September 2011

Dear Subscriber,

Welcome to fall! After the rains of August and early September, the warm days and cool nights are much appreciated. We hope you came through the flooding in good shape.

On Tuesday, September 20, the Board of Supervisors will hold its first work session focused on the 2012 Budget. As in previous years, it will be a difficult challenge to balance the need to provide services with the funds that are available. Your input is appreciated.

Don't forget about our Fall Leaf Collection that starts next month. We've adjusted the schedule to make better use of our resources.

You are encouraged to support two worthy community groups: the Perkasie Lions Club with it's annual old Fashioned Hayride, and the Perkasie Fire Company with its breakfasts, shredder event, and scrap metal drive.

Read on for more information about these items and more.

Please forward this issue to your friends and neighbors and encourage them to sign up for eNews!

Supervisors to Discuss Budget on September 20

The township Board of Supervisors will meet on Tuesday, September 20 at 6 p.m. to begin discussing the 2012 budget. The meeting will take place at the Township Building.

The Regular Meeting of the Board of Supervisors will follow at 7 p.m. Among other topics on the agenda, the board will consider a series of resolutions appointing Keystone Municipal Collections Group as the Earned Income Tax and Local Services Tax collector, effective January 1, 2012.

Both meetings are open to the public.

Agenda for the September 20 Regular Meeting

2011 Fall Leaf Collection Schedule

East Rockhill Township Public Works Department will begin its annual leaf collection in November. Pickup dates vary by location. Here’s the schedule:

• North of Ridge Road and east of Schoolhouse Road: week of November 7-10
• North of Ridge Road and west of Schoolhouse Road: week of November 14-18
• South of Ridge Road: weeks of November 21-23 and 28-30

Please understand that this is a change from our previous schedule. The area south of the Ridge Road is generally the less-densely forested section of the township. Because there are not as many leaves to collect, it is the most effective use of our resources to finish there. We appreciate your understanding.

Remember, leaves should be raked into neat piles along property road frontage no later than 7 a.m. on the first day of your scheduled pickup. It is okay to tarp them to prevent wind disturbance. No registration is required.

Yard Waste Dumpster at Recycling Center

A yard waste collection dumpster for leaves, tree residue, and yard waste is available for resident use from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sundays. This dumpster is located behind the Township municipal building.

Please note: Tree limbs, tree stumps, and grass clippings are not accepted, and result in penalty fees. It is also illegal for commercial businesses to dump yard waste and recycling at the residential recycling center.

Reminder: Outdoor Burning is Not Permitted

No outdoor burning is permitted in East Rockhill Township by Ordinance No. 239. Burning of recyclable material such as yard waste is prohibited by the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection for all mandated communities. East Rockhill Township is also mandated to have an enforcement program in place.

Mark Your Calendar…

The Perkasie Lions Club will hold its annual Old Fashioned Hayride on Fridays and Saturdays, October 21-22, and 28-29. The tractor-pulled wagon hayrides will be offered beginning at 6:30 p.m. and ending about 8:30 p.m., weather permitting.

Rides start and end at the Moods Covered Bridge, Blooming Glen Road, near the Glenwood Shopping Center. Each ride is about 15 minutes long, is not scary, and is geared for children and their families.

Rides are $1 per person; proceeds benefit the Lions “White Cane Project” for the visually impaired. The Lions will have refreshments available to purchase during the evening.

The club will also be accepting donations of any used eyeglasses.

For more information, please call 215-453-7127.

How You Can Support the Perkasie Fire Company

With its substation in the Township, the Perkasie Fire Company provides valuable, life-saving services to our residents. Here are a few ways you can help support their efforts:

September 24, 8 a.m. - 11 a.m.: Appliance and Scrap Metal Drive

Do you have any old household appliances or other scrap metal lying around?  Sure you do, don’t we all?  The Perkasie Fire Company will be accepting these items for free and recycling them in an environmentally friendly way.

The collection site will be open this year on the fourth Saturday of each month through November 26.  It will be held at Schoeller’s Inc., 419 S. 5th Street in Perkasie (across from Menlo Park).

Appliances with refrigerants (refrigerators, freezers, air-conditioners, dehumidifiers, etc.) will be accepted for a small donation of $30 to properly remove the potentially harmful chemical.

October 15, 10 a.m. - noon: Community Shredding Event

Our goal is to encourage families to be their own first line of defense against identity theft. This event will give individuals and families the opportunity to have their confidential documents destroyed on site. We will accept a small donation of $10 per copy paper-sized box (approximately 17 inches long by 11 inches wide by 10 inches deep).

October 16, 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: All You Can Eat Breakfast

The menu includes eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon, scrapple, home fries, onions and mushrooms. The cost is $7 for adults and $3.50 for children ages 4-12. Kids 3 and under eat for free.
(Our "All-You-Can-Eat-Breakfasts" are held on the third Sunday of each month. "Breakfast With Santa" is on December 18.)

Flooding and Water Quality

One consequence of the kind of flooding the region experienced in August is what happens to all those contaminants -- fertilizers, road grit, oil drippings, pet waste -- that eventually make their way into our creeks and streams.

While our immediate thoughts are directed toward saving lives and preserving property, the effects of storm water are more long-term.

Storm water becomes a problem because the quality of the storm water runoff decreases as it accumulates pollutants that collect on the ground. Pollutants concentrated in storm water runoff eventually decrease the overall water quality of lakes, rivers, and streams that receive storm water discharges.

Storm water runoff picks up litter from streets and carries it to storm drains. It is important to understand that wastewater from the sanitary sewer system gets treated. Storm water traveling trough a separated storm sewer system never gets to a treatment plant. It discharges directly to our water, along with everything it picks up on its journey over the land. Storm water, which does not get treated, becomes a problem when it picks up debris, chemicals, dirt, and other pollutants as it flows eventually reaching a lake, river, stream, wetland, or coastal water.

Here are a few things you can do to lessen the impact of storm water:

• Never pour any hazardous substance such as used oil, cleaning supplies and paint down any part of the storm sewer system.
• Use pesticides and fertilizers sparingly to prevent excess runoff.
• Never dump automotive fluids into storm drains.
• Correct motor vehicle leaks (vehicles drip fluids such as oil, grease, gasoline, antifreeze, and brake fluid).
• Pick up your pet's waste and dispose of it properly. Leaving pet waste on the ground increases public health risks by allowing harmful bacteria to wash into the storm drain and eventually into local water bodies.
• Sweep up litter and debris from sidewalks, driveways, and parking lots especially around storm drains to avoid having it wash into the storm sewer system.

From the Pennridge Regional Police Department

It's easy for residents to fall into a false sense of security. "Crime only happens in other neighborhoods," is a common thought.

The fact is crime can happen anywhere, even in "safe" suburban communities. Thefts from unlocked cars, daytime residential burglaries, and vandalism are just some of crimes that can lower the quality of life in a neighborhood.

Our police officers do an excellent job patrolling your neighborhood. but they can't be everywhere all the time. This is where we need you to be our eyes and ears on the street.

Please, do not hesitate to call police immediately to report suspicious activity or inappropriate activity.