BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2020 page 1
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER
Volume 24, Issue 1 January-February-March 2020
BOROUGH CALENDAR…
Dates To Remember
January
2 – Waste and Recycling Pick-up (on Thursday)
6 – Reorganization/Council Meeting
15 – Recycling Pick-up
26 – Bernville History Open House
29 – Recycling Pick-up
February
4 – Council Meeting
6 – Shade Tree Commission (Borough Hall)
12 – Recycling Pick-up
18 – Heritage & Cultural Society (Borough Hall)
26 – Recycling Pick-up
March
3 – Council Meeting
11 – Recycling Pick-up
25 – Recycling Pick-up
TBA- Clay Park Clean-up
BOROUGH NEWS TO KNOW
● 2020 borough millage rate increased to 5.44 mills.
● No increase in borough water and sewer rates.
● Pay 2020 trash bill by Feb 29 - $220.
● Clear snow and ice from sidewalks within 12 hours.
● Snow or ice emergency parking restrictions.
● Stan Clay Park Clean-Up, March; volunteers
welcome.
● Bernville History Open House.
● Recycle Christmas trees behind borough garage.
Remove all decorations and tinsel. No artificial trees.
No plastic tree covers. Trees are ground into mulch.
● Tree Grant Provided 90 trees to Umbenhauer Park.
● Borough Council voted to retain the Police
Department
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2020 page 2
BOROUGH NEWS REPORT. . .
Mayor’s Report
It’s with great anticipation and excitement that I’m
looking forward to not only a new year but also the start
of a new decade. It’s hard to believe that it’s already
been two years of serving as the Mayor, and I can’t
express how much I have enjoyed the opportunity to
have conversations with so many people in the
community and witness the generous and selfless actions
of countless volunteers who have made Bernville a better
borough to call home.
I would continue to ask if you are interested in
helping with projects or have ideas or concerns please
don’t be shy with reaching out to me and the borough
council. I can be personally reached at 570.573.5677 or
on the web at bernvilleborough.org by clicking on
mention it to the Mayor.
Also, if you are interested in helping with the
Memorial Day parade, whether it is to plan it, organize
it, or day of staff please let me know. With so many
communities doing away with patriotic events like this I
feel it’s vital that we come together and ensure that we
don’t falter in our commitment to it and your help is
critically needed and appreciated.
Wishing you a healthy and prosperous New Year,
Shawn A. Raup-Konsavage,
Mayor – Bernville Borough
Borough Council 2019 Year in Review
STREETS
There haven’t been any major road projects
completed this year. However, there were several small
repairs completed.
SEWER
This is the 3
rd
year a Sewer Grant was applied for
and denied. Council will be looking into having sewer
lines repaired and replaced in 2020. This will be done
after a study is completed and detects the major leaks.
WATER
The Borough applied for a PA Small Water and
Sewer Program Grant of $138,337.50 from the
Commonwealth Financing Authority to be used for the
construction of water main replacement to the Borough’s
public water distribution system from 5
th
and Main Street
to Washington Street and Washington St. to Penn Street.
TRASH
On August 1, 2018 the Borough started a 5-year
contract with Republic Services. The contract is for one
time per week pick up and we will have a Spring
Cleanup date in June. The trash bills will remain at
$220.00 for 2020 if paid by February 29, 2020. There
will be a 5% finance charge on trash bills paid after
March 1, 2020.
PARKS
The remainder of the ash trees were removed in
Umbenhauer Park. There were several Eagle Scout
projects completed in Umbenhauer Park this year. They
include remodeling the snack shack, upgrading the
electric under the pavilion which included new lighting
and a new electric panel, and a gaga ball pit. The electric
in the kitchen has also been upgraded.
Council adopted Resolution 020519 authorizing
participation in the Pennsylvania State Association of
Boroughs Junior Council Person Program. If interested
in being a Junior Council Person please contact Brenda
Strunk at 484-769-8594.
FINANCE
The millage rate will increase to 5.44 mills for
2020; this is a 1 mill increase from 2019. The 2020
budget was approved at the December 3, 2019 meeting.
The following is the 2020 budget:
a. General Fund $334,978
b. Sewer Fund $294,650
c. Trash Fund $81,400
d. Water Fund $237,150
Borough Council would like to wish everyone a Safe,
Healthy, and Happy New Year!
