Please enjoy the latest eNews from Upper Makefield Township. Check our
website for regular updates.
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Celebrating our 50-Year Volunteer--Walter Wydro
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May 7, 2019 was a big day: Bucks County Commissioners issued a Proclamation declaring the day "Walter Wydro Day." That evening, the Upper Makefield Board of Supervisors adopted their own resolution honoring Walt for 50 years of service. Joining in the surprise celebration were Walt's family and members of the Upper Makefield Township Planning Commission, Bucks County Planning Commission, and the Newtown Area Zoning Jointure.
For more than 50 years, Township volunteer Walter Wydro has led Upper Makefield and Bucks County with visionary leadership in open space and environmental preservation. Upper Makefield's current enviable nearly 40 percent land preservation record is due in part to his work. Thanks to his leadership, elemental work on the Township's ordinance development and land development review process set Upper Makefield in good stead to manage years of large development efforts in Upper Makefield.
Walt has served on the Upper Makefield Planning Commission since 1972 and helped establish the first and only Jointure in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1983. The Newtown Area Zoning Jointure regulates zoning in Upper Makefield, Newtown Township and Wrightstown. As a distinguished member of the Bucks County Planning Commission since 2005, Walt has served all 54 Bucks County municipalities.
Honored as the Upper Makefield Township Volunteer of the Year in 2004, Walt remains active today - continuing to serve on volunteer boards and working on revising the Regional Comprehensive Plan with the Bucks County Planning Commission and the Township Planning Commission. Please join us in thanking Walt for his dedication to the Upper Makefield community.
The photo above shows Walter Wydro, sitting at center, next to his daughter Alicia Wydro, Standing: Tim Cino, Evan Stone, Bud Baldwin, Kathleen Pisauro, Karin Traina, Jane Magne, Kris Ballerini, Mike Tierney, Diana Nolan, and Ed Ford.
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Third Graders Envision New Features for Township Parks
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Parks are for fun, and this year's 3rd graders at Sol Feinstone Elementary School gave Upper Makefield officials their take on what makes a great park.
Storytelling was one theme, where one student proposed 3 story playgrounds, including space for a joke center.
Parks are also for rock climbing, camping, water features for all seasons (think ice rink), and fun runs, according to student park designs.
Three students, shown here with Township Supervisors and their teacher, received awards for their park designs. Front row:
Jason Foulke, Jacob Magliozzo, and Kate Fillmore. Back row: Tom Cino, Teacher Nancy Stoudt, Ed Ford, Diana Nolan, and Kris Ballerini.
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Inspections for Spotted Lanternfly Infestation
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The US Dept. of Agriculture reports that the invasive Spotted Lanternfly has been found in Pennsylvania. These pests pose a significant threat to trees and agriculture, feeding on sap and excreting a sticky fluid which attracts other insects and encourages mold.
Early detection is vital to help stop the spread and destruction caused by the SLF. Inspectors from the USDA will be in the Township looking for signs of the SLF and the host tree –
Tree of Heaven
. Inspectors will have a USDA identification on their badge and clothing and usually drive vehicles with a USDA license plate.
Penn State Extension is working in cooperation with the USDA to provide up-to-date information. A guide for spotting, reporting and managing the SLF can be found on their
website
. Since Bucks County is a quarantined county, you must make sure not to transport any living life stages of the SLF to new areas. Eggs can be laid on any hard surface – like outdoor furniture, cars, decks – not just trees. So before outdoor items are moved from the quarantine area, check for spotted lanternfly egg masses, adults, and nymphs. Make sure all items are pest free before you move them to help keep this pest from spreading.
The Extension prepared a
Checklist
for residents living in quarantined areas and
photographs
to help identify the different stages. Learn how to protect Pennsylvania's valuable agriculture, including the grape, fruit and hardwood tree and nursery industries.
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Updated Ordinances Confirm It: No Dumping Yard Waste in Waterways
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The Board of Supervisors approved a pair of ordinances in May to clarify prohibitions against tossing yard waste in all waterways and stormwater management facilities. That includes grass clippings, leaf waste and recyclable materials.
Since most of Upper Makefield's creek banks (Houghs, Jericho, and Pidcock are the three primary creeks) are privately owned, proper management is the responsibility of the owner. Stormwater management facilities are any method of collecting stormwater, from above ground marshes and rain barrels to underground drainage and permeable pavements.
Guidelines
- Never throw brush, grass clippings, pruning, leaves or other landscape materials onto the creek bank.
- Yard clippings can smother and kill plants growing along the bank. Without the roots of thriving vegetation to hold the soil in place, banks will become bare and may fail.
- When carried downstream, clippings can create blockages, causing erosion. When these materials get into waterways and break down, they can contribute to decreased water quality by increasing nitrogen and phosphorous which can, in turn, encourage algae blooms that remove oxygen from the water, negatively affecting aquatic life.
In short, bag yard waste and bundle clippings for curbside pickup. Check with your private hauler for their specific requirements for pickup.
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Sign Up Now for July 4th RevRun
The online pre-registration deadline to sign up for the 39th Annual Revolutionary Run is June 30, 2019. You can still register on run day at the starting area, beginning at 6 a.m.
This race lets you join hundreds of others who will walk or run in the footsteps of George Washington and his troops--for 1 mile, a 5k, or a 10k. All families, walkers, occasional and serious runners are welcome to this certified road race. It starts at 8 a.m. on Thursday, July 4 at the Washington Crossing Historic Park. The sponsor, the Upper Makefield Business Association, has a helpful list of answers to frequently asked questions, located on the registration website. If you would like to volunteer for help out at the race, please sign up with SignUp.com, via the RevRun registration website.
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Upper Makefield Township | uppermakefield.org
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215-968-3340
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