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Harold Berkoben

Saturday, February 23, 2013

NOW ONLINE: Whitehall Council Posts Open Fires Ordinance

The proposed new law will be on public display for two weeks. And other notes from Wednesday night's borough council meeting.

Open Fires Ordinance Drafted A new ordinance regulating open burning in Whitehall Borough has been drafted and made available for public review at the borough municipal building along Borough Park Drive. (UPDATE: The proposed ordinance is also available online.) The proposed ordinance resembles one currently in use in Hampton Township with, as Whitehall Borough Manager James E. Leventry said, "a few tweaks." For example, Hampton officials do not allow for grills, outdoor barbecues or fireplaces used strictly for cooking to be less than 10 feet from a house, structure, inhabited area, roadway, utility or property line, but Whitehall's ordinance, if passed by the Whitehall Council, would set that minimum at just 5 feet. In all other cases of…

nofire pitts

8:11 pm on Monday, March 11, 2013

Just came across this woman's testimony from Milford, CT a few years ago. Please consider her family's health ramifications from neighbors' outdoor fireplace. http://burningissues.org/car-www/pdfs/2009HBLaura%20Russo,%20Milford-TMY.pdf --------------- Ms. Russo says, "... I can tell you, an outdoor fireplace goes for anywhere from 50-150 dollars. My co-pay for the ambulance ride was a lot more …   more ›

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Glenn Nagy Chosen as New Whitehall Council Prez

Harold Berkoben is the new vice president, and committee members also re-organize.

New President, Vice President The Whitehall Borough Council used its first meeting of 2013 to select Councilmen Glenn Nagy and Harold Berkoben as its newest president and vice president, respectively. The Whitehall Council regularly rotates its council members through those positions without controversy. As such, Councilmen William J. Veith resigned on Wednesday night from the presidency that he held in 2012 before joining a unanimous vote to elevate then-Vice President Nagy to the head seat. With the vice presidency then vacated, Berkoben was selected unanimously to replace Nagy. Also on Wednesday night, the borough's seven councilmembers received their new committee assignments for 2013: Police Retirement The Whitehall Council also …

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Athletic Assoc. Prez Concerned with Refugees' Use of Whitehall Fields

Gary and Melanie Remlinger spoke to the Whitehall Council about that issue on Wednesday night.

Refugees on Borough Fields Like it or not, Whitehall Borough has been forced to handle a large influx of refugee families to its community over the past several years. And a great deal of those people have taken residence in the apartments of the Wallace (Prospect) Park area, very near some borough fields that are also near and dear to the hearts of those running the Baldwin-Whitehall Athletic Association (BWAA)—a baseball and softball organization open to children from all communities. The president of the BWAA—Gary Remlinger—and his wife, Melanie, both of Varner Road, spoke to the Whitehall Council at its meeting on Wednesday night, expressing concern over how some refugees have been treating those parks—specifically, Prospect and …

NE12Ukid

12:45 pm on Monday, December 3, 2012

observer 11:55 am on Monday, December 3, 2012 I sympathize with all of you who have had your property destroyed. ``````````````````` Of course, but you should have seen the attacks on those who formerly complained on Patch about their property being destroyed by cats owned by people who let them run free and cause such damage. At least we can work to better communicate with and teach our new …   more ›

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Route 51 Eat'n Park to Expand (and More Whitehall Council Notes)

Leftovers from Wednesday night's borough meeting.

Changes Coming at Route 51 Eat'n Park Whitehall Borough Councilman Philip Lahr shared the news at Wednesday night's council meeting that big changes are coming at the Route 51 Eat'n Park. Eat'n Park management is planning on "a great deal of improvements" there, Lahr said, including restroom renovations, an increase in actual building space and the addition of curbside pickup for to-go orders. Lahr said that restaurant management is still in the process of having its plans approved by Whitehall's Planning and Zoning officials. No More Curbside Electronics Pickup in Whitehall Councilman Robert McKown said on Wednesday that, starting on Jan. 1, 2013, solid waste collectors in Whitehall will no longer pick up electronics equipment alongside …

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Sasafras Jackson

2:39 pm on Friday, October 19, 2012

Tis a good day in the Sassy Jack househould! haha...lol I hope that you are having a fantastic day, Margaret and God bless you!   more ›

Whitehall Will Charge Other Communities—Mostly Brentwood—to Use its Firefighters

The Whitehall Borough Council approved the measure, 6-0, on Wednesday night.

Acting in what Whitehall Borough Public Safety Committee Chair Robert McKown said is in the best interest of its taxpayers, the Whitehall Council approved a policy on Wednesday night that calls for other municipalities to pay for Whitehall Fire Company service should they need it—but not in all cases. Up until the policy was passed on Wednesday by a 6-0 vote—Councilman Harold Berkoben was absent—Whitehall's volunteer fire company would always respond to emergencies in neighboring municipalities free of charge when those municipalities' fire companies either needed help or were not able to respond themselves at all. But now, in cases when two specific things both occur—(1) Whitehall Fire is the primary responder for another municipality and…

Watcher

11:30 am on Saturday, October 27, 2012

Wow , you people really went off track, I see it as jealousy. Whitehall Boro has A system that guarantees coverage. Brentwood DOES NOT! So, how could you expect to use Whitehalls personnell without having to reimburse them? Brentwood boro gives the fire company tens of thousands of dollars but does not ask for A guarentee of service. If someones house on Brownsville road catch fire at say, 11 in …   more ›

Thursday, September 20, 2012

Weeds Along Borough Roads Irk Whitehall Council Members

The shrubbery is crowding lanes of traffic, and other notes from Wednesday's council meeting.

