My Top Ten Most Viewed Videos in 2021

Newtown Township, PA – The Newtown Township Police Department will join the Pennsylvania State Police and over 300 municipal agencies to conduct a targeted aggressive-driving enforcement wave from July 5 through August 21, 2022.

The goal of targeted enforcement is to reduce the number of aggressive driving related crashes, injuries, and deaths on roadways throughout the state. Any aggressive driver stopped by police will receive a ticket.

The enforcement wave will focus on heavy truck violations, pedestrian safety, red light running and tailgating. Motorists exhibiting other unsafe behaviors such as driving too fast for conditions, following too closely, or other aggressive actions will also be cited.

The enforcement is part of Pennsylvania’s Highway Safety Program and is funded by part of PennDOT’s investment of federal funds from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

Sourced via CRIMEWATCH®: https://bucks.crimewatchpa.com/newtowntwppd/34824/post/aggressive-driving-enforcement-initiative-0

[LINK: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfToze2ON8O/]

I said a few words at the opening ceremony of the 2022 Newtown Welcome Day, including:

"Over the past two years we have seen many improvements in Newtown, including right here on Sycamore Street."

I was referring to the pedestrian safety measures that were enacted by the Supervisors: 

Afterwards, I picked up that guitar and rocked the joint!

The Council Rock School Board on Thursday, June 23, 2022, approved a $258 million budget for the 2022-23 school year that includes a real estate tax increase well below the Act One Index of 3.4 percent.

After voting down a proposed 1.59 percent tax increase, the board compromised on a 1.25 percent increase requiring the district to dip into its fund balance to the tune of $590,000.

The board voted 8-1 to approve the spending plan with Kristin Marcell voting against the motion. Marcell had favored a lower one percent increase, which had been debated by the board before settling on the compromise.

"In this time of inflation and available surpluses, I don't believe now is time to pass a tax increase at this number. I support something that is lower," said Marcell.

While Marcell favored a one percent increase, board member Yota Palli supported the 1.6 percent increase included in the administration's proposed final budget.

"The 1.6 percent increase is not going to allow us to go to town," she added. "It doesn't include our wish list and it's not preparing us for future investments such as full day kindergarten or changing the high school schedule. The 1.6 percent increase is respectful for people on fixed income because it is not a huge increase and is well below the state index."

[See “Insights” below for how much more money a typical Newtown Township homeowner would pay for a 1.25% tax increase in school taxes.]

The one percent earned income tax and the one percent real estate transfer tax remain unchanged in the new budget.

A Newtown Twp resident said in an email to me: "Hi John, attached is a picture of the Bypass & Newtown-Yardley Road intersection. We need overhead signs by the traffic lights that show that both lanes turn to the left. Many people are unaware that this intersection allows both lanes to turn left. So many times the driver in the left lane proceeds to drive immediately into the right lane after turning unaware that another car turned beside him. I've avoided an accident many times anticipating this. This is the intersection where the new Wawa is proposed. A sign depicting double turning lanes is necessary when I'm sitting at the light on Newtown-Yardley Road turning left towards Shady Brook Farm."

What do you think?

Take my survey: https://forms.gle/WkqWQnPhy9B6kJfd7 

The [Solebury] board of supervisors on Tuesday [June 21, 2022] voted unanimously to approve an ordinance banning single-use carry-out plastic bags, polystyrene food containers and single-use plastic straws in the township's commercial establishments.

While instituting a ban on single-use plastics, the ordinance promotes the use of reusable bags and establishes a charge of 10 cents for certain types of acceptable bags at the point of sale.

"This has been carefully considered by the EAC (Environmental Advisory Council) over a long period of time. We have gone through a number of iterations and the recommendation was made to move this forward," said Supervisor John Francis, the liaison to the EAC. "We looked at a lot of consequences that this may bring up. We also compared the ordinance to others in neighboring towns and in New Jersey. We're pretty confident that we have covered all the bases."

