Delaware Valley may get use of some of Santos Farm land after all

WESTFALL — A Native American-Indian burial ground prevented construction of a new school, but will not prevent Delaware Valley athletes from performing on playing fields at the former Santos Farm. Speaking to the board of education on Feb. 19, Pike County Commissioner Harry Forbes offered free use of the fields, which the county is acquiring for open space preservation. The county purchase of some 97 acres includes the flood plain portion of the property, which is not suitable for construction. School board member Sue Casey questioned Forbes about the creation of playing fields on lands with Indian artifacts. “We were told it would cost $2 million to mitigate the archaeological issues before a shovel could be put in the ground,”she said. Forbes replied that the lower (flood plain) property has been used for farming for years and has no archaeological issues. “It’s to be used for passive recreation,” he said. Forbes said Pike County would provide an updated property survey for the district’s planning purposes. District Superintendent Dr. Candis Finan thanked Forbes and said the district would look forward to receiving the survey. In other business at the Feb. 19 school board meeting, the board: — discussed policy that would allow board member attendance by video link; —agreed to ask DV’s Special Olympics skiing champ Victor Beadle to their March 19 meeting in Dingman; —agreed to draft a letter of opposition to a proposed statewide, scripted curriculum being considered by state education officials; — and applauded Business Manager Bill Hessling’s recent independent fuel bidding, which could provide savings of some $500,000 in the coming school year. DV-SANTOs history In 2005, the school district began negotiations to buy 118 acres of the farm and agreed on a $7 million purchase the following year. Sue Casey, then the board president, argued for the purchase, despite its controversial $7 million price tag. The deal collapsed the following Spring of 2007, when state and consultant archaeological findings determined the property was a prehistoric burial ground.