tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15642161175591129272024-03-13T22:52:50.615-04:00Lower Providence Out LoudA blog devoted entirely to the unique issues facing Lower Providence Township today. Whether you want to talk about our school district, our township, our businesses, or your local elected officials, this is the page that's all about the best township in Montgomery County, PA. And whatever else I want to write about.Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-29193785195655101512018-05-01T12:33:00.000-04:002018-05-01T12:37:21.788-04:00It’s Showtime! Paparazzi Await At Methacton Post Prom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KiDPdU2X4ZutvmFhiImp6fJxAEK9GyBbjj2zcjFouDzrPXRkZPjYxTxmwrOxqHov8xZXc3R22tXef-8UYS1qW_amwyZVTsX_zNmnpMU0cWQ8lDEsWvnRYJXsZtDElQjJs1-mBGeGZXRr/s1600/Its+Showtime+-+Methacton+2018+post-prom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="496" data-original-width="640" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4KiDPdU2X4ZutvmFhiImp6fJxAEK9GyBbjj2zcjFouDzrPXRkZPjYxTxmwrOxqHov8xZXc3R22tXef-8UYS1qW_amwyZVTsX_zNmnpMU0cWQ8lDEsWvnRYJXsZtDElQjJs1-mBGeGZXRr/s320/Its+Showtime+-+Methacton+2018+post-prom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Students arriving at Methacton for post-prom were greeted
by a dramatic cherry colored red carpet and an entranceway styled after Grauman’s
Chinese Theater. I didn’t see any Joan Rivers’ wanna be’s stalking the
sidelines and waiting to offer commentary on the gowns and tuxes worn by the
arriving guests, but you could almost imagine her there. And that’s a good
thing, because soon after checking in students will swap out their fancy duds
for more comfortable attire far more suitable for the evening’s recreational
activities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">As always, the hugely popular community walk-through prior
to the post-prom garnered lines well in advance of the 6:30 pm start time as
hundreds of students’ family members, friends and curiosity seekers from other
towns showed up to await a tour of the over-the-top decorations and fascinating
activities that had been prepared for Methacton’s post-prom attendees. <b>Note: link to a 23-minute video set to music featuring all of the decorations can be found <a href="http://www.kizoa.com/Movie-Video-Slideshow-Maker/d188051536k2154728o2l1/copy-of-mhs-post-prom-4-30-18" target="_blank">here</a>.</b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eClwpiTapVcx_4ayfPfcc6djoFDgNagGhnrHoYDxpTZU0uKsoFv95i_eFAl6YRWWr32Fo8TcFuMcIlJnaBv3kKOeG7o625PkFAu7uGTuTvQ5cIDm05dyeNkTC1T8TXQ98nmKEU2Auugb/s1600/IMG_4133.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5eClwpiTapVcx_4ayfPfcc6djoFDgNagGhnrHoYDxpTZU0uKsoFv95i_eFAl6YRWWr32Fo8TcFuMcIlJnaBv3kKOeG7o625PkFAu7uGTuTvQ5cIDm05dyeNkTC1T8TXQ98nmKEU2Auugb/s200/IMG_4133.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Guests started down the red carpet and wound their way
through a hallway depicting past Oscar-winning films, and past the coat check
into the gym, where two new features are a virtual reality station and an
escape room. As you approach the end of the gym, a rising drumbeat signifying
danger ahead leads into the ‘Jumanji’ exhibit featuring 3D jungle animals appearing
to leap off the wall and the twinkling nighttime stars of the plains. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1G3nVAioCwFRZRZxqlFrr0wr3tC8scQR66a0CnChwjJ0JYuhVNfnccme23z1vM2Ow8uvalbfFzJwpxNJNiQElbsTemFqd8ZeuQ3tt80mRqdZ07eLa_Co4fq0hqUd1Ot-iT4D5HV651Hn/s1600/IMG_4227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjw1G3nVAioCwFRZRZxqlFrr0wr3tC8scQR66a0CnChwjJ0JYuhVNfnccme23z1vM2Ow8uvalbfFzJwpxNJNiQElbsTemFqd8ZeuQ3tt80mRqdZ07eLa_Co4fq0hqUd1Ot-iT4D5HV651Hn/s200/IMG_4227.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Other movies featured in the extensively detailed
decorations include Avatar, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Minions, Dr.
Seuss, Toy Story, Ghostbusters, Titanic, Star Wars, Finding Nemo, Grease and
the Wizard of Oz, to name a few. Also included was a section on films from “Bollywood”.
As in prior years, elementary school
students handled decorations in the lavatories and were exceptional, as always.
This year’s themes included the hilarious “Lego Batman”, ‘9’, a steam punk-themed
Tim Burton film, a super scary “It” and the soothing ocean colors and island
atmosphere of “Moana”. The Methacton School Board directors and their families put together the 'Minions' display.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2018 marks the 19<sup>th</sup> year of the premier post-prom
event in Montgomery County, attracting close to 100% participation by students
attending the prom (93% of prom attendees as of last year, and between 800-900
students in total, some of whom do not attend the prom) and the over one
thousand visitors who take the walk-through preview tour. Created to give
students a safe place to spend the overnight hours after prom, it’s blossomed
over the years to be something students AND parents look forward to
experiencing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpDU0ENrBAF8PtvTad8PjZvmOqirsrWA4sk7Fc_eTcoxQoaYbLLhQXQyZYVGrl7loaOfmC7MyqE6gHr33xFiq2zen-W40LB9oqEcaE6TncA5bqeYdhMVDm2dz69SNdqTMTqFKJOJrGwcB/s1600/IMG_4154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJpDU0ENrBAF8PtvTad8PjZvmOqirsrWA4sk7Fc_eTcoxQoaYbLLhQXQyZYVGrl7loaOfmC7MyqE6gHr33xFiq2zen-W40LB9oqEcaE6TncA5bqeYdhMVDm2dz69SNdqTMTqFKJOJrGwcB/s200/IMG_4154.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Post-prom came about largely because studies show that two
of the most dangerous nights for high school students are the evenings
following the prom and graduation. As soon as the prom ends, students spend the
entire night inside the high school in a safe, drug and alcohol free
environment. Free to all junior and senior high school students and their dates,
attendees are expected to sign in and stay all night – if they want to leave,
parents are called and the students are not released until they arrive. Students are free to go after 5:30 am but must
stay til the end to be eligible to win awesome door prizes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The high school interior becomes virtually unrecognizable,
having been transformed into an entirely new environment. Activities available
throughout the night include a casino, sporting events such as dodgeball and
volleyball tournaments, a coffee house with entertainment (this year’s theme
was Harry Potter), inflatables, a, an arcade, glow laser tag, a comedy/improve
group, hypnotist, yoga, trike races, and roving performers. There’s even a dash
of reality TV in the form of Cash Cab. Food is available throughout the evening
for students and volunteers. New this year was an escape room and virtual
reality station.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVszSkhJj_RWiPapdrwrN7Cyhl9yU_XiHTloKBs_pqC5IOiGtSXQFVeeG6sBW8j6Z73kzPohspsN4XEiYNDSegmR7FwFvd5fiBMyObb6j4umIrcMZlSrTKH9FbfqrAh9igPmsAG04gbtP/s1600/IMG_4051+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVszSkhJj_RWiPapdrwrN7Cyhl9yU_XiHTloKBs_pqC5IOiGtSXQFVeeG6sBW8j6Z73kzPohspsN4XEiYNDSegmR7FwFvd5fiBMyObb6j4umIrcMZlSrTKH9FbfqrAh9igPmsAG04gbtP/s200/IMG_4051+%25281%2529.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s no cost to the students to attend – all expenses
incurred in making the props and decorations, providing food and entertainment,
and the prizes that are offered to those who stay all night are paid for by
generous donations of hundreds of hours of time, and cash, goods and services
from community sponsors, businesses, organizations and families – the operating
budget is between $45,000 and $50,000 annually. Several fundraisers are also
held during the year to raise funds, such as the annual summer golf outing at
Shannondell, and the adult dinner dance held in the wintertime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLrAaa8oZ793nxKyNxoaq2a2BWCWjjmjh05tmzYVszpfucDBA6GlDuGU3VhOHuL5_B92sR7sBlW1Tw-K-hi1fmBdQyAU1PEx4f24PUxwDl4fI-bG4LHkDDTOrTEDbGK97L-oS2GDfrj6t/s1600/IMG_4190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfLrAaa8oZ793nxKyNxoaq2a2BWCWjjmjh05tmzYVszpfucDBA6GlDuGU3VhOHuL5_B92sR7sBlW1Tw-K-hi1fmBdQyAU1PEx4f24PUxwDl4fI-bG4LHkDDTOrTEDbGK97L-oS2GDfrj6t/s200/IMG_4190.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Enjoy this compilation of the gorgeous decorations created
for “It’s Showtime!”, and these fun facts provided by the post-prom committee:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> * </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It takes more than 450 volunteers to work the
night of post-prom, for setup, manning the functions and security at post-prom,
and clean up the next morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> *</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">60+ local businesses and over 100 families
provided cash donations for this year’s post-prom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> *</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Post-prom is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit
volunteer organization and is not affiliated with Home & School or
Methacton High School.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> *</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Each year a student logo design contest is
held, with the winner receiving two free tickets to the prom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> *</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over 65 volunteers work behind the scenes
starting in October each year lending their various talents to design, build
and create the decorations and displays for post-prom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> *</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Post-prom decorations are loaned out to seven
other Methacton School District schools, five surrounding local school
districts, and many local community groups.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> *</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The post-prom Education Committee sends notes
to all of the local florists and tuxedo shops to tuck into students’ corsages,
boutonnieres and jacket pockets reminding students to make good choices on prom
night and thanks those shops who’ve agreed to help us keep our students safe. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s never too late to donate to support this very worthy
cause that saves young lives. If you’d like to contribute, mail your
tax-deductible check payable to Methacton Post Prom to: PO Box 39, Eagleville,
PA, 19408-0039.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-58933162646871372022018-02-26T23:53:00.001-05:002018-02-26T23:53:51.259-05:00Bidding for Ballots<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAhTre9AqVu6b18uef5_YRuPKF8ac66r49R25pDJvRlpArP6hih4z1sszVFxUEC43pQOCqN7lxu6Mm7dSlXYDuwwVz5Vtg49PHCR0_tPaAJQ1y01J_QdR-dM3X6210TV75OmWLDxD6p3d/s1600/IMG_2798.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEAhTre9AqVu6b18uef5_YRuPKF8ac66r49R25pDJvRlpArP6hih4z1sszVFxUEC43pQOCqN7lxu6Mm7dSlXYDuwwVz5Vtg49PHCR0_tPaAJQ1y01J_QdR-dM3X6210TV75OmWLDxD6p3d/s320/IMG_2798.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A
desire to update equipment purchased in 1996 and to address potential security
and vote integrity concerns are two factors that motivated Montgomery County
officials to announce that they will be issuing an RFP in March of this year
for the purpose of replacing and upgrading the equipment used to record and
tabulate votes. There are 425 polling places across the County, utilizing
approximately 1150 voting machines each election (ten polling places are
located within Lower Providence). Polling places have 2-3 machines apiece.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Toward
that end, County commissioners Val Arkoosh and Ken Lawrence [both serve on the
Board of Elections, Lawrence as its chairman] hosted an open house on Saturday,
February 24, 2018 at Montgomery County Community College to give the public an
opportunity to view the vendors and products vying for the chance to provide
the latest technology, test them out and to provide feedback about those
products and potential selection criteria.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ideally, the
new equipment could be in place as early as the November 2018 election cycle,
but a Voter Services employee told me today that it was far more likely that it
would be available for use by voters for the first time in 2019, given the need
to train a large number of poll workers and communicate all the changes in the
process to the voters who will use it</span><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">The crowd
consisted primarily of elected committeepeople and poll workers, and a
smattering of the general public. </span></span><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Two categories of change
were shown:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">1) New way to
check in -- touch screen and potentially less need to have check-in clerks at
the table inside the poll; and <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">2) Different approaches
to casting a ballot.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">First, the check-in
process is now all electronic regardless of selected vendor, but seems to be
less of a process, mostly verifying the voter and signing, which people do now.</span><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As for the 11 potential
vendors providing demos and marketing materials, the exhibitors present on
Saturday included:</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Clear
Ballot of Boston, MA</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Election
Systems and Software of Omaha, NE (ESS is the only vendor currently certified
by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Dominion
Voting of Denver, CO (acquired the former Sequoia Voting System, who
manufactured the equipment the County uses now)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Unisyn
Voting Solutions of Vista, CA</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Tenex
Software Solutions of Tampa, FL</span></span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The other
vendors are currently in the process of getting certified by the Commonwealth. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the public
comment/Q&A segment of the open house, a </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpXPR9HmkngsVv5jzDPIdUzajCg3RUyfXHh0adpnt49Ya9JWH09CF7adofRNqsTx_WzxNwXvqoKNLnApbfT8PCDYJeYuTQC6UgxnQ2x2OxD-MlC13qrtc5NCbVm4dlCAsfOUkwoUiwGlT/s1600/IMG_2808.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpXPR9HmkngsVv5jzDPIdUzajCg3RUyfXHh0adpnt49Ya9JWH09CF7adofRNqsTx_WzxNwXvqoKNLnApbfT8PCDYJeYuTQC6UgxnQ2x2OxD-MlC13qrtc5NCbVm4dlCAsfOUkwoUiwGlT/s320/IMG_2808.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">number <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of speakers voiced what
they hoped to see in the selected product and what they were concerned about.
Jenifer Maslow, a Democrat and an inspector for more than 20 years at the LP
polling place in district 1-2 (which votes at Arrowhead School) was primarily focused
on the security of whatever system is chosen. </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Maslow, who is
also involved with the group Citizens for Better Elections, leaned toward
vendor Clear Ballot, arguably the least-technological option, consisting of
voters hand-marking a paper ballot by filling in circles for their preferred
options, and that paper ballot then being fed into a machine for recording and
tabulation. She said she preferred Clear
Ballot because she felt that “anything can be hacked, we don’t really know who
owns these companies or who designs the software” and, with regard to Clear Ballot’s
paper ballot, that “it’s not a foreign concept, this is how SATs are done” so
it should be acceptable. “A voter would know their vote is as they intended", she said.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Maslow also noted
that many times one of the machines in a poll breaks down and then creates a
backlog of voters. In the more manual system, a voter would still be able to
vote. She would also like to see a system that can ‘last for a long time’,
since ‘we [the taxpayers] are not only voting on them but paying for them”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Republican
committeewoman Brenda Hackett, whose polling place is located within the
Shannondell retirement community, offered her perspective – and arrived at the
same preference as her Democrat counterpart. “</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We have unique issues
here at Shannondell with so many people unable to learn new things and some
afraid of computers. I think a fully touch screen system would keep
voters away or create very long lines. This problem will dissipate in the
future as people unfamiliar with computers will have passed on. However,
there may be some people who never have to deal with computers…and introducing
a touch screen system will be unfamiliar to many of them”.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6BbeCT0a57s7wVTwRQPQwNtsvwWbDXvTQqQvNS_qL3gR040uKRlmHD08a8VayEeRhVjG4PCqN-qnoTONDvUcyDSk8zzR0rFKLy6KFIm1CoYMv66NSJEZJFwp0a2GVj3Q5c5MhdGUHH92/s1600/IMG_2810.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx6BbeCT0a57s7wVTwRQPQwNtsvwWbDXvTQqQvNS_qL3gR040uKRlmHD08a8VayEeRhVjG4PCqN-qnoTONDvUcyDSk8zzR0rFKLy6KFIm1CoYMv66NSJEZJFwp0a2GVj3Q5c5MhdGUHH92/s320/IMG_2810.JPG" width="240" /></a><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Hackett continued, “I
had a good feeling about the security and accuracy of the machine where a voter
marks a piece of paper or where they vote on the touch screen and a piece of
blank paper that they insert is returned to them filled in with their
vote. They then feed it in to the machine. So, I guess the one I like
best is Clear Ballot. When you are verified by the clerk, you are given a
ballot which you write on in a private setting and then insert it into the
machine. It is in the control of the voter, and it gives the paper
backup, and most people would easily learn how to do it."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">And "I did not like the
system that produces the paper ballot behind a window that they can't touch.
It may be hard to read. </span></span></span><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since the issue with our
machines is that there is no paper trail… [and since part of the new state
requirements are that there must be a paper trail that can be reconciled/audited]… I
liked the concept of a voter handling the paper themselves." </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;">From
MY own perspective, I certainly agree with their comments, but I also liked
that vendor Dominion re-uses a lot of the technology the County has already
paid for in their Sequoia systems – which the County says they believe are
reliable and safe - so they may have an edge in that their product can
potentially been integrated more easily, quickly and for less money. In this
system, voters are issued a card at check-in which is then loaded and activated
with their voter information (party, district and relevant voting options) and
then taken by the voter to the voting machine and handed to the machine
operator for insertion, voting and recording. The card is then given back,
wiped clean and reused.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Arkoosh said
that money has been budgeted for this purpose over the past few years, but the
County wanted to make sure the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania had finalized their voting machine requirements before going out to bid. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you want to provide
general feedback on what features you’d like to see, reach out to the County at
<a href="http://www.montcopa.org/vmfeedback">www.montcopa.org/vmfeedback</a>
and let them know your thoughts. They plan to post pictures and descriptions of
the potential replacement machines on their Voter Services website shortly.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-674102609934395502018-02-12T01:54:00.000-05:002018-02-13T17:45:38.044-05:00EAGLES-Ville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ng6IYf5fwFjtPg2guPpx44WsxnW9DTxWrPcJn7pPvGbT66kIS1AMQZKJQfYsJ-zXI0tn-SK7ox0uuGWJGg_sm0Uvi4csqY_fHaV9nAW-2JCnJ5mS43U1qcmBtPMD_4Bkq6yiXRBcbI0a/s1600/Eagles+newspaper+headlines.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1440" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9ng6IYf5fwFjtPg2guPpx44WsxnW9DTxWrPcJn7pPvGbT66kIS1AMQZKJQfYsJ-zXI0tn-SK7ox0uuGWJGg_sm0Uvi4csqY_fHaV9nAW-2JCnJ5mS43U1qcmBtPMD_4Bkq6yiXRBcbI0a/s320/Eagles+newspaper+headlines.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Over the past
two weeks, since the Philadelphia Eagles captured the NFC Championship and the
chance to compete for the Lombardi Trophy in Super Bowl LII (which we all now
know that, against incredible odds, they actually WON), LP residents, along
with the entire greater Philadelphia area and surrounding suburbs, understandably
went all in for the boys in green.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">[I’m proud to
say that I was the only person at the Super Bowl party I attended who brought a
bottle of champagne. While I'm certainly one of millions of long-suffering Philly sports fans who has come to expect being disappointed again and again by our teams, somehow I had a feeling that, for
once, it was going to be our year!]</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEnMMw2KOzEIHfQu5L8zXbus5fRXXdZ9GGjqPMIGdD_d3O75k-GnZFpldQWCKNh7OEp90JkBIGRtonR3IUg_4eSFbdcS3ueglFgXxNB-724XDdjgIhml2WcX6HB0w_CTcvpS79gmghtYu/s1600/popup+Eagles+sales.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEnMMw2KOzEIHfQu5L8zXbus5fRXXdZ9GGjqPMIGdD_d3O75k-GnZFpldQWCKNh7OEp90JkBIGRtonR3IUg_4eSFbdcS3ueglFgXxNB-724XDdjgIhml2WcX6HB0w_CTcvpS79gmghtYu/s200/popup+Eagles+sales.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Everyone got
involved somehow or another. Eagles merchandise flew off the shelves and pop-up
gas-station vendors sprouted everywhere. Women got their nails done in green
and silver. All manner of Eagles garden flags and wreaths went up. Eagles decals and car magnets got slapped on
vehicles. Local businesses got in on the act and made an undoubted killing
selling Super Bowl party food, including local business Collegeville Italian
Bakery, who entered into a friendly bet with a Boston-area business, Montilio’s
Baking Company.</span><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgdU5YptGAmO5pHHd4VNMnxFMomqMU38eYdKut8EStpfmpSIEqs0wdscuXHk9UxGk55j-C2rEh_NjY6Z__AUKjEC9sMwLBcGiDEa_mnTZwkiA3mhKHyRlOI8yAdP6a-JRhTZDMHSutk1q/s1600/collegeville-montilios+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="960" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPgdU5YptGAmO5pHHd4VNMnxFMomqMU38eYdKut8EStpfmpSIEqs0wdscuXHk9UxGk55j-C2rEh_NjY6Z__AUKjEC9sMwLBcGiDEa_mnTZwkiA3mhKHyRlOI8yAdP6a-JRhTZDMHSutk1q/s200/collegeville-montilios+cake.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of C.I.B.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“It
[the Eagles being in the Super Bowl] did wonders for every single mom and pop
business,” said co-owner Steve Carcarey of the Collegeville Italian Bakery.<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>M</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">ontilio’s wagered one of their famous butter-cream
specialty sheet cakes – with a big Eagles logo - against Collegeville’s famous
Eagles tomato pies which would have featured a Patriot’s logo had the Eagles
lost. Another part of the bet was Montilio’s making a $500 donation to the
Philadelphia School District in the event of an Eagles win. Carcarey even changed the sign temporarily on
his business to read ‘Eagleville Italian Bakery”. </span><span style="font-size: medium;">[this <a href="http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20180213/collegeville-italian-bakery-wins-big-on-super-bowl-bet-for-charity" target="_blank">story</a> appeared in the Times Herald the day after I made this blog post]</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6VlrnP9DPTtj9mfYNmIYJmhC9R0HRR9pVN9SgmYhwk7WoO_JFnnVSFYskGUomeGx1oZOIrl_zhHi2kDAsQamkuDgBL4zCoXBi1L4E1H_JUVGkdywoXVT386ZFsYF69cWXKqjSa3_C8ix/s1600/eagles+proclamation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz6VlrnP9DPTtj9mfYNmIYJmhC9R0HRR9pVN9SgmYhwk7WoO_JFnnVSFYskGUomeGx1oZOIrl_zhHi2kDAsQamkuDgBL4zCoXBi1L4E1H_JUVGkdywoXVT386ZFsYF69cWXKqjSa3_C8ix/s200/eagles+proclamation.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">LP Township issued a proclamation on
January 31, 2018 declaring it “Eagles Day” encouraging the celebration of the
team’s success and support for them as they took the field in the Super Bowl. Eagleville
Elementary held one of many pep rallies in the area; theirs was featured on the
ABC6 news broadcast that day [<a href="http://6abc.com/3013166/" target="_blank">link</a>]. ABC6 also did a spot featuring the Valley
Forge Chorale, who rehearses at Lower Providence Presbyterian Church (LPPC) in
Eagleville singing the Eagles fight song.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Even my church’s pastor at LPPC presented
a sermon entitled “We Will Soar on Wings Like Eagles”. It was rooted in
scripture (Isaiah 40:21-31) but also meant to support the team as pastor wore a
vestment featuring the Eagles logo in a pattern, and he led the congregation in
an Eagles chant at the end of the service.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-size: large;">It was wonderful to see something that
united everyone in the community and was a distraction from everyday problems. That’s
a ‘win’ right there.</span><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUIm4Q0DAKpXNu35Guop2E4cmCugtVjUdycncPwB95Rts-zkGvr_a5kWnHzqcqNxMUre6QV7htcyG6o2r8xUHqqDc8vWL2bNJcOPQIAVlu6bgKyUKbpdRVWWpgLjST1g6XdHQ9nCf0cjy/s1600/Eagles+art+museum+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUIm4Q0DAKpXNu35Guop2E4cmCugtVjUdycncPwB95Rts-zkGvr_a5kWnHzqcqNxMUre6QV7htcyG6o2r8xUHqqDc8vWL2bNJcOPQIAVlu6bgKyUKbpdRVWWpgLjST1g6XdHQ9nCf0cjy/s200/Eagles+art+museum+2.JPG" width="200" /></a><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As for the parade, I wasn’t going to miss
it. It was a long day – our group of 10 left Eagleville at 4:30 AM, bundled up
in layers, determined that we were going to savor this victory. It truly was
something not to be missed. We had a good entry, parking and exit strategy and
it worked out pretty well. We enjoyed beer and a very happy clientele while
hanging out at the Urban Saloon on Fairmount waiting for the parade to make its
way to the Art Museum, and made lots of new friends in green. People were, for
the most part, well behaved and it was a glorious event where we heard the
Eagles fight song more times than we could count. (And yes, it is true, Eagles fans WILL CLIMB JUST ABOUT ANYTHING!). <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Still, it’s hard to believe it really
happened. My boyfriend (and others I know) have re-watched the game several
times. We Philly sports fans are so used to inevitable disappointment, of
defeat snatched from the jaws of victory, that many of us can’t quite believe
the other shoe isn’t going to drop.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Flyers to bring the Stanley Cup home for a trip down Broad Street….</span><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-50015922168392219972018-02-07T01:55:00.001-05:002018-02-07T01:55:42.533-05:00Driver's Ed<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u>Driver’s Ed, Part I.</u></b>
Is it just me, or is crashing cars into buildings a trendy new thing? It’s been
quite a while since I first took the test to get my driver’s license, but I’m
pretty sure back in the 80’s the DMV didn’t feel obligated to point out
explicitly that one should avoid running into buildings with one’s car. Maybe
they should start including that as a test question, though, because over
several weeks this past summer, and then again in December, LP has been home
to <i>four</i> such crashes, and I’ve seen a few more on the local news around the
wider area. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQ6kgfs-5ZECiawo0jMbf3Osz43h8NOygsAvDFCwObKKTHz0pgVrD6Kd3tUJN-K9GjfdokIilDxO2KvMbnHtnnQ22wX4VTIRAs3Xp9Pa9mNABLLojatxQ5T0LRU80O3aCYZ1I6hL1ki-n/s1600/Sunoco+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNQ6kgfs-5ZECiawo0jMbf3Osz43h8NOygsAvDFCwObKKTHz0pgVrD6Kd3tUJN-K9GjfdokIilDxO2KvMbnHtnnQ22wX4VTIRAs3Xp9Pa9mNABLLojatxQ5T0LRU80O3aCYZ1I6hL1ki-n/s200/Sunoco+1.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">First, on June 21, a car crashed into the side of the
Sunoco/Mini Mart at 3201 West Ridge Pike (at the intersection with Mt. Kirk).
Reports indicate that the driver was parking their car, when their dog jumped
into the front seat, hit the gear shift lever into ‘drive’ and then the driver,
attempting to stop the car, hit the gas instead of the brakes</span>. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZPdVJ5LLVmWLJL9flw2T7MHbwr9eOnvD3sUD6CMw6e4ziTsDyGAr5Waw530Sbu_i_7lzm2f_gF_fFbbjqNOUthl-Xe5miNHo4pZJLSoBF84Qm0mCKPoxyA3Ln0K9SzSVyrq7EYeemdua/s1600/truck+crashes+into+LP+home.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcZPdVJ5LLVmWLJL9flw2T7MHbwr9eOnvD3sUD6CMw6e4ziTsDyGAr5Waw530Sbu_i_7lzm2f_gF_fFbbjqNOUthl-Xe5miNHo4pZJLSoBF84Qm0mCKPoxyA3Ln0K9SzSVyrq7EYeemdua/s200/truck+crashes+into+LP+home.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Second, around 5:30 pm on June 26, 2017 a truck crashed into
the home of the Wheelers on Woodland Avenue. The home, at the juncture of the
‘T’ intersection of Clearfield and Woodland, sustained some damage although it
was still habitable. In that incident, officials still aren’t sure what the
cause was, although mechanical issues and careless driving have been ruled out.