The ordinance is aimed at encouraging consumers and commercial establishments within the township to help reduce the use and environmental impact of single-use plastics by promoting the use of reusable bags, utilizing alternatives to single-use plastic straws, training employees to ask customers first before providing a single-use plastic item, and substituting other biodegradable products for polystyrene food containers.

Ordinance states: “Beginning 180 days after the effective date of this Ordinance, Commercial Establishments are prohibited from providing Single-Use Plastic Straws or Polystyrene Food Containers to a customer, patron, or user of the Commercial Establishment under any circumstance, unless subject to an exemption.”

Find the ordinance here: https://ecode360.com/SO1688/laws/LF1580940.pdf

On May 23, 2022, representatives of Pennsylvanians for Safe Technology hosted a Zoom meeting with Andrew Campanelli, Esq., who is a national expert in telecommunications law. Mr. Campanelli reviewed the current version of the JMZO Wireless/5G Antenna Ordinance and summarized several problems including a “fatal gap” that renders the entirety of the ordinance moot!

Mr. Campanelli also discussed other “gaps” such as protections against excessive limits of radiation, random testing provisions, effective notices to the public, and ADA compliance issues. 

“Our biggest concern,” said a representative of Pennsylvanians for Safe Technology, “is we have been continuously told we have limited options to 5G being placed in our community. We do understand and appreciate the immense amount of work everyone has done on this ordinance, but it seems many communities in Pennsylvania have overlooked critical information that could have positioned them in the best possible scenario to protect themselves.”

Read the critique...

CONTENT:

• Newtown Has Already Decided How It Will Spend Nearly Half of Its $2 Million ARPA Funds
• Newtown Township PD Incident Report: Reckless Driving Without Front Tire on Durham Road
• Newtown Supervisors Approve Chick-fil-A Settlement Agreement: Traffic Improvements On the Way!
• Solstice Is Second Restaurant In The Village At Newtown Shopping Center To Close Its Doors This Year
• Wawa Versus Newtown Township Timeline: 2017 through 2022
• Bucks County Residents Hold "Stop Wawa" Protest

Access the complete issue...

Canada is banning the manufacture and import of single-use plastics by the end of the year, the government announced on Monday, in a major effort to combat plastic waste and address climate change.

The ban will cover items like checkout bags, cutlery, straws, and food-service ware made from or containing plastics that are hard to recycle, with a few exceptions for medical reasons. It will come into effect in December 2022, and the sale of those items will be prohibited as of December 2023 to provide businesses in Canada enough time to transition and to deplete existing stocks, the government said.

Single-use plastics make up most of the plastic waste found on Canadian shorelines. Up to 15 billion plastic checkout bags are used each year and approximately 16 million straws are used every day, according to government data.

“By the end of the year, you won’t be able to manufacture or import these harmful plastics,” said Steven Guilbeault, the federal minister of environment and climate change. “After that, businesses will begin offering the sustainable solutions Canadians want, whether that’s paper straws or reusable bags.”

New federal advisories for a family of unregulated chemicals could make three local communities a model for others looking to clean up their water supplies.

The Environmental Protection Agency last week released new advisories for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) that are up to 17,000 times lower than a previous lifetime advisory of 70 parts per trillion of the “forever chemicals” in public wells.

The advisories are for four of the more common types of PFAS compounds, setting an advisory for PFOA at just four parts per quadrillion [0.004 ppt] and PFOS to 0.02 ppt.

The new levels, part of the EPA’s “Strategic Roadmap” toward PFAS regulation, aren’t far off from what Horsham, Warminster and Warrington have been using for several years, according to state Rep. Todd Stephens, R-151.

“People in Horsham, Warrington and Warminster, their water has been meeting these standards for years now and we’re glad that the federal government has finally caught up with us,” the Horsham lawmaker said during a phone interview Thursday.

