TAMAQUA BOROUGH COUNCIL

Councilwoman Mary Linkevich was appointed to represent the borough on the Eastern Schuylkill Recreation Commission. It was also noted the commission has a new director, Nate McDonald, who is attending Misericordia College. McDonald is busy reviving the ESRC programs, which have been languishing since the former director resigned.

Linkevich is also working with Merenda Hess, a local Girl Scout leader, on the possible creation of a community garden on South Lehigh Street, near the bottom of Stadium Hill.

Council also approved the following actions:

• Use of Tamaqua Fire Police for the Carbon County Veterans Day Parade on Nov. 11.

• Resignation of John Gartner, an operator at the water treatment plant in Still Creek.

• Placing purple wreaths, signs and ribbons at various borough owned locations in honor of the 25th anniversary of the local ACS Relay for Life event, which will be held from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on June 23.

• Providing the South Ward Fire Company with an out-of-use fire hydrant for training purposes.

In response to a suggestion from resident Tammy Sienkiewicz to create a Facebook page for the Tamaqua Police Department, Mayor Nathan Gerace said the page is already in the works, but decisions on content and interactivity haven’t been finalized.

• A handicap parking space for 310 Van Gelder St.

Council approved the following hires:

• Six part-time, seasonal employees at a salary of $8 an hour, with a 25-cent increase for each year of service.

• Megan Toth as head lifeguard and assistant pool manager, with a salary of $9 an hour for lifeguard and $10 when she’s acting as assistant manager.

• Beth Jones as second assistant pool manager at a salary of $12.50 per hour.

• Dawn Clouser, Molly Clemson, Olivia Jones, Brianna Heck and Hayley Macalush as pool clerks at $8.25 per hour with a 25-cent increase for each year of service.

• Ian Machay, Nicole Aguero-Ramirez and Sierra Szabo as lifeguards at a rate of $8.50 an hour. The hiring of Aguero-Ramirez is contingent on her providing the required certification.