Marcus Hook News

Published by the Mayor and Borough Council • Marcus Hook, PA 19061 • Fall Edition • October 2018

9TH ANNUAL FATHER’S DAY FISHING DERBY Marcus Hook Borough Councillor Joe Flynn hosted the 9th Annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby on Sunday, June 17th, 2018 at the Marcus Hook Fishing Pier. This year’s fishing derby saw a large turnout of 88 participants in an event that is primarily geared towards children and teaching them how to fish while spending time with dad. Additionally, 40 children who attended and participated received a free rod and reel. The winner of the derby was Joe Flynn Jr. who participated along with children of his own. Joe caught a 19.25 inch long catfish to bring home the first place trophy. Rounding out the top three were Tim Boyd in second place and James Garrity in third place.

Special thanks to Councillor Joe Flynn and the Marcus Hook Recreation and Park Board for their efforts in putting this event together, and thanks to all those who came out and participated!

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HIGHLIGHTS OF RECENT BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETINGS

January • Council and Borough Reorganization. Josephine Laird was reappointed Council President, William Cox was appointed Council Vice-President, and Joseph Flynn was reappointed President Pro-Tem. Robert Kersey was reappointed President of the Vacancy Board. Mark P. Much was reappointed Borough Solictor. Finally, Charles Catania, Jr. of Catania Engineering Associates, Inc. was reappointed Borough Engineer.

• Announced the appointment of new Code Enforcement Officer, Robert Hughes.

February • Recognized John Michulka for his act of heroism on December 27th, 2017 by aiding another human being while in distress following an accident on I-95.

• Recognized Former Principal of Marcus Hook Elementary, James J. Adair, Jr. James Adair retired on February 9th, 2018 after serving as Principal for 9 years.

March • Marcus Hook extended the CodeRED Service Agreement with OnSolve, LLC for the period March 12, 2018 to March 11, 2019 at an annual cost of $2,500.

• Arbor Day, 2018 was scheduled for Friday, April 27th, 2018, to be held at Mickey Vernon Park.

April • Adopted Ordinance numbers O-18-1 and O-18-2. These ordinances provide guidelines for addressing and responding to graffiti in the Borough, as well as establishing special purpose parking zones on 10th Street, respectively.

• Reported that for the thirty-third straight year Marcus Hook was named a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

May • Adopted Resolution number R-18-7, a resolution to make health a priority when adopting Borough policies.

• Announced the appointment of Brandywine Valley SPCA as the Animal Control Officer of the Borough of Marcus Hook.

• Announced the appointment of part-time Highway Laborer, John Rankin to full-time Highway Laborer.

Former Crossing Guard Virginia Blakeley Honored and Steven Jackson being sworn-in as a full-time Marcus Hook Police Officer by Mayor Gene Taylor

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June • Former Code Enforcement Officer, George Windsor, was recognized for his service to the Borough. George retired on February 23, 2018.

• Council President, Josephine Laird, was recognized for 10 years of public service to the Borough of Marcus Hook by way of the Cecil K. Leberknight award, which was presented to Council President Laird at the Pennsylvania State Association of Borough’s Conference on June 12, 2018.

• Announced that the Borough has unveiled the WalkWorks 2 mile walking route in Marcus Hook on June 8, 2018.

• Announced that the Civil Service Commission will establish an eligibility list for the position of full-time police officer.

July • Former Crossing Guard, Virginia Blakeley, was recognized for her service to the Borough. Virginia retired on April 6, 2018.

• Announced the start of the 32nd year of the Summer Concert Series in the Borough of Marcus Hook. These concerts run on seven consecutive Tuesdays, starting July 3rd and ending August 14th.

• Announced that the Borough is planning on applying for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection’s Growing Greener grant, which closed on July 13, 2018. The Borough’s application is for stormwater improvements along Green Street from 6th Street to the Delaware River.

August • Ratified the Borough of Marcus Hook’s property/casualty insurance renewal package, along with initiating a Cyber Liability and Privacy Coverage policy. These renewals and changes resulted in a $10,211 savings for the Borough from the prior year’s policies.

