What`s your favorite thing to do during the summer?

Transcription

Sun is shining. Weather is sweet. Make you wanna move your dancing - feet.
Bob Marley
Meet our new intern at the Upper Bucks Free
Press.
Amber Qalagiri, of Quakertown,
will be a part of the UBFP crew through
the summer before returning for her
sophomore year at Hofstra University where she
majors in video and television production, with
a minor in writing. photo by michele buono
“Running… It’s Good for the Soul”
Kids take off for the one-mile Fun Run at St. Isidore School’s First Annual 5K Race in
Quakertown. The event was a success with 22 participating in the Fun Run and 92 taking
the 5K challenge! Get the rest of the story on page 7.
photo by michele buono
Former Eagles wide receiver Mike Quick has a
‘chance meeting’ with Upper Bucks Chamber of
Commerce executive director Tara King at the
organization’s annual business expo held at
Quakertown Community High School.
What’s your favorite thing to do
during the summer?
interviews and photos by michele buono
Bentley
Jamie Lawfer
Elaine Smith
Christopher Zahn
Coopersburg
Quakertown
Quakertown
Quakertown
Playing ball!
(of course)
Playing with my dog
and I like to go
swimming.
Being off from work
and relaxing by the
pool. Going on
vacation.
Going to Newport
on vacation.
2
• Upper Bucks Free Press • June 2012
Upper Bucks Community Events
June is “Adopt A Shelter Cat Month”
activities, Grammy nominated Steve
Pullara will be performing 12noon at the
Marina, call Education Ctr, 215-529-7307
June 1
Indian Valley Animal Hosp. Open House,
2pm-5pm, meet the staff & ck out services, businesses, giveaways, & activities.
Proceeds benefit local animal rescue organizations. 749A Route 113, Souderton
Tyler Tasting Party (food wine
event), 6:30pm-10pm, Tyler Mansion
in Newtown, funds Bucks County
Community College students. ($40,000
in 2011), Info: 215-968-8224 or
[email protected]
June 9 & 10
June 2
Free Model Aircraft Show, 9am-4pm at
club field, Rosenberger Rd & Kumry Rd,
Qtwn, Food & family fun, buc-le.org
Pride of Quakertown’s Zumbathon, 10am12noon, (regis. 9:30am), 2-hr Zumba,
1-hr Dr. Drill, $15, bring non-perishable
item to donate to Food Pantry, Memorial
Park, Qtwn, www.prideofquakertown.org
June 10
Longaberger/Vera Bradley Basket Bingo,
doors open 12noon, Saucon Valley HS,
Polk Valley Rd, Hellertown, benefits
Booster Club, 610-838-6221
Flea Market, Upper Saucon Lions, 8am3pm, Living Memorial Grounds, Rt 309
& E. Fairmount St, Coopersburg, rain/
shine. Spaces $12/advance, $15/later.
610-282-1776 or www.uslionsclub.com
Flea
Mkt/Craft
Show,
6am-1pm,
Dublin Fire Co, Route 313, breakfast/
lunch by Ladies Aux., 215-249-3089,
(rain date June 9)
Hartzel-Strassburger Homestead, 403-407
Keystone Dr, Sellersville. Historical Soc.
Hilltown Twp, Cindy 267-614-9174
Flea Mkt/Bake Sale, 8am-12noon,
Jerusalem
Evangelical
Lutheran,
733 Ridge Rd, Sellersville
FREE Vessel Safety checks by the Coast
Guard Auxiliary at the Lake Nockamixon
Marina (weather permitting)
AAUW, Doylestown Branch, Annual
Dinner,
5:30pm-9pm,
Doylestown
Country Club, 401 Pebble Hill Rd,
show about Babe Didrikson, details at
215-230-8330
Flea Mkt/Craft Show, 9am-2pm, Christ
Comm Bible Church, 1830 Ridge
Rd,
Perkasie,
christcommunitybible
church.org
June 3
June 7
35th Annual Alumni Day Celebration
Animals in Distress Sanctuary, 12noon4pm, “Pets & People Party”, also Laps of
Love Walkathon at 10am, 5075 Limeport
Pike, Coopersburg, 610-966-9383 x8 or
www.animalsindistress-pa.org
Quakertown Blazers vs. North Jersey,
7pm at Qtwn Memorial Park
Llamapaloosa (llama shearing festival)
11am-4pm at 3350 Fatima La., Ottsville,
(rd 6/3), www.auroraalpacasllamas.com
or 215-795-2584
Quakertown Pet Fair, 10am-3pm at
Qtwn Veterinary Clinic, r/d June 3
quakertownvetclinic.com
Meet the Dogs at LCR in their outside
runs from 12noon-2pm. 9 Beck Rd, Qtwn,
www.lastchanceranch.org
“Playing It Safe” 10am-3pm, St. Luke’s
Bone & Joint Inst., 1534 Park Ave, Qtwn,
free food, drinks, screenings, giveaways,
etc., geared to ages 5-12, (r/d June 3),
215-538-4588
Soap Box Derby, details at Boro office:
215-723-4371,soudertonborough.org
Strawberry/Ice Cream Festival, 3:30pm7:30pm, Peter’s Tohickon UCC, 1071
Old Bethlehem Rd, Perkasie (Qtwn Band
5pm-7pm), Food & fun, benefits Church
Improvement Fund, 215-257-4633
Drive-Thru Chicken BBQ ($8), 3pm-7pm,
St. Peter’s Evangelical, Hilltown Pike
& Church Rd, Hilltown, benefits Youth
Mission Trip to Logan County, WV
Cruise Night by Cross Members Car
Club at Calvary Church, 820 Route
113, Souderton, 5pm-9pm (weather
permitting), Free admission
June 2 & 3
“Public House of the 1820’s re-creation”,
(Sat. 9am-5pm) (Sun. 10am-4pm), take
part in good cheer & discussions of the
day, varied events both days, $2/day,
Quakertown Blazers vs. Trenton (DH),
Restaurant Bingo, doors open 12noon,
(prizes from local eateries), Benner Hall
in Richlandtown, benefits Benner Hall
Playground Fund, Dani 610-751-3156,
www.bennerhall.com
1500’s Era Lenape Village public
tours, 1pm-4pm, $5/person, Contact
www.churchvillenaturecenter.org,
215-357-4005 for info/regis.
Insect Discovery Naturalist Program &
Poisonous Plants Naturalist Program,
2pm, $3/person, 501 Churchville Lane,
contact www.churchvillenaturecenter.org
or 215-357-4005 for info/regis.
Breakfast by Amer. Legion Post 255 Aux.,
8am-12noon, 75 N. Main St, Sellersville,
215-257-9801,
sellersvillelegion.com,
$4.50/donation, open to public
Breakfast Buffet, 8am-12noon (all-u-caneat) Lower Milford Twp Fire Co, 1601
Limeport Pike, Coopersburg, $7.50 and
under
June 4
28th Annual Golf Outing at Indian Valley
Country Club, 215-536-3211 or ubcc.org
1st Annual Tennis Outing at Tennis Zone,
215-536-3211 or ubcc.org
June 5
Silver Creek Country Club-Mixer/
Membership, 6pm-8pm, free to attend. Wine bar/refreshments provided,
Country Club Casual (no denim), 700
Linden Ave, Hellertown, regis. by 6/1 at
[email protected]
IVCCYPN Young Professionals Network
Event at The Local, 2 West Broad
St, Souderton, 5pm-7pm, regis. by
June 1 at 215-723-9472, ivchamber@
indianvalleychamber.com
Quakertown Blazers vs. Jersey, 7pm at
Qtwn Memorial Park
June 6
June 8
“Dolphin Tale”, (free potluck 6:30pm),
Outdoor movie/free popcorn, starts at
dusk, Christ’s Evangelical Lutheran, One
Luther Lane, Trumbauersville (off Broad
St), www.christslutheran.com
Star
Party
Campfire
program,
9:30pm,
$5/adults,
$3/kids,
contact nature ctr: 215-357-4005,
www.churchvillenaturecenter.org
June 9
Christ’s Lutheran & John Rivers Mem.
VFW #11322’s Annual Vera Bradley/
Longaberger Basket Bingo, doors open
12noon, advance $20 ($25/door), event
held at St. Isidore’s School gym. Tickets/
sponsor info at 215-536-3193
TriValley
Power
Walk,
details:
215-723-4371, soudertonborough.org
St. Isidore Yard Sale/Flea Mkt, 8am1pm, 2545 W. Pumping Station Rd,
Qtwn, (r/d June 16), benefits St. Isidore
Landscape Committee, reserve space at
215-620-3553 or landscapecommittee@
yahoo.com
Annual Yard Sale/Chinese Auction
at MorningStar Moravian, 8am-2pm,
refreshments available, 234 S. Main St,
Coopersburg, 610-282-1908
Flea Market at Zion Mennonite Church in
Souderton, 8am-2pm, call 215-723-3592
to reserve a table.
Annual Ride for Veterans, reg. 9am12noon, Quakertown American Legion
Post 242, 610 E. Broad St (route 313),
Call 215-538-0747 for details.
Multi-family Yard Sale to benefit Susan G.
Komen Foundation, 7am-1pm (rain/shine)
2180 Old Forty Foot Rd, Harleysville,
food also for sale, hosted by 3-Day Walk
for the Cure team
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
fundraiser, 11am-5pm, hosted by
Gracie’s Lemon Shop, 207 Windsor Dr,
Richlandtown, www.alexslemonade.org
National Get Outdoors Day, 10am-3pm,
Nockamixon State Park, lots of free
Youth Performance Competition at Tabor
Days, 12noon-4pm, Tabor’s Doylestown
Campus, annual fundraiser benefits
abused & neglected children. Details at
www.tabor.org
Quakertown Alive’s 2nd Annual Garden
Tour, 11am-4pm, begins at Burgess
Foulke House, 26 N. Main St (tickets),
seminars, plant sales, raffles. Pre-tour
cocktail reception Sat. 7pm-10pm at 1121
West Broad St. www.quakertownalive.
com or 215-536-2273
June 11
“Step into Summer & Celebrate Dads”
6:30pm at First United Methodist
in
Perkasie,
215-258-3385
or
[email protected]
Penny Dolls, 7pm at West Rockhill
Historical Soc., 1028 Ridge Rd,
Sellersville, speaker Ginny Burutis will
speak about the past, West Rockhill Twp
building
June 13
25th Birthday Celebration of Samuel
Pierce Library, 6pm-8pm, magician,
refreshments, raffles, etc. 491 Arthur
Ave, Perkasie
Hoagie/Chef Salad Sale, (advance orders
please, $4 ea.) Zion Evangelical Lutheran,
Zion Hill, call 610-282-1648 or [email protected]
June 13 to June 16
Fireman’s Carnival, fireworks, food,
music, rides, bingo, etc. at Lower
Milford Fire Co, 1601 Limeport Pike,
Coopersburg, grounds open nightly 6pm,
contact firehouse for listing of events
June 14 – FLAG DAY!
June 15
“Mighty Macs”,
free popcorn, starts
Evangelical Lutheran,
Trumbauersville (off
Christslutheran.com
Outdoor movie/
at dusk, Christ’s
One Luther Lane,
Broad St), www.
“A Bench in the Sun” (comedy), Hunterdon
Hills Playhouse carpool trip sponsored by
Eastern Upper Bucks Seniors, includes
luncheon & dessert, doors open 11am,
cost depends on attendance. Info/reservations: 610-847-8178
June 16
Palisades Alumni Association’s 60th anniversary celebration banquet at Benner
Hall, Richlandtown. Call Jim Michener
215-249-9367 or palisadeshsalumni.org
Beef & Beer Fundraiser, 7pm-10pm,
McCoole’s Arts & Events, 10 S. Main
St, Qtwn, $35/tkt (must be 21 to attend),
www.ubace.org
June 2012 • Upper Bucks Free Press •
3
Where can I get
my Free Press?
Army Navy
A-Plus Mini Market
Bottom Dollar Foods
Beer City
Brick’s Sales
Classic Temps
Captain Bob’s Seafood
Chick Fil-A
Chilkoot’s Restaurant
Dominick’s Pizza
East Swamp Church
First UCC
Frank’s Pizza
Giant Food Markets
Giovanni’s Pizza
The Grundy House
Hen & Hog
Hobo’s Bar & Grill
Independence Court
James Michener Library
John’s Plain & Fancy
Karlton Cafe
Liberty Thrift Store
McDonalds
Melody Lakes
Pep’s Ice Cream Parlor
Philly Soft Pretzel Factory
Power & Grace Dance & Gymnastics
Quaker Cleaners
Quakertown Family Restaurant
QNB Bank
Quaker Bakery
Redner’s Market
Roma Pizza
Sal’s Pizza Randa
Spinnerstown Hotel
Sine’s 5 & 10
SNAP Fitness
St. Luke’s Hospital
Tom’s Help Desk
Wawa
Swann’s Pantry
Upper Bucks Senior Center
Upper Bucks YMCA
Yum Yum Donuts
Sellersville
A & N Diner
Grandview Hospital
Village Market
Hidden Meadows on the Ridge
Perkasie
Bravo’s Pizza
Dam Good Cafe
First United Methodist Church
Giant Food Markets
Landis Food Markets
Mirage Hair Salon
Olde Towne Convenience Store
Pierce Library
QNB Bank
Revivals Restaurant
Trumbauersville
Borough Hall
Fino’s La Cantina
Meetinghouse Business Center
Silver Shears
Spor’s General Store
Trum Tavern
US Post Office
Telford
Indian Valley Library
Landis Supermarkets
SOUDERTON
Care & Share
Mr. B’s
O’Grady’s
QNB Bank
Vincent’s Pizza
Wawa
Coopersburg
Coopersburg Diner
CVS Pharmacy
Giant Food Markets
Good Earth
The Inside Scoop
Paradise Tanning
QNB Bank
Weis Markets
Also available at area post offices
as well as lots of other high traffic
locations between here and there.
