Spring/Summer 2018 • Published by the Board of Supervisors • Founded 1741

Visit our website at: www.lowersalfordtownship.org

Chairman’s MessageDear Residents:As I write this, our community is recovering from the fourth Nor’easter to strike in the month

of March. You have to love a spring that begins with a foot of snow. Many thanks to our dedicated Public Works crew for all their efforts, including long sleepless nights making our roads safe. Who ever thought that the Punxsutawney rodent would be wrong by only predicting six more weeks of winter? Bah humbug!

While spring always instills that feeling of renewal, it also sets in motion the onset of road renewal and reconstruction. One major project sure to spark some interest is the traffic light in Lederach proposed by PennDOT due to the bridge reconstruction on Route 63. The Board is hopeful that this can be a real plus for the safety of the intersection that has seen more than its share of accidents over the years.

This year we will greet the spring warmth with mixed emotions. Mary West, our Assistant Township Manager, will be retiring after 47 years of dedicated devotion and service to the Township and all its residents. Her last day of work will be April 6. It’s impossible to list in this little space all the things that Mary has accomplished over her career. But if the spring warmth moves you to visit one of our parks (and we hope it does), give a thought of thanks to Mary, for I’m sure she had a hand in whatever part of that park you are enjoying. Her contributions are literally countless. Thank you Mary for all you’ve done. Now go enjoy some “free” time. I’m sure the grandchildren will be receiving just a little more attention.

Douglas GiffordChairman, Lower Salford Board of Supervisors

Last fall, a new bench was placed in Charles Reed Memorial Park in honor of longtime Park Board Member Joe Sykes.

New Website Coming

We are working diligently to bring you a brand new up-to-date website that

is easy to navigate and provides all the pertinent information for residents and

business owners in the township.Keep an eye out!

Bench Installed

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Township Contact Information......2

After 47 Years, Mary WestSays Goodbye....................................3

Lederach Intersection Update.......4

Lower Salford Police Department...5

Harleysville Fire Co..........................6

Eye on Development.........................6

Kit Houses in Lower Salford Township...................7

From the HCC: 2018 Swimming Season...................9

Skippack Creek Alliance: A Watershed Approachto Water Quality.............................11

Yard Care Tips To Help PreventStormwater Pollution.....................12

Proper Use of Township-OwnedOpen Space Benefits Everyone........12

Township’s Historical SocietiesAnnual Happenings.......................13

2018 Summer Discount Ticket Program...............................13

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Lower Salford Township Contact Information379 Main Street • Harleysville, PA 19438 — www.lowersalfordtownship.org

Township Office: 215-256-8087 • Fax: 215-256-4869 • Office hours: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.General Township Email: township@lowersalfordtownship.org

Supervisors Meetings

The Board of Supervisors meets the first Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m.

Informal work sessions are held at 7:30 a.m. on the day before the regular meeting and the third Wednesday of each month.

At the work sessions, staff updates the Board on Township activities. No formal action takes place at these meetings.

Township Supervisors

Douglas A. Gifford – ChairmanDouglas Johnson – Vice Chairman

Keith A. BergmanPhilip P. Heilman

Christopher R. Canavan

Lower Salford Police Department

Emergencies: 911379 Main Street • Harleysville, PA 19438 Office: 215-256-9500 • Fax: 215-256-1212

