Northampton Township
On Sept. 22, the Northampton Township board of supervisors voted unanimously to declare a state of emergency regarding waste collection issues in the community. The township’s contracted waste hauler J.P. Mascaro & Sons claims the company is understaffed and that’s why trash, recycling and yard waste continues to pile in Northampton streets.
“The resolution will allow the township to hire other waste haulers if available to supplement Mascaro’s efforts to collect waste, and to use whatever other means that may be immediately available to address the collection issue,” said supervisors chairman Adam Selisker.
Over 15,000 complaints by residents were logged over the last 15 months. The supervisors will implement a 20 percent reduction in monthly payments to Mascaro.
The township has directed Mascaro to place Dumpsters for yard waste only at the following locations: Big Meadow Park parking lot, 249 Stoneyford Road in Holland; Township Park Maintenance Garage, 283 Hatboro Road (behind Fire Station #83) in Churchville; and St. Leonard’s Road Ballfields, 350 St. Leonard’s Road. This is in addition to the yard waste truck at the former Police Station, 50 Township Road in Richboro.
The supervisors shared that township staff continue to have daily contact with Mascaro representatives. Staff members log all resident calls and urged them to keep reporting missed collections to [email protected] or by calling 215-357-6800 and leaving a message.
Centennial School District
School board member Mark Miller, who served since 2007, passed away on Sept. 24.
“He was very dedicated to education and doing what was right for this district,” said board member Andrew Dixon. “I always appreciated that and he will be sorely missed.”
The board is seeking applications to fill the Region I vacancy. Candidates must be at least 18 and reside in Upper Southampton for at least one full year. Those interested should submit a letter of interest and resume to: ℅ Dr. Dana Bedden, Superintendent, Centennial School District, 48 Swan Way, Warminster, PA 18974 or by email to [email protected]. Application deadline is Thursday, Oct. 7, at 4 p.m. Interviews will be held at a public session on Tuesday, Oct. 12 and the appointment, effective through Dec. 4, 2023, will be made at the meeting that evening.
Pennsbury School District
Superintendent Dr. Thomas Smith praised the swift action of staff in getting the Pennsbury football team back home safely at the end of August. During an away game against Academy Park, shots rang out and 8-year-old Fanta Bility suffered a fatal wound to the chest. Smith thanked the bus drivers for moving the vehicles so the team could board as quickly as possible. He also thanked Pennsbury staff who gathered at the school that night to greet the team upon arrival and help them cope with the trauma experienced.
Bensalem Township School District
The Bensalem school board heard plans about upgrades to Bucks County Technical High School, including new HVAC and electrical systems and new roofing. The project is slated to begin next summer and will take up to three years to complete. Total cost is $21.5 million, and Bensalem’s portion would be 22.19 percent, or $4.9 million.
A $7,000 grant from the Bensalem Education Foundation went to the chemistry department to construct greenhouses and bring learning into the outside world.
Board member Stephanie Ferrandez pleaded with parents to not send their children to school with COVID-19 symptoms. She heard that students inform each other that they’re positive, but don’t want to tell an administrator.
“It’s just decency to each other,” she said.
Bristol Borough School District
Sept. 23 was Superintendent Dr. Rose Minniti’s last meeting. She left her two-year reign as superintendent on Oct. 4. Longtime district superintendent Dr. Tom Shaffer, who retired in 2019, has taken her place until a permanent superintendent is found.
“This was a wonderful experience for me. Bristol will always be part of my home,” she said. “You’ll see me down at Mill Street at some of the festivals.”
The Bristol Athletic and Academic Association announced that its Sept. 20 golf outing raised almost $10,000, which will go to graduating seniors and various groups in the school.
Neshaminy School District
Some parents had hope that the school board would revisit its Aug. 24 vote that masking would be mandatory for K-8 until Oct. 1, at which time they would vote to extend the mandate or allow masks to be optional. This choice is no longer an option due to the state mandate.
Superintendent Dr. Rob McGee explained how going against the mandate would exclude more kids from school. Without masks, if a child is within 6 feet of a close contact, symptomatic or not, and if they’re not vaccinated, they would be excluded for 10 days.
Bus drivers received an hourly wage adjustment from $19.83 to $22, effective immediately. Indoor facilities are once again open to youth organizations, including CORE Swimming & Diving. Also, the board approved a motion to recognize September as Childhood Awareness Month.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at [email protected]