More Community Events
3rd Annual Free Give-Away at First
Baptist Church of Perkasie on 5th St.,
8am-11am, shop for free, lots of gently
used items.
1st Annual PINK DAY, raise funds for
Breast Cancer Research, call 610-5876225 or 215-257-6979 for details, Perkasie
Ridge Rd, Perkasie, doors open 5pm,
215-257-7318
The Fabulous Toe Tappers, 1pm & 2pm
at Pennridge Commun. Senior Ctr, in
Silverdale, beautiful costumes, acts, & tap
dancing, details at 215-453-7027
June 21
June 24
Souderton’s 125th Anniversary: 7pm
Concert Sundaes w/Swing Band &
Fireworks at Souderton Park, Borough
Office
215-723-4371
for
details,
generationsofiv.org
June 28
Community Yard Sale/Alex’s Lemonade
Stand, 8am-2pm at First Church of the
Brethren, 455 Trumbauersville Rd, Qtwn,
$10/tables avail., call 215-536-7510,
(r/d June 23)
Free Community Dinner, 5:30pm at First
United Church of Christ, 151 S. 4th St at
Park Ave, Quakertown, 215-536-4447 or
www.firstucc.net
Quakertown Blazers vs. Lehigh Valley,
Canoe Trip on Delaware River, departs
7:30am from Nature Center, Info at 215357-4005, churchvillenaturecenter.org
Quakertown Blazers vs. Allentown, 7pm
at Qtwn Memorial Park
“Courageous”,
Outdoor
movie/
free popcorn, starts at dusk, Christ’s
Evangelical Lutheran, One Luther
Lane, Trumbauersville (off Broad St),
christslutheran.com
June 17 – Happy Father’s Day!
Father’s Day Breakfast Buffet, 8am-1pm
at Richland Twp Fire Co, All-U-CanEat, $7 and under, 64 Shelly Rd, Qtwn,
215-536-7226
June 22
“Mr. Popper’s Penguins”, Outdoor movie/free popcorn, starts at dusk, Christ’s
christslutheran.com
Silver Creek’s 10th Annual Father’s
Day Car Show, benefits Youth Baseball
&
Softball,
Call
610-346-6840,
www.silvercreekathleticassociation.org
June 23
Perkasie Carousel Open, Menlo Park, 5th
& Park Ave., Perkasie, Noon - 5pm
Quakertown Blazers vs. Jersey (DH),
Terrific Trees Naturalist Program,
2pm, 501 Churchville Lane, info/
regis. at Nature Ctr 215-357-4005,
www.churchvillenaturecenter.org
Souderton’s 125th Anniversary: 9am
Best period costume contest, 10am Bike
deco contest, 11am Anniv. Parade,
Borough Office 215-723-4371 for details,
generationsofiv.org
June 19
Quakertown Blazers vs. Trenton, 7pm at
Qtwn Memorial Park
Quakertown
Neighborhood
Assoc.
Monthly Meeting, 7pm at Quakertown
Library, www.quakertownna.org
June 20
Free Dinner 5:30pm-6:30pm at Christ
Community Bible Church, 1830 N.
Car Wash Fundraiser at Wehrung’s,
Route 611, Ottsville, www.ubace.org
June 29
July 1
Quakertown Blazers vs. North Jersey
(DH), 1pm at Qtwn Memorial Park
Quakertown
Historical
Society
Membership Kickoff Barbeque, 1pm-4pm
at McCoole’s, 4 South Main St, Qtwn,
$35/tkt includes year membership to historical society. Tkts at McCoole’s, Qtwn
Borough, & Qtwn Alive office
Themed Garden Competition, details at Borough office: 215-723-4371,
soudertonborough.org
July 4 - Independence Day
Quakertown Blazers vs. Lehigh Valley,
3rd annual Not So Secret Garden Tour,
10am-4pm, self-guided tour of 6 private
gardens, info at www.solehipl.org or
610-282-8825
July 5
June 23 & 24
July 6
Mommy & Me event at Harley Hill Farm
alpacas, free tour, seminars, shearing/
spinning demos, and parade, 10am-4pm,
451 Kellers Rd, Qtwn
“Puss in Boots”, Outdoor movie/
free popcorn, starts at dusk, Christ’s
christslutheran.com
Quakertown Blazers vs. Allentown, 7pm
at Qtwn Memorial Park
If a June night could talk, it would probably boast it
invented romance. - Bern Williams
4
Bucks County Library Rejects
Memorial Sculpture by Local Artist
To the editor:
In the summer of 2010 I started
work on a sculpture of a child reading
a book to her teddy bear and her dog.
I used my memory of my daughter
Katie, her AG Bear and our beloved
dog Cinderella as my model.
First a small version called a machette, then a larger final version in
clay. I made silicone rubber molds of
the torso, arms, legs and head and cast
them in wax. The dog and the bear
were sculpted directly in wax. Each
piece was given wax sprues, vents
and pour cups . Each gated piece was
then given 10 coats of a ceramic shell
material and stucco, drying for at least
3 hours between coats. Next came the
burn out and bronze pour. Each piece
was placed in a burn out kiln and the
wax was melted out leaving a perfect
impression of the sculpture inside the
ceramic shell.
When all the wax was melted out the
piece was inverted and 2000 degree
bronze was poured in to fill the space
once occupied by the wax. After cooling the ceramic shell was hammered
away revealing the cast bronze. The
gates and vents were removed and the
flashing and gated were ground down
and sand blasted. Hours and hours of
chasing and sanding removed the imperfections and the pieces were ready
to be welded together.
The head, arms and legs were weld-
“So Many Books, So Little Time” - a bronze
sculpture by local artist Linda Stauffer
meant for display at the Quakertown
branch of the Bucks County Library
ed onto the torso and the weld marks
were also chased. This process was
repeated with the dog and the bear.
Now came the patina, a process that
speeds up the natural oxidation of a
bronze sculpture. A sand blasting then
repeated applications of ferric nitrate
(brown) and cupric nitrate(green) using a torch and a brush.
Now two years later I am finally
finished! I made a large book out
of wood for the base and gave the
sculpture a name: “So Many Books,
So Little Time.”
The entire time I was working on
the sculpture I was thinking about
Katie and her love of books and how
great it would look in the library. Kids
that didn’t know her name called her
that kid that is always reading a book!
Others called her a biblioholic. She
was never without a book, usually
reading 20-30 a week. Her favorite
place was the library. She knew her
library card number by heart. Even
now ten years after the accident that
took her life there are at least a thousand books up in her room. She would
have been thrilled by the new library!
Shortly after her death, I took a poster
she had drawn for art class to the old
library. It read, “Explore Your World,
Read A Book” and they framed it and
hung it in the teen reading room. It’s
still there I think, I hope!
Last week I wrote an email to the
Bucks County Library offering to
donate the sculpture to the Michener
Branch of the library with the stipulation that it remain in the library,
kind of a permanent loan. I received
a reply that thanked me for the offer,
BUT they do not accept donations
of art work that they cannot sell to
further the mission of the library!
UNBELIEVEABLE!! I was nearly in
tears, how could they refuse, it would
look so great!
“Professional
Response” to Fire
Emergency Greatly
Appreciated
To the editor:
The week of May 14 – May 20 was
National Police Week. As we celebrate the
dedicated men and women who work tirelessly every day to keep our community
safe, Penn Foundation is especially grateful – not only for our local police officers
but also for our local volunteer firefighter
and emergency medical services teams.
On Wednesday, May 16th, an
electrical fire broke out in the Main
Building on our Sellersville campus.
The Pennridge Regional Police, Grand
View EMS, and eight local fire companies - Quakertown West End, Perkasie,
Sellersville,
Silverdale,
Souderton,
Telford, Trumbauersville, and Tylersport
– responded to the call and arrived on the
scene.
The fire was soon brought under control, and Penn Foundation consumers and
staff were safely and quickly evacuated.
We are deeply appreciative of the efficient
and professional response of our community’s volunteer fire companies. Their
service was part of the response plan that
allowed us to re-open as normal the next
day. We are fortunate to have such skilled
police, fire, and emergency medical personnel serving our community. On behalf
of Penn Foundation’s Board of Directors,
our staff, and most importantly, those we
serve, I want to extend our deepest thanks.
Linda Stauffer
Quakertown
Wayne Mugrauer,
President and CEO
Penn Foundation, Sellersville
Always you. Always QNB .
For ALL Your Loan Needs
Auto
Motorcycle
Unsecured
QNB Visa Credit Cards
QNB
Yo u r C o m m u n i t y B a n k
Mortgages
Home Equity
Lines of Credit
Manufactured Home Loans
Lines of Credit
Demand and Term Loans
Commercial Mortgages
Construction Financing
Call: 215-538-5600 or 1-800-491-9070
Click: www.QNB.com
Visit: Any of our nine convenient locations in Coopersburg, Dublin, Pennsburg,
Perkasie, Quakertown, Souderton and Wescosville
Two Decades of Community
Efforts to Prevent Bullying
To the editor:
The statistics are startling.
• Approximately 75 percent of students say they have been bullied at
school. (Centers for Disease Control &
Prevention)
• Every day, 160,000 students stay
home from school due to fear of attack
or intimidation. (National Association of
School Psychologists)
But as big an issue as bullying is, as
pervasive in schools, homes and communities, as mentally and emotionally trying
to individuals, families and communities;
we see evidence that awareness of the issue is increasing and programs to prevent
bullying are making a difference.
Take, for example, the release this past
spring of the movie Bully http://thebullyproject.com. It has brought bullying out
of the shadows and turned a national spotlight on bullying’s tragic consequences.
Now take NOVA’s bullying prevention programs. As a Champion Member
Organization of The National Bullying
Prevention Center, we believe every
person deserves to feel safe and happy.
For more than two decades, we’ve
specifically geared a large portion of
our violence prevention education,
workshops, role-playing, assertiveness
training, counseling, advocacy, referrals and support toward putting a halt to
bullying wherever it threatens to appear
and helping bullying victims heal. And by
uniting, engaging and educating teachers,
parents, students and professionals in the
community to prevent bullying, we are
making an impact.
Last year alone, NOVA presented 841
creative, relevant and interactive programs
on bullying issues. Our outcomes-based
programs have been proven to increase
students’ ability to recognize, refuse and
report bullying, to be assertive and to
build friendships.
NOVA’s comprehensive services to address bullying include
• Prevention programs for all schoolage groups
• Professional teacher trainings
• Freeconfidential counseling for
victim issues
• Legal advocacy
• Lawyer referral
• Resources and references for parents
and other concerned adults
As more people of all ages and roles in
the community understand the problem
and work together to listen, learn and
help, the greater our chances of creating
long-term positive change. Together, we
can end bullying!
Mandy Mundy
Dir of Education and Training
Network of Victims Assistance
[email protected]
Quakertown Alumni Award
Honors, Scholarships
The Quakertown High School Alumni
Association held their 4th annual General
Meeting on June 2nd to recognize two
current and two future alumni members.
The meeting served as a time of remembrance and inspiration; past graduates
were honored for their contributions and
current graduates were given funding to
achieve their future goals.
The Honorary Diploma was awarded to
Martha Fisher, a retired teacher and musician, from the class of 1940 for her past
and continuous service to Quakertown.
The Gold Key award for distinguished
alumni was awarded to Paul Barndt, retired coach, teacher, and administrator.
Quakertown lost this beloved man to
cancer earlier this year but his memory
in the community and school district will
not be forgotten. Barndt’s achievements
were recognized at the meeting as his son
came to accept the award in his honor.
Mike Walsh, president of the association,
challenged alumni members to be active
in the community so that, “people come
back here and talk about you like they talk
about Paul.”
Two scholarships were also awarded
to two graduating seniors of Quakertown
high school. Breanna Sulllivan was
awarded one thousand dollars to aid in her
pursuit to attend Drexel, where she plans
to study Communications. Justin Marlin
was also awarded one thousand dollars to
help fund his future career involving farm
animals. What makes this Association’s
scholarships so unique is that it looks past
the typical top of the class criteria; focusing on deeper distinctions of character
such as “heart” and “passion.”
Dedicated to supporting our community, the Quakertown Alumni Association
meets on the second Tuesday of every
month at the school district building.
They use these meetings to come up with
ideas for fundraisers and how to increase
support for scholarships. Dr. Leight, one
of the eight members on the board of directors, revamped the association after it
had died a few years ago. Now they are
going strong as they excitedly enter their
fourth year. Quakertown High School
Alumni Association is always looking to
the community to expand their members
and support which will keep them going
for many years to come.
5
6
Ongoing Community
Activities
and Resources
May Car Show “Cruisin’ with
the
Classics”,
610-395-1558
or
hodgepodgevarietymusic.com
Belly Dancing Classes beginning May
4, 1:30pm at Encore Experiences in
Harleysville, $1/class, 215-256-6900
May 11 to June 15 Free Health
Workshop, Phila. Corp. for Aging, 10am12:30pm, Generations, 259 N. Second St,
Souderton, Free 300-pg book “Living a
Healthy Life…..”, regis: 215-723-5871,
[email protected]
Last Chance Ranch will give potential
adopters opportunity to view all dogs on
the first Saturday of April thru September
in their outside runs from 12noon2pm. Located at 9 Beck Rd, Qtwn,
www.lastchanceranch.org
Singles Connection, Thurs. 7pm at
Silverdale Brethren in Christ Church, 165
W. Main St (Rt 113), Silverdale, Come
meet others for a social evening. Info:
215-723-3415, [email protected]
Gamblers Anonymous meets every
Saturday 11am-1pm, St. Luke’s Hosp.
