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BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER
NEWSLETTER
Volume 19, Issue 1
January-February-March 2015
BERNVILLE BOROUGH: P.O. BOX 40, BERNVILLE, PA. 19506-0040
PHONE: 610-488-1591 FAX: 610-488-6425
E-mail: bernvilleboro@comcast.net
OFFICE HOURS: WEDNESDAY 9:00 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. & FRIDAY 8:00 a.m.- 4:00 p.m.
MAYOR: Gene Weatherholtz, Sr.
BOROUGH POLICE: 610-488-0928 Chief: Brian Thumm bernvillepd@comcast.net
READING STATE POLICE: 610-378-4011 EMERGENCY: 911
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR: James Moyer, Sr.
WATER: Select Environmental Solutions Inc.
ENGINEER AND CODES OFFICER: Motley Associates, Jim Mohn 610-775-0888
SEWER ENGINEER: Entech Engineering, John Brady 610-373-3345
SOLICITOR: Christopher Hartman
Borough Council Meetings
Planning Commission
1st Tuesday of the month
2nd Monday of the month
7:00 p.m. Borough Hall
7:00 p.m. Borough Hall
BORO NEWS TO KNOW
BOROUGH COUNCIL MEMBERS
Danny Strunk, Sr., President – Sewer
Michael Rioux, VP – Buildings & Equipment
Herbert Benzel, Jr. – Parks & Recreation
Randy Copenhaver – Finance
Jim Gabel – Planning & Zoning
Justin Kiebach – Streets
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Brenda Strunk - Secretary, Treasurer
PLANNING COMMISSION
Thomas Vanzin, Rufus Merkey, Dottie Merkey
SHADE TREE COMMISSION
Thomas Vanzin, Carolyn Dries
ZONING HEARING BOARD
Steve Faust, Jeremy Lutz
● No increase in borough tax, recycling, & sewer rates.
● No snowmobiles or ATVs permitted on borough streets.
● When a snow or ice emergency is declared, there is no
parking on Main Street from Garfield
Road to Shartlesville
and Sanitation
Road and no parking on Second and Third Streets from Main
Street to Route 183 – see article on page 2.
● Clear snow and ice from sidewalks within 12 hours.
● Recycle Christmas trees behind borough garage.
Remove
all decorations and tinsel. No artificial trees. No plastic tree
covers. Trees are ground into mulch.
● Borough Wather Authority has been disbanded as of
January 1, 2015.
Brenda
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Borough Articles …
Page: 2-3
Community News …
Page:
5 Bernville Area Community Library
Bernville Community Fire Company
Bernville Grange #1887
Bernville Pool
6 Bernville Young at Heart
Boy Scout Troop 422
Cub Scout Pack 422
Evangelical Lutheran Friedens Church
7 St. Thomas Church
Borough Calendar …
8 106 Years Ago in Bernville
Dates to Remember
PARKS & RECREATION
Dina Knoebel, Sue Lionti, Joe Lionti
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2015 page 1
BOROUGH NEWS REPORT. . .
Garbage Collection Holiday Schedule
Borough 2015 Tax Rate - No Increase
In 2015, there are several dates when the
collection falls on a holiday. When that happens, Waste
Management will pick up the garbage on the next day.
The millage rate will remain at 4.44 mills for
2015.
The 2015 budget was approved at the December 2,
2014 meeting. There is no borough tax rate increase.
The following is the 2015 budget:
General $301,260.00
Sewer $285,450.00
Trash $87,960.00
These are the holiday dates for
this year: Jan 1, New Year’s Day
(Thursday) – pick up will be
Friday, Jan 2; May 25, Memorial
Day (Monday) – pick up will be
Tuesday, May 26; September 7,
Labor Day (Monday) – pick up will be Tuesday,
September 8; November 26, Thanksgiving (Thursday) –
pick up will be Friday, November27.
Borough 2015 Sewer Rate – No Increase
Borough sewer rates do not change in 2015.
Council had the complete sewer system videoed by
Sewer Specialty Services. There were also
emergency repairs completed at that time. The
Wastewater Treatment Plant will be getting a new
grinder installed. The cost for the grinder is
approximately $27,000.00.
