East Penn School District

Willow Lane Elementary on Agenda for Monday's School Board Meeting

Superintendent Seidenberger to comment on the issue.

The growing issue of who knew what when will be addressed at the next meeting of the East Penn School Board at 7:30 p.m. Jan. 14 at the district's administration building. EPSD Community Liaison Nicole Bloise said East Penn Superintendent Thomas Seidenberger will comment on the issue at Monday's meeting. Though some parents addressed the Lower Macungie Township Commissioners on Jan. 3 and asked that officials look forward instead of back, others are checking minutes of meetings from years ago in an effort to find out how and why Willow Lane has neither school zone signage nor any kind of traffic calming devices to ensure the safety of children walking to school along or crossing Willow or Sauerkraut lanes. Minutes of one Lower Macungie …

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Willow Lane Confusion: Who Knew What When?

Does anybody remember if the original intention was for students to walk to Willow Lane Elementary School?

In the past several weeks, parents of Willow Lane Elementary School students have begun to question authorities. Clearly they are casting a wider net -- beyond the East Penn School Board -- to ensure the safety of their children. What's not clear is whether Lower Macungie Township dropped the ball, or the East Penn School District changed the plans. The East Penn School District eliminated busing to the school for the 2012-2013 school year when it passed its most recent budget. It then reconsidered and postponed the decision. Several parents have started a Facebook group, "Protect the HAWK," and on Dec. 18 several parents addressed the township's Public Safety Commission. On Dec. 20, the parents addressed the township's Board of …

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East Penn School District

Safety Commission Calls Willow Lane Traffic 'Horrendous'

Parents of Willow Lane Elementary students want to know what the township can do to keep their children safe if they must walk to school in the fall.

After a meeting at the school and addressing the East Penn School Board twice, several parents of children who attend Willow Lane Elementary School addressed Lower Macungie Township's Public Safety Commission. And an ad hoc member of the commission flat out said the Willow and Sauerkraut lanes intersection is unsafe for children to be walking. Susan Coenen, a parent and resident of Brookside Farms, asked the commissioners at the Tuesday meeting what they planned to do for the children who are supposed to begin walking to school in the fall. The East Penn School District, claiming Willow Lane was designed as a "walking school," had been busing all students since the school opened in fall 2010. But in an effort to save $65,000 in the 2013 …

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ted.dobracki

2:53 pm on Sunday, December 23, 2012

@ron - whatever LMT does about establishing its own locally controlled police force is about 35-40 years too late.   more ›

East Penn School District

Confirmed: School Board Had No Notice of Willow Lane Meeting

East Penn School District says parents were notified about Nov. 27 'Walkability Study' meeting in a timely fashion. The district says it had no obligation to inform the board.

East Penn School District was criticized last week for what both Willow Lane parents and school board members have described as the administration’s failure to adequately publicize a Nov. 27 meeting to review the findings of a Willow Lane “Walkability Study.” East Penn Community Liaison Nicole Bloise confirms the board was never notified about the Nov. 27 meeting, but she says that is pretty much standard operating procedure as far as "parent meetings" are concerned. Some have said that even though school board members were not notified, the subject matter was important enough to mention it to them. The study and subsequent Nov. 27 meeting are the latest steps on the winding path to walking school status for Willow Lane Elementary School…

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Ron Beitler

10:27 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012

All way stop vs. Traffic light. All way stop Equal priority for all approaches Vehicles enter the intersection at a low speed and have more time to take heed of the traffic situation (pedestrians) Provides traffic calming benefits reduces overall speed Low-speed crossing point for pedestrians. Less delay time in lower volume (Like Willow Lane) Traffic Light Cause unnecessary delays during low …   more ›

Suggested Features for a Walkable Willow Lane Elementary School Zone

Here are some elements that should be considered before students are permitted to walk to Willow Lane Elementary next year. 

