What many Salisbury Township officials and township parents and youth hoped wouldn’t happen has happened: the cancellation of the township summer playground program.

The six-week program was to have been held mid-June to mid-July in township parks.

In a May 3 email to The Press, responding to a reporter’s inquiry about updates on the COVID-19 pandemic impact on the township, Salisbury Township Manager Cathy Bonaskiewich said:

“I have to report that the summer playground program is being canceled. This will be posted on our website:

“‘The township’s summer playground program for the year 2020 is canceled. We apologize for any inconvenience, but we simply cannot move ahead with plans due to the current COVID-19 issue. Please check the township’s website for continuing updates and information.’”

Bonaskiewich went on to state in the email township officials hope to offer “something,” perhaps a single “event” or “movie night” later this summer, but “can’t say definitively at this time.

“Right now, we just don’t know what we can expect a month or two (or three) down the road. So, we have no flexibility to make any plans to say exactly what that ‘event’ might be. If we come up with anything, we’ll be sure to post it on our website.”

Bonaskiewich forewarned about the possibility of the playground program being canceled.

In a phone interview with The Press after the April 9 commissioners’ meeting, Bonaskiewich said, “We are proceeding with cautious optimism for the summer playground program. We have advertised. We are getting applications.

“We are moving forward with the process, but it may well be canceled. We’re all hopeful that this will be over sooner than later, but the program is very much in jeopardy,” Bonaskiewich said.

The township administration is forging ahead with adhering to Gov. Tom Wolf’s stay-at-home orders and six-foot social-distancing guidelines by keeping the administration building closed to the public, reviving some township services and canceling most township meetings in May, with the exception of board of commissioners’ meetings.

The commissioners will hold their regularly-scheduled twice-monthly meetings via Zoom videoconferencing, 7 p.m. May 14 and 28.

Registration is required to attend the township commissioners’ Zoom meetings. Information about registration and the meeting will be posted on the township website.

The May 5 zoning hearing board meeting was canceled. The May 12 planning commission meeting is canceled. The May 20 environmental advisory council meeting is canceled.

The township is again accepting zoning and building permit applications. Planning submissions and zoning appeals are also again being accepted.

The next scheduled zoning meeting is June 2. The next scheduled planners’ meeting is June 9.

April meetings canceled included zoning, planning, environmental advisory council and the April 23 commissioners’ meeting.

In an April 27 update on the township website about the coronavirus shutdown, Bonaskiewich stated beginning May 4, the Franko drop-off and the Devonshire drop-off reopened, under revised schedules. The drop-off centers are open 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday, on alternating weeks. In May, Franko will be open the weeks of May 4 and 18. Devonshire will be open the weeks of May 11 and 26.

Details about new guidelines for the drop-off centers were published in the April 28 Salisbury Press and are on the township website.

Republic Services resumed collection of bulk items the week of April 27. For information, visit https://www.salisburytownshippa.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Coronavirus-Statement-04.27.20.pdf or call 610-797-4000.