Ethnic Intimidation, Fraud, And DUI: #NewtownPA Township Police Report

[IMAGE TOP: Signage as of 4/2/25; IMAGE BOTTOM: "Welcome to Newtown" version as specified in agreement with Newtown Twp]

Construction Continues On Newtown Wawa Store And Gas Station - Newtown, PA - A signature red and white sign has sprouted from the site letting the thousands of cars traveling along the bypass know what's coming soon.

This past fall, the new American Customer Satisfaction Index crowned Wawa as the nation's leading convenience store chain.

More...

Upper Makefield residents are suing the pipeline operators after an undetected crack leaked jet fuel into their private wells, contaminating at least 12.

The complaint, which was filed March 27, accuses pipeline operator Sunoco LP and its parent company, Energy Transfer, of negligence. Plaintiffs alleged that the companies failed to properly maintain the 70-year-old pipeline, identify leaks and investigate potential damage.

Following the leak in the Mount Eyre Road neighborhood, which the companies apparently did not detect for at least 16 months, 12 homes have tested positive for chemicals related to jet fuel, including benzene.

Although residents of the Mount Eyre Road neighborhood reported an unusual odor in their water as early as September 2023, the pipeline operators failed to detect a leak, and additional residents reported water taste and smell changes in 2024.

In 2023, the pipeline companies dug just yards away from where the leak was ultimately discovered*, but they didn't find the leak until January 2025 after consulting service records and digging at the location of a 1990s dent repair.

This is the video recording of the 3/25/25 Meet Make Tuesday Zoom meeting. It includes the Powerpoint presentation and the following Q&A and comments from the attendees.

Topics included Newtown Sewer Treatment Plant Decision, UM Sunoco Pipeline Fuel Leak, Meadow Conversion Project, Pedestrian Safety Updates, 2025 Liquid Fuels Road Repaving Program, Why Are Our Electricity (and Gas) Bills So High?, Update on Plan for a Public Mural, more…

Download the PPT notes with more details and links to background and related information: https://rebrand.ly/25Mar2025_MMT_PPT

This is my personal summary of the March 26, 2025, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS).

Agenda Items, Discussions, Decisions, and More

• Firefighter Commendations
• Reports of Board Members
  • Meet Mack Tuesday Summary
  • My “MAKE AMERICA’S CONSTITUTION KING” Hat
• Engineer’s Report
  • Authorize advertisement of the 2025 road bid
  • Newtown-Yardley Road sidewalk project nixed
• Official Video

On 27 March 2025, Newtown Supervisor John Mack, appeared at the famed Comedy Cabaret in Doylestown PA. His routine focused on local Newtown Township politics.

`The NBCJMA recently posted this notice to its website:

"The Newtown, Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority (Authority) has decided to halt all work on the proposed wastewater treatment facility. [Listen to the decision here...]

"The Authority had been actively pursuing construction of a brand-new state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility on a 17.5-acre parcel between the Newtown Bypass and Lower Silver Lake Road. Gaining control of spiraling sewer rate hikes was the impetus for the Authority’s pursuit of this project.

"However, the Authority, during its Tuesday, March 11 board meeting, voted to stop all work on the proposed project. The vote came on the heels of opposition from community members, as well as the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors. [Read the what the BOS demanded...]

"At this juncture, the Authority has no plans to advance this project. In the interim, the Authority retains ownership of the land where the plant had been proposed and will keep the public apprised of any next steps or updates in that regard as they become available. The Authority thanks the public, as well as our customers, for their interest and feedback as it relates to this project."

***********

[As reported 3/25/25 in BCCT]:

A group of locals from the nearby Swan Point neighborhood have been protesting the project for months, speaking at public meetings and imploring local officials to intervene.

While the most recent decision is 'progress,' according to Bill Everett, one of the group's leaders, they haven't crossed the finish line yet.

'We're basically still full steam ahead,' Everett said.

Group members will be readjusting their strategy to focus on securing an official, ironclad cancellation of the project, Everett said.

Once complete, he added, they'll keep an eye on any future development proposals on the land.

'It's all about getting it officially canceled and then we can all go back to our regular lives,' Everett said.

Why your electricity bill is so high, Sewer plant plan scrapped but rate hike remains, Will jet fuel pipeline leak reach Newtown Artesian wells?, Firefighters to be honored, Why I support Ukraine, more…

TD Bank Closing Dozens Of Locations, Including 3 In PA - Across Pennsylvania, PA - These locations will be closed as of early June as the company seeks to re-evaluate its network of branches.

This announcement also comes after the bank pleaded guilty in a federal money laundering scheme and agreed to a $3 billion fine back in October — making it the first national bank to do so.

Meanwhile, at the 12 March 2025 BOS meeting, the supervisors voted 5-0 to switch Newtown's banking provider to Penn Community Bank.