Police Dispatch: 215-256-9595 police@lowersalfordtownship.org

Chief of Police: Thomas A. Medwid tmedwid@lowersalfordtownship.org

Investigations: Sgt. Cory Moyer cmoyer@lowersalfordtownship.org

Patrol and Traffic: Sgt. Bill O’Connell woconnell@lowersalfordtownship.org

IT Administrator: Michael Antonucci mantonucci@lowersalfordtownship.org

Police Clerk: Barbara Jansons bjansons@lowersalfordtownship.org

Montgomery County Commissioners

Dr. Valerie Arkoosh, ChairKenneth E. Lawrence Jr., Vice Chair

Joseph C. Gale, Commissioner

Court House Swede and Airy Streets

PO Box 311, Norristown, PA 19404

610-278-3000www.montcopa.org

Our Senator in the Pennsylvania General Assembly

Senator Bob Mensch (24th District)www.senatormensch.com • bmensch@pasen.gov

Montgomery/Bucks County Office: 56 West Fourth St., Floor 2

Red Hill, PA 18076 215-541-2388 • fax: 215-541-2387

Harrisburg Office:Senate Box 203024

Harrisburg, PA 17120-3024717-787-3110 • fax: 717-787-8004

Our Representative in the PA General Assembly

Marcy Toepel (147th District) www.reptoepel.com • mtoepel@pahousegop.com

District Office:1885 Swamp Pike, Suite 107 Gilbertsville, PA 19525-9666

610-323-3299 • fax: 610-323-3289

Harrisburg Office:116 Main Capitol, PO Box 202147

Harrisburg, PA 17120-2147717-787-9501 • fax: 717-783-2010

Pennsylvania Governor

Governor Tom Wolf

www.governor.pa.gov • governor@pa.gov508 Main Capital Building • Harrisburg, PA 17120

717-787-2500 • fax: 717-772-8284

President of the United States

President Donald J. Trump

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington D.C., 20500 www.whitehouse.gov

Pennsylvania Senators in the United States Congress

Senator Robert Caseycasey.senate.gov • email: linked through website

Philadelphia Office: 2000 Market St., Suite 610

Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-405-9660 • fax: 215-405-9669

Washington, D.C. Office:393 Russell Senate Office Building,

Washington DC, 20510 202-224-6324 • fax: 202-228-0604

Senator Pat Toomey toomey.senate.gov • email: linked through website

Philadelphia Office:US Custom House

200 Chestnut Street, Suite 600 Philadelphia, PA 19106

215-241-1090 • fax: 215-241-1095

Washington, D.C. Office:248 Russell Senate Office Building,

Washington DC, 20510 202-224-4254 • fax: 202-228-0284

PA Representative in the United States Congress

Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (8th District)brianfitzpatrick.house.gov • email: linked through website

Langhorne Office:1717 Langhorne Newtown Rd.,

Suite 400 • Langhorne, PA 19047 215-579-8102 • fax: 215-579-8109

Washington, D.C. Office:514 Cannon HOB

Washington, DC 20515202-225-4276 • fax: 202-225-9511

215.703.020065 Wambold Rd. • Souderton, PA 18964

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After 47 Years, Mary West Says GoodbyePublic service has been a way of life for Mary West and her family.When Mary retired from her position as Assistant Township Manager on April 6, it closed

an incredible legacy of dedication totaling more than a century as township employees: Mary (47 years), her husband Winnie (33 years) and her mother Loretta Romanowski (28 years).

So it is not at all surprising that she will remain in the area and stay involved in her favorite activities, mostly aimed at preservation of the township’s rural atmosphere and the environment. A few days before she retired, Mary was appointed to the Agricultural Security Area Advisory Committee.

“This is my community,” she said. “I live in Lower Salford and I plan on staying in Lower Salford Township. Obviously, I’m always going to care about Lower Salford Township, even though I’m leaving this position.”

Speaking at a public meeting in early April, Board of Supervisors Chairman Doug Gifford said Mary’s nearly half-century of contributions to the quality of life in the township are much appreciated.

“She’s been here 47 years providing service to all the residents of the township, to all the supervisors, to everyone she worked with, and above and beyond the call of duty,” he said. “On behalf of all the residents, if I can speak for all of them, I would like to simply say thank you, Mary, and, on a personal note, I’d like to say a super big thank you.”

Mary’s career with Lower Salford began in 1971 when she was graduating from high school. Her mother, the township manager at the time, asked if she was interested in coming in to help with summer clerical work until she started college.

The rest, as they say, is history. Mary worked with her mother for 25 years before she retired in 1996. Winnie retired from the Public Works Department two years ago.Mary’s primary duties in the township office included processing development plans and subdivisions, managing developer escrow

accounts and serving as liaison between the board of supervisors and the park board and historical societies, she said.Her guiding philosophy, instilled by her mother, was to help residents solve problems.“That’s what we do here. We’re here to help the residents,” she said. “People come in with a problem and their problem becomes our

problem.“Nothing is more important to people than their homes and their families, so when they come in, it’s a problem that means a lot to

them,” she added.For Mary, retirement means she will have more time to spend with her family, including her husband, mother, two daughters and four

grandchildren, she said.Some of the other things she looks forward to having more time for include reading, gardening and cooking, she said. “I really just want

to enjoy the simple things,” West said. “Do it while you’re still feeling good.”

