Fireworks such as firecrackers, Roman candles and bottle rockets are now legal in Pennsylvania, but in Whitehall Township, there are few, if any, places they can be set off legally, according to township Fire Chief David Nelson.

At the July 9 meeting, he informed the Whitehall Township Board of Commissioners that it is illegal to set off fireworks within 150 feet of an occupied structure - and that precludes most of the township. However, residents are complaining that fireworks are being set off constantly in the township.

Resident LoriAnn Fehnel told the board her family was frightened when fireworks were set off beside her home recently and that fireworks were thrown at her vehicle on a different occasion, prompting her to call the police.

Board President Dennis Hower said fireworks had been set off near his house 12:50 a.m. early one morning.

“It’s ridiculous that they think because they are legalized, they can shoot them off at 1 a.m.,” Hower said. “It’s crazy. It was bad before, but now there’s a proliferation of them.”

Nelson said it is illegal to set off fireworks in a vehicle or on public or private property without the express permission of the property owner. However, he said there is no restriction on times they can be set off in the township ordinance.

“Unfortunately, it seems to be free reign,” Nelson said. “This is something we will want to discuss.”

The board needs to address the issue in a hurry, agreed Hower.

Also at the July 9 meeting, the board unanimously approved an agreement to hire a second resource officer for Whitehall-Coplay School District.

The officer, who will start at the beginning of the 2018-19 school year, will work in Whitehall-Coplay Middle School. A Whitehall Township police officer currently works as a resource officer in Whitehall High School.

The cost of a resource officer will be between $110,000 to $115,000, and the township and school district would split the rest of the cost annually.

Deputy Mayor John Meyers said the township police had applied for a $50,000 grant for the resource officer, which, if awarded, would come off the top of the cost.

“I am very excited that this was approved,” said Commissioner Shawn Clary, who teaches social studies at the middle school. “I am really happy we were able to come to an agreement.”

The board also approved a proposal to replace the Victor Talotta Park building roof in Cementon. The winning bid is for $47,900 from Alan Kunsman, of Freemansburg.

Commissioner Jeffrey Dutt announced there will be a tour of the historic Thomas Iron Works in October to make people aware of historical significance of that area. He said the event, scheduled 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 27, will provide bus tours of the area and include tour guides who will talk about the history of Hokendauqua.

The Thomas Iron Works are in the township’s proposed Hoken- dauqua historic district.

The neighborhood includes approximately 100 factory homes built to serve the iron plant in the 1880s. The homes were primarily built as workers’ row homes but also include some Victorian mansions built for executives. The proposed district would include the area from Front Street to Third Street and from Quigg Street to Carbon Street.

Last year, the commissioners talked about getting the area on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Thomas Iron Works was named for David Thomas, a Welsh ironmaker who came to the Lehigh Valley in 1839 to pioneer hot-blast ironmaking in the region. He started his own company and built blast furnaces in Hokendauqua.

The Hokendauqua Thomas Iron Works area would be the first historic preservation district in the township.

For those who missed the board meeting, professional recordings of meetings are now available online at whitehalltownship.org and on the township’s YouTube account.