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Barrett Township News, Events, Public Notices: Villages of Mountainhome, Cresco, Skytop, Buck Hill Falls, Canadensis
John Blake resigns from Pennsylvania state Senate
Pennsylvania state Sen. John Blake (D) resigned on March 8 to take a position on U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright’s (D) staff. Cartwright represents Pennsylvania’s 8th Congressional District in Congress. Blake represented District 22 in the state Senate, which includes Lackawanna County and parts of Luzerne and Monroe Counties.
Hospitality Businesses Urged to Apply for Grants
(via Rosemary Brown)
Restaurants and other hospitality-related businesses in our region will soon be able to apply for financial assistance through the COVID-19 Hospitality Industry Recovery Program.
Established under Act 1 of 2021, the program allocates $145 million in funding assistance statewide to hospitality industry businesses adversely affected by the pandemic. Businesses can find more information and an application by clicking their respective county below.
PA Budget Hearings Conclude - 2021
(via Rosemary Brown)
Department of Human Services
On Wednesday, we met with officials from the Department of Human Services for a two-part budget hearing focused on health and human services programs as well as budget cost requests. During our exchange, the secretary made a concerning statement – that in order to receive federal dollars, we must keep Pennsylvanians on state government programs. I expressed my strong concerns about this statement in the video below.
House Leaders Launch Investigation into Wolf Administration’s Handling of Nursing Homes During COVID-19 Pandemic
(via Rosemary Brown)
House Majority Leader Kerry Benninghoff (R-Centre/Mifflin) has announced plans to have the House Government Oversight Committee investigate the Wolf administration’s handling of nursing homes and other senior and long-term care facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, roughly half of all COVID-19 deaths in Pennsylvania are attributable to nursing homes. Questions remain about data reporting related to nursing homes and especially about a March 18 order from the Department of Health requiring nursing home readmissions from hospitals of COVID-19-positive patients, among other things. This order was even stronger than the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance regarding this issue.
Citizen of the Year Up for Grabs
There is no doubt this year is full of people going above and beyond to lend a helping hand during the pandemic. If you know an outstanding Barrett Township citizen who's going that extra mile, now is the time to recognize them.
Last year, Shawn and Jeanne Wescott were honored as citizens of the year by the Rotary Club of the Pocono Mountains. It happened during the Reverse Halloween Parade on October 25th. You can nominate who you think the best candidate is by visiting the township's [Rotary] website. Nominations will be accepted through June 5th.
PUBLIC NOTICE REGULAR MEETINGS SCHEDULE (Planning Commission 2021)
PUBLIC NOTICE REGULAR MEETINGS SCHEDULE The Barrett Township Planning Commission will hold regular meetings in 2021 at the Barrett Township Municipal Building, 993 Route 390, Cresco, Pennsylvania 18326, on the first Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m., unless otherwise noted. Regular meetings are scheduled as follows: March 3, April 7, May 5, June 2, July 7, August 4, September 1, October 6, November 3, and December 1. If any person with a disability wishes to request that special accommodations be made to allow his or her participation, he or she is asked to contact the Township at 570-595-2602, at least one business day in advance to make arrangements. WEITZMANN, WEITZMANN & HUFFMAN, LLC By: Deborah L. Huffman, Esq. 700 Monroe Street Stroudsburg, PA 18360 Barrett Township Planning Commission Solicitor P - Feb. 26
Chainsaw Trick: How to Cut a Stump Without Jamming
If you ever have to cut down a remaining stump of a large tree you will encounter the problem of it pinching and jamming up your saw bar between the wood with its weight. Instead of having to use wedges to keep the pressure off of your saw you can use this awesome trick.
Should the Barrett Township LST (Local Services Tax) be repealed?
My opinion is that the Local Services tax should be repealed because it drives away business and makes it harder to attract workers in Barrett Township:
Background - State Level:
- The Local Tax Enabling Act of 1965 allowed Second Class Townships to collect Occupational Privilege Taxes
- In 2004, the Local Tax Enabling Act was amended to allow for collecting "Emergency and Municipal Services Taxes"
Background - Locally:
- In 2005, ordinance 141 was passed, known as "Emergency and Municipal Services Tax"
- In 2007 it was renamed "Local Services Tax" when ordinance #155 was passed.
Can residents own their internet provider?