The cause is potentially medical, but confirmation of that may never be received. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Third, on July 9, someone crashed into the Dunkin’ Donuts at
the intersection of Trooper Road and Egypt Road shortly after midnight. I’m
told it was the result of a domestic argument. The facility was repaired and
reopened in September.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CuM51o1u7B8rEUKhL8kD-NNxmDOxVoXBwEP769YBlUNKoSBJv1VXO6Ng2zUxPucfselWAlJ59gIF32OU8EGQE5kXC2enyYSDjZeDcuDAzbdB7vmhQDEexVxNCTCWmkr8yYdL_Oxfrag8/s1600/dunkin+donuts+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6CuM51o1u7B8rEUKhL8kD-NNxmDOxVoXBwEP769YBlUNKoSBJv1VXO6Ng2zUxPucfselWAlJ59gIF32OU8EGQE5kXC2enyYSDjZeDcuDAzbdB7vmhQDEexVxNCTCWmkr8yYdL_Oxfrag8/s200/dunkin+donuts+3.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAgVMA5YrbB_8JxVAIACYsaRjou7pf8iWrPG26u5WooofTb3Mvy4Wxgk3Nbm9tXsHMRl5u4hibaCg3hmqIFhyphenhyphenHPbAJKmVtbTXkt2GQXnUVut0fqXYDxVnTLyO-c20OCuR7Bq9JJP50u8u/s1600/dunkin+donuts+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaAgVMA5YrbB_8JxVAIACYsaRjou7pf8iWrPG26u5WooofTb3Mvy4Wxgk3Nbm9tXsHMRl5u4hibaCg3hmqIFhyphenhyphenHPbAJKmVtbTXkt2GQXnUVut0fqXYDxVnTLyO-c20OCuR7Bq9JJP50u8u/s200/dunkin+donuts+2.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4kpgC911O6Vw_hQgEpnNdjk8xImD3MpRju8pZoWTxhVJ7p7i9lGqgcigvMpqGvBYqTmN7Y14ndHGvZPXo6hY7sp-d8PjlNlHzCzblgnyoo8irjMjinf7A67rSOJGDsFVYJnZAxBZ8uQy/s1600/12-22-17+Collegeville+Italian+Bakery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhU4kpgC911O6Vw_hQgEpnNdjk8xImD3MpRju8pZoWTxhVJ7p7i9lGqgcigvMpqGvBYqTmN7Y14ndHGvZPXo6hY7sp-d8PjlNlHzCzblgnyoo8irjMjinf7A67rSOJGDsFVYJnZAxBZ8uQy/s200/12-22-17+Collegeville+Italian+Bakery.jpg" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then, to finish out the year, on December 22, 2017, the
Friday just before Christmas a car crashed into the Collegeville Italian Bakery
on Ridge Pike, practically turning it into a drive-through at the busiest time of year. The building sustained significant damage to
the pizzeria section of the restaurant, but no one was hurt and they were able
to have it repaired within a month later and reopened as of January 21.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let's be careful out there, folks! So far, no serious injuries or fatalities, but it's only a matter of time until something tragic happens. </span></span></div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Driver’s Ed, Part
II</span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the Déjà vu Department (there was a similar incident with
a prior school board member a few years ago), back on September 30, 2017, a
Methacton school board director, identified in court records as Michael Ryan of
Audubon, was arrested and charged with ‘public drunkenness’ stemming from an
incident that occurred outside the Audubon Ale House.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL97W4IxKWXYbKDGEkwGJOciprSKtwojbyPEwGq3j7maJn-TFzTeBgy64dU3BZNqyR9mtEgIS0NXe_x2eB23zUWlfrZjAIHL9xs9DmRW1lHe0JSK5L-p9r0XUV_CX-wMPbAiDNEnb3hBm6/s1600/Ryan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL97W4IxKWXYbKDGEkwGJOciprSKtwojbyPEwGq3j7maJn-TFzTeBgy64dU3BZNqyR9mtEgIS0NXe_x2eB23zUWlfrZjAIHL9xs9DmRW1lHe0JSK5L-p9r0XUV_CX-wMPbAiDNEnb3hBm6/s1600/Ryan.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Reportedly Ryan, elected in 2015 as a member of the CARE team of candidates (Community Advocates for Responsible Education), was allegedly found asleep,
intoxicated, inside his car and identified himself as being on the Methacton
school board to the arresting officer. He was <span style="background-color: #999999;">c<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;">harged with public drunkenness in violation of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>18 Pa</b>.C.S.A. §<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b>5505</b>, which prohibits a person
from being in any "public place manifestly under the influence of alcohol
or a controlled substance ... to the degree that he may endanger himself or
other persons or property, or annoy persons in his vicinity." <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #999999; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ryan had a hearing in district
court on January 10 (continued from a November date) and reportedly was ordered
to perform 24 hours’ worth of community service. Another hearing is scheduled
for March 28, at which time I understand his charges may be dismissed if he
completes said community service. It’s not clear whether or not he actually
wound up pleading guilty to anything, although some reports of comments Ryan has
made on the record at school board meetings would seem to indicate that he in
fact considered himself guilty despite an initial ‘not guilty’ plea. In
reaching out to the district court office for clarification of the docket details, I was referred to
the arresting officer, who has yet to return my call.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least Ryan didn’t try to claim it never happened, and blame anonymous internet bad guys for
completely inventing the story (as did the former school board director who
found herself in a similar situation, albeit in another state). At the end of
the day, she resigned; as in that instance, Ryan should probably also consider
resigning from the school board. Those responsible for educating our kids and elected to be in charge
of an annual budget exceeding $100,000 </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">are supposed to be serving as good examples to them,</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> and should </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">be held to a higher standard and demonstrate
that they can exercise better judgment while in office.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve heard some people ask why, if he was found in his car, he
wasn’t charged with DUI instead of public drunkenness - that’s
a question for the arresting officer. We don’t know the entirety of the fact
pattern, and clearly, the arresting officer has discretion at the scene to
determine how they want to handle a given incident. There are numerous pieces of criteria that go
into determining whether a driver has ‘control’ of the vehicle and intent to
drive and thus whether it rises to the level of DUI. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">By most accounts Ryan is a hard worker on the Board, and I'm sure the pressure of being a school director is substantial, but let's hope this is the last time a Methacton school director finds him/herself in the crosshairs of the law. </span></div>
Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-16483702452734385592018-02-02T19:29:00.000-05:002018-02-22T02:07:02.875-05:00Time Flies<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Happy (belated) New Year! 2017 went by in a blur and for me
included my daughter getting married down South, my son graduating from
college, and the passing of my father late in the year, in addition to work
being insanely busy. And, the boyfriend is still keeping what little spare time I have occupied too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the meantime, there have been lots of great new
developments in Lower Providence, including the arrival of new grocery store
chain Lidl, two new microbreweries, and possibly another alcohol-related
venture. Stay tuned for more on that. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nvezR2qOOzDu7vT2nc-S_d4VJrpCfNF08dBH6-JXkcyxIyCOs400PHu6YzLjx0aA9JkK3pt4H-SVSshuMkodk-F1JEOOS6PLPrbwv-NAfgnRPHfo9Lg035BgzB8mCG5UHJQpxN1ABJ_z/s1600/philadelphia-eagles-schedule-philadelphia-eagles-logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="736" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6nvezR2qOOzDu7vT2nc-S_d4VJrpCfNF08dBH6-JXkcyxIyCOs400PHu6YzLjx0aA9JkK3pt4H-SVSshuMkodk-F1JEOOS6PLPrbwv-NAfgnRPHfo9Lg035BgzB8mCG5UHJQpxN1ABJ_z/s200/philadelphia-eagles-schedule-philadelphia-eagles-logo.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Speaking of 'flying', here we are, on the verge of Super Bowl LII featuring
our Philadelphia Eagles. Our area has been getting charged up along with everyone else. Bring it home
guys!</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-60227787985965156892017-07-28T12:01:00.001-04:002017-07-31T11:52:34.106-04:00Taking Care of Business<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMqxzNliH7hqdE6WqCeAgYccRJAV4SvX5AeE9VD3s7L3Ytya7BknRTjhuk0yZKUKDMEtELp8MXBJD-z9WrNslfCdMU5qVGSmjWw6dxC-R-w1KeyQ8CoBoMCd3z7l5EuKH_DHu7Qmt_mBT/s1600/Schadler+and+Maris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="607" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKMqxzNliH7hqdE6WqCeAgYccRJAV4SvX5AeE9VD3s7L3Ytya7BknRTjhuk0yZKUKDMEtELp8MXBJD-z9WrNslfCdMU5qVGSmjWw6dxC-R-w1KeyQ8CoBoMCd3z7l5EuKH_DHu7Qmt_mBT/s200/Schadler+and+Maris.jpg" width="111" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nathan Schadler & David Maris</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Surrounded by outdoor patio furniture, grills, fire pits, and umbrellas in the showroom of Salter’s Outdoor Oasis in Eagleville, 30 or so Lower Providence small business owners have begun to meet once a month to hammer out how their newly-formed organization, the Lower Providence Business Association, will operate and to fine-tune their plans to persuade Lower Providence Township officials to create a better environment for new and existing businesses in the Township.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Their outdoor surroundings were appropriate considering the reason this group of business owners have banded together. They feel like they’re on the outside looking in, subject to the mercy of the Township’s Board of Supervisors or the whims of code enforcement personnel, and what they view as conflicting, overly restrictive, and frequently arbitrary ordinances that make it more difficult and expensive to open and operate a business in LP. They’re hoping to find out if those throwaway statements on political campaign literature about wanting to attract, encourage and grow businesses in the Township have any substance to them, and find common ground with Township officials to make LP more business friendly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Statistics provided by Lower Providence Township indicate that since at least 2010, the number of new businesses opening in the Township (as indicated by the number of business licenses initiated or renewed) has decreased every year since (with the exception of a small uptick of 4 businesses in the 2012-2013 time frame), from a high of 644 as of December 31, 2010 to 578 as of July 2017.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Certainly, there may be other factors at play, such as the state or national economy or conditions in specific industries, but this isn’t a positive trend. Whether a business stays or goes depends on many things: besides the aforementioned economy or industry, factors such as whether they own their property or do they have a landlord, and if so, does the landlord end a lease or does the tenant find better/cheaper quarters, or if the owners are planning to retire soon. Often, the Township doesn’t even find out if a tenant is considering closing or moving until too late. For example, a business may not want their landlord to know in case new arrangements fall through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Part of the problem is local. Over time, there have been some township supervisors who weren’t exactly business friendly. This manifested in several ways. One’s philosophy was that LP is a ‘bedroom community’ that shouldn’t have much business here at all (similar to Worcester Township). Others have helped run off attractive propositions deemed too close to his or her own residence. In addition, policies and ordinances implemented over the years that, either intentionally or otherwise, impose numerous hurdles and costs to operating here have had the effect of discouraging some potential businesses from coming here at all, or into giving up and moving elsewhere later on. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The LPBA aims to partner with the Township to help improve the climate for business in LP. One of two driving forces behind the LPBA is its president, David Maris, owner of Marco Motors in the Evansburg section of the Township. Dave’s dad retired recently and he and his brother took over the family business. Maris, who’s been an active member of and ambassador for the Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce since 2013, told me he’s ‘known for years’ the Township needed a group to engage the Township specifically on issues of importance to its local business owners.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maris, named 2017 Perkiomen Valley Chamber of Commerce Member of the Year for his contributions to the chamber and the community at large, says he got the idea to get the LPBA kick-started after a Facebook discussion early this year about local businesses on the popular “Living in Lower Providence” page, and subsequently put out a feeler for how many would be interested in such an advocacy organization. He reports he got about 40 responses back with contact information almost immediately. So far about 80 LP business entities have expressed interest in the group, although not all have been able to make each meeting.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Maris' affable, easy-going personality belies his tenacity. He says that he participated in LP’s prior attempts to address the concerns of Township businesses. A few years ago the Township formed a ‘business development committee’ and he was invited to participate. Meeting during the workday was often inconvenient, and when he attended there were 4-5 local banks represented, numerous realtors, 4-5 construction/development entities, and only 5 or 6 ‘brick and mortar’, customer-facing businesses. He recalls telling Bill Roth, Director of Special Projects and Technology for the Township, that representation of Township businesses ‘wasn’t really present’ and nothing really came of that group from an advocacy perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Flash forward to November 2016, when a similar effort seemed to be launched by the Township. Attended by ‘a few more bankers, and an attorney’, Maris said there seemed to be fewer participants overall. He discovered that this effort was more focused around the ‘Team Montco’ initiative, an economic development partnership with the County, and their projects to promote the Vo Tech schools and offerings of help from the Temple School of Business and other similar resources. Maris felt it was nice to be connected to possible resources, but it wasn’t really an advocacy group specifically focused on the needs of local, Township–based businesses. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The other driving force is local attorney and former Montgomery County prosecutor Nathan Schadler of the firm Conway Schadler in Eagleville. Schadler, 38, serves as LPBA vice-president and, together with his law partner, Ken Conway, drafted and filed the corporate formation documents for the group. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Schadler, a former assistant Montgomery County district attorney who headed up the narcotics and firearms units in that office, also was cross-sworn and served as an assistant US attorney.<span style="color: #333333;"> </span>Along with being a former D1 competitive swimmer (and now a triathlete), you get the sense from talking with him that he’s formidable and competitive, bristling with energy looking for an outlet. Schadler points in part to that swimming background for teaching him skills like perseverance, and learning to “put his head down, work hard and push through…that every day is not easy and you have to fight through the tough ones…it translates in terms of getting people through lulls, that if something slows down it’s not dead”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He also credits his prosecutorial career for teaching him the values of collaboration, a high level of detailed planning, focus, and learning how to work with a variety of types of personalities and egos. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheMhG0nlLmXDxFDv4wpvC9b5kNw-rL0WlL7RVfRrT-5sxrUg_qBRXSLODaOtXdvwMHhNjFL5B9MDj54wnGdXEdnPQ_LxKNQv0zYbmuZblFKFPuxdzJfROTvHOsO_39YvWyx1ZYMFSpTNb/s1600/Nathan+Schadler+Conway+Schadler.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheMhG0nlLmXDxFDv4wpvC9b5kNw-rL0WlL7RVfRrT-5sxrUg_qBRXSLODaOtXdvwMHhNjFL5B9MDj54wnGdXEdnPQ_LxKNQv0zYbmuZblFKFPuxdzJfROTvHOsO_39YvWyx1ZYMFSpTNb/s320/Nathan+Schadler+Conway+Schadler.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Upon his departure from the DA’s office in 2013, District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman praised Schadler for his work. “Nate’s been a gladiator in the office for nearly a decade,” she said. “While I’m sorry to see him go, I wish him all the best in this next adventure, in his life and in his career and I can’t wait to see what he’ll do next.” </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Schadler and his partner decided to open their law practice in Eagleville after considering several options, and opened in early 2016. Subsequently, Schadler set up a meeting with Township supervisor Patrick Duffy to introduce himself and say ‘hey, we’re here, we’ve heard some things, we want to get along and do well in this community”. He came away very inspired after speaking with Duffy and literally went right back to his office and wrote a letter and sent it to several hundred business owners in the Township, including Dave Maris, about the idea for a business association. Schadler says “Dave called me up, said ‘Can we meet, I’ve been trying to do something with this idea for awhile, and it petered out, how can we get something going?’ And it went from there.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Both Dave and Nathan are inspirational and motivating speakers who are passionate about the LPBA, and the energy in the room when they speak is palpable. They have a genuine rapport and mutual respect; Schadler likes to joke that he refers to Maris as ‘the grand poobah of Lower Providence’ because he seems to know everybody. But even though the group is growing and they have ambitious ideas, they want to go slowly, preferring to ‘get it right’ rather than rushing just to say they got something accomplished.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Issues discussed at recent meetings included myriad concerns. Many in the group feel the Township, perhaps unintentionally, is more of an impediment than a help. Signs were a big one:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Many members have experienced signage issues. Schadler, who described the township sign ordinances as “nightmarishly convoluted” challenged the Township supervisors to actually read it and make sense of it, noted that they are conflicting and vary wildly depending on where a business is physically located.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sign ordinances appear to have been done piecemeal over the years and not with an eye to a comprehensive township-wide view, and the group feels that, at a </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">minimum</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">, it needs to be simplified for clarity and consistency. For example, members cited a recent public flap over a sign message posted on the “Adult World” sign in Collegeville that some residents found offensive (and other residents found hilarious – the discussion thread on Facebook </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">was </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">funny but has since been deleted) and yet the Township apparently had no issue with the product advertised for sale. Across town, a tanning business wanted to use an image of a woman on their sign that showed a belly button, and the Township deemed it too offensive and wouldn’t approve it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After researching the Township’s sign ordinance, Schadler found he could literally make a case for, or against, any sign anywhere in the Township, and that the Township had enough wiggle room that they could approve or deny a sign based on arbitrary preferences using criteria that had nothing to do with the actual ordinances.</span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Along the same vein, members didn’t understand why the small yard signs promoting various nonprofits or upcoming events seem to be OK and are everywhere, but they are prohibited from even posting a sign that reflects a “Best of Montco” designation, which should be sources of pride and contribute to drawing new visitors to the Township.</span></li>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Code enforcement and ordinance clarity, as well as the inspection process, were additional concerns:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Members say it seems as though they’re never ‘done’ with the process of opening a business or making changes. They cited an initial inspection for a use & occupancy permit or business license where issues are raised and resolved, only to result in additional items to address on subsequent visits (often when a different code inspector from the original one is involved), contributing to unnecessary delays and cost before they can even open their door. They’d like the process to be streamlined so all issues are identified at one time, instead of issues popping up that were never on the radar during prior inspections.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;">Their observation is that the ordinances/code needs to be simplified because nobody is sure what they are allowed to do. It needs to be more clear and flexible; as written now they believe the Township can prohibit just about everything if they are so inclined, and that it gives the Township too much power to make arbitrary decisions. And, the overcomplication tends to create inequities where some will fare better than others.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A member wondered out loud if the Township makes money on this process. The answer is yes, to some degree: there is usually an application cost to bring requests for variances or other relief before the Zoning Hearing Board and/or the Board of Supervisors. That cost can be considerable as well as time-consuming. You’ll also incur attorneys’ fees if you hire counsel to represent you. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another member stated that he has the impression that “the Board of Supervisors doesn’t understand the actual impacts of these ordinances on the business community” and asked what their backgrounds are. He asked “Are any of them business owners?” And back to the signage issue again: “I don’t understand why promoting my business is bad.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The group wants the Township to understand that ‘short term gains in terms of the money made from seeking relief from overly restrictive ordinances costs them in long-term deficits if businesses close or move out of the Township.’ They want the Township to see that there is no benefit to the Township in antagonizing the business community and sustaining a reputation as being unfriendly to local businesses. As Schadler succinctly put it: “They need to understand that they might get a couple hundred dollars in fees but forego an eternity of goodwill”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bottom line, the LPBA wants to partner with the Township in good faith to solve problems, to know what to expect when opening or operating a business, to gain consistency in processes and decisions, and arrive at reasonable solutions. Schadler stressed that they want no special treatment or guarantees for specific results, but at least to get a fair shake and a seat at the table with an opportunity to be heard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What kind of reception has LPBA gotten from the Township? Roth said that “With respect to LPBA, the supervisors are happy to speak with them and provide whatever help they need. They were initially a little wary, not sure of what their approach was going to be. The Township doesn’t want to be involved with running it in any way. They want it to grow organically. The supervisors know they have issues with signage and other things, but they see them as advocates for the virtues of Lower Providence, that it’s a positive place for businesses.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Patrick Duffy, the supervisor several have pointed to as one of the catalysts for the creation of the LPBA, in that he initially helped bring Maris and Schadler together, said “It’s sort of strange that we didn’t already have a business association, but it’s paying dividends already. They’re getting involved in giving input into ordinance drafting, especially for sign ordinances that not only fit the aesthetics of the Township but also that meet their needs”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He looks forward to working with them. “We have a good dynamic with them, the flow of information and ideas can readily be exchanged, they can bring new perspectives to what we’re trying to do. If we do our job and help keep existing businesses here, there won’t be such a need to fill empty buildings. Success begets success and attracts others when they see the businesses that are already here thriving.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">He continued, “Some business operators may not live in the Township so we don’t run into them at the gas or grocery store. It’s helpful to know what the burdens and barriers are to be successful here…so we can make sure code enforcement is business friendly”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jason Sorgini, Board of Supervisors vice president and candidate for re-election in November, told me “The Board of Supervisors has shown in both word and deed that we are committed to supporting thoughtful business development in Lower Providence. We are excited to partner with the newly created Lower Providence Business Association to promote the businesses that already exist in our community and to show potential business owners that Lower Providence is a wonderful place to locate their commercial business. The leadership of the business association has been in continuous conversation with our Township Business Development Committee and has shared many positive aspects they find abuot doing business in Lower Providence, as well as some constructive feedback on how we as a Board can do more to promote our local businesses. We are looking forward to continuing t this awesome conversation and to doing all we can do as Supervisors to ensure the success of businesses in our Township.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Board chairman Colleen Eckman stated in March: “We are thrilled at their interest and the things we can accomplish together. The successes of our businesses impact our residents, and that’s our mission here at the Township, to make sure things are running smoothly”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TqOV9hHaEZHm84oOjbMy0ATykd6HXC83i1kA2rRhzaRL3cc_roKlM7QI9i-H6wzJlyI7h73mdKgWQPNG9OLw_L7XH01CbNucZvZsN70rSRH2oE8Rr6BpNJTNTgNqDVtpOB3RSTZ_i2Yu/s1600/Audubon+Shopping+Center.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="451" data-original-width="752" height="119" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TqOV9hHaEZHm84oOjbMy0ATykd6HXC83i1kA2rRhzaRL3cc_roKlM7QI9i-H6wzJlyI7h73mdKgWQPNG9OLw_L7XH01CbNucZvZsN70rSRH2oE8Rr6BpNJTNTgNqDVtpOB3RSTZ_i2Yu/s200/Audubon+Shopping+Center.PNG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other attempts at similar organizations have been tried previously. The Park Pointe At Lower Providence Business Association, to have been made up of businesses in the corporate center between Egypt, Rittenhouse and South Trooper Road, never really took off. It was originally intended to operate similarly to a Chamber of Commerce and be a business advocacy group. PJM Interconnection made their auditorium available and offered to help with other aspects. Roth said this group was comprised of primarily Monday-Friday, 8-5 type larger corporations rather than mom & pop shops who are more local and embedded in community. In addition, bigger corporations tend to be aligned with other groups that are more attendant to their specific concerns, such as the Greater Valley Forge Transportation Management Association, in order to address relevant issues such as commuter issues for their employees. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Currently the LPBA is solidifying how the organization will operate, such as who will be eligible to become a member; how elections and terms for their officers and executive board will work; fundraising, promoting and marketing the LPBA itself and its member businesses; designing a logo, and setting up its website and content. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A steering committee has been established to prioritize issues they want to address with the Township and to facilitate having Township officials speak at future meetings to educate and provide updates. Chair Carol Foley, owner of Healthmarkets.com, along with committee members Gerry Warner of Security 5 (residential and commercial security systems), Joe Ferarro of FindANerd (computer repair) and Margaret Vechy, a realtor with Keller Williams, spearhead this effort. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The LPBA introduced themselves to the Board of Supervisors at a March 2017 meeting and has already participated in one staff solicitor meeting with the Township thus far. Schadler reported it was very positive, that “a lot of the meeting appeared to be them feeling out our attitude toward the Township”, and that Township officials were very receptive to coming and speaking to the group. Going forward, their meetings will be the second Wednesday of each month starting at 6 pm; locations will rotate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">After attending several LPBA meetings, I believe they’ve got great energy and ideas, and I’m convinced they’re going to do great things to promote our business community and showcase the fine vendors and businesses located here in Lower Providence. </span><o:p></o:p><br />
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-9680256482134012562017-04-23T02:39:00.003-04:002017-04-23T02:54:07.696-04:00Oh The Places You’ll Go! En Route To The 2017 Methacton Post Prom<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">A whirlwind trip around the globe awaited Methacton High
School students planning to attend the 2017 post-prom event, themed ‘Oh The
Places You’ll Go! (after the Dr. Seuss story by the same name) but when they
arrived, they needed no passports or luggage, only a desire to have fun and stay out of
harm’s way.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVaItnvGwHGLWh9RjW9RQoRUuK4FrpzGfMLMKuGl6tGWvC4Ya4LR6z_u2moPBk7AqNTRZQfM5gN6QehKlwUWcrSZZMkZVeKkhO9gH59KRUC8g3AwuINZiyqRR_hfEOVOaITxoPkWMATEo/s1600/IMG_4175.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVaItnvGwHGLWh9RjW9RQoRUuK4FrpzGfMLMKuGl6tGWvC4Ya4LR6z_u2moPBk7AqNTRZQfM5gN6QehKlwUWcrSZZMkZVeKkhO9gH59KRUC8g3AwuINZiyqRR_hfEOVOaITxoPkWMATEo/s200/IMG_4175.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The same goes for the more than 1000 family, friends and curious
attendees from other school districts who lined up well in advance of the 6:30 community
walk-through start time to learn about this amazing endeavor and to get a sneak
preview of the decorations, activities and features of this year’s domestic and
internationally-themed event, many of whom will have kids gracing the
newly-converted high school hallways in a few short hours when the prom is over.
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">2017 marks the 18<sup>th</sup> year of the premier post-prom
event in Montgomery County, attracting close to 100% participation by students
attending the prom (93% of prom attendees as of last year, and between 800-900
students in total, some of whom do not attend the prom) and the aforementioned
1000+ visitors who take the walk-through preview tour. Created to give students
a safe place to spend the overnight hours after prom, it’s blossomed over the
years to be something students AND parents look forward to experiencing. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Post-prom came about largely because studies show that
two of the most dangerous nights for high school students are the evenings
following the prom and graduation. As soon as the prom ends, students spend the
entire night inside the high school in a safe, drug and alcohol free
environment. Free to all junior and senior high school students and their dates,
attendees are expected to sign in and stay all night – if they want to leave,
parents are called and the students are not released until they arrive. Students are free to go after 5:30 am but must
stay til the end to be eligible to win awesome door prizes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">The high school interior becomes virtually
unrecognizable, having been transformed into an entirely new environment.
Activities available throughout the night include a casino, sporting events
such as dodgeball and volleyball tournaments, a coffee house with
entertainment, inflatables, a bull riding machine, an arcade, laser tag, a
comedy/improve group, hypnotist, yoga, trike races, and roving performers.
