What is happening in your part of the region?
In an effort to bring as much local news as possible to our readers, The Era has started a weekly segment called “Checking In.”
Reporters will be talking to municipal officials for an overview of current happenings in the municipality. Today’s focus is on Norwich Township.
Norwich Township is making a lot of exciting changes, according to Chairman Jim Thomas.
The township has received a $40,000 grant from the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) to go towards the ballfield and park in Crosby. The township has to match the grant with $20,000 of its own funding.
“Some of the things we’re looking at is fencing, new backstop, install dugouts and also we have a pavillion there, so we want to do a walkway from the pavillion over to our veterans monument,” explained Thomas. “We also plan to continue the walkway — probably in limestone — out to the ballfield itself.”
Thomas said the township also wants to upgrade the playground equipment at the park, making it larger.
“We have a lot of families that bring their children to the park in the afternoons and we want to make it nicer for them,” he said.
In addition, the township plans improving the lots for kayaking.
“We do have one there, but it’s kind of crude, so we want to clean it up and give it a little better access to the stream,” Thomas noted.
“We will bid some of the jobs and some of it we’ll do with our workers — it cuts down on cost and gives us the ability to do this,” he said.
The township is also working with the DCNR to install two dry hydrants in Potato Creek. Dry hydrants are typically used in rural areas where municipal water systems are not available to collect water for fighting fires.
“It’s a lot quicker and easier to fill up the truck. Hopefully we will be doing this in the spring,” said Thomas.
The largest project the township is gearing up for is resurfacing West Valley Road, which runs parallel to Route 46.
“We may possibly grind it up and resurface it or maybe redo the entire thing from West Branch Road all the way to the Keating Township line,” Thomas explained.
This past summer, Norwich Township completed a six-mile project in Gardeau, which required grinding the road and resurfacing it.
“In the spring, we’ll go in and finish the ditching and put a limestone topping on it. I’ve already heard a lot of good reports on how well the road turned out,” Thomas said.
Thomas expressed his gratitude for the dedication and cooperation of the two other township supervisors, Paul Lathrop and Brent Leet, in being able to push forward with all of the past and upcoming projects.
For those interested in attending, Norwich Township monthly meetings are held the first Tuesday of every month at 6 p.m. in the Norwich Township Building off of Route 146.
