BY SUSAN BRYANT

sbryant@tnonline.com

Charlene Silva, president of the Northwestern Lehigh Alumni Association, recently asked Lynn supervisors for a special exemption for the group’s reunion.

Silva told supervisors at their March 13 meeting that the alumni association reunion is scheduled for 2-7 p.m. Aug. 2 at Ontelaunee Park.

She requested a special exemption to allow Seven Sirens Brewing Company to set up at the event.

She said the association wants to have Seven Sirens there as Jordan Serulneck, owner of Seven Sirens, is an alumnus of Northwestern Lehigh and having the company there would make the reunion a little more fun.

“We have our own event insurance to cover any thing that might occur at the event,” Silva said.

Supervisor Ron Jerdon responded to her request.

“Over the years, since I’ve been on the board of supervisors, we have had several requests to have alcohol at the park and we have a no alcohol policy and I have to stick by that,” he stated. “I don’t care what kind of insurance you got.

“I don’t care what kind of insurance Seven Sirens has or liability.

“They are still going to come after the township because we own the park and I can’t put our residents at risk. I just can’t.”

Board Vice Chairman Fritz Najarian concurred with Jerdon.

“The township has an ordinance that does not allow alcohol in the park,” Najarian said.

“We would actually have to change the ordinance in order to even offer you an exemption, otherwise we are in violation of our own ordinance, No. 1,” he said.

“No. 2, Solicitor Marc Fisher pointed out that even if we created a new ordinance that allowed individual exclusions, with each exclusion, the township would be liable regardless of whatever insurance carrier was involved because the township are the owners of the park.

“So, it’s my opinion and, I think Marc would agree, we can’t give you an exception for this one time where our ordinance currently stands.”

In other matters, the board discussed the Lynn Heidelberg Historical Society’s request to erect a pole building in the park.

“We have met with your folks over at the park and picked out a site we would like to put a building,” said Dennis Hartman, trustee and chairman of the building for the historical society. “At this point in our discussion, there is the design of the exterior, cosmetics of the pole building, what it would look like in reference and comparison to the historical artifacts that are there.”

Hartman said he has a brochure from a builder but has not spoken to any builder until he receives guidance from the board on what the building should look like or should represent.

Najarian responded to Hartman.

“We actually never chose the specific site and one of the things we’ve been waiting for was the actual map,” he stated.

Jerdon also replied.

“We had also asked for a rendering of what it would look like,” Jerdon said. “I am not opposed to the historical society building a pole building or something for storage, but I am strongly opposed to anything that looks like a warehouse.

“We don’t want anything that looks like a warehouse in the township.

“It would have to fit the county, the Pennsylvania Dutch county.”

Hartman answered their concerns.

“I know you said you don’t want it to look like a warehouse but it could just look like a pole building, which is sitting there among the historical society and maybe it should have some added features to it, something that would be acceptable and affordable,” he said. “We are looking for guidelines before we approached any builder.”

He added that at the moment, the historical society has a budget at $125,000 to build the pole building.

Jerdon said he would be willing to help the historical society and contact Pioneer Builder to generate a couple of drawings, if the historical society tells him the approximate size of what they are thinking.

Another item discussed, was the Department of Environmental Protection’s request of residents’ addresses from the township.

“We got a letter they’re handing out free radon test kits. Our municipality was selected if we want free radon test kits,” Najarian stated. “They are requesting we supply them with a list of all residential addresses within the township.”

Chairman Brian Dietrich provided his opinion.

“I’m not in favor of giving them the addresses,” Dietrich said. “Let them go find them or if people want to reach out to the DEP to receive a free radon test kit.”

Najarian said he would think the DEP is probably capable of obtaining the information on its own and he will draft something to let the DEP know it has to obtain the addresses.

Dietrich announced the following upcoming events:

The 18th annual Pow Wow is scheduled for May 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19 at Ontelaunee Park.

On May 26, the Memorial Day Celebration will take place at Ontelaunee Park.

The Northwestern Lehigh Educational Foundation 5K run will take place 6-11 a.m. June 1 at Ontelaunee Park.