There’s even a dash of reality TV in the form of Cash Cab. Food is available
throughout the evening for students and volunteers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There’s no cost to the students to attend – all expenses
incurred in making the props and decorations, providing food and entertainment,
and the prizes that are offered to those who stay all night are paid for by generous
donations of hundreds of hours of time, and cash, goods and services from
community sponsors, businesses, organizations and families – this year’s
operating budget topped $46,000. Several fundraisers are also held during the
year to raise funds, such as the annual summer golf outing at Shannondell, and
the adult dinner dance held in the wintertime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Enjoy this compilation set to music (via You-Tube) of the gorgeous decorations
created for “Oh The Places You’ll Go”, and these fun facts provided by the
post-prom committee:</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dk0YB14o2591aaDsGrDaUNDiefHq4LwxcRLr3K1JDwXH-9j4fwKVIBcqrQQwcRKEGd7WCwx1DWKMqDSh4KN56oih4VRmgXOnl_9M7uPdrm12CoSQO2OIgtwAZx49012fSqU4QFMJdGwH/s1600/IMG_4172.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9dk0YB14o2591aaDsGrDaUNDiefHq4LwxcRLr3K1JDwXH-9j4fwKVIBcqrQQwcRKEGd7WCwx1DWKMqDSh4KN56oih4VRmgXOnl_9M7uPdrm12CoSQO2OIgtwAZx49012fSqU4QFMJdGwH/s200/IMG_4172.JPG" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://youtu.be/RFRJJc_BvSo" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; cursor: pointer; font-family: "YouTube Noto", Roboto, arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" target="_blank"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">https://youtu.be/RFRJJc_BvSo</span></a></span></div>
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<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It takes more than 450 volunteers to work the
night of post-prom, for setup, manning the functions and security at post-prom,
and clean up the next morning. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">61 local businesses and over 100 families
provided cash donations for this year’s post-prom<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Post-prom is an independent 501(c)(3)
nonprofit volunteer organization and is not affiliated with Home & School
or Methacton High School.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> - </span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Each year a student logo design contest is
held, with the winner receiving two free tickets to the prom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> -</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Over 65 volunteers work behind the scenes
starting in October each year lending their various talents to design, build
and create the decorations and displays for post-prom.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> -</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Post-prom are loaned out to seven other
Methacton School District schools, five surrounding local school districts, and
many local community groups.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal;"> -</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The post-prom Education Committee sends notes
to all of the local florists and tuxedo shops to tuck into students’ corsages,
boutonnieres and jacket pockets reminding students to make good choices on prom
night and thanks those shops who’ve agreed to help us keep our students safe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif"; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It’s never too late to donate to support this very worthy
cause. If you’d like to contribute, mail your tax-deductible check payable to
Methacton Post Prom to: PO Box 39, Eagleville, PA, 19408-0039.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-43753061936569996922017-04-18T02:43:00.000-04:002017-04-19T22:08:24.020-04:00Museum of the American Revolution: Falling Out of Valley Forge and Marching Into Philadelphia<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">If you don’t
walk out of Philadelphia's newest jewel, the new Museum of the American Revolution (MOAR) with a new
understanding of and appreciation for the sacrifices people suffered in order
to settle the colonies and fight for independence, in the process creating a
new nation and becoming a new player on the world political and economic
scene,you've missed one of the main points of the experience. (Click <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/museums/american-revolution/419416624.html" target="_blank">here</a> for a visual tour).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQl9dlaBoI2kf7DdlKS91ss5V4gaVOvXx0sak9xlrdtLUY0l3C9KcvwuII76YPaIg9HnpV0ECehqnH6x3rZhCeBISwxnv3hwaAYnyMgOkLHzwKJNql0CjHuhRQ4o7DIKfTjEsqTTV16fhO/s1600/IMG_4007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQl9dlaBoI2kf7DdlKS91ss5V4gaVOvXx0sak9xlrdtLUY0l3C9KcvwuII76YPaIg9HnpV0ECehqnH6x3rZhCeBISwxnv3hwaAYnyMgOkLHzwKJNql0CjHuhRQ4o7DIKfTjEsqTTV16fhO/s200/IMG_4007.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">This past
weekend I had the privilege of attending a founding-members only preview grand
opening of the new Museum. I left with a renewed sense of awe that, despite the
seemingly insurmountable obstacles and odds stacked against the American
colonists in taking on the most powerful and wealthiest empire in the world,
and the sheer luck - and unlikely alliances - that emerged to help us prevail, We the People
somehow accomplished something unbelievable and unheard of – a republic form of
government in which the people rule themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">We may have
drafted the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain in 1776, but we didn’t
gain true freedom until 1783 with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, and even
then for some time thereafter the greatest focus was on the rights of each of
the thirteen colonies. <span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">Having just thrown off a
far-away powerful central government (a monarchy), Americans were in no mood to
even consider the kind of strong central government eventually framed by the
Philadelphia Convention in 1787.</span> This museum tells these tales, and many
other, lesser-known facts and stories surrounding the American Revolution.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1-YqKFnMnxK8F7vG-Wkn2HQVrnG3qiTj_MkeNb5SK_JRozyUBJ8gbKcqyGJFKKn-AhxRfrpE2xq-DplxRejFhBJh7iDFjZjeAnrfR7LpYMWZ01Rg7Qi4vTPZ4mKV0FX7h2sOCddCE8-f/s1600/IMG_4021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd1-YqKFnMnxK8F7vG-Wkn2HQVrnG3qiTj_MkeNb5SK_JRozyUBJ8gbKcqyGJFKKn-AhxRfrpE2xq-DplxRejFhBJh7iDFjZjeAnrfR7LpYMWZ01Rg7Qi4vTPZ4mKV0FX7h2sOCddCE8-f/s200/IMG_4021.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">T</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">he path that the MOAR
took to arrive at its new home at Third and Walnut in Philadelphia, and the
length of time it took to accomplish it, lasted for more years than the actual
revolution itself, and similarly, was no small feat against many obstacles over
a long span of time. The gorgeous facility is a testament to the tenacity and dedication of its
champions in finding a home for it, getting it built, and finally, at long
last, dramatically displaying the artifacts and paying appropriate
tribute to the War for Independence.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Efforts to
bring the Museum to our area here in the suburbs date back as far as 1999 when
the National Park Service and the MOAR (formerly known as the American
Revolution Center, or ARC) collaborated on plans for a museum next to Valley
Forge National Historical Park’s (VFNHP) welcome center.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1scr9jbn32Lnk1jGN1YW58cus9oeNEaq9pmKEJFD8e_5oc1ZUScBFM93pHynkcVjU3dTtLpLmEkiStNBxcYLw4pYhstYr34mRkJ1Sl7C9vq4Nw83QHmd1-JPMSDIYhYY9hLmYzNW5jV-2/s1600/IMG_4012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1scr9jbn32Lnk1jGN1YW58cus9oeNEaq9pmKEJFD8e_5oc1ZUScBFM93pHynkcVjU3dTtLpLmEkiStNBxcYLw4pYhstYr34mRkJ1Sl7C9vq4Nw83QHmd1-JPMSDIYhYY9hLmYzNW5jV-2/s200/IMG_4012.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">In 2005,
however, the ARC announced plans for its own museum and conference center two
miles away. Philanthroper (and new chairman of the museum’s board of directors)
H.F.”Gerry” Lenfest was brought in to try to move the project forward. He
personally ponied up the $4.1M to purchase 78 acres of privately owned land
adjacent to the VFNHP </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">from the St. Gabe’s protectorate
(Archdiocese of Philadelphia) in Lower Providence Township the day after the
LPT Planning Commission approved the ARC’s request to
rezone the parcel to allowed development beyond a museum.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">The reasons
for pulling the plug on the VFNHP location were referenced as park service red
tape, federal fundraising concerns – the ARC board was nervous about the Park
Service’s difficulties funding the maintenance of property and collections they
already owned – and size restrictions on the proposed building footprint.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7f9uFqXKw7sM3KJgNlk2MwdNnGFj_aWTKIhk6LtpQ6C_puaNYEK0TmJhh8M6LsecztPUhzD8eZ-UEJ0NcReKTG3jrLoOD3xzIc-dKhvzAeBa_mckUJ2LHjNkVC41BIsl5fMsX3Ctpy8rD/s1600/IMG_4018.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7f9uFqXKw7sM3KJgNlk2MwdNnGFj_aWTKIhk6LtpQ6C_puaNYEK0TmJhh8M6LsecztPUhzD8eZ-UEJ0NcReKTG3jrLoOD3xzIc-dKhvzAeBa_mckUJ2LHjNkVC41BIsl5fMsX3Ctpy8rD/s200/IMG_4018.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">toppling a statue of King George III</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">However, the residents of primarily the Audubon portion of the Township
(and other nonresidents outside the Township) were opposed to the development of the
78 acres. W</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">hat soured
many Audubon residents at the time on the project was the addition of a hotel
and conference center and several small retail options to the project, added to
help fund the cost of running the Museum and preserve the collection going
forward. Also, at the time, the new four-way cloverleaf at 422 was just a
fantasy, and traffic in Audubon, already difficult and of necessity directed
through Audubon for access to and from the Route 422/Oaks, was envisioned to
only worsen with the addition of the traffic the Museum would undoubtedly
bring. Zoning challenges and legal battles ensued.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">After spending millions of dollars developing plans and fighting in
court, and years’ worth of time and effort, in 2009 </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Lenfest
and the rest of the executives on the board realized that they had to rise
above the local political squabbles and courtroom drama – that getting this long-envisioned
project built and open to the public was of far more importance than the
longer-term legal and political efforts of trying to convince a suburban
community that it should want a project of national significance that would put
it on the map and bring jobs, tax and tourist dollars to its coffers.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB79qIdKKIwfmNIEgZYRwWQ-jGhJcyiKsy6AhA89JlveLAFcmUvEbZ4OwK47oZlf_dJx4pvp27y51FCleTN89jPdxTsYVzLeD-Iht1mF-iHi_3unyLy49BIgKDyZcFkChNNTZ_g8mV2AG/s1600/IMG_4030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinB79qIdKKIwfmNIEgZYRwWQ-jGhJcyiKsy6AhA89JlveLAFcmUvEbZ4OwK47oZlf_dJx4pvp27y51FCleTN89jPdxTsYVzLeD-Iht1mF-iHi_3unyLy49BIgKDyZcFkChNNTZ_g8mV2AG/s200/IMG_4030.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Lenfest and Ed Rendell brokered a deal for a land swap: the ARC would </span><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">abandon their plans to build the museum
in or near VFNHP and moved the project to Center City. </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">The new museum would be located at 3rd and Chestnut Street in
downtown Philadelphia, within a 55-acre federal park space, on the site of the
former welcome center built for the 1976 bicentennial, in exchange for the National
Park Service receiving ownership of the 78-acre parcel of private land owned by
the American Revolution Center within the boundary of VFNHP.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">(Many, many articles [including <a href="http://lowerprovidenceoutloud.blogspot.com/2010/09/art-of-steal-lower-providence-style.html" target="_blank">my own</a>] have been written detailing the headaches of trying to work with the National
Park Service, and in trying to get the project built here in LP, which I won’t revisit
here – Google or check out some of the links at the bottom of this article if
you want more information).</span><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "sans-serif";">Locally,
I played a role in this effort circa 2008-2009 as a member of and chair of our
Zoning Hearing Board that conducted many evenings’ worth of hearings, listening
to hours of witness testimony and reviewing over one hundred exhibits in a
validity challenge to the zoning of the 78-acre parcel. At one point there were
a total of ten attorneys representing various parties in the hearings!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYj_i5iM3fQtBGKYSBDKic_thxELLR85NhCOAuvpuQ-t2Vx3paiXhYtzvg36V_IdS0yEUF9sW3MOidjMA9AUzYaEbTQWkFyl3Ay4VK6Rwa3sQDMhcC-rgTl5XHGyOogg4RlhRrLlU5uMfL/s1600/IMG_4014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYj_i5iM3fQtBGKYSBDKic_thxELLR85NhCOAuvpuQ-t2Vx3paiXhYtzvg36V_IdS0yEUF9sW3MOidjMA9AUzYaEbTQWkFyl3Ay4VK6Rwa3sQDMhcC-rgTl5XHGyOogg4RlhRrLlU5uMfL/s200/IMG_4014.JPG" width="200" /></a> <span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Also,
one of our current township supervisors, Colleen Eckman, had a starring role, arguably</span><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"> l</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">aunching her local political career on this one “not
in my backyard” issue, after becoming a vocal opponent of the project (which would have been located
not far from her home in Audubon) and also serving as one of the witnesses in
the zoning validity challenge hearings questioning the proper zoning of the parcel.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">So – at long last, in 2017, here it is and here
we are. Lower Providence's loss is Philly's gain. Much has already (<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/travel/philadelphia-pennsylvania-new-museum-of-the-american-revolution.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/13/arts/design/a-new-museum-of-the-american-revolution-warts-and-all.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/12/travel/philadelphia-pennsylvania-new-museum-of-the-american-revolution.html?_r=0" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2017/04/12/us/ap-us-travel-american-revolution-museum.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/museums/american-revolution/Illustrating-the-American-Revolution.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/entertainment/museums/american-revolution/american-revolution-museum-how-it-got-built-history.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/20170416_A_people_and_nation_born_of_revolution.html" target="_blank">here</a> -- both in the NY Times and Philly Inquirer) been published about the Museum since it opened,
detailing its displays and collection. Maybe it's just that as a member of DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution, who donated the painting "Siege at Yorktown" to the Museum) I had more than a casual interest in the subject matter, but I found it totally
absorbing and, of course, long overdue. Most importantly, take the time to go
see this wonderful addition to the Philadelphia historical scene in person. Consider
becoming a member to help support the museum going forward. Check out the gift
shop, well-stocked with items not typically found in tourist traps, to which a
section is devoted specifically to items about the Continental Army’s brutal winter
at Valley Forge.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMr8VeC93vtgr-cJPl8Be6YhCSxhB7UaPww0_9mqinU3utW61YT8vPGmiLTvGNcFwMckwcSyBNdZ9xwgzEmFhU74JTh8OL1idqIOqgkdmsQFqDZqlE1qZyQCCC-5YvuizxjObwSkuvvpuK/s1600/IMG_4035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMr8VeC93vtgr-cJPl8Be6YhCSxhB7UaPww0_9mqinU3utW61YT8vPGmiLTvGNcFwMckwcSyBNdZ9xwgzEmFhU74JTh8OL1idqIOqgkdmsQFqDZqlE1qZyQCCC-5YvuizxjObwSkuvvpuK/s200/IMG_4035.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">And last, but certainly not least, the next time
you feel defeated about something, allow yourself to be inspired by the story of We the People to think about how much American success in the American Revolution
illustrates the impossible odds that can be overcome and the things that can be
accomplished by brave, determined people with tenacity and the courage of their
convictions. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-size: x-small;"><i>http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/20070629_Critics_voice_concerns_over_nonhistoric_extras__Battle_brewing_over_museum.html</i></span></span><br />
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span>
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<a href="http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/07/land-swap-moves-american-revolution-center-out-valley-forge-national-historical-park"><i><span style="background-color: #999999; color: black; font-size: x-small;">http://www.nationalparkstraveler.com/2009/07/land-swap-moves-american-revolution-center-out-valley-forge-national-historical-park</span></i></a></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: #999999; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/release.htm?id=877">https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/news/release.htm?id=877</a>
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<i><span style="background-color: #999999; font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://www.lincolninstitute.org/archives/somedays/070730.php">https://www.lincolninstitute.org/archives/somedays/070730.php</a>
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<i><span style="background-color: #999999; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OIvAGHL_UYIJ:usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-04-08-valley-forge-museum_n.htm&num=1&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1&vwsrc=0">http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:OIvAGHL_UYIJ:usatoday30.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-04-08-valley-forge-museum_n.htm&num=1&hl=en&gl=us&strip=1&vwsrc=0</a>
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<i><span style="background-color: #999999; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/article/PV/20080813/NEWS01/308139971">http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/article/PV/20080813/NEWS01/308139971</a> </span> </span></i></div>
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<a href="http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/inga_saffron/american-revolution-museum-architecture-stern-inga-saffron.html?utm_campaign=Philly.com+Facebook+Account&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=Philly.com+Facebook+Account&cid=Philly.com+Facebook"><i><span style="background-color: #999999; color: black; font-size: x-small;">http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/inga_saffron/american-revolution-museum-architecture-stern-inga-saffron.html?utm_campaign=Philly.com+Facebook+Account&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=Philly.com+Facebook+Account&cid=Philly.com+Facebook</span></i></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "georgia" , serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/MP/20090410/NEWS01/304109982">http://www.pottsmerc.com/article/MP/20090410/NEWS01/304109982</a>
)<o:p></o:p></span></i></span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp78gN9po89YsX2-yq9d-QGieD33nuxhB0cqhTgc9DTcIfMdvbAXBvZW440H3CPJ4Kcc2dWXuibEPeMZ2Sk4BLkYzp_zovu9eLKOf5qA7XaNCWA8ZwYuIf44GSjK1PdDM2ohUpJama7eqo/s1600/Lenfest+at+ribbon+cutting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp78gN9po89YsX2-yq9d-QGieD33nuxhB0cqhTgc9DTcIfMdvbAXBvZW440H3CPJ4Kcc2dWXuibEPeMZ2Sk4BLkYzp_zovu9eLKOf5qA7XaNCWA8ZwYuIf44GSjK1PdDM2ohUpJama7eqo/s320/Lenfest+at+ribbon+cutting.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gerry Lenfest at 4-19-17 ribbon cutting</td></tr>
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-44129073951101324572017-04-14T13:36:00.002-04:002017-04-14T15:02:00.051-04:00Paying Up for Police Services <div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We have a
terrific police department here in LP. Well trained, accredited, highly
responsive and with excellent leadership, we enjoy being one of the 50 safest
communities in Pennsylvania. <a href="http://www.lowerprovidence.org/documents/News-2013-12-04LPTNamedOneof50SafestCitiesinPA.pdf" target="_blank">link</a> But, all that comes with a cost to our
residents.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06fkTIeYlffM_wjtQd4Cr6Qs-SO4R-iIAWEc5FqQ0OK4avznJdrkLbYzF4TadmYheP8fyT6cqJXQ-TWYdFWaR5G16EVsu2EHQV_R3Jpm6Pmx2GFYUKAl120ee2fbNEeMazloK8qPmEHnf/s1600/LPPD+car+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh06fkTIeYlffM_wjtQd4Cr6Qs-SO4R-iIAWEc5FqQ0OK4avznJdrkLbYzF4TadmYheP8fyT6cqJXQ-TWYdFWaR5G16EVsu2EHQV_R3Jpm6Pmx2GFYUKAl120ee2fbNEeMazloK8qPmEHnf/s320/LPPD+car+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of my long-time personal pet peeves, and a
long-term state debate, has been whether taxpayers across Pennsylvania should
be footing the bill for police services in municipalities that forego the
expense of hiring their own police force. These are municipalities who instead
rely on the closest Pennsylvania State Police barracks for law enforcement
services, effectively asking the residents of the entire state to subsidize
their law enforcement needs.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Or, as is
often the case, they also rely on the response of local police departments in
surrounding municipalities. Exhibit A in our case is Worcester Township, an
affluent community by all standards. Our LPPD officers often have to respond to
incidents at the Methacton High School (situated in Worcester Twp) since they
can respond more quickly than PSP. According to a Skippack supervisor I know, PSP
takes 30-40 minutes to respond when they need something, and their barracks is
IN Skippack). That’s a cost we are not compensated for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here in LP,
the cost of salaries, pensions and benefits for our 31 officers, 2 dispatchers
and a part-time evidence clerk is approximately (based on 2015 figures) $3,330,278,
consuming 28.3% of our annual budget. LP residents not only pay for their own
law enforcement services via their township taxes, but via their state taxes,
they’re <i>also</i> paying for communities
like Worcester’s law enforcement needs. In the case of some rural townships,
there simply isn’t a tax base strong enough to support having their own police
department, and in some cases there’s far less need for one due to the
remoteness of the area and distance from more densely populated areas, but
many, including Worcester Township, arguably can and should shoulder that
burden.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SNdOmnChaHvI1D-IE9YKtOWXREWfucUffPDt34psZsCLgVoYwWvFbAep9L6hZRy8z__6RPwV9srPugpCaILHFvg4333VqW4KWAEPkLMQ1E29hzT42lyZ-tqhy3YHdbpyTcyrvCAUirft/s1600/PSP+with+wolf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SNdOmnChaHvI1D-IE9YKtOWXREWfucUffPDt34psZsCLgVoYwWvFbAep9L6hZRy8z__6RPwV9srPugpCaILHFvg4333VqW4KWAEPkLMQ1E29hzT42lyZ-tqhy3YHdbpyTcyrvCAUirft/s320/PSP+with+wolf.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In any event
the free ride may soon be over. Governor Wolf’s $32.2 billion dollar spending
plan is about $1 billion short of funding. Especially if there are no spending cuts
or tax increases, other sources of revenue must be found. The governor
announced in late February that one way being considered as a revenue source to
help raise money is to levy a $25 fee per person on those municipalities that
have elected not to bear the cost of staffing their own police departments and
instead rely on the state police to respond to crime in their towns. He estimates
the fee could raise about $63 million and help fund the state police, reducing reliance on the Motor License Fund, a reserve set aside to pay for roads that the legislature has tapped to meet state police costs. Roughly half of Pennsylvania’s 2,562
municipalities do not have their own police force. Right now, residents in the rest
of the Commonwealth are effectively subsidizing those municipalities, and
paying </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">twice</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> for police services – to
their own municipality AND to the state.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s important
to note that individuals would not pay the fee <i>directly</i>; it’s an assessment to the municipality which would likely
raise their own local taxes to accommodate its collection. And there’s nothing
saying that once it’s in place, it won’t be increased. However, it does put the
burden more on those regions that use the PSP services exclusively (regional
police departments would be exempt from the fee). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If that
sounds preposterous, consider that towns with dedicated police forces pay far
more that than per person – on average $155 per resident. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here in Lower
Providence, based on 2010 census figures of a population numbering 25,436 and
2014 reported cost figures, our cost per resident is $<b>126.80</b> (source: <a href="http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/02/policing_costs_pennsylvania_us.html" target="_blank">http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/02/policing_costs_pennsylvania_us.html</a> ) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A few years later,
it’s undoubtedly more than that. Per the
2015 LPT annual report, the cost to provide police service here had risen to
$3,330,278; assuming population is essentially unchanged from 2010 the cost per
resident for police services rose to $<b>130.93</b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFk0DRhNqYMd6L18sJfCeqhKPBo9ZLpU3JKHJ6NpkRnnCl35dxLy8eYot-Qr5iii364RF2wzOsIW60Q230iq23wYljGf9BDt-nj0wuCMmqaeS_ZY8GpP0OHw-GOz0HV7wS6ot74Znpeg41/s1600/LPPD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFk0DRhNqYMd6L18sJfCeqhKPBo9ZLpU3JKHJ6NpkRnnCl35dxLy8eYot-Qr5iii364RF2wzOsIW60Q230iq23wYljGf9BDt-nj0wuCMmqaeS_ZY8GpP0OHw-GOz0HV7wS6ot74Znpeg41/s200/LPPD.jpg" width="161" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For
comparison, here are some other local municipalities’ spend (source: More Than The
Curve): <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">Conshohocken has a
population of 7,833, spent $2,575,879.00 on police in 2014, for an
average of $<b>328.85</b> per resident<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">West Conshohocken has
a population of 1,320, spent $1,792,125.00 on police in 2016, for an
average of $<b>1,357.67</b> per resident<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;">Plymouth Township has
a population of 16,525, spent $6,397,210.00 on police in 2014, for an
average of $<b>387.12</b> per resident<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999; color: #222222;">·<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">Whitemarsh Township
has a population of 17,349, spent $5,020,436.00 on police in 2014,
for an average of $<b>289.38</b> per
resident</span><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">$25 per
person looks like a bargain, doesn’t it? Perhaps, but some disagree. Smaller and more
rural municipalities are concerned. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Officials in
North Whitehall Township, supervisors Mark Hills and Bruce Paulus, said that “Rural
areas like ours are what the state police were intended to cover," Hills
said. "We already pay for the state police in our taxes. I don't think
it's fair to ask us for additional monies”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 13.5pt;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">"I think they could say
this applies maybe to places with 5,000 or more [residents]," Paulus said.
"When you're a large municipality, maybe you should have your own or maybe
you should be charged for your state police coverage. But the small rural
communities are what state police were meant for." <a href="http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-pa-state-police-coverage-fee-20170207-story.html" target="_blank">link</a></span><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As Kenneth
Grimes, president of PSATS, the Pennsylvania State Association of Township
Supervisors notes in the most recent volume of “Townships Today”, those
communities won’t be getting any MORE police services in return for the fee. He
says “The State Police will continue to operate, much like they always have,
with very limited manpower. House bill 1500 won’t do anything to increase
coverage or decrease response times.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">However, the bill’s
sponsor, State Rep Mike Sturla, believes that municipalities that do not have a
full-time local police force have been ‘draining the system for too long and
should be required to pay an extra fee for State Police services. “My
legislation is about fairness and equity because it is obvious there is a
serious inequity in how we fund police services in our state”, he said in a
recent press release. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhp4AJGDBBMFZcrGRVdOhCKOgDI1X4ROg-QJarWg2pjF3YUqqh7AeRTHeKnTo_bp_XBTdL_VdHa_hOYWEObIA7fFt6BYyo3TLh5Ujv2I8_NBtchHcTSID2jcjk5QEvLFMOR7OZ6ad-jQKZ/s1600/PSP+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhp4AJGDBBMFZcrGRVdOhCKOgDI1X4ROg-QJarWg2pjF3YUqqh7AeRTHeKnTo_bp_XBTdL_VdHa_hOYWEObIA7fFt6BYyo3TLh5Ujv2I8_NBtchHcTSID2jcjk5QEvLFMOR7OZ6ad-jQKZ/s200/PSP+1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 13.5pt;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: #999999; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then again, some contend
that few municipalities really qualify as small or distressed enough to avoid
the fee. Many are seeing booming growth and are becoming more densely populated
and should have to pay up<span style="color: #333333;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<div style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin-bottom: 13.5pt;">
<span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Bottom line,
while generally I’m not in favor of new fees and taxes in lieu of responsible
spending and cutting costs at the state level, this is one area that is long overdue for a more
equitable solution. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-51359774251847716602016-05-03T02:14:00.001-04:002016-05-04T16:11:18.445-04:00Tuning In to the 2016 Methacton Post Prom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEine6kcvcg_inFvKFi-CLLLTQMC3dWhkAm9AIYHn6WNvzbu260IuHRP4QO_1DkxY65qm7S4ath4leCnNALejfH4ANE8zXP7QuVIELZi7a7_kXeTG1NOfXokorE5mAV3d7QeKQJ8Lewzrptq/s1600/IMG_0410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEine6kcvcg_inFvKFi-CLLLTQMC3dWhkAm9AIYHn6WNvzbu260IuHRP4QO_1DkxY65qm7S4ath4leCnNALejfH4ANE8zXP7QuVIELZi7a7_kXeTG1NOfXokorE5mAV3d7QeKQJ8Lewzrptq/s320/IMG_0410.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>(for a lot more photos, check out the You-Tube video at<a href="https://youtu.be/iSTLt7EtLlo" target="_blank"> https://youtu.be/iSTLt7EtLlo</a> )</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Comedian Woody Allen once said “In Beverly Hills, they don’t
throw their garbage away – they make it into television shows”. Perhaps much of what has made it onto the
airwaves over the years fits that category, but not all of it – from the
‘Golden Age of television’ (1947-1960) til now, there have been many
wonderfully written and award-winning comedies, dramas, and mini-series
that came along to entertain and educate us. Many of those were fondly remembered this past Friday evening, April 26, as they graced the hallways of the senior high school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">For those who were nervously preparing to attend the senior
prom (and, in some cases, looking past that into the near future where
graduation, senior week and college await) the 2016 Post Prom, Methacton’s 17<sup>th</sup>,
was a nostalgic trip in the way-back machine to the simpler time of our high
school students’ younger days as chronicled by many of their favorite
television programs (and that of their parents and faculty!). <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbdlHsI4UQGUyGmEScEtw8PUDlq6wwwOBLRTF6XlcOLECJnSqSqWV_XKhu5mwPSOF_XNgBL8itEq-jrV5L5EzPQvkQlJksxzTMuRuIhJOMPeIZswyAa6J-GTCNH4IPmhGzn_FigzfaLOT/s1600/IMG_0406%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgbdlHsI4UQGUyGmEScEtw8PUDlq6wwwOBLRTF6XlcOLECJnSqSqWV_XKhu5mwPSOF_XNgBL8itEq-jrV5L5EzPQvkQlJksxzTMuRuIhJOMPeIZswyAa6J-GTCNH4IPmhGzn_FigzfaLOT/s320/IMG_0406%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As always, the superb creative ideas and the artistic
talents that brought them to life were on full display as the experience began
with a walk through television history ‘then’ and ‘now. “Then” began almost as
if it were an episode of “American Pickers” (a more recent TV phenomenon) in
that replicas of old-style tube-style televisions with ‘rabbit ear’ antennae
and a collection of old-fashioned remotes were featured. Those taking the tour
were invited to reminisce about popular shows of yesteryear, including “The
Honeymooners”, “I Love Lucy”, “Bewitched”, "The Twilight Zone", “The Milton Berle Show’, “Laugh In”,
Saturday Night Live”, “Mork and Mindy”, “Barney” (bet you thought you’d finally
seen the last of THAT!) and others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Now” featured more recent hits like “Glee”, “The Bachelor”,
“Big Bang Theory”, “Friends”, “The Office”, and others, and the theme was
carried throughout the school’s halls. As you might expect from a group that
were toddlers and pre-teens not all that long ago, their appreciation for cartoon
series such as “Family Guy”, “Jimmy Neutron”, "Rugrats" and “South Park” were
affectionately reflected in some of the larger displays. Several popular game shows and reality-TV shows ("Amazing Race", Survivor", "Deadliest Catch") were represented (although, thankfully, there was no sign of "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" at post-prom). What student wouldn’t
want to spend post-prom in such a happy place?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CBDJGats9-zpRaH3HVjUvf6ZyFiOy1JQbt4JH63ObJ7YI0bo0nqq9Pp4KSX380_kz8kg1ZXxusdjqcieCkzTp8MqsLpZULVBjJuvUQw8SuCoPHsYif1n4d9VhhLih-UNHwBA0UXUorVN/s1600/IMG_0473.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-CBDJGats9-zpRaH3HVjUvf6ZyFiOy1JQbt4JH63ObJ7YI0bo0nqq9Pp4KSX380_kz8kg1ZXxusdjqcieCkzTp8MqsLpZULVBjJuvUQw8SuCoPHsYif1n4d9VhhLih-UNHwBA0UXUorVN/s320/IMG_0473.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As has become tradition, some of the other school district
facilities selected a theme for one of the high school bathrooms and decorated
accordingly. The boys’ restrooms were decorated by Arrowhead and Woodland
volunteers in the themes of Gothic “Batman” and “Dr. Who”. The girls’ restrooms
were decorated by Skyview and Arcola volunteers respectively in the themes of
“Teen Wolf’ and “Let’s Make A Deal”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In addition to the exquisite themed decorations, many
planned activities are a draw to keep students and their prom guests
entertained all night and happy to stay put. Choosing whether to participate in
dodge ball or volleyball tournaments, cash cab trivia contests, trike races, a
casino, inflatables, photo booths, caricaturist, game room, laser tag, “tattoo”
artists, a hypnotist show, or a game room is the hardest decision of the evening.