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As part of the PennDOT Bridge Reconstruction Project for the Route 63 Sumneytown Pike Bridges, improvements will be happening to the Lederach 6 Points intersection. While this intersection is not within the project area, it is located along the proposed truck detour route for the project. As a result, PennDOT and its design team have been coordinating with Lower Salford Township on just what the intersection improvements can be.

The Route 63 Sumneytown Pike Bridges project includes reconstruction of three bridges. The first bridge is located over the East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek in Upper Salford Township. This bridge will be staged and one lane of traffic will be maintained during constructions with a temporary signal controlling the traffic flow. The timeline for the bridge construction is estimated to be through this fall.

The second and third bridges are located over the Unami and Ridge Valley creeks in Marlborough and Upper Salford townships. These two bridges will be reconstructed under a full detour. The estimated timeline for this construction is March through September 2019.

As a result of these closures, there will be two detour routes implemented. Separate detour route postings will be set for cars and trucks. This is necessary because trucks cannot travel on the designated car detour route due to roadway geometry and other truck restrictions.

The truck detour route will be Route 29 to Route 73 to Route 113 and back to Route 63. This route will increase the number of trucks that travel through the Lederach 6 Points intersection. Given the conditions and constraints at this intersection, PennDOT is evaluating the installation of a traffic signal to improve safety conditions.

Several configurations for this traffic signal were analyzed and discussed with Township officials. Two public meetings were also held to take questions and obtain feedback on the potential scenarios.

For the intersection to perform with greatest efficiency and best levels of service for each movement, modifications are proposed to the local street, Old Skippack Road. Since these roadways are owned by the Township, any changes to the allowable movement will require a Resolution from the Board of Supervisors.

At this time, based on the analysis and public feedback, the proposed scenario is for Old Skippack Road to be altered to become a one-way roadway for a short distance away from the intersection of Route 113. This provides for adequate operation of the traffic signal.

PennDOT has asked the Township if the signal should be made permanent after the detour is lifted. If the signal is made permanent, PennDOT will install the traffic signal with similar specifications as on the existing signal at Route 113 and Landis Road. All the necessary physical changes and other signing modifications will be made as part of the PennDOT project at no cost to the Township.

Once the detour is lifted, signal maintenance and ownership will be transferred to the Township, as is the case for all traffic signals within the Township. If the signal is not determined to be permanent, a temporary signal will be installed during the detour periods and removed when no longer necessary. Finally, if Old Skippack Road is not made one-way, PennDOT will not install a signal during the detour since it will not operate acceptably.

Given the accident history at this location and the chance to reduce those numbers with a traffic signal, the Board of Supervisors is giving serious consideration to this opportunity.

While the Route 113 Relocation (Lederach Bypass) project remains a priority of the Township, the immediate chance to improve safety at the Lederach 6 Points intersection (at no cost to the Township) is a critical and timely improvement. The Route 113 Relocation is a project with significant cost and funding challenges for projects of this size remain an obstacle. The Township is committed to the Route 113 Relocation and will continue to stress its importance to public officials in an attempt to get the project on the state’s Transportation Improvement Plan. However, the relocation is considered a long-range improvement plan.

If you have any questions about the Route 63 Bridges project, please contact George Gumas, P.E., PennDOT Project Manager at c-ggumas@pa.gov or call 610-757-1877.

Questions regarding the Lederach intersection modifications may be directed to Joseph Czajkowski, Lower Salford Township Manager.

Lederach

Intersection

Update -

Spring 2018

5

From the Lower Salford Police DepartmentFind Us on Facebook

The Lower Salford Police Department has started a Facebook page. Please “like us” to receive information on the community and other news.Be Alert. Be Informed. Be ReadyMontco

Emergencies and disasters strike quickly and often without warning. They can disrupt our lives, force us to leave our homes, or even confine us for days without essential services like electricity, phones, or water.

How ready are you and your family?Vice Chairman Doug Johnson reminds residents that one of the first things you can do is sign up for our ReadyMontco notification

system. This program delivers alerts about severe weather and other important events in Montgomery County to the devices of your choice. Whether you prefer emails, text messages, or even a good ol’ fashioned phone call - you decide the option that works for you!

There is no direct cost to sign up for ReadyMontco. However, there may be charges for certain features (like receiving text messages) so it’s best to double check with your service providers.

ReadyMontco replaced the ReadyNotifyPA system in June 2015 as the Montgomery County Department of Public Safety, along with its emergency management partners in the Southeastern Pennsylvania region, switched providers of our notification system.