Trash /Recycling Rate 2015
The trash bills will remain at $245.00 for 2015 if
paid by February 28, 2015. There will be a 5%
finance charge on trash bills paid after March 1,
2015.
Waste Management continues as the
trash/recycling contractor.
The recycling money which the Borough
receives from the county each year is based on the
Borough recycling tonnage and is returned to the
trash and recycling fund to help keep trash
collection costs down.
Streets
There have not been any major road projects
completed in 2014. However, there were several
small repairs completed: 5th & Penn Valley Rd, 2nd
& Wolf, 5th & Main, 4th & Stevens Ave. There
were also storm drain repairs at 3rd & Homestead
Ave.
Garbage and Recycling
From November 1st through
April, the garbage will be picked up
on Thursdays only.
Recycling remains every other
Wednesday. Curbside recycling
pick-up dates are listed in Dates to Remember.
Snow or Ice Emergencies
When the Mayor declares a snow or ice emergency,
there is no parking on Main Street from Garfield Road to
Shartlesville Road and no parking on Second and Third
Streets from Main Street to Route 183
(including the fire company parking lot).
For snow emergency information, tune to:
● Radio Station 830 AM (WEEU)
● Radio Station 102 FM (WRFY/Y102)
● Radio Station 105.1 FM (WIOV)
● TV – Berks-Lehigh News WFMZ channel 69 on cable
channel 9.
● TV – WGAL News (channel 8).
Snow and ice are to be removed from the
sidewalks within twelve (12) hours after the end of
any snowfall. A walk path is to be cleared at least
thirty (30) inches in width. Ordinance #235.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2015 page 2
Bernville Water Authority
The Water Authority will be dissolved as of
January 1, 2015. The Bernville Borough Council
will be managing the water. The Borough has
contracted services with Select Environmental
Solutions to operate and maintain the water
facilities, the same company that operates the
wastewater treatment plant.
Council would like to thank all the past and
current members of the Water Authority for their
years of service. Current members are:
Spencer Watts, Lois Frantz, Marvin Graeff,
Bernard Himmelberger, and Danny Strunk.
If residents have water problems, they are to
contact Borough Hall.
Zoning Hearing Board
The Zoning Hearing Board has a vacant seat.
The Zoning Hearing Board meets only when there is
a zoning hearing. This is when someone applies for
a zoning permit and the application gets denied due
to not complying with the zoning ordinance, then
there would be a zoning hearing. If interested please
contact the Borough Secretary.
Borough Council would like to wish
everyone a
Happy New Year!
Caroling at the Gazebo
The borough extends appreciation to all who
assisted in the annual Caroling at
the Gazebo event. Special thanks
are offered to Carolyn Dries and
Cathy Palm (and family) for their
efforts in decorating the gazebo.
Thanks also go to Santa for taking
time out of his busy schedule to spend
a few minutes with the children who came to the
gazebo. Finally, the efforts of the Bernville Fire
Company are appreciated for always ensuring
Santa’s safe arrival and departure.
Christmas Lights
The Borough was told in
November that in order to
hang the lights, we would
have to sign an agreement, provide a $2,000,000
Certificate of Liability, and move the decorations to
15’6” above the roadway. Due to the cable and
telephone wires, this is impossible. The Borough
and Met-Ed have come to an agreement to hang the
Christmas decorations. There were small items that
needed to be taken care of. A representative of MetEd has stated that the Borough is grandfathered
unless they install any new decorations. This was
never an expense issue.
A big thank you to
Council members Randy
Copenhaver and Danny
Strunk, Sr. for putting up
the Christmas lights
along Main Street.
Christmas Tree Recycling
Borough residents may recycle their Christmas
tree behind the Borough garage at the recycling
center. Remove all ornaments
and tinsel prior to recycling.
Please do not discard plastic
tree covers at the recycling
center (which may have been
used when removing the tree
from your residence).
Artificial trees cannot be accepted. The Christmas
trees are converted to mulch which is eventually
placed around trees in our parks and residential
yards.
