Local News...

Issue 43 — Thursday, May 25, 2017
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Teen Charged In
Lehman Shooting

BLOOMING GROVE — State police have released the name of suspect charged with shooting an 11-year-old in the abdomen on May 2 in Lehman Township.

Police said a warrant had been issued for the arrest of Jonathan Matthew Edwards, 17, from the Bushkill/Mt. Pocono area.

Edwards has been charged as an adult on felony and related charges for allegedly shooting the victim in the abdomen with an air rifle or pistol, at a residence on Wales Court in Lehman Township, police said.

Anyone with information is asked to call Trooper Mark Keyes at 570-963-3156.

Hands Of Hope
Needs Volunteers

MILFORD — Pike County Hands of Hope (PCHOH) is seeking volunteers to join in the fight against homelessness. A wide variety of opportunities exist, from serving as an advocate to lending a hand in planning a special event or fundraiser for Pike County Hands of Hope (PCHOH). Volunteering for PCHOH is easy and flexible, whether it's just for a one-time project or an on-going position.

Every 2 minutes another American is evicted from their home affecting 1 out of 6 women, and 1 out 33 men in the United States.

PCHOH empowers homeless and near-homeless people by families and by meeting their most basic and urgent needs and encouraging positive life changes through community-based programs. Our goal is to provide immediate assistance through referrals to appropriate government offices, social service agencies, and faith-based organizations. In addition to operating a "Hopeline" (800.656.HOPE), PCHOH assists qualifying people in sustainable rental placement, food, and clothing needs.

If you are interested in our volunteer opportunities contact PCHOH at (570) 296-HOPE (4673), Facebook, or email info@pikecountyhoh.org. Our next training session is Monday, June 5, Wednesday June 7, and Thursday June 8. Hope to see you there.

If you are homeless and need emergency shelter or facing eviction you can contact us at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or 570-296-HOPE (4673).

Pike County Hands of Hope is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 organization, and a United Way member agency. We do not discriminate because of religious affiliation or gender.

Marcellus Money In Kitty For 'Bushkill Village'
By Ken Baumel

BUSHKILL — A $25,000 fracking grant is the first financial breakthrough for Lehman Township supervisors in their quest to fund their Bushkill Village plan. In 2015, Lehman supervisors developed their Bushkill Village Conservation plan, a village green and streetscape-plaza project at the Route 209 and Route 2001 (Bushkill Falls Road Extension) intersection. The plaza centerpiece is a train-station pavilion. The grant would cover the cost of the pavilion canopy. The pavilion recalls the now-defunct Bushkill Village. The station brings alive a prior strategic crossroad in the Delaware River valley, according to Supervisor Chairman/Secretary-Treasurer Rob Rohner. Rohner announced that the township secured the fracking grant. He spoke at the regular Lehman Township meeting held last week at Lehman Township municipal building on Municipal Road.

The Pike County Scenic Rural Character Preservation program awarded the money to Lehman from the annual pool of Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Fracking Fund. The state distributes awards from the fund each year to counties located in counties contiguous to natural gas drilling (fracking) activities such as those in Wayne County, according to Mike Mrozinski, Pike County Community Planning Dept. Planning Director. Also in 2015, Supervisors John Sivick, Rohner, and Dick Vollmer committed to secure grants to fund the entire project. Sivick said that if supervisors could not immediately secure funds for the entire project, they would be satisfied to start with funds for the Train Station. Supervisors then would seek additional grants for developing the rest the park.

Last week, Rohner announced that with the $25,000 in hand, Lehman supervisors approved applying for a $95,000 Pennsylvania Dept. of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) grant under the agency's Greenways, Trails, and Recreation program. These grants don't always come easily, according to Vollmer. Supervisors must apply to the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Financing Authority for a project and financial review. If Lehman passes the CFA review, then they must get past the DCNR review. Rohner said that supervisors are agreeing to apply the $25,000 grant as a match for the $95,000 grant, if DCNR requires a match. Supervisors, through their project consultant Simone Collins, are applying for two other grants, one for the Bushkill Village Master Site Plan, and one for the Train Station Platform Rehabilitation. Besides the train station pavilion and platform, the Village plan includes reproductions of historic Village buildings around the station... for complete story, get this week's issue.

Emergency Donation To Food Pantry

SHOHOLA — At this month's regular township meeting held at the township building on Twin Lakes Road, Shohola supervisors, on behalf of the township's administration, approved donating $200 in emergency funds to St. Ann's Roman Catholic Church Food Pantry, one of the two officially designated township food pantries. Supervisor Keith Raser requested the donation. He said that last December, the township gave an annual donation to each of the two pantries, located at St. Ann, and at St. Jacobi Lutheran Church. Since then, the demand for food at the St. Ann's pantry has been so great that it ran out of food. Raser noted that both the pantries serve all the township residents, not specifically members of each church. Therefore, the emergency infusion of cash is reasonable as a public service. From the left were Township Solicitor Jason Ohliger, supervisors Raser, George C. Fluhr, and Greg Hoeper, and Township Secretary/Treasurer Diana Blume.


Bridge Open In Bushkill

By Wayne Witkowski

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation opened up the new double-lane bridge in Lehman Township over Toms Creek on Wednesday, May 17, that is part of the Milford Road/State Route 2001 road widening project through Lehman and Delaware townships. The bridge replaces the old concrete single-lane bridge built in the 1930s that hindered motorists. It is just south of the Pocono Mountain Lake Estates clubhouse parking lot entrance.

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