Education Ctr, Rm 111, Ostrum St,
Bethlehem, 215-872-5635
Overeaters Anonymous meets every
Thursday 10am-11am, West Swamp
Mennonite Church, 2501 Allentown Rd,
Quakertown, No dues, fees, and free babysitting. www.oa.org or Bob 610-762-3779
Alcoholics Anonymous meets every
Sunday at 7pm, Grand View Hosp. info
at 215-453-4699
Community Hymn Sing, 6pm, first
Sunday every month, Saucon Mennonite
Church, 6639 N. Main St, Coopersburg,
All invited, refreshments provided,
610-282-0514
Bedminster
Nar-Anon
Family
Group meets every Tuesday 7:30pm
at Deep Run West Mennonite Church,
1008 Deep Run Rd, Perkasie 18944.
Support group for family & friends with
loved ones struggling with addiction,
[email protected]
or
267-897-0695
FREE
English
Classes
at
Quakertown
High School, 5pm7pm
every
Thursday,
childcare
provided, [email protected]
A Woman’s Place (support for domestic abuse & violence) 24-hour Hotline –
1-800-220-8116, www.awomansplace.org
Kids Club w/Kellie (grades 1-5), 1st &
3rd Thurs. at 6pm, First United Methodist
Church, 501 Market St, Perkasie,
Info: Robin Lerro at 215-258-3385,
[email protected]
Upper Bucks Kiwanis meets for
lunch 2nd & 4th Wednesday every
month at John’s Plain & Fancy, Qtwn,
12:30pm, Meet new friends and join us.
[email protected]
Quakertown PetSmart Pet Adoption
Day! 11am-3pm every 2nd Saturday of the
month, [email protected]
Quilt Raffle tickets at So. Lehigh Public
Library, 3200 Preston Lane, Center
Valley, Drawing in June with the Garden
Tour. Benefits library, 610-282-8825
Miller-Keystone Blood Center Mobile
comes to Trinity Evangelical Lutheran
Church 1st and 3rd Monday of each
month, 3pm-7pm
Upper Bucks Moms w/kids 5 and
under are invited to join other Moms
and their kids for fun, play dates,
outings,
etc.
www.meetup.com/
Working-Moms-of-Upper-Bucks.
Faith Covenant Church MOPS (Mothers
of Preschoolers) meets 2nd & 4th Thurs. of
months Oct. thru May, 9:30am-11:30am,
109 S. West End Blvd (309 across
from Dunkin’ Donuts), For all
moms desiring to be the best moms they can be.
[email protected]
Young Women’s Group (ages 18-27)
Join a group of your peers to talk about
your life and whatever you want to be different in your life. Meets every Tuesday
7pm-8:30pm. Contact Susan Brewer
(life counselor/coach) 215-872-4219
Sellersville, www.balancelife4u.com
Upper Bucks Sertoma meets at Karlton
Café in Qtwn Thursday mornings, 7:15am
Speaker, ends 8:30am
Free Meal for Those in Need at
Chilkoot’s, (soup & hotdog), Sundays
3pm-5pm, 29 Quakers Way, Qtwn,
(across from Bon Ton), 215-536-3427,
sponsored by Zion Lutheran Church
Free Community Meals in Qtwn, 6pm
at Richland Friends Quaker Meeting
on second, fourth & fifth Weds. every
month. Mill Rd & Main St off Route 309.
215-536-0395, May 9, 23, 30
Community Meal-every third Thursday
of the month, 5:30pm-6:30pm, First
UCC, 4th & Park, Qtwn, 215-536-4447
Bingo at Richland Twp Fire & Rescue
every Tues. doors open 5:30pm, 64 Shelly
Rd, Qtwn. 215-536-7226
Bingo at Great Swamp Fish & Game
every Sat. night, open 4pm, games
6:30pm, kitchen open. Free coffee, 2650
Schukraft & Camp Rock Hill Rd, Qtwn,
215-536-8820
Bingo at Qtwn American Legion, doors
open 5:45pm, 610 E. Broad St, Qtwn,
open to public, 215-538-0747
Bingo at Plumsteadville Fire Co., doors
open 5pm, (refreshments avail.) 5064
Stump Rd
Introducing... me!
Hi! Mitzi Jo here! I am so happy you
care to know what dog’s think about life
and how we learn to get along. I will try
to explain to you on human terms how I
keep my family of 6 dogs in line AND all
our visiting friends that come to stay and
visit with us. If you haven’t guessed by
now I am the Alpha DOG in our home.
My human runs things from above me but
because I rule fairly I am next in line. No
bullying allowed at our house. If a dog
tries to bully another dog we ALL get
together and let him know we don’t support THAT behavior here. There is power
in numbers. We actually feel bad for the
bully dog because he must be missing out
on self-esteem and love in his life that
makes him act that way. We will have to
say a prayer for his life to get better.
I must confess I have issues too.
Yesterday my Momma Jean was getting
ready to go somewhere. I could tell be-
cause she has a routine. She picks up her
purse, and then the BIG clue is that she
changes her shoes. That’s all I needed to
see to know a car ride was in the future.
I LOVE car rides! Well, before I could
even jump from the couch she was out the
door with two of the other dogs! I got left
behind! You know when they came back
from the car ride my fellow family dogs
came trotting in the house and purposely
blew their breath in my direction. (They
were teasing me.) They had breath that
smelled like BACON! That means they
got to go to breakfast at the Karlton Café.
I am the head dog around here why didn’t
I get to go. After I thought about it for a
while I guess it’s only fair the other dogs
get a turn too. I pouted for a little bit but
then I realized that being in a large family
means I have to share. It’s worth it. That’s
all for now. Love, M.J.
7
First Annual 5K Race Held
Quakertown’s U16
by St. Isidore School
Cougars Win the EPYSA
PA President’s State Cup
Mother’s Day was extra special for
the mom’s of the U16 Cougars of the
Quakertown Soccer Club! Their sons
played in the Pennsylvania President’s
State Cup Final against the Berks Ajax
from Boyertown, at the Lehigh Valley
Soccer Fields. This game was a culmination of their several month long hunt
for the championship and would decide if
they go on to play in the regional finals
tournament.
The game was incredibly close and the
teams were extremely well matched. At
the final whistle it was a 2-2 tie! Overtime
would bring two fifteen minute halves; it
was like starting the whole game over after having played for an hour and a half
already. But start over they did, and the
Cougars didn’t disappoint. They put in a
stunning goal early on in the first 15 min-
ute half. The Cougar offense exhibited
great passing and speed and had many
shots and their goalie Matt Overholtzer
and the Cougar defense made many amazing saves, but in the end, the Cougars held
off the Ajax for a 3-2 win.
The EPYSA President’s State Cup
Champions, the U16 Cougars, will go on
to play in the regional tournament in New
Hampshire over Memorial Day Weekend.
The boys, their coaches, and parents have
high hopes of winning regional’s, as the
next step would be a trip to Sacramento,
California for the President’s Cup National
tournament, in July.
The Cougars wanted to be sure and give
special thanks to their “Cheering Section”
a group of around 30 or so fans who came
all the way to the game dressed entirely
in white to root them on to victory. They
were the twelfth man on the field and the
team is very thankful.
Young and old gathered on a chilly
late April afternoon in anticipation of
St. Isidore School first annual 5K run.
Everyone agreed that it was a good turnout for the inaugural event with 92 runners
racing in the 5K race and 22 participants
in the 1 mile “Fun Run”.
Runners walked around the parking lot,
stretching their leg muscles and readying
themselves for the big race. Meanwhile,
the fun-runners gathered at the starting line
ready for their own part in the afternoon.
Corporal Scott Fogel of the Quakertown
Police Department was there on his bike,
ready to lead the runners safely through
the course.
The one mile Fun Run was the first
event. Almost two dozen children ran,
jogged, or walked the one-mile course.
The winner was 10 year old Hayley
Hangey, who completed the mile in about
seven minutes.
Robin Conboy, principal of St. Isidore
School, was bundled against the chill, but
still having a good time. “We like to invite the community in to get to know us
as a part of the community. We’re glad
to be able to do this.” Ms. Conboy added
with a smile, “Preferably next year it’ll
be warmer.”
Brady Gallagher was the youngest of
the runners in the 5K race at only six
years old. This was his second 5K run.
Brady and his dad, Rob, ran together and
finished with a time of 29 minutes, 57
seconds.
The race was organized by the Home
and School Organization as a fundraiser
for the school. Trish Grandinetti, Corey
Roche, and Melissa Sagan worked hard
to make the event run smoothly. Trish
said that they were all very thankful to
Quakertown Borough, the police department, and the fire company for helping
to make afternoon a success. Trish said,
“They were so supportive and helpful. We
couldn’t do it without them. Especially
Officer Fogel, I can’t say enough nice
things about him.”
Ben Derby won the 5K with a time of
17:44. Special recognition was also given
to the first St. Isidore students and teacher
to cross the finish line. Addison Roche (9)
was the first girl student to cross the finish line with a time of 28:44; Riley Sagan
(14) was the first boy. Riley ran fifth
overall in the race with a time of 22:31.
Spanish teacher Melissa Bowen had a
time of 38:17. Full results can be found
at pretzelcitysports.com.
Six year old Brady Gallagher and his dad, Rob.
8
Patti De Cray was the winner of the 50/50 raffle drawing held during an Upper Bucks Chamber
of Commerce networking event at the new Upper Bucks SPCA in Richland Township in May.
left to right: Beth Kittrell, Rachel (ticket seller), Patti DeCray, and SPCA Executive Director Anne Irwin photo by michele buono
The mascots for Philly Pretzel Factory and the Upper Bucks Free Press take a moment to confer with
former Eagles wide receiver Mike Quick (he’s the one in the center) at the recent 2012 Upper Bucks
Business Expo. The Chamber marks the expo a success with great attendance and interaction by
area residents and business owners. photo by michele buono
You Had Me at Meow
Every summer the SPCA sees an overwhelming number of kittens brought in
by people who have either found them or
can’t keep them. It’s “kitten season” again
and the Bucks County SPCA - Upper
Bucks Shelter could use your help. They
need foster families to help raise kittens
to adoptable age, as well as kind-hearted
people to come and adopt. Not ready to
raise a kitten? Consider adopting an older
cat. There are plenty of purr-fect companions available for adoption. Right now,
the SPCA is waiving the regular adoption
fee in favor of a free-will donation for cats
with pink stickers on their cages. the shelter is located at 60 Reservoir Road (just
off California Road) in Richland Township. For more information, please call
267-374-4674.
left to right:
top photo: Herman is a sweet boy about 3 years old who came in to the shelter as a stray. He’s good
with other cats and kids.
bottom photo: Mamacita’s 3 kittens have all found their forever homes, but she’s still waiting at the
shelter. Her previous owner had “too many cats” and now she’s looking for that special person to
take her home. She’s about 5 years old and a staff favorite. She also get s along well with kids and
other cats.
Phyllis Kogel, Jeanette Twombley, Bobbie Livesy, Vic Stevens, Dot Barlow, Eleanora
Stettler The local chapter of the Questers presented the Richland Historical Society with a $500
check that was matched by their state chapter. Vic Stevens, president of the Historical Society,
says the the funds will be used to help restore and preserve exterior windows on the Shelly School
building. The Questers non-profit organization works to encourage an appreciation for antiques
and the preservation and restoration of historical landmarks. For more information about the group,
please visit www.questers1944.org. photo by michele buono
Shave and a
Haircut - Two
Grand, plus tip
Richland Township WalMart employees
raised $2100 for Relay for Life during the
month of April. Maybe they were inspired
because Fresh Assistant Manager Joel Akers
and Shift Manager Catharine Lee said they
would have their heads shaved if $2,000
were raised. photo by michele buono
The students in Mrs. McFadden’s pre-K class
at St. Isidore School in Quakertown took
part in a chick hatching project this Spring.
9
A Grilled Cheese for
My Father
When I was a little guy, my dad would
occasionally take me to the Fifth Street
Luncheonette. It was a tiny, white building on the corner of Apple Alley near the
shirt-making factories. There was a bell
on the door that jingled when you went
in. It had counter with half a dozen red
vinyl swivel stools with shiny, silver sides
that were mounted on pedicles and bolted
to the floor. There were also a few small
tables set along the wall. The luncheonette was usually crowded and noisy and
smelled like cooking. People came and
went all the time, picking up brown paper
bags that were sitting on a ledge near the
grill. When they paid, a grey haired waitress in a pink dress and white apron tore
the ‘checks’ off the bags and stabbed onto
a long metal spike that was stuck into a
block of wood sitting next to the rack of
cigarettes.
We always sat at a table because I was
too small for the stools. My dad knew everybody. I wondered who they were, but
he’d say he didn’t know their names. He
called people “What’s-his-name,” a lot.
He was always talking and laughing. He
acted differently than he did at home, but
that was okay. Whenever we came in the
woman in the pink dress and white apron
would say, “Hi, Chubs. The usual?”
My dad would say, “Yep...and a grilled
cheese and Coke for my father, here,”
and pat me on the head.
But, that was years before. It was the
summer after ninth grade and I was working at the Textile Discount Center up on
West End Boulevard. I’d been working at
the car wash, but with school out, they
had older guys working all day and didn’t
schedule me much. I had a girlfriend by
then and needed money. My buddy told
me that the place he was working was hiring, so I got a job there instead.
At the car wash, a bunch of us would
walk across the highway to the diner for
lunch, but one time Johnny G. went wild,
like he did sometimes. He was yelling
and laughing, and then farted real loud.
The manager threw us out and told us to
never come back. Johnny yelled back at
him and took a handful of mints from the
bowl by the cash register as we left. The
diner called our boss and he yelled at us,
too. I didn’t do anything, it was all Jonny,
but I was afraid to go back to the diner for
a long time.
