Motorists are advised that the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) and Bridging Pennsylvania Developers I (BPD-I) will begin pre-construction activities for the I-80 Over Lehigh River Bridge Project in preparation for the start of the replacement of the I-80 bridges eastbound and westbound over the Lehigh Gorge State Park and Lehigh River in Carbon and Luzerne counties.

On or after June 24, 2024, the construction contractor, Bridging Pennsylvania Constructors (BPC) and Major Bridge Subcontractor Wagman Heavy Civil, will begin the first of two main construction stages, with project completion anticipated in the summer of 2028. Initial activities will include the closure of River Road and beginning of detour activities for both River Road and Bicycle Route L through summer 2028. Additionally, to ensure public safety during construction the Lehigh Gorge State Park entrance from Main Street in White Haven will be closed to the public through construction. Wagman will begin E&S installation, clearing trees, and start reconstructing the I-80 EB median shoulder to prepare for a traffic shift. 

Effective June 24, the entryway for Lehigh Gorge State Park’s White Haven South Access Area will be restricted to the Route 940 access road. Parking will be restricted to the overflow lot. The trail in this area of the Lehigh Gorge/D&L Trail will remain open to trail users, with some temporary closures to ensure public safety. Whitewater boaters will have designated launch areas within the existing Commercial Boat Launch. The public restroom will remain open and available to trail users.

Visitors are asked to follow posted signage and to visit DCNR’s website for advisories or call the park at 272-808-6192 with questions during business hours.

On Thursday, March 7, 2024, PennDOT and BPD-I hosted the I-80 Lehigh Pre-Construction Public Meeting in White Haven to introduce key members of the I-80 Lehigh team and provide an update about specific pre-construction and anticipated upcoming construction activities, traffic plans and scheduling. To download the presentation click here.

This project is part of the ongoing PennDOT Major Bridges P3 Program. Bridging Pennsylvania Developers – I (BPD-I) is led jointly by Shikun & Binui Ltd and Macquarie Capital as Lead Project Developers and Equity Members. The Bridging Pennsylvania Constructors (BPC) joint venture (JV) consortium includes the design & construction expertise of S&B USA Construction (Pittsburgh, PA) and FCC Construction. S&B USA Construction is the construction arm of Shikun & Binui Ltd and is also the parent company of Fay, S&B USA Construction (Pittsburgh, PA), one of the four BPC Major Bridge subcontractors. Other Major Bridge subcontractors include the H&K Group (Skippack, PA), Kokosing Construction Company (Westerville, OH), Wagman Heavy Civil (York, PA), and Lead Designer, Michael Baker International (Pittsburgh, PA).

Motorists can check conditions on major roadway miles by visiting www.511PA.com. 511PA, which is free and available 24 hours a day, provides traffic delay warnings, weather forecasts, traffic speed information, and access to more than 1,000 traffic cameras.

511PA is also available through a smartphone application for iPhone and Android devices, by calling 5-1-1, or by following regional Twitter alerts accessible on the 511PA website.

Subscribe to PennDOT news and traffic alerts in Berks, Carbon. Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton, and Schuylkill counties at www.penndot.pa.gov/District5.

Information about infrastructure in District 5, including completed work and significant projects, is available at www.penndot.pa.gov/D5Results.

Find PennDOT’s planned and active construction projects at https://www.projects.penndot.gov/.

Find PennDOT news on X, Facebook, and Instagram.

by State Rep. Jack Rader (R-Monroe)

Three new military-themed license plates are now available from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT): the Air Medal license plate, Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans license plate, and Blue Star Family license plate.

Applicants for the Air Medal plate and the Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans plates must submit a completed Form MV-150, along with a legible photocopy of their DD214. The Air Medal plate contains the standard Pennsylvania license plate colors and depicts an image of the Air Medal.

The Afghanistan and Iraq Veterans plate is offered only to veterans who served in both theaters of operation. The license plate contains the standard Pennsylvania license plate colors and depicts images of both the Afghanistan Campaign Medal and the Operation Iraqi Freedom Medal.

Applicants for the Blue Star Family plate must submit a completed Form MV-920 and certify they are a family member of an active-duty, Reserve or National Guard service member. The license plate contains the standard Pennsylvania license plate colors and depicts an image of the Blue Star Family flag, which has a red border around a white background with a blue star in the center.

