Rail Trail's Phase 2 Expected to Open in Mid-Late June

Phase Two of the Saucon Rail Trail in Upper Saucon Township should be open to the public by early summer, the township's engineer told supervisors May 13.

The eagerly-awaited "Phase Two" extension of the Saucon Rail Trail in Upper Saucon Township is expected to open in mid-late June, engineer Dennis Harman reported to township supervisors at their May 13 meeting. Phase Two of the trail's construction will extend it by more than a mile—south through Center Valley, to the township's border with Coopersburg. The trail's current southern terminus is Upper Saucon Township Community Park, while its northern terminus is in Hellertown. Harman said paving was taking place the week of May 13, with fencing and signage work scheduled to begin the following week. Phase One of the trail—which also passes through Lower Saucon Township—was opened two years ago. For more information about the Saucon Rail …

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Police Reports

Man Was Drunk, Had Heroin on Rail Trail, Police Say

Hellertown Police say Randy Bond, of Bingen Road, Lower Saucon Township,

A Lower Saucon Township man has been charged with public drunkenness, possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia, after borough police say he was in possession of those items while intoxicated on the Saucon Rail Trail. In a news release, police said Randy Bond, 44, of the 3200 block of Bingen Road, was stopped by an officer on foot patrol on May 6 shortly after 6:30 p.m. Police said Bond was stopped on the trail in between Water and Walnut streets for alleged public drunkenness. At that time, he was found to be in possession of a small amount of heroin and paraphernalia, police added.

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See Progress on Rail Trail Extension [Photos]

Work on the extension of the Saucon Rail Trail is ongoing in Upper Saucon Township. Pictured below are photos taken at the trail's crossing at Flint Hill Road, near Passer Road. The extension is closed while it is under construction.

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Marc "Wiggy" Kovacs

4:05 pm on Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Is Upper Saucon going to have a monkey on their portion of the trail? LOL   more ›

Monkey Sighting Reported on Rail Trail

According to the Morning Call, a borough woman told police Tuesday that she saw a monkey while walking her dogs on the Saucon Rail Trail in Hellertown.

After a reported monkey sighting, Hellertown Police searched but found no evidence of the animal along the Saucon Rail Trail Tuesday, according to a story published by the Morning Call. The newspaper reported that one of its online producers, who is a borough resident, was walking her dog in the area of the Hellertown Marsh when a small tan monkey with a grey face entered the trail from the backyard of a nearby home. Stephanie Sigafoos said her dog lunged at the primate before it ran off, according to the Morning Call, which noted that authorities took her report seriously. Sigafoos also reported that two women who regularly jog the trail also spotted the exotic animal, according to the account. The number to call to report a monkey (or …

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Reading Drive Trailhead Temporarily Closed

The Reading Drive trailhead along the Saucon Rail Trail in Lower Saucon Township is closed to vehicles through the end of April, in preparation for the installation of a parking lot.

Saucon Rail Trail users should be advised that the Reading Drive trailhead near Bingen Road in Lower Saucon Township is temporarily closed to vehicles, as the township's public works department begins site preparations for the installation of a parking lot and access pathway. In announcement posted on the Lower Saucon Township website, officials said "the construction project is expected to continue until the end of (April)." "During this time, the temporary parking lot at Reading Drive will be closed to vehicles, but the rail trail in this section is still open in both directions and the portable toilet is accessible from the trail," the announcement said. Approximately 20 parking spaces are planned for the trailhead, along with other …

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Letters to the Editor

Ignorance Isn't Bliss Along Rail Trail [Letter]

Hellertown resident and Saucon Rail Trail advocate Lee Weidner says vandalism, dog waste and motorized dirt bikes continue to threaten the sanctity of the popular Saucon Valley path.

To the editor: "Ignorance is not the mother of devotion, but the mother of darkness, stupidity, superstition, and all kinds of error and degradation." This quotation is found in "The Golden Censer," written by Rev. H. Harbaugh, D.D., and published by the Board of the Reformed Church in the U.S. in 1860. It seems that ignorance has not diminished in 2013, exemplified by abuse of Hellertown's rail trail and the old trail leading past the remains of Saucon Iron Company and woodland, otherwise known as the Cinderbank area. Fortunately, the vast majority of Hellertown's citizenry cares for these areas. In addition, wisdom of elected officials and police have enacted changes, including dog stations which provide plastic bag dispensers, refuse …

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2013 Rail Trail Commission Meeting Dates & Locations

Below is a list of 2013 meeting dates and locations for the Saucon Rail Trail Oversight Commission, which is made up of representatives from Hellertown, Coopersburg, Upper Saucon Township and Lower Saucon Township.

Note: Saucon Rail Trail Oversight Commission meetings are normally held on the fourth Monday of each month at 6pm. Venues include Hellertown Borough Hall, 685 Main St., Hellertown; the Lower Saucon Township Building, 3700 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bethlehem; the Upper Saucon Township Municipal Building, 5500 Camp Meeting Road, Center Valley; and Coopersburg Borough Hall, 5 N. Main St., Coopersburg. For more information about the SRT, visit sauconrailtrail.org March 25 - Lower Saucon Township April 22 - Hellertown May - NONE (Memorial Day) June 24 - Coopersburg July 22 - Upper Saucon Township Aug. 26 - Lower Saucon Township Sept. 23 - Hellertown Oct. 28 - Coopersburg Nov. 25 - Upper Saucon Township December - NONE (Christmas)

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Saucon Rail Trail Commission Meets Monday

The monthly meeting of the Saucon Rail Trail Oversight Commission will be held Monday at 6 p.m. at the Lower Saucon Township Building.