Around 10 years ago there was a land regulation case for a shopping center where Home Depot would now like to build a 135,000 square-foot building. The land borders the Sawkill Creek, near the Route 6 and I-84 interchange. The case resulted in the Sawkill being upgraded to Exceptional Value (EV) status under state Department of Environmental Conservation regulations, and also influences the aquifers that feed the water supply for Milford Borough. EV status effectively prohibits sewage plant discharges and large-scale development that would result in any degradation of water quality.  The philosophical and legal battle is still being played out, and undoubtedly will be for years to come. Unless the ruling has been changed or new laws have gone into effect, it would be hard to approve a Home Depot  in this area. Even if an irrigation system or other tertiary system for treating sanitary sewage were to be built by Home Depot, run off from a 750-car parking lot would make its way into the Sawkill Creek.  Just look at the parking lot of any mall and you will see the puddles of oil and other automotive fluids.   
Milford Borough was required to build a water treatment plant  that was just recently completed. It may be able to handle the run off, but there is a limit even within state-of-the-art technology. Although the Home Depot would employ a good number of people, local businesses and employees could be adversely affected.
There are some good points to building a Home Depot. Pike County is Pennsylvania's fastest  growing county, and there is a definite need for a business like Home Depot.  Needless to say, with all the new home building and the do-it yourselfer's that will be moving into the Pike County area, a store like Home Depot would be a plus for the area. 

                                                                                    By: Corey Struble

This Summer Youth Program first started more than 10 years ago under the umbrella of the Job Training Act, which began during the Presidency of John F. Kennedy. The purpose of this program was to teach young adults how to use good working skills during their future careers. Some of the programs sites available in the Pike County area include Promised Land State Park, The Pike County Economic Development Center, Grey Towers Historical Landmark Museum, CDE Computer Learning Center, Sunshine Station Child Learning Center and the Pocono Environmental Education Center.

The youth employees gain personal satisfaction while earning a paycheck. With the help of the Pike County WDA (formerly JTPA), the youths test to identify their skills and determine their interests. After testing, the WDA tries to match the individual youth with the proper site considering both the youth's abilities and personal interests. Some of the possible job skills that

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