All are available for passenger cars or trucks with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds for a fee of $23. 

More information about these and other specialty plates is available at www.dmv.pa.gov.
 

Sturgeons have existed for 200 million years. The flesh and eggs of this huge, ancient, bony fish were likely staple food for the indigenous Lenni Lenape in our area. The enormous abundance of the native Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus) is arguably one of the reasons human encampments along the Delaware River go back thousands of years. 
 
Fast-forward to the 1800s, when the Delaware was known as the “caviar capital of North America.” An estimated 180,000 Atlantic sturgeon females spawned in the Delaware. More than 3 million pounds of sturgeon were taken from the River over just five years in the 1890s. 
 
That was then. This is now. 
 
Over-harvesting and other human impacts have shrunk the Delaware’s adult spawning population to fewer than 300. Because bony plates cover its body, the Atlantic sturgeon is safe from most predators, but not from human actions.
 
One of many subspecies of sturgeons, the Atlantic sturgeon is large, up to 6 feet long and 150 pounds, and long-lived, up to 50 years or more. After living and growing in the freshwater river where they were born, juveniles head downstream to the sea. Fifteen or more years later, they return to their home river when they are old enough to reproduce.
 
The Atlantic sturgeon was spared one human-caused negative impact: a dam proposed for the Delaware River. The proposed Tocks Island Dam was never built, thanks to unstinting and unrelenting work by local people and organizations led by Nancy Shukaitis. 
 
Other rivers — and their fish — have not been so lucky.
 
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, “in the United States, more than 2 million dams and other barriers block fish from migrating upstream. As a result, many fish populations have declined.” In some cases, fewer than one-half of one-percent of historic fish populations remain.
 
Sturgeons are among the most endangered group of species on Earth. Humans overfishing to meet the demand for caviar and causing habitat loss, often by dams, are the main culprits. 
 
Find out what is being done! Check out the World Wide Fund for Nature “Sturgeon Strategy” at https://wwf.panda.org/wwf_news/?270173/Saving-Sturgeons
 
Nature at Risk is a series published by Brodhead Watershed Association. See brodheadwatershed.org

Plastic can be a menace.
 
Plastics don’t decompose or “go away.” They just fracture into smaller and smaller smithereens — small enough to slip through the blood-brain barrier in humans and other mammals, with effects that still are not understood.
 
Of the more than eight billion tons of plastic created since 1950, only nine percent was recycled. The rest of it is still loose in our world — and its effect is enough to make your hair stand on end.
 
Tiny microplastics have been found deep in the ocean, in Arctic snow and Antarctic ice, in shellfish, table salt, drinking water and beer, according to nature.com, as well as floating in the air and falling in rain — basically everywhere. 
 
In the world’s oceans, entanglement and starvation from filling their bellies with food-lookalike plastic kills an estimated 100,000 marine mammals annually.  
 
Here at home, these plastics contaminate creeks and streams, groundwater, and wells. So-called “purified” water — bottled in plastic — has much more plastic contamination than tap water: People who drink mostly bottled water in place of tap water may be doubling their annual intake of these tiny particles.
 
On a macro level, in Monroe County in 2018, a truck accident dumped 27,000 pounds of plastic pellets into Sand Spring Run in the Brodhead watershed. Brodhead Watershed Association worked on a cleanup, but the pellets quickly flowed with the water three miles and more. So plenty of that pollution will be with us, well, forever. 
 
Then again, plastic is also widely useful in modern life — in everything from prescription bottles to cars to building materials. 
 
But single-use plastic? We can all do without that. Drinking straws, water bottles, shopping bags, plastic forks, styrofoam takeout boxes — we can make better choices for all of these things.
 
Tell the server “no straw, please,” when you order a drink. Use your own refillable water bottle. Keep a reusable box in the car for restaurant leftovers. And the world is full of cloth and other multi-use shopping bags, often free for the asking.
 
Keeping plastic out of our freshwater creeks and streams protects drinking water, and helps keep plastic debris out of the Atlantic — and out of the guts of shore birds, sea turtles, whales, and other vulnerable creatures. 
 
