Douglass officials and residents bid farewell to board of supervisors' Chair John Stasik, Jr. Dec. 21 after six years of service to the township and a slew of challenges.

        A longtime member of the Berks-Mont Municipal Authority and a retired engineer, Stasik is leaving the board following a loss in November's general election to Dr. Alan Keiser.

Stasik described his acumen to deal with different personalities, as well as residents, an important skill to serving as a supervisor.

        "You need the ability to get people to work together," he said after the meeting. He spent his final year on board doing just that - acting as a peacemaker.  "It was something I needed to do," he said at the meeting. "Things have been getting out of hand."

         During his tenure on the board, Stasik dealt with several contentious issues, including an internal dispute between the Gilbertsville Fire and Rescue and the social organization that occupies the same building, as well as the cleanup at the Mountain Mulch site in Sassmansville. In June, the Mountain Mulch owner complied with a tri-party agreement, which included the board of supervisors and several impacted residents, to remove all of its supplies and equipment from the property at 244 Sassmansville Road.

        The board was also forced to deal with the charges filed against Supervisor Frederick W. Ziegler. In April, a district judge in Collegeville held over all but four felony charges in the case against him. The judge ordered Ziegler, 63, to stand trial in county court on charges of theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, intimidation and retaliation against witnesses, forgery, unsworn falsification to authorities, tampering with public records obstruction of administrative law and conflict of interest from September 2012 to the end of 2014.

        "The last year has been difficult," said Stasik, a Democrat, who lost the election to Dr. Alan Keiser.

However, there have also been several highlights to his tenure. He described his most tangible accomplishments as helping township officials procure a grant to replace the County Line Road bridge and the eventual construction a new public works facility.

        Under Stasik's leadership, the board agreed to construct the new public works building at the same site as the current structure on Municipal Drive. It also created a master plan to improve parks in the municipality.

        During the meeting, Township Manager Pete Hiryak thanked Stasik for his hard work.

        "It's hard to believe six years have gone by," the manager told Stasik. "You have been very helpful and accessible."

        Stasik, who thanked the public for supporting him, encouraged other citizens to get involved in local government.

        "Sitting in the bleachers and yelling at the quarterback is easy," Stasik said. "But being on the field and calling the plays is not easy."

        Stasik told the audience he won't be going anywhere, adding that he'll be "just around the corner."

        His top priority will be raising the funds to allow St. Luke Knolls Inc. to construct a senior living facility near Broad Street in the township.

        "Does anybody have $5 million?" he asked during the meeting. "This project is very close to my heart."