Weed 'Em Out If weeds from private property are spreading out and covering public roadways, who should be responsible for cutting them down? Whitehall Borough Councilman Robert McKown brought up the topic at Wednesday night's council meeting. McKown said that he's noticed high grass and other shrubs crowding both lanes of travel along Curry Road in the southern part of Whitehall. "It's actually impeding upon the travel area of the road," McKown said, citing safety concerns. "You can't even see the curbs anymore." McKown suggested that Whitehall's Public Works employees travel both sides of Curry and cut down the weeds that have moved past private property lines. He also wants those properties' owners to be contacted about maintaining their…

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cc

9:23 am on Saturday, September 22, 2012

Jon agree, I ride and it is terrible on the roads that you mentioned. If we were in Mt Lebanon, the Road Personal would be cutting down the weeds that are growing out of people yards and the home owners would be getting a nice healthy bill for the work. It is all over Whitehall that some of the home owners are lazy and don't cut these weeds down. I have taken the weedwacker to my neighbors weeds …   more ›

Thursday, September 6, 2012

High Grass, Shaky Buildings, Other Eyesores Irking Whitehall

The borough council also discussed on Wednesday night upcoming library renovations as well as Community Day success.

High Grass, Shaky Buildings, Other Eyesores At a Whitehall Borough Council meeting on Wednesday night, Councilman Philip Lahr talked about foreclosures in Whitehall and the eyesores that they can become. "Some of these properties have been vacant for four years," Lahr said. "The grass is high, and I know of one property where a structure is starting to collapse." Borough solicitor Irving Firman told Lahr that Whitehall administration is trying to take legal action on some of those foreclosed properties and issue municipal liens and tax collecting. "In some cases," Firman said, "there are absentee landlords or there is some difficulty tracking down the particular bank or LLC (limited liability company) that owns the properties." Councilman …

dashaya scott

9:00 pm on Sunday, January 13, 2013

ummm. what are we talking about i dont know how i got on this but follow me on facebook my name is dashaya scott lol :)   more ›

Friday, June 22, 2012

Backyard Fire Pits an Issue Facing Whitehall Council

Also, a discussion about a war memorial, and other leftovers from a June 20 borough meeting.

Residents Have Fire Pits Concerns The aroma of a backyard fire is a welcome smell to many folks in Whitehall Borough. But to some others, it's a nuisance. Because with the smell comes the smoke. That was the story from a discussion among Whitehall council members at a borough meeting on Wednesday night. Some council members admitted that they enjoy backyard fire pits in the borough, but some of those same members said that they understand why their neighbors might not. Councilman Philip Lahr said that residents tell him that they can't open their windows when a neighbor starts a fire. Borough Manager James E. Leventry said that whenever the weather gets nice every year, Whitehall's municipal offices' phones start to ring with calls from …

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Robert Edward Healy, III

9:49 pm on Thursday, February 21, 2013

UPDATE: "Whitehall Council Posts Open Fires Ordinance" - http://patch.com/A-2jpL   more ›

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Whitehall Council Argues Over Street Islands

A heated debate on Wednesday night regarding Whitehill Circle. Also, several other discussions over environmental issues.

As the Whitehall police headquarters gears up to go green with a new, environmentally friendly roof, residents of Whitehill Circle plead for the Whitehall Borough Council to return to green by restoring an island in the middle of their cul-de-sac. A Circular Discussion Whitehill Circle residents Regina and Anthony Frankenfield and Lucy Buzzeo made impassioned speeches to the Whitehall Council on Wednesday to restore the Whitehill island and to put back up a red dogwood tree that was the showpiece of their neighborhood. Councilman Philip Lahr was the first to apologize to the residents; though, Lahr believed that the residents were duly notified about the change in the way that their cul-de-sac would look. The residents, however, claimed …

Thursday, May 17, 2012

MRTSA Moving to Old Whitehall Fire Station

Also, the borough's code is heading online, a junkyard update and other notes from a May 16 council meeting.

Route 51 'Safety Center' The Whitehall Borough base of Medical Rescue Team South Authority (MRTSA), now found on Borough Park Drive, is in the process of moving to the old Whitehall Fire Company station across from Baldwin High School along Route 51. The old fire station sits directly next to the newest Whitehall fire station, which opened this spring. MRTSA's soon-to-be-former Whitehall base will be used by the borough's public works department. "The road crew will finally have more space," Councilman Philip Lahr, a former firefighter, said after a Whitehall Council meeting on Wednesday night, "which they need very badly. Now, they have two garages to store equipment in. "The (new) firehouse (project) was a win-win thing. If you built the…

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