

guests from Hellertown Borough, officially opened the Polk Valley Road

Connector Trail. The 1,270 foot long trail located on the east side of Polk

Valley Road will provide pedestrian access between Polk Valley Park, a 48

acre facility that the Township opened in 2008, and the Saucon Valley

School District Campus. The paved asphalt trail includes a scenic pedestrian

bridge that spans Polk Valley Run.

The trail provides a safe pathway for residents of the Springtown Hill Road

area, who can now walk or bike through the park and connect with the

sidewalks starting at the school district, which lead to the downtown

Hellertown area. In the future, the trail will interconnect with a planned

Environmental Education Center on the school district campus which was also unveiled on April 20th.

Township Opens Polk Valley Road Connector Trail

Page 2 Lower Saucon Township

News from the Police Department

Also in May, Officer Stephen

Kunigus was promoted to the

position of Full-Time Police

Patrolman after being employed as

a part-time officer since April

2009. Steve, who resides in the

Saucon Valley, is a graduate of

Wilson Area High School and

earned a certificate in Commercial

Diving from Divers Academy

International in Camden, NJ. He previously worked for

Brandenburg as an underwater demolitionist and welder

and as a Part-Time Patrolman for the Hellertown Police

Department.

In July, Officer Shawn

Moskella was promoted to the

position of Full-Time Police

Patrolman. Shawn had been a

part-time officer since April of

2009 and is a resident of

Easton. He is a graduate of

Notre Dame High School and

earned a Bachelor’s Degree in

Criminal Justice from East Stroudsburg University in

2004. In 2005, he graduated from the Allentown Police

Academy. Shawn most recently worked as a Part-Time

Patrolman for the Borough of Pen Argyl.

National Prescription Drug Take Back Day

T h e D r u g E n f o r c e m e n t

Administration has scheduled

another National Prescription Drug

Take-Back Day which will take

place on Saturday, September 29,

2012 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

This is a great opportunity for those

who missed the previous events, or who have

subsequently accumulated unwanted, unused

prescription drugs, to safely dispose of those medica-

tions.

The Lower Saucon Police Department will be

accepting the prescription drugs at 3700 Old

Philadelphia Pike, Bethlehem, PA 18015. They cannot

take any prescriptions/OTC drugs ahead of time.

T h a n k y o u f o r y o u r u n d e r s t a n d i n g .

Visit www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_disposal to read

more about the program.

Officer James Connell was

promoted to the position of

Full-Time Patrolman in January.

In addition to his standard patrol

duties, he will also continue to fill

the role of a Bicycle Officer and

oversee the department’s medical

kits and AEDs. Jim, who resides in

Lower Saucon, graduated from

Saucon Valley High School and is currently undertaking

courses at Northampton Community College in the field

of Criminal Justice. He previously obtained EMT Certifi-

cation at NCC. He had been employed as a Part-Time

Police Officer with Lower Saucon since January of 2010.

Officer Gregorio Mora was

sworn-in as a Part-Time Police

P a t r o l ma n i n F e b r u a r y .

Greg, who resides in Allentown,

graduated from Seward Park

High School in New York City

and has completed courses at

Manhattan Community College

and at Queensborough College in Liberal Arts. Greg has

been employed as a Full-Time Officer with the Moravian

College PD since March of 2010 and previously worked

for JP Morgan Chase and UBS Investment Banking, both

in Manhattan.

In May, Officer John Bowlby

was sworn-in as a Part-Time

Police Patrolman. John, who is

a graduate of the Saucon Valley

School District, earned a

B a c h e l o r ’ s D e g r e e i n

Criminology from the Indiana

University of Pennsylvania and

completed his Act 120 training

at IUP’s Criminal Justice

Training Center. He is also employed as a Security

Officer at St. Luke’s University Hospital in Bethlehem,

and previously worked as a security guard at Dorney Park

and Wildwater Kingdom. John completed a summer

internship with the LSTPD while attending Kutztown

University.

The Lower Saucon Township Police Department hired

and/or promoted several officers to fill existing

vacancies. These included:

Lower Saucon Township Page 3

Lower Saucon Township Stray Animal Policy

Earned Income Tax

The Earned Income Tax rate is 1.25% for Lower Saucon

Township residents.

Residents: 1.25% of your gross income should be with-

drawn from your employer; of this .50% is for your local

jurisdiction; .50% is for your local School District; and .25%

is for open space. The open space portion was approved by

Township voters in a referendum in last year’s election. The

Open Space tax will be assessed for 5 years or until 2016.