To create an account, go to montcopa.org and click on the “ReadyMontco” link on the left side of the page.When You Go on Vacation…

Tips for Securing Your HomeSummer is a time when many residents will be leaving home for extended periods of time. A vacant home is an attractive target for

thieves. Here are a few steps you can take to secure your home:

Make doors crime resistant• Install deadbolt locks, solid doors and sturdy hinges and strike

plates. (Be sure all materials meet building and fire codes.)Secure sliding doors

• Install locks to prevent sliding or lifting.• Drill a hole through the inside frame, and insert a nail to

prevent sliding.• Place a strong piece of wood in the track.

Prevent window entry• Use window key locks. Keep keys in locks for quick exit in case

of emergency or fire.• For double-hung windows, drill holes downward where inside

and outside sashes meet. Insert nails or bolts.• Consider grates for basement and first floor windows. (Check

local fire codes first.)Crime-proof outside areas

• Keep yard, porch and entrances well lit. Look into motion detection lighting.

• Store tools, toys, etc., after use.• Never hide keys outside your home.• Keep bushes trimmed near doors and windows.

Safeguard valuables• Engrave TV’s and other household valuables with some

identifiable number or label.• Rent a safe-deposit box for small valuables.

Have peace of mind when you’re away. Inform a trusted neighbor of travel plans. Have him or her collect mail and other deliveries. Don’t share your plans with strangers.

Leave shades in their normal positions.Have police conduct security checks on your home while you are on vacation.If you are interested in vacation security checks, please contact the Police Department at 215-256-9500.

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Eye on DevelopmentSketch Plans:

• Derbyshire Marine Products, LLC – land development for a 22,000-square foot light-industrial building on Christopher Lane• Metropolitan Development Group, Inc. – sketch plan for 46 twin homes on Maple Avenue between Oak Drive and Harleysville

Pike• Metropolitan Development Group, Inc. – sketch plan for 87 townhouses at Oak Drive and Harleysville Pike

Preliminary and Final Plans under Review:• Wawa Convenience Store and Fueling Facility (Provco Pinegood) – Land Development Submission (Mainland Pointe Mixed

Use Development) – Main Street• Mainland Pointe – SHR Harleysville, LP – Mixed Use Land development plan on Main Street• Clemens’ Mill – land development at 531 Main Street for office building and 13 residential units

Plans in Construction:• Applewood Partners, Inc./Jacob’s Crossing – 42 attached residential units on Oak Drive (past Post Office) and 1 single-family

home on Meadow Lane• Rittenhouse Property/Telvil Corporation– residential development plan for 30 single-family dwellings at 167 Harleysville Pike• Silver Springs Farm – 7,700-square foot warehouse addition at 640 Meetinghouse Road• Maple School Associates – 53 attached residential units and 4 single-family homes at 250 Maple and Park Avenue• Wyndham Court – T.H. Properties – residential land development for 11 townhouse units at 320 Alderfer Road• Indian Valley Faith Fellowship – 14,132-square foot building addition at 190 Maple Avenue• Espenship Subdivision/Sherman Builders – 3 single-family dwellings on Old Skippack Road

From the Harleysville Fire Co.There are many exciting things occurring at the fire company and we look forward to sharing them with

all of our residents. We are trying to grow our Social Media presence, so please give us a follow on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. It is a great way to keep up-to-date with Fire Company news and events.

Our 2017 fund drive mailer was a huge success and we thank all our residents and businesses for contributing. This fund drive serves as a major portion of our annual fundraising for the fire company and allows us to save toward capital projects. Please look for our 2018 mailer in September.

The fire company is currently in the process of replacing our 1999 tanker truck. We hope to have this designed and purchased by the end of 2018 and we would take delivery in mid-to-late 2019. This truck is a critical part of our response to areas where there are little to no hydrants in the township.

We also are in the early design phases of the memorial construction project that will take place in front of the station on Kulp Road in the area of or current flagpole. The project will be completely funded by donations from our local residents and businesses.

Volunteers are currently needed in many different capacities. Please consider donating your time to serve in such a rewarding way. Feel free to stop by on a Tuesday night and speak with a member to learn more.

As a reminder, once we begin to clean our yards from winter’s leaves and twigs open burning of yard waste is strictly prohibited by Township ordinance. Please see the township website for more information. If you are not sure, please contact us or the Fire Marshal and ask before having any type of controlled fire.

We wish you all a wonderful spring and summer season.