With the new EPA guidelines almost certain to have communities across the country rethinking their water supplies, Stephens said it's likely towns in Pennsylvania and across the country might look to Bucks and Montgomery counties on ways to cut contamination.

“The (towns) in our area have been dealing with this issue now for many, many years and have already turned a corner on it. But there are some who may now be facing a new issue that they’re going to have to deal with for their water customers,” Stephens said.

“I would suggest that every municipality develop a plan to reduce the contaminants to the lowest possible level that they can because I think that the health advisory level will ultimately convert to law,” Bender said.

Municipalities should also find ways to connect with as many back-ups water supplies as possible.

A filtration system can take several years to design, permit and build out, Bender said.

As the nation awaits the Supreme Court’s decision in a case that could overturn Roe v. Wade, which has enshrined abortion rights since 1973, Radnor Township has blocked its police department from investigating or filing charges against people who seek or assist in abortions.

At a Monday meeting, the township’s board of commissioners voted 4-3 to pass the contentious ordinance that would block Radnor Township police officers from becoming involved in investigations into abortions, including stopping them from making arrests, filing criminal charges, or participating in prosecution of a person accused of facilitating, providing, or receiving abortion services.

Newtown Township is now accepting applications for a full-time Finance Director. Applicants should possess a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance, Accounting, Business, or a related field.

A minimum of 5 years of experience in finance or accounting is required, preferably in a municipal setting, and a minimum 3 years of supervisory experience is preferred. Applicants should possess strong accounting, management and communication skills. The annual salary for the position is $105,000-$125,000 DOQ, with excellent benefits. The position is an exempt position.

Applicants must possess a valid driver’s license, and successfully pass a background and criminal history clearance, and physical exam. A full job description is available online at www.newtownpa.gov. Please submit a resume, cover letter and contact information for three professional references by July 15, 2022.

Applications can be submitted in person to the Newtown Administration Office, by US Mail, by email at oliviak@newtownpa.gov, or by fax to 215-968-5368.

At the May 25, 2022, Board of Supervisors (BOS) meeting, the supervisors approved “Change Order No. 2” for the Lower Dolington Road Trail. This extended the date of completion for all authorized work to July 19, 2022.

Meanwhile, construction is NOT underway and hasn’t been underway since way for at least 2 months.

Barrels & Netting Hazard!

Meanwhile, several residents have raised a valid point regarding the barrels & netting construction barriers that are still standing (see image).

"With the barrels and netting in place neither the handicapped nor able bodied are able to cross at these locations," said one resident. "That presents a safety hazard to those who want to cross at those locations.  Removing those barriers should have taken place a long time ago.”

I agree! The township doesn't need another car versus pedestrian incident!

Local sports fans now have another place to pick up apparel, accessories, and gifts featuring their favorite sports teams.

Rally House, a family-owned sports and merchandise retailer, has opened its doors in the Village at Newtown. Customers can find the store just a few doors down from McCaffrey's Market.

The store carries a wide range of official jerseys, hats, and accessories for area favorites like the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, and 76ers.

The store carries a wide range of official jerseys, hats, and accessories for area favorites like the Philadelphia Eagles, Phillies, and 76ers.

[from NTPD Weekly Activity Summary 06-03 thru 06-09 2022]

While on routine patrol at approximately 10:45 pm, an officer observed a tire tread in the middle of the roadway in the northbound lane of Durham Road in the area of Five Points. The officer removed the tire tread to prevent a road hazard and further observed scrape marks continuing up the highway.

During this time, Bucks County Dispatch received the report of a speeding, reckless driver in the area of Durham Road and Pine Lane. Dispatch relayed that the vehicle was traveling with no front tire, had no lights on, and was creating a public safety issue amidst traffic.

As a result of the investigation, the officer conducted a traffic stop on the operator on Durham Road in the area of Buckingham Winery (Buckingham Township). Upon contact with the operator, the officer detected the strong odor of an alcoholic beverage. The operator was unable to satisfactorily perform field sobriety tests and was placed under arrest by Newtown Township Police and Buckingham Township Police for suspicion of driving under the influence. Charges are pending blood evidence results.

