Bethlehem Authority members welcomed another new member to their ranks Feb. 20, to fill the seat vacated by recently retired Richard Master.

Jack Abel has long been involved in the community on the Environmental Advisory Council and as chair of the Planning Commission. He worked on the Sewer and Water Committee under Mayor Ken Smith.

Professionally, Abel is a retired water purification scientist and professor of molecular biology at Lehigh University.

Abel said in a telephone interview he feels we are fortunate to have a self-contained watershed. "I think our water supply is the best in the world," he said, "and we have an exceptional system."

Executive Director Steve Repasch and president Vaughn Gower confirmed the area owned by the Palmerton Gun Club – smack dab in the middle of the watershed – will not be coming into authority hands any time soon, but that it's not an issue for worry.

Special Police Officer Dan Meixell agreed, saying, "You couldn't ask for better neighbors. They run a tight ship."

The board also voted to dismantle one of several watershed deer fences, at a cost of $5,500, as they're proving useless. Repasch said the fences were installed many years ago, when people apparently still believed deer did not to just jump over fences whenever they wanted.

Finally, new Director of Water and Sewer Resources Ed Boscola said he would break from his predecessor by supplying a monthly written report for perusal, but he needed input on what the board was interested in seeing included. He did say his march report would focus on the atypically large number of line breaks during this severe winter.

The next meeting is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. March 13 at city hall.