A quiet café and a movie theater-style setup in the library offer quiet places
for downtime if desired. New this year is an outdoor rock wall and a comedy
improve group performance. A variety of food and beverage choices in abundant
quantities – most of which is donated by area businesses - are available all
night.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDP1xraYSEEyzcgr1zu0GdDCLOqq843SvBfKoDfMX8L9ueY5JNlgNmQPjDtOViyR7xVDZL96pgjf_WWhbQC3dNF02iFA3ckd-a-Zr_WH1dpynNP_7SiS7Wrbn3DtYV4gPsCBXdEE7SEIg/s1600/IMG_0566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmDP1xraYSEEyzcgr1zu0GdDCLOqq843SvBfKoDfMX8L9ueY5JNlgNmQPjDtOViyR7xVDZL96pgjf_WWhbQC3dNF02iFA3ckd-a-Zr_WH1dpynNP_7SiS7Wrbn3DtYV4gPsCBXdEE7SEIg/s320/IMG_0566.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As if plentiful food and endless opportunities to socialize
with friends weren’t appealing enough, there are substantial prizes available
at the end of the evening – which guests have to be present to win – to
guarantee they stay put until sunrise. Either purchased with donated funds or
donated outright, prizes include gift certificates, iPads, laptops, TV’s, and
concert and sporting event tickets. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A team of over 400 volunteers (parents, faculty, community
members) help run the event, split into shifts including an overnight, 2 am to
6 am shift, and featuring on-site nurses who staff the first-aid area.
Selection of the theme begins about a year prior to each post-prom event and
decorating begins in the fall, accelerating into high gear in January. The
gorgeous murals and other decorations created each year are stored and lent out
to other schools for various events (approximately ten per year). Fundraising
goes on all year to raise the tens of thousands of dollars needed to pay for
supplies and obtain the sponsorships and donations of food necessary to support
post-prom. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Students attend for free and participation is historically
always over 97%. As a sobering reminder of why the event was started 17 years
ago – to keep teens safe on one of the riskiest nights of the year for them - and
what it hopes to accomplish, students pledge to abstain from any illegal
substances before, during and after the prom and their signed pledges are
posted for all to see, in an effort to drive home how seriously this community
takes the safety of its youth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYM30ZGBhoVIf4fHFfcn1u4ElS-YHkWgxNKA4QrVv5GW12WrVLFj2aT67p1MPZYOGu02wUTcK6GvvWM_ESSWmmIi5dMggt6FX-_pvBQOSmvlui5ovtfibC5RASVjfPD7aR3E3XXYXyfyI/s1600/IMG_0580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghYM30ZGBhoVIf4fHFfcn1u4ElS-YHkWgxNKA4QrVv5GW12WrVLFj2aT67p1MPZYOGu02wUTcK6GvvWM_ESSWmmIi5dMggt6FX-_pvBQOSmvlui5ovtfibC5RASVjfPD7aR3E3XXYXyfyI/s320/IMG_0580.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJV7Hop7v-c9jXNIVFZUlv-W-oo68X0KnX9NN-hDuE1DCs6UOtVu8-e08aMgKCF3wcTU1haiNEWenClNouElzrD4FeWnmPE9zzoIjD0SqYj9vDPAolLYMK_KF1paRy3faDigjG_vWr0FQ/s1600/IMG_0504.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZJV7Hop7v-c9jXNIVFZUlv-W-oo68X0KnX9NN-hDuE1DCs6UOtVu8-e08aMgKCF3wcTU1haiNEWenClNouElzrD4FeWnmPE9zzoIjD0SqYj9vDPAolLYMK_KF1paRy3faDigjG_vWr0FQ/s320/IMG_0504.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Many thanks from the Lower Providence and Worcester Township
communities to all who work tirelessly to stage and pay for this gargantuan
effort each year so that our students will look back fondly, with nostalgia, at
their own ‘golden age’ high school days.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-22765870811544336142016-04-11T10:26:00.000-04:002016-04-11T10:40:57.055-04:00Gestrich Departs Lower Providence<br />
<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">After a four-year tenure in the Township, current manager Richard Gestrich has parted ways with Lower Providence. </span><br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4un93Ctoh98HYbj5Jdea7pZD7hlLOYkUEUg2XbOh93d-DOUejOM8DvbgVsm04y5P_3TAaGqJp6iOwYciYJBbPcRkVKeWTUOJ-j9f04G4faBIrF9HxkjyV4b9Ad5GmDXEyVoTzrsGQShCU/s1600/gestrich+LPT+LI.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4un93Ctoh98HYbj5Jdea7pZD7hlLOYkUEUg2XbOh93d-DOUejOM8DvbgVsm04y5P_3TAaGqJp6iOwYciYJBbPcRkVKeWTUOJ-j9f04G4faBIrF9HxkjyV4b9Ad5GmDXEyVoTzrsGQShCU/s1600/gestrich+LPT+LI.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: LinkedIn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Board of Supervisors' chairman Jason Sorgini confirmed over the weekend that Gestrich's last day was Friday, April 8, and that 'the Board and Rich mutually agreed that our visions for the township had become disparate and that a new direction was in order. The assistant manager [Geri Golas] will be in charge as we begin a thoughtful and comprehensive process to hire a new manager."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Gestrich was hired in 2012 shortly after supervisors Sorgini and Jill Zimmerman won the 2011 supervisor's election and after being interviewed by a search committee that included both. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">H</span><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">e was known to be good friends with former LP supervisor Rick Brown, who was chairman at the time Gestrich was hired. The two allegedly had vacation homes near each other in Florida. (Brown's ideology was primarily that LP was a 'bedroom community'; he tended to have an unfavorable view of new business and development, and I presume his hiring decisions reflected that). The Township has been trying to get the message out that they are 'open for business' (again, supposition on my part) so perhaps this is the direction they did not share. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Gestrich had previously served as township manager in Upper Makefield Township and Middletown Township (both in Bucks County) and for two towns in Florida. At a starting salary in 2012 of $105,000, he signed an at-will employment contract with LPT that was not time limited. At the time, Gestrich noted that the agreement included a severance package consisting of one month's pay for the first six months, three months' pay after the first year, and six months' pay after the third year of employment. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helveticaneue" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , "lucida grande" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Gestrich succeeded township manager Joe Dunbar, who was dismissed in 2011 after 7 years with Lower Providence. </span></span><br />
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-46789362064187746532015-12-30T16:28:00.000-05:002016-01-03T17:09:37.447-05:00Out With The Old, In With 2016<div class="yiv0170730998msonormal" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">While the seasons don’t seem to have varied much around here this year, a
number of changes <i>did</i> come our way in
2015, with more headed our way for 2016. Some are positive, and for others,
the jury is still out.</span></span><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: #999999;"> </span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">With relatively little fanfare, the <b>cloverleaf</b> <b>intersection at
Trooper Road and 422</b> was completed and opened. Outdated when it opened back
in the early 80’s, not having a full interchange led to extra traffic being
funneled onto Egypt Road as cars made their way to the Oaks interchange in
order to be able to head westbound on 422.
About ten years ago, representatives from several local townships,
including LP, went to Washington to ask for money to be appropriated to
complete the interchange (as well as widen 422 and complete Sullivan’s bridge,
under construction now). Now complete, it’s open, and traffic appears to be flowing
better through Audubon with less congestion at rush hours. Hallelujah! </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">Repairs to the <b>Arcola Road
Bridge</b> are slated to be completed and the bridge re-opened to traffic no
later than July 5, 2016. Given the warm fall we’ve had thus far, and the flurry
of recent activity (crews were spotted working on the beams for the decking on Christmas Eve!), <i>and </i>presuming weather stays relatively
mild and/or dry early in 2016, it’s a real possibility we may see the
barricades removed early, sometime next spring. Fingers crossed!</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #999999;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOxjf3-q2rBIg7r9fTpkSRPmr3O0n0m3A1Jg9KZzBCZDTa0vzdGKpyIHPSj5N_rbKL9NhI_S8bZuy04JlhDUA7hQ9eBg9aUvMCfJFZkCuLyc8PjmliDsBD5vIm_PzUwc7ZAy2kXWUDlE_/s1600/ARB+2015+beams+on+deck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWOxjf3-q2rBIg7r9fTpkSRPmr3O0n0m3A1Jg9KZzBCZDTa0vzdGKpyIHPSj5N_rbKL9NhI_S8bZuy04JlhDUA7hQ9eBg9aUvMCfJFZkCuLyc8PjmliDsBD5vIm_PzUwc7ZAy2kXWUDlE_/s200/ARB+2015+beams+on+deck.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUISrlEPkq7OxR-zeZZZeVQyCK-uVFVXAwd3Ya4Dxh5u2YLQAHK_CFwd6p7MlBSnYpzCix-nX9z48I97VP5rgZPT-DSRmSE8Q54wOxKPCF64Oq55kjm2oelzayZPLYfshr1D70noYPkqXa/s1600/ARB+Dec+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUISrlEPkq7OxR-zeZZZeVQyCK-uVFVXAwd3Ya4Dxh5u2YLQAHK_CFwd6p7MlBSnYpzCix-nX9z48I97VP5rgZPT-DSRmSE8Q54wOxKPCF64Oq55kjm2oelzayZPLYfshr1D70noYPkqXa/s200/ARB+Dec+2015.jpg" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">In a stunning upset, for the first time ever, the <b>Methacton School Board</b> is now
controlled by Democrats. The losing incumbents had been entertaining the
possibility of closing an elementary school or two due to declining enrollment
and projected higher pension costs on the horizon as an alternative to raising
taxes, but the <b>CARE (Community Advocates
for Responsible Education</b>) team disputed all of that, and took issue with
the manner in which the school board was conducting its business.</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj046zDWwgJTAxvW0b91laIcB54246c6rqNDx_XwuVbIIgQFbPz0p9vR3VRGoQsVzzbQLIQqmp45WsXk5WoW9ua2d_T477pqMBLSWg0eD1EevE3HTdiUhrsLPCZZVvBO3Kg_RXVhyphenhyphenWaFfl8/s1600/care+member+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj046zDWwgJTAxvW0b91laIcB54246c6rqNDx_XwuVbIIgQFbPz0p9vR3VRGoQsVzzbQLIQqmp45WsXk5WoW9ua2d_T477pqMBLSWg0eD1EevE3HTdiUhrsLPCZZVvBO3Kg_RXVhyphenhyphenWaFfl8/s320/care+member+photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">CARE,
which claimed to be bipartisan despite being primarily Democrat in political registration
and orientation, and despite receiving primarily Democrat party funding, now
has a voting majority on the school board. While I’m trying to keep an open
mind and hope they are approaching the tasks before them grounded in reality, I
suspect we will find ourselves needing to hold onto our wallets more than ever in
2016.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: #999999;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Speaking of Methacton, after decades of stalling and delays, we
finally got a <b>new turf football field </b>constructed,
bringing Methacton into the same era as most local school districts’ athletic
programs. Available for play just as the current school year began, making this
project a reality was the culmination of hard work and serious fundraising by
dozens of people. While there is some evidence that turf fields contribute to
more sports injuries, time will tell as to how that plays out at Methacton. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv0170730998msolistparagraph" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">After a 39-year career in law enforcement, <b>LP Police chief, Francis “Bud” Carroll</b>, appointed as chief in LP in
2000, is retiring. Stepping into his big shoes as incoming chief is Bud’s
second-in-command, Lt. Stan Turtle. Many of our veteran officers have retired in
the last two to three years, all after distinguished careers serving in Lower
Providence, but this is a de facto ‘changing of the guard’. Best wishes, Bud,
in your well-deserved retirement. Perhaps I’ll see you around down at the
courthouse in Judge Ferman’s courtroom. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><b><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11.0pt;">Bud’s Bar</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background-color: #999999;"> (also known as the
historic Jack’s Tavern, and no relation to the aforementioned Bud Carroll), which
stands at the intersection of Egypt/Park Avenue/Pawlings Road, has long been
closed and become something of a dilapidated eyesore. One of the limitations of
the property is the small lot size and the zoning, which results in a negative
building envelope requiring numerous waivers for anything viable to be built or
operate there.</span></span><span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"> Since having the bar <a href="http://lowerprovidenceoutloud.blogspot.com/2011/05/its-not-easy-being-green.html" target="_blank">repainted in 2011</a> as part of my campaign for township supervisor, I've been contacted from time to time by several of the real estate agents carrying the listing, with clients interested in the property and hoping to marry the two. Several interested clients wanted the possibility of a drive-through, and moved onto other properties in different communities when told that was off the table by ordinance (along with all the other challenges that property represents). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeBKOW5LO7RztkRQe1SSwwOZwHJ3tOefi2p4DD7Ch4nVHtgCb6QBRP9_BRPsXnnbEYuZ2FA0cnufevAufU1rS_FhL1TbunpvBxMPtz-lJowe_oqRirZEn1_AsdsXv30R6j3e_YVeijH6qa/s1600/Bud%2527s+Bar+side+%25282015%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: white; clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="clear: left; color: #999999; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background-color: #999999;"></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5a3RAQZcOI_IIwoDNvBl0Y-Tt0tS9HI-I_GpNCAN0sexrQWAa-cYGx8J3-_KeD4e_9oI4I3FVEHKTubUJYK7hicKdHDLaMf3F7V6IXvZy4Tp1ZjTi3yKiSY3AP4Z97m08PBdobPJsEMrA/s1600/Bud%2527s+Bar+roof.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #999999;"></span></a></div>
<div class="yiv0170730998msolistparagraph" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="background-color: #999999;">Much to the township’s
credit, they voted this month to authorize advertisement of a Zoning Ordinance
Amendment revising Audubon VC Village Commercial District (in which Bud’s Bar
is located) to permit facilities with drive-through services as a conditional
use. Our township solicitor noted that the ordinance would permit this usage
just in this portion of the Village Commercial District, which already has
several drive-throughs existing on nearby commercial properties. Both the
Township’s Planning Commission and the Montgomery County Planning Commission reviewed
the proposed amendment and surfaced no issues, making the supervisors more
comfortable with it. If passed after
public hearing, it gives the Township the ability to evaluate, on a
case-by-case basis, applications for use of the property that contain a request
for a drive-through and decide whether it works for the requested use on a
given property. </span><span style="background-color: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<div class="yiv0170730998msolistparagraph" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.75in;">
<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">I think this signals
a realistic approach by the Board of Supervisors to try to get a viable
business in that spot. The alternative is that businesses will continue to
bypass the location due to the numerous challenges and restrictions, and Bud’s
will continue to deteriorate until the only viable option is to demolish it.
Hopefully an interested business will come along that’s willing and able to afford
to purchase and rehabilitate the building, and the Township will be amenable to
making that happen.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: #999999; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">As for me, 2015
brought new wheels and a terrific new guy into my life, so I haven’t had as
much time to write as I would have liked, but I’ll be back at it full force in
2016. I hope your holidays were as fantastic as mine were (both kids were home,
including my daughter, who lives down South) and that, like Lower Providence
and Methacton, your New Year is full of wonderful developments too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-78573004967491841012015-09-07T05:13:00.000-04:002015-09-12T19:12:31.686-04:00Bridge Envy<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">You could be forgiven for
thinking that founding father and American Revolution-era author Thomas Paine
must have been inching along in traffic on a stiflingly hot August day, late
for an appointment, when he uttered his famous quote “These are the times that
try men’s souls”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Literary references aside,
local traffic jams caused by road construction, paving, sewer line installations,
roadside power line upgrades, and numerous bridge replacement projects – all
more or less taking place at the same time - are testing motorists’ good will
and patience this summer as many LP residents find themselves going nowhere
fast when attempting to get to work, shuttle kids to camp and athletic events,
get to the doctor or dentist, or run even the smallest of errands.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTSn7x_afzEV0JZ0UIqwAxR4cP37YTdVne7C1JzqLDZC0QGwAu4vfQSEa4L1W-JD7jDOvmSaVMUOHlTUh6g7fdGafZBIUZc3JwMS0ALdku8rRnTWjg-qobalNOlwtNEP_vXD1uZJksP7K/s1600/traffic+construction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNTSn7x_afzEV0JZ0UIqwAxR4cP37YTdVne7C1JzqLDZC0QGwAu4vfQSEa4L1W-JD7jDOvmSaVMUOHlTUh6g7fdGafZBIUZc3JwMS0ALdku8rRnTWjg-qobalNOlwtNEP_vXD1uZJksP7K/s320/traffic+construction.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">We’re all used to road
projects. It’s for good reason that a running joke is that the Pennsylvania
state tree is a traffic cone. We all understand intellectually that road and
infrastructure improvements are an inconvenient but necessary part of life. But
locally, two major projects taking place simultaneously – the replacement of
the Arcola Road Bridge (closed in August 2013) between Lower and Upper
Providences, and the completion of the cloverleaf at Trooper Road and 422 - are
the primary culprits, and other projects affect the detours and secondary
routes we all use to avoid them.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Over in neighboring
Chester County, the announcement in April of the commencement of work to the
Pickering Creek Dam bridge on Route 23 near where it intersects with Pawlings
Road – the main route from the southern end of LPT into Phoenixville and Valley
Forge – has only added to the delays and frustration.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, what’s a community to
do when they aren’t fortunate enough to have former county commissioner and new
PennDOT chief Leslie Richards embedded in the community as a resident capable
of getting a bridge (really two culverts side by side) engineered, rebuilt and
reopened in her locale in a mere five months?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> (detailed
<a href="http://www.montgomerynews.com/articles/2015/09/04/colonial_news/news/doc55ea069c69efa277181283.txt" target="_blank">here</a>)</span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Pickering Dam bridge, like the ARB,
is a total teardown and rebuild project (with repairs to the piers, instead of
replacing them), but unlike the ARB, it’s cost was approximately $1.7M and is expected
to be completed in a mere 6 months (originally scheduled to be completed in
April of next year, new performance incentives have accelerated its anticipated
completion date by 6 months - <a href="http://patch.com/pennsylvania/phoenixville/dinniman-confident-route-23-bridge-could-be-completed-september-0?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook&utm_term=community+corner&utm_campaign=recirc&utm_content=aol" target="_blank">story here</a>). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Despite claims from some of our local officials that the
projects aren’t similar at all (although in many ways, they are…they are both
similar lengths, widths, square footage, and span), Chester County and state officials,
including state Sen. Andy Dinniman, were able to find the funds to reopen and
renegotiate the contract with successful bidder J.D. Eckman to build in incentives
for each day Eckman improves upon the original project completion date and the Pickering
Creek Dam bridge is reopened early. The contractor also agreed to work five
ten-hour days per week instead of four.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Naturally, LPT residents
are scratching their heads and enviously asking: Why do <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">we</i></b> have to wait a long
three years’ worth of sitting in traffic and detoured routes for OUR bridge
(closed in August 2013) to be completed when it is clearly possible to do so
faster?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QqvqrYteR9K1gxOnil8TeQ9C5_UXd7IVNE0p571Dz0tkzHfLHXdLSd2NG_CPQu_eJg326k60_gOcm_hqcZx0YiNXCvvYsNlEedjvw9iayaJ9GJXYGNt7eX-X0yjcClHlEXLIqad9YdTK/s1600/pickering+dam+bridge.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6QqvqrYteR9K1gxOnil8TeQ9C5_UXd7IVNE0p571Dz0tkzHfLHXdLSd2NG_CPQu_eJg326k60_gOcm_hqcZx0YiNXCvvYsNlEedjvw9iayaJ9GJXYGNt7eX-X0yjcClHlEXLIqad9YdTK/s320/pickering+dam+bridge.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Main Line Media News</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">While the two projects are
similar in some ways, a direct comparison is difficult because in many ways
it’s an apples-to-oranges scenario. For starters, Pickering/Route 23 is a state
road and 100% state project, versus ARB, which is a Montgomery County-owned bridge. The repairs are being funded partly by the federal government, along with state
and county funds. Their design and bid processes are different right out of the
gate.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Second, Pickering is a
part of a larger state project known as Act 89. Also known as the
Transportation Bill, it covers numerous</span> <span style="font-size: large;">bridge and road improvements across
Pennsylvania and was s<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">igned into law in 2013 by Governor Tom Corbett. It allocates $2.3 billion in funding for transportation-related
projects in Pennsylvania, including road and bridge projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">PennDOT</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: windowtext; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> claims Act 89</span></span></span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “promotes coordinated planning and implementation to
ensure greatest return on investment.”</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">And, the Pickering Dam bridge project was on the state’s radar for the
past ten years as needing replacement so some preparation had already been made
by the time Act 89 was enacted, whereas several past County administrations had
kicked the ARB can down the road until it could no longer be postponed. While design plans had been drawn up some time ago - which called for a side-by-side rebuild while the existing bridge was still open - deterioration and closure of the ARB in August 2013 necessitated scratching that plan and starting over. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><o:p> Single-source funding under Act 89 made it easier to do incentives on that project. </o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Third, the ARB required the purchase of a number of easements from
private residents, some of which had to be negotiated, and this dragged out
the timeline before construction could even begin. The Pickering Dam bridge
project did not require acquisition of easements.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fourth, Pickering Dam
Bridge carries approximately 20,000 cars per day whereas ARB carries in the
neighborhood of 9000 cars per day, and with 11,000 more pain points over in
Phoenixville, clearly Pickering Dam Bridge appears to be a higher priority from
a regional perspective.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqu0XmwX3VlTWgPPQ4PCpg6cQnPYxLZwHNk9t_K1ulmO2YXdKBz1OMbN_lcDGdiypTwjf7cZm77hRP9SKFnjxYmo70uxutffA67SKHp2nOpRHgini0mhOoM1g0dMHE03cNchn5GPdLu_4/s1600/Vereb+ARB+photo+July+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJqu0XmwX3VlTWgPPQ4PCpg6cQnPYxLZwHNk9t_K1ulmO2YXdKBz1OMbN_lcDGdiypTwjf7cZm77hRP9SKFnjxYmo70uxutffA67SKHp2nOpRHgini0mhOoM1g0dMHE03cNchn5GPdLu_4/s320/Vereb+ARB+photo+July+2015.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Mike Vereb</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">And let’s not forget that
there was about a six-week delay in December 2014-January 2015 when workers for
successful bidder Allan A. Myers L.P. of Worcester who were tearing down the
old ARB bridge discovered the presence of lead-based paint (verified by PennDOT
officials), requiring a revamped, nonhazardous demolition strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Montgomery County is the
conduit through which PennDOT bid the job, negotiated the final construction
contract, and payments to the contractor are being made. Despite the fact that
the lowest bid for the ARB project was almost $2.5M less than the amount budgeted for the project,
the July 5, 2016 timeline was built into the contract and, unlike the Route
23/Pickering project – for who knows what reason – there were no performance
incentives included in the deal to encourage them to get it done faster. In addition,
there are, as far as I can tell, no terms that require a certain number of
hours to be worked per day or a particular number of employees to be dedicated
to the ARB project.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">By comparison, the Pickering Dam bridge contract
specifies working hours of 9 am to 3 pm (to avoid rush hours) and allows for
the possibility of overnight work.<i> </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The newly negotiated agreement does not note a total cost for the
incentives but notes “Cost has been negotiated and agreed with Department
representatives. Acceleration has been started with extended work hours,
overtime, and extra Friday work shifts.” A cover letter accompanying PennDOT’s
response to my Right to Know request states that “ While PennDOT has agreed to
pay a lump sum to accelerate delivery of the project to November 26, 2015 (as
evidenced by the enclosed Contract Work Authorization) it has not yet reduced
to writing its agreement in principle with the contractor relative to an
incentive payment. Subject to change, the parties have conceptually agreed that
if the contractor completes the project early, it will receive $3,000 for each
day in advance of the November 26, 2015 date.” (more info <a href="https://www.blogger.com/://issuu.com/janicekearney/docs/penndot_rtk_response_august_2015?e=1929198/15262255" target="_blank">here</a>)</span></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oAp0wAq90PsfFVfsRaYZOk30Ehw5A_FL2gqXf2A0-iwHieEOHM2G4-AKfrw1PA7cvuxW-I6Af7HpcFgBc4amoWMxl9wHEGM9iSXHNTQQ0k77YcAv0o6ES7qQ3-UM0JV5MsxDo-M9keRA/s1600/Arcola+Rd+Bridge+8-9-15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2oAp0wAq90PsfFVfsRaYZOk30Ehw5A_FL2gqXf2A0-iwHieEOHM2G4-AKfrw1PA7cvuxW-I6Af7HpcFgBc4amoWMxl9wHEGM9iSXHNTQQ0k77YcAv0o6ES7qQ3-UM0JV5MsxDo-M9keRA/s320/Arcola+Rd+Bridge+8-9-15.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Residents driving by the
Arcola Road Bridge project regularly report via Facebook seeing no, or only one
or two, workers during normal working hours. Progress appears to be moving at a
snail’s pace, and whatever is getting accomplished down there seems to be happening
far too slowly for most residents. However, Upper Providence Township
supervisor John Pearson, who lives along the UPT side of the bridge and whose
home looks down upon the creek bed, told us at a July 30 public meeting held by state Rep. Mike Vereb at
the LP Township building in response to complaints voiced at the “Living in
Lower Providence” Facebook page, that workers are indeed there every day, often
begin work at 6 am, and that it can be difficult to see from road height just
what is happening.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, don’t blame the
contractor, Allan Myers.When the Montco commissioners/PennDOT bid the ARB job, more
than $7 million was budgeted, but the lowest responsible bidder (Myers) came in
at $5.3M. Thus, there <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">is</b> additional
money available to reopen and renegotiate the contract to provide performance incentives
for Allan Myers (which various sources familiar with this and similar projects have
suggested would run in the neighborhood of $200,000-$300,000).</span><s> <o:p></o:p></s></span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyH3tnC6jG8HIm0UfSJm25MlKgyNO5Wsk9DbaZ9HHCpvnN1oL8ZFqjPw39yQuzoAH2KOTlkDIKZdlosfydB3YyLVU12qWhY2bQdCB_CB27NzY8hWoDO0TrGApoQ6S6ywcZ5eUc0pTjIyt/s1600/ARB+plunger+photo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlyH3tnC6jG8HIm0UfSJm25MlKgyNO5Wsk9DbaZ9HHCpvnN1oL8ZFqjPw39yQuzoAH2KOTlkDIKZdlosfydB3YyLVU12qWhY2bQdCB_CB27NzY8hWoDO0TrGApoQ6S6ywcZ5eUc0pTjIyt/s320/ARB+plunger+photo.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: Times Herald Oct 2014</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">So – why haven’t <strong>our</strong> local
officials tried to do the same thing for our bridge project? Why can’t we, too,
renegotiate the contract to build in some financial incentives to the
contractor to speed up completion and reopening? <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fact is, they <em>have</em> raised the subject, but so far it’s fallen on deaf ears with the Montco commissioners.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to Charles Metzger, PennDOT Community Relations Coordinator, told me that it
was easier to do incentives on the Pickering Dam bridge project because as an Act 89
project which funds numerous other highway/transportation projects across the
Commonwealth, it was easier to move money under that funding umbrella from another, less-critical project
to this one to provide the incentives.</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As to ARB, while Vereb initially (and, as it turns
out, erroneously) stated at the July 30 meeting that contracts like ARB that
are largely federally funded could not have incentives, I’ve learned that’s not
exactly the case. Not only are they permitted, but the federal government
actually prefers to build incentives into their agreements wherever possible.</span> </span></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxv2cbBy9ybbbaL6HvBZuIaZwS9q0ZFXS6aeZfqxgIQ3OPNYgAoVycQAlb0EFLX3x75PbNsVCJemJ_h_QZGPxWCUEvNhNr5uYqw7ldL0e7GLDzvJm9POl54kXks-snIDXRvEVYiLl3isx/s1600/ARB+Aug+31++2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbxv2cbBy9ybbbaL6HvBZuIaZwS9q0ZFXS6aeZfqxgIQ3OPNYgAoVycQAlb0EFLX3x75PbNsVCJemJ_h_QZGPxWCUEvNhNr5uYqw7ldL0e7GLDzvJm9POl54kXks-snIDXRvEVYiLl3isx/s320/ARB+Aug+31++2015.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As of 8-31-15. Photo credit: Susan Wozniak</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since Montgomery County has
the least amount of skin in the game – 5% versus 15% from the State and 80%
from the feds - and it IS their bridge, I’m not sure I understand why something
can’t be done, particularly since the County negotiated and awarded the
contract in the first place. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">Considering that Montco commissioner’s chair Josh
Shapiro has been quoted in the press recently boasting about their financial prowess
and how they are sitting on enough reserve cash to float numerous social service agencies in the area for several months during the prolonged state budget standoff, surely their
alleged financial acumen could be applied to ponying up some incentive money to
get the ARB completed much faster than July 2016, especially given that the bid award was
substantially less than that budgeted for the project.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">LP’s traffic engineer, Casey Moore, from the firm McMahon Associates, told
me that “contractors like Allan Myers are always looking for performance
incentives because they have an ability to meet them and make some money”, and
that they’d thus likely be very open to the possibility.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
also spoke to Seth Myers, Vice President of Business Development at Allan
Myers, who reiterated that the speed and pace of construction is out of their
control, noting that “We are given specs and a schedule to follow” post-bid
award, and allocate their resources accordingly. The firm was, until recently, unaware of all the Facebook chatter
directing blame for the slow construction pace and alleged inactivity on the
project firmly in their direction, and told me “We appreciate people’s
frustration in not being able to use the bridge, but we will deliver the
completed bridge on time”. The company manages over 450 projects statewide and
has allocated its resources and paced work according to contractual
requirements for each – including the ARB. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Allan
Myers has compelling reasons to deliver on time: there are Road User Liquidated
Damages of $27,009 built into the ARB agreement to be assessed for every day or
portion of a day after July 5, 2016 that the ARB is not open to unrestricted
traffic on all lanes, and another $27,009 assessment for each day or portion of
a day that the detour is not removed on or after July 5, 2016.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There
is an additional cost to the contractor (Construction Engineer Liquidated
Damages) of $3,325 for each day that any physical work remains uncompleted
after the Required Completion Date, to be deducted from money due or to become
due. Thus, for each day that this project remains incomplete <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">after</b> July 5, 2016, it will cost Allan
Myers $57,343.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><o:p></o:p></span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At
the July 30 meeting, Rep. Vereb reiterated that we shaved about 14 months off
the beginning phase of the project because they got the plan designed,
approved, bid and awarded in 13 months instead of the 24 months it could have
