NEWS
Lower Milford Township
Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
For love of country they accepted death.
Spring/Summer 2015
Volume 18, Issue 2
James A. Garfield
Memorial Day began in 1868 by setting aside a day to place flowers on the graves
of the Civil War soldiers. Originally called Decoration Day, it has become a day for
Americans to remember and appreciate the ultimate sacrifice made by the men
and women of the United States Military during all wars and conflicts.
In honor of America’s heroes, please remember them by placing a flower on the
grave of a soldier or visiting a war memorial. And please, observe the National
Moment of Remembrance with a minute of silence at exactly 3:00 PM on
Memorial Day, May 25.
Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any
hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. -John F. Kennedy
Editorial
Growth, has many meanings
The word growth is usually correlated with good things, such as a child’s growth chart, market
share growth, crop growth and development growth as a few examples. The idea that more of
something is better and most of the time, it is. But that isn’t always the case.
According to the website of the Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic
Development, the Lehigh Valley, a PREP (Partnerships for Regional Economic Performance)
Region, is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, third only to Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.
The webpage goes on to describe the area as having, “[a]n infrastructure base that allows for
continued growth and development.” (Emphasis added) An April 29, 2015 Morning Call article by
Patrick Lester, headlined, “Lehigh County Authority considers spraying treated sewage on open
land to get rid of excess,” describes alternatives the Authority is researching to increase capacity for
the treatment of sewage arriving at their plant. “Heavy and widespread” growth in the western
part of Lehigh County is cited as the reason the plant is nearing full capacity. The authority is
considering the option of expanding the plant, or utilizing land application of the liquid waste. The
article states that there are eight sites within a three-mile area of the growth, being considered for
the land application known as “spray irrigation.” The Lehigh County Authority’s engineer stated
that areas in the “southwestern end of Lehigh County” will now be investigated. Could that
investigation include Lower Milford Township?
The consequences of poor planning are being felt by the people of the Lehigh Valley. While
economic development groups are touting the benefits of growth and glossing over the needed
infrastructure, aging sewer treatment plants and conveyance systems are operating at nearly full
capacity levels and facing costs in the double digit millions to expand. Tax dollars are pouring into
highway expansions to alleviate the already overcrowded conditions. According to the Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation’s website, crash statistics for 2013, Lehigh County was included in
the top ten counties in Pennsylvania for the highest crash occurrences. Also included in the top ten
highest crash occurrences were the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh areas, directly correlating the
fastest growing areas with the highest crash areas. Yet, hundreds of apartments and townhouses
are “planned” for the Lehigh Valley along with millions of square feet of additional warehousing,
adding thousands more cars and trucks to inadequate roadways.
What is the price of growth? How much are we willing to pay? The Lehigh Valley Planning
Commission’s 2007 Greenways Plan states, “The Lehigh Valley is experiencing a development boom
that threatens to destroy much of what residents find appealing.” Continued loss of vast fields of
prime agricultural soils, degrading air quality and dangerous traffic isn’t good growth, but the bad
kind, like a cancerous tumor, devouring its host.
Spring/Summer 2015 Newsletter
2
Cleanup Day 2015
A Terrific Turnout of
Volunteers!
90 Bags of trash were
collected, two sofas,
carpets, construction
debris and 45 tires
And then lunch!
A big thank you for the generous support of Link
Beverages for providing soda and water, the Giant
food store for a $25 gift card and the Weis Market
for a $20 gift card. With the help of these
donations, we had a very successful Cleanup Day!
L imepor t Stadium Needs Our Help!
This histor ic ball par k is a r ar e gem and an ir r eplaceable par t of
L ower M ilfor d Township. The stadium is conducting a fundr aiser
to pur chase new lights.
Please visit their website: www.limepor tstadium.or g
And Donate to, “ L ights for L imepor t”
The website contains history, photos and this season’ s schedule.
We are grateful to the many volunteers who serve
on Boards and Commissions for our Township. We
are also grateful for the volunteers who help with
the Annual Fall Festival and maintain the gardens
and flowers that brighten the grounds.
Congratulations
Class of 2015!
Please consider volunteering in some capacity for
your community.
Spring/Summer 2015 Newsletter
3
SOUTHERN LEHIGH PUBLIC LIBRARY
 Lions & Tigers, Oh My! PLUS Butterfly Garden! Jungle World! And so much more!
Join the Friends of the Southern Lehigh Public Library on their next BUS TRIP TO THE BRONX
ZOO!
Date: Friday, June 26
Time: Departs Upper Saucon Twp. Park at 8:00AM
Cost: $72 per adult, $70 seniors (65+), $68 child (3-12 yrs)
Includes: Round trip bus fare, admission to zoo with a “Total Experience” ticket, + all gratuities.
Deadline is May 30.
See solehipl.org for all details. Get your ticket at the library using cash, check or credit card. Or
call 610-282-8834.
 Downloadable Travel Library – Check out Southern Lehigh Public Library’s Downloadable
Travel Library! Take your travel info with you on your device. No more carrying printed travel
guides! GALE VIRTUAL TRAVEL – see librarian for additional information.
