Letters: Writers discuss power lines, safety grant, election win, I-80 project

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Former resident dismayed by state of power lines

I recently visited the area where I grew up, the Poconos i.e Monroe County, I have not been a resident of the area for in excess of 45 years.

I was shocked and dismayed at the absolute neglect of power line and utility right of ways. Power lines near the ground caused by trees leaning over or outright fallen on to the lines. Back in the day Pennsylvania Power and Light PP&L was the main electrical provider and I thought they did a pretty good job of keeping the juice flowing. If they are still the electrical utility provider their service has gone in the toilet. With the Poconos still prone to the ice storms that I witnessed as a kid no wonder there are wide spread power outages, and this falls right on the shoulders of the utility provider's lack of maintenance of their right of ways. As an example in the Water Gap area I'm surprised the power stays on even in good weather.

Considering that utility users are a captive audience, I have to wonder where the money is going? It's not going to the maintenance of the right of ways. In my state I belong to an electrical co-op (DMEA) and this company is quite diligent in keeping the power lines clear of trees and vegetation. If I were a local customer I would be screaming to the powers that be, every time the power goes out. If you pay your bills then the utility providers ought to be pro-active versus reactive.

— Arthur K. Schwedler, Eckert, Colorado

Let's get value from grant to Monroe County

I read that in the Pocono Record of Nov. 8 and thought “that is not enough.” We should study all violent crime. More people are killed and injured with feet, hands, knives and blunt objects than with guns. Preventing or repelling all of that violence should be the goal. The company doing the on line survey specializes in providing law enforcement, corrections and behavior modification oriented mental health specialists with tools and strategies. Those agencies do necessary work but it is all clean up after the crime. I would like to see studies that end up providing citizens with tools to avoid danger, de-escalate confrontations, harden their homes against forced entry, pick appropriate weapons for defending themselves and their homes and dealing with the aftermath of self defense. This $50,000 is now our money and it should be used for the benefit of those who bear the brunt of violent crime. That is us. A crime of violence that is avoided, redirected or stopped leaves one or more less traumatized citizens. That is a good thing and is of more worth than keeping the overloaded justice system busy and overcrowded. Take the poll at surveymonkey.com/r/5pjwk5l. The last character is a lower case L. Let’s get some widespread value out of this grant.

— William Gray, Brodheadsville

Caceres expresses gratitude to Pike County voters

I want to express my gratitude for the confidence in me that the voters of Pike County demonstrated by electing me County Commissioner on Nov 7. I will enter the office with humility, an open mind and always keeping the best interests of Pike County residents in mind.

To Commissioners Osterberg and Schmalzle, I extend my congratulations. To Commissioner Waldron, I thank you for your years of service and dedication to Pike County and wish you the best in your next chapter.

Campaigns can be grueling experiences and generate intense passion, both for the candidates and for the voters. But now is the time for us to come together and work for the good of Pike County, and I look forward to doing so.

I stand ready to work with anyone who shares that objective.

— Commissioner-elect Christa Caceres, Lehman Township

I-80 project goes beyond what is necessary

According to the project overview, PennDOT's I-80 Reconstruction Project includes 3.5 miles of full roadway reconstruction, widening, and interchange reconfiguration through the Poconos in Monroe County.

Apart from the impending traffic nightmares and impacts to densely populated communities in Monroe County, the project corridor parallels high-quality trout streams—including the Pocono, McMichael's, and Brodhead Creeks—with the potential to negatively impact water quality and biodiversity in the scenic, ecologically outstanding Brodhead Creek Watershed.

According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, highway development is highly disruptive to ecological processes and aquatic systems in riparian areas. Impacts to the watershed could include acceleration of runoff, increasing flood peaks, erosion, and downstream sedimentation, shifts in plant composition from riparian species to drought-tolerant invaders or upland species, and loss of habitat for riparian-dependent wildlife species.

While some improvements to the flow of traffic in this region may be justified, PennDOT’s massive I-80 Reconstruction Project goes far beyond what is necessary and is in fact a full-scale redevelopment project that could forever change the regional, historic, and ecological profiles of the eastern Poconos.

Highway construction and expansion encourages secondary development. The historic communities of Stroudsburg and East Stroudsburg are rapidly losing their regional character to the strip mall development pervasive in this area over the last decade, and PennDOT’s massive I-80 Reconstruction Project will undoubtedly accelerate this process.

— Juliet Perrin, Albrightsville

This article originally appeared on Pocono Record: Letters: Power lines, safety grant, election win, I-80 project