Parks and Recreation
Council is sorry to say that because only 2
children registered for summer playground this year,
it was decided to discontinue the program at this
time.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2015 page 3
Hospitality Booklet
The fifteenth edition of the Bernville
Hospitality Booklet is being compiled. Delivery is
anticipated in February or March to Borough
residents; copies will be available at Borough Hall
and the Bernville Area Community Library
throughout the remainder of 2015. The booklet is
free and provides general information on Bernville
and related topics.
Local businesses that were listed in the 2014
edition will be contacted by a member of the
Bernville Borough Planning Commission to update
their information. Any local business that is not
currently listed, but wishes to be included, may
submit a letter to Borough Hall and include a
business card. A member of the Bernville Planning
Commission will follow up with a phone call. The
Borough reserves the right to exclude any business
from this free listing.
Heritage & Cultural Society Acquisitions
In 2014, the Heritage & Cultural
Society was able to acquire
(through purchase or donation) a
variety of items pertaining to the
history of the borough. Some of the items include:
business advertisements, historic photos, meeting
minutes from former Bernville organizations,
correspondence from the 1976 anniversary
celebration, business ledger books from former
Bernville businesses, and a bridge dedication
marker.
Members of the Heritage & Cultural Society are
grateful to all those who have donated items to the
organization and to all those who supported our
2014 fundraising efforts (Bernville calendar,
Abridged Retrospective of Bernville, Community
Day Silent Auction, and Way-Har Farms ice cream
sales).
Annual Clay Park Clean-Up
March is a great time to start to spruce up the
Borough; please consider lending a helping hand on
March 28th at the annual
Stanton Clay Park Clean-Up.
As a reminder, an event sign
will be erected in Clay Park
which will identify the date
of the clean-up. Work starts
around 9:00 a.m. and is
completed by noon; earlier,
if many volunteers lend their support. Activities
include spreading mulch, raking leaves, light tree
pruning, and general park clean-up. The event is
coordinated by the Bernville Borough Shade Tree
Commission.
Shade Tree Commission Updates
Tree Inventory
The Shade Tree Commission updated its
street tree inventory in late 2014. The
inventory was originally compiled in
1999 and is comprehensively updated every five
years. The Borough has slightly less than 300 trees
located within the parks, at borough hall, and within
public rights-of-way. Tree species found within the
Borough properties and public rights-of-way
include: white ash, hickory, red maple, Norway
maple, red oak, white oak, pin oak, zelkova, ginkgo,
Norway spruce, fir, hemlock, Kwanzen cherry,
dogwood, sweet gum, flowering crabapple, and
sycamore. The Shade Tree Commission has
historically removed several trees within our parks
each year to minimize danger to the public.
Residents are encouraged to evaluate trees on their
property to ensure that they are addressing hazard
conditions which may be present (broken limbs,
extensive decay in tree trunk or limbs, excessive
leans, low hanging branches). Commercial arborists
may be located in the yellow pages for those jobs
which may be beyond the owner’s ability to address.
Additionally, please ensure that trees on your
property do not affect the visibility of traffic signs.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2015 page 4
COMMUNITY NEWS…
Bernville Area Community Library
4th Street at Fox Alley
2nd floor of Redner’s Quick Shoppe
P.O. Box 580, Bernville, PA 19506
Phone: 610-488-1302
Fax: 610-488-1979
E-mail: bernvilleacl@berks.lib.pa.us
Website: http://www.berks.lib.pa.us/bernvilleacl
LIBRARY HOURS:
M-Th 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Sat 10 a.m.-2 p.m. | Sunday 2-5 p.m.
Closed Fridays, January 1 (New Year’s Day).
Story Times on Mondays at 11:15 a.m. with
Miss Alicea.
Story Riders on Thursdays at 11:00 a.m.
Make and Take will resume on Monday
February 23rd.
Bernville Community Fire Company
6701 Bernville Road
Engine House 610-488-6592
Fire Chief 610-488-6687
The annual family-style Pork and Sauerkraut
Dinner will be held at the Bernville Fire Company on
January 1 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Cost is $9.00.
