Bilunka said he would also seek money from professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, who gives grants of up to $25,000 for construction of skate parks.

The chief held a meeting at Keystone High School with 88 students who told the chief they would help with the project, by writing letters and raising money.

“Not everybody’s built to play football or basketball or baseball,” Bilunka told the council. “But this will give some other kids something to do and I think it is something that will go over well.”

Bilunka also announced Phase II of the Click or Ticket campaign would begin May 12 and run through June 1.

The chief also warned council that with gas prices up, so is theft of gasoline.

Bilunka suggested that residents get locking gas caps for their vehicles to prevent the siphoning of gas.

In other business, police presence in the borough was again an issue as council heard from Leonore Stewart, owner of the Knox Bakery, who told council she is happy with the level of police protection in the borough.

“I start work between midnight and 1 a.m. ” Stewart told the council, “I like to see officers around when I go in.

“I have seen heroin addiction, and I think the police presence in this town keeps the ilk out. I have only had one customer have any complaints, and that was over a parking ticket.

“I have heard no other complaints, and I just wanted to know where the council stands on the matter,” Stewart commented.

“I think I’ve made it perfectly clear we have one of the better police departments around,” Bish said. “They are proactive.”

“My business is down,” Stewart said, “but the economy is the problem right now, not the police. I am happy to know someone is around keeping an eye on the town, and I’ve never been afraid in this town,” Stewart concluded.

The council then turned its attention to a weather siren test they had conducted earlier that day.

“The weather siren works,” Bish joked, telling the council that when they tested the siren it tripped weather sirens county-wide.

“OES will test from now on,” Bish quipped. “It’s state of the art.”

Heeter announced that health insurance costs for the borough would rise 23 percent starting the first of July.

“We saved 29 percent switching to Health America two years ago,” Heeter said. “They kept reminding me we have still saved six percent in total costs.”