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2020 page 3
Snow or Ice Emergencies
When the Mayor declares a snow or ice
emergency, there is no parking on Main Street from
Garfield Road to Shartlesville Road and no parking on
Second and Third Streets from Main Street to
Route 183 (including the fire company
parking lot).
For snow emergency information, tune to:
● Radio Station 830 AM (WEEU)
● Radio Station 102 FM (WRFY/Y102)
● Radio Station 105.1 FM (WIOV)
● TV – Berks-Lehigh News WFMZ channel 69 on cable
channel 9.
● TV – WGAL News (channel 8).
Snow and ice are to be removed from the
sidewalks within twelve (12) hours after the end of any
snowfall. A walk path is to be cleared at least thirty (30)
inches in width.
NOTE: Snowmobiles and ATVs are only permitted on
borough streets in the event of an emergency. Violators
are subject to a fine. Ordinance #235
Update on Police Department
In October, Council conducted a
special meeting at the fire company to
discuss the future status of the police
department and taxes. A large number
of citizens attended the meeting. At the November
Council meeting, Council members voted, by consensus,
to retain the police department.
In December, Council members approved a 1 mill tax
increase to address borough expenses.
Bernville History Open House
You are invited to an Open House
presenting some of the borough’s
historic items from the Heritage &
Cultural Society’s collection. The
Open House will be Sunday, January
26, 2020 at Borough Hall from 2 – 5 p.m. All items will
be displayed on the first floor; stop in to see some unique
and interesting Bernville treasures. Among the items to
review: scrapbooks donated by Bernville residents
featuring local newspaper articles/photos, memorabilia
associated with Rev. Ruth, and Bernville photographer
Cyrus Blatt’s glass plate negatives. (Open House will
not be held in the event of snow or ice.)
Heritage & Cultural Society meetings are open
to the public (see back cover for meeting times and
location). The first meeting this year will be February
18th. Efforts currently focus on cataloging historical
items held at the Borough Hall, digitizing photos of the
Bernville area from approximately 1970-2000 taken by
Spencer Watts, and identifying families residing on Main
Street from 1950 forward. Please join us if you have an
interest in Bernville’s history and in preserving it for
future generations.
Christmas Lights on Main Street
The borough extends a sincere thanks to the Strunk
family (Danny Sr., Brenda, Danny Jr., Kaylee, and
Parker) for volunteering their time to install the holiday
lights on Main Street. Their efforts over the years have
ensured that Main Street remains festive during the
holiday season.
Caroling at the Gazebo
Thanks go to all who volunteered
their time or participated in this
year’s annual Caroling at the
Gazebo. Also, a big thank you to
the Bernville Community Fire
Company for allowing us to use their building due to the
inclement weather. Special thanks to Shawn and Wesley
Raup-Konsavage, and Michele Ehrhart, for their
volunteer decorating efforts (and for making Borough
Hall look festive), to Santa for taking time to visit our
community, and to the faithful service of the Bernville
Community Fire Company for escorting Santa safely
around town.
Bernville Borough Newsletter Update
The borough would like to thank Tom and Marisa
Vanzin for their many years of work on the newsletter.
They decided to step down from this responsibility at the
end of 2019. Any community member interested in
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2020 page 4
helping with the proofing and layout of the newsletter
can contact the borough secretary or email the newsletter
at bernvillenews@gmail.com.
You may also have noticed that there is a slightly new
layout to the newsletter. These changes were made to
improve the look of the newsletter and to ensure that the
most important information is presented on the first
page.
Christmas Tree Recycling
Borough residents may recycle their
Christmas trees behind the borough
garage, at the recycling center. Please
remove all ornaments and tinsel prior to
recycling. Additionally, please do not
discard plastic tree covers at the recycling
center which may have been used when removing the
tree from your residence. Artificial trees cannot be
accepted. The Christmas trees are converted to mulch
which is eventually placed around trees in our parks and
residential yards.
Clay Park Spring Clean-up in March
At our February meeting, Shade Tree Commission
members plan to set the date for the annual Stanton Clay
Park clean-up in March. The date will be advertised on
the signs at Borough Hall and within Clay Park, and on
the borough’s website and Facebook page. If you join
us, please bring work gloves; clean-up activities include
light tree pruning, leaf raking, mulching, and general
park clean-up.
