Whitehall-Coplay Press

AUGUST

THURSDAY 16

Coplay Whitehall Sewer Authority meets 7:30 p.m. in the public meeting room of the Coplay Whitehall Sewer Authority, 3213 MacArthur Road.

TUESDAY 22

Whitehall Township Zoning Hearing Board meets 7 p.m. at the municipal building, 3219 MacArthur Road.

WEDNESDAY 22

Lehigh County Board of Commissioners meets 7:30 p.m. in the public hearing room of the Lehigh County Government Center, 17 S. Seventh St., Allentown.

The recent collapse of a 30-year-old deck in Whitehall Township brings to the forefront the issue of deck safety in our area.

However, deck safety is not just a local concern; it has become an important issue regionally, nationally and even internationally.

To better understand all the recent concerns, a brief history of decks is appropriate.

Whitehall-Coplay School Board has solicited the work of D.L. Keeney Contracting Inc. to perform emergency repairs to the grounds behind Zephyr Elementary School, where recent heavy rains have caused two sinkholes to open.

The damage is along the roadway between Zephyr Elementary and Whitehall-Coplay Middle School.

In other news, following the resignation of board member Arthur F. Taschler Jr., George Makhoul has begun his second stint with the board.

Blasting at Egypt Quarry not only shook their homes, but their yards as well, neighbors told Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners at its meeting Aug. 13.

Township residents spoke at the meeting to complain about an “ongoing problem” of blasting at the quarry, 4160 S. Church St., owned by New Enterprise Stone & Lime Co. Inc.

“No one told me when I bought my house that there was blasting on a regular basis,” resident Linda Bell said. “The complete house shakes. I have to watch where I put breakables — it’s that bad.”

JULY 30

Station 35 assisted police or another governmental agency on Mechanicsville Road.

JULY 31

A carbon monoxide incident at 179 Shiloh Court brought out Stations 38 and 39.

Station 36 handled a cooking fire, confined to a container, at 327 Fullerton Ave.

AUG. 2

A false alarm at 1715 Plaza Lane was addressed by Station 36.

Stations 36, 37, 39 and 3501 responded to a false alarm at 215 Quarry St.

A system malfunction at Whitehall Mall called out Stations 36, 37 and 38.

AUGUST

THURSDAY 9

Whitehall Township Environmental Advisory Council meets 7 p.m. in the township municipal building, 3219 MacArthur Road.

MONDAY 13

Whitehall-Coplay School Board meets 7 p.m. at the school district administration building, 2940 MacArthur Road.

Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners meets 7 p.m. at the municipal building, 3219 MacArthur Road.

TUESDAY 14

Coplay Borough Council meets 7 p.m. at the municipal building, 98 S. Fourth St.

WEDNESDAY 15

Northampton Regional EMS has received the American Heart Association’s Mission: Lifeline® EMS Gold Plus Award for implementing quality improvement measures for the treatment of patients who experience severe heart attacks.

Eleven lifeguards from Whitehall Township’s three pools received commendations from the board of commissioners at its workshop meeting Aug. 6.

Mayor Michael Harakal Jr. said when he and the board first decided to recognize lifeguards who had made rescues during this season, they did not realize just how often it really happened. Township officials extended their appreciation for the dedication of all the township lifeguards.