East Penn School District

Donches: Lack of Notice on Willow Lane Meeting ‘Disturbing’

East Penn School Board Director Lynn Donches addresses fellow board members, administration at tail end of Monday night’s school board meeting about the district’s failure to publicize a Nov. 27 meeting about a Willow Lane walking study.

East Penn School Board Director Lynn Donches voiced concerns at the end of Monday night’s school board meeting regarding the failure to publicize a Nov. 27 meeting at which the East Penn School District presented the Willow Lane walking study that led 17 Willow Lane parents take the podium Monday night. As the result of a possible oversight, few people were aware of the Nov. 27 meeting that included parents of Willow Lane Elementary School students, an engineer and Willow Lane administrators. School board directors were neither invited nor notified. The Dec. 10 school board meeting included several rows of extra chairs that were added to accommodate the parents who came to the meeting try to convince board members it would be a bad idea to…

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East Penn School District

East Penn School District Reacts to Theft at Willow Lane Elementary

Spokesperson Nicole Bloise delivers school district's reaction to theft.

The East Penn School District delivered its public reaction to the recent theft of $350 from Willow Lane Elementary School's book sale. "This issue is currently under investigation.  We have no additional comment at this time," Community Liaison Nicole Bloise said in an email on Friday.

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Willow Lane, Eyer Students Aid Storm Victims

The Community Service Club of Willow Lane Elementary School in Lower Macungie collected more than 100 bags of toiletries, cleaning supplies, clothes and food for victims of Hurricane Sandy.

The Willow Lane Elementary School Community Service Club gathered more than 100 bags of donated goods for the New Jersey victims of Hurricane Sandy, which destroyed neighborhoods and boardwalks along the Jersey Shore.  Club members, with the help of Eyer Middle School students and parents, were at the Lower Macungie home of Nancy Schmitt, co-chairwoman of the club, to load the donations onto a truck from Call2Haul.com of Allentown Thursday. Brandon Schiller, Call2Haul.com's project manager, donated his company's truck and services to drive the contributions to Red Bank, N.J. where a group called Project Rebuild & Recover will be distributing the goods to victims of the storm.  Schmitt, who chairs the Willow Lane club with her sister Janet …

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Shop for Groceries, Earn Rewards for Local Schools

Giant Food Stores will launch its A+ School Rewards program for the 2012-13 school year on Oct. 7. Is your BonusCard registered?

Since 2005, Giant Food Stores has donated $13 million to 2,500 public and private schools through its A+ School Rewards program, which will return for the 2012-13 school year on Oct. 7. According to www.giantfoodstores.com, A+ School Rewards are points that accrue with each purchase using the BonusCard, kind of like gas points. At the end of each month, the A+ School Rewards are used in a calculation to determine your school's cash total, which then is automatically credited to your school's account. Customers can support up to two schools. Enrolled schools in the Lower Macungie Patch area include: There is no restriction on what schools can do with their A+ School Rewards. They can be used for technology, scholarships, school programs, …

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Lower Macungie Township

Lost Golden Retriever 'Sioux' is Deeply Missed

Carole Sherr, owner of Golden Retriever, "Sioux," says the dog is social but shy.

Sioux, a 6-year-old Golden Retriever with a very light face, is lost. Her owner, Carole Sherr, misses the "former puppy mill dog" very much, she says. Sioux also answers to the name Crystal and is very shy, but social. An unnamed man wearing a sandwich board with the dog's information walked the area around Willow and Sauerkraut lanes Saturday and Sunday in an effort to help find the dog. Sioux was last seen in that area around noon Friday, Sept. 21. If you have information, call 717-484-4799 or 484-695-2256 or call or email Lower Macungie Patch at 610-390-3802 or mariella.savidge@patch.com.

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Mariella Savidge

4:53 pm on Monday, September 24, 2012

There is additional information about Sioux...please like our FB page to get updates: http://www.facebook.com/LowerMacungiePatch?ref=hl   more ›