taken, as well as doing a number of things concurrently that normally are done
consecutively, such as DEP review, utility relocation plan, traffic impact
study, stormwater plan, environmental study, etc. Each normally has a 60-90 day
review period, and we saved 6-7 months right there. He also indicated that originally
it was hoped that the new bridge could be built side-by-side with the old one
while it was still open, but having to shut it down as unsafe rendered that
impossible.</span> </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">But Upper Providence Township supervisor and chairman Lisa Mossie recently weighed in on Facebook, taking issue with the Montco commissioners: "</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.0.$end/=1$text0/=010">County knew they were going to close this bridge months before they actually did, yet they had no engineered plans in place and it costs us months on the design work. Leslie's [PennDOT chief Richards] Plymouth Road Bridge was closed completely unexpectedly because of sinkhole</span></span><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end/=1$text0/=010">s, and not only did they get it fixed in five short months with no engineering in place, but they filled two developing sinkholes and re-routed a stream. All in less time than it took them to just get started on Arcola."</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end/=1$text0/=010"></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody _1n4g" data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0"><span data-reactid=".c2.1:4:1:$comment953414494731932_953741474699234/=10.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.3.0.$end/=1$text0/=010">By all accounts, officials for both townships, Rep. Vereb's office, and State Sen. John Rafferty's office have been relentless in trying to coordinate activities with the county and contractor and push for forward movement. Vereb particularly called out LPT manager Richard Gestrich as being very vocal and tenacious in getting answers and action. </span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwF5u9N4hcOIo72EucD473QowozwUfvurtWLc1Xvi5npxZUVspLcfHZ-irvGvTFyppgsg4H13isaZ7rxX0gTme53bPNyhqXAqxqe70fcb4qKqdpRhMMIkxItnNN-yyUzIGbCp6WHYuF8y/s1600/farmers-almanac-2016-winter-map.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNwF5u9N4hcOIo72EucD473QowozwUfvurtWLc1Xvi5npxZUVspLcfHZ-irvGvTFyppgsg4H13isaZ7rxX0gTme53bPNyhqXAqxqe70fcb4qKqdpRhMMIkxItnNN-yyUzIGbCp6WHYuF8y/s320/farmers-almanac-2016-winter-map.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Vereb
indicated that in all likelihood, if we have a mild winter, the project will be
completed early, in mid-spring 2016, and they won’t hold up the opening for
esthetics like landscaping and minor finishing touches. However, don’t start
your engines just yet: <span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In an August 16, 2015 Associated Press article, Farmers’ Almanac
editor Janice Stillman says the Northeast will see a winter of heavy snowfall
and below-normal, frigid temperatures.</span></span><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> </span></span><br />
</div>
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Unfortunately for us, it may be that the
contractual maneuverings are just water under the bridge at this point and all
we can do is wait for whichever happens first – a performance incentive from the county commissioners (all of whom are running for re-election or, in Castor's case, hoping to be elected back to the DA's office), or
spring thaw.</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RP43qpBXcZYHQbaJ5eO0RyPpTIwc3H3sH6xcLFkOnVZ6EECQS43bQvWMUzkJsmhNYnigUn7E40pJSeMHQNnxPoq9kcZMxDuYq-Uzwk45i7Qiyfc1H_4qYuD_r7Ywk3k-IPh44C1FDgDd/s1600/arb+creekbed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RP43qpBXcZYHQbaJ5eO0RyPpTIwc3H3sH6xcLFkOnVZ6EECQS43bQvWMUzkJsmhNYnigUn7E40pJSeMHQNnxPoq9kcZMxDuYq-Uzwk45i7Qiyfc1H_4qYuD_r7Ywk3k-IPh44C1FDgDd/s320/arb+creekbed.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: large;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXYqQT6Kz-MMhHHz-xtTdajqo4DTY3yD7oQf0lujASY0dtECtoiCD-5PWwBwVZumx0Iyt15UI362UDSdqYwBlCBAwqBtfh18ypmFyg2h0KMmN56zlblMyQ6k12qJBxAEhMPC9OP3ossLs/s1600/arcola-rd-repl-_melwert.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGXYqQT6Kz-MMhHHz-xtTdajqo4DTY3yD7oQf0lujASY0dtECtoiCD-5PWwBwVZumx0Iyt15UI362UDSdqYwBlCBAwqBtfh18ypmFyg2h0KMmN56zlblMyQ6k12qJBxAEhMPC9OP3ossLs/s320/arcola-rd-repl-_melwert.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: CBS Philly</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="toc 9"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="header"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footer"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="index heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of figures"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope address"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="envelope return"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="footnote reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="line number"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="page number"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="endnote text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="table of authorities"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="macro"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="toa heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Bullet 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">A universal part of the human experience is to experience loss, sorrow and grief. Often we cope by trying to make something positive come out of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may establish some form of lasting tribute to memorialize the passing of someone who meant the world to us by making donations to worthy charitable organizations, or perhaps establish a scholarship fund. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It allows us to soothe our heartache, pay it forward in the name of someone special, and the fortunate recipients to benefit as well. But, no matter how we honor the deceased’s memory, we frequently wish we could do more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Imagine if you will the ability to make such a gesture, but on a grander scale, benefiting an entire community – and imagine, too, what it might be like to have the good fortune to receive such an honor. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Township officials might find themselves in that enviable </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">position after they gathered last week together with officials from J.P. Mascaro, Inc. and their donor entity, MB Investments, in a public meeting to hear informal plans for the proposed construction of donated ball fields on a parcel of land long coveted by LPT as a potential acquisition for park space.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Mascaro, a long-time community partner, just may have topped themselves with this proposal. They offered the generous donation, with an estimated completion cost to them of approximately $1 million ((excluding the value of the land itself, which would be leased to LPT for $1 per year), as their way of honoring the memory of late Mascaro family member Frank A. Mascaro, who passed away in 2013. J.P. Mascaro is headquartered in Lower Providence Township.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">An audience of about 40 adjacent residents and community</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">members listened, along with township supervisors*, to the pitch detailing the conceptual plan made by William Fox, general counsel for the organization. Fox was joined by Pasquale “Pat” Mascaro, Jr and John Marsh, their in-house engineer, who provided specifics and answered questions about the plan.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The parcel in question had been on LPT’s radar for some time. Back in 2003 Montco voters overwhelmingly approved a referendum for a $150 million tax increase dedicated to open space acquisition and conservation. Fresh on the heels of that action, in 2005 LPT revised its Open Space Plan – I chaired the Open Space Committee at the time and oversaw its compilation and development - to identify inventory, assess needs gaps and decide priorities for the acquisition, development and investment in open and park space within the Township.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Number 2 on the list of priority potential targets identified in </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">the Open Space Plan was the 38-acre parcel at 2759 Woodland Avenue, not far from Woodland Elementary School and sandwiched between Miami and Lauman Avenues, also known as the “Downes property”. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">This property is in Zone D of the Plan, an area of the Township recognized as having a deficit of usable open space, trails and park space compared to the rest of the municipality. </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">While LPT was never able to realize the acquisition of the land themselves (the December 2009 sale price to Mascaro was $2.2 million, well out of the Township’s reach), they now can discuss the possibility of the next best thing: having the construction of usable ball fields and amenities fully accomplished at no cost to taxpayers and leased to the Township for the nominal fee of $1 per year, <u>and</u> having the land protected for a long period of time - all the while <u>having the property remain on the tax rolls</u>. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will still be able to collect tax revenue on a public municipal use. Only about ten acres of the total 38 comprising the parcel would be used per the proposed plan. The remainder would be left as is and all existing structures would remain.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">Per a May 7, 2015 letter to LPT, when the property was </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">purchased in 2009 the Downes family and Mascaro mutually agreed to the placement of a 25-year deed restriction on the property mandating that it not be developed for “at least” that initial 25 years [see letter, </span><a href="http://issuu.com/janicekearney/docs/downes_mascaro_ball_field_proposal_/1" style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">]. Athough six years into that moratorium as of 2015, the company indicated it would enter into a 20 to 25 year lease agreement with the Township when the facilities are complete so technically, the fields will be restricted for far longer. In addition, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fox told me subsequent to the meeting, from a practical standpoint, the company has no interest in dishonoring Frank Mascaro’s name by not honoring those terms, tearing down the fields, or by trying to develop the property anytime soon, if ever. As Fox pointed out, the company owns numerous other properties in other locations and does not need to monetize this one.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5/14 Childress field dedication/photo courtesy JP Mascaro</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">This project, being completed </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">by essentially the same team who brought the handsome new Robert Childress Memorial Field to life at Methacton High School, is estimated to take 3-6 months to complete.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to supervisor Patrick Duffy, this project featuring </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">three ball fields (one tournament-grade), <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>will potentially provide for multi-player families in the Methacton Baseball league what those playing for Audubon Recreation Association (ARA) already have <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>–</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">several fields in close proximity to each other. Currently, ARA has 7 fields in one location and with these fields, Methacton will have 5 fields within walking distance – 2 at Woodland and 3 here. Currently, Methacton baseball parents have to traverse 7 fields scattered between Eagleville and Woodland Elementary schools, and at Heebner Field in Worcester. Parents with more than one child playing baseball and softball at a time have to figure out how to bend the time-space continuum to attend more than one game for multiple offspring. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The tournament field is planned to have lighting for night use to give teams more flexibility for games and practices, but Fox told me if the project is given the green light by the Township they will build the project whether or not lights are approved with it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">While technically as the lessee LPT would be responsible for maintenance of the property, as a practical matter LPT typically makes field maintenance a term of any lease agreement with any athletic organization that leases fields from the Township. In that scenario (which is done with all our various athletic leagues who use our fields today) the Township isn’t using its resources since sports organizations have a captive army of volunteers willing to help take care of the fields they play on.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Currently there are approximately 16 ball fields available within Township boundaries, 12 of which are either owned or leased by the Township, and as I can personally attest from the years my son and his friends played for ARA and other leagues, it was always very difficult for coaches to find available field for practices in particular – especially if we had a rainy spell – as makeup games piled up and occupied open, correctly sized fields. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was not uncommon to have to trek up to Heebner Field in Worcester Township or use West Norriton facilities, if they were even available. With two very active and large baseball leagues here, ARA and Methacton Baseball Association, there is definitely a need for more baseball fields. This project would go a long way toward closing that gap.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">However, comments from residents attending the presentation indicated that not all may view this as a positive for the community. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">From her backyard adjoining the planned facility, all that </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Lauman Avenue resident Lynette Leong could think about was how she’d purchased her property so she could see the constellations at night and wild animals during the day, and now primary among her concerns wondered whether Mascaro, in developing the plan, had considered the environmental impacts on things like well water, and that they are encroaching on wildlife habitat.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Fox replied that as far as any environmental concerns, DEP sets the requirements and standards for this type of development and they have to comply. Whatever the standards are under the Township zoning ordinance for this type of project, they'd also have to comply. He added, "This might sound a little harsh to you, as it relates to your concern about development on the property, I can see<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that you would prefer the property to remain just as it is, but as the owner of the property, whether it’s a little league field by right or houses by right (and we’ve restricted that), the property owner also has certain rights to use his or her property in a manner that’s consistent with the Township’s zoning ordinance which, as a whole, is designed to protect the public’s health, safety and welfare, and not put uses next to you that are offensive or contrary to good planning. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t know that anything I could say here could make you feel comfortable that that property’s going to remain the same because if this project is approved, it will not remain the same. I will say that we are going to try to make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible and it will certainly be far, far less offensive than it could have been if there were other types of developments on this property which the zoning will allow. We are trying to be sensitive to all the neighbors’ concerns. We may not be able to address everyone’s concerns 100%..."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">He pointed out that the Township’s zoning ordinance reflects </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">this Board's and prior supervisors’ determination this is an appropriate use in a residential area.</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Other concerns expressed by residents in attendance included the typical: stormwater runoff, construction dust, buffering (much of the property already has a significant tree line buffer), noise, traffic, parking and potential impact on adjacent property values. Supervisor Duffy and Fox both indicated many of these practical concerns are, per the Municipalities Planning Code, addressed further along in the process after a formal plan is filed with the Township for review during the land development process.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of the process entails both the Township’s and the County’s planning commissions having the opportunity to review and comment on the plan, offering their feedback and suggestions for incorporation into the final approved plan. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">For things such as noise, lights, vandalism - there are ordinances in place that can be enforced as a matter of policing the area like we do in our other parks. In addition the Township can impose conditions on the use and any lights. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">When it comes to property values, I have lived adjacent to an </span></span><span style="font-size: large;">LPT park (featuring <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two ball parks, two tot lots, a basketball court, picnic pavilion and jogging trail) for many years, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and can relate that our experience has been that properties such as ours abutting the park command a higher asking price (and we are far less buffered than homeowners next to this parcel are / will be). Buyers appreciate the amenities and the fact that the land is protected and devoid of other neighbor’s backyards facing your own.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I5UCpg2BWC_jPrzh-QWytMF43fz3ecM6SWY7Fg1keJ59nJS8ENzWaGMEFsnz22X3j0ZXOKjXvG7di3QUi9Eic3b3R3xd9J0Zg4hyphenhyphenUMjxu51is917Lx0qZgizg02i_Ug961ipzmL1QWff/s1600/downes+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-I5UCpg2BWC_jPrzh-QWytMF43fz3ecM6SWY7Fg1keJ59nJS8ENzWaGMEFsnz22X3j0ZXOKjXvG7di3QUi9Eic3b3R3xd9J0Zg4hyphenhyphenUMjxu51is917Lx0qZgizg02i_Ug961ipzmL1QWff/s200/downes+4.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">And that experience is borne out elsewhere, according to local residential realtor Patti Tabor, who has moved many LP properties over the years. </span></div>
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<span class="5yl5"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-size: large;">“Houses backing to a park or open </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">space generally draw a higher sale price. The concerns for many are with the parking situation. Take Warrior Field for example. The parking is inadequate and creates an issue on Landis Mill Road. That does </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;"> help property values. The moral of the story is...If they're going to do it, do it right”.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span class="5yl5"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Evidently, Supervisor Colleen Eckman recognized just this scenario, as one of her comments was that ‘it looks like we might need to add some parking beyond what’s noted on the plan". Ms. Eckman, a candidate for township supervisor this November on the Republican ballot, appeared to be opposed to the idea of lights for the tournament field judging by her other comments and questions.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">The last resident to speak, John Larcinese from Hollywood Lane (and a Public Works employee of the Township who would likely wind up mowing this facility), mentioned how well the lit field at Redtail works in that neighborhood, that he supports the project even though it is very close to his home, and that he felt the approximately $4000 annual maintenance cost versus a state-of-the-art $1 million facility equaled a win/win for the community. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: large; line-height: 115%;">Seems like a no-brainer for LPT and a fitting tribute for the Mascaro family as well. Hopefully, LPT will see fit to play ball.</span></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwdABBI927ktqGYpH9XiV1AUt26yyWHb6xk1A8eUclXy96xVPfzKowSV1BuAIfU8GGUnCT3u0iPywf97OVjdB7FFJeNkoxxxkd6ZZ3gTA5PnUzoXd2OERMXK8BOPHmHgX0x8oSaHLru4K/s1600/downes+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibwdABBI927ktqGYpH9XiV1AUt26yyWHb6xk1A8eUclXy96xVPfzKowSV1BuAIfU8GGUnCT3u0iPywf97OVjdB7FFJeNkoxxxkd6ZZ3gTA5PnUzoXd2OERMXK8BOPHmHgX0x8oSaHLru4K/s320/downes+3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">*For informal 'staff solicitor' meetings, generally only 2 supervisors attend so as not to have a quorum. However, four of the supervisors attended this meeting - two in an official capacity and two who did not participate. Supervisor Jill Zimmerman was not present.</span></div>
Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-51747096933492391912015-05-13T01:12:00.002-04:002015-09-04T22:17:22.574-04:00Seal of Disapproval<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1_5S0rShGn9B-QZtwGmXVOAtS6fZ9kFmLMHHDmr_yGull7_XkMkq3GpXac33V8ZlxHixvOb2JNB-THp4kipSzCeiF2so8kidVYCNcowqFXLXStdlowjTcBL8naNY0FmbY85J_6tBP1Pl/s1600/social+media+sites.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1_5S0rShGn9B-QZtwGmXVOAtS6fZ9kFmLMHHDmr_yGull7_XkMkq3GpXac33V8ZlxHixvOb2JNB-THp4kipSzCeiF2so8kidVYCNcowqFXLXStdlowjTcBL8naNY0FmbY85J_6tBP1Pl/s200/social+media+sites.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">One of the things modern parents teach their children these
days is that what one posts online can come back to haunt you in the future. Pre-internet, that wasn't a problem, but it sure is now. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Last week’s scandal, wherein an endorsed Republican
candidate for Methacton School Board, Scott Misus, posted offensive comments on
a public social media site, became a cautionary tale and living example of this
important lesson. The Misus situation has made what one posts online relevant, and
in an era of lazy and low-information voters, vividly illustrates how unwillingness
to do one’s own research on candidates and to allow others to do your thinking for
you can have serious consequences</span>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbyS1Nk_tNVERbGYrgp5dSn1U5uXj2d08bKkbWGHxatctAfSqjrtdij5ZhgWBpwQc1PFYDp-T8vcZUbPqC5NV_3zbRf52U99877HsmCfIzzVhFDSL69Q7KNZ0zVxsoXQSkhbIpfveJ0wk/s1600/endorsement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEbyS1Nk_tNVERbGYrgp5dSn1U5uXj2d08bKkbWGHxatctAfSqjrtdij5ZhgWBpwQc1PFYDp-T8vcZUbPqC5NV_3zbRf52U99877HsmCfIzzVhFDSL69Q7KNZ0zVxsoXQSkhbIpfveJ0wk/s200/endorsement.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Political parties have their own agendas and tend to be run
by people who like to play kingmaker for their own reasons, and since most people aren’t privy to insider
info about the personalities, alliances and agendas, reliance on their opinions
should be viewed as no more than a starting point; a guideline, not gospel.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">And don't bank on the press to do meaningful vetting for you, either. The days of investigative reporters are largely gone, and very small budgets at most media outlets means they primarily publish little more than press releases.</span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaPAZZICu89It_vMlnCbUiW6AYyqx4TfHVfzM2Ezv3Zk2zKlTbnSxs61j_cto_ht7C1iGNHFHmX_ve6aLYeS4HTZvWZHTSQLf3QDq8dT0XQMDcdfFQY37pQejzVvmeGsHmkTz09h4Z8dv/s1600/facebook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLaPAZZICu89It_vMlnCbUiW6AYyqx4TfHVfzM2Ezv3Zk2zKlTbnSxs61j_cto_ht7C1iGNHFHmX_ve6aLYeS4HTZvWZHTSQLf3QDq8dT0XQMDcdfFQY37pQejzVvmeGsHmkTz09h4Z8dv/s1600/facebook.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Misus, who was jointly endorsed by the two Republican
committees in Methacton School District (LP and Worcester; school board candidates cross file, and evidently the LP
Dems decided not to endorse at all), has been dealt with by party leadership
and officially stripped of his endorsement. While it’s too late to have his
name removed from voting machines, he will not be advocated as a candidate on
Election Day. At considerable expense, party sample ballots were pulled and
reprinted without his name on them. His name was painstakingly removed from
yard signs on which he appeared. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
viewpoints he expressed are not shared by the members of the local party or the other endorsed candidates. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Absolutely, I think we should have done a better job of vetting our
candidates. Court records were scrutinized but we should have gone further. All
candidates were asked at the endorsement meeting whether there was any
information about themselves that could embarrass the party, and Misus either
forgot about these Facebook posts or didn’t see a problem with them, as they
were not mentioned. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">But that’s typical and not a good way to vet candidates unless
you already know the answer and are verifying a candidate’s honesty. Candidates
often lie or mislead. They forget, hedge, hide, engage in wishful thinking, and
understandably try to put the best face on things. A good vetting process is
systematic and ideally discovers both the strengths and weaknesses of
candidates before offering them assistance or support. You can’t rely only on what a candidate
tells you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">However, even when one DOES know of adverse information that
defies explanation, sometimes parties move forward with a candidate anyway. That’s
when doing your own research is most valuable.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is not just an indictment of the GOP. The local
Democrat party has had their missteps too. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">For example, back in 2009 one of my coworkers was a LP Democrat
committeeman who excitedly bragged to me one day that his party was going to put up
as a township supervisor candidate a 'dynamic woman who was new to Lower
Providence but not new to politics’. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was intrigued because I was working on a campaign to elect
the then-incumbent supervisor, so as soon I learned the name, I researched this
woman and discovered that she was a notorious con artist who had been at the
heart of a 2002-2003 scandal in Philadelphia wherein she pretended to be an
heiress descended from a Revolutionary war hero, ingratiated herself into
Philly high society, and used this persona to swindle a wealthy Philadelphia
real estate broker out of more than $80,000 in cash and thousands more in the
form of goods and services from others. She was so notorious that a couple of
crime shows had done episodes about her. (See a good summary, </span><a href="http://www.semissourian.com/story/66816.html" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">; this woman, who has since remarried,
moved out of Lower Providence last year as the result of a foreclosure, so
apparently her money management problems continue to this day. She still has an active court docket with Montgomery County as she's still paying restitution).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Anyway, I passed this information onto county GOP party leadership,
who took it to Democrat party leadership, who then presented it to the candidate
and asked her whether this information was true. She quietly withdrew and nobody was publicly embarrassed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps, like the “CARE” parents, we should have just
shopped the story around to the local news media for maximum exposure and
humiliation instead of handling it in a gentlemanly manner and giving the party the opportunity to address it first. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The lesson is, if a party doesn’t do a good job vetting
candidates these days, when it’s easier than ever via the Internet, the
opposition (and/or public) most certainly will. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not called ‘opposition research’ for
nothing.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">While the Worcester Republican Committee (via
Worcesterpapolitics.com) apparently was quick to blame Lower Providence’s
Republican Party for the Misus debacle, the offensive Facebook posts were never
presented by <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">their</i> municipal leader,
Wini Hayes, during the leadup to the joint school board endorsement meeting (or
at the actual meeting) as a reason why we should not endorse Mr. Misus, even
though Ms. Hayes took the lead on questioning candidates and asked each of them
about the existence of unflattering or adverse information.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Given how WRC has positioned themselves (via their friends
at Worcesterpapolitics.com) as somehow innocent in this, you can imagine how
surprised I was to discover something that apparently escaped WRC six years
ago when it endorsed current supervisor Susan Caughlan, and earlier this year
when they re-endorsed her for re-election</span>. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XQ-lfnqWeBF2PQxtebKAQn-9eGTAyhFEe7waJ0VuH74uu9Sdc3DfDegFWxPVMSRqBVut-jHiMgf9umbAswkz_MkgKmI13qpeSjVZ5lr3NCfLii_HTO9sNAc-je9izifOuYJsrtPI5dt-/s1600/caughlan.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1XQ-lfnqWeBF2PQxtebKAQn-9eGTAyhFEe7waJ0VuH74uu9Sdc3DfDegFWxPVMSRqBVut-jHiMgf9umbAswkz_MkgKmI13qpeSjVZ5lr3NCfLii_HTO9sNAc-je9izifOuYJsrtPI5dt-/s320/caughlan.JPG" width="188" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ms. Caughlan (also known as Mrs. David Brooks, whom I’ve
written about previously), an attorney, wrote and published an article for
the William and Mary Law Review <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in 1987 that
defended the in-home possession and viewing of child pornography as a protected
First Amendment right [you can read her argument yourself </span><a href="http://scholarship.law.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2042&context=wmlr" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">].<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was not a random class assignment she
was forced to write, it was an analysis she chose to make, write and publish. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">I’m not sure how one can defend the creation or mere existence
of, let alone the private possession, viewing and sharing of, child pornography
anywhere, anyplace, anytime, but this woman evidently feels the framers of the
Constitution envisioned this as a protected, God-given right more than two
hundred years ago - as long as it occurs in the privacy of your home, of course, if I read this correctly - and attached her name to this garbage. As a Republican, as an
American, as a parent, as a human, it disgusts me that WRC would hold up
someone with these reprehensible views and endorse them as some sort of exemplary
representative of our values, no matter when she wrote it.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the event that Caughlan belatedly defends writing this as
some sort of youth-inspired insanity, it gets worse. In the “You can tell a lot
about a person by the company they keep” department, I’m told she’s had a long friendship
and association with recently convicted child porn purveyor (and Worcester Twp resident)
John Harris. This friendship is shady especially when you consider that he has
reportedly endorsed her in the past, donated money to her campaign, and records show she
voted <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to spend in the neighborhood of
$200,000 of Worcester Township taxpayer dollars protecting his emails from
discovery in a Right-To-Know case (Worcester didn't have an email system of their own at the time and now, of course, we know what kind of things were lurking in his email). And, incidentally, she’s also voted to spend
taxpayer resources to battle Methacton School District in efforts to delay and
restrict the installation of field lights at Methacton’s football field in an effort to prevent them from
impacting nearby residents, which includes and benefits Harris, among other things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">This friendship/association is common knowledge in and around
Worcester, so why, again, was she ever endorsed? Was SHE vetted? As I mentioned
above, WRC chair Wini Hayes asked Methacton school board candidates seeking a
party endorsement this year if there was anything negative about themselves
that they needed to explain; did she ask Caughlan the same thing at their
meeting to endorse a supervisor candidate? And if so, did Caughlan ever tell
WRC about this plank in her ‘conservative’ platform?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Is it any wonder, then, that the fastest growing voter
identity group is “independent” and that increasingly, voters look with more
favor upon UNendorsed candidates? </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Political parties are made up of imperfect humans who
despite the best of intentions, sometimes get it wrong. Voters have a wealth of
free information easily available to them to determine who a candidate really
is, what he/she is really about, and whether a candidate resonates with their
values. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fact that so many have voter
apathy and abdicate the vetting responsibility to others lends validity to the
