Dorrance leaders welcomed a nonconfrontational audience at a brief October session.

Soothing the normally critical crowd may have been the renovation of Taney Road, the subject of much discord in recent months.

Supervisor Chair Gary Zane thanked Slusser Brothers for voluntarily coming to the township’s aid to install a smooth driving surface on the previously rough-riding road.

“The supervisors wish to thank Slusser Brothers for donating the following for the Taney Road project at no cost to the township: a Gradall and operator; DSA material and paver to install the DSA along with the labor to do all of the above.

”This donation has saved the township approximately $20,000. We also wish to thank Shawn Rybka for approaching Slusser Bros. to ask for the above donations.”

After the short meeting, Supervisor Ben Ostrowski had nothing but praise for both Mr. Rybka, the Luzerne County Conservation District Dirt & Gravel Road specialist, and Patrick Bartorillo of Slusser Brothers. “They came up with this plan and made it work. This [DSA] is a new material for Slusser Brothers, and I drove it today and it’s beautiful.”

Seconding that thought was Vice- Chair Royce Engler, “It’s super, great job.”

Zane noted that actual value of the project may be closer to $30,000, “They put down at least 8 inches of material there.”

Patrick Bartorillo explained that the township didn’t have the equipment necessary to do the job, “This is a specialty material and it had to be placed with a paver and finished with a vibratory roller. When Shawn Ripka asked for our help, he said that the township just didn’t have the budget for the project.”

The Slusser Bros. executive added, “We thought this was a great opportunity to mesh their needs with our ability to help.”

Also helping others, the Dorrance Ambulance responded to seven calls in September, according to EMA coordinator Gwen Sawkowski. The emergency management crew held one drill last month and are gearing up for a regional drill scheduled for October 21.

September recycling numbers showed that 409 residents used the popular drop-off center. The township expended funds to recycle both batteries and paper last month.

The board cautioned that skateboarding and rollerblading are prohibited in the recycling center area. Anyone caught trespassing there will be prosecuted.

From the October 15, 2008 online edition of The Mountaintop Eagle.