Upper Makefield Township
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March 2014
In This Issue
Supervisors Name New Officers
Faster Ambulance Response Time Anticipated
Sign up for ReadyNotifyPA
Numbers to Call for Help
Free Rides for Vets
Report Potholes to UMT or PennDOT
Fire Marshal Kernan
New Ways to Recycle Electronics
Upper Makefield eNews, Website, Earn More Awards
Community Calendar

 

History of the Delaware Canal (rescheduled )

Sunday, March 2, 2014

2-3 p.m.

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve

1635 River Road

This is one of many programs for adults at 

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve.

Drug Takeback Event

Saturday, April 26, 2014

10 a.m.-2 p.m.

Upper Makefield Police Department

1076 Eagle Road

 

To avoid polluting our waterways, please save and deliver any unused medicines (liquids, pills) to the lobby of the Upper Makefield Police Department. This is a national effort and we are proud to participate. 

 

Annual Washington Crossing Brewfest

Saturday, May 3

12:30-4:30 p.m.

Buy tickets now for this adults-only event, which sells out annually. 

 

Quick Links
 
 

 

Upper Makefield Board of Supervisors Reorganizes

 

Upper Makefield Board of Supervisors 2014

 

Pictured from left: Supervisors Tom Cino, Mike Tierney, Mary Ryan, Dan Rattigan, Larry S. Breeden. 
 

With a newly elected board member and a new fiscal year, Upper Makefield's Board of Supervisors reorganized in early January, 2014. Tom Cino was named Chair; Larry S. Breeden, Vice Chair; and Mary Ryan is Treasurer. Past Chairman Dan Rattigan and new board member Mike Tierney round out the five-member board.

 

You can read bios on each supervisor, and contact them personally, with addresses listed on the Board of Supervisors page of our website.

 

Public Meetings, Agendas and Minutes all Online

As a reminder, the Board of Supervisors' meetings are open to the public. Calendar dates and meeting agendas are posted on our www.uppermakefield.org website, and may be viewed on Comcast channel 22 and Verizon channel 21.

 

Board meetings are scheduled for the first and third Tuesdays each month at 7:30 p.m., at the Upper Makefield Township Building on Eagle Road.

 

Once minutes from a meeting are approved, they are posted on the website. This page includes minutes from other Upper Makefield committees and boards. 

New Ambulance Service Stationed within Upper Makefield 

 

Upper Makefield Fire Company Station 71 on Taylorsville Road now is home to St. Mary Medical Center Ambulance staff, shown here with fire company members. 

If you need emergency ambulance service in Upper Makefield, response times should now be faster, thanks to an agreement between St. Mary Medical Center of Langhorne, PA, and Upper Makefield's Board of Supervisors.

 

The agreement, which took effect February 1, 2014, comes at no cost to the township: Ambulance services are typically paid by the patients and their insurance policies.

 

An Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance is now staffed 24/7 and stationed within the township at Upper Makefield Fire Company's Station 71, located on Taylorsville Road. The full-time staffing and township location should shave time off recent average 17-24 minute response times from out-of-township ambulance services.

 

If St. Mary needs backup, the township's other providers, Newtown Ambulance Squad and the Yardley-Makefield and Central Bucks rescue squads, will continue to provide service. 

ReadyNotifyPA: Easy Sign-up for Unified Emergency Notification

 

First Snow of 2013-2014 Winter
Upper Makefield, Pennsylvania. First snow of the 2013-2014 winter.

With snow and ice storms rolling through Upper Makefield weekly, now is a great time to sign up for ReadyNotifyPA. 

 

This unified emergency communication system is used by first responders, emergency management agencies, and governments. You can register for alerts by phone text, email, and pager.

 

Alerts include reports on road closures and re-openings, weather alerts, crime, and even terrorist activity. 

 

It's easy to sign up at the Bucks County ReadyNotifyPA page. Not sure if you want to sign up? Check out a listing of recent alerts, so you can decide if this service could help you. 

Program These Numbers for Help

 

When you need help, it's good to have these numbers and website links programmed in your smartphone or contacts.

