Mount Joy’s 1st woman council member—back page SUSQ Vol. 78, No.38, September 20, 1978 Park planned in Marietta | Borough Council wants to buy most of the riverfront along town’s borders UEHAN SUSQUEHANNA TIMES & THE MOUNT JOY BULLETIN pane MH Ww Je 4 po : MARIETTA AND MOUNT JOY, PA —no major changes planned in usage Marietta will try to set up its own municipal park along the river from Hull Street to Clay Street—the full length of the town— and from the river to Front Street. The plan was announced at last Tues- day’s Borough Council meeting by Dave White, Harold ‘‘Brosie’’ Kulman, and Jay Roberts, who developed the idea over the last year. White, who originally thought’ up the park idea, told the Times why he thinks the park is needed: ‘““A large section of riverfront] was recently bought near Cargill's, and is now closed to the public. This is the sort of thing we want to prevent in the borough.” The land is now open because most of it is owned by companies, mainly the railroad, who don’t bother to keep trespassers off. The park’s existence will hinge on the availability of state and federal monies totalling $200,000. If no money comes, there will be no park. Land acquisition will. be- gin in a year if the money comes through. “I'm sure we won't get the full amount the first year,”” White said, ‘“‘But we hope to get it by the end of three years.” The funds can be applied for three years in a row. The park has a good shot at least partial establish- ment, because the govern- ment is usually eager to prevent private building on floodplains. The park would lie entirely in the flood- plain. If the money is made available, buying most of the 144.3 acres will be easy. The railroad is eager to sell, and it owns 18 of the 44 parcels making up the park. 4 of the parcels—39 acres—are already slated to be part of the Chiques Rock county park. Small plots of one or two acres are owned by the following companies: Wyeth, Garber Oil, Mari- etta Boat Club, Marietta Gravity Water Co., and the sewer. Several private in- dividuals also own small parcels, mostly of less than an acre. Some plots are ownerless—they are deed- ed to no one. White expressed the hope that private owners would donate their land to the park should the federal money arrive and the project start. He pointed out that the donation would be a tax write-off, and the people donating would also be bringing matching de- velopment funds into the borough by their gifts: if a person Or company gave land worth $1000 the government would also give $1000 beyond the original $200,000. ‘“‘We won’t condemn anyone’s land,”” White pro- mised. He conceded that the borough has this right, however: “Our plan, basically, is to preserve the land as it now is,” he said. If the area does become a park, it will change very little. White mentioned a picnic area as one possible minor development. Some activities which are common along the river would be more difficult to get away with—littering, for one. Since the land is now private property, the owners must show up in court if someone is prose- cuted. The Pennsylvania Railroad can’t be bothered. Another activity—target practice—would be out- lawed. The Fish and Game Commission is being con- sulted, and the area may be a wildlife refuge where guns are prohibited. In other business, council president John Reuter and secretary Margaret Booth were authorized to contract with PP&L for new and brighter street light bulbs. Besides the 146 new bulbs, entire lights will be install- ed along Donegal Place and in the western end of town. Dog officer Paul Raber was authorized to fine people whose dogs stray or bark. This action followed 40 complaints about dogs this month. Mayor Flanagan warned that, if people ignore the existing law, a new ordin- ance may be passed that would require a leash on dogs at all times, and, as in New York City, require that owners clean up after their pets. Sick pay and workman’s compensation for borough employees was limited to 60 days, effective immed- iately. The borough engineers, M&N Lake, were authoriz- ed to advertise bids for sidewalks in front of the Borough Hall and the Jaycees center. “NO PARKING” signs will be placed beside the Union Meeting House. Council will request the fire company to clean the fire hydrants at the east end of Marietta. “NO LITTER” signs will be put along business district streets. The borough solicitors were ordered to prepare an ordinance requiring smoke detectors and fire walls in all multi-unit apartments and row houses. 15 fires, causing $8500 damage, were reported. pe FIFTEEN CENTS The East Donegal Supervisors: left to right are Lloyd Fuhrman, secretary-treasurer; John Henry Brubaker, president; and Harold Drager, vice-president. East Donegal Police threaten to quit —but it looks like they will get what they want They had planned it in secret—but when the East Donegal Township Police handed their ultimatum to the township Board of Supervisors last week, they had twenty people sitting in back of them where usually there were none. The cops’ demands for better conditions, backed by the threat of mass resignation, had leaked to the citizens and the press, both of whom showed up in record numbers. Extra chairs had to be brought from the next room as more and more people came. The police, all out of uniform, were prepared to resign on the spot if the supervisors rejected their demands. “None of us knew if we’d still have a police force by now,” said one observer afterward. Supervisor John Henry Brubaker read the . letter that police chief George Shirk had handed to him. It started with complaints about equipment, and the attitude of ‘‘some township supervisors’’ toward the police, and ended with the threat of mass resignation if conditions were not impreved. The reference to ‘‘some’’ supervisors was, according to certain informed sources, aimed at supervis- or Lloyd Fuhrman, a long -time member of the board of supervisors. This infor- mation is backed up by the complaint of the police that “This lack of understand- ing and cooperation has existed for several years...”’—the other two supervisors (Brubaker and Harold Drager) have been on the board for only a relatively short time. After he finished reading the three-page statement, Brubaker complimented the police on their ‘‘well -reasoned... not slander- ous...”’ message. “We are satisfied with the police we have...” Brubaker was continuing, but here was interrupted by spontaneous applause from the audience. Brubaker, who is presi- dent of the Board of Super- visors, promised to take responsibility for the mat- ter, and he promised to meet with the police and try to settle things to their satisfaction. After these remarks, Brubaker turned to super- visor Harold Drager and asked him, ‘““Do you agree with me about this?”’ “Yes,” Drager replied. Brubaker then asked Fuhrman the same ques- tion. ‘““‘What do you mean by ‘this’?...”” Fuhrman began to reply. An audible sigh escaped the audience, and Brubaker and Fuhrman each talked simultaneously for several seconds. ‘““This is an internal matter between employer and employee,”’ Brubaker stated when the hubbub had died. He said it should be settled privately. Chief Shirk and the other officers agreed, and a meeting was tentatively scheduled for Tuesday -the 26th of September, or Thursday the 28th. The results of the meet- ing will be fully disclosed at the next regular meeting of the supervisors, promis- ed Brubaker. A woman in the crowd stood up and demanded to know why the conflict had been allowed to come to such a dramatic head. Why, she asked, did the police need to present an ultimatum? Brubaker answered that this will be discussed at the next meeting. A man suggested that the supervisors and police institute monthly private meetings to iron out prob- lems before they become serious. [continued on page 2]
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