BOROUGH BRIEFS

By:Alec Moore
Some hoops too close to the traffic
   Borough Council President Ted Petrock urges residents who have portable basketball standards outside their homes in the street to consider moving the hoops to a safer location.
   "I just want the kids and the parents to be aware that this is a safety issue," he said, noting that while most kids playing outside their homes are respectful of motorists, some are not.
   "I just want residents to be aware that playing in the street creates the potential for a serious accident."
Drivers must stop for pedestrians
   A Boesel Avenue resident said she has observed that traffic along South Main Street generally does not stop for pedestrians.
   The resident stated that when on foot she routinely has difficulty crossing the road, even when using the cross walks, because of motorists who are unwilling to yield to pedestrians.
   "It’s just a matter of common courtesy," she said.
   She added that, when she is driving, and attempts to stop for pedestrians in the cross walk, she is subjected to dangerous, road rage from other drivers.
   Police Chief John Petrovic stated that state law requires that vehicles yield to pedestrians crossing the street in cross walks.
Deadline looming for applications
   Councilman Tom Weiss stated that applications for the borough’s façade improvement program are due by May 30.
   Through the county-sponsored and borough-administered program, property owners along Main Street may be eligible to receive partial grant funding for façade improvements to their building.
   The borough has $100,000 of county grant money to divide among property owners whose design plans for façade improvements are in line with those outlined by the borough’s architectural review board.
More rec programs for seniors wanted
   A Brooks Boulevard woman chastised the Borough Council over her belief that the borough’s Recreation Department offers too many programs for Manville’s youth and not enough for its senior citizens.
   "I think we should be a little more liberal in our spreading of the wealth," she said.
   Recreation officials refuted the residents’ comments by pointing out that approximately 100 senior citizens participate in the Recreation Department’s aqua-aerobics classes and walking programs.