jfrederick

Leaf Collection A new leaf collection truck will improve efficiency and enhance autumn leaf and grass clipping collection efforts in both the township and Bellwood Borough. The new truck was made possible by an Act 101, Section 902 Recycling Program Grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The new collection truck means that paper bags will no longer be part of Leaves will be collected from the road or street side once each week until at least Thanksgiving. Residents should rake leaves (which can be mixed with modest amounts of fall grass clippings) to the edge of their property, [...]

Tax Credits Available to Farmers for Water, Soil Quality Investments The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture accepted applications for tax credits through the Resource Enhancement and Protection (REAP) program through October 31, 2023. Watch for news on the continuation of the program during 2024's application period. The program is for agricultural producers who implement best management practices or purchase equipment to reduce nutrient and sediment runoff, which enhances soil and improves the quality of Pennsylvania’s waterways. Recipients can combine the credits with other state funding, including the Environmental Quality Incentive Program, the Chesapeake Bay Program or Conservation Excellence Grants. Farmers may receive [...]

The public input phase of the Bellwood-Antis Pool Feasibility Study kicked-off February 28th to big crowds and lively discussions. A Focus Group welcomed nearly three-dozen participants at 5:30 and the group discussed the value of a public pool, while raising concerns over how the community might pay for the work to assure the pool would be viable for the long-term. A public meeting followed at 7:00 p.m. to a crowd of more than 75. The crowd was a diverse one, that included younger parents, their children and older borough and township residents hoping to better understand the issues related to the [...]

Coal Waste Pile Work to Begin After two years of planning and preliminary work, the Kerbaugh Refuse Pile Project will begin in 2022. Funding is available through a grant program administered by the Department of Environmental Protection's Bureau of Mines and is intended to cleanup legacy coal waste sites. The project will address up to 22 acres of what DEP calls Priority 2 Dangerous Pile Embankment (DPE) abandoned coal refuse in Antis Township, a short distance from the Little Juniata River south of Bellwood  Borough. Much of the tree cover was removed in 2020 and the remainder will taken down this [...]

New Construction Projected for 2023 Planning for the long-awaited Logan Valley Streetcar Trail has continued through the second half of 2021 and early 2022. Seemingly minor right-of-way and stormwater issues with Norfolk Southern Railroad has been the primary source of the construction delay, originally projected for late 2021 or early 2022. Design of the trail is complete, but funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) cannot be released, and bids solicited, until the last details are finalized with the railroad. The township solicitor, township staff, and the township's consulting engineers have all been working toward resolution of the last few [...]