There is an opening on the
Shade Tree Commission. No
experience is required, just an
interest to participate in tree-related
outdoor activities. Formal
meetings are quarterly and last
about one hour. Contact the Borough Secretary if
interested.
Tree Grant Provided 90 Trees
The borough received ninety
trees and shrubs from a grant secured
by the Shade Tree Commission (and
supplemented by funds from the
Bernville Grange). Volunteers planted all trees in 2019
at Umbenhauer Park, and the Shade Tree Commission
extends a thank-you for their assistance. Most especially,
our thanks go to the Grange for donating money to
purchase trees. The new trees provide increased tree
diversity in the park. Various species planted included:
oaks, basswood, tulip-poplar, blackgum, red maple,
sycamore, redbud, river birch, blackhaw, and
winterberry.
COMMUNITY NEWS…
Bernville Area Community Library
4
th
Street at Fox Alley
2
nd
floor of Redner’s Quick Shop
P.O. Box 580, Bernville, PA 19506
Phone: 610-488-1302
Fax: 610-488-1979
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.bernvillelibrary.com
LIBRARY HOURS:
M-Th 11 a.m.-8 p.m. | Sat 10 a.m.-3 p.m. | Sun 2-6 p.m.
Closed Fridays, New Year’s Day.
Happy New Year from the staff at the Bernville
Library! Wow did 2019 fly. 2019 was a year of changes
for our library and we hope to continue the
improvements in 2020.
Do you have a passion for our library and want to
help make our library even better? We currently have a
few vacancies on our Board of Trustees we need to fill.
Please consider coming to a board meeting to see if this
is a place you could serve your community. We are
looking for people with new and exciting ideas to help
our library grow and improve.
We are also looking for volunteers to help in a
variety of ways, including a book club facilitator. Check
at the circulation desk next time you are in.
We are currently working on programming for January,
February, and March. Here is what we have scheduled
so far.
We will continue to have our story times weekly
on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday mornings.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2020 page 5
We will be relaunching our 1000 Books before
Kindergarten in the New Year. Please ask at the
circulation desk about this fabulous program.
We will also be starting a coding program for children in
3
rd
to 5
th
grade and another specifically for girls in 6
th
to
12
th
grade; please check for updates on our Facebook
page and website.
Our Wellie Wishers and Super Hero book clubs will be
meeting on January 6 and February 3 at 5:30pm,
American Girl will be meeting January 20 and February
17 at 5:30pm.
Lego club starts back up in March, so be on the
lookout for that date and theme.
On January 25 at 6 p.m. we will be having a
wine and cheese pairing event. You must
be 21 years old to participate. The cost for
the program is $20 per person and must be paid in
advance to hold your spot. Space is limited. The
program will be presented by Aulenbach Winery.
On February 12 at 7 p.m. John Brown will be presenting
“Abraham Lincoln and the Northern Central Railway.”
Relive Lincoln’s three train trips on the Northern Central
Railway which connected Baltimore to York to
Harrisburg to Williamsport. On each trip the differing
moods—angry, joyous, and sad—of the country at the
time were on display. Learn more about the emotions of
the citizens during the Civil War with these three
snapshots of Lincoln on the Northern Central Railway.
March 11 and 12 from 12 to 4 p.m. we will be hosting an
AARP Safe Drivers class. The cost for the class is $15
for AARP members and $20 for non-members of AARP.
By taking this class you may qualify for a discount on
your car insurance. Please sign up at the library as soon
as possible to hold your spot. Class may be limited.
In March we will be having a Flower
Arranging class with Marge from the
Nosegay. We are still planning the date and
type of class and the cost of the class so please
check on our Facebook page or on our website for more
information. Sign-up and payment will be required for
this event to hold your space as space is limited.
Did you know you can now donate to the library online?
Check out our webpage at www.bernvillelibrary.com for
all our events as well.
In November, we held our first ever Breakfast with
the Grinch which was a huge success. Participants ate
pancakes and sausage, decorated cookies, played games,
and took pictures with the Grinch. In addition, our
stylists from Bernville Family Hair created “Who” hair
for any who so desired. A huge thank you to Snyder’s
Landscaping, Bernville Borough, Friedens Church,
Peggy, Wesley, Shawn, Evonne, John, our staff and
board, McDonalds, Denise, Julie, and all those who
attended.