It was a further walk up to Trainer’s
restaurant at the big intersection, but it
was either Trainer’s or Woolworth’s since
the diner was off limits. I hadn’t eaten at
Woolworth’s since I got sick on a banana
split and threw up on their sidewalk, so I
went to Trainer’s. Ever since they built
the shopping center it was difficult to cross
the highway, but I was fast back then and
could sprint across the intersection even if
the light had already turned yellow.
Trainer’s was a famous truck stop
before they built the Turnpike. They
changed it a lot after the shopping center
opened. It was modern, fancy and new.
The large lunch area was semi-circular.
The counters were in the shape of a clover, with looping sections and dozens
of stools. Booths lined the curved, outer
wall so people could look out windows at
the highway, across at the balloons at the
used car lot, or over at the tall arch with
colored balls and supermarket sign at the
Quakertown Plaza.
I went to Trainer’s for lunch every day.
There were seldom more than half a dozen
people there when I came in, usually older
men. A couple of them were there everyday, too. Most of the time, I sat at the
same place. Unlike Fifth Street, the stools
weren’t shiny red and they had backs and
square seats. The regular waitress was the
mom of a guy in my class. I’m sure she
knew who I was, but she never said she
did. She was friendly and didn’t treat me
like a kid, but like a regular customer.
When I sat down, Mrs. Stonebach
brought me a glass of water, a napkin,
silverware and a menu. The first couple
times I looked through it, but after that,
I always got the same thing: a cheeseburger, a small order of onion rings and
a Seven-up. I loved their onion rings.
They weren’t like the ones at the diner, or
any other place I knew. They were thin,
coiled and crispy. They had special spices
and were delicious. The cheeseburger
was a thick, juicy, square paddy with a
big piece of white, tasty cheese on it. I
added ketchup, on the opposite side as the
cheese. I don’t remember how much it
cost, but I could pay and give a tip in even
dollar bills.
Once when I went to Trainer’s for lunch
there were buses out front and it was
crowded. I had to sit a few seats down
from my regular spot. Mrs. Stonebach
was moving fast and carrying a bunch
of plates on a big tray. There was a wet
streak between her shoulder blades on the
back of her uniform. She seemed out of
breath when she stopped in front of the
people next to me. She unenthusiastically said hello to them; took out her pad
of green tickets and hurriedly scratched
down their orders. I thought I was going
to have to wait even longer and wondered
if I’d be late getting back to work. Then,
she turned to me, smiled and asked, “The
usual?” I smiled back and said, “Yes,
please.”
I felt special, sitting there with all of
those strangers. I wasn’t a nondescript
kid anymore. I was a ‘regular.’ My
‘usual’; my cheeseburger, onion rings
and Seven-up tasted especially good that
day. I emptied all the loose change out of
my pocket and left an extra big tip. It
was sunny and bright when I walked out.
I took deep breaths of the warm, free air
as I crossed the parking lot. I felt like I
was king of my world and it was ready to
be taken.
There was just enough of a breeze to
make the balloons at the used car lot
dance. I looked in the windows of some
of the cars and checked the price tags as I
passed. Someday soon I’d have a driver’s
license, and then I’d need a car. After
that, I’d need a garage to put the car in,
then a house to attach the garage to. I
could see it coming, knew it was going
to happen. Someday, I thought, I might
even have a little boy like the one I used to
be. When I did, I’d take him to the diner,
wherever we might be by then. When we
walked in, I’d tell the waitress “Give me
‘the usual’… and a grilled cheese for my
father,” and pat him on the head.
Please see other articles by Jack Schick at:
jack-h-schick.wrytestuff.com
Trumbauersville
Councilman Elected as 2nd
Vice President of State
Association of Boroughs
June 1st signals a big day for Bucks
County as Edward Child, a member of
the Trumbauersville Borough Council,
assumes the role of 2nd Vice President
of the Pennsylvania State Association
of Boroughs (PSAB).
He currently
serves on the state association’s Board of
Directors, representing the 23 boroughs
of Bucks County. Next year Child will be
named First Vice President and in 2014 he
will become the fourth person from Bucks
County to achieve the presidency. This
makes Bucks County one of only three
counties out of sixty- seven to ever have
four representatives become president.
Since its start in 1911, the State
Association, which represents the 958
state boroughs, has always obtained good
leadership and Child plans to continue
this trend. He has plenty of leadership
experience to bring to the table having
served eight years as Council President
in Trumbauersville and four years as
President of the Bucks County Boroughs
Association. In addition to serving on the
PSAB Board of Directors, he also serves
on the Policy & Resolutions Committee.
As 2nd VP, he will become a member
of the Board of Trustees, the Executive
Committee, will chair the Personal
Committee, and become an assistant chair
of the Conference Planning Committee.
Child explains the State Association’s
key tasks as: setting up programs for
members, setting up local government
training, and interacting with state government. The numerous programs offered
range from assistance in grant writing
to retirement and insurance programs,
energy procurement, local government
investment, etc. PSAB holds two conferences annually where they offer training
sessions on anything having to do with
local government. Also, featured on their
website is a borough discussion group for
the purpose that “all boroughs can learn
from each other on how to handle certain
issues.”
One of the more significant tasks involves advocating with state legislature
to improve the health, safety, welfare
and finances for our boroughs. The state
association lobbies for issues they believe
are relevant to boroughs but that affect all
Pennsylvanians. Last year the Association
Edward Child of Trumbauersville in Upper Bucks
County has been elected 2nd Vice President of
the Pennsylvania State Association of Boroughs.
successfully lobbied to raise bid limits,
thereby saving taxpayers unnecessary
expense. Now their eyes are set on advocating for prevailing wage reform. This
reform has been of imminent interest for
many as the act, unchanged since 1963,
hinders creation of smaller projects as it
adds labor cost to publicly funded projects.
The Association also seeks to keep the
Commonwealth a pleasant and protected
place to live. They assist boroughs in
looking after the maintenance of historical
properties and the restoration of abandoned and dilapidated properties. They
also deal with the ever changing regulations in regard to water systems, sewer
systems, and almost every aspect of our
daily lives controlled by state regulations.
Ultimately, the PSAB, which represents
the 958 boroughs in the state, is here to
protect by serving as the voice between the
citizen and state government. Ed Child has
graciously served the residents of Bucks
County in the past years and will now
serve the 2.6 million borough residents
in Pennsylvania. While he takes pride in
participating in directing our state he does
not take the job loosely as he elates, “it is
important to let our state legislators know
what our residents want and need.”
The Upper Bucks Free Press is made possible by the businesses
you see on these pages. Please stop in to thank them for
supporting your community’s voice.
10
After 36 Inspirational
Years in the Classroom,
Milford Middle School’s
Mr. K to Retire
Long-time Milford Middle School
mathematics teacher Bruce Knauss recently received recognition from radio station
B104 as the Teacher Salute Winner.
Student Morgan Contoleon-Hunsberger
and her mother, Thelma, nominated Mr.
Knauss, who will retire this month after
36 years in the classroom. He received
a gift certificate to Meera Salon & Day
Spa and a Bricks 4 Kids “In Class” Lego
Recess. His class also ate a pizza lunch,
courtesy of Little Caesars Pizza!
In her nomination, Mrs. ContoleonHunsberger wrote, “My daughter was
recently new to the school district and
I was worried. Then I met a passionate
teacher who embraces his profession. One
day, after conferences, I remember commenting to my daughter, ‘I would love to
have a teacher like that.’ She comes home
every day and brings his name up with
some extravagant story. When we ask her
what she learned, she answers confidently
with math problems and explains the solutions. I have never seen my daughter this
inspired to learn! I am so grateful to know
Mr. K and to know that he works with my
daughter! I wish that he wasn’t retiring
this year, because he is a true example of
a teacher!”
In her nomination, Morgan wrote,
“Mr. K is a true inspiration to all of his
past and current students. He is the one
and only teacher who can be a teacher and
a super hero. He has been someone who I
can trust, rely on, and look up to. I really
needed and wanted a role model to look
up to. Mr. K is the perfect role model. He
teaches to different learning styles daily!
He truly makes all 27 of us feel special
and I don’t want him to leave Milford
Middle School. Mr. K has been teaching
for so long. He had my brother and sister
and they told me he was amazing and they
were wrong. Mr. K is so amazing that
there isn’t a word for him. I will greatly
miss him next year. He truly deserves this
award!”
In a humble response, Mr. Knauss
noted, “A teacher’s success is greatly
influenced by the amazing students he
teaches. I am honored to be the B104
Teacher Salute for April 2012.”
Mr. Knauss has taught at Milford
since 1976. He was the proud coach
of 83 seasons of school sports for
Milford and Quakertown High School in
all those years.
Medalists, Officers,
Scholarship: QCSD Rocks
TSA state event!
QCHS senior Sarah Schlicher received a
scholarship and Matt Basile was elected to
office during the April 18-20 Technology
Student Association State Conference in
Seven Springs, PA. Dozens of QCHS,
Freshman Center, Milford and Strayer
middle school students participated among
1,710 students from grades 6-12 representing hundreds of schools.
Competitions in everything from
website design to building robots took
place from Wednesday through Friday.
Saturday morning, the awards ceremony
took place.
Advisors Alan Hunsicker, Lori Badman
and Kathy vandenBurg worked with the
students all season and accompanied them
to states.
Top-ten finalists were called on stage
and trophies were given to the top three
finalists. QCHS representatives left with
trophies in five events and two other
top-ten finalists. Freshman Center representatives collected first and second place
trophies and seven other top-10 spots.
Eight Milford students received trophies, and 17 students or student teams
finished in the top 10. Strayer had six topten finalists.
At the conclusion of the conference, the
state officer team for the 2012-2013 school
year was announced. Junior Matthew
Basile will be the TSA State President.
by
Becca Waddell, QCHS Junior
Quakertown senior Sarah Schlicher received a
scholarship at this year’s Technology Student
Association State Conference in Seven Springs.
A Dill-y of a Game
Lands in Richland
Pickleball has arrived in Richland
Township. The family-friendly game
has been making inroads throughout the
region in clubs, retirement communities,
and high school gym classes and there
is now an official court in Upper Bucks
County.
“Invented” in 1965 by two dads trying
to stave off their kids’ boredom, pickleball
is played with paddles on a badmintonsized court with 3-foot net. The legend is
that the sport gets its name from a family
dog that would chase the ball and hide it
in the bushes.
Thanks to a group of 25 area residents
that appealed to township supervisors for
a place to play, Richland Township has
its first official pickleball court. The court
is painted on one of the tennis courts at
Robert O. Keller Memorial Park on
California Road, just next to the township
building. Twice a week, 2pm on Sundays
and 6pm on Thursdays, that same group of
residents get together at the new pickleball
court for a few pick-up games. Everyone
is welcome to come learn the game.
Joyce Fly, a regular player, assures,
“It’s a friendly game.”
George Schaffer is a “card-carrying
member” of the US Pickleball Association
and an avid player. He emphasizes that
everyone – from seniors to children –
can play and enjoy pickleball. While it
resembles tennis in play, pickleball’s lowered net, smaller court, and slower play
makes it accessible to a wider age range of
people. The game is played with wooden
or composite paddles and a waffle-like
plastic ball. George’s seven-year old
grandson Brady often comes to play the
game. Brady’s mother, Kerry, likes that
her son can play with his “Pop”. And
George, in his early seventies, says that
his doctor recommends that he play the
game for his heart.
Several of the Richland Township regulars also play pickleball together while in
Florida at The Villages, which boasts almost two hundred pickleball courts. The
sport is very well-known in the South and
is gaining popularity across the country
with an estimated 100,000 active pickleball players in America.
George and his cadre of pickleballers
have high hopes that the sport will become
more played in our area and to see more
official courts available for use in the near
future.
If you are interested in finding out
more about the sport, you can find more
information online at the USA Pickleball
Association site. George Schaffer can be
reached at [email protected] for
more information on local games.
Nancy and Frank Prusch enjoying a match on Richland Township’s newly painted pickleball court.
11
Quakertown Student to
Cheer at Probowl
As an outstanding performer and
Maximum Cheer All Stars team member, Ashton Rosenberger, a Quakertown
Senior High School Senior will have an
opportunity of a lifetime. Recently at
Hershey UCDA National Finals Cheer
Competition, nominated by her coaches,
Ashton was individually selected by The
All American Cheer and Dance (AACD)
Company to perform in their nationally
televised Pregame Spectacular and NFL
Probowl Halftime Production Tour in
Hawaii in late January.
The All American Cheer and Dance
Company hand selects 500 top cheerleaders and dancers nationally to be a part of
their NFL Production. As a qualifier at
the Probowl, Ashton will also have the
opportunity to compete individually in the
AACD National Scholarship Invitational.
Kicking off Probowl week the performers will practice for the show, compete
for scholarships, go on excursions and
have a meet and greet with NFL players,
as well as other Probowl week activities.
The AACD National Invitational has been
held in conjunction to the Probowl for
16 years with over $940,000 in College
Scholarships awarded. In addition to the
Probowl the performers are also invited
to participate in the NFL Detroit Lions
Thanksgiving Day Game Pregame/
Halftime show.
Ashton has a long history in cheerleading. Starting her career very early with the
Quakertown Midget Football Association,
she then became Captain of Milford
Middle School in 7th and 8th grades, and
continued her career through Quakertown
Community Senior High School, cheering
football, basketball and competition team.
She also was Captain during her Senior
year at Quakertown High School.
She extended her cheer career with
Maximum Cheer Allstars, Level 4
Competition Team, which is located
in Power and Grace Gymnastics and
Dance Inc., Quakertown. Maximum
Cheer Allstars have achieved 3 Grand
Championship Awards this season, as well
as 4 Division Championships. They qualified for U.S. National Finals in Rhode
Island, A division Championship ranks
them in the Nation. Ashton also student
coached for 2 years at Quakertown Midget
Football Association in Quakertown.