The Bernville Fire Company will be holding a
Sportsman’s Raffle on Saturday February 28, 2015.
Tickets are $10.00 and available from any fire company
member and at the Borough hall.
Bernville Grange #1887
Meets every 1st + 3rd Tuesday 7 p.m.
37 Shartlesville Road
610-488-1381
On October 10, the Bernville Grange
presented a free personal dictionary to
each of the 97 Penn-Bernville and
Bethel Elementary third grade
students. The dictionary is for the
children to keep, so they can take it
with them into the fourth grade and
use throughout their school career.
Bernville Library celebrated their 20th Anniversary
on November 8th with “Celebration of the Arts!”
The Bernville Grange will be having its annual
Open House program on Tuesday March 17
(St. Patrick’s Day) at 7:30 p.m. Watch for Grange
posters in early March announcing program details.
Please come and enjoy the speaker, door prizes, and free
refreshments.
Bernville Pool
Behind Umbenhauer Park
610-488-0624 (summers)
bernvillepool@gmail.com
Purchase your Bernville Pool
summer membership by February 28 to receive a 5%
discount and two free day passes as a bonus.
Call 610-488-1672 for a membership form.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2015 page 5
Bernville Young at Heart
Meets every 3rd Wednesday 1 p.m.
At the Bernville Grange
Meetings:
January – Installation of Officers
● January 21 – Vali Heist, The Clutter Crew.
● February 18 – The Nosegay, floral arrangements.
● March 18 – Berk’s Encore Horizon Singers
Choral Group
Boy Scout Troop 422
Meets every Tuesday 6:30 p.m.
in St. Thomas Church basement.
Scout Master: John Walker
Phone: 610-488-8140 E-mail: jjw12@psu.edu
Boy Scout recycling bins for aluminum cans are at
Boyer’s Market, Bernville Beverage, and Blue Marsh
Canteen. Aluminum cans only; no plastic, glass or other
trash.
The Boy Scouts will be selling soft pretzels
outside of Boyer's Market on the 2nd Saturday morning
of each month.
Cub Scout Pack 422
Cub Master: Eric Boyer
Phone: 610-621-9529
E-mail: crazyacresfarm@verizon.net
Flag Etiquette: When an American flag becomes
discolored, weathered, torn,
ripped, etc., then it is time to
properly retire the flag. To
honorably retire an old flag,
contact the Cub Scouts. They will retire the flag for
you – in the correct manner.
Evangelical Lutheran Friedens Church
Main & Washington Streets, P.O.
Box 201, Bernville, PA 19506
Church Office Telephone
610-488-6260
Church Building Telephone
610-488-0206
E-mail at
Friedens_bernville@verizon.net
Web Site: Friedensbernvillepa.com
Office Hours: Monday. - Thursday. 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
(holiday weeks and/or other hours by appointment)
SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE
Sunday School – 9:00 a.m.
Coffee Fellowship – 10:00 a.m.
Worship Service – 10:30 a.m.
“Everyone Is Welcome”
SCHEDULE OF SERVICES & PROGRAMS:
Saturday, February 14 – Soup Sale, 9 a.m. to
noon. A variety of home made soups will be for
sale to purchase and enjoy at home. Snow date
February 21st. For more information call the church
office.
Wednesday, February 18 – Ash Wednesday
Service, 7 p.m.
Wednesdays, February 25, March 4, 11, 18 & 25.
– Lenten Services. 6 p.m. Soup & Bread, 7 p.m.
Service. Please call the church office for
confirmation of location and times.
Sunday, April 5 – Easter Sunrise Service 7-8, free
breakfast from 8-9:15, followed by Easter service
from 9:30-10:30.
Friedens Easter Candy will be made starting the
weeks of March 15 & 22. For more information call
the church office.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2015 page 6
St. Thomas Church
Wednesday, February 18
Ash Wednesday Service - 7 p.m.
Thursday, February 19
S.O.F.A. Food Distribution - 5-6 p.m.