Local Services Tax

Lower Saucon Township’s LST Tax is $30.00 per year. This

amount will be deducted by your employer on a per pay

basis. This money goes to the municipality where you reside

for the purpose of assisting to offset expenses for Fire and

Emergency services.

This tax is only assessed to individuals who earn more than

$12,000.00 per year. If you earn less than $12,000.00 per

year you may file for an exemption. Forms can be

downloaded from the links below and filed with Keystone

Collections Group.

Please refer to the internet links below if you have any other

questions regarding taxes or to download forms.

www.sauconvalley.k12.pa.us

www.northamptoncounty.org www.keystonecollects.com

Real Estate and Employment Taxes

The following is the current Township policy for handling stray animals.

Township police officers will respond to animal complaint calls as follows:

If the complaint involves a deceased or terminally injured wild animal, police

officers will destroy the animal. For other wild animals, the Northampton County

Game Warden will be notified.

If a stray dog is seized, the animal will be transported to the Center for Animal

Health & Welfare (“Center”) by the responding police officer.

If a stray cat is involved, officers will advise the resident that cats will not be

picked up or transported to the Center.

Officers will provide information to the resident about the Trap – Neuter – Return (TNR) Program for cats

If a sick/injured dog is involved, the Center will be called to pick-up and transport the animal.

Keystone Collections Group has been appointed as our

new Earned Income Tax and Local Services Tax

Collector.

These taxes are withheld by your employer and submitted

to Keystone. If you are self-employed, you are required to

file quarterly returns with Keystone Collections Group.

The forms are available on their website. The Local

Service Tax can be submitted in one payment instead of

quarterly. The PSD Code for Lower Saucon Township is

480702.

Lower Saucon Real Estate Tax for 2012 is 4.14 mills and

bills were mailed February 1st. Taxes are now due in the

penalty amount.

If you hold a mortgage and your taxes are escrowed,

please forward your tax bill to your mortgage company.

They will forward payment to our office on your behalf.

If you are unsure as to whether your taxes have been paid,

please check with our Finance Office and we will be

happy to assist you with your inquiry.

If you are in the process of new construction or are

subdividing a property, or have any assessment appeals

pending, you may receive an interim bill within the year of

the reassessment.

Reminder notices will be mailed in September each year

to anyone who still has an open account. Unpaid taxes are

turned over to Northampton County Tax Claims

Department the following year.

Page 4 Lower Saucon Township

Saucon Valley Recreation Partnership

The Saucon Valley Recrea-

tion Partnership (SVRP) was

formally established in

March 2012 but has been

meeting for over a year to

discuss the feasibility and

benefits of a regional recrea-

tion and/or parks committee.

The first goal of the SVRP is to find out if residents are

satisfied with the recreation programs that are currently

available in the region, and if not, what other programs

they would like to see offered. A short survey covering

recreation needs was made available for the public to

complete, which the SVRP will be reviewing to guide

their next steps. The Partnership is also in the process of

compiling an inventory of current recreation programs

and facilities, which can be publicized in some form in

the future.

The Saucon Valley Library Task Force has been meeting

on a monthly basis since January 2011 to explore the

feasibility of consolidating library services for both

Lower Saucon Township and Hellertown Borough

residents at the Hellertown Area Library.

A library survey was conducted in March 2012 which

garnered over 325 responses, which were incorporated

into the Task Force’s Interim Report.

The Task Force held a public meeting on April 12, 2012

to present their Interim Report, which is available at:

www.lowersaucontownship.org/svlibtaskforce.html.

The Task Force expects to conclude its information

gathering process and present its final report to the

Township and Borough Councils and to the Hellertown

Area Library Trustees in August 2012.

Saucon Valley Library Task Force

Northampton County offers a system known as “Notify

Northampton County” to immediately contact you during a

crisis or emergency. The network delivers important

emergency alerts, notifications and updates to you on all

your devices and allows you to choose the device(s) you

want to use to receive the information.

P l e a s e v i s i t o u r w e b s i t e a t

http://www.lowersaucontownship.org/emanagement.html

for a link to www.notifync.org to sign up for emergency

notifications and to view additional emergency

management information.

Emergency Notification System

Lower Saucon Township requires permits for many types of

construction and building work in residential structures.

Please allow up to 15 business days for zoning/building permits to

be processed.

Examples of work that requires a Zoning/Building Permit:

Construction and/or installation of a fence.

Construction and/or installation of a shed, carport, or garage.

Construction and/or installation of a patio or porch.

Construction and/or installation of a walkway on the property.

Construction and/or installation of a deck.

Widening an existing driveway.

Resurfacing a driveway with/without enlarging it or changing the

shape at all.