Ashton will be a Freshman this fall
at Kutztown University, and is the
daughter of Jim and Vicki Rosenberger,
Quakertown.
Another Sunny Arts Alive!
Festival in Quakertown
Jason Gross of Quakertown shows off the multinational banana race car he built at the annual
Arts Alive! festival held in Downtown Quakertown in May. photo by michele buono
These kids take a break during Arts Alive! at Pep’s Ice Cream Parlor at 5th and Broad Streets in
Quakertown. left to right: Elisabeth Stout, Olivia Heimark, Abigail Betz, Audrey Heimark, and
Lauren Betz. photo by christopher betz
Painting Bucks
County
In a sunny corner of his cozy studio,
local artist Jim Lukens brings Bucks
County to life on canvas. Born and
raised in central Bucks County, Jim
has a special affinity for the area; indeed his family’s roots in this corner of
Pennsylvania can be traced by to preRevolution Philadelphia. So really it
should come as no surprise that he finds
plenty of inspiration for his paintings
within the county.
Riding the backroads of the area with
a few friends, finding a spot to sit with
brush and canvas to paint what he sees;
this is a good day for Jim Lukens. While
he spent a few years living and painting
in Palm Springs, Jim missed the turn of
the seasons “back home” and is happy
living in the Upper Bucks area. Changes
of seasons and light translates into many
opportunities for inspiration.
Painting since he was elementary
school, Jim attended the Pennsylvania
of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. Today, his
works are exhibited at such prominent
local galleries as the Chapman Gallery
in Doylestown, the Village Art Gallery
in Peddler’s Village, and Riverview
Gallery in Stockton, NJ. Later this year,
he’ll have paintings in his friend and fellow artist’s, Trish Vergis, new gallery
in Lambertville, NJ.
His Richland Township studio is
filled with paintings that echo his love
for the area. Done in the “Bucks County
style” of impressionism, Jim’s paintings
evoke a tenderness for his subjects, be it
Bethlehem’s abandoned steel mill, rolling hills leading to the river, or a friend’s
baby calf. The studio has a homey feel
to it, a comfortableness. Prepared canvases and half-finished paintings wait
for Jim’s brushes along the walls. A cat
lounging in a square of sunshine adds to
the coziness of the scene.
Talking to Jim Lukens, you begin to
understand how important his family
and friends are to him. He is proud of
the role of his family in the region’s history. One of his ancestors, clockmaker
Isaiah Lukens made the Independence
Hall clock in Philadelphia, as well as the
200-year old clock in Hatboro’s Loller
Building. Jim says “I respect my family history. I feel like I’m carrying on a
tradition.” His grandfather was also an
artist.
Lukens feels the pull of being a part
of the community in which he lives and
wants to get involved more with local
causes and events. His studio was the
“last stop” on Quakertown Alive’s last
Christmas House Tour, and he’s donated paintings to various fundraisers.
He’s also very excited to be one of the
featured artists (along with friends Trish
Vergis and Betty Minucci) through the
month of July at the prestigious Stover
Mill Art Gallery in Erwinna.
12
Summertime is the Right
Time for Electronic
Payments
When you are away from home, one
thing you don’t want to worry about is
how you will receive your next monthly
Social Security payment. That is why it
is important for everyone receiving Social
Security or Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) benefits to sign up for electronic
payments.
These days, almost everyone gets
benefit payments electronically. Today,
about 90 percent of all Social Security and
SSI beneficiaries receive their payments
electronically. That number is increasing
because the law requires that by March 1,
2013 all federal benefit payments, including Social Security and SSI payments, be
made electronically. Whether you receive
Social Security or SSI, you can depend
on your payment arriving in your account
on time, every time. If you don’t already
receive electronic payments, there are
many good reasons to sign up. For one,
less money and time spent driving to the
bank to cash your check helps you save.
Second, fewer paper checks, envelopes,
and stamps, and less fuel to deliver the
checks means savings for the government.
Hurricane season is here for some areas of the country. Other regions bear the
brunt of flooding. Some areas of the nation
are plagued by tornadoes, and still others
must deal with wildfires, severe thunderstorms, or even earthquakes. If you are
unfortunate enough to be in the path of a
natural disaster, the last thing you want is
for your income to be interrupted because
of an evacuation or a missing mailbox.
With electronic payments, you know your
money will be in your account on time no
matter what.
When on vacation, an electronic payment ensures payments will be deposited
into your account on time, so there’s no
reason to worry about the safety of your
benefit or to ask a neighbor to look out for
your check when you are away.
As an added bonus, many banks offer
free checking accounts for people who use
direct deposit because it saves the bank the
cost of processing paper payments.
Skip the line at the bank, save money,
get your payment faster, and know you
can depend on your payment being in the
bank no matter what happens or where
you are. You can do all of this with electronic payments. Learn more about it at
www.socialsecurity.gov/deposit.
Network of Victim Assistance (NOVA)
celebrated its new Upper Bucks satellite office in downtown Perkasie on May 3 with a
ribbon-cutting ceremony including the nonprofit’s staff and board and local officials.
The new quarters were purchased by
NOVA late last year and then renovated with
an eye to providing a permanent facility that
will meet the needs of NOVA’s growing client base in the northern end of the county for
years to come.
“Besides increasing our space, the new
office offers improved accessibility, comfort
and safety for our staff and our clients,” says
executive director, Barbara Clark.
This new space will continue to host forensic interview facilities for the Bucks County
Children’s Advocacy Center and provide
individual and group counseling and legal
advocacy services for Upper Bucks residents.
Tom Reiley is the Social Security Administration
District Manager in Allentown. He can be reached at
[email protected].
NOVA Relocates Upper
Bucks Office
Karen Kern, NOVA board president; PA State Representative Paul Clymer,
R-145th; and Barbara P. Clark, NOVA executive director submitted photo
left to right:
What’s Not Covered by
Medicare?
Because Medicare is our National
Health Insurance Plan for Retirees, we
often think that it covers everything. But
there are some types of care that is simply
not covered by Medicare. In a general
sense, Medicare pays 80% of all your
Medical bills, with you responsible for the
20% balance (co-pay). It is this 20% balance that is the primary reason that folks
buy Medicare Supplements or a Medicare
Advantage Plan. However, there are some
other gaps in coverage that are left open.
Below is the list of these gaps, and in next
month’s column I will give you some
suggestions on how to obtain coverage to
close these gaps.
1. Routine Dental Care & Dentures
Routine Dental Care is care that would
include cleanings, x-rays, cavities, root
canals, etc. Medicare will not cover these
procedures nor are dentures covered.
2. Routine Vision Care
Routine Vision Care is when you need
a change in your eyewear prescription or
need new frames, lenses or contacts. This
routine care is not covered. ( Eye diseases
like glaucoma or cataracts are fully covered by Medicare)
3. Cosmetic Surgery
Medically unnecessary surgery is
not covered. Medicare will not pay for
tummy-tucks or facelifts.
4. Alternative Medicine
Alternative medicines such as acupuncture or herbal therapies are not covered.
5. Hearing Aids & Fitting Exams
Surprisingly enough, Hearing Aids are
not covered nor or exams to determine if
a hearing aid is needed.
6. Care Received Outside of USA
Once you step over the border,
Medicare is out of the picture. There is
a convoluted formula on the books that
dictates that emergency care is available
in Canada and Mexico if you are within a
certain distance from the US Border and
need specific levels of care.
7. Non-Emergency Transportation
Ambulances are covered, but Medicare
won’t pay for a car service to take you to
a doctor’s appointment.
8. Non-medical Convalescence Care
Convalescence Care by Home Health
personnel to help you bathe, dress and
use the toilet, is not covered.
Even though the above items are not
covered, Medicare is still the best health
insurance available. Once a Supplement
is in place, Medicare beneficiaries have
acess to the best Health Care in the world
at a fraction of current market rates. My
next article will share some strategies
using Supplemental coverage and other
types of insurance that will help reduce or
eliminate costs for the above items.
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: On June
12th I will be holding a “Medicare Made Easy”
Lunch Seminar at the Upper Bucks Senior
Center in Quakertown. The Seminar starts at
12 noon. Please call (215) 536-3066 to RSVP.
Everything about Medicare will be covered.
This is an educational seminar and the selling
of Medicare Supplements will not be offered.
Until next time…Stay well!
Howard Peck is the owner of Senior
Insurance Solutions based in Green Lane
PA. He’s a Pennsylvania Licensed Insurance
Broker who since 2005 has focused his
Insurance practice on the Senior and Retiree
Marketplace while specializing in Medicare.
SRinsurancesolutions.com
267-923-5281
[email protected]
Senior Center Belongs Downtown
To the editor:
Do you want a Senior Center in the Boro
[sic] of Quakertown? If your answer is Yes
you must convey your decision now (not tomorrow) to members of Town Council. Or
better yet call Scott McElree (Borough manager) who in his letter to me dated Nov. 16,
2010 expressed their desire to continue their
support of the center now located in Milford
square. I know that many of you are not
satisfied and if you are then it is your time
to let the people and particularly your representatives know of your dissatisfaction of the
decision your town has taken as noted above.
I attended at least three or four town council meetings over the past months and I have
failed to convince them of the importance
returning the Center to town or establishing
a separate Center in town. I will not go into
detail, but to say that the main objection to
Q’town Seniors is its location which makes it
difficult if not impossible for Q’town seniors
to continue their affiliation.
Now it’s your time to make known your
intentions. Do you want a Senior Center in
town or not?
Warren Storck
Excerpt of the letter from borough manager Scott
McElree referenced by Mr. Storck:
I am writing in response to your requests at
Borough Council meetings for additional consideration to provide a viable location within Borough
limits of a facility to be used by the upper bucks
Senior Center. Please be advised the current position of the borough is to continue support of the
Upper Bucks Senior Center at its current location, and it is my understanding the Upper Bucks
Senior Center manager and other officials have
expressed their desire to continue and maintain their
current location in the older Milford Township
Fire Company building.
13
Why the Basics?
How many times do you hear of a trainer
who “Thinks outside the box”? I read an
article not long ago where the author talked
about this saying. I couldn’t help but agree
with everything he wrote. When a trainer
seems to be doing things that are not normal
or seem like they are “out of the box” ideas,
it makes me worry about the client. Is that
person getting stronger or moving better? Are
they learning correct movement patterns and
functional movements? Or are they creating
a discouraging and tough workout with little
or no effect other than hurting joints? The
reason to learn the basics are simple. I love
the illustration that was given in that article.
You can go to any martial arts website and buy
yourself a black karate belt. Then tell people
you are a black belt in karate. But as soon as
you are asked to prove it, it is obvious that
you have no idea what you are doing. You
MUST learn from the beginning. Learning
even the most basic moves makes all the difference in any training program. Sometimes I
have had clients who don’t want to do an exercise because it’s “too basic “or “they already
know it”. These clients are now glad I made
them start from the beginning, because they
learned what they thought was right, actually
was wrong. They learned correct posture and
form and time under tension. There are many
variables that can turn a basic exercise into
a really tough but effective exercise. Basics
are best to be learned and not only learned
but mastered. Think about it. Would you
want someone teaching you something if they
couldn’t do it themselves? If your child was
in swimming lessons and the teacher couldn’t
swim, how long do you think you would let
them teach your child? We NEED to learn the
basics. The following ideas are NOT “out of
the box” ideas, but rather very “INSIDE the
box”. These are a few basic exercises that
everyone should be able to perform at any age.
Upper body pushing exercise:
Basic
Pushup. This is done by starting face down
on the floor. Place your hands out to the sides
your shoulders till your elbows make a 90 degree angle. Keeping your entire body stiff and
picking it all up at the same time, push your
entire body up. You should be able to draw a
straight line from your shoulder to your heals
that passes through the center of your hip. Use
a pad or Nerf ball between your hands for a
depth gauge. Touch this depth gauge with your
chest each rep. Elevate hands on a step, box,
or even standing facing a wall to make easier,
and elevate feet to make harder.
(Major
muscles worked, Pectoralis Major, Anterior
Deltoid) These muscles are used any time you
push something away from you such as closing
a door, push in a chair, or close a drawer
Upper body pulling exercise: Basic Chin
up. The difference between a Chin up and
a Pull up are small yet affect you extremely
different. A chin up is done starting in a standing position hands on a bar over head palms
FACING you about shoulder width apart. (In
a pull up the palms face away from you with
wider grip on the bar) keeping elbows tight to
your sides when pulling up, pull your body up
to the bar till you can clear the bar with your
chin. To make this easier, use the assistance of
a heavy rubber band. ( Major muscles worked,
Latissimus Dorsi, Teres Major) These muscles
are used every time we pull something toward
us, such as opening a drawer or the door to
your house or a car door.
Knee dominant exercise: Basic Squat. The
squat is performed by keeping feet shoulder
width apart, keeping your shoulders back and
keep your back upright. Squat down till your
upper legs are parallel or slightly lower to the
floor. Raise your hand out in front of you for
balance as you squat. Return to your start
position. Proper squat position will make a
line from head through your hip parallel with
a line through your knee to your heal. To
make this easier attach two overhead heavy
bands or heavy straps and hold them for assistance to stand back up. (Major muscles
worked: Quadricep group, Gluteus Maximus)
These muscles are used every time we navigate stairs or step up onto something and even
when we correctly squat down to pick something up off the floor. (remember: lift with
your knees)
Hip dominant exercise: Hip Extension
Reach. To do this exercise, place a “target”
on the ground such as a cone. With knees
slightly bent bend at the hip and reach toward
object. Let your hip drift backward as well to
keep your back in a reverse c curve position
(Lordotic: see arrow in picture). Don’t round
out your back. If you have trouble keeping
your back in the right position, extend the opposite leg straight out behind you. Elevate the
cone to make easier. Alternate, reaching with
each hand. (Muscles worked: Hamstrings,
Gluteus Maximus) These muscles are used
when standing up from a seated position or
picking up grocery bags from your trunk or off
the floor ( though not the best way to pick up
something off the floor) Also used to just keep
you standing upright.