September • Announced the appointment of Steven Jackson to the position of full-time Marcus Hook Police Officer. Steven has prior police experience with Parkside Borough and has also worked for the Delaware County 911 Center. Steven will be assigned as the Marcus Hook Elementary School Liaison Officer and Crime Prevention Officer.

• Former Crossing Guard, Catherine Samsel, was recognized for her service to the Borough. Catherine retired on September 1, 2018.

• Announced that the Borough received a copy of the Remedial Investigation and Risk Assessment (RI/RA) Report that was filed with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on August 24, 2018 by FMC Corporation for the parcels along 10th Street and Penn Avenue. FMC is applying for a combination of Act 2 Standards to address the regulated substances identified in the soil and groundwater. Upon approval from DEP, FMC Corporation will then submit a Cleanup Plan and within 30 days of submitting this, a Notice of Intent to Remediate.

• Announced the Cedar Street & Dalton Lane Stormwater Improvement project was awarded to MOR Construction Services, Inc in the amount of $65,806. This project was funded by way of the Community Development Block Grant program which is administered through the Office of Housing and Community Development at the County. Work is expected to begin in November, 2018.

UPCOMING STORMWATER PERMIT CHANGES Marcus Hook Borough has a permit from the State to discharge all of its stormwater to streams and rivers. Under new requirements, the Borough had to prepare a Pollution Reduction Plan for the impaired surface waters it discharges to. This report was submitted to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection in September 2017. It is currently under review.

Local waterways are impaired due to sediment runoff from nearby streets, lawns, and streambank erosion. Under new regulations that started in March 2018, the Borough is required to reduce this sediment from going into waterways within the next 5 years. The main objective of the Pollution Reduction Plan is to come up with a way to meet these requirements. During this timeframe the Borough will design, construct, and implement management devices to reduce sediment runoff.

Aside from a few modifications, the Borough’s new Stormwater permit that took effect in March 2018 will stay the same. As always, please continue to report any illegal dumping and fish kills in local waterways to the Borough and participate in Stormwater education events. Please keep a look out on the Borough calendar for events.

SWIMMING POOL DISCHARGE Swimming pools and hot tubs are a great way to relax and spend time with family and friends but, what do you do when you are done with the pool or hot tub water? Swimming pool and hot tub water cannot be discharged into streams because this water contains large amounts of chlorine and other chemicals that, once get released into the environment, poses a health hazard to fish and other aquatic animals and plants.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, if permission is granted, swimming pool or hot tub water can be discharged into a sanitary sewer system or drained on-site for irrigation (ensuring that the water is released at a rate to prevent flow into streams and storm sewers).

For information on how to safely dispose of swimming pool and hot tub water, please see DEP’s website at http://www.dep.pa.gov and search “Swimming Pool Discharge,” or visit the Marcus Hook Borough Cable Channel 5 for more information on how to properly discharge your pool or hot tub. Please consult with the Code Enforcement Officer if you have any questions about how to discharge your pool or hot tub water.

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INSTRUCTIONS ON REPORTING PECO OUTAGESIf your electric power is interrupted, be sure to report the outage to PECO right away by dialing 1-800-841-4141.

To view outages on the PECO website:

Go to www.peco.com

Under “Outages” click on “Storm Center”

Then click on “View Outage Map” in the center of the page

Use the map to view outages in your area.

6 WAYS TO BE A GOOD NEIGHBOR & BOOST YOUR HOME’S CURB APPEAL

1. Maintain your lawn. Mow, pull weeds and make sure to keep your walkways clear. Also cleanup your grass clippings!

2. Clean your gutters, siding and windows. These are not just for aesthetics; but very important preventative maintenance for the exterior of the home.

3. Trim your trees and hedges. Well-maintained bushes, shrubs and trees improve the look of your property.

4. Maintain your home’s exterior. Keep your home looking like new with a coat of paint every few years, replace the roof when needed and make repairs on a timely basis.

5. Remove the clutter. Less is more. Just a few colorful flowers and decorations and a new or freshly painted set of house numbers will make your home stand out.

6. Keep trash cans out of sight. Using proper trash cans with secure lids will reduce the amount of litter and deter varmint and wild animals.