saying ‘you get the government you deserve”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu70g5xikqhrNaN2pRSz2pfRrQaoxlZjmxEhQfbyxahvM_SxQBMKp1HFQ0Pgz_QW6bSdiemkICxs1da47hxBFFtZbfg93SNB5aZtVkYyhJj5_SWCS14U3jDxdHQMM8hTUSpGCSLimO_b8K/s1600/vetting+cartoon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu70g5xikqhrNaN2pRSz2pfRrQaoxlZjmxEhQfbyxahvM_SxQBMKp1HFQ0Pgz_QW6bSdiemkICxs1da47hxBFFtZbfg93SNB5aZtVkYyhJj5_SWCS14U3jDxdHQMM8hTUSpGCSLimO_b8K/s320/vetting+cartoon.JPG" width="204" /></a></div>
Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-78238443263503357442015-04-25T08:12:00.004-04:002015-09-04T22:20:17.277-04:00Methacton Post Prom 2015 Rocks The Halls (For a video featuring many more of the themed art and displays from Post Prom 2015, please visit: <a href="https://youtu.be/hmM_5hu5lPE">https://youtu.be/hmM_5hu5lPE</a>)<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeD9U3VZGRPjBjytx4PRHjdwZpL0VFZT-H3TnRgSMrxZBTYlWjvcPnRBFGoFeqnRx9InGR8gM44I1qf4vkXVkeyr20QMiZxPWZea8cFzy0Rk0VH_PUMGUQxrvvYS1_whxks3wpxOpA_8YT/s1600/elvis+impersonator.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeD9U3VZGRPjBjytx4PRHjdwZpL0VFZT-H3TnRgSMrxZBTYlWjvcPnRBFGoFeqnRx9InGR8gM44I1qf4vkXVkeyr20QMiZxPWZea8cFzy0Rk0VH_PUMGUQxrvvYS1_whxks3wpxOpA_8YT/s1600/elvis+impersonator.JPG" width="150" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">The bluesy tones of an Elvis impersonator greeted curious
parents, grandparents and neighbors arriving to take the 2015 Methacton post
prom walk-through tour as they were greeted by student tour guides and school board
director Cathleen Barone, and given some history on this community tradition,
now in its sixteenth year. Superintendent Zerbe was also in line early to get a peek at the ambiance.</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">In past years I’ve written about what a wonderful program
post-prom is and how successful it’s been in keeping juniors and seniors safe
after prom. My own son has been out of Methacton a couple of years now and he
still wishes he could attend post-prom – that’s how fun it is and what a great
reputation it has among students.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm20VJsXtvsabcERSGt8yrCD7fHabPbmmgZpzIcilaXi7oZ5cql62otAm2qlf9PcD5pgaThOa8RnIw0AuljEbehk8cPh2w-piNy5OrC3nZPI9c1KX4relbhlR7IgaC4jZ-lQoTrbgEXG8N/s1600/beatles+fab+four.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm20VJsXtvsabcERSGt8yrCD7fHabPbmmgZpzIcilaXi7oZ5cql62otAm2qlf9PcD5pgaThOa8RnIw0AuljEbehk8cPh2w-piNy5OrC3nZPI9c1KX4relbhlR7IgaC4jZ-lQoTrbgEXG8N/s1600/beatles+fab+four.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’m adding a few photos here but for lots more pictures (set to music, too!) as to the
decorations accompanying this year’s theme, go to </span><a href="https://youtu.be/hmM_5hu5lPE"><span style="font-size: large;">https://youtu.be/hmM_5hu5lPE</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year’s theme – “Rock the Halls” – had substantial
assistance from the Arcola music teachers, and a Worcester Township resident
donated the use of a vintage 1912 Harley-Davidson motorcycle for the Methacton
version of Hard Rock Café. The Café will feature student performers throughout
the night and is a coffee-house style setting in which kids can relax.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">As always, each of the elementary schools adopts a bathroom
and selects a theme in which to outfit it. This year’s themes are Elvis/Blue
Hawaii, Katy Perry, Pink Floyd/The Wall and a Jimmy Buffett beachy theme.</span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlHQO4igzPlvr2x2e9GYUuCxIKE8hEx2Jw3St0zOrsm02GmgqQzqVtFZ1xsL94F5HEerv2lNg7z5WdSv50qvu7U2QU1WNExHDjaCOwNcHZF1jRpKOXheRp1XbfhEwkY1uVD7D2wjhHgIX/s1600/games+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmlHQO4igzPlvr2x2e9GYUuCxIKE8hEx2Jw3St0zOrsm02GmgqQzqVtFZ1xsL94F5HEerv2lNg7z5WdSv50qvu7U2QU1WNExHDjaCOwNcHZF1jRpKOXheRp1XbfhEwkY1uVD7D2wjhHgIX/s1600/games+1.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">In addition to the stunning décor, students have a variety
of choices to pass the time all night, from inflatable activities to mechanical
bull riding, a faux casino, games like ping pong, foosball, billiards, and air
hockey, lazer tag, dodgeball and volleyball tournaments, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to movies in a theater-like setting (this year’s
showings include Footloose, The Great Gatsby, and Step Up). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The “cash cab” of the last few years gives way
to “Rockin’ Rollercoaster” this year (but functions essentially the same, as a
roving trivia contest with cash prizes). Also new this year is a Family Feud
game show. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ah yes, the prizes are a big reason the kids stay. They have
chances to win serious electronics (iPads, laptops, iPods, flat screen TVs),
concert and sports tickets, and gift certificates for staying the night, and
thanks to many generous local food donors, the kids are well fed and exhausted
when they leave at 6 am.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNY2MQ4s-uhWfdd2CZ-FIhV-T2quIBsZjGk-mwDEvsjw0PUm3MIJUApMzpuLBDlriTEbMqmfHyBrvJa1h0OebLI4uH6VLMBH44gABr1kYhjRUgYL2Q75dYuAMb_P6aXjMbJhRPBjdOq5xz/s1600/drug+awareness+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNY2MQ4s-uhWfdd2CZ-FIhV-T2quIBsZjGk-mwDEvsjw0PUm3MIJUApMzpuLBDlriTEbMqmfHyBrvJa1h0OebLI4uH6VLMBH44gABr1kYhjRUgYL2Q75dYuAMb_P6aXjMbJhRPBjdOq5xz/s1600/drug+awareness+2.JPG" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4ntkjOhgm9PhK0I93t2G2nx_5yuDWGwhhyphenhyphenwbfpshpPX5z0dqn2CqBPd9HfBXzYja1z6DN5XHkedkuVMu456bbN4GDi6MGPN9z1NDbTOxUXtrdwBGmzWFL5AKjLUasehgEVSZfHW87Tns/s1600/drug+awareness+table.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs4ntkjOhgm9PhK0I93t2G2nx_5yuDWGwhhyphenhyphenwbfpshpPX5z0dqn2CqBPd9HfBXzYja1z6DN5XHkedkuVMu456bbN4GDi6MGPN9z1NDbTOxUXtrdwBGmzWFL5AKjLUasehgEVSZfHW87Tns/s1600/drug+awareness+table.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Also new this year was a drug and alcohol awareness counter
featuring not only information on the perils of a variety of substances but a
backdrop of large photos and names of Methacton and local community students
who have passed in recent years due to overdoses or alcohol-related accidents
or other drug-related situations, to remind kids that these things can and do
happen to people just like them, or perhaps to people they know. School
director Kim Woodring helped staff this display.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">A small army of approximately 400 people works all year to pull
together the theme, decorations, food, finances, and all the myriad details
that go into putting such a huge event together. This year as many students
graduate and move and parent turnover occurs, post-prom is looking for new
volunteers to take on leadership positions for Post Prom 2016. Please consider
stepping up to chair a committee or help out behind the scenes, or on the
magical evening itself, providing security, working as a casino dealer, helping
with trike races or in some other capacity. You’ll have fun too and make new
(and talented!) friends.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFByoiblG8bwXDL1ZIkQ84Qttc79wmVMLQxtxTk8wwiXjJDV4RSicPzvdqXY4ytMi_ppJRumti5p3CCl1SrwqFGZli0T8IE-fvXPxazuVtriV-H7FwlPzlx1LsAgsQQ8nRhQlq-_nBdgH/s1600/rock+the+halls+cover+art.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUFByoiblG8bwXDL1ZIkQ84Qttc79wmVMLQxtxTk8wwiXjJDV4RSicPzvdqXY4ytMi_ppJRumti5p3CCl1SrwqFGZli0T8IE-fvXPxazuVtriV-H7FwlPzlx1LsAgsQQ8nRhQlq-_nBdgH/s1600/rock+the+halls+cover+art.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">For more information contact Dana Reddington (</span><a href="mailto:danareddington@gmail.com"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">danareddington@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">), Kim Beam
(</span><a href="mailto:kimberleebeam@hotmail.com"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">kimberleebeam@hotmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">) or
Karen Kilgour (</span><a href="mailto:khgilgour@gmail.com"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">khgilgour@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">). </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6Jy3dnH9zRnSo8Yj8HFRGiSCEuLtfxCYl6hkfHvq8YB2UKaLyD8ZwKrbdXKT9-oES8ywkAzrxzJWpRZGAMSMZDtBfPFFgLOwp9jGnlXnnQaOttUUjXBVuvplJT0FWBplSPCRSO6CDpKO/s1600/neon+hall.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6Jy3dnH9zRnSo8Yj8HFRGiSCEuLtfxCYl6hkfHvq8YB2UKaLyD8ZwKrbdXKT9-oES8ywkAzrxzJWpRZGAMSMZDtBfPFFgLOwp9jGnlXnnQaOttUUjXBVuvplJT0FWBplSPCRSO6CDpKO/s1600/neon+hall.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-77067766945705452172015-03-11T18:52:00.001-04:002015-09-04T22:28:19.293-04:00Fuzzy Math <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">If the public hearings Methacton School District held on Feb. 23 and 25 regarding the proposed closure of Audubon Elementary illustrated anything, it was that district elementary parents have been busily completing lots of homework in response to the announcement.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsX_GBGdKua9FvVnu5m505PTR3NyGL1qnO9CGP7jcqStkC3-xZKtzv-xAT5UJYP4FZ5eVWkhpUcWB_c8ZCVs6i9yo6jjl2fu_H_KsXav-nDhO6XAHqJwumoxMkRTDfhbrIqkyn8HGwyYX/s1600/math_number.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="143" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifsX_GBGdKua9FvVnu5m505PTR3NyGL1qnO9CGP7jcqStkC3-xZKtzv-xAT5UJYP4FZ5eVWkhpUcWB_c8ZCVs6i9yo6jjl2fu_H_KsXav-nDhO6XAHqJwumoxMkRTDfhbrIqkyn8HGwyYX/s1600/math_number.jpg" width="200" />I</a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">In addition to math
(working out their own calculations for enrollment and capacity projections, as
well as reviewing the budget and the costs of expected impacts) and research
homework (reviewing state legislation and regulations governing PSERS, sale of school
properties and other topics), the parents also prepared a spelling lesson for
the school board members: “WTR”, or Why The Rush? </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">In all, over the two
evenings the hearing took place, more than 100 speakers offered their concerns
regarding the potential impact on their kids and the district as a whole,
should one or more schools close. Parents and educators offered a variety of
comments under oath. Testimony included concerns regarding class size, disputes
about the enrollment and capacity projections offered by PEL (with some parents
providing their own projections which they deemed more accurate), potential
property value impacts, what redistricting would look like, requests for the
school board members to visit an elementary, whether Audubon Elementary is
under agreement of sale, desire for more community involvement and input, and
the rushed timeline for action. Parents also disputed the estimated costs,
and/or need for, school facility repairs and upgrades.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Given the current angst
over the misrepresentations that led to the construction of Skyview, I was somewhat
surprised to see at least three of the “Skyview” former school board members
present in the audience at the Monday portion of the hearings – Marijane
Barbone, Jim Van Horn, and Dan Sattler. All three served as president of the school
board during their respective tenures. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Ms. Barbone <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>offered testimony and owned her decision to
build and fund Skyview – she was a school board member from 2002 to 2011. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She cited her past experience and lectured the
current school board members to slow down, stating “With all the things that
have to be done I don’t know how this could be done by the fall”. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Despite parents’ demonstrated
aptitude for mathematics, perhaps they are looking at the wrong set of numbers.
The issue is more complex than just enrollment and capacity projections. </span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">As of the 2014-2015 school
year, it costs us $19,900 to educate each child in the school district. A big part
of that mix is teacher salaries and pensions, facilities/operating expenses, and
other state or federally mandated spends.</span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8fvwKGwCZ7vRXdjRpPQAXqLGuUmWhKo40wR8ozLjSWsEB1E07ZvrhclTpfsY6O1w7cb3dXfg6fCmDI7BZzmLQQ_Iw6jTvWgoV452FDjhwPxyIXp9o68fOX9QRJoGvXHU41iZBkFzlMuw/s1600/PSERS+projections.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW8fvwKGwCZ7vRXdjRpPQAXqLGuUmWhKo40wR8ozLjSWsEB1E07ZvrhclTpfsY6O1w7cb3dXfg6fCmDI7BZzmLQQ_Iw6jTvWgoV452FDjhwPxyIXp9o68fOX9QRJoGvXHU41iZBkFzlMuw/s1600/PSERS+projections.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the administration explained to the Board in 2014, one of the largest drivers of increased budget costs is the state-mandated PSERs. With pension costs rising, the Board expects increases in mandatory contributions to be required by the Commonwealth. Assuming we can keep costs flat next year and accounting for the mandated increases in salaries, steps and PSERs, according to Methacton's five-year projections, if all stays the same (as if!) five years from now we will be looking at a $12 million deficit. To be able to tax enough to cover that it would have to go out for a referendum vote by District taxpayers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">By state law (Act 1, the
Pennsylvania Taxpayer Relief Act of 2006), anything over the annual index set
by the Commonwealth (currently set at <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>1.9%) must go to the voters for referendum
unless exceptions are sought and approved for one-off, unusual expenses that
are unforeseen or outside the District’s control. However, there is no exception for mandated PSERS payments. If the School board does
nothing now to try to trim costs substantially, we will have to do something
drastic. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">The last time a referendum vote occurred was in 2007, when voters rejected a mere half a percent increase to the Earned Income Tax requested by the school district. It's safe to say if a tax referendum vote is needed now, that percentage will be substantially higher than .5% and the Board members recognize the likelihood that it would be soundly defeated at the polls.</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2PKVBdlyFztRwqDpgZKLRaRO-DEbcqRCIAtf0TGt5FAs9A0m-OKRuYwAQ83AkD1cbio64q2qZ6w21x9Q4-QmNXNxT3J0T9Ls_tUHlC8FpupoxTZUFRPEVm9I313vMKhqCUkNvNZMsnqy/s1600/referendum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp2PKVBdlyFztRwqDpgZKLRaRO-DEbcqRCIAtf0TGt5FAs9A0m-OKRuYwAQ83AkD1cbio64q2qZ6w21x9Q4-QmNXNxT3J0T9Ls_tUHlC8FpupoxTZUFRPEVm9I313vMKhqCUkNvNZMsnqy/s1600/referendum.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">I did some homework of my
own and researched what each of those parents who offered testimony paid in
school taxes. The low end of the scale was around $3000 a year and the high end
of the scale was just under $10,000 a year. That’s per HOUSEHOLD per year, not
per child. Are you beginning to see the problem? This $12M hole is so big, we
can’t tax our way out of it. We’ve cut all the low-hanging fruit and now there
are only big limbs to lop off.</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #252525; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">One Lower Providence mother
testified that because she has four children enrolled at Methacton, she’s “done
her fair share to contribute to the enrollment in this District”. So let’s do a
word problem. For those four kids, it’s costing the District just under $80,000
to educate them, but they’re only taking in, at most, $10,000 a year from their
household. In fact, according to county property tax records, from this woman’s
specific household, it’s much less….$4,903. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are roughly 33,000
residents (13,000 households) in Methacton School District. But of those 13,000
households, not all are occupied by people working in the prime earning years
of their lives. A significant percentage (approximately 15%) are seniors on
fixed incomes, and another 20% or so percent are single person or single-parent,
one-income homes. Even minor tax increases are forcing these folks out of their
homes. Some give up and move somewhere cheaper, if they can; but there are
about 7 foreclosures a month in the District and not all of them are seniors. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The tax base is largely at
the breaking point. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And proposed
legislation in Harrisburg designed to potentially give taxpayers relief from
paying property taxes in exchange for higher income and sales taxes could
potentially remove local taxing authority for schools altogether which
ultimately means less local control over your own school district, but also means
wealthier school districts such as ours will find ourselves funding less
affluent, poorer-performing school districts at the expense of our own. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">After cutting the low-hanging fruit of T1 classes, after-school activities buses, closing the library one day a week, outsourcing cafeteria workers and bus drivers, all that’s left at
this point is teacher salaries, benefits/pension or facilities. No one wants to
close schools or lay off teachers, but it’s truly coming down to a case of ‘pick
your poison’.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">One gentleman, a Lower
Providence resident, testified that “I don’t care what it costs, I’m happy to
die destitute and alone if it means keeping the school open”, and that he sees
“no reason other than money to close a school, but I don’t care about that”. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I might add that of all the parents who
testified, I discovered that this individual’s household pays the lowest amount
in property (school district) taxes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">This man evidently
believes that the 70% of taxpayers in the district that DO NOT have kids in the
school system don’t get a seat at the table when decisions like this need to be
considered, even though that 70% is paying the lion’s share of the freight in
keeping public schools open. For people like him, the taxpayer evidently isn’t
viewed as a stakeholder on equal footing with parents, children, staff or
faculty. The schoolboard members must, however, consider the perspectives of ALL
taxpayers, not just those with kids currently attending school in the District.
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Part of that 70% are
parents with school aged kids in private school. These folks are essentially
paying double at the same time they are reducing the burden on the public
school system by educating their families elsewhere.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">As many, many District
taxpayers have told me over the years, people with the “happy to die destitute’
mindset are welcome to go ahead and impoverish themselves if they want…by all
means, go ahead, write bigger checks to Methacton voluntarily and leave the
rest of the taxpayers alone. The 70% have college and retirement to pay for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: large;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some of those parents testified
that if a school or schools close, it could negatively impact the quality of
education, the reputation of the school district and ultimately affect property
values. That may be, and keeping schools open may well help property values
stay as high as possible, but what is the point if the BANK gets a good sale
price for your home when our taxes become so high, many residents can’t pay
them and wind up getting forced out in foreclosure? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another key element of
property value is affordability. In addition to evaluating whether a school
district is a good one, potential buyers in Lower Providence and Worcester
Townships also evaluate the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">affordability</i>
of local taxes. Getting a reputation for higher than average taxes drives off potential
residents as much as a poorly performing school district. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;"><o:p>And yes, while I agree that we also arguably may need a brand-new state-of-the-art turf field facility with stadium lights to be able to compete athletically, I have always questioned the wisdom of moving ahead with this at a time when the economy has not been great, wondering ‘can we afford it’ knowing that these issues were looming. While the school district maintains that much of the funding for this expense will be raised by private funds, in actuality, to date only a small amount of the money pledged has actually been collected</o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKH-F0uCcEL9meIJWiICODroTgAIXGEXEWax4GBiKXcsiyal7OmLijCW26SzvPkJ51gjfp3_akeI0a3g5NENKylXQ6ZSMiOnS8Y1JFKFr-wck1vlmcsx5ItB-UYLsIMNRc_xe9Z-v1wZbt/s1600/school+board.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKH-F0uCcEL9meIJWiICODroTgAIXGEXEWax4GBiKXcsiyal7OmLijCW26SzvPkJ51gjfp3_akeI0a3g5NENKylXQ6ZSMiOnS8Y1JFKFr-wck1vlmcsx5ItB-UYLsIMNRc_xe9Z-v1wZbt/s1600/school+board.jpg" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: large;">The District scheduled a
special meeting for this evening, March 11 at 7:30 pm at Arcola Middle School.
I anticipate that the school board will take the opportunity to respond to
parent concerns, offer opportunities for parent and community stakeholder
involvement in the process, and possibly back off the aggressive timeline. In the meantime, more than a dozen candidates for Methacton school board have filed paperwork with the Montgomery County Board of Elections seeking to be placed on the ballot for the May primary. Those candidates include incumbents Barone, Pellicano, Shackleford, and Woodring. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">At the end of the day, class
size, top-notch facilities and high dollar spend per student are not the most important determinants of educational success, it’s PARENTAL
INVOLVEMENT. The several hundred parents who came out to speak on behalf of
Arrowhead, Audubon and to a smaller degree, some of the other three elementary
schools in our District, demonstrated that, at least in that regard, we are
quite rich indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-91457413114217380352015-02-22T22:24:00.003-05:002015-09-04T22:33:16.181-04:00School Daze<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Parents in two elementary school communities within the
Methacton School Dstrict are in an uproar following a school board announcement
at their February 3, 2015 meeting that they have reviewed recent enrollment and
capacity studies they commissioned from the Pennsylvania Economy League (PEL),
an education consultant, and will hold public hearings to consider closing two
schools.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWl7E9fGNWgOhmbT2_Y1Yb9GkRmxvam38ozApi5-bwp3MTNEOQSoJAn96UPKBP16DXrcHAROcD5YmJ4KzjSaZ-baCVdeiEnMu7wsZMvEcClsZwFkovMtcm_0fDG0uYhS2bifFf6I1iIgz2/s1600/reports.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWl7E9fGNWgOhmbT2_Y1Yb9GkRmxvam38ozApi5-bwp3MTNEOQSoJAn96UPKBP16DXrcHAROcD5YmJ4KzjSaZ-baCVdeiEnMu7wsZMvEcClsZwFkovMtcm_0fDG0uYhS2bifFf6I1iIgz2/s1600/reports.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The PEL reports, which cost $18,000 in consulting fees, provided key findings, including the observations about our dropping enrollment rate, along with the recommendation that Methacton evaluate the potential closing of Arrowhead and/or Audubon Elementary schools for the 2015-2016 school year (and, presumably, for the foreseeable future beyond that, since the enrollment trend is expected to continue downward over the next decade) in order to cut costs and best use its resources. According to the reports, Arrowhead and Audubon face the highest costs of recommended repairs and updating to ADA code.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">No serious public outcry came about until the February 3 meeting, in which the capacity study piece was presented along with its findings and recommendations. It was at this meeting that the Board voted practically unanimously (one member was absent) to begin the process of considering the closure of the two schools. No parents were at the meeting to protest that decision.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">As word spread among the parents of children attending both
Audubon and Arrowhead that the school board was taking this recommendation
seriously and had scheduled public hearings about it, disbelief and anger
quickly galvanized into action as parent and civic groups at each school
organized to voice their displeasure and to attempt to convince the school board
members to reverse one or both proposed closures at the February 23, 2015 (and
potentially February 25) public hearing.</span><br />
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But for those looking to assign blame for why shutting
these schools down may have to happen, we need to look back in time, before the
current board was seated. Some parents are blaming the focus and funding being
expended on turf fields and lights, and that may or may not be true, but there
is more to it than that. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A handful of concerned
citizens from both Lower Providence and Worcester Townships tried, since circa 2005-2006
when the concept and plans for the new 5-6 school began to solidify, to sound
the alarm that enrollment trends were already trending down, contrary to the
assertions of the Methacton School Board seated at the time the vote was taken
to build it*.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And, further, that trend did
not support the construction of the Grade 5-6 school eventually named “Skyview
Upper Elementary School” nor the approximately $50+ million (across three
bonds) in debt the District incurred to build it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is debt for which the District doesn’t
even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">begin</i> to start paying down
principal until 2018. In fact, we can’t even attempt to refinance the first one
until 2018. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The District based future
enrollment projections back then on a previously projected population for the
then-current year, even after the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">actual</i>
population for the current year was known to be less than that <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">estimated</i> value. Thus, the school
district is left with growing consequences of long-term overspending across
several different Methacton school boards that only continues to grow. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN;">While belated vindication
may be sweet for the residents who expressed concern back then, given that their
assertions were borne out with the passage of time, their contention now is
that the Skyview project and related soft costs are arguably the primary reason
why the closure of two elementary schools is now up for consideration. They say
residents were lied to in order to get Skyview built, and told enrollment was
trending upward in order to justify the spend. Now, Skyview is at 75% of capacity and can absorb some of the elementary school students.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcf9VRm335j7SA498rwu1Btr0kP5LodDhycCeRRRom4u7iS-TzDJ4cyub3ogqKivsG6h0iG8EIZ-TU-p5wVwokBQTiv7p725ChOxG2rXjsh2FVE5fEMdNB1GejmVM1etfXAuBKpitx2qF/s1600/arrowhead+school.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNcf9VRm335j7SA498rwu1Btr0kP5LodDhycCeRRRom4u7iS-TzDJ4cyub3ogqKivsG6h0iG8EIZ-TU-p5wVwokBQTiv7p725ChOxG2rXjsh2FVE5fEMdNB1GejmVM1etfXAuBKpitx2qF/s1600/arrowhead+school.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Meanwhile, as Facebook pages have sprung up (Save Arrowhead
School, Save Audubon School), yard signs and unity tee shirts are being
ordered, and parents at these schools are mobilizing their forces, I can’t help
but wonder if people were paying more attention to those sounding the alarm
back then, and perhaps doing some of their own homework on the issue, it’s
possible this expenditure would never have happened and this conversation would
not be necessary now. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each elementary
would have been spruced up and life would have gone on – and we’d be in much
better position to be able to pay for things like turf fields and teacher’s
contracts today without the specter of raising taxes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: small;">Total District enrollment when Skyview was built was at
5338 students and expected to climb to 6500 students. That never panned out -
we’re at approximately 4974 now and enrollment has dropped every year for the
past seven years. The PEL reports give compelling justification for the
downward trends that jives with what I know to be true about what’s going on in
each of the member townships as far as development projects and demographic
trends is concerned.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiln-6uhfMfXz6yfOxBPvj_bdH0WnPsEozF7OLVj5OyS7WE5I39KiB3K0nGWsk4g40llUUxQd8bj4egnCXATbHEzIAtHkBhChl-Pq_j27Apzzybb_BXB2YdCSRITbjYSUBXZWo2YtaF-Jdr/s1600/audubon+elementary.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiln-6uhfMfXz6yfOxBPvj_bdH0WnPsEozF7OLVj5OyS7WE5I39KiB3K0nGWsk4g40llUUxQd8bj4egnCXATbHEzIAtHkBhChl-Pq_j27Apzzybb_BXB2YdCSRITbjYSUBXZWo2YtaF-Jdr/s1600/audubon+elementary.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Perhaps we should try to get our money back from the
consultant used to come up with those terribly flawed projections (EI
Associates, in combination with enrollment projections the school board
developed internally at the time). It’s also worth noting that Methacton’s
superintendent at the time, Dr. Jeffrey Miller, listed EI Associates as one of
his sources of income on <a href="http://issuu.com/janicekearney/docs/miller_ethics_form/1" target="_blank">ethics reports</a> filed at the time. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Even if you buy that alleged crowding at the elementary
schools at the time warranted a new school, we were already getting by with
modular units at some of the schools and the need for that temporary flex space
would have gone away. When enrollments dropped, we could have eliminated the
lease cost of the modulars and be done with it, instead of paying long-term for
a significantly empty "upper elementary" 5-6 school. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">For example, Worcester resident Dr. James Mollick** put
together a nearly 70 page document (<a href="http://issuu.com/janicekearney/docs/skyview_compliant_1_part_1/" target="_blank">Part 1</a>, <a href="http://issuu.com/janicekearney/docs/skyview_complaint_1_part_2/1" target="_blank">Part 2</a> and <a href="http://issuu.com/janicekearney/docs/skyview_complaint_1_part_3/1" target="_blank">Part 3</a> ) with supporting facts and data for school
board review as to why they should not approve the 5-6 school. He was ignored,
laughed at, mocked, and called a ‘kook’. ** <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">However, the PA Dept. of Education took Mollick’s concerns
seriously and on the basis of a complaint filed by Mollick which included that
same document, <a href="http://issuu.com/janicekearney/docs/pde_voiding/1" target="_blank">voided</a> Methacton’s original submission based on problems with
<a href="http://issuu.com/janicekearney/docs/attachment_c/1" target="_blank">Attachment C</a> of Methacton’s application (which included details such as enrollment
and capacity projections). The school district was forced to reapply as a
result. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">John Andrews of Lower Providence, a former, actual rocket
scientist for GE / Lockheed-Martin who worked on NASA projects (a graduate of
Princeton and MIT) and a master at compiling and analyzing data, has appeared
at practically every single school board meeting over the past ten years, many
of which were spent attempting to get the Board to understand that Skyview was
not needed and was an expense the school district could ill afford. He ran his
own enrollment data (which he has updated frequently and provided to the school
board regularly over the years) which was in direct contravention to those
provided by the school board at the time. In March, 2008, Andrews was quoted by
the Times Herald as calling Methacton’s enrollment projections “unreliable and
fictitious”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Mr. Andrews has also been treated with a degree of derision
over the years by various board members (for this as well as other matters he
has spoken out about). The PEL report has largely validated Mr. Andrews’
projections at the time and since. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Candy Allebach, another LP resident whose property is
adjacent to Skyview/Arcola, has been very vocal over the years and quoted often
in the press questioning the school district on various matters, but most
particularly related to opposing the construction of Skyview – from the cost,
to the validity of the enrollment numbers proffered by the Board at the time to
justify it, and to the traffic impacts an additional facility would bring to
Eagleview Road. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I’ve seen and heard a lot of angst about class sizes since
this story broke. Personally, not only am I a Methacton alumni but I put two
kids of my own through the District. As part of the ‘Baby Boom’ generation, it
wasn’t unusual when I attended Woodland, Arcola or Methacton to have as many as
35 kids in a class. The vast majority of us turned out just fine and are
upstanding, productive citizens contributing to society. Many of my teacher
friends tell me that times have changed substantially in recent years such that
a large number of kids are on IEPs – so they are hardly being lost in the
shuffle regardless of class size. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Ideally, we’d love smaller classes and more individualized
attention; turf fields and all kinds of bells and whistles. The reality is, just
like with our household budgets, we can’t afford everything we think our kids
deserve.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We elect people to help figure
out what should be prioritized when it comes time to make tough decisions.