Upper Bucks Relay for
Life Event Marks
Another Successful Year
As you can see these four really basic exercises have a really useful purpose in our
everyday lives. If you can’t do any of these,
what makes you think you can get crazy with
your training technique? Everyday movement
is important to a healthy lifestyle. Without
good movement you are unable to take that
next step to becoming a stronger and healthier
individual. You have to be able to do the
basics, master the basics and make them first
nature to you before moving on to something
more advanced. To be effective, less is more.
Try to think of the K.I.S.S. theory. Keep It
Simple Stupid. Keep your exercises basic, the
more complicated your workouts become, the
less likely you are to do them. Don’t “think
outside the box” till you completely know every inch of the inside of your box like the back
of your hand. And remember, even if you are
already advanced, don’t over look the simple
basics that got you there. If you don’t use it,
you’ll lose it! So Get Real and Get Fit!!!
Corbin is a graduate of the Personal Training
Institute (NPTI). He is a certified strength and
conditioning coach and a certified nutrition
coach. He is the owner of GetReal Training, LLC
in Sellersville, PA. You can contact him at 215416-5757 or visit his web site at getrealtraining.
net for more information.
top:
Kids of the Joan’s Angels team at the Upper Bucks Relay for Life event moments before being
chased off by their parents. center: The D-Feet Cancer Team had a strong showing at this year’s
event. bottom: Relay for Life Team, Joan’s Angels, not only has agile cannon climbing children, but are
also skilled vehicle builders with their cardboard rendition of Mater. Joan’s Angels was the default
winner in the contest as they were also the only entrants. (They would have won anyway!)
photos by michele buono
14
Income or Time?
Percenting Out Your Life
Hello Neighbors. There’s been a lot of
talk these past few months about what percent you’re in. Supposedly, if you’re in
the top 1% of wealth, then you should feel
blessed and be ready to share your good
fortune with those in the 99% category.
Well, as it turns out I do feel blessed, but
not about how much I’ve managed to save
over the years.
I think I’ve discovered a better system.
You know how time seemed to drag on
when you were a youngster; and how fast
those milestones swing around after you
get that AARP letter? Well, there’s a genuine mathematical reason for this. When
you’re 5, the time between Christmases is
1/5th of your life. When you’re 50, it’s
1/50th. Small wonder tax season seems to
come around earlier and earlier each year.
Now that I’m in my 60s, events just fly
by. Pretty much all my hobbies and activities require the trappings of youth. All
require vision, dexterity, judgment, and a
certain level of athleticism. While I seem
to be holding it all together pretty well
for the moment, I’m not likely to keep
all of those things for more than another
8-10 years.
Recently I had to make some professional choices; and a friend pointed out
that I should really make sure I was sure.
His take was that I was likely making a
decision that would affect at least one half
my remaining life – at least the useful
part. Wow. I did just that, and am very
happy with my decision, but my perspective truly changed.
Has anyone ever
asked you what you’d do if you knew you
only had 10 years to live? For many of
us, that knowledge has arrived.
We don’t have to start from scratch,
though. Our world is full of folks we can
model against. Many people would look
to ex-presidents, or sports and movie stars
- perhaps religious leaders. But I think we
can find heroic models right here at home.
Sometimes they are right under our noses.
A few weeks ago one of my wife’s favorite uncles, Edward “Eddie” Zavacz,
passed away. Uncle Eddie was a hero in
the best possible way. He loved and was
truly loved by his family: his wife of 60+
years, his son and grandchildren, and his
many nieces and nephews. He always
had a smile and a kind word – even for
newcomers like me, who married into
“his family” 23 years ago. Uncle Eddie
was never about himself. He and Aunt
Regina lived in the modest home he built
in Quakertown for over 50 years. Uncle
Eddie was a “steel man.” Working for
Bethlehem Steel from before WW2 until
his retirement in 1984, he was the epitome
of how to achieve the American Dream.
Oh, maybe Uncle Eddie would have never
made the 1%, but he built a great life for
himself and his family. And he set an example of how to be loved and respected,
the truest wealth. By the way, it turned
out that Edward Zavacz was also an “official” hero. The only break he ever took
from Bethlehem Steel was during WW2.
It turns out that he was nominated for a
Silver Star for picking up and carrying a
wounded comrade through a mine field.
Later in the war, he and his unit, the
134th, were detailed to emancipate concentration camps. Like many heroes of
his time, he returned home, and became
just another hard working husband, father, and American. He also became the
man I hope to be someday. And I don’t
have a lot of time.
So I’m refusing to play the 1% - 99%
game. I officially declare myself to be
a 90%er. 90% of my active living has
happened already; and it’s high time I leveraged all that great experience to make
the final 10% the best that it can be.
Upper Bucks Youth
Post Positive Results
Local youth gained assets they need to
protect them from high risk behaviors,
based on a bi-annual survey unveiled at the
2012 Upper Bucks Healthy Communities
Healthy Youth Coalition Town Hall
Meeting.
There are 40 identified developmental
assets from internal and external sources
that help youth to succeed in being
healthy, safe and drug-free. Assets come
from supportive family, schools, neighborhoods, youth programs, and religious
activities in addition to self-governing
values, engagement in school and social
activities, and the ability to resist negative
peer pressures.
As part of national town hall meeting
events held in 2,000 cities and towns
around the U.S., the coalition-sponsored
event is the fifth of its kind held locally in
the last 12 years.
The survey, of nearly 3,000 local students, is used to determine what youth
think about alcohol and drugs in the local community—their use, accessibility,
perceptions and parental involvement. It
looks at various assets which students possess that help them to participate in healthy
ways within our community. Marking
strides of the success of the coalition is the
seven percent increase of the 40 identified
assets gained in a ten year period among
those students possessing the least assets
(0 to 10).
the push in some places for legalization
from both credible and less admirable
sources.
Bucks County Community College’s
Upper Bucks campus played host to a
diverse group of nearly 100 at the interactive event. In attendance were high school
students, from Palisades, Pennridge and
Quakertown districts, school administrators, law enforcement, government
leaders, clergy, and representatives from
multiple Bucks County Support agencies.
Quakertown
sophomore,
Joseph
Cianciola said it is encouraging to realize
that so many people care about the decisions students make.
Helen Li, a Pennridge sophomore said,
“I was surprised that the statistics for the
use of drugs and alcohol is lower now. I
thought it would be higher. In general, the
whole meeting was a surprise because I
didn’t know our community had town hall
meetings to discuss these issues.”
One area of focus was on teen drinking.
Multi-generational groups brainstormed
about what positive outcomes teens believe there might be if they drink alcohol.
Similarly, the groups listed potential
negatives they might consider before they
drink. Finally, they looked at positive
and negative outcomes of drinking. The
results were shared by each group, and the
compiled results will be shared with the
public in the upcoming newsletter.
Rev. Julie Bergdahl of St. Michael’s
Lutheran Church, Sellersville, noticed
This is especially significant when you
note the additional 6 percent increase in
students with 21 to 30 assets and a four
percent increase in those students with 31
to 40 assets.
Building relationships is one key to
success, especially in local communities. Hilltown Township Police Chief
Christopher Engelhart said of the town
hall meeting, that the experience is “about
everyone coming together, discussing
things and finding solutions to problems.
It’s making things better for students, and
better for everybody. Everyone has a
stake.”
Lee Rush, Executive Director of justCommunity said, “This thing called youth
and growing up, it is not easy. The more
support a child has, the higher the probability they are going to do the right thing
when faced with difficult decisions.” The
large majority of students do make good
decisions most of the time, he said, but
they need the help and support of adults
from every sector of the community.
Most of the survey results are good
news, but there are likewise excellent
reasons for the community to remain involved. There has been a local uptick in
marijuana consumption among local youth
that is in line with national trends. Rush
attributes this to the mixed messages about
the acceptability of marijuana use on the
one hand for medicinal purposes versus
that when it came to the potential negative
outcomes of students drinking alcohol,
that “death” was reluctantly added to
group lists after less severe consequences
like disappointing parents, doing things
they might not have done otherwise, or
getting sick.
“We are the ones who get that phone call
in the middle of the night from distraught
parents,” Bergdahl said. She, like others
in her profession, has had to preside over
more than one funeral of a young person
who made the tragic choice to ride in a car
when the driver was intoxicated.
Bergdahl recalled one burial in particular of a 19-year old daughter. One of the
young friends kept screaming in agony in
the cemetery. She later learned that the
screaming girl was the drunk driver who
had killed her best friend. “I wish I could
not remember that,” added Bergdahl.
Continuing to share her experience and
encourage youth to think twice, to avoid
the risks and consider more healthful alternatives is just one facet of the thrust of
the coalition’s mission.
The coalition and community can celebrate the finding that 77 percent of the
students surveyed report that “it is important to them to stand up for their beliefs,
even if their position is unpopular.” The
same percentage of students, (an all-time
high since 2002) say that they “possess a
positive view of their future.”
Jack can be reached at [email protected]
The Milford Middle School Marching Band performs in the annual Memorial Day Parade in
Quakertown last month.
photo by Mike Snisky
Earth Day is Everyday
at T’ville’s Schoolhouse
Learning Center
The kids at Schoolhouse Learning Center in Trumbauersville celebrate Earth Day
Everyday. Teachers Marie Swift and Melissa Bache said that the idea started as just a
couple of songs that the kids learned for Earth Day in April, but evolved into a recital for
parents and friends. Says Marie, “They (the children) joined us and told us lots of things
they would love to do. So we combined everyones ideas and ended up with our ‘1st Earth
Day is Everday Celebration’. We are proud to be rated a STAR 4 school. Because we are
a Stars 4 school and really put forth the effort in delivering the best possible quality early
childcare we can we think that family events like this one are really important.”
Did you know that glass never wears out? It can be recycled
forever. We save over a ton of resources for every ton of glass
recycled, including 1,330 pounds of sand, 433 pounds of soda
ash, 433 pounds of limestone, and 151 pounds of feldspar.
15
Swimmer’s Ear
Summer is here and it means many
things to many people. For adults, the
season is known for vacationing to your
favorite place, taking a little extra time
off from work, cookouts, yard work,
gardening, painting your home, and making those much needed repairs. For kids,
Summer means only one thing – school
is out and swimming is the only priority.
With swimming, one of the most common afflictions is otitis externa or more
commonly known as swimmer’s ear. This
infection is caused by moisture and promotes bacteria. Other causes damaging
your ear canal skin can lead to swimmer’s ear including use of cotton swabs
or anything else jammed into your outer
ear. The outer ear canal is damaged or a
breech is caused allowing debris to infect
your ear.
The medical community classifies
swimmer’s ear in three stages: mild, moderate, and advanced.
Mild swimmer’s ear is typically itchy
ear canal, slight redness, and some drainage of clear fluid. This condition can be
made worse by rubbing your ear.
Moderate swimmer’s ear has more
intense itching, more redness, pain,
excessive fluid drainage, pus-like discharge, feeling of fullness in your ear, and
muffled hearing.
Advanced swimmer’s ear is indicative
of severe pain radiating to the side of your
head, neck, and face. The ear canal is
completely blocked with a red outer ear,
swelling of the lymph nodes in your neck,
and fever.
At the first sign of swimmer’s ear, you
need to seek medical treatment by your
family physician. Most often, eardrops or
ointment may be prescribed. Early intervention is the key to effectively handling
the onset and eliminating the problem before it progresses.
One preventative measure is the use of
custom swim plugs. These devices can
be used by any person of any age. An
audiologist can take ear impressions. This
procedure requires about 10-15 minutes in
office. The ear impressions are shipped to
a special earmold manufacturer and custom made for that individual’s ears.
Custom swim plugs may be obtained in
a variety of solid colors or combination of
two or three colors in a striped or swirl
design. These plugs are available in floating and non-floating formats and with and
without extraction handles. Swim plugs
carry a six month warranty for remakes
to ensure proper fit and effectiveness is
keeping water out of your ears.
For more information, please contact
any audiologist or my office to learn more
about custom swim plugs and acquire
a set today!
Pat Murphy
is a private practice audiologist who
himself wears digital hearing aids.
at [email protected] and at
He can be reached
215-804-1111.
16
“Save the Music” Event
Scheduled in Perkasie
Erin Price, a Perkasie resident and Miss
Keystone 2012, will hold a “Girls Night Out”
to raise funds for music education.
The event is scheduled for Wednesday, June
13 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Frox, a Perkasie
clothing and jewelry boutique. Cocktails and
appetizers will be served.
A portion of all sales will go to the “VH1
Save the Music Foundation,” a non-profit organization dedicated to restoring instrumental
music education in America’s public schools,
and raising awareness about the importance
of music as part of each child’s complete
education.
Since its inception in 1997, the VH1 Save
The Music Foundation has provided $48
million in new musical instruments to 1,800
public schools in more than 100 cities around
the country, impacting the lives of more than
1.8 million children.
Price is a 2010 Pennridge High School
graduate and a junior-to-be at West Chester
University. Her goal is to become a music
teacher.
Price recently became active with the Miss
America organization, and was named Miss
Keystone 2012. She will spend the year touring
the state and promoting her platform to save
music education.
“Music is an essential part of a child’s education, yet it is often the first thing that is cut
when budgets get tight,” she said. “I want to
do what I can to make sure youngsters can still
receive music instruction.”
Get Your Own Cigar
It never fails. I go to a restaurant with
friends and family, many of them women.
