Junior Council Representative Mason Smolenak may have only served two years on the Northampton Borough Council, but the graduating high school senior has left quite an impression. There were laughs, praise and a surprise declaration as council bid Smolenak farewell during their meeting on June 19.
Smolenack represented Northampton Area High School students as a junior member of council, serving both his junior and senior years. During his term, he played a pivotal role in spearheading the online Hometown Heroes social media campaign.
“Your involvement, your volunteerism and your selflessness at jumping into projects has been well noted,” Mayor Tony Pristash told Smolenak before presenting him with a proclamation for his distinguished service to the Borough of Northampton and its citizens. The proclamation declared Friday, June 20, 2025, as Mason Smolenack Day in the borough.
“It is going to be very tough to fill your shoes,” Mayor Pristash continued.
In addition to his work with the Hometown Heroes program, Smolenack also worked alongside council and the borough staff, assisting with projects while learning the ins and outs of local government.
“You have been an absolute joy,” Councilwoman Judith Haldeman said to Smolenack. “You have restored my faith in the youth of the world…you come with a smile, you come with dedication, you are just the finest young man.”
“We couldn’t be more thankful that you applied,” Borough Manager Brian Welsko added. “I had such a wonderful time bouncing ideas off you. While we have all been entrenched here [in government] for you to have new eyes [and perspective] is something that we cannot always do.”
“The way that you look at things is such a breath of fresh air, and I know that you are going to take that and never lose it,” he continued.
Smolenack thanked his fellow council members for their support and insights over the past several years.
“It is hard to believe it has been two years already,” he said. “I am really grateful for all of the lessons and knowledge I learned here…I am really, truly, grateful.”
Smolenak plans to attend college and, later, the United States Air Force Academy.
In other news, Mayor Pristash announced the completion of the Hometown Heroes banner project. The final banner was placed on June 19. Over 500 banners now celebrate local service men and women and can be found lining nearly every borough street.
“It has been great to drive around wherever you go and see someone who has served in this borough to make our lives, our freedom, all the better,” Mayor Pristash said.
The mayor thanked council, borough administration, public works and former Borough Manager LeRoy Brobst for their support during the project.
Haldeman added her thanks to the friends and families who have sponsored the banners. “The success of [this program] was really [because of] our community,” she said. “For what they did in funding this to acknowledge their family members and relatives.”
Mayor Pristash says the borough will take a few years off to begin other projects before potentially restarting the banner program.
Finally, Council President Julia Kutzler said council plans to hold a roundtable between borough officials, police, Tri-Boro Sportsmen Club and neighboring residents in the coming weeks to address safety concerns after stray bullets were found on nearby properties.
Welsko added that Tri-Boro has been communicating directly with his staff and the police. However, specific comments cannot be addressed publicly due to an ongoing investigation.
“Tri-Boro has been communicating…on a weekly basis,” he said. “Because it is an active police investigation, we have been advised not to disseminate information…because of that, it has been kept in-house.”
He added, however, that the club is actively implementing improvements.
The next borough council meeting will be held Thursday, July 3 at 7 p.m.
