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Area farmers not yet worried about drought
Bidders buy 11 parcels of land BUENA VISTA -- A public land sale Monday night at the municipal building drew 11 bidders and raised $13,250 for the township. Of the 11 properties sold, one -- a 1-acre parcel on Dogwood Lane in Richland -- sold for $5,100, or $4,100 above the minimum bid. In other business, the committee: · Agreed to contract with Triad Associates to help its three-year effort to secure federal funding for a proposed Village of Richland commercial center on Harding Highway between Cedar and Main avenues. · Approved an Emergency Public Safety and Insurance cap to ensure the township's safety in the event of an emergency. The measure would provide temporary local budget cap exceptions for certain insurance costs, domestic security preparedness and public safety costs. It also would permit a three-year payoff of accumulated deficits of local employee group insurance programs. · Denied a motion to vacate Via Milano and Via Napoli, two township streets. The proposal by Basile and Testa PA to landlock three pieces of land by vacating the streets would infringe on private properties, committee members said. · Announced the annual Easter egg hunt will be noon March 16 at Michael Debbi Park. The rain date is March 30.
Buena Vista Township adopts 2 cent property tax hike BUENA VISTA -- Township Committee adopted a municipal budget Monday night that will call for a 2-cent tax-rate increase. That's the same increase township residents have seen on their tax bills the last three years. The committee initially forecasted a 3-cent tax-rate, but that figure dropped because of revenues gained from a March 4 land sale. The owner of a $100,000 home will pay $400 in local property taxes. That's a $20 increase from the $380 they paid in fiscal 2001. The $3.7 million spending plan will include money for a complete reconstruction of Main Avenue, which runs from Buena into Richland. The approximately $1 million to be raised in local property taxes also will pay for increases in salaries, wages and insurance costs. The budget also includes money for capital improvements, roads, playground equipment and art exhibits.
IGI plans to become debt-free by 2003 BUENA -- Despite recent downsizing and allegations of securities fraud against its former president, corporate officials say the future is bright for IGI Inc. The local company, which sells consumer skin care and pet care products, incurred fewer net losses this year than last, according to data released this week. This year's net loss was about $1.7 million, compared with an $11.4 million loss last year. The company has $12 million in debt. "We're in better shape than we've ever been," said IGI president and CEO John Ambrose. "We're always making sure we try to reduce the debt as much as we can. We should be out of it by next year." That's good news for a company whose former president and CEO, John Gallo, was formally accused Wednesday of securities fraud. Gallo overstated company assets, revenue and net income from 1995 to 1997, according to a complaint filed in federal court by the Securities and Exchange Commission. "It definitely created a significant amount of turmoil in the company, including changes in management and hiring consultants," said Domenic Golato, the company's chief financial officer. "(That) affected operating costs." Operating costs have decreased in recent years, contributing to the company's lower reported net losses. IGI announced last month it would sell its Pet Products division to Vetoquinol, a French firm, for $16.7 million. Pending FCC approval, the sale should be final by April 30. "They approached us with an excellent offer that would allow us to pay off all our debt," Golato said. IGI will lose nearly a third of its employees to the deal, but Vetoquinol agreed to hire the 36 employees, Golato said. IGI also recently sold its corporate building on Wheat Road and Lincoln Avenue for $550,000 to Poultry Investors LLC. IGI's corporate staff was relocated to offices in the company's nearby Morris Building. "We didn't need to have all that space," Golato said. "We are down to where we should be now." That bodes well for the company's future in the borough. "We're definitely here to stay," Golato said. "Maybe soon we can get back to hiring." For now, the company will continue to focus on expanding its consumer skin care division, which generated about $4.3 million in revenue last year. "That is our core business, and the one we want to grow," Ambrose said.
Future EMT's learn how to save lives
COLLINGS LAKE -- Not everybody is certified to save a life. But youth volunteers at Collings Lake Rescue Squad sure can. Township Committee recently honored the nine kids -- part of the squad's youth auxiliary -- for successfully completing eight hours of CPR and Automatic External Defibrillator training. Five others are halfway through the American Heart Association-endorsed program. Township Committee presented them with "Making Buena Vista Proud" awards. "I can't put into words how proud we are of you," youth auxiliary president and EMT Dave Fernandez told the kids after they received their honors. "Hopefully this will become an infection ... and we'll get all the community kids wanting to take CPR." Many local children already have caught the lifesaver bug since the youth auxiliary's inception eight months ago. The squad's 15 members range from 11 to 15 years old. "We're reaching out to the younger kids," said Cindy Moriarity, a 25-year chief and a certified CPR instructor. "It gives them a chance to be with the EMTs and hopefully one day become EMTs themselves." Jaz McKee, who has been with the youth auxiliary from day one, is thinking about it. Jaz, 11, spends most after-school afternoons in the ambulance squad building. He already can administer CPR, perform the Heimlich maneuver, do chest compressions and use defibrillators capable of pumping thousands of volts of electricity through a human body. In other words, he could save your life. "It's cool to know something other kids don't," Jaz said. "Maybe it'll come in handy some day if I see someone on the street who needs it, or if I become an EMT." Learning how to save lives isn't all these kids do. They help out and have fun, too. The youth auxiliary participated in two roadside cleanups on Jackson and Cain's Mill roads in September. They also hosted several community fund-raisers, where they sold hoagies and flowers. All proceeds benefit the ambulance squad. With only 12 certified EMTs on staff, the ambulance squad needs all the help it can get. The youth auxiliary may just be the way to get it. "Maybe we can catch a few of these kids here to supplement our membership in the future," Moriarity said. ''Hopefully this will become an infection ... and we'll get all the community kids want to take CPR." -- Dave Fernandez, EMT, youth auxiliary president
Call me an open spacer not a farmer
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