Today’s Delco Times provides an overview of the discussions at Congressman Sestak’s education summit, especially on the challenges of compliance with No Child Left Behind.

Assuming the weather doesn’t change the schedule, Congressman Joe Sestak will host a day-long education summit at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit tomorrow (Monday, Febrary 26, 2007).

The event is billed as an opportunity for invited educators, administrators and student leaders in his district to discuss key educational issues with policymakers. Among the invited guests expected to attend are Chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, George Miller, and the Assistant Secretary of Education, Terrell Halaska. Panelists will examine early childhood, primary and secondary education, and special education.

The public may attend. For more information, call Courtney Mengel at 610-892-8623. More »

Following a $7,500 grant from the Pennsylvania DEP, Nether Providence is evaluating our current municipal recycling program and patterns for solid waste hauling. The recycling task force participated in the initial study, and submitted their final report in December.

Among the findings:

The Township’s housing density, high number of single-family households, and wide streets are very favorable factors for efficient curbside collection of waste and recyclables.

…[The] Township Public Work Department provides a comprehensive leaf vacuum service and operates a successful compost site that is shared with Swarthmore Borough.

The Township has private subscription waste collection services. At least three different hauling companies provide waste collection service to residential households on different days.

Once-per-month recyclables collection is very inconvenient for residents. Once-per-month recyclables collection creates the following problems:

• Residents have to store bulky, sometimes odorous recyclables for an extended period of time. Due to the hassle, many residents will simply discard recyclables with trash. Approximately 20 percent of households set-out recyclables on collection days.
• Residents can often forget the recyclables collection day. Missing one collection requires a household to store recyclables for two months. The recyclables collection schedule complicates recyclables education and due to the inconvenience, actually trains residents that disposal (of recyclables) is much easier than recycling.
• The Township’s 20-gallon recycling containers do not have the capacity to collect/store recyclables generated in households for a period of one month.

The existing curbside recycling program does not include collection of colored glass, plastics, and paper, which are significant components of the residential waste stream.

An enhanced recycling program will require increased recyclables collection frequency at a minimum of once every two weeks. An enhanced recycling program could increase household participation from 20 percent to over 75 percent, thus dramatically increasing the amount of recyclables that will require collection and processing.

Several different options are discussed in the report, including an option to change to “single stream” curbside pickup, including recyclables.

As the next step in the process, the Board of Commissioners is planning to send out a spring survey to residents to solicit more input into the expectations and preferences of residents. The survey is expected to be available in paper and on the web, so be on the lookout and please participate when it arrives.

Nether Providence Board Commissioner Lin Floyd (4th Ward) reported this week:

A Hampton Inn & Suites is proposed for the Beatty and Providence Road site (currently the site of the Medical Arts building). The proposal is for a 114-room, 4-story building. The developers of the Hampton Inn finished making their case to the Borough of Media on January 25th. Neighbors and other concerned citizens will be able to make their own presentations to the Media Borough Zoning Hearing Board on February 22nd at 7:00 p.m. at the Media Borough Hall.

With a very minor portion of the site in Nether Providence, the Township will get no tax benefit from the project. However, the township will closely review plans for storm water, traffic, and other issues if, as expected, Media approves the project.

There is also an item in TownTalkNews.com covering the debate about the project before the Media Zoning Hearing Board.

If you have questions, you can contact Lin Floyd at ward4@netherprovidence.org or 610-892-0673. You can also contact Media Borough at 610-566-5210.