Township Joins Road Race 'Competition'
The Pike County Dispatch
Thursday, February 20, 2020
By Wayne Witkowski

DINGMANS FERRY -- Road running is back in the southern part of Pike County.
Delaware Township's Board of Supervisors, at their regular bi-monthly meeting last week, approved a 6-kilometer Long Meadow Run that will begin and end in a loop along Long Meadow Chapel from 8 a.m. to noon on May 16. The approval came after a lengthy discussion with Long Meadow Pastor Shawn Coleman during the workshop session before the regular meeting.
"We wanted to have one (road race) two years ago but it was too complicated" to set up and finalize a request with the township supervisors, said Coleman afterward. At that time, the request was discussed but was too close to the proposed date of the event to organize it.
Earlier in the week, Lehman Township approved the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's use of Bushkill Falls Road for a half-marathon scheduled for Oct. 15. Approximately 800 to 1,000 people are expected to run in that event.
The Long Meadow Chapel Run is the local event that is part of the World Vision's "6 K for Water" international day for participants to run or walk. A press release explains the event's observance of the need to bring life-changing clean water to communities who have to travel great distances to get it.

"Each participant's registration fee provides life-changing clean water for one person, so when they participate in the Global 6K for Water, they take that 6K distance (to get clean water) away from people in need," explains a press release provided by Coleman. "100 per cent of the proceeds raised will go to the needs of the people."
It says that anyone wishing to participate can register through the World Vision Website www.teamworldvision.org.
Township solicitor Thomas Farley questioned the insurance coverage but Coleman said the chapel's policy would cover the event.
The 6K would be confined to Long Meadow Road and the supervisors offered to handle traffic control by the township's fire police. But township resident George Beodeker pointed to a handout that day of the Dingmans Ferry Delaware Township Historical Society calendar of events that includes a flea market and yard sale at Akenac Park that day that also would need traffic control that would strain the fire police's services.
"It's a very little traveled road," said Supervisor Jane Neufeld as supervisors agreed to simply close Long Meadow Road for those hours that day. It was included in the motion at the regular meeting to approve the 6K event at the regular meet, which passed unanimously. 
Supervisors also agreed to Coleman's request to waive any township fees for that day "as a non-profit raising resources for a non-profit."
Also at the meeting, the board approved a motion to advertise for accepting letters of interest for a newly created deputy coordinator for emergency management. Beodeker, the township Emergency Management Coordinator, talked about the need for the position during the workshop. Supervisors approved the new position during the regular meeting and said resumes would only be requested when applicants are narrowed to a short list for interviews.
During the regular meeting, Beodeker also gave the Delaware Township Volunteer Fire Company End of the Year Report. He said that 18 percent of calls to the company are for fires, 24 percent for motor vehicle mishaps and 11 percent for EMS emergency calls. The rest were for miscellaneous reasons.
Neufeld asked if the fire company is considering billing the insurance companies for responding to auto accidents as was approved by Lehman Township's supervisors recently. "We'd probably not need township approval to do that," said Beodeker, who added that the revenue from those few occurrences would not be worth the "aggravation that would come from it."
The board also approved a public hearing for March 11 at 7:15 p.m. on amendments presented by the township's Planning Board to ordinances 110 and 901 regarding size and brightness of displayed signs. Supervisors said the amendments are a response to the Weis Markets store under construction as the anchor to the new Delaware Plaza on Route 739.
Also approved was a $1,808.42 change order to contractor H&P Construction Inc. for the municipal building roof replacement project. The approval allows for wider support beams needed for the size of the project. Supervisors also approved payment No. 2 of $48,698.85 to H&P for the roof replacement project.
The board approved $3,106 for F&L Doors Inc. to replace one bay door and service five others on township garages.
It also approved a motion that township Department of Public Works employees who are volunteers for fire companies and emergency services in neighboring municipalities can respond to calls during working hours for township Public Works assignments only if they get the approval of the township roadmaster.
Supervisors approved Roadmaster Vincent Flatt and Chris Kimble to attend Local Technical Attendance Program's three training sessions in Allentown:
- Asphalt Roads Common Maintenance Programs on April 9 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Traffic Calming on April 21 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- Speed Limits and Speed Management on Sept. 15 from 8 a.m. to noon.
Neufed also talked about the latest news and information from the Pike County Opioid Task Force on what she regarded as a steadily rising problem. Neufeld commended the extensive data collected by the county which shows that Delaware Township is the second highest municipality for out-of-state deliveries of victims of opioid overdoses to nearby hospitals located in other, neighboring states.
Neufeld said Reality Walks are scheduled for April 23 and May 14 to re-enact scenes of drug overdoses to victims and their families fighting drug and alcohol abuse. She pointed to a Pike County Dispatch article about the Carbon-Monroe-Pike Drug and Alcohol Commission opening a Pike County office last month at 10 Buist Road, Suite 201. The office is open Monday, Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closes at 4:30 p.m. on Friday.
Board of Supervisors Chairman John Henderson announced at the end of the meeting that the Smart Recovery Group for families of those fighting addictions holds meetings on Wednesdays from 6:30-7:30 p.m. at the township's Emergency Management Building on 116 Wilson Hill Road.
Henderson also pointed out that residents can apply online at www.votePA.com for the new mail-in election ballot option available to them for the upcoming Primary Election in April and presidential General Election in November. "If you provide an email address when applying online, you can track your ballot," said Henderson. "Paper applications are available to print out and mail to your county elections office as well."