Sometimes there may be a whole table of
us. The scenario is as follows: We order
appetizers, the entrée’s, wine, or bring our
own bottle. When we are done, the server
always asks if we would like to see the dessert menu or brings over the dessert tray.
Everyone looks at it and you hear all the
oohs and ahhs and then…nobody orders
except me. To me dinner is not complete
without a little dolce (sweet) of some type.
If it’s an Italian Restaurant, which in my
case it usually is, then tiramisu is my choice
along with a cappuccino. Every one of them
says they are too full or makes some kind
of calorie or fat content statement. I never
think of that because I believe you can eat
what you want as long as it is in moderation. You don’t have to eat the whole darn
cheesecake; a little sliver will do and then
take the rest home. Cigars are the same. If
you don’t have an hour, then you fire up one
of the little five minute treats. Never re-light
a cigar. That’s a no-no. It’s not like a dessert
that you can enjoy later.
Well, this is what happens. My tiramisu or
cheesecake comes to the table and everyone
is staring at it. Then I get attacked by at least
five forks coming in my direction as just
about everyone says “I just want a taste”.
Yeah, sure. After five to eight “tastes”, I
have maybe half a dessert left and I end up
lecturing everyone by saying “Get your own
next time!” Undoubtedly, it happens again.
When will I ever learn?
I remember being with my ex and she
always said upfront, “I’ll just take a little
taste of yours”. Again, I ended up with half
a dessert. Whether it’s five forks or one
fork making its way to my plate five times,
I just don’t like it and I don’t understand the
mindset.
At risk of being called sexist, I have to
say that no man has ever said he wants just
a taste of my dessert. Guys just don’t share
like that…and we don’t even try. It just
doesn’t happen.
My enjoyment with a cigar starts with the
minute I buy it or take it from my humidor.
I smell it. I put it in my briefcase or shirt
pocket. If I’m driving, I take it out of my
pocket and slide a couple inches of it out
of the cellophane wrapper and enjoy a nice
whiff. If I’m out in public or with some guy
friends, I’ll say “check this out” and they
will smell it and say something like “wow,
where’d you get that” or ask what brand it
is. If I’m out fishing with a couple buddies,
they will never say, “Hey, can I just take a
puff of yours?”
I enjoy my cigar long before I may fire
it up. To me, that’s what it’s all about; the
anticipation of the event.
Sooo…I’m sitting on the back deck with
a female friend. We are grilling something,
maybe enjoying my new favorite Sardinian
red wine. I fire up my cigar and she says
“That smells great”. I shake my head in
agreement. I don’t want to talk. I just want
to enjoy my stogie. I notice her staring at me
and I say, would you like one of your own?
She gives me the “dessert reply”, “No, I’ll
just take a little puff of yours”. Here we go
again. That little puff leads to two, maybe
three. She complains that it’s all wet on the
end so I wipe it. I again say that I have one
for her. She again tells me no. I just can’t
escape.
No wonder men love smoking cigars with
other men or by themselves. It’s like having a mini-vacation that you can enjoy all
by yourself.
I guess I have to just learn to say “Get
your own cigar!”
Get
more of George by visiting his
website at www.georgebruno.com, or
email him at [email protected].
Restaurants of
our Time
Up until the time that the High School
(then classes 7-12) was restricted to eating
lunch on school grounds, many students
would go down to Merrill’s at 7th &
Juniper to eat. Merrill’s (Merrill Rush) had
a soda bar where you could get hot dogs,
burgers, and other sandwiches. Most of
all, they had the best homemade candy in
the area. Especially around Easter when
they had milk chocolate and dark chocolate bunnies and eggs still cast in the old
German nickel molds. Of course they
had a wide variety of any chips and other
candy and what would now be known as
junk food. Sam Kile and I would eat our
sandwiches and fruit from home and go
down occasionally to this store for either
a Vanilla or Cherry Coke. This was a
treat for us country kids. Merrill’s took
a hit when closed lunches were enforced.
They still had a wonderful before and
after school crowd of students who kept
them busy. Of course, they were also
busy before, during, and after football and
basketball games.
Speaking of Football Games, a few of
us country kids would not go home on the
school bus and we would stay in town,
get something to eat, and then usually my
dad would come in to pick us up. My
buddy Sam Kile had an aunt on 3rd Street
near Park Avenue and she would let us
keep our ‘homework’ books at her place.
My dad would come in to town around
half time and be able to get in free. He
usually didn’t look for us for we knew
he would be behind the goal post at Park
Avenue. The reference of this experience to restaurants was the fact that we
would go into downtown to “Sines 5 &
10” and have a hamburger and fries
and once again a cherry or vanilla coke.
They also had Hires Root Beer. To this
day, “Sines” hamburger has that same
distinct taste, which I must say in my
Dutch dialect “is awfully good!” If we
had extra money we would go next door
to Shelly’s Confectionery for a big bowl
of Ice Cream. They still had the small
tables with the bent iron chairs you see in
a Rockwell print. Shelly’s was torn down
when they put the Merchant’s Bank and
parking lot in.
After we could drive, Sam was one of
the lucky kids who were able to have a
car. Sometimes we would get together
with the Auckland Brothers and Jerry
Landis and go to the games in their new
red and white Ford Starliner 2-door hardtop with a Thunderbird engine After the
game many would go to Carmen’s south
on the 309. Carmen’s started out as a
small hoagie shop and later they made
the big restaurant, which is now the adult
bookstore across from the shopping centers. Carmen’s was not only a wonderful
place to have a Cheesesteak and Fries but
was also a great gathering place for school
kids. Matter of fact they encouraged it.
They were really great people and I can
never recall any problems with teenagers. Carmen’s was right out of “Happy
Days” for our generation. The classes
immediately before ours frequented the
only restaurant that had sit down eating
and also had a drive-in service with speakers for ordering and guys and gals who
would bring a tray out to your car that
would hang on your window. This was
the famous “Smitty’s” Drive-In. A steak
sandwich that is known as a “Weber” today in many area restaurants was a special
ordered sandwich for an older gentlemen named Joe Weber. So I would give
Smitty’s credit for this unique and delicious sandwich we enjoy today. If you
never had one—next time out get one and
enjoy a special Quakertown invention.
The Fireside Inn was the first place
in town where you could get a pizza pie.
Later on pizza was available at Carmen’s
and Dominics in downtown Quakertown
near Art’s Auto Store The Fireside Inn
also had a hamburger called a “mouseburger” that had cheese completely
encased inside the hamburger meat.
Earlier on when I was in grade school
there was a pulled pork restaurant next to
my uncles Gulf station near Park Avenue,
named “Haney’s Pig Stand.” When they
built the 1st Shopping Center they opened
a fast food restaurant named “Gino’s
after the football player Gino Marchetti.
This later became a “Roy Roger’s” restaurant and currently is a Boston Market.
We would get good inexpensive platters
(Daily Specials) at a small restaurant on
5th Street next door to Spinlon’s named
Shimer’s. Another small restaurant was
located on Main Street and was owned by
the Berzecki family; it was appropriately
named “The Main St. Restaurant”. Later
on near Richlandtown area was “Freed’s
(current post office) where you could
also shoot pool. When my friend Will
Cressman and I would go there to shoot
a game of pool and have a burger and
fries; after we left a certain odor of fried
foods lingered in our clothes and people
would ask if we were at Freed’s. There
were many such places in the area that had
their unique remembrances that still
remain today.
Lest we forget, we also had Soft and
Hard Ice Cream places in our area. The
Sweet Heart Shop on 309 (currently
Lee’s Hoagies) serving Ice Cream and
Sandwiches; Springer’s Ice Cream in
Haycock where you could get a delicious
Pork Sandwich; Gruver’s in Richlandtown
which was our first strip mall containing
a store, garage, auto parts area, bar, and
small store where they sold Hershey’s
Ice Cream; and last but not least Meyer’s
Dairy Queen where everyone went for a
“Dairy Queen” on a hot summer’s night.
Many of us “Hung out” at The Lamppost
Inn south of Quakertown where they had
a special sandwich (A Turkey Hoagie).
The Lamppost owner’s wives were the
waitresses and they would have us put our
tips in a large jar. When the jar was full,
they would go with some of us and take
the proceeds to the “Children’s Home”
east of town at Thatcher Road and 313.
Sometimes they would invite some of us
regulars to their home on holidays for
snacks and socializing. This is unheard
of these days.
As the West End Boulevard grew after the widening to 4 lanes, the first fast
food restaurants to come in were Gino’s
at the only shopping center in town,
Hardees’s at Park Avenue, McDonald’s
near Harvey’s NAPA auto parts store and
by the A&P. (now a Pet Store), Frank’s
Pizza in the strip mall near Hess’s, and
“Ken’s Chicken Den” where Hobo’s is
today. Yes, changes happened quickly
when 309 grew but the other restaurants
mention through The Lamppost Inn will
always be the special places visited by the
members of “The Class of ‘6l.”
Did you know that Quakertown was in the
Guinness Book of World Records for having the
most fast-food restaurants in a square mile?
17
Pennridge-Quakertown
Sports Hall of Fame
Honors New Inductees
The
Pennridge-Quakertown
Area
Sports Hall of Fame has announced its inductees for year 2012. All awardees were
aawarded plaques and peer recognition at
the organization’s 23rd annual induction
ceremony Friday May 11 at the Indian
Valley Country Club in Telford.
New honorees include Diane Angstadt,
Richard Hillegas, Val Keris and Jay Poggi
of Quakertown and Jim Groff, Charley
Hollenbach, Tim Lewis and Gerald
Souder of Pennridge. To be eligible, a
nominee must be at least 50 years of age
and have brought lasting fame and recognition to the Pennridge-Quakertown area
through outstanding achievements and accomplishment in sports endeavor.
Also honored that night were four
high school seniors who received Most
Courageous Athlete plaques and monetary
rewards from the Hall and plaques from
the State Of Pennsylvania. These honorees include Sarah Northey and Jonathon
Landis of Quakertown and Pennridge’s
Lynsey Babcock and Pat Pike.
The Heat is On
(your computer)
Now that summer has unofficially
started, you need to pay particular attention to your computer overheating
– especially laptop or notebook computers. Heat kills computers – literally.
Let’s take a closer look to see why and
how you can avoid an overheating issue.
notebook computers
2012 Inductees for Quakertown: Dick Hillegass; Val Keris; Diane Angstadt; Jay Poggi
2012 Inductees for Pennridge: Jeff Hollenbach (accepting for father Bud); Patty Roberts (accepting
for cousin Tim Lewis); Gerry Souder; Jim Groff
SEARCH Seeks to Inspire
Homeschoolers
Supporting those who choose to educate
their children at home is the focus of a
popular event held annually in the greater
Bucks and Montgomery county area.
Now in its 16th year, SEARCH (South
Eastern Area Christian Homeschoolers)
attracts homeschool families through its
annual Homeschool Conference. The
Used Book Sale is a major attraction
offering families the thrill of the hunt,
saving up to 90% off retail price, while
earning back monies from their previously
used curriculum and readers!
Nationally known speakers contribute
to the support offered through SEARCH.
This year, the Maxwell family from
Kansas, with over 22 years of homeschooling experience, will share their
journey with families. Heather Laurie has
much to offer for those homeschooling a
child with special needs. Local speakers,
Steve Demme and Susan Kemmerer offer
inspiration and encouragement as well!
Not sure if homeschooling is for you and
your family? SEARCH will offer workshops for those new to homeschooling or
not yet homeschooling, also!
Major publishers and local organizations round out the vendor hall offering
curriculum, advice and expertise in the
“how-to” of homeschooling. Purchase
your books and materials on site or place
an order to be delivered, often with a noshipping convention special.
Checks, cash and credit cards will be
accepted this year at Used Book Sale and
most vendors. Food will be available
in the cafeteria as well as at Mr. B’s in
Calvary Church and at local restaurants.
Registration is now open. Drew Fund
scholarships are available to those who
would be unable to financially attend the
conference and/or provide needed materials for their families.
For more information or to register,
please visit searchofpa.org.
As computers continue to get faster,
more heat is generated by the processor.
The challenge for notebook makers has
always been to make a faster notebook
and not generate as much heat. As
the notebook operates, the heat generated from the processor needs to go
somewhere. It is the job of the fan and
ventilation system to properly cool the
notebook. Doing this properly inside
such a small space, with a very small
fan is a challenge. It is further complicated by external forces – namely high
room temperature and blocked vents.
Over time, the fan will not move air
as efficiently as it did when it was new
(i.e. it will wear out).
Do not operate your notebook on
your lap, on your bed, on the carpet,
etc. There has been a push in the market to not use the term “laptop” for the
very reason to get people away from
using their notebooks on their laps.
There have been numerous stories in
the news of burns to people’s laps that
have resulted from heat generated by
a notebook. Using your notebook on
a non-flat surface (such as your desk)
can block the ventilation of heat. This
results in an even greater temperature
buildup inside the notebook and greatly
increases the chance of overheating and
damage to your computer.
Finally, the fan inside a notebook is
susceptible to dust accumulation. We
have seen many customers’ notebooks
shutting down because of a clogged
internal fan. Unfortunately, the only
way to clean a clogged internal fan is
to disassemble the notebook to the point
where the clogged fan can be “blown
out” with compressed air. This is the
only way to properly clean a clogged
fan. Do not try to blow compressed air
into the vents on a notebook computer.
Also, do not try to vacuum around the
vents because vacuums create static
electricity. Doing both of these things
can cause even further damage.
If it is not desired to disassemble a
notebook to clean a clogged fan, a possible way to resolve an overheating issue
is to purchase a notebook cooling pad.
This is an inexpensive way to help prevent overheating in a notebook. In fact,
we recommend a cooling pad as a preventative measure to avoid overheating.
desktop computers
If you have a desktop or tower computer, you do not have as much to worry
about. The insides of most desktop
computers have plenty of room for ventilation and contain much larger fans
than a notebook computer.