7

One of the three or four advantages to growing older is that it gives you a greater range of memories. (Right now, for some reason, I can’t think of the other two or three.)

For example, I can remember what a big thrill it was back in the early 1940s whenever my mother took me to a Sears, Roebuck and Company department store for clothing or shoes. I’ll remind younger readers that this was in a dim, earlier historic period before the advent of shopping malls, and the word “mall” meant only “a shady public walk or promenade.”

A Sears store was (and is) a mall in itself in the modern sense, with everything from clothing to hand tools and lawn mowers, all under one roof, and back in the day your mother took you, because your father didn’t shop.

What I didn’t know at the time was that from 1908 to 1940 you could even shop for a house at Sears, selecting from a list of 370 models, each with a name (after 1918) like Adeline, Carlin, Rodessa, etc., and have it shipped to your site for construction by Sears or your own contractor. The kits included all the millwork and other materials but not the plumbing, electrical, or heating equipment (which the on-line Arts & Crafts Society tells us could be purchased separately to suit different levels of taste).

This amazing program went on for 32 years, with total sales of (give or take) 70,000 kits. Wikipedia tells us that there are certain areas of Sears house concentration like Elgin, Illinois (200+ houses) and Washington, D.C. (over 250). There were other producers of kit homes around the country in that period, one of which (Alladin, in Michigan) actually offered kits with pre-cut lumber before the Sears program began.

I should say at the outset that I was drawn into this whole subject of kit houses by Lorraine Schwoyer, a former Lower Salford resident now living at Meadowood, the retirement community in Worcester Township, who told me that she grew up in a Sears kit house on Maple Avenue right in the middle of Harleysville. Her father was

Kit Houses in Lower Salford TownshipDavid Hudnut

Ernest Delp, well-known in the community as Secretary-Treasurer of Alvin Alderfer’s Harleysville Insurance Company and also President of Harleysville National Bank. In actuality the Delp house is not a Sears, but (just as good!) a model from another of these kit-producers, the Gordon-Van Tine Company, in Davenport, Iowa, as Lorraine’s carefully-preserved family documents show.

So in this brief introduction to the topic we’ll take a look at two kit homes right here in Lower Salford, one the Delp house, built in 1915 by Abraham S. Kline, and the other a Sears, built in 1919 by the Kooker family on Quarry Road.

Although those of us involved in local history since the Centennial in 1976 have looked at every “old” house in the township (we have an inventory, compiled by professional historians financed by Drew and Marilyn Lewis, as well as lists compiled by others), these kit houses were not studied because they were too “new” and not part of the local tradition. And there may be more kit houses in the township than the two I’m writing about here, so let me know. It’s a good research topic for someone.

The Delp home is the second place on the right after the bike shop in that line of houses before you get to the Harleysville Insurance building. The house is owned today by Mary Duza, who lives there with her family. As I said earlier, this house was built in 1915 by Abraham S. Kline, who attests to the quality of the kit and the whole program in a letter to Gordon-Van Tine printed in the company brochure, which Mrs. Schwoyer has saved through the years.

The Kline family goes back to the beginnings of settlement in Lower Salford, with John Isaac Klein’s purchase from the Penn family of two large plots (numbers 18 and 19 on Joel Alderfer’s “First Settlers” map) on either side of present-day Maple Avenue going west from the center of the village toward Lederach. This of course includes the site which the Kline house would occupy in the distant future, and I have learned from local genealogist Bud

Gross that the family names “Klein” and “Kline” do indeed represent the same family. The letters “ei” in German are pronounced like the “i” in Kline, a modernization of the same name, and Bud’s listing from ancestry.com shows that the spelling changed between the fourth and fifth generations in the family line from Johannes Isaac Klein, the early settler (born 1688 in Germany), to Abraham S. Kline (1862-1948), the builder of the house.

Because of a later addition across the front of the house, it no longer looks just the way it did in 1915, but the symmetry (one mark of many kit houses) is still there. There would be a small porch and entry centered at the front, and two wings going back on either side.

Today, with the addition, the entry is to the left side at the front, and an expanded living room is carried across the whole front of the house. Otherwise, although there are many interior

Kline/Delp home on Maple Avenue.

8

changes in detail, the layout remains as it was, including the all-important narrow pantry (for dry or canned food storage and food preparation) on the left side between the kitchen (in the rear) and the dining area at the front of the house.