Above ground and in ground swimming pools, even “wall-less”

and portable pools! Any pool that is deeper than 24” needs a

permit. If your pool is taken down every year, you need a permit

to put it back up every year.

Building an addition onto your house including attached garages

and carports.

Adding a roof to a patio, porch, or deck where the roof is attached

to a dwelling.

Installation of doors and windows if the new doors and windows

are of a different size than the existing doors/windows.

Upgrading an electrical service.

The addition or relocation of electrical wiring.

Adding stud walls such as when finishing a basement.

Examples of work that does not require any permit:

Repair and replacement of existing structures such as floorboards

in a deck.

Putting new shingles on your roof.

Replacing or installing siding on a house.

Replacing windows and doors with new ones of the same size.

Replacing a garage door (however, replacing a manual door with

an electric door may require an electrical permit).

Wallpaper, carpet, tile, paint work, and interior cabinetry such as

kitchen cabinets.

Also, please note that a Certificate of Occupancy is required for

anyone moving into the Township. The application fee is $10.00.

This permit should be applied for at least 10 business days prior to

the move-in date.

A Moving Permit is required to move out of the Township and the

fee is $5.00. This permit is issued the same day of application.

Please contact Chris Garges, Zoning Officer at 610-865-3291 if you

are unsure what kind of permit you need or if you have any ques-

tions. Please visit our website www.lowersaucontownship.org for

more information.

Do I need a Permit?

Saucon Valley Conservancy Lower Saucon Township Historical Society

Lower Saucon Township Page 5

Lower Saucon Township Historical Society

meets on the second Wednesday of the month.

On August 8th, the Board of Directors will

meet at Seidersville Hall at 6:00 p.m. There

will not be a regular membership meeting.

On September 12th, the Board of Directors will meet at 6:00

p.m. followed by our monthly meeting at 7:00 p.m. in

Seidersville Hall, 3700 Old Philadelphia Pike. Guests are

welcome and refreshments will be served.

Tuesday, October 2nd, LSTHS and the Saucon Valley

Conservancy will join together to sponsor a program on the

History of Steel presented by members of the Steelworkers

Archives. The program will take place at the Lower Saucon

Town Hall at 7:00 p.m. Guests are welcome and

refreshments will be served.

On November 14th, Lee Weidner will entertain us with

some of his favorite stories from his new book. The

presentation will be at 7:00 p.m. in Seidersville Hall.

Guests are welcome and refreshments will be served.

Our annual Apple Festival will take place at Lutz-Franklin

Schoolhouse on September 29th from 10:00 a.m. - 3:00

p.m., rain or shine. Join us for a day of apple tasting, games

and story telling for children with Johnny Appleseed,

musical groups, bluebird houses to build, apple dessert con-

test, and many different apple treats to purchase.

Heller Homestead ~ Saucon Valley

Conservancy

Save the date – Saturday, September 15,

2012 - 6th Annual Barn Tour

Fascinated by old barns? Enjoy the unique experience of

being able to tour inside some of the wonderful old barns

along our rural roads in the Saucon Valley area. Each barn

is truly one-of-a-kind. Your day begins with a presentation

giving an overview of the barn highlights by two well

known barn experts at the Beethoven Waldheim Club, 1984

Waldheim Road, Hellertown, PA. You can then travel to the

barns on the tour at your leisure using our guide book. A

great diversity of barns will be experienced and will expand

upon the excitement that was created during the past tours

that included homestead barns of many types, shapes and

sizes. Tickets: $20 each and 2 for $35 in advance; $25 each

day of tour. Proceeds benefit the Heller Barn Preservation

Fund.

Events:

June 2nd through August 26th: Kay Stauffer Art Exhibit

Saturday, August 18th, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.:

Hellertown -Lower Saucon Community Day [booth at

Dimmick Park]

Saturday, September 15th: 9:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., 6th

Annual Barn Tour starts at Beethoven Waldheim

[Rain or Shine]

September 8th through December 16th: David Lee Art

Exhibit

Tuesday, October 2nd, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.: Steelwork-

ers Archives Presentation, hosted by SVC & LSTHS at

Lower Saucon Township Town Hall

Monday, December 3rd, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m., Annual

Holiday Gathering and David Lee Artist Reception,

snow date, December 4th

Please join us at the Heller Homestead located just off the

Saucon Rail Trail. Monthly Meetings are held at 7:00 p.m.

on August 16th, September 13th, October 18th, November

15th, (no meetings in July and December). The Art Gallery

and Antiques & Collectibles gift shop are open to the public

on weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, 1:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.

