The fifth annual Touch a Truck, hosted by Falls Township earlier this month, was a win-win. Not only did attendees of all ages have the exciting chance to check out larger-than-life vehicles, they also got to contribute to a good cause.
It was recently announced that the event, which took place Sept. 17 at Falls Township Community Park in Levittown, raised a record-breaking $20,200 for The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation. The nonprofit organization’s mission is to provide financial aid to families throughout the Delaware Valley who are in need due to recent tragedy or adversity. This monetary support could, for example, allow a parent to skip work to stay at the hospital with their child.
Over the past several years, thanks to support from the community and sponsors, Touch a Truck has donated over $50,000 to the foundation. Even in 2020, when the event had to be canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many sponsors agreed to have their contributions donated to The Barkann Family Healing Hearts Foundation anyway.
According to the foundation’s executive director Mike Barnes, this was a massive help.
“Throughout COVID-19, we were reminded by many social workers who we work with throughout the year that we were one of the only charities they refer families to who were able to provide support to families without any interruption during that two-year span through the pandemic,” he said. “In my humble opinion, we look too far for the good in this world when it is right in front of us.”
Touch a Truck was spearheaded by Falls Township supervisor vice chairman Jeff Boraski and the township’s Parks & Recreation department as part of the larger Family Festival Weekend. Attendees were able to check out large trucks, excavators, towing vehicles, utility trucks, mowers, fuel trucks, construction vehicles and heavy machinery. On hand to show off emergency response vehicles and fire trucks was the Levittown-Fairless Hills Rescue Squad, plus volunteers from Fairless Hills Fire Department, Levittown Fire Co. #1 and Falls Township Fire Co.
In other Falls Township news, the board of supervisors is continuing to move forward with the municipal building renovation project, authorizing advertisement of bids for a fencing project on Lincoln Circle, with the area serving as a secure space for storage of township vehicles and equipment while building improvements are underway. Bids for the removal and replacement of 925 linear feet of chain link fencing are being accepted until Oct. 11, at 11 a.m. To have a bid considered, candidates must attend a Sept. 30 site inspection at 11 a.m.
Falls is also lining up temporary working space for roughly 20 employees while construction is ongoing so that residents still have safe access to Parks & Recreation and other departments. The temporary headquarters will be located at 430-450 Lincoln Highway in Fairless Hills at a to-be-determined date.
The construction phase of the municipal building project is expected to go out for bid on Jan. 1, with IEI Architects overseeing construction administration from Feb. 1, 2023 through Feb. 1, 2024. The project includes a complete updating of the existing building and integrating functions.
During the meeting, the supervisors also approved an inter-municipal liquor license transfer by a 3-1 vote (Boraski voted no and chairman Jeff Dence was absent) for the Wawa convenience store that’s under construction at 530 Lincoln Highway and set to open in 2023.
Boraski, who wasn’t initially thrilled with Wawa being built where Arosso, A Touch of Sicily once stood, said he wished store representatives previously told the board about the intent to sell alcohol. A number of residents expressed concern over traffic and the close proximity to the kid-focused Funzilla.
Ellen Freeman, Wawa attorney, stressed that the company has a 100 percent carding policy for all customers purchasing alcohol. It uses a card scanner transaction device to ensure that identification is not fraudulent. Wawa customers of age would be permitted to buy up to 192 ounces of beer or up to 3,000 milliliters of wine per transaction. The store would have a seating area for up to 30 customers at a time.
The board’s approval is only the first step in permitting alcohol sales. The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board must also authorize the transfer of the license from Springfield Township.
Finally, Falls Township joined the long list of Bucks County municipalities that oppose the sale of Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority assets to Aqua Pennsylvania. The board unanimously approved a resolution echoing the overarching sentiment. The resolution stated that privatizing the sewer system would result in “long-term financial impacts that major increases in sewer rates will have on the residents and businesses being served.”
According to the board, other municipalities that sold their sewer assets to Aqua saw higher sewer rates, including an 82 percent hike in Limerick Township and a 65 percent increase in Cheltenham Township.
Samantha Bambino can be reached at sbambino@newspapermediagroup.com