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THE MARCUS HOOK FOX! The Borough has answered many calls recently and seen a lot of activity on social media about the fox in Marcus Hook Borough. We would like to provide some information on foxes and their habits that will help everyone to realize that they aren’t normally a cause for alarm. Both red and grey foxes live among us in cities and towns, where scavenging for food makes life easy. This is especially easy in a small town like Marcus Hook, where pet food or unsecured garbage could turn into a fox’s lunch or dinner. They generally avoid people, but the lure of easy food can result in backyard visits. Usually the best thing to do is leave foxes alone, as foxes have a natural fear of people. If you see one out during the day, it’s no cause for alarm. They will usually run away from you as soon as they detect your presence. If not, it’s probably because the fox has learned to associate people with food (likely because someone has been feeding them), and making a loud noise in their direction will usually scare them away. Foxes are not dangerous to humans, except when they are rabid (which is very rare) or when they are captured and handled. Even then, a fox’s natural tendency is to flee rather than fight.

As noted above, foxes aren’t dangerous to humans, except when they are rabid, which is very rare. Although foxes sometimes succumb to rabies, the good news is that the fox strain of the disease has rarely if ever been transmitted to a human in this country. Luckily, post-exposure treatment is 100% effective if promptly administered. Having your domestic animals vaccinated is the most important thing you can do to protect them, yourself and others against rabies.

It’s not all that unusual for a fox to be seen out and about during the day, so that alone is not cause for alarm. Foxes prey on squirrels, birds, chipmunks, and other small animals that are only active by day, so they may simply be looking for a meal at that time. Before calling to report a fox or ask for assistance, take time to observe the fox’s behavior, and look for these signs:

1. Partial paralysis or the inability to use their limbs well

2. Circling or staggering as if drunk

3. Self-mutilation

4. Acting aggressively for no reason

5. Acting unnaturally tame

If you observe any of the above signs, do not approach the fox – remember exposure to rabies is primarily through bites or saliva. Contact the Marcus Hook Police Department if you see a fox showing the above signs.

The majority of the above article was taken from The Humane Society of the United States, which is a leading animal advocacy group.

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Saturday OctOber 20th, 2018 / 12:00 PM till 4:00 PMyOur lOcal fire dePartMent iS SPOnSOring an OPen hOuSe with a fire PreventiOn theMe fOr the entire cOMMunity. there will be fun, educatiOnal and handS On activitieS fOr

kidS and adultS including live deMOnStratiOnS aS well aS refreShMentS fOr all.

face Painting -- gaMeS & PrizeS -- ballOOn art -- equiPMent diSPlayS

StOP, drOP & rOll drillS -- live vehicle reScue deMOS

crawl lOw in SMOke drillS -- free fire PreventiOn Material baby car Seat inStallatiOn deMOS -- wear fire gear

cOMe Out and Meet the vOlunteerS that PrOtect yOur cOMMunity!

want tO helP yOur cOMMunity & learn SOMe great SkillS? JOin uS!

MarcuS hOOk trainer fire dePartMent

OPen hOuSe & fire PreventiOn day

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MARCUS HOOK NEWSMunicipal Building10th and Green StreetsMarcus Hook, PA 19061

UPCOMING BOROUGH RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

The Marcus Hook News is the official publication of the Mayor and Borough Council. The Newsletter is delivered to Borough residents as a public service in the belief that an informed citizenry makes for a better community.

Information concerning this publication may be obtained by calling the Municipal Building at 610-485-1341.

Email: office@marcushookboro.org

BOROUGH COUNCILJosephine Laird, PresidentWilliam Cox, Vice PresidentCheryl EvernghamPaula Ewing Joseph FlynnJohn KennardMichael Manerchia

MAYORGene Taylor

BOROUGH MANAGERAndrew Weldon, CPA

Halloween - Pumpkin Decorating Saturday, October 20th at 12:00 PM

Marcus Hook Community Center – Marcus Hook Residents

Marcus Hook Trainer Fire Department Open House Saturday, October 20th from 11:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Marcus Hook Trainer Fire Department

Halloween - Table or Treat Saturday, October 27th at 12:00 PM

Marcus Hook Community Center/Market Square Memorial Park – Marcus Hook Residents

Holiday Parade Saturday, November 24th at 6:00 PM

Lunch with Santa Saturday, December 15th from 11:00 AM – 1:30 PM

Marcus Hook Community Center – Marcus Hook Residents