Of course, if you leave your computer
on all of the time, more heat will be
generated and if your room temperature
is very high, you could have a potential overheating issue with your desktop
computer.
Desktop computers should also have
the dust “blown out” of them at least
once per year. As with notebooks, do
not use a vacuum or attempt to blow
compressed air through the vents inside
the computer.
For more information about computers and overheating, please contact
Tom’s Help Desk at (215) 536-0831 or
visit our website at TomsHelpDesk.com.
18
ISO: Fur-ever Homes
Last Chance Ranch has many animals
ready and waiting for their new forever homes. Ranging in age from babies
to seniors, sizes small to extra large.
Please make room in your home and
your heart for a rescued animal.
Hi! My name is Gerald, hear me
ROAR! Just kidding...I only say that
because my brindle siberian. I am a fun
and playful puppy and get along with
everyone! I am at Last Chance Ranch
waiting with some other friends for a
fur-ever home. I am 5 months old, neutered and up-to-date with vaccinations!
Quakertown Alive!
Launches Downtown
Planter Project
Quakertown Alive! has launched a
Planter fund-raising project to install permanent, beautiful flower planters to adorn
our newly installed street lights. This
project will help beautify our downtown
and accentuate the antique-style light
posts. Residents and business members
of the community have an opportunity
to participate in this effort by sponsoring a planter. Each lamp post will be
furnished with
a bronze-like plaque
engraved with the sponsors name, business, or in memoriam.
Sponsorships
are available on a first-come, first serve
basis through Quakertown Alive! Large
planter (pictured) are $200. Small planter
(on small lamp posts by the fountain) are
$150. Please contact Quakertown Alive!
at 215-536-2273
Please consider adopting me.
Hello, my name is Nyla and people
tell me I am a sweet young lady. I am
about 5 years old and would love a quiet house to call home. I get along with
other dogs as long as they don’t intimidate me, sometimes. I am crate trained,
housebroken, spayed, up-to-date with
vaccinations and ready to go home!
Please contact Last Chance Ranch
Animal Rescue if you are interested in
any of our dogs, cats, horses or birds
available for adoption! Call LCR to
make an appointment! 215-538-2510
Boating Season Begins,
Don’t be a Statistic!
Some folks rely on a certain furry weather prognosticator from Punxsutawney to
tell them when spring has arrived, but
there is a much more reliable method.
Look for kayaks to start appearing on the
roofs of cars in Bucks County. As the
weather starts to break, local paddlers and
boaters are quick to dust off their gear and
get back into the water.
Upper Bucks County is blessed with
a playground for boaters and kayakers.
Lake Nockamixon, Lake Galena, the
Tohickon Creek and the Delaware River
offer idyllic venues to enjoy the water.
However, one must be not let the seemingly calm lakes and rivers lure you into a
false sense of security. There are inherent
hazards to boating and kayaking.
In March of 2010, just across the river in
New Jersey, there were five fatal boating
accidents. Two separate accidents happened in the same day, both involving a
capsizing vessel and a drowning. Neither
victim was wearing a Personal Flotation
Device (PFD). Statistics show that this
is the norm, rather than an exception. In
2008 there were 510 individuals who died
in a boating accident, and only 51 of those
were wearing a PFD. Another troubling
trend is that many of these deaths occurred in vessels without a motor, such as
the canoes and kayaks we enjoy in Upper
Bucks County.
Temperature is also an important factor. It is still early in the boat season;
in fact, National Safe Boating Week was
the week before Memorial Day. This is
the traditional kick-off to the local boating
season, and enthusiastic boaters return to
the local waters in droves. However, they
have not been out yet this season, and the
water is still cold. In May, temperatures
in the Delaware River just climbed out
of the 50’s. Capsizing a canoe or kayak
in water this cold can quickly become
an emergency. The body cools 25 times
faster in cold water than it does in cold
air. It becomes very hard to breath, your
muscles lose coordination and swimming
becomes impossible. Hopefully, you are
wearing a PFD.
Knowing about the hazards is the first
step in being prepared.
Forewarned
is forearmed, as they say, so getting
educated about boating safety can be a
lifesaver. Not only will they increase
your safety, but they are also fun. In
Pennsylvania, boaters that want to operate a personal watercraft (PWC) or a boat
powered by a motor with more than 25
horsepower are required to have a Boating
Safety Education Certificate. Information
on how to acquire a certificate are found
on the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat
Commission website: http://fishandboat.
com/98boatco.htm
Locally, we have two active Coast
Guard Auxiliary Flotillas, one based in
Lansdale, and one in Quakertown. These
groups are made up of civilian volunteers
who help the United States Coast Guard
fulfill their mission of boating safety and
education.
Auxiliarists teach boating
safety classes at local schools, perform
courtesy inspections of boats and paddle
craft, and patrol the local lakes and rivers.
They hold these boating safety courses
several times throughout the year and at
times convenient to the public. Not only
are they trained to perform these duties,
they are also local boaters and often have
a lot of experience in the waters of Upper
Bucks County. Find a boating course in
our area by going to the United States
Coast Guard Auxiliary Boating Safety
Education website: http://www.cgaux.
org/boatinged/
It is easy to think that ‘these rules don’t
apply to me,’ or ‘I am only going out
for a short time, and not very far,’ and
head out without a PFD. But why take
the risk? PFD’s today are affordable and
comfortable. You wouldn’t want your
loved ones to drive to the lake without
their seatbelt on, so make sure they have
a PFD. Spend a few hours in a boating
safety class. Have your vessel or paddle
craft inspected to make sure the required
safety devices are aboard. Get a PFD
that is comfortable, and most importantly,
wear it. And have fun on the wonderful
waters of Upper Bucks County.
submitted by by
Ed Wandall
Bill Fennecken, John Yowell, Jodie Smoll, and Ed Wandall of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Patrol
prepare for a training and safety cruise on Lake Nockamixon.
19
Questioning Why; Not a
Bad Thing
I recently resigned as pastor of the
church in Upper Bucks I have served for
the past seven years, and I have accepted a
new call to be pastor of a church in Upper
Montgomery County.
As with many of the big changes we
make in our lives, this is a time of both excitement and anxiety. Excitement over all
of the new beginnings and opportunities
that await both me and the congregation
I am now serving, and anxiety over all of
the new beginnings and opportunities that
await both me and the congregation I am
now serving.
As I enter into this new ministry, I have
realized that I also have a certain level of
freedom, especially insofar as I am precisely that – new. I have a freedom to
ask two questions that I think we all need
to ask about so many things in our lives
(and I have already told the congregation
to expect me to ask these questions a lot in
the weeks and months to come).
The first question we need to ask is –
Why? Why do we do this? Why do we do
this thing this way, and not some other
way? Why is this here? Why don’t we do
this? Why isn’t this someplace else? Why?
The question is short, powerful, challenging, and hopefully, thought provoking.
We all have a tendency to fall into routines, into established patterns of thinking
and acting and living, and we often lose
sight of exactly why we have those patterns, routines, and even traditions. And
it is not that those patterns, routines and
traditions are necessarily bad or wrong.
It is not necessarily the case that they
need to be changed. But if we never stop
and ask why, we may never discover that
they do need changing or revising. We
may come to discover a wonderful story
about how something came to be in the
first place that makes that something even
more special to us. Asking why frees
us to remember, to assess, to discuss, and
to understand.
The great saint of the medieval church,
Anselm of Canterbury, said that the
best faith is the faith that always seeks
understanding. What is true of our faith
is also true of all parts of our lives.
Understanding, including understanding
why, is key to a well-lived, satisfying life.
The other question I get to ask and we
should all be asking is – Why not? Why
not try this? Why not do this? Why not
change this? And related to that, why
can’t we try this? Why can’t we do that?
To ask, why not, is to say, I am, open
to trying something new. I am willing
to take a risk. I am willing to be brave,
daring, courageous, and face the unknown
head-on. Asking why not, why can’t I,
says that the future is an exciting thing to
me; the future is something I am eager
and willing to embrace whole-heartedly.
Asking why not opens us up to new things,
and opens us up to new ideas, opportunities and possibilities.
As people of faith, if we are people of
faith, this is central to that faith, because
God is always calling us to something new
– new life, new hope, new relationships,
new opportunities. Our God is the God
of new beginnings and opportunities. To
accept that as a gift from God, to accept
the possibilities that God lays before us, is
precisely what asking why, and why not,
allows us to do.
Asking these simple questions frees us
to follow God wherever God wants us
to go, wherever God is calling us to go,
and to do whatever God may be calling
us to do. For me, that means leaving one
church and going to another. In deciding
to do this, I asked myself why and why
not quite a bit. As I asked, I began to see
how I needed to trust God and go.
This is also true for all of us, as we ask
of our lives why and why not. We ask,
trusting in God to show us the way, and
trusting God to be with us no matter what
choice we make or what path we choose.
So ask why, and ask why not, and ask
both questions often of yourselves, and
your faith, and your church. The answers
will definitely surprise you and inspire
you. Peace.
Upper Bucks Students
Shadow Craftsmen in
Williamsburg, VA
Thirty-two young craftsmen from the
Upper Bucks County Technical School’s
Cabinetmaking and Carpentry programs
traveled to Williamsburg, VA from May
3-6, 2012. Students visited Colonial
Williamsburg’s historic area to shadow
craftsmen in their trade areas. The students had the opportunity to witness and
experience 18th century Anglo-American
building technology in the Williamsburg
historic trades program. The program is
a community of 100 masters, journeyman
and journeywomen, apprentices and interpreters practicing more than 30 trades.
These craftsmen explained the hand tools
and technology of the colonial era and
described how they produced structures,
furniture, harpsichords and spinets.
The UBCTS students were instructed
on the historical background of their trade
areas prior to the trip by Cabinetmaking
Instructor, Michael Kennedy and
Carpentry Instructor, Al Borascious who
chaperoned the three day trip. This is
the twelfth UBCTS trip to Williamsburg,
Virginia that occurs on an alternating
school year basis. The Cabinetmaking
program at the UBCTS is specialized program that offers instruction in designing
and building custom furniture, cabinets
and countertops using fine woods and advanced joinery. The Carpentry program
offers instruction in both rough and finish carpentry. Students obtain skills in
framing, boarding, sheathing, installation
of subflooring, partitions and studding.
They also learn installation of finished
flooring, stair work, siding, trim, wallboard and hardware.
In addition, the UBCTS Law
Enforcement program also participated
in the shadowing experience. The Law
Enforcement students, chaperoned by
InstructorJoel Ritter, shadowed security personnel in historic Colonial
Williamsburg. The Law Enforcement program observed colonial prisons, armory,
magazineand participated in proper courtroom procedures. The Law Enforcement
program offers instruction and training in
comprehensive law enforcement. Students
from this program pursue careers in law
enforcement, emergency medical, fire and
emergency management services.
Aristocats
Cat in a Hat
Cheshire Cat
Felix
Figaro
Garfield
Hello KittY
Hobbes
Lucifer
Mufasa
Nermal
Oliver (& Co.)
Pink Panther
Puss in Boots
Simba
Snagglepuss
Snowball (Simpsons)
Sylvester
Tigger
Tom (and Jerry)
Father’s Day was conceived about a century ago by Sonora Dodd of
Spokane, WA, while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909.
Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a
widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children on
a farm. The first Father’s Day was June 17, 1910, proclaimed by
Spokane’s mayor because it was the month of Smart’s birth. The first
presidential proclamation honoring fathers was issued in 1966 when
Lyndon Johnson designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s
Day. It has been celebrated annually since 1972 when President
Richard Nixon signed the public law that made it permanent.
20
QNA Photo Winner Announced
The Quakertown Neighborhood Association
(QNA) is proud to announce that Sarah
Collins is the winner of QNA’s third annual
photography contest. The QNA Board of the
Directors spent countless hours reviewing
all of this year’s photo entries. The theme
of this year’s contest was “Springtime in the
Neighborhood”. We felt that Sarah’s photograph “New St. Stroll” conveyed the contest
theme the best, but we can tell you that it was
a very difficult decision.
Sarah is a Quakertown High School
Graduate and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts
Degree from Pratt Institute. She has been a
homeowner in Quakertown Borough for five
years and says “I am proud to call Quakertown
my home and think that the future is bright
here! You will see my husband Josh and my
beautiful son Finn and I strolling around our
town any day of the week when we are not in
our own yard gardening.” Both John and Finn
are featured in the winning photograph.
Sarah owns her own business, Cafe Santosha
an organic cafe, which is located inside her parent’s health food store, Healthy Alternatives in
Trexlertown. Sarah’s husband Josh is a 9th grade
science teacher in the Central Bucks School
District.
Sarah is an artist, new mother, cook, gardener, and yogi who tries to see the beauty in
all every day. She tries to capture some of
these moments in her photographs. We hope
her new Olympus Camera will help her in her
future endeavors.
Congratulations to Sarah and to all our
contest participants for sharing your photographs with us! All of the entries can
be viewed at our newly updated website
quakertownna.org or on our Facebook page.
Guth Elementary Students
Collect $1,104.32 for Charities
On Friday, May 4, 25 students and chaperones from Guth Elementary School in Perkasie walked
the one-half mile to QNB Bank’s Perkasie office towing wagons, each containing huge (and heavy)
plastic jugs of change and cash collected since the first day of school. Annually, Guth Elementary
School students hold a 100-day “Penny” Drive. The student council decides what charities will receive
the money collected during the first 100 days of school. The change was run through QNB’s Perkasie
Office coin machine so checks could be written and sent to these selected charities: Elmwood
Park Zoo, Norristown – Adopt an Animal Program - $75.00, Last Chance Ranch, Quakertown
– $514.66, and PAWS, Philadelphia PA – $514.66.
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