Friends and Neighbors - I want to share the following information about a small town near Westfield, Massachusetts that built their own fiber optic internet service. Would something like this benefit the people of Barrett Township?
The City of Westfield has been home to an experiment, of sorts, in which municipal internet has been made available to a majority of the homes in the city. Westfield Gas and Electric (WG&E) has developed its own ISP to give residents a choice for internet service beyond the monopoly of a private ISP.
Concerned Residents of Buck Hill Falls v. Grant, 388 F. Supp. 394 (M.D. Pa. 1975)
Editor's Note:
Did you know, back in 1975, a dam was almost built in Buck Hill Falls? Imagine if it had been a hydro-electric dam!
(see MP3 player below for Paradise Township Historical Society Discussion from June 2013 re: building a hydroelectric dam on Devil's Hole Creek)
US District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania - 388 F. Supp. 394 (M.D. Pa. 1975)
January 24, 1975
388 F. Supp. 394 (1975)
CONCERNED RESIDENTS OF BUCK HILL FALLS, By its trustee ad litem, Edwin Gee, et al., Plaintiffs,
v.
Kenneth GRANT, as Administrator, Soil Conservation Service, U. S. Department of Agriculture, et al., Defendants.
Civ. No. 74-1164.
United States District Court, M. D. Pennsylvania.
January 24, 1975.
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PUBLIC NOTICE ORGANIZATION MEETING TAKE NOTICE - Planning Commission Zoom Meeting - Feb 3, 2021
PUBLIC NOTICE ORGANIZATION MEETING TAKE NOTICE that the Barrett Township Planning Commission will hold a public meeting remotely via Zoom.us on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at 5:30 p.m., to elect its officers and to make and alter the rules and regulations to govern its procedures in accordance with Section 207 of the Pennsylvania Municipalities Planning Code (53 P.S. Sect. 10207). Immediately after the organization meeting, the Planning Commission will hold its regular monthly meeting to consider any and all business of the Planning Commission. This meeting will only be able to be attended by the public via Zoom.us or phone-in due to COVID-19, its possible consequences and indoor gathering restrictions. Any member of the public who wishes to attend this meeting remotely by phone or Zoom may obtain participation information by calling the Township at (570) 595-2602. Participation information will also be posted on the township's website at www.barretttownship.com. WEITZMANN, WEITZMANN & HUFFMAN, LLC By: Deborah L. Huffman, Esq. 700 Monroe Street Stroudsburg, PA 18360 Barrett Township Planning Commission Solicitor P - Jan. 29
Planning Commission Meeting
The Planning Commission Meeting scheduled for Wednesday, February 3, 2021 at 5:30
p.m. in the above matter will be conducted virtually.
You may attend by accessing the Zoom Link below, or alternatively calling into the
hearing at one of the numbers listed below.
If you have any questions, please call Jeryl Rinehart, Zoning Officer at (570) 994 – 6546.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Topic: Planning Commission Meeting Reorganization/Regular Meeting
Time: Wednesday, February 3, 2021 05:30 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 828 9306 6454
Passcode: 954516
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PUBLIC NOTICE ESTATE NOTICE Estate of Sebastian Cicitta
PUBLIC NOTICE ESTATE NOTICE Estate of Sebastian Cicitta, late of Canadensis, Barrett Township, Monroe County, Pennsylvania. Letters of Testamentary in the above named estate having been granted to the undersigned, all persons indebted to the estate are requested to make immediate payment, and those having claims are directed to present the same without delay to the undersigned or his attorney within four (4) months from the date hereof and to file with the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas of Monroe County, Orphan's Court Division, a particular statement of claim, duly verified by an affidavit setting forth an address within the county where notice may be given to claimant. Drue Miller, Executor 2555 Brookdale Road Scotrun, PA 18355 MICHELLE F. FARLEY, ESQ. P.O. Box 222 Cresco, PA 18326 PR - Jan. 29, Feb. 5, Feb. 12
Supermarket sells two winning lottery tickets with the same numbers
MOUNTAINHOME, MONROE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU-TV) — Two tickets with identical numbers matched Friday’s drawing of the Pennsylvania Lottery Cash 5 Jackpot, and both came from the same supermarket.
Each ticket matched the five balls drawn with 4-8-11-14-25.
Taxpayers and Employers Beware: Fraud in the PA state Unemployment System
The purpose of this article is to share some firsthand knowledge of the PA Unemployment System - from an employer's perspective.