We’re in a tough economy and education is heavily regulated with many mandatory
spends. There’s not a lot of wiggle room, even in a budget that’s a tenth of a
billion bucks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Bottom line, our residents have been misled in the past. We
had a board led by several people who stayed on for years, and considering that
there has been a history of 30+ straight years of tax increases, they were spending
boards. Several current board members, along with some of those prior board
members – are <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">still</i> trying to
silence the voices of those who were outraged at the unnecessary spending to
build Skyview, saying ‘that’s in the past’. Well, perhaps, but it’s relevant because
residents were misled in the past, significant money was spent that arguably
didn’t need to be, and it’s an important part of understanding what we are
dealing with in the present. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: small;">More troubling, several of the individuals who served on
the ‘Skyview board’ are still active behind the scenes in selecting and
mentoring future school board candidates and helping to shepherd them through
the election process. A positive consequence of the proposed school closing
announcement has been an increase in the number of folks looking to run for
school board in the May 2015 primary. Fresh faces may well be in order.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimS0os4JffKQObv8xqxZdTeN15jrzWs7eElPVHn2pt2zVWekLDdphzibXtBAyhf79YGfG7dip8A7p62lG2EMouOa5di4rztiSLnAH7wOCDrSnqIeJ8ZXmIoyGTZZYtnajMBy0OSHA8xgjg/s1600/current+MHS+elementary+school+boundaries.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimS0os4JffKQObv8xqxZdTeN15jrzWs7eElPVHn2pt2zVWekLDdphzibXtBAyhf79YGfG7dip8A7p62lG2EMouOa5di4rztiSLnAH7wOCDrSnqIeJ8ZXmIoyGTZZYtnajMBy0OSHA8xgjg/s1600/current+MHS+elementary+school+boundaries.png" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">In recent years, our school board has already trimmed any
low-hanging fruit: T1 classes have been eliminated, after-school late buses
have been eliminated…then ALL our buses were eliminated when transportation was
turned over to First Student, along with our fleet. The cafeteria workers were
furloughed and Aramark brought into replace them. And in that time, so far, teacher salaries and
pensions have NOT been touched. If schools are not closed, serious cuts will
need to be negotiated there. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">While money certainly isn’t the only consideration when
evaluating closing schools or redistricting, here’s what we save if we do this…the
approximate $11M in school refurbishments to correct deficiencies at the
neediest two facilities identified in the study, Audubon and Arrowhead. If you
take the average cost per square foot to do so noted in the study ($200 per
square foot, and multiply it by the 55,000 square feet total between the two
schools) you arrive at the $11M number. On top of that, there are savings to be
had in teacher salaries and pensions and in the costs of keeping two extra
facilities open, heated, lit and operating each year. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We’re at critical mass – mandatory PSERs (Public School
Employees’ Retirement System) debt/increases to the tune of $12M is on the
horizon beginning in the next two years, which Methacton is obligated by law to
fund, and that will only continue to grow going forward. A new teacher’s
contract will need to be negotiated as well. Room in the budget needs to be
made to accommodate these. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: small;">In the alternative, should the school board raise your
taxes 15-20%, driving our tax base right out of the school district, or is
there something else we can do about it so we don’t have to take that step? We
all know that if put to a referendum vote, such a huge tax increase will never
pass, which is why school districts generally avoid the kinds of tax hikes that
by law have to go up for referendum.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG62EpNas53iOR9ly8MAhjPFJT4UN0Z4zAVx72KiRxLDrOP2vPvQQLBgMkFt599G0hXn0lT07HSLre2EEomiJ5KKs3zSchApJ_P02cOO5HmLGXUGpOD-2slZPyZbeo7TBwMfORhheveJLe/s1600/fifty+shades+of+red.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG62EpNas53iOR9ly8MAhjPFJT4UN0Z4zAVx72KiRxLDrOP2vPvQQLBgMkFt599G0hXn0lT07HSLre2EEomiJ5KKs3zSchApJ_P02cOO5HmLGXUGpOD-2slZPyZbeo7TBwMfORhheveJLe/s1600/fifty+shades+of+red.png" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">What else should be cut to accommodate keeping these
schools open?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Contrary to what some
politicians would have you believe, there is no infinite supply of money. Even
lobbying the Commonwealth for more money, like Philadelphia does, still results
in more money coming out of each of our residents’ pockets to support this, at
a time when cries for property tax reform are growing louder in Harrisburg. Any
funds that come from the state are obtained from taxpayers first…the same
taxpayer pool paying local taxes too. People are tapped out, especially our
seniors on fixed incomes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">We’ve redistricted several times over the past thirty
years, as have many other school districts, and I don’t believe anyone has
suffered dire, life-changing consequences or loss of quality of life as a
result. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">It is long past time for the adults in the room to stand up
and come clean with parents. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The public
has finally been told the truth: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> e</span>nrollment is down, and there is too much
capacity at Skyview. Anyone who wanted to expose what was going on before
Skyview was constructed, and disagreed with the need for it, was shut down,
disparaged and silenced. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">I applaud the current board for having the courage to have
the hard conversation now and for having the fortitude to consider making very
difficult, unpopular choices NOW to avoid even more difficult, unpopular choices
later</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Notes:</span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">*school
board members at that time were: Jim Van Horn, Joyce Petrauskas, Marijane
Barbone, Michael Simeone, Dan Sattler, Ted Chylack, William Kazimer, John Lynch
and Wilson Bohanak. </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">The
first five voted to build Skyview; the last three voted against. Chylack was
absent for the vote. </span></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Shortly after that vote was another election; some of the individual members changed and voted on subsequent items such as putting it out for bid etc. It was during this time that </span></i></span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">disgraced and departed
former superintendent Quinn was hired.</span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><em>**I</em> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">note with a bit
of hilarity the s</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN" style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">chadenfreude</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-
and delicious irony - going on over at neighboring local community blog, </span></i><a href="http://www.worcesterpapolitics.org/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"><span style="color: #0563c1;">www.worcesterpapolitics.org</span></span></i></a><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"> , which, while anonymous, is rumored to
be authored by David Brooks, the spouse of Worcester supervisor Susan Caughlan,
and/or Art Bustard, and/or John Harris, recently of child pornography arrest
fame. Dr. Mollick is a frequent subject of attacks on the site, primarily for
daring to question them about anything. </span></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;"></span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; line-height: 107%;">Worcester
Township and Dr. Mollick have been at odds for several years over a number of
issues, so there’s no love lost between them, but since Worcester Township is
also locked in combat these days with Methacton over (primarily) the stadium
lights issue, and thus happily taking shots at Methacton of late, they
begrudgingly admit – without naming him, of course – that Dr. Mollick was one
of those who was right to sound the alarm about enrollment and Skyview, noting
“At the time, several residents complained at public meetings about these
projections, but their complaints were ignored”. How it must kill them to
realize that the one person who consistently calls them out on <u>their </u>shenanigans
was right about Skyview.</span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></i> Links:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"></span><br />
<a href="http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20070428/TMP01%20%20/304289999" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Dozen Methacton School Board Hopefuls Slated to Appear at Candidates Forum" - April 2007</span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20070502/TMP01%20%20/305029998" target="_blank">"Space Occupies [Methacton Candidate] Forum" - May 2007</a></span><br />
<a href="http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20080319/TMP01%20%20/303199998" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Slim OK to Seek Bids for 5-6 School" - March 2008</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20080528/TMP01/305289963" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Board OKs bids for 5-6 School" - May 2008</span></a><br />
<a href="http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20090630/NEWS01/306309978" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Skyview Construction on Schedule" - June 2009</span></a><br />
<a href="http://tapinto.net/towns/lower-providence/articles/is-methacton-really-growing" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Is Methacton Really Growing?" - August 2014</span></a><br />
<a href="http://tapinto.net/towns/lower-providence/articles/without-change-methacton-to-see-12-million-defi" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Without Change, Methacton to See $12M Deficit by 2019" - September 2014</span></a><br />
<a href="http://tapinto.net/articles/methactons-enrollment-study-shows-continued-decl" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">"Methacton's Enrollment Study Shows Continued Declines in Student Populations Over Coming Decade" - January 2015</span></a><br />
<br />Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-59983259461362897292014-10-15T01:47:00.002-04:002015-09-04T22:37:01.765-04:00A Solid Foundation <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoi_RTCdjRJRXoSEWGAFWfn7MoKvCkltPTJ-EcJVEOSmj8j6dfHakmLcQjNwSNocEJoSoQCF9Gwm5kZfcOv0j_yBB2q3GcfL4r0H8_gacuGvccAAfaL5-1Q0-e4nY2Kd_hmpPwMoZF8ff/s1600/efmc.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoi_RTCdjRJRXoSEWGAFWfn7MoKvCkltPTJ-EcJVEOSmj8j6dfHakmLcQjNwSNocEJoSoQCF9Gwm5kZfcOv0j_yBB2q3GcfL4r0H8_gacuGvccAAfaL5-1Q0-e4nY2Kd_hmpPwMoZF8ff/s1600/efmc.gif" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">How many times a year do
you get hit up to make a charitable donation? 3? 10? 50?? 50 from one
organization alone?? Whatever that number is, most people feel it’s too often.
The solicitations can be expected to continue as the economy remains flat, many
institutions aren’t cutting spending and any available tax revenue is spread
thin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">According to the results
of a 2012 survey conducted by Philanthropy.com, “Most donors are getting savvier
about their philanthropy, often researching causes before they make their
gifts.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The site also notes that donors
told them they’d be more likely to give more if they saw more tangible evidence
of results, and in breaking down some donor demographics observed that middle-aged donors in particular want to be shown a clear
idea of where the funds raised are going…to know that the charity they donate
to is the best of all organizations working on that particular mission. In
short, prospective funding sources are doing their homework and demanding
results.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">That’s good news for
organizations like the Education Foundation for the Methacton Community, a local nonprofit
that’s been in existence since 2009 and one that meets all those donor requirements. A registered legitimate 501(c)3 charity,
its mission is to ‘ensure the highest level of educational innovation –
supporting students, faculty and staff through a partnership with our
community’. The Foundation partners with Methacton School District to help
identify needs and funding gaps in order to make monetary grants to help foster
specific programs that are outside the scope of the district’s budget, enhance
the school curriculum, and help meet long-term capital needs the school
district has identified. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The money raised by the
Foundation stays in the community, and its impact can be readily seen and felt.
Chances are good that your children or grandchildren, or those of someone you
know, have benefitted directly or indirectly by the numerous projects that this
connection between the community and the classroom have funded over the years,
such as:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Renovation
of the planetarium at Arcola/Skyview including the addition of a new telescope<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Contributions
to arts, music and athletics programs</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Electric
car club projects<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Eagleville’s
mobile environmental lab / outdoor classroom<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">A
recent $10,000 donation toward the field improvement project (installation of
turf fields) to benefit future Methacton athletes<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEueX-MXBLCAMLaR35VdqCb6xFveABbDsvBEbfFBc7c_aCvflGOUocjc0NvgmbCkMxSfzJ8zoJ0dFiAItfoURoxMM4Zo4Wmyl5inbkUNQY8rF0qV-gNF7OtdC6JK1srRGKw4xiYf8USbPj/s1600/10k+check+for+field.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEueX-MXBLCAMLaR35VdqCb6xFveABbDsvBEbfFBc7c_aCvflGOUocjc0NvgmbCkMxSfzJ8zoJ0dFiAItfoURoxMM4Zo4Wmyl5inbkUNQY8rF0qV-gNF7OtdC6JK1srRGKw4xiYf8USbPj/s1600/10k+check+for+field.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The Foundation receives
requests from the school district administration, individual teachers, club
sponsors etc. for projects that need funding, and their Board of Directors
votes on whether to fund a specific project. Board members include former
teachers and Home & School officers, and most have current Methacton students
and/or graduates in their families. Several are themselves Methacton grads. The
Board also includes a current school board member and a current township
supervisor. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Additionally, the
Foundation is eligible for Pennsylvania tax credits via their designation as an
Educational Improvement Tax Credit Organization (EITC). The EITC program is a
part of the PA Department of Community and Economic Development which accepts
contributions from local businesses to support innovative educational programs
in public schools, as well as scholarships for kids attending accredited K-12
private schools or qualified and approved pre-K programs. Businesses can
receive PA tax credits for their contributions under this program, the
percentage varying according to the length of the gift. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">And, the Foundation is
also an approved United Way donor designate. If your workplace has a campaign
underway, just enter United Way entity code 48856 when you complete your donor
selections.</span> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXclg9S7YDKb4OpSNakBc1wOLh5zJcs6NfLye7f7XkghYpKapc5rTWeFXgtgCBpJCcRkS92lCmpO2bqNxrS6hyphenhyphenyUX6-N7-K8D1UTBioON5h71MQDYoSDcxZsHwb7ewPzCssTfy1_KqvWnY/s1600/methacton+golf.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="76" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXclg9S7YDKb4OpSNakBc1wOLh5zJcs6NfLye7f7XkghYpKapc5rTWeFXgtgCBpJCcRkS92lCmpO2bqNxrS6hyphenhyphenyUX6-N7-K8D1UTBioON5h71MQDYoSDcxZsHwb7ewPzCssTfy1_KqvWnY/s1600/methacton+golf.png" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the Foundation’s
largest funding sources is their annual alumni homecoming golf outing. Slated for <strong>October
24</strong> this year at Linfield National Golf Club, 66 Church Road in Linfield, PA
(near Limerick), the Foundation is looking for both sponsors and golfers. As a Methacton grad
and the parent of two more recent Methacton alumni, I know it’s a unique
opportunity to reconnect and spend time with former classmates to support a
cause that allows future generations to enjoy the same quality educational
opportunities we had. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The golf outing is not
the only upcoming fundraiser. Perhaps you might be interested in the 3<sup>rd</sup>
annual Warrior Cross Country 5K and Fun Run/Walk (and pancake breakfast!) coming
up November 2, or the holiday house tour on December 7. Other fundraisers are
scheduled for 2015.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMh1mLXiBHBQRDEicAyhICwJMts58T3yBNUP9IevEDSul1HRXrrkPwP64-lMrc5DlsDFumUxLnbHgrNyypz42oqQp58pniGklf5ld3TpHebmCL0TEP8ddJoTpmQWtxiBgr45duM51N0oI/s1600/warrior+run+5k+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNMh1mLXiBHBQRDEicAyhICwJMts58T3yBNUP9IevEDSul1HRXrrkPwP64-lMrc5DlsDFumUxLnbHgrNyypz42oqQp58pniGklf5ld3TpHebmCL0TEP8ddJoTpmQWtxiBgr45duM51N0oI/s1600/warrior+run+5k+2014.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">For more information on
this charity, grant criteria, and more details for each fundraiser, please
visit the Foundation’s website at </span><a href="http://www.methacton.org/Page/1" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">http://www.methacton.org/Page/1</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> or submit questions to </span></span><a href="mailto:efmc@methacton.org"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large;">efmc@methacton.org</span></span></a><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">And while we’re on the
subject, several other worthy community charities that would very much
appreciate donations include the Lower Providence Community Center Ambulance
(in the process of constructing their new facility at the Township complex) and
the Lower Providence Fire Department. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo credits: Methacton School District</span></o:p></span></div>
</div>
Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-85096383137643669162014-08-27T22:27:00.001-04:002015-09-04T22:37:48.701-04:00R. I. P. ... a sad day for LPPD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGtHCEzKzV0TVsXOMjio12FLJFsIRjAKLtN0j9CjhOihxomLzl9th7tJyZNz6yd9Ov4UXyFpF_6jDUr0PjOpAPQuRltjqhLRen8jJi0UBvuCA3_NS5Nc0nGdJJ5JCuUlUgdJVueKPeIgq/s1600/LPPD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuGtHCEzKzV0TVsXOMjio12FLJFsIRjAKLtN0j9CjhOihxomLzl9th7tJyZNz6yd9Ov4UXyFpF_6jDUr0PjOpAPQuRltjqhLRen8jJi0UBvuCA3_NS5Nc0nGdJJ5JCuUlUgdJVueKPeIgq/s1600/LPPD.jpg" width="263" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I want to extend sincere condolences to all of the officers of the Lower Providence Police Department and the Township staff on the sudden and tragic passing of their colleague today, as well to as the officer's family and our other first responders who worked with him over the years on various calls. We lost a 25-year veteran who grew up here, loved his job and by all accounts was exemplary. I know he touched many lives in a positive way. May he rest in peace and God give healing and comfort those left behind.</span> Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-40770085905261754622014-08-24T18:35:00.000-04:002015-09-04T22:39:27.839-04:00The Real Deal <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It isn't always easy
finding the right people to run for positions as public servants, folks willing
to spend hours of their time campaigning and, if successfully elected, sitting
in meetings, balancing budgets and listening to angry residents. It also takes
someone who doesn’t mind being stopped at the gas station, WaWa or grocery
store when a resident has an urgent sewer line question or a traffic issue
about which they urgently need to vent. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These are the
positions that form the backbone of our Republic, the local political equivalent
of first responders to so many of our basic issues such as property taxes,
trash collection, zoning, infrastructure improvements, and public recreational
facilities. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some communities struggle
to find such individuals. While that’s seldom, if ever, been an issue in Lower
Providence, one thankless position in particular can be a challenge, where a
significant number of the office’s dealings with the public may not be pleasant
and some may be downright hostile. That is the post of tax collector. </span></span></span>
<br />
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1xeCvyqYnlGw3gW77XQnECvbdkR1I0QPgnOiig1wJ0qUBAOMXvAj045VJCMNU6GOat8fZ24zUaCbE9fiasHy9EDsUsCCZ4kqa1egOumFQ-fSa-GJTYHfVoR9ovw8pqN8UYTWTcdYsubU/s1600/Kirsten+Deal+2014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1xeCvyqYnlGw3gW77XQnECvbdkR1I0QPgnOiig1wJ0qUBAOMXvAj045VJCMNU6GOat8fZ24zUaCbE9fiasHy9EDsUsCCZ4kqa1egOumFQ-fSa-GJTYHfVoR9ovw8pqN8UYTWTcdYsubU/s1600/Kirsten+Deal+2014.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;">
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lower Providence and
Methacton School District have had good fortune in that tax collector Kirsten Deal
fulfills those duties for us. Deal, the first and only Democrat elected here in
many years, was first elected in 2005, beating Republican Doug Hager, and was
unopposed in her re-election bids in 2009 and 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She succeeded a longtime Republican who’d
held the post for the preceding 48 years, Republican Robert Love (Love just
passed away this past May). </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In an unusual twist,
in the 2005 race for tax collector, Love endorsed Deal over the endorsed
Republican candidate as his replacement.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Deal, <span style="color: black;">a 14-year Lower Providence resident with more than thirty years’
experience in the appraisal, real estate and financial services sectors, has
modernized and streamlined the post since her election. And while she makes it
look easy, the mechanics of separating tax receivables from taxpayers isn’t
simple. Mistakes made by tax collectors have the potential to cost landowners
within the jurisdiction their property rights, so the stakes are high.</span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"></span><span style="color: #363636;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShpM2R5kHezMgC_VCgi3ae885IkzRs5HTsZF4iLC4FYwD_tarhUS4KOAxhvMRQ0BZBxXY4ula6GYrz36UCog3N0SDaMDsYdQeGIokKM72g11VYRDd_6EbCLe3KQ-0ngqNuBa3Z-MG3yZC/s1600/photo+1%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShpM2R5kHezMgC_VCgi3ae885IkzRs5HTsZF4iLC4FYwD_tarhUS4KOAxhvMRQ0BZBxXY4ula6GYrz36UCog3N0SDaMDsYdQeGIokKM72g11VYRDd_6EbCLe3KQ-0ngqNuBa3Z-MG3yZC/s1600/photo+1%5B1%5D.JPG" width="240" /></a><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The job is more
complicated and time consuming than you’d think, involving issuing tax notices
(bills) for three entities: the local municipality (Lower Providence),
Methacton School District, and Montgomery County. A fair number of duplicate
bills are also requested for those whose mortgage companies pay residents’
taxes out of escrowed funds and for whom the tax invoice never was forwarded by
the resident.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It also
involves making the deposits of monies received, posting payments to the proper
accounts, reconciliations, and a fair amount of reporting – monthly to
Montgomery County, LP and Methacton, and annually with the County. Funds are
usually remitted to each taxing authority on a biweekly basis. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In addition, </span><span style="color: black;">tax collectors are
responsible for notifying the county sheriff of any unpaid taxes outstanding
against any property advertised for sheriff’s sale, and providing
certifications for real estate sales settlements. <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The timing of
when tax bills must be printed and mailed, and funds remitted, means Deal works
a lot of dates most folks consider holidays or prime time for vacations, and
sometimes on weekends or until late at night. “Accuracy and timeliness are the
most important parts of this job so that those [taxing] institutions can get
their money in on time and pay their bills”, said Deal. Some locally elected
tax collectors collect their fees and outsource the work to a third party, but
Deal is one of a few who still does all the work herself (sometimes assisted by
her husband).<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The only local
taxes for which collection is outsourced to a private third party is the Earned
Income Tax (EIC, or ‘occupation tax’), charged at 1% on income – half for the township
and half to the school district); the per capita tax ($15/yr, $5 to LPT and $10
to Methacton); and the ‘local services’ tax ($52 per person/yr) which
Berkheimer Associates of Berks County collects.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jpIXZ4JOGZ_hL9WqwczAI26VNWQIyUhybwu6yUrIbOxcAEzn8RI2AZLTf4z-CZI9HmgKEeStGfp8iHrux8tAWgVTU2PrWvrY26m2jSoWLS7b8QzIj33jXDMB96pbmrldybGyEWa5scrC/s1600/PA+Tax+Coll+Assn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8jpIXZ4JOGZ_hL9WqwczAI26VNWQIyUhybwu6yUrIbOxcAEzn8RI2AZLTf4z-CZI9HmgKEeStGfp8iHrux8tAWgVTU2PrWvrY26m2jSoWLS7b8QzIj33jXDMB96pbmrldybGyEWa5scrC/s1600/PA+Tax+Coll+Assn.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to
the Tax Collector’s Manual published by the PA Governor’s Center for Local
Government Services, Pennsylvania tax collectors' salaries are based on a
percentage of the total dollar amount of the bills they process, and the pay
can range from $1,200 to $100,000, depending upon the size of the municipality
and school district. In our area, Deal is paid a dollar amount per invoice
issued ($3 each from both LPT and Methacton for approximately 7500 households
and 500 businesses – with lesser amounts for subsequent delinquent tax bills) so
what Deal earns to process our tax work is firmly in the middle of that range. The
County also pays a fee per invoice.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">The post comes
with no health benefits or retirement plan. Tax collectors have to find other
ways to cover those costs out of their earnings.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 7.5pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The compensation
(fees and expenses) local tax collectors are paid can only be charged if their
municipalities enact an ordinance authorizing them to do so and cannot exceed
5% of invoices issued. This amount is to include reimbursement for all billing
expenses of the tax collector other than bonding, printing, postage and
envelopes. LPT has authorized up to $1500 per year for printing and envelopes
upon receipt of proof of the actual expenditure for these items. There is a
separate reimbursement for the costs of bonding and postage upon receipt of the
actual expense for those items. By law tax collectors must maintain performance
(surety) bonds, so that if they don’t perform, the entity owed tax monies can
collect against it. The cost of the bond premium is paid by the taxing districts
in an amount proportionate to their share of the total annual tax bills.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">While the need
to tap a bond is rare, this has become necessary in neighboring Upper
Providence Township, where their former tax collector, Beverly Noll,
appears to have failed to fulfill her duties due to illness. While she’s since
been replaced in the 2013 election, Spring-Ford School District and Montgomery County
(Upper Providence itself has no township tax) are trying to clean up the mess,
and the County has </span><a href="http://articles.philly.com/2014-06-21/news/50741657_1_tax-collector-checks-county-commissioners" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">seized</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> Noll’s records to figure out if there was any
improper disposition of funds, determine who has paid versus who has not, and
help reconcile those who claim they’ve paid with a stack of undeposited checks
found in Noll’s office (more </span><a href="http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20140619/montgomery-county-commissioners-grant-amnesty-period-for-upper-providence-taxpayers" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> and </span><a href="http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/general-news/20140620/spring-ford-finds-stack-of-uncashed-checks-tied-to-former-tax-collector" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">). <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70cAw3QxY9UjUsNANSk-kFnLdp0cDmS3XAfQcdRnvthelFYq3d0Cqhj1KWTHkGDNuzKL9NO_BSnLErH1coqbX4XlTm4bmRoZjqF-fSdhWI8ZFG92ZA9Z8tm0J19NcTT8xR7GvTPgmMb8R/s1600/photo+2%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg70cAw3QxY9UjUsNANSk-kFnLdp0cDmS3XAfQcdRnvthelFYq3d0Cqhj1KWTHkGDNuzKL9NO_BSnLErH1coqbX4XlTm4bmRoZjqF-fSdhWI8ZFG92ZA9Z8tm0J19NcTT8xR7GvTPgmMb8R/s1600/photo+2%5B1%5D.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Since she was
first elected, Deal has introduced improvements to the function, adding
Saturday hours at her desk at First Niagara Bank in Audubon, keeping extended hours during tax deadline dates, purchasing an
updated Windows-based tax program which utilizes bar codes on invoices to
automate and speed up tax processing, and purchasing bulk postage instead of
using postage stamps. She even swapped out an ancient dot-matrix printer she
inherited in the job for a state-of-the-art laser printer. She says she is
proud that she’s delivering more service for less money. Her website is </span><a href="http://www.lowerprovidencetaxcollector.com/"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">www.lowerprovidencetaxcollector.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall, Deal