Now let’s look at the Kooker family’s Sears kit house on Quarry Road east of the Hennings complex. From Sumneytown Pike go right on Quarry and look to your left just as you start to go downhill not far from the Pike. This is the present-day residence of Eric and Kathleen Benner, who are (rightfully) very happy about their house and its lineage. I’ve lived in Lower Salford for 60-some years and must have passed that place hundreds of times without realizing what it was, and, as I said earlier, we didn’t “study” it during the height of the Historical Society’s enthusiasm for old places. It is a “Rodessa,” right out of the Sears catalogue of its kit houses, and it still looks exactly like the house pictured in that catalogue. The cost of the kit was a smashing $1,122 “Already Cut and Fitted” with the bathroom, and $1,098 without.

One trademark feature of many Sears houses is the double column post system supporting the front porch roof, with the paired columns resting on top of short masonry pillars at each side, and this is the case with the Kooker/Benner house. The front door is slightly offset to the right of the centerline of the house, and you enter directly into the one-piece living and dining room, which takes up most of the right side of the house, with the small kitchen directly behind it. The two bedrooms (front and rear) and the single bathroom take up the whole left side of the house, and in the Rodessa as originally constructed, there is no direct access from the front bedroom into the bathroom: to get there you’d have to enter the living room and go left into a tiny hallway leading to the bathroom. Things were tight.

In today’s modern world (a redundant phrase I used to chastise English Comp students for using), young couples buying their first home are looking for space, more space, huge kitchens with counters, and bathrooms (plural), and these tight, relatively small kit homes we’ve been talking about would not cut it. In any event, we haven’t been hearing anything about Sears or any other old kit company starting up the production lines again. But if they ever do, I’ll take a 2019 Rodessa Mark II to replace the late 19th Century plans-built 3-story house my wife and I live in over near Skippack. It’s wearing me out (or maybe going up and down two flights of stairs 13 times a day is what’s keeping me going: we’ll never know).

Upper Right: Sears, Roebuck catalog page on Rodessa home.

Right: Kooker/Benner house on Quarry Road.

9

Welcome to the 2018 Swimming Season - Pools open Saturday, June 2Over the past several years, this article began with “Spring is in full swing”…well, not this year!! At the time of writing, we were

in the middle of the season’s “Fourth Nor’easter”…yikes! While we may have a shorter spring…weather-wise…summer will be here before we know it. Now is the perfect time to make your plans for swimming at the Harleysville Community Center pools. Membership information is ready to go for Summer 2018. Opening Day is set for June 2.

For membership information please visit www.harleysvillecommunitycenter.com and choose between two options of completing registration. For a limited time, registration is available online, look for the “Click Here to Register Now” button; to download an application for mail in registration, please press the button labeled “Download HCC Application.” If you do not have internet access, mail in applications can be picked up at the Lower Salford Township Office.

The McCoy Family will be back as our snack stand vendor. The Cool Eats Snack Bar offers full lunch and dinner menus, as well as snacks of all kinds. They will be accepting credit cards, selling gift certificates and have party packages available to members who would like to celebrate their child’s birthday at the pool.

The Cool Eats Snack Bar staff has two Family Fun Days planned for the Harleysville Pool this summer: Sunday, June 17 and Sunday, July 8. On both dates, the snack bar staff will host a pool party as a way for them to give back to HCC patrons. From 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. there will be a DJ playing music and games with all the kids - lots of prizes to be won. There will also be a giant inflatable water slide at the pool - it promises to be a fun time for all the family.

Last year, HCC celebrated its 60th Anniversary with an Upper Pool makeover…actually; we built a totally new pool within the old pool. The new pool was a huge hit with the patrons; here are a few of the benefits:

• Expanded zero entry/beach area gives us increased shallow water for our youngest patrons• Safe diving well; new layout meets current competitive requirements of depth, length and width• Redesign of diving well repurposed an area for adult swimming• All new plaster finish; all new piping and skimmer system; all new pool decking• Two sets of steps makes entry and departure from the pool much easier than using a ladder for many of our patrons• Pool can now be properly winterized with safety pool cover installed for the winter

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The work on the lower pool began shortly after the pools closed down for the season and continued into the winter. Years and years of paint were sandblasted down to the concrete and the top 18” of the pool walls were saw cut and removed so that a new perimeter overflow stainless steel gutter could be installed. The floor of the starting block end of the pool was “chopped” and removed so that the depth could be increased to allow for safer entry from the starting blocks. All new piping, to and from the filters have been installed along with the new concrete floor of the deep end. All new decks, new fencing, tiling of the lane lines/targets and the application of a quartz plaster finish are on the list to complete prior to filling the pool for the 2018 season.