On Monday, June 20, at 6 p.m., there will be a Northampton Township Zoning Hearing Board Meeting (ZHB) at the Township Building at 55 Township Road in Richboro, to consider the zoning of the Wright Property in Holland where the future Wawa is to be built.

This is happening after the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas remanded the residents’ appeal back to the ZHB to classify Wawa as a conditional use instead of a by-right use where gas is incidental.

“At this hearing, Wawa will have to prove that their gas operation is ‘entirely incidental’ to the store, which they argue is the only primary use,” according to a spokesperson for the group of residents.

“Holland residents against this project plan to attend this meeting in large numbers and speak out against the proposal. At last year’s ZHB meeting, residents were prevented from speaking, which sparked a lot of anger from these folks. We fear this may happen again, and with the meeting being in person this time, residents could certainly make their anger towards the township be known,” the spokesperson said.

Immediately following the meeting, the residents plan to have a “Stop Wawa Potluck Protest” outside the township building to discuss why they are against the project, and share some food.

Joint Zoning Council meeting report (Comprehensive Plan, Wood-Burning Outdoor Furnaces, Billboards, etc.), Lower Dolington Rd Trail Update, Bird Town Resolution, Newtown Township/Borough Fires Services Agreement, 5G Wireless Ordinance Update, May 2022 Police report, June 3, 2022, Public Works Report, More…

Agenda Items

• Joint Zoning Council Meeting Report
• Lower Dolington Road Trail Payment
• Liquid Fuels Roadwork Change Order
• "Bird Town" Resolution
• Fire Services Agreement with Newtown Borough
• Consideration to approve of 5G Wireless JMZO Ordinance
• American Rescue Plan Fund Summary
• May 2022 Police Report
• Public Works Report(s)
• Video Highlights

Read the summary for details...

After two years of operation, interrupted by a lengthy closure during the pandemic, Solstice Restaurant has closed its doors in the Village at Newtown Shopping Center.

The 9,245 square-foot restaurant opened in March 2020 offering hyper-seasonal menus that changed with the seasons.

In a message posted on its Facebook page, the owners wrote, "Over the past two years, Solstice has built a community of friends, family and loyal diners. When we opened our doors, we set out to provide seasonally-forward food that was thoughtfully prepared, and dedicated to quality, craft and freshness.

"If you have followed along in our journey, you know that we celebrate the season as much as we celebrate its change. Today, with a heavy heart, we're stepping into that change as we share the news of our closing.

Mary Wlodarczyk Sanginiti had this advice for the restaurant owners: "Open in a location outside of that shopping center. The traffic and parking are horrendous. We avoid all the restaurants there."

Solstice is the second restaurant to close this year at the Village. Earlier this year Friends Bar and Grill/Dolce Carini closed after its lease expired.

"Despite my best attempts over the last three years to secure a new lease, the landlord refused to give us a new one," wrote the owners of Friends on its FaceBook page. "This necessitated the closure of the business as there were no other options available."

New traffic signals are coming to Woodbourne Road's intersection with both Swift and Lower Silver Lake roads by the fall or winter.

Phil Wursta, a traffic engineer working with Middletown, explained how the traffic signals and left turn lanes will be added to the intersection by expanding the roadway into the rights-of-way on Woodbourne so that through traffic doesn't have to stop quickly behind a vehicle making a left-turn into either Swift or Lower Silver Lake roads.

The township supervisors approved bids for the work last month. The $650,000 cost for the project will also include push-buttons for pedestrians to use on the signals to cross Woodbourne at the intersection.

With a Wawa store proposed for Lower Silver Lake's intersection with the Newtown Bypass, residents were concerned there could be more walkers and bicyclists using that road and crossing Woodbourne from Swift Road to get to Lower Silver Lake and the Wawa if Newtown Township approves its construction.

