Recently, I received a complaint from a resident claiming that Roundup is being used in township parks and playgrounds: "One concern of mine,” said resident Gabriel Gall on my Facebook page, “is that the parks department uses Roundup, which is known to cause environmental impacts and cancer, around trees and the playground where my kids play.

At the 12 June 2024 Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, supervisor Elen Snyder asked the Board to approve a plan for a “pollinator” garden in Roberts Ridge Park. The original plan was to use Roundup to kill the grass turf in preparation for planting the flowers but there was some "pushback" from residents and BOS members. Consequently, it was decided to use vinegar instead of Roundup.

It turns out that vinegar is effective alternative to Roundup for killing turf grass! Read more about this...

Also, see "Insights" belowfor another alternative.

A rodent problem is happening in Newtown Borough. And it has been confirmed by the Bucks County Health Department.

A 53-year resident of Jefferson Street told Newtown Borough Council on Wednesday that her home has been damaged from rodents that have eaten through her carpet, house plants, and numerous electrical wires.

“This is a big problem,” she said. “I’ve heard of other people having the problem.”

The resident, who has had to pay for rodent treatments, said she believes her former neighbor’s backyard chickens contributed to the infestation.

The resident told the council the “big problem” has left her up in the middle of the night banging on the walls to scare the furry rodents, which she believes to be rats.

After consulting with county health officials and the borough’s existing ordinances, borough officials began cracking down on violations that may lead to infestations: CHICKENS!

Council President Emily Heinz said that the county health officials stated to her that keeping chickens may contribute to rodent problems.

Any potential ordinance would not impact current chicken owners in the borough, but it could apply to future owners, Borough Solicitor Gregory Heleniak said.

Council Member Kris Bauman described the situation as a “serious rat problem” that is being exacerbated by chickens. He advocated for a ban on the introduction of more chickens.

Council Member Julia Woldorf warned that delaying a chicken ordinance could lead to more residents getting backyard chickens before any action could be taken by the town’s governing body.

The council will look at Langhorne Borough’s backyard chicken ordinance as part of the exploration process.

The council had mixed views and Heinz urged members to give the issue consideration. She noted it would be discussed next month.

The Bucks County Health Department issued tips for residents dealing with rodent issues. More about that here...

Drivers passing through Warrington Township that fail to stop at a red light will now be caught by a state-of-the-art camera system and face a fine, officials recently announced.

Warrington is the first municipality in Bucks County and only the third in Pennsylvania to install the enforcement system designed to make the suburban community safer, the police department said in a statement.

The system, authorities said, will “encourage safer driving habits with a consistent presence to reduce red light violations and improve traffic flow. Best of all, it will help us save lives,” the department said.

The two township intersections are at Easton Road (Route 611) and Bristol Road; the other at Easton and Street roads. Warnings will be issued until late March after which violators will be ticketed and fined a civil monetary penalty of $100.

More...

UPDATE (November 8, 2022): “Voters Support Additional Needed Funding for the #NewtownPA Ambulance Squad”; https://sco.lt/5uUlXM 

At the July 13, 2022, Newtown Board of Supervisors meeting, Newtown Ambulance Squad (NAS) Chief Evan Resnikoff requested that the BOS authorize the Solicitor to place a referendum on the November ballot to include increased millage allowance in excess of the 0.5 Mill cap permitted by the Second Class Township Code for the ambulance squad.

Mr. Resnikoff supplied some financial information and estimated that a 0.5 Mill increase - bringing the total to 1.0 Mill - will cost the average Newtown homeowner $1.81 per month ($21.80 per year).

Newtown Township (NTT) currently provides $171,000 (about $8.75 per resident) in annual funding to the NAS, whereas Newtown Borough only contributes $10,000 (about $4.45 per resident) annually.

My comment was that the Borough should pay more, especially if the new figure per NTT resident = 2 X $8.75 = $17.50! I’ve heard that the Borough may be balking at paying more, which means that NTT residents would be paying nearly 3X more than Borough residents on a per resident basis if the referendum passes!

Regardless of this, the BOS unanimously approved the authorization for the Solicitor to proceed with placing this referendum on the November ballot.

At the November 10, 2021, Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, Police Chief John Hearn gave his October 2021 Police Report.

The Chief highlighted several items including the high number of deer struck by cars and gave some details regarding an October 22, 2021, serious accident involving a pedestrian near the North Sycamore Street/Silo Drive Intersection.

Supervisor John Mack pointed out that there have been a number of accidents involving pedestrians at this location (read, for example, “Silo Drive & North Sycamore: A Dangerous Intersection in Newtown Township!”.

It was the Chief's opinion that speeding was not a major factor, it was more about distracted drivers and pedestrians not using the crosswalk.

Mr. Mack asked the Chief if he had any ideas for making this intersection safer such as using yellow warning lights. The Chief pointed out problems with that and suggested that education is needed and that perhaps flyers could be posted in local businesses. He also said he would be meeting with Bucks County traffic officials to see if they had further ideas.

Children’s Health Defense (CHD) Thursday filed a motion for emergency relief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit asking the court to stay the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Over-the-Air Reception Devices” (OTARD) Rule Amendment before it goes into effect March 29.

The motion is part of CHD’s petition, filed on Feb. 26, challenging the rule amendment.

CHD is opposing an amended rule allowing private property owners to place fixed point-to-point antennas supporting wireless service on their property and, for the first time, to extend wireless data/voice services, including 5G, to users on neighboring properties. The rule purports to facilitate fast deployment of mesh Wi-Fi networks, 5G and the ground infrastructure for SpaceX satellites, especially in rural areas.

The amended rule allows installation of radiation-transmitting antennas on homes while preempting all state and local zoning authority. No permit is required, homeowners’ association and deed restrictions and any other state laws are preempted.

The focus of CHD’s motion for emergency relief is the FCC’s preemption of federal and state civil rights laws that protect the disabled and their rights for accommodations. People who are adversely affected will have no right to object to the installation of these devices, even though they will be involuntarily exposed to harmful radiation in their homes.

A motion for stay requires that the movants demonstrate: (a) likelihood of success on the merits in the case; (b) they are likely to suffer irreparable harm; (c) the balance of interests favors an injunction; and (d) a stay is in the public interest.

In its motion, CHD claims that if the amended rule goes into effect, petitioners and many others who developed radiation sickness (electrosensitivity) or other sicknesses caused or aggravated by wireless technology radiation, will suffer immediate, irreparable and, for some, life-threatening injuries. Many will be driven out of their homes, but nowhere will be safe for them, not even rural areas.

CHD argues petitioners are likely to win the case because the amended rule violates substantive and procedural due process rights, and is unlawful and contrary to the public interest. Therefore, and because of the irreparable harm to many, the court should grant the stay pending a final decision in the case.

Petitioners include a family physician and mothers of four children who are sick from wireless radiation.

More...

Related Content:

• “5G Technology Near You, Me, Schools. Is It Safe?”; http://bit.ly/5GinNT
• "5G DAS Wireless: Not in Our Back Yard or Front Yard, Say Doylestown Residents"; http://sco.lt/8wLS9A 
• “Is a DAS Antenna Coming to a Pole Near You?”; http://bit.ly/DASNearYou 
• “Doylestown Waged Big Battle Against Small Cells. Did It Win or Lose? DAS is the Question!”; http://sco.lt/4qaEQz