During an Aug. 29 press conference, Governor Tom Wolf announced that Fountain Hill was approved for the RCAP grant in the amount of $750,000. RCAP is the Rural Community Assistance Partnership and it is a nonprofit network in all 50 states to improve quality of life to advocate and generate economic opportunities for rural areas and small communities.

RCAP seeks to ensure that every community has the resources needed to thrive. It took Executive Administrator Anthony Branco the better part of a year to prepare the application. The renovations and additions to the public works building were completed earlier in the year and the money will go toward the loan. Senator Lisa Boscola and Representative Jeanne McNeill, D-Lehigh, also supported this revitalization project.

Branco also announced the board of commissioners unanimously approved the Gaming Grant requests of $113,800 for police and fire requests. Branco and Mayor Carolee Gifford worked together to obtain more large garbage cans to be distributed throughout the boroughpecifically at the bus stops and on Stanley Avenue and Broadway.

Branco initially contacted Lehigh University when he heard that they were disposing of their large garbage cans because they have converted to a new eco-friendly waste disposal system. Lehigh agreed to donate whatever Fountain Hill would need.

Gifford announced that through the Business Alliance partnership, Ellen Flynn, of The Art Establishment, will host a speaker for Marketing in the Digital Age. The Business Alliance also announced that it will be participating in Small Business Saturday Nov. 24. The alliance is working on putting packages together for businesses.

Borough cleanups continue through the efforts of Gifford. Next on the list is to clean up part of Broadway. Anyone interested can contact Gifford at the Fountain Hill Borough offices.

The American Legion Post 406 is planning a new permanent monument to honor all borough and U.S. citizens who served in the Armed Forces. This new memorial will be at the Stanley Avenue Triangle. They have started a Memorial Paver Fund. This is open to the public and you will be able to purchase a paver and have an inscription to commemorate a loved one. There are two sizes of pavers; 4-by- 8-inch Red Paver with three lines for $50 or an 8-by-8-inch Grey Paver with five lines for $100. For more information and to order one go to www.fountainhill.org and check under New Project for the Borough.

Police Chief Ed Bachert also mentioned a new partnership with the Wawa on Broadway. There are plans in the works to have a police sub-station in the Wawa. More news will follow as this is developed. For now, any residents wishing to chat with the officers can stop in to the Wawa and coffee is on them.

Richard Reis is the new fire chief for Fountain Hill. He has put a stop on all spending without prior approval and is giving the department a complete overhaul.

Now that summer vacation has come to an end, the pool has closed. The recreation committee reported a successful summer parks program and pool attendance. While the pool didn’t make any money, it did much better than in previous years. The pool is something that provides a service for the community. The parks program was doing very well and there were no reported incidents with the basketball rims. The rims are still on lockdown when the park program is not open. Committee member Leo Atkinson wanted to revisit the unlocking of two of the rims. This would be on a trial basis and if there are any issues thee borough would take them down.

Chief Bachert said, “There has been no vandalism in the surrounding neighborhood of the park since the rims have been locked up. The basketball rims are a pathway of destruction.”

Gifford said, she “has sympathy for the kids.” Atkinson made a motion to unlock the rims, but there was no second, and the motion died. The rims stay locked when there are no park hours and no one there to monitor them. The next council meeting is scheduled for Sept. 19 at 7 p.m.