From its inception, 61 years ago, HCC has relied on community donations, pool memberships and facility use fees to finance its projects and required maintenance of facilities. We appreciate all the community support and continued membership to help keep the Harleysville Community Center an important place for family and friends to gather and share memories.

A special Thank You goes out to our Community partners – Lower Salford Township, Excel Communications, Harleysville Bank, Harleysville Jaycees, Harleysville Lions and Harleysville Rotary for their ongoing support of HCC.

To learn more of the Center’s interesting history visit www.harleysvillecommunitycenter.com and look for the “About HCC” button.

News Flash…It’s the Lower

Pool’s turn for a makeover!

11

Lower Salford Township has been working with the Skippack Creek Alliance (along with Towamencin Township, Hatfield Township, Worcester Township, Skippack Township and Lower Providence Township) to improve the water quality of the Skippack Creek. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (PADEP) has classified the Skippack Creek as having impaired water quality. Regulations from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and PADEP require municipalities to implement programs to improve the water quality in impaired watersheds.

The Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, along with volunteers, held a tree “Plant-A-Thon” in the fall of 2017. Pictured are some of the volunteers planting trees at Jacob Reiff Park. Trees were also planted at Heckler Plains Farmstead. In the second photo, volunteers are installing a rain garden at Bucher Park.

Skippack Creek Alliance: A Watershed Approach to Water Quality

The Skippack Creek Alliance was formed last year to determine if there would be a benefit to the township to collaborate with other municipalities in the watershed to address the water quality. Five other municipalities agreed that a collaborative approach was worth evaluating. Over the past year, group meetings have been conducted to locate and evaluate potential programs or best management practices (BMPs) that would reduce the amount of pollutants running into the stream. Six larger-scale Projects were evaluated in more detail to determine potential benefits to water quality.

The type of BMPs that are included in the six Projects are:• reforesting farmland adjacent to the stream channels in the Watershed;• stabilizing eroding creeks;• adding plants and trees along the creek for riparian buffers to provide shade,

filter pollutants and protect the soil from erosion; and,• adding stormwater facilities to detain runoff from public lands to allow more

infiltration into the ground. These projects will be located throughout the watershed with four proposed

locations within Lower Salford Township, including Jacob Reiff Park and Heckler Plains Park for streambank stabilization and tree planting. In addition, two areas along tributaries of Skippack Creek near Sumneytown Pike and the Pennsylvania Turnpike are being considered for streambank restoration.

Lower Salford Township started in 2017 to plant trees in Jacob Reiff Park and Heckler Plains Park using a TreeVitalize grant and the assistance of the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy and volunteers. The Alliance will be applying for Grants, when possible, to help fund these projects. As these programs move forward there will be more opportunities for volunteers to help Lower Salford and the other members of The Alliance to improve the water quality in the Skippack Creek Watershed.

12

The acquisition of open space is for the enhancement of life for all of our residents. “Studies have substantiated the positive financial benefit of increasing the property values of all residents by these acquisitions,” said Supervisor Chris Canavan.

The increased frequency of the intrusion into Township-owned open space by individuals has been brought to our attention and is a source of great concern. Open space is for the benefit of the entire community, not just abutting neighbors. It is vital that everyone refrains from any actions that may alter the open space in any manner.

It should be common sense that open space not be used for the disposal of yard waste or other waste of any kind. Illegal dumping is a danger to public health and safety; it decreases property values, lowers the quality of life, and costs our Township taxpayers money to clean-up and restore the area. Please contact the Township Office or Police Department if you see any abuse of Township open space.

Residents are not permitted to plant trees, or place trailers, sheds, boats, or fences on Township open space. Free gardening permits may be obtained from the Township to plant annuals or mow the grass; however, no mowing permits will be issued in the Township “riparian buffer zones.” These “no-mow zones” protect the water quality of our streams and prevent erosion.

Township parks are open from dawn to dusk.

Yard Care Tips to Help Prevent Stormwater PollutionPlant a large stature tree

• Large trees provide great stormwater control. They can intercept more than 1,000 gallons of rainwater each year. Where possible, plant a large broad-leaf tree such as an oak, maple or black gum.