For more on freshwater plastic pollution, visit www.cleanwateraction.org

Clean Water Is Up to You is a series published by Brodhead Watershed Association. See: brodheadwatershed.org.

 

An hour into the pontoon river cruise, the naturalist had pointed out several manatees, countless alligators, two osprey, a bald eagle, egrets, purple gallinules, even an owl. But the bird he slowed to a crawl for was virtually invisible: an American bittern, hiding in plain sight. 
 
In its concealment pose, the bittern points its narrow bill to the sky, lengthens its body, and sways with the breeze, looking for all the world like the cattails and reeds of the wetlands and shorelines it prefers. Streaked with brushstrokes of buff and brown, this elegant, secretive heron is a master of disguise. Only its brilliant gold eye gives it away.
 
The American bittern is large, up to almost three feet tall, with a 50-inch wingspan. It flies with hunched neck  and rather ungainly wingbeats, its solid black flight feathers on display. On the hunt, the bittern stalks deliberately along the water’s edge, or stands rock-still ready to snap up small fish, frogs, snakes, insects, and even small mammals, and swallow them whole.
 
Like many of the passengers on the pontoon boat, the bittern is a “snow-bird,” which flies south to winter in Florida, the Gulf Coast, the Caribbean and Central America. In spring, they migrate back north where they mate, nest, and raise young. From the far reaches of Canada’s Northwest Territories across the northern U.S., their peculiar, booming “plump-a-lunk” mating call is unmistakable.
 
But here in Pennsylvania, the American bittern is endangered. According to the PA Game Commission, they have become “uncommon to rare” migrants in most places. The culprit: habitat degraded and disrupted by humans. 
 
 Marshes and wetlands where breeding bitterns once nested by the thousands have been filled in, shrunk, choked with sediment, or contaminated with chemicals and runoff. This harms both nesting areas and the birds’ food supply. 
 
That’s bad for the birds — and can also be bad for people. Wetlands help keep drinking water clean and plentiful, slow down stormwater, prevent flash floods and stream bank erosion, and reduce flooding on downstream properties.
 
What you can do:
•    Tell your local officials that protecting wetlands from development, road runoff, and overloads of nutrients is important to you.
•    If you’re lucky enough to have wetlands on your property, leave them alone — don’t mow, fertilize, or apply pesticides anywhere near them.
•    Support local land conservation that protects wetlands.
 
The naturalist on that river cruise didn’t need to ask the passengers how many were seeing an American bittern for the first time — the oohs and aahs told the story. Today, American bitterns are a rare sight in the Brodhead watershed. With healthier wetlands, maybe we can invite them back.
 
For information about protecting clean, abundant water go to brodheadwatershed.org
 
For local land conservation information go to phlt.org
 
Find more about the American bittern on the PA Game Commission website: www.pgc.pa.gov/Wildlife/EndangeredandThreatened/Pages/AmericanBittern.aspx


Nature at Risk is a series published by Brodhead Watershed Association. See brodheadwatershed.org.
 

Do you have a bird bath in your yard? A few shrubs? A brush pile by the back fence?
 
If the answer is yes, you’re well on your way to a backyard habitat that’s good for native wildlife — and for protecting drinking water. 
 
A welcoming environment for you and wildlife
 
The Audubon Society, National Fish and Wildlife and many other outfits will guide you in creating and certifying an official “backyard habitat.” Having a goal like that can be fun. But you can start providing for wildlife with baby steps.
 
A bird bath, for instance. You don’t need anything fancy or expensive, just be sure whatever you use is no more than 2.5 inches deep. An orphaned garbage can lid, old deep-sided sheet pan or jumbo pot saucer all work. Find a stump, or stack some bricks, concrete blocks, or stones to elevate the bath at least two feet off the ground, preferably three. Put a flat rock in the middle to hold it down and provide a landing place, add water, and you’re in business.
 
Birds are attracted to the sound of water, and a fun project for the kids is to add a drip to the bird bath. Repurpose a gallon jug by using a hot needle to pierce a hole at one of the bottom corners. Thread a rope loop through the jug handle and hang it on a garden hook or tree branch a foot or two above your bird bath. Make sure it drips at least 10 drops a minute (if not, widen the hole slightly), and you’re likely to see birds taking a shower within a day.
 
