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Kids, K’nex, compete! Pennsylvania STEM K’nex Design Challenge held

ASHLEY &#8212; A lengthy borough council work session Tuesday night dealt with issues of the Huber Breaker site and payments to the Ashley Rescue Hose Co.The night, which was put in place to set an agenda for next week&#8217;s council meeting, was riddled with arguments, shouting and disagreements.During presentations of the various borough committees, Councilwoman Donna Schappert, who is on the fire committee, asked why a $351.05 payment every month from the Ashley Borough Fireman Equipment Fund goes to the Ashley Rescue Hose Co.&#8220;If you want to do that, we (council) need to OK it,&#8221; Schappert said.The breakdown of Ashley taxes allocates .15 mils &#8212; a mil is $1 in tax for every $1,000 in assessed property value &#8212; to go to the Ashley Fireman Equipment Fund.Borough Manager Greg Gulick said the payment was from a resolution of a loan from back in 1988. Schappert claimed the loan was paid off in 2013, yet the checks still go to the company.&#8220;Where would you like it (the millage) to go?&#8221; assistant Ashley fire chief Wes Saltz asked Schappert. Saltz says the fire department makes investments if donations or fundraisers lead them to excess money, which allows the fire department to operate and the check from the borough helped as well.Schappert then asked to see the other books from the fire department as well as the borough resolutions involving the payment of money to the fire company.&#8220;Shame on you,&#8221; Sharon Keefe, a former councilwoman in the audience, said to Schappert for questioning the fire department.&#8220;You want to take $350 from the fire department,&#8221; Councilman Joe McGlynn, the fire chief, said. &#8220;You don&#8217;t realize what you people have.&#8221;Council Chairman John Gibbons told Schappert and those in attendance not to &#8220;assume&#8221; when it comes to the legal verbiage of the ordinances, saying he will look into the matter.During the property committee presentation, the issue of the Huber Breaker site came up with Councilman Gerry Maldonado asking about something being taken from the property.&#8220;The 40-gallon container is gone and DEP gave them the okay,&#8221; McGlynn replied.Maldonado said he was on the Main Street property on Easter Saturday, when he received a phone call that there were people on the property, and DEP wasn&#8217;t around.&#8220;I was notified the gate was open. &#8230; There was a truck in there,&#8221; Maldonado said.Maldonado asked to be notified when DEP or anyone goes onto the property. McGlynn fought back saying he wanted copies of &#8220;every piece of paperwork&#8221; Maldonado gets on the breaker site.&#8220;Let&#8217;s have anybody who gets anything on Huber share it with the council, so we&#8217;re all on the same page,&#8221; a frustrated Gibbons pleaded with council.The council will vote on a resolution to hire part-time patrolman Dane Sorensen at the council meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday at the fireman&#8217;s park, 160 Ashley St.<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta>By Melanie Mizenkommizenko@www.timesleader.com</bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><factboxMeta>Ashley borough will vote on a resolution to hire part-time patrolman Dane Sorensen at the council meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday at the fireman&#8217;s park, 160 Ashley St.</factboxMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</shirttailMeta></div>

Ashley council holds tense work session