 Friends Book ‘n Bake Sale – Saturday, June 13 at the library. 10:00AM–4:00 PM
 Stay tuned for details! Solehi Antiques Fair – Antiques Appraisal Event - Friday, September 18
 Non-Stop excitement for children of all ages! Pick up our latest
newsletter, or visit us online at solehipl.org to see the lists of Children’s
SUMMER PROGRAMMING!
It’s Carnival Time Again!
At the
Lower Milford Fire Company
Beginning Wednesday, June 10
Through Saturday, June 13
Grounds open at 6 PM
Rides and Music begin at 7 PM
Live Bands Every Night
Rides
Food
Silent Auction
Bingo
for more information, visit www.lowermilfordfire.org or Facebook
Spring/Summer 2015 Newsletter
Claire D. Shelly
It is with heartfelt sorrow that we say goodbye
to a Lower Milford daughter,
Claire D. (Miller) Shelly,
wife of the late J. Howard Shelly,
a native son of Lower Milford.
We will miss you Claire
4
Vi si t t h e Di sp lay Case i n t h e
To w n sh i p Bu i ld i n g f o y e r . Di sp lay s
ar e p r o v i d e d b y m e m b e r s o f t h e
co m m u n i t y ce le b r at i n g h o li d ay s,
co u n t r y li f e , se aso n s, Ve t e r an s
an d h i st o r y .
Speed Monitoring Reveals Alarming Data
If you drive along portions of Limeport Pike in Lower Milford Township, you may
have noticed a new tool for measuring motorists’ speed, a radar speed monitoring
device. This device measures and records the speed of vehicles as they approach the
device. For a three-week period, March 26 to April 16, it was located along Limeport
Pike, one quarter mile south of the PA Turnpike. Limeport Pike is a state route with a
speed limit of 45 miles per hour (mph). The collected data shows that the majority of
motorists are driving between 41 mph and 50 mph with a percentage traveling
upwards of 60 mph. There were however, a few of the traveling public that pushed it
to the max (for a two-lane country road). There were 321 vehicles traveling at a speed
of between 61 and 70 mph, 21 vehicles at 71 to 80 mph, five vehicles at 81 to 90 mph
and the one in every crowd doing a whopping 91 to 100 mph in the middle of the
afternoon.
The speed monitoring device will be periodically placed throughout the Township
to monitor speeds and the number of vehicles. The data will be compiled and our Police Department will
develop a plan, based upon the data, for traffic enforcement throughout the Township.
The Roadside
The long and harsh winter took its toll on roads across Pennsylvania.
Our three member Public Works Department is diligently working to
sweep the winter anti-skid from the roads to help prevent clogging of
drain pipes. Work continues to patch roads and repair and
maintenance to equipment.
Five township roads are scheduled for seal coat overlay later this
summer. They are: Carls Hill Road, Buhman Road, Powder Lane, Corning Road and
Kraussdale Road. We are once again seeking a Dirt and Gravel Road Program Grant to
address and correct drainage and surfacing problems on a portion of Buhman Road.
Questions or concerns regarding the Public Works Department should
be directed to the Public Works Director at 610-967-4949 extension 112.
Spring/Summer 2015 Newsletter
Clean Water
5
The Lower Milford Annual Fall Festival
Is only four months away!
Everybody’s
Business
Mark your calendars
for a family day of fun
10 Things You Can Do to
Prevent Stormwater
Runoff Pollution
Use fertilizers sparingly
and sweep up driveways,
sidewalks, and gutters
Never dump anything down
storm drains or in streams
Vegetate bare spots in
your yard
Saturday, September 26
10 am to 5 pm
We Welcome this Year, The Zepp Family Band!
Playing from 11 AM to 2 PM
Followed by the Peter Johann Band
Playing from 2 PM to 5 PM
Compost your yard waste
Use least toxic pesticides,
follow labels, and learn how
to prevent pest problems
Direct downspouts away from
paved surfaces; consider a rain
garden to capture runoff
Take your car to the car wash
instead of washing it in the
driveway
Check your car for leaks and
recycle your motor oil
The Glorious and Versatile
Tomato
Summer Fruits and
Vegetables, the Healthy
Choice. Check out the
Township website for the,
“Hi Neighbor, Buy Neighbor”
Guide for locally grown
produce
Pick up after your pet
Have your septic tank pumped
and system inspected regularly
For more information, visit
www.epa.gov/nps or
www.epa.gov/npdes/stormwater
Visit us on
PRSRT STD
LOWER MILFORD TOWNSHIP
U.S. Postage
PAID
7607 Chestnut Hill Church Road
Coopersburg, PA 18036
Emmaus, PA
Permit # 13
Phone 610-967-4949
Fax 610-967-1013
www.lowermilford.net
This edition of the Lower Milford Township News is brought to you by the Board of Supervisors and Township Staff; Ellen L. Koplin, Editor
Township Office closed:
Memorial Day - Monday, May 25
Independence Day – Friday, July 3
June 21
Labor Day – Monday, September 7
Hav e a Saf e an d Hap p y Su m m e r