 Each year in March, news media organizations across the country take this time to highlight the importance of transparency in our government, and we underscore the vital work our journalists do to fight for access to records that shed light on government activity.

One thing I have learned from being involved in local government is that here are forces that work to weaken public access to the nooks and crannies of government operations. For example, when a resident recently asked to see a pedestrian study done by Newtown Twp, which she requested and which was paid for by Newtown residents, she was told to submit an official Right-to-Know request. Sure, that's just a minor hurdle, but why is it needed? It just delays access and even may be denied! BTW, you find that report here.

Don’t miss these Sunshine Week training opportunities:

• Monday, March 17 @ 11 a.m. – Sunshine Week: Getting to Know PA’s Transparency Law – PA State Archives Building, Harrisburg or virtual
• Wednesday, March 19 @ noon – The Sunshine Act: Pennsylvania’s Open Meetings Law – virtual

If you want more sunshine regarding transparency in #NewtownPA government, then join my Improve Newtown Communications for Better Government Facebook Group:

After pledging allegiance to the U.S. flag, I turned and focused on the Ukrainian Army logo T-shirt that I wore at the Newtown 12 March 2025 Board of Supervisors (BOS) in support of Ukraine. The pin above the logo is a combined U.S. and Ukrainian flag reminiscent of the time that the U.S. officially supported Ukraine.

In my comments later (view on Youtube), I reminded the audience that on April 13, 2022, the Newtown BOS unanimously voted to divest Twp pension funds of Aberdeen (ABEMX) holdings, which includes Russian & Chinese securities, in protest against the invasion of Ukraine by Russia and the apparent war crimes being committed by Russia in Ukraine. My survey at the time revealed that 78% of Newtown Residents approved this decision.

As reported in the NewtownPA Now, "The Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority Board of Directors voted Tuesday, 11 March 2025, to halt work on a proposed wastewater treatment plant in Newtown Township.

The 3-2 decision does not cancel the project, but stops planning for the Newtown Township facility at a 17.5-acre site off Lower Silver Lake Road and University Drive near the Newtown Bypass, which is close to the Middletown Township border.

Board Member Elen Snyder, who is also a Newtown Township Supervisor, introduced the motion, which was supported by Board Chairperson Jerry Schenkman and Board Member Linda Bobrin. Board members Christopher Gusty and Robert Walker voted against it.

[Before the decision was made I suggested that the Sewer Authority - after voting to "abandon" the project - look for a way to donate the land to Newtown to preserve it as open space. Ms. Snyder's motion actually included this suggestion. Fore more on that, read my BLOG POST..."What Happens to the Land If Sewer Plant Plan is Abandoned?"]

Snyder, when pressed by Newtown Township Supervisor John Mack, who was in the audience, said the motion to “stop” work means, in her view, ending the authority’s effort to develop at the site.

The Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority Board of Directors voted Tuesday, 11 March 2025, to halt work on a proposed wastewater treatment plant in Newtown Township.

The 3-2 decision does not cancel the project, but stops planning for the Newtown Township facility at a 17.5-acre site off Lower Silver Lake Road and University Drive near the Newtown Bypass, which is close to the Middletown Township border.

[View/Listen to the decision on Youtube: https://youtu.be/Kv3yHUkLKCw]

Board Member Elen Snyder, who is also a Newtown Township Supervisor, introduced the motion, which was supported by Board Chairperson Jerry Schenkman and Board Member Linda Bobrin. Board members Christopher Gusty and Robert Walker voted against it.

Snyder, when pressed by Newtown Township Supervisor John Mack, who was in the audience, said the motion to “stop” work means, in her view, ending the authority’s effort to develop at the site.

More...

Middletown and Newtown Township residents are rallying to stop the construction of a 2.5 million-gallon-per-day water treatment plant in Bucks County.

In September 2024, the Newtown Bucks County Joint Municipal Authority proposed its own wastewater treatment plant to alleviate costs to taxpayers* from mounting rate increases by the Bucks County Water and Sewer Authority, which currently manages wastewater treatment. To construct the plant, the authority acquired 17.5 acres on Lower Silver Lake Road, near the township’s border with Middletown Township.

Middletown and Newtown Township residents who live close to the site formed a steering committee in November 2024 to oppose the plan.

*[This was the rationale for proposing the plant in Newtown. However, analysis by outside experts have suggested that this. Read "Flushed Finances: Why Newtown’s Sewer Plant Could Cost You More." Also, read what Elen Snyder has to say below about the REAL reason.]

It's About More Construction & Development

[Elen Snyder,  chair of the Newtown Board of Supervisors and board member of the joint municipal authority] said part of the reasoning for building the wastewater treatment facility was to allow more construction in Newtown. Right now, she said, the water and sewer authority does not allow for more buildings to be connected to the existing sewer system because of overflow concerns and fear of overburdening the Neshaminy Interceptor, which transports sewage from Bucks County to Philadelphia.

