Councilman resigns from post
POINT MARION — Councilman James Hackett announced his resignation at the borough’s regular meeting Wednesday.
Hackett, who served nearly a decade during two terms on council, is moving out of state for personal reasons and was “very, very instrumental in getting the trails project going, started the (community) newsletter, and was an avid backer of the waterline project,” said Art Strimel, borough manager and treasurer. “We will be looking for a replacement.”
Meanwhile, borough resident Kathy Griffith will be taking over the editorial duties associated with putting out the community newsletter, The Pointer News, he added.
Other leadership positions that need to be filled are within the Action Team headed by Councilwoman Victoria Evans.
“We need to crank up awareness and recognition of the Mon River as a tourist destination,” Evans said. “In the last three years we have been working with the River Town Program to improve the community. We developed the phrase ‘PASS it on, Point Marion is on the move.’ PASS stands for the four areas we focus on: PARK, public ART, STREETS, SIGNAGE. We have an action team that meets once a month and plans various PASS projects. Two of the most active members are leaving the group due to other commitments. The Action Team still has an important role to play in Point Marion and in the larger River Town program.
“Point Marion has a great opportunity on the horizon for economic development through outdoor recreation and tourism with the soon-to-be Sheepskin Trail linking Point Marion to the Mon River Trail system and eventually the Great Allegheny Passage” she added. “Now is a great time for people to help their community prosper, become a better place to live and welcome visitors. Change doesn’t happen overnight by the efforts of a few, it is more like a relay race, that takes times and many people to complete. Everyone has something they can offer for the good of the cause based on their time and passion.”
Volunteers also will be needed to help out at events and to assist in other projects such as keeping the grass mowed at that borough’s 14-acre waterfront public park, a focal point of the borough’s ongoing project to develop the community both economically and culturally, she added.
Anyone interested in the joining the River Town Action Team or volunteering for various projects can contact Evans at victoriaevans109@gmail.com or leave a message at 724-725-9560.
In other matters, council unanimously voted to hold door-to-door trick or treating on Halloween with optional participation instead of hosting the event at the park this year. Between the hours of 6 and 7 p.m., residents who wish to attract trick-or-treaters are encouraged to turn on their porch lights.
Also, council approved payments of $33,750 to John T. Subrick for work completed so far on the borough’s waterline replacement project, and $2,13.15 for engineering expenses associated with the project.
The project, which started last Monday along Main, Broadway, Morgantown and Walnut streets, seems to be going well, said Strimel. The borough spent around $800 for asphalt last week to do patchwork and fill pot holes and will be spending more to fill a hole under the roadway at Penn and Railroad streets discovered by the gas company digging to locate a gas line, Strimel added.
In his treasure’s report, Strimel said the borough will be working within its budget through the end of the year due to tax revenues being exhausted. The borough’s budget at the end of August was $52,648.02, with only $895.11 in real estate taxes being collected for the same month, he added.