Walnutport Boroough Grant Coordinator Michael Wentz provided updates last week on several grant applications, including gaming money from both the Mount Airy Casino and the Sands Casino.

Unfortunately, he said, the borough was denied Sands money this year; there were 36 applications, Walnutport ranked number 25, and the nine-member board only chose the top 20 applicants.The main reason for the denial of funds, which Wentz said become available about every two years, is that it seemed all the projects that were funded involved fire equipment and police equipment. He gave the example of Wilson Borough, which he said got $50,000 for a fire truck."We very seldom don't get stuff, but they looked at things differently (this time)," Wentz said, adding that, when the funding becomes available again, perhaps the borough should put in for a police car.In regard to the new, $73,000 dump truck the borough hopes to purchase, Wentz did say that a $50,000 grant/loan at 2 percent is available for machinery through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development."It's just a matter of jumping through the hoops and the formalities," Wentz said. Council approved a motion for him to look into the matter.Another project the borough hopes to get grant money for is a new, $218,000 salt storage facility, Wentz said, noting that the current one is too small and in need of repairs.He said he asked for $206,000, with the borough's share at $12,000, from the Mount Airy Casino gaming money but that "we won't hear anything on that until February or March, January at the earliest."In regard to another possible grant, Wentz said Police Chief Pete Wayda recently made him aware of a PennDOT one called the Green Light - GO program, a 50/50 matching grant that would upgrade the older traffic light at Best Avenue and Main Street."I think we have a pretty good chance of going after it," Wentz said. He said he thought Route 145 is getting milled and paved next year.Mayor Wayne Weidner asked if the borough was going to be forced at some point to change the light, but Wentz said it was not so much that as a matter of having difficulty continuing to get replacement parts for the older light.In other news, council decided to make the first weekend of November the last weekend to rent the Walnutport Playground pavilion each year.In addition, President Matthew Newhard spoke about the Northern Lehigh Recreation Committee/ Authority's last meeting and said a resolution will need to be up for adoption at next Thursday's regularly scheduled council meeting regarding whether or not to commit to funding the future organization.