"In areas like the Business Commons part of town," Snyder said, "that is impacting the township’s ability to attract new businesses and developments to stimulate economic growth. We can’t allow anybody to build in that part of town, because there is no access to the sanitary sewer."

More...

This is my personal summary of the February 26, 2025, meeting of the #NewtownPA Township Board of Supervisors (BOS). This is not a complete nor an official summary.

AGENDA

• Reports of Committees
  • Planning Commission Synopsis
• Solicitor’s Report
  • Zoning Hearing Board Appeals
• Engineer’s Report
  • Crosswalk Safety Improvements
• Public Comment
  • Delancey Court Has Traffic Concerns
• Other Items of Interest
  • Appointment to the Joint Historic Commission
  • Appointment to the Environmental Advisory Council
  • Official Video

An in depth webinar on what is causing the surge in electricity prices and what can be done about it.

Natural Resources Defense Council's (NRDC's) Robert Routh: explains the basics of what PJM is, how the markets operate on a basic level. Note: PJM stands for Pennsylvania-New Jersey-Maryland Interconnection, a regional transmission organization  that coordinates the flow of electricity in a 13-state region, including parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Ohio, and others. 

PennFuture's Pat McDonnell: what has happened in PJM in the last few years, creating an imperfect storm of things that are impacting things negatively such as human health and climate what the electricity grid looks like- showing graph, being aware of what is currently driving prices up, Resource reliability vs rates, and the differences between what can be built in 5 years vs immediately (solar is available today).

Energy Efficiency Alliance's Jeaneen Zappa: here’s what the Energy Efficiency Alliance can bring to the table now - energy efficiency programs, virtual power plants, etc.

Black Appalachian Coalition's Bishop Marcia Dinkins: the need to humanize this experience, allow folks to tell their story, while touching on advocacy: BLAC storymap / LTE workshops / Action Alert.

Webinar Main Sponsors: PennFuture and CVPA
Co-Sponsors: BLAC, Energy Efficiency Alliance, PA IPL, Breathe Project, Sierra Club PA, 412 Justice, Hip Hop Caucus, PennEnvironment, NRDC, Clean Air Council

View the video on Youtube...

[From Bucks County Courier Times; March 6, 2025]

Some Upper Makefield residents wonder if the catastrophic floods that inundated parts of the township in 2023 affected flow of jet fuel into their wells after a leak was recently discovered from a Sunoco pipeline in a neighborhood off of Mt. Eyre Road.

The leak from a 2.5-inch crack in a petroleum pipeline under a Glenwood Drive property, described as a 'slow drip' by pipeline company officials, was discovered in January, but nearby residents reported smelling and tasting gas in their water as early as September 2023 — two months after a torrential flash flood brought six inches of rain to the area in two hours.

Severe flooding can affect pipelines, according to federal regulators. Residents at a public meeting in late February questioned whether the flood could’ve led to the jet fuel entering their private wells.

Rain also affects how far a liquid can spread through the soil, said Karen Ogden, a watershed specialist for the Bucks County Conservation District. While dry conditions may leave the jet fuel to pool around the leak, wet weather allows the petroleum to travel farther [as far as the Newtown Artesian Water wells as shown in image?}.

See map of the spill...

Delancey Court residents asking the township to consider traffic calming measures to mitigate backups on Route 413/Durham Rd.

On February 26, Steven Kieley, representing the Delancey Court Homeowners Association, expressed concerns before the board of supervisors over future traffic that will be generated by the development.

Durham Investments is currently seeking land development approvals for a 10,000 square foot daycare center and a 6,000 square foot medical office building across Route 413 from Delancey Court on a slightly less than five-acre parcel just north of the township building on Durham Road.

Listen to Mr. Kieley's comments at the 26 Feb 2025 BOS meeting...

t the 26 February 2025 Newtown Township Board of Supervisors (BOS) public meeting, Elen Snyder, chairperson of the BOS, commended local firefighters for their response and life-saving efforts during a recent house fire in Lower Makefield Township.

An older couple who lived in the home was rescued and needed to be hospitalized due to fire-related injuries, according to reports.

“We couldn’t be prouder,” Snyder added. “It wasn’t even in our township, and they were the first ones there, so kudos to them.”

At public comment, resident Valerie Mihalek echoed the sentiment and recognized the two firefighters by name for their actions.

“I would like to echo the words of Supervisor Snyder in recognizing firefighter Michael Bradshaw and firefighter Quinnten Jones for their incredibly heroic efforts in going back in to save the woman who went back inside to save her pet,” Mihalek said.

Mihalek noted the assistance provided by passing trash haulers who spotted the blaze.

“The trash haulers who were driving by and went in and helped the one gentleman who was in a chairlift to get down the stairs,” she said.