If a bird bath isn’t your thing, consider that brush pile. Just letting it be provides shelter and cover for all kinds of critters. A few evergreens also provide shelter and cover, year-round. A fruit tree or white oak tree are great food sources. Shrubs serve up berries and nesting sites, and native flowering plants like golden rod, black-eyed Susan and Joe Pye weed produce seeds for an all-winter bird buffet.
 
What NOT to do
 
As part of your growing backyard wildlife habitat, you’ll want to cut back on some common practices that harm the critters you are attracting. 
 
That means reducing the amount of lawn you have to maintain and reducing or eliminating chemicals. Lawn is basically a wasteland when it comes to food, cover, and nesting sites. Insecticides kill not just nuisance insects, but also good ones like bees and butterflies. Herbicides kill food sources that caterpillars need, thus harming the butterfly population, not to mention being bad for humans, too, and polluting water.
 
Among the chemicals to avoid are fertilizers. Most people overuse them and end up burning their plants — or worse still, inhaling or even touching them which can make you sick. Synthetic agricultural fertilizers also pollute creeks and groundwater.
 
So, taking a thoughtful, intentional approach to attracting wildlife to your garden can mean less maintenance, lower costs, and fewer powerful chemicals in your own habitat. 
 
Now, where’s that old garbage can lid….?
 
For more information
Interested in getting your garden certified as a bird-friendly habitat? Go to 
https://pa.audubon.org/conservation/4-tips-bird-friendly-habitat
 
Penn State Extension has great ideas for your backyard:
https://extension.psu.edu/plan-a-backyard-wildlife-habitat
 
A word about cats and dogs: In the U.S. wild and pet cats and dogs kill millions of birds and other wildlife every year. If your pets roam outside, be careful to place your feeders and baths near tree cover, but not near shrubs where pets can hide and their natural instincts can lead to mayhem.


Clean Water Is Up to You is a series published by Brodhead Watershed Association. See: brodhead watershed.org.
 

by Lori R. Cooper

On May 4 Tunkhannock Township supervisors held a conditional use hearing at the Tunkhannock Fire Department for the proposed warehouse in the township. It was held there as the Township building could not accommodate the large crowds at the past two Board meetings in which the warehouse was discussed.
Board President Fran DiPiano began by thanking solicitor Harry Coleman, secretary Tina Kernan, zoning officer Kate Lambert, and township residents for their help and input. He explained that all letters from the community were put into eight different categories and input from the Planning Committee, led by new supervisor Kevin Weiand, were “thoroughly reviewed” when making a decision. 
Board member George Ewald voluntarily recused himself from voting as his employer, Pocono Raceway, has ownership in the property. 
The proposed warehouse would be located on Route 115 in Long Pond, Tunkhannock Township, which is a C-2 (commercial) zoning district. Conditional use was approved by the Board as “it is a matter of right” unless the board deemed the warehouse would negatively affect the “health, safety and welfare of the Township”.
The motion for approval was granted and approved subject to conditions listed in a 42-page handout available at the meeting, and on the township website, longpondpa.com.
Residents expressed concern about the 60-foot building height limit, increased from 30 feet as of January 13, 2022. It was explained that this decision occurred as every surrounding township already had a 60-foot height limit. Residents also had many questions about the perc test, water flow, emergency vehicle access and availability, Hazmat preparedness, blasting and wildlife and forestry preservation.  
It was explained that the project will be overseen by many different agencies. The Conservation District will be involved as needed. The land developer, 115 Associates, will address specific issues such as fire company availability and ability and traffic studies. There are specific conditions as precursors to land development. Some conditions, such as lighting and perc tests can’t be done until the project moves along. 
It is estimated that the project could take up to two years. 
 