536 N. Main Street
Bernville, PA 19506
Pastor William Miller
Youth Pastor Joel Jackson
Phone: 610-488-6702 Fax: 610-488-0962
E-mail stchurchbv@verizon.net
Visit us at stthomasbernville.org
Contemporary Worship Service 8:00 a.m.
Fellowship Sharing 9:00 a.m.
Sunday School (all ages) 9:15 a.m.
Traditional Worship Service 10:30 a.m.
S.O.F.A. Food Distribution
(Share Our Food Always)
3rd Thursday of each month from 5 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Contact Youth Pastor Joel Jackson for more info.
Youth Group
(Grades 7th thru 12th)
Sunday 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday 6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
The ROCK
(Grades K thru 6th)
Thursday 6:15 p.m. - 7:00 p.m
Breakfast & Bible Study
2nd & 4th Saturday
8:00 a.m.
Thursday, January 15
S.O.F.A. Food Distribution - 5-6 p.m.
Saturday, January 24
Pot Pie Dinner - 4:30-7 p.m.
Proceeds benefit
Youth Mission Trip 2015.
Saturday, February 14
Sweetheart Banquet - 6 p.m.
Wednesday, February 25
Community Lenten Service
Soup - 6 p.m.
Service - 7 p.m.
(contact office for location)
Wednesday, March 4
Community Lenten Service
Soup - 6 p.m.
Service - 7 p.m.
(contact office for location)
Friday, March 6
World Day of Prayer
Sunday, March 8
Girl Scout Sunday
Wednesday, March 11
Community Lenten Service
Soup - 6 p.m.
Service - 7 p.m.
(contact office for location)
Wednesday, March 18
Community Lenten Service
Soup - 6 p.m.
Service - 7 p.m.
(contact office for location)
Thursday, March 19
S.O.F.A. Food Distribution - 5-6 p.m.
Lebanon Valley Choir Concert - 7 p.m.
Wednesday, March 25
Community Lenten Service
Soup - 6 p.m.
Service - 7 p.m. (contact office for location)
Sunday, March 29
Palm Sunday Services - 8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2015 page 7
St. Thomas Church cont.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS:
April 3 - Good Friday Service - 7:30 p.m.
April 4 - Easter Egg Hunt - 1 p.m.
April 5 - Easter Musical - 10:30 a.m.
106 Years Ago In Bernville
Reprinted with permission from
The Tulpehocken Tattler,
Tulpehocken Settlement Historical Society
Reading Eagle, January 9, 1909 Bernville excerpts:
The Franklin & Marshall Glee Club, consisting
of upwards of 50 members, held a concert in St.
Thomas Reformed Church. The attendance was
estimated at 500. The admission receipts amounted
to $80.00
The church bells and school bells were rung on
New Year’s eve for one hour with the exception of
the bell on the steeple of the Lutheran Church which
is cracked.
The bell in the Evangelical Church was rung for
the last time, as it was later taken down, loaded on a
heavy wagon and conveyed to Reading. The bell
was shipped to Baltimore to the bell foundry where
it was bought for the church 25 years ago.
BOROUGH CALENDAR…
Dates To Remember
January
6 – Borough Council Meeting*
7 – Borough Recycling Pick-up
12 – Planning Commission Meeting*
21 – Borough Recycling Pick-up
February
3 – Borough Council Meeting*
4 – Borough Recycling Pick-up
9 – Planning Commission Meeting*
18 – Borough Recycling Pick-up
March
3 – Borough Council Meeting*
4 – Borough Recycling Pick-up
9 – Planning Commission Meeting*
18 – Borough Recycling Pick-up
*
7 p.m. in Borough Hall.
BERNVILLE NEWSLETTER
The Bernville Planning Commission publishes this
Newsletter four times per year on behalf of the Borough.
Articles may be submitted to P.O. Box 40, Bernville, PA
19506 or via e-mail to bernvillenews@gmail.com.
Deadline for the April-May-June newsletter is March 5th.
Please submit articles in Microsoft Word via e-mail
wherever possible. Extra copies of the Newsletter are
distributed at the Bernville Library, Bernville Post Office,
Borough Hall, and Mario’s Restaurant.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2015 page 8