  • EMERGENCY. 9-1-1 dispatchers are best for getting emergency help to you fast.
  • NON-EMERGENCY. The non-emergency number for Upper Makefield Police: 215-968-3020.
  • POWER OUT. To report a power outage to PECO: 1-800-841-4141.
  • AIRPORT. For Philadelphia International Airport flight updates: 1-800-745-4283 or www.phl.org.
  • FLOODING. For help after flooding, view our list of resources online.
  • PENNDOT. PennDOT's telephone number is 215-345-6060. Email non-emergency concerns to PennDOT's Customer Care Center.

Vets: Catch a Free Ride! 

 

The Bucks County Office of Military Affairs offers free transportation to Bucks County veterans who need to visit the Philadelphia and Coatesville VA hospitals and the Levittown, Doylestown, and Quakertown Government Service centers.

 

The program runs 5 days a week throughout Bucks County. You must pre-schedule a ride by calling Veteran's Aide Betty Carleo at 215-345-3885. Details, including scheduled stops are posted online.

 

The VA Hospital in Coatesville, Pa, pays for this program's maintenance, fuel, and insurance. All other costs are paid through donations and proceeds from an annual golf outing. This program has carried over 11,000 veterans, free of charge, since 2001.  

Report Potholes to PennDOT or UMT Public Works  

(Here's a list of state roads in Upper Makefield)

 

Near-record snow and ice has our roads cracking open faster than repairs can be made. If you spot an emerging roadway crater, here's how to report a pothole to PennDOT or Upper Makefield's Public Works Department. 

 

State Roads

To report a pothole on a state road in Bucks County, call PennDOT at 1-800-FIX-ROAD. The following are state roads in Upper Makefield Township. 

  • Dolington Road
  • Pineville Road
  • Route 32
  • Route 532
  • Route 232
  • Stoopville Road
  • Street Road from Lurgan Road to Solebury Township Line
  • Taylorsville Road
  • Wrightstown Road
  • Stoneybrook Road
  • Eagle Road
  • Lurgan Road

Township Roads

Please report potholes on township roads to Upper Makefield Public Works Department: 215-968-3314. 

 Fire Marshal Kernan Receives Advanced Certification 

 

John C. Kernan, fire marshal of Upper Makefield Township received the prestigious "IFE Graduate Level" certification from Dr. Harry Carter Ph.D, president of the United States Branch of the Institution of Fire Engineers.

Upper Makefield's Fire Marshal John Kernan in October earned Graduate Level certification from the Institution of Fire Engineers (IFE).

 

Fire Marshal Kernan's certification comes from successful completion, over a 3-year period, of approved fire safety training, submission and acceptance of a technical paper (his paper addressed fire origin and cause investigation), and a written exam.

 

The IFE is an international fire organization founded in Great Britain in 1924 and is dedicated to promote, encourage and improve the science and practice of fire engineering, prevention, and extinguishment.

 

Fire safety information, including tips to share with babysitters, is gathered for you on our website.

Find New Ways to Recycle Electronics

 

Old electronics can be recycled, but never trashed at the curb!  A 2013 Pennsylvania law prohibits trash removal companies from picking up electronic trash, including monitors, computers, or TVs.

 

Your best bet to safely toss your tech trash is to mark your calendar for one of several drop-off days scheduled by Bucks County. The 2014 drop-off dates will be listed on the Bucks County website soon.

 

Our website page on recycling and household hazardous waste offers more options. 

 

Please also check out Earth911.org, which offers myriad recycling options, including electronics. You can enter your ZIP code and the item to be recycled for a listing of drop-off locations for batteries and much more. 

Our News Makes More News!

PSATS awards for eNews and website
 

For the 3rd year running, Upper Makefield Township's communication program has earned statewide recognition from the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors (PSATS). 

 

This year, the eNewsletter you are now reading will be awarded 2nd place at the April 2014 PSATS conference during ceremonies for the 2014 Annual Citizen Communication Contest. Our website also earned 3rd place recognition this year.

 

If you find this eNews publication newsworthy too, please forward it to your neighbors who may not already receive it. 

 

We do not publish a print newsletter, so we encourage you to forward this eNews with the recommendation for others to sign up! By request, we will mail a printout of this eNews to people without computer access.