Consider planting natural, warm-season grasses• Native warm season grasses have extensive roots up to seven feet deep that enrich the soil and absorb

many times the amount of rainwater that turf grass does. The grasses also help filter out harmful nutrients that degrade our streams.

Get your soil tested before fertilizing• Avoid applying too much fertilizer. Purchase a soil test kit from your local Penn State extension

and submit soil samples from your lawn to determine the nutrients that may be lacking. Visit www.aaslp.psu.edu for more information.Leave grass clippings for a free fertilizer alternative

• Cut your grass at between 2.55 and 4 inches tall. Mow often enough so that clippings are not longer than one-third of the grass blade so they can decompose easily into the soil.

• Spare your stream by avoiding spring fertilization and leave grass clippings on your lawn instead. Grass clippings supply between 25% and 50% of nitrogen and phosphorus needs.

To report an illicit discharge to the stormwater collection system, stream, creek or river, please call the township office at 215-256-8087.

Proper Use of Township-Owned Open Space Benefits Everyone

When using the parks and community paths, you must clean up after your pets for the health and safety of everyone.

Please help keep our Township parks and open spaces clean!

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The Township’s Historical Societies Annual Happenings

While not much appears to be happening at the Township’s Historic Park sites, quite the opposite is true. Behind the scenes, five Eagle Scout candidates are undertaking projects at both Bergey Mill and the Heckler Plains farmsteads.

This summer, look for a new porch floor and picket fence at the Bergey Mill Farm, along with a new grape arbor. At Heckler Plains, the woodshed will get a facelift, the springhouse will be put back in operation and the nature trail will be reclaimed.

We are pleased to work with the scouts in completing these projects and to be on the receiving end of their efforts that only enhance these beautiful properties.

The Heckler Plains Folklife and Lower Salford Historical societies are planning events throughout the year to showcase these three very special properties:

June 2, 10 a.m. to noon: Plant Exchange at Bergey MillAre your hostas bursting at the seams? Are your

Lilies, Shasta Daisies or Black Eyed Susans taking over? Did you plant too many tomato or pepper seeds in the spring? Consider bringing them to our first Plant Exchange and sharing them with your fellow gardeners. Perhaps you may find some new plant to enhance your garden. Please label your plant with its name and whether it likes, sun, shade or a combination of both. Since gardners don’t mind the weather, this is a rain or shine event.

July 22, 6:30 p.m.: Ice Cream Social at Jacob Reiff FarmJoin us on the porch of the historic Jacob Reiff Farm for ice cream and friendship. The

house will be open for tours. The cost is $4 per person.August 18, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.: HECKLERFEST at Heckler Plains FarmsteadWe will again be joined by members of the Brandywine Baseball Club who will teach

us all how baseball was played in the 1860s with an exhibition game. Our usual hands-on craft stations, history and genealogy experts, pies and breads baked in the outdoor bake oven, Colonial food and the Heckler Plains Tavern will all be featured.

December 14, 7 p.m.: Carol Night - Heckler Plains FarmsteadDecember 16: Christmas House TourDetailed information will be available as the date approaches.For more information about these events or becoming part of the historical groups that

are stewards of our area’s history, please call Joan DiMaria at 215-822-7422 (evenings).

2018 Summer Discount Ticket

ProgramWe have discounted tickets available

to many popular summer attractions throughout the region. Stop in at the Township Building, 379 Main Street, Harleysville, Monday through Friday between 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. to get your tickets. For pricing, please visit the township website or call 215-256-8087 with any questions. Cash or check only.

Proceeds Benefit Lower Salford Township Parks!

Adventure AquariumBaltimore AquariumCrayola ExperienceDiggerland USADorney ParkDutch WonderlandElmwood Park ZooFranklin InstituteHersheyparkKnoebels Amusement ParkMuseum of the American RevolutionMorey’s PiersPA Renaissance FairePhiladelphia ZooSix Flags Great AdventureSplash Zone Water Park Wildwood

Thank You To The Businesses. This publication is made available through the generous advertising sponsorship of the businesses listed throughout our newsletter. We wish to encourage your patronage of these establishments; they play a substantial role in the economic vitality of our community.

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Township OfficialsDouglas A. Gifford ChairmanDouglas M. Johnson Vice ChairmanKeith A. Bergman SupervisorPhilip P. Heilman SupervisorChristopher R. Canavan SupervisorJoseph Czajkowski ManagerHolly Hosterman Assistant to the

Township Manager

Spring/Summer 2018

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