by Patrick Albano
The Pocono Mountain School District held its regular meeting on May 4, at 7 p.m. at the Swiftwater Campus. President Marion Pyzik called the meeting to order and with all Board members present a motion to approve the minutes of the previous agenda passed unanimously. 
At the May 4 PMSB meeting, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Elizabeth Robison reported that “East High School received an award from the Chamber of Commerce and Tobyhanna Elementary held a pep rally for grades 3-6 which was a tremendous success.” Robison continued; “the district raised over $4,000 in four years for pediatric cancer.” Robison discussed the Community Night Roundtable held at Northampton College stating, “this was the sixth meeting supported by over a hundred community agencies and I am proud of the representation and participation.” Robison also mentioned WBRE and its upcoming live coverage of West High School to promote the school’s Safety Council.
Over 200 hundred students from pre-k and first grade participated in the district’s Early Literary Family Engagement Series entitled Spring into Reading. Program director Stacy Kulics stated, “Our focus is on rhyming.” “Families that register receive a packet of books and rhyming games to take home.” “The books have picture cards and kids match words on cards.” Kulics added, “volunteers put together a Google classroom and that parent’s feedback is positive and for the kids a wonderful experience.” 
Board approved a tick mitigation study after learning children aged 5-12 are at elevated risk for Lyme disease. Monroe County will be evaluated, and several school properties will be selected to spray along the wood-line. 
Business manager Joseph Collazo gave updates on factors impacting the fiscal year budget stating, “Cyber-Charter could be over budget by $700K as of next year.” Board member Rusty Johnson added, “I have been on the Board 11 years, and this is the most challenging budget. Over the last 10 years we worked hard and did not raise taxes-these are factors not caused by the district but COVID.” 
Board president Marian Pyzik added, “I applaud the previous Board for not raising taxes.” 
Board member Anna Lopez differed stating, “I am not for this Budget, and you are not going to take from my family.” The conversation then turned more heated between Johnson, Lopez and Collazo with Lopez asking about a $36K budget transfer amount and stating,  “I ask for accountability, I would like to see things written down and do not want to dig for things.” Collazo explained the $36K figure as for contingencies and Lopez responded, “it’s as a blank check.”
Recognition of visitors included comments from former board president Meg Dilger who directed her comments to Lopez stating, “your behavior and conduct is appalling…Posting vulgarity on social media is setting a bad example for youth…Executive sessions are confidential and should not be discussed publicly…Complaining on social media is not professional and you need tough skin to dodge the punches.” Dilger reminded Lopez “you can be recalled by your voters and the board can recall your position.”
 

Pocono Mountain Regional Emergency Medical Services kicked off the nonprofit’s Annual Subscription Drive with “Membership making a difference” for the community and ambulance organization alike. Responding to nearly 7,000 emergency calls in 2021, while operating costs including building and vehicle maintenance, equipment acquisition, as well as, training classes for medical professionals increases. Created as a means of offsetting these expenses and continuing to provide quality care, PMREMS turns to the community for help.
Delivering a win/win concept comes naturally as residents can be enrolled in “Drive” coverage June 1, 2022 to May 31, 2023 for just $75 and receive transportation as part of the Subscription that covers Emergency Ambulance Services generated through the 911 system. Ambulance transportation of an emergency nature must be “medically necessary” by the applicable insurance plan in which the subscriber is enrolled.  
Expanding the ability to provide signup opportunities, the nonprofit also offers Commercial Subscriptions where area businesses can sign-up to cover employees should emergency medical transport for care be needed from at the place of business.
PMREMS continues to not only distribute a direct mailing sent across the region; but has created a lineup of easy access online. Connect through email newsletter or social media, even convenient website online registration at PMREMS.org/subscription by May 31st.
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For more information about the Subscription Program and Pocono Mountain Regional EMS, a nonprofit 501(c)3 ambulance organization serving Barrett, Coolbaugh, Paradise, Price, Tobyhanna and Tunkhannock Townships, along with the Borough of Mount Pocono and assisting the surrounding Monroe County area please visit PMREMS.org
 