Bernville Community Fire Company
6701 Bernville Road
Engine House 610-488-6592
Fire Chief 610-488-6687
Thank you for your continued support of the Bernville
Community Fire Company.
Like us on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/bernvillecommunityfirecompany
Bernville Grange #1887
Meets every 1
st
Tuesday 7:00 p.m.
37 Shartlesville Road
610-488-1381
To rent the Grange Hall for parties or other
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2020 page 6
gatherings, call 610-488-7518. There is a kitchen and a
large dining area with tables.
In the fall of 2019, the
Bernville Grange presented a free
dictionary to each third grade
Penn-Bernville and Bethel
Elementary student. The Best
Dictionary for Students is for the
children to keep so they can take it
with them into the fourth grade and use throughout
their school career. The dictionary gift is an annual
community service project of the Bernville Grange.
Bernville Pool
The Bernville Community Pool
Operated by the Western Berks Swim
Assoc.
Ph- 610-488-0624
The Bernville Community Pool,
operated by the Western Berks Swim
Association, is in need of lifeguards
for the 2020 season. If your child is 15 years of age by
March/April of 2020, this is great opportunity. We
reimburse half of the certification fee after completing
certain work requirements. We would also love to have
any interested adults apply as well.
Does your child need to complete a graduation
project? We are a non-profit organization with many
opportunities to fulfill project requirements. Please
consider volunteering with us, to help provide a great
summer to our community.
We are also looking for volunteer board members,
no experience necessary. But if you have a special talent
(maintenance, fundraising, grant writing, activities
planner), or just have some free time to learn more. We
could use the help to keep the pool open for our
surrounding community.
Please contact Karen Alton 484-877-0228, or
karenalton3[email protected] for information about any of
these opportunities.
Don’t forget to save some of your tax refund to
purchase a season pass for a summer of family fun. And
all donations to the pool are tax deductible.
We can’t wait to see all of you again, and any new
faces this summer season!
Boy Scout Troop 422
Meets every Tuesday 6:45 p.m.
in St. Thomas Church basement.
Scout Master: Brad Folk
Phone: 610-488-8058
E-mail:folkfamily5[email protected]
Boy scouts, Troop 422, is collecting aluminum cans
(no trash please) at the following locations: Bernville
Beverage and Boyer’s Market, located in Troutman’s
Plaza, and Blue Marsh Restaurant. We are collecting
torn or tattered American flags for proper disposal. There
is a drop box at the Borough office or contact any Boy
Scout.
We would like to thank the residents of Bernville for
helping out with our yearly Scouting for Food Drive in
November; we collected a record 1109 lbs. of food to
donate to the Berks Food Pantry.
Starting the beginning of March the scouts will be
selling Kauffman's BBQ tickets for the beginning of
April pickup at St Thomas Church.
We would also like to say Congratulations to our
new Eagle Scouts: Colt Hoppes, Matt Blankenbiller,
Andrew Folk, and Kyle Schermerhorn.
Cub Scout Pack 422
Cub Master: Dan Degler
484-332-1893
E-mail: [email protected]
Flag Etiquette: When an American flag
becomes discolored, weathered, torn,
ripped, etc., then it is time to properly
retire the flag. To honorably retire an old flag, contact
the Cub Scouts. They will retire the flag for you – in the
correct manner.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2020 page 7
Bernville Young at Heart
Meets every 3
rd
Wednesday 1 p.m.
At the Bernville Grange
Meetings:
● January 15 – will be announced
● February 19 – will be announced
● March 18 – will be announced
Trip Contact: Earl & Millie Graeff 610-488-6898
Tips for Safe Snow Shoveling
Shoveling Snow can be dangerous for
individuals with underlying health
conditions or those who don’t normally
perform strenuous duties.
• If you have any heart attack symptoms, like pain in
your chest or shortness of breath, stop
shoveling and call 911.
• Shovel in shifts instead of all at once.
• Take breaks and drink water to prevent dehydration.
• Push snow instead of lifting it – if you must lift,
bend your legs and not your back.
• Avoid twisting motions that can stress your back
• If using a snow blower, follow all safety instructions
and stay aware of others who may be nearby.
