At their May 13 meeting, Hanover Township supervisors unanimously approved a $359,000 bid award to Stroudsburg paving company Hanson Aggregates. Work will start in the end of May, and should be completed within one to two weeks.

According to Public Works Director Vince Milite, the roads being re-paved this year are Claire Street, Greenleaf Drive, Greenfield Road, Brentwood Avenue, Hemlock Place, Yorkshire Road, Kenwick Circle, Kevin Drive and Timothy Drive. Each road will be milled down, and then new macadam will be spread.

Supervisors also received a "clean, unmodified opinion" from outside auditor Todd Bushta, who reviewed the Township's finances at the end of last year. He found no internal control issues, and complimented Township Manager Jay Finningan and Treasurer Ryan Kish for "comprehensively maintained records."

But unfortunately, not everything is clean. Milite and Finnigan described an encounter with a strange white substance - "really nasty stuff" - that jammed a pump and grinder at the Hanoverville Road pump station. "Thank God we had a spare," said Milite, who later confirmed there was also an unpleasant odor. "I don't know what it is," said Milite, who said the material goes into a 20 foot well that is 10 feet round.

Hanover Township has no sludge experts.

It does have a flood plain, and it's about to get bigger. As a result of a new flood maps prepared by FEMA, the township is expected to adopt a new flood plain ordinance in June. Finnigan told supervisors they could ban construction in a flood zone, or permit it subject to FEMA standards. Supervisors have opted to allow construction. As explained by Supervisor Glenn Walbert, "It's a whole new scenario when you start telling people they can't use their land."

In an effort to gain additional revenue, supervisors also unanimously authorized Solicitor Jim Broughal to advertise a new realty transfer tax. According to Broughal, the ordinance is not aimed at the typical business or residential owner, but at "sneaky lawyers" who have used a loophole in the state law under which one business could sell its stock to another without paying any transfer tax. The state has closed that loophole, but not in time to stop a $160 million stock transfer in Hanover Township earlier this year, from which the township could have imposed a transfer tax.

Finally, Supervisor Jack Nagle said that an empty police cruiser, parked along different roads in his district, has had a positive impact on speeders.

"I'm looking for a dummy," remarked Finnigan.

"Hey, I'm working now," answered Nagle.