Recently, there has been a lot of news about increases in home energy prices both for electric and natural gas supply.  Many companies began notifying their customers that the cost of electricity will be increasing beginning June 1 for customers who remain with their utility for what is called “default service”, which is the rate that you are charged if you do not choose a competitive electric supplier.
“Like most Pennsylvanians, I am concerned with the impact that rising energy prices have on consumers’ ability to afford their electricity bills. While we have seen news about recent price increases for non-shopping customers, it is important to remember that your utility does not make money on your default service rate and that while the competitive market may provide some savings for consumers, folks need to be careful to make sure that they know the product terms, fees, and variability of their energy contract if they choose to shop for an alternative provider,” said Acting Consumer Advocate Patrick Cicero.
Shop Smart: If you choose to shop for an alternate supplier, the OCA recommends following these basic tips.  
Consider enrolling in a utility’s standard offer or customer referral program. These programs provide a 12-month fixed rate contract that offers 7% off the utility price at the time of your enrollment. Your rate will be fixed, and it will be lower than the utility price at the time you enroll, but the actual percentage of the savings you see may change (or be eliminated) if the price to compare changes in the future.   Contact your utility to find out more. Do your research to ensure the selected supplier offers the type of service that you want and is licensed to provide service in Pennsylvania.  We recommend checking the OCA’s natural gas and electric shopping guides or visiting papowerswitch.com and pagasswitch.com. Both are official state hosted and monitored websites. Use their filters to filter for the terms that you want. Before signing up for service, learn of any additional fees that may be associated with the contract. Looking at the price per kWh is not the only factor. Some suppliers charge additional fees that may include but are not limited to monthly fees, customer charges or early cancellation fees.  After enrollment, calendar the end of your contract.  Although suppliers are required by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission’s regulations to notify customers of the end of their contracts, it is best to keep track of this information to ensure the account is not rolled into a variable or higher rate when the contract expires.  Stay vigilant with your account.  Be sure to monitor your monthly electric and natural gas bills to ensure you are being charged the agreed upon rate with your selected supplier. 
If you are already enrolled with a natural gas or electric supplier, review your bill and your contract: It is important to understand the contract length, price per unit of usage, cancellation policy, and any additional monthly fees that may be applicable. Detailed information about your contract can be found in your disclosure statement. Review carefully. If you do not know how much you are paying for your energy, contact your utility and ask them whether you are being served by them or a competitive supplier or check your bill.
Contact your utility company to check eligibility for assistance programs: Call your electric and natural gas distribution company to learn more about company-specific assistance that may be available. Some utilities have customer assistance programs, budget billing (which spreads your payments evenly out over the course of the year), usage reduction programs and hardships programs run by community organizations. 
Contact our office if you have questions:  Our office has a consumer hotline that can assist households who have questions about their energy bills.  Call 1-800-684-6560 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or email us at consumer@paoca.org. 
About the PA Office of Consumer Advocate: The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) represents the interests of Pennsylvania utility consumers in cases before the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC), federal agencies and state and federal courts. The OCA uses its resources to help the greatest number of consumers and generally focuses on the needs of residential consumers. Attorneys and staff advocate for Pennsylvanians’ access to reliable, safe and affordable utility service. 

Pocono Mountains United Way seeking 80 honorees from Monroe County 
 
Stroudsburg, PA - As part of its eightieth anniversary event, Pocono Mountains United Way is looking to recognize 80 leaders, groups, organizations, and businesses that have made an impact on Monroe County.  “Recognizing 80 honorees is a great way to thank those who are doing impactful work, or have been for years, to make Monroe County a better place to live for all,” said Michael Tukeva, President/CEO of Pocono Mountains United Way.  
 
The honorees will be recognized at the eightieth anniversary event set for Saturday, September 24 at Kalahari Resort and Conventions in Pocono Manor. For consideration, an honoree must show a contribution to the community in the areas of education, childcare, health, workforce development or financial stability, leadership, community advocacy, volunteerism, or business development. Nominees can be living or deceased, and individuals, groups or organizations will be considered. 
 
“Our community has been greatly enriched by the groups, leaders, and businesses we have had in the history of Monroe County. The success of our community has been because of the extraordinary acts of those who stepped up to make an investment in these areas and make Monroe County better for future generations. They have all made a difference to improve lives in their own ways, and we intend to honor them at our celebration dinner,” Tukeva said.  
 
The community is invited to make online submissions for consideration via Pocono Mountains United Way’s website at www.poconounitedway.org/nomination.
 
Pocono Mountains United Way engages and mobilizes resources to improve lives through accelerated community change. For more information about Pocono Mountains United Way, please visit www.poconounitedway.org.