(Sundays, 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. May – November) and

special events. Tours of the Museum are available by

appointment. Volunteer opportunities are available.

For information: 610-216-0566, SVConservancy@aol.com,

www.sauconvalleyconservancy.org.

In May the Township was awarded $53,430 in casino

gaming grant funds to install battery back-up units on six (6)

traffic signals in Lower Saucon Township. During the 2011

Halloween storm that caused electric power outages in some

areas that lasted up to six days, traffic signals in the

Township were blacked out, which made it extremely

hazardous for motorists and our emergency responders who

were travelling these roads. The battery back-up systems

will be installed with a generator connection that will

provide an uninterruptible source of power for these traffic

signals during any outage.

Township Awarded Funds for Battery

Back-up System for Traffic Lights

A snapshot from the past……

The Wolhbach farm at harvest time

October 1955. Shown are David,

Leon and Dennis Wohlbach and

Bobby and Tommy Stout.

Page 6 Lower Saucon Township

The American Cancer Society’s Relay For

Life of Saucon Valley will be hosting its

2nd annual Duck Derby on August 5, 2012

in conjunction with the Saucon Valley

Farmers Market , 9:00 a.m.– 1:00 p.m.

Family and friends will gather at Water

Street Park in Hellertown and watch as

thousands of rubber ducks are released into

the Saucon Creek.

Spectators can cheer on their rented ducks as they float

down Saucon Creek beyond the Water Street Bridge to

where a creek crew of volunteers will be gathered with nets

to collect the ducks and announce the winners. Participants

buy tickets with numbers corresponding to each rubber

duck. Duck rentals will be sold at the SV Farmers Market

& Dewey Fire Company Carnival.

Duck rentals are $5.00 each or a 6-quack for $20.00. Prizes

will be awarded to the renters of the first thirty ducks to

cross the finish line. For more details call Carol Schneider

at 610-838-1354 or cas68@rcn.com or visit our website:

www.relayforlife.org/pasauconvalley

Relay For Life of Saucon Valley 2nd Annual

Duck Derby

The Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market is

open every Sunday 9:00 a.m. until 1:00

p.m. at the Water Street Park in Heller-

town. Visit us on the web at:

www.svfarmersmarket.org. Open now

through November 25, 2012.

Saucon Valley Farmers’ Market Saucon Valley Spirit Parade

The Saucon Valley Spirit

Parade will be on Sunday,

October 21st at 2:00 p.m. The

theme for 2012 is “Tropical

Adventures” (Line up begins at

12:30 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.). There

will be no rain date. You may

obtain a copy of the

application form at the

Township. Applications are due no later than October 12th.

Hellertown Borough Council approved a new daily fee for

Residents & Non-Residents effective on 7/21/12.

Child - $8.00

Adult - $10.00

The following additional rules are now in effect:

NO Rain Checks will be given.

NO Discount price after 4:00 p.m.

NO Free Admittance after 6:00 p.m.

A Limit on cooler size (max. 2’x2’x2’) is now in place.

The Lower Gate is now closed

Only handicapped individuals, those who cannot do

steps or individuals with strollers are allowed to use

this entrance. No other admittance will be granted at

this location.

Emergency Situations

If the Lifeguard(s) blow three (3) fast consecutive

whistles a water rescue is in progress.

If the Lifeguard(s) stand up and blow one (1) prolonged

whistle continually please clear the pool as fast and as

safely as possible.

Subject to Search

Anyone entering the pool is subject to search along

with any bags, coolers, and containers.

Any illegal weapons, or contraband found will be

seized and will result in criminal charges.

By order of

Hellertown Borough Council

Effective 7/21/12

New Daily Fees for the Hellertown Pool

On Monday, June 18th, the Township held the 4th Annual

Volunteer Recognition Picnic at the pavilion at Town Hall

Park. The purpose is to recognize and extend the

Township’s Council’s appreciation to our many volunteers

who unselfishly serve on the Township’s Boards, Commis-

sions and Committees. Attending the event were active and

recently retired volunteers from the Zoning Hearing Board,

Parks & Recreation Board, Lower Saucon Authority,

Planning Commission, Environmental Advisory Council,

Pension Advisory Committee, Yard Waste Recycling, His-

toric Committee and the Library Committee. The Council

& Township Staff appreciates the hard work and dedication

of these volunteers.

Volunteer Recognition Picnic

Lower Saucon Township Page 7

The Lower Saucon Township Environmental Advisory

Council (EAC) will be holding a computer/electronics

recycling drop-off event to allow residents of the Township

and surrounding areas to recycle electronics.

