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CHEMS honors Officer Wilding, supports Scranton PD

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Foster Grandparents honored for five years of service

RICE TWP. &#8212; The Rice Township Board of Supervisors again discussed problems with Upper Ice Lake on Tuesday.Having failed to qualify for an emergency permit requested from the Department of Environmental Protection to address a broken pipe draining the lake, township officials are now exploring options.Township engineer Andy Pasonick said the DEP determined there is no catastrophic failure or severe threat to public safety which would give the lake emergency status, instead suggesting the township-owned lake be allowed to drain naturally.Several residents encouraged the board to be proactive in the drainage of the lake in order to fix the problem as soon as possible.&#8220;Letting the lake drain on its own is a suggestion, not a mandate,&#8221; said resident Mike Friedman. &#8220;Properties around the upper lake are losing value and it&#8217;s possible that we are going to be losing a source of revenue.&#8221;Friedman suggested the township request a meeting with DEP to examine its options and to determine the most expedient way to fix the problem.&#8220;We can do that,&#8221; said Pasonick.Supervisor Marcia Thomas said, although the township owns the lake, the DEP regulates all dams in the commonwealth.Upon suggestion of several residents that the township utilize cameras to identify the root cause of the problem, Thomas said she would consult with the sewer authority to determine if the township can use cameras owned by the authority.Supervisors indicated that, at this point, the township engineer will craft a Plan of Investigation and submit it for review to DEP.Pasonick indicated problems experienced at the upper lake are not likely to be resolved before spring because, even if all approvals are obtained, winter temperatures prohibit completion of the work.In other matters, the board:&#8226; Approved the completion of an application for a Local Share Account (gaming) Grant for a case backhoe and road repairs to Lakeview and Henry Drives&#8226; Approved a $112,000 payment to American Asphalt for completion of the Rice Township 2015 Pave Project&#8226; Ratified a quote from American Asphalt in the amount of $7,320 for repair to portions of Henry Drive&#8226; Announced a leaf collection from Oct. 19 to Nov. 13 with leaves required to be placed in clear plastic bags and taken to the Mountain Top COG. A permit is required.The board announced the rescheduling of next month&#8217;s meeting to Nov. 4 because of Election Day.A recent requested of the Luzerne County Election Board to have the township&#8217;s polling place moved from the municipal building to Saint Martin Episcopal Church was denied.Thomas said the suggestion had been made only for the benefit of its residents and not to benefit the church in anyway.&#8220;The township effectively shuts down on Election Day,&#8221; said Thomas. &#8220;Had the move been approved, I think it would have been a better, safer choice for Election Day.&#8221;<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Geri Gibbonsggibbons@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Geri Gibbons at 570-991-6117 or on Twitter @TLGGibbons</shirttailMeta></div>

Upper Ice Lake continues to cause problems in Rice Twp.