The salad restaurant chain will open its2910 South Eagle Road location on Thursday, offering items from its “Destination California” menu.

Combining seasonal ingredients with authentic flavors from around the world, the fast-casual restaurant company is excited to open its latest location in Bucks County.

The Newtown location will offer food options from its popular 'Destination California' limited-time offerings, which feature California-inspired dishes such as the Spicy Sonoma Caesar Salad, Umami Noodle Bowl, and Verde Pork Pozole Bowl.

To celebrate the opening of its latest location, the new restaurant will host a 'Chopt Gives Day' on Wednesday from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m.to 7:30 p.m. 100% of sales during these times will be donated to Neighborhood Outreach Foundation. 

A summary of items discussed at the June 6, 2022, Newtown Area Joint Zoning Council Meeting. 

Topics include:

5G wireless JMZO ordinance, EV charging stations, Outdoor wood-burning furnaces, Billboard use, Comprehensive Plan review, More...

White supremacy groups have seldom, if ever, been more active, the top official for the Anti-Defamation League’s Philadelphia Region told an audience of about 50 during a May 25 presentation at the Free Library of Northampton Township.

During a talk organized by the Bucks County Human Relations Council, ADL Philadelphia Regional Director Andrew Goretsky said Pennsylvania had the highest level of white supremacist propaganda in the country in 2021, with 473 incidents including racist, antisemitic and other hateful messages.

White supremacist propaganda distribution remained at historic levels across the United States in 2021, with a total of 4,851 cases of racist, antisemitic and other hateful messages reported by the ADL, added Goretsky, who oversees an ADL region that includes Eastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Delaware.

He said everyone needs to educate themselves on white supremacist groups and be ready to combat hate and intolerance in all its forms. Some of the ways that can be done, Goretsky said, is for public officials to immediately condemn white supremacist flyers or propaganda as acts of hate, arrange for community-wide shows of solidarity with those targeted and engage in public awareness campaigns to expose those behind propaganda efforts and extremists.

“It’s an exceptionally scary time,” said county Human Relations Council Chairman Bernie Hoffman. “We were fortunate to have one of the foremost authorities on these issues speak to us tonight.”

For more information, including the ADL’s full report on white supremacist groups, visit adl.org.

The Township has received $2,049,842 pursuant to the American Rescue Plan/Act (ARP/ARPA).

Expenditures Approved as of June 8, 2022:

1. $550,000 Lower Dolington Trail
2. $215,000 (3) Police Vehicles
3. $188,524 6-Wheel Dump Truck

Remaining Balance: $1,096,318

Register to attend

Some possible items for discussion include:

FINAL Fire Services Agreement: The delayed agreement has been finalized and will be on the June 8 BOS agenda. Under the terms of the three-year contract, the borough will begin paying the township an annual base fee plus an incremental five percent increase a year over the course of the agreement. I will discuss the details of this agreement. which has been in the works since early 2021. Read more...

Wawa Land Development Update: Recall that Provco/Wawa at the last minute canceled its meeting with the BOS on May 11, 2022 (read “Newtown Wawa Developers Just Stood Up Supervisors at a Big Meeting”). No reason was given, but Wawa will have to come before the BOS before August 15, 2022. I requested that this be scheduled for a June BOS meeting and not in July and August when people are on vacation.

5G Wireless Ordinance Update: At the May 25, 2022, BOS meeting there was a lively debate regarding whether or not to send the 5G wireless JMZO amendment back to the Joint Zoning Council (JZC) with the changes, corrections, additions suggested by the CKS, the Township Planner. There was a disagreement as to whether and WHEN other changes such as those suggested by Mr. Andrew Campanelli, ESQ. should be passed on to the JZC. In the end, the supervisors agreed by a 4-1 vote to table the motion until further discussion about other changes can be had. Jerry Schenkman, JZC Solicitor, agreed to work with supervisors to hammer out suggested changes to bring before the BOS at its next public meeting. I will review some of the changes that are likely to be voted on at the June 8, 2022, BOS meeting.

