Deer Meat Fights Hunger During Pandemic

LACKAWAXEN — COVID 19 has influenced many things in our society during the last year, including economics. Many people have lost jobs and income, putting them in a situation of need.
Thankfully, there are volunteers behind the scenes that help improve the lives of thousands of residents throughout Pike County.
For example, food pantries accept donations from individuals and businesses and then help to disseminate those goods to families that have reached out for some assistance.
Also helping to put nutrition in the hands of those in need is a program known as Hunter's Sharing the Harvest (HSH). Since 1991 HSH has coordinated the processing and distribution of donated deer meat from hunters and municipal herd reduction sources to hungry people throughout Pennsylvania. An average-sized deer will provide enough high-protein, low-fat meat for 200 meals. HSH delivered over 160,000 lbs. of venison in 2019 just in time as the Covid19 pandemic effects created overwhelming and unexpected negative challenges to almost 50 percent more than in prior years of Pennsylvanians who have been forced to fight hunger issues.
Local sportsman and outdoor personality, Ron Tussel, is the HSH coordinator for Pike County. "A few years back I ran into executive director for HSH, John Plowman, at an outdoor writers conference. He asked me to help take on the role of coordinating the HSH efforts in Pike County.
"I did my homework and assembled a network that now allows me to pick up ground venison from one of our certified butchers, and then deliver that meat to food pantries across Pike County. My loop is about 125 miles in total, and through some great connections, I have been able to deliver thousands of pounds of meat to Pike County residents in need for the past several years," Tussel said.
More than 1.6 million Pennsylvanians are classified as food insecure, and with the recent economic downturn the need and requests for food assistance continue to grow. HSH program's goal is to channel about 100,000 pounds of processed venison annually through the state's food banks.

Pike County Officials Question Rationale For Toll Hike Increase

BLOOMING GROVE — Officials in multiple townships throughout Pike County are voicing their opposition to a proposed toll increase on bridges situated over the Delaware River.
Township officials for Blooming Grove met this past Monday night for what is their first meeting for the month of March. Among the new matters of business on the meeting's agenda was the planned toll increase for the bridges connecting Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
"The Pike County Planning Commission and Pike County Council of Governments motioned unanimously to oppose the rate hike," said Chairman Nicholas Mazza.
The Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC) is proposing a toll increase that affects both E-ZPass users and cash givers. For E-ZPass users the new toll will be set at $1.25. The cash rate will be set at $3 for those who use cash as their payment method.
The reason DRJTBC gives for the proposed rate hike is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With travel from tourism grinding to a halt as well as a decrease in regular commuter traffic, the organization says that the toll increase will result in the generation of more revenue and will help them make up for revenue lost during the pandemic.
Mazza says that the opposition to the toll increase is over the rate remaining permanent even when the pandemic is over. He says that DRJTBC plans to set the new toll price implemented by the hike as the standard toll price moving forward even after the pandemic is over. He believes it is unfair to keep this proposal, made only to combat revenue loss as a result of a decline in the traffic rates, permanently in place even if traffic rates begin to improve.......For more information subscribe to our paper.

No Comments
During Hearing
On Sewage Plan

By Dakota Hendricks

WESTFALL — Westfall Township Supervisors approved the draft Act 537 sewage plan at their March meeting.
The Township received no public feedback during their 30-day public comment period and no members of the public in attendance at Monday's meeting made a comment. Milford Township is now the last municipality to hold their public comment on the proposal.
The Planning Commission informed the Supervisors of an oversight in sewer regulations that the Township may want to remedy. In a letter submitted to the Supervisors, the commission outlines that regulations require developments hooking into the sewer system to test the pipes within a home and where the system connects to the Township sewer line. The Commission suggested they might want to add inspections for the rest of the system moving forward. The Supervisors discussed potentially adding requirements to their land use requirements or drafting a zoning amendment to require proof of testing......For more information subscribe to our paper.

DRBC Bans High-Volume
Fracking In Delaware Basin

By Dakota Henricks

WEST TRENTON, N.J. — The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) last week approved prohibiting high volume hydraulic fracturing (HVHF) in the Basin. In a separate action, the Commissioners directed the executive director to propose amendments to update the Commission's rules concerning importation of wastewater from outside the basin and exportation of basin waters.
Resolution No. 2021-01 amends the Commission's Comprehensive Plan and Water Code to prohibit HVHF in the Delaware River Basin in order to control future pollution, protect the public health and preserve the waters of the Basin for uses in accordance with the Comprehensive Plan. The full resolution may be accessed at https://www.nj.gov/drbc/library/documents/Res2021-01_HVHF.pdf.
By a separate Resolution for the Minutes, the Commissioners directed DRBC Executive Director Steve Tambini no later than September 30, 2021, to develop and formally propose amendments to the Comprehensive Plan and DRBC Water Code to update regulations concerning inter-basin transfers of water and wastewater. The full resolution may be accessed at https://www.nj.gov/drbc/library/documents/ResForMinutes022521_regs-transfers.pdf.l....For more information subscribe to our paper.