Source: Pennsylvania Department of Health.
Evangelical Lutheran Friedens Church
P.O. Box 201
Bernville, PA 19506
Telephone 610-488-6260
Email
Office Hours: Mon & Wed 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Tues & Thurs 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
(Holiday weeks and/or other hours by appointment)
SUNDAY WORSHIP SCHEDULE:
9:00 a.m.Sunday School
10:00 a.m.Coffee & Fellowship
10:30 a.m.Worship Service
“Everyone Is Welcome”
UPCOMING EVENTS:
AA Meetings:
Every Thursday starting at 7:00 p.m.
Free Soup & Bread Luncheons:
Mondays, January 13
th
, February 10
th
, March 9
th
- 11:30
a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Will continue the second Monday of each month through
May
*Please note that in case of bad weather we will follow
Tulpehocken School Closings
Soup Sale:
Saturday, February 8
th
- 9:00 a.m. to
12:00 p.m.
Ash Wednesday Service:
Wednesday, February 26
th
– 7:00 p.m.
Thereafter, Friedens will participate in weekly
Wednesday night Lenten services – call the church at
610-488-6260 for details.
Central Pennsylvania Handbell Festival:
The Carillonaires Bell Choir from Friedens will be
participating in this festival.
There is a free concert for the public on March 14
th
starting at 4:00 pm at Lebanon Area Evangelical Free
Church 600 Shepherd Street; Jonestown, PA.
PLEASE NOTE:
Friedens will not be making Easter candy this year.
Thank you all for your years of support!
St. Thomas Church
536 N. Main Street
Bernville, PA 19506
Rev. Dr. Daniel Lute
Phone: 610-488-6702
Fax: 610-488-0962
E-mail: [email protected]
Visit us at stthomasbernville.org
Contemporary Worship Service 8:00 a.m.
Eat and Greet 9:00 a.m.
Sunday School (all ages) 9:15 a.m.
Traditional Worship Service 10:30 a.m.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH NEWSLETTER January-February-March 2020 page 8
Youth Group
(Grades 7
th
thru 12
th
)
Sunday 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Men’s Fellowship/Breakfast
First Saturday of the month – 8:00 a.m.
Prayer & Praise Night
First Friday of the month – 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Wednesday, January 29
Wednesday, February 26 ~ 7:00 p.m.
Ash Wednesday Service
Saturday, March 7
Community Lenten services will be held each
Wednesday beginning March 4 through April 1.
A light meal of soup and bread will be held at 6:00
followed by a service at 7:00. Contact the church office
for the location of each service.
Bernville Borough Newsletter
The Bernville Borough Newsletter is published quarterly
on behalf of Bernville Borough. Articles from local
civic & community organizations may be submitted to
P.O. Box 40; Bernville PA 19506 or emailed to
Deadline for the April-May-June edition is March 5
th
.
Please submit articles in Microsoft Word via email if
possible. Extra copies are available at the Library, Post
Office, Borough Hall, and Mario’s Pizzeria.
BERNVILLE BOROUGH
P.O. BOX 40, BERNVILLE, PA. 19506-0040
484-769-8594 610-488-9500 [email protected]
· bernvilleborough.org
HOURS: Mon, Tues, & Thurs 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Bernville Borough Council
Council Members’ names and their assignments will
appear on the Borough website after the January
reorganization meeting and will be listed in the next
Newsletter.
Mayor
Shawn A. Raup-Konsavage
[email protected] 570-573-5677
BERNVILLE BOROUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT
Chief Brian Thumm
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Brenda Strunk - Secretary, Treasurer, Open Records
Official
SHADE TREE COMMISSION
Jacob Shultz, Thomas Vanzin, 1 Vacancy
ZONING HEARING BOARD
Steve Faust, Mary Himmelberger, Jeremy Lutz
BERKS COUNTY COMMUNICATION CENTER
Non-Emergency: 610-655-4911 Emergency: 911
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COORDINATOR:
James Moyer, Sr.
WATER AUTHORITY:
Spotts, Stevens and McCoy ·
ENGINEER AND CODES OFFICER:
Motley Associates
SEWER ENGINEER:
Entech Engineering ·
SOLICITOR:
Hartman, Valeriano, Magovern, and Lutz