ARPA Purchases Update: The Township has received $2,049,842 pursuant to the American Rescue Plan/Act (ARP/ARPA). The BOS approved using ARPA funds to purchase an additional 3 new police cars for $211,497.15 and one new dump truck for $188,524.00. The following chart summarizes approved uses of ARPA funds to date. What else is on the township’s “wish list” for these funds? What would you like to see this money used for?

Whatever else id on you mind...

Register to attend

If the plastics industry is following the tobacco industry’s playbook, it may never admit to the failure of plastics recycling.

Americans support recycling. We do too. But although some materials can be effectively recycled and safely made from recycled content, plastics cannot. Plastic recycling does not work and will never work. The United States in 2021 had a dismal recycling rate of about 5 percent for post-consumer plastic waste, down from a high of 9.5 percent in 2014, when the U.S. exported millions of tons of plastic waste to China and counted it as recycled—even though much of it wasn’t.

Recycling in general can be an effective way to reclaim natural material resources. The U.S.’s high recycling rate of paper, 68 percent, proves this point. The problem with recycling plastic lies not with the concept or process but with the material itself.

The first problem is that there are thousands of different plastics, each with its own composition and characteristics. They all include different chemical additives and colorants that cannot be recycled together, making it impossible to sort the trillions of pieces of plastics into separate types for processing.

Another problem is that the reprocessing of plastic waste—when possible at all—is wasteful. Plastic is flammable, and the risk of fires at plastic-recycling facilities affects neighboring communities—many of which are located in low-income communities or communities of color.

Unlike metal and glass, plastics are not inert. Plastic products can include toxic additives and absorb chemicals, and are generally collected in curbside bins filled with possibly dangerous materials such as plastic pesticide containers. According to a report published by the Canadian government, toxicity risks in recycled plastic prohibit “the vast majority of plastic products and packaging produced” from being recycled into food-grade packaging.

Yet another problem is that plastic recycling is simply not economical. Recycled plastic costs more than new plastic because collecting, sorting, transporting, and reprocessing plastic waste is exorbitantly expensive. The petrochemical industry is rapidly expanding, which will further lower the cost of new plastic.

Despite this stark failure, the plastics industry has waged a decades-long campaign to perpetuate the myth that the material is recyclable.

But paper is recyclable: The U.S.’s high recycling rate of paper, 68 percent, proves this point.

Read more…

Highlights

• Report on Bucks County Planning Commission LI/OLI Review: On May 19, 2022, Jeremy Stoff, Planner at Bucks County Planning Commission (BCPC), met Newtown Economic Development Committee (EDC) members via Zoom to present an outline of BCPC's plan for a LI/OLI Overlay District; LINK: https://bit.ly/389pMiz
• Lower Dolington Road Multi-Use Trail – Change Order No. 2: Another delay! This time 60 days. What’s going on? Listen to the Township Engineer’s explanation... 
• DVRPC Regional Streetlight Procurement Program Update
• Consideration of Newtown Shopping Center (Bucks Newtown Associates, Inc.) Settlement Agreement. Read “Newtown Supervisors Approve Chick-fil-A Settlement Agreement: Traffic Improvements On the Way!”; https://sco.lt/7QecRU
• Authorization to purchase 3 Police vehicles & Dump Truck utilizing ARPA funds. How much ARPA Fund money is available? See this chart: https://bit.ly/ARPspendingPieChart
• Consideration to send the proposed wireless JMZO amendment back to the Jointure with recommendations. Supervisors Table Decision on 5G Wireless JMZO Amendment (Audio Podcast): JZC Solicitor agrees to work with supervisors to hammer out suggested changes. Listen... 

For more details, read my Meeting Notes.