enjoys the job, although her greatest frustrations include not hearing from
people until there is a serious problem, people coming into the bank to pay
taxes outside of her published hours of availability, and calling <em>her</em> office when
there is really an issue with their banking institution or mortgage holder. All
in all, though, she enjoys providing such a critical service despite the
occasional headaches. I think she’s doing a phenomenal job in keeping a reliable
cash flow coming in to Lower Providence’s and Methacton’s coffers. At the end
of the day, residents in LPT and Methacton really are getting the best ‘Deal’
possible.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></o:p></div>
Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-78717812018234790192014-07-18T15:26:00.001-04:002015-09-05T22:55:00.519-04:00The Long and Winding Road <span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s rare that the closure of
a road in our community is cause for celebration, but for the LP Board of
Supervisors last evening, deciding what to do about a public road promised
long ago yet still unbuilt was an opportunity to make a significant positive
traffic impact for LP.</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfIYY_FA3yM6IrDHKoW2I3Su4XPTJdVua0chjupREDKBz3uieRMOPNBRhpykDtNfxIaeTJF_LdPe_eAh9qSAqPcmU3IKNldUm6kOH8odXVl1YFYB6uA8DTiF2M_e8Ssq1_SHPH6AVZVFS/s1600/photo+2%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQfIYY_FA3yM6IrDHKoW2I3Su4XPTJdVua0chjupREDKBz3uieRMOPNBRhpykDtNfxIaeTJF_LdPe_eAh9qSAqPcmU3IKNldUm6kOH8odXVl1YFYB6uA8DTiF2M_e8Ssq1_SHPH6AVZVFS/s1600/photo+2%5B1%5D.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">former proposed throughpoint from Egypt to Park Ave</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">At issue was whether to allow
local developer Audubon Land Development (ALD) <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and its principal, John Neilson, out of an
obligation incurred 16 years ago to complete Shannondell Boulevard through to Park Avenue, part of the plan when ALD pursued approval for the development
of the Shannondell retirement community, in exchange for road improvements
elsewhere in the Township, or whether to hold them to the letter of the 1998 conditional use
decision. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">ALD’s commitment to open a
public road (an extension of the existing Shannondell Boulevard) stretching
from Egypt Road to Park Avenue was secured by a former Board of Supervisors and
sought at a time in our history when we had significant congestion issues in
Audubon, particularly along Egypt Road. At the time, the intersection at
Egypt/Park Avenue/Pawlings Road was rated by PennDOT as an “F” – their worst
rating. This was partly because the point where US Route 422 meets Trooper Road
had never been designed as a full cloverleaf, so traffic seeking to head
westbound from our area was forced to thread through Audubon on Egypt Road to
reach 422 there. The Shannondell road extension was required and approved as a
means to help alleviate this traffic.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxf-06EB0K_-ULhZFucpp4TfqBUNWpdz2zgplJVxsbIRlBUwGZjIyerdf4Wd7Y65DwS4KvKGLmWNaeZiNMCXx0XTJq1mRVh7c7LboijJM62WSB08NHEAbs31nocHl21gJkCE2BIzVHDB3k/s1600/photo+3%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxf-06EB0K_-ULhZFucpp4TfqBUNWpdz2zgplJVxsbIRlBUwGZjIyerdf4Wd7Y65DwS4KvKGLmWNaeZiNMCXx0XTJq1mRVh7c7LboijJM62WSB08NHEAbs31nocHl21gJkCE2BIzVHDB3k/s1600/photo+3%5B1%5D.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">paper street back to the Meadows @ Shannondell from Park </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large;">Also back in 1998 new
businesses and homes were still being built at a steady clip, dumping more and
more traffic on local roads less and less able to keep up. In addition, we are
a gateway community through which pass-through traffic generated by other
communities along the 422 corridor, also experiencing growth in population and
business, fed into LP. The 1998 agreement was structured so that when
Shannondell reached 1000 new units (and presumably added a definably increased
level of traffic onto Egypt) it would trigger the completion and dedication of the
road to divert cars to Park Avenue. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Since Shannondell never reached
that threshold (although they are close), they were never required to complete and
open the public road. And, in the intervening years, conditions changed
sufficiently so that the cut-through from Egypt to Park Avenue was arguably no
longer needed. In 2006 improvements to the Egypt Road/Park Avenue/Pawlings Road
intersection approved in 2005 (by the BOS I was a member of) were installed,
improving that intersection from an “F” rating to a “D”. Today, long-planned
work is underway to complete the 422/Trooper Road cloverleaf, which will make
it easier for employees of the corporate center to access 422 without
traversing Egypt Road, and the Arcola Road bridge – while having a temporary
impact on the Audubon area – will be rebuilt and reopened within the next
couple of years.</span> </span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVZ9YL5H0uHeFKe-INFCYVl20WaQRolD0SEM4otp6_4ngGhgC-uWB3y_u2MHmaWZQmWtvoLi4BdAyoWIt8OJtBRFZy-oQcvFrhd9z6uqpmOpI-b-pr5GNXi5JKFX9YAMeU1YHcXUJ83wW/s1600/photo+1%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVZ9YL5H0uHeFKe-INFCYVl20WaQRolD0SEM4otp6_4ngGhgC-uWB3y_u2MHmaWZQmWtvoLi4BdAyoWIt8OJtBRFZy-oQcvFrhd9z6uqpmOpI-b-pr5GNXi5JKFX9YAMeU1YHcXUJ83wW/s1600/photo+1%255B1%255D.JPG" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">Thus, having made their case
that circumstances have substantially changed (and arguably improved and will
continue to do so) since the 1998 conditional use decision they received, ALD
secured the Board of Supervisors’ approval last night to amend it (with conditions)
to exchange that project for improvements at the dangerous intersection of
Crawford Road, Eagleville Road and Park Avenue (see articles, </span><a href="http://thealternativepress.com/towns/lower-providence/articles/lp-supers-approve-keeping-shannondell-boulevard-p" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here (TAP)</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> and </span><a href="http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20140716/lower-providence-supervisors-to-hold-hearing-to-abandon-private-road-extension" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> and </span><a href="http://www.timesherald.com/general-news/20140717/lower-providence-supervisors-approve-shannondell-boulevard-extension-allow-it-remain-a-private-road" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">here (Times Herald)</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">. <o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The unaligned Crawford Road intersection
is currently rated ‘E”, although arguably it’s worse, according to the Township’s
traffic engineer, Casey Moore of McMahon Associates. Improving and aligning
Crawford Road is a safety priority and in the public’s best interests. Traffic
stacks there significantly in all directions and is especially dangerous at
rush hours. It has an extensive accident history, and I personally know of
friends and family whose cars have been clobbered there over the years.</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">The stub road at Shannondell
will still be finished up to Park Avenue, but will not have public access. Only
emergency vehicles and public works will be able to access it.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzvs8k7ANiP3vGb8KN56sHalpq7l_QtgZro8yxPxH1-JDxYzwoi20ysxrv3lLtUm0j2DqleryOI5yyO9RZh_FmSy2SVyCRchKa7uVHdtRjRvdjsidCJsZdtuYHF3xfE9ssBPZn3pDbQq8/s1600/south+park+ave+heading+north+7-14-14+530+pm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKzvs8k7ANiP3vGb8KN56sHalpq7l_QtgZro8yxPxH1-JDxYzwoi20ysxrv3lLtUm0j2DqleryOI5yyO9RZh_FmSy2SVyCRchKa7uVHdtRjRvdjsidCJsZdtuYHF3xfE9ssBPZn3pDbQq8/s1600/south+park+ave+heading+north+7-14-14+530+pm.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">S. Park heading north, 7-14-14 @ 5:25 pm</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><span style="font-size: large;">I believe it’s very forward
thinking on the part of our BOS to think in terms of getting something we
really want and need in exchange for a project that is no longer necessary, and
I applaud their creativity, flexibility and courage in taking on what could
have been a politically hot issue.</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG_j5_-67xlQcwcE1DhnT9ucaDOt3igz2ZsbWQuys4YBgmP0uRwOv3M56w8JitLvSxCqGHLXlyJEqo5cGOWn4DFmT84_PyB83qmT-Gnagtr0uxvBQzAU8TqkzK1qADYxXAP4oRo14PHZW/s1600/photo+1%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBG_j5_-67xlQcwcE1DhnT9ucaDOt3igz2ZsbWQuys4YBgmP0uRwOv3M56w8JitLvSxCqGHLXlyJEqo5cGOWn4DFmT84_PyB83qmT-Gnagtr0uxvBQzAU8TqkzK1qADYxXAP4oRo14PHZW/s1600/photo+1%5B1%5D.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">paper street from Park to Egypt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: large;">When I ran for BOS in 2011,
because I was the only candidate to go on record as opposing opening the road
to the public, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I received overwhelming
support from the residents of Shannondell who were vehemently opposed to what
they termed ‘an expressway’ being opened in their community, citing safety
concerns. Some Audubon residents, and former supervisor Rick Brown, were, at the time, more interested in holding
a developer accountable for an agreement they entered into years ago than in
what was in the overall best interest of the Township as a whole. I’m glad that
this has turned out to be a win/win for all stakeholders and is no longer a political football.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Now, if we could only get the
intersection of Pinetown/Sunnyside/Eagleville Road improved….<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq3i2x3LepObkyWZeSpGq8nCKJlHz8G-T7YZSg2yrMzvvGNK2bzbFjtkfAYkyMYpOaFd8zRtGTGtjtZjxSjdYkZvuG-3MZUSV8tBGqmKU_XxGIkZvVNC8yRO3v8wGC2Z6jVblfOsWPzZT/s1600/lp+shannondell+gene+walsh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdq3i2x3LepObkyWZeSpGq8nCKJlHz8G-T7YZSg2yrMzvvGNK2bzbFjtkfAYkyMYpOaFd8zRtGTGtjtZjxSjdYkZvuG-3MZUSV8tBGqmKU_XxGIkZvVNC8yRO3v8wGC2Z6jVblfOsWPzZT/s1600/lp+shannondell+gene+walsh.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photo credit: Times Herald</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-12348294716281519602014-05-02T03:26:00.000-04:002015-09-05T22:55:55.964-04:00See You In Court<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Some of you may recall a 2007 incident that resulted in
then-current Methacton School Board president (and LP resident) James Van Horn stepping down from
that post in December of that year. While he remained on the school board until
the end of his term, he did not run for re-election in 2009. That incident can be viewed below:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/QD5L2epwcZU" width="420"></iframe></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Worcester resident Dr. James Mollick was filming a school
board meeting, as he was frequently known to do and which is perfectly legal. According
to published reports at the time (</span><a href="http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20071214/TMP01%20%20/312149996" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">"Van Horn to Face Charges", Times Herald 12-14-07</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">, </span><a href="http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20080314/TMP01%20%20/303149985" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">"Van Horn Pleads to Lesser Charge", Times Herald 3-14-08</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> and </span><a href="http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20071125/TMP01%20%20/311259986" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">"Methacton School Board Meeting Incident", Times Herald 2007</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">), when Van Horn noticed Mollick still filming
after the conclusion of the meeting, he left the dias and charged toward
Mollick, allegedly assaulting him in front of several witnesses; Mollick wound up being thrown over a couple
of rows of seats in the audience. Van Horn has claimed ever since that he was going after the
camera, not Mollick, and claimed at the time he was never charged with assault,
but Mollick wound up with what are apparently serious injuries. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Originally charged with harassment, Van Horn plead guilty to
a disorderly conduct charge in 2008 and paid a fine , but the civil suit
Mollick filed against him and Methacton School District in 2008 is still
ongoing six years later. Methacton’s two insurance carriers requested in May
2013 to intervene and apparently all attempts to arrive at a negotiated
settlement fell short. After years of delays, the case is headed for trial,
scheduled to begin on May 5. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">An elected Republican committeeman (in a section of Audubon)
and the current municipal leader of the Lower Providence Republican Party, he
is currently running for re-election in the May 20 primary.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjW2m0EtjStSFtHkfKEfedL-WrxVesZmCtiK1nlo8TySOCY5r3nDdfhsEmozUmMbEDrC0tcivSBTit4qjg-K9nmfHpYqN_teMwDsZcgRIb2uJxy9OW6m2xBq7L8zqb9HS-dzhNXOG6M94L/s1600/JVH.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjW2m0EtjStSFtHkfKEfedL-WrxVesZmCtiK1nlo8TySOCY5r3nDdfhsEmozUmMbEDrC0tcivSBTit4qjg-K9nmfHpYqN_teMwDsZcgRIb2uJxy9OW6m2xBq7L8zqb9HS-dzhNXOG6M94L/s1600/JVH.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Van Horn, second from right</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Van Horn, who earned something of a reputation as a bully
based on accounts I’ve heard from numerous colleagues and adversaries over his
20 year tenure on the school board (one of whom resigned over </span><a href="http://www.timesherald.com/article/JR/20081016/NEWS01/310169990" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">this</span></a><span style="font-size: large;">), is still believed to have wielded
considerable influence with subsequent (and the current) school board. I have
personally observed how Van Horn gets wrapped up in the selection and promotion
of school board candidates – to the exclusion of almost all else. I and other
candidates for local offices in recent years have been somewhat annoyed that
his almost-exclusive focus on school board races has resulted in non-school
board candidates’ campaigns being virtually ignored. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sources who wish to remain anonymous tell me that the
parties are ‘miles apart’ from settling, and thus the trial is expected to be a
go. Van Horn is evidently sticking to his guns and confident that by rolling
the dice in court he will prevail against Mollick. I’m told Mollick’s career as
an OB-GYN has come to a standstill ever since the incident in which he alleges
he sustained serious and career-ending injuries. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The records were sealed early on in an effort to protect
Mollick’s tax and professional information, but voir dire rules for jury
selection are being hashed out now and jury empanelment will begin May 2 in the
Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in Judge Kelly Walls’ courtroom. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nDwrtzVH_YirmVwvsmXAxVPRgIfQ3tkN2UM7H6ij5ilXz4gCxyxl0fo6nwZYbcRhyoXmjm_9zwVLei_57mL3kkuySxMveavhaarwQfaaNn1dq3FyMc1z-ku1fmnoPTktaMeRQslxiHWi/s1600/courthouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6nDwrtzVH_YirmVwvsmXAxVPRgIfQ3tkN2UM7H6ij5ilXz4gCxyxl0fo6nwZYbcRhyoXmjm_9zwVLei_57mL3kkuySxMveavhaarwQfaaNn1dq3FyMc1z-ku1fmnoPTktaMeRQslxiHWi/s1600/courthouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><strong><em>UPDATE</em></strong>: As I was drafting this, I called the judge’s clerk to get an
estimate of how long the trial was expected to last. I was advised that the
case was believed to have reached settlement today (5/1) , although nothing formal had
been received by the Court as of 4 pm. I was able to confirm later that the case had
indeed settled for an undisclosed amount.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The extensive case docket reveals a flurry of activity in the last couple
of days on several dozen pending motions, and several orders were handed down
which appear to have been detrimental to Van Horn’s defense. Several others
were deferred to be dealt with at trial instead of being dismissed outright. Again, the pleadings are sealed, so I can’t
tell for sure, but perhaps Van Horn saw the handwriting on the wall and decided
not to take his chances with a jury. </span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">Of course, we will likely never know how much the parties
agreed to settle for, and it’s typical in personal injury litigation to keep such
information confidential. But the bigger questions are: how much did Methacton
School District have to spend in legal fees to defend their former school board president
over those six years - I've heard upwards of $100,000, but don't quote me on that -, and how much of the settlement exceeds their insurance
coverage limits and must be paid out of pocket? How much of that will we taxpayers be paying for next year in the form of a tax increase?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">In the meantime, if Van Horn hopes to remain active in local government and politics, perhaps he might want to invest in an anger management class. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9DYTc4RgdthPIe1CAtPy3mUQB8zb5PUy3j44Abwz5T5U6huN8t8swMSjcA9_D1b3lGgQ0T728xL5_ZU3ygaBb_U_eEile6ftmobHh1WsQwXzqjKQ1dTWJAwdBx1-pkD3l4OZAT_607N7/s1600/blank-check-550x366.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9DYTc4RgdthPIe1CAtPy3mUQB8zb5PUy3j44Abwz5T5U6huN8t8swMSjcA9_D1b3lGgQ0T728xL5_ZU3ygaBb_U_eEile6ftmobHh1WsQwXzqjKQ1dTWJAwdBx1-pkD3l4OZAT_607N7/s1600/blank-check-550x366.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-84672534403238301042014-04-29T03:12:00.000-04:002015-09-05T22:57:16.966-04:00Moody's Sours on LP <span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last week Moody's Investors Service, a New York commercial credit rating outfit, downgraded the bond rating for LP's guaranteed revenue sewer bonds from a rating of Aa2 to Aa3. This rating affects <em>all</em> the township bond holdings and more importantly impacts its ability to cheaply borrow funds into the future for projects such as road paving and capital improvements. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I<span style="font-size: large;"> spoke to township manager Richard Gestrich on this subject Friday afternoon (4/24) and he told me substantially the same thing as was reported by LP TAP before I had a chance to write up an article, so I won't repeat that conversation here; you can check it out for </span><a href="http://thealternativepress.com/towns/lower-providence/sections/business-and-finance/articles/moodys-downgrades-lower-providence-townships-ra" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: large;">yourself.</span></a><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">While Gestrich's outrage about the changes in rating methodology and his feelings that the township was victimized in its treatment by Moody's may be legitimate, it's worth noting that no surrounding townships were similarly lowered, nor was Methacton School District's bond rating (although their business manager recently mentioned in a school board meeting that he 'is concerned' about eroding tax revenues in the district, a harbinger of a potential downgrade). Anyway, it's all about the ability to repay debt, which obviously Moody's sees as a potential problem brewing for LP. The Board of Supervisors should be very concerned about whatever is giving Moody's agita because a downgrade is, any way you cut it, a big deal. Moody's earns their keep by risk rating bonds much like auditors review loan portfolios and giving people bond ratings upon which they can make investment decisions; it does not serve their purpose to issue random downgrades without a solid reason. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">I did ask Gestrich whether our Finance Committee was aware of the downgrade and if so, what they had to say about it. I noted that according to the Township's website, this committee did not appear to have met for months (although I have heard that they do meet, and Gestrich has publicly referenced this committee meeting, I don't know how 'public' those meetings are since there no agendas or minutes). A constituent who was tapped to serve on this committee told me over the weekend that he was frustrated with it because they sought him out to serve, and he was eager to do so, but then they never met. Gestrich told me he believed the Finance Committee was going to meet Monday evening, April 27. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">(As a follow-up, Gestrich told me in a 5/1 email that he had passed the full Moody's report to Finance Committee member Lucien Calhoun, who is also with the Delaware Valle Finance Authority). He said "Lucien opined that since the Township remained at a Prime 1 rating, that it would not make a difference on our interest rates going forward". </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Moody's downgrade comes on the heels of a glowing audit review which Gestrich presented in March to the BOS. While we ended 2012 with a thin balance in the general fund going into the next year, we had a much more comfortable cushion going into 2014 to the tune of almost $1.4 million, which was attributed to increases in earned income taxes and real estate transfers. After the BOS voted late last year to raise taxes for the first time in ten years, Chairman Eckman stated earlier this year that the Board expects to give more frequent financial updates to residents.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Among the reasons Moody's provided for the downgrade was <strong>'continued erosion of tax base'.</strong> This is something I've been sounding the alarm about for some time. In recent years our Board of Supervisors seemingly had a policy of harassing and obstructing businesses from coming here and bringing jobs, revenue, and taxes and fees with them (sometimes spending ridiculous tax dollars in legal fees to do so). While this environment was primarily driven by former supervisor/chair Rick Brown, a couple folks who have supported those actions are still serving. Chasing out or creating a less-than-welcoming, hostile business environment for proposed businesses like the American Revolution Center, the YMCA, Bestline, WaWa and others has a cost. You can't provide services without adequate revenue streams coming in and you will surely have a harder time borrowing money.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjUI4A78iSXgm9N1neGnJMCYIQgWtvOgr_3jOrfsYpwf-eSQH_74_5S5C2V5H6KMNvGsWqy8xG17tjcAxrZubNmEAiLF4txJrOfPf95T4Jg3Otef_R3EXx2AMTyfATAq4uSAlA1uDHQV7/s1600/buying_muni_bonds_risk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjUI4A78iSXgm9N1neGnJMCYIQgWtvOgr_3jOrfsYpwf-eSQH_74_5S5C2V5H6KMNvGsWqy8xG17tjcAxrZubNmEAiLF4txJrOfPf95T4Jg3Otef_R3EXx2AMTyfATAq4uSAlA1uDHQV7/s1600/buying_muni_bonds_risk.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">It pains me to drive through West Norriton, King of Prussia and Upper Providence and see not only new businesses that went there instead of here, but also businesses that used to be here, but have moved to those communities. It is also heartbreaking to drive through the township and at every entrance be greeted with an empty building...the former Collegeville Inn...the former Bud's Bar....the former Norristown Ford...nobody seems to be focused on making it a priority to find suitable uses for these properties or changing the zoning so that they can be repurposed.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: large;">Also, former township manager Joe Dunbar raised a concern circa 2010 that the LPT Sewer Authority appeared to be using capital reserves to fund operations and presented specifics. Then, when former supervisors Brown and DiPaolo got control of the BOS, they dumped the auditor who developed the findings, Maillie Falconero. As the Township is the guarantor of all township debt, including the Sewer Authority, I can see why this would have been concerning at the time and could be having an impact now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">A damning move like this from Moody's tells me that Job One for our BOS ought to be to get the word out ASAP that we are not only open for business but we will bend over backward to bring you here and try to work with you. Stop being a NIMBY township and reverse Rick Brown's legacy for LP: a lowered bond rating.</span> <br />
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Janice Kearneyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14553607607225403569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1564216117559112927.post-85054938600464109462014-04-27T06:52:00.002-04:002015-09-05T22:58:38.725-04:00Methacton Post Prom 2014: And the Award Goes To...<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>Please see the </em></span><a href="http://youtu.be/mSZ1iKEyW54" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em>You Tube</em></span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><em> video I uploaded which has numerous photos of all of the exceptionally well done decorations.</em> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">As if getting all glammed up and attending your prom (and
perhaps being driven to and from in a limo), wasn’t enough to make you feel
special, Methacton High School students attending the post-prom festivities
afterward had the opportunity to walk a real red carpet as they entered the high
school this past Friday evening for the all-night event. Greeted by ‘paparazzi’,
a large replica of an Oscar statuette and movie posters, they began to fully view
and experience the event’s theme, “Lights! Camera! Action! It’s Showtime!</span> <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">As I have noted in previous articles about this event, it’s
a function more than 400 Methacton parents and volunteers, with school district
support, put on every year to give students a safe place to spend the overnight
hours after prom. Studies show that the evening a student attends prom is one
of the most potentially deadly nights of the year. With attendance free for the
students & their dates, and the event paid for entirely by donated funds
and in-kind services in the range of $40,000-$50,000 worth of goods and
services, it’s no wonder we boast a 98% attendance rate and parents enjoy the
peace of mind that comes with knowing their children are safe and enjoying a
drug and alcohol-free evening having a blast with their friends. It takes about
2000 manpower hours the night of the prom to provide services to the approximate
900 student attendees.</span> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">If all the fun activities themselves weren’t enough to encourage attendance (a
casino, hypnotist, balloon artist, trike races, dodgeball and volleyball
tournaments with pre-registered teams and team-designed shirts, lazer tag, Wii
and arcade games, billiard, ping-pong and air hockey tables, a movie studio in
the library, romantic café, photo booths, massage therapist, fortune teller, inflatables,
‘cash cab’ contest etc) students have opportunities to win fabulous prize for
staying all night. Prizes include iPads, gift certificates, concert tickets,
iPods, flat screen TVs, computers, digital cameras, DVD players, and video game
systems.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">This year, as in past years, I volunteered to work the 2-6
am shift, one of the most difficult to get volunteers to cover. I’ve worked in
the casino, security, check-in/check-out and this time around, helped out with
the trike races. I never cease to be amazed at how much energy the kids can
still manage to summon in the middle of the night.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a night owl but even I start to fade at 3
am or so!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">In the 15 years Methacton has been doing this it has only
gotten better and better. Planning for next year’s event will begin shortly
after the conclusion of this year’s. Monday morning, all junior and senior
attendees will complete a survey to let planners know what worked well and what
improvements could be made for the following year. In June, after a six-week
break, planners will meet to do a 360 degree evaluation of the event, consider the student feedback, and begin to structure the following year’s
planning committee. Starting in the fall a team of about 30 people will work
each week on decorations right up until the event. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">As in past years, each of the elementary schools adopts one
of the high school bathrooms and is responsible for decorating it. In keeping
with this year’s cinematic theme, the bathrooms were decorated representing ‘The
Great Gatsby”, “World War Z”, “The Sound of Music” (complete with a rendition of
the song tripped when you walked into the loo) and “The Fast and the Furious”.</span> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: large;">If there were awards for the large cast that pulls this event off, it would have to go with thanks to all the volunteers, sponsors, donors, teachers,
school administrators, parents and students in our community who work
tirelessly and selflessly all year to pull this event off flawlessly. They make
it look easy, but I suspect moving military supplies across Iraq is probably
less difficult than coordinating all the moving parts that go into post-prom. We’ve
become a benchmark for other communities here and across the country.</span> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">By the way, waiting in line just in front of me to take the walk-through tour Friday evening was new superintendent Dr. David Zerbe and his family. I bump into him around town fairly often, and it's refreshing to have a superintendent who lives in our community and attends our events. What a welcome change! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: large;">As for 2014’s event…that’s a wrap!!!</span><br />
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