Date: Saturday, October 13, 2012

Time: 9:00 am to Noon – Rain or Shine –

NO EARLY BIRDS, NO EXCEPTIONS

Where: Lower Saucon Township

Public Works Garage,

3700 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bethlehem, PA

Made possible by:

AERC Recycling Solutions

If you have any questions about any recyclable item,

please contact AERC at (610) 797-7608.

What’s accepted: Computer monitors (CRTs, plasma &

LCD displays); laptop & notebook computers; televisions

(standalone, console, wide-screen, projection-screen, CRT,

plasma, LCD); radio/stereo, microwaves, computer

systems, (CPU); computer peripherals (printers, scanners,

plotters, copiers); external disk memory & hard disk

drives, keyboards, circuit boards & electronic compo-

nents/chips; network hubs, modems & routers; photocopi-

ers & multi-use copiers (copy, fax, scan, print); telephone

communications/switching systems; PDAs, PDA cradles,

& other handheld devices; cellular phones & cell phone

chargers; toner cartridges (ink jet & laser jet); CDs, DVDs,

magnetic tape, answering machines.

Free:

Refrigerators, Air Conditioners, Freezers and

Dehumidifiers.

*Fee’s:

Batteries: $0.75 per lb.

Fluorescent bulbs: $0.25 each

Items not accepted: Primarily “electric” items with a cord

are not accepted at AERC’s Electronic Recycling Events

including: oscillating fans, desk & floor lamps, small

kitchen appliances (irons, crock pots, toasters, toaster ov-

ens, blenders, mixers, etc.), small handheld power tools,

small personal cosmetic appliances (portable hair dryers,

shavers, curling irons, etc.), and vacuum cleaners.

Community Day will take place on August 18th, at

Dimmick Park in Hellertown.

Family-friendly activities and demonstrations are planned

throughout the day in addition to music, dance, and

children’s activities at the Kid’s Corner – as well as the ever

popular trackless train ride. The car show will return again

this year as well, but is expected to be much larger and will

start at noon.

The day will begin with a flag ceremony presented by the

Boy and Girl Scout troops, and ending with a performance

by the Saucon Valley High School band.

Hours for the event will start at 10:00 a.m. and end at

5:00 p.m. at the park.

Don’t miss out this year as we continue to grow!

Lower Saucon

Township’s most

recent preservation

of open space was

the 76 acre Benner/

Whitmore property.

The property con-

sists of mature

woodlands with

steeps slopes, seeps,

springs and an un-

named tributary of

the East Branch of the Saucon Creek. About 40 acres of the

property was once a dairy farm, which has been abandoned

for over a decade. A conservation easement has been placed

on the property that protects the critical natural resources

while allowing portions of the land to be converted back into

active agricultural use.

“Another gem preserved by your EIT investment. Thanks to

our EAC and Open Space Committee for their diligence and

dedication in preserving another prime property.”

Glenn Kern

Open Space Update Computer/Electronics Recycling Date

Community Day News

Visit us on the web @

www.lowersaucontownship.org

Lower Saucon Township 3700 Old Philadelphia Pike

Bethlehem, PA 18015

Lower Saucon Township Officials

Glenn Kern Council President

Tom Maxfield Council Vice President

Priscilla deLeon Council Member

Ron Horiszny Council Member

David Willard Council Member

Lou Mahlman Controller

Jack Cahalan Township Manager

Leslie Huhn Assistant Manager

Important Phone Numbers

Emergency 911

Non-Emergency (Police) 610-759-2200

Police Department 610-317-6110

Administrative Offices 610-865-3291

Water/Sewer Authority 610-317-3212

PRSRT STD

U.S. Postage

PAID

Lehigh Valley, PA

Permit #618

Meeting Schedule

Council

1st and 3rd Wednesdays - 7:00 p.m.

Parks & Recreation Board

1st Monday - 7:00 p.m.

Environmental Advisory Council

2nd Tuesday - 7:00 p.m.

Planning Commission

4th Thursday - 7:00 p.m.

Zoning Hearing Board

3rd Monday - 7:00 p.m.

Lower Saucon Authority

3rd Tuesday - 7:00 p.m.

Page 8 Lower Saucon Township

Discounted Park tickets for local & not-so-local amusement parks are

available at the Township through the Pennsylvania Parks & Recreation

Society. Tickets may be purchased from 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Monday

through Friday. For a complete list of prices please visit our website:

http://www.lowersaucontownship.org/pdf/summertickets.pdf

click on the “Parks and Recreation” tab and